The Titans’ decision to move on from Brayden Narveson comes as a bit of a surprise following this weekend’s roster machinations. The organization didn’t only promote the kicker from the practice squad…they also signed him through the 2025 campaign. With Nick Folk apparently approaching full health, the Titans have decided to stick with the veteran and move on from his fill-in.
Narveson’s stint with the Titans featured only a single appearance, when he missed his lone field goal attempt and converted two extra points in yesterday’s loss. Narveson spent the beginning of the season in Green Bay, where he converted 12 of his 17 field goal attempts.
Aaron Rodgers‘ latest Pat McAfee Show appearance again made reference to (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) potentially being a first-time free agent soon. Although the Jets should not be ruled out from reversing course on their rumored QB divorce and keeping their aging quarterback, a look for 2025 landing spots remains relevant.
The 20th-year veteran has stopped short of confirming he will be back next season, but as of mid-November he was pointing to a return for 2025. If nothing else, Rodgers may want a chance to provide a better conclusion to his decorated career compared to what is transpiring this season in New York. The Jets are 4-11, which will clinch their worst record since Zach Wilson‘s rookie year, and are expected to draft a quarterback.
It is worth wondering if the Jets could keep Rodgers as a bridge, considering he has expressed interest in staying. The 41-year-old passer said he would prefer to stay rather than relocate again, but reports in the wake of Joe Douglas‘ ouster place the team as being ready to move on. Rodgers and Woody Johnson also appeared to disagree on Nathaniel Hackett‘s employment this offseason, and the owner — perhaps on multiple occasions — called for the QB’s benching this year. Rodgers has played better as of late, however, and could be an option for a Jets team that is unlikely to earn a top-two pick. Barring a trade-up, the Jets would not then be in position for one of the top two arms in the 2025 class (Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders) and may then need to expand their options.
Ranking 23rd in QBR and averaging a career-low 6.6 yards per attempt, Rodgers should not be closely associated with his prime years or even the late-prime seasons that brought him his third and fourth MVPs. But he is certainly good enough to hold a starting job somewhere. A team would need to provide an opportunity, and Rodgers carries some baggage at this stage of his career some franchises may be fine avoiding. Though, it is not hard to see a few teams showing a degree of interest.
Sam Darnold will be the 2025 free agent class’ prize, should the Vikings not use their franchise tag on the surging starter. Russell Wilsonwants to re-sign with the Steelers, who are expected to pursue a second contract with their starter. But his value is somewhat murky right now. Minnesota’s second-best QB, Daniel Jones, will be a lower-cost option. Justin Fields would be as well, with Jameis Winston an unstable bridge for teams who do not project to land one of the top rookie arms. A host of backup-level options will once again hit the market as well.
The Jets still have Tyrod Taylor under contract; if Rodgers is not brought back, he would be a midlevel stopgap option. But a new GM-HC duo is coming — one that will bring a new offense for Taylor to learn, if he in fact is retained. It would cost more for the Jets to drop Rodgers in 2026 — due to a roster bonus that reminds of his 2023 Packers situation — than it would in 2025, when he would bring a $49MM dead money hit. Like the Broncos and Wilson, the Jets cannot designated Rodgers a post-June 1 cut — which would split the dead money between 2025 and ’26 — until March 12, the start of the 2025 league year. If the team’s new regime would be onboard with absorbing all of that $49MM in 2025, it could cut the cord in mid-February like the Raiders did with Derek Carr in 2023.
Expanding the board for Rodgers beyond New York, the Titans seem like a place to start. A Trade Rumors Front Office piece explored a Rodgers-Tennessee fit last month, and Will Levis has since been benched. The Titans added a host of pieces on offense (Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, JC Latham) to improve Levis’ situation but did not see the additions matter much in that regard. With Brian Callahan and Ran Carthon not steering their ship into calm waters post-Mike Vrabel, a semi-desperate solution exists in Rodgers. Beyond Tennessee, some creativity may be necessary.
The Colts reside in a similar situation, having seen 2023 draftee Anthony Richardson display one of the modern NFL’s worst completion percentages. He is still carrying a 47.7% completion rate; only six passers have previously posted sub-50% accuracy numbers (minimum 200 attempts) in a season this century. The Colts have obviously tried the veteran route extensively post-Andrew Luck, with the Matt Ryan experiment potentially making Rodgers a non-starter. But Indianapolis probably will need to look into competition for Richardson in 2025. Its quartet of Day 2 wideout investments, all under contract next year, would benefit from a significant accuracy upgrade.
The Browns are believed to be interested in Darnold; would a regime that has moved onto hotter seats, then, be interested in Rodgers? The latter would not cost as much as Darnold soon will, though a QB contract beyond the rookie-scale level will be an issue for a Browns team stuck with Deshaun Watson. The team is planning to retain the wildly underwhelming starter in 2025, as it would cost $172MM to drop him. Even with Andrew Berry‘s penchant for void years that reduce cap charges in exchange for future hikes, a midlevel starter contract would be a complicated effort. But a veteran-laden Browns roster that observed Joe Flacco elevate Kevin Stefanski‘s offense would at least align with Rodgers’ shortened timeline.
If the Steelers cannot reach a deal with Wilson, their roster would also line up with a potential Rodgers one-off. On the surface, Rodgers’ antics probably do not mesh with this organization — as interesting as a fit with Mike Tomlin would be — though the team may still need to see how Wilson performs over the next few weeks to determine whether a substantial raise is called for. How different Wilson and Rodgers’ price points will be also checks in as an issue for what still seems like a poor fit in Pittsburgh, even though the team — which famously does not negotiate in-season — has both Wilson and Justin Fields due for free agency.
The Raiders dropped several spots in the draft order thanks to their Week 16 win over the Jaguars, and Rodgers did have them on his destination list during his 2021 offseason standoff with the Packers. That said, the Raiders are squarely in rebuilding mode and do not seem a likely landing spot. With the Giants now moving toward the No. 1 overall pick, neither do they.
We fired up a similar poll two years ago, as rumors circulated about Tom Brady being likely to leave the Buccaneers after 2022. The legendary passer was connected to teams but did not end up playing again, retiring for a second time. Rodgers, who classified himself as “90% retired” two offseasons ago before joining the Jets will have retirement squarely in play once again. Will the future first-ballot Hall of Famer take that route or end up with one of these teams? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
The Titans made an interesting roster move today. Tennessee signed practice squad kicker Brayden Narvesonto the active roster, which by itself isn’t that interesting. What’s interesting is that Narveson’s stay on the active roster seems to have been made fairly permanent (for this season). Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that the kicker’s deal with the team has another year tacked on, securing Narveson for the 2025 season, as well.
The immediate use of signing Narveson from the practice squad to the active roster is as a backup kicker. The Titans’ regular kicker, Nick Folk, is listed as questionable this week after only participating in one practice this week in a limited capacity as he deals with an abdomen injury. The veteran kicker played through a groin injury last week, but it’s his abdomen bothering him in Week 16. While he’s listed as questionable, there’s belief that he won’t be active against the Colts, hence Narveson’s promotion.
The secondary use of signing Narveson, especially with the additional year added on, is as a potential kicker for the future. This isn’t a knock on Folk in the slightest. In his two years as the primary placekicker in Nashville, Folk has been an incredible 50 for 52, making 11 of 12 from over 50 yards. He led the NFL in field goal conversion percentage last year, and he’s leading the field in that stat this year, as well. He missed two extra point attempts last year, but with a perfect 2024 season, he’s 53 of 55 as a Titan after touchdowns. If Folk misses tomorrow’s divisional matchup, it’ll be his first missed game since 2019.
If anything, Narveson is being brought on as kicking competition for Folk for next year. If Tennessee decides to re-sign Folk, who’s playing on a contract year, the 40-year-old will likely be looking for a pretty good deal. If the Titans fear Folk will regress after crossing the 40-year-old mark, Narveson will provide competition; if they fear Folk will fetch too high a price, Narveson will be available as a cheaper option.
Narveson, an undrafted rookie out of NC State (after stops at Iowa State and Western Kentucky), was originally signed by the Titans. He wasn’t renowned for his accuracy, only connecting on 78 percent of his kicks in college, but he had a big leg, with a long of 57. After losing his first kicking competition with Folk, Narveson was waived and claimed by the Packers. He was named Green Bay’s primary kicker to start the season but was waived after missing five of his 17 attempts. He re-signed to Tennessee’s practice squad after clearing waivers.
Joining Narveson from the practice squad for tomorrow’s gameday will be defensive end Khalid Duke and offensive guard Arlington Hambright. Unlike Narveson, both Duke and Hambright will revert back to the team’s practice squad after this weekend.
Snead both could not do much to help the Titans this season and also left a void in the Chiefs’ lineup opposite Trent McDuffie. The recently extended corner is signed through the 2027 season; his 2025 compensation is fully guaranteed.
DECEMBER 13: L’Jarius Sneedhas been sidelined since October, and recent comments from Titans head coach Brian Callahan indicate that the veteran cornerback may not play again this season.
The Titans have plenty of reason to be cautious with their star cornerback. They sent a third-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for Sneed’s services and promptly signed him to a four-year, $76.4MM extension. His $44MM in fully-guaranteed money ranks third at the position and includes $19MM in guaranteed salary in 2025, so Tennessee will be expecting a full season from him next year.
It took more than a month for the Titans to figure out that Sneed’s injury was severe enough to require an IR stint, and the team is already eliminated from the playoffs. Risking a re-injury that could impact Sneed’s future availability would be a short-sighted move from a franchise that is likely considering their 2025 draft position at this point in the season.
December 19th, 2024 at 10:29am CST by Adam La Rose
In a reaction to his latest turnover struggles, Will Leviswas benched by the Titans earlier this week. The second-year quarterback’s future with the franchise is uncertain as a result, but he still views himself as a QB1 option at the NFL level.
“I still believe that I can be the franchise quarterback for this team,” Levis said (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport). “I have the utmost confidence in myself and my ability to lead any team in this league.”
2024 marked Levis’ first full season as the Titans’ starter, and a number of moves made by the organization – including the hiring of first-time head coach Brian Callahan – were centered on his development. Things have not gone according to plan, though, and in the aftermath of a three-interception outing he was benched midway through Sunday’s loss. Mason Rudolphis therefore in position to handle starting duties the rest of the way.
Callahan declined to get into specifics when speaking about Levis’ status beyond the 2024 season, noting that a lack of consistency held back his development in other areas this season. The team’s attention is on the final three games of the campaign, and two more years remain on Levis’ rookie pact. Given his performances to date, though, it would not come as a surprise if one or more quarterback additions were to be made this offseason.
The Titans are one of seven teams with either 11 or 12 losses at this point, making them a candidate to land the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. With only two passers (Shedeur Sandersand Cam Ward) seen as being worthy of a selection at the top of the order, though, Tennessee could wind up out of range for the top options in this year’s class. Given Rudolph’s status as a pending free agent, the veteran route could be taken in March to add a bridge starter or at least competition for Levis presuming he is retained.
The 25-year-old suffered a Grade 2 AC joint sprain earlier in the year, and it was made clear at that point he would reprise his role as starter once healthy. That proved to be the case, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Levis reaggravated the injury in Week 14 before trying to play through a Grade 3 sprain on Sunday. That latest ailment will be healed by the start of the 2025 season, but it will be interesting to see what moves the Titans will have made under center by that point.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose
10:02pm: Tennessee’s Levis plan is at least on hold; a quarterback switch will happen this week. Levis will head to the bench for Week 16, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. It would stand to reason Rudolph is moving up the depth chart; he is the only other QB on the Titans’ 53-man roster. It will indeed be Rudolph in Week 16, Callahan confirmed, doing so while indicating he was not ready to make post-2024 proclamations regarding Levis.
Still, this could mark a significant change for the Titans, who had themed their offseason around adding pieces to maximize Levis. The 2023 second-round pick has not taken a noticeable step forward, and the team will sit him down — perhaps to close out the season. If a three-game benching commences, it would certainly be worth monitoring if the Titans will be aggressive to add a starter-caliber option in 2025. Given the events of this season, such a push seems likely.
8:57am: The Titans have remained steadfast in their support of Will Levisthis season, but that stance may shift over the waning stages of the season. Head coach Brian Callahan said (via ESPN’s Turron Davenport) the team is contemplating a change under center.
Levis entered the 2024 campaign as Tennessee’s undisputed starter, and a central storyline for the team was his development during first full season atop the depth chart. Callahan’s first head coaching gig likewise came with the mandate of guiding the 25-year-old while the organization evaluated his potential as a franchise passer. Levis dealt with an AC joint sprain in October, but before and after that injury he has not lived up to expectations.
The 2023 second-round pick has struggled with turnovers throughout the campaign, and that trend continued on Sunday. During the third quarter of the Titans’ Week 15 loss, Levis was benched after throwing three interceptions. That brought his total on the season to 12 (matching his number of touchdown passes) in 11 games. Mason Rudolphfinished the contest, and Callahan’s comments leave the door open to Rudolph starting in Week 16. The former Steeler made three starts while Levis was sidelined earlier in the year.
The team made it clear at that time, however, that Levis would reclaim the No. 1 spot when he was healthy. Indeed, the Penn State and Kentucky product took over in Week 10 and has started every contest since. If the Titans were to make a change, though, it would represent a strong signal Levis will be replaced atop the depth chart by a new passer this offseason. Sitting at 3-11 on the year, the Titans are in contention to land the top pick in April’s draft, something which would give them the opportunity to reset under center.
Rudolph saw his lengthy tenure with Pittsburgh come to an end this offseason, and he took a one-year deal with Tennessee. A run of starts would provide him with the opportunity to boost his 2025 free agent stock; it would also, of course, point further to Levis’ run as a QB1 option coming to an end. Two more years remain on his rookie contract, but it very much remains to be seen how the Titans will proceed at the position during that span.
December 17th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson
This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.
While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.
The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.
Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.
With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:
Designated to return from reserve/PUP: WR Colton Dowell
Anthony Pittman is back in Detroit after the Lions snagged the linebacker off the Jaguars’ practice squad. Pittman was once a special teams mainstay for the Lions, appearing in every game for the organization between 2021 and 2023. Over that time, he was limited to 134 defensive snaps (vs. 1,099 ST snaps), and he’ll likely see a similar role during his current stint with the squad.
Colton Dowell will return to practice this week after being designated for return from the PUP list. The wideout suffered a torn ACL last December, and coach Brian Callahan told reporters that they wanted to give a look at the player after he worked so hard during rehab (via the team’s website). A 2023 seventh-round pick, Dowell got into 10 games as a rookie.
This offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.
In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 27 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. This introduces more strategy for teams, who will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.
All players designated for return on August 27 were eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Players who receive return designations after Week 5 also appear on this list.
Here is how teams’ activation puzzles look going into Week 17:
Demercado has taken a backseat to Florida State third-round rookie Trey Benson, but he has averaged 9.3 yards per carry on 24 carries this year. Palardy will take over punting duties with Gillikin landing on injured reserve.
Jackson signed with Bills in late July, and although he was among the team’s final roster cuts he was immediately retained via a practice squad deal. This elevation means Week 15 will mark his first time spent on the active roster this season. The 36-year-old has started all but 10 of his 203 NFL games, but last season was marred by suspensions which led to his Broncos release. Jackson could suit up for Buffalo down the stretch as a gameday elevation in a bid to rebuild his stock to a degree.
With the playoffs nearly out of reach and quarterback Joe Burrow dealing with a few ailments (wrist and knee), the Bengals don’t seem to be taking any chances. Jake Browning will continue serving as the primary backup, while Woodside’s promotion will allow him to act as the emergency backup.
Adams has seen his biggest NFL roles during his time in Pittsburgh. Though he hasn’t gotten the same number of starts as he had in 2022 and 2023, he’s continued the same level of production. After missing the last four games, he’ll be looking to return to the field as early as tomorrow.
