HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Steelers Bring Back LB Myles Jack

November 20th, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Ely Allen

NOVEMBER 20: Jack is headed to Pittsburgh today to undergo a physical. If all goes well on that front, he will indeed sign with the Steelers, Rapoport tweets. The Steelers have since confirmed Jack is back.

This will initially be a P-squad agreement, which has become standard practice around the league in many cases with veterans. Gameday elevations and/or a deal bringing him onto the active roster should soon follow as he looks to carve out a role in the Steelers’ banged-up LB room.

NOVEMBER 17: Veteran inside linebacker Myles Jack has reportedly unretired and, accompanying that transaction, the Eagles waived him yesterday, forfeiting their hold on his rights. Now, after having cleared the waiver process unclaimed, it appears a reunion may be in the mix as the Steelers reportedly have interest in adding Jack to their practice squad, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Jack signed with the Eagles just before the preseason this year after his lone season with a team other than Jacksonville. The former second-round pick in Duval put together a solid career over his time with the Jaguars. Despite falling out of the first round due to injury concerns, Jack made 82 starts while appearing in 88 of a possible 97 games over his six years in Jacksonville. While never claiming any Pro Bowl berths or All-Pro selections, Jack has put forth a respectable effort as a starter over the years. He did more of the same last year with the Steelers, logging his fourth career 100-tackle season at only 27 years old.

When Jack came to Philadelphia, it seemed as though he and fellow addition Zach Cunningham would both have an opportunity to earn significant snaps alongside Nakobe Dean. It was reported, though, that Cunningham seemed to impress more, moving ahead of Jack on the depth chart during their first couple weeks. Cunningham has established himself as a presence on the Eagles’ defense as a starter this year, taking advantage of that opportunity. Whether a result of the lost positioning or not, Jack retired only two weeks after signing with Philadelphia.

Now, if Rapoport’s sources prove reliable, Jack could find himself rejoining the last team for which he started. After Kwon Alexander‘s placement on injured reserve earlier this week, the Steelers now have three inside linebackers on IR, as Alexander joins Cole Holcomb and Chapelle Russell. That leaves two at the position on the active roster (Mark Robinson and Elandon Roberts) and one on the practice squad (Tariq Carpenter). Despite the beleaguered nature of the position, head coach Mike Tomlin recently claimed the team was not looking “outside the organization” for solutions to fill the holes, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic suggested recently that Pittsburgh is expecting practice squad veteran Mykal Walker to get some playing time, despite his experience being more on the outside.

Adding Jack would maybe not count as an “outside the organization” option as he not only gives the team a veteran with starting experience at the position, but it also gives them a player with recent knowledge of their system. We noted when Alexander went down that Pittsburgh would likely be combing the free agent market for potential additions, and the Steelers would be hard-pressed to find a better fit than Jack, assuming he’s stayed in football shape during his short retirement. In their search, though, the team did host elite veteran special teamer Tanner Vallejo, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.

If they do decide to bring Jack in, it sounds like it will be on a practice squad deal. This means Jack will need to be elevated for gamedays or eventually signed to the active roster in order to contribute. It’s a situation to keep an eye on in the days to come.

Jets Undecided On Week 12 Starting QB

November 20th, 2023 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Zach Wilson started the Jets’ Week 11 loss to the Bills, but he did not finish it. In the wake of another poor outing by the former No. 2 pick, head coach Robert Saleh took a different stance than the one he has in previous weeks regarding the situation under center.

Whereas Saleh has publicly endorsed Wilson on a number of occasions this year amidst questions about his status atop the depth chart, he declined to name a starter in the aftermath of Sunday’s loss. New York is set to play Miami on Black Friday, so a decision needs to be made quickly with respect to who will be under center. Veteran Tim Boyle entered the game late in the third quarter, though the change did not spark an offensive improvement.

“Like I told Zach on the sideline, it’s not just him,” Saleh said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “It’s easy to point the finger at the quarterback, but it’s pretty easy to see. You’ve got missed protections, you’ve got dropped balls, you’ve got missed routes. Now, obviously, he has to get better. There are things he could’ve done a lot better, but it’s everyone right now.”

As recently as last week, Saleh confirmed the Jets had a consensus regarding where the organization stood with Wilson. The 24-year-old completed seven of 15 pass attempts for one touchdown and one interception against Buffalo, however, adding to a season of performances which have shown a distinct lack of development. The Jets elected not to add Carson Wentz as a mid-season free agent, leaving either Boyle or Trevor Siemian – who finds himself on the practice squad – as New York’s options to supplant Wilson as the starter.

Of course, the Jets’ QB situation has involved such uncertainty due to Aaron Rodgers‘ Week 1 Achilles tear. The four-time MVP has continued to progress in his rehab, and recent indications point to Dec. 24 as his targeted return date. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network corroborates that, while adding the obvious caveat that a Rodgers return would only be feasible if the Jets were still in postseason contention late in the year (video link).

Sitting at 4-6, New York could still make a run at a wild-card spot, but the depth of talented teams in the AFC stands to make the path to the playoffs a difficult one in the absence of better play on offense in particular. It will be interesting to see if Saleh’s post-game comments are reflected in a QB change ahead of Week 12’s matchup with the Dolphins.

Bears Will Have To Be “Blown Away” By Top QB Prospect To Move On From Justin Fields; Latest On GM Ryan Poles, HC Matt Eberflus

November 19th, 2023 at 10:20pm CST by Rory Parks

Recent reports have suggested that the Bears, who seem like a sure bet to have two top-10 picks in the 2024 draft, will select a quarterback in the first round. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that Chicago will have to be “blown away” by a quarterback prospect to pull the trigger and move on from incumbent Justin Fields.

That is the same mindset that general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus had when embarking on their first offseason with the Bears in 2022. The duo inherited Fields from Chicago’s prior regime, but at the time, the Ohio State product had just finished his rookie campaign, and it made sense to give him some time to live up to his own lofty draft status (Fields was the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft).

Since then, Fields has firmly cemented himself as a tremendous weapon when carrying the ball while proving to be more of a mixed bag as a passer. He has missed the Bears’ last four contests due to a dislocated thumb, and he will have the final seven games of the season to convince the organization to use its draft assets on non-quarterback talent. Eberflus believes that represents enough of an audition opportunity to determine Fields’ future with the franchise.

“I think seven weeks is enough time to show consistency and for him to be the high performer that we expect him to be,” Eberflus said (h/t Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com). “I know he’s had some good performances this year, certainly the last few have been solid.”

Of course, even if Fields performs well down the stretch, he may not stick in Chicago. By virtue of their 2023 trade with the Panthers, who presently have a 1-8 record, the Bears could find themselves in position to draft a collegiate QB like USC’s Caleb Williams or UNC’s Drake Maye without even having to trade up the board. Those players are widely believed to be generational talents, and assuming that the club agrees with the prevailing industry assessment — in other words, if Poles and Eberflus are “blown away” by at least one of Williams and Maye — Fields’ upcoming audition could really be a showcase for other teams.

A September report, which surfaced when the Bears were mired in a 13-game losing streak, suggested that both Eberflus and Poles were on the hot seat, and if ownership moves on from them at the end of the year, it obviously does not matter what they think of Fields or the top quarterbacks in the 2024 class. Fortunately for the power brokers, the Bears have gone 3-3 over their last six games, and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune makes it sounds as if Poles will return in 2024 and will be using the remainder of the season not only to evaluate Fields, but to evaluate Eberflus. Indeed, Biggs says Poles will need to determine if he wants a more offensive-minded coach — which could be especially relevant if he drafts Williams or Maye — and will want to see if the team remains competitive under Eberflus’ watch.

New team president Kevin Warren will obviously have considerable input as to the futures of both Eberflus and Poles.

QB Joe Flacco Signs With Browns

November 19th, 2023 at 10:16pm CST by Ely Allen

In light of the season-ending injury to starting quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Browns have elected to add some veteran starting experience to their roster in the form of former Super Bowl MVP passer Joe Flacco. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, while Flacco is heading to Cleveland on a practice squad deal, it’s expected that he will get promoted to the active roster. The team has since announced the move.

The Browns know Flacco well. In what will now be a 16-year career, in which he’s seen time with the Ravens, Broncos, and Jets, Flacco has a career record of 18 wins and only three losses to the Browns. In the age-old debate of whether or not Flacco was ever an elite quarterback, over 21 contests, the Browns have perhaps seen the most elite football of the 38-year-old’s career.

The Browns’ newest transaction serves three-fold. First, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, Flacco is coming to Cleveland to serve as a backup to rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who earned his first career win over the Steelers today in his second start this season. Second, the grizzled veteran will be asked to stand as a mentor for Thompson-Robinson based on his myriad experience with three different teams and several more offensive coordinators over the years.

The third purpose Flacco serves could be the worst best-case scenario. During a season in which the Browns are looking to earn their first playoff berth since 2020, and their second since 2002, Flacco boasts one of the more legendary playoff records in NFL history. Despite all of his playoff experience coming in Baltimore from 2014 and earlier, Flacco has a 10-5 record in the postseason with a 25:10 touchdown to interception ratio and a Super Bowl ring. Granted, this potential benefit will only come to fruition with a worst best-case scenario in which the team is still able to make the playoffs but Thompson-Robinson either gets hurt or proves ineffective.

Flacco wasn’t the only veteran quarterback interested in the job, though, as another former Raven in Robert Griffin III recently lobbied for a tryout. While Griffin actually has experience in Cleveland, he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2020 season. Despite Flacco not performing as a consistent starter since his first season in Denver in 2019, Flacco has managed to not only appear in a game every year since then, but he also has started in a game in each year since.

With the expectation that Flacco is coming to back up Thompson-Robinson, it opens the question of if the Browns have seen the end of the P.J. Walker-experiment. In three games of significant action this year, Walker has led the squad to two wins and a loss, but he’s been erratic with only one touchdown to five interceptions and two fumbles.

Regardless, the Browns will have three options in the quarterbacks room moving forward. Thompson-Robinson will get first dibs on the starting job, while Flacco and Walker will support from the bench. With one of the league’s best defenses, that may be just enough to get Cleveland to the postseason. And, perhaps, even more.

NFL Injury Roundup: Packers, Bosa, Becton

November 19th, 2023 at 6:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers were down to just one healthy running back today when both starting running back Aaron Jones and undrafted rookie third-stringer Emanuel Wilson were ruled out of today’s win over the Chargers after both sustained injuries in the team’s final drive of the first half.

After Jones exited the game with a knee injury, Green Bay’s big-bodied AJ Dillon came in to take over for Jones. A few plays later, Wilson came in to spell Dillon for two plays. On the second play, Wilson was pushed out of bounds, where he sustained the injury that would hold him out for the remainder of the contest. While not very effective, Dillon would take over the rushing load for the rest of the day. The rushing game did get a little extra boost thanks to a 32-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Jayden Reed before the two backs were knocked out.

After the game had ended, head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters that he didn’t believe the injury to Jones’ knee would be a long-term ailment, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. If Jones or Wilson are forced to miss any time, though, the only in-house option is rookie practice squad running back Ellis Merriweather.

Here are a couple other injury updates from today’s games:

  • Chargers star pass rusher Joey Bosa was ruled out of today’s loss to the Packers with a foot injury. It was a dire-looking scene as Bosa was carted off the sideline in tears. While no official diagnosis has been released, Bosa was seen on the sideline later with crutches and a walking boot on his right foot, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
  • In the afternoon slate, the Jets got off to a rough start in their divisional matchup when starting left tackle Mekhi Becton left the game, walking gingerly off the field on the team’s third drive. He would eventually be carted off to the locker room for further evaluation, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Becton was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a suspected high ankle sprain.

Mutual Interest Between Patriots, Josh Uche On New Deal

November 19th, 2023 at 4:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots were quiet at the trade deadline despite having a number of pending free agents which garnered attention from contending teams. One of them – edge rusher Josh Uche – appeared to be on his way out of New England. Instead, he may remain in place beyond 2023.

Uche, who is set to see his rookie contract expire in March, was frequently named as a trade candidate in the build-up to last month’s deadline. Compared to fellow 2019 draftees Kyle Dugger and Michael Onwenu, he was listed as the player likeliest to be dealt. Advanced talks took place, and the Seahawks were named as an interested team, but no trade was hammered out. Now, Uche is due to reach free agency for the first time in his career.

The 25-year-old confirmed, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, that head coach Bill Belichick was transparent about the team’s discussions regarding a trade which would have sent him elsewhere. With that having been avoided, though, it will be interesting to see how large of a workload he logs down the stretch. The former second-rounder has seen a 33% snap share this season, a slight step back from his playing time in his breakout 2022 campaign. Uche posted 11.5 of his 17.5 career sacks in the latter year.

For that reason, it came as something of a surprise when reports emerged that no extension talks had taken place as of last month. Uche has missed a pair of games this season, though, and posted only a pair of sacks to date. Those factors could complicate his value on the open market, along with how teams view him with respect to holding three-down potential or simply being a sack artist. In any case, interest in a second Patriots contract appears to be mutual.

“I want to be here,” Uche said, adding he does not expect negotiations to start until the offseason. “From my conversations with [Belichick], they want me here. It’s just all about making sure all the pieces fit together, and sometimes it’s out of our control, and then sometimes it just takes time.”

The Patriots are currently scheduled to have the second-most cap space in the NFL in 2024, so the team will have considerable spending power on deals for outside free agents or re-ups with internal players. It will be interesting to see if an agreement can be worked out in the coming months to keep Uche in New England, or if the team will be prepared to let him walk in free agency after not dealing him away mid-season.

Latest On Interim Raiders HC Antonio Pierce

November 19th, 2023 at 3:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Having started out 2-0 after the firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, the Raiders saw a turnaround under interim head coach Antonio Pierce. The latter’s change in attitude regarding the locker room has been well received throughout the organization, something which could help his chances (and those of interim GM Champ Kelly) of remaining in place beyond 2023.

Pierce had no experience as a head coach at the college or NFL levels prior to his Vegas appointment. As a result, the 45-year-old has turned to a veteran in search of advice during the early days of his time at the helm of the Raiders. Pierce has consulted with Tom Coughlin for advice, reports Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. Pierce played for Coughlin’s Giants for much of his career.

Heading into Week 11, the system in place for the Raiders has been not only player-friendly but also effective. Vegas won games against the Giants and Jets, teams which will offer less of a challenge than future opponents on the Raiders’ schedule. Still, the improved atmosphere around the organization has been telling for players, staffers and front office personnel. Both Jones and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport report owner Mark Davis is pleased with the early showings of the Pierce era.

That is particularly signficant given recent Raiders history. In the wake of Jon Gruden‘s scandal-induced resignation in 2021, Rich Bisaccia was given the head coaching position on an interim basis. The latter guided the team to the postseason, but he was allowed to depart to Green Bay while McDaniels was hired to replace him. By Year Two of the Patriots-flavored regime, though, another change had been made. Jones reports that Davis has since come to regret not giving Bisaccia the full-time gig, so a continuation of the team’s recent success by Pierce would greatly bolster his case for being tapped as McDaniels’ long-term successor.

While the early results have been encouraging, there are still questions in the organization regarding how far a much more player-centric environment can go, as noted by Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required). Stiffer tests (beginning with today’s close loss in Miami) will go a long way in determining the Raiders’ fate with respect to postseason contention or at least development from rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who is in place as the starter moving forward.

Davis did not lay out specific targets for the Pierce-Kelly pairing to meet during their time at the helm of the organization, but the door appears to be open to them staying in place for the foreseeable future. With Davis already on the hook for the McDaniels and Ziegler firings at a cost of $85MM (at least before offsets brought on by new employers), it will be interesting to see how aggressively he pursues outside options in the offseason as opposed to reversing his actions from the Bisaccia situation.

Jets Will Give Aaron Rodgers Green Light To Return

November 19th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 19: Rodgers told Jay Glazer of FOX Sports that he wants to return to practice on December 2, which is the day he will turn 40 (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). If Rodgers can realize that goal, then he would obviously be on track to make the mid-December return to game action that he alluded to previously.

As CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports, the four-time MVP is aiming for New York’s’ Christmas Eve contest against Washington as his first game since Week 1. That would line up sensibly with a practice return in mid-December, though plenty will be determined by the timing of his 21-day practice window being opened. Anderson confirms, however, that Rodgers still has a long way to go to receive clearance in the first place.

Of course, if the Jets lose their next two games, they will be an extreme longshot to make the postseason before Rodgers even gets back on the practice field, which would seemingly render a 2023 comeback needlessly risky.

NOVEMBER 16: As unrealistic as it sounded near the beginning of this journey, Aaron Rodgers is still beating the drum of a late-season return from the Achilles tear he suffered four plays into his Jets career. Reinjury risk obviously introduces a complication, but the Jets would not stand in the future Hall of Famer’s way.

The Jets are banking on Rodgers coming back for the 2024 season, after the parties reached an agreement in which the 19th-year QB gave back money. Now attached to a two-year, $75MM deal, Rodgers remains attached to a fully guaranteed 2024 sum. Rather than ensuring the most expensive QB investment in team history will be 100% for the offseason program, the Jets would give Rodgers the final say about returning late this season.

“Aaron’s a big boy, a grown man, and no one’s going to know Aaron’s body like Aaron knows his body,” Robert Saleh said, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “And if he feels after all the doctors clear him — I’m sure there’s a million of them, I have no idea — but if Aaron says he wants to play, he’s going to play.”

Jets GM Joe Douglas previously said the team expects to have the soon-to-be 40-year-old passer back late this season, adding more fuel to this plot Rodgers unveiled in September. Rodgers’ weekly Pat McAfee Show appearances have kept him in the public eye more often compared to just about every other player who has suffered a major early-season injury, extending this as a regular talking point. The four-time MVP said this week mid-December is a realistic goal. Though, Rodgers has stopped short of revealing a precise timetable.

The Jets’ record will naturally play into this unlikely comeback coming to fruition, with Rodgers confirming the Jets have to be in the playoff mix for him to turn this comeback effort into a return. New York has dropped to 4-5, seeing Zach Wilson‘s struggles continue to the point the team has not scored a touchdown in 36 drives. The Jets face the Bills and Dolphins over the next two weeks. After the back-to-back losses, ESPN’s FPI gives the Jets just a 4.1% chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Their performance in these two upcoming AFC East tilts may well determine how much longer this Rodgers-driven plot will last.

Rodgers has a history of a late-season comebacks, with mixed results. He has twice returned after sustaining a broken collarbone, re-emerging in the Packers’ 2013 regular-season finale — to help them hold off the Bears for the NFC North title — and resurfacing in December 2017. The latter return led to a one-off in which the Packers held out an IR-return spot — back when teams only had two such activations available — for Rodgers, who played in Week 15. A narrow loss to the Panthers led to the Packers placing Rodgers back on IR, as the organization exercised caution against the risk of reinjury.

Collarbone injuries and Achilles ruptures are obviously different matters, and Rodgers returning would be a landmark development in terms of injury rehab efforts. While the more realistic scenario is the Jets see Rodgers on the field again next season, Wilson — whom Saleh confirmed remains New York’s starter — is now in charge of this storyline.

Kirk Cousins Reiterates Desire For New Vikings Contract

November 19th, 2023 at 1:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear brought an abrupt end to his 2023 season, and accelerated questions about his post-2023 future. The pending free agent recently spoke about his upcoming rehab and his plans to continue playing in 2024 and beyond.

“You have a lot of thoughts go through your head, and one of them was: ‘Is this the last time I play football?” the veteran quarterback said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “Now a couple weeks removed I can say, ‘No, it’s not going to be.’ I’m excited to write the next chapter and see what God wants to do with it.”

Cousins’ injury will no doubt play a role in determining his free agent value this offseason. The 35-year-old had posted strong numbers (103.8 passer rating, 18:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio) prior to being sidelined, on the other hand, so another short-term deal could be beneficial for an interested team. It remains to be seen if Minnesota will commit to a third Cousins pact, but that option remains on the table as it did before the season.

Likewise, the Michigan State product confirmed in his remarks that he wishes to continue his Vikings tenure. His six-year stint with the franchise has seen him earn three of his four career Pro Bowl nods and help lead the team to the playoffs on two occasions. No long-term successor appears to be in place at the moment, and Minnesota raised eyebrows by adding only Jaren Hall at the 2023 draft. For the time being, trade acquisition Josh Dobbs has helped keep the team’s postseason hopes alive by filling in for an injured Hall and winning his first two Vikings appearances.

Given that current run of success, Cousins added that he is keeping his attention focused on the present situation rather than his contract status. It was learned well before this year’s training camp that talks on a new agreement would be put on hold until after the 2023 campaign. Cousins’ season has already come to an end, but his future will remain a key storyline for the Vikings in the coming months.

With respect to his rehab, the former fourth-rounder noted that the particulars of his Achilles tear were such that the ‘speed bridge’ procedure Aaron Rodgers underwent was not applicable. He added, however, that he would have elected for the traditional procedure in any case knowing he would not have been able to return at any point this season. While he continues with his recovery process, it will be interesting to see if the mutual interest in exploring a deal shared by both team and player in this case will produce another agreement.

Latest On Bills HC Sean McDermott, GM Brandon Beane

November 19th, 2023 at 10:30am CST by Rory Parks

The Bills entered the 2023 season on the short list of Super Bowl favorites, but Buffalo currently sports a 5-5 record and has a difficult schedule over the remainder of the campaign. With the team already having moved on from offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, it is fair to wonder if even more significant changes could be on the horizon.

Both Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post and Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) used the terms “scapegoat” and “scapegoating” when describing Dorsey’s recent dismissal. As Russini writes, head coach Sean McDermott told reporters that he fired Dorsey following the Bills’ narrow loss to the Broncos last week because he felt his team could not walk back into the locker room without knowing something had changed. That is about as blunt as a coach will be when it comes to publicly assigning blame, and since the team has bid adieu to both of its top coordinators in less than a year — longtime defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier stepped away in February — the pressure is squarely on McDermott to right the ship (interestingly, La Canfora said the Frazier situation was fueled by panic-stricken scapegoating, which suggests that his exit was not entirely voluntary, as had been presumed).

Scapegoat or not, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News believes it was the right call to part ways with Dorsey, whose scheme lacked creativity and whose play-calling had become predictable in Skurski’s eyes. That said, while Skurski believes McDermott will be on the hot seat if the Bills miss the playoffs, he does not believe McDermott will be fired. After all, Buffalo snapped its 17-year playoff drought in McDermott’s first season at the helm in 2017, and McDermott has posted a 67-40 regular season record while failing to qualify for the postseason field just once from 2017-22. La Canfora also hears from rival execs that McDermott has built up enough goodwill to survive one disappointing campaign.

However, additional staff shakeups should be expected. McDermott took over defensive play-calling duties in the wake of Frazier’s departure, and the Bills have slipped from sixth in the league in total defense in 2022 to 17th in 2023. While injuries have certainly played a major role in that regression, McDermott’s failed decision to call an all-out blitz in the Denver loss and the subsequent special teams snafu that allowed the Broncos a second chance at the game-winning field goal support one rival GM’s belief — as articulated to La Canfora — that Bills ownership will not allow McDermott to continue as de facto DC and defensive play-caller in 2024.

That same general manager does not believe that the Buffalo offense will find its footing under interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The GM said Brady’s scheme was proven to be a flawed one during his brief stint as OC with the Panthers, though Albert Breer of SI.com reports that most people within Carolina’s organization saw Brady as an imaginative and detail-oriented coach, and that Brady’s ouster was fueled primarily by a personality clash with then-head coach Matt Rhule. Still, should the Bills’ offense falter under Brady’s stewardship, Skurski believes McDermott will also be looking for a new offensive coordinator in the offseason.

GM Brandon Beane, who came to Buffalo alongside McDermott in 2017, also seems like a good bet to keep his job, as Skurski suggests. While La Canfora reports that team ownership is getting a bit restless, it should be noted that both Beane and McDermott were handed thru-2027 extensions earlier this year. Their contract situations and their track records may afford them the chance to return the Bills to powerhouse status, but if Buffalo misses the playoffs in 2023 and does not exhibit marked improvement in 2024, Beane and McDermott will likely be looking for new employment.

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