HEADLINES

Year: 2023

Daniel Jones Addresses ACL Injury; Giants Prepared To Draft QB Successor?

November 9th, 2023 at 10:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants’ 2023 season took another unfortunate turn when quarterback Daniel Jones suffered an ACL tear. That will sideline him for the remainder of the campaign, the first of his sizeable extension which has invited speculation about his future.

When speaking publicly about the injury for the first time, Jones was understandably asked about what effect (if any) he felt the injury would have on his long-term future in New York. The 26-year-old declined to address the topic, to no surprise, focusing instead on his plans for surgery and rehab. He indicated (via Zach Braziller of the New York Post) he is waiting for swelling in his knee to go down before deciding on a firm operation date, adding it will likely happen in the coming weeks.

“I think I’m focused on what I’m doing right now and trying to get my knee ready for the surgery and ready for the process to come back stronger,” the former No. 6 pick said. “So, in terms of my future, and what I’m thinking about it, it’s to attack this process and come back stronger, and a better football player in the future.”

Jones inked a four-year, $160MM deal this offseason in a show of confidence from the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime. That pact – which has already been restructured – calls for $36MM in guaranteed salary and a $47.1MM cap hit in 2024. While those figures ensure the Duke alum will be in place next season, speculation has increased regarding how open the Giants could be to acquiring a successor as early as the upcoming draft. Prior to the Week 9 game in which Jones went down, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano indicated the team was committed to Jones given the term remaining on his deal and the financial penalties associated with cutting or trading him.

Given what has transpired since then, however, things may have changed. Vacchiano has since written that if the Giants find themselves at or near the top of the board in April, “there is no doubt they will draft” an heir apparent to Jones. USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, in particular, would represent options likely too good to pass up if they were within the team’s range. Sitting at 2-7 and with Tommy DeVito now at the helm of the offense, the Giants could easily find themselves facing an interesting decision with respect to Jones in the spring.

Cutting the latter before June 1 in 2025 would result in a $22.2MM cap charge, a sizeable figure but one which could be justified in absorbing if a succession plan were to be in place by that point. Along with New York’s actions this spring, Jones’ ability to remain healthy and return to last year’s form in 2024 will of course be a major storyline to follow next year in the event signs point to it being his last with the Giants.

Jones added there is no further damage in his knee beyond the ACL tear, and that the neck injury which sidelined him for three games will not require surgery. While that news is encouraging, there will be plenty at stake for him when he next takes the field for the Giants, a team which will be worth watching closely in the offseason if their 2023 struggles continue.

OL Rumors: Steelers, 49ers, Jets, Fins, Pugh

November 9th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers may have executed a permanent switch at right tackle, and Chukwuma Okorafor believes it came because of comments he made near the end of the team’s Week 8 loss to the Jaguars. Pittsburgh benched Okorafor for its Thursday-night game against Tennessee, moving first-round pick Broderick Jones into the lineup. Okorafor said (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko) the Steelers benched him because he was “acting out” toward the end of the Pittsburgh-Jacksonville game. Mike Tomlin said (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly) Jones was deserving of an opportunity and helped the Steelers “provide a spark.”

Signed to a three-year, $29.25MM deal in 2022, Okorafor has been the Steelers’ starting right tackle since 2020. The team drafted Jones with the intent on making him its future left tackle, but a configuration in which left tackle Dan Moore moved to the right side to accommodate the rookie was floated as the more likely scenario this offseason. Since the Week 9 change, Jones and Okorafor said (via Kaboly and the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac) they expect the Moore-Jones starting duo to remain due to Jones receiving the first-team reps this week. The Steelers’ depth chart lists Jones as the RT starter, though the Georgia product said he would prefer to play left tackle, where he lined up for the SEC powerhouse. Okorafor believes what he said has resulted in “significant” ramifications but maintains his benching was not performance-based, creating an interesting storyline to follow in Pittsburgh.

Here are some O-line subplots from elsewhere around the NFL:

  • Missing the past two games with an ankle injury, Trent Williams returned to a limited practice Thursday. Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers‘ All-Pro left tackle has dealt with more than a low ankle sprain, via 49ersWebZone.com’s David Bonilla. The 49ers lost both the games Williams missed, after dropping from the unbeaten ranks — in Cleveland — following Williams’ injury-driven exit in Week 6. A limited practice represents a good sign for Williams’ Week 10 availability and San Francisco’s offensive capabilities.
  • The Jets may soon be without yet another offensive lineman. Robert Saleh described Billy Turner as encountering a “concerning” injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes the veteran blocker suffered a broken bone in his hand. This will leave Turner’s status uncertain for the Jets’ Week 10 tilt. Turner has not practiced this week, pointing to an absence. The Jets have turned to Turner at guard in the wake of Connor McGovern and Wes Schweitzer‘s IR trips. The team is likely to have Duane Brown back, however; the 38-year-old tackle — who remains on IR — has practiced fully this week. Saleh recently pointed to Brown’s return kicking Mekhi Becton back to right tackle.
  • Although left tackle Terron Armstead came off IR in time to face the Chiefs, the Dolphins played their Germany game without both starting guards. Isaiah Wynn is on IR with a potential season-ending injury, and Robert Hunt missed the game because of a hamstring ailment. Wynn fill-in Robert Jones also left the game, due to a hyperextended knee. While Mike McDaniel said Jones does not need surgery, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Lester Cotton and 2022 left guard starter Liam Eichenberg are set to vie for the starting role before the Dolphins return to action in Week 11. A third-year UDFA who made his first career start in Week 9, Jones is likely to miss some time, per McDaniel.
  • Justin Pugh signed a one-year, $1.43MM deal to rejoin the Giants last month. Pugh’s second Giants contract includes an incentive package worth $2.1MM, he revealed on his NetWorth Podcast (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard). Pugh can earn part of that $2.1MM by hitting the 50%, 70% and 90% playing-time thresholds from the point he debuted (Week 6). Despite the October arrival, Pugh has started — at both guard and tackle — in each of the four games in which he has played this season.

Packers President Addresses Jordan Love’s Status

November 9th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Aaron Rodgers famously needed to wait until his fourth season to become an NFL starter, the Packers had seen enough from the future Hall of Famer midway through that 2008 season to hand out an extension.

The Packers and Rodgers agreed on what became a wildly team-friendly deal on Oct. 31, 2008 — six years, $63.52MM — to set up the ascending quarterback entering his early prime. The Packers did not revisit the deal until the 2013 offseason, when Rodgers inked a five-year, $110MM pact. The initial extension holds a distinction as one of the better contracts a team has hammered out this century.

Before Week 1, Packers president Mark Murphy said it would likely take at least a half-season to begin to pinpoint Jordan Love‘s trajectory. The longtime Packers exec has since moved the goal posts a bit since those comments and followed GM Brian Gutekunst by indicating how pivotal this season’s second half will be to the franchise’s evaluation.

“It wouldn’t be fair to judge Jordan now since there are so many other factors that have contributed to the offense’s poor performance (e.g., dropped passes, penalties, mental errors),” Murphy said in a question-and-answer piece on Packers.com. “We should have a much better sense regarding Jordan at the end of the season.

“Young players often take time to find consistency, but we still very much believe in Jordan and are excited to see his continued development.”

Murphy also cited the experience around Rodgers when he took over, referencing receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings along with tackle Chad Clifton and running back Ryan Grant. While Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon represent experience, with the former residing as one of the better Packers skill-position players this century, this Green Bay edition lost David Bakhtiari for the season and played a stretch without Elgton Jenkins. The team also bid farewell to experienced wideouts Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb this offseason, seeing both team up with Rodgers with the Jets. The Packers’ receiving corps consists entirely of first- and second-year players, with rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft comprising the team’s top tight end duo. The inexperience issue came up multiple times this offseason, but the Packers refrained from adding a veteran to help the young group during Love’s first starter season.

Although Murphy reminded the Packers had seen enough from Rodgers to extend that extension offer by this point in his first starter season, the veteran exec praised Love’s makeup and leadership qualities. Through eight games, the fourth-year passer has not impressed. Love ranks 25th in passer rating, 22nd in QBR, 25th in yards per attempt and last (among qualified passers) in completion percentage (59.6). An accurate outing against the Rams brought Love’s completion rate to that point, and the Packers are coming off a 20-3 win.

An organization expecting to strike gold on a third consecutive passer is obviously a longer-odds proposition. The Packers’ 1992 Brett Favre trade and 2005 Rodgers draft choice set them up like no team before it, at least in terms of duration. The team’s decision to trade up for Love in 2020 generated scrutiny, and with the move coming without Gutekunst notifying Rodgers, that selection led to the parties’ relationship fracturing. By not taking a player capable of helping immediately, the Packers also punted on the chance to strengthen a team that had ventured to the prior year’s NFC championship game.

Gutekunst certainly took a risk by trading up for Love, who led Division I-FBS in interceptions in 2019. The Packers will give the Utah State alum more time. In lieu of picking up Love’s fully guaranteed 2024 option, the Packers gave Rodgers’ successor a two-year deal worth $13.5MM. Escalators exist within the deal, but Love is currently tied to a $5.5MM base salary and $7.76MM cap number for 2024. That is a favorable rate for a starting quarterback beyond his four-year rookie deal, but Love still has plenty to prove in order to command another Packers extension.

Cardinals Reach Injury Settlement With RB Damien Williams, Waive RB Tony Jones Jr.

November 9th, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

James Conner‘s injury has required some running back shuffling in Arizona, but the team’s moves Thursday point to the starter coming back. With Conner practicing after a four-week IR stay, the Cardinals jettisoned two running backs.

The team reached an injury settlement with Damien Williams, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, doing so while waiving Tony Jones Jr. Williams had been on Arizona’s practice squad injured list, being placed there last week. This transaction will send the veteran running back into free agency.

This marks the second straight year in which Williams, 31, has been cut loose via an injury settlement. The former Super Bowl starter began last season with the Falcons but suffered a rib injury in the team’s opener. As Tyler Allgeier began to flourish in his rookie season, the Falcons did not use one of their injury activations on Williams, releasing him from IR in December.

Although he caught on with the Raiders during Josh Jacobs‘ training camp absence, Williams did not make their 53-man roster. Conner’s injury prompted the Cardinals to add him in October. Williams, who totaled 10 touchdowns between the 2018 and ’19 postseasons as the Chiefs’ Kareem Hunt replacement, was active for three games with the Cardinals. He produced 43 yards on 11 carries, joining second-year back Keaontay Ingram and rookie UDFA Emari Demercado as Arizona’s ball carriers during Conner’s absence.

Jones has played in four Saints games this season; he joined the Cardinals as a waiver claim, arriving in the desert shortly after Williams. Jones, who went to training camp with the Broncos, logged three carries as a Cardinal. Demercado and Ingram remain on Arizona’s roster, but the team ditching two other backs points to Conner being ready when first eligible. Though, Demercado missed Week 9 and has not practice this week due to a toe injury. The Cardinals have until Saturday afternoon to activate the seventh-year back. Conner has missed time due to a knee injury, continuing a trend of short-term absences for the former third-round pick.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Poles, Gary

November 9th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Graham Glasgow became a cap casualty this offseason, seeing the now-Sean Payton-run Broncos dump his four-year, $44MM contract. The veteran interior lineman had taken a pay cut in 2022, after losing his job (to Quinn Meinerz) following an injury absence. Glasgow returned to the Lions, who had drafted him in 2016, on a one-year deal worth $2.75MM deal. Given backup money, Glasgow indeed began the season as a utility man. But the Lions have needed to use the eighth-year veteran at three positions this season, with injuries sidelining Jonah Jackson, Frank Ragnow and Halapoulivaati Vaitai. Glasgow has done enough to remain a starter when the unit is at full strength, Dan Campbell said (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett).

Glasgow, 30, has started the past six games and done so at left guard, right guard and center. Moving forward, Glasgow will be Detroit’s RG starter. Vaitai won that job out of training camp but needed time off after an early-season injury. While Vaitai is back after knee and back maladies, the 2020 free agency pickup has not showed top form upon returning. Pro Football Focus grades Glasgow as the No. 5 overall guard. The former third-round pick now has the opportunity to use this season to fetch a nice contract in free agency once again, though the Lions could also have interest in retaining him. The team removed a year from Vaitai’s contract, amid a pay cut that followed his missed 2022, and has Jackson in a contract year. The Lions have some questions at guard moving forward.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Although the Bears have since extended Montez Sweat, executives took issue with GM Ryan Poles‘ pre-deadline strategy. One anonymous GM said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the move of indicating Jaylon Johnson was available barely 12 hours before the deadline did not give teams enough time to gauge his trade value, assess the player’s future or negotiate a contract. A report indicating the Bears would let Johnson’s camp seek a trade — after Bears extension talks were not progressing — came out just after midnight CT on Oct. 31. The Bears ended up keeping Johnson, and Poles has said the team wants to keep the contract-year cornerback. No team has franchise-tagged a corner since the Rams cuffed Trumaine Johnson in 2017, but Chicago does have the tag available with Sweat signed days after that trade.
  • The Bears obtained Sweat from the Commanders for a second-round pick. The above-referenced GM said the Falcons were on track to land Sweat for a third-round pick before Poles put the Bears’ second-rounder on the table. Atlanta is believed to have increased its offer twice in response. Another anonymous GM told La Canfora the Bears should have been selling at the deadline. While execs did not agree with the Bears giving up a pick likely to land in the 30s for Sweat, the team proceeded this way for Chase Claypool last year and now has an upper-echelon edge defender signed long term.
  • Weeks after seeing DC Alan Williams step away, the Bears fired running backs coach David Walker, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns. Workplace behavior led to Walker’s dismissal, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin adds. The Bears’ HR department had previously disciplined Walker, according to Cronin, with the second infraction leading to the firing. Matt Eberflus hired Walker, 53, last year. HR was also involved in Williams’ exit; the two matters are unrelated. Omar Young is now coaching Chicago’s RBs.
  • Rashan Gary‘s four-year, $96MM Packers extension calls for a $34.6MM signing bonus, which represents the fifth-year outside linebacker’s guarantee. Additionally, Gary will collect a $6.2MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2024 league year, according to OverTheCap. On Day 3 of the 2025 league year, Gary will earn an $8.7MM roster bonus.
  • The Lions bumped linebacker Trevor Nowaske up to their active roster due to another team’s effort to poach him off the practice squad, Campbell said. A rookie UDFA out of Saginaw Valley State (Mich.), Nowaske joined Detroit’s active roster last week.

Panthers Activate LB Marquis Haynes

November 9th, 2023 at 3:49pm CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 9: Haynes will move back onto Carolina’s 53-man roster. The Panthers activated the rotational pass rusher ahead of Thursday’s Bears matchup. Unlike the Bears, whose Josh Blackwell and Equanimeous St. Brown activations have moved them down to one such move remaining, the Panthers have only used two IR activations this season.

NOVEMBER 6: The Panthers should soon be getting some much-needed depth at linebacker. The team announced that linebacker Marquis Haynes returned to practice and has been designated to return from injured reserve.

The Panthers now have 21 days to activate Haynes to the active roster. It’s uncertain if the sixth-year player will be able to return in time for Thursday Night Football against the Bears.

Haynes missed most of training camp and the preseason while dealing with a lingering back injury. While he was able to briefly return to practice, the linebacker ended up landing on injured reserve following final roster cuts. Haynes obviously required more than the four-week minimum to return, with his absence ultimately lasting more than two months.

The former fourth-round pick has turned into a dependable pass-rushing option for the Panthers. While he’s only started one of his 64 career appearances, he still appeared in more than a third of his team’s defensive snaps between 2020 and 2022. Over this span, Haynes has collected 12 sacks, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with a career-high five sacks to go along with a career-high 13 QB hits.

The Panthers are probably hoping Haynes can join the active roster sooner than later. The team recently placed Justin Houston on injured reserve, and head coach Frank Reich revealed today that Brian Burns will likely miss Week 10 while dealing with a concussion (via Joe Person of The Athletic). Luiji Vilain also suffered a knee injury in Week 9, leaving the team with three linebackers in DJ Johnson, Amaré Barno, and practice-squad player Eku Leota to finish yesterday’s loss to the Colts.

Giants, Xavier McKinney Table Extension Talks To 2024; Don Martindale Addresses Safety’s Complaint

November 9th, 2023 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

After hanging onto Xavier McKinney at the trade deadline, the Giants do not have plans to discuss an extension this season. Although Joe Schoen talked terms with Saquon Barkley and Julian Love midway through last season, McKinney will play out his rookie contract.

The fourth-year safety and the Giants mutually agreed to table talks until 2024, according to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. While the notion of McKinney not being a 2023 extension candidate was previously framed as a Giants call, it appears the safety is interested in potentially exploring free agency.

A 2020 second-round pick, McKinney has been a regular starter for much of his New York career. While he played behind Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan early in his run, the Alabama product spent the 2021 and ’22 seasons as a regular. The Giants have bid farewell to a few safeties during Schoen’s run. They released Ryan and let Peppers walk in free agency last year, and after failed talks to re-sign Love, the team let the 2022 safety starter sign with the Seahawks. The team had expected Love to re-sign but had an eye on McKinney’s future by letting him go.

The Giants have cleared the decks at safety, potentially opening the door to McKinney staying on a second contract. Pro Football Focus grades McKinney’s as the NFL’s No. 30 overall safety through the season’s midpoint. He has stayed healthy thus far this year, though the team may be keen on seeing the 24-year-old defender remain available. Injuries in 2020 and 2022, the latter an ATV accident, kept McKinney off the field for extended stretches. While McKinney returned to action late last season, he missed eight games after being sidelined for 10 as a rookie. In 2021, McKinney played 16 games.

Suddenly, McKinney’s performance may not cover his entire situation. He made postgame comments aimed at the coaching staff. Amid this 2-7 Giants start, McKinney lashed out at a perceived lack of leadership.

“Honestly, it sucks. But, I don’t know, man. I don’t really have many words. I think that from a leadership standpoint, I don’t think they’ve done a great job of letting the leaders lead, and listening to the leaders and the captains,” said McKinney, who is a Giants captain (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan).

“It was one of those things where you have some of your leaders, captains from a defensive standpoint, trying to switch things up and just not really being heard.”

Brian Daboll brushed off the notion he is losing the locker room, an issue that accelerated the firings of Ben McAdoo and Joe Judge. Daboll said (via Dunleavy) he meets with Giants captains each Friday. When asked about McKinney’s comments Thursday, second-year DC Don Martindale said the statement did hurt him, according to the New York Post’s Mark Cannizzaro. Though, the veteran defensive coach said the parties have cleared up the matter.

“It surprised me, because it’s the first time in my career that a player would make a statement like that,” Martindale said. “I think it was a case where the kid was just frustrated with losing. We spoke. We cleared it up. The example that he gave me of what he was talking about was an in-game adjustment. It really took a while for him to point out to me exactly what it was.

“What he explained to me was a coverage that we ran one time. He explained that to me afterward. I didn’t hear about it during the game. That’s another reason why it caught me by surprise. … I just told him that’s something that hurts the locker room, it hurts the defensive room when you say something like that.”

McKinney’s 53 tackles rank second on the Giants, behind Bobby Okereke‘s 80. Ranking last in both scoring and total offense, the Giants sit 21st in points allowed and 24th in total defense this season. DVOA slots Martindale’s unit 26th.

Bears Activate WR Equanimeous St. Brown, CB Josh Blackwell From IR

November 9th, 2023 at 2:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 9: Chicago will be the first team this season to push up against the injury activation limit. The Bears are activating St. Brown and Blackwell from IR, though Herbert will not be returned to the 53-man roster just yet. Nevertheless, the team will use its sixth and seventh activations Wednesday, leaving one remaining. That is a bit unusual in Week 10, though we are fairly early into this injury format.

Herbert seemingly is the favorite for that final IR-return activation. Once that happens, any Bear who lands on IR will see his season end. Blackwell and St. Brown join Teven Jenkins, Braxton Jones, Doug Kramer, Khalid Kareem and Kyler Gordon as Chicago’s IR activations thus far.

NOVEMBER 6: The Bears’ backfield could be healthier in the near future. The team announced on Monday that running back Khalil Herbert has been designated for return from injured reserve.

The news means Herbert’s 21-day practice window has been opened. He must be activated within that span to avoid reverting to season-ending IR. The same is true for cornerback Josh Blackwell and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who were also designated for return on Monday.

Herbert suffered a high ankle sprain in October, one which was expected to keep him sidelined for an extended period. As a result, his IR stint came as little surprise. His activation will end his absence while giving the Bears another option at the RB spot. The 25-year-old has logged a career-high 10.2 carries per game in 2023, confirming expectations he would see an uptick in usage with David Montgomery no longer in the picture. Herbert has parlayed that into 272 yards, while adding one touchdown and 83 yards in the passing game.

Chicago has dealt with a number of injuries in the backfield recently, but D’Onta Foreman has emerged as the team’s lead back. The free agent addition has logged at least 15 carries in three of the past four games, including a season-high 20 on Sunday. Foreman has averaged 4.4 yards per carry and scored two touchdowns during the start of his tenure in the Windy City, and it will be interesting to see how his workload is affected once Herbert returns.

Blackwell has made 18 appearances with the Bears, and has played primarily on special teams. St. Brown, by contrast, has seen a notable workload on offense (57% snap share last season, 49% in 2023) since arriving in Chicago after three years in Green Bay. His return will be welcomed on a passing attack which has struggled to find consistent success with either Justin Fields or Tyson Bagent under center.

However, the Bears entered today with only three of their eight IR activations remaining. In other words, bringing back Herbert, Blackmon and St. Brown will leave the team without the ability to put any other player on IR which they believe will be able to return later in the campaign. Still, Chicago will have reinforcements on both sides of the ball once the trio is back on the field.

Broncos Fielded Deadline Offers On WR Jerry Jeudy

November 9th, 2023 at 2:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

It turned out to be a quiet trade deadline for the Broncos, despite the Randy Gregory deal signaling the team was prepared to make moves. While the team set a lofty asking price to even start conversations on Patrick Surtain and discussed Justin Simmons, its most frequently mentioned trade piece stayed put as well.

Jerry Jeudy has been mentioned as a trade piece since before the 2022 deadline. Offers poured in for the former first-round pick last year, coming as the Broncos’ offense bottomed out weeks into the Nathaniel Hackett–Russell Wilson partnership. Jeudy, who drew interest from the Cowboys and Giants last year, still led that dysfunctional Denver team in receiving — with a career-high 972 yards — and Sean Payton reopened the door to a trade this offseason. But no team is believed to have come especially close to the asking price the Broncos set this year. The Browns and Patriots were mentioned as spring suitors; both moved in different directions, Cleveland trading for Elijah Moore and New England signing JuJu Smith-Schuster.

That continued in the weeks before the deadline. Denver had set a first-round price on Jeudy this offseason, while asking for a second in exchange for Courtland Sutton. The latter is believed to have generated a back-and-forth between the Broncos and Ravens, with a deal being scuttled and Baltimore going with Odell Beckham Jr. in free agency. Going into this year’s deadline, Sutton was viewed as less likely to be moved than Jeudy, who has been inconsistent in Payton’s attack.

Interest in Jeudy was believed to have declined this season, to the point a third-round pick was mentioned as potential compensation. Though, the Colts inquired earlier this fall. It is unclear if the Broncos received a third-round offer for Jeudy, but Payton confirmed (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) offers came in just before last week’s deadline. They were not enough to convince Payton and GM George Paton to move on from Jeudy, who is signed through 2024 via the fifth-year option.

“We’re not the ones to be interviewed,” Payton said of the trade deadline. “Go ask the people that are purchasing. We’re building and putting a team together. We kind of went through this in the offseason with a handful of players. He’s an important part and important piece of what we’re doing. … Shoot, he’s a guy we think is dynamic.”

The Broncos holding out for a better offer points to yet another round of Jeudy trade rumors in 2024, when he will be tied to a fully guaranteed $12.99MM. With 2024 being a Jeudy contract year, the Broncos will need to make a final determination on their plans for the shifty but inconsistent performer. The Alabama alum will have a chance to rebuild his trade value down the stretch this season. In seven games, Jeudy has 336 receiving yards — second on the team to Sutton’s 380 — and one touchdown.

Payton also said the goal will be to involve second-round rookie Marvin Mims more in the offense. For a stretch to start the season, Mims was pacing the Broncos in receiving yardage despite holding a part-time role. Sutton and Jeudy have caught up, but the Oklahoma alum is averaging 22.4 yards per catch (11/246). Mims entered the bye week, however, having not caught a pass in three games. He holds a 30% offensive snap share.

Mims’ progression during the season’s second half, however, could end up being a determinant in how the Broncos proceed with Jeudy and Sutton. The latter is signed through 2025, but no guarantees remain on the deal after this season.

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