Chargers Expected To Move On From Joey Bosa?
Joey Bosa‘s nearly decade-long stint with the Chargers may be coming to an end. Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post believes the organization will look to move on from their defensive star, while multiple sources told ESPN’s Dan Graziano that they expect the Chargers to cut the pass rusher.
While the front office would surely rather keep Bosa or get something in return for the five-time Pro Bowler, the untenable financial commitment makes the player a prime cut candidate. Bosa is attached to a massive $36.47MM cap hit next season, the highest at his position. The team could save $25.36MM by either cutting or trading the veteran, an option that may be too enticing to deny (even with the Chargers armed with the sixth-most effective cap space in the NFL).
That $25.36MM savings also represents Bosa’s true earnings for the upcoming 2025 campaign, although none of that is guaranteed. As Graziano notes, the pass rusher is due a $12.36MM roster bonus in March, so the Chargers will surely look to make a decision on Bosa’s future before the bonus is due.
Bosa has continued to be productive when he’s on the field. Unfortunately, he’s rarely made it through a season unscathed. After being limited to 14 games before the 2022 and 2023 campaign, Bosa did manage to get into 14 games this past season, finishing with five sacks and 13 QB hits. Still, with only two fully healthy seasons on his resume, any suitors would have to account for Bosa missing at least a handful of contests in 2025.
While the two sides could go back to the negotiating table, Bosa already gave up some money last offseason. Still attached to the five-year, $135MM contract he inked in 2020, Bosa reworked his deal in 2024, saving the Chargers more than $10MM on his projected $32MM cap hit. The front office could once again try to convert some of his salary into bonuses, but they’d still be committed to a healthy cap charge either way.
On the flip side, Graziano notes that the Chargers may have no choice but to hang on to Bosa for at least one more season. That’s because Khalil Mack is hitting free agency, and the organization is prohibited from slapping the star edge rusher with the franchise tag. If Mack is destined to leave Los Angeles, the front office may want to retain some semblance of continuity on the edge.
Giants Targeting Veterans, Rookie At QB
Last month, Giants owner John Mara acknowledged the team’s need for a quarterback and said the front office could target the position either via free agency or the draft. With more time to reflect, it sounds like the organization is considering adding players from both of those buckets.
[RELATED: Giants Open To Resolving QB Issue With Draft Pick, Veteran]
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler expects the Giants to sign a veteran quarterback and select a rookie at that position in the draft. Fowler notes there’s urgency for coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen to get this right, as the duo’s job status could be tied to their handling of the QBs room in 2025.
It’s obviously not a profound concept to pair a bridge QB with a young signal caller, but it sounds like the Giants have their eye on someone more significant than a one-year veteran stopgap. Fowler believes that free agent Russell Wilson and trade option Matthew Stafford could be targets for the Giants, and there are plenty of additional options that will or could be available (including Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Aaron Rodgers, and Kirk Cousins).
None of those options will truly change the long-term trajectory of the franchise, but they should still command a pretty penny. Fortunately for the Giants, they have some financial wiggle room to compete in a bidding war. The team is projected to have more than $44MM in cap space, and they could easily carve out additional breathing room by releasing players or restructuring contracts.
Armed with the third-overall pick, the Giants should also be in prime position to take one of the draft’s top QB prospects. While neither Shedeur Sanders nor Cam Ward are considered blue-chip prospects, the Giants wouldn’t have to be entirely reliant on their rookie if they add a veteran atop the depth chart.
Interestingly, the Giants are turning to one of their offensive stars for opinions on draft options. Wideout Malik Nabers told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that the Giants have reached out to him about his thoughts on the quarterback prospects.
“I’m paying attention to it with the eyes of a hawk,” Nabers said. “[The Giants] have been keeping me in the loop, whether it’s who I like. They always ask me questions like that. When I watch [Sanders and Ward], I pick the things I like about both of them and go back and tell them.”
Browns OT Dawand Jones Underwent Knee Surgery
Dawand Jones recently went under the knife. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Browns left tackle underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.
The procedure was intended to clean up a knee injury that lingered during the 2024 campaign. Fowler says the hope is that Jones will begin running soon and will be at full health for the start of training camp, but his recovery will obviously be worth watching.
Jones has struggled with injuries during his brief career. The former fourth-round pick got into 11 games as a rookie before suffering a season-ending MCL injury. He played through his knee issue in 10 games last year before going down with a broken fibula.
In total, the lineman has appeared in 21 games (17 starts) in his two seasons in the NFL. His knee troubles may have contributed to his poor showing in 2024, as Pro Football Focus ranked the lineman 77th among 81 qualifying OTs. Jones had a much better showing in 2023, finishing 48th among 81 qualifiers in those same rankings.
Despite the injuries and inconsistent play, the Browns are still hoping the 23-year-old can be their answer at left tackle. Jones will be penciled into the starting lineup opposite Jack Conklin to open the offseason, although that’s mostly because the rest of the team’s tackle depth (including James Hudson, Jedrick Wills, and Germain Ifedi) is set to hit free agency.
Raiders Expected To Cut Gardner Minshew?
As the new Raiders regime looks to retool their quarterbacks depth chart, some of the team’s incumbent signal callers may be pushed off the roster. That would naturally include the team’s highest-paid QB, as Tashan Reed of The Athletic writes that Gardner Minshew is a release candidate heading into the offseason.
Minshew inked a two-year, $25MM deal with the Raiders last offseason, and the organization is still on the hook for some guaranteed money for the 2025 campaign. That contract does contain an out, but it would only provide the Raiders with about $3MM in relief while leaving close to $11MM in dead cap.
Reed says the more realistic route would see Minshew released via a post-June 1 designation. In that scenario, the Raiders would free up $6MM in cap space since the QB’s dead cap hit would be spread across the 2025 ($7.82MM) and 2026 ($3MM) campaigns. It’s a less-than-desirable outcome for the front office, but there’s still enough incentive to move on from the veteran.
Minshew’s first (and likely lone) season in Las Vegas couldn’t have gone much worse. The Raiders went 2-7 in his nine starts, with Minshew finishing with a career-low touchdown percentage (2.9) and a career-high interception rate (3.3). The 28-year-old was replaced a handful of times by Aidan O’Connell before getting definitively benched in November.
After going 7-6 as a starter with the Colts in 2023, Minshew seemed like a logical bridge or stopgap QB heading into last offseason. Assuming the QB ends up reaching free agency via his release, he may have to settle into a similar backup role he had with the Eagles in 2021 and 2022.
With Pete Carroll and John Spytek now running the operation (along with Tom Brady‘s heavy influence), it seemed very unlikely that the Raiders would roll into the 2025 campaign with the same QB grouping. O’Connell still remains under contract, but the organization will surely be looking for some reinforcement at the position. The team has already been connected to a handful of veteran options, including Russell Wilson, Sam Darnold, and Marcus Mariota. The Raiders are also armed with the sixth-overall pick and could be in position to select one of the draft’s top QB prospects.
Ja’Marr Chase Eyeing $40MM AAV
Ja’Marr Chase was already expected to reset the wide receiver market when he inks his next contract. However, it’s sounding like the Bengals star could soar past the field.
[RELATED: Bengals Seeking Long-Term Deal For Ja’Marr Chase]
According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Chase is expected to command at least $40MM per year on his next deal. This average annual value would easily put the WR atop his position, and it would even rival some QB contracts.
It was less than a year ago that the top of the wide receiver market settled in at a $30MM AAV, with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Brandon Aiyuk joining Tyreek Hill at that milestone. Jefferson ended up earning the highest average of the bunch, as his four-year extension came in at $35MM per year. At the time, it was expected that Chase’s next deal would approach or slightly top that pact, but it’s now sounding like the Bengals WR has his eyes set on an even larger pay day.
Jefferson currently leads all non-QBs in AAV, with the $30MM-plus group also consisting of a handful of defenders (including Nick Bosa and Chris Jones). Chase’s targeted $40MM AAV would place him tied for 15th in the entire league, with that number matching Matthew Stafford‘s annual earnings and topping the likes of Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, and Derek Carr.
While both Chase and the Bengals made some progress on extension talks last offseason, they couldn’t agree to a deal before their self-imposed deadline of Week 1. The two sides did not engage in contract talks during the 2024 campaign, and there’s now a bit more urgency with Chase entering the final season of his rookie contract. While the organization has made it clear all along that they’re prioritizing a new deal for the star wideout, that may be easier said than done.
In addition to Joe Burrow‘s once-record-breaking deal, the Bengals are also navigating Tee Higgins‘ impending free agency. A recent report indicated that the front office was planning to hit Higgins with the franchise tag for a second-straight offseason, a move that would lock them into a relatively affordable $26.2MM commitment for the 2025 campaign. The Bengals could also hit Chase with the franchise tag in 2026 and 2027, which would buy the organization even more time to figure out their financials.
While there’s a chance the Bengals just look to roll with their star trio for one more season, there have been genuine rumblings that they’re trying to keep all three players for the long haul. In that case, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins would cost the team at least $120MM per season, even if the QB is willing to hand back some money.
NFL Minor Transactions: 2/19/25
One minor move to pass along:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: WR Keith Kirkwood
Keith Kirkwood spent the entire 2024 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad, but the WR still brings plenty of experience to the roster. The former UDFA has appeared in 31 games in stints with the Saints and Panthers, hauling in 24 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns.
G Will Fries Interested In Re-Signing With Colts
Following a breakout 2023 campaign, Will Fries was looking to build on his momentum ahead of his impending free agency. Naturally, things didn’t go as planned, as the Colts offensive lineman suffered a fractured right tibia in Week 5 that ended his 2024 season prematurely.
The 26-year-old doesn’t only have the uphill battle of returning from his injury in 2025…Fries will also be tasked with landing his next contract. If the free agent lineman has his way, he’ll return to the only NFL team he’s ever played for.
“This place is special,” Fries said of the Colts (via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star). “… From coming in here as a rookie with guys having my back when I didn’t play much and then getting an opportunity to start and then being able to start the year after that. There’s so many good people here.
“All I want to do is repay them with how hard I can work, playing the best I possibly can for those who believe in me and for my family and for myself. That’s what it’s meant to me to be here.”
The former seventh-round pick made only three appearances as a rookie and nine starts as an emergency fill-in in 2022. He was positioned atop the depth chart in 2023 and made the most of it, starting all 17 games while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd-best offensive guard. He seemed to take an even larger step forward in 2024, as PFF listed him second at his position before he suffered the season-ending injury.
While Fries has shown that he belongs in a starting lineup, his injury undoubtedly clouds his upcoming free agency. As Atkins notes, the lineman could end up settling for a one-year deal as he looks to build his value back up ahead of next year’s free agency. On the flip side, Fries could make a strong argument for being the second-best guard in this year’s free agency class (behind Kansas City’s Trey Smith), and there could still be a number of teams willing to bank on his upside (and expected recovery).
That could very well be the Colts, who would happily slide Fries back atop their depth chart. As Atkins notes, the team once drafted Tanor Bortolini in the fourth round with the expectation that he’d eventually be a starter, but it’s been assumed that he’ll take over for center Ryan Kelly. The team’s other backup guard options, including Mark Glowinski and Danny Pinter, are also set to hit free agency, so Fries would help the Colts retain some continuity opposite Quenton Nelson.
Justin Fields Interested In Re-Signing With Steelers, Wants Chance To Start
As the Steelers navigate their quarterback options ahead of the offseason, there’s been an increasing sentiment that they prefer to keep Justin Fields over Russell Wilson. If that’s the case, then the organization may be in luck, as it sounds like the free agent is also interested in sticking with Pittsburgh. However, that would require some concessions.
[RELATED: Support In Steelers’ Building For Retaining Justin Fields Over Russell Wilson?]
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that Fields joins the Steelers in being interested in a new contract. However, the writer cautions that the QB would need at least “a shot” at being the team’s starter.
Following an offseason trade from the Bears to the Steelers, Fields started each of Pittsburgh’s first six games. While it was a brief cameo, it was one of the best showings of the QB’s career, as the former first-round pick tossed five touchdowns vs. one interception, added another five scores on the ground, and guided his team to a 4-2 record. Once Wilson returned, Fields only got into 13 more snaps for the rest of the season.
Still, with Wilson being at the helm for the team’s five-game losing streak to end the year, there’s been growing support for the team to retain Fields instead of his veteran teammate. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic continued to beat that drum, noting that Fields remains the team’s top option at the position (via Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot).
Wilson would still be positioned as the team’s “Plan B,” and the organization may have to pivot to the older player if Fields is priced out of Pittsburgh. Kaboly estimated a two-year offer for Fields worth around $25MM to $30MM, with the reporter noting that the Steelers may have to overpay to make sure the player doesn’t truly test free agency.
Fields, is expected to have a market beyond the Steelers, and even if the organization does pony up to retain the player, they’d surely bring in some competition. Either way, it’s seeming like the front office continues to trend towards keeping only one of their top two quarterbacks from the 2024 campaign.
Bengals “Likely” To Hit Tee Higgins With Franchise Tag
Tee Higgins is generally considered the top offensive free agent, but the Bengals WR might not even make it to the open market. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack), the Bengals are considered “likely” to hit Higgins with the franchise tag if the two sides can’t work out a long-term deal.
According to Pelissero, the Bengals front office is currently focused on signing the star wideout to a long-term pact, and there’s “hope” they won’t have to opt for the franchise tag for the second-straight year. If the organization does ultimately turn to the tag, they’ll effectively be committing to Higgins for yet another season (barring a trade), and they’d still have until the middle of July to work out an extension with the receiver.
The former second-round pick saw his rookie contract expire last offseason, but the Bengals held on to Higgins via the franchise tag. A second-straight franchise tag would be valued at 120% of Higgins’ 2024 earnings, which would come in at $26.2MM. The Bengals would presumably hope that number is a placeholder as they pursue a long-term deal, but it could also represent a slight discount as Higgins pursues a deal worth more than $30MM per year.
Joe Burrow has made it clear that he wants the Bengals to retain one of his top targets, but the organization’s upcoming financial commitments would make a Higgins deal difficult to navigate. Burrow himself is playing on a once-record-breaking extension, and the Bengals have yet to work out a long-term deal with fellow WR Ja’Marr Chase. The organization could theoretically commit a significant chunk of their cap to their three offensive stars, but there’s also a chance the team will just be keeping the trio together for one last run.
The 2024 campaign was one of Higgins’ most productive showings of his career, as he compiled 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns in just 12 games. His recent injury woes only slightly clouded his free agency outlook, as the WR was still expected to have plenty of suitors this offseason. If Higgins is ultimately slapped with the franchise tag, it will bode well for the rest of the free agent class, a group that includes veterans coming off injuries (like Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs) and veterans who underwhelmed in new spots (like DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper).
Aaron Rodgers Has “Tentative Intention” Of Playing In 2025
The Jets unofficially ended their brief Aaron Rodgers era last week, with the team (and new leadership) announcing they’d go in a different direction at the position in 2025. Even before the Jets publicly announced the divorce, there were some questions surrounding the future Hall of Famer’s playing status. For what it’s worth, the Jets were left with the impression that Rodgers intends to play next season.
According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Rodgers told general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn that “it was his tentative intention” to continue playing in 2025. Jets leadership was also left with the impression that Rodgers wanted to handle some “unfinished business.”
There were high hopes in New York as Rodgers returned from his Achilles injury from 2024. We’re all plenty familiar with what happened next. Robert Saleh was the first scapegoat in a season that eventually ended with a 5-12 record, but the veteran QB was also plenty to blame, as Rodgers finished the year with one of the worst completion percentages (63.0) and passing success rates (43.9) of his career.
For what it’s worth, Breer notes that Rodgers showed plenty of self-awareness during his postseason meeting with Jets leadership, with the veteran understanding that the organization may want to go in a different direction at the position. On the flip side, the Jets still believe that Rodgers has something left in the tank, and the team’s decision to move on was more about differing timelines than a lack of confidence in the player.
While Rodgers will likely be a post-June 1 cut, the Jets are expected to allow the quarterback and his representation to speak to interested teams before he officially hits free agency. Considering his age, underwhelming 2024 production, and the circus that would inevitably surround his acquisition, it’s uncertain if Rodgers will have a long list of suitors waiting for him. The veteran will also surely be looking for a team that wants to win now, so it will certainly take a unique pairing.
Assuming Rodgers does end up playing, he’ll have an opportunity to continue climbing the all-time leader boards. Rodgers sits seventh in passing yards but could easily jump to fifth (ahead of Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers) with a healthy 2025 campaign. Rodgers could also easily pass Brett Favre for fourth on the all-time touchdowns list, and a return to his old form could have him approaching Peyton Manning‘s third-place spot.
Before Rodgers’ can focus on the all-time lists, he’ll need to find a new home. Considering his long track record, there will surely be at least one team that’s willing to take a chance on the former MVP.