Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is reportedly settling in well with the Baltimore Ravens after the team acquired him in a trade with the Carolina Panthers earlier this week. In the midst of one of his best NFL seasons, Johnson has gone from a struggling franchise to a Super Bowl contender.

“Once I found out where I was going, I was excited,” Johnson said, via a team report. “Sigh of relief. I’m ready to work.”

In his first season with Carolina after five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Johnson stepped out as an offensive leader, even as the team struggled. While the Panthers bounced between quarterbacks Bryce Young and Andy Dalton on the way to a 1-7 record, Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. He missed Week 8 with an injury but is expected to be available for his Ravens rebut in Week 9.

Though Johnson began his career with Ben Roethliseberger in Pittsburgh, he has struggled to produce consistently with a number of Steelers and Panthers quarterbacks since then. Teaming up with reigning MVP Lamar Jackson in Baltimore is a significant upgrade.

The Ravens’ offense does not necessarily run through a single receiver, as Jackson famously prefers to spread his passes between the likes of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and others. As a result, Johnson is unlikely to maintain the dominant target share that he had in Carolina, but instead has a far more realistic chance of contributing to a legitimate playoff contender. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh even discussed using him a punt returner Wednesday.

“[Johnson has] talked about it,” Harbaugh said. “He was out there today with the punt returners … just trying to get the rust knocked off probably … and help us in that area as well.”

With Johnson on the roster, the Ravens may have everything they need to make another serious bid for the Super Bowl in 2024. Last season, the team came up just short to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But with Derrick Henry in the backfield and Johnson added to the receiver corps, the offense could take on the best in the AFC with a renewed sense of purpose later this year.

The Panthers named Andy Dalton as their new starting quarterback earlier this week, relieving 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young of his duties — for now. Despite leading the team to a 2-16 record since taking over last season, Young is reportedly not on the trade block and will carry on with the team.

When asked whether the team would consider sending Young away after benching him, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said that he was content with the team’s quarterback situation and had no desire to change anything. Young’s teammates are also standing by him.

“It’s definitely not over,” running back Miles Sanders said. “Definitely. He’s smart. He’s fast. He’s the first one in the building, the last one out. It’s definitely not over. This is his home, and he’s gonna get another shot.”

Young has gained some measure of sympathy from many fans after getting benched, with many arguing that he has never been in a comfortable situation since debuting in 2023. Immediately named the starter of a poor team, Young showed flashes of potential but Carolina has been completely hapless.

The young quarterback was sacked 62 times for a league-high loss of 477 yards in 2023, throwing 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The team went 2-14 with him under center, but it’s impossible to place the blame on him entirely. Going into 2024, the Panthers were projected to be the worst in the NFL, with or without Young, and they have delivered on that with two blowout losses thus far.

Not only is Carolina bad now, but because they traded away multiple draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore in order to acquire Young, the team’s future is bleak as well. The roster is simply not capable of competing at the professional level.

The team’s approach at the quarterback position is sensible, at least. It seems prudent to give Young time to develop behind Dalton, a journeyman with an abundance of experience in the league. Many quarterbacks labeled “busts” have gone on to flourish later in their careers after spending time behind more experienced passers. It’s clear that the Panthers want Young to succeed, even if they haven’t always been able to help him to this point.

If Young ever starts again, he may find himself behind an improved offensive line, one that seems to slowly be finding its way in the early going. Right now, however, Young must adjust to new expectations and take time to develop and learn. It will likely be a difficult transition.

On the way into practice earlier this week, a fan asked Young, shortly after he was benched, to sign an autograph. The quarterback obliged, despite appearing somewhat distracted. The fan told Young that he was rooting for him and encouraged him to persevere. Carolina’s new backup acknowledged the fan’s kind words but was understandably terse in responding to them. He seems to be at a low point.

Chicago is hoping to make another playoff appearance this upcoming season. In the offseason, the Bears signed veteran quarterback Andy Dalton to a one-year deal. Chicago also traded up to select quarterback Justin Fields in the 2021 NFL Draft. Dalton is currently expected to be the opening day starter, but Fields has a very good chance of taking over as the starting quarterback at some point in the season. The rookie may even be the Week 1 starter if he outperforms Dalton in the preseason quarterback competition.

In one of the most critical moves of the offseason, the Bears franchise-tagged star wide receiver Allen Robinson. Robinson showed up for minicamp earlier this week, which is noteworthy considering he skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason program at the team facility, forgoing a $100,000 workout bonus. Now the Bears have until the July 15 deadline to get the Bears’ most lethal offensive weapon to sign a multiyear contract. Otherwise, Robinson will play out the 2021 season on the franchise tag and will become a free agent again next year.

Although Chicago has yet to convince Robinson to sign an extension, it was extremely important to at least retain him for the upcoming season, especially if Fields earns the quarterback job. Chicago lacks depth at the wide receiver position behind Robinson. The Bears have a pretty decent running game with David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen in the backfield. However, outside of Robinson, Chicago’s top receivers are Darnell Mooney and Anthony Miller. While Mooney has some upside, Miller has failed to prove much through his first three seasons in the NFL. The Bears need Robinson to have a monster season if they have any chance at making the playoffs.

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Chicago Bears Schedule:

• Week 1: Su 09/12 at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 vs Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 at Cleveland Browns
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 vs Detroit Lions
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 at Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Green Bay Packers
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs San Francisco 49ers
• Week 9: Mon 11/08 at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 10: BYE
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 vs Baltimore Ravens
• Week 12: Thu 11/25 at Detroit Lions
• Week 13: Sun 12/05 vs Arizona Cardinals
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at Green Bay Packers
• Week 15: Mon 12/20 vs Minnesota Vikings
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 at Seattle Seahawks
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 vs New York Giants
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Minnesota Vikings

NFC North: The NFC North is wide open for the taking, though that largely depends on the outcome of the ongoing Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay. If the Packers give in to Rodgers’ desire for a trade, the division will truly be up for grabs. However, If Rodgers remains in Green Bay, it is hard to imagine any team other than the Packers winning the division title.

Matchups: Chicago will have a difficult schedule to overcome this upcoming season. The Bears start the season on the road with a tough matchup against the Rams. However, Chicago then has three very winnable games over their next four weeks before beginning an extremely difficult stretch of games between Week 6 and Week 9. Following their Week 10 bye, the Bears face four divisional opponents over their next five games. That stretch could very well determine whether they inch into the postseason or not.

Overall: The Bears are aiming to make the playoffs again, but that will largely depend on the team’s quarterback play, whether it is Dalton or Fields. If Rodgers gets traded, Chicago could very well steal the division. However, the Bears still have to overcome a schedule jam-packed with tough opponents and playoff teams.

Prediction: Chicago will finish the season with an 8-9 record and will not make the playoffs.

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The Chicago Bears surprised many on day 1 of Thursday’s draft by moving up nine spots. The Bears did so by trading for the New York Giants’ draft pick. The Bears sent their next two first-round picks and their No. 20 pick to the Giants in exchange for the No. 11 pick.

With the No. 11 pick, Chicago drafted Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Bears general manager Ryan Price was excited when Fields dropped in the draft. “We had multiple plans tonight, and the way the board was falling, we got excited when the quarterbacks came off that way, and Justin continued to fall,” Pace said. “For us, it was just executing our plan at the right spot in the draft and being patient with that, which sometimes can be difficult.”

“Fortunately, with the Giants, I’ve known Dave Gettleman for 20 years,” Pace explained. “He’s an amazing person and amazing general manager, and we go way back so, that communication started really this morning about something like that happening, and when we were able to execute it in the draft, I just feel really fortunate.”

One issue that many fans are wondering is how will this impact Andy Dalton? The Bears signed Dalton to a one-year deal worth $10 million, and the team declared him as “QB1.”

However, with the newly drafted quarterback joining the team, Dalton’s starting job could be jeopardized. Bears coach Matt Nagy contacted Dalton and reassured him that he will be the quarterback.

The newly drafted Fields feels like he is what the team needs.

“I think I fit perfectly [with what Nagy wants at quarterback],” Fields said. “If he didn’t think I fit well [the Bears] wouldn’t have traded up.” The former Ohio State quarterback explained to reporters the qualities he has that the team needs. “You know, just the way I carry myself, just the way I care about the game, the grit I have, the determination I have to be great,” Fields told reporters. “I think nobody has the story that I have. So just everything inside of me, just wanting to be a great quarterback, wanting to be a franchise quarterback.”

The Chicago Bears have already decided that Andy Dalton will be their starting quarterback.

On Tuesday, the Bears agreed with Dalton to a one-year, $10 million deal. Dalton can earn an additional $3 million in bonuses. On Thursday, Dalton was introduced as the team’s newest acquisition.

It was interested to hear Dalton reveal that he was promised the starting job. “They told me I was the starter,” Dalton said. “That was one of the reasons why I wanted to come here.”

For Chicago fans, it is not who they wanted to be their new signal caller. Chicago was one of the teams that made offers to acquire Superstar Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. The Bears had offered Seattle three first-round picks,  a third-round pick, and two unnamed starters for Wilson. Seattle was not interested in the trade, so it ended Chicago’s hopes of landing the perennial Pro Bowler.

Instead, the team turned towards Dalton on a one-year deal. Although the team did not land who they wanted to, they still got a quarterback with a solid pedigree, despite some concerns about his declining play over the last couple years. However, the 33-year-old quarterback happens to be a former three-time Pro Bowler. Dalton made a name for himself during his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2011-2019.

Last season, the quarterback played for the Dallas Cowboys as Dak Prescott’s backup. Dalton took over the reins after Prescott suffered a season-ending injury. The veteran played in 11 games for Dallas and recorded 2,169 passing yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 64.9 percent of his passes.

Dalton is excited to be in Chicago because it is another opportunity and a fresh start for him. “Obviously, I know there’s been a lot of talks, but I’m coming in from the outside,” Dalton said as he acknowledges the feelings of fans who wanted someone else as the quarterback. Nevertheless, he is ready to play for the fans and show what he is capable of. “Hopefully, everybody gets a chance to see who I am as a player, as a person, see what we’re gonna be able to do with this organization.”

The Cincinnati Bengals are looking ahead to the future after drafting Ohio native and the 2019 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from LSU, Joe Burrow, with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The event was held virtually Thursday night for the first time ever due to the coronavirus outbreak as team officials drafted remotely from their homes, and it was no surprise that Burrow’s name was the first to be announced.

Burrow had been connected with the Bengals since the draft order was released at the conclusion of the 2019 NFL season and his impressive performances at LSU which included a national championship win and an FBS best 60 touchdowns, heavily influenced Cincinnati’s decision. After the selection, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor claimed Burrow would be competing for the starting job next year despite his recent success.

“That’s exactly how I expect to do it as well,” Burrow said during a video chat session with local reporters. “I’m going to come in and compete and try to be the best player I can be.”

Team executives are hoping Burrow can help turn around a team that’s had a losing record for the last four seasons with no playoff appearances since 2015. “I mean for me, it doesn’t matter where you get picked,” Burrow said. “I could have been 189th pick, I could be No. 1. I’m going to work the exact same and try to be the best quarterback I can be for this city.”

Cincinnati’s starter since 2011, Andy Dalton, was benched last year for poor performance amid the worst season of his career. In 13 starts, Dalton had a career-worst quarterback rating of 78.3 and threw just 16 touchdowns to go along with 14 interceptions. Although he has been in trade talks as the organization hopes to move on from him, the plan hasn’t come to fruition yet. He is in the final year of a contract worth $17.7 million that currently puts Cincinnati over the salary cap.

Regardless of Dalton’s situation, Taylor knows Burrow has a lot to learn in order to make the transition from college football to the  NFL. “We selected him because we know he’s going to be able to handle all of that,” Taylor said. “It’s just a matter of accumulating those reps as quickly as he can.”

Because all rookie camps and OTA’s have been postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, Burrow said he will have to adapt to missing those snaps and work on learning Taylor’s playbook as well as how to call plays in the huddle.

“You have to be stern in your voice, because if you are in there wavering and wobbling and fumbling over words, all the guys are going to be like, ‘What is this guy doing in here, Coach? Get him out. Get someone else in,'” Burrow told ESPN. “So, that’s something I’m going to be really focused on.”

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

The Bengals haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, which is the longest drought in the NFL, and Burrow looks to turn around a franchise that has never won a Super Bowl.

There’s still no evidence Tom Brady will return to New England when NFL free agency begins March 18 and the Patriots must be prepared for life without him if he ultimately decides to sign with another team. Here’s some possible replacements that New England could sign in free agency or acquire via trade:

Andy Dalton:

Dalton will reportedly work with the Bengals on a trade that will land him at a destination that he prefers, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapaport reported that he will be considered as a replacement for Brady if the Patriots’ are unable to resign the six-time Super Bowl Champion.

Dalton is a starting caliber quarterback who has nine years of experience in the AFC and can definitely benefit from the leadership and coaching savvy of Bill Belichick. Nonetheless, he has a career completion percentage of 62.6, and last year completed just 59.5% of his passes, third worst in the league. Yes, he can be a serviceable but it’s hard to replace a quarterback who is widely considered one of the greatest of all time with Dalton who is coming off the most dreadful year of his career. In 13 starts in the 2019 season, Dalton threw for 3,494 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a career-low 78.3 passer rating. Although the “Red Rifle” may be available, he shouldn’t be the first choice on New England’s wish list.

Teddy Bridgewater:

Most recently Bridgewater played valuable snaps for the Saints in the regular season to fill in for an injured Drew Brees and impressed critics with his accurate throwing ability and his intelligent decision making when faced with pressure in the pocket. In six starts for New Orleans, Bridgewater went 5-1 and compiled 1,384 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions with a passer rating of 99.1 and a completion rate of 67.9%. At 27 years old, Bridgewater is the perfect quarterback for Belichick to mold into the Patriots’ system because of his longevity. Available as a free agent, Bridgewater has the opportunity to become New England’s quarterback of the future with a reasonable price tag.

Philip Rivers:

Rivers is 38 years old and coming off one of the toughest years of his career that saw the Chargers finish last with a 5-11 record. He was able to throw for over 4,000 yards for his seventh straight season but had the worst interception to touchdown ratio of his career (1.15) finishing with 23 TD passes and 20 interceptions. To Rivers’ defense, a league-leading seven of those came while his team was trailing with five minutes left in the game, according to ESPN. New England, however, can provide a better offensive line and a top defense to prevent Rivers from constantly having to play from behind. He is also one of the best in the league at adjusting protection and is highly praised for his scrupulous game preparation. If Rivers does end up in New England, it’s fair to say that Belichick will be the best head coach he’s ever played for and the Patriots will remain Super Bowl contenders.

Derek Carr:

Carr is coming off one his best seasons as a Raider and actually outperformed Brady when considering his career-high passer rating (100.8) and career-high completion percentage (70.4) that ranked second in the NFL behind Brees. Brady had his worst passer rating (88.0) since 2013 and actually completed a lesser percentage of throws (60.8) by a large margin. You could also argue that the 29-year-old had a worse supporting cast than Brady besides the running back position occupied by rookie sensation Josh Jacobs. If he gets paired with Belichick and an elite defense via trade, there’s no doubt New England would be favorites to win the AFC East for years to come.

The Bengals finally got their first win of the season Sunday snapping their 11-game losing streak with a 22-6 win over the New York Jets. The victory finally gave Cincinnati something to be happy about after ending an 11-game losing streak that set a franchise record for consecutive losses.

Bengal’s quarterback Andy Dalton got his first start in three weeks after being benched for rookie Ryan Finley. Dalton’s single touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Boyd gave him the franchise record for touchdown passes with 198 moving ahead of Ken Anderson. Head Coach Zac Taylor was able to get his first NFL career win after replacing longtime coach Marvin Lewis in the offseason. “This one’s very satisfying, with everything I’ve gone through this year. To be the record-breaker today, being the first one after not playing the last three weeks, this one means a lot,” Dalton told the Orlando Sentinel.

Originally Finley had been brought in to replace Dalton after an 0-8 start to the season. As a first year head coach Taylor was looking for other ways to win and was hoping Finley could help fill that void, but he made a smart decision going back to the veteran after an 0-16 season became a real possibility. The Bengals haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 and played in front of the smallest recorded crowd ever at Paul Brown Stadium with just under 40,000 in attendance.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The Jets had a forgetful day as they became the first team ever to lose to two teams in the same season that were 0-7 or worse. They had lost to the Miami Dolphins in November, and this match-up snapped their three-game winning streak. Sam Darnold threw the ball a career-high 48 times but never connected for a touchdown throughout the game.

The afternoon belonged to Cincinnati and putting Dalton back in seemed to give the team a reason to believe again and gave the fans their first good Sunday since last season. “He did a great job pumping everybody up. He won the game for us,” Boyd said. Dalton passed for 243 yards and one touchdown in the game.

“For him to come back and lead us and get this win, it says a lot about his character,” Taylor said.

The Cincinnati Bengals‘ first round pick Jonah Williams, an offensive tackle from Alabama, was injured during practice and will likely miss his first NFL season after getting shoulder surgery, it was announced this week.

The Bengals’ new head coach Zac Taylor, former Los Angeles Rams quarterback coach under Sean McVay, has found a rough first few weeks with his new tenure as multiple Bengals players are out with injuries.

“We look forward to Jonah being a major contributor in the future and know that he won’t let this injury deter him from still being an important part of this team,” Taylor said, according to ESPN. “We’re confident in our offensive line personnel as we head into training camp, and we believe they can do their part in helping this team achieve its goals.”

Williams was selected 11th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft and was a first-team All-American in the 2018 season with Alabama. He missed mandatory OTAs with the Bengals during the early June minicamp because of the injury, but now is confirmed to miss the season after obtaining a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Cordy Glenn, who started for the Bengals at left tackle last season, is set to be in the starting lineup again to replace Williams.

This is a big blow for the Bengals, as it will slow down his development as an NFL tackle significantly, while at the same time, it makes their offensive line weaker than it already was.

The Bengals signed free-agent guard John Jerry earlier this month after not playing under the New York Giants. Jerry could be set at guard for this season, but has also played tackle in the past.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

“That’s part of the equation,” Turner said, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. “That’s part of the reason he’s here. He’s got a ton of experience. He’s played a lot of football. He’s also played tackle.”

Quarterback Andy Dalton might lack major protection up front this season, and may find it difficult to connect with his high-favored targets in AJ Green, Tyler Eifert and Tyler Boyd.