NFL Power Rankings Week 16: Remember, no team pursued franchise-tagged Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson, a 26-year-old former MVP and one of the NFL's most electrifying players at the most valuable position in sports, was available to talk about a new contract with any team for 43 days.
From the start of free agency to April 27, when he agreed to a new $260 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, he was on the non-exclusive franchise tag. That meant any team could have signed him to an offer sheet. And for 43 days, there were no reported visits or offers from any other team to one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
When you watch the NFL this month, with all the backup quarterbacks and even some preferred starters flailing around as teams fall further out of the playoff race, remember that none of those teams wanted Jackson.
There were some drawbacks to pursuing Jackson. He was going to be very expensive. Jackson had an injury history. It would have cost the signing team two first-round draft picks if the Ravens didn't match, though that's not much for a quarterback. Look at the Russell Wilson or Bryce Young trades. Pursuing Jackson and failing would have been awkward for teams that had returning quarterbacks.
Also, the rest of the NFL seemed to figure the Ravens were matching any deal anyway. And the correct answer to that is: So what? You still try with a player that valuable. Make the most difficult contract possible for the Ravens to match and if they do match it, well, you move on with no regrets. The NFL should be a competitive market, not one in which team owners are playing nice so everyone can be friendly at the next league meeting.
And none of the excuses really let teams off the hook. When you watch Jackson playing at an MVP level again, perhaps leading the Ravens to the AFC's No. 1 seed, and then watch how many teams are suffering through horrendous quarterback play, it becomes more maddening how many teams showed no interest. Teams weren't rushing to talk to Jackson; they were rushing to leak out to various media outlets how they had no interest in Jackson at all. It was so sketchy, then-NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith called out teams by insinuating there was collusion over avoiding fully guaranteed contracts, saying teams were "criminally gaming the game itself."
None of the feasible scenarios look good on NFL teams. Was holding the line financially more important to franchise owners than giving their fan bases the best chance to enjoy a championship? Perhaps teams like the Falcons really did think sticking with someone like Desmond Ridder was a better option than Jackson. That's just incompetence. Or they were too lazy (or friendly) to make an offer because they assumed the Ravens would match. That's another inexplicable reason that should make every fan base suffering through bad quarterback play and a losing season — and also paying exorbitant prices for season tickets, parking and pretty much everything else associated with being a fan — extremely angry.
If Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was unhappy and looking for a new start, multiple NBA teams would have pulled out every stop to sign him. If Major League Baseball had a salary cap, Shohei Ohtani would have had just about every team trying to make an offer. A Connor McDavid free agency would have had the entire NHL rushing to figure out the math on giving him a deal. In the NFL, one of the five best quarterbacks in the game, still in his prime, was theoretically available to talk to anyone. Everyone passed.
And that's why, if you're the fan of a team that stinks at quarterback and doesn't have a lot of hope for next season either, you should be mad every time you watch Jackson play.
Here are the power rankings after Week 15 of the NFL season:
32. Carolina Panthers (2-12, Last Week: 32)
It's wasn't the prettiest win, but everything is better in the NFL when you win. Even if you've only won twice. And the Panthers outplayed the Falcons, too. It's not much, but it's something to build on as the offseason approaches. That's better than finishing on a 10-game losing streak.
31. Washington Commanders (4-10, LW: 31)
Sam Howell seemed to be getting better in midseason but, like the Commanders season as a whole, it steadily went south. He had 102 yards in more than three quarters on Sunday; Jacoby Brissett had 124 in a little more than nine minutes after entering the game at QB. Howell's fade is disappointing because for a few weeks it really seemed like Washington might have an answer at quarterback.
30. New England Patriots (3-11, LW: 30)
Lamar Jackson was reportedly interested in joining the Patriots this offseason. They never pursued him. How has it been watching Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe this season, Patriots fans?
29. Arizona Cardinals (3-11, LW: 29)
Tight end Trey McBride has been a bright spot. It's mind-blowing that it took an injury to 33-year-old Zach Ertz to feature McBride, a 2022 second-round pick, but at least the Cardinals got there. His 10-catch, 102-yard game against a great 49ers defense is another sign that he's going to be a top tight end for a while.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (5-9, LW: 27)
Everyone knew by halftime last Thursday that Brandon Staley was getting fired. That no-show by the Chargers was an embarrassment to the entire franchise. What's next? You'd probably prefer an experienced coach who can win right away with a talented roster. And yes, Bill Belichick's name is probably going to come up with this opening a few times.
27. New York Giants (5-9, LW: 26)
The Tommy DeVito story was never guaranteed to last long. And there might be some more exciting moments to come this season. But Sunday's loss, when the Giants never scored a touchdown against the Saints, reminds the Giants that the offseason might start back at square one.
26. New York Jets (5-9, LW: 24)
Zach Wilson will remain the Jets' starter, coach Robert Saleh said, but he's in the concussion protocol. If he can't go Sunday, Trevor Siemian will start. Watching the Jets get shut out by the Dolphins on Sunday, it probably doesn't matter. That looked like a team ready for the offseason to get here already.
25. Tennessee Titans (5-9, LW: 25)
Not every story gets the perfect ending. It seems like Derrick Henry's career with the Titans is nearing its end, and he hinted at that after Sunday's loss. On Sunday, he had nine rushing yards on 16 carries, the lowest average per carry in his career. He's playing on a bad team with a subpar offensive line. Henry deserved a better sendoff.
24. Atlanta Falcons (6-8, LW: 22)
Sunday was the time capsule moment for the Arthur Smith era. He didn't get the ball to his star players, with 13 touches combined for Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts. He benched Robinson after a fumble in the rain. He had Desmond Ridder throwing late, and an interception led to the Panthers' game-winning drive. And the Falcons lost a game to a Panthers team that had one win, and that loss will probably keep Atlanta out of the playoffs and cost Smith his job. But he proved his point, I guess.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (6-8, LW: 28)
Aidan O'Connell threw four touchdowns against the Chargers, all in the first half, and the Raiders set a franchise record with 63 points. Part of that was the Chargers' humiliating effort. But O'Connell did play well. It's hard to reconcile that with him being under center when the Raiders were shut out at home the week before. The Raiders themselves probably don't know what they have with O'Connell going forward.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7, LW: 19)
The Steelers are going to give Mason Rudolph a shot at quarterback, but it's unlikely that fixes much, just like firing their offensive coordinator didn't fix everything. It's simply a bad team right now. And that doesn't reflect well on Mike Tomlin.
21. Chicago Bears (5-9, LW: 23)
Darnell Mooney dropping a Hail Mary that was in his hands really might change the Bears' future. When evaluating Matt Eberflus, there might be a big difference in one win. Had they won, Chicago would have had four wins in their last five games and 6-8 looks a lot better than 5-9. You'd like to think the result of one game, or even one play, wouldn't change an organization's mind on big decisions, but it happens.
20. New Orleans Saints (7-7, LW: 21)
The Saints are probably going to have to win at Tampa Bay in Week 17 to take the division title. They already lost the first meeting in New Orleans. The good news for New Orleans is they still have a shot at a wild-card spot, too. Sunday's win was good, and now the Saints seek some consistency.
19. Green Bay Packers (6-8, LW: 15)
The Packers really hurt their playoff chances over a seven-day stretch. Losses to the Giants and Buccaneers probably mean they need to win out, and that includes winning at Minnesota in Week 17. No team epitomizes the roller coaster of an NFL season better than this season's Packers.
18. Denver Broncos (7-7, LW: 12)
Sideline arguments usually get overblown. Is there anything to Sean Payton ranting at Russell Wilson after a failed goal-to-go situation in a loss Saturday? Maybe. But Payton downplayed it and sometimes competitors get heated during a game. It seems from the outside that the much-discussed relationship is fine. Wilson is having a good season and the Broncos are still in the playoff race. Keep an eye on Payton-Wilson the rest of the season but don't make too much of what happened Saturday.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, LW: 20)
Baker Mayfield has done a remarkable job resurrecting his career. On Sunday, he became the first visiting quarterback to ever post a perfect 158.3 passer rating at Lambeau Field. He bet on himself this offseason and it was a brilliant move. He's on a one-year deal and his 2024 offseason will be very interesting.
16. Seattle Seahawks (7-7, LW: 18)
The Seahawks got a win that needed all of their mental toughness. It was great to see Drew Lock after the game, appreciating the moment in an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters. He made some big-time plays, especially throws to DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, on a pair of third-and-10 plays. Seattle is still alive.
15. Los Angeles Rams (7-7, LW: 17)
The most remarkable thing about the Rams being .500 and in playoff contention might be that Aaron Donald isn't having a normal season. He has six sacks in 14 games, the lowest rate of his career. Donald is still an unbelievable player and sacks don't tell the story of how disruptive he is, but if you'd have said before the season that Donald would have just six sacks at this point, nobody would have predicted the Rams would have seven wins.
14. Minnesota Vikings (7-7, LW: 14)
It's disheartening to lose when Nick Mullens played well, Ty Chandler went off and the Vikings outplayed the Bengals for three quarters. The good news, though, is Mullens did throw for more than 300 yards and despite some bad mistakes, he looked serviceable. Minnesota is still on track to make the playoffs.
13. Indianapolis Colts (8-6, LW: 16)
In the second half on Saturday, the Colts were without their preferred quarterback (Anthony Richardson), top two running backs (Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss), No. 1 receiver (Michael Pittman Jr.) and longtime right tackle (Braden Smith). And they still put up 30 points on the Steelers. Colts coach Shane Steichen has a great case for NFL Coach of the Year, especially if Indianapolis wins the division.
12. Houston Texans (8-6, LW: 13)
Houston's win at Tennessee was big, and not just because the Titans were trolling them by wearing the old Oilers throwbacks. The win taught the Texans a little more about their coach. Not that there was much question about DeMeco Ryans being the right hire. But for him to lead a team on the road and win without C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. in the lineup, that should give Houston even more confidence that it has the right coach.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6, LW: 11)
The Jaguars have opened the door for the Texans and Colts to steal the division. It's a three-way tie now. Jacksonville has the easiest remaining schedule among the three and tiebreaker advantages too, but they should have run away with the AFC South and didn't. And it doesn't get easier with Trevor Lawrence in concussion protocol.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6, LW: 10)
Jake Browning had 140 yards at the end of the third quarter, then had 184 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Bengals' great comeback win, according to John Breech of CBS. For comparison, Bryce Young hasn't reached 184 yards in more than half of his starts this season. If Browning leads the Bengals to the playoffs, he might be the best story of this entire NFL season.
9. Cleveland Browns (9-5, LW: 9)
The Browns' win Sunday was their fourth this season when their win probability dropped below 15%, according to Next Gen Stats. They had a 10.7% of beating the Bears late in the third quarter. You don't want to live on that ledge every week, but the Browns know they can win in any situation.
8. Detroit Lions (10-4, LW: 8)
There was a lot of good news in the win over the Broncos, but the best news might have been Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combining for 185 rushing yards on 6.6 yards per attempt. The Broncos don't have a good run defense, but the Lions getting their running backs going again would be a great sign.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (9-5, LW: 7)
Patrick Mahomes was excellent on Sunday. He still had to deal with a drop by Kadarius Toney that led to an interception, and he didn't seem too happy about it, but that's part of the package when you have Toney as a big part of your offense.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (10-4, LW: 4)
It's probably time to just call it: The Eagles' defense is going to keep this team from going very far in the playoffs. Philly was 28th in points allowed and 23rd in yards allowed before Monday. They played a little better, but when it mattered the Eagles allowed a 92-yard drive to Drew Lock in the final two minutes. It seems weird to say about a team that was 10-1 (and still has a good shot at the NFC East title due to a soft remaining schedule and tiebreaker edges), but it's hard to see them winning a Super Bowl.
5. Miami Dolphins (10-4, LW: 6)
Tua Tagovailoa was really good on Sunday, and that came without Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins are going to have to give Tagovailoa a huge contract extension soon, and he's earning it.
4. Dallas Cowboys (10-4, LW: 2)
The Cowboys are 7-0 at home and 3-4 on the road. It's not just the record; they look like an entirely different team on the road. That's bad news because their whole playoff season is likely to be on the road. That might be their fatal flaw.
3. Buffalo Bills (8-6, LW: 5)
The path to the AFC East title is manageable now. Buffalo plays at the Chargers and hosts the Patriots. If they win those two, and the Dolphins lose either at home to the Cowboys or at the Ravens, Bills-Dolphins in Week 18 will decide the AFC East title. None of the AFC contenders want to see Buffalo in the playoffs, especially as a division winner with at least one home game.
2. Baltimore Ravens (11-3, LW: 3)
There was nothing good about losing Mark Andrews, but at least the Ravens had Isaiah Likely behind him. Likely might be a top-15 tight end, he just happened to be behind a top-three tight end. Likely had 70 yards and a touchdown on Sunday night. His continued emergence is huge for the Ravens.
1. San Francisco 49ers (11-3, LW: 1)
I'd have no problem with Christian McCaffrey getting MVP votes. He has been electric. It's also going to get very interesting if the 49ers keep talking about him as MVP over Brock Purdy. Purdy did that on Sunday, and then on Monday it was George Kittle telling Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein that CMC should be MVP.
