Football is back, baby! The Seattle Seahawks won their Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots, 13-10, on Wednesday evening. Next up is Thursday Night Football from Australia, with the new-look Los Angeles Rams facing the San Francisco 49ers in an NL West rivalry matchup.
As the games ramp up, there are still plenty of NFL rumors percolating behind the scenes. Let's dive into the latest buzz, including a spurned Myles Garrett suitor, George Pickens' uncertain future in Dallas and Puka Nacua's unsettled contract situation.
Bills tried to acquire Myles Garrett before Rams trade
The Los Angeles Rams won the offseason with the blockbuster acquisition of superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett. It took many years for the Cleveland Browns to come to terms with their situation, but the Rams' godfather offer — first-, second-, and third-round picks plus Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse — caused Cleveland to finally relent.
Before the Browns officially accepted the Rams' proposal, however, another team got in the mix. According to NFL insider Tom Pelissero, the Buffalo Bills called Cleveland "on the day the trade leaked." Buffalo had probed around Garrett's availability for two years, without getting Cleveland to take the bait.
In the end, the Rams were simply better equipped to get a deal across the finish line. While Buffalo could've offered similar or even superior draft compensation, the Bills lacked an edge rusher of Verse's caliber, which is what eventually pushed the Rams across the finish line.
Buffalo has tried and failed to build a Super Bowl-caliber roster around Josh Allen for years. While the Bills are no doubt hopeful that this is their season, the Garrett trade could become a gut-wrenching what-if — especially if L.A. ultimately scales the mountaintop instead.
Cowboys could franchise tag George Pickens next season, too
George Pickens made his first Pro Bowl in his debut season with the Dallas Cowboys, reeling in 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. He was one half of the NFL's most potent receiving duo opposite CeeDee Lamb. And yet, rather than extending Pickens to a big-money contract, the Cowboys dropped the $27.3 million franchise tag, which pays him well below market value.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Dallas could take a similar approach next offseason: "[Pickens] could be facing another tag (around $32.8 million) in 2027."
While Pickens has not stirred up any drama around the lack of a contract extension this summer, it's hard to imagine one of the best pass-catchers in football gladly accepting two straight franchise tags. Dallas is obviously reluctant to pay both Lamb and Pickens WR1 money, and understandably so, but Pickens is clearly talented enough to demand a top-five salary at his position.
It would behoove the Cowboys, no doubt, to placate Pickens and make sure he sticks around Dallas for a while. Dallas has improved its defense this summer in hopes of finally breaking through in the NFC East, but their success is still largely dependent on an explosive offense. Expect the discourse around Pickens to get nasty come 2027 if the Cowboys aren't willing to engage in good faith extension talks.
Puka Nacua hopes to stay with Rams long term
Puka Nacua is set to start Week 1 without a contract extension, as the Rams' expensive offseason additions (Myles Garrett included) made it challenging to dial up major expenses elsewhere. Also, Puka Nacua's summer was most revealing, and not in a positive light. He is currently facing a lawsuit which alleges that he bit a woman on New Year's Eve. The same lawsuit claims that Nacua made an "unprovoked antisemitic statement."
While Nacua faces league review and a potential penalty for those actions, the NFL has unfortunately taken a very laissez-faire approach to punishing its players for off-field crimes or actions of ill repute. The Rams almost certainly still view Nacua as part of their long-term plans, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, and Nacua very much hopes to stay in L.A. past this season.
"I feel very confident. I couldn't see myself anywhere [else]," Nacua told ESPN. "This is where I've been and I enjoy this environment. And from what I've heard from the players who have come other places, we're lucky to be here."
Nacua was integral to the Rams' dynamic offense last season, leading the NFL in receptions (129) and first downs (80), while notching 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. His physical, versatile skill set — not to mention his telepathic connection with reigning MVP Matthew Stafford — makes Nacua extremely valuable, assuming he can stay healthy and handle himself more judiciously off the field.
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