2020 February - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Notes: Super Bowl, Mahomes, Reid

February 3rd, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

For the first time in 50 years, the Chiefs are champs. And, after their thrilling come-from-behind victory, many say the Chiefs won’t have to wait nearly as long for their next Super Bowl trophy.

“Two, three, four – we’re going to build a dynasty here,” defensive tackle Chris Jones said last night (via Nancy Armour of USA Today). “To see that confetti fall – but this ain’t the only time. Kansas City, we’re fixing to build something special here.”

“The dynasty is just starting,” tight end Travis Kelce declared. “We’re motivated to do it again. For sure.”

Building a dynasty in the NFL is easier said than done, but the Chiefs are loaded with talent (especially on offense) and have their core players all signed for the foreseeable future. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but it’s also hard to dismiss the possibility that we could be witnessing the start of a dominant run for Kansas City.

Here’s more on the champs:

After winning the biggest prize in football, Patrick Mahomes reiterated his desire to stay with the Chiefs. “That’s stuff that’s handled with other people,” Mahomes said. “Obviously, I want to be in Kansas City a long time. I want to win a lot of football games.” The Chiefs, obviously, want to lock Mahomes down for years to come, but they don’t necessarily have to hammer out an extension this offseason. Mahomes still has one more year to go on his rookie deal – after that, the Chiefs can use the fifth-year option to hold him through 2021. When the deal finally happens, Mahomes could become the league’s first $200MM+ player with average yearly salaries in excess of $40MM/year.
Head coach Andy Reid, who secured his first Super Bowl trophy at the age of 61, isn’t thinking about retiring anytime soon. “I’ve got this young quarterback over here that makes life easy,” said Reid, in reference to Mahomes. Thanks to the extension he signed a few years back, the Chiefs have Reid under contract through the 2021 season.
Before the Super Bowl, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy confirmed that he is still eyeing a head coaching job. Given what he’s helped to build in KC, his big break can’t be far off.

49ers To Prioritize Extension For George Kittle

February 2nd, 2020 at 10:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The 2019 NFL season is officially in the books. The 49ers just lost the Super Bowl in heartbreaking fashion, but they have to shake it off quickly and turn their attention to the offseason. Star tight end George Kittle is set to enter the final year of his rookie deal in 2020, and it sounds like San Francisco isn’t going to let him get anywhere close to free agency.

The 49ers are going to prioritize an extension for the Iowa product, and negotiations will begin “as soon as after the game,” sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter video link). Garafolo thinks Kittle will “blow the lid off” the top of the tight end market, and that $13MM annually is the floor of what he can expect to get on his new contract. As Garafolo points out the current top of the market is around $9-10MM for guys like Travis Kelce, so it sounds like the market is truly going to be reset.

Given the numbers Kittle has put up during his brief time in the league, those figures aren’t shocking. A fifth-round pick in 2017, Kittle has performed well beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. In 2018 he set the single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,377, and he’s been an All-Pro in back to back years.

In addition to his receiving prowess he’s also one of the best blockers in the league, and he’s the engine of San Francisco’s NFC championship winning offense. As Garafolo’s NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport pointed out in the same video, the 49ers have adopted an organizational philosophy of locking guys up early and rewarding their own, so it should only be a matter of time before Kittle gets paid. It should help the sting of the Super Bowl loss. The 26-year-old recently revealed that he’s been playing with a torn labrum, but that he doesn’t plan on getting surgery.

Chargers May Tag Philip Rivers, Colts And Retirement Also Options

February 2nd, 2020 at 8:34pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Philip Rivers‘ future is very much up in the air. There have been indications that Rivers could be headed for a split with the Chargers, although that certainly isn’t definite. To that end, Los Angeles hasn’t “firmly decided” what they’re going to do with Rivers, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter video link).

Rapoport reports that the Chargers are still mulling using their franchise tag on Rivers. If they do decide to move on, Rapoport says not to be surprised if the Colts emerge as a landing spot. Rivers has plenty of connections to Indy, as head coach Frank Reich used to be his offensive coordinator in San Diego and he also played under Colts OC Nick Sirianni. We’ve also heard that Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers could be interested in Rivers’ services.

Interestingly, Rapoport says that retirement is still an option for Rivers if his market isn’t too hot, which is new. Rivers said immediately after the season ended that he had no plans to retire. Rapoport’s NFL Network colleague Mike Garafolo said in the same clip that he had also heard retirement is still on the table.

Rivers had a down 2019 due to a lot of turnovers, but the year before he was one of the best passers in the league. He led the Chargers to a 12-4 record that year while tossing 32 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, averaging a robust 8.5 yards per attempt.

Drew Brees Expected To Return To Saints

February 2nd, 2020 at 7:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Saints’ quarterback situation recently. The consensus seems to be that New Orleans envisions Taysom Hill taking over as their starter in 2021, but that they’d like Drew Brees back for a bridge year.

Given that Brees is facing the possibility of splitting more snaps with Hill and recent comments that he made indicating he’s seriously considering retirement, it seemed very much up in the air whether or not he’d return. That being said, the tide seems to be turning back toward him coming back for one more run at another Super Bowl. Brees is expected by people around him and the team to play in 2020, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter video link).

Garafolo cautions that it’s not 100 percent, but that it’s the “educated guess” of everybody around the situation. Head coach Sean Payton recently admitted it was “unrealistic” to bring back Teddy Bridgewater with Brees and Hill, which could indicate he expects to have his 41-year-old passer.

His numbers were still very solid in 2019, but seemingly everyone has acknowledged that the end is near. He’s said he won’t play anywhere other than New Orleans, so it sounds like 2020 will definitely be his last season if he does play. Brees was sidelined for an extended period due to injury for the first time since 2003 this past season, as he missed five games due to a torn ligament in his thumb.

49ers Extend Passing Game Coordinator Mike LaFleur

February 2nd, 2020 at 6:01pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Mike LaFleur is coaching in the Super Bowl Sunday, and no matter what happens he’ll be back in San Francisco next year. The 49ers have extended their passing game coordinator, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

LaFleur had been on an expiring contract, and he won’t be hitting the open market now. He’s the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, and Schefter writes that his brother had wanted him to join his staff in Green Bay. He bested his brother in the NFC Championship game, and now the LaFleurs won’t be joining forces. The younger LaFleur was also apparently a candidate to become Cleveland’s offensive coordinator.

He got his coaching start in the college ranks, and then jumped to the NFL to serve under Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta before following him to San Francisco. Several Shanahan assistants drew interest from other teams this offseason, including LaFleur, running game coordinator Mike McDaniel, and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. With all the success Shanahan has been having, he likely won’t be able to keep his staff together much longer.

Vernon Davis Announces Retirement

February 2nd, 2020 at 4:01pm CST by Zachary Links

This is the end of the line for tight end Vernon Davis. The Redskins tight end casually announced his retirement during a pre-Super Bowl sketch with Rob Gronkowski on Sunday and, soon after, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link) confirmed that Davis is, in fact, walking away from the game.

This marks the end of Davis’ 14-year run in the NFL, which was mostly split between the Redskins and the runners-up to Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers. All in all, Davis hauled in 441 receptions for 583 receptions for 7,562 yards and 63 touchdowns.

In between his runs in D.C. and SF, Davis spent half of the 2015 season with the Broncos. In that magical year, Davis earned a Super Bowl ring as the Broncos went on to top the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

Davis’ career began in 2006, when the Niners chose him with the No. 6 overall pick. His true breakout year came in ’07, when he posted a 52/509/4 stat line as the team’s season-long starter. He’d go on to capture two Pro Bowl nominations, starting with the 2009 season in which he co-led the NFL with 13 receiving touchdowns.

This past season, Davis was limited to just four games after suffering a concussion. Davis has endured several brain injuries over the years, which was likely a factor in his retirement.

Davis, who just turned 36, should have ample football-adjacent opportunities ahead of him. We here at PFR wish Davis the best in retirement.

Dak Prescott Likely To Be Franchise Tagged

February 2nd, 2020 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott could be on course for the franchise tag, ESPN’s Adam Schefter hears. The two sides have been discussing a long-term deal, but, at this time, it doesn’t sound like they’ll be able to hammer out a new deal between now and March.

Publicly, both sides have expressed optimism about reaching agreement on a contract that would keep Prescott in Dallas for years to come. However, there’s a major gap to be bridged – Prescott, reportedly, was looking to beat Russell Wilson‘s league-leading $35MM/year average during his phenomenal first half to the 2019 season. Even though things fell apart down the stretch, Prescott is still looking for a contract that will position him as one of the highest-paid QBs in the game.

Prescott, a two-time Pro Bowler, threw for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns, setting new career watermarks in each category. Realistically, there’s no scenario in which the Cowboys would allow him to reach unfettered free agency. If they can’t lock him down, the Cowboys will cuff him for roughly $27MM in 2020.

If tagged, Prescott could theoretically stay away from the team’s offseason program until he puts pen to paper. It’s hard to envision a Melvin Gordon-type scenario where Prescott misses regular season games, however, so that threat probably won’t move the needle for Jerry Jones & Co.

Prescott probably won’t be a free agent this offseason, but there are plenty of other intriguing QBs on course for open waters, including Tom Brady, Ryan Tannehill, Jameis Winston, Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater, and Case Keenum.

Raiders To Pursue Tom Brady

February 2nd, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are preparing to make a run for Tom Brady this offseason, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter hears. The Raiders have been less-than-thrilled with Derek Carr, and Brady would represent a major step up at the quarterback position.

Brady, for the most part, has kept mum about his future plans. His Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, however, indicated that he’ll continue playing in 2020.

The Raiders already have Derek Carr signed through the 2022 season, but they’re not necessarily stuck with him. If they release him midway through his five-year, $125MM deal, they’ll be left with just $5MM in dead money versus $16.5MM in cap savings. That money could be redirected towards Brady, who can command one of the highest salaries in the NFL.

The Patriots are prepared to give Brady a deal worth $30MM per annum, which would at least put him in the range of his true market value. The Raiders, meanwhile, can offer him something in the same neighborhood by clearing most of Carr’s salary from the books.

Brady may be past his prime, but that sort of thing has never dissuaded Raiders head coach Jon Gruden. Brady, 42, would give the Raiders a proven winner and tons of star power in their inaugural Las Vegas season.

The competition for Brady figures to be fierce and will extend beyond the Patriots and Raiders. The Chargers, Dolphins, and Titans (depending on how things shake out with Ryan Tannehill) figure to be just some of the teams that will weigh the future Hall of Famer this offseason.

Patriots Prepared To Pay Tom Brady $30MM/Year

February 2nd, 2020 at 11:00am CST by Rory Parks

Tom Brady and the Patriots could very well extend their remarkably fruitful relationship into 2020 and beyond, and New England is prepared to do whatever it can to make that happen. Per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Pats are willing to pay Brady $30MM or more per season to get him to stay in Foxborough (video link).

That would bring Brady more in line with the pay of elite QBs around the league, but in addition to the size of his own contract, Brady wants the club to pony up some cash and/or draft capital to bring in more talent to surround him. The Pats were carried by their defense this year, and their general dearth of weapons at wide receiver and tight end proved to be costly down the stretch of the 2019 season and played a major role in their wildcard round defeat.

We have long heard that the Chargers could be among the non-Patriots suitors for Brady, and Rapoport confirms that the Bolts are expected to make a strong push for the legendary signal-caller. RapSheet notes in a written piece that the Chargers, who are prepared to move into an extravagant new stadium in LA, could incorporate Brady’s TB12 workout facility, which is important to Brady. Rapoport also mentions the Titans as a potential landing spot (depending, of course, on what they choose to do with Ryan Tannehill).

Meanwhile, the Patriots are working on contingency plans just in case they cannot convince Brady to rejoin them. One such option includes a trade for a veteran QB, and there could be several viable players on the trade market, including Cam Newton and Andy Dalton.

49ers’ HC Kyle Shanahan, GM John Lynch In Line For Extensions

February 2nd, 2020 at 9:19am CST by Rory Parks

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch both joined the team in 2017 and received matching six-year contracts. In year three of their partnership, they have guided San Francisco to the brink of their sixth Super Bowl championship, and they are about to be rewarded for it.

Sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com that both men are in line for new deals — which will surely include handsome raises — sometime this offseason. All sides are hoping that this will get done prior to the start of the 2020 regular season.

Shanahan told owner Jed York during his interview three years ago that he was inheriting a “horrible” roster, and York knew that the 2019 season would be the first season in which the team’s new power structure could be fairly judged. The fact that QB Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3 of the 2018 campaign might have pushed back York’s timeline, but the team has largely managed to stay healthy this year and has lived up to Lynch’s vision of a team that is stout up front on both sides of the ball.

Rapoport and Garafolo offer a few more details on the interview process that convinced York that Lynch, who had no front office or coaching experience at the time, was the right man for the job, so the piece is worth a read for Niners fans. The relationship between the neophyte GM and head coach started in a good place and has only blossomed from there, and both men appear poised to lead the team for the foreseeable future.

It is fascinating to see how quickly things can change. In July, there were rumors that Lynch and DC Robert Saleh were on the hot seat. Months later, Saleh became a hot head coaching candidate and Lynch is staring down the barrel of a Super Bowl ring and a new contract.