Marvin Lewis To Leave Bengals After 2017?
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is expected to leave the team after this season to “pursue opportunities elsewhere,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Following today’s loss to the Vikings, however, Lewis denied the report and stated he’s made no decisions about his future, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
Lewis is the second-longest-tenured head coach in the league, behind only Bill Belichick of the Patriots. He was a linebackers coach in the collegiate ranks and for the Steelers before becoming the defensive coordinator of the expansion Ravens in 1996. He rose to prominence as an architect of the record-setting 2000 Ravens defense that helped capture Super Bowl XXXV and then served as the defensive coordinator/assistant head coach for the Redskins in 2002. He was hired by Cincinnati in 2003, when the Bengals were a laughingstock, and he restored them to relevance. He has posted a 123-111-3 regular season record and has guided the Bengals to four division titles. Despite his successes, however, his head coaching resume is marred by his 0-7 career playoff record, which has hung over his head especially heavily in recent seasons.
Nonetheless, there is expected to be a plethora of head coaching jobs available this offseason (even more than usual), and Schefter reports that the 59-year-old Lewis would be on the short list for a number of those positions. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, though, tweets that Lewis plans to move to a front office role. Schefter does suggest that a front office or coaching adviser job is a possibility, but only if a head coaching job does not materialize.
As for the Bengals, Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Lewis’ decision came as a surprise to the team. And, as most, if not all, of the team’s assistant coaches are also on expiring contracts — some of whom are unhappy with the way they have been treated financially — Schefter suggests that Cincinnati is likely to undergo a major coaching overhaul.
Nonetheless, Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network suggest that the Bengals could opt to replace Lewis with an internal candidate like current DC Paul Guenther or special teams coach Darrin Simmons (Twitter links). But Michael Lombardi of The Ringer tweets that the Bengals’ head coaching job is highly desirable, so the team will not be hurting for quality candidates.
The Bengals do not have a comment on the situation at the moment.
Panthers Owner Under Investigation For Workplace Misconduct
SUNDAY, 10:06am: The NFL is taking over the Richardson investigation at the Panthers’ request, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer tweets, Carolina made the suggestion in an effort to remove any conflict of interest that may have existed with Bowles overseeing the investigation.
Under the prior investigation parameters, Richardson would participate in the team’s daily affairs as normal. However, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says now that the league has taken over the investigation, it is unclear whether that will remain the case (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 5:08pm: Panthers owner Jerry Richardson is under internal investigation for alleged workplace misconduct, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.com. Carolina has since released a statement on the matter.
“The Carolina Panthers and Mr. Richardson take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to a full investigation and taking appropriate steps to address and remediate any misconduct,” team spokesman Steven Drummond said. “The entire organization is fully committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable and diverse work environment where all individuals, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, gender, or sexual identity or orientation, are treated fairly and equally. We have work to do to achieve this goal, but we are going to meet it.”
The investigation, per the team’s statement, will be led by an outside law firm and Panthers limited partner/former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles. “Erskine Bowles is a trusted leader of unquestioned integrity. We look forward to this report, which we know will be honest and thorough,” Drummond said.
Richardson, 81, has been the Panthers’ owner since the franchise’s inception in 1995. He is the only former NFL player to own a club.
RB Reggie Bush Intends To Retire
It sounds like Reggie Bush‘s career has come to an end. The veteran running back told NFL Total Access that he is planning to retire. Bush had said back in September that he’d call it quits if he wasn’t signed to a deal during the 2017 season.
“I’m done,” Bush said (via Edward Lewis of NFL.com). “Yeah, I’m done. I said it. It’s not breaking news. I’ve been saying it. I said it all season long, I said, ‘Listen, if I don’t play this year, I’m going to retire.’ Because I’m not going to spend a whole year off, come back, 33 years old, trying to get back in the league. Listen, once you get to a certain age as a running back, they just start to slowly weed you out.”
There wasn’t much interest in the 32-year-old following a subpar 2016 campaign with the Bills, when he compiled negative yards and a touchdown on 12 carries (as well as another seven receptions for 90 yards). Of course, those struggles shouldn’t take away from Bush’s impressive 11-year career. While the 2006 second-overall pick and 2005 Heisman Trophy winner (the award was later forfeited) didn’t necessarily live up to the hype, he was still one of the most respected pass-catching backs in the league.
Bush compiled at least 30 receptions and 200 receiving yards during each of his first eight years in the league, including four seasons with at least 50 catches. The offensive weapon was also a dynamic returner, as he finished his career with four punt returns for touchdowns. The USC product spent time with the Saints, Dolphins, Lions, 49ers, and Bills, and he’s widely regarded as one of the top NCAA running backs of all time.
It’s worth noting that Bush didn’t officially announce his retirement, as the running back indicated that he’d still consider a gig from a playoff team (primarily New Orleans). However, he believes it’s unlikely any teams reach out.
“Listen, the Saints know I’m coming home at some point,” Bush said. “I’m going to come home to retire as a Saint. But yeah, man, I’m done. For sure. I’m done.”
Latest On Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson
This could be the beginning of the end for the Jets and Muhammad Wilkerson. Wilkerson will not make the trip with the team to New Orleans, coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Friday. Bowles added that it’s a coach’s decision. 
Wilkerson has failed to show up on time for several team functions this year, leading to serious friction between him and the coaching staff. Earlier this month, the Jets benched the defensive lineman for the first quarter of their game against the Chiefs. The Jets went on to win that game without one of their highest-paid players on the field at the outset.
The Jets gave Wilkerson a five-year, $86MM deal in the summer of 2016 and, so far, that’s looking like a huge mistake. Insubordination aside, Wilkerson’s production has been all around flat. The Temple product ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 51 ranked interior defender in the NFL while getting paid as though he is one of the league’s very best. The traditional numbers also indicate a slide. Wilkerson had 12 sacks in his contract year (2015), but he has recorded just eight sacks combined over the last two seasons.
The Jets can create $11MM in cap space by releasing Wilkerson this offseason, and that seems like a definite possibility at this point. Recently, a team source told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that Wilkerson will be “gone” this offseason.
Adrian Peterson To Return In 2018
Adrian Peterson‘s season is over, but his career is not. The veteran running back says that he’ll be back on the field in 2018. 
“The good news is my neck injury doesn’t require surgery, but I’m told by Dr. Robert Watkins that the best thing for me is just more rest than the length of the season. Obviously, I’m disappointed about going on IR when my body is still able to produce but I look forward to returning completely healthy for another season in 2018,” Peterson said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity that the Arizona Cardinals have given me to show that I can still contribute on an NFL team.”
Peterson averaged just 3.5 yards per carry for the Cardinals, but he did show flashes of his old self on a couple of occasions. In his Cards debut, Peterson ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns off of 26 carries. A couple of weeks later, he racked up 159 rushing yards against the Niners.
Peterson remains under contract for one more season, but the Cardinals could instead release him and save $3.5MM against the cap. With David Johnson returning, the Cardinals will have to ask themselves whether it’s worthwhile to pay Peterson that much to serve as a backup. Even if they like the idea of Peterson as an insurance policy, it’s not a given that the veteran will be willing to come off of the bench.
The future Hall of Famer turns 33 in March.
Cardinals Place RB Adrian Peterson On IR
The Cardinals have placed veteran running back Adrian Peterson on injured reserve, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Peterson is dealing with a neck injury, but won’t require surgery, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com.
Peterson hadn’t played since Week 12, and just yesterday Arizona head coach Bruce Arians indicated he “had no idea” if Peterson would play again this season. The Cardinals’ decision-makers evidently decided that running Peterson out for the final three games of the year wasn’t worth the risk, especially given that the 6-7 club has virtually no chance of earning a postseason berth in a stacked NFC.
Arizona acquired Peterson from the Saints in early October, shipping a conditional 2018 sixth-round pick in exchange for the 32-year-old back. The exact parameters of that trade have yet to be reported, so it’s unclear exactly what kind of return the Saints will get for Peterson. But clearing his salary off their books was likely incentive enough for the deal, and allowed New Orleans to move on from an unwise two-year contract.
Upon hitting the desert, Peterson was immediately more involved in the Cards’ offense that he’d ever been with the Saints, and posted 134 yards on the ground and two touchdowns in his Arizona debut. He’s been up-and-down since that point, however, and topped 80 yards just once more in his final five games of the 2017 campaign. In three of those contests, Peterson didn’t even manage two yards per carry.
Peterson is under contract in 2018 with a cost of $3.5MM attached, but it’s not readily apparent as to whether general manager Steve Keim & Co. have any intention of retaining Peterson. The Cardinals will see the return of dynamic third-year pro David Johnson in 2018, meaning Peterson would be relegated to backup duty. Arizona would clear Peterson’s entire cap charge by cutting ties.
Dolphins Want To Extend WR Jarvis Landry
The Dolphins have (at long last) decided they want to extend wide receiver Jarvis Landry, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Of course, that doesn’t mean a long-term deal is a foregone conclusion, but Miami is close to beginning negotiations with its slot receiver, per Salguero.
Landry, 25, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next spring, and the franchise tag hasn’t been thought to be on the table given that the $16MM price tag is a bit steep for a slot weapon. The Dolphins hadn’t made an extension offer to Landry as of August, and given that he was mentioned in multiple trade rumors, it was fair to wonder whether Miami had any interest in keeping Landry for the long haul.
Landry ultimately stayed put while the NFL’s trade deadline passed, and now the Dolphins are ready to talk contract. Notably, the club has reportedly been impressed with Landry’s professionalism this season, per Salguero. Landry hasn’t said a word about his lack of an extension even as other players on the Miami roster have been handed long-term deals, and the team’s decision-makers have noticed.
On the field, Landry has already matched his touchdown total from the 2015-16 seasons combined (eight), but he’s still not getting down the field with any regularity. In fact, his yards per reception is now at a career-low of 8.5, down from 12.1 a year ago. Football Outsiders ranks Landry just 60th among 74 qualifiers in DYAR, a metric that grades a receiver in relation to replacement level production.
Landry is thought to be receptive to a potential negotiation, but the Dolphins will likely have to make a few financial maneuvers before signing him. Miami is currently in the red, according to Over the Cap, and has only $15MM in space for the 2018 season.
RG3 Turned Down Cardinals, Ravens Offers
Apparently, Robert Griffin III turned down two separate NFL offers in 2017. In an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Griffin said that he rejected chances to join both the Cardinals and Ravens in the offseason. 
“In Arizona, the reason it wasn’t a good fit because they had already — Carson [Palmer] was there, I was willing to come in and learn behind an experienced veteran quarterback who’s done a lot of great things,” Griffin said (transcript via CBSSports.com). “They had the backup in [Drew] Stanton, they had also brought in Blaine Gabbert. Nobody lets four quarterbacks get practice time. That was the issue. It wasn’t the coach — [Bruce Arians] is a great coach, he’s a quarterback whisperer. And it’s a stable franchise.”
Griffin also explained why he passed on an opportunity to join the Ravens.
“Baltimore was just, they offered me a contract right before the first preseason game, to start against the Redskins,” RG3 said. “Selfishly I could have taken that, to go play against them, but I knew I wouldn’t have been ready with that offense, with those guys, to put my best foot forward.”
In each instance, Griffin said that he knew the risk – if he turned down the offer, he might not get another. Surprisingly, Griffin says that he hasn’t given up on the possibility that a playoff team could sign him this year. That seems pretty unlikely to us, however, particularly since the Eagles have shown no interest in signing a Carson Wentz replacement.
Giants Want Eli Manning Back In 2018
Giants owner John Mara says that he wants Eli Manning to remain with the Giants in 2018. However, he’s not guaranteeing his return either. 
[RELATED: Where Will Eli Manning Play In 2018?]
“Yes,” Mara said when asked if he wants Manning to stay with the club. “But that’s a discussion that we’ll have.”
Earlier this month, there was an uproar amongst Giants fans when Manning was asked to take a backseat to Geno Smith. Days later, Mara sacked coach Ben McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese while interim coach Steve Spagnuolo reinstated Manning as the starter. With that in mind, it’s hard to tell whether Mara’s endorsement of Manning is a move to appease Giants fans in the short term or if he is genuinely interested in keeping the veteran under his current contract.
Manning has two years to go on his expensive deal and he’ll turn 37 shortly after the New Year. As it stands, he’s set to earn $10.5MM in 2018 and $11.5MM in 2019. If Manning is unwilling to take a hair cut, then the Giants could cut him loose before his $5MM roster bonus comes due in March.
If the season ended today, the Giants would own the No. 2 pick in the draft. From there, the team’s next GM (whoever he may be) will find most, if not all, of the class’ top QBs available. UCLA’s Josh Rosen, Wyoming’s Josh Allen, and USC’s Sam Darnold are widely considered to be this year’s top prospects at the position.
Patriots Sign Kenny Britt
The Patriots have signed former Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt to a two-year deal, as first reported by Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The team confirmed the move in a press release on Wednesday.
Britt visited the Pats on Tuesday and it didn’t take long for the two sides to get down to brass tacks. Rapoport hears that New England was Britt’s preferred landing spot. 
The Patriots stood out as a strong contender to land Britt after he cleared waivers. After all, the Patriots have an affinity for ex-Rutgers players (likely fueled by their connection to former RU head coach Greg Schiano) and they have a clear need at receiver with multiple injuries in that unit.
Bill Belichick also has a track record for getting the most out of players with perceived attitude problems. Back in 2007, many in the football world figured that Randy Moss‘ best days were behind him after a rocky stint in Oakland. For the low price of a fourth-round pick, the Patriots wound up with one of the game’s most lethal offensive weapons. Britt does not have the talent of Moss in his prime, but he has demonstrated game-breaking ability in the past. Britt was an abject bust for the Browns, and an expensive one at that. Still, he’s just one year removed from a 1,000+ yard campaign with the Rams.
If he can quickly familiarize himself with the playbook, Britt could be in for a prominent role right off of the bat. Top targets Malcolm Mitchell and Julian Edelman have been parked on IR, leaving Britt an opportunity to crack the rotation. Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Danny Amendola, Phillip Dorsett, and Matt Slater currently stand as the team’s top five receivers.
The Patriots, who fell to 10-3 after being upset by Miami, are seeking to lock down a first-round bye in the final three games of the season. Meanwhile, Britt’s former team continues to look for its first win of the 2017 season.
In related moves, the Pats signed defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois and cut wide receiver Bernard Reedy. Meanwhile, offensive lineman Marcus Cannon has been placed on IR.