Raiders Waive G John Simpson

December 9th, 2022 at 10:23pm CST by Ely Allen

In a bit of a surprise move, the Raiders have released offensive guard John Simpson, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. A former fourth-round pick from only two and a half years ago, Simpson will be placed on waivers.

The release is surprising for a couple of reasons, the first of which being that Simpson started every game for the Raiders last season. He had earned two starts the year before as a rookie out of Clemson, before winning the full-time job at left guard in his sophomore season.

There were early signs of trouble for Simpson, such as when it was reported that only left tackle Kolton Miller and right guard Denzelle Good were guaranteed starting jobs for the 2022 season, according to Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed of The Athletic. Good retired a week after that report. The report also noted that rookie third-round pick Dylan Parham “could push (Simpson) at left guard or Andre James at center.”

Parham would earn a full-time starting role as a rookie. He is the only Raider rookie to do so and only one of two Raiders (offensive lineman Thayer Munford) who have started a game at all as a rookie for Las Vegas this year. But Parham isn’t the one who took Simpson’s spot. Parham was the immediate plugin after Good’s unexpected retirement. Simpson was eventually benched before Week 3 for fourth-year lineman Alex Bars. Bars would hold down the starting job until getting injured early in the team’s loss to the Rams last night. Simpson would fill in for Bars for the rest of the game, his first extensive action on offensive since getting benched.

The second reason that his waiving is a shock is that the 25-year-old still has another year on his rookie contract with a base salary of $1.01MM and only $199,195 in guaranteed money. This makes Simpson a no-doubt pickup for any team with a hole on their offensive line and an early enough waiver priority. Simpson is a cheap offensive line option with starting experience. The risk is extremely low. He would fit well on a contender who may need to plug a hole due to injuries, but, at this point, Simpson is at the mercy of the waiver wire and his value may be too good to pass up for many of the teams with top priority.

While the move doesn’t change much, if anything, about the Raiders’ starting lineup, it does raise questions about the team’s offensive line depth. Las Vegas has three offensive lineman, Brandon Parker, Lester Cotton, and Justin Herron, on injured reserve. Simpson was serving as the primary backup for both guard spots and, if James were to get injured, Parham would slide over to center and push Simpson into the lineup. With Simpson out, the Raiders now hold only two backup linemen, Munford and Jackson Barton, on the active roster. Practice squad linemen Hroniss Grasu and Sebastian Gutierrez should expect to hear their names called in the coming days.

An interesting aspect about this move is that it leaves 2020 fourth-round pick Amik Robertson, the team’s final pick of that year’s draft, as the only remaining member of the Raiders’ 2020 draft class. First-round wide receiver Henry Ruggs was released after his involvement in a fatal car accident. First-round cornerback Damon Arnette was released after appearing in a threatening video with a handgun. Third-round utility back Lynn Bowden was traded to the Dolphins along with a sixth-round pick in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Third-round wide receiver Bryan Edwards was traded to the Falcons along with a 2023 seventh-round pick for a 2023 fifth-round pick. Third-round safety Tanner Muse was waived without ever taking snap for Las Vegas after spending his whole rookie season on IR. Robertson, who has started six games at cornerback for the Raiders, four this year, is the last man standing as we add Simpson to the list.

Florida QB Anthony Richardson Declares For Draft

December 9th, 2022 at 8:52pm CST by Ely Allen

After only one season at the helm as the Gators starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson announced on his Twitter account that he would be forgoing his team’s bowl game and the remainder of his college eligibility in order to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. With the announcement, Richardson officially kicks off what will surely be one of the biggest debates of the pre-draft process: will it be worth it?

There are a ton of question marks surrounding Richardson following his lone season under center in Gainesville. In fact, many scouts have voiced their opinions that they wish he would stay in college for another year to continue his development. Unfortunately for them, 13 games as a starting quarterback is all they’re going to get to evaluate the 21-year-old.

In those 13 starts, Richardson went 6-7, completing 188 of 347 (54.18%) pass attempts for 2,631 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also showed a dual-threat ability, rushing 115 times for 680 yards and nine touchdowns in those starts. For his whole career, Richardson totaled 3,105 passing yards with a 54.71-percent completion percentage for 24 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, adding 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Richardson only appeared in three games as a true freshman, attempting only two passes and running the ball seven times. After the redshirted season, Richardson appeared in seven games as a redshirt freshman and earned his first start against rival Georgia. Richardson waited his turn behind eventual Buccaneers quarterback Kyle Trask and Emory Jones, who would eventually transfer to Arizona State. Richardson finally became the team’s full-time starter as a redshirt sophomore.

Richardson led the Gators through a rocky season. After an opening win over the eventual Pac-12 champion Utes, Florida endured a challenging slate, beating teams it should but falling to the top teams in the SEC like Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia. After perhaps their worst loss of the season to the lowly Commodores, the team bounced back for a strong performance against in-state rival Florida State before eventually falling to the Seminoles in the season-finale.

Now, he faces the pre-draft gauntlet. As only a redshirt sophomore, Richardson won’t participate in any senior all-star games, so his only opportunities to show his stuff will be the Combine and Florida’s Pro Day. Scouts are in love with Richardson’s measurables and athleticism, at 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds. His physicality and running style have been compared to former No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton. The same scouts are highly critical of Richardson’s poor completion percentage and overall, in-game experience.

This brings his draft stock into question. Where will a prospect with so many questions marks and so many promising attributes fall in the NFL Draft? Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) recently released the site’s top-100 draft prospect rankings. Of the five quarterbacks who made the list, Richardson was not among them. Dane Brugler of The Athletic failed to put Richardson on his list, as well, even though his most recent version came in early-November. This could be a simple omission due to the fact that Richardson hadn’t announced his intentions at the time, but both lists included third-year Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who announced his intentions earlier this week.

On the other hand, three NFL scouts reportedly said this week that “they expect (Richardson) to be a top-10 draft pick come April,” according to Jason Cole of OutKick.com. These scouts see the teams that will fall in love with his talent and may be in the ideal situation to draft and stash the young quarterback, allowing him time to learn and adjust to the game at the NFL-level.

Cole points out that, of the teams who currently make up the top-eight projected picks of next year’s draft, only three will have an obvious need at quarterback: Houston, Indianapolis, and Carolina. With at least three quarterbacks, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, expected to be selected before Richardson, this leads to a situation wherein Richardson may get drafted to a team who can sit the quarterback for a year or two before forcing him into a starting role. It may end up being a situation like Bears quarterback Justin Fields or Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett where he only sits a few games before winning the job. Or it may be a situation like Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who has sat patiently behind Aaron Rodgers, waiting for his turn at the helm for a couple of seasons.

Regardless of speculation, the road to the NFL starts now for Richardson. He will have an opportunity to show scouts not only his athleticism and accuracy but his coachability, as well, at events like the Combine and his Pro Day. If he can’t prove to NFL teams that he has the ability to improve their team as a starter next season, he’ll have to focus on showing NFL teams that he has the malleability to be molded into a star in the league.

Workout Rumors: Rourke, Davidson

December 9th, 2022 at 6:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Canadian Football League quarterback Nathan Rourke is in the midst of a bit of a free agency tour, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Shortly after Rourke’s BC Lions were knocked out of the playoffs in mid-November, the 24-year-old announced that he was in communication with a number of NFL teams in regard to scheduling workouts.

Rourke played three years of college ball at Ohio after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. As a starter for all three years, Rourke was one of the country’s most electric dual-threat quarterbacks. He improved each year as a passer, finishing with a career total of 7,457 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His consistency as a runner is uncanny. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Rourke ran the ball 137, 134, and 154 times respectively, for 912, 860, and 867 yards respectively. Over the three seasons he ran for 2,034 yards and 49 touchdowns. That’s 9,511 yards of total offense and 111 total touchdowns, when you include the two receiving touchdowns he had as a Bobcat.

Rourke went undrafted by the NFL but was the highest drafted quarterback for the CFL in almost 20 years. A rough first season in British Columbia saw Rourke serve mainly as a backup, only starting two games, and making some mistakes early in his career. He only threw three touchdowns to five interceptions, although he was able to add five touchdowns on the ground, as well. In his second year with the team, during the league’s 2022 season, Rourke became a full-time starter. In nine starts, Rourke completed 78.7-percent of his passes for 3,349 yards while throwing 25 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also added 304 yards and seven touchdowns with his legs.

After the Lions’ season ended with a third loss in four matchups this year against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a few NFL teams reached out to the athletic quarterback. Rourke reportedly met with the Raiders last week, the Jaguars on Monday, and the Broncos on Tuesday.

Seeing as all three of those teams are set with starting quarterbacks on fairly recent deals, it’s worth point out that Rourke did audition for the Giants at wide receiver just prior to the CFL’s 2021 season. It’s also worth pointing out that the XFL has produced some NFL quarterbacks with limited success lately. Both Commanders backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Panthers backup quarterback P.J. Walker have earned playing time with their respective squads. Heinicke, who started most of the 2021 NFL season for Washington, took over the starting job this year for an injured Carson Wentz and has gone on to win five of his seven starts for the team. Walker took over the starting job for an injured Baker Mayfield before suffering an injury of his own.

This opens the door for the league to look outside of the traditional talent pools for a player as important as the backup quarterback. To say Rourke would be an upgrade over Jarrett Stidham, C.J. Beathard, or Brett Rypien is no guarantee, but it may be worth taking a look at the mobile, young quarterback.

Here’s another workout rumor about a very recent second-round pick who was recently released:

Former Falcons defensive lineman Marlon Davidson visited the 49ers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Through two and a half seasons in the league, Davidson has played in 19 games, only starting one. He’s only recorded one sack but has a fumble recovery and a 3-yard pick six off of Tom Brady to his ledger. Davidson has yet to play this season after being placed on injured reserve following arthroscopic knee surgery and was released in late October. Securing a visit with San Francisco may indicate that he’s healthy enough to find his way back to the field now.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/9/22

December 9th, 2022 at 5:19pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the only practice squad transactions for today:

Buffalo Bills

Signed: WR Marquez Stevenson
Released: WR Isaiah Coulter

Titans Owner: A.J. Brown Game Did Not Factor Into GM Decision

December 9th, 2022 at 4:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

While A.J. Brown‘s performance in his first game against the Titans did not represent a good look for his first NFL franchise, Amy Adams Strunk said the game did not factor into her decision to fire GM Jon Robinson.

The Titans owner indicated her decision to can the seventh-year GM was already made, despite having signed Robinson to an extension in February. Rumored to be displeased with the state of her team’s roster, Adams Strunk preferred to let Robinson go early rather than going through a lengthy delay.

“I’d already made my decision,” Strunk said, via the Associated Press’ Teresa Walker. “A.J. had a great game. More power to him, but that didn’t actually have anything to do with that.

“… Once I made the decision, I was like, ’I can’t sit on it. I’ve got to go ahead and do it to be fair to Jon.′ I don’t know how many weeks we have left in the season. There could be a lot more hopefully in our season, and it just didn’t seem like the right thing to do to drag this along.”

Adams Strunk confirmed she was in the loop on the negotiations that led up to the draft-night Brown trade, Walker adds, but after studying Robinson’s body of work — from drafts to free agency to season performances — she opted to cut bait. This comes after Robinson, teaming with HCs Mike Mularkey and Mike Vrabel, did not have a losing season while running the team. The Titans went 3-13 the season before Robinson’s hire.

The timing here is obviously interesting, with Robinson’s recent extension running through the 2027 draft. Ownership’s decision here has dismayed many around the league, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes (subscription required), adding that Robinson should not have trouble landing another high-profile position soon.

“I told the fans from the very beginning that I want to win it all, and I want to be one of those elite teams that people are always scared of, and it’s my responsibility,” Strunk said. “And eventually it’s up to me to make those kind of decisions that get us there.”

Tennessee has advanced to three straight playoff brackets, earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed — for the first time since 2008 — last season. The Titans flamed out immediately after their bye, losing to the Bengals despite sacking Joe Burrow nine times. The 2019 team did upset the Patriots and Ravens en route to the AFC championship game, however. This year’s squad has lost two straight, but with the rest of the AFC South either rebuilding or underwhelming, the Titans (7-5) remain on track to make another postseason berth.

Robinson, who fired Mularkey after back-to-back winning seasons, made a number of solid draft choices to help put the team in position to contend after Ryan Tannehill‘s 2019 arrival via trade (for fourth- and seventh-round picks). The team has never extended one of Robinson’s first-round picks, however, and the 2020 Isaiah Wilson whiff represented one of this era’s worst draft choices. The Titans have also seen a number of players go on IR over the past two seasons; their 16 players on IR leads the NFL this year. Adams Strunk mentioned the number of players the injuries have forced the Titans to use, per Walker, who notes the team has used 76 players this season. Tennessee set an NFL record by using 91 last year.

Adams Strunk did not mention offensive coordinator Todd Downing‘s DUI arrest or the NFL investigation that emerged in the aftermath as a reason for the firing. That brought another major headline for the team due to the timing between the Titans’ plane landing from Wisconsin and Downing’s arrest. Downing remains in place as OC, though Vrabel said that could change depending on the investigation.

This surprising decision also did not come about because of a Vrabel ultimatum, Adams Strunk added. Vrabel and VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden will coordinate personnel moves for the rest of this season. Adams Strunk did not rule out the Titans waiting until after the Super Bowl to make the right hire, if necessary, and Walker adds Vrabel will be involved in the process.

Jason Garrett, Greg Roman Out Of Running For Stanford HC Job

December 9th, 2022 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 9: Garrett is no longer pursuing the Stanford HC gig, he announced (via Twitter). The former Cowboys coach, who was in the running for the Duke HC job last year, will remain at NBC.

DECEMBER 8: Settling in as an NBC analyst, Jason Garrett may soon return to the sidelines. The longtime Cowboys head coach is one of two finalists for the Stanford HC gig, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Garrett joins Sacramento State HC Troy Taylor as the known finalists, per Thamel, who adds Garrett is expected to visit this week. Garrett, 56, has never coached at the college level but was close to landing the Duke HC gig last December. He rose from Cowboys offensive coordinator to interim HC to full-time HC, keeping the final position for nine seasons. The Cowboys fired Garrett after the 2019 campaign, but he resurfaced as the Giants’ offensive coordinator for most of the next two seasons.

This report stands to put Ravens OC Greg Roman out of contention to replace his former Stanford coworker, David Shaw, who left his post after 12 seasons last month. Roman, who is in his fourth season as Baltimore’s play-caller, spoke with Stanford reps last week about returning to Palo Alto. Roman was a position coach under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford, but the current John Harbaugh staffer appears to be staying put. Roman is no longer in the running, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic reports (subscription required).

Stanford considered both Roman and Vic Fangio, per Mandel. Having been fired after three Broncos HC seasons, is sitting out this year. But he has alluded to returning to the NFL sideline. He is aiming to coach in 2023, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post.

Holding only one NFL coaching job before becoming Cowboys OC in 2007 (Dolphins QBs coach), Garrett became one of this era’s longest-tenured head coaches. While calls for his firing persisted during the back half of his Dallas tenure, the longtime NFL backup guided the team to playoff berths in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Garrett, however, missed the playoffs during his first three full seasons and went 8-8 four times as Cowboys HC. Mike McCarthy replaced him in 2020.

The Giants hired Garrett to be their play-caller under Joe Judge, but the team struggled for most of this stretch. Garrett ended up being fired midway through his second season at the helm of the Daniel Jones-piloted attack, leading him to NBC.

49ers Do Not Plan To Place Jimmy Garoppolo On IR

December 9th, 2022 at 3:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

San Francisco has lost its top two quarterbacks this season — one to a season-ending ankle injury and the other to a foot ailment that is likely to end his season. While Trey Lance will not return before the 49ers’ offseason program, the door slightly ajar to Jimmy Garoppolo to factor into this season again.

Garoppolo avoided a Lisfranc injury, and a subsequent report indicated he will not need surgery. This would put a recovery in time for a return late in the playoffs on the table, though Kyle Shanahan did his best to minimize this scenario’s likelihood. But John Lynch said the team does plan to keep Garoppolo on its 53-man roster.

“What I can tell you, as of right now, we’re not going to move Jimmy to IR,” Lynch said during an interview with KNBR’s Paul McCaffrey and Markus Boucher (via 49erswebzone.com). “I think we’re just going to carry him on our roster, and we’re going to kind of see how this rehab process goes. There’s a natural healing process that has to take place.”

Lynch confirmed no tendon tears occurred but noted the team will not rush Garoppolo back to simply increase its chances of winning a sixth Super Bowl. The 49ers worked with Garoppolo on a trade this offseason, but the parties reached a solution in late August to reunite. Shanahan approached Garoppolo about the compromise shortly after training camp began, and after the longtime San Francisco starter did not find a trade partner, they agreed on a reunion. It appears the sides will work together and prioritize Garoppolo’s long-term interests after his latest injury as well.

Garoppolo’s restructure prevents the 49ers from franchise-tagging him in 2023. Barring an extension — which was in play prior to the injury — the 31-year-old passer is headed toward free agency come March. Still, Lynch did not slam the door shut regarding a January return. Garoppolo’s seven- to eight-week timetable would line up with either the divisional round or the NFC championship game.

“I think there was a lot of good news in that it wasn’t the Lisfranc. There weren’t torn tendons and all that,” Lynch said. “There’s a healing process that has to take place. How quickly it will heal, that’s in the good lord’s hands, and so we’ll sit back and see. I think we were encouraged, but I think Kyle also said it’s also highly unlikely. It’s a big ask.

“Jimmy’s got a really bright future and a lot of years in front of him. We’re not going to put him in a bad position. So we’ll continue to consult with the doctors and let them kind of guide that decision. But there was some encouraging news earlier this week.”

This will be a long time for the 49ers to carry a player on their active roster they do not deem likely to play again this season. San Francisco’s IR situation did become complicated a few weeks ago, however, and Elijah Mitchell‘s second MCL sprain this year will limit the NFC West leaders’ options regarding injury activations.

The 49ers have already activated Jimmie Ward, linebacker Curtis Robinson, Mitchell (after MCL sprain No. 1), Azeez Al-Shaair, tackle Colton McKivitz, defensive lineman Jordan Willis and Jason Verrett. After the league gave teams unprecedented freedom to activate players on and off IR in 2020 and ’21, it put an eight-activation cap on such moves this year. Players activated from teams’ PUP, NFI and IR lists are grouped together under this formula, giving the 49ers — who also have defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw on IR and just saw D-lineman Hassan Ridgeway suffer a pectoral strain that will cost him six to eight weeks — in a tight spot. Ridgeway remains on San Francisco’s active roster.

The 49ers signed Josh Johnson off the Broncos’ practice squad, bringing the team- and league-hopping QB back for a fourth time. But this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, will be tasked with steering the ship to the playoffs. Garoppolo’s potential return will be a key NFC subplot during this span, should the 49ers remain alive by mid-January.

Jaguars Waive RB Darrell Henderson

December 9th, 2022 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Darrell Henderson‘s time with the Jaguars will end up being brief. The former Rams starter is back on waivers, according to a Jaguars announcement. The Jags had claimed the fourth-year running back barely two weeks ago.

The former third-round pick did not play in a game with Jacksonville. Henderson has two 600-yard rushing seasons on his resume and would reach free agency for the first time if he clears waivers.

Travis Etienne suffered a foot injury during the Jags’ Week 12 win over the Ravens, but JaMycal Hasty became the main beneficiary of that setback. Claimed by the Jaguars following a 49ers cut in August, Hasty totaled 17 touches in the Jags’ upset of the Ravens. Etienne returned for Week 13 and resumed his usual workload. Rookie Snoop Conner is the other running back on Jacksonville’s 53-man roster. The fifth-round pick has four carries this season.

With Henderson playing out a rookie contract, it would not be too surprising if another team picked up the deal. Injuries change equations weekly at this position, and the Memphis product has enjoyed productive NFL stretches. This season has not represented one of those. The Rams’ battered offensive line has helped minimize their backfield’s impact, and Henderson arrived in Jacksonville with just 283 rushing yards — a Rams-high mark at the point — and three touchdowns.

Having put together a dominant final season at Memphis (2,204 scrimmage yards, 25 touchdowns; 8.9 yards per carry) in 2018, Henderson showed some of that form in Los Angeles. The Rams aimed to avoid relying on the 5-foot-8 back as their surefire starter, however, both drafting Cam Akers in the 2020 second round and trading for Sony Michel following Akers’ training camp Achilles tear last year. But Henderson still totaled 1,312 rushing yards from 2020-21. A COVID-19 contraction and an MCL injury led to Michel taking over the Rams’ lead role last season, but Henderson did return for Super Bowl LVI. He caught three passes for 43 yards in the Rams’ win.

This resume would point to a running back-needy team either adding Henderson via waivers or as a free agent soon after. Come 2023, however, there stand to be several backs available on a robust market. Henderson’s contract-year swoon will not help his cause, should he not have another chance this season.

Giants CB Aaron Robinson Suffered ACL, MCL Tears

December 9th, 2022 at 1:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Daboll had said Aaron Robinson was unlikely to return from IR this season. Recent news not only indicates that will definitively not happen but points to Robinson missing the Giants’ 2023 offseason program.

The knee injury Robinson suffered in Week 4 was a torn MCL and partially torn ACL, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. Robinson underwent surgery last month and is staring at a nine-month recovery timetable, Duggan adds. While this provides clarity, it is a major blow to a recent Day 2 pick.

The Giants chose Robinson in the 2021 third round, but the regime that selected him is now gone. Robinson began his career late after rehabbing a core muscle surgery, playing in just nine games as a rookie. After being a part-time contributor (two starts) last season, the Giants greenlit a major role expansion for the Central Florida and Alabama product. Robinson emerged as a starter this season, but a September appendectomy and these October knee maladies — sustained 10 snaps into the Giants’ Week 4 game — figures to set him back.

A training camp return seems the best bet for the 6-foot-1 defender. The Giants have dealt with extensive injury trouble in their secondary — one already depleted by the new regime making James Bradberry and Logan Ryan cap casualties — this season, limiting first-year DC Don Martindale. Adoree’ Jackson suffered an MCL sprain last month; the team’s No. 1 corner will miss a third straight game this week. Third-round pick Cor’Dale Flott also missed a chunk of his rookie season. These issues have left the 7-4-1 team’s corner contingent significantly shorthanded; the team has not won any of the games Jackson has missed. Fabian Moreau, whom the Texans cut after training camp, has become an every-week starter for the Giants.

After the Giants cut Ryan and let Jabrill Peppers sign with the Patriots in free agency, they have seen Xavier McKinney run into injury trouble. An ATV accident has sidelined McKinney for the past month; he remains on New York’s reserve/NFI list. McKinney suffered a broken hand and underwent a procedure to have pins removed from three fingers this week, Duggan adds (via Twitter). The former second-round pick again expressed confidence he will return this season but couched that by indicating he needs more time to heal.

Jerry Jones: Cowboys Still In Contact With Odell Beckham Jr.

December 9th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys have gone from the Odell Beckham Jr. frontrunners to outright skeptics about his potential 2022 contributions. While this potential partnership has encountered turbulence, Jerry Jones said an agreement could still happen.

It is now widely known Beckham is not on track to play during the regular season. The high-profile free agent said as much during a Thursday-night appearance on LeBron James’ The Shop (video link via Amazon). Coming to grips with this somewhat unexpected reality, Jones confirmed the sides are still talking.

“Yes, we’re still in contact. Yes. Yes. Yes,” Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota, on Twitter). “Is there a timeline? Probably the fact that time is ticking in terms of getting in here and really initiating the heavy work in rehab to get there for the playoffs if it’s gonna happen.”

Beckham, 30, said he wanted to sign somewhere weeks ahead of the playoffs, though he made a somewhat strange point about eschewing regular-season activity. Previously, OBJ’s Cowboys visit had produced a consensus he would not be healthy enough to contribute during the regular season — something Jones said would impact a signing — but his most recent comments suggest apathy toward joining a new team and playing right away.

“I’ve played football for a long time,” Beckham said. “I’m not saying that I couldn’t step in and play regular season, but I don’t see the point. I really don’t. I would rather play when that pressure’s on. I’d rather play when the lights is on.”

While Beckham is nearly 10 months’ removed from his second ACL tear, this stance would not give teams too much confidence he would be ready to make major contributions in the playoffs. Beckham signing quickly would give him assimilation time, but teams then being asked to trot him out in a regular role in a high-stakes game represents an interesting scenario. Beckham’s Rams late-season acclimation window proved pivotal, and he built on that in the playoffs to help his third NFL team win Super Bowl LVI. Reports throughout the offseason pegged November or early December as the expected Beckham return point. It suddenly turning into playoffs-or-nothing has brought a plot twist.

Beckham also said he and ex-Giants teammate Saquon Barkley had unfinished business during their brief run as teammates (video link). The former’s 2019 trade to the Browns capped the standouts’ time together as Giants to one season (2018). Barkley zoomed to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that year, while Beckham topped 1,000 receiving yards — before an injury shut him down. Sterling Shepard also said Beckham would like to return to the Giants, but money and this availability issue could impede a path back to the Big Apple.

The Cowboys did not offer Beckham a deal and have doubts about his ability to contribute before even February. It is not known how the Bills or Giants feel regarding his potential unavailability until at least the playoffs, but he remains without a team as Week 14 nears. This saga is showing no signs of slowing down.

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