2025 March - Pro Football Rumors

Month: March 2025

Dolphins, LB Willie Gay Agree To Deal

March 19th, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Chase Young transitioned from Saints one-year deal to a lucrative second contract with the team, Willie Gay will depart New Orleans after a 2024 one-off.

The Dolphins are signing the former Chiefs starter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. A two-time Super Bowl starter, Gay will join a Dolphins team that has done some linebacker shuffling recently.

Miami, which swapped out Jerome Baker for Jordyn Brooks last year, has been busy at linebacker this month. Re-signing the player they claimed after a Seahawks cut (Tyrel Dodson), the Dolphins also brought in K.J. Britt after his Buccaneers starter season. Gay passes both in terms of experience, and the former Nick Bolton sidekick is only going into his age-27 season.

Last year, the Chiefs prioritized Drue Tranquill over Gay, letting their longer-tenured LB walk. Gay’s market did not take off, as he joined the Saints on a one-year, $3MM deal. Gay did not emerge as a full-time Saints starter, lining up with the first-stringers in only eight of the 15 games he played. Gay only notched 28 tackles, though he did add two sacks, a forced fumble, two recoveries and three passes defensed. Gay’s 27% usage rate on defense paled in comparison to the role he played in Kansas City.

A 2020 second-round pick, Gay became a Chiefs defensive staple before Bolton’s arrival. Both players manned the Chiefs’ defensive second level in 2021, beginning a three-year partnership. Gay was a regular Chiefs starter, producing his best season in 2022 by finishing with 88 tackles (nine for loss) to go with 2.5 sacks and eight pass breakups. Pro Football Focus, which had respectively graded Gay as the 20th- and 32nd-best off-ball LB in 2021 and ’22, slotted him near the bottom during his part-time Saints season, viewing him as one of the league’s worst coverage ‘backers.

Gay played 88% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in Super Bowl LVII but saw his role reduced coming off injury in Super Bowl LVIII, when he logged a 52% snap rate against the 49ers. The Chiefs have since re-signed Bolton to pair with Tranquill, allocating far more to their LB spot than they had during most of Gay’s time in Missouri. The Dolphins have Brooks on a three-year, $26.25MM deal, while Dodson and Britt are on lower-level accords. Gay can be expected to join the latter trio in vying for a job complementing Brooks.

Bears To Sign WR Devin Duvernay

March 19th, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Like Evan Engram, Devin Duvernay did not need to wait too long before finding a post-Jacksonville landing spot. The Bears will add the former All-Pro return man, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets.

The Jags dropped Engram, Duvernay and Josh Reynolds days before free agency, doing so after trading Christian Kirk to the Texans. The Bears will be Duvernay’s third team, and extensive return-game duties should be expected for the veteran wide receiver.

Although Duvernay has helped out as a receiver, his most notable NFL work has come via the third phase. The former Ravens third-round pick earned first-team All-Pro acclaim for his return-game work in 2021 and added a Pro Bowl nod in 2022. Duvernay has two career kick-return TDs, both coming in Baltimore, and he led the NFL in punt-return average (13.8) in 2021.

The Bears used journeyman DeAndre Carter as their primary kick and punt returner last season. Carter’s contract expired last week. Going into his age-28 season, Duvernay checks in as an upgrade. Duvernay has a notable receiver season on his resume, posting 37 receptions for 407 yards and three TDs during a 2021 season that saw the Ravens decimated at the position. Beyond that, however, the Texas alum does not have a 300-yard year on his resume. Duvernay has combined for 98 receiving yards since 2023.

His 12.0-yard career average on punt returns does give the Bears a quality weapon in the return game. Among players with at least 60 returns since 2010, only Hall of Famer Devin Hester has that beat. It has been a while since Hester dazzled in Chicago; Ben Johnson will hope to coax some impactful ST sequences from Duvernay in his first Windy City season.

Commanders, Deebo Samuel Agree To Reworked Deal

March 19th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

No immediate Deebo Samuel extension followed his Washington arrival, separating this trade of a 2019 second-round wideout from the trades involving D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown. Samuel will be assured of a nice 2025 payout, at least.

Samuel’s near-$17MM base salary will become fully guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds $3MM in incentives will be attached to this revised agreement. That said, not too much has changed here; that may be more notable than any updated guarantee.

Metcalf agreed to a four-year, $128MM extension upon being traded to Pittsburgh. The ex-Seahawk joined Samuel in entering the NFL in the ’19 second round, and while Metcalf does not have a first-team All-Pro honor on his resume like the ex-49er does, he has been a more consistent player since each signed second contracts during 2022 training camp. Samuel saw injuries and modest performances ding his trade value, making the Commanders’ add more of a flier. Trade cost also separated this swap from the Steelers-Seahawks exchange, as Seattle obtained a second-round pick for Metcalf.

Samuel, 28, receiving guarantees early is not especially notable; as a vested veteran, he would have secured them shortly before Week 1. Remaining in a contract year, however, is key here. The Commanders may well look to evaluate their trade acquisition’s fit alongside Terry McLaurin, who joins Metcalf in having a more consistent career. Samuel’s best work has bettered both, but it has been a while since the versatile playmaker has made top-flight contributions.

Accumulating 1,770 scrimmage yards in 2021, Samuel powered the 49ers’ passing attack during Jimmy Garoppolo‘s final full season as the team’s starter. Samuel did improve on his 2022 dud with a 12-touchdown 1,117-yard 2023, but he struggled again in 2024. The 49ers moved on from Samuel after the near-$24MM-AAV player totaled just 670 receiving yards last year. The Commanders providing an extension now would not exactly be called for, given the South Carolina alum’s unreliability and potential durability concerns.

Still, Washington has secured what should be a substantial WR2 upgrade after being unable to provide McLaurin with a quality complementary option throughout the former third-rounder’s run. Samuel will give Jayden Daniels an interesting inside option, and the presence of Austin Ekeler may ensure not many handoffs go on Samuel’s odometer (202 career carries) this season. For now, though, the Commanders will wait and see on their trade asset’s post-2025 future.

Patriots To Sign LB Jack Gibbens

March 19th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans did not tender Jack Gibbens as a restricted free agent last week, passing on the $3MM-plus number despite the young linebacker working as a multiyear starter for the team. Gibbens has found a landing spot.

Mike Vrabel is bringing his former charge to New England. Gibbens agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Vrabel coached Gibbens from 2022-23. Gibbens, 26, will join former Tennessee teammate Harold Landry in following Vrabel to Foxborough.

Under Vrabel in 2023, the Titans turned to Gibbens as an ILB regular. The former UDFA made 13 starts, working as Azeez Al-Shaair‘s primary sidekick. The Titans have made more changes at this position since, letting Al-Shaair rejoin DeMeco Ryans in Houston and then trading 2024 signee Kenneth Murray to the Cowboys. Shortly after adding Cody Barton during the legal tampering period, the Titans passed on giving Gibbens a $3.26MM RFA tender.

Working his way into a 66% snap share defensively in 2023, Gibbens made 95 tackles and registered a sack. Pro Football Focus viewed his initial emergence fairly well, ranking him 30th among ILB regulars that season. PFF graded Gibbens as a top-10 ILB last season, but the Titans did not give him enough snaps to qualify as a regular. Gibbens lost his starting job after Week 1, and while he regained it and logged three straight games with a 100% snap rate, an ankle injury ended his season after 10 games. Gibbens made 29 tackles during his final two starts last season, reminding of the form that caught Vrabel’s attention a year earlier.

The Patriots suddenly have a crowded ILB contingent. Holdovers Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai remain, while the team paid up (three years, $33MM) to pry Robert Spillane from the Raiders. New England used the low-end tender ($3.26MM) to retain RFA Christian Elliss, though the Raiders’ offer sheet changes that equation. Fellow ex-Titan Monty Rice is also among New England’s LB corps. Gibbens could see a bigger role if the Patriots do not opt to match the Raiders’ Elliss offer sheet.

AFC Contract Details: Garrett, Stingley, Broncos, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers

March 19th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Beginning with two record-setting deals, here are the latest contract details from the AFC:

Myles Garrett, DE (Browns). Four years, $160MM. Garrett’s $88.8MM full guarantee consists of a $21.54MM signing bonus, fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26 and a fully guaranteed 2026 option bonus. Almost all of Garrett’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed as well, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting a $39.34MM option bonus shifts to a full guarantee no later than Day 3 of the 2026 league year. Garrett’s $21.41MM 2028 option bonus is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. Only $800K of Garrett’s $38MM 2029 base salary will be guaranteed a year out, however; Garrett’s $38MM 2030 base is nonguaranteed. The option bonuses and four void years will help keep Garrett’s cap numbers under $30MM until 2028.
Derek Stingley Jr., CB (Texans). Three years, $90MM. Of Stingley’s eye-popping $89MM guarantee, only $48MM is locked in at signing, Florio adds. Early protections, as in the Garrett contract, are included here as well. After fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26, Stingley will see his $20MM 2027 base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2026. That same structure is in place for 2027, with a $21MM salary moving from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed by March 2027. Stingley’s 2029 base is nonguaranteed.
D.J. Jones, DT (Broncos). Three years, $39MM. Jones fetched an impressive second Broncos contract. Before the team reunited him with 49ers teammates Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, Jones scored a $26MM full guarantee, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Two void years are in this Denver deal.
Dre Greenlaw, LB (Broncos): Three years, $31.5MM. This base value checks in a touch south of the initial reports as well. Of that sum, $11.5MM is fully guaranteed, per Spotrac. Another $2MM locks in on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, via OverTheCap, but Greenlaw’s injury trouble looks to have affected him on the market after all. A $3MM incentive package is present, and Denver can move on from the deal for less than $5MM in 2026 dead money.
Josh Palmer, WR (Bills). Three years, $29MM. This is south of the $36MM number initially reported. TD and yardage incentives cover $6MM, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. The ex-Charger will see $15MM fully guaranteed. Palmer’s 2025 salary is locked in, and $4.84MM of his $9.66MM 2026 base salary is as well. Another $3MM will convert from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, per OverTheCap.
Cody Barton, LB (Titans). Three years, $21MM. The nomadic defender will see $13.3MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Both Barton’s 2025 and ’26 salaries are guaranteed, with Wilson adding $1.5MM of his 2027 base is as well.
Robert Hainsey, C (Jaguars). Three years, $21MM. Hainsey will receive $10MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Of Hainsey’s $6.25MM 2026 base salary, $3MM is guaranteed at signing. The rest locks in if Hainsey is still a Jaguar by Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
Eric Murray, S (Jaguars). Three years, $19.5MM. This massive Murray raise from his Texans deals brings $10MM fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Murray will see $3.5MM of his 2026 base salary locked in, while Wilson adds the rest becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the ’26 league year.
Marquise Brown, WR (Chiefs). One year, $6.85MM. This is down from the “up to” $11MM report, with Wilson indicating $6.5MM is guaranteed. After a season-marring injury, Brown takes a slight pay cut (after a $7MM 2024 deal).
Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Chargers). One year, $2.5MM. The Chargers are guaranteeing St-Juste $1MM, Wilson adds. This profiles as a flier on a four-year Washington regular, whose $1.5MM base salary is nonguaranteed.

Rams To Re-Sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon

March 19th, 2025 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

A third Ahkello Witherspoon Rams season is on tap. The veteran cornerback is returning to Los Angeles on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

It took until late June for Witherspoon to rejoin the Rams in 2023 and until September in 2024; the team will give him an earlier start in 2025. Witherspoon, who will turn 30 on Friday, has started 22 games for the Rams over the past two seasons.

The Rams used Witherspoon as a full-time starter in 2023, doing so after adding him June 29. The post-minicamp addition led to 17 starts, as Witherspoon served as a veteran presence along with Darious Williams at corner last season. With Tre’Davious White not working out on a one-year deal in 2024, Witherspoon moved up to the Rams’ active roster — after returning on a practice squad deal — and logged a 58% snap share on defense.

Intercepting three passes in 2023, Witherspoon added one pick and broke up nine more passes last season. His coverage metrics worsened, however. After allowing just 48.1% of the passes thrown his way to be completed in 2023, Witherspoon saw that number rise to 65.3 in 2024. He yielded 8.5 yards per target and a 96.9 passer rating as a the closest defender last season as well. Pro Football Focus saw the 6-foot-2 cover man as a middling corner, however, ranking him 53rd among regulars in 2024.

This agreement will give Witherspoon a chance to play a ninth NFL season. A 62-game starter, Witherspoon was a regular first-stringer on the 49ers’ Super Bowl LIV-bound team; though, he had been demoted to backup by the time that game came around. Witherspoon still started four more playoff games since, including both of the Rams’ contests last season. Witherspoon made a critical contribution during the Rams’ wild-card romp over the Vikings, stripping Sam Darnold of the ball to allow for a 57-yard scoop-and-score from Jared Verse.

Stopping through Seattle and Pittsburgh between his California stays, Witherspoon will continue to supply experience for a young Rams CB corps. Though, he is not the only such option. Williams, who re-signed with the Rams in 2024, is still under contract ahead of an age-32 season. Two 30-somethings at corner would be an interesting route for the Rams, who still have plans with Williams due to a recent development. Williams locked in $8MM, between a $5MM base salary and $3MM roster bonus, after remaining on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year. In addition to multiyear staple Cobie Durant, the Rams still have Emmanuel Forbes — whose first-round contract they claimed via waivers — rostered as well.

Broncos To Sign P Matt Haack

March 19th, 2025 at 11:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Riley Dixon has now left the Broncos a second time, joining the Buccaneers early in free agency. Denver has landed on a replacement, one with ties to new special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.

Matt Haack is signing with the team, 9News’ Mike Klis reports. The eight-year veteran is joining the Broncos on a one-year, $1.26MM deal. He worked with Rizzi in Miami, doing so before going on a nomadic tour over the past several years.

Denver’s punter gig may not be settled just yet, as Haack is on a near-veteran-minimum deal after having punted in just five games over the past two seasons. After four years with the Dolphins, Haack has since caught on with the Colts, Bills, Browns and Giants. He has settled in as a replacement option — both for injuries and Buffalo’s Matt Araiza development.

The Colts had added Haack as a late-summer replacement, as Rigoberto Sanchez had suffered a season-ending injury during practice. The Bills turned to Haack after a sexual assault accusation prompted the team to waive Araiza before he played in a game. Haack did not resurface as a regular option in 2023 or ’24, being an injury replacement in Cleveland and New York. did average an impressive 51.7 yards per punt in four Browns games and he worked with Rizzi for two seasons in Miami.

A Dolphins UDFA in 2017, Haack held the Miami job for four seasons. He showed consistency in terms of punting average in Miami, settling between 44.5 and 45 yards per boot in each season. Enjoying the advantages Denver’s thin air provides specialists, Dixon averaged 46.7 yards per punt in 2024. Haack, 30, will attempt to replace Dixon and move his career back on track.

Using Dixon as their punter during a second stint that lasted two seasons, the Broncos have not enjoyed a long-term punter partnership since Britton Colquitt‘s tenure. While making Dixon an offer to stay, the team did not show interest in record-setting punter Ryan Stonehouse. For now, Haack is on track to take over. A late-round pick or a UDFA potentially could push the veteran.

Falcons To Sign S Jordan Fuller

March 19th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Sam Robinson

After a half-season of work with the Panthers, Jordan Fuller will attempt to bounce back elsewhere in the NFC South. Fuller is heading to Atlanta, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.

This continues a reunion theme for Fuller’s career. The former Rams draftee played under ex-Los Angeles DBs coach Ejiro Evero last season; he will now reunite with ex-Rams DC Raheem Morris. Not much of a market formed for Fuller last year; he played out a one-year, $3.25MM deal. He will have a chance to raise his value in 2025.

Fuller’s addition makes it appear Justin Simmons‘ Falcons stay will be capped at one season. Although the four-time All-Pro indicated interest in staying in Atlanta, Fuller profiles as a lower-cost addition to complement Jessie Bates. At 27, Fuller is more than four years younger than Simmons, who started 16 games for the Falcons last season.

The Rams’ signing Kamren Curl led Fuller elsewhere last year, and despite his low price tag, the former sixth-round pick has considerable starting experience. Earning a starting job as a rookie in 2020, Fuller has lined up as a first-stringer in 55 career games. Morris was not in place when Fuller arrived in L.A., having been on Dan Quinn‘s Falcons staff and then the team’s interim HC that year, but coached him for three seasons with the Rams. Fuller intercepted three passes in 2020 and again in 2023.

Making a career-high 113 tackles as a rookie, Fuller has run into a trend of seeing injuries cost him playoff time. A late-season injury in 2021 kept the Ohio State alum out of the Rams’ four playoff games that year; he later went down with an ankle malady in Week 18 of the 2023 season, preventing a wild-card appearance in Detroit. Fuller returned from a hamstring injury sustained last year, but he still missed eight games for the Panthers. That undoubtedly dimmed his second free agency market. Pro Football Focus graded Fuller as a top-20 safety before his 2021 injury but has viewed him as a worse option since. After placing Fuller 48th in 2023, PFF slotted him 82nd among safety regulars last season.

Although still in his prime at 27, Fuller is running short on time to capitalize on his form. A healthy season in Atlanta would go a long way toward positioning the former Day 3 success story with an opportunity to cash in come 2026. The Falcons, however, will first have a chance to see how Fuller fits next to Bates under new DC Jeff Ulbrich.

Joe Milton Trade Buzz Persists; Patriots Aiming To Move On?

March 19th, 2025 at 10:33am CST by Sam Robinson

When the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs, a subsequent rumor about a potential Joe Milton trade surfaced. The cannon-armed New England reserve is not in position to back up Drake Maye next season, and the Pats look to be interested in seeing what market could emerge for their Week 18 starter.

Impressing during Patriots training camp last year, Milton faded into the background as Maye showed early promise. But interest appears to remain in the Tennessee alum. A growing sentiment exists that the Patriots are listening to trade offers on the 2024 sixth-round pick, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin notes.

With Maye the unquestioned starter and Dobbs set to be his backup for a new coaching staff, Volin adds the Patriots are probably aiming to trade Milton this offseason. Doing so would reaffirm an organizational commitment to Maye, whose arm strength is not on Milton’s level. Though no quarterback controversy exists, Milton buzz did percolate during Pats camp last year. That now can be used as trade hype, as the Mike Vrabel regime appears interested in gauging a market early.

Three years remain on Milton’s rookie contract, adding value for teams here. It would be a stretch for a team to trade for Milton viewing him as a potential 2025 starter, but the NFL has a handful of QB-needy teams. Beyond the Giants and Steelers, the Browns and Titans join the Vikings in being interested in at least a potential starter. Milton may not check in as such, despite playing in Week 18 — a Patriots win over Bills second-stringers that dropped New England’s draft slot to No. 4 overall — but he would be an intriguing option during an offseason featuring aging bridge possibilities and a maligned QB rookie class.

The Pats moved off previous backup/late-season starter Bailey Zappe to make room for Milton last year, and while they would need a new third-string option if they deal Milton, a market probably exists. A trade that brings back a Day 2 pick should be the goal here, Volin writes, potentially pointing to the Patriots hanging onto the younger of their two reserve QBs if Day 3 choices are offered. A Day 2 selection is aiming high for a player chosen 193rd overall, and one who is already 25 after spending six years in college.

But Milton goes 6-foot-5, 246 pounds, presenting some rushing ability (as evidenced by a 4.63-second 40-yard time last year) along with arm talent. A team not enamored with this year’s draft class could look to Milton, with market factors likely influencing a potential Patriots push for a Day 2 pick to move on early.

Jaguars To Sign T Fred Johnson

March 19th, 2025 at 9:23am CST by Sam Robinson

Jordan Mailata‘s primary fill-in at left tackle during the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season, Fred Johnson will be the latest member of the champions’ roster on the move. The veteran swingman is heading to Jacksonville.

The Jaguars are signing the six-year O-lineman to a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A former Bengals and Buccaneers blocker, Johnson spent the past two seasons in Philly.

Jacksonville already signed Chuma Edoga as a possible swingman behind Walker Little and Anton Harrison, making this Johnson addition a bit more interesting. Johnson is coming off a season in which he saw at least 110 snaps at both left and right tackle for the Eagles. He primarily manned the left side, filling in for Mailata while he rehabbed a hamstring injury that landed him on IR.

Grading Johnson better during a 2023 season in which he logged only 35 offensive snaps, Pro Football Focus viewed him as a bottom-10 tackle option (among regulars) last year. The Eagles still thought highly of Johnson, keeping him in place throughout Mailata’s four-week IR stay. Philly’s word on O-linemen goes a long way right now, given the team’s success up front, and the Jags will give Johnson an opportunity.

Also making six starts for the 2020 Bengals, Johnson logged more than 100 snaps at right guard that season. The Jags have invested midlevel money inside this offseason as well, adding Robert Hainsey on a somewhat surprising three-year, $21MM deal while giving Patrick Mekari a three-year, $37.5MM contract. Considering Mekari’s versatile Baltimore past and Hainsey’s work at both center and guard, Jacksonville has acquired more flexibility up front since free agency opened.

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