MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Don't blame me! All is hunky dory in NOLA! I'm glad I don't have to follow this shit!

 

Was just off the top of me head. which isnt mutch.

Unfortunately this is the new norm.

I agree. and I dont think it will. The Giants had to do this. I am very curious how it plays out.... gotta wait till next years season to see and judge.

 

Agreed. looking forward to see what he dose.

Still, remains to be seen... I will eat a plate of fried crow if he's good... I have my doubts, not a fan of him at all.

 

Report: Jets optimistic about landing Aaron Rodgers

The Jets have returned from meeting with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and word is that they are feeling good about spending a lot more time with Rodgers in the future.

Dianna Russini of ESPN reports that team owner Woody Johnson left the meeting with Rodgers feeling excited about the match with the quarterback. He and the rest of the traveling party — General Manager Joe Douglas, head coach Robert Saleh, and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett were also there — returned to New Jersey feeling optimistic that they will be able to bring Rodgers to the team.


Visiting with and selling Rodgers on the Jets was part of that process and another part involves working out trade compensation with the Packers. There doesn’t appear to be a bidding war, so the Packers’ bid to maximize their return could hinge on being willing to eat some of the money owed to Rodgers in order to improve the assets coming back to Green Bay.

Next week’s start to the league year may not be a deadline to getting a trade done, but both teams would likely prefer to have things settled before they start moving on to free agency so the next few days could bring some resolution to the Rodgers situation.

PFT

 

Falcons too. I didn't see anything directly from the team, but news reports have come out that the team will not be pursuing him.

 

The thing is, even if teams aren’t interested, they have to call the player directly, because he is his own agent. If Lamar had an agent, more than likely, that agency would represent more than one player for that team, and they could have an informal question about what realistic ask is. as it is right now, all they had to go all fathers that he is asking for a fully guaranteed contract after turning down the ravens office, and the ravens are basically saying anything within reason they are going to match. It’s just a waste of time for most of these teams.

 

Thing is an agent is calling teams gauging their intrest and at the same time genrating the look that team A is intrested forcing team B to make a move. Lamar is likely sitting on his ass waiting for them to call him.

 

Brock Purdy’s surgery complete, six-month recovery anticipated



49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had his elbow surgery on Friday.

Purdy’s surgery was pushed back until this week because of swelling in his right elbow, but it went forward as planned this time around. Mike Garafolo of NFL Media reports that the repair of the ulnar collateral ligament involved an internal brace, but doctors did not find it necessary to do a more complex reconstruction of the injury.

That was always the hope and the expectation is that Purdy will need six months of recovery time before he’ll be ready to play again. That’s right around the start of the regular season, so the 49ers will have to have other options on hand to handle the position.

Trey Lance will be one of those options and General Manager John Lynch said recently that the team could make another addition heading into their offseason work.

PFT

 

Dolphins will exercise Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option



The Dolphins are committing to Tua Tagovailoa through at least the 2024 season.

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Dolphins have informed Tagovailoa that they’re picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.


That means Tagovailoa will have a guaranteed salary of just over $23 million in 2024.

The No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 draft, Tagovailoa excelled in his first season under head coach Mike McDaniel in 2022. He completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 3,548 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He led the league among qualified players in passer rating (105.5), yards per attempt (8.9), and yards per completion (13.7).

But Tagovailoa missed several games due to concussions. He ended up playing 13 regular-season games, including the last two games of the regular season and Miami’s postseason loss to Buffalo. Tagovailoa reportedly did not clear concussion protocol until Feb. 1.

Tagovailoa has been working on jiu-jitsu to help him learn to avoid head injuries when falling.

Tagovailoa has compiled a 21-13 record as a starter through three seasons. In 36 total appearances, he’s completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 8,015 yards with 52 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He’s also rushed for six TDs.

PFT

 

Winston signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Saints prior to last season. He entered the year as the team’s starting quarterback, and his salary reflected that. Winston is due a base salary of $12.8 million in 2023, which is not an appropriate figure for a backup.

The question for Winston will be whether there is a team willing to give him an opportunity to compete for a starting job. If not, he may be open to remaining with the Saints in a backup role for less money.

Winston played in just three games last season before suffering back and ankle injuries. He has been with the Saints since 2020.

YARDBARKER

 

Joe Burrow extension expected to be largest in NFL history



Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is already one of the best players in franchise history and a perennial MVP candidate. Soon, he could land one of the largest contracts in the history of professional sports.

Selected with the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Burrow’s career got off to a rocky start. Cincinnati went 2-7-1 with him as a starter, and he suffered a torn ACL midway through his rookie year. He’s been one of the best NFL quarterbacks ever since.

Burrow is eligible for a contract extension this summer after completing his third NFL season. Coming off consecutive trips to the AFC Championship Game, with one Super Bowl appearance, he has already accomplished more than any quarterback in Bengals history.

The Bengals, a franchise known for being more cash-poor than other NFL teams, are now staring down contract talks with their superstar quarterback. With the New York Giants signing Daniel Jones to a multiyear extension worth $40 million per season, Burrow’s asking price will likely climb even further.

On the "You Pod to Win the Game" podcast, Yahoo Sports NFL insider Charles Robinson addressed Burrow’s upcoming contract extension. Speaking to people around the league, he said there is an expectation Burrow lands the largest contract in NFL history.

“I have a chance to talk to people now, they’re already saying Burrow is going to get 55, Joe Burrow is going to get $55 million, he might get $60 (million) by the time this all ends up.”


For context, Aaron Rodgers is the only NFL quarterback with an average salary of $50 million per season. While Patrick Mahomes signed the longest contract in NFL history — 10 years, $450 million — he sits behind Rodgers, Russell Wilson ($49 million AAV), Kyler Murray ($46.1 million AAV) and Deshaun Watson ($46 million AAV) when it comes to salary.

Even signing a deal for $55 million per season would set a new mark for quarterbacks. With Lamar Jackson seeking a new deal worth more than $50 million AAV and Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert also eligible for an extension, the price tag could climb even further.

The NFL salary cap climbed to $224.8 million for the upcoming 2023 season, nearly $20 million more than the cap in 2022. There is also an expectation among teams that the salary cap will keep climbing by approximately $20 million every year through 2030.

While Burrow could be open to a more team-friendly deal, helping the Bengals keep Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, there are other ways to accomplish that without lowering his contract AAV. Whether an extension happens this offseason or next year, he will likely become the NFL’s highest-paid player.

SPORTNAUT;via YARDBARKER

 

Report: Buccaneers to target Baker Mayfield in free agency



Baker Mayfield may be on his way back to the NFC South.

NFL Media reports that the Buccaneers are expected to target Mayfield once they are allowed to begin negotiating with free agents from other teams on Monday. Mayfield opened last season as the starting quarterback in Carolina and ended the year as the starter for the Rams after being waived by the Panthers.


Kyle Trask is currently the only quarterback under contract in Tampa and head coach Todd Bowles has said that the 2021 second-round pick will compete to be the starter as the Bucs move into life without Tom Brady.

Mayfield would provide some experienced competition for Trask and the coming days should bring more of an idea if that’s how things will be shaping up in Tampa.

PFT
_________
_________________

The illusion of collusion continues. Interesting for the Bucco's... worth keeping an eye on.

 

Browns restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract



The Browns acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson around this time last year and gave him a contract that they’ve restructured ahead of the start of the new league year.

According to multiple reports, the Browns have converted the bulk of Watson’s $46 million base salary to a signing bonus. The move creates nearly $36 million in cap space for the team.

As noted on PFT last month, the Browns were able to make that conversion without any negotiation with Watson. Any move to add voidable years to the end of the contract to spread the cap hit out over more years could only happen with Watson’s agreement. The amount of cap space gained indicates that they did add such a year to the pact.

The Browns have now moved under the cap ahead of the start of the league year on Wednesday.

PFT

 

Broncos to sign QB Jarrett Stidham to 2-year contract

The Denver Broncos plan to sign quarterback Jarrett Stidham to a two-year, $10 million contract, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The two-year deal will include $5 million guaranteed, but it will not become official until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday.

YAHOO

 

Sam Darnold agrees to deal with 49ers



The 49ers hope to have Trey Lance and Brock Purdy healthy enough to play at the start of the regular season, but they are adding another experienced starter to the roster in the event that plan has to change.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Niners have agreed to a one-year deal with former Jets and Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold.


Darnold was the third pick of the 2018 draft by the Jets and he was traded to the Panthers in 2021. He was replaced as the starter in Carolina by Baker Mayfield last season and missed a large chunk of the year with an ankle injury, but started the final six games of the season.

Darnold was 82-of-140 for 1,143 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions in those starts. The move to the 49ers reunites him with former teammate Christian McCaffrey and former Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks, who is now the defensive coordinator in San Francisco.

Purdy had elbow surgery last week to repair the injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game. He’s expected to need three months of recovery before starting a rehab program that is expected to run another three months. Lance is returning from the broken ankle that ended his 2022 season.

PFT

 

On Monday afternoon, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero outlined the structure of Garoppolo’s contract, which he noted “effectively (locks) in (Garoppolo) as Las Vegas’s starter for two years and $48.5 million.”

The 2019 Comeback Player of the Year is poised to earn $11.25 million in salary in both 2023 and ’24. He has an $11.25 million signing bonus in ’23 and an $11.25 million roster bonus, conditional on Las Vegas rostering him on the third day of the ’24 league year.

In total, accounting for a backloaded 2025 salary and a series of bonuses, Garoppolo reportedly can earn up to $77.25 million with the Raiders under the terms of the deal.

 

I found this kinda fun and interesting...

The Panthers decided to trade up to the No. 1 overall pick six weeks before the NFL draft will take place, giving them time to figure out which quarterback they want. And it is a good thing the draft is next month because it seems like they need some more time.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, there is a rumor that Panthers owner David Tepper and head coach Frank Reich are split on which quarterback to take.

“There’s a belief that David Tepper loves Bryce Young, [and] Frank Reich likes CJ Stroud,” he said.

Schefter added that he brought this idea up with a member of the organization, and that person claimed that they were interested in all the quarterbacks available.

“They said ‘We love all these quarterbacks, and we have 48 days to make a decision on which one we will be taking.’”

Young and Stroud were the two best quarterbacks in the country two years ago, and for the most part, they kept that production last year.

Carolina is likely going to choose between Young, Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis for the No. 1 pick. While the team has some connections with Stroud already, Young entered the draft process as arguably the top quarterback available in the draft.

The Panthers’ decision to trade up early gives them time to properly evaluate all four quarterbacks knowing that they are all available. Additionally, according to a report last week, it is still possible the team chooses to trade back depending on those evaluations.

SI

 

The wild thing is they'll need to do it again next year. His cap figure for 2024 (and 2025 and 2026) is now $63,977,000. Cleveland now has at least $265 million of cap space committed to just 31 players that are actually under contract for 2024.

This is not going to end well. Browns fans, welcome to cap hell.

 

This is one of the most interesting QB contracts we've seen so far this year, because it sets the bar for backup QB deals. I like the terms. He collects $2 million in signing bonus, and his base salary of $2 million this year is guaranteed. He's also set to collect $30k per game in roster bonuses, giving him $510k more for a total of $4,510,000 received this year.

$1 million of next year's base salary is also guaranteed. If the Broncos keep him for 2024, he will be due a $1 million roster bonus in addition to his $4.49 million salary. That gives him a $6.49 million cap figure if they keep him, or $2 million dead money and $4.49 million savings if they cut him loose.

The team could draft a cheaper rookie next year, but they wouldn't be able to do much better than $4.5 million for an experienced backup in 2024. So the cap end of it works pretty well for both sides - they aren't stuck with him if they decide they hate him or if they're in dire need to free up around $4 million of cap, but they also have no incentive to cut him purely on cap grounds. He's likely to collect the full $10 million over both years.