The next domino has fallen with quarterback contracts. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Packers have reached an agreement extending quarterback Jordan Love on a four-year, $220MM deal. The contract makes Love tied for the highest annual average salary in NFL history.
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Today’s minor moves to wrap up the week:
Carolina Panthers
Cincinnati Bengals
Green Bay Packers
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
New England Patriots
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Blair reunites with the Seahawks after two years away. A former second-round pick for Seattle, Blair spent parts of 2022 with the Panthers and Eagles before spending last year out with an Achilles tear.
Cannella, who formerly went by Sal, played for the Arlington Renegades of the UFL earlier this year, leading the league with six receiving touchdowns and finishing first among tight ends with 53 catches and 497 yards. He’s been in an out of the NFL with stints in the USFL and XFL before; the Bucs are hoping this time will stick.
As could be expected, Ran Carthon pushed back on the rumor he was overruled on trading Derrick Henry before last year’s deadline. A recent report said the Titans GM had a deal in place to send Henry elsewhere for a fourth-round pick — one with the potential to become a third — only to be denied. It is worth noting Carthon did not have full autonomy in his first year, with Mike Vrabel still in the mix, but does now. The second-year GM did say (via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky) multiple teams made offers for the two-time rushing champion last year. Carthon said no agreement was ultimately finalized on a trade. The Ravens were closely connected to the perennial 1,000-yard rusher, and the Titans ultimately agreed to move on this offseason — after a memorable Henry on-field farewell address — leading Henry to Baltimore.
Here is the latest from the AFC South:
While dead money somewhat overshadows the contracts still on the Broncos’ 2024 payroll, the team did just give an $18MM-per-year deal to Quinn Meinerz. That gives Denver four eight-figure AAVs on its offensive front, with Mike McGlinchey, Garett Bolles and Ben Powers tied to lucrative deals.
McGlinchey and Powers, signed weeks into Sean Payton‘s HC tenure, are respectively on deals that run through 2026 and 2027. This places Bolles in an uncertain position, as his extension — authorized during John Elway‘s final year as GM — expires after this season. Denver did not entertain trading its left tackle this offseason, but the team’s expenses elsewhere up front open the door to a lower-cost LT being in place come 2025.
Bolles, who is 32 despite being a 2017 first-rounder, continues to aim for another extension that keeps him in Denver for the rest of his career. The Utah alum has been lobbying for a new deal for an extended stretch now. A new deal would create more cap space for the Broncos this year, but it is unclear if they want Bolles around on another big-ticket accord.
“I love this city; I love this organization. I want to play my whole career here,” Bolles said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “The front office knows that. They know I want to be a Bronco for life. My family’s here, established here. We love it here. We don’t want to go anywhere else. My job is just to play good football. The ball is in their court. I just got to do my job and the rest will take care of itself.”
Bolles is coming off a quality campaign, ranking 13th among tackles in pass block win rate and slotting 19th among all tackles in the view of Pro Football Focus. Despite an early-career issue with penalties, Bolles has never finished a season outside the top 30 in PFF’s tackle rankings. He could set himself up for an interesting free agency run in 2025, having only missed significant time due to injury in one season (2022). Bolles started all 17 Broncos games last season.
Bolles surpassed Ryan Clady in terms of games played by a Broncos left tackle last season, and although other Denver blockers have started for the team beyond Year 7, Bolles (99 career starts) would be the only post-merger option to line up as the Broncos’ primary left tackle in eight consecutive seasons.
One player whom the Broncos clearly do have in their long-term plans, Patrick Surtain is now extension-eligible. GM George Paton has said the team wants its top player in the fold beyond his rookie contract, and Surtain (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) confirmed the organization has expressed as much. Surtain, 24, has not set a hard deadline in terms of when he wants an extension, but the Broncos — after making the quick decision to exercise the All-Pro cornerback’s fifth-year option — have him signed for two more seasons.
Surtain was not as dominant last season as he was in 2022, when his play helped a dysfunctional Broncos squad stay afloat on defense. Surtain said Friday he views himself as the NFL’s top cornerback; a recent ESPN poll among anonymous executives agreed, despite the 2021 first-rounder not repeating his All-Pro 2022 showing last season.
Surtain and Sauce Gardner figure to move cornerback salaries well north of their present ceiling (Jaire Alexander‘s $21MM AAV). With Surtain entering the league a year earlier, he figures to be the player to help bridge the gap between corners and wide receivers. The market booms of 2018, 2022 and 2024 have created a staggering gulf between the top WR contract (Justin Jefferson‘s $35MM-per-year pact) and the CB ceiling.
As corners have been left behind, the Broncos’ negotiations with Surtain could become tricky. The team declined trade offers for the standout cover man at last year’s deadline, and Payton admitted he led a smokescreen effort — one that included Surtain’s name as a trade chip — connected to a quarterback-driven trade-up in April. When the Broncos enter substantive talks with Surtain, it should be considered likely he will want to become the position’s highest-paid player by a notable margin.
Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins extension leaves two NFC quarterbacks in talks with their respective teams. Jordan Love and Dak Prescott remain in contract years, and while the Packers passer might be closer to the goal line than the longtime Cowboys starter, work remains.
The Dolphins and Tagovailoa needed to address the QB’s per-year number, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, whereas the Packers and Love are attempting to agree on contract structure. Packer contract structures come up frequently, as the organization does not typically include guarantees past the first year. That said, the team has bent for quarterbacks in the past.
Timing of guarantee vesting dates, a matter Patrick Mahomes‘ mega-extension influenced, and three-year payouts are among the primary issues pertaining to structure. Bonus payments represent another. The sides being in agreement on AAV and term length, however, would cross the key items off the list as negotiations wind down. As of now, however, Love remains tied to the half-measure extension (two years, $13.5MM) he signed in lieu of a fifth-year option payment in 2023.
Trevor Lawrence‘s Jaguars extension included three fully guaranteed base salaries and a partial guarantee into Year 4, with the rest of Lawrence’s 2027 money becoming guaranteed a year early. Preferring larger bonuses as opposed to fully guaranteeing salaries that far into the future, the Packers organized a complex deal with Aaron Rodgers in 2022. The team traded that contract to the Jets, restructuring it on the way out. Rodgers’ last traditional extension, which came in summer 2018, included what was then the largest signing bonus in NFL history ($57.5MM).
Rodgers’ pacts in 2013 and 2018 showed the Packers are not afraid of record-setting contracts, as the four-time MVP’s ’18 extension (worth $33.5MM per year, illustrating where the QB market has gone since) included $103MM over the first three years and $80MM by March of 2019.
Lawrence received $200MM guaranteed in total (on a five-year deal), while Tagovailoa just secured $167.5MM guaranteed. This gives Love some targets, though his one season as a starter gives the Packers relatively new territory to cover. The team extended Rodgers midway through his first starter season (2008), but it did not require a top-market deal to do so. Love’s contract will assuredly come in beyond $50MM per year, with ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter mentioning early this summer Lawrence’s $55MM AAV would likely be the floor.
Love is not practicing without a deal, and while the sides may indeed be close, training camp workouts going on while a healthy starting QB watches represents a rarity. While Love and Packers were hoping to complete this extension before training camp, the sides missed that soft deadline and continue to work on this long-sought-after agreement.
Training camp participation will no longer be an issue for Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins quarterback has agreed to a four-year, $212.4MM extension, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Many of the league’s QB mega-deals have been five years in length, making this extension slightly unique. It is the most expensive four-year investment in league history with an average annual value of $53.1MM, third highest amongst signal-callers. Rapoport adds Tagovailoa will receive $167.1MM guaranteed.
Given the 26-year-old’s injury history, questions have been raised this offseason regarding how much of a long-term commitment the Dolphins would be willing to make. Full details are not yet known, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports this deal is a three-year accord in terms of practical guarantees. As a result, Tagovailoa will be in place atop Miami’s QB depth chart through at least the 2027 campaign.
Team and player in this case expressed a desire in February for a deal to be worked out in relatively short order. Miami dealt with a number of other priorities in the months since, then, however, and talks continued through to this week. Tagovailoa was largely a non-participant in spring workouts, a departure from his normal offseason routine. The Alabama product made it clear he was acutely aware of the surging market value of quarterbacks on their second contracts, something which applies to him. Tagovailoa was already on the books for 2024 via his $23.17MM fifth-year option.
Using one or two franchise tags after this season would have been an option had the Dolphins taken a hardline stance at the negotiating table, but they have instead made a long-term commitment. Tagovailoa put up career highs in a number of categories in 2023, a campaign in which he crucially managed to remain healthy. He led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod while helping the team to an 11-6 record and a postseason berth. Needless to say, expectations for a repeat of that success (and beyond) will be in place moving forward.
Miami inked receiver Jaylen Waddle to a $28.25MM-per-year deal this spring, and teammate Tyreek Hill is angling for a raise as well. Keeping that tandem in place while also retaining Tagovailoa in the fold has been an overarching goal for the organization during the offseason, one in which the likes of Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt departed via free agency. It remains to be seen what happens with Hill, but now Waddle and Tagovailoa’s futures have received clarity.
The latter rejected at least one extension offer prior to today’s blockbuster accord being finalized (something which came as little surprise considering Miami’s initial unwillingness to offer a market-value pact). A report from earlier this week indicated Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were not as close to working out a deal as Jordan Love and the Packers were. Instead, Miami has managed to get negotiations across the finish line before Green Bay. This deal will serve as another blueprint for the Packers and Love to follow with seven quarterbacks now occupying the $50MM-per-year club.
Tagovailoa reported to training camp on time, but he barely participated during the first day of practice. That was followed by a total on-field absence yesterday, a sign that an extended period of uncertainty regarding his availability could extend for days or longer. The former No. 5 pick took every first-team rep in Friday’s practice, though, a development which certainly makes sense given the fact a monster deal has now been agreed to.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has been in place for the past two years, having been hired in large part to maximize Tagovailoa’s potential. The pair have worked well together so far, and 2023’s productive (albeit inconsistent) showings on offense offered a glimpse of what could be possible down the road. Now, the McDaniel-Tagovailoa partnership will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
JULY 26: Walking back his comments about Lamb a bit Friday, Stephen Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill) the fifth-year wide receiver is not “dug in” on becoming the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Not too much wiggle room exists here, as it would stand to reason Lamb will want to collect more than Brown ($32MM AAV, $84MM guaranteed) did earlier this year. This matter figures to come down to how Lamb’s contract compares to Jefferson’s, with a sizable guarantee gap existing between the Eagles and Vikings receiver extensions.
JULY 25: Beginning their training camp, the Cowboys have not completed any extensions with their top players just yet. A report earlier this week indicated not much progress has emerged with CeeDee Lamb, who is holding out. Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons are in attendance in Oxnard, Calif., but they join Lamb in one of the more interesting contract quandaries in many years.
Parsons said earlier this summer he expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when he signs an extension, though the Cowboys have some time with the 2021 draftee due to the fifth-year option. Lamb is heading into his fifth-year option season, and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones shed some light on the team’s negotiations with the All-Pro wide receiver. Lamb joins Parsons in angling to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, per the second-generation NFL exec.
[RELATED: The Cowboys’ Contract Dilemma]
While Jones stopped short of naming names (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins), it is not difficult to learn which players the Dallas bigwig was referencing. Lamb said in January he wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. The landscape has changed since those comments, with three more wideouts — Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson — crossing the $30MM-per-year barrier. The guarantees in Jefferson’s record-smashing $35MM-per-year deal ($110MM in total, $88.7MM full) far eclipsed previous records, and they have certainly complicated Cowboys-Lamb talks.
Dallas did not enter serious negotiations with Lamb last year, as the Vikings also waited until Year 5 — the norm for first-round wideouts until this offseason, when DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle received early extensions — with Jefferson. The Minnesota contract moves the bar for the Cowboys, who have never guaranteed more than $40MM (Amari Cooper) for a receiver. In Dallas’ defense, only 10 wideouts are tied to deals that contained $40MM at signing.
Jones called having three players who could set the market at their positions “not easy,” and Lamb could still be franchise-tagged in 2025. Though, the fifth-year wideout is attempting to force the issue by holding out; Zack Martin did so and succeeded last year. A tag is off the table for Prescott, who holds tremendous leverage with no-tag and no-trade clauses. Prescott’s monster cap number ($55.13MM) this year and void years-driven $40.13MM dead money figure for 2025 give him rare ammo to use against a team also dealing with Lamb and Parsons.
Although the ninth-year QB could maneuver his way to free agency fairly easily, Jerry Jones does not believe 2024 will be Prescott’s Dallas finale. A $60MM-per-year price tag has been rumored for Dak, who may soon have more to work with should the Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa deals cross the goal lines in Green Bay and Miami soon.
“Just to be very specific. I do not think this will be his last year with the Cowboys, at all,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota (subscription required). “I want to say if it hasn’t been clear — of how much we appreciate what Dak Prescott has meant to this team in a positive way. The players do play better when he’s out there. He does make his teammates play at a higher level there’s no question about it. So I’m right there in line with his best fan.”
Differing reports have come out regarding whether Prescott or Lamb is the team’s immediate priority. It would stand to reason Prescott would be due to his unique situation, as Lamb can still be tagged. The Cowboys are believed to be set to make their longtime starter a strong offer, one that would drop his record-setting (along with Deshaun Watson and other QBs this year) cap number and give the Cowboys some security.
Prescott prefers to stay in Dallas as well, though the 2023 second-team All-Pro stopped short of guaranteeing his career will unfold entirely with the franchise. As legendary figures like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and countless other greats have shown, of course, QBs regularly do not go wire-to-wire with the teams that drafted them. Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo did, though.
“I’m gonna say it. I want to be here, but when you look [it] up, all the other great quarterbacks that I watched played for other teams [than their first team],” Prescott said, via Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. “… That’s not something to fear.”
Prescott, 30, has not been afraid to maximize his leverage; it took three offseasons for him to sign his current four-year, $160MM contract. Hinting at a future departure is not out of character, and the Cowboys will need to make a whopping offer to ensure they keep their former fourth-round find off next year’s market, where a host of suitors would await.
Jerry Jacobs has found his next home early in training camp. The veteran cornerback is set to sign with the Rams, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
Jacobs took a number of visits this offseason, but that did not include any known ones with Los Angeles. Of course, the Rams’ secondary has recently been dealt a blow with Derion Kendrick suffering an ACL tear. Jacobs will now step in and attempt to carve out a defensive role in Kendrick’s absence.
After three seasons with the Lions, Jacobs did not receive an RFA tender. That left him free to explore other opportunities, and he took visits with the Falcons and Vikings in May. Neither of those produced a deal, nor did his meeting with the Panthers earlier this week. With Kendrick going down, though, a new opening emerged and Jacobs will have the chance to compete for a starting spot or at least part-time defensive duties alongside the likes of Darious Williams, Tre’Davious White and Cobie Durant.
The 26-year-old has made 29 starts, including 12 last season. Jacobs posted a career high in interceptions (three) and tackles (55) in 2023, although his coverage statistics were worse than in years past. Detroit made additions at the cornerback spot via free agency, trade and the draft this offseason, leaving Jacobs in need of a new home. The Arkansas alum could prove to be a cost-effective addition if he manages to remain healthy and earn playing time in Los Angeles, though.
The Rams entered Friday with roughly $8.3MM in cap space, allowing for an addition such as this one. The Jacobs deal will no doubt be a one-year investment, one which will allow him to boost his free agent stock ahead of next offseason. If he fits in with Los Angeles, his arrival could prove to be a notable summer pickup.
One year remains on Cameron Heyward‘s contract, something which has led to speculation about his Steelers future. The three-time All-Pro wants a two-year extension to finish his career in Pittsburgh, but no agreement on that front is imminent. 
When speaking to the media, general manager Oman Khan noted that no deals are close with respect to retaining any in-house players. The list of candidates for a new contract obviously includes Heyward, whose scheduled $16MM base salary is not guaranteed. The 35-year-old is set to carry a cap hit of over $22MM, and an extension could lower that amount. Team and player have not made progress in negotiations, but Khan remains confident a departure will not take place.
“Last year you know, we had a rough stretch there but I’m confident the way he works and you know Cam the the person the player obviously and I have no doubt that Cam has a lot of football,” Khan said (via the team’s website). “I think Cam has a lot of football left in him, and I expect him to be here for years to come.”
Heyward has made it clear at multiple points this offseason his preference would be to remain the Steelers, the only organization he has played for during his 13-year career. He has also publicly acknowledged his willingness to sign with a new team in 2025, however, and that possibility will remain if no deal can be worked out prior to the start of the campaign. The six-time Pro Bowler’s latest comments confirm the stance he has taken in recent months.
“Am I confident?” Heyward said (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “I don’t like to go either way with that because you get your hopes up and something doesn’t happen. I’m just going to focus on being the best player I can be. This team needs my leadership and production and I look forward to doing it.”
Heyward was limited to 11 games and only a pair of sacks last year as he dealt with a groin injury. Offseason surgery has led to renewed expectations for the 2024 campaign, but much of his value will depend on his ability to return to his previous form. Pittsburgh has made draft investments along the defensive interior in recent years, though Heyward should still handle a heavy workload this season. Questions linger regarding his future, but he is currently focused on at least one more training camp in Pittsburgh.
“I’m not going to get my hopes up either way,” Heyward added. “I’m not going to put stock in that. I’ll focus on the things I can control. I can be productive. I can be healthy. If they believe in me, if I can play more, so be it. If they don’t, I’ll go somewhere else.”
The Cowboys’ Thursday media availability allowed team officials to provide updates on the contract statuses of players like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. Head coach Mike McCarthy also faces an uncertain future beyond 2024, however. 
McCarthy was retained following Dallas’ wild-card loss to the Packers, but it soon became clear he would not receive an extension. 2024 is thus the final year of his contract, and to little surprise owner Jerry Jones was asked about the decision to set McCarthy up for a lame-duck campaign. When giving a reason why no new deal was offered, Jones simply replied “Green Bay” (h/t Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News).
The Cowboys’ latest postseason exit came about via an underwhelming home loss to McCarthy’s former team. It was not sufficient for the 60-year-old to be let go, but Jones’ remark confirms a rebound will be needed to ensure he remains in place for 2025 and beyond. Dallas has gone 12-5 in each of the past three seasons, all of which have come during McCarthy’s tenure. The former Super Bowl winner will be counted on to deliver a playoff breakthrough in 2024, but Jones praised him when addressing his situation.
“Mike has shown me that I want to have him and he’s qualified and he’s excellent and the players are excellent and he’s shown me that he could be our coach for years to come, Jones said (via Watkins). “He sits next to me in the draft. I really call on him a lot. If you can’t get along with Mike McCarthy, you can’t get along.”
McCarthy admitted earlier this week that his contract status is “a challenge,” and the Cowboys have plenty of work still to do on the contract front over the coming weeks. The team will nevertheless be expected (at least, internally) to replicate the regular season success of the past three years and in doing so set up a potential postseason run. Coming up short will no doubt lead to increased speculation regarding McCarthy’s job status and the potential of Jones allowing his contract to expire similar to Jason Garrett in 2019.
Bill Belichick has been connected to joining the Cowboys or Eagles next offseason if one or both NFC East teams move on from their coaches. Jones repeated his praise of the six-time Super Bowl winner during the press conference, but for the time being attention will be paid to McCarthy’s performance during what could be his final campaign in Dallas.