HEADLINES

Doug Pederson’s Jaguars Job Status Could Be Tied To Week 11 Performance?

November 15th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Throughout the season, the future of Doug Pederson in Jacksonville has been a talking point. The Jaguars experienced a nosedive to close out the 2023 campaign and missed the playoffs as a result. 2024 has not gone according to plan either, leading to continued rumblings about a coaching change.

Owner Shad Khan gave a vote of confidence to both Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke last month, but the team has dropped to 2-8 since. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is set to miss his second straight game due to injury, and it remains to be seen when he will be available for the Jags. In the meantime, a matchup against the NFC-leading Lions is on tap. A loss is therefore expected on Jacksonville’s part, and a lopsided defeat could be key in determining Pederson’s status.

Veteran insider Josina Anderson reports Khan’s preference would, to no surprise, be to wait until the end of the campaign to make a decision on Pederson and/or Baalke’s job security. She adds, however, that a blowout loss in Week 11 would leave a mid-season firing on the table. A coaching change would not spark a push to the playoffs to close out the 2024 campaign, but it would bring Pederson’s tenure to an end amidst a poor run of form across two years. Overall, the former Eagles Super Bowl winner sits at 20-24 with the Jags.

Six of Jacksonville’s eight losses this year have come in one-score games, something which could help Pederson’s chances of at least surviving until the end of the year. An obvious candidate to replace him on an interim basis does not necessarily exist on staff, which further strengthens his case for 2024. Pederson – whose relationship with Baalke has reportedly headed in the wrong direction this year – remains confident in his team at this point as attention turns toward the offseason and the potential for changes along the sidelines.

“That’s a tough thing in the sports world today, in general across all sporting events and sports teams, teams that go through slumps and defeats and things like that, sometimes it is hard. They feel defeated,” Pederson said (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith). “But I’ll tell you what, you don’t see that with this team. And I think it’s a credit to the leadership of this group… In order to pull yourself out of this, you have to have that type of leadership and a close group, even when you’re not getting the results you want.”

Mac Jones is in position to once again lead the Jags’ offense on Sunday. He had a forgettable Jacksonville debut last week as the team lost 12-7 to the Vikings, and a step forward in production will be needed against the Lions. Detroit sports a record of 8-1 and heads into Week 11 on a seven-game winning streak, so the possibility certainly exists of a lopsided score in favor of the home team. If that comes to fruition, it will be interesting to see how Khan and the Jaguars react.

Seahawks C Connor Williams Retires

November 15th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Seahawks center Connor Williams is retiring, as announced by head coach Mike Macdonald in a press conference Friday, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

Williams tore his ACL last December, tanking his free agency stock with his availability to start the 2024 season in question. He managed to pass a physical and sign with the Seahawks eight months later and started all nine of the team’s games at center this season.

Macdonald cited “personal reasons” as the explanation for Williams’ retirement and said that his knee injury in 2023 was not a factor in the decision, according to Condotta. The first-year head coach doesn’t believe that Williams will change his mind and return to the Seahawks this year.

Williams finishes his career with 86 starts and 92 total appearances across a seven-year career. He began as a second-round pick by the Cowboys in 2018 and quickly earned the starting left guard job in Dallas.

He hit free agency in 2022 and signed with the Dolphins on a two-year deal worth just over $14MM. He started all 17 games at center for Miami in 2022, but struggled with multiple injuries in 2023 before ultimately tearing his ACL in December. Williams’ return to the field this year was viewed as impressive given the extent of his knee injury, but he opted to retire rather than finish the season. He ends his career with $22.3MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap.

Seattle will turn to Olu Oluwatimi at center moving forward. The 2023 fifth-rounder started one game with 128 total snaps at center as a rookie. Oluwatimi’s insertion into the starting unit is yet another shake-up for a Seahawks offensive line that recently lost George Fant to injured reserve for the second time this year. Abraham Lucas is set for his season debut, per Condotta, though Macdonald said the third-year right tackle would be on a snap count.

NFL Sets Special Draft Declaration Deadline For CFP

November 15th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this month, the NFL sent a memo out to sports agents detailing the eligibility rules for the 2025 NFL Draft, provided on X by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The memo included reminders of usual eligibility rules and provided an update to deadlines with the NCAA’s first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff in mind.

With the extended playoff drawing the college football season out a few more weeks than in the past, it makes sense for the NFL to make some alterations to the deadlines for underclassmen to declare that they are forgoing their remaining college eligibility. There are now three deadlines for players to declare for the draft.

The first deadline follows the conclusion of the playoff’s quarterfinals, which finish on New Year’s Day. This early “soft” deadline (Monday, January 6) allows any players whose seasons have ended early an opportunity to make their declaration without waiting. The traditional “hard” deadline follows the playoff’s semifinal games, which conclude on January 10. The “hard” deadline (Wednesday, January 15) will be required for any prospects who are not participating in the FBS Championship Game.

The new, special “Championship” deadline is obviously for the players on the two teams competing in the NCAA’s season finale on January 20. The deadline for players in that final game is Friday, January 24. Players who submit their applications for any of the three deadlines will have 72 hours to revoke their submissions, and the deadline to “opt-out” of the 2025 NFL Draft is Friday, February 7.

For those unaware, the usual eligibility rules that apply require players to be three years removed from high school in order to declare. So, college athletes that entered collegiate athletics in 2020 or before are automatically eligible to declare, as are athletes who entered in 2021 and did not utilize a redshirt year. This classification includes all seniors, redshirt seniors, graduate transfers, and sixth-year seniors — not to mention some of the rare cases of athletes in their seventh or eighth years of college football.

Players who entered in 2021 and utilized a redshirt season and players who entered collegiate football in 2022 must declare for special eligibility. This classification includes anyone who has yet to reach senior status — redshirt juniors, true juniors, and redshirt sophomores. Any players who entered college football in 2023 or 2024, assuming they enrolled immediately following high school graduation, will not be eligible to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft.

All of these qualifying players also have the option to opt-out of the draft and return to collegiate athletics if they have any eligibility remaining. The class of 2020 is the final class to receive the sixth year of eligibility granted to athletes in college during the COVID-19-affected 2020 season. Any players who entered college after 2020 will be subject to the regular eligibility rules that limit players to four playing seasons (any season in which a player appears in five or more games) and one redshirt season (any season in which a player appears in four or fewer games). Some players can be granted additional years of eligibility for injury or hardship reasons, but most athletes are restricted to four or five years of college.

Interest In 2026-27 QB Prospects Outshining 2025 NFL Draft

November 15th, 2024 at 8:09pm CST by Ely Allen

There will inevitably be some teams at the end of the 2024 NFL season that will be aching for a new quarterback for 2025. Rumors abound concerning the job security of Daniel Jones in New York, no one seems to be taking firm control of the starting job in Las Vegas, and uncertainty surrounds the recent investments in the position made in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Carolina, and Tennessee. The 2025 NFL Draft class may not offer enough answers for all these teams, so many are doing their research on the next couple of draft classes.

That doesn’t mean there are no options in 2025. Two passers seem to top the list for the upcoming draft: Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. Sanders and his father (head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders) have worked hard over the past two seasons to put the Buffaloes on track for a berth in the Big 12 title game and a chance at the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Not quite elite with his arm or his legs, Sanders succeeds on technique utilizing good timing and ball placement to lead his offense. Having only played under his father in college, scouts have concerns about Sanders’ maturity and leadership abilities.

Ward, who formerly declared for the 2024 NFL Draft before withdrawing to transfer from Washington State to Coral Gables, has earned his place in the first-round conversation. Starting as a zero-star recruit at Incarnate Ward at the FCS level, Ward found a home in Pullman before joining the Hurricanes. The 22-year-old has led the Canes to a 9-1 record, throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s only loss. His composure in the pocket and elite arm talent make him an enticing prospect but can lead him into making some questionable decisions. He’s an obvious contender for the Heisman trophy, but his draft stock is still far from solidified.

Behind Sanders and Ward, there’s a pretty significant drop off to players like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Georgia’s Carson Beck, and Penn State’s Drew Allar. All four players hold mid-round intrigue, but there’s plenty of time for any of them to work their way into the first-round conversations late like we saw Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix do last year.

While a couple teams will be in a position to take a quarterback early in the 2025 draft, and some may decide that Sanders or Ward are a fit for their organization, others are already doing their homework on the next few classes of college passers. Two redshirt freshmen and one true freshman have scouts licking their chops before they’ve even reached draft eligibility.

In Austin, redshirt freshman Arch Manning has been quietly building a ton of anticipation from the bench. The grandson of former Saints quarterback Archie Manning and son of Peyton and Eli’s brother Cooper, Manning has waited patiently behind the Longhorns’ starting passer Quinn Ewers. Seeing time in six games in relief of Ewers in 2024, Manning has shined in spurts for Texas.

Another NFL legacy player, Dylan Raiola — son of long-time Lions center Dominic Raiola — started off his true freshman season for Nebraska hot before falling off in recent weeks. After drawing early comparisons to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (mostly visually), Raiola came on strong in his collegiate start, throwing nine touchdowns to only two interceptions in his first five games. Since then, the Cornhuskers passer has cooled off quite a bit throwing only one touchdown to six picks.

Lastly, South Carolina has a redshirt freshman passer in LaNorris Sellers whose name is resounding in NFL scouting circles already. While his arm isn’t electric quite yet, Sellers has been effective en route to a 5-3 record as a starter. He also adds some dynamism with his legs averaging about 50 rushing yards per game on his way to four scores on the ground.

The talk for players like Manning, Raiola, and Sellers is obviously far too premature, as can be seen by Raiola’s midseason slump. The existence of such conversations, though, seems to underline the lack of excitement from the NFL in the 2025 draft class. Sanders and Ward are well on their way to hearing their names on the first night of the draft, but Nussmeier, Milroe, Beck, Allar, and others have some work ahead of them if they’re going to convince NFL squads to take a shot on them this offseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/24

November 15th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor NFL moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco 49ers

Wright was recently placed on injured reserve in order to make room for rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall on the active roster. He was an injury replacement for primary kicker Jake Moody before getting placed on IR himself. With Moody back, Wright’s place on the team became superfluous.

AFC North Notes: Steelers, Powers, Wills

November 15th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers are not expected to re-sign offensive linemen Dan Moore and James Daniels after the 2024 season, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.

Moore is in the final year of his rookie contract with 58 career starts at left tackle for the Steelers, a solid return for the fourth-round pick used to draft him in 2021. However, he allowed at least seven sacks in each of his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Pittsburgh used first-round draft picks on tackles in 2023 and 2024, signaling a desire to upgrade at the position. Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu primarily played left tackle in college, giving the Steelers multiple options to take over on the blindside in 2025.

Daniels started just four games at guard this year before tearing his Achilles, which will likely end his tenure in Pittsburgh. Daniels signed a three-year, $26.5MM contract with the Steelers in 2022 and largely played well over the last three years. However, the seven-year veteran will be looking to cash in on the massive increase in the guard market. Pittsburgh may not be inclined to spend so much at guard after drafting Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick this past year, especially with T.J. Watt and George Pickens in line for extensions at more expensive positions.

  • Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills said on Monday that his recent benching “was pretty shocking,” per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured,” explained Wills. He hyperextended his right knee on the first play against the Bengals in Week 7 and managed to finish the game but “couldn’t really bend” his knee the following day. He sat out Week 8 against the Ravens and was subsequently benched for Dawand Jones. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that “business decision” was a “poor choice of words” by Wills, though it would not affect whether or not he would play again this year, per Cabot. Stefanski also hinted that Willis’ 2023 injury is still hampering him. “I wouldn’t categorize it as a setback,” said Stefanski, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “It hasn’t recovered how quickly he would want it to…it’s been a tough rehab for him.” Wills opted for surgery last year to repair his torn MCL – in the same knee he hyperextended recently – and did not debut until Week 3 this year. Wills is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, and his health issues may complicate extension negotiations with the Browns.
  • Broncos left guard Ben Powers confirmed he didn’t receive an offer to re-sign with the Ravens when he hit free agency in 2023, according to Chris Thomasson of The Denver Gazette. “I didn’t hear from them,” said Powers, who signed with the Broncos on a four-year, $52MM deal and returned to Baltimore for the first time in Week 9. However, the sixth-year guard didn’t hold it against Baltimore, saying that he “kind of understood their situation. That was the offseason they were handling [Lamar Jackson‘s] contract, so I kind of anticipated it.”
  • Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer will be expected to develop his group of young blockers over the next few seasons as Pittsburgh figures out a long-term plan at quarterback. Meyer in his third year with the team after Shaun Sarrett was fired after the 2020 season and his successor, Adrian Klemm, left for Oregon before the end of 2021. His departure was related to tensions with then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada, per Kaboly. The Steelers then fired Canada in November 2023, the franchise’s first in-season coaching change since 1941.

NFC South Notes: Brooks, Canales, Saints

November 15th, 2024 at 1:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks is expected to make his NFL debut after Carolina’s Week 11 bye, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Brooks was activated from the reserve/non-football injury list November 6 ahead of the Panthers’ Week 10 matchup with the Giants in Germany, but he remained inactive for that game. Instead, he will have to wait even longer for his first professional snaps after being drafted by Carolina with the 46th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Brooks’ debut will come against the reigning Super Bowl winners, who have held opponents to 83.2 rushing yards per game this year, the third-lowest in the league. The 21-year-old running back will likely ease into the Panthers’ game plan with teammate Chuba Hubbard ranking in the top five in rushing yards and attempts this season. With Brooks, Hubbard and Miles Sanders all signed through 2026, Carolina may consider some two-back formations to get the most out of its offense.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Panthers owner David Tepper has made four head coaching changes since 2022, but Dave Canales is expected to keep his job despite his team’s record this year, per The Athletic’s Joseph Person. But changes on his staff could be impending with the defense allowing a league-worst 31.0 points per game and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young still struggling to develop.
  • Though Brian Burns was clearly frustrated with the lack of progress on extension talks with the Panthers, he did not force his way out of Carolina. “I never requested a trade,” said Burns, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. However, it was clear that the Panthers would not give him the $28.2MM per-year contract that he eventually signed with the Giants, per ESPN’s David Newton.
  • The Panthers needed additional salary cap space in October, so they restructured the contract of outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum. Carolina converted this year’s per game roster bonuses into a signing bonus and adding three voidable years to the end of his contract, which expires after the 2025 season, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. His 2024 salary cap hit dropped to $2.525MM with a $8.4MM cap hit in 2025.
  • The Saints are facing a key contract decision with quarterback Derek Carr, who has a $51.5MM salary cap hit in 2025 with $10MM in guaranteed salary and a $10MM roster bonus. The remaining $30MM of his salary is currently guaranteed for injury but becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. New Orleans is already projected to be $63.8MM over the salary cap in 2025, so it may need to consider moving on from Carr to kickstart a rebuild and help its financial situation. The Saints may consider benching Carr like the Broncos did with Russell Wilson last year to make sure that he doesn’t get injured and trigger his guarantees for the 2025 season.
  • Alvin Kamara‘s recent extension includes some specific requirements for the All-Pro running back to reach his contract’s maximum value. If he does not attend 100 percent of OTAs in 2025 – something he has not done in several years – the Saints can reduce his salary by $353,000, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. If Kamara records at least 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 2026, he is eligible for a $500,000 bonus for each Satins postseason victory that year, per Terrell.

Harrison Butker Placed On IR; Chiefs Sign Spencer Shrader Off Jets’ P-Squad

November 15th, 2024 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 15: The Chiefs have indeed placed Butker on injured reserve, announcing the move on Friday. The Shrader addition is also now official, and he will now have the opportunity to handle kicking duties for at least the next four games. Butker revealed on social media his surgery was a success, and he will now turn his attention to recovery ahead of a return to action as quickly as possible.

NOVEMBER 14: With the Chiefs winning the bulk of their games by one score, their ace kicker has been crucial to their 9-0 record. The two-time defending champions will soon have a new kicker due to a Harrison Butker injury.

Butker is battling a left knee injury, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, and is likely heading to IR. The injury is expected to sideline the longtime Kansas City specialist for at least three weeks; an IR stay would shelve him for four. As a result, the Chiefs plan to sign Spencer Shrader off the Jets’ practice squad, Pelissero adds.

This injury will require surgery, per Pelissero, as Butker will have an arthroscopic procedure to address the issue. The Chiefs made Butker the NFL’s highest-paid kicker this offseason, re-signing him to a $6.4MM-per-year deal. While Butker’s long-term status is not in question, his availability for this year’s homestretch is.

Butker, 29, practiced fully Wednesday but was limited today. This recent development could be a major issue for the Chiefs, who have seen Butker become one of the NFL’s best kickers over the past several years. Kansas City signed Butker off Carolina’s practice squad in 2017 and have seen him become a long-term weapon. Butker has become the team’s longest-tenured kicker since Nick Lowery.

Butker’s place as a political lightning rod — due to comments made during a commencement address at Benedictine (Kan.) College this spring — notwithstanding, he has continued to be among the NFL’s most reliable kickers. Butker is 18-for-20 on field goals this season, including a 51-yard game-winner to move the Chiefs past the Bengals in Week 2. Butker is 21-for-22 on PATs this season. Shrader, whom the Jets signed shortly before Greg Zuerlein landed on IR, has kicked in two NFL games.

No Pro Bowls have come Butker’s way, but he has been a vital part of the Chiefs’ mission. He kicked a short game-winner in Super Bowl LVII but made a 45-yarder in cold weather to send the Chiefs to that game. Butker also nailed a game-tying kick to force overtime in an all-time playoff thriller against the Bills in 2021 and did the same to force an extra period in Super Bowl LVIII. The latter kick came after Butker set a Super Bowl record with a 57-yarder against the 49ers.

The Panthers drafted Butker in the 2017 seventh round but let him leave for Kansas City due to Graham Gano residing as their primary kicker then. Butker has run into injury trouble in the past; an ankle malady cost him four games early during the 2022 season. This year’s Chiefs team, its unbeaten record aside, has outscored opponents by just 58 points — ninth-most in the NFL. They will now rely on Shrader for the time being, though Butker should be expected back later this season.

A rookie who kicked at South Florida for four seasons and Notre Dame for one, Shrader filled in for Matt Gay in one Colts game this season before kicking in the Jets-Cardinals matchup in Week 10. Shrader is 2-for-2 on field goals, both coming Sunday, and 3-for-3 on PATs (each with Indianapolis). The Jets cut Riley Patterson last week but still have Anders Carlson on their P-squad.

Jonathan Mingo Did Not Expect To Be Traded; WR To Make Cowboys Debut In Week 11

November 15th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys were involved in the trade market last week when they acquired Jonathan Mingo. The second-year wideout fell out of the Panthers’ plans, and with term left on his rookie contract he can be a contributor for Dallas in 2024 and beyond.

Mingo was known to be a trade candidate leading up to the deadline, and Carolina had already been active at the position by dealing Diontae Johnson to the Ravens. Dallas did not profile as the most logical of potential buyers given the team’s struggles this year, but the trade – which saw Mingo and a seventh-round pick exchanged for a fourth-rounder – is of course not strictly a rental. Still, the 23-year-old was surprised he found himself on the move at the deadline.

“It kind of blindsided me, because my agent told me he didn’t think anything was going to happen, slim chance,” Mingo said when reflecting on the trade (via the Cowboys’ website). “So that slim chance happened. I’m happy to be a Cowboy, fresh start for me, new beginnings, God put me here for a reason.”

The 2023 second-rounder entered the league with high expectations last year, but he managed only 418 scoreless yards. Carolina’s offense underwent a number of changes this offseason, and Mingo went from handling a snap share of 89% in 2023 to just 56% this year. An uptick in usage could be coming his way in Dallas, a team which has been without Brandin Cooks for more than one month. That injury has left the Cowboys thin in terms of depth receiver options behind CeeDee Lamb.

Cooks is a pending free agent, and aside from he and Lamb – who signed a monster extension this offseason – all of Dallas’ wideouts are attached to rookie deals. That includes Mingo, who showed plenty of potential as a deep threat with a 15.7 yards per catch average during his time at Ole Miss. The Cowboys could use a vertical presence in their passing game now and in the future, and Mingo could prove to be a cost-effective contributor in that regard after the team thought higher of him than any rookie added in the fourth round this April.

To little surprise, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said (via DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr.) Mingo will play in Week 11. Dallas sits at 3-6 on the year and with Dak Prescott sidelined for the remainder of the campaign (among a number of other injuries), the chances of a postseason push are slim. Mingo’s debut and his performances the rest of the way will be an interesting storyline to follow, though.

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