Author: nfltalk

The NFL Draft is three days of entertainment. It produces blockbuster trades of players and picks such as Philadelphia acquiring A.J. Brown or Carolina trading up to No. 1 overall. Some scenarios would add even more intrigue.

Here are some of those scenarios: 

Bears picking top 2 overall

If Chicago gets a top-2 overall selection, then something entertaining is going to happen. The Bears will either trade out of the pick or select a quarterback, which would set the trade of former first-round pick Justin Fields in motion. In a separate article, I dove deeper into the franchise’s potential decision. It is highly unlikely that they would stick at No. 1 overall and then take a non-quarterback. 

Fields has played better over the second half of the season but has just two years remaining on his rookie contract. The coaching staff could restart the financial clock at quarterback by making the change. 

Cardinals picking top 2 overall

Arizona is currently in position to pick No. 2 overall. The Cardinals’ situation is similar to Chicago’s, but they have already made the financial investment in starting quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray’s dead cap hit in 2024 is north of $81 million so taking a quarterback would be a surprise. It does put them in a position to potentially trade out of the pick for a team looking to move up for USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels or Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. 

Matthew Stafford abruptly retires

No one expects Stafford to retire at 35 years old, but weirder events have occurred. If he were to pick up and move on, it would put Los Angeles in a precarious position at quarterback. An Aaron Rodgers retirement would be unexpected because of how much time and energy he put toward rehabbing this season. 

This section initially included Russell Wilson as well, but it has since been learned that he has been benched by Denver. The Broncos…

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There was optimism over the weekend that the Texans could get quarterback C.J. Stroud back in the lineup for their Week 17 game against the Titans and Wednesday brings more positive news on that front.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Stroud is expected to take part in practice on Wednesday.

Stroud has been in the concussion protocol since Houston’s Week 14 loss to the Jets and the Texans have split two games without him. Case Keenum started both of those contests, but Davis Mills replaced him in last Sunday’s loss to the Browns.

The Texans enter Week 17 outside the playoff picture in the AFC, but winning both of their remaining games would give them a good shot of advancing to the postseason and having their standout rookie quarterback running the offense would boost that bid.

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USATSI

Kareem Jackson has a new home in Houston, the city where he began his NFL journey. On Tuesday, The Texans claimed the safety off waivers, per the league’s transaction wire. After he was handed his second suspension of the season, Jackson was waived by the Denver Broncos.

Jackson was eligible to return for the Broncos on Christmas Eve’s “Sunday Night Football” game against the New England Patriots, but was a healthy scratch. He was waived one day later.

The Broncos had to either activate Jackson to the active roster on Monday, following the four-game suspension, or release him. They chose the release him. 

His first suspension was for two games after an illegal hit on Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave in October. He was ejected from the game.

His second suspension came from a hit that took place just three snaps into his first game returning from suspension. The second suspension was for an illegal hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. 

He had been with the Broncos since 2019 before his release. 

Jackson started his NFL career with the Texans when they drafted him No. 20 overall in 2010. He stayed there through 2018 before joining the Broncos.

He was teammates with current Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans for two seasons when they were both with Houston. 

The Texans are currently 8-7 and fighting for a playoff spot, currently one position out of the postseason at No. 8. Houston finishes its season facing the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts in two big divisional games. 

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An eventful first half in Santa Clara has ended with the Ravens up 16-12 on the 49ers.

The final three points of the half came off the foot of Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who hit a 28-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter. The kick was set up by a 30-yard run by Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on a third-and-16 play and it was Tucker’s third field goal of the half.

Jackson’s scrambling paid off on that play, but it bit the Ravens in the rear end in the first quarter when he tripped over umpire Alex Moore in the end zone and was flagged for intentional grounding for a throwaway that failed to reach the line of scrimmage. Jackson is 16-of-27 for 129 yards through the air and he’s run for 39 yards.

The 49ers had a chance to score a touchdown before that safety, but quarterback Brock Purdy was intercepted by Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton in the end zone. Hamilton got another pick off a Marlon Humphrey deflection in the second quarter and Humphrey had an interception of his own to make it the first three-interception game of Purdy’s NFL career.

That’s not great for his MVP bid, but another 49er candidate bolstered his case. Running back Christian McCaffrey scored his 21st touchdown of the season to tie Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert for the league lead and he has 101 yards from scrimmage so far on Monday.

It’s been an entertaining first 30 minutes at Levi’s Stadium and the final 30 minutes will likely give us a Super Bowl favorite moving into the final two weeks of the regular season.

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