MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Cam Newton vs. Mac Jones: New England Patriots set for true quarterback competition in training camp

Quarterback competitions in New England are usually reserved for backup jobs and practice squad spots.

Even last year, at the outset of the post-Tom Brady era, the QB race quickly fizzled, with Jarrett Stidham physically unable to stand up to the challenge of Cam Newton.

But after an uneven campaign with Newton under center, a legit competition is on tap for the summer of '21, especially after what we witnessed this spring, with rookie Mac Jones looking every bit the part of the first-round draft pick he is.

The 22-year old out of Alabama was fast-tracked during the course of OTAs and mandatory minicamp, on a number of occasions getting more reps than the incumbent Newton and, up until the final day of minicamp, looking better than Cam. Are there still mistakes? Obviously. Jones has only been here for a hot minute. Yet there is an efficiency to his game and an accuracy -- especially in the short to intermediate areas -- that Newton just lacked this past season.

It's not just the physical that stands out. The Pats have thrown everything at Jones, and his grasp of a playbook that's over 20 years in the making has been impressive. As one offensive teammate told me, "Mac sees the game the way (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) sees it."

There are those inside the building who would tell that player to slow his roll, that it is way too early to know if Jones is fully ready for what lies ahead. But the belief is that once Jones is able to slow the game down consistently, he has the other necessary attributes to go from quarterback of the future to quarterback of the present. But just how soon can that happen?

"Mac, he's a young guy, but you can't really just refer to him as a young guy," right tackle Trent Brown said at the end of minicamp. "You can tell he's been at a place where (he got) some coaching. I think he's going to be special here in the future."

"Good energy. Awesome guy. Can feel his leadership already," said new Pats wide receiver Kendrick Bourne during OTAs. "He has a swag to him that I didn't know he had at first."

Even the man Jones is going toe-to-toe with agrees that the rookie has been up to the task.

"He's doing a great job with being everything as advertised," said Newton in the middle of June.

Newton will not surrender a job he believes is his. After showing some of the same issues that reared their head a season ago -- inaccurate, slow to pull the trigger -- the veteran rebounded on the final day of minicamp with what was singularly the best practice we in the media have been able to see over the last year. He was making it look easy, and doing it with supreme confidence. It was that confidence that won teammates and Bill Belichick over almost immediately last summer, times 10. There was a crispness to Newton's play that only existed in flashes but was never sustained.

Can he carry that play into August and beyond? With the future franchise quarterback pushing like crazy to make it happen in the present, Newton had better, or his belief that there aren't 32 signal-callers better than him will be put to the test.

NFL.com

 

Chargers offense to “run through” Justin Herbert



The Chargers have one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. They know it, and they plan to take full advantage of it.

Coach Brandon Staley recently told Robert Mays of the Athletic Football Show (via Hayley Elwood of Chargers.com) that the offense will revolve around the team’s second-year quarterback.

“I wanted our offense to run through Justin Herbert,” Staley said. “I wanted him to make it work and I think that’s what’s been fun to sort of get started.”

In other words, the Chargers won’t have a system. Herbert will be the system.

“I think that ultimately, those are the most dangerous quarterbacks you defend, where the quarterback becomes the system,” Staley said. “Studying the great players that have played that position and guys I’ve looked up to from a coaching standpoint like Jimmy Johnson, Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Mike Tomlin, Jim Harbaugh. Bill Parcells is a guy that since I was a little kid I’ve always admired, their quarterbacks have all played really, really well.”

Thus, while the potential success of the Chargers under Staley, a former defensive coordinator, could result in offensive coordinators getting head-coaching jobs elsewhere, the offense will remain the same because the offense is Herbert.

“[T]hey’ve had continuity with their head coach and they’ve had continuity with their systems,” Staley said regarding great quarterbacks. “I think that that’s something a defensive coach can provide, and hopefully I can provide it to our team. Not just to Justin Herbert, but to our team, [provide] that other side, that extra education that hopefully can sort of complete their thinking and help us be the team we’re capable of being.”

Based on Herbert’s performance as a rookie, the Chargers are capable of plenty. Even in a division that includes Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, the Chargers could compete to become the best team. Before that, they may end up being the best team in Los Angeles.

PFT

 

I like what they are doing with the Chargers. Herbert right off the git-go seems to have the 'it' factor... very talented. Building around him and letting him do his thing should make for a comfortable QB. If it fails, Herbert wont be to blame, Staley will be in New York or somewhere far away.

 

Trevor Lawrence signs rookie contract



The No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft has put pen to paper.

According to multiple reports, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has signed his four-year rookie contract. Jacksonville will have to make a decision on the quarterback’s fifth-year option in the spring of 2024.

Lawrence’s slotted deal is worth $36.8 million with $24.1 million guaranteed.

The quarterback is the second of five first-round signal-callers to agree to his first pro deal. Chicago’s Justin Fields, the draft’s No. 11 overall pick, signed last month. New York’s Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall), San Francisco’s Trey Lance (No. 3), and New England’s Mac Jones (No. 15) have yet to sign.

Lawrence is expected to be the Jaguars’ starter in Week One. Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said recently that the QB has progressed “very well” since Jacksonville selected him in April.

PFT

 

Kyle Shanahan was upset when Rams landed Matthew Stafford



San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan admits he wasn’t happy about it when the Rams reached a deal to acquire Matthew Stafford this offseason, both because it made a division rival better and because the 49ers thought they could make a move to land Stafford.

Appearing with Rams coach Sean McVay and Peter Schrager on the Flying Coach podcast, Shanahan said he was upset when he found out the Rams landed Stafford.

“That was frustrating,” Shanahan said. “Everyone was telling me it was a possibility, and Stafford is the man. I studied him hard coming out of college, and we played against him so we know how good he is.”

It was already known that the 49ers were one of several teams that showed interest in trading for Stafford, but Shanahan hadn’t previously made clear how much he wanted Stafford, and how disappointed he was when the Rams made a deal with the Lions first. Shanahan said the 49ers had been in touch with Stafford’s agent, Tom Condon, but didn’t realize that the Rams were so close to getting a deal done. Shanahan said that on the night the Rams and Lions agreed to their deal, someone in the know called him and told him, “If you want Stafford you need to get a hold of him right now,” and then only minutes later the news broke that the deal was done.

McVay said he was as surprised as Shanahan was at how quickly the Rams and Lions were able to make the agreement, which sent Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick.

“If it makes you feel any better, it came together faster than I thought, too, Kyle,” McVay told Shanahan.

Shanahan and the 49ers eventually made a big move for a quarterback and traded up in the draft to take Trey Lance, but if Stafford leads the Rams to a couple of wins over the 49ers this year, Shanahan may view Stafford as the one who got away.

PFT

 

Mickey Loomis: We’re definitely high on Taysom Hill



Barring some unforeseen trade on the horizon, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints in 2021 will likely be either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.

While Winston has thrown for 5,000 yards in a single season before during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is a former No. 1 overall draft pick, the Saints remain infatuated with Hill abilities.

Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis described why the team remains so intrigued by Hill’s talent on SiriusXM’s The Adam Schein Podcast

“Well look, he’s a tremendous athlete, number one,” Loomis said. “He’s got a tremendous arm. He’s got tremendous speed, strength. Smart football player. Look, for what he’s done for us, to date, he has just been a great football player. I think he can be, you know, a really top-flight tight end. He can be a top-flight H-back in our league. And so first of all he’s a really great football player, but he’s got mobility. We’ve all seen him run the ball. Catch the ball. He can throw it. He’s got a lot of God-given talent. And he’s a smart football player as well, and he’s got good leadership skills. So, we’re going to see how all this shakes out, but we’re definitely high on Taysom.”

The Saints have been so committed to Hill that they have taken a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees out of the lineup in favor of Hill in certain packages and situations. With Brees now retired, the Saints will give Hill the opportunity to show he’s more than just a bit piece in their offense and will give him the chance to win the starting job. If he doesn’t, they know he’s got the ability to fill other needs in their lineup.

PFT

 

Aaron Rodgers will “figure things out in a couple weeks”



Earlier this week, on a different golf course, Aaron Rodgers answered “we’ll see” when asked about his future. Apparently, “we’ll see” will come in a “couple weeks.”

During the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Tahoe on Saturday, Rodgers was asked about his future.

“I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this week,” Rodgers said, “and then I’m going to get back to working out, and figure things out in a couple weeks.”

Rodgers and the Packers remain in a kerfuffle that prompted the league MVP to skip the offseason program, including the mandatory minicamp last month.

No one, other than Rodgers, seems to know what the quarterback will do when training camp opens later this month. Will he show up?

The Packers kickoff the season Sept. 12.

PFT

 

Brian Burns: Sam Darnold is going to be a great leader for the offense



The Panthers’ quest to find a franchise quarterback led them to acquire Sam Darnold in the spring.

The No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold didn’t have much success with the Jets. But he’s drawn some positive reviews from teammates for his performance during the offseason program with Carolina.

During a Wednesday appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, defensive end Brian Burns said he was happy when he heard the Panthers had picked up the young QB.

“When I met him, he’s a cool dude, down to earth, nice guy,” Burns said. “Watching him through OTAs, I can tell he has that dog mentality. It takes a little bit — he’s got to get comfortable with the team. He just got there. I can already tell he’s going to be a great addition to the group and a great leader for the offense.”

The Panthers picked up Darnold’s fifth-year option, so his $18.858 million salary is on the books for the 2022 season. But if Darnold doesn’t display enough potential to be the team’s long-term solution at QB, Carolina is likely to be back in the market next offseason.

PFT

 

What to make of Taylor Heinicke's strong minicamp for WFT

Before getting to all the caveats, let's first come right out and establish this: Taylor Heinicke had himself a damn good minicamp for the Washington Football Team. B

In fact, he looked better than Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Now, the caveats.

Heinicke's been in Scott Turner's offense for the majority of his career, while Fitzpatrick just recently got his hands on the playbook. Even though Fitzpatrick is far, far more experienced than Heinicke — the 38-year-old veteran has appeared in 157 more NFL contests than the 28-year-old pro — the latter is more familiar at this point with Turner's scheme.

That matters.

Heinicke also notched all of his completions against a defense that was mostly made up of Washington's backups (with a few starters sprinkled in for certain sequences here and there). Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, was tasked with beating Jack Del Rio's top players, and those dudes are stingy.

That also matters.

Then there are the other factors that need to be mentioned, such as no one was wearing pads, no one could lay a hand on the quarterbacks and the trio of practices occurred in early June. Not August. June.

All of that matters.

But, again, Heinicke was impressive throughout the three days of action, registering major highlights such as a long touchdown strike to rookie Dyami Brown and handling smaller, yet still critical, tasks like executing pre-snap adjustments and not going overboard when things got messy in the pocket.

That, even with the above stipulations, matters, too.

So, the question then becomes: How much does his performance matter when looking ahead to Week 1?

After the Burgundy and Gold finished up their third and final piece of minicamp, Ron Rivera reiterated his intention to have his signal callers battle later this summer at training camp.

"It's going to be a good competition," Rivera said. "I look forward to it, I think it's going to push our football team and make our football team better. I just feel that going into this knowing we have a proven guy there that has the ability to lead us, but again, we have a guy in Taylor that shows us he can do it."


Last week, though, there was no shuffling under center or in shotgun; Fitzpatrick didn't cede any first-string reps to Heinicke, as the staff allowed their $10 million signing to ingratiate himself with the likes of Terry McLaurin, Brandon Scherff, Antonio Gibson and others.

Even as Fitzpatrick encountered a couple of issues — he tossed a dreadful interception during a segment of 9-on-9 drills in Tuesday's session and was also picked twice in a span of four attempts in red zone work on Thursday — he remained in charge of the starters.

Of course, that wasn't shocking. Rivera understands Fitzpatrick needs as much time as possible to develop rapport with his targets and also knows the chaos that would've ensued had he subbed No. 4 in for No. 14.

Yet if the turnovers keep plaguing Fitzpatrick when the team returns to the field in Richmond in late July and into August, then Rivera will be forced to reveal just how much of a competition he's willing to hold.

Overall, when assessing Fitzpatrick and Heinicke's odds of being in the huddle when Washington welcomes the Chargers in the 2021 opener, the former figures to still have a sizable edge.

Among other things, Fitzpatrick has more of a track record — including recent numbers that are supremely encouraging — more wisdom and, yes, more salary than Heinicke does. As for the minicamp mistakes, Fitzpatrick said himself that he's fine with forcing the ball into tight spots in the offseason, because those mistakes lead to learning opportunities instead of the opponent setting up shop deep in Washington territory.

That doesn't mean Heinicke's efforts will be totally forgotten, however.

NBC Sports Washington

 

NFL declines comment on Buccaneers’ failure to disclose Tom Brady’s knee injury



It already had become clear that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had failed to disclose Tom Brady‘s knee injury throughout the 2020 season. Previously, the NFL had declined comment on this obvious violation of the rules.

Now that the NFL, through its in-house media conglomerate, has reported that Brady had a fully-torn MCL in his left knee, the violation becomes even more glaring. The league persists in its refusal to address the matter, however.

“We will decline comment,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT via email on Thursday.

And so the team’s lack of transparency becomes compounded by the league’s lack of transparency. While that strategy may work in the short term, these issues could eventually create major problems for the league, as more states legalize wagering on sports and as more legislators and/or prosecutors realize that cheating now has consequences that extend far beyond the NFL’s 32 teams, affecting the integrity of the bets made on games.

The situation also underscores the existence and value of inside information. Eventually and inevitably, a scandal will emerge regarding someone on or connected to an NFL team funneling facts hidden from the public to gambling interests. At some point, the league will have a huge mess on its hands.

And so the league has two choices. It can be proactive about this issues and avoid the creation of the mess in the first place, or it can wait for the mess to unfold, feign ignorance as to the possibility of said mess, and wait for the government to clean it up through new laws or regulations or grand-jury investigations.

PFT

 

MVP Aaron Rodgers close to returning to Packers?



The Green Bay Packers still don't know if disgruntled quarterback and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers will report for training camp July 27, but there appears to be a growing feeling he will eventually return to the team amid rumors he doesn't want to play another down for the organization.

Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, former teammate A.J. Hawk called his shot on "The Pat McAfee Show" and said A-Rod won't be going anywhere before at least the end of the upcoming season.

"What have I said from the start? I said, 'I don’t see him playing anywhere else,'" Hawk explained. "I don’t see Green Bay trading him. I don’t see that happening. I don’t know how it has to work, but yeah, I feel like he’s going to be in Green Bay."


This isn't the first time somebody with alleged inside information made such a prediction. It was back in the first half of June when former Packers wide receiver James Jones told Colin Cowherd:


"I truly believe that he will be there for training camp, this will get fixed, and I think the relationship will get much better between him and (general manager Brian Gutekunst)."

Jones added he talks to Rodgers "all the time."

There's more. According to Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari, ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported on a Thursday edition of "SportsCenter" there is a "slightly growing sense" among some NFL personalities that this story only ends with Rodgers eventually taking snaps for the Packers.

Rodgers is still signed through 2023, turns 38 years old in December, and is running out of options considering the majority of even moderate contenders have QB1s or won't blow things up during the preseason with so little time to prepare for September. Unless Rodgers is legitimately willing to sit the 2021 season out, multiple signs are pointing to him leading the Green Bay offense again this fall.

YardBarker

 

Cowboys' Dak Prescott to be 'full participant' in training camp

The Dallas Cowboys were understandably cautious with their handling of quarterback Dak Prescott throughout offseason activities as he works to fully recover from the gruesome compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle he suffered last October.

Per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, though, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday Prescott should "be a full participant" when the club holds its first training camp practice Thursday.

"But it’s still a projection, and we’ll see how it goes," McCarthy added. "We will watch him. But the way we approached the offseason program was to keep him out of the team drills, but he will participate in the team drills. That was really the last hurdle as I view it."

As ESPN's Todd Archer noted for a piece published early Wednesday morning, it remains unclear how much Prescott will play in next month's preseason games, if at all. There are also reasonable concerns about Cowboys players eventually hitting the 85% COVID-19 vaccination threshold that allows for the loosening of some virus-related protocols, but owner Jerry Jones attempted to pour cold water over those concerns Wednesday by suggesting the team's vaccination rate shouldn't be an issue by the time Dallas faces the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 5.

YardBarker

 

Keenan Allen: Justin Herbert will have a better feel for the game in second season



Quarterback Justin Herbert‘s strong rookie campaign in 2020 has made the Chargers one of the intriguing teams in the AFC.

New head coach Brandon Staley brought in former Saints QBs coach Joe Lombardi to run Los Angeles’ offense. And if Herbert significantly improves from his first to his second year, the Chargers should at least contend for one of the conference’s three Wild Card playoff spots.

Speaking to the media at a youth football camp this week, veteran receiver Keenan Allen is anticipating growth from the offense that stems from the QB.

“Just to keep getting better,” Allen said of his expectations, via Fernando Ramirez of SI.com. “It’s Justin Herbert’s second year, so he’s going to keep getting better — more experience, more knowledge, and better feel for the game.”

Herbert set several rookie passing records in his 15 starts last season, completing 66.6 percent of his passes for 4,336 yards with 31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

PFT

 

Herbert is the real deal, in my opinion and a great story-line to watch unfold this up-coming season.

 

Teddy Bridgewater expected to be Denver Broncos' starting QB in Week 1



After striking out on an Aaron Rodgers trade, the Denver Broncos are poised to enter the 2021 NFL season with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock at quarterback. While both signal-callers will compete for the starting job, there might already be a favorite.

The Broncos begin training camp on July 28, the first day of the highly anticipated quarterback competition. Denver acquired Bridgewater this spring to challenge Lock, who struggled in his second season. While Lock would seemingly be the favorite as the 2019 second-round pick, the battle might play out differently.

The Boston Globe‘s Ben Volin provided some insight on the upcoming quarterback battle, explaining why Bridgewater will likely win the job.

“Lock is the incumbent, but I say follow the money — the Broncos are paying Bridgewater $4.44 million, and Lock only $1.45 million. I’m picking the guy with the higher salary.”

A decision won’t be made until after the preseason wraps up. Under the NFL’s new schedule format, there are three preseason games and 17 regular-season contests. With Denver beginning its season on Sept. 12 in a Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants, it will be crucial to make the right call.



Is Teddy Bridgewater the best fit for the Broncos?


Denver acquired Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers with a very specific vision. It needed stability at the position to provide balance for Lock’s volatility. While there is plenty of upside with the third-year quarterback, his penchant for mistakes proves costly.

On paper, the Broncos have a playoff-caliber roster. They enter training camp near the top of our NFL defense rankings and there is some buzz regarding this team’s upside. Reaching the AFC Championship Game is unlikely, barring a trade for Rodgers, but the playoffs are possible.

• Teddy Bridgewater stats (2020): 3,733 passing yards, 92.1 passer rating, 69.1% completion rate, 15/11 TD/INT ratio

Bridgewater won’t make many plays and he proved in Carolina that his limitations put a ceiling on an offense. But the veteran quarterback makes smart decisions, gets the football out to his offensive weapons on time and doesn’t make mistakes.

If the Broncos want to win close games, using a suffocating defense and run-heavy approach offensively, Bridgewater is the team’s best option. But time will tell whether performance, salary or the organization’s original confidence in Lock determines who is named the Week 1 starter.

YardBarker

 

A lot of young passers with high potential. This league is going to be more competitive if these guys all continue to grow. It may be that gone are the days, once you get a franchise QB, you are guaranteed a playoff spot. The Mannings and Brady's of the world might actually have to watch the first and/or second round of the playoffs with their family. It might actually decelerate the current trend of contract money these QBs are getting. If there are 15-20 legitimate franchise QBs in the league, then the competition will start to feign a little. It will always be the most important position on offense, but if there are that many good ones then it becomes less relevant as the second tier level should also grow.

I cringe at paying one player 25% of the team's salary cap..but that is where we are today for the top QBs in the NFL. So now you have 75% of your available money to pay the other 50 players involved in the equation.

In 2023, Mahomes contract really kicks in against the Chiefs cap.. IF the cap grow 10% per year, it will be $217,800,000, Mahomes counts $46,793,000, which is 21.5% of the total team cap. which leaves an average of $3.4M per player after Mahomes. Obviously the #50 player isn't getting $3.4M, but you have to take a LOT away to start averaging a high enough amount for some of these other top tier players.

To put this into perspective, Peyton Mannings highest ever cap hit was 17.1% of team cap in 2009, in 2016 when he signed with the Broncos to bring them a Super Bowl it was 15.6% of the teams total salary cap...

The average contract isn't the only thing going up, the percentage that the single player is taking of the cap is also going up exponentially. That worries me more..

 

Interesting read, Irish.

I have to wonder if this is all sustainable (cash, money contracts) or does it actually just keep growing forever. Is this all on the owners?

Todays skill sets are really being honed quite well starting in the HS and college levels... seems every position these days is producing 'athletic beasts'. Better health measures, better training facilties, better everything compared to back in the day when I was growing up and kicking dirt in the sand-lots.

I just wonder sometimes if there will have to be a line drawn because of the sky-high contracts, cap-hits etc etc. Will it cost $300 bucks to see a game in the nose-bleed section, or does it already, lol?

Seems to be a snowball effect trending over the last decade and I wonder if it crash n burns at some point.

 

Baker Mayfield feeling more confident heading into second year in same system



Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had two different head coaches, Hue Jackson and Gregg Williams, in his rookie year. Then he had another head coach, Freddie Kitchens, in his second year. And then he had another head coach, Kevin Stefanski, in his third year. Heading into his fourth year in the NFL and with Stefanski is a new experience.

Mayfield said he feels more confident because he’s heading into his second season with Stefanski, as well as offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

“The same system gives me more confidence,” Mayfield said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “The same guys around me also gives more confidence, just because I know how to push those guys now. Definitely going into [mandatory] minicamp [last month], I think all the coaches and the players saw that I was way more comfortable in the system.”

With Mayfield more confident in Year 2 under Stefanski’s leadership, they have a good chance to be back in the playoffs again. Quite a statement for a Browns franchise that hasn’t had back-to-back playoff seasons since 1988-1989.

PFT

 

Dak Prescott declines to divulge vaccination status: 'I don't necessarily think that's exactly important'

As teams continue to digest Thursday’s NFLPA memo regarding unvaccinated players, Dak Prescott shared his thoughts on the matter amid intensifying discussions.

The Cowboys star quarterback was asked Friday if he's received the vaccine, a question many players, including teammate Ezekiel Elliott, have been asked in the months leading to training camp.

Elliott, who contracted COVID-19 last summer, told reporters prior to Prescott's media session that he had been vaccinated because he wanted to be "in the best situation to be out there for my team week in and week out." Prescott's reply to the same question wasn't nearly as transparent.

"I don't necessarily think that's exactly important. I think that's HIPAA," Prescott said. "But I understand where Zeke comes from. I understand everybody's opinion, and I think everybody has that right. We wouldn't live in this country and we wouldn't be in the position we're in if that wasn't the case. Obviously, we all have to do a better job of educating ourselves, of educating our neighbors just on this whole pandemic, this whole situation, the vaccine.

"I know this team is going to get to the numbers, this team is going to do what we have to do to make sure that we're continually progressing through this thing the right way."

As stated by the NFLPA on Thursday, "if a game is cancelled/postponed because a club cannot play due to a Covid spike among or resulting from its non-vaccinated players/staff, then the burden of the cancellation or delay will fall on the club experiencing the Covid infection." The memo also mentioned that players on both teams will not be paid for any lost games under these circumstances.

Prescott disclosed that the team has discussed the competitive implications of getting vaccinated.


"There's small talks. Obviously, when you see certain guys come out and say certain things that they did on social, obviously that sparks conversations and things of that such," he shared. "As I said, I'm very confident in this team that we'll get to where we need to be and I know we're on that way to doing the best that we can to help each other, to help this team, to help the possibilities of this season."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that he is “very satisfied” with the team's vaccination rate ahead of camp. And, while it's unknown where Prescott stands in that number, Dallas appears to be trending in the right direction.

Only time will tell if they are able to meet and maintain adherence to the league's COVID protocols.

NFL.com

 

Deshaun Watson is expected at Texans camp Sunday



Deshaun Watson didn’t spend any time with the Texans this offseason, but he remains on the team’s roster and is reportedly set to join them ahead of training camp.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Watson is expected to report to Texans training camp along with the team’s other quarterbacks on Sunday. They will undergo COVID-19 testing as part of the entry process for camp.

Watson will avoid $50,000 in daily fines by reporting to camp, but his decision to show up does not appear to have any bearing on his views about playing for the team during the 2021 season. Rapoport reports that his stance about wanting a trade away from the Texans has not changed.

Away from the field, Watson still faces 22 lawsuits from women alleging misconduct. Those suits leave open the possibility that he will be placed on paid leave by the league pending their outcome. The answer to that question would impact the chances that another team will trade for Watson — the Eagles are reportedly a frontrunner if he goes on the block — before the start of the season.

PFT