NFL Rumors: Kenny Pickett surprise, Caleb Williams past, McLaurin's latest

With one full week of preseason games left before things get real, there is a lot happening in the NFL rumors sphere. We have QB announcements, roster cuts and everything in between, as teams are beginning to put the finishing touches on their depth chart and set expectations for the season ahead.

Today's rumors jump all over the map, from the Cleveland Browns in a post-Joe Flacco world to a new revelation about the Chicago Bears' disastrous 2024 campaign. We also have more insight on Washington Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin, who continues to lead one of the NFL's most notable contract holdouts. The clock is ticking...

Let's dive in.

Terry McLaurin won't get contract he wants from Commanders

Terry McLaurin continues to hold out as the Commanders inch closer to Week 1. The uber-talented wideout was Jayden Daniels' favorite target last season, finishing with 1,096 receiving yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns. He has a hardline stance on what he believes he deserves, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. NFL execs don't believe McLaurin will get his wishes.

"Canvassing the league's decision makers, it's hard to find anyone believing Terry McLaurin will get the number he and his camp are asking for from Washington in a new deal," she wrote on X.

This is not a great sign for Commanders fans. McLaurin has earned carte blance after five straight 1,000-yard campaigns, and it's not like Washington has a ready-made replacement on the roster. But McLaurin, 29, is probably approaching the tail end of his prime, which has plainly left the Commanders apprehensive of handing out long-term money.

Daniels beginning his sophomore follow-up to a magical rookie season without his No. 1 target, severely hamstringing the offense, does not seem ideal. Washington can get a nice return in a hypothetical McLaurin trade, and Daniels is good enough to drag a mediocre wide receiver room to the playoffs. But if the Commanders are serious about challenging Philly in the NFC East, they need to work hard on finding common ground with McLaurin, before it's too late.

Caleb Williams and Bears were destined for failure in 2024

Caleb Williams looked excellent in his first preseason action under Ben Johnson's command. There is a lot of justified optimism in what the Bears can accomplish this season with one of the league's offensive golden boys running the show, plus a markedly improved roster around the former No. 1 pick.

That said, the Bears will need to work overtime to put last season behind them. New reporting from ESPN has outlined just how apprehensive Williams and his family were about Chicago as a destination — and it's hard to blame them. Among Williams' concerns, evidently, were former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's personality and scheme.

"A source with direct knowledge of Williams' predraft process said Williams' fact-finding mission about his new team soured him on Waldron, who was the Seattle Seahawks' offensive coordinator before joining Chicago in January 2024," wrote ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Turron Davenport. "Among chief concerns, the source said, were whether personalities would jell and how Waldron would use him."

Clearly Williams was correct in his assessment. The Bears offense stalled often and Williams was constantly out of sync with the plays happening around him. Some of that was on Williams — he took way too long in the pocket, leading to an NFL-high 68 sacks — but it's hard to imagine anything but significant improvement with Ben Johnson, who feels like Williams' dream partner in crime.

Kenny Pickett expected to back up Joe Flacco in Browns QB room

The Browns named Joe Flacco QB1 this week, to the surprise of absolutely no one. With that news, however, comes the realization that Kenny Pickett is probably QB2, despite an injury-plagued and largely underwhelming training camp.

Mike Florio outlined his thoughts on the situation for NBC Sports: that Pickett will probably be QB2 on game day since he's a veteran who can slot in and perform in a pinch. Meanwhile, he notes that if Flacco gets hurt, we could see either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders leapfrog Pickett with a full week of practice ramping up toward a game. But, if Flacco goes down midgame and the Browns need an emergency replacement, Pickett probably gets the nod.

In the end, there remains very little clarity around how exactly the Browns will proceed at quarterback. Sure, the plan is for Flacco to start 17 games and lead Cleveland to the playoffs, but realistically... that is a stretch. Odds are the Browns will encounter bumps in the road eventually. Flacco was hardly a dependable option for the Colts a year ago. If we reach the point where Flacco is benched, who replaces him? It's still hard to say Pickett with absolute confidence.

For now, however, Pickett is the nominal QB2 on the depth chart and the burden rests on Gabriel and Sanders to force a change in practice week-to-week.