NFL Rumors: Deshaun Watson, Roquan Smith, Jimmy Garoppolo

Welcome to the Tuesday edition of NFL rumors on Full Press Coverage.

The NFL preseason is in full swing as we inch closer and closer to the start of the regular season, however, a set-in-stone resolution of the Deshaun Watson situation has yet to be determined as the appeal process plays out. Will that get resolved this week? Plus, will Jimmy Garoppolo finally find a new home? It could depend on the aforementioned resolution of the Watson suspension for 2022.

We take a look at that and more rumors circulating around the league.

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Cleveland Browns – QB Deshaun Watson

Rumor: Appeals officer Peter Harvey is reportedly waiting for the NFL and Watson to negotiate a settlement in the quarterback’s current six-game suspension, per Pro Football Talk.

For an expedited appeals process, it sure is taking Peter Harvey a long time to rule on Deshaun Watson’s current six-game suspension. But then again, it is more important to get the process right than to rule quickly, however, if it is to be believed that a settlement could still be on the table, it is very unlikely that the NFL will get exactly what it and many others want… a full season suspension. Currently, Watson is set to return in Week 7 against the Ravens and the Browns could very well still be in contention. That would greatly reduce the impact of the punishment on the player but especially the team. Not to mention, based on the structure of the contract, Watson would take a minimal financial hit for a suspension lasting just six games in 2022. In fact, any fine based on the 2022 salary will be small relative to the rest of Watson’s contract and could be a point of contention for the league as well. Of course, increasing the number of games Watson sits out is the goal but just how many more can the NFL get?

Chicago Bears – LB Roquan Smith

Rumor: A person claiming to represent Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has been calling teams to gauge trade interest, per Mike Florio.

Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith has been seeking a new contract since the Spring as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. With no apparent movement towards a new deal with Chicago, Smith requested a trade out of the Windy City. Unfortunately for Smith, the Bears don’t seem interested in granting him one and have denied him permission to seek one, which makes the situation with someone claiming the represent Smith a bit more precarious. With the recent penalties levied against the Dolphins, the league is on high alert for anything remotely considered tampering, and if a team engages this individual in trade talks surrounding Smith, without the permission of the Bears, that would be a bad situation for that team. Needless to say, with the start of the season just a few weeks away, this situation doesn’t seem close to being resolved one way or the other.

San Francisco 49ers – QB Jimmy Garoppolo

Rumor: 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is currently operating without a playbook at camp, according to Peter King.

It makes sense as the 49ers are still planning to trade or release Jimmy Garoppolo before the start of the regular season. The 30-year-old quarterback has been at 49ers camp as he recovers from offseason surgery, however, a trade has yet to materialize. In a more interesting tidbit mentioned by Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle, after receiving his big contract from the 49ers in 2018, Garoppolo was “unreachable” after his introductory press conference.

“Once he left that press conference, nobody heard from him for weeks and weeks,” according to Silver’s source. “He didn’t return calls, he didn’t return texts — he basically just vanished. And we were looking at each other going, ‘What just happened?’”

There were plenty of reasons to move on from Garoppolo at the start of 2022 but this only further gives the team reason as they try and get second-year quarterback, Trey Lance, ready to take the reigns.