HEADLINES

Month: June 2025

Extension Candidate: Garrett Wilson

June 1st, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The NFL’s wide receiver market hit a new high-water mark this offseason with Ja’Marr Chase receiving $40.25MM per year from the Bengals less than a year after Justin Jefferson became the first WR to reach a $35MM APY. D.K. Metcalf also negotiated a strong deal with the Steelers worth just under $33MM per year.

A rising tide lifts all boats, so the boom in wide receiver pay should benefit a talented 2022 draft class that became extension-eligible this offseason. Leading the pack with 279 receptions for 3,249 yards in the last three season is former No. 10 pick Garrett Wilson, who has started negotiating a long-term deal with the Jets.

Wilson has been New York’s top receiver since he joined the team and projects to play a foundational role in their new offense under offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Wilson will also reunite with Ohio State teammate Justin Fields and should be his most trusted target off the bat with little competition for targets. That could position the 24-year-old receiver for a strong 2025 that could significantly raise his price tag if the Jets don’t get an extension done before the season.

Right now, negotiations will likely start around $30MM per year, the low end of the NFL’s WR1 market. Brandon Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are making the same amount, per OverTheCap, and five more wideouts have an APY of $32MM or more.

Wilson seems to belong to the first group. He ranks eighth in receptions and 10th in receiving yards among WRs since 2022 with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each year. However, his career-best 2024 numbers don’t come close to Aiyuk, Hill, or St. Brown in their best seasons, so Wilson may have trouble arguing that he deserves a bigger contract than all three. Though he won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, he has yet to receive Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition, another factor that will likely keep him from a top-dollar deal.

Wilson can still construct a strong case out of his age, durability, and adaptability and argue that he’s an ascending player who has yet to play his best football. He will turn 25 this year after appearing in all 51 of the Jets’ regular-season games since being drafted despite his slight 185-pound frame. He has also demonstrated clear growth into a WR1 role with 83, 95, and 101 receptions in his first three years with noticeable improvements at the catch point last season. (Wilson posted a 56.5% catch rate in 2022 and 2023; in 2024, it jumped to 65.6%.)

However, Wilson has not been especially efficient in the pros. He ranks 19th among all WRs in yards per game (63.7) since 2022 with a pedestrian 6.93 yards per target. He has also struggled to reach the end zone with just 14 career touchdowns on 469 targets.

Advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) tell a similar story. Wilson’s 51.7% contested catch rate in 2024 was a career-high, but only ranked 20th among receivers with at least 85 targets. His 1.69 yards per route run ranked 32nd in that same group, though he did lead all WRs with 25 missed tackles forced after the catch.

Wilson’s production alone would likely place his next contract just outside the top 10 at his position (and therefore under $30MM per year), but context is important. The Jets’ offense around him has been terrible with three straight bottom-10 finishes in yards per game, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello also pointed out that Wilson has caught passes from eight different quarterbacks on plays called by three different coaches; his best passer was a clearly aging Aaron Rodgers in 2024 playing some of the worst football of his career. (It’s still worth noting that Wilson’s production remained largely the same with Rodgers under center, partially due to expanded competition for targets from Davante Adams.)

Fields certainly isn’t a more proven quarterback than Rodgers, but he already has a rapport with Wilson that Rodgers was never able to establish. Wilson should also benefit from Engstrand’s schematic influence after he coached Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to breakouts in his last role as the Lions passing game coordinator.

As a result, a long-term contract in the neighborhood of $30MM per year could end up looking like a steal if Wilson takes his game to the next level in 2025. He may recognize that and adjust his demands accordingly, but the Jets have some leverage after picking up his $16.8MM fifth-year option for 2026. Wilson cannot earn more than $20MM in the next two years unless he signs a long-term extension, which should also come with upwards of $50MM in guaranteed money. The former first-round pick may still choose to bet on himself with the hopes of breaking into the upper echelon of WR contracts next offseason.

Extension Talks Between Jets, WR Garrett Wilson Underway; CB Sauce Gardner Aiming For Record-Setting Deal

June 1st, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Rory Parks

An April report indicated the Jets would explore extensions for 2022 first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson (along with 2021 first-round choice Alijah Vera-Tucker) after the 2025 draft. Now that the draft is over, it is fair to expect those talks to get underway.

As for Wilson, ESPN’s Rich Cimini says negotiations are in the early stages, and he anticipates the discussions will become more involved in training camp. Prior reports noted it may be difficult for the parties to agree on the appropriate compensation for the wide receiver, because while he has put up strong numbers (three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons), his surface-level statistics would not seem to make him a candidate for a top-of-the-market accord.

On the other hand, Wilson’s talent is undeniable, and he has managed his production with poor-to-mediocre quarterback play. As such, Cimini believes the Ohio State product will be looking for a $30MM/year deal, which would effectively place him in a four-way tie with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Brandon Aiyuk for sixth place on the WR market (the average annual value on St. Brown’s contract is $30.0025MM). 

Perceived tension with former QB Aaron Rodgers and a role impacted by 2024 trade acquisition Davante Adams seemed to put Wilson’s New York future in doubt not too long ago. However, Rodgers and Adams are gone, and Wilson recently expressed his desire to remain with the Jets for the rest of his career.

Gardner has echoed those sentiments, and Cimini confirms the two-time First Team All-Pro cornerback is, like his 2022 draftmate, looking to hit or exceed the $30MM/year threshold. In the case of the CB market, though, that AAV would make Gardner the highest-paid player at his position.

Cimini does not indicate whether Gardner negotiations have begun in earnest, but previous reports suggested talks with the 24-year-old defender are not expected to be as challenging as those with Wilson. Derek Stingley Jr. ’s three-year, $90MM pact with the Texans (featuring roughly $48MM in full guarantees) presently tops the cornerback hierarchy, and despite a regression last season, player and team understand Gardner will command at least that much (Cimini predictably confirms Gardner is using Stingley’s deal as his benchmark in extension discussions).

The Jets made the easy decision to exercise the fifth-year options for both players, and the fact that Gardner has earned two Pro Bowl berths in his young career placed him in the top bracket for such options. The transaction puts him in line for a fully-guaranteed $20.19MM salary in 2026, though it would not be surprising to see a record-setting contract in place well before then (especially given the importance of a true CB1 in new head coach Aaron Glenn’s man-heavy scheme). Wilson, meanwhile, has locked in a $16.82MM salary for 2025.

As Cimini observes, the Jets will be near the top of the league in cap space on June 2, when Rodgers and C.J. Mosley – both released with post-June 1 designations earlier this offseason – officially come off the books. Those moves will free up $22.8MM of room, so there will be plenty of financial flexibility to get deals done with Gardner and Wilson (and perhaps Vera-Tucker as well).

Assessing Packers’ CB Options Absent Jaire Alexander

June 1st, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

As longtime starting cornerback Jaire Alexander‘s future with the team remains in question, the Packers have had to put together a depth chart under the assumption that he won’t be on it. With the team having to determine who starts at the outside spots, the candidates to fill the slot come into question, as well. The clear candidates for that nickel role are second-year safety Javon Bullard and free agent addition Nate Hobbs.

Bullard, a safety drafted in the second round out of Georgia last year, was relegated to a role in the slot after Evan Williams, drafted two rounds after him, was granted the starting safety job next to Xavier McKinney. The second-round rookie led the team in snaps as the nickelback as a result, just barely outpacing veteran Keisean Nixon. Nixon, though, is not a candidate for the inside assignment, after he led the team in snaps on the outside. He is likely expected to man one of the two starting spots on the outside once again in 2025.

Hobbs spent three years of his rookie contract, including the most recent two seasons, as the Raiders primary option in the slot. His sophomore campaign, though, saw him primarily play as an outside corner, starting all 11 games that he played in that year. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, this experience on the outside could mean that Hobbs will be asked to start across from Nixon, in the presumed absence of Alexander.

Carrington Valentine is another option to start on the outside. He’s opened both of his two seasons in the NFL coming off the bench but has found himself in eventual starting positions in both years, as well, starting 19 games over that span. Schneidman predicts that Valentine will be coming off the bench to start the season for the third time in a row, serving as the third option at outside cornerback behind Nixon and Hobbs.

While the potential absence of Alexander certainly poses a challenge, thinning the depth of the team’s secondary, the Packers certainly have options they can employ. Whether it’s as Schneidman predicts with Nixon and Hobbs manning the outside and Bullard in the slot or Nixon and Valentine starting on the outside with Hobbs continuing his nickel role, Green Bay should have the ability to field a starting unit sans Alexander.

AFC West Rumors: Bozeman, Mahomes, Rice, Raiders

June 1st, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers‘ interior offensive line blocking was a weakness of the team in 2024. The team addressed the right guard position by signing Mekhi Becton after the former first-round pick had a breakout season in Philadelphia. The center and left guard spots, though, are currently a bit more up in the air as Los Angeles has been experimenting with swapping Bradley Bozeman and Zion Johnson from the positions at which they started in 2024.

As the team has continued in this experiment, Daniel Popper of The Athletic has called into question whether or not Bozeman will start at all. While Bozeman has been a starting lineman in the NFL for most of the past four seasons, he has never graded out as one of the NFL’s best interior blockers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Bozeman filled starting roles at left guard and center for the Ravens throughout his rookie contract, but they allowed him to walk in free agency. He signed with Carolina as a backup, only earning the starting center role because of injury. The Panthers did re-sign him, but they quickly released him only a year into his three-year, $18MM deal.

After he started for a year in Los Angeles, the Chargers gave him a more reserved two-year, $6.5MM deal. Popper seems pretty sure that Johnson will be starting, though whether at center or left guard remains to be seen. He thinks Bozeman could end up starting at the other position, but the team has set themselves up well regardless. Free agent signing Andre James provides insurance at center, while Trey Pipkins III and Jamaree Salyer both started games at guard last year and could potentially step in if Bozeman struggles. The Chargers also drafted Branson Taylor out of Pittsburgh in the sixth round and worked him at left guard in rookie minicamp. Suffice it to say, Los Angeles has plenty of options as they continue to try and improve their interior offensive line.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC West, starting with a couple from Kansas City:

  • There was a bit of chatter after it was decided that NFL players would be allowed to participate in flag football in the 2028 Olympics concerning which players would be best suited to represent Team USA. One player sure to show up on many people’s dream team took himself out of the running. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters he was not planning on playing, saying that he would “leave that to the younger guys.”
  • Another Chiefs player is making less light-hearted news as wide receiver Rashee Rice continues in his legal struggles. Per Mike Florio of NBC Sports, Rice is now facing a third lawsuit related to the street-racing crash in Dallas back in March of 2024. Kayla Quinn is the latest person to allege that she and her son sustained physical and mental injuries as a result of the incident.
  • According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Raiders have developed a reputation for traditionally operating in a cash-poor manner. New limited owner Tom Brady has reportedly made it known that he intends to change that reputation. Per Breer, Brady promised any coaching candidates in January that he and his fellow new limited partners would “materially change” the team’s spending habits.

NFL Front Office Updates: Ravens, Jets, Eagles, Raiders

June 1st, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens announced a number of promotions in their front office this weekend, per team editorial director Ryan Mink, with four new positions in the scouting department and two more in analytics.

In the scouting department, we saw Bobby Vega elevated from national scout to senior personnel executive. Vega started his career as a player personnel intern for two months before landing a scouting assistant role in Cleveland. Over 13 years with the Browns, Vega moved up the ladder to college scout, national scout, and eventually director of college scouting. In 2018, he reunited with Baltimore, spending seven years as a college scout before moving into his most recent role for the last two years.

Vega’s role will reportedly be filled by two staffers, Brandon Berning and Chas Stallard. Berning has been with the Ravens since 2015 after shorts stints with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers, the University of Wisconsin football team, and the Giants. He most recently served as the team’s midwest/southwest area scout. Stallard joined the Ravens in 2018 as a player personnel assistant and most recently served as Baltimore’s southwest area scout.

Lastly, in the scouting department, Terrell Parker will become the team’s central area scout after serving a year as pro scout & salary cap analyst. He worked two internships with the team in 2018 and 2019 before getting hired as a player personnel assistant and moving up to scouting and salary cap analyst then elevated again to his most recent role.

In the analytics department, James Oncea has been promoted from football systems manager to director of football systems. He started with the team in 2021 as a football systems developer. Samantha Lazar also moves up in Baltimore’s analytics group. She started with the Ravens two years ago as a quantitative analyst and has been promoted to senior quantitative analyst.

Here are a few other staff updates from other teams around the NFL:

  • The Jets also made recent additions to their scouting and analytics departments. Per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, JaLun Morris has been hired as a scout. After time at UAB and Alabama, Morris breached the NFL ranks in Seattle before spending three years as a player personnel assistant for the Raiders. ESPN’s Seth Walder also tells us that Arjun Menon has been promoted to football analytics assistant. Menon had been working an internship with the team after his time as a data analyst on the championship-winning Michigan Wolverines team in 2023.
  • Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com tells us that Ryan Myers is being promoted to director of college scouting for the Eagles. Myers has been in Philadelphia since 2013 after seven years with the 49ers, as well. Before that, he worked in the Canadian Football League, United Football League, Arena Football League, and the NFL league office. After serving in several college and pro scouting roles over his first five years with the Eagles, Myers spent four years as west coast area scout and three as assistant director of college scouting.
  • Lastly, the Raiders have hired Andrew Fedele to work in the role of manager of football data science and engineering, per Seth Walder of ESPN. Fedele had previously been working with the Jaguars as senior manager of strategic research and development. Before coming to the NFL, Fedele worked analytics for the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA.

Steelers Moving DeMarvin Leal To OLB

June 1st, 2025 at 5:15pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After struggling to find a positional fit in the NFL, Steelers third-year defender DeMarvin Leal will likely move to outside linebacker in Pittsburgh this season.

Leal largely played as a jumbo-sized edge rusher in college at Texas A&M, but an uptick in interior snaps in his last season led to projections of a full-time switch in the pros. He added weight for such a role as a rookie, but bounced between interior and edge work in his first two years. Leal primarily played outside linebacker in 2024 before landing on injured reserve with a neck injury.

Now, the 2022 third-rounder is poised to make that move permanent. He has been lining up at outside linebacker at the Steelers’ OTAs, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show, and will likely slot in as a backup behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Interestingly, Leal is “noticeably bigger” than last season, according to Kaboly. His weight has fluctuated somewhat since entering the league, but he is currently listed at 290 pounds on the Steelers’ website, which might not be up to date. Given his draft billing as an oversized edge defender, gaining weight to play OLB in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense doesn’t quite make sense, especially since Leal wasn’t already an elite athlete for his size.

Though he’s on the other end of the OLB weight spectrum, Highsmith has been mentoring Leal through his position switch.

“He got some experience as a rookie, and he has that experience from a couple of years ago that helps him be versatile,” said Highsmith (via Kaboly). “He is a guy who you try to continue to help to get better.”

Latest On Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill

June 1st, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Despite Tyreek Hill‘s ongoing recovery from offseason wrist surgery, the 31-year-old wideout has been an active participant at the Dolphins’ OTAs.

Hill isn’t expected to be catching passes until training camp, so he’s only taking part in positional drills. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that the veteran receiver “has done a great job being proactive once he got the surgery done and making sure he can do as much as he can with the team.”

Hill said after practice that he dealt with injuries to both wrists last season, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He tore a ligament in his left wrist during training camp, but still started all 17 games during the regular season. He played at least 70% of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps in each game until issues with his ankle and right wrist limited him to 27 snaps in Week 18. An initial surgery in February placed pins in Hill’s left wrist that were later removed in a follow-up procedure in May. It’s unclear if he also had surgery on his right wrist, which was sporting a protective brace.

Hill said (via Wolfe) that he dropped 14 pounds this offseason and arrived at OTAs weighing in at 183 pounds. He’s still planning on racing Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles with a warm-up race scheduled for June 13 in Los Angeles. Hill added that he would rather compete in the 2028 Olympics in track than flag football, according to Wolfe.

A 100-meter sprint-off with Lyles seems like the kind of activity the Dolphins would want Hill to avoid, especially coming off multiple injuries. McDaniel declined to say if the team would allow the race to happen, partially because he was unaware of it in the first place.

“I have no idea, nor do I care,” said McDaniel (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “First, theoretically, if people are competing and it’s helping their training — as long as he doesn’t train to be a sprinter and he’s running routes while he’s doing it, that’s cool. Whether I’m going to stand and say whether I’ll allow something — I don’t even know where that stands nor did I know that it existed.”

Those comments seem to throw cold water on Hill’s track aspirations, so the preliminary race in June may be a test of the Dolphins’ willingness to let their star wideout explore non-football athletic pursuits.

Kyle Pitts Drawing Trade Interest; Falcons TE Has Not Requested Trade

June 1st, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 1: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms the Falcons are not actively shopping Pitts but are open to the possibility of a trade (video link). Pitts himself may be amenable to such a move as well, because while he has not requested a trade and is said to love Atlanta, he may prefer an offense that allows him to be more of a featured target (especially since he is entering a platform year).

MAY 30: Since a productive rookie campaign, Kyle Pitts has not lived up to expectations. The Falcons tight end remains in the team’s plans, but he has been the subject of trade talks.

Multiple teams have reached out to speak about Pitts’ availability, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports. He adds that nothing is imminent at this time. Today’s development is not entirely new, however. Bleacher Report’s James Palmer notes the former No. 4 pick has been “relatively available” throughout the offseason.

After a strong college career at Florida, Pitts faced major expectations given his draft slot. He managed to record 1,026 yards during his debut season, earning a Pro Bowl nod along the way. That campaign only included one touchdown grab, though, and improved red zone production was viewed as a source of improvement moving forward. In different offensive systems and with a number of quarterbacks in Atlanta, Pitts has been unable to match his rookie year or establish himself as a consistent touchdown threat.

Given the Falcons’ decision to pick up Pitts’ fifth-year option, he is owed $10.88MM in 2025. The pending free agent would thus represent an expensive addition on the part of any acquiring team. Swinging a trade for the 24-year-old would no doubt include at least a short extension being worked out upon arrival. To date, Pitts has not done enough to warrant a big-ticket deal or a sizable price on the trade market.

On that point, Schultz reports a Day 2 pick would need to be the starting point for any serious trade talks. He adds Atlanta’s preference would be to keep Pitts in place for at least one more season. The team’s offense also features former top-10 picks in the form of wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. Expectations are high for those two to continue developing as the Falcons turn to Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback on a full-time basis on 2025.

Pitts has played a full 17 game-slate in three of his four NFL seasons, but since his encouraging rookie campaign he has only averaged between 35.4 and 39.2 receiving yards per game. Especially considering his skillset, increasing that figure will be critical in landing him a notable second contract in the NFL. That effort will likely take place in Atlanta, but an acceleration of trade discussions could pave the way for a swap taking place before the start of the season.

Lions’ John Morton Hire, Kelvin Sheppard Promotion Driven By Continuity Concerns

June 1st, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Rory Parks

After three consecutive winning seasons and two straight NFC North titles, and after coming heart-wrenchingly close to a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2023 campaign, the Lions have had to come to grips with the reality that other successful franchises face: a brain drain. On the heels of its 15-2 showing in 2024, Detroit lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, as both men accepted head coaching gigs elsewhere.

However, the Lions did not search far and wide to replace them (as our 2025 coordinator tracker shows). With respect to the OC post, there were no publicly-reported interviews other than the one for John Morton, and new DC Kelvin Sheppard’s only competition for his job prior to his promotion was Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Larry Foote.

As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press confirms, that was by design. Although it would be reductive to say that Morton and Sheppard landed their positions solely due to continuity concerns, Birkett says continuity was certainly a major factor.

Morton, 55, worked as the Lions’ senior offensive assistant in 2022, which was Dan Campbell’s second season as the club’s head coach and Johnson’s first as the offensive coordinator. Birkett noted in a human interest piece on Morton earlier this year that Campbell wanted to replace Johnson with someone who would retain much of the outgoing play-caller’s terminology and playbook, and that is what he will get in Morton.

After the 2022 season, Morton left Detroit to join Sean Payton’s first staff with the Broncos. The success that rookie passer Bo Nix enjoyed in Denver in 2024 helped Morton rebuild his OC stock, and the upcoming season will mark his second attempt at the position (he was the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017, when the team was quarterbacked primarily by Josh McCown). In addition to his familiarity with Johnson’s scheme, Morton will inherit a roster that returns its core group of high-end skill-position players and O-linemen. Birkett believes Morton will call for more downfield throws than his predecessor, but the offense should otherwise look quite similar.

Sheppard, 37, enjoyed an eight-year playing career, and he has quickly risen up the coaching ladder since becoming a part of Campbell’s first Lions staff in 2021 as the team’s outside linebackers coach. He has earned praise for helping revive the careers of veterans like Alex Anzalone and helping guide young draft picks like Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez, and his reputation as a rising star in the coaching world extended beyond Michigan. 

While Birkett says Sheppard (a former linebacker) sees defense through a different “prism” than Glenn (a former defensive back), Sheppard will, like Morton, inherit a strong collection of returning players, including the likes of Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph. The Lions finished in the bottom half of the league in terms of total defense in 2024, but they allowed the seventh-fewest points per game.

Eagles TE Dallas Goedert Never Sought Trade

June 1st, 2025 at 9:16am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this offseason, TE Dallas Goedert’s future with the Eagles was very much in doubt, and it was reported he would have to take a pay cut to avoid being traded or released. As PHLY’s Zach Berman writes, Goedert never requested a trade to avoid a reduction in 2025 pay and/or to find a team willing to authorize a new contract for him.

Instead, the 30-year-old seemingly realized he would have to take a cut, and he put forth a number he was comfortable with. Ultimately, he agreed to accept $10MM in 2025, with a chance to earn up to an additional $1MM in incentives. He was previously scheduled to take home $14.25MM.

Prior to April’s draft, Philadelphia was believed to be shopping Goedert, and trade offers did emerge. The fact that the Eagles were reportedly willing to accept 2026 draft compensation for their TE1 suggested a trade was a real possibility, but clearly a deal never materialized. The club did not select a tight end in the draft, and talks about a reworked pact accelerated thereafter.

From a purely on-field perspective, it never made much sense for the reigning Super Bowl champions to part ways with one of their better offensive players. The lack of high-end additions to the TE depth chart in free agency or the draft made it clear that, despite the trade chatter, Philadelphia was always amenable to retaining Goedert at a reduced rate, and the player likewise preferred to remain with the team that made him a second-round pick in 2018.

The pay cut did not change the term of the contract, so Goedert remains eligible for free agency in 2026. He has battled injuries in recent seasons, and he played a career-low 10 regular season games in 2024 (though he did lead the Eagles with 215 receiving yards during the team’s Super Bowl run). George Kittle recently proved that a tight end on the wrong side of 30 can still land a top-of-the-market contract, and a strong, healthy season from Goedert will give him a good case for another lucrative deal of his own.

The Eagles focused on the defensive side of the ball in the draft, and the offseason addition of Terrace Marshall notwithstanding, it appears Goedert will retain his status as one of QB Jalen Hurts’ top-three receiving options, behind wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. His blocking contributions in support of running back Saquon Barkley likely played a role in the team’s decision to keep him on the roster as well.