BS Meter on NFL's Biggest Rumors Entering the 2022 Offseason

Now that Super Bowl LVI is over, the league can turn its attention to the 2022 offseason. This doesn't mean, however, that the football action is over. The NFL has indeed become a year-round phenomenon.

With free agency, the offseason trade market and the 2022 draft still on the horizon, there's plenty ahead for football fans to digest.

There will also be plenty of rumors circulating throughout the next few months as teams make critical offseason decisions, and now is a perfect time to dive into some of the early offseason buzz.

Which rumors are worth buying and which are likely nothing but smoke? Let's take a look.

The Carolina Panthers weren't one of the nine teams to enter the coaching market this year. However, Matt Rhule cannot feel good about his job security. The Panthers have gone just 10-23 in his two seasons. There was also buzz during the season that franchise owner David Tepper was unhappy with his decision to sign Rhule to a seven-year deal.

According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, Tepper was "unhappy and embarrassed" by that decision.

It seems that others around the league don't feel good about Rhule's job security, either. According to Person, many coaches believe that Rhule is entering a lame-duck season.

"There were coaches on staff, there were coaches that Matt Rhule wanted to bring in here and talk to like a Thomas McGaughey and a Pep Hamilton that viewed this situation as a lame-duck situation and didn't want any part of it," Person told Game On with Richmond and John (h/t Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire).

While Rhule might not view himself as a lame-duck coach, the idea that others do is believable. His latest foray into the NFL—he spent one year as an assistant New York Giants offensive line coach in 2012—has not been successful thus far, and it's going to take a major turnaround for him to stick beyond this season.

Verdict: Not B.S.

One problem Rhule has had in Carolina is the lack of a high-end starting quarterback. The Panthers traded for Sam Darnold last offseason and got underwhelming results. He posted a career-worst passer rating of 71.9.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports reported that Carolina is looking to find its next quarterback in the draft and has become enamored with Pittsburgh product Kenny Pickett.

"Word is, the Panthers are taking a strong shine to Pickett, which makes sense on multiple levels," Benjamin wrote.

"I don't think he makes it past the Panthers," one evaluator told Benjamin.

While the Panthers may indeed have interest in Pickett. The timing of this leak is suspect. We're months away from the draft still, and the two teams picking before Carolina—the New York Jets and New York Giants—both have multiple first-round picks and could be open for business. Plus, Pickett is far from a sure thing.

"Pickett is the best (in this class)," one unnamed draft evaluator said, per The Athletic's Ben Standig, and is a second-round guy."

It feels like Carolina is gauging interest in Pickett and/or trying to create a market for its No. 6 pick.

Verdict: B.S.

We didn't see New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas in 2021, as he missed the season following ankle surgery. However, Thomas' injury might not have been the only issue.

There was a point last offseason where it seemed the relationship between Thomas and the Saints appeared strained. According to Jeff Duncan of Nola.com, Thomas repeatedly ignored calls from the Saints in the offseason and made his own decision on when to have surgery.

Thomas might seem like a logical trade candidate for New Orleans and new head coach Dennis Allen. However, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport has reported the Saints are happy with the three-time Pro Bowler and do not plan to trade him.

"It seems the curiosity and saga surrounding Michael Thomas, the Saints' standout receiver, is coming to a close in a positive way for all parties," Rapoport said on Super Bowl Live (h/t NFL.com's Jelani Scott). "...He is back in New Orleans now; he's been communicating with the team."

Rapoport is likely correct here. We haven't seen Thomas at top form since 2019, but he's been one of the league's best receivers when at 100 percent. If New Orleans believes that Thomas can return to form, it should very much want him on the field in 2022.

Verdict: Not B.S.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady retired this offseason, but he did admit that he wasn't closing the door on a comeback completely.

"You never say never," Brady said on the Let's Go! podcast (h/t Grant Gordon of NFL.com).

According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Buccaneers aren't closing the door on a Brady return either and will explore trade options in the coming months:

"The Buccaneers are leaving the door open for Tom Brady in case the legendary quarterback changes his mind on retirement, and sources say they would do whatever is necessary for him to return. ...Sources say they're doing extensive homework on Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and are one of multiple teams expected to explore a potential trade for Russell Wilson, though the Seahawks have given no indication they'll deal him."

There's little reason to believe that this is anything but the truth. The Bucs should be interested in having a high-level veteran, and these may be the team's best options.

Brady and Wilson are future Hall of Famers. While Watson didn't play in 2021 while facing 22 civil lawsuits and 10 criminal complaints from women who have accused him of sexual assault or misconduct—and he could still face league discipline—he's a three-time Pro Bowler and a superb on-field talent.

Verdict: Not B.S.

While teams like Tampa will be interested in Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks are reportedly still not interested in dealing him.

"The Seahawks have shown no interest in trading Russell Wilson unless they're absolutely forced to do so, according to a source," The Athletic's Jeff Howe wrote.

On one hand, the Seahawks would likely prefer to keep Wilson in the fold. On the other, they would be foolish to not at least explore the benefits of a Wilson trade.

Wilson has said that he wants to remain in Seattle. However, his relationship with the team was "very dicey" last offseason, according to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, and could get uncomfortable again this year.

"Right now everything's great. But in the offseason can I see Russell do this again? A million percent. I see Russell trying to do this again," Glazer said in October on the NFL on Fox pregame show.

The Seahawks won only seven games in 2021 and were the only team in the NFC West to miss the postseason. They very well could be looking at a rebuild, and trading the 33-year-old Wilson would bring in the capital needed to jump-start it—the Detroit Lions got Jared Goff, a third-round pick and two first-round selections for Matthew Stafford.

Trading Wilson may be a Plan B, but Seattle probably has some level of interest in making the move this offseason.

Verdict: B.S.

Kirk Cousins has been a statistically good quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, but he hasn't regularly carried the team into the postseason. That's left some uncertainty about his future, with his contract set to expire after 2022.

However, the presence of Cousins was reportedly a big selling point for Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, who is expected to be Minnesota's next head coach.

"Soon-to-be Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell conveyed a firm belief in Kirk Cousins during the interview process, I'm told. He's high on him," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler tweeted.

There's probably no smoke here. O'Connell previously worked with Cousins as the Washington Commanders' quarterbacks coach. And while Cousins may not be elite, he's an above-average starter and a Pro Bowl-level signal-caller.

Having Cousins means that O'Connell won't be starting from scratch at the game's most important position. That's an attractive perk for anyone considering a head coaching job.

Verdict: Not B.S.

Carson Wentz wasn't terrible in 2021—he posted a passer rating of 94.6—but he failed to get the Colts to the postseason. That's not what Indy was hoping for when it sent a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round pick (now a first-rounder) to the Philadelphia Eagles for Wentz.

Now, the Colts may already be looking to move one.

According to ESPN's Chris Mortensen (h/t Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus), Wentz's future in Indianapolis is "bleak," and the Colts will "probably" trade or release him before March 19. That's when his $15 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed.

While the Colts may indeed ultimately move on from Wentz, it's highly unlikely they've already reached that conclusion. Acquiring Wentz wasn't cheap, and dumping him before the 2022 pick is even used would be a tough pill to swallow. There's no way Indianapolis should be rushing into that decision.

According to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, the club hasn't.

"No decision has been made on Carson Wentz or the rest of the roster at this point, according to a league source," Erickson tweeted.

If Mortensen had inside information, it may have come out as an attempt from within the Colts organization to gauge Wentz's trade market and/or the fanbase reaction. Indy isn't likely to make an actual decision until it has to or until it has an upgrade in place. Indy will have three days between the start of free agency and the March 19 deadline to weigh some of those options.

Verdict: B.S.

The question regarding Cousins is whether the Vikings can keep him beyond the 2022 season. They used a third-round pick on Kellen Mond in 2021 and seem to have a succession plan in place. However, Cousins has proved that he can be a solid starter, while Mond has proved nothing at the NFL level.

If the Vikings want to bring Cousins back, they're unlikely to get a hometown discount.

"I've got a grain of inside information that Kirk Cousins is still, as of February 2022, not in the charity business. That's all I'll say," Star Tribune beat reporter Andrew Krammer said on the Access Vikings podcast (h/t Trevor Squire of Heavy.com).

Given Cousins' past (and very shrewd) negotiations, this one feels accurate. He has pushed for fully guaranteed deals in Minnesota, previously unprecedented for quarterbacks. He's made sure that he's well-compensated for his services, and with the price of quarterbacks steadily on the rise, there's no reason for Cousins to reverse course in 2023.

He may take a slightly below-market deal if it's once again fully guaranteed. However, he's not going to throw the Vikings a proverbial bone and take a bargain-basement contract to stay.

Verdict: Not B.S.

The future of Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers is entirely uncertain. He could retire, return or ask for a trade this offseason, and it's hard to know if he's leaning in a specific direction.

According to Rapoport, the Packers have "cautious optimism" that Rodgers will return. However, a trade is still very much on the table.

According to Glazer, the Packers have told Rodgers they'll trade him if he wishes to be dealt this offseason.  And according to Jared Stillman of ESPN 102.5 Nashville, Rodgers is building a home in the Nashville area and would be "open" to joining the Titans.

While we'd love to see Rodgers partner with Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown and the Titans, this one feels unlikely. If Rodgers wants to get away from a team that regularly earns a top seed in the NFC but falls short in the playoffs, why would he want to go to one that does the same in the AFC?

Tennessee, meanwhile, reportedly has no interest in Rodgers.

"A team source confirmed to ESPN that the Titans don't consider Rodgers to be an option for them at quarterback and have full intentions of moving forward with [Ryan] Tannehill," Turron Davenport of ESPN wrote.

Rodgers may be open to the Titans in the sense that he's open to just about any team that isn't Green Bay right now. It's unlikely, though, that he's circled Tennessee as a destination.

Verdict: B.S.