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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals Sign Second-Round CB Will Johnson, Complete Rookie Deals

July 23rd, 2025 at 7:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 23: Howard Balzer of Cards Wire reports that Johnson’s rookie deal is worth $9.41MM over four years. Johnson ended up getting $7.66MM of that money guaranteed, including his $3.48MM signing bonus. The rest of the guarantees come from his first three years’ full base salaries of $840K, $1.27MM, and $1.7MM, as well as 17.55 percent of his Year 4 base salary of $2.12MM, which amounts to $372.64K.

JULY 22: no surprise, Will Johnson is on the books in time for the start of the Cardinals’ training camp. The second-round corner signed his rookie deal Tuesday, per a team announcement.

Last night, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported an agreement was expected in this case. Rookies do not have the option of signing an injury waiver for training camp (unlike rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp). As a result, recent days have seen a flood of second-round picks sign their deals to be available for summer practices.

Johnson’s deal means that Browns running back Quinshon Judkins – whose attention is currently focused on a domestic violence arrest – and Bengals first-rounder Shemar Stewart – who remains engaged in a standoff over language in his pact – are the only rookies yet to sign in 2025. This offseason has been marked by a dramatic uptick in guaranteed compensation for the latter parts of rookie deals in the case of second-round picks. As the No. 47 pick in April’s draft, Johnson is in line to benefit from that development.

Over the course of his three years at Michigan, Johnson established himself as a pivotal figure in the team’s secondary. He played a key role in the Wolverines’ national title in 2023 and entered last season as a strong candidate to hear his name called on Day 1. Injuries limited Johnson to six games in 2024, however, and a knee ailment served as a deterrent for certain teams during the pre-draft process. Questions linger over Johnson’s ability to serve as a regular contributor on defense beyond his rookie contract.

If he can manage that, the All-American will prove to be a highly valuable draft investment on Arizona’s part. The Cardinals will be without Sean Murphy-Bunting for the entire season due to knee surgery, and their secondary will be missing a veteran as a result. Johnson will spend training camp looking to carve out a role amongst the remaining cornerback options, a list which includes other recent draftees in the form of Garrett Williams, Elijah Jones and Max Melton as well as fellow rookie Denzel Burke.

With Johnson signed, here is a final look at the Cardinals’ draft class:

Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu Announces Retirement

July 23rd, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Nikhil Mehta

July 23: The Saints will get some minor cap savings from Mathieu’s retirement, per NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett. He agreed to a revised contract earlier this offseason with a $2.47MM signing bonus and a fully guaranteed $1.53MM salary. The latter will come off this year’s cap, while the former will be taken off of Mathieu’s 2026 dead money from his last contract.

July 22: Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement on social media (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), ending the Honey Badger’s sterling 12-year career.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said that the team was informed of Mathieu’s decision in advance, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise. It also leaves the team without a starting safety with six weeks left until Week 1. Mathieu started every Saints game for the last three years.

[RELATED: Saints To Sign S Julian Blackmon]

Loomis indicated that the Saints will explore adding a safety, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but they may already have Mathieu’s replacement on the roster. It won’t be veteran offseason signing Justin Reid, as he was already expected to start this year. Instead, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden jumps out as the most likely candidate.

Though he has only logged 11 career starts, Howden played just under 50% of the Saints’ defensive snaps over the last two years, primarily as a free safety. That experience should put him in a strong position to start opposite Reid, though veterans J.T. Gray and Terrell Burgess will also be in the mix. A number of free agents safeties are also available, including former Saint Marcus Maye.

The Saints also drafted Virginia safety Jonas Sanker in the third round, a sign that they believe he can grow into an NFL starter. He will likely have a chance to compete for the starting job, but rookie safeties – even ones drafted on Day 2 – are rarely able to catch up to NFL speed and start right away.

Mathieu, meanwhile, will be enjoying retirement after 12 years, 180 appearances, 171 starts, and more than 11,000 snaps in the NFL. Despite an excellent college career at LSU, Mathieu fell to the third round in the 2013 draft due to size concerns. The Cardinals snagged him with the 69th overall pick, and he went on to finish fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Working regularly in the slot for the Cardinals in 2015, Mathieu earned a first-team All-Pro nod upon helping the team to a franchise-most 13 wins — and a run to the NFC championship game. The Cardinals gave Mathieu a five-year, $62.5MM extension in 2016; at the time, that deal made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The Cards cut bait on the deal two years in, as the safety market cratered in 2018. After a one-off in Houston, Mathieu made his way to Kansas City and sparked a midcareer turnaround.

Hours after Washington gave Landon Collins a $14MM-per-year deal to reignite the safety market, Kansas City matched it — as the team loaded up around Patrick Mahomes‘ rookie contract. Mathieu played an instrumental role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning season, justifying the team’s big-ticket payment. In 2020, Mathieu intercepted a career-high six passes and delivered his second straight first-team All-Pro season.

Despite Mathieu remaining a quality starter in 2021, the Chiefs let him walk as a 2022 free agent. They brought in Justin Reid as a cheaper alternative, redirecting Mathieu to the Saints (on a three-year, $27MM pact). New Orleans adjusted Mathieu’s deal twice, the second such change bringing a pay cut. Reid joined the Saints this offseason, but rather than finally align as a Mathieu teammate, the former Texans draftee will end up replacing him for a third time.

The LSU standout finishes his career with 36 interceptions, 11 sacks and seven forced fumbles. His work with the Cardinals and Chiefs spearheaded an All-Decade honor for the 2010s. Mathieu retires just shy of $100MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap, though that may change depending on how the Saints financially handle his retirement.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25

July 19th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay

The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.

Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.

The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.

DT Kyon Barrs Lines Up Cardinals, Bengals Visits

July 14th, 2025 at 2:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyon Barrs was unable to make an NFL roster last offseason but he will attempt to do so in 2025. The defensive tackle has a pair of free agent visits lined up.

Barrs will work out with the Cardinals and Bengals this week, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The 6-foot-2, 290-pounder went undrafted in 2024. He joined the Titans shortly after the draft but wound up spending training camp with the Seahawks. Barrs was among Seattle’s final cuts shortly before the regular season.

Immediately after being waived, the five-year Pac-12 performer was retained via a practice squad deal. Barrs wound up being cut from the Seahawks’ taxi squad in September, however. He did not receive another look at the NFL level for the remainder of the season, leading to a campaign spent in the UFL this spring. Playing for the Arlington Renegades, Barrs racked up 23 tackles and one sack.

That level of production has landed Barrs – who amassed 120 stops, five sacks and 13 tackles for loss during his five-year college career – back on the NFL radar. Prior to spending the 2023 campaign at USC, Barrs played at Arizona. A Cardinals agreement would thus come with a degree of familiarity.

The interior of the defensive line saw plenty of turnover in the case of the Cardinals this offseason. Khyiris Tonga, Naquon Jones and Roy Lopez each departed this spring. Calais Campbell returned to the team as a free agent, though, and Arizona’s first-round pick was used on defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Barrs would aim to carve out a role as one of many new faces at the position during training camp.

The Bengals’ training camp will open amongst uncertainty on the edge given the Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart contract situations, but the team’s interior D-line could be a talking point as well. B.J. Hill was re-signed on a three-year, $33MM pact while Sheldon Rankins was released. The latter was limited to only seven games during his one-and-done Cincinnati campaign, but he operated as a full-time starter over that span. The Bengals did not use any of their draft picks on interior defenders.

Both the Cardinals and Bengals currently have over $30MM in cap space at the moment. As a result, a one-year deal for Barrs depending on how his visits pan out will not be a problem.

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 3rd, 2025 at 10:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

By the end of the 2024 regular season, the Bears, Jets and Saints had already moved on from their head coaches. Those teams were joined by Cowboys, Jaguars, Raiders and Patriots in making a change on the sidelines.

After their midseason terminations, Matt Eberflus, Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen each landed defensive coordinator gigs during the 2025 hiring cycle. The staffers who remained in place through the end of the campaign have yet to line up their next NFL opportunity, however. Mike McCarthy withdrew from the Saints’ search, setting the 61-year-old for at least one year out of coaching (just like the pause between his Packers and Cowboys stints).

Meanwhile, Doug Pederson was unable to parlay interest in an offensive coordinator position into a hire this spring. The former Super Bowl winner is thus set to be out of coaching for 2025. The same will also be true of Antonio Pierce and Jerod Mayo after their one-and-done stints as full-time head coaches did not go as planned.

While recent months have brought about the latest round of changes, many of the longest-tenured head coaches around the league remain in place. McCarthy was the only staffer within the top 10 on last year’s list in that regard who has been replaced. In all, nine head coaches hired at the beginning of this decade (or earlier) will carry on with their respective teams in 2025.

Six of those reside in the AFC, with Mike Tomlin – who became the league’s longest-tenured head coach last year in the wake of Bill Belichick’s Patriots departure – once again leading the way, albeit with questions about his future beyond this season present. The NFC will include Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur handling their familiar roles in 2025, although the latter (who has two years left on his deal) will not receive an early extension.

Here is a look at how the league’s head coaches shape up entering the 2025 campaign:

  1. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
  2. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2028
  3. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
  4. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  5. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
  6. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: extended through 2026
  8. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  9. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed extension in June 2024
  10. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
  11. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021; signed offseason extension
  12. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  13. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022; signed offseason extension
  14. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022; extended through 2028
  15. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022; extended through 2028
  16. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  17. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  18. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  19. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
  20. Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
  21. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
  22. Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
  23. Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
  24. Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
  25. Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024
  26. Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots): January 12, 2025
  27. Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears): January 20, 2025
  28. Aaron Glenn (New York Jets): January 22, 2025
  29. Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 23, 2025
  30. Pete Carroll (Las Vegas Raiders): January 24, 2025
  31. Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys): January 24, 2025
  32. Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints): February 11, 2025

Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Offense

July 1st, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last offseason brought about a record-breaking jump in the salary cap. This year, the ceiling rose to $279.2MM, another notable spike. The market at a number of positions will benefit from the ongoing surge in spending power available to teams, with quarterbacks obviously the largest standout in that respect.

In 2024, a pair of signal-callers surpassed the $50MM mark in terms of cap charges for the season. That will not be the case this time around, but to little surprise quarterbacks once again lead the way in terms of representing the largest share of many teams’ financial commitments for 2025. Positions such as receiver and offensive tackle have also generally not reached the same peak in terms of cap commitments as last year.

Leading up to training camp, are the NFL’s top 25 cap charges for offensive players:

  1. Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $50.52MM
  2. Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $47.47MM
  3. Joe Burrow, QB (Bengals): $46MM
  4. Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $43.5MM
  5. Kyler Murray, QB (Cardinals): $43.33MM
  6. Kirk Cousins, QB (Falcons): $40MM
  7. Geno Smith, QB (Raiders): $40MM
  8. Tua Tagovailoa, QB (Dolphins): $39.18MM
  9. Justin Herbert, QB (Chargers): $37.35MM
  10. Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $36.34MM
  11. Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $35.97MM
  12. Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $32.6MM
  13. Taylor Moton, RT (Panthers): $31.35MM
  14. Jordan Love, QB (Packers): $29.69MM
  15. Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $28.06MM
  16. Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans): $28MM
  17. Tyreek Hill, WR (Dolphins): $27.7MM
  18. Jawaan Taylor, RT (Chiefs): $27.39MM
  19. Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers): $26.48MM
  20. Terry McLaurin, WR (Commanders): $25.5MM
  21. Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $25.36MM
  22. D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $24.9MM
  23. Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): $24.06MM
  24. Ja’Marr Chase, WR (Bengals): $23.57MM
  25. Trey Smith, RG (Chiefs): $23.4MM

Prescott’s last-minute 2024 Cowboys extension made him the first player in NFL history to carry an AAV of $60MM. That pact will have lasting impacts well beyond the coming campaign, as the team looks to also fit in the big-ticket extension CeeDee Lamb inked last summer and the one Micah Parsons is in position to sign at some point before Week 1.

Once again, Stafford and the Rams entered the spring with plenty of uncertainty. Retirement was a consideration quickly done away with in the case of the 37-year-old, but it remained to be seen if he would remain in Los Angeles. Trade offers came in from numerous suitors, and the chance existed for Stafford to land a more lucrative deal elsewhere. In the end, though, team and player reached agreement on another reworked pact. Stafford is now in line to receive $84MM over the next two years, including guaranteed money in 2026. A bit of continuity will thus be in place under center for the Rams.

2020 draft classmates Burrow, Tagovailoa and Herbert are understandable top-10 players on this list given their respective deals. All three are on the books for years to come as they look to unseat the Chiefs atop the AFC. Burrow spoke about restructuring his pact to create the cap space necessary for the Bengals to retain or extend each of their key in-house players this offseason. That has yet to take place, and it will be interesting to see if a reworking is explored while talks on the Trey Hendrickson front continue.

The Ravens have worked out a few extensions on offense already (Derrick Henry, Rashod Bateman) but Jackson looms as a candidate for a new deal. Three years remain on his pact, but starting in 2026 his cap charge is scheduled so spike well past its current figure. The two-time MVP has discussed a new arrangement this offseason, and a bump in guarantees and overall compensation similar to what the Bills did with Allen would come as no surprise.

Cousins’ figure stands out, of course, given the fact he is slated to operate as Atlanta’s backup this season. With no release coming and no trade imminent, the four-time Pro Bowler is set to stay in place behind Michael Penix Jr. Cousins has made progress in his rehab from shoulder and ankle injuries suffered prior to his benching midway through his debut Atlanta season. With $10MM already guaranteed for next year, it will be interesting to see if a trade market develops in the coming months in his case.

With the exception of Watson – whose second Achilles tear is set to sideline him for most or all of the coming campaign – the remaining quarterbacks on the list are positioned to serve as starters for their respective teams. Only Geno Smith will be suiting up for a new organization after he was traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders. That swap was followed up by a two-year, $75MM extension and allowed him to reunite with head coach Pete Carroll. A short-term upgrade under center will be key as Vegas looks to find stability on the sidelines and in the front office.

Moton’s cap figure was a talking point earlier this offseason, but the Panthers are content to avoid a fourth restructure in his case. The pending free agent hopes to finish his career in Carolina, but an extension would have helped ensure that while lowering his immediate cap charge. In the absence of such an agreement, it will be interesting to see if Moton, 30, can deliver another strong showing in 2025.

Ridley is perhaps a surprising figure to lead the way in terms of cap charges at the receiver spot. He will operate as a key member of the Titans’ offense, a unit whose success will of course depend in large part on the play of rookie Cam Ward. Ridley has two more years left on his deal beyond 2025, but with limited guarantees owed over that span his Tennessee future could be greatly impacted by who this season plays out.

The likes of Hill, Evans and Moore are not currently the subject of speculation regarding their future. McLaurin, however, was absent from much of the Commanders’ spring practices with little progress being made at the negotiating table. Plenty of work is still required at this point to avoid a potential free agent departure next spring. Coming off a career-high in touchdowns while thriving alongside Jayden Daniels, the two-time Pro Bowler is in line for a raise which will likely lower his cap hit this season.

Chase and Higgins inked their deals simultaneously, putting an end to questions regarding where the latter in particular would play on his second contract. Those two, together with Burrow, will serve as foundational players for years to come in Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how long Chase (with an AAV of $40.25MM) remains the league’s top earner in that respect for non-quarterbacks.

Kansas City’s offensive line faces questions entering the season. Despite his big-ticket contract, Taylor is not a lock to remain a starter at this point. With no guaranteed left on the final year of his deal (2026), a parting of ways could be in store next spring if a backup gig ensues. Trey Smith, meanwhile, remains attached to the franchise tag although an extension is among the team’s remaining offseason priorities.

Cardinals’ Isaiah Adams In “Pole Position” For Starting RG Job; RB Trey Benson Hopes To Earn More Carries

June 29th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Isaiah Adams, one of four third-round picks the Cardinals made in 2024, started at right guard over the last five games of his rookie season after seeing sporadic playing time prior to that point. Per Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Adams is in “pole position” to earn the starting RG gig in 2025.

In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, Adams did not play particularly well in his limited action last year. PFF assigned him a middling grade of 58.4, which placed him as the 52nd-best guard out of 77 qualified players. His 50.3 pass-blocking grade was the main culprit for that mark, which was mitigated by his above-average performance in the run game.

Regardless of whether the club’s view of Adams’ work aligns with PFF’s evaluation, the Cardinals clearly saw enough to pencil him in as a first-team blocker. One of his primary needs this offseason was to improve his strength, which he acknowledged was on the top of his agenda.

Urban leaves open the possibility of a veteran addition once training camp gets underway next month. However, given Adams’ draft status, the longtime Cardinals beat believes the club wants Adams to win the job. 

Arizona did add Royce Newman in free agency this offseason. Newman served as the Packers’ primary right guard in 2021, but his playing time has gone down in each subsequent season. Green Bay waived him last August, and though the Bucs claimed him on waivers, he appeared in a grand total of three snaps for Tampa Bay in 2024. It therefore appears the RG job is Adams’ to lose.

One of Adams’ fellow 2024 third-rounders, running back Trey Benson, still finds himself behind RB1 James Conner on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Conner played in a career-high 16 games last season, which allowed him to set a personal high-water mark of 1,508 scrimmage yards while maintaining a healthy 4.6 yards-per-carry rate. He also added nine total TDs, and his efforts earned him an extension that will keep him in place through 2026.

Because of Conner’s performance and availability, Benson was limited to 63 totes in 2024. Like Conner, Benson managed 4.6 yards per carry, and he added bulk this offseason while simultaneously improving his speed, power, and explosiveness in an effort to earn more carries (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic). 

Conner, 30, dealt with a lingering right knee injury last season, and though he was mostly able to play through it, the Cardinals shut him down for the 2024 finale (along with Benson). We have not heard anything troublesome about Conner’s health, but it would not be surprising for Arizona to lighten the veteran’s workload a bit in 2025 to see what one of its recent draftees can do.

For his part, Conner believes Benson is up to the task.

“He’s worked unbelievably this offseason,” Conner said of Benson. “Showed up every single day, working out together and yeah, he wants it. He wants it bad. That’s because he knows the type of player he can be. We all know that. … He was already a freak athlete before, but now … He’s a grown man out there.”

Chargers Owner Congratulated Cardinals Owner On Kyler Murray Extension

June 24th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this offseason, we learned an independent arbitrator concluded that NFL owners (and the league office) did not collude in an effort to reduce contract guarantees, especially in regards to quarterback contracts. A recent investigation by Pablo Torre led to the release of a 61-page document that detailed the arbitrator’s findings. While the investigation was inspired by the fallout from Deshaun Watson‘s contract, anecdotes surrounding other notable QBs have started coming out in the laundry.

[RELATED: Russell Wilson Asked Broncos For Fully Guaranteed Deal]

Following a peek behind the curtain surrounding Russell Wilson‘s past negotiations with the Broncos, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has uncovered some notable correspondence following the Kyler Murray extension. Specifically, two owners may have hinted that Murray’s deal influenced Justin Herbert‘s eventual extension with the Chargers.

Four months after Watson inked his fully guaranteed extension, Murray signed a new deal with the Cardinals that guaranteed $160MM of the $230.5MM total. When word of this extension got leaked to the media, Chargers owner Dean Spanos texted Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill to congratulate him on the specific terms of the deal. Per Florio, Bidwell noted that his front office managed to limit “the fully guaranteed money and have some pretty good language,” with Spanos responding that the Murray contract would “[help] us for our QB next year.”

“I think many teams will be happy with it once they have a chance to review,” Bidwell responded. “Cleveland really screwed things up, but I was resolved to keep the guaranteed [money] relatively ‘low.’”

As Florio notes, this exchange would seem to contradict the findings of arbitrator Christopher Droney. The Cardinals and Chargers are intended to operate as competitors, leading Florio to question why the duo may be coordinating. Florio believes the smoking gun is Spanos admitting that the Murray contract will have an influence on Herbert’s eventual deal. On the flip side, Droney opines that a QB extension would naturally influence future deals, and the correspondence between the two owners doesn’t constitute any circumstantial evidence.

“These communications are more in line with ‘independent response to common stimuli, or mere interdependence unaided by an advance understanding among the parties,’ rather than participation in a collusive agreement,” Droney wrote (per Florio).

Herbert signed his extension almost exactly a year after Murray. The Chargers QB temporarily reset the QB market, and he got $218MM of his $262MM total guaranteed.

For what it’s worth, Droney did note that “the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans’ contracts” following the signing of Watson’s extension. While players likely have little recourse, there may be some eventual fallout following this recent investigation.

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