2025-2026 NFL Season Thread

[steve1971]

I am glad Brady extended his contract. The guy showed me that team and winning rings are more important then $$$$. This free's up alot of cap space to sign Welker and some top free agents. Way to go Tom!

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by steve1971

I am glad Brady extended his contract. The guy showed me that team and winning rings are more important then $$$$. This free's up alot of cap space to sign Welker and some top free agents. Way to go Tom!

Sure hope Rodgers takes a page out of Brady’s book!!

He seems like the kind of guy that is willing to do it....we'll have to see i guess.

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

Sure hope Rodgers takes a page out of Brady’s book!!

He seems like the kind of guy that is willing to do it....we'll have to see i guess.

Rodgers hasn't made near as much money as Brady and doesn't have a supermodel wife that is on pace to be a billionaire. I would be surprised if Rodgers doesn't ink a deal this offseason that averages at least $20 million per year. The only reason he might not become the highest paid player in the league is because his current contract runs through 2014 so the team could tell him that if he doesn't agree to a below market value deal then they'll just force him to play out his current deal, but that doesn't seem like a tactic they'll want to use.

As for the Brady deal, we're giving him a lot of credit now but it's entirely possible that come 2015 when the salary cap may go up a lot (there are varying opinions about whether the cap will spike when the new TV deals come into play) they'll just renegotiate his contract that pays him closer to market value. I also wonder if Brady and Bob Kraft have some sort of side deal in which Brady is allowed to buy a small portion of the Patriots after he retires. I know there were rumors that Magic Johnson had this type of deal with the Lakers and that Kobe Bryant may have a similar deal in place.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Rodgers hasn't made near as much money as Brady and doesn't have a supermodel wife that is on pace to be a billionaire. I would be surprised if Rodgers doesn't ink a deal this offseason that averages at least $20 million per year. The only reason he might not become the highest paid player in the league is because his current contract runs through 2014 so the team could tell him that if he doesn't agree to a below market value deal then they'll just force him to play out his current deal, but that doesn't seem like a tactic they'll want to use.

that's why i don't really see anything like this happening anytime soon w/Rodgers.....he's still young and has a lot of play in him yet.

i just hope that Ted Thompson realizes that it's not "just a business" when it comes to your franchise QB and making the decision between paying him or letting him walk.

[fatediesel]

One team that may benefit from the quarterback restructurings is the Ravens. The exclusive franchise tag for quarterbacks is based on the cap numbers of the 5 highest-paid quarterbacks, and that number goes down when deals are restructured. The exclusive tag for QBs was set to be $20.464 million, but Brady's restructuring has already caused that number to be $800,000 lower (Brady no longer has a top 5 cap number and his $21.55 million cap number was replaced by Drew Brees' $17.4 million cap number) and it could go even lower if the Steelers restructure Roethlisberger, Lions restructure Stafford, or if either Manning restructures. From the sounds of it the Ravens plan on using the non-exclusive franchise tag (although there are varying reports on that) which will cost them $14.6 million, but if the exclusive number gets low enough they could change their mind and go with the exclusive tag.

[fatediesel]

Per Jay Glazer:

Jay Glazer ‏@JayGlazer
49ers have completed a trade with the Chiefs for Alex Smith, tho can't be official til March 12. Chiefs really made a commitment to Smith

Deal has been agreed upon between Chiefs and 49ers. Compensation unclear but I'm told again Chiefs have made a clear commitment to Smith.

Edit: Adam Schefter says the deal is for the Chiefs 2013 second round pick (the second pick in the second round) and a conditional mid-round 2014 pick.

[ChadFL]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Per Jay Glazer:



Edit: Adam Schefter says the deal is for the Chiefs 2013 second round pick (the second pick in the second round) and a conditional mid-round 2014 pick.

Sounds like a decent deal for both teams. It's practically a 1st round pick for the Niners and a future pick.

[Batman1980]

The downside for the Chiefs is Smith is almost 30 so they probably only get 4-5 good seasons at most out of Smith, at least he's better than most if not all of the QBs coming out of this year's draft.

[fatediesel]

Even though ESPN's Adam Schefter sourced Jay Glazer as breaking the story on Twitter, in the actual ESPN.com story they don't mention Glazer at all and just say "a league source confirmed to ESPN.com's John Clayton."

[Lehnhart]

Ugh...I know we need a QB and Smith is a big big upgrade, but giving up a 2nd rounder for him? Especially since it's so high in the 2nd round. Idk. I think we're giving up too much for someone who, in my opinion, is just okay.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

Even though ESPN's Adam Schefter sourced Jay Glazer as breaking the story on Twitter, in the actual ESPN.com story they don't mention Glazer at all and just say "a league source confirmed to ESPN.com's John Clayton."

And then they credit Glazer with breaking the story.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by Lehnhart

Ugh...I know we need a QB and Smith is a big big upgrade, but giving up a 2nd rounder for him? Especially since it's so high in the 2nd round. Idk. I think we're giving up too much for someone who, in my opinion, is just okay.

Better than your other options.

[Lehnhart]

Originally Posted by sycro

Better than your other options.

I agree, and I said he a massive upgrade over our other QBs, but giving up the 34th pick in the draft and another additional pick is too much. Especially since how deep this draft is, that 34th pick is almost like a mid-late first rounder.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

that's why i don't really see anything like this happening anytime soon w/Rodgers.....he's still young and has a lot of play in him yet.

i just hope that Ted Thompson realizes that it's not "just a business" when it comes to your franchise QB and making the decision between paying him or letting him walk.

Still wonder how different the league would be if the 49ers had drafted Aaron Rodgers and Smith had slid to the Packers in the late 2005 first round.

[fatediesel]

I think giving up a second round pick for Smith is about right. He looked very good last year and in 2011 and will have no problem stepping in right away as the starter. They will now be able to take Luke Joeckel at #1 which will greatly help their offensive line. The Chiefs definitely need help at receiver after releasing Steve Breaston and Dwayne Bowe a free agent because it doesn't matter who the QB is if he doesn't have anyone to throw to.

On a side note, the 49ers now have 12 picks in the draft and they expect to receive 3 compensatory picks which will raise the total to 15. They will have 5 of the first 93 picks. They don't have a lot of needs so this could give them the flexibility to trade for an established veteran or to just stockpile more picks for the future because there's no way they'll use all their picks.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Darth Anakin

Still wonder how different the league would be if the 49ers had drafted Aaron Rodgers and Smith had slid to the Packers in the late 2005 first round.

it's def. an interesting question. Rodgers was pretty raw that 1st year he was the starter in GB.....and that was AFTER 3 seasons as a backup!!

i wonder what he'd have been like if he didn't have that time to learn and was thrown right into the fire in SF his 1st season!!!

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

that's why i don't really see anything like this happening anytime soon w/Rodgers.....he's still young and has a lot of play in him yet.

i just hope that Ted Thompson realizes that it's not "just a business" when it comes to your franchise QB and making the decision between paying him or letting him walk.

He's really not though. He's only 5 years removed from Brady (I know he didn't play for a long time because of BF), but your bones and athletic ability don't wait simply because you were on the bench.

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by supersix4

He's really not though. He's only 5 years removed from Brady (I know he didn't play for a long time because of BF), but your bones and athletic ability don't wait simply because you were on the bench.

that's true too. it's going to be interesting!!

i can't see the Packers not paying him though.

[sycro]

Originally Posted by fatediesel

I think giving up a second round pick for Smith is about right. He looked very good last year and in 2011 and will have no problem stepping in right away as the starter. They will now be able to take Luke Joeckel at #1 which will greatly help their offensive line. The Chiefs definitely need help at receiver after releasing Steve Breaston and Dwayne Bowe a free agent because it doesn't matter who the QB is if he doesn't have anyone to throw to.

On a side note, the 49ers now have 12 picks in the draft and they expect to receive 3 compensatory picks which will raise the total to 15. They will have 5 of the first 93 picks. They don't have a lot of needs so this could give them the flexibility to trade for an established veteran or to just stockpile more picks for the future because there's no way they'll use all their picks.

Even with Bowe, they'd need a #1. Bowe just isn't what people want him to be, and Chiefs fans were done with him at the beginning of the season. Why they weren't done with him after the home game against the Steelers in 2011, I'll never understand.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by sycro

Even with Bowe, they'd need a #1. Bowe just isn't what people want him to be, and Chiefs fans were done with him at the beginning of the season. Why they weren't done with him after the home game against the Steelers in 2011, I'll never understand.

Well in his defense, they really haven't had a good QB in a long time so it's hard to accurately gauge how good he really is.