If veteran G Brandon Scherff elected to hang up his cleats instead of playing another season in 2025, it would be a well-earned retirement. The former top-five pick out of Iowa has played a decade in the NFL and been named to the Pro Bowl in half of those seasons. He was a first-team AP All-Pro selection in 2020 and has over $110 million in career earnings. Playoff success has been fleeting but Scherff has accomplished just about everything else that a player could hope to achieve.
But if he wants to keep playing, either to chase a ring or just because he loves the game, there should be options for Scherff. Competent linemen are too hard to find, and Scherff still meets that criterion. While his play slipped the last three years with the Jaguars compared to his first act in Washington, he remained an above-average guard last season. Pro Football Focus still grades him as a strong pass protector, though his run-blocking grades have slipped the past three seasons.
At his age, Scherff likely won’t mind missing OTAs and a chunk of training camp, so it could be a while before he signs. An injury could also create more demand for his services. But the bottom line should be that if Scherff wants to play, there should be a spot for him on an NFL roster.
Scherff, 33, is a former No. 5 overall pick by Washington out of Iowa in the 2015 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $21.215 million fully guaranteed rookie contract and played out the fifth-year option on that deal.
Washington picked up Scherff’s option in 2018 and paid him $12,525,000 for the 2019 season. The team opted to franchise him in 2020 for $15 million.
Washington tagged Scherff for the second straight year in 2021 at a figure of $18 million. From there, Scherff signed a three-year deal with Jacksonville worth $49.5 million in 2022.
In 2024, Scherff appeared in and started all 17 games for the Jaguars at right guard. Pro Football Focus had him graded as the No. 36 guard out of 77 qualifying players.
We have him included in our Top 100 Available NFL Free Agents list.
Baltimore Ravens
Some teams have philosophies against signing players to third contracts, believing that once a player has gone through their rookie contract and a second deal in free agency, they’re more likely to break down or lack upside compared to other options. The Ravens aren’t one of those teams and have had tons of success with veterans other teams believed to be at the tail end of their careers. One recent example was veteran G Kevin Zeitler, who signed a three-year deal when he was 31 and was a quality starter for three years.
Baltimore eventually moved on last year and went for more of a youth movement at guard, but had to rely on veteran OL Patrick Mekari for most of the year. Now Mekari has defected in free agency and the Ravens are going to try to give their younger players like Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland an opportunity to seize the role.
If they falter, that’s where someone like Scherff could come in. Scherff is exactly the kind of experienced, productive and reliable veteran the Ravens have had so much success with in the past. He’s already familiar with the area after spending so many years in Washington, and also knows Ravens assistant Travelle Wharton, who was one of his position coaches in Washington. His recent deficiencies as a run blocker aren’t ideal given Baltimore’s offensive identity but if he can recapture the form he had in that area of his game from earlier in his career, he could be quite an effective fit.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts’ plan to replace departed G Will Fries is for 2024 third-rounder Matt Goncalves to kick inside after spending a lot of his rookie and college career at tackle. Ideally, he wins the job and gives Indianapolis a cheap starter for the rest of his rookie contract. However, if he’s not ready or gets hurt, the depth behind him isn’t particularly good. The Colts have Danny Pinter, Dalton Tucker and Josh Sills. Even accounting for the average lack of name value for offensive linemen around the league, that’s not great.
Scherff has played in a similar scheme the past three years under former Jaguars HC Doug Pederson, so it would be simpler to onboard him than it would some other players. In addition to being familiar with him as a division rival, the Colts also have some first-hand experience with OC Jim Bob Cooter who overlapped with Scherff in Jacksonville. If they decide they need a steadier and more experienced option at right guard than Goncalves, Scherff is available to potentially step in.
Cincinnati Bengals
Guard was one of the positions the Bengals identified as needing help this offseason. They cut veteran Alex Cappa for savings and added Lucas Patrick on a bargain deal to go with third-rounder Dylan Fairchild. They’ll compete with incumbents Cordell Volson (who agreed to a pay cut) and Cody Ford. At first glance, the Bengals are all set.
But injuries and underperformance can wreck best-laid plans for teams. Should Cincinnati identify that its current plan at guard is not going to cut it, Scherff represents a potential fallback to prevent the position from becoming an Achilles heel that sabotages what is supposed to be an explosive offense. He’s already more established than any option the Bengals have on the roster, and his pass protection skills in particular are a great fit for the dropback-heavy offense QB Joe Burrow prefers to run.
Notable Coaching Connections
Familiarity drives a lot of player acquisition, and Scherff’s contacts section in his phone is probably more robust than usual when it comes to notable coaches around the league. That’s worth diving into because while some of those coaches might not have room for Scherff on the roster now, things change quickly in the NFL.
- The McVay tree: Scherff’s early years in Washington coincided with Rams HC Sean McVay and many others who’ve gone on to prominent roles around the NFL, including Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell. That also means Scherff has familiarity with the predominant scheme and system in the league, whether it’s a branch from McVay or 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree. He’s an option worth keeping in mind for teams like the Rams, Vikings, Seahawks, Browns, Packers and more should a need arise.
- Titans OL coach Bill Callahan: One of the most venerated offensive line coaches in football and Scherff’s position coach for the first few years of his career, Callahan is running the offensive line for the Titans right now. While that was a major weakness last year, the unit underwent an overhaul this offseason, including signing Zeitler to play right guard. So there’s not really a place for Scherff yet unless it’s as a premier backup. If injuries change the picture, Callahan is a notable connection to know.
- Buccaneers OL coach Kevin Carberry: The former assistant OL coach in Washington for two years with Scherff, Carberry has since worked with the Rams and Saints and is going into his second year with the Buccaneers. He helped Bucs G Cody Mauch take a step forward and G Ben Bredeson turn a one-year flier contract in a major multi-year deal as a starter. The depth behind those two in Tampa Bay is shaky, however, so Scherff could be one of the top options on speed dial if help ends up being needed.
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