NFL News Round-Up: Tom Brady Retires and Sean Payton Heads to Denver
Super Bowl 57 is here! The biggest event in the known universe. And that can distract us from everything else going on around this wonderful league. A lot of important NFL news and info can slip through the cracks. But don’t fret, my little sports angels, because Fantasy Alarm is here to have your back so you don’t miss a darn thing!
Starting now, and every Friday through the off-season, we’ll do our best to hit on the important NFL news and rumors. We’ll give you the big stuff that breaks, we’ll talk about the transactions that go down, and we’ll make sure to mention any football-related nonsense that made us chuckle. We’ll be here through coaching changes, free agent signings, the 2023 NFL Draft, and NFL training camp, and before you know it, it will be time to kick off once again. No off-season here baby! So let’s get to it!
Top NFL News
Tom Brady Announces Retirement
Tom Brady has formally announced what appears to be his final farewell to the NFL. How do we know that it’s for real this time? Well, he said so.
Greg Olsen Reacts To Brady Announcement
Greg Olsen, who has done a tremendous job on the top broadcasting team over at Fox, acknowledged to The Athletics’ Richard Deitsch that the Brady news likely means that Tom Brady will be gunning for his spot. He says that he has “come to grips with it” but that he’ll “make it hard as hell on them to try to replace him”.
Brock Purdy to Undergo Surgery
It has been reported that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered a complete tear of the UCL. He’s hoping that it can be repaired with surgery that won’t involve the invasive Tommy John procedure that many MLB pitchers undergo. That said, the timeline for QBs recording from Tommy John is not as lengthy as pitchers, as we saw with former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme.
Cincinnati Bengals Looking to Extend Joe Burrow
In a surprise to absolutely no none, the Bengals and star quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to work on a contract this off-season that will make Burrow the highest-paid quarterback in the league.
Chicago Bears Will Likely Trade Number One Pick
The Bears have come out and said that Justin Fields is their guy. Rumors are swirling about who could trade for the pick. Here’s a list of some teams with sources:
- Houston Texans
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Carolina Panthers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Seattle Seahawks
- Everyone Else
NFL Transactions
Denver Broncos Trade for Head Coach Sean Payton
Sean Payton will reportedly make $85 million over five years to coach the Saints. The Broncos gave up a 2023 first and 2024 second for Payton and a 2024 third.
Houston Texans Sign Head Coach DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans, former defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, has been tapped to coach the Texans where he played most of his NFL career. The contract has been reported as a six-year deal.
Carolina Panthers Sign Assistant Coach Duce Staley
Duce Staley, Lions assistant head coach and running backs coach, will reportedly join Frank Reich’s staff on the Carolina Panthers. That falls in the wake of reports that Reich will retain special teams coordinator Chris Tabor and Offensive Line Coach James Campen.
Super Bowl Transactions
In preparation for the Super Bowl, the Chiefs waived backup kicker Matthew Wright and signed running back Jerion Ealy.
NFL Nonsense
Travis Kelce Lashes Out At Bengals Fans
Travis Kelce was none too pleased with folks calling the Chiefs’ stadium “Burrowhead”
Kelce also decided to go full WWE and call the mayor of Cincinnati a Jabroni.
Joe Thomas Does Battle With Former/Current New York Giants
Joe Thomas did battle on Twitter with rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux. Former Giant Michael Strahan came to the defense of the young defender.
Urban Meyer Blames Personnel, Not Coaching for Jax Tenure
Urban Meyer naturally believes the turnaround for the Jaguars is because “they got a lot of different players in free agency”.
Jerry Jones Defends Cowboys Super Bowl Drought
Jerry Jones pointed out that the 49ers also haven’t won a Super Bowl in 25 years, just like the Cowboys. And football fans responded to that about how you might expect.
Arian Foster Says “NFL is Scripted”
Former NFL player Arian Foster told a conspiracy podcast the NFL was scripted, which spawned some amazing memes from around the league.
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Player News
Ryan Ramczyk retired after eight seasons in the NFL.
Ramczyk served as a stalwart member of the Saints’ offensive line from 2017-2023, battling through deteriorating cartilage in his knee. He was sidelined by the issue for the full 2024 season. Ramczyk’s NFL accolades include a spot on the 2017 PFWA All-Rookie Team, two second-team All-Pro nods (2018 and 2020) and one first-team All-Pro (2019) spot.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery is a player that “teams like a lot more than the media knows.”
Rapoport suggests that Ersery could make his way into the late first round, connecting him with the tackle-needy Chiefs. Ersery performed more consistently as a run-blocker than as a blindside pass protector over the last two seasons, but notably allowed just a 3.0 percent quarterback pressure rate last year, the 10th-lowest among Power Five left tackles with at least 400 pass-protection snaps.
Beat reporter Scott Bair reports that Bears DC Dennis Allen asked slot CB Kyler Gordon to learn a second position, either on the perimeter or at safety.
The Bears’ previous coaching staff spent two seasons trying this experiment before allowing Gordon to blossom in a full-time slot- and box-coverage role last season. Perhaps, Allen can succeed where others have failed. His intent is to “find some more playing time” for Gordon, which is understandable given Gordon’s significant on-field impact last year.
Bills signed CB Tre’Davious White, formerly of the Ravens, to a one-year, $6.8 million contract.
White, now 30 years old, returns to the team that drafted him in the 2017 NFL Draft’s first round. White was a force to be reckoned with early in his career, but a 2021 ACL tear and a 2023 Achilles tendon rupture have reduced his play quality. White will now compete for the Bills’ No. 2 perimeter role.
Bills waived TE Armani Rogers.
This is unfortunate. Rogers recently ruptured his Achilles tendon for the second time in three years. He showed promise as a 2022 rookie, earning a 65.3 PFF receiving grade and a 68.0 PFF run-blocking grade, but the injuries are taking their toll. The Bills also released DT Branson Deen.
Titans waived OT Nicholas Petit-Frere.
The team signed C Sam Mustipher and OT Oli Udoh in corresponding moves. Petit-Frere failed to meet expectations after the Titans spent a third-round pick on him in 2022, allowing 35-plus quarterback pressures in 2-of-3 NFL seasons.