Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/25
Saturday’s minor moves around the league:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Kelly Akharaiyi
- Placed on reserve/retired list: WR David White
Carolina Panthers
- Reverted to IR: CB M.J. Devonshire
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Garnett Hollis Jr.
Houston Texans
- Activated from active/PUP list: C Eli Cox, LB K.C. Ossai, RB J.J. Taylor
Steelers, S Chuck Clark Agree To Deal
July 26: Interestingly, the Steelers brought in another ex-Ravens safety for a workout, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson: Marcus Williams. The 28-year old started alongside Clark for much of the 2022 season and left Baltimore this offseason after losing his starting job in 2024.
July 25: In the wake of the blockbuster Dolphins-Steelers trade which sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami, Pittsburgh was seen as a team to watch regarding a safety acquisition. The team has lined up its preferred addition. 
Chuck Clark has agreed to a Steelers deal, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes. Pittsburgh already has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill in place at the safety spot. Clark – who returned to action last year after an ACL tear cost him the 2023 campaign – will now join them as Pittsburgh’s secondary gets sorted out.
A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Clark developed from a special teams mainstay into a full-time defensive starter. During each of his final three Baltimore campaigns, he was on the field for every defensive snap. A trade to the Jets did not go according to plan, however, with the ACL tear leaving him sidelined in 2023. Upon returning to full health, Clark did manage 12 games and a full-time starting role in New York.
The Virginia Tech product was charged with a 118 passer rating and two touchdowns allowed in coverage as the nearest defender in 2024. That helps explain why Clark remained on the open market deep into the offseason, but he will now look to use training camp to carve out a regular spot in Pittsburgh’s secondary. He will reunite with Elliott after the two previously played together in Baltimore.
Fitzpatrick drew criticism over the past two years as he playmaking dried up, and he was traded to the Dolphins with two years left on his deal in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Ramsey is a candidate for a hybrid role with his newest team since the Steelers have returnee Joey Porter Jr. and free agent addition Darius Slay in place at the cornerback spots. If Ramsey sees considerable time at safety, it will impact the Elliott-Thornhill-Clark trio’s workload and rotation.
Today’s move comes shortly after the Saints responded to Tyrann Mathieu‘s retirement by signing Julian Blackmon. With Clark now off the market as well, Justin Simmons remains a name to watch. The two-time Pro Bowler saw his eight-year Broncos run come to an end last offseason and he does not anticipate remaining with the Falcons after he spent 2024 in Atlanta. Pittsburgh represented a logical landing spot in Simmons’ case, but that is no longer feasible given Clark’s signing.
Jason Licht: Buccaneers Eyeing Baker Mayfield Partnership Beyond Current Deal
Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 ‘prove-it’ deal went better than he or the Buccaneers could have envisioned. As a result, team and player worked out a three-year, $100M pact last spring. 
In his first campaign after inking that pact, Mayfield delivered the best statistical output of his career. The former No. 1 pick ranked third in the NFL in passing yards (4,500) and tied for second in touchdowns (41). While Mayfield’s 16 interceptions put him in a tie with Kirk Cousins for the most in the NFL, expectations are high for 2025 and beyond.
Especially if the former Brown, Panther and Ram manages to post strong numbers early in the coming season, the matter of an extension will increasingly become a talking point. Working out a raise now would be somewhat surprising given the term left on Mayfield’s deal, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes there are currently no plans to arrange a bump in compensation (subscription required). Nevertheless, general manager Jason Licht is hopeful Mayfield will remain in place beyond the 2026 season.
“I love Baker. I love everything he’s done for us,” Licht said. “The goal for us is for Baker to continue to be the player that he is, and at some point, we reach an extension when the time is right and he continues to be our quarterback for a long time. That’s the goal.”
After restructuring his pact this spring, Mayfield is set to carry a cap charge of $26.48MM. When compared to a number of other big-ticket quarterback deals, that figure (along with his AAV) can be considered team-friendly. A raise could be in store if the 30-year-old carries on from where he left off during the 2025 season with next spring representing a logical period for an extension to be worked out. It will be interesting to see if Tampa Bay would be on board with an arrangement bringing Mayfield closer to the top of the position’s pecking order than where he currently finds himself (19th in terms of average annual value).
Keeping with what has been an annual tradition in Mayfield’s case, 2025 will see him work with a new offensive coordinator. Liam Coen‘s decision to take the Jaguars’ head coaching gig means Josh Grizzard will handle OC duties after being promoted from receivers coach this offseason. A familiar face should help Mayfield adjust to the new system, and another encouraging performance could result in an extended stay with the Buccaneers.
DL Derrick Brown Receives Full Clearance
In May, Derrick Brown expressed a desire to be back at full strength by the start of the regular season. The Panthers Pro Bowler has indeed been cleared well before that point.
General manager Dan Morgan said at the outset of training camp this week (via Joe Person of The Athletic) that Brown has the green light to practice in full. To no surprise, he added the team will take a cautious approach in this case. Bringing Brown back up to speed will be key as he looks to move past a 2024 campaign which essentially ended before it began.
[RELATED: Recapping Panthers’ 2025 Offseason]
The former No. 7 pick suffered a meniscus tear in Week 1 and required season-ending surgery as a result. Brown’s rehab progressed to the point where a return in time for training camp emerged as the target. Brown’s injury gutted Carolina’s front seven last season. Trading Brian Burns (and not doing much to replace him), the Panthers lost Brown after a handful of plays last season. These developments led to the team dropping to 32nd in points and yardage allowed.
Brown’s injury came after the Panthers gave him a four-year, $96MM extension. The team has since added two more notable defensive line contracts, signing Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown in free agency. The former Chiefs and Rams performers, respectively, profile as D-line aid after the unit’s 2024 freefall. But the free agency additions also will likely need Brown operating as O-lines’ top concern to realize their potential in Charlotte.
Avoiding the active/PUP list after the previous timetable pointed to a longer onramp represents a positive sign for Derrick Brown, who had missed one game over his first four seasons. That attendance rate helped the Panthers feel comfortable extending the Matt Rhule-era draftee. With the team still transitioning from Burns — as second- and third-round rookies (Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen) are being groomed to man the OLB spots, with ex-Vikings D.J. Wonnum and Patrick Jones as veteran placeholders — Brown reemerging as an impact player will provide a vital boost to the Panthers’ defense.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
OL Justin Pugh Retires
Justin Pugh‘s time in the NFL has come to an end. On Friday, the veteran offensive lineman announced his decision to retire as a member of the Giants (h/t Dan Duggan of The Athletic). 
“Not many players get to go out on their terms, and after 11 years playing in the NFL, I am officially retiring from the league,” Pugh said (via ESPN.com). “I thought I was going to do another one, but just didn’t have it in the tank. I started losing weight and started feeling good, and didn’t want to do a 12th year.”
Pugh entered the league as a Giants first-rounder. His first stint with the team lasted five years, and during that span he handled starting reps at multiple spots. After beginning at right tackle, he moved inside and split most of his time between left and right guard.
During his first trip to free agency, Pugh landed a five-year pact with the Cardinals. The Syracuse product remained a full-time starter throughout his tenure in Arizona, although in two of his five campaigns there he was limited to single-digit games due to injury. Pugh occasionally saw time elsewhere along the team’s offensive line, but for the most part his Cardinals run saw him entrenched at left guard.
Over the course of his first Giants stint, Pugh drew a number of favorable PFF reviews. He never managed a Pro Bowl nod over the course of his career, however, and his extended run as a starter along the interior did not yield strong evaluations over time. Pugh returned to New York in 2023 while the team dealt with a slew of injuries up front; he wound up starting all 12 of his appearances that year while filling in at left tackle and left guard. No repeat of that setup was deemed necessary last season.
After spending the 2024 campaign out of the league, Pugh will not attempt another comeback with the Giants or any other team. The 34-year-old racked up 134 combined regular and postseason appearances over the course of his career, starting all but three of them. Between his various Giants and Cardinals contracts, Pugh amassed over $54MM in earnings.
TE Noah Fant To Visit Saints
Noah Fant‘s free agent tour began yesterday with the Bengals. The veteran tight end is exploring his options before taking a new deal, though. 
Fant will meet with the Saints, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds yesterday’s Bengals summit went well, meaning a Cincinnati agreement is still possible. It will be interesting to see how this New Orleans visit plays out.
Fant is among the top free agents on the market during the opening stages of training camp. He was released by the Seahawks on Sunday in a cost-shedding move. The 27-year-old spent the past three seasons in Seattle, operating as the team’s top tight end. In spite of that workload, Fant was unable to replicate his production from his three-year Broncos stint.
The former first-rounder posted at least 40 receptions and 562 yards every year with Denver. Fant managed 130 catches during his time in Seattle, but he not able to be as efficient with his second career team. Still, he could offer a boost to the passing attack of any number of interested suitors.
The Saints still have tight end Juwan Johnson in the fold after he re-signed on a three-year, $30.75MM pact this offseason. Fellow veteran Foster Moreau is also set to reprise his role as a regular on offense. Taysom Hill joined Moreau on the active/PUP list this week as he rehabs an ACL tear. Bringing in Fant would offer healthy depth at the tight end spot for a Saints team looking to avoid the skill position injuries suffered on offense last season.
New Orleans is using training camp and the preseason to determine the team’s starting quarterback. Regardless of who the Saints – currently armed with almost $23MM in cap space – wind up handing the reins to, Fant would be capable of adding depth at the TE spot with a signing.
Browns LB Jordan Hicks Retires
Jordan Hicks worked as a full-time starter with the Browns last season, and he was in position to do the same again in 2025. Instead, the veteran linebacker is hanging up his cleats. 
Hicks announced on Instagram Friday (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal) that he has retired. One year remains on his contract, but today’s news means Cleveland will likely be in the market for a linebacker addition. The team was already shorthanded at that spot given Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah‘s reserve/PUP designation in May which ensured he will miss all of the coming season.
“After 23 years of playing football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Hicks’ announcement reads in part. “Football has given me more than I could have ever imagined… I’m looking forward to this next season of life and all that it brings. I walk away with peace knowing I gave football all I had, and that the best is yet to come.”
Hicks, 33, entered the NFL as an Eagles third-rounder. He played out his rookie contract with Philadelphia, establishing himself as a regular first-team presence on defense. The Texas product then spent three years with the Cardinals, logging over 1,000 snaps in each campaign. Hicks was released in 2022, but his time on the free agent market proved to be short-lived.
A two-year Vikings pact allowed Hicks to operate as a starter with his third career team. While in Minnesota, he reached triple-digit tackles both times, extending his streak in that regard to five years. Hicks took a two-year, $8MM pact to join the Browns last March, and he was a regular when healthy in 2024. Injury resulted in just 12 games played, but a notable snap share would have been expected this time around (especially with Owusu-Koramoah not in the picture for 2025).
Cleveland’s linebacker depth chart also includes Devin Bush, although the former first-rounder is facing simple assault and harassment charges from an alleged domestic violence incident. Even if Bush does wind up playing a full campaign in 2025, today’s news means the Browns will need to rely even more on second-round rookie Carson Schwesinger as a starter than they were already in position to. It will be interesting to see if the team pursues a short-term veteran signing in the near future.
A member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team from 2017, Hicks will depart the NFL after playing 138 combined regular and postseason games. In addition to a championship, he exits the game with over $44MM in career earnings.
James Cook Participating In Training Camp; RB Still Discussing Bills Extension
2025 has witnessed a pair of training camp holdouts and the attendance/participation of other extension-seeking players will remain a storyline to follow in the coming days. With respect to James Cook, things have been business as usual regarding his on-field work. 
The two-time Pro Bowler participated in full during the Bills’ first training camp practice. That is expected to continue, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required). Earlier this month, it was unclear if a hold-in would take place, but Cook said he did not consider such a move. The former second-rounder remains focused on securing a Bills extension, although it still remains to be seen if a big-ticket deal will come from Buffalo or another team next spring.
“I mean, we have talks. I’m never going to give up,” Cook said during his first public remarks since arriving at camp. “I deserve it — what I want, what I need. It’s going to eventually happen. I mean, however it happens, it’s going to get done. Wherever it happens.”
A mutual interest still exists for an agreement to be reached allowing Cook to play on his second contract with the Bills. Since an asking price of $15MM per season became public, however, little progress has been made with respect to negotiations. One year remains on the Georgia product’s rookie contract, and a season similar to 2024 would position him for a major raise. Cook tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns last season (16) and averaged nearly 91 yards per game on the ground during the playoffs.
While the 25-year-old should be expected to remain productive for the foreseeable future, he logged a snap share of only 48% in 2024. Cook has yet to establish himself as a true three-down workhorse similar to many of the top earners at the running back spot (a position whose market currently has seven players averaging between $10MM and $20.6MM annually). The Bills still have Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in the fold, so a major increase in Cook’s 2025 workload compared to past years would come as a surprise. In any case, general manager Brandon Beane remains hopeful a deal can be struck at some point.
“As I’ve said all along, I love James Cook. You know how I am. I want to draft, develop, re-sign our own,” Beane said. “It is a business. We have to fit it in, not only cash, but cap… But we also have to look at ’26, ’27 and beyond… So all those things have to make sense for us to fit in him.”
This offseason, Beane and the Bills have worked out long-term deals with Christian Benford, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Khalil Shakir. In each case, those moves ensured a departure next spring will not be possible. Cook still looms as a candidate for a multi-year pact of his own, and his situation will no doubt remain a storyline until and unless an agreement can be reached.
Colts, Bernhard Raimann Talking Extension
One year remains on Bernhard Raimann‘s rookie contract. To little surprise, talks on an extension have taken place between the Colts and their starting left tackle. 
Raimann has handled first-team duties for 40 of his 45 career games with Indianapolis. The 27-year-old Austrian has yet to log a full 17-game slate, but he figures to be in the team’s long-term plans. While negotiations on a new deal are underway, though, a gap exists between team and player at this point.
“From my understanding, is that the numbers don’t quite add up yet,” Raimann said when speaking to Jake Query of 107.5 The Fan. “They way they might value a position differently than my team thinks it is. We’re working on things.”
Of course, differences between the initial asking price from a player’s camp and the team’s valuation is commonplace in extension talks. As training camp progresses, it will be interesting to see if progress can be made allowing for a deal to be reached by Week 1. If no agreement is struck, 2025 will become a crucial campaign Raimann’s case.
The former third-rounder has seen his PFF evaluation improve with each passing season far in his career. Raimann ranked 25th amongst qualifying tackles as a rookie, but he has landed in the top 10 for each of the past two campaigns. A similar showing this year would certainly boost his stock on either a second Colts pact or one sending him to a new team via free agency (although the franchise tag would allow Indianapolis to prevent a departure in March).
The Colts already have Quenton Nelson attached to a deal averaging $20MM per season, making him one of only five NFL guards with an AAV that high. Right tackle Braden Smith – who agreed to a pay cut this offseason and is a pending 2026 free agent – is the only other offensive linemen on the team on the books at a notable figure. Two in-house blockers (center Tanor Bortolini and right guard Matt Goncalves) are set to take on full-time starting roles in the wake of center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries joining the Vikings in free agency. Raimann leaving on the open market would be even more consequential to the Colts, so the progress of negotiations will be worth watching in his case.
Bears Host DJ Chark; WR’s Playing Future Uncertain
The Bears hosted six free agent receivers earlier this week. With training camp getting underway, it will be interesting to see if any deals come about as a result of the visits. 
Per the transactions wire (via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times), the Bears worked out DJ Chark, Chance Campbell, Thomas Gordon, Peyton Hendershot, Matt Landers and Gervarrius Owens. Out of that group, Chark is of course the most noteworthy. He has 76 games and 51 starts to his name in the NFL.
At this point in Chark’s career, however, it remains to be seen when (or if) he will line up his next opportunity. The 28-year-old has played for four teams to date, and he spent last season with the Chargers. Chark was limited to just 10 games and only four receptions in 2024, so to no surprise he was not linked to any suitors before the start of training camps. Specific fit will be key in determining whether or not Chark continues his career.
“It depends,” the former second-rounder said in an interview with Kyle Odegard of Sports Casting when asked if he will play in 2025. “It will have to be something that makes sense, from a family perspective and also from an Xs and Os perspective. Getting up and going to any team just for the excitement — I’ll always love the game, but at this point, putting myself and my family in a great position is what’s ideal for me.”
Chark broke out with a Pro Bowl campaign during his second season in the NFL. Then with the Jaguars, he notched 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns that year and delivered another relatively strong season as a follow-up. Since then, however, the LSU product has battled injuries and inconsistency while spending time in Detroit and Carolina after the expiration of his Jacksonville rookie deal. With a 14.4 yards per reception average, Chark could offer any number of teams a vertical threat in the passing game.
The Bears still have D.J. Moore and 2024 first-rounder Rome Odunze in place at the receiver spot. The team also added Luther Burden in the second round of the draft after signing Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay as depth options in free agency. With over $13MM in cap space, Chicago could afford to add Chark on a one-year pact which would no doubt be worth the veteran minimum. Failing that, his time in the NFL may come to an end.