MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Cousins is a good QB, but he doesn’t have that killer instinct needed to win championships

 

Yeah. I like like him. He's good/very good, but he's not elite like the guys that were mentioned. If the Vikings had it all in every area, he could get them to the SB, but to do what Mahomes does is out of his wheelhouse.

 

Aaron Rodgers plans to spend more than one season with Jets



Coach Robert Saleh said Friday he would be “shocked” if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play multiple years for the Jets. Rodgers would be, too.

The quarterback told ESPN Radio on Friday that an injury or a Super Bowl win this season might change his mind, but he plans on playing multiple years with the Jets.

“The Jets gave up a lot for me, so to play just one year. I think, would be a disservice,” Rodgers said on the DiPietro & Rothenberg Show, via Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “Now, if that one year turns out to be a magical year, who knows? But it’s more than that: It’s how my body feels.”

Rodgers, 39, made changes to his diet and his workout routine this offseason as he got ready for the grind of a 19th NFL season, his first with the Jets. He has eliminated all fruits and processed food, mostly eating protein.

“The last couple of months my body has been feeling really good,” Rodgers said. “Now talk to me in three to four months. We’ll see how it feels, but the way I feel now, I think I could play a number of years.”

Rodgers’ indecision about his future the past two offseasons had prompted questions about how long his tenure with the Jets will last.

Rodgers determined he wanted to continue playing this season only after a darkness retreat this winter, and he made clear it would be with the Jets. That set in motion the blockbuster trade that finally happened April 26.

Now, the Jets are counting their blessings.

Everyone with the Jets, including Rodgers, believes their window to contend is more than one year. That’s part of the reason Rodgers intends to play multiple seasons in New York.

“I don’t even want to back him into a corner and make him commit to something like that,” Saleh said of Rodgers committing to play beyond 2023. “I just want him to have fun and know that when he walks in this building to let loose, have a little fun, BS with the guys, come in the office and talk to us and just enjoy playing football.

“Odds are if you enjoy playing football, you’re going to want to keep doing that.”

NBC

 

I cant argue that, but because of the 'law of averages' he's due, lol. Maybe he starts this year (I say that every year).

 

Kirk Cousins sees Jimmy Garoppolo as most underrated quarterback in NFL



In the eight-minute video posted on Thursday by the producers of the excellent Quarterback series, Patrick Mahomes and Marcus Mariota agreed that Kirk Cousins is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. (I say he’s properly rated.)

So who is Cousins’s most underrated quarterback?

“I kind of always scratch my head at the Jimmy Garoppolo situation in San Francisco, because I know how hard it is to win in this league,” Cousins said. “And it seems like every time he goes out there, they win. And then, they’re moving on from him or trying to draft somebody and trade up, and I’m thinking, ‘It’s pretty hard to win double-digit games in this league and that’s all they seem to do when the plays.’ So obviously I don’t know all that goes on there, but if he does it again with the Raiders, at some point, this guy’s just a winner.”

“I hope he doesn’t do it again with the Raiders,” Mahomes quipped. “No offense.”

Cousins’s assessment is surprising, because the 49ers fell out of love with Garoppolo not because of his ability but his durability. Where Cousins never misses time, Garoppolo has a long list of injuries that eventually compelled the 49ers to move on.

Garoppolo also is prone to moments of bizarrely bad decisions. It was enough to get coach Kyle Shanahan to go all-run-all-the-time in the second half of San Francisco’s January 2020 playoff win over the Vikings, and to stick with that plan the following week in the NFC Championship.

It’s also surprising to hear Cousins offer criticism of Shanahan’s handling of Garoppolo, given that Cousins and Garoppolo continue to be regarded as linked together by their mutual time in Washington. Shanahan intended to sign Cousins as a free agent in 2018, before Shanahan was talked into trading for Garoppolo.

By next year, Shanahan could finally make a play for Cousins. His views on the treatment Garoppolo experienced in San Francisco might make that a longer shot than believed.

PFT

 

The 2023 NFL Draft's No. 1 overall pick is now under contract.

Quarterback Bryce Young has agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on his four-year, fully guaranteed $37.96 million rookie deal, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Friday. The contract includes a nearly $24.6 million signing bonus, per Rapoport.

The team later officially announced the news with rookies set to report to training camp on Saturday.

Putting pen to paper represents the next step in a process that began with the Panthers' blockbuster draft trade in March and that Carolina is hoping ends with a triumphant return to prominence.

Young, a two-year starter and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner at Alabama, has all the makings of a star QB. He threw for 8,200 yards, 79 touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 23-4 record in 27 collegiate starts.

Unlike Cam Newton, the last signal-caller Carolina selected with the top overall pick, Young is slightly built, standing at 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, and is far more of a pocket passer despite his escapability.

Where the Panthers are counting on him to flash similarities are the results. Carolina finds itself in the throes of a five-year postseason drought amid a so-far fruitless QB carousel after previously reaching the playoffs in four of five seasons, including a Super Bowl berth, during Newton's prime from 2013-2017.

By sacrificing four high draft picks and their best wide receiver, D.J. Moore, to land Young, the Panthers and first-year head coach Frank Reich have hitched their turnaround chances to Young in dramatic fashion.

With the 21-year-old locked into his deal and training camp about to begin, the countdown to the payoff -- whatever it may be -- is on.

NFL.com

 

Justin Fields aiming to become first Bears QB to hit 4,000-yard passing mark in 2023



In the storied history of the Chicago Bears football club, zero quarterbacks have thrown for 4,000 yards in a season.

It's a stunning reality in the modern era, during which nine players surpassed that figure in 2022 alone, with Patrick Mahomes leading the way with 5,250 yards.

Justin Fields plans to end that dubious Bears mark. Asked on the All Things Covered podcast if he will be the first Chicago QB to hit the 4,000-yard mark, Fields responded confidently.

"I will. I plan on doing it this year, too," he said. "I plan on doing it this year."

Erik Kramer holds the Bears franchise record with 3,838 passing yards in 1995. Chicago has had 12 seasons of 3,000-plus yards passing, with Jay Cutler doing it five times, Mitchell Trubisky twice, Kramer twice, and Rex Grossman, Billy Wade and Jim Harbaugh once each.

Fields led all QBs in rushing last season but threw for only 2,242 yards in 15 games played, ranking 26th in the NFL. His 149.5 passing yards per game ranked 33rd last season.

After showing flashes of playmaking ability in Year 2, the Bears are counting on Fields becoming a better passer in 2023, particularly after upgrading his weapons with the additions of D.J. Moore and tight end Robert Tonyan. If he hits that 4,000-yard mark, it'd certainly be considered a rousing success in the Windy City.

NFL.com

 

3500 might be a good goal for Fields. The Bears aren’t a pass friendly team.

 

I think thats changing. The scheme, philosophy and offensive approach might be tweaked more towards an air attack than Fields running for his life. They get OL production and Fields can drop back and hit targets, they might have something.

 

Jimmy G is happy... he passed his physical today. No PUP and he will get paid.

 

I agree Will..........the NFC North is going to be an very interesting Division to watch this year.

Good Luck for your Vikings and I'm thinking Chicago and Detroit will Battle it out for the WC.

 

Reports: Colts, QB Anthony Richardson agree to $34M deal



Quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Indianpolis Colts agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $33.99 million, multiple outlets reported Monday.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Richardson's contract includes a signing bonus of $21.72 million to be paid upfront in a lump sum.

Also Monday, the Houston Texans and No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud reportedly reached agreement on a fully guaranteed four-year, $36.3 million rookie contract.

The Carolina Panthers signed quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick, to a $37.95 million deal on Saturday.

Richardson, 21, played in 24 games over three seasons at Florida. He started 12 games in the 2022 season, posting a 6-6 record. He completed 176 passes for 2,549 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He ran 103 times for 654 yards with nine scores.

Richardson and veteran Gardener Minshew will be competing for the starting job when training camp opens this week.

YARDBARKER

 

Bengals, Chargers benefit from Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert apparently waiting for each other to sign

The Bengals and Chargers are ready to pay both Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. The problem is that each quarterback is believed to be waiting for the other to sign.

On the surface, Burrow should get a contract in a class above Herbert. But Herbert’s camp views him as the equal to Burrow. Throw in the fact that rival agents hope to one-up each other, and it has become a waiting game between the next two quarterbacks to be paid.

Burrow’s camp wants Herbert to go first, setting the benchmark to beat. Herbert’s camp wants Burrow to go first, giving Herbert a ceiling that he can try to match — or maybe even to exceed.

The teams benefit because the players aren’t agitating for deals, as they enter their fourth NFL seasons. By all rights, both should already have their contracts. And if they were ready to go, their deals likely would be done.

This is believed to be about the broader dance among who makes how much, with agent competition and marketing at the heart of the situation.

Until the deals are done, the players continue to carry the risk of a long-term injury. Unless the deals are done by Week One, Burrow will play for $5.545 million — and Herbert will play for $4.2 million. Remember last year, when Kyler Murray’s agent got the word out that Murray wouldn’t play for the similar slotted payment in the fourth year of his rookie deal? There has been not a peep along those lines as to Burrow or Herbert.

They both want their contracts. Their teams are willing to comply. But their camps are believed to be content to wait.

At some point, someone needs to blink. While training camp and the preseason (especially if the starters don’t play much if at all) present limited risk of injury, both players should have their long-term deals before the season starts.

For now, everyone involved seems to be playing the waiting game.

PFT
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If this is truly the case that one is waiting for the other, I dont get it. Have players actually gotten to the point in todays NFL or life, that they will look at another player and cry like a baby that he's getting 2.5 million dollars more when we are looking at contracts worth bazillions?

Joe and Justin are basically playing 'Russian Roulette' with their futures. As mentioned in the article, if one were to have a serious injury, say goodbye to buying that island to retire on and you would have nothing or no one to blame but yourself.

I agree Joe is a notch above Justin in potential pay-scale, but thats because of the team he plays for... who knows what Herbert would do if he were the QB for the Bengals and vise-versa.

Just seems odd to me that a player would risk his potential pot-o-gold because he's worried if a counterpart might make a few bucks more.

 

This makes the RB pay look even worse. No way should every QB signed shouldn’t get the highest contract ever. Then they turn around and say they don’t need to pay RBs. Herbert hasn’t won his division, made the playoffs once and the Chargers have a good roster.

 

And everyone says that WRs are the divas of the league..

 

John Lynch: Brock Purdy “cleared without restriction”

There’s good news on the quarterback front out of San Francisco, as Brock Purdy has been cleared to participate in training camp after undergoing offseason elbow surgery.

“He’s going to be without restrictions,” General Manager John Lynch said in a Tuesday press conference. “Now having said that, we’re sticking and we’re adhering to a plan that’s been put in place for some time. And he got after it the last couple of days — we upped his pitch count so it was kind of the peak of the buildup. So he’ll take off Day One. But we believe in the plan.

“So, he’s cleared without restriction. There will be some time off due to pitch count and all that, sticking to the plan. But the great news is, Brock has worked his tail off and he’s ready to go.”

Purdy won’t practice for three days in a row. But when he’s out there, head coach Kyle Shanahan said, he’ll be operating as the starter with the first-team offense.

“The throwing plan’s a little different,” Shanahan said. “So like, today he threw — just with the schedule from the weekend and everything. So today he threw, so tomorrow he won’t practice. So the other guys will do the same thing as OTAs — they’ll both go with the ones. And then Brock will have practices two and three to go, and take the next one off. So, we’ll keep going that way.”

When Purdy isn’t practicing, Trey Lance and Sam Darnold are slated to split the reps with the first-team offense at quarterback.

Eventually, the goal is to have Purdy take all practice reps. But that’s still likely weeks away.

“I think the goal is a couple of weeks from now,” Shanahan said. “I haven’t looked that far [ahead]. We won’t change that until that happens. And as long as it keeps staying on the course, he’ll eventually go all the days.”

NBC

 

****BREAKING****

Chargers, Justin Herbert agree to five-year extension

Justin Herbert has his contract, and the Chargers have their franchise quarterback locked up for years to come.

Herbert and the Chargers agreed today to a five-year contract that multiple reports put at a total value of $262.5 million, slightly more than Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson received this offseason.

Whatever they’re paying, it’s a good deal for the Chargers, who now have confidence that they’ll have an elite quarterback for many years to come.

The Chargers still have work to do to build a roster that can dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC West. But the biggest piece of work is done.

 

This makes Herbert the top paid QB ever, but Joe is waiting in the wings and then what will Mahomes get. Pretty interesting and down right unbelievable contracts.

Do Lamar and Jalen protest? Just kidding.

 

I could be wrong but don't look for Mahomes to reset the market. I think he will follow the Brady route and take team friendly contracts in order to compete for Superbowls.