Rams G Steve Avila Hoping For Extension
The Rams took care of a crucial piece of offseason business when they inked MVP-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford to a contract extension last week. With that out of the way, Rams general manager Les Snead can turn his attention to other extension candidates as the summer approaches.
The Rams have a slew of prominent players entering contract years. The list includes (but is not limited to) wide receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams; outside linebacker Byron Young; defensive lineman Kobie Turner; guards Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson; and right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. Snead will prioritize some of those players before others. Nacua, Young and Turner appear to have the highest long-term earning power of the group. The 26-year-old Avila could also be among those to cash in on a lucrative deal, and he has made it clear he wants to stick with the organization.
“I feel like everybody that’s up for extension is hoping to get one,” Avila said (via Nate Atkins of The Athletic). “That’s definitely something I wish could happen. I try my best to stay the same every single year. I know for me, I’ve always improved every single year I’ve played football. I feel like I owe it all to the team to be the best version of myself.”
The Rams spent the 36th overall pick in the 2023 draft on Avila, a former TCU standout who primarily played center in his first couple of college seasons. He shifted to left guard in 2022, a 15-start campaign in which he earned consensus All-America honors. Avila carried his effectiveness into the NFL, where he started all 17 games as a rookie left guard and was the lone member of the Rams’ offense to play every snap (1,148 in total).
To this point, Avila’s first season has been the only full one of his career. After missing seven games with a sprained MCL in his second year, he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 last season. The injury sidelined him for two games, though it may as well have been four. Avila was active in Weeks 4 and 5, but the Rams deployed Justin Dedich as their starter in those games. They permanently turned back to Avila the next week. He took just one penalty and yielded only one sack over 13 starts, according to Pro Football Focus, which rated his performance 10th among 79 qualified guards.
Back in February, head coach Sean McVay specifically named Avila as one of the “guys we have strong interest in continuing our journey with” (via Stu Jackson of the team’s website). That suggests an extension could come together with Avila, who is a legitimate starter with age on his side. The team also has a decision to make on Dotson as he enters the last season of a three-year, $48MM pact, but he will turn 31 in September 2027.
If the Rams are only going to pay one member of their guard tandem, Avila’s relative youth could tip the scale in his favor. The average annual value of Avila’s second contract should at least end up in the neighborhood of Dotson’s current deal. Dotson is one of four guards raking in between $14MM and $17MM per season on a multiyear arrangement. There are a dozen other guards making between $17.5MM and $24.5MM per annum. With the cap continuing to rise, perhaps Avila’s camp will push to join that group.
Raiders TE Brock Bowers Back At 100%
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers was limited for most of the 2025 season due to a bone bruise and a PCL sprain in his knee. He did not require any offseason surgery and has worked his way back to 100% with full participation in the Raiders’ ongoing OTAs.
“It feels good to be back out there practicing full speed,” Bowers said (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden).
Bowers, 23, was the No. 13 pick in the 2024 draft and electrified as a rookie with 112 receptions on 153 targets for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns. He earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2025, he appeared in just 12 games and caught 64 of his 86 targets for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. Those numbers represented drops in season-long and per-game volume – down from 6.6 receptions and 70.2 yards per game to 5.3 and 56.7 – but he maintained very similar efficiency metrics when healthy. Despite the down year, he still earned a Pro Bowl nod.
Bowers’ third season in Las Vegas will be very different than his first two. He will be playing under a new head coach and catching passes from a new quarterback for the third year in a row, though that turnover should end with Klint Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza now in place for the foreseeable future.
Bowers’ role in the Raiders offense has yet to be determined. The Seahawks’ tight ends were not seen as a huge part of Kubiak’s scheme last year, though A.J. Barner quietly had a solid season with some key catches in the playoffs. But one of Kubiak’s strategies at his various stops has been to funnel the ball into his best player’s hands, whether that was Justin Jefferson in Minnesota or Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Seattle.
The Raiders applied this strategy to Bowers during his All-Pro rookie year, which featured 153 targets – the most of any tight end and sixth-most league-wide. He could see a similar workload in 2026, especially with a rookie quarterback who will benefit from schemed-up touches to his star tight end.
Texas Tech, QB Brendan Sorsby Appeal NCAA Decision
As expected, following the NCAA’s denial of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby‘s reinstatement for the 2026 college football season, Sorsby’s team has filed an appeal. The team’s argument (via Ross Dellenger fo Yahoo Sports) leaned heavily on the framing of Sorbsy’s gambling problem as an issue of mental health and asked that, in lieu of the revocation of his remaining eligibility, the NCAA consider a two-game suspension.
In it’s denial, the NCAA stated that it “did not find any circumstances that warranted reinstating (Sorsby’s) eligibility.” By citing the specifics of Sorsby’s diagnosis and transgressions, the appeal attempts to paint the situation as one without precedent. In doing so, the team argues that the NCAA wouldn’t be following the precedent set by past players who have gambled and been caught; instead, it would be setting a new precedent for punishing a player who admitted to and sought treatment for his mental health disorder.
The team’s appeal obviously argues that Sorsby struggles from a gambling addiction, the mental health challenge that perpetuated his continuous activity, but the first instances of betting could not have been a result of a developed addiction, so they’ve framed that, too, within the scope of mental health.
As a report today from ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and David Purdum detailed at least 2,900 bets at Indiana, alone, totaling more than $30K in wagers, including at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team and its players, Sorsby’s physician asserted that the quarterback’s first bets were the result of “an adjustment disorder with anxiety that caused him to place those bets to feel part of the team.”
That assertion seems to be coming from pretty far out of left field, but if they can successfully establish the ordeal as a result of Sorsby’s struggles with mental health, it will be difficult for the NCAA to continue denying his reinstatement. The team’s appeal cites the NCAA’s own mission statement, grabbing snippets such as “fostering (student-athletes’) lifelong well-being” and promoting “a culture of care.”
The appeal attempts to shift the focus of the punishment away from Sorsby’s transgressions and towards his ultimate decision to seek treatment. The appeal states that “imposing a career-ending sanction on Sorsby will send the message to current and future athletes hiding in the shadows of the stigma of mental health challenges and addiction that they need to stay silent and never seek help or treatment because the NCAA will take a punitive approach by automatically applying the maximum sanction.” By instead imposing only a two-game suspension, the appeal argues that the NCAA would “be sending an important signal to current and future student-athletes that seeking treatment for an addiction does not have to mean ruining your future.”
The release of the appeal and the documents detailing just how far Sorsby’s gambling went on the same day set up a battle of perception. The 40 bets he placed on his own team only totaled around $850, ranging from $1 to $114, but that represents only a microcosm of his habits. Utilizing “accounts registered in his name, a family member’s name, and friends’ names, Sorsby placed at least $90K in impermissible wagers” through four separate betting sites. He reportedly had to transfer up to $60K to friends in order “to cover bets made on his behalf.”
If Sorsby’s team is successful in convincing the NCAA to view the entirety of Sorsby’s gambling history as actions stemming from struggles with mental health, he stands a strong chance of getting to play out his tenure with the Red Raiders. To this point, though, the NCAA has been adamant that it will not negotiate a settlement to reinstate Sorsby. It will be interesting to see if the team’s mental health appeals successfully scare the NCAA away from its current conviction. Will it see a maximum sanction as disincentivizing future student-athletes from gambling or disincentivizing future student-athletes “from seeking the help they desperately need?”
QB C.J. Stroud Addresses Potential Texans Extension
Throughout the offseason, signs have pointed to the Texans waiting until after the 2026 season takes place before authorizing a C.J. Stroud extension. Houston’s QB1 appears to be content with that approach, although he feels he has done enough to warrant a second contract.
Having played three years in the NFL, this offseason marks the first time during which Stroud could sign an extension. His rookie deal runs through 2026, while the Texans made the obvious decision of exercising his fifth-year option. That leaves the former Offensive Rookie of the Year under team control through at least the next two seasons.
When speaking to reporters, Stroud acknowledged the matter of an extension has been discussed within his camp. A big-money commitment has also been weighed by the Texans, and the team made one to fellow 2023 draftee Will Anderson Jr. earlier this spring. No serious negotiations with Stroud are known to have taken place so far, however.
“I let my agent handle that. If it’s time to do it, then it is,” the 24-year-old said (via ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime) when speaking about the possibility of an extension. “My job is football. That’s what I’m focused on, just getting better. I think I’ve held my bargain up. Whatever happens, happens.”
The penultimate sentence from those remarks certainly suggests Stroud feels an extension would be warranted. During his tenure – which has overlapped with that of head coach DeMeco Ryans – Houston has managed double-digit wins every season and reached the divisional round of the playoffs each time. Postseason shortcomings have increasingly become a talking point for the Texans, though, and Stroud’s play in 2025 in particular led to criticism.
The Ohio State product committed seven total turnovers across two playoff games this past season. Stroud also missed three contests in 2025 due to a concussion, but otherwise he has been largely durable in the NFL. Any long-term deal would check in at or near the top of the quarterback market (currently $60MM per year) given his age and production to date. Houston waiting one season could, on the other hand, not end up costing much more with the QB market not expected to see another surge in the immediate future.
Anderson and many of the Texans’ other key defensive players remain attached to lucrative deals. Earlier this week, the team authorized a short-term bump in pay for top receiver Nico Collins. Those financial commitments need to be kept in mind, of course, when general manager Nick Caserio and Co. contemplate the terms of a second Stroud contract. It will be interesting to see if traction is gained ahead of training camp with respect to negotiations or if Houston continues to opt for patience.
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NFL Interest In Marcus Freeman To Continue
For two years now, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has been a major name of interest for NFL teams looking to hire a new head coach. He saw early NFL interest two years ago but, ultimately, signed an extension to stay with the Fighting Irish. According to Jason La Canfora on SportsBoom, Freeman has not slammed the door shut on an NFL future.
Freeman rose quickly through the collegiate coaching ranks, starting as a graduate assistant at his alma mater a year after getting drafted out of Ohio State in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He landed his first position coaching job the next year as the Kent State linebackers coach and found his way to the Power 5 two years later in the same position at Purdue. In his fourth season with the Boilermakers, Freeman was promoted to co-defensive coordinator, and a year later, he got his first full defensive coordinator role at Cincinnati.
Freeman spent four years with the Bearcats, completely transforming the team’s defense and finishing the 2020 season as a Broyles Award finalist as one of the NCAA’s best assistant coaches. In 2021, he left Cincinnati for Notre Dame and was named head coach when Brian Kelly left the school to assume the same position at LSU. After losing the team’s bowl game in his first head coaching appearance, Freeman saw the team’s record improve each year under his leadership going 9-4 in 2022, 10-3 in 2023, 14-2 with a loss in the College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2024, and 10-2 as they just missed out on the CFP last year.
Even before nearly winning a national championship in only his third full year in any sort of head coaching role, Freeman had already become an immediate name to watch in NFL circles. In 2024, he was named a dark horse candidate for the Bears job, which ultimately went to Ben Johnson after Freeman signed what is believed to have been a four-year extension to stay at Notre Dame. In 2025, he was a popularly rumored name with the Giants, Titans, and Steelers, but once again, he announced his intentions to remain with the Fighting Irish.
According to La Canfora, Freeman claimed to have “gained some valuable experience” from his most recent cycle of NFL inquiries, and though he didn’t offer any kind of timeline, Freeman didn’t seem to shut the door on eventually taking that next step to the NFL. As a young, fast-rising, defensive-minded coach, Freeman is expected to receive no shortage of NFL interest in the coming years. When head coaching vacancies inevitably appear near the end of the 2026 season, look for Freeman’s name to come up, once again.
Patrick Mahomes Participated In Chiefs OTAs Practice
MAY 29: Mahomes continues to progress in early offseason activities. According to ESPN’s Nate Taylor, the star passer saw time on the field doing competitive 7-on-7 drills on his third day of practice in a row and displayed “excellent accuracy.” Mahomes was not scheduled to participate in full 11-on-11 team periods, though — a precautionary decision made by Reid at the start of the week.
Per Pete Sweeney of The Kansas City Star, Mahomes is “driving to be able to fully participate” by training camp, though it’s still unclear if that will be possible. The team is conducting medical checkpoints every one to two weeks, and his current goals are running, cutting, and proving that he can protect himself.
MAY 26: After tearing his ACL last December, Patrick Mahomes is already back on the practice field. The Chiefs quarterback participated in his team’s first OTA practice today, per ESPN’s Nate Taylor.
Since the session was closed to reporters, it’s unclear how much Mahomes participated in the practice. But as Taylor notes, the team’s social media accounts posted clips of the QB throwing on the practice field. In the video, Mahomes was spotted wearing a knee brace. Reporters will get a better idea of the 30-year-old’s recovery when practice is open on Thursday.
While Andy Reid previously cautioned that this portion of the offseason program features “no contact and there’s no offense versus defense,” it’s still notable that Mahomes was even on the field. The quarterback has continually made it his goal to be active for Week 1, and Taylor notes that the franchise is increasingly confident in the player’s ability to complete that mission. GM Brett Veach also recently admitted that Mahomes was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect the organization to say otherwise at this point. We’ll truly get clarity on Mahomes’ timeline when contact practices commence during July’s training camp. During the current OTAs and upcoming mandatory minicamp, Mahomes will be participating in low-risk drills. The QB has been a mainstay in the Chiefs’ facility throughout his rehab, where he’s often worked with trainer Julie Frymyer, who helped him recover from previous injuries (per Taylor).
While the recovery timeline from a torn ACL has been shortened in recent years, it will still be a feat for Mahomes to return to the field in only nine months. The Chiefs have the luxury of rostering a capable backup in case Mahomes does have to miss any time, as the front office added Justin Fields in a trade with the Jets earlier this offseason.
When Mahomes does inevitably take a regular season snap, he won’t only be looking to prove that the knee isn’t impacting his play. He’ll also be looking to avenge an underwhelming on-field performance in 2025. The Chiefs went 6-8 in Mahomes’ 14 starts, with the former MVP tossing only 22 touchdowns (a career-low other than his one-game showing as a rookie).
Rams Sign Second-Round TE Max Klare
The Rams have kept progress on the signing of their rookie draft class slow and steady so far. Today, per Howard Balzer of CardsWire, they signed just the third of five rookie draft picks in their class, inking Ohio State tight end Max Klare. Klare was one of many tight ends who benefitted from a huge elevation in draft stock due to a wild Day 2 run of tight ends; Klare was the fourth of eight to be selected in Rounds 2 and 3.
Klare started his collegiate experience committing to Purdue as a three-star recruit. After redshirting his true freshman year, Klare started making an impact as a redshirt freshman. His first year of extensive play time was abbreviated to only five games due to an ankle injury, but in those games, Klare recorded four starts and 22 receptions for 196 yards. In 2024, he started all 12 games for the Boilermakers, leading the team in catches (51), receiving yards (685), and receiving touchdowns (4).
Following the breakout campaign in West Lafayette, Klare opted to enter the transfer portal and committed to the Buckeyes. In Columbus, Klare became one half of Ohio State’s main tight end duo with Will Kacmarek, a blocking tight end who went nearly a round after Klare to the Dolphins. Though most of the Buckeyes’ passing attack was dominated by No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate and underclassman Jeremiah Smith, Klare finished third on the team in receptions (43) and receiving yards (448) while reeling in two touchdowns.
With seven drops and three fumbles in his final two seasons of collegiate play, ball security will be a big focus for Klare early, and he isn’t known for breaking a lot of tackles. Past that, though, there’s a lot of promise in Klare’s game. He’s got speed and athleticism, and he should be a quick study when it comes to blocking at the NFL level.
The Rams have a diverse group of returning tight ends on the roster in Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, and Davis Allen. Parkinson and Allen are entering contract years, so space could be clearing up soon, but Klare stands a chance at making an impact in the receiving game considering Higbee, Ferguson, and Allen all finished with 281 receiving yards or fewer last year. He’ll compete with Parkinson, who led the room in 2025 with 43 catches for 408 yards and eight touchdowns, and could be the future if Parkinson isn’t given a new contract.
Here’s how the rest of the Rams’ 2026 NFL Draft class is looking to date:
- Round 1, No. 13 (from Falcons): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
- Round 2, No. 61: Max Klare (TE, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 93: Keagen Trost (T, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 197 (from Falcons via Eagles): CJ Daniels (WR, Miami) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 232 (from Ravens): Tim Keenan III (DT, Alabama)
Dolphins Have Not Shown Interest In Re-Signing CB Rasul Douglas
Cornerback Rasul Douglas was a 13-game starter for the Dolphins last year, but it appears he will have to look elsewhere if he plans to continue his career in 2026. Since Douglas reached free agency over two months ago, the Dolphins have not shown any interest in re-signing him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.
This is the second straight drawn-out stay on the open market for the well-traveled Douglas. The former Eagle, Panther, Packer and Bill took until late August last year to join the Dolphins on a $3MM deal. The team needed a capable option after losing Kader Kohou and Artie Burns to season-ending injuries, trading Jalen Ramsey, and cutting Mike Hilton and Kendall Fuller. The Dolphins were unaware at the time that they would barely get anything from Storm Duck, who missed 15 games with ankle and knee injuries.
Douglas stayed healthy for most of 2025, sitting out just two games, and joined Jack Jones to form Miami’s top cornerback duo. He played 79.46% of defensive snaps (851 total) and notched 62 tackles, 13 pass deflections and a pair of interceptions. He also gave up a paltry 73.0 passer rating on 77 targets, essentially turning opposing quarterbacks into the 2025 version of J.J. McCarthy. Douglas earned high marks from Pro Football Focus, which ranked his performance 24th among 112 qualified corners.
Despite Douglas’ strong showing in Miami, it appears the rebuilding club will move on and turn to in-house defenders. With Jones also gone (to the 49ers), Duck, 27th overall pick Chris Johnson, Marco Wilson, JuJu Brents and Darrell Baker are among the Dolphins’ options at the position. Duck, however, is still not at full strength. Head coach Jeff Hafley announced this week that Duck is rehabbing from an offseason cleanup procedure on his knee, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. Hafley did not provide a timeline for Duck’s return.
As the summer approaches, Douglas, Marshon Lattimore, Trevon Diggs, Tre’Davious White, Kenny Moore and Adoree’ Jackson represent several established corners who are still unsigned. Douglas has racked up 93 starts, 92 passes defensed and 21 picks in his nine-year, 135-game career. While another Dolphins deal looks unlikely, it will be a surprise if someone doesn’t sign him before next season.
Seahawks To Sign First-Round RB Jadarian Price, Wrap Draft Class Deals
The Seahawks have agreed to a deal with first-round running back Jadarian Price, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Price went 32nd overall, which carries a total value of approximately $16.78MM over four years. He is expected to sign his fully guaranteed contract today, per Pelissero.
Price was never the lead dog in his three years at Notre Dame, where he played behind Audric Estime in 2023 and Jeremiyah Love over the past two seasons. To his credit, though, Price excelled when given the ball. Over 41 games and 280 carries with the Fighting Irish, he averaged 6.0 yards per attempt and found the end zone 21 times. Price chipped in three more touchdowns as a receiver, but he caught just 15 passes in college.
Despite serving as a backup at Notre Dame, Price entered this year’s draft as the consensus second-best RB available. Love, the No. 1 option by miles, went third overall to the Cardinals. It was far from a slam dunk Price would come off the board in the first round, but the Seahawks elected to grab their replacement for Kenneth Walker with the final pick of Day 1. General manager John Schneider chose Price after an attempt to trade down fell through, and adding the 5-foot-11, 209-pounder prevented the NFC West rival 49ers from potentially doing so at No. 33. The 49ers wound up using the 33rd pick on receiver De’Zhaun Stribling and addressing running back in the third round, where they spent the 90th overall selection on Kaelon Black.
Walker, who was the Seahawks’ lead back for four seasons, won Super Bowl LX MVP honors in February and then left for the Chiefs’ three-year, $43.05MM offer in free agency. The Seahawks will largely count on Price to fill Walker’s void, especially after No. 2 back Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in a divisional round win over the 49ers in January. Charbonnet will return sometime in 2026, but he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. As he continues in his recovery, Price, free agent pickup Emanuel Wilson and George Holani are among the Seahawks’ healthy options at the position.
When Price officially puts pen to paper, it will complete this year’s draft signings for the reigning champions. Here is Seattle’s full 2026 class:
- Round 1, No. 32: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
- Round 2, No. 64: Bud Clark (S, TCU) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 99 (from Steelers)*: Julian Neal (CB, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 148 (from Chiefs via Browns): Beau Stephens (G, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 199 (from Lions via Browns, Bengals and Jets): Emmanuel Henderson (WR, Kansas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 236 (from Packers)*: Andre Fuller (CB, Toledo) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 242 (from Bills via Browns and Jets): Deven Eastern (DT, Minnesota) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 255 (from Packers)*: Michael Dansby (CB, Arizona) (signed)