Budda Baker Agrees To Cardinals Extension
DECEMBER 22: Further details on the Baker extension are in, courtesy of PHNX’s Howard Balzer. Of the nearly $30MM in guarantees, $17.45MM is locked in at signing (including a $12.25MM signing bonus). Baker’s base salaries for 2025 and ’26 contain injury guarantees which will shift to full guarantees this March; no salary is locked in for the final year of the deal.
Baker is in line to collect a $1MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the league year for 2026 and ’27. The pact also includes offseason and per-game roster bonuses which could reach a combined total of $755K. Baker’s cap hit increased slightly for this year, but it will drop to $10.82MM next season before rising again ($19.23MM and $20.89MM) at the end of the pact.
DECEMBER 17: A year after asking for a trade, Budda Baker has remained a cornerstone Cardinal. This will lead to the perennial Pro Bowler passing on a trip to free agency.
The Cardinals have reached an agreement with Baker on a three-year, $54MM contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This is Baker’s third Arizona contract, and it places the All-Pro near the top of the market at safety. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports had reported earlier this week that Baker and the Cards were discussing a deal.
Baker’s extension includes $30MM in guaranteed money and will keep him in Arizona through the 2027 season, per Schefter. The deal’s 18MM average annual value ranks fourth among active safeties and represents the largest third contract at the position in NFL history. The three players ahead of him in terms of AAV — Antoine Winfield Jr., Derwin James and Minkah Fitzpatrick — are on second contracts. Baker, 28, has done well to maintain top form at the end of his second.
Baker requested a trade away from the Cardinals in April 2023 due to frustration with his contract. The two sides came to a short-term resolution last July with additional guarantees and incentives on his existing contract, but his status as a pending free agent reignited trade speculation ahead of this year’s deadline.
The Cardinals never seemed to entertain the idea of moving Baker and have now solidified their commitment to their 2017 second-round pick. If he plays out his full extension, he will turn 32 years old at the end of his 11th season in Arizona, setting him up to retire as a Cardinal. While plenty of time remains between now and then, Baker has now excelled in three different defensive systems. He has done well to help the Jonathan Gannon regime produce some improvement this season.
The locker room leader, a 2017 second-round pick, has received Pro Bowl nods in each of the past five seasons. He is on pace for a career high in tackles, having racked up 142 in 14 games this season. He of five 100-plus-tackle seasons, Baker resides as a veteran presence on a team that has seen several quality defenders — J.J. Watt, Patrick Peterson, Chandler Jones, Byron Murphy and Zach Allen among them — either leave in free agency or retire over the past three years. Rather than let Baker follow that pack out the door, the Gannon-Monti Ossenfort regime will bet on the veteran to keep playing at a high level into his 30s.
Baker’s new contract reflects the NFL’s recent trend of rising safety contracts. Winfield’s offseason extension with the Buccaneers set new league records for total value, per-year average, total guarantees, and full guarantees, and the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton could earn even more once he reaches extension eligibility in 2025.
The deal was negotiated by David Mulugheta of Athletes First, who recently lost wide receiver Tee Higgins as a client as he approaches extension talks with the Bengals.
Woody Johnson Vetoed Jets’ Trade For Jerry Jeudy Due To Madden Rating
DECEMBER 22: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports negotiations between the Jets and Broncos on a Jeudy trade never actually reached the point where a deal was imminent. Talks stopped once the previously-known offer including Lazard and a draft pick was made (one which, Florio adds, Denver was not interested in), with Jeudy ultimately being dealt to the Browns. Johnson’s involvement in trade talks ending is unclear based on this update, but an increased offer from Douglas would have been required for Jeudy to have wound up in New York.
DECEMBER 19: Most leaders use information and data from a wide variety of sources to drive their decision-making process. For Jets owner Woody Johnson, that apparently includes his video games and his teenage sons.
It came out after the firing of general manager Joe Douglas that Johnson vetoed the Jets’ acquisition of Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy in exchange for Allen Lazard and a Day 2 pick. A month later, the reason for Johnson’s resistance was revealed (via The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Michael Silver): Jeudy’s rating in EA Sports’ popular Madden video game series.
Jeudy started the 2023 season with an 83 rating in Madden 24 and dropped to an 81 by the offseason, when the trade was being negotiated. (Lazard, meanwhile, began the season at 78 and finished at 76.) This being a method of Jets operation this season would not exactly make working for Johnson especially appealing for HC and GM candidates moving forward, but the owner has made his voice known on several occasions this year. And he is not expected to leave for a role in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration in 2025.
In terms of real-life football, Jeudy was clearly the more productive receiver last year with 54 receptions on 87 targets for 758 yards (3.4 receptions and 47.4 yards per game). Lazard reeled in just 23 of his 49 targets for 311 yards (1.6 receptions and 22.2 yards per game). Lazard has been more effective this year, catching 31 of his 49 targets for 430 yards and five touchdowns, but Jeudy has been even better after being traded to the Browns with career-highs of 70 receptions and 1,052 yards.
The Broncos were believed to have been stunned why the trade talks broke down, as the teams were believed to have been deep in negotiations. Douglas is believed to have told Broncos brass of Johnson’s Madden-based reason for bailing on the trade, per Russini, Rosenblatt and Silver. Denver ended up flipping Jeudy for a lesser return — fifth- and sixth-round picks. The Jets ended up signing Mike Williams to a one-year, $10MM deal — months before unloading him at the deadline.
This is not the only time that a video game has influenced Johnson’s personnel desires. He also “pushed back on signing free-agent guard John Simpson due to a lackluster ‘awareness’ rating in Madden,” per The Athletic. Douglas signed Simpson to a two-year, $18MM deal anyway, and the veteran lineman has quietly earned the eighth-highest grade among NFL guards from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) with a $12MM valuation from OverTheCap for his play this year.
Jets executives have pointed to Johnson’s Madden obsession as evidence of disproportionate influence from his sons, Brick and Jack. They began sitting in on team meetings last year and frequently share posts and articles from social media with their father that are weighed against the advice of the Jets’ decision-makers. “I answer to teenagers,” said Douglas before the season, according to The Athletic.
Johnson’s sons have even violated the traditional sanctity of the Jets’ locker room, bringing friends and openly airing their criticism of the team. Brick Johnson even pre-empted Aaron Rodgers after the Jets’ Halloween win, their first after firing Robert Saleh four weeks prior. Rodgers intended to give a customary game ball to Jeff Ulbrich for his first victory as a head coach. Instead, Brick Johnson jumped into give a game ball to Garrett Wilson – complete with a profanity-laden exclamation for social media – and Woody Johnson took Rodgers’ ball to give to Ulbrich himself. One player called it “the most awkward, cringe-worthy, brutal experience.”
Even for a Jets team that has received a torrent of criticism, this would be new territory. Woody Johnson fired Saleh without going to Douglas and effectively stripped power from his GM this year, predictably preceding Douglas’ ouster weeks later. The owner has entrusted ex-GMs Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to run the team’s HC search, though the owner obviously has the final call. Today’s revelations add a bizarre chapter to what has been one of the more eventful Jets years; this report coming as the team is conducting searches only adds to the strangeness surrounding this organization.
Titans CB L’Jarius Sneed Will Not Return This Year
DECEMBER 20: Callahan said Friday (via Titaninsider.com’s Terry McCormick) that Sneed is not expected to come back, calling the high-priced cornerback’s injury “very strange” and “significant,” via veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. This will end a disappointing season for the trade pickup.
Sneed both could not do much to help the Titans this season and also left a void in the Chiefs’ lineup opposite Trent McDuffie. The recently extended corner is signed through the 2027 season; his 2025 compensation is fully guaranteed.
DECEMBER 13: L’Jarius Sneed has been sidelined since October, and recent comments from Titans head coach Brian Callahan indicate that the veteran cornerback may not play again this season.
Callahan said it was “iffy” if Sneed returns to the field this year, according to Titans team reporter Jim Wyatt. The 27-year-old played in just five games before he injured his quad. At first, the injury was not believed to be serious, but Tennessee eventually moved Sneed onto injured reserve more than a month after his first missed game.
Sneed spent most of his time on IR with Chidobe Awuzie, who was out for more than two months with a groin injury. Awuzie came back last week, but Callahan seems dubious that Sneed can make a similar return.
The Titans have plenty of reason to be cautious with their star cornerback. They sent a third-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for Sneed’s services and promptly signed him to a four-year, $76.4MM extension. His $44MM in fully-guaranteed money ranks third at the position and includes $19MM in guaranteed salary in 2025, so Tennessee will be expecting a full season from him next year.
It took more than a month for the Titans to figure out that Sneed’s injury was severe enough to require an IR stint, and the team is already eliminated from the playoffs. Risking a re-injury that could impact Sneed’s future availability would be a short-sighted move from a franchise that is likely considering their 2025 draft position at this point in the season.
Lions’ David Montgomery Avoids Season-Ending Injury, Could Return In Playoffs
The Lions finally got a piece of positive injury news this week. Despite earlier reports, star running back David Montgomery avoided a season-ending injury and may return in the postseason, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Lions Not Ruling Out David Montgomery Return]
Montgomery and the Lions had been consulting experts over the past few days regarding his MCL injury, hoping that it was not as severe as initially thought. That was confirmed on Thursday, per Rapoport, giving Montgomery a chance to rehab his knee and rejoin Detroit in the postseason.
The Lions have been besieged with injuries this season, including a particularly brutal stretch over the last month with several defenders landing on injured reserve. Fortunately, the team’s offense has generally stayed intact, and while a Montgomery loss was disappointing, it wasn’t necessarily a season-killer considering the team’s other high-powered offensive weapons.
Montgomery has turned into one of the top scorers in the NFL since joining the Lions. He finished his first season in Detroit with 13 touchdowns (plus another two in the postseason), and he collected another 12 touchdowns in 14 games this season. While the veteran experienced career-low usage as a pass-catcher in 2023, he saw a significant uptick this season, hauling in 36 catches for 341 yards.
As noted, the Lions have more than enough offensive weapons to make up for Montgomery’s absence. Jahmyr Gibbs has followed up his standout rookie campaign with an even better sophomore season, collecting 1,442 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. The Lions have been careful about managing the RB’s workload in 2024; Gibbs has only topped 20 rushing attempts once this season, and he’s compiled 20 or more touches in only four games.
The Lions may be more willing to make Gibbs a temporary workhorse with the understanding that Montgomery could eventually be back when it matter. Still, there should be an opening for the likes of Craig Reynolds and fourth-round rookie Sione Vaki to earn more reps over the next few weeks.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Saints’ Chris Olave Returns To Practice; Alvin Kamara’s Season Could Be Over
The Saints are set to swap offensive playmakers in the coming weeks, with Chris Olave returning to practice from injured reserve and Alvin Kamara potentially out for the season with a groin injury.
Olave was cleared by a concussion specialist on Tuesday, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, more than a month after he was hospitalized after a scary hit by Panthers safety Xavier Woods. Olave has been on injured reserve since November 9, but is set to play again this season after initial uncertainty surrounding his injury.
Kamara picked up a groin injury in Week 15 against the Commanders, and head coach Darren Rizzi told media on Thursday that the injury was more severe than originally though (via Underhill). Not only is the five-time Pro Bowler expected to miss Monday’s game against the Packers, he may also be out for the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
If Kamara’s season is indeed over, he will still finish with a career-high 950 rushing yards as one of the few bright spots in the Saints’ 5-9 season. He signed a two-year, $24.5MM extension in October that will keep him in New Orleans through 2026.
Olave, meanwhile, had an up-and-down season that has not included the same consistent production as his first two years in the NFL. After nine touchdowns and 2,165 yards (69.8 yards per game) in 2022 and 2023, he’s scored just once this year with an average of 50.0 yards per game. His efficiency has actually increased, with a career-high 72.7% catch rate, 65.9% success rate, and 9.1 yards per target.
Patriots Place Christian Barmore On NFI List
The Patriots are placing defensive tackle Christian Barmore on the non-football illness list, according to a team announcement, ending his 2024 season.
The team released a statement explaining that Barmore “experienced some recurring symptoms that required further evaluation.”
Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots during training camp, forcing him onto the NFI list and putting his availability for the season in question. Optimism grew throughout the season, ultimately leading to Barmore’s return to practice on November 15 and activation to the 53-man roster shortly thereafter.
Barmore has appeared in the Patriots’ last four games – all losses – with six tackles (one for loss) and a sack. No one was expecting him to return to his 2023 form, which included a career-high 8.5 sacks, six pass deflections, 64 total tackles, and 13 tackles for loss, but even playing this year is impressive after facing a life-threatening health condition.
The Patriots signed Barmore to a four-year, $84MM extension in April, a deal that was viewed as team-friendly at the time. However, it secured the young defender’s financial future before his medical complications arose. Both sides will be hoping that Barmore can get the necessary treatment and make a full recovery in time to play in 2025.
Falcons To Bench Kirk Cousins, Start Michael Penix In Week 16
The Falcons are expected to bench veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix for their Week 16 matchup with the Giants, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris released a statement confirming the switch under center: “After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
Cousins has struggled in recent weeks, throwing nine interceptions and just one touchdown since Week 10. That culminated in another rough game against the Raiders on Monday Night Football in Week 15 in which the veteran signal-caller completed just 11 of his 17 passing attempts for 112 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Reporters then asked Morris about Cousins’ level of play after Monday night’s game.
“He’s got to play better,” Morris said, via ProFootball Talk’s Mike Florio. “We’ve got to find a way to get him to play better.”
Morris was then asked about the possibility of replacing Cousins with Penix, the eighth overall pick in this past April’s draft. Morris’ answer fueled speculation that he was considering such a move: “We’ve got everybody on our roster for a reason, right?…Those things will always be discussed. That’s just the nature of the beast in football. It’s just so heavily talked about at the quarterback position because there’s only one guy out there.”
The same questions resurfaced during Morris’ Tuesday presser. His non-answer hinted that his staff was already thinking about benching Cousins. This marks the second time in three years the Falcons have benched their starting quarterback in December. Their decision to park Marcus Mariota late in his first season with the team effectively led the former No. 2 overall pick away. The team’s ensuing Desmond Ridder plan failing keyed the Cousins-Penix offseason.
“We still have to go through that process,” Morris said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic). “All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn’t play well enough at the quarterback position.”
Now, Penix will make his first NFL start at a crucial time for the 7-7 Falcons. They trail the Buccaneers by one game in the NFC South and are two games back of the Commanders for the NFC’s last wild card spot. Atlanta’s front office drew criticism for using a top-10 pick on Penix just a month after signing Cousins to a four-year, $180MM contract in free agency, but the gamble might pay off if the rookie can lead the team to the playoffs.
Penix has only thrown five passes across two garbage-time appearances this season, but he has been “doing well behind the scenes,” according to Pro Football Network’s Adam Caplan. The former Washington Husky led the NCAA with 4,903 passing yards (and 11 interceptions) in his last season, earning the Maxwell Award and a second-place finish for the Heisman Trophy. Penix will be the sixth of 11 quarterbacks selected in the 2024 draft to start at least one game as a rookie.
The Falcons drafted Penix as the future of their franchise, but he will be taking over for Cousins far earlier than expected. Cousins’ contract included fully guaranteed salaries in 2024 and 2025, indicating that he would have at least two years as the team’s starter. Arthur Blank had said the team did not necessarily plan to draft Penix at No. 8, but the team’s football ops department viewed Penix as too good to pass up — despite the standout college passer not being mocked that high for the most part — at that point of the draft.
Cousins expressed shock, joining most of the football-following population, when the Falcons pulled the trigger and drafted Penix eighth overall. The Falcons were later docked a fifth-round pick for tampering in signing the former Washington and Minnesota starter. Months later, his future in Atlanta is in doubt.
The Falcons will have to navigate Cousins’ sizable contract if they want to move on from him this offseason. Cutting him outright before June 1 would force the team to absorb the remaining $65MM of Cousins’ guaranteed money as a dead cap hit in 2025, per OverTheCap. That would be the largest single-season dead cap hit in NFL history, surpassing the $53MM the Broncos took on this year after cutting Russell Wilson.
A post-June 1 release would allow the Falcons to spread out the dead money with $40MM in 2025 and $25MM in 2026. A trade, even for minimal draft compensation, would be the most efficient option; the Falcons could transfer Cousins’ $27.5MM fully guaranteed base salary in 2025 to the acquiring team while accepting the remaining $37.5MM of his prorated signing bonus as a dead cap hit.
Teddy Bridgewater Eyeing NFL Comeback
Teddy Bridgewater retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, but he revealed that he is interested with signing with a team this season (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).
After retirement, Bridgewater took the head coaching job at Miami Northwestern Senior High School and led his alma mater to a state championship in his first season.
But the former first-round pick has kept an eye on the NFL, saying on NFL Network that he “might be signing with a team” in the coming weeks before returning to Miami Northwestern in February.
Bridgewater explained that his team knew of his plan, saying “We wanted to win a state championship, and then Coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back in February and continue coaching high school football.”
Bridgewater didn’t name any interested teams when asked, so no signing appears imminent.
“Right now, I’m enjoying this state championship,” he said with a smile.
Bridgewater was the 32nd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and earned a starting job with the Vikings as a rookie. He led the team to an 11-5 record in 2015, earning Pro Bowl honors along the way. He suffered a brutal knee injury during training camp in 2016, resulting in a 19-month recovery period with one final appearance for Minnesota in Week 15 of the 2017 season.
The Vikings let Bridgewater walk in free agency, which began several years of moving from team to team. He first signed with the Jets, who traded him to the Saints. Bridgewater stayed in New Orleans for two seasons before stints with the Panthers, Broncos, Dolphins, and Lions.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/17/24
Here are the latest practice squad updates from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Jalen Virgil, OL Will Clapp
- Released: DE Kameron Cline, DT Branson Deen
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, S Jaylen Key
Cleveland Browns
- Released: TE Cameron Latu
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Stantly Thomas-Oliver
- Released: DE Isaiah Thomas
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: TE Albert Okwuegbunam
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Kalen DeLoach
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: TE Cole Fotheringham
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Isaiah McKenzie, QB Skylar Thompson
New England Patriots
- Released: G Liam Fornadel
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: LB Adetokunbo Ogundeji
- Signed: OT John Leglue
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: OT Austen Pleasants, LB Chandler Wooten
- Placed on practice squad IR: TE Mason Pline
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DE DeVere Levelston
Washington Commanders
- Signed: TE Tyree Jackson
- Placed on practice squad IR: WR/R Kazmeir Allen
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24
Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Activated from IR: OL Tylan Grable
- Waived: DE Casey Toohill
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on IR: LB Trevin Wallace, LB Claudin Cherelus
- Waived: DB Anthony Brown
- Signed to active roster: WR Dan Chisena, LB Jacoby Windmon
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed to active roster: K Cade York
Detroit Lions
- Signed from Jaguars’ practice squad: LB Anthony Pittman
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on IR: LB Nick Hampton
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on commissioners/suspended list: DE Janarius Robinson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: LS Jake McQuaide
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB Ambry Thomas
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Artie Burns
After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.
The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.