HEADLINES

Month: December 2024

Doug Pederson Moving Toward Hot Seat?

September 25th, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shad Khan addressed Doug Pederson‘s potential hot-seat status in a hypothetical manner this offseason. After an 0-3 start, the former Super Bowl-winning HC is losing the benefit of the doubt. As the Jaguars head toward their London stretch, Pederson may soon be coaching for his job.

Hired after Khan’s embarrassing Urban Meyer decision, Pederson had restored credibility to a downtrodden franchise by producing an AFC South title in 2022. Last season brought a disappointing finish, but the team doubled down on its core this offseason — while supplementing it via free agency — by authorizing the three most lucrative extensions (for Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell) in franchise history. A miserable Monday outing in Buffalo left Pederson’s team searching for answers, and Khan may be growing restless.

Pederson’s status will be one to monitor in the coming weeks, with SI.com’s Albert Breer indicating during a Dan Patrick Show appearance a lot is probably at stake for big names in this organization over the next few weeks. Adding to what may soon become a clear status, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano labels Pederson a candidate for an in-season firing if the team cannot rebound quickly.

While fourth-year GM Trent Baalke‘s status should be one to monitor here as well, it appears he is safer than Pederson presently. Despite Pederson having coached the Jags to back-to-back winning seasons — the franchise’s first such instance since the 2004-05 seasons — Khan publicly labeled this the most talented roster in Jaguars history. Although that seems a bit extreme considering Jacksonville’s 1999 team went 14-2 and featured seven Pro Bowlers (including Hall of Famer Tony Boselli), Khan’s stance nevertheless turns up the head for his current HC.

After a promising close to the 2022 season and an 8-3 start last year, the Jags are 1-8. The win came in a game Lawrence missed due to injury. Lawrence dealt with several injuries last season, helping explain his tailspin. But the former No. 1 overall pick is healthy now. He has completed just 52.8% of his passes (at 6.3 yards per attempt) while ranking 25th in QBR. Injuries at other spots in Jacksonville’s lineup, particularly on defense, are hurting the team. But Lawrence’s struggles bring bigger-picture questions, considering the team recently matched Joe Burrow‘s then-record-setting AAV ($55MM) to extend him.

Neither Lawrence nor Jordan Love produced enough to earn extensions at that rate, but this is how the QB market functions right now. With the Packers paying for future performance, the Jags are eyeing a leap from the former Clemson prodigy. With guarantees stretching into 2027, the team has seen its centerpiece player submit a concerning start. Pederson and/or OC Press Taylor taking the fall for this should probably be considered in play, with the Jags’ London stretch (Weeks 6 and 7) — or maybe even the two upcoming games — potentially doubling as the do-or-die window.

The England games profile as a big spot for the Khan-led team, since it plays two games overseas — as Khan also owns a Premier League franchise (Fulham FC). The Jags heading to Europe at 0-5 or 1-4 will test the owner’s patience, and he has fired coaches in-season twice in the past decade. In addition’s to Khan canning Meyer during his disastrous season in charge, he axed Gus Bradley during a historically unsuccessful tenure. How Jags ownership went about replacing Bradley suddenly seems relevant.

When the Jags removed Doug Marrone’s interim tag in 2017, Breer notes that decision came largely on the recommendation of Bill Belichick. The legendary coach continues to have a strong relationship with Jags chief football strategy officer Tony Khan (Shad’s son), Breer adds. Dot connecting would point to the Jags considering the six-time Super Bowl-winning HC-turned-omnipresent media figure in 2025, if Pederson cannot turn this operation around.

Belichick’s age will be an issue for teams, as no franchise has hired a head coach older than 66. Belichick would be 73 before Week 1 of the 2025 season, but he obviously brings credentials that will lap everyone else on next year’s HC carousel. That did not matter much this year, as six of the seven non-Patriots HC-seeking teams ignored him, but Jacksonville would be an interesting spot for the coach Pederson beat in Super Bowl LII. Thus far, Belichick had only been closely tied to NFC East destinations. Jacksonville, which did not join Dallas and Philly in considering firing its current HC after last season, may also loom as a legitimate possibility.

As for Pederson, he is 1-for-8 in 10-win seasons; the exception — the Eagles’ dominant 2017 squad — has carried the former Andy Reid staffer. Carson Wentz also rose to an MVP frontrunner before declining over the course of Pederson’s tenure, and Taylor loomed as a factor in the HC’s Eagles ouster. Philadelphia brass was uninspired by Pederson’s aim of promoting Taylor to OC after the 2020 season, and Pederson then brought one of his Philly right-hand men with him as OC in 2022. Taylor received the play-calling reins on a full-time basis in 2023.

The Jags kept their play-calling plans close to the vest this offseason, but Khan seemed to voice a preference for Pederson taking back control. Taylor still plays a key role in play-calling, but at this point, it would be rather odd if Pederson — who called plays throughout his Eagles tenure and served as the Jags’ primary conductor during the 2022 divisional-round season — did not take the lead here.

This regime is running out of time. Even though the Jags have been one of the NFL’s worst franchises under Khan ahead of Pederson at least moving it to a mid-pack operation, it would not be difficult to see another reboot — albeit around some pricey contracts — come to pass if Lawrence and Co. cannot recover soon.

Browns Unlikely To Bench Deshaun Watson

September 25th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bad quarterback investments have been frequent over the past few years. With due respect to the ill-fated moves outside Ohio, the Browns are on their own tier regarding a potential misstep due to the contract and trade compensation required to bring Deshaun Watson to town. Fifteen starts in across three seasons, this acquisition has not come close to producing what Cleveland sought.

The Browns have seen glimmers of hope from their high-priced passer, but he has wildly underperformed based on expectations. Watson, the NFL’s passing leader during his final active season in Houston and a three-time Pro Bowler who drew historic trade offers from at least three other teams in 2022, ranks ahead of only Bryce Young in QBR this season. At 29, the embattled quarterback has not responded well at a career crossroads.

It also may not exactly be accurate to label the former Pro Bowler as being at a crossroad point, as his 2025 and ’26 seasons — on a $230MM contract — are fully guaranteed. The Browns are dealing with the kind of trouble NBA and MLB teams run into upon authorizing a bad long-term contract, as the deals are almost always fully guaranteed in those leagues. Guardrails are in place in the NFL to protect teams against this type of situation unfolding. Owners already veered away from this contract structure — based on the QB deals finalized since Watson’s March 2022 windfall — and based on the Browns’ return on investment, another big-ticket fully guaranteed accord is highly unlikely to commence anytime soon.

A murky path to the Browns voiding Watson’s guarantees may exist if the QB is suspended in connection with the latest sexual assault allegation to emerge, but the team is still committed to making this fit work on the field. A quick hook involving the eighth-year passer is unlikely to commence due to the investment the Browns made, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Jameis Winston sits as the Browns’ backup, with the team having passed — to the surprise of some — on re-signing Joe Flacco, who is now the Colts’ backup.

Watson showed concerning form following his 2022 suspension, but that was effectively written off due to the lengthy midcareer layoff his off-field trouble and 2021 trade request brought. Last season featured the Browns go 5-1 in Watson’s starts, offering some hope the team could salvage this widely criticized acquisition. The team fired its OC and QBs coach (Alex Van Pelt, T.C. McCartney) despite Flacco’s shocking run to Comeback Player of the Year honors in Kevin Stefanski‘s system. Themed around wanting an offense more in line with Watson’s skillset, the Browns retooled under their newly extended HC.

Ken Dorsey‘s arrival has not brought improved play. And curiosity about how long the Browns want to keep going here has understandably become part of this equation. While Watson has not played with Nick Chubb since September 2023 and has not enjoyed a healthy O-line this season — as evidenced by the Giants’ eight-sack spree in Week 3 — his issues in Stefanski’s offense have existed since his 2022 debut.

Although a recent rumor pointed to the Browns bracing for another Watson ban, no present path to the team escaping the guarantees exists. The team, which also extended GM Andrew Berry this offseason despite the Watson contract occurring on his watch, is on the hook for $92MM in guaranteed salary from 2025-26.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract twice, inflating the dead money that would come in the event of a separation before 2027. It would cost them an astonishing $172MM in dead money to part ways with the struggling QB in 2025. That would introduce more new territory for dead money catastrophes. The Broncos’ $83MM-plus dead cap hit from Russell Wilson‘s contract already more than doubled the previous record.

We are not there yet, but barring a dramatic uptick from a quarterback who returned from a shoulder fracture, the Browns are stuck. Watson’s play could sink an otherwise well-built roster, one featuring players from two playoff teams since 2020.

Winston has 80 career starts on his resume, though he was erratic in Tampa and then benched in New Orleans for Andy Dalton early in the 2022 season. For now, the former No. 1 overall pick would only see time if another Watson injury occurs. Though, the on-field component of the Browns’ borderline disastrous QB situation — as more off-field drama plays out — certainly bears monitoring given the early-season results.

OL Jason Peters Visits Seahawks; RT Abe Lucas Not Expected Back Until Midseason

September 25th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Jason Peters became the rare NFL player to log a 20th season, with the Seahawks being the vehicle for the accomplished offensive lineman to reach that milestone. With Seattle dealing with similar injury trouble a year later, the team is looking into the likely Hall of Famer once again.

The Seahawks hosted Peters for a recent visit, but he left without signing, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Although KPRC2′s Aaron Wilson adds that no deal is imminent between the Seahawks and Peters, it is certainly notable that both the player is still chugging along at 42 and that a team that changed coaching staffs still has him on the radar.

Seattle has been dealing with multiple injuries at right tackle to start the season, with Abe Lucas starting the year on the PUP list and George Fant landing on IR after a Week 1 knee injury. Peters appeared in eight games for the Seahawks last season, making two starts at right tackle. Peters often replaced Lucas, who played through a nagging knee issue that required corrective surgery during the offseason. Originally a 2004 UDFA who has defied odds to play 248 career games, Peters logged 217 offensive snaps last season.

Fant was the team’s original solution at right tackle. Seattle signed him to a two-year, $9.1MM contract in March as a premium swing tackle who could start on the right side until Lucas’ return. But with Fant’s second Seattle stint producing an early IR trip and Lucas not expected back before midseason, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks are considering a reunion with Peters to help them sustain their 3-0 start.

Fourth-year tackle Stone Forsythe took over the right tackle job after Fant went down in Week 1 and has started both games since, leaving the Seahawks precariously thin at left tackle. Forsythe started two games there last season in place of an injured Charles Cross, but no other player on Seattle’s roster has NFL experience at the position. Peters would come in as a more reliable, proven player than McClendon Curtis or Michael Jerrell, with the ability to quickly step in at either tackle spot if more injuries occur.

The Seahawks are one of five undefeated teams in the NFL through three weeks, leading the NFC West behind a strong start from Geno Smith and a revitalized defense under new head coach Mike Macdonald. Smith’s 787 passing yards are third in the league, while the defense is ranked in the top three in points, yards, and yards per play allowed. Injuries have been an issue, with 18 players appearing on the team’s Week 3 injury report, which is why Seattle will want to remain proactive in adding depth like Peters.

Lucas’ name is not part of that injured contingent, since he is off the active roster, but the news of the former third-round pick being sidelined until midseason is certainly notable. Lucas joined Cross in becoming an instant starter in 2022, playing 16 games that year. Knee trouble — an issue Pete Carroll dubbed “chronic” — has since caused him to miss 14, and a midseason return goal threatens to run that count toward 20. With Macdonald’s staff now running the show, Lucas is running out of time to show he can be a reliable option for the Seahawks on the right side.

NFC Injury Updates: Lewis, Murphy, Darnold

September 25th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

After the high of getting their first win this past weekend, it’s a tough swing back down as the Panthers will see starting left guard Damien Lewis miss at least one game with an elbow injury, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report. Schultz tells us that, while Lewis will likely avoid a stint on injured reserve, he will have to miss some time.

While the quarterback play has suffered up until this past week, Carolina has seen some pretty solid offensive line play so far this season. In fact, Lewis, who grades out as the 25th-best guard in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), has, so far, graded out as the team’s fifth-best player on offense. Lewis is the only one who’s missed time on an otherwise stalwart line, with Chandler Zavala filling in during Lewis’s short absence.

A tear in Lewis’s elbow will likely require Zavala’s presence once again. While he will definitely miss one game, Lewis plans to eventually play through the injury. The team will miss his play, but the hope is that he won’t be gone for long.

Here are a couple other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks have enjoyed the benefits of a talented defensive line this season, one that has been boosted by the contributions of rookie first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy. The second defensive player taken off the board last April, Murphy is expected to miss some time with a hamstring injury, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Seattle doesn’t intend to put him on IR for now, but they’ll be decidedly careful not to rush the rookie back.
  • Late in the team’s win over the Texans this past weekend, the Vikings experienced a scare when starting quarterback Sam Darnold took a low hit from former Minnesota-favorite Danielle Hunter. Darnold limped to the sideline, where he sat out one play before running back onto the field. Tests on Monday revealed a bruise but no structural damage to Darnold’s left knee, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. The team will experience a collective sigh of relief to realize that their quarterback avoided serious injury just weeks after that of rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Justin Herbert Trending Towards Playing In Week 4

September 25th, 2024 at 8:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The last we saw of Justin Herbert was the Chargers quarterback limping off the field midway through the third quarter of last weekend’s loss to the Steelers. Head coach Jim Harbaugh made the move to sub in backup Taylor Heinicke, likely a smart move as Heinicke was sacked three more times in the remainder of the contest. As we approach Week 4, there seems to be an increasing expectation that Herbert will be back behind center when Los Angeles hosts the Chiefs on Sunday.

Herbert had been nursing an ankle injury all week after getting rolled up on in the team’s Week 2 matchup. Throughout the week there were questions on whether or not he would even play in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, Herbert made the start, and the offense struggled to pick up where it had left off in the previous week before ultimately losing their quarterback in the second half.

Initially, rumors seemed to indicate that there was a chance Herbert would be benched until the team’s Week 5 bye in order to rest. This would have entailed him skipping this week’s matchup with their division-leading rival, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported today that Herbert “doesn’t think that’s the way (they’re) heading,” indicating that he was trending towards playing this week.

Supporting that theory, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us that Herbert was listed as a limited participant at practice today. Daniel Popper of The Athletic adds that, according to Harbaugh, an MRI on Monday showed progress in Hebert’s healing, and the quarterback has ditched the protective walking boot. Herbert claimed that he’s feeling “less pain” and was able to do some 7-on-7 work at practice today.

With two more days of practice until the weekend, all signs are pointing to a return for Herbert on Sunday. There’s always a chance of an injury flare up sometime during the week, but things are trending in the right direction as of right now.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New York Giants

After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, Ja’Whaun Bentley officially landed on injured reserve today. With the linebacker expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, the player willingly gave up his captaincy to safety Kyle Dugger, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe.

Ty Summers was promoted from the practice squad for each of the Giants’ first three games, so the team had no choice but to sign the linebacker to the active roster. The former seventh-round pick has exclusively played on special teams for the Giants this season, and he hasn’t seen the field for a defensive snap since he was with the Packers in 2021.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/25/24

September 25th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR John Jiles

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed: DT Shakel Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Trenton Gill has caught on with the Buccaneers practice squad after getting cut by the Broncos back in August. Gill spent the previous two seasons as the Bears full-time punter, with the 25-year-old averaging 46 yards per punt while landing 28.6 percent of his punts inside the 20. As Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes, this addition is a sign that Bucs punter Jake Camarda may be on the hot seat. The former fourth-round pick is averaging a career-low 39.8 net yards per punt.

Steelers Add CB C.J. Henderson To Practice Squad

September 25th, 2024 at 5:18pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers have added a former first-round pick to their secondary. The team announced that they’ve signed defensive back C.J. Henderson to the practice squad.

The Jaguars selected Henderson with the ninth-overall pick in the 2020 draft. The Florida product showed flashes of his first-round pedigree as a rookie, finishing with 36 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble in eight games before landing on injured reserve with a groin injury.

Henderson was dealt to the Panthers during his sophomore campaign and proceeded to spend two-plus seasons in Carolina, starting 22 of his 39 appearances. The cornerback occasionally filled up the stat sheet, including a 2022 campaign where he finished with tw0 interceptions and six passes defended. However, Pro Football Focus was never especially fond of Henderson’s performance, often giving him one of the worst positional grades in pass coverage.

The 25-year-old caught on with the Texans this offseason but didn’t make it through final cuts with his new squad. After remaining unsigned through the first few weeks of the regular season, Henderson has now found a new home in Pittsburgh. The veteran will still face an uphill battle to earn a promotion, as he joins a Steelers practice squad that already includes cornerbacks Anthony Averett, D’Shawn Jamison, and Thomas Graham Jr..

Saints Work Out Brian Allen, Add Chris Reed; Team Signs Shane Lemieux From Practice Squad

September 25th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a 2-0 start featuring a suddenly explosive offense and their veteran-laden defense performing well, the Saints lost in Week 3 and came out of it worse for wear. Plenty of questions now face New Orleans, which was missing several key contributors at practice Wednesday.

Among them, the last two members of the team’s Drew Brees offensive lines. Erik McCoy is heading to IR, and right guard Cesar Ruiz is battling both knee and ankle injuries. Coming into the season with issues up front, New Orleans now has injury hurdles to negotiate early. As a result, reinforcements are coming.

One of them will move up from the practice squad, with another coming from outside the organization. Shane Lemieux is being signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, while NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill indicates Chris Reed is joining team’s P-squad.

While Reed comes to New Orleans from Minnesota, his Vikings tenure did not overlap with new OC Klint Kubiak‘s. Reed spent the previous two seasons in Minnesota, after Kubiak had moved on, and worked as a Vikings backup. Reed, who worked as a Panthers regular starter in 2020 and a Colts fill-in starter in 2021, will mix in at a reeling position group.

Oli Udoh, who started 16 games at guard for the Vikings during Kubiak’s 2021 season as OC, moved into the lineup once McCoy went down against the Eagles. Udoh kicked Lucas Patrick from left guard to center, and the Saints figure to lean on the versatile blocker’s experience there for the foreseeable future. The Saints have a younger option as well in Nick Saldiveri, a 2023 fourth-round pick. The Old Dominion alum began training camp working as the first-string left guard. Patrick eventually won the job, but both Udoh and Saldiveri could be summoned if Ruiz cannot go in Week 4.

Lemieux, who became a Giants starter as a rookie, battled constant injury trouble during his final three seasons in New York. A severe foot injury sidelined the former fifth-round pick for almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Lemieux returned in 2022 but played in only one game. A biceps injury in practice last October ended Lemieux’s contract year on a familiar note. This represents another shot for a player who has played in just six games over the past three seasons.

Reed joined Brian Allen and others, ex-Colts backup Josh Sills among them, at Wednesday’s workout. Formerly the Rams’ starting center in Super Bowl LVI who worked as the team’s starter for three seasons during an injury-plagued run in Los Angeles, Allen lost his job to Coleman Shelton last season and became an offseason cap casualty. Previously given a three-year, $18MM Rams deal, Allen could not make the Browns’ 53-man roster in August.

Raiders Not Benching Gardner Minshew

September 25th, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 25: Pierce ended the suspense regarding his starter, declaring Wednesday that Minshew “is the quarterback.” It would have been strange for the new HC to bring forth a change so soon, but leaving the door open as he did does leave this situation unstable before September’s end.

SEPTEMBER 24: Gardner Minshew did not finish the Raiders’ Week 3 loss to the Panthers, and Antonio Pierce left the door open to benching the quarterback he went with after a months-long position battle. It does not appear Pierce is ready to pull the plug just yet.

The Raiders parked Minshew during a stunning loss, and Pierce declined to confirm postgame his starting QB plan would remain the same. Aidan O’Connell entered and completed 9 of 12 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, coming in weeks after losing a close competition to the more experienced passer. O’Connell may well have a chance to start again, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates Minshew will remain at the controls for the Raiders in Week 4.

Although Pierce criticized certain Raider players for their effort in the team’s home defeat, Minshew is barely a week removed from leading the team to a comeback win in Baltimore. The former Jaguars and Colts starter completed 30 of 38 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens; a switch to O’Connell two weeks later would certainly feel premature. But a change will be a Raiders storyline to monitor, as this is a transition season that features Minshew as a placeholder.

Signed in the event the Raiders did not end up with a quarterback prospect in the draft, Minshew inked a two-year, $25MM deal. That led all non-Kirk Cousins FA quarterbacks this offseason. Minshew played effectively in helping the Colts stay in the playoff race last season, and Indianapolis currently is not enjoying the kind of stability — albeit without a high ceiling — its primary 2023 starter offered. After ranking 13th in QBR last season, Minshew sits 24th through three games.

The Raiders showed steady interest in trading up for Jayden Daniels, most likely being the only team to submit an offer to the Commanders for No. 2 overall. Las Vegas also discussed the Nos. 3-5 picks, with Pierce potentially readier to part with necessary assets in a trade-up compared to GM Tom Telesco‘s mindset. Linked to Michael Penix Jr., the Raiders were not prepared to trade up for the player the Falcons surprisingly chose at No. 8 overall. Once the Broncos drafted Bo Nix at 12, the Raiders were effectively locked out of first-round-level QBs. They then chose Brock Bowers, effectively tabling their quarterback plan to 2025.

Vegas links to the likes of Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders and Quinn Ewers figure to emerge in the coming weeks and months, though those passers’ values have yet to crystalize. Minshew’s contract guarantees $3.16 of his $11.84MM 2025 base salary, giving the Raiders some flexibility next year. O’Connell, who started every game during Pierce’s interim HC season (after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s benching), is signed through 2026. He makes more sense as a Raiders 2025 bridge option/eventual backup compared to Minshew, who could be a trade candidate next year.

O’Connell was believed to be ahead of Minshew for several weeks this offseason, only to lose the battle due to the coaching staff’s feeling the latter option was better equipped to help this team avoid a slow start. With the Raiders at 1-2, Minshew will begin to test Pierce’s patience. The 28-year-old passer remains at the helm in Pierce’s first season as a full-time HC. The leash still appears short, as it always looked to be, but the sixth-year passer will hold off O’Connell for at least one more week.

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