7 top story lines for next season
Key players could move on, retire
An early look at seven things to watch on the road to Super Bowl LI in Houston. Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller is the brightest star with a contract set to expire March 9. But there’s no way Denver lets him hit the market, even if the sides can’t work out a long-term contract that likely would make Miller the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. The franchise tag and new deals usually thin the A tier of potential free agents, and this year figures to be no different. Other notable names to watch include Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman, New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford, Chicago Bears receiver Alshon Jeffery, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders are among the teams with a ton of spending power. The Broncos are likely to move on from soon-to-be-40-year-old quarterback Peyton Manning, even if he wants to return for a 19th NFL season. And Manning isn’t the only big name who could be headed for retirement. Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson and Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch are among those contemplating whether to play in 2016. Commissioner Roger Goodell has publicly endorsed a rule change that would yield an ejection for any player who commits two personal fouls in a game. But the competition committee and the NFL Players Association will have a lot of questions about how that would work. Would all personal fouls (including face masks and horse-collar tackles) be subject to the rule? Would fouls be reviewable? Would officials be as willing to flag a player who already has one strike? A vote could come as soon as the league meetings next month. Side note: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict’s appeal of his three-game suspension for a string of illegal hits is pending. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady successfully fought his four-game Deflategate suspension in federal court. But the NFL has appealed that decision, and the U.S. Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the case March 3. Goodell deflected a question Friday about whether Brady’s suspension would be reinstated should the league win. If the point is to protect the league’s collectively bargained power to discipline, as Goodell says, it’s hard to see how letting Brady off the hook would make any sense. The Cleveland Browns have made it clear Johnny Manziel’s days with Cleveland are numbered. But football should be the least of Manziel’s concerns at a time when he’s under investigation in a possible domestic violence incident and his family is pleading through the media for help getting him back into rehab. Manziel, 23, is a special talent, but he needs to get his life in order before he gets back on the field. The most obvious coach under pressure is the Jaguars’ Gus Bradley, who is 12-36 in three seasons and got a one-year contract extension after last season. But there are others who figure to come under fire if things don’t start well: the Buffalo Bills’ Rex Ryan, San Diego’s Mike McCoy, Detroit’s Jim Caldwell and Los Angeles’ Jeff Fisher among them. There’s no shortage of early candidates for comeback player of the year, given the number of big names who spent most or all of 2015 on the sideline with injuries. That list includes Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson, Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham, who tore a patellar tendon in late November, faces a hard road back.