Super Bowl week buzz: Rumors on futures of Aaron Donald, Sean McVay, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers

The Super Bowl parties were back on, the Los Angeles streets were flooded with cars, radio row was (mostly) hopping. This felt like a close-enough return to the traditional Super Bowl flair, minus too many Zoom calls between media and players.

Access wasn't always great, but the normalcy of the big-game week allowed us to comb the landscape looking for NFL intel. We worked the phones and met the people behind the scenes so you didn't have to.

With quarterback changes happening around the league and two intriguing Super Bowl teams in the Rams and Bengals, there was plenty of fodder, including about two of the Rams' biggest stars, the latest on Deshaun Watson, a prediction about Aaron Rodgers and a few coaching nuggets.

Here's what we overheard during Super Bowl LVI week:

Will a new contract solve Aaron Donald's retirement consideration?

The news about Donald's potential retirement -- as delivered by NBC Sports' Rodney Harrison in the pregame broadcast -- wasn't a complete surprise.

We started to hear some buzz late in the week that the Rams' star defensive tackle might be considering this. And here's what else we heard: Donald might need to become the league's highest-paid defensive player in order to play in 2022. There was even some chatter coming out of the Pro Bowl that Donald needs a 15% markup on the highest-paid tag, though that is unconfirmed. But this is something a few people around the league were discussing in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

After all, Donald doesn't have to spell out what's clear: His contract, which pays him $9.25 million in salary and a $5 million roster bonus next year, is a problem for a player of his caliber. He has three years left on a six-year, $135 million deal ($22.5 million per year) that is now outdated for the best defensive player of the past decade. Pittsburgh pass-rusher T.J. Watt is the NFL's top defensive earner at $28 million per year, so the gulf between Donald and Watt is sizable.

Whatever the sweet spot might be, the Rams must do something. Maybe they restructure the three years with a new signing bonus and voidable years to get him over the top.

Another layer to this is Donald, who turns 31 in May, hasn't hidden from the retirement theme behind the scenes. Word is Donald has talked to some teammates about possibly leaving the game earlier than expected but that no one believes him. He's too good. -- Fowler

Would Sean McVay walk away?

There has been lots of chatter about the possibility of Sean McVay stepping down and pursuing a career in TV (or even just taking a break), and the Rams coach himself hasn't done anything to dampen that talk publicly.

The sense I get is that this is a similar situation to Donald's, in that McVay is hoping the Rams do right by him on a new contract that pays him at or near the top of the head-coach salary rankings. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't, but we'll see how the negotiations go.

Based on the information I've been able to gather, I'd be surprised if McVay were to step away from coaching at age 36. With Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles at least one more year, it's more likely McVay decides to run it back as long as he has the quarterback he trusts to get it done. If the Rams hadn't gotten Stafford and were still beating their heads against the Jared Goff wall, maybe. But I think McVay has a strong thing going here and my bet is he sticks around. -- Graziano

The latest on Deshaun Watson

The Texans quarterback, who spent the 2021 season on the team's active roster but did not play, has begun evaluating potential fits for his services in 2022, with the Buccaneers and Vikings among teams on his radar.

One source noted that Watson -- who has a no-trade clause -- is still early in the evaluation process, but he's looking for the right blend of offensive system, coaching, talent and, most importantly, the chance to win.

Watson preferred the Dolphins before last November's trade deadline, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, but talks didn't result in a deal, and Miami appears committed to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa playing under new coach Mike McDaniel.

Watson is the defendant in 22 civil cases filed by women in four states alleging sexual assault or inappropriate behavior during massage sessions. His legal issues remain unresolved, and whether the league suspends him under the personal conduct policy is uncertain. The expectation leaguewide, however, is that the Texans will once again explore trade options for Watson, possibly around the start of the new league year March 16 or the NFL draft in late April.

The Buccaneers will exhaust all options to resolve their quarterback situation after the retirement of Tom Brady, per sources. The goal is to maximize the championship window instead of rebuild. Second-round pick Kyle Trask and veteran Blaine Gabbert remain in the fold, but big-name quarterbacks such as Watson or Russell Wilson could be options Tampa Bay at least explores.

The Vikings have intriguing young pieces in Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, and they face a decision on the contract of Kirk Cousins, a 2023 free agent who has a $45 million cap hit in 2022. New coach Kevin O'Connell, however, conveyed a strong belief in Cousins during his interview process with Minnesota, relaying a vision for maximizing his skill set.

The 26-year-old Watson first requested a trade in January 2021 because of issues with the Houston franchise. He has four years left on a deal that pays $35 million in base salary in 2022. The Houston Police Department is investigating complaints against Watson by 10 women. Depositions have begun, but Watson cannot be deposed before Feb. 22. -- Fowler

Bengals are well-positioned for another run

Losing the Super Bowl hurts, but with Joe Burrow still on his rookie deal for two to three more years, a young core of talent around him and a defense that played as well as anyone's in the postseason, the Bengals are set to continue their run as one of the top AFC contenders.

They project to have about $50 million in cap space with which to address their glaring offensive line needs in a free-agent market that features the likes of Brandon Scherff, Ryan Jensen and Terron Armstead.

Time was, the Bengals were cheap and didn't like to extend themselves in free agency. But over the past two offseasons, they've signed 32 free agents to contracts totaling $271 million -- a figure that ranks fourth among NFL teams in free-agent spending during that time. They've shown the willingness to augment the team around Burrow, and I would expect a third straight aggressive offseason by Cincinnati.

One of their trickier issues could be safety Jessie Bates, who's eligible for free agency. But once they signed defensive end Sam Hubbard to an extension last summer, that left the franchise tag available for Bates. It would surprise no one if they used it. -- Graziano

Aaron Rodgers chatter from radio row

I talked to a former Broncos player who told me this inside the Los Angeles Convention Center: "I think it's only a matter of time before he ends up in Denver."

The player said it's more than a hunch, so let's see if he's right. The Packers have been adamant publicly and privately that they want Rodgers back and have interest in extending him. But they are waiting on Rodgers, who plans to circle back with the team later this month -- definitely before the franchise tag deadline of March 8.

The hiring of Nathaniel Hackett by Denver -- he was Green Bay's offensive coordinator -- only deepens the intrigue for Rodgers and Denver, which also has the benefit of being in the AFC. The Packers might not be wild about dealing him within the conference. -- Fowler

Ryan Tannehill's future

It's fun to hyperventilate when Aaron Rodgers buys land in Tennessee, but there's simply not much evidence the Titans are looking to move on from quarterback Ryan Tannehill. I talked to someone with Tennessee who said "he's our quarterback" multiple times. I talked to someone else with Tennessee who would be quite surprised if the Titans moved on.

Never say never, but the reality is Tannehill has a $57.4 million dead-money hit in 2022. That's an outrageous number. For context, the Rams faced a $41 million hit when they traded Jared Goff to Detroit, and they took on a massive dead-money windfall. Now, the Rams were willing to make it work because they acquired a clear upgrade, Matthew Stafford, on a $20-million cap hit. That, to them, was worth the one-year discomfort. And obviously it worked.

Tannehill's contract is much more manageable in 2023, with an $18.8 million dead-money hit vs. $36.6 million in salary-cap space.

The point is, the Titans went into the playoffs thinking the quarterback position was very low on the list of draft needs, and though Tannehill's three-interception game vs. Cincinnati was ugly, running it back might be the best path. -- Fowler

Why the Cowboys have offseason questions

There's a feeling around the league that the Cowboys might have blown their best chance at a title in the current window. They have a lot of offseason business to take care of, starting with the pass rush.

Randy Gregory is a free agent, and while they can hope he'll work with them on a deal because they've stood by him through so much, it'd be hard for him to turn down a monster offer elsewhere just to stay in Dallas out of gratitude. DeMarcus Lawrence has no more guaranteed money left on his contract, and the Cowboys could save $8 million in cap space by cutting him. They could ask him to take a pay cut, but he might not say yes.

Wide receiver Amari Cooper's deal was built, two years ago, for the Cowboys to get out of it this offseason. His $20 million 2022 salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 22, so look for the team to make a decision on him before then. Having drafted CeeDee Lamb in the first round in 2020, you wonder if they believe they've already found Cooper's replacement (although Michael Gallup is injured and a free agent as well, so they might need to keep Cooper around one more year).

All of this, plus at some point they have to address an offensive line that hasn't been able to stay healthy and isn't the powerhouse it once was.

One more you should not expect to see is anything involving running back Ezekiel Elliott. He has $12.4 million in fully guaranteed salary coming his way this year. If they're to move on from Elliott, it won't be until the 2023 season at the earliest. -- Graziano

Elite wideout plots free agency

I caught up with free-agent receiver Chris Godwin, who said he's making a strong recovery on his torn ACL from December and feels good. He plans to make a full recovery and play in 2022.

As for where he plays next year, Godwin certainly isn't ruling out a return to the Bucs. They'll be in the mix. But he's also excited about his first foray into the open market. Quarterback play will be important but not the only factor.

Sources said the Bucs see Godwin as a cornerstone and would like to find a way to re-sign him. -- Fowler

Coaching buzz

Fowler:

• The Bengals just redid the contracts of offensive coordinator Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. With the staff under coach Zac Taylor for three years, it's likely that many assistants are getting reupped this time of year. But Callahan and Anarumo -- who received head-coaching consideration leaguewide -- are now locked up.

• Saints assistant head coach/defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen will get consideration for New Orleans' defensive coordinator job. He's considered a prime candidate as a coach on the rise. Defensive backs coach Kris Richard is also a good in-house candidate to replace now-head coach Dennis Allen.

Graziano:

• The situation in New Orleans is interesting. I was expecting them to promote Pete Carmichael to offensive coordinator once Sean Payton left, but it sounds as if they will not be doing that. Allen is interviewing outside candidates already for offensive and defensive coordinator roles, and if someone comes in wanting to run a different offense than Payton ran, it'll be interesting to see what effect that has, starting with their quarterback pursuit.

• You mention the Bengals' coordinators, but Taylor himself has just one year left on his deal and should be in line for a nice extension after the year he just had. (Update: The Bengals announced Wednesday morning that Taylor had signed an extension through 2026.)

• Don't overlook the report ESPN's Adam Schefter had Sunday morning about Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, whose contract with the team is expiring. After yet another cycle came and went without Bieniemy getting a head-coaching job, he and the Chiefs might be at a crossroads. If other teams are interested in Bieniemy and he has a chance to go somewhere to be an offensive coordinator who calls his own plays, it's possible getting out from Andy Reid's shadow could help his head-coaching chances down the road (though it's always worth pointing out that the two guys who had that job before him didn't need to do that to get head-coaching jobs). The Chiefs have believed for a while that Bieniemy would leave for a head-coaching job, and because he hasn't, they've had a backlog behind him of coaches overdue for promotions. One of those, Mike Kafka, already left for the Giants offensive coordinator job. Another is wide receivers coach Joe Bleymaier, who could be in line to take over as offensive coordinator should Bieniemy leave. There are also a lot of people who think former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, fired as coach of the Bears last month, could end up back on Reid's staff in Kansas City.