Lions quarterback Jared Goff takes the field during warmups before the NFC wild card game at Ford Field on Sunday, Jan, 14, 2024. Photo Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Detroit Lions made plenty of contract news on Wednesday, which has left people wondering if Jared Goff will be their next player to receive an extension.
The Lions on Wednesday reached massive contract extensions with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive lineman Penei Sewell. The team’s efforts to keep their offensive core together led to questions about Goff’s contract status.
Goff is entering the final year of his 4-year, $134 million contract extension. He has a $32.3 million cap hit for 2024 and is set to become a free agent afterwards.
Amid the new deals for key Lions players, Adam Schefter reports that nothing is “imminent” for Goff with the Lions. The two sides have talked this offseason about a deal though.
Goff seemed like a bit of an afterthought when the Lions acquired him in the Matthew Stafford trade with the Rams prior to the 2021 season. However, he has had two big seasons since then. In 2022, he led the Lions to a 9-8 season as they narrowly missed the playoffs. Goff earned his third career Pro Bowl honor that year. Then last year, Goff had one of his best seasons as he passed for 4,575 yards and 30 touchdowns. He led the Lions to a 12-5 record and two playoff wins.
Based on how the 29-year-old has played for Detroit, it’s no surprise the team has had contract talks with him this offseason.
Jun 5, 2018; Allen Park, MI, USA; Detroit Lions logo on the front of a podium before practice at the Lions Headquarters and Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Lions were busy on Wednesday as they locked down a second player to a massive contract extension.
The Lions agreed to a four-year, $112 million contract extension with offensive lineman Penei Sewell, according to reports. The agreement includes $85 million in guaranteed money, and makes Sewell the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman.
Sewell posted an excited message on social media once the deal was agreed to.
After a breakthrough season that saw the Lions win the NFC North and reach the NFC Championship, the team is working hard to ensure its core stays together for years to come. Earlier Wednesday, they signed another core piece to a similarly record-setting deal.
The Lions selected Sewell seventh overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he quickly became an anchor on one of the better offensive lines in the league. He has made the Pro Bowl twice in his three years in the league, and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023.
May 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) moves the ball up court against the Golden State Warriors during the first half in game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
D’Angelo Russell is putting himself on the line with the Los Angeles Lakers facing an 0-2 deficit.
The Lakers guard Russell posted a notable message in his Discord server this week following the team’s heartbreaking Game 2 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday.
“We still gonna win,” wrote Russell. “Don’t give up on us.”
That is the Discord server for Russell’s podcast “The Backyard Podcast,” which he has posted links to before.
The podcast page also recently posted a new link to the server (where Russell’s above message is still visible in the “search” function) and effectively confirmed in their post that “dloading0101” is Russell.
The ex-All-Star Russell had a nightmare Game 1 against the Nuggets and received widespread ridicule from social media for it. While Russell came roaring back to life in Game 2 (finishing with 23 points on seven triples), it still wasn’t enough to beat Denver. Russell even took to social media after Game 2 to complain about the officiating.
Ultimately, the Lakers have now lost ten straight games to the Nuggets (regular season and playoffs) yet somehow need to win four of the next five games to take the series. Russell obviously has the right mentality here for a member of the team as they head back to their home floor. But if history is any indication, that confidence is probably misplaced at this point.
Sep 28, 2017; Green Bay, WI, USA; A Chicago Bears helmet on the field during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears have extremely ambitious plans for their proposed new lakefront stadium.
The Bears released several artist renderings of what their proposed new stadium might look like. The entire complex is very impressive and includes 14 acres of park space and athletic fields for the public, with the intended goal of community use.
The renderings suggest the Bears and the city of Chicago would both have big plans for the new stadium. The art depicts the stadium being used to host both a Final Four and even a Super Bowl — both plausible goals for what will be an indoor venue, unlike Soldier Field.
A lot of Bears fans will simply be relieved to see the team staying in the city proper. The team had, at one point, threatened to move into the suburb of Arlington Heights, but ultimately did come to an agreement to stay in the city.
The Bears still have work to do before they can realize their vision of the $3.2 billion facility. The franchise is asking for over $1 billion in investment from the state, which will have to be approved by the Illinois legislature.
Nov 11, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels during pregame against the Florida Gators at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Jayden Daniels has no plans to pull an Eli Manning when the draft begins on Thursday night.
The Washington Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. It has been widely reported for weeks that they view Daniels as the best quarterback prospect this year other than Caleb Williams, who is going to be chosen first overall by the Chicago Bears. However, there has been increasing talk recently that Daniels does not want to play for the Commanders.
Daniels says that is not the case. While speaking with reporters at a Special Olympics event on Wednesday, Daniels said he wants to be chosen as high in the draft as possible. The former LSU star gave a firm response when asked if he would feel good about landing in Washington.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” Daniels said. “I’m blessed to go wherever I’m called. Whoever calls my phone, (when the) commissioner gets up and says my name, I’ll be blessed, and they’re going to get my all.”
Daniels supposedly would love to end up with a specific AFC team, but the odds of that happening are very slim. Even if the Commanders are not his top choice, he is smart to not try to force his way to another team.
The reality is that Daniels is not viewed as enough of a home run prospect to be able to manipulate his own future in the way Manning did when Manning forced his way from the Los Angeles to the New York Giants in 2004. If Daniels successfully convinced Washington not to draft him, there is a chance he could wind up slipping down the board. That is the last thing he wants to happen.
Jan 31, 2018; Bloomington, MN, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during a press conference at the Mall of America in advance of Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Belichick is reportedly in the process of finalizing a deal with Peyton Manning’s production company, and we now have a better idea of what that might entail.
Manning has been openly pursuing Belichick this offseason for some sort of role with Omaha Productions. A report last week from ESPN, which is affiliated with Omaha Productions, said Belichick is expected to sign a deal with the company in the near future.
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic shared some more information about the agreement on Wednesday. The expectation is that Belichick will make regular appearances on “ManningCast,” which is the popular alternate “Monday Night Football” broadcast hosted by Peyton and brother Eli Manning. In the first three years that the show has been running, guests typically only appear once during the season.
In addition to joining “ManningCast,” Marchand says Belichick could work on some sort of inside football show and take part in a podcast. The 72-year-old also has a book deal in place.
Belichick did not land another head coach job after he parted ways with the New England Patriots, but he wants to continue coaching next season. It will benefit him to remain visible in the meantime, which he is clearly committed to doing. Belichick will also cover the NFL Draft this week as an analyst with ESPN’s “The Pat McAFee Show.”
Apr 12, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Redick (17) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
JJ Redick recently interviewed for an NBA head coach position, and it sounds like the ESPN analyst has a legitimate chance to land the job.
Redick, a former Duke star who played 15 seasons in the NBA, has had interest in making the transition into coaching in recent years. He interviewed with the Charlotte Hornets earlier this week, and Shams Charania reported on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” Tuesday that the team views Redick as a “serious candidate.”
“JJ Redick has interviewed for the Charlotte Hornets head coaching job,” Charania said. “I’m told he could have another interview soon as well. … JJ Redick has a strong desire, potentially, to move into coaching. He’s been public about that. Privately, I’m hearing that as well. If it’s not Charlotte, there could be more interviews for JJ Redick in his future in this potential cycle.”
Redick retired from the NBA after the 2021 season. He has since grown his media presence and is a top analyst for ESPN. The 39-year-old frequently serves as a broadcast analyst on games. He also has been hosting a podcast since his playing days and even is collaborating with LeBron James on one.
Redick reportedly interviewed for the Toronto Raptors job last year, though he didn’t get it. He also was said to have been a candidate for the Philadelphia 76ers job, which went to the experienced Nick Nurse.
It seems like only a matter of time before Redick lands a head coach job, whether that is this offseason or at some point further down the road.
Oct 31, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) warms up before an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Amon-Ra St. Brown has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL over the past three seasons, and the Detroit Lions are now paying him accordingly.
The Lions have signed St. Brown to a 4-year, $120 million contract extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. The deal includes $77 million guaranteed.
The $77 million in guaranteed money is the highest for a wide receiver in NFL history. Cooper Kupp set the previous high mark when the Los Angeles Rams gave him $75 million guaranteed as part of his 3-year, $80 million extension in 2022.
St. Brown’s new $30 million salary also matches Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, making the two the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL in terms of average annual salary.
St. Brown set career highs across the board in his third NFL season last year with 119 catches, 1,515 yards and 16 touchdowns. The former fourth-round pick out of USC was a First-team All-Pro last season and has made the Pro Bowl the last two years.
The 24-year-old St. Brown is one of a handful of star players who will be part of an upcoming Netflix series.
Dec 3, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; SEC Network announcer Johnny Manziel looks on prior to the SEC Championship game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the LSU Tigers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Reggie Bush has his Heisman Trophy back, and no fellow recipient of the award seems happier about that than Johnny Manziel.
The Heisman Trophy Trust on Wednesday announced that Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy has been reinstated in large part because of the “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” In other words, it seemed hypocritical to not allow Bush to have his Heisman Trophy when student-athletes are now able to profit off of their name, image and likeness.
Shortly after the news was announced, Manziel took to social media to show his support for Bush.
“Thank you to the @HeismanTrophy for doing what’s right and welcoming a storied member of our history back into the fold. There were many voices throughout this process that stood on the table for Reggie simply because of the kind of human being he is. I look forward to being on that stage with you this December @ReggieBush you deserve it,” Manziel wrote on X.
Manziel has been very outspoken in calling for Bush to have his Heisman Trophy reinstated. The former Texas A&M star said in March that he would boycott all future Heisman Trophy ceremonies if Bush did not get his award back.
Bush won the Heisman Trophy in 2005 after he rushed for 1,740 yards on 200 carries, giving him an otherworldly average of 8.7 yards per carry. He scored 16 rushing touchdowns and had 37 catches for 478 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had to forfeit the Heisman in 2010 following an investigation into USC’s football program. USC also had to vacate its 2004 national championship and was stripped of 14 wins from games that Bush played in.
Manziel, who won the Heisman in 2013, has openly admitted to receiving impermissible benefits while he was a star quarterback at Texas A&M. Some of those benefits would be permissible now, of course, which is a big reason why Bush has his trophy back.
Aug 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; A New England Patriots helmet sits on the sideline during the first half against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The New England Patriots have every intention of landing a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but their ideal scenario may still involve a big trade.
Chad Graff and Dianna Russini of The Athletic published a story on Wednesday detailing the Patriots’ preferences heading into the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday. Caleb Williams is going to be taken first overall by the Chicago Bears. If Jayden Daniels goes No. 2 to the Washington Commanders, the Patriots reportedly plan to stay put and draft Drake Maye.
The Patriots view Maye as “a close-to-ideal fit” for the offense they want to implement, according to Graff and Russini. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf also feels that the former UNC star has the ideal physical makeup and athleticism of a modern NFL quarterback.
Things could change significantly for the Patriots if the Commanders select Maye. Should Jayden Daniels be available at No. 3, at least two teams — the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders — would likely want New England’s pick. That could create a scenario where the Patriots are able to trade back, acquire additional draft picks to address other needs, and then trade back up to get Michigan’s JJ McCarthy.
Graff and Russini report that the Patriots view McCarthy as being in a similar tier to Maye and Daniels and believe the former Wolverines star is worthy of a top-10 pick.
Obviously, a lot would need to fall perfectly into place for the Patriots to make multiple trades and still land McCarthy. The most likely outcome is that the Commanders take Daniels and New England drafts Maye. There is another surprise team that is said to be high on Maye, but the cost for moving into the top five of the draft is probably too prohibitive.
