Tag: Jeremy Fowler

Steelers QB Russell Wilson linked to NFC East team as 2025 destination

Russell Wilson’s offseason just got more intriguing, with reports linking the Steelers QB to the New York Giants ahead of 2025 free agency.

Russell Wilson appears to have had a very busy—and confusing—start to the 2025 offseason. Wilson originally proclaimed that the “plan” was to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 and beyond. However, insider Gerry Dulac hinted that this may have changed, much to the delight of Justin Fields’ supporters.

From drama surrounding the relationship between OC Arthur Smith and Wilson to the arrival of the quarterback’s former HC Pete Carroll in Las Vegas practically acting as a ‘welcome mat,’ no one can truly pinpoint what 2025 has in store for the Steelers QB.

However, insider Jeremy Fowler has identified which team Wilson is interested in heading into the 2025 free agency:

“Wilson has also been connected to the Giants by a few people this week. He visited with the Giants last free agency, and New York is on his radar as a potential option in 2025.”

Wilson would fit nicely with the NY Giants, with the team boasting a great WR duo in Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson, complementing his incredible ‘moon ball.’

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Mike Tomlin’s loyalty could impact Steelers’ QB decision, per insider

Insider Jeremy Fowler reports that Mike Tomlin’s loyalty to Russell Wilson may complicate the Steelers’ chances of re-signing Justin Fields.

Fans hoping to hear news about the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially re-signing QB Justin Fields may be disappointed.

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported that while Fields may be the better and more favored option in Pittsburgh, HC Mike Tomlin remains loyal to Russell Wilson. And it is this loyalty that may present itself as a roadblock to bringing back Fields in 2025:

“Coach Mike Tomlin seems to have a loyalty to Wilson that could lead the team in that direction, though. Plus, Fields could have a sneaky good market and price himself out of Pittsburgh.”

Insider information should always be taken with a grain of salt, but it is troubling news nonetheless.

Wilson usurped the QB starting role in controversial fashion, as Fields had led the Steelers to a 4-2 start to the 2024 season, while the former finished out the season with a less-than-impressive 6-6 record, including the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

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2025 Free Agency: Can Steelers afford Tee Higgins’ massive payday?

The Steelers may be interested in Tee Higgins, but his price tag could force them to consider a cheaper alternative.

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves once again in search of receiver help heading into 2025. Bengals WR  Tee Higgins, arguably the biggest free-agent wide receiver this offseason, has been tied to the Black and Gold as of late. However, he may prove too expensive for the Steelers’ taste.

According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, Higgins is expected to break the $30 million per year mark. Fowler noted that he has heard discussions of Higgins’ contract being lower—closer to Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith’s $25 million per year—but ultimately, more team personnel believe it will be much higher:

“The rest saw him breaking into the $30 million range, based on his status as a No. 1-caliber receiver and the number of teams desperate for pass-catching help.”

This could prove troublesome for the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster, with T.J. Watt, George Pickens, and DeShon Elliott set to hit free agency in 2026—all of whom could command massive contracts in their own right.

Should the Pittsburgh Steelers settle for a cheaper veteran option, such as WR Amari Cooper, or is Higgins’ talent too great to pass up in 2025 free agency?

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Report: Saints have ‘open mind’ to bring back last year’s biggest signing

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the New Orleans Saints may be keeping an “open mind” to bringing back defensive end Chase Young this offseason

The New Orleans Saints are entering an offseason where they have 19 pending free agents, which leaves them with a lot of decisions to make. One of the higher-priority free agents that they should be looking to bring back is defensive end Chase Young, who had a solid 2024 season and looked to be a quality player on the defensive side of the ball at many points.

While the price tag may be high, Jeremy Fowler reports for ESPN that the Saints are keeping an “open mind” to signing him back beyond 2024:

“Young, the No. 2 pick in 2020, is still searching for his first double-digit-sack season. But he’s 25 and has big-time ability. The Saints, who signed him to a one-year deal last offseason, have had an open mind about signing him beyond 2024.”

This is an interesting development, and while somewhat expected due to Young’s high level of play, it is nice to see the Saints feel the same way about retaining him. It will no doubt be a competitive market, however with the Saints capabilities to clear cap space, and desperate need for a youth movement, bringing Young back seems like a no-brainer. If the Saints can fit him in their budget, that is.

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Vikings front office member expected to interview for GM openings

With the Minnesota Vikings having a better than expected season in 2024, could Ryan Grigson be a GM candidate for the New York Jets in 2025?

There are still several weeks of the NFL season left to play, but the NFL’s coaching carousel has already begun. The New York Jets kicked off this year’s cycle by firing their head coach Robert Saleh in early October. The Las Vegas Raiders were next to make moves, clearing out several coordinators but keeping head coach Antonio Pierce — for now.

The Saints followed up by firing head coach Dennis Allen in early November, and the Bears followed by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron but keeping head coach Matt Eberflus—again, for now.

Then, the Jets kicked off the front-office carousel by firing their general manager, Joe Douglas, kicking their personnel search into high gear. A number of people across the NFL landscape are going to be hot commodities for these positions, and at least one of those people could come from the Minnesota Vikings.

According to ESPN’s NFL Insider Jeremy Fowler, current Vikings senior VP of player personnel Ryan Grigson could be a name to watch for the Jets’ opening or any other openings that become available. Grigson has helped build a Vikings team that exceeded expectations in 2024 and has added a number of high-quality talents to the roster since arriving in 2022.

Grigson also has previous experience as a GM in the league, serving in that position for the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2016. That tenure was notable for the Colts taking former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Luck, along with Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano, immediately turned the Colts’ fortunes around. From a lowly 2-14 team in 2011, they finished second in the AFC South with an 11-5 record in 2012. Grigson’s Colts won their division the next two seasons and made the playoffs.

Ultimately, though, the Colts could never get over the hump during Grigson’s tenure, and Grigson was fired after the Colts turned in back-to-back 8-8 seasons, missing the playoffs in two straight seasons for the first time since the beginning of the Peyton Manning era in Indianapolis.

Enough time has passed since his Colts’ tenure, and the Vikings have done well enough that Grigson will likely get a second chance at a GM gig if he wants it. Grigson’s days with the Vikings could be numbered whether that’s this year or in the near future.

Insider believes Steelers pursued D.K. Metcalf at trade deadline

After an eventful trade deadline, insider Jeremy Fowler believes Pittsburgh was one of several teams in inquire about a D.K. Metcalf trade.

It appears Pittsburgh’s trade to acquire WR Mike Williams, which Steelers fans have excitedly embraced, may not have happened if the Seattle Seahawks hadn’t treated trade talks as a “nonstarter,” per insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

In an ESPN article co-written with fellow insider Dan Graziano, Fowler revealed several interesting and previously unheard details from the trade deadline. One notable scoop was Fowler’s claim that not only did Pittsburgh “scour the earth for receiver help,” but the ESPN insider also believes the Steelers were one of several teams to inquire about a possible trade for Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf.

While a Russell Wilson-Metcalf reunion would have been an amazing sight for fans of the Black and Gold to behold, the trade would likely have been far too expensive for Steelers’ GM Omar Khan‘s tastes.

There is no refuge in looking back at what could have been, as the team now has a bona fide WR2, and the Wilson-Williams combo could be ‘DangeRuss.’

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Report: Chiefs DB to undergo surgery after sustaining serious injury vs. 49ers

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, #Chiefs DB Jaylen Watson is set to go under the knife after his injury against the #49ers in Week 7.

According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson is set to go under the knife after sustaining a serious injury against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.

Watson was removed from the game during the fourth quarter with an apparent leg injury, and his status was quickly downgraded to out.

Though the Chiefs haven’t given an official update on the third-year defender, Fowler’s report seems to indicate that he will miss extended time, and may be a candidate to be placed on Kansas City’s injured reserve list.

Take a look at Fowler’s report below, which was posted to Twitter on Tuesday morning:

 

If Watson’s injury proves to be season-ending, it would be a major blow to the Chiefs and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who will have to rely on less experienced replacements when Kansas City faces the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8.

ESPN positional rankings underscore that the time is now for the New York Jets

ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler believes that the New York Jets are currently in their window of opportunity.

Pragmatically and at times painfully, the New York Jets have pieced together a roster that is among the best in the NFL. And one ESPN reporter believes that the roster is good enough to be contenders this year.

And for the Jets, the argument can be made that this is the most talented roster that they’ve assembled in franchise history.

Consider a recent tweet from ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler about the Jets.

Not one given to knee-jerk reactions or hot takes, Fowler has been releasing a ranking survey over the last few days of the top players in the NFL. Fowler has culled this information from conversations with league executives and scouts.

And while Jets fans might quibble with the placement of certain players on the list (*cough* Sauce Gardner is the third-ranked cornerback in the ESPN survey *cough*), the big picture still remains promising for the franchise as a whole.

And Fowler underscored that with this tweet about the talent level on the Jets roster. It is certainly a fair assessment of where things stand on the Jets roster:

 

Yes, there are question marks about the health of quarterback Aaron Rodgers (eighth in the NFL according to ESPN) and the revamped offensive line still has to prove itself. But every NFL team has at least one major question on their roster and this shouldn’t be held against the Jets when projecting their season.

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Now, the Jets still need to go out there and prove it, but general manager Joe Douglas has certainly done a masterful job of building this team both through free agency and the NFL draft.

And that puts the Jets in a prime spot to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.

NFL execs, coaches, and players rank Chiefs Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback

NFL execs, coaches, and players rank Kansas City #Chiefs Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback | @EdEastonJr

According to the annual NFL poll on ESPN, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reminded the rest of the league why he’s still the top player at his position.

Mahomes finished the 2023 season with 4,183 yards passing and 27 touchdowns, playing through tough offensive outings on the way to another AFC West division title. He silenced many doubters in the postseason by winning two road games, a third Super Bowl MVP, and securing the Chiefs’ third Lombardi Trophy in five years.

“When it’s late in a meaningful game and Mahomes is playing, you just know he’s going to find a way to win,” an NFC executive said in Fowler’s article. “That’s the stage he’s at that a lot of the greats get to — they figure out how to win the game and get it done. The game’s slowed down for him in that way.”

The quest for a three-peat will dominate the headlines for the upcoming season as Mahomes attempts to do what none of the other great quarterbacks have done in their careers. The star quarterback is still under 30 years old, and barring early retirement, he should continue to add to his unprecedented career resume.

NFL execs, coaches, and players rank Chiefs Travis Kelce as the top tight end

NFL execs, coaches, and players rank Chiefs Travis Kelce as the top tight end | @EdEastonJr

According to an annual NFL poll, Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce had another strong season in 2023, enough to claim his spot as the best at his position.

Kelce fell short of an incredible eighth consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2023 primarily because he voluntarily sat out the Week 18 season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was still able to accumulate 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games.

In a poll of NFL decision-makers and players conducted by ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler, Kelce is alone at the top of the tight end rankings. The annual rankings list is detailed, and multiple player factors are included.

“Voters give us their best ten players at a position,” wrote Fowler. “then we compile the results and rank candidates based on a number of top-10 votes, composite average, and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen.”

Kelce beat out last year’s top-ranked tight end, George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers, as the two friends continue their rivalry for supremacy at the position. Entering his 12th NFL season, there is no sign of slowdown from the Pro Bowler.