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The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue writes that it's not a given that quarterback Matthew Stafford will remain with the Los Angeles Rams going into the 2025 season despite both sides' openness to work out a deal. The best path forward is Stafford returning for one more year in L.A., but head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead not overtly committing to Stafford at the end of the year signals that they are open to a potential trade this offseason. Basically, the Rams have a youthful roster and don't want to make a significant financial commitment to an aging QB whose long-term future and durability are uncertain. The 37-year-old only missed one game in 2024, though, and was peaking in the postseason. Several NFL executives think Stafford has another good season left in him, but if the Rams stick with him in 2025, they are putting off their future another year. The Rams are essentially between a rock and a hard place and their backup last season, Jimmy Garoppolo, will be a free agent.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers told new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey that it was his tentative plan to play again in 2025, according to SI.com's Albert Breer. Rodgers gave the Jets the impression that he had unfinished business to take care of after a disappointing 2024 campaign in which the Jets missed the playoffs. The Jets have already decided to turn the page on the Rodgers era, though, and he's expected to be designated as a post-June 1 cut. The Jets believe Rodgers still has gas left in the tank, but he will have to join another organization this offseason to play one more season in the NFL. It remains to be seen if any teams will want Rodgers, but his best option could be joining up with new head coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas with the Raiders. The Los Angeles Rams could be another option if they trade Matthew Stafford.
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The Athletic's Tashan Reed writes that quarterback Gardner Minshew II was terrible in 10 appearances in 2024 and won't be in the Las Vegas Raiders' plans at quarterback in 2025. The Raider will free up only $3 million in salary cap space this year while taking a dead-money hit of $10.82 million if they cut him, according to Spotrac. However, if they make him a post-June 1 cut, they'll save $6 million in cap space, with the dead-money hit spread across the next two years -- $7.82 million in 2025 and $3 million in 2026. With Minshew likely being cut this offseason, Aidan O'Connell would be the team's clear starter heading into next season, but the Raiders could draft a new signal-caller, sign one on the open market or trade for someone. Minshew was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2023 with the Colts but threw nine TDs and 10 interceptions in Vegas in 2024 and will be a backup option for anyone that picks him up.
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ESPN's Rob Demovsky puts Green Bay Packers impending free-agent kicker Brandon McManus in the must-sign group for the team this offseason. McManus' arrival in October turned around the team's dreadful kicking game after Anders Carlson and Brayden Narveson missed 18 field goals and extra points in 25 games, including the playoffs, in 2023 and early 2024. McManus, meanwhile, made 50 of 51 field goals and extra points in 11 regular-season games last year. He doesn't look like he's lost much at age 33 and was on the veteran's minimum last year because he was coming off an investigation by the league for the personal-conduct policy. "If we were able to get Brandon back, I think certainly that would make me feel very, very, very good about that [specialist] group," general manager Brian Gutekunst said. If McManus returns, he could be a nice fantasy streamer.
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New Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton told FOX 2 Detroit's Dan Miller that the team's offense in 2025 will remain "predicated" on quarterback Jared Goff. "I think it's big because it all starts with the quarterback," Morton said. "Just kind of knowing him -- and when I was here, I was in the quarterback room. So, I have a feel of what he likes, what he doesn't." Morton spent a year with the Lions as a senior offensive assistant in 2022 before coaching for the Denver Broncos the last two years. He also called played under Todd Bowles as the New York Jets offensive coordinator in 2017 but was fired after one season. Morton has been in non-play-calling roles the last six years. He'll be taking over the No. 1 offense and has big shoes to fill after Ben Johnson left to be the head coach for the division-rival Chicago Bears.
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