NFL News

With the 2021 NFL season rapidly approaching, teams around the league are finalizing their rosters in preparation for the upcoming season. While most of the heavy lifting has already been completed, there is still plenty of news around the league.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest stories in the NFL over the last week.

No Extension Talks Yet With Mayfield

According to Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk, it appears that Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns are in no rush to dive into extension talks.

Mayfield, who had his fifth-year option exercised, will be with Cleveland through at least 2022. Even though he will be a free agent in the near future, there doesn’t seem to be too much angst on either side.

Mayfield has said that he is worried about preparing for the season, while Cleveland’s owner, Jimmy Haslam, has said that he wants Mayfield in Cleveland for a long time. With two seasons left before his contract expires, they still have time to work things out.

Last season, Baker Mayfield was solid as he threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions. His 26:8 touchdown to interception rate was far better than in 2019 when he had 22 touchdowns and a whopping 21 interceptions.

If he can build off of his solid 2020 campaign, it is only a matter of time before Mayfield gets paid and gets paid well.

For the Browns, they are currently +1600 to win Super Bowl LVI, seventh-best odds in the NFL.

Bears Making Lots Of News This Week

Over the last week, the Chicago Bears have been making news for a variety of reasons.

The first wave of news comes in the form of their quarterback competition. Head coach Matt Nagy has long said that Andy Dalton is the starter (over first-round pick Justin Fields), and this week he doubled down on those comments.

On Wednesday, Nagy once again reinforced the idea that Dalton will be QB1 while Fields will be his backup. Generally speaking, this would follow the same path that Patrick Mahomes took to starting with the Kansas City Chiefs when Nagy was an offensive coordinator there.

With the hype of the Fields pick and the uncertainty of Nagy’s job security, it would still not be surprising to see Fields at some point this season, but it does not appear that it will be in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears also made news as they signed defensive tackle Mike Pennel to a one-year deal. With nose tackle Eddie Goldman not showing up to mandatory minicamp, this could be a depth move by the Bears.

Lastly, the Bears made news on Thursday as they submitted a bid to purchase Arlington Racetrack in the suburbs of Chicago.

Throughout the years, there have been some frustrations with Soldier Field, their current home, as it is owned by the city and used for other purposes as well. While their lease with the city goes until 2033, this could be a signal that the Bears are at least considering a move from their current home.

Return To Seahawks Unlikely For Wright

According to Brady Henderson of ESPN, it appears that K.J. Wright may be looking for a new home next year. While the outside linebacker has been a stalwart for the Seattle Seahawks’ defense, it appears that he is not in the plans for Seattle moving forward.

Last season, in 16 games, K.J. Wright had 86 tackles, two sacks, and an interception for Seattle. He has spent his entire career, ten years, with the Seahawks, but the 32-year-old may be looking for a new home for the upcoming season.

Seattle ranked 16th in the NFL last season, allowing 23.6 points per game. They are currently +2300 to win the Super Bowl this season.