Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Will Bond break into the first round? Do the New York Giants need to add another wide receiver? It’s possible, considering they haven’t added much to their offensive skill positions compared to last year. On the flip side, they have more pressing needs and the value needs to be right. We can strongly suspect that the Giants want to have a strong vertical element in their offense, so could they have their eye on Isaiah Bond out of Texas? Bond is one of the premier speed threats in the draft, though he somehow managed to disappoint while turning in a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. Could the fact that Bond is fast, but not quite as fast as people were expecting, drop him to a good value for the Giants? Prospect: Isaiah Bond (7)Games Watched: vs. Michigan (2024), vs. Oklahoma (2024), vs. Georgia (2024), vs. Texas A&M (2024) Measurables Kent Lee Platte | RAS.football Strengths Best traits Athleticism Long speed Run after catch Ball skills Isaiah Bond is an undersized but highly athletic wide receiver prospect. Bond is one of the fastest players in this year’s draft, hitting a top speed of 24.17 mph in the 40-yard dash. That speed shows itself on the field, as there are few defenders who are able to keep up with him once he hits his stride. That speed also makes Bond a dangerous receiver after the catch, and he has the ability to turn a short pass into a long gain if he catches the ball in stride. It also allows him to be a true vertical threat out of the slot, and a true weapon against the seams between coverage zones. He has solid ball skills down the field, generally doing a good job of locating and tracking the ball in the air, as well as making adjustments at the catch point. Bond’s athleticism forces defenses to account for him on every play, and he shows an understanding of that fact. Bond does a good job of playing hard even when he isn’t in the progression. He does a good job of pressing his stems into defenders to draw coverage and help clearing voids for his teammates. Likewise, runs his routes the same if he’s in a misdirection role as when the ball could be coming his way. Weaknesses Worst traits Size Play strength Blocking Bond’s primary weakness is his size. He’s definitely undersized for an NFL receiver at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, with 30-inch arms and 8 ½ inch hands, and he also lacks play strength compared to some of his stouter peers. While that size can be accounted for with alignment and scheme, it will definitely be a factor in his evaluation. Bond can have issues releasing against press coverage, and be bullied at the catch point by bigger defensive backs if they’re able to stay in phase with him. He was often protected through alignment in the Texas offense, frequently playing out of the slot, in bunch sets, or being put in pre-snap motion. Teams will want to scheme similar ways to get him the ball in space, and limit defense’s opportunities to man up against Bond. Also, there are few players for whom a 4.39-second 40-yard dash is a disappointment, but Bond is one of them. He has elite long speed, however it’s a bit of the “build up” variety for how fast he is in the open field. That can show itself in his burst off the line of scrimmage or out of his breaks. Finally, Bond should not be asked to block. He’s willing, but lacks the size, play strength, or technique to do so effectively. Game Tape (Bond is the Texas wide receiver wearing number 7.) Projection Isaiah Bond projects as a starting receiver with scheme diversity at the NFL level. Bond was largely limited to being a decoy in Texas’ scheme and was a low-volume receiver, seeing few targets in any game. However he ran his routes well enough that NFL teams should have confidence that he can take on an expanded role at the next level. He’s skilled enough that he should be able to play in any scheme, and teams with catch-and-run or aggressive vertical philosophies can use him. He may be a bit limited in his alignment, however Bond should be a threat at all three levels of the field. If his future team uses him as more than a gadget player and gets him the ball in-stride, they should be rewarded. Does he fit the Giants?Probably not, due to value and similar talents already on the roster. Final Word: A Day 2 talent
2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
Eagles to host UCLA edge rusher on pre-draft visit
Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Philadelphia continues to do homework on pass rushing prospects. Time to add another prospect to BGN’s Philadelphia Eagles’ pre-draft visits tracker leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. The Birds will soon be hosting UCLA edge rusher Oluwafemi Oladejo at the NovaCare Complex, according to himself (via The Draft Network’s Justin Melo). Oladejo is the No. 111 prospect ranked by Pro Football Focus. The 21-year-old originally played for Cal from 2021-2022 before transferring to UCLA. He changed positions from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher (a reverse Zack Baun, if you will) during the 2024 season. Oladejo finished last year with 14 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. Oladejo’s limited body of work rushing the passer makes him an interesting player to project at the NFL level. Perhaps he’s only scratching the surface of his upside. The Eagles have been showing interest in multiple edge rusher prospects leading up to this year’s draft. Oladejo just might wind up landing in Philly. Scouting report via NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein: Linebacker-turned-edge-rusher whose draft profile might have gone from dull to dynamic with the switch. Oladejo is long and aggressive in attacking blockers in front of him. A lack of instincts in the run game and plans as a pass rusher could be temporary bumps in the road that should be smoothed with coaching. He greets and discards blockers with powerful, twitchy hands and still plays with a linebacker’s range and nose for the football despite his new position. He catches the “developmental” tag relative to his edge experience, but his traits and tape suggest he will make a difference sooner than expected. Oluwafemi Oladejo is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He does not qualify for a #RAS due to a lack of measurements. 40 and agilities pending pro day.https://t.co/db6r9NVOUR pic.twitter.com/Me56J3omJt — Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 28, 2025
Russell Wilson contract details: How the money breaks down, Giants remaining cap space
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images See the incentives for yourself The full details of Russell Wilson’s one-year, $10.5 million contract are in. Here they are. Wilson gets $10.5 million fully guaranted in 2025. That breaks down as follows: An $8 million signing bonus A $2 million base salary A $500,000 workout bonus All of that equals a cap hit of $10.5 million. The incentives break down as shown below, per Spotrac, with them being considered ‘Not Likely To Be Earned’ or NLTBE, so they do not count against the 2025 salary cap. The performance incentives are all slightly above what Wilson accomplished in 2024, making them NLTBE Regular Season Win Incentive Team Win with 50% Snaps: $176,471 Playing Time Incentives 65%: $500,000 75%: $1M 85%: $1.5M Performance Incentives 96+ Passer Rating: $500,000 64%+ Completion Rate: $500,000 20 TD Passes + 88 Passer Rating: $500,000 30 TD Passes + 88 Passer Rating: $250,000 2,500 Pass Yards + 88 Passer Rating: $500,000 3,500 Pass Yards + 88 Passer Rating: $250,000 Playoff Incentives 55% Snaps + Playoff Berth: $750,000 75% Snaps + Playoff Berth: $1.5M 55% Snaps + Playoff Win: $500,000 (max 2 wins) Giants cap space Remember the days before free agency when the Giants were flush with cap space? Well, not anymore. The Giants, per Spotrac, now have $5.51 million in Top 51 cap space, with the contracts of Jameis Winston, Zach Pascal and Aaron Stinnie not yet figured into the calculation. The Giants will need to create space. They could cut placekicker Graham Gano, a savings of $4.415 million against the cap as a post-June 1 cut. They could also restructure the contracts of players like Brian Burns, Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawrence.
2025 NFL Draft: Favorite Day 2 player at each position
NFL teams tend to build the core of their teams with Day 2 gems. Here are some of the top such prospects at each position. 2025 NFL Draft: Favorite Day 2 player at each position 2YAC4PA Central Florida running back RJ Harvey (7) catches a kickoff against Cincinnati during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) By Josh Liskiewitz Posted Mar 28, 2025 9:30 am EDT East Carolina’s Shavon Revel has sky-high potential when healthy: The cornerback prospect is coming off a torn ACL, but he was stellar in coverage two seasons ago. Don’t forget about RJ Harvey in a stacked running back class: Harvey tallied 54 explosive runs (10-plus yards) in 2024 and ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team. Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes The first round gets all the coverage throughout the months leading up to April’s annual NFL draft, but look at any of the top teams in the league and you’ll see that many of their core players were selected on Day 2. Last year, the Eagles drafted Iowa’s Cooper DeJean with the 40th overall pick, and he capped off an outstanding rookie season as the team’s nickel cornerback with a pick-six in the Super Bowl. They selected Houston Christian’s Jalyx Hunt with their third-round pick, and all he did was record a sack and five quarterback pressures in the season-ending win over the Chiefs. While the 2025 NFL Draft isn’t particularly rich with elite talent at the top of the draft or deep with Day 3 potential, there are still plenty of very intriguing prospects most likely to go in the second and third rounds who are capable of making significant impacts as rookies. Let’s look at my favorite Day 2 talents in this class, several of whom I believe deserve some consideration for the first round. QB: Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss Dart is currently ranked 129th on PFF’s big board, although some are projecting him to go in the first round. I’ll meet everyone halfway and assume he goes early on Day 2. Among 2025 draft prospects, Dart ranked first in both yards (1,517) and touchdown passes (17) on throws 20-plus yards downfield, and his 94.4 PFF passing grade on intermediate throws (10-19 yards) also leads the class. What may send him to Day 2 are arm limitations, as he tends to lose considerable velocity and accuracy once he is unable to step into throws in rhythm. While I feel Dart is capable of running an NFL offense, he should be restricted to locations without many games potentially played in poor winter weather. Considering Pittsburgh, Cleveland and both New York teams are the main franchises looking for signal-callers, Dart’s first-round options may be severely limited. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock full access to PFF’s 2025 big board and the world’s most advanced football database! This is by far the hardest position group to select from because it is easily the deepest, especially on Day 2 potential. I “settled” on UCF’s RJ Harvey because he deserves more love than some of the big-name prospects drawing most of the attention. Harvey had 54 explosive runs (10-plus yards) in 2024, which is no surprise when considering his NFL Combine workout. He ran a 4.40-second 40-yard dash, as well as jumped a 38-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad. Elusiveness is one of the hallmarks of his game, as his 0.30 missed tackles forced per carry ranks fourth in the draft class. His size at 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds will put him behind some of the draft’s bigger names, but his ability to make defenders miss and break away in the open field makes him well worth a top-100 selection. WR: Jaylin Noel, Iowa State Iowa State has two excellent receiver prospects likely to be taken on Day 2, but Noel is my general preference. He is a smooth, efficient route runner who lit up the NFL Combine by running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, jumping 41.5 inches in the vertical and clocking in at 6.82 seconds in the three-cone drill. He was not just a dangerous downfield threat (five of his eight scores were explosives) but also a reliable chain-mover, with 46 of his 80 receptions going for first downs. While on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 inches and 194 pounds (combine measurements), he still hauled in 13 of 25 contested targets. Noel’s elite athleticism combined with his route running and ability to find open zones suggest that his best days are ahead of him and that he’ll be ready to produce quickly in the NFL. TE: Mason Taylor, LSU Mason Taylor, the son of Miami Dolphins great Jason Taylor, didn’t have college production that screams “top NFL prospect,” but his 4.65-second 40-yard dash at his pro day earlier this week shows up on film, along with decisive route running. He also demonstrates a willingness to block, coming out of a system that required it from its tight ends. While many of the top tight end prospects in the class played primarily out of the slot, Taylor logged 1,334 snaps as an in-line tight end in his three years on the field at LSU. He is another prospect whose game should translate to more NFL production than he put up in college. Jackson was the unsung hero of the Buckeyes’ title run, as he slid outside to left tackle once Josh Simmons went down with his ACL injury. After a rough initial showing against likely top-10 pick Abdul Carter of Penn State in Week 10, he filled in admirably for the remaining eight games of Ohio State’s season, highlighted by not allowing a single sack or hit in four playoff games. He started at left guard in 2022 and 2023 for the Buckeyes, and that’s where he began
Should the Rams be looking at safety in the NFL Draft?
Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Should the Rams be looking at the safety position and Malaki Starks in the NFL Draft? When it comes to the NFL Draft, a position that not many are looking at for the Los Angeles Rams is safety. It can be argued that out of all of the positions on the roster, safety is one of the few where there isn’t a need. Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, and Jaylen McCollough led a young, impressive group last season. While it should be expected for Kam Curl and Kam Kinchens to take a step forward in year two playing in the defense, this is a Rams secondary that needs changes somewhere. That doesn’t mention that Lake is on the final year of his rookie contract and the Rams have drafted a safety in four of the last five drafts. Whether it’s early or late, the Rams tend to draft at least one safety in each draft class. It would not be a surprise if the Rams did take a safety, even at 26. Depending on the safety, that player could be slotted into the STAR role, becoming an extension of the linebackers. That would allow Lake to play more two-high where he’s been better imo with Curl. Kinchens could then come in for Curl on passing downs. The Rams and defensive coordinator Chris Shula also used three and four safety looks among the most in the NFL last season. Heading into the draft process, one of my goals was to try to match my evaluation process relatively close with how the Rams operate. Obviously, it will never be exact without actually being in the room. At the same time, based on the information that is public and matching player traits with what they’ve drafted in the past, it is possible to get a picture of the type of player the Rams draft and what that process looks like. One of the big changes that I’ve made this year is placing players into “buckets”. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue called “Finding Rams” which outlined this bucketing process. Said Rodrigue, “On his screen, which the scouts cannot see, Snead manipulates what he calls “the call sheet” as they discuss prospects. The sheet looks like a series of rectangles that split players by position into different buckets. There are no round-by-round grades, only four overall tiers into which players are then “bucketed.” By mid-April, all draft-eligible players are split into nine buckets based on the Rams’ finished evaluations, which include the medical and character checks completed in March and, for some, notes from Sugarman’s visits. The buckets aren’t always “rankings” — some are lateral to others.” Those buckets are broken up into nine different categories which are: Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package Bucket 2: Reliable Starter Bucket 3: Math Changing Starter, Range of Caution Flags Bucket 4: Impactful Contributor, Clean Profile Bucket 5: Talented Enough to Contribute, Less Predictable Bucket 6: Trustworthy, but Less Talented Bucket 7: Late IQ or PQ Bucket 8: Major Concerns, Off Board, or Reconsider After Draft Bucket 9: Likely Drafted, Not a Rams Fit These buckets aren’t rankings or necessarily even tiers. It’s simply a way for scouts to easily visualize the role that they see for a player at the next level and a way to define their fit on the roster. Players can be placed into multiple buckets as no single prospect is just one thing. As Rodrigue noted, in Puka Nacua’s case, he would have been a three, five, and seven. Eventually, I’ll have fit grades and a full Rams big board I’ll be doing this with every position group outside of quarterback. Today, we’re looking at safeties Previous Position Groups Which Linebackers Should the Rams target in the NFL Draft? How Early Should the Rams Draft a Tight End? Which Running Back Should Rams Pair With Kyren Williams? Bucket 1: Math Changer, Total Package Malaki Starks, Georgia Xavier Watts, Notre Dame If the Rams take a safety early, do not be surprised if it’s Malaki Starks from Georgia. His versatility, football IQ, and physicality in run support make him an excellent fit for the Rams. He can play in deep coverage and in the box. Starks also thrives in the slot as the STAR. It’s possible that he doesn’t last until the 26th overall pick, but this is a player that the Rams will have a lot of interest in if he’s available. He’s someone that can change the outlook of their secondary. The team that allows Malaki Starks to thrive as a deep half/single high will be getting a return on their investment. Plenty of range to cover a ton of ground. Similarities to Jesse Bates imo pic.twitter.com/4MfETOcxGM — Billy M (@BillyM_91) March 5, 2025 Bucket 2: Reliable Starter Malaki Starks, Georgia Xavier Watts, Notre Dame Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina Jonas Sanker, Virginia RJ Mickens, Clemson Maxen Hook, Toledo Watts may be more in the range of where the Rams draft. The Notre Dame safety has exceptional ball skills and he has the versatility to play multiple positions in a secondary. He has the tools to be highly effective in the Rams defense. A common theme with both Starks and Watts is that they are both extremely smart. The Rams have given the green dot to a player in the secondary in the past. Either of those players could take on that role given how smart they are on the backend. #NotreDame S Xavier Watts 6-foot, 204. Post/Cover 2 range. Playmaker — with field vision/ball skills. 13 INTs over his last two seasons. pic.twitter.com/RS8H0PfxLz — Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) March 18, 2025 Jonas Sanker is one of my favorite Rams fits at safety in the draft. He displays physicality in run support and the versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary. Sanker takes pride in his ability to tackle and may be one of the best open-field tackling safeties in the draft. He also
Can you guess this Bengals kicker in today’s in-5 trivia game?
Think you can figure out which Bengals player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Hey Bengals fans! We’re back for another day of the Cincy Jungle in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form. If you can’t see the embedded game and you’re using Apple News, click this link. Previous games Thursday, March 27, 2025Wednesday, March 26, 2025Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games NFL in-5MLB in-5MMA in-5 Cincy Jungle in-5 instructions The goal of the game is to guess the correct Bengals player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Who Dey!
Colts head coach Shane Steichen among those in attendance for Notre Dame’s Pro Day
MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Numerous high-profile Colts staffers made time for Notre Dame’s stacked Pro Day. Notre Dame’s Pro Day was held on Thursday, March 27th, and although It wasn’t a long trip to South Bend, IN, the Colts made sure they were well-represented at the program’s biggest Pro Day in recent memory. The Indianapolis Colts sent Head Coach Shane Steichen, Special Teams Coordinator Brian Mason, and Midwest Area Scout Mike Lacy to the event, according to Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle. So far, #Colts-wise, I’ve seen HC Shane Steichen, STC Brian Mason, and Midwest area scout Mike Lacy here at the Notre Dame pro day. pic.twitter.com/bCCTlgbw3J — Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) March 27, 2025 Shane Steichen was a notable attendee of Notre Dame’s Pro Day, not only due to his role as the organization’s head coach, but given that he is wholly in charge of the offensive operation at hand. Of course, Brian Mason’s presence too plays a big factor as the man responsible for anything special teams-related. Although the Colts will more than likely have representation at most Pro Days throughout the pre-draft process — looking to perfect their assessments of various prospects through another round of measurements, athletic testings, and positional work — it’s always noteworthy when a team’s head coach and/or coordinator(s) show up. The Colts have already shocked the NFL world with their early aggression through free agency, however, there’s always room for improvement, and adding competition and depth remains a must. Thankfully for Indianapolis, Notre Dame’s Pro Day featured a large group of middle to late-round talent at the Colts’ remaining positions of need. A pair of Notre Dame defensive backs, cornerback Benjamin Morrison and safety Xavier Watts, were the two biggest prospects on display at Notre Dame’s Pro Day. While the Colts have already addressed these positions through free agency by adding former All-Pro cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Camryn Bynum, there remains a need for depth at the safety position. Quarterback Riley Leonard had a strong day throwing the ball, completing 62 of 66 passes, according to On3’s Tyler Horka. Every Pro Day throwing performance should be taken with a grain of salt as these workouts between an aspiring NFL quarterback and his familiar passcatchers are essentially a choreographed throwing session. Regardless, it was an impressive showing for the former Fighting Irish quarterback. It was reported that Leonard was stuck fixating on how he could get those four incompletions back, but ultimately came away pleased with what he was able to showcase. “There were a lot of things I wanted to put on tape and do, and I think I accomplished those things,” Leonard told Horka. While the Colts have their starting quarterback situation seemingly handled, at least for the foreseeable future, a contingency plan for the unknown is never a poor move. According to Jake Arthur, Leonard was seen mixing it up with Colts head coach Shane Steichen throughout the event, thus some level of interest is apparent. Leonard is projected as a Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) quarterback prospect, but his blend of elusive rushing and serviceable passing could prove beneficial for an NFL team looking for more efficiency. Staying on offense, tight end Mitchell Evans provides an intriguing Day 3 option for the Colts to address arguably their biggest need. A once no-brainer tight end prospect who dealt with injuries during the latter half of his collegiate career, Evans offers a low-risk, high-reward option at a position the Colts can afford to strike twice on in one draft. Moving to the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame had three prospects who could very well be exactly what the Colts are looking for when it comes to defensive depth: LB Jack Kiser, DT Rylie Mills, and DE RJ Oben. These three prospects offer the Colts multiple avenues of draft justification. For Mills and Oben, Indy currently lacks depth at both the interior and exterior defensive line. As for Kiser, his leadership, experience, and production all scream high potential for a Day 3 prospect. With nearly 1,000 special teams reps to his name, the 5-year starter racked up nearly 300 tackles during his time in South Bend. Kiser would offer immediate flexibility as a Grant Stuard type of replacement: a run-down linebacker on defense while his floor as a player almost ensures that he’d be utilized on special teams in some capacity.
Is an old friend coming home?
Hunter Renfrow | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images Wow, Raiders hosting Hunter Renfrow on visit Look, who it is. In a Friday morning bombshell, the new Las Vegas Raiders’ regime is considering brining back former fan favorite, Pro Bowl wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. NFL Media reported that the team is hosting Renfrow on a visit Friday. Renfrow, who turns 30 in December, is attempting a comeback after sitting out the 2024 season after being released by the Raiders, who drafted him in 2019 in the fifth round out of Clemson and saw him develop into a productive slot receiver. Yet, Renfrow had a sudden and dramatic dip in production that led the team to shed his big contract. Comeback? Former #Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow, who did not play football last year but is still just 29-years-old, is visiting his old team the #Raiders today, per me and @TomPelissero. The SC-native also visited the #Panthers Wednesday and could do more. He plans to play in 2025. pic.twitter.com/mbQBwJ20gT — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 28, 2025 Now, Renfrow, who also visited his home-area Carolina Panthers this week and may make other visits, could be in play for the John Spytek-Pete Carroll regime. The Raiders have a need for receivers, including a starter. Renfrow, though, is more suited as a rotational receiver, which the Raiders could also use. Renfrow was a Pro Bowl player in 2021 and he earned a big contract extension. Then, Renfrow’s production suddenly and dramatically dropped. He went from catching 103 passes in 2021 and being a third-down sure thing to catching 36 passes in 2022 and just 25 in 2023. And, now, he could make a comeback with the only NFL team he’s played for.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73989733/1425312831.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Vikings Links: Free Agency Day 19 Open Thread")
Vikings Links: Free Agency Day 19 Open Thread
Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images Until the Vikings sign a backup veteran QB, the speculation about Aaron Rodgers will continue. Perhaps sadly. I am loving it to be honest. It does not really matter to me but it is entertaining. . Minnesota Vikings News and Links Vikings decline to close the door on Aaron Rodgers, but they won’t promise him a starting job, either Finally, there’s some subtext about what transpired between free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Minnesota Vikings. And it lends an outline to what’s unfolding right now — from Rodgers remaining in a holding pattern to the Pittsburgh Steelers staying patient in their pursuit of his services. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah met with the media Wednesday, offering the most expansive public view to date about what has transpired between the team and Rodgers over the past few weeks. It was a session that was hopeful in the best-laid plans for 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy, noncommittal about definitively eliminating Rodgers from the future, and also clear when you analyze what’s going on between the lines. Which is something like this: As much as the Vikings are intrigued about adding Rodgers’ talent and experience to the fold, they won’t do it to the detriment of their plan for McCarthy being the team’s 2025 starter. And unless something changes that equation — like a McCarthy injury or some kind of catastrophic struggles in the coming months — the Vikings and Rodgers will be heading in different directions. In one sense, it feels like a hedge by the Vikings. Those who want some definitive clarity expect a declaration along the lines of “Aaron Rodgers won’t be playing for Minnesota in 2025.” But in another sense, this is Adofo-Mensah doing two things: First, being respectful to Rodgers without saying the Vikings aren’t prepared to offer him a starting job; and second, banking some wiggle room to turn toward Rodgers if any number of worst-case scenarios unfold in the coming months. Among those scenarios: Perhaps McCarthy suffers a setback physically in the offseason program as he returns from two knee surgeries. Or maybe he struggles unexpectedly in the coming months, forcing the Vikings to contemplate embracing an extended timeline before elevating him as the team’s starter. Neither is expected, of course. But the NFL is a landscape where failing to plan for every scenario can turn into an unexpected plan for your own demise. Adofo-Mensah is trying to avoid that while also carefully weighing how to fill out the remainder of Minnesota’s quarterback room. There’s at least some level of transparency, too. And that’s this: The Vikings want McCarthy to be their starter in 2025. But they’re not giving him the job by default after Sam Darnold’s departure to the Seattle Seahawks and Daniel Jones signing with the Indianapolis Colts. What that means for Rodgers is that he’s obliged to sit, wait and watch from afar. At least as long as Minnesota hasn’t signed another veteran quarterback into the backup spot behind McCarthy — which it eventually intends to do once that free agency addition doesn’t impact the team’s future compensatory pick equation. That deadline traditionally comes in May. Maybe that player will be Rodgers, once he doesn’t count against a future comp pick for the franchise. Maybe it will be one of several veterans who are still on the market and can provide the ability to support McCarthy and start some games in a pinch. What is clear at this moment is that any signing is not meant to disrupt the Vikings’ plan to make McCarthy their 2025 starter. For Rodgers, it means the door to landing in Minnesota isn’t closed. But ajar or not, there isn’t currently a clear path to a starting spot with the Vikings. Is Aaron Rodgers Worth The Trouble For Any NFL Team Anymore? Last season for the Jets, one year off the torn Achilles tendon that cost him all but four plays in 2023, Rodgers completed 368 of 584 passes (63.0%) for 3,897 yards (6.7 yards per attempt) for 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a passer rating of 90.5. Among full seasons in his NFL career, the completion rate is the fourth-lowest of his career, the yards per attempt is tied for the lowest of his career (2015), and the passer rating is the lowest. Rodgers did all this with a sub-par offensive line, but he still availed himself fairly well when under pressure — 59 completions in 130 attempts for 811 yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 86.4. When blitzed, Rodgers completed 113 of 182 passes for 1,004 yards, 10 touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 88.3. It’s interesting that Rodgers threw eight of his 11 interceptions last season when he wasn’t blitzed, and all 11 with a clean pocket. If you imagine that the modern Rodgers can get himself into trouble when he has too much time to think, you’re on to something there. Rodgers was just fine as a deep passer last season — he completed 25 of 63 passes of 20 or more air yards for 740 yards, nine touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 103.8. Interestingly, it was on passes of 10-19 air yards where Rodgers got into by far the most trouble. On those throws, Rodgers completed 46 of 107 passes for 815 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions, and a passer rating of 63.4. In 2022, Rodgers’ previous full season, he was at his best on throws of 10-19 air yards. But it was short stuff, deep stuff, or bust in 2024. The Jets used pre-snap motion 44% of the time, one of the league’s lowest rates. Their percentage of condensed formations — 26% — was also one of the league’s lowest. Last season, Rodgers took the second-most dropbacks (370) without pre-snap motion behind only Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos. (Sean Payton? Also not a huge fan of pre-snap motion, apparently). And in those 370 static dropbacks,
Detroit Lions extend partnership with Ford Field beyond next decade
What’s new at Pride of Detroit Direct? If you want more Lions coverage, our newsletter is the answer for you. There, we have weekly columns, deep analytical dives, and exclusive podcasts to offer comprehensive coverage of free agency, the draft, and everything in between as we prepare of a momentous 2025 Detroit Lions season.
