Category: NFL

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady’s decision to retire then unretire actually forced NFL schedule makers to alter plans.

Shortly after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ elimination by the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round, quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL after 23 years. That retirement lasted around a month, as he revealed that he would be returning to the Buccaneers for another year. If you thought Brady’s decision only changed the team’s plans, you are wrong.

During an interview with Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, NFL broadcasting chief Howard Katz revealed that Brady’s decision to unretire actually altered the schedule plans.

Tom Brady unretiring altered the NFL’s scheduling plans

“When Tom Brady retired, we were concerned about the strength of the NFC package because there were so many terrific Tampa Bay games we were looking at,” Katz said, h/t JoeBucsFan.com. “Then a month later he un-retires and we sort of started all over again.”

It will be interesting to see how the scheduling plans have altered, and fans will not have to wait long to find out. The league is set to announce the full schedule on Thursday, May 12.

Even though that Brady is back, there are changes on the team. Bruce Arians has retired and transitioned to a front office role, with defensive coordinator Todd Bowles being promoted as head coach. Offensive guard Alex Cappa left for the Cincinnati Bengals. They brought in other players such as defensive back Logan Ryan, offensive guard Shaq Mason and safety Keanu Neal.

The Buccaneers look to make a return trip to the Super Bowl this upcoming season. Given how stacked the AFC is, it may not be too difficult for Tampa Bay to clinch a berth.

Stay tuned, as we will keep you posted on all of the NFL scheduling news when it is made available.

The Packers front office still likes Jordan Love, but they have no idea if he’ll ever actually become a starting quarterback in Green Bay. 

When Green Bay spent a first-round pick on Jordan Love back in 2020 they thought they were future-proofing their roster at the game’s most important position. Unfortunately for the young quarterback, Aaron Rodgers remains just as entrenched as the Packers starter as he was the day Love was drafted.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst still believes the former Utah State signal-caller has a “bright” future but freely admits that his ability to become a starter in Green Bay depends on how long Rodgers decides to continue to ply his trade at Lambeau Field. At the very least, it now appears that Green Bay officials are open to the idea that trading Love might be the right move for all involved.

Does Jordan Love have a future with Packers?

The perceived weakness of this season’s quarterback draft class led many fans to believe Love would be on the move this offseason. It’s unlikely the Packers will receive a large enough offer to part with their backup before Week 1 arrives, but stranger things have happened. An injury to a high-profile starter of a playoff team could easily lead a competing franchise to kick the tires on what it might take to acquire Love.

Green Bay’s front office would like to recoup the first-round pick they spent to obtain Love back in the 2020 Draft, but interested trade partners will only have six games of regular-season game film to evaluate. Love didn’t play a single snap during his rookie campaign before making five relief appearances and one start for the Packers last year.

It might be in the team’s best interest to make subtle inquiries to quarterback-needy teams about what they might be willing to give up for Love. The team isn’t going to want to pick up his fifth-year option which is coming up all too quickly for Green Bay. The closer that option comes to becoming reality the lower the Packers’ asking price on Love is going to become.

The Packers’ process for selecting Love in the first round was sound, but it’s hard to argue he’s given them solid value for the pick required to land him. The reality that they may be forced to deal him soon to recoup decent value will only heighten the criticism surrounding the pick in Green Bay.

The Detroit Lions haven’t had much to celebrate in recent years. But the team has now locked up one of its first-round picks from April.

It’s a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016. And the club has lost at least 10 games each of the past four seasons. All told, the Detroit Lions own a disturbing 17-46-2 win-loss record dating back to ’18. And general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell are busy these days trying to put back the pieces.

With the second overall selection in this year’s draft, the organization grabbed some help for a defense that has been on the ropes in recent seasons. The Lions opted for emerging edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The 6’6”, 265-pound performer came up with a banner senior season that would place him second in the Heisman Trophy voting.

The University of Michigan product rebounded from a 2020 campaign which saw him play in only two games. This past season, he played in 14 contests. He finished with 62 tackles, 14 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. And via FanSided’s Matt Lombardo, he parlayed that performance into quite the payday.

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Aidan Hutchinson’s four-year deal with the #Lions totals $35,713,388, plus a fifth-year option, and includes a $23,153,372 signing bonus, per sources. #NFL

— Matt Lombardo (@MattLombardoNFL) May 9, 2022

Defense has been a sore spot for the franchise, especially these past two years. In 2020, the Lions allowed 519 points – the second-most in one season in NFL annals. There was some improvement in ’21 as Campbell’s club gave up 467 points in 17 games. But that was still the second-most in the league this past year.

Detroit’s defensive unit allowed 50 offensive TDs during its 3-13-1 showing this past season. All told, 31 of those scores came through the air.

Now Hutchinson looks to bolster a pass rush that came up with only 30 quarterback traps in 2021. Only the Atlanta Falcons (18) and Philadelphia Eagles (29) managed fewer sacks than defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s unit this past year.

Justin Fields is entering his second season as quarterback of the Chicago Bears. Unfortunately, his franchise has failed to support him in every way.

If the Chicago Bears want Justin Fields to have a miserable sophomore year, they’ve done a splendid job.

Fields struggled through a rookie campaign marked by a horrid offensive line with limited weaponry, throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 58.9 completion rate in 12 games.

However, the offseason started out with hope as head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace were relieved of their posts, replaced by Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles, respectively. Poles then smartly began a rebuild by trading aging edge rusher Khalil Mack for second- and sixth-round picks.

After the Mack deal, Poles entered free agency and promptly did nothing. While the Bears shouldn’t be taking on long-term deals with high-priced stars at most positions, they could have been fortifying the offensive line and provided Fields with a few capable weapons.

Instead, Chicago signed Buffalo Bills guard Ryan Bates to an offer sheet, which was matched. Then, star receiver Allen Robinson left for the Los Angeles Rams. He was replaced by Byron Pringle, who in late April was arrested and charged with reckless driving while on a suspended license, all with a child in the vehicle.

In the draft, Poles again decided to do little for his franchise quarterback early on. The Bears had two second-round choices and went defensively on both. Finally, in the third round, receiver Velus Jones Jr. from Tennessee landed in Chicago, before Poles wrapped the festivities with a running back and four offensive linemen on Day 3.

All of this leaves the following as a potential starting lineup for Week 1:

QB: Justin Fields
RB: David Montgomery
WR: Darnell Mooney
WR: Byron Pringle
WR: Equanimeous St. Brown/Velus Jones Jr.
TE: Cole Kmet
T: Teven Jenkins/Larry Borom
G: Dakota Dozier/Cody Whitehair
C: Lucas Patrick

An easy argument can be made that’s the worst situation for any quarterback in football, and it’s certainly in the top-three alongside the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans.

Furthermore, think about Fields’ perspective. In his draft class, there were four other first-round quarterbacks taken.

Trey Lance sat his first year and is surrounded by an offensive guru in head coach Kyle Shanahan, and has tight end George Kittle, receiver Deebo Samuel and an excellent front.

In New England, Mac Jones has coach Bill Belichick, fantastic blocking and a quality defense. With the New York Jets, Zach Wilson has been given receivers Corey Davis and Garrett Wilson, tight end C.J. Uzomah and rookie running back Breece Hall.

Trevor Lawrence dealt with hell in his first year, but now has a Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson, an improved line, and weapons in receivers Laviska Shenault, Christian Kirk and Marvin Jones, and running back James Robinson.

In comparison, Fields has been given nothing but the pressure and expectations which come with being a first-round quarterback in a city starved for talent at the position. After all, the Bears are the only franchise to never have a signal-caller go for 4,000 passing yards or 30 touchdowns in a single season.

Finally, does Poles believe he gave Fields an upgraded team? And if he does, will the Bears be impatient if they crater in 2022 and can potentially draft Bryce Hall or C.J. Stroud next spring?

It all sets up for Fields to fail, and for the Bears to remain adrift alongside him.

Power rankings

Top 10 non-division games of 2022 (limit two games per team)

1. Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
2. Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
5. Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens
6. Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers
7. Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers
8. Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
9. Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys
10. Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks

Quotable

“When Mark was confronted about these issues, he was dismissive and did not demonstrate the warranted level of concern. Given this, I informed the NFL of these issues and of Mark’s unacceptable response. Soon thereafter, I was fired in retaliation for raising these concerns. I firmly stand by my decision to elevate these issues to protect the organization and its female employees.”

– Former Las Vegas Raiders team president Dan Ventrelle in a statement on his firing

Last offseason, the Raiders saw four executives resign from the club in mysterious fashion. Now, after 19 seasons in the organization, Ventrelle is out, and there’s little known as to why, other than his statement. Team Owner Mark Davis has provided no clarity, and considering he rarely addresses the media and fans, don’t expect much from him in the coming days.

Between all the above incidents and last season’s resignation from head coach Jon Gruden following leaked emails, the franchise appear a mess internally even after the coaching staff and front office was overhauled.

It only leaves one man as the common theme, and that’s incredibly troubling for Raiders’ fans.

Podcast

Random stat

For 43 years, the longest field goal in NFL history belonged to Tom Dempsey, who in Nov. 1970 kicked a game-winning, 63-yard field goal to lift the New Orleans Saints over the Detroit Lions.

The most amazing part? Dempsey only had half his foot due to a birth defect.

Info learned this week

1. NFL schedule release is Thursday, and the changes will be notable

It’s the final piece before we can look ahead to the 2022 season. The schedule release.

This year, expect the Thursday night slate to be fantastic. We already know the Week 2 game features the Chargers visiting the Chiefs. Now that Amazon is paying for the package, the NFL will make sure to keep a new partner happy. In the past, Thursdays have been a way to get every team on primetime. Now, the focus will be better matchups and starting the week with a marquee event.

What’s interesting is how the Sunday slates will be impacted. Instead of having an average or even weak tilt, there will be excellent games put as standalones. Inevitably, if the league isn’t careful, Sundays could be somewhat bland compared to previous years, especially around midseason when bye weeks are in full force.

Lastly, a quick plug. Each year, yours truly goes through an absurd process of picking every game, all the way through the Super Bowl. It’s been a tradition now going on five years. It will post on Friday morning, and I hope you’re insane enough to read it, and then comment your picks. Let’s have a fun time with it all.

2. Despite talk, Giants still holding onto James Bradberry

At this point, James Bradberry being made a free agent appears a formality. Yet the New York Giants are still employing him, perhaps in hope of a trade unlikely to come.

Bradberry, 28, has one year and $13.4 million remaining in base salary on his deal. If released, New York saves $10.1 million against his $21.8 million cap figure. If he’s released with a post-June 1 designation, the Giants recoup $11.5 million while taking a small cap hit in 2023.

Bottom line: Bradberry is gone barring a miracle, but the paperwork hasn’t been filed yet.

Once he’s released, watch the AFC West. Both the Raiders and Chiefs are obvious fits, with the former being the more desperate. Las Vegas has questions everywhere on its defense save edge rusher, while Kansas City could use a corner but added five defensive backs in the draft including first-round cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Bradberry is only one year removed from a Pro Bowl campaign, and he’ll be a nice spring gift for a team trying to bolster its defensive backfield.

3. Ryan Tannehill comments on role with Malik Willis were honest, not wrong

We always want honesty from our athletes, until their honesty doesn’t match certain expectations.

Last week, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill spoke at a presser to reporters, and said he isn’t responsible for mentoring rookie Malik Willis. Tannehill continued by stating if Willis learns from him along the way, all the better.

While Tannehill may not go into the Teammate Hall of Fame alongside Alex Smith, he’s in the majority far more than he’s been made out to be. Joe Montana wasn’t helping out Steve Young. Ben Roethlisberger was open about not being a tutor for Mason Rudolph. On and on it goes.

Put yourself in Tannehill’s shoes for a minute. He’s got two years remaining on his contract, but Tennessee saves $17.8 million by releasing Tannehill after this season. Additionally, a good campaign would make trading Tannehill not only profitable, but helpful in adding draft ammo to build around Willis should the coaching staff like what it sees in practice and preseason games.

This is essentially a contract year for Tannehill after finishing last season with a three-interception loss to the Bengals.

Don’t expect anything but Tannehill trying to win, and if he makes that happen, it’s enough. Leave the mentoring to the coaches.

4. Justyn Ross is latest intriguing play for Chiefs, who keep swinging big

You’d be forgiven if you’re wondering who Justyn Ross is. Quickly, a refresher:

Ross went to Clemson as a four-star recruit and immediately dominated as a freshman in 2018, going for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns on 46 receptions. In the College Football Playoff, Ross torched Notre Dame and Alabama for a combined 12 catches for 301 yards and three scores en route to a national title. Had Ross been eligible for the draft, he would have been a first-round pick.

Unfortunately, little has gone right since for Ross. As a sophomore, the Alabama native posted 66 receptions and 865 yards with eight touchdowns, before needing surgery on his neck and spine prior to 2020. Last year, Ross returned but dealt with a stress fracture in his foot, limiting him to 524 yards.

Now, after failing to get drafted, Ross signed as an undrafted free agent with Kansas City, saying his choice was because of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. He couldn’t find a better spot. The Chiefs need long-term receivers. Only second-round pick Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are signed past 2022. If Ross proves healthy, he’s a steal for a team who can use him to the best of his considerable abilities.

Finally, signing Ross follows a pattern for Kansas City and general manager Brett Veach. While Ross isn’t a big financial or draft-capital gamble, he’s a big name with significant upside. The Chiefs have consistently taken shots on players with first-round talent who failed somewhere else for myriad reasons, or fell in the draft due to health concerns.

Last year, Kansas City selected Tennessee guard Trey Smith in the sixth round, a top-50 talent who slid with concerns over blood clots. As a rookie, Smith played at a Pro Bowl level.

It’s possible Ross can’t stay healthy or is a shell of his former form. But if Ross is right, the Chiefs might have struck it big again.

5. Chargers sign defensive vets, bolstering previous additions

Los Angeles isn’t sitting still. After adding edge rusher Khalil Mack and corner J.C. Jackson earlier, the Chargers were aggressive this past week, signing linebacker Kyle Van Noy and corner Bryce Callahan to one-year deals.

While both Van Noy and Callahan are on the wrong side of 30 and declining athletically, they add savvy and leadership in a locker room trying to win for the first time. Van Noy is a particularly intriguing addition, having won a pair of Super Bowls in New England. The two-time champ also provides stability at the second level, easily the weakest group of the unit.

On paper, the Chargers have all they need to challenge the Chiefs in the AFC West. They’re loaded on both sides of the ball. The big questions are whether Los Angeles can finally win the big games — take the defeats against Kansas City and Las Vegas down this stretch last year as examples — and if the stars can stay healthy.

The Chargers have a plethora of key players who have dealt with injuries in the past, including Mack, defensive end Joey Bosa, safety Derwin James, and receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen among others.

Two cents

The rookie wage scale was one of the best things to ever happen for the NFL.

For starters, there are rarely rookie holdouts anymore, something which was commonplace before the scale took effect on the 2011 class. This past week, we saw a slew of first-round picks sign their deals, including corners Sauce Gardner (New York Jets) and Trent McDuffie (Kansas City Chiefs).

For decades, players who hadn’t played a professional down were leveraging their draft position for ungodly sums, while veterans lost a portion of the salary cap to it. Now, veterans get paid the vast majority of the cap, while rookies are compensated based on their draft slot.

While rookies would certainly love the old system, it truly benefits both teams and the NFLPA. A rare win-win in a league where that’s nearly impossible to achieve.

Inside the league

Every summer, we look around the league for possible quarterback battles. This year, there’s a real possibility there’s only going to be one.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hit the field in Latrobe, Pa., and all eyes will be on rookie signal-caller Kenny Pickett to see how quickly he unseats Mitchell Trubisky as the starter. Pickett was the lone first-round quarterback and although Pittsburgh will likely try to tamp down immediate expectations, that’s nonsense. The Steelers know Trubisky has minimal upside and Pickett was a five-year man at the University of Pittsburgh. Next month he turns 24 years old.

It’s obnoxious to say Picket must start as a rookie or face the label of bust, but considering his situation, it wouldn’t be a good sign if he’s not starting quickly.

History lesson

The Cleveland Browns entered the NFL in 1950 after winning four consecutive All-America Football Conference (AAFC) titles. However, many believed they’d be overwhelmed in their new home, and in Week 1, met the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Instead of wilting, the Browns flexed in a 35-10 blowout on the road. Cleveland quarterback Otto Graham torched the Eagles, throwing or 346 yards and three touchdowns, prompting Philadelphia head coach Greasy Neale to say “(Brown) would make a better basketball coach, because all he does is put the ball in the air.”

On Dec. 3, the teams met again in Cleveland. Brown, determined to make a point, led the home side to a 13-7 victory without throwing a single pass.

It remains the last time an NFL team won a game without a single pass attempt.

Parting shot

For once, the Washington Commanders made a wise off-field decision.

After missing two years during COVID, Washington is bringing back its marching band, which has been a staple since 1937. It’s an old-school piece of football Americana, and a welcome one.

Looking around the league, we need more such decisions. For years, the most recognizable thing about the Baltimore Colts, aside from Johnny Unitas’ high tops, was the marching band, something kept alive after the team relocated to Baltimore and eventually, when the Ravens came to be.

While the current landscape is covered with sound systems blasting music at ear-splitting levels, there’s nothing memorable about it. Bring back the bands, and create a few memories along the way.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh says that payers from the Alabama and Michigan football programs are more NFL ready.

The Baltimore Ravens have held a reputation for years upon years of being the best drafting team in the NFL. Sure enough, their 2022 class has received near-universal praise, as the team looks to return to the playoffs after missing it last year.

When speaking with the media, head coach John Harbaugh says that there are athletes from two programs in particular who hold an advantage at easily making the transition to the NFL — Alabama and Michigan.

“There are certain college football programs that are built like NFL programs,” Harbaugh said, h/t Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk. “Alabama is one, Michigan is the other one. The two top ones, I would say. Those are the ones I’m thinking of off the top of my head. So those guys generally come in and they know what to expect. It’s a little flatter for those guys in terms of practice and understanding how it works.”

John Harbaugh: Alabama, Michigan athletes are more NFL ready

Sure enough, the Ravens did select a Crimson Tide and a Wolverines player in this year’s draft. One being Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo and the other being Alabama cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis. Ojabo in particular is in a favorable situation. He was originally set to be a first-rounder, but he tore his Achilles at Michigan’s Pro Day. He fell to the second round and will get to reunite with former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who now holds the same position in Baltimore.

Alabama has shown over the years since Nick Saban has taken over that they are the top program with its numerous National Championships and its propensity to recruit the top players in the country. Then there is Michigan, which has had some great players make the jump from college to the NFL. Harbaugh’s Michigan comments are interesting, especially since his younger brother Jim is running the program.

This year, in particular, Alabama had seven players drafted, while Michigan had five.

Of course, Harbaugh naming Alabama and Michigan will cause debate among college football fans.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.

 

The worlds of Patrick Mahomes and Paolo Banchero collided at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday thanks to an all-time snafu by F1 reporter Martin Brundle. 

It seems redundant to point out, but things happen incredibly fast at an F1 course. Not only is the very nature of the sport blindingly fast, but the need to process information is heightened thanks to the high octane stakes at play.

Life also comes at you fast during a Formula 1 event, which is something longtime reporter Martin Brundle found out when he did the one thing no one wants to do: Go viral for the wrong thing.

Thankfully this isn’t an old tweets situation, but rather a seasoned pro getting caught in real time being way too far out of his depth.

Here’s the situation. Brundle was mingling with the famous faces in attendance for the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday and came across who he accurately recognized as an athlete. Everything after that couldn’t have gone more poorly if Brundle had tried.

F1 reporter Martin Brundle thought Paolo Banchero was Patrick Mahomes

In one of the toughest looks in recent memory — and a true all-timer — Brundle kept referring to the person he was speaking to as Patrick Mahomes. The only problem was that the man he was speaking to was not Mahomes and was in fact future NBA lottery pick Paolo Banchero, who most recently helped Duke to the Final Four a month ago.

Banchero had some fun with the goof once it started to go viral.

And of course Mahomes weighed in on being mistaken for someone decidedly less famous than he is and categorically a different kind of athlete.

A brief comparison of Patrick Mahomes and Paolo Banchero:

• Patrick Mahomes is 6’3″, Paolo Banchero is 6’10”
• Mahomes is the face of multiple national ad campaigns, Banchero is not (yet)
• Mahomes is one of the most famous athletes on the planet, Banchero is still taking Finals exams
• Once more, Mahomes is 6’3″ and Banchero is nearly seven feet tall

Personally, I’d like to thank Brundle for this algorithmic snafu. He managed to combine Patrick Mahomes, Duke basketball, and F1 into one content creation dream come true. So this might actually be a stroke of genius and not at all the blunder it initially appears to be.

Let’s not kill Brundle too much for this, because it’s less a case of a reporter not being good as their job and more a reporter being asked to cover something they’re clearly not familiar with. This isn’t the first time an athlete has been mistaken for another, but it’s certainly the most hilarious example we’ve seen in quite a while.