NFL Rumors: Russell Wilson gets narrative-changing endorsement from former Broncos teammate

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson was basically last year's punching bag of the NFL. His steep drop-off in form in 2023 led him to become one of the most ridiculed players in football, complete with high knees jokes, Wolverine blood references, Patrick Star disses, and of course, his unforgettable, meme-fiable catchphrase: Broncos Country, let's ride.

Against the tsunami of criticism, one brave soul has decided to speak up for Russ. Former Broncos teammate Bradley Chubb recently made an appearance on Tyreek Hill's podcast and gave his black sheep opinion of Wilson:

"When he has a fluke year like this, bro, you just have to chalk it up. 'Bro, you had a bad year.' But it gets so glorified because of who he is, who he's been, what he's done.

You have to look it as a nod to who you are as a person. 'I'm on this pedestal, everybody wants to knock me down.' That's how it is with him. All the different allegations, he has to sit there and take it. It was dope to see how he just stayed the same person throughout it all."

Chubb notes that Wilson had to deal with a lot of "flak" over his on-field performances, and that it was unfortunate how the season played out.

Any player's transition to a new team can be rocky — Wilson isn't alone in that regard. The sheer amount of criticism he received, however, separated him from the pack, and it's not entirely his fault that people had such high expectations of him.

Heading into 2023, Wilson should prosper from new head coach Sean Payton taking the helm along with an improved supporting cast. Yet if this year turns into another torrential downpour of a season, Chubb will be happily watching the chaos unfold from far, far away.

NFL rumors: DeAndre Hopkins hoping for key development in free agency

Where, oh where, will free agent DeAndre Hopkins land this summer? The former Cardinals wideout hasn't been shy in stating his destination preferences, and to no one's surprise, he wants to join a Super Bowl contender.

Well, a ring isn't exactly hanging on the hooks of the two teams currently trying to reel him in.

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that Hopkins has already received offers from the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots with the Titans being more "aggressive" to sign him. He notes that Hopkins isn't in a rush to sign and may want to keep the door open for other teams to enter the mix.

We don't blame D-Hop. If his best two options right now are the Titans and Patriots, he'll be leaving that door way open. Maybe even hang a sign outside too.

Over two months after his release, Hopkins remains one of the biggest fish left in free agency and has every right to be picky about his future team. But assuming no other franchise makes a go for Hopkins, Reiss believes Hopkins' decision will come down to where he can "cash in on incentives." If that's the case, the Patriots make more sense given Hopkins' familiarity in Bill O'Brien's offense.

The race to sign Hopkins has two leading horses but is far from over.

NFL Rumors: Cowboys have someone pulling strings that isn't named Jerry Jones

Turns out, Jerry Jones isn't the manipulative puppeteer of the Dallas Cowboys franchise. Will McClay is.

According to SB Nation's Tom Ryle, McClay has served as the mastermind in the Cowboys' front office ever since he joined the franchise as a scout in 2003. McClay climbed the ladder from scout to scouting coordinator to director of football research to, finally, his current position, the vice president of player personnel.

With 20 years of experience in Dallas, McClay started overseeing the draft process in 2014, and he along with his scouting staff have plucked plenty of gems from the mines: DeMarcus Lawrence, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, to name a few.

McClay, who was extended in 2022, has seemingly made a long-lasting positive impact on the franchise, though it's hard to pinpoint exactly where his fingerprints are located. Ryle points out in recent years McClay has worked his way up to become an advisor to Jones along with his son Stephen and head coach Mike McCarthy, earning the franchise's trust to identify hidden talent and make important roster decisions.

But hey, for all we know, McClay is just another one of Jerry Jones' a.k.a Lord Voldemort's horcruxes.