The latest
8 Post-Draft NFL Trades That Make Too Much Sense to Actually Happen | Bleacher Report
Edge Matthew Judon to Kansas City Chiefs
Patriots Get: 2025 Round 4 Pick, 2026 Round 5 Pick
Chiefs Get: Edge Matthew Judon
When the New England Patriots opened their latest round of voluntary workouts, veteran edge-rusher Matthew Judon was not on the field.
That might be partly the result of the torn pectoral muscle that limited him to four games in 2023. But it may also be partly due to an expiring contract that will pay him just $6.5 million this season, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN:
“Newly appointed Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf has been checking off items on his contractual “to-do” list, most recently extending starting center and team leader David Andrews’ deal.
“So perhaps the most significant item remaining is with veteran outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who is scheduled to earn a base salary of $6.5 million in the final year of his contract. That is well under the market for a player of his caliber, and it’s hard to imagine Judon agreeing to play under those terms. At the same time, Judon’s return from a torn biceps that limited him to four games last season, coupled with his age (32 in August), add layers of note in any negotiation.”
The reality is that the Patriots are in the opening phases of an extensive rebuild. This team isn’t going to contend in 2024 or 2025. Aging players such as Judon have more value as trade chips than on the field.
The Kansas City Chiefs are at the opposite end of the NFL spectrum and are attempting to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
And while they have a rising star on the edge in George Karlaftis, batterymate Charles Omenihu’s status for early in the season is in doubt after an ACL tear in last year’s AFC title game.
The Chiefs get a sizable upgrade on the edge, with this move, and the Patriots get more picks to help with their rebuild. And Judon, 31, gets the opportunity for the one thing that has eluded the four-time Pro Bowler to date: A real chance for a ring.
2023 record: 12-5
The Chiefs have won two of their most recent Super Bowls at the expense of the 49ers — the two teams also met in Super Bowl LIV — but there should be added motivation for San Francisco to claim a championship this coming season. At publishing, the 49ers have the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl, according to Caesar’s Sportsbook, behind only the Chiefs. They also still have most of their core intact from the team that lost in overtime to K.C. back in February. Quarterback Brock Purdy should be even better after blossoming into an MVP candidate in his second NFL season. A loaded defense will be waiting to see when star linebacker Dre Greenlaw recovers from a torn Achilles in the Super Bowl, but the return of safety Talanoa Hufanga (torn ACL) will help the cause on the back end. There are still lingering questions about the situation at receiver — where there have been rumors about the possibility of the team trading either Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk — so we’ll have to see how that all plays out.
However, San Francisco still has arguably the league’s most talented roster and a team that has appeared in two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship Games in the last five seasons. What also shouldn’t be overlooked is that the 49ers had fourth-quarter leads in both of those Super Bowl defeats to the Chiefs. San Francisco has been painfully close to claiming a Lombardi Trophy under head coach Kyle Shanahan. With Purdy still playing on his rookie deal, this could be the Niners’ last great chance to realize that dream with this current group.
PFF Quarterback Rankings: All 32 starters ahead of the 2024 NFL season | PFF
1. PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
2023 wasn’t Mahomes best year by the numbers, but after back-to-back Super Bowls with one of his least talented supporting casts, we’re not going to even entertain overthinking this one.
Projecting top five NFL rookie leaders by stat categories | ESPN
Touchdowns from scrimmage
1. Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers: 8 TDs
2. Xavier Worthy, WR, Kansas City Chiefs: 6 TDs
3. Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears: 6 TDs
4. Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals: 6 TDs
5. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants: 5 TDs
Touchdowns by rookies had been on the decline (133 in 2021 and 139 in 2022) but saw a big boost to 173 last season. That marks the second most in a single season by rookies over the past decade.
Twenty-four rookies reached 10 TDs during that span, with Jahmyr Gibbs (11) and De’Von Achane (11) leading the class in 2023. Of the 24 double-digit TD scorers, 16 were running backs, so it should be no surprise that Brooks leads this list even in a down year for rookie RBs.
The touchdown totals from wide receivers might seem low, but if we look at all rookie WRs over the past decade, only 16 have reached eight receiving TDs in their first season. Two did it in 2023 (Jordan Addison and Jayden Reed both with 10), but only one wide receiver reached eight TDs in each of the prior three seasons. Worthy is the only new name on this list, and he gets a boost from the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs offense.
Around the NFL
The 40-year-old spoke Tuesday on the state of his return from last year’s torn Achilles tendon, and the New York Jets quarterback likes where he’s at less than four months from the start of the 2024 NFL season.
“I feel really good,” Rodgers said. “It’s just about the mental part. These practices have been nice the last couple of days. Feel what it’s like to be out there, to be moving around, to not be thinking about it and see how I respond the next day. This is the last part.
“The strength is good, the movement is good, just the confidence to do everything.”
Echoing Jets head coach Robert Saleh, who earlier said his QB has no activity restrictions, Rodgers sounded as positive and upbeat about his health as he has in quite some time.
“I feel like I can do anything,” he said. “I can run at top speed. It’s just, in those moments, the reactions coming naturally.”
Texans’ Tank Dell practices 3 weeks after suffering gunshot wound | ESPN
Less than a month after being shot in the leg, Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell participated in the team’s OTAs.
Dell was shot at a private event in Sanford, Florida, where authorities said a teenage gunman injured 10 people after an altercation on April 28. Dell’s wound was minor, and he was released from the hospital shortly after the shooting.
The Texans’ 2023 third-round pick had no limitations and participated in individual drills, 7-on-7s and 11-on-11s.
“Happy for Tank to get back out there. He went through a very tragic situation,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We’re just happy that he’s here, happy that he’s back out being able to do what he loves doing and that’s playing football. It’s fun to see him running around. Being that same player he’s been before, making plays and being a dynamic player for us. Everyone is excited to see Tank.”
Wide receiver DeVante Parker announces retirement two months after signing with Eagles | NFL.com
Just a couple months after signing with a new team, wide receiver DeVante Parker has decided instead to hang up his cleats.
Parker, a nine-season NFL veteran who was a 2015 NFL Draft first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins, told ESPN on Monday night that he is retiring.
Parker signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in March but has now decided to end his career following seven seasons with the Dolphins and his last two with the New England Patriots.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Schedule: NFL confirms all 2024 games will still be on local TV
In recent years, the NFL has allowed more and more of its games to be “exclusive” to Internet streaming services.
One of the more controversial examples was in 2023 when the league made the Kansas City Chiefs postseason Wild Card matchup with the Miami Dolphins exclusive to the Peaco*ck streaming service.
That will also happen with at least two of Kansas City’s 2024 games: Week 13’s Black Friday home game against the Las Vegas Raiders on November 29 (exclusively on Amazon Prime) and the Christmas Day road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (exclusively on Netflix).
But just like in all previous instances of these “exclusive” games, they’ll still be carried to a local television station in each team’s home market, as NFL executives confirmed in a conference call covered by Yahoo! Sports last week.
Roughly 85% of NFL games will continue to be broadcast on free, over-the-air television, league executives emphasized on the call amid concerns about accessibility. All NFL games will continue to be broadcast on television in each team’s home market, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller said.
Social media to make you think
The work starts now. pic.twitter.com/hp4LR0x2dI
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) May 21, 2024
Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media
- Facebook: Click here to like our page
- AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP on X: Follow @ArrowheadPride
- AP Staff on X: see complete list
- 610 Sports on X: Follow @610SportsKC
