NFL Rumors: Brady/Arians Rift, Robby Anderson, Combine Boycott

Welcome to the latest edition of NFL Rumors on Full Press Coverage.

We are more than a week removed from the Super Bowl and attention has turned to the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine and NFL Free Agency that begins on March 16th. However, in addition to all of that, there is plenty of offseason drama to fill in the gaps.

Tampa Bay Buccanneers – QB Tom Brady

Rumor: The relationship between Tom Brady and Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians soured toward the end of the quarterback’s two-year stint in Tampa, per Rich Ohrnberger.

Normally, when a 44-year-old football player retires, no one is surprised. However, when Brady decided to walk away, clearly with plenty left in the tank even at his age, it left people scratching their heads. We have been playing a game of ‘will he?’ or ‘won’t he?’ ever since. One reason as to why Brady may have rushed into a decision to “retire” was his desire to get out of Tampa and away from Bruce Arians as Ohrnberger, a former teammate of Brady, has suggested. Ohrnberger claims, through an “impregnable” source, that Arians would take a figurative “red pen” to the gameplan Brady and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich had been working on.

Heard some interesting things recently… The Tom Brady & Bruce Arians honeymoon was over in Tampa. The retirement announcement wasn’t because of the trouble seeing eye to eye on the offensive game planning, but the relationship was souring.

— Rich Ohrnberger (@ohrnberger) February 18, 2022

Arians has since denied any rift existed but Ohrnberger, who was duped earlier with the Patrick Mahomes story, has doubled down on his original statement. Stay tuned.

Around FPC

NFL: Marvin Lewis on Brian Flores’ Charges: “No Question, It’s Alarming”

NFL: Aaron Donald Is Noncommittal On Future

NFL: Unhitch The Wagon: Chiefs Must Release Anthony Hitchens

Super Bowl: Climb The Ranks: Joe Burrow Continues To Ascend

NHL: NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames

PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 33: Super Bowl LVI Reaction; Rams Clinch Second Title

NFL Combine Drama

Rumor: 155 players are prepared to boycott NFL Combine due to strict protocols in place, per Pro Football Talk.

There are just over 300 prospects slated to attend the 2022 NFL Combine, however, come Monday, that player total could be wiped in half as 155 are set to boycott the event based on the strict COVID-19 protocols put in place last week by the NFL. The league intends to place the participants in a bubble during the event that runs from March 1st to the 7th.

Carolina Panthers – Robby Anderson

Rumor: If the Panthers decided to trade wide receiver Robby Anderson, his preferred destination is his former team, the New York Jets, per DJ Bien-Aime II.

Anderson spent the first four years of his career with the Jets before arriving in Charlotte prior to the 2020 season. The Panthers are currently in limbo at the quarterback position with the retirement of Cam Newton and the existence of Sam Darnold. In New York, Zach Wilson came on strong after a rough and injury-plagued early part of his rookie season. In addition, the AFC East has been won by the Buffalo Bills the past two seasons but will likely be one of the most competitive divisions in the coming years. Anderson can make a difference with the Jets.