HEADLINES

Month: May 2025

Aaron Rodgers Yet To Offer Steelers Assurances Of 2025 Deal?

May 31st, 2025 at 9:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 offseason has been filled with connections between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. No signing has taken place yet, with nothing appearing to be imminent at this point.

Considering how Pittsburgh has handled the quarterback spot this offseason – reuniting with Mason Rudolph, not pursuing other starting-caliber free agents and waiting until the sixth round of the draft to add a rookie – many have assumed an agreement of sorts is in place between team and player in this situation. Rodgers himself hinted at that during his latest public remarks on the subject. However, it appears no assurances have been received in Pittsburgh’s case.

During a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Rodgers has “not affirmatively told the Steelers that he’s coming” (video link). Pittsburgh has clearly operated as though the 41-year-old will sign at some point, with owner Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin practicing patience for a decision to be made. Rodgers (who was at one point under consideration from the Giants and preferred to sign with the Vikings this spring) has not committed, at least publicly, to playing at all in 2025. The expectation still remains, though, that a Steelers deal is forthcoming.

The four-time MVP’s only free agent visit took place at the Steelers’ facility, and at least one contract offer has been made. Rodgers worked out with trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf earlier this offseason, one in which he has remained in contact with Tomlin. Each of those signs have contributed to the ongoing assumption he will handle starting duties for Pittsburgh in 2025 as the team prepares for a high draft investment next spring. That could still prove to be the case, but mandatory minicamp looms as a potential deadline for an official commitment to be made.

The Steelers have already begun OTAs with Rudolph – who was made aware of the possibility Pittsburgh could add an established starter in free agency – in the QB1 spot. Minicamp is set to begin June 10, and that could be seen as a point at which the team moves forward with its incumbent quarterbacks (along with, potentially, another veteran added late in the offseason). If the Steelers were to take that route, Kirk Cousins would increasingly become a name to watch.

As Rodgers’ offseason continues to include a pressing matter related to a member of his inner circle, May has come and gone without a Steelers deal coming to pass. A resolution on that off-the-field matter would presumably accelerate his decision, something which has apparently still not been explicitly been communicated to the team yet.

Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton Expected To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Safety

May 31st, 2025 at 7:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of time remains for Kyle Hamilton and the Ravens to work out an extension. The All-Pro safety expectedly had his fifth-year option picked up earlier this spring.

As a result of that move, Hamilton is on the books through 2026. The option year is valued at $18.6MM, but a long-term accord will check in at a much higher rate. Indeed, as ESPN’s Jamison Hensley writes, Hamilton is expected to become the league’s highest-paid safety whenever his extension is worked out.

After operating on a part-time basis during his rookie season, the Notre Dame product took on a starting role in 2023. Hamilton emerged as a foundational member of Baltimore’s defense that year, totaling four interceptions, 13 pass deflections and 10 tackles for loss. Those figures helped earn him first-team All-Pro acclaim and led to high expectations for this past campaign.

Hamilton endured a statistical regression in some categories in 2024, although his 107 tackles set a new career high en route to a second straight Pro Bowl nod. At the age of 24, he represents a key member of the Ravens’ secondary now but also for the foreseeable future. His second contract will no doubt reflect that, although a new pact may not be in place by the start of the coming campaign. Baltimore has other extension priorities, including fellow 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum.

The Ravens declined their center’s fifth-year option, leaving him on track for free agency next spring as things stand. Linderbaum – just like Hamilton – is a strong candidate for a new deal, but the timing of his may be accelerated by the option decision. In any event, Hamilton will be joined by first-round rookie Malaki Starks as a safety starter while remaining a critical member of Baltimore’s defense in 2025.

When Antoine Winfield Jr. inked his Buccaneers extension last offseason, he became the first safety to surpass $20MM in average annual earnings. That deal also marked the first time in which a safety was the league’s top earner amongst defensive backs. The cornerback market has since surged to $30MM per year, and Winfield has already been surpassed at the top of the pecking order for safeties. Kerby Joseph secured $21.25MM on average with his Lions extension last month.

It would come as no surprise if Hamilton were to surpass that figure whenever his next contract takes shape. In the meantime, the Ravens will look into extensions for Linderbaum and – perhaps as early as this offseason – Lamar Jackson. Those deals will offer more financial clarity on where the team stands entering the 2026 offseason. By the time it ends, Hamilton will likely account for a sizable portion of Baltimore’s finances over the course of several years.

49ers Reducing Christian McCaffrey’s Offseason Workload

May 31st, 2025 at 6:52pm CST by Adam La Rose

Achilles and knee injuries limited Christian McCaffrey to just four games last year. The 49ers have their lead back healthy now, but to no surprise they are taking a cautious approach with his offseason workload.

McCaffrey earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 after leading the NFL in a number of categories. That production helped earn him an extension and fresh set of guarantees but things did not go according to plan this past season. The two-time All-Pro will look to bounce back from an availability standpoint in 2025, joining other key 49ers in that regard.

“Right now, he’s as healthy as can be and we’ve got to protect him from himself,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) when speaking about how McCaffrey would be managed this spring. “He’s doing a lot less than he normally would do. I know he’s excited about how healthy he feels and the fact that he can get out there.”

On an offense featuring a number of other notable skill-position players, McCaffrey was a focal point for the unit en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023. Expectations for a repeat of his production were high until it became clear his Achilles tendinitis would require an IR stint and several weeks of recovery during the season. Not long after making his season debut in Week 10, a PCL injury ended his campaign. Fortunately for the 49ers, the three-time Pro Bowler was fully cleared in time for the start of spring practices.

San Francisco leaned on Jordan Mason to a large extent during McCaffrey’s absence last year. Despite tendering him at the second-round level, though, the team traded Mason to Minnesota in March. That move was followed by the selection of Jordan James in the fifth round of the draft, leaving McCaffrey in place with he, Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor in the backfield. The 49ers’ depth options are all cost effective, something which represents a stark contrast to McCaffrey’s $19MM AAV.

That figure ranks second to only Saquon Barkley – who signed a new Eagles deal in the wake of his historic debut season with the Super Bowl winners. McCaffrey will again be expected to perform at an elite level in 2025, and helping ensure he is capable of doing so will no doubt continue to involve an unusually lighter practice schedule for the time being.

Bills S Cole Bishop On Track To Start?

May 31st, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Expectations were high for Cole Bishop upon arrival in Buffalo during his rookie campaign in 2024. Things did not go entirely according to plan, but a starting safety spot is available to him this offseason.

Bishop has operated with Buffalo’s first-team defense during the outset of OTAs, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required). That comes as little surprise given his status as a second-round pick from last year’s draft. The Bills’ other moves at the safety position this spring have pointed to a starting tandem alongside Taylor Rapp taking shape.

Rapp started each of his appearances last season, but Bishop missing most of training camp due to injury opened the door to Damar Hamlin handling first-team duties. The latter was retained on a one-year contract in March, a move which ensured continuity in the secondary but did not guarantee him a starting gig for 2025. Buffalo made an outside addition in the form of Darrick Forrest, but that veteran minimum investment will not impact the team’s defense.

During the 2025 draft, the Bills added three defensive backs. One of them – fifth-rounder Jordan Hancock – could see time at safety during his NFL tenure. The Ohio State product can be expected to primarily handle special teams work especially as a rookie, though. His presence should not impact Bishop’s ability to earn a starting spot in 2025.

Upon recovering in time for Week 2, Bishop managed to appear in each of Buffalo’s remaining regular and postseason games. The 22-year-old logged a 34% defensive snap share, and that figure will increase significantly this season if he can indeed land a starter’s role. Plenty of time remains before training camp even begins, but Bishop is off to a good start in his efforts to become a mainstay on defense for 2025 and beyond.

49ers Hoping Rookie DT Alfred Collins Can Earn Starting Role

May 31st, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Many expected the 49ers to address the defensive line in the first round of this year’s draft, but the team surprised many when they addressed the edge instead of the interior, taking Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams on Day 1. Perhaps, they felt comfortable waiting until Day 2 to address the position because, with its next pick, San Francisco drafted Texas defensive tackle Alfred Collins, whom they hope can earn a starting role on the line as a rookie, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

Currently, the starting tackle spots on the defensive line are manned by Jordan Elliott and Kevin Givens. Elliott joined the team last year after playing out his rookie contract in Cleveland and started 13 of 15 appearances. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has never graded Elliot favorably. The former third-round pick out of Missouri has only once graded in the top 100 players at his position in the NFL and that was this past year, when he ranked 97th out of 118.

Givens, too, has struggled in the eyes of PFF’s analytics throughout his six years with the team. His roles have been mostly rotational during that time, and although he earned a starting role in 2022 (11 starts in 13 appearances), he only has three starts in his career outside of that season. Last year, Givens was one of several 49ers to miss time with injuries, sitting for nine of the final 10 games of the season as he dealt with a pectoral tear.

Because of this, San Francisco is hoping to see not only Collins, but also fellow rookie CJ West and last year’s undrafted rookie Evan Anderson, earn significant roles on the line, as well. Anderson, signing with the team out of FAU last year, started one game in 12 appearances last season and graded out most favorably of the interior defenders on the 49ers, per PFF, ranking 49th out of 118 players graded at the position. West was extremely disruptive in four years as a starter in college — three at Kent State before transferring to Indiana. He had nine sacks and 27 tackles for loss in those four seasons. Although a bit undersized, West adds some pass rushing potential thanks to an impressive arsenal of ferocious moves.

Collins, though, is the player that was singled out by the staff with hopes of a starting role, per Barrows. What West lacks in ideal size, Collins makes up for with an exceptional 6-foot-5, 332-pound frame. His wide base and long arms give him impressive length, as well. His size doesn’t do him too many favors as a potential pass rusher, but he’s quick-footed enough at his size to erase gaps across the line in run defense. He’s a sure tackler who’s durable enough to handle the workload of a starter, even as a rookie.

We’ve got about two more months until training camp, but the next two weeks will see the team’s remaining Organized Team Activities workouts and mandatory minicamp. There’s plenty of time for the youngsters to earn more opportunities for bigger roles between now and the preseason. With hopes that Collins will break through as a strong run-defending starter, the team would ideally be looking to pair him with a defender with strong pass rushing potential like Givens, West, or Anderson.

Packers Discussed Davante Adams Reunion

May 31st, 2025 at 1:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

According to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, the team explored a reunion with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams when he became a free agent earlier this offseason.

“I think any time you have a player of that caliber, there’s definitely conversations that go into it,” LaFleur told Kay Adams last week. “Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.”

Adams spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay but refused to play under a franchise tag in 2022 and requested a trade to the Raiders. Since his departure, the Packers have focused on drafting and developing young receivers rather than signing expensive veterans. They selected Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in 2022 and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in 2023; all four have emerged as reliable targets, though none have matched Adams’ production.

That led to rumors this offseason that the Packers were looking to add a veteran target to round out their room. They never made an offer for D.K. Metcalf, but Adams was apparently on their radar. Instead, they doubled down on their recent youthful strategy, drafting their first wide receiver in the first round since 2002, before that rookie from Texas, Matthew Golden, was even born.

Moving forward with the bodies they have in the building, though, requires them to start looking into new contracts for the players who have been leading the way the past few years. We saw that a week ago, when it was reported that Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, to “clarify (Reed)’s status” with the team. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur was shocked to receive a question about Reed, pointing out how well the young receiver has done with taking Golden under his wing. LaFleur clarified earlier this week that he hadn’t been a part of the conversation between Rosenhaus and Gutekunst, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, and doubled down on Reed continuing to be an excellent leader.

Reed is also reportedly able to lead by example as “he’s good to go now,” despite not undergoing surgery this offseason. His season ended in Philadelphia with a dislocated shoulder and a partially torn labrum. Seemingly, surgery was not necessary for the injuries to heal as Reed claims it took “about four or five months” to remedy without a procedure, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.

Another receiver attempting to come from injury is Watson, who suffered “a torn ACL and additional damage” in the final week of the regular season. The non-contact injury was initially expected to force some missed time in his 2025 campaign, but a timeline had not been generated in those earlier reports. While still unable to provide a timeline, per Demovsky, LaFleur remains optimistic, claiming that the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and recovery.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Raiders’ Malcolm Koonce Returns To Practice

May 31st, 2025 at 11:23am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce returned to practice this week after missing all of the 2024 season with a knee injury, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.

Koonce was expected to build on a solid 2023 campaign heading into a contract year last summer. Instead, he tore his ACL in the team’s last practice before the start of the regular season, and the subsequent surgery sidelined him for nine months. Despite the injury, the Raiders’ new regime made the 2021 third-rounder a priority this offseason and re-signed him to a one-year, $11MM contract.

The length makes it somewhat of a ‘prove-it’ deal, but $10MM is fully-guaranteed and only an additional $1MM is tied to playtime incentives, a sign of the team’s confidence in Koonce’s recovery. Overall, it’s a strong contract coming off a major injury, especially with new leadership in Las Vegas that let other 2021 draft picks like Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs leave in free agency this offseason.

The Raiders are clearly expecting Koonce to return to his pre-injury trajectory. After just four combined sacks and tackles for loss in his first two seasons, he posted 17 in 2023, plus three forced fumbles. He started 11 games, but finished the season with just a 44% snap share, indicating that Koonce’s production has room to go with more playing time.

A smooth return to the field will slot Koonce in as a starting edge defender opposite Maxx Crosby. The Raiders don’t have much depth behind them; 2022 No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson has been a steady contributor but hasn’t lived up to his draft billing, and Charles Snowden didn’t make much of an impact in his nine starts last season. Las Vegas also signed Jah Joyner and Jahfari Harvey as undrafted rookie depth to add to 2024 UDFA Amari Gainer.

Chargers CB Cam Hart Out Until Minicamp After Shoulder Surgery

May 31st, 2025 at 10:36am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Chargers cornerback Cam Hart will be sidelined until mandatory minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

Hart tore his labrum during the Chargers’ wild card loss to the Texans in January. He underwent surgery shortly after and is awaiting medical clearance before he returns to the field.

The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame started six straight regular season games in his rookie year after Asante Samuel Jr. landed on injured reserve in Week 5. Two concussions and an ankle injury limited Hart in November and December, but he returned to the Chargers’ starting lineup in the playoffs.

The Chargers have plenty of cornerback depth if Hart suffers any setbacks in his recovery, even with Samuel no longer in Los Angeles. Tarheeb Still, who was taken three picks before Hart, started 12 games last year, and 2022 sixth-rounder Ja’Sir Taylor had a 32.2% snap share. The team also signed veteran Donte Jackson this offseason; he started 31 games over the last two seasons for the Panthers and the Steelers.

If Hart can re-establish himself alongside Still later this summer, the Chargers will have a cheap starting outside cornerback duo for the next three years. That’s an excellent return on a pair of fifth-round picks and, along with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey, represents a strong start to general manager Joe Hortiz‘s draft history

Caleb Williams Addresses Pre-Draft Bears Hesitation

May 30th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Excerpts from Seth Wickersham’s upcoming book, (American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback) recently detailed the extent to which Caleb Williams originally preferred to wind up with the Vikings rather than the Bears during last year’s draft. The 2024 No. 1 pick spoke on the subject at the outset of OTAs.

Wickersham’s book notes how Williams’ father sought out ways to avoid heading to Chicago given the franchise’s history of poor QB development. A Combine meeting with Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings, by contrast, created a strong desire for Williams to begin his NFL career in Minnesota. Of course, that proved impossible when the Bears – who only hosted one quarterback prospect last spring – informed the former Heisman winner they would select him first overall.

“There hasn’t been a 4,000-yard passer [in Bears history],” Williams said when reflecting on his initial trepidation about joining the team (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times). “There’s all these different things that come up. Being able to have those thoughts is, I think, fair.”

The 23-year-old made it clear in his remarks that his thoughts on the situation shifted following his top 30 visit with the Bears. Williams turned his attention away from seeking out ways to avoid being drafted by Chicago and instead focused on helping end the team’s struggles. Things did not according to plan in 2024, but plenty of time remains for improvement individually and as a team to take place.

“I think you think about all of the options and you look at the history and the facts and all of these different things,” Williams added. “Those are thoughts that go through your head in those situations. All of those are thoughts. And then after I came on my visit here, it was a… deliberate and determined answer that I had: I wanted to come here.”

The Oklahoma and USC product was sacked a league-leading 68 times during his rookie campaign. The Bears have re-shaped the interior of their offensive line this offseason, one in which skill-position players (tight end Colston Loveland, receiver Luther Burden) were added with Chicago’s first two draft picks. Especially with Ben Johnson now in place as head coach, expectations will be high for the team’s offense in 2025. Williams’ development will be a central factor in the Bears’ success on that side of the ball, and a strong showing in Year 2 would of course help lead to questions and speculation about his pre-draft approach subsiding.

Vikings Extend GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

May 30th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kevin O’Connell landed an extension this offseason, ensuring the Vikings will have their head coach in place for years to come. The same is now true of their general manager.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has agreed to a multi-year extension, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal – which the team has since announced – was signed last night, per the report. 2025 had represented the final year of Adofo-Mensah’s pact, but he will not enter the campaign in a lame duck situation.

“Kwesi’s leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success,” a statement from co-owner Mark Wilf reads. “His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O’Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans.”

Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell arrived together in Minnesota in 2022. Their first season together produced a 13-4 record, but a home wild-card loss marked an underwhelming end to the campaign. During the following year – one in which quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles tear – Minnesota went 7-10 while cycling through a number of replacements under center to close out the season. The defining aspect of last spring for the Vikings was their decision to allow Cousins to depart in free agency and draft a long-term replacement in the form of J.J. McCarthy.

That move was another example of the extent to which Minnesota’s core has been been revamped over the past three years. In 2024 (with free agent signing Sam Darnold in place and McCarthy recovering from meniscus surgery), the Vikings went an impressive 14-3 while playing in the highly competitive NFC North. While the season again ended in the wild-card round – this time via a lopsided neutral site loss to the Rams – it came as no surprise when O’Connell received Coach of the Year honors in addition to his extension. The Vikings will keep the tandem including he and Adofo-Mensah in place while aiming to find postseason success.

That effort will see McCarthy handle starting duties despite missing his entire rookie season. The first-rounder will take charge of an offense featuring a strong skill-position group, an offensive line which has undergone multiple changes this offseason and O’Connell (who has established himself as one of the league’s top offensive minds). On defense, a unit which saw the free agent arrival of Jonathan Allen along with continued additions via the draft, expectations will remain high moving forward.

Today’s news ensures the Vikings will have stability not only on the sidelines but also in the front office. Adofo-Mensah is not the only executive affected by Friday’s developments, though. Pelissero reports Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington are each being promoted to assistant general manager. Both have operated as key aids to Adofo-Mensah during his Vikings tenure.

Grigson interviewed with the Jets for their general manager vacancy this winter. Already on the GM radar, this promotion will no doubt help him generate attention for future openings. For at least one more season, though, he and Washington will remain in place with Minnesota. Adofo-Mensah, meanwhile, is assured of continuing in his role at the helm of the Vikings for several more years.

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