Is Matthew Stafford Really Leaving LA?

Summary

Summary of "The Dan Patrick Show" Episode: Is Matthew Stafford Really Leaving LA?

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Dan Patrick Show
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
• Episode Title: Is Matthew Stafford Really Leaving LA?
• Release Date: February 25, 2025

In this episode of The Dan Patrick Show, hosts Justin Pennock and Chris Rose delve deep into the evolving landscape of the NFL, with a particular focus on quarterback Matthew Stafford's potential departure from the Los Angeles Rams. The discussion spans contract negotiations, team strategies, and implications for the broader league.

1. Matthew Stafford's Contract Situation

The core of the conversation revolves around Matthew Stafford's current contract with the Rams and the rumors of him seeking a new deal.

• Current Negotiations: Justin brings up reports from Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, highlighting that Stafford's agent is in talks with other teams while also negotiating with the Rams for a possible financial agreement.

• Stafford's Financial Demands: Chris analyzes the complexities of Stafford's contract, pointing out that while Stafford had previously agreed to a $40 million average annual value, he's now seeking approximately $50 million to align with top-tier QBs like Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson. He states, “[...] this is all Matthew Stafford wants more money. And I do think he deserves more money” (03:59).

• Rams' Dilemma: The Rams face a challenging decision as they balance Stafford's increased financial demands against their commitment to maintaining a competitive team window. Chris suggests that the Rams might need to increase guaranteed money in Stafford's contract, which could constrain their financial flexibility.

• Possible Outcomes: Both hosts speculate that if the Rams cannot meet Stafford's financial expectations, he might consider offers from the Giants, Raiders, or Steelers. Chris leans towards the Rams retaining Stafford but acknowledges the financial strain it may impose.

Notable Quote:

"If you give them $40 million guaranteed more, then you're probably going to have to add more years and adding bad money." — Chris Rose [07:48]

2. Impact on the NFL and Other Quarterbacks

The potential movement of Stafford could trigger a domino effect across the league, influencing other quarterbacks and team strategies.

• Domino Effect: Chris emphasizes that Stafford's situation could affect the contracts of other QBs like Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson, stating, “there is a domino effect and it is waiting for Matthew Stafford to fall” (12:54).

• Other Quarterbacks: The discussion extends to other veteran QBs such as Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson. Chris rates his interest in their futures, giving Cousins a low interest due to concerns about his physical limitations and Wilson a minimal interest based on his performance trends.

Notable Quote:

"There is a domino effect and it is waiting for Matthew Stafford to fall." — Chris Rose [12:54]

3. Miles Garrett's Trade Request

The hosts briefly touch upon Miles Garrett's trade request from the Cleveland Browns, analyzing its feasibility and potential impact.

• Trade Speculations: Justin inquires about the likelihood of Garrett being traded, to which Chris is skeptical, assigning a low interest level. He explains that despite Garrett's request, the Browns might prefer to retain him and build around their current roster.

Notable Quote:

"I think they're going to get back together. I think they'll figure it out." — Chris Rose [15:19]

4. Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings

The conversation shifts to Sam Darnold's situation with the Vikings, exploring the prospects of an extension amidst performance concerns.

• Extension Talks: Justin discusses the possibility of the Vikings offering Sam Darnold a front-loaded contract to secure him amidst uncertain performance metrics. Chris agrees, noting the importance of capitalizing on Darnold’s potential before his performance declines further.

Notable Quote:

"I would frontload it because I'm not so sure that you're going to get a better Sam Darnold than the one we saw in 2024." — Justin Pennock [19:07]

5. Bengals' Franchise Tag Decisions

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the Cincinnati Bengals' potential decisions regarding key players like T. Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.

• T. Higgins Scenario: Chris expresses doubt over the Bengals re-franchising T. Higgins, suggesting that the front office might prefer to let him walk rather than allocate substantial cap space, despite his elite performance.

• Trey Hendrickson's Value: The hosts debate the value of extending Hendrickson, highlighting his status as one of the top edge rushers in the league. Chris advocates for a generous extension, labeling Hendrickson's potential deal as “criminal” (30:02).

Notable Quote:

“Trey Hendrickson is 11th in average annual value among all edge rushers in the NFL. [...] it’s criminal.” — Chris Rose [30:02]

6. Predictions and Future Outlook

In their concluding remarks, Justin and Chris offer their predictions for the NFL's offseason moves.

• Stafford's Future: Chris leans towards Stafford remaining with the Rams, considering the financial and personal factors involved. However, he remains open to other possibilities based on contract negotiations.

• Bengals' Strategy: They predict that the Bengals will prioritize extending Jamar Chase and potentially Trey Hendrickson while letting T. Higgins explore free agency.

• Combine Preview: The episode wraps up with a teaser for their upcoming combine preview, hinting at possible unexpected developments in player deals and retirements.

Notable Quote:

"Because of the lack of wow in the free agent class, that you'll see in the middle of March, there are going to be some extensions that perhaps you don't expect." — Justin Pennock [33:26]

Conclusion

This episode provides an in-depth analysis of Matthew Stafford's potential departure from the LA Rams, exploring the financial intricacies and broader implications for the NFL. Justin Pennock and Chris Rose offer expert insights into contract negotiations, player valuations, and team strategies, making it a must-listen for NFL enthusiasts seeking a comprehensive understanding of the ongoing offseason dynamics.

Transcript

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[Justin Pennock]

It is Tuesday, February 25, 2025. This is another off season edition of Football Today. Justin Pennock is here. Chris Rose is here. Producer Connor is here as well. The man who's not here and he's got a really good excuse. Bobby Skinner and Panic. Why isn't he here today?

[Chris Rose]

Oh well, he got married on Sunday. Chris Rose and I am just getting home from the ceremony. By the time that we're recording this, we had a great, great time. I requested Shania Twain. I was the star of the evening. Forget Bobby. Forget Bobby Skinner and his lovely wife getting married and lots of tears and family and loving and things on the sides of Bobby Skinner I've never seen. I was the star of the evening because I danced very well.

[Justin Pennock]

I saw a little bit of that on social media. There's no question. Yeah, we'll leave it at that. So really, Bobby got very emotional, huh?

[Chris Rose]

He did. And he's probably gonna hate that I'm saying it, but it was. It was nice. It really was a nice day. Wholesome day. Bobby Skinner believe. You know, believe it or not, he is. It's always the people that you wouldn't expect to be loving and deep. To be the deepest, deepest of people. So I. I saw a side of Bobby that I haven't seen. And I. I've thought it. So I. I have to admit something, Justin. What if they asked you, even though none of his family members really know me, some of them do, more than you would think I know me. But, like, I never really met his mother or his father or anything like that, but I still had this dream and fantasy of, like, well, what if they ask you to. To perform a speech? Because that's how conceited I am. And I would have been like, how have you talked to Bobby skinner for, like, 20,000 hours? That's the amount of time that I've calculated in our. In our couple years of knowing each other, between phone calls, podcasts, and everything. 20,000 hours. And that's how. That's. That's how I would have, like, started off my speech, and I would have went from there.

[Justin Pennock]

That would have been adorable. Oh, so they didn't ask you?

[Chris Rose]

Okay, no, they didn't ask me, but, well, seated my conceited mindset, like, if they do, that's what I would say.

[Justin Pennock]

Way to represent the John Boy Media family. So that part is good.

[Chris Rose]

Yes.

[Justin Pennock]

Thank you. And congratulations to Bobby. His bride's name is it. What's her name? I'm sorry?

[Chris Rose]

Issa.

[Justin Pennock]

Issa. Okay. Well, I've. I've yet to meet her, so I look forward to that day as Mr. And Mrs. Skinner. That'll be nice. So Bobby will be back somewhere down the road, I'm sure, before the first game of the 2025 season. At any rate, we're getting ready. I'm heading to the combine. We'll do that next show. We'll have a little preview for you. That'll be fun. In the meantime, there's a bunch of headlines out there, so why don't we just scour through them? Before we do it, though, I want to ask this apparently for the competition committee. There was one anonymous team that brought up banning the tush push, and Diana Rossini of the Athletic came out and said, yeah, it's not anonymous anymore. It's the Green Bay Packers. Oh, do you respect the packers for trying to ban the tush push? Or since they're the only one, are you like, God, that's kind of a Weasley move. Just learn how to stop it.

[Chris Rose]

Stop it. Because it rose. If every NFL team did it and did it successfully, I would be like, all right, maybe this is a little bit of a cheat code. There's one team that does it and does it better than everybody else. So I. I respect the packers for maybe trying to get something going, but it's. It's. We. We see other teams try to do it. Like, didn't the Bills try to do it against the Chiefs a bunch of time in the conference championship? But it's like, what are we doing? It's not working. There's one team that does it, one team that does it really well, and somebody's got to try and find a way to stop it, and nobody can.

[Justin Pennock]

Well, you know, the quarterback sneak has been a part of this game ever since I've been watching. Some teams always ran it a little bit better. The Eagles just happen to have a. It's an amazing combination of a wonderful offensive line that knows how to get low. They have guys behind Hertz that don't mind doing the pushing. And then Jalen Hurts is probably as strong a quarterback as we've got in this league. The Bills, they don't run a tush push. They run Josh Allen. And unfortunately, for the biggest play of the year for them, they couldn't get. Or some people think they did get the first down on fourth down. But, you know, it's not a tush push. It is a true quarterback sneak. Even occasionally when they have guys pushing from behind, they just. Other teams don't run it as well, and there's certainly no way to stop it with the way that the Eagles run it. They just do a tremendous job. I don't know. I guess teams will figure it out. Or until Jalen Hurts gets injured, which he has yet to do on that particular play. Anyway, we're going to do the interest scale of 1 to 5. One being passed, not. Not even blinking my eyes at it, and five being. I'm all the way in on this story. Let's start with my Colleague Tom Pelissero over at NFL Network who says that the Rams have given Matthew Stafford's agent a chance to talk to other teams. And then there was a follow up report that said this coming week in Indy, Stafford's agent is going to talk to the Rams about trying to figure out how there can be a financial agreement moving forward. The entire story, scale of 1 to 5, how interested?

[Chris Rose]

No, it's a 5 for me since, since my, my team that I'm repping behind me is, is primarily involved in that right now. I honestly think there's one out of four teams there. You know, there's. Matthew Stafford's going to be on one of these four teams coming this year. It's either going to be the Rams, who I think, you know, I think that's likely the Giants. I also think that could be likely. And I also think the Raiders and maybe the Steelers could be players in this. Do you think your Browns are players in this or no? No, I would, I would say no too. But those four, would you agree with those four?

[Justin Pennock]

Yes. The Steelers are an interesting one, I think, I think if you were to ask me to rank the three other teams, because I think it's the three that you mentioned, Rams, Giants, Raiders. If you were to have me ranked them in order of where I think he'll end up, I think it's Rams, then I think it's Raiders and I think the Giants are a distant third.

[Chris Rose]

A distant third. Okay. I, I think, you know, I came on here last week saying oh, I'm pretty, I'm pretty sure and everything like that. I do think he, I, I think he's going to wind up staying with the Rams. I, I think he's going to wind up staying with the Rams and especially doing some reading about this is all money. This is all Matthew Stafford wants more money. And I do think he deserves more money. But also at the same time rose that contract extension that he agreed to in 2022. You know, we didn't have a football show at the time, but you know, the NFL, I'm sure the NFL world really looked at that $40 million average annual value and kind of scratched their head at it. Cause now it's Stafford and his camp that agree to that deal that now they want, not necessarily a new deal. And this is really the funky part about this Matthew Stafford situation. It's not necessarily like this extension, but he's kind of looking for more money right now. Now there's typically not a big precedence for this, but the Rams have A precedent for it since they did the same thing to Aaron Donald just a couple years ago where they kind of scrapped his current deal and made him the highest paid interior defense alignment in the NFL and didn't really extend him, but just gave him more money in the moment. Now here now, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap kind of, kind of broke this down. And this is what's making me think that it's kind of a little bit more likely than I did a couple days ago and last week, you know, I'm thinking, oh, I think Giants, Giants, Giants. And now I'm kind of, I'm walking back a little bit. I still have hope as a Giants fan, but I think the money is just so complicated here and Stafford and his team really dig, really did dig themselves a hole here. So there's players like KYLER Murray and Desean Watson that are getting $46 million average annual value. Stafford's at 40. I, you know, Peter Schrager comes out and says that Stafford is looking for 50 million, right? And that makes sense because you have Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and then Jared Goff, the player that was involved in that trade, that are just getting north of $50 million. So you would have to think that's what Safford's looking for. And I think that's fair. Now, here's the thing. Currently, every player with a $50 million a year contract has at least $160 million guaranteed. Currently, Stafford has $63 million remaining on his contract. So on a minimum, that means the Rams are committing an extra $40 million, which likely means committing him to be the QB until he's 39 and then possibly being able to walk until he's 40. So the money on this rose, it's a lot. It is a lot. If he wants to get up to 50. And you know, we're talking about kind of throwing out the deal that we have now, but we're adding more guaranteed years. That's adding a lot of guaranteed money on. You're probably going to have to add on those guaranteed years. And that's not something the Rams really want to do, knowing the window that they're in right now and you know, knowing that Stafford could take a downtick kind of at, at. At any moment.

[Justin Pennock]

Well, he obviously wants more money. We don't know how much more. I don't know if Peter's right or wrong. I'm sure Peter.

[Chris Rose]

But you would think 50 would make sense, right? Like Kyler and Deshawn Watson. Like, you know, if I'm Matthew Stafford. I'm looking at the Rams being like if you're not willing to pay me more than what those like those two guys are getting and not paying me the literally you traded away Jared Goff for me. If you don't think that I'm worth that. Yeah, I would feel very disrespected.

[Justin Pennock]

Well.

[Chris Rose]

And I want a Super bowl for you.

[Justin Pennock]

I think he probably wants to pay play another couple of years. If I were to guess he's been healthy. He missed one game this year and that's because they sat him out in a game where Jimmy Garoppolo played the last week and they didn't care whether they were the third or the fourth seed. Didn't matter to them. I would say this, I wouldn't discount the Raiders from this equation only because it's a 40 minute flight from Los Angeles. He's got four girls. I can't imagine he wants to uproot a family, move them all the way to New York to go play with the Giants. Who will by the way when 3 and 14 last year. You might want to not like the Raiders were any better. But I will say this. It's a 40 minute flight. It ain't five hours. It's not in the snow. It's inside a dome. It's on grass. It's all sorts of stuff where he's won his ring. Now I think that if you hooked him up to a lie detector test I think you'd want to say let's figure this out with the Rams. I can live in the home that I've built, one of the many homes that I've built and just stay here with a damn good team. And by the way, the Rams don't have to pay anybody on defense yet.

[Chris Rose]

No.

[Justin Pennock]

And they're shipping Cooper cup out of town. So I don't know. I just. I think it's going to end up. But for me the interest is one to it's a five because so many teams are affected. It's a domino effect.

[Chris Rose]

100%. 100%. What could happen with Darnold and you know then. Then you get into the other QBs that are going to get paid a lot less. Like the Rogers. The. I wouldn't really put Russell Wilson in that category but Rogers and Kirk Cousins.

[Justin Pennock]

Right.

[Chris Rose]

Like I. There is a domino effect and it is waiting for Matthew Stafford to fall. Now I do think, you know another team could negotiate a contract that Matthew Stafford likes and the compensation could be right and the Raiders or the Giants could. Could really pull that trigger. But it does seem. It, it really does just seem like the easiest alternative and kind of meeting at the middle. Right. What's the word I'm looking for when you meet at the middle with some compromise? The easiest compromise is the Rams kind of just give Matthew Stafford a little bit more money. Maybe, maybe they, maybe they get close to 50 million or, you know, again, it's complicated, but they would really. It's working within year to year and not if you give them $40 million guaranteed more. Then you're. You may be adding more years and adding bad money. And the Rams don't want to do that if they have to do that. Especially when Stafford's camp kind of made this mistake and they dug their own grave to begin with in 2022 with this.

[Justin Pennock]

I don't think they dug their own grave.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah, right. Yeah.

[Justin Pennock]

I mean, it's just this is the way the system works. It's not always the best guy that gets paid. It's the next guy up and that's what happens. So.

[Chris Rose]

Right.

[Justin Pennock]

Let's move on to Miles Garrett. We know this story. He's requested a trade. He did the rounds at Super Bowl. Do you think things will move forward with all the teams when they get together in Indy? How much does this story now up your ante on a scale of 1 to 5?

[American Express]

Rose?

[Chris Rose]

I'm down at a 2 for this because it seems like the smoke. I don't even know if they're ever. The only smoke that we really had is that, oh, Miles Garrett requested a trade. It's really the only kind of smoke that this story has ever had. The Brown should want to keep Miles Garrett self explanatory. I think they kind of came out and said that as soon as this happened. So Rose, let me, let me ask you this. Any chance they could just work on an extension?

[Justin Pennock]

Yes.

[Chris Rose]

More. More money. Continue to kick money down the road. Would making Miles Garrett the highest paid defensive player in the league Men. Fences.

[Justin Pennock]

Yeah, of course it would. And here's the thing. I get it. The Browns totally screwed up this desean Watson thing. It has set them back immensely. But let's remember this. Who has won more playoff games over the last five seasons? The Cleveland Browns or the Pittsburgh Steelers?

[Chris Rose]

Browns. Right.

[Justin Pennock]

So the Browns, although since 99 have been a total dumpster fire for the most part and I believe have only made the playoffs three times since then, I want to say, but twice under this regime. Last year was a huge, huge step back for them and the Watson stuff until they come out and Admit their failures on many fronts here. I don't know if they can move forward now. I get it. I understand Miles's frustration and he took a personal shot at the GM Andrew Barry, with the way that he worded things when he came out with his statement about, I don't want to go directly from Cleveland to Canton. I want to win multiple Super Bowls. That was a shot at Andrew Barry's line where he said, miles Garrett, we fully expect him to go right from Cleveland to Canton. That's what he said is his year end presser. So for me, it's a one, because I don't think it's going to happen. I don't think they're going to trade him. I get it. It sounds great for this sort of fodder for all sorts of morning shows and podcasts and everybody's trying to figure out, well, should he go to Detroit, should he go to Green Bay, should he go to Buffalo? Shit, why would Cleveland do all that stuff if they're going to get a pick in the late 20s? And by the way, this stuff is, if you go figure out the cap stuff, it can't happen until after June anyway. So is Miles really going to sit out a year or two? I don't see that. I think they're going to get back together. I think they'll figure it out. I understand he was hot. At the end of the season, I want guys that are pissed off that they went 3 and 14 me. It's not that big a deal. Now at first, when we did that show and they and you and Bobby were arm wrestling to see who could break the news, to me, that day was a difficult one. The next few days for the super bowl were really hard, but after that, I haven't really given it much thought, so. Very low one or two.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah. So we'll see. I mean, I think this is the week where if. If steam starts to pick up and we hear teams and then this person's interested, this team's interested, blah, blah, blah. But I. It's kind of died since it initially broke that Garrett wants to be traded. And I really think, like, believe it or not, the Cleveland Browns are actually in a good salary cap scenario. Two years down the line from now, you can push money down the road on a Miles Garrett. I really think an extension will kind of be like the Cleveland Browns as an organization or, you know, putting their arms out and then Garrett becoming the highest paid defensive player in the league with the Cleveland Browns. You know, maybe that's the contract that Sends you into your mid-30s. That could be another word. Compromise. Using it again for, for both sides.

[Justin Pennock]

All right. A report out there that Sam Darnold and the Vikings are talking about an extension his football Future. Scale of 1 to 5. How interested?

[Chris Rose]

It's a 4 for me. I am very, very fascinated to see what's happening with, with Sam Darnold and Albert Breer. Put out an article today, Rose, and you talked about this on last week's show. This is from Albert Brer. The Sam Darnold situation still merits watching a Minnesota and in a weird way I could see JJ McCarthy's weight being a factor. He lost a bunch going through the knee surgeries over the past six months. So returning to his fighting weight will play in an element in the Vikings confidence and there is confidence there in parentheses that they could go forward with him. End quote. So Rose, you talked about it last week, J.J. mcCarthy and his weight. And you know he, you we, you even talked about it last year at the combines. Kind of seeing him that, you know, he kind of looked like, kind of put some, put some weight on specifically for the combine. Like you could see it in his face. So certainly his playing weight is a conversation in the Minnesota building. Now here's my only question, Rose. You're, if you're the Vikings, you're not giving Sam Darnold like a three or a four year deal. Right? But that I feel like he could get that on the open market. Right.

[Justin Pennock]

Well, whatever it is, I would have to front load this thing and I don't know their cap situation enough. I'll put it up on over the cap.

[Chris Rose]

It's decent.

[Justin Pennock]

Fine. Here's the point. I would, I would frontload it because I'm not so sure that you're going to get a better Sam Darnold than the one we saw in 2024. I really, I mean he's got a great receiving core. He's got an innovative offensive mind. Their offensive line is good enough, although Derrisaw was missing the back half of the year and they had to make that trade for Cam Robinson. So Darasaw comes back and that'll help him. You know, I think they're going to add more weapons. Wouldn't surprise me if in a deep running back draft class that they add something there in the backfield to help them out. Like I think there's going to be more playmakers available. So could he play better? He could do. I expect him to than he did in 2024. I don't. Everybody says, well, you got J.J. mcCarthy there. Well, hold on. We just saw in that same division. How long was it before Jordan Love made his second NFL start? It was until year four. And he wouldn't have made one if Rogers hadn't gotten popped for Covid. Right. Isn't that why he missed the Kansas City game a few years ago? Or was it an injury? He played, he had one start basically before his fourth season. So you can put him on layaway. You run the risk of not knowing what your quarterback looks like until the time you have to decide whether or not to extend him. But still, you can do it. So I don't know. I said last week that I would move on from Sam Darnold. There's a big part of me that still says, yes, that's what I want to do. But yeah, it's an interesting story because of the, all these other teams that need some kind of help. So I would, I would put it at a four as well.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah. Now here's, here's my, here's my thing. If you're the Vikings and you want to bring in somebody, whether that's Sam Darnold or somebody else, for, let's say a two year deal to give JJ McCarthy more time, wouldn't it be smarter to just pay a guy like Aaron Rodgers way less money on a two year deal that you can probably even get out after one year? So that timeline makes more sense. Cause I really think Sam Darnold could go somewhere and get a three year deal that's maybe two years or a four year deal that's maybe actually three years. Like he's going to get more money than what it realistically makes sense for the Minnesota Vikings.

[Justin Pennock]

Right, right. So it makes sense. Do you think any part of that equation is Aaron Rodgers sitting there saying, well, hold on, I was compared to Brett Favre for so long. Do I really want to go? Packers, Jets, Vikings?

[Chris Rose]

It would be very funny.

[Justin Pennock]

It'd be funny for us. I don't know if he would think it's funny.

[Chris Rose]

But Rose, we talk about it with any, with any quarterback that has a pulse, whether you're a rookie, a veteran or whatever. If you want to, if you want to have a good freaking year, you go to Kevin O'Connell, you go to Justin Jefferson, you go to those tackles.

[Justin Pennock]

Yeah, Aaron Rodgers had a good last 10 games. We'll talk about that and momentarily. I mean, at least statistically, not when it comes to wins and losses, but they were a dumpster fire up there. So, yeah, it's an interesting story for Both of us. But let's move on to the veteran quarterbacks. The, the future Kirk Cousins, Rogers and Russell Wilson. Can any of them be the missing piece? They were expected to be in Atlanta, New York and Pittsburgh respectively, and it didn't really happen for two of them. And for Russ, it kind of crumbled there at the end. So with that full story scale interest on A scale of 1 to 5.

[Chris Rose]

Rogers is the only one that really fully interests me. So I'll, I'll put Rogers at like a three. You know, I still have questions about Rogers's body because that, you know, it. It took him over half a year to kind of fully get into it, which he's coming off the Achilles. I get it. But you're 42. There's going to be another reset after playing this year. I think Kirk is done. What, what's going to be really interesting with Kirk and I'm interested to get your thoughts on this. The Falcons are going to have to release and cut Kirk Cousins. They're not going to find a trade partner that's going to want to even take on part of that contract. And also, why would anybody give up any kind of draft capital when the Falcons are in this own mess that they've created themselves? So the Falcons could release Kirk Cousins and then we have a Russell Wilson situation just like the Steelers had last year, where you can basically sign him for a veteran minimum deal and that's what an NFL team is going to prefer. And then also I just don't fully believe in. I don't fully believe in Russ. I think he does the moon ball thing well and throwing the deep ball on the sideline. And I, I don't know, like, you know, I don't know how. I don't know if he can fully elevate a team anymore. So Rogers has me at like a. A three. And then Kirk and Russ. Kirk, I'm more interested two. And then Russ, I'm at one.

[Justin Pennock]

Yeah, well, whatever team Russell goes to, he has to come up with some little cute saying at the end of interviews. So whether it's Hawks or let's ride and I heard him do the something with the Steelers this year. I think that's about the only interest I've got with that. Rogers, I think is. Is somewhat fascinating because his last 10 games, 18 touchdowns, four picks. Jets went 3 and 7 in those starts and there were times where the game was on the line and the jets couldn't get their shit together, but they. I think I'm really curious to see if he could get with whether It's a Kevin O'Connell or somebody else that can coach offense, can get him pointed back in the right direction to where he can put him, the team in a position to win. I still am fascinated by that. And I don't think he wants to finish the way that it literally limped out with not even playing in 23 and then in 24, just. It felt so clunky and awkward and yeah, I don't know. Now the. Kirk Cousins is interesting because of the reports that he's saying now that, yeah, you know what, my elbow and my shoulder were kind of screwed up at the end of the year and he was only on the injured list like once in the last six games or whatever. Now he's saying after saying, well, no, I was fine. No, I was really a little banged up. I don't know whether he's trying to save face or that's real. It's probably some combination of the two.

[Chris Rose]

It's his legs though, Rose. He. He can't generate any power from his lower body.

[Justin Pennock]

Well, he couldn't this year. But that doesn't mean that a year removed from that surgery that he won't be able to.

[Tisha Allen]

Her.

[Justin Pennock]

Cousins was playing the best football of his career when he got hurt in the middle of the 2023 season. Are you saying that no team should take a shot on a what if? What if the deal is just slightly more in terms of finances than what the Steelers paid Russell Wilson, which was under 2 million, I think, last year?

[Chris Rose]

Oh, yeah, yeah. But regardless, that, that is what's going to make Kirk Cousins interesting to a team. Is that the first one going to have to cut him?

[Justin Pennock]

Would you want him quarterbacking your team?

[Chris Rose]

No.

[Justin Pennock]

That's the question.

[Chris Rose]

I would get very frustrated with the limitations. Like now I will say, like it was Stafford, old man Stafford and Kirk Cousins. I was looking at this the other day that, you know, because PFF does like the, the shit, like the QB shares responsibility for the amount of pressures that he has and it's those two guys that are down there even though they're older and they can't move per se. But I would just say Cousins just got rid of the ball very fast. So I, I don't know, man. And you know the pistol and play action, you know, the, you know, the Zach Robinson and the, and the McVeigh stuff, they really utilized the play action stuff. They did not utilize the bootleg and, and Atlanta and that was the issue for them. But I would just get very frustrated About Cousins limitations, especially like that he just can't use. I'm not even talking about using his legs. Mobility, using his legs to generate power on his arm. That's how a lot of those interceptions I feel like happened last year.

[Justin Pennock]

Where do you think he ends up?

[Chris Rose]

Where do I think he ends up? You know, there's this team in Minnesota that may look for a bridge now. You do, do you have an idea.

[Justin Pennock]

You might end up in my city?

[Chris Rose]

Cleveland? Yeah.

[Justin Pennock]

I mean, I think that the offense that Stefanski is going to end up running again could be interesting for him. We'll see. I mean, he's going to play and I think he's going to start week one. I really do. So that to me, I do find the whole. I think I find at least two of the three interesting. I don't know if I can. I don't know with Russ, but I find two of the three pretty interesting. And Rogers and Cousins, I would say at least a three. Last thing here. Will the Bengals franchise T. Higgins yet again? Second straight year will they get, you know, Jamar Chase done? What's going to happen with Trey Hendrickson, who's headed in the last year of his deal? Are they going to trade him? I've seen some stories that say, well, it makes sense. Instead of paying a guy who's over 30 despite leading the league in sacks, trade him now. You could probably. Yes, yes, there are, there are reports. I don't understand it, but there are some people who say, yeah, if we add draft capital, then you know what, we can get a few guys that can help us. It just doesn't make sense. On the Bengals off season situation, how interested are you now, the, the Bengals as a whole?

[Chris Rose]

I'm, I'm at like, you know, ranging between three to four. But in terms of like T. Higgins, I, I'm down at a 2. I just don't think they're going to franchise tag him. I think from a, from a football standpoint, you trust your, you trust your elite quarterback, you trust your offensive coach and you trust in your elite wide receiver and Jamar Chase that you're going to pay. Right. You trust that they can make it work and the front office can patch that wide receiver to. With someone else. You know, Shivas has taken a step up. I'm saying him wrong. Wide receiver from Princeton. Yes, he took, he took a step up, especially in the red zone last year. But I still think you're, you're going to need another compliment on the outside at wide receiver too. But I think the pe. The Bengals trying to I guess make some sort of extension with Tegans. They already franchise tagged him. They let talented defensive players walk out the door in past years. We got to add defensive talent like enough T. Higgins. Go. Go and get paid from New England. Go be the wide receiver one for the Patriots. Go get your bag. Trust everybody on offense to do what they have to do to. To get by and still be really good. We gotta add defensive talent and extend Trey Hendrickson like this is ridiculous. Rose, it's a steal. It's criminal. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. 11th. Trey Hendrickson is 11th in average annual value among all edge rushers in the NFL. Just in front of Joey Bosa and behind Bradley Chubb, Max Crosby, Rashawn Gary and Donnell Hunter Montez Sweat is up there too. So I mean, we got to give Trey Hendrickson the bag that he, that he's like deserved throughout all of his career.

[Justin Pennock]

The Bengals really don't have a problem paying good players. It's the glue guys that they'll let walk out the door.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah, that's been.

[Justin Pennock]

That's part of the issue with this franchise. And you can't pay everybody. I would let Higgins walk. The difference between this past season's franchise tag and this year's franchise tag for wide receiver is going to be about 5 million. It's going to go from 21 to 26. Do you want to tie that up and pay Jamar? You have to get the Jamar Chase deal done this offseason.

[Chris Rose]

Yes.

[Justin Pennock]

You can't wait again because my God, if he has another season the way he did this year, forget about it. Like you better. This is the mistake that the Cowboys have made in recent years. That Dak was good. You know, he finished second in the MVP in 2023. You waited. So you probably cost yourself tens of millions of dollars on that deal. Do the Bengals want to do the same? You're going to pay him? Just pay him now. He is fricking incredible and he will end up being paid as the highest paid non quarterback in the NFL is my guess.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah, that would be 36. Right. You don't want. You don't want to bid against yourself. And you're right, that's what the Cowboys have done, you know, to their detriment. Yeah. So I. You're paying them more than Justin Jefferson. So you're. He's getting 36 or at least 35. 5. So get your more Chase done. And you, you gotta, you gotta add defensive talent. You just, you just have to do that.

[Justin Pennock]

So as far as the interest in the story goes, it's a two. Unless here's the prediction. Chase gets extended. Even if that's closer to training camp, that's fine. Cause that's when a lot of that stuff happens.

[Chris Rose]

Yeah.

[Justin Pennock]

Jamar Chase. I'd extend Trey Hendrickson on a nice short, fat deal and I'd let T. Higgins walk and you can get a comp pick for him. Oh, wait. Is the comp pick attached to him once they're franchised?

[Chris Rose]

That's, that's a good question. Don't know that on top of my head. Even cat people sometimes don't know how the cap works. Cause it's very complicated.

[Justin Pennock]

Yeah, that's all interesting. All right. But regardless, could be an interesting off season in Cincinnati. We are back at it again. Later this week we'll have a new episode out in time for the combine. Yeah. What?

[Chris Rose]

I have a very interesting. You're going to be at the combine. Chris Rose.

[Justin Pennock]

Yes.

[Chris Rose]

I have an interesting last question that I didn't, I didn't, we didn't prep on.

[Justin Pennock]

Okay.

[Chris Rose]

But I, I'm. This is a Chris Rose question that I'm asking. Chris Rose.

[Justin Pennock]

Great.

[Chris Rose]

Maybe an unexpected piece of news rumor that we're going to start to hear at the combine. Do you have any. That's. Now, the fact that it's unexpected means that you're not expecting it. So I'm putting you on the spot to think of one.

[Justin Pennock]

You know, Daniel Jeremiah put out a great tweet on Monday. He's our lead draft analyst and he enriched Eisen will be in the booth on Thursday calling all this stuff. And he said, listen, I, I've done some homework as well on the free agent class. And he goes, it's got me even more excited for the draft. And then somebody took that and said, this is why you expect a lot of extensions coming up. So I think that because of the lack of wow in the free agent class that you'll see in the middle of March, there are going to be some extensions that perhaps you don't expect.

[Chris Rose]

Okay.

[Justin Pennock]

Who could that be? I don't know. I mean, if we, Is there a guy that's, is there a pass rusher that's two years away from free agency that ends up getting a huge haul? Does that sort of stuff make sense? Is there another wide receiver? Like, does Puka Nakua get a deal? He's heading into the third year of a four year deal. Remember, he is a fifth round pick, so he doesn't have a Five year contract. He's got a four year rookie deal. Does he get one? That doesn't seem to make sense, but maybe with the lack of, you know, big name available free agents, go take care of your own now. Get ahead of it. I don't think a guy like Tyreek Hills going anywhere, stuff like that. So does, does Travis Kelsey retire? Like that's the sort of stuff that would, I think would be, that would be huge. Right?

[Chris Rose]

Yeah.

[Justin Pennock]

Not shocking. I think he's got an eleven and a half million dollar roster bonus that's due at the league year.

[Chris Rose]

Oh yeah.

[Justin Pennock]

So that would be big. I don't know if that was a good enough answer for you.

[Chris Rose]

No, I like that. I like that. And I really do think teams should start as the cap continues to expand. I think eventually it won't be booming. 20 million every year. But as long as these TV deals keep coming in and money keeps flowing for the NFL like it's going to continue to expand rapidly. So I think teams should start to normalize. Like why, why are we going to wait and bid against ourselves as these guys and these players have good years. You can responsibly extend players and responsibly, you know, you know, spread out cap hits if you extend guys early. And I, I think that's a good move and I think NFL teams and good players should start to do that and reward these guys.

[Justin Pennock]

Absolutely. All right, as I mentioned, we are back at it again later this week with a combine preview. So for our producer who puts it all together, Connor for Justin Pennock, for the newly married Bobby Inner, I am Chris Rose. We will see you later this week here on Football Today.

[Ashlyn Harris]

We all have a moment that splits us wide open. On my new podcast, Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, I'll sit down with trailblazers from sports, music, fashion, entertainment and politics to explore their toughest moments and the incredible comebacks that followed. Listen to Wide Open with Ashlyn Harris, an iHeart women's sports production on the iHeartradio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you.

[American Express]

Get your podcasts presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Trevon Edwards]

I'm Trevon Edwards, co host of the new podcast got Greatest of their era with Steph Curry. You don't want to miss our first episode that's out now. We went live from All Star Weekend and had special guest appearance by Steph Curry himself. Steph talked about what separates the truly elite NBA shooters.

[Seth Curry]

You might as well just count that and get on back on defense.

[Trevon Edwards]

And we ranked our top five shooters from the 2000s.

[Seth Curry]

That's so tough. That's why we have these conversations.

[Trevon Edwards]

Yes, absolutely.

[Seth Curry]

Love it.

[Trevon Edwards]

Listen to Goat Greatest of their era on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mel Reed]

This is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time Ladies European Tour winner.

[Kira K. Dixon]

And Kira K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host.

[Mel Reed]

And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please.

[Kira K. Dixon]

With Mel and Kira. We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower and iheart.

[Mel Reed]

Wins Sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[American Express]

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports, you are cordially invited.

[Tisha Allen]

To the hottest party in professional sports. I'm Tisha Allen, former golf professional and the host of welcome to the Party, your newest obsession about the wonderful world that is women's golf. Featuring interviews with top players on tour, tips to help improve your swing, and the craziest stories to come out of your friendly neighborhood country club. Welcome to the Party with Tisha Allen is an iHeart Women's fourth production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to welcome to the Party that's P A R T E e on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast.