HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Latest On Bengals WRs Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd

February 11th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

During their playoff runs of the past two seasons, the Bengals have often been said to possess the NFL’s best receiving trio. Ja’Marr Chase leads the unit, but his two top supporting pass-catchers have played significant roles in the team’s success. Their respective futures could be headed in opposite directions, however.

Tee Higgins has become a highly productive wideout in his own right, spending one year in Cincinnati before Chase’s arrival and two years after it. As a rookie, Higgins totaled 908 yards and six touchdowns on 67 catches. The Bengals’ addition of Chase raised questions about Higgins’ workload to a degree, but the Clemson product has put up nearly identical statlines over the past two seasons with 74 receptions, over 1,000 yards and at least six scores in each campaign.

Higgins, 24, is now eligible for an extension. As a key member of the Bengals’ young core, he figures to be one of the team’s top offseason priorities (though finalizing a mega-deal with quarterback Joe Burrow tops that list). The former second-rounder would be in line for a hefty raise on a new pact given not only his production, but his age and position. The receiver market erupted last offseason, and is likely to continue to do so with the cap ceiling set to increase considerably in the future.

When speaking on the subject of his future, Higgins made his intentions clear. Specifically, he said, “I plan on being in Cincinnati for a while” (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). He is on the books for the 2023 season, the final year of his rookie contract, but would make for a logical extension candidate to stay in place alongside Burrow and Chase as the foundation of the Bengals’ offense. Things may be much different for the third member of Cincinnati’s WR trio.

Tyler Boyd has been a consistent complimentary piece in the Burrow era, but the presence of Higgins and Chase has had an unsurprising effect on the veteran’s workload. Boyd has seen his target and reception totals drop in each of the past three seasons. His 762 yards this past campaign was his fewest since 2017, and he figures to continue taking on a smaller role in the team’s passing attack.

Knowing that, the 28-year-old is aware of his status as a cut candidate. Boyd is under contract for one more year at a cap hit of $10.3MM, but with no guaranteed money left on his pact, the Bengals would see just under $9MM in savings via a release. He recently acknowledged the possibility of his Bengals tenure coming to an end, albeit with an optimistic tone.

“We’ll see what they want to do with me, but I know I’m still entitled for a year,” Boyd said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby. “I’m not counting my chances of not being here out. You never know.”

The Bengals are currently in better shape than most teams in terms of cap space, but several extensions with recent draftees need to be budgeted for. Whether or not their highly-acclaimed receiving trio remains intact for one more year will be worth watching as the offseason takes shape.

Coaching Notes: Burke, Bolts, Wendell, Jags

February 11th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the early days of the Cardinals‘ search for their next head coach, it was uncertain which assistants would be back. That still may be the case. But the Browns sought to hire one of the Cards’ assistants in January. Cleveland hiring Jim Schwartz as defensive coordinator prompted an interview request for Arizona defensive line coach Matt Burke, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). Burke had been the Lions’ linebackers coach throughout Schwartz’s time as Detroit’s HC, and the Browns wanted to reunite the veteran assistant with their new DC. But the Cardinals blocked the move, Breer adds.

This ended up working out well for Burke. Weeks later, the Texans filling their head coaching post led to DeMeco Ryans bringing him in for a defensive coordinator interview. Burke is now Houston’s DC, and he may be in position to call plays. Teams cannot block position coaches from interviewing for coordinator jobs any longer. The Cardinals’ HC hire will not come to pass until at least next week. Then, Arizona’s staff will start to take shape. Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Former Patriots offensive lineman Ryan Wendell will receive his first chance as an offensive line coach. The Rams are hiring him to lead their O-line, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Wendell, 36, spent the past four seasons with the Bills — the past three as their assistant O-line coach. Wendell played eight seasons with the Patriots, three as a regular starter, and was the team’s starting right guard during its Super Bowl XLIX-winning season in 2014. After beginning his coaching run in Buffalo, Wendell will take over a Rams O-line that struggled consistently last season.
  • The Chargers are in the process of filling out Kellen Moore‘s new offensive staff. They interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their quarterbacks coach position, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. One of Josh McDaniels‘ hires last year, Walker came to Las Vegas after a run on Duke’s staff under David Cutcliffe. The first of those years, back in 2018, featured Walker working as Daniel Jones‘ QBs coach.
  • Former Browns defensive backs coach Jeff Howard had multiple options to continue his career. He received offers from both the Chargers and Panthers, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who notes Howard chose the Bolts (Twitter link). Howard, an NFL assistant for the past 10 seasons, will be the Chargers’ next linebackers coach. The 40-year-old staffer spent seven years as a Vikings assistant before taking the Browns’ DBs job in 2020.
  • In addition to Wendell, the Bills will lose another assistant. Buffalo wide receivers coach Chad Hall will leave to take the same position with the Jaguars, Pelissero notes (via Twitter). Hall, 36, had spent the past four seasons as the Bills’ wideouts coach and had been with the team since Sean McDermott arrived in 2017. Hall’s contract had expired. An NFL receiver from 2010-14, Hall’s last stop came with the Jaguars. He also began his career with the Eagles, when current Jags HC Doug Pederson was on staff.
  • Sean Payton had eyed Dan Roushar, a longtime Saints assistant, for a spot on his Broncos staff. But the veteran assistant will instead stay in Louisiana. Roushar, whom the Saints dismissed last month, is expected to land on Tulane’s staff, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com tweets. Payton lured Roushar out of the college ranks in 2013, and he spent 10 seasons with the Saints coaching multiple positions. Payton will undoubtedly add some of his former Saints coworkers to his Broncos staff — Ronald Curry has interviewed for Denver’s OC job — but Roushar will return to the college game.

JuJu Smith-Schuster Wants To Re-Sign With Chiefs

February 11th, 2023 at 11:29am CST by Sam Robinson

JuJu Smith-Schuster used this season to show form resembling his early-career version, leading Chiefs wide receivers in yardage by a wide margin. Soon set for a third run as a free agent, the sixth-year veteran has put himself in position to cash in.

The former Steelers second-round pick has signed one-year deals in each of the past two offseasons, but his 933 receiving yards are his most since the 2018 Pro Bowl season. That ’18 campaign alongside Antonio Brown still looks like an outlier (1,426 yards), though Smith-Schuster has been integral to the Chiefs’ post-Tyreek Hill operation. Already collecting millions in incentives, the USC alum can earn another $1MM by playing 50% of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII offensive snaps. With Smith-Schuster no longer on Kansas City’s injury report, that seems likely to happen.

Although Smith-Schuster should have a bigger market compared to his 2021 and ’22 free agency forays, he said (via NFL.com’s Mike Giardi, on Twitter), “Yeah, I want to come back. Of course, man. Look where I’m at? I want to come back to this.”

The Chiefs gave Smith-Schuster a one-year deal worth $3.76MM. This came after the Steelers re-signed him for one year and $8MM in 2021. This year’s unremarkable free agent wide receiver contingent will benefit Smith-Schuster, who is still just 26. He joins the likes of Jakobi Meyers, DJ Chark, Allen Lazard, Parris Campbell and teammate Mecole Hardman as the top young wideouts available. Odell Beckham Jr. will resurface, but the 30-year-old’s injury past will complicate his market — as it did this year.

Smith-Schuster stands to be one of the top pass catchers available come March, unless he re-signs with the Chiefs before the market opens. Spotrac pegs his value at north of $14MM per year; that could complicate a path back to Missouri. The Chiefs will likely look to retain their nominal No. 1 wide receiver, with Hardman a free agent-to-be and Kadarius Toney (signed through 2024) not shaking the injury-prone label that helped lead the Giants to trade him. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, however, is under Chiefs control beyond this season.

When the Chiefs signed Smith-Schuster, they still had Hill on their roster. But the eventual AFC champions may have been in the initial stages of moving on from their unparalleled deep threat. Smith-Schuster’s low-cost pact came hours after the Raiders transformed the receiver market with their Davante Adams trade.

“It was crazy. I was hoping Tyreek and Travis [Kelce] were going to be our guys,” Smith-Schuster said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “Come to find out the changes and we’re still here [in the Super Bowl]. I don’t think it was ever about me filling shoes. It was, now I have more opportunities to make plays for this team.”

The Chiefs may have advanced to the Super Bowl without Hill, but the new Dolphin totaled a career-high 1,710 yards this season. Kansas City’s deep-passing numbers also dropped, with Next Gen Stats charting Patrick Mahomes throwing deep on just 8.2% of his attempts — a career-low figure. That marked a steep drop from his first MVP season (15.2%); that number also stood at 10% in 2021, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes.

“We had hoped to bring him back; it was our goal initially to bring him back. But the receiver market really shifted this offseason,” Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said (via Volin) of Hill, whom the team traded March 23. “It was something that nobody wanted to see happen, but it was the right decision. And then [GM Brett Veach] did a fantastic job with the draft capital that he received in bringing in new players, mostly on the defensive side.”

The Chiefs had begun Hill extension talks in early March; his previous deal ran through 2022. But Hill confirmed his price point changed after Adams’ $28MM-per-year deal surfaced. Hill said it would not have taken $30MM per year for him to stay in Kansas City, but the Chiefs moved on anyway. Veach addressed the franchise’s roster-building shift compared to Mahomes’ rookie-contract years. It will be interesting to see how high Kansas City will go to retain Smith-Schuster, who will have a tough decision to make in the coming weeks.

Texans To Add Two 49ers Assistants, Retain ST Coordinator Frank Ross

February 11th, 2023 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans will have a new defensive coordinator (Matt Burke) and will almost definitely hire an offensive coordinator from outside the organization as well, but the team is again planning to retain its special teams boss.

DeMeco Ryans intends to follow Lovie Smith‘s lead and keep special teams coordinator Frank Ross on staff, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports. Ross remains under contract and is in line to stay on for a third season in charge of Houston’s special teams. Smith had previously retained Ross, one of David Culley‘s hires in 2021.

[RELATED: Texans Interview Kliff Kingsbury For OC Job]

Veteran NFL reporter Rick Gosselin’s annual special teams rankings placed the Texans atop the list, despite their 3-13-1 record. Ka’imi Fairbairn was 29-for-31 on field goals, going 6-for-6 from beyond 50 yards, while the team recovered four fumbles on special teams. Punter Cameron Johnston also averaged a career-high 48.1 yards per boot and matched his 2021 percentage for punts inside the 20-yard line (42%); that number far surpasses his pre-Ross percentages.

Ross does not have a history with Ryans, but he does have a New England background and attended the same college (Ohio’s John Carroll University) as GM Nick Caserio. Ross was on the Patriots’ staff as a scout from 2015-17.

Houston will also bring over two more 49ers assistants along with Ryans. Stephen Adegoke, who worked as a quality control assistant in San Francisco, will become Houston’s safeties coach, Wilson adds. Adegoke, who will replace Joe Danna (the new Bills safeties coach), joined the 49ers during Ryans’ second year leading the defense. This will mark a quick transition for Adegoke, who was a Michigan graduate assistant as recently as 2021. Ryans also spent only one year on the quality control level, beginning as such for the 49ers in 2017, before moving up quickly.

Ryans will also bring over 49ers chief of staff Nick Kray to work in the same role, per Wilson. Kray had been in San Francisco throughout Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure. Ryans had 49ers D-line coach Kris Kocurek on the radar for the Texans’ DC gig, but the well-regarded position coach is staying with the 49ers. Cory Undlin, Shanahan’s defensive passing-game coordinator, remains on Ryans’ radar.

Panthers Add Josh McCown, Dom Capers To Staff

February 10th, 2023 at 9:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

Frank Reich‘s Panthers staff continues to take shape, and more familiar names are headed to Charlotte. Per a team announcement, Carolina has hired Josh McCown as quarterbacks coach and Dom Capers as a senior defensive assistant.

McCown, 43, spent two seasons (2008 and 2009) with the Panthers during his journeyman playing days. That stretch saw him attempt just six passes, but he is nevertheless a hire who, like Reich, has experience inside the organization. This position will be his first coaching opportunity at the NFL level, but certainly not the first which he was connected to.

Following the end of his playing career in Houston in 2020, McCown was named as candidate for the Texans’ head coaching vacancy. The same was true in the 2022 coaching cycle, and he was reportedly a finalist for the position before the team’s eleventh-hour decision to pivot to Lovie Smith. McCown said this past September that he would be open to taking on a non-HC role despite the repeated interest showed in him by the Texans.

In Carolina, McCown will join a highly-regarded bench boss in Reich, who figures to be heavily involved in the development of Carolina’s signal-callers (the identities of whom will, in all likelihood, be noticeably different by the start of the 2023 season than they are now). Interestingly, McCown’s hire has come before that of an offensive coordinator.

As for Capers, this news comes as little surprise. The 72-year-old will hold the same title in Carolina that he did in 2022 with the Broncos. That, of course, allowed him to work alongside defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. The pair helped guide Denver’s defense to a strong showing in the latter’s debut season at the coordinator level. Evero was hired by the Panthers to helm their defense this past weekend, and he will continue to have an experienced voice in Capers as a resource during the next chapter of his coaching career.

Capers was the head coach of the first team in Panthers history, one which was quarterbacked by Reich. He also worked with Evero during their time together with the Packers in 2016, and has given him high praise for his work as both an assistant and coordinator. Expectations will be raised for the Panthers in 2023, given their relatively strong finish to this past season, along with the acclaim and familiarity found on Reich’s staff.

Buccaneers Interview Thomas Brown For OC Position

February 10th, 2023 at 7:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

A new name has been added to the list of candidates for Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator vacancy. The team announced on Friday that Rams tight ends coach Thomas Brown interviewed with the Buccaneers to discuss their OC position.

The meeting was conducted virtually, and came not long after Tampa Bay’s only reported second interview. That, surprisingly, involved Bengals QBs coach Dan Pitcher, who had recently signed a new deal with Cincinnati. The Buccaneers continue to cast a wide net in their search for Byron Leftwich‘s replacement and with it, a more balanced approach on offense.

The NFC South champions averaged just under 270 passing yards per game in 2022, which was the second-highest figure in the NFL. However, they had the league’s worst rushing attack (77 yards per contest), and struggled to establish a rhythm during what turned out to be Tom Brady‘s final season under center. Given the tension reportedly involving he, head coach Todd Bowles and Leftwich, it came as little surprise that the latter was fired after the Buccaneers’ wild card loss.

Given his background, Brown could represent a logical candidate to help fix Tampa’s woes with respect to their ground game. The 36-year-old has been with the Rams since 2020, his first foray into coaching at the NFL level. Over that time, he held the title of running backs coach and assistant head coach in addition to his current one. Brown has widely been seen as one of the league’s top young offensive minds for some time now, as he has taken on an increasingly important role on Sean McVay‘s staff.

That made Brown a candidate for the Rams’ OC position, but the team went outside the organization in hiring Mike LaFleur. The former has also drawn considerable interest in this year’s cycle from other teams, however; Brown interviewed with the Cowboys in the wake of Kellen Moore‘s departure. He also met with the Chargers and Commanders for their respective OC vacancies, the latter of which has yet to be filled.

With Brown now potentially in the running in Tampa Bay, here is an updated look at the Buccaneers’ ongoing search:

Latest On Cardinals Coaching Search

February 10th, 2023 at 6:56pm CST by Ben Levine

FEBRUARY 10: Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill confirmed that the team’s new head coach will not be unveiled until after the Super Bowl. He said, via team reporter Darren Urban, that he and the front office will “pause throughout the rest of the weekend” and resume the search on Monday.

“We’re excited about the great progress we have made,” Bidwill said. “Every bit of advice as been ‘take your time’ and we have. I’m sure there are some frustrations with some of our fans, but we want to make the right decision, not the fastest decision.”

With only two known candidates remaining, it comes as little surprise that Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds he expects Arizona’s search process to “accelerate” after the Super Bowl has completed (video link). Barring a surprising hire being announced this weekend, Arizona will join Indianapolis in not having their new bench boss in place until the offseason has begun league-wide.

FEBURARY 8: There haven’t been many updates on the Cardinals’ head coaching search…besides the organization learning that they missed out on one of their top finalists. We learned recently that Brian Flores had backed out of the heading coaching race and would join the Vikings as their new defensive coordinator. That left Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo as Arizona’s final two candidates.

[RELATED: 2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Since the Giants and the Bengals are out of the playoffs, the Cardinals could sign either of the coaches immediately. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the organization isn’t expected to make a hire until after the Super Bowl. Cardinals reporter Mike Jurecki says “word on the street” is that the organization will hold a press conference announcing their new head coach next Tuesday.

The Cardinals may simply be taking their sweet time by delaying their inevitable hire of Kafka or Anarumo. However, the fact that they’re delaying the hiring until after the Super Bowl at least opens the door to them considering candidates from the Eagles and Chiefs coaching staffs. As our Head Coaching Tracker shows, the Cardinals haven’t interviewed any coaches from these two teams.

With new general manager Monti Ossenfort now running the front office, any of Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, or Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could suddenly emerge as a serious candidate. However, unless the organization had some unreported meeting with any of these coaches, it seems unlikely that they’d complete an interview and a hiring with a new candidate in only a matter of days (assuming the Tuesday press conference is accurate).

While Arizona has yet to hire a head coach, they have made one addition to the coaching staff. According to Jurecki (on Twitter), the organization is expected to hire Brant Boyer. The 51-year-old coach has spent the past seven years as the Jets’ special teams coordinator, and he’d presumably be taking on the same role in Arizona. Jeff Rodgers has served as the Cardinals’ special teams coordinator since 2019.

Trevor Lawrence To Be Involved In Jaguars’ Free Agent Plans

February 10th, 2023 at 5:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars finished the 2022 season strong, taking a significant step forward and advancing to the divisional round of the playoffs. Much of their success came about, of course, from the play of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The second-year passer is set for a continued large role in the team in an off-field capacity.

Lawrence will have a say in some of Jacksonville’s offseason moves, as detailed by Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union, including the upcoming free agent period. The Jaguars obviously made him the centerpiece of the organization by selecting him first overall in the 2021 draft, but his ascension this season under head coach Doug Pederson showed how vital he can be to their long-term success.

Lawrence is certainly not alone in terms of being given input on organizational decisions, especially in recent years. The news is still noteworthy, though, given how much more challenging Jacksonville’s offseason figures to be this spring. The rebuilding outfit had plenty of money to spend on the open market in 2022, and used it to add significant pieces on both sides of the ball. Their numerous additions in March, along with a rookie class led by another No. 1 pick, helped lead the team to an AFC South title.

Now, however, the Jaguars find themselves with cost-cutting to do to become cap compliant in the coming weeks. A few key pending free agents, including tight end Evan Engram and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, figure to be among the team’s top priorities. Mutual interest appears to exist in both player’s cases with respect to working out new deals to keep them in Duval County.

“You want to keep guys like that that really have set the standard for the organization and have been a part of what you’re building here,” Lawrence said, via Harvey, on the subject of Engram and Taylor’s free agent status. “I think moving forward, that’s one of the things you have to look at in the guys you want to have.”

Lawrence himself will not be eligible for an extension until next offseason, but he will spend the coming days and weeks playing a role in the Jaguars’ free agent planning. The decisions the team makes on that front will go a long way in determining their ability to repeat 2022’s success.

Dre’Mont Jones Wants To Stay With Broncos

February 10th, 2023 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dre’Mont Jones did not sound especially enthused about re-signing with the Broncos back in November, but the defensive lineman looks to have warmed up to the idea of staying in Denver.

The four-year Broncos defensive lineman said (via Twitter) he wants to stay with the team for “as long as possible.” This follows a similar stance issued (via Denver7’s Troy Renck) after the Broncos’ season ended. Multiple reports have pegged Jones as the Broncos’ top free agent priority, but it will not be automatic the free agent-to-be comes back.

A former third-round pick, Jones established himself as a three-year starter for the team. He offered consistency, tallying 6.5-, 5.5- and 6.5-sack seasons from 2020-22. The interior rusher also produced between seven and nine tackles for loss and either 10 or 11 quarterback hits in each of those seasons. The Ohio State product was on track to better those numbers this season, but a hip injury sidelined him for Denver’s final four games. This past season marked Jones’ first as a full-time starter.

The franchise tag represents a way for the Broncos to ensure Jones stays, but that appears a bit unrealistic due to the interior D-lineman’s production and the draft pick-poor team’s bevy of needs ahead of free agency. (Following the Sean Payton trade, the Broncos’ top picks arrive at the the Nos. 67 and 68 slots.) The Broncos have avenues to move their cap-space number well past $9.2MM — its present place, which ranks 14th in the NFL — but even if Jones is classified as a defensive tackle, a franchise tag number of $18.94MM would be steep. Both the D-end and D-tackle transition tags also come in above $16MM.

Denver is also moving into the Payton era. While the high-priced head coach has spoken highly of third-year GM George Paton, Payton will likely have final say on personnel matters. The Broncos have both Jones and guard Dalton Risner as higher-end UFAs-to-be. The team will have until March 13, when the legal tampering period begins, to finalize deals with Jones or Risner. Both 2019 draftees would hit the market at that point.

Tom Brady Announces Retirement

February 10th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 10: Brady filed a retirement letter Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Another comeback could certainly commence, but this decision will sting the Bucs ahead of free agency. Brady’s $35.1MM in dead money will accelerate onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap. Tampa Bay, which went to the void-years well with Brady again in 2022, will be free of this contract after 2023. But the team is $55MM-plus over the cap presently.

FEBRUARY 1: Exactly a year from the date he initially announced he would retire, Tom Brady again informed the Buccaneers he will walk away from the game. The legendary quarterback said Wednesday morning he will call it quits after 23 seasons (video link).

Although Brady backtracked on his Feb. 1, 2022 decision, he said recently another retirement call would be final. The 45-year-old superstar had already been linked to a few teams as a free agent, but it does not appear he was planning to leave Tampa. For months, Brady had indicated to confidants he would either play a fourth season with the Bucs or walk away, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Brady informed Bucs brass at 6am Wednesday he would take the retirement route.

Family considerations will drive Brady’s second retirement decision, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brady had long set an age-45 season as a goal, and while even that seemed a difficult milestone to hit, the former sixth-round Patriots draft choice got there and did so without displaying a significant decline. While the decision to unretire in March 2022 produced a wave of headlines and preceded an 8-9 Bucs season — one that ended with a blowout wild-card loss to the Cowboys — Brady still broke his own single-season NFL record for completions. The enduring great has just about every other passing standard on his resume, one that will be difficult for future quarterbacks to eclipse.

Last year’s retirement decision did not emerge from Brady himself, but rather from reports indicating he was departing after two Bucs seasons. Brady subsequently made a retirement announcement. Given Brady’s unmatched career and relentless desire to succeed on the field, even this exit cannot completely be labeled his definitive NFL walk-off. But the seven-time Super Bowl champion did add “for good” to his brief address this time.

“I’m retiring for good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I’d just press record and let you guys know first,” Brady said. “So I won’t be long-winded. I think you only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year.”

A recent Darlington report (video link) indicated two teams were looking into Brady as a free agent. He was set to hit the market for a second time in March. A Josh McDaniels reunion with the Raiders came up weeks ago, and speculation of Brady wrapping his career with his hometown 49ers intensified following Brock Purdy‘s UCL tear. The fact that teams were investigating Brady to be their starter in what would have been an age-46 season illustrates the staggering endurance the former Patriots cornerstone showed. The Michigan alum’s place as the greatest NFL player ever can be debated, but he displayed preposterous longevity that allowed for considerable distance to form between he and his peers in the record book.

Brady’s 89,214 career passing yards lead the field by more than 8,000; his 649 touchdown passes are 78 more than Drew Brees‘ second-place total. Playing in an astonishing 48 playoff games, Brady threw 88 postseason TD passes as well. He finished his career as a three-time MVP and five-time Super Bowl MVP. The last of those Super Bowl honors came for the Bucs two seasons ago, when his two-year, $50MM contract produced an immediate turnaround in Tampa. Brady then signed an extension, adding the 2022 season to his deal. Rather than attempt to walk away on a higher note, Brady following a tumultuous season with another retirement announcement will prompt a second Bucs quarterback search in two years.

Following Brady’s unretirement, the Bucs attempted to reload again. Prior to Brady’s third Tampa Bay season, however, steady reports of Miami connections emerged. The NFL then sanctioned the Dolphins for tampering for their effort to try and secure a Brady-Sean Payton alliance. The Dolphins are without a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 third-rounder as a result. Bruce Arians surprised most with his latest retirement — a March move many connected to a Brady power play — days after the Bucs learned their quarterback was staying. While Arians shot down that notion on multiple occasions, Brady headlines kept coming. Several weeks after Brady’s divorce from wife Gisele Bundchen became official, Darlington revealed the ageless signal-caller played the 2022 season down 15 pounds from his usual playing weight.

Brady left Bucs training camp, staying away from the team for more than a week. While he returned to the team and powered the Bucs to another NFC South title, this Tampa Bay edition fell from second to 25th offensively and rarely found the form it displayed during the previous two seasons. Todd Bowles fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich last month, after both Bowles and Brady voiced issues about the state of the offense, and the team continues to search for the four-year play-caller’s successor.

Like Peyton Manning‘s Broncos stay, Brady’s Bucs years tacked on considerable legacy points. But Brady will obviously be best remembered for his Patriots stay. After Drew Bledsoe’s injury in Week 2 of the 2001 season thrust Brady into action, he remained in place as New England’s starter through the 2019 season. Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles and formed an unrivaled partnership with Bill Belichick. While the future Hall of Fame coach’s defenses drove the first batch of Pats titles, Brady was in place as the team’s centerpiece for the next six Super Bowls for which it qualified.

The No. 199 overall pick in 2000, Brady is without question the greatest draft choice in NFL history. The Pats were able to extend their dynasty for nearly two decades, reloading around Brady for a second run of Super Bowl titles midway through the 2010s. That period peaked with a 25-point comeback win over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, which gave Brady more championships than any other passer in the Super Bowl era.

After Belichick and Robert Kraft‘s reported disagreement on Jimmy Garoppolo led to the then-backup’s 2017 move to San Francisco at the trade deadline, Brady continued to move the boundaries at his position. He quarterbacked the Pats to two more Super Bowls, winning the latter, before a final contract agreement in 2019. That pact prevented the team from franchise-tagging its quarterback, and rather than Brady agreeing to a ninth contract with the team, he hit free agency. Numerous teams showed interest in 2020, but Brady decided on the Bucs over the Chargers that year. Tampa Bay voyaged to its second Super Bowl — a 31-9 romp over Kansas City — after Brady paired with a strong Bucs defensive nucleus to provide an upgrade on Jameis Winston to elevate his new team.

The Bucs’ next QB search figures to be a less flashy process. The team is more than $55MM over the $224.8MM salary cap, and the bills from the void years it utilized to bolster the roster during the Brady run are coming. Brady can help the team by re-signing for procedural purposes; that would allow the Bucs to spread out a $35.1MM dead-money hit over two years and create $24MM in cap space for 2023. Of course, Brady doing that, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, would affect his ability to unretire and sign elsewhere. Brady was connected to other teams during his brief 2022 retirement, but the then-Arians-led Bucs refused to trade his rights during that period.

Bowles already informed Bucs coaches the team was unlikely to be especially active on the market, but the team will now need to replace its quarterback. Entering the mid-February Derek Carr market may now become a consideration, while pursuing Garoppolo — which would make for an apt Brady succession strategy — would also make sense.

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