🏈 The Touchdown Collective: Tush Push problems
An exclusive interview with legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg, the Tush Push and new deals galore all feature to keep you ahead of the game, one play at a time
In today’s Touchdown Collective there’s the latest on the Tush Push in Press Coverage, my exclusive interview with legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg is the topic of a new segment In the Huddle, a slightly worrying schedule release features in Get to the Post, while Inside Zone has the scoop on Cleveland’s QB situation. And it’s all about the hurdle in Snap!
📰 Press Coverage
NFL Spring Meeting
Teams will discuss and potentially vote on a number of rule changes, with the ‘Tush Push‘ and play-off seedings the two most anticipated today in Minnesota.
Green Bay submitted a revised proposal to ban the Tush Push on Monday, reports Tom Pelissero, citing “player safety” and “pace of play”. Commanders' linebacker Frankie Luvu called the play “cheapo” on Good Morning Football after being penalised on three consecutive snaps trying to stop it in the NFC Championship last season.
Philadelphia and Buffalo have run the play most successfully, and conversations around it took place at the Annual League Meeting at the start of April.
Sources at that meeting told ESPN's Kalyn Kahler the vote was split 16-16 among NFL teams then, with 24 votes needed for a proposal to pass.
Also on the table today are amendments to the play-off seeding process, which Detroit believes should be the division champion with the best record seeded No.1 and the remaining six seeds determined strictly by record, regardless of their division finish, although Mark Maske of the Washington Post has been told the proposal will likely fail. Other votes should take place regarding minor changes to free kicks.
On Tuesday, NFL owners voted through plans by a score of 32-0 to allow a player from each team to represent the United States at the 2028 Olympics flag football event. Each team will also allow one international player to represent their country.
San Francisco 49ers
Fred Warner of the Niners has agreed a three-year contract to stay in San Francisco for $63m – with $56.7m guaranteed – report NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, and is now the third massive new deal of the off-season for the 49ers following extensions for George Kittle and Brock Purdy, the latter of which was signed on Tuesday.
CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr grades the 49ers’ off-season moves in a nice read here as Warner becomes the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL for the second time in his career.
Philadelphia Eagles
The defending Super Bowl champions have extended the contract of head coach Nick Sirianni on a “multi-year” deal.
Before last season’s Championship run, there was a rising feeling of discontent in the city of brotherly love, but Sirianni’s four-year spell of reaching the play-offs in every campaign, two Super Bowl appearances and one title prove his credentials beyond doubt.
After praising Sirianni for his “growth mindset”, Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie added: “I am excited for what the future holds for the Philadelphia Eagles.”
New Orleans Saints
Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis admits he is “anxious and enthusiastic about seeing how it unfolds”. The ‘it’ being the Saints’ quarterback situation, where head coach Kellen Moore has four QBs with a combined seven NFL starts - and no wins – ahead of the coming campaign.
A veteran in the room might be an idea (as I said last week here) but Loomis says it isn’t vital, adding the QBs currently in New Orleans are “a young group, enthusiastic…there’s talent there”.
Meanwhile, one of the four, Spencer Rattler, says “you can’t put too much pressure on yourself” in the competition to earn a starting spot.
Baltimore Ravens
“My mind was going crazy. I was like, ‘I’ve got to go work out,’ I couldn’t wait anymore. I couldn’t hold off, so I came back to the facility.”
If you had to guess one man in the NFL who said the above about going to get a lift in after 30 minutes of sleep and a delayed plane journey which eventually arrived at 4am, who would it be?
Correct. Derrick Henry.
The Ravens running back was literally pumped to sign his two-year extension for a reported $30m, and talked to The Lounge about the deal, training, Lamar Jackson, his Super Bowl dream and more.
Chicago Bears
Kansas City couldn’t afford to pay him, but the Bears could and have signed Joe Thuney to a two-year $35m extension worth $51m over three years with $33.5m guaranteed, report Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. A huge piece of the puzzle to protect Caleb Williams ✅.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence says two-way threat Travis Hunter “has got a lot of juice” after the Jaguars’ first OTAs this week.
Hunter, the second overall pick of the Draft, impressed the Jags QB, who picked out just why he has been so impressed by his new team-mate, saying: “Ball skills, running after the catch, he’s very explosive. Just didn’t realise how explosive he was in and out of cuts. He’s impressive to watch and we’ve gotten to connect a couple times.”
🎧 In the huddle
Instead of Play Call this week, I thought I’d give you something a little different.
So, for your listening pleasure, click below to hear my exclusive sit-down with legendary NFL agent Leigh Steinberg.
Leigh is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands and is credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film ‘Jerry Maguire’. He has represented many of the most successful athletes and coaches in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing and golf, including the No.1 overall pick in the NFL Draft for an unprecedented EIGHT times, along with 62 total first-round picks.
He has secured over $4billion for his 300+ pro-athlete clients and directed more than $750million to various charities around the world.
The agent for NFL legends like Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes among many others, Leigh has a wealth of knowledge on the game.
In our chat we covered….
The changes to the draft process over the years: “They’ve turned what used to be an in-house business procedural into a bonanza of a marketing event.”
His thoughts on NIL and its impact on the college and pro game: “NIL has turned the college game into ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’…some players in college are living a lifestyle already that we used to think of as a professional revenue lifestyle.”
His perception of rookies: “Teams are much more thorough in looking at the background of a player, and that’s because in the top couple of rounds the players have guaranteed contracts, so the team is on the hook.”
Shedeur Sanders’ draft process, his slide and eventual pick up by the Browns: “Something did not work out to his advantage in the scouting system….but because he ended up in Cleveland he’s got every possibility of that being a great situation for him, learn behind Joe Flacco and if he’s what some people think he is, he could quickly emerge.”
His personal philosophy and which deal happened that he thought might not come off: “People tend to speak on the surface and many times the reality about how they feel on core issues is different, so your job as an agent is to create enough trust with a young player so that you understand their value system.
“If you can peel back the layers of the onion and get deeper and deeper and deeper into what it is that motivates them, if you understand their deepest anxieties and fears – and their deepest hopes and dreams – it gives you the ability to help guide a young person.”
Which other teams Patrick Mahomes could have gone to on his draft day back in 2017: “We knew Patrick had a series of teams that were really interested, Kansas City being one, New Orleans being another and Houston being another one.”
His foundation, which focuses on educating parents and funding research for concussion treatment in sports, and whether the NFL and others are doing enough to combat the issue in the sport: “I think they are doing a better job, previously they weren’t. But the first issue is what age should a young person play tackle football – and the thought is maybe not until high school.”
And, of course: SHOW. ME. THE. MONEY.
Take a listen below ⬇️
↗ Get to the Post
The Seahawks’ schedule release was both nostalgic and (at times) a little worrying…
…while Packers star Matthew Golden was this close to completing the flag test… (watch until the end!)
…and the Cardinals were in the mood for some peanuts and cracker jacks!
Vice President of the United States JD Vance gifted Pope Leo XIV a Chicago Bears jersey during his visit to the Vatican.
🤫 Inside Zone
The Bengals are hiring two new scouts in the wake of Christian Sarkisian's departure for Northwestern. Neil Stratton reports Josh Hinch and Tyler Ramsey will join Cincinnati’s front office.
New Orleans do not want to trade wide receiver Chris Olave, despite interest from Pittsburgh. Olave is coming back from a season which was hit by injury, but is considered a major part of the Saints’ offense.
Marvin Harrison Jr has bulked up ahead of OTAs by eating clean and expects to play at a heavier weight than last season.
Cleveland insider Mary Kay Cabot says Kenny Pickett is the current frontrunner to start Week 1 as the Browns QB.
LA Rams running back Kyren Williams wants a new deal but is in no rush, saying it will happen “eventually”.
📸 Snap!
Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers hurdles Jessie Bates III of the Cincinnati Bengals while scoring a touchdown during the second quarter on November 20, 2022.
🔁 Last week’s poll results – Q: Should Buffalo give James Cook the reported $15m a year he wants? Your answer: Yes (67%).
🔁 Last week’s most clicked: George Pickens says he and CeeDee Lamb can be a great duo in the NFL.
📩 Who am I? I’m Michael Ham, the Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express Sports Editor – and an avid NFL fan. I have almost 20 years of experience in sports news journalism and I’m the writer behind The Touchdown Collective. Write to me using this form with your thoughts on anything in this newsletter, things you’d like to see more of, or your view on anything NFL.
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