NFL Mailbag: Mayfield, Titans, Patriots, QBs
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag covers questions about the pending extension between the Buccaneers and their franchise quarterback, along with the Titans' and Patriots' respective outlooks and some of the top QB prospects for 2026.
Rick asks:
Baker Mayfield was in the MVP conversation in the first half of the season but has cooled off. The Buccaneers will probably still extend him; what do you think his deal will look like?
Mayfield first arrived in Tampa Bay on a one-year deal in 2023. That $4MM contract came at a time when his future as an NFL starter was in question, to say the least. He has surpassed expectations by a wide margin since then.
The Buccaneers made a three-year, $100MM investment in Mayfield last March. The returns on that deal have been strong as well, so the widespread expectation another pact will be finalized after the season makes plenty of sense. I would agree Mayfield’s value has (if anything) taken a slight dip in recent weeks – a stretch where the Bucs have been decimated by injuries, to be fair – but he should still be in store for a major payday.
DeMeco Ryans, Deshaun Watson Trade Fuel Texans’ Defensive Ascent
This year's AFC has presented one of the stranger collections of contenders in the conference's history. After the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens -- with some memorable Bengals involvement -- controlled Super Bowl paths since Tom Brady's last stand in New England, the Patriots and Broncos' two-loss ledgers ruling the day remains odd. The 2025 Bills have glaring weaknesses, and the Chiefs' close-game mojo has faded. The Ravens are far from certain to be part of this season's seven-team field.
As Kansas City and Baltimore struggle to stay afloat and Buffalo faces the prospect of needing its road whites for the wild-card round for the first time since 2019, the other constant from the past two divisional-round weekends is surging. The Texans started 0-3; this Houston edition is attempting to become the first 0-3 team to book a playoff berth since the franchise's 2018 squad did so.
Plenty went down between the Deshaun Watson-directed efforts in the late 2010s and DeMeco Ryans' arrival, as the team reminded of the Astros as a Houston club bottoming out before reemerging with a trove of assets. While the now-controversial MLB team capitalized on a then-lottery-less draft system to nab prime draft picks, the Texans did the same and cashed in Watson for a historic bounty. This two-front effort helped the Texans recover from a rough ending to Bill O'Brien's short but memorable HC/GM overlap.
This Texans iteration sits 7-5, having won four straight -- three of which without C.J. Stroud -- and has moved to within a game of the AFC South lead. Although the Jaguars and Colts sit 8-4, the Texans' snarling defense represents a tool the Jaguars lack. The Texans beating the high-powered Colts offense in Indianapolis brought a strength-on-strength triumph for the resurgent visitors. With the Texans leading the NFL in scoring defense, yards allowed and EPA per play -- ahead of a pivotal game against the Chiefs -- it is a good time to examine how this unit came to be.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 12/5/25
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 3pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
NFL Mailbag: Jones, Lions, Carroll, QBs
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag looks at questions related to the Colts' pending QB investment, the Lions' upcoming extension decisions, Pete Carroll's future in Vegas and more.
Thomas asks:
Are the Colts going to have to franchise tag Daniel Jones? With the Vikings potentially circling and Indy having traded away two first-round picks, this gives him leverage despite an inconsistent career. Do you think a tag will be necessary, and won't the cost of that tag shape his asking price like it did with the Giants in 2023?
A long-term pact certainly can’t be ruled out at this point, especially if Jones can rebound from his recent dip in production (although doing so will be difficult, given his injury situation). But if negotiations on that front stall, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Colts willingly let him test the open market.
Right now, Jones is on track to be by far the top QB available in free agency. Other options will consist of veterans such as Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson (if they continue playing) or upside gambles like Malik Willis or Trey Lance. Someone like Tua Tagovailoa or Kyler Murray could be on the move, but even if so Jones would be a target for several suitors (one of which could be the Vikings, ironic as that would be).
Lack Of Momentum Behind Offensive Candidates Could Shape 2026 HC Carousel
The NFL's upcoming coaching carousel lacks a Ben Johnson- or Mike Vrabel-level presence. Barely a month out, no slam dunks look to be heading to the upcoming market. The makeup of said market also figures to create some complicated decisions among ownership and, in certain situations, within front offices.
A breakdown of the NFL's offensive coordinator list does not reveal a candidate on Johnson's level or even where Shane Steichen was as a 2023 HC aspirant. Flaws and negative stock fluctuations abound among this year's OC ranks. Some of the coordinators for successful teams are unrealistic candidates, and the some of the NFL's top-shelf quarterbacks are tied to play-callers whose value has not climbed since rides on the 2025 HC carousel.
Hiring an offensive-oriented coach represents the most logical path to sustained success. A glance at recent Super Bowls highlights this path. That team's quarterback, in most cases, will not lose his play-caller if an offense-based candidate is hired. That creates vital stability. QB success has provided teams a playoff fast-pass for ages, while defense carries more volatility. Having your HC be the offensive play-caller is not a must-have, as the Eagles have shown by advancing to Super Bowls with two different OCs under CEO leader Nick Sirianni. Then again, this Eagles period also show the value of a long-running play-caller.
The performances of Kevin Patullo and Brian Johnson have underwhelmed, with the former (Jalen Hurts' fifth play-caller as a pro) commanding a cascade of boos in Philadelphia's Black Friday loss to Chicago. The value Ben Johnson has brought the Bears reinforces how a proven play-caller with leadership chops can change a franchise's direction.
NFL Mailbag: Vikings, Maye, HC Candidates
This week's PFR mailbag explores the Vikings' QB outlook, Drake Maye's MVP case, some of the top 2026 head coaching candidates and more.
Jordan asks:
The Vikings look to have made the wrong bet on J.J. McCarthy. With a few reclamation-project QBs having success in recent years, what options do you think will be there for in-house competition in Minnesota come 2026?
I should probably start this by stating the obvious: it is way too early to fully declare McCarthy a bust this early into his career. He has made just six regular-season starts to date after not seeing the field at all as a rookie.
That will rightfully give McCarthy a bit of leeway overall, but it’s undeniable he hasn’t developed as hoped so far. I had relatively high expectations in his case entering the season based not on his college career but rather head coach Kevin O’Connell’s track record of getting the most out of his quarterbacks. In that sense, there’s plenty of time for things to turn around.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 11/28/25
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 1pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 11/21/25
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 3pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
NFL Mailbag: Falcons, Taylor, Chiefs
This week's edition of the PFR mailbag addresses questions about the Falcons' future, the case for a non-quarterback MVP contender, the Chiefs' struggles and the long-term outlook of the AFC's top teams.
Kurt asks:
Arthur Smith received three seasons; the Falcons have technically seen Raheem Morris as head coach for three years if his 2020 interim season is included. Once the Falcons finish under .500 again, will he be retained? Also, Terry Fontenot has been GM for five years now. What exactly does he need to do to be fired?
It’s rare for a head coach to depart a team on good enough terms to end up returning in the same capacity. That’s what happened in the case of Morris and the Falcons, something we should keep in mind when considering how willing owner Arthur Blank will be to make any changes.
With that said, Morris’ overall Atlanta record across his two stints is 15-23. When we add in his Buccaneers tenure (17-31), there’s a growing case for him to be viewed best as a defensive coordinator moving forward. Even so, Atlanta has enjoyed strong showings (at times) on offense since Michael Penix Jr. took over as the team’s starting quarterback.
Seahawks’ QB Strategy Stands Out In Modern NFL
Not exactly reaching showdown games during the period between Russell Wilson's injury-marred 2021 and Geno Smith's third and final starter season, the Seahawks enter Week 11 in an interesting position. They match up with a Rams team that has also retooled, as Sean McVay's team has restaffed its front seven post-Aaron Donald. But Los Angeles did not gamble at quarterback -- despite pushing its situation to the brink via the Matthew Stafford trade sweepstakes.
The Seahawks, however, did make a bet at the game's premier position. Through nine games, Sam Darnold is rewarding his new team. Although interest naturally emerged for PFR's No. 1-ranked 2025 free agent, teams were not rolling out substantial multiyear guarantees at signing. A natural suitor for Darnold -- the Raiders -- backed off, as Tom Brady was not keen on his new team signing his old AFC East rival. This opened a door wide for the Seahawks, who are reaping benefits of what now looks like a team-friendly contract.
Seattle made a daring play at quarterback, trading Smith to Las Vegas three days before the legal tampering period began. A Darnold market that had seemingly cooled reignited, with a new QB-needy team entering the fray. Smith's failed extension talks in Seattle, negotiations the incumbent had pushed for dating back to the 2024 offseason, now represent a seminal moment in Seattle. Darnold agreed to a deal in the ballpark of what the Seahawks offered Smith, and his three-year, $100.5MM accord -- themed around Baker Mayfield's 2024 Buccaneers contract -- looks like a steal at the season's midpoint.
Although the Seahawks' contract framework added intrigue to this accord, the timing of the QB dominoes falling proves a bit more interesting. In the modern NFL, a tiny contingent of teams have been willing to let a first-ballot Pro Bowl quarterback go without having a contingency plan in place.