Colts Designate C Ryan Kelly For Return
As expected, Ryan Kelly is on his way back. The Colts will have their center at practice Wednesday, with Shane Steichen announcing the Pro Bowl blocker will receive a return designation from IR.
Kelly has missed the required four games, due to a knee injury, but has been viewed as likely to be back when first eligible. That comes in a pivotal game against the Broncos, who hold the final AFC wild-card spot the Colts are chasing. The Colts are also designating linebacker Jaylon Carlies for return from IR. Indianapolis has four injury activations remaining.
Kelly is the only homegrown Colts player remaining who predates GM Chris Ballard‘s 2017 arrival. Indianapolis chose Kelly in the 2016 first round and has used him as its starting center since. Although Ballard has relentlessly used a draft-and-extend blueprint as Indy’s GM, Kelly may not be in line for a third Colts contract. He signed an extension back in 2020 and has expressed interest in another deal, but the Colts have not entered negotiations. This leaves Kelly’s post-2024 future as rather murky, highlighting the importance on this season’s stretch run for the ninth-year center’s value.
It is possible the Colts circle back to Kelly before free agency or during the legal tampering period. They proceeded this way with Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart this year, re-signing both after each hit the market. But Kelly is also closing out an age-32 season, offering a complication. He may well have a chance to test the market for the first since, seeing as his 2020 Indianapolis re-up came months before he was to hit free agency.
Kelly sits in the top 10 all time among O-line longevity as a Colt. His 118 starts rank 10th. The top two longest-running O-linemen for the Colts played center (Ray Donaldson, Jeff Saturday), so Kelly appears — especially given his contract situation — set to fall short of their respective durations. But he can certainly help the 2024 team attempt to stay in the playoff race. The Colts are 6-7; a loss to the 8-5 Broncos would all but bury them in the wild-card race. Indianapolis sits two games behind Houston for the AFC South lead as well.
ESPN’s run block win rate slots Kelly seventh among all interior O-linemen this season, and he sits 14th in that group in pass block win rate. The Colts had used rookie/potential successor Tanor Bortolini as Kelly’s replacement, but he missed Week 13 with a concussion. The team is also likely to need another fill-in start at right tackle. Steichen said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) Braden Smith is still dealing with a personal matter and is not expected to play in Week 15. Rookie Matt Goncalves started at RT two weeks ago and would appear set to stay in that role for the time being.
Michigan CB Will Johnson, DT Mason Graham Declare For Draft
Next year’s NFL draft is expected to see two Jim Harbaugh recruits land in the top 10. Both defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson have resided high in mocks for a while now, and both have now dispensed with any drama regarding their 2025 statuses
Graham is entering the draft, per ESPN.com, having hired Drew Rosenhaus as an agent. Not long after the D-tackle’s declaration, ESPN’s Jordan Reid notes Johnson will follow suit. Graham’s representation expects him to land in the top five of next year’s draft, while Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest ESPN.com big board places the Michigan standouts at second (Johnson) and fifth (Graham) overall.
A four-star recruit in 2022, Graham did not redshirt and played three seasons for the Wolverines, who benefited from the ascending prospect’s work during their 2023 national championship run. Graham, 21, combined to total 6.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss over the past two seasons. Graham collected first-team All-Big Ten honors last season.
Also a four-star prospect back in 2022, Johnson notched a Michigan-record three pick-sixes during his time in Ann Arbor. He intercepted nine passes in his three seasons with the Big Ten program, notching two of his three pick-sixes this season despite only playing in six games.
Johnson earned first-team All-Big Ten acclaim as a sophomore in 2023 and second-team all-conference honors in 2022. He then earned a defensive MVP nod in last season’s CFP championship game. A foot issue sidelined Johnson this season, and it would surprise if the 6-foot-2 corner played in the school’s upcoming bowl game.
Harbaugh successor Sherrone Moore said he expects some of his players to pass on that non-playoff outing to prepare for the draft. Seeing as these two are Michigan’s top prospects, it should be expected neither suit up again for the university following the declarations. Johnson and Graham going in the top five would follow Aidan Hutchinson as the second of Harbaugh’s Wolverines recruits to be drafted that high.
Bill Belichick Weighing North Carolina Offer
Bill Belichick‘s avenue back to the NFL may close soon. Although it is still believed the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach’s preference is a return to the league, he looks to have a path available that take him away from that pursuit.
The North Carolina talks have reached a place where it is believed an offer is out to Belichick, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Ralph Russo and Brendan Marks report. This is not a done deal, but the sides are negotiating. That said, The Athletic reports the parties are apart on multiple key terms. Belichick interviewed twice with Tar Heels representatives recently; the school is looking to replace Mack Brown, who served as the program’s HC on two occasions.
The ACC school hopes to have Belichick onboard soon, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who notes the ball should be considered in the coach’s court. This would be Belichick’s first college coaching position. While his father spent decades as a college coach — including a three-year span with the Tar Heels in the mid-1950s — this would be a radical move considering the timing and his stature within the NFL.
Belichick, 72, moving to college now would effectively close the book on his long-held push to break Don Shula‘s career wins record. At 333, Belichick is 14 victories away. The longtime Patriots leader, though, was surprised by the lack of interest that came after his New England ouster this year. The Falcons interviewed him twice, while the Commanders spoke with him in a non-official interview. The other HC-seeking teams steered clear, potentially providing a preview of what could happen in 2025. Rather than risk being shut out again at an advanced age, Belichick has secured a chance to coach again — albeit in college at a rather interesting time for that level.
The transfer portal, conference shifts and an evolving compensation setup have injected chaos into the college game, and Jones adds some believe NIL is a factor in the Belichick talks. Salary is an issue as well. The Tar Heels had Brown on a salary outside the top 40 among Division I-FBS coaches. Brown had been tied to a deal paying roughly $5MM per year. Belichick was believed to be making more than $20MM on average with the Patriots.
Connections to the Cowboys, Giants and Jaguars have surfaced over the past few months, but none of those jobs are available. These North Carolina talks could certainly double as an effort to command attention from those teams, though the negotiations being this far down the road may pass the point of a leverage play. Considering Belichick’s age, however, a North Carolina deal now would probably prevent him from becoming an NFL HC again. No team has hired a head coach beyond age 66; Belichick will turn 73 in April.
This year brought major changes to Belichick, who had been an NFL HC or assistant in every previous season since 1975. He has since held various media roles, including regular spots on ESPN’s Manningcast and the CW’s Inside the NFL. In addition to indicating during a Pat McAfee Show appearance he would use the Tar Heel program as a way to prepare qualified players for their NFL futures, Belichick said he is also open to remaining a media presence. Though, that may not even be Plan B for the legendary leader at this point.
“I’m open to a number of thoughts,” Belichick said (h/t the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) Sirius XM’s Let’s Go. “I’ve had an interesting year this year working in somewhat of an analytical and media role. Football at either the college or the professional level does interest me and I would explore those opportunities as well and ultimately see what everybody has to offer and what would be the best fit for me and potentially another organization. Or it could be in the media.”
Although it is widely believed higher-ups in the Falcons organization moved Arthur Blank off his initial goal of hiring Belichick this year, the team also passed on a short-term Belichick partnership in hopes Raheem Morris would be around longer. While Belichick is not believed to be seeking the kind of autonomy he had in New England, the age hurdle will come up for however much longer he attempts tot land another NFL gig. Both the 49ers and Rams pursued him for DC roles, but Belichick instead chose the media path while determining his next move.
A North Carolina landing would provide Patriots-like autonomy, albeit on a competitive tier with many moving parts and one without a level playing field. We will soon find out if arguably the greatest coach in NFL history will, largely due to a lack of interest around the league, make one of the most surprising moves in coaching history.
Joe Burrow To Lobby Bengals To Re-Sign Tee Higgins
With Ja’Marr Chase‘s run of monster games bolstering his case to surpass Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, the prospect the Bengals separate their long-running wide receiver tandem increases. Higgins has long been expected to leave Cincinnati in 2025, be it in free agency or potentially via a tag-and-trade transaction.
The Bengals have Joe Burrow signed to the second-most lucrative quarterback deal, and Chase is playing his way toward a contract that will likely eclipse Jefferson’s $35MM-per-year pact. The Bengals have not seriously negotiated with Higgins since the first half of 2023, and in becoming the only team to tag a player this year and not extend him, the team cannot reenter talks with its No. 2 wideout until season’s end.
Signs point Higgins out of town, but Burrow said he will make a strong effort to see that his most experienced receiver stays. This could set up an interesting showdown, as the star quarterback obviously could wield significant influence in this matter and others involving personnel if he so chose.
“Those discussions are ongoing,” Burrow said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) of a post-2024 future with Higgins. “I’m confident that I think we’re going to do what it takes to bring Tee back. I know that I’m going to do what it takes to get him back and so is he. We’ve had those talks. Those are going to be offseason discussions. But I think we’re excited about that opportunity.”
NFL rules prohibit Bengals brass from negotiating with Higgins, but Burrow can certainly lobby his five-year teammate to stay. That will be difficult to pull off, however. The Bengals’ Chase-over-Higgins preference in terms of extension priority has long been known, with the former’s All-Pro-level season only reinforcing that stance. Higgins, 25, also will not be likely to accept a hometown discount. The Bengals kept him out of free agency this year via the franchise tag, and if the team passes on a 2025 tag (as the early rumors indicated it would), the bet will be Higgins defects not long after the legal tampering period begins.
Higgins did say he will factor in his relationship with Burrow and the Bengals, but the team made him a lowball offer in 2023 — a deal not believed to be close to $20MM on average. It will take more than $20MM per year for a team to land the former second-round pick in free agency.
“Like y’all said, this could be my last season [with the Bengals], so I definitely appreciated it, for sure,” Higgins said of playing another nationally televised game with Burrow and Co. “I love those guys to death. … The relationships are more important. Financially, that’s going to come.”
Higgins’ 58.9 yards-per-game number is in line with what he averaged during his most recent 1,000-yard season (2022), when he posted 59.6 per contest. But injury trouble took him off the field for five games, keeping his yardage total at 581 through 13 games. Higgins will also follow Packers wideout Christian Watson‘s lead in going through a study to determine the cause of his recent soft-tissue injury trouble, Baby adds. Higgins trudged through hamstring issues as a rookie and then missed time in 2023 and ’24. Higgins suffered hamstring and quadriceps injuries during separate practices this season, sidelining him for five games in total.
A strong finish will drive up the Clemson alum’s market. Higgins stands to be the top WR free agent prize, should the Bengals pass on a second tag that would come in at $26.2MM. His current $21.8MM number proved more palatable for the Bengals due to Burrow’s extension not yet producing big cap numbers. In 2025, however, Burrow’s cap hit will swell to $46.3MM.
The Bengals are not a restructure-happy team, but Burrow pushing them could at least keep the door open to a restructure — pushing more money into future years — to create more cap space for a second Higgins tag. That might not go over too well with Higgins, who would then see the team take two free agency years away, but it would be a way for Cincinnati to retain its WR2 for a bit longer.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Burrow plays, and how receptive the organization is to its quarterback’s wishes. Defensive changes are likely coming to help maximize Burrow’s skills, after Cincy’s defense restricted this year’s team. How the club navigates the Higgins matter will also be a key issue, as it could impact Burrow’s satisfaction with management.
49ers Not Changing Aim Of Signing Brock Purdy To Long-Term Deal
Evidenced further by the events of this offseason, quarterbacks possess unrivaled leverage. Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love rose to the top of the NFL’s salary hierarchy for a period, joining Joe Burrow on that perch without similar accolades. Dak Prescott then smashed through that ceiling to a watershed contract, using unique leverage against the Cowboys to secure the league’s current highwater deal.
As we discussed at a few points this year, teams are not taking a chance of passing on paying a second-tier (or lower) quarterback a top-market rate. The 49ers have seen Brock Purdy become a revelation since being the last pick in the 2022 draft, with Kyle Shanahan‘s pieces operating at their best with the former Iowa State prospect at the controls. While Purdy has not been confused with a top-tier talent, he has been effective since Jimmy Garoppolo‘s December 2022 foot injury gave him the keys to a high-powered offense.
[RELATED: Assessing Purdy’s Extension Candidacy]
The 49ers are not planning to be the team that passes on a QB payment to seek a lower-cost alternative, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicating they are indeed eyeing a long-term Purdy extension. The sides cannot begin true negotiations until January, but it appears another 49ers offseason contract saga — this one perhaps the most complicated — is on tap.
49ers CEO Jed York said early this offseason that the team was preparing for a future with Purdy on a high-end contract. In the months since, the NFL has seen five more QBs surpass $50MM AAV. Prescott soared to $60MM per year, inking that deal hours before the Cowboys’ season opener. Purdy, 24, does not carry the leverage Prescott did — a bargaining position secured due to Dallas’ previous contractual dealings with its QB — but he does play by far the sport’s most important position. That proved a sufficient weapon for Lawrence, Love and Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. Still, some rumblings around the league pointed to forthcoming hesitancy on the 49ers’ part. Thus far, no such trepidation exists.
Even as Purdy is not being mentioned as a Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes peer in terms of abilities, he has done quite well to keep the 49ers’ machine humming. Last year’s QBR leader ranks sixth in that metric this season, doing so despite Brandon Aiyuk going down before midseason and Christian McCaffrey barely factoring into the year. Trent Williams has also missed recent games. While Purdy will check in with worse numbers than his strong 2023 season, he has proven more on the field than Lawrence or Love to enter high-stakes negotiations. Purdy has also been a better run-game threat compared to 2023, totaling 282 rushing yards thus far this year after accumulating 144 in 16 games last season.
The 49ers, however, also could use Shanahan’s QB-friendly system against their current starter once negotiations commence. The prospect of jettisoning Purdy — or even delaying a payment — due to the impact Shanahan and the talent around him have made on the QB’s career could be part of the talks, but it does not sound like the 49ers are seriously considering a pivot from Purdy once he commands a lucrative extension.
The team that entered long-running talks with Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Aiyuk over the past three years will now be tasked with hammering out a megadeal for a player it chose with the final pick in the draft. San Francisco’s upcoming negotiation promises to be the most interesting of the bunch.
Teams Expect 2025 Salary Cap To Check In Between $265-$275MM
After a significant reduction in 2021, the NFL’s salary cap is back on the rise. This year brought a record spike, which produced some windfalls — particularly along the offensive and defensive lines — in the days that followed. More growth is coming, but not quite as much as what 2024 brought.
This year produced a $30.6MM spike, raising the league’s salary ceiling to $255.4MM. The NFL is not planning to offer teams a projection this year, marking a deviation from the norm, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport does indicate where clubs are expecting next year’s number to sit . Teams are planning for the 2025 cap to come in between $265-$275MM.
A $10MM increase would be in line with the annual jumps during the 2011 CBA, but since the COVID-19 pandemic brought a 2021 reduction, the 2020 CBA — thanks in part to the expanded playoff bracket, 17th regular-season game and a new round of TV deals — has produced bigger leaps.
At this time last year, clubs were a bit more pessimistic on the 2024 cap. An expectation pointed to a $240MM salary ceiling for this year. That turned out to be well off the actual number, a development the Giants’ Hard Knocks: Offseason series revealed caught their GM (Joe Schoen) by surprise. We did hear earlier this offseason that at least one team, the Cowboys, did not expect similar cap growth for 2025. A May report predicted around a $10MM climb, which would certainly not rival what happened this year. That would affect teams’ plans for free agency and extensions.
The media kicker in the 2020 CBA, which can raise the players’ revenue share from 48% to 48.8%, played a role in this year’s cap spike. The NFL still, however, has not yet moved away from the effects of COVID. The pandemic leading to fanless stadiums (in many cases) and capped attendance at others in 2020 produced a $15.7MM cap reduction in 2021. Only the 2011 season, which came after a lockout and an uncapped 2010, had previously brought a decline. The 2025 offseason, though, is believed to be the final year in which the effects from the pandemic impact the NFL’s salary cap, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes.
Teams generally know what the cap will be around the Combine, leaving some mystery ahead. A $9MM deferment will affect the 2025 and ’26 caps, Rapoport adds, noting that the NFL and NFLPA agreed to keep that money from being piled onto this year’s record number. Otherwise, the NFL’s 2024 cap would have passed $260MM.
Franchise and transition tag numbers, fifth-year option figures, RFA tender prices and other matters will be determined as a result of where the cap lands. Here is where the cap has stood in each year during the past two CBAs:
- 2011: $120.4MM
- 2012: $120.6MM
- 2013: $123.6MM
- 2014: $133MM
- 2015: $143.3MM
- 2016: $155.3MM
- 2017: $167MM
- 2018: $177.2MM
- 2019: $188.2MM
- 2020: $198.2MM
- 2021: $182.5MM
- 2022: $208.2MM
- 2023: $224.8MM
- 2024: $255.4MM
Lions Super Bowl Appearance Would Likely Feature Aidan Hutchinson
DECEMBER 8: As Hutchinson’s rehab continues, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports the Lions remain hopeful a return in time for the NFC title game could be in play (video link). Plenty still needs to happen for that to become feasible, but having the team’s top edge rusher available prior to the Super Bowl would be crucial for Detroit’s defense.
DECEMBER 6: Aidan Hutchinson sightings during Lions games have become commonplace, and the star edge rusher continues to make progress. It now appears more likely than not the Lions maximizing their game count this season would involve a final-act cameo from Hutchinson.
Suffering a fractured fibula and tibia in Week 6, the third-year pass rusher is now walking without crutches and has progressed to running in a pool. This has created more optimism of a possible return before season’s end. Hutchinson’s recovery has reached the point that it appears the expectation is for him to play in Super Bowl LIX were Lions to qualify, Amazon’s Albert Breer notes.
We heard last month a Hutchinson Super Bowl reemergence was possible, but Breer offers a bit more in the direction of it being likely. This would be game-changing news for the Lions, though they obviously have work to do before this window could be open. It would now stand to reason Hutchinson’s IR-return window could open earlier in the playoffs, and it would be worth wondering if the timetable could include an NFC championship game.
That said, the Super Bowl featuring the bye week appears to loom as crucial for Hutchinson. Dan Campbell said in October that Hutchinson was looking at a four- to six-month recovery timetable. He went down Oct. 13; the Super Bowl is Feb. 9. The NFL’s season-ender coming at the front end of the recovery timeline points to Super Bowl-or-nothing for Hutchinson, though any return being in play would be a win for a Lions team gunning for its first No. 1 seed since home-field advantage became record-based in the mid-1970s.
The Packers consistently tested the Lions’ battered defense in the second half of a 34-31 thriller Thursday night. Detroit has seen Za’Darius Smith produce early; the trade acquisition has three sacks in four Lions games. But the team finished Thursday’s game without both its top D-tackles — D.J. Reader, Alim McNeill — and is not expected to have Marcus Davenport back this season. Linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez are all on IR. Barnes is not a lock to miss the entire season, and D-lineman John Cominsky could return in the playoffs. The Lions will need to save an injury activation for Hutchinson. They have five left, keeping a scenario in which Anzalone, Barnes, Cominsky and Hutchinson all return. Rodriguez suffered an ACL tear and is out for the year.
Gifted to the Lions after the Jaguars made a potential-over-production pick in Travon Walker to start the 2022 draft, the Michigan alum has become one of the NFL’s best defensive players early in his career. He was the early clubhouse leader for Defensive Player of the Year when he went down, having already registered an NFL-most 7.5 sacks and 17 QB hits — a year after leading the league in QB pressures — through five-plus games. The Lions still do not have another four-sack player, as McNeill leads all non-Hutchinson Lions with 3.5. Though, Smith has seven total sacks if his Browns games are included.
The Lions have plenty of work to do before the prospect of a Hutchinson re-emergence becomes real, but the 12-1 team has liked what is has seen from the soon-to-be extension-eligible EDGE’s rehab thus far.
Bill Belichick Takes Second North Carolina HC Interview; Jets Off Radar
DECEMBER 8: Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) hears that Belichick’s interest in the UNC job is real, and that if he is offered the gig, he will accept it. Russini says that while Belichick is indeed motivated by breaking Shula’s record, that pursuit is not the “be-all, end-all.” She adds that Belichick was “turned off” by the lack of attention he received in this past offseason’s coaching cycle, and that he wants to run a football program without interference (it is unclear whether that contradicts earlier reports suggesting that Belichick is not necessarily seeking full control of football operations at his next stop).
However, there is still plenty of skepticism surrounding Belichick’s willingness to join the college ranks. Former and current Belichick associates tell Mark Maske of the Washington Post that the 72-year-old is focused on a return to the NFL, and that his conversations with UNC are intended to send a message to NFL front offices that he will have options and that there needs to be a sense of urgency about hiring him.
DECEMBER 6: The prospect of Bill Belichick taking an initial plunge into the college ranks in his 70s has generated understandable skepticism in NFL circles, as it has been widely reported the high-profile coaching free agent wants to return to the NFL. If his North Carolina connection is a bluff, however, it is fairly far down the runway.
Belichick met with Tar Heels reps a second time about their newly vacant HC position, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports, indicating this summit took place Thursday in Manhattan. Now holding a few media gigs, Belichick looks to be making it clear he wants to return to coaching next year — and a college debut may actually be in the cards, as farfetched as it sounds.
The six-time Super Bowl-winning HC does not want to be left out of a job during the upcoming cycle, Jones adds. But the Tar Heels’ timeline probably does not align with Belichick’s. The ACC program wants to have a Mack Brown successor in place early next week, Jones adds.
NFL teams who have not yet fired coaches cannot begin interviewing candidates on other staffs until after the wild-card round. Belichick can begin interviewing early, but teams must comply with the Rooney Rule and will naturally be interested in conducting several interviews. That cannot realistically happen until mid-January. If Belichick is a serious candidate for the North Carolina gig, he would need to bypass the 2025 NFL carousel.
Set to turn 73 in April, Belichick is not a guarantee to be on multiple additional NFL carousels. As mentioned several times in this space, no team has hired a coach older than 66 (Bruce Arians). Age undoubtedly factored into the lack of interest in Belichick this year, with the Falcons passing on a short-term partnership with the legendary coach. No other team conducted an official interview. That could well be the reason Belichick is open to the college game, even as the Division I-FBS level has seen massive changes over the past few years.
Belichick passing on this NFL cycle threatens to end his chances of breaking Don Shula‘s long-held career wins record. At 333 wins between the regular season and playoffs, Belichick is 14 shy of Shula. The former Patriots and Browns HC also wants to keep the record down the road, per Jones. Andy Reid‘s Kansas City success could threaten that. Reid, 66, just signed a five-year Chiefs extension and sits on 295 career wins. The prospect of Patrick Mahomes‘ current coach eventually moving into Shula range exists, even as Reid has been tied to seemingly annual retirement reports. His latest extension, one that made him the league’s highest-paid HC, should cool those rumors for a while.
Former Cardinals HC Steve Wilks is also a candidate for the job, according to Jones. Fired after one season as 49ers DC, Wilks has not been a head coach since his 2018 Cardinals one-and-done — a stint that prompted him to join Brian Flores‘ class-action discrimination suit. Wilks also has a recent past in the college ranks, being Missouri’s defensive coordinator in 2021, and an extensive past in North Carolina. The former Panthers interim HC is a North Carolina native who has spent much of his career in Charlotte.
As for Belichick’s NFL prospects, Jones confirms a recent report that indicated some of his former lieutenants — including longtime OC Josh McDaniels — are ready to rejoin him if he lands another NFL job. The Jaguars continue to come up for the free agent coach, with Jones adding Belichick’s smoothest path to having full control over a football operation again would stand to come with a Jacksonville franchise seemingly ready to reboot.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Belichick did not ask to run Atlanta’s football ops, and Jones reinforces the notion Belichick — who received steady criticism for his Patriots GM work late in that tenure — is not seeking full control. The Jags would offer Belichick a lower-profile media market and a roster that features an entrenched young quarterback, in 25-year-old Trevor Lawrence. A locked-in QB, albeit one that has been inconsistent, would seemingly appeal to a coach working on a shorter-term timetable due to his age. If Belichick does enter serious negotiations with the Jaguars, it is not expected he would work with GM Trent Baalke, who is on the hot seat.
Regardless of how the coaching landscape shakes out in the NFL early next year, Jones adds Belichick will not consider the Jets. The ex-Jets DC who famously resigned from his HC post in early 2000, leading to a contentious Jets-Patriots trade, is no fan of Woody Johnson and has taken shots at the organization — one responsible for launching the 2007 Spygate investigation.
Belichick-Jags connections have been coming up since September, and it appears this prospect remains on the radar. He has also been tied to the Giants and Cowboys, jobs that are also not yet available. As such, it still seems highly unlikely Belichick would punt on a path back to the NFL by taking a college job so early. Though, until the Tar Heels hire a coach, that avenue is still in play.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Extension Candidate: Brock Purdy
Barely a month remains before the 49ers can begin extension talks with Brock Purdy, the Mr. Irrelevant find that helped bail the franchise out of the predicament the Trey Lance miss created. Purdy has lost two of his top four weapons, and he has picked up a shoulder injury. Though, San Francisco’s third-year starter has still accounted himself fairly well in this de facto platform year.
Purdy’s seventh-round contract runs through 2025, and the 49ers have the leverage of a potential 2026 franchise tag at their disposal. But the expectation has been for Purdy extension talks to begin soon. Where those go will be one of the 2025 offseason’s central storylines, as the 49ers — after Deebo Samuel‘s 2022 trade request, Nick Bosa‘s 2023 holdout and Brandon Aiyuk‘s rumor-flooded hold-in — are set to have another offseason dominated by a big-ticket contract.
The question that will define the 49ers’ offseason, as well as the organization’s longer-term outlook, centers around where these negotiations will end up. Dak Prescott used extraordinary leverage to drive the quarterback market to $60MM per year, representing a staggering increase based on where the NFL was just five years prior. It took 25 years for the QB market to balloon from $5MM AAV to $25MM AAV; it has since taken just six for it to climb from $30-$60MM per year. At some point, a team will pass on a monster QB payment. The 2024 offseason did not feature any such actions.
Despite neither Trevor Lawrence nor Jordan Love having established themselves as top-tier quarterbacks, each matched Joe Burrow‘s then-record $55MM AAV. Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury history and inconsistent first two seasons made him a curious extension candidate. Despite rumblings of the Dolphins being leery of paying the going rate, they ultimately did, authorizing a $53.1MM-per-year payday for their southpaw starter. It no longer requires sufficient credentials to earn a top-market QB contract. The leverage the position’s importance creates — amid the fear of starting over — drives these negotiations, putting Purdy in strong position.
Purdy, 25 this month, needed to beat out Nate Sudfeld for the 49ers’ third-string job during his first training camp. Lance’s subsequent ankle injury bumped him to the QB2 role, and San Francisco’s offense — to the surprise of most — did not slow down after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s foot fracture. Purdy proved competent and piloted the team to the 2022 NFC championship game. He then made it back by Week 1 after UCL rehab, during an offseason that ended with the 49ers admitting defeat on Lance, whom they traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
Purdy took significant steps last season, throwing 31 touchdown passes in 16 games and becoming the first passer to start a full season and average 9.6 yards per attempt since the 1950s. He led the NFL in QBR and passer rating. The 49ers’ four-All-Pro skill-position cadre provided a considerable boost for the formerly unappealing prospect, but Purdy finished last season by going toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII. He has been at the wheel longer than Love and has offered more stability than Lawrence. That $55MM-per-year price, then, makes sense as a clear floor.
Of course, persistent Purdy skepticism has come from his place in Kyle Shanahan‘s scheme and whether he would be worth such a contract. After all, the team did find Purdy in Round 7. Wouldn’t it be within the realm of possibility for the franchise to consider cashing out via trade (at some point) and believing it could maximize another passer lacking elite skills? Then again, that is a dangerous game to play.
The 49ers being the team to strongly consider passing on authorizing such a contract should not be ruled out, seeing as Shanahan reached a Super Bowl with Garoppolo at the helm. The 49ers would also see their roster blueprint change wildly if/once they pay Purdy. How the team proceeds with its host of contract-year starters in 2025 — a group including Charvarius Ward, Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks — may be an early tell on how it will proceed with Purdy, as paying the QB — even in the expected event of a backloaded structure that kept cap hits low early — would naturally lead to cost-cutting moves elsewhere on the roster.
Purdy sits seventh in QBR despite Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey missing most of the season. The Iowa State alum still ranks fourth in Y/A (8.4) and has delivered 275 rushing yards — far more than he offered in 16 games last year. He is on the cusp of receiving the biggest raise in NFL history, as the seventh-round deal averages $934K per annum. 49ers CEO Jed York pointed to the team already planning for a Purdy payday, and while rumblings about a Kirk Cousins trade serving as a potential fallback option (thus reuniting he and Shanahan, Washington’s OC at the time the veteran was drafted) have surfaced, nothing serious has come out regarding any real considerations of separating from Purdy.
With the exception of Prescott, Cousins and Lamar Jackson, high-end QB paydays in the fifth-year option era commence before or during the player’s contract year. QB tags are rare. The 49ers could keep Purdy at a $1.1MM base salary next season and prepare for a 2026 tag at roughly $45MM, but they then run the risk of the market rising down the road. It can also be argued the market might not change much in 2025, as the 2021 and ’22 draft classes have not brought extension candidates. Lawrence has already been paid, with the other four first-round QBs from 2021 not being in line for monster pacts. The 2022 early-round crop has been even worse, with Purdy the only extension candidate to come from that disappointing QB draft.
The NFL’s $50MM-per-year club expanded to nine this offseason, and Josh Allen will be a candidate to eclipse Prescott’s contract perhaps as early as 2025. The MVP frontrunner does not carry the contractual leverage Prescott did, in being tied to his $43MM-per-year accord through 2027, but the Bills will need to address this team-friendly deal at some point. Allen’s six-year deal is as close as any QB has come to accepting team-friendly terms in line with Mahomes’. The three-time Super Bowl MVP is still signed through 2031 at $45MM per, giving the Chiefs tremendous flexibility. But his peers have, as expected, still opted for shorter-term deals that would allow for more prime-years paydays.
Barring Purdy accepting Mahomes- or Allen-level terms, the 49ers will need to pay up and make sacrifices elsewhere. That would stand to impact their loaded (when healthy) roster. That will mark a significant change for the franchise, though the team already had Garoppolo on top-market (at the time) terms and still churned out winning squads. San Francisco’s Shanahan-era blueprints have come with and without a veteran-QB deal on the payroll.
Starting over at quarterback would represents a massive risk, and for a team that missed badly when trying to do so (Lance) earlier this decade, it might not be one to take. Purdy has proven effective in Shanahan’s offense, putting him on the cusp of the NFL’s latest quarterback megadeal. How it comes together will shape the market for future passers.
Given how disappointing most of the other arms from the 2021 and ’22 drafts have been, Purdy suddenly resides as the QB market’s centerpiece player for the 2025 offseason. While the 49ers are no strangers to contract drama, it currently appears more likely than not they will stay the course and not become the team that refuses to pay a passer the going rate. Purdy’s asking price topping Prescott’s may change that, but a deal between the Lawrence-Love level and where the Cowboys’ leverage-fueled QB raised the market is probably something the 49ers will need to stomach.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/6/24
Here are Friday’s practice squad moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT Michael Dwumfour, DT T.Y. McGill
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: T Coy Cronk
- Placed on practice squad injured list: G Henry Byrd
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Jonathan Ward
- Released: DT Domenique Davis
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: P Ty Zentner
- Placed on practice squad injured list: OL Jason Peters
Peters has not seen any game action this season, keeping him from an official 21st NFL slate. Peters, 42, would make NFL history by becoming the first O-lineman to be on an active roster in a 21st season. After seeing action in eight games last season in Seattle, making two starts, Peters has not climbed to the team’s 53-man roster yet this year. Despite Abraham Lucas coming back, George Fant is back on IR. And Peters remains on the team’s practice squad. Though, he is running out of time to turn his insurance role into in-game duties.
McGill is not quite on the Josh Johnson journeyman tier, but the 10th-year defensive lineman has been with 10 teams. The Browns are not a new one, as he previously stopped through Cleveland during the 2017 season. McGill, 32, played in one game for the 49ers this season. He had spent three years in San Francisco but is now roster depth back in Cleveland, where he played three games in 2017.