Bengals Listening To Trade Offers On DE Trey Hendrickson; Contract Talks Have Stalled
10:00pm: Cincinnati has been fielding calls on Hendrickson for weeks, Dehner and colleague Dianna Russini report. If the Bengals were to trade Hendrickson now, they likely would not land as valuable of a trade package as they would have if they had traded him before the draft. Clearly, no team has put forth an attractive enough offer as of yet.
12:20pm: Contract talks between the Bengals and defensive end Trey Hendrickson are at an impasse, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. As such, the club is again listening to trade offers for its star pass rusher. 
NFL insider Jordan Schultz says the Panthers, Browns, and Colts are among the clubs that have expressed interest. Of course, an intra-division trade to Cleveland for a player of Hendrickson’s magnitude is unlikely, and Cincinnati is still setting a high asking price in trade talks. Per Schultz, the Bengals are seeking an impact player or two as well as a draft pick. A mutual interest still exists for this team-player relationship to continue, Schultz adds, but the same issues (namely guaranteed money) continue to represent a sticking point in negotiations.
The Bengals’ offense was excellent in 2024, with quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase both submitting MVP-caliber performances. Chase and running mate Tee Higgins were re-signed this offseason, and the team also returns promising running back Chase Brown, so points should not be terribly difficult to come by.
However, the team’s woeful defense undermined the efforts of Burrow & Co., and Cincinnati ultimately failed to qualify for the postseason. That is despite the presence of Hendrickson, who recorded 17.5 sacks for the second year in a row and who earned First Team All-Pro acclaim. Given that continued elite production and the upward movement of the EDGE market, any new Bengals accord will include a substantial raise if one can indeed be worked out before Week 1.
The Bengals did add a potential impact pass rusher, Shemar Stewart, in the first round of April’s draft, and Stewart is now in the fold after unusual contract talks of his own became a basis for criticism directed at the organization. Still, it is unclear whether Cincinnati did enough this offseason to significantly improve its defense, and subtracting Hendrickson from the equation would seem to make matters more difficult for new defensive coordinator Al Golden.
As such, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer is skeptical that the Bengals are serious about moving Hendrickson, and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic does not believe the situation has changed. He does not think the club, through today’s reports, is trying to drum up trade interest, and he continues to believe it is unlikely a rival team will meet Cincinnati’s asking price and pony up a massive extension for Hendrickson.
As things stand, the 30-year-old is owed $16MM in 2025, the final year of his pact. Hendrickson has stated a willingness to sit out regular season games in the absence of an extension. Time remains for an agreement to be reached, but before authorizing any major raise, the Bengals will once again field trade offers.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Texans Trade WR John Metchie To Eagles For TE Harrison Bryant
After spending last summer as a trade candidate, John Metchie remained in place with the Texans. That will not be the case in 2025, however. 
Houston has agreed to trade the fourth-year receiver to the Eagles, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. One season remains on Metchie’s rookie contract. The 25-year-old Canadian was sidelined for the 2022 season while recovering from Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Since then, he has struggled to carve out a role in the Texans’ passing game. Adding further details on the swap, which is now official, Schefter’s colleague DJ Bien-Aime notes tight end Harrison Bryant is headed the other way.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the teams will swap future Day 3 picks they previously exchanged. The Texans will get back their sixth-rounder in 2026, while the Eagles will once again have their own fifth-round selection in that year.
Metchie handled a 29% snap share in 2023, and that figure rose to 45% last season. While looking to earn a role amongst Houston’s more established wideouts, the Alabama product recorded 254 yards and one touchdown on 24 catches. Entering a contract year, an uptick in production will be sought out in Philadelphia (although the team’s WR depth will of course make that challenging).
The Super Bowl champions will once again have A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith atop the depth chart in 2025. Philadelphia also has Jahan Dotson – acquired via trade almost exactly one year ago – in the fold. Metchie will look to earn a role behind that trio and alongside Terrace Marshall Jr. as well as 2024 draftees Ainias Smith and Johnny Wilson. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports the 49ers also made an offer for Metchie, but the Eagles’ proposal was better.
Houston’s receiver room still includes Nico Collins, but the Pro Bowler will have a much different supporting cast around him compared to 2024. Stefon Diggs departed in free agency, while Tank Dell is not expected to play this season as he recovers from a major knee injury. The Texans swung an intra-divisional trade for Christian Kirk in the spring before adding Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel during the draft. Both Iowa State rookies figure to play a role on offense early and often in their careers.
Bryant played out his rookie contract with the Browns before spending 2024 in Vegas. The 27-year-old signed with the Eagles in March. Before seeing any regular season game action with his new team, however, Bryant finds himself on the move. Like Metchie, he is a pending 2026 free agent. Bryant will now join a Texans TE room which lost Brevin Jordan for the season recently. He will look to step in as a backup to Dalton Schultz.
The Texans and Eagles worked out a trade earlier this offseason, with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson and guard Kenyon Green being swapped. The teams have repeated a player-for-player trade shortly before the deadline for roster cuts. Now, both Metchie and Bryant will spend the coming weeks acclimating to their new teams while looking to help their market values for next spring.
Saints Trade DT Khalen Saunders To Jaguars For C Luke Fortner
The Saints are trading veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The swap is now official.
In exchange, fourth-year center Luke Fortner will be heading to New Orleans, per Pelissero. Though they didn’t match up on the field, both players appeared in the Saints-Jaguars preseason game earlier on Sunday in what turned out to be auditions for their new teams.
Saunders, 29, started 27 games for the Saints over the last two seasons. He was not viewed as a good fit for the 3-4 scheme imported by new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football and Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com. With plenty of defensive line depth in New Orleans, the six-year veteran was deemed surplus to requirements and sent to Jacksonville to shore up their depth in the trenches.
Saunders will join veteran starters DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead in the Jaguars’ defensive line room. He can add some veteran experience to a backup rotation that currently features young defensive tackles Jordan Jefferson, Maason Smith, and Tyler Lacy.
Fortner, originally a Jaguars third-round pick in 2022, will likely push for the Saints’ backup center job right away with Will Clapp sidelined for the season with a Lisfranc injury. The Saints have been evaluating their options behind Erik McCoy since Clapp went down; undrafted rookie Torricelli Simpkins got the start against the Jaguars with second year lineman Kyle Hergel handling the rest of the snaps. Neither did enough to lock down the backup job, as evidenced by Fortner’s arrival after the game.
Fortner, 25, started every game at center in his first two seasons but lost his spot to veteran signing Mitch Morse last year. Rather than go back to Fortner, the Jaguars opted to sign former Liam Coen Buccaneer charge Robert Hainsey in free agency. They also added Patrick Mekari, who is competing to start at right guard but has plenty of center experience from his time in Baltimore. Even if Mekari wins the right guard battle, he can still provide depth at center, as can seventh-round rookie Jonah Monheim.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/25
Here are the latest minor moves from around the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: QB Bryce Perkins
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: OL Nick Gargiulo
- Signed: FB Adam Prentice
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: DL Philip Blidi
Perkins, the reigning UFL MVP, will add some depth to the Panthers’ quarterback room with Andy Dalton sidelined by an elbow injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Perkins appeared in five games for the Rams between 2020 and 2022, but has not played in the last two NFL seasons.
The Broncos were looking to add another fullback after a hamstring injury to starter Michael Burton, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. They auditioned Prentice, Khari Blasingame, and Troy Hairston on Saturday, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with Prentice earning a roster spot. This will be his second stint in Denver after starting his career there as an undrafted rookie in 2021.
Kevin Stefanski: Browns’ Starting QB Decision Coming Soon
One of the NFL’s most closely watched training camp competitions will soon have a winner.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Sunday (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal) that a decision on the team’s starting quarterback would come “sooner rather than later.” He also offered “the next couple of days” as a rough timeline on two occasions.
[RELATED: Browns Not Planning To Cut One Of Top Four QBs]
The Browns’ quarterback competition has long appeared to be a two-man race between veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett. Pickett has been sidelined since late July with a hamstring injury, allowing Flacco to take virtually all of the first-team reps in practice. The 18-year veteran seems to have a commanding lead at this point.
Both of the team’s rookies – third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders – had successful preseason debuts but don’t seem any closer to the starting gig. Both have missed time due to injury this preseason – a recurring theme for the Browns quarterback room – putting them even further behind in the race as they adjust to a new offense at a higher level of competition.
Gabriel recovered from his hamstring injury to start against the Eagles on Saturday, while Sanders performed well against the Panthers on August 8 before suffering an oblique injury earlier this week. The Browns are hopeful Sanders can return for their third preseason game.
Stefanski will need to name a backup quarterback as well. Pickett would be the obvious choice, but if his absence extends into the regular season, one of the rookies will get the QB2 role initially. Gabriel has taken 14 series with the first-team offense in recent weeks, per Easterling, trailing only Flacco (50 first-team series). That would appear to give the former Oregon standout a slight edge, but Sanders can make a push if he gets back on the field for the Browns’ last preseason game next Saturday.
Seahawks’ Uchenna Nwosu Passes Physical
Uchenna Nwosu should be available early in the regular season. The veteran edge rusher passed his physical with the Seahawks on Sunday, per a team announcement. 
Nwosu opened training camp on the active/PUP list while rehabbing from offseason knee surgery. Given today’s news, though, he is cleared to be activated and take part in team drills. It would come as a surprise if he played in Seattle’s final preseason contest, but reps in practice will be in store moving forward.
Provided Nwosu is indeed available for Week 1, his presence will be welcomed. The 2022 free agent addition delivered a career-high 9.5 sacks during his debut Seattle campaign. Since then, however, injuries have been a persistent issue. Nwosu played just six games in 2023 due to a pectoral injury, and a combination of ailments again cost him 11 contests last season.
As expected, then, team and player negotiated a restructured contract this offseason. Nwosu agreed to a pay cut for 2025, and none of his scheduled salary ($11MM) for next year is guaranteed. A paring of ways could therefore be in store after the coming campaign depending on how things play out regarding the 28-year-old’s level of play and availability.
The Seahawks have Boye Mafe and Derick Hall set to return in 2025. Both rookie-contract performers will again be counted on to contribute along the edge as the team looks to reach the postseason. Free agent signing DeMarcus Lawrence is also in the mix after he inked a three-year pact in March, ending his lengthy Cowboys tenure in the process. Nwosu will be expected to handle starting duties while seeing time with those three once he is back on the field.
Head coach Mike Macdonald cautioned (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic) it is uncertain if Nwosu will suit up in time for Week 1. A long-term approach to his ramp-up process would of course be reasonable from the team’s perspective. In any case, today’s news paves the way for a return to practice and what all parties hope will be a healthy campaign.
Titans’ Cedric Gray Pushing For Starting Spot
Titans linebacker Cedric Gray entered the league as a fourth-round draftee last year, but his rookie campaign got off to an inauspicious start. He was placed on injured reserve at the end of August, and though he eventually got into seven games, he played just 48 defensive snaps. 
He stands to earn considerably more playing time in 2025. Head coach Brian Callahan, via Jim Wyatt of the Titans’ official website, said Gray has come a long way and is making a case to start alongside fellow inside ‘backer Cody Barton in the middle of Tennessee’s defense.
Gray, who will turn 23 in October, has tallied seven tackles in each of the Titans’ first two preseason games, including a half-sack in their victory over the Falcons on Friday. He made a name for himself as a prolific tackler at Chapel Hill, collecting 266 total stops across the 2022-23 seasons with UNC. The former Tar Heels’ team captain earned First-Team All-ACC acclaim in both years.
Despite being selected in the fourth round, Gray was still only the seventh linebacker off the board, and scouts lauded his football IQ. Fellow 2024 draftee James Williams, who earned one start last year, represents one of Gray’s primary competitors for playing time, but Gray offers higher upside.
In terms of total defense, the Titans were one of the NFL’s best units last season (although they finished near the bottom of the pack in scoring defense). This year, with rookie QB Cam Ward at the controls and something of a middling collection of skill-position talent, the defense will again be counted upon to keep the team competitive.
Gray is likely in position to play a key role in that regard. If he does indeed clinch a first-team spot at the second level of the defense, his performance while handling an increased workload will be something to monitor especially in the early portion of the season. Provided Gray fares well in a starting gig, he could hold onto it for years to come while playing out his rookie contract.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
49ers RG Dominick Puni Sustains PCL Injury
The 49ers are contending with a significant amount of health-related attrition, and Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle observes 21 players on the club’s 90-man roster are currently sidelined with injuries. The latest addition to the list could result in an early blow to the Niners’ offensive line.
Starting right guard Dominick Puni, who played the opening series of San Francisco’s preseason matchup against the Raiders on Saturday, exited the game when fellow lineman Matt Hennessy was blocked into his right knee. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media afterwards that Puni had suffered a PCL injury.
Shanahan went on to say, via David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone, the 25-year-old blocker would miss a few weeks, which obviously puts his availability for the start of the regular season in jeopardy (the Niners begin the campaign on September 7). Shanahan at least left open the possibility that Puni could suit up for the opener against the division-rival Seahawks.
Puni, a third-round pick in 2024, was one of the team’s few bright spots last season. He played all but one offensive snap and finished the year as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-highest-rated guard among 77 qualified players. His efforts earned him a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America’s all-rookie team, and the 49ers are counting on him to provide stability on the interior of their offensive front, especially since left guard and three-year starter Aaron Banks departed in free agency.
Ben Bartch is slated to take over the LG role, though he has not been a regular starter since 2021. One of Bartch’s competitors for his job, Nick Zakelj, is also one of Puni’s backups, but the 2022 sixth-rounder has just two career starts to his name and was unable to make much of an impression at the beginning of training camp, when Bartch was on the PUP list. The other candidate to fill in for Puni is seventh-round rookie Connor Colby, which heightens the urgency to get Puni back in the lineup as soon as possible.
Two of San Francisco’s running backs also left the Raiders game due to injury. Patrick Taylor, who re-signed with the team in March, sustained a dislocated shoulder and is set to miss multiple weeks. Ditto UDFA rookie Corey Kiner, who suffered a high-ankle sprain.
Both Taylor and Kiner are vying for spots at the back of the Niners’ RB depth chart, which is headed by Christian McCaffrey, Isaac Guerendo, and fifth-round rookie Jordan James. Kiner, though, was making a strong push for a place on the roster, and both Guerendo and James are dealing with injuries of their own that kept them out of Saturday’s game.
Bucs’ QB2 Job Remains Unsettled; Latest On Teddy Bridgewater’s Future
Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater turned in a strong performance during his club’s preseason victory over the Steelers on Saturday, completing six of 11 passes for 85 yards and two TDs. However, at this point in the calendar, he would prefer to be on a high school sideline.
As Will Graves of the Associated Press details, Bridgewater had hoped to coach his alma mater, Northwestern High, until the high school football season ended, and then he was going to see if there were any NFL opportunities for him. This is the same route he took last year, when he guided Northwestern to the Florida Class 3A title before joining the Lions in late December as Jared Goff’s backup for the stretch run.
Bridgewater’s plan was thwarted by the suspension he received from the Florida High School Athletic Association. He does not take a salary as Northwestern’s HC, but in a recent social media post soliciting donations to offset team expenses like food and rides home from practice, he acknowledged that he paid for those expenses himself last season. Under the Association’s rules, Bridgewater’s out-of-pocket expenditures may constitute impermissible benefits to players, thus leading to the suspension.
The Association’s investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear when it might reach a resolution. In the meantime, Bridgewater signed with the Bucs and joined Kyle Trask as a candidate for the backup QB role behind Baker Mayfield in Tampa.
“It’s very upsetting,” Bridgewater said after a joint practice with Pittsburgh earlier this week. “Just knowing that you have good intentions and those good intentions will be turned against you and used against you. I’m hoping to get it resolved because those kids have a special place in my heart. And I’d love to finish what I started with them.”
Trask has been a fixture in Tampa since the team selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft. But with Tom Brady and then Mayfield ahead of him on the depth chart, the 27-year-old has attempted a grand total of 11 regular season passes in the NFL. Bridgewater, who has 65 career starts to his name, obviously represents a much more reliable insurance policy in the event of a Mayfield injury.
When asked what he was told about the Bridgewater signing, Trask said, “I never got a direct answer” (video link via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). The Florida product was not nearly as sharp as Bridgewater on Saturday, completing just three of 10 passes for 19 yards in the Pittsburgh contest.
After the game, head coach Todd Bowles declined to provide a definitive quarterback pecking order. Bowles said Trask, Bridgewater, and UDFA rookie Connor Bazelak would play in the Bucs’ preseason finale next week and that a decision would be made at some point thereafter (via Stroud).
Bridgewater, who will turn 33 in November, suggested he is not necessarily pushing for the QB2 gig.
“I’m just here to help this team in every way possible,” he said after the game (via the Associated Press). “I’ve been a humble servant throughout my career, playing and coaching.”
Per Graves, Bridgewater – who said he received offseason interest after his stint with the Lions – would like to continue the pattern he set in 2024: coach high schoolers in the fall, and then perhaps join an NFL club late in the professional season. As he told the teams that reached out to him earlier this year, “I’m up for it, check back when Northwestern is done.”
Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin Off PUP List; No Progress On Contract
The Commanders have activated wide receiver Terry McLaurin off the active/physically unable to perform list, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but the move is not an indicator of progress in extension negotiations.
Head coach Dan Quinn said (via NBC4 Sports) that McLaurin’s activation is “definitely separate” from his contract talks. “This is about his getting ready to play,” continued Quinn.
However, McLaurin’s activation did come a day after offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury indicated that he wanted his star wide receiver to get back on the practice field as soon as possible.
“Time on task together on the grass is really the only way you can continue to build,” said Kingsbury (via 106.7 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen).
McLaurin did not practice on Saturday, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, though that’s not necessarily an indicator of a hold-in. Quinn and Kingsbury both indicated that McLaurin had been spending time with trainers and other medical staff, so he may be going through workouts out of view of the media.
Still, the 29-year-old’s willingness to practice will be a situation worth monitoring over the next week. There is still a “sizable gap” between McLaurin and the Commanders, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, and the two-time Pro Bowler is “dug in” and “remains frustrated.” Despite his trade request and some interest from other teams, the Commanders still believe that they can get a deal done before the season.