Did artificial turf cause the injury to QB AARON RODGERS?  Getting grass fields in all 30 stadiums is the mission of new NFLPA head Lloyd Howell.  ESPN.com:

The NFL Players Association’s new executive director has called for the league to change all of its field surfaces to natural grass in the wake of Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury.

Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the Jets’ season Monday night, spoiling the superstar quarterback’s New York debut and reigniting the leaguewide debate over playing surfaces at NFL stadiums.

MetLife Stadium, the home of the Jets and Giants, installed a new surface earlier this year called FieldTurf, which is softer and has a more forgiving feel than the stadium’s previous synthetic turf.

But Rodgers’ injury sparked a widespread outcry for grass surfaces, and NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell echoed those sentiments in a statement released Wednesday morning.

“Moving all stadium fields to high quality natural grass surfaces is the easiest decision the NFL can make,” Howell said. “The players overwhelmingly prefer it and the data is clear that grass is simply safer than artificial turf. It is an issue that has been near the top of the players’ list during my team visits and one I have raised with the NFL.”

Rodgers suffered the injury while trying to spin away from Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd. The four-time league MVP’s left leg was planted in the turf, and his Achilles ruptured. A slow-motion replay showed his left calf — the same calf he strained in organized team activities — reverberating as he went down for the sack.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told reporters he does not think the playing surface caused Rodgers’ injury, saying “if it was a noncontact injury, I think that’d be something to discuss, obviously.”

“That was kind of a forcible [injury],” Saleh said Tuesday. “I think that was trauma-induced. I do know the players prefer grass, and there’s a lot invested in those young men.”

The NFLPA released data earlier this year that concluded noncontact injuries occurred at a higher rate on artificial turf compared with grass during the 2022 regular season. But internal league data reviewed by ESPN in November showed that the NFL’s recent rate of noncontact injuries to the knee, ankle and foot was roughly the same on natural and artificial playing surfaces. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the time that the NFL has no plans to convert all playing surfaces to grass, saying the “league stats don’t see issues with the type surface that we have as opposed to natural grass.”

Howell said in his statement Wednesday that the union acknowledges the “investment” required to convert all stadiums to grass but also questioned why NFL team owners are planning to make those changes for the 2026 World Cup but not for their own players.

“While we know there is an investment to making this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries,” Howell said. “It makes no sense that stadiums can flip over to superior grass surfaces when the World Cup comes, or soccer clubs come to visit for exhibition games in the summer, but inferior artificial surfaces are acceptable for our own players. This is worth the investment and it simply needs to change now.”

Howell took over for DeMaurice Smith in June, when the union’s board of player representatives elected him as the fourth executive director in NFLPA history.

– – –

This from the NFL and its international program:

@TroyVincentSr

The @NFL will expand practice squads for each of the 32 clubs to allow for one international player starting in 2024.  This expansion is part of the league’s commitment to grow the sport internationally through initiatives like the International Player Pathway program.

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

This dispatch from the Badger State on Monday night:

@davehill77

This is incredible. A Wisconsin bar offered free drinks if the Jets lost. After Rodgers went down, they started running up their tabs. The news was live when the Jets won in overtime and everyone realized they had to pay.

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

Once again, CB JAYCEE HORN is injured.  David Newton of ESPN.com:

Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn, who missed 18 games his first two seasons with injuries, will miss Monday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints with a hamstring injury.

A league source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler the eighth pick of the 2021 draft will be out multiple weeks with the injury suffered in the first half of Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Horn will likely be replaced by veteran Troy Hill, who according to coach Frank Reich played “well” after replacing Horn on Sunday.

Horn suffered a season-ending foot injury in the third game of his rookie season. He missed the last four games of the 2022 season with a fractured wrist.

TAMPA BAY

Oh. that clever BAKER MAYFIELD.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense got off to a slow start in their Week 1 meeting with the Minnesota Vikings, but this unit led by Baker Mayfield ultimately got it together and scored a 20-17 upset victory. What changed for Tampa Bay in the middle of the game? Well, apparently Mayfield figured out new Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

During an interview on the Buccaneers Radio Network, Bucs running back Rachaad White said Mayfield figured out Minnesota’s scheme by halftime. (H/T JoeBucsFan.com).

“I just remember Bake came in the locker room, literally at halftime, he said, ‘I got it. We got all these signals.’ We’re in there talking as an offense and he’s like, ‘I know all these signals. If they do this, they’re going into Cover-2. If they do this, they’re going into Cover-3. Every time I alert this and they do this signal, they’re dropping back to this.’ And I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ … I was just listening to him and we were listening to him and we just kind of understood.”

The Bucs got possession to kick off the second half, and Mayfield led a 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Trey Palmer touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Mayfield captained a 10-play, 38-yard drive that ended with a 57-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal — which ultimately ended up being the game-winning points.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

WR BRANDON AIYUK on why he loves playing with QB BROCK PURDY.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy showed no ill effects from his elbow surgery in San Francisco’s season opener, completing 19-of-29 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The connection between Purdy and receiver Brandon Aiyuk was particularly strong, as Aiyuk caught all eight of his targets for 129 yards with two TDs.

On Tuesday, Aiyuk said in a radio interview with KNBR’s “Murph and Mac” show that Purdy has been doing well since he came in to replace Jimmy Garoppolo during last season’s Dolphins game.

“Purdy, I’m enjoying playing with him,” Aiyuk said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “He gives us confidence every single week. He gives us a bunch of confidence. So much confidence going in every game that not only are we going to win the game, but you have a chance to have a great game as well. So I’m loving playing with him.

“I’m not sure I can even define what ‘it’ is, but he has ‘it.’”

Aiyuk added that Purdy plays with “an extreme poise, but also poise and urgency.”

“He’s never too lagged,” Aiyuk said. “He’s just always on point. He’s on point. He’s ready to go. He plays with that swag that just bleeds all the way down to the rest of the offense, down to the rest of the team, that everybody can build off. Like I said, he has ‘it.’”

Aiyuk and Purdy will try to keep things rolling against the Rams in Week 2.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Is it possible that TE TRAVIS KELCE has a burgeoning relationship with Taylor Swift?  Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star:

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was on the NFL Network about a week after his admission that he tried and failed to pass his number to superstar singer Taylor Swift in Kansas City.

NFL Network broadcaster Andrew Siciliano asked about Kelce shooting his shot at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

“I said what I said and I meant what I said when I said it,” Kelce told Siciliano during the live shot. “It is what it is. I’m not going to talk about my personal life. I know what you writers want to hear. You want to hear more about that, and I’m not going to give you anything.”

Well, the cat apparently is out of the bag, because a story in The Messenger says Kelce and Swift have “linked up.”

The Messenger’s Lanae Brody and Christina Dugan Ramirez wrote: “Taylor and Travis have been quietly hanging out. She saw him when she was in NYC a few weeks ago.”

Kelce, who missed the Chiefs’ season opener because of a knee injury, used a unique method in his first attempt to meet Swift, who played shows at Arrowhead on July 7 and 8. He made a friendship bracelet, which is something Swifties (Taylor Swift’s legion of fans) like to share.

This one, however, had Kelce’s phone number.

Alas, he couldn’t get in to see Swift and admitted he was hurt.

In a way, Swift was hurt by Kelce, too, only it was much earlier in the year.

She is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, who were vanquished by the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. Despite the obstacles, they apparently have connected, and that set social media afire. Again.

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

Need a tackle?  The Bengals have made one available.  Ben Baby of ESPN.com:

One of Cincinnati’s former prized signings is now a free agent.

The Bengals released offensive tackle La’el Collins from the team’s physically unable to perform list, according to the NFL’s daily transaction report.

Collins had been recovering from torn ligaments in his left knee suffered in a Week 16 game against the New England Patriots last season. He was placed on the PUP list ahead of training camp as he continued the rehab process.

The seven-year veteran signed with the Bengals in the 2022 offseason and started 15 games at right tackle. With the move, the Bengals will gain $7.7 million in cap savings while incurring $1.7 million in dead money in 2024.

Signed to be a starter, Collins was slotted as a depth option had he come back this season. After Cincinnati added Orlando Brown in free agency to be its left tackle, Jonah Williams shifted to right tackle.

Collins, who spent the first six years of his career in Dallas, dealt with a back injury during his time in Cincinnati. He finished last season 57th out of 64 qualifying players in pass block win rate as a tackle, which is an ESPN metric powered by NFL Next Gen Stats.

CLEVELAND

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tells us if you are over-reacting if you think the Browns have won the AFC North:

The Browns will win the AFC North

Cleveland flat-out dominated a Bengals team that has won the division each of the past two years and split the past two AFC Championship Games with the Chiefs. Three days after being anointed the league’s highest-paid player, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was 14-for-31 for a meager 82 yards passing. The Browns outgained the Bengals 350 yards to 142 and won 24-3 despite losing the turnover battle 2-0.

Elsewhere in the AFC North, the Steelers were totally outclassed by the 49ers, and the Ravens beat a weak Houston team while suffering a couple of injuries to key players, including running back J.K. Dobbins, who was lost for the season. Behind battering-ram running back Nick Chubb and their Myles Garrett-led defense, the Browns looked the best of any team in what could be the league’s toughest division in Week 1.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

The Browns could be good. They could be good enough to be division champs for the first time since 1989 (when they were still the original Browns, who later became the Ravens). But this Week 1 game is far from proof.

Consider that Burrow threw four interceptions in an ugly season-opening division loss to the Steelers in Week 1 last year and still recovered to win the division. Consider that the Bengals went 1-5 against the Browns over the previous three seasons and still managed to win the division each of the past two. Burrow and the Bengals have enough in the bank at this point to deserve the benefit of the doubt.

The Browns, meanwhile, still need to show us. Deshaun Watson didn’t look very good at all Sunday throwing the ball in the same rain Burrow was dealing with, going 16-of-29 for 154 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception. And until we truly see him look like the old version of himself, we have to approach the Browns’ season expectations with more than a little bit of restraint.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

After Week 1, do you think WR TYREEK HILL is in line to be the MVP?  Dan Graziano ofESPN.com on whether or not you are over-reacting.

Tyreek Hill will be the first wide receiver to win the MVP award

Chargers-Dolphins was a heavyweight fight. But not like a real heavyweight fight. More like the kind you see in the movies. The teams traded touchdowns all day until the Chargers ran out of time at the end and the Dolphins got away with a massive 36-34 season-opening victory.

The center of it all was Hill, who hauled in 11 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns. Career game? Nah. It’s the third time in Hill’s career he has reached the 215-yard mark in a single game (his career high is 269). This was his high number as a Dolphin, though, and Miami needed every last yard to help quarterback Tua Tagovailoa outduel Justin Herbert in an instant-classic matchup of the No. 5 and No. 6 picks from the 2020 draft.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Why not? Hill is an alien sent from outer space to help make coach Mike McDaniel look like a genius and Tagovailoa thrive as an NFL quarterback. He was uncoverable on Sunday, and again, this isn’t the first or even the second time he has put up these kinds of numbers. He’s the first player in NFL history to record three separate games with 10-plus catches, 200-plus receiving yards and two-plus touchdowns.

Is he going to do it every week? Of course not. But he’s capable of it, and by now we should expect something spectacular from this guy every week.

Look, you and I both know that if the Dolphins have a big year and Hill is putting up numbers like this, it means Tagovailoa probably has a better chance to win MVP than any of his receivers do. But Hill is the kind of player who does unprecedented things. If a receiver is ever going to win MVP, he’s a guy who could put up the numbers to do it.

NEW YORK JETS

So, anticipating interest from QB AARON RODGERS, the NFL lavished six standalone national games, plus a whole bunch of 4:25 national window opportunities, on the Jets.

And in Week 1, it proved to be sound programming.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Aaron Rodgers delivers. Even if it will be the only time all year that he does.

The Week 1 Bills-Jets game generated 22.615 million average viewers late night on the various ESPN/ABC platforms, via @SportsTVRatings. That surpasses the Brett Favre revenge game against the Packers as one of the highest-rated Monday Night Football game since ESPN took over the package.

The October 2009 Packers-Vikings game drew 21.8 million viewers, but it was available only on ESPN. Last night’s game was also on ESPN2 and, more importantly, ABC.

Still, it’s a huge number for a modern Monday night game.

January’s Bills-Bengals game averaged 23.8 million viewers, largely due to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest and its aftermath.

In 1990, 41.55 million watched a December Giants-49ers game. In December 1985, 39 million tuned in for Bears-Dolphins. Numbers like that might never happen again on a regular-season Monday night.

But what about going forward?

Even without Rodgers, we don’t think the Jets are destitute.  Last year, they were 6-3 before a late swoon to 7-10.  The defense is good and plays hard with some interesting individuals.  WR GARRETT WILSON is a rising superstar.  In 2022, they did not have RB BREECE HALL for most of the year and they have added RB DALVIN COOK.

If QB ZACH WILSON, who we have seen play well, is serviceable they should be an interesting and competitive team.  This from Austin Mock of The Athletic:

They were projected for 9.1 wins in Austin’s preseason model; they’re at 8.1 now, minus Rodgers — still good enough for a 32.4 percent chance of making the playoffs (and the 17th pick).

That said, Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com looks at how the NFL could bail on NYJ if it desires.

The NFL’s media partners were as disappointed with Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending injury as the Jets were.

Once Rodgers landed in New York with a trade from Green Bay, the NFL scheduled the Jets for six nationally televised games. Five are in prime time.

Now, with Rodgers out, the league, its networks and its fans are stuck with some Jets games in prime time that it can’t move.

The team’s Week 4 game against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football on Oct. 1 will remain on NBC. The Week 9 game against the Chargers on Monday Night Football on Nov. 6 will remain on ESPN. The Week 12 game against the Dolphins on Black Friday (Nov. 24) will remain on Prime Video.

The NFL, though, can flex the Jets’ Week 10 game against the Raiders on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 12 with 12 days’ notice. Thus, a decision has to be made by Oct. 31. The 49ers play the Jaguars and the Packers play the Steelers that week, both of which might be possibilities to take the place of Jets-Raiders.

The Jets’ Week 17 game against the Browns on Dec. 28 could become the first Thursday Night Football game flexed. It requires 28-days notice to be flexed, so Nov. 30 is the deadline. The Dolphins at the Ravens could be a possibility.

The Jets haven’t given up on the Jets, and neither has the league. Yet.

“Sitting here today, we have a lot of football ahead of us before we look at any final decisions for any network and any eligible window,” Hans Schroder, the NFL’s executive vice president, chief operating officer, NFL Media, said Tuesday in a conference call. “Every year we look at each of those starting multiple weeks out, each game and each window, with that focus of making sure and being laser-focused on is there an opportunity that is something we can work across partners and get the best game into the right window? We certainly look at that. There are a lot of variables and considerations that go into what that best game is, and so that has to work on a number of levels. . . . There is a lot of football left between now and then.”

THIS AND THAT

RANKING THE QBs

After Week 1, Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com tells you where the QBs rank 1 to 32:

This is how we’d sort today’s passers from best to worst, factoring in both past production, present status and future outlook for the 2023 campaign:

2023 NFL QB Power Rankings

1 Patrick Mahomes

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QB

Travis Kelce’s absence affected him more than expected against the Lions, but if it weren’t for repeat drops from Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore, he’d likely be 1-0. The magician still does more with less than just about anyone in the game.

2  Joe Burrow

CINCINNATI BENGALS QB

A rain-soaked matchup with the Browns’ defense rendered him a total non-factor, underscoring his need for at least a mildly operable pocket. But he’s rarely gone consecutive games without showcasing his trademark precision and touch.

3  Jalen Hurts

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Like the other elite QBs here, he looked more pedestrian than usual in Week 1, bailing for short-yardage scrambles against a physical Patriots “D.” But he should have a big bounce-back opportunity vs. Minnesota in a prime-time home opener.

4  Trevor Lawrence

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS QB

The Jaguars got lots of preseason hype, and Lawrence delivered against the Colts, feeding picture-perfect throws to Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones in key spots. He could easily be the NFL’s smoothest pocket passer this side of Burrow. (+2)

5  Justin Herbert

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS QB

His first outing under Kellen Moore didn’t have the same sizzle as that of, say, opposing QB Tua Tagovailoa. But he remains one of the game’s most reliable do-it-all throwers, keeping L.A. toe to toe with Miami even as his defense flailed.

6  Josh Allen

BUFFALO BILLS QB

His supersized arm and fearless running make him the chief rival to Mahomes in terms of sheer QB play-making, but his insistence on playing superhero has made him a turnover magnet. As a result, Buffalo is increasingly boom or bust. (-2)

7 Lamar Jackson

BALTIMORE RAVENS QB

No one expected the Ravens’ new offense to turn him into an ultra-efficient passer right away, but all of the same Jackson questions remain: he’ll always be dynamic on the move, but it was Baltimore’s “D” that powered his Week 1 win. (+1)

8  Dak Prescott

DALLAS COWBOYS QB

If the Cowboys defense keeps wreaking havoc as it did against the Giants, Dak might be able to sit back and play game manager in the NFC East. He’ll have a much bigger challenge facing the Jets’ vaunted “D” in Week 2. (+1)

9  Brock Purdy

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QB

All that handwringing over Purdy’s elbow and small rookie sample size, and then the guy picks apart the Steelers on the road for a blowout win. Yes, he’s in Kyle Shanahan’s system, but he continues to operate with such ease. (+2)

10  Tua Tagovailoa

MIAMI DOLPHINS QB

It’s fair to be concerned about his medical track record. It’s also fair, after seeing him sling it left and right — not only deep but on the move and in tight windows to edge Herbert and the Chargers — to say he’s got an “it” factor. (+2)

11  Kirk Cousins

MINNESOTA VIKINGS QB

Two fumbled snaps halted the Vikings’ rhythm in an upset loss to the Buccaneers, where Baker Mayfield showed more fight. Odds are his reliable play-action accuracy will even Minnesota out, but then again, he’s got the Eagles next. (-1)

12  Jared Goff

DETROIT LIONS QB

His Week 1 outing was par for the course: while he wasn’t particularly special throwing to a relatively thin WR corps, he did enough when it mattered to help pull off the upset of Kansas City. He’s best as a figurehead for a playoff lineup. (+1)

13  Jordan Love

GREEN BAY PACKERS QB

The biggest riser entering Week 2, Aaron Rodgers’ successor looked plenty worthy of his job against the Bears, effortlessly tossing three scores. There’s room for more efficiency, but it’s clear he’s got the tools to air it out regularly. (+7)

14  Matthew Stafford

LOS ANGELES RAMS QB

Written off as a likely casualty of the Rams’ rebuilding, injury-riddled lineup, Stafford instead fed Puka Nacua (Cooper Kupp Jr.?) to upset Seattle, reviving hope that Sean McVay can keep the big-armed veteran upright this year. (+4)

15  Geno Smith

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS QB

Is this the beginning of the end of the Geno resurgence? Smith’s turnover tendencies reared their head late in his 2022 breakout, and then he averaged just 4.3 yards per attempt in Week 1 vs. the Rams. Stay tuned here. (-1)

16  Justin Fields

CHICAGO BEARS QB

All the physical gifts are there, but we’re now into Year 3, and the aerial consistency just isn’t there. He still deserves time to grow, and his rushing talent is almost unmatched, but the fear is this is another QB-coaching mismatch in Chicago. (-1)

17  Deshaun Watson

CLEVELAND BROWNS QB

He was hardly a steady hand in the Browns’ lopsided win over the Bengals in Week 1, but he also did far more than Burrow, notably using his legs to offset inclement weather. A Week 2 trip to Pittsburgh is another prove-it opportunity.

18  Derek Carr

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QB

He spent the first half of his Saints debut duking it out with Ryan Tannehill for ugliest Week 1 performance, only to rebound with some gutsy downfield targets to secure the win. It won’t always be pretty, but he’s feisty like his team’s “D.” (+1)

19  Russell Wilson

DENVER BRONCOS QB

The bar has been set so low for the former Super Bowl champion that merely controlling the ball in Week 1 registers as a win for Wilson. The challenge will be going from passable to special under Sean Payton, who wants to win now. (+2)

20  Jimmy Garoppolo

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS QB

While Russell Wilson took better care of the ball, Garoppolo got the win in Week 1, mostly due to instant chemistry with WR Jakobi Meyers. The X-factor here, as always, centers on him staying healthy, which hasn’t happened in years. (+4)

21 Daniel Jones

NEW YORK GIANTS QB

All of Jones’ 2022 progress as a turnover-averse franchise QB evaporated in a 40-0 shellacking vs. Dallas, though his shoddy line is partly to blame. With Andrew Thomas ailing, he may need to double down on scrambling. (-5)

22  Anthony Richardson

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS QB

The rookie’s debut stat line was similar to that of Justin Fields in Week 1, reiterating the Florida product’s erratic passing but explosive legs. The difference is Richardson is 21, just getting started. Indy has a big-play item on its hands. (+5)

23  Mac Jones

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QB

After a slow start vs. the Eagles, Jones settled in under Bill O’Brien and started dealing in pivotal moments, nearly coming back to upset the reigning NFC champs. He needs time to make it work, but Week 1 was a positive step forward. (+7)

24  Baker Mayfield

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QB

It took a strong defensive effort and a late, tight-game push to upset the Vikings, but Mayfield’s trademark moxie was on display in crunch time. He may not outgun you in a shootout, but he might wear you down with his grit. (+5)

25  Ryan Tannehill

TENNESSEE TITANS QB

An ugly three-pick outing vs. the Saints could have Tennessee considering a switch to one of his younger backups sooner rather than later, but his experience should propel at least a slight rebound moving forward. Either way, the bar’s low.

26  Sam Howell

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS QB

Howell’s gift and curse is probably his rough-and-tumble, gung-ho attitude, which allowed him to enter 2023 with confidence but also enabled the lowly Cardinals to hang around in Week 1. Every week will be a test for the youngster. (+2)

27 C.J. Stroud

HOUSTON TEXANS QB

He showed some ability to push the ball and extend plays even without a premium setup, but it could be a while before Stroud is comfortable enough to really showcase tightrope accuracy. As with his fellow first-round QBs, patience is key. (-1)

28  Kenny Pickett

PITTSBURGH STEELERS QB

Few young QBs saw their stock dip as drastically in Week 1, where he looked totally out of sorts up against the 49ers. Pickett has the right attitude for the NFL, but now without Diontae Johnson, his struggles could continue. (-5)

29  Bryce Young

CAROLINA PANTHERS QB

We love Young’s intangibles, and with time, he’ll surely adapt to NFL speed. But it’s clear he’s working overtime just to avoid negative plays in a middling setup, struggling to complete more than 50 percent of his throws in his first career start. (-7)

30  Desmond Ridder

ATLANTA FALCONS QB

Five starts in, does anyone have any idea who he is as a QB? Unsurprisingly, Arthur Smith made Week 1 all about the ground game, asking the second-year man to throw all of 18 short-area passes. To Ridder’s credit, he hit most of them. (+1)

31  Zach Wilson

NEW YORK JETS QB

Aaron Rodgers’ tragic early exit vs. the Bills thrust Wilson right back into QB1 duties, and while he kept at it until the end, showing confidence in a tight win, he remains a high risk, prone to dancing around. Will New York stand pat for long?

32 Joshua Dobbs

ARIZONA CARDINALS QB

He completed 70 percent of his throws to nearly upset the Commanders, but he also compiled only 132 yards on 21 completions. It’s as advertised: Dobbs is a career backup who just happens to be holding down the fort in Arizona.

JIM TROTTER

Let go by NFL Media, reporter Jim Trotter has filed suit against the NFL.  This from CNN:

Former National Football League reporter Jim Trotter filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and NFL Media Tuesday, alleging that he was let go by the football league because he publicly challenged Commissioner Roger Goodell and other executives on the NFL’s “record of race discrimination and lack of diversity.”

Trotter worked as a sports reporter for the NFL from 2018 until March. In a March post on Twitter (now called X), Trotter said he was informed that his contract had not been renewed.

According to the lawsuit, earlier this year, Trotter, a Black man, was asked by the NFL’s vice President of on-Air talent management, Sandra Nunez, to confirm whether Trotter was “in alignment” with the NFL after he publicly challenged Goodell on national TV about NFL Media’s lack of Black employees in senior management. After Trotter allegedly said he was not “in alignment” with the league’s alleged lack of diversity and inclusion, he was told the NFL would not renew his contract, according to the lawsuit.

“The NFL has claimed it wants to be held accountable regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. I tried to do so, and it cost me my job,” Trotter said in a statement. “I’m filing this lawsuit because I can’t complain about things that are wrong if I’m unwilling to fight for what is right.”

In a statement to CNN, the NFL disputed Trotter’s claim that he was let go due to racial discrimination, instead attributing his firing to a company-wide decision to lay off employees.

“Mr. Trotter’s departure from NFL Media was one of many difficult decisions — similar to decisions recently made by many other media organizations — to address a challenging economy and a changing media environment,” an NFL spokesperson said. ” Jim was one of many employees who were unfortunately affected by these business decisions.”

Team coaches named in the lawsuit

Trotter’s lawsuit also alleges that his experience with discrimination was not limited to the circumstances surrounding his firing, however. According to the suit, the sports reporter witnessed hostile comments by NFL team owners on multiple occasions.

In one example, when discussing player protests against racial injustice, Trotter alleges that Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula said “If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is.”

In a statement, Pegula vehemently denied Trotter’s allegation. “The statement attributed to me in Mr. Trotter’s complaint is absolutely false. I am horrified that anyone would connect me to an allegation of this kind. Racism has no place in our society and I am personally disgusted that my name is associated with this complaint,” Pegula said.

In another example, the suit alleges that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones responded to a question posed by Trotter about the lack of Black leaders in the NFL by saying, “If Blacks feel some kind of way, they should buy their own team and hire who they want to hire.”

In a statement to CNN, Jones said the details of the conversation in the claim were inaccurate.

“Diversity and inclusion are extremely important to me personally and to the NFL,” Jones said. “The representation made by Jim Trotter of a conversation that occurred over three years ago with myself and our VP of Player Personnel Will McClay is simply not accurate.”

The NFL said it disputes the allegations laid out in Trotter’s suit.

“We share Jim Trotter’s passion for quality journalism created in and supported by a diverse and inclusive environment. We take his concerns seriously, but strongly dispute his specific allegations, particularly those made against his dedicated colleagues at NFL Media,” a league spokesperson said.

Controversy surrounding the NFL

The NFL has faced allegations of racism in the past. In 2019, Colin Kaepernick settled a complaint with the league after he alleged that teams colluded to keep him from playing. The claim came after Kaepernick drew controversy for kneeling during the National Anthem to protest racial injustices in the US, and subsequently could not find work as an NFL quarterback despite possessing an impressive record.

The league has come under fire for its lack of diversity in its upper echelons. Out of 32 teams, there are no black majority owners and only eight black general managers.

In recent years, the NFL has attempted to confront allegations of racism. In 2022, 58% of full-time employees hired by the NFL were people of color, according to the league. NFL Media’s three most recent senior hires have also been people of color. According to the league, seven of NFL Media’s nine most recent on-air hires are Black.

Trotter’s suit argues that the NFL and team owners have “repeatedly shown they are unable to monitor and police themselves.”

The suit seeks to impose a court-ordered monitor to review the NFL’s policies and implement “necessary changes” concerning hiring and advancing black employees. Trotter’s claim also seeks a full-scale investigation into discrimination within the NFL, including NFL team owners.

“I hope this lawsuit leads to real change across the league and in the newsroom,” Trotter said in a statement. “It is on the backs of a majority black player population that owners have made billions and those players deserve to have someone who shares their cultural and life experiences at the table when decisions are being made about how they are being covered.”

The CNN report does not mention that Trotter did not personally hear anything Pegula might have said.

Mike Florio expounds:

Beginning at paragraph No. 125 of the civil complaint, Trotter alleges that, during a September 3, 2020 zoom meeting involving roughly 40 NFL Media newsroom employees, an unnamed reporter shared an alleged remark made by Pegula.

“During the meeting, an NFL Media reporter described a conversation he had with . . . Pegula in which Mr. Pegula was specific about the recent emphasis on social activism by NFL players, and in particular support for Black Lives Matter,” the complaint explains. “As reported, Mr. Pegula stated that, ‘If the Black players don’t like it here, they should go back to Africa and see how bad it is. This remark was so offensive and racist that the people in the meeting appeared to be frozen, unsure how to even react.”

Trotter claims that he spoke up during the September 3, 2020 meeting, asking whether there would be a discussion about Pegula’s alleged comments. Trotter was told that the league was investigating the situation. He repeatedly sought updates, and he was repeatedly told the league office is investigating.

After nearly a year, Trotter was told that the league described it as “an HR matter and that’s the end of it.”

Trotter responded to a supervisor by saying, “So we are sweeping this under the rug?” Said the supervisor, “I can only tell you what I’ve been told.”

After the alleged comment emerged, Pegula issued a strongly-worded denial.

“The statement attributed to me in Mr. Trottter’s complaint is absolutely false,” Pegula said in a tweet posted without context to the team’s Twitter account, which has more than 1.7 million followers. “I am horrified that anyone would connect me to an allegation of this kind. Racism has no place in our society and I am personally disgusted that my name is associated with this complaint.”

Whether Pegula said what he said will become one of the critical aspects of the case. The harder he and the league double down in denying it, the greater the stakes will become. If Trotter can persuade a jury that Pegula said it, the jury in turn will be more likely to believe the rest of Trotter’s allegations — especially since the jury necessarily will have found Pegula’s denial and the league’s support of it to be not credible.

After thinking about it, Florio decides that Trotter’s only worry is how much money he’s going to make:

On Wednesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the case during an interview on ESPN’s First Take.

After Stephen A. Smith read to Goodell the racially-charged quotes attributed in the lawsuit to Bills owner Terry Pegula and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Smith asked Goodell how those allegations make him feel.

“They’re allegations,” Goodell said. “Our job is to make sure that they’re factual. These are not new charges. They’re actually a couple of years old. They’ve been looked into. You’ve heard the strong denials. There’s litigation ongoing now. It will be addressed because these are important issues and we share the same concerns. We want to make sure our workplaces are first class and that means opportunities for everybody. We know the importance of progress in diversity and we’re working very hard at it. Is progress where we want it to be? No, it’s always slower than you want it to be but I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction.”

It’s surprising Goodell said that much. During a Tuesday conference call with reporters aimed at giving the league a victory lap for Week 1 ratings and the performance of the revamped and relocated Sunday Ticket, NFL executive V.P. of communications Jeff Miller repeatedly cited the ongoing litigation as justification to say nothing about the Trotter case — beyond reading the league’s statement, verbatim.

Goodell suggested the league will investigate the alleged statements made by Pegula and Jones, in order to “make sure they’re factual.” But then Goodell said the allegations have “been looked into.”

So what was concluded? That will be learned as the litigation unfolds. And to the extent the league brings in Mary Jo White to do a separate investigation now, don’t expect an independent review, not with the league’s financial interests tied to the outcome.

The NFL’s best play would be to settle with Trotter immediately and then conduct a real investigation of the alleged remarks, with a truly independent and objective investigator.

That won’t happen. The NFL has no real oversight, no real accountability. There’s no one to force the NFL to do anything it doesn’t want to do, and the NFL ultimately is a collection of 31 oligarchs and the CEO of a company owned by shareholders who really don’t own anything beyond a piece of paper.

Trotter has a tiger by the tail. Trotter seems to be determined to pull that tail as hard as he can. The investigation will happen under the auspices of a federal court in Manhattan, with Trotter’s lawyers zealously and doggedly searching for the truth.

The best news is that the league allowed a conspicuous donut hole to exist in Trotter’s contract. There’s no arbitration clause, no automatic path to the league’s secret, rigged, kangaroo court.

So the truth will come out. There will be accountability for the NFL.

Unless the NFL makes Trotter an offer he won’t refuse.

Ultimately, Trotter might have to ponder a massive financial offer that will be very hard to decline. If the league is smart, every team will kick in a million, the Bills and Cowboys will pony up $5 million each, and Trotter will be offered $40 million to abandon a golden opportunity to expose the ugly underbelly of Big Shield.

2024 DRAFT

It’s never too early to ponder what the 2024 draft order might look like.  Austin Mock and Chris Burke use Week 1’s results to look ahead (with the ARZ 1-2 quinella still a distinct possibility):

There was no shortage of storylines during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. How did the earliest results impact expectations, both for the rest of the regular season and the 2024 draft?

To find out, we’re diving into Austin Mock’s projections. Mock projects the score for every game and the final win percentage for every team using his NFL betting model. The model phases out older data and uses data from this year as the season progresses. The simulation then runs 100,000 times after each day of games to give us, in this case, our projected top-10 draft order plus each team’s projected win total and playoff chances.

Projected top 10 (as of Sept. 12)

1. Arizona                    4.1                     0.5%

2. Houston (ARI pick)  5.9                    5.1%

3. Chicago                   6.0                    8.7%

4. Indianapolis            6.5                     9.1%

5. Carolina (CHI pick) 6.5                    11.8%

6. New England         6.8                     14.2%

7. New York Giants     6.9                  17.2%

8. Seattle                    7.1                   17.3%

9. Tampa Bay              7.3                 21.6%

10. Pittsburgh              7.6                 20.3%

A few thoughts on the (very) early projections:

1. Arizona’s outlook is bleak, except …

The Cardinals nearly stole one on the road in Week 1, but the Commanders ripped off 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to send new coach Jonathan Gannon to his first loss. A Week 2 matchup with the Giants looks significantly more winnable now — after New York’s embarrassing Sunday night display — than it did on schedule-release day.

Even so, our projections don’t reveal much optimism this season. Arizona’s projected win total (4.1) is well below even the team sitting in next-to-last place, Houston (5.9). Arizona is also the only team with less than a 5 percent chance of making the playoffs (0.5) and a non-existent, 0.0 percent chance of winning its conference.

However, let’s not forget that the Cardinals hold Houston’s original 2024 first-round pick, via the Texans’ 2023 trade-up for Will Anderson Jr. (Houston acquired Cleveland’s 2024 first-rounder in the Deshaun Watson trade, currently pick No. 23 in our projections).

So, just like in our preseason mock draft, the Cardinals’ reward for a miserable year could be picks 1 and 2 in April.

Looming over all of this is the suggestion by Caleb Williams’ dad that his ultra-talented QB son could consider returning to USC in 2024, if he doesn’t love the franchise holding the No. 1 pick.

2. A big opportunity for the Bears?

Let’s just say that Bears fans didn’t love Austin’s preseasons projections, which had Chicago at a win total of 5.7 — tied for lowest in the league with Arizona. The projection has ticked up slightly since then (to 6.0), despite whatever … uh … that showing was in Week 1.

The silver lining (if we’re doing silver linings with 17 weeks left): Chicago currently is projected to hold two of the top five picks in 2024 draft — the Bears have the Panthers’ first-rounder in their back pocket, courtesy of the ’23 draft trade for No. 1 overall.

The reality of that situation, and of this exceptionally talented QB class in particular, is it will force GM Ryan Poles to make a call on Justin Fields’ future as a franchise QB. But that fork in the road was coming anyway, so may as well reach it with two high draft choices.

3. Monday night fallout

What an absolute whirlwind that was. The Jets lost Aaron Rodgers for the season to an Achilles injury, then somehow rallied for a walk-off overtime win over the Bills. How’d it all impact our projections?

Well, for starters, the Jets didn’t plummet quite as much as one might expect. As we saw Monday, their defense and run game are good enough to keep them competitive, especially if Zach Wilson can put the ball, like, anywhere in the vicinity of Garrett Wilson. They were projected for 9.1 wins in Austin’s preseason model; they’re at 8.1 now, minus Rodgers — still good enough for a 32.4 percent chance of making the playoffs (and the 17th pick).

The Bills, meanwhile, slid from 10.7 projected wins to 10.2. They still are the AFC East favorites (45.4 percent chance to win the division; Miami is next at 37.4 percent), and their Super Bowl odds are the fifth-best (7.3 percent). But they are trending the wrong way after Week 1.

4. A crowded middle of the pack

There are a few expected playoff contenders (the Giants, Seahawks, Steelers) showing up in this first top-10 projection. Such is the price to pay for losing in Week 1. But it’s a pretty narrow gap between picks 7-10 and those teams in potential wild-card positions. As you can see in our chart up top, the Steelers still have a 20.3 percent shot at the playoffs, while the Bucs — off their Baker Mayfield-led stunner in Minnesota —  are at 21.6 percent.

And those projected win totals for the teams at the bottom of our current top 10 are very much within range of, say, the Jets, Commanders (7.9), the Rams (7.9) or Vikings (7.5) — all right in the heart of the projected draft order.

5. Watch out for the 49ers

The Steelers are 0-1 and holding that current draft projection in part because the 49ers absolutely handed it to them on Sunday. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, San Francisco took a significant leap, from the seventh-highest projected win total preseason (10.3) to the second-highest now (11.4).

The latter number puts Kyle Shanahan’s team behind only Philadelphia (11.7), meaning it’s leapfrogged Kansas City (11.2) and Dallas (11.0), among others. San Francisco’s chance of making the playoffs? Ninety-two percent.