Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Downplays Comments
Maybe Aaron Rodgers got caught up in the moment. In an interview on Tuesday, the Packers quarterback downplayed the significance of his post-NFC title game comments. 
[RELATED: Rodgers Wants New Contract]
“I don’t think that there’s any reason that I wouldn’t be back. But there’s not many absolutes in this business,” Rodgers told Pat McAfee (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). “It’s a slow week.”
After a devastating loss to the Bucs, Rodgers said that his future is “uncertain,” indicating that the 37-year-old might not be with the Packers in 2021. Now, Packers fans can calm down, at least a little bit. The expected 2020 MVP anticipates staying put in Green Bay to pursue yet another Super Bowl ring.
“We’re not idiots,” said Packers CEO Mark Murphy earlier in the day. “Aaron Rodgers will be back, he’s our leader.”
Bringing Rodgers back could require a new contract, one that would put him in the same tier as Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Ben Roethlisberger. As it stands, Rodgers is earning roughly as much as Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who could potentially lose his starting job in 2021.
Rams GM: “Too Early” To Call Jared Goff’s Future
Earlier this month, Rams head coach Sean McVay didn’t offer much in the way of assurances when he was asked about Jared Goff‘s future. On Tuesday, Rams GM Les Snead offered up a similar answer when chatting with reporters. 
“Not going to get into specifics…That’s the beautiful mystery of the future,” Snead said. (Twitter link via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press). “Jared Goff is a Ram at this moment. It’s way too early to speculate.”
Bolster’s by the league’s top total defense, the Rams made it to the divisional round before falling to the Packers. Meanwhile, the former No. 1 overall pick regressed, tossing tons of interceptions and putting his L.A. future in jeopardy.
Snead, known for his aggressiveness, might have a hard time trading Goff, if that’s what he wants to do. The QB is under contract through 2024 thanks to the monster extension he signed in 2019. Meanwhile, there’s no realistic way to cut him before next season, given the dead money that would come with his release. Ultimately, the Rams may have to bring in competition for Goff, rather than move on from him.
In other Rams roster news, left tackle Andrew Whitworth has confirmed to the Rams that he’ll return in 2021. For his part, Snead has no issue with Whitworth’s contract, which will carry a $11.17MM hit against the cap.
Packers CEO: Aaron Rodgers Will Be Back
The Packers would be crazy to let Aaron Rodgers leave. Or, to put it another way: 
[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Wants New Contract]
“We’re not idiots,” Packers CEO Mark Murphy said (Twitter link via WNFL’s Mark Daniels). “Aaron Rodgers will be back, he’s our leader.”
After the Packers were eliminated in the NFC Championship Game, Rodgers told reporters that his future is “uncertain.” The latest word is that Rodgers wants the Packers to make a stronger commitment to him. That assurance, in part, would include a reworked contract.
Rodgers was reportedly irked by the Packers’ selection of Jordan Love last April. He responded with a phenomenal season that put them inches away from the Super Bowl. At the time of signing, Rodgers’ deal was a record breaker. Today, he ranks just fifth among quarterbacks in average annual salary, behind Patrick Mahomes ($45MM), Deshaun Watson ($39MM), Russell Wilson ($35MM), and Ben Roethlisberger ($34MM). Now, at ~$33.5MM/year, he’s on the same fiscal tier as Rams QB Jared Goff.
Rodgers, 37, is currently tied to the Packers through the 2023 season.
Earl Thomas, Ravens Continue Battle
The Ravens released Earl Thomas before the start of the 2020 season. As they look ahead to the 2021 slate, the safety’s grievance case remains unresolved, as Daniel Oyefusi of The Baltimore Sun writes. 
[RELATED: Ravens Hope To Re-Up Mark Andrews]
“That’s ongoing,” said Ravens GM Eric DeCosta. “There are some different moving parts. So, I’ll sort of answer that question like that, and just say that it’s ongoing...There are always a lot of different things, and there are all these different elements to an offseason,” DeCosta said. “We don’t even know what the salary cap is going to be yet. It’s hard to build a football team without a salary cap — not knowing what the salary cap is going to be. So, the Earl Thomas situation is just one part of that.”
Thomas was due a guaranteed $10MM in base salary this season before his release. However, the Ravens cited “personal conduct” that “adversely affected” the team to try and void the commitment. While things are in limbo, the Ravens are carrying a $4MM charge on the 2021 books. If Thomas wins, the remaining $6MM will be tacked on.
As DeCosta suggested, that’d be a significant strike against their flexibility given the league’s salary cap uncertainty. Thomas, meanwhile, is free to sign with any team, though he was out of football last year.
$0 Guaranteed In Dwayne Haskins’ Steelers Deal
The Steelers took a flier on quarterback Dwayne Haskins last week with an inexpensive one-year deal. His $850K contract includes no guaranteed money, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). 
It’s a pretty big drop for the former first-round pick, though he’ll still be earning cash from his previous Washington deal. Ultimately, for Haskins, it’s an opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business in Ben Roethlisberger and rebuild his stock.
Haskins dazzled evaluators with his arm strength coming out of Ohio State. As a pro, he was a flop. In 2020 — his second year with WFT — Haskins averaged just 6.3 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Head coach Ron Rivera released Haskins after his terrible Week 16 showing, putting him on the open market just two years after being selected No. 15 overall.
The Panthers also offered a deal to Haskins, which was also believed to be for the minimum. After Teddy Bridgewater‘s trying year in Carolina, that could have been a better opportunity for Haskins to get on the field. Then again, the Panthers could use this year’s No. 8 pick on a QB, pushing any free agent pickup to the bottom of the depth chart.
Packers’ Aaron Rodgers Wants New Deal
Aaron Rodgers wants a new contract, according to a league source who spoke with Mike Florio of PFT. At least, that’s part of what part of what the Packers quarterback is seeking after saying that his future is “uncertain”. 
Rodgers is looking for a stronger commitment from the Packers following their first-round selection of Jordan Love. Currently, he’s slated to make $22.35MM, $25.5MM, and $25.5MM in each of the next three seasons.
At the time of signing in 2018, Rodgers’ four-year, $134MM extension positioned him as the NFL’s highest-paid player of all-time. Today, that’s good for just fifth among quarterbacks. At the age of 37, the likely MVP recipient wants a deal to reflect his status and solidify his relationship with the Packers.
The Packers should be incentivized to rework his deal too. Currently, Rodgers is slated to carry a $37MM cap figure for 2021 — a new deal could smooth out the hit while giving Rodgers a pay bump.
Since taking over as the starter for the Packers in 2008, Rodgers has thrown for 312 touchdowns (the second most in the league) and led the Packers to the playoffs in eight seasons out of ten.
Chiefs’ Mitchell Schwartz Out For Super Bowl?
The Chiefs beat the Bills without the services of right tackle Mitchell Schwartz. Odds are, they’ll have to face the Buccaneers without him too. Head coach Andy Reid told reporters that he’s not “optimistic about” Schwartz’s chances of playing in the Super Bowl. (Twitter link via Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star). 
[RELATED: Chiefs’ Eric Fisher Tears Achilles]
Schwartz‘s iron-man streak was snapped at 134 games, thanks to an October back injury. The All-Pro blocker tackle has recovering since Week 6 and attempting to get back on the field. The 31-year-old, who has long been one of the NFL’s top right tackles, will likely wind up as a fan on Super Bowl Sunday.
Schwartz spent four years with the Browns before joining the Chiefs on a five-year, $33MM deal prior to the 2016 season. Then, in 2019, the Chiefs tacked on an additional year. He’s lived up to both contracts, though his back injury may impede him going forward.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs have also learned that they’ll be without left tackle Eric Fisher against the Bucs. After Fisher tore his Achilles against the Bills, the Chiefs placed Mike Remmers on the opposite side, kicked Andrew Wylie to the interior, and brought in swingman Stefen Wisniewski. That’ll be the likely arrangement on Feb. 7.
Duce Staley Joins Lions
Duce Staley got his wish. The Eagles granted the assistant coach’s request for release, paving the way for him to join the Lions’ staff (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).
[RELATED: Lions To Add John Dorsey To Front Office]
Staley will now serve as the Lions’ assistant head coach/running backs coach under Dan Campbell. The ex-Eagles running back joined the Birds’ coaching staff all the way back in 2013, but he got frustrated after being passed over twice for the head coaching job. In 2016, the Eagles chose Doug Pederson instead. This year, the Eagles went with Nick Sirianni, who opted against promoting Staley to offensive coordinator.
Staley, who will turn 46 next month, also drew interest from the Bears. Instead, he’ll face Chicago a couple times per year. With ex-RBs Staley and Anthony Lynn (offensive coordinator) in the fold, you can expect the Lions to focus on the run game in 2021. That might be for the best, since the Lions will probably be moving forward without quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Ravens Hope To Re-Up Mark Andrews
The Ravens aren’t just focused on a new deal for Lamar Jackson. The Ravens also hope to extend Mark Andrews‘ contract this offseason, GM Eric DeCosta says (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). 
“Mark Andrews, in my opinion, is one of the best TEs in the NFL. We’d be foolish to not try and keep him,” DeCosta said. “Those discussions will start up at some point.”
Andrews, 25, turned in a solid encore to his 2019 Pro Bowl season. In 2020, he reeled in 58 grabs for 701 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the course of three pro years, he’s got 156 catches, 2,105 yards, and 20 TDs to his credit. As one of the Ravens’ 2018 third-round picks, he’ll be extension eligible for the first time. The same goes for fellow ’18 third-rounder Orlando Brown, though DeCosta acknowledged that the tackle might not get a re-up due to their cap situation.
Morgan Cox, who has served as the Ravens’ long snapper for eleven years, will also be a victim of the numbers crunch. The four-time Pro Bowler tells Zrebiec that he will not be re-signed after his contract lapses in March.
“Obviously, I’m certainly disappointed that I won’t be back with the Ravens next year,” Cox said. “I take a lot of pride in what we’ve accomplished there. All of that to say, rather than be frustrated or disappointed on this end, which would be easy to fall into, I’m really just thankful that it happened. I am sad that it’s over, but I’m also eternally happy that it happened.”
Chiefs’ Eric Fisher Tears Achilles
Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher tore his Achilles in the AFC Championship Game, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is the news that Andy Reid expected following Sunday’s win over the Bills. 
Fisher, of course, will be out of action when the Chiefs take on the Buccaneers in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs were already playing without right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, and they could be sans both of their starting tackles in the title game. Following Fisher’s exit, the Chiefs moved right tackle Mike Remmers over to the left side, slotted RT Andrew Wylie at right guard, and brought in swingman Stefen Wisniewski to play RG. That’ll likely be the Chiefs’ game plan in Super Bowl LV if Schwartz is still out of action.
The Bucs have a dangerous duo on the edge in Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquil Barrett, so they’ll be relying heavily on their pass protection. On the plus side, the Chiefs have been resilient throughout the year, despite playing with a weakened front five. Early on, they lost interior standout Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and rookie tackle Lucas Niang to COVID opt-outs. They also lost left guard Kelechi Osemele in October — none of that has stopped the Chiefs’ world-class offense.