HEADLINES

Month: May 2025

Brock Purdy Addresses 49ers Extension

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the 49ers’ offseason contract work has been taken care of well before training camp. That includes the long-term extension recently worked out with quarterback Brock Purdy.

That five-year, $265MM pact ties Purdy to San Francisco through 2030 and ensures his earnings on his second NFL pact will vastly outweigh his first. The former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ will receive a $40MM signing bonus, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details. Other notable payouts include option bonuses due in 2026 ($37.75MM), 2027 ($15MM) and 2028 ($20MM).

Purdy is assured of $100MM at signing, and the outstanding money which is not already locked in for 2027 ($15.35MM) will shift from an injury to a full guarantee on April 1, 2026. A $55.05MM injury guarantee exists for 2028, but $5MM of that total will be fully locked in early if Purdy handles at least a 50% snap share and the 49ers win the Super Bowl this year or next. Of his 2029 compensation, $7.15MM will become a full guarantee on April 1, 2028, with the remaining $5MM vesting one year later. Workout and roster bonuses are present throughout the deal, which includes a non-guaranteed base salary of $49.05MM in its final year.

With an average annual value of $53MM, this deal moves Purdy near the top of the market for quarterback compensation. His pact nevertheless falls short of similar ones signed before this offseason, and considering the trend of QB contracts leapfrogging each other as the cap continues to surge this can be viewed as a team-friendly arrangement. That is particularly true in 2027 when it comes to cashflow – which will stand at $110MM in new money at that point – as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes.

“We want to make sure that we’re working together with our organization and setting up everybody for success,” Purdy said when speaking to the media about his extension (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). “It’s not just for me to get all the money as much as I can, but also, hey, let’s surround yourself with a great team and players and a great locker room, and all those things mattered.”

In addition to a major spike in pay and a series of rolling guarantees, Purdy’s deal contains a no-trade clause. A number of other terms had been agreed to in the days leading up to the agreement, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. Just prior to the deal being signed, though, other elements – one of those likely being the clause – came up in negotiations. Franchise quarterbacks receiving no-trade clauses is nothing new, but Purdy’s deal is the first in 49ers history to include one.

“I think it’s important, yes, but also that’s something that my agent and I had discussed with what other quarterbacks have around the league and stuff in their contract,” the 25-year-old added during his press conference (via Florio). “But, for me, was it going to be a determining factor in signing it or not? No. We were very grateful that we had it in there, but… everything else that the contract entails we’re extremely excited about, so we’re just grateful how it turned out.”

Given the structure of the deal, the 49ers will have Purdy in place atop the depth chart for at least the next three seasons. San Francisco’s first opportunity to move on from the Iowa State product will come during the 2028 offseason before his next round of guarantees kicks in, as a release would yield over $41MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of only $16MM. If things go according to plan for team and player, though, such a move will not receive consideration.

Lions, Aidan Hutchinson Likely To Accelerate Extension Talks

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Aidan Hutchinson confirmed yesterday that he has received full medical clearance. That positive but expected development will allow his attention to turn to the matter of a Lions extension.

The expectation remained amongst team and player that a full recovery would take place well in advance of the 2025 campaign. With that now being official, a long-term pact can be sought by both parties. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes that while some extension talks have already taken place, they can be expected to heat up given Hutchinson’s full recovery (video link).

Given the Lions’ decision to pick up the former No. 2 pick’s fifth-year option, plenty of time remains for a deal to be worked out on that front. However, the 2025 offseason has already seen the top of the edge rush market jump twice (with Maxx Crosby, then Myles Garrett, signing extensions). $40MM annually now represents the top price point at the position, and other veterans such as T.J. Watt (Steelers) and Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) are in line to secure new pacts soon.

Whereas Garrett, Watt and Hendrickson are each entering their age-30 seasons, Hutchinson will only be 25 by Week 1. That age gap makes Micah Parsons a better comparable situation in this case. The Cowboys’ top extension priority will turn 26 next week, and he is in position to remain one of the league’s top sack artists over the course of his next contract. If the Lions are confident the same will hold true of Hutchinson in 2025 and beyond, a monster accord should be in store.

When speaking about the direction of the pass rush market earlier this offseason, general manager Brad Holmes noted Detroit was anticipating such a jump while budgeting for a Hutchinson extension. A deal at or around the top of the pecking order will take into account the Michigan alum’s production to date – 28.5 sacks, 119 QB pressures in 39 games – while also anticipating further development into an All-Pro performer. That should not prove to be much of a logical leap, considering the fact Hutchinson was in the early Defensive Player of the Year conversation prior to suffering a broken leg five games into the 2024 campaign.

Finding a consistent complementary edge rusher during Hutchinson’s career has proven to be a challenge for the Lions. Even if Marcus Davenport manages to put together a healthy season in 2025, though, much of the team’s success on defense will depend on Hutchinson’s level of play. It will be interesting to see if he will have a new deal in hand by the time the campaign begins.

NFL Contract Notes: OL Award, Olympics, Rookie Bonuses, Collusion

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The NFL is creating a new end-of-year award for offensive linemen called Protector of the Year, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said that current Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins and former Rams and Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth were key advocates for establishing the new honor.

Protector of the Year will be a welcome addition to the NFL’s annual awards season, which has largely focused on quarterbacks for Most Valuable Player and skill positions for Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. Offensive linemen typically have to settle for for Pro Bowl or All-Pro nods, as they almost never contend for the main awards slate despite their impact on the field.

It’s unclear if Protector of the Year will have any more value for its recipients than league-wide recognition. The NFL’s collective bargaining agreement only allows specific awards to be used as player incentives in contracts, as noted by OverTheCap’s Nick Korte. The new award is not listed in the current CBA and could only be added if the NFLPA agrees.

Here is the latest news pertaining to contracts from around the league:

  • The NFLPA will also have to navigate player participation in flag football at the 2028 Olympics, which owners unanimously approved earlier this week. “We look forward to working with the league, IFAF, and Olympic authorities on the terms of their participation to ensure players who compete will do so with protections to their health, safety, and job,” said NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell in a statement (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). Those protections will be central to negotiations between the league and its players, who want to play in the Olympics without losing the financial security of their contracts.
  • NFL rookies are receiving significantly larger signing bonuses in 2025 compared to previous years, according to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry. For example, No. 3 pick Abdul Carter received a $29.5MM signing bonus from the Giants, more than Caleb Williams got from the Bears as the first overall pick last year. Fourth and fifth overall picks Will Campbell and Mason Graham are also expected to surpass Williams’ signing bonus when they put pen to paper on their first pro contracts. The league’s undrafted rookie reservation – each team’s pool of signing bonus money for UDFAs – went up to $206K this year, a more-than 25% increase from 2024, per Corry. Teams have rarely used up all of their UDFA bonus money, instead preferring to guarantee base salary with offsets if a player is waived and signed by another team, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald.
  • The NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the NFL regarding fully-guaranteed contracts for quarterbacks has been resolved, according to Florio. An arbitrator found that the league “encouraged teams not to do guaranteed contracts,” but that did not result in a significant impact on players – namely, Lamar Jackson, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray. In short, the ruling indicates that the NFL did engage in collusion to avoid fully-guaranteed contracts, but those efforts did not hurt players enough to trigger damages.

AFC Front Office Updates: Bengals, Bills, Jets, Dolphins

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Last week, we noted that former Patriots southeast area scout Josh Hinch would not be returning to New England in 2025. Now we know why as Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com reports that Hinch will be joining the Bengals in 2025.

It’s assumed that Hinch will be stepping into the role vacated when Christian Sarkisian departed to serve as the general manager at Northwestern University. Hinch spent some time with the XFL and AAF alternative football leagues before working with the Buccaneers in the NFL. He’s spent the last four years in New England’s scouting department.

Cincinnati will also add Tyler Ramsey as a scout, per Stratton. A Seattle native, Ramsey spent 12 seasons in the Seahawks’ scouting department, starting as a personnel intern and working his way through promotions to scouting assistant and area scout. He spent three years after with the Panthers, starting as a national scout before getting promoted to assistant director of pro personnel. Ramsey was let go by Carolina a little over a year ago.

Here are a few other front office updates, all coming out of the AFC East:

  • Stratton also noted that the Bills have hired Mk Collins as their new player personnel coordinator, citing the updated position on her LinkedIn page. After completing a training camp internship with the Rams in 2023, Collins served four months as the assistant director of recruiting and personnel at Cornell before joining North Carolina as a player personnel analyst and, eventually, a scouting assistant. Stratton tells us that the position was open because former player personnel coordinator Andrea Gosper has been promoted.
  • The Jets are bringing Bird Sherrill back to the NFL for a front office role, according to Graham Hall of 247Sports. Sherrill had previously spent six years with the Lions, starting as a scouting assistant before being promoted to a scout. Sherrill arrived in Gainesville alongside Billy Napier in 2022 and served as the Gators director of college personnel.
  • Lastly, the Dolphins have hired Rachael Kaplan as the team’s new football analytics staff assistant, per ESPN’s Seth Walder. Kaplan previously worked an internship with the Buccaneers. She entered a submission into this year’s NFL Big Data Bowl and earned an honorable mention in the competition.

Saints’ Trevor Penning Taking LG Snaps

May 23rd, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trevor Penning spent his first two NFL seasons at left tackle, but the Saints moved him to right tackle last year. The former first-rounder appears to be on course for another position change in 2025.

Penning has been taking snaps at left guard during OTAs, with Taliese Fuaga moving to the right tackle spot. The 2024 first-rounder handled blindside duties as a rookie, but that responsibility could now fall to the latest Day 1 addition along the O-line. Kelvin Banks Jr. has worked at left tackle so far, although he will also see time at other spots during the offseason.

“We feel great about Trevor and it’s just a matter of putting the best five out there on the field, giving ourselves opportunities and the versatility that that provides,” head coach Kellen Moore said of the move (via the team’s website). “Trevor’s physicality and his demeanor and the way he plays, we feel like guard presents him a great opportunity.”

Penning entered the NFL known for his physicality in the run game, but questions lingered about his pass protection. Struggles in the latter area have persisted through the Northern Iowa product’s three years in New Orleans, and in 2024 he ranked 75th in overall PFF grade amongst offensive tackles. Moving inside could mitigate Penning’s issues against the pass while allowing Fuaga to return to right tackle (where he played exclusively in college).

Banks handled blindside duties during his time at Texas, but a generally underwhelming final year with the Longhorns led some to expect a fall down the draft board and/or a switch to guard at the NFL level. It remains to be seen where he will line up with the Saints during his rookie campaign, although the team’s decision to select him ninth overall is a clear indication of their confidence in a long-term left tackle stint being possible. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz remain on track to start at center and right guard, respectively.

Penning expectedly had his fifth-year option declined last spring. As a result, the 26-year-old enters this campaign as a pending free agent. His ability to find success wherever he lines up will be key in determining his value to New Orleans or an outside team next offseason. 2025 could still include at least some time at either tackle spot, but a stint along the interior is clearly being explored in Penning’s case as well.

Titans Rumors: Sneed, Latham, Restrepo

May 23rd, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans’ investment in former Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed really failed to deliver dividends in 2024. After sending a third-round pick to Kansas City for the 28-year-old defender, Tennessee only saw five games out of Sneed before a quad injury knocked him out for the remainder of the season. What’s worse is that Sneed played poorly in those five contests, grading out as the team’s worst defender, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). If he had played enough games, his defensive grade would’ve been the worst for any cornerback in the league, per PFF.

What’s even worse, Sneed was involved this offseason in a civil trial stemming from an incident that led to an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. Sneed was accused of being involved with shots being fired at the plaintiff which struck his vehicle. An unnamed associate was also included in the allegation.

The civil case was ordered to mediation today, according to Paul Kuharsky, as Sneed’s attorney argued that “the alleged acts, if any, were performed by John Doe without any assistance, encouragement, or direction by L’Jarius Sneed.” Sneed will still see a grand jury date at some point in the future for the criminal side of the case.

In the meantime, head coach Brian Callahan spoke on Sneed’s recovery to reporters, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. Callahan claimed that Sneed is progressing as expected and is in a good spot. That being said, the team is still having to work to manage his workload through practices, and there doesn’t appear to be a timeline yet for his return.

Here are a couple other recent rumors coming out of Nashville:

  • Callahan also spoke on the fitness of second-year right tackle JC Latham, per Wyatt. Latham’s weight was a noted issue at times during his rookie season, but he seems to be turning things around in Year 2. According to Callahan, Latham “really committed himself to getting his weight at the range that he needed to get it to.” Callahan went on to say that Latham “looks great, he’s in great shape, he’s moving really well.”
  • Lastly, one could have assumed as much, but new Titans quarterback Cam Ward confirmed earlier reports from Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports that he advocated for the team to sign his favorite target with the Hurricanes, Xavier Restrepo, after he fell out of the draft. In the video provided by AtoZ Sports Nashville, Ward claims to have advocated for Restrepo to every team that talked to him throughout the draft process.

AFC East Notes: Jets, QBs, McDonald, Pats

May 23rd, 2025 at 8:15pm CST by Ely Allen

With Aaron Rodgers out of New York, the new quarterback on the block is Justin Fields. Fields will be backed up by veteran Tyrod Taylor, who hasn’t held a full-time starting role since his time in Buffalo in 2017. Past that, though, the Jets have two inexperienced options to compete for that QB3 role.

Adrian Martinez and undrafted rookie Brady Cook will be the two competing for that job. Martinez spent time at Nebraska and Kansas State before going undrafted in 2023. He spent an offseason as a rookie with the Lions but failed to stick around for the regular season. He did play in the United Football League in 2024 for the Birmingham Stallions, leading the team to a championship victory while earning the league’s MVP award and leading the league in rushing yards.

Cook was a three-year starter at Missouri, compiling a 20-5 record in his last two seasons with the Tigers. He’s efficient at limiting turnovers and displayed some decent mobility as a rusher in college.

What’s interesting is that, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, neither player is likely to make the 53-man roster to start the season. Costello predicts that the team will only hold two quarterbacks (Fields and Taylor) on the roster, and the winner of the Martinez-Cook battle will likely be assigned to the practice squad.

Here are a couple of other rumors coming out of the AFC East:

  • Staying in the realm of quarterbacks, after trading away Joe Milton to Dallas, the Patriots were in need of a QB3 of their own to work behind Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs. Enter undrafted rookie Ben Wooldridge. Wooldridge will be an older rookie at 25 years old after spending three years at Fresno State and four at Louisiana. One reason for the extra years was injury; he suffered a Lisfranc injury one season and dealt with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder last year. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the toughness and determination that kept him going through those injuries to earn the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year is exactly what landed him an NFL opportunity and could keep him in the league for years to come.
  • The Jets liked what they saw out of defensive end Will McDonald in his sophomore campaign as he notched 10.5 sacks. They will hope to see him improve another part of his game in 2025 after he reportedly gained 15 pounds in order to help him set the edge, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. Jermaine Johnson is coming off an Achilles tendon tear and was seen at Organized Team Activities this week working with trainers off to the side, according to the staff at NFL.com. With a training camp return for Johnson still up in the air, New York may need to lean on McDonald early in the upcoming season.

Giants Sign No. 3 Pick Abdul Carter

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:41pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 23: Shortly following details of the No. 1 overall pick’s contract, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 divulged some details for the No. 3 overall pick. The signing bonus for Carter’s contract, signed yesterday, has been updated to a more exact $29.55MM. Following his rookie campaign, Carter will receive guaranteed roster bonuses for each of the three remaining guaranteed years of his contract. The roster bonuses will be worth $1.89MM in 2026, $3.83MM in 2027, and $5.78MM in 2028.

MAY 22: Abdul Carter is the latest member of the 2025 draft class to sign his rookie deal. The No. 3 pick inked his initial NFL pact on Thursday, per an announcement from the Giants.

This four-year deal is worth a total of $45.26MM and (like those of all other first-rounders) is guaranteed in full. Carter will receive a $29MM signing bonus as part of the deal. Taking into account the fifth-year option, he could remain under team control through the 2029 campaign.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Carter established himself as one of the two bluechip prospects in this year’s class (with Heisman winner Travis Hunter being the other). The Titans were linked early to potentially moving out of the No. 1 slot, but once they committed to selecting quarterback Cam Ward that came off the table. Hunter wound up going second overall, albeit to the Jaguars after they pulled of a trade with the Browns to move up to that spot.

The Giants did extensive work on the quarterback position this year, but by late April a signal-caller (Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart or otherwise) was not expected to be the pick at No. 3. To no surprise, Carter heard his name called at that slot and thus joined a New York pass rush group already featuring Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. Expectations will be high for those two, along with Carter, to deliver strong production in 2025.

The Penn State product transitioned to edge rusher on a full-time basis in 2024, something which proved to be a productive decision. Carter earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors upon leading the conference in sacks (12). His 23.5 tackles for loss were the most in the country, something which helped lead to a consensus All-American nod. If Carter – who is clear to take part in spring practices after dealing with a foot injury – develops as hoped, he will become a mainstay along the edge for years to come in New York.

Of course, the Carter selection wound up being followed by a move back into the Day 1 order to draft Dart as the Giants’ long-term option under center. He remains unsigned at this point, with the same being true of second-round defensive tackle Darius Alexander and fourth-round running back Cameron Skattebo. Given today’s news, though, four members of the Giants’ draft class have been signed, with the most lucrative rookie pact having been taken care of.

Titans Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Cam Ward

May 23rd, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 23: Ward’s rookie deal with the Titans includes a $32.159MM signing bonus, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Training camp roster bonuses have also become a common way to accelerate the payment schedule of rookie contracts, and Ward’s is no different. He will receive $2.054MM in 2026, $4.159MM in 2027, and $6.264MM in 2028 via training camp roster bonuses, all fully-guaranteed.

MAY 21: The rookie-scale system’s latest top contract, Cam Ward has put pen to paper with the Titans. The No. 1 overall pick is now signed through 2028, as the team announced the signing.

Ward’s rookie deal is worth $48.75MM. The pact is fully guaranteed and will include a fifth-year option for the 2029 season. Ward is currently splitting reps with the QB he is almost certain to supplant as Tennessee’s starter (Will Levis), but the Titans’ Week 1 Denver trip will presumably see the prized rookie at the controls.

Owners made it a point to curb excessive first-round salaries in the 2011 CBA. To illustrate how far ahead the quarterbacks chosen first overall under the pre-rookie-scale system were, Sam Bradford‘s rookie contract checked in at five years and $78MM in 2010. That contract was not fully guaranteed, but it still locked in Bradford to $50MM at signing. With the rookie scale in place in 2011, however, Cam Newton‘s draft slot commanded a four-year, $22MM accord. While Newton landed a lucrative Panthers extension later on, he trailed Bradford, Matthew Stafford and even JaMarcus Russell by a considerable margin out of the blocks.

Ward’s contract checks in much higher than Caleb Williams‘ Bears terms ($39.49MM), and this one will likely be the No. 1 draft slot’s last south of $50MM. Arch Manning (or the passer chosen first in the event the Texas prodigy stays in Austin) will be in line to clear that bar for the first time since Bradford. As for Ward, he will attempt to justify the significant leap he made during his final college season.

Famously going from zero-star recruit who began his college career at Division I-FCS Incarnate Word to a player who had distanced himself from the rest of the QBs in the 2025 class, Ward played two seasons at Washington State and finished his collegiate run at Miami. Completing 67.2% of his passes, Ward amassed over 4,300 passing yards and a 39:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those figures earned him ACC Player of the Year honors (among others), and his arm strength and playmaking ability created distance from the likes of Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders in this year’s class. The Titans met with Ward by mid-March and had settled on him early, arranging a second meeting and then rebuffing Browns and Giants attempts to trade up to No. 1.

Ward, 23 on Sunday, will continue a recent trend of QBs garnering considerable experience in college before being chosen No. 1. Williams turned 23 last season, while Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. played age-24 seasons as rookies. The extensive seasoning benefited the Commanders and Broncos, who saw their respective draft choices finish first and third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Ward started four college seasons during his three-school journey, and the Titans will attempt to recover after some early-round QB misfires.

Levis’ rough sophomore season led the Titans to the No. 1 overall draft slot, and the team needed its Ryan Tannehill reclamation project after 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota did not become a long-term franchise QB. Tennessee’s 2011 first-rounder, Jake Locker, was the team’s primary starter for just two seasons — before retiring after Year 4 — and 2006 No. 3 overall choice Vince Young‘s early-career promise fizzled. (2022 third-rounder Malik Willis is playing out his rookie deal in Green Bay, after being traded last summer.)

The Titans have not featured a true long-term QB option since Steve McNair‘s 11-season run. They will hope Ward can play well enough to secure a second contract. While the Titans did pay Tannehill after his 2019 turnaround, they have not extended a passer they have drafted since McNair.

Commanders Sign Round 1 T Josh Conerly

May 23rd, 2025 at 5:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders have agreed to terms with No. 29 pick Josh Conerly Jr. on a four-year, $15.68MM rookie deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

As is customary for first-round picks, Conerly’s first NFL contract will be fully-guaranteed with a fifth-year option for the 2029 season. It also includes a $8.044MM signing bonus, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

It’s unclear what Conerly’s role will be in Washington this season. He almost exclusively played left tackle at Oregon, but the Commanders are set on the blind side after trading for Laremy Tunsil this offseason. A switch to right tackle would require Conerly to beat out incumbent starter Andrew Wylie, who started 29 games over the last two years but accepted a pay cut this offseason entering the last year of his contract. Further complicating the picture is 2024 third-rounder Brandon Coleman, who started 12 games at LT as a rookie and could also look to compete at RT after the Tunsil trade, though he also lacks experience on the right side

The Commanders are returning two of last year’s interior O-line starters in left guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz, but Samuel Cosmi‘s ACL tear will sideline him for most, if not all of the 2025 season. That opens up the starting RG job, but Conerly’s lack of experience at guard (or even on the right side of the line) is a clear obstacle to winning the gig.

Barring a positional switch as a rookie, Conerly will likely serve as a backup in 2025 as the Commanders figure out their long-term plan at tackle. Washington will likely move on from Wylie in 2026, at which point Conerly may be ready to start at RT. He could also be a long-term replacement for Tunsil, who only has two years remaining on his contract. A move to guard feels less likely, but could offer Conerly a starting job right away with the proper coaching and development.

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