MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Report: Panthers called Vikings about Kirk Cousins



The quarterback carousel will soon be spinning. Before it happens (and as it happens), plenty of calls will be made between plenty of teams regarding plenty of possible transactions.

Here’s one that came out of the blue on Monday. Judd Zulgad of SKOR North reported, via Anthony Rizzuti of Yahoo.com, that the Panthers have called the Vikings about a potential trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins.


The Panthers are desperate to find a franchise quarterback, and they need to show a significant uptick in performance in 2022 to save the regime of coach Matt Rhule. Cousins, while not good enough in four seasons to take the Vikings beyond the divisional round, has generated solid performances. The Panthers, in recent years, have done worse.

Cousins has a fully-guaranteed salary of $35 million for 2022 and a cap number in Minnesota of $45 million. It’s the last year of his deal, and the franchise tag for 2023 would cost more than $60 million, given that Washington already has tagged him twice and that he’d be in line for a 44-percent raise over his 2022 cap number.

“They have gotten a call,” Zulgad said of the Vikings. “Now, from what I’ve heard, it went nowhere so far. But it’s interesting that the phone did ring . . . and on the other end of the line . . . the Carolina Panthers.”

The Vikings said that they don’t plan to trade Cousins as of now, per Zulgad. That could change, frankly, if the Vikings try to get Cousins to sign an extension that reduces his cap number and he resists. PFT has reported that Cousins plans to take a wait-and-see approach regarding his future, although the hiring of coach Kevin O’Connell is viewed as a positive.

Cousins reportedly refuses to take a pay cut, which shouldn’t be regarded as a surprise by anyone. His $35 million for 2022 is fully guaranteed. Why reduce it? If he’s cut, he still gets every penny.

Since parting ways with Cam Newton two years ago, the Panthers have cycled through Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold. The Panthers owe Darnold $18.8 million fully guaranteed for 2022.

Plenty of Vikings fans would like to move on from Cousins. Until there’s a better option on board, however, trading Cousins entails significant risk.

PFT

 

Steelers plan to bring Dwayne Haskins back, unsure if he can evolve into a starter



Three years ago, Dwayne Haskins was a first-round draft pick anointed the future franchise quarterback in Washington. Now the question is whether he has any future at all in Pittsburgh.

Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert indicated Monday that Haskins does have some future, saying Haskins will be in the mix along with Mason Rudolph.


“Dwayne will be a restricted free agent, and I’m sure we’ll decide to tender him at some point. So we have Dwayne and we have Mason,” Colbert said.

But can Haskins actually compete to start? Colbert wasn’t ready to say more than “maybe” to that.

“Dwayne Haskins came in to get some nice things done throughout the season as a scout team quarterback, he played some in the preseason, and we’re excited to see what Dwayne can provide either from a competition [standpoint] or maybe he evolves into a starter,” said Colbert. “None of us know at this point. I think it’ll be a great training camp for those two and for whichever player we’re able to add to the mix.”

Haskins was dumped by Washington after less than two years, and he never got on the field for the Steelers in 2021. At this point it seems like a long shot that he’ll ever be a starter in the NFL, but at just 24 years old, the Steelers aren’t giving up on him just yet.

PFT

 

Mitchell Trubisky ready to be starting QB again in 2022: 'I'm in a confident space right now'

After four seasons in Chicago, Mitchell Trubisky spent the 2021 campaign as Josh Allen's backup in Buffalo. Now heading toward free agency, Trubisky could be ready to battle for a starting job once again.

"I'm in a confident space right now," Trubisky recently told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Trubisky signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract in Buffalo last offseason.

The Bears' former No. 2 overall pick struggled in his final years with Chicago, playing skittish and missing a bevy of throws. But sitting behind Allen last year has brought a different perspective.

"Going to Buffalo really opened my eyes," Trubisky said. "After being in Chicago for four years, there was only one way I knew how to do things. [Being] in Buffalo and [having] a different way of doing things, you learn what's possible. It helped me get back to instinctual football and using my talents rather than overthinking."

Trubisky attempted just eight passes with six completions for 75 yards and an interception as Allen's backup in 2021. However, the 27-year-old said that what he learned in Buffalo can be invaluable as he moves forward in his career.

"You can't be afraid to make mistakes," Trubisky said. "When guys are playing free, you can be at your best. I wanted to learn how [the Bills] helped Josh, and I saw that firsthand."


With a boatload of teams searching for quarterbacks and few free-agent options with starting experience, Trubisky could land with a club looking for competition at the position -- perhaps following Brian Daboll to New York to compete with Daniel Jones for the top job.

NFL teams often cling to their pre-draft evaluations of high picks, so there is a good chance multiple clubs could view Trubisky as an untapped talent who could excel in the right situation.

NFL.com

 

Ron Rivera: Commanders have a lot to offer for a franchise quarterback



Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera told PFT Live before the Super Bowl that his team wants to get in on it if a franchise quarterback becomes available. And Rivera says the Commanders could offer a lot.

Rivera said on Tuesday that Washington should be an attractive destination for a quarterback.


“We’d like to believe we would be a viable option for a lot of [quarterbacks],” Rivera told Ben Standig of TheAthletic.com. “We understand what the capital will take to bring a type [of] player like that here. We believe we have a lot to offer.”

Quarterbacks who could be available in a blockbuster trade include Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Derek Carr. Washington is in good salary cap shape and could pay those quarterbacks what they want, and Rivera’s comments suggest that Washington would be willing to deal multiple first-round draft picks for the right quarterback.

At the moment, Washington’s top quarterback would be Taylor Heinicke. Rivera likely believes he needs a significant upgrade if he wants to improve on the seven wins he’s had in each of his first two seasons.

PFT

 

Taylor Heinicke officially thinks this sucks!!!

 

Including a team name actually worse than the WFT

 

Derek Carr says he’s building “great” relationships with coach Josh McDaniels, GM Dave Ziegler



Raiders quarterback Derek Carr says he’s comfortable with the new leadership in Las Vegas.

Carr said new head coach Josh McDaniels and General Manager Dave Ziegler have spent time with him getting on the same page from a football perspective, and he’s also getting to know them personally.


“They’ve been super awesome. They’ve been great,” Carr told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m just looking forward to getting to know them. We’re doing the whole business relationship thing, but hopefully, we can get our families together and start getting to know each other and start building that unity that we had last year.”

Carr has one year left on his contract, with a salary of $19.8 million, which is very affordable for a starting quarterback. The Raiders are in good salary cap shape and could upgrade the roster while also working out an extension with Carr, something Carr is thinking about.

“Obviously, that’s in mind when I’m thinking about all that,” Carr said. “But there’s also some football players that I want to play with, so I keep that in mind too.”

One football player Carr has said he wants to play with is Packers receiver Davante Adams, his former Fresno State teammate. Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst acknowledged this week that it’s possible Adams could leave in free agency. It seems unlikely Adams will actually leave Green Bay, but pairing him with Carr in Las Vegas is an intriguing possibility.

PFT

 

Saints’ quarterback situation remains uncertain



When Dennis Allen was introduced early this month as the Saints’ next head coach, he said the quarterback situation was something he had to get figured out. With free agency approaching, that remains the case.

The Saints opened last season with Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback and went 5-2 in the games he started. But when Winston was lost for the season with a torn ACL, they turned to Taysom Hill for five starts (going 4-1), Trevor Siemian for four starts (going 0-4) and Ian Book for one start (an ugly loss).


Winston is set to become a free agent, and Jim Trotter reported on NFL Network that the Saints have either already started talking contract with Winston or will start negotiating with him soon.

It’s unclear whether Winston will be healthy enough to play in Week One, and the Saints may figure that if Winston won’t be ready to go, it would make more sense to stick with Hill. The Saints may also look to a trade, the draft or free agency for a quarterback, although there aren’t any rookies in this year’s draft class who figure to be Day One starters, and the Saints’ cap situation may preclude an expensive veteran.

Add it all up, and the reality is that Allen has a big job ahead of him, figuring out who his quarterback will be in his first year as the Saints’ head coach.

PFT

 

So what if Aaron Rodgers wants $50 million per year?

At the end of the most recent Green Bay season, we explained that the Packers could quickly end the Second Annual Aaron Rodgers Offseason Drama by offering Rodgers a two-year, fully-guaranteed, $100 million contract.

Although we quickly heard from a source with knowledge of the dynamics that it’s not about money for Rodgers at this point, recent reports have indicated that he indeed wants $50 million per year.


Former teammate and current agitator Greg Jennings seized on the reporting to slam Rodgers as selfish, regardless of whether the reporting is accurate.

Here’s the reality. If Rodgers wants $50 million per year, so what? He deserves it. The team has the money. The team has no owner looking to siphon unused cap space for a superyacht fund. And Rodgers continues to be the best and most effective quarterback in the NFL, at least in the regular season.

Wanting fair value isn’t being “selfish,” and it’s unfortunate that former players would take that approach with current players. Owners get what they can, when they can. Players should get what they can when they can, too.

And the cap angle is overblown. Teams know how to manage the annual spending limit, and that will get easier and easier as the annual spending limit shoots higher and higher, given the huge increases in broadcasting rights and gambling revenue.

If the Packers want to pay Rodgers $50 million per year, they can. The question is whether that even matters at this point. If Rodgers decides he wants out, the promise of $100 million to stay for two more years won’t matter.

Either way, the decision is coming soon. It has to be; we’re two weeks away from the start of the new league year.

PFT

 

Mickey Loomis just re-did 3 contracts and created 34 million dollars in cap space. That's enough to go QB shopping.

 

It's always been about money with this guy. Everything is else is just smoke and mirrors.

 

Dolphins planned to pursue Sean Payton, Tom Brady for 2022



The Miami Dolphins are moving forward with Mike McDaniel as the head coach and, for now, Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback. At one point after the end of the 2021 season, however, the Dolphins explored a different approach.

Per multiple sources, and as first revealed on Monday’s PFT Live, the Dolphins planned to pursue Sean Payton to be the coach and Tom Brady to be the starting quarterback. The plan was scrapped after Brian Flores filed his lawsuit against the NFL generally and the Dolphins, Giants, and Broncos specifically.


On the record, Dolphins declined comment. Team sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issues confirmed that the team contacted the Saints to seek permission to speak to Payton. The Saints, per Dolphins sources, declined the request, which they contend was made after Payton resigned on Tuesday, January 25 but before Flores filed his lawsuit one week later.

By rule, the Dolphins first would have had to reach an agreement with the Saints as to potential compensation for hiring Payton. Once an agreement had been reached, the Dolphins then would have had to work out an agreement directly with Payton.

As to Brady, Dolphins sources contend that internal discussions occurred regarding the possibility of adding Brady as a minority owner, but that those considerations currently are on hold. The delay, per Dolphins sources, has nothing to do with the lawsuit; it’s more about the uncertain status of Brady’s retirement from playing. Once it’s clear he’s not coming back to play for the Buccaneers or some other team, the plan for selling a piece of the team to Brady could proceed.

Rumors have persisted for two years regarding Brady’s potential involvement with the Dolphins, either as a player or as a partial owner. The connection arises from Brady’s friendship with Bruce Beal, a significant limited partner who is poised to eventually purchase the team from Stephen Ross. Indeed, as Brady approached free agency in 2020, the Patriots were very concerned that Brady would join the Dolphins as a player — with partial ownership on the table.

It’s unclear whether and to what extent either Payton or Brady were actually aware of the plan to pursue them. It’s hard to imagine that the Dolphins would have made a blind request for permission to pursue Payton without Payton being interested. As to Brady, the fact that he’s reportedly (and indeed is) the unnamed quarterback with whom Ross allegedly tried to get Flores to tamper in 2020 makes another run at Brady not a ludicrous thought, especially since the Dolphins have put together a team that has finished two straight seasons above .500, but with no playoff appearances.

Brady remains on the Tampa Bay roster, and he’ll stay there until June 2, at the earliest. Any move made before then would trigger a $32 million cap charge in 2022 for the Buccaneers. After June 2, a retirement or a trade would push the bulk of the cap charge to 2023.

Although Brady has said he’s done playing, few believe it. Whether it’s with the Buccaneers or someone else, he could return as soon as 2022. That could happen with the Dolphins, depending on whether the Dolphins make some other move at quarterback between now and then. Until the Dolphins acquire a new quarterback, their top option will continue to be Tagovailoa.

PFT

 

Report: Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to have shoulder surgery



49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo may be moving on to another team in the near future, but he may be heading to an operating room before that takes place.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Garoppolo is expected to have shoulder surgery soon. Garoppolo injured his shoulder in the team’s playoff win over the Cowboys, but remained the starter for their final two postseason games.


Garoppolo is expected to be sidelined until the summer as he recovers from the surgery. He was on the injury report with a right thumb injury in the playoffs, but does not need surgery for that issue.

While that would mean a limited role during offseason work, Schefter adds that there is still “significant” interest in Garoppolo from other teams in the market for a quarterback and that he is likely to be moved in a trade once the new league year is underway.

PFT

 

People in sports media are so fucking dumb. The dude literally does this every year.

 

??

While I agree with the first sentence 100%, the Rodgers drama didn’t start until Love was drafted in 2020. The first offseason talk of trade/retirement or else was last year. This is literally the second annual Aaron Rodgers drama offseason.

 

No, it's not. You can go back as recently as the firing of McCarthy and hiring of the new coach - Rodgers was at the center of that, and had just as much, "talking but denying that he's talking" going on. This is who he is. This is who he always has been. This didn't start because the Packers drafted a bad QB at the end of the first round.

 

The talk of being traded or retiring ultimatum began after Love was drafted. Being a hard headed whiny ass bitch has been ongoing, but specifically the drama of changing teams didn't start until Love, which is what everyone is now talking about for the second straight year. Everything you are talking about prior is hearsay, which none of it effected the Packers and their ability to win games. Hell.. They've been improving each year for the most part post McCarthy. If Rodgers leaves by any means, that will cripple the Packers, it is REAL news.

 

"Off-season Drama"

These were the exact words. I don't know what random, inane shit you're making up to define a conversation that wasn't happening, but none of it pertains to the above. Rodgers has off-season drama every year. I cited one example, you didn't like it, but it doesn't change anything - the dude has always been this way.

 

It isn't inane shit "I am making up" it's hearsay that the press has made up prior to last year. THIS DIRECT ARTICLE IN QUESTION is talking directly about the underlying issues that Rodgers wants a solution, a trade or possible retirement. This is specific "shit" that has been going on for the second year in a row and stems from the current regime drafting a QB instead of help to win a championship. Your argument was that he has been doing it "every year".

The fact is, he has wanted more pieces to help the team win, since they are close nearly every year. Drafting a QB doesn't help them win, it helps them prepare for when he is gone. I can't say I disagree with his stance. Being one of the top QBs in the league, either get on board with giving the team everything you can to get the top prize or that tells me the top prize isn't your goal and so either let me go or I might as well hold you hostage for as much money as I can.. Say $50M.. to keep quiet and just compete to make a good showing for the fans and possible not have what is needed to win a championship. I can respect that, even if it does look like whining.

 

I didn't even read your second paragraph. You're adding conditions to a conversation that didn't happen. You're adding context to words that were pretty clear. If the author meant to qualify their words as such, they should have done so - they are a professional author. And "heresy that the press made up" would mean that it's fabricated and he had nothing to do with it. If you believe that Aaron Rodgers went from a tight-lipped professional to a blathering drama-case that literally calls reporters in his free time, and he just flipped that switch overnight - that he was never that guy before - I don't know what to tell you. That's too dumb for me to want to read whatever else you wrote.