HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Bengals Seeking More Than First-Round Pick For Trey Hendrickson; Latest On Tee Higgins

March 14th, 2025 at 12:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Trey Hendrickson remains with the Bengals, but another record-setting contract — for Myles Garrett — has affected the edge rusher market. With T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons in contract years, the cost of deploying an elite player on the edge is rising. That will interfere with the Bengals’ Hendrickson situation.

While not an open-and-shut candidate to land a deal close to where Garrett went, Hendrickson is the reigning NFL sack leader who is in a contract year. As the Bengals have let Hendrickson shop for a trade, they have made it clear Tee Higgins will be their preferred extension recipient behind Ja’Marr Chase. Nothing has transpired on the Higgins front, and the Bengals have set a high price on Hendrickson.

Cincinnati wants at least a first-round pick for the 30-year-old pass rusher, with NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe reporting the AFC North franchise wants more than that. In speaking with a GM about the Bengals’ Hendrickson price, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicates that exec views it as “ridiculous.”

Teams are prepared to pay Hendrickson the new going rate on the edge, Russini adds, but Cincinnati’s asking price in trades has complicated this market. As it stands, Hendrickson is tied to his one-year, $21MM add-on agreed to in 2023. He is due a $15.8MM salary next season. For now, the Bengals can accommodate that, but it will be interesting to see where this goes. The Bengals are not one to give into player demands, as they shut down Hendrickson, Higgins and Jonah Williams trade requests over the past two years.

Hendrickson’s Bengals situation differs from his 2024 issue, as the team — which has shown more interest in a Higgins extension that it did last year — has let Hendrickson shop. But teams are waiting to see if the Bengals will drop their asking price, Wolfe adds. Cincy will carry a major need at edge rusher if it does move on from Hendrickson, as longtime starter Sam Hubbard retired. The team did re-sign Joseph Ossai on a one-year, $7MM deal and the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway adds a pursuit of four-year Giants EDGE Azeez Ojulari commenced before the Ossai deal. Though, Conway classifies the Bengals’ Ojulari interest as preliminary. Ojulari remains in free agency.

In confirming the Bengals want at least a first-rounder for Hendrickson, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder offers that it is highly unlikely the Colts reunite him with DC Lou Anarumo. The Colts did let Dayo Odeyingbo walk (to the Bears) but still have Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu and Samson Ebukam rostered. They also have a big-ticket DeForest Buckner extension and an eight-figure-per-year Grover Stewart contract on their books. The Colts also deviated from their Chris Ballard-era free agency blueprint by giving big-money deals to DBs Camryn Bynum and Charvarius Ward this week.

Higgins is “not happy” with being re-tagged, Wolfe adds, indicating talks with the Bengals on an extension have not progressed. This continues a refrain for Higgins. Although he has expressed interest in staying with Chase and Joe Burrow, he views himself as a WR1. The market appears to as well, as $30MM-per-year prices were thrown around when Higgins was viewed as a potential free agent target. The Bengals have set a “crazy” asking price on a Higgins trade, per Wolfe, and teams have called about a player that was once viewed as likely to leave Cincinnati in 2025.

With a Burrow-driven push seemingly changing the Bengals’ Higgins view, he remains on the team’s extension radar. As Hendrickson keeps looking around — after the Falcons and Commanders showed early interest — the Bengals will need to ramp up their efforts on a Higgins extension soon. Even though the Bengals have until July 15 to extend Higgins, the team exited the 2024 season having not seriously negotiated with its high-end WR2 since the first half of 2023. A show of good faith would stand to help that relationship, as Higgins has now been denied two free agency trips.

A new deal would drop Higgins’ 2025 cap number (currently at $26.2MM), while a Chase contract would reduce his $21.82MM figure. New contracts for the wideouts could allow the Bengals to keep Hendrickson in a contract year, but that obviously would not go over well with a player who wants to be extended — after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons — before age diminishes his value.

Steelers To Bring Back Mason Rudolph

March 14th, 2025 at 12:14am CST by Adam La Rose

It remains to be seen who will operate as the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2025, but a familiar face will handle backup duties. Mason Rudolph is returning to Pittsburgh, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.

This will be a two-year pact worth $8MM. Rudolph will collect $4.5MM in guarantees upon returning to the Steelers after playing with them from 2018-23. Another pact with the Titans received consideration, per the report, but Rudolph’s preference was to come back to Pittsburgh.

The Steelers rebuilt their QB room last offseason, allowing Rudolph to take a one-year Titans deal while trading away Kenny Pickett and releasing Mitch Trubisky. They were replaced by Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, setting up a notable one-year experiment with both new passers on expiring deals. Fields was the team’s preference regarding a 2025 deal, but he is headed to the Jets. That leaves Wilson as a fallback option in Pittsburgh’s case, although he has visits lined up with the Giants and Browns.

Of course, the Steelers are among the suitors for Aaron Rodgers. The NFL’s next major quarterback domino will be his decision on playing in 2025, and if so, where. Pittsburgh has made an offer, and Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes the team is waiting to hear back from him. The four-time MVP has other suitors, and the Giants have frequently been mentioned as a potential landing spot. The Vikings, meanwhile, still find themselves in the mix.

However things shake out atop the depth chart for Pittsburgh, Rudolph’s return will give the team a familiar backup option. The 29-year-old made 13 starts across his Steelers tenure, with eight of them coming in 2019. He posted a passer rating of 86.9 along with a 19:11 touchdown-to-interception ratio in Pittsburgh, numbers which left plenty to be desired. Rudolph’s one-year Titans pact came with limited expectations but it allowed him to compete for the starting gig.

Will Levis‘ second year in the NFL did not go according to plan in Tennessee, and the team benched him in December. That opened the door for Rudolph to see playing time, and the Oklahoma State product made five starts amongst his eight appearances. After going 1-4 in that span and throwing as many touchdown passes (nine) as interceptions, it comes as little surprise Rudolph waited longer than many of the other quarterbacks on the market to land a deal. He is returning to an organization which valued him throughout his career, though, and it will be interesting to see if h winds up seeing any playing time in 2025.

Cowboys To Sign Miles Sanders

March 13th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys are adding another veteran to their new-look backfield. The team has agreed to terms with free agent running back Miles Sanders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It’s a one-year deal for Sanders.

[RELATED: Cowboys To Sign RB Javonte Williams]

Sanders entered the offseason still attached to the four-year, $25.4MM deal he inked with the Panthers in 2023. The running back was reportedly prepared to rework his deal to stick with Carolina, but with the two sides unable to find common ground, the organization moved on from the veteran earlier this week. The move generated $5.23MM in cap space for the Panthers while incurring a dead money charge of $2.95MM.

A former second-round pick by the Eagles, Sanders topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage in three of his four seasons in Philly. This included a 2022 campaign where the running back earned his lone Pro Bowl nod after finishing with 1,347 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns.

He was expected to provide an experienced counter to Chuba Hubbard in Carolina, but the younger RB ran with the top job, limiting Sanders to 586 scrimmage yards during his debut season with the organization. Hubbard took another step in 2024, and Sanders finished the campaign with career-lows in touches (79) and yards from scrimmage (353).

After finishing with a bottom-six rushing attack in 2024, the Cowboys have been looking to improve the unit for 2025. The team already brought in Javonte Williams to lead the depth chart, although that move apparently came at the expense of Rico Dowdle, who isn’t expected back in Dallas next season. Sanders will likely slide into a backup role with the Cowboys, although he could face some competition from the likes of Deuce Vaughn or Malik Davis (or even prospect Ashton Jeanty, who is taking a top-30 visit with the team).

Vikings Trade G Ed Ingram To Texans

March 13th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cutting Shaq Mason and trading both Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green, the Texans are remodeling their offensive line. A recent second-round pick will also be part of this equation.

Ed Ingram is heading from Minnesota to Houston, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The Vikings will collect a sixth-round pick in this trade, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. One season remains on Ingram’s rookie contract. The trade is now official.

The Vikings were considered likely to either adjust Ingram’s contract or cut him altogether. Instead, they found a trade partner and collected value above the pick-swap level. Minnesota will save $3.4MM by making this trade, and Ingram will secure another chance after being benched last season.

This trade helps bring the Texans’ O-line plan into focus. Most significantly, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Tytus Howard is likely to shift to left tackle. Roving between left guard and right tackle recently, the former first-round pick has some LT experience from earlier in his career.

As Howard shifts to the other side, 2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher is expected to take over at RT. Reuniting with DeMeco Ryans, Laken Tomlinson is expected to man one guard spot after signing a one-year, $4.25MM deal that can max out at $5MM. Ingram may not be guaranteed another, as Juice Scruggs and Jarrett Patterson — whichever player does not become the team’s starting center — will be in the mix for the other guard post.

Ingram, 26, has made 41 career starts. The LSU alum won the Vikings’ starting right guard job out of training camp in 2022 and held it throughout the 2023 season. Last year, however, Minnesota parked the struggling blocker before Week 11. Ingram did not play an offensive snap after that point. Pro Football Focus graded Ingram 66th among guard regulars last season. The advanced metrics site was kinder to the former No. 59 overall pick in 2023, ranking him 38th, but this trade continues to frame the Vikings’ 2022 draft as a dud.

The Vikings chose safety Lewis Cine in Round 1; they cut him last year. Minnesota took cornerback Andrew Booth several spots before Ingram in Round 2 that year; they traded him for a player (DB Nahshon Wright) they cut weeks later. While Wright remains on a reserve/futures deal, Minnesota has achieved success largely in spite of its first Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft. Ingram has been the most successful of the Vikes’ top three picks that year, and he will attempt to rebound in Houston.

In part because Ingram did not pan out in the Twin Cities, the Vikings signed Will Fries to a five-year contract. Fries joins ex-Colts teammate Ryan Kelly as starters-to-be with the Vikes, and this duo gives Minnesota four veteran contracts along its offensive line. The team has Brian O’Neill at $18.5MM per year and gave Christian Darrisaw a $26MM-AAV extension last summer.

Howard replaced an injured Tunsil at LT during the second half of the 2021 season, impressing at the position en route to Houston picking up his fifth-year option and then extending him a year later. As Howard again moved inside last season, Fisher logged 291 snaps at RT as a rookie. The Texans appear set to move the Notre Dame product into their starting lineup on a full-time basis soon.

The Texans designated Mason as a post-June 1 cut, which will spread out the $12.48MM dead money over two offseasons. The twice-traded guard had started two years for the Texans, but a knee injury ended a lengthy ironman streak last season. Mason, 31, will be on the lookout for a fourth team.

Seahawks, Uchenna Nwosu Discussing Reworked Contract

March 13th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ben Levine

If Uchenna Nwosu hopes to stick in Seattle for the 2025 campaign, he’ll likely have to take a pay cut. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks have had discussions with the pass rusher about a reworked deal.

[RELATED: Seahawks Sign DeMarcus Lawrence]

Nwosu is still attached to a three-year extension he inked with the organization in 2023. He’s set to make $14.99MM in 2025, and he’s attached to an untenable $21MM cap charge. Following the departures of Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf, that number represents the highest charge on the organization’s cap sheet, and it’s the 12th-highest cap charge among NFL edge rushers.

Considering Nwosu’s recent injury woes, the organization will have a tough time justifying that commitment. A pectoral injury limited the pass rusher to six games in 2023, and separate knee and thigh injuries resulted in another six-game showing in 2024. The former Chargers draft pick showed plenty of talent when healthy, including a debut season with the Seahawks when he compiled a career-high 9.5 sacks. Since then, he’s been limited to only three sacks.

Still, the organization has hinted that they’d like to retain the veteran. GM John Schneider confirmed last month that the two sides agreed to push back the trigger date on the contract (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), buying them extra time to negotiate a new deal. Coach Mike Macdonald also acknowledged the player’s pass-rush ability while speaking with reporters at the combine.

“[Y]ou just saw what he could be, a force on the edge,” Macdonald said (via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune). “He’s a great game runner. You just feel the toughness. The physicality, intelligence. … It’s been awesome having him in the film room and being with the guys all the time. But to be able to do it on the field with the guys to take it to that level…”

The Seahawks, of course, already made a splash on the edge when they signed DeMarcus Lawrence to a three-year deal, so the team isn’t entirely dependent on Nwosu heading into 2025. Still, the organization would surely want as much pass-rush depth as possible, and that could be dependent on Nwosu’s willingness to reduce his salary.

49ers To Sign LS Jon Weeks, Cut LS Taybor Pepper

March 13th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers have landed a new long snapper. The team is signing veteran Jon Weeks, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. This news follows a report from earlier today that the 49ers were cutting Taybor Pepper, per Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Weeks is inking a one-year deal worth $1.422MM, according to Wilson. The deal contains $200K in guaranteed money.

Weeks was the longest-tenured player in Texans history, as the long snapper had been with the organization since the 2010 season. Over that time, he’s appeared in 244 games for Houston, including a 2015 season where he earned his lone Pro Bowl nod. According to Wilson, the 39-year-old was hoping to stick with the Texans, but the organization is apparently content moving forward with Tucker Addington.

Weeks will be replacing Pepper, who spent the past five seasons as the 49ers long snapper. After getting into 20 games with the Packers and Dolphins to begin his career, Pepper got into 80 games during his stint in San Francisco. The veteran was set to enter the final season of a three-year extension he inked in 2023.

“Wanted to end my career with the 49ers, but I’ve still got some years left in the tank,” Pepper wrote on X. “Love all the amazing players I’ve gotten to share the field with during my time. I’ll deeply miss all of the amazing support staff that continue to keep the org moving.”

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/25

March 13th, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Buccaneers To Sign OT Charlie Heck

March 13th, 2025 at 9:13pm CST by Ben Levine

The Buccaneers have added a new swing tackle. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Bucs are signing Charlie Heck to a one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.6MM.

A former fourth-round pick out of North Carolina, Heck spent the first four seasons of his career with the Texans. He got into 41 games during his stint in Houston, with 32 of his appearances coming between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

The veteran re-signed with the organization last offseason but was cut at the end of the preseason. He quickly caught on with the Cardinals practice squad, and he proceeded to get into seven games for his new squad. He was snagged by the 49ers off Arizona’s taxi squad in December, and he garnered a pair of late-season starts for San Francisco.

The Buccaneers have their two tackle spots secured with Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. Heck will provide the team with an experienced backup option, with 2023 UDFA Elijah Klein representing the team’s only other in-house option at the moment.

Patriots To Release C David Andrews

March 13th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

TODAY, 8:55pm: The Patriots officially released David Andrews, with the move coming with a failed physical designation, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

TODAY, 8:25am: After 10 years and nine seasons with the Patriots, David Andrews‘ tenure in the organization is coming to an end. New England will release the veteran center, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports.

The move will take place today, Reiss adds. Andrews is rehabbing the shoulder injury which kept him out of the lineup for all but four contests this past season. If today’s news winds up being followed by a retirement decision, this situation will come to a close in the same fashion as Julian Edelman‘s in 2021.

Indeed, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes it is not currently known if Andrews intends to continue his playing career. The two-time Super Bowl winner had one year remaining on his contract, with part of his scheduled base salary guaranteed. This release will yield $2.68MM in cap savings for New England while generating a dead money charge of $4MM.

Andrews has made 136 combined regular and postseason appearances in his career, starting all but five of them. The 32-year-old has remained a mainstay along the offensive line during his Pats run, consistently drawing positive PFF evaluations. Even if the final remaining holdover among offensive players from New England’s most recent Super Bowl suits up in 2025, though, the team will move in a different direction under center.

Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal recently reported Andrews was seen as a cut candidate during the Combine. Upgrading along the offensive line is known to be a major priority for the team, and that effort will now include finding a replacement center. The likes of Drew Dalman (Bears), Ryan Kelly (Colts) and Josh Myers (Jets) have found new teams in the early stages of free agency. The Patriots may need to wait until next month’s draft as a result to find a new starter in the middle.

New England’s right guard spot is accounted for with Michael Onwenu, and the team worked out a deal with veteran right tackle Morgan Moses on Monday. The left tackle and guard positions are still unaccounted for at this point in the offseason, and the same is now true at center as well.

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