Giants Restructure Brian Burns’ Contract
The Giants entered Thursday at the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. On the day Abdul Carter signed his rookie deal, fellow edge rusher Brian Burns had his pact restructured to create financial breathing room. 
$16MM of Burns’ base salary has been converted into a signing bonus, ESPN’s Field Yates reports. The move has freed up $12MM in cap space for 2025 after the two-time Pro Bowler was scheduled to carry a cap charge of $29.75MM. Burns remains under contract through 2028.
Over the course of his tenure with the Panthers, the former first-rounder established himself as a consistent producer along the edge. Carolina repeatedly turned aside trade interest, but an inability between team and player to agree to terms on an extension led to last year’s swap which sent him to New York. Upon arrival, Burns inked a five-year, $141MM deal.
Expectations were obviously high given the nature of that investment, and the Florida State product managed 8.5 sacks (second on the team to defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence) during his debut Giants season. Burns is joined by Kayvon Thibodeaux as a returnee along the edge, and those two will be joined by Carter for at least the next two years. Thibodeaux’s 2026 option was picked up this spring, putting to rest questions about his immediate future in New York.
The Oregon product has flashed potential at times, but consistency has also proven to be an issue. Thibodeaux does not expect to discuss an extension this summer, so plenty will depend on his ability to produce in 2025 in determining his outlook with the team. With Carter in place as a potential successor in that case, Burns will be tasked with remaining a consist contributor in the sack department.
Three members of the Giants’ rookie class are yet to be signed. Finalizing those pacts will use up a portion of the team’s newly-created funds, but the team could also look into some low-cost moves with Burns’ cap figure having been reduced.
Raiders DT Christian Wilkins Unlikely To Be Cleared Before Training Camp
Christian Wilkins was limited to just five games during his debut season with the Raiders due to a Jones fracture. Surgery in October shut him down for the remainder of the campaign, and things have not gone smoothly with respect to his rehab process. 
Wilkins’ left foot has been in and out of a walking boot since the procedure, as noted by Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). The big-ticket 2024 free agent addition was mentioned last month as a candidate to miss time during the coming season based on his status at the time. With Wilkins not taking part in spring practices, it is clear he still has plenty of work to do to suit up for Week 1.
“This has been a difficult recovery,” head coach Pete Carroll said when speaking about Wilkins’ situation (via Tafur). “He’s done everything he needs to do. He’s been here every day… We’re in the midst of a long, challenging process here. Fortunately, there’s a lot of time.”
April’s update suggested a second procedure took place, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal notes Wilkins is dealing with a setback. The screw inserted into the 29-year-old’s foot may have broken, or Wilkins may have re-fractured the bone which was initially injured. The latter scenario is rare, but in either case Bonsignore adds a return to full health should not be expected until August.
That timeline would leave the former Dolphin sidelined for the remainder of OTAs and minicamp through the start of training camp in July. Wilkins being back to 100% by that point would still leave plenty of time for him to prepare for the season, of course, but in the meantime his absence will be felt on a Raiders team which added him on a four-year, $110MM contract last March. That pact was restructured this offseason in a move which created $15MM in cap room but left high expectations for the former first-rounder upon return.
Vegas still has veteran Adam Butler in place along the defensive line, and the team made a pair of additions during the fourth and sixth rounds of the draft (Tonka Hemingway, J.J. Pegues). That group’s performance will depend in large part on Wilkins delivering on expectations this year, of course, but given his current status it remains to be seen how much time he will spend on the field during training camp.
Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson Receives Full Medical Clearance
Aidan Hutchinson‘s rehab process in complete. When speaking to the media on Thursday, the Lions’ top edge rusher said he has received full medical clearance. 
“I didn’t really have any setbacks,” Hutchinson said when reflecting on his recovery (via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard). “It was just a gradual climb. I always knew I was gonna be back.”
This update comes as little surprise, as last month the 24-year-old said he had completed his rehab. Now that his final evaluations have checked out, Hutchinson will be able to take part in OTAs in advance of mandatory minicamp next month and training camp this summer. The news of a full recovery is of course also relevant as it pertains to a potential long-term extension.
2025 marks the first offseason in which Hutchinson is eligible for a second contract. The former No. 2 pick is on the books for the next two years based on the Lions’ easy decision to pick up his fifth-year option, something which has him on track to collect $18.72M in 2026. A multi-year deal will cost much more than that on an annual basis given where the pass rush market stands and Hutchinson’s early success. Surpassing Myles Garrett in yearly compensation ($40MM) may be necessary, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes is aware a monster pact is in store in this situation.
After finishing as the runner-up in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, Hutchinson posted 11.5 sacks and a league-leading 62 QB pressures in 2023. Another high-end season was taking shape in 2024, with the Michigan product notching 7.5 sacks through five games. A broken leg ended his season, though, and with the Lions being upset in the divisional round of the playoffs the possibility of a Super Bowl return became a moot point.
Hutchinson will be reprise his role as a foundational member of the Lions’ defense in general and pass rush group in particular in 2025. Detroit will aim for better health on that side of the ball this season, and barring any new developments on that front Hutchinson will be at full strength well in advance of the campaign.
Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons Have Not Been In Recent Contact
At the beginning of April, a report emerged stating an in-person meeting between Micah Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones resulted in the framework of an extension agreement. Since then, it has become clear plenty of work still needs to be done, though, and the parties have not spoken directly in some time. 
“I haven’t talked with him in about four or five weeks and of course that’ll be necessary if he’s going to get a [new] contract,” Jones said of Parsons during this week’s owners meeting (via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports). “But he’s got a contract. That’s the point — be sure and clear about that.”
Indeed, Parsons remains on track to collect $24.01MM in 2025 on his fifth-year option. That figure is guaranteed and represents his scheduled cap hit as things stand. Lowering his immediate cap charge could be attained with a long-term pact, one which will carry a much larger AAV. The four-time Pro Bowler could very well find himself as the league’s highest-paid defender, which would require surpassing Myles Garrett‘s $40MM-per-year Browns pact. Topping the deal Ja’Marr Chase inked with the Bengals ($41.25MM anually) would make Parsons the league’s highest earner for non-quarterbacks.
In the absence of an extension agreement, Parsons’ participation in voluntary spring workouts was a talking point. The 25-year-old was in attendance for the start of Dallas’ offseason program, which marked the beginning of new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus‘ scheme install. As for the opening days of OTAs, first-time head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News) Parsons was present on Monday. That was not the case the following day, though, as noted by DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr.
Schottenheimer has spoken publicly on a number of occasions about the importance of Parsons taking part in spring practice in advance of mandatory minicamp next month and training camp during the summer. Hill notes it is unclear if the two-time All-Pro participated in on-field work Monday or if his attendance simply took the form of meetings.
Parsons aims to have his extension in hand in time for training camp, and if that does not prove to be the case the possibility of a hold-in will loom. Time remains for a deal to be reached, but a gap exists between the asking price from the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s camp and what Dallas has been prepared to offer so far. Based on Jones’ remarks, the Cowboys – a team regularly criticized for its pace with respect to working out long-term deals – are not on the verge of ensuring Parsons’ post-2025 future.
Saints’ Jake Haener Suffers Oblique Strain
The Saints’ quarterback competition will not be conducted at full strength for the remainder of the spring. Jake Haener suffered an oblique strain at the end of yesterday’s practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
The injury is likely to keep Haener sidelined for a number of weeks, Schefter adds. The 26-year-old is thus likely to miss the remainder of OTAs. He is expected to return in time for the start of training camp, however. Nevertheless, missed practices of any kind will of course hinder Haener’s development and his hurt his chances of winning the Saints’ starting job.
In the wake of Derek Carr‘s retirement, it became clear New Orleans would not look to add a veteran passer but rather hold an open competition between the team’s remaining options. That list consists of Haener, Spencer Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough. The latter two will continue sharing reps during OTAs in advance of training camp.
Haener’s rookie campaign began with a six-game PED suspension and he did not see the field upon returning to the lineup. The 2023 fourth-rounder made just one start last year after Carr went down for the season. Neither Haener nor Rattler (who made six starts to close out the campaign) managed to record a win while filling in for the Pro Bowler. Improvement will be sought out under new head coach Kellen Moore as New Orleans aims to avoid the injury issues of last year on offense.
Shough enters the NFL with seven years of college experience, and he is one year older than Rattler. That could prove to be advantageous (to an extent) over the coming months, although plenty of time remains for a frontrunner for the Week 1 start to emerge. That responsibility could still fall to Haener, but for now his attention will turn to recovery.
Charles Woodson To Purchase Minority Browns Ownership Stake
MAY 21: Woodson’s minority ownership stake in the Browns was approved by the NFL at spring meetings in Minneapolis, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. The franchise’s value was listed as $5.15 billion by Forbes in August 2024, so Woodson will have pony up $5.15MM to complete the deal. With career earnings over $105MM, per OverTheCap, he should have no problem finding the funds.
MAY 15: One decade removed from the end of his decorated playing career, Charles Woodson is entering the realm of NFL ownership on a small level. The Hall of Famer is set to join Cleveland’s ownership group. 
Woodson has a deal in place to purchase a 0.1% stake in the Browns, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds this arrangement will bring about similar restrictions to those created for his former Michigan teammate Tom Brady as a condition of his stake in the Raiders. That arrangement limits Brady’s involvement in certain aspects of his broadcasting career (among other things) as part of an effort to avoid conflicts of interest.
Russini adds that Woodson – a native of Freemont, Ohio – will also need to cease using his name, image and likeness on packaging for the wine and whiskey companies he is associated with to comply with the NFL’s alcohol policy. Once those conditions are met, the 48-year-old will take on a minimal Browns share. Jimmy Haslam remains in place as the team’s controlling owner.
Over the course of his time with the Raiders and Packers early in his career, Woodson established himself as one of the greatest cornerbacks of his generation and beyond. The Super Bowl winner eventually transitioned to safety at the end of his All-Pro tenure, which included a return to the Raiders. Woodson’s attention has been focused on his post-playing days since his career ended in 2015; that will soon include an ownership role.
Last August, Forbes valued the Browns at $5.15 billion (h/t Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal). Based on that figure, Woodson’s purchase would cost $5.15 million, although deals such as this are often based on lesser franchise valuations and thus a lower cost to new owners. In any case, Woodson should be in place as the latest member of Cleveland’s ownership group in the near future.
Owners To Vote On Revised Playoff Seeding
MAY 21: The Lions withdrew their proposal to change the NFL’s playoff seeding, per NFL Network’s Judy Battista. It will likely resurface in the future, potentially as part of an effort to expand the regular season to 18 games, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
MAY 20: This measure is unlikely to pass, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said during a SportsCenter appearance it should not be expected to venture off the radar. A change should be expected — one that would introduce the possibility of a division winner beginning its playoff slate on the road for the first time since 1989 — down the line, as Fowler offers the increasingly inevitable move to 18 games could be what pushes this change past the goal line.
Indeed, Breer adds the proposal was not close to passing in March. Owners did, however, discuss language that would have included a winning record being required for any non-division winner to host a game. That component did not make its way into the Lions’ final proposal, however.
MAY 16: Olympic participation will be one of the key items on the agenda for the upcoming owners meeting in Minneapolis. Another one will pertain to a potential tweak in the way playoff teams are seeded moving forward. 
In January, it was learned the NFL would look into changing the playoff format. In particular, seeding the postseason-bound teams from each conference based solely on record has received consideration. Such an arrangement would still see division winners assured of a playoff spot but not necessarily home field during the wild-card round.
Owners will have the opportunity to vote on a proposal from the Lions which would seed the playoff teams from 1-7 next week, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. Questions were raised earlier this offseason about removing the guaranteed home game from division winners and thus the likelihood of such an alteration receiving sufficient support for it to be passed. Breer adds a change has since been made to the proposal which would see teams reseeded after the opening round of the postseason.
Division winners would also receive the tiebreaker over wild-card teams under this proposal (regardless of the outcome of head-to-head matchups), per Breer. While that would lend even further credence to the significance of topping a division, passing the resolution – or at least some form of it – would constitute a notable departure from the status quo in how the playoff bracket is arranged. A strong possibility therefore exists less than the required 24 yes votes from owners will exist in the coming days.
On that note, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports it is considered unlikely the current proposal will pass if it is brought to a vote. He adds, however, that opinions on the matter could begin to shift once an 18-game regular season schedule (long seen as an inevitability) is put in place. As both Breer and Jones note, the changes being floated would create more opportunities for teams to move up and down the playoff order through to the end of the campaign even after clinching their division. That, in turn, would presumably lead to more starters remaining on the field for otherwise meaningless (or at least less meaningful) matchups in the closing weeks of the year.
Of course, the fact a proposal is set for discussion and potentially a vote illustrates the support it has among some in the league. Jones writes that commissioner Roger Goodell is among the advocates for altering the playoff seeding. Whether or not that helps sway the view of enough owners next week will be worth monitoring.
Contract Dispute Ongoing Between Bengals, Shemar Stewart
Shemar Stewart sat out the Bengals’ rookie minicamp as a result of the fact he has yet to sign his initial NFL contract. The structure of the pact was at the heart of the issue, and that is still the case. 
Stewart has attended meetings during voluntary offseason work, but Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports he has yet to participate in any on-field practices. Stewart’s aim is for his pact to match the language of the Bengals’ two most recent Day 1 selections. That affects matters like the timing of bonus payments, whereas the value of his base salary and signing bonus are determined by draft slot.
The Bengals selected Stewart 17th overall, adding an option to complement Trey Hendrickson in 2025 and potentially replace him as the team’s top edge rusher after that point. The Texas A&M product’s rookie deal will match that of right tackle Amarius Mims (the No. 18 pick in 2024) and fellow defensive end Myles Murphy (No. 28 in 2023) if his request is granted. Disputes similar to this one have not been entirely eliminated in the rookie wage scale era, but it is still notable this situation has resulted in an ongoing holdout.
Hendrickson, of course, is seeking a new arrangement of his own with one year remaining on his pact. The reigning NFL sack leader is angling for guarantees beyond 2025, a bridge the Bengals have not historically been willing to cross (with a small number of recent exceptions). Even if Hendrickson remains in the fold for the coming year and beyond, increased production in the pass rush department will be required on a defense needing to improve in several areas moving forward.
Stewart may not be in position to help in that regard right away after he totaled just 4.5 sacks in college. Still, the 6-5, 267-pounder’s draft stock was helped by his Combine performance and athletic profile, and over the long term he could grow into a key figure on defense for years to come. Stewart’s (on-field) development will not begin until his contract situation sees a resolution, however.
RB Kyren Williams Expects To Remain With Rams Beyond 2025
One year remains on Kyren Williams‘ rookie contract, but an extension could be worked out to ensure he does not reach the market next spring. Talks have already taken place between the Rams and their lead running back’s camp, and he appears to be confident a long-term pact will be in hand even if the season starts without one being worked out. 
Williams played sparingly as a rookie, but over the past two seasons he has been a focal point on offense for the Rams. The 24-year-old received 228 carries in 2023, and that number rose to 316 last year. A heavy workload can be expected again in 2025 regardless of if a second contract is worked out over the coming months. Williams would prefer an extension, of course, but in any case he is confident he will remain in Los Angeles beyond the coming campaign.
“I know with time it’s going to happen,” Williams said of a new contract (via Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times). “I would love for it to get done so I can take care of my family and the loved ones that helped me get here… Whether it happens now or I play out the season, I know it’s going to happen eventually.”
Williams led the NFL in rushing yards per game in 2023 with 95.3. That figure dropped considerably last year, though, as his efficiency fell from 5.0 yards per carry to 4.1. The former fifth-round pick nevertheless set a new career high in a number of categories, including scrimmage yards (1,481) and touchdowns (16). He will be in store for a raise compared to his rookie deal – which calls for a $5.35MM salary in 2025 – once his next contract is in place. As of April, a gap existed between the 2023 Pro Bowler’s asking price and the Rams’ valuation of him, so progress will need to be made at the negotiating table.
General manager Les Snead aims to “engineer a long-term partnership” in the Notre Dame product’s case, but it remains to be seen if the Rams will be willing to make a commitment near the top of the running back market. Seven players at the position are attached to an AAV of at least $10MM, and Williams’ age will no doubt help his case to join that group. On the other hand, Los Angeles invested a third-round pick in 2024 in Blake Corum and added another running back (Jarquez Hunter) during the fourth round of this year’s draft.
Those two will remain under team control well beyond the 2025 season. It remains to be seen if that will hold true for Williams, but his latest remarks point to a free agent departure still being unlikely.
Eagles Extend HC Nick Sirianni
The Super Bowl champions will have continuity on the sidelines for years to come. The Eagles announced on Monday that head coach Nick Sirianni has agreed to an extension. 
“Nick has embodied everything we were looking for in a head coach since we hired him four years ago,” a statement from owner Jeffrey Lurie reads in part. “His authentic style of leadership, football intelligence, passion for the game, and growth mindset have helped to bring out the best in our team. I am excited for what the future holds for the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Sirianni led the Eagles to a playoff berth during each of his first three seasons at the helm. Philadelphia won nine, 14 and 11 games during that span, an indication of the team’s potential with the former Colts offensive coordinator in place. Despite that success – including a trip to the Super Bowl during his second year in charge – Sirianni’s future was a talking point entering the 2024 campaign.
A late-season collapse in 2023 resulted in a wild-card exit and another round of coordinator changes in Philadelphia. General manager Howie Roseman played a key role in the hiring of Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, something which added to doubts about Sirianni’s tenure in the organization. Tension with quarterback Jalen Hurts arose as a talking point in August, but with a new OC in place (one with more autonomy than Moore’s predecessor, Brian Johnson), that was seen as less of an issue for much of the 2024 season.
Of course, the Eagles’ win in Super Bowl LIX – over the Chiefs, the team which beat them two years prior – dramatically helped Sirianni’s case for a new deal. Earlier last month, Lurie made it clear his intention was to extend the 43-year-old, so today’s news comes as no surprise. Expectations will remain high in 2025 and beyond despite Moore taking over as the Saints’ new head coach.
Between the regular and postseason, the Eagles have won 54 games under Sirianni; that is the second highest total for a head coach in their first four seasons. In the Super Bowl era, only John Madden and George Allen own higher winning percentages than Sirianni’s .706 mark amongst coaches with at least 50 games of experience. That track record has put to rest questions about a change on the sidelines in Philadelphia for the foreseeable future.
Hurts and many other members of the Eagles’ Super Bowl core are still in place entering 2025. Another strong performance on both sides of the ball would give them a chance at competing for a third Lombardi Trophy or at least remaining a contender in the NFC as they have been for much of Sirianni’s tenure. With Roseman’s future assured, Philadelphia should not experience major alterations at the head coach or general manager spots any time soon.