HEADLINES

Stephen Ross Nearing Deal To Sell Minority Stake In Dolphins

October 13th, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has been attempting to sell a minority stake in his franchise, and it appears he could be getting close. Per Randall Williams of Bloomberg.com, Ross is nearing a deal to sell a 10% total stake in the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix to private equity firm Ares Management. Ross would sell another three percent of those assets to Joe Tsai, who owns the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and WNBA’s New York Liberty.

This transaction would be notable in and of itself, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes, it would represent perhaps the first sale to a private equity fund in league history. With the prices for NFL franchises continuing to soar, it was only a matter of time before the league relaxed its ownership rules and permitted private equity firms to acquire an interest in NFL clubs, and in August, the league adopted a regulation allowing certain PE firms to buy up to 10% of teams. Ares is one of a handful of firms that are currently on the “approved” list.

Ross was recently engaged in sales discussions with hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, though those talks did not produce an agreement. Ross also reportedly rejected a $10 billion offer – made by someone other than Griffin – for control of the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix.

Indeed, Adam H. Beasley of Pro Football Network hears that if and when the deal is completed – Ross hopes the sale will be finalized and approved at the league’s December 2024 meetings – there will be no change in the Dolphins’ operation. Ross, 84, wants the club to eventually pass to his daughters, Jennifer and Kimberly.

The prospective sale to Ares and Tsai is based on a valuation of $8.1 billion, which further demonstrates the rise in the values of NFL teams. Ross, who purchased the Dolphins for $1.1 billion in 2009, is on the verge of recovering almost the entirety of that investment by selling just 13% of the club and other assets.

Ross has been in the public eye for his ownership actions at multiple points in recent years. This includes his 2022 suspension and the Dolphins losing first- and third-round picks for tampering with Tom Brady and Sean Payton. Ross firing Brian Flores in 2022 brought on a discrimination lawsuit that includes other teams — the class-action suit is ongoing — and an allegation from Flores that Ross offered money for losses during the 2019 season. The NFL did not punish Ross for tanking.

Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times was among the first to report that Ross was attempting to sell a minority share in the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the Miami Grand Prix to a private equity firm. Sorkin’s initial report indicated the valuation used for such a sale would be in excess of $7 billion, and that Arctos Partners was one of the PE firms involved.

Eagles’ Cooper DeJean To Take Over As Primary Nickel Corner

October 13th, 2024 at 11:31am CST by Rory Parks

A key component of the Eagles’ offseason plan to overhaul their secondary is about to realize a spike in playing time. PHLY’s Zach Berman noted earlier this month that rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean was “closing in” on the starting slot cornerback job, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that he expects DeJean to take over slot duties for the team’s Week 6 date with the Browns (subscription required).

Philadelphia, whose porous secondary torpedoed their hopes of defending their NFC title in 2023, selected cornerback Quinyon Mitchell with the No. 22 overall pick of this year’s draft, and then added DeJean 18 picks later. While Mitchell has operated as a starting boundary corner from the jump, it has taken a little longer for DeJean to crack the starting lineup (though four games, he has appeared in just eight defensive snaps but 75 special teams snaps).

That is not terribly surprising, as DeJean sustained a fractured fibula last November that ended his collegiate career prematurely and kept him on the NFI list for the first several weeks of training camp. Though the Iowa product is valued for his ability to line up at both safety and corner, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio recently indicated that the club would have him focus his efforts on the nickel for the time being.

The presumptive promotion for DeJean will lead to a demotion for longtime Eagle Avonte Maddox. Released in a cost-cutting move this offseason only to be brought back via a modest one-year pact, Maddox has struggled in his familiar slot role, and Pro Football Focus presently grades him as the ninth-worst corner in the league out of 101 qualified players. The team initially planned to convert him to safety, and now that DeJean is healthy – and, per Fowler, “all caught up” with Fangio’s scheme – perhaps those plans will be put back into place.

The Philadelphia defense as a whole is in the bottom-10 in terms of both total yardage and passing yards allowed, so a shake-up is in order, and the team took advantage of its Week 5 bye to make some changes. This week’s release of linebacker Devin White was a part of those efforts, and replacing Maddox with the high upside of DeJean is another. 

Colts QB Joe Flacco To Start In Week 6

October 13th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Ely Allen

OCTOBER 13: While Richardson will serve as the emergency No. 3 QB against the Titans in Week 6, Flacco will again operate as the starter. Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Indianapolis simply wanted to give Richardson one more week to ensure that he is completely healthy.

Despite Flacco’s strong play, there is no quarterback controversy here; a source tells FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz that if today’s game were a playoff contest, Richardson would play.

OCTOBER 11: The Colts played last week without their starting quarterback and running back Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, and the team was in danger of facing the Titans this week without their top wide receiver, as well. Instead, according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, Indianapolis is on track to have two of those three players available in Week 6.

The player who is definitely out this week is Taylor. The rusher showed star potential in his first two years on the team but has been limited due to injury ever since, missing at least six games in each of the past two seasons. Taylor was off to a strong start in 2024, averaging a touchdown per game while also averaging the most yards per game (87.3) since his incredible 2021 campaign.

In Taylor’s absence last week, the Colts ran with two running backs, Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson, to cover the lost load. They only carried the ball 15 times between the two of them, totaling 64 yards and a touchdown, but both players benefitted from backup quarterback Joe Flacco‘s affinity for check downs, combining to catch all nine of their targets for an additional 56 yards. Should Richardson return this week, the focus may shift back to the run game, requiring much more of Sermon and Goodson.

Speaking of Richardson, Holder reports that the second-year passer is “preparing to return to the lineup.” The 22-year-old participated in the Colts’ last three practices this week, taking a majority of the first-team reps after watching Flacco take all of the first-team reps last week. Flacco had taken over for the injured starter partway through the Steelers matchup in Week 4, leading Indianapolis to a win over his former division-rival. In his spot start last week, Flacco went blow-for-blow against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars in a shootout that saw him complete 75 percent of his passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns.

It may be a bit surprising to see Indianapolis go back to Richardson, who sports a 50.6 completion percentage on the season and has thrown only three touchdowns while leading the league with six interceptions. Based on the draft capital invested in Richardson and the fact that he was the quarterback working with the first-team offense all summer, it makes sense for the team to stick with him a bit longer as he gets healthy. If he continues to struggle running an NFL offense, though, the wily veteran, Flacco, sits patiently capable on the bench.

Lastly, Holder provided an update on top wideout Michael Pittman Jr. As he’s dealt with “a nagging back injury” to start the season, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Pittman was in danger of missing extended time for the time since his rookie year. All signs were pointing towards a stint on injured reserve for the veteran receiver, but it appears that he will instead tough it out and try to play through the injury.

The Colts’ receiving game has been dominated so far this season by Pittman, Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. In theory the team has some untested depth at the position with rookie second-round pick Adonai Mitchell and veteran Ashton Dulin, but with Pittman playing through his injury, Indianapolis can continue to rely on their top three.

Jets Offered Haason Reddick Revised One-Year Deal After 2024 Season Began

October 13th, 2024 at 10:11am CST by Rory Parks

When Jets edge defender Haason Reddick was dropped by his agency earlier this week, it seemed to be just another sign that player and team are far from a resolution to Reddick’s ongoing holdout. However, it appears that such a resolution was within reach not too long ago.

At some point after the season began, the Jets submitted a one-year offer that would have allowed Reddick to recoup all of the fines he has accumulated as a result of his holdout and given him the chance to earn more than the $14.25MM he was originally scheduled to make in 2024, the final season of his Eagles-constructed contract (per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). At that time, as veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson writes, there was optimism that the Jets would be bringing Reddick into the fold, and Rapoport says the agreement was “all but worked out.”

Reddick, however, declined to sign the deal and continued to push for a multiyear accord (as Rapoport details in an appearance on the NFL Network). As a result, this process does not appear to be any closer to the finish line than it was throughout the offseason.

According to Rapoport, Reddick must report by Week 13 in order to avoid his contract tolling and to become a free agent in 2025. Otherwise, he will be in the same position – at least from a contractual standpoint – that he is currently in. But even a Week 13 report does not seem to be a sure thing, with Rapoport suggesting that Reddick could take “an even more principled stance” and walk away from the game entirely.

Reddick’s decision to continue his holdout was against the recommendation of CAA, his prior agency, and his refusal to sign the one-year offer that was presented after the season started was presumably against CAA’s advice as well. Before the season got underway, New York was reportedly amenable to sweetening Reddick’s existing contract with incentives, and it is unclear how those proposals differ from the in-season offer that Rapoport reported on today (although CAA likely would not have terminated its relationship with Reddick if it believed he was right to reject the in-season overture). The Jets also offered Reddick an extension before consummating the trade that ostensibly brought the 30-year-old defender to Florham Park, though Reddick obviously turned that down as well (and to be fair, that offer was said to be a below-market one).

Despite the offensive struggles that cost head coach Robet Saleh his job and led to a demotion for OC Nathaniel Hackett, the Jets are playing well on defense and presently rank fourth in the league in sacks (18). Still, the club would doubtlessly love to add a player of Reddick’s caliber to its pass rushing contingent, which would help to further compensate for the offense’s deficiencies. Whether that ever happens, though, remains to be seen.

Owner Woody Johnson, who previously said that Reddick would be welcomed to the team “with open arms” should he choose to report, highlighted the uncertainty of the outcome of this saga. 

“This is something I’ve never seen before, you know … I don’t think any of us have seen anything like this. I think you have to be part psychologist and part some-other gist to try and figure out what is actually going on.”

Jaguars Owner Shad Khan Voices Support For Doug Pederson, Trent Baalke

October 13th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Rory Parks

The Jaguars captured their first win of the 2024 campaign last week, defeating the division-rival Colts in a 37-34 shootout to improve their record to 1-4. In light of recent reports suggesting that head coach Doug Pederson is on the hot seat and that the relationship between Pederson and GM Trent Baalke is strained, the victory was a well-timed one for Jacksonville’s top power brokers.

While situations like this always have the potential to change on a moment’s notice, owner Shad Khan is still supporting Pederson and Baalke. In an interview with Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union, Khan noted that the 2022 iteration of his club started the year 2-6 but rallied to make the playoffs and win a thrilling wildcard round contest, while the 2023 version raced out to an 8-3 record, only to miss the postseason entirely.

Reading between the lines, it could be that Khan will not be swayed by the early returns in 2024 and will give Pederson and Baalke the chance to reverse Jacksonville’s fortunes. Plus, as prior reporting on the matter suggested, there is no one currently on the coaching staff who would represent a clear option to take over interim HC duties, a reality that could help Pederson keep his job through at least the remainder of the campaign.

Khan also pointed out that three of the Jags’ four losses this season were eminently winnable, as the club had late leads or the chance to take late leads in all three contests. While the accumulation of narrow losses is never a good look for a coaching staff, Khan appears to be taking the fact that Jacksonville is remaining competitive as a positive sign for the time being.

“So, to me, every game you go to, you want to do everything to win it and this is the NFL, that’s hard,” Khan said. “Every game is competitive. A loss is a loss, but [it’s about] how you lose. To me, the three games we lost early in the season, it’s disappointing, [but] we could have won them.”

Those defeats have not shaken Khan’s faith in his HC/GM duo. 

“I still believe in them. I believe in the players, I believe in the coaching staff. I believe in Trent,” Khan said. “Obviously, the results are disappointing for all of them, just as well as me or any other Jaguar fan, but, the key thing one has to understand [is] we have evolved and really got to a level. I think we’ve got the players, we’ve got the coaching, we’ve got the facilities.”

Khan did say this offseason that the Jaguars’ 2024 roster is the best in franchise history, and that winning is the expectation. As such, it would be reasonable to expect a shake-up if Pederson cannot engineer a turnaround and lead the team to a postseason berth, but for now, Khan does not appear to be contemplating a dismissal. 

“I admire what Trent’s done, Doug’s done, and I think, how do we support them to have better results, more wins?” Khan said.

The Jaguars, the NFL club with the most consistent presence in England, will play their next two games in London. Should they falter in their contests across the pond, one wonders if Khan’s support for Pederson & Co. will remain strong.

Lions Extend RB David Montgomery

October 12th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Lions’ highly effective backfield tandem is set to remain intact for years to come. David Montgomery has agreed to an extension which will keep him in place through 2027, as noted by FOX2’s Dan Miller.

The deal is now official, per a team announcement. As a result, Montgomery has become the latest Lion on the offensive side of the ball to land a new contract. The 27-year-old has proven to be a strong fit in the team’s scheme since arriving as a free agent in 2023. Adding financial details to the agreement, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports this will be an $18.25MM deal including $10.5MM guaranteed.

Montgomery began his career with the Bears, immediately serving as a key member of their offense during his rookie campaign. He logged no fewer than 201 carries during his four years in Chicago, remaining highly durable despite that heavy workload. Across his tenure in the Windy City, however, the former third-rounder only averaged 3.9 yards per carry and questions were raised about his efficiency coming off his rookie contract.

The Bears were interested in retaining Montgomery on a new deal last spring, and an offer was made. Minnesota was also interested in a contract, but he wound up making a different intra-divisional move. Montgomery joined the Lions to serve as the team’s Jamaal Williams replacement. The Iowa State product inked a three-year, $18MM pact to head to Detroit. Guaranteed salary only existed on the first two years of the pact, however, and it was set to void in February 2025. That helps explain the timing of this move.

Of course, a mutual desire would also naturally exist to continue this relationship given how productive it has proven to be. Running behind one of the league’s top offensive lines, Montgomery topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career last season at a career-best rate of 4.6 yards per attempt. He added a personal best 13 touchdowns, which ranked tied for third in the NFL amongst running backs. The early portion of the current campaign has also yielded strong numbers; Montgomery has found the end zone once in every game so far in 2024.

The Lions used the first of their two Day 1 selections on Jahmyr Gibbs last April, adding him as a high-upside complement to Montgomery in the backfield. The Alabama product – as expected – had notable production in the passing game (52 catches, 362 yards) as a rookie, and an expanded role was planned in the offseason for 2024. Indeed, Gibbs has seen his number of carries increase to 13.5 per contest this year, and he has remained efficient on the ground and productive overall (four total touchdowns). While Gibbs plays out his rookie contract, Montgomery will remain in place after receiving a raise.

The latter will now be attached to the seventh-highest AAV amongst running backs after previously ranking 14th in that regard. Montgomery will be expected to remain a strong short-yardage and red zone contributor over the coming years as Gibbs continues to develop. If that tandem can remain arguably the league’s best, Detroit’s offense will be among the most efficient on the ground for several years.

The 2024 offseason saw quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker each land multi-year extensions. Those players will stay in place as pillars of the offense for the foreseeable future. Montgomery’s new pact is much smaller in value, but it too will help ensure a notable degree of continuity on that side of the ball for the Lions.

Titans Place S Jamal Adams On NFI List

October 12th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans seemingly bolstered their secondary in the offseason with three headline-grabbing additions. While starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and starting safety Quandre Diggs have mostly lived up to the hype as contributors, veteran safety Jamal Adams has failed to make an impact, appearing in just 20 snaps this season including a one-snap appearance in Week 4 following a Week 3 start.

While it’s not clear whether or not injury has been a factor in Adams’ lack of presence on the defense so far, injury will seemingly be a factor in his future absence. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Adams has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list with a hip issue. He will now sit out, at least, the Titans’ next four games.

ESPN’s Turron Davenport brings additional color to the situation, reporting that Adams has reportedly “been frustrated by the lack of playing time” in Tennessee. After not playing in Week 1, Adams appeared in two defensive snaps in his Week 2 debut with the Titans. He got the start the following week but still only played 17 defensive snaps. Following that up with only one snap in Week 4 seems to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

According to Davenport, Adams felt he could truly contribute to the Titans defensive unit, even if it wasn’t in a starting role. Regardless of whether or not he was coming off the bench, Adams “just wanted a chance to help the team.”

This certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen Adams at odds with his employer. His notorious breakup with the Jets is well-documented, and part of his split with Seattle was due to unhappiness in his role, most notably that they asked him to transition to linebacker. The “non-football” part of his injury designation raises eyebrows as it implies that he will miss time for something that occurred off the field. It will be interesting to see what details are revealed as reporting on the situation continues.

For now, though, it appears the new marriage between Adams and Tennessee could be in trouble. Between a non-football injury causing him to miss time and his public displeasure with his playing time, it’s hard to imagine a long, happy union in the two parties’ futures.

Broncos Place Josh Reynolds, Luke Wattenberg On IR, Activate Audric Estime

October 12th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Reynolds recently underwent finger surgery, and it will keep him sidelined for a notable period. The Broncos wideout was placed on injured reserve Saturday, per a team announcement.

Reynolds had already been ruled out for Week 6, with further missed time being on the table. Today’s move confirms he will be sidelined for at least the next four games, something which will create a notable vacancy in Denver’s receiving corps. The free agent pickup’s 138 yards rank second on the team this season.

Finding production through the air will be a key goal moving forward for the 3-2 Broncos. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has shown signs of improvement compared to his opening two contests, but without Reynolds in the fold Courtland Sutton will be leaned on even more in the passing game. The likes of Marvin Mims, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, DeVaughn Vele and fourth-round rookie Troy Franklin will be counted on to help fill the void created by the 29-year-old’s absence.

Lloyd Cushenberry departed the Broncos in free agency, landing a big-ticket deal with the Titans. His departure left an opening on a Denver offensive line which is otherwise spoken for in terms of first-team contributors. A competition amongst internal replacement options took place during the offseason, with Wattenberg edging out Alex Forsyth for the gig. Wattenberg, 27, hardly played during his first two seasons in Denver but he logged every snap to begin the 2024 campaign before going down in Week 5.

Forsyth took over at center last week, and he represents a logical candidate to start moving forward. Drafted in the seventh round last year (after playing with Nix at Oregon), Forsyth did not see any playing time as a rookie. The 25-year-old dressed for each of Denver’s first four contests but only logged special teams snaps before Wattenberg’s injury. That could change over the coming games.

In more positive injury news, rookie running back Audric Estime was activated from IR. The fifth-rounder was injured in Week 1, so Sunday’s contest marked the earliest point at which he could be brought back into the lineup. Estime practiced this week, suggesting he would indeed be activated today. With Tyler Badie on injured reserve, a depth role should await him right away behind Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/24

October 12th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions, including practice squad callups for Week 6:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Chargers Place RB Gus Edwards, CB Asante Samuel Jr. On IR, Activate LB Nick Niemann

October 12th, 2024 at 7:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chargers made a number of IR-related moves ahead of their Week 6 contest. The team placed running back Gus Edwards and cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. on injured reserve while activating linebacker Nick Niemann. 

As a result, both Edwards and Samuel will be shut down for at least four games. The former has been dealing with an ankle injury which kept him out of practice coming out of Los Angeles’ bye week. His absence will leave a vacancy in the Bolts’ backfield, one which has a Ravens background given the presence of J.K. Dobbins along with offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Roman – not to mention head coach Jim Harbaugh – has a reputation for leaning heavily on the ground game, so expectations pointed to a heavy workload for Edwards when he signed in free agency this spring. The former UDFA spent each of his first six years in the league with Baltimore, proving to be effective when healthy. Edwards missed the 2021 campaign due to an ACL tear, but upon return he remained efficient the following year. Last season, the 29-year-old set career highs in rushing yards (810) and touchdowns (13). His absence will lead to a larger workload for Dobbins moving forward.

Samuel is dealing with a shoulder injury. He managed to practice on two occasions this week, but that was not the case yesterday and this IR stint will give him a long runway to recover in full. The former second-rounder has been a full-time starter throughout his career, which began in 2021. Samuel was limited to 12 games as a rookie, but he played a full season each of the following two years. Missed time as a pending free agent is of course an unwanted circumstance for team and player.

The Florida State product won out a training camp competition for the slot corner job last year, but he wound up primarily playing on the outside. That has been the case throughout Samuel’s tenure, and in both the 2022 and ’23 campaigns he earned a top-30 PFF grade amongst qualifying corners. His performance this year has not been viewed as highly, but overall the Chargers rank ninth against the pass. Remaining strong in that category will require compensating for Samuel’s absence.

Niemann, like many other players around the league, was designated for return from IR ahead of the cutdown deadline in August. That allowed the Chargers to avoid naming him to their initial 53-man roster, though it did use one of the team’s eight IR activations. After missing the requisite four games, Niemann – a key special teams presence in his first three Los Angeles campaigns – will be able to make his season debut tomorrow.

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