Rams, Kyren Williams Discussing Extension
The Rams will begin preliminary talks on an extension for running back Kyren Williams with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at annual league meetings this week, per The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue.
General manager Les Snead said that the team wants to “engineer a long-term partnership” with Williams, who is entering the last year of his rookie deal. The 2022 fifth-rounder only carried the ball 35 times as a rookie before taking over a starting role in 2023.
Since then, Williams has been the focal point of the Rams’ rushing attack. In 2023, he led the NFL with 95.3 yards per game, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl. His efficiency went down in 2024 with significant drops in success rate and yards per carry, but he still finished with the seventh-most rushing yards (1,299) and the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (14) in the league. Across the last two seasons overall, Williams has rushed for 2,443 yards and 14 touchdowns, which both rank among the top three running backs in the NFL.
Williams will be looking to capitalize off of that production, as well as an increase in the running back market over the last year. From a negotiating standpoint, he may look at his league ranks and aim for a top-three APY at the position. That would push Williams’ initial demands over $14MM per year, a number that Los Angeles would likely be hesitant to match this offseason.
The Rams’ current valuation for Williams’ extension is different than his own asking price, per Rodrigue. He has only one full season under his belt after landing on injured reserve with ankle sprains in each of his first two years in the league. The former Notre Dame standout is a solid receiver with 66 catches in the last two years, but he doesn’t profile as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield like some of the league’s highest-paid running backs.
Snead indicated that Williams could enter the 2025 season without a new deal, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of an extension in the future.
“If it doesn’t happen this year, it doesn’t mean that Kyren is not going to be a part (of) next year, doesn’t mean that we don’t do something a year from now,” he said (via Rodrigue).
As a result, the Rams will likely keep a close eye on Williams’ health and efficiency in 2025 as they continue negotiations. His Pro Bowl selection upgraded his 2025 salary to $5.35MM via the Proven Performance Escalator, per OverTheCap. Combined with his $78k signing bonus proration, his cap hit will be $5.42MM, though an extension could reduce that number by $3.4MM.
Titans Re-Sign Justin Hardee
The Titans have re-signed special teams ace Justin Hardee to a one-year deal, as first reported by FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz and confirmed by senior team writer Jim Wyatt.
2024 was Hardee’s first year in Tennessee, where he appeared in nine games with 185 snaps exclusively on special teams. He will take up a similar role in 2025 under new special teams coordinator John Fassel, according to Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick.
Originally a wide receiver at Illinois, Hardee converted to cornerback as an undrafted rookie in 2017. He didn’t make the Texans’ 53-man roster, but carved out a special teams role in New Orleans where he made 14 appearances. He remained with the Saints through the 2020 season, playing a handful of snaps on defense while continuing as a core special teams contributor.
Hardee’s reliability on special teams earned him a three-year, $6.75MM contract with the Jets in 2021. He played in every game in his first two seasons, but missed six games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. Hardee was also named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2022.
He then signed with the Browns in 2024, but was released during final roster cuts. He bounced around a few practice squads – first in Cleveland, then in Carolina – before signing with the Titans at the end of October.
As an eight-year veteran, Hardee will receive a salary of at least $1.255MM. His success on special teams throughout his career could earn him a better contract with a higher base value and/or additional guarantees.
Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin Remain In Contact
APRIL 1: When speaking at the league meetings on Tuesday, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) “signs are pointing in that direction” with respect to a Rodgers deal being worked out. He added the team is still willing to wait for Rodgers at this point, although that will not be the case forever (h/t Pryor).
MARCH 31: We may not be any closer to Aaron Rodgers signing in Pittsburgh, but all signs continue to point to the quarterback joining the Steelers. While speaking with reporters today, coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that he’s remained in contact with Rodgers since their in-person meeting on March 21 (via Mark Maske of The Washington Post).
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While Tomlin acknowledged that he didn’t have any new updates on the public flirtation between the two sides, he did reiterate that there isn’t any urgency for a resolution. Following reports from yesterday that training camp would represent the “line of demarcation” for the organization, Tomlin said he’s “really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year” (via Maske).
Tomlin also talked about his meeting with Rodgers, noting that he was happy to speak with a long-time competitor.
“There’s no substitute for intimacy and spending time together,” Tomlin said (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). “[G]etting to know one another in a non-competitive environment.”
As Rodgers considers his next move, Tomlin isn’t the only Steelers employee he’s been talking to. According to Garafolo, the QB had a throwing session with recent acquisition D.K. Metcalf. Garafolo suggests this could simply be a part of Rodgers’ process as he evaluates the potential landing spot, but it could also be the determining factor before the player puts pen to paper.
Considering the Steelers’ lack of free agent options and Rodgers’ dearth of remaining suitors, the two sides seem to be a natural pairing. While the assumption is that they’ll eventually link up, the organization seems to be proactively planting the seeds in case a contract doesn’t come to fruition. While speaking with reporters today, Tomlin said the Steelers would be comfortable heading into next season with Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback.
“That’s why we brought him back,” Tomlin said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I’m comfortable with that. We’ve been there before. He’s a very capable guy.”
Of course, the Steelers got a look at Rudolph as a starter during his first stint in Pittsburgh, as the former third-round pick went 8-4-1 as a starter between 2019 and 2023. Rudolph didn’t fare nearly as well during his 2024 stay in Tennessee (1-4 as a starter), but the Steelers were still confident enough in his ability to bring him back on a two-year deal. Skylar Thompson is the only other QB currently on the Steelers roster.
NFL Approves Kickoff Tweaks; Vote On Onside Kick Adjustments Postponed
APRIL 1: As expected, owners approved the proposed amendment to tweak the kickoff setup (h/t Dianna Russini of The Athletic). Touchbacks will be moved up to the 35 starting next season as a result. No decision was made with respect to amending onside kicks, meanwhile; the vote on that front will take place in May.
MARCH 29: When the league meeting kicks off tomorrow, one of the topics of discussion will be related to the dynamic kickoff instituted on a trial basis for 2024. The expectation remains that the new setup will be made permanent, albeit with a few alterations. 
The competition committee has proposed moving forward with the dynamic kickoff alignment on a full-time basis, as detailed by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. That comes as little surprise, as indications from last month pointed to such a move. In response to dwindling kick return rates, the NFL adopted the XFL-style setup for one year; a spike in the frequency of returns took place, but not to the extent that many predicted.
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32.8% of kickoffs produced a return in 2024, and the competition committee’s latest proposal aims at increasing the figure moving forward. The committee has officially proposed moving the point of touchbacks up from the 30-yard line to the 35, as first reported by Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The league projects a return rate between 60% and 70% as a result of that tweak, which the owners will discuss in the coming days.
CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones wrote earlier this month the league could consider not only moving up the spot for touchbacks but also altering where kickoffs take place. Moving kickers back five yards could have helped achieve the goal of fewer touchbacks, but, per Jones, a view exists around the league that many would still be able to reach the end zone even with that tweak. While moving touchbacks will receive consideration, it does not appear the same will be true for pushing back the location of kickoffs.
In past years, teams have proposed alternatives to the increasingly-challenging onside kick. For 2025, however, no fourth-and-15 or fourth-and-20 ideas will be on the table (h/t Maske). Many have viewed an offensive alternative to onside kicks as being too gimmicky, and that likely remains the case at this point. As Jones notes, the NFL will contemplate tweaking the existing onside kick rule to allow all members of the team attempting an onside kick (rather than just the kicker) to line up on their 30-yard line. That one-yard difference could help the success rate of the play to a small extent.
As things stand, teams can only attempt an onside kick during the fourth quarter, but that too could soon change. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes the owners will vote on allowing teams to declare their intention at any point in a game, provided they are trailing at the time. He predicts that measure – along with the aim to formalize dynamic kickoffs and move up the touchback spot – will be ratified.
At least 24 of 32 owners will need to support any change for it to pass at the upcoming meeting. If all goes according to plan, multiple special teams plays will have slightly different rules in play for 2025 and beyond.