The Cincinnati Bengals’ All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson has asked to be traded. According to player’s agent Harold Lewis, Hendrickson is looking for a long-term deal, something the Bengals are unwilling to give him at the moment.

Hendrickson initially signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals in 2021. After outperforming his contract to a large margin in his first two years with the franchise, he received a one-year, $21 million extension that tied him to Cincinnati through the 2025 season.

Hendrickson went on to compile a career year in 2023, racking up 17.5 sacks, 43 tackles, and three forced fumbles en route to a First-Team All-Pro nod. This established him as one of the NFL’s premium defensive ends, and now he wants to be paid like one.  

“Our No. 1 goal is to get a long-term commitment from them,” Lewis told ESPN after the news of Hendrickson’s trade request was made public. “If we can’t, then we’re asking for a trade. And hopefully if he gets traded, that’s what we do — get a long-term commitment with somewhere else.”

Hendrickson already met with the Bengals’ brass to discuss his trade request and was told that he won’t be traded. However, the franchise is willing to discuss a new deal after the 2024 NFL season.

Reportedly, the Bengals have no interest in trading Hendrickson as they want to compete for the Super Bowl this upcoming season and beyond. They hold the same stance when it comes to wideout Tee Higgins, who demanded a trade back in March.

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The Detroit Lions have locked a pair of their key players for the foreseeable future. According to multiple reports, the Lions signed wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to long-term extensions.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that St. Brown received a four-year, $120 million deal. His salary of $30 million annually makes him one of the highest-paid WRs in the league, while the deal comes with $77 million in guaranteed money, a record amount given to a wideout.

Sewell, on the other hand, received a four-year, $112 million extension with $85 million guaranteed. This makes Sewell the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

Amon-Ra St. Brown entered the league as the Lions’ fourth-round selection in 2021. After a promising rookie year, he had a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022 before reaching new heights last season. St. Brown finished 2023 with 119 catches for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, all career highs. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Penei Sewell was also drafted in 2021, being a seventh overall pick. Since then, Sewell started all but one game while establishing himself as one of the best left tackles in the league. He has two Pro Bowl and one First-team All-Pro selection on his resume.

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The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back their backup quarterback Jake Browning. The franchise announced on Tuesday that Browning agreed to a new two-year deal.

Browning earned his new contract after a strong outing in the second part of the 2023 season. He took over as a starter following star Joe Burrow’s wrist injury and completed 70.3% of his passes while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Bengals went 4-3 in the seven games he started.

Browning entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent his first two seasons on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. He followed that up with two more years on the Bengals’ practice squad before beating out veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup position.

Shortly after re-signing Browning, the Bengals added further depth to their QB room by bringing in Logan Woodside on a one-year deal. Woodside was selected in the seventh round pick of the 2017 NFL draft by the Bengals but ended up being released before the season started. He went on to play with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons later on.

Cincinnati is hoping that they won’t need to see either Browning or Woodside on the field once the 2024 season starts. Burrow has been reportedly progressing well in his rehab and is expected to return to action in May.

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Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who won the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2016, announced his retirement from professional football.

Ryan signed a one-day deal with the Falcons in order to retire as a member of the franchise. He made the news official through a video statement in which he said that his “childhood dream has officially come to an end.”

“I’m excited to see what’s next, this next chapter of life, and see where that takes us,” Ryan added. “But today, it’s exciting for me because you never have control in this profession of where you’re going to start, and I could not have been luckier that it was a start here in Atlanta, and it went for 14 years, and now I can bookend it and retire as a Falcon today.”

Ryan was drafted third overall by the Falcons in 2008 and went on to play 14 years with the franchise. During that time, he made four Pro Bowls, won the MVP, and led Atlanta to a Super Bowl LI appearance. Ryan also holds almost every Falcons franchise record in the passing category.  

Ahead of the 2022 season, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts as they were looking toward a rebuild. Ryan struggled with his new team, going 4-7-1 as a starter, and was eventually released by the Colts at the end of the campaign. He didn’t sign with a team in 2023, opting to join CBS Sports as an analyst.

Ryan is retiring after having posted a 65.6% pass completion percentage with 62,792 passing yards, 381 touchdowns, 183 interceptions, and a 124−109−1 record as a starter.

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The New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is set to miss out on his team’s voluntary workouts as he remains on the trading block since the start of the offseason. Wilson was provided permission in February to speak to other teams about a potential trade.

A regular fixture in the Jets’ roster over the past three seasons, Wilson’s absence appears out of place. When asked about the player’s trade status, Jets General Manager Joe Douglas stated that there is no news on his future. “I think it’s each player’s choice whether they’re going to be here for Phase 1 [of the program],” Douglas stated. “These are all voluntary. There are quite a few players that haven’t come for the first week. So, look, that’s a decision that Zach has to make.”

Drafted by the Jets as the number two overall pick in 2021, Wilson’s lack of trade offers may be a result of his hefty $5.45 million fully guaranteed salary. His potential move would largely depend on how much of his salary the Jets would be willing to absorb.

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The Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz stated that the team is unlikely to part ways with its number five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft unless a highly lucrative offer is received. Although several teams have reached out to the Chargers, Hortiz revealed that none of them has made a formal offer.

“They have to make it attractive for us to move away from those players,” Hortiz commented. He added that a “fair trade” offer would not be sufficient to convince him to send the lucrative draft pick to another team.

With the teams going before the Chargers in the draft all expected to select quarterbacks, coach Jim Harbaugh commented how the Chargers’ pick is basically the number one pick in the draft should the team pursue players in other positions. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots are all without starting quarterbacks, while the Arizona Cardinals may decide to trade their fourth pick.

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Ex-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick landed a new job, albeit temporary, and not the one he had in mind for this offseason. Belichick’s new gig will see him serving as a co-host for the special edition of The Pat McAfee Show dedicated to the 2024 NFL Draft.

The show is dubbed “Draft Spectacular” and will see Belichick providing analysis using his experience of more than two decades of calling the draft shots for the Pats. The 2024 NFL Draft will take place in Detroit, Michigan, from April 25 to April 27.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Belichick during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. “Draft weekend’s always an exciting time for everybody — for the teams that are building their teams and for the fans and for everybody involved in it, so you know it’s a great event and, yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing it, you know, from the other side. It will be fun to be in Detroit.”

After ending his successful stint with New England, which included six Super Bowl wins, following the end of the 2023 NFL season, Bill Belichick was expected to quickly return to the sidelines. However, the only job he interviewed for was a head-coaching vacancy with the Atlanta Falcons, but he missed out on it as the franchise ended up hiring Raheem Morris.

Belichick is now expected to do a broadcasting gig throughout the 2024 season before trying his luck once again next offseason.

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Star wide receiver Davante Adams has been the subject of trade rumors for the better part of the offseason, but it appears that he isn’t thinking about playing somewhere else than the Las Vegas Raiders.

During a chat with reporters over the weekend, Adams reiterated his commitment to the Raiders when asked about his future with the franchise.

“If I wanted to be gone, I’d be gone by now,” Adams said via The Athletic. “This is where I want to be.”

Davante Adams landed with the Raiders ahead of the 2022 NFL season in a blockbuster trade from the Green Bay Packers. Adams wanted the change of scenery while also being attracted to the prospects of playing for the Raiders, the team he grew up supporting and the opportunity to team up with his former Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr.

Adams had a great first year in Las Vegas, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards while leading the league with 14 touchdowns. However, the Raiders missed the playoffs and released Carr in the offseason, causing Adams to air out his frustration.

In 2023, Adams once again delivered from an individual standpoint, finishing the campaign with 103 catches for 1,144 yards and eight TDs, while the Raiders struggled and eventually made coaching and front-office changes.

While many expected that Adams would look for a way out after two disappointing seasons with the Raiders, the six-time Pro Bowler seems encouraged with the direction in which the franchise is headed, especially after interim head coach Antonio Pierce got the job on a full-time basis.

“It’s already helped the morale of the team. It’s what we were all looking for: To be able to continue with the same mindset that we had. That’s our guy,” Adams added.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have locked their wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a new contract extension. Smith inked a three-year deal that will now keep him with the organization through the 2028 NFL season.

Smith, who was the 10th overall pick in 2021, had two more years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles confirmed the news on social media but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. 

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith’s extension is worth $75 million and comes with a $51 million guarantee. This makes Smith the fifth wideout in the league with an average annual salary of at least $25 million.

Since entering the league, Smith emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game. Throughout three seasons as a pro, the Heisman Trophy winner caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Eagles are known to prioritize locking their key players to contracts early on, which is why they offered Smith a new deal even though they had two more years of control. The move will likely save Philly some money down the line, considering that the wide receiver market is heading toward reset with star wideouts like Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase expected to land near-record deals soon.

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The New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently opened up about the way he felt after an Achilles injury ended his 2023 NFL season after just four snaps.

During an appearance at the I Can Fly podcast, Rodgers said that he thought the injury would end his football career.

“I was heartbroken sitting in the locker room on Sept. 11 thinking my career might be over, and that’s how I’m going to go out,” Rodgers said about his thoughts in the aftermath of the injury.

Rodgers joined the Jets during the 2023 offseason in a blockbuster trade from the Green Bay Packers. He was expected to elevate a good team to a championship contender and end the Jets’ 13-season playoff drought, which is the longest active in the league.

“One of the most heartbreaking nights of my life, when I played four plays. Talk about an ego death,” Rodgers added.

However, the Achilles didn’t turn out to be the end of Rodgers’ career, as he recovered faster than expected. He was ready to return to the field before the season ended, but by that time, the Jets were already out of playoff contention.

Now, Rodgers will have a chance to make up for the lost time and finally deliver on the promise in 2024. Jets fans certainly hope this will be the case.

The post Aaron Rodgers Thought His Career Was “Over” After Achilles Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson has asked to be traded. According to player’s agent Harold Lewis, Hendrickson is looking for a long-term deal, something the Bengals are unwilling to give him at the moment.

Hendrickson initially signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Bengals in 2021. After outperforming his contract to a large margin in his first two years with the franchise, he received a one-year, $21 million extension that tied him to Cincinnati through the 2025 season.

Hendrickson went on to compile a career year in 2023, racking up 17.5 sacks, 43 tackles, and three forced fumbles en route to a First-Team All-Pro nod. This established him as one of the NFL’s premium defensive ends, and now he wants to be paid like one.  

“Our No. 1 goal is to get a long-term commitment from them,” Lewis told ESPN after the news of Hendrickson’s trade request was made public. “If we can’t, then we’re asking for a trade. And hopefully if he gets traded, that’s what we do — get a long-term commitment with somewhere else.”

Hendrickson already met with the Bengals’ brass to discuss his trade request and was told that he won’t be traded. However, the franchise is willing to discuss a new deal after the 2024 NFL season.

Reportedly, the Bengals have no interest in trading Hendrickson as they want to compete for the Super Bowl this upcoming season and beyond. They hold the same stance when it comes to wideout Tee Higgins, who demanded a trade back in March.

The post Bengals’ All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson Demands a Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Detroit Lions have locked a pair of their key players for the foreseeable future. According to multiple reports, the Lions signed wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to long-term extensions.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that St. Brown received a four-year, $120 million deal. His salary of $30 million annually makes him one of the highest-paid WRs in the league, while the deal comes with $77 million in guaranteed money, a record amount given to a wideout.

Sewell, on the other hand, received a four-year, $112 million extension with $85 million guaranteed. This makes Sewell the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

Amon-Ra St. Brown entered the league as the Lions’ fourth-round selection in 2021. After a promising rookie year, he had a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022 before reaching new heights last season. St. Brown finished 2023 with 119 catches for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, all career highs. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Penei Sewell was also drafted in 2021, being a seventh overall pick. Since then, Sewell started all but one game while establishing himself as one of the best left tackles in the league. He has two Pro Bowl and one First-team All-Pro selection on his resume.

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The Cincinnati Bengals are bringing back their backup quarterback Jake Browning. The franchise announced on Tuesday that Browning agreed to a new two-year deal.

Browning earned his new contract after a strong outing in the second part of the 2023 season. He took over as a starter following star Joe Burrow’s wrist injury and completed 70.3% of his passes while throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Bengals went 4-3 in the seven games he started.

Browning entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and spent his first two seasons on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. He followed that up with two more years on the Bengals’ practice squad before beating out veteran Trevor Siemian for the backup position.

Shortly after re-signing Browning, the Bengals added further depth to their QB room by bringing in Logan Woodside on a one-year deal. Woodside was selected in the seventh round pick of the 2017 NFL draft by the Bengals but ended up being released before the season started. He went on to play with the Tennessee Titans and the Atlanta Falcons later on.

Cincinnati is hoping that they won’t need to see either Browning or Woodside on the field once the 2024 season starts. Burrow has been reportedly progressing well in his rehab and is expected to return to action in May.

The post Bengals Re-Sign Backup QB Jake Browning to a 2-Year Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who won the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2016, announced his retirement from professional football.

Ryan signed a one-day deal with the Falcons in order to retire as a member of the franchise. He made the news official through a video statement in which he said that his “childhood dream has officially come to an end.”

“I’m excited to see what’s next, this next chapter of life, and see where that takes us,” Ryan added. “But today, it’s exciting for me because you never have control in this profession of where you’re going to start, and I could not have been luckier that it was a start here in Atlanta, and it went for 14 years, and now I can bookend it and retire as a Falcon today.”

Ryan was drafted third overall by the Falcons in 2008 and went on to play 14 years with the franchise. During that time, he made four Pro Bowls, won the MVP, and led Atlanta to a Super Bowl LI appearance. Ryan also holds almost every Falcons franchise record in the passing category.  

Ahead of the 2022 season, the Falcons traded Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts as they were looking toward a rebuild. Ryan struggled with his new team, going 4-7-1 as a starter, and was eventually released by the Colts at the end of the campaign. He didn’t sign with a team in 2023, opting to join CBS Sports as an analyst.

Ryan is retiring after having posted a 65.6% pass completion percentage with 62,792 passing yards, 381 touchdowns, 183 interceptions, and a 124−109−1 record as a starter.

The post Ex-Falcons QB Matt Ryan Officially Retires From NFL appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson is set to miss out on his team’s voluntary workouts as he remains on the trading block since the start of the offseason. Wilson was provided permission in February to speak to other teams about a potential trade.

A regular fixture in the Jets’ roster over the past three seasons, Wilson’s absence appears out of place. When asked about the player’s trade status, Jets General Manager Joe Douglas stated that there is no news on his future. “I think it’s each player’s choice whether they’re going to be here for Phase 1 [of the program],” Douglas stated. “These are all voluntary. There are quite a few players that haven’t come for the first week. So, look, that’s a decision that Zach has to make.”

Drafted by the Jets as the number two overall pick in 2021, Wilson’s lack of trade offers may be a result of his hefty $5.45 million fully guaranteed salary. His potential move would largely depend on how much of his salary the Jets would be willing to absorb.

The post Zach Wilson Misses Jets’ Workouts While on Trade Block appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz stated that the team is unlikely to part ways with its number five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft unless a highly lucrative offer is received. Although several teams have reached out to the Chargers, Hortiz revealed that none of them has made a formal offer.

“They have to make it attractive for us to move away from those players,” Hortiz commented. He added that a “fair trade” offer would not be sufficient to convince him to send the lucrative draft pick to another team.

With the teams going before the Chargers in the draft all expected to select quarterbacks, coach Jim Harbaugh commented how the Chargers’ pick is basically the number one pick in the draft should the team pursue players in other positions. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots are all without starting quarterbacks, while the Arizona Cardinals may decide to trade their fourth pick.

The post Chargers Need “Attractive” Offer for Number 5 Draft Pick, GM States appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Ex-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick landed a new job, albeit temporary, and not the one he had in mind for this offseason. Belichick’s new gig will see him serving as a co-host for the special edition of The Pat McAfee Show dedicated to the 2024 NFL Draft.

The show is dubbed “Draft Spectacular” and will see Belichick providing analysis using his experience of more than two decades of calling the draft shots for the Pats. The 2024 NFL Draft will take place in Detroit, Michigan, from April 25 to April 27.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Belichick during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday. “Draft weekend’s always an exciting time for everybody — for the teams that are building their teams and for the fans and for everybody involved in it, so you know it’s a great event and, yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing it, you know, from the other side. It will be fun to be in Detroit.”

After ending his successful stint with New England, which included six Super Bowl wins, following the end of the 2023 NFL season, Bill Belichick was expected to quickly return to the sidelines. However, the only job he interviewed for was a head-coaching vacancy with the Atlanta Falcons, but he missed out on it as the franchise ended up hiring Raheem Morris.

Belichick is now expected to do a broadcasting gig throughout the 2024 season before trying his luck once again next offseason.

The post Bill Belichick to Join Pat McAfee for 2024 NFL Draft Show appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Star wide receiver Davante Adams has been the subject of trade rumors for the better part of the offseason, but it appears that he isn’t thinking about playing somewhere else than the Las Vegas Raiders.

During a chat with reporters over the weekend, Adams reiterated his commitment to the Raiders when asked about his future with the franchise.

“If I wanted to be gone, I’d be gone by now,” Adams said via The Athletic. “This is where I want to be.”

Davante Adams landed with the Raiders ahead of the 2022 NFL season in a blockbuster trade from the Green Bay Packers. Adams wanted the change of scenery while also being attracted to the prospects of playing for the Raiders, the team he grew up supporting and the opportunity to team up with his former Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr.

Adams had a great first year in Las Vegas, catching 100 passes for 1,516 yards while leading the league with 14 touchdowns. However, the Raiders missed the playoffs and released Carr in the offseason, causing Adams to air out his frustration.

In 2023, Adams once again delivered from an individual standpoint, finishing the campaign with 103 catches for 1,144 yards and eight TDs, while the Raiders struggled and eventually made coaching and front-office changes.

While many expected that Adams would look for a way out after two disappointing seasons with the Raiders, the six-time Pro Bowler seems encouraged with the direction in which the franchise is headed, especially after interim head coach Antonio Pierce got the job on a full-time basis.

“It’s already helped the morale of the team. It’s what we were all looking for: To be able to continue with the same mindset that we had. That’s our guy,” Adams added.

The post Davante Adams on His Future With the Raiders: “This is Where I Want to Be” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Philadelphia Eagles have locked their wide receiver DeVonta Smith to a new contract extension. Smith inked a three-year deal that will now keep him with the organization through the 2028 NFL season.

Smith, who was the 10th overall pick in 2021, had two more years left on his rookie deal. The Eagles confirmed the news on social media but didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement. 

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith’s extension is worth $75 million and comes with a $51 million guarantee. This makes Smith the fifth wideout in the league with an average annual salary of at least $25 million.

Since entering the league, Smith emerged as one of the best young receivers in the game. Throughout three seasons as a pro, the Heisman Trophy winner caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Eagles are known to prioritize locking their key players to contracts early on, which is why they offered Smith a new deal even though they had two more years of control. The move will likely save Philly some money down the line, considering that the wide receiver market is heading toward reset with star wideouts like Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase expected to land near-record deals soon.

The post Eagles and WR DeVonta Smith Agree to 3-Year, $75 Million Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers recently opened up about the way he felt after an Achilles injury ended his 2023 NFL season after just four snaps.

During an appearance at the I Can Fly podcast, Rodgers said that he thought the injury would end his football career.

“I was heartbroken sitting in the locker room on Sept. 11 thinking my career might be over, and that’s how I’m going to go out,” Rodgers said about his thoughts in the aftermath of the injury.

Rodgers joined the Jets during the 2023 offseason in a blockbuster trade from the Green Bay Packers. He was expected to elevate a good team to a championship contender and end the Jets’ 13-season playoff drought, which is the longest active in the league.

“One of the most heartbreaking nights of my life, when I played four plays. Talk about an ego death,” Rodgers added.

However, the Achilles didn’t turn out to be the end of Rodgers’ career, as he recovered faster than expected. He was ready to return to the field before the season ended, but by that time, the Jets were already out of playoff contention.

Now, Rodgers will have a chance to make up for the lost time and finally deliver on the promise in 2024. Jets fans certainly hope this will be the case.

The post Aaron Rodgers Thought His Career Was “Over” After Achilles Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.