Category: NFL

The Baltimore Ravens are “profoundly saddened by the tragic passing” of 26-year-old outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson, according to a statement. 

The recent, untimely deaths of young NFL players, from Demaryius Thomas to Dwayne Haskins to Jeff Gladney, have deeply impacted the lives of all of those affected throughout the NFL.

On Wednesday morning, the news that 26-year-old Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson had died profoundly impacted his team. The Ravens remember Jaylon as “a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality.”

“We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon.”

Ravens share poignant message on the untimely passing of Jaylon Ferguson

As with the other heartbreaking young deaths seen this offseason, including 24-year-old Haskins and 25-year-old Gladney, who both died in car accidents, NFL teammates are expressing their grief on social media.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jonas Shaffer shared several photos of Jaylon with his family, including ones in which he is doting on his young children. Ferguson has a daughter and son, Jyce and Jrea.

The Zachary, Louisiana native was affectionately known as “Sack Daddy”, as he made 45 career sacks during his time at Louisiana Tech.

Ferguson still holds the NCAA record for most career sacks, which he recorded from 2015 to 2018. Ferguson’s NCAA record ranks ahead of notable NFL defensive ends like Von Miller, Josh Allen, Myles Garrett and Chase Young.

Ferguson was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft with the No. 85 pick. In three years with the Ravens, Ferguson recorded 4.5 career sacks and 67 total tackles.

While no official cause of death has been released, Baltimore Banner’s Justin Fenton reported that Ferguson was found not breathing, and a source indicates that it was the result of a “suspected overdose.”

From Ravens flock and across the NFL, condolences for the loss of Jaylon Ferguson continue to pour in as the league reflects on another life lost much too soon.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has no time for speculation over Antonio Brown returning to Pittsburgh, shutting down any talk on a new podcast appearance.

Mike Tomlin has a huge amount of respect for Antonio Brown and what he accomplished with the Steelers.

That doesn’t mean the head coach is open to the receiver returning to the team.

Tomlin appeared on The Pivot Podcast this week and talked extensively about Brown and his impact on the football field. But first, he shot down any notion of him being on the Steelers roster again.

Mike Tomlin puts Antonio Brown Steelers return rumors to rest

“Y’all know that ain’t happening,” Tomlin said. “In terms of putting a helmet on and running out of the tunnel and playing ball and stuff like that, man. You know he’s moved on, we’ve moved on.”

He called the idea “not realistic.”

This all stems from Brown making waves about wanting to retire as a Steeler. He tweeted about it and also expressed that desire on his own episode of The Pivot Podcast.

Tomlin didn’t rule out the prospect of Brown getting a one-day contract to officially retire as a Steeler, so that possibility still seems on the table. He just definitely won’t play for Pittsburgh again.

Does Brown deserve to get the one-day contract and retirement treatment?

Sure, he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with the franchise. He also forced his way out of town by sowing seeds of discontent in the Pittsburgh locker room and has been accused of sexual misconduct on multiple occasions. That’s not even mentioning instances of erratic and violent behavior including an altercation with Raiders GM Mike Mayock and charges of battery and burglary in 2020.

The Steelers will have to decide if they want to buy another ticket to the circus for that one.

Ndamukong Suh isn’t planning to return to the Buccaneers and it looks like he’s publicly targeting the Raiders as a possible destination.

At 35 years old, Ndamukong Suh isn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet. He’s also pretty much ruled out playing for the Buccaneers again in 2022.

So where will he land next?

Las Vegas seems to be his preferred destination.

Ndamakong Suh said playing for the Raiders “could be fun”

“Raiders could be fun,” Suh commented on Adam Schefter’s tweet about the defensive lineman likely leaving the Buccaneers on Tuesday.

Whether or not Vegas is mutually interested in Suh is up for debate. Tyler Dragon of USA Today reported that the “Raiders and Vikings have both had multiple conversations with the free-agent DT.”

However, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Josina Anderson of CBS Sports told a different tale a little while later.

Anderson reported that “the Raiders are not currently in pursuit.”

Bonsignore echoed that with a tweet saying right now “[Suh’s] interest does not appear to be mutual.”

So which is it? Bonsignore is hooked into the Raiders and Anderson has good sources. The weight of their reporting on this one beats out Dragon’s.

Of course, both linked their understanding to the current moment. Things do change quickly in the NFL and Suh’s public interest could certainly open the door for conversations.

Suh is coming off a campaign in 2021 with six sacks and 13 QB hits. While he hasn’t been the All-Pro level player he was in the first half of his career, he’s been consistently productive over the last few years.

If the Raiders can afford him, the addition could make a major impact in the trenches. However, there should be serious competition for his services. If Las Vegas isn’t invested in the pursuit, don’t expect it to end in their favor.

Tom Brady posts emotional statement to Rob Gronkowski after retirement announcement.

Rob Gronkowski is retiring from football (again) but this time it’s probably going to stick. The eternal sidekick of NFL GOAT Tom Brady retired once before and then un-retired when Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gronkowski joined Brady on the gridiron for two more seasons, winning the Super Bowl with him again.

But on Tuesday announced he’s finally done.

Tom Brady reflects on friendship, career alongside Rob Gronkowski

Shortly after the news broke Brady posted a lengthy statement to his friend upon his retirement.

“Teammate, friend, brother, just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of @gronk. Nobody has ever embodied the idea of ‘leaving it all out on the field’ like Rob has throughout his entire career. Every single snap, I knew that no matter how many people you put in front of him, he was going to get to his spot.

Even more important is the person he was off the field. Focused when he had to be, and FUN the rest of the time. Having Gronk in your locker room was every NFL players dream. I’m proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, and even more excited for all you have ahead of you.

Congrats Gronk, you deserve it.”

The post can be viewed here. 

Gronk confirmed the retirement news with a social media post of his own, writing:

“In college, I was asked to write about a dream job opportunity that I wanted to pursue and where the location would be. Every time I had to write about my future, no matter what, I picked being a professional football player,” he wrote on Instagram. “For that assignment though, we had to pick the location. So I wrote that I wanted to play in Tampa for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for many reasons, the sunny weather being #1. I completely forgot about writing this report until 2 years ago when I had the opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And let me tell ya, the journey in Tampa over the last 2 years has blown away what I originally wrote about in college, big time. And for this, I want to thank the whole entire first-class Buccaneers organization for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team. I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field. The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well. From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all. Buccaneers fans, the Krewe, without you guys, none of this is possible, all of ya brought it every game, thank you for all you do. Cheers to what’s next, maybe sailing the seas   Arghhhhhh!!”

Many have wondered if Brady would be retiring after the 2022 season and now those rumors are sure to intensify with Gronk making things official.

Comparing Kenny Pickett to Joe Burrow is a laughably bad football take by LeSean McCoy.

If Kenny Pickett is the next Joe Burrow, then I’m the next Lewis Grizzard.

Somehow, someway, future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back LeSean McCoy cannot tell the difference between the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie and the Cincinnati Bengals superstar quarterback. McCoy may be incredibly biased since he and the Fake Slide King share the same alma mater, but Burrow is the freaking Geauxt for a reason, y’all. This should not be this hard.

Besides having these tiny hands and playing in the same division, the comparisons stop here.

LeSean McCoy compares Kenny Pickett to Joe Burrow because, of course, he did

I did not want to get on my soap box again, but can we PLEASE stop comparing rookies to transcendent talents? While Pickett is in a great position to have all sorts of success in Pittsburgh, Burrow has already done two things in his football career that were previously unheard of: he led LSU to a national title with the greatest offense ever, and he got the Bengals to the Super Bowl.

Not since Bert Jones was slinging it in Baton Rouge and Boomer Esiason was going hurry-up for the late Sam Wyche had either tiger team been this prolific through the air. Burrow has a chance to be his generation’s Joe Montana, having pretty much already eclipsed whatever Tony Romo did on the football field in just two NFL seasons. Pickett can be great, but Burrow could be a legend.

From a pure comp standpoint, I see Pickett as a more athletic version of Jared Goff or Matt Ryan. This means he will make it to Pro Bowls, throw for a ton of yards and not win a Super Bowl should he get to one. Ryan will be in Canton one day, while it remains to be seen how Goff fares another year removed from Sean McVay giving him all the answers on the test. Pickett is going to be fine.

This is not a slight on Pickett, but more of people not fully grasping how unbelievable Burrow is.

For the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers, this season is a key pivot point. After 2022, it only gets tougher and more expensive.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals have long been notoriously cheap. That must change after this season, or things will get ugly for both.

After wandering in the NFL wilderness for 30 years, Cincinnati emerged last year and reached the Super Bowl. The metamorphosis was due in large part to quarterback Joe Burrow, who threw for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns in his second season. After 2022, he’s eligible for an extension.

In Los Angeles, the Chargers haven’t enjoyed the same team success as the Bengals with their star signal-caller in Justin Herbert, but nobody would blame him. Herbert has been spectacular in his first two campaigns, amassing 9,350 yards and 69 touchdowns. He, like Burrow, is also one season away from extension eligibility.

For the Bengals and Chargers, the decision appears obvious. If Burrow and Herbert have good campaigns, the money is coming.

And yet talking to multiple league sources, don’t expect a smooth ride to the finish line.

Following an offseason of wild quarterback movement, future contract negotiations could be quite difficult. This wasn’t helped by the biggest fully-guaranteed contract in NFL history going to Deshaun Watson, with $230 million going to a quarterback currently facing 24 civil suits for alleged sexual harassment and/or assault.

Last week, FanSided asked three prominent agents what they would ask for if they represented Burrow or Herbert. Each said they would demand $55 million per year, with one stating he might request $57.5 million.

One agent replied saying he would be looking for a fully-guaranteed deal of five years and $275 million, citing his expectation of a somewhat stagnant salary cap in 2023 followed by a “significant bump” in ’24.

What’s even more important is each agent brought up a problem both Los Angeles and Cincinnati will face in these contract talks: escrow.

Dating back to the 1980s, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed any guaranteed money in a contract is immediately put into escrow at time of signing. For the Bengals and Chargers, both teams are historically low on capital in comparison to other franchises, this is a real hurdle.

To this end, one of the agents believes both deals will eventually get done, but predicted a “blood bath” before pen hits paper. Another felt that should the contracts be fully guaranteed, the teams might require loans with a meager interest fee to help ease the financial burden.

For the management perspective on pacts for Burrow and Herbert, FanSided also reached out to a pair of former general managers.

When asked if Watson’s fully-guaranteed precedent forces either the Bengals or Chargers to follow suit, one GM texted that while total money isn’t a problem, the guarantees are, once more noting neither ownership group has such cash.

“You can hardly ever live up to that deal and it handcuffs (your) organization. How you approach with both players and agents is that we selected you to help us win a championship and you can’t do it alone. Money will be there but you still have to bring in big-time free agents every offseason and we need that money.”

The other general manager pointed out Aaron Rodgers’ deal as well, which gives him $151 million over the upcoming three seasons. He went on to say both franchises are inheritances from family members, making the Bengals and Chargers more “cash conscious” than other clubs.

However, have we seen a new side of both franchises in recent years?

The Bengals had never spent big in free agency, but over the past two offseasons they’ve signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, corners Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Trae Waynes, safety Vonn Bell, right tackle La’el Collins, guard Alex Kappa, center/guard Ted Karras, and nose tackle D.J. Reader to sizable deals, totaling $250.75 million, yet only $73.75 million guaranteed.

So while Cincinnati is spending more, Burrow’s contract could conceivably force owner Mike Brown to put $250+ million into escrow, more than three times what he’s had to deposit based on the last two free agency periods.

Meanwhile, the Chargers have also spent lavishly on center Corey Linsley, corner J.C. Jackson, linebacker Kyle Van Noy, edge rusher Khalil Mack (trade), guard Matt Feiler, tight end Gerald Everett, defensive tackle Sebastian Austin-Day and the re-signing of receiver Mike Williams. Those pacts come to $325.9 million, with $134.5 million guaranteed.

But while the Chargers have been spending somewhat freely, they’re mired in both a legal dispute involving multiple members of the Spanos family — with the four children owning the team — and serious debt, exacerbated by a $650 million relocation fee after leaving San Diego following the 2016 season.

Ultimately, it’s very likely the Chargers and Bengals sign their respective homegrown, franchise quarterbacks.

But there’s a real chance it gets ugly based on histories, finances and the exploding positional market.

Power rankings

Top 10 Comeback Player of the Year candidates

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers – Played seven games in 2021
2. Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints – Season ended in Oct. with torn ACL
3. J.K. Dobbins, RB, Baltimore Ravens – Missed all of 2021 with torn ACL
4. Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans – Limited to 10 games with foot injury
5. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers – Played seven games in 2021
6. Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings – Played seven games in 2021
7. Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns – Poor numbers playing with shoulder injury
8. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints – Missed all of 2021 with ankle injury
9. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Kansas City Chiefs – Missed 12 games with shoulder injury
10. Travis Etienne, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars – Missed entire rookie season

Quotable

“I could have just stayed in LA and just rode off into the sunset and just rushed with Aaron Donald and piled up sacks but I wasn’t content. I wasn’t content with where I was at. I still wanted more. … I just want to be part of something special. This is a special team. They’re right on the edge, and I just wanted to be that last drop to overflow these guys.”

– Buffalo Bills edge rusher Von Miller on why he chose Buffalo this offseason

Miller signed a six-year, $120 million deal with the Bills, stunning the NFL world at NFL free agency’s outset in March. Playing for his third team in two years, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer is trying for a ring in a new location, and this one would be special.

While winning with the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams was certainly meaningful, both of those franchises have enjoyed long-standing success. The Bills have never won the Super Bowl, and if Miller is the final piece, he’ll be of legendary status in western New York.

Podcast

Random stat

Only the Cleveland Browns (1989), Detroit Lions (1991), Washington Commanders (1991) and Miami Dolphins (1992) have longer droughts since their most-recent conference championship game appearances than the Dallas Cowboys (1995).

Info learned this week

1. Deshaun Watson’s suspension could be soon, and lengthy

The reports are vague, but many believe Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson could be sitting out the 2022 season.

With two more women filing civil suits to make the total cases an even two-dozen in the wake of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel episode covering Watson’s alleged misconduct, the story is gaining steam, not losing it. For the NFL, that’s enough reason to distance itself until all the civil cases — and it sounds likely to soon be 26 — are adjudicated.

For NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Watson is radioactive. Regardless of his legal standing, and he’s not currently facing any criminal complaints or charges, the Pro Bowl quarterback is facing a deluge of serious allegations. The league, business before sport, will always consider the public relations hit along with the headlines coming out from its decision.

To those points, a guess on how this ends: the NFL will suspend Watson indefinitely on July 1, allowing Goodell flexibility for when he reinstates. Meanwhile, Watson is away from the field, and most-importantly microphones and telecasts for a second straight year. It buys the NFL time. And in essence, the league can’t be criticized for coming down light on Watson, even without truly making a definitive call.

Why July 1? It’s a Friday before a holiday weekend. The NFL is king at burying suspensions and other bad news, and that’s the ideal moment.

2. Lamar Jackson speaks on contract … sort of

After missing voluntary OTAs, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson arrived for mandatory minicamp.

At camp, Jackson spoke to reporters about his contractual situation, but offered little outside of saying he expects to remain in Baltimore, and that he and the team are having conversations. Perhaps most importantly, Jackson stated he plans to play, putting to rest any notion of withholding services with only this season remaining on his rookie deal.

While much of that is welcome news to Ravens fans, it’s also somewhat vague. For Baltimore, it needs to get cost certainty on a deal with Jackson. Without it, general manager Eric DeCosta must plan two budgets for next year, including one with Jackson signed long-term and on a smaller cap number, or Jackson on the franchise tag, which will be near $40 million against the cap. Obviously, who can be kept around will be much different under those scenarios.

Additionally, Jackson needs to get a deal done to protect himself. While every NFL player is one hit away from a career-altering injury, Jackson’s style and build make his situation more dangerous. He stands to lose a fortune if he were to go down with a significant ailment.

It makes ample sense for Jackson, and for the Ravens, to push hard for a deal before camp. Let’s see if they can get it done.

3. Steelers pay Fitzpatrick a record-setting sum to stick around

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t always pay big money to players they didn’t draft, and they rarely make blockbuster trades. For Minkah Fitzpatrick, they did both.

Last week, Pittsburgh gave the All-Pro safety a new contract over four years worth $73.6 million, including $36 million guaranteed. On an average annual value, Fitzpatrick is now the highest-paid safety in NFL history. It’s also the highest figures in terms of guaranteed money and overall value since Landon Collins signed his six-year, $86 million deal ($44.5 million guaranteed) with Washington back in the 2019 offseason.

For the Steelers to give away two first-round picks and then pay out almost $75 million tells you what they see in Fitzpatrick. Pittsburgh is an old-school franchise that believes in building through the draft with the occasional outside talent sprinkled in. In terms of assets, Fitzpatrick is one of the most expensive Steelers ever, and still well worth the money as a two-time First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler over his first four seasons.

Looking at the details of the deal, Fitzpatrick is essentially tied to Pittsburgh for the next three seasons before the Steelers have what amounts to a pair of team options. Come 2025, Pittsburgh could cut ties and eat $7 million and $3.5 respectively over the final two years of the contract, saving $29.6 million over that span. However, Fitzpatrick will only be 29 and 30 years old in those seasons, making this the real big-money deal that might reach completion.

4. Saints rolling with black helmets, something they tried long ago

The New Orleans Saints will have an alternate helmet. It was once almost the regular one.

On Thursday, the Saints unveiled their alternate helmet which will be primarily black, with the familiar Fleur-de-lis in gold emblazoned on the side. In a cool touch, the stripe down the middle will be adorned by mini fleur-de-lis’, giving the shell a very local flavor.

With the NFL relaxing rules on helmet usage this season, many teams are bringing back their throwbacks, likely including such classics as Bucco Bruce and Pat Patriot. For the Saints, the only difference in their helmet since coming into the league as an expansion team in 1967 is the size of the fleur-de-lis, making a throwback somewhat wasteful. Instead, they went with a new look.

However, this could be considered something of a pseudo-throwback. In 1969, the Saints planned on switching to black helmets and wore them once in the preseason. However, the league had already released its merchandising for the year and with New Orleans failing to ask for approval of the change, it was denied.

Now, 53 years later, black helmets in New Orleans.

5. What OTA fines, violations for Cowboys, Commanders may mean

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders each went too far with their OTAs, which are strictly outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. As a punishment, Washington head coach Ron Rivera was fined $100,000 and the Commanders lose two OTAs next year, while Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy was docked the same amount with the Cowboys losing one OTA.

Frankly, other than two veteran coaches paying a significant fine, it’s small potatoes. Nobody really cares about OTAs save for teams with new regimes and/or new schemes.

Which brings us to the next point: will OTAs exist in a decade?

For most of the NFL’s existence, training camps were brutal. Two-a-days, restricted water, all of it. Heck, from 1970-77, teams played six preseason games and used their starters for the majority of them.

Now, training camps are limited to one practice per day and many teams have minimal contact. The preseason is three games and myriad coaches don’t play their stars for one snap. The non-essential work is going away because the players are paid more than ever. They are an investment. You don’t screw with investments for a meager return, which is what OTAs represent.

The guess here? OTAs will somewhat soon be part of the NFL’s history.

Two cents

The New York Jets might resemble the 2019 Dolphins. Stick with me.

In ’19, Miami started off 0-7 against a slew of tough opponents before winning five of its final nine games, including an impressive Week 17 victory over the New England Patriots in Foxboro. The following year, the Dolphins won 10 games and proved postseason worthy, even if they fell short due to a brutal AFC.

This season, the Jets face a treacherous schedule to start. New York starts at home with Baltimore — ironically, so did the ’19 Dolphins — before facing the Browns (away), Bengals, Steelers (away), Dolphins, Packers (away), Broncos (away), Patriots and Bills before their Week 10 bye. After that, three road trips in four weeks, including tilts with the Patriots, Vikings and Bills.

The Jets won’t be a favorite in any of those games, with the possible exception of Miami at home.

However, with the Lions, Jaguars, Seahawks (away) and Dolphins (away) to finish the year, New York could finish strong with momentum for ’23.

The Jets are getting some sleeper love this offseason, but it might be a year premature.

Inside the league

Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts have drawn ample attention as a quarterback facing make-or-break seasons, but they’re far from alone.

Looking around, Daniel Jones (New York Giants) and Davis Mills (Houston Texans) both need to have terrific years or face the reality of moving on.

With Jones, his fifth-year option was declined by new general manager Joe Schoen, who obviously has no ties to Jones. If first-year head coach Brian Daboll can’t get the best from Jones, it seems clear New York will look to upgrade next offseason.

In Houston, Mills showed real promise despite a horrid supporting cast as a third-round rookie out of Stanford. Still, if Mills stagnates and the Texans are bad, they have a pair of first-round picks in a  draft class expected to be loaded under center.

Many around the league believe there could be a half-dozen quarterbacks who are high-level prospects entering the ’23 Draft. If Jones and Mills falter, their teams are likely to be involved in the race to land one.

History lesson

Few teams don’t win a playoff game and yet linger on in NFL lore. The 1975-’77 Baltimore Colts are such a squad.

In ’75, the Colts were the ultimate Cinderella, going from last-place prognostications and a 1-4 start, to winning nine straight and earning the AFC East title before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. The following year, Baltimore went 11-3 and quarterback Bert Jones won MVP, with the Colts repeating in the division. However, once again, Pittsburgh clobbered Baltimore in the Divisional round.

In ’77, the Colts three-peated in the AFC East with a 10-4 mark and hosted the AFC Divisional, this time against the defending-champion Oakland Raiders. In an all-time classic, Baltimore fell 37-31 in double overtime in what’s remembered as The Ghost To The Post.

So what’s memorable about this Colts team? For starters, it’s where Bill Belichick got his first NFL job. It’s also the last competitive era of Baltimore football before the Colts famously snuck out of town in the Mayflower come 1984.

As importantly, though, it’s what didn’t happen. Jones appeared to be the next great quarterback, but myriad injuries ruined his career, out of football by 1982. How talented was he? Belichick called him the best passer he’s ever seen.

Those Colts teams captured the imagination of a city and hold an important spot in league history, even without postseason success.

Parting shot

Everyone worrying about the Green Bay Packers is forgetting about their defense.

For much of Aaron Rodgers’ career, the defense was cause for concern. Now, it might be the team’s strength despite a two-time MVP at quarterback.

Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst has built a stout unit and did so through a variety of avenues. The Packers used a litany of first-round picks in recent years on corners Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, safety Darnell Savage, edge rusher Rashan Gary, linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt.

However, they’ve also added corner Rasul Douglas and linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on meager free-agent deals before re-signing each to bigger pacts. Then there’s safety Adrian Amos and edge rusher Preston Smith, both of whom were signed to large deals with each paying off.

All told, the Packers have one of the league’s best defenses, and it could carry them all year long.

Tom Brady said it himself, he is not going to playing in the NFL for all that much longer.

During a rare media appearance last week on The Dan Patrick Show, Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Tom Brady admitted that retirement is very much on the horizon for him.

Brady is entering his age-45 season out of Michigan this year. It would be his third in Tampa Bay uniform, and quite possibly his last as a professional. After briefly retiring in the wake of last postseason, Brady surprised everyone by becoming the lead football analyst in-waiting for FOX. He will be paired alongside Kevin Burkhardt in FOX’s No. 1 booth in the season after he does retire.

Brady has plenty to play for, but this quote suggests he is not in it for long going forward.

“I had the appetite to compete, and it’s going to be gone soon,” said Brady to Patrick on June 15.

Here is the clip of Brady’s entire from his appearance on The Dan Patrick Show last Wednesday.

Tom Brady mentions retirement is rapidly approaching while on Dan Patrick

Brady’s big thing is he seems to no longer have that one-of-a-kind driving force to compete like he once did. He did have a sensational age-44 season. With football still being very easy for him, it is understandable to want to play out what looks to be the final year of his Buccaneers deal before hanging up the spikes. Surely, one big hit from Aaron Donald may make Brady want to call it quits.

While it remains to be seen how good Brady will be in the FOX booth, he has been surprisingly amazing on social media since leaving the New England Patriots. Perhaps this was his personality all along? There is a chance he could have always been this funny, but had to subdue that while playing for the Evil Empire. Regardless, Brady will only be as good in the FOX booth as he is critical.

Brady may be The GOAT, but not everybody is comfortable with calling out players and coaches for a job done poorly from up in the booth. He may have seen everything there is to know from being in NFL production meetings for the better part of his adult life. However, there are no guarantees Brady will be as good calling games as he is calling out plays from behind the line of scrimmage.

With presumably one last great ride left in him, let’s enjoy Brady’s final NFL hurrah while we can.

Dick Butkus better be careful about poking noted Chicago Bears owner, Aaron Rodgers.

Apparently, Aaron Rodgers’ comments about owning the Chicago Bears did not land well with their legendary linebacker Dick Butkus.

As Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers continue to run roughshod all over its three NFC North divisional rivals, Butkus clearly took umbrage to the two-time reigning NFL MVP’s remarks about his former team. Butkus appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Unfiltered with David Kaplan, saying it is a good thing he is not allowed to play on the same football field as Rodgers at this point of his life…

Here is the big juicy nugget from Butkus’ latest appearance on the NBC Sports Chicago show.

“I don’t understand why every damn Bear doesn’t look at that comment and put it in their memory bank,” said Butkus on Unfiltered with David Kaplan. “If I were on the field during the game, well, I couldn’t do it today, I’d probably get arrested. We’ll see who owns who.”

Here is the entire episode of Unfiltered with David Kaplan in which Butkus appeared on YouTube.

Dick Butkus may regret his comments about Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Even if Butkus and most of Chicagoland absolutely loathes Rodgers, keep in mind how far apart the Bears and the Packers are from a competitive standpoint on a national perspective. Green Bay is seen as one of only a handful of playoff locks in the NFC entering next football season. As far as the Bears are concerned, they could be among the very worst teams throughout the entire league.

Should Justin Fields be the NFC equivalent of Joe Burrow, then by all means, celebrate that improbable Super Bowl 57 run, Chicagoland! Unfortunately, the Bears are infinitely more likely to be a bottom-four team in the NFC than sniffing the playoffs this fall. Rodgers may not three-peat as NFL MVP, but he loves nothing more than thoroughly dominating the Bears every single year.

At this stage of his life, Butkus may not true give a rip what anyone thinks of him. He should feel this way, as he is a football legend and a former 1980s movie star. Unfortunately, the Bears will be closer to Care Bears than vicious mammal beasts on the football field this season. Rodgers may never get back to the Super Bowl, but for the time being, he still clearly owns the Bears franchise.

May the hatred between the Bears and Packers fester over to keep this rivalry an unhealthy one.

Money is not the driving force when it comes to motivating Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick these days; he wants to avenge the “embarrassing” playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite moving up a few tax brackets when it comes to his bank account this offseason, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is only fueled by rage from the “embarrassing” playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

To be fair, the 2021 Steelers were the No. 7 seed playing on the road in the AFC Wild Card round to the No. 2-seeded Chiefs. While playoff expansion has been tremendous from a television-viewing perspective, no No. 7 seed has ever beaten a No. 2 seed. The last team getting into the postseason in either conference has been nothing short of dog food in the first round thus far.

The Steelers’ well-compensated safety is no longer motivated by money, only beating the Chiefs.

“I don’t think necessarily the money motivates us, but just how we conduct ourselves,” said Fitzpatrick to reporters in the wake of him signing his massive contract extension. “Obviously, last year was not to our standards at all. I know myself, T.J., Cam, all of us were not happy or pleased at all with the way the season ended. Especially in that playoff game, [it] was an embarrassment, honestly. Not our typical selves. That’s what motivates us.”

Minkah Fitzpatrick clearly motivated by bad playoff loss to Kansas City Chiefs

It remains to be seen how good the Steelers will be this upcoming season. They are a team with a great deal of variance. Should Mitch Trubisky or rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett play up to their respective draft statuses, Pittsburgh can contend in a deep AFC North race. If both signal-callers struggle, Pittsburgh has a chance to be the worst team in one of the better divisions in football.

The good news is the well-compensated defense led by Fitzpatrick, Cam Hayward and T.J. Watt should be able to keep the Steelers in games. However, this unit did give up an absurd amount of points to the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the playoffs. These sort of things happen, but for Pittsburgh to live up to lofty expectations this fall, this undoubtedly has to be a defense-led football team.

Ultimately, it is a tricky proposition to pay three key defensive players all that cash. If it works out for the Steelers, especially with up to five years of control with Pickett’s contract, that would be wonderful. Conversely, the Steelers have to avoid being the AFC equivalent of the Chicago Bears, a team with so many great players on defense making so much money the offense is largely pitiful.

The good news for the Steelers is they are a well-run organization, led by motivated star players.

Former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott revealed that it was harder to face Peyton Manning than Tom Brady.

This century, one of the greatest quarterback battles that NFL fans got to witness was between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Whether it was in the regular season or in the playoffs, it was must-watch television. There is always a debate as to who was the better quarterback, but who was the scariest to face if you were on the team lined up opposite to either quarterback?

During an episode of ESPN Radio show “Bart and Hahn,” former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott said that he would much rather play Brady every week than face off against Manning.

Bart Scott reveals that it is much worse to face Peyton Manning than Tom Brady

“I’d much rather go against Tom Brady every day of the week than go against Peyton Manning,” Scott said, h/t Sports Illustrated. “I believe that’s how everybody feels. In the hay day, never ever have I said ‘We’re playing the Patriots. I’m so afraid of Tom Brady.’”

It is no secret that Manning was the master of calling an audible ahead of the snap. Scott put it perfectly about how the terms that Manning used would change in the game, and joking that to face off against him, “you feel like you have to take an SAT test.”

In his 11 year playing career, Scott faced off against Manning and Brady a total of four times total in the playoffs. As a member of the Ravens, Scott lost 15-6 to Manning’s Indianapolis Colts in 2003. Scott lost his second playoff meeting against Manning, where the Jets fell to the Colts 30-17 in the AFC Championship Game in 2009. But, Scott had the best luck the following year.

At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Scott’s Jets defeated Manning’s Colts 17-16 in the Wild Card Round and Brady’s Patriots 28-21 in the Divisional Round to reach the conference title game for the second-consecutive year. For those wondering, the Jets fell 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger to miss out on a spot in Super Bowl 45.

When it comes to who would be the worst to play against, Scott let it be known that it is easily Manning over Brady.