Tag: Minnesota Vikings

Even the NFL has to face accountability on occasion

It’s said money can make everything go away, but the past has a way of staying close.

In the United States, there’s no doubt football is the most popular sport, and the National Football League (NFL) is the biggest example why. As popularity grew (and continues to grow), so did the money, to the tune of over $23 billion in annual revenue. It’s sad this is often the case, but what happens is organizations, and leagues in this instance, might have a mission or values in mind at the beginning. As soon as dollar signs enter the equation, anything about a mission goes out the window, and the only thing that matters is making cash hand over fist. Such tunnel vision leads to other problems, like preferential treatment of employees, and if a worker brings a lawsuit against said organization, the latter can normally make it go away with a financial settlement (better known as hush money), or get the case thrown out altogether. Ever so often, leagues will have to answer for their practices, and despite their best efforts to get the notion dismissed, that’s the reality facing the NFL at this time.

Before bringing the actual lawsuit into focus, lets go back to 2003, when the league started a policy known as the Rooney Rule. This policy (named after late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney) requires teams to interview minorities for coaching and front office positions. First, the fact the NFL created this rule shows they knew a diversity issue was prevalent, and this was their way to address it. Secondly, all the rule says is minority candidates have to be interviewed. It doesn’t specify the number, and teams can basically bring someone in just to meet the requirement, without any intention to actually consider hiring him, her or they. It’s hard to get inside the brains of the owners and general managers throughout the league, but one can only hope deciding who has these positions has everything to do with character and credentials, not skin color and gender. Having said that, if someone said there is racism and bias used in these decisions, it probably wouldn’t be out of place. What we do know is there’s at least one current employee who believes race is a reason why he’s not a head coach (which brings us to the lawsuit) in the current climate.

That individual is Brian Flores, who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. Flores filed a class-action lawsuit in February 2022, alleging the NFL and its teams engaged in systemic racism and used “sham” interviews to satisfy the Rooney Rule. Specific teams named in the original suit include the Miami Dolphins (where Flores was the head coach from 2019 to 2021), New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and Houston Texans. These teams were accused of using discriminatory hiring and firing practices. In an amendment of the lawsuit, the Dolphins are also alleged of an attempt to breach Flores’ contract and retaliate against him for bringing the suit. In a way, it’s amazing Flores is still working as an assistant coach while he has an open lawsuit against his main employer, because that probably would not be the case almost anywhere else. On the other hand, the lawsuit forces the league to act in good faith, because the last thing the NFL money train can have is a legal roadblock that could significantly alter the way business is conducted.

Through it all, acting in good faith is putting it nicely, because it’s not like the league didn’t do everything they could to sweep the suit by Flores under the rug. First, they tried to run everything through their arbitrary process, which basically leaves the final say in the hands of commissioner Roger Goodell. After that was denied, the NFL tried to appeal the ruling, but a Manhattan appeals court said the case could continue through the process. The league would finally take their appeal to the Supreme Court, but even they said this case is going to go through. When a lawsuit is filed, one of two things normally happens (along with the predictable denial). Either the accused is going to say they have nothing to hide and fight it out in court, or they’re going to do what they can to get it dismissed. Seeing the NFL going all the way to the nation’s highest court to get a case thrown out speaks highly about what could get uncovered by this lawsuit.

It’s understood most people measure success by how much money a person or corporation brings in, and the NFL isn’t topped by many in that department. Everyone wants to get what they feel their fair market value is (at least), but is that chase for wealth worth stepping on or over others to get there? For many, the answer is yes, but those who feel slighted from the endeavor don’t forget, and they will come back for accountability in their own way. This isn’t the first time the NFL has found themselves in the boiler for questionable business tactics (probably won’t be the last), but the difference in this case is Flores chose not to let the shield intimidate him. Now, the league has to answer for their actions in a court of law, and accountability is a good thing, regardless of who’s involved.

Richardson’s case is the latest in a troubling trend

His career is apparently “over” after losing the competition for the Colts’ starting quarterback

The preseason is officially over in the NFL, and a week from Thursday, the regular season will be upon us. As teams start their final preparations for Week 1, there are still some items on the list to check off. One of those items include getting rosters down to 53 players, with the deadline set for Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Like the other squads, the Indianapolis Colts have some tough decisions to make, and one of them may involve the future of quarterback Anthony Richardson. Just two years ago, this scenario might have been seen as a far cry, but the situation Richardson is now in points to a trend that should be avoided by simple understanding and judgment of talent evaluations.

Before getting into the troubling pattern plaguing the league, let’s start with the origin story. Richardson was selected by the Colts with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft (third QB taken that year after Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud). As is the case with all of these selections, the goal is to find that franchise-altering player that can be the cornerstone for a bright future, and based on the raw talent Richardson possesses, there’s reason to believe why Indianapolis thought they found their guy. While the physical attributes stand out, actually playing the QB position well was always a question, as Richardson was inconsistent at best during his days at Florida, finishing 2022 with a completion percentage of 53.8. That stat alone should give the scouting department (along with the general manager and head coach) pause when considering whether or not a quarterback is ready for the next level, but with the thirst over the position at an all-time high, stats can be seen as minor details, secondary to the number of highlights seen from college days. What a player does in the NFL combine and pro day means more, and that was probably the case with Richardson.

Regardless of the red flags that stuck out, the Colts felt good about their choice, and with Richardson coming in the same year Shane Steichen was hired as the head coach, a nucleus was formed. If anyone was qualified to polish the rawness of the skillset Richardson has, it was thought to be Steichen. He was the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles when they lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs the year prior. Because of his role in helping Jalen Hurts develop into one of the better QBs, the thinking was he could do the same with Richardson, who has a similar body-type to Hurts. At the beginning of 2023, things looked rosy for the newly-formed partnership, as the rookie was putting up good numbers. Unfortunately, Richardson’s season was cut short, due to a shoulder injury suffered in early-October. Fast forward to 2024, and conditioning issues surfaced in a critical divisional showdown with the Houston Texans. Richardson “tapped out” of the game due to fatigue, a move that was seen by many as quitting on his teammates. Combine that with the season he was having up to that Week 8 contest (4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 44.4 completion percentage), and losing faith in a guy who’s the supposed leader and franchise player becomes more than a possibility.

After Indianapolis saw the quarterback position alternate between Richardson and Joe Flacco (now back with the Cleveland Browns) last season, training camp presented a fresh opportunity for the maligned raw talent to seize the starting job. Instead, Steichen (with probable assistance from GM Chris Ballard) decided to name Daniel Jones, someone who was with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings before coming to Indy, the starter for the foreseeable future. Now, questions of trust are floating around, and the team’s relationship with the player is on the rocks. Of course, the first thing the media and fans want to do is place blame on why things with the Colts and Richardson appear dark. It might be true Steichen and Ballard didn’t provide the best situation for Richardson to succeed, but ultimately (and probably the main reason), the player was most likely overrated in the first place, and not ready to play at a level where he could be considered a competent QB in the NFL. Another elephant in the room is Steichen and Ballard aren’t exactly secure in their respective positions. So they’re going to do what they feel gives them the best chance to keep their jobs and win football games. Apparently, they trust Jones more in that venture than Richardson.

In totality, this is just the latest in cases where quarterbacks are put up far too lofty, when a little bit of research (and simple eye testing) would tell a different story. Another troublesome trend is the rush to throw a BS hot take into the wind, calling Richardson a “bust” after just two seasons in the league. It’s true the career path hasn’t started off so well, but the man is only 23 years old, and the raw talent still jumps off the page (this is coming from someone who is very critical of his play). Let’s see if he can work on his craft and earn himself another chance to show he can become a franchise QB, whether it’s in Indianapolis or elsewhere. History says Jones won’t make it through a whole season without getting injured and/or benched. If and when that happens, Richardson has to be ready, because if not, there might be a little substance to that bust potential.

Another NFL Draft, another chance for teams to get right at quarterback

For these three clubs, the hope is 2024 brings a player to build the foundation around

In sports, there might not be a more important position than the quarterback in football. While some teams have had unprecedented success finding their guy to build a team around, others have gone through purgatory to find something remotely close. With the NFL Draft behind us, there were front offices everywhere who spent countless nights trying to make sure they have the right QB (if they don’t already) to be the face of the franchise. This is especially true for three clubs, all who have had tremendous difficulty finding someone to lean on for various reasons. It’s time to dive into why they may have finally got it right, or maybe, why their search will continue far beyond this draft.

The obvious team to start with is the Chicago Bears, who had the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. The Bears haven’t had a bonafide starter since Jim McMahon was the man during the 1980s. Since then, the quarterbacks who have played in the Windy City have provided mixed results at best. Rex Grossman (Remember him?) was the man when Chicago went to the Super Bowl in 2006 (losing to the Indianapolis Colts), and the franchise thought the found their man in Jay Cutler in 2009, but inconsistencies and turnovers equaled disappointment at the end. The latest experiment involved Justin Fields, who the Bears selected with the 11th pick in 2021. The reasons for why Fields would end up being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers can and have been debated for weeks, but the next man is former USC QB Caleb Williams. The feelings about Williams will be discussed later, but for now, let’s say the belief in him isn’t as high as what the mainstream media displays.

Sitting with the second pick of this year’s draft was the Washington Commanders. Like the Bears, it’s been musical quarterbacks for the better part of the last three decades for Washington, who have seen 27 players take their turn at the position since 2000. In 2012, they thought they had their man in the form of Robert Griffin III, and there was reason to believe this was the case after Griffin III won the Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately for the player and the team, injuries would derail RGIII’s career, and the Commanders would turn to Kirk Cousins, who was taken in the fourth round of that same draft. Cousins played pretty well overall, but was never able to lead Washington past the wild card round of the playoffs during his tenure. Since seeing Cousins leave to sign a record contract (at the time) with the Minnesota Vikings before the 2018 campaign, they haven’t settled on a consistent starter. The latest contender, Sam Howell, was just traded to the Seattle Seahawks last month. So who is next to try their hand at solidifying the QB position in Washington? That question seemed tougher to answer than it would be for Chicago, but former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is the choice. For the Commanders’ sake, let’s hope No. 28 is more consistent than the last 27.

Lastly, let’s slide down the draft order to No. 12, where the Denver Broncos resided. In the grand scheme of things, the Broncos haven’t been as bad off as the first two squads. After all, they have been fortunate to see two of the best quarterbacks ever to wear their uniform (John Elway and Peyton Manning). Outside of those years, it’s been up-and-down. Before the 2022 season, Denver felt they had a roster that was ready to compete for a championship, and the missing piece was that QB. So they decided to trade a nice haul of draft picks and players to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson, then signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract extension. The two years that followed were nothing short of disastrous, and Wilson is now with the Steelers (like Fields). Meanwhile, the Broncos are eating $85 million in dead cap money, and they’re once again in the market for a quarterback. In an attempt to remedy this ongoing problem, they acquired Zach Wilson from the New York Jets Monday, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if they reached for another one. As it turned out, it’s Bo Nix who could be next in line, depending on who wins the competition to start that’s coming in Denver.

It’s no secret the quest to find the quarterback of the future is never-ending in the NFL. A few teams (the Kansas City Chiefs among others) get it right, but it appears most of them can’t. More often than not, it’s different year, same problem. In this year’s edition of the quest, six of the first 12 picks were QBs. The Bears, Commanders and Broncos hope this is the year they end their nightmare search. Of course, we have to see these men actually get on the field and play before making any determinations, but if we’re going off of a projection before the draft, I would say nay on Chicago, yay for Washington and neutral for Denver. Personally, I felt Daniels was the best quarterback in the draft, and was never high on Williams (probably an unpopular opinion). For Nix, I can see a solid starter, but that probably won’t be enough for starving, impatient fan bases. The beauty is we’ll start to get right or wrong answers soon enough, and for these three teams, a rest off of the QB carousel would be close to heaven.