HEADLINES

Author: Zachary Links

Latest On Packers’ Aaron Rodgers

January 26th, 2022 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Rodgers isn’t interested in sticking around for a Packers rebuild. However, out of respect for his teammates, Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future sooner rather than later. 

[RELATED: Rodgers Won’t Stay For Packers Rebuild]

“I’d like to be respectful of the organization,” Rodgers said in his weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show.” (h/t Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com) “One decision that will be upcoming will be obviously Davante Adams and his future with the team. There still is this thing called a franchise tag, which I don’t think ’17’ wants the franchise. [But,] I think that should be enough time to make a decision by then. I don’t want to put myself on a specific date, but I do want to be sensitive to Davante and many other guys who have decisions to make on their own futures. To drag it out past free agency would be disrespectful to the organization and to those guys, and that 100% will not happen.”

Rodgers, 38, doesn’t “have a fear of retirement,” nor does he have any additional hints to share on what he’ll do. Even after last year’s back-and-forth over his contract, he’s still under club control through 2023, so he won’t be able to go elsewhere in the spring.

The Packers are projected to be ~$45MM over the cap, not including a potential megadeal or tag for Adams. Tagging Adams would cost roughly $20MM and even a multi-year deal wouldn’t shave all that much off of his ’22 hit. Whether Adams likes it or not, the Packers are preparing to use the tag to retain Adams. From there, they’ll have until mid-July to discuss a longer arrangement.

Eagles, Brandon Brooks Restructure Deal

January 26th, 2022 at 8:54am CST by Zachary Links

Eagles guard Brandon Brooks has agreed to restructure his contract (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). The new pact will reduce his cap figure from $19.4MM to $7.1MM with just $1.12MM in non-guaranteed base salary. The deal was made with the expectation that Brooks will be playing elsewhere in 2022. 

The cap is expected to rise to around $208.2 million in 2022, but the Eagles are currently projected to have about $14MM in cap room. That’s better than, say, the Saints, but not enough to spend big in March. Before the revision, Brooks was set to carry the second-highest cap hit on the team, behind only cornerback Darius Slay ($22MM).

While Slay enjoyed a strong season with a Pro Bowl nod, Brooks missed all but two games in 2021. The guard is scheduled to speak with local beat writers later today and some have speculated that he could even retire. Even if he does continue playing in the NFL, it’s all but certain that the Eagles will cut him.

Brooks also lost the 2020 season to a torn Achilles, but he performed as one of the league’s better interior lineman when he was healthy. The 32-year-old (33 in August) made the Pro Bowl every year from 2017-2019, despite a previous (and separate) Achilles tear and a shoulder injury.

This Date In Transactions History: Vince McMahon Announces XFL 2.0

January 26th, 2022 at 8:43am CST by Zachary Links

Just when you thought there was no chance in h-e-double-hockey-sticks, Vince McMahon shocked the football world. Four years ago this week, the chairman of the WWE announced the relaunch of the XFL. 

[RELATED: XFL Hires Russ Brandon, Doug Whaley, Marc Ross]

The original XFL debuted in February 2001 in a joint venture between McMahon and NBC. The first game reportedly drew ~14 million viewers, but the ratings quickly plummeted. Ultimately, it was a brand of football with no rules and no audience to match. In May of 2001, the XFL ceased operations.

This time around, McMahon said his league would be more professional and less professional wrestling. Unlike the first iteration which featured good ol’ Jim Ross and Jerry “The King” Lawler on commentary, this league would focus improving the fan experience with faster play and fewer commercials. McMahon, meanwhile, would not serve as a brand ambassador, choosing to take on more of a behind-the-scenes role.

The new XFL kicked off in 2020 with teams in Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa, and Washington D.C. Early on, McMahon had reason for optimism, thanks to leaner operations and marquee sponsorships from Gatorade and Anheuser-Busch. He also figured that the quality of play would be better than last time, with experienced quarterbacks like Landry Jones and Josh Johnson under center.

Unfortunately, the XFL 2.0 had an even shorter run that the OG XFL. Just like every other league, the pandemic forced them to pause midway through the season. Unlike the rest, the XFL never returned. In May of 2020, the XFL filed for bankruptcy and became entangled in a number of lawsuits, including one from former commissioner Oliver Luck.

Perhaps the third time will be the charm. Since it’s closure, the league has been bought by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and other investors who plan to relaunch the XFL in 2023.

Buccaneers’ Bruce Arians Won’t Retire

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers are done, but head coach Bruce Arians isn’t. Moments after the Bucs’ heartbreaking loss to the Rams, the Bucs head coach confirmed that he’ll be back this fall (Twitter link via Sara Walsh of FOX Sports). That jibes with what Arians has been saying for years now, including his latest comments just last week. 

[RELATED: Brady On Future, Possibility Of Retirement]

“I’m coaching till I can’t,” said Arians, who will celebrate his 70th birthday in October (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport).

However, it remains to be seen whether Arians will have Tom Brady under center next season. For what it’s worth, Arians told reporters on Friday (before today’s loss) that he would be “shocked” if Brady calls it quits.

“The way he was at practice, I would be shocked if he didn’t (play next year),” Arians said (via the Tampa Bay Times). “You know they have that Friday quarterback challenge, and he came flying out of the locker room, sprinting two or three fields away and couldn’t wait to get into the challenge. He was like a little kid. I would be shocked.”

Meanwhile, Arians may need to make some new hires to his coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich are both up for head coaching jobs and they could be poached as soon as this week.

Aaron Rodgers: No Interest In Packers Rebuild

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Aaron Rodgers‘ season is over and it’s not a given that he’ll return for another. Still, amidst all the uncertainty, Rodgers has already ruled out the possibility of staying in Green Bay if the team isn’t built to win in 2022. 

“I don’t want to be part of a rebuild if I’m going to keep playing,” the 38-year-old quarterback said (via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky).

Rodgers is likely on the verge of capturing his fourth career and second straight MVP trophy. Unfortunately, he didn’t look the part on Saturday as the Packers lost to the 49ers with just ten points on the board.

“I’m still supercompetitive, still know I can play at a high level, so it’s going to be a tough decision,” Rodgers said. “I have a lot of things to weigh in the coming weeks. But man, just so much gratitude for this city and this organization and such a long, long career here that I’m proud of and really thankful for all the men and women that work here, the men I’ve gotten to cross paths with, coaches and players over the years.”

To the surprise of no one, head coach Matt LaFleur later confirmed that the team wants Rodgers back for the 2022 season. Rodgers, meanwhile, says he’ll make the call sometime before free agency. Of course, the future Hall of Famer is still under control for another season, but that conversation will dictate the course of the Packers’ offseason.

The Packers are already projected to be over the salary cap by ~$45MM and that’s without a potential tag or extension for star wide receiver Davante Adams. With a serious numbers crunch looming, Rodgers isn’t particularly optimistic about what the future will bring.

“This thing is definitely going to look different moving forward in Green Bay,” Rodgers said (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

On the plus side, Rodgers says that his relationship with GM Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office has improved (Twitter link via Mark Maske of The Washington Post). — a big step up from where things were this time last year.

Broncos Down To “A Few” HC Finalists

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos could be on the verge of naming their next head coach. Broncos GM George Paton has narrowed his search to just “a few” candidates, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). It’s not clear who the finalists are, but many around the league believe that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is among the frontrunners. 

To date, the Broncos have interviewed at least ten candidates for their head coaching vacancy:

Quinn, 51, has become a consistent presence in this cycle, popping up with six of the seven clubs looking for a head coach. Beyond the Broncos, the Bears, Jaguars, Dolphins, Vikings, and Giants have had him in their sights. Quinn surely has his own shortlist of favorites, one that might exclude the Jaguars since he declined to interview with them during the season. Meanwhile, the Giants job could hold extra appeal for him since he grew up in nearby Orange, NJ.

Vikings Interview DeMeco Ryans

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings interviewed DeMeco Ryans for their head coaching position on Sunday afternoon, per a club announcement. The 49ers defensive coordinator, who is also in the mix for the Raiders’ vacancy, is one of ten candidates being considered by Minnesota. 

Ryans, a longtime NFL linebacker, has been with the Niners since 2017. After one season as SF’s defensive quality coach, Ryan coached the team’s inside linebackers for three seasons before graduating to defensive coordinator in 2021.

Now, he’s making a strong case for another step up, especially after his defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to just ten points on Saturday. In the regular season, his Niners D finished third in yards allowed and ninth in points allowed. While Ryans remains focused on the NFC Championship Game, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him land a head coaching job in the coming weeks.

For now, Ryans is one of just a handful of known candidates on the Raiders’ radar, alongside interim HC Rich Bisaccia, Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, and (possibly) Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ list includes:

Justin Britt Wants To Stay With Texans

January 23rd, 2022 at 2:46pm CST by Zachary Links

This wasn’t exactly a banner season for the Texans. But, on an individual level, Justin Britt enjoyed a bounce-back year. Now, with free agency on the horizon, the veteran center says he wants to stay in Houston. 

[RELATED: Texans GM Search Tracker]

“I had a blast this year,” Britt said (via Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790). “This is kind of everything I would want other than wins. Coming to work every week with this group of guys and to see how we grew and the steps we took, would I come back here? Yeah, if everything was right and the way it needed to be, I would love to come back here and be around these men again.”

Britt missed all of 2020 with a torn ACL, leading him to settle for a one-year, $5MM deal with the Texans. He was mostly solid for them this past year, providing steady veteran leadership in a young and disorganized locker room. It stands to reason that the Texans would want him back, though they’ll have to take a good look at the injured knee that cost him several games this year.

For his part, Britt wants to stick around for the Texans’ next head coach, whoever that may be. He’s also hoping that the new hire retains offensive line coach James Campen.

“I love James Campen,” Britt said. “If I could have it my way, I’d want to play for him for the rest of my career. He was someone who literally made every day enjoyable. The games we got shut out, didn’t score, we’d show up the next day and he would make those meetings enjoyable, which throughout a long season like this, it pays dividends and keeps your mental health in check…You don’t go down a rabbit hole, you just keep grinding, keep working. He’s someone like that who motivates his players and he knows this. I’ve told him this.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/21/22

January 21st, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Keeping tabs on the latest minor moves:

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Panthers To Hire Ben McAdoo As OC

January 21st, 2022 at 1:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers are expected to hire former Giants head coach Ben McAdoo as their offensive coordinator (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The two sides are still finalizing the contract, but it sounds like it’ll become official in the coming days. 

[RELATED: Pep Hamilton Passes On Panthers]

McAdoo, 44, worked under Jay Gruden with the Jaguars in 2020, coaching quarterbacks for that 1-15 team. Gruden also interviewed for this position, but the Panthers ultimately went for McAdoo, who is best known for his lackluster two-season term as the Giants’ head coach. He’ll replace Joe Brady, who was fired in December. At the time, the Panthers ranked just 28th in total offense under the 32-year-old.

Before the turmoil and the mid-season firing, McAdoo coached his 2016 squad to an 11-5 record and guided them to their first playoff berth in five years. And, previous to that, McAdoo made his name as Tom Coughlin‘s OC, when the Giants finished out with the No. 10 and No. 8 ranked offenses in 2014 and 2015.

McAdoo still has a ways to go before he can climb his way back into HC consideration, but the Panthers are enthusiastic about what he can do for their offense in 2022.

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