MINNESOTA

WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON is said to not want to sign a new deal until he knows that QB KIRK COUSINS is coming back.  Bryan DeArdo of CBSSports.com:

If Justin Jefferson remains in Minnesota, it appears that Kirk Cousins might be as well. The Minnesota Vikings star receiver reportedly wants to know the team’s plans at quarterback before he commits to a long-term deal, according to NFL Media.

Jefferson has been an advocate for the team keeping Cousins, who is set to become a free agent after playing the 2023 season under a one-year, $35 million deal. Cousins was playing some of the best ball of his career this past season before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 8.

Fortunately for Jefferson, it appears that Cousins may very well return to Minnesota. While he didn’t say he would take a hometown discount, Cousins said last month that he isn’t worried about money at this stage of his career. Structure, he said, is more important, which is one of the reasons why he wants to stay in Minnesota.

More so, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has also publicly expressed his desire to retain Cousins. At this point, it appears that it comes down to money and whether or not ownership wants to further invest in Cousins, who will be 36 before the start of next season.

Jefferson may also play a factor in what the team does regarding Cousins. As one of the league’s best receivers, Jefferson certainly has leverage. He made it clear late last season where he stands regarding the team’s quarterback situation.

“I definitely will always give that extra word for Kirko,” Jefferson said at the time, per the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “(And) I feel like I really don’t have to voice my opinion that much. Just look at his play before he went down. … His leadership. His knowledge of the game. His awareness. There’s definitely something missing not having that main piece out there on the table.”

While Cousins’ contract situation is up in the air, Jefferson won’t have that issue with the Vikings. The team will most likely pay him whatever he wants (within reason) in order to keep him in Minnesota for the long haul.

DALLAS

And veteran coach Mike Zimmer will indeed be the DC of the DCs.  Three writers from The Athletic get a byline on this report:

The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms with former Vikings coach Mike Zimmer to make him their defensive coordinator, according to a league source. NFL Network was the first to report this news.

Zimmer would replace Dan Quinn, who’s now the head coach for the Washington Commanders.

Although Zimmer hasn’t coached in the NFL the last two seasons, he makes sense for the job because of his familiarity with Mike McCarthy and with the Cowboys franchise. Dallas was looking for someone with previous head coaching and defensive coordinator experience. Zimmer has done both. His No. 1 job as Cowboys DC will be improving the team’s poor run defense.

Next will be finding a way to put superstar DE/LB Micah Parsons in the best position to be as effective late in the season as he had been earlier in the year. Does that mean more snaps at linebacker? Does it mean fewer snaps in September and October? Either way, their defense will likely go as Parsons goes next season. Fixing the run game likely means upgrades at both linebacker and defensive tackle. Zimmer will have a say in how they immediately improve those positions. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has said they will be “all in” this upcoming season. Upgrading in those areas likely means doing something before the draft in April.

Given all of the candidates that were being interviewed for the defensive coordinator job, including former head coaches Ron Rivera and Rex Ryan, along with Cowboys assistant coach Aden Durde, Zimmer was the one that seemed to make the most sense. Often in Dallas, the question that is asked when a move is made is: Who made the decision? Was it the owner and general manager, Jones, or was it the head coach? In the case of Zimmer, the respect would come from both sides.

Zimmer had a long career in Dallas, dating back to the 90s dynasty and running through the Bill Parcells era. He started as a defensive assistant, became the defensive backs coach and also served as a defensive coordinator. He went on to become a coach in Minnesota for eight years, where he battled for the NFC North for years against McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers, even taking the division from McCarthy a couple of times. As an offensive mind and playcaller, McCarthy has respect for Zimmer and as a coach and person, Jones has familiarity and loyalty. It’s easy to see this one being a mutual decision between the primary powers within the Cowboys’ brass.

Zimmer coached the Vikings from 2014 to 2021. He went 72-56-1 with the Vikings, the third-winningest coach in Minnesota history. Before the Vikings, Zimmer was defensive coordinator with the Cincinnati Bengals (2008 to 2013), the Atlanta Falcons (2007) and the Cowboys (2000 to 2006).

PHILADELPHIA

Conflicting signals from LB HASSAN REDDICK.  ESPN:

Haason Reddick said Tuesday that he never requested to be traded by the Philadelphia Eagles, days after a source confirmed to ESPN that the team granted the edge rusher permission to seek a trade.

“Never asked for a trade,” Reddick posted on X, reacting to comments he made to Bleacher Report expressing the same sentiment. “However, I do understand it’s a business. Preparing for whatever is next!”

Reddick, 29, is scheduled to enter the final season of a three-year, $45 million free agent contract with his hometown team that he signed during the 2022 offseason.

He quickly outperformed that deal, racking up 16 sacks during the 2022 regular season and 3.5 more in the postseason during Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run. He added 11 more sacks during the 2023 campaign, marking the fourth consecutive season he has reached double-digit sacks.

He has no guaranteed money left on his contract.

“I would like to get an extension done here at home,” Reddick told Bleacher Report on Tuesday. “At no point did I ever tell the organization I want to be traded.”

He added to Bleacher Report that Philadelphia is “home for me” and that he has “cherished being an Eagle.”

From the Eagles’ perspective, it’s not guaranteed that a trade will get done. The cap considerations and compensation will have to be right for them to part with one of their top defensive players. But with pressing needs across the board on defense, the money they would free up in a Reddick trade would be redistributed quickly.

SAN FRANCISCO

Thanks to an interplay on Twitter/X, we know that the 49ers had a substitute at right guard – and he “played on instinct” to allow DE CHRIS JONES to be unblocked on what proved to be San Francisco’s final offensive play of the season.  Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com:

Jon Feliciano left Super Bowl LVIII after 31 snaps with a pectoral injury, and Spencer Burford replaced him at right guard.

During a key third-and-four play in overtime, Feliciano threw his teammate under the bus for a protection bust that resulted in an incompletion.

A viral video blamed right tackle Colton McKivitz for the miscue, prompting Feliciano to respond with two tweets.

“I know you know all, so u should know that’s not Colton’s guy….” Feliciano initially responded, before adding, “A quick chop is not needed if the guy that was supposed to block him, blocks him.”

Feliciano was implying that Burford was responsible for leaving Chiefs defensive Chris Jones unblocked and with a clear path to Brock Purdy, who, under pressure, threw the ball over the head of Jauan Jennings. That forced a field goal, and the Chiefs won with a touchdown.

Burford replied to Feliciano, “Sheesh…I open up my app to this…get well soon bro…”

Feliciano then apologized: “Im sorry bro. I woke up hungover and being a bitch. In trying to have ones back I hurt u. It’s f-Ed up and I apologize. You got nothing but greatness ahead of you. I’m sorry bro.”

The teammates talked and cleared the air, with Burford saying that he accepted Feliciano’s apology.

“It was just a miscommunication between us, man,” Burford said Tuesday, via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He apologized.”

Burford, in turn, took responsibility for not covering the B-gap, the area between him and McKivitz.

“I should have just played within the scheme,” Burford said. “I played on instinct. It was my fault. I don’t want anybody to put anything on Colton, whatever he has going on. Don’t blame him.”

– – –

Does WR BRANDON AIYUK want out of San Francisco?  Callie Lawson-Freeman of YahooSports.com:

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk had a quiet showing in the team’s 25-22 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Since then, the chatter surrounding his future has been quite loud.

The 25-year-old is headed into the final year of his rookie contract since the 49ers picked up his fifth-year option last April. On Tuesday, he addressed reporters in the 49ers’ locker room. Emotional and covering his eyes with sunglasses, he admitted that the loss was the most difficult defeat of his career. He stayed vague about where he hopes his career will take him next.

“If that’s the right move, yeah,” Aiyuk answered when asked if he’d like to remain in San Francisco. In response to a follow-up question about what the right move would look like, he said, “Being a champion.”

He turned around to face his locker and said “That’s all I got,” when a question about his journey with the team almost brought him to tears.

Aiyuk recorded three catches on six targets for 49 yards in Sunday’s loss, a departure from the performance that saw his miraculous catch spark San Francisco’s comeback against the Detroit Lions in the NFC championship.

Aiyuk is a potential trade candidate if he and the team can’t agree on a long-term extension, and social media posts from the wideout and his inner circle after the Super Bowl suggest that negotiations might not be easy.

On Monday after the loss, Aiyuk posted a black Instagram story captioned “Don’t forget what got you there” with eye emojis.

Earlier that day, his girlfriend, Rochelle Searight, posted a TikTok that implied Aiyuk’s days with the 49ers are numbered.

“This might have been the last day we touched foot on Levi’s Stadium,” she said in the video, “Because we might not be out here next season.” She captioned the video “Happy 49ers Travel Day of Shame,” explaining that she was picking up Aiyuk after the Super Bowl heartbreaker.

Even Aiyuk’s friend and former teammate, Draysean Hudson, made public comments about Aiyuk’s future in a series of Instagram stories.

“This is the exact same reason we leaving San Francisco,” Hudson wrote. “Thank you 49ers for drafting my brother we are forever grateful. BA to Vegas.”

Hudson went on to post a video of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy being pressured by Chiefs tackle Chris Jones and throwing an incompletion while Aiyuk was wide open for a touchdown.

“Why does your All-Pro 1300-yard receiver have 3 catches in the Super Bowl,” Hudson added with a pair of eyeball emojis.

Aiyuk entered the league when the 49ers drafted him with the No. 25 pick in 2020 out of Arizona State. He has posted four solid seasons with the team since then, recording a total of 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career. This season, he snagged 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch were asked about Aiyuk during their end-of-season news conference on Tuesday.

“Of course you want a guy like Brandon Aiyuk to be a part of you moving forward,” Lynch said, “We’re extremely prideful in what he’s become and he should be as well.”

Lynch added that the team has a lot to prioritize in a battle against the salary cap this offseason.

“The more good players you get, the tougher decisions you have,” he said. “Brandon’s been a fantastic player for us, Kyle [Shanahan] calls him a warrior all the time because of the way he goes out and competes. That shines through anybody whether you’re a trained or whether you’re a fan. You can see the passion that he plays with.”

KANSAS CITY

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com on the challenge of a three-peat:

Patrick Mahomes still had his jersey on from Super Bowl LVIII when he brought up next year’s Super Bowl.

“I’m going to celebrate tonight, I’m going to celebrate at the parade, then I’m going to do whatever I can to be back in this game next year,” he said in his postgame news conference. “Go for that three-peat.”

Winning two championships in a row is incredibly difficult. The Chiefs are the first repeat champs since the New England Patriots in 2003-04. There’s a reason no team has ever won three Super Bowls in a row. It should be close to impossible in this era. The league is set up so no team is on top for long.

But the Chiefs are favored to do it again next season — and for good reason. There are some questions going into the offseason, but it’s feasible that the Chiefs could bring back just about every key piece and maybe add a little talent, too. They’re set up to be a contender for a long time, and that should be scary to the rest of the NFL.

Chiefs have free-agency questions

The Chiefs have two big pending free agents from their defense, and one will sound like a familiar story.

Defensive lineman Chris Jones held out last season through Week 1. There were reports that he was seeking $30 million per season. He did come back on a reworked one-year deal and hit some big incentives, and now he can hit free agency. The Chiefs could franchise-tag Jones, but it would be expensive and presumably lead to more acrimony and perhaps a longer holdout. Jones is the Chiefs’ best defensive player and one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and his future is a key question for Kansas City.

On top of that, the Chiefs have to try to retain cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. One of the strengths of their defense was having two standout cornerbacks, Sneed and Trent McDuffie, and Sneed will get plenty of interest if he hits free agency. It would be a good offseason if they simply retain those two standout defensive players.

The Chiefs are in surprisingly good shape when it comes to the salary cap. They’re projected to be $23.9 million under the cap, according to Spotrac, which is 17th in the NFL. Maybe that means it’ll be possible to pay Jones and Sneed. The Chiefs don’t want to take a step back on defense after a big improvement on that side of the ball this past season. The Chiefs have some good, young talent on defense after hitting on some draft picks, and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should return after an excellent season, but bringing back Jones and Sneed is crucial.

Chiefs could look to add on offense

Offensively, the Chiefs should be fine. They have Mahomes. That’s enough to keep them in the top 10.

But there were some issues all season. The Chiefs need reliable receivers and need to be aware of Travis Kelce’s age and role going forward. Kelce’s numbers were down this season at age 34, an age at which almost no tight end in NFL history has had significant success. Kelce came alive in the playoffs, and he’s one of the greatest ever, so he shouldn’t fall off a cliff next season, but his days of posting 1,200-yard seasons could be over. Kansas City has to account for that possibility.

The Chiefs had two young skill-position players play very well late in the season: receiver Rashee Rice and running back Isiah Pacheco. Rice was a find in the second round of last year’s draft and looks like a future No. 1 receiver. He had 938 yards and seven touchdowns in the regular season, and a lot of that came late in the season as the Chiefs leaned on him more. He got better as his rookie season went on, too.

“I don’t know how good I can get, but I know I can be great,” Rice said during Super Bowl week. “I know I can be a top receiver in the NFL.”

Pacheco also came on late in the season, and the Chiefs featured him, which could continue next season.

Having a second-year receiver who produced like a No. 1 option over the last half of the season and a third-year featured running back gives the Chiefs a head start. And Mahomes isn’t going anywhere. The Chiefs have all of their draft picks except their second-rounder, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they use most of those picks on offensive talent.

The Chiefs have been in four Super Bowls in five seasons. They finally built a top-10 defense to help Mahomes and the offense. The Chiefs have some issues to address, but they have decent cap space and most of their picks. Kansas City might end up right back in another Super Bowl next year and perhaps make some history.

LAS VEGAS

Raiders DE JANARIUS ROBINSON was arrested at the scene of an early morning accident.  Tashan Reed of The Athletic:

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Janarius Robinson was arrested and charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence after police received a call of an incident at a resort on the Las Vegas strip, according to records from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Police were called to the resort just before 6 a.m. on Feb. 6 after a woman was struck by a car and became pinned between two vehicles. The woman was taken to the hospital before officers arrived, according to the report.

According to police records, Robinson, 24, identified himself as the owner of the vehicle involved in the incident and said he was waiting for officers to arrive. An officer wrote in the report that he detected “a strong odor of alcohol” emitting from Robinson and that “his eyes were bloodshot and watery.”

Per the report, Robinson was arrested after he admitted he consented to a field sobriety test, which he was unable to pass. He refused a blood test, but authorities say they were granted a warrant for one.

Officers also pulled surveillance footage that showed Robinson getting in and out of the car, per the report.

Robinson was released on his own recognizance and is expected back in court on June 4, per multiple media reports.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers are hiring one of their former greats as assistant offensive line coach.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Longtime Chargers center Nick Hardwick is returning to the team, this time as a member of Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff.

The Chargers are hiring Hardwick as assistant offensive line coach, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Hardwick was a third-round pick of the Chargers in 2004 and played for them for 11 seasons. He was a Pro Bowler and a member of the Chargers’ 50th Anniversary Team in 2009. He started 136 games in his career, all for the Chargers.

After retiring, Hardwick worked on the Chargers’ radio broadcasts, and he was also notable for his weight loss: Hardwick lost 100 pounds within a year of his retirement in 2014, and he has kept it off for a decade.

Hardwick will work with offensive line coach Mike Devlin, who worked for Harbaugh’s brother the last two years as the Ravens’ assistant offensive line coach.

INDIANAPOLIS

After quarterbacking his team to the playoffs, Pro Bowler QB GARDNER MINSHEW II is a free agent.  Stephen Holder of ESPN.com:

Surrounded by a sea of NFL stars under the Florida sun, the Pro Bowl quarterback worked his way down the rope line of fans clamoring for autographs and photos one day before the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida.

He tried on multiple occasions to break away, but the requests kept coming. Finally, the crowd petered out and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew could sneak off toward a team bus that players such as Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins and Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets had already boarded.

The scene seemed unexpected considering Minshew has started a majority of his team’s games just twice in five NFL seasons.

“It’s my first time,” Minshew said of the Pro Bowl selection. “I don’t even know how it happened. But, shoot, I’m happy to be here, man. It’s awesome.”

Granted, Minshew was a replacement player in the Pro Bowl Games, filling a vacant spot behind stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, who did not participate. Other participants such as Houston’s C.J. Stroud and Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa were higher in the pecking order than Minshew.

Even so, Minshew acknowledged he never envisioned being a Pro Bowler under any circumstances seeing how he found limited opportunities on the open market as a free agent in the spring of 2023. He ended up accepting the Colts’ contract offer of one year for just less than $3 million, doing so with the understanding that Indianapolis intended to draft a franchise quarterback.

But if Minshew has learned anything about life in the past year, it’s that fate will have its way no matter how much you obsess over what might happen.

Minshew ended up being in the right place at the right time, relieving injured rookie Anthony Richardson, starting 13 games for the Colts and establishing a career high in passing yards (3,305). Minshew even earned an extra $2 million in incentives after playing at least 60% of the Colts’ offensive snaps.

Now, as Minshew enters free agency again, he’s doing so with a new mindset.

“Last year, I let it stress me out because you have all kinds of expectations,” Minshew said. “But at the end of the day, you really don’t know what’s going to happen. You have to take it as it comes. Last year, I let myself get all worked up. But I ended up in the best spot in the league. I couldn’t have asked for a better spot. So, you’ve just got to take it as it is, appreciate the opportunities that you get and make the most of them when you get them.”

There are mixed opinions on how to characterize Minshew’s 2023 performance. You could, for instance, say his success — including a 7-6 record as a starter for a team that won four games a year earlier — was the product of a savvy offensive coach (Shane Steichen) and a solid roster.

On the other hand, there’s a strong case to be made that Minshew’s competence as a backup is what kept the Colts afloat when Richardson was lost for the season to a shoulder injury in Week 5. Minshew displayed his leadership capacity, and the Colts rallied around him, finishing 9-8 — one win shy of an AFC South title.

Either way, Minshew maximized his opportunities. And they were precious opportunities for a quarterback who had started just four total games in 2021 and 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, Minshew has given the NFL something to think about as teams with quarterback uncertainty plot their next moves.

“I’m really proud of what we did this year,” he said. “I came in with not many expectations, but we had a really tight team, a group that believed in each other, and I think you can really achieve some things when you do that. I know it didn’t end the way we wanted but, man, the longer time goes on, the more happy I am about the season and the more grateful I am for all the good stuff. And I know there’s ton of great stuff that we can build off of in Indy.”

If that leaves the impression that Minshew is open to returning to the Colts, well, he is. But getting a chance to be under center for most of the season also rekindled his desire to be a starting quarterback again. Barring another injury to Richardson, that’s unlikely to happen in Indianapolis.

“Of course Gardner wants to be a starter,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “That’s what his makeup is… [Backup quarterbacks] want to be the guy. I get it. And they’re competitive. It’s hard for them to accept somebody telling them, ‘Hey, you’re the [number] 2.’ This is what’s great about Gardner. He was the 2, knew he was the 2, but he continued to work.

“He’s a tremendous young man. Good player. Thank God we had him.”

Sounds like another unpredictable offseason awaits Minshew. But those looming stressful moments seemed far away during Minshew’s week in Orlando. He reconnected with old friends such as former Jacksonville Jaguars teammate Josh Allen, an edge rusher who was in the same Jaguars draft class as Minshew.

Minshew also chatted it up with Tagovailoa, contrasting some of the unique concepts Miami runs under coach Mike McDaniel with the creative schemes employed by Steichen in Indianapolis.

And when all that was done, there were more autographs to sign and more pictures, because that’s the life of a Pro Bowl quarterback.

“Man,” Minshew said, as he looked around at the surroundings, “this is really cool.”

THIS AND THAT

READY TO RISE

At this time last year, the Lions, Dolphins and Jets were the hot picks to rise up the ranks in 2023.  Detroit did, the Dolphins sort of followed and the Jets didn’t make it.  Instead, we would say the Texans and Rams were risers.

So who does Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com see in 2024 as leaping forward?

The NFL season has come and gone with a familiar team reigning on top in the Kansas City Chiefs, the first to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots. While Kansas City is on top of the NFL world again, the league had plenty of teams rise to contention over the course of the season.

The Baltimore Ravens went from a wild-card playoff team to the best record in the NFL. The Houston Texans went from 11 wins over the previous three seasons to 11 wins in 2023 (including playoffs). The Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers survived the losses of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady and won playoff games in their first seasons without them.

Which teams are poised to rise in 2024? These teams could be in for a turnaround as a division title contender with the potential of making a deep playoff run all the way to the Super Bowl.

Here are five teams to keep an eye out for next season:

Houston Texans (10-7)

The Texans took the biggest leap in 2023 thanks to the emergence of C.J. Stroud and a remarkable turnaround spearheaded by first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans. Stroud had arguably the greatest rookie season for a quarterback in NFL history, transforming the Texans offense into a force to be reckoned with around the NFL (offense went from 31st in points per possession to 14th), accompanied with the emergence of Nico Collins and rookie Tank Dell. 

Stroud gets his top two pass catchers back next season, along with Dalton Schultz. Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Jr. now has a full year in the NFL under his belt and rising corner Derek Stingley Jr. will only get better on a defense that went from 25th in yards allowed per possession to 13th.

A first-place schedule will be the Texans’ biggest challenge, as they won’t swoop under the radar anymore. Stroud having a full offseason to hone his craft is dangerous for the rest of the league. Remember, the Texans went to the divisional round in Year 1 with Ryans and Stroud.

Indianapolis Colts (9-8)

The AFC South certainly was the most improved division last season, as Shane Steichen took the Colts to a game away from the division title and a playoff berth — with a backup quarterback for the majority of the season. Who knows how good the Colts would have been if Anthony Richardson would have been able to remain healthy for the majority of 2023? Steichen is getting the No. 4 overall pick back as his starting signal-caller for 2024.

The Jonathan Taylor contract drama is in the past, so the Colts will have him around for a full offseason. They’ll have to re-sign Michael Pittman and add help at tight end, but Steichen did improve the Colts’ points per possession from 32nd to 20th in Year 1. How much better will this be with Richardson?

The defense needs some retooling, but that’s the benefit of a quarterback on a rookie contract. Indianapolis should be a playoff team if Richardson develops in Year 2 under Steichen, just like Jalen Hurts with the Philadelphia Eagles. Steichen gets the most out of his quarterbacks, which is massive for the Colts.

Green Bay Packers (9-8)

The Packers were arguably the most-improved team in the NFC thanks to the emergence of Jordan Love, who threw for 23 touchdowns to three interceptions in his final seven games (including playoffs). Not only did the Packers make the divisional round of the playoffs (first No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 seed), Green Bay was the youngest team to win a playoff game (average age of 25 years, 214 days).

Green Bay had 302 catches for 3,642 yards and 31 touchdowns from first- or second-year players, the most in a season in NFL history. Love has plenty of young pass catchers to grow with, starting with Jayden Reed. The Packers also have Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. This offense went from 15th in points per possession to ninth thanks to Love and Co. — this was with a banged-up offensive line for the majority of the year.

Green Bay’s defense will need to be retooled under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, but having five top 100 picks in the draft should help. The Packers have a bright future if Love plays like he did over those final seven games more consistently.

Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

The Rams were one of the surprises of the league last season, emerging back into a playoff team thanks to having Matthew Stafford healthy for the majority of the year. Not only did Stafford’s health play a role in their reemergence, but Puka Nacua setting NFL records for rookies in receptions and receiving yards was a major boost for Los Angeles. Kyren Williams also leading the league in rushing yards per game gave head coach Sean McVay the running back he’s been craving since Todd Gurley was in his prime.

Los Angeles nailed the 2023 draft with Nacua, along with Kobie Turner and Byron Young on a revamped defensive line. General manager Les Snead has made the most of his draft picks over the last two seasons, and the Rams own six picks in the first five rounds this year (first-round pick for first time since 2016).

There’s still some retooling in the secondary for the Rams and they need to see if Carson Wentz can be salvaged in case Stafford goes down. If Stafford stays healthy, the Rams have a shot at the NFC West title for the first time in three years.

Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

Sure the Bengals were a disappointment in 2023, but they also dealt with Joe Burrow injuries across the board, beginning with the star quarterback’s calf injury in training camp that affected his early-season performance to the wrist injury in November that ended his season. The Bengals finished last in the AFC North, yet finished over .500 with Jake Browning starting seven games.

Cincinnati has to decide whether it wishes to retain Tee Higgins and get younger and deeper on the defensive line. Adding help in the secondary wouldn’t hurt either, but having $59.4 million in available salary cap space is massive. There will be a roster revamp in Cincinnati, yet this franchise wins when Burrow is on the field.

When Burrow plays more than 10 games, the Bengals have reached (at least) the AFC Championship. They’ll have a last-place schedule in 2024 after finishing in the basement of the loaded AFC North. Cincinnati could be in store for another deep playoff run.

We’re not sure we see this the same way Kerr does.  All five of his teams already had winning records in 2023.

Of the losers, we like the 7-10 Jets (with a healthy QB AARON RODGERS), the 5-12 Chargers (with better coaching), the 7-10 Bears (with a lot of developing draft picks) and the 4-13 Cardinals (ditto on draft picks) to make moves.

BROADCAST NEWS

If the Chiefs’ win of the AFC was a sinister plan to generate ratings – it worked.  The AP:

The longest Super Bowl game also will go down as the most-watched program in television history.

According to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics, the Kansas City Chiefs’ 25-22 overtime victory versus the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday averaged 123.7 million viewers across television and streaming platforms. That shattered last year’s mark of 115.1 million for Kansas City’s last-play victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with a 7% increase.

Nielsen updated its numbers Tuesday after releasing an early figure of 123.4 million on Monday night.

The game was televised by CBS, Nickelodeon and Univision and streamed on Paramount+ as well as the NFL’s digital platforms.

Nielsen also said a record 202.4 million watched at least part of the game across all networks, a 10% jump over last year’s figure of 183.6 million.

The CBS broadcast averaged 120.3 million. The network’s previous mark for its most-watched Super Bowl was 112.34 million for the 2016 game between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers.

Some of the increase can be attributed to a change in the way viewers are counted. Nielsen began including out-of-home viewers in its ratings in 2020, but only from limited markets. That measurement expanded to all 50 states beginning this year.

Sunday’s game was only the second of the 58 Super Bowls to go to overtime. The previous one was in 2017, when the New England Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28.

“I was managing my expectations, but I had a bit of hope that it would happen,” CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said of Sunday’s overtime session, which was set up when San Francisco kicker Jake Moody had an extra point blocked in the fourth quarter that kept it a three-point game. “I can’t imagine a Super Bowl any better or more exciting than this.”

Kansas City sent it to overtime on Harrison Butker’s field goal. After the 49ers kicked a field goal on the opening possession of OT, the Chiefs won when Patrick Mahomes threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.

This Super Bowl had the added attraction of Taylor Swift in attendance. The pop superstar is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, a romance that has brought new fans to the NFL.

It was the second straight year the Super Bowl averaged more than 100 million viewers after a period where four of the five games before 2023 had fallen short of that number because of cord-cutting. That included 95.2 million for the 2021 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was the big game’s lowest TV-only average since 2007.

Univision averaged more than 2.2 million viewers, the highest Super Bowl viewership on record for a Spanish-language network. The Super Bowl has been televised in Spanish in the United States since 2014.

The NFL playoffs averaged 38.5 million viewers during the first three weekends, a 9% increase over last year. That followed a regular season that averaged 17.9 million, tied for the second highest since averages were first tracked in 1995.

Not sure we understand this exactly – but it sounds like this means –

Population of United States – 331.9 million

Watched part of game – 202.4 million

Did not watch any part of game – 129.5 million

Average watching at any one time – 123.7 million (120.3 million on CBS)

The 123.7 million for the Super Bowl is roughly 3 viewers for every one (38.5 million) that was watching a typical playoff game.

Also, this on how much those viewers saw of Taylor Swift.  Michael Blinn of the New York Post:

Taylor Swift’s Super Bowl 2024 minute wasn’t even that long.

The songstress, who attended the game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, was shown for just 54 seconds on the CBS broadcast as she cheered on her boyfriend, Chiefs star Travis Kelce.

According to analyst Jason Pauley, footage of Swift accounted for just 0.36 percent of the four hours and eight minutes of game time on Sunday night.

That was actually down from the 0.39 percent of the broadcast in the AFC Championship game against the Ravens on Jan. 28.

Still, her screen time beat out that of B-roll of Caesar’s Palace (27 seconds), footage of The Sphere (23 seconds) and singer Post Malone drinking a Bug Light in the stands (22 second), per Pauley.

Swift, who was in a suite alongside actress Blake Lively, rapper Ice Spice, Kelce’s mom Donna and his brother Jason, was often shown reacting to big plays made by Kansas City, though she had to wait until the third quarter to see the Chiefs score a touchdown.

Kelce came alive in the second half, hauling in eight catches for 92 yards after catching just one pass for a yard in the opening 30 minutes of play.

The rough start to the game also saw the tight end get into a tiff with coach Andy Reid, telling him, “Hey, come on, you f–ker, put me on,” lip reader Jeremy Freeman told The Post.

Things took a much happier turn by the time the final whistle blew and the Chiefs captured a thrilling 25-22 win for their second straight Super Bowl win.

Swift and Kelce were caught on the field sharing a kiss and hugging to celebrate the victory.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” she was heard saying in a clip of the moment. “I cannot believe that, I can’t believe it. How did you do that?”

The couple continued celebrating into the early hours of Monday morning — sans CBS cameras — hanging out with Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, at a star-studded bash at XS Nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas.

Not only was the public watching – it was betting.  Nando DiFino of The Athletic:

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released figures Monday showing a record $185.6 million was wagered across 182 legal sports books on Super Bowl LVIII. This broke the previous record of $179.8 million when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.

This was the second piece of news Monday that displayed the enormity of this year’s game; CBS Sports estimated a record 123.4 million people viewed the Super Bowl across their family of networks and streaming services, making it the most-watched program ever (last year saw 115.1 million views and was the previous record).

And while the broadcast could point to Taylor Swift as a major factor in the ratings record, NGCB senior economic analyst Michael Lawton told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the lofty betting number had several things working to its advantage, including the San Francisco 49ers being from the “No. 2 feeder market for Las Vegas,” the fact that the Kansas City Chiefs were the defending champions and the game itself being played in Las Vegas, which drew people to the city to be part of the experience.

Keep in mind, that these figures are only for bets placed in Nevada. With sports betting legal in 38 states and D.C., we should see numbers coming out over the next few days and weeks showcasing records across the country for the Super Bowl and the month of February.

New Jersey and New York seem to set a record every month for their sports betting handle. While these two are eons ahead of the rest of the country in terms of yearly intake, the rest of the top 10 states are still overseeing multiple billions of dollars in wagering.

FanDuel, for instance, said they took in 14 million Super Bowl bets, worth $307 million — a record for the company and a 40 percent increase over 2023.

When it comes to legal wagers, Super Bowl LVII was one for the record books.