Latest News on Lamar Jackson, Aaron Rodgers, and DeAndre Hopkins
The 2023 NFL Free Agency period brings with it a slew of rumors and news that will affect every team in the league. Some of the biggest stars we know could switch teams through trade or free agency. They include Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Arizona Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
We’ll be covering the latest rumors and news from the NFL Free Agency over the next few weeks. Bookmark this page as we’ll be adding everything you need to know as news and rumors spread, as the legal tamper period ends and the new league year officially begins.
Latest NFL Free Agency Rumors and News
Aaron Rodgers decides to play for the Jets
As we called it before, Rodgers announced his intention to play for the New York Jets on The Pat McAfee Show. All that’s left is for the Packers and Jets to work out trade compensation to get the deal done. He said He was asked about which players he would like to play with but never gave a list of who he needed to go there.
Buccaneers Country Baker Mayfield
Rather than bet on third-year quarterback Kyle Trask being a viable starter, which he wouldn’t be, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. Mayfield cost the Buccaneers just $4 million in base salary and up to $8.5 million with incentives. Mayfield turns 28 this offseason and is likely getting his last chance to prove he’s a starter in the NFL after bursting into flames with the Browns and Panthers.
Eagles release Darius Slay
A day after star cornerback allowed Darius Slay to seek a trade, the Eagles instead released the 32-year-old with a June 1 designation. Philadelphia re-signed James Bradberry, but Slay’s massive cap hit was clearly a factor here. They didn’t want to renew his contract when his game ages.
The Eagles will save $17.5 million in cap space this year with that designation, rather than being on the hook for its $26 million cap hit all at once.
Bills re-sign Jordan Poyer
The Bills have been a hot topic of late, having done very little in freelance. Losing linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to Chicago is a blow considering he’s still in his prime. Instead of getting younger, the Bills opted to re-sign security guard Jordan Poyer.
Poyer has been outstanding since signing with Buffalo in 2017. He’s a versatile playmaker who has had nine interceptions in the past two years. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Poyer will remain in Buffalo on a two-year contract, guiding him through his season at the age of 34.
Aaron Rodgers Watch could end
Because as talented as Rodgers is, part of the headache that comes with him is that he likes media attention. We’re still waiting to find out where he wants to play in 2023, or if he wants to play at all. It appears to be coming to a head on Wednesday, as he’ll be attending The Pat McAfee Show at 1:00 p.m. ET.
McAfees teaser photo and Announcement are fantastic advertisements for his program. With the Jets already signing former Packers wide receiver Allen Lazard and linked with fellow teammates Marcedes Lewis and Randall Cobb, it seems a formality that Rodgers will pick the Jets. If he doesn’t, he’ll go down as a massive villain for stringing the franchise together.
Lamar Jackson will stand trial today
Jackson stirred the pot on Tuesday when he tweeted a response to a September report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Ravens had offered him a guaranteed $200 million. He reacted to the side glance reaction with saying“133/3 year full warranty” as if to say he negotiated well for himself considering he doesn’t have an agent.
It’s debatable whether Jackson should bet on himself in the free hand or whether he should take the $44.3 million-a-season guarantee, but we’ll find out soon enough what’s going to happen. With no agent and representing himself, Jackson was unable to make contact with teams until the league year officially began.
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We’ve already seen a handful of teams pull out of the sweepstakes, likely deterred by the fact that Baltimore can hold their bid for five days and tie the Cap spot, only to have their bid up and Jackson end up keep.
Otherwise, it would be an absurd idea that Atlanta, Carolina, Houston, Miami and Las Vegas would not have been interested in trading just two first-round picks for the star. But the restrictions of the non-exclusive franchise tag penalize the player somewhat. Jackson has to hope that Tennessee or Detroit get involved or the Ravens will have a massive hold on the negotiations.
DeAndre Hopkins hears the trade rumors
The Cardinals are in a difficult position. They have a terrible roster that needs an overhaul with more talent in the trenches, but in Kyler Murray they have a quarterback who has a massive contract. Trying to balance winning when Murray is returning from a cruciate ligament rupture and building a deeper squad will be difficult.
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The best asset the Cardinals can trade this offseason is Hopkins. The star receiver turns 31 this year and has a massive cap hit of $30 million in 2023. He told the Pat McAfee Show that he “heard a lot of trade talks,” but all he can do is keep his head down and work.
The Cardinals are looking for a second-round pick and a player or other pick, per Mike Jurecki of the Arizona Football Daily Podcast. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Hopkins is flexible when it comes to the last two years of his contract, which likely means he would extend his contract to lower his cap hits.