MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Me too gives me depth in one of my leagues lol

 

Gardner has the experience also, but head-to-head their statistical stats from last year arnt too lop-sided (Minshew played a few more games) and Minshew needs to cut down on the INT's. Gardner definitely wins the stache stat tho... O'Connell's is a disgrace.

 

NEWS YOU CANT USE, or news you already knew... which makes it olds.



There will be no contrived quarterback competition in Chicago.

Three years after first-round rookie Justin Fields began the season as the backup to Andy Dalton, rookie Caleb Williams is already QB1.

Coach Matt Eberflus made that declaration to reporters on Friday.

It’s not a surprise. Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien are the other options.

So, yes, it will be Caleb Williams from the get-go. That’s the way it should be with a player taken that high.

On Wednesday, we’ll find out where and when Williams’s career will commence. The Bears could get started at Washington, where Williams (the first pick in the draft) would face the second overall pick in the draft — Commanders quarterback Caleb Williams.

Williams also will face the Patriots, who may or may not start third overall pick Drake Maye, and the Vikings (twice), who might start J.J. McCarthy (the 10th pick) as of Week 1.

PFT

 

Bo Nix has become the first of the six first-round quarterbacks to sign his rookie deal.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports the Broncos’ quarterback has signed his four-year, fully guaranteed $18.61 million deal with a fifth-year option. Nix gets a $10.36 million signing bonus and has a $3.384 million cap hit for 2024.

The Broncos made Nix the 12th overall pick out of Oregon.

 

Willams will be playing Commanders QB Caleb Williams? Man, some editor at PFT fell asleep at the wheel lol though Williams vs Daniels week one does sound intriguing, their respective franchises are in similar spots. I’d give the edge to Chicago at the moment but still a long ways to go until the season.

 

lol, beautiful catch... I cant believe I missed that.

 

Report: Tua Tagovailoa has been absent for most of Dolphins offseason work



A potential contract extension for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been a subject of conversation around the team this offseason and it appears that the lack of one is impacting Tagovailoa’s attendance at the team’s offseason program.

The team posted a picture of Tagovailoa at the facility in the middle of April during an early workout, but Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports that Tagovailoa has not been with the team for most of their work. All of that work has been voluntary and Tagovailoa is not obligated to attend, although Jones notes that he has taken part in such work in past seasons.

Next week marks the start of the final phase of offseason work. Players will not be in pads, but full team drills is allowed at OTAs, which Tagovailoa called his offseason focus in April. The Dolphins will have a mandatory minicamp in June to wrap up the program.

Tagovailoa will be subject to fines if he skips that work and that would lead to questions about training camp plans if a deal is still not in place between the team and the quarterback.

PFT

 

Tua Tagovailoa shows up for Dolphins’ OTAs

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was absent from most of the start of the Dolphins’ offseason program, but he showed up to work today.

The Dolphins are starting their Organized Team Activities today, the next phase in the offseason program, and Tagovailoa is there, according to Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com.

OTAs are voluntary, but Tagovailoa had indicated he would be there. Unlike the earlier portion of the offseason program, full-team on-field drills are allowed at OTAs, and coaches always want their starting quarterbacks to be there. Tagovailoa is.

Still, the question remains about whether Tagovailoa and the Dolphins are on the same page about a potential contract extension. Tagovailoa is heading into the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and is guaranteed a base salary of $23.17 million this season. He’s going to want a contract that secures his status as the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback for years to come, and that guarantees him more than $23.17 million a year for multiple years. Until the Dolphins and Tagovailoa agree to a long-term deal, there will be questions about his status in Miami — and about how much voluntary work he’s willing to do.

PFT
________
_____________

One or Tua billion dollars ought to do it.

 

Aidan O’Connell: Antonio Pierce has given me a great opportunity

The Raiders will begin their organized team activities on Monday and the ability to do full team drills on the field will give them a chance to move forward with their quarterback competition.

Aidan O’Connell finished last season as the team’s starter and he’ll have a slight leg up on free agent acquisition Gardner Minshew in the battle for this year’s job. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said earlier this month that O’Connell has “earned the right” to take the first snap with the first-team offense at practice this offseason.

Over the weekend, O’Connell had a chance to share his response to Pierce giving him that honor.

“Since really AP started, he’s put a lot of confidence in me,” O’Connell said, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He’s given me a great opportunity. I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity. It really is a privilege and an opportunity to get to play on the team and get reps at the quarterback position.”

The first snap won’t decide the quarterback question in Las Vegas, but Pierce’s familiarity with O’Connell could remain a plus as the team works toward its choice at the most significant position on offense.

PFT

 

If I were a gambling man, Id place a bet that Fields wins the job over Wilson in Pittsburgh this season, out-performs him and flat out sparks the Steelers offense to be very prolific. Maybe its a good thing Im not a gambling man, but i do have a sneaking suspicion I may not be too far off.

 

Before Jordan Love’s first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback, he signed a two-year deal with the team that offered him more money than he’d make under his rookie deal while offering the team an out if things didn’t work out in 2023.

Love took the Packers to the playoffs, beat the Cowboys in the Wild Card round and almost knocked off the 49ers the next week, so the Packers did not avail themselves of an escape clause. Given how well Love did, he set himself up for another, bigger extension and the lack of one has not kept him from taking part in the team’s offseason program.

The quarterback wasn’t willing to confirm that he’ll remain around in the event that a deal does not come together in the near future, however. During a media session in the team’s locker room, Love was asked if he would play out the year under the terms of his current deal.

“I don’t really know what’s going on, but we’ll see. I’m not really gonna get into too much contract stuff. . . . We’ll see. I don’t know yet. We’ll see,” Love said.

There’s a lot of time to strike a deal ahead of training camp and the regular season and Love’s presence at OTAs is a good sign that the relationship is strong, but the questions about what approach Love will take will keep coming as long as no new deal is in place.

PFT

 

Daniel Jones expects to start season opener: I don’t have any doubt about it

Daniel Jones won’t have to fight off any competition to keep his job. The only question now is whether he will be healthy enough to start the season opener.

Jones underwent surgery Nov. 22 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He is a limited participant in the team’s offseason program, not fully cleared yet.

Jones, though, said Thursday that he will be under center in Week 1 against the Vikings.

“I don’t have any doubt about it,” Jones said, via NFL.com.

Jones already has shed his knee brace during workouts and is pushing to be ready for the start of training camp.

“Feels good. Felt good out there today,” Jones said. “Just getting back in the swing of things and playing football against the defense. . . .Thought it was good today. Continue to kind of progress. . . . Rehab process has been smooth up to this point, and feels good doing all that kind of stuff.”

 

Sean Payton: Bo Nix is throwing the ball “extremely well”

Technically, the Broncos are letting three quarterbacks — Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson — compete for the Week 1 starting job. As a practical matter, they’re hoping that the twelfth overall pick in the 2024 draft will win the job.

And so, whenever Broncos coach Sean Payton speaks to reporters, he’ll be asked about Nix’s development. Payton got that question, based on Nix completing six OTA sessions.

“It’s hard for me to catch you up like on a Netflix series,” Payton said. “You guys watched one [episode], and then you missed three, and then you watched one and I’m trying to catch you up. All three of [the quarterbacks] are doing well. Specifically to Bo, he’s doing really well. He’s picking it up. There’s a lot that’s going in. He’s throwing the ball extremely well.”

Picking it up is very good for Nix. Throwing the ball extremely well is even better. He’s making progress, confirming to the Broncos that they got it right — and making them comfortable that he’ll deliver if/when he plays.

To be truly ready to deliver, Nix has to be ready and able to thread the needle into smaller windows. Payton was asked about the adjustment to tighter windows in the NFL.

“I think that you immediately begin to feel the speed difference and the reaction difference and the length,” Payton said. “What was open in college, those windows were bigger. Generally speaking, then you begin to adapt to the timing. One of the things that all of these [do is] get the ball out quick. Holding onto the ball and waiting can sometimes be obviously detrimental. I think it’s the studying and the understanding of the defensive scheme, and then understanding where the windows are in regard to the spacing. I do think that begins the first time you’re out here and everyone is moving around full speed. It’s like, ‘Wow!’ The speed of your simulator just went up a little bit.”

And that’s during offseason workouts that aren’t happening at full speed — or aren’t supposed to be that way. It’ll ramp up during training camp and then, when the Broncos start the season for the second time in three years with a trip to Seattle, with both a different head coach and a different starting quarterback than they took to Seattle in Week 1 of the 2022 season.

PFT

 

Check out CJ Stroud's thoughts on Aaron Rodgers:

Stroud has a theory on why Rodgers only has one Super Bowl win. At another point in the podcast, Stroud insinuated that the reason Rodgers only has one Super Bowl win is because he might not be such a good teammate. "You know what I think it is? I've talked to Tom Brady about this because he's a good mentor to me," Stroud said, via Athlon Sports. "What he told me is his teammates, and how he treats his teammates. And that's where I think it falls off for Rodgers. We don't know how Aaron Rodgers treats his teammates, but you can guarantee that Tom Brady treats his teammates right because how he got those rings."

 

Tom was notorious for gifting his offensive line. At the end of the 2007-08 season, he bought each of them an Audi Q7 SUV. The Boston Globe reported that Brady’s been known to give his linemen iPads, watches, and goose down jackets.

 

I'm not sure CJ is in the right here, never being a teammate to Rodgers. That question should have been avoided.

That being said... I've never liked Rodgers, but that's more to do with being a huge Brett Favre fan. I think he's a bit strange, but again, not a good reason to not like the guy or respect his abilities.

I don't know if he did it every year, but this particular year Bulaga spoke out on social media about Rodgers gift. It is pretty common for the team starting QB to gift his teammates each year. Again, I can't say he did it every year, but we also don't know that Brady did it every year of his 20 seasons.

I don't know that a gift to the linemen, etc. is a key indicator of how he was as a teammate. I know he has had a lot of teammates speak on him over the years in supportive ways, and have only heard a couple of past teammates speak out against him in questionable ways, along with some blow hard talking heads.

 

Jacoby Brissett on Drake Maye: You’re seeing his progression come alive

The Patriots are wrapping up their offseason program with this week’s mandatory minicamp and that will end the first phase of quarterback Drake Maye’s preparation for his rookie season.

Maye’s competition for the starting job in New England shared his thoughts on where the first-round pick stands after practice on Monday. Jacoby Brissett said that he’s seen his teammate make significant strides since April’s draft and that he thinks they’ll continue because of how Maye approaches the job.

“Every day he’s gotten better,” Brissett said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. “The good thing about is, it’s not like ‘I got it right now’ and not thinking about it. He’s constantly trying to find ways to get better. Making some nice throws out there and you’re seeing his progression come alive.”

When the Patriots get back to work in the summer, one of the big questions of their camp will be if Maye’s progression will move fast enough for the team to opt for him over the more experienced option.

PFT

 

Browns' Kevin Stefanski wants 'best version of Deshaun' Watson in 2024 as QB works way back from injury

The first two years of the Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson experience can be summed up in one word: disappointing.

Watson, a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback (all with the Houston Texans), has battled both rust -- after sitting out the entire 2021 season and the first 11 games of the 2022 season after having a number of lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct filed against him -- and injuries in Cleveland. He has started just 12 games since 2022, and his production ranks near the bottom of the NFL in multiple key passing metrics. A fractured shoulder that required surgery cut his 2023 campaign short just after Week 10.

Entering his third season of the five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract the Browns signed him to upon trading six draft picks to the Texans -- including three first-round selections -- to acquire him, Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski desires much more out of Watson in 2024 and beyond.

"We always talk about how we want the best version of ourselves. I want the best version of Deshaun," Stefanski said on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Thursday. "He is constantly getting better. I see so many of the veterans. ... Every single year you challenge them to get better. Even the guys who are at the height of their craft. Look at Myles Garrett, who is coming off being Defensive Player of the Year. He will be challenged by both of us, and I know he does this to himself, he needs to get better, and there are things he can do to get better."



Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and passing yards per attempt (8.9) in 2020, his last season played with the Texans, while ranking second in the entire league in passer rating (112.4) behind only that year's MVP Aaron Rodgers (121.5). That's the Watson Stefanski and the entire Browns organization sold the farm to acquire two years ago, and it's the version they need to see of him in 2024 if they are to actually make a run in a loaded AFC that includes the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

"I know Deshaun is in the same boat, he wants to be better, he wants to play better, every single game, every single year," Stefanski said. "I'm excited for where he is right this minute with plenty of work to do. I know he's going to continue to get better and get healthy. But I'm excited about Deshaun."

CBS

 

Arthur Smith reiterates Russell Wilson’s “pole position” for starting quarterback job, over Justin Fields

In late March, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin put Russell Wilson in the “pole position” to win the starting quarterback job. On Tuesday, Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith reiterated that point.

“Russ is in the pole position,” Smith said Tuesday, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “It’s a competition. Obviously, we get to Latrobe, I’m sure things will heat up, but both those guys knew that, however they were acquired, and they got here and I think it’s been pretty transparent.”

Pole position is far from unquestioned QB1. Pole position is something akin to a head start. An edge. An advantage. But how many times does the car in pole position not win the race?

Whether it’s Wilson or Justin Fields when the season starts (or as it unfolds), Smith enjoys having the ability to install a new offense with a new depth chart at quarterback.

“It’s probably easier than if you get a job like this and there’s a guy that’s maybe been here 10 years,” Smith said. “They may have a certain way they’ve done things. . . . We’re all new. And so that’s been fun.”

Smith is generally happy to be in Pittsburgh. While some Steelers fans bristle at the notion that the offense has been entrusted to a guy who didn’t make it as a head coach, Smith did well enough as a coordinator in Tennessee to become a head coach in the first place. And the bar is pretty low in Pittsburgh, post-Matt Canada.

Regardless of whether it’s Wilson or Fields or some of both, there’s reason to believe the offense will be better in 2024. In part because it really can’t be much worse.

PFT

 

Aaron Rodgers will be skipping the full mandatory minicamp

The “very important event” that kept Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers from attending the first day of mandatory minicamp will extend to today.

Via Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com, Rodgers is skipping the full mandatory minicamp.

Jets coach Robert Saleh hinted at this on Tuesday, when he said that quarterback Tyrod Taylor will have the opportunity to run the two-minute offense “today and tomorrow.”

Russini adds this, which suggests there was no “event” that Rodgers prioritized over attending the mandatory camp: "[H]e prefers to be somewhere else away from football.”

Hey, we all prefer (at times, if not constantly) to not do our jobs. But when we’re expected to show up, we do. And it doesn’t matter that Rodgers was present for all of the voluntary workouts. There’s a two-day mandatory minicamp. It’s the centerpiece of the offseason program. It always happens in June.

Every player is required to attend. And for Rodgers, who played four snaps last year and ended the season by declaring that "[a]nything that doesn’t have anything to do with winning needs to be assessed” and that "t’s not a half the time thing, it’s not a sometimes thing, it’s not a most of the time thing, it’s an every time thing” and that “the bullshit that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building,” for him to not be in the building for the mandatory minicamp is the epitome of bullshit.

Especially if he didn’t have a good reason for being absent.

The fact that no one knows the specific reason for the absence is telling. Saleh wasn’t asked that specific question on Tuesday. Our own communications with the team on the issue bordered on an Abbott and Costello routine.

It’s a fair question, because there’s a chance that (if fans knew where he was), they’d conclude that it’s objectively reasonable for Rodgers to prioritize the other thing over football.

It’s very possible there was no specific “event,” and that Rodgers just decided not to attend. Which he has the right to do if he’s willing to pay the fines. But it sends a horrible message, especially given his plea to the team to shed “the bullshit that has nothing to do with winning.”

As mentioned on Wednesday’s PFT Live, where we relentlessly criticized Rodgers and the Jets for what has become a massive and unexpected unforced error, Rodgers is ready for a career in politics, because he has already mastered the nonchalant hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another.

And as it relates to whatever he’s doing, the current circumstances have us formulating Google searches aimed at finding ayahuasca retreats. As it turns out, one started in Peru on Wednesday — and another one started in Colombia.

Wherever he is, he’s not with the team for a mandatory minicamp. Whatever the reason, if it was a truly good reason, we’d know what it is.

PFT
__________
__________________

He's just lazy. He has a multi-million-dollar bank account and a tray full of shroons, wtf.