The Washington Commanders have agreed a trade with the Indianapolis Colts to acquire quarterback Carson Wentz.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Colts will receive a package of draft picks that is thought to include two third-round selections.

Wentz spent just one season with the Colts, who last year traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round pick that later became a first-rounder to land him in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, an unsatisfactory end to the season, which saw the Colts miss the playoffs with a shock loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on the final Sunday of the regular season, led to questions about Wentz's future, with coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard non-committal on whether he would remain with the team.

Indianapolis ultimately came to the decision to cut their losses and move on, with Washington landing Wentz having reportedly offered three first-round picks for Russell Wilson before he was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos.

The Green Bay Packers have kept the Aaron Rodgers-Davante Adams band together.

On the day that it was confirmed Rodgers would be staying with Green Bay, the Packers also moved to keep hold of his favourite target Adams, franchise tagging him before the deadline on Tuesday.

It means he will at least play 2022 under a one-year franchise tender, and gives the Packers until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal.

Adams has established himself as arguably the premier wide receiver in the NFL in recent years, topping 1,000 yards in three of the last four seasons.

He racked up a career-high 1,553 yards while also scoring 11 receiving touchdowns in 2021 as the Packers clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs with a 13-4 record, only to lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs to the San Francisco 49ers.

Recording a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 65.6 per cent of his targets (the 2021 average for receivers with at least 100 targets was 62), Adams finished the year fifth among wideouts with an average of 3.5 burn yards per target.

In other words, he was again one of the NFL's elite when it came to creating clear separation from defenders, and the Packers will hope they can come to a long-term arrangement that ensures he will be doing so for Green Bay for many years to come.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have again utilised the franchise tag to keep Chris Godwin on the roster, doing so for the second year in a row.

Godwin was tagged last season following the Buccaneers' victory in Super Bowl LV, with Tampa Bay then unable to reach a long-term deal with the wide receiver.

Despite having his 2021 season curtailed by injury, the Bucs still see Godwin as a key cog as they plot a path to staying competitive following Tom Brady's retirement.

They have, therefore, taken the step of tagging him again, giving Tampa Bay until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with Godwin.

The odds of them succeeding in that aim appear better than in 2021, as the Bucs and Godwin's representatives have reportedly already been working on a deal between the two sides.

Godwin will play under a one-year, $19.18million franchise tender if he does not sign a long-term contract with Tampa Bay by the deadline.

Though his 2021 campaign was ended by a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints, Godwin still finished the year with 98 receptions for 1,103 yards - both career highs - and five touchdowns.

According to Stats Perform data, Godwin registered a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted, on 70.4 per cent of his targets. That ratio was third-best in the NFL among wideouts behind team-mate Mike Evans (72.7) and Tyreek Hill (70.8). 

With a multi-year contract potentially on the horizon, the Bucs are banking on Godwin recovering from his injury and maintaining that kind of form in an era where he and Evans may need to elevate whoever is handed the difficult challenge of filling Brady's shoes.

Aaron Rodgers has confirmed he will return to the Green Bay Packers next season but denied signing a contract and refuted the alleged figures involved. 

NFL Network on Tuesday reported that Rodgers had agreed a four-year, $200million deal with Green Bay to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. 

The quarterback was said to be receiving $153m guaranteed while giving the Packers room in the salary cap, which would have opened the door for the franchise tag to be placed on Davante Adams. 

Reigning MVP Rodgers took to Twitter to confirm he would be back on the field for the Packers next season. However, he claimed the details that had been reported were "inaccurate". 

"Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year," Rodgers posted. 

"However, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I 'signed'. 

"I'm very excited to be back. #year18" 

Rodgers was named MVP after throwing for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns and just four interceptions in the 2021 season. He ended the campaign ranked first in the NFL in touchdown percentage (7.0), interception percentage (0.8) and passer rating (111.9). 

Mike Williams has reportedly agreed a three-year, $60million deal to stay with the Los Angeles Chargers. 

According to ESPN, the wide receiver will sign a contract that includes $40m guaranteed and $28m in the first year. 

Williams, who was drafted seventh overall in 2017 by the Chargers, had been heading for free agency but will be in Los Angeles when he begins his sixth year in the league. 

The wideout had a career-high 1,146 yards on 76 receptions in the 2021 season, the 12th best total in the league. 

The Chargers were expected to give Williams the franchise tag if an agreement could not be reached on a new contract. 

The Denver Broncos have agreed in principle a trade to acquire Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, according to multiple reports.

The Broncos had been viewed as a potential destination for Aaron Rodgers, but any talk of the reigning NFL MVP moving to Denver was put to bed when it was reported he had agreed a record-breaking four-year, $200million contract extension to stay with the Green Bay Packers.

Instead, it is Wilson who looks set to take his career to Denver after the Broncos agreed to send multiple first-round picks, as well as additional selections and players to the Seahawks to land the nine-time Pro Bowler, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the trade is pending a physical and Wilson's approval, and that Broncos quarterback Drew Lock is part of the deal.

The Denver Broncos have agreed in principle a trade to acquire Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, according to multiple reports.

Dak Prescott has had his contract with the Dallas Cowboys restructured.

After seeing his 2020 season cut short by injury, Prescott played 16 times in 2021, as the Cowboys clinched the NFC East with a 12-5 record.

The quarterback led a prolific offense that finished the season with a league-high 530 points, yet the Cowboys fell short in the playoffs, losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round.

Prescott's tally of 4,449 passing yards ranked seventh in the NFL, while his completion percentage of 68.8 was fourth and only three quarterbacks threw for more touchdowns than his 37.

In 2021, the 28-year-old restructured his franchise-record $160million deal to create space for the salary cap and it is a similar story this time around.

With a $208.2m cap announced on Monday, teams have until March 16 to create financial wiggle room and the new structure of Prescott's deal will result in roughly $15m being saved before the start of free agency.

Five-time All Pro Zack Martin has also had his deal restructured, which will give the team an additional $7m in cap space.

The restructuring of the deals sees a portion of the players' salaries for 2022 being converted into signing bonuses.

Dallas needed the space after placing a $10.9m franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz.

Only four tight ends scored more than Schultz's eight receiving touchdowns last season, as he racked up a career-high 808 receiving yards.

However, Dallas will still need to make more changes to get under the cap.

According to reports, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has declined a pay cut, while Blake Jarwin has also been approached by Dallas to take a hit on his salary.

ESPN, meanwhile, reported that Amari Cooper is likely to be released, which would free up $20m in cap space.

The Dallas Cowboys will not let Dalton Schultz test free agency this offseason, electing to place the franchise tag on the tight end.

Schultz enjoyed a breakout year for the Cowboys in 2021, racking up a career-high 808 receiving yards at an average of 10.4 yards per reception.

Only four tight ends scored more than his eight receiving touchdowns last season, Mark Andrews, Hunter Henry, Travis Kelce and Dawson Knox all hauling in nine.

He was set to hit unrestricted free agency and potentially receive a substantial payday from a rival team, however, the Cowboys have moved to prevent that from happening.

Instead, they will now have sole negotiating rights with Schultz and have until July 15 to come to terms on a long-term deal and avoid having him play on the one-year franchise tender.

The move comes after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that wide receiver Amari Cooper is likely to be released by Dallas.

A four-time Pro Bowler, Cooper finished last season with 865 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, but the Cowboys have decided to focus their resources on paying Schultz and wideout Michael Gallup, who is expected to re-sign with the team.

Releasing Cooper will free $20million in cap space for the Cowboys.

 

Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million contract extension with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The quarterback's future had been the subject of much speculation, with the four-time MVP non-committal on whether he would return to Green Bay for the 2022 season having entered the 2021 campaign in the wake of a stand-off with the Packers after his desire to leave was reported on the opening night of last year's draft.

A move elsewhere and retirement both seemed to be options on the table for Rodgers, who won a second successive MVP by leading the Packers to a NFL-best 13-4 record last season.

But relations between Rodgers and the Packers at the end of the season appeared more amiable than they were back in April of 2021.

Rodgers told The Pat McAfee show of his conversations with the franchise after the Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers: "I would say the meetings were much different than they've been in the past, in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."

Green Bay's hiring of Tom Clements, who worked with Rodgers and the Packers from 2006 to 2016, as their quarterbacks coach for 2022 pointed towards him staying at Lambeau Field.

And Rodgers will now likely end his career where it started after agreeing to a deal worth $50m annually that keeps him under contract with the team for the next five seasons.

 

With the burning issue of the offseason resolved, Green Bay's attention will likely turn to keeping Rodgers' favourite target, wide receiver Davante Adams, on the roster and preventing him testing unrestricted free agency as the Packers plot a way to get over the hump after coming up short in the postseason yet again.

Having ended his staring contest with the Packers and reported for training camp, Rodgers' 2021 campaign was partly defined by controversy after a positive coronavirus test revealed previous misleading statements about his vaccination status, while his spread of misinformation regarding vaccines has unquestionably damaged his reputation.

On the field, he did not quite reach the heights of his magical 2020, but he still finished the regular season with 37 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, giving him the best touchdown to interception ratio in the NFL. 

Among quarterbacks with 200 passing attempts, only Justin Herbert (2.30) threw a lower percentage of interceptable passes than Rodgers (2.36).

No quarterback delivered a higher ratio of throws that resulted in a first down than Rodgers, who did so on 40.1 per cent of his attempts, while he was second in passer rating on third down (112.2) behind Kyler Murray (118.5) among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts in that situation.

However, Rodgers was shackled by the 49ers' defense in the playoffs as the Packers went one and done, losing 13-10 in the Divisional Round in an all too familiar tale for Green Bay.

Since Rodgers led the Packers to glory in Super Bowl XLV at the end of the 2010 season, they have reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs eight times but have never returned to the Super Bowl.

Now, the 38-year-old has until the end fo the 2026 season to change that fact.

Aaron Rodgers has agreed to terms on a four-year, $200million deal with the Green Bay Packers to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

Mike Gesicki looks set to have a role in the Miami Dolphins' offense in 2022 after he was franchise tagged.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Dolphins had elected to keep Gesicki around for a fifth season by opting to place a one-year franchise tender on the tight end.

Miami can still sign Gesicki to a long-term deal, but the Dolphins must do so before July 15. Otherwise, Gesicki will play on the tender, which for tight ends is worth $10.9million.

Last season, Gesicki recorded career highs in receptions (73) and receiving yards (780), though he caught only two passing touchdowns.

He will hope to have a greater impact under new head coach Mike McDaniel, who replaced Brian Flores after he was fired despite a second successive winning season, the Dolphins going 9-8 in 2021.

McDaniel arrived in Miami having served as Kyle Shanahan's offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 and spent the vast majority of his career working with Shanahan.

The coaching switch would therefore appear to bode well for Gesicki. Since Shanahan took charge of the Niners in 2017, only Travis Kelce (78.8) has averaged more receiving yards per game among tight ends than San Francisco's George Kittle (67), giving Gesicki cause for optimism he can enjoy a significant bump in production playing under one of the newest members of that ever-expanding coaching tree to land a top job.

The NFL has informed its teams that the salary cap will be set at $208.2 million per franchise for the 2022 season, according to reports.

This is up from last season's cap of $182.5m by $25.7m, and matches up with previous projections from December.

The league's cap had dropped from $198.2m for the 2020 season as a result of COVID-19 implications as teams played in front of limited or no crowds, but will now raise beyond $200m for the first time ever.

The NFL Network reported the figure on Monday, and is the maximum amount agreed upon by the NFL and NFL Players Association in May last year.

The NFL has suspended Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley for at least the 2022 season for betting on league games in 2021.

Ridley's bets were made over a five-day span in November when he was away from the team to focus on his mental health and was on the reserve/NFL list.

The league opened an investigation and concluded there was no insider information on the betting activity and none of the coaches or players on the Falcons were aware or involved.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the ban on Monday, notifying Ridley of his suspension in a letter, writing:

"There is nothing more fundamental to the NFL's success - and to the reputation of everyone associated with our league - than upholding the integrity of the game. This is the responsibility of every player, coach, owner, game official, and anyone else employed in the league.

"Your actions put the integrity of the game at risk, threatened to damage public confidence in professional football, and potentially undermined the reputations of your fellow players throughout the NFL.

"For decades, gambling on NFL games has been considered among the most significant violations of league policy warranting the most substantial sanction. In your case, I acknowledge and commend you for your promptly reporting for an interview, and for admitting your actions."

Ridley, who was slated to make $11,116,000 in 2022, may not apply for reinstatement until February 15, 2023.

The NFL Network reported that Ridley made parlay bets on NFL games using his cell phone, but the specific games he bet on has not been revealed.

The player has not responded to the suspension, but the Falcons issued a response on Monday.

"We were first made aware of the league’s investigations on February 9," the Falcons statement said. "We have cooperated fully with the investigation since receiving notice and support the league's findings and actions. We are moving forward in the 2022 season with the decision that was made."

Ridley appeared in just five games in the 2021 season, catching 31 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns after finishing tied for fifth in receiving yards in 2020 with 1,374.

The Cleveland Browns have placed the franchise tag on tight end David Njoku.

Njoku was set to hit unrestricted free agency but the Browns made the move to place a one-year franchise tender on Njoku before Tuesday's deadline, according to a report from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.

The 2017 first-round pick has yet to live up to expectations since the Browns took him with the 29th overall selection five years ago.

His best season in terms of receiving yards came back in 2018 when he finished with 639, but he has since struggled with injuries.

He played in only four games in 2019 and 13 in 2020 as the Browns reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Njoku started 11 of his 16 games in 2021 and finished with 475 yards and four touchdowns in a campaign that saw a disappointing Browns team fail to qualify for the postseason.

However, his average of 13.2 yards per reception ranked fourth among all qualifying tight ends, and, by tagging Njoku, the Browns clearly believe he can have a more significant impact on their offense.

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