Carson Wentz

Browns Were Not Interested In Long-Term Russell Wilson Commitment; Latest On Team’s QB Plans

March 30th, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Russell Wilson‘s 2025 free agent process ended with a Giants deal. The Super Bowl winner sees himself as the team’s starter, and he could very well wind up atop the depth chart if New York does not use a high draft pick on a passer in April.

Wilson also visited the Browns earlier this month, opening the door to a Cleveland agreement. That did not seem as likely as a Giants pact, though, so Wilson’s ultimate decision came as little surprise. A one-year commitment to the 36-year-old could very well produce a run of starts and another deal being worked out next offseason in New York’s case.

While the Browns also themselves in need of a long-term solution under center, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com writes they viewed Wilson strictly as a bridge option. As a result, negotiations on a contract did not last particularly long, with the longtime Seahawk preferring an option where he would not face as much competition for a starting gig. New York had already added Jameis Winston on a two-year pact, and the team could draft a quarterback at some point next month; nevertheless, Wilson is currently on track to handle QB1 duties at this point.

Cleveland has Deshaun Watson on the books for two more years, but his second Achilles tear leaves him in danger of missing most or all of the 2025 campaign. That leaves trade acquisition Kenny Pickett in place to compete for the starting role this offseason. The top QB selected in the 2022 draft, Pickett’s Steelers tenure did not go as planned and it ended with a trade to the Eagles last spring. The 26-year-old is now in place with the Browns, a team which could be in the market for at least one other passer.

Cleveland has long been connected to trading for Kirk Cousins, but Cabot adds a deal on that front can be considered unlikely at this point. The Falcons passer wants to avoid a repeat of last year’s situation by waiting until after the draft to be dealt, although it remains to be seen if Atlanta will be on board with such a move and if financial arrangements related to the remainder of his contract can be made with an acquiring team. Free agents like Joe Flacco and Carson Wentz have been linked to the Browns, but again Cabot cautions nothing is currently imminent on that front.

Set to select second overall in April’s draft, Cleveland will likely have the opportunity to select any prospect other than Cam Ward. The team was recently reported to be high on Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, but other options will be considered as well. The Browns have hosted Tyler Shough on a top-30 visit, and he is among the quarterbacks who could find themselves in Cleveland next season. For now, at least, Pickett is in position to receive the chance to handle QB1 duties, something he sees himself as capable of managing on his new team.

Mutual Interest Between Browns, Carson Wentz; Joe Flacco Still On Radar

March 19th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Passing on Carson Wentz nine years ago eventually led the Browns to Baker Mayfield. With Mayfield long gone and the player brought in to replace him — Deshaun Watson — on an albatross contract and potentially out for the season, the Browns are still shopping for a veteran.

Kenny Pickett is on Cleveland’s roster, but the team almost definitely needs another option to sell to its fanbase as a Week 1 starter. Although squarely on the radar to draft a passer at No. 2 overall, the Browns hosted Russell Wilson. Giving Wilson another chance to start remains on the Browns’ radar, as they are part of this Aaron Rodgers domino arrangement. The Browns, however, do not appear to be interested in Rodgers.

The second domino to fall once Rodgers makes his decision — potentially between retirement, the Steelers or the Giants, should the Vikings indeed pass — Wilson appears the Browns’ preference. But the Giants and Steelers are also hovering for the former Pro Bowler. If Wilson passes on the Browns, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports Carson Wentz would become a realistic option. Mutual interest “definitely” exists between the former No. 2 overall pick and the Browns.

Wentz, 32, is obviously far removed from the prospect he was coming out of North Dakota State and has slipped well off the pace from his outlier 2017 season — one that likely would have secured him an MVP had he stayed healthy. The 2024 Chiefs backup was last seen taking the snaps in a 38-0 Kansas City loss to a Denver team playing starters most of the way. But Wentz has plenty of starter experience. He could be a bridge option for the Browns, though this setup would seemingly ramp up the pressure for Cleveland to select a quarterback early in the draft.

As of Sunday, the Browns had not necessarily submitted Wilson an offer, Cabot adds (subscription required). It still appears fairly clear Wilson would be Cleveland’s choice over Wentz, who has not been viewed as a starter since the Commanders benched him late in the 2022 season. Wentz made Week 18 starts with the Rams and Chiefs over the past two years, but he has 94 under his belt as a pro. Certainly not a particularly exciting option at this stage of his career, Wentz looms as an option to join Pickett if Wilson opts for New York or Pittsburgh.

Wentz may not be the next choice for the Browns, however, with Cabot indicating during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan’s Baskin & Phelps (audio link) that a Joe Flacco return remains an option. We heard over the weekend Flacco was back in play with the Browns, who did not submit him an offer to stay — as they made a last-ditch attempt to salvage the Watson sunk cost — last year. Even at 40, Flacco is still drawing interest and appears likely to land a chair as teams scramble for stopgaps.

A plan in which Pickett is the only veteran starter option for the Browns does not appear in play, Cabot adds, though she cautious that money is an object. The Browns have $10MM-plus in cap space, but they obviously still would need to carve out almost that much for their draft class. Kirk Cousins had loomed as an option, but the Falcons are holding onto him as a trade asset.

Cousins, who played for Kevin Stefanski in Minnesota, saw $10MM of his 2026 salary become guaranteed Sunday. But that is subject to offset, meaning the Falcons will hope to bill another team in the event of a trade. The Browns are not in a good position to be taking on that kind of money, as Watson’s guarantees run through 2026. An unfathomable dead money number, thanks to a fourth Watson restructure, would come into play if the Browns cut the wildly disappointing QB next year.

The Giants or Steelers could potentially price Wilson out of Cleveland, especially if a bidding war commences should Rodgers retire. Flacco and Wentz would come cheaper. Ditto Jameis Winston, though Cabot views a Winston return as unlikely. Benched as the Browns careened toward the No. 2 overall pick, Winston left his Giants visit without a deal.

Jets Eyeing Modest Free Agent QB Addition?

March 3rd, 2025 at 9:52am CST by Adam La Rose

Aaron Rodgers is no longer in the Jets’ plans, and the timing of his release will likely come at the start of the new league year. By the time the first wave of free agency is underway, more clarity will no doubt be in place regarding the team’s intentions under center.

As expected, the team’s new decision-makers (GM Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn) informed Rodgers they will move in a different direction for 2025. That leaves the door open to another veteran being signed to compete for the starting gig. A draft investment is of course still on the table, with a trade up to the No. 1 slot being something to watch. More realistically, though, a modest signing on the free agent market looks to be in the team’s plans.

Both SNY’s Connor Hughes and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic (subscription required) write New York can be expected to pursue a middle-class option amongst the veteran quarterbacks set to be available in 2025. Former Jet Sam Darnold is the top name to watch at the position, but in terms of short-term investment options a number of other passers will be available. Pairing one of those with incumbent Tyrod Taylor would provide the Jets with a relatively stable floor in terms of QB play for next season.

Hughes and Rosenblatt both name Justin Fields and Carson Wentz as names to watch as it pertains to the Jets. The Steelers started Fields for the first six games of the 2024 campaign before benching him in favor of Russell Wilson. In spite of that decision, Pittsburgh is believed to prefer keeping the younger of the two signal-callers moving forward. If a reversal of that stance is to take place, the Jets will be one of the teams prepared to make Fields a strong offer on the open market.

Wentz’s last run as a starter came in 2022 with the Commanders. Since then, he has taken one-year backup deals with the Rams and Chiefs, making just five combined appearances in that span. The 32-year-old may welcome the chance to earn the staring gig on a pact with the Jets, but other destinations in a similar position will likely be available to him as well.

Hughes lists Marcus Mariota (who has been with four different teams in the past four years) as another potential target, while Rosenblatt adds that Kirk Cousins – should he be released by the Falcons – as a name to monitor. The latter could remain in place as Atlanta’s backup for 2025, something which would eliminate a notable option on the QB market. Taylor, meanwhile, has one year remaining on his pact and could boost his 2026 stock if he were to get the nod next season.

Adding a rookie at some point in April’s draft is something which is firmly receiving consideration by the Jets, per both reports. A move up to add Cam Ward would be quite pricey, but using Day 2 or 3 to add a developmental passer (not dissimilar to 2024 fifth-rounder Jordan Travis) would give the team another option for the future. With respect to the 2025 campaign, however, a major splash in free agency would come as a surprise at this point.

NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings

July 13th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.

While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).

With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.

With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:

QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
QB Jared Goff: $234MM
LB Von Miller: $179MM
QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
OT Trent Williams: $171MM
QB Derek Carr: $165MM
LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
WR Mike Evans: $132MM
QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
DT Chris Jones: $120MM

Chiefs Pursued QB Carson Wentz In 2023

May 8th, 2024 at 5:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

It became well known the Chiefs wanted JuJu Smith-Schuster in 2021. The veteran wide receiver said the Chiefs finished second to a Steelers return, but the AFC West power kept him on the radar and made the signing a year later. Kansas City appears to have executed a similar strategy at quarterback.

Carson Wentz spent an unexpectedly long period in free agency last year, not joining a team until the Rams added him as Matthew Stafford insurance in November. The Chiefs, it turns out, talked to the former No. 2 overall pick early in free agency. Wentz’s approach at the time led the team to move on, with Blaine Gabbert instead joining the club (and collecting a second Super Bowl ring).

“We talked to him last year when we were talking to Blaine and [Wentz] was holding off for an opportunity possibly to start,” Andy Reid said this week. “But it was good to get him in this position and if he has an opportunity to play, he has an opportunity to play. But he’s really handled it well since he’s been here. He’s a good football player.”

Wentz, 31, is now on his fifth team in five years. The Eagles and Colts traded the ex-North Dakota State standout, and the Commanders — after benching their preferred starter for a stretch — released him in late February 2023. No Wentz connections to any team emerged until he is believed to have reached out to the Jets following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear, but it is certainly possible — given the resumes — the Chiefs wanted Wentz over Gabbert.

Gabbert ended up signing with the Chiefs for barely the veteran minimum. The Chiefs used Gabbert as their starter in a meaningless Week 18 game; Wentz received the call for the Rams, who rested starters in the regular-season finale, in a game that doubled as a free agency audition.

Gabbert is going into his age-35 season; Wentz will turn 32 in December. The Chiefs have the latter on a one-year deal worth $3.33MM ($2.2MM guaranteed). Wentz has only started one game against the Chiefs — a 27-20 Eagles loss in October 2017, Alex Smith‘s final year as Kansas City’s starter — but certainly has extensive starting experience. Patrick Mahomes‘ new backup has made 93 career starts.

The Rams turned to Jimmy Garoppolo to take Wentz’s old job, continuing a run of reclamation efforts behind Stafford. Wentz becomes the Chiefs’ third QB2 in three seasons, with Gabbert having succeeded four-year backup Chad Henne. Mahomes has missed some memorable stretches, leaving a 2020 divisional-round game due to a concussion and then missing a short span during a 2022 second-round matchup. The two-time MVP missed two games during the 2019 season as well. Wentz is now the next in line should Kansas City’s seventh-year starter miss time.

QB Carson Wentz Addresses Chiefs Deal

April 8th, 2024 at 11:15am CST by Adam La Rose

After spending much of the 2023 season without a deal, Carson Wentz secured his next pact much earlier with respect to the 2024 campaign. The former No. 2 pick joined the Chiefs on a one-year deal, one which came about after discussions with a former teammate familiar with coaches Andy Reid and Matt Nagy.

Wentz decided to sign with Kansas City in part due to the strong reference Reid and Nagy received from Nick Foles. Wentz explained in the wake of his deal becoming official that Foles spoke well of the coaching pair due to his time spent with them as an Eagles and Chiefs signal-caller.

“I remember all the good things [Foles] had to say about his time here,” Wentz said, via ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “He absolutely loved it. He loved working with those guys, and those things he said to me back then definitely still rang true in my head as I was making this decision… Those things were definitely a factor and gave me a little more peace and comfort in knowing what I was getting into.”

The 31-year-old held a number of starting positions as he bounced around the league in recent years. After putting up underwhelming totals with the Colts and Commanders in 2021 and ’22, though, Wentz did not land a deal this past season until joining the Rams in November. Los Angeles elected to bring in Jimmy Garoppolo to serve as Matthew Stafford‘s backup, leaving Wentz in need of a new team.

By heading to Kansas City, he will earn $2.2MM guaranteed while backing up Patrick Mahomes. Wentz could earn another $1.1MM via incentives, and his success (should he see the field during the 2024 season) will of course depend in large part on his ability to mesh well within Reid and Nagy’s scheme. In the event that were to take place, Foles’ recommendation would prove to be an effective one and Wentz could play his way into an extended stay in Kansas City.

Chiefs Sign QB Carson Wentz

April 6th, 2024 at 8:45am CST by Ben Levine

APRIL 6: Wentz’s one-year deal has a base value of $3.325MM, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The deal includes $2.2MM in guaranteed money, and Wentz can earn another $1.1MM via per-game active roster bonuses.

This is a solid improvement on the one-year, $1.3MM deal that Wentz signed with the Rams in November. Of course, it’s also a massive drop from the four-year, $128MM deal he signed with the Eagles in 2019.

APRIL 1: Patrick Mahomes has a new backup. The Chiefs have signed veteran Carson Wentz, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. The veteran QB got a one-year deal from Kansas City.

The former second-overall pick spent the 2023 campaign as Matthew Stafford‘s backup on the Rams. Wentz ended up getting into two games, including a start against the 49ers in the regular season finale. The 31-year-old completed 17 of his 24 pass attempts in that game, throwing for 163 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in an eventual Rams victory. Wentz was also active on the ground in that game, compiling 56 yards and a touchdown on 17 rushes.

The Rams ended up pivoting in a different direction at QB2 this offseason, signing Jimmy Garoppolo despite the veteran’s impending suspension. That move all but ended Wentz’s chances of re-signing in Los Angeles, but he’s apparently landed on his feet with the defending Super Bowl champs.

Chad Henne served as Mahomes’ backup for a few years before Blaine Gabbert took on the QB2 role in 2023. Gabbert ended up getting into a pair of games for Kansas City (including one start), tossing three interceptions. The former first-round pick hit free agency after the season, leaving the Chiefs with only Chris Oladokun and Ian Book as the backup quarterbacks.

Wentz will surely slide into that primary backup role, with the veteran bringing 93 games of starting experience to Kansas City. He got his last extended look as a starter with Washington in 2022. In seven starts (eight appearances) that season, Wentz completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Wentz was briefly demoted to QB2 after returning from a fractured finger, but he regained the starting gig down the stretch of that season.

Of course, the Chiefs are hoping Wentz will barely see the field in 2024. Mahomes has been incredibly healthy in his six years as a full-time starter, only missing four regular season games.

Rams To Start Carson Wentz In Week 18

January 3rd, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams have clinched a playoff berth, doing so after a lower-key offseason pointed the team toward a retooling year. But Los Angeles is not locked into a seed just yet. Nevertheless, the team will rest its starting quarterback in Week 18.

Matthew Stafford will take a seat for the Rams’ regular-season finale, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, with Carson Wentz taking the reins for the first time since his November arrival. The Rams added Wentz after Brett Rypien struggled in relief of Stafford in Green Bay.

Los Angeles’ loss in Green Bay is suddenly relevant. If the Packers beat the Bears and the Rams lose to what will likely be a cast of 49ers second-stringers, Green Bay becomes the NFC’s No. 6 seed and Los Angeles drops to the No. 7 spot. The Cowboys and Lions, respectively, are the likely Nos. 2 and 3 seeds in the NFC. This could conceivably derail a Stafford return to Detroit in Round 1, though the 49ers will not be at full strength after having clinched home-field advantage in the NFC bracket.

Wentz signed a one-year deal worth $733K with the Rams on Nov. 7 and immediately became Stafford’s backup. The Rams have seen their starter return to form this season, operating as one of the NFC’s best quarterbacks after multiple injuries nagged him in 2022. Wentz, 31, has now had nearly two months to learn Sean McVay‘s playbook. This represents an audition opportunity for the scrutinized passer, who was not closely linked to a team before the Rams agreement came to pass.

The Eagles, Colts and Commanders have respectively moved on from Wentz over the past three offseasons. After he produced a solid TD-INT ratio in Indianapolis (27 TDs, seven picks), Wentz finished poorly and saw Jim Irsay effectively order him to be dealt. The Commanders traded two third-round picks for the former No. 2 overall choice, but after a season in which Wentz did not get his job back for several weeks after returning from a hand injury, Washington released him to create considerable cap space. Last season, Wentz threw 11 touchdown passes and nine INTs — three of the picks coming in a Week 17 start against the Browns. The Commanders benched him for Sam Howell in Week 18 of last season.

Baker Mayfield‘s signs of life in McVay’s offense helped land him a starting job this season, but Wentz will obviously have a smaller window to showcase his form. But the former Eagles extension recipient will have a chance to play before likely returning to free agency in March.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Expected Back In Week 11

November 16th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 16: Stafford returned to practice in full on Wednesday, and he said (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic) he expects to do the same during the rest of the week. The veteran added he originally thought his thumb injury was worse than it was, but a strong next few days will pave the way for his return. That will be a welcomed development for a Rams team looking to improve on its 3-6 start.

NOVEMBER 13: Matthew Stafford is expected to be back under center for the Rams in Week 11. Coach Sean McVay told reporters that his starting QB should be good to go for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).

“He’s making great progress, and so we’re operating with the anticipation and expectation that he is going to be good to go,” McVay said. “He’ll be pushing through, but we expect him to be able to start and play and do his thing and lead the way this week.”

Stafford injured the UCL in his thumb back in Week 8. The Rams went with Brett Rypien in Week 9, and the organization ended up moving on from the backup following that loss to the Packers. Barring an unexpected setback, newly-signed Carson Wentz will be the Rams QB2 moving forward. McVay spoke on the Rams’ QB switch, noting that the front office viewed the move as a clear upgrade.

“[We] feel good about Matthew returning, and obviously when he’s out there, you feel great about the leadership and everything that he provides, but god forbid if something were to happen where he weren’t available, felt like this would offer an opportunity for somebody that’s played a lot of high level football to get him in here [and] get him kind of familiar with some of the things that we’re doing,” McVay said.

Thanks to the Rams’ Week 10 bye, Stafford has had two weeks to recover from his thumb injury. While the veteran’s completion percentage and TD percentage are among the lowest of his career, the Rams offense will surely welcome back their starter.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Still Not Contemplating Retirement

November 12th, 2023 at 12:25pm CST by Rory Parks

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is 35 years old, has a Super Bowl ring, and has earned over $320MM from his playing career. He is also in the midst of his second consecutive subpar season and is currently dealing with a UCL sprain after having suffered through elbow troubles and a spinal contusion in 2022. Add it all up, and it stands to reason that there would be some retirement speculation surrounding the No. 1 overall pick of the 2009 draft, just as there was around this time last year.

Stafford, however, is having none of it. On a recent episode of The Pat McAfee Show, the Georgia product made it clear that he is still not contemplating retirement (video link).

“I love playing this game, I love competing,” Stafford said (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk). “I love being in the locker room. I’ll never get that again, so I get as many opportunities to do that as I can. I love this team, I love the city, it’s been a blast. Obviously had a lot of success in our first year and trying to duplicate that this year, next year, whenever it is. I enjoy playing too much to hang it up.”

Stafford did concede, when asked if he plans to keep playing “until the wheels fall off,” that his wheels are “wobbling a little bit right now as we speak,” and that he will likely not play “until the wheels completely fall off.” Nonetheless, it seems certain that he will return in 2024.

From a purely financial perspective, there is no reason for Stafford not to suit up next season. On the third day of the 2023 league year in March, the Rams picked up the veteran passer’s 2023 option bonus and his 2024 salary, and he is therefore due a fully-guaranteed $31MM next season. Los Angeles may or may not have attempted to trade Stafford prior to incurring those costs, but after a mediocre and injury-marred 2022, it was never likely that another team would subject itself to the same financial burden by acquiring Stafford. And unless Stafford dramatically improves on his 2023 performance to date — in eight games this season, he has completed less than 60% of his passes for eight touchdowns and seven interceptions — GM Les Snead should not expect to receive any trade inquiries when the 2024 league year begins.

As such, the Rams and Stafford appear to be heading for at least one more year together (he is under club control through 2026). But since Stafford’s 2024 cap hit checks in at a whopping $49.5MM, Snead may at least approach his signal-caller about some sort of restructure, or even a pay cut.

In related news, the Rams did reach out to newly-acquired QB2 Carson Wentz earlier this season, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes in a subscribers-only piece. However, Los Angeles did not circle back to Wentz until after the since-waived Brett Rypien disappointed in the club’s Week 9 loss to the Packers on Sunday, and Fowler reports that the Rams’ contract offer represented the first “tangible opportunity” Wentz received since he was released by Washington in February. Wentz may therefore be in for another lengthy stay on the free agent market in 2024, though it is conceivable that he impresses the Rams’ staff enough to return as Stafford’s backup next season.

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