Commanders’ Terry McLaurin Begins Holdout
JULY 24: During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted McLaurin is currently in the Virginia area as his holdout continues. Per Pelissero, all options – anything from requesting a trade to backing down and playing the 2025 season without an extension in hand – remain on the table at this point. In the absence of an agreement, an escalation on the part of McLaurin’s camp looms as a potential development in this saga.
JULY 22: Terry McLaurin did not report to Commanders training camp, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, marking the start of a holdout amid his protracted extension talks with the team.
Washington’s veterans were due to report today for a conditioning test, which was described as an “unofficial start” to training camp by Schefter. McLaurin was the only Commander not in attendance, which is expected to remain the case until he reaches an agreement on a new contract.
General manager Adam Peters made it clear earlier today that the organization would “do whatever we can to get a deal done,” although the front office apparently didn’t show enough urgency to avoid a holdout. McLaurin will now face daily fines of $50K for missed practices.
Entering the final season of his three-year, $68MM extension from 2022, McLaurin has cited recent deals signed at his position. Garrett Wilson was the most recent wideout to receive a lucrative extension, as the Jets WR garnered a four-year, $130MM contract that included $90MM in guaranteed money. McLaurin’s situation is a bit unique considering he’s set to enter his age-30 campaign, but the Commanders star could still expect a hefty payout on his next deal.
The former third-round pick has topped 900 receiving yards in each of his six NFL seasons, including five-straight years of 1,000-plus yards. The 2024 season was one of the most productive campaigns of his career, as McLaurin finished with 82 catches for 1,096 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns.
While the Commanders appear motivated to work out a long-term pact, there shouldn’t be a lack of suitors if the organization suddenly pivots to a trade. Just the other day, we heard that the Patriots would have interest in acquiring the star receiver, and New England surely wouldn’t be the only potential landing spot for the Pro Bowler.
In the meantime, McLaurin’s absence will give several players an opportunity to push for first-team reps in Washington. This group includes veterans K.J. Osborn and Michael Gallup as well as recent draftees Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
TE Noah Fant Visiting Bengals; Other Teams Interested
Less than a week after being released by the Seahawks, tight end Noah Fant is already receiving interest from multiple teams, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Fant is visiting Cincinnati today, per Schultz, giving the Bengals the first crack at signing the former first-rounder.
Originally selected with the No. 20 pick in 2019, Fant is considered somewhat of a disappointment relative to his draft billing. He has still been a solid receiving tight end across his six-year career, but his blocking has left much to be desired. He ranked eighth among tight ends with 1,905 receiving yards over his first three seasons before he was sent to the Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade in 2022. In his three years in Seattle, Fant fell to 21st among tight ends with just 1,400 receiving yards.
The Bengals, meanwhile, finally found a productive tight end last year in Mike Gesicki, who caught 65 passes for 665 yards. (Prior to that, no Bengals tight end had reached 55 receptions or 500 receiving yards in a season in the Joe Burrow era.) Gesicki was retained this offseason on a three-year, $25.5MM deal, solidifying him as the team’s starter, certainly for 2025 and likely for 2026 as well. 2019 second-rounder Drew Sample only has one season above 200 receiving yards, but he actually led the Bengals’ tight end room in 2024 with 655 starts (57.61% snap share) to Gesicki’s 523 (46% snap share). 2024 fourth-rounder Erick All is out for the year with a torn ACL, so the TE3 role currently belongs to Tanner Hudson, a reliable, inexpensive player who offers little upside.
Fant certainly offers more receiving prowess than Hudson, but it’s hard to imagine him eating into Gesicki’s role as a receiver, often in the slot, or Sample’s as an inline blocker. The Bengals will likely need to sell Fant on an appealing role (and/or contract) to get him to agree to terms before leaving Cincinnati. With other interested teams, however, Fant may look for a more clear-cut TE2 role elsewhere.
Texans’ Tank Dell Expected To Miss Season
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is likely to miss the entire 2025 season as he continues his recovery from last year’s brutal knee injury, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Dell dislocated his knee and tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL in a Week 16 loss to the Chiefs. With such a severe injury, Houston’s focus is on Dell’s health and long-term career outlook. The team wants him to get healthy rather than rushing back to play this year.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said (via Wilson) that Dell is “crushing the rehab,” but declined to offer a specific timeline. His comments hinted that the team is not counting on Dell to return this season.
Injuries were always the biggest concern surrounding Dell. His 5-foot-7, 165-pound frame was already undersized by college standards; in the NFL, it’s minuscule. Sitting out this season will set up a major contract year in 2026. Dell will need to prove that he is back at full health and can remain there for an entire season while maintaining his production.
Dell was placed on the active/PUP list, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, along with teammates Trent Brown and Jimmie Ward.
Brown has been medically cleared to return to the field after missing most of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Though he has recovered from surgery, the Texans are still expected to ease him into action in training camp, per Wilson.
Ward, however, is not medically cleared as he recovers from offseason foot surgery. He was sidelined throughout the spring, but has recently “resumed running and is making good progress,” according to Wilson. He is also facing a third-degree felony charge for domestic violence with an August 13 court date. The NFL is monitoring the case to prepare for potential discipline, though the league typically waits until legal matters have concluded before issuing a punishment.
Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu Announces Retirement
July 23: The Saints will get some minor cap savings from Mathieu’s retirement, per NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett. He agreed to a revised contract earlier this offseason with a $2.47MM signing bonus and a fully guaranteed $1.53MM salary. The latter will come off this year’s cap, while the former will be taken off of Mathieu’s 2026 dead money from his last contract.
July 22: Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement on social media (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), ending the Honey Badger’s sterling 12-year career.
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said that the team was informed of Mathieu’s decision in advance, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise. It also leaves the team without a starting safety with six weeks left until Week 1. Mathieu started every Saints game for the last three years.
[RELATED: Saints To Sign S Julian Blackmon]
Loomis indicated that the Saints will explore adding a safety, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but they may already have Mathieu’s replacement on the roster. It won’t be veteran offseason signing Justin Reid, as he was already expected to start this year. Instead, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden jumps out as the most likely candidate.
Though he has only logged 11 career starts, Howden played just under 50% of the Saints’ defensive snaps over the last two years, primarily as a free safety. That experience should put him in a strong position to start opposite Reid, though veterans J.T. Gray and Terrell Burgess will also be in the mix. A number of free agents safeties are also available, including former Saint Marcus Maye.
The Saints also drafted Virginia safety Jonas Sanker in the third round, a sign that they believe he can grow into an NFL starter. He will likely have a chance to compete for the starting job, but rookie safeties – even ones drafted on Day 2 – are rarely able to catch up to NFL speed and start right away.
Mathieu, meanwhile, will be enjoying retirement after 12 years, 180 appearances, 171 starts, and more than 11,000 snaps in the NFL. Despite an excellent college career at LSU, Mathieu fell to the third round in the 2013 draft due to size concerns. The Cardinals snagged him with the 69th overall pick, and he went on to finish fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Working regularly in the slot for the Cardinals in 2015, Mathieu earned a first-team All-Pro nod upon helping the team to a franchise-most 13 wins — and a run to the NFC championship game. The Cardinals gave Mathieu a five-year, $62.5MM extension in 2016; at the time, that deal made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The Cards cut bait on the deal two years in, as the safety market cratered in 2018. After a one-off in Houston, Mathieu made his way to Kansas City and sparked a midcareer turnaround.
Hours after Washington gave Landon Collins a $14MM-per-year deal to reignite the safety market, Kansas City matched it — as the team loaded up around Patrick Mahomes‘ rookie contract. Mathieu played an instrumental role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning season, justifying the team’s big-ticket payment. In 2020, Mathieu intercepted a career-high six passes and delivered his second straight first-team All-Pro season.
Despite Mathieu remaining a quality starter in 2021, the Chiefs let him walk as a 2022 free agent. They brought in Justin Reid as a cheaper alternative, redirecting Mathieu to the Saints (on a three-year, $27MM pact). New Orleans adjusted Mathieu’s deal twice, the second such change bringing a pay cut. Reid joined the Saints this offseason, but rather than finally align as a Mathieu teammate, the former Texans draftee will end up replacing him for a third time.
The LSU standout finishes his career with 36 interceptions, 11 sacks and seven forced fumbles. His work with the Cardinals and Chiefs spearheaded an All-Decade honor for the 2010s. Mathieu retires just shy of $100MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap, though that may change depending on how the Saints financially handle his retirement.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Bears Sign DE Tanoh Kpassagnon, DB Tre Flowers
The Bears are making some veteran additions to their defense before training camp starts on Wednesday by signing defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon and defensive back Tre Flowers, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
To make room on the roster, the team waived defensive back Alex Cook and defensive end Jereme Robinson, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Kpassagnon is entering his ninth season in the NFL with 104 appearances and 34 starts under his belt for the Chiefs and the Saints, though he has only produced 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss. He has multiple connections to Chicago: general manager Ryan Poles was the director of college scouting in Kansas City when they drafted Kpassagnon in 2017, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen coached Kpassagnon in New Orleans for the last four years. Kpassagnon’s time as a Saint ended with a torn Achilles suffered three games into the 2024 season, but signing with a new team indicates that he is fully recovered, or close to it.
However, making the roster in Chicago is no certainty. The Bears have three edge defenders who are roster locks – Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Austin Booker – and Daniel Hardy‘s role on special teams will likely keep him around, as well. That will likely leave Kpassagnon to compete with 2022 fifth-rounder Dominique Robinson for a roster spot.
Flowers is a seven-year veteran with 95 appearances and 44 starts for five different teams. He barely played last year, playing just 39 total snaps across four appearances with the Jaguars and one with the Colts. More than 80% of his career snaps have come as an outside cornerback, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), so he will likely remain in that role in Chicago. Flowers will be the team’s oldest and most experienced cornerback, which may help him beat out his younger competition for a roster spot. He also played 579 special teams snaps in 2022 and 2023; a return to that level of contribution would certainly help him as well.
Panthers To Release LB Josey Jewell
The Panthers are releasing Josey Jewell, per team writer Darin Gantt, clearing a roster spot as the veteran linebacker continues his recovery from a concussion suffered last December.
The two sides did try to find common ground on a revised contract, per Joe Person of The Athletic, but a release was determined as the best path forward. A team spokesman said (via Gantt) that Jewell is focusing on his health and consented to the release so that the team did not have to waste a roster spot on a player with an uncertain return timeline. However, the Panthers are leaving the door open for a reunion if Jewell manages to complete his recovery.
In the meantime, Carolina will need to decide on their starting inside linebackers moving forward. Veteran signing Christian Rozeboom and 2024 third-round pick Trevin Wallace are the most likely duo. Rozeboom started 11 games for the Rams in 2024, while Wallace impressed with 13 appearances and eight starts as a 21-year-old rookie. Claudin Cherelus and Jon Rhattigan will provide depth, but neither profiles as a likely Week 1 starter. The Panthers could look at the remaining free agent linebackers, but getting Wallace more experience would seem to be a better use of the team’s available snaps.
Jewell’s release will save $3.375MM against the Panthers’ 2025 cap, per OverTheCap, with $4.3MM in dead money this year and $2.3MM in 2026. The former fourth-round pick is unlikely to receive any interest until he is fully recovered from last year’s concussion, but he has been a steady contributor over the last three years with 333 total tackles and 9.0 sacks.
Packers Give T Zach Tom Four-Year Extension
The Packers are signing right tackle Zach Tom to a four-year, $88MM extension, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Packers had been working on Tom’s extension throughout the offseason, and with training camp starting this week, the team managed to get it across the finish line. The 26-year-old tackle is now under contract through 2029 and will continue to be a key part of Green Bay’s offensive line. Originally a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022, Tom played every position except center as a rookie before settling in at right tackle for the last two years.
Tom’s deal has a maximum value of $92MM, per Pelissero, which includes a $30.2MM signing bonus, the biggest for any offensive lineman in league history. The previous record holder was David Bakhtiari, another Packers offensive tackle.
That’s no coincidence: Green Bay typically does not guarantee any money outside of the signing bonus, so they regularly hand out large signing bonuses (and roster bonuses that vest early in the offseason) to address players’ cash flow and guarantee concerns. That makes it likely, though not certain, that Tom’s guarantees top out at $30.2MM as well, which would trail the rest of the OT market.
However, the overall value of Tom’s deal reflects his ascension from versatile fourth-rounder to one of the league’s best right tackles. His $22MM APY is the fourth highest among right tackles and tied with Jordan Mailata for 10th among all offensive lineman, fitting for a player who graded out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle in 2024 (subscription required).
Tom’s extension will likely put pressure on the Packers to address Elgton Jenkins‘ contract. The 2019 second-round pick entered the league as a left guard, where he has played a vast majority of his snaps, with multiple starts at center and both tackle spots. He is expected to move to center – a lesser-paid position – this offseason, so he has requested an adjustment to the extension he signed in 2022. That deal runs through 2026, when Jenkins has a $24.8MM cap hit that the Packers might find untenable for a center, especially with no remaining guaranteed money. (In 2025, the highest cap hit for a center is Lloyd Cushenberry at $14.255MM, per OverTheCap.)
Green Bay’s precedent will make it very difficult for Jenkins to add guaranteed money to his deal, so he may have to pursue an outright extension. That route will be complicated by the pending free agency of left tackle Rasheed Walker, a late seventh-round pick in 2022 who took over for an injured Bakhtiari in 2023 and never looked back. With significant capital already invested in both guard spots – a $77MM contract for Aaron Banks and a first-round pick on 2024 draftee Jordan Morgan – Jenkins might be the odd man out if the Packers ultimately prioritize Jordan Love‘s blind side over his snapper.
No matter how Jenkins’ contract situation shakes out, Love will be able to count on Tom to protect his strong side for the foreseeable future.
RB Nyheim Hines To Make NFL Return With Chargers
Veteran running back Nyheim Hines is returning to the NFL with the Chargers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Hines has not played since the 2022 season after tearing his ACL in a freak jet skiing accident in July 2023. He signed with the Browns last offseason and practiced for three weeks in October before being shut down for the year. Now, he will finally get back on the field in Los Angeles.
“It’s been a long road back,” said Hines (via The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson). “I’ve watched [the Chargers] my whole life because of Philip Rivers, and always have liked the team. I also think I’ve fit their system for years, so I’m excited for this opportunity.”
Originally a 2018 fourth-round pick by the Colts, Hines immediately carved out a third-down role as a rookie and became one of the most consistent receiving backs in the league, logging at least 40 receptions and 300 receiving yards in each of his first four season. He signed a three-year, $18.6MM extension with the Colts in 2021 before being dealt to the Bills at the 2022 trade deadline. Hines did not have much of an impact in Buffalo, and his offseason injury has kept him on the sidelines since.
Now, Hines will join a young Chargers running back room as its oldest player. Veteran free agent signing Najee Harris is set to lead the group – once he recovers from a freak injury of his own – and the team hopes first-round pick Omarion Hampton can be an effective change-of-pace back and build on his impressive 2024 season as a ballcarrier and pass-catcher.
However, Harris’ receiving numbers in Pittsburgh were inflated by constant checkdowns by a rotating cadre of Steelers’ quarterbacks, and Jim Harbaugh may not trust a rookie to protect Justin Herbert on third downs. In addition to his desire to contribute as a returner, Hines could have a path to a role in Los Angeles as a pass-catching back who, in his career, has more targets (309) than carries (306) and more yards through the air (1,778) than on the ground (1,202).
First, he will have to prove that he is all the way back from his knee injury. Hines was healthy enough in May to work out for the Texans, and his signing in Los Angeles indicates that his medical passed muster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/25
Training camps are underway around the league, bringing more and more roster adjustments every day. Here are the latest minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on active/PUP list: WR Dan Chisena, TE Tommy Tremble
- Placed on active/NFI list: P Sam Martin
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Josh Butler, CB Trevon Diggs, LB DeMarvion Overshown
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Shavon Revel
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Will Sheppard
- Released: K Alex Hale
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Hal Presley
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Kristian Fulton, OT Jawaan Taylor, TE Tre Watson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Dresser Winn
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on active/PUP: TE Gavin Bartholomew, LB Chaz Chambliss
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Kam Alexander, DT Justin Rogers
- Waived/NFI: CB Zy Alexander
Martin, a 12-year veteran who signed with the Panthers this offseason, is dealing with a minor hamstring injury, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
The Cowboys’ trio of cornerbacks were all expected to be placed on their respective lists given where they are in the rehab process, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The same is true of Overshown, who recently shared a positive update on social media (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).
An eye injury will sideline Hale for several weeks, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, forcing the Packers to release him. Hale was not expected to push Brandon McManus for the starting job in Green Bay, but the team will need another kicker for training camp.
The Seahawks swapped undrafted cornerbacks, adding Alexander out of Oregon and waiving Alexander with a non-football injury designation. Rogers, meanwhile, was signed after a successful tryout.
Titans Complete Draft Pick Signings With Second-Round OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo
The Titans have reached an agreement with second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, completing their 2025 draft class signings.
Oladejo’s deal is worth $8.415MM over four years, the first three of which are fully guaranteed along with a $2.76MM signing bonus. That represents a massive jump from last year’s No. 52 pick, Adonai Mitchell, who only received guarantees on 47.7% (700k) of his Year 3 salary, per OverTheCap. Oladejo received 52.3% more guaranteed salary in Year 3, which will push him well above Mitchell’s overall guarantees worth 65% of his rookie deal.
Though Oladejo’s contract is significantly stronger than past players in the same draft slot, it is somewhat weak compared to the rest of the 2025 second-round pick market. 85% of No. 54 pick Anthony Belton‘s Year 3 salary was fully guaranteed by the Packers, per OverTheCap; a few days later, No. 53 pick Benjamin Morrison reached 96% on his Year 3 guarantees in his deal with the Buccaneers. Initial reports of Oladejo’s contract did not mention any guarantees past the third year, so a mere 4% increase over Morrison in Year 3 guarantees seems disappointing after Morrison received 11% more than Belton in the same category.
Regardless, Oladejo’s rookie contract completes an impressive year for the 21-year-old. After spending his first three college seasons – two at Cal and one at UCLA – as an off-ball linebacker, he moved to the edge in 2024 and finished the season with 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Oladejo surged up big boards throughout the draft process and was consistently pegged as a Day 2 pick before the draft. He will now have an opportunity to compete for a starting role in a Titans defense that lost Harold Landry this offseason and did little to replace him in free agency. Seven-year veteran Arden Key will likely be one of Tennessee’s starting edge defenders, and Oladejo should push Lorenzo Carter to be the other.
Oladejo was the final Titans draft pick to sign his rookie deal;
- Round 1, No. 1: Cam Ward (QB, Miami) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 52 (from Steelers through Seahawks): Oluafemi Oladejo (OLB, UCLA) (signed)
- Round 3: No. 82 (from Seahawks): Kevin Winston (S, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 103: Chimere Dike (WR, Florida) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 120 (from Seahawks): Gunnar Helm (TE, Texas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 136 (from Ravens)*: Elic Ayomanor (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 167 (from Chiefs): Jackson Slater (G, Sacramento State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 183 (from Panthers through Ravens): Marcus Harris (CB, Cal) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 188 (from Cowboys): Kalel Mullings (RB, Michigan) (signed)