Steelers, QB Mitch Trubisky Part Ways
Changes have been expected at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, and an unsurprising move is taking place. Mitch Trubisky is set to part ways with the team, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The team has since confirmed the move.
Trubisky began his Pittsburgh tenure as a bridge starter, but he was overtaken on the depth chart midway through Kenny Pickett‘s rookie season. Mason Rudolph then emerged as the team’s preferred option late in the 2023 campaign and through the wild-card round. As a result, signs pointed to Trubisky being let go ahead of free agency in 2024.
[RELATED: Steelers Cut Chukwuma Okorafor, Pressley Harvin III]
The former No. 2 pick was on the books for the next two seasons, having inked an extension last year. In spite of that, the Steelers will elect to cut bait well ahead of the new league year. Releasing Trubisky before June 1 would yield a dead cap charge of $4.6MM this year, and cap savings of just under $3MM. Designating him a post-June 1 release, however, would result in $5.25MM in savings compared to a $2.3MM dead cap charge. Teams are permitted to use the post-June 1 designation early in the offseason, but they do not realize the financial savings until after that date.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor confirms this move is a mutual one, and it will allow Trubisky to seek out a new opportunity in a backup role. The 29-year-old made seven starts and 12 appearances with the Steelers, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (eight). Those figures helped inform today’s move, but it will no doubt hinder his market in free agency. Trubisky last served as a full-time starter during his time with the Bears, which ended in 2020.
With Trubisky no longer in the picture and Rudolph a pending free agent, Pickett is the only QB currently on the Steelers’ roster. The team remains confident in the latter’s potential, and he will enter the offseason atop the depth chart. Competition will be brought in, however, and that could include another new contract with Rudolph or an outside addition. Ryan Tannehill – who had a succesful run in Tennessee under new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith – is believed to be on Pittsburgh’s radar.
Trubisky was due $11.25MM over the next two seasons, and he will aim to find a deal allowing him to match or better that total with a new team. He is younger than many of the other options in this year’s free agent QB class, but his underwhelming showing in Pittsburgh should limit his market to a low-cost, short-term agreement. It will be interesting to see where he winds up while the Steelers contemplate their next move under center.
Browns Expected To Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry
The Browns dealt with a slew of injuries on offense in particular during the 2023 campaign, but they still managed to qualify for the postseason. In the wake of that performance, continuity on the sidelines and in the front office is expected. 
Head coach Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry are each in line for extensions this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The pair arrived in Cleveland in 2020 and are under contract through 2024. Their collective showings would make it little surprise if ownership signed off on a new set of deals in the near future.
Cleveland ended a lengthy playoff drought and advanced to the divisional round in Stefanski’s first campaign at the helm. He earned Coach of the Year honors that season, but the team’s record dropped to 8-9 and then 7-10 in subsequent years. Amidst whispers in some circles about he and/or Berry being on the hot seat, things did not go as planned with running back Nick Chubb suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. The same was later true of quarterback Deshaun Watson, leading the Browns to rely on Joe Flacco under center down the stretch.
The latter won Comeback Player of the Year for his showings after arriving as a free agent midseason, which has helped his value considerably. The Browns are interested in retaining the former Super Bowl MVP despite having Watson atop the depth chart. Stability at the QB spot in 2024 would be a welcomed development as the team looks to build off a record of 11-6.
Stefanski earned his second Coach of the Year award as a result of the Browns’ ability to reach the playoffs despite their injury woes. Watson’s ailment marked another underwhelming development in his Cleveland tenure, which of course has been the defining aspect of Berry’s time with the franchise. The Browns sent Houston a package including three first-round picks to acquire the three-time Pro Bowler, something which was contingent on a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230MM contract. Watson’s suspension to open the 2022 season, his elbow injury this year and less-than-spectacular play in between led some to believe a change could be made in the organization.
However, a December report pointed to the Stefanski-Berry partnership likely being safe moving forward. This latest update confirms that sentiment, and Cleveland will be set up for stability if extensions are indeed worked out in the coming months. Both will have notable leverage in negotiations given the team’s performance this season as they aim to take a step forward in 2024 and beyond.
Cowboys To Hire Mike Zimmer As DC
FEBRUARY 12: Despite it being learned over the past two days that Ryan was still in the running for the job, the Cowboys have indeed gone with Zimmer for their DC post. The parties reached agreement on Monday, Pelissero reports. Zimmer will thus make his return to where his NFL coaching career began, and take on his first pro position since 2021. Ryan, meanwhile, is poised to spend another year out of the coaching ranks.
FEBRUARY 11: Gehlken reports the Cowboys-Zimmer agreement has still not been finalized, something echoed by Ryan on ESPN’s NFL Countdown (video link). The latter said he contacted head coach Mike McCarthy about the Dallas DC vacancy, which set up his interview with the team. While a long-awaited return to the coaching ranks on Ryan’s part would come as a surprise given last week’s reporting, Zimmer’s hire does not appear to be a lock at this point.
FEBRUARY 8: The Cowboys looked at a number of candidates to replace Dan Quinn at defensive coordinator, and they’ve finally settled on their choice. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Cowboys are expected to hire Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator. Per Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, there are some “logistics to [be] completed,” but Zimmer is the choice for the job.
Since he was fired as Vikings head coach following the 2021 campaign, Zimmer has been away from the NFL. He had a brief stint as a consultant at Jackson State in 2022, and it was assumed that the veteran coach would eventually look to return to the big leagues. Ultimately, he’ll land with the organization that gave him his first NFL gig back in 1994.
Zimmer started as a defensive assistant in Dallas, but it only took him a year before he earned a promotion to defensive backs coach. He earned a promotion to defensive coordinator when Dave Campo took over as head coach in 2000, and he stuck around the organization when the Cowboys pivoted to Bill Parcells in 2003. After more than a decade in Dallas, he had a one-year stint as the Falcons defensive coordinator before moving to the Bengals, where he’d serve as the DC for the next six years.
Thanks to his defensive track record, Zimmer was named the Vikings head coach in 2014. He ended up spending eight seasons in Minnesota, guiding the Vikings to three playoff appearances. This included a 2017 campaign where the Vikings went 13-3 in the regular season before falling to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.
While the wheels never completely fell off in Minnesota, the Vikings went 15-18 between the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He was fired following that 2021 campaign, ending his Vikings tenure with a 72-56-1 record.
The Cowboys job was certainly an enticing opportunity for Zimmer as he looked to return to the NFL. Dallas finished in the top seven in scoring defense during each of Quinn’s three seasons calling plays, and the unit had perhaps their most productive season in 2023. The Cowboys defense finished this past season having allowed the fifth-fewest yards and fifth-fewest points in the NFL.
While Quinn turned down previous head coaching opportunities, he left the Cowboys for the Commanders earlier this month. The Cowboys quickly looked to replace their departed coach. The team considered a number of inside candidates for promotions, including defensive line coach Aden Durde, cornerbacks coach Al Harris, and defensive backs coach Joe Whitt, who ended up joining Quinn as the DC in Washington. In addition to Zimmer, the outside candidates included Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel, former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan.
Patriots Notes: Bourne, Front Office, Brown
Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne tore his ACL at the end of October, an injury that had especially poor timing considering his impending free agent. However, the wideout has made it clear that he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery, and he’s eyeing a return to New England in 2024.
Speaking to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the receiver said he’s expecting to be ready for the start of next season. Bourne also discussed his upcoming unrestricted free agency, with the veteran stating his desire to stick with the Patriots.
“I want to come back [to New England],” Bourne said. “That is a goal of mine. I love being a Patriot — it’s a great environment for a person like me. Being a Patriot helped me grow into the player I am today. I’m thankful for the organization, but you never know. I’ve been in free agency before and I didn’t know what would happen. And I don’t know now.”
After spending the first four seasons of his career with the 49ers, Bourne inked a three-year deal worth up to $22.5MM with the Patriots. The wideout had an up-and-down three years in New England. He finished 2021 with career highs in receptions (55), receiving yards (800), and touchdowns (five). He found himself in the doghouse in 2022, but he rebounded in 2023, averaging a career-high 50.8 yards per game prior to his injury.
The wideout now has to navigate both his injury recovery and his impending free agency. Bourne told Reiss that he has a physical therapist living with him, and his current focus is on strengthening his quadriceps and legs in support of his knee.
“I was in the best shape of my life and the knee slowed me down a lot,” Bourne said. “It’s annoying to have someone always on me and bugging me, but I know what I need to get back to where I was when I got hurt. I’m embracing it now.”
More notes out of New England…
- While it’s uncertain if the Patriots will make a move at general manager, Eliot Wolf is expected to control the 53-man roster for the time being. Reiss has provided a bit more insight, noting Wolf’s ascension is a sign the Patriots are focusing on more of a “Packer-based structure” to their front office. Wolf, the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Ron Wolf, spent more than a decade with Green Bay, and Reiss believes the Patriots are pivoting to a system that values the personnel department’s input vs. the head coach’s final say (a tactic that was impossible with Bill Belichick at the helm). Reiss notes that Wolf was also heavily involved with the head coaching process, and he subsequently worked with Jerod Mayo to fill out the coaching staff.
- Speaking of the front office, the Patriots have added a familiar face to their operation. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston, the Patriots have hired executive Bobby Brown for a front office role. Brown previously served as the Patriots associate director of football administration, but he left for the Texans this past season to work alongside his brother, Andrew Brown.
- The Patriots continue to add to their coaching staff. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the team has hired Drew Wilkins as their outside linebackers coach. Wilkins spent more than a decade on the Ravens coaching staff, where he worked alongside current Patriots star linebacker Matthew Judon. Wilkins spent the past two seasons as the Giants OLBs coach, but he was let go following New York’s overhaul of the defensive coaching staff.
- Former Patriots WR Troy Brown has spent the past three seasons as New England’s receivers coach, but with his contract having expired and a new coaching staff in place, his future with the organization is in doubt. Reiss writes that Brown could be one of the few holdovers to stick around in 2024. Alex Van Pelt is now in place as the Patriots offensive coordinator, so there’s a chance the new hire decides to pursue his own WRs coach.
Commanders Notes: Izzo, Norton, Pagano
The Commanders have landed on their new special teams coordinator. Ben Standig of The Athletic reported last week that the team has hired Larry Izzo as their new ST coordinator.
Izzo earned three Super Bowl rings and three Pro Bowl nods as a special teams ace in New England, and he caught on to the coaching ranks shortly after retiring. He had a two-year stint as special teams coordinator with the Texans before joining the Seahawks staff in 2018.
He spent the past six seasons in Seattle, half of which he served as the team’s special teams coordinator. Izzo’s units ranked top-10 in FTN’s DVOA (subscription required) during each of his three seasons at the helm.
With Pete Carroll out in Seattle, his staff was free to seek jobs elsewhere. Izzo was a hot name in this hiring cycle, and he’s ultimately landed with Dan Quinn’s staff in Washington.
More coaching notes out of Washington…
- As Joe Whitt Jr. prepares for his first defensive coordinator job, he’s adding some experience to his defensive staff. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Commanders have hired Ken Norton Jr. as their new linebackers coach. The former Cowboys and 49ers star had a three-year stint as the Raiders defensive coordinator before spending four years leading the Seahawks defense. After getting fired by Seattle following the 2021 campaign, he caught on as UCLA’s DC.
- Elsewhere on defense, the Commanders are adding John Pagano in an unknown role (via Benjamin Allbright of KOA in Colorado) and Jason Simmons as their defensive pass-game coordinator (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). Pagano previously served as the Chargers and Raiders defensive coordinator, and he most recently spent time as the Broncos outside linebackers coach. Simmons spent almost a decade on the Packers coaching staff before recently serving as the Panthers and Raiders pass-game coordinators. Simmons was rumored to be joining Washington’s staff following Whitt’s hiring.
- On the offensive side of the ball, the Commanders are hiring Bobby Johnson as their offensive line coach, per Pelissero. The veteran coach has spent more than a decade guiding tight ends and offensive linemen, including the past two as the Giants OLs coach. The Commanders will also be retaining Tavita Pritchard as their quarterbacks coach, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. Pritchard garnered interest from other teams, but the Commanders pushed to keep him after he impressed in meetings with Quinn and new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
- Jhabvala passes along a handful of Commanders coaches who won’t be returning in 2024: tight ends coach Todd Storm, run game coordinator Juan Castillo, offensive line coach Travelle Wharton, and senior defensive assistant/safeties coach Richard Rodgers.
Latest On Danielle Hunter’s Impending Free Agency
The Vikings have a few pressing needs to focus on before they shift their attention to Danielle Hunter. Unfortunately for the organization, it doesn’t sound like the veteran pass rusher will be easy to retain. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the impending free agent is expected to have “a very strong market” this offseason.
With the Vikings eyeing an uphill battle following Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending injury, there were reports that the team took calls on Hunter leading up to the deadline. The organization rejected those inquiries, but Fowler notes that plenty of teams expressed interest, and those teams will surely be in the hunt again with Hunter hitting free agency.
Fowler throws out a handful of potential suitors. The Bears could look to pair a veteran opposite Montez Sweat, and the Jaguars could also be in the market (although they first have to figure out Josh Allen‘s future with the organization).
The Vikings will also make a push to keep their star defensive lineman. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes that a new Hunter deal isn’t atop the front office’s list of priorities. Rather, the organization is naturally navigating Cousins’ impending free agency and their questionable future at the quarterback position. The organization can obviously juggle multiple negotiations at once, but the team would probably like some clarity on their QB salaries before committing big money elsewhere.
Hunter maxed out his incentive package this season, collecting an extra $3MM by reaching the 14-sack plateau. These bonuses were part of a recent restructure that saw the 29-year-old earn $17MM in guaranteed money this past season. More notably, that restructuring also prevents the Vikings from slapping Hunter with the franchise tag, meaning the nine-year veteran will be free to test the market.
The Vikings will also have to weight Hunter’s next contract with his impending dead cap charge. If Hunter ends up leaving Minnesota, the Vikings will be left with a $14.9MM dead-money charge. That isn’t a drop in the pan, and the Vikings front office may decide they’re willing to commit the extra money instead of being left with a hole on their depth chart and on their cap sheet.
The former third-round pick had one of the strongest seasons of his career in 2023. He finished this past season with a career-high 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss. Pro Football Focus graded Hunter 28th among 112 qualifying edge defenders, including a top-20 pass-rush grade.
Steelers Cut OL Chukwuma Okorafor, P Pressley Harvin III
Mitch Trubisky wasn’t the only Steelers player to earn his walking papers today. The team announced that they’ve also cut offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor and punter Pressley Harvin III.
[RELATED: Steelers, QB Mitch Trubisky Part Ways]
Okorafor joined the Steelers as a third-round pick in 2018. He got into 77 games across his six seasons with the organization, including a three-year stretch between 2020 and 2022 where he started 48 of his 49 appearances. He also started a pair of playoff games for the Steelers.
The lineman’s 55-game starting streak ended this past season when he was benched for disciplinary reasons. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Broderick Jones, and the rookie ended up playing the majority of the snaps at right tackle for the rest of the year.
Okorafor inked a three-year, $29.25MM extension with the Steelers back in 2022. He was set to earn $4.75MM via base salary and $4MM in roster bonuses next season. As Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes, the development of Jones coupled with the minuscule $1.23MM cap hit from Dan Moore Jr. made it easier to move on from the veteran Okorafor.
Harvin has spent the past three seasons as Pittsburgh’s primary punter. The 2021 seventh-round pick has continued to build off a rookie campaign where he earned All-Rookie Team honors. He finished this past season landing a career-high 38.5 percent of his punts inside the 20. He was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract.
TE Dalton Schultz Wants To Remain With Texans
Dalton Schultz joined a new team for the first time in his career last offseason, signing with the Texans after a five-year run with the Cowboys. If he has his way, he will remain in Houston for at least the 2024 campaign. 
From 2020-22 in particular, Schultz established himself as one of Dak Prescott‘s top targets. He showed considerable potential with a career year in 2021, posting 808 yards and eight touchdowns on 78 receptions. Despite having relatively high stock heading into free agency last spring, though, he inked only a one-year deal with the Texans worth $6.25MM in guaranteed money.
In his debut Houston campaign, the 27-year-old delivered another strong campaign. Schultz finished with a 59-635-5 statline in 15 regular season games, adding a touchdown grab in the team’s surprise run to the divisional round of the playoffs. He could be in line for a contract keeping him in Houston for the time being, something he would welcome.
“I’d love to be in Houston,” Schultz said during a recent appearance on SportsRadio610. “There’s no doubt about that. I loved my time. Special organization, special quarterback. Love the scheme, love the coaches, I’ve loved everything about Houston. I’m confident that we can find some common ground.”
After quarterback C.J. Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year with a commendable performance and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans guided the team to a division title and wild-card win, the Texans certainly profile as an attractive free agent destination. Schultz would be counted on as a key option in the passing game alongside wideouts Nico Collins and Tank Dell if he were to be retained.
The Cowboys were unsuccessful in working out a long-term agreement with Schultz, however. That resulted in the former fourth-rounder playing on the franchise tag in 2022. He could aim for a raise from his previous pact, though a deal placing him amongst the 12 tight ends earning $10MM or more per season would likely come as a surprise. Schultz’s deal is set to void on February 19, which would trigger a $3.38MM cap charge for the 2024 season. The team would therefore be well-served to hammer out a new deal before that time if Schultz’s desire for an extended stay in Houston is reciprocated.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis Addresses Cap Strategy; Team Restructures Marshon Lattimore, Jameis Winston Contracts
For years, the Saints have been at the forefront of the league with respect to maneuvering themselves into cap compliance. The 2024 offseason figures to be no different in that respect, with restructures expected to be a frequently-used tool.
New Orleans has a veteran-laden roster and has elected on several occasions to avoid a hard financial reset by instead creating immediate cap space at the expense of future years. That has left the team with a number of difficult decisions, but general manager Mickey Loomis has managed to keep the core intact while also being active in spots during free agency. When asked about this offseason, he confirmed a signficant shift in operations will not be coming. 
“I don’t know that change is the right word,” Loomis said, via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. “We just have to be conscious of making up some ground in the next few years, and there are different ways to do that. I’ve said this [to the media] before, sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers and look at how many guys are under contract, what’s the roster, what are your core players… There’s just a lot of different variables.”
Currently projected to be well over the cap for the new league year, the Saints have begun the process of restructuring some of their most lucrative contracts. That includes cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who ESPN’s Field Yates notes had much of his 2024 base salary converted into an option bonus. The move created just over $11MM in cap space for this year. Lattimore’s re-worked pact also has a de-escalator for offseason workout participation, as detailed by Yates’ colleague Katherine Terrell and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.
As Underhill further notes, Lattimore’s option bonus does not take effect until one week before the start of the 2024 campaign (subscription required). That could create a window of opportunity for a trade, something which would come as a surprise given the four-time Pro Bowler’s importance to New Orleans’ defense. Lattimore is under contract through 2026; like many Saints, though, his pact includes multiple void years.
The same is true of quarterback Jameis Winston. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Winston agreed to add void years to his pact which will take effect shortly after the new league year begins in March. He is still on track to reach free agency, but the move will allow for his cap hit to be spread over multiple seasons. As Terrell notes, Winston was due to carry a cap charge of $10.6MM in the event he did not re-sign. The 30-year-old has been with New Orleans since 2020, and he could be retained this spring in a backup capacity.
Designating him a post-June 1 release would also be a viable option, however. The new Winston pact includes massive bonuses in the 2025 and ’28 void years, Terrell details, but a post-June 1 cut would create a modest dead cap charge of $3.87MM in each of the next two years.
Like Lattimore and Winston, several other Saints players will soon have significant adjustments made to their contracts as New Orleans strives to get under the 2024 cap ceiling. All teams must do so before March 13, but as usual the Saints will have one of the steepest challenges to achieve compliance.
Cowboys Remain In Contact With Rex Ryan Over DC Position
A report from last week tapped Mike Zimmer as the next defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. An agreement has not yet been finalized, however, and at least one other candidate is still in the running for the position. 
[RELATED: Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker]
Dallas has remained in contact with Rex Ryan, ESPN’s Adam Schefter explained on a Monday Pat McAfee Show appearance (video link). Schefter himself stated during ESPN’s Super Bowl countdown show on Sunday that the Zimmer hire had been made, but Ryan echoed reports which have noted that a contract is not yet in place. Now, the latter can still be considered a finalist for the role.
Ryan interviewed with Dallas as part of the team’s search for a Dan Quinn replacement. That marked the second straight offseason in which he met over a DC posting, having done so with the Broncos in 2023. The 61-year-old last held a coordinator position during his four-year run at the helm of the Ravens’ defense from 2005-08. That was followed by head coaching opportunities with the Jets and Bills, but he has not coached since being fired by Buffalo in 2016.
While working as an ESPN analyst, Ryan has not been tangibly connected to many NFL openings (either as a head coach or a DC). The fact the Cowboys – who Schefter notes “loved” Ryan after his interview – are still in touch is certainly notable. The team enjoyed success in a number of categories under Quinn during the past three years, but a poor defensive showing in Dallas’ wild-card loss to the Packers played a signficant role in another early postseason exit. Ryan, Zimmer or another candidate will be tasked with maintaining a consistent level of performance on that side of the ball throughout the campaign.
Zimmer has been out of the NFL coaching ranks since he was fired by the Vikings at the end of the 2021 campaign. His tenure as Minnesota’s head coach was preceded in part by a 13-year tenure with the Cowboys, including seven seasons as defensive coordinator. Zimmer would thus represent an experienced option for Mike McCarthy‘s staff and a familiar face for owner Jerry Jones, but he appears to still have competition for a return to where his NFL coaching career began.