Chargers Place WR DJ Chark On IR
The Chargers’ new-look receiving corps will not have DJ Chark available at the start of the season. The veteran was placed on injured reserve Saturday. 
A hip injury kept Chark out of practice during the week, and he will now be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. The 27-year-old took a one-year deal in free agency to come to Los Angeles, continuing his journey around the NFL after the end of his Jaguars rookie contract. Chark had one-year stints with the Lions and Panthers prior to joining the Bolts this spring.
Keenan Allen and Mike Williams were staples of the Chargers’ passing attack for years, including all four seasons in which quarterback Justin Herbert has been in place. Allen was traded to the Bears and Williams was released, however. Both veterans had one year remaining on their respective contracts, but many cap-related moves were made by new general manager Joe Hortiz in the offseason. An offer to keep Allen in the fold at a reduced rate was rejected, while Williams was let go after an ACL tear caused him to miss most of last year.
Los Angeles has Josh Palmer in place as a receiver holdover, and the 24-year-old Canadian is in line for a notable role as he approaches free agency. The Chargers’ top pick in last year’s draft – Quentin Johnston – will be expected to take a step forward after an underwhelming rookie campaign. Hortiz and new head coach Jim Harbaugh added three wideouts in the draft, including second-rounder Ladd McConkey. Chark was set to play at least a rotational role amidst that trio on his latest team, but his Chargers debut will be delayed.
A Pro Bowler in 2019, the LSU alum saw a downturn in production the following year and was limited to just four games in his final Jacksonville campaign. Chark also missed multiple games in Detroit and Carolina, but his production remained consistent with 1,027 yards and eight touchdowns across that span. With a career yards per catch average of 14.5, he will remain a vertical threat once healthy. For now, though, the Chargers’ pass-catching corps will be shorthanded.
Raiders Place DE Malcolm Koonce On IR
Expectations are high for the Raiders’ front seven in 2024, but the unit will be shorthanded to begin the year and potentially well into the season. Defensive end Malcolm Koonce was placed on injured reserve Saturday. 
[Offseason In Review: Las Vegas Raiders]
As a result, he will miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Koonce suffered a knee injury in practice this week, but his absence could stretch far beyond September. ESPN’s Paul Guiterrez reports the ailment could be season-ending.
Losing Koonce for any extended stretch would mark a notable blow to Vegas’ pass rush. Maxx Crosby remains atop the depth chart, and the three-time Pro Bowler will be counted on to deliver another impactful campaign this year. Koonce was set to operate as the other starter at the defensive end spot, however, after he set a number of career highs in 2023. The 26-year-old saw a major uptick in usage last season, logging a 44% snap share and making 11 starts (after exclusively playing in a rotational capacity during his first two campaigns).
Koonce produced eight sacks, 17 quarterback hits and 23 pressures in 2023, setting the stage for another strong year to conclude his rookie contract. The former third-rounder was reported in July to be on the Raiders’ extension radar, and a second straight year with strong production would have helped his value considerably. Now, though, attention will turn to recovery with team and player hoping he will able to return at some point in the season.
Vegas selected Tyree Wilson seventh overall last year with the hopes of using him in a first-team role opposite Crosby. Things did not go according to plan, though, as Wilson recorded just 3.5 sacks and logged a rotational workload. With Koonce out of the fold for the time being, the Texas Tech alum could be in line for a larger role than anticipated to start the 2024 season.
In a corresponding move, the Raiders promoted Charles Snowden from the practice squad to the active roster. The 26-year-old has only made two regular season appearances in his career; they came with the Bears in 2021. Snowden will be a candidate for a depth role, as will 2023 fourth-rounder Janarius Robinson. Vegas’ campaign begins tomorrow against the Chargers, but Koonce’s recovery timeline will prove to be a key big-picture storyline for the team.
Dolphins Extend CB Jalen Ramsey
In advance of his second Dolphins season, Jalen Ramsey has agreed to another big-ticket deal. The All-Pro corner has worked out a three-year, $72.3MM extension, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Cameron Wolfe. Head coach Mike McDaniel has since confirmed the news.
This pact will include $55.3MM guaranteed, Rapoport adds. Ramsey and the Dolphins worked out the agreement a few days ago, but the news has now broken in preparation for his return to the practice field. Ramsey is a candidate to suit up for Week 1 on Sunday with the title of the league’s highest-paid corner. 
Patrick Surtain moved the top of the position’s market forward earlier this week when he agreed to a Broncos extension averaging $24MM per season. Ramsey’s deal checks in at $24.1MM annually. The 31-year-old had two years remaining on his existing pact (the five-year, $100MM extension he inked in 2020), one which was restructured this spring to clear 2024 cap space. No guaranteed salary was in place for 2025, but that will no doubt change in the wake of today’s news.
Acquired via trade with the Rams last offseason, Ramsey was limited to 10 games in his debut Miami campaign due to a knee injury. He recorded three interceptions and five pass deflections during that span, though, and returned in time for the team’s wild-card game. The former No. 6 pick earned his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl nod in 2023, setting himself up another notable payday. Ramsey rose to the top of the pecking order on his 2020 deal, and he has now managed to replicate that feat four years later.
The Dolphins moved on from Xavien Howard this offseason, one in which Kendall Fuller was added in free agency. The Ramsey-Fuller tandem will be counted on to anchor the team’s secondary as Miami has a number of inexperienced options on the depth chart, although it remains to be seen if they will both be on the field for Week 1. McDaniel- who himself recently landed a multi-year extension – noted during his Thursday press availability that he is unsure if Ramsey will get enough practice time in between now and the season opener to be able to play (h/t Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).
Miami has qualified for the postseason in each of the past two years, bowing out in the wild-card round both times. The team will be expected to improve in that regard in 2024, with many key players on offense (quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in particular) landing sizable new contracts to remain in place for the foreseeable future. The Dolphins ranked 15th against the pass last year, so taking a step forward in that regard will be a goal for the coming campaign. Ramsey is positioned to handle a central role in that effort through the 2028 campaign.
Just like the Surtain deal, this pact will represent a target for extension-eligible corners next offseason. The likes of Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley and Jaycee Horn will be in line for new deals in the spring. The previous high point for the position in terms of AAV was $21MM, but a new benchmark has been established. It will be interesting to see how the market takes shape once the next wave of monster extensions comes about in 2025.
Ja’Marr Chase: Bengals Extension ‘In Reach’
A breakthrough in the case of Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals could be imminent. The fourth-year wideout said on Friday (via team reporter Geoff Hobson) an extension is “in reach.” 
While Chase added that he is prepared to play this season without an extension in hand (h/t Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network), that update points to a deal being distinctly possible before Week 1. Cincinnati has made increased efforts in recent days to get an agreement over the finish line.
That process includes a “significant” offer which is on the table as the countdown to Week 1 continues. Chase has practiced on a limited basis this week, and he termed himself a game-time decision for Cincinnati’s season opener. Team and player could continue negotiations into the regular season, but all of the other receiver mega-deals of the 2024 offseason have been worked out by now. As things stand, Chase is on the books through 2025.
The Bengals made the obvious move of picking up his fifth-year option last offseason, and as a result he is due to collect $21.82MM next year. The three-time Pro Bowler has long been on the extension radar, though, and he confirmed (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) talks have been ongoing for six months. Chase said he was informed by the front office a deal would be worked out this offseason, with today representing his artificial deadline for an extension to be signed.
Cincinnati has stood firm in terms of not breaking organizational practices by making guarantee commitments beyond the first year of an extension. Quarterback Joe Burrow represents an exception to that rule, and the same will surely be true for Chase if/when his extension is on the books. Justin Jefferson reset the WR market with a $35MM-per-year accord and nearly $89MM in guarantees. CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Brandon Aiyuk (49ers) have since signed big-ticket deals of their own, with Lamb in particular landing a similar commitment for locked in compensation. It remains to be seen where Chase will land in the pecking order amongst young wideouts, although his Friday comments confirmed he sees himself as the league’s top receiver.
Burrow is in place long term, and his connection with Chase has remained strong at the NFL level after their time together at LSU. Tee Higgins will play on the franchise tag in 2024, and a free agent departure would come as no surprise. Chase figures to be in the Bengals’ offensive plans for years to come, and that may be official in time for the start of the season.
QB Russell Wilson Uncertain For Week 1
A calf strain cost Russell Wilson time during training camp, and it is now threatening to delay his regular season Steelers debut. Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback was limited in practice on Friday and a decision on his status may not be made until game time. 
Wilson aggravated the issue on Thursday, and his lack of participation today was aimed at recovering in time for Week 1. The Steelers are set to play the Falcons on Sunday in the first game since he was tapped as Pittsburgh’s starter under center. No firm decision has been made yet on the 35-year-old’s availability, and the progress he makes in recovering over the weekend will be key.
“I just felt a little tight,” Wilson said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I just wanted to be smart about it. Obviously we play the game on Sunday. I’m hoping I get to be in it, obviously, but just trying to get ready to go… I think the most important thing is just tons of treatment and getting ready to see what I can do each day and take [it] day by day.”
With Wilson sidelined for a period during the summer, Justin Fields took first-team reps. That remained the case this week once the former Super Bowl winner encountered his latest issue. Fields gained support in the organization with his performance in camp and the preseason, but it ultimately came as no surprise when head coach Mike Tomlin elected to go with Wilson after he spent the build-up to the campaign in pole position for the QB1 gig.
Of course, many have floated the possibility of Fields taking over from Wilson at some point during the season. Wilson struggled during his Broncos tenure, and the nine-time Pro Bowler was released despite that move creating a record-breaking $85MM dead cap charge. He signed a one-year deal aimed at allowing him to rebuild his value on the open market or showing his viability for a longer Pittsburgh tenure.
Fields is in a similar situation after he was traded to the Steelers shortly after the Wilson signing. The former first-rounder did not live up to expectations in Chicago, but Pittsburgh could represent another opportunity for a first-team gig. No in-season negotiations will take place with either passer, and their respective showings will determine whether or not another organizational reset at the position will be needed in 2025.
Pittsburgh’s final injury report lists Wilson as questionable for Sunday, and his status will be worth watching over the coming days. If he is unable to play, Fields will start with Kyle Allen serving as the backup.
Commanders Release WR Byron Pringle
Byron Pringle remained with the Commanders by taking a deal in July, but he is not in the fold for at least the time being. The veteran receiver was released on Friday, per a team announcement. 
[RELATED: Recapping Commanders’ Offseason]
Pringle spent the 2023 campaign in Washington under offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy after the pair worked together in Kansas City. The 30-year-old was available for the full season, but he only started one contest and logged an offensive snap share of just 17%. That was balanced out by a notable special teams workload.
Not long after training camp started, Pringle inked a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum to remain with the Commanders. He survived roster cuts, but vested veterans have their base salaries ($1.13MM in this case) become fully guaranteed just before Week 1. For that reason, teams sometime elect to briefly cut such players immediately before the start of the season. It will be interesting to see if Pringle – whose deal does not include any money in the form of a signing bonus – is brought back in short order.
Washington moved on from 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson by trading him to the Eagles. That move was one of many which saw players added before the current Josh Harris/Adam Peters/Dan Quinn regime took over find new teams this offseason, and it came after a reported clash with Bieniemy which took place last year. Dotson was set operate as a complementary receiving option in 2024, but his absence has created a vacancy for that role.
Martavis Bryant‘s comeback efforts produced a Commanders contract, but he was let go ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. With Pringle out of the picture (for now, at a minimum), Washington’s receiver room is led by returnees Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown and Jamison Crowder, free agent addition Olamide Zaccheaus, third-round rookie Luke McCaffrey and recent pickup Noah Brown. The Commanders will save $985K in cap space via the Pringle release.
Cowboys, Dak Prescott Making Progress In Extension Talks
SEPTEMBER 6: Stephen Jones confirmed on Friday (via team reporter Nick Harris) talks continue on the Prescott front. The team remains hopeful an agreement can be reached prior to Sunday, and attention will no doubt be focused on any movement in negotiations in the immediate future.
SEPTEMBER 5: CeeDee Lamb‘s extension is in place, and Micah Parsons may well need to wait until next offseason to finalize one of his own. The Cowboys still have the matter of a Dak Prescott deal to attend to in the days leading up to their season opener, however. 
Negotiations on an extension have taken place throughout the summer, and efforts to reach an agreement continue before Week 1. During a recent Scoop City episode, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported contract length is an issue between the parties (audio link). The financial element of a new Prescott accord is still expected to top the quarterback market, but Dallas could be hesitant about making another long-term commitment (at least, in terms of guaranteed money) in the 31-year-old. One year remains on the four-year, $160MM pact he signed in 2021.
However, DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr. writes team and player are in fact in agreement on contract length at this point. He adds that progress has been made recently and as a result a deal is “closer than it has been” at previous times in the offseason. Owner Jerry Jones said last week an extension does not need to be in place in time for Week 1, but Hill describes Sunday as Prescott’s “arbitrary line of demarcation,” suggesting talks could be paused after that time if no deal is reached. ESPN’s Dan Graziano adds it would not come as a surprise for this situation to be resolved in the coming days, even if it resulted in Prescott falling short of the $60MM AAV mark he has been connected to.
Prescott has joined Jones in making numerous public comments on this situation, one which will see him carry a cap hit of over $55MM in 2024 as things stand (along with a charge of more than $40MM next year if he were to depart). Last year’s MVP runner-up has repeatedly hinted at a willingness to keep his options open, citing the volume of high-profile quarterbacks who have played for multiple teams in their careers. He and Jones have, on the other hand, made clear their preference to continue their long-running relationship in 2025 and beyond.
Lamb’s deal carries an AAV of $34MM, the second-highest figure for receivers. Whenever Parsons’ deal is in place, it will no doubt make him at least one of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers. Those commitments will make a new Prescott investment difficult to manage from a cap standpoint, but no clear successor is in place under center if he is allowed to leave on the open market next spring. Playoff success has been elusive in the Prescott era, something Jones remains acutely aware of in advance of head coach Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck season.
“I don’t know that there’s any more urgency but I have tried to look at places that we are complacent or ways not to be complacent,” Jones said (via a separate Hill piece). “I’m looking for ways to make sure they can’t say that I’ve got some kind of structure that breeds complacency. It can be contracts. It can be conversations. It can be player decisions… I didn’t make many changes. But within the realm of not making changes, totally changing people out, I tried to turn up the heat on myself and everybody involved. And I think that’s what’s being discussed.”
A short window of time still remains for Prescott and the Cowboys to finalize an agreement. It will be interesting to see if talks continue into the regular season if needed, but if the parties are settled on many elements of an extension the immediate future could breed further traction and an end to the uncertainty surrounding Dallas’ quarterback direction.
Steelers, Pat Freiermuth Agree To Extension
To little surprise, a deal is now in place for Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers’ push for an extension in time for the start of the season has resulted in a long-term accord. 
Team and player reached agreement on a four-year extension Friday, per his agency (via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). Freiermuth will collect $48.4MM on his new deal. He was attached to the final year of his rookie contract for the coming campaign, so he will now be on the books through 2028. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds the pact includes $23.38MM guaranteed.
A report from earlier Friday pointed to the sides making progress toward a deal. As a result, this news comes as little surprise. Freiermuth played a key role in the Steelers’ offense during his first two seasons in the league, notching back-to-back years with 60 receptions. He scored nine touchdowns during that span, though his production took a step back in an injury-shortened 2023 campaign. At the age of 25, however, Freiermuth has emerged as a key figure in Pittsburgh’s long-term offensive planning.
The former second-rounder’s $12.1MM AAV ranks ninth at the position, in between Cole Kmet and Dalton Schultz. The top of the position’s market remains set with Travis Kelce, T.J. Hockenson and George Kittle leading the way, but Freiermuth was never expected to reach those heights on his second contract. He will nevertheless become one of the team’s top earners on the offensive side of the ball.
The Steelers have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in place as an inexpensive quarterback tandem. Running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are on their rookie contracts, as are three starters on the offensive line. With Diontae Johnson no longer in the fold, George Pickens (who will not be eligible for an extension until next year) is in place as the team’s top receiver. Freiermuth’s cap charge will likely not spike to a cumbersome figure with this extension, but he will take up a larger piece of the allocated resources when general manager Omar Khan evaluates the offense in the future.
Questions linger entering the season about Pittsburgh’s depth in the receiving corps. Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and third-round rookie Roman Wilson will be counted on to complement Pickens after a trade agreement with the 49ers over Brandon Aiyuk did not result in a swap taking place. Aiyuk inked a San Francisco extension, leaving future cap resources available to Freiermuth and others. He will be expected to deliver a rebound in 2024 and beyond while playing out a lucrative new contract.
Extension Talks Progressing Between Steelers, TE Pat Freiermuth
Cameron Heyward has a new deal in place ahead of Week 1 after the Steelers’ push for an agreement proved to be successful. An extension for tight end Pat Freiermuth is also a priority, and he too may soon work out a deal. 
[RELATED: Recapping Steelers’ Offseason]
Team and player are making progress on an extension in Freiermuth’s case, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Brooke Pryor report. The 25-year-old has one year remaining on his rookie contract, so getting a contract worked out now would prevent the possibility of a free agent departure. Finalizing a second Pittsburgh accord has long been known to be on the team’s radar.
A Freiermuth extension was floated in July as a possibility, and the Steelers have clearly made it a goal to keep him in place beyond the coming campaign. The Penn State alum had a strong start to his career, posting 60 and 63 receptions during his first two years with the Steelers. This past season saw him limited to 12 games due to injury, however, and his production took a step back. General manager Omar Khan and Co. are confident a rebound will be possible now and in the future given the pursuit of an extension.
Pittsburgh’s offense will be led by Arthur Smith, who is expected to rely on a run-heavy approach during his first season in charge. Both of the team’s top two running backs (Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren) are pending free agents, leaving plenty of uncertainty surrounding their futures. Likewise, the receiving corps has been a talking point through the offseason as few known commodities are in place beyond George Pickens.
The 2022 second-rounder is expected to operate as Pittsburgh’s clear-cut No. 1 this season after Diontae Johnson was traded away. The Steelers had a trade agreement worked out with the 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk, but he wound up signing a San Francisco extension. That leaves Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller and third-round rookie Roman Wilson in place as complementary pass catchers. Freiermuth will be leaned on in that regard as well for at least the 2024 season, but he could very well remain in place beyond that point.
Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Not Expected To Be Suspended In 2024
Rashee Rice made his season debut on Thursday, and he is positioned to remain available for the Chiefs throughout the season. The second-year Chiefs wideout faces eight felony charges stemming from a March street racing incident, but the NFL does not plan to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list. 
That move is generally reserved for cases of domestic violence allegations. In Rice’s situation, the league has followed its standard procedure in waiting for the legal process to play out before conducting an investigation and issuing discipline under the personal conduct policy. Criminal charges are pending for Rice and former SMU teammate Teddy Knox, the other driver involved in the crash which caused multiple injuries before they left the scene. As Nate Taylor and Dianna Russini of The Athletic note, though, no criminal trial date has been set (subscription required).
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds that the earliest a trial could take place is likely December, meaning Rice is set to play out the season before any further developments take place (video link). A civil suit has also be filed by two of the victims, with $10MM being sought in damages. A date for that trial has been set; it will take place in June 2025. Between now and then, Rice should be expected to play a key role in Kansas City’s passing attack just as he did during his rookie campaign.
The 24-year-old’s pre-draft process was affected by character concerns, and an incident during his SMU days was on NFL teams’ radars. The Athletic piece notes that at least three teams took Rice off their draft boards as a result, but that did not hurt his stock. The Chiefs – who have acquired and retained a number of players faced with off-field issues over time – selected Rice 55th overall.
Kansas City’s offseason included multiple moves at the receiver position after production from that position (with the exception of Rice) proved hard to come by. Free agent pickup Marquise Brown was out for Week 1, but first-round rookie Xavier Worthy had an impressive debut with a pair of touchdowns. Those two speedsters are joined by the likes of Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman, Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Schuster at the receiver spot. It remains to be seen how that group will fare compared to last season, but Rice will be an important member of the unit for the foreseeable future.