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NFL notebook: Vikings tight-lipped on QB plans

[January 24, 2018] Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater are all unsure of their futures with the Minnesota Vikings. In the meantime, head coach Mike Zimmer isn't showing his hand on the matter.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Zimmer didn't provide any indication as to what the team plans to do at the quarterback position moving forward.

"We'll work through all that process. I'm really not prepared to comment on it after we got back at 3 a.m. yesterday," Zimmer said.

Keenum was the team's primary starter this season after being called upon in September when Bradford went down with another knee injury. Bradford and Bridgewater finished the season as Keenum's backups, and all three are set to become free agents when the league year kicks off in March.

--Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles hopes the end of the team's dream season isn't the end of his time with the organization.

Bortles told reporters he isn't sure if he will be back with the Jags next season. Jacksonville previously exercised the 25-year-old's fifth-year option worth $19,053,000, but it doesn't become guaranteed until the start of the league year.

"I've enjoyed my four years here in Jacksonville, and I would love to be able to play here for as long as they would let me," Bortles said. "What they do and all the decisions that are made are kind of out of my control. I'd be thrilled to be able to stay here and play here, and hopefully that can happen."

--Five days after the Pittsburgh Steelers moved on from offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the division rival Cleveland Browns will hire him to fill the same position, according to multiple reports.

Haley, 50, spent six seasons with the Steelers before his contract expired last week and the team did not offer a new deal.

Head coach Hue Jackson has handled the Browns' offensive coordinator duties since he was hired in 2016, but he said at the conclusion of an 0-16 season that he was open to hiring a coordinator to call plays. Jackson also met with Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Sean Ryan and fired New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo about the job before settling on Haley.

--Former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard was hired to be defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.

Richard helps replace outbound linebackers coach/passing game coordinator Matt Eberflus, who is joining the still-forming coaching staff of Josh McDaniels with the Indianapolis Colts.

With speculation Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is considering retirement after next season, Richard could be in line as coordinator in waiting for the Cowboys. Marinelli will turn 69 years old before the start of training camp.

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--The New England Patriots will be the home team in Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles, but they elected to wear their road white jerseys.

The Patriots announced the decision on Twitter on Tuesday morning, noting the team is 3-0 in white in Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick.

New England wore blue in each of its Super Bowl losses to the New York Giants under Belichick's tenure. However, the Pats won their first two Super Bowls -- XXXVI against the Rams and XXXVIII against the Panthers -- in their typical home blues.

--Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is among the five finalists for the NFL Players Association's Byron "Whizzer" White Award.

Kaepernick is joined by Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller as finalists. The honor recognizes players for exceptional community service in their team cities and hometowns.

The winner of the award, named after former NFL running back and Supreme Court Justice Byron Raymond "Whizzer" White, will receive $100,000 for his foundation or a charity of his choice. The honoree be announced Feb. 1 following a player vote.

--The NFL announced the creation of a player-owner committee focusing on social and racial justice issues.

The owners named to the committee are Arizona's Michael Bidwill, Atlanta's Arthur Blank, Cleveland's Jimmy Haslam, Jacksonville's Shahid Khan and Miami's Stephen Ross.

The player representatives are Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, New York Jets tackle Kelvin Beachum and quarterback Josh McCown, Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman and retired players Anquan Boldin and Aeneas Williams.

--The NFL will bring back senior vice president of officiating Alberto Riveron for the 2018 season, a league spokesman told ESPN on Tuesday.

Riveron will return "with the support of the commissioner and the league," according to a tweet from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Riveron was promoted to the position last year to fill the vacancy created by Dean Blandino's departure for Fox Sports. Riveron took over leadership the same season that the league voted to centralize replay rulings, which led to several controversial calls during the regular season.

--Field Level Media

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