| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGO S COBY BRYANT, a big offseason addition, will not be in the lineup when the Bears open the season. Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com: Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant will be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks after injuring his left knee during Monday’s practice, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Bryant was injured during one-on-one drills in the first padded practice of training camp and expressed visible frustration before riding in a cart back into the facility. Bryant hyperextended his knee and sustained a bone bruise and small fracture but is not expected to need surgery to recover, the sources told Schefter. Bryant was Chicago’s marquee free agent addition this offseason after signing a three-year, $40 million contract. The Bears replaced multiple starters in the secondary, including both of the team’s starting safeties from 2025, which also led them to draft Dillon Thieneman with the 25th pick. Once Bryant left practice, veteran defensive back Cam Lewis shifted to safety when the Bears began 11-on-11 drills in their base defense. Lewis had been filling in at nickel corner after Kyler Gordon had a delay in his recovery from a calf injury that has kept him sidelined since the spring. Like Gordon, backup safety Elijah Hicks also began training camp on the physically unable to perform list, which leaves the Bears thin at safety. The other three safeties on the Bears’ roster — Gervarrius Owens, Skyler Thomas and Anthony Johnson Jr. — have zero NFL snaps among them. |
| DETROITWith RB BIJAN ROBINSON setting the market, the ball is now in the Lions court with RB JAHMYR GIBBS. Nick Shook of NFL.com: Jahmyr Gibbs’ hold-in doesn’t appear to be ending soon. His willingness to speak on the matter isn’t opening up much, either. Gibbs was briefly approached by reporters after roaming the sidelines in street clothes during Detroit’s practice on Monday, and he didn’t offer many details when asked about his ongoing hold-in, responding with “only time will tell” when he might return to action. “What I’m … aiming towards? Ah, I don’t know,” Gibbs said when asked if he needed a new contract in order to suit up for practice, per ESPN. Gibbs is one of two first-round running backs from the 2023 class who are protecting their earning power prior to the start of the 2026 season. Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson — the No. 8 overall pick in that draft — is also holding in despite the fact both are under contract through 2027 thanks to the fifth-year option. Although they’re not near free agency just yet, both Gibbs and Robinson understand it’s prudent to work on an extension that will provide long-term security before taking any further risks on the field. As is the case for any pro athlete, their health is their greatest asset, especially when poised to sign lucrative extensions. Unsurprisingly, Gibbs isn’t providing much insight on the current state of his representation’s talks with the Lions while they’re in the midst of negotiating. There’s little use in shedding light on private talks before they’ve produced a tangible result. As Lions head coach Dan Campbell said last week, “it’ll come as it comes.” Detroit isn’t too worried about the process, and neither should Gibbs. Gibbs’ teammates seem to share this understanding and hope Gibbs receives his due. After all, football is a profession and every participant wants to be paid fairly. For Gibbs, fair compensation would likely land at or near the top of the running back salary charts. “I wouldn’t even say look at the stats; look at the film,” receiver Jameson Williams said of Gibbs. “Nobody close. He’s the best.” |
| MINNESOTAAdam Patrick who covers the Vikings for Fansided, tweeted this provacation on Saturday: @adampatrickNFLTalent-wise, right now, I think Kyler Murray is easily the best QB between him and J.J. McCarthy But based on the early vibes and reports coming out of training camp, I don’t think the #Vikings locker room really likes Murray, especially Justin Jefferson.But this from Danny Jaillet of YahooSports.com: The Minnesota Vikings had a very productive practice on Saturday, and several things stood out to the writers who were there. The connection between quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Justin Jefferson in particular caught the attention of some writers. Murray was 14-of-17 on the day, and was sufficient in doing so. He also was able to connect with Jefferson a bunch, as the two continue to get acclimated and acquainted on the field. Vikings Duo Showing ChemistryOf course, linking up with your star wide receiver is never a bad thing. Even still, it certainly is heading in the right direction. SKOR North’s Jason Harmon noticed this immediately. “Murray was precise, effective, and decisive in 11-on-11 work and utilized Justin Jefferson early on an impressive pass downfield. While the two are still figuring out their timing together, the potential is already flashing.” Jefferson noted on Friday that he was seeing improvements with both quarterbacks over the course of this camp. He reiterated that he is having dialogue with both of them and just trying to get on the same page. This is certainly important, as Jefferson will be a key part of the offense, as he has been throughout his entire Vikings career. In the meantime, Murray and Jefferson have begun to find a connection during the course of practice. This was evident earlier last week. Jefferson and Murray connected on five of eight passes, as the quarterback was working on vertical routes. Murray went 8-for-8 on the drill overall, and five catches to Jefferson are certainly a step in the right direction. Vikings QB Has Up-And-Down Deep BallThat Murray deep-ball is polarizing in and of itself. Murray tied for seventh in the NFL with a 62.5% well-drawn percentage on passes of 20+ yards when he has been healthy. However, he ranked 39th in accuracy and 38th in completion rate on 20-plus-yard throws last season. Breaking this down even further, the quarterback slipped to last in the NFL with a 21% completion rate on passes over 25 yards. This was according to statistics from Roto Wire. There were concerns about how Murray threw the deep ball. However, those were put to rest by SKOR’s Judd Zulgad earlier last week. Time will tell how Jefferson and Murray will pan out. Jefferson himself will be looking to bounce back from a season that saw him record only 12.5 yards per reception. He tallied only two touchdowns last season. With that being said, he still had a 1,000-yard year. It seems as though Jefferson’s skill set allows him to adapt to whoever is under center. Practice will be important for these two over the course of the next couple of weeks. If Murray can continue to refine that deep call, the pair should be able to have an exciting year. Of course, that all depends on Murray winning the quarterback competition. Nevertheless, a positive trend with Jefferson will certainly be able to work in his favor as Kevin O’Connell makes his decision. Either way, Jefferson’s playmaking ability should be exciting for any quarterback. He has been one of the most dynamic receivers ever since he came into the league, and it would be reasonable to expect that cannot change anytime soon. Quarterback play has been inconsistent for the Vikings, but the one constant has been Jefferson. If anything, that’s been a theme throughout the course of his career. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIALB NOLAN SMITH, Jr. apologizes for getting caught going 135 in a 70 back in May. Tim McManus of ESPN.com: Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. apologized Monday for his arrest in May for speeding and reckless driving in his first public comments since the incident. According to the Twiggs County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, Smith was clocked going 135 mph in a 70 mph zone on the interstate at 10:41 p.m. on May 15. “I apologized to the organization, and I’ll make that apology now,” Smith told reporters Monday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I represent the Eagles no matter where I go, Georgia, Florida, it doesn’t matter. That’s one of the ones that I own up and I apologize for. It’s just like that. We make mistakes and it can’t happen again and that’s unacceptable. I did apologize to [general manager] Howie [Roseman], I did apologize to [owner] Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie, and I can’t let my teammates down like that. They hold me to a different accountability on and off the field.” A court date for the case was set for July 14. Smith didn’t need to appear if he paid the fines associated with the citations, and he said Monday that “nothing came from” his arrest. Smith, 25, was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, reuniting with other key members from a dominant Georgia defense including Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis. He posted 6.5 regular-season sacks in 2024 and four more in the playoffs during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. Smith has 10.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for loss over three seasons in Philadelphia. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAThe “hold in” of RB BIJAN ROBINSON ends with a huge deal. Josh Kendall and Jonathan Jones of The Athletic: There will be no more holding in for Bijan Robinson in Atlanta. The Falcons and their star running back agreed Tuesday to a three-year extension worth up to $75 million that resets the market for the position, according to league sources with knowledge of the contract who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The deal makes Robinson the highest-paid running back in NFL history with the base value worth $22.25 million per year, and the extension includes $51 million in guaranteed money. The two sides have been in negotiations for months. And while the Falcons committed more than $290 million to three core players this summer, the deal with Robinson took more time and resulted in Robinson not practicing for the majority of the first week of training camp. Robinson is the third of Atlanta’s young stars to agree to a long-term deal this offseason, joining wide receiver Drake London, who signed a four-year, $141 million extension on June 8, and tight end Kyle Pitts, who agreed to a three-year, $56 million extension on June 23. The team also secured a long-term deal with guard Matthew Bergeron, who signed a four-year extension with $60 million guaranteed on Aug. 1. “I’m really excited to help lead this team and the offense to great heights,” Robinson said during the Falcons’ minicamp in mid-June. The 24-year-old product of the University of Texas led the NFL with 2,298 all-purpose yards last year, and no player has more than his 5,648 yards from scrimmage in the last three years. Only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry have more than Robinson’s 3,910 rushing yards in that span. “I’ve been around some good running backs, but obviously you know how I feel about Bijan,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski, who coached Adrian Peterson in Minnesota and Nick Chubb in Cleveland, said. “I would start with just the pro he is. I appreciate how he goes about his business in the meeting room, how he goes about his business on the grass. The physical skill set is obvious off of the tape. Certainly, on the grass, he’s somebody that can affect the game in a multitude of ways, but I would pivot back to just the person that he is and the impact that he has on our roster, our locker room, on a daily basis.” Robinson was the eighth pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, becoming the highest-drafted running back since Barkley was taken second overall by the Giants in 2018. He immediately made enough of a splash in Atlanta that his success paved the way for the Las Vegas Raiders to pick Ashton Jeanty sixth in 2025 and the Cardinals to take Jeremiyah Love third this spring. The Falcons exercised the fifth-year option on Robinson’s contract earlier this year, which would have kept him with the team at least through the 2027 season, but even then, first-year general manager Ian Cunningham was hopeful of getting a long-term deal done this summer. This fall, Robinson is hoping to top last year’s career-best numbers, but he’s also hoping to make his first playoff appearance as a pro. “Individual goals are great, but I’m going to continue to be the guy the team can rely on,” he said. “Like I say every year, I’m just trying to be better than I was last year in all aspects of my game. … Last year was a cool year, but this year I want to be even better.” Stefanski’s staff will be the third Robinson has played for in his short career. “You just have to be really adaptable,” Robinson said. “I have learned a lot of different personalities. I’ve seen a lot of different things in this building. I think a lot of them have been great people, great coaches.” No player has more than Robinson’s 1,003 offensive touches since he joined the league in 2023, and the new coaching staff has already made clear it doesn’t plan on cutting his workload any. “Bijan loves football,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “That’s where it starts. What a special human being. He’s eager to do a lot.” Bijan will be joined in the backfield this year by free-agent addition Brian Robinson. “He’s a great guy,” Brian Robinson said of Bijan. “He is exactly what you see. He comes to work every day prepared to be his best. It’s no surprise that he plays the way he plays.” Bijan Robinson’s new deal comes amid his growing international fame, which was highlighted during this summer’s World Cup by his friendships with France’s Kylian Mbappe and Brazil’s Vinicius Jr. “They are bigger than most celebrities, really all celebrities in America,” Robinson said. “It’s really cool to see how they handle it.” Robinson and Vinicius have bonded in part through their relationship with celebrity jeweler Leo Khusro, also known as Leo Frost. “We always text each other after games,” Robinson said. “He watches all our games. He would send me the highlights from the game. It’s cool to hang out with him. He’s such a great dude. He’s a really, really good person. What he does on the field and what I do on the field, there are a lot of similarities. I’m excited to see what he can do in the World Cup.” Robinson traveled to Italy and France earlier this year to do promotional work for the NFL and himself, and he’ll be in Spain in November for the Falcons game against the Bengals in Madrid, where he plans to reunite with Mbappe, who plays professionally for Real Madrid, as well as two other friends from the Spanish team. “The life that (the soccer players) live out there and how they go about their business is pretty inspiring,” he said. “They are very organized and team-oriented.” |
| CAROLINAThe Panthers will have a tough call on whether to extend QB BRYCE YOUNG – and so far they have not said anything about it. The Associated Press: – The Carolina Panthers remain tight-lipped about the long-term contractual future of quarterback Bryce Young as he prepares to enter his fourth NFL season. Panthers executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis said Monday he felt Young “ascended” to a new level last season, while adding that the 25-year-old’s ceiling is still “unknown.” After being benched early in his second season, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 responded by throwing for 3,011 yards with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last year while going 8-8 as a starter and leading the Panthers to an NFC South championship. Still, Young appears ready to enter the season without a long-term contract in place. He is under contract this season for slightly more than $12 million. The team can pick up the fifth-year option on Young at anytime, which would mean paying him a projected $25.9 million in 2027. But three years in, this is normally the time when NFL teams consider locking up a quarterback they drafted high — or one they consider a franchise-type player — with a long-term deal. “I would say he ascended last year and there is still room for him to ascend,” said Tilis, who was the lead negotiator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020 when they locked up Patrick Mahomes with a 10-year, $477 million deal. “His ceiling is currently unknown, and I think that is exciting for us. He’s working hard to get himself there.” When asked if the Panthers should have a better idea of where Young’s ceiling is by now, Tilis responded, “not necessarily. The team is growing, too. He’s going to ascend as the team ascends, and vice versa. The team is going to get better. So it’s all good.” Tilis said Young is well-positioned to continue developing this season. “The team is better, the coaches are good — Bryce is putting in the work, too. So it’s all there,” Tilis said. “We will just see how the year plays out. I think we are all really excited for what Bryce is going to show and how the team is going to do.” When asked if that’s an indication the team may wait until after the season to consider a contract extension for Young, Tilis remained coy, saying those a discussions that will remain inside the organization and be discussed privately among himself, general manager Dan Morgan, head coach Dave Canales and team owner David Tepper. “I want what is best for the organization so that is not for me [solely] to decide,” Tilis said. “It’s collaborative.” Canales said he’s “really excited” to see what Young will do entering his third year in the current offensive system after watching him at training camp. “The special plays still show up every day, moving up the spot, pushing up in the pocket, layering balls, all the accuracy — but the part that I’ve been really impressed with this camp is just his chemistry with our receivers,” Canales said. Canales added Young is “playing so much faster” and making quicker decisions. “It just seems like he’s eliminating things before the snap,” Canales said. “On his drop, he’s starting to eliminate and evaluate things and throwing really anticipatory throws. … So I love where he’s headed. I love that he’s all in. He seems to be really enjoying it and so we just keep taking it a day at a time and try to challenge ourselves that way.” Young is firmly entrenched as Carolina’s starting quarterback, but he won’t play in Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game, Canales said. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIJori Epstein of YahooSports.com is a believer in the Bengals new defense: Nineteen minutes before practice began Monday morning, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden was discussing his prized defensive tackle acquisition. Then Golden looked up. A 6-foot-5, 350-pound man was strolling out to practice. “Did you see the blackout?” Golden joked, amid an interview with Yahoo Sports. “What’s up, big man? So that was an eclipse right there.” Lawrence had caught his coordinator’s eye — for neither the first time nor the last. The Bengals acquired Lawrence from the New York Giants on April 19, sending New York the 10th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft as compensation. Lawrence received an additional year of his deal, worth $28 million, to secure him up through the 2028 NFL season. He and Golden celebrated that day at the Cincinnati-based Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse. And then? Lawrence got to work learning his new terminology and verbiage after six years playing for the Giants (albeit in different systems). As the Bengals staged their first padded practice of training camp Monday, Lawrence’s impact was loud and immediate. “Honestly, he’s been terrorizing practice,” wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase told Yahoo Sports. “I can honestly say that.” A maligned Bengals defense loaded up on offseason upgrades to the tune of a practice group that offensive players say is more intense and competitive than Cincinnati’s defense flashed last training camp. The club’s offense has carried the team’s weight for years. And while the offense still has high hopes, offensive coaches and players left practice frustrated Monday after a series of pass breakups and eager defensive plays slowed their progress. That frustration is why the Bengals acquired Lawrence, albeit with the hopes that he’ll trigger it in opponents from September through February. Members of the Bengals offense who faced Lawrence in past games know what they now have in their arsenal. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher’s first thought is “nightmare.” Lawrence slid to the play slide when the Bengals faced him previously and, like his fellow elite defensive tackles, eliminated escape lanes in a way edge rushers can’t quite. “When you have a man as big as [Lawrence], the quick twitch and the speed they’re able to play with just disarms you,” Pitcher told Yahoo Sports. “I don’t know what you do to counteract that other than you just really focus on the technique of this interior line and you got to be really cognizant of what types of schemes you’re trying to run and how often that guy’s truly one-on-one. “Running sideways and backwards at quarterback in the NFL is a good way to not play very long. So it’s a problem.” Left guard Dalton Risner had faced Lawrence while playing for the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. So he knew from experience that game-planning against Lawrence meant changing season-long blocking schemes to account for the 17th overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft. Still, Risner received a reminder Monday. The Bengals were working on heavy personnel packages in team drills, with tight ends supplementing the offensive line and size getting the nod over speed along the defensive front. Risner saw another Bengals offseason acquisition, defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, rushing wide between the left tackle and guard spots. Risner turned to take on Allen, at which point Lawrence hit him from the other side, sending Risner to the ground. “Sometimes you got to assert yourself and let guys know who you are,” Lawrence told Yahoo Sports after practice, smiling sheepishly from his locker. “It ain’t going to stop.” Risner took solace in recounting that a few plays later, Allen and Lawrence ran the same stunt again. “And we picked it up,” Risner said. “So it’s a good example of you got me and I got you. I’m never going to get Dexter by putting him in the ground, don’t get me wrong. Getting each other looks a little different.” The Bengals hope their defense with Lawrence will look a little different, too. In six seasons with New York, Lawrence amassed 30.5 sacks, 341 tackles, 103 quarterback hits and five forced fumbles. He broke up 15 passes and last year secured his first interception. In all, Lawrence started 102 games in New York. Capturing defensive tackle production with traditional data is complicated. But Lawrence’s pass-rushing production dropped last year from a career-best nine sacks in 2024 to a career-low half a sack in 17 games in 2025. Lawrence’s pass-rush win rate, per ESPN, registered 19th-best in the league (8%), per ESPN’s advanced metric, while his run-stop win rate did not rank in the league’s top 10. Of note: Lawrence faced more double teams (71%) than 18 of the 19 interior defensive linemen who won their pass rushers within 2.5 seconds more often than he did. After a rocky Giants season last year, including the midseason firing of head coach Brian Daboll, Lawrence sought a change. Some in the league were surprised the Giants let Lawrence leave, noting that new head coach John Harbaugh often invested in big defensive tackles during his time as Baltimore Ravens head coach. But the Bengals were happy to take advantage. They added Lawrence to an offseason bundle that included Allen, former Seattle Seahawks hybrid rusher-linebacker Boye Mafe and former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook. They’re betting Lawrence elevates the whole group. On the first day of pads, that was what they saw. Bengals changing playbook to accentuate LawrenceWith pads anew, defensive backs flew around and Lawrence showed how he could penetrate or counter, push or pull. Bengals offensive linemen touted how they’ll be better prepared for Week 1 thanks to Lawrence. “There’s certain guys in this league like Dexter who wreck a whole game play and you have to do everything around them and you change everything you’re doing,” Risner said. “You’re going to have to change how you block against certain guys. “He’s just making us do it really early and really often.” The Bengals’ defense will shift to Lawrence’s strengths, too. Golden was watching film from previous practices on Sunday when he noticed one of Lawrence’s strengths he wasn’t yet highlighting. “I changed a couple things this morning even just to utilize the strengths of some of our guys,” Golden said Monday. “A design for Dexter and a simple change, but one that’s not in the playbook. “We’re not static at all.” Bijan Robinson reportedly signs record-breaking extension worth up to $75 million with FalconsNeither is that solar eclipse that walked past Golden before practice began, the blackout with striking resemblance to the game-wrecker Golden saw on early practice film. The Bengals are eager to send that shade toward Baker Mayfield in Week 1, C.J. Stroud Week 2 and so on. They’re hopeful even that quarterback Joe Burrow won’t try to play hero ball as often if and when Cincinnati’s defense can contribute more to the final product. Interior linemen may need to watch out then. Tackles and tight ends, too, if practice trends continue. Lawrence will be watching their tendencies and applying all he’s learning from practicing against quarterback Joe Burrow. Monday, Lawrence marveled at how Burrow responded to his movement. “You’re actually seeing him going through his progression,” Lawrence said of Burrow. “Today I’m on a rush, I know I’m supposed to balance up. He steps up the other side and dots the ball down the middle. I’m like, ‘OK, that’s on me.’ But it’s little things like that help you feel better going against the quarterbacks like him.” |
| CLEVELANDFormer NFL DT Breiden Fehoko posted this on Sunday: @BreidenFehokoDon’t shoot the messenger. Word in the Cleveland Browns locker room is the best quarterback isn’t Deshaun or Shedeur right now……👀 And then Coach Todd Monken said this on Tuesday per Mike Florio: In the Cleveland quarterback competition between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, there could be a third candidate creeping up on the outside. Dillon Gabriel, drafted two rounds before Sanders in 2025, is performing well enough to earn more chances to perform. “I said it the other day, everybody’s competing, but you’re not guaranteed the same amount of reps,” coach Todd Monken told reporters on Monday. “So it’s up to the player to take advantage and maximize those reps, which I feel like Dillon has done. So we’ll see as we move forward, if that continues, we’ll continue to up his reps. He’s earned that. That’s what every player should expect, right? If they play well, you have to up the reps, or what’s the purpose of playing well?” The best players play. If neither Sanders nor Watson seize the job and Gabriel continues to do the most with the chances he has, why shouldn’t he get more chances? In theory, that could mean stealing the job from both of them — if he ends up being the best performer of the bunch. |
| PITTSBURGHQB AARON RODGERS is back on Pat McAfee’s Show and he proceeded to take some shots at Dr. Anthony Fauci and ESPN. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com then fires back at Rodgers. Presented without comment: It really is a “full circle” year for Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At a time when Rodgers was seemingly creating a kinder, gentler vibe as he embarks on his final year in the NFL, Rodgers brought the knives out during a Monday appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. Rodgers started by taking the Fifth Amendment in response to McAfee’s first question. Rodgers then went off on Dr. Anthony Fauci, who last week repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment in testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. “You got a pardon, and you’re in front of — and you pleaded [the Fifth] over 100 times?” Rodgers said. “What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science. I thought you [were], ‘I am science.’ And you get up there and you can’t answer a question?” The vitriol extended to ESPN, the owner of the channel on which he was appearing. “How much time did the network spend on that?” Rodgers said. “How much time do they spend on my responses every week? On my vaccination status, on Taylor [Swift] and Travis [Kelce’s] wedding? Did they do even a minute? Did they do even a minute on Tony Fauci? No, I bet they didn’t.” Rodgers then made reference to ESPN’s conspicuously scant coverage of the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini situation. “Then there was another scandal this offseason, too, involving a voter for MVP, for coach of the year,” Rodgers said. “How much time did your network spend on that?” Later in the segment (after it migrated from ESPN to YouTube only), Rodgers returned to the Russini story. “Like, you have literally an individual that maybe used to work at ESPN that covers our league at the highest level, and there’s a major scandal, and it’s just, like, nobody can fucking talk about it,” Rodgers said. “What are we even doing here? . . . [I]f it’s affecting certain things, if there’s leaks going on, if there’s tampering going on, if that person is also an MVP voter and a coach of the year voter.” Rodgers also referred to ESPN as a “gutless organization” with “no integrity.” As to Fauci, Rodgers eventually called him “an absolute criminal” while repeatedly labeling him an “absolute coward.” (Rodgers at one point suggested that Fauci’s wife is Ghislaine Maxwell’s sister, before adding “allegedly.”) Here’s the part where I say some things about what Rodgers said. First, Rodgers is right about ESPN looking the other way on the Russini-Vrabel story. It’s still not clear why that happened. Given that the relationship (whatever it was) between Russini and Vrabel apparently existed during Russini’s time with ESPN, and to the extent it tainted her work (e.g., the 2021 reporting prior to the Julio Jones trade), ESPN prefers not to peer down that rabbit hole. What did the producers know about the situation, and did they perhaps welcome the benefits it generated for Bristol? Those questions haven’t been asked by ESPN, and surely won’t be. Second, as to Fauci’s decision to repeatedly invoke the Fifth Amendment, Rodgers doesn’t seem to realize that Fauci’s pardon wouldn’t apply to any effort to paint anything he said last week as perjury. Considering some of the specious (to say the least) prosecutions that have been attempted by the current administration, anything Fauci said could have been called perjury. Even if it wasn’t. “The only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something — anything — that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words — quote — ‘behind bars,’” Fauci said in his opening remarks to the committee run by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Third, Rodgers did not mention the one specific thing that caused him to attract the ire of many in 2021. In August of that year, Rodgers publicly lied about being vaccinated. Well, he didn’t lie per se. He played a deliberate word game about being “immunized,” forcing someone to ask a followup question about whether “immunized” means “vaccinated.” (The followup question wasn’t asked.) Rodgers had every right to not be vaccinated. He wanted to avoid the protocols the league developed (right or wrong) for unvaccinated players, including wearing a mask during press conferences. (Rodgers didn’t wear one during the press conference when he claimed he was “immunized.”) If he hadn’t tested positive in November 2021, the hair-splitting never would have come to light. It’s kind of amazing that folks are relitigating the fog-of-war niceties of a pandemic that killed more than a million Americans, and which prompted people to say and do all sorts of things (including a suggestion by a fairly influential person to inject bleach) in an effort to get it under control. The issue has been dusted off for one reason: To motivate voters who may be inclined to stay home for the upcoming midterm election, due to growing apathy and/or flat-out antipathy regarding the person who mused about bleach as a potential treatment for the virus. Bottom line? Rodgers’s decision to take the high road as to his family is hardly an indication that he has fully committed to that path. On Monday, Rodgers took an extended jog on the low road — to the likely dismay of the executives at ESPN who had to hold their breath and count the seconds until it all finally ended. This from “Defiant Baptist”: First, he goes in on the network’s silence about Fauci and the Covid panic. Then, he alludes to the Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini scandal, especially the massive conflict of interest where a coach of the year voter is having an affair with one of the coaches! 🔥 McAfee and his crew got so uncomfortable at this point that they start yelling at him, “Go back to Fauci!” Yes, you heard that right. Rodgers tearing The Science™️ apart on ESPN is less controversial than talking about an NFL coaching scandal. SO VERY TELLING!!! All I can say is, I’m going to miss Aaron Rodgers when he’s gone. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDJoel Corry of CBSSports.com looks at the negotiations that have yet to produce a new deal for CB CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ: The cornerback market has a new salary king. Denzel Ward became the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back with the two-year, $62.2 million contract extension averaging $31.1 million per year and containing $52.3 million in guarantees he just received from the Cleveland Browns. Ward’s reign should be short-lived. Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon, both 2023 first-round picks, are negotiating new deals with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said Saturday at the start of training camp that Gonzalez had been offered a deal that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. Presumably, Kraft was referring to average yearly salary. Prior to Ward’s new deal, that distinction belonged to Trent McDuffie. He signed a four-year, $124 million extension averaging $31 million per year in connection with his March trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams. Gonzalez is taking a different approach to the negotiations than the Patriots. The 2025 Pro Bowler told the media Tuesday that he preferred to keep contract discussions private. Gonzalez, who attended but didn’t participate in the mandatory June minicamp, decided against holding out or holding in. Holding out would have subjected him to a $45,000 fine for each day of training camp he missed. Gonzalez has been a full participant in the Patriots’ first four training camp practices. A hamstring injury he suffered early in training camp last year cost him the first three games of the 2025 regular season. Typically, teams don’t negotiate publicly, especially when there isn’t a holdout or hold in, making Kraft’s statement surprising. If a deal doesn’t get done, Kraft could paint Gonzalez as unreasonable, if not greedy. The devil is in the details with NFL contracts because they aren’t fully guaranteed like those in the NBA and MLB. Kraft didn’t provide any specifics about the offer made to Gonzalez. The following financial benchmarks for key contract metrics should be relevant in negotiations between Gonzalez’s camp and the Patriots. To get a Gonzalez deal done, new standards will likely have to be established in a majority of these contract metrics. Financial benchmarksAverage yearly salary: $31.1 million (Ward-Browns)Total contract value: $145,853,473 (Sauce Gardner-Colts)Overall contract guarantees: $100 million (McDuffie-Rams)Fully guaranteed at signing: $50 million (McDuffie)Signing bonus: $30,566,628 (Travis Hunter-Jaguars)Three-year cash flow: $77 million (McDuffie)First three new years: $93.868 million (McDuffie) Professionals within the industry (agents and team negotiators) typically value deals by new money, which is the amount of compensation in a contract excluding what a player was scheduled to make before receiving a new deal. For example, Gardner had two years remaining on his rookie contract, just like Gonzalez does now, worth $25,453,473 before signing. Although Gardner signed a six-year contract totaling $145,853,473, industry professionals consider it a four-year, $120.4 million extension averaging $30.1 million per year. The two remaining contract years worth $25,453,473 are subtracted from the six-year total to arrive at that figure. Compensation in the first three new years is the amount of money in a contract excluding what a player was scheduled to make before receiving a new deal, just like new money when determining average yearly salary. Cash flow analysis looks at total compensation. The focus is on the amount of money received in the first three years of a contract regardless of whether it’s considered new money. Both metrics have the same dollar amount when a player signs a new contract as a free agent or with an expiring contract (i.e., center Tyler Linderbaum with the Las Vegas Raiders). On rare occasions, a contract is ripped up and replaced, like Josh Allen’s in March 2025. The Buffalo Bills renegotiated Allen’s contract even though he had four years worth $154,554,595 remaining on the six-year, $258 million extension averaging $43 million per year (worth a maximum of $288 million through incentives) he signed in 2021. Allen received a new six-year, $330 million deal. Overall contract guarantees can be misleading. This metric doesn’t provide a complete picture of a contract’s true security. The amount fully guaranteed at signing and the money that becomes fully guaranteed early in the contract are the best measures of security. Gonzalez has two years worth $20,928,482 remaining on his rookie contract. He is scheduled to make $2,809,482 this year and $18.119 million on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option in 2027. For Gonzalez to have the richest contract ahead of Gardner, the Patriots needed to offer at least $124,924,482 in new money. That would essentially be a four-year, $125 million extension. At $31.25 million per year, Ward would drop to second in the cornerback salary hierarchy. A structural sticking point could be New England’s recent insistence on massive per-game roster bonuses in veteran contracts. The primary benefit of these bonuses is that they provide the Patriots with financial relief when injuries occur. The per-game amount is payable only if the player is on the active list for that game. Defensive tackle Milton Williams was New England’s highest-paid player at $26 million per year before wide receiver A.J. Brown was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in June. Williams’ four-year, $104 million deal has $8.5 million in per-game roster bonuses, including $2.55 million each ($150,000 for each game active) in 2027 and 2028. The largest amount of per-game roster bonuses among the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks is the $765,000 ($45,000 for each game active) in the new contract years of the four-year, $100 million extension averaging $25 million per year Jaycee Horn signed with the Carolina Panthers in March 2025. Ward had $600,000 in each of the remaining two years of his contract before his new deal. McDuffie has $680,000 in 2027, 2028 and 2029. Gardner has $750,000 in the extension years of his contract (2027 through 2030). It wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots insisted Gonzalez’s contract include per-game roster bonuses comparable to Williams’. They will contend they are necessary because of durability concerns. In addition to last season’s hamstring injury, Gonzalez missed the final 13 games of his rookie season in 2023 because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery. The Patriots already have the largest per-game roster bonuses in cornerback contracts. The three-year, $54 million deal Carlton Davis signed in 2025 includes $1.275 million ($75,000 for each game active) annually. The Patriots also have a favorable guarantee vesting schedule in Williams’ contract. The $12 million of his $21 million 2027 base salary guaranteed for injury at signing doesn’t become fully guaranteed until March 11, the third day of the 2027 league year. By contrast, the third- and fourth-year guarantees in McDuffie’s and Gardner’s respective contracts convert from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed one year early (i.e., the 2028 base salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third or fifth day of the 2027 league year). Because of this, Williams’ team-friendly guarantee vesting schedule will likely be another sticking point in the Gonzalez negotiations.—Another interesting dynamic that could impact the negotiations is that Gonzalez and Witherspoon are both represented by Reggie Johnson. The Seahawks reportedly started negotiating with Witherspoon more than four months ago. Witherspoon has two years left on his contract worth $26,255,702. He is scheduled to make $5,094,702 this year and $21.161 million in 2027 on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option. Witherspoon has been named to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot in each of his three NFL seasons. He also earned All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025. The top of the cornerback market took a dramatic jump in 2025. Horn became the league’s first $25 million-per-year defensive back early in the offseason, with the cornerback market eventually settling at Gardner’s $30.1 million per year. Something like that typically doesn’t happen in consecutive years. The best Witherspoon can reasonably expect is to be treated similarly to fellow Seahawks 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year reset the wide receiver market by 4.72% in April when he signed a four-year, $168.6 million extension averaging $42.15 million per year with a wide receiver-record $120,067,996 in overall guarantees. That approach would put Witherspoon at approximately $32.5 million per year. It would also be consistent with adjusting Gardner’s deal for salary-cap inflation. Gardner’s contract, accounting for the 7.88% increase in the salary cap from 2025 to 2026, is worth just under $32.475 million per year. Witherspoon’s contract will contain per-game roster bonuses. The amount should be considerably less than what the Patriots are likely seeking with Gonzalez. Smith-Njigba’s deal contains $850,000 in per-game roster bonuses ($50,000 for each game active) annually beginning in 2027. Johnson is in the unique position of controlling the timing of these signings because he represents both cornerbacks. For example, he could strategically slow-play the Gonzalez negotiations if he believes he can get Witherspoon more than the Patriots are offering. That would allow Johnson to hold Kraft to his word about making Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback after first setting a new market with Witherspoon. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| HOW QBS CHANGE THE ODDSBen Fawkes of YahooSports.com with an interesting look at how oddsmakers values the NFL’s starting QBs: When moving a line based off a QB change, there are a wide variety of factors oddsmakers consider, including: The current line and how close it is to a key number Starting QB’s talent level, plus the quality of the backup How much of the offense would need to change with the backup Strength of the play caller and head coach Overall talent level of the team (how good is rest of offense and defense) Where/when the game is being played Over the summer, I polled 11 oddsmakers from 10 different legal sportsbooks and prediction markets across the country, and asked them for the difference in point spread if the starting QB and backup (both healthy) were playing at home against a league-average team. I then took all 11 different ATS values, averaged them together and ranked the starting QBs in order from greatest impact to least. Oddsmakers were granted anonymity to honestly voice their opinions of QBs they were higher or lower on than consensus. Last year, Josh Allen moved into the No. 1 overall spot for the first time, slightly ahead of Patrick Mahomes; this year, Allen has put some distance between the two QBs. After an MVP season (and with rookie Ty Simpson as his backup), Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford has catapulted up to No. 3 overall. Stafford is followed by Drake Maye and Lamar Jackson. In one of the more surprising moves, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow moved from fifth last year (5.60 points ATS) to 12th this year (4.89). There was certainly some disagreement among oddsmakers over the ATS difference between Burrow and his new backup Joe Flacco, as six oddsmakers had that difference as 4.5 points or less and four had it as 5.75 points or greater. Here is how much every starting QB is worth relative to his backup, according to the 11-oddsmaker panel: Top 5 QBs by ATS value 1. Josh Allen, Bills (7.23 points ATS)Backup QB: Kyle AllenThe good news for Bills fans is that there now isn’t any debate among oddsmakers about which QB is the most valuable player against the spread compared to his backup — it’s Allen’s world. The bad news is that another heartbreaking playoff defeat left Allen’s Bills short of the Super Bowl — again. “To me, he’s the most talented QB in the league,” one oddsmaker told me. “The durability as well would put him ahead of Mahomes.” To that point, Allen hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season, and at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds he is able to punish defensive backs, safeties and even linebackers when he chooses to run the ball. Allen has at least 421 rushing yards in every season of his career and scored 14 rushing TDs (along with 3,668 yards and 25 TDs passing) this past season. As one oddsmaker put it: “He is the entire Bills identity right now.” Not one, but two oddsmakers had Allen worth nine points more to the spread than his new backup Kyle Allen and Josh Allen was the only QB that all 11 oddsmakers had as worth at least worth six points against the number. Still, concerns about turnovers remain and for Allen (10 INTs, 6 fumbles last season) they reared their ugly head in a very winnable postseason loss to the Broncos in which he was responsible for four turnovers. The Bills have won at least 11 games for six consecutive seasons and Allen (+650) is the favorite to win MVP. Buffalo’s over/under for this season is 10.5 and the Bills should be in the postseason again (-350 to make the playoffs). Is this finally the year for the Bills and the NFL’s most valuable QB against the spread? 2. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs (6.32 points ATS)Backup QB: Justin FieldsThere’s no shame in being No. 2, but it isn’t a familiar position for the three-time Super Bowl-winning QB Mahomes. Coming off a disappointing season where he cleared 300 yards passing just twice (and tossed 11 INTs), the Chiefs went 6-11 and Mahomes tore both his ACL and MCL in Week 15, there are a few more questions regarding the three-time MVP from pundits. Oddsmakers aren’t as concerned. “You could see when he was off the field last year how big a swing it was for the Chiefs,” one Vegas oddsmaker told Yahoo Sports. “He is a man amongst boys when it comes to quarterbacks. This is a pivotal season for him.” Mahomes was fully cleared for training camp participation coming off his knee injuries, but even if he indeed starts Week 1 it’s unlikely he’s back to his full powers right away. Mahomes was third last year in clutch-weighted expected points added through rushes (24.7), and his running has always been a little under appreciated. It’s an element of his game that Mahomes has admitted he’ll have to use a little less, especially early on in his recovery. One oddsmaker noted that he’d have Mahomes around 3.5 points more valuable ATS to start the season and closer to six full points later in the season when Mahomes was closer to full health. “Everything I’ve been reading and hearing has been very optimistic, so I fully expect Mahomes to look like the same guy we’ve seen,” a longtime oddsmaker noted. “The interesting piece is the difference in backups with Fields and Minshew. From a rating perspective, I have them rated very similar — and maybe that’s doing a disservice to Fields, but he’s never lived up to the potential some people thought he had out of Ohio State. Backing up Mahomes could be the best thing ever to happen to Fields.” Mahomes has always had a weaker backup QB (Carson Wentz, Gardner Minshew, Justin Fields) than many other teams, which has boosted Mahomes’ spread value, but as one oddsmaker said, “if I had to pick one [between Mahomes and Allen], it’s still Mahomes.” 3. Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (6.16 points ATS)Backup QB: Ty SimpsonOne of the biggest risers in this column year over year — he was tied for 16th at 4.10 points ATS last year — Stafford is here both because he had a terrific season (4,707 passing yards, 46 TDs, No. 4 in QBR, won MVP) and because his backup is rookie QB Ty Simpson out of Alabama. “Who knows if Simpson take a snap this year, but I have him rated at zero,” a long-time oddsmaker remarked. “Last year, [the backup] was Jimmy Garappolo who obviously was a proven commodity and we had good data on him. That’s going to make up some of that difference year over year for Stafford, and obviously he played at an MVP level. The old man still has it.” The Super Bowl favorites at sportsbooks, Los Angeles is tied for the NFL’s highest win total at 11.5 and has the best odds (-500) of any team to make the postseason. Keeping Stafford healthy — remember the preseason back concerns last year? — is of paramount importance for another postseason run. “I might be a little lower on him just because of the Sean McVay system, and you add in the fact that the backup is a first-round pick,” said one Vegas oddsmaker who is a bigger believer in Simpson. “If Stafford got hurt, I have full faith in McVay making the offense easier for Simpson. I don’t expect Stafford to fall off physically — he was never a runner earlier in his career and I haven’t seen any drop-off in arm strength. One thing to worry about is his durability.” Several oddsmakers did express concern about Simpson’s ability to step in right away if Stafford was injured, though, and one stated that “you just don’t know what you’re going to get” from a rookie QB like Simpson, who also only started 15 college games in his Alabama career. As one NFL risk manager put simply, “I know he’s getting older but going from a Hall of Fame QB to an unproven rookie would be a major odds swing.” 4. Drake Maye, Patriots (5.93 points ATS)Backup QB: Tommy DeVitoThere’s no doubt that Maye wishes he could’ve played better in New England’s postseason run to Super Bowl 60. There’s also no doubt that the 2025 MVP runner-up had a terrific sophomore campaign and now is one of the most valuable QBs against the spread in the league. And there’s no doubt that having DeVito as his backup helps to boost Maye’s spread value. “Obviously, Maye is ascending,” one veteran Vegas bookmaker mentioned over the phone. “DeVito in my opinion is one of the worst backups on this list, though. I think he was a great story [with the Giants], but I don’t think too much of him.” When I did this exercise entering Maye’s rookie year, oddsmakers had him as 1.6 points ATS worse than Patriots starter Jacoby Brissett. Maye was 23rd last season, rated 3.08 points ATS better than Josh Dobbs. A season where he led New England to a 14-3 record and an AFC East division title, along with topping the NFL in Total QBR (77.1) and Total Expected Points Added (169.96) has resulted in another jump for the Patriots’ franchise QB. There was a little wider range for Maye, with oddsmakers valuing him anywhere from 4 points to 7.5 points of spread value compared to DeVito. The oddsmaker who was lowest on Maye, cautioned, “I did move Maye up slightly from last year. While there’s a definite downgrade to DeVito, I exercise a little caution on not going too out there on Maye, as you could see some regression with him and certainly the Patriots have a much more difficult schedule as well.” 5. Lamar Jackson, Ravens (5.89 points ATS)Backup QB: Tyler HuntleyA staple of the top five of these rankings over the past three seasons, Jackson has been third, third and now fifth — just behind Maye. Despite an injury-plagued season, oddsmakers don’t have too many fears about Jackson slowing down — as seen by Baltimore’s win total (11.5, tied with Rams for NFL’s highest) and Jackson (+850) owning the second-best MVP odds. “No concerns whatsoever with Lamar,” an East Coast oddsmaker told Yahoo Sports. “This year-over-year was a difference between Tyler Huntley and Cooper Rush. That’s why for me the ATS difference shrunk was because of the backup.” Huntley has shown he’s a capable backup for small stretches, and that the offense doesn’t have to change too much if he’s inserted as the starter. Yes, a new head coach in Jesse Minter and a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle will require an adjustment period, but Jackson was still ninth in QBR (62.9) and 18th in EPA/play (0.07) in a down year. “He was injured for half of the season and the Ravens had an off year in general,” one Vegas bookmaker explained. “Lamar still has his running ability and evasiveness. Not the greatest passer, but he was forced to work on that last year. This year, with a new system, we have high expectations that he’ll throw more effectively. He’ll still be a really big problem and threat to the defense.” Biggest riserMalik Willis, Dolphins (+7.87 points ATS)Backup QB: Quinn EwersWillis was a multi-year backup with the Green Bay Packers behind Jordan Love, and entered last season as 4.73 points ATS worse than Love. He signed a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency and enters this season 3.14 points ATS more valuable than backup QB Quinn Ewers. Willis will have a steep task as Miami’s starting QB in the beginning of a rebuild, but he does have an opportunity he wouldn’t have gotten in Green Bay. Can De’Von Achane catch passes, too? Biggest fallersJ.J. McCarthy, Vikings (-5.07 points ATS)Starting QB: Kyler MurrayThe former Michigan Wolverine and 2024 No. 10 overall pick has had a rough go of it in the NFL thus far, losing his rookie season to injury and struggling mightily (11 TDs, 12 INTs, under 182 yards passing in eight of 10 starts, 57.6% completion percentage). One Vegas oddsmaker: “I didn’t see McCathy as being another Tom Brady coming out of Michigan, but it was tough to watch some of those throws. Kyler’s stock has gone down as well, but you can’t go with McCarthy after what we saw last year.” McCarthy was the presumed starter last year in Minnesota and oddsmakers had him as 2.02 points ATS better than Sam Howell; now, he’s rated 3.05 points ATS worse than free-agent signee and potential starter Kyler Murray. “I’m not completely out on McCarthy, but I understand why they made the move,” an oddsmaker revealed. Murray was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason. Kyler got to pick his team and he saw the Vikings as the best situation.” This QB battle is still playing out, as neither player will likely be named the starter until preseason, but oddsmakers certainly believe Murray is the more valuable quarterback to the spread — by far. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins (-3.48 points ATS)Backup QB: Michael Penix Jr.Released by Miami back in March, Tagovailoa will cost the Dolphins a league-record $99.2 million in dead money against the salary cap over the next two seasons. Tua was injured again last season, but when was on the field he also tossed a career-high 15 INTs (and only 20 TDs) and had a career-low 43 rushing yards. He also was 26th in QBR (37.5). He’ll be battling Michael Penix Jr. (also coming off an injury) for the starting job. Oddsmakers don’t have high hopes for a turnaround. “I think Tua is going to end up the starter there personally, but it’s hard to differentiate between those two QBs,” one oddsmaker observed. To wit: Penix Jr. averaged 0.02 EPA/play last season (24th) and Tagovailoa averaged 0.0 EPA/play (28th). It’s a precipitous drop for the former No. 5 overall pick, who was worth 4.48 points ATS in 2024 and 4.50 points ATS in 2025. Now, he’s last in the league in the eyes of oddsmakers, worth just 1.02 points more than Penix Jr. Quick-hitters from oddsmakers on some other notable QBs Justin Herbert, LA Chargers (5.65 points ATS)“There’s been almost no talk of him this offseason. Everyone knows he’s almost in that elite status, just doesn’t have the accolades to back it up. [Mike] McDaniel coming in should help. [Jim] Harbaugh is the CEO, so McDaniels can run the offense. I think Herbert is going be the biggest winner of that scenario. Trey Lance really hasn’t shown anything.” T-8. Jalen Hurts, Eagles (5.25)“I did downgrade Hurts half a point from the start of last year. I think some of this is predicated on Tanner McKee. For whatever reason, Eagles fans love McKee. Hurts has a new offensive coordinator coming in, and I think it’s an upgrade. He may be under center more. I think Hurts has a bounce-back year and still dangerous with his legs. Certainly a dual threat and with the drop-off with him and McKee, it’s one of the biggest differences in the league still. I only have three guys higher and a handful around the same.” Joe Burrow, Bengals (4.89)“Almost feels insulting to Burrow for him to not be higher, but this is more off of Joe Flacco last year looked like he still had some in the tank and was a solid enough game manager.” “I can speak from being old – Flacco is old. He’s been around a long time. He can come in for an injured Burrow and finish a game. I’m not even sure that’s who the Bengals want as a backup QB, but that’s who he has. There’s a big difference between these two guys.” Caleb Williams, Bears (4.84)“I did bump Caleb year over year. A lot of people in media want to talk about the highlight-reel plays, but that’s not what you make a power rating out of. Did he benefit from coaching last year? Most definitely. I’m excited to see what happens when we follow up this season, I’m hesitant to put him that much higher than his backup.” “There’s been a love affair with the Bears this offseason and how Caleb is working within this Ben Johnson system. He has the ability to make plays happen, like Mahomes, under pressure he can make quick decisions and they’re usually the right ones. He struggled with his accuracy, especially early last year, which is going to drive down his market value a little bit.” Sam Darnold, Seahawks (4.59)“Darnold had a great year. I think Lock is capable. I was even thinking that this could’ve been lower, but when you lead a team to a Super Bowl you get a lot of mileage out of that. They have a great defense as well. If you’re asking this question a few years ago, it’s a toss up.” Bo Nix, Broncos (4.30)“I guess we know for sure the answer to this one, lol.” C.J. Stroud, Texans (4.05)“How big is that spread difference? We saw when Davis Mills would be announced the starter, the spread didn’t move that much – that’s why I only went with 2.5. That defense takes a way a lot of problems.” “This is a big year for Stroud. The Texans are loaded and could easily go far. I could see him being No. 6 or something next year. Mills is a very competent backup. You don’t hear about him, ‘Oh, no they’re going to Mills.’ He’s solid. The issues Stroud had led me to 3.5, along with the respect for Mills. Texans have a great defense as well, which lessens the impact.” Aaron Rodgers, Steelers (3.20)“I don’t think he’s any good anymore. Is he going to go in and have a couple of good games? Yeah. Can he get away from anyone? Not anymore.” “Last year, I really didn’t know what we’d get out of Rodgers. I did upgrade my rating on Rodgers slightly off my preseason rating. I think Mason Rudolph is a very capable backup. I wouldn’t go to 3 as the difference – that would be a little bit too much respect for where Rodgers is at this point in his career.” “He played alright last year. Made the throws he needed to. He’s just old. He’s throwing 5 yards and the guy is running 30 yards for a TD. That’s why I have it so low. I don’t think there’s that big a difference.” |
