QB Lamar Jackson Intends To Sign New Ravens Extension
The Ravens made no secret about their desire to work out a new Lamar Jackson extension this offseason. No agreement has been reached yet, but a mutual interest still exists for a deal to be struck.
An extension would have helped lower Jackson’s 2026 cap charge, one which was on track to spike ever since his second Ravens contract was worked out in 2023. With no new agreement being reached in time for the start of free agency in March, Baltimore proceeded with a restructure to free up immediate cap space. That has left Jackson with a scheduled 2027 cap hit of $84.34MM.
As such, an extension will need to be in place by next spring to avoid a repeat of this year’s situation. Jackson made his first appearance at OTAs yesterday, and the status of contract talks was to no surprise a key talking point. During his remarks to reporters, the two-time MVP declined to get into specifics regarding the nature of where things stand on the extension front. He did, however, reiterate his intention of remaining with the Ravens well beyond 2026.
“Absolutely. I love the Ravens. I love this organization. I love this city,” Jackson said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “This is the team that drafted me. I love Baltimore. Everyone should know that by now.”
During the long-running negotiation process last time around, Jackson sought a fully guaranteed extension. He ultimately agreed to a five-year deal including $185MM guaranteed and provisions such as no-trade and no-tag clauses. The 29-year-old operated without an agent during his first round of contract talks, and that remains the case now. Jackson was asked about the possibility of again attempting to land fully locked-in money on his next extension but replied he and the Ravens will “leave that conversation in 2022.”
Little progress was made during contract talks this winter, and Baltimore’s decision to execute a max restructure has left Jackson with considerable leverage. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (video link) the three-time All-Pro could elect to play out the coming season — the first with a new coaching staff led by Jesse Minter leading the way — before re-engaging in negotiations. Multiple general managers and agents who spoke with SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora predict Jackson will turn down any offers which are not fully guaranteed, an indication of how strong his bargaining position currently is.
Injuries were a common thread for Jackson in 2025. He said (via Hensley) the hamstring injury which led to three missed games occurred in Week 3 and lingered through much of the season. A healthier campaign would go a long way in avoiding another year spent outside the playoffs for the Ravens. It would also place him further in position to command a third contract at or near the top of the quarterback market.
Eagles, Patriots Still Negotiating A.J. Brown Trade; Philadelphia Open To Accepting 2028 First-Round Pick
The countdown to June 1 continues as it pertains to an A.J. Brown trade. The swap ending his Eagles tenure is still expected to take place and send him to New England, but there is work to be done between those two teams.
An official Brown-to-New England move is not guaranteed to be in place when it is first feasible to be finalized, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network cautions (video link). Brown’s contract will be far easier to absorb after June 1, something driving the lengthy waiting period before clarity emerges in his case. Rapoport confirms the Patriots remain the expected destination for Brown, 29 next month, so a reunion with head coach Mike Vrabel continues to loom.
Philadelphia and New England have not yet agreed to the price of a Brown trade, per Rapoport and The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson. Anderson adds a swap of picks may wind up taking place once the trade is official. A Day 1 selection continues to be sought out by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. Especially if the Patriots wind up agreeing to meet it, it will be interesting to see if draft capital attached to Brown and his contract gets sought out by New England.
The Eagles discussed a Brown trade prior to last month’s draft, but their attention ultimately turned to next year’s edition. The 2027 class is held in very high regard (especially compared to this year’s), and that factor is no doubt driving part of New England’s hesitation to part with a first-rounder next year. Roseman has shown a willingness to take draft picks two years into the future as part of a trade, however. That could come into play in this case.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes the Eagles discussed a 2028 first-round pick when speaking about a Brown trade earlier this offseason. That conversation took place with a team other than the Patriots, he adds. The non-New England market on this front has been largely quiet, although the Rams have been mentioned as a suitor. Nevertheless, Los Angeles is now seen as being out of the running for Brown.
Across his four years with the Eagles, Brown racked up 5,034 yards and 32 receiving touchdowns. The three-time Pro Bowler helped Philadelphia win Super Bowl LIX, but his level of satisfaction within the team’s offense in general and his on-field relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts in particular increasingly became a talking point over time. Indications from the team and Hurts have pointed to a separation being expected relatively soon. It still remains to be seen if trade terms can be worked out with the Patriots over the coming days, however.
Jets Sign WR Tim Patrick
MAY 28: Patrick’s one-year deal has a base value of $2MM, per Spotrac (via Cimini). Half of that figure is guaranteed, including a $500K signing bonus. A depth role can be expected provided Patrick can remain healthy on his latest team.
MAY 13: Tim Patrick has rebounded from back-to-back injury-marred seasons that closed his Broncos tenure, and he is now reuniting with a former Denver front office staffer in New York.
Darren Mougey will add the veteran wide receiver to the Jets’ roster, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports. Patrick’s Lions season (2024) also is rather relevant to this signing, as Jets HC Aaron Glenn was in place as Detroit’s DC at that point.
This transaction will give Patrick a chance to play a 10th NFL season. Patrick, 32, caught on with the Broncos as a 2018 waiver claim. Mougey was in place under then-GM John Elway at the time. Mougey moved up the ladder to director of player personnel during George Paton‘s first GM year (2021). That year brought a Patrick extension (three years, $30MM). While the 6-foot-4 wide receiver did not live up to that deal due to the above-referenced injuries, he has provided contributions to other teams over the past two seasons.
The Broncos released Patrick shortly before the 2024 season, leading him to the Lions’ practice squad. That quickly preceded a move up to Detroit’s 53-man roster, and the possession receiver caught 33 passes for 394 yards and three touchdowns to help a dominant Lions offense secure a No. 1 seed. The Lions re-signed Patrick in 2025 but traded him to the Jaguars last summer, acquiring a 2026 sixth-round pick in the deal. Patrick caught 15 passes for 187 yards and three TDs last season.
Perhaps more importantly for Patrick’s NFL viability as his mid-30s near, he played in 16 games in each of the past two seasons. The Broncos saw Patrick become an important target during their time in quarterback purgatory, but their blockbuster Russell Wilson trade did not include any game time with Patrick. The former $10MM-per-year player suffered a torn ACL during training camp in 2022 and went down with an Achilles tear in July 2023.
While it would be quite interesting to see Wilson and Patrick finally link up — should the potential TV analyst accept a Jets offer — the veteran pass catcher did his best work with Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock. The Utah product caught 51 passes for 742 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. He then worked with Bridgewater and Lock in 2021, hauling in 53 passes for 734 yards and five scores that season.
The Broncos had placed a second-round RFA tender on Patrick in 2021 before signing him to an extension. Denver extended Patrick and Sutton in November 2021 but saw the former drift off the radar as the latter moved back into the WR1 role with the franchise. The Broncos slashed Patrick’s 2024 salary down toward the veteran minimum and attempted to trade him later that year. He played for $2.5MM in 2025.
The Jets have done extensive WR work since assembling a flawed crew around Garrett Wilson last year. Last year’s squad, with Wilson going down seven games in, became the first Jets edition since 1976 to fail to produce a 400-yard pass catcher. However, Gang Green acquired Adonai Mitchell from the Colts at the trade deadline and traded up to No. 30 (via the 49ers) for Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. last month. Patrick will be positioned to represent a veteran presence to complement those rookie-deal cogs around Wilson.
Giants Restructure Andrew Thomas’ Deal
The Giants and Andrew Thomas have once again agreed to a restructure. New York’s six-year left tackle starter has agreed to a reworking of his pact to create immediate cap space.
Team and player agreed to the latest restructure yesterday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A portion of Thomas’ base salary for 2026 was converted into a roster bonus. The move created $6.46MM in space. As a result, Thomas is now on course to carry a cap charge of $17.59MM this season.
The former No. 4 pick was largely durable while playing out his rookie contract, something which helped New York make a big-money commitment in his case. Thomas inked a five-year extension worth $23.5MM per season in 2023. He has missed time every year since then, including the 2024 campaign in which Thomas was limited to just six appearances. His deal was restructured last September to create financial breathing room.
The Giants have taken the same route this time around. New York is currently near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space, so this Thomas restructure will help carve out some financial flexibility once it is processed. The team inked Francis Mauigoa to his rookie pact yesterday, but fellow top-10 selection Arvell Reese has not yet signed. The space created by this move will help make Reese’s deal easier to absorb and allow for other roster adjustments through the summer.
Thomas, 27, remains under contract through 2029 as things stand. None of his scheduled compensation beyond the coming campaign is guaranteed, although he is due a $2.5MM roster bonus next March. A healthy campaign would help ensure that payment winds up being made while also offering strong showings on the blindside for a Giants offensive line seeking improved play in 2026.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Likely To Begin Camp On PUP List; Latest On Tucker Kraft
With the goal of pushing for a Super Bowl championship in 2025, the Packers pulled off a blockbuster Micah Parsons trade with the Cowboys last August. After giving up two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark for Parsons, the Packers immediately handed the superstar outside linebacker a four-year, $188MM contract extension.
For most of last season, betting big on Parsons worked out for Green Bay. The all-world edge rusher racked up 12.5 sacks through 14 games, giving him at least a dozen in all five of his NFL seasons, but a Week 15 torn ACL brought a devastating end to his year. The Packers, who fell to the Broncos that day and dropped to 9-4-1, never recovered. They lost out in Parsons’ absence, limped into the playoffs at 9-7-1 and then squandered a 21-3 lead against the Bears in a 31-27 wild-card round loss.
The Packers could avoid a similar fate in 2026 if Parsons returns to full strength, though there is a good chance he will miss some portion of the season. The perennial Pro Bowler and All-Pro is a candidate to begin the year on the reserve/PUP list, which would require him to sit out at least four games. Parsons will only be eligible for reserve/PUP if he spends all of training camp and the preseason on active/PUP. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that he does indeed expect Parsons to open camp on active/PUP, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Leaving Parsons on active/PUP for the summer would enable the Packers to avoid placing him on injured reserve. Teams are only allowed eight IR activations during the season. Players who are activated from reserve/PUP don’t count toward that total. As PFR’s Sam Robinson previously noted, the Packers took that route with injured wide receiver Christian Watson last year. It seems likely they will do the same with Parsons, who said back in January he does not expect to go on IR.
If Parsons does miss four games on reserve/PUP, he would sit out matchups against Minnesota, the Jets, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Vikings, Falcons and Buccaneers may push for playoff spots, but that is hardly a murderer’s row of opponents. Aside from the Bucs (Baker Mayfield), all of those teams have shaky quarterback situations.
Losing Parsons wasn’t the only crushing injury blow to the Packers in 2025. They also saw standout tight end Tucker Kraft go down with a torn ACL in a Week 9 loss to the Panthers. Having suffered his knee injury six weeks before Parsons, Kraft is naturally ahead in his recovery. LaFleur said he is hopeful Kraft will be ready for camp, though no decision has been made yet.
With 32 catches, 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games, Kraft was easily on pace for a career year before it ended prematurely. He is set to play the final season of his four-year rookie contract in 2026, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has publicly identified Kraft as an extension candidate. If the Packers are confident in Kraft’s health, a lucrative agreement could come together in the next few months.
NCAA Will Not Negotiate Settlement To Reinstate Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby
Brendan Sorsby‘s college football career appears to be on life support.
The NCAA denied the 22-year-old’s request for reinstatement on Tuesday with Texas Tech already working on an appeal to keep their coveted quarterback. Sorsby has a separate injunction hearing scheduled for Monday (with his personal attorneys) that would allow him to play as his legal case progresses.
The injunction seems to be his last chance at playing for the Red Raiders this year, as the NCAA has “already informed Sorsby’s legal team that it will not negotiate a settlement to get Sorsby back on the field,” per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Such a settlement would have involved accepting a suspension for his infractions while remaining eligible to play later in the year. It was seen as the quickest path for his return to the field, but the NCAA will instead force him to prove his case in court.
Winning the injunction seems like a long shot, too. All Sorsby has to do is prove he has a chance of winning the case, but his admission of sports gambling and entrance into a treatment program is near-incontrovertible evidence against him.
As a result, it increasingly seems that the NFL’s supplemental draft will be Sorsby’s eventual next step. He could still face discipline from the league, perhaps also accepting a suspension similar to the Terrelle Pryor case as a condition of entering the draft. He would have time in July to work out in front of NFL teams, likely in a pro day-style setting with private workouts with interested teams.
Breer mentions the Colts and Steelers as two clubs who could take a look at Sorsby should he be available in July. Indianapolis signed Daniel Jones to a two-year deal, but he will have to prove he can resume his stellar play from 2025 post-injury. But his overall career suggests he may not be a long-term franchise quarterback, so the Colts could consider throwing a mid-round pick at Sorsby to prepare themselves from 2027 and beyond.
Pittsburgh has had no issue using Day 2 selections on quarterbacks in each of the last two drafts. Perhaps they would be willing to do so again, but that would create a developmental logjam with Will Howard and Drew Allar already taking second-team reps behind Aaron Rodgers.
Details On Matthew Stafford’s Extension
The Rams and quarterback Matthew Stafford came to terms last week on a one-year, $55MM contract extension – a deal that could keep him under wraps through at least 2027. Further details on the pact have emerged, most of which are courtesy of Albert Breer of SI.com.
[RELATED: Fallout From Stafford’s Latest Extension]
The Rams previously restructured Stafford’s contract in May 2025. The reigning NFL MVP would have made $40MM in 2026 if not for his new extension, but Stafford is now guaranteed $45MM – a relatively small raise over the $44MM he pulled in last season. The 38-year-old will collect $40MM in base pay and a guaranteed $5MM roster bonus that will kick in early in 2027.
There is another $5MM on the table for Stafford in playoff incentives for the upcoming season. Specifically, Stafford would get $2.5MM with an NFC title game win and $2.5MM more with a Super Bowl LXI victory, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Along with winning those games, Stafford would have to play at least 70% of snaps to rake in the incentives.
As mentioned, the Rams will have the option of retaining Stafford for two more seasons. However, none of his $45MM million base pay for 2027 is guaranteed yet. Both that and a $5MM roster bonus for 2028 will trigger if Stafford is still on the Rams’ roster on the third day of the league year next March, Pelissero reports. If the Rams keep Stafford around in ’27, the same playoff incentives would also be available that season.
Stafford’s agreement also includes a whopping $100MM base salary for 2029, per Pelissero. That money is due to vest on the 10th day of the league year in 2028, but there is no chance it will happen. As Pelissero notes, tacking on a “dummy” year will give the Rams extra time to work something out with Stafford ahead of what would be his age-40 season in ’28. A lot can happen over the next couple of years, potentially including Stafford’s retirement, but it would come as a surprise if Ty Simpson is not the Rams’ starting signal-caller by then.
Looking for an heir apparent to Stafford at last month’s draft, the Super Bowl hopeful Rams turned heads when they resisted a win-now move at No. 13 overall and selected Simpson. After making just 15 starts in four seasons at Alabama, Simpson will begin his pro career sitting behind Stafford for at least one year. Whether that turns into two years will depend on how the Rams handle Stafford’s contract in March, though he may call it a career after the season. Stafford briefly mulled retirement last winter before announcing during his MVP speech that he would return for the 18th season of a potential Hall of Fame career.
Seahawks Acquire WR Irvin Charles From Jets
The Seahawks and Jets have agreed to a minor trade. New York is sending wide receiver Irvin Charles to Seattle for a conditional seventh-round selection, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. It’s a 2028 pick, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.
The 6-foot-4, 219-pound Charles had been a member of the Jets since he signed with them as an undrafted free agent from Division II IUP in 2022. He debuted a year later, got into 13 games and carved out a role on special teams. Almost all of his snaps (236 of 279) came in the third phase of the game. That remained the case during a 13-game 2024 for Charles, who played 214 special teams snaps to just 10 on offense.
Charles had 39 receptions and 12 touchdowns in his last college season, but he did not catch a pass with the Jets. He did, however, record 14 tackles.
The 2024 campaign ended for Charles when he suffered a torn ACL in a Week 14 loss to the Dolphins. The Jets kept Charles around last year as an exclusive rights free agent, but the recovery process sidelined him for the entire season. With 11 other receivers on their roster, including first-rounder Omar Cooper Jr. and recent free agent pickup Tim Patrick, the Jets are moving on from Charles for a small return.
Charles, who turned 29 last month, is now in position to vie for a roster spot with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks. He will add a 14th receiver to an already crowded group of wideouts in Seattle. As was the case in New York, though, earning a role on special teams will be his best path to playing time. It may be an uphill battle, as most of the Seahawks’ 2025 core special teamers – including snaps leaders Brady Russell, Mike Morris, Nehemiah Pritchett and D’Anthony Bell, among others – are still in the mix. If Charles cracks the Seahawks’ roster, he will play for a minimum salary of $1.075MM.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving Still Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is not expected to participate in OTAs due to his ongoing recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Irving, 23, only appeared in 10 games last year due to foot and shoulder sprains, with the latter hampering him for the rest of the year. The result was a significant drop in production relative to his standout rookie year, which featured 5.4 yards per carry and eight touchdowns. In 2025, he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry and scored just once.
The 2024 fourth-round pick is not expected to be ready for the Buccaneers’ mandatory minicamp later in June. Instead, a return “at some point during training camp” is more likely, although that uncertainty may be worrisome for Tampa Bay (and Irving’s fantasy owners).
In the meantime, free agency signing Kenneth Gainwell and 2023 UDFA Sean Tucker will be in line for first-team reps.
Gainwell had a resurgent season in Pittsburgh last year with career-highs of 537 rushing yards and 4.7 yards per attempt as well as a huge role in the passing game. He caught 73 of his 85 targets for 486 yards and three touchdowns – all career-highs as well – and figures to fill Rachaad White‘s third-down role in Tampa Bay.
Tucker flashed in 2024 with 308 yards on just 50 carries (6.2 yards per attempt), but struggled to fill Irving’s void last year. He managed just 320 yards on 86 carries (3.7 yards per attempt), though he did post a team- and career-high of seven touchdowns.
Rounding out the Bucs’ backfield is 2025 UDFA Josh Williams, who appeared in just three games as a rookie (partially due to a six-game PED suspension). The team also signed undrafted rookie Kadarius Calloway, who averaged 7.1 yards per carry at Old Dominion in 2023 but failed to replicated those results at Cal and New Mexico State in the last two years. They will also be in line for more reps in spring practices, but Tampa Bay could also consider a veteran addition to hedge against an extended absence from Irving.
NFL, Owners Holding Out For 18-Game 2027 Season?
Despite continued pushback from the NFL Players Association, the league and team owners continue to obsess over the aspect of expanding the regular season to 18 games. Not only does the NFL feel that the expansion is inevitable, but they also continue to believe they’ll be able to make it happen before the expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which added the 17th regular season game in 2020 and is set to expire in 2031.
The intentions of the league and team owners to respect of the wishes of the NFLPA are being made clear as they continue to schedule for the future. After owners met twice this season without finalizing a date for Super Bowl LXII in February 2028, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes they are “specifically (leaving) the door open for the possibility of an expansion of the regular season from 17 to18 games by 2027.”
In a season with 18 games, two bye weeks, and two weeks between the conference championships and the big game, it’s believed the Super Bowl would fall on February 27, 2028. Multiple factors — only one bye week, only one week between conference championships and Super Bowl, and the potential to start Week 1 on Labor Day weekend — could also put the Super Bowl in 2028 on February 20.
Per Florio, the recent turmoil and upheaval within the NFLPA, which saw a change of leadership over the course of months in the past year, have gummed up the gears on the league’s expansion efforts. New NFLPA executive director J.C. Tretter only took over by April 1, leaving the NFL very little time to negotiate a new CBA (five years early), land a successful vote from the players, and implement the expanded season for 2027.
As long as February 13, 2028, stays free of any Super Bowl reservations, though, it seems the league does not intend to let their early schedule dreams go the way of the dodo quietly. With their ability to increase the league’s international schedule and the aim to put one international contest on each team’s schedule per season, league leadership is working any avenues they can to try and mold the schedule to fit their desires.