I declare Saturday a day of rest (for NFL fans). It’s time to gather your thoughts and emotions after the thrill of Thursday and Friday night games, and get ready for the slate coming up on Sunday and Monday.
We are back, guys, and it feels great.
If you are new to this column, I’m Dianna Russini, The Athletic’s Senior NFL Insider, and I admit: My cell phone (usually on low battery) is my best friend. Over the next few months, I will be sharing news and notes from around the NFL to keep you informed about what people in league circles are discussing, why teams are making the decisions they make, and maybe accidentally provide you with some helpful fantasy football tips along the way.
Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to check out my new “Scoop City” podcast with longtime NFL QB Chase Daniel, or watch our show on YouTube. If you haven’t, go check it out. And if you really don’t want to, that’s OK — I’m glad you’re here!
Two holdouts and a wedding: How the Trent Williams deal got done
If you want to avoid a conversation, you send a text.
If you want to have a real talk, you pick up the phone.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan dialed up his first-ballot Hall of Fame left tackle Trent Williams on Sunday, eight days before their season opener, and delivered a straightforward message: “We need you.”
Williams shares a unique bond with his head coach, who was the offensive coordinator in Washington when Williams was a rookie in 2010 — he considers Shanahan a friend. Williams responded: “You know the only way you are taking me off the field is on a stretcher. I am fully committed to giving you all of my physical and mental being if you can provide the security I need off the field for my family.”
The men shared their feelings, gave in a little, and soon a deal was done. The last holdout of the 49ers’ dramatic offseason was over.
Before that call, it had been more than two months since Williams and Shanahan had spoken. No texts. No calls. Nothing. The silent treatment would have stretched back further if not for a bit of holy matrimony. Because while skipping practice to send a message to the team is part of the business of football, skipping a teammate’s wedding is off-limits. Williams had promised running back Christian McCaffrey that he would attend his wedding to Olivia Culpo in her hometown in Rhode Island on June 29. At that point, Williams and the 49ers were the furthest apart they had been during negotiations.
Feeling a bit like a jittery groom himself, Williams was anxious knowing he would see his head coach and general manager at the reception. The 6-foot-5, 340-pound lineman, who is known to have a superpower of feeling no pain or nerve on the football field, put on his suit and spent the day bobbing and weaving through cocktail hour, hoping to avoid an awkward conversation. It couldn’t be avoided.
Williams bumped into Shanahan; the two hugged and exchanged some quick pleasantries. After the wedding, communication between Williams and the team stopped while Williams’ agent kept discussions with the team private and out of the media. Williams is now the highest-paid left tackle in football, getting what he wanted: Two years of guaranteed money worth up to $48 million.
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Let’s take a beat though.
I’ve had conversations with other general managers and football executives about the wildly successful Shanahan-John Lynch regime, which has assembled an ultra-talented roster with a culture that is the envy of the league. Yet, when it comes to the timing of the negotiations, why is there a disconnect? Twice in the last several seasons, their own elite players (pass rusher Nick Bosa last year and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2022) have admitted they had poor seasons because of the length and distraction of their own offseason contract sagas. I asked Williams’ agent, Vince Taylor, about it. Taylor said: “Sometimes teams look to the future so much in these deals that they forget about the present. This season.”
This season. The one in which everyone around the NFL expects the 49ers to be all-in. And yet, Brandon Aiyuk and Williams will have had only a few days of practice to prepare for the season opener. The New York Jets hope San Francisco’s summer absences will work to their advantage; in fact, that’s probably what the whole league is hoping for.
Ultimately, the 49ers got it done, again. But why must it be so painful?
Steelers more than OK turning to Fields
Russell Wilson’s calf issues have lingered all summer and, now, into the start of the regular season. The veteran quarterback, who won the starting job in Pittsburgh, is expected to miss the season opener in Atlanta; Justin Fields would step in. That is not a significant issue for the Steelers offense — some in the building could have gone either way with the QB competition. Coach Mike Tomlin decided to let the veteran get the first crack.
The Steelers want to be cautious with Wilson in hopes of avoiding what we saw with Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow last season, when he was a shell of himself while playing through a calf injury. Fields got reps with the starters at Friday’s practice and saw time with the starting offense over the summer during a very physical camp. There’s a chance he doesn’t relinquish the job even after Wilson is deemed healthy enough to return.
Haason’s holdout goes on
It’s been a game of chicken all summer between Haason Reddick and the Jets. Reddick wants a new deal, while the Jets have said “show up, then we’ll talk.” Reddick even requested a trade, but the Jets say that’s not happening.
While I’m told there has been communication between the player’s agency and the team, it’s considered a long shot for the team to have Reddick on Monday night against the 49ers, and it’s unclear if he’ll show up after that either. This past week, Reddick drove from his home in Camden, N.J. to Jersey City, in rush-hour traffic, to attend a charity event that was 35 minutes from the Jets facility. He didn’t swing by Florham Park.
I was told that Reddick is operating with the “mindset that he will die on this sword.”
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For Levis, tennis anyone?
The revamped Tennessee Titans start their season in Chicago, and anticipation is high as Will Levis gears up to prove he’s Tennessee’s long-term answer at quarterback.
This offseason the organization spent significant money to revamp the roster around him, and Levis is in position to thrive, especially under the guidance of head coach Brian Callahan. So, what’s been the key to getting the second-year QB ready? Footwork. Titans quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegee, a former tennis player, has introduced footwork drills inspired by tennis training.
For the Titans, there is plenty of buzz regarding the speed of Calvin Ridley and the expertise of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who one person with the team called “the run-game scheme wizard.” Excitement is building in Nashville.
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Missing Wilkins in Miami
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce calls defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, signed as a free agent in March, “Maxx Crosby inside.” If that proves to be the case, I’d call that Christmas coming early for the Raiders.
Wilkins has quietly turned into one of the league’s top playmakers on the interior, and pairing him with Crosby could lead to a Raiders revival, turning back the clock to dominant silver and black defenses past. Good for Las Vegas — I’m not worried about their defense up front. It’s Wilkins’ former team, the Miami Dolphins, that might be feeling a little empty inside.
Christian Wilkins, left, will make a great pairing with Maxx Crosby. But how much will his absence be felt in Miami? (Chris Unger / Getty Images)
In Miami, pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, back from November’s ruptured Achilles, is ready to emerge as an elite threat off the edge. But without a significant playmaker inside he will likely see more attention from opponents, especially this Sunday against Doug Pederson and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Six-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell is a savvy veteran who has produced at every stop, but at age 38 how many snaps can the Dolphins reasonably count on him for?
Expect this Dolphins defense to get creative by using an outside linebacker as an interior rusher in some situations in an attempt to create havoc, especially on third downs. New defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has plenty of experience working with elite defensive linemen as an assistant coach in Baltimore and Houston: J.J. Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, D.J. Reader, and Nnamdi Madubuike among them. However, none of those guys are in Miami to help stop Trevor Lawrence on Sunday.
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Thursday’s illegal formation flag frenzy
The Baltimore Ravens were flagged five times for an illegal formation (only three were accepted penalties) during Thursday night’s opener in Kansas City. They were called for it once over the entire course of last season.
Since Thursday, a few NFL executives I spoke with have said that they believe the league was determined to avoid a repeat of last year’s opener, when Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor lined up in the backfield the entire game. If you recall, it was one of the storylines that dominated headlines the next day, and the officials were in hot water.
Last week, the league sent out a video detailing specific line-of-scrimmage penalties to prepare teams for new rules and emphasize old ones. In the past, the league was willing to overlook some alignment penalties to maintain the game’s pace and keep game times close to a reasonable three hours. Many believe this would significantly impact the pace of games if pre-snap penalties are called with this level of strictness.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from head coaches and coordinators around football is inconsistency from crew to crew. Some officials may adhere strictly to the rules, while others may be more lenient. Which brings us to …
Tush push under scrutiny
The Brotherly Shove is still legal, but it may look slightly different.
This past offseason there was discussion about possibly banning the controversial quarterback sneak play. The league didn’t go that far — however, a clarification in this year’s rulebook will affect the alignment of other skill positions in the A-gaps. The rule states that there has to be one yard in between the pushers and the heels of the guards.
If officials truly call it like this rule states, the quarterback won’t have an immediate presence pushing from behind. One offensive coach in the NFC said, “It’s a legal play so they won’t outlaw it, but they think it’s an ugly play, so they are trying to make teams not want to run it by calling offensive offsides on the alignment in the A-gaps.”
Tweaks or not, I expect to see it run all season by teams that rely on the play: the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and the Indianapolis Colts.
GO DEEPER
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Minnesota Vikings rookie QB J.J McCarthy, in a candid moment with reporters, shared his struggle to stay positive after tearing his meniscus, an injury that will sideline him for his entire rookie season. His words: “It’s tough. It’s kinda a kick in the balls.”
The news of the injury wasn’t any easier for the Vikings organization, which had been thrilled with McCarthy during training camp, both on the field and in the classroom. So now what?
The Vikings have a comprehensive player development plan in place to ensure McCarthy’s progress and help his understanding of Kevin O’Connell’s offense. The third-year head coach is making it a priority to get at least an hour of one-on-one time with his QB of the future every week throughout the season. Head coaches juggle busy schedules, though luckily for O’Connell he has two people helping him mold McCarthy and stick to his calendar. The Vikings will also have their assistant QBs coach, Grant Udinski, working with McCarthy all season, providing him with anything he needs. And the team is planning on using virtual reality programs to help the quarterback continue to grow and see the field. Once medically cleared, McCarthy will be entrenched in the “process of a starting quarterback.”
McCarthy will be a daily presence within the team, engaging in the quarterbacks room and receiving the weekly game plan. He will be expected to prepare as if he were the starter. While there is no substitute for real game action, the Vikings are investing in their young talent, confident that McCarthy is a future star.
(Top photo of Trent Williams: Ryan Kang / Getty Images)