There's "optimism and hope" that QB Aaron Rodgers will return to Green Bay for the 2022 season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "The relationship is in as good a spot as it has been in quite a long time," Rapoport adds. Rodgers will need a new contract, and the Packers are reportedly willing to making him the league's highest-paid QB. Rapoport suggests a 2-year deal worth over $45 million per year. Rodgers is expected to take at least "a few weeks" before making a decision on 2022. Stay tuned.
WR Michael Thomas is expected back with the Saints for the 2022 season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Thomas, of course, missed all of 2021 after undergoing a pair of ankle surgeries. Rapoport adds that Thomas had another setback at some point and spent a bunch of time in New York getting weekly treatment. But he's back in New Orleans now and will seemingly be ready for the start of the offseason program. We'll keep an eye on Thomas, along with the rest of the Saints' Sean Payton-less offense.
Beat writer Adam Jahns considers WR to be the Bears’ “top priority” in free agency. It’s hard to argue that one. Darnell Mooney took a step forward this past year, locking him into a starting spot going forward. Allen Robinson will play elsewhere next year, though. And the team currently lacks quality WR talent. Michael Gallup, Mike Williams and D.J. Chark supply a few intriguing options, but we'll see who makes it to the open market. Bank on Chicago adding a WR or 2 in the draft — just note that they’re without a 1st rounder following last year’s trade up for Justin Fields. As of now, the Bears won’t be on the clock until the 7th pick of Round 2.
Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (knee) is listed as questionable for the Super Bowl. He went from a limited practice on Thursday to full participation on Friday. HC Zac Taylor said again Friday that he expects Uzomah to play. We'll get Cincinnati's inactives around 5 pm ET on Sunday. Just 2 weeks removed from an MCL sprain, Uzomah will carry elevated risk if he suits up.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) has been placed on IR and will miss the Super Bowl. That leaves TE Kendall Blanton as Los Angeles' starter. He caught all 5 of his targets for 57 yards after Higbee exited the NFC Championship.
Rams RB Darrell Henderson (knee) has been activated from IR. That puts him on track to play in Sunday's Super Bowl. Henderson has been out since Week 16, so we're not expecting him to play a major role vs. the Bengals. But HC Sean McVay mentioned a "3-back rotation, based on how the game unfolds" when asked about the backfield on Wednesday.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) remained sidelined for Thursday's practice. We've removed him from our Super Bowl projections and bumped up TE Kendall Blanton.
Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (knee) was upgraded to limited participation in Thursday's practice. HC Zac Taylor has sounded optimistic about Uzomah's availability for the Super Bowl, and he looks to be trending in the right direction. We'll get Cincinnati's final injury report on Friday afternoon.
Beat writer Greg Auman of The Athletic believes the Bucs have a “good chance” of retaining WR Chris Godwin. Auman doesn’t see the franchise tag as a viable path — Tampa Bay did that last year. He also doesn’t believe Godwin’s late-season ACL tear altered the team’s “long-term optimism of him playing at a very high level.” Regardless of where he plays, the 26-year-old should be considered questionable for the start of next season.
Rams WR Robert Woods resumed jogging this week as he works through his recovery from a November 12 ACL tear. “It’s going really well,” Woods said from the Super Bowl. “Initially, you hear ACL injury and you think it’s over. Nah. Being able to recover from the surgery and be able to have a great rehab and team to get me back right, I’m progressing really well." Woods is tentatively expected to be cleared for spring minicamp. We'll continue to track his progress.
Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (knee) was officially listed as a non-participant in Wednesday's practice. But he worked off to the side with a trainer, and HC Zac Taylor said afterward that Uzomah looks "positive" for Sunday's Super Bowl. "Considering where he was when he fell on the turf last Sunday to where he is now, I'm really optimistic about how it's going," Taylor added. "We'll continue to see him in action these next 2 days, but optimistic." We'll see what Uzomah is able to do on Thursday.
Rams TE Tyler Higbee (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. The team is still holding out hope that he'll be able to play in Sunday's Super Bowl, but that's starting to look unlikely. TE Kendall Blanton stepped up to catch all 5 of his targets for 57 yards after Higbee exited the NFC Championship.
Rams RB Darrell Henderson (knee) got 1st-team reps in Wednesday's practice, HC Sean McVay said afterward. "I think Darrell's going to go," McVay added. "So you'll have Cam [Akers], Darrell and Sony [Michel]. You'll be able to see a good, 3-back rotation, based on how the game unfolds." It sounds like Henderson is set to play a real role in the Super Bowl, despite missing the past month and a half with that sprained MCL.
Asked who he’d like to play with now that Tom Brady has retired, TE Rob Gronkowski mentioned Joe Burrow. “I kinda like this young buck quarterback. He’s in the Super Bowl now: It’s Joe Burrow, man,” Gronkowski said via MassLive.com. “I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket he’s just so calm and he just slings it out on the field. I just love his swag, too. If I had to pick a quarterback, it’d be the young buck Joe Burrow. “He’s killing it right now in the game.” It's worth noting that C.J. Uzomah’s contract expires next month. And the Bengals have enough cap space if they wanted to make a run at Gronk, an impending free agent. But we'll see if the 33-year-old (in May) ultimately decides to put his body through another long season. Gronk posted 55-802-6 in 2021 (12 games).
Scott Bair of the Falcons’ official site writes that “there isn’t a lot to go on at this point” regarding a possible Calvin Ridley trade. Ridley’s last game came in Week 7. Then he missed the remainder of the season for mental health reasons, and no substantial updates have surfaced since. Bair surmises that a Round 2 pick would be “fair” compensation — and it seems reasonable. Ridley, 27, is slated to enter a contract year in the fall. Teammate Russell Gage is set to enter free agency next month, so it's quite possible this Atlanta WR corps undergoes major change.
Rams HC Sean McVay said Monday that RB Darrell Henderson (knee) is "looking optimistic" for the Super Bowl. Henderson suffered an MCL sprain in Week 16 but was designated to return a couple of weeks ago. We don't expect him to play a big role vs. the Bengals on Sunday, but Henderson could steal a few carries from RB Cam Akers.
Lovie Smith has been named Texans HC. He has 11 seasons of NFL HC experience -- 9 with the Bears, 2 with the Bucs -- compiling an 89-87 record. Smith left the NFL from 2016 to 2020 to coach Illinois, where he went 17-39. He returned to the pros this past year to serve as Texans DC. Houston is expected to promote passing-game coordinator Pep Hamilton to OC, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
The Saints named Dennis Allen their new HC. The 49-year-old has 8 seasons of experience as an NFL DC, including the last 7 with the Saints. He made it just a little over 2 seasons as Raiders HC from 2012 to 2014, winning just 8 of 36 games before getting fired 4 weeks into the 2014 campaign. We'll see if he fares better in his 2nd try. And we'll see who he tabs to run the offense in the post-Sean Payton era.
Las Vegas police arrested Saints RB Alvin Kamara on Saturday, charging him with "battery resulting in substantial bodily harm." According to a police department release, the charges arose from a fight in Las Vegas night club. The investigation is reportedly ongoing, so we'll see how the situation develops and what it might mean for Kamara's status.
The Dolphins have agreed to terms with Mike McDaniel to become the team's next HC. McDaniel spent 2021 as San Francisco's OC after serving as the run-game coordinator the previous 4 seasons. McDaniel arrived with Kyle Shanahan, whom he had also worked under with the Falcons, Browns, Washington and Texans. McDaniel got his NFL start as an intern with the 2005 Broncos, coached by Mike Shanahan. So we should expect a strong Shanahan influence on McDaniel's offensive approach in Miami. He inherits an offense with QB Tua Tagovailoa heading into Year 3 and WR Jaylen Waddle coming off a terrific debut campaign. Plenty of questions need to be answered, though, with "TE" Mike Gesicki and multiple WRs facing free agency. The Dolphins also sport an unsettled backfield that found Duke Johnson leading in rushing yards per game last season. This will be an interesting offense to watch through the offseason, especially because McDaniel looks like a potential plus for the unit.
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