Draft Rumors: Pro Days, Jackson, Taylor
We’re in the thick of Pro Day Season and, while some of the 2025 NFL Draft’s top quarterbacks are showing out after not throwing at the NFL Scouting Combine, some of the draft’s top pass rushers have chosen to sit out of their pro days. Two of the class’s top pass rushing prospects, Penn State’s Abdul Carter and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, have made the decision not to work out at their respective pro day events.
Carter’s announcement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, was relayed by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who said that his client was “still finishing up rehab on the shoulder injury” he suffered during the College Football Playoff game against Boise State. He won’t work out at the pro day but will still be measured, which is important because he didn’t get measured at the combine after having to leave early for medicals, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. Rosenhaus added that Carter may still work out at private team workouts in mid-April.
Stewart also missed workouts at both the combine and his team’s pro day, per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda. Stewart, a former five-star high school recruit, is a true physical specimen, but after only recording 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons of play with the Aggies, scouts were hoping to get some insight via pre-draft workouts. If he still goes in the first round of the draft, as is currently projected, it will likely be solely based on traits over production.
Here are a couple other draft rumors on potential Day 1 prospects:
- Another pass rushing prospect, Arkansas’ Landon Jackson is hoping to work his way into the first round with Carter and Stewart. After a phenomenal combine performance that included a 4.68-second 40-yard dash, a 40.5-inch vertical jump, and a 10-foot-9 broad jump, Jackson continued to impress on the stopwatch with a three-cone drill timed at under seven seconds, per Pauline. While Jackson surprisingly sat out of defensive line drills in Fayetteville, he’s still being projected as an easy top-42 pick, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he found himself getting selected on Day 1.
- Lastly, LSU tight end Mason Taylor had an impressive pro day in Baton Rouge, timing out from 4.58-4.62, depending on the stopwatch, on his 40-yard dash and repping out 28 on the bench press. While the Giants and Cowboys both ran him through some blocking drills, the only team with an official top-30 visit planned, per Pauline, is the Chargers.
QB Draft Notes: Browns, Dart, Milroe
We know that the Browns have been exploring the quarterback options in the 2025 NFL Draft, conducting a private workout with Miami’s Cam Ward following the Hurricanes’ pro day in Coral Gables. The holders of the No. 2 overall pick in the draft know, though, that Ward may not be available to them.
According to Tony Grossi of TheLandOnDemand.com, the Browns’ road trip didn’t end there. Grossi informs us that Cleveland’s general manager, Andrew Berry, and head coach, Kevin Stefanski, conducted private workouts with Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart and Alabama passer Jalen Milroe this week, as well. He adds that the two will finish their quarterback workouts when the travel to Boulder for Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders pro day next Friday.
While Ward and Sanders seem like the only two possible choices for Cleveland with the second overall pick, the team’s interest in Dart and Milroe provide the potential that they could go for another position, taking Penn State’s Abdul Carter or Colorado’s Travis Hunter, at No. 2 and go for a quarterback in a later round. Dart has lately been cast as a potential first-rounder, but it’s perfectly reasonable to think that he might be available to Cleveland at the top of the second. Milroe, on the other hand, has been seen, at times, as a likely Day 3 pick, further expanding the Browns’ options for a rookie passer.
Here are a few other rumors concerning quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft:
- We’ve seen the Saints spend lots of time at dinner in the past week as they continue to meet with draft prospects. Per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, their latest dinner date was Dart, who met with the team tonight. The team previously held interest in Texas’ Quinn Ewers, hosting him and several of his teammates earlier this week. Dart getting picked at No. 9 overall by the Saints seems like an unlikely projection at the current moment, but Dart or Ewers on Day 2 could both be potential scenarios.
- Dart isn’t the only quarterback New Orleans saw today. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the team held a private workout today for Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord. While McCord hasn’t received a ton a press so far in the pre-draft process, he deserves some respect after leading the NCAA in passing yards and passing yards per game last year, being the only one in the country to out-pass Ward and even beating him in a head-to-head matchup. McCord could join Dart and Ewers as potential Day 2 or 3 options for the Saints.
- Lastly, Milroe has been getting more and more interest lately as rumors begin to swarm grouping him with Ward, Sanders, and Dart as a potential first-rounder. Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports said on The Herd today that “the Steelers really like Jalen Milroe” and may even consider drafting him at No. 21 overall. Cowherd believes that most teams sitting in the draft picks from Nos. 20-32 want to trade back out of the first round due to a lack of elite talent. Unfortunately, for that same reason, there likely won’t be many takers, and those teams will be forced to make a pick, even if overvalued. That pick for the Steelers could be Milroe as they only roster Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson at the moment and they continue to wait on Aaron Rodgers. Even if Rodgers signs, they would view Rodgers as a stopgap option, with Milroe as the future. As they examine the landscape of quarterbacks available, they believe Milroe is far more athletic than any other options and want to do something special at the quarterback position.
Draft Rumors: Visits, Green, Nolen, RBs
As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nigh, teams are beginning to do their due diligence on each prospect, including hosting several for visits.
A perfect example of this saw the Saints host a bevy of Longhorns for a dinner last night, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. The list of Texas prospects included possible first-rounders cornerback Jahdae Barron and wide receiver Matthew Golden as well as defensive tackle Vernon Broughton and quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Saints weren’t the only team to spend time with Ewers yesterday, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Both the Jets and Raiders sent staffers to meet with the 22-year-old in Austin prior to the team’s pro day. Ewers has several visits planned following today’s pro day, as well, including meetings with the Cowboys, Colts, and Raiders, again, in early April.
Another potential Longhorn first-rounder, wide receiver Isaiah Bond, has also reportedly set up a number of visits following today’s pro day, per CJ Vogel of On Texas Football. Bond apparently has top-30 visits scheduled in the next month with the Falcons, Bears, Packers, and Rams.
Here are some more rumors concerning the 2025 NFL Draft:
- East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. is making the rounds, as well. After previously meeting with New Orleans, Revel reportedly visited the Texans on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Revel is attempting to make a speedy recovery from a torn ACL that ended his final collegiate season after only three games. He’s reportedly on track to be ready to return in time for training camp.
- One of Revel’s top competitors at the position in this year’s class, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, is set to meet with the Raiders, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Johnson has already met with the Falcons and reportedly met with the Cardinals already, as well.
- Already having met with the Saints and Falcons, Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is set to meet with several other franchises, per Wilson. One of the top tackle options in the class, Conerly has visits planned with the Texans, Eagles, Commanders, Bengals, and Bears. Wilson adds that, at the NFL Scouting Combine, Conerly already formerly met with the Texans, Jets, Titans, Patriots, Raiders, Commanders, and 49ers.
- Marshall’s pro day garnered a few more visitors than usual today, thanks to the presence of potential first-round pass rusher Mike Green. According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, while several teams sent personnel to check Green out, the Falcons sent most of their front office as well as head coach Raheem Morris. Pauline adds that the Commanders also held a significant presence at the pass rusher’s pro day.
- Due to the draft being more deep than top-heavy, there are several prospects who receive a wide range of opinions on when and where they’ll go in the draft. According to Matt Miller of ESPN, though, no player has a wider range than Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Transferring within the conference from Texas A&M for the final year of his collegiate career, Nolen had a strong, consensus All-American season with the Rebels, totaling 48 total tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. Despite the impressive performance, Miller claims that “teams are torn on (Nolen’s) lack of refined pass-rush moves,” resulting in projections from the top 10 all the way back to the second round.
- Last year was the second time in the three years that we saw no running backs taken in the first round of the draft. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, we could see two running backs hear their names called on Day 1 of the event this year. A running backs coach told Schultz that “there’s no way (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) falls outside the top 15-20 picks.” Jeanty has been projected in multiple mock drafts to both the Raiders at No. 6 overall and the Cowboys at No. 12. While the position is deep, with players like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, Ohio State’s duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, Miami’s Damien Martinez, and several others, it’s North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton who may have played himself into the first round with Jeanty. Schultz claims that a personnel director told him the only thing Hampton needed to do in order to go in Round 1 was run in the 4.4’s at the combine, and Hampton ran a 4.46. He may not get taken as high as Jeanty, but he should still be considered a first-round candidate come the end of April.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/25/25
Tuesday’s minor transactions:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: TE Ian Thomas
New York Giants
- Re-signed: G Aaron Stinnie
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Steven Sims
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: G Sua Opeta
Thomas’ seven-year stay in Carolina has come to an end. After not missing a game for the first five years of his career, Thomas has missed half the games over the past two seasons. Despite making 54 starts in 99 games over that time, Thomas has never excelled as a receiving tight end, totaling just 1,062 yards in his career and not scoring a touchdown since 2020. He has made his name, mostly, as a strong pass blocker and will likely continue in that role in Vegas with the Raiders already rostering one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL.
Stinnie, a six-year veteran, has started 15 games in his career. Most of those came in 2023 with the Buccaneers, but he did make three starts for New York near the end of the season while appearing in 16 games.
Sims has journeyed throughout the NFL in his six-year career, playing for four teams over that time. While he made moderate receiving contributions during his early years in the league, Sims has mostly functioned as an option in the return game for the teams he’s played with.
Over the course of his rookie contract, Opeta started 10 of 38 game appearances for the Eagles, including six starts in 2023. He signed with the Buccaneers for his second NFL contract last year, but a torn ACL kept him out of the 2024 season.
NFL QB Rumors: Rodgers, Wilson, Ward
Yesterday, we saw free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers meet with a Steelers contingent that featured general manager Omar Khan, head coach Mike Tomlin, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The presence of all of the team’s top personnel was interesting to see as the three missed Michigan’s pro day to meet with the 41-year-old passer. The top brass in Pittsburgh tends to all be in attendance for big pro days, and the Wolverines are stacked with first round talent like defensive tackles Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, cornerback Will Johnson, and tight end Colston Loveland.
While it may seem like Rodgers leaving without a deal made the meeting unproductive, it appears the meeting wasn’t intended to be about contract negotiations. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Steelers and Rodgers “have had contract parameters in place for weeks.” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer adds that money discussions are not “expected to get in the way” when it comes to a decision.
The visit was reportedly less about discussions on compensation and more about conversations on fit and Rodgers getting the feel of the Steelers’ leadership and culture. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the six-hour visit was a positive one, and the two sides will remain in touch, though the decision is ultimately in Rodgers’ hands.
Here are a couple other rumors concerning the teams still looking for quarterback help this offseason:
- With Pittsburgh pushing all their chips in on Rodgers, it’s become apparent that Russell Wilson has been deemed a backup option for the Steelers, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Wilson is still getting plenty of interest from the Browns and Giants, who despite signing Jameis Winston yesterday, have not been ruled out from signing another veteran passer and/or drafting a rookie quarterback as they begin to rebuild their quarterbacks room from scratch.
- Speaking of pro days, Fowler tells us that the Titans will be sending the calvary to Coral Gables for Miami quarterback Cam Ward‘s pro day this Monday. While there has been a lot of momentum for Ward to go No. 1 overall to Nashville, Fowler says that a determination has not yet been made by the Titans. The team still intends to undergo a very thorough determination process, but so far, through interviews at the NFL scouting combine, Ward has acquitted himself well, showing some mistake recognition and coachability to go along with his natural talent.
- An interesting note from Fowler adds that, in a perfect world, Tennessee would love to be able to trade back and still land Ward, but there’s worry that he wouldn’t still be around after moving back, perfectly illustrating how position need and importance can inflate a player’s draft stock. Regardless, the sense around the league is that Ward has far and away separated himself from the rest of the quarterbacks in this year’s class.
Prospect Profile: Tyler Warren
For much of the 2024 college football season, Michigan’s Colston Loveland was viewed as the premier tight end of the 2025 NFL Draft class. A breakout season from Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren gradually saw Loveland slip to TE2 as the Warren gained the top slot. 
Warren had some decent offers coming out of Atlee HS in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Despite being a three-star athlete and grading as only the 21st-ranked tight end in the class, per 247Sports, Warren fielded offers from Michigan, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Louisville, and Syracuse. He made an early decision, though, committing to James Franklin and Penn State before his senior year and following through on that commitment.
It took a while for Warren to earn some significant snaps in Happy Valley. As a true freshman, Warren retained a redshirt status by only appearing in two games while Pat Freiermuth dominated the room. In his redshirt freshman year, Warren appeared in every contest but only caught five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown while Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson led the group, though Warren did get some gadget use with two rushing touchdowns on six attempts. This continued as the group stayed the same in 2022, though Warren did get three starts in a bit more time, catching 10 balls for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
With Strange departing for the NFL as a second-round draft pick, Warren joined Johnson as one of a two-man tight end attack in 2023. Both players caught 34 passes and seven touchdowns that year, though Warren edged Johnson on yardage 422 to 341. When Johnson was selected in the fourth round of the draft that year, it became clear that Warren would be a name to watch for this year’s class following his redshirt senior season.
Warren blew up the scene this year. With no other tight ends to vulture targets from him, Warren became the Nittany Lions’ top offensive weapon, leading the team in receptions (104), receiving yards (1,233), and receiving touchdowns (8). Though he had the added benefit of a 16-game schedule, thanks to the College Football Playoff, Warren’s 1,233 receiving yards were seventh-most in the NCAA this year. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Warren graded out as the second-best tight end in college football, behind only Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green, who led all of college football in receiving yards and receiving yards per game regardless of position.
Measuring out at the NFL Scouting Combine at 6-foot-5.5 and 256 pounds, Warren is a little undersized for the perfect prototype, but his top-end production is enough to overlook that drawback. His size does limit him as a blocker, where he has plenty of room for improvement, and too easily can he be redirected from his route when in physical coverage, but sheer competitiveness and athleticism often helps Warren play through the contact and dominate, regardless.
Warren’s top competition in the draft is Loveland, Fannin, and Miami’s Elijah Arroyo. Loveland gained national recognition during the Wolverines’ national championship season but didn’t dominate statistically like Warren and Fannin in 2024. Arroyo’s stock continues to rise after a breakout season with the Hurricanes and a show-stealing performance at the Senior Bowl, though an injury at the event held Arroyo out from further improving his stock at the combine.
According to Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, the Jets are a team that are “infatuated with Warren” at the No. 7 overall pick. With the departure of Tyler Conklin to the Chargers, New York could certainly be on the lookout for a tight end in the draft. If they really love Warren, that pick makes too much sense. If he falls past the Jets, though, the Colts are another team that is highly covetous of Warren at No. 14 overall. Indianapolis was high on Brock Bowers last year before he got selected two slots above them. They’ll hope they don’t miss on Warren, too, since they haven’t had an impact tight end since Eric Ebron‘s big season in 2018.
Chargers Contract Details: Mack, Bozeman, Dye, Conklin
Here are some details on recent contracts signed by the Chargers:
- Khalil Mack, OLB (Chargers): One year, $18MM. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Mack’s one-year contract is fully guaranteed with a $10MM signing bonus and an $8MM base salary. Due to some void salary cap carryover, Mack will represent a $26.87MM cap hit in 2025.
- Bradley Bozeman, C (Chargers): Two years, $6.5MM. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Bozeman’s new deal has a total guaranteed amount of $3.38MM consisting of a $2.12MM signing bonus and his base salary in 2025 of $1.26MM. Despite no guarantees in the second year of the deal, Bozeman can earn a $500K roster bonus, effective on the third day of the 2026 new league year. Each year of the deal also holds a $2.75MM incentive based on playing time.
- Troy Dye, LB (Chargers): Two years, $5.5MM. According to Wilson, the new two-year contract includes $3MM of total guarantees. $1.5MM, in the form of a signing bonus, is guaranteed at signing, while the remaining $1.5MM comes from Dye’s 2025 base salary. Like Bozeman, Dye has a $500K roster bonus for 2026, but Dye’s incentives (up to $1.5MM each year) are based on playing time, sacks, and interceptions and can act as an escalator for his 2026 earnings. Despite a $2MM base salary and $3.25MM cap hit for the second year of his deal, Los Angeles built in a potential out that will allow them to release Dye after this season with only $750K in dead cap.
- Tyler Conklin, TE (Chargers): One year, $3MM. Conklin’s recent deal with Los Angeles can be worth up to $4.5MM with incentives, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Garafolo calls Conklin’s incentives “reachable,” insinuating that Conklin should be able to wring out the full value of the deal.
- J.K. Scott, P (Chargers): Two years, $6MM. Per Wilson, Scott’s new contract includes $3.15MM of total guarantees, all guaranteed at signing. The guarantees include a $1.9MM signing bonus and Scott’s 2025 base salary of $1.25MM. Unlike Bozeman and Dye, Scott’s $500K roster bonus is effective on the fifth day of the 2026 new league year. Like Dye, though, Scott’s deal has a built-in potential out that will allow Los Angeles to cut him after this year for only $950K of dead cap, despite a salary of $2.35MM and a scheduled cap hit of $3.8MM in 2026.
- Jalen Reagor, WR (Chargers): One year, $1.34MM. According to Wilson, Reagor’s deal is just over the veteran minimum, thanks to $360K of guarantees comprised of a $60K signing bonus and $300K of his base salary (worth a total of $1.17MM). Reagor will also net an additional $55K through a workout bonus and could earn a Week 1 roster bonus of $52.5K if he makes the 53-man roster.
Panthers Re-Sign S Nick Scott
After reports earlier today that free agent safety Nick Scott was considering offers from his former team and a mystery bidder, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us that the Panthers will be re-signing the veteran safety. Scott will be back in Carolina on a one-year deal. 
A former seventh-round pick in 2019, Scott saw the most defensive responsibility during his four years in Los Angeles. This culminated in a 2022 season in which he started all 16 of his game appearances while compiling career highs in total tackles (86) and interceptions (2). This big performance in a contract year led to Scott inking a three-year, $12MM deal with the Bengals in 2023, but he only started 10 of his 17 appearances in his first season in Cincinnati before getting cut.
He quickly caught on with the Panthers on a one-year, $1.29MM contract. In Carolina, he was intended to play a backup role to Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller. Scott saw an increased role, though, when Fuller went down with an injury, including a four-week stretch in which he didn’t miss a defensive snap. Unfortunately for Scott, a hamstring injury resulted in a nearly two-month stay on injured reserve, and Scott exclusively saw special teams work following his late-season return from IR.
With Woods signing a two-year, $10MM deal with the Titans and Fuller departing in free agency for Atlanta, Scott should be able to slide into a starting role again. Carolina also signed former Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig to a three-year, $51MM deal which suggests that he’ll occupy the other starting spot.
Demani Richardson, an undrafted rookie last season out of Texas A&M, should push for a big role, as well. Richardson was pushed into his first two career starts when Scott was placed on IR last season, and in the three games that saw Scott relegated to only special teams snaps, Richardson was tabbed as the starter and played nearly every defensive snap in the three contests. The former UDFA could end up competing with Scott for a significant role in the secondary.
The familiarity of both Richardson and Scott will be crucial for a team that is replacing two starters. Combined with Moehrig, the Panthers will hope to see some improvement to the secondary in 2025.
Giants To Sign QB Jameis Winston
The Giants have secured a quarterback option for the 2025 NFL season. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, the team is finalizing a deal with veteran quarterback Jameis Winston. The contract is for two years and $8MM, though it could be worth up to $16MM with incentives. 
Ever since New York waived long-time quarterback Daniel Jones midseason, it’s been clear that their quarterback future was up in the air. The team finished out the season with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito behind center, going 1-6 down the stretch with their backups. With Lock’s contract expiring, DeVito was the only passer remaining on the roster, limiting the Giants options moving forward.
Coming into the offseason, the two options were clear: acquire a veteran quarterback via trade or free agency or use the No. 3 overall pick to select a quarterback for the future. New York threw their name in the Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes, but while they’ve waited for his decision, the Giants have hosted the likes of Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Winston. While it seems that signing Winston should take them out of the running for Rodgers, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network posits that Winston’s presence just gives them a few more options.
The former No. 1 overall pick from the 2015 NFL Draft has slowly seen a demotion in his NFL career, going from a full-time starter in Tampa Bay to part-time starting roles in New Orleans and Cleveland. During a five-year stint to start his career with the Buccaneers, Winston had started most every game that he was available, aside from a short period in 2018 as he served a suspension for allegedly groping a female Uber driver and had to win his job back from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
In 2020, he signed with the Saints as a backup to Drew Brees but took over the starting job the next year, before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. The following two years saw him serve in New Orleans as a backup to Andy Dalton and Derek Carr. This past season, he signed on with the Browns to serve as a backup to Deshaun Watson, ultimately finding himself in the starting lineup once again when Watson was ruled out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear. Winston expressed interest in returning to Cleveland while staying open to conversations for backup jobs with the 49ers and Chargers.
Winston provides the Giants with an upgraded backup over DeVito with the potential to start and win some games if needed. Last year, what Winston did with the Browns was the perfect example of what Winston offers to the roster, basically ensuring that, even if the Giants miss out on Rodgers, Wilson, or their preferred draft pick, New York will have a player who can start throughout the season, if necessary.
While Winston could easily serve as a dependable backup behind Rodgers or Wilson, Winston sets up better as a potential bridge quarterback for a team drafting a rookie, much like we saw with Sam Darnold in Minnesota last year. Whether New York moves up to draft a passer or allows a prospect to fall to them at No. 3 overall, Winston could serve as a starter until the rookie is ready to take over, allowing the Giants to not rush their quarterback of the future onto the field before he’s ready.
Whatever their future plans, signing Winston certainly provides the Giants with more options. Whether they still aim to bring in a veteran like Rodgers or Wilson or a rookie like Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, rostering Winston gives them plenty of flexibility in exacting their plans for the future.
Vikings Have Discussed Deal With QB Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill did not play in the NFL last year, but he could be nearing a return for the 2025 season. The Vikings have reportedly reached out to Tannehill to discuss a potential deal, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, though no signing is imminent at this time. 
Minnesota needs some experience at quarterback after Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones signed with other teams. Though the Vikings should receive compensatory picks in 2026 as a result of those departures, they now only have two quarterbacks under contract for the 2025 season: J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus, and Rypien has started just four games in his four-year career.
The Vikings explored signing Aaron Rodgers but ultimately opted not to submit an offer to the mercurial 41-year-old. The team’s quarterback situation has recently seen Minnesota affirming McCarthy as the heir apparent for the job moving forward. The 10th overall pick last year was not seen as a first-round option for much of the 2023 season, but his national championship-winning season with the Wolverines, combined with quite a few desperate teams looking for rookie passers, resulted in McCarthy hearing his name on Day 1.
While it was initially thought that McCarthy would need to sit and learn for a year, a lack of serious candidates for competition led McCarthy into a battle with Darnold to replace Kirk Cousins as the starter in Minnesota, a battle that Darnold was gifted following McCarthy’s surgery. Now, with Darnold having moved on and McCarthy having sat for the year, it’s presumed that McCarthy should now be ready to take hold of the starting role.
With Rodgers out of the picture, Tannehill enters as a new option to pair with McCarthy. The 36-year-old is a less accomplished passer than Rodgers, but he’s also five years younger with significantly less off-field baggage. He also fits better as a potential backup and mentor to McCarthy, the likely future of the position in Minnesota.
Tannehill is one of several veteran backup options who were available in free agency like Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston. Flacco, who was also an option the Vikings looked at, is also in play for Pittsburgh and Cleveland, while Winston recently signed a two-year deal with the Giants.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.