HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Poll: Will Patrick Mahomes Get $40MM/Year?

January 21st, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Patrick Mahomes is Super Bowl bound. He’s also in line for a monumental payday. 

Last year, at the age of 23-and-a-third, Mahomes became the league’s youngest MVP since Dan Marino won the award in 1984. He didn’t disappoint in his encore, either. The grizzled 24-year-old threw for for 4,031 yards with 26 touchdowns against just five interceptions in 2019. He also threw in some dazzling running plays, for good measure, resulting in two more scores and 15 first downs.

His incomparable skillset and early accomplishments point to a historic contract. The NFL’s all-time average annual value (AAV) record is made to be broken and routinely shattered each year, sometimes by quarterbacks who are not considered to be among the league’s very best. Mahomes’ case is decidedly different – he’s simply from another planet, and some execs think he’ll cross the $40MM/year threshold.

“I think he’s gonna get $40MM [per year], either over four or five years,” one NFC personnel evaluator told ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.

Another NFC exec with negotiating experience mostly echoed that sentiment:”If Russell Wilson is at $35MM, then probably $37.5MM.”

Wilson’s deal with the Seahawks calls for $140MM across four years. Rams QB Jared Goff isn’t far behind with $134MM over the same stretch, with a whopping $110MM in guaranteed cash. Carson Wentz fell just shy with his four-year, $128MM Eagles extension. There will be new additions to this tier – including Cowboys QB Dak Prescott – but Mahomes is poised to top Prescott’s deal (whenever that happens) and set a watermark that won’t be approached for a while.

Mahomes’ rookie deal runs through 2020 and the Chiefs hold his fifth-year option to take him through 2021. Still, league officials say time is of the essence for KC.

“If I were [the Chiefs], I would be as proactive as humanly possible,” one exec told Fowler. “If Jared Goff can get no offset language in his entire contract after three years in the league, then this specific player has all the leverage. I think $40MM would be Mahomes selling himself short.”

Will Mahomes net $40MM per year, or more, on his next deal? Cast your vote below (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

NFC North Notes: Lions, Stafford, Packers

January 21st, 2020 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Will the Lions select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick? Many have pondered the possibility, but GM Bob Quinn says he’s “totally comfortable and happy Matthew Stafford‘s our quarterback,” (Twitter link via SiriusXM).

“He’s going to be in full health once the offseason program starts its course, he’s pretty much in full health right now,” Quinn said. “To see him in coach mode has been pretty cool because he really cares about, not only our team, but his teammates and helping those other young quarterbacks. I feel great about Matthew he’s going to come back strong and we’re ready to go for next year.”

The Lions, at least publicly, are committed to Stafford as their Week 1 starter. That won’t stop speculation about an early QB selection, however. Stafford, in theory, could be tasked with going into “coach mode” for one of this year’s top signal callers – every QB not named Joe Burrow should be there for Detroit to consider.

Here’s more from the NFC North:

  • Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis says he wants to continue playing next year. “I felt like I got into a groove with my role in this offense,” said the 35-year-old (via Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel). “It was really fun. I love the game. I knew I still had more football to give. Being in this offense and having [Matt] LaFleur and conceptually what he wanted and then having (former Jaguars offensive coordinator) [Nathaniel] Hackett here, it all went hand in hand. I just think it was a good situation. Mentally, you were coming to a place where guys cared about you, you know?” Lewis, who played in every regular season game, is ticketed for unrestricted free agency in March.
  • Ditto for Packes tackle Bryan Bulaga, who is ticketed to reach free agency just before his 31st birthday in March. The 6’5″ bulldozer says he plans to continue playing in 2020, regardless of how the offseason shakes out.

Chiefs To Retain Mike Kafka

January 21st, 2020 at 11:18am CST by Zachary Links

Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka isn’t going anywhere. Kafka will stick on Andy Reid’s coaching staff in 2020, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter), which means that he won’t be leaving for the Eagles’ offensive coordinator vacancy or any other club.

The Eagles had interest in Kafka as an OC candidate, but they’ve been informed that Reid won’t let him stray. It’s possible that Kafka could receive a new title to stay in KC, but nothing has been made official on that front. Eric Bieniemy did not land a head coaching job in this cycle, so a bump up to OC is off the table.

With that, the Eagles have lost out on yet another OC option. USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell was on the radar, but earlier this week, he opted to return to the Trojans. Before that, Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban declined their request for an interview and ex-Redskins OC Kevin O’Connell accept the Rams’ OC job.

The Eagles drafted Kafka in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, and the Northwestern product spent his first two seasons in the league as Philly’s backup/third-string signal-caller. After that, he parlayed his football IQ into a successful coaching career. After serving as the Chiefs’ offensive quality control coach in 2017, he was elevated to QB coach in 2018, the same year Patrick Mahomes took the league by storm.

Redskins’ Case Keenum Doesn’t Expect To Return

January 21st, 2020 at 9:23am CST by Zachary Links

Case Keenum is headed towards free agency and he believes he is headed elsewhere in 2020. 

“I have no idea. I would say probably not,” Keenum said (via NBC Sports’ JP Finlay). “I can’t tell the future though.”

The Redskins, in all likelihood, will move forward with 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins as their starting quarterback. One-time starter Alex Smith‘s status is up in the air, but his contract will remain on the books regardless. That leaves little available cash or playing time potential for Keenum.

“I feel like I played really good football. I know the wins and losses didn’t show it,” said Keenum, who went 1-7 in eight starts. “I’d love another shot to play in this league. So if there’s another chance, another opportunity out there, I’m not sure where that might be, I don’t take these things lightly. I’m going to go compete and make myself better this offseason and hopefully and be ready for whatever team might come calling.”

Keenum, who has suited up for seven different teams in eight different years, will likely add another jersey to his collection this year.

Bengals On Possibility Of Trading No. 1 Pick

January 21st, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals, according to one report, will not trade the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, regardless of what they’re offered. Even though all signs continue to point to LSU’s Joe Burrow, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin says no decision has been made with regard to who they’ll pick, or whether they’d be willing to trade down. 

“I don’t know that any decision has been made for what we’re going to do in April,” Tobin told the team website. “We’re early in the process. We certainly haven’t had any meetings to determine that at this point. Those will be meetings we’ll have as we go through the process.”

Burrow might not be the best overall talent in this year’s class (that designation has been widely bestowed on Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young), but he is viewed as the very best quarterback in this year’s crop and the Bengals’ need for a signal caller is glaring. It would be a shock to see the Bengals take anyone other than Burrow, or sacrifice their chance at the LSU star, but Tobin is playing it cool.

“We’ll have a lot of opportunity to get to know him through the process,” Tobin told Bengals.com. “We feel very comfortable by the time we have to make a decision in the draft on him and the other players as well.”

If the Bengals keep their minds and phone lines open, they may find the Panthers among several interested trading partners.

Albert Breer On Panthers, Rivers, Jets

January 21st, 2020 at 8:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers, for now, seem intent on keeping GM Marty Hurney in his current role. But they’re likely eyeing VP of football ops candidates like Andrew Berry as eventual replacements for him, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes.

Berry, it seems, has been passed over for the Browns’ GM vacancy. But, even if George Paton is the hire in Cleveland, the Panthers will still have to secure the blessing of the Eagles, who have – so far – been unwilling to let him walk for a position that doesn’t include authority over the 53-man roster.

Here’s more from Breer:

Steelers’ Owner On JuJu Smith-Schuster

January 21st, 2020 at 8:23am CST by Zachary Links

Things didn’t go according to plan for the Steelers or JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2019. After parting ways with Antonio Brown, the wide receiver seemed poised for a monster season and a brand new contract to reflect his expected status as one of the league’s premier wide receivers. That didn’t happen and Steelers owner Art Rooney II says he isn’t in any rush to talk extension.

“Well again, it was a tough season to evaluate with the different quarterbacks and some of JuJu’s injuries so it’s a tough season to evaluate from a lot of different standpoints,” Rooney said (via Jacob Klinger of PennLive.com). “Obviously we still think highly of JuJu and still think he’s going to be an outstanding player in the league moving forward and we will address the contract situation when it’s appropriate.”

In 2019, Smith-Schuster caught just 42 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. Smith-Schuster’s rookie deal is set to expire after the 2020 season and he might have to wait until then to discuss a new deal with the Steelers.

Of course, the loss of Ben Roethlisberger early in the season held back Smith-Schuster and the Steelers offense on the whole. That is to say, the drop-off in his production is not entirely his fault. Still, the Steelers seem open to a wait-and-see approach with the 23-year-old (24 in November).

When the Steelers have Big Ben back in action next season, they’ll hope to see Smith-Schuster return to form. In 2018, the former second-round pick broke out with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

49ers Hopeful For Tevin Coleman Super Bowl LIV Return

January 20th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tevin Coleman left the NFC championship game early, but the 49ers expect he will be ready to play in Super Bowl LIV.

Kyle Shanahan described the running back’s dislocated shoulder as being of the Lethal Weapon variety, with staffers able to pop Coleman’s ailing shoulder back into place (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic, on Twitter). While this process was quite painful for Lethal Weapon 2-era Martin Riggs without the threat of any tackling, Shanahan expects Coleman to have a “good chance” to suit up for his second Super Bowl.

“I don’t want to speculate too much, but usually a week to rest it and usually gets back in and I expect him to have a chance to play,” Shanahan said Monday. “Can’t hold me to that. We’ll find out more, but I expect him to have a good chance to play.”

The 49ers have thrived on the ground despite their highest-paid running back, Jerick McKinnon, missing a second straight season. While Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida out-gained Coleman on the ground this year, the former Falcon rushed for 544 yards and six touchdowns this season. He returned from a high ankle sprain earlier this season but missed much of the 49ers’ historically dominant rushing day Sunday.

Mostert’s 220 rushing yards rank second in NFL playoff history, and Breida averaged 5.1 yards per carry during the regular season. San Francisco’s second-ranked rush offense may have the option of all three backs facing the Chiefs, however. Coleman gained 35 scrimmage yards and caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl LI.

Coaching Rumors: Giants, Caldwell, Browns

January 20th, 2020 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Judge‘s first Giants staff will feature Jason Garrett overseeing the offense and Jerry Schuplinski as quarterbacks coach. The Giants are hiring the former Patriots and Dolphins assistant quarterbacks coach, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post notes. Brian Flores could have blocked the move but opted not to. This will be Schuplinski’s first stint as a franchise’s top quarterbacks coach. He and Garrett have not worked together, but Judge and Schuplinski coached together in New England from 2013-18. The latter’s NFL career began in 2013, after he spent 13 years coaching at alma mater John Carroll, a Cleveland-area high school (Trinity) and Cleveland-based Division III college Case Western Reserve. Schuplinski helped Ryan Fitzpatrick to some surprising performances this season, given the offensive line and backfield situation with which the veteran quarterback was saddled, and will now play a key role in developing Daniel Jones.

Here is the latest from the coaching world:

  • With Bill Callahan set to become the Browns’ offensive line coach, the Giants’ search to fill this position continues. The team will bring in longtime Garrett assistant Marc Colombo for an interview, Jordan Raanan and Todd Archer of ESPN.com report (on Twitter). Colombo will interview on Tuesday, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. Given that Colombo worked under Garrett from 2016-19 as Cowboys assistant O-line coach and then O-line coach, it would seem the ex-Cowboys lineman has a good chance of landing this job. The Giants had Callahan on their radar and also interviewed former Judge Pats coworker Dave DeGuglielmo for the position.
  • After taking a leave of absence from Flores’ staff before the season began, Dolphins assistant Jim Caldwell did not coach during the team’s season. And the former Colts and Lions HC will not return to the Dolphins’ staff, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com notes. Caldwell, who stepped away for medical reasons, is back to full health and wants to coach again. He was recently mentioned in connection to the Eagles’ OC job.
  • A Joe Woods–Browns partnership looks to be on hold for the time being. While the former Broncos DC and current 49ers secondary coach is expected to become the next Browns DC, no agreement is expected until Super Bowl LIV’s conclusion, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Woods and incumbent Steve Wilks were vying for the job, and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer confirms a Woods-over-Wilks has been made.
  • The Browns will retain run-game coordinator Stump Mitchell, Cabot adds. Serving as running backs coach under Freddie Kitchens, Mitchell helped Nick Chubb to 1,494 rushing yards. Chubb’s seven 100-yard games were the most any Browns back has compiled in 51 years, matching Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly‘s 1968 total.
  • Kevin Stefanski is also considering retaining DBs coach DeWayne Walker, per Cabot. Walker is a holdover from the Hue Jackson staffs, initially joining the Browns in 2017 after four years as the Jaguars’ secondary coach.

Dolphins Add To Coaching Staff

January 20th, 2020 at 7:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2020 Dolphins will have two new coordinators, but in addition to the previously revealed Chan Gailey–Josh Boyer OC-DC setup, the rebuilding team will bring in some new position coaches as well.

Steve Marshall will become the Dolphins’ third offensive line coach in two years, while Curt Kuntz and Austin Clark will come aboard as assistant defensive backs and outside linebackers coaches, respectively. None of Miami’s new assistants coached in the NFL this season.

Marshall will join Brian Flores‘ staff, following Pat Flaherty and Dave DeGuglielmo in the role. Both spent time as the Dolphins’ O-line coach last year. Marshall coached in the Alliance of American Football last year; his most recent NFL work came as Jets O-line coach from 2015-17. Marshall also spent time with the Packers, Texans and Browns while previously serving as offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and North Carolina.

Kuntz will make an interesting rise, having spent the past eight years as the head coach at Struthers (Ohio) High School. Bill Belichick‘s father, former Navy scout Steve Belichick, attended Struthers. This loose Patriots connection makes sense on Flores’ staff. Clark, 30, spent the past two seasons on Lovie Smith‘s Illinois staff. This will be Clark’s first NFL gig.

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