Newsstand News & Rumors

Colts To Start Joe Flacco In Week 9

October 29th, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Colts head coach Shane Steichen left the door open to a quarterback change, the team is indeed taking that route. Joe Flacco will get the nod over Anthony Richardson in Week 9, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler.

Flacco has already made four appearances and a pair of starts this season, but this will mark the first time in which he sees action while Richardson is healthy. The latter has struggled with accuracy issues during the 2024 season, one in which expectations were high for a notable step forward. Richardson also drew criticism for his decision to pull himself from the game in Week 8, something which was addressed by the team yesterday.

When speaking to the media on Monday, Steichen said Richardson temporarily remained atop the QB depth chart while adding an evaluation would be needed before naming a starter for the next contest. That process has now taken place, with Flacco getting the nod. The 39-year-old will take over on offense as the 4-4 Colts look to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Flacco’s NFL future was very much in doubt until the midway point of last season, when he took a depth role with the Browns. In short order, he found himself in place as Cleveland’s starter and helped guide the team to the postseason. The former Super Bowl MVP preferred to remain in place, but the team looked elsewhere for depth options under center. With Gardner Minshew pricing himself out of Indy, the Colts became the only team to make Flacco an offer.

Whereas Richardson has struggled to find consistent accuracy in 2024, Flacco has managed a completion percentage of 65.7% while throwing seven touchdowns (against just one interception). Avoiding turnovers – something which was an issue with Cleveland last year – will be key moving forward as the Colts’ offense looks for stability. Of course, Flacco does not offer Richardson’s rushing upside, but the return of running back Jonathan Taylor should help compensate for that.

Selected fourth overall last year, Richardson was understood to be a long-term developmental project after a college career which did not include many starts. Injuries limited the Florida product to just six games during his rookie campaign, and an oblique ailment cost him time this year. In all, Richardson has just 10 regular season starts to his name. After committing to a trial-by-fire approach with the 22-year-old, Steichen hinted the Colts may change their philosophy moving forward. That has certainly proven to be the case, and he will now be sidelined as Flacco (a pending free agent) takes over.

Texans’ Stefon Diggs Suffers Torn ACL

October 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Assembling a high-end receiving corps this offseason, the Texans have received bad news on their highest-profile target. Stefon Diggs‘ test results revealed a season-ending injury.

Diggs’ non-contact malady is a torn ACL, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This is a crushing blow to a Texans team currently playing without Nico Collins. While Collins is expected back, Houston has a major question to answer after seeing its high-end trade pickup go down.

Despite Collins breaking out last year and earning an extension this offseason, the Texans acquired Diggs to give C.J. Stroud one of this era’s best wide receivers to target. GM Nick Caserio acquired Diggs’ Bills-constructed contract, pairing it with his quarterback’s rookie deal in his busiest offseason in charge.

While Stroud has certainly missed Collins since the fourth-year standout sustained a hamstring injury to lead him to IR, Diggs had loomed as vital insurance. The plan will change again for the AFC South leaders, who now may be interested in adding a piece before next week’s trade deadline.

The Texans acquired Diggs in a trade that sent a 2025 second-round pick to the Bills. Diggs had thrived in Buffalo, being a central figure in Josh Allen‘s ascent to superstardom. The Bills, however, had tired of the wideout’s antics. They were prepared to keep their longtime WR1 for at least one more season, holding onto him into April, but had discussed Diggs with the Texans at the Combine. The teams circled back to talks before the early-April trade, one that left the Bills with the most dead money in WR history and gave the Texans a perennial Pro Bowler. The Bills have since addressed the void Diggs created, trading for Amari Cooper; will the Texans consider a move before the Nov. 5 trade endpoint?

Houston still has Tank Dell, Robert Woods and 2022 second-round pick John Metchie. Xavier Hutchinson, a 2023 sixth-rounder, joins Dalton Schultz as parts of this Houston cadre. But Dell going from WR3 to Stroud’s top target would wound the Texans, despite the 2023 third-rounder’s early-career connection with Stroud. Collins cannot be activated until Week 10, and it is uncertain if the team’s receiving leader will be ready to return when first eligible.

For Diggs, this is obviously a significant setback. The former Vikings fifth-round pick had avoided major injuries throughout his career, playing in all but one Bills game during his four-year run with the team. Diggs ripped off four straight 1,100-yard seasons in Buffalo. He made a comment this offseason that suggested he sought a way out of Buffalo, reminding of his Minnesota exit, but the trade involved the strange step of the Texans removing the final three years of Diggs’ contract. This appeared to be at the request of Diggs’ camp to finalize a trade. As it stands, Diggs is soon to turn 31 and now headed toward free agency after this season-ending knee malady.

Diggs was on pace for a seventh 1,000-yard season, accumulating 496 (along with three TD catches) through eight games. Collins posted 567 yards despite finishing only four games. Dell sits third on the team with 229 yards. The diminutive talent will shift back into Stroud’s top option, while Diggs faces an uncertain future — one that will probably involve a significant value loss — following this development.

The presences of Woods, Metchie and Hutchinson may dissuade the Texans from giving up notable assets for help. But the team is 6-2 and competing for a Super Bowl berth with the 7-0 Chiefs, 6-2 Bills and others in a strong AFC. Suddenly, the team may benefit from the NFL moving the trade deadline back a week. It offers the Texans an emergency window to bolster their team.

While Cooper Kupp is not expected to be moved, Houston could have the likes of Diontae Johnson, Mike Williams and Darius Slayton to target if inclined. The team also may aim to lean on its Joe Mixon-fronted run game more going forward.

Jags’ Christian Kirk Suffers Broken Collarbone

October 27th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars’ receiving corps will be shorthanded moving forward. Christian Kirk suffered a broken collarbone on Sunday, as first reported by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

As a result of the injury, Kirk will miss the remainder of the season. His absence will hinder Jacksonville’s passing attack as the 2-6 team looks to rebound during the second half of the campaign. Of course, this news also means one of the top receivers still on the trade block will not be on the move.

Kirk was unable to eclipse 1,000 yards in any of his four Cardinals seasons while he played out his rookie contract. As a result, it came as a surprise when he inked a four-year, $72MM in free agency to join the Jaguars. Over time, that pact has aged well given the financial waves seen elsewhere at the receiver position. The size of the investment made in Kirk on the Jags’ part does, obviously, underscore the impact his absence will have.

The 27-year-old posted strong production during his debut Jacksonville campaign, setting new career highs in catches (84), yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight). Kirk was limited to 12 games last year, but he remained an efficient contributor with a 13.8 yards per reception average. The receiver position saw a number of changes this offseason, but he was expected to remain a focal point on offense.

Kirk had a number of quiet games in 2024, although he also enjoyed a three-week stretch with 79, 61 and 88 yards as the Jaguars struggled to find a rhythm on offense. The team overcame multiple deficits in Sunday’s loss to the Packers and managed 27 points (without Kirk having a highly productive outing), but a postseason berth remains unlikely at this point. While that will continue the speculation surrounding head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, Kirk’s attention will turn to recovery.

The Texas A&M product drew interest on the trade front, although Jacksonville has not aimed to sell off veteran players ahead of the deadline. Nonetheless, a report from this weekend named Kirk as one of the wideouts who could still be expected to be on the move provided the right offer was made. The WR market has thinned out with Davante Adams, Amari Cooper and DeAndre Hopkins being dealt. Now that Kirk will be unavailable, other receivers like Diontae Johnson will receive increased attention on the trade front.

Kirk is due $16.5MM next season, but none of his base salary for the year is guaranteed and he is set to carry a cap hit of over $24MM. An adjustment or extension of some kind could be in order during the offseason as a result. In the meantime, Jacksonville will rely heavily on first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and free agent addition Gabe Davis at the receiver spot. Returner Devin Duvernay is currently on IR, but once healthy he could handle a rotational role on offense.

Haason Reddick, Jets Agree To Adjusted Contract; Reddick To Report To Team

October 26th, 2024 at 8:40am CST by Rory Parks

SATURDAY, 8:40am: Reddick has officially signed his adjusted one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The veteran pass rusher is expected to make his Jets debut tomorrow against the Patriots.

SUNDAY, 9:59pm: Cimini clarifies that Reddick is not guaranteed to receoup the money he lost in fines, as initial reports suggested. Instead, the incentives referenced in the prior reports will give Reddick the chance to earn that money back.

7:29am: Haason Reddick‘s holdout is over. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report, Reddick and the Jets have agreed to an adjusted contract, and the two-time Pro Bowler will report to the team tomorrow morning.

The new deal is not an extension; for the time being, Reddick is still out of contract at season’s end. However, according to Schefter, New York has agreed to “waive” over $12MM of fines that Reddick accumulated as a result of the holdout in order to convince the edge defender to report.

Of course, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post points out and as we have observed previously, the fines cannot technically be waived, since Reddick is not attached to a rookie contract. As such, it could be that the new agreement simply includes some mechanism — Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com suggests an increase in base pay — to cover the fines. Indeed, we heard just last week that, after the regular season got underway, the Jets had offered Reddick a reworked one-year deal that would have allowed him to recoup all of his fines while giving him the chance to earn more than the $14.25MM he was originally scheduled to make in 2024.

Despite optimism that the previous proposal would be enough to bring Reddick into the fold, the 30-year-old sack artist rejected it and continued his push for a multiyear accord. That decision, along with his decision to stage the holdout in the first place, was against the advice of his former agency, CAA, who dropped Reddick as a client earlier this month. Reddick subsequently hired Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha to help facilitate a resolution.

Although the Rosenhaus/Matha hiring led to renewed hope that player and team could achieve detente, the Jets remained adamant that they would not entertain a multiyear pact, and they also granted Reddick permission to seek a trade. Owner Woody Johnson, though, continued to express his desire to have Reddick play for Gang Green, and Schefter notes that Johnson was “very involved” in bringing this matter to a close. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports elaborates on that point, reporting that Rosenhaus flew in for the Jets’ contest against the Bills last week and had a lengthy conversation with Johnson prior to the game. Those conversations continued with GM Joe Douglas in the following days.

Now that Reddick — who was acquired via trade with Philadelphia this offseason — has finally agreed to join his new teammates, perhaps Douglas & Co. will be more amenable to an extension, with Rosenhaus himself stating this morning that he will continue to work towards that goal. As it stands, Reddick has not received any new money and has simply agreed to play out the remainder of the season for the $9.5MM that he was already due to earn on his Eagles-constructed deal (via ESPN’s Rich Cimini). As noted above, Reddick was due to make $14.25MM in 2024, but his holdout has led to lost game checks, and while the Jets are prepared to cover the fines in some way, they are apparently not reimbursing him for the lost salary upfront; as Albert Breer of SI.com reports, Reddick can recover that money (and then some) via sack-based incentives, playing time, honors, and team-based incentives.

The Jets may be 2-4, but they recently acquired WR Davante Adams via trade and clearly believe they can make a postseason run. New York’s defense has generally played up to expectations, as that unit presently ranks second in yards per game and seventh in points per game. The team’s 20 sacks are the third-highest total in the league, and Reddick — who has posted double-digit sacks totals in four consecutive years — can certainly help maintain that production. His presence will help to offset the loss of third-year pro Jermaine Johnson, who sustained a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 2.

According to Cimini, Reddick could suit up for New York’s bout with the Patriots next week, although that will naturally depend on his conditioning. More clarity on that front will emerge when Reddick starts to practice.

As Schefter notes, Reddick is the first player in a decade to hold out beyond Week 1 of the regular season and then receive an adjusted contract.

Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw Will Require Season-Ending Surgery

October 25th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

10:17pm: Darrisaw’s injury impacted both the ACL and MCL, per an update from Rapoport. He has been moved to injured reserve, something which opens up the roster spot needed to activate tight end T.J. Hockenson. The latter’s presence will be welcomed by Minnesota’s offense, but the unit will nevertheless be severely shorthanded the rest of the way.

1:25pm: The Vikings’ offense took a massive hit on Thursday night with Christian Darrisaw leaving the game late in the first half of their Week 8 matchup with the Rams with a knee injury.

On Friday, an MRI confirmed the worst: Darrisaw will require season-ending surgery, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Darrisaw has developed into one of the league’s best left tackles since being drafted by the Vikings with the 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft. He allowed just 10 pressures and two sacks in 392 snaps this year, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His pass protection and run blocking have been crucial to the Vikings’ 5-2 start this year, pairing with Bryan O’Neill to form one of the best tackle duos in the NFL.

Now, Minnesota will have to turn to another option at left tackle with veteran David Quessenberry and rookie Walter Rouse on the roster. Rouse is listed as Darrisaw’s backup on the Vikings’ depth chart, but Quessenberry took over at left tackle on Thursday night, indicating that he will be the team’s starter moving forward. That will move Rouse into a swing tackle job backing up both Quessenberry and O’Neill. Practice squad offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson could be in line for game day elevations for depth, or even a promotion to the active roster once the Vikings move Darrisaw onto injured reserve.

Quessenberry made a few spot starts at left tackle in Minnesota last year, so head coach Kevin O’Connell might be comfortable with playing the veteran for the rest of the season. A quality tackle is unlikely to be available on the trade market, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could scour the free agent ranks for an available veteran like D.J. Humphries, who recently visited the Giants. The Vikings are also plenty familiar with former division rival David Bakhtiari, who has not officially retired after being released by the Packers, but he would need to address concerns about his health before a signing.

Darrisaw signed a four-year, $104MM extension with the Vikings in July, getting $43.73MM fully guaranteed and additional rolling guarantees as the contract progresses. While he will certainly be aiming to recover from his knee surgery and play out the rest of his contract, Darrisaw serves as a powerful example of the importance of players seeking guaranteed money in their contracts to secure their financial futures.

Chiefs Acquire DeAndre Hopkins From Titans

October 23rd, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

9:59pm: Tennessee is set to pay $2.5MM of Hopkins’ remaining base salary, Rapoport tweets. This will cover roughly half of Hopkins’ remaining total. The $2.5MM will be paid out as a signing bonus, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

As far as conditions go, the Chiefs will need to qualify for Super Bowl LIX with Hopkins playing 60% of the snaps during the regular season for the pick to climb from a fifth- to a fourth-rounder.

7:15am: The wide receiver market’s latest domino involves the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions. Decimated at the position, the Chiefs are making their move. They are expected to acquire DeAndre Hopkins from the Titans, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.

Kansas City pursued Hopkins via trade and made a free agency offer — once the Cardinals ended up cutting him — in 2023. The team will circle back to the decorated pass catcher, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting Kansas City is sending a conditional fifth-round pick to Tennessee for Hopkins. Should conditions be met, Tennessee’s pick can rise to a fourth. A Super Bowl appearance will likely factor into the conditions, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.

Cooper Kupp also came up during the Chiefs’ WR search, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, but financial issues impeded them regarding a deal with the Rams. The Chiefs, who sit in the bottom quartile in terms of cap space ($4.16MM entering Wednesday), required a team who would take on a departing player’s salary to fill their receiver need. The Titans are expected to eat some of Hopkins’ salary, Russini adds. It does not appear the Rams are prepared to eat a significant chunk of Kupp’s 2024 base.

The Chiefs were again connected to Hopkins recently, and it appears the Titans will pay some of the veteran’s prorated base salary to acquire the Day 3 pick. A $4.86MM tab remains on Hopkins’ 2024 base on a two-year, $26MM deal — one that proved too rich for the Chiefs during their 2023 free agency pursuit. Still finalizing the deal, the Chiefs are preparing to have Hopkins in uniform for their Week 8 Raiders matchup, Russini adds.

Hopkins, 32, has struggled to establish consistency this season. But that has been an issue across the Titans’ pass offense, as big-ticket free agency pickup Calvin Ridley has also failed to produce much in the way of consequence in a Tennessee passing attack featuring Will Levis and Mason Rudolph at the controls. Hopkins has 15 receptions for 173 yards and one touchdown this season.

Although the Chiefs did extensive work on Hopkins in 2023, Rapoport indicates this trade did not gain steam until early this week. The team was targeting a player who could help inside and in the red zone, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager reports. A player who thrived on contested catches at his peak, Hopkins is not at this Texans-era apex any longer. But he has 79 career TDs and is coming off a 1,000-yard season.

Down both Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown for the season, the Chiefs had been reliant on players they reacquired. JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman played roles for the depleted WR cadre, but the former is now down with a hamstring injury. The Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy first-round pick has delivered flashes, but the Texas-developed speedster has not offered consistency yet. Hopkins will stand to help the team in that department, providing help as a possession receiver to help free up the likes of Worthy and Travis Kelce.

This move comes barely a week after the Jets and Bills made their WR strikes, with both Davante Adams and Amari Cooper heading to New York. Carrying a lower ceiling at this point in his career, Hopkins will change teams for a lower price. Having battled injuries since his second Cardinals season, the three-time first-team All-Pro missed several weeks with a knee malady this summer. Hopkins, however, returned in time for Week 1 and has not missed a game. Considering the Chiefs’ in-house injury problems, it is clear they feel confident their new piece can stay healthy.

Hopkins loomed as a bigger trade piece in 2023, when countless rumors emerged about the receiver amid a Cardinals regime change. The former Texans star had loomed as a player the Monti Ossenfort-led front office was set to move on from, and the Chiefs came up on Hopkins’ list of preferred destinations. The Chiefs discussed Hopkins with the Cardinals, joining the Bills in that regard. But those talks broke down for salary reasons. Hopkins, who had signed a $27.5MM-per-year extension with the Cards, became unwilling to discuss taking a pay cut to facilitate a trade upon learning the Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr. a fully guaranteed $15MM. The Cardinals then cut him.

While the Chiefs did not join the Titans and Patriots in hosting Hopkins as a free agent last summer, they made an offer. The allure of playing with Patrick Mahomes did not supersede what was viewed as a far superior Titans proposal, with Hopkins signing a two-year, $26MM deal with the then-Mike Vrabel-led Titans. Kansas City and New England are believed to have offered incentive-laden deals that came in well short of where Tennessee did.

Hopkins joined a team then quarterbacked by Ryan Tannehill, but the Titans quickly geared their mission around Levis. Hopkins played a central role in Levis’ rookie-year development, and despite the second-round pick struggling, his top receiver cranked out a seventh 1,000-yard season. Hopkins totaled 1,057 yards last year. This was off the pace he had set in Houston and during his first Arizona season, but the four-contract player — initially a 2013 Texans first-round pick — showed he could still contribute. Hopkins played all 17 games last season, representing an important selling point.

Benching Tannehill during what turned out to be Vrabel’s final season, the Titans heard from teams on Hopkins before last year’s deadline. They passed on moving both he and Derrick Henry. After Henry walked in free agency, the Titans again received interest on their oldest wide receiver. Hopkins had expressed a desire to finish his career in Tennessee, and the Titans were not believed to be shopping him. But they will move on from the contract-year player for a late-round pick.

The Rams are seeking a second-rounder for Kupp, who is only one year younger than Hopkins. Kupp, however, produced one of the greatest seasons in wide receiver history in 2021 and has been highly productive when healthy since. The latter caveat, coupled with a higher salary, will hurt the Rams’ negotiating position. The Titans have Ridley on a four-year, $92MM deal; the 1-5 team will keep building around around the recent free agency addition while saying goodbye to their 2023 free agent prize.

This marks the third straight year the Chiefs have acquired a wideout via trade in-season. Their Kadarius Toney swing ultimately backfired, despite a Super Bowl-record punt return, with the team cutting the shifty but unreliable ex-first-rounder in August. Hardman delivered the Super Bowl LVIII walk-off touchdown and re-signed with the team. The Chiefs will likely continue to involve Hardman in their offense, but the still-Kelce-centered passing attack will now heavily feature Hopkins alongside Worthy.

Seahawks, Titans Agree To Swap LBs Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones

October 23rd, 2024 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

Ernest Jones is heading back to the NFC West, being involved in a second trade this year. The Titans and Seahawks have a linebacker-for-linebacker swap lined up, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports.

The Seahawks are sending Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones, who was originally dealt from the Rams to the Titans in August. The contract-year linebacker will head back to the Pacific Time Zone to finish up his free agency audition. It’s a 2025 fourth, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com.

This marks the second Titans seller’s trade of the day, with the move coming hours after the team agreed to send DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs. This checks in as a slightly lower-profile deal, but Tennessee secured a better return for Jones compared to Hopkins. Collecting a conditional fifth-round pick for the former All-Pro receiver, the Titans now have Baker and a fourth coming back. Like Jones, Baker is in a contract year.

As the Rams informed Jones this offseason would not be extended in 2024, his camp received permission to negotiate a trade. While Jones had said he did not request a trade out of Los Angeles, the Rams agreed to one in short order. L.A. collected a fifth-round pick for Jones and a sixth. Despite the season being nearly half over, the Titans did better in their Jones return.

Overall, Tennessee did quite well in the two Jones trades. The team gave up only a 2026 fifth-round pick but has obtained Baker, a 2025 fourth-rounder and a 2026 sixth in exchange. The Seahawks will bet on the younger linebacker while the Titans retool.

A former Rams starter who played a role for the Super Bowl LVI team before being highly productive from 2022-23, Jones has started five games with the Titans. He leaves Tennessee with 44 tackles (second on the team) with three TFLs and two pass deflections. Jones, who briefly teamed with UFA addition Kenneth Murray in Tennessee, led the 2023 Rams in tackles with 145 — to go with 4.5 sacks and 14 TFLs. This came after Jones teamed with Bobby Wagner as a starter in 2022.

The Seahawks had used free agency to staff their LB position, though they did not make the kind of commitment there the Titans did via their three-year Murray pact. Seattle signed Baker and Tyrel Dodson, bringing in the former as a street free agent following his Dolphins release. Baker’s second 2024 relocation will come after he started all five games he played with Seattle. Baker made 30 tackles (two for loss) and forced a fumble during his brief Seahawks stint.

Pro Football Focus has Baker and Jones ranked alongside each other among off-ball ‘backers this season, placing Baker 46th and Jones 47th. PFF has Baker rated as a superior coverage linebacker, though Jones checked in as a top-15 overall option at LB in 2023. He will now have a chance to use the Seahawks as a springboard to a nice 2025 payday.

Baker being nearly three years older explains the compensation in this trade. Baker will turn 28 on Christmas Day; Jones will be 25 next month. The Seahawks hold exclusive negotiating rights with their newly acquired defender until the March legal tampering period.

In Miami, Baker worked as a hybrid player of sorts. He showed the type of blitz acumen that has boosted the profiles of Demario Davis and Devin White. The former third-round pick notched 22.5 sacks in six Dolphins seasons, topping out at seven under Brian Flores in 2020. Baker did not assimilate as easily into Vic Fangio‘s defense last season, but he will now go from one ex-Raven assistant’s scheme to another by moving from Mike Macdonald‘s defense to Dennard Wilson‘s.

While Jones is tied his third-round contract, Baker is attached to a one-year deal worth $7MM. The Seahawks, however, already paid Baker a $4MM roster bonus; he is due barely $1MM in prorated base salary. As Baker joins Murray on a 1-5 Tennessee team, Jones will team with Dodson as a pair of contract-year LBs for a 4-3 Seattle team.

Rams Calling Teams On Cooper Kupp

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have been waiting on the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, playing most of the season without Matthew Stafford‘s top weapons. Kupp is expected back in Week 8, but trade rumors surrounding the former first-team All-Pro are gaining steam.

Ahead of the Rams’ Thursday matchup with the Vikings, they have received trade inquiries. It was not known if Los Angeles was prepared to entertain offers for Kupp, but it turns out this could be a live market. The Rams are now calling teams on the former Super Bowl MVP, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, Dianna Russini and Mike Silver report. L.A. has called multiple teams on Kupp.

Kupp is tied to a lofty three-year, $80.1MM extension — one agreed to during an offseason in which the Rams also paid Stafford and Aaron Donald — but The Athletic reports the team is willing to pay some of Kupp’s remaining salary, as the goal in a potential swap will be a second-round pick. Kupp’s contract runs through 2026. The Rams owe Kupp $5MM guaranteed in 2025, though his ’25 base is only $12.5MM. It would cost the Rams more than $25MM in dead money to move on, but the bulk of that sum would be absorbed in 2025.

This would be a seismic move from a Rams team that has generally been on the buyer’s side of in-season trades during Sean McVay‘s tenure. It would also leave Stafford in limbo, given the close connection he has formed with Kupp and the team having lost Donald to retirement this offseason.

Just less than $9MM remains on Kupp’s 2024 base salary. Kupp has not lived up to his third Rams contract, going down with injuries in each of the past three years. That would stand to diminish his trade value, but the Rams should have a market if they are truly willing to part with the 31-year-old WR talent.

Three years ago, the Rams sent the Broncos second- and third-round picks for Von Miller, who was rehabbing a minor injury at the time, and saw him join Donald, Stafford, Kupp and Co. to help produce a Super Bowl title. Denver paid almost all of Miller’s remaining 2021 salary to boost trade compensation. Now, the Rams — despite having beaten the Raiders en route to a 2-4 mark achieved largely without Kupp and Nacua — appear prepared to move into a seller’s position.

That year, Stafford and Kupp formed an immediate connection that powered one of the greatest season by a wide receiver in NFL history. Kupp completed the rare triple-crown effort by leading the league with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdown catches. Kupp continued his brilliance in the playoffs, adding 33 more catches, 478 yards and six touchdowns — including the Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to the Rams’ championship effort. Kupp’s reliability saved a team that had lost WR2 Odell Beckham Jr. in the first half, with the in-season addition going down weeks after Robert Woods was lost for the season.

Despite the Rams having paid Kupp and Woods in 2020, another deal for the ascending slot target commenced. Kupp, however, has missed 18 games since signing that extension. Ankle trouble slowed him in 2022, ending a season that also saw Stafford and Donald go down during a woeful Super Bowl title defense. Kupp began last season late due to nagging hamstring issues but did return to play 12 games alongside Nacua. With more ankle trouble plaguing Kupp this year, the Rams look to be gauging the market.

This marks a change from last season, when the Rams received calls on Kupp, Stafford and Donald but did not shop any of the cornerstones. Donald retired at season’s end, and Stafford has been asked to operate his age-36 campaign without both his top receivers and tight end Tyler Higbee. Kupp stepped up for an injured Nacua in Week 1, totaling 14 catches for 110 yards in a loss to the Lions. He went down in Week 2, being part of an injury brigade that has limited the Rams significantly on offense. The Rams, however, have kept Kupp on their active roster — unlike Nacua, who has been on IR since mid-September.

Neither Davante Adams nor Amari Cooper has produced a season like the one Kupp delivered in 2021, but both the recently traded standouts have been healthier. Even if the Rams pay down most of Kupp’s remaining salary, landing a second-rounder for Kupp figures to be difficult due to his recent maladies. Kupp also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet, having gone down midway through the Rams’ first McVay-era Super Bowl season. The former third-round pick posted his first 1,000-yard slate a year later, leading to the Rams’ first extension for the Division I-FCS product.

It will be interesting to see if the Rams find a team that is willing to part with Day 2 compensation for Kupp. The Steelers have been shopping for a wideout for months, while the Saints also missed out on Adams. Clubs may not be too eager to deal with the Chiefs, given their threepeat pursuit, but Kansas City lost JuJu Smith-Schuster with a short-term injury and has been in the market since seeing Rashee Rice follow Marquise Brown in sustaining a season-ending injury. That said, NFC teams stand to be less concerned about arming the Chiefs compared to AFC franchises. It would surprise if the two-time reigning champs did not call (or were not contacted) on Kupp.

Saints Reach Extension With Alvin Kamara

October 22nd, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saints and five-time Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara are in agreement on a two-year, $24.5MM contract extension, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Kamara was under contract for one more year, but the Saints were not expected to carry his non-guaranteed $22.4MM salary in 2025. Kamara’s new deal will lower his cap hit in 2025 by $18MM, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, and keep him in New Orleans through the 2026 season, giving Kamara a chance at retiring a Saint.

More than $22MM of his new money is effectively fully guaranteed, according to Garafolo, though Kamara’s per-year average dropped from $15MM to $12.75MM from his first to his second extension. The former Sean Payton chess piece had agreed to a five-year, $75MM extension before the 2020 season; that contract had paid out its guarantees and resided as the longest-running active RB deal.

Kamara, 29, made his desire for a new deal clear over the summer when he left mandatory minicamp a day early, though he reported to training camp on time. He continued to negotiate with the Saints as the season approached, but the two sides appeared to be at an impasse in September, indicating that extension talks would continue in the offseason. The veteran running back even became the subject of trade rumors with New Orleans losing five straight games after opening the season 2-0.

Kamara’s extension will take him out of the trade market and solidify him as the Saints’ long-term running back, even as the team faces massive cap obstacles in the next few seasons. While other players like Marshon Lattimore may become too expensive to retain, New Orleans furthered its commitment to Kamara as the most proven and productive player on its offense — one in dire need of proven playmakers given the injuries at wide receiver.

The eight-year veteran was drafted by the Saints in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and received Pro Bowl nods in each of his first four seasons. That earned Kamara the five-year, $75MM payday in 2020; that deal established him as the second-highest-paid running back in the league behind Christian McCaffrey. Kamara’s new APY will drop him to third behind Jonathan Taylor, though he remains ahead of Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. In terms of guarantees at signing, Kamara has managed to make his way toward that list’s ceiling as well. His $22MM at signing trails only McCaffrey and Barkley.

Kamara’s extension is somewhat of a surprise after negotiations with the Saints appeared to fizzle during the preseason, with both sides focusing on the 2024 season ahead of them. However, Kamara has been New Orleans’ most consistent offensive player this year as several other playmakers – including quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed – have dealt with injuries behind a rotating offensive line. Kamara’s 145 touches lead the league, and he is averaging one touchdown and just under 100 yards from scrimmage per game.

Kamara accepted a pay cut from his last contract with the Saints in exchange for full guarantees on almost 90% of his new money, continuing a league trend of decreasing running back contracts as players sacrifice total earning potential for more security with guaranteed money. The Tennessee alum has done very well for himself, even as RB value has stagnated in the modern NFL. The guarantees on this third Saints contract will bump him past $70MM in career earnings.

With the Saints committing to Kamara, other NFL teams will now turn their attention to players like Lattimore and Carl Granderson as potential trade targets as New Orleans — having dropped from 2-0 to 2-5 — potentially looks to shed contracts to clear up future cap space.

Buccaneers Fear Chris Godwin Sustained Dislocated Ankle

October 21st, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Buccaneers attempted to crawl back into their Monday-night matchup with the Ravens, they lost one of their long-running wide receiver starters. The team fears Chris Godwin suffered a serious injury.

The team is concerned Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle, Todd Bowles said postgame. This will stall a bounce-back season for the eighth-year veteran, who has an extensive injury history. Godwin exited the field with an air cast on his injured ankle.

This would be both a significant blow to Tampa Bay’s offense and a poorly timed setback for Mike Evans‘ longtime sidekick. Godwin is in the final season of a three-year, $60MM deal. The former Super Bowl starter has four 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, but he was on pace for a career-best total this year. Godwin caught three passes for 65 yards in the Bucs’ loss tonight, elevating him to 576 on the season. Only Ja’Marr Chase (620) has that beat.

The Bucs gave Evans a third contract this offseason, moving their longtime No. 1 target back in front of Godwin, who is playing on a deal he signed after the team franchise-tagged him for a second straight year. Tampa Bay tagged Godwin in 2021 and ’22; the second stint on the tag did not last long, leading to the $20MM-per-year agreement days later. While Godwin has done quite well for himself as a pro, the former third-round pick was poised to be a high-end free agent at season’s end.

Tampa Bay has established a pattern of letting free agents play out their contract years and convincing them to re-sign. The team went heavy in this direction this year, re-signing Evans, Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David — before tagging and extending Antoine Winfield Jr. The team has also taken this route with cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis, along with center Ryan Jensen. The recently retired center had secured a third contract when he suffered what turned out to be a career-ending knee injury; Godwin’s value for a third contract will likely take a hit as a result of Monday’s development.

In May, an update emerged indicating the Bucs, true to form, had not discussed an extension with Godwin. The productive WR had suffered a torn ACL late in the 2021 season, leaving the team shorthanded (especially after Antonio Brown‘s subsequent meltdown). Godwin, 28, did re-emerge with 1,000-yard slates in 2022 and ’23; though, he was not quite in top form in either year. Godwin posted 1,023 yards in Tom Brady‘s 2022 finale and 1,024 in Mayfield’s Tampa debut, combining for just five touchdowns in that span. He had already matched that total entering Monday night.

The Bucs have trotted out Evans and Godwin together for eight years now. While the younger receiver did not move directly into the starting lineup as a rookie, he soon became Evans’ top complementary piece, helping the likes of Mayfield, Brady and Jameis Winston. Mayfield’s second Tampa Bay arsenal will take a hit as a result, raising the stakes for the likes of Trey Palmer and third-round rookie Jalen McMillan.

Although Brown interfered with Godwin’s unquestioned role as Tampa Bay’s WR2 for a short spell, the Bucs’ pass-game hierarchy has run through Evans and Godwin for many years now. Godwin sits behind only Evans on the team’s all-time receiving list. The Penn State alum’s 7,266 yards are more than 2,000 clear of third-place Mark Carrier, illustrating the value the Bucs have coaxed from their top WRs. If Godwin is unable to come back, this will be a test to the team’s receiver development — both this season and potentially into 2025, considering the veteran’s contract status.

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