Matthew Stafford

QB Notes: Dak, Ravens, Lance, Dobbs, Lions

September 21st, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a report earlier this month indicated the Cowboys and Dak Prescott had not begun contract negotiations, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes conversations occurred “throughout the offseason.” The Cowboys restructured Prescott’s deal in March, creating 2023 cap space but setting up a showdown of sorts in 2024. Because of the redo, Prescott carries what would be a record-shattering $59.5MM cap hit for 2024, the final year of his contract. Prescott, 30, will almost definitely not play on that number; no one has ever played on a cap number north of $45MM.

Because the Cowboys tagged Dak in 2020 and procedurally tagged him in 2021, part of the long-running negotiations that finally produced a deal in March 2021, they do not have a 2025 tag at their disposal. The Cowboys want to gain contract clarity with Prescott, Howe notes (subscription required), with CeeDee Lamb extension-eligible and Micah Parsons eligible in January. But the eighth-year QB will hold tremendous leverage, particularly if he can complete a bounce-back season, once the sides get serious about an extension.

Here is more on the QB front:

The Cardinals have used Josh Dobbs as their starting quarterback through two games, doing so despite the veteran reserve not being acquired until late August. Although Dobbs had a history with ex-Browns QBs coach-turned-Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the Cards surprised the Browns with an “out of the blue” trade proposal for their then-backup. Cleveland, which had brought back Dobbs in March, decided the offer — a 2024 fifth-rounder for Dobbs and a 2024 seventh — was good enough to bump up rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson into the QB2 role behind Deshaun Watson.
Dobbs was not the only QB who relocated via trade in August, as the 49ers-Cowboys Trey Lance swap outflanked the above-referenced move for headlines. The Ravens were mentioned as a Lance suitor, but Eric DeCosta said the team was not interested. “If somebody calls you and asks if you’re interested in a player and you say ‘No’ does that mean you’re interested in that player?” DeCosta said, via Ravens staff writer Kyle Phoenix Barber. The Ravens did pursue Baker Mayfield in March, when Lamar Jackson was on the franchise tag, but Tyler Huntley remains Jackson’s backup.
Baltimore also rosters Josh Johnson…again. The journeyman (the term sells Johnson’s travels short) ventured to San Francisco last year following Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury, being poached off Denver’s practice squad to become Brock Purdy‘s backup. Shortly after landing in the Bay Area, Johnson said (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) the Ravens attempted to sign him. This sequence transpired in December, when Jackson’s knee injury left Huntley and Anthony Brown as the Ravens’ QBs. Johnson, 37, is on stint No. 3 with the Ravens presently; he was with the team in 2016 and 2021.
On the subject of the 2022 49ers, the team’s Lance hedge — via the Garoppolo contract reworking just before last season — came about because Garoppolo was still viewed as the better quarterback. The 49ers aimed for Lance — the unquestioned starter going into Week 1 — to pass the veteran after a season’s worth of growth, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Lance suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2, requiring two surgeries, and is back on the developmental track in Dallas. The Cowboys have the former No. 3 overall pick stationed as their third-stringer.
In 2021, the Lions were beginning another rebuild — one that soon involved a trade of Matthew Stafford. The 12-year Lions QB had requested a trade before the team made its GM hire, and The Athletic’s Colton Pouncey writes Detroit brass did not inform candidates of the request. The Lions had shot down Stafford trade talk in 2020, but after the veteran passer requested a move as the team reloaded around Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell in January 2021, the thinking changed. Holmes was unfazed by Stafford’s wish to be dealt, per Pouncey. After negotiating with several teams, the Lions collected two first-round picks, a third and current starter Jared Goff in that seminal swap with the Rams.

Jets Notes: Rodgers, Stafford, Hall, Cook

September 10th, 2023 at 10:16am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets debut of quarterback Aaron Rodgers is one of the most-anticipated aspects of the Week 1 slate. As we wait for the future Hall-of-Famer to take the field for the first Monday Night Football game of the season, here are a few Gang Green-related items:

Speaking of Rodgers, his voluntary $35MM pay cut has allowed the Jets to enter the 2023 season with over $20MM in cap space, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. GM Joe Douglas confirmed to reporters, including Cimini, that Rodgers agreed to the reduction in pay with the tacit understanding that the funds will be used to supplement the roster. “It’s almost like an unspoken thing,” Douglas said. “You know if you’re doing this, there’s a reason why he’s doing this. So it’s going to give us great flexibility moving forward.”
Before it became clear that Rodgers would continue his playing career, the Jets inquired on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. Los Angeles, however, insisted that it was not trading Stafford, so the conversations did not gain much traction. We recently heard that the Rams made a concerted effort to deal Stafford before they were required to pick up his 2023 option bonus and 2024 salary this offseason, but team brass subsquently said that while other clubs asked about the veteran passer, the Rams were not actively shopping him.
Both of the Jets’ top RBs, Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, will play against the Bills on Monday night, though the team will be “prudent with their usage” (Twitter link via Cimini). Hall, of course, saw his promising rookie campaign cut short by an ACL tear last October, and Cook was just acquired less than a month ago. As the season goes on, the club will rely heavily on both players to support its Rodgers-led passing attack.
Some of the money freed up by Rodgers’ aforementioned largesse could go towards more receiving talent for the QB; Bucs’ WR Mike Evans has been floated as a possible trade target, and the Jets recently worked out free agent receiver Kenny Golladay.

Sean McVay: Rams Had “Unanimous” Commitment To QB Matthew Stafford

July 27th, 2023 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

The Rams did little to defend their crown in 2022, and Matthew Stafford received plenty of blame for the team’s struggles. The veteran quarterback was only 3-6 in his nine starts, and his season ended in early December after he suffered a spinal cord contusion.

The Rams had a crucial decision to make on the QB this offseason, with the front office having to decide to pick up Stafford’s 2023 option bonus and 2024 salary by the third day of the league year. The Rams ultimately went through with the $60MM commitment, but only after they couldn’t find a taker for the veteran; former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi revealed earlier this month that the Rams tried trading Stafford before the 2023 league year.

The Rams are slightly shifting the narrative with Stafford firmly atop the depth chart for at least the 2023 campaign. As ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes, the Rams were “approached by other teams” about Stafford’s availability, but it was ultimately a “unanimous agreement” to keep the veteran under center for at least one more year.

“There was a consistent and unanimous dialogue and understanding,” coach Sean McVay said. “When that March deadline came in terms of him being due the bonus that he’s deserved and that he’s earned, we were all in unanimous agreement that we wanted him to be the quarterback.

“I know I can certainly speak for all of us and say we’re excited as hell about Matthew Stafford. It’s been great to see him feeling good, and I’m certainly really glad he’s our quarterback, and that’s where we’re at.”

Stafford inked a four-year, $160MM deal a bit more than a year ago, and the QB is attached to a $20MM cap hit this season before clocking in at a massive $49.5MM cap hit in 2024. The quarterback indicated that the Rams did approach him about restructuring his contract.

“I don’t know what the technical term of it is,” Stafford said (via Youngmisuk). “But we had conversations on that kind of stuff and I’ll leave it at that.”

It remains to be seen if Stafford will ultimately play for the Rams under that 2024 cap hit, but the team is solely focused on returning to competitive football in 2023. With wide receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald also back from injuries, the Rams are hoping to drastically improve on their 5-12 record from 2022. Much of their success next season will indeed by tied to Stafford and his health, and the quarterback acknowledged that he’s already feeling much better now than he did coming off the team’s Super Bowl win last year.

“I feel a lot better,” Stafford said. “Physically, I feel really healthy compared to where I was at this point last year, so that’s fun for me. I was able to get the work in that I want to get in coming into this. And that makes it a whole lot more fun for me and just excited to be out here.”

Rams COO: Team Was “Not Actively Trying To Trade” Matthew Stafford

July 18th, 2023 at 9:25pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier this month that the Rams tried to trade Matthew Stafford towards the beginning of the league year. After they failed to find a taker, the organization decided to pick up the QB’s 2023 option bonus and his 2024 salary, a decision that guaranteed just under $60MM of the player’s contract.

The team is now fully committed to Stafford for at least next season, and the organization is naturally doing some damage control when it comes to the trade rumors. For instance, Rams COO Kevin Demoff has made it clear that the organization continues to be committed to their quarterback. During an appearance on The Athletic’s “11 Personnel” podcast, Demoff was adamant that the Rams never considered trading their Super Bowl-winning signal caller.

“Those conversations frustrated me because I think it’s trying to inject narratives that aren’t there,” Demoff said (h/t to The Rams Wire). “I know there are reports that we tried to trade Matthew. We were not actively trying to trade Matthew. I know Les has rebuffed that before. It’s just not the case.

“I think if you wanted to be in the reality of the NFL, there are 10 teams this year, at least, that are going to have different quarterbacks. We were obviously aggressive in remaking our roster in March. It would be naive to think that people didn’t inquire about what was going to happen with the player who the year before won the Super Bowl. It’s different than whether people inquire, whether there are casual conversations.”

It’s easy for Demoff to say this now with the organization seemingly committed to Stafford, but it also wouldn’t be surprising if the executive is being sincere. After all, few teams would have had interest in Stafford for the same hypothetical reasons that the Rams would have been shopping him in the first place.

The veteran quarterback had a rough 2022 campaign that doesn’t necessarily justify his upcoming payments in 2023 and 2024 (including a whopping $49.5MM during that latter season). It’s unlikely that any team would have willingly made that kind of financial commitment to Stafford, no matter how bad they needed a QB.

Fortunately for the Rams, Stafford entered the team’s offseason program without any medical restrictions. So, from a health perspective, it appears that he will be better positioned for success in 2023 than he was in 2022.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Offense

July 11th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s salary cap once again ballooned by more than $10MM, rising from its $208.2MM perch to $224.8MM. Factoring in the pandemic-induced 2021 regression, the NFL’s salary risen has climbed by more than $42MM since 2021.

This has allowed teams more opportunities for roster additions and opened the door for more lucrative player deals — at most positions, at least. However, it does not look like this season will include a $40MM player cap number. The Browns avoided a record-shattering Deshaun Watson $54.9MM hit by restructuring the quarterback’s fully guaranteed contract, calling for monster figures from 2024-26.

Here are the largest cap hits for teams on the offensive side going into training camp:

Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $39.69MM
Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): $36.6MM
Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $30.98MM
Jake Matthews, T (Falcons): $28.36MM
Trent Williams, T (49ers): $27.18MM
Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $26.83MM
Laremy Tunsil, T (Texans): $26.61MM
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (49ers): $23.8MM
Amari Cooper, WR (Browns): $23.78MM
Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $23.69MM
Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens): $23.67MM
Joe Thuney, G (Chiefs): $22.12MM
Russell Wilson, QB (Broncos): $22MM
Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $22MM
Daniel Jones, QB (Giants): $21.75MM
David Bakhtiari, T (Packers): $21.29MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Vikings): $20.25MM
D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $20.17MM
Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $20MM
Brian O’Neill, T (Vikings): $19.66MM
Taylor Decker, T (Lions): $19.35MM
Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $19.1MM
Braden Smith, T (Colts): $19MM
Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $18.64MM
Courtland Sutton, WR (Broncos): $18.27MM

As should be expected, quarterbacks dominate this list. Mahomes’ number checks in here despite the Chiefs restructuring his 10-year, $450MM contract in March; the two-time MVP’s cap hit would have set an NFL record had Kansas City not reduced it. The Chiefs did not restructure Mahomes’ deal last year, but if they do not address it — perhaps via a complex reworking — before next season, Mahomes’ $46.93MM number would break an NFL record.

The Titans have not touched Tannehill’s contract this offseason, one that included some trade rumors months ago. This is the final year of Tannehill’s Tennessee extension. Mahomes and Tannehill sat atop this ranking in 2022.

Cousins is also heading into a contract year, after the Vikings opted for a restructure and not an extension this offseason. Cousins does not expect to discuss another Minnesota deal until 2024, when he is due for free agency. Two relatively low cap numbers have started Wilson’s $49MM-per-year extension. The Denver QB’s cap number rises to $35.4MM in 2024 and reaches historic heights ($55.4MM) by ’25. The subject of a Goff extension has come up, and it would bring down the Lions passer’s figure. But Goff remains tied to his Rams-constructed $33.5MM-per-year deal through 2024.

Jackson and Jones’ numbers will rise in the near future, with the latter’s contract calling for a quick spike in 2024. Next year, the Giants QB’s cap hit will be $45MM. Watson’s 2024 hit, as of now, would top that. The Browns signal-caller is on the team’s ’24 payroll at $63.98MM. Long-term consequences aside, the Browns can be expected to once again go to the restructure well with Watson’s outlier contract.

The Raiders did not backload Garoppolo’s three-year contract; it only climbs to $24.25MM on Las Vegas’ 2024 cap sheet. The Bills did backload Allen’s pact. Its team-friendly years are done after 2023; the six-year accord spikes to $47.1MM on Buffalo’s cap next year. The Cowboys have gone to the restructure well with Prescott. Like Watson, the Cowboys quarterback is tied to a seemingly untenable 2024 cap number. The March restructure resulted in Prescott’s 2024 number rising to $59.46MM. Two seasons remain on that $40MM-AAV extension.

Another notable cap hold that should be mentioned is Tom Brady‘s. When the Buccaneers did not sign the again-retired QB to another contract before the 2023 league year, his $35.1MM dead-money figure went onto Tampa Bay’s 2023 cap sheet. The Bucs will absorb that entire amount this year. Brady’s 2022 restructure, after retirement No. 1, led to the $35.1MM figure forming.

Were it not for another O-line-record extension, the Tunsil number would have come in at $35MM this year. Matthews signed an extension last year. Moore would have come in higher on this list were he still on the Panthers, who took on $14.6MM in dead money to move their top wideout for the No. 1 overall pick. Sutton came up regularly in trade rumors, with the Broncos wanting a second-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. The former second-rounder’s high base salary ($14MM) hinders his trade value.

Rams Tried To Trade QB Matthew Stafford Before 2023 League Year

July 9th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Parks

On the third day of the current league year, the Rams picked up Matthew Stafford‘s 2023 option bonus and his 2024 salary, a decision that guaranteed just under $60MM of the veteran quarterback’s contract. Prior to that happening, however, Los Angeles made a concerted effort to trade Stafford, as former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi said on a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter link).

Shortly before the league year opened, Rams GM Les Snead indicated that his club was committed to retaining Stafford. By that point, Snead might have already realized that he was not going to be able to find a trade partner and therefore decided that a public display of faith in the 35-year-old passer was appropriate. Alternatively, he may have been trying to drum up some eleventh-hour trade interest.

In any case, it is not surprising that there were no takers. After all, an acquiring team would have had to make the same financial commitment to Stafford that the Rams made just a few days after Snead’s comments, and Stafford’s 2022 campaign certainly did not warrant such an expenditure, to say nothing of the draft capital — however minimal — that Snead may have been seeking in a trade.

Los Angeles, of course, entered last season as the reigning Super Bowl champions, and while Stafford led the league in interceptions in the 2022 regular season, he also threw 41 touchdown passes and more than justified the trade that brought the longtime Lion to southern California. But the Rams’ title defense was nothing short of a disaster, and Stafford struggled through an injury-plagued year in which he played only nine games and threw 10 TDs against eight interceptions.

After years of aggressive moves to acquire and maintain high-profile talent, Snead & Co. went in a different direction this offseason, jettisoning the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Allen Robinson, and Bobby Wagner without making any needle-moving free agent additions (with all due apologies to Demarcus Robinson and Brett Rypien). So it stands to reason that, while Snead has preferred to use the term “remodel” rather than “rebuild” to describe the Rams’ current competitive status, he would have explored ways to get Stafford’s expensive, thru-2026 contract off the books.

Since those efforts were unsuccessful, Stafford — who, along with Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp, was named a “weight-bearing wall” in Snead’s multi-faceted remodel analogy — will seek to recapture his 2021 form and prove that he can be the quarterback to lead the Rams back to contention.

He did, at least, enter the Rams’ offseason program without any medical restrictions, so from a health perspective, it appears that he will be better-positioned for success in 2023 than he was in 2022. With his 2024 cap number checking in at a whopping $49.5MM, the upcoming season will certainly go a long way towards determining Stafford’s long-term future in LA.

The team selected two-time collegiate national champion Stetson Bennett in the fourth round of this year’s draft, though Bennett is not presently viewed as a franchise quarterback. However, he could not have asked for a better landing spot than the Rams, considering the presence of Stafford (a fellow Georgia alum) and head coach Sean McVay. Bennett and Rypien will compete for the backup job behind Stafford in training camp.

Matthew Stafford Fully Cleared For Rams’ Offseason Program

April 8th, 2023 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have made some significant changes this offseason, a period that has seen a perennially all-in team scale down its operation and proceed conservatively. But the Rams still feature many Super Bowl LVI starters on their roster. Obviously, none will be more important to the team’s 2023 cause than Matthew Stafford.

Stafford’s 2022 proved concerning through a long-term lens. The 14-year veteran did not throw during the Rams’ offseason program due to a nagging elbow injury, and he landed in the team’s concussion protocol twice during an abbreviated season. A spinal cord contusion ended up shutting Stafford down early. Stafford squashed retirement rumors — on his wife’s podcast — late during a season in which the Rams also sent organizational pillars Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp to IR. Donald and Kupp remain, but the team moved on from standouts Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner this offseason.

While injuries have started to pile up for Stafford, the former Lions centerpiece has managed to play through most of them over the course of his career. And the Rams’ 2021 trade that sent Jared Goff to Detroit did produce a Super Bowl title. Between the regular season and playoffs that year, Stafford threw for 6,074 yards and added 50 touchdown passes.

Sean McVay is now confident his starter will be ready to pick up where that season left off, following the injury-restricted 2022. While the team will likely proceed carefully with its starter, McVay said Stafford will have no limitations going into Los Angeles’ offseason program.

“I think he’d be better equipped to answer this, but I think it’s been a long time since he’s been healthy through an offseason, where he’s been able to throw,” McVay said, via Rams.com’s Stu Jackson. “I was just with him the other morning where he was in there early [at the facility] working, being able to do the things that are in alignment with preparing for the season.

“I think last year, there was such a unique combination and collaboration of things that prevented him from being able to play the way that he’s capable of, whether it was the things that he dealt with, some of the surrounding parts, missing a lot of time leading up into the season with some of the injuries and just different things that he was working through.”

Stafford missed eight games last season. He also missed eight during the 2019 campaign, with a back injury sidelining him. In the other seasons from 2011-21, however, the Super Bowl-winning QB did not miss a game. The Rams will bank on their veteran passer’s durability next season. They will have to, at this point, considering the contract they authorized last year.

As part of the four-year, $160MM deal the Rams gave Stafford — during an offseason in which L.A. also extended Kupp and gave Donald a record-setting raise — $57MM of the QB’s contract became guaranteed recently. Stafford’s $26MM option bonus and his $31MM 2024 base salary are now locked in. The Rams have their quarterback on a manageable $20MM cap number this season but may need to go to the restructure well for 2024, when the cap hit spikes to $49.5MM.

Rams Committed To Retaining Matthew Stafford

March 11th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

After a disastrous title defense in 2022, the Rams are taking a far different approach to this offseason than they have in years past. That has already led to a number of high-profile departures, but a complete tear-down will not be taking place.

During a press conference leading up free agency, general manager Les Snead confirmed that quarterback Matthew Stafford is one of a number of veterans who remain firmly in the team’s plans for 2023 and beyond. “I think we’ll definitely rely on Matthew, he’s definitely one of our pillars,” he said, via The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue (subscription required). “He’s definitely someone we’re going to rely on, [who] we’re gonna have to rely on as we do remodel this.”

Snead, as noted above, declined to use the term ‘rebuild’ to describe the Rams’ situation, one which comes after years of aggressive moves aimed at adding not only Stafford but several other veterans who helped them win Super Bowl LVI. Now, they are destined to move in a different direction as the clearing of expensive contracts has already begun, resulting in the release of edge rusher Leonard Floyd and, once the new league year begins, linebacker Bobby Wagner.

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is also expected to be on the move, and multiple teams have called to gauge the 28-year-old’s market. On the offensive side of the ball, 2022 free agent addition Allen Robinson has been given permission to seek a trade, meaning the wideout’s tenure with the Rams could be cut far shorter than many would have expected one year ago. Not all notable names will be dealt away in the near future, however.

In addition to Stafford, Snead named receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald as “weight-bearing walls” who will be counted on during this transitional phase for the franchise. All three players were signed to new, lucrative deals last offseason, meaning Los Angeles would incur major dead cap charges in the next few years if they were to trade or release them. Snead acknowledged, though, that he has fielded trade calls on nine different players ahead of an offseason in which more significant roster turnover can be expected.

“We’re trying to assess situations, figure out how to get under the cap [and] what’s the best way to do that,” he added, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “We’ve had calls on a lot of our players. Probably other places trying to figure out what are we doing big picture and things like that. It’s been a busy off season discussing players.”

The Rams are currently $9.1MM over the cap, and like all other teams must get under the cap ceiling by Wednesday. Part of the process of putting themselves in a better financial situation could indicate a multi-year rebuild seeing Stafford, Donald and Kupp departing, but such an approach is unlikely at this point.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Lombardi, Bucs

February 24th, 2023 at 2:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drawing a few negative headlines during his five-year run as Panthers owner, David Tepper has seen his team continue a years-long search for a quality quarterback. Carolina will be at it again this offseason. Although Tepper’s multi-offseason push for Deshaun Watson stalled near the end zone, the Panthers came close to acquiring Matthew Stafford in 2021. After negotiations with Lions GM Brad Holmes, team brass left the Senior Bowl convinced it would land the longtime Detroit QB. The Rams subsequently swooped in, and Joe Person of The Athletic notes Tepper mandated his staff slow down on Stafford due to wanting more information on his injury history (subscription required).

At that point, Stafford had only missed games in one of the previous 10 seasons. Though, the rocket-armed QB had played through a host of injuries during his 12-year Lions run. This delay, however, helped allow the Rams time to formulate a trade package that ended up sending the talented QB to Los Angeles and Jared Goff to Detroit. This could have been a moot point, with Stafford indicating he did not want to play for the Panthers, but Carolina did offer its first-round pick (No. 8 overall) and more for a passer without a no-trade clause. The Panthers sent three picks for Sam Darnold soon after. Darnold is a few weeks from free agency.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

Frank Reich has praised Tepper for his willingness to spend for assistant coach talent. This included what looks to have become a defensive coordinator bidding war. Shortly after the Broncos let Ejiro Evero out of his contract, the hot HC candidate drew interest from the Panthers and Vikings. Carolina outbid Minnesota to land the defensive coordinator, Person adds. The Panthers have also added ex-HCs Jim Caldwell and Dom Capers, along with Josh McCown, to Reich’s staff.
Broncos ownership could also outmuscle teams for assistants. It is not known what kind of interest Joe Lombardi drew, but the new Denver assistant also drew interest from the Saints, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets. The two-year Chargers OC spent 12 years under Payton in New Orleans. The Saints are keeping Broncos OC candidate Ronald Curry on staff as QBs coach, but they were unable to lure Lombardi back to town. Lombardi is set for a coordinator-type role in Denver.
The Buccaneers will fill their quarterbacks coach post by promoting former NFL passer Thad Lewis, in news reported by Seahawks QB Geno Smith (Twitter link). Lewis and Smith played against each other as Miami high schoolers and have remained close; the free agent-to-be clarified (via Twitter) this was the reason — not a sudden interest in joining the Bucs — for his excitement. The Bucs employed Lewis as their assistant wide receivers coach over the past two years, with the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud adding Bruce Arians had visions of Lewis as a future offensive coordinator (Twitter link). Smith and the Seahawks have begun negotiations.
Tampa Bay hired Dave Canales as OC, from Seattle’s staff, to help fix its league-worst rushing attack. Leonard Fournette did not make the same impact he had in 2021. While the Bucs signed Fournette to a three-year, $21MM deal in March 2022, the running back has changed agents (Twitter link). The seventh-year running back is now with GSE Worldwide.
North Carolina’s tight ends coach, John Lilly will be making an NFL move in the same state. The Panthers will keep Lilly in North Carolina, bringing him in to coach their tight ends, Person tweets. Lilly, who worked on the 2019 Browns’ staff, overlapped at Georgia with new Panthers OC Thomas Brown in 2015. He has 30-plus years’ experience at the college and pro levels.
Former Colts staffer Brian Decker will follow Frank Reich to Carolina. The Panthers announced Decker is now the team’s vice president of development, a role Darin Gantt of Panthers.com notes will involve evaluating and developing players and coaches. A 22-year military veteran, Decker joined the Colts in 2017 and was in on the interviews that produced Reich’s hire.

Rams Expected To Pick Up Matthew Stafford’s Options

January 14th, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Ben Levine

Matthew Stafford already made it clear that he’d be returning for the 2023 season, and the Rams are prepared to make it official. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Rams are expected to pick up Stafford’s 2023 option bonus and 2024 salary by the third day of the league year.

The two-year commitment will cost the organization more than $50MM. Stafford’s $1.5MM 2023 base salary and prorated $12MM signing bonus were already fully guaranteed at signing. With this latest move, the Rams are locking themselves into a 2023 option bonus worth $26MM and a 2024 guaranteed salary of $31MM.

This always seemed like the expected route, but considering the uncertainty in Los Angeles surrounding Sean McVay‘s future, it was fair to wonder if the Rams could look towards a complete rebuild. In such a scenario, the Rams could have designated Stafford as a post-June 1 cap casualty, a move that still would have let them with $13.5MM dead cap in 2023 and a whopping $36MM in 2024.

Stafford was sidelined for much of the summer with an elbow issue. After struggling during the regular season and dealing with a pair of concussions, he ultimately landed on injured reserve in early December with a spinal cord contusion. The 34-year-old was limited to only nine games, with his 10 touchdowns being his lowest mark since a three-game appearance with Detroit in 2010.

Despite the growing list of ailments, Stafford rejected the retirement rumors last month. He doubled down during his end-of-season press conference, telling reporters that he never considered hanging up his cleats and is feeling “really comfortable and confident in moving forward” (per ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).

Load More Posts