50 days until NFL opener, 50 under-the-radar players who could shape 2024 plus AFC quarterbacks under pressure
Hello, friends and welcome to the Wednesday edition of the Pick Six newsletter. You’ve got me, Tyler Sullivan, running the ship midweek and there’s plenty of news to cover. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to really feel the buzz of the upcoming season. We’re getting social media clips of players reporting to training camp and it’s starting to feel real. Heck, even my Fantasy football group chats are coming out of hibernation, dusting off the cobwebs and talking smack.
The only thing bringing the vibes down on my end is that I bought the standard version of College Football 25, so I’m sitting here in agony waiting until Friday to enjoy what looks like an incredible game. If you’re in the same boat, I feel your pain and we’ll get through these next couple of days together.
In any event, let’s get to the news because there’s plenty of it. First, if you’d be so kind as to subscribe to the newsletter right here and make sure to tell your friends to join as well with the season on the horizon.
1. Brandon Aiyuk demands trade out of San Francisco
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Rubber has met the road in the Brandon Aiyuk saga. With the first training camp practice mere days away, the star wide receiver has officially requested a trade from the San Francisco 49ers, as confirmed by CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Aiyuk’s future in the Bay Area has been a topic of conversation throughout the offseason as he continues to look for a new contract. The former first-rounder is in the final year of his current contract after the Niners picked up his fifth-year option. However, that lack of security beyond 2024 — and pay comparable to his peers — has him searching for a new home in the NFL. Under the fifth-year option, Aiyuk is set to make $14.124 million fully guaranteed this season, which is below market value.
Teams have reportedly reached out to the 49ers about a possible trade for Aiyuk, but the club has said they have no plans to deal him. That said, if the Niners were to grant Aiyuk’s trade request, Cody Benjamin has laid out five different potential landing spots for the All-Pro pass catcher. Here are two of the more intriguing destinations:
Los Angeles Chargers: New coach Jim Harbaugh may be infusing old-school, run-first toughness into the rebuilt offense, but that doesn’t mean Justin Herbert can’t still use a proven wideout after the exit of both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Aiyuk would rightly bump youngsters Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston into secondary roles, and L.A. would allow him to remain in his home state.
Washington Commanders: Is it a coincidence Aiyuk vented about his contract holdup to new Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels? No, because the two were once teammates at Arizona State. Now how about a reunion? Terry McLaurin is already well paid as the No. 1 for Washington, but new coach Dan Quinn has prioritized veteran depth this offseason, and there are other San Francisco ties in D.C., where ex-49ers staffers, including Commies general manager Adam Peters, now reside.
2. Caleb Williams signs rookie contract with Bears
One of the more intriguing situations that was developing around the start of training camp was that No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams had yet to sign his rookie contract with the Chicago Bears. That would’ve delayed his availability to participate at the start of camp, but this would-be saga is over before we reached that level.
As CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports Williams — along with wideout Rome Odunze — signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $39 million. Williams is coming into training camp as the already-named Week 1 starter for Chicago, so having him available to go on Day 1 will go a long way in getting him ready for his rookie season.
3. Davante Adams’ agents clear air on WR’s future with Raiders
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While Aiyuk has garnered most of the trade speculation this offseason, another pass catcher who has found himself in similar discussions has been Davante Adams. He has three years remaining on his current contract, but with the Raiders not expected to be competitive, there has been some speculation about possibly moving him to a contender. Recently, players on the New York Jets have added fuel to that fire, suggesting a reunion with former Green Bay Packers teammate Aaron Rodgers.
However, judging by the words of Adams’ agents, it doesn’t look like that is going to take place. Kenny Chapman and Frank Bauer, Adams’ agents, pumped the breaks on the idea of a Rodgers-Adams reunion, or any deal for that matter.
“This is baseless, unfounded speculation and Davante is expected to be with the Raiders as there has been absolutely no trade talk — period,” Chapman and Bauer said, via ESPN.
4. AFC quarterbacks under the most pressure in 2024
Being a starting quarterback in the NFL inherently brings with it an enormous amount of pressure. While a signal-caller will be basked in the bulk of the glory if a team succeeds, he’ll get just as much of the blame — if not more — if the team fails to meet expectations. With that in mind, Jordan Dajani has identified five quarterbacks in the AFC who are under the most pressure entering this season.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: Tagovailoa has not received the long-term lucrative extension he’s been after just yet, and there’s clearly pressure on him to have his best season in a contract year. The good news is that he’s capable of doing that. In each NFL season, Tagovailoa has improved on his games won as a starter, passing yards total and passing touchdowns. Mike McDaniel and Tyreek Hill have clearly been important for Tagovailoa’s development, but there’s a specific goal he should have in 2024, and that’s to beat good teams.
The former No. 5 overall pick went 1-5 against eventual playoff teams in the regular season last year, and then struggled in the 19-point playoff loss to the Chiefs. So, the Dolphins went 1-6 overall against playoff teams in 2023, and had a -110 point differential vs. those playoff teams, which is the second worst by a team that made the postseason all-time. As a starter, Tagovailoa is 6-14 against playoff teams.
What happens if he regresses, or gets injured? Tagovailoa is under pressure because this is his final season to make a push for that big deal.
Will Levis, Titans: One of the most fascinating quarterbacks to keep tabs on this season. Levis had a legendary NFL debut in Week 8, when he sparked the Titans offense in a big way with 238 yards and four passing touchdowns with zero interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons, but he threw just four more touchdowns with four interceptions over his next eight starts. The gunslinger out of Kentucky wasn’t in the most favorable situation, having to operate behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, but he did show off his exceptional arm talent.
This offseason, Tennessee hired the offensive-minded Brian Callahan, who has coached several notable quarterbacks such as Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Burrow. While general manager Ran Carthon found three new starters on the offensive line, spent big money on free-agent wideout Calvin Ridley and brought in slot master Tyler Boyd to pair with veteran pass-catcher DeAndre Hopkins. The Titans now have one of the best WR trios in the entire NFL, and the table is set for Levis to prove himself as the franchise quarterback. Will he? Last year, the rookie averaged an NFL-high 10.3 air yards per attempt, but also had an NFL-low 58% completion percentage.
To see the other three quarterbacks Dajani has listed, click here.
5. NFL season is 50 days away: 50 under-the-radar players who could shape the 2024 season
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Believe it or not, we’re just 50 days from when the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs officially open up the 2024 regular season. To mark that occasion, Zach Pereles has looked across the NFL and identified 50 under-the-radar players who could shape the upcoming campaign. While you can read all 50 players here, we’ll roll out four of some of the more intriguing names.
Vikings QB Sam Darnold: It’s Darnold — not 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy — who enters training camp as the starter. Darnold is in a great ecosystem with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones, and coach Kevin O’Connell calling the shots. How well Darnold plays also could determine when (and, in turn, how well) McCarthy plays, making him a key player to watch, much like Brissett in New England.
Bills WR Curtis Samuel: After losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, the Bills’ passing game will likely be more by-committee this season, and Samuel could lead that committee. He reunites with Joe Brady, his former offensive coordinator in Carolina in 2020, when Samuel had career highs in yards receiving (851) and rushing (200). Samuel can play in the slot, out wide and, occasionally, in the backfield.
Cowboys DT Mazi Smith: Smith had a minimal impact as a rookie last year, but the Cowboys’ 2023 first-rounder will have an elevated role this year. Smith was touted as a stout run defender, but Dallas was much better against the run without him on the field last year.
Dolphins CB Kendall Fuller: The cornerback opposite Jalen Ramsey is always going to see lots of action, and this year, that role will fall to Fuller. Playing on an awful pass defense, Fuller allowed an 84.5 passer rating as the primary coverage defender last year, his second worst on record. The year before, though, on a much better pass defense, that number was 60.8.
6. Extra points: Patriots WR has gambling charges dropped
Want more NFL news? Here are some other noteworthy headlines from across the league:
