Shocking news: Kalen DeBoer salary has been reduced to…

Alabama football enters the 2024 season as one of the nation’s biggest unknowns. Last season, the Crimson Tide made it all the way to the College Football Playoffs with a team many thought was not fit to make a late postseason run. Now, some big questions need to be answered.

When legendary head coach Nick Saban retired and the program hired former Washington Coach Kalen DeBoer to fill his shoes, there was fear that the few players that left via the transfer portal would significantly hinder the team’s ability to win. Not just that, there were concerns over DeBoer’s ability to recruit young talent, which was never an issue with Saban.

The biggest question for Alabama, though, has nothing to do with players or positional groups. Chris Low from ESPN is wondering whether or not DeBoer is up for the challenge of the immense amount of pressure he will be under in his first season as the head coach in Tuscaloosa.

“The buy-in process has already started for new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who takes on the kind of challenge in replacing Nick Saban that would send a lot of coaches sprinting in the other direction. Spring practice poses the first chance to get the holdovers and some of the newcomers together on the same field with somebody not named Nick Saban running the show. DeBoer has won everywhere he has been and took Washington to the national championship game last season. But every move he makes and everything he says will be intensely scrutinized, especially by his players.”

Spring practice will be a great benchmark for the program heading into an unprecedented situation. Players need to shift into the DeBoer mindset while not leaving behind the foundation Saban created.

When the spring transfer portal opens, there’s a belief that it will either go well for the Tide, with the program bringing in high-talent players who want to join the team, or that it will be Round 2 of playing leaving Tuscaloosa to continue their collegiate careers elsewhere.

There’s no way to know what the answer is right now, so we are all forced to sit back and wait to see what the future holds for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.

Story originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire

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NBC Sports
Alabama’s DeBoer hires Sheridan as offensive coordinator, Shephard as co-offensive coordinator
NBC Sports
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 6:39 PM GMT+1·1 min read

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has hired Nick Sheridan as offensive coordinator and JaMarcus Shephard as co-offensive coordinator.

DeBoer announced the hirings on Tuesday. Sheridan replaces Ryan Grubb, who had planned to follow DeBoer from Washington to Alabama but instead was hired as offensive coordinator of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

“Nick and JaMarcus are both fantastic coaches, and we are excited to have them join us at Alabama,” DeBoer said in a statement. “They have experience in our offense, and they know what we are trying to accomplish on that side of the football. They both bring passion and enthusiasm to their work and have proven to be excellent teachers and recruiters at every stop of their careers.”

Sheridan spent two years as Indiana’s offensive coordinator (2020-21) and three seasons as DeBoer’s tight ends coach at Indiana (2019) and Washington (2022-23). He will also coach quarterbacks.

Shephard will be an assistant head coach and receivers coach. He coached receivers at Washington after five seasons at Purdue, including the final four as co-offensive coordinator. He worked with star receivers Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk with the Huskies.

Shephard spent one season at Washington State in 2016 on Mike Leach’s staff as the wide receivers coach.

Financial terms for Sheridan and Shephard haven’t been disclosed, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

Will he stay or will he go.

That’s what Justin Fields wants to know sooner than later from the Chicago Bears.

The quarterback recently unfollowed the team that originally drafted him 11th overall in 2021, and then went on the “St. Brown Brothers” podcast this week to offer his first public comments since the 2023 season ended.

When Fields was broached about why he dropped the Bears on Instagram, he initially responded with a joke.

“Why do people take social media so serious?” Fields told the brothers. “I’m just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL. I’m not just trying to have football on my timeline. … I’m about to go on vacation, I don’t want to see no football.”

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) during an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Jan. 07, 2024, in Green Bay. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields recently unfollowed the Bears on social media. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Thanks to its trade with the Carolina Panthers last offseason, Chicago owns the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Even though the 24-year-old started playing better down the stretch after returning from a dislocated thumb, many pundits expect Chicago to move on from Fields.

The Bears didn’t use the top pick in last year’s draft, but with a second chance at choosing first, not exploring the quarterback position isn’t an option for Chicago. This year’s QB prospect crop includes USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the leaders of the house.

Not only that, the team retained head coach Matt Eberflus but revamped its offensive coaching staff. If nothing else, the front office is providing Eberflus with another year to prove the offense’s struggles aren’t a result of his coaching but having the wrong framework around him.

As such, there’s been a whirlwind of conversations about what to do with Fields — stand beside him or deal him elsewhere. If the Bears go with the trade option, then which team makes the most sense and has the most to offer Chicago in return?

Eventually, as the conversation moved on with the St. Brown brothers, Fields admitted to simply being tired of not knowing what his future holds. The Bears hold all the cards, Fields is stuck in the middle, and there’s nothing he can do to change that until Chicago makes a decision.

So he used the platform he had to let the Bears know that he’s happy in Chicago, but if they don’t want him, he’d appreciate them simply saying that.

“If it was up to me, I would want to stay in Chicago. I love the city. The city’s lit. The fans are great,” he said. “… The biggest thing is I just want it to be over. Let me know if I’m getting traded [or] let me know if I’m staying.”

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ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Report: Announcement of 49ers defensive coordinator “could be soon”
ProFootball Talk on NBC Sports
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 3:16 PM GMT+1·1 min read

31

Eight days ago, the 49ers fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, only two days after the Super Bowl. Soon, the 49ers might be announcing his replacement.

Tim Kawakami of TheAthletic.com posted this on Tuesday: “Hear the 49ers might be closing in on a DC. Not sure when there’ll be an announcement, but could be soon.”

There has been little or no reporting on candidates for the job. Some believe it will be former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters, when announcing the move, that he will consider internal and external candidates.

Presumably, the search has been proceeding — especially with the Scouting Combine coming next week. Time generally is of the essence, given that the vacancy didn’t even arise until two days after the entire season ended.

Many believe that Shanahan wouldn’t have fired Wilks without already knowing who the replacement would be. That would explain the quiet search. Lock onto the person you want, interview a handful of candidates, and make the hire.

Regardless of how it has played out and who it will be, it makes sense to think it’s going to happen soon.

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NBC Sports Chicago
Mitch Trubisky asked via text to congratulate Kenny Pickett for being drafted by the Steelers
Ryan Taylor
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 9:18 PM GMT+1·2 min read

74

Mitch Trubisky asked via text to congratulate Kenny Pickett for being drafted by the Steelers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

When the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky in 2022 to a barren quarterback room then featuring Mason Rudolph and DeWayne Haskins, they appeared to be offering him a second chance to revive his career with a team to lead.

That changed quickly.

About six weeks later, in an even more barren quarterback draft class, the Steelers took the first one off the board with Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. Then, Trubisky realized he would be legitimately competing for his starting spot. in the shadow of a rookie who provided hope to bridge the gap of success between Ben Roethlisberger and success.

It doesn’t appear Trubisky was looped into that plan, as a recent report takes us back to that very night.

“Trubisky never stood a chance with the Steelers,” Gerry Dulac wrote for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. “Six weeks after he was signed to a two-year, $14.3 million contract in free agency in March 2022, the Steelers took Pickett with their No. 1 pick in the draft.

“That night, Trubisky was a little surprised by a text message that, among other things, asked him to text and congratulate the newest Steelers quarterback. No wonder he played as though he was always looking over his shoulder after that.”

Oof. That’s quite a demeaning text. It gives the energy of a parent telling their kid to say “please” and “thank you.” But that song shouldn’t sound too unfamiliar to Trubisky.

The Bears signed Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon to a deal just before they traded up to select Trubisky in the 2017 NFL draft. Now, that’s a little different. Glennon wasn’t a solidified quarterback at that point. But the Bears did sign him to a lucrative deal (three years, $45 million) and by that point, he was only three years into his career.

Still, that’s never a tough pill to swallow for a quarterback trying to find his footing in a starting role again. And for Trubisky, that attempt with Pittsburgh recently ended, as the team cut ties with him.

In 18 games with the Steelers, Trubisky threw for 1,884 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He finished with a 77.6 passer rating over two seasons in Pittsburgh. His free agency venture will begin again when the new league year commences on March 13.

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NBC Sports BayArea
49ers make history after multiple blown leads in Super Bowl loss
Taylor Wirth
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 6:38 PM GMT+1·1 min read

39

49ers make history after multiple blown leads in Super Bowl loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The 49ers made history in their Super Bowl LVIII loss to the Kansas City Chiefs … for the wrong reason.

San Francisco, for the second time in five years, came so close to hoisting the franchise’s sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy but suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs in overtime at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 11.

The 49ers led the Chiefs 16-13 with 11:22 remaining in the fourth quarter and 19-16 with 1:53 remaining in the same quarter before game-tying field goals on both ensuing Chiefs drives. San Francisco then jumped out to a 22-19 lead in overtime before Kansas City’s eventual game-winning touchdown.

The collapse marked the first time in NFL history a team lost after leading twice in the fourth quarter and once in overtime, per Sportradar.

A lot has been made of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s decision to take possession of the ball on the opening drive in overtime, and while many believe it was the wrong choice, some analytics experts admittedly would have made the same decision.

The 49ers had multiple opportunities late in the game to put the Chiefs away, but their failure to do so resulted in a first-of-its-kind loss in NFL history.

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Yahoo Sports
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce says team will have ‘Mahomes Rules,’ channel inner Pistons
Rhiannon Walker
Rhiannon Walker
Contributing writer
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 6:54 PM GMT+1·3 min read

54

Antonio Pierce has heard a lot about how Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the current Michael Jordan of the National Football League.

Well, if that’s who Mahomes is being compared to, then the road to stopping him has already been mapped out.

The Las Vegas Raiders new head coach explained on Maxx Crosby’s “The Rush” podcast that he’s going to take a page out of the Detroit Pistons’ book. The “Bad Boys” of the late 1980s and early 1990s, for a time, found the solution for effectively bottling up Jordan, and Pierce believes his Raiders can replicate that with Mahomes.

Look no further than Las Vegas’ 20-14 upset of Kansas City on Christmas Day — the last loss the Chiefs took before winning Super Bowl LVIII.

“We’ve got the Jordan rules and what I’m calling from now on as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes rules,” Pierce told the Raiders’ defensive end on his podcast. “So, you remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, all those guys in the ’80s before he became Michael Jordan, Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whoop his ass.

“Any time he came to the hole? Elbows, feeling him, love taps. We touched him. We’re in the head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, I’m touching you. So, I showed those guys Jordan getting his ass whooped.”

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce chants at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce chants at a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Henderson, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher)
When asked to provide a response to Pierce’s comments about being extra physical with one of the NFL’s most notable faces and the three-time Super Bowl champion, the NFL reportedly offered no comment to Pro Football Talk.

In the Raiders and Chiefs last meeting, Las Vegas scored two defensive touchdowns — including a pick-six of Mahomes — sacked him four times and registered 10 quarterback hits. That matched the second-most times Mahomes has been sacked in a single game.

“We’ve got to win the division first,” Pierce said. “We’ve got to knock off the team in red. They’ve dominated for [eight] years. We’ve got to knock off the head of the snake. Fifteen. We’ve got to do that first.”

If Pierce plans to play within those rules, then there’s nothing to worry about. But if the violence is excessive, similar to what Jordan endured, it’s not a far stretch to understand the league will take action and put a kibosh on the “Mahomes Rules.”

Pierce may also be mindful of the possibility that Las Vegas is only helping Kansas City by toughening them up and providing its arch nemesis with more fuel.

Take this season, for instance. The Chiefs reeled off six consecutive wins en route to winning their third Super Bowl in five seasons.

Pierce received a nice text message from Chiefs head coach Andy Reid when Kansas City took over Las Vegas’ facilities ahead of the Super Bowl.

“I just said, ‘Hey, beautiful facility, first of all. And I appreciate you kicking our tail because you taught us a lesson. You get complacent in this business, the margin between winning and losing is tiny,'” Reid told NBC Sports in early February.

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NBC Sports Chicago
Justin Fields explains why he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram
Ryan Taylor
Wed, Feb 21, 2024, 8:05 PM GMT+1·1 min read

4

Justin Fields explains why he unfollowed the Bears on Instagram originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Social media went into a frenzy on Monday when fans figured out Justin Fields had unfollowed the Bears’ Instagram account.

With Equanimeous St. Brown and his brother Amon-Ra on The 33rd Team podcast, Fields revealed why he unfollowed the team’s social media.

“Why do people take social media so seriously?” Fields asked. “I still mess with the Bears I’m just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears and the NFL [social media accounts]. I’m not just trying to have football on my timeline. .. It’s something that I don’t want to see on my timeline. I’m about to go on vacation. I don’t want to see no football.”

He also said he’s tired of hearing the talk between him and Caleb Williams.

“Man, I’m tired of hearing all the talk. ‘We want Fields. We want Caleb. Bro, it’s just …”

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Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been exploring the possibility of taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, which would most likely result in the Bears trading Justin Fields to another team before free agent signing begins on March 13.

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