Tom Brady is a Cat Guy, Aaron Rodgers, Collusion, and Other NFL Bullets
Tuesday started with news of Aaron Rodgers meeting with the Jets and Tom Brady potentially making yet another return to the NFL. It ended with Brady being a cat guy and Rodger maybe becoming a Jet. Oh, and Daniel Jones got paid, and Lamar Jackson didn’t. What a world we live in.
- Tom Brady shot down the rumors of him potentially being a fallback option for the Dolphins on Twitter last night. Brady, a now well-known cat guy, put the rumors to bed by saying that he has no time for football with his new responsibilities.
- So, maybe we can move on from the Tom Brady return 2.0 after all. But who knows with Brady, right?
- What is certain is Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are getting hot and heavy. After early reports indicated that Rodgers had met with the Jets on Monday, things continued into Tuesday. Jets owner Woody Johnson even flew out to California to meet with Rodgers.
- So, the Jets and Rodgers have now met two days in a row. As I said yesterday, the Jets and Packers likely want to get a deal done before the start of free agency next week. It just makes the most sense for both teams. But you never know with Aaron Rodgers. So, we wait.
- Sticking with the QB theme, Tuesday afternoon saw the Giants beat the clock on an extension with Daniel Jones. The new deal is for four years and is worth $160 million, with $35 million more available in incentives.
- The new deal falls in line with Dak Prescott’s four-year deal worth $160 million with $126 million guaranteed. It also allowed the Giants to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley could negotiate with other teams, but no one is giving up two first-rounders for Barkley, so don’t expect that to happen. Instead, the Giants have found a way to lock up Daniel Jones and bought more time with Barkley.
- If you’re okay with paying Jones that kind of cash, this worked out pretty well for the Giants. Personally, I think they overpaid like crazy, especially when you consider what’s going on in Baltimore. The Ravens and Lamar Jackson never had a shot to reach an agreement, and Baltimore placed the non-exclusive tag on Jackson on Tuesday.
- I’ll have a breakdown of the non-exclusive tag and the ramifications, as well as a look at potential landing spots for Jackson and why the lack of league-wide interest reeks of collusion today.
- Circling back to the Giants for a second, GM Joe Schoen confirmed today that Kenny Golladay will be cut on March 15. We knew that the Giants were going to cut him, but there was a possibility that he became a post-June 1 designation. That would have spread the cap hit into next season. Alas, Schoen said today that the Giants will be “taking out medicine” and getting it over with next week.
- Schoen also said that the Giants have been in talks with the representatives of defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence regarding a new contract. A long-term deal would lower Lawrence’s cap number of $12.4 million on the fifth-year option for this season.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars will release cornerback Shaquill Griffin. The move will save the Jaguars $13.1 million against the cap, with $4 million in dead cap money in 2023. Griffin was limited to five games in 2022 due to a back injury and had one year left on his contract.
- Hey! Calvin Ridley has arrived in DUUVAL!
- The Jets are already clearing cap space to make room for a potential Aaron Rodgers trade. A restructuring with C.J. Uzomah is a start. According to Tom Pelissero, Uzomah had $4.5 million of his salary converted to a signing bonus, which clears $3.6 million in cap space for the coming season.
- Honestly, I hope they get this done. And I hope they get it done fast. Seeing Aaron Rodgers out of the Bears division would be a sight for sore eyes for those of us here in Chicago.
- So, the Cubs are on fire!
- Also, if you missed this, you’re going to want to see it!
