Cardinals Waive OLB Myjai Sanders
Steve Keim’s final draft as Cardinals GM featured a third-round pick spent on Myjai Sanders. The edge rusher will not end up playing under the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon regime.
The Cardinals waived Sanders on Tuesday. This move comes after the team tried to find a trade partner, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Cardinals recently designated Sanders to return from IR, though they have not activated him. His Day 2 contract is now free to be claimed.
Sanders was productive during his rookie season, collecting 23 tackles and three sacks in 13 games (four starts). He saw time in about 30 percent of his team’s defensive snaps during the 2022 season, and there was some hope he’d take a step forward during his sophomore campaign.
Instead, the linebacker found himself falling down the depth chart, and a hand injury ultimately kept him on the shelf for the start of the 2023 season. It sounds like Sanders is just about ready to return to the field, but there wasn’t a spot for him in a deep Cardinals OLBs room that features Zaven Collins, Dennis Gardeck, Victor Dimukeje, Cameron Thomas, Jesse Luketa, and BJ Ojulari.
The Cardinals have been quick to move on from Keim’s 2022 draft class. Sanders is now the third 2022 third-round pick to get cut by the team, with the linebacker joining cornerback Christian Matthew and offensive lineman Lecitus Smith.
Rams Reunite With Darrell Henderson, Add Myles Gaskin Off Vikings’ Practice Squad
4:05pm: Henderson’s path back to the Rams’ 53-man roster is no longer as smooth as it looked. In addition to moving Freeman up on a full-time basis, the Rams are signing Myles Gaskin off the Vikings’ practice squad, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A four-year Miami contributor, Gaskin caught on with the Vikings after an August Dolphins release. Gaskin, who led the Dolphins in rushing in 2019 and ’20, has played in one Vikings game this season.
2:35pm: Stung by running back injuries, the Rams will complete a reunion to help the cause. With Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers injured, Darrell Henderson is coming back to the Rams.
The Rams are adding Henderson to their practice squad. The former third-round pick, who played for the team from 2019-22, has not been on a roster since last season. In addition to bringing back Henderson, the Rams are signing Royce Freeman to their 53-man roster. Freeman had played in three Rams games this season, doing so as a practice squad elevation. Sean McVay said Monday both Williams and Rivers would miss time; Rivers is an IR candidate after suffering a PCL sprain.
Henderson worked as the Rams’ starter for much of their 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, but injuries and a COVID-19 contraction slowed his momentum and led to Sony Michel and then Cam Akers taking over the starting role. Henderson suffered a thigh injury late in the 2021 season, and after the COVID bout, he sustained an MCL sprain. While the Rams activated Henderson for Super Bowl LVI, he has not recaptured the momentum from the ’21 regular season.
With Akers and the Rams at odds early during the 2022 season, Henderson filled in as a seven-game starter. But the Rams encountered a number of offensive line injuries and were eventually playing without Matthew Stafford. Henderson finished his abbreviated 2022 with 283 rushing yards (4.0 per carry); the Rams waived him in late November. While the Jaguars stepped in with a claim, they moved on without using Henderson in a regular-season game. Summer workouts for the Patriots and Colts did not lead to a signing.
Henderson, 26, produced back-to-back 600-yard rushing seasons from 2020-21. Akers became the Rams’ go-to back down the stretch in 2020, but after he suffered an Achilles tear in July 2021, the eventual championship team rolled with a Henderson-Michel duo. Zach Evans came into Tuesday as the only healthy back on Los Angeles’ 53-man roster. Freeman will now join him, though Henderson certainly is familiar with McVay’s system and would make sense as a roster elevation for Week 7.
Freeman, 27, joined the Rams just after this year’s training camp. The former Broncos third-round pick, whom Phillip Lindsay displaced as a starter during each’s rookie year (2018), spent last season with the Texans. Houston re-signed Freeman, a 2021 waiver claim, but did not use him much on offense. Freeman has not eclipsed 200 rushing yards in a season since 2019. The Rams cut Freeman after this preseason slate but kept him on their practice squad, rolling with first- or second-year backs on their active roster following the September Akers trade. Evans has taken four handoffs this season; all of Freeman’s 2023 snaps have come on special teams.
Colts DT Grover Stewart Incurs PED Ban
Part of a long-running defensive tackle duo alongside DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart will see his season pause. The NFL handed the veteran Colts nose tackle a six-game PED suspension Tuesday, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.
A fourth-round pick in 2017, Stewart is the longest-tenured Colts defender. The team gave him an extension during his 2020 contract year, and this ban will prove costly. Stewart, who will turn 30 on Friday, will lose $3.1MM as a result of this suspension. The longtime starter said he unknowingly took a banned substance.
“I am responsible for what I put in my body, and I should have taken the proper steps to educate myself,” Stewart said. “I will learn from this moving forward, and I will take the appropriate measures to ensure this never happens again.”
This will be a big loss for the Colts. Stewart has started 70 career games, and Pro Football Focus slots him 18th among interior defensive linemen through six games. Lauding his run defense, PFF graded Stewart as a top-35 inside D-lineman from 2021-22 as well. Stewart posted career-high numbers in sacks (four) and tackles for loss (nine) last season. Through six games this year, he is on pace to establish a new career-best mark in QB hits, having five already.
The Colts have taken a step back defensively in Gus Bradley‘s second season, ranking outside the top 20 in both points and yards allowed, but the franchise has been able to bank on its Buckner-Stewart duo since forming it via the blockbuster Buckner trade in 2020. Part of Chris Ballard‘s first draft as GM, Stewart signed a three-year, $30.75MM extension in November 2020. That contract expiring after this season represents a tough blow to Stewart, who is attempting to use this season as a platform to a lucrative third contract — via another Colts extension or a free agency payday.
Tuesday’s development also brings new territory for the Colts, who have seen Stewart suit up for every game over the past four seasons. The Albany State (Ga.) alum has not missed a game since September 2018 and has only missed two over the course of his career. Indianapolis has enjoyed the luxury of its DT staples remaining healthy; Buckner has only missed one game as a Colt.
The team picked up former Jaguars first-round D-tackle Taven Bryan this offseason, but 2022 fifth-round pick Eric Johnson profiles as the more likely replacement, residing as the only other nose tackle on Indy’s roster. Johnson has played 22% of the Colts’ defensive snaps this season. PFF slots Johnson outside the top 110 among DTs.
Packers To Sign RB James Robinson
After working out James Robinson earlier this month, the Packers will end the young running back’s stay in free agency. The former Jaguars starter is signing with the Pack, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Green Bay will be Robinson’s third destination this year. The former UDFA success story signed with the Patriots and Giants this offseason, but neither stay led to any regular-season playing time. Robinson has not played since a stint with the Jets last season. This is a practice squad deal, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman.
The December 2021 Achilles tear Robinson sustained sidetracked his career. Although Robinson made it back in time for the start of last season, the Jaguars quickly determined Travis Etienne was their preferred back. the Jags traded Robinson to the Jets in October 2022, and the two-year Jacksonville starter did not see much run in New York. After starting five games for the Jags last season, Robinson only accumulated 29 carries for a Jets team that had lost Breece Hall for the season. The Jets waived Robinson this offseason.
The Patriots took out three injury waivers on Robinson upon signing him this year, with the protection surrounding the surgically repaired left Achilles and both knees. The Pats waived Robinson in June. He then spent training camp with the Giants, who kept Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray as their Saquon Barkley backups. Robinson’s workouts with the Colts and Ravens did not lead to a signing, but his Packers audition belatedly has.
Robinson’s 1,414 scrimmage yards in 2020 remain an NFL record for a rookie UDFA. The Illinois State alum reached that total despite missing the Jags’ final two games. During the Urban Meyer-run Jags season the following year, Robinson finished with 989 scrimmage yards in 14 games. He joins a Packers backfield that has rarely been at full strength this year. Aaron Jones has missed three games, being a late scratch with a hamstring injury in Week 5.
The Packers have used practice squad elevation Patrick Taylor as AJ Dillon‘s backup in those games. Taylor has taken 11 handoffs this season; rookie UDFA Emanuel Wilson has logged five carries. The Packers waived Taylor last week; Wilson remains on their 53-man roster. Prior to signing Robinson, the Pack also hosted Darrell Henderson, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds. The four-year veteran re-signed with the Rams — on a practice squad deal — on Tuesday.
Shane Steichen, Anthony Richardson Swayed Jonathan Taylor’s Colts Commitment
Even as the Colts designated Jonathan Taylor for return, a cloud of uncertainty hovered over the standout running back. Taylor had requested a trade and, as of late September, was still aiming to move elsewhere. Upon returning to practice before Week 5, Taylor said he was with the Colts “right now.”
The fourth-year back had taken a hardline approach this offseason, and team brass noticed an attitude change from a player who had been viewed as a team-oriented cog during his first three seasons. Jim Irsay‘s comments about running backs coming shortly after the franchise tag deadline produced an 0-for-3 RB extension finish led Taylor — who was a clear candidate to be tagged in 2024 — to request the trade. The sides instead came through with a belated solution, reaching a surprising extension agreement to bring Taylor back into the fold.
GM Chris Ballard initially helped turn the tide by reaching out to Taylor’s agent, Malki Kawa, according to ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder, who adds the other two Colts cornerstone figures played a major role in moving the 2021 rushing champion back to a place in which he viewed himself as a long-term Indianapolis staple. While Ballard’s path with Taylor’s new agent worked, Holder adds Taylor conversations with Shane Steichen during the former’s time on the reserve/PUP list also played a role in turning the tide.
Despite Irsay proclaiming Taylor recovered from his January ankle surgery ahead of training camp, the former second-round pick landed on the active/PUP list in July. Taylor was absent from practices at multiple points, twice leaving the team during camp. Once the Colts shifted Taylor to the reserve/PUP list in August, mandating a four-game absence, he went through his rehab sessions in the morning and did not attend Colts offensive meetings. The team signed off on this setup, per Holder, and Taylor maintained his isolationist stance by not attending Indianapolis’ home games to start the year.
The Steichen-Taylor chats included understandable discussions about No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson, and the high-ceiling prospect’s presence helped convince Taylor — well, that and the three-year, $42MM offer — to stand down and return to the team in earnest.
“We had the same kind of feelings toward [Richardson],” Taylor said, via Holder. “I want to be here for A.R. I want to be able to help him grow in the future. He’s the future of this organization.
“With all of the business stuff going on, just to be able to sit down and really be able to just connect with someone in the building was a big thing. That’s a stressful side. But I was able to just sit down with Shane and just talk about what it looks like going forward. Not only for myself, but the whole entire team. Just his vision. And he wants to legit dominate.”
Ballard noticed a change in Taylor’s demeanor shortly before the extension commenced and contacted the once-disgruntled RB’s camp about negotiations before Week 4, Holder adds. The sides were discussing the deal as Taylor launched into his “I’m here right now” refrain two weeks ago. Taylor did not want to return without a new contract in hand, which should not surprise given the nature of this impasse. (As some noted lyricists have taught us in the past, money has a history of ending standoffs.) Taylor returned when first eligible, with the Colts slowly integrating him into Steichen’s offense.
Even as the offseason introduced a bleak reality for the running back position and no team agreeing to an eight-figure-per-year deal with a back since the Browns’ three-year, $36.6MM Nick Chubb re-up in July 2021, the Colts relented on their Taylor extension stance. The Wisconsin alum is now the league’s third-highest-paid back, and his deal did not require an inflated contract year like Alvin Kamara‘s did. While Taylor’s fully guaranteed money ($19.35MM) is fourth among backs, he has a practical guarantee of $26.5MM due to a $7.15MM injury guarantee shifting to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2024 league year.
Rumored to be strongly considering season-ending surgery, Richardson may not link up with Taylor on a full-time basis until September 2024. But Taylor’s deal puts him in line to help Richardson’s development. For now, Indy’s top RB will continue to ramp up toward a full workload — one that will likely feature Zack Moss in a complementary role, as the Colts are now eyeing a partnership this season — in a Gardner Minshew-directed offense.
Colts Place QB Anthony Richardson On IR; Season-Ending Surgery In Play
OCTOBER 16: The newest update to Richardson’s situation comes from the team’s notoriously vocal owner Jim Irsay. According to Stephen Holder of ESPN, the team’s owner informed the media that Richardson could undergo shoulder surgery in the next week or so and is “probably” going to miss the remainder of the season.
“The most likelihood is he’s probably going to be gone for the year,” Irsay said this evening. “I mean, it’s not definite but (he) probably misses this year and we’re going to have to contend with that factor.”
Unless the Colts owner is misinformed, it’s looking like this will be Minshew’s team from here on out. Indianapolis is 3-1 in games in which Minshew takes a significant number of snaps after losing in his return to Jacksonville this past week.
OCTOBER 15: While the labrum in Richardson’s right shoulder is not torn, there is a “strong belief” that surgery is the best option for the rookie, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Rapoport ominously notes that “some reality likely has set in” for player and team, and that Richardson is giving serious consideration to a surgical procedure. As noted below, going that route would bring an end to Richardson’s 2023 season.
OCTOBER 11: After seeing Anthony Richardson suffer a third injury this season, the Colts are proceeding with caution. They placed their prized prospect on IR on Wednesday morning.
The No. 4 overall pick suffered what is believed to be an AC joint sprain against the Titans in Week 5. This transaction will sideline Richardson until Week 10, when the Colts head to Germany for a Patriots matchup. The Colts’ bye comes in Week 11, opening the door to the prospect of the team holding its starter out for a bit longer than the minimum waiting period. Judging by the latest prognosis, it sounds like the Colts will be without their starter until at least late November.
Richardson is now expected to miss between four and eight weeks, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter notes. Surgery is in play. Richardson is believed to be seeking at least three opinions on how to proceed with this injury. A consensus could produce a surgery route, which would put the talented dual threat’s season in jeopardy.
Although Richardson has flashed considerable promise, the Florida product has run into injury problems to start his career. He battled knee trouble in his NFL debut and left the Colts’ Week 2 game due to a concussion, missing Week 3. While Richardson made it through Indy’s Week 4 game unscathed, the shoulder trouble he sustained will cut into his developmental arc.
Gardner Minshew, who signed a one-year deal worth $3.5MM this offseason, will take over. This marks a second straight year Minshew will need to fill in for a quarterback who sustained a shoulder injury. Jalen Hurts‘ SC joint issue led to his breakthrough season stalling down the stretch; the Eagles standout did not require an IR stint. The Colts have Sam Ehlinger in place as their backup again, and the team signed Kellen Mond to its practice squad after a Tuesday workout.
Richardson beat out Minshew for the Colts’ starting job, despite coming to Indiana as a relatively inexperienced prospect. Minshew piloted the Colts to a Week 3 upset win over the Ravens and kept the car on the road to help the team topple the Titans on Sunday. The fifth-year veteran boasts a far better completion percentage (68.7%) compared to Richardson (59.5) and carries a similar yards-per-attempt number (6.7 to Richardson’s 6.9). The 6-foot-4 talent had already amassed 136 rushing yards, however, offering a new dimension to a Colts team that had relied on immobile veterans for years following Andrew Luck‘s surprise late-summer retirement.
Given Richardson’s raw profile, it was expected he would have early-career accuracy issues. This hiatus, however, deals a blow to a Colts franchise eyeing this season as a crucial growth window for the rookie. But they look to be in steady hands with Minshew, who has been in Shane Steichen‘s system for three seasons now. The Jaguars trading Minshew to the Eagles before the 2021 season united him with Steichen initially, and while the Trevor Lawrence pick and the subsequent trade ended Minshew’s run as a regular starter, this promises to be another opportunity to fill such a role.
The Washington State alum has made 25 career starts. He is 9-16 as a first-stringer, though most of those chances came with overmatched Jaguars teams. Minshew is a career 63.3% passer who boasts an impressive 46-to-15 TD-to-INT ratio. The Indy backup’s one-year deal came with playing-time incentives, which could boost the value to $5.5MM. Richardson’s course of action will likely impact Minshew’s earnings. Minshew would receive a $500K boost for hitting the 30%, 40%, 50% and 60% snap shares on offense, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman tweets.
After four seasons of stopgaps post-Luck, the Colts are suddenly back in familiar territory. But the Steichen-Minshew history does offer some stability to a team that spent 2022 adrift, leading to a 4-12-1 season and the Richardson investment. Indy is 3-2 now and looks to have a legitimate chance at beginning at turnaround this season.
Rams RBs Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers Sustain Leg Injuries
8:01pm: Head coach Sean McVay provided an update to the situation this evening, informing the media that Williams and Rivers are “going to be out for a little bit,” per Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. For now, it’s unclear just how long he expects to be without his top two rushing options, but it’s believed that it will be challenging for Williams and Rivers to return anytime relatively soon.
With the stables bare, as mentioned below, Evans becomes a key piece in the running game. Freeman will likely find his way into some snaps off the practice squad, as well.
3:57pm: The Rams will need to make some adjustments to their backfield depth chart moving forward. Although their run game took over in the second half against the Cardinals on Sunday, both the team’s top two backs sustained injuries.
Kyren Williams zoomed to a career-best 158-yard day in Los Angeles’ comfortable win, but the second-year back suffered a sprained ankle. While Williams is not yet a lock to miss Week 7, Ronnie Rivers appears done for the foreseeable future. The L.A. RB2 suffered a grade 3 PCL strain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Rivers is expected to miss at least four games, making him a clear IR candidate for the 3-3 team.
The past year has already brought a significant backfield overhaul for the Rams, who waived Darrell Henderson in November 2022 and traded Cam Akers to the Vikings in what amounted to a September salary dump. Using Henderson, Akers and Sony Michel as their primary backs in the early 2020s, the Rams started over this season (Henderson remains a free agent). Williams is now their lead back, and after an injury-abbreviated rookie season, the Notre Dame product has become a promising player for the retooling franchise. The Rams’ ground attack ranks 18th through six games.
Chosen in last year’s fifth round, Williams has notched two 100-yard rushing games over his past three and has operated as the team’s clear-cut starter throughout the season. After a 141-snap rookie year, Williams has been on the field for 337 offensive plays in 2023. That amounts to an 82% snap rate. Although Williams may need a week to recover, he does not look to be an IR candidate. If Rivers — a 2022 UDFA out of Fresno State — lands on IR, he will not be eligible to return until Week 12.
After closing an off-and-on impasse with Akers by sending him to Minnesota, the Rams only have sixth-round rookie Zach Evans behind Williams and Rivers on their 53-man roster. A former five-star recruit, the TCU and Ole Miss back flashed in college but never totaled a 1,000-yard rushing season. He finished with 936 in his one Ole Miss campaign. But Evans (four carries, 10 yards thus far in his pro career) figures to see more run going forward, particularly if Williams is forced to miss time. Rivers’ injury also figures to impact Royce Freeman, whom the Rams have stashed on their practice squad. The sixth-year back obviously brings far more experience compared to Evans. The former third-round pick has played in three games this season but has only seen time on special teams.
Rams CB Derion Kendrick Arrested On Gun Charge
Hours after the Rams’ Week 6 win over the Cardinals, cornerback Derion Kendrick was arrested on a felony gun charge in Los Angeles, TMZ reports.
A traffic violation led to police finding a gun and marijuana in Kendrick’s car, per TMZ. The second-year cornerback faces a charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Kendrick, 23, was booked shortly after 2am PT and, as of Monday afternoon, remains in custody.
After letting Darious Williams walk in free agency (to the Jaguars) in 2022, the Rams traded Jalen Ramsey to the Dolphins in March. The team signed off on a full-scale reboot at cornerback, moving on from the bastions from Super Bowl LVI. Kendrick is a key part of the team’s solution, having started all six Rams games this season. The 6-foot defender started six games last season and played 50% of the Rams’ defensive snaps. He has been on the field for 96% of L.A.’s defensive plays this year.
The Rams chose Kendrick in the 2022 sixth round. The Day 3 prospect played at Clemson and Georgia in college, being part of the Bulldogs’ 2021 national championship-winning defense — one that saw five of its starters drafted in the ’22 first round — in his lone season in Athens. Kendrick joins fellow 2022 Day 3 Rams draftee Cobie Durant and veteran free agent pickup Ahkello Witherspoon as the team’s cornerback regulars this season. Through six games, Kendrick has made 25 tackles and tallied three passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranks Kendrick just outside the top 60 at corner this year.
While this arrest is unlikely to cost Kendrick his Rams roster spot, a suspension should be expected. The NFL’s personal conduct policy does not require a conviction for punishment to be levied, though a ban may not come this year. Varying delays in case adjudication can lead to suspensions being tabled. A February 2021 incident did not bring a Marcus Maye suspension until late September of this year. Two Frank Clark gun-related arrests from 2021 did not produce a suspension until midway through the 2022 campaign. But a suspension should be expected at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Panthers Not Considering Staff Changes; Frank Reich To Remain Play-Caller
OCTOBER 15: While Reich has discussed handing play-calling duties to Brown at some point, that responsbility will remain with Reich for now, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. Carolina dropped a 42-24 decision to the Lions last week, but the stripped-down, streamlined offense that the club put in place to simplify matters for Young appeared to pay dividends, as the rookie passer threw for 247 yards and three TDs, both of which were season-high marks.
Interestingly, a source told Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com this week that some members of the Panthers organization approached Reich about the need to be more innovative on the offensive side of the ball, though it is unclear whether those conversations happened before or after Reich decided to simplify the playbook.
What is clear, as Rapoport observes, is that Reich’s future in Carolina is tied to Young’s success. So the HC will need to do whatever it takes to get this year’s No. 1 overall pick to begin living up to his potential.
OCTOBER 12: The NFL’s only 0-5 team, the Panthers are off to a worse start than the one that led to Matt Rhule‘s firing after five games last year. Carolina rallied under interim HC Steve Wilks, going 6-6 and having an unexpected opportunity to take the division lead in Week 17. A loss to the Buccaneers ended that, and the Panthers moved on from Wilks.
Frank Reich beat out Wilks for the HC job, but the two-time playoff-qualifying leader has now lost eight consecutive games dating back to his final stretch running the Colts. In addition to Reich, the Panthers paid up for high-profile assistants. They hired the likes of Ejiro Evero, who interviewed for all five HC jobs this offseason, and Thomas Brown — a Texans HC interviewee — as coordinators. Jim Caldwell, Josh McCown, Duce Staley and the Panthers’ first HC — Dom Capers — are also in place. But the team has not found its footing with Bryce Young at the helm.
Reich said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) David Tepper has not discussed staff changes with him just yet, though the new Panthers HC confirmed past rumors that the sixth-year owner is frequently involved with football operations.
“Some owners kind of stay away and don’t engage a whole lot. Other owners do. And his philosophy is he’s gonna engage,” Reich said, via Person (subscription required). “Listen, it’s only been a short experience, but it’s been a really good experience. … It hasn’t been fun. I wouldn’t characterize [weekly meetings with Tepper] as fun meetings. But those meetings make me better, and I trust they make us better.”
Meddlesome ownership obviously could sound alarm bells for Reich, who is coming off an eventful final year with perhaps the league’s most active owner (among those not holding GM titles as well). Jim Irsay began to spin back into high gear after the Colts lost as two-touchdown favorites to the then-downtrodden Jaguars to close out the 2021 season. Orders to trade Carson Wentz and then to trade for Matt Ryan emerged, and Irsay then insisted Reich bench Ryan for an unseasoned Sam Ehlinger. Irsay then fired Reich, despite extending him in 2021. The outspoken owner later said he reluctantly extended his five-year HC. The Jeff Saturday and Jonathan Taylor sagas proceeded post-Reich.
Tepper, who bought the team from Jerry Richardson in 2018, has developed a bit of a reputation on this front as well. Although subsequent reports indicated the Panthers came to an agreement on Young, a March report pointed to Tepper’s Young preference over an early coaches’ interest in C.J. Stroud. Before the 2022 season ended, Tepper was believed to be eyeing a move that solved the Panthers’ years-long QB woes. Carolina indeed swung big, trading D.J. Moore and several high-level draft choices for the No. 1 slot.
Tepper also played a lead role in past quarterback pursuits, namely the controversial one surrounding Deshaun Watson — a journey that began after Matthew Stafford nixed a trade to Carolina. Tepper eyed Watson before the dozens of masseuses accused the then-Texans QB of sexual misconduct, and the Panthers revisited trade talks — along with the Dolphins — ahead of the 2021 deadline. While Tepper joined his Saints and Falcons peers in being unwilling to authorize a $230MM guarantee, Watson had eliminated the Panthers earlier due to some uncertainty about their power structure. Months later, the Browns and Panthers haggled about Baker Mayfield‘s contract for months — despite Rhule and Scott Fitterer wanting him in the building early — before the sides closed the deal. A report surfaced around the time of Tepper’s about-face on Rhule that pegged the owner as “emotional” and difficult to work for.
That said, Reich was not in contention for another HC job this offseason and, at 61, the ex-Carolina QB may not have had many more chances as a lead candidate. His second HC opportunity has started quite poorly, with the Panthers holding a minus-53 point differential and lacking a first-round pick next year. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers proceed going forward, especially if the losing streak continues. The Panthers face the Dolphins in Week 6. Reich signed a four-year contract in January. Fitterer’s five-year GM deal runs through the 2025 season.
Latest On Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins; Vikings Audition Colt McCoy
OCTOBER 15: In a full-length piece, Schefter reiterates his earlier point that Jefferson could miss the rest of the season if the Vikings are out of contention by the time he is healthy enough to return to the field. From a purely medical perspective, Jefferson stands to miss up to six weeks, and he will undergo imaging tests in four weeks’ time to determine his status.
OCTOBER 12: After going three-plus seasons without missing a game, Justin Jefferson is set to miss at least four. After a hamstring injury in Week 5, the Vikings placed the superstar wide receiver on IR. A few factors could determine Jefferson’s true return timetable.
The Vikings do not expect this injury to require more than the four-week minimum, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport; that would give Jefferson a Week 11 reentrance stage. Kevin O’Connell said (via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Ben Goessling) the team does not view this as a season-ending injury, though the second-year HC labeled it “significant” in nature. While hamstring injuries present potential for aggravation, they are rarely deemed as season-threatening maladies — at least, not at this point on the calendar. That said, both Keenan Allen and Darren Waller missed large chunks of last season due to hamstring ailments.
[RELATED: Jets Not Looking Into Trading For Cousins]
Jefferson’s summer contract talks may also play into this. After an early-summer report indicated the Vikings were fine tabling these negotiations to 2024, the team attempted a late push to extend the record-setting pass catcher before Week 1. These talks went up against the season opener but did not produce a deal. Despite T.J. Hockenson signing a monster tight end extension, the Vikings have their best player in Year 4 of a rookie contract. Although no team has picked up a wide receiver’s fifth-year option and extended him with two years of control remaining, the Vikings appeared close to breaking this precedent with Jefferson.
The team not doing so opens the door to the wideout playing this cautiously and, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter noted, the Vikes’ record by the time Jefferson is moving closer to a return could factor into these proceedings. After turning a negative point differential into a 13-4 season, the Vikings are 1-4 and potentially staring at some decisions before the trade deadline. The team already cut ties with a few veterans this offseason — Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Za’Darius Smith — and has other names to monitor ahead of the deadline. Danielle Hunter is in a contract year, and Harrison Smith took a pay cut this offseason. Both Pro Bowlers would appeal to other teams, should the Vikings become serious about selling.
Regarding Jefferson’s contract situation, it is unlikely his value would diminish if he aggravated this short-term injury by coming back too soon. The 2020 first-rounder will enter the offseason in position to command an extension that separates him from his peers, presenting the Vikings with a potentially challenging negotiation. Jefferson’s stats will obviously take a hit this year, but a secure long-term outlook will allow him to take his time in recovering, especially if the team remains under .500 when he is due back.
Kirk Cousins could theoretically join Smith and Hunter as a high-profile trade chip, being unsigned beyond this season and agreeing to an offseason restructure that dropped his 2023 base salary to $10MM. But the sixth-year Vikings starter holds a no-trade clause. He has indicated several times he would prefer to stay in Minnesota and did not address the topic (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) when asked if he would waive his clause to be moved this season.
The Vikings cannot realistically tag Cousins in 2024, due to the two Washington tags that led him to the Twin Cities in 2018, giving the team an interesting scenario with its longtime starter. Cousins, 35, can set himself up for yet another payday by playing well this season. With the QB not expecting to discuss another contract until after the season, the Vikes will soon find themselves in a time crunch. Jefferson’s absence stands to impact this, however, and it will be interesting to see if Cousins adjusts his stance if the Vikes continue to stumble.
Cousins reaching the market would put him in position for a fourth lucrative contract, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes an AFC exec mentioned Derek Carr‘s $37.5MM-per-year Saints deal as a good comp for Cousins. Then again, Cousins has posted better numbers than Carr and has navigated the financial landscape about as well as anyone in NFL history. But the ex-fourth-rounder will be going into his age-36 season in 2024, limiting his value to some degree. This process will put the Vikings to a decision, as Cousins’ abilities may lead to the team winning enough games to move out of realistic range to nab a replacement near the top of the draft.
The Vikings used a fifth-round pick on Jaren Hall in April; as of now, the BYU product is Cousins’ backup. Nick Mullens moved to IR on Wednesday, and ex-Cousins backup Sean Mannion returned to the practice squad. Prior to reacquiring Mannion, the Vikings worked out Colt McCoy, GOPHNX.com’s Howard Balzer tweets. McCoy, 37, has been a free agent since the Cardinals released him just before the season. While he was connected to both the Patriots and Jets recently, the journeyman backup is still unattached.