Kevin Stefanski Addresses Browns Ownership’s Role In Football Decisions
In a period featuring high-profile quarterback misfires, the Browns are firmly in that club — perhaps having committed the featured misstep. The Deshaun Watson trade/extension is producing so little it has undercut an otherwise well-built roster. While injuries are affecting Cleveland’s offense, Watson has done little throughout his tenure to indicate he will live up to the five-year, $230MM fully guaranteed deal that had swayed him to waive his no-trade clause for the Browns.
Watson has confirmed Browns ownership offers him regular encouragement, and the Jimmy–Dee Haslam combination authorized extensions for both GM Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski this offseason. While the latter is now a two-time Coach of the Year honoree, Berry runs a front office that pulled the trigger on what may go down as the worst trade in NFL history — when the contractual components are factored in.
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Jimmy Haslam said two years ago Berry hatched the plan to give Watson the fully guaranteed deal to convince him to waive his no-trade clause for Cleveland. Watson had eliminated the Browns from consideration and was heading toward committing to the Falcons. The fully guaranteed deal brought him to Ohio, but the Browns have not reaped much from the trade. They entered the season still waiting for Watson’s Houston-era form to resurface. Five games in, calls for his benching have been loud enough Stefanski has been forced to deny he has considered it.
Stefanski’s offense certainly worked better with Joe Flacco at the controls, while Jacoby Brissett was effective in stretches as well during Watson’s suspension. Baker Mayfield also bounced back from his rough 2019 season under Freddie Kitchens, leading the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years in 2020. Watson’s poor play points to Stefanski needing to consider using Jameis Winston, whom the Browns signed instead of offering Flacco a deal to return. But the fifth-year Browns HC confirmed ownership would be a part of any decision to bench Watson (or any notable football decision).
“I talk to Andrew. I talk to ownership about our football team,” Stefanski said, via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi. “… I wouldn’t get into all the specifics. I think you guys know that we make great decisions together. I obviously talk to Andrew about everything we do. We talk to ownership about everything we do. That’s just how we operate.”
Owners widely meddle in football matters, as is their right even when they obviously carry less insight compared to football ops personnel. However, this particular group having significant involvement in football matters is interesting due to its past. Prior to landing on the Berry-Stefanski tandem, the Haslams cycled through six head coaches (counting interim 2018 HC Gregg Williams) and five football ops bosses since buying the team in 2012.
The Browns became the second team to finish 0-16, completing a 4-44 stretch from 2015-17. That span came after Jimmy Haslam pushed for Johnny Manziel in the 2014 first round. The current Browns situation formed when became the first team since 1976 to trade three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and the contract they authorized — despite Watson being embroiled in off-field turmoil at the time — threatens to sink the roster Berry has built.
Watson ranks last in QBR among qualified passers this season, and his EPA per dropback is the worst of any Browns QB to start a season this century. Being sacked an NFL-high 26 times, Watson also sports the league’s third-worst rate of off-target throws (20.7%), Oyefusi adds. Watson, who averaged an NFL-high 8.9 yards per attempt in his final season as the Texans’ starter, is averaging a league-worst 4.8 per throw to start this season.
The Browns have a macro crisis on their hands, with their attempt to tailor Stefanski’s offense to their high-priced passer’s talents — via the Ken Dorsey OC hire — not working. Stefanski is not giving up play-calling duties at this time, and the question of whether he has the authority to bench Watson is now worth asking. The Cardinals and Titans also showed how quickly HC and GM extensions can turn into firings. Ownership pushed out the Steve Keim–Kliff Kingsbury tandem less than a year after extending both. Titans GM Jon Robinson was gone months after a 2022 re-up, and Mike Vrabel — despite a Coach of the Year honor — was out less than two years after his payday.
While this potentially puts Berry and Stefanski on notice, it is premature to suggest they are on hot seats. Though, this Watson catastrophe certainly could warrant a major firing.
The team may well be waiting until it can move closer to full strength on offense before fully evaluating this setup. Wyatt Teller is on short-term IR, while Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills have shuttled in and out of the lineup. David Njoku has missed three games, and Nick Chubb is in the PUP-return window. It will be interesting to see if the Browns can show progress once some of these players return, but time is running out.
Thanks to Watson’s two restructures, he is on the Browns’ 2025 and ’26 cap sheets at $72.9MM. No player has ever counted more than $50MM on a team’s payroll, with Dallas’ 11th-hour Dak Prescott extension moving him south of that mark.
Watson having settled his most recent civil suit alleging sexual assault also lessens the chances the Browns could void future guarantees in the event of a second suspension. Absent that, it would cost Cleveland $172.7MM (spread over two years, in a post-June 1 scenario) to cut Watson in 2025. For better or worse, the Browns are stuck here. Stefanski and Co. will continue to try making this foundation-shifting plan work.
Broncos Designate CB Damarri Mathis, RB Audric Estime For Return
OCTOBER 10: Tomasson notes Estime should be activated in time for Week 6 as long as he does not encounter any setbacks over the next few days. His presence would again provide a depth option in the backfield as Denver looks for a fourth straight win on Sunday.
OCTOBER 9: As the Broncos have strung together a three-game win streak, reinforcements are on their way back. Both cornerback Damarri Mathis and running back Audric Estime returned to practice Wednesday, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
These are two different transactions, despite both players’ 21-day return windows being the same. The Broncos used one of their newly allowed preseason return designations on Mathis. The third-year corner already counts toward Denver’s eight in-season activations. Injured in Week 1, Estime does not. Once the rookie is activated, the Broncos’ count will drop from seven to six.
Trade interest came in for Mathis late this summer, but the high ankle sprain he sustained in Denver’s preseason finale cooled any talk of a swap. The Broncos, despite Sean Payton not being in place as HC when Mathis was drafted (Round 4, 2022), wanted to hold onto the former starter anyway.
Though, Mathis’ route back to the team’s starting lineup is currently closed. Riley Moss has seized the boundary gig opposite Patrick Surtain. Pro Football Focus rates Moss, a 2023 third-round pick who played mostly special teams as a rookie, as the league’s No. 7 overall corner. The Iowa alum has started all five Broncos games, forcing a fumble and intercepting a pass early in his second season.
Mathis returning would, however, supply depth for a Broncos secondary that also has an established slot starter (Ja’Quan McMillian). Mathis won the Broncos’ CB2 job out of training camp last year, having kept it after being the team’s Ronald Darby replacement in 2022. Denver, however, benched Mathis for Fabian Moreau early last season (Moreau is now with the Vikings). While the Pittsburgh product was relegated to ST duty after that October 2023 demotion, he has made 17 career starts. Mathis would join free agency pickup Levi Wallace as the Broncos’ top backup corners.
A fifth-round pick, Estime saw brief offensive action against the Seahawks in the Broncos’ opener but went down with an ankle malady. The Broncos have seen improvement from Javonte Williams in recent weeks, and Jaleel McLaughlin operates as the starter’s top complementary piece. Denver, however, recently placed Tyler Badie on IR. That stands to open a spot for Estime once he is ready to return. Rookie UDFA Blake Watson resides as the team’s current No. 3 running back.
NFC West Notes: Seahawks, Hufanga, Rams
Left in charge after the Seahawks jettisoned their other football operations pillar, John Schneider‘s search for Pete Carroll‘s successor started earlier. The 14-year Seattle HC’s age (72 as of Week 18 last season) moved Schneider to do some early work on candidates, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson, leading the team to 36-year-old Mike Macdonald.
While the Carroll-for-Macdonald change — or a move to a much younger candidate — was eventually expected, the decision from Seahawks ownership gave Schneider full autonomy for the first time. Previously riding shotgun to Carroll in terms of final roster say, Schneider’s takeover of sorts came after the aging HC had discussed ceding that power to the GM in recent years, Henderson adds. A January report also pointed to Carroll considering retirement around midseason only to reverse course; Seahawks ownership’s decision cemented the change to a Schneider-run operation. Although Carroll and Schneider rarely disagreed to the point the coach had to wield his decision-making hammer, it will be interesting to gauge the Seahawks’ direction with the longtime GM calling all the shots.
Carroll is technically a Seahawks advisor following his coaching stay, though the former Jets and Patriots HC wanted to coach again. He lobbied to keep the Seattle gig. But Carroll has kept his distance from the facility, with Henderson adding the departed coach wants to give Macdonald’s regime space. Carroll had indeed planned to serve in his advisory role, but he has stepped back in the months since. Carroll, now 73, is no longer eyeing another coaching job.
Here is the latest from the NFC West:
- Both Carroll and Macdonald signed off on a Jason Peters addition. The now-42-year-old tackle played sparingly for the Seahawks last season, coming in to help a team that missed RT Abraham Lucas for much of the season. With that again the case and George Fant‘s second Seattle stint on hold, the Seahawks again summoned Peters to the practice squad. Close to becoming the first O-lineman to be on an active roster in a 21st NFL season, Peters said he did not expect to play again. Staying in contact with Schneider helped the All-Decade blocker’s cause, Henderson adds, and he could be on the cusp of being elevated to the Hawks’ gameday roster again.
- Tre’Davious White is still on the Rams‘ 53-man roster, but the team deemed the eighth-year veteran a healthy scratch in Week 5. Classifying this as a coach’s decision, Sean McVay demoted the free agency acquisition from starter to out of the mix entirely, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. This is an interesting decision, even with the Rams activating Darious Williams from IR and turning to the recently re-signed Ahkello Witherspoon as a starter (alongside Cobie Durant) for the first time this season. Despite his injury trouble during the final years of his Bills tenure, White played 98% of Los Angeles’ defensive snaps during the team’s first four games. Pro Football Focus rated White as the NFL’s seventh-worst corner this season, and the former Buffalo extension recipient has already been charged with allowing four touchdown receptions and a 138.4 passer rating as the closest defender this season. White, 29, is on a one-year, $4.25MM deal.
- Talanoa Hufanga is back on IR, having suffered a wrist injury shortly after his ACL rehab odyssey concluded. Injuries are slowing the All-Pro safety, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano still views him as being on the 49ers’ extension radar. Hufanga joins cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir on San Francisco’s extension radar. The team may be readier to commit to Lenoir compared to Ward, who is three years younger (at 25), but Hufanga being on the team’s re-up radar is interesting. The former fifth-round pick rocketed onto the All-Pro tier in 2022 and would make sense as an extension candidate, but the 49ers paid Brandon Aiyuk this offseason and have a Brock Purdy extension on the horizon. Choices will need to be made on a defense that also houses Dre Greenlaw in a contract year.
QB Rumors: Rodgers, Colts, Maye, Williams
Aaron Rodgers has now seen the offensive coordinator he has long backed, Nathaniel Hackett, stripped of play-calling duties. Interim Jets HC Jeff Ulbrich said Thursday the future Hall of Fame QB took his friend’s demotion in stride, calling Rodgers “supportive” of the choice, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Ulbrich said he talked to Rodgers and Jets offensive and defensive players before making that call. Hackett had begun to lose support in the locker room, and Robert Saleh was on the verge of either firing him or going through with the demotion Ulbrich ultimately carried out.
As for Rodgers’ role in Saleh’s firing, the quarterback vehemently denied complicity. Calling accusations he played a role in Saleh’s ouster “patently false,” Rodgers confirmed during his Pat McAfee Show appearance Woody Johnson‘s account the two talked Monday night. Seeing as the owner fired Saleh the next morning, it is a somewhat difficult sell that this topic never came up during the QB-owner conversation. However, Rodgers said (via Cimini) he and the longtime Jets owner discussed his ankle injury. Rodgers has been battling a low ankle sprain, playing through the malady. Also calling Saleh one of the reasons he delayed retirement to play for the Jets, Rodgers will now move forward with Todd Downing calling the shots and Hackett in an unspecified role.
Here is the latest from the QB ranks:
- Giving Drake Maye first-team reps in training camp and during the season, the Patriots have now moved the No. 3 overall pick into the lineup. This comes after Jacoby Brissett has struggled in his season back in New England. The bridge quarterback ranks 28th in QBR but is playing with a bottom-end skill-position group and behind an O-line featuring key injuries. Still, the pivot to Maye — earlier than some anticipated — does not come as a knee-jerk reaction to Brissett’s performance against the Dolphins, the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes. OC Alex Van Pelt had also said the team delaying Maye’s debut also had nothing to do with the current O-line composition. This Pats ramp-up period will be tested in Week 6, as Maye takes over against a 4-1 Texans team.
- Anthony Richardson did not qualify as a game-time decision last week, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who indicates the second-year Colts QB was unable to move on the level he normally can. That led to Indianapolis downgrading its starter to doubtful the day before its Week 5 game. Optimism exists, based on “significant improvement” in his oblique rehab Richardson can go in Week 6. Richardson getting in a limited practice represents a good sign for his availability Sunday, though eyes will be on this situation after Joe Flacco proved more capable of moving the offense after early-season Richardson accuracy issues.
- Concerns about Carl Williams’ involvement in his son Caleb‘s career have followed the former Heisman-winning passer, but the Bears received a positive report from now-Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury as they prepared for the draft. In discussing Caleb with Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus pre-draft, the recent USC QBs coach said he only saw Carl once at the Trojans’ practice facility, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, illustrating a more hands-off approach — at least, compared to public perception — from the prized prospect’s father. Carl Williams had made comments about his son having “two bites at the apple” regarding the NFL, inviting speculation the QB could return to school if he did not view the team with the No. 1 overall pick as a good fit. Caleb’s camp then tried to secure a no-franchise tag clause in his rookie deal — an unprecedented play the Bears shot down — and angled to be paid as an LLC for tax purposes. This invites some potential long-term issues for the Bears, but for now, the top pick’s development is their lone focus.
Extension Candidate: Trey Smith
Bye weeks are known to bring increased attention to extension talks, and the Chiefs enter theirs with multiple candidates on the radar. Weeks after extending Creed Humphrey at a center-record rate, Kansas City remains interested in paying its right guard as well.
Trey Smith is on an expiring contract, and this year’s guard market — along with an NFL resume that includes steady play despite a sixth-round entrance — points to the fourth-year blocker being close to joining an exclusive club. The Chiefs would have loved to pay Smith shortly after they gave Humphrey a four-year, $72MM extension, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team viewed locking down both as “far too costly.” As it stands, Fowler adds Smith is on track for a deal that will be worth $20MM per year or beyond that point.
A fourth-year starter, Smith emerged as an extension candidate early in training camp. The Chiefs then paid Humphrey at a rate well north of where the center market previously stood. But top guards command more than the best centers. It is safe to say Smith’s second contract, barring a significant injury, will be costlier than Humphrey’s. This introduces a champagne problem of sorts for the two-time reigning champions, who have continued to view Smith as a keeper.
Four guards currently comprise the $20MM-per-year club. Landon Dickerson leads the way at $21MM AAV, while Chris Lindstrom ($20.5MM), Quenton Nelson ($20MM) and Robert Hunt ($20MM) secured these elusive terms as well. As the salary cap continues to rise, it stands to reason this group will expand soon. At 25, Smith is a prime candidate to join the group.
Reaching the market will be his best chance to do so, but the Chiefs’ Humphrey, Joe Thuney and Jawaan Taylor payments illustrate a commitment to paying top-market money for O-line aid. The Chiefs’ 2021 O-line overhaul, after the Buccaneers teed off on Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LV, has played a central role in the franchise’s threepeat push.
Commandeering a starting job from the jump despite a blood clot issue dropping him to Round 6 in 2021, Smith has overcome that to start every game he has played with the Chiefs. Having missed only one career game, Smith is building a strong resume toward being a top-flight 2025 free agent. No Pro Bowl invites have come Smith’s way yet; that may well change this season. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the NFL’s fourth-best guard, with he and Thuney each placed in the top five through five games. ESPN’s run block win rate metric places Smith fourth, and the Tennessee alum ranked fourth in pass block win rate among interior O-linemen last season.
Thuney is tied to a five-year, $80MM deal, one that has paid out its guarantees and expires after the 2025 season. With Humphrey paid and Taylor’s 2025 salary guaranteed, the Chiefs may end up with a Thuney-or-Smith decision for next season. Guards are almost never franchise-tagged, due to all O-linemen being grouped together under the tag formula, but Smith stands to be a candidate. Though, the Chiefs, who sit in the bottom 10 in projected 2025 cap space ($27MM-plus), will need to make some adjustments before considering such a move.
Nick Bolton also looms as a Kansas City extension candidate, as the 2021 draft helped form the core of a roster still anchored by John Dorsey-era draftees (Mahomes, Chris Jones, Travis Kelce). Brett Veach‘s top draft to date, however, has seen its lead cogs become quite expensive, as the Humphrey pact showed. Smith will also be more expensive than Bolton to retain, as the ILB market has taken some hits in recent years.
The Chiefs have been able to annually create cap space thanks to Mahomes’ 10-year extension, going to this well three times since the megastar QB signed his deal in 2020. This figures to be an avenue the team explores again, especially as Smith continues to build momentum toward a potential free agency foray.
With Hunt securing $20MM per year on the open market despite zero Pro Bowl nods on his resume, Smith has a path to topping that. The Chiefs hold exclusive negotiating rights with their Day 3 find until March’s legal tampering period. It will be interesting to see what steps they take to make sure he and Humphrey stay together long term.
Chiefs, Commanders, Ravens Out On Davante Adams; Raiders Open To Retaining WR?
The pack is thinning in the Davante Adams pursuit. Although the teams most closely linked to the Raiders wide receiver remain in the hunt, some of the second-tier pursuers are no longer part of this mix.
Never a realistic destination due to their AFC West proximity, the Chiefs are indeed out on Adams. The same goes for the Commanders and Ravens, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur. Both Mid-Atlantic teams were believed to be in on Adams, along with the usual suspects since the WR’s trade request, but Baltimore had been drifting out of the picture.
[RELATED: Raiders Aiming To Unload WR Soon]
The Commanders were listed as an Adams dark-horse destination over the weekend, but this is the second time GM Adam Peters has stood down on a big-ticket pass catcher. Brandon Aiyuk, who played a season with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, would have been amenable to a Washington trade. But the Commanders did not show much interest in the 49ers WR this offseason. Now, the Commanders are passing on Adams, who comes with a salary teams are not keen on paying.
Adams ignited Baltimore speculation by tweeting a picture of Edgar Allan Poe last week, but the Ravens have not discussed the wideout with the Raiders in several days. The Cowboys balked due to the Raiders’ insistence they pay all of Adams’ prorated salary, per The Athletic. Dallas was mentioned as a team who checked in with the Raiders but deemed not interested soon after. Other clubs are joining Jerry Jones‘ team.
The Saints and Jets are still in this, and veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson adds Derek Carr‘s injury — an oblique issue expected to cost the QB multiple games — does not change New Orleans’ interest in this big swing. The Steelers have reached out as well, per The Athletic, while the Bills are monitoring this situation. Buffalo joined Baltimore in deeming the Raiders’ asking price as too high, but the Bills being somewhat concerned about their receiver situation may change the equation. The Steelers have been looking at WRs since establishing Brandon Aiyuk trade framework.
While ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler points to the Saints as being a slight favorite here now, ESPN colleague Adam Schefter indicates (video link) Raiders talks with the Saints and Jets may be slowing down due to the Robert Saleh firing and Carr injury respectively affecting those respective teams. This somewhat contradicts Anderson’s account re: the Saints, but while Adams is still interested in being dealt to New York or New Orleans, this process does appear to have hit a lull.
The main reason for the slowdown: the Raiders’ hope they can unload Adams for strong draft compensation and convince the acquiring team to pay the entirety of his prorated base salary. At least one team negotiating with the Raiders was told the AFC West club does not intend to pay any of the wideout’s remaining 2024 base, Fowler adds. This hardline stance obviously will give teams pause about giving up a plus asset — the Raiders want a second-round pick and more — for a soon-to-be 31-year-old receiver who is due $11.92MM for the season’s remainder.
On the New Orleans front, Anderson adds the prospect of giving up a higher-end draft choice here has not gained much traction. While the Saints are known for their salary cap wizardry, they only hold $2.6MM in space as of Wednesday. Mickey Loomis‘ club would need to make significant adjustments to accommodate all of Adams’ money — to the point it might be a nonstarter for the Saints if the Raiders refuse paying any of Adams’ salary.
As for the Jets, The Athletic notes they are still talking to the Raiders despite having fired Saleh. That decision conceivably moves Joe Douglas closer to the chopping block, but the sixth-year GM is still running point on negotiations that will help the 2024 Jets. Considering the jobs on the line and Aaron Rodgers‘ urging for this reunion, it would surprise if New York was not in this until the end.
Adams had pledged continued support for the Raiders’ cause, denying trade rumors for a while, but Fowler adds the quarterback situation — which has featured a months-long, on-and-off competition between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell — has factored into the receiver’s decision to ask out. Adams displayed clear frustration during the Raiders’ short-lived Jimmy Garoppolo QB1 period, making it unsurprising a player who built a Hall of Fame case with Rodgers and produced first-team All-Pro numbers with Carr would want much more of the Raiders’ current situation.
That said, the onus for an Adams trade to take place as soon as possible falls on the Raiders, who are paying the disgruntled wideout nearly $1MM per week until he is dealt. The Raiders carry more than $26MM in cap space and need a long-term quarterback, making it a bit odd they are holding the line financially when paying some of Adams’ money would bring better trade compensation. Also complicating Adams’ situation: his hamstring injury will sideline him for Week 6, Fowler adds. A previous report pointed to Adams being ready for Week 6; a three-week injury absence stands to give teams more pause.
Adams requesting a meeting with Antonio Pierce to express his demand to be traded to a better team surprised his coach, according to The Athletic. Adams had stumped for Pierce to be elevated to the full-time HC post, but the parties’ relationship has deteriorated since. The Raiders said they would accommodate him due to not wanting uncommitted players. Adams was then informed of the Pierce Instagram like regarding a trade the next morning during his appearance on Up & Adams.
It should now be noted that Pierce is not slamming the door shut on Adams playing for the team again. Pierce said he and Adams have talked since the trade request surfaced, and it sounds like the Raiders — potentially in a posturing move — are open to keeping Adams.
“He is in good spirits, we talked … so everything’s good. … He is still a Raider. He has never not been a Raider,” Pierce said, via Tafur. “When he’s healthy and can play, we’ll play him. He’s working everyday to get that hamstring right and he’s in the right headspace mentally. Like I said, we talked recently, had a good conversation and he’s ready to play football.”
Unless Pierce’s Wednesday words do prompt a reconciliation, the Raiders are preparing to say goodbye to the first receiver they have seen snare first-team All-Pro honors since Hall of Famer Cliff Branch in 1976. Teams will save more than $940K each week by waiting, as the NFL’s offseason deadline change resulted in a Nov. 5 trade endpoint for this year.
Steelers’ Justin Fields Not In Danger Of Losing Starting Job?
Russell Wilson logged his first full practice of the regular season today, moving Mike Tomlin toward an ultimate call on where his quarterback situation now stands.
The 13th-year veteran won this job out of the preseason, but Justin Fields had closed the gap after this Steelers offseason pointed to the more experienced player having a decisive advantage. Fields’ age, rushing ability and potential (along with Wilson’s Denver struggles) long made him a threat, regardless of the Pittsburgh party line. Now, the potential Hall of Famer is in danger of seeing a full-on demotion take place. The Steelers are set to start Fields on Sunday, and while Tomlin said he needs to see Wilson sustain health before revisiting his QB decision, he has lost considerable momentum.
Although the Broncos benched Wilson to close last season, the accomplished vet’s contract was at the root of that situation. No such issue exists now, and the Steelers are likely moving toward installing Fields as their starter. With this call approaching, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes he has not received indications that Fields is on thin ice entering Week 6. The Steelers being fairly confident in their backup-turned-starter would create an interesting situation soon, as Wilson certainly did not sign with the team to operate in a reserve role.
Wilson beat out Matt Flynn as a rookie and never looked back, starting every Seahawks game until a 2021 finger injury forced him back to the sideline. No debate existed about Geno Smith‘s status at the time; Wilson immediately regained his job upon recovering. Wilson missed time in Denver due to injury, but Brett Rypien obviously never became a threat. Jarrett Stidham ultimately replaced Wilson, but the Broncos’ initial starter finished last season with 26 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
Granted, Sean Payton did not exactly turn his starter loose as the Broncos mounted a five-game win streak last season; Wilson only eclipsed 200 passing yards in one of the team’s wins during that streak. Denver’s HC also dressed down Wilson publicly prior to the benching. QBR also slotted Wilson 21st last season. Being demoted for Fields would mark new territory for Wilson, who may well consider his options if this scenario unfolds.
The Steelers gave Wilson a no-trade clause, familiar for Wilson but not for most NFLers, and the veteran could look to be moved if he loses his job due to the calf injury that has slowed him on two occasions since training camp. Holding that clause, however, could lead to a Wilson release rather than a trade. That would give him freedom to choose a destination. Of course, it would also require the Steelers to bail on a player who would turn into important depth, as Wilson would be a far better backup option compared to Kyle Allen.
Fields sits 22nd in QBR and was at the helm for three Pittsburgh wins to start the season. He then dropped a 312-55 game in a loss to the Colts. The former Bears first-rounder has thrown five touchdown passes and one interception, though he struggled at points in a loss to the Cowboys. Fields has not submitted an open-and-shut case he should be the Steelers’ starter, especially after Wilson beat him out this summer, but he has long had supporters in the building. Expecting Fields to keep the job, Graziano adds many coaches and players have raved about the fourth-year player thus far.
It would surprise if the Steelers, considering the QB trouble they dealt with during Kenny Pickett‘s two seasons at the helm, would break up this pair so soon. Though, Tomlin’s “volunteers, not hostages” refrain could conceivably apply to his current QB situation soon. This is about to shift to a front-burner matter, as Wilson moves toward being active for the first time this season.
Raiders To Start Aidan O’Connell In Week 6
Unlike the Las Vegas development earlier this season, Gardner Minshew‘s benching will last into the next week. Antonio Pierce announced Wednesday afternoon it will be Aidan O’Connell in Week 6.
The Raiders had been reportedly set to relaunch their Minshew-O’Connell competition from this offseason, going through practices to determine the starter. That would have been somewhat unusual given all the intel the team already has on the two passers. After sitting Minshew twice during games this season, Pierce will give O’Connell another shot.
Pierce said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he wants O’Connell to start for the rest of the season, though the second-year Raiders HC couched that stance by noting Minshew would return to the lineup if needed. This back-and-forth has lasted for months, with an O’Connell offseason lead eventually turning into Minshew winning the job. Pierce then benched Minshew in Weeks 3 and 5. Pierce is now going back to the player who started throughout his interim HC run.
This brings O’Connell’s second in-season promotion. Although the 2023 fourth-round pick started in place of Jimmy Garoppolo in a game early last season (featuring a Khalil Mack sack explosion), Josh McDaniels went with Brian Hoyer over him when Garoppolo sustained a second injury. Shortly after the Raiders canned McDaniels, Pierce gave O’Connell the job for good. Garoppolo did not start another game with the team and was released, via a post-June 1 cut, this offseason.
O’Connell, who is already 26 despite entering the NFL last year, completed 62.1% of his passes as a rookie (at 6.5 per attempt). That came largely under interim OC Bo Hardegree, who is not on this year’s Raiders staff. O’Connell is at 59.4% and 5.5 per pass under OC Luke Getsy, though 32 passes is obviously not a sufficient sample size. The Raiders will expand that number beginning against the Steelers, but this ongoing drama should be expected to produce ties to future QB options soon.
The Raiders gave Minshew a two-year, $25MM deal ($15MM guaranteed at signing) as insurance in case the draft board did not fall their way. After Pierce pushed for a trade-up — with an unrealistic climb for former Arizona State charge Jayden Daniels the ultimate goal — GM Tom Telesco stood down. The Raiders had hosted Bo Nix on a pre-draft visit and were linked to Michael Penix Jr., but they did not view either as trade-up targets. Denver chose Nix at No. 12, and Las Vegas went with a best-player-available pick in Brock Bowers at 13. Bowers has shown immediate promise, and while he will currently be tasked with helping O’Connell, the Raiders will be looking for a way out of this long-running QB chapter soon.
Minshew, who is being benched despite at 70.7% completion rate (7.2 yards per attempt, albeit with a 4-to-5 TD-INT ratio) secured $3.16MM of his 2025 base salary ($11.84MM) guaranteed at signing. It will cost the Raiders $7.66MM in dead money to drop him in 2025. The Raiders are already on the hook for more than $17MM in dead cap due to the Garoppolo release; $12.8MM of that sum will hit the team’s cap sheet in 2025.
Minshew, 27, led the Colts to the playoff precipice; like Joe Flacco, he proved a more accurate solution than project Anthony Richardson. QBR slotted Minshew 13th last season. This led to the Raiders making him the second-highest-paid QB free agent of this year’s class. But he is now following Garoppolo — last year’s highest-paid QB free agent — in being benched for O’Connell, who joined Minshew in throwing INTs to Patrick Surtain on Sunday. Minshew threw a second pick in his Denver outing as well.
The Raiders enjoyed QB stability for nine seasons, with Derek Carr a dependable (if unremarkable) starter. The team has since started five QBs since Carr’s late-season benching two years ago. It will be O’Connell’s turn again, and with the Raiders having him under contract through 2026, this Minshew demotion gives the (slightly) younger passer a chance to audition for a 2025 stopgap gig.
Saints To Start Spencer Rattler In Week 6
A gargantuan gap existed between the Nos. 6 and 7 quarterbacks to go off the board this year, with Spencer Rattler dropping into the fifth round. That will not stop the Saints from the rookie being their choice to replace Derek Carr.
With Carr out for “a few weeks” due to an oblique tear, New Orleans is going with Rattler, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report. The former South Carolina and Oklahoma starter will receive the nod in Week 6, being tabbed over Jake Haener as the Saints’ top backup.
Rattler will likely receive the call for at least two games, with the Saints’ Week 7 contest — a home tilt against the Broncos — booked for Thursday night that week. New Orleans hosts Tampa Bay this week. While the expectation of Carr missing multiple games surfaced Tuesday, this is the first news of a tear. This stands to significantly disrupt the 11th-year passer’s season. Carr played through a few injuries last season, a campaign that included two concussions. He has only missed three games due to injury in his career, with the most recent coming in 2017.
This will not exactly be familiar territory for the Saints. Although they needed to start Ian Book due to a COVID-19 emergency in 2021, this organization does not make a habit of using rookie quarterbacks. Carr followed Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston as the Saints’ post-Drew Brees starters. Brees, a 2006 free agency addition, was in place as the team’s starter for 15 seasons. Brees predecessor Aaron Brooks also was not a rookie when he began his starter tenure in 2000. Rattler is poised to become the Saints’ first multigame rookie QB starter of the 21st century.
The Saints have gone 53 years since drafting a quarterback in the first round (Archie Manning). That was not in play for the team this year, with Carr signed through 2026 and restructuring his deal this offseason, but Mickey Loomis and Co. did bring in Rattler after the wave of QBs came off the board in Round 1. Though, it took four more rounds for Rattler to hear his name called. Rattler went 150th overall.
Teammates with both Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams and Oklahoma, Rattler started in between the two eventual NFL regulars. Williams supplanted him, leading to a South Carolina transfer. Rattler posted a Big 12-best 28 TD passes during the COVID-shortened 2020 season but saw Williams take his job in 2021, and while his two South Carolina starting seasons did not produce explosive offensive numbers, the experienced college starter completed a Gamecocks-record 68.9% of his passes last season.
Rattler and Haener battled for the QB2 job this summer. Despite the latter receiving a skin cancer diagnosis, he did not land on the Saints’ reserve/NFI list. Haener, a 2023 fourth-round pick, is on New Orleans’ 53-man roster but will back up Rattler this week.
The Carr component here certainly brings trouble for a Saints team that has lost three straight. The Saints’ schedule is not particularly daunting following the Bucs and Broncos matchups, with the Chargers and Panthers on tap in Weeks 8 and 9 (in the event of a Carr IR move). But the team needs to recapture its early-season form soon. Rattler being thrown into the fire will make that more difficult than it otherwise would be.
Michael Pittman Jr. Sustains Back Injury; IR In Play For Colts WR
Receiving a big-ticket extension this offseason, Michael Pittman Jr. is facing his first extended injury absence in years. The Colts may be without their top wide receiver for a while due to a back injury.
The injury is expected to sideline the fifth-year wideout for multiple games, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter indicates IR is in play for Indianapolis. Pittman has not been on IR since his rookie season, having played all but two games since.
This adds to the Colts’ injury trouble. Jonathan Taylor missed last week with a high ankle sprain, and Anthony Richardson did not overcome a doubtful designation to play. The Colts started Joe Flacco for Richardson, who suffered oblique and abdominal strains against the Steelers. Both the quarterback and running back are uncertain for Week 6, a game that will not involve Pittman.
Leg surgery cost Pittman three games as a rookie, during a period in which an IR placement only cost a player three games. Pittman would miss four if placed on IR, and back injuries can certainly linger. This has already been a rocky season for Pittman, who has admittedly been hamstrung by Richardson’s developmental issues. Pittman has only topped 40 receiving yards in one of the Colts’ five 2024 games. Not coincidentally, it was the Week 4 contest Flacco finished.
The Colts gave Pittman a three-year, $70MM extension, doing so after using their franchise tag for the first time since 2013. His career-best numbers came with Gardner Minshew primarily targeting him last season; the former second-round pick totaled 109 catches for 1,152 yards. The Colts paid Taylor first, but the Chris Ballard regime — one that has made roster retention a high priority during his tenure — circled back to the 6-foot-4 wideout on Day 1 of the legal tampering period.
Indianapolis has been a Pittman-centric aerial operation for a while, having not done too well to find tight end production and struggling to land a reliable WR2 as well. This year, however, the team has other options in recent Day 2 draftees Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell. Downs joined Pittman in not practicing Wednesday, with a toe injury sidelining the second-year player. More of a deep threat compared to Pittman, Pierce leads the Colts with 368 receiving yards. The Colts will need to rely on the third-year playmaker more without their high-priced top target.