NFL Restructures: Texans, Humphrey, Wirfs, Holcomb, Conklin
The Texans have restructured a number of deals in recent days to clear up some cap space for the 2025 league year.
First, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the team converted $12.33MM of Nico Collins‘ 2025 salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the end of his deal. These moves opened of $9.86MM of cap space. Fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk also agreed to convert $14.33MM of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus while adding four void years to the end of his deal, freeing up $11.46MM of cap space, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Pelissero also reported a restructuring on the defensive side of the ball, as outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair saw $7.83MM of his 2025 salary converted into a signing bonus with an additional void year added to the end of his deal. This last move created $6.26MM more of cap space.
Here are a few other restructured deals from around the NFL:
- In Baltimore, Brian McFarland of RussellStreetReport.com detailed how the Ravens did a max restructure of cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. His $18MM base salary was reduced to the veteran minimum as $16.74MM was converted into a signing bonus. The team also added two void years to the end of his deal, ultimately opening up $13.39MM of cap space.
- Per Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a restructured deal that would see his $26MM base salary reduced to the veteran minimum with $24.83MM converted into a signing bonus. The move created $19.86MM of cap space.
- Pelissero also reported on a restructured deal for Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb. While details of the restructuring have yet to be released, we know the deal will clear $5MM of cap space, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brings us our final restructured deal of the day for Browns right tackle Jack Conklin. The revised contract reportedly removes a year — making Conklin a free agent in 2026, instead of 2027 — and pays him $10MM this year with $9MM in guarantees and $2MM available in incentives. Cap influences from this deal have not yet been reported.
Bengals Reach Extensions With WRs Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
It appears the Bengals have made good on recent rumblings as Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins exclusively informed him that they’ve agreed to contract extensions to stay with their team. 
Schultz reports that Chase will receive a four-year, $161MM extension with $112MM guaranteed, while Higgins’ deal is for four years and $115MM. The first two years of Higgins’ contract — an undisclosed amount, at the moment — will be guaranteed, as well. The early predictions of the two’s contracts combining to eclipse $70MM per year is not quite accurate, as they appear to combine to equal $69MM per year.
Chase’s deal surpasses that of Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Higgins’ contract reportedly makes him the highest-paid WR2 in NFL history, surpassing Miami’s Jaylen Waddle. While Higgins would move up two spots from the 10th-highest paid receiver in the league to the eighth-highest, Chase’s catapult up to the top of the list moves him back down to the ninth-highest paid receiver in the NFL. Only the Dolphins (Tyreek Hill & Waddle) match them with two in the top 10, and the Commanders (Deebo Samuel & Terry McLaurin) and the Buccaneers (Chris Godwin & Mike Evans) join with two in the top 20.
We saw major progress as this week started with Chase and Cincinnati far apart on extension terms before producing “significant progress” two days ago. Chase had turned down a Bengals offer this year, but after the team was unable to extend him before the 2024 season, the market shifted quite a bit. After the Raiders eclipsed Justin Jefferson‘s previous non-QB AAV mark by paying Maxx Crosby $35.5MM per year, the Browns gave Myles Garrett a whopping $40MM per annum to back off his trade request. By getting these signings of Chase and Higgins done, the Bengals avoid the price driving up even more, as T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, and Aidan Hutchinson could all adjust that number again this offseason.
Once the exact numbers and structure come through, we should become aware of just how much the Bengals’ cap situation has improved — and it should be a significant improvement. Cincinnati was sitting at just over $26MM in cap space before these two deals transpired. Higgins’ $26.2MM franchise tag cap hit should disappear, as should Chase’s $21.8MM fifth-year option cap hit; both will be replaced with new, much lower cap numbers that will rise in the later years of their new contracts.
By securing Chase and Higgins for another four years, Cincinnati has locked down a receiving duo that has combined for 658 catches for 9,112 yards and 74 touchdowns over the past four years. During the time the two have played together, they have combined to account for 44 percent of quarterback Joe Burrow‘s completions, 56 percent of Burrow’s yardage, and 58 percent of his touchdowns. With Burrow locked in through the 2029 season, as well, the potent Bengals offense doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
And Cincinnati better hope that their prolific offense continues to produce. A big reason why the Bengals failed to make the postseason in 2024, despite Burrow leading the league in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns and Chase winning the receiving Triple Crown, was a defense that ranked 26th is points per game and 25th in yards per game.
While Chase and Higgins are celebrating their new extensions, star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson continues to reside in limbo waiting for any developments on his extension or trade potential. Cincinnati reportedly wants at least a first-round pick for the 30-year-old pass rusher and perhaps more, though rival execs view that ask as “ridiculous.”
Hendrickson’s issues with his contract situation date back to a trade request a year ago, similar to Higgins. Higgins made the savvy move of dropping his representation and pairing up under Chase’s agency, making it clear that a Chase deal was not possible without a Higgins deal, as well. Hendrickson, on the other hand, seems to have been left in the cold here, as the extensions reported today will make it extremely difficult for Cincinnati to give a long-term pact to him, as well.
Regardless, Bengals fans can let out a long sigh of relief knowing that Chase, Higgins, and Burrow will be around to continue putting up record offensive numbers in the years to come. Whether dedicating $124MM per year to three offensive players will ultimately handicap a team desperately needing to improve on defense is to be determined. For now, though, Cincinnati can take pride in being sure it’s done what it can to make its stars happy.
Steelers Sign DT Daniel Ekuale
The Steelers will replace one veteran defensive tackle with another. After watching Larry Ogunjobi depart for Buffalo, Pittsburgh has signed former Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale to fill his place, according to his agent, Blake Baratz.
Ekuale entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Washington State in 2018, signing with the Browns. After some nominal playing time in Cleveland, Ekuale’s sophomore campaign saw him start five games for the Jaguars in nine game appearances. For the second straight year, though, the team with which he finished the season, let him go in final roster cuts just prior to the next season.
This time, Ekuale landed in New England, where he would play a rotational role on the Patriots defensive line for the next two years. He started 2021, his first year with the team, coming off the practice squad, before the team began to realize his contribution potential as he tallied two sacks. After sitting out the first two games of 2022 due to a suspension, Ekuale continued in his rotational role. He played in every game for the remainder of that season logging another two sacks. He started 2023 in a similar role, but a torn bicep forced him to miss all but three games of the season.
Ekuale returned to the field in 2024 as a fill-in starter for the Patriots while Christian Barmore dealt with diagnosed blood clot issues. Ekuale ended up starting every game of the season but one last year, the first serious playing time of his career. He only tallied one sack while merely matching career highs in tackles for loss (2) and quarterback hits (3), but he vastly improved his tackling numbers with a career-high 52 combined tackles.
In his first season as a full-time starter, Ekuale graded out just above average, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), ranking 52nd out of 118 interior defenders. If he plays up to the same level in Pittsburgh, that would be an improvement over the player he’s replacing, Ogunjobi, who hasn’t ranked higher than 52nd per PFF since his rookie season in 2017.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/25
Today’s minor transactions:
Los Angeles Rams
- Re-signed: RB Ronnie Rivers
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: DE Jalyn Holmes
AFC North Contract Details: Slaton, Ricard, Bush, Harrison
Here is a list of some of the released contract details concerning some free agent signings from the AFC North:
- Patrick Ricard, FB (Ravens): One year, $2.87MM. Because of the new CBA’s four-year qualifying options, players who have been with the same team for four or more consecutive seasons can earn more than they count against the salary cap. As a result, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Ricard will only count for $1.42MM against the cap. The deal includes $167.5K in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.
- Tylan Wallace, WR (Ravens): One year, $2.1MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Wallace’s new deal will have $1.35MM guaranteed including a $930K signing bonus. Additional void years from 2026 to 2029 will spread his cap hit out over time.
- T.J. Slaton, DT (Bengals): Two years, $14.1MM. Per Wilson, Slaton’s contract has $5MM of guarantees. The $5MM of guarantees comes in the form of a 2025 league year roster bonus. Slaton can also earn an active roster bonus of $20K per game and a playtime incentive that could pay out an additional $500K for the year.
- Cody Ford, G (Bengals): Two years, $6MM. Per Wilson, Ford’s deal has $1MM of guarantees in the form of a signing bonus. He can also earn an active roster bonus of $29.41K per game and an additional $500K for playing 75 percent of the team’s offensive snaps each year.
- Marco Wilson, CB (Bengals): One year, $1.52MM. Per Aaron Wilson, Marco Wilson’s guaranteed money comes in the form of a $150K signing bonus. He’ll also be able to earn an active roster bonus of $5.88K per game.
- Devin Bush, LB (Browns): One year, $3.25MM. Per Wilson, Bush’s contract includes $2.97MM in guarantees that are comprised of a $1.8MM signing bonus and the entirety of his $1.17MM base salary. Bush can earn an active roster bonus of $15K per game and an additional $250K through incentives. The team added four void years to the deal in order to space out his cap impact.
- Malik Harrison, LB (Steelers): Two years, $10MM. Per Wilson, Harrison’s contract includes $4.08MM in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.
Ravens Were Top Team For WR DeAndre Hopkins
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the new big man in town in Baltimore, and he seems to be echoing sentiments heard last year from Derrick Henry from whenever he was the big, new thing. 11 months ago, Henry told the media that “Baltimore was always (his) No. 1 option.” This week, Hopkins took a page out of Henry’s book, saying that “the Ravens were (the) top team on his list,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. 
Hopkins cites the presence of two-time MVP Lamar Jackson as one of the main reasons for his desires to play in Baltimore. It’s something we’ve seen a number of offensive acquisitions say over the years, which says a lot considering wide receivers don’t typically boast big seasons in Baltimore due to Jackson’s ability to spread the ball out effectively throughout the offense.
Baltimore has a history of its best wide receivers being veteran free agent additions. The franchise leader in receiving yards, Derrick Mason, came to Baltimore at 31 years old after eight seasons in Tennessee. Anquan Boldin came to the Ravens at 30 years old after seven seasons in Arizona and helped deliver a second Super Bowl to Baltimore alongside contributions from another veteran free agent in the late Jacoby Jones, who joined the team at 28.
Despite spending 13 years of his career in Carolina, Steve Smith Sr. came to Baltimore at 35 years old and delivered three incredibly strong seasons. Even Mike Wallace delivered one of the three 1,000-yard seasons of his career in Baltimore after signing with the team at 30.
Baltimore has also, unfortunately, garnered a reputation as a wide receiver graveyard, a place in which aged wideouts go to die (or at least their careers do). We saw it in 2017 when a 29-year-old Jeremy Maclin delivered a career-low receiving yard total in what would be his final NFL season. Or the next year, when a 31-year-old Michael Crabtree logged a solid but overall underwhelming performance in Jackson’s rookie campaign.
A 32-year-old Dez Bryant attempted to make a comeback in Baltimore after two years away from the league, only to catch six passes for 47 yards in 2020. Most recently, a 31-year-old Odell Beckham Jr. attempted the same with better results, though still not up to the standard of his early years in the league.
At 32 years old, it will be interesting to see which side of history Hopkins falls on. 12 years with four teams may have worn Hopkins down like the second group of receivers mentioned above. He hasn’t earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors since his first season in Arizona in 2020, but he did deliver a 1,000-yard campaign just two years ago in Tennessee at the hands of Will Levis and Ryan Tannehill.
While Ravens receivers don’t tend to put up huge numbers — only Mark Andrews (1,361), Zay Flowers (1,059), and Marquise Brown (1,008) have delivered 1,000-yard seasons in Jackson’s tenure — Hopkins still has potential to make a lasting impact with the Ravens.
Jackson returns a backfield that features the bell-cow Henry, the versatile Justice Hill, and the speedy Keaton Mitchell, as well as a tight ends stable that should feature Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. He will likely see Nelson Agholor depart in free agency, but replacing him with Hopkins, who will line up with Flowers and Rashod Bateman, gives the Ravens one of the most impressive wide receivers groups they’ve had in their short history.
It will just depend on if Hopkins is willing to find his role among the litany of offensive options and if Hopkins can bring a veteran energy akin to Mason/Boldin/Smith/Wallace versus that of Maclin/Crabtree/Bryant/Beckham.
Aaron Rodgers Mulling Vikings Or Retirement?
It seems impossible to avoid the drama that surrounds free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers on what has become an annual basis. From the trade he forced Green Bay into that sent him to the Jets to his insistence on returning from a season-ending Achilles injury on a truncated schedule with unorthodox recovery methods to impacting reunions with most of his old Packers teammates in New York, Rodgers seems addicted to the spotlight. 
That hasn’t changed to this day, as a team of Michael Silver, Dianna Russini, and Alec Lewis — all of The Athletic — reports that Rodgers has multiple teams holding out for his decision on where to play in 2025. One thing is a bit different in this situation, though: the decision appears to be out of Rodgers’ hands, at the moment. Per The Athletic, Rodgers has made it known that he is hoping to sign with the Vikings, but it’s head coach Kevin O’Connell who appears to hold sway over whether or not that will happen.
For a player that didn’t seem to want to live in the shadow of Brett Favre, Rodgers seems fairly eager to continue following in his exact footsteps. Rodgers’ desires are not exactly difficult to track here, though. At 41 years old, the veteran quarterback is hoping to land with a team that can contend for a Super Bowl. His move to New York was an attempt to bring a team in the gutter up to his usual championship-caliber, but that proved more difficult than anticipated.
Now, he’ll seek a contender who sat a game short of earning the NFC’s first-round bye in the playoffs with Sam Darnold at quarterback just last year. In fact, The Athletic reports that Darnold’s new salary in Seattle ($33.5MM per year) is around what Rodgers is looking for in a new contract. That being said, salary is not expected to be a sticking point for Rodgers on a new deal.
The real decision here comes from O’Connell, who has been granted key say in this situation by team owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. They know that, ultimately, the decision will weigh heaviest on O’Connell as head coach and that O’Connell has the most insight into the Vikings’ current situation at quarterback.
That situation has recently seen Minnesota affirming rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy as the heir apparent for the job moving forward, despite McCarthy missing the entirety of the 2024 NFL season following meniscus surgery. The 10th overall pick last year was not seen as a first-round option for much of the 2023 season, but his national championship-winning season with the Wolverines, combined with quite a few desperate teams looking for rookie passers, resulted in McCarthy hearing his name on Day 1.
While it was initially thought that McCarthy would need to sit and learn for a year, a lack of serious candidates for competition led McCarthy into a battle with Darnold to replace Kirk Cousins as the starter in Minnesota, a battle that Darnold was gifted following McCarthy’s surgery. Now, with Darnold having moved on and McCarthy having sat for the year, it’s presumed that McCarthy should now be ready to take hold of the starting role.
Enter: Rodgers. Obviously, Rodgers has the ability as an experienced veteran to come in and take hold of the starting job. O’Connell isn’t just looking for a starter, though. After a 14-3 season, O’Connell is looking to build off that momentum and take the team to a Super Bowl, even if it doesn’t happen this season.
This forces O’Connell to reconcile with what bringing Rodgers in would mean. First, the upside that Rodgers provides could help for a win-now mentality to take a talented Vikings team to a Super Bowl this season. But, given what we saw from Rodgers last season in New York, Minnesota may not get that upside. They could end up with what we’ve seen in Rodgers last two full seasons: a combined 13-21 record, sub-4,000 yards passing, and just over 25 touchdowns combined with double-digit interceptions, something we hadn’t seen from Rodgers since 2010.
O’Connell also has to reconcile with the social factor Rodgers brings to the team. We saw several instances of dissonance between Rodgers and leadership over his last years in Green Bay and his time with the Jets. Does O’Connell want to risk bringing in what some have deemed to be a toxic personality, especially if there’s no guarantee he returns to the excellence we saw just four years ago?
This could also impact McCarthy’s confidence, leading the young passer to feel as if the team doesn’t believe he’s ready for the job and further stunting his early growth. The alternative would see O’Connell lock in on McCarthy as the future of the position and start to get him as much time in that role as possible. Even if it doesn’t bring them the success of a Super Bowl in 2025, getting McCarthy reps as the leader of the offense would be crucial in the 22-year-old’s development.
It’s an unenviable position for O’Connell who has to weigh several factors in making a decision on whether to take the next uncertain steps with an inexperienced, unproven rookie or an accomplished veteran who could certainly be on the downslide that ends his career.
Regardless of what O’Connell decides, the Giants and Steelers are holding in position, waiting to make their own decisions as a result. Unfortunately for them, it sounds as if Rodgers may not be guaranteed to fall to them even if O’Connell decides not to sign him. According to The Athletic staff, it remains an option that, should the Vikings turn him down, Rodgers may spurn both Pittsburgh and New York in favor of retirement. There is certainly a slew of possibilities that will branch out from O’Connell’s upcoming decision.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster Re-Signs With Chiefs
With some potential question marks in the receiving corps for 2025, the Chiefs seem to have opted to keep some familiar faces in the room for Patrick Mahomes to throw to. To that end, Kansas City will re-sign veteran wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster for the 2025 season, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. 
Since having a resurgent, Super Bowl-winning season in 2022 with the Chiefs, Smith-Schuster has struggled to make an impact in the past two seasons. Smith-Schuster’s rebound season came after he only played five games in his final year with Pittsburgh and saw him record his second-highest career receiving yards total (933), though he only registered three touchdowns.
Following his big year with Mahomes, Smith-Schuster cashed in, signing a three-year, $33MM deal with the Patriots. Unfortunately, Smith-Schuster’s rebounded success didn’t carry over in New England, as he only accumulated 260 receiving yards and one touchdown in 11 games. The team released him after only one season.
It didn’t take too long for the Chiefs to pick up their old receiver for a second stint with the team, joining free agent addition Marquise Brown and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy as new additions in the wake of some Rashee Rice uncertainty. Despite injuries to both Brown and Rice, Smith-Schuster was unable to take advantage of more playing time, only logging 231 yards and two touchdowns on the season.
More opportunities for targets could certainly be on the way for Smith-Schuster in 2025, though. The Chiefs have already seen DeAndre Hopkins depart for Baltimore, and Mecole Hardman‘s contract with the team expired, as well. With those two gone, Smith-Schuster presumably slots in as WR4 behind Rice, Worthy, and Brown.
The aforementioned Rice uncertainty could open up even more opportunities for Smith-Schuster. While Rice is recovering from a season-ending injury, the uncertainty actually comes from two separate legal incidents from the last offseason that could see suspensions levied on Rice. First, Rice was involved in a major accident that he was allegedly responsible for before leaving the scene, and second, Rice was under investigation for an alleged assault incident. The team was reportedly bracing for a suspension for Rice before it was made known that, if a suspension was coming, it wouldn’t occur in 2024. That could mean that a suspension is still imminent for the 2025 season, though.
The team also received a second scare when Worthy was arrested on a charge of assault against a family or household member by impeding their breathing or circulation. Luckily for Kansas City, Worthy was not charged after the case was declined following discussions with multiple witnesses and Worthy’s attorneys. The case was closed, and Worthy has seemingly avoided any punishment for the time being.
Still, amidst the legal troubles of their two top wide receivers, the Chiefs opted to re-sign Brown, giving him another chance to make an impact in Kansas City after missing all but two games recovering from shoulder surgery in 2024. Smith-Schuster, too, will return for the Chiefs in 2025 as the team pursues its third Super Bowl victory in four years and its fourth appearance in as many years in the big game.
Ravens Re-Signing G Ben Cleveland
The Ravens have made a move that could impact their view on needing to address the offensive line this offseason. According to Ravens editorial director Ryan Mink, the team has re-signed backup offensive guard Ben Cleveland, who could get another crack at a starting role with the departure of Patrick Mekari in free agency. 
Since coming out of Georgia as a third-round pick in 2021, Cleveland has failed to live up to his Day 2 draft stock. While he appeared in every game for the Ravens in 2024, it was the first season in which he did not start a single game. He’s only started in seven contests over the four years of his rookie contract despite several opportunities to seize the job.
Cleveland saw his largest chunk of playing time as a rookie, when he started four of 12 game appearances. That rookie campaign also saw his lowest blocking grades, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which was mostly chalked up to being a rookie adjusting to the speed and physicality of the NFL game. In 2022, he opened training camp in a starting battle with Tyre Phillips for the left guard spot, which ultimately stayed with Ben Powers, the incumbent from the prior year for whom Cleveland started in the final games of the season.
When Powers departed for Denver, the battle once again opened, this time with four participants. Duking it out with Mekari, John Simpson, and Daniel Faalele, Cleveland once again became a nonfactor, falling out of a race that ended up being between Simpson and then-rookie Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, a battle Simpson would win and, like Powers, earn a big payday from.
In 2024, for the third year in a row, Cleveland was granted an opportunity to fight for two open guard spots after the departures of Simpson and Kevin Zeitler. He seemed to be in competition with Aumavae-Laulu and Andrew Vorhees as Faalele competed with second-round rookie Roger Rosengarten at right tackle and Mekari was seemingly reserved for any spot that may need a starter, if necessary. Vorhees ended up winning one of the jobs, and Faalele, unable to win a tackle spot, slid inside to start at the other with Mekari starting at right tackle. Early struggles from Vorhees could’ve offered a spot for Cleveland. Instead, the Ravens moved Mekari back inside and brought the rookie, Rosengarten, into the starting lineup at tackle.
At this point, it seemingly became clear that Cleveland didn’t have a future in Baltimore. Given starting opportunities time and again, Cleveland seemingly lacked the drive or talent to take over the role despite a menacing physical build. When Cleveland became the latest former Georgia Bulldog to be involved in some traffic situation, getting arrested as a result of a DUI incident, it seemed increasingly likely that his time in Baltimore had come to an end.
Instead, the team has brought Cleveland back to perhaps continue his role as a depth piece. He was third in line for the guard spot he lost last year, and with Mekari gone, Vorhees is next in line for the job opposite Faalele. Perhaps, with Josh Jones, the team’s oft-used sixth offensive lineman in jumbo packages, departing in free agency, and having seen Cleveland work reps at tackle in the preseason, Cleveland is being retained as an emergency option who could play at both positions. Regardless, one would expect that, between his inability to claim a starting role and his recent legal troubles, the Ravens got a good deal on the signing.
Titans Release CB Chidobe Awuzie
The Titans have announced that they will be releasing veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. Unless it’s announced that the team is designating the move as one of its two post-June 1 releases, the team will eat $12.51MM in dead money and save $1.73MM in cap space. 
Veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky confirms this will not be a post-June 1 release, but the move obviously represents an underwhelming end to Awuzie’s time in Tennessee. The former Cowboy and Bengal inked a three-year, $36MM deal in free agency last offseason, but it did not pan out as expected. Awuzie was limited to eight games in 2024 by a groin injury, something which will no doubt hurt his market this spring.
The Titans are already on the hook for $7.51MM in 2025 compensation, but Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald writes the timing of this release means another $3.98MM in salary for this year will not need to be paid out. Tennessee entered Saturday near the top of the NFL in terms of remaining cap space with roughly $55MM available anyway, but those additional funds could be used to add a starting replacement in the secondary. The team still has 2024 trade acquisition L’Jarius Sneed and 2022 second-rounder Roger McCreary on the books at the cornerback spot.
Despite Awuzie’s absence and the fact Sneed only played five games in his debut Titans campaign, the team finished second in the NFL in passing yards allowed. The latter will be counted on to play a notable role in repeating that success in 2025, but Awuzie will be on the move once again. His four-year run in Dallas was followed by three Cincinnati seasons, a span which included his starting role being lost at the end of the 2023 campaign. The Titans deal allowed for the 29-year-old to continue working with ex-Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, but that has proven to be a short-lived arrangement.
When healthy, Awuzie handled a 77% snap share and recorded one interception and four pass breakups during his lone Titans campaign. The Colorado product’s coverage statistics (57.7% completion percentage, 89.7 passer rating allowed) were not the best of his career, but they could convince an interested team he is still capable of operating as a starter at this point in his career. Further removed from his 2022 ACL tear, it will be interesting to see how quickly Awuzie can land a new deal.
Tennessee, meanwhile, will look to address the cornerback spot in the remaining waves of free agency and/or the draft. The team’s secondary has already seen Quandre Diggs replaced by Xavier Woods at the safety spot, and further changes could be coming.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.