The Daily Briefing Tuesday, January 25, 2022

DT NDAMUKONG SUH and QB MATTHEW STAFFORD seemed to be in a mutual exchange of words (with a Stafford kick?) when Shaun Hochuli threw his flag to penalize the standing Suh over the prone Stafford.  Taunting.

But WR TYREEK HILL made a gesture at trailing Bills and no penalty was called.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The taunting rule stinks. And it needs to go. Until it does, it needs to be enforced fairly and consistently.

On Sunday night in Kansas City, after the Bills took at 29-26 lead with 1:54 to play, the Chiefs responded. Five plays later, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with receiver Tyreek Hill on a 64-yard catch-and-run. While running to the end zone, Hill threw up his trademark peace sign in the direction of an opponent who was chasing him to the end zone.

No flag was thrown for the obvious taunt. It should have been. The gesture is textbook taunting.

It’s a simple concept. Enforce the rule consistently, or get rid of it.

Although the Bills scored a touchdown on the next drive after the Chiefs kicked the ball into the end zone, the Chiefs should have been kicking off from their own 20. If Buffalo hadn’t answered with a touchdown, the failure to flag Hill would have been a major talking point.

It still shouldn’t be ignored. Until the rule goes away (and it should), the NFL must enforce it consistently and even-handedly.

– – –

Dan Orlovsky doesn’t name names here, but we all could take a stab at it.  So there is a commodity that is rare enough to leave half the NFL at JIMMY GAROPPOLO level or below.

danorlovsky7

Reminder:

QB you win because of (5-7 in world)

QB you win with (12-15 in world)

QB you win in spite of (3-5 in world-because roster and coaching so good)

QB you lose because of—the rest

So of the four remaining QBs – PATRICK MAHOMES is clearly at  the first level.  JOE BURROW would seem to be between 1 and 2.  MATTHEW STAFFORD has elevated himself by trade from somewhere between 2 and 3 to somewhere in the high 2^nd level.  JIMMY GAROPPOLO would seem to be in the third.

– – –

On the overtime rule discussion, we intended to include this from Paul Marmaro:

@PMarms

OT rule didn’t change after SB LI when ATL didn’t see the ball, or after the 2018 AFC Champ when Mahomes didn’t see it. It ain’t changing now.

And Kyle Shanahan doesn’t have a problem per Jerry McDonald of BayAreaNewsGroup:

Truth be told, if the NFL decided today to let both teams have an offensive possession in overtime, I’d be fine with it. But the rule as it stands isn’t a death sentence when it comes to winning and losing. Games aren’t coming down to heads or tails.

Shanahan has some experience with overtime success and failure. The 49ers won in overtime twice this season against Cincinnati and the Los Angeles Rams because his defense didn’t allow a touchdown.

With the score 20-20, the Bengals got the ball to the 49ers’ 19-yard line on their first possession, but Nick Bosa sacked Joe Burrow on third-and-3. Cincinnati had to kick a field goal, the 49ers got the ball back and Jimmy Garoppolo drove them for the winning touchdown and a 26-23 win.

Against the Rams in Week 18, the 49ers won the toss, got all the way to the Rams’ 8-yard line, stalled and Robbie Gould kicked a 24-yard field goal. The Rams had their chance to win, but rookie corner Ambry Thomas intercepted Matthew Stafford to win the game.

Bosa made a play. Thomas made a play. It is possible, and defenders relish the opportunity.

Shanahan also experienced the flip side, so to speak.

In the Super Bowl following the 2016 season as offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons, Shanahan’s unit never saw the ball as the New England Patriots drove the length of the field on the first possession for a 31-28 win.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday to make things “equal” in overtime should probably include both sides, offense and defense.

Shanahan is fine with the way it is.

“It doesn’t bother me. I think you should be able to stop someone on a touchdown if you want (the ball) back,” Shanahan said when I asked him about the rule during a conference call. “It’s real tough not to get (the ball), but I never felt it wasn’t fair.”

He even said he was fine with how overtimes were up until 2010, where a field goal on the opening possession would end the game, although Shanahan does like the current rule better.

“They give us the rules, you know the rules, and that’s what you go in trying to win the game on,” Shanahan said. “My mind doesn’t change based on what happens.”

Allen, fresh off the disappointment of not getting a shot in overtime for the Bills, had reason to feel aggrieved. He wasn’t.

“The rules are what they are, and I can’t complain about that because if it was the other way around, we’d be celebrating too,” Allen said.

Any defense aspiring to be champions should feel it can prevent a touchdown with the game on the line. That’s all we’re really talking about. One possession. Do or die. Force a turnover. Get the ball back on downs. Even force a field goal to give your own offense a chance.

The flip side, pun sort of intended, is with the current rule if you do get the stop, you only need a FG to win.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Ian Rapoport on the state of play for the Bears GM job:

@RapSheet

The #Bears are interested in speaking again with at least 3 GM candidates. Per me and

@MikeGarafolo  Ryan Poles of the #Chiefs, Monti Ossenfort of the #Titans, and Eliot Wolf of the #Patriots are expected for second interviews. Morocco Brown of the #Colts could return, as well.

GREEN BAY

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com ponders QB AARON RODGERS and his time in Green Bay.

The words “beautiful mystery” have hung over the Green Bay Packers for the past 12 months, ever since Aaron Rodgers used them to describe his future with the franchise. But there was nothing beautiful about what happened here Saturday night. And shoot, the next chapter in the mystery wasn’t supposed to start for at least another week, preferably three.

The postgame scene showed a downcast Rodgers trudging off the field at Lambeau for what might be the last time, shaking a hand or two as he made his way through celebrating San Francisco 49ers while a light snow fell on a crowd of Packers fans who couldn’t believe what had just happened. What do you mean, they lost? What do you mean, there’s no game here next Sunday?

Is it really possible that this is the way it ends for Rodgers in Green Bay? Another failed playoff run? A fourth loss in four postseason tries against his boyhood team — the team that broke his heart on draft night and made him sit there listening as 23 names were called before his, while cameras recorded his dejection for all the world to see and still see, years later, every time he has to face the Niners?

No, no, the Packers should have had this game in their pocket. Up 7-0 right away, up 10-3 with five minutes to go and the ball in Rodgers’ hands. But a 49ers defense that had stood tall on every possession since the first one forced a punt. And a Packers special teams unit that had been dreadful all season had it blocked and returned for a touchdown. And then it was tied, and a few minutes later somehow the Niners were kicking a game-winning field goal. Final score: 13-10. The turnaround was … well, you had to be there to believe it. Even if you were there, you still kind of couldn’t believe it.

“A little numb, for sure,” Rodgers said when it was over. “I didn’t think it was going to end like this.”

How much, exactly, is ending? Rodgers was clearly talking about the Packers’ promising 2021 season, but could he have also been talking about his Packers career? His career, period? He is 38 years old, after all. He admitted upon arriving in camp last summer that he’d considered retiring. That was during a news conference in which he unfurled a Festivus-caliber list of grievances against the only franchise for which he’s ever played, making it clear that he didn’t particularly love the way the Packers operated or the general manager’s disinclination to consult his star quarterback on matters of direct concern to him. To get Rodgers to report to camp, the Packers had to adjust his contract in a way that, frankly, enables him to force his way out this offseason if he wants to. Whether he wants to, he wasn’t saying Saturday night.

“I don’t think it’s fair to anybody, or myself, to really go down those paths at this point,” said Rodgers, who also mentioned that he doesn’t want to be part of a rebuild in Green Bay. “It’s disappointing. So sad and fresh. I’ll have conversations in the next week or so and, you know, start to contemplate after that.”

Fair. This one just had to be brutally tough for Rodgers to swallow. The 49ers — again. With another clearly inferior quarterback taking the snaps from center. Jimmy Garoppolo, not Rodgers, will get to play the Rams or the Buccaneers next week for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Jimmy Garoppolo, who also saw his team trade up to draft his replacement but doesn’t have the kind of résumé that gives him license to complain about it.

Garoppolo, wearing the uniform Rodgers once dreamed of wearing, has gone a combined 17-for-27 for 208 yards and no touchdown passes in his past two playoff games against Rodgers and has won them both. Man, if that doesn’t sting.

So the world awaits, right? A fascinated public that has spent the past year watching Rodgers post Hawaii vacation photos while his team went through minicamp, wondering whether he’d come back, listening to him list his reasons he didn’t want to, hearing him spout anti-COVID-19 vaccine rhetoric, seeing him wave his bare foot at a Zoom camera — that public waits now to find out what the next chapter in the ever-fascinating Rodgers drama will bring.

Will we see him in a different uniform? Will we see him try to host another game show? Will he retire and run for office? Land in the broadcast booth? Ride off into the sunset, Andrew Luck style?

And whatever Rodgers does, what effect will it have on the way we remember him? He won a Super Bowl with the Packers 11 years ago but hasn’t played in one since. He’s a breathtaking performer — one of the very best ever to spin the football, to read a defense, to throw the Hail Mary, to get the other team to jump offside. He is a clinical quarterback, simultaneously scientist and artist with the ball in his hands. A three-time (and likely four-time) regular-season MVP. And yes, a Super Bowl champion.

But there’s also this what-might-have-been factor to Rodgers. There are those who think the Packers have squandered him, not being aggressive enough in building top-shelf rosters around him. They look at the Rams and wonder why his team could never be the one to sign or trade for every big-name star that hits the market. They look at the Buccaneers and wonder why the Packers would never cater to his roster wishes the way Tampa Bay has for Tom Brady. There are many, many people who look over his career and believe it could have come to even more than it has so far. Rodgers, for all we know, might be one of those people.

The what-ifs will linger, no matter what happens from here on out. We’ll tell our grandkids about Rodgers and what he was like to watch, and if they ask us why he won only one Super Bowl, we won’t know exactly what to say. Maybe, “It’s a beautiful mystery,” then chuckle to ourselves while they wonder what’s so funny.

Maybe there’s more to come. Maybe the Rodgers story has some glorious future chapter or chapters that will change everything about the way we remember him, that will land him the no-doubt-about-it spot on that quarterback Mount Rushmore that his once-in-a-generation talent deserves. Or maybe what we’ve already seen from him is the best we’re going to get, and in time we’ll realize it was a heck of a lot better than our in-the-moment nitpicking about playoff success made it seem.

MINNESOTA

The Vikings are down to two candidates for their GM position – neither a household name. When either is hired the number of black GMs will increase. Courtney Cronin ofESPN.com introduces them to us and tells us where the head coach hunt stands:

The Minnesota Vikings narrowed their list of candidates for the team’s general manager opening from eight to two finalists. On Tuesday, Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will have his second interview with the Vikings followed by Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles, who will meet with the team on Wednesday. Both interviews will be conducted in-person at the team’s headquarters.

In the meantime, the Vikings have pressed forward with interviews to find their next head coach. After the 49ers beat Green Bay in the divisional playoffs, San Francisco defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans spoke with Minnesota on Sunday, the last of eight initial interviews.

While Minnesota’s general manager will be responsible for hiring the team’s replacement for ex-coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikings chose to simultaneously conduct interviews for their next coach and GM. According to league rules, if a franchise is interviewing coaches whose teams are headed toward championship weekend, a first interview must have been conducted before the end of the divisional playoffs, otherwise teams will not be able to request to speak to those candidates if their team makes the Super Bowl until after Feb. 14.

With the Vikings closing in on their next general manager, a hire that could take place this week, here’s a look at two candidates whose vastly different backgrounds make for a compelling decision.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

Browns general manager Andrew Berry hired Adofo-Mensah from San Francisco in 2020 after he spent seven seasons as the 49ers’ manager – then director – of football research and development. The 40-year-old holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in economics from Princeton and Stanford, respectively, and had several Wall Street ventures as a portfolio manager and commodities trader before he entered the NFL.

Adofo-Mensah oversees talent evaluators and the analytics team in Cleveland to help Berry gather information to make decisions on roster transactions. He also has contract management experience. Because he doesn’t have the traditional scouting background like others who have interviewed for the Vikings’ GM opening, including Poles, Adofo-Mensah is best suited in a role where he delegates to evaluators to garner the intel needed to make personnel decisions.

“When I sat in a room with great evaluators that I have been around in San Francisco, I just took everything they told me,” Adofo-Mensah told Cleveland media members after he was hired in 2020. “I tried to find the intuition behind it. I ask ‘why’ a lot. You will find that out about me. I wanted to know even the most simple question. You might think it is simple, but I am building the complex bridge that will get me somewhere complex.”

His background in analytics – along with his ability to utilize quantitative methods to maximize the talent on Cleveland’s roster – make him a nontraditional candidate in Minnesota. Those who have worked with Adofo-Mensah at his various stops consider him process-oriented, which could help the Vikings’ front office change several elements of its operation by using evidence-based research to make decisions in free agency and the draft.

Minnesota chief operating officer Andrew Miller, who organized and is leading the interviews for all the GM and head-coach candidates, was hired by the Vikings in 2019 after a career with the Toronto Blue Jays, for whom he oversaw the improvement of business-related systems and processes. There are similarities in the backgrounds of Miller and Adofo-Mensah, which could foreshadow a shift in the general manager seat in Minnesota to more of a CEO-type leader than scout/evaluator.

Adofo-Mensah interviewed for Carolina’s general manager opening in 2021. In addition to Minnesota, the Browns’ front office VP also interviewed with the Chicago Bears for their general manager vacancy.

Ryan Poles

Poles has spent his entire 13-year front office career with the Kansas City Chiefs after playing offensive tackle at Boston College from 2004-07. He started with the Chiefs as a player personnel assistant in 2009 and rose through the scouting ranks to his current role as the executive director of player personnel. His area of expertise lies in the evaluation of college players. He spent the 2010-17 seasons in various roles, including the Chiefs’ director of college scouting in 2017, the year Kansas City traded up to land quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He’s 36, and has worked under three different general managers in Kansas City — Scott Pioli, John Dorsey and now Brett Veach. Poles made it to the second round of interviews with the New York Giants for their general manager opening and has second interviews this week with Minnesota and Chicago.

Poles’ background aligns more with that of former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, whose focus was more on building through the draft than free agency.

“The college side is how you build a roster,” Poles said during a Nunn-Wooten scouting fellowship session last summer while speaking to young scouts about the in-season scouting process. “If I ever become a general manager, that’s how I’d do it.”

The day Minnesota fired both Spielman and Zimmer, Vikings owner Mark Wilf reiterated that he does not believe his team is in the process of rebuilding. Hiring a general manager with extensive experience in the realm of scouting and evaluating could be what the Vikings need to bridge the gap with the players currently on their roster to field a competitive team in 2022. Both of the team’s co-directors of player personnel, Ryan Monnens and Jamaal Stephenson, have 20-plus years of experience in this area, which could meld well with Poles’ philosophy for how to get the Vikings back to being a playoff team.

And Poles’ background as an offensive lineman – along with how well the Chiefs were able to rebuild their O-line – could be an important sell to those making the hire. Minnesota’s offensive line ranked 27th in pass blocking in 2021. The Chiefs revamped their entire OL after last year’s Super Bowl by signing guard Joe Thuney, trading for tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and drafting Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith, both of whom started as rookies for the Chiefs this season.

Poles, one of the final three with the Giants, has had a 2^nd interview with Chicago.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

Owner Gayle Benson confirms the rumors that Sean Payton is uncertain about staying the course with the Saints.  Mike Triplett of ESPN.com:

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson acknowledged Monday that coach Sean Payton’s status remains uncertain for the 2022 season when she told local reporters, “I don’t think any of us know, but he’ll let us know soon enough.”

NFL Network reported Sunday that Payton had not yet committed to returning to coaching the Saints in 2022. Sources confirmed to ESPN that he has made no definitive declaration — though he was expected to return to work this week along with the rest of the Saints’ coaching staff after a vacation last week.

Payton, 58, is under contract through 2024, which means a trade would have to be worked out for him to coach another team. However multiple outlets, including ESPN, have reported that television networks have shown considerable interest in Payton if he decides to retire from coaching.

Benson, who was speaking at a Mardi Gras-related event, responded to a question about Payton’s status by saying, “We don’t know. You know, who knows? We’ll find out soon enough, I guess.”

The organization doesn’t appear to be pressing Payton for an immediate commitment, allowing him time to decompress after a grueling year.

The Saints missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons with a 9-8 record in 2021. But in many ways it ranked among Payton’s most impressive coaching jobs considering quarterback Drew Brees’ retirement; a roster that was depleted by major injuries, salary-cap cuts and COVID-19 issues; and a hurricane evacuation to Dallas for the first month of the season.

In Week 18, Payton acknowledged how trying the season was.

“This stretch has been, I don’t want to say exhausting, but it’s been one of those where you just get on to the [next task]. Nothing surprises you,” Payton said. “When you go all the way back to the start of the season, it feels like 2½ years ago we were evacuating to Dallas during the hurricane. I mean, it doesn’t feel like that’s part of this season.

“I’m trying to think of a good way to describe it. Like, there’s a certain bar or temperament for news that you normally have. And then when it keeps coming and coming and coming via text or in meetings, then pretty soon that bar gets raised because you just keep getting hitting in the side of the head. And at some point you’ve got to smile and then bow up a little bit and get ready for the challenge still.”

If Payton moves on, the Saints would likely consider both defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. as potential replacements — though they would certainly explore options outside of the building as well.

More from Mike Florio:

The Saints may soon be looking for a new head coach, for the first time in 16 years. That possibility took on greater credence on Monday, when team owner Gayle Benson giggled her way through making it clear that they don’t know whether Sean Payton will return for 2022.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orlean Times-Picayune reports that Payton and G.M. Mickey Loomis met “for a couple of hours on Monday.” Duncan admits that he currently has nothing more than that. The absence of news is, in its own way, newsworthy.

Payton hasn’t denied the reports that he may leave. Some have suggested that he’ll spend a year or two in TV, possibly before returning to coaching.

At this point, we wait for more. Some are wondering whether Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is making another behind-the-scenes run at Payton, like Jones did three years ago. (Again, the explanation as to why it didn’t happen appears in Playmakers. And it will indeed blow your freakin’ mind.) It seems more likely that Payton would wait a year or two before joining Dallas or another team.

If/when he coaches elsewhere, look for him to look for a place where the deck is stacked (or, as Simms would say — and has said — the stack is decked). No coach has won a Super Bowl with two different teams. Payton surely won’t take another job unless he thinks he has a great chance to pull it off.

TAMPA BAY

Coach Bruce Arians thinks referee Shaun Hochuli was wrong when he threw a flag after Tom Brady showed him his bloody face.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

A day after referee Shawn Hochuli threw a flag on Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady for unsportsmanlike conduct, Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians is calling foul.

“Totally uncalled for,” Arians told the Buccaneers Radio Network, via JoeBucsFan.com. “I don’t think any other referee in the league would have thrown the flag.”

Maybe Hochuli is the only referee in the league with the guts to stand up to the GOAT.

Brady complained to Hochuli after taking a helmet to the chin from Rams linebacker Von Miller. Roughing the passer wasn’t called.

“He got in my face in an aggressive manner and used abusive language,” Hochuli said of Brady after the game. “As for the hit, we did not think that it rose to the level of roughing the passer.”

Brady hasn’t been bashful about speaking his mind, aggressively if need be. It comes from the relentless and all-consuming desire to win, win, and win. It’s something we discourage when Little Jimmy throws a tantrum while playing video games. It’s something we admire and respect when Grown-Up Tommy throws a public tantrum.

– – –

At the very least, QB TOM BRADY is going to have to get wife Giselle Bundchen on board if he is going to return for 2022.

After Sunday’s loss to the Rams, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady said he’s take some time to make a decision about playing next season — even though he previously had said on numerous occasions that he planned to play in 2022. In his latest episode of Let’s Go, Brady did nothing to dispel the possibility that he’ll be gone.

“I think the point is there’s no really rush for me to figure out what’s next,” Brady said. “You know, I’ll know when I know. It’s a day after the season. So I think for all of us, you know, we can all decompress a bit. It’s been six straight months of football, every day consumed by day in and day out football. And I think now it’s just some time to spend some time with my family and spend some time with my kids.”

For five years, Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen, has tried to get him to retire.

“My wife is my biggest supporter,” Brady said. “It pains her to see me get hit out there. And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad. And I’m gonna spend some time with them and give them what they need, ‘cause they’ve really been giving me what I need the last six months to do what I love to do. I said this a few years ago, it’s what relationships are all about. It’s not always what I want. It’s what we want as a family. And I’m gonna spend a lot of time with them and figure out in the future what’s next.”

Brady doesn’t feel the need to have a final-year farewell tour. For years, we’ve heard that he definitely doesn’t want an all-about-Tommy final season in football.

“I think that would be distracting for me,” Brady said. “I’m really an ultimate, my enjoyment comes from not a recognition of kind of what I’ve accomplished as a player in the league. My enjoyment comes from the competition. Moreso than anything, even yesterday, I was thinking about competing. I was thinking about, this whole year, about competing. I wasn’t thinking about anything other than that. So when the time comes to think about post career and second career I’ll think about those things. It’s just when you’re 44, I guess you get asked about that a lot. And a lot of people thought I was done playing football in 2015. A lot of people in 2016 said, ‘You’re done.’ A lot of people in 2018, and when I left the Patriots, they said, ‘You’re done.’”

So could he actually walk away after the way the 2021 season ended? Would he be satisfied with that?

“I would say I’m proud and satisfied of everything we accomplished this year,” Brady said. “So I know when I give it my all, that’s something to be proud of. And I’ve literally given everything I had this year, last year, the year before that, the year before that. Like, I don’t leave anything half-ass, you know? I think I leave it with everything that I have. My physical being, I work really hard on that. I feel like I give everything I can to my teammates. Although, you know, it is divided attention as you get older, ‘cause there’s different priorities and responsibilities in life. And, you know, I have things happening outside of football that require some time and energy. Not a ton but, you know, the kids require time and energy and that’s enjoyable for me, too. So again, it’s a, you know, I’ll know when the time is right and there’s no rush to make a decision. So, you know, we’ll just see.”

Indeed we will. And it’s possible we have seen the last of Brady, with the Bucs or with anyone.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is all over the Giselle angle and the Brady wants to be the first QB to win a Super Bowl with three teams angle.

Despite the nonchalance many have expressed regarding the possibility that Tom Brady will retire in lieu of playing next season, Brady has said — on multiple occasions — that he’ll play through 2022 and then decide whether to continue. Thus, as much as some would like to ignore it, something has changed. Dramatically.

What is it, then? How and why did Brady go from being all in for 2022 to being “noncommittal” for next season. (ESPN reported over the weekend that he “remains noncommittal” about playing next year, phrasing that ignores even more strongly the things Brady has, you know, said.)

There’s a belief that Mrs. Brady, otherwise known as Gisele Bundchen, has laid down the law with her husband. That, regardless of whether he wants to keep playing in 2022 and beyond, she’s telling him that 22 seasons are more than enough.

Here’s another possibility, one that is pure speculation but can’t be ignored. What if Brady is hoping to wiggle out of Tampa and go to a team that he thinks will be better suited to get him to his eighth Super Bowl win?

The deck was stacked for the Bucs this season, with all 22 starters from last year’s championship run returning. Injuries were a problem. Linebacker Lavonte David also pointed to “turmoil” within the team.

How much did the Antonio Brown fiasco — and the team’s handling of it — potentially sour Brady? Has he lost faith in the ability of coach Bruce Arians to coax the team to the top of the mountain?

We don’t know the truth about this because Brady would never admit to it. Given the current gap between the Rams and Buccaneers, however, it’s hard not to wonder whether Brady, if he continues to play, will want to roll another set of loaded dice?

Where would that be? Well, his first choice two years ago was San Francisco. (They passed.) How about a year for Brady, as Trey Lance continues to develop? Lance would get to watch and learn from the best ever for a year. And the 49ers, a final-four team despite having a quarterback who isn’t even in the top 20, could add Brady to a highly-talented roster and a brilliant coaching staff (his former teammate, Wes Welker, works there) and finally get their sixth Super Bowl win.

Brady would have to finesse his way out of Tampa. He signed a one-year extension in 2021, primarily to reduce his cap number. If he asks the Buccaneers to trade or release him, maybe they would. Maybe, when he agreed to extend his contract last year, he sought and received a wink-nod commitment that he’ll be released, if he asks to be, after 2021.

Regardless, the sudden confusion regarding Brady’s status for 2021 is far more stunning than most are treating it. While retirement seems to be the far more likely option, it’s impossible to rule out the possibility that Brady will indeed honor his longstanding commitment to play until his 45 — and that maybe he’ll do what he can to wrap up with career with the 49ers.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

SWISS ARMY KNIFE DEEBO SAMUEL seems to be more likely to contribute Sunday in Los Angeles than T TRENT GREEN.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:

As the San Francisco 49ers departed Green Bay late Saturday night, injury questions lingered over two of their best players.

On Monday, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan offered updates on left tackle Trent Williams and receiver Deebo Samuel as the team prepares for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Williams, who is dealing with a right ankle injury, will be monitored as the week goes on, which leaves his game status unclear. Samuel is sore but OK after taking a helmet to his right knee on his run that set up the game-winning field goal. Samuel is expected to be available for practice this week, Shanahan said.

Williams suffered a right ankle sprain midway through San Francisco’s 13-10 win against the Packers. He didn’t come out of the game, but after the victory he was seen on crutches headed toward the X-ray room at Lambeau Field.

X-rays on Williams’ ankle showed no fractures, but more tests showed some older issues that are lingering in the ankle and have made it hard to determine the severity of the current injury. It’s similar to the situation the Niners went through last week with defensive end Jordan Willis, in which the initial diagnosis showed a potential high ankle sprain, but when things settled, the newer ankle sprain wasn’t as severe.

“You have got to see how the week goes and whether it heals,” Shanahan said of Williams’ ankle injury. “If it was a high [sprain], then I’d rule him out. But there are more components to it. … So, you have just got to wait and before you declare what it is, you’ve got to see how it heals and reacts throughout the week. So, that’s about all I can say and that’s what we’ll be waiting on to find out.”

Shanahan said the Niners will have to manage Williams and see how he progresses throughout the week before his status for the game can be determined. Willis was able to play against the Packers, blocking the punt that provided the game-tying points, after he was listed as questionable on the injury report.

Williams did not play in the last meeting with the Rams because of an elbow injury. Colton McKivitz replaced Williams in that Week 18 contest.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Niners running back Jeff Wilson Jr. suffered a low ankle sprain covering the first kickoff of Saturday’s game, but he, too, has a chance to play.

Shanahan said cornerback Ambry Thomas, who was a pregame inactive Saturday because of a bone bruise on his knee, should also be able to return to practice this week.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Two weeks ago, the Rams surrendered their homefield advantage to the 49ers.  A source who was in the crowd says it was pretty much 50-50.  The DB was there for the other two divisional home games and the Rams had a conventional advantage – maybe 85-15.

The Rams are begging their fans not to allow that to happen again. Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

The Rams have sold out SoFi Stadium for the NFC Championship. If the Rams fans who have bought the tickets choose to sell them (and turn a tidy profit), they can.

Coach Sean McVay hopes they won’t.

 “I thought the Monday night atmosphere [against the Cardinals] was electric and looking to create something [similar] — and even that much more — for the NFC Championship,” McVay told reporters on Monday. “[I’m] really grateful for those Rams fans. Hold onto those tickets and it’ll be much appreciated. But our guys are looking forward to putting on a good show against a great opponent. Can’t wait to be able to do it and don’t sell those tickets!”

It’s not just a joke or a bit. The Rams had to deal with an influx of 49ers fans in Week 18 so significant that it forced the Rams to use a silent count.

“What catches you off guard is, they do a great job traveling,” McVay said. “They got a really loyal fan base. They’ve got a great tradition, and history, and it’s a short trip. So, credit to them. They made it difficult where in a lot of instances, you’re kind of absent of your verbal communication. If they get as loud as they were when our offense was on the field — in certain parts of the field it was really noisy. It was really difficult to operate. And so, you almost have to handle that situation like you would an away game.”

McVay is hopeful that the situation will be different for the game that will determine the NFC’s Super Bowl representative.

“I’m really hopeful and would be grateful for these Rams fans to show up,” McVay said. “I thought the atmosphere on Monday Night Football, in the first playoff game ever on Monday Night Football, against the Cardinals was electric. It majorly gave us an advantage and our players a big boost. Looking forward to the same thing on Sunday afternoon for the NFC Championship. Our fans will be really proud of the way that these guys will come out and compete. I am looking forward to feeling their support because they’re a big factor for us – just like they were against Arizona. I feel confident they will be this Sunday.”

The mixture of Rams and 49ers fans will impact the game, obviously. McVay wouldn’t have said so much about it on Monday if it wasn’t a major factor. The question for the week of practice becomes whether and to what extent McVay prepares his players for dealing with crowd noise.

At some point, McVay will need to make a bet. The best bet could be to prepare for noise. It’s always easier to pivot to dealing with less than to transition to dealing with more.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Andy Reid and QB PATRICK MAHOMES were the brothers grim late Sunday.  Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

Coach Andy Reid had some simple advice for Patrick Mahomes when the Kansas City Chiefs faced long odds to beat the Buffalo Bills in Sunday night’s divisional-round playoff game.

“When it’s grim, be the Grim Reaper and go get it,” Reid said he told Mahomes right before the quarterback brought the Chiefs back for a 42-36 overtime win that sends them to next weekend’s AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“He did that,” Reid said. “He made everyone around him better, which he’s great at, and he just does it effortlessly. When it gets tough, he’s going to be there battling.”

Reid’s words came after the Bills took a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds left in regulation. The Chiefs needed to go about 45 yards in those 13 seconds. Mahomes completed two passes, one of 19 yards to Tyreek Hill, the other for 25 yards to Travis Kelce, to set up Harrison Butker’s game-tying, 49-yard field goal.

Mahomes then threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Kelce on the first possession of overtime to win the game.

In total, Mahomes threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns, and he scored the Chiefs’ first TD on an 8-yard run.

“To be in this moment in this game against that team, to make a play to walk off a game at Arrowhead, I’ll remember this game for the rest of my life,” Mahomes said.

It turns out that the play that beat the clock was an improvisation, not a diagrammed gem from Reid or anyone else on the coaching staff.

Kelce: I told [Mahomes] I am probably not going to run the route that is called. I am just going to run to the open area. Midway through his cadence, he was screaming at me at the line of scrimmage, ‘Do it. Do it. Do it.’ I was just like, ‘All right, here we go boys.’ It was just a little backyard football with a couple of seconds left that gave us an opportunity to take the game into overtime.”

Mahomes: “The first play, we hit Tyreek and he got as much as he could, got down, and then the play to Travis, it was kind of a thing where he wasn’t necessarily supposed to do that, but after the timeout, we got a look at what the defense was doing, and he actually said it to me, he was like, ‘If we do it again, I’m going to take it down the middle between both the guys guarding me.’ And he went up the field, I gave him the ball and he got into field goal range.”

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich has a second interview in JAX per Adam Schefter.

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Big NFL ratings!

Mark Mulvihill of FOX:

@mulvihill79

With 36.9 million viewers, Saturday night’s Niners-Packers game on FOX is TV’s most-watched Saturday show in 28 years, dating back to the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.

And then six million more people showed up for Bills-Chiefs:

A huge audience was watching the Chiefs’ thrilling overtime win over the Bills on Sunday night.

CBS announced an audience of 42.7 million viewers for the game. That number represents the average audience at any given time during the game; the audience peaked at 51.7 million viewers during overtime.

The last time an NFL game other than the Super Bowl or a conference championship game drew a larger audience was five years ago, when the Packers’ last-second win over the Cowboys in the divisional round drew 48.5 million viewers.

The NFL has increasingly distanced itself from everything else on American television, and it’s likely that nothing else on television in 2022 will outdraw Bills-Chiefs, except the conference championship games and Super Bowl LVI.

There really were 300 million Americans not watching?

TOP 50 FREE AGENTS

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com looks at the top 50 free agents.

What follows is ESPN’s annual January ranking of the top 50 players who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency if they aren’t retained before the market opens March 16, either because their contracts are expiring or the remaining years on their deals are set to automatically void. We don’t include restricted or exclusive free agents, for whom the original teams have the right of first refusal. And yes, this list will look much different when the market opens, as teams keep some players and terminate other players’ contracts over the next two months.

As always, our ranking is skewed toward players coming off their first contracts — at the free-agent sweet spot of about 26 years old — and keeps in mind that some positions are much more valued on the open market than others.

1. Davante Adams, WR

2021 team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Adams can stake a unique and legitimate claim if he reaches the open market: He’s one of the top two or three players at his position, a standing built in part on eight years of learning the nuances of the pro game, yet he’s still at an age when several more elite-level years can reasonably be projected. In the past two seasons, Adams has led the NFL in receptions (238) and touchdown catches (29) and is second in receiving yards (2,927). With that said, it is also reasonable to expect that Adams will strongly favor staying with quarterback Aaron Rodgers next season, wherever that might be.

2. Terron Armstead, OT

2021 team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2022 season: 31

We don’t tend to include many 31-year-olds in these initial free-agent rankings, especially ones who missed more than half of the previous season and are planning to undergo offseason knee surgery. But if even a serviceable left tackle is available — and Armstead is well above that baseline when healthy — he will be heavily pursued. The final year of Armstead’s contract automatically voids, so he will be eligible for free agency if the Saints don’t first re-sign him.

3. Mike Williams, WR

2021 team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2022 season: 27

Williams had the best year of his career as quarterback Justin Herbert continued his development, getting a career-high 129 targets on the way to a 76-catch, 1,146-yard season. The Chargers will need to decide whether to commit to Williams to ensure the presence of a younger high-end receiver as Keenan Allen nears his 30th birthday. Williams’ rookie season was largely derailed by injury, but he has missed only three games over the next four seasons.

4. Chris Godwin, WR

2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 26

For most of the history of NFL free agency, a late-season knee injury while playing on the franchise tag would have been a massive blow to market value. Now, it is a significant but not necessarily insurmountable obstacle to securing a lucrative deal. The most recent example is Titans linebacker Bud Dupree, who signed a five-year deal with $33.7 million fully guaranteed in 2021 while rehabilitating a torn ACL. (His three-sack season could also give some teams pause, though.) Fully healthy, Godwin would be one of the stars of this class. But even with a torn ACL and sprained MCL, he is an attractive option.

5. Jessie Bates III, S

2021 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2022 season: 25

The Bengals elected not to sign Bates to a contract extension after his strong 2020 showing (three interceptions and 15 passes defended), and they’ll be right back in the same spot this spring. Bates’ 2021 season might not have matched his previous performance (one interception), but he remains among the better young safeties in the game and would certainly have a strong market if he doesn’t re-sign with Cincinnati.

6. Orlando Brown Jr., OT

2021 team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Brown acquitted himself well after engineering a trade from the Ravens to the Chiefs in order to play left tackle, earning a spot on the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster, and now he’s in line for a major payday. It would be really surprising if the Chiefs didn’t retain him in some fashion after sending the Ravens four draft picks to get him, including their first-round selection in 2021. High-end left tackles rarely see the market, especially at Brown’s age.

7. Marcus Williams, S

2021 team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2022 season: 25

Williams played last season on the franchise tag for the cap-strapped Saints, an indication of how important they thought he was to their defense. A starter for all of his five years in New Orleans, with comparable skills against the run and the pass, Williams was named a second-team All-Pro by Pro Football Focus this season.

8. Von Miller, OLB

2021 team: Denver Broncos/Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 33

You’re not going to find many (soon-to-be) 33-year-olds on an initial list of top NFL free agents, and Miller’s age is a big reason the Broncos decided to trade him at midseason. But he went on to have the kind of impact teams would hope to have from a veteran situational pass-rusher, with five sacks over 414 snaps and ranking No. 12 in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric (20.9%) over eight games.

9. Tyrann Mathieu, S

2021 team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2022 season: 30

Mathieu has been named to the Pro Bowl in all three of his seasons with the Chiefs and was named an All-Pro as recently as 2020. He has played out his $42 million deal and is young enough to get another payday, even if his best years are behind him. His 13 interceptions over those three years are tied for the fifth-most in the NFL over that period.

10. Odell Beckham Jr., WR

2021 team: Cleveland Browns/Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Beckham technically signed a five-year deal with the Rams at midseason, but the final four automatically void, so Beckham will be available on the open market barring a franchise tag or pre-market extension with Los Angeles. There is plenty of baggage and history, and many teams won’t consider him a fit, but Beckham’s brief stint with the Rams has shown that his ball skills remain intact. He caught five touchdowns over eight regular-season games with L.A., and he has another one through two playoff games.

11. Carlton Davis, CB

2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 25

A quadriceps injury limited Davis to 10 regular-season games in 2021, but he would be one of the most attractive cornerbacks on the market if he gets that far. You would think the Buccaneers would at least consider the franchise tag for him, though. He has 48 passes defended over the past three seasons, along with six interceptions.

12. Harold Landry III, OLB

2021 team: Tennessee Titans | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Landry has been a reliable defensive playmaker throughout his four seasons with the Titans, amassing 31 sacks and missing only one game in his NFL career. He put up a career-high 12 sacks in his contract year. Although he ranked No. 34 among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate (13.8%), his record of on-field availability will also factor into the overall evaluations.

13. Brandon Scherff, G

2021 team: Washington Football Team | Age entering 2022 season: 30

After two years on the franchise tag, earning $33 million over that period, Scherff figures to get some kind of longer-term resolution this spring. It would cost Washington nearly $26 million to tag him a third time. He was an All-Pro in 2020 and earned his fifth Pro Bowl invitation this season, but he has always had trouble staying on the field. Scherff missed six games in 2021 and hasn’t played a full season since 2016.

14. Allen Robinson II, WR

2021 team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2022 season: 29

During his four seasons with the Bears, Robinson’s quarterbacks combined for a 45.2 Total QBR, the seventh-worst in the NFL over that period. That he made 293 receptions over that period, No. 19 among all pass-catchers, is quite an accomplishment. Many of them were pure skill. According to Pro Football Focus, Robinson led the NFL with 71 contested catches while with the Bears. The team kept him under the franchise tag in 2021, but it’s hard to imagine it doing so again, and it’s reasonable to think he would seek a fresh start elsewhere.

15. Randy Gregory, DE

2021 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Five suspensions and a total of 54 missed games delayed Gregory’s first chance at free agency by four years. Even after probably his best season and amid indications he has moved past the off-field issues that would have ended most players’ careers, it’s difficult to assess how much interest he would generate on the open market. At his best, Gregory is the kind of high-end pass-rusher teams spend years looking for.

16. Chandler Jones, OLB

2021 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2022 season: 32

Teams evaluating Jones will have to decide what to make of his past two seasons. His 2020 season was cut short after five games because of a biceps injury, and after roaring back with five sacks in the Cardinals’ Week 1 victory over the Titans this season, he managed only 5.5 more the rest of the way. There is plenty of precedent for elite pass-rushers to be in demand well into their 30s, but he’ll have to find the right fit.

17. Jadeveon Clowney, DE

2021 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2022 season: 29

An annual addition to this list, Clowney has changed teams three times in the past three seasons. His nine-sack performance for the Browns in 2021 was his best since 2018 and ensured that he will be in demand this spring, as well. Going year-to-year in the NFL isn’t for everyone, but Clowney has earned nearly $36 million in his path from Houston to Seattle to Tennessee to Cleveland — with more to come.

18. Trent Brown, OT

2021 team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Brown hit a huge payday during his 2019 entry into free agency, signing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Raiders, but he made it only two years before being traded back to the Patriots. He managed to play nine games this season, and prospective suitors will have to assess why he has changed teams three times in seven years, but a veteran tackle of most any background is going to be sought after on the open market.

19. J.C. Jackson, CB

2021 team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Jackson made himself some money in 2021 while playing under his restricted free-agent tender, following up a nine-interception season with eight more picks. No NFL player has more interceptions than Jackson since he entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2018 (25). Interceptions aren’t always the most reliable metric for cornerback play, but at the very least, Jackson has demonstrated a consistent ability to be around the ball and make plays when he gets the chance.

20. Haason Reddick, OLB

2021 team: Carolina Panthers | Age entering 2022 season: 27

Reddick signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Panthers after his 12.5-sack season with the Cardinals in 2020 — and more or less proved it. He finished the season with 11 sacks in 16 games, showing exceptional efficiency as a pass-rusher. His 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons ranks No. 5 in the NFL over that period, and he did it in 728 pass-rushing snaps — fewer than anyone ahead of him on the list.

21. Stephon Gilmore, CB

2021 team: New England Patriots/Carolina Panthers | Age entering 2022 season: 31

When the Patriots decided against signing him to a significant contract extension, Gilmore got himself traded to the Panthers. He was largely buried in the Panthers’ second-half swoon, but in the right environment, he would provide a veteran anchor who can still play press-man coverage for a defensive backfield.

22. DJ Chark Jr., WR

2021 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2022 season: 25

A fractured ankle ended Chark’s 2021 season after four games, but the injury occurred early enough that he is expected to be at full strength by training camp at the latest. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 with career highs in receiving yardage (1,008) and touchdowns (eight). We should grade any Jaguars free agent — especially in the passing game — on a statistical curve. It should also be pointed out that Chark has never played a 16- (or 17-) game season in four years with the Jaguars.

23. Dalton Schultz, TE

2021 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Only three NFL tight ends caught more passes during the past two seasons than Schultz: Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and Darren Waller. Schultz was also among the most efficient during that period, catching 74.2% of passes thrown in his direction, fifth-highest in the league. At the moment, he is part of a big tight end class that would test the demand for pass-catchers at the position.

24. Quandre Diggs, S

2021 team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Diggs was the Seahawks’ best defensive player in 2021 before suffering a broken fibula and dislocated ankle in the fourth quarter of their final game. He is expected to make a full recovery, although any team that signs him would have to take into account an extended recovery. When healthy, he is one of the NFL’s best playmaking safeties. He intercepted 13 passes in 38 games with the Seahawks after being acquired in a 2019 trade with the Lions.

25. Uchenna Nwosu, OLB

2021 team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2022 season: 25

Nwosu was a part-time player behind Melvin Ingram III for the first three seasons of his career before making 15 starts in 2021. He had a career-high five sacks and showed the kind of edge speed that teams covet on the free-agent market. He won’t turn 26 until December and is a high-upside prospect.

26. Mike Gesicki, TE

2021 team: Miami Dolphins | Age entering 2022 season: 26

In the past three seasons, Gesicki ranks sixth among NFL tight ends in catches (177) and fifth in receiving yards (2,053), despite playing for an offense that ranked No. 25 in offensive expected points added (EPA) over that period. The pursuit of matchup-exploiting tight ends is a baseline of NFL free agency. The open-market deals that 2021 free agents Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith signed with the Patriots, which netted them more than $12 million annually, are instructive.

27. Ryan Jensen, C

2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 31

Jensen has played out the four-year, $42 million deal he signed after moving to Tampa Bay from the Ravens in 2018, one of the better free-agent signings in recent memory. He hasn’t missed a start, was named to the Pro Bowl this season and should have several highly productive years remaining in his career.

28. James Daniels, G

2021 team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2022 season: 24

Daniels produced in a strong return from a torn pectoral muscle that limited his 2020 season to five games. Overall, he has started 48 games in four seasons. You might not have heard much about him, but Daniels is the kind of young, big body that teams rarely see on the open market.

29. Darious Williams, CB

2021 team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Williams has been a starter on a really good defense for the past three seasons but has missed some time for injuries, most recently an ankle ailment that cost him three games during the 2021 regular season. He got plenty of action opposite Jalen Ramsey and held up well enough for teams to consider him as a possible replacement starter.

30. Charvarius Ward, CB

2021 team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2022 season: 26

In his third season as a starter, Ward was a significant part of the Chiefs’ defensive turnaround during the regular season. He is big enough to play press-man coverage and was an excellent tackler during the regular season, missing only 5% of his attempts, according to Pro Football Focus. That was the lowest rate for a cornerback since 2019.

31. Bradley Bozeman, C

2021 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2022 season: 27

The eventual successor to Ryan Jensen in Baltimore, Bozeman has started for three consecutive seasons. He ranked No. 2 among centers in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric in 2021 (97.2%) and No. 7 in run block win rate (71.5%). The Ravens will try to find a way to keep him, but if he hits the open market, he would make a big impact on his new team’s offensive line.

32. Cam Robinson, OT

2021 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Robinson played the 2021 season on a franchise tag. The Jaguars weren’t ready to commit long-term, but they didn’t give up on the No. 34 overall pick of the 2017 draft. He arguably had his best season, but he still ranked No. 48 among NFL tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (86.1%). His age and experience at left tackle, however, will guarantee him interest around the league if he doesn’t re-sign with the Jaguars.

33. Connor Williams, G

2021 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2022 season: 25

Williams led the league with 13 offensive holding penalties and ranked second with 15 total flags in 2021. That’s the bad news. The good news is that he’s a still-young interior lineman who has been a starter for four seasons. Williams has developed into a top-25 guard in the NFL, based on ESPN’s run and pass block win rate metrics, and he has plenty of room left to grow.

34. Andrew Norwell, G

2021 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2022 season: 30

The Jaguars restructured Norwell’s contract last year to cut a year away from their initial commitment of a monster five-year, $66.5 million deal in 2018. But he played well enough in 2021 to be more than a serviceable option. He ranked No. 7 among guards in ESPN’s run block win rate metric (73.2%) and No. 15 in pass block win rate (93.8%).

35. Rasul Douglas, CB

2021 team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2022 season: 28

Douglas made his way from the Cardinals’ practice squad to the Packers’ starting lineup in a matter of weeks, and he proved to be quite a ball hawk with five interceptions and 13 passes defended. His two defensive touchdowns tied for second-most in the NFL. Every team had a chance to sign him this season, and there are probably some prior judgments out there, but Douglas showed what he can do in the right system and should have several more years of productive play ahead of him.

36. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE

2021 team: Miami Dolphins | Age entering 2022 season: 28

Ogbah put up nine sacks in each of the past two seasons after signing a two-year, $15 million deal with the Dolphins, and he is still young enough to merit another financial commitment. Over that period, he ranked No. 19 among edge pass-rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric (16.3%).

37. Jameis Winston, QB

2021 team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2022 season: 28

NFL teams have done such a good job locking down their quarterbacks that Winston — who is recovering from a torn ACL that limited him to seven games in 2021 — is the best of the available group. In a relatively short stint as the Saints’ starter, Winston showed he could avoid the turnovers that plagued him in Tampa Bay. He threw three interceptions and lost one fumble in 359 snaps.

38. Laken Tomlinson, G

2021 team: San Francisco 49ers | Age entering 2022 season: 30

Tomlinson turned himself into a fixture of the 49ers’ offensive line after being traded by the Lions just before the 2017 season. He has played through the resulting three-year contract extension he signed and is still young enough to see a second significant payday. He has missed only one start since joining the 49ers and is the type of reliable steady hand that qualifies as a free-agent gem.

39. Christian Kirk, WR

2021 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2022 season: 25

Kirk’s numbers jumped to career highs in his fourth season with the Cardinals, coinciding with the retirement of Larry Fitzgerald and injuries to teammate DeAndre Hopkins. He led the team with 77 receptions for 982 yards while playing a full season for the first time in his career. Kirk was also among the league’s most efficient receivers, catching 75.5% of throws he was targeted on, the sixth-best rate in the NFL.

40. Michael Gallup, WR

2021 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Talk about bad timing. A calf injury and, later, a torn ACL limited Gallup to nine games in his contract year. He is now two seasons removed from his best performance — a 66-catch, 1,107-yard effort in 2019. It remains to be seen how much the injuries will affect his market, but barring any complications, Gallup can be projected as a deep threat for several more years to come.

41. Teddy Bridgewater, QB

2021 team: Denver Broncos | Age entering 2022 season: 29

Bridgewater has started 29 games in the past two seasons — for the Panthers and Broncos — proving himself to be a gritty competitor but a borderline choice as an unquestioned starter. He threw 18 interceptions and took 62 sacks over that period, and his Total QBR (52.7) ranked No. 18. But other than Jameis Winston, he’s probably the best option available for a team seeking a backup-level quarterback who could start for a spell if needed.

42. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR

2021 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2022 season: 25

If Smith-Schuster was disappointed with the interest he received on the market last offseason, what will he think now after a shoulder injury limited him to five games? He is now three seasons removed from his lone 1,000-yard season and has averaged 8.6 yards per reception over the past two years. On the other hand, he is still young for a player who has been in the league for five seasons, and his low production should be considered in the context of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s declining downfield arm strength.

43. De’Vondre Campbell, ILB

2021 team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2022 season: 29

It remains to be seen how the market will view an aging journeyman linebacker who produced one of the NFL’s most surprising performances of 2021. A starter for five seasons in Atlanta and Arizona, Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Packers and was named to the All-Pro team after making 146 tackles and holding together an injury-ravaged defense. Linebackers who aren’t necessarily pass-rushers don’t tend to generate big-money offers, but Campbell proved how important he can be to a defense.

44. Duane Brown, OT

2021 team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2022 season: 37

It’s certainly unusual to include on this list a player who will be 37 when the season begins, but Brown remains a very good player at a position where the NFL experiences an annual shortage. He has missed only four starts in four seasons since the Seahawks acquired him in 2018, all of which came in 2019, and he would be a strong option for a team seeking a short-term fill-in at the left tackle position.

45. Leighton Vander Esch, ILB

2021 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Vander Esch slogged through two injury-filled seasons following his promising rookie season in 2018, missing seven games in 2019 and six in 2020. It left the Cowboys little choice but to decline his fifth-year option for 2022. Vander Esch managed to stay on the field for all 17 games in this season, but he was overshadowed by rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and others. No one is going to break the bank for a linebacker who isn’t really a pass-rusher, but Vander Esch would prove a solid contributor for a team looking to retool its defense.

46. Rob Gronkowski, TE

2021 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2022 season: 33

Yes, he will soon turn 33. And you’re right, it is a near certainty that he will play next season only if it’s alongside quarterback Tom Brady. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t among the NFL’s top 50 players with expiring contracts. Even though it came in four fewer games, Gronkowski’s pass-catching production increased in 2021 compared to 2020. He has caught 13 touchdown passes among 166 targets over the past two seasons.

47. Brian Allen, C

2021 team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Allen has started 25 games over the past two seasons and has established himself as a solid NFL center with room to grow. Among centers, he ranked No. 14 in ESPN’s run block win rate metric (67.3%) and No. 24 in pass block win rate (91.2%) in 2021.

48. Austin Corbett, G

2021 team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2022 season: 27

Corbett developed into a serviceable starting guard after the Rams acquired him from the Browns in 2019. He isn’t going to change the track of your entire offense, having ranked No. 32 among guards in ESPN’s run block win rate metric (69.5%) and No. 51 in pass block win rate (88.9%), but he can fill a starting role for a needy team.

49. David Njoku, TE

2021 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2022 season: 26

Njoku’s time in Cleveland has been more about potential than production, especially during the past three seasons as he has battled injuries and uncertainty with the Browns’ changing regimes. From 2019-21, 44 tight ends caught more passes than his total of 60. But because he entered the league at 21, he sits on the brink of free agency with a chance at a fresh start on a team that doesn’t employ as many talented tight ends as the Browns.

50. Terrell Edmunds, S

2021 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2022 season: 25

Edmunds is not the most well-known of the Steelers’ starting safeties, and he’s not the most talented, either. (Minkah Fitzpatrick holds both of those titles.) The Steelers, in fact, declined Edmunds’ fifth-year option last spring. But he had his best season in 2021, starting all 17 games and setting a career high with eight tackles for loss. Even so, the Steelers might not be able to clear up much cap space to re-sign Edmunds, assuming they want to re-sign Fitzpatrick next year.

Bonus free-agent names to watch

Derek Barnett, DE

Bryce Callahan, CB

Calais Campbell, DE

Alex Cappa, G

James Conner, RB

Eric Fisher, OT

Leonard Fournette, RB

Casey Hayward Jr., CB

Akiem Hicks, DT

Dont’a Hightower, ILB

Justin Houston, OLB

Jerry Hughes, DE

Melvin Ingram III, OLB

Donte Jackson, CB

Marcus Maye, S

Morgan Moses, OT

Steven Nelson, CB

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/RB

D.J. Reed, CB

Robert Tonyan, TE