Super Bowl week buzz: Top NFL storylines and Chiefs-Eagles rumors

Super Bowl LVII might be a two-team event pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the week leading up to Sunday's extravaganza in Glendale, Arizona has been every bit a 32-team affair.

The top NFL storylines have been about not only Eagles-Chiefs but the many dramas percolating throughout the league, from Aaron Rodgers' big decision to the two still-vacant head-coaching jobs to Derek Carr's 2023 destination.

Touching on all of these topics and several others are NFL Insiders Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, who provide all of the buzz on Super Bowl Sunday Eve.

Jump to a big topic:
Which team could target Aaron Rodgers?
What could Jalen Hurts' contract look like?
Latest on the open Arizona job
Are the Bears committed to Justin Fields?
What's next for Chiefs' and Eagles' rosters?
Rumblings on four interesting veterans

What's the latest with Derek Carr?

While the Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback was visiting the New Orleans Saints this week, most people I talk to remain skeptical the Raiders will be able to trade Carr -- mainly because he has a full no-trade clause and can veto any deal. For example: If Carr liked what he heard in New Orleans and wanted to play for the Saints, he could just wait until the Raiders release him and sign with the Saints. Agreeing to a trade would be doing a favor to the Raiders, who basically fired him, and would weaken his new team by costing it whatever draft pick that team would have to give up to acquire him. (Note: Carr will not waive his no-trade clause, sources confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.)

Remember: If Carr is on the Raiders' roster Wednesday, his full $32.9 million 2023 salary becomes guaranteed, as does $7.5 million of his $41.9 million 2024 salary. If the Raiders are determined to trade him, they could keep him on the roster past Wednesday, but they'd still be taking a major risk of having a $32.9 million cap number for a quarterback they don't want to use if they were unable to move him (or if he refused to waive his no-trade clause).

There's also the matter of timing. The Raiders could agree to a trade that sends Carr to the Saints or another team, but that trade can't become official until 4 p.m. ET on March 15, the first day of the league year. So the Raiders would have to carry Carr's $32.9 million cap number right up until the start of free agency. Then, if the deal went through right at 4 p.m. ET on March 15, the acquiring team would have to carry that $32.9 million cap number for 24 hours before it's allowed to be restructured.

Any team acquiring Carr would have to have at least $32.9 million in cap room when the league year started at 4 p.m. ET on March 15. The Saints currently project to be about $60 million over the cap, so they'd have to cut about $93 million in cap space if they wanted to acquire Carr.

The ways around this are: (A) Have the Raiders rework his contract before the trade so he fits under the acquiring team's cap, or (B) Wait until the Raiders release him and sign him to a new deal that fits under his new team's cap. Remember, if Carr is released next week, he can sign with any team at any time. He would not have to wait until March 15 as free agents on expiring contracts such as Jimmy Garoppolo, Daniel Jones and Geno Smith would. Carr could get a jump on the market. -- Graziano

Everything Dan says is correct ... and here's why I still think New Orleans swinging a trade with Las Vegas is not out of the question: The Raiders' asking price is modest -- a third-round pick, according to multiple sources -- and there's a chance the Saints could come around on committing to Carr's $40.4 million guarantee that is due Wednesday.

The belief leaguewide is the Saints want to lessen that total and, as Dan mentions, Carr doesn't -- or shouldn't -- want that. But one league exec pointed out it's really a one-year deal at $33 million, since that $7 million in 2024 salary would likely offset if a prospective team had to cut him. Carr would latch on elsewhere at more than $7 million, and one year at $33 million for him is reasonable.

The problem is, even if Carr can't hit that total in free agency -- some are skeptical -- team fit is a key component for him, so he's willing to find out. Altering his contract doesn't help him there. -- Fowler

Aaron Rodgers, the Jets and what might come next

I will walk away from Phoenix more convinced than ever the Jets will aggressively pursue Rodgers. The buzz around the Jets and Rodgers was strong at the Senior Bowl and hasn't subsided this week. The Jets believe they are close to contention. He's target A until proved otherwise. But it's early in what would be a complex process, the price tag remains enormous and the Packers aren't down the road on any potential trade -- after all, Rodgers hasn't decided what he's doing about his future.

Owner Woody Johnson said it best to our Dianna Russini on the red carpet of NFL Honors: "You want the best quarterback you can get to lead the Jets" and "I can't really talk about [Rodgers]" but that "everybody recognizes talent."

He's speaking in code to avoid the suggestion of tampering, but you get the point. As a result, I don't get the sense the Jets are all-in on Carr. Based on asking around, the sense is Carr is No. 2 on their list. -- Fowler

What's next for Jalen Hurts?

I expect the Eagles to work to sign quarterback Jalen Hurts to an extension early in the offseason. They know the price has likely gone to $50 million a year or more, and with Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and the Chargers' Justin Herbert also extension-eligible this summer, and a Lamar Jackson megadeal still possible, the prices at the top of the QB market could ratchet up quickly. Say Trevor Lawrence and/or Justin Fields has a big 2023 and are in line for an extension next summer, or the Cowboys get something done with Dak Prescott. The sooner the Eagles get their deal done with Hurts, the less time the market has to drive up the price.

One of the reasons the Eagles extended Carson Wentz and the Rams extended Jared Goff in the summer of 2019 is that both teams looked ahead to 2020 and (correctly) anticipated big extensions for Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. In Wentz's case they might not have read the player correctly, but they did read the market correctly and I think that will guide Eagles GM Howie Roseman again in this case. Remember: Since Hurts was a second-round pick, the Eagles do not hold a fifth-year option on him for 2024 as the Bengals do with Burrow and the Chargers with Herbert. So there's a little more urgency to get Hurts' deal done. -- Graziano

Where will the Cardinals turn?

The Arizona Cardinals won't make a call on their coach until next week, but Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's name circulated a lot in relation to the job this week. It feels like Kafka, who had his follow-up interview Tuesday via Zoom, is well-positioned. But Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo got his follow-up interview Friday, so he has impressed as well.

Both coaches have been working diligently to put together a compelling staff in preparation for the job.

And both offer something different. Kafka's work with Patrick Mahomes and Daniel Jones lends credibility to Arizona's efforts to fix Kyler Murray.

Kafka, 35, is seven years removed from his playing days and is a one-year playcaller, but he's known as incredibly detailed and has more of an edge to him than the calm demeanor suggests.

And Anarumo, 56, is a coaching lifer, starting out as a running backs coach for Wagner College in 1989. For a team that needs a culture shift, Anarumo would instill toughness on both sides of the ball. There's always a chance Arizona could target one of the Super Bowl assistant coaches after the game, and some around the league are starting to think Eagles DC Jonathan Gannon is still in the mix for this job. That would be quite the late push. -- Fowler

What's the latest on coordinator movement?

• The Indianapolis Colts began giving the bad news this week to head-coach candidates who are out of the running, and as of Friday it appeared as if they were down to two or three finalists. Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris remains a name to watch, but there are some who believe Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen could emerge once the Super Bowl is over. Interim coach Jeff Saturday still hasn't been eliminated, per sources, though team owner Jim Irsay (who's believed to be Saturday's biggest backer in the building) has let it be known that GM Chris Ballard is the one making the final decision on a head coach. -- Graziano

• Former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury has been speaking to the Houston Texans about a job on DeMeco Ryans' staff. The most likely role is offensive coordinator, though others are in the mix as well for that job, including popular 49ers passing game coordinator Bobby Slowik. -- Graziano

• If he doesn't get a head-coaching job, Bieniemy is believed to be the Washington Commanders' top choice for offensive coordinator, though he's in the mix for the Baltimore Ravens as well. Obviously, there's also a chance he returns to the Chiefs in his current role, but his big-picture head-coach prospects might benefit at this point from getting away from Andy Reid and running his own offense for a little while. -- Graziano

• Don't be surprised if Eagles quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson is a popular man post-Super Bowl. The Ravens want to talk with him, as will others... Expect the Commanders to pursue Bieniemy post-Super Bowl. If that doesn't work out, fallbacks include Pat Shurmur and in-house option Ken Zampese. -- Fowler

Nuggets on the top quarterbacks in April's draft

Here's what I've heard on quarterbacks expected to go in Round 1 in the 2023 draft:

One NFC exec: "The gap between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud isn't as big as you'd think." Stroud is surging in the eyes of some teams. Despite supreme accuracy and touch, Young will be an acquired taste for some teams due to weight concerns. One AFC scout believes Young was as low as 168 pounds earlier in his Alabama career, though he's now listed at 194.

Teams are all over the map on Anthony Richardson. I've talked to multiple scouts whose teams have varying grades from first- to fourth-round. No way he goes in the fourth round, but you get the point -- they have concerns about his ability to play quarterback at the next level. Most agree he's going in the first round, no question. Major talent with room to grow. -- Fowler

Are the Bears committed to Justin Fields?

As debate rages on what the Chicago Bears do with the No. 1 pick, this quote from an NFL coach stuck with me, and speaks to Justin Fields' upside: "[The Bears] had no business being in some of the games they were in this year -- that was because of Fields." The great quarterbacks can overcome roster deficiencies. Fields seems to have that element, even if he needs more polish as a pocket passer.

The Bears will do their homework on Young, Stroud and Will Levis atop the draft. But Fields' ceiling remains mighty high. -- Fowler

What to make of the free agent running back bounty

The running back class in free agency is loaded, and with a low franchise tag ($10.1 million), at least three are worthy of that designation -- Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Tony Pollard. The sense is Dallas will strongly consider tagging Pollard, and the Raiders could do the same since they want to keep Jacobs. Tagging Barkley is tricky because he might be insulted by that number (so could Jacobs, for that matter). But the Giants could reach a long-term deal with Barkley before they make that call. They've already made headway dating back to the regular season, and both sides are above the franchise tag number.

It wouldn't shock to see all three of those backs reach deals worth $12 million or more per year, which would be a positive for running backs everywhere. -- Fowler

What's next for Chiefs' and Eagles' rosters?

The Chiefs' and Eagles' roster construction has come into focus this week. GMs Brett Veach and Howie Roseman have done a stellar job flooding their rosters with talent on manageable contracts.

With Mahomes agreeing to a 10-year, $450 million deal in 2020 -- a major coup for the franchise -- the Chiefs have utilized his low cap hits over the past three seasons to replenish the roster with a mix of youth and impact veterans. Mahomes' cap hit balloons to $46.8 million in 2023, but they've had three years to plan for that.

"The current trend is teams are going to Super Bowls on rookie deals," Veach said. "So we said let's get ahead of this and see if we can do something new and unique and open up a big window to have that flexibility."

That means knowing when it's time to walk away from a deal. The Chiefs had every intent on re-signing Tyreek Hill, but the receiver market went sideways in March. So, instead of paying Hill close to $30 million annually, they traded him for capital and got two receivers -- JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling -- for essentially half the price. The two combined for 1,620 yards.

"You might not be able to sign a Tyreek Hill or Davante Adams, but you can work the board and maybe you can slide in a Smith-Schuster or a Valdes-Scantling," Veach said.

This offseason, the Chiefs have interest in re-signing Smith-Schuster, who's only 26. The expectation leaguewide is Kansas City franchise-tags left tackle Orlando Brown for a second consecutive year.

The Chiefs are well-positioned to sustain this run.

In Philadelphia, Roseman made the right call selecting Jalen Hurts No. 53 overall in 2020. But one underrated decision was betting on several hungry veterans looking for second or third acts -- Darius Slay was unhappy in Detroit, James Bradberry was cut, Haason Reddick had to reestablish his career in Carolina for a year before signing in Philly. All three have been highly productive. Couple that with successful trades for A.J. Brown and C.J. Gardner-Johnson and pretty much every move has worked out lately.

"It's a Philly mentality -- whether these guys are from Philly or not, this journey has prepared them for this," Reddick, who led the team with 16 sacks, said about why players from different teams have gelled together. "That underdog mentality, constantly overlooked, having to fight to overcome the obstacles that are right in front of you." -- Fowler

What's next for Carson Wentz, Mitch Trubisky, Kyle Trask, Adam Thielen?

With Commanders coach Ron Rivera (sort of) committing to Sam Howell as QB1 here on Radio Row, that reinforces the fact Washington and Wentz will probably part ways. Wentz is due $26.2 million with no dead money, so barring a steep pay cut and an openness to a QB competition, Washington's decision will be made for it. This leaves questions about Wentz, who has lost the starting job on three different teams in back-to-back-to-back years and might not be ready to accept a backup role. -- Fowler

Trubisky is a name to watch in the coming weeks. The Steelers would like to keep him, but his $8 million salary on a $10.6 million cap hit is steeper than usual for a Pittsburgh backup. Miami could be a good fit for him, as the Dolphins need a capable veteran behind Tua Tagovailoa in case concussion issues persist. -- Fowler

Caught up with a few Bucs players in Phoenix who believe Trask will get a shot at QB1 for Tampa. The feeling is Trask's draft pedigree as a second-round pick, coupled with a scarcity of realistic options on the market, will get him on the field. -- Fowler

The Vikings are open to Thielen returning in 2022. Sides have had preliminary talks. But his $19.967 million cap hit is an issue (probably more so than his $13.3 million in cash), and he would have trade interest, so the team and player must find a sweet spot for him to retire a Viking. Seems like something they can work out. -- Fowler

Who will lead the NFLPA?

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith declined to answer a question Wednesday about his potential successor, but the process of finding one is well underway. The NFLPA hired a search firm to help them find candidates, and the field has narrowed to a handful of them. Smith's deal with the NFLPA will expire in the spring of 2024, but there's a chance a successor could be elected this spring or summer, if the union's executive board feels it's found the right candidate. Smith was voted to another term in 2021, but the NFLPA said then it would be Smith's final term.

NFLPA president JC Tretter told me he's been proud of the process and its diligence, and there's no timetable for finding a successor to Smith, who's held the position for 14 years and negotiated the last two collective bargaining agreements with the league. "It's about finding the right person," Tretter said, "and I believe that's where our focus has been. I feel good about the process and the way our guys have handled it to this point." -- Graziano

Chiefs wideouts and an unseen advantage

A lot has been made about the Chiefs' overhauled receiving corps this year, but one thing I hadn't thought of came up in a conversation the other day with Chiefs wide receivers coach Joe Bleymaier. He pointed out that the three receivers they brought in as free agents had all played with Hall of Fame-level quarterbacks before. Marquez Valdes-Scantling played with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, JuJu Smith-Schuster with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and Justin Watson with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay.

Bleymaier said coaches and Patrick Mahomes (himself a Hall of Fame-caliber quarterback) found that helpful because the new guys were able to process information and concepts at a high level right away and contribute to conversations about game planning. Just another way in which the Chiefs' offensive "rebuild" post-Tyreek Hill was accelerated. -- Graziano

Famous face

Funny moment of mistaken identity while leaving Super Bowl Radio Row. Was chatting with free agent quarterback Taylor Heinicke when fans tried to stop him for autographs and pictures. They thought he was Christian McCaffrey. Heinicke was gracious with the mistake. -- Fowler