HEADLINES

Bill Belichick’s “Lieutenants” Ready To Join HC At New Job

November 14th, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Ben Levine

Bill Belichick is expected to be the most sought-after individual in this upcoming offseason’s head coaching market. While the iconic coach got shut out of the 2024 campaign, there seems to be a general sentiment that he’ll be roaming the sideline in 2025.

In fact, there’s so much confidence in a Belichick return, many of his “lieutenants” are ready to follow. As Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes, some of Belichick’s former assistant coaches are “preparing to join him” at his new destination. Howe adds that Belichick’s impending staff could look very similar to his staffs in New England.

Howe doesn’t provide any specifics, but there are some former Belichick disciples who could be readily available. Josh McDaniels had two long stints in New England during his coaching career, including 13 combined years as the Patriots offensive coordinator. While McDaniels has failed multiple times as a head coach, he’s still shown he can guide an offense without Tom Brady leading the way; the former OC played an instrumental role in Mac Jones‘ Pro Bowl rookie campaign. With McDaniels having been unemployed since getting canned by the Raiders last year, the coach would presumably be more than willing to join Belichick’s next coaching staff.

On the defensive side of the ball, Belichick could just attend a family outing to recruit his top assistant. Steve Belichick served as the team’s co-de facto defensive coordinator (alongside current Patriots HC Jerod Mayo) during the older Belichick’s latter seasons. When his dad parted ways with the Patriots, the younger Belichick left for Washington to serve as the Huskies’ defensive coordinator. Steve’s Washington defense has allowed more than 30 points per game over the last four games, and with the school eyeing a lost season, the younger Belichick probably wouldn’t receive much push back for joining his father.

Of course, before Belichick can start forming his staff, he’ll need to find his next gig. As Howe notes, the future Hall of Famer won’t be receptive to joining a rebuilding squad as he chases Don Shula’s wins record. The former Patriots architect will likely require full control of the roster, so it’s uncertain if win-now squads like the Cowboys (who have a built-in hierarchy led by owner Jerry Jones) would even be a logical suitor. Ultimately, there seems to be confidence that Belichick will eventually settle on a gig, and he appears to have a full coaching staff ready to go.

Deion Sanders Not Talking NFL Future; Latest On Shedeur Sanders

November 14th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

With Colorado sitting 18th in the AP Top 25 and the Buffaloes appearing to have taken a clear step forward, coach Deion Sanders has already drawn some speculation about a pivot to professional football. While that could ultimately be Sanders’ ultimate plan, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz says the coach hasn’t had any “official conversations with anyone” about heading to the NFL.

However, Schultz does seem to be keep the door open regarding a future move to the NFL, as the reporter notes that Sanders’ current focus is on winning at Colorado this season. Sanders’ NFL opportunities would be reliant on an organization’s willingness to take a chance on the divisive coach, and it’s worth noting that he still has three years remaining on his Colorado contract after this season.

Even if we assume Sanders doesn’t get an NFL job this offseason, he’ll still surely be in the news as his son, Shedeur Sanders, pushes to be an early selection in the draft. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes, the elder Sanders is ready to “step in” if he decides that the “wrong” organization is targeting his son. In fact, Deion’s considerable influence over Shedeur has already led to “significant apprehension” from NFL squads as they weigh the pros and cons of selecting the Colorado QB. While some executives are generally low on the prospect’s NFL future (one described Shedeur as “Tyrod Taylor 2.0″), there was also a sentiment that the player just wasn’t “worth all the extra stuff.”

Still, there will be surely be one team that takes a chance on the player’s upside, even if it means Shedeur ends up sliding down draft boards. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently noted the connections between the Sanders family and the Raiders. Deion has generally been a fan of the organization, including head coach Antonio Pierce and team president Sandra Douglass Morgan. Shedeur has also been mentored by now part-Raiders owner Tom Brady, and the prospect has been spotted visiting Las Vegas multiple times this year.

While it’s uncertain if they’d fit Deion’s lofty standards, the Giants have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for the QB prospect. Members of the organization visited the University of Colorado last month to get a first-hand look at Sanders (per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones), with assistant general manager Brandon Brown even speaking to the Colorado squad after practice.

The Sanders duo will continue to steal headlines over the next few weeks, especially if Colorado makes a push for the playoffs. For better or for worse, that won’t be the last that we hear from Deion and Shedeur, as the tandem will continue to be central characters during the NFL’s offseason.

Aaron Rodgers Hasn’t Changed Stance On Playing In 2025

November 14th, 2024 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The 2024 campaign obviously hasn’t gone as planned for Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Considering the frustrations that have mounted during a 3-7 start, there’s been some speculation that the future Hall of Famer might call it a career.

However, the soon-to-be 41-year-old seemed to somewhat commit to a 2025 campaign during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. When asked if he’ll be back in New York next season, Rodgers said he “think[s] so, yeah” (per ESPN’s Rich Cimini). While the QB gave a less-than-emphatic response, he did acknowledged that this season hasn’t changed his stance on 2025 (per Brian Costello of the New York Post).

Rodgers was also asked about his statement from last offseason that he intends to play “two or three or four more years.” The QB said his stance hasn’t really changed, and he even hinted that he has a stronger desire to continue his career in 2025.

In his return from a lost 2023 campaign, Rodgers hasn’t necessarily looked like his old self this year. His TD% and INT% are among career worsts, and his 6.4 yards per attempt represents his lowest average as a starter. Rodgers told McAfee that he hasn’t come close to reaching his “standards” in 2024, and that could be a motivating factor as he considers playing next season. As Cimini notes, there’s also a natural financial incentive; Rodgers has a $35MM option bonus due this upcoming offseason.

On the flip side, Rodgers has battled hamstring, knee, and ankle injuries this year, and with 2025 representing his age-42 season, Rodgers may prefer to walk away from the game in one piece. Cimini also wonders if Rodgers’ lack of a definitive commitment could be due to the lack of certainty regarding Jets leadership heading into next season. For what it’s worth, Rodgers did give an endorsement to interim HC Jeff Ulbrich.

“I feel like he’s done some really good things,” Rodgers said (via Cimini). “I think Brick is an NFL head coach, whether it’s here moving forward or down the line. I mean, he’s a leader of men and I’ll stand by him. I’d love to play for him until the end. So have a lot of love and respect for him.”

The Jets will surely consider options at both head coach and GM this offseason. However, the biggest factor surrounding their offseason approach could be focused on the status of their veteran quarterback.

Chiefs Rumors: Reid, Veach, Mahomes, Smith, Hopkins, Smith-Schuster, Hardman

November 14th, 2024 at 7:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Establishing himself as one of the NFL’s all-time great head coaches during his time in Kansas City, Andy Reid has also operated as the Chiefs’ lead decision-maker. The 12th-year Chiefs HC retains final say on the team’s roster, though he has ceded some power in recent years.

Reid worked with longtime Packers exec John Dorsey during the first four seasons of his Chiefs run but effectively orchestrated a switch in 2017, with Dorsey being fired and ex-Eagles staffer Brett Veach promoted to the GM role. Veach has been at the helm for all three Chiefs Super Bowl wins during the Patrick Mahomes era, and while Dorsey was at the wheel for the trade-up that secured the QB icon (after drafting future Hall of Famers Travis Kelce and Chris Jones as well), Veach was credited with identifying the Texas Tech prospect as a hopeful Alex Smith successor.

[RELATED: Harrison Butker Likely Headed To IR]

In recent years, Reid is believed to have given Veach more say in roster matters, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Not all GM positions are created equal. All answer to owners (or team presidents, in the Packers’ case), while higher-ranking front office types have stood over GMs in the recent past. Some teams still have head coaches installed as their top decision-makers, though this is not the norm anymore. The Patriots and Seahawks ditched their HC-first models this offseason, respectively firing Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll. The Chiefs have been the NFL’s premier team during Mahomes’ QB1 run and obviously have no reason to change their Reid-centered approach.

Veach did pitch the idea of Mahomes’ 10-year extension to CEO Clark Hunt following the 2019 season, Fowler adds; that deal quickly became a team-friendly pact, with the QB market now at $60MM per year. Mahomes is still tied to the $45MM-AAV accord, and while the Chiefs moved money around to help cover the rising market in 2023, they still have the NFL’s most accomplished active QB signed through 2031. The club has used this as a tool to create cap space annually, completing three restructures to inflate Mahomes’ cap figures down the line.

It is true the Chiefs have used Dorsey-drafted cogs as pillars while Veach’s supporting cast has filled in around the Canton-bound mainstays, but the likes of Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and Trent McDuffie have become standouts after being Veach draftees. Veach’s early drafts did not move the needle too far, but his 2021 and ’22 hauls helped form a low-cost core to help support the contracts given to Mahomes, Jones and left guard Joe Thuney. The two-time defending champs will soon face decisions on two members of their standout 2021 class.

Kansas City already paid Humphrey, giving their standout center a deal that topped the center market by a notable margin. Coupled with Jawaan Taylor‘s $20MM-per-year contract already featuring a fully guaranteed 2025 salary, Smith is moving closer to free agency. The Chiefs are still interested in paying Smith, but a re-up for their right guard will be costlier than Humphrey’s, as a fairly wide gap exists between the guard and center markets. Rumblings around the league point to the former sixth-round pick becoming the NFL’s highest-paid guard if he reaches the market, and Fowler adds.

Landon Dickerson‘s $21.5MM-per-year Eagles extension currently tops the guard market, but Smith has been a key part of the Chiefs’ dynasty, having established himself as a Day 1 starter while grading out well in ESPN’s win rate metrics and seeing high Pro Football Focus marks. This has not produced a Pro Bowl yet, but Robert Hunt recently proved no such honors are necessary to fetch a $20MM-per-year guard deal. Smith’s lack of recognition may well change this season, which would further bolster his FA stock.

This year’s round of free agency guard paydays will make Smith tough to keep off the market. Guards are rarely franchise-tagged, due to the tag formula grouping all O-linemen together and thus raising interior blockers’ tender numbers, but the Chiefs could conceivably carve out enough space to cuff Smith with a tag that could cost around $25MM in 2025. The Chiefs are projected to hold just $20MM in cap space, with Bolton unsigned as well. Bolton will not cost as much as Smith to retain, and Kansas City has been more willing to let key defenders walk than cornerstone offensive talent during this run. The Chiefs have expressed interest extending Bolton as well, but the off-ball LB remains on his second-round deal.

Kansas City has allowed defensive regulars to walk frequently during this period, parting ways with the likes of Tyrann Mathieu, Frank Clark, Willie Gay, Juan Thornhill and just about every cornerback to come through under DC Steve Spagnuolo. Bolton has played more than 85% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in each of the past three seasons, however. That will create a decision soon. The tag formula also groups on- and off-ball linebackers together. While guard tags have occurred in the recent past (via the Patriots and Thuney and Washington with Brandon Scherff), off-ball LBs are never tagged.

Some in the agent community have not been too fond of the Chiefs for using Mahomes’ team-friendly contract as a talking point during negotiations. It is true Mahomes took less; ditto Kelce. That allowed the Chiefs to give Jones a wildly player-friendly extension this offseason. Agents have pointed to some players being irked by the Chiefs using Mahomes’ contract against them in negotiations. Mahomes and Kelce also have considerable income streams outside of their Chiefs contracts — something most of the team’s other players do not. That certainly impacts a willingness to take hometown discounts.

After clinging to a shaky wide receiver plan last season, the Chiefs indeed poured more resources into their offense this offseason by signing Marquise Brown and drafting Xavier Worthy in the first round. Their plan changed again thanks to the major injuries Brown and Rashee Rice sustained. The Chiefs retained Mecole Hardman, who said (via ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher) he received some outside interest but did not seriously consider leaving Missouri again. Kansas City also re-signed JuJu Smith-Schuster following his Patriots release, turning to their top 2022 wideout in a key role prior to acquiring DeAndre Hopkins.

Prior to obtaining Hopkins from the Titans, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Veach’s staff approached Reid’s asking whether Hopkins and Smith-Schuster could play together. Week 11 is expected to be the first time Hopkins and Smith-Schuster will suit up together. That marked a key component in moving the Tennessee trade past the goal line, with that deal also illustrating the increased power Veach has assumed since his 2017 promotion.

Veach and Reid secured offseason extensions, with the three Super Bowl wins and four appearances placing the two in commanding position. Veach’s salary within the GM ranks is not known, but Fowler adds Reid is now the NFL’s highest-paid HC at around $20MM per year. Two coaches in Reid’s own division (Jim Harbaugh, Sean Payton) ranking in the top five in coaching salaries undoubtedly helped the Kansas City maestro, with Fowler noting the Chiefs’ latest Reid extension came after two years remained on his previous deal.

Reid’s previous contract had ranked near the bottom of the top 10 among HC salaries. Unlike player deals, teams do not have to disclose these terms. But the Chiefs took care of the architect of their ascent to the league’s mountaintop. Reid, 66, has been linked to retirement for a few years. But the ex-Eagles leader has continued to assure he is not yet strongly considering an exit. Matt Nagy is seen as a potential heir apparent, but the two-time Chiefs OC is also on track to receive outside interest in 2025. That will be an interesting storyline to monitor.

For now, however, the Chiefs’ Reid- and Mahomes-powered machine is still going. Although this year’s squad has offered a high-floor/low-ceiling presentation — thanks to a plus-57 point differential that ranks just ninth in the NFL — the team will chase its 16th consecutive win Sunday against the 8-2 Bills.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/14/24

November 14th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

Cory Trice was back at practice for the Steelers today after being sidelined for more than a month with a hamstring injury. The 2023 seventh-round pick made his NFL debut in Week 1 of the 2024 campaign, and he snagged his first career interception in Week 2. When he returns, he’ll likely slide back to an end-of-the-depth-chart CB/special teamer for Pittsburgh. With Trice returning to practice, the Steelers will now have 21 days to activate the player to the active roster.

Buccaneers Claim S Mike Edwards

November 14th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Buccaneers are big on safety reunions this year. Months after bringing back Jordan Whitehead following his two seasons with the Jets, they are greenlighting a Mike Edwards comeback.

Cut by two teams recently, Edwards is coming back to Tampa via waiver claim, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A former third-round Bucs draftee, Edwards played four seasons in Tampa before signing with the Chiefs last year. Edwards has three career pick-sixes and has made 28 starts, but he was unable to secure much playing time with the Bills or Titans this season.

Buffalo brought in Edwards as part of its post-Jordan Poyer/Micah Hyde solution but saw Damar Hamlin commandeer the starting job alongside the re-signed Taylor Rapp. The Bills drafted Cole Bishop in Round 2, further protecting them at safety despite the exits of two seven-year starters. The Bills cut Edwards last week, while the Titans dropped him Wednesday.

The Bucs passed on Edwards last week, but his situation changed slightly. Because the Bills cut him before the trade deadline, Edwards was released. Tennessee booting him after the deadline sent the sixth-year vet to the waiver wire, and the 4-6 Bucs will pounce this time. Edwards, 28, will rejoin ex-teammates Whitehead and Antoine Winfield Jr. at safety.

Edwards has considerable playoff experience, being with the Bucs throughout their Tom Brady partnership and then replacing an injured Bryan Cook during the second half of last season with the Chiefs. Edwards signed one-year deals with Kansas City and Buffalo; his one-year, $1.13MM Tennessee contract will now transfer to Tampa Bay’s payroll. The part-time starter will aim to use familiar surroundings to bounce back, as 2024 has not gone especially well for him.

With the Bucs, Edwards operated as a spot starter from 2019-21; though, he did start in 11 games in that span. That stretch included a two-pick-six game against the Falcons in September 2021. Drafted as part of a Day 2 DB wave that included Winfield, Carlton Davis, Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting from 2018-20, Edwards started 12 games alongside Winfield in 2022 — after the Bucs had let Whitehead join the Jets. The team re-signed Whitehead to a two-year, $9MM deal in March.

After playing 621 defensives snaps before the playoffs with the Chiefs last season, when he started three more games and played 97% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVIII, Edwards has logged all of seven this year. The Bucs have safety/slot Tavierre Thomas and 2023 UDFA Kaevon Merriweather stationed as second-stringers behind Winfield and Whitehead. Tampa Bay waived cornerback Keenan Isaac to make room on its roster, ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine tweets.

D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen Address Shane Waldron’s Bears Dismissal

November 14th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Matt Eberflus has now fired two offensive coordinators this year. The OC he canned in January (Luke Getsy) is already out as the Raiders’ play-caller, a move that came shortly before the Bears booted Shane Waldron.

It seems doubtful Eberflus would be allowed to hire a third OC, as the third-year HC’s job is almost definitely on the line. It may come down to interim play-caller Thomas Brown‘s performance, with a Caleb Williams second-half resurgence perhaps the only lifeline Eberflus has left. The Bears have not seen Williams progress since showing flashes earlier this season, and the No. 1 overall pick has not clicked with the team’s two veteran wide receiver starters.

D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen have combined for 10 1,000-yard seasons in their careers; neither player is at 400 after nine games this year. Moore leads the Bears with 398 receiving yards, dropping from 80.2 per game with Getsy and Justin Fields at the controls to 44.2 in the Waldron-Williams setup. Allen, who averaged a career-best 95.6 yards per game in his final Chargers season, is at just 34.4 through seven Bears contests. The older of the two accomplished Chicago vets deemed Waldron “too nice” to succeed this season.

“Too nice of a guy,” Allen said (via ESPN.com’s Kalyn Kahler) of Waldron. “OTAs, camp, we fell into a trap of letting things go and not holding people accountable, and that’s a slippery slope. Just professionalism and doing things the right way from the beginning.”

Allen and Moore have both worked with several OCs during their careers, respectively thriving in most of those systems. The Panthers trotted out a different primary QB1 in each of Moore’s five seasons with the team; he still posted three 1,100-yard seasons with Carolina. Allen enjoyed much better quarterback play, through Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert. Williams sits 29th in QBR, and Allen — who could certainly have used his Bears stay as a potential springboard to a viable Hall of Fame case — has seen his production nosedive.

Moore confirmed players shared frustrations about the offense but covered his bases by indicating he did not want to see Waldron fired. Though, the second-year Bears wideout publicly addressed some of the issues during Waldron’s brief stay.

“When we wanted a call, it was like a drive too late,” Moore said, via WGN Radio’s Kevin Wells. “Or when we wanted to make adjustments and we waited ’til halftime to make it. And then we don’t get the same look.”

Waldron, 45, received immediate interest once the Seahawks let Pete Carroll‘s contracted assistants search for other jobs this offseason; these comments will certainly factor into Waldron’s 2025 job search. Waldron interviewed with the Patriots and Saints before signing on with the Bears. The Bears’ wide-ranging interview process included coaches who became coordinators elsewhere. Liam Coen (Buccaneers), Kliff Kingsbury (Commanders), Klint Kubiak (Saints), Zac Robinson (Falcons), Greg Roman (Chargers) met about the job. The Chargers blocked Kellen Moore from a meeting about the job; Moore ended up as the Eagles’ OC once the Bolts eventually let him out of his contract.

Kingsbury held intel on Williams, being USC’s QBs coach last season, but SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates that interview felt more like Bears brass gathering information on their next quarterback than interviewing Kingsbury for the gig. The Raiders offered Kingsbury their OC job, but it went to Getsy after the former Cardinals HC backed out due to the AFC West team not guaranteeing a third-year salary. The Commanders quickly swooped in.

Waldron, however, was hired January 22 — before any of the above-referenced 2024 OCs landed jobs. Chicago striking first with Waldron and then firing him nine games in obviously presents a bad look for Eberflus, who evaded a firing last year but dismissed Getsy and a few offensive staffers in preparation for Williams’ arrival. Counting Brown, the Bears have employed seven OCs since 2015. It looks more likely than not the Bears, who do not fire HCs in-season, will be conducting a head coaching search come January.

Broncos LT Garett Bolles Expected To Play Out Contract

November 14th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Justin Simmons will be in Denver on Sunday as a member of the visiting Falcons, the decorated safety’s March release made Garett Bolles the longest-tenured Bronco. A lack of substantive extension talks threatens to move that distinction to another player soon.

Bolles has expressed an interest in a third Broncos contract, but he remains attached to the four-year, $68MM deal agreed to during the 2020 season. The eighth-year left tackle did agree to his current extension in November 2020, during his lone All-Pro campaign, but plenty has changed about the Broncos in the years since. The GM that drafted Bolles (John Elway) is gone, with the subsequent honcho (George Paton) seeing his power curbed thanks to Sean Payton‘s 2023 arrival. This all leaves Bolles with a cloudy Colorado future.

The Broncos have reached extensions with three 2021 draftees this year, coming to terms with Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain and Jonathon Cooper over the past four months. Bolles, however, is expected to play out his second contract this season, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. While Denver passed on trading Bolles before his contract year and would still have exclusive negotiating rights with its longtime LT in the weeks before the legal tampering period, a separation would move closer to a reality if Bolles finishes the season unsigned.

Bolles is 32 despite being a 2017 draftee, which would stand to affect his market to some degree. That said, the Utah alum wants to play at least a few more seasons. He has been seeking a Broncos extension since before 2024. Bolles became the longest-serving Broncos left tackle this season, hitting Year 8 to surpass Ryan Clady (who missed all of the 2015 season).

Denver used Russell Okung as a stopgap upon trading Clady to the Jets in 2016 but drafted Bolles 20th overall in 2017. The investment delivered some choppy waters early, thanks to Bolles’ holding penchant, but he has stabilized himself into a solid option at the premier O-line position.

After a broken leg ended Bolles’ 2022 season five games in, he has returned to play in all 27 Broncos contests since. Pro Football Focus slotted Bolles 19th in 2023 and has him 14th among all tackles this season. He checks in as a top-15 player in both ESPN’s pass block and run block win rate, sitting 14th in pass pro and sixth on the ground. Avoiding a serious injury should stand to deliver Bolles a strong third contract, with the question then being whether it will come from the Broncos or another team.

Meinerz’s extension gave the Broncos four O-linemen tied to eight-figure-per-year contracts, joining left guard Ben Powers and right tackle Mike McGlinchey. The veteran RT’s 2025 salary is fully guaranteed, providing a potential complication for a third Bolles-Broncos agreement. Denver saw some promising play from 2023 UDFA Alex Palczewski early this season, but the Illinois alum filled in exclusively for McGlinchey at right tackle and did not play as a rookie. A Bolles exit likely moves LT to the top of the list of Broncos needs for 2025, which would be an interesting development due to the organization’s Bo Nix development effort.

Next year’s LT market (as of now, that is) is slated to feature Cam Robinson and Ronnie Stanley, both joining Bolles in playing out their second contracts. Dan Moore Jr. and Walker Little headline the list of LTs going after their first big paydays. While this crop gives the Broncos options, the team also will be navigating the second and final year of Russell Wilson‘s dead money; that figure is set to check in just north of $30MM next year, limiting the AFC West club’s options a bit.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Out For Season

November 14th, 2024 at 11:56am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 14: Prescott’s surgery was a success, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. The lengthy rehab process will now begin as the Cowboys consider their other quarterback options to close out the campaign.

NOVEMBER 12: The Dak Prescott surgery scenario will commence. Although rumors about a potential late-season return emerged, Prescott’s hamstring injury will ultimately shut him down.

A round of medical opinions will lead Prescott to the operating table, with Jerry Jones confirming during a 105.3 The Fan appearance (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) his quarterback will undergo surgery in New York. The operation will take place Wednesday.

Considering the Cowboys’ trajectory and the nature of Prescott’s injury, it is not too surprising this is how his season will end. The Cowboys will stick with Cooper Rush in the immediate aftermath of a blowout loss to the Eagles, though veteran Cowboys reporter Newy Scruggs adds the team is bringing in Will Grier to join its practice squad. The Eagles released Grier from their P-squad last week.

Prescott, 31, is believed to have suffered a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon. Reminding somewhat of the injury that cost Tyron Smith most of his 2022 season, Prescott’s malady prompted visits with multiple doctors — including one in New York. That meeting will provide the impetus for the ninth-year QB to wrap his season. This will go down as a wildly successful Prescott year on the contract front but a poor one in terms of performance.

Signing a four-year, $240MM extension — one that raised the QB market by a staggering $5MM in terms of AAV — Prescott ranked 25th in QBR when he went down during the Cowboys’ Week 9 game against the Falcons. A scramble produced the hamstring malady, and Prescott winced as he attempted a subsequent pass. The Cowboys certainly needed Prescott to salvage what looks like a lost season. With Rush at the controls in front of Trey Lance, Dallas is likely barreling toward a regime chance due to Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck status.

The 2020s have brought extreme vacillations for Prescott, who has nevertheless signed two player-friendly extensions during the decade. A fractured ankle — an injury that has affected the QB in the years since — shut down Dallas’ starter in 2020, while he then powered the team to a No. 1 offensive ranking during a 12-5 2021 season. While the Cowboys repeated their 12-5 record in 2022, Prescott led the NFL in INTs (15) upon returning from an early-season thumb injury. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year bounced back last year, earning second-team All-Pro status, before another regression defined his 2024 showing.

When Prescott went down in 2020, the Cowboys sank to 6-10. This preceded a 7-9 Washington team winning the NFC East. The Cowboys and Eagles yo-yoed in the division over the next three seasons, but McCarthy is almost certainly on his way out after this one. Dallas now sits 3-6 and will play 10 games without its starting QB this season. Jones endured steady criticism for his roster construction this year, as his Prescott and CeeDee Lamb extensions came as the owner operated passively at other positions. McCarthy’s successor will likely have a top-10 pick to use in April as a result.

Grier spent nearly two years with the Cowboys, arriving as a waiver claim in 2021 and staying on until not being retained on the 2023 roster coming out of camp. The former third-round pick rejoined Kellen Moore with the Chargers to close last season, following Bengals and Patriots stints, and caught on with the ex-Dallas OC in Philly this offseason. Grier will round out Dallas’ QB room, which remains fronted by Rush, who has been Prescott’s backup for most of the former fourth-round find’s career.

It would stand to reason Lance would receive extended time moving forward, given the Cowboys’ situation, but McCarthy confirmed Rush will see at least one more start. Lance’s rookie contract expires at season’s end, while Rush’s two-year, $4MM deal wraps after this campaign as well.

Thanks to the mammoth re-up he inked in September, Prescott is tied to to the Cowboys through the 2028 slate. The latest Prescott deal featuring no-tag and no-trade clauses, the contract will need to be adjusted in 2025, as it carries an untenable $89.9MM cap number.

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