As we progress through the NFL offseason, all eyes are starting to shift toward the upcoming draft, which is just a matter of weeks away. As teams try to improve their rosters, they are eyeing their draft boards and players for individual visits.
While most of the attention is on the draft, plenty of other stories this week are circulating around the National Football League. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories of the week.
Could Mac Jones Be On The Move?
Undeniably, there was quite a bit of tension in the New England Patriots locker room last season. Most notably, starting quarterback Mac Jones seemed to have issues with both offensive coordinator Matt Patricia and head coach Bill Belichick.
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, it appears that the angst may have led to Belichick shopping the 24-year-old quarterback. While no deal is imminent, this is something to monitor as the draft approaches.
Last season, Jones played in 14 games, throwing for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Heading into his third season, the young quarterback hopes to build on those numbers; it just remains to be seen whether it is with the Patriots or not.
As it stands now, the Patriots have the worst odds of winning the AFC East at +750.
Is Tyreek Hill Already Thinking of Retirement?
Tyreek Hill joined Kansas City Sports Radio 810 this week and made a startling revelation about the future of his playing career. According to Hill, he expects to finish his current contract with the Miami Dolphins and then call it a career.
His current contract goes through 2026, paying the 29-year-old $30 million per year. In terms of the guaranteed portion of the contract, that only goes through 2024.
Hill has been sensational over his seven seasons in the league, six of which were with the Kansas City Chiefs and this last season with the Dolphins. During last season’s campaign, in 17 games, Hill had 119 receptions for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns.
This production helped Miami have the sixth-highest passing yards per game, averaging 261.1 yards as a team.
While Hill still has a lot of time to have a change of heart, it is a noteworthy statement from one of the league’s best and a likely future Hall-of-Famer.
For the upcoming year, Miami is tied for the eighth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl at +2100.
Ekeler Could Remain With the Chargers
Entering the last year of his contract and with no extension in the works, the Los Angeles Chargers gave running back Austin Ekeler permission to try to find a trade partner.
At this point, nothing has materialized, and it appears that Ekeler might be resigned to returning to Los Angeles. He is hoping to find a team that is willing to give him an extension while also giving the Chargers the needed compensation, but it appears he is coming up empty.
In an interview on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Ekeler said he felt disrespected by the Chargers but that he still wants to play for them (if he can’t find a long-term partner elsewhere).
It appears that Ekeler still wants to get paid, even if that means going to another organization, but he also realizes it might be beneficial to keep all options open.
Last season, in 17 games, the 27-year-old running back had 204 carries for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had 107 receptions for 722 yards and another five scores.
If he does stay with Los Angeles, they currently have the second-best odds of winning the AFC West at +340.
