Ja’Marr Chase wants to top his former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson as the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL—that and more in today’s NFL Notes.
Tim Patrick, Desmond Ridder Among Surprising Cuts
The Denver Broncos parted ways with wide receiver Tim Patrick on Tuesday, which surprised some. Patrick has spent the last two seasons recovering from ACL and Achilles injuries in training camp in 2022 and 2023 but looked strong during the preseason with Denver.
However, he already has a new home and will be signing with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. He moves to Detroit to their practice squad, with the plan to work his way onto the active roster. Patrick caught 143 passes for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns from 2018-21 with Denver.
The Arizona Cardinals moved on from Desmond Ridder, whom they acquired from Atlanta in March. Ridder was not good in the preseason, but seeing him lose the backup job in Arizona to Clayton Tune was mildly surprising.
The Detroit Lions dumped backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld just one week after head coach Dan Campbell said that he had the “upper hand” on the backup job over second-year player Hendon Hooker. Sudfeld has experience as a backup but didn’t pass the eye test during the preseason.
Kadarius Toney was the Chiefs projected No. 1 wide receiver at this time last season, and now he’s looking for work. Toney’s 2023 campaign was a disaster, and the Chiefs being in the constant national spotlight only made it worse, making Toney a league-wide punch-line among fans. Still, Kansas City tried to find a role for Toney during camp, having him work with the running backs, but ultimately decided to pull the plug on the experiment.
NFL Owners Vote to Approve Private Equity Funds to Buy Stakes in Teams
The NFL owners have approved a plan allowing investment firms to buy a limited amount of ownership in teams. Until now, only a limited number of approved partners were allowed, but not investment firms. Under the new rule, teams can sell up to 10 percent of their ownership to investment firms approved by the NFL.
This change may not have a big impact on fans, but it could give NFL owners more money for stadium upgrades and other projects. Although the private equity stakeholders won’t have any voting power, buying into an NFL team could be very profitable. For example, the Washington Commanders were sold for over $6 billion in 2023, and the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65 billion the year before, despite both teams not being the most competitive in the league.
The sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris led NFL owners to consider allowing private equity investors, as both Denver’s and Washington’s new ownership groups had more limited partners than the historical ownership structures.
Dalvin Cook Signs with the Cowboys
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Dalvin Cook is heading to Dallas after reaching a deal with the Cowboys to join their practice squad.
How the mighty have fallen. Cook, 29, posted four straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2022 before being released. Cook signed with the New York Jets in 2023, a move that was essentially a dud. Cook carried the ball 67 times for 214 yards in 15 games with the Jets before being cut by New York. He finished the season with the Baltimore Ravens, picking up 23 yards on eight carries in a playoff game.
Cook joins a Dallas backfield that already features Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn. Cook’s rapid downfall further illustrates why teams are reluctant to invest significant money in the running back market.
Ja’Marr Chase Wants to Be the Highest Paid Receiver in the NFL
Ja’Marr Chase has been present at Cincinnati Bengals’ practice recently, and his coach expects him to play in Week 1. He is currently in the midst of contract discussions for a substantial extension, and things are looking positive for the Bengals’ top wide receiver.
Chase and Cincinnati are in talks for a potential long-term extension that could either match him with the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver or make him one cent more than Jefferson, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Tuesday. Rapoport mentioned that Chase’s goal is to earn one penny more than Jefferson’s.
As the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Chase still has two seasons left on his rookie contract, including his fifth-year option. He is currently due to earn a base salary of $1.05 million this year. In June, Justin Jefferson signed a significant four-year, $140 million extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in terms of total value and average per year ($35 million).