Cardinals Sign Larry Fitzgerald To Extension
It’s a done deal. On Friday morning, the Cardinals announced a new one-year extension for wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The veteran is now signed through the 2018 season. 
The deal is worth $11MM and includes a no-trade clause, according to Mike Jurecki of 98.7FM. The pact also includes incentives that can give him an extra $1MM if he reaches No. 2 on the NFL’s all-time receiving list.
Fitzgerald was considering retirement and many believed that the 2017 campaign would be his last. It’s still possible that he walks away at the end of the season, but there is at least a deal in place if the wide receiver decides to run it back one more time.
There’s a case to be made for both retirement and continuing. On one hand, Fitzgerald could leave on a high note – he currently leads the NFC with 60 receptions and is on pace for 107 catches and 1,204 receiving yards. No player in league history has ever had more than 100 catches and 1,000 yards in a season started at the age of 34 or higher. The odds of an encore, historically, are not on his side. Then again, it’s clear that he still has something left in the tank.
If Fitzgerald plays out this new deal, next year will be his 16th season on the field. Only quarterback Jim Hart (18) and kicker Jim Bakken (17) have played in more seasons for the Cardinals franchise (Twitter link via Mark Dalton of the Cardinals). If he plays every game through 2018, he’ll match Bakken for most regular season games played in Cardinals history with 234.
There are also lots of NFL records within range for Fitzgerald. With another 141 catches, he’ll leapfrog tight end Tony Gonzalez for second all-time in NFL history behind Jerry Rice. The 10-time Pro Bowler (likely en route to No. 11) can become third in all-time receiving yards this season with another 227 yards, allowing him to bypass Randy Moss. After that, he’s just another 642 yards away from topping Terrell Owens for second place.
The Cardinals also have quarterback Carson Palmer and coach Bruce Arians under contract through next season, meaning that the familiar trio could return for 2018.
Latest On Seahawks’ Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman‘s season is over and it’s possible that his Seahawks tenure could be behind him as well. This offseason, Seattle will have to decide whether to carry the cornerback’s $11MM salary and $13.2MM cap number for 2018. If they feel that the cost is prohibitive, they could ask Sherman to take a pay cut or just release him outright. 
With that in mind, the Seahawks will be paying close attention to Sherman’s recovery. He just recently went under the knife to fix his ruptured Achilles tendon, but Sherman says he has been given a timetable that should allow him to get back on the practice field in May or June (via Liz Mathews of USA Today).
Sherman has been one of the league’s strongest (and most outspoken) cornerbacks for several years running. However, he turns 30 on March 30th and the Seahawks might look to put their dollars in a different direction. The offensive line, for example, could use a revamp, even after the acquisition of Duane Brown.
Sherman ranks as the 20th ranked cornerback in the NFL this year, per Pro Football Focus. His 82.7 overall score is solid, but it is also a career-low.
The good news for Seattle is that teammate Justin Coleman is in the midst of a career year and rates as PFF’s No. 26 CB. They also have Jeremy Lane (back with Seattle after the initial Brown trade was scrapped), third-round pick Jeremy Lane, and the newly-signed Byron Maxwell. If that group can do a good job of holding down the fort, it could push the Seahawks to part ways with Sherman in the spring.
AFC East Notes: Patriots, Gronk, Jets, Allen
Does Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski have a shot at maxing out his 2017 incentives? Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston checked in on Gronk’s deal to see if he can earn as much as $10.75MM this season through bonuses.
Gronk is currently on pace for 72 catches for 1,093 yards and nine touchdowns while playing in 81% of the Patriots’ snaps. Those numbers would put him in line to earn $8.75MM, the second-highest incentive tier. In order to reach the $10.75MM max, he would have to play in 90% of the Pats’ offensive snaps or record 80 catches or 1,200 receiving yards or earn All-Pro recognition. Of course, Gronk’s name recognition could help his All-Pro case, even if he doesn’t satisfy the other triggers for the top incentives package.
Here’s more from the AFC East:
- The Jets love Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen, a league source tells Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (on Twitter). Meanwhile, a Wyoming source tells Miller that the Jets have done more work on him than any other team. The Jets have gotten quality play out of Josh McCown so far this year, but they’ll almost certainly look to the free agent market and/or the draft for younger solutions since McCown will turn 39 in 2018. So far this year, Allen has thrown for 1,658 yards this season with 13 touchdowns against six picks. He has also rushed for 207 yards and five touchdowns off of 84 attempts.
- Jesse Davis has been doing a decent job at right tackle and that could alter Ja’Wuan James‘ future with the Dolphins, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) opines. If there’s no discernible difference between the two players, their salaries could be the tiebreaker. James, a 2014 first-round pick, is due $9.341MM through the fifth-year option, but the Dolphins can bail on that obligation before the start of the 2018 league year. It’s possible that James’ injury could be a season-ender, so he may have already played his final game for Miami.
Bears Meet With K Cairo Santos
The Bears met with Cairo Santos on Thursday and gave him a physical, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. As of this writing, the Bears have not signed Santos to a deal, but it is a sign that they are at least mulling a kicking change. 
Connor Barth is coming off of a strong performance in which he sank field goal attempts from 45, 44, and 49 yards in a rainy game against the Packers. However, he has been inconsistent overall this season. All in all, Barth has missed four of his 14 field goal tries, though three of those attempts were from 40-49 yards out and one was from further than 50 yards.
Santos has been on the market since being waived/injured by the Chiefs in late September. The Buccaneers reportedly wanted to sign him in October, but he was not healthy enough to play at that time.
Before getting cut loose, he converted 3-of-3 field goal tries and went 6-for-6 on extra points. He also had ten touchbacks on his 18 kickoffs. Last year, the 26-year-old sank 31 of 35 field goal tries, good for fifth in the league amongst kickers (88.6%).
Browns Activate Coleman, Cut Williams
The Browns are releasing wide receiver Kasen Williams in order to make room for Corey Coleman on the active roster (Twitter link via Tony Grossi of ESPN.com). Williams will be subject to waivers, meaning that the league’s 31 other teams will have a chance to add him in the next 24 hours. 
Williams, 25 in December, appeared in just three games for the Seahawks between 2015 and 2016. However, he broke out during the preseason with nine catches, 208 yards and one touchdown. That performance caught the attention of executives around the league and the Browns pounced on the chance to claim him off waivers when he missed the Week 1 cut in September. Now that he’s back on the wire, it wouldn’t be surprising to see multiple teams put in claims on him.
Waiver wire priority, of course, goes by the inverse order of the NFL standings. The Browns are the league’s worst team at 0-9, so the 1-9 49ers will have the first chance to add him to the roster. The 6-3 Seahawks may also have some interest in a reunion, but most teams are ahead of them in the queue.
In his time with Cleveland, Williams appeared in seven games and pulled down nine grabs for 84 yards.
NFC Notes: Cowboys, Jones, 49ers
Jerry Jones will not forced out as the owner of the Cowboys, the owner of one team and others familiar with the situation tell Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
“I don’t know where this is coming from about stripping him of his franchise,” the anonymous owner said. “That’s ridiculous. That’s not going to happen.”
Two others with knowledge of the NFL’s inner workings told Maske the same thing. However, the aforementioned owner did note that Jones could be subject to a fine if he files a lawsuit. He also would face the prospect of paying attorney fees for both sides. That could be in reference to a “prevailing party” clause which stipulates that the losing side picks up everyone’s bill.
Here’s a look at the NFC:
- The 49ers say there’s no rush to get newly-acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on the field. “We know what we like about Jimmy Garoppolo. And that’s only been strengthened by the time that’s he’s been here,” GM John Lynch said (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area). “We’re just going to let these things play out. That’s in Kyle’s hands. People have had all these ideas about why we got Jimmy. We got Jimmy because we think he has big-time ability at the quarterback position. And we believe so much – to get where we need to get – you have to have a franchise quarterback. We think he’s got that ability. Whether that happens, when that happens, we’ll see. But we certainly like his future with the 49ers. … They’re going to work hard during this week to get him up to speed. But right now, we don’t need him. C.J. [Beathard] just played a great game and his teammates really believe in him. We think it’s nothing but a good situation.”
- To incentivize running back Jonathan Williams to sign to their active roster, the Saints gave him a $50K signing bonus, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Recently, Williams left the Broncos’ practice squad to join up with the Saints on a two-year deal. He also turned down a similar opportunity with the Falcons. It’s also worth mentioning that the second year of his deal also includes a $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate).
- This week, the Redskins were forced to place running back Rob Kelley on IR.
Latest On Packers’ Aaron Rodgers
For the first time since breaking his collarbone in mid-October, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stepped foot on the practice field, the team announced. Rodgers went through some conditioning and footwork drills and simulated his throwing motion with a towel, which is ostensibly a good sign for his progress. Still, Rodgers is looking to temper expectations. 
“It was just good being back on the practice field,” Rodgers said in a text message to Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “Schedule hasn’t changed. Out eight weeks. Only back if it’s completely healed.”
Although Rodgers was practicing at the team’s facility, he did not actually participate in the team’s practice. Per league rules, he won’t be able to do that for another two weeks. The earliest that Rodgers could suit up and play would be for Green Bay’s Dec. 17 game against the Panthers (in Carolina), but there has been no indication from Rodgers nor the team of that being a possibility.
At best, it sounds like Rodgers would be looking at a potential return against the Vikings in Week 16 or the Lions in Week 17. However, Rodgers has said that he’ll only return if it “makes sense” for him to do so, meaning the Packers will have to be in the playoff chase.
The Packers are currently 5-4 heading into Sunday’s game against the Ravens. They trail the 7-2 Vikings for the divisional lead while the Lions (5-4) hold the tiebreaker over them.
Latest On Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones
The NFL has issued a letter to Jerry Jones’ attorney accusing the Cowboys owner of “conduct detrimental to the league’s best interests,” as Barry Wilner of The Associated Press writes. It appears that the league is barking back in the battle over commissioner Roger Goodell’s proposed extension. 
[RELATED: Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Drops Appeal]
“Your client’s antics, whatever their motivation, are damaging the league and reflect conduct detrimental to the league’s best interests,” the letter said.
Jones says that he has issues with Goodell’s compensation in the new contract and is also looking to limit the power of his office. Of course, this fury over Goodell’s deal has intersected with the Ezekiel Elliott‘s appeal (which was put to rest on Wednesday) as well as the anthem controversy, a matter on which Jones has been extremely outspoken.
Within the letter, the NFL confirms that Jones has been removed as a non-voting member of the compensation committee. It has been rumored that Jones gained entry to that group by essentially appointing himself a member. Jones was accused of abusing that access and spreading an outdated document from the Goodell negotiations with the rest of the league’s owners.
“Someone who is genuinely concerned ‘that the owners know the truth about the negotiations’ would not deliberately distribute such an outdated document, particularly when he has in his possession drafts that are current and accurately reflect the actual state of negotiations, or threaten to sue the league and its owners if he does not get his way,” the letter said.
The NFL doesn’t have a problem with Jones’ opposition to Goodell’s extension, Mike Florio of PFT hears, but the league does have a big problem with how he has gone about expressing his displeasure. The league’s latest warning shot towards Jones may finally lead to deescalation, particularly since the Elliott matter is in the rear-view mirror.
Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott Withdraws Appeal
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is withdrawing his appeal, agents Rocky Arceneaux and Frank Salzano tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The NFLPA also announced that it has withdrawn its lawsuit against the league. Elliott will serve his full six-game suspension. He will miss the next five games and return in Week 16 against the Seahawks. 
“In consultation with the NFLPA and his lawyers, and after careful deliberation and review of the recent Second Circuit decisions, Mr. Elliott has decided to forego any further appeals and will serve the remaining suspension,” the statement reads. “This decision arises from a practical assessment of the current legal landscape. Mr. Elliott’s desire for closure in this matter is in his best interest, as well as the best interests of his teammates, family, and friends.
This decision is in no way an admission of any wrongdoing, and Mr. Elliott is pleased that the legal fight mounted by he and his team resulted in disclosing many hidden truths regarding this matter as well as publicly exposing the NFL’s mismanagement of its disciplinary process. Mr. Elliott will maximize this time away from the game and come back even stronger both on and off the field. He intends to release a final personal statement in the upcoming weeks and until then we have no further comment.”
Elliott will release a statement at some point that will explain his decision further, Rapoport tweets. Meanwhile, the NFLPA may still continue the battle in court.
On Nov. 9, the Second Circuit ruled to reinstate Elliott’s ban, sidelining him for Dallas’ game against the Falcons. Initially, an expedited appeal in front of the Second Circuit court was scheduled for December 1st. Instead, Elliott is accepting the suspension, which most likely would have had to have been served at some point. By taking the hit now, Elliott can ensure that he will be eligible for this year’s playoffs, assuming the Cowboys get there.
The running back will miss games against the Eagles, Chargers, Redskins, Giants, and Raiders before returning.
Jon Gruden Won’t Rule Out Coaching Return
In 2009, Jon Gruden became the color analyst of Monday Night Football. Ever since then, it seems, we’ve been hearing speculation about Gruden’s potential return to the sidelines. While Gruden says he’s happy in his current role, he’s not exactly dismissing talk that he could eventually coach again.
“I haven’t talked to anybody,” Gruden said on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike” (transcript via Pro Football Talk). “All I really have in my life is my family and football. That’s about it. I’m real sensitive to the coaches that are out there coaching, so I don’t speculate. I just love football. I’m trying to hang onto the job I have. I’m very fortunate to be with the people I’m with. I don’t know what’s gonna happen in the future. I just know this: I’m gonna continue to give my best effort to the game, stay prepared, and I love Monday Night Football and don’t plan on leaving but, as you know in life, you never say never to nothing.”
The 3-6 Buccaneers could be looking to make a change this offseason and there has been chatter about a reunion with Gruden. There are also some high-profile coaching vacancies in the college ranks, including the University of Tennessee.
Looking around the NFL, there are at least ten teams that could be in search of new coaches after the season is over. Gruden figures to receive calls from a few of those clubs and it sounds like he’ll be keeping an open mind, at minimum.