| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOJacob Robinson of The Athletic has two navy-and-orange teams winning the offseason so far. The Bear are one: Can a team “win” an offseason? And if they do, does it mean anything? Asking for Bears fans, as Chicago again landed the offseason’s biggest fish, head coach Ben Johnson (though NFL insiders disagreed). Joining his coaching staff are respected minds like former Saints head coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and former Commanders assistant head coach Eric Bieniemy as running backs coach. Early still, but the Bears seem primed for another strong offseason (for whatever that’s worth, as noted), so long as they add strength on the lines. Fortunately, they hold three of the first 41 picks in a draft defined by strength in the trenches, plus their $63 million in cap space is the league’s sixth-most (all salary numbers per Over the Cap). With only one player likely to get an extension (CB Kyler Gordon), and the room that would be freed up by letting WR Keenan Allen and OG Teven Jenkins walk, there’s a big opportunity for GM Ryan Poles. |
| GREEN BAYThe Packers and CB JAIRE ALEXANDER seem headed for a split. That’s among the thoughts from Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com as he looks at Green Bay’s free agency decisions: – There are no easy offseasons in the NFL. For the Green Bay Packers, however, when it comes to tough decisions about whether to keep, cut or restructure veterans with high-priced contracts, while also re-signing their own free agents, this one should not be overly taxing. When it comes to re-signing any of the Packers’ 11 impending unrestricted free agents, the closest thing general manager Brian Gutekunst has to a must is kicker Brandon McManus, whose midseason addition stabilized a position that had been in flux since they moved on from Mason Crosby after the 2022 season. The rest — from center Josh Myers to defensive contributors, such as tackle T.J. Slaton and linebackers Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson — could be considered luxuries. And then there’s cornerback Jaire Alexander, the two-time All-Pro, who would make $17.5 million if he’s on the team next season. Here’s a look at the key decisions Gutekunst must make early in this offseason. They fit into four categories: let go/release, re-sign cheap, possibly re-sign at the right price, and must re-sign. Let go/releaseThere are strong indications that Alexander’s time with the Packers will end without him playing another down. Multiple team sources have privately expressed their frustration with Alexander’s inability to stay healthy and/or play through injuries. For the second straight season, Alexander appeared in seven of 17 regular-season games. He did not play after Nov. 17 — despite practicing on a semi-regular basis — went on injured reserve the final week of the season and underwent knee surgery on what he said was a torn PCL. Still, he finished second on the team in pass breakups (seven) and tied for second in interceptions (two). The 2018 first-round pick has two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at the time. The Packers would pick up nearly $6.8 million in salary cap space for 2025 if they release him (or more than $17 million if they designate him a post-June 1 cut). Publicly, Gutekunst was noncommittal about Alexander’s future shortly after the season. “I know it’s been really, really frustrating for not only him as a player, but us as a club,” Gutekunst said. “When you have a player who’s done what he’s done for us in the past, and then not being able to get him out on the field consistently, that’s tough. You know it’s tough on the player, tough on the organization.” Alexander declined to speak with reporters on the last day of availability at the end of the season, saying he had “nothing good to say” and that he did not know if he would be back with the team in 2025. On the same day, Keisean Nixon was lobbying to be the No. 1 cornerback, a job Alexander held when available. Fellow first-round cornerback Eric Stokes also could be looking for work elsewhere. He hasn’t returned to the form he had during his rookie season, following multiple injury-filled seasons. He had 14 pass breakups and an interception as a rookie in 2021. In three seasons since then, he played 1,175 snaps over 29 games without a single pass breakup or interception. Veteran offensive tackle Andre Dillard was signed last offseason to a one-year, $1.25 million contract and played only 13 offensive snaps. It’s unclear whether running back AJ Dillon, who missed all of last season because of a neck injury, has been cleared to return, but the Packers liked what they got from Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson as backups to Josh Jacobs. They also have high hopes for 2024 third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, who played only 10 offensive snaps as a rookie. Re-sign cheapThis group includes three core special-teamers who have had backup roles: defensive backs Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell, along with tight end Tyler Davis. Davis, who was a favorite of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, hasn’t played in a regular-season game since the 2022 season after he suffered a serious knee injury in a 2023 preseason game and a serious shoulder injury last summer. Ballentine has played in 37 games with seven starts at cornerback since he joined the Packers in 2022, while Rochell has played in 20 games over the past two seasons. If re-signed, all three would likely get a veterans minimum contract. Possibly re-signThis is where the decisions get a little more difficult. Myers has started all 56 games he’s played in since the Packers picked the center in the second round of the 2021 draft. A long-time NFL offensive line coach said the value of the center-quarterback relationship should not be underestimated. A year ago, the Packers let guard Jon Runyan Jr. leave in free agency, and Runyan got $10 million a year from the Giants. Myers would likely cost at least that much. The Packers drafted a center, Jacob Monk, in the fifth round last year, but he did not play a snap on offense as a rookie. It’s not out of the question the Packers could move Zach Tom from right tackle to center, especially if they want last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan to play tackle. However, Zach has established himself as a top-level right tackle and would want to be paid as such. Slaton was one of the keys to the Packers’ resurgent run defense, which ranked seventh in rushing yards allowed in 2024. He’s not a full-time, three-down player and ranks No. 3, at best, on the defensive tackle depth behind Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt. Linebackers Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson combined to play more than 1,200 snaps last season, and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley raved about how well both fit into his scheme. But the Packers need to get Edgerrin Cooper more involved after a stellar rookie season in a part-time role, which means the Packers might be reluctant to re-sign both of them given they also have Quay Walker back. Wilson, an eight-year veteran, was on a one-year deal that contained only a $167,500 signing bonus, while McDuffie has come to the end of his rookie contract. Must re-signMcManus’ arrival in October turned around the Packers’ dreadful kicking game. After 16 years with Mason Crosby, the Packers cycled through Anders Carlson in 2023 and Brayden Narveson in early 2024. Those two combined to miss 18 field goals and extra points in 25 games, including in the playoffs. McManus made 50 of 51 field goal and extra point attempts in 11 regular-season games with the Packers. Although he missed a short field goal in the playoff loss to the Eagles, he showed no signs that he has lost anything at age 33. He came cheap last season (veterans minimum) because he was coming off an NFL personal conduct policy investigation, which resulted in no penalty. Before that, he had signed for $3.6 million with the Commanders, who released him before he ever kicked for them. “If we were able to get Brandon back, I think certainly that would make me feel very, very, very good about that [specialist] group,” Gutekunst said. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERJacob Robinson of The Athletic has two navy-and-orange teams winning the offseason so far. The Broncos are one: The Broncos. How the tables turn. Last February, Denver was $24 million over the projected cap before shedding Russell Wilson and incurring the largest dead-cap hit in NFL history, and held only one draft pick among 2024’s first 75. A complete tear-down seemed feasible. Instead, the Broncos found franchise quarterback Bo Nix at No. 12, went 10-7 and made the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Since then, they’ve added one of the league’s best special teams coaches (former Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi), and they have $35 million in cap space and seven draft picks to find the versatile Joker that Sean Payton is searching for (think Alvin Kamara or Taysom Hill). The big question is Courtland Sutton, their star receiver and captain, who likely wants a new contract. Beat reporter Nick Kosmider suggests the 29-year-old Sutton could get Calvin Ridley-like money (four years, $92 million). |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREA DUI for Ravens OL BEN CLEVELAND. Brigid Kennedy of SI.com: Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Ben Cleveland was arrested last week for driving under the influence, per an incident report from authorities in Baldwin County, Ga.. Per the report, Cleveland was pulled over around 10:25 p.m. ET on Feb. 12 after he was seen swerving and moving between lanes. The lineman was said to have then undergone a field sobriety test, where he registered a 0.178 blood alcohol content, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. He allegedly admitted to drinking “approximately three to four beers,” according to Fox 5 Atlanta. After being taken to a nearby jail, Cleveland was given two citations: one for driving under the influence of alcohol and one for failing to maintain his lane. He was later bonded out and released. The 26-year-old OL is a Georgia native and an alum of the University of Georgia, out of which he was selected in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. He played as a backup OL in all regular and postseason games in 2024–25 and is set to become a free agent in March. Milledgeville is the largest city in Baldwin County, which sits between Atlanta and Augusta, a little bit to the south of a straight line (which Cleveland probably couldn’t walk in his field sobriety test). |
| CINCINNATIThe Bengals are reported to be striving to get everyone signed per the wishes of QB JOE BURROW. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com: The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to pull off an ambitious — and expensive — offseason. The team will attempt to secure a trio of stars who need new deals — wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson — for the long term, sources told ESPN. Whether Cincinnati can pull it off remains uncertain, but the team’s messaging behind the scenes is that it’s certainly going to try. That starts with Higgins, who is set to hit free agency March 12. One team source says they believe the Bengals will use the franchise tag on Higgins if no long-term deal is reached by the March 4 tag deadline “in order to have time to get a deal done. Can’t let him walk.” Sports Illustrated reported Monday that Cincinnati planned to put the nonexclusive tag on Higgins. This would give the team and player until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal, and if no deal is reached, Higgins would play on a salary of $26.17 million for 2025. Higgins played under a franchise tag of $21.8 million in 2024, and a second tag, in this case, triggers a 20% increase of the previous payout. Chase, coming off a triple-crown season for most receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17) and receptions (127), will be looking to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL — possibly by a wide margin. And Hendrickson has back-to-back years of 17.5 sacks, leading the league in 2024, at a time when elite pass rushers are making above $30 million per year. The fast-growing pass-rush market also could spark trade movement around the league, especially if the Cleveland Browns entertain Myles Garrett’s wishes to play for a new team. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been vocal this offseason on wanting the Bengals to spend to keep his three star teammates. In an extended interview with the “Pardon My Take” podcast that was released last Wednesday, Burrow was asked to describe how his five-year, $275 million contract extension signed in 2023 could be altered and help give the Bengals extra salary cap flexibility. “You could convert some of the money to a signing bonus, which will lower the cap hit,” Burrow said. “You can push some of the money to the back end of the contract. That lowers the cap hit. And then when you get to the back end of the contract, you can restructure it and convert it to a signing bonus. You can also just take less money.” Later in the interview, Burrow pointed out that most players just convert the money into a signing bonus, a method he said he was willing to pursue. More on what it would take from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: So the real question is whether the last, best offers made by the team to any, some, or all of them will be good enough. For Chase, it’s likely going to take at least $40 million per year in new-money average. With a structure that includes sufficient guarantees and cash flow. It won’t be easy. It would have been easier last year, before Chase led the league in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns during the 2024 season. For Higgins, on whom the Bengals reportedly “likely” usethe tag absent a multi-year contract, the starting point for any negotiation will be the value of his tag. He can play under the tag, make $26.8 million, and hit the market next March. The Bengals will have to offer him a multi-year deal that will cause him to trade in the tag. If, for example, the contract offer contains no full guarantees (or practical guarantees) beyond year one, why would he take it? The first-year payout would have to be a lot more than $26.8 million to get him to take a deal that carries only one year of true guarantees. For Hendrickson, his $16 million compensation package is currently less than half of the market-leading price for his position. They’ll need to get a lot closer to Nick Bosa’s $34 million annual new-money average for the guy who had 17.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons. Until the deals are done, the team’s goal might be simply to make Burrow think they’re trying. Because if he thinks they aren’t, he potentially inches closer to the Carson Palmer DEFCON 1. |
| PITTSBURGHFour seasons with 1,000+ plus rush yards weren’t enough to get RB NAJEE HARRIS a new deal. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: Running back Najee Harris entered the league in 2021 as a first-round pick of the Steelers. He’s now heading toward free agency. Whether the Steelers will re-sign him remains to be seen. Their exclusive negotiating window is shrinking by the hour. After three straight 1,000-yard seasons, they opted not to exercise a fifth-year option, at $6.79 million. He had another 1,000-yard season in 2024. The Steelers could apply the franchise tag. Under current estimates, it likely will be north of $13.5 million for one year — more than twice what the fifth-year option would have cost. So would they dare to let him walk away, one year post-Saquon Barkley? (And post-Derrick Henry and post-Josh Jacobs?) The difference is, frankly, that those three had proven to be a cut above the rest of the running backs in the game. If the Steelers don’t believe Harris falls into the same category, they’ll be inclined to ride with Jaylen Warren and backfill through free agency or the draft. It’s a calculated risk. Though Harris lacks the kind of burst that the best tailbacks possess, he’s reliable. And durable. He’s never missed a game. Has has 1,277 career touches, an average of 319.25 per season. Yes, his career average is 3.8 yards per carry. But he gains the tough yards. And he brings an edge and a toughness that can permeate to the rest of an offense. Throw in the motivation that would come from the Steelers not keeping him around, and Harris could provide a nice return on the investment. And he’ll likely benefit from the fact that the running back, like the mullet, is back in style. With few high-end free-agent options at the position, Harris could be one of those players who has a deal in principle not long after the negotiating window opens next month. Unless the Steelers move quickly. Especially with the Scouting Combine a/k/a Tampering Central starting next week. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLEQB TREVOR LAWRENCE says he has a no-trade clause in his contract – and he doesn’t want to waive it to get to Pittsburgh or any other non-Duval location, Aaron Becker of YahooSports.com: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence shut down any belief that he’s going to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A bombshell report dropped last week that said the Pittsburgh Steelers inquired the Jacksonville Jaguars about trading for former No. 1 overall quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Several reports have since shut down that idea, but Lawrence felt it was best to put it rest for good on Monday. “I have a no-trade clause in my contract, so I would know about it if I was getting traded or that was something that was going to happen. I’d have to be on board with it, which I’m not. I’m happy here in Jacksonville. We want to win a Super Bowl here and I think we can do that. I don’t want to leave Jacksonville,” Lawrence said on “Up & Adams.” “I’m not going to Pittsburgh.” It’s no secret the Steelers have been searching for their next franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. They have since had five different starting quarterbacks — Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Mason Rudolph, Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky. However, it would have been very surprising if the Jaguars would have even entertained the idea of trading their franchise quarterback, even if he is coming off a bit of a disappointing season. The 25-year-old threw for just 2,045 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 games in 2024, missing time with both an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder and a concussion. Another reason why it was hard to believe the Jaguars would consider trading Lawrence was because he just signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension last offseason, which includes a no-trade clause. The Jaguars don’t even have a general manager at the moment to make that kind of deal. That’s why Lawrence was never worried about heading North this offseason. “I didn’t really see anything. My agent texted me, and said, ‘Hey, this is the report that’s out there. I don’t think there’s anything to it, but I’ll check into it,’” Lawrence said. “I think my agent reached out to Adam Schefter and was just like, ‘Hear anything about this?’ Because we don’t have a G.M. Liam (Cohen) actually texted me the day after it came out and said, ‘Shouldn’t even have to say this but it’s not coming from us.’ So I was like, ‘Yeah, I figured.’ So we’re all good. He didn’t even have to send that. There was no doubt on my side.” It remains to be seen if there’s truth to the Steelers inquiring about Lawrence. But either way, it seems like they are going to have to look elsewhere to find their next franchise quarterback in what should be yet another eventful offseason. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIFormer offensive lineman Jonathan Martin now tells us he “never” believed he was “bullied” by Richie Incognito and cronieis on the Dolphins offensive line 12 years ago. But his mother held a different view and the NFL had a scandal. Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com: Jonathan Martin’s short-lived NFL career is best known for the bullying scandal that accompanied it. More than a decade after his teammates were accused of harassment, the former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman regrets his participation in the league’s investigation of the matter, he recently told ESPN, while admitting he “never believed for a second” he was being bullied. Martin, 35, was a second-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2012, but he played just seven games in 2013 before seeking medical help for emotional distress. Reports soon indicated Martin had been the victim of “persistent bullying and teasing” by fellow blockers Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry. Then the NFL intervened, commissioning attorney Ted Wells to investigate, and Incognito received an indefinite team suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The club also fired its offensive line coach. Incognito used derogatory and racial remarks, Martin reiterated to ESPN in recent interviews. Yet the latter reframed the interactions as “a situation with my teammates that I wasn’t super happy about.” Martin’s mother, Jane, “had her own read on the situation,” he said, and pushed the notion of “bullying.” “I hadn’t even told my coaches, hadn’t told anyone,” Martin explained. “And suddenly it’s on ESPN, right? … I never believed for a second I was being bullied. … It’s a story that I’ve been trying to fix for 10 years.” Martin would never play another snap for the Dolphins after the scandal surfaced, and, in fact, played just 15 more games at the NFL level, following a 2014 trade to the San Francisco 49ers. He prefers not to discuss the defining controversy of his career, saying he likes to “present myself as I am today,” but added that his “greatest regret [in] life” was “participating in that clown show” of an NFL investigation. “I was not well,” said Martin, who was arrested in 2018 for tagging Incognito and other alleged Dolphins bullies in a social media post displaying a shotgun and ammunition. “I needed some sort of break from football. … [But] it didn’t need to be this tit-for-tat on TMZ, right? I should have sat down with the owner and head coach of the Dolphins and figured it out.” Despite his personal regrets, Martin also sought to frame himself as an “alpha” in his latest ESPN interviews, complete with a dig at Incognito and his former Dolphins teammates. “I don’t have any hard feelings toward anybody from that situation anymore,” Martin said, “because Richie Incognito and Mike Pouncey already peaked. They’ve already achieved the most success they’re going to achieve in their life. And I’m just getting started.” Incognito, meanwhile, believes Martin’s comments are just proof he was wronged years ago. “He couldn’t cut it in the NFL, so he quit and his mom blamed me,” Incognito wrote on X this week. “Legacy media pushed this narrative long and far. Too bad it was all a lie! They lied to protect his money. He quit [and] the team had every right to claw back that money. His mom started the bullying narrative with ESPN … so that the Miami Dolphins wouldn’t go after his signing bonus! “It was wild to read the Ted Wells report,” Incognito added. “A bunch of lawyers came in and tried to understand the culture of an NFL locker room. They made a mountain out of a mole hill while being directed by Martin’s parents. The report crushed us both! The lawyers wanted to protect the NFL and the Dolphins. They didn’t give two shits to fact check any of the wild claims made by Martin and his camp.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| COACH OF THE YEAR ODDSA guy who have never head coaches a game is the favorite for the 2025 Coach of the Year honor, while a Hall of Fame coach sits at number 32. Tyler Sullivan ofCBSSports.com reveals the odds and has further thoughts: The head-coaching carousel came to a close this week as the New Orleans Saints agreed to deal with Kellen Moore to lead the franchise into the future. Moore filled the last of seven openings this cycle, and now all 32 teams have a head coach installed as they embark into the offseason. That presents us with an opportunity to get our initial glimpse of the upcoming Coach of the Year race for 2025. Below, we’ll roll through the odds for each coach in the league to win the award at next year’s NFL Honors, and we’ll unveil our early picks, including a value play and a long-shot wager worth considering. 2025 Coach of the Year oddsBen Johnson (Chicago Bears) +700Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots) +850Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers) +1200Pete Carroll (Las Vegas Raiders) +1200Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) +1400Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers) +1600Sean Payton (Denver Broncos) +1600Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks) +1800Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers) +1800Aaron Glenn (New York Jets) +1800Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans) +2000Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers) +2200Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals) +2200Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders) +2200Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins) +2500DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans) +2500Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions) +2500Brian Daboll (New York Giants) +2500Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals) +2500Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams) +2500Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons) +2500Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints) +2800Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys) +2800Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts) +3000Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) +3500Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings) +3500Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) +3500Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns) +4000Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills) +4000John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens) +6000Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles) +8000Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) +8000 The pick: Mike Vrabel (+850)The NFL has recently shied away from giving this award to head coaches who exceeded expectations in their first seasons with their new clubs, with Kevin Stefanski (Browns) and Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) winning the last two years. Prior to that, however, four of the six winners did claim the award after Year 1 in their new situation. We could see a return to that norm in 2025 with four of the five coaches with the highest odds all hired this offseason. Out of that bunch, Vrabel is the most fascinating candidate and our pick here. He’s not a rookie head coach like the betting favorite Ben Johnson in Chicago, and was widely viewed as one of the top in-game coaches in the league during his tenure in Tennessee. Vrabel also won this award back in 2021, but voters haven’t shown that to be a massive speed bump in his attempts to win again, as Stefanski won for the second time in his career just two years ago. Now, Vrabel leads a Patriots squad that has rising second-year quarterback Drake Maye solidified as QB1 and enters the offseason armed with the most amount of cap space in the league along with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. That should provide ample opportunities to revamp the roster around Maye and contend for a playoff spot, assuming they hit on their player acquisitions. It also doesn’t hurt that Vrabel is facing the third-easiest schedule in the NFL next season based on their opponents’ total win percentage from 2024. The value pick: Kyle Shanahan (+2200)It’s pretty shocking that Shanahan has yet to win this award in his career, but that’s the reality. The 2024 campaign was a forgetful one for his San Francisco squad as the 49ers were ravished by injuries that helped derail their season and finished with a 6-11 record. However, if they enter next season with a clean bill of health, this is still a highly talented squad that was either playing in the Super Bowl or NFC Championship in each of the previous three years. Of course, there is work to be done on the roster this offseason with Brock Purdy’s looming contract extension and Deebo Samuel possibly being traded, along with free agency and the draft. That said, the pieces of a team that has made deep playoff runs are still in place. Given that the Niners now have the easiest strength of schedule in the league next year, there’s a possible path to the No. 1 seed, which would almost surely put Shanahan among the betting favorites, if not the outright favorite. The long-shot pick: DeMeco Ryans (+2500)The Houston Texans had mirroring seasons over the past two years, winning the AFC South and advancing to the divisional round. However, the 2024 season was much more trying for the organization, particularly on offense, which led to the firing of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik at the end of the year. With Ryans installing Nick Caley as the OC after coming up through the coaching ranks with the Patriots (Bill Belichick) and Rams (Sean McVay), the unit should see a boost in 2025. While C.J. Stroud had a down year by his standards in his sophomore season, I am expecting a bounce back this upcoming season, which sets the Texans up to again rival for the division crown. With a schedule that ranks in the bottom half of the league in strength, they could put together enough wins that find them in play for the top seed in the conference, especially if AFC West and AFC North clubs are beating each other up throughout next season. That would set the narrative up nicely for Ryans to gain traction for the award. Along the lines of Shanahan, we think Sean Payton (+1600), Sean McVay (+2500) and Dan Quinn (+2200) are good value picks. Sirianni with a 15-2 regular season after 14-3 this year? |
| BROADCAST NEWSNetflix wants a Sunday afternoon NFL package – as soon as 2029. Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com: The NFL’s looming development of a full-blown Sunday morning international package had some thinking that Netflix, given its global footprint, would be interested. But Netflix is thinking bigger than the lower-profile, smaller-audience slate. Much bigger. The streamer’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, told Matt Belloni of Puck (via John Ourand of Puck) that the company is interested in bidding on the NFL’s Sunday afternoon games. The Sunday afternoon games belong currently to CBS and Fox. Fox acquired the NFC package from CBS in 1994, and CBS snatched the AFC package from NBC in 1998. The current broadcast deals run through 2033. The league has the right to pull the plug on the deals four years early, and it likely will. So a major shakeup could be coming, with Netflix becoming a very major player in the NFL broadcast landscape. And if Netflix is in, one of the current partners will be out. Or, at best, relegated to Sunday mornings. |
| 2024 DRAFTBrigid Kennedy of SI.com with bold comments from QB CAM WARD: Believe it or not, the NFL draft is right around the corner—and it’s shaping up to be an interesting year. After a quarterback-led class in 2024, the chatter around signal callers for 2025 has primarily centered on two candidates: Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Seeing as there are plenty of QB-hungry franchises in the league right now, both players will surely go quickly, if not in the first two picks. Still, Ward has a message for any teams that choose to skip over him, particularly if it’s a result of his decision to sit out the second half of the Pop-Tarts Bowl. “O.K., you’re either going to draft me or you’re not,” Ward said Monday, perThe Associated Press. “If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.” The QB’s decision to exit the December game came after he broke the NCAA D1 record for career touchdown passes, which meant online critics perceived him as leaving his team out to try after notching a win for himself. But Ward says he and Miami coaching staff made the choice before the contest had even begun. “I just think we all got what we needed out of it. They seen things that they think they need to work on … for this season coming up. And they also knew, you know, what I had on the line,” Ward said, per the AP. “We feel like we’re doing what’s best for the program and myself. I mean, it was a hard decision, especially when, you know, some guys on our team didn’t play who I thought should have played. It was also, you know, those guys thought about their future the same way I thought about mine.” Miami ended up losing the game 42–41, despite a 31–28 lead at halftime. But Ward thinks this “quitting” narrative around him, which Miami coach Mario Cristobal has also refuted, would never have taken hold had the team won. “If I could do it again, I’d do it the same way,” the QB continued, while eventually noting, “I wish we could have ended up winning the game. If we had won the game, they wouldn’t have said nothing. And so, that’s usually how it goes. And you know, you just got to take it on the chin and just keep pushing.” Ward, who finished his college career with 158 touchdowns and 18,189 passing yards, was honored Monday night in the ceremony for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s best collegiate quarterback. |
