Media by Associated Press – Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson walks on the sideline in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Washington Commanders, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The NFL cruises into the first Sunday of the season after the Buffalo Bills made a statement in Los Angeles on Thursday night in the opener. Now 28 teams make their 2022 debut on Sunday before Denver and Seattle play Monday night in the Russell Wilson reunion game.
As the season opens, there are some big injuries that will impact the first weekend of games. The weekend also saw a couple of young stars sign contract extensions.
Kittle Unlikely to Play
The San Francisco 49ers were within one play of the Super Bowl last January. They start the 2022 season as a touchdown favorite on the road against the Chicago Bears with a chance to already go one game up on the Rams in the NFC West. But it looks like they will have to play without All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
Kittle missed practice all week, and the 49ers don’t want to risk a further injury in Week 1. Kittle has a groin injury and is officially questionable on Friday’s injury report. If Kittle doesn’t play, the 49ers have a big drop-off to either Charlie Woerner or Ross Dwelley.
San Francisco is breaking in former first-round pick Trey Lance as the starting quarterback. He hasn’t been able to develop chemistry with Kittle in the preseason and also won’t have the starting tight end on the line to protect him when he runs.
Last year, Kittle started 14 of the 17 regular season games and had 71 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns. He has two seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards in his first five campaigns and is averaging 65 catches per season. Without Kittle, look for Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk to have a larger role in the passing game for Lance.
Waller, Nelson Sign Extensions
The Raiders’ Darren Waller and the Colts’ Quenton Nelson signed contract extensions on the eve of the season-opening. Waller agreed to a three-year deal worth $51 million, while Nelson signed a four-year deal worth $80 million.
Waller was limited to 11 games last year because of injuries. He caught 55 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns and also had seven catches for 76 yards in the playoff loss to Cincinnati. His 252 catches and 3,006 yards over the last three seasons are second among all tight ends behind Travis Kelce.
Nelson’s deal includes $60 million guaranteed and keeps the Pro Bowl guard blocking for Jonathan Taylor. Nelson has started 61 of the last 65 games for the Colts and has only allowed five sacks in his career. He is now the highest-paid guard in the league as the Cols, and new quarterback Matt Ryan prepare to start the season in Houston.
No Deal for Lamar
While Waller and Nelson did reach agreements on extensions, Lamar Jackson did not. The former MVP had a self-imposed deadline of Friday to sign an extension to his rookie contract with the Ravens, but that deadline came and went. Jackson will play the 2022 season as his last year in his rookie deal, effectively betting on himself to earn a big payday in the offseason.
Jackson doesn’t have an agent and turned down the deals proposed by Baltimore. He will make $23 million this year on the option year of his rookie deal and could receive the franchise tag in March if there isn’t a deal in place. That is the same strategy the Dallas Cowboys used with Dak Prescott before eventually agreeing to a long-term deal.
Jackson is expected to be looking for deals similar to those given to Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray this summer. Watson’s deal is fully guaranteed at $230 million, and Murray is guaranteed $190 million in his deal.
Jackson is taking all the risk, especially as a running quarterback. No signal-caller has been hit more than he has over the last four seasons, but he has only missed seven games. Baltimore is 32-12 with Jackson in the lineup and 2-5 when he’s out.
He missed five of those games last year while also throwing a career-high 13 interceptions. Jackson and the Ravens open the season Sunday against the New York Jets and Joe Flacco, the quarterback who lost his job to Jackson.
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