A fortnight before the 2025 NFL Draft, the bulk of free agent additions have been made, some big extensions have been handed out, and now our attention mostly turns toward the incoming rookies.
We're in the phase of the NFL offseason where headlines become recycled, attention wanes and few fresh news items are brought to the table. Yet, some lingering storylines will remain in focus leading up to the draft.
Let's look at five of those narratives, Fact or Fiction-style, as we wait for the draft process to offer a new batch of stories and threads to pull at:
1) Trey Hendrickson's situation in Cincinnati is salvageable: FACT
The recent back and forth between Hendrickson and the Bengals' brass shaded his pursuit of a new deal or a new home in a negative light.
When Bengals EVP Katie Blackburn said at the Annual League Meeting that Hendrickson "should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," she ruffled some feathers -- Hendrickson's, specifically. He immediately went on national TV to say the team's communication with his agent had been poor. In that appearance, he also said he's been seeking long-term security for years and feels he was given promises that weren't fulfilled. The NFL's reigning sack leader deserves a raise from the $15.8 million base salary he's set to make on the final year of his current contract in 2025.
This has all the ingredients of a drag-out feud -- but I don't think that grudge pie gets baked.
The Bengals permitted Hendrickson to seek a trade so the pass rusher could test whether another club would be willing to pay him his desired rate while also compensating Cincinnati. The fact that we're two weeks from the 2025 NFL Draft and there has been no visible movement on this front suggests no club is willing to meet all the parameters.
Unfortunately for Hendrickson, the Bengals hold all the leverage. He's under contract, and the club has a history of winning these kinds of tug-of-wars. He requested a trade last year, as well, even reportedly playing the "threaten to retire" card, but did not make any headway. Unless he's willing to go through with an extended absence, there is little that pitching another fit can solve.
As hot-blooded as the situation looks now, there is a middle ground that can be reached with time and money.
The Bengals will clearly be better with Hendrickson on the field, particularly after Sam Hubbard's retirement. Trading Hendrickson away would severely weaken the entire club. Yes, Cincy is an offensively driven team led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but last year -- when a bottom-10 defense helped keep the Bengals out of the playoffs -- showed you can't just shoot your way to victories.
Based on Hendrickson's comments that he wants to take on a leadership role this year, he's still considering himself part of the team and isn't completely tuned out. He still cares, meaning there is a chance for a kumbaya session to smooth things over and find a solution that makes everyone happy.
2) The Cleveland Browns should trade for Kirk Cousins: FACT
The trade for Deshaun Watson was a galactic failure. Jimmy Haslam said as much last week. When such an epic explosion happens, all one can do is admit error and move forward.
The remaining cost of the Watson boondoggle is a sunk one for the Browns. The challenge is finding production from the quarterback position while they pay the rest of that price. Ideally, the answer would be a rookie on an affordable deal who could immediately take the reins. Given the weaker QB crop in this year's draft, however, Cleveland could eschew hitching its wagon to another boom-or-bust prospect, a gambit at which the team has failed numerous times. If the Browns aren't willing to take Sheduer Sanders with the No. 2 overall choice (presuming Cam Ward goes first overall to the Titans), their best bet to compete in the 2025 season is importing another veteran -- with all due respect, recent offseason trade acquisition Kenny Pickett ain't it.
That's where Cousins enters the chat. With essentially all of the available starter-worthy QBs having been gobbled up, the four-time Pro Bowler represents the best remaining veteran option.
Last season in Atlanta, Cousins struggled mightily down the stretch, showing a lack of mobility coming off the Achilles injury that prematurely ended his 2023 season in Minnesota; he also seemed to lose confidence as his accuracy waned. The entire situation in Atlanta felt off from the start -- and I'm not just talking about the Falcons' selection of another high-profile quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., in the draft shortly after signing Cousins. Whether it was because of his immobility or the play-calling, Cousins never seemed to fit coordinator Zac Robinson's offense, and the issues snowballed. A fresh start for the 36-year-old is needed to prove that he can still compete.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski's familiarity with Cousins from their time together in Minnesota (where Stefanski served as offensive coordinator) informs the pairing. The coach knows where Cousins thrives and doesn't. And the veteran quarterback can play game manager for a team built to rely on its defense and not turn the ball over while making an occasional splash play. Health is a major factor, but if Stefanski is comfortable with Cousins' mobility, it's worth bringing him on as a short-term stopgap.
In light of Cousins' no-trade clause, plus the Browns' reported reluctance to take on Cousins' contract, there are plenty of details to work out. But in terms of draft capital, the cost to acquire Cousins shouldn't be more than a mid-to-late round pick. With Penix taking the helm in Atlanta, the Falcons should want move on from a veteran who still wants to be a starter. They don't need their second-year QB looking over his shoulder, even if the threat is only theoretical.
A trade might need to wait until after the draft if Cousins, spooked by last year's apparent bait-and-switch, worries the Browns could likewise acquire him and then immediately draft a rookie. There are also the cap-related benefits for the Falcons of moving him after June 1. But for Cleveland, even a diminished Cousins is better than their current predicament.
EDITOR'S UPDATE: After this article was published, the Cleveland Browns signed veteran QB Joe Flacco to a one-year, $4 million contract, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported Friday.
3) With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Giants should be set at QB in 2025: FICTION
I'm in the camp that doesn't care for the dual Wilson-Winston signings. One made sense. Having two replacement-level starting quarterbacks seems like stockpiling mediocrity. The Giants got much more recognizable in the quarterback room for barely a smidge of on-field improvement.
Wilson started strong in Pittsburgh but hit a brick wall down the stretch. In the final four regular-season games, all losses, he didn't bust the 220-yard mark once. He completed 61.8 percent of his passes with four total touchdowns and two interceptions and averaged a mediocre 5.7 yards per attempt. During the run, the Steelers couldn't put points on the board, scoring 17 or fewer points in each tilt. It would be one thing if it were a one-off occurrence, but we now have years of evidence that Wilson is a below-average starting quarterback. He was always a boom-or-bust playmaker, and the last three years have been more bust than boom. That the Steelers seemingly had no interest in bringing him back spoke volumes. In a worse situation in New York, he's supposed to snap out of it and become a divebombing prince again?
At least Winston knows who he is: An experienced backup who can caddy for a young quarterback or fill in in a pinch. In seven starts last season in Cleveland, Winston underscored his high-variance ways. He made some big plays and had a few significant games, but he also had his blow-up moments -- i.e., three starts with three INTs. Winston is what he is at this point. Prayers to the Lord to slow the INTs likely continue to go unanswered.
Wilson's statistics were marginally better in certain areas in 2024, with far fewer INTs (five to 12) and a -25.2 total EPA to Winston's -46.7, but neither was very good. And Winston's better QB rating (55.6 to 51.3) highlights that selecting between the two is nitpicking warts. Neither is the long-term answer. Neither should be considered a shoo-in fix.
These are the men who will turn around the Giants' fortunes, end John Mara's frustration, and ensure Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll don't have to worry about their seats heating up? I'm not buying it.
This feels like "throwing some options at the wall and seeing if anything sticks." Schoen needs to keep tossing.
Adding a rookie, either at No. 3 overall or trading back into the first round to secure one, should happen. I won't pretend to know whether anyone in this draft will wind up a franchise staple wherever they land. But I know if my job was on the line, I wouldn't be riding forward with two 30-something veterans puttering around on the back nines of their careers. There must be a young option with potential to sell ownership and give the fans optimism that the days of eyesore offense won't last forever.
4) Even if Aaron Rodgers signs, the Steelers should still draft a QB in Round 1: FACT
The Aaron Rodgers saga continues to unfold, with the four-time NFL MVP taking his time to decide whether he will join Mike Tomlin's club.
Given the makeup of the roster, I understand the interest in Rodgers. The Steelers are built to compete now and need a quarterback to get them over the hump. I'm not here to debate whether or not Rodgers would be the right choice. I'm here to say adding him shouldn't be the only move.
I've gone back and forth about whether pairing Rodgers with a rookie makes sense. Would he balk at his new team using a first-round pick on a rookie QB instead of a player who can help him win now, especially since he's surfed that wave before? In the end, I lean toward the idea that they should draft a QB, with the caveat that said QB is the right player, and not another prospect who feels almost selected by default, a la Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers have been cycling through signal-callers since Ben Roethlisberger retired three years ago. From Pickett/Mason Rudolph/Mitchell Trubisky to Russel Wilson/Justin Fields, they've been tossing darts at the board but hitting only drywall. Rodgers would simply be another sharp-tipped projectile who, even if successful, wouldn't be a long-term play.
Pickett was the last QB Pittsburgh selected in the first round (No. 20 overall in 2022), and he put up a 13:13 TD-to-INT ratio in 24 starts before being traded to the Eagles. That failure shouldn't keep the organization from continuing to shoot -- but perhaps the Steelers should aim for someone with a little more upside this time.
They currently sit with the No. 21 overall pick. If the talent that will be available between picks No. 20 and No. 60 is, as Daniel Jeremiah says, of equal caliber this year, using the choice to add at the most critical position in sports makes sense. Several quarterbacks, like Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe, bring upside but could use a year or so of seasoning -- like, say, Jordan Love when he joined Rodgers' Packers in 2020.
I don't believe in waiting to take a quarterback in the second round because A) if a quarterback is good enough, he won't last until then; and B) teams should prioritize securing the fifth-year option that comes with a first-round pick, particularly for development's sake. If Pittsburgh is in a spot to snag a signal-caller of the future on April 24, neither Rodgers nor previous failures should stop the Steelers from pulling the trigger.
5) Jerry Jones is correct; there is no need for the Cowboys to ramp up the urgency to get Micah Parsons' deal done: FICTION
The verbose Cowboys owner doesn't see the need to push a Parsons deal over the finish line. His official statement from the League Annual Meeting was that he'd "rather pay more and get it right than pay less and screw it up."
Well, he's already virtually guaranteed he'll pay more by not getting a Parsons deal done last year or earlier this year when it might have been much less expensive. Perhaps now that the top non-quarterback salary has already punctured the $40-million-per-year mark, Jones is comfortable stacking interest in his own bank account for a while longer before he drops it into Parsons'.
With Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and Ja'Marr Chase already getting paid this offseason, Jones could view the market as being tapped out. Would a new T.J. Watt deal push the envelope? Would the Detroit Lions shell out top dollar for Aidan Hutchinson coming off a knee injury?
If Parsons is all that's left to push the top-non-quarterback salary forward, why would the Cowboys need to see "other cards" played, as Jones suggested?
Dallas did not pay CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott last year until just before the regular season began. The delay seemed to create unnecessary distractions. The team needn't run back that playbook with Parsons. From the outside, waiting seems to have hindered the Cowboys, with anxiety-ridden headlines being the only thing to show for it.
Of course, a deal will get done at some point, but some urgency might help head off another offseason of contract questions in Dallas and allow everyone to focus on improving a 7-10 team.
