Giants To Bench Eli Manning, Start Daniel Jones
It’s happening. On Monday morning, the Giants announced that they will bench quarterback Eli Manning in favor of rookie Daniel Jones for the upcoming week. 
Many expected the baton to be passed at some point in 2019, but few saw it happening this soon. After Manning’s latest rocky outing, coach Pat Shurmur & Co. have given him the hook.
“He’s been our starter to this point, and I don’t want to talk about anything else moving forward from that standpoint,” Shurmur said earlier this week, when asked about Manning and Jones. “I’m not ready to discuss that.”
Manning has been the Giants’ starter for most of the last 16 seasons. In that span, he captured nearly every franchise record for QBs, not to mention two Super Bowl rings.
The Giants also briefly benched Manning in 2017, but they bailed on that quickly after fans revolted. This time around, fans might be a little bit more understanding – the Giants are 0-2 heading into this week’s game against the Bucs and they are years removed from their glory days.
The Giants’ selection of Jones in the Top 10 was a source of controversy, but the rookie rewards their confidence with a strong showing in the preseason. In exhibition action, he completed 85.3% of his passes, threw for 416 yards, plus two passing TDs against zero interceptions. He also saw some action down the stretch of the Giants’ Week 1 loss to the Cowboys, though his sole drive ended with a lost fumble.
Now, Jones will be tasked with manning the QB position while the Giants fight to turn things around in 2019.
Dolphins Trade CB Minkah Fitzpatrick To Steelers
The Minkah Fitzpatrick saga has come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Dolphins have traded the cornerback to the Steelers. Miami will receive a 2020 first-rounder in return. ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe adds (via Twitter) that the teams will also be swapping late-round picks.
Here’s the full breakdown of the trade: The Dolphins will receive a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, and a 2021 sixth-round pick. The Steelers, meanwhile, get Fitzpatrick, a 2020 fourth-round choice, and a 2021 sixth-round selection.
We learned yesterday that league-wide interest in the 2018 first-rounder was “real and serious,” with roughly 20 teams reaching out to Miami. Earlier tonight, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported (via Twitter) that a trade was imminent, and he listed the Steelers (along with the Redskins, Cowboys, Chiefs, Eagles, and Seahawks) as potential suitors. While the Dolphins weren’t necessarily shopping the cornerback, they were receptive to offers and asking for a first-rounder “and something else.”
Fitzpatrick is an undeniably gifted defensive back who has been less than thrilled with the multiple roles he has been asked to fill in Miami’s defense to date. His ability to play as both a slot corner and a roaming safety made him a desirable asset. Through two games this season, the 22-year-old has compiled 12 tackles and one forced fumble.
The Dolphins offseason (and preseason, and regular season…) teardown is essentially complete. As ESPN’s Field Yates tweets, Miami has three first-rounders (their own, Steelers, Texans) and two second-rounders (their own, Saints) in the 2020 draft, and they also have the Texans 2021 first- and second-round picks (as well as their own).
While yesterday’s report indicated that a Fitzpatrick trade would ultimately represent the end of the team’s teardown and draft-pick accumulation, it sounds like the Dolphins aren’t necessarily eyeing a return to relevance in 2020. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote earlier today that there’s “growing suspicion” that the Dolphins may be eyeing a two-year rebuild. The team may even pass on a quarterback during the 2020 draft with the hope that they’ll for Clemson signal-caller Trevor Lawrence in 2021.
While the Steelers were in the market for a cornerback, the trade is a considerable risk for a team that just lost Ben Roethlisberger for an entire season. Considering the draft capital they gave up to acquire Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh’s front office has made it clear that they’re not giving up on the 2019 campaign. On the flip side, since the front-office is apparently high on the former 11th-overall pick, giving up a potential top-1o selection may still be a net positive, regardless of the Steelers’ 2019 record.
Jaguars’ Jalen Ramsey Requests Trade
Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey has requested a trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears. Ramsey has butted heads with Jags brass many times over the years and the latest incident took place on Sunday in a heated confrontation with head coach Doug Marrone. 
Part of Ramey’s beef, Rapoport hears, stems from the way he’s being used on the field. Ramsey ranks among the best cover corners in the NFL and wants to play man-to-man on opposing wide receivers. Marrone, meanwhile, deploys him in a zone scheme.
The Jaguars, it seems, are willing to move him, but they won’t part with him on the cheap. The Jaguars are asking teams for at least one first-round pick in return for the Pro Bowler, but want even more than that in a return, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Ramsey is under team control through the 2020 season, thanks to the fifth-year option the team exercised this spring. But the contract-seeking cornerback has not exactly been pleased with the franchise as of late. Recently, on the podcast hosted by Titans tackle Taylor Lewan and former Titans linebacker Will Compton, Ramsey said he wouldn’t mind playing for the Titans or Raiders.
In the summer, Ramsey also explained that he would not be willing to give the Jags any sort of a hometown discount.
“Next year, especially after I ball, they’re going to come to me ‘Hey, you know, we want to holler at you,” Ramsey said as he shook his head, on Instagram. “That number is going to be so ungodly.…They’re going to say, ‘Oh god, can’t we get a little discount, 20% off?‘ I’m going to tell them last year you could have gotten that discount. This year, I’m going to need all of that.”
Ramsey, a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, has played in and started 50 out of 50 career games. For his career, he has registered 202 tackles, nine interceptions, and 45 pass breakups.
Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger Done For Year
The Steelers’ worst fears have been confirmed. On Monday morning, head coach Mike Tomlin announced that Ben Roethlisberger‘s season is over. 
The quarterback was hoping to avoid surgery after suffering an elbow injury over the weekend, but doctors came back with bad news after looking at his scans. With that, Mason Rudolph now becomes the Steelers’ starting QB.
The Steelers traded Josh Dobbs to the Jaguars last week, leaving Rudolph as their only other signal caller on the roster. The club is now expected to promote Devlin Hodges from the practice squad to serve as Rudolph’s backup, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).
Before this, Roethlisberger hadn’t missed a game due to injury since Week 7 of the 2016 season. Obviously, this wasn’t a good time for his luck to run out – the Steelers are 0-2 after being blown out by the Patriots in the season opener and Sunday’s tough loss to the Seahawks.
Roethlisberger might not have the support of former teammate Antonio Brown, but he was sharp in 2018 with career-highs in completions (452), pass attempts (675), passing yards (5,129), and touchdowns (34). He also started in all 16 games, something he hadn’t done since the 2014 campaign. Though, in the interest of equal time, we should mention that he also led the NFL with 16 interceptions.
Advanced metrics lauded Roethlisberger’s work as well, as he finished fourth in Total QBR and eighth in adjusted net yards per attempt. Meanwhile, Roethlisberger ranked fifth in Football Outsiders‘ DYAR, which measures value over a replacement level player, and eighth in DVOA, meaning he was effective on a per-play basis.
Thanks to the three-year extension he inked in the offseason, Roethlisberger is under contract through the 2021 season.
Saints’ Drew Brees To Miss Six Weeks?
Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right thumb, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll need surgery to fix the issue, which will likely keep him out for six weeks. 
From here, the Saints will have to decide whether to place Brees on injured reserve, or keep him on the active roster. Placing Brees on IR would free up a place on the 53-man squad, but it would rule Brees out for a full eight weeks. Given Brees’ importance to the team, it seems likely that he won’t go on IR, but we should know for sure in the coming hours.
While Brees is out, backup Teddy Bridgewater figures to start for the Saints at quarterback. Of course, Taysom Hill also looms in the background.
Previous to this, Brees hadn’t missed a game since 2015. Even though Brees has beaten the odds, and Father Time, for many years, no one can escape the injury bug forever in football.
Bridgewater is the highest-paid backup in the NFL, and the team gave up draft capital to acquire him in the first place, so they clearly have confidence in the one-time Vikings star. The 26-year-old finished Sunday’s game having completed 17 of his 30 attempts for 165 yards and no touchdowns.
Saints, Sean Payton Agree To Extension
The Saints and head coach Sean Payton have agreed to a five-year extension, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Prior to the new deal, Payton was in Year Four of a five-year, $45MM deal. 
The financial terms of the new deal are not yet known, but it’s likely that Payton has received a bump over his previous $9MM/year salary. The 55-year-old coach will now be tied to the Saints past the age of 60, lining him up to retire in New Orleans.
In recent years, several teams have made overtures towards Payton, including the Cowboys, where Payton previously cut his teeth. As the Saints’ head coach, Payton has coached his way to a 119-74 overall record, including one Super Bowl ring.
This year, he’s aiming for more jewelry in his 13th season on the sidelines for the Saints.
Latest On Trent Williams
Disgruntled Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, who has been holding out in hopes of a trade, has already accumulated some hefty fines estimated to be “millions of dollars”, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Despite reports stating that Williams was not concerned about any potential fines, Williams finds himself in a challenging position, as he has a $150K workout de-escalator that kicked in that lowered his base salary from $11MM to $10.85MM. Adding to that, Williams failed to cash in on $653K of salary this past week by continuing his holdout.
The Redskins refused to comment, but league sources told Schefter that Washington will not forgive the fines and will not give Williams a new deal. As previously reported, Washington has no plans to trade Williams.
In Williams’ absence, the Redskins signed veteran Donald Penn to a one-year deal. Penn, who played well in his first start for Washington last week against Eagles, will serve as the starter for the foreseeable future until Williams returns.
Saints, Sean Payton Agree To Five-Year Extension
The Saints and head coach Sean Payton have agreed to a five-year extension, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Payton was already under contract through 2020, and it sounds as though his extension will replace the final year of his prior deal. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that Payton will now be under club control through 2024 (Twitter link).
Although salaries for coaches are generally not officially disclosed, Payton was already believed to be one of the highest-paid coaches in the game, with multiple sources suggesting he was pulling down an annual income of about $9MM. It could be that his new contract will also increase his compensation.
And for good reason. Payton has compiled a 119-74 regular season record since he was hired in 2006, and though he has had the distinct privilege of working with Drew Brees since that time, he has developed some elite offensive units during his tenure. He is the winningest HC in franchise history, and he coached the Saints to their only Lombardi Trophy in 2009. Like Brees, Payton came to New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, so Saints fans are especially fond of him.
After three straight 7-9 finishes from 2014-16, Payton has righted the ship with back-to-back division titles. Though Saints fans don’t need to be reminded, his club came within a missed PI call of advancing to Super Bowl LIII last season.
The Saints have captured five NFC South titles during Payton’s tenure and have qualified for the playoffs seven times. This extension should also quiet the Payton-to-Dallas rumors that have persisted for some time.
Dolphins Give Minkah Fitzpatrick Permission To Seek Trade
Minkah Fitzpatrick has received permission from the Dolphins to seek a trade, multiple sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com.
Fitzpatrick, who projected to be a cornerback/safety coming into the league, is unhappy with how the organization making him play multiple positions on defense. During training camp, Fitzpatrick’s mother tweeted that he was being used incorrectly and Fitzpatrick confirmed that he agreed with her assessment.
“She feels very strongly. She’s not wrong,” Fitzpatrick said. “Coach has asked me to do something right now. I got to do what they ask me to do. If we have to have some discussions in the future, we’ll have those discussions.
“I’m not 215 pounds, 220 pounds. So playing in the box isn’t best suited for me, but that’s what Coach is asking me to do.”
The Dolphins are not actively shopping Fitzpatrick, according to Mortensen. If a deal gets done, it’ll be on Fitzpatrick’s camp to find a suitor. Fitzpatrick’s agent, Joel Segal, has been in contact with several teams and Miami’s asking price appears to be high, as it involves a first-round pick.
Mortensen spoke with a personnel man from a rival team who said it would be surprising if the Dolphins netted a first-rounder for Fitzpatrick. The source was high on Fitzpatrick’s skills, though the pessimism had to do with the 22-year-old’s projected position. He told Mortensen that Fitzpatrick was an “ideal slot corner who can cover, blitz off the edge, [is] intelligent, a good tackler and a good special-teams player.” Another rival GM told Mortensen that Miami is being unrealistic about what their players will get in trades after coming away with two first-rounders in the Laremy Tunsil deal.
The former No. 11 overall pick is expected to play against the Patriots this week.
Hunter Henry Out Indefinitely With Knee Injury
Chargers TE Hunter Henry has suffered a tibia plateau fracture to his left knee, Eric Williams of ESPN relays (Twitter link). Henry suffered the injury during Sunday’s contest against the Colts.
The tight end will continue to be evaluated and the timeline for his return has not yet been set. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Chargers believe Henry will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks.
Los Angeles worked out Luke Wilson today, which makes sense given Henry’s ailment. Last season, Henry suffered an ACL injury and missed the entire season, which prompted the franchise to pry Antonio Gates out of retirement.