HEADLINES

Month: July 2025

WR Alec Pierce, Colts Haven’t Discussed Extension

July 1st, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Alec Pierce had a breakout campaign in 2024, as the receiver paced the NFL with 22.3 yards per reception. As a 2022 second-round pick, the wideout is set to enter the final season of his rookie pact, and it sounds like the Colts are going to let the player simply play out that contract.

According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, there are no current contract talks between the Colts and Pierce. The reporter writes that “there remains much uncertainty” about the player’s future in Indy, and there’s a “looming possibility” of Pierce playing elsewhere in 2026.

As Holder points out, both sides may be struggling to assign a price tag to Pierce. The receiver has only topped out at 823 receiving yards, and his 41 receptions as a rookie still represents a career-high. While there’s uncertainty if the 25-year-old can truly lead a depth chart, there’s no denying his big-play ability. According to Holder, Pierce’s seven catches of 40 or more yards is second to Ja’Marr Chase since 2022.

Part of Indy’s apprehension about a Pierce extension may be due to their continued investment at the position. The Colts have used some recent draft capital at the position, even after using their 2022 second-round pick on Pierce. The team used a 2023 third-round pick on Josh Downs, and they used a 2024 second-round selection on Adonai Mitchell. The team handed Michael Pittman Jr. a three-year, $71.5MM extension last offseason, so the team already has their WR1 spot accounted for.

For what it’s worth, Pierce isn’t overly concerned about his lame-duck status. In fact, the receiver told Holder that he’s ignoring his expiring contract altogether, and he’s simply focused on taking his game to another level in 2025.

“I like to take a very day-to-day approach with things,” Pierce said. “I don’t really think too far in advance. … That’s why I’ve got agents. They focus on that type of stuff and what’s coming up in the short term.”

Josh Reynolds Leading Jets’ WR2 Battle

July 1st, 2025 at 5:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Jets overhauled their offense this season, replacing Aaron Rodgers with Justin Fields under center and parting ways with three other starters: WR Davante Adams, TE Tyler Conklin, and RT Morgan Moses.

Adams’ departure, though expected, still left the Jets with an unclear hierarchy in their wide receiver room behind 2022 first-rounder Garrett Wilson.

Enter veteran wideout Josh Reynolds, who arrived in New York on a one-year, $2.75MM contract in March. He will be looking to bounce back in 2025 after missing nine games last year due to a finger injury and wounds sustained in a Denver shooting.

Based on his performance this spring, Reynolds seems poised to carve out a consistent target share in the Jets’ offense. He is “the clear-cut leader for the WR2 job” in New York after an impressive offseason,” according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini. Reynolds outplayed fellow veterans Allen Lazard and Tyler Johnson during spring practices, positioning for first-team reps during training camp.

Of course, that could quickly change once pads and contact are introduced later this month. Reynolds could also see expanded competition from the Jets’ younger wide receivers, including recent draft picks Malachi Corley and Arian Smith.

The team will be hoping that Corley, a 2024 third-rounder, can establish himself in the pros after a disappointing rookie year, while its investment of a fourth-round pick in Smith this April indicates that offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has a vision for him, as well. Third-year wideouts Xavier Gipson and Irvin Charles will also be working hard during training camp to upgrade their roles after spending most of the 2024 season on special teams.

Lions Expecting Midseason Return For DT Alim McNeill

July 1st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The impact of the Lions’ 2024 injuries will extend into this season with multiple players sidelined well into the regular season.

One such case is fifth-year defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who suffered a torn ACL in December and missed the team’s last three regular-season games as well as the playoffs. He is not expected to return to the field until “late October or November,” according to senior team writer Tim Twentyman.

2024 was the second year in a row during which McNeill struggled with injuries. He missed four games in 2023 with a knee sprain, but managed to recover by the postseason. Now, the 2021 third-rounder is set for a third consecutive season with 14 or fewer appearances.

The Lions will not rush McNeill back to the field after making a sizable financial investment in the 25-year-old last fall. However, the team will be hoping that he can live up to that four-year, $97MM extension by finishing the 2025 season fully-healthy. That will allow him to build into 2026, when he has $19.85MM of fully guaranteed salary, per OverTheCap, and ensure he remains in Detroit through 2027, when he has a $3MM injury guarantee that will vest into a full guarantee next March.

In the meantime, the Lions will have to find a way to fill the roughly 70% snap share McNeill occupied when healthy over the last three years. Detroit retained Levi Onwuzurike and added depth in Roy Lopez and Raequan Williams this offseason, but rookie Tyleik Williams, selected with the No. 28 pick in April’s draft, might have been the team’s biggest move to prepare for McNeill’s absence.

 

Williams was considered to be an early second-round talent, but Lions were not on the clock again until the 60th pick. By then, he likely would have been selected by another team. Knowing that McNeill would be sidelined to start the season, the Lions opted to prioritize Williams in the hopes that he could bolster the defensive line as they await McNeill’s return.

Steelers Among Teams Interested In WR Tyler Boyd

July 1st, 2025 at 2:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Veteran wide receiver Tyler Boyd said over the weekend that he would “absolutely” like to sign with the Steelers, and apparently, the interest is mutual.

The Steelers have been in touch with Boyd this offseason, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show, but the veteran receiver has been unsatisfied with the financial offers from Pittsburgh or any other team.

“The word on the street is that all the offers [Boyd is] getting, they’re not very good offers, as in money-wise, so he’s going to play it out,” said Kaboly during a recent episode of the Kaboly + Mack podcast. Kaboly suggested the same was true regarding whatever discussions the Steelers have had with Boyd, whether they have included a formal offer or just more general conversations about potential compensation.

There are other available receivers like Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen with better recent track records than Boyd, so he may have to wait for them to find a landing spot before another team meets his demands. He earned just under $2.4MM in Tennessee last year, per OverTheCap, for the worst full-season performance of his career with just 39 receptions for 390 yards. He also went the entire season – 16 games, eight starts, and 635 snaps – without finding the end zone, an unfortunate career-first, causing him to miss out on $2.1MM of available incentives.

Now, Boyd may have to consider a veteran minimum salary of $1.255MM with additional money available via incentives, and unlike his deal with the Titans, his next contract may not include any guaranteed money.

No Formal Discussions Imminent Regarding 18-Game Schedule

July 1st, 2025 at 11:50am CST by Adam La Rose

It has long been viewed as an inevitability that the NFL will expand to an 18-game regular season. An adjustment to the CBA will be required for that to be possible, and as such an agreement involving the NFL and NFLPA will need to be negotiated.

Informal talks on the subject of reducing the preseason to two games and adding an 18th regular season contest have taken place between the league and union already. In part due to those discussions, some have pointed to 2027 or 2028 as the point at which an expanded schedule could be implemented. The current CBA runs through 2030, but new media rights deals – and thus the main source of another pending surge in revenues – will be in place by then.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said this spring that no formal discussions are planned about CBA adjustments or extensions. To little surprise, then, Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports no serious talks related to the schedule are expected to commence until at least early 2026. Any concession on the part of the union would of course be tied to negotiations on other fronts. Topics such as travel, playing surfaces and the addition of a second bye week have been mentioned as key issues for the NFLPA.

Maske names the period after the 2026 league meeting as a point at which negotiations could pick up. In any case, the nature of talks on this front will make for a notable storyline as efforts on the league’s part continue to expand the regular season schedule. Per Maske, Goodell has not yet “pressed” the union to accelerate discussions, although the NFL’s goals regarding a broader international schedule in particular are of course well known.

Adding an 18th game would likely pave the way for a slate of 16 international contests each regular season. Other matters will no doubt be tied to movement on this front, so a number of key CBA-related issues will be affected if/when an agreement can be reached between the league and union. The timeline for such talks is currently uncertain, though.

RT Taylor Moton Hopes To Finish Career With Panthers

July 1st, 2025 at 9:46am CST by Adam La Rose

One year remains on Taylor Moton‘s contract. The Panthers are set to have their longtime right tackle play out the 2025 campaign while carrying an inflated cap charge, but it remains to be seen how the parties will move forward beyond that point.

If Moton has his way, however, he will stay in Carolina through the remainder of his career. The 30-year-old has handled starting duties since his second NFL season, compiling an Ironman streak of 104 consecutive starts along the way. That franchise-record mark came to an end in 2024, but Moton does not feel as though his playing days are nearing an end at this point.

“Looking forward, I do believe I have another contract in me,” the ninth-year veteran said, via Joe Person of The Athletic (subscription required). “But right now my focus is on the 2025 season and making sure I do whatever I can to have the best season I can for everybody involved.”

Moton inked a five-year, $85MM extension in 2021. That pact has been restructured three times, resulting in a $31.35MM cap charge for the 2025 campaign. General manager Dan Morgan made it clear early in the offseason the team would be comfortable with that figure for one year. In the absence of an extension, though, Moton’s Carolina future and market value will be dictated by his level of play this season.

The former second-rounder has remained consistent throughout his Panthers tenure, grading out between 13th and 23rd amongst qualifying tackles in terms of PFF evaluation over six of the past seven years. A similar performance in 2025 would help Carolina’s efforts to build off the offensive momentum shown at the end of last season. The tandem of Moton and left tackle Ikem Ekwonu will remain together for at least one more campaign, but the latter hopes to land a Panthers extension tying him to the team well past 2026.

Moton was limited to 14 contests last year, and a pectoral injury limited his workload during OTAs and minicamp this spring. He expressed confidence in his ability to deal with the knee issues which have arisen in recent years, though, something which will be key in determining his availability and level of play in 2025. It will be interesting to see if a strong start to the campaign opens the door to extension talks or if the Panthers prepare for a potential departure in the spring.

Browns Finalize Land Purchase For Domed Stadium Construction

July 1st, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 1: Ohio’s budget has been finalized, and the Browns are officially set to proceed with construction on the new stadium. A statement from Jimmy and Dee Haslam confirms the project will move forward with the land deal now in place.

JUNE 28: Efforts on the part of the Browns to construct a new, domed stadium have seen a notable development. An agreement has been reached for the purchase of land 12 miles outside of downtown Cleveland.

Primacy Development – a company located at the Browns’ headquarters with ties to the Haslam Sports Group – has closed on the purchase of a 176-acre plot in Brook Park, Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan reports. Cuyahoga County records indicate the price will check in at more than $76MM. This news comes after the Browns exercised their purchase option on the land in December.

To pave the way for the agreement to be finalized, the Modell Law (which prevented the Browns from leaving Cleveland) has been amended. Ohio governor Mike DeWine is now in position to sign the necessary provisions into law next week while finalizing the state’s budget. That includes $600MM in state funding for the construction of the team’s new stadium, which is currently expected to cost a total of $2.4 billion.

The Browns’ new home will be a domed (rather than outdoor) stadium, making it the first of its kind in the AFC North (and marking a departure from the Ravens, Steelers and Bengals). Once construction is complete, the AFC East will be the league’s only division consisting entirely of teams – the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots and Jets – which play outdoors when at home.

The targeted start time for construction of Cleveland’s new stadium is early next year, with the Browns planning to move there in time for the 2029 campaign. Provided the land purchase agreement is indeed finalized in the coming days, the process will take an important step forward.