NFL

Browning filled in admirably for Joe Burrow in 2023, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns over seven starts for Cincinnati. Browning had the league’s seventh highest completion rate over expected and tenth best EPA per drop back as the Bengals went 4-3 in his starts. He completed 70 percent of his passes in 2023. Browning, 28, could serve a crucial function for the Cincy offense considering Burrow’s lengthy injury history.

Veach’s comment suggests Rashee Rice could be facing a lengthy suspension for allegedly causing a six-car crash while racing his Lamborghini with another driver in March. Toney, a healthy scratch during Kansas City’s Super Bowl run last year, has been working with Patrick Mahomes in Texas this offseason along with other Chiefs pass catchers. “It doesn’t do anyone any good unless you stay healthy. But the kid has always worked hard here for us and I know he’s been down there with Pat and I think it’s a matter of him staying healthy and I think if he can do that, he can really do a lot of great things in this offense,” Veach said. Toney, 25, has been listed on the injury report in 19 of his 21 games as a Chief. Constant nagging injuries have severely limited his availability, and even when he has been healthy, the team has used him as a rotational player. Toney could default into a solid early-season role if Rice is suspended for multiple games though.

With the team’s Zach Wilson Experiment ending this week with the former first rounder’s trade to Denver, Cimini suggested the Jets could take a QB of the future in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tulane’s Michael Pratt and Florida State’s Jordan Travis took pre-draft visits to the Jets and general manager Joe Douglas “sounds like he wants to take a quarterback” in the draft, according to Cimini. Aaron Rodgers, 40, who missed the entire 2023 season with an Achilles injury, has said he wants to play up to four more seasons, but he’s only signed with the Jets through the 2024 season. “If it falls apart with Rodgers, they will go into next year’s draft like the current Broncos and Minnesota Vikings — desperate,” Cimini said. In Green Bay, Rodgers didn’t take it well when the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the 2020 draft as Rodgers’ heir apparent. Taking a QB in this year’s draft might cause strife in the Jets locker room.

Aiyuk continues to be the subject of offseason trade rumors as he prepares to head into the final year of his rookie contract. Set to earn just over $14 million on his fifth-year extension, Aiyuk, who totaled 75-1342-7 last season, is looking for a long-term extension this offseason — whether it’s from the 49ers or someone else. Unfortunately, the 49ers are short on cap space and also on the verge of needing to extend Brock Purdy in the very near future. Any talks between the two sides as far as an extension is concerned have been kept under wraps, as we have little to go on as far as where they are in the process. The NFL Draft is just days away, so it’s possible those conversations pickup after this week. Until we hear otherwise, Aiyuk could be a prime candidate for a holdout of a new deal isn’t in place by camp. This remains a wait-and-see situation.

The real story here may be the phenomenally down-bad quarterback room that is being constructed in Denver. Wilson joins the likes of Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci in the Mile High City, forming a trio that’s sure to instill confidence in any defense they face in a given week. Of course, the Broncos are still expected to add a quarterback of note at some point in this week’s NFL Draft, but the optics are hilarious for the time being. Wilson, who was drafted by the Jets with the No. 2 overall pick in 2021, was given ample opportunities to succeed over the last three years but consistently fell well short of the mark for being even a passable NFL quarterback. For better or worse, head coach Robert Saleh stuck by Wilson until it was just no longer reasonable to do so. He was eventually benched in favor of Tim Boyle and Trevor Siemian after going 4-7 over 11 starts, spelling what would be the eventual end of his time in New York. Boasting a line of 6293-23-25 over 34 career games, Wilson is officially a reclamation project who may not have more than a summer to prove to Sean Payton that he can contribute to an NFL franchise. According to The Athletics’ Dianna Russini, the Broncos had been eyeing a potential trade for Wilson for weeks, and they believe he still has “tons of talent and potential.” The Jets will reportedly pay close to $2.75 million of Wilson’s salary for the upcoming season.

Ryan was the third overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft and spent the first 14 years of his career with the Falcons. He and the Falcons immediately went 56-22 over his first four years in the league while making the playoffs in four of his first five seasons. In 2016, Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record while clinching the NFC South along with his first and only MVP award. Unfortunately, that season also ended in a heartbreaking defeat, as the Falcons came up short on the infamous “28-3" game in Super Bowl LI. After a down 2021 season, Ryan moved on to the Colts in 2022. Looking like a shell of his former self, Ryan threw for 3057-14-13 in 12 starts for the Colts that season and wasn’t brought back in 2023 — by any team. Now ready to hang it up, Ryan retires as the Falcons’ all-time leader in passing yards (59,735) and passing touchdowns (367). He currently sits seventh on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list (62,792) and is ninth in career touchdown passes (381). Even without that lucrative championship, Ryan walks away as one of the most productive players at the quarterback position and should one day hear his name called for Canton.

The Patriots have made it known that they are keeping an open mind throughout the pre-draft process. While it’s expected they will take a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick; they appear to be just as open to trading the pick to acquire other assets and presumably focus on a quarterback later in the draft. With other teams in need of help at quarterback, there are several teams currently picking outside of the top five — i.e., the Vikings, Broncos, and Giants — who could make a move into the No. 3 spot to select one of the top passers in the class.

Toney was just reinstated from his season-long gambling suspension by the NFL. The former seventh-round pick saw most of his playing time on special teams over the first two years of his career before being suspended for the entirety of the 2023 season. He should have some interest as a free agent.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal isn’t final yet but is expected to happen. We should see the move made official within the next few days. Wallace was a four-year starter with the Bills before signing a two-year deal with the Steelers. He appeared in 31 regular season games for the Steelers, 18 of which were credited as starts. Wallace broke up 11 passes in 2023.

Rice is facing eight charges, including two felonies, after causing a six-car crash while racing his Lamborghini with another driver. He fled the scene after the accident. An arrest warrant was later issued for Rice. He turned himself in and posted bond shortly after. The legal process is slow and the NFL has to go through its own procedures before handing out a suspension, so it’s unclear if Rice will be suspended this year or in 2025 because of the incident. As Schefter noted, the uncertainty around his situation makes the Chiefs an obvious candidate to draft a wide receiver. They currently hold the last pick of the first round.