HEADLINES

Month: January 2025

Browns’ Deshaun Watson Suffers Setback In Rehab, Could Require Second Surgery

January 6th, 2025 at 10:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

Deshaun Watson will remain on the books for the Browns in 2025, but it remains to be seen when he will be healthy enough to play. The much-maligned quarterback’s recovery from an Achilles tear has taken an unwanted turn.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said on Monday (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network) that Watson encountered a setback in his rehab process. As a result, a second Achilles surgery may be required. Especially if that proves to be the case, Watson’s timeline to return to action will be significantly pushed back.

The 29-year-old tore his Achilles in October, bringing an end to his third season with Cleveland. The ailment represents the second in a row which prevented him from playing a full campaign (something of note considering the 11-game suspension which began his Browns tenure, of course). Just like years past, 2024 did not go according to plan in terms of on-field production, although Cleveland did not consider benching him prior to the injury. The team used Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe at quarterback to close out the year, and changes under center can be expected.

Berry noted this latest Watson development is unlikely to affect the Browns’ plans at the QB spot this offseason (h/t Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal). Competition for the starting gig has already been expected – quite possibly by adding a rookie in the first round of the draft – and further uncertainty regarding Watson’s 2025 availability could point the team in that direction. Cleveland is on track to select second overall in April.

Given the fully guaranteed nature of Watson’s pact, cutting or trading him is not feasible. To no surprise, another restructure was worked out recently, further delaying the point at which the Browns will meet major cap issues by releasing the three-time Pro Bowler. Watson’s cap hits for 2025 and ’26 remain $72.94MM at this point, with several void years in place. As noted by Spotrac, the restructure likely sets up a post-June 1 release in 2027.

In the meantime, improved play under center will be a key goal for the franchise. Berry, along with head coach Kevin Stefanski, will remain in place for 2025. One day after their season ended, though, the Browns did move on from offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey as well as offensive line coach Andy Dickerson. Replacing both represents a notable task, and with Winston and Zappe on track for (in the latter’s case, restricted) free agency, an overhaul under center could be in store. Watson was previously set for a training camp return, per cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, but now that will no longer be the case.

Bears Request HC Interview With David Shaw

January 6th, 2025 at 9:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears were busy requesting HC interviews today, with a number of coordinators and former NFL head coaches garnering interest. The team is thinking a bit outside the box with their latest candidate, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization requested an interview with Broncos senior personnel executive David Shaw.

While Shaw most recently worked in an NFL front office, he’s no stranger to the sideline. Shaw spent more than a decade coaching at Stanford, including a 12-year stint as their head coach. He had a successful start to his head coaching career, guiding the Cardinal football team to six AP top-20 rankings through his first seven years at the helm. Stanford also made eight-straight bowl appearances, but the team struggled a bit during Shaw’s final seasons at the school.

Between 2019 and 2022, the team went only 14-28, including a 6-18 showing during his final two seasons. Following the conclusion of the 2022 campaign, Shaw resigned from his position. He resurfaced this past offseason when he joined the Broncos as a front office executive.

While Shaw made a name for himself in the college ranks, he also has coaching experience in the NFL. He had stints as QBs coach with both the Raiders and Ravens, and he also served as Baltimore’s wide receivers coach. Shaw has also been a mainstay in recent head coaching searches, interviewing for gigs with the Chargers, Titans, and Broncos over the past two years.

The list of candidates for the Bears head coaching job continues to grow. Just today, the team requested interviews with 10 candidates: Lions OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn, Giants OC Mike Kafka, Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, Ravens OC Todd Monken, Steelers OC Arthur Smith, Vikings DC Brian Flores, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

Ezekiel Elliott To Sign With Chargers Practice Squad

January 6th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

After requesting his release from the Cowboys in pursuit of a playoff run, Ezekiel Elliott has landed with a postseason squad. The veteran running back is signing with the Chargers practice squad, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.

[RELATED: Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott]

Elliott attracted interest from a handful of playoff-bound teams, according to Schultz. The running back ultimately chose the Chargers because he liked the fit alongside coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport adds that there’s hope that Elliott can get “up to speed quickly” and contribute to his squad in the playoffs.

Following a one-season stop in New England, Elliott returned to the Cowboys this past offseason. With Tony Pollard no longer in the picture, there was hope that the long-time Dallas star could once again lead the backfield. The veteran saw a somewhat significant role to begin the season, including the season opener when he ran for 40 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

As the season went on, Elliott found himself definitively behind Rico Dowdle on the depth chart. The veteran generally struggled when he was on the field, as his 3.1 yards-per-carry represented a new career-low. Elliott also faced discipline in November for his “habitual tardiness,” leading to his Week 9 absence. With the Cowboys firmly out of the playoff picture entering the final week of the season, Elliott requested and was granted his release as he pursued an opportunity with a playoff team.

He’ll find that opportunity in Los Angeles, where the Chargers have navigated a new RB corps in 2024. J.K. Dobbins recently returned to his RB1 role after missing four weeks with a sprained knee, but fellow RB Gus Edwards is currently nursing his own ankle issue. Hassan Haskins and rookie Kimani Vidal have filled in admirably at times for the Chargers throughout the 2024 campaign, but considering Dobbins’ injury history, some extra depth certainly won’t hurt.

Of course, expectations have to be managed for the team’s newest addition. Even as Elliott found the end zone 12 times during the 2022 campaign, the RB was already showing signs of decline, leading to the Cowboys bailing from his six-year, $90MM extension. He didn’t look a whole lot better during his lone season with the Patriots, and he hit a new low this season with only 295 yards from scrimmage. The Chargers are set to take on the Texans this Saturday, so it may be unrealistic for Elliott to earn the team’s trust in less than a week. If the Chargers win their Wild Card matchup and Edwards is still sidelined, then Elliott could potentially play a goal-line role for the team in later rounds.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/6/25

January 6th, 2025 at 7:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

  • Re-signed (two years): CB Jason Maitre

New Orleans Saints

  • Re-signed: K Charlie Smyth

A number of impending free agents quickly re-signed with their current organizations today. While these players aren’t shoo-ins for roster spots in 2025, they are attached to actual NFL contracts (vs. reserve/futures contracts, which would need to be converted into real contracts if a player makes a 53-man roster).

In addition to hanging on to kicker Charlie Smyth today, the Saints also had to deal with some notable details on a previously-agreed-upon contract. The NFL rejected the team’s contract to safety Travion Fluellen, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The organization later revised the agreement, bumping the contract from a two-year pact to a three-year pact. It’s uncertain why the league rejected the initial deal, although it could be due to Fluellen’s status as a former UFL player.

NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 1/6/25

January 6th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Ben Levine

With the regular season having come to an end, many teams have started signing players to reserve/futures contracts. This allows organization to retain (routinely) young, practice squad players. Here are the latest reserve/futures contracts:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Seahawks, LB Ernest Jones Pause Contract Talks

January 6th, 2025 at 6:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Ernest Jones is officially set to hit free agency, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done in Seattle. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported this past weekend that the Seahawks and the impending free agent linebacker have “amicably paused discussions” on an extension.

It was a busy 2024 campaign for Jones. The Rams informed the former third-round pick that he would not be extended in 2024, and his camp subsequently received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones didn’t request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams quickly sent him to the Titans. The linebacker lasted only a few months in Tennessee before getting shipped to Seattle, where he ended the season.

Per Rapoport, Jones “would love to return” to the Seahawks for the 2025 campaign, and the reporter adds that the two sides could resume contract talks at any time. For what it’s worth, both camps recently expressed optimism that a deal could eventually get done. Following the team’s season finale yesterday, Jones said the two sides “just gotta get there” in terms of contract value (per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). Meanwhile, head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters that “you’ve got to just trust the process” while expressing confidence “that we’re going to see a lot of Ernest for years to come” (per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times).

The Seahawks didn’t trade for Jones with the intent of making him a rental, with ESPN’s Brady Henderson noting that the team made sincere efforts to extend the player before the end of the season. However, there seemed to be a recent understanding that a deal wouldn’t be resolved until March. Condotta also notes that the team intentionally traded a fourth-round pick (along with Jerome Baker) for the player, with the front office understanding that they could recoup a fourth-round compensatory selection if the player earns a contract worth at least $12MM per year.

Jones played almost every defensive snap for Seattle after joining the team in late October. He ultimately collected 94 tackles in 10 games for the Seahawks, with Pro Football Focus giving him one of the highest positional grades for his run defense. He’ll be joining a relatively deep free agent linebackers class that also includes the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Nick Bolton, and Bobby Wagner.

Colts Fire DC Gus Bradley

January 6th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts are moving on from their veteran defensive coordinator. Jim Irsay announced Monday that the team is not bringing back Gus Bradley.

The former Jaguars HC and four-time NFL DC had been in Indianapolis for the past three seasons. Despite having worked with Shane Steichen with the Chargers as well, he will not come back for Steichen’s third Colts campaign. This comes two weeks after the Colts allowed 45 points to a 2-13 Giants team starting Drew Lock; that loss eliminated Indianapolis from the playoff race.

[RELATED: Colts To Retain Steichen, GM Chris Ballard]

Bradley had been rumored to be on the hot seat, with SI.com’s Albert Breer suggesting he would be the fall guy after a tough year on defense. Indy stuck with Bradley despite poor defensive numbers last season, and the former Pete Carroll assistant is back on the market. Bradley, 58, has been either a defensive coordinator or head coach since 2009. Seahawks, Chargers, Raiders and Colts DC assignments have sandwiched a woeful Jaguars HC tenure.

Hired to be part of Frank Reich‘s staff in 2022, Bradley could not turn the Colts into an upper-crust defense. Matt Eberflus had Indy as a top-10 scoring unit three times from 2018-21; Bradley has been unable to lead this unit inside the top 20. After back-to-back 28th-place finishes, Bradley’s troops checked in 24th this season. This may be a crossroads point for the veteran assistant, though he has enjoyed success prior to his Indiana stay.

Bradley and Steichen overlapped with the Bolts from 2017-20, with the former heading to Los Angeles after his Jacksonville ouster. Bradley exited Florida with the fourth-worst win percentage (.226) in NFL history. Hue Jackson and Steve Spagnuolo check in below Bradley on that all-time list; the latter’s number with the Rams has hurt him on the HC market, despite a wildly successful Chiefs DC tenure. Bradley has been unable to match Spagnuolo’s Kansas City coordinator work, but he has been regularly sought after since the Jaguars firing.

Anthony Lynn hired Bradley in 2017, while Jon Gruden picked him up after Lynn’s 2020 ouster. As the Raiders cleaned house in 2022, Bradley found his way to Indianapolis. Bradley’s best work remains his 2012 Seahawks defense, which booked him the Jags job and set him up for other DC opportunities down the road. Seattle led the league in scoring defense in 2012, with that defensive system later aiding Dan Quinn and Kris Richard. Bradley’s zone-based system peaked a bit ago, however, and the Colts are set to go in a different direction.

The Colts played almost all of this season without JuJu Brents, a former second-round pick who was supposed to be the team’s top outside corner, and all of it without EDGE starter Samson Ebukam. The latter was part of the Colts setting an Indianapolis-era franchise record with 51 sacks last season. Ballard has also taken criticism for a largely inward-only approach on his roster. That blueprint has largely failed to pay off, but while Ballard will see more time, Bradley is out.

Patriots To Retain Eliot Wolf, Front Office Staff

January 6th, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Ben Levine

While the Patriots are set to revamp their coaching staff, it sounds like the front office will be staying intact. During his press conference today, owner Robert Kraft revealed that executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and his staff will be sticking around for the 2025 campaign (via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald). Wolf and top front office executive Alonzo Highsmith will also be involved in the team’s head coaching search (via Kyed).

As the Patriots navigated a post-Bill Belichick era, they chose Wolf as the leader of their new-look front office. The executive did have one major hit during his first year at the helm, with third-overall pick Drake Maye appearing to be a foundational piece. However, the front office drew criticism for the rest of their draft class, and Kraft acknowledged that the team needs stronger performances from rookie-contract players if they hope to return to contention.

“Our drafts have not been good for a while,” Kraft said (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “If you want to compete long term and be good in this league, you’ve got to have good drafts because those rookie contracts allow you to go out and get the people you need to surround people. It looks like we lucked out; we maybe have two quarterbacks. But I think we’ll hopefully see a big improvement this year.”

While the likes of Wolf and Highsmith are expected to keep their jobs, Albert Breer of SI.com expects there to still be significant changes to the front office operations. After Belichick was responsible for running so many aspects of the front office for years, the organization was left with an antiquated approach when the dust settled following the iconic coach’s ouster. Breer opines that the Krafts put the front office at a disadvantage by not providing the same resources as other NFL teams, with the writer suggesting that ownership could look to “add elements of analytics and sport science” to their operations.

While many of these subtle changes will take place behinds the scenes, the Patriots’ search for their next head coach will be very public. Ownership is expected to be heavily involved in the search, as are the aforementioned front office executives. Breer notes that the team isn’t expected to hire a search firm to assist in the process.

As we await word on the team’s interview process, we’ll starting to hear some details about Mayo’s sudden firing, with Tom E. Curran of NBCSports Boston noting that the final four games of the season played a significant role in the decision. Curran says the past month was “untenable,” and while the team didn’t initially anticipate moving on from their first-year head coach, the “disorganization became too much to take.”

Kraft himself told reporters that he went back and forth on the decision over the past month. Ultimately, the owner believed the squad showed regression throughout the 2024 campaign, with Kraft citing the season-opening win over the Bengals as the high point of the year. Kraft also revealed that Mayo didn’t know about his impending firing prior to the season finale; the head coach ended up guiding his squad to victory while also compromising the team’s chances at the first-overall pick (links via Kyed).

While a new head coach will presumably look to bring on their own staff, there’s still a chance a few key assistants stick around. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt didn’t get a whole lot of production from his unit in 2024, but the coach did earn praise for his handling of Maye’s development. If Van Pelt is ultimately canned by the Patriots, Breer believes the coach could land back in Cleveland, where he served as OC between 2020 and 2023.

Sauce Gardner Interested In Jets Extension; D.J. Reed Eyeing Free Agency

January 6th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Like the Jets as a whole, Sauce Gardner did not live up to expectations this season. The two-time All-Pro was not selected to the Pro Bowl, as the Jets plummeted to 5-12 despite regular playoff expectations. The team still has some extension matters to navigate.

The three first-round picks the team made in 2022 — Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson — are now extension-eligible, as is starting running back Breece Hall. While the Aaron Rodgers matter may overshadow everything else (player-wise, at least) until he is off the Jets’ roster, the franchise still has a number of matters to sort out involving its rookie-contract contingent.

[RELATED: Rodgers Not Expected To Garner Heavy FA Interest]

Wilson is not believed to have seen eye-to-eye with Rodgers, and rumors about a trade request continue to surface. The Jets will have new decision-makers ticketed to deal with the Wilson matter soon — a number of GM and HC interview requests went out today — but Gardner is a more accomplished player who is also free to sign a new deal now. Unlike Wilson, Gardner has made his long-term wishes known.

“I want to be part of this for a long time,” Gardner said, via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. “I want to be part of the change in this organization.”

This comes after a host of reports tabbed Woody Johnson (and his sons) as being overly involved in personnel decisions, creating more instability for the franchise that has the NFL’s longest active playoff drought — at 14 seasons. The team found a gem in Gardner, however, despite his slight step backward in Year 3. The former No. 4 overall pick is a two-time first-team All-Pro, already rocketing to the top fifth-year option tier — which doubles as the franchise tag value — at corner. The Jets will pick up that option by May, giving them two more years of control.

The physical corner has long been deemed a big-picture priority, while slot defender Michael Carter already signed his extension. With Carter signed and the Jets — barring a drastic approach change from the next front office — eyeing a Gardner extension, D.J. Reed appears close to gone. The former 49ers and Seahawks CB’s three-year deal expires in March, and he has already alluded to testing the market. Reed expanded on that stance recently.

“Obviously, in this league, it’s about winning,” Reed told the New York Post’s Bridget Reilly. “But, you could go to a good organization, you think is a good organization, and the year you go there, they’re not winning. I think it’s deeper than just winning. I think it’s just being in a stable organization that has a winning culture and just being in a good environment, a healthy environment.”

Even the most ardent of Jets backers would have a difficult time classifying it as a stable organization presently, and with Carter and Gardner higher priorities, Reed appears set to hit the market again. He will follow the likes of Chidobe Awuzie and Kendall Fuller as a corner seeking a third payday in free agency. Both did fairly well, Awuzie especially (via a three-year, $36MM deal) in 2024. Reed, who is playing out a three-year deal worth $33MM, turned 28 in November and has been a regular starter for five seasons. The ex-Seahawk regular graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 29 overall corner in 2024; Gardner ranked 32nd, per the advanced metrics site.

Gardner, 24, has a new cornerback market to survey after the paydays went out to Patrick Surtain and Jalen Ramsey last summer; both topped $24MM per year on a market that had been stuck at $21MM AAV for more than two years. Reed will not be targeting that, but the proven starter should be able to do well on the open market in his late 20s.

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