2023 NFL Free Agency: Garoppolo Signs, Bengals OT Requests Trade Amid Rodgers Watch
With the NFL's legal contact window opening on Monday, Friday effectively marked Day 5 of 2023 free agency. The stream of high-profile, big-money deals has slowed to a trickle, and the football world continues to wait on Aaron Rodgers news.
Rodgers has said on The Pat McAfee Show (h/t PFF) that he intends to play for the New York Jets this season, and the general assumption—even among the Jets players—is that the Green Bay Packers will eventually execute a trade.
"Standing here today, it feels good knowing that 12 is going to be my quarterback," former Packers and new Jets receiver Allen Lazard said in his introductory press conference.
Until a trade is actually finalized, though, No. 12 (Rodgers) isn't the Jets quarterback, and Rodgers Watch 2023 continues. In the interim, free agency rolls on, and Friday brought a few interesting developments.
Here, you'll find a look at some of the biggest buzz from Friday. For information on all of the latest NFL signings, check out Bleacher Report's free-agent tracker.
Garoppolo Officially Signs with Raiders
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Though an agreement between quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the Las Vegas Raiders was announced on Monday and could have been made official when the new league year began on Wednesday, the deal was not signed as of Thursday night.
That changed on Friday, and the Raiders finally have their successor to Derek Carr.
Though Garoppolo has battled numerous injuries throughout his career, including last year's season-ending foot injury, he is a logical choice for Las Vegas. He played under head coach Josh McDaniels when the two were with the New England Patriots, and he has accumulated a lot of postseason experience.
When healthy, Garoppolo was a terrific game manager for the San Francisco 49ers. He helped lead the one Super Bowl appearance and two NFC title games over the past four seasons.
Along with Carr, who signed with the New Orleans Saints, Garoppolo was the top starting-caliber quarterback on the 2023 market. He's now a Raider and officially off the board for other quarterback-needy teams.
Jets Running out of Options While They Wait on Rodgers
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As of Friday afternoon, Rodgers is still a Packer. The Jets plan to change that, but they have yet to agree to trade terms with Green Bay. A deal may not be imminent.
"The Green Bay Packers aren't going to be in a rush to get something done until they feel like they get sufficient compensation for the player that believes he is the greatest player in Packers' franchise history," ESPN's Adam Schefter said Thursday on Get Up.
Schefter also noted that the two sides are "far apart," which is more of a problem for the Jets than the Packers.
Green Bay doesn't have to rush to strike a deal because Rodgers' $53.8 million option bonus doesn't have to be exercised until Week 1. New York, meanwhile, is running out of veteran options to target if a trade falls through.
Garoppolo is only the latest quarterback to come off the market. The Indianapolis Colts signed Gardner Minshew II late Thursday, while the Philadelphia Eagles signed Marcus Mariota overnight.
Garoppolo, Carr, Minshew, Mariota, Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett and former Jet Sam Darnold are now all off the board. This very much puts the Jets in a Rodgers-or-bust situation.
Noteworthy Moves Are Still Trickling in
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Even though free agency has entered its slower second wave, notable deals are getting done.
Early on Friday, the Patriots agreed to a one-year deal with former Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki:
The Patriots traded tight end Jonnu Smith to the Atlanta Falcons earlier in the week, so Gesicki comes in as the new pass-catching complement to tight end Hunter Henry. The deal leaves Dalton Schultz as the clear top tight end on the free-agent market.
The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a deal with safety Julian Love on Friday, taking one of the top remaining safeties off the open market.
Love, who started 16 games and tallied 124 tackles with the New York Giants in 2022, should help bolster Seattle's 26th-ranked defense. He'll also provide insurance for Jamal Adams, who missed most of the season with a quad injury.
Several quality players remain available—including safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, pass-rusher Frank Clark, wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and Schultz—which highlights the reality that free agency isn't even close to over.
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Jonah Williams Requests Trade
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One important aspect of free agency to always keep in mind is that quality players who aren't available at the start often wind up available before the draft. The Buffalo Bills, for example, released wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie on Friday, according to Schefter.
McKenzie, who had 423 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2022 will generate interest. If Cincinnati Bengals starting left tackle Jonah Williams becomes available, he'll generate even more.
Cincinnati signed a new left tackle late Wednesday, adding four-time Pro Bowler Orlando Brown Jr. on a four-year, $64 million deal. On Friday, Williams asked the Bengals for a trade, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport.
It remains to be seen if Cincinnati will honor Williams' trade request. If it does, however, the 25-year-old would likely become the top tackle available either in free agency or via trade.
Williams is not an elite left tackle—there's a reason why Cincinnati signed Brown—but the 2019 11th overall pick is young and experienced. He has started 42 regular-season games for the Bengals and five postseason contests—including Super Bowl LVI.
Hanging on to Williams would make plenty of sense for Cincinnati, which lost starting right tackle La'el Collins to a torn ACL and MCL in late December. However, Williams seems to have no interest in playing right tackle, so this will be a situation worth monitoring as free agency approaches its second week.
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