RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/25
Today’s tender decisions involving exclusive rights free agents:
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Lions: LB Trevor Nowaske
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/25
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OT Jake Curhan
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: OL Storm Norton, OL Brandon Parker
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Laviska Shenault
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: TE Stephen Carlson
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: S Israel Mukuamu
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: K Spencer Shrader
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: OT Justin Skule
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Jack Stoll
New York Jets
- Signed: DT Byron Cowart, TE Stone Smartt
Buccaneers To Sign OT Charlie Heck
The Buccaneers have added a new swing tackle. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Bucs are signing Charlie Heck to a one-year deal. The deal is worth $1.6MM.
A former fourth-round pick out of North Carolina, Heck spent the first four seasons of his career with the Texans. He got into 41 games during his stint in Houston, with 32 of his appearances coming between the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The veteran re-signed with the organization last offseason but was cut at the end of the preseason. He quickly caught on with the Cardinals practice squad, and he proceeded to get into seven games for his new squad. He was snagged by the 49ers off Arizona’s taxi squad in December, and he garnered a pair of late-season starts for San Francisco.
The Buccaneers have their two tackle spots secured with Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. Heck will provide the team with an experienced backup option, with 2023 UDFA Elijah Klein representing the team’s only other in-house option at the moment.
Lions To Sign QB Kyle Allen
The Lions have added a veteran to their quarterbacks room. The team has agreed to terms with quarterback Kyle Allen, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Since catching on with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Allen has bounced around the league a bit. In addition to Carolina, the quarterback has had stints with Washington, Houston, Buffalo, and (most recently) Pittsburgh.
He got his longest look as a starter with the Panthers in 2019. He went 5-7 in 12 starts that season, completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. Since then, Allen has gone 1-5 in starts with Washington and Houston.
After serving as the Bills’ victory cigar in 2023, Allen caught on with the Steelers last offseason. He spent the season behind Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, completing his only pass attempt (to George Pickens for 19 yards) in Week 5.
In Detroit, he’ll be joining a depth chart that still features Hendon Hooker and Jake Fromm as Jared Goff‘s backups. A 2023 third-round pick, Hooker got all the looks as QB2 in 2024, completing six of his nine pass attempts in three appearances. Fromm earned two starts with the Giants in 2021 and hasn’t made a regular-season appearances since that time.
Chargers Re-Sign QB Taylor Heinicke
Taylor Heinicke is sticking in Los Angeles for at least one more season. The quarterback has signed a one-year deal with the Chargers, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. The deal is worth up to $6.2MM.
Heinicke made a name for himself in 2021, when he guided the Commanders to a 7-8 record in his 15 starts. Despite his solid showing, he entered the 2022 campaign as a backup to Carson Wentz. Predictably, the new starter eventually went down with an injury, allowing Heinicke to start another nine games for Washington.
After finishing his Commanders stint with 33 touchdowns vs. 21 interceptions, he inked a two-year contract with his hometown Falcons ahead of the 2023 season. The free agent addition was expected to provide former third-round pick Desmond Ridder with some competition, but Heinicke got only four starts for Atlanta, going 1-3 while completing a career-low 54.4 percent of his passes.
The veteran took a pay cut from $5MM to $1.21MM to stick in Atlanta for 2024, but in the meantime, he was pushed further down the depth chart following the additions of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.. As a result, Heinicke found himself on the trade block, and he was dealt to the Chargers for a conditional seventh-round pick before the start of the 2024 regular season.
Justin Herbert was limited to 13 games in 2023, but the Chargers franchise QB managed to get into all 17 games for his squad in 2024. As a result, the new backup was limited to only four appearances and five pass attempts. The organization is surely hoping for similar usage in 2025, but they can rest easy knowing they have a former starter locked in as their QB2.
Bears Extend OL Jonah Jackson
Jonah Jackson was traded to the Bears last week, and the lineman earned an extension along the way. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Jackson got a one-year extension that will keep him in Chicago through the 2027 season.
[RELATED: Rams, Bears Agree To Jonah Jackson Trade]
Besides handing Jackson a contract for the 2027 campaign, Garafolo notes that the Bears also guaranteed more of the player’s 2026 salary. This includes $7MM fully guaranteed and an additional $5.25MM for injury. Jackson is set to earn all of the $17.5MM he was attached to in 2025, part of the three-year, $51MM pact he signed with the Rams last offseason.
Jackson has clearly landed on his feet following a forgettable stop in Los Angeles. There were high hopes for the free agent acquisition, but he quickly landed on IR with a fractured scapula. When he returned, he saw time at both guard and center, but he was eventually benched towards the middle of the season. The Rams quickly looked to move on from the veteran, as the organization granted him permission to seek a trade.
Ben Johnson is more than familiar with the former Lions standout, and the new Bears head coach is showing his faith in the trade acquisition. The team was expected to actively seek reinforcement along the interior of the O-line, and it’s no surprise that the organization landed on a player who’s familiar with Johnson’s offensive approach.
Assuming Jackson returns to his former production, the Bears will be more than happy with their good-faith extension. Jackson started all 57 of his appearances with Detroit, including 2020 and 2021 campaigns where he topped 1,000 offensive snaps. He’s been hit by injuries in each of the past few seasons, but the Bears are clearly hoping he’s past his injury woes.
Steelers Re-Sign WRs Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller
The Steelers made headlines by acquiring D.K. Metcalf earlier this week. Now, the front office is putting in an effort to establish some continuity at the bottom of the depth chart. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has re-signed wide receiver Ben Skowronek. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Steelers have re-signed wideout Scotty Miller.
A former seventh-round pick, Skowronek made a name for himself with the Rams. He spent three seasons with the organization, including a 2022 campaign where he hauled in 39 catches for 376 yards. He was traded to the Texans last offseason but didn’t make it to the regular season with his new squad, but it didn’t take long for him to catch on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad.
Skowronek ended up getting into 10 games with the Steelers, hauling in five catches for 69 yards. The veteran served in a variety of roles for his new team, including fullback, H-Back, and tight end. He also added seven special teams tackles.
Miller’s best seasons came in Tampa Bay, including a Super Bowl-winning 2020 season where he finished with 33 catches for 501 yards and three scores. Since then, he’s been limited to 453 receiving yards across four seasons. The veteran got into 13 games with the Steelers last season, finishing with five catches for 69 yards.
The duo will likely see a similar role in Pittsburgh in 2025. Metcalf and George Pickens will dominate the targets, and the Steelers are also set to return Calvin Austin. With Van Jefferson and Mike Williams gone, the two veterans could compete with Roman Wilson to be the fourth or fifth options on the depth chart.
Chargers To Sign DLs Da’Shawn Hand, Naquan Jones
The Chargers have agreed to terms with a pair of defensive linemen. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chargers have agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.35MM with defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand. Meanwhile, agent Mike McCartney announced that Naquan Jones has also agreed to a one-year deal with the organization.
Hand brings some veteran experience to Los Angeles, although he’s settled into a backup role at this point. The journeyman bounced around the league a bit to begin his career, but he found some stability in Miami over the past two seasons.
He got into 33 games for the Dolphins between 2023 and 2024, collecting 48 tackles and two sacks. After getting into only 19 percent of his team’s defensive snaps during his first season with the organization, he saw that number jump to 53 percent in 2024. In total, Hand has appeared in 64 career games, collecting 102 tackles and five sacks.
Jones is coming off one of the most productive seasons of his career. The defensive lineman got into 12 games for the Cardinals last year, finishing with 27 tackles and a career-high three sacks. His 260 defensive snaps represented his highest total since his rookie campaign with the Titans in 2021.
The Chargers have been in the market for some reinforcement in the trenches after losing Poona Ford to the Rams earlier this week. The team is still rostering Teair Tart, Otito Ogbonnia, and Scott Matlock for some bulk on the defensive line, but the team’s two newest additions should be able to carve out their own roles in 2025.
Eagles To Sign TE Harrison Bryant
The Super Bowl champs are adding a veteran tight end to their roster. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are inking tight end Harrison Bryant to a one-year deal. The contract is worth up to $2MM.
A former fourth-round pick out of Florida Atlantic, Bryant spent four seasons in Cleveland to begin his career. The tight end saw an occasional role on offense, hauling in 89 catches for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four years with the Browns. At the same time, Bryant earned a reputation as a top-end blocker, with Pro Football Focus twice ranking him in the top-five at his position for his blocking ability.
Bryant spent the 2024 season in Las Vegas, where he appeared in a career-low 213 offensive snaps while playing behind Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. He finished the year with nine catches for 86 yards.
Bryant may be eyeing a similar role in Philly for the 2025 campaign. Dallas Goedert will continue to lead the depth chart for the Eagles, and Grant Calcaterra has established himself as a steady backup option. That means Bryant will be competing with the likes of E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu, and Nick Muse for any leftover snaps.
Bears To Sign WR Olamide Zaccheaus
After going all-in on their offense in 2024, the Bears are taking a more measured approach in 2025. While the organization won’t steal headlines with their latest move, they’re still adding an experienced wide receiver coming off a career season. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bears have added wideout Olamide Zaccheaus.
A former UDFA out of Virginia, Zaccheaus avoided journeyman status thanks to a four-year stint in Atlanta to begin his career. The wide receiver never put up huge numbers during his stint with the Falcons, but he did manage to improve in each of his four campaigns. This culminated with a 2022 season where Zaccheaus hauled in 40 catches for 533 yards.
The receiver caught on with the Eagles for the 2023 campaign but struggled to carve out a role on a relatively deep depth chart. He finished his lone season in Philly with 10 receptions.
He joined the Commanders last offseason, a move that reunited him with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. In Washington, Zaccheaus had a bounce-back season, finishing with a career-high 45 catches for 506 yards and three touchdowns (he added another seven catches in three playoff games). The 27-year-old also had a role on special teams, returning 17 punts for 179 yards.
Keenan Allen is a free agent, so Zaccheaus could easily slide in next to D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze atop the depth chart. Barring another notable addition at the position, Zaccheaus should be in line for plenty of snaps, as he’ll be competing with the likes of Maurice Alexander, Tyler Scott, and Samori Toure.