Cowboys decision-makers Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones have publicly lauded head coach Jason Garrett for his work this season in Dallas, suggesting that his job is safe, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says there’s “a school of thought in some league circles” that if the Cowboys get upset this weekend by the Lions, the team may not re-sign Garrett this offseason. In my opinion, leading this Cowboys team to a 12-win season will likely be enough to earn Garrett a new deal, but it’s a situation worth monitoring.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- As the Vikings wait for Adrian Peterson to potentially be reinstated in 2015, head coach Mike Zimmer said today that he’ll be “in [Peterson’s] corner” if he returns to the Vikings next season, per Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. “Adrian was always great with me,” Zimmer said. “I think he’s a good person. I think obviously he’s a great running back and if it works out that way and things work out and he gets his life in order – that’s the most important thing, he gets his life in order, he gets the opportunity to come back – then I will be in his corner whatever the decision is made.”
- Ndamukong Suh‘s latest “misstep” complicates his pending free agency, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, who says the ramifications of the defensive tackle’s one-game suspension could make the Lions think long and hard about whether to sign Suh to a lucrative new multiyear pact.
- Working out a contract extension similar to the one signed by Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2013 would be a win-win situation for Drew Brees and the Saints, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Brees still has two years left on his current deal, but tacking on a few extra years could give him some additional security and create some cap flexibility for New Orleans.
- The Buccaneers spent big in free agency last offseason and it certainly didn’t translate to regular-season success. However, as Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune details, that doesn’t mean the Bucs will shy away from free agency in 2015.
- Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com takes an early look at the Buccaneers‘ offseason, including the team’s projected cap space and the prospective free agents that should be let go or retained.