Eagles Planning To Extend HC Nick Sirianni
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is planning to sign Nick Sirianni to a contract extension following the team’s victory in Super Bowl LIX, their second championship appearance in Sirianni’s four years as head coach.
“Nick is going to be our coach,” said Lurie at league meetings in Florida this week (via ESPN’s Tim McManus). “We don’t talk publicly [about contracts], we never have, but you guys I’m sure will find out soon enough that Nick will be our coach going forward. He has done an outstanding job.”
Before coming to Philadelphia, Sirianni was the offensive coordinator in Indianapolis, where the Colts cycled through three quarterbacks in three years and weathered a series of injuries. He was hired in 2021 to succeed Doug Pederson, who led the Eagles to a championship in 2017 before back-to-back first-round exits in the playoffs and a 4-11-1 record in 2020.
Sirianni’s hire led to broad changes to the Eagles’ roster and coaching staff. He hired Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon to run the offense and defense, respectively, and quarterback Carson Wentz was shipped off to Indianapolis in favor of Jalen Hurts. Those two coaches, along with Hurts, were major factors in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl run in 2022, which also featured Sirianni’s ‘tush push’ quarterback sneak and an award for Coach of the Year.
Sirianni lost both of Steichen and Gannon to head coaching jobs during the 2023 offseason, leading to regression on both sides of the ball during the season under new coordinators Brian Johnson and Sean Desai. The Eagles lost five of their last six regular season games before a first-round playoff loss to the Buccaneers, and Sirianni replaced Johnson and Desai with Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio for the 2024 season.
After a 2-2 start, Sirianni’s Eagles ripped off 10 straight wins and continued their momentum throughout the playoffs. Philadelphia won three of their four postseason matchups by at least two possessions, including a 40-22 Super Bowl rout to deny the Chiefs’ bid for a three-peat. He is now entering the final year of his contract and will likely be one of the league’s highest-paid head coaches on his next deal.
Patriots’ Joe Milton Drawing Trade Interest; QB Interested In Being Moved
Mentioned as a 2025 trade chip, Joe Milton continues to see a path back to a second Patriots season appear murky. The Josh Dobbs signing began the trade buzz involving the rocket-armed backup, and it persists.
Milton is drawing trade interest, according to MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian and Mark Daniels, who add the quarterback does not appear against a move. Milton would prefer to be dealt to a place that offers a chance to compete for a starting job, and multiple trade inquiries have come the Patriots’ way.
That is blocked in New England, but most other teams do not have open jobs. A handful do, however, and some other teams — the Rams, Saints and Giants, to name three — have older QBs in place for 2025 but questions for 2026. Milton would profile as an interesting lottery ticket, but as a sixth-round pick last year, the Tennessee alum may not be drawing interest as a potential starter option.
As it stands, Milton is unlikely to fetch a Day 2 pick in a trade, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. One game against Bills backups (and some training camp buzz last summer) likely will not overtake six years of college work that pegged him as a sixth-round talent. While carrying one of the NFL’s strongest arms, Milton still profiles as a project. Though, teams could definitely come up with much less exciting QB2 options.
“Everybody wants to play. Everybody wants to be the starter, everybody and that’s great to have that attitude,” Mike Vrabel said. “And he was ready for his opportunity there late in the season, which I commend him on, just like I would any player that sat there and went through a long season, a difficult season, and then got the opportunity, went out, won a football game, played well, helped his team win.”
“And then where that leads to, we’ll see as the draft approaches, or where Joe is on April 7 to start our offseason program. But you have to give Joe credit for being ready to go, going from the third quarterback to being able to win that football game and stay ready and stay hungry.”
If the Patriots cannot obtain a Day 2 pick for Milton, it is worth wondering if they will stand down. A report last month indicated a Day 2 pick as the target in a trade. Although the draft profiles as the NFL’s second trade window annually, Guregian and Daniels note a trade involving Milton likely would not happen until after the draft due to teams’ depth charts being in flux during the three-day event. A team that does not see its QB plans unfold to its liking could take a flier on Milton, who would at least bring appeal as a player signed at sixth-round money through 2027.
The Pats have Dobbs in place as their Maye backup now, and plenty of depth chart changes — a few involving former Titans — have occurred during Vrabel’s first weeks on the job. It will be interesting to see if the Pats hang onto Milton while holding out for at least a mid-round selection or if they are interested in beginning OTAs with a locked-in QB room.
QB Prospect Notes: Fins, Colts, Saints, Rams
While much of the pre-draft quarterback talk has been focused on teams atop the draft board, there are plenty of additional squad eyeing prospects at the position. Over the past few weeks, the Dolphins, Colts, Saints, and Rams have been among the teams connected to rookie quarterbacks.
As mentioned, the Dolphins have been among the team’s scouting quarterbacks, with Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reporting that the team has met with, scouted, or “evaluated” Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. Jackson passes along a prediction from agent Drew Rosenhaus, who recently opined that the Dolphins will end up taking a QB in the draft.
While the organization may simply be doing their due diligence, it makes sense for the Dolphins to consider the position in the draft. Tua Tagovailoa‘s injury and concussion injury has been well documented, and there will continue to be questions about the starter’s playing future. While Miami brought in Zach Wilson this offseason, the former draft bust likely wouldn’t be the team’s first choice to take over atop the depth chart.
Sticking in the AFC, Colts GM Chris Ballard admitted that his team would take a QB if the situation presented itself. The team is rostering a former fourth-overall pick in Anthony Richardson, and they added former Giants starter Daniel Jones this offseason. Still, the organization has a hole on the depth chart after Sam Ehlinger left in free agency, and they could look for a QB3 via the draft.
“If you think there’s somebody organizationally that you believe in, at any point, I think you pull the trigger,” Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star).
One of the teams that’s considered likeliest to select a QB is in the NFC. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football recently said there’s “something” to the team’s flirtation with many of the non-blue chip prospects. Underhill cites the team’s need for a long-term answer behind Derek Carr, and their pursuit could even lead to them selecting a QB in the first round. Among the players presumably under consideration is Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that head coach Kellen Moore was in attendance for the school’s pro day.
Finally, the Rams have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for rookie quarterbacks. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic says the team is “open” to drafting a player at the position, although they “won’t reach for one.” As Rodrigue notes, both GM Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have expressed interest in bringing in a young signal caller to play behind Matthew Stafford.
Raheem Morris: Falcons Open To Trading Kirk Cousins
TODAY, 8:30pm: Owner Arthur Blank echoed Morris’s statements, telling Josh Kendall of The Athletic that the Falcons will listen to offers on Cousins on their terms.
“At the end of the day, what happens happens, maybe something pre-draft, draft, post-draft, I don’t know,” Blank said, “but [Cousins] understands what our needs are and what we have to do as a franchise.”
YESTERDAY, 9am: Much of the discussion related to the Falcons’ offseason revolves around Kirk Cousins‘ future. The team has repeatedly stated a willingness to keep the Pro Bowl quarterback in place as a backup, but head coach Raheem Morris left the door open to a parting of ways on Monday. 
Cousins has made it clear he wants a change of scenery after one year in Atlanta. The 36-year-old old inked a four-year deal to join the Falcons last offseason, but he was benched late in the year in favor of first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. The latter is set to handle starting duties moving forward, but Atlanta’s decision to keep Cousins in the fold past the vesting date of his $10MM 2026 roster bonus helped confirm he will not be released.
That leaves a trade as a possibility, although Cousins will not waive his no-trade clause until after the draft takes place later this month. Doing so will help him avoid a repeat of last year’s situation (where he was caught off guard by the decision to draft Penix), but it could limit the number of suitors in play to acquire him. When speaking about the Cousins situation on Tuesday, Morris noted the team would be on board with dealing him under the right circumstances.
“There’s definitely a human side when you want to see him go out and be the best version of himself,” Morris said (via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams). “This is not a thing where we’re holding you back if the opportunity presents itself. If it’s something that’s good for both of us — it’s good for the Falcons and Kirk Cousins — we certainly would like to see that happen.”
Finances will be a challenge to work out between Atlanta and an acquiring team. Cousins is owed $27.5MM next season, and offset language in his pact means the Falcons could pass on at least some of that figure (along with the $10MM locked in for next season) to his new team. Especially after the draft has taken place, though, most NFL teams will have their 2025 starter in the fold. That will limit the Falcons’ opportunities to swing a deal. If retaining funds winds up being required to pull of a trade, Josh Kendall of The Athletic predicts the team will be willing to do so (subscription required).
The Browns have frequently been named as a team to watch on the Cousins front, given the presence of a familiar face in head coach Kevin Stefanski. A recent report noted a strong push to acquire the former Viking should not be expected at this time, however. As Kendall’s colleague Dianna Russini notes, though, a Cousins-to-Cleveland move would not come as a surprise given the ongoing discourse around the subject (video link). Barring another veteran acquisition under center, the Browns will remain a potential suitor worth monitoring.
To no surprise, Morris added in his remarks that he does not expect Cousins to attend voluntary OTAs. That has been expected on the team’s part, Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer confirms. A holdout later in the offseason when mandatory minicamp and/or training camp take place would of course be more notable, provided Cousins is still on the Falcons’ roster in the summer. If an appropriate arrangement can be made regarding a trade, though, that may not be the case.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/25
Just two minor moves to pass along:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Jordan Petaia
New York Jets
- Signed ERFA tender: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
Xavier Newman-Johnson was tagged as an exclusive rights free agent last month, so his return to New York was all but inevitable. A former UDFA, the lineman has spent the past year-plus with the Jets, including a 2023 campaign where he started four of his seven appearances.
Newman-Johnson didn’t have nearly as big of a role in 2024. After getting into 280 offensive snaps in 2023, he was limited to only 11 reps in 2024. However, he did garner 31 snaps on special teams this past season. The 25-year-old will likely be eyeing a similar role if he sticks on the roster for the 2025 season.
Jordan Petaia was signed by the Chargers via the NFL International Player Pathway program. A native of Melbourne, Petaia has appeared in a pair of Rugby World Cups, including a 2019 showing where he became the youngest Australian player to ever suit up in the event.
Buccaneers Restructure Antoine Winfield Jr.’s Contract
The Buccaneers continue to restructure veteran deals. After reworking Tristan Wirfs‘ contract last month, the team has now restructured the contract of safety Antoine Winfield Jr., according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports.
Specifically, the team took Winfield’s impending $21MM base salary and converted it into a minimum salary and a bonus. In the process, a void year was added to the safety’s contract. After all the machinations, the Buccaneers managed to carve out $15.86MM in cap space.
It was less than a year ago that Winfield inked a four-year, $84.1MM extension ($45MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers. The contract made the veteran the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Winfield still has three years remaining on that contract, although there is an out on the deal after the 2025 campaign.
The former second-round pick has established himself as one of the league’s top safeties. A lingering ankle injury limited him to only nine games last season, although he still managed to compile 60 tackles, two sacks, and a defensive TD. He earned his first career All-Pro nod for his efforts during the 2023 season.
Wirfs and Winfield weren’t the only Buccaneers to have their contracts reworked. According to Auman, receiver Mike Evans also had his deal restructured. However, unlike the other two deals, Evans’ restructured contract won’t provide the Buccaneers with any additional cap space.
Instead, Evans simply saw some of his compensation moved to 2025. Evans is entering the second season of a two-year, $52MM deal he signed with Tampa Bay last offseason.
Stefon Diggs Says He’s Ahead Of Schedule
The Patriots finally landed their coveted WR1, but the signing came with a major caveat. That’s because Stefon Diggs is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered in late October. Fortunately for both the team and the player, it sounds like the wideout is ahead of schedule in his recovery.
[RELATED: Patriots, WR Stefon Diggs Agree To Deal]
During his introductory press conference last week, Diggs told reporters that he’s ahead of his timeline and is “trying to stay there.” The receiver also hinted that he’s hoping to be on the field when practices kick off this summer.
“When the whistle blows, we’ll see” Diggs said of his availability (via Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com). “But right now, I’m ahead of schedule. I’m trying to stay ahead of schedule. I pretty much take it day by day. I try not to put the carriage before the horse, but here we are. Here’s the horse right here. I’ll let you know, though. We’ll keep playing it by ear and I’m going to stay ahead of schedule for now and I’ll let you all know.”
Diggs also admitted that he intends to “reel it back a little bit” so he doesn’t suffer any setbacks. It’s still encouraging to hear that the wide receiver intends to be ready for practices, much less the regular season.
While the Patriots can basically take it year-to-year with Diggs’ contract, the team will surely be cautious with their investment if they intend to make any noise in 2025. Considering the timing of the receiver’s injury, even a Week 1 return could be an ambitious target, although recent reports indicated that Diggs is aiming to play in the season opener.
While the wideout’s market was a bit quiet prior to his signing in New England, that didn’t mean there was a lack of suitors. Following reports that the Broncos sniffed around on Diggs, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston reports that the veteran also spoke with the Texans about re-signing. While the organization “wanted Diggs back,” the two sides ultimately had “different financial parameters.”
Cardinals Reunite With DL Calais Campbell
APRIL 2: The Dolphins offered Campbell the third-most money of the teams pursuing him, per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. The Ravens were also in the mix, but the Cardinals offered more bonus money and Campbell and his family preferred to return to Arizona.
APRIL 1: The Cardinals are signing six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Calais Campbell to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The signing, which was confirmed by Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban, will bring Campbell back to the team that originally drafted him. The 38-year-old is set to earn $5.5MM in 2025 with an additional $2MM available via incentives, according to Schefter and Rapoport.
Campbell entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent weighing retirement against a return to the field for his 18th season in the NFL. He had offers from the Dolphins and the Ravens, but chose to return to Arizona where he started his career as a second-round draft pick in 2008. All three options offered familiarity; Campbell spent his college career and the 2024 season in Miami, and he also played in Baltimore from 2020 to 2022. The Cardinals, however, are closer to Denver, where he was born and raised.
Campbell is the Cardinals’ second addition to their defensive line this offseason. They signed Dalvin Tomlinson in March to join Dante Stills and Bilal Nichols in the trenches. Campbell will give Arizona a four-man rotation to which they can still add via the draft.
Campbell’s departure leaves the Dolphins precariously thin along the interior of their defensive line. Zach Sieler and Benito Jones are the only returning starters from last year’s unit.. Neil Farrell and Matt Dickerson combined for just 11 appearances and 80 defensive snaps. That will likely force Miami to scour the league’s remaining free agents and invest in at least one defensive lineman in April’s draft, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The new contract will bring Campbell’s career earnings over $150MM, per OverTheCap, the third-most of any defensive linemen in NFL history. He has remained an effective defender into his late-30s, with 17.0 sacks and 26 tackles for loss since 2022.
Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB?
April 2: Parsons took umbrage at Jones’ recent comments dismissing the importance of his agent, David Mulugheta. Jones stated that “the agent is not a concern here” and even said that he didn’t know Mulugheta’s name, per Hill.
Parsons fired back in a post on X, saying that he wouldn’t sign a contract without his agents involvement and telling the Cowboys that there would be “no backdoors” in their negotiations. The All-Pro edge rusher asked the Joneses to contact his agent regarding negotiations, but they have not reached out, per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. Mulugheta has spoken with Cowboys director of salary cap/player contracts Adam Prasifka.
APRIL 1: As of last week, it appeared as though no extension offer had been made by the Cowboys to Micah Parsons. That has apparently changed, and the team is willing to go to record-breaking lengths to get a deal done. 
Dallas has submitted an offer which will make Parsons the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports. That title currently belongs to receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose Bengals extension averages $40.25MM per year. Amongst edge rushers in particular (and defenders in general), Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett leads the way at $40MM annually.
Interestingly, Hill adds an agreement is in place following a meeting between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones. Serious extension talks were not believed to have ocurred prior to this latest update. A sticking point with respect to a contract being signed, however, is the fact the summit between Jones and Parsons did not involve the latter’s agent, David Mulugheta. No talks with Mulugheta present have taken place since the Combine, per Hill.
“Some guys want to visit,” EVP Stephen Jones recently said when speaking about Parsons’ situation (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We respect both ways. But if players want to come in and talk to us, we got an open-door policy, whether it’s Jerry or myself. Micah likes to visit, so that’s a good thing.”
Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that multiple meetings with Parsons have occurred and that an agreement is in place on several contract-related fronts (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). Nothing is imminent at this time, however. Nevertheless, it is clear considerable progress has been made toward ensuring the 25-year-old remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.
Parsons has racked up between 12 and 14 sacks each year to date. He is under contract for 2025 as a result of the team’s decision to pick up his $24.01MM fifth-year option, but a long-term pact will of course be much more expensive. The four-time Pro Bowler has been attached to an asking price of $200MM on his extension, although it is unclear how long such a pact would be. Hitting that total on a five-year deal would match Garrett’s AAV; if the Cowboys are indeed prepared to move Parsons to the top of the defensive pecking order, though, his new deal will need to be shorter or reach an even higher total value.
The Cowboys made a pair of monster long-term commitments in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason. It quickly became clear a new Parsons accord would need to wait until 2025, and the Penn State product’s initial goal of working out a deal before free agency was pushed back to training camp. Given today’s development, hitting that new target certainly seems feasible.
The team has previously spoken to Parsons about attending voluntary workouts this spring. On that point, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Archer) he expects that to be the case. Dallas’ offseason program begins April 14, and Parsons attending could represent another sign an agreement is close.
NFL Passes Proposal To Expand Player Contact During Legal Tampering Period
The NFL’s annual free agency signing window officially begins at the start of the new league year, but teams are allowed to negotiate terms with agents for two days beforehand, known as the legal tampering period.
Teams can agree to deals, but players can’t officially sign contracts until free agency opens. Starting next year, though, teams will have expanded contact with prospective signings.
Ahead of league meetings in Florida this week, the Steelers proposed a rule change allowing teams to conduct phone or video calls directly with players during the legal tampering period. That proposal was approved, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Starting in 2026, teams can have one call with up to five unrestricted free agents during the legal tampering period.
The new rule also allows teams to make travel arrangements for players that agree to terms, per FOX Sports’ Greg Auman.
Like the institution of the legal tampering period in 2012, the rule change codifies a practice that was already taking place, according to Breer. The Falcons were docked a 2025 fifth-round pick for direct contact with free agents in 2024, but it is believed that other violations have not been caught.
One former general manager believes that the new rule will give an advantage to coaches who are “great recruiters” like Andy Reid, Sean McVay, and Mike Tomlin.
“This rule will benefit them and anyone who can emulate their approach when it comes to landing top free agents,” the GM said (via FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz).
The rule change will take effect in 2026 for a one-year trial period as the league considers making it permanent.