HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Jets QB Mike White Cleared To Return; Zach Wilson To Be Inactive

December 26th, 2022 at 11:31am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ playoff hopes have received a significant boost today. Quarterback Mike White has been medically cleared to return to game action in time for Week 17, and he will resume his role as the team’s starting quarterback (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).

The news comes after White missed the past two games with multiple fractured ribs. He exited the Jets’ loss to the Bills on more than one occasion after taking significant hits, and was clearly playing through pain by the end of the contest. He underwent testing from numerous doctors in his push to return as quickly as possible, but ultimately missed the past two games while recovering.

That opened the door to Zach Wilson taking over the No. 1 role once again, after he had been benched in favor of White earlier in the year. The 2021 second overall pick delivered a better performance than most of his others during his brief NFL tenure in a 20-17 loss to the Lions in Week 15. However, he followed that up with a showing last Thursday which included 92 passing yards and an interception. Wilson was replaced by Chris Streveler midway through New York’s hugely underwhelming loss to Jacksonville, a result which put their playoff chances in significant jeopardy.

More importantly, it marked another missed opportunity for Wilson to establish himself as the franchise signal-caller he was drafted to become. That has led to recent reporting that the Jets could be looking to part ways with the BYU product this offseason, despite two years (with the potential of three, due to the fifth-year option) remaining on his rookie contract. Such a move would constitute an abject failure for all parties involved, given the draft capital New York invested in Wilson to provide them with long-term stability at the position.

As White earns his job back, Wilson will again drop to the No. 3 spot on the Jets’ depth chart. Same as it was in the weeks immediately following Wilson’s demotion, the second-year passer is set to be inactive going forward. Joe Flacco will back up White, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweets. Barring injury, White is the starter for the rest of the season, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Since his return from an August PCL injury, Wilson has gone from starter to third-stringer to second-stringer, back to starter and now back to the third-string depth chart slot.

Despite Wilson’s rough ride as Gang Green’s starter in his second season, Robert Saleh still places faith in his long-term value. The Jets are shutting him down again, and although Sunday’s report indicated this could be it for the ex-BYU starter in the Big Apple, Saleh is again attempting to soften the landing here.

“The plan for Zach hasn’t changed. I still think he has a future here,” Saleh said, via Cimini. “I still think he’s going to be a really good quarterback. He needs time to just kind of sit back and continue the development that we were trying re-kick start, if you will, after the New England game. We still have him in our future and in our plans.”

White flashed potential while filling in for an injured Wilson last season, and has likewise done enough in his three starts in 2022 to earn head coach Saleh’s trust in the final weeks of the season. The former Cowboys fifth-rounder has averaged just over 317 passing yards per game, though that figure has only resulted in three touchdown passes against a pair of interceptions. Still, the offense’s overall productivity with him under center makes the decision to go back to him as soon as possible an unsurprising one.

White is a pending free agent, something which, along with the uncertainty surrounding Wilson’s future in the Big Apple, leaves the quarterback position one filled with plenty of intrigue heading into 2023. In the immediate future, though, White will look to end the four-game losing streak which has the Jets currently sitting at 7-8. A Wild Card spot is still possible if he can regain the form he showed prior to the injury.

Buccaneers T Josh Wells Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury

December 26th, 2022 at 10:32am CST by Adam La Rose

Tampa Bay earned a come-from-behind, overtime win last night to maintain their lead atop the NFC South. The Buccaneers lost another member of their offensive line for the remainder of the season in the process, however.

Swing tackle Josh Wells suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and is out for the year, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). He was carted off the field after just 16 snaps yesterday, and was quickly ruled out by the team. That invited speculation that a major injury had occurred, and today’s news confirms that Tampa’s o-line has been dealt another blow.

Wells, 31, was set to make his fourth consecutive start in place of an injured starter at tackle on Sunday, having filled in for Tristan Wirfs the previous three weeks. The latter returned for Week 16, but blindside protector Donovan Smith was unable to play, requiring Wells to shift to the left tackle spot. Wells had already logged the most snaps in a season of his four-year tenure with the Buccaneers (310) prior to suffering the injury.

The former UDFA has made 56 total appearances in Tampa Bay since signing there in 2019. His experience filling in when needed and familiarity with the organization led to a fourth consecutive one-year deal this offseason. The injuries to Wirfs, and then Smith, highlighted his importance despite logging an overall snap share of only 41% on the year. Wells’ PFF grade for 2022 (67.8) was the second-highest of his career, behind only the rating from his rookie campaign in Jacksonville.

This news adds further to the tumult Tampa Bay has endured with respect to their offensive line this season. Both starting guard spots needed replacing with the retirement of Ali Marpet and the free agent departure of Alex Cappa. That was followed by center Ryan Jensen going down with what is expected to be a season-ending injury of his own. The unit’s availability issues – which included Wells being placed on IR in September – have contributed to Tampa’s inconsistency on offense, which has seen the team rank last in rushing production.

If Smith (whom head coach Todd Bowles recently considered benching for performance reasons) is unable to suit up in Week 17, Tampa will likely turn to undrafted rookie Brandon Walton to fill in for him. The latter played 65 snaps in relief of Wells after he went down, and could have a significant role to play in the closing weeks of the season.

AFC North Notes: Zimmer, Ravens’ Staff, Watson

December 25th, 2022 at 8:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals were struck with tragedy in October when assistant coach Adam Zimmer passed away. The 38-year-old had been hired to come back to Cincinnati earlier this year to work as an offensive analyst. The son of longtime Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, Adam had been in Minnesota since 2014 prior to that.

As detailed by Paul Walsh of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that Zimmer died of chronic alcohol abuse. Specifically, his passing came about due to “complications of chronic ethanol use disorder,” and was deemed to be natural. Zimmer had worked as an NFL staffer starting in 2006, spending time with the Saints and Chiefs before one year with the Bengals in 2013. He worked as a co-defensive coordinator of the Vikings in 2020 and 2021 before taking his final NFL role, the first which involved work on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are some other notes from the AFC North:

  • The Ravens clinched a playoff spot yesterday, and a division title is still within reach. Their offense has struggled throughout much of the season, however, especially in recent weeks with Lamar Jackson sidelined due to a PCL injury. That has led to calls for changes on the sidelines and increasing scrutiny on offensive coordinator Greg Roman in particular. No such move will be coming in at least the near future, though; head coach John Harbaugh stated (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, on Twitter) that he remains confident in his staff as is, adding that he is not considering any personnel changes at this time. Baltimore’s issues in the redzone have been a near-constant in 2022, with the team’s touchdown percentage of 46.3% ranking 30th in the league. In the three weeks with backup QB Tyler Huntley playing, that figure has plummeted to 22.2%.
  • The pursuit of Deshaun Watson was one of the league’s top storylines this offseason, with the Browns ultimately winning out. A large reason the recently-suspended passer chose to go to Cleveland was the nature of their fully-guaranteed, $230MM contract offer, of course, but another factor loomed large. The presence of head coach Kevin Stefanski was a “major reason” Watson chose to join the Browns, notes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The third-year HC has been reported to be on the hot seat this season, one in which the team has fallen short of expectations. A strong connection between he and Watson could help the Browns put together an encouraging end to the campaign, though, and help Stefanski remain in his post for at least 2023, the first year where Watson will be available for a full schedule since his acquisition.

Bengals RT La’el Collins Out For Season

December 25th, 2022 at 3:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

La’el Collins exited the Bengals’ win over the Patriots yesterday, and that game will prove to be his last in 2022. The veteran right tackle has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).

The 29-year-old was feared to have suffered a significant knee injury based on how he left the game yesterday. After initial testing, however, it was believed that his ACL was intact. That would have left open the possibility for a return later in the season, with his kneecap thought to be the primary cause for concern. Instead, his season is now over, and Conway adds that a seven-month recovery timetable is expected.

Collins established himself as an effective tackle during five of his six seasons spent with the Cowboys. That tenure included two straight campaigns with PFF grades in the 80s, making him an attractive free agent this past offseason. The former UDFA signed a three-year, $21MM deal with the Bengals as the reigning AFC champions set about reinforcing their offensive line through a number of moves.

Collins came with red flags about availability, however, dating back to his time in Dallas. Injuries – including a lost campaign in 2020 – as well as suspensions led to significant missed time at various points of his career. He had played every game before yesterday’s injury, though, which had been an encouraging sign for the Bengals’ offense. Collins has been charged with eight sacks allowed by PFF, leading to an overall grade of 57.8 – a steep decline from his ratings during his past three healthy seasons.

As the LSU product turns his attention to the lengthy rehab required of him, the Bengals will likely turn to Hakeem Adeniji in his place. The 2020 sixth-rounder logged 64 snaps in relief of Collins yesterday, marking his highest usage this season. He had previously started 15 of 24 games across the past two seasons, including all nine of the contests he played last year, when he played exclusively at right guard.

That spot is now manned by Alex Cappa, another big-ticket acquisition from the spring. He, Collins and center Ted Karras have helped the Bengals put together the fifth-ranked total and scoring offense in the league. The unit has seen a number of absences this year – including, most notably, star wideout Ja’Marr Chase – but this news marks the latest blow for the AFC North leaders.

Cardinals, Chargers, Vikings Work Out QB Nathan Rourke

December 25th, 2022 at 1:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The free agency tour has continued for Canadian Football League quarterback Nathan Rourke. The 24-year-old’s BC Lions were knocked out of the CFL playoffs a little over a month ago and Rourke has been in communication with NFL teams ever since.

Rourke played three years of college ball at Ohio after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. As a starter for all three years, Rourke was one of the country’s most electric dual-threat quarterbacks. He improved each year as a passer, finishing with a career total of 7,457 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His consistency as a runner was uncanny. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Rourke ran the ball 137, 134, and 154 times, respectively, for 912, 860, and 867 yards, respectively. Over the three seasons he ran for 2,034 yards and 49 touchdowns. That’s 9,511 yards of total offense and 111 total touchdowns, when you include the two receiving touchdowns he had as a Bobcat.

Rourke went undrafted by the NFL but was the highest drafted quarterback for the CFL in almost 20 years. A rough first season in British Columbia saw Rourke serve mainly as a backup, only starting two games, and making some mistakes early in his career. He only threw three touchdowns to five interceptions, although he was able to add five touchdowns on the ground, as well. In his second year with the team, during the league’s 2022 season, Rourke became a full-time starter. In nine starts, Rourke completed 78.7% of his passes for 3,349 yards while throwing 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also added 304 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs.

Rourke’s initial few visits following his CFL playoff exit saw him meet with Las Vegas, Jacksonville, and Denver. Since then, Rourke has continued his tour. On Monday of this week, Rourke worked out with the Vikings, according to Justin Dunk of 3downnation.com, and followed that up with a Tuesday work out with the Cardinals. Additionally, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported a workout with the Chargers.

This continues a trend from his first few visits. All the teams that Rourke has visited are fairly settled in with starting quarterbacks. Besides the Vikings, all the other teams are even in relatively young deals with their starting quarterbacks. This seems to insinuate that teams are looking at Rourke primarily in a backup role. Given the recent success of XFL quarterbacks who went from backups to eventual starters, like Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker, Rourke could be in search of a perfect fit that could set him up for success in the future.

This could open the door for teams in the league to continue looking for players at positions as important as quarterback outside of the traditional talent pools of the college draft and free agency. Regardless, the intrigue created by Rourke remains as teams continue to kick the tires of the mobile, young quarterback.

NFC Injury Rumors: Rams, Peat, Buccaneers

December 25th, 2022 at 12:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Injuries continue to hamper the Rams in the final stretch of the season. News earlier this week confirmed that calf strains to center Brian Allen and wide receiver Ben Skowronek “are severe enough to sideline them for the rest of the season,” according to team staff writer Stu Jackson. That leaves Los Angeles down two more starters as the Super Bowl hangover continues.

Allen has had a disappointing season, health-wise. After missing five weeks while dealing with a knee injury early on in the year, then two more with a thumb issue, the calf strain has finally put an end to Allen’s tumultuous 2022 season. Starting guard Coleman Shelton, who has plenty of past experience at center, moved inside when Allen left last week’s game and will continue to start at center for the remainder of the season. To replace Shelton at right guard, the team will choose between backup linemen Bobby Evans, Oday Aboushi, and Zach Thomas.

Not that there was much damage left to do to the battle-worn Rams, but Skowronek is yet another damaging loss to the team. With starting receivers Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson already on injured reserve, Skowronek was Los Angeles’s leading wideout still on the active roster. With the former Notre Dame tight end joining Kupp and Robinson as out for the remainder of the year, quarterback Baker Mayfield will be passing to Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Brandon Powell, Austin Trammell, and Lance McCutcheon.

Allen and Skowronek add their names to the litany of Rams’ starters who have gone down for the year. Here are a few other injury rumors from around the NFC, focusing on a couple teams in the South:

  • Saints starting guard Andrus Peat left Saturday’s win over the Browns with an ankle injury and did not return. Peat is no stranger to injuries, having struggled with them throughout his NFL career. His absence, though, puts New Orleans in a tough spot as it succeeded in remaining in the NFC South race with Saturday’s victory. Already down starting right guard Cesar Ruiz, who is out for the year with a Lisfranc injury, the Saints are having to put together a patchwork offensive line. Peat’s usual backup, Calvin Throckmorton, started the game in place of Ruiz. With backup guard Lewis Kidd inactive, New Orleans had to turn to Josh Andrews, a practice squad center who had been a gameday elevation. The severity of the injury has yet to be determined, but an extended absence from Peat would make it even more difficult for the Saints to clinch a playoff spot down the stretch.
  • The Buccaneers ruled out three starters for today’s matchup with the Cardinals, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. Starting tackle Donovan Smith, defensive tackle Vita Vea, and cornerback Jamel Dean have all been ruled out, as has outside linebacker Carl Nassib. With the bad news comes the good news that Tampa Bay’s other starting tackle Tristan Wirfs is expected to play today. Backup tackle Josh Wells, who was also questionable coming into this week, will likely start in place of Smith. Vea’s role should be filled by Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Dean will likely be replaced by a combination of Sean Murphy-Bunting, Dee Delaney, and Zyon McCollum.

AFC Rumors: Ravens, Collins, Bengals, Henry

December 25th, 2022 at 10:34am CST by Ely Allen

Ravens defensive lineman Calais Campbell missed Sunday’sgame against the Falcons as he continues to deal with a knee injury suffered a week prior in the team’s loss to Cleveland, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Yesterday’s absence was only his second of the season, an impressive showing for the 36-year-old who has showed a consistent sturdiness for his entire career.

The wording of Fowler’s tweet was a bit unclear. He stated that “Campbell could miss some time” due to the injury, which could be interpreted as a potential extended absence for the defensive leader. Fowler’s tweet, which came earlier this week, also questioned the status of this week’s game against the Falcons, indicating that perhaps the uncertainty of “could miss some time” was not pointed towards how much time he may miss but if he would miss time at all. Regardless, Campbell sat out Saturday’s game and, after the team clinched a playoff spot with a win, he may be able to take a little extra time to rest up for a postseason run.

The team also played without rookie outside linebacker David Ojabo yesterday. Nine months after a torn Achilles injury, Ojabo finally made his NFL debut against the Browns last week, playing one defensive snap and four special teams snaps. He wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report, but whatever Ojabo is dealing with, he returned back to the inactive list this week.

Here are a few other injury rumors from around the AFC, starting with two division rival players in Cincinatti:

  • Bengals tackle La’el Collins left Saturday’s win over the Patriots with a knee injury, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Reportedly, initial concerns were about an ACL injury, but the ligament is believed to be intact. The new understanding is that Collins’ kneecap shifted out and then back into place, resulting in the significant pain that required him to leave the game. More tests will follow to determine the severity of Collins’ knee injury.
  • Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson started yesterday for the Cincinnati defense despite his broken wrist and likely plans to continue to start for the remainder of the season, according to Paul Dehner of The Athletic. Hendrickson reportedly confirmed that his wrist is broken but explained that “multiple doctors” told him that the injury cannot worsen. He has the ability to play through the injury with no need of a club; he will have full hand and finger mobility. As long as Hendrickson can manage and play through the pain, he will be able to continue contributing to the AFC North leaders.
  • Patriots tight end Hunter Henry left Saturday’s loss with a knee injury after only one drive, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Henry was unable to contribute to the box score before leaving. Henry, who has dealt with multiple knee injuries over his career, is considered day-to-day and will undergo further tests this week. If Henry misses any time, veteran tight end Jonnu Smith would be the next man in line for snaps. Unfortunately, Smith exited yesterday’s game with a concussion, so he, too, will have some work to do to play next week. If neither player can go when the team hosts the Dolphins next week, New England may have to turn to practice squad receiver Scotty Washington who is sometimes listed at tight end, as well.

Bill O’Brien Emerging As “Strong Option” To Be Patriots OC

December 24th, 2022 at 7:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots offense has struggled mightily in 2022, and the organization may turn to a familiar face to right the ship. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Bill O’Brien is emerging as “a strong option” to be New England’s offensive coordinator next season.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard O’Brien’s name connected to the gig. He was mentioned as a potential option when Josh McDaniels left New England for Las Vegas, but Bill Belichick ultimately didn’t want to steal O’Brien from good friend Nick Saban. O’Brien has served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator for the past two seasons. Rapoport notes that the coach gave Saban a two-year commitment when he joined the program, and no extension has materialized. This has left an NFL return as a “real thought” for O’Brien.

Naturally, the Patriots would be a fit. O’Brien was on New England’s staff for five seasons, culminating in him earning the role of OC. The coach eventually left for Penn State before returning to the NFL as the Texans’ head coach. Houston went 52-48 in O’Brien’s six-plus seasons, including four playoff nods.

Further, the Patriots offense has taken a major step back during Mac Jones‘ second season in the NFL, although the organization hasn’t necessarily put the former first-round pick in a position to succeed. The Patriots have turned to former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and former special teams coordinator Joe Judge to help guide their offense, and as a result, New England ranks in the bottom half of the NFL in most offensive categories.

“I think it goes back to just trusting the process of everything and doing whatever you can do to become a great football player,” Jones said recently (via Rapoport). “Eventually that will show up on film. So a lot of things as an offense, it’s 11 guys and you have to try to push everybody as a quarterback to do the right thing and make sure we’re all on the same page. We’ve done that at times. But just getting that consistency. Obviously with myself, too.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/24/22

December 24th, 2022 at 6:52pm CST by Ely Allen

Following the Saturday slate of games, we still have four more games this week. Here are the minor moves leading up to the three Sunday games on Christmas Day:

Arizona Cardinals

Denver Broncos

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Murphy has missed the last five games for the Cardinals while dealing with a back issue, so while it’s not necessarily a further setback for Arizona, the transaction indicates that Murphy will miss the rest of the season before going into free agency. With Murphy absent, the Cardinals have started veteran Antonio Hamilton across from Marco Wilson.

Since losing starting running back Javonte Williams to injured reserve and waiving Melvin Gordon, the Broncos have utilized a combination of Marlon Mack, Latavius Murray, and a pinch of Edmonds. Edmonds was sent to Denver in a trade that sent star pass rusher Bradley Chubb to Miami. He only recorded four rushing attempts in two games with the Broncos before being placed on IR with an ankle injury. Edmonds will return to help back up Murray and Mack in the team’s final three games of the season.

Latest On Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

December 24th, 2022 at 5:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Baltimore was able to clinch a playoff berth today following their win over the Falcons, combined with a loss by the Patriots, but many are focused more on the team’s long-term future. More specifically, many are still glued to the ever-evolving situation concerning quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is currently playing out the final year of his rookie contract.

Early in the season, it appeared that Jackson was on his way to outpacing the numbers from his 2019 MVP season. Impressive offensive performances against the Jets, Dolphins, and Patriots had people wondering just how high Jackson was going to push his value, as he and the Ravens are set to continue negotiations for a potential new deal at the end of the season.

Over the next several weeks, Jackson would continue his high level of play, but the lack of offensive talent around him would hamper the team’s offensive success. In the running game, Jackson was forced to work the majority of games without his dependable 1-2 punch at running back. Through the 12 games Jackson would start, starting running back J.K. Dobbins and No. 2 back Gus Edwards would each miss eight games, only appearing in four apiece, none of which were together.

In the passing game, the Ravens have continually failed to surround Jackson with a legitimate array of pass catchers. Since being drafted, Jackson has depended on favorite targets like tight end Mark Andrews and wide receivers Marquise Brown and Rashod Bateman. Brown was traded away during the first round of last year’s draft while Andrews and Bateman have both been nagged by injuries this year. Besides those three, Jackson has been asked to rely on such receivers as Demarcus Robinson, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, DeSean Jackson, Sammy Watkins, Willie Snead, Seth Roberts, and Miles Boykin. One could argue that the best receiver group Jackson has ever gotten to work with was the group assembled for Joe Flacco in Jackson’s rookie season that was composed of Snead, Michael Crabtree, and John Brown.

Still, despite the lack of surrounding talent, Jackson has led the team to a franchise-best 14-2 record and five playoff berths while also winning an MVP-award for himself. He has certainly proven time and again in Baltimore that he is the team’s most valuable player by far. This was demonstrated most clearly last season when Jackson led the Ravens to a 7-4 start for games in which he played before suffering what would be a season-ending ankle injury. The Ravens would lose the game in which Jackson was injured and the following four games to end the year to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs for the first time since Jackson was drafted.

This season was looking eerily similar to last year when Jackson went down for the second time in two seasons with an injury suffered in the pocket (not on the run). Luckily for Baltimore, the Ravens have been able turn three of the four games that Jackson has missed the majority of into wins. Regardless, the offense has been anemic without Jackson, averaging 11.5 points in those four games. While subbing in for Jackson, backups Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown have been efficient, completing two-thirds of their pass attempts, while also being utterly unexciting. Together they’ve averaged 130.5 passing yards per game, throwing one touchdown to two interceptions, adding 27 rushing yards per game and one rushing score.

Baltimore’s offensive struggles without Jackson are apparent. And, while many initially thought that a second extended absence due to injury would hurt Jackson’s value in contract negotiations, it may have done just the opposite. Jackson’s absence has once again proven just how crucial he is to Baltimore’s success and just how doomed the franchise would be without him.

Just how much will Baltimore be willing to shell out to maintain the success that Jackson brings to the city? The price point for the deal stands at about $50MM, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is currently the only passer with a contract that averages over $50MM per year. With quarterback contract rates rising each year, it makes complete sense for the average for an elite quarterback to be inching up towards the $50MM mark. The other sticking point in the deal is that Jackson will likely be seeking a record amount in guarantees, as well, following the astronomical example Cleveland set when signing Deshaun Watson.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has continuously balked at the idea of such a deal. He essentially set the requirements for such a lucrative contract to be a Super Bowl victory. Jackson, though, has shown MVP talent and will play next season at the age of 26. With a full season surrounded by a healthy running backs group and more than one legitimate receiving option, there may be no limit to what Jackson can accomplish. Not to mention that Jackson is still set to return this season. Although the Ravens have clinched a playoff berth, winning their final two games versus Pittsburgh and at Cincinnati will clinch the AFC North title for Baltimore, no matter what Cincinnati does next week against the Bills.

La Canfora has his doubts about the two sides being able to reach an agreement. The plan likely remains for Baltimore to place an exclusive rights franchise tag on Jackson in the offseason. La Canfora predicts that, if the two can’t come to a long-term deal by April, trade rumors will begin to circulate as the draft inches closer.

It seems like a bit of an extreme measure to take for two parties that sounded like amicable negotiations could lead to a few more years of tentative agreements before landing on the final big contract. If it starts becoming more and more apparent that the union is not made to last, though, it would likely benefit Baltimore to get what value they can out of Jackson’s incredible talent before letting him walk away for nothing.

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