HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Packers, Patriots Did Not Make Offers For D.K. Metcalf

March 12th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite reports of interest from the Packers and the Patriots, neither team submitted offers to the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf, per The Athletic’s Matt Schniedman and NBCS Boston’s Phil Perry

Seahawks general manager John Schneider spent 2002 to 2009 in Green Bay when Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was a scout with the team. That led to rumblings that the Packers would trade for Metcalf to add a proven WR1 to their receiver room. However, such a deal was “never a realistic possibility,” per Schniedman.

The Patriots were linked with several available wide receivers who could bolster Drake Maye‘s group of pass-catchers, but they did not make an effort to acquire Metcalf, according to Perry. New England was expected to pursue Chris Godwin, but he opted to re-sign with the Buccaneers instead.

Reports also indicated that Metcalf preferred to play in a warm climate, but he did not express that desire to his agent, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Instead, he ended up in Pittsburgh where his 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame will fit with the physical playing style of the AFC North.

Metcalf’s new team better aligns with his priority of winning, per Pelissero. Mike Tomlin has led the Steelers to the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. Metcalf has just two postseason appearances in that span and three in his entire career.

Commanders To Re-Sign QB Marcus Mariota

March 12th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marcus Mariota will remain in Washington for the 2025 campaign. The journeyman quarterback has a new Commanders agreement in place, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This will be a one-year pact worth $8MM, Pelissero adds. That marks a slight raise compared to Mariota’s first Commanders contract. After a successful year backing up Jayden Daniels, he will do so again next season.

Pelissero notes Mariota drew interest from outside teams, but he turned that down to remain in the nation’s capital. The former No. 2 pick bounced around the league following his five-year run with the Titans, spending time with the Raiders, Falcons and Eagles before signing with the Commanders last offseason. Mariota made just three appearances in 2024, but he gave the team a veteran mentor for Daniels as he put together an exceptional rookie campaign.

Daniels’ strong play ensured Mariota would have needed to head elsewhere if he intended to compete for a starting gig. The 31-year-old’s last stint atop a depth chart came with the Falcons in 2022, when his passer rating (88.2) fell short of his career average. Failing to secure a long-term opportunity as a starter in Atlanta set Mariota up for a one-year spell as the Eagles’ backup prior to his intra-divisional move to the Commanders last spring.

That signing was seen as an indication the Commanders’ preference was to select Daniels with the No. 2 pick in the draft given Mariota’s mobility. Washington did indeed go in that direction, and the team’s success on offense led to renewed head coaching interest for OC Kliff Kingsbury. The former Cardinals coach ultimately withdrew from the 2025 hiring cycle, citing his satisfaction of working with Daniels. After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, Daniels will have both his offensive coordinator and QB2 back with him next season.

As expected, the first two days of the negotiating window brought about considerable movement at the quarterback position. That has continued into Wednesday, with the official start of free agency looming this afternoon. Mariota’s decision to remain in place has taken one more veteran passer off the market.

Titans Not Interested In Russell Wilson

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

Even as we near the 2025 league year, Aaron Rodgers has commanded enough attention he is holding up the quarterback market. Set to turn 42 later this year, the all-time QB talent is believed to be the first choice of the Steelers and Giants. The Vikings are lurking, even if they do not appear the favorite here.

Wilson has emerged as a backup plan for the Steelers and likely the Giants as well (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If Wilson does not land in New York or back in Pittsburgh, finding a fit may be difficult. Not connected to the Vikings, Wilson also does not look to be an option for the Titans. Tennessee is not interested in the 13-year veteran, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.

The Titans were connected to Sam Darnold before the market opened, but the team was not viewed as likely to exceed $30MM per year for the 2024 Pro Bowler. The Seahawks did, giving Darnold a three-year, $100.5MM contract. Tennessee was not believed to be interested in a reclamation-project-type arm, pointing the team away from some of free agency’s options. Though, Wilson would not profile as such. The decorated ex-Seahawk is nearing the end of a great career; there is not much mystery to the 36-year-old passer at this point. Even though Wilson would provide the Titans with some veteran certainty, they are looking elsewhere.

Tennessee has not been closely tied to Rodgers, either. The team still has Will Levis and is open to bringing back Mason Rudolph. The Titans coming out of free agency without a starter-caliber veteran will point them to a quarterback in the first round. Holding the No. 1 overall pick, the Titans have Cam Ward backers in their building — even as trade-down rumors have swirled. A Shedeur Sanders selection would seemingly hinge on how far Tennessee moves down, should it opt to add assets in exchange for No. 1 overall.

The Steelers gave Wilson their starting job out of training camp. This, however, came as Justin Fields closed the gap between the two passers — after a stream of offseason assurances the job was Wilson’s — while the older QB battled a nagging calf injury. After aggravating the calf issue, Wilson missed six games. Player and assistant support for Fields to keep the gig existed, but Mike Tomlin “acted alone” in reinstalling Wilson. This route helped guide the Steelers to 10-3, but Wilson lost momentum after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a five-game losing streak. Wilson and OC Arthur Smith also clashed about the offensive direction, which reminds of Wilson’s issues late in his Seattle days and during his two-year Denver stint.

While Wilson has spoken to the Steelers about a deal, it was clear Fields was the team’s preference. The nine-time Pro Bowler may not be a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, after the past three seasons, but he is the NFL’s third-leading QB rusher and coming off a season in which he ranked 23rd in QBR (two spots north of Rodgers). Following a 16-TD, five-INT 11-game sample in Pittsburgh — at 7.4 yards per attempt, which is much higher than Rodgers’ 2024 number (6.7) — Wilson will not be guaranteed a starting job in 2025.

Chargers Re-Sign LB Troy Dye, WR Jalen Reagor

March 12th, 2025 at 12:20pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers are re-signing veteran linebacker Troy Dye, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Dye’s contract is worth $5.5MM over two years with a maximum value of $8.5MM with incentives, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. Multiple other teams were interested, but Dye opted to stay on the West Coast after growing up in California and playing college football at Oregon.

Dye appeared in all 17 games (five starts) for the Chargers in 2024 with a rotational role on defense and an 80% snap share on special teams. He finished the season with career-highs of 57 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss.

The 28-year-old was originally a fourth-round pick by the Vikings in 2020. He primarily played special teams in Minnesota with eight starts on defense across four years. He signed a one-year, $1.79MM deal with the Chargers in 2024 and is now under contract with the team through the 2026 season.

The Chargers also announced the re-signing of wide receiver Jalen Reagor. The 26-year-old appeared in eight games with seven receptions for 100 yards, but could be in line for a bigger role in 2025 after the departure of Josh Palmer.

Reagor was an Eagles first-round pick in 2020 who struggled to live up to his draft billing in Philadelphia. He was traded to the Vikings ahead of the 2022 season and waived after another disappointing year. Reagor spent 2023 with the Patriots, but couldn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He then joined the Chargers’ practice squad in September and was promoted to the active roster in November.

Seahawks To Add Marquez Valdes-Scantling

March 12th, 2025 at 12:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett‘s departures have brought a significant retooling effort at receiver in Seattle. While the team will need to add at least one starter-level receiver to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba, it is adding a likely depth piece now.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling will sign with the Seahawks, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The well-traveled wideout agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5.5MM. After the Chiefs and Bills both cut Valdes-Scantling last year, he caught on with the Saints and played a regular role. He will follow 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak to Seattle.

Valdes-Scantling made some memorable contributions with the Chiefs, but they moved on from his three-year, $30MM contract after a disappointing 2023 season. The 2022 JuJu Smith-Schuster complementary piece signed with the Bills after the draft but did not see much playing time before an in-season release. With the Saints, however, he became a regular part of a battered receiving corps.

Kubiak used MVS as a downfield threat, as the ex-Packer draftee caught 17 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns during a half-season in New Orleans. With Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed out, Kubiak needed to find other producers. Although MVS had been trending downward and has enjoyed an inconsistent career, he produced during the short Saints stint. This included a 109-yard, two-TD day in a Saints win over the Falcons. MVS also cleared 50 receiving yards on three other occasions with the Saints to close his age-30 season.

The former fifth-round pick is still better known for his Green Bay and Kansas City stays. The 6-foot-4 receiver totaled a career-high 690 yards for the 2020 Packers, leading the NFL with a 20.9-yard average per catch and adding six TDs during Aaron Rodgers‘ third MVP season. Given a $10MM-per-year deal as the Chiefs pivoted to a cheaper receiving group after Tyreek Hill extension talks turned into a Dolphins trade, Valdes-Scantling amassed 687 yards for the Super Bowl champions that year.

The Chiefs depended on MVS in the 2022 AFC championship game, as a few other among their receiving corps battled injuries. He came through with a six-reception, 116-yard showing to help the Chiefs stave off the Bengals. In 2023, Valdes-Scantling caught two deep balls in a Chiefs divisional-round win over the Bills and added the game-clinching grab against the Ravens. He then caught a third-quarter TD pass in Super Bowl LVIII. Of course, that came after a 315-yard season that featured a costly deep-ball drop in a November loss to the Eagles.

Following the Metcalf trade and Lockett release, the Seahawks have Jake Bobo and fourth-year performer Dareke Young as Smith-Njigba complements. While adding a second wideout with a hyphenated name reminds of a recent Chiefs setup, Seattle will undoubtedly be seeking more help for Sam Darnold soon.

Bills To Sign S Darrick Forrest

March 12th, 2025 at 11:49am CST by Sam Robinson

Already carrying Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop on their roster going into free agency, the Bills have used Day 3 to add two more safeties. After re-signing Damar Hamlin, Buffalo is bringing in a former NFC East starter.

Ex-Washington draftee Darrick Forrest is heading to Buffalo on a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Forrest is a 17-game Commanders starter, with most of those opportunities coming during the 2022 season.

Washington drafted Forrest in the 2021 fifth round and made him a primary 2022 starter. That season included 88 tackles and four interceptions. The Cincinnati alum, however, did not grab any INTs outside of that 2022 season. A starter during the ’22 campaign’s second half, Forrest saw his momentum stall in 2023. A shoulder fracture ended his season five games in, and the Commanders changed plans soon after.

Hiring Adam Peters as GM, the team signed Jeremy Chinn to pair with 2023 second-round pick Quan Martin. Even with Kamren Curl leaving in free agency last year, Forrest did not earn his starting job back. He made one start and played only 74 defensive snaps. Washington has lost he and Chinn this offseason; two years remain on Martin’s rookie deal. The team has since signed former Lions and Saints DB Will Harris as a potential option alongside Martin.

Forrest, 26 in May, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 42 overall safety (out of 88 qualifiers) in 2022. While avenues to the Buffalo starting lineup appear closed, the Bills at least have secured another experienced depth piece a year after their Mike Edwards pact did not work out.

Contract Details: Horn, Pats, Pack, Vikings

March 12th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

It’s that time of year. It is time to begin sorting through the contracts agreed to early in free agency. We will start with some of the biggest deals to emerge this week.

  • Jaycee Horn, CB (Panthers). Four years, $100MM. Horn’s Carolina extension covers $72MM in total guarantees (second among CBs) and $46.7MM at signing (first). Horn’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his $15.74MM 2027 base salary will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Additionally, $7.1MM of Horn’s $21.7MM 2028 base is already guaranteed for injury, per Wilson. That amount will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2028 league year.
  • Milton Williams, DT (Patriots): Four years, $104MM. Williams will see $63MM in total guarantees and $51MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Williams’ 2027 base salary ($27MM) is guaranteed for injury; it will shift to a full guarantee if he remains on New England’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Aaron Banks, G (Packers). Four years, $77MM. Only a $27MM signing bonus is guaranteed, via OverTheCap, as the Packers do not usually include guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. Banks is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson notes. The same structure is in place for 2027, with another $9.5MM bonus due. These represent future guarantee dates on this year-$20MM-AAV accord, though the Pack — as they do with Josh Jacobs — will have a natural out after Year 2 of the deal.
  • Byron Murphy, CB (Vikings): Three years, $54MM. This is significantly lower than initially reported (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), as Murphy can only reach the $22MM-AAV number through incentives. Murphy’s first two base salaries are fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Rather than being the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid CB, Murphy is tied for 13th after the true AAV emerged.
  • Charvarius Ward, CB (Colts): Three years, $54MM. This one had the correct value from the start, as Murphy’s subsequent Vikings deal matched these terms. Ward will see $27MM at signing. To reach the $34.98MM total guarantee, he must remain on Indianapolis’ roster past Day 5 of the 2026 league year. As $5MM of Ward’s $12.98MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, the rest locks in on that March 2026 date, Wilson tweets.
  • Jonathan Allen, DL (Vikings): Three years, $51MM. This also checks in lower (via Garafolo) than initially reported, which is not uncommon. Half of Allen’s $16MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with the other half (via Wilson) locking in if the D-lineman is on Minnesota’s roster come Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jamien Sherwood, LB (Jets). Three years, $45MM. The Jets are guaranteeing $30MM, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes this is the second-biggest LB guarantee the team has authorized (after C.J. Mosley‘s then-record FA deal in 2019). The Jets included a $7.5MM option bonus due at any point before Week 1 of the 2026 season, Wilson notes. This, along with three void years, will reduce Sherwood’s cap hits; he will not carry a figure north of $11.5MM until 2027.
  • Drew Dalman, C (Bears): Three years, $42MM. $26.5MM of Dalman’s $28MM guarantee comes at signing, giving the ex-Falcons center the second-biggest center guarantee (passing Lloyd Cushenberry‘s 2024 Titans FA deal). $9.5MM of Dalman’s $11MM 2026 base salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Wilson. The other $1.5MM vests if/once he is on Chicago’s roster on Day 3 of the ’26 league year. Dalman’s 2027 salary is nonguaranteed.

Ravens DT Michael Pierce Announces Retirement

March 12th, 2025 at 11:12am CST by Nikhil Mehta

After a nine-year career, Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce announced that he is retiring (via the Sports Spectrum podcast hosted by former NFL running back Matt Forte).

Pierce expressed appreciation for his time in the NFL and specifically thanked former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and former defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who brought Pierce to Baltimore as an undrafted free agent out of Samford University in 2016. He made the Ravens’ 53-man roster as a rookie and never looked back, quickly becoming one of the league’s stoutest nose tackles.

“They gave me a chance when not many people were willing to take a chance on me,” said Pierce. He also thanked “big brothers” Terrell Suggs and Brandon Williams, who mentored him during his first stint in Baltimore.

Pierce played in 60 games (30 starts) for the Ravens from 2016 to 2019 with 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, earning him a three-year, $27MM deal from the Vikings. With a history of asthma and other respiratory problems, Pierce opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. He finally debuted in Minnesota in 2021, but played in only eight games due to an elbow injury. He still put up a career-high 3.0 sacks, but the Vikings opted to move on before the 2022 season.

The Ravens then swooped in to reunited with Pierce on a three-year, $16.5MM deal. He played in just three games due to a torn bicep in 2022, but starting all 17 games the following year as a core part of Baltimore’s league-leading defense. Another injury limited Pierce to just 11 games in 2024, but returned by the end of the regular season to end his career with a highlight. In Week 18 against the Browns, Pierce became the heaviest player since at least 2000 to record an interception at 355 pounds. He was also the NFL’s biggest active defender before his retirement.

Pierce’s size made him an effective run-stuffer who could absorb double-teams in the middle of the defensive line. He remained a solid defender until his retirement, but stints on injured reserve in three of the last four seasons made retirement a serious possibility before his age-33 season. The Ravens are currently set to return Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Broderick Washington to their defensive line in 2025, but they will need to add depth over the next few months.

Pierce had an option year set to trigger on March 17 that included an additional $2MM option bonus if he remained on the roster, per OverTheCap. Instead, his retirement will leave $2MM in dead money, $1.33MM of which can be pushed into 2026 with a post-June 1 designation. That would save the Ravens $2MM against the 2025 cap with just $667k of dead money this year.

Bucs To Re-Sign DT Greg Gaines

March 12th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Buccaneers are re-signing defensive tackle Greg Gaines for another season, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

2025 will be Gaines’ third year in Tampa Bay. He is expected to sign a one-year, $3.5MM contract, the same length and APY as his last two deals with the Buccaneers.

Gaines began his career as a fourth-round pick by the Rams in 2019. He carved out a rotational role in his first two years before moving into a starting job in 2021 and 2022. He started 25 games with more than 1,500 snaps in that span, which featured 9.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

The former Washington Husky was not retained by the Rams after his rookie contract expired and crisscrossed the country to sign with the Buccaneers in 2023. He played well enough in his debut season in Tampa Bay to earn another one-year deal for 2024. Across both seasons, he played in 32 games (five starts) with a snap share around 40%. He wasn’t as productive as he was in Los Angeles, though, totaling just four combined sacks and tackles for loss.

The 312-pound lineman will return to his rotational role in Tampa Bay in 2025 backing up Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey. Gaines will need to improve on his recent production to earn a significant raise in the NFL, but the Buccaneers were clearly satisfied with his value over the last two years.

Chiefs Restructure Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones’ Contracts

March 12th, 2025 at 10:30am CST by Sam Robinson

The gift that keeps giving for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes‘ contract has now been restructured four times. Having franchise-tagged Trey Smith and paid Nick Bolton and then Kristian Fulton, the Chiefs are again turning to the Mahomes restructure tactic.

Kansas City is also completing a base-to-bonus restructure on Chris Jones‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who indicates these two moves saved the defending AFC champions $49.4MM. After coming into Wednesday over the cap, the Chiefs now hold more than $29MM in space ahead of the 2025 league year.

Even five years after it was signed, Mahomes’ 10-year, $450MM deal remains the NFL’s only deal to run through 2031. The megastar quarterback gave up a more lucrative path by locking himself in on that July 2020 extension. Only Josh Allen has come close to replicating Mahomes’ path, as the reigning MVP’s initial Bills deal — one since updated — is the only six-year QB contract to be finalized since. Rather than coming back to the table, Mahomes remains under Chiefs control for many years.

The Chiefs did rework Mahomes’ contract after the wave of $50MM-AAV deals hit in 2023, moving money around to create $133.7MM in guarantees. That said, the contract running through 2031 continues to give the Chiefs short-term flexibility. The franchise will undoubtedly do more work on this deal moving forward, as the restructures have spiked Mahomes’ 2026 cap hit beyond $78MM and his 2027 number past $74MM.

Jones agreed to a more player-friendly deal last year, resetting the defensive tackle market shortly before the 2024 legal tampering period. The Chiefs gave Jones $95MM guaranteed in total on a five-year, $158.75MM contract. That number came in well north of where the Chiefs were willing to go during Jones’ 2023 holdout, but after another dominant season, the team relented as the future Hall of Famer neared free agency. As the Chiefs attempt to trek to a fourth straight Super Bowl, they are using their top two players’ contracts as tools to free up immediate funds.

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