Vikings, LT Christian Darrisaw Agree To Extension
JULY 25: Joining Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and Penei Sewell as 2021 first-rounders already extended, Darrisaw’s base value will fall short of Sewell’s $28MM-per-year Lions deal. The Vikings gave their left tackle a four-year, $104MM contract, according to OverTheCap. The contract includes $43.73MM guaranteed at signing, but Darrisaw is all but certain to add $13.29MM (his 2026 base salary) to that total. If Darrisaw is on Minnesota’s roster as of Day 3 of the 2025 league year, his 2026 base locks in.
This rolling guarantee structure, increasingly popular in recent years, also includes $8.38MM of Darrisaw’s 2027 compensation ($16.5MM) becoming guaranteed in March 2026, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The Vikings also guaranteed $2MM of Darrisaw’s 2028 base salary for injury, with the rest of that money becoming guaranteed in 2028. This contract makes Darrisaw the NFL’s highest-paid left tackle.
JULY 23: Christian Darrisaw has landed a big-ticket deal with the Vikings. The left tackle agreed to an extension on Tuesday, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This will be a four-year pact worth up to $113MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Darrisaw will collect $77MM in guaranteed money, including $43.7MM locked in at signing. The offensive lineman still had two years remaining on his contract after having his fifth-year option picked up earlier this offseason.
This four-year extension will be added to the end of Darrisaw’s rookie deal, meaning the 25-year-old is locked in through the 2029 campaign. Considering general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t in place when the Virginia Tech alum was drafted, there was some uncertainty regarding the timeliness of a potential Darrisaw extension. Ultimately, the two sides completed a deal with time to spare.
The 2021 first-round pick has established himself as one of the league’s top OTs while blocking for Kirk Cousins in Minnesota. Pro Football Focus graded Darrisaw as the second-best offensive tackle in 2022, and he followed that up with an eighth-place finish (among 81 qualifiers) in 2023. The lineman has missed 10 regular season games in three years, but he managed to get into a career-high 15 games this past season.
While Darrisaw still has a few years before the extension kicks in, the new deal will vault him up the list of the league’s highest-paid left tackles. The $77MM in guaranteed money is now the highest commitment at his position, and the extension’s $28.25MM average annual value would top Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM AAV. Darrisaw still has about $20MM coming his way in the final two seasons of his current deal.
As the Vikings transition from the veteran Cousins to a rookie in J.J. McCarthy, the front office is assuring some continuity elsewhere on offense. McCarthy’s rookie contract has also allowed the organization to allocate finances elsewhere. In addition to Darrisaw’s new contract, the Vikings also handed wideout Justin Jefferson a lucrative extension this offseason.
While there’s a bit of uncertainty surrounding the offense moving forward, the Vikings can rest easy knowing their core is locked in. In addition to Darrisaw, Jefferson, and McCarthy, the team has Jordan Addison on his rookie contract and tight end T.J. Hockenson signed long-term.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Not Reporting To Training Camp
After learning earlier today that the Cowboys had yet to engage in “substantial” extension talks with CeeDee Lamb, the inactive negotiations have led to a holdout. “A person with knowledge” of Lamb’s thinking told Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News that the player will not be reporting to training camp tomorrow. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has since confirmed the news. ESPN’s Todd Archer was first to report that the organization was “bracing” for a Lamb no-show when practices start on Thursday.
[RELATED: Cowboys Yet To Conduct ‘Substantial’ Negotiations With WR CeeDee Lamb]
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport clarifies that the two sides have indeed worked on a new deal, although it’s uncertain if that runs contrary to the aforementioned report of minimal “substantial” talks. The wideout will continue to face daily fines of $50K until he attends camp.
While Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, and Amon-Ra St. Brown all earned offseason extensions that will pay at least $30MM per year, Lamb is still attached to his $17.99MM fifth-year option. The Oklahoma alum did initially state an interest in becoming the NFL’s highest-paid wideout. It’s uncertain if he’s now pushing for Jefferson’s record-breaking $35MM AAV, but at the very least, he can point to the Vikings WR’s $110MM in guaranteed money.
Both sides always intended to see how the market played out, and recent reports indicated that the Cowboys were prioritizing a Lamb extension over deals for Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons. Perhaps that report was a signal of things to come and the Cowboys read the tea leafs regarding Lamb’s impending holdout. Of course, this news also doesn’t come as a huge shock. Lamb had been a candidate to engage in a holdout for quite some time, considering he skipped voluntary OTAs as well as mandatory minicamp.
Now, the Cowboys will be engaged in a holdout for the second-straight training camp. Last year, Zack Martin held out as he pursued a new contract. The Cowboys ended up being the side to blink, as the organization turned the final two years of Martin’s contract into a fully guaranteed agreement. Lamb will obviously be seeking both guarantees and term on his next pact, and with Dallas having not guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM at signing (while also holding the line on contracts spanning at least five years), it’s uncertain which side will relent. For what it’s worth, Ezekiel Elliott won his staring contest with the Cowboys back in 2019, with the running back earning a new contract that made him the highest-paid player at his position.
Lamb has been the centerpiece of the Cowboys’ passing attack since the team moved on from Amari Cooper in 2022. The 25-year-old is coming off a first-team All-Pro season (the first by a Dallas wideout since Dez Bryant), setting franchise records in receptions (135) and yards (1,749) along the way.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton Expected To Attend Training Camp
While there hasn’t been a resolution on Courtland Sutton‘s contract, the wide receiver is expected to participate in training camp. Sean Payton told reporters (including Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post) that he expects the wideout to practice with the team this week. The Broncos are set to hit the practice field for the first time on Wednesday.
Payton also acknowledged that he hasn’t talked with the receiver about his contract dispute, but the coach is confident it won’t be a distraction. Sutton is still attached to a four-year, $60MM extension that runs through 2025. The 28-year-old is believed to be pushing for a raise on his $13MM 2024 base salary, with $16MM being the receiver’s expected asking price. Sutton also only has $2MM more in guaranteed money coming his way, so the player is presumably seeking some more financial certainty, as well.
The receiver previously reported to Denver’s minicamp, but he kept the door open to a potential training camp holdout. That route would have made Sutton subject to fines, and he wouldn’t have been able to recoup any of that lost value since he’s already attached to a veteran contract.
The former second-round pick hasn’t establish himself as a top-tier WR in the NFL, but he still has put together five 700-plus-yard seasons. He’s been remarkably consistent over the past three years, averaging 60 catches and 792 receiving yards over the span. After hauling in four touchdowns between 2021 and 2022, Sutton caught a career-high 10 scores in 2023. The veteran has seemingly been connected to trade rumors for years, but the wideout has continued to stick around through multiple regimes and multiple QBs.
While the Broncos have time on their hands, there is some merit to keeping Sutton happy while assuring the veteran is locked in beyond the 2025 campaign. The organization already moved on from a trade-rumor mainstay in Jerry Jeudy, which only puts more reliance on Sutton as the top receiver. The team also moved off Russell Wilson and replaced him with first-round QB Bo Nix, so Sutton’s experience will surely come in handy in the upcoming years.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/24
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived (with injury settlement): OL Carter O’Donnell
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OT Julién Davenport
Carolina Panthers
- Activated from PUP: WR Jalen Coker, Chau Smith-Wade
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on NFI: OT Trent Brown
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: QB Jacob Eason
- Waived: LS Peter Bowden
Houston Texans
- Reverted to IR: WR Jared Wayne
- Released from IR: WR Jaxon Janke
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on PUP: LB Darien Butler, OL Jacob Johanning, OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Jalen Guyton, T Kolton Miller
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on PUP: TE Tyler Higbee
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Kyric McGowan
- Placed on PUP: WR Odell Beckham, LB David Long
- Placed on IR: WR Tahj Washington
- Activated off NFI: RB Salvon Ahmed, S Mark Perry
New England Patriots
- Placed on PUP: C Jake Andrews, WR Kendrick Bourne, G Cole Strange, LB Sione Takitaki
- Placed on NFI: RB Antonio Gibson
New York Giants
- Placed on PUP: T Evan Neal▪️, CB Aaron Robinson
- Placed on NFI: DB Jalen Mills, DB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
New York Jets
- Signed: CB Nehemiah Shelton
- Activated from PUP: WR Tyler Harrell, DT Leonard Taylor
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on NFI: DB Cooper DeJean
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on PUP: LB Dre Greenlaw, S Talanoa Hufanga
- Placed on NFI: WR Ricky Pearsall
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Marcus Simms, OT Jalen Sundell
- Activated from PUP: LB Jerome Baker, CB Lance Boykin, LB Tyrel Dodson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on NFI: QB Zack Annexstad, TE Tanner Taula
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on PUP: WR Colton Dowell, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere
WR Michael Gallup Retires
After joining the Raiders earlier this offseason, Michael Gallup is apparently calling it a career. The team announced that they’ve placed the wide receiver on the reserve/retired list.
The 2018 third-round pick quickly established himself as a foundational piece in Dallas, finishing his sophomore campaign with 66 catches for 1,107 yards and six touchdowns. Despite the team’s addition of first-round WR CeeDee Lamb in 2020, Gallup still managed to top 800 receiving yards on a depth chart that also featured Amari Cooper.
The trouble started in 2021. Gallup missed the first chunk of the season thanks to a calf injury. He was limited to a then-career-low 12.7 yards per reception that season on 35 catches before suffering a torn ACL in the regular season finale. The organization clearly wasn’t deterred by the injuries, as the front office handed Gallup a five-year, $62.5MM extension before trading Cooper days later.
To Gallup’s credit, he returned for 14 games in 2022, but he clearly wasn’t the same player. While Dak Prescott‘s absence partly played into Gallup’s drop in production, the wide receiver was still limited to only 30 yards per game. He managed to get into all 17 games this past season but his counting stats continued to drop, with the 28-year-old compiling only 34 catches for 418 yards and two scores.
The Cowboys gave Gallup permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, but the team ultimately decided to cut him before a $4MM salary guarantee was due. The wideout quickly caught on with the Raiders, inking a one-year deal that could be worth up to $3MM. There was some hope that the veteran could soak up the snaps left by Hunter Renfrow, who was cut in March. Indeed, Ed Werder reports that news of Gallup’s retirement came as a surprise to the Raiders. The organization will now have an open competition for the WR3 spot behind Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
Latest On Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
JULY 23: While it will not be known until tomorrow if Tagovailoa takes part in the first practice of training camp, he is in attendance. Tyreek Hill confirmed on Tuesday (via Beasley) that Tagovailoa reported along with the rest of Miami’s veterans. Attention will now turn to the progress of extension talks and whether or not he engages in a hold-in before an agreement is reached.
JULY 22: While the Dolphins are set to hold their first training camp practice on Wednesday, Tua Tagovailoa is still attached to an expiring contract. Following reports from today that Packers QB Jordan Love won’t practice until he inks an extension, we’re hearing similar sentiments out of Miami. Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com writes that the expectation should be that Tagovailoa “follows Love’s lead and withholds his services in some capacity.”
[RELATED: Jordan Love Will Not Participate In Packers’ Training Camp Without Deal]
If Love truly did set a 2024 precedent for extension-worthy quarterbacks, then that doesn’t bode well for Tua’s chances of seeing the practice field any time soon. ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted today that the Dolphins and their franchise quarterback are not as far along in discussions as the Packers and Love (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).
Of course, there’s no immediate urgency to complete an extension. The Dolphins have plenty of offensive continuity, and considering Tagovailoa’s injury and concussion history, the team was probably going to manage his workload either way. The Dolphins have about three weeks until their preseason opener and about seven weeks until the start of the regular season. The former first-round pick could face up to $5MM in fines if he sits out the entire preseason, although Beasley recently noted that those fines could be offset if Tua’s camp is able to squeeze more guaranteed money out of the organization.
Tagovailoa was present during OTAs, but he didn’t participate in any team drills as he pushed for a new contract. If the quarterback refuses to practice during training camp, there’s still a good chance he follows Love’s lead and attends team meetings. Tagovailoa’s camp wanted to avoid a distraction during training camp, and with the Dolphins eyeing a run at the Super Bowl, a complete absence would probably do more harm than good.
We’ll know about Tagovailoa’s status one way or the other by this Wednesday. Veterans are set to report to training camp on Tuesday before taking the practice field on Wednesday. Tua nor Mike McDaniel are expected to speak to reporters tomorrow (per Beasley), but the head coach has his first news conference scheduled for Wednesday morning. We’ll surely get an update at that time.
Ravens Notes: Jackson, Bateman, OL, Tampa
Before veteran Eddie Jackson landed in Baltimore, the safety got a ringing endorsement from a Ravens defender. Linebacker Roquan Smith told reporters that he put in a good word to management about Jackson.
“Yes, I always tell the truth,” Smith said (via the team’s website). “I have great respect for Eddie [Jackson] and [I’ve] known Eddie since I came into the league. Like I said earlier, I think he’s a great asset for our team. [He’s] obviously been making plays in this league for a very long time, and with the pieces that we have here, and then with his talent, and having him in his role, I think it will go well for us.”
Jackson previously spent his entire seven-year career with the Bears, and he played more than four of those seasons alongside Smith. After starting all 100 of his appearances in Chicago, Jackson won’t be nearly as relied upon in Baltimore. The team is mostly looking for a replacement for Geno Stone, who often played with Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton in three-safety looks.
Smith also touched on the major shakeup on the sidelines. Inside linebackers coach Zach Orr replaced Mike Macdonald as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator, and the star pass-rusher is optimistic that the new defensive play-caller will seamlessly replace the former defensive play-caller.
“I think are very similar that’s here, and I have a great deal of respect for Zach [Orr and] his mindset,” Smith said. “He’s been out there on the field, and believe it or not, obviously him and Mike [Macdonald] are two totally different people, and they’re unique in their own way, but through the headset, they actually sound the same. Every voice I’ve heard through a headset all sounds the same. I’m like, ‘Is that Mike or something?’ I told ‘Z.O.’ one day during OTAs, so it’s pretty funny. I’m excited for ‘Z.O.,’ for him to showcase what he’s able to do with the pieces that we have here and showcase it to the world. We’ve all been doubted before, [how] things may not be as good as this, that or the third, but the game gives us the opportunity to prove that. I have a great deal of respect for ‘Z.O.,’ and that he’ll prove it week-in and week-out, and it’s going to start here in training camp, preparing for the year.”
More notes out of Baltimore…
- Rashod Bateman‘s 2022 foot injury ultimately led to surgery, and the receiver’s 2023 offseason was focused on recovering from that operation. Now a year removed from his rehab, the wide receiver believes he’s completely past the issue. Bateman told Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic that his foot is no longer a problem and he’s 100 percent healthy heading into training camp. Bateman hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing in Baltimore, although he did rebound from his disappointing sophomore campaign, finishing 2023 with 32 catches. The Ravens are clearly still optimistic about Bateman, as the team handed him a three-year, $15MM extension this offseason.
- Zrebiec writes that the only certainties on the Ravens’ offensive line are the starting spots for Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum, although the writer also opines that Patrick Mekari, Josh Jones, Andrew Vorhees, and Roger Rosengarten will make the roster in some capacity. Beyond those six linemen, Zrebiec writes that the rest of the team’s OL corps could be competing for up to four roster spots, with the likes of Daniel Faalele, Ben Cleveland, and Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu benefiting from the team’s decision to avoid veteran reinforcements.
- Fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa recently underwent sports hernia surgery, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The rookie is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks. The Iowa State product joins a deep cornerbacks grouping that’s headlined by Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, and rookie first-round pick Nate Wiggins.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/24
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DB Daryl Worley
- Waived: DB Tre Swilling
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Ike Boettger
Green Bay Packers
- Activated from PUP: OT Zach Tom
Houston Texans
- Waived-injured: WR Jared Wayne
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: S Tyree Gillespie
- Waived: S Trey Dean
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve/retired list: LB Shaquil Barrett (story)
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on PUP: CB NaJee Thompson
- Placed on NFI: RB DeWayne McBride
New England Patriots
- Waived-injured: LB Jontrey Hunter
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Kevin Austin Jr.
New York Jets
- Signed: DB Nehemiah Shelton
CB Jerry Jacobs To Visit Panthers
Despite auditioning for a handful of teams earlier this offseason, Jerry Jacobs remains unsigned. After about two months of inaction, it sounds like his market is starting to pick back up. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the cornerback will visit the Panthers later this week.
[RELATED: CB Jerry Jacobs To Visit Falcons, Vikings]
The former UDFA spent the first three seasons of his career in Detroit, starting 29 of his 40 appearances. Jacobs is coming off a 2024 campaign where he got into a career-high 744 appearances while starting 12 of his 15 games. He finished the year with 55 tackles, eight passes defended, and three interceptions. Pro Football Focus only ranked Jacobs 91st among 127 qualifying cornerbacks, with the site giving him one of the lowest positional grades for his coverage ability.
Still, Jacobs’ starting experience will make him an attractive option for teams seeking secondary depth. The 26-year-old visited with the Jaguars, Falcons, and Vikings earlier this offseason, although a deal obviously never materialized.
Carolina would be a logical landing spot for the cornerback, as the team is eyeing a bit of a makeover at the position. Donte Jackson and Jeremy Chinn are no longer around, meaning Jaycee Horn will be positioned to take over as the team’s top cornerback. The depth behind the former eighth-overall pick is questionable, explaining why the organization has been connected to a reunion with Stephon Gilmore. Any notable cornerback acquisition would likely be competing with Dane Jackson to be the team’s CB2.
Release Candidate: Kadarius Toney
As the Chiefs navigated their post-Tyreek Hill offense, the front office was seeking reinforcement at the receiver position. One of the team’s most notable WR acquisitions was Kadarius Toney, who the Chiefs acquired from the Giants midway through the 2022 campaign. While Toney has won a pair of Super Bowl rings during his year-plus in Kansas City, the wideout hasn’t lived up to the billing. Now with only a year remaining on his rookie contract, it’s uncertain if he’ll even reach the 2024 campaign with the Chiefs.
A 2021 first-round pick by the Giants, Toney showed flashes during his rookie campaign, finishing with 39 catches for 420 yards. However, injuries quickly proved to be an issue in both 2021 and 2022, leading to the Giants deciding to cut bait. The Chiefs swooped in and acquired the intriguing wideout, sending New York a future third- and sixth-round pick.
Toney struggled to carve out a significant role during his first season in Kansas City, finishing with 14 receptions in seven games. He showed out a bit in that year’s playoffs, finishing with 50 yards in Kansas City’s divisional-round victory before setting the Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return (while also hauling in a touchdown). With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman out the door, Toney had a chance to step into a major role with Patrick Mahomes heading into 2023.
Unfortunately, it was more of the same for the third-year pro. Toney was unable to emerge ahead of Rashee Rice, Justin Watson, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (and, of course, TE Travis Kelce). The Chiefs even went out and re-acquired Hardman, leading to Toney being inactive for four of the team’s final seven games, plus each of the Chiefs’ four playoff contests.
Heading into the 2024 campaign, Toney faces even more competition than he did last year. The Chiefs were quick to add Marquise Brown on a one-year agreement, and they moved up in the first round to select Xavier Worthy. That leaves Toney to compete with many of the same WRs who he was unable to supplant during the 2023 season, but there are fewer roster spots this time around.
Rice’s future is in question following some troubling off-the-field incidents, but the 2023 second-round pick notably finished his rookie season with 935 yards from scrimmage. Hardman and Watson were ahead of Toney at the end of the 2023 season, and the team is also still rostering 2022 second-round pick Skyy Moore. Even when accounting for Rice’s uncertain roster status, Toney would have to leap at least one player if he hopes to make the roster.
The Chiefs unsurprisingly declined Toney’s fifth-year option back in May, making the wide receiver a free agent after this season. While moving on from his $2.5MM salary in 2024 wouldn’t provide any cap relief, the dead cap charge isn’t enough to make his cut untenable. With only three seasons under his belt, Toney would be subject to waivers, and his draft pedigree could be enough for a team to bite. More likely, Toney will hit free agency before having to settle for a lower salary (and/or even a practice squad gig).