Chiefs Sign Patrick Mahomes To 10-Year Extension
In an offseason featuring little action on the extension front, the Chiefs broke through Monday with a monster deal. They have agreed to terms with Patrick Mahomes on a 10-year extension that will tie the quarterback to Kansas City through the 2031 season, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The Chiefs have announced the deal.
This marks the first NFL contract to go beyond the 2020s, and it stands to keep the 2018 MVP and Super Bowl LIV MVP in Kansas City through his age-36 season. Mahomes has only started two seasons, but the 2017 No. 10 overall pick has changed the trajectory of a franchise that for decades opted for veteran stopgaps at quarterback.
Mahomes’ extension will be worth a whopping $450MM, Schefter tweets, adding that $140MM is guaranteed. Both figures shatter NFL records. Mahomes’ $45MM-per-year price tag — a staggering $10MM increase on Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-AAV deal that previously resided as the NFL salary benchmark. As far as guarantees go, Mahomes’ bests the previous leader — Jared Goff‘s 2019 re-up — by $30MM.
This contract came together quickly. Mahomes and the Chiefs only began negotiating in late May. The superstar passer, whose rookie contract runs through 2021, became extension-eligible after the 2019 regular season’s conclusion.
The deal was rumored to contain a game-changing sweetener. Multiple sources believed the contract was set to tie Mahomes’ salaries to a percentage of the salary cap (Twitter links via Schefter and CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora). While that would have made the pact historically player-friendly, Schefter reports that the Chiefs did not include such a provision in the contract. The Chiefs began negotiations against such an arrangement, per Schefter (on Twitter).
Still, star-caliber players have increasingly opted for shorter-term deals in order to maximize earning potential. Mahomes, 24, is zagging in a historic direction. This market-resetting deal will likely play a key role in how Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson proceed in their respective extension negotiations.
The Chiefs traded up 17 spots for Mahomes three years ago and made the rare decision to sit him as a rookie. When Mahomes succeeded Alex Smith in his second season, the NFL landscape shifted. The Texas Tech product torched defenses throughout 2018, joining Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the 50-touchdown pass club. After another strong season, Mahomes is 2-for-2 in AFC championship game appearances. While an offside call led to the Chiefs falling short of Super Bowl LIII, Mahomes orchestrated three come-from-behind playoff victories to give the franchise its first championship in 50 years this past season.
In his two seasons as the Chiefs’ starter, Mahomes has 76 touchdown passes — eight more than any other quarterback through two seasons. Mahomes is also the only player to surpass 9,000 passing yards in his first two seasons as a starter, doing so despite missing two games last season with a knee injury.
Kansas City’s redefining re-up also arrives at a strange time. The NFL and NFLPA are in the process of negotiating a new financial reality. A season without fans in the stands threatens to reduce the 2021 salary cap, and if the league must borrow from projected future revenue to prevent such a scenario, it will have major financial ramifications. For Mahomes to agree to a deal under these circumstances says plenty about his desire to stay in western Missouri and the terms of said agreement. Mahomes is the first NFLer to be under contract for 12 years since fellow Andy Reid pupil Donovan McNabb signed his first Eagles extension in 2002 (h/t ESPN’s Field Yates).
Mahomes’ new deal will change the equation for the Chiefs, who have authorized a few high-priced contracts in recent years to take advantage of their quarterback’s rookie-deal window. The Chiefs have checked off their biggest contract task of the offseason (and in franchise history). They now have nine days to finalize a deal with franchise-tagged defensive tackle Chris Jones. As of last week, the sides are not believed to be close on terms.
Redskins Expected To Change Name
The Redskins’ team name has been heavily criticized for some time for its racial overtones, though owner Dan Snyder previously avowed that he would never change the name. But as someone once said, “never say never.”
Facing renewed pressure to make a change, including a request from stadium sponsor FedEx, the club is undertaking a thorough review of the team name. The team issued the following statement (h/t Adam Schefter of ESPN.com via Twitter):
” In light of recent events around our country and feedback from our community, the Washington Redskins are announcing the team will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name. This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks.
Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, stated, ‘This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field.’
Ron Rivera, Head Coach of the Washington Redskins, remarked, ‘This issue is of personal importance to me and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our military.’
We believe this review can and will be conducted with the best interest of all in mind.”
Schefter believes the mere fact that the review is taking place is a clear indication that the name will indeed be changed. And sources tell Rick Maese, Mark Maske, and Liz Clarke of the Washington Post that the process will end in a new name and mascot, which could happen by the start of the 2020 season. After all, it would be a bad look, even by Snyder’s standards, to undergo a review and not make a change. While there’s not yet any clarity as to what the new name will be, Rivera’s comments suggest that it will somehow pay homage to the nation’s military.
Investment firms worth about $620B recently asked Nike, FedEx, and PepsiCo to end their relationships with the Redskins, and it could be that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Nike removed the Redskins name and their merchandise from its website Thursday night. The Tennessee Titans — the last team to change their name, after a two-year Tennessee Oilers phase — now reside at the bottom of the shoe giant’s list of teams.
Meanwhile, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a brief statement indicating that he has been discussing the matter with Snyder in recent weeks and is supportive of what appears to be an impending change.
NFL To Cut Preseason Schedule In Half
The rumors of the NFL eliminating half its preseason slate produced action Wednesday afternoon. The league is planning to slash its preseason slate, according to Pro Football Talk (on Twitter).
This comes shortly after the league nixed the Hall of Fame Game. Now, teams’ August schedules will be trimmed from four games to two. This will open the door for the long-rumored acclimation period — which will allow for increased conditioning after the virtual offseason. This process will stand to help prevent some injuries players could sustain after spending the offseason working out on their own.
Weeks 1 and 4 will be cut, according to PFT (via Twitter). Every team’s two-game slate will feature one home game and one away tilt, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Instead of locking in every team’s Week 2 and Week 3 preseason opponents, the league is in favor of keeping short-travel games on the docket, SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano tweets. The new schedule is expected to be released later this week.
Teams’ preseason openers will be played between Aug. 20-24, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. This will give teams an extra week to prepare players amid the pandemic. This year’s preseason was scheduled to begin a bit later than usual, with the original schedule wrapping up Sept. 3. But instead of eliminating Weeks 1-2 from the preseason slate, the NFL will trim that Sept. 3 game. This will give teams more time in between the preseason and regular season.
Although the preseason has continued to mean less and less, with some teams opting to rest starters throughout, Wednesday’s decision will mean limited game action for rookies hoping to make impressions. The virtual offseason prevented young players from key onsite work, and a truncated preseason will reduce the opportunities they’ll have to stand out on film for other teams considering waiver claims. No joint practices will cut down on those chances as well.
Today’s news could well mean the end of the four-game preseason. The new CBA gives the NFL the option of transitioning to the 17-game regular-season schedule as soon as 2021. Considering the revenue that is at risk of being lost because of what could be a fanless season, it would not surprise if the league moved to 17 games as soon as possible. That format calls for a three-game preseason.
The actual games being canceled prove less significant than the overall decision, as it’s the latest major change to the NFL’s 2020 calendar. The league has thus far canceled pre-draft visits, prevented free agent visits, barred non-injured players from team facilities, made its draft a virtual event, did the same with its offseason program, canceled the Hall of Fame Game and did the same to the supplemental draft minutes ago. Nothing concrete has emerged regarding the regular season — beyond the elimination of the five international games — but the league has built in some contingencies in case the virus forces that to be altered.
NFL Cancels Supplemental Draft
The 2020 NFL Supplemental Draft officially been canceled, per a memo from the league office to all 32 teams. As Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) explains, the CBA leaves the decision to the NFL. After discussions with the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, the league has opted against having one in 2020.
This marks the NFL’s latest concession to the ongoing pandemic. In June, the league 86’d the Hall Of Fame Game, the annual start to the NFL preseason in early August. Now, it has taken the supplemental event off of the calendar, even though it’s historically conducted remotely.
In existence for players whose eligibility statuses have changed in the offseason, the NFL opted against making this supplemental draft a game-changer amid the pandemic. The coronavirus has threatened the college football season, but the NFL nixed the idea of allowing potential 2021 draft prospects whose seasons run the risk of being postponed or canceled to enter the supplemental draft.
Players whose eligibility statuses changed this year will not be free agents, per Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). They would need to enter the league through the 2021 draft.
This cancellation does not move the needle too much, but it does add to a lengthy list of changes the NFL has made in 2020. Few players go in supplemental drafts. While the likes of Bernie Kosar, Cris Carter, Brian Bosworth and Rob Moore have gone in the summer draft, its relevance has faded in the modern game. No team has used a first-round supplemental pick since the Giants took Duke quarterback Dave Brown in 1992. Josh Gordon became most notable supplemental pick over the past decade, and only eight players were supplemental picks during the 2010s.
Chiefs’ Chris Jones Threatening Holdout?
On Tuesday night, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo estimated that Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones wouldn’t bite on an extension worth anything less than $20MM per year. Moments later, his gut feeling was confirmed by Jones himself. 
“Or I won’t play,” Jones tweeted. “[Le’Veon Bell] told me about this.”
Jones, of course, is referencing Bell’s messy final year with the Steelers. In 2018, the Steelers placed a second straight tag on Bell worth $14.5MM. Bell, meanwhile, wanted a long-term deal to reflect his combined value as an elite running back and a WR2 caliber receiver. When he didn’t get what he wanted, he held out for the entire season.
The following year, Bell got a five-year, $52.5MM deal from the Jets with $35MM guaranteed. It was a decent-sized deal for sure, but still shy of Bell’s original asking price and short of the throne for the league’s highest-paid RB mantle. Also, Bell lost out on a full year of salary.
If Jones stays away from the Chiefs and holds out during the regular season, he’d be losing more than $1MM per game. Still, the 25-year-old seems dead set on getting the deal he wants. Last year, Jones graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 ranked interior defensive lineman in the league and notched nine sacks. In 2018, when he saw more time on the edge, he registered 15.5 sacks. Jones understands his free market value and he says he won’t settle for less, or risk catastrophic injury in the interim.
Currently, the defensive tackle market is led by Aaron Donald ($22.5MM/year) and DeForest Buckner ($21MM/year). Meanwhile, Bears superstar Khalil Mack ($23MM AAV) leads all defensive players in average annual value.
Patriots To Sign Cam Newton
The Patriots have agreed to sign Cam Newton, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $7.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) adds. The base portion is believed to be much lower, however, and Newton likely didn’t receive much in the way of guarantees. 
[RELATED: Patriots Fined $1MM; Stripped Of Third-Round Pick By NFL]
Newton, 31, will join Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer on the Patriots’ depth chart. Naturally, he’ll be the odds-on favorite to come away with the starting job.
The Patriots checked in with Newton during the early stages of free agency, right around the time Tom Brady took off for Tampa Bay. However, at the time, Newton was seeking a deal that was more in line with his previous earnings. Thanks to injuries, the former MVP had to stay patient and slash his asking place before finding his home in New England.
The 2015 NFL MVP and three-time Pro Bowler has struggled in recent years. Since 2016, he’s ranked 30th in Total QBR while spending large chunks of time on the sidelines. But he remains a high-end talent and a very intriguing addition to the Pats’ offense in the post-Brady era.
Newton was limited to only two games in 2019, but he did make 14 starts in 2018. In that year, he completed a career-best 67.9% of his throws for 3,395 yards, 24 TDs, and 13 picks. He also showed that he can still make plays with his feet – he tallied 488 rushing yards and four scores on 101 carries. For his career, Newton has amassed a 68-55-1 record as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. That record includes a perfect 2-0 mark against his new team.
After replacing Newton with Teddy Bridgewater, the Panthers tried to trade their longtime star to the Bears and Chargers. Those deals did not come together – the Bears went on to trade for Nick Foles instead while the Chargers waited ’til April to tap Justin Herbert as their new QB addition. With no takers, the Panthers dropped Newton to save $19MM+ in cap room versus $2MM in dead money.
Now, Newton has a prime opportunity to show the world what he can do. Even after his 2018 shoulder relapse and last year’s Lisfranc surgery, Newton still believes that he can play at a high level. For what it’s worth, he’s now six months removed from his December foot surgery and he’ll more or less enter camp with fresh legs.
With Newton, plus a mix of familiar and new faces, the Patriots’ offense is starting to look pretty formidable. Newton will be working with Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead in the backfield while targeting a receiver group headlined by Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, and N’Keal Harry. The biggest question mark, perhaps, remains at tight end, where they’ll be largely dependent on rookies Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi.
Patriots Stripped Of Third-Round Pick By NFL
The NFL has rendered its verdict on the Patriots’ filming of a Bengals-Browns game late last year. The results aren’t pretty for the Pats – they’ll be fined $1.1MM and stripped of a 2021 third-round pick, according to Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Furthermore, Pats TV crews will be barred from filming games during the upcoming season. 
[RELATED: Patriots To Sign Cam Newton]
The Pats’ crew set up shop in the press box and filmed the Bengals’ sideline during their Week 14 game. A Bengals staffer took notice, turned the camera on the Pats’ crew, and turned over an eight-minute tape to the league office.
The Patriots said they were filming an episode of their online series “Do Your Job” and simply gathering b-roll for the next episode. The Patriots also acknowledged that they should have done a better job advising the crew of league protocol and communicating with the Bengals beforehand. Still, teams are prohibited from shooting video of coaches on the sideline and the NFL took the Patriots’ “Spygate” history into consideration.
NFL Cancels Hall Of Fame Game
The Hall of Fame Game has been canceled, per a Thursday morning announcement from the NFL. The league’s annual preseason kickoff was slated to take place on August 6 between the Steelers and Cowboys.
COVID-19 cases have risen all across the country and a number of players have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks. Not long ago, the league was optimistic about having fans in attendance for games and moving forward with its existing preseason and regular season schedule. Now, everything appears to be in flux.
As of this writing, the rest of the NFL’s exhibition period remains in tact. However, that could change quickly. On Thursday, the league will have a virtual huddle-up to discuss the fate of upcoming training camps and other in-person offseason activities.
Before this, teams were planning to hold training camp on July 28, which is the scheduled start date for most of the league. They were also hoping to have a pre-camp conditioning period. At minimum, it seems likely that the preseason will be shortened from its usual four-game slate to two games.
On the plus side, Dr. Anthony Fauci indicated that a COVID-19 vaccine could be developed sometime before the end of the calendar year.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott To Sign $31.4MM Franchise Tender
Dak Prescott will sign his exclusive franchise tender by Monday, according to a source who spoke with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). With that, the Cowboys quarterback will be slated to play out 2020 on a one-year, $31.4MM deal. After that, the two sides will have just a few weeks to hammer out a multi-year deal.
[RELATED: Prescott Pushing For Four-Year Deal?]
For months, we heard that Prescott was pushing for a two or three-year deal while the Cowboys were looking for a five or six-year add-on. Now, it seems like the two sides are closer than previously believed – at least, in terms of contract length. Prescott reportedly wants a four-year deal and the Cowboys would prefer a five-year arrangement.
Prescott is aiming for a deal that would pay him more than $35MM/year, enough to top Russell Wilson. That’s not exactly chump change for the Cowboys, but they’d rather lock up the QB than risk his asking price skyrocketing next year. If Prescott’s full 2020 played out like his 2019 first half, he’d be in line for untold riches next year. At that point, the Cowboys would have to give him an absolute fortune or tag him with a 20% raise over this year’s tag, for ~$37.7MM. Even in the tag scenario, it’s unlikely that Prescott would cooperate.
Under the more commonly used non-exclusive tag, other teams would have had a shot to sign Prescott to an offer sheet. Instead, the Cowboys opted for the slightly more expensive exclusive tag. Ultimately, it was a ~$5MM difference between the two.
Last year, Prescott threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns. Meanwhile, the two-time Pro Bowler won’t turn 27 until the end of July.
Jets’ Jamal Adams Has Bucs On Trade Destination List
Jamal Adams wants out. The Jets Pro Bowl safety has a few preferred spots in mind and he tells ex-NFL safety Ryan Clark that the Buccaneers are among the teams on his list (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). 
[RELATED: Adams Has Chiefs, 49ers, Cowboys On His List]
A trade to the Buccaneers would reunite Adams with Todd Bowles, his former head coach with the Jets. Bowles currently serves as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator and he’d surely love to add Adams to his secondary. And, even though they’re on the other side of the ball, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski would likely love to welcome their old divisional foe to Tampa Bay.
Adams is also said to have the Cowboys, Ravens, Texans, Chiefs, Eagles, 49ers, and Seahawks on his not-so-short list. And, depending on where he lands, he’d reportedly be willing to wait on a contract extension. Still, teams taking the long view may be warded off by the sticker price. Ultimately, Adams is seeking a deal worth about $20MM/year – far beyond the ~$15MM/year it would take to make him the NFL’s all-time highest-paid safety.
The Jets, for now, are sticking to their position – they want to keep Adams for the long haul. But, in order to do that, they’ll have to pony up some serious cash, and get that offer in front of him quickly.