2023 NFL Season News

[metaldude26]

Wild speculation here, but the Vikings are now 0-2. Notably did not give Kirk Cousins an extension. Not unlike Tannehill, does this thing spiral to where Cousins becomes an option for the Jets. Tell me you like that.

[PenguinHunter]

Wild speculation here, but the Vikings are now 0-2. Notably did not give Kirk Cousins an extension. Not unlike Tannehill, does this thing spiral to where Cousins becomes an option for the Jets. Tell me you like that.

And three of their next six games are against Chargers, Chiefs and 49ers. So the forecast doesn't look great either.

If they were looking ahead at an easier schedule I would say there was zero chance.. but their schedule ahead is definitely not easy.

[metaldude26]

And three of their next six games are against Chargers, Chiefs and 49ers. So the forecast doesn't look great either.

If they were looking ahead at an easier schedule I would say there was zero chance.. but their schedule ahead is definitely not easy.

Good point. The Vikes didn't look bad hanging in with the Eagles but the schedule is offering no favours. The new analytically inclined front office may just decide it's tank season if they lose a couple more.

[dejeanneret]

And three of their next six games are against Chargers, Chiefs and 49ers. So the forecast doesn't look great either.

If they were looking ahead at an easier schedule I would say there was zero chance.. but their schedule ahead is definitely not easy.

Very interesting points regarding the Vikes and their schedule. But in my opinion, there's more 4D chess that goes into the team's decision here in terms of what to do with Cousins.

The first potential counterpoint is that, being in the NFC, there's certainly a path to the playoffs and a potential deep run available that's not available for medicare AFC teams. That schedule spells a troubling start to the season, but maybe they hold out hope longer of eeking out a playoff bid with the view that anything can happen if/once you get in.

The second potential counterpoint is what the rest of their roster looks like. They just paid Hockenson. They've got a seemingly great and currently cheap #2 in Addison. And they have a bonafide superstar in Jefferson. In many ways, they are built to win right now.

The third (and I think most interesting) potential counterpoint involves Jefferson's contract status. He's under contact this season and the team has a 5th year option on him for next season at $20M. After that he's a UFA and the franchise tag gets involved. That can get ugly very quickly, both from a money perspective but even more so from a keeping Jefferson happy perspective, and puts them in a fairly precarious position insofar as their handling of the QB position goes.

Cousins has his warts, but he gets JJ the ball and is good enough that he gives the Vikings a chance to win games--certainly more so than where they'd be without him. Nick Mullens is currently their #2 and Jaren Hall #3. Not only is neither likely to be an upgrade over Cousins short-term, but it's not even a given either could even get Jefferson the ball inserted into the lineup. Nor is there any reason to think that either is a long-term option to take over for Cousins. So in that light,

--Will Jefferson sign an extension before his UFA status hits and the franchise tag comes into play if Cousins is dealt and there's no clear succession plan in place?
--Will he sign an extension if/once he's franchise tagged (which many players seem to take fairly personally/negatively)?

I don't know the answers to those questions.

But with Jefferson being nearly due for a contract, I think jettisoning a proven QB who can get him the ball without a super clear, non-speculative path forward may be too big a gamble for the Vikings to take.

[Feenom]

And Jefferson has publicly stated that he likes Cousins as his QB. So, reading between some lines, if Cousins goes maybe so does JJ?

[senryu]

Given the state of the division, you can't tear down now. Anyone would have said that the Eagles at Philadelphia would have been a loss. Most every team has one or two inexplicable losses and perhaps the Vikings have already had theirs. It seems clear that the Eagles, Cowboys and 49ers occupy their own tier of NFC contenders, so a Super Bowl appearance isn't likely and probably never was. But a division win is still very much in play. I'm not sure that tanking the season based on losing to Tampa is worth whatever assets Minnesota might reap from the Jets.

[metaldude26]

Ravens drop the Bengals to 0-2. Didn't work out when they did it last season, but exciting start to this season! Another injury with OBJ hurting his ankle though.

[4T2]

I gotta say, I’m pleasantly surprised with the Patriots in spite of the 0-2 record. They’ve hung with 2 really tough teams in Philly and Miami. They’ve got a pretty tough schedule and a brutal division, so my expectations this year weren’t super high. But if they can keep playing competitive football all year and come close to a .500 record I’ll consider it a good building year, especially for Jones

[2014olympicgold]

Ravens drop the Bengals to 2-0. Didn't work out when they did it last season, but exciting start to this season! Another injury with OBJ hurting his ankle though.

Bengals started 0-2 last yr too lol. I can't believe how bad their offense looks, and Burrows reaggravating his calf injury isn't good news.

I gotta say, I’m pleasantly surprised with the Patriots in spite of the 0-2 record. They’ve hung with 2 really tough teams in Philly and Miami. They’ve got a pretty tough schedule and a brutal division, so my expectations this year weren’t super high. But if they can keep playing competitive football all year and come close to a .500 record I’ll consider it a good building year, especially for Jones

I can't believe how much they've allowed Jones to throw. Not like it's a bad thing or anything, just amazed at the amount.

[dejeanneret]

Positively gruesome knee injury for Nick Chubb tonight (sucks, heck of player that guy). Have to think there's a good possibility Kareem Hunt may be on his way back to Cleveland in short order.

[metaldude26]

Positively gruesome knee injury for Nick Chubb tonight (sucks, heck of player that guy). Have to think there's a good possibility Kareem Hunt may be on his way back to Cleveland in short order.

You don't want to see it, but if you want to see it, here's a video: https://twitter.com/BussinWTB/status...44375061844446

I'm sick.

[Feenom]

Positively gruesome knee injury for Nick Chubb tonight (sucks, heck of player that guy). Have to think there's a good possibility Kareem Hunt may be on his way back to Cleveland in short order.

Aw crap. Hope he’s ok. Was running all over that Steeler D in the first quarter alone.

[2014olympicgold]

Chubb had almost the exact same thing happen to the same leg in college and tore every except the ACL.

This time it looked like someone stuck a stick of dynamite in his knee. He is exactly what you want in an RB too. Top 5 talent with no controversies ever. But just another example of why the NFL needs to restructure how RBs get their money. Chubb could likely be done producing at an RB1 level after only 47 games.

He enters 2024 with a potential out clause with a $4m dead cap in 2024, but $12.2m cap savings. He sits right now at $34,109,558 in career earnings. For comparison, Bryce Young will make $25,353,688 in his first yr of play.

[Axeman33]

Chubb had almost the exact same thing happen to the same leg in college and tore every except the ACL.

This time it looked like someone stuck a stick of dynamite in his knee. He is exactly what you want in an RB too. Top 5 talent with no controversies ever. But just another example of why the NFL needs to restructure how RBs get their money. Chubb could likely be done producing at an RB1 level after only 47 games.

He enters 2024 with a potential out clause with a $4m dead cap in 2024, but $12.2m cap savings. He sits right now at $34,109,558 in career earnings. For comparison, Bryce Young will make $25,353,688 in his first yr of play.

The NFL contract situation is always a funky one anyway unless you're getting guaranteed money, which isn't always the easiest thing to do. NFL teams are holding back from paying out long term deals to RBs for big money. Here's an interesting read on the RB contract situation, posted last month.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/category...-rb-contracts/

Some interesting tidbits.

A 2016 study conducted by Michael Getz at Pro Football Logic found that running backs have the highest chance (5.2 percent) of suffering an injury that will keep them out for at least one week during an NFL game. Also, running backs’ injuries keep them out the longest on average (3.9 games)

That probably goes into a lot of GMs thinking when it comes to handing out those big money contracts.

10 years ago, the avg salary for a RB in the NFL was $16.7M. 10 years later in 2023, its down to just over $12M. 10 years ago, there was two RBs making more than a $25M annual salary. 10 years later, the top salary is $18.1M (CMC).

[2014olympicgold]

Oh I 100% understand and would hope my team doesn't pay an RB after the age of 25yrs old. It's also the only position where a new player can be dropped into an offense with little issues.

The only way I can think of fixing their pay issue is to adjust free agent accumulated time different. Either do it on snaps, by position or something else. They already do the Franchise Tag system by position, so why not rookie deals?

I'm not going to invest time into figuring it all out, but make RBs eligible to the franchise tag after 2yrs instead of 4 (but eligible for the franchise tag maybe for years 3, 4, and 5).

Sucks for Chubb though. He's probably my favourite RB in the league, just on a team that doesn't want to use him as a receiving back.