How Expensive Was Will Levis’ Slide? NFL Network Back on Xfinity, and Other NFL Bullets
Will Levis waited patiently during the NFL Draft, while the Tennessee Titans finally picked him after 32 players and three other quarterbacks were chosen ahead of him. According to Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, Levis was their second choice, as Anthony Richardson was their preferred pick. The Titans said they would have done the same if Peter Skoronski wasn’t available at No. 11. In the end, Levis has a home in Tennessee. But how much did his slide cost him financially?
- Pro Football Talk did some math based on 2022 contract values to help illustrate the answer to that question. The New York Jets selected cornerback Sauce Gardner with the fourth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and paid him $33.45 million. By comparison, Green Bay selected wide receiver Christian Watson with the second pick in the second round in 2022 and paid him $9.24 million. So, Levis lost more than $24 million by sliding out of the top five, where many thought he might end up.
- However, by not being selected in the first round, Levis will become a free agent following the 2026 season since the Titans don’t have the fifth-year option they would have had they taken Levis in round one. So, Levis can cash in a year sooner if he performs to the standards he believes he can.
- Monday saw Xfinity cable subscribers lose access to the NFL Network channel. Xfinity customers saw a message explaining that the cable provider’s deal with the NFL had expired on Monday. This prompted a conversation between NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. While there has been no formal announcement, this led to a tweet confirming restored service by Xfinity support: “We have renewed our agreement with the NFL Network.”
- Today is the deadline for teams to exercise or decline fifth-year options on players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. I put together a handy tracker on all of the decisions on Monday that you can follow to stay current.
- According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers agreed to a one-year extension. The deal is worth up to $22.5 million, with $13.5 million fully guaranteed. Love’s extension will keep the fourth-year quarterback with the Packers through the 2024 season and give them a longer runway to negotiate a long-term extension.
- The Jordan Love era has begun, and Packers coach Matt LaFleur sees a change in Love’s mojo:
“I think it’s been a cool process from the day we drafted him to see him now, just to see how he’s matured in every facet of life. I think you guys probably notice it even when you’re in the locker room,” LaFleur said in his Saturday press conference. “So, I think he definitely understands that he’s the guy in charge, he’s going to be the guy in the huddle and he’s got to be an extension of us. And we’re excited for him.
“We’ve got a lot of confidence in him. I think he showed it just in the limited action he did last year and just the ability to step in there, and the moment was not too big for him. You could see that. He was super poised. And that, quite frankly, gave us the confidence we needed to see from him.”
- More:
- Love’s predecessor in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers, is already at work with his new team in New York:
- This morning, the Panthers and rookie Jammie Robinson finalized a rookie deal, making him the team’s first pick to sign. The financials weren’t available in the release, but the fifth-rounder out of Florida State is officially a Panther.
- The Panthers also announced that quarterback Bryce Young will wear No. 9, the same number that he wore at Alabama.
- Well, this is exciting …
- In case you haven’t had your fill of draft content …
