Extension Candidate: Garrett Wilson
The NFL’s wide receiver market hit a new high-water mark this offseason with Ja’Marr Chase receiving $40.25MM per year from the Bengals less than a year after Justin Jefferson became the first WR to reach a $35MM APY. D.K. Metcalf also negotiated a strong deal with the Steelers worth just under $33MM per year.
A rising tide lifts all boats, so the boom in wide receiver pay should benefit a talented 2022 draft class that became extension-eligible this offseason. Leading the pack with 279 receptions for 3,249 yards in the last three season is former No. 10 pick Garrett Wilson, who has started negotiating a long-term deal with the Jets.
Wilson has been New York’s top receiver since he joined the team and projects to play a foundational role in their new offense under offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Wilson will also reunite with Ohio State teammate Justin Fields and should be his most trusted target off the bat with little competition for targets. That could position the 24-year-old receiver for a strong 2025 that could significantly raise his price tag if the Jets don’t get an extension done before the season.
Right now, negotiations will likely start around $30MM per year, the low end of the NFL’s WR1 market. Brandon Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are making the same amount, per OverTheCap, and five more wideouts have an APY of $32MM or more.
Wilson seems to belong to the first group. He ranks eighth in receptions and 10th in receiving yards among WRs since 2022 with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each year. However, his career-best 2024 numbers don’t come close to Aiyuk, Hill, or St. Brown in their best seasons, so Wilson may have trouble arguing that he deserves a bigger contract than all three. Though he won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, he has yet to receive Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition, another factor that will likely keep him from a top-dollar deal.
Wilson can still construct a strong case out of his age, durability, and adaptability and argue that he’s an ascending player who has yet to play his best football. He will turn 25 this year after appearing in all 51 of the Jets’ regular-season games since being drafted despite his slight 185-pound frame. He has also demonstrated clear growth into a WR1 role with 83, 95, and 101 receptions in his first three years with noticeable improvements at the catch point last season. (Wilson posted a 56.5% catch rate in 2022 and 2023; in 2024, it jumped to 65.6%.)
However, Wilson has not been especially efficient in the pros. He ranks 19th among all WRs in yards per game (63.7) since 2022 with a pedestrian 6.93 yards per target. He has also struggled to reach the end zone with just 14 career touchdowns on 469 targets.
Advanced metrics from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) tell a similar story. Wilson’s 51.7% contested catch rate in 2024 was a career-high, but only ranked 20th among receivers with at least 85 targets. His 1.69 yards per route run ranked 32nd in that same group, though he did lead all WRs with 25 missed tackles forced after the catch.
Wilson’s production alone would likely place his next contract just outside the top 10 at his position (and therefore under $30MM per year), but context is important. The Jets’ offense around him has been terrible with three straight bottom-10 finishes in yards per game, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello also pointed out that Wilson has caught passes from eight different quarterbacks on plays called by three different coaches; his best passer was a clearly aging Aaron Rodgers in 2024 playing some of the worst football of his career. (It’s still worth noting that Wilson’s production remained largely the same with Rodgers under center, partially due to expanded competition for targets from Davante Adams.)
Fields certainly isn’t a more proven quarterback than Rodgers, but he already has a rapport with Wilson that Rodgers was never able to establish. Wilson should also benefit from Engstrand’s schematic influence after he coached Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to breakouts in his last role as the Lions passing game coordinator.
As a result, a long-term contract in the neighborhood of $30MM per year could end up looking like a steal if Wilson takes his game to the next level in 2025. He may recognize that and adjust his demands accordingly, but the Jets have some leverage after picking up his $16.8MM fifth-year option for 2026. Wilson cannot earn more than $20MM in the next two years unless he signs a long-term extension, which should also come with upwards of $50MM in guaranteed money. The former first-round pick may still choose to bet on himself with the hopes of breaking into the upper echelon of WR contracts next offseason.
Steelers Moving DeMarvin Leal To OLB
After struggling to find a positional fit in the NFL, Steelers third-year defender DeMarvin Leal will likely move to outside linebacker in Pittsburgh this season.
Leal largely played as a jumbo-sized edge rusher in college at Texas A&M, but an uptick in interior snaps in his last season led to projections of a full-time switch in the pros. He added weight for such a role as a rookie, but bounced between interior and edge work in his first two years. Leal primarily played outside linebacker in 2024 before landing on injured reserve with a neck injury.
Now, the 2022 third-rounder is poised to make that move permanent. He has been lining up at outside linebacker at the Steelers’ OTAs, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show, and will likely slot in as a backup behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Interestingly, Leal is “noticeably bigger” than last season, according to Kaboly. His weight has fluctuated somewhat since entering the league, but he is currently listed at 290 pounds on the Steelers’ website, which might not be up to date. Given his draft billing as an oversized edge defender, gaining weight to play OLB in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense doesn’t quite make sense, especially since Leal wasn’t already an elite athlete for his size.
Though he’s on the other end of the OLB weight spectrum, Highsmith has been mentoring Leal through his position switch.
“He got some experience as a rookie, and he has that experience from a couple of years ago that helps him be versatile,” said Highsmith (via Kaboly). “He is a guy who you try to continue to help to get better.”
Latest On Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill
Despite Tyreek Hill‘s ongoing recovery from offseason wrist surgery, the 31-year-old wideout has been an active participant at the Dolphins’ OTAs.
Hill isn’t expected to be catching passes until training camp, so he’s only taking part in positional drills. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that the veteran receiver “has done a great job being proactive once he got the surgery done and making sure he can do as much as he can with the team.”
Hill said after practice that he dealt with injuries to both wrists last season, per NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. He tore a ligament in his left wrist during training camp, but still started all 17 games during the regular season. He played at least 70% of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps in each game until issues with his ankle and right wrist limited him to 27 snaps in Week 18. An initial surgery in February placed pins in Hill’s left wrist that were later removed in a follow-up procedure in May. It’s unclear if he also had surgery on his right wrist, which was sporting a protective brace.
Hill said (via Wolfe) that he dropped 14 pounds this offseason and arrived at OTAs weighing in at 183 pounds. He’s still planning on racing Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles with a warm-up race scheduled for June 13 in Los Angeles. Hill added that he would rather compete in the 2028 Olympics in track than flag football, according to Wolfe.
A 100-meter sprint-off with Lyles seems like the kind of activity the Dolphins would want Hill to avoid, especially coming off multiple injuries. McDaniel declined to say if the team would allow the race to happen, partially because he was unaware of it in the first place.
“I have no idea, nor do I care,” said McDaniel (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “First, theoretically, if people are competing and it’s helping their training — as long as he doesn’t train to be a sprinter and he’s running routes while he’s doing it, that’s cool. Whether I’m going to stand and say whether I’ll allow something — I don’t even know where that stands nor did I know that it existed.”
Those comments seem to throw cold water on Hill’s track aspirations, so the preliminary race in June may be a test of the Dolphins’ willingness to let their star wideout explore non-football athletic pursuits.
Packers Discussed Davante Adams Reunion
According to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, the team explored a reunion with All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams when he became a free agent earlier this offseason. 
“I think any time you have a player of that caliber, there’s definitely conversations that go into it,” LaFleur told Kay Adams last week. “Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Adams spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay but refused to play under a franchise tag in 2022 and requested a trade to the Raiders. Since his departure, the Packers have focused on drafting and developing young receivers rather than signing expensive veterans. They selected Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in 2022 and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks in 2023; all four have emerged as reliable targets, though none have matched Adams’ production.
That led to rumors this offseason that the Packers were looking to add a veteran target to round out their room. They never made an offer for D.K. Metcalf, but Adams was apparently on their radar. Instead, they doubled down on their recent youthful strategy, drafting their first wide receiver in the first round since 2002, before that rookie from Texas, Matthew Golden, was even born.
Moving forward with the bodies they have in the building, though, requires them to start looking into new contracts for the players who have been leading the way the past few years. We saw that a week ago, when it was reported that Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, to “clarify (Reed)’s status” with the team. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur was shocked to receive a question about Reed, pointing out how well the young receiver has done with taking Golden under his wing. LaFleur clarified earlier this week that he hadn’t been a part of the conversation between Rosenhaus and Gutekunst, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, and doubled down on Reed continuing to be an excellent leader.
Reed is also reportedly able to lead by example as “he’s good to go now,” despite not undergoing surgery this offseason. His season ended in Philadelphia with a dislocated shoulder and a partially torn labrum. Seemingly, surgery was not necessary for the injuries to heal as Reed claims it took “about four or five months” to remedy without a procedure, according to Ryan Wood of USA Today.
Another receiver attempting to come from injury is Watson, who suffered “a torn ACL and additional damage” in the final week of the regular season. The non-contact injury was initially expected to force some missed time in his 2025 campaign, but a timeline had not been generated in those earlier reports. While still unable to provide a timeline, per Demovsky, LaFleur remains optimistic, claiming that the 25-year-old is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and recovery.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Raiders’ Malcolm Koonce Returns To Practice
Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce returned to practice this week after missing all of the 2024 season with a knee injury, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.
Koonce was expected to build on a solid 2023 campaign heading into a contract year last summer. Instead, he tore his ACL in the team’s last practice before the start of the regular season, and the subsequent surgery sidelined him for nine months. Despite the injury, the Raiders’ new regime made the 2021 third-rounder a priority this offseason and re-signed him to a one-year, $11MM contract.
The length makes it somewhat of a ‘prove-it’ deal, but $10MM is fully-guaranteed and only an additional $1MM is tied to playtime incentives, a sign of the team’s confidence in Koonce’s recovery. Overall, it’s a strong contract coming off a major injury, especially with new leadership in Las Vegas that let other 2021 draft picks like Tre’von Moehrig and Nate Hobbs leave in free agency this offseason.
The Raiders are clearly expecting Koonce to return to his pre-injury trajectory. After just four combined sacks and tackles for loss in his first two seasons, he posted 17 in 2023, plus three forced fumbles. He started 11 games, but finished the season with just a 44% snap share, indicating that Koonce’s production has room to go with more playing time.
A smooth return to the field will slot Koonce in as a starting edge defender opposite Maxx Crosby. The Raiders don’t have much depth behind them; 2022 No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson has been a steady contributor but hasn’t lived up to his draft billing, and Charles Snowden didn’t make much of an impact in his nine starts last season. Las Vegas also signed Jah Joyner and Jahfari Harvey as undrafted rookie depth to add to 2024 UDFA Amari Gainer.
Chargers CB Cam Hart Out Until Minicamp After Shoulder Surgery
Chargers cornerback Cam Hart will be sidelined until mandatory minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
Hart tore his labrum during the Chargers’ wild card loss to the Texans in January. He underwent surgery shortly after and is awaiting medical clearance before he returns to the field.
The 2024 fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame started six straight regular season games in his rookie year after Asante Samuel Jr. landed on injured reserve in Week 5. Two concussions and an ankle injury limited Hart in November and December, but he returned to the Chargers’ starting lineup in the playoffs.
The Chargers have plenty of cornerback depth if Hart suffers any setbacks in his recovery, even with Samuel no longer in Los Angeles. Tarheeb Still, who was taken three picks before Hart, started 12 games last year, and 2022 sixth-rounder Ja’Sir Taylor had a 32.2% snap share. The team also signed veteran Donte Jackson this offseason; he started 31 games over the last two seasons for the Panthers and the Steelers.
If Hart can re-establish himself alongside Still later this summer, the Chargers will have a cheap starting outside cornerback duo for the next three years. That’s an excellent return on a pair of fifth-round picks and, along with Joe Alt and Ladd McConkey, represents a strong start to general manager Joe Hortiz‘s draft history
WR Jakobi Meyers Wants To Re-Sign With Raiders
Jakobi Meyers is entering the final year of his contract with the Raiders, but he would prefer to stay in Las Vegas past 2025.
“I want to be here for sure, but that’s all I can really say on it right now,” said Meyers (via The Athletic’s Tashan Reed). “That’s business between us and the top floor, so I’ma just hold that one down for now.”
Meyers eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career last season despite inconsistent quarterback play from Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. His 68.5 yards per game ranked 19th among all players in 2024, though he only reeled in four touchdowns with a 55.8% catch rate right around his career average.
The 28-year-old signed with the Raiders on a three-year, $33MM contract ($16MM fully guaranteed) in 2023, an impressive haul for a former undrafted free agent. The receiver market has increased since then, though an explosion in top WR salaries may not be as much of a boost to a mid-tier player like Meyers. However, he could play himself into a bigger payday with the addition of Geno Smith, his best quarterback since his 2019 rookie season with now-Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in New England.
The Raiders only have only one non-rookie wideout under contract through 2026: Tre Tucker, who had an encouraging second season in 2024 but may not be ready for a WR1 role. Even if they invest in premium receiving talent via free agency and/or the draft next offseason, Meyers would still be a productive, versatile WR2 who’s already familiar with the offense. His $11MM APY adjusted for cap inflation would be $13.66MM in 2025, just outside of the top 25 at the position. Another strong effort this year could push Meyers north of $15MM, so the Raiders may try to sign him before the season to get a bargain in the long term.
Meyers’ current contract is set to void five days after Super Bowl, per OverTheCap, though the two sides could push that date back to give them more time for negotiations. He would count for $4.318MM in dead money against the Raiders’ 2026 salary cap if he isn’t extended before his contract voids.
Marcedes Lewis Wants To Play 20th Season
Already blazing a trail into the record book by playing an age-40 season at tight end, Marcedes Lewis is currently a free agent, but he wants to sign with a new team for his 20th and final NFL season.
“I think mentally, I’m going into saying this is my last year,” Lewis told Kay Adams, adding that he’s still a durable, hard-working player despite his age.
His recent playing history supports his argument. Lewis, 41, appeared in all 34 regular-season games for the Bears over the past two years with eight starts and 621 snaps across offense and special teams. Before that, he started 37 straight games for the Packers with more than 1,000 snaps across the 2020 and 2021 season.
Overall, Lewis hasn’t missed a game since 2020 and has appeared in at least 15 games in 15 of his 19 seasons. He’s the NFL’s active leader in games played with 285, which also ranks 19th all-time. His 229 starts trail only Aaron Rodgers and Calais Campbell among active players and ranks 34th all-time.
If Lewis takes the field in 2025, he would become the first non-quarterback or specialist to play for 20 years in the 21st century. He’s the second-longest-tenured player in the league behind Rodgers and the only player left from the 2006 draft, in which he was a first-round pick. That kicked off a 12-year stretch with the Jaguars, who only made the playoffs twice during Lewis’ tenure with several years at the bottom of the league. The veteran tight end credited the adversity he faced in Jacksonville as a reason he’s been able to play for so long.
Lewis joined the Packers in 2018 and called his five seasons there “some of the best years of my life.” He also said that his decision to move to Chicago in 2023 was partially to reunite with then-Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who worked with Lewis as an offensive assistant in Green Bay. Getsy is back with the Packers as a senior assistant, though Lewis didn’t offer any hints about another potential reunion.
Ravens WR Zay Flowers Changes Agents
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers is signing with WIN Sports Group, a new agency recently launched by Patrick Whitesell, the former co-founder and executive chairman of Endeavor (formerly William Morris Endeavor).
Ironically, Flowers is leaving Loyalty Above All (LAA) and its founder and CEO, Zac Hiller. The former Boston College standout was the first player represented by LAA to be selected in the first round.
Whitesell’s WIN client list includes Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and 49ers defense end Nick Bosa. All three set records for their positions with their second contracts.
Flowers’ production in his first two years doesn’t merit that kind of raise, and he isn’t extension-eligible until next offseason, when the Ravens will also have to make a decision on his fifth-year option for the 2027 season. His 2024 Pro Bowl nod means that his fifth-year option will be equivalent to the 2026 transition tag, projected to be $24.7MM by OverTheCap. Another original-ballot Pro Bowl would raise his 2027 salary to the equivalent of the 2026 franchise tag, which is expected to eclipse $28MM.
The Ravens want to sign Lamar Jackson to another extension, which would lower his $74.5MM cap hits in 2026 and 2027. That would allow them to afford a fifth-year option and a potential long-term extension for Flowers while also retaining 2022 first-rounders Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum.
Giants Sign First-Round QB Jaxson Dart
The Giants’ offseason quest to find a long-term franchise quarterback is finally and formally complete.
First-round pick Jaxson Dart put pen to paper on his rookie contract, per a team announcement, locking in a fully guaranteed four-year deal with a fifth-year option for the 2029 season.
Dart, the 25th overall selection in last month’s draft, will earn $16.954MM on his first NFL contract with an $8.97MM signing bonus, according to Art Stapleton of NJ.com. He may not start as a rookie with veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston also in the quarterback room, but the Giants are likely expecting Dart to take over as the team’s signal-caller in 2026.
A redshirt rookie year might be ideal for his long-term development. Dart played in a quarterback-friendly offense at Ole Miss with heavy use of play-action and RPOs to streamline his reads, but the NFL will required faster, more complicated processing. He also has a tendency to hold onto the ball, which might be especially dangerous behind a Giants offensive line that lacks elite talent outside of left tackle Andrew Thomas.
However, Dart’s arm talent, mobility, and competitive toughness form a solid foundation for a future starter. The Giants’ offensive braintrust of Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka struggled to get the best out of Daniel Jones, but they may have better luck with a quarterback they wanted to bring in. New York still needs better protection and another playmaker or two on offense, but Dart will have two reliable targets through at least 2027 in Malik Nabers and the recently re-signed Darius Slayton. Nabers exploded for 1,204 yards on 109 receptions as a rookie in 2024, while the underrated Slayton has been a solid if unspectacular pass-catcher throughout his career.