Kirk Cousins Sought Guarantees Into 2025 During Latest Vikings Talks
Since his franchise tag saga began during the 2010s, Kirk Cousins has been one of the NFL’s financial kingpins. The veteran quarterback’s fully guaranteed $84MM Vikings deal in 2018 remains a landmark NFL accord. He signed two more Vikings contracts, running his career earnings total past $230MM, but is now less than two months from free agency.
Cousins and the Vikings’ most recent negotiations failed, however, leading the 12-year veteran to play out the extension he agreed to in 2022. Minnesota restructured Cousins’ contract last March, adding void years to set up a showdown before the start of the 2024 league year.
Having obviously done extraordinarily well with guarantees since his first Washington tag (2016), Cousins sought multiple additional years of locked-in money during his latest Vikes talks. During the 2023 negotiations, the Pro Bowl passer wanted guarantees through the 2025 season, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes. The Vikings, meanwhile, were only willing to offer guaranteed money into 2024. This led to the sides breaking off talks and the restructure coming to pass.
Teams often bend for quarterbacks, and Cousins almost definitely did not ask for fully guaranteed money through 2025. Given his age and performance level, that would have been a non-starter for the Vikings. But it is notable the team did not want to be tied to any Cousins guarantees beyond his age-36 season. The Vikings now must consider paying for that age-36 season; Cousins will turn 36 in August. Both team and player have said they want to complete another contract, and the Vikings face a time crunch now.
Minnesota must re-sign Cousins before the 2024 league year begins on March 13. Otherwise, $28.5MM in dead money would accelerate onto the team’s 2024 cap sheet. A new deal would still bring some dead cap for the Vikings in 2024, per Goessling, but it would be $10.5MM rather than the concerning total that would come about if no deal was agreed upon. The legal tampering period begins March 11, giving Cousins two days to officially explore non-Minnesota options. Though, the Combine regularly gives free agents an idea of their value ahead of the tampering period.
Cousins’ Achilles tear — his first major injury as a pro — will factor into his latest Minnesota negotiations. The Vikings will not having a clear QB answer if they cannot re-up Cousins would play into the financially savvy passer’s hands, but it is unlikely the organization bends on a three-year guarantee following this Achilles malady. It will be interesting to see if the Vikings want to extend this partnership through 2025. Though, that would probably be necessary, seeing as Cousins’ two Washington franchise tags make him an unrealistic tag candidate. Minnesota resides in the strange position of being unable to tag either of its top two free agents-to-be, with Danielle Hunter‘s reworked contract including a no-tag clause for 2024.
Cousins’ affinity for the Twin Cities notwithstanding, he sounds open to exploring the market. Bill Belichick is the favorite to be named the next Falcons HC, and Cousins would be interested in playing for the legendary HC. Regardless of who their next coach is, the Falcons are looking to upgrade on Desmond Ridder.
“I’m not going to turn down an opportunity to play with a future Hall of Fame coach, but we’ll have to see where March leads,” Cousins said, via Isabel Gonzalez of CBS Sports. “It’s just a lot of unknowns right now.”
Cousins has not hit free agency since 2018. He is believed to be ahead of schedule during Achilles rehab and said he wants to extend his career into at least his late 30s. The October injury may affect his market, but with Baker Mayfield stationed as the only other free agent passer who could command a higher-end starter salary, Cousins would attract attention if he truly tested the market.
AFC East Notes: Becton, Jets, Howard, Bills
Mekhi Becton‘s quest to solidify himself as the Jets‘ long-term left tackle did not come to fruition, but the injury-prone blocker did finish the season without an IR trip. A few other Jets O-linemen could not say the same. Becton’s contract year consisted of 16 games and starts at both right and left tackle. While the 2020 first-round pick would like to re-sign with the Jets, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the team is unlikely to have a strong interest in a second contract.
Pro Football Focus graded Becton 68th overall among tackles this season, and Next Gen Stats charged the slimmed-down tackle with 12 sacks allowed. That said, the Jets will need to be aggressive in their pursuit of tackle help this offseason. Duane Brown is 38 and played out a two-year contract. He and Becton departing would leave the Jets with two tackle vacancies, though the team has explored the possibility of shifting Alijah Vera-Tucker to right tackle on a full-time basis. But Vera-Tucker, drafted as a guard, has suffered season-ending injuries in each of the past two years.
Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- A player the Jets look to have more interest in signing, Bryce Huff, will not stay just because he has developed as a Jet. Pointing to his family and those around him, the young defensive end said (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) he will take the best offer he receives in free agency. The Jets, however, do want to re-sign Huff, per GM Joe Douglas. A former UDFA, Huff broke through in his contract year to lead the team with 10.5 sacks despite not starting any games. The Jets and Huff, who has not graded well as a run defender, discussed an extension during the season. The Jets have first-rounders Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald, along with John Franklin-Myers, but losing Huff would be a blow for Robert Saleh‘s defense.
- On the same note, Xavien Howard is unlikely to accept a pay cut to stay with the Dolphins, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley notes. “No matter where I’m going, I’m still going to do my thing,” Howard said. “Whatever comes with it, I’m excited about what will happen.” The Dolphins’ longest-tenured starter, at eight seasons, Howard is signed through 2026 on the contract he agreed to upon voicing issue with Byron Jones out-earning him. Miami gave Howard a five-year, $90MM extension in 2022, but the veteran ballhawk is now 30 and finished the season sidelined with a foot sprain. The Dolphins, who released Jones as a post-June 1 cut last year, can only recoup notable savings by using this designation on Howard. Now employing Jalen Ramsey as its top corner, Miami would save $18.5MM this year by using the post-June 1 designation on Howard.
- The Bills will be without Gabe Davis in a second playoff game, ruling out the contract-year wideout for their divisional-round game. Davis is battling a PCL sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Davis represents an intriguing free agent-to-be, having scored 14 touchdowns over the past two seasons, but the Bills have seen 2022 fifth-rounder Khalil Shakir emerge as a player capable of being a low-cost Stefon Diggs complement going forward.
- Additionally, Buffalo has not ruled out Terrel Bernard for its Kansas City rematch. Bernard was carted off the field against the Steelers, but the Bills’ top tackler only suffered a sprained ankle, Rapoport adds. The second-year linebacker aggravated the ankle injury he sustained earlier this season, per the Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. While the Bills are already without Matt Milano at linebacker, starter Tyrel Dodson — who missed the team’s wild-card game — is on track to return in Round 2.
- Leonard Floyd collected an additional $1MM by reaching 10 sacks this season, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The May free agency addition signed a one-year, $7MM deal, one that has been vital due to Von Miller‘s struggle to return to form following his second ACL tear. Floyd, 30, totaled a career-high-matching 10.5 sacks this season.
Commanders’ Next HC To Report To Adam Peters
Ron Rivera wielded more power than his Commanders successor will possess within the organization. The since-fired head coach spent much of his time in Washington running the show; the team’s next HC will not.
The Commanders are planning to give their newly hired president of football operations, Adam Peters, the keys. Their to-be-determined head coach will report to Peters, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. This will be a shift for the franchise, who gave Rivera personnel power during the final Dan Snyder years.
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While Peters follows Martin Mayhew as a Washington GM being hired from San Francisco, John Lynch‘s longtime lieutenant will be a more empowered figure with the NFC East franchise. After Washington spent 2020 without a GM, Rivera signed off on the Mayhew addition in 2021. While Mayhew held considerable power, Rivera was ultimately in charge. The dismissed HC has since said this setup is not ideal, and new owner Josh Harris had long been expected to bring forth a shift. Following Mayhew and Ran Carthon, Peters is the third Lynch-era 49ers exec to land a GM gig.
Some teams have both their head coach and GM report to ownership separately, while others use the owner-GM-HC workflow model. After rumblings of Harris seeking an organizational restructure, the Commanders can now be slotted in the latter category. Regarding this Peters-fronted restructuring, the new front office boss will evaluate the team’s personnel setup. This evaluation, however, will not include Commanders president Jason Wright, per Front Office Sports’ AJ Perez. Wright’s work will fall outside of Peters’ purview. Snyder hired Wright to head up the team’s business side in 2020.
Peters will have authority to determine the roles of Mayhew and VP of player personnel Marty Hurney. Both of these execs have been rumored to be on the outs, but no firings are known to have transpired yet. Peters and Mayhew worked together for nearly four years in San Francisco. The Peters hire, rather than the organization going with its other finalist (Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham), would seem to point to Mayhew staying in a different capacity.
Peters, who turned down the chance to interview for the Cardinals and Titans’ GM jobs last year, always loomed as a logical candidate. But he officially became a Commanders target in December, when former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers — brought in by Harris as an advisor during this transition — asked ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman if he would also help out, Breer adds. These two did prep work beginning around Week 16, with Harris wanting good background in the event he fired Rivera. Spielman came up with a 15-person list for the football ops job, and he and Myers whittled it down to the Peters-Cunningham contingent.
Spielman, whom the Vikings fired following the 2021 season, did not tell anyone who he was working for during this research effort, per Breer. The first round of interviews occurred at Harris’ Miami office. Co-owners Magic Johnson, Mitchell Rales and David Blitzer also spent extensive time with the candidates, with Breer adding the latter trio offered Harris input that led to the Peters decision. We will soon see how the Spielman- and Myers-led research effort turns out on the coaching front.
Patriots To Interview Broncos’ Christian Parker, Saints’ Michael Hodges For DC
Two coaches on Sean Payton‘s staffs will meet with the Patriots about their defensive coordinator position. Broncos DBs coach Christian Parker and Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges will meet about the gig, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport note.
Often reluctant to hand out titles during Bill Belichick‘s run, the Patriots have not gone into a season with a pure DC on their staff since Matt Patricia‘s initial departure following Super Bowl LII. Brian Flores and Jerod Mayo have operated as de facto Pats DCs, with an obvious assist from Belichick, since Patricia left for Detroit’s HC job. Mayo appears ready to change the team’s policy regarding the position.
Parker, 32, is among the few coaches held over from previous Broncos staffs. Payton thought enough of the Vic Fangio-era hire to interview him for the DC job that ended up going to Vance Joseph last year. This will, then, mark Parker’s second meeting about an NFL DC post. That meeting will occur today, per Pelissero.
The only Broncos assistant kept from the Fangio staff, Parker has been the Broncos’ DBs coach for the past three seasons. That tenure overlaps with Patrick Surtain‘s three-year career. Both Surtain and Justin Simmons have earned All-Pro recognition under Parker, who came over from Green Bay in 2021. Denver also coaxed production from new starters P.J. Locke and Ja’Quan McMillian, the latter a rookie UDFA slot corner, this season.
This does mark Hodges’ first DC interview. A Payton hire back in 2018, Hodges, 37, has been in place as New Orleans’ linebackers coach since 2020. The Saints have deployed Demario Davis as one of the NFL’s most versatile linebackers during Hodges’ span as the position coach. Davis has earned first- or second-team All-Pro acclaim in five straight seasons, totaling at least 105 tackles and 20 combined sacks during Hodges’ four years leading the position group. As a whole, the Saints have ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense during each of Hodges’ seasons in his current role.
Parker and Hodges accompany Panthers outside linebackers coach Tem Lukabu as candidates for this position. Parker’s Broncos interview represents this trio’s only previous meeting about a DC post, with Mayo opting for up-and-coming candidates thus far. Patriots defensive reliability has been one of this century’s NFL hallmarks. The Belichick-led unit ranked as a top-15 scoring defense 21 times in his 24-season tenure, finishing as a top-10 unit in 18 of those years.
Latest On Bill Belichick, Falcons; Cowboys, Eagles Looked Into HC?
The Falcons look to be moving closer to one of the highest-profile coaching hires in NFL history. Arthur Blank has never hired a head coach that had held the position before, but this weekend’s second interview could well lead to an agreement.
Bill Belichick‘s upcoming meeting with a Falcons executive committee — after the first interview consisted of just Belichick and Blank — is expected to double as one in which the 29-year veteran HC inquires about how a prospective partnership would work rather than Falcons brass interviewing the accomplished leader, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. Given Belichick’s experience, the Falcons needing to sell him as much as the other way around makes sense. It is not certain Belichick will not take other interviews, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates league buzz is pointing to the six-time Super Bowl winner ending up in Georgia.
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Atlanta remaining in the thick of this pursuit despite Dallas and Philadelphia enduring embarrassing playoff losses is notable, and perhaps telling. Some in league circles believe the Cowboys and Eagles showed interest in Belichick, according to Florio. The Cowboys have since announced they are retaining Mike McCarthy for a fifth season, while the Eagles may be settling on Nick Sirianni retooling his staff. Philly is already believed to have put out feelers to coordinators, pointing to a Sirianni fourth season in charge. Thus far, Belichick has only met with the Falcons.
In order to fire coaches who have accomplished what Sirianni and McCarthy have, the NFC East teams would need to be confident they could lure a better coach. On the Belichick front, Florio adds the all-time great may be done with big-market media. After coaching 24 seasons in the Boston area, Belichick coming to Atlanta would bring a change of pace. That said, Belichick’s presence would naturally make whatever team he ends up a frequent topic of discussion. Low-key NFL teams certainly do exist; the Falcons have operated as one in recent years. But the concept of Belichick residing off the mainstream radar — as he changes teams and sits 14 wins shy of Don Shula‘s all-time wins record — would be difficult to imagine.
If Belichick is truly zeroing in on Atlanta, he would obviously bring credentials that lap the rest of Blank’s hires. The longtime owner saw this firsthand, via Super Bowl LI, and Belichick the coach would provide a major upgrade — particularly on the defensive side. The subject of personnel power would become more complicated. Belichick excelled for years in this area, his issues drafting first-round wideouts notwithstanding, but has struggled recently. The Falcons made a point to say GM Terry Fontenot was not leading this HC search but belatedly said the fourth-year exec’s role has not diminished. It would be interesting to see Belichick, 71, cede power to Fontenot, 43, with the Falcons. The NFC South club could also consider bringing in personnel staffers more familiar with the coach.
On that note, some around the league also believe Belichick would probably reunite with assistants Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia were he to become the next Falcons HC, Maske adds. Belichick’s sons, Steve and Brian, are believed to have an opportunity to stay in New England under Jerod Mayo. But it would stand to reason the assistants will be wanted in Atlanta should their father sign on.
McDaniels’ failures as a head coach aside, he provided considerable value under Bill Belichick in New England. The polarizing play-caller was on staff for all six New England Super Bowl wins, the final three coming when he was in place as offensive coordinator. The Patriots’ freefall post-McDaniels probably should not be overlooked. Patricia stands as a key of that downslide, with Belichick strangely installing him as the 2022 team’s primary offensive play-caller. Patricia and Judge, fired by the Giants after two seasons, held the keys on offense for the ’22 Pats edition. Belichick was believed to have wanted Patricia to stay in 2023, rather than the team hiring Bill O’Brien.
Would the Falcons be willing to go with a Patriots South setup? They would be far from the only team to sign up for a Patriot Way effort, but this endeavor would be a bit different, seeing as the architect would be coming rather than a lieutenant being tasked with replicating Belichick’s approach.
The Falcons have already interviewed six other candidates, satisfying their Rooney Rule requirements in the process. The team is set to meet with Rams DC Raheem Morris on Saturday. While Morris is a former Falcons interim HC who spent six years with the team under Dan Quinn, he may not have left on bad terms. But Belichick buzz has overshadowed the Falcons’ search thus far. We could be days away from the former Browns and Patriots HC receiving a third opportunity, one that would put him in position to break Shula’s record, which has stood since 1995.
Chargers Interview Mike Vrabel; Falcons, Seahawks Showing Interest
Another big name is on the Chargers’ HC interview docket. Following the Bolts’ Jim Harbaugh meeting, they have scheduled a summit with recently dismissed Titans leader Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel is in Los Angeles today for an in-person interview, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This is Vrabel’s first known interview since his Tennessee exit. Not attached to a team presently, Vrabel is free to meet in-person with any team.
[RELATED: Head Coaching Search Tracker]
The Bolts, who have not hired a retread HC since they replaced Marty Schottenheimer with Norv Turner in 2007, have placed a priority on coaches who have been in the top spot before, Pelissero adds. Vrabel joins Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Leslie Frazier as ex-NFL HCs on the Bolts’ radar. Chargers-Bill Belichick connections emerged early, but the former Patriots icon has only met with the Falcons thus far in his first time on a coaching carousel in 24 years.
As expected, multiple teams are interested in Vrabel for their HC gigs. The Falcons and Seahawks have Vrabel on their respective radars, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though no meetings have been scheduled just yet. While coaches attached to a team presently must wait until the divisional round’s conclusion to meet in-person with clubs, Vrabel being fired last week exempts him from these newly imposed restrictions.
Clashes with Titans ownership played the lead role in Vrabel’s Tennessee demise, but after the AFC South team had been connected to seeking compensation in a trade, it was surprising to see him fired. The former Super Bowl-winning linebacker proved a natural HC fit early, guiding the Titans to four straight winning seasons without a top-tier quarterback in place. The team ventured to an AFC championship game for the first time in 17 years and won the AFC South over the next two years, earning the conference’s No. 1 seed in 2021. The past two seasons showed some cracks in the Titans’ armor, as a rebuild appears to loom. Despite back-to-back losing seasons, Vrabel is still 54-45 as an NFL HC.
Amy Adams Strunk expressed disappointment when Vrabel trekked to New England to be enshrined in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame in October, and the latter not being onboard with the Ran Carthon GM hire also rankled the second-generation owner. Vrabel, 48, is believed to have sought full roster control prior to the Carthon hire. The Titans refused, keying a downfall for the well-respected leader.
The Chargers are seeking both a head coach and GM, and considering the high-profile names on the radar, it would stand to reason the team will not stick its next sideline leader with an unapproved front office boss. It did not seem a Vrabel-Carthon conflict brought down his run with the Titans, but the former not viewing the latter as ready for the job certainly did not help matters. The Los Angeles job brings natural interest, with Justin Herbert by far the best quarterback tied to a team with a coaching vacancy. The Chargers have not seen their run of first-time hires post-Turner — Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn, Brandon Staley — move the needle, though it will also be interesting how much control they are willing to give a more experienced head coach.
Seattle’s roster also invites intrigue, with Geno Smith still playing like an above-average quarterback and the team deploying one of the NFL’s better skill-position cadres. The Seahawks’ Pete Carroll-led defense has struggled for many years; the past two, in particular, have provided cause for concern. Vrabel did not spend extensive time calling defensive plays in Tennessee, but that is obviously his area of expertise.
The Falcons appear serious with Belichick, setting up a second interview, after Arthur Blank‘s run of first-time hires failing to deliver a Super Bowl win. Though the Falcons have been successful at points in the Blank era (under Quinn, Jim Mora Jr. and Mike Smith), Belichick obviously resides in a different genre as a coach. Vrabel spent eight seasons playing under Belichick, adding appeal, and is 23 years younger than his former mentor. Atlanta has a high-end offensive line, three top-10 skill-position draftees on rookie contracts and saw its defense improve in 2023. The matter of the quarterback remains an issue, however, separating that job from those in L.A. and Seattle.
Steelers Planning Mike Tomlin Extension; Team To Hold QB Competition
Mike Tomlin‘s status with the 2024 Steelers appeared in doubt as this season wound down, but the longtime Pittsburgh leader is not going anywhere. And Tomlin, as should be expected, will not enter the ’24 slate as a lame duck.
The Steelers are planning to give their veteran head coach another extension, Art Rooney II said Thursday (via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac). Tomlin’s current deal runs through the 2024 season. This stands to be Tomlin’s eighth Steelers contract.
Succeeding Bill Cowher back in 2007, Tomlin is now the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach. He guided the Steelers to the playoffs for an 11th time, dropping a wild-card game to the Bills. Evasive about his contract status after that game, Tomlin is indeed coming back. Tomlin, 51, has won a Super Bowl and led Pittsburgh to Super Bowl XLV, a loss to the Packers, two years later. But he is on a cold streak in the postseason. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since beating the Alex Smith-led Chiefs in the 2016 divisional round, losing their past five postseason matchups.
Tomlin’s 17-year streak without a losing season has become a somewhat divisive issue, seeing as this playoff-win drought has transpired during the streak’s second half. Thirteen seasons have also now passed since that yellow pants Super Bowl, a 31-25 Green Bay win, transpired. But Tomlin remains one of the NFL’s most respected figures. Steelers plans for this extension emerged in December, with neither the notion of him taking the 2024 season off nor the prospect of the Steelers trading his rights elsewhere gaining much traction.
As we heard in November, Tomlin will look at outside candidates for the Steelers’ offensive coordinator post (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). The team used Eddie Faulkner as its nominal OC but had QBs coach Mike Sullivan calling plays. Steelers ownership’s confidence in Tomlin’s coordinator picks has wavered, to a degree, making this upcoming hire crucial. The Steelers made some progress since firing Matt Canada — the franchise’s first in-season firing in decades — but they have not been confused with a potent offense in years. Kenny Pickett‘s status adds to the importance of Pittsburgh’s play-caller move.
Tomlin confirmed Thursday (via The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly) that Pickett will enter another offseason as the team’s starting quarterback, but the team is planning to hold a competition for the job. Mason Rudolph may be positioned to provide that, but Tomlin reminded the end-of-season starter played on an expiring contract this season.
A Pickett-Rudolph competition, as it stands now, probably would not excite a sizable sect of Steelers fans. The 2022 first-round pick has underwhelmed during his run as a starter, being stuck on 13 touchdown passes despite making 24 starts. Rudolph provided a spark when replacing Mitch Trubisky late this season, guiding the Steelers to three straight wins to give Tomlin his 10th 10-win season as a head coach. But the high-floor routine that has become the team’s Tomlin-era M.O. has not produced much of consequence, outside of perhaps the team’s hot start in 2020, since the Killer B’s 2017 finale.
Non-Rudolph free agent options that could push Pickett will be available. While Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield may not be viable candidates here, as both will be starter candidates to stay with their current clubs, a number of bridge or high-end backup arms will be available. This includes Ryan Tannehill, Gardner Minshew, Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston and others. Both Russell Wilson and Jimmy Garoppolo loom as cut candidates, with the former a near-certainty to be released.
It will be interesting to see if the Steelers would consider adding one of these options and Rudolph, who played out a veteran-minimum deal in 2023. The Steelers are expected to cut Trubisky, which will create nearly $3MM in cap space, but Rudolph also may want to explore a QB2 opportunity elsewhere. If nothing else, the former third-round pick played well enough he probably will not need to settle for vet-minimum money in 2024.
The QB and OC pieces in Tomlin’s 2024 puzzle may go a long way toward determining how much longer the Steelers will want to stick with the status quo. That said, the upcoming extension will keep Tomlin’s seat fairly cool. But the Steelers’ viability next season will undoubtedly come down to how Tomlin and GM Omar Khan handle the big-picture questions on offense.
Ohio State To Hire Bill O’Brien As OC
Bill O’Brien brings considerable familiarity with Jerod Mayo, having coached alongside him in 2023 and being on Patriots staffs when the Bill Belichick successor was in place as a linebacker. But the two will not work together in 2024.
Ohio State will bring in O’Brien as its offensive coordinator, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel reports. Wrapping O’Brien’s second Patriots OC stint at one season, this will bring the 54-year-old assistant back to the college ranks and the Big Ten. O’Brien coached at Penn State before becoming the Texans’ HC and was Alabama’s OC between his Houston firing and most recent New England trip.
Robert Kraft helped bring O’Brien back to Foxborough last year, putting an end to Belichick’s bizarre Matt Patricia experiment. Patricia spent the 2022 season as the Pats’ primary play-caller, and while that effort puzzled most and led to Mac Jones‘ freefall beginning, Belichick wanted to keep Patricia for a second season in the role. Upon being rehired, O’Brien wanted to clean house along the offensive staff; Belichick overruled him. The Patriots could not bounce back on offense this past season, helping lead to Belichick’s exit.
The Pats plummeted from 17th in scoring in 2022 to 31st this season, eventually benching Jones and closing out the campaign with Bailey Zappe at the controls. Zappe is believed to have struggled in O’Brien’s offense in training camp, leading to the Pats waiving the 2022 fourth-round pick. Zappe returned and began the season backing up Jones. Not much ended up working for the team in O’Brien’s second tenure, providing a stark contrast from his first run — one that obviously featured better ingredients.
O’Brien’s initial Pats stint came from 2007-11; Tom Brady played quarterback in four of those seasons, going down with a torn ACL in 2008. O’Brien moved to the OC role in 2011, the Pats’ only Brady-era Super Bowl season that did not feature a top-10 scoring defense, and used the season as a platform to become Joe Paterno’s successor at Penn State. O’Brien returned to the NFL in 2014, landing the Texans’ HC job. That stay ended memorably, as the O’Brien HC/GM stint produced some criticized decisions, but it also included Houston venturing to four playoff brackets in the HC’s seven seasons.
Ohio State HC Ryan Day has been examining solutions on offense, Thamel adds, and is considering giving up play-calling duties. O’Brien, who called plays at Alabama from 2021-22, would step in should Day indeed step back. The Buckeyes have not beaten Michigan since 2019, but the team will have NFL prospects Emeka Egbuka and TreVeyon Henderson back after the wide receiver and running back respectively opted not to enter the draft this year.
This will officially open the Patriots’ OC position to start Mayo’s tenure. Mayo will be in place to lead on defense, but the team will need a new offensive play-caller ahead of a season that may well feature another first-round pick being spent on a quarterback. New England holds the No. 3 overall pick, and its QB need points to strong consideration being given to addressing that top deficiency early.
Jets Likely To Target Veteran Backup QB
The Jets made a mistake by not backstopping Aaron Rodgers with a veteran option this season, putting their Zach Wilson redevelopment effort just behind the aging starter. The team paid the price for that strategy, but by all accounts, it is ready to move on from the disappointing former No. 2 overall pick.
With Wilson either set to be cut or perhaps traded, the Jets are going to need a new backup quarterback. GM Joe Douglas confirmed recently (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) a high probability exists the team will be in the market for a veteran to play behind Rodgers.
The team passed on the likes of Carson Wentz or a reunion with Joe Flacco, setting up the Browns to make an improbable playoff run behind borderline-stunning Flacco play. Once Rodgers went down, Jets ownership is believed to have capped the Jets due to the money already poured into the April trade for the Packers great. A September addition potentially impacting Wilson’s confidence also may have played a role in the team’s modest efforts following Rodgers’ Achilles tear, which led to Trevor Siemian joining the practice squad.
Siemian finished the season as the team’s starter, concluding a year in which a story featured Wilson voicing hesitancy about returning to the starting lineup and the Jets cutting the player they benched Wilson for — Tim Boyle — a day after his second start. With Wilson likely done in New York, the Jets will regroup with a more reliable option.
“When you have a Hall of Fame quarterback, you’re going to build it around his strengths, period,” Saleh said last month. “That’s a very common thing throughout the league. It’s not just a Jets thing. That’s leaguewide.
“Could we have done things better? I’m talking about myself and the coaching staff, with regards to, ‘All right, this is our worst-case scenario, now what?’ Absolutely, and it’s something that we will make sure that we do a heck of a lot better with in 2024.”
Considering the impact quarterback injuries made this season, the QB2 market could well see a boost. A high number of the backup options that signed this year are due back on the market soon. Jacoby Brissett, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Tyler Huntley, Jameis Winston and three-year Jets starter Sam Darnold will be among the options set to be available. The 49ers seem unlikely to bring back Darnold, but this regime having traded the former No. 3 overall choice would seemingly impact a reunion. Would a Flacco return make sense? The Browns, as should be expected, will continue to build around Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM contract.
Recent starters Ryan Tannehill and Gardner Minshew also could factor into the backup market, though both are undoubtedly eyeing setups that would allow them to compete for a starting job. That would not be the case in New York, where a Rodgers-driven arrangement remains. The Jets are bringing back Douglas, Saleh and OC Nathaniel Hackett in a rather high-profile mulligan in the wake of the wreckage the Rodgers injury caused. But a quarterback that will give the organization more stability than what Wilson offered stands to be part of the 2024 equation as well.
McVay: Matthew Stafford ‘100%’ To Be Rams’ 2024 Starter
While the Rams are eliminated, Matthew Stafford delivered a quality final-game performance to punctuate a comeback season. The 35-year-old quarterback is not planning to retire, and his job will be waiting for him when the Rams reconvene in April.
Sean McVay said Stafford “100 percent, absolutely, unequivocally” will be the Rams’ starter in 2024, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. Considering the season Stafford put together, his status as the starter for a fourth year in Los Angeles no longer appeared to be in doubt. This certainly was not the case last year.
While McVay said the Rams came to a consensus that Stafford would remain the team’s starter — after an injury-plagued 2022 — the team did attempt to trade the veteran quarterback earlier during the 2023 offseason. A nagging elbow injury and a spinal contusion disrupted Stafford’s 2022 season, leading to the worst title defense in the Super Bowl era. But the veteran passer re-emerged this year, playing in 16 of the Rams’ 18 games (he rested in the team’s regular-season finale) and booking his first Pro Bowl nod with the team.
Stafford’s renewed health played the lead role in the Rams’ return to the playoffs. The team had stripped several Super Bowl pieces off its roster last year and ended up relying on numerous rookie-contract pieces. A few of those made substantial contributions to the cause. None more so than Puka Nacua, who formed an instant connection with Stafford en route to breaking Bill Groman‘s 63-year-old record — albeit in three extra games — for receiving yards by a rookie. Stafford finished with a lower completion percentage (62.6) compared to his previous Rams slates, and his 24 touchdown passes paled in comparison to the 41 he tossed during the team’s Super Bowl-winning campaign. But the 15th-year veteran ranked 5th in QBR, landing in the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2014.
The Rams extended Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp in 2022. Donald’s contract makes 2024 a pivotal year for the team, which will likely adjust Stafford’s deal to avoid a $49.5MM cap charge. Stafford’s $31.9MM 2024 base salary became guaranteed early in 2023; the Rams have their starter tied to a $40MM-per-year deal that runs through 2026. Donald’s landmark contract expires after the ’24 season, and Nacua was in better form than Kupp for most of the ’23 slate. Still, the Super Bowl stars are on their way back to team with a promising rookie class once again.
It is not certain the Rams’ hopeful Stafford backup, Stetson Bennett, will be part of that effort. McVay stopped short of guaranteeing (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop) Bennett would be back. The Rams placed the two-time national championship-winning QB on the reserve/NFI list in September, and while McVay believed Bennett is “doing better,” the seven-year Rams HC said it was too early to know if the young passer would be ready to be part of the team again. The Rams eyed Bennett as a potential project ahead of the draft.
Additionally, McVay said the Rams are not planning another staff shakeup. The team moved on from several coaches following its five-win 2022 season, but the longtime L.A. leader wants continuity for 2024. The only departures are set to be from teams plucking Rams assistants. That is already happening, with D-line coach Eric Henderson becoming USC’s co-DC. Rams DC Raheem Morris is up for multiple HC jobs, while QBs coach Zac Robinson is a candidate for the Bears and Saints’ OC positions. The Rams have seen frequent turnover during McVay’s successful stay, but the team is planning on keeping as many assistants as it can.