Football

UWM Holdings Corporation Chairman and CEO Mat Ishbia is "no longer pursuing" a purchase of the Washington Commanders.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post relayed the news Friday from a spokesperson representing Ishbia, who recently agreed to buy controlling interest in the Phoenix Suns and Mercury for $4 billion.

Ishbia told the Post's Maske and Nicki Jhabvala in early November that he was "interested in exploring this opportunity [to buy the Commanders] further in the very near future."

That was after team owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced Nov. 2 that they retained the services of Bank of America to "consider potential transactions" for the franchise.

Per the Post, Ishbia was among the bidders for ownership of the Denver Broncos, but a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton ended up buying the team.

Ishbia's purchase of the Suns and Mercury marks the most expensive sale of an NBA team all-time, breaking Joe Tsai's previous record of $3.3 billion for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.

As far as the Commanders go, the Post reported this month that "a full sale is the most likely outcome."

The team is worth an estimated $5.6 billion, but bids have come in "well north" of $7 billion, per Michael Ozanian of Forbes. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is also expected to make a bid for the team.

Rather than test free agency this offseason, Jack Conklin has agreed to a new contract with the Cleveland Browns.

Conklin's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN's Adam Schefter his client will receive a four-year, $60 million extension with $31 million fully guaranteed from the Browns.

Conklin began his career with the Tennessee Titans after being drafted No. 8 overall in 2016. The Michigan State alum made an instant impact as a rookie when he made 16 starts and earned a spot on the All-Pro First Team.

After injuries limited Conklin to nine games in 2018, the Titans declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. He played all 16 games in 2019 and was able to cash in as a free agent.

Conklin signed with the Browns in 2020. His contract was for three years, $42 million ($30 million guaranteed) and included two void years to spread out the cap hits.

Adding Conklin to the offensive line turned out to be an excellent move for Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry. He made the All-Pro First Team at right tackle in 2020.

An torn patellar tendon limited Conklin to seven games last season, but he's bounced back in 2022. The 28-year-old ranks fourth among offensive tackles in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency metric entering Week 16.

The Browns held Conklin out for their first two games this season as he recovered from surgery to repair the patellar tendon. He has started all 12 games since making his season debut in Week 3.

The extension is fairly team-friendly for the Browns. The $60 million in total value and $31 million fully guaranteed ranks sixth among right tackles.

Cleveland is still alive in the AFC playoff race with a 6-8 record, but it needs to win each of its final three games and get a lot of help from other teams still vying for postseason positioning.

Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman offered a solution that would have saved Mac Jones the humiliation of being on the receiving end of Chandler Jones' stiff arm on the final play of Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Appearing on Inside the NFL (h/t Dakota Randall of NESN.com), Edelman said Jones should have tripped Jones to prevent him from scoring.

Even though Jones became the butt of most jokes after the play, the end result wasn't his fault. Rhamondre Stevenson took a handoff with three seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 24, he gained 23 yards before lateraling the ball to Jakobi Meyers.

Meyers decided he wanted to keep the play going, and threw a lateral that was supposed to be for Jones even though he was nowhere in the frame on the television feed until Chandler Jones grabbed the ball.

What just happened?? The @Raiders win on the final play!! #NEvsLV pic.twitter.com/cmKNUuab1k

— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2022

Edelman's theory sounds good on paper, but tripping is a 15-yard penalty that would have given the Raiders a chance to kick a 47-yard field goal on an untimed down.

If there was an attempt to prevent Jones from scoring by blatantly tripping him, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also noted there is a rule that allows officials to award a touchdown "to a team that has been denied one by a palpably unfair act."

Stevenson took responsibility for the play by saying he shouldn't have lateraled the ball in the first place. Meyers admitted he was "trying to do too much and trying to be a hero" when he attempted to throw the ball back to Mac Jones.

Even though the game will be remembered for that all-time blunder at the end, Mac Jones didn't do himself any favors with how he played. The second-year quarterback finished 13-of-31 for 112 yards against a Raiders defense that allows the fourth-highest completion percentage and seventh-most passing yards per game.

If it has seemed like Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury were on different pages for most of this season, there's a reason for that.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Josh Weinfuss, the Arizona Cardinals head coach and franchise quarterback have grown "increasingly distant" over the course of a lost year for the team.

Among the issues that have divided the two men are Murray's desire for "wanting more freedom at the line of scrimmage, particularly with running plays," but plays designed to get the ball into the hands of Arizona's playmakers didn't come to fruition "either due to miscommunication, a play breaking down or Murray improvising, and the disjointed attack created unpredictability for some of the team's pass-catchers."

Fowler and Weinfuss also noted the clashing personalities between Kingsbury and Murray trickled down to the rest of the locker room as they stumbled to the finish line last season and has continued into 2022.

The report also noted Kingsbury and Murray have both struggled with direct communication that would have helped calm the tension that had "become obvious" to people in the Cardinals locker room.

"Before Murray's injury, Kingsbury was described as 'extremely frustrated' with the quarterback per a team source, believing that his negativity, if not toxic, was 'starting to get to people' around the building," Fowler and Weinfuss wrote.

Cardinals passing game coordinator Cam Turner has been "forced to serve as a buffer" between Murray and Kingsbury this season.

It had become obvious to anyone watching Cardinals games this season that Kingsbury and Murray weren't on the same page. They were involved in a shouting match on the sidelines during an Oct. 20 win over the New Orleans Saints.

This Kyler Murray-Kliff Kingsbury exchange 👀 pic.twitter.com/ofIQbSK1xd

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 21, 2022

"He's real animated over there on the sideline sometimes," Murray told reporters the day after the sideline incident. "It's … 'Calm down, we're good. We're going to make it right.' We ended up scoring, so that was good, but that's all I was saying. Just chill out."

Kingsbury said at the time the team was "working through as an offense where we want to be and what we want to do, and you have competitors that have a level of intensity like that, I think it will keep pushing us forward."

The Cardinals have completely collapsed over the past 12 months. They are 5-15 in their last 20 games, including the playoffs, after winning 10 of their first 12 games during the 2021 season.

Despite the team's rough finish last season, Arizona signed Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim to extensions in March that run through the 2027 campaign. The Cardinals announced on Dec. 14 that Keim was taking an indefinite hiatus due to health-related reasons.

The Cardinals should have also had a celebratory moment when Murray signed a five-year extension in July, but even that was marred because of a clause that required him to do four hours of independent film study each week during the season.

Amid blowback from the clause, the Cardinals removed it from the contract.

Murray's season came to an end on Dec. 12 when he tore the ACL early in the first quarter of the Cardinals' 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the 25-year-old is on track to be ready for the start of the 2023 regular season.

The Cardinals (4-10) are tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the second-worst record in the NFC with three games left to play. They have just one winning season since 2016.

Bill Belichick is a septuagenarian. When he celebrated his 70th birthday in April, he became one of only two active NFL head coaches older than 70, along with Pete Carroll. Only George Halas and Don Shula have coached more professional football games, and he owns more Super Bowl rings than any other human being dead or alive.

Which begs the question: How much longer does Bill Belichick want to coach a team that is 8-11 in its last 19 regular-season and playoff games dating back approximately one calendar year? How much patience does he have for a squad that, when it comes to boneheaded mistakes and penalties and lack of polish, has become the antithesis of the old Belichick model?

That was put on full display via the historically embarrassing way in which the Patriots lost to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 to fall to 7-7 and remain in a tie for last place in the AFC East. Their 2022 demise is on an increasingly obvious horizon as they prepare to face the surging defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals as a home underdog in Week 16.

Odds are Belichick will fail to win a playoff game for the fourth year in a row, even if the Pats manage to make it to the postseason. FiveThirtyEight gives them just a 19 percent chance of doing so.

Belichick is basically the last component left from the Patriots' extended early 21st-century dynasty. Tom Brady is in Florida, Josh McDaniels was on the opposite sideline when the feces hit the fan for New England last Sunday in Vegas, and even right-hand Belichick guru Ernie Adams retired last year.

Those spoiled by the Brady era in Foxborough are realizing that finding another Brady is near-impossible, and that even finding a consistently reliable quarterback in Round 1, let alone Round 6, is a mission. Just look at 2021 first-rounder Mac Jones, who has struggled mightily with a 71.6 passer rating the last three weeks—right when the Pats needed him most.

Belichick appears reticent to endorse Jones as his starter for the remainder of a season that sees New England face three teams in playoff positions in Weeks 16, 17 and 18.

Where Belichick and the Patriots go from here likely depends on what Belichick wants. Likely, but not definitively. You'd think he'd have earned a lifetime membership in his role, but this is business, and if owner Robert Kraft feels it's time for a fresh start, a trade involving Belichick could be on the table. Belichick would have to sign off on that because he wouldn't simply coach anywhere, and whoever acquires an expensive 70-year-old coach would want to be guaranteed a number of years with him.

You'd have to question whether that'd be a publicity ploy more than an attempt to become a Super Bowl contender. Again, the Patriots are consistently proving to be a sloppy, poorly managed team. And consider how rarely Belichick hits on high draft picks. The jury might still be out on Jones and 2022 first-rounder Cole Strange, but they and Isaiah Wynn are greatly outnumbered by a failed group containing names like N'Keal Harry, Derek Rivers and Cyrus Jones (to name just a few).

Indicators of his recent success (or lack thereof) in finding, procuring and grooming talent: Stephon Gilmore is the only Patriots position player who has been a first-team All-Pro in the last four years, and this year's roster contains just one Pro Bowler.

Maybe the Patriots are better off starting fresh, whether that means finding someone to take Belichick off their hands in exchange for draft (or real-world) capital or asking him to resign.

Regardless, it feels as though they're smashing their heads against a wall with defensive-oriented Matt Patricia outlandishly running a revamped but consistently clumsy offense. And because they haven't had much success in recent offseasons, the talent isn't there. Nobody could blame Belichick for not wanting to tolerate a full rebuild, but that might be necessary if Jones can't emerge as a franchise quarterback.

Wynn and starting corner Jonathan Jones are scheduled to hit free agency this offseason, and three of their best young players—Ja'Whaun Bentley, Mike Onwenu and Kyle Dugger—will then enter contract years. The Belichick Way is to not overpay, but that's inevitable in this era. It's hard to envision the Patriots can get a lot better by investing deeply in a good-not-great core, but neglecting to do so will result in even more short-term pain.

In said era, a great coach-quarterback combo can compensate for a lot of flaws. But Belichick appears to have lost much of his touch, and Jones has by all indications regressed as a sophomore subject of the Patricia experiment.

You get the feeling they'll all give it another year. The Patriots have never been rash, and according to Spotrac, they're on track to enter the offseason with more salary-cap space than anyone else in the AFC. Jones could still make it, and Belichick deserves plenty of leeway.

But another year with Belichick, Jones, Patricia and this core has a very good chance to do more long-term harm than good for a team that is owed nothing from the football gods.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, the first and second picks in the 2021 NFL draft, respectively, met for the second time on Thursday night. The Jaguars win served as a showcase of just how drastically the two quarterbacks' careers have arched in opposite directions since being drafted.

Lawrence has played every bit this season like the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be. Wilson has played like a placeholder that the Jets need to replace in the offseason.

Lawrence appears to be on the cusp of joining the elite quarterback club, and he has the Jaguars barreling toward a potential playoff spot. Wilson has shown virtually no growth over the last year and had Jets fans chanting for backup quarterback Joe Flacco by the third quarter on Thursday.

"WE WANT FLACCO" chants have broken out in the Meadowlands

Joe Flacco is 37 years old

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) December 23, 2022

The Jets didn't turn to Flacco, but they did pull Wilson for former CFL quarterback Chris Streveler. While Streveler didn't do enough to deliver the win, he provided a brief but much-needed offensive spark.

Wilson was 9-of-18 for 92 yards and an interception before he was pulled. He was worse than even those numbers would suggest, repeatedly missing throws, ignoring open running lanes and failing to recognize pressure.

Streveler engineered a 13-play, 83-yard drive that ended with a failed fourth-down conversion. To that point, New York's longest drive was nine plays and 33 yards. Streveler was far from spectacular throwing the ball, but he did the little things that Wilson has not.

Chris Streveler horribly underthrows a pass that should have been a touchdown, and Jets fans cheer wildly just because it was completed. That's how low a bar Zach Wilson has set.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 23, 2022

Streveler's flashes should be the final piece of proof that Wilson is not New York's long-term answer at quarterback. He became the third quarterback this season—along with Flacco and Mike White—to cleanly outperform Wilson.

Jets can't complete the drive, but undeniable that their offense is better with Chris Streveler, a practice squad call-up, than Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick.

Don't really see how Wilson can come back from this.

— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) December 23, 2022

Flacco was the Week 1 starter, as Wilson was dealing with a knee injury. He went 1-2 as the starter and posted a passer rating of only 77.0. Yet, that was better than what we've seen from Wilson, who had a 75.3 rating coming into Thursday night.

White took over for the struggling Wilson in Week 12 but has missed the last two games with a rib injury. He's posted an 85.8 passer rating while going 3-3 as a starter. Wilson now has a 5-4 record as the starter this season, but it's obvious that he's still in the developmental stage of his career.

"He's got a lot of the things that you can't teach," Jets head coach Robert Saleh said this week, per Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. "For him, it's learning the timing and rhythm aspect of it."

The problem is that the Jets' offense has no rhythm with Wilson under center. He can provide the occasional chunk play because of his arm talent, but he struggles to sustain drives and make easy reads.

The on-field issues for Wilson appear to be two-fold. He's still showing the same sloppy mechanics he did as a rookie, and now he's lost any semblance of confidence in his arm, his eyes or his legs.

Fundamentals were what was wrong with Zach Wilson. That's what led to his benching. #Jets said it: His upper & lower half were operating out of sync.

You don't fix that in three weeks. The QB out there now isn't just dealing with fundamental problems, but overthinking now, too

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 23, 2022

Wilson doesn't seem to trust what he's seeing on the field, he isn't making quick decisions, and with sloppy mechanics, he's incapable of overcoming his deficiencies with raw talent.

And that's just how Wilson is failing on the field. Off the field, he continues to show that he doesn't understand what it takes to be a franchise leader. Accountability has eluded the Brigham Young product in 2022.

After completing just nine passes for 77 yards in a Week 11 loss to the rival New England Patriots, Wilson refused to admit that he let the Jets' defense down.

.@Connor_J_Hughes: "Do you feel like you let the defense down at all?"

Zach Wilson: "No." pic.twitter.com/tiJiTSrFPE

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) November 20, 2022

More recently, Wilson insisted that he "definitely" believes that he's still the future at quarterback for the Jets.

If the Jets were a different franchise or perhaps in a different stage of their own development, perhaps Wilson could still be the future. However, this New York team has shown that it's extremely close to being a playoff factor.

The Jets seem to have a budding head coach in Saleh. They have a stiff defense that came into Week 16 ranked third overall and fourth in points allowed. They're loaded with young talented players like Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson—legitimate candidates for Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, respectively.

The Jets are truly a quarterback away from being a real threat in the AFC, and Wilson isn't that quarterback. New York cannot continue to exercise patience while developing a player who simply isn't improving.

Zach Wilson completion % by year:

2021: 55.5% - dead last in NFL
2022: 54.9% - dead last in NFL

absolutely horrendous

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 23, 2022

Proponents for patience could point to the strides Lawrence has taken under Doug Pederson this year—or perhaps those made by Tua Tagovailoa under Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins. However, the fact that players like White and Streveler have been more competent in Mike LaFleur's offense suggests that coaching is not the problem.

Wilson's supporting cast definitely isn't the issue.

At 7-8, the Jets now need a lot of help to get into the postseason. They'll undoubtedly turn back to White if and when he's healthy. They may give Stereveler the start in Week 17 if White can't go. It feels highly unlikely that we'll see Wilson again in 2022 unless New York has no other choice.

In the offseason, New York needs to find a more permanent replacement for Wilson. Whether it's White, former Jet Geno Smith, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo—a player LaFleur knows well—or an incoming rookie, the Jets' 2023 Week 1 starter cannot be Wilson.

Pulling the plug on the No. 2 pick in the draft won't be an easy thing to swallow, but New York has been here before. The Jets used the third overall pick in the 2018 draft and moved on after only three seasons.

The timetable here is a little different because the 2021 Jets weren't ready to win. These Jets are.

#Jets whiffed on their QB pick with the #2 overall pick in 2021.

OK.

But what you don’t want to do is compound that by holding on to a whiff at QB.

Admit you made a mistake by moving on. When you’re stuck in denial, you make the initial whiff much worse.

— Moe Moton (@MoeMoton) December 23, 2022

It's time for the Jets to rip off the proverbial Band-Aid and move on to a quarterback who can help steer them to the postseason.

As was the case with the Jets and Sam Darnold two years ago, both parties need a fresh start. That may not work out for Wilson, but New York will at least have a chance to make a run. The players will at least have an opportunity to believe in themselves.

It's obvious that no one in New York believes in Wilson anymore.

The @NFLonPrime crew on #Jets QB Zach Wilson:

Ryan Fitzpatrick: "His career is done in New York + he has lost the locker room"@RSherman_25: "The time for excuses is over"@AndrewWhitworth: "He is about to get lit up, I honestly feel bad for the kid."#TakeFlight

— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 23, 2022

If the Jets do try running it back with Wilson, they're likely to experience another season exactly like this one: A promising campaign of "what ifs" that will ultimately end in disappointment.

The playoffs are quickly approaching as the NFL turns the page to Week 16 of the 2022 season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars kicked things off with a 19-3 win over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. With the win, the Jags kept their playoff hopes alive by improving to 7-8.

There's a lot on the line for multiple teams in Week 16, so let's take a look at the current playoff picture along with this week's clinching scenarios:

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AFC Playoff Picture

1. Buffalo Bills: 11-3 (clinched playoff berth)
2. Kansas City Chiefs: 11-3 (clinched AFC West)
3. Cincinnati Bengals: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
4. Tennessee Titans: 7-7
5. Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
6. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
7. Miami Dolphins: 8-6
8. New England Patriots: 7-7
9. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7-8
10. New York Jets: 7-8
11. Las Vegas Raiders: 6-8
12. Cleveland Browns: 6-8
13. Pittsburgh Steelers: 6-8
14. Indianapolis Colts: 4-9-1 (eliminated)
15. Denver Broncos: 4-10 (eliminated)
16. Houston Texans: 1-12-1 (eliminated)

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NFC Playoff Picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 13-1 (clinched playoff berth)
2. Minnesota Vikings: 11-3 (clinched NFC North)
3. San Francisco 49ers: 10-4 (clinched NFC West)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-8
5. Dallas Cowboys: 10-4 (clinched playoff berth)
6. New York Giants: 8-5-1
7. Washington Commanders: 7-6-1
8. Seattle Seahawks: 7-7
9. Detroit Lions: 7-7
10. Green Bay Packers: 6-8
11. Carolina Panthers: 5-9
12. New Orleans Saints: 5-9
13. Atlanta Falcons: 5-9
14. Arizona Cardinals: 4-10 (eliminated)
15. Los Angeles Rams: 4-10 (eliminated)
16. Chicago Bears: 3-11 (eliminated)

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Week 16 Clinching Scenarios

Opportunity abounds in the AFC this weekend.

The conference-leading Buffalo Bills can clinch the AFC East for the third straight year with a win in Week 16. They will face the team with the worst record in the NFC, the Chicago Bears, in a game that will feature some incredibly harsh weather conditions at Soldier Field on Christmas Eve.

If the Bills somehow slip up against the Bears, they could still clinch the division crown with a loss by the Miami Dolphins, who host the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. Miami will face a motivated Aaron Rodgers as he tries to keep Green Bay's unlikely playoff hopes alive, which should make for an entertaining game.

The defending AFC champions didn't even need to take the field to punch their ticket back to the postseason, as the Cincinnati Bengals clinched a playoff berth after Thursday night's loss by the New York Jets. Cincinnati overtook the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead with last week's win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Speaking of the Ravens, they can also clinch a playoff berth, but they'd need a ton of help. In fact, there are several different scenarios in which Baltimore can reach the postseason this week.

This weekend's playoff clinching scenarios: pic.twitter.com/fXCgUCNBlO

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 21, 2022

The Los Angeles Chargers also have the chance to clinch a playoff berth with some help, but they're one step closer after Thursday's loss by the Jets. In addition to a win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Chargers also need losses by the Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders.

Over in the NFC, a pair of NFC East rivals take center stage, as the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants have a lot on the line this week.

The first-place Eagles can clinch not only the division with a win against the Dallas Cowboys but also home-field advantage and the NFC's lone first-round bye. Philadelphia hasn't won an NFC East title since 2019, but it will be playing without star quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts because of a shoulder injury.

The Giants first need to defeat the NFC North-champion Minnesota Vikings to earn a spot in the playoffs, which seemed out of the realm of possibility for New York entering the 2022 season. However, the Giants also need some combination of losses by the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions or Seattle Seahawks to reach the postseason this week.

In a shocking move, the New York Jets benched quarterback Zach Wilson in the third quarter of their Thursday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At the time of his exit, Wilson had completed nine of 18 passes for 92 yards and an interception. Chris Streveler, who was elevated from the practice squad prior to Thursday's game, took over at quarterback for New York.

The Jets struggled to move the ball with Wilson under center, and it was clear that a change was needed as the fans grew restless. In the middle of a chorus of boos, the home crowd at MetLife Stadium chanted "We want Streveler."

This benching is the latest low point in a disappointing season for the 2021 No. 2 overall pick. Wilson has failed to live up to his draft status and looks to have stagnated in his development.

Things got off to a rocky start early, as Wilson suffered a knee injury in the first preseason game of the year that caused him to miss the first three weeks of the season. Upon his return in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jets embarked on a four-game winning streak, largely due to their strong defense and rushing attack.

However, rookie running back Breece Hall suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos, leading to more of a reliance on the passing game. Wilson failed to demonstrate an ability to lead the offense, going 1-2 in the next three games. An abysmal performance in a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots was the breaking point, as he was benched in favor of backup quarterback Mike White.

The Jets offense looked more efficient with White running the show, but the team suffered close losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. White injured his ribs against Buffalo, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

After last Sunday's loss against the Detroit Lions and Thursday night's benching, it's fair to wonder if Wilson's career in New York will come to an end sooner than expected.