Brian Flores’ Suit Allowed To Move Forward Despite Possible SCOTUS Review; Flores Amends Complaint
Brian Flores’ suit against the NFL and six of its clubs is inching forward; sort of. Although the league is presently attempting to secure United States Supreme Court review of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that Flores’ claims against the Broncos, Giants, and Texans shall be heard in open court rather than remain in arbitration, the presiding trial court judge has denied the league’s request to stay the matter pending a SCOTUS resolution (per sports business reporter Daniel Kaplan). In other words, even as the “arbitration versus open forum” battle continues to play out, the underlying proceeding – which was filed over four years ago – has been allowed to continue into its next phases.
This represents another win for Flores, the current defensive coordinator of the Vikings, and co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. Successfully removing a lawsuit against the NFL from the hands of an NFL-appointed arbitrator and into the more objective purview of a trial court judge is obviously critical, and now the league will need to start defending the case on a more substantive level.
Of course, the NFL could still prevail on its last-ditch effort to keep the case in arbitration. In order for that to happen, however, SCOTUS would first need to grant the league’s pending petition to hear the appeal and would then need to rule in the league’s favor, both of which are far from sure things. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a decision as to whether the highest court in the land will hear the appeal will be made within the next month or so (but that is only for the Broncos, Giants, and Texans portion of the suit; the league’s efforts to keep the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans portion of the claim in arbitration were denied more recently, and the NFL will likely try to obtain SCOTUS review of that decision as well).
This case has now officially evolved into a war on two fronts, and Flores & Co. have also made a potentially-significant addition to their request for relief. As Kaplan details, the plaintiffs are amending their complaint to include a count under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
As sports attorney Chris Deubert explains, the Title VII count is significant because it allows a successful plaintiff to recover even if he cannot prove intent. Rather, recovery is still possible as long as the plaintiff can prove a policy that is race-neutral on its face has a discriminatory impact in practice.
The addition of the Title VII count was not made earlier in part because of the lengthy battle over the proper venue and in part because the plaintiffs had to receive a “right to sue” letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which was not issued until June 2024. With hundreds of NFL head coaching hires having been made over the course of league history, Kaplan believes Flores will have a statistically-significant sample to draw from and will thus stand a good chance of prevailing on his “disparate impact” claim.
After interviewing for head coaching jobs with three different clubs this year, Flores will remain in Minnesota on a $6MM salary. That may make him the highest-paid coordinator in the league, but the former head coach of the Dolphins still wants another opportunity to run a team.
NFL Draft Rumors: Cardinals, RBs, Downs, Woods, Terrell
As free agency slows, the general focus of the NFL is starting to shift to the 2026 NFL Draft. For one team, though, the focus appears to be the 2027 NFL Draft, per Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. As several teams work to secure optimal situations in their quarterbacks rooms, the Cardinals appear to be working around it.
After cutting veteran quarterback Kyler Murray, Arizona seems content to move forward in 2026 with journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett, who went 1-11 as the Cardinals’ starter last year. They supplemented the room with another frequent flier with starting experience in Gardner Minshew. Neither passer is viewed as the team’s future at the position but more as bridge options until that future comes along. The prevailing opinion throughout league circles appears to be that Arizona is tanking the 2026 season in hopes of setting themselves up well for a draft projected to be a bit more rich in quarterback prospects than this year’s draft.
With that in mind, the remainder of their offseason will be focused on building an offense around their future quarterback, starting with the construction of a reliable wall in front of him. For this reason, there’s belief the Cardinals will be targeting an offensive lineman with their No. 3 overall pick, and the popular opinion is that Hurricanes top tackle prospect Francis Mauigoa could be that target. The three-year starter out of Miami (FL) has a strong chance of being available as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is expected to go No. 1 to Las Vegas, and the Jets are expected to add to their defense with the second overall pick.
Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:
- While only one or two running backs project to be top prospects in the draft, there are plenty of options for teams looking to build depth or add some fresher legs to their room. With Alvin Kamara‘s future in New Orleans in doubt, Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports reports that the Saints have shown interest in Arkansas running back Mike Washington. A Buffalo- and New Mexico State-transfer, Washington rushed for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns for the Razorbacks last year.
- When it was thought that Aaron Jones would be departing from Minnesota, some at ESPN believed the team would go to the draft, as opposed to the free agent market, to fill out the room. With Jones returning on a re-worked contract that expires after this year, running back may still be a focus for the Vikings in this year’s draft.
- Despite re-signing J.K. Dobbins and restricted free agent Jaleel McLaughlin and having spent a second-round pick on RJ Harvey last year, the Broncos are doing research on the draft’s offerings at the position. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the team hosted Indiana running back Kaelon Black for a top 30 visit. The national champion rushed for 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns and has visited the Jets with visits with the Panthers, Bengals, and Raiders set in the future.
- According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, some post-combine conversations with scouts revealed a dramatic range of opinions for Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. The former five-star recruit took over a full-time starting position in his sophomore season and grabbed the attention of scouts everywhere with three sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 11 games while proving to be an elite run-stopper. His production declined in his junior year, which Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still saw as good but graded as his worst campaign in Clemson. As a result, some scouts still see the potential and view him as a top 15 prospect, while others have him “solidly” as a Day 2 prospect.
- The Giants have had an incredibly busy (and in many views productive) offseason thus far, so many are eager to see what approach they will take with their fifth overall pick in the draft. According to La Canfora, despite their success rebuilding so far, New York still has a glaring hole in the secondary. New head coach John Harbaugh‘s former organization invested heavily in the safety position over the course of his tenure with the team, and it’s believed that that mentality has followed him to New York. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs has been tied to the Giants before, and La Canfora doubles down on the opinion that he could be the selection at No. 5 overall.
- Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons first-round cornerback and one-time second-team All-Pro AJ Terrell, is widely viewed as a top five prospect at his position. After suffering a minor hamstring injury at the combine, though, the younger Terrell will not be participating in the Tigers’ pro day, according to Jordan Reid of ESPN. Instead, he has scheduled a separate workout for scouts that will take place March 30.
Giants Pursuing Guard Depth
Despite a clear need, the Giants haven’t done a whole lot to address the guard position during the early portion of the offseason. While the front office did pursue some of the top free agent options, they’ll now turn their focus to “bargain” free agents and the draft, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
The Giants featured one of the worst guard tandems in the NFL last season, with both Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan struggling. After re-signing with the franchise last offseason, Van Roten is now a free agent, and that presented the Giants with an opportunity to find an upgrade at the position.
According to Schwartz, the front office was involved in the Alijah Vera-Tucker sweepstakes, but they were unwilling to reach the three-year, $42MM deal he ultimately inked with the Patriots. David Edwards ($61MM), Zion Johnson ($49.5MM), Isaac Seumalo ($31.5MM), and John Simpson ($30MM) also garnered lucrative deals, but the Giants believed these values did not match “the quality of the player at the position.”
While the team did bring back former first-round pick Evan Neal on a league-minimum deal, there’s still clear work to be done at the position. As Schwartz notes, the organization doesn’t only need to find a replacement for Van Roten at right guard. Coach John Harbaugh also wants to find a player who can compete with Runyan on the left side of the line, meaning the Giants are in the market for multiple guards at the moment.
The aforementioned free agent “bargains” could be options for that LG competition, as there are few (if any) definitive starters left in free agency. That means the front office may have to turn to the draft to find their solution at RG. Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane is widely regarded as the best prospect at his position, although he’d be a clear reach for the Giants at No. 5.
That means the organization may have to wait until the second round to fill the hole. That could lead the front office to the likes of Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, Texas A&M’s Chase Bisontis, or Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge.
Vikings Blocked Giants From Josh McCown Hire
Josh McCown is heading into his third season as Vikings quarterbacks coach. In addition to continuing the J.J. McCarthy developmental process, McCown will be coaching Kyler Murray in 2026.
Kevin O’Connell has lost Grant Udinski and Brian Angelichio from his offensive staff — to AFC OC gigs — over the past two offseasons, and NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicated (h/t The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the Giants interviewed McCown for their OC post. While that could be something to keep in mind in the event Matt Nagy can move up the ladder in 2027, the Giants did not stop there with McCown.
John Harbaugh‘s team attempted to hire McCown as pass-game coordinator, making the former quarterback an offer. The Vikings, per Garafolo, blocked that move. Teams are allowed to block lateral moves involving contracted assistants; McCown also serves as Vikes pass-game coordinator.
No other team met with McCown about an OC position this offseason. Considering McCarthy’s issues last year, it is somewhat understandable teams were not eager to poach his position coach for a potential play-calling role. Then again, McCown was Sam Darnold‘s position coach during his breakthrough 2024 Pro Bowl campaign. McCown has yet to interview for an OC job since taking the Vikings position, but he did meet with the Jets about their HC post last year.
We heard in early January the Giants had McCown on their radar, though they eventually hired Nagy to call plays under Harbaugh. McCown’s career included no Ravens stops, though both he and GM Joe Schoen were with the Dolphins in 2008.
The Giants hired Brian Callahan for their QBs coach/PGC role. This McCown update points to the ex-Titans HC being at least New York’s second choice. Callahan did receive OC consideration this offseason, interviewing for the Buccaneers and Chargers’ play-calling positions. He will instead work as a top Nagy lieutenant. Should Nagy be a one-and-done, however, Callahan could find himself competing with McCown for Big Blue’s play-calling post in 2027.
McCown, 46, has been on NFL staffs since 2023. The Texans, however, interviewed him for their HC job in 2021 and ’22. The Panthers fired McCown after one season on Frank Reich‘s staff, but he found a quick landing spot under O’Connell. The former 19-year NFL vet will work as a key staffer under O’Connell and OC Wes Phillips once again.
NFC Contract Details: McDuffie, Eagles, Oweh, Lloyd, Etienne, Giants, Packers, 49ers, Bucs
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Trent McDuffie, CB (Rams). Four years, $124MM. Although McDuffie secured $100MM guaranteed, $50MM is locked in at signing. But a rolling guarantee structure is in place. If on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, McDuffie will see his 2028 base salary ($26.32MM) shift to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2028 league year, the All-Pro cornerback will see $23MM of his $29.82MM 2029 base salary become guaranteed. A $5MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
- Odafe Oweh, DE (Commanders). Four years, $96MM. Oweh will receive $50.6MM guaranteed at signing, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. An additional $17.4MM is guaranteed for injury. A $1MM roster bonus is due by April 1, 2029, according to Spotrac.
- Jordan Davis, DT (Eagles). Three years, $78MM. Of Davis’ reported $65MM guarantee, OverTheCap indicates $38.94MM is the at-signing number. If Davis is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, his 2028 salary and a $24.2MM option bonus become guaranteed.
- Laremy Tunsil, LT (Commanders). Two years, $60.2MM. Tunsil secured $52.66MM guaranteed at signing on his third career extension, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Pro Bowl left tackle’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is fully guaranteed. An additional $8.85MM in 2028 compensation is guaranteed for injury.
- Travis Etienne, RB (Saints). Four years, $47MM. Etienne landed $24MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. That is tied for fifth among running backs. The ex-Jaguar secured a $4MM injury guarantee on his $12MM 2028 base salary, Terrell adds.
- Devin Lloyd, LB (Panthers). Three years, $42MM. The initial reports of $45MM covered the deal’s max value, though the reported $25MM guarantee is a full guarantee (per Wilson). This includes an $8.54MM guarantee of Lloyd’s $11.25MM 2027 base salary.
- Isaiah Likely, TE (Giants). Three years, $40MM. Likely landed $20.5MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. If the Giants move on after 2027, they would save $12MM.
- Chig Okonkwo, TE (Commanders). Three years, $27MM. The ex-Titan pass catcher scored $17.6MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The guarantee covers Okonkwo’s 2026 and ’27 compensation.
- Leo Chenal, LB (Commanders). Three years, $24.75MM. Chenal secured $12.4MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets.
- Javon Hargrave, DT (Packers). Two years, $23MM. Green Bay is giving Hargrave $10.5MM guaranteed at signing. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky confirms, per usual with the Packers, the only guarantee comes via a signing bonus. A $3MM roster bonus is due next March.
- Alex Anzalone, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $17MM. Anzalone’s contract includes $12MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.
- Eddy Pineiro, K (49ers). Four years, $17MM. The deal includes $8MM guaranteed at signing, with ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner indicating $10MM is guaranteed in total. Pineiro’s first two years are fully guaranteed; his 2028 base salary ($1.7MM) becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027, Wagoner adds.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams). Two years, $6MM. The initial $8MM number represents the deal’s max value, with Wilson adding $3.4MM of Higbee’s fourth contract is guaranteed.
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).
NFC Contract Details: Phillips, Saints, Evans, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Eagles
We covered a batch of contract details from the AFC earlier today. Here are the numbers from some of the NFC’s biggest deals from free agency’s first wave:
- Jaelan Phillips, OLB (Panthers). Four years, $120MM. Of Phillips’ $80MM guarantee, $60MM is locked in at signing (per SI.com’s Albert Breer). Phillips secured an early guarantee as well, according to OverTheCap, with $20MM of his 2028 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- David Edwards, G (Saints). Four years, $61MM. Edwards secured $45MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, with $40MM at signing (via OverTheCap). The Saints gave Edwards — who was tied to a two-year, $6MM Bills deal from 2024-25 — guarantees through 2028, with Terrell indicating $10MM of the guard’s $15MM 2028 base salary is locked in at signing (Edwards’ full guarantee ranks sixth among guards). The remaining $5MM in 2028 compensation vests on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, per OverTheCap. Edwards is also due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2029 league year, Terrell adds.
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. Evans will receive $14.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Two nonguaranteed option bonuses are included in the deal, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who indicates a $12.05MM option bonus is in place for 2027 and a $10.95MM bonus for 2028. Four void years are in place on the deal, which includes $4.25MM, $7.31MM and $9.7MM cap numbers. Essentially, this is a one-year, $14.3MM accord with team options.
- Coby Bryant, S (Bears). Three years, $40MM. Bryant landed $25.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Bryant secured a Year 2 fully guaranteed base salary ($12.25MM), SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. A $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2028 league year.
- Jermaine Eluemunor, RT (Giants). Three years, $39MM. Eluemunor secured a $25.45MM guarantee at signing, Wilson adds. (This comes after he played out a two-year, $14MM deal.) Eluemunor received $12.15MM of his $12.4MM 2027 salary guaranteed (via OverTheCap).
- Kaden Elliss, LB (Saints). Three years, $33MM. Of that total, Terrell notes $23MM is fully guaranteed. Both Elliss’ 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed.
- Sean Rhyan, OL (Packers). Three years, $33MM. Per Packers non-QB norms, Rhyan’s signing bonus ($11MM) represents his only fully guaranteed money. Green Bay included a $6.65MM roster bonus, which ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, Demovsky adds.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Cardinals). Three years, $31.5MM. Seumalo secured $19MM guaranteed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with $15MM fully guaranteed. Semualo received $3MM of his 2027 base salary ($8MM) guaranteed at signing; another $4MM of the 2027 salary locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Javonte Williams, RB (Cowboys). Three years, $24MM. Williams scored $16MM at signing. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are locked in, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. There are $3MM — $1MM per year — in per-game roster bonuses.
- Riq Woolen, CB (Eagles). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Seeing as this is the Eagles, there are four void years included in this contract. If he is not re-signed before the deal voids in 2027, the Eagles would be hit with $8.59MM in dead money.
Giants To Re-Sign OL Joshua Ezeudu
Evan Neal did not impress on his rookie contract, but the Giants are giving the former first-round offensive lineman another chance. New York’s new coaching staff is also circling back to another blocker from Joe Schoen‘s first draft class.
Joshua Ezeudu, despite missing the 2025 season, is following Neal in re-signing with the Giants, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Big Blue drafted Ezeudu in the 2022 third round, and the John Harbaugh-led staff will give him another shot.
Injuries have been a problem for Ezeudu, whom the Giants placed on IR after setting their roster last August. New York gave the North Carolina alum a return designation but did not activate him before season’s end. Toe trouble has plagued Ezeudu, who missed all of the 2025 slate because of toe surgery. He went down with a season-ending toe injury in 2023 and suffered a neck injury to wrap his 2022 rookie season.
Starting 10 career games, Ezeudu has seen time at guard and tackle. The Giants used him as an Andrew Thomas left tackle fill-in during the 2023 season, though he struggled in the role and soon saw the first toe matter remove him from the equation. The Giants had expected Ezeudu to beat out Ben Bredeson for a starting guard job in 2023, but that proved to underestimate Bredeson — who later scored a nice Buccaneers payday. Ezeudu was working as the Giants’ swing tackle during the 2024 offseason.
After logging 289 rookie-year snaps at left guard, Ezeudu has primarily lined up at LT since. He has made 10 career starts. Given the fifth-year veteran’s issues staying healthy, it would surprise if this deal surpassed the vet minimum by much (Neal did not receive any guaranteed money on a one-year, $1.2MM deal, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan). The Giants, however, have not beefed up their O-line in free agency.
LG Jon Runyan Jr., a rumored cut candidate, remains on the roster. The team dropped out of the bidding for Alijah Vera-Tucker and also stood down on rumored target Wyatt Teller, who joined the Texans today. Although the team re-signed RT Jermaine Eluemunor, two-year RG Greg Van Roten‘s free agency points to a starter-level guard investment at some point. But Neal and Ezeudu should be in the mix for swing roles, carrying potential upside for more, as the offseason program nears.
In other Giants contract news, fullback Patrick Ricard‘s two-year, $7.64MM deal includes $3.54MM guaranteed at signing (per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Two other ex-Ravens following Harbaugh to the Big Apple — safety Ar’Darius Washington and punter Jordan Stout — joined the team on three- and one-year deals, respectively. Washington’s one-year, $3MM pact includes $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. Stout’s $12.3MM accord makes him the NFL’s highest-paid punter (at $4.1MM AAV). The 2025 All-Pro will receive $6.32MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson.
Micah McFadden secured $2.9MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson, on his second Giants contract (one year, $3.75MM), while Duggan adds Jason Sanders joined the Giants on a one-year, $1.43MM deal with a $300K guarantee. That is considerably less than the team gave injury-prone kicker Graham Gano in 2023.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Visited Titans, Giants
Drafting running backs early in the first round has gone in and out of fashion over the last decade. From 2015 to 2018, six running backs were selected within the first 15 picks; since then, only three have been taken that high, all in the last three drafts.
2026 prospect Jeremiyah Love could be the fourth with apparent interest from multiple teams with top-10 selections. He visited the Titans at the beginning of March (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) and the Giants this past weekend (also via Schultz).
The hype train for Love took off at the Combine in Indianapolis, where his 4.36-second 40-yard dash and smooth hands and footwork in pass-catching drills attracted the attention of several teams.
“The NFL loves Jeremiyah Love,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said in early March. “I spoke with execs for three different teams who said that Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this draft. The Notre Dame running back should go in the top 10, and the word I’m hearing, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top five.”
Selecting a running back with such a high pick will no doubt draw criticism based on positional value. Running backs earn significantly less than other positions like wide receiver and edge rusher that have a more direct impact on the passing game. Ashton Jeanty, taken with the No. 6 pick last year, immediately became the NFL’s 12th-most expensive running back, per OverTheCap, greatly reducing the financial advantage offered by rookie contracts.
Taking Love in the top 10 would result in a similar inefficiency. A top-five selection would result in the most guaranteed money ever for a running back being handed to a rookie before he plays a single down in the pros.
However, as Wolfe notes, the 2026 draft class is viewed as thin on truly elite prospects. Love is one of the few, so rather than pursue a less talented player at a more valuable position, teams could opt to land a potential game-changing running back with the hopes that he can have a similar impact as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have in Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.
NFL Free Agency Rumors: Giants, Aubrey, Browns, Robinson
One of the first free agent priorities for the Giants this past week was re-signing right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, ensuring that the offensive line would be returning at least four out of five starters from the 2025 season. With Eluemunor under contract, New York only needs to fill its right guard spot now, left vacant as Greg Van Roten hits the free agent market.
The team did re-sign former seventh overall pick Evan Neal, who has failed to live up to his draft status in four years with team, but they’re eyes were clearly set on bigger fish to fill the role. After analyzing the options available on the free agent market, though, the Giants may return to the familiar. In their view, the crop of guards available could certainly be serviceable starters, but they aren’t worth the price they’re going for at the moment.
One such option is former Browns starting guard Wyatt Teller. A three-time Pro Bowler who twice earned second-team All-Pro honors, Teller certainly has displayed a high level of play during his time in Cleveland. While New York would be interested in Teller filling their hole at right guard, his $10MM per year price tag has made them balk at the prospect of signing him. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan has gone so far as to say that the Giants are “no longer willing to pay a mid-tier guard,” ruling them out of signing options like Teller, Joel Bitonio, or Dylan Parham. Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York believes that, because of this, the team could revisit re-signing Van Roten off the open market.
Lastly in New York, veteran kicker Graham Gano remains on the team’s roster at this time, but Dan Duggan of The Athletic, does not believe that will be the case for long. Duggan asserts that his continued presence could be related to the Injury Protection Benefit in the players’ Collective Bargaining Agreement. Regardless, he does not believe Gano will be on the roster next year.
Here are a few other rumors concerning free agency from around the NFL:
- Since entering the NFL three years ago, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey has left no doubt that he is one of the premier placekickers in the NFL. In three years of play, Aubrey has three Pro Bowl selections, one first-team All-Pro honor, and two second-team All-Pro honors. Recognizing his greatness, the Cowboys have already offered to make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, raising the current highest annual average salary of $6.5MM with a $7.5MM offer, but no deal has gotten done, as Aubrey’s agent is asking for $10MM per year. Per Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News Aubrey was hoping that Dallas allowing him to test the market as a restricted free agent would show that other teams would match the value he’s seeking, but the second-round tender Dallas placed on him might prevent that from occurring.
- We had known that the Browns would be saying goodbye to the abovementioned Teller and veteran tight end David Njoku, and we had even speculated that a post-June 1 designation could assist the team in both transactions. Well, this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the final post-June 1 designations, and as expected, both Teller and Njoku were on that list. Cleveland will get some cap relief as a result of applying the designation to each departure.
- Former Panthers defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson was released from Carolina the day before the start of the new league year, and he immediately signed the next day with the Buccaneers. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Robinson explained that, when the Panthers granted him permission to seek a trade, Tampa Bay was one of two teams with which he communicated — the other being San Francisco. When no trade developed and he became a free agent with his release from the team, his prior experience talking to the Buccaneers laid a clear path forward.