The Buccaneers and Chiefs both should get some players back for Super Bowl 55. ESPN.com:

Several injured players for the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to be healthy for Super Bowl LV.

Chiefs running back Le’Veon Bell (knee) and wide receiver Sammy Watkins (calf), as well as the Bucs duo of wide receiver Antonio Brown (knee) and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (ankle), are all expected to be ready for Feb. 7, sources told ESPN’s Dianna Russini.

All four missed their conference championship games Sunday.

Watkins played in 10 games for the Chiefs in the regular season. He was out earlier in the season with a sore hamstring and later with a calf injury, and he did not play in either of the Chiefs’ previous postseason games. Watkins finished the regular season fifth on the Chiefs with 37 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns.

Bell joined the Chiefs in October after he was released by the New York Jets. Since his arrival, he has had a lesser impact for the Chiefs than had been expected. After the Chiefs lost Clyde Edwards-Helaire for a stretch, they passed over Bell and made Darrel Williams their featured back in a Week 16 game against the Falcons and in the divisional-round playoff game against the Browns. During the regular season, Bell rushed for 254 yards in nine games for the Chiefs.

Winfield suffered an ankle injury in practice last Thursday and missed Friday’s practice. He still flew to Green Bay with the team, but after he tested his ankle out in warm-ups, it was deemed the best course of action for him to sit out the game.

Brown, who led the Bucs in targets the final five weeks of the regular season, suffered a knee injury in the divisional game against the New Orleans Saints. He did not practice last week, nor did he make the trip to Green Bay, as the team felt he wasn’t as far along as it had hoped in his recovery and thought a plane ride could cause further swelling. Brown caught a 36-yard touchdown in the wild-card game against Washington.

The Bucs’ other starting safety, Jordan Whitehead, who forced two fumbles, left Sunday’s win over the Packers with a shoulder injury and did not return. Whitehead underwent an MRI on Monday, but sources told ESPN’s Jenna Laine that it’s too soon to tell whether he’ll be able to play in the Super Bowl and that they’re taking it one day at a time to see how it goes.

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

Former NFL QB David Carr, writing at NFL.com, checks out the trade market for QB MATTHEW STAFFORD:

The NFL’s offseason quarterback market added yet another domino over the weekend, with Matthew Stafford eyeing a fresh start.

– – –

Now, Stafford can’t just walk away, because there are two years left, worth $43 million, on his current deal. Any team acquiring him in a trade would have to think about the cap hit they’d incur, although there is the possibility his contract is restructured if he lands elsewhere.

The Lions are in rebuild mode, with a new staff in place, and will demand a pretty penny (rather, a bevy of draft picks) in return, and I can’t blame them. Just look at some other comparable trades from the last 10 years. A 31-year-old Carson Palmer was worth a first- and second-round pick in 2011; an inconsistent and injury-riddled Sam Bradford was worth a first- and fourth-rounder in 2016; and a steady Alex Smith was worth a third-rounder and cornerback Kendall Fuller in 2018. I’d give up more for Stafford than any of those players commanded; with the going rate seemingly increasing for valuable players by the year, I’d actually be the crazy person who would trade three first-rounders for him. OK, I know that might be a little steep, but there are so many unknowns when drafting a quarterback. There would be zero questions about what I’d be getting with Stafford.

Stafford has played in a number of offenses with several offensive coordinators/play-callers, and his play has remained relatively consistent. He’s been thrown into a lot of different scenarios and has proved he can succeed, no matter how grim the situation.

Below, I’ve provided a list of six potential landing spots for Stafford — in order from most likely to least — along with potential trade packages.

1  Indianapolis Colts

What the Colts should give up: Two first-round picks.

This landing spot makes the most sense across the board, with the Colts having plenty of cap space ($64.9 million, per Over the Cap), draft capital and an opening at the quarterback position. Philip Rivers gave the team everything he had in his swan song and played well, considering the guy could barely move. With Rivers retiring and Jacoby Brissett slated to become a free agent, general manager Chris Ballard has a big decision to make, given that the Colts are in position to make a run at a Super Bowl with a talented, well-rounded roster. Stafford would be an upgrade in all areas of the position and fit well into Indy’s offense as a QB who excels out of shotgun, who has the arm strength to rip it all over the field and whose mobility allows him to make off-schedule plays. Not to mention, the Colts’ offensive line is one of the very best in the league (a luxury Stafford hasn’t had in Detroit), the rushing attack is on the come-up, the defense is young, fast and effective, and the Colts have a solid group of skill-position players. (Ballard will have to decide whether to re-sign T.Y. Hilton or let him hit the market in the coming months, as well.)

2  San Francisco 49ers

What the 49ers should give up: Two first-round picks.

When the 49ers aren’t dealing with an avalanche of injuries, this is one of the most complete teams in the league. We saw what they could be when they made the Super Bowl in 2019, and quite frankly, they put together an impressive 2020 campaign, with a number of their star players sidelined for a majority of the season. We know Kyle Shanahan’s team is capable of getting back to the Super Bowl, and there aren’t a ton of holes. That’s why GM John Lynch can afford to theoretically give up two first-rounders. Sure, he could try to hold the price to a first and a second, but I wouldn’t let the difference between these two options deter me from pulling the trigger.

Replacing Jimmy Garoppolo with Stafford would immediately elevate this offense. Garoppolo struggles at times with his mechanics and is too robotic when going through his reads; the experienced and knowledgeable Stafford, meanwhile, is able to read defenses and knows which player to get the ball to and when to get it there. Garoppolo’s contract is easy for the 49ers to move on from, as they’d take a mere $2.8 million dead-money hit if they released him, while saving $24 million against the cap. Whether by acquiring Stafford or another quarterback (see: Deshaun Watson), the 49ers should jump on the opportunity to improve at the game’s most important position.

3 Chicago Bears

What the Bears should give up: Two first-round picks.

Stafford donning a Bears uniform is hard to picture, and I’m not sure Detroit would trade within the NFC North. The Lions know Stafford, and playing against him twice each year doesn’t seem like something they’d welcome. Nonetheless, Stafford would fit well into the Bears’ offensive scheme and (finally) provide the Bears with consistent QB play — something pending free agent Mitchell Trubisky hasn’t been able to do. Making an upgrade at quarterback could allow the Bears to keep talented receiver Allen Robinson from signing elsewhere as a free agent and potentially bring in more offensive help.

Projected to be $10.7 million over the cap and not exactly in possession of a bounty of picks in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, the Bears might need to get creative if they want to snag the QB. I, for one, would approve trading Khalil Mack back to the Raiders for a first-rounder, which would fall right into play for the Stafford trade. No, but seriously, GM Ryan Pace is under a lot of pressure this offseason to get this Bears team ready to win, and he’ll have to make a good amount of moves to make that happen. Let’s just hope he makes the right ones.

4 Washington Football Team

What the Football Team should give up: A first- and third-round pick.

The Football Team has a decent amount of cap space and at least eight picks, including No. 19 overall, in this year’s draft, so I definitely feel like this could be a potential landing spot for Stafford. The 36-year-old Alex Smith is under contract through 2022, but after making a truly miraculous comeback, he’s taking time to consider his future, while both Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen are set to become free agents. This decision is tough, because we’ve heard Ron Rivera say Smith could be the team’s QB1 past the 2020 season, and Smith proved as much, going 5-1 as a starter. That said, I do think it’s worth (discreetly) finding out what price Washington could get Stafford for. If it’s reasonable, by all means, I think they do it. Potential obstacles include Smith deciding he does want to come back, and Rivera’s view on draft picks. Is giving up a first-round pick or more worth it knowing they nabbed Defensive Player of the Year shoo-in Chase Young with one last year? I’m not so sure.

5 Carolina Panthers

What the Panthers should give up: A first-rounder and QB Teddy Bridgewater.

There’s a lot of pressure on Bridgewater this offseason, with the team already vocalizing its intent to keep all options open. Bridgewater is a solid starter but doesn’t do the dynamic things someone like Deshaun Watson, whom the Panthers have expressed interest in, or a big-time arm talent like Stafford can do. There’s a real possibility Carolina upgrades this offseason, and if the front office chooses to bring in another veteran, it might have to ship out Teddy, whose contract will count for $23 million toward the cap next season, in exchange to make room for the incoming QB’s contract.

Because the Panthers still feel like they’re in still in rebuild mode under Matt Rhule, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pass on veterans and go after one in the draft. Draft picks play such an instrumental part in the rebuild process, and trading away their No. 8 overall pick might be too much of an ask.

6 Los Angeles Rams

What the Rams should give up: A second-round pick, a third and QB Jared Goff.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. That’s apparently what we have in Hollywood between Sean McVay and his frustrated quarterback, Jared Goff. After a rocky postseason, McVay vowed to “evaluate everything,” and that includes the quarterback position. I can’t help but think McVay feels Goff’s limitations at the line of scrimmage are preventing him from tapping into another level of his offense. Goff has shown improvement, but a guy like Stafford could elevate McVay’s scheme in more ways than we’re seeing now. It gets tricky when you actually consider what has to happen if the Rams desire to trade for Stafford, because they are projected to be $30.4 million over the cap — with Goff counting for roughly $35 million toward the cap in 2021 and another $33 million the following year — and don’t have a first-round draft pick this year. The Rams would almost certainly have to ship Goff and his contract to Detroit if Stafford were to come to L.A. In reality, this trade feels a little far-fetched, but weirder things have happened in the NFL.

We like QB MATTHEW STAFFORD, to a point, but doesn’t 2 first round picks seem like a lot to give up for a quarterback of his age, middling achievement and recent shaky health?  Especially in a market with young QBs in the draft and some other interesting options on the veterans market?

We’ll see, but we think the Lions would do well to get a first and another lesser pick.

GREEN BAY

The curious decision to trade up for QB JORDAN LOVE, an iffy prospect, is looking even more curious after one season.  Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com:

Is Love ready?

Nothing he has shown, at least publicly, would suggest that. But that’s no surprise given that he has taken third-string reps going all the way back to training camp. Reporters are allowed to watch only one period of individual or group drills during practices. But even during those viewing sessions, Love has struggled with accuracy — in the drill where quarterbacks throw to a stationary target (usually a net) and to players running routes on air (without a defender).

Backup Tim Boyle would be more suited to play in 2021 than Love. There’s also the possibility that the Packers could trade Love like the Patriots did with Jimmy Garoppolo. That would be one way to tell Rodgers they’re committed to him long- term, and then they could try again with another quarterback in a future draft.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com won’t let QB AARON RODGERS put the genie back in the bottle:

On Sunday, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spontaneously gave all of sports media a multi-day talking point by spontaneously raising the vague question of whether he’d played his last game in a Packers uniform. On Tuesday, Rodgers tried to take it away.

It’s too late for that.

“A lot of guys futures that are, you know, uncertain, myself included,” Rodgers said, in response to a question that had nothing to do with his future. Rodgers later said that “[t]here’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason,” without identifying any of the unknowns.

His comments prompted multiple seasoned reporters who cover the team to sense something ominous in Rodgers’ words. For example, Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin, who knows Rodgers very well, said that Rodgers “sure sounded like a guy saying goodbye.”

In his regular Tuesday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers tried to bid farewell to any talk that he was saying goodbye.

“After the season that I had, potentially winning MVP, and we obviously made another good run, I don’t think that there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be back,” Rodgers said. “But there’s not many absolutes, as you guys know, in this business. To make an absolute statement about something that is not an absolute, I didn’t do it.”

But in his final press conference of the 2019 season, Rodgers strongly implied an absolute statement about his status for 2020 when he said this after a loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship: “The window is open for us, and that’s the exciting thing. I think we’re gonna be on the right side of one of these real soon.”

The difference, of course, is that the Packers drafted quarterback Jordan Love in April, giving up a first-round pick and a fourth-round pick to get him. Entering the 2021 offseason after a stellar 2020, Rodgers has every right to want clarity regarding his future with the team given its deliberate decision to eschew an opportunity to add weapons when adding a quarterback.

Do the Packers envision one more year? Two more years? Three? Will Love eventually become the starter, or will he be traded away, like Jimmy Garoppolo was in New England, in the fourth season after he arrived as Tom Brady‘s potential replacement?

Rodgers wants a new contract. Intent on never incurring the wrath of Packers fans, he’ll act like he doesn’t. But he does. Because a new contract will give him the clarity he seeks. Alternative, the refusal to give him that contract will provide a different kind of clarity — and it will likely prompt Rodgers to begin making a plan for a future with a new team, possibly in 2021 but more likely in 2022.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, who confirmed that Rodgers wants a new contract during a Tuesday appearance on Peacock’s Brother From Another, made an excellent point regarding the dilemma created for reporters and analysts when Rodgers uses press conferences or other public settings to send messages. Any reporter who happens to notice the message and dares to articulate it ends up being lumped in by Rodgers into a bucket of clickbaiters and troublemakers who suddenly don’t know what they are talking about.

I’ve been there. During the 2016 season, Rodgers on multiple occasions raised concerns that traced directly to coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers cited a “lack of juice” in a home loss to the Colts, explaining that the sideline lacked “the same kind of enthusiasm and encouragement.” After giving up 47 points in a loss to the Titans, Rodgers said, “There has to be that healthy fear as a player that if you don’t do your job they’ll get rid of you.”

Although Rodgers never tied those concerns back to McCarthy’s coaching of the team, I did. History proved that interpretation to be accurate. My reward, of course, was to have Rodgers complain at his locker about reporters who were interpreting his words as complaints about McCarthy.

“Especially guys like Mike Florio,” Rodgers said. “Don’t waste your time reading crap like that.”

Despite the fact that no good deed goes unpunished when it comes to Aaron Rodgers, I’ll say it again: He wants and deserves clarity regarding his future. He wants and deserves to know that he’s more than a year-to-year option. And if he finds out that he’s a year-to-year option (via a refusal to give him a new contract that cements the relationship through 2022 or 2023), that’s when he’ll want and deserve to start plotting his next move.

Then, when he sends unmistakable messages and reporters and analysts notice it and react to it, he can dust off Steve Urkel’s catch phrase and tell people not to waste their time reading or listening to crap like that.

Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com says the grapevine is buzzing with rumors of a split.

On Sunday night, I got a text from a number that I did not recognize within minutes of sending a tweet about why I believe the 49ers make the most sense to be Aaron Rodgers’ next team. The text inquired as to why a different team wouldn’t be an even more fitting destination.

I proceeded to lay out – in fairly blunt terms – why that team would not be very logical based on a litany of factors. Truth be told, I figured it was probably an inquiry from a producer from CBS Sports HQ whose number I did not recognize, probably gathering information for a graphic for my Monday morning segment about Rodgers’ pointed postgame comments.

Turns out it was an NFL head coach, who leads the team that was asked about in the text.

We had a good laugh, and the coach did not in any way push back on my case for how difficult it would be for his organization to execute a trade for Rodgers. He acknowledged all of it, in fairly blunt terms, himself. And yet he would not give up hope in making it happen, despite the odds. And the sentiment he expressed has been echoed by other coaches, general managers, executives and agents around the league over the past two days, all of whom are convinced a bitter divorce is pending between one of the greatest quarterbacks of this or any generation, and the storied Green Bay Packers.

Again.

No matter how many oddly-worded statements team president Mark Murphy issues, and no matter how many in the media want to discount Rodgers’ ability to force his way out based on salary cap or contract or whatever else, I see an ugly offseason ahead in Green Bay. Too many people within the industry have read Rodgers’ remarks from Sunday night – on the heels of a contentious two years since the ascent of a new front office and the hiring of coach Matt LaFleur – as the defining salvo of his looming exodus. Despite whatever LaFleur and Murphy might desire.

“Everything you said is true,” the head coach said to me about all of the potential roadblocks his team might face to a Rodgers trade, “but trust me we want in on this thing. It’s never really been good between him and the coach. It’s been a long feeling-out process, and it looks like it’s over. Aaron knows exactly what he is saying and exactly what he is doing.”

An NFL assistant coach said: “It’s been the worst kept secret in football. I don’t think they’ve ever really won him over. Last year they held him back, and then they picked his replacement in the draft. This guy is nothing if not calculated. He’s sending a signal to the rest of the league – Come and get me.”

Indeed, many who know the quarterback well believe he is reveling in some degree in the sudden drama the Packers are facing following a coaching implosion in the NFC Championship Game. They liken it to the same sense of shock Rodgers professed publicly after this braintrust opted to move up in the first round to draft a developmental quarterback rather than provide any help for the 37-year-old passer in a generational receiver draft. And they believe it’s irreparable, especially with Rodgers having to watch a 43-year old, who finally broke free from the only team he ever knew, celebrate on his home field. Tom Brady chose a Tampa roster overflowing with pass catching options and is going back to the Super Bowl because of it.

Brady already has as many NFC titles as Rodgers. And more NFC Championship Game wins at Lambeau Field than Rodgers. And despite Brady about to become the first quarterback to play a Super Bowl in his home stadium, and going to his 10th Super Bowl in all, the prevailing story in the NFL is about whether or not Rodgers will ever play again in Green Bay.

Of course, had Rodgers wanted to prevent any of this from festering and overtaking the Texans tumult with Deshaun Watson as the biggest soap opera in the sport, he could have expunged it any point. He could send a tweet or jump on a podcast or call into a radio station to explain how so many of us are misinterpreting the mess he so meticulously made. It could be over in an instant. Nothing to see here. I was just venting for a minute. Nothing to see here.

Instead, we reached a point Tuesday afternoon where the Packers are already having to conduct damage control, and, in doing so, misguidedly tried to send their own signal right back to the future first-ballot Hall of Famer. “We’re not idiots,” Murphy said on WFNL radio in Green Bay. “Aaron Rodgers will be back. He’s our leader.”

Hmm.

Seems a little presumptuous as best, and just might backfire. Inherent in that statement is the supposition that the Packers have some fundamental control of the situation. It’s declarative to a fault. It just may well fuel the very fire Rodgers has to leave in the first place – this hallowed franchise always the star, above and beyond any individual. He saw firsthand how it unraveled with Brett Favre – with three prime years sacked from Rodgers’ career while it played out – and then he seethed for years as the Packers clung to Mike McCarthy as head coach despite the offensive design becoming increasingly stale and the group around him increasingly thin. There are ample reasons why so many astute people around this league predicted eventual doom for this Rodgers/LaFleur/Murphy coupling, especially after Jordan Love was selected last spring.

“How about talking to your quarterback first before you put out that statement, or just waiting to see if he says it for himself?” said one long-time NFL executive. “Totally tone deaf. That’s exactly what not to do. That thing is going to go nuclear. Trust me. The quarterback wants out.”

Tom Brady chose a Tampa Bay roster overflowing with pass catching options and is going back to the Super Bowl because of it. Could Aaron Rodgers do something similar? USA Today Sports

No one in that organization should be attempting to speak for Rodgers right now. And the reality of professional sports in 2021 – in complete reversal of the heyday of Vince Lombardi – is that the players have more power than ever, and players of Rodgers’ stature have the ultimate power. It’s going to be about whatever he wants, and the Packers had best embrace that immediately, and try to mend whatever fences if they can.

With the NFL world abuzz about his comments and teams talking internally about the prospects of trading for him, Rodgers expounded on his remarks on Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show: “After the season that I had, potentially winning MVP, and we obviously made another good run, I don’t think that there’s any reason why I wouldn’t be back,” Rodgers said. “But there’s not many absolutes, as you guys know, in this business. To make an absolute statement about something that is not an absolute, I didn’t do it. I guess that’s why it went kinda nuts.”

Rodgers possesses more than enough leverage to get out of Green Bay. With one simple word, if need be. Retirement. No one can force him to play his age 38 season in Green Bay. He can stay away as long as it takes and give Murphy a list of desired teams and see what he can get done before the league year starts in March. Want to delay the trade until after June 1 for cap purposes? Not a problem. No big deal. We just played a full season with no OTAs and barely any training camp and no preseason.

“A lot of people in the media are reading this wrong,” said one very successful longtime NFL agent who has navigated many thorny quarterback situations over the years.” Aaron has the ultimate leverage. He can play the retirement card, and play it very realistically. He can take his ball and go home.

“He can pull a Carson Palmer, and I think he will if it comes to that. It’s totally different than Deshaun. Rodgers didn’t just sign a new deal in September, and he is at the stage of his career – and he is the type of guy – who could say I’m done, and the Packers couldn’t ignore it.”

Sure, Rodgers could also clamor for contract alterations and more guarantees from Green Bay, and make it about the money as some have suggested. But beyond that, he is at a point in his career where he could pin the Packers firmly in the corner with the ‘R’ word. And it would be a checkmate. 

Wasn’t it just a few months ago when the Packers made the commitment to move up and grab Love? They clearly rated his ability higher than any other team. It’s not like they weren’t already preparing for the day Rodgers departed well before this season began.

Only now that transition may very well be on Rodgers’ terms and timeline, and not theirs. He’d merely be calling their bluff. Funny how that works sometimes.

Because there will be an abundance of teams beyond eager to take on the three remaining years on Rodgers’ salary and even sweeten the pot some more. That initial call I received out of nowhere Sunday night spoke volumes.

There are teams that aren’t looking at the likely free agent purge the Packers may well be facing; teams with more offensive talent and with far more experienced coaches, who would make Rodgers feel wanted in ways he frankly hasn’t in quite some time in Green Bay. Teams that would be dreading the day they had to draft his replacement rather than expediting it.

The grass could really be greener on the other side. Rodgers need merely ask the GOAT who ended his season how that can work out. It’s entirely up to him.

MINNESOTA

The Vikings and TE KYLE RUDOLPH have some negotiating to do.  Kevin Patra ofNFL.com:

Veteran players could feel the pinch of the expected salary cap dip in 2021 due to the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic.

One such player is Vikings Kyle Rudolph, who, based on dwindling production, snaps, and a high contract, is a prime example of a player who could be released and/or asked to take a hefty pay cut.

From Rudolph’s point of view, he deserves all his contract entails, telling the Unrestricted with Ben Leber podcast, he’s “worth every dime.”

“Obviously, I’m realistic. I see both sides,” Rudolph said, via Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “If I were [team owners] the Wilfs, if I were [general manager] Rick [Spielman], I’m looking at this situation like, ‘Hey, we’re paying this guy a lot of money and you’re not using him, so why are we continuing to pay him a lot of money?’

“With that being said, I think I’m worth every dime of my contract. That doesn’t mean that I’m used to my potential and I’m used to do what I do well, so it will be interesting over the next few months. Like I said, I have three years left on my contract. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’ve somehow become a pretty decent blocker because I’ve been forced to. It certainly wasn’t something that I ever did well at any point of my career. Maybe in high school because I was bigger than everyone else, but even then, I just wanted to run around and catch balls.”

In 2019, the Vikings extended Rudolph’s contract to lower the cap hit just two months after drafting Irv Smith Jr. in the second round. Rudolph has three years remaining on his contract. His 2020 cap hit sits at $9.45 million. The Vikes would save $5.1 million on the cap by cutting the TE with $4.35 million in dead money.

Unfortunately for Rudolph, the Vikings sit at $12.8 million over the projected salary cap for 2021, per Over The Cap.

Rudolph generated just 28 catches for 334 yards and a career-low 1 TD in 12 games in 2020.

“Early on last season, the writing was on the wall,” Rudolph said. “I saw where our offense was going. I had like seven or eight catches in the first six games. It was just absurd. I was literally blocking all the time.”

Asked if the Vikings approached him about a pay cut, Rudolph was clear on his stance on the matter.

“It wouldn’t happen,” he said. “You only get to play this game for so many years, and I feel like I have a lot of good football left. Now we fast-forward, I’ve played these three years on my contract and I’m now 33, 34 and they’re like, ‘Hey, we want to keep you around for a couple years at a much lower number, but we want you to do X, Y and Z help these young guys out’ — sign me up.

“But like I said, at 31, with how I feel physically, with knowing what I can still do … it’s simply a lack of opportunities. In the past, I was the one getting red-zone targets. I can’t sign up for that again.”

Rudolph can still be a productive player, but the circumstances in Minnesota don’t favor him. The Vikes have a younger, cheaper option in Smith and are up against the salary cap.

Many veterans will be anxiously awaiting just where the NFL and NFLPA land on the salary cap this season. The decision will determine the future for a slew of veterans with moveable contracts like Rudolph.

NFC SOUTH

TAMPA BAY

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com ponders whether or not QB TOM BRADY’s career will ever end.

Father Time, as Al Michaels once said, doesn’t know Tom Brady‘s address.

And so as Brady keeps going and going, the question becomes how much longer will he go?

At one point in his career, Brady’s standard answer regarding the duration of his contract was, “Ten more years.” Eventually, the answer shifted to a specific age. Forty-five.

Specifically, the year in which he turns 45. That will be August of 2022. Two more seasons beyond this one.

Considering how he’s playing, why stop there? Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com, who has established a pipeline to Camp Brady, recently suggested on ESPN Radio that the 45-year-old expiration date “in part had to do with family reasons.” Darlington said that Brady’s family is “very happy in Tampa right now.”

So maybe Brady not only plays for the Bucs in 2021. And 2022. And beyond.

As a coach explained several years ago, Brady’s arm will be as strong as it currently is into his 50s. The thing to watch is his legs. When he can no longer get away from pressure and starts getting hit by guys who are now literally less than half his age, injuries will creep in.

That could still be awhile. Brady has mastered the ability to anticipate a hit and get rid of the ball — even if it means an interception (like it did on Sunday when Packers safety Darnell Savage was closing in, and Brady unloaded a can of corn that was consumed by Green Bay cornerback Jaire Alexander). For the Bucs or any other team that may employ Brady, that’s a small price to pay to have a season or two with a GOAT who wants to keep grazing for as long as he can.

There’s no quit in Coach Bruce Arians either.

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers best the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, Bruce Arians won’t ride off into the sunset atop the football world.

Joining 95.3 WDAE in Tampa on Wednesday, Arians was asked if he would retire if the Bucs win Super Bowl LV.

“Hell no,” Arians said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m going for two. If the Glazers will have me back.”

Suffice it to say the Buccaneers owners should want Arians back, win or lose.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

As the 49ers scan the market for a possible upgrade at QB, there is speculation that QB MATT RYAN (whose greatest season happened in lockstep with Kyle Shanahan) could be in play.  Darrelle Lincoln of Total Pro Sports:

Now that Terry Fontenot and Arthur Smith have been officially introduced as the Atlanta Falcons new GM and head coach, the next order of business will be the roster evaluation that also includes the veteran QB.

Matt Ryan turns 36-years-old in May, but there will still be some teams out there that would love to have him on their team. Holding the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the decision whether to move Ryan need to be made sooner rather than later.

Unfortunately, Atlanta won’t be able to trade Ryan until after June 1st, because if they do, it would cost more than $44 million in dead cap space. After the first, however, it would be less than an $18 million cap hit.

According to longtime Niners reporter, Grant Cohen, the 49ers are a possible fit for the veteran QB.

    “So here’s what the 49ers can do. They can trade Jimmy Garoppolo back to the New England Patriots, draft the best offensive lineman available with their 2021 first-round pick, draft the best quarterback available with their 2021 second-round pick, and then in the summer trade their 2022 second-round pick to the Falcons for Ryan. And he would cost the 49ers $23 million in 2021 and $24 million in 2022. And then the young quarterback could take over as the starter in 2023.

    And if the 49ers want to get their 2022 first-round pick back, they always can trade Deebo Samuel for a No. 1 after next season.”

This past season, Ryan tossed for 4,581 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but the Falcons finished the year 4-12.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Normally, it is Super Bowl champs that get raided for coaching and front office personnel.  This year, it’s the one-and-done Rams.

– – –

Hardly a ringing endorsement for QB JARED GOFF from GM Les Snead.  Nick Shook ofNFL.com:

The Rams reached the Divisional Round in the 2020 season, but it seems as if they’re at a bit of a crossroads.

Coach Sean McVay was quick to acknowledge the team would be undergoing serious evaluation at all positions after the Rams didn’t mount a ton of resistance in their postseason defeat at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. Of course, such evaluation inevitably starts at quarterback. General manager Les Snead was similarly vague with his responses related to Jared Goff on Tuesday.

“Not going to get into specifics on those,” Snead said when asked if Goff would be the Rams’ quarterback in 2021, via the Associated Press’ Greg Beacham. “What I can say is Jared Goff is a Ram in this moment and I said it’s way too early to speculate. The future, that’s a beautiful mystery.”

The mystery might be beautiful to those trying to keep vital information to themselves, but it won’t help Rams fans sleep at night. Los Angeles should be expected to add a veteran at the position in the offseason to push Goff — if he’s still on the roster — and the only other option at the moment is young signal-caller John Wolford. McVay praised Wolford effusively ahead of his start in Week 17, but an early injury in his ensuing playoff start robbed the Rams and the general public of even a shred of evaluation.

Goff, meanwhile, has been reliably inconsistent, finishing with a solid statistical line (67 completion percentage, 20-13 TD-INT ratio, and a passer rating of 90) but the Rams arrived to their weekly contests never quite knowing which Goff they’d get. In some weeks, Goff would come out on fire, stringing together five-to-10 straight completions and getting the Rams going offensively. Other weeks, he’d struggle to establish a semblance of a rhythm, undercutting Los Angeles’ offensive ambitions.

“We want to be a better offense, that includes Jared,” Snead said, via Rams reporter Sarina Morales. “It is way too early to get into specifics. Sean definitely wants to make sure we get back to being more explosive, scoring more points, not turning the ball over as much.”

It’s clear the Rams aren’t getting what they expected from Goff when they signed him to an extension. Whether that means a change is coming remains to be seen. It very well could be the Rams’ brain trust simply applying public pressure to a quarterback they think could use it.

Or, it’s a preview of a big move at the position. Without an obvious replacement at this point, we can only let time tell us what happens. But one thing is for certain: The Rams aren’t being bashful about their desires to improve offensively to match their league-leading defense.

SEATTLE

Brady Henderson of ESPN.com:

The Seattle Seahawks are planning to hire Los Angeles Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron as their new offensive coordinator, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Waldron has not called plays in any of his seven seasons as an NFL assistant. He spent the past four campaigns with the Rams, having followed coach Sean McVay to Los Angeles from the Washington Football Team.

“He’s a phenomenal coach,” McVay said of Waldron in 2018, according to The Detroit News. “He’s a great communicator. He’s got a rare ability to authentically and genuinely connect with not only coaches but the players and be able to correct in a manner that doesn’t make guys’ guards come up. It’s all about problem-solving and doing it together. He’s obviously done a phenomenal job, really mainly as a leader for our offense, not exclusively to just being a pass game coordinator.”

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll cast a wide net and took his time in his search to replace Brian Schottenheimer, while listening to input from quarterback Russell Wilson along the way. Wilson made it clear to the team and to reporters that he wanted his voice heard in the search — and it was. Wilson’s personal quarterback coach, Jake Heaps, tweeted his excitement over Schefter’s report that Waldron was the pick.

After hiring Schottenheimer in 2018 in part because he wanted a quarterback-centric coordinator, Carroll interviewed candidates both with and without QB backgrounds this time, with former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn and Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach Kirby Wilson among those in the latter category.

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Among other assistants the Seahawks had interest in were quarterbacks coaches Ken Dorsey (Buffalo Bills) and Joe Lombardi (New Orleans Saints), according to Schefter. Lombardi (Chargers) and Lynn (Detroit Lions) took OC jobs elsewhere.

In the end, Carroll plucked from the McVay tree — and a division rival — for his fourth offensive coordinator since he was hired by Seattle in 2010 and third since the Seahawks drafted Wilson in 2012.

Waldron worked with McVay in Washington in 2016 as an offensive quality control coach. Waldron broke into the NFL as an operations intern with the New England Patriots in 2002. In his second stint with New England following three seasons as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame, Waldron was an offensive quality control coach in 2008 and tight ends coach in 2009. Before his Washington tenure, he spent four seasons at UMass (tight ends, offensive line), one with the UFL’s Hartford Colonials (wide receivers) and one as a high school offensive coordinator in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Waldron held an additional title of quarterbacks coach with the Rams in 2019. They hired Kevin O’Connell as offensive coordinator in January 2020, instead of promoting Waldron or run game coordinator Aaron Kromer to that role.

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

Coincidence or not, the Steelers cratered after EDGE BUD DUPREE was hurt.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com has this report on his comeback:

Bud Dupree’s 2020 season was cut short by an ACL tear suffered in the Week 12 win over Baltimore on Dec. 2.

Joining NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Wednesday, the edge rusher said he plans to be ready for training camp.

“I’m feeling great right now,” Dupree said. “I’m ahead of schedule in rehab. It’s a great thing as always, it’s a blessing. I’m on track. And I’m going to be ready for camp. It’s a blessing to take the small things from a big injury like there was, and just know that I’m still able to perform next season.”

Dupree combined with T.J. Watt to form a two-headed pass-rushing monster in Pittsburgh before his injury. Dupree generated eight sacks and 31 tackles before suffering the injury.

THIS AND THAT

OFFSEASON QB MARKET OVERVIEW

From Michael Lombardi of The Athletic:

COVID’s influence on the NFL has made everything that once seemed normal stranger and stranger with each passing day. Since the close of the season, quarterbacks have been openly expressing their unhappiness as if they were rejecting candidates on a dating show. Not only are players unhappy, but teams also want to improve their quarterback position and are inclined not to miss this opportunity.

The NFL’s quarterback market is much like the housing market in America. Timing is everything: buyers must always be on the lookout for a way to upgrade without significantly increasing their monthly payments when the interest rates remain low. Supply and demand rule — this year there might be a huge supply of quarterbacks available, and demand has never been higher. All this talk of unhappiness will make this offseason by far the most entertaining ever.

First, Deshaun Watson was unhappy, which I wrote about last week. Then came the news of the Lions’ Matthew Stafford being available this offseason as he and Detroit have mutually agreed to part ways. After the NFC title game this past weekend, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers seemed perturbed about the loss and referenced his own uncertain future in Green Bay.

The reality is that Rodgers likely wants more money — deservedly so. He is currently the fifth highest-paid quarterback in football with over a $12 million per year gap between himself and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Rodgers can play at a high level for the next three or four years, which means if he doesn’t adjust his salary, he loses about $12 million per year each year that passes. He and Mahomes are on the set taping State Farm commercials together, you don’t think the salary conversation is going to happen? There is no way Rodgers views himself as worth $12 million a year less than Mahomes, which presents a problem for the Packers. They need to reduce their cap significantly next season to meet the pending reduction. That cap reduction does not factor in dealing with Rodgers as of now. They better tackle the Rodgers problem soon and even consider trading last year’s first-round pick Jordan Love to gain cheaper assets to help their team.

What good will Love be to the Packers if he never plays in a game? He is like having a high-priced second car, one that never leaves the garage.  The Packers need to consider making a move as Love still has his draft-day shine on him, which could help his value. The Love situation for the Packers is the reverse of how they traded for Brett Favre. Favre was a high second-round pick in 1991 sitting behind Chris Miller and Billy Joe Tolliver as a third-string quarterback. The Packers general manager, Ron Wolf, loved Favre from his time scouting, traded a first-rounder, and the rest is history. The Packers can make the same case for Love: he will never play, so we need to move on. Teams that loved Love in the draft will listen.

As for the other NFC North quarterback making waves, Stafford will have many suitors. The Colts and the Patriots are the front-runners as they’re the two teams that have the cap room to handle Stafford right away. Stafford has a $20 million cap charge that cannot be reworked until he is on his new team. The team that trades for him must have the room to take on his deal, then they can lower his cap charge. Many teams can handle his cash and salary; few can handle that initial charge, which is why the Colts and Patriots are in front.

Stafford is a hidden gem. He’ll be 33 years old next week and has lost none of his talent. His arm, his toughness, his competitive drive are still top shelf. The next team he plays for will dispel the myth that he cannot win. Stafford has winning traits in his talent and character. Once he gets with the right team that can supply him with the right cast of teammates, he will show everyone how uniquely skilled he is as a player.

Where Stafford will end up is just one of many quarterback-related questions we’ll see answered this offseason. Next up in the moving quarterback market could be the Raiders. In search of cap room, they might entertain moving Derek Carr for a substantial draft pick, allowing them to play Marcus Mariota as their starter. And what about the 49ers? Do they move on from Jimmy Garoppolo and enter into the quarterback maze? How do the Eagles handle Carson Wentz and their $45 million problem? And when will the Ravens take care of Lamar Jackson’s new contract?

The Raiders need to trim over $20 million of cap room to get below the threshold starting next season, which won’t be that hard to accomplish. They can redo deals and lower cap numbers by paying cash for the lower number or releasing aging vets. They do need to account for star tight end Darren Waller. Even though he did a deal two years ago and has three more years remaining, Waller is vastly underpaid for his talent level with no guaranteed money in any future years. Waller is the second-best tight end in football to Travis Kelce but is not one of the top five highest-paid players at the position. The Raiders need to calculate an increase to Waller and then fix the remaining portion of their cap, which leads them to the biggest decision of all: quarterback Derek Carr.

If Raiders head coach and chief decision-maker Jon Gruden decides that he wants to pay Carr the going rate for quarterbacks, he does not make a move or offer Carr in any trade conversations. He tells his cap man to get a deal done on an extension. If, and this is not one of those big ifs, he decides there is no way he wants to pay Carr big money (which is what I think will happen), then he needs to trade him now while his value is the highest, recoup draft picks and cap room, then extend Mariota’s contract and give him the starting job.

Gruden needs to answer the hard question — does he want Carr at a contract ranging in the high $30 million dollar range for the remainder of Gruden’s contract, which has seven years left on it, or would he rather go with a cheaper option today and look for someone in the future? Either way, he needs to decide now because of the Raiders’ cap situation and the pending quarterback market’s volatility. Gruden’s situation reminds me of a scene in HBO’s “The Wire” when Omar is sitting in the police station, talking with detectives and says, “the game is out there, either play or get played.” Gruden needs to play and be 100 percent correct on his decisions, or else he might get played.

The 49ers must play as well. They have a high-priced marginal asset in Jimmy Garoppolo, who many in the NFL might not view as a bonafide starter, which diminishes his value. Much like Gruden, Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach, needs to decide if he will enter the quarterback market. I wrote last year that the 49ers entertained Tom Brady when he was a free agent before COVID destroyed the finances of most teams’ cap. Does Shanahan call Patriots head man Bill Belichick and make him an offer to get Garoppolo off his cap and enter into the Watson or Stafford sweepstakes?  Shanahan must know Belichick will be knee-deep in the Stafford market, as will the Colts. If Shanahan has any interest in improving his quarterback position, he needs to unload Garoppolo first. He also knows New England might be his only suitor at the right price. Using Garoppolo’s cap number, Shanahan can be a player in any quarterback market, unlike the Rams, who are trapped.

The Rams must trim roughly $30 million of cap room if the cap stays the same. They are locked so tightly into Jared Goff that David Blaine, the magician, could not escape. Goff will be the albatross around head coach Sean McVay’s neck next season and moving forward. McVay needs to either make it work with him or find a younger, cheaper player and wait until Goff’s contract guarantees disappear after the 2022 season.

How the Rams got into this mess is worthy of an entire column. The CliffsNotes version is that they could not separate the system from the player. The Rams run a lot of play-action pass plays that most quarterbacks could make, and only a few require top-level skill.  Goff makes all of those easy throws, which the Rams overpaid him for, but rarely made the hard throws when under pressure. As much as McVay would like to be in the quarterback market, Goff is untradeable not because of talent, but because of his contract. McVay will need to either repair his relationship with Goff, go with John Wolford or draft a young player.

As for the Ravens, they can do Lamar Jackson’s deal much like the Texans handled Watson: keep the salary down for the next two years by paying a large signing bonus, which guarantees a large portion of the contract. Or they can wait another year to pay Jackson, as they have time on their side.

This offseason will be unlike any other as teams continue to fight the COVID protocols, rearrange their rosters and search for the missing link at quarterback. If teams in need don’t solve their quarterback problems either in the draft, trades or free agency, then it might never happen. The quarterback game is being played right now, and those that need to play it better play well.

He barely scratches the surface here – MATT RYAN, New Orleans after DREW BREES, TEDDY BRIDGEWATER, the Patriots, SAM DARNOLD or a rookie, is TUA