Eagles Remain Committed To Carson Wentz; Nick Foles Likely To Hit Free Agency
For the second year in a row, the Eagles will ask Nick Foles to lead them to the promised land after watching starting signal-caller Carson Wentz succumb to a season-ending injury. Foles will have a tall order, as he goes against the Rams in Los Angeles tonight before returning to Philadelphia to take on the Texans. And the Eagles, at 6-7, probably need to win out just to have a shot at defending their title.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com used Foles’ return to the starting lineup as an opportunity to take another look at the reworked contract that Foles and the Eagles agreed to back in April. The deal includes a mutual option for 2019 that allows the Eagles to keep Foles for $20MM if they so choose, or Foles could simply pay back the $2MM signing bonus he received as part of the deal to get out of the option. Given that Wentz is expected to fully recover from the fractured vertebra in his back, the Eagles will almost certainly not pick up Foles’ option, which means that he will hit free agency this offseason (after having the opportunity to add to his bank account thanks to the incentives in the contract).
Speaking of Wentz, Rapoport says it will take the third-year pro three months to make that full recovery, but the Eagles remain fully committed to him as their franchise quarterback (video link). The Eagles have yet to place him on IR, but he has been formally ruled out of tonight’s game against Los Angeles, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that the team’s medical staff, which was facing mounting criticism anyway, will really come under fire now. Although Wentz should be fully healed in plenty of time for the 2019 offseason program, one does wonder when Wentz suffered the back fracture and how the team’s staff tested and treated it. McLane says it seems likely that Wentz sustained the injury back in October, but it remains unclear how much he knew about it. His experience, when coupled with the “inordinate number of irregularities in recurrence, recovery, and diagnosis” of the injuries the Eagles have suffered as a whole this year, make it fair to criticize the club for unloading its top two doctors and its head trainer after winning the Super Bowl.
North Notes: Big Ben, Ravens, Stefanski
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a rib injury in last week’s upset loss to the Raiders, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that Big Ben actually cracked his ribs (video link). Pittsburgh was reportedly unable to make that determination during the game due to a faulty X-ray machine in Oakland, but Rapoport says the injury should not limit Roethlisberger going forward. The Steelers face a critical matchup against New England this afternoon, so they will need Roethlisberger to battle through.
The team is unlikely to have starting running back James Conner when they take on the Patriots, but Rapoport tweets that Conner should be back for next Sunday’s game in New Orleans.
Now for more from the league’s north divisions:
- The Ravens have frequently seen their defensive coaches and coordinators obtain promotions from rival clubs, and they could see more of the same in 2019. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Baltimore defensive coordinator Don Martindale, in his first year leading the team’s defense after six years as its linebackers coach, is garnering attention around the league as a legitimate head coaching candidate. La Canfora suggests that Martindale could even replace John Harbaugh in Baltimore if the Ravens elect to part ways with Harbaugh.
- We heard last week that plenty of teams with expected head coaching vacancies are interested in what the Ravens plan to do with Harbaugh, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that the buzz around Harbaugh is continuing to build. Baltimore could retain the man who may be the hottest head coaching candidate in 2019, but it could also leverage the interest in Harbaugh’s services and try to trade him.
- La Canfora writes that Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who was just promoted to the role earlier this week, was already being considered for head coaching jobs before he took over as Minnesota’s OC. Obviously, how the club’s offense performs down the stretch and perhaps into the playoffs will go a long way towards determining Stefanski’s 2019 prospects, but La Canfora reports that teams are conducting preliminary research on him, and a strong playoff push could solidify his chances of running his own team next season.
- Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict suffered a concussion earlier this month, and he will miss his second consecutive game when the Bengals take on the Raiders today. As Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes, Burfict is experiencing several worrying trends. 2018 marks the third consecutive year that Burfict has served a suspension to start the season and suffered a December concussion to close it out. He has now sustained a concussion in five of the last six seasons, and between the missed time for injury and for suspension, Dehner suggests that the Bengals could be ready to move on. The league is moving away from players with Burfict’s skill set, Burfict is not playing particularly well when he is on the field these days, and the club could save $6.8MM against the cap by cutting him this offseason.
Eli Manning Increasingly Likely To Return To Giants In 2019
Although no decisions have been made to this point, the odds that Eli Manning is back with the Giants in 2019 are getting better by the day, as Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports (video link). We heard several weeks ago that Manning could indeed return to Big Blue — which seemed like a crazy thought when Manning was struggling earlier in the season and when the Giants were sporting a 1-7 record — and that scenario appears increasingly likely.
After all, as Rapoport observes, the club does not have the heir apparent to Manning on its roster, and after the Giants’ late-season surge — they are 4-1 in their last five games, with a narrow loss to Philadelphia sandwiched between the four wins — it may make sense to keep Manning around, if only to groom a younger QB. Manning will carry a $23.2MM cap number in 2019, and the Giants could save $17MM by cutting him, which will still be sorely tempting. But Manning’s improved performance, combined with the fact that there is unlikely to be a signal-caller available in free agency that would represent a marked upgrade, suggest that the benefits of keeping the soon-to-be 38-year-old outweigh the benefits of letting him go.
Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com also explores Manning’s future, and the future of the team in general. He points out that the Giants’ success over the last few weeks has come against lower-level competition, and that the final three games on the docket will truly determine how New York will proceed in the offseason. If the club stumbles to the finish line, it would have a better shot of landing a franchise quarterback in the first round (either Dwayne Haskins or, if he declares for the draft, Justin Herbert). But if the Giants end up picking in the middle of the first round, then it becomes much more difficult to get such a player, and the next tier of collegiate signal-callers do not offer nearly the same level of upside.
Either way, Manning could be back. If the Giants are able to get Haskins or Herbert, or if they deem someone like Will Grier or Drew Lock to be a franchise-caliber QB, Manning will be an excellent mentor. And if New York does not get its next quarterback of the future this offseason, Manning now seems like a decent enough bet to provide solid play and a chance at the postseason.
Jim Harbaugh Refutes Reported Interest In NFL Jobs
We heard earlier today that current Ravens head coach John Harbaugh will be a sought-after candidate for other head coaching jobs around the league regardless of whether Baltimore fires him. His brother, Jim Harbaugh, is certainly no stranger to those rumors, as the 44-19-1 record that he compiled during his four-year run with the 49ers make him at least worthy of consideration for other NFL clubs.
Jim, who has served as the head coach at the University of Michigan for the last four seasons, has been speculatively linked to a number of prospective NFL openings once again. But as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes, Harbaugh has unequivocally shot down such speculation. Harbaugh said, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying at Michigan. We have big plans here, and there’s a lot we want to accomplish.”
Harbaugh added that he has not spoken with any NFL teams, and he believes the reports connecting him to professional jobs are spread by those who wish to undermine his recruiting efforts with the Wolverines. He said, “[t]his is a choreographed message that comes up at this time every year before signing day. It’s people spreading messages to further their own personal agenda.” Harbaugh appears to be specifically referring to Cris Carter, an Ohio State alumnus who, despite his work as a national sports commentator, remains tied to the Buckeyes program. Carter recently suggested that Harbaugh could be trying to get back into the NFL, and he named the Packers and Browns as potential fits.
Harbaugh has put together a 38-13 record with the Wolverines, who finished the 2018 season as the No. 7 team in the country and who will take on No. 10 Florida in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at the end of December. Assuming he does stay at Michigan in 2019, it would mark the first time he has held a head coaching position at any level for more than four seasons.
He does have a reputation for being difficult to work with, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has suggested that John is seen as a much more desirable candidate in NFL coaching circles.
Jason Garrett Tried To Convince Jason Witten To Unretire
The 7-5 Cowboys have put together a four-game winning streak and now sit atop the NFC East standings, though the 6-6 Eagles are hot on their heels. Dallas hosts Philadelphia in a critical divisional matchup this afternoon, and according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has reached out to an old friend to give his club a boost.
Per Schefter, Garrett has made multiple attempts this season to convince former Cowboys tight end Jason Witten to come out of retirement and rejoin the team. Witten, of course, announced his retirement back in May, and he has served as a color commentator for ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcasts this year (which have not gone nearly as well for him as his on-field career did). Even though Witten is now 36, he did put up 63 catches for 560 yards and five scores last season, and Dallas would kill to have that kind of production from its tight end corps this year.
The Cowboys’ have gotten next to nothing from their tight ends in 2018 thanks to injury and poor performance, and Garrett was convinced that Witten could step out of the broadcast booth and back onto the field without missing a beat. The team’s offense has come alive since adding Amari Cooper prior to the trade deadline, and Garrett believed Witten’s presence would further bolster the unit. However, Witten has firmly resisted Garrett’s overtures and is committed to honing his new craft.
The Cowboys drafted Witten out of Tennessee in the third round of the 2003 draft, and he never suited up for anyone else. He piled up 11 Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections in a remarkable career that places him near the top of all major statistical categories for tight ends.
La Canfora’s Latest: Paton, Coughlin, McCarthy
Vikings assistant GM George Paton has seen his name come up a great deal over the past couple of years as rival clubs sought new general managers, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that Paton remains one of the top candidates for teams that will be looking for a GM in 2019. The fact that Paton has withdrawn his name from consideration for GM jobs in the past have suggested to some that he does not want to leave Minnesota, but La Canfora says Paton is indeed open to taking over a franchise next year. Although he declined to interview with the Dolphins in the past, Miami would be a potential landing spot if the team were to make front office changes this offseason.
Now for more from La Canfora’s typically abundant supply of Sunday reports:
- There have been rumblings that Jaguars team president Tom Coughlin could return to the sidelines and become Jacksonville’s head coach (again) in 2019. La Canfora noted last week that Coughlin could take over as the Jags’ HC, and the fact that the team’s 2018 campaign has been tarnished by fights, suspensions, and lack of discipline could convince Coughlin, a noted disciplinarian, to take the reins. JLC says that there is a “growing perception” around the league that Coughlin will at least consider that move.
- It has been obvious for some time that 2018 would be Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie‘s last year with the team, and La Canfora reaffirmed as much this morning. In addition to their GM, the Raiders will also be replacing several other members of their scouting and football operations staff, per La Canfora.
- The Chiefs and Chargers will play each other in a pivotal Week 15 bout this Thursday. La Canfora tweets that Kansas City safety Eric Berry and Los Angeles running back Melvin Gordon will both be on the field for that game, although both are inactive today.
- La Canfora confirms that former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy will be “very judicious” about his next opportunity and may not return to the sidelines in 2019 if the right opportunity does not present itself. We have already heard that the Jets‘ opening may not be especially appealing to McCarthy, and although his connection with Cleveland GM John Dorsey has led to plenty of speculation that McCarthy could take over as the Browns‘ HC, La Canfora says the Panthers and Ravens gigs — should they open up — are more intriguing to McCarthy. Sources close to McCarthy say they do not expect him to land in Cleveland.
- Former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt is undergoing counseling for anger management and alcohol use, and he is also being mentored by a pastor and attending women’s group sessions as he attempts to prove to the league that he is ready for another opportunity. La Canfora says that no one is expected to sign Hunt until the league announces his suspension for three separate incidents, but that several teams have already reached out to him and will continue to monitor his progress and recovery. JLC’s sources say they expect Hunt to play in 2019, and Hunt himself is reportedly eager to assist the league in its investigations.
Latest On John Harbaugh, Joe Flacco
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco both joined the team in 2008, and it seems as though their futures in Baltimore have been entwined ever since. We heard not that long ago that Harbaugh was on the hot seat, but now the Ravens are riding a three-game winning streak and have put themselves squarely back in the playoff hunt (even if they lose to the Chiefs today). And, if the team qualifies for the postseason, one would think that Harbaugh, at least, would be returning to Baltimore in 2019.
But that may not be the case. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Harbaugh is high atop the wish list for teams that will be looking for a new HC next year, and if the Ravens do want to move on, they could use that to their advantage. They could negotiate some sort of player/draft compensation with the team that wants Harbaugh, and once that compensation is agreed upon, the new team would then be free to negotiate a contract with Harbaugh directly. Of course, if Baltimore goes on a successful playoff run, that could complicate matters, and it is certainly possible that such a scenario would compel the Ravens to keep Harbaugh for themselves,
Flacco, meanwhile, is inactive for the fourth straight week, per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported this morning (via Twitter) that Flacco has looked good in practice this week and would serve as Lamar Jackson‘s backup this afternoon, and Kansas City head coach Andy Reid even said he expected Baltimore to deploy both Jackson and Flacco. However, the Ravens will now be able to postpone the Jackson vs. Flacco decision for at least one more week.
We knew that Flacco was battling a hip injury, and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that Flacco has been dealing with a slight tear in his hip (video link). Flacco apparently believes he is healthy enough to start, but Rapoport would not be surprised if Baltimore continues to start Jackson until the rookie falters (if he falters). Indeed, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets that, even if Flacco were active today, Jackson would be the guy. Glazer said simply, “Jackson is their QB.”
The Ravens can cut Flacco after the season and save some money against the cap, though they would also have a dead money hit to contend with. Many expect that Baltimore will go that route, assuming Jackson continues to do enough to prove that he is fully ready for the starting gig moving forward. Of course, the Ravens could also trade Flacco to a team in search of a veteran signal-caller.
Redskins Discussed Colin Kaepernick; Latest On Team’s QB Outlook
The Redskins saw their once-promising 2018 season take a nosedive when starting QB Alex Smith broke his tibia and fibia in a loss to the Texans last month. Washington lost its next two games and also saw its backup signal-caller, Colt McCoy, suffer a season-ending injury of his own. So while the Redskins are technically still alive in the NFC playoff race, they now have to find a way to qualify for the postseason with Mark Sanchez under center.
The team recently signed Josh Johnson to serve as Sanchez’s backup, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that the Redskins did discuss Colin Kaepernick before signing Johnson. Washington head coach Jay Gruden said Kaepernick was “talked about and discussed,” but the team ultimately did not reach out to him (in fact, Schefter says that no club has contacted Kaepernick to gauge his interest or arrange a workout this year).
Gruden, of course, said that the decision to not pursue Kaepernick was a purely football one. He said the Redskins would have needed to change their offense too much to accommodate Kaepernick’s skill set, and that it may have been a different story if the team needed a new QB in Week 1 rather than Week 14. He did suggest that Kaepernick, who has not played a regular season snap in nearly two years, would have been a backup to Sanchez anyway and would not have been a candidate for the starting job. Gruden said, “[w]hen you’re talking about a backup quarterback this late in the game you want someone with a similar skill set to the quarterback you have. Not that Colin can’t do some of the things we’ve talked about, but we want someone with a little more familiarity.”
Speaking of Smith, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the 34-year-old remains in the hospital (video link). Smith suffered an infection stemming from the above-referenced injury and had to undergo another procedure as a result. Rapoport suggests that Smith is still battling the infection, and no one has been able to definitively say that Smith will be able to play football again. At the very least, he seems highly unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2019 season, so the Redskins will need to acquire a QB either via free agency or the draft.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com explores Smith’s contract situation and the Redskins’ options with respect to that contract in excellent detail. Ultimately, he suggests that Washington may have to defer as much as much as $27.2MM to future years just to have enough money to conduct business in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, and the entire article is well-worth a read, especially for Redskins fans.
James Conner To Return In Week 15?
2018 revelation James Conner had his magical season sidetracked when he suffered an injury — which some sources believe is a high ankle sprain — during the Steelers’ loss to the Chargers last Sunday. However, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com writes that Conner “has a chance” to be back in action for Pittsburgh’s potentially critical matchup with the Patriots next week.
The Steelers are only 1/2 game up on the Ravens in the AFC North, but Baltimore will face a stiff test against the Chiefs in Kansas City this afternoon while Pittsburgh gets a favorable matchup in Oakland. But even if the Steelers can put some distance between themselves and Baltimore today, they still need to deal with New England and New Orleans, so they would love to get Conner back for the stretch run.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports also hears that Conner could be back next week, though Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network is a little less optimistic (video link). Rapoport says that Conner will be reevaluated tomorrow and that the Steelers are expected to be cautious with him. As such, Conner could miss the team’s Week 15 bout against the Pats. Speculatively, if the Steelers win today and the Ravens lose, Pittsburgh may be more inclined to hold Conner out for another week.
Jaylen Samuels, whom the Steelers selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, is expected to get the bulk of the touches in Conner’s absence. Luckily for Pittsburgh, Samuels, like Conner, is a talented receiver out of the backfield, so the Steelers should not have to alter their offensive approach to accommodate him.
Todd Bowles Could Be Fired Before End Of Year
The Jets are in the midst of another lost season, and it has been an open secret for some time that head coach Todd Bowles is on his way out. However, all indications to this point had been that Bowles would at least make it through the end of 2018 before getting the ax, but Albert Breer of TheMMQB believes it could happen sooner.
As of right now, there are only four games left on the schedule (including today’s game against the Bills), so identifying an interim head coach would not be a particularly big challenge. Plus, as Breer writes, the situation in New York has gone sideways. Earlier this week, we heard rumors of a rift between Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan, and while Bowles quickly did his best to quash those rumors, it does not seems as if it would do either Bowles or the team much good to postpone the inevitable any longer.
It is unclear if Breer is referring to more than the reported tension between head coach and GM when he says that increasing internal turmoil has been made him rethink his stance that Bowles would survive the season, but it seems as if Bowles could soon become the third head coach to lose his job before Week 17.
Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv has reaffirmed his belief that recently-fired Packers head coach Mike McCarthy should be at the top of the Jets’ short list when it comes time to replace Bowles, though McCarthy may want to take the 2019 season off, and he may be turned off by the fact that Maccagnan is still likely to be around. Vacchiano also names John DeFilippo, John Harbaugh, and Lincoln Riley as potential fits.
Whoever the next head coach is may walk into the No. 1 overall pick. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com details, the Jets have an 18% chance to secure that pick, which would allow them to select the draft’s top talent, Nick Bosa, or acquire a bounty of picks by trading that selection to a QB-needy franchise.