2025 July - Pro Football Rumors

Month: July 2025

Commanders Hesitant About $30MM-AAV Deal For Terry McLaurin?

July 30th, 2025 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 30: A previous reference to an asking price beyond $30MM per year looks to be accurate. McLaurin is believed to targeting Metcalf’s $33MM-AAV number, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. The 2019 draftees have similar career production, with Metcalf’s coming with much more QB stability compared to McLaurin’s.

Metcalf is tied to the NFL’s fourth-highest receiver AAV; considering there are five players earning at least $30MM per year yet south of where Metcalf’s Steelers contract settled, this would help explain the holdup in the McLaurin-Commanders negotiation.

JULY 29: The 2024 offseason expanded the $30MM-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent.

McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks.

Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington.

McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6MM extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations.

McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates hesitancy regarding the $30MM-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92MM extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well.

Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30MM-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations.

A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30MM AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30MM, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Pats, Myers, Bills

July 30th, 2025 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Zach Sieler is not holding in at Dolphins practice, but the veteran defensive lineman has let it be known he is seeking a new contract. Tied to a three-year, $30.75MM extension, Sieler has delivered a considerable return for the Dolphins by posting back-to-back 10-sack seasons — for a team decimated at the edge rusher positions.

“I do feel like I want to get,” Sieler said, via the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly. “I do feel that respect coming. I think I’ve earned it. I know I’ve earned it.”

The interior defender, though, is signed for two more seasons. Dolphins GM Chris Grier has bent on a few occasions to extension-chasing players with more than a year left on their deals. Grier rewarded Xavien Howard, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey in doing so. The Howard and Ramsey decisions burned the Dolphins, as substantial dead money emerged following their respective exits. Sieler signed his extension shortly before the first of those 10-sack seasons. Set to turn 30 in September and sitting 31st in AAV among interior D-linemen, the former seventh-rounder is looking to capitalize on his performance and cash in while still in his prime.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Dolphins brought in Mike Hilton and Jack Jones at cornerback, but they have lost Kader Kohou and Artie Burns for the season. Hilton had spoken with the Dolphins months ago. The former Steelers and Bengals slot corner expected to draw more interest, but he is now 31. He still expected to wind up in Miami, via ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
Hilton arrived after multiple instances of Dolphins-Rasul Douglas negotiations. The Douglas talks would pertain more to Jones, who is an outside CB. Douglas remains in free agency after rejecting a Dolphins offer, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports. Ranked behind veteran corners D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward in PFR’s top 50, Douglas has been tied to the Dolphins and Seahawks and, per Anderson, has received more interest lately. It should be expected the soon-to-be 30-year-old DB signs somewhere soon, but his value will not approach the three-year, $21MM Packers deal he inked in 2022.
The Dolphins signed James Daniels after an Achilles tear, and they do not have top interior backup Liam Eichenberg available yet. The versatile O-lineman is weeks away from returning from the active/PUP list, Mike McDaniel said (via Jackson). McDaniel confirmed this issue is “not a season-ender.” The Dolphins re-signed Eichenberg (one year, $2.25MM) after seeing Isaiah Wynn miss all of last season due to a 2023 injury. Wynn is no longer on the roster, but second-round pick Jonah Savaiinaea is set to replace Eichenberg in Miami’s lineup.
Good news for the Patriots, who have seen their new DC (Terrell Williams) return to work at camp. A spring health scare sidelined Williams, but the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi notes he is back ahead of his first year as a coordinator.
Josh Myers did not see his four years of starter experience lead to a noteworthy free agency deal, reminding of Teven Jenkins‘ market. The four-year Packers center starter, who received just $2MM from the Jets, did say (via SNY’s Connor Hughes) the team informed him upon signing he would move into a center competition with incumbent Joe Tippmann. We heard during OTAs the Jets would put Tippmann — a 2023 second-round pick — in a position battle with Myers, and it is ongoing. Both players are ex-second-round picks, though Myers’ 56 starts better Tippmann’s 31. Pro Football Focus ranked Tippmann eighth last season, slotting Myers in 38th among centers. Two years remain on Tippmann’s rookie deal.
Vince Carter does not intend for his Bills ownership stake to bring a silent partnership role. “I’ve sat with the GM, president, owner, the big boss,” Carter said, via the Daytona News-Journal’s Chris Vinel. “I’ve sat with everybody, and we’ve had conversations, and I just listen and learn. I don’t just want to have a name on it. I want to be involved.” While Carter is unlikely to represent the Bills at any owners meetings, he is one of many to take advantage of the NFL loosening restraints on private equity ownership recently.

S Jordan Whitehead Receives Full Clearance, To Meet With Falcons

July 30th, 2025 at 1:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

An injury sustained in a car accident sidelined Jordan Whitehead for the Buccaneers’ final two games, and the team ended the safety’s second Tampa stint before a roster bonus was due. Whitehead’s rehab process, however, has wrapped months later.

The veteran safety received full clearance recently, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who reports the Falcons are hosting him on a visit Wednesday. Whitehead has extensive familiarity with the Falcons’ new defensive system, having played under new Atlanta DC Jeff Ulbrich with the Jets.

The Bucs gave Whitehead a two-year, $9MM deal to return after his two-season Jets tenure. New York did not place a top priority on retaining Whitehead in 2024, but the team was interested in retaining him. The parties separated after Whitehead played out a two-year, $14.5MM Jets accord. Last season did not go well for Ulbrich or Whitehead, with the latter missing time due to a separate injury — a pectoral malady — before the car accident scuttled his return.

Whitehead suffered a neck fracture in the crash, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports. He had been on the way to practice before the Bucs’ Week 18 game. Overall, Whitehead missed six games during his second Bucs stint. The veteran starter, though, should have some quality football left, provided he can return successfully from this injury. The former fourth-round pick is heading into an age-28 season, and he made key contributions in both Tampa and New York.

One of the many DB draft picks GM Jason Licht made from 2018-20, Whitehead started every game alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. during Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV-winning season. For his career, the Pitt alum has 101 starts. Licht lamented letting Whitehead walk in free agency, but he helped the Jets during that short stint. The Jets rocketed from last place defensively in 2021 to fourth in 2022. They ranked third in total defense in 2023; Whitehead started all 34 Jets games during his tenure.

The Falcons did not re-sign Justin Simmons, capping that partnership at one season, but did make multiple offseason additions at safety. The team signed Jordan Fuller, who played under Raheem Morris with the Rams, and used a third-round pick on Xavier Watts. Whitehead would bring considerable experience alongside Jessie Bates, however. It will be interesting to see if more teams reach out to the recovering safety. The Bucs moved Tykee Smith to safety this offseason, putting the second-year DB in position to replace Whitehead.

Bills CB Maxwell Hairston Avoids ACL Tear

July 30th, 2025 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Maxwell Hairston went down with a noncontact knee injury during Tuesday’s Bills practice. Fears of an ACL tear turned out to be overblown.

The first-round cornerback’s ACL is intact, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report the Kentucky product suffered an LCL sprain. Hairston is expected to be out for at least a few weeks, but the Bills avoided the worst-case scenario here.

Buffalo views Hairston as likely to be ready for Week 1, Schultz adds. This is a break for the Bills, who based their offseason cornerback plan on Hairston. The team did not re-sign Rasul Douglas and authorized a Christian Benford extension — one that soon became paired with Hairston’s rookie contract. The team also traded Kaiir Elam, who had not panned out as a 2022 first-round choice.

Douglas remains a free agent, not signing with the Dolphins despite multiple instances of reported negotiations emerging. Miami has since signed Jack Jones and Mike Hilton. Douglas remaining available represents an interesting option for the Bills, but if Hairston is to be back by Week 1 or shortly before that point, they may opt to stick with their current depth chart. The team also brought back Tre’Davious White and Dane Jackson this offseason.

The knee injury comes after the Bills received word of a civil suit alleging Hairston sexually assaulted a woman as a freshman at Kentucky. Hairston, 22 next week, denied the allegation.

“This is something I’ve been dealing with since I was 17,” Hairston said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “It’s been four years now, and I went through this whole process with the police, they went through a thorough investigation, and I was exonerated from that. The University of Kentucky did a thorough investigation, I was exonerated from that as well. And I volunteered to do multiple polygraphs because I was determined to get my truth out there, because I had nothing to hide. I was an open book.

“The Bills have been by my side from the start because they did their own thorough investigation. The people that know the truth know, and those are the people I’m sticking by and they’re sticking by me.”

Brandon Beane previously suggested the Bills conducted thorough research on this matter, indicating he believed the cornerback was falsely accused of this crime. In the suit, the unnamed woman accuses Hairston of sexually assaulting her in her dorm room on March 25, 2021. The suit alleges Hairston removed the woman’s pajamas, after she had indicated she was tired and uninterested in sexual intercourse, and assaulted her. The woman filed a police report at the time, according to Bardahl and Graham, and went through a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner exam at a hospital.

Bengals Release RB Zack Moss

July 30th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Sam Robinson

A severe injury ended Zack Moss‘ 2024 season, and the Bengals are moving on ahead of a 2025 comeback bid. They released the veteran running back Wednesday.

Cincinnati made multiple additions to its running backs room this offseason, reacquiring Samaje Perine and drafting Tahj Brooks in the sixth round. Moss is also facing a potential career-ending injury, with The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. indicating the sixth-year veteran broke his neck in three places last season. Moss began Bengals camp on the active/NFI list.

The Bengals signed Moss to a two-year, $8MM deal in 2024, bringing in the Jonathan Taylor Colts backup/frequent fill-in to complement Chase Brown. Moss began last season as Cincinnati’s starter, but the November neck injury changed the equation. The Bengals reached an agreement on a reworking with Moss this offseason, tying the former Bills third-rounder to a one-year, $1.7MM deal ($375K guaranteed). This pointed to Moss making a return, but his injury has impeded that.

The severity of Moss’ neck injury did not surface until days before the Bengals’ Week 9 game last year. A two-month stay in a neck brace commenced, per Dehner, and Moss indicated he discussed retirement with HC Zac Taylor. Moss, though, did not need surgery and was cleared for offseason work. Conditioning spurred the Bengals’ reasoning for the active/NFI placement, rather than the neck issue.

Before the injury, Moss had not closely resembled his Colts version. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, as Brown became a more explosive option, last season. Moss, 27, was much better in 2023. He averaged 4.3 yards per tote in his lone full Colts season, replacing Taylor during a contract squabble and then due to injury. Moss produced 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns, helping Gardner Minshew guide the team to the playoff precipice that year.

It will be interesting to see if another team takes a chance on Moss before the season. Being cleared from the neck issue will help, but the injury was serious enough it has undoubtedly affected his NFL stock. The Bengals will take on $1.88MM in dead money from this cut.

Dolphins CB Kader Kohou Out For Season

July 30th, 2025 at 10:34am CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Dolphins’ cornerback situation keeps getting worse. The latest development will continue to differentiate this year’s group from the cadre Miami deployed in 2024.

Last week, Artie Burns went down with a season-ending ACL tear. Today, head coach Mike McDaniel announced that fourth-year cornerback Kader Kohou suffered the same injury in Saturday’s practice, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Kohou will undergo surgery and is expected to spend the entire 2025 season on injured reserve.

The 26-year-old is Miami’s only returning starter at cornerback after the team released Kendall Fuller and traded Jalen Ramsey this offseason. Kohou was expected to move outside in 2025 after playing the vast majority of his snaps in the slot in his first three seasons. That job will now be up for grabs among the several young corners on Miami’s roster in what appears to be a wide-open competition.

Second-year UDFA Storm Duck is the only rostered player with multiple starts at cornerback for the Dolphins. McDaniel has also made it clear that the team is looking for more out of 2023 second-rounder Cam Smith, who hasn’t logged a single start in his first two years with just 153 total defensive snaps. Third-year corner Ethan Bonner has primarily played special teams in his seven career appearances and seems unlikely to seriously factor into the starting cornerback competition.

The Dolphins didn’t invest premium resources into the position this offseason, but they still made two veteran additions to their cornerback room. Jack Jones, who started 17 games for the Raiders in 2024, will have a shot at earning a starting job on the boundary, especially after Kohou’s injury. Longtime Steelers and Bengals nickel Mike Hilton should be the favorite to occupy the same role in Miami.

This represents brutal timing for Kohou, who had emerged as a UDFA to be a Dolphins regular during a time of uncertainty at the position. Arriving during the Xavien Howard–Byron Jones experiment, Kohou stepped in as an immediate starter in 2022 and played a key role as the Dolphins moved on from Jones (via a post-June 1 cut) in 2023. Ramsey played only half the season that year, and after the Dolphins designated Howard a post-June 1 release in 2024, Kohou logged 13 more starts. A host of unknowns are now in place following Kohou’s setback.

Kohou logged a 76% snap rate in the 13 games in which he was healthy, remaining a fixture under Anthony Weaver. Pro Football Focus assigned him a mid-pack grade (57th) among CB regulars, and the Dolphins tendered him as an RFA ($3.26MM) in March. Kohou may need another one-year deal in 2026, with his contract year set to be erased. The Division II product will turn 27 in November, as this season will turn from a platform year to a lost campaign.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Browns’ Martin Emerson Suffers ‘Significant’ Achilles Injury

July 30th, 2025 at 9:40am CST by Sam Robinson

July 30: Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Emerson has beeen diagnosed with a torn Achilles, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The injury is all but certain to sideline the fourth-year cornerback for the entire 2025 season, which will tank his free agency stock next spring.

July 29: Martin Emerson did not finish practice for the Browns on Tuesday, being carted off, and it does not look like the young cornerback will be ready to return anytime soon.

An MRI will be conducted to determine the damage of an Achilles injury Emerson sustained, but NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport report the tests are expected to reveal a significant tear. This would threaten to sideline Emerson for the season, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the team is not optimistic here. As Emerson was carted off, Garafolo adds Jimmy Haslam received a seemingly negative update from Browns trainers.

This was to be an important season for Emerson; his rookie contract expires at year’s end. The Browns have used the former third-round pick mostly as an outside corner. This injury stands to impact Emerson’s free agency value while hurting a Cleveland defense that needs to prop up an offense carrying major questions. From 2022-24, Emerson had missed one game.

Emerson had usurped Greg Newsome as the Browns’ No. 2 corner, outsnapping the older cover man in 2023 and ’24. The Browns have not conducted known extension talks with Emerson, who turns 25 later this year, but he naturally would have drawn such interest even with Denzel Ward‘s big-ticket deal on the payroll. In light of Tuesday’s setback, Newsome figures to go from trade chip to back in the team’s good graces.

Newsome trade buzz circulated last year and resurfaced around the draft. Cleveland having Emerson contracted would have helped the team stomach trading its third CB regular, as Newsome is attached to a higher salary ($13.38MM) due to being on a fifth-year option. Suddenly, Newsome figures to be a far more important player on Jim Schwartz‘s latest Browns defense. The Newsome trade buzz also emerged before it was known the Browns were not, in fact, taking WR/CB Travis Hunter second overall. Though, a summer report also indicated a trade could remain in play. Newsome now looks set to play out his rookie contract in Cleveland.

Pro Football Focus did not have a high opinion of Emerson’s 2024 work. The advanced metrics site graded him as a bottom-10 corner last year; Newsome, though, checked in only five spots higher (106th). PFF had a higher opinion of Emerson’s work in 2023 (67th) and 2022 (23rd). Nik Needham, Tony Brown and 2023 fifth-round pick Cameron Mitchell reside as backup options for the Browns. A former Dolphins regular, Needham has extensive slot and boundary experience.

If the Browns want to shop for a new third option, Rasul Douglas and Asante Samuel Jr. remain available. As does Stephon Gilmore, who is looking to play a 14th season. Low expectations for this Browns edition may deter Gilmore, but a vacancy now exists. Kendall Fuller, who has slot and perimeter experience, is also a free agent. The Dolphins took Jack Jones and Mike Hilton off the market last weekend.

Trey Hendrickson To Report To Bengals Training Camp

July 29th, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Ben Levine

Trey Hendrickson‘s showdown with the Bengals took another turn this evening, as the star pass rusher is transforming his holdout into a hold-in. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hendrickson is planning to report to Bengals training camp tomorrow. However, the two sides are not any closer to a deal. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that the player is currently en route to Cincinnati.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that it’s unlikely Hendrickson will actually practice with his team until he inks a new contract. However, today’s development is clearly a positive step forward for the two sides, and having the edge rusher in the building should only help build momentum towards an eventual resolution. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic says the player and the Bengals intend to continue working on a deal after negotiations recently broke down.

We heard last week that the player had retreated to Florida after rejecting a pair of offers from the Bengals, and Hendrickson seemed prime to engage in his long-threatened holdout. That absence ended up lasting less than a week, with the pass rusher incurring daily fines of $50K for being a no-show.

Hendrickson’s brief trip to Florida threw cold water on the building optimism in Cincinnati. Owner Mike Brown and de facto general manager Duke Tobin both expressed recent optimism that the two sides would soon come to an agreement. However, later reports indicated that there was still a sizable gap in negotiations. While Hendrickson and the Bengals were reportedly in agreement on the average annual value of an extension, the team was still unwilling to meet the player’s core demands of length and guarantees.

Specifically, Hendrickson has reportedly been seeking locked-in money for the first three years of his extension. The Bengals, who have only recently backed down from their refusal to hand out future guarantees to veterans, were only willing to include guaranteed money in the first year of their offer. This stalemate ultimately led to Hendrickson departing Cincinnati for Florida.

It remains to be seen if the two sides can bridge that gap, although it seems unlikely that the stare down ends in a trade. Hendrickson recently made it clear that he wants to stick in Cincinnati, and he said that sentiment is shared by the organization. Today’s development is a good sign as the two sides look to repair their relationship, although Hendrickson’s impending hold-in will likely cause new distractions for the organization.

Hendrickson represented the last player to engage in a training camp holdout. Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin reported to camp the other day without a deal, and Hendrickson will now follow suit. Courtland Sutton engaged in his own pseudo-hold-in and was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension yesterday.

Cowboys-Micah Parsons Negotiations Going Backward

July 29th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ pattern of delaying big-ticket extensions is on display through the Micah Parsons talks, and the sides are not believed to be progressing. These negotiations also may not be animosity-free.

While Dallas took considerable heat for waiting on the CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott extensions — the latter not coming to pass until hours before the team’s opener — ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter views the Parsons talks as different in terms of hard feelings. Neither side is happy right now, to the point the veteran reporter noted during a Pat McAfee Show appearance these negotiations have slid backward.

No conversations are ongoing, according to Schefter. That was not the case in the spring, when talks were at least unfolding. The Cowboys are not happy talks have gone sideways, while Schefter adds Parsons feels like this deal should be done. Parsons had long hoped for a resolution by training camp.

This report comes after a strange Stephen Jones comment that followed chants of “Pay Micah” at Cowboys camp. The Cowboys executive VP said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the team wants to pay Parsons, but “he’s gotta want to be paid.”

Jones’ offering comes after Parsons fired multiple salvos at ownership’s penchant for delaying bigtime extensions. Parsons said his price would go up the longer these negotiations took, and the market has seen a near-full-on reset between Maxx Crosby‘s March extension and T.J. Watt‘s deal earlier this month. In between, Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter cashed in. The EDGE ceiling has climbed from Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-AAV deal to Watt’s $41MM number over the past five months. While Trey Hendrickson‘s price may have changed due to the developments this offseason, Parsons has made no secret of the fact his has. Parsons said this month ownership was complicating these negotiations.

The Cowboys, of course, do not have a traditional GM. Jerry Jones has held that title since buying the team in 1989. This has caused headline avalanches, and the veteran owner said he has no plans of stepping down from that role anytime soon. Parsons and the Joneses have sparred about the deal this offseason, and the All-Pro looks to be engaging in a Jonathan Taylor-like de facto hold-in. Parsons is not practicing due to a back injury, but the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins reports he is not receiving on-field treatment like Trevon Diggs. This would appear to be a negotiating tactic, one Taylor used two summers ago as he completed a contentious negotiation.

Jerry Jones said he believed he and Parsons had deal parameters in place; Parsons confirmed that in June. The state of the union has since changed. Last week, Jones also reaffirmed a hesitancy in talking to agents, providing another complication in Dallas’ latest high-profile talks. Cowboys senior director of salary cap/player contracts Adam Prasifka has spoken with Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, per Watkins, who previously indicated no deal is close.

These negotiations have reinforced the Cowboys’ timing issue, as Parsons is undoubtedly shooting for a deal north of where Watt’s talks settled; Parsons is nearly five years younger than the Steelers dynamo. Team Parsons is also shooting for a four-year deal, per Watkins. Dallas caved on its usual longer-term structure to complete the Prescott and Lamb deals, but we heard earlier this offseason term length posed a problem in these talks. The sides still have more than a month until Week 1, but the negotiation is off track currently.

Christian Wilkins Avoided Surgery On Second Foot Injury

July 29th, 2025 at 10:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Since Christian Wilkins was cut by the Raiders last week, we’ve heard a handful of explanations for the sudden divorce. Primarily, there was an apparent disagreement over the player’s handling and/or recovery from a foot injury. Later, we heard reports of a locker room incident where Wilkins reportedly kissed a teammate on the head, leading to an HR complaint.

Now, we’re hearing that Wilkins may have been cut because of an entirely different foot injury than the Jones fracture that ended his 2024 campaign prematurely. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the defensive tackle suffered another injury in the same foot that delayed his return to the field. That second injury has left Wilkins in a boot for months, but despite doctors’ suggestions that he should go under the knife, Wilkins has refused surgery.

That disagreement ultimately led to the deterioration of the relationship between the two sides. It’s uncertain how any suitors will handle this new injury, and Breer suggests that Wilkins could simply find a doctor who clears him to play football. The player could also stick it to his former club and undergo surgery after inking a contract, although that would mean his new team wouldn’t get his on-field production until at least the second half of the 2025 campaign.

Then, there’s the bizarre kissing incident. While this may seem innocuous on the surface, the Raiders may cite that incident as a reason for their decision to void Wilkins’ guaranteed money. As a source told Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders could point to a “pattern of conduct” that culminated in this locker room ordeal. The writer also notes that Wilkins wasn’t cut with an injury designation despite being on the physically unable to perform list. That decision could point to the release being more about conduct than any injury.

Either way, Bonsignore expects Wilkins’ grievance to be a lengthy process, with the writer wondering if the dispute may not be resolved until next spring. The timing is of some importance to the Raiders. As Bonsignore notes, the Raiders will be slapped with a cap hold worth 40 percent of the “amount being grieved,” which comes out around $14.8MM. If the matter isn’t resolved until the spring, the Raiders may have to carry that cap hit into next year’s free agency.

If the Raiders did truly move on from Wilkins for conduct, it might not come as a surprise to some. According to Armando Salguero of Outkick.com, the player’s “unserious” approach to the game dates back to his time at Clemson, when he reportedly use to “grab opponents” in “private areas.” One scout once described the player as “irreverent,” and Salguero opines that the Raiders surely knew of his reputation when they handed him a lucrative contract last offseason.

Regardless of the reason for the release, Wilkins is now definitively out of Las Vegas and is seeking his next team. One team that won’t be involved in the bidding is the Giants, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. While the organization pursued him hard via free agency in 2024, Duggan says there’s too much to unpack with “health, finances and whatever else is going on.” Meanwhile, the Patriots could have some interest in the defender, as Mike Vrabel told reporters that the organization will “have a conversation” about pursuing the free agent (per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston).

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