NFL Rumors: Bears safety Jaquan Brisker tells fans to be patient
As supporters of one of the NFL's most trodden-on doormats, Chicago Bears fans have suffered for decades and decades. Safety Jaquan Brisker just wants them to suffer a little more quietly.
After the Bears lost to the Packers, 38-20, in Week 1, Bears safety Jaquan Brisker didn't appreciate hearing boos rain down at Soldier Field. He said on The Bernstein & Holmes Show, "We got booed very early when the game wasn't over, we were still in it. Don't get me wrong when I say this or don't take it the wrong way... Bears fans should have our back a lot more and be patient."
Excuse the Bears faithful for expressing their frustration when Justin Fields throws a pick-6, or when Chase Claypool twiddles his thumbs, or when every Bears' attempt to run the ball gets blown up.
The Bears finished with over 300 yards of scrimmage but had little to show for it. Green Bay build up a 24-point lead by the third quarter, and that's around when the boos started raining down more heavily. The Packers scored three touchdowns in that quarter, effectively stamping their win in Week 1. Bears fans had to wait years, lifetimes, for some, to see some solid quarterback play, and this is all the team can come up with? A couple of field goals and garbage time scores?
This long-suffering fanbase deserves better.
NFL Rumors: Hunter Renfrow could be exactly what Panthers' Bryce Young needs in 2023
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young had a rough initiation in Week 1. Two picks, just 127 passing yards, and on top of that, the football of his first career touchdown pass got chucked into the stands.
Rookie quarterbacks have seen worse, but... they've also seen better. To facilitate Young's transition to the NFL, the Panthers could consider equipping him with a few more dangerous weapons. This past offseason, Carolina traded D.J. Moore and acquired Adam Thielen, which most wouldn't consider an upgrade at all. Young wideouts Terrace Marshall and Laviska Shenault may need more time to develop, as they combined for just four catches for 39 yards against the Falcons.
Maybe the Panthers inquire about Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow?
The NFL trade deadline is still a month and a half away, and there may be too many overreactions about teams' Week 1 performances. Renfrow won't make up for Moore's speed on the outside, but at least he could serve as a reliable target in the middle of the field to relieve some of the pressure in the Panthers' passing game.
Renfrow has been mixed in trade rumors throughout the offseason with the Raiders' flurry of roster changes, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him find a new home by the year's end. He feasted in the slot in his lone Pro Bowl campaign two years ago, recording over 1,000-plus receiving yards and nine touchdowns and solidifying himself as then-QB Derek Carr's favorite target.
The fifth-year wideout has since been slowly phased out of the Raiders' offense, or at least it appears that way. Renfrow played 13 offensive snaps in Week 1. Unless his snap count increases dramatically throughout 2023, he and the Raiders may be better off parting ways.
NFL Rumors: Revenge of LaFleur? Rams block Jets from signing Brett Rypien
After being unfairly painted as the scapegoat of the Jets' miserable 2022 season, what does Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur do? He gets some revenge, of course.
There's actually no evidence that LaFleur played a part in the Rams' recent roster moves, but it makes for a better story to think he did.
What's the big story? Well, the Rams basically blocked the New York Jets from signing quarterback Brett Rypien from the practice squad on Thursday. According to Jeremy Fowler, the Rams were "aware" that New York was interested in Rypien and decided to elevate him to the 53-man roster to protect him from the Jets' grabby hands. Los Angeles cleared a roster spot for Rypien by placing rookie Stetson Bennett on the non-football injury list.
After Aaron Rodgers' season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1, the Jets have declared their faith in QB1 and former first-rounder Zach Wilson. Given how that predictable narrative played out last year, the team has been looking for a quality backup with a reported emphasis on quarterbacks with experience in OC Nathaniel Hackett's system.
Hackett and Rypien spent time together last year in Denver; Rypien, a Boise State product, made two starts for the Broncos. As a fun fact, two of Rypien's three career starts have come against the Jets.
Alas, the Jets' hopes to bring him on for the 2023 season have been dashed. In his three career starts, the 27-year-old Rypien has thrown for four touchdowns against eight interceptions, so it's not like he was destined to become the Jets' caped hero in a hopeful Super Bowl-contending campaign.
With Rypien out of reach, the Jets have several other veteran options available including Chad Henne and Blake Bortles, who both have experience playing under Hackett.