Cowboys, TE Jake Ferguson Agree To Extension
The Cowboys and tight end Jake Ferguson have agreed to a four-year, $52MM extension, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The deal features $30MM in guarantees, including a $12MM signing bonus.
Although it was reported earlier this year that Dallas was eyeing a new deal for Ferguson, the negotiations mostly flew under the radar. In terms of average annual compensation, the contract places Ferguson seventh in the NFL’s tight end hierarchy. It also makes him the highest-paid TE in franchise history (h/t Rapoport).
Ferguson, 26, was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. He played in just 40% of the club’s offensive snaps in his rookie campaign, but he assumed TE1 duties in 2023, when Dalton Schultz left in free agency. As part of a prolific Dallas attack that led the league in scoring and finished fifth in total offense that year, Ferguson tallied 71 catches for 761 yards and five TDs.
Of course, 2024 was a different story. With quarterback Dak Prescott missing over half of the season due to injury, Ferguson totaled just 494 receiving yards and failed to reach the end zone. Nonetheless, Ferguson has shown he can be a productive member of a healthy and capable offense, and the Cowboys have opted to bet on that upside rather than allow the Wisconsin product to play out the final year of his rookie contract.
In addressing the extension, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer partially attributed Ferguson’s downturn in production to the TE’s own health concerns (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). Ferguson suffered a sprained MCL in Week 1 of the 2024 slate and then dealt with a concussion in the middle of the season, but those issues appear to be behind him. Schottenheimer also said Ferguson has lost weight and is moving well.
“I have zero doubts in my mind that his production will get back to where it was the year before,” Schottenheimer said. “I think last year was just kind of one of those years that you look back on your career and it was more of a fluke than anything.”
Historically, Prescott has relied heavily on his tight ends, so getting the Ferguson deal done represents a key piece of business for the Cowboys. The team remains in a holding pattern in its talks with star edge rusher Micah Parsons, and while that situation has understandably generated the most headlines, new contracts for players like Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland, and Brandon Aubrey could also be in the works.
Cardinals CB Starling Thomas Suffers Torn ACL
2:25pm: Thomas has landed on injured reserve, per a team announcement. That move confirms he will join Murphy-Bunting in missing the entire 2025 campaign. Fellow cornerback Jaden Davis – who inked a futures deal in January – is also on IR.
11:56am: Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas suffered a torn ACL during Friday’s practice, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Thomas will likely miss all of 2025 as a result.
Thomas, 25, signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He impressed in his first training camp with Detroit but was unable to make the club’s 53-man roster at the end of the summer. The Cardinals claimed him off waivers, and by the end of his rookie season, he had become a full-time starter.
He continued to operate in that capacity in 2024, appearing in a full complement of games and starting 15 of them en route to a 75% snap share. While his peformance last season was certainly an improvement on his rookie showing, he has not yet made much of an impression in terms of surface-level stats or advanced metrics.
Pro Football Focus assigned Thomas an uninspiring 60.9 overall grade (with a matching coverage grade) in 2024, which placed him 76th out of 116 qualified corners. The UAB product also surrendered a 100.6 quarterback rating and is still waiting for his first career interception. He tallied just six passes defensed in his 820 defensive snaps last year.
While ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss believes the Cardinals are well-equipped to withstand Thomas’ absence, the team was seemingly counting on him to remain a key contributor in the secondary. As Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic writes, Thomas and second-round rookie Will Johnson were splitting reps at one outside corner spot, with 2024 second-rounder Max Melton getting the lion’s share of the looks on the opposite side.
With veteran Sean Murphy-Bunting set to miss the entire 2025 campaign as well, the Cardinals could look to the free agent market for reinforcements. The team’s CB room is comprised largely of young talent like Melton, Johnson, 2023 third-rounder Garrett Williams, 2024 third-rounder Elijah Jones, and fifth-round rookie Denzel Burke.
On the other hand, as Weinfuss suggested when Thomas first suffered the injury (video link), Arizona may feel it has enough depth even without Murphy-Bunting and Thomas in the mix.
Rams, RB Kyren Williams Nearing Extension?
It sounds as if extension talks between the Rams and running back Kyren Williams are continuing to trend in the right direction. As was the case with spring work, Williams timely reported to training camp, and he emphatically stated he would be a full practice participant while negotiations are ongoing (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic).
Head coach Sean McVay told reporters (including Rodrigue) that Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, spent time at the team’s training camp site on Thursday to discuss Williams’ contract with Los Angeles brass. No agreement is in place yet, but McVay conceded that the mere fact Rosenhaus made the trip is an indication that discussions are going well.
McVay expressed similar sentiments back in May, so it is unclear how much work remains to be done before the two sides strike an accord. In any event, the Rams understandably will not reset the running back market for Williams, and it is difficult to predict exactly where his new contract will rank among the deals his RB peers have secured.
The top of the market is set by game-changing talents like Saquon Barkley ($20.6MM average annual value), Christian McCaffrey ($19MM), and Derrick Henry ($15MM). While the soon-to-be 25-year-old Williams has the age advantage on those players, he does not have nearly the same record of production.
Williams, a fifth-round pick in 2022, saw just 35 totes in his rookie season. He exploded onto the scene in 2023 with a league-leading average of 95.3 rushing yards per game to go along with a stellar 5.0 yards-per-carry rate. He added 206 receiving yards for good measure and piled up 15 total touchdowns.
Increased usage in 2024 (316 carries, as opposed to 228 in 2023) was accompanied by a drop in efficiency. Williams’ 4.1 YPC mark in 2024, while solid, was not stellar, and he also fumbled five times. He nonetheless remained a touchdown and first down machine, recording 16 total scores and moving the chains a total of 91 times.
As such, it would not be surprising to see Williams hit the $10MM/year threshold, an AAV that seven other running backs presently enjoy. Barring an unforeseen development, an extension should be expected sooner rather than later.
Dolphins, S Minkah Fitzpatrick Agree To Reworked Deal
Shortly after hiring agent Drew Rosenhaus, Minkah Fitzpatrick has secured a reworked deal from the Dolphins. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, Miami has added a $16.245MM signing bonus to Fitzpatrick’s thru-2026 contract, which previously contained no more guaranteed money (Schefter’s ESPN colleague, Marcel Louis-Jacques, offered a minor correction on the bonus amount, which is reportedly $16.435MM).
No years were added to the pact, so Fitzpatrick remains eligible for free agency after the 2026 season. He was previously due to earn $15.5MM in base salary in 2025, and while he was not in jeopardy of missing out on that money given that he was just acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Steelers, the extra security and expedited cash flow is surely a welcome development.
Rosenhaus said he and Fitzpatrick are comfortable with the restructure and will continue to work towards an extension. It is nonetheless fair to wonder how anxious the ‘Fins will be to put an extension in place since they do not yet know how their former first-round pick will fare in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s scheme. Plus, despite earning Pro Bowl accolades in each of the last two seasons, Fitzpatrick was not as effective from either an advanced metrics or ball production perspective over the 2023-24 campaigns as he was earlier in his career.
The revised pact will result in a $2MM bump in 2025 pay for Fitzpatrick, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. That money was moved from what Fitzpatrick was due to earn in 2026, so the 28-year-old will thus be in line for $17.5MM in 2026 and $15.6MM in 2026, and the salary-to-signing bonus mechanism (as confirmed by ESPN’s Field Yates) will result in $11MM in cap savings on this year’s ledger. That represented a key need for the Dolphins, who had just over $1MM in cap space and who now have increased flexibility to conduct in-season business.
Re-acquiring Fitzpatrick was part of Miami’s major offseason overhaul in the secondary, which will see four new starters in 2025. The club recently signed Jack Jones and Mike Hilton in an effort to address a dire cornerback situation that was exacerbated by the Ramsey departure.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin Reports To Camp; No Extension In Place
Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who held out of the first several days of training camp as part of his effort to secure a lucrative extension, has reported to the team, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. However, there is no new contract in place, and Washington has put McLaurin on the active/PUP list with an ankle injury.
In addressing the situation, head coach Dan Quinn said McLaurin will work off to the side with trainers to get his ankle better (via ESPN’s John Keim). It is unclear whether McLaurin will practice with the club once he has fully recovered.
While Keim notes McLaurin was dealing with an injury to the same ankle at the end of last season, multiple writers appear skeptical about the ailment. Schefter suggests McLaurin is simply engaging in a hold-in rather than a holdout, and JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington said, “I bet [the ankle] would get better with an 8 figure check.”
Indeed, Keim confirms today’s development does not mean there has been progress towards an agreement, and player and team will continue discussions in that regard. McLaurin has not publicly indicated what he is seeking in negotiations, but Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post suggests his floor could be $32MM – $33MM per year. In terms of average annual value, that would place McLaurin among the top-six highest earners at the wide receiver position, though guarantees and cash flow are generally more important benchmarks.
Offering a slightly more optimistic take than Keim, ESPN’s Field Yates says McLaurin’s reporting is “maybe” a sign that the parties have bridged at least some of the gap between them. In any event, hold-ins are typically viewed as a more effective negotiating tool than holdouts, and McLaurin surely wanted to stop the accrual of daily fines that accompanied his holdout. McLaurin missed three days of minicamp and four days of training camp, pushing his fine total to $305K (via Jhabvala). He also missed out on a $500K workout bonus.
McLaurin’s age (30 in September) could make it harder for him to join younger peers like Garrett Wilson (25) and D.K. Metcalf (27), who are making between $32MM to $33MM per year on their new deals. Nonetheless, McLaurin’s importance to the Commanders is obvious, and trading the two-time Pro Bowler would surely run counter to the team’s goal of another deep postseason run.
For now, Quinn – who said he spoke with McLaurin Saturday night – is simply glad to have the franchise stalwart in the building.
“It was great,” Quinn said (via Keim). “I’m really pumped that he’s here.”
The HC added, “On the business side, [GM Adam Peters] and the guys are still working hard with Terry and his reps. While on PUP, it’s just like we do with other guys — work with the trainers to get back as soon as he can.”
In a corresponding move, the Commanders have waived Fentrell Cypress II with an injury designation. Cypress was a priority undrafted free agent in this year’s class and secured $145K in guarantees. Washington clearly did not see enough from him in spring practices or the first few days of training camp to keep him on the roster.
DE Micah Parsons: Cowboys Ownership Has Made Negotiations “More Complicated” Than Necessary
JULY 21: When speaking to the media on Monday, Jones said (via NFL Network’s Jane Slater) he does not share Parsons’ frustrations about the lack of a deal this deep into the offseason. He added he has still yet to speak with Mulugheta, something which is relatively common in negotiations. COO Stephen Jones often makes contact with agents, although he too said no conversations with Mulugheta have taken place yet (h/t All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr.). Suffice it to say, there is little urgency on the team’s part to finalize a pact.
JULY 20: In April, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star edge rusher Micah Parsons seemingly put the framework of an extension in place. After that report surfaced, however, there has been no indication that talks have gained any traction.
The Jones-Parsons summit did not include Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, and Jones’ public comments minimizing the importance of Mulugheta in the negotiation process did not sit well with Parsons. The four-time Pro Bowler nonetheless expressed optimism that the two sides would strike an agreement before training camp, which opens Monday.
In light of Parsons’ recent comments on the matter, such a development appears unlikely. In an appearance on the Six Feet Under podcast (video link via ESPN’s Field Yates), Parsons suggested the needle has not moved, and he laid the blame for that squarely at the Cowboys’ feet.
“We obviously wanted to get done early. We want that relief off our backs,” Parsons said. “But, obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be. Lack of communication and that standpoint, but, you know, I just always say, God has me this far, he ain’t done with me yet, so, you know, I just just keep working, keep going, and then when it comes, I’m gonna be ready. But, you know, ain’t gonna be no drop-off” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Indeed, Dallas has been criticized for its delay in resolving contract situations with its best players, delays that have resulted in increased tension and increased price tags as the markets for premium positions (like edge rusher) continue to soar. Parsons himself recently indicated the new deals for players like Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have driven up his own asking price, and during his Six Feet Under appearance, he seemed surprised Dallas would not want to get ahead of the curve for once.
“We wanted to do the contract last year,” Parsons added. “They were just kind of like, ‘We want to do Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb].’ Then you go out there and perform again and, you know, you would think, like, alright, we’ll get it done early. We know there’s some guys that’s about to get ready to get repaid, like Garrett, you know, Crosby is gone. So you’d think like, hey, let’s get ahead of that, you know what I mean?”
Instead, the Steelers and T.J. Watt just pushed the EDGE market even higher by virtue of a massive three-year, $123MM extension that features an exceedingly player-friendly structure. Watt, 31 in October, is nearly five years older than Parsons, who missed time due to injury last season but who nonetheless posted 12 sacks, giving him a total of 52.5 over his first four years in the league. It would be quite surprising if Parsons does not top Watt’s deal, and with a record-setting extension for the soon-to-be 25-year-old Aidan Hutchinson possibly in the offing, it looks like Dallas will again be paying for its willingness to slow play a high-end negotiation.
Assuming no deal is in place by the time camp opens, Parsons is expected to stage a hold-in (though as NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirms, Parsons will report to training camp). As Florio notes, Parsons’ remark regarding a “drop-off” implies the Cowboys may be worried his performance will suffer once he signs a lucrative new deal, though not having him as a full camp participant – particularly with a new defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus at the controls – is also not ideal.
“It’s extremely important,” Parsons previously said of the significance of a deal being done by the onset of training camp. “You really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to slow starts. I want to hit the ground running.”
NFL Legal Notes: Browns, Rice, Ruggs
In keeping with her prior update on first-year running back Quinshon Judkins, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed Judkins did not report to training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday. Veterans are due to report on Tuesday, with the first full-squad practice scheduled for Wednesday.
Judkins, a second-round pick, was expected to compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. Judkins may still see a great deal of action in 2025, but a misdemeanor domestic battery charge has put his NFL career on hold. For now, Cleveland wants Judkins to focus on resolving his legal issues, and it sounds as if the team will not sign him to his rookie contract until that happens.
And, when the legal matter is resolved, Judkins could face discipline from the NFL. Until then, players like fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson and holdover Pierre Strong will get more reps.
Let’s take a look at a few more legal matters impacting players around the league:
- As expected, Browns LB Devin Bush was arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment on Friday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. After making 16 appearances (10 starts) in his first year in Cleveland in 2024, Bush re-signed with the club on a one-year pact in March. Although the addition of Carson Schwesinger in this year’s draft will eat into Bush’s playing time, the former first-round pick of the Steelers should remain involved in at least a rotational capacity. He will have a pre-trial hearing on August 15.
- Despite a February DUI charge, and despite having failed to earn a role as a regular starter over his first four years in the league, the Ravens re-signed OL Ben Cleveland to a one-year deal this offseason. Baltimore appears to appreciate Cleveland’s ability to back up multiple spots on the O-line and is prepared to once again carry him on the roster as a reserve. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Cleveland’s trial has been postponed to November 13. He has pleaded not guilty.
- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was facing three civil suits stemming from the street-racing crash that took place in March 2024 (the criminal component of the incident was recently resolved, with Rice receiving a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation). Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star says Rice settled one of the civil matters for $1.086MM, which will accrue interest until paid. Rice, a 2023 second-rounder, has no guaranteed money remaining on his rookie deal, and he stands to lose roughly $70K for every week he misses due to suspension in 2025 (h/t Spotrac, which also notes the club could seek repayment of a portion of Rice’s signing bonus — roughly $23K per week).
- Like Rice, Texans RB Joe Mixon had a civil suit to resolve. As Sheree Paolello of WLWT 5 reports, Mixon settled a lawsuit involving a teenage boy who was shot with a real bullet while playing Nerf Wars near Mixon’s home in March 2023, when Mixon was still a member of the Bengals. As Paolello detailed in a full-length piece a few months after the incident, the shots were allegedly fired by the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, though the victim’s family believed the gun and ammunition were owned by Mixon. The details of the settlement will not be released.
- Jordan Addison recently entered into a plea agreement in his DUI matter. While the Vikings’ wide receiver did consider going to trial, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), he did not want the issue creating a distraction during training camp. He could still receive a suspension from the league, of course.
- We heard in May that former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, currently imprisoned for a drunk-driving incident that resulted in the horrific death of a woman and her dog, is eyeing an NFL return. He will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and if he is granted parole, Albert Breer of SI.com believes an NFL club could give him another chance. Breer says it is unclear whether the league would suspend Ruggs; a league official told Breer the matter would be “reviewed” when the time comes.
Bengals Sign QB Desmond Ridder
The Bengals have agreed to terms with free agent QB Desmond Ridder, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ridder was eligible for restricted free agency this offseason but was non-tendered by the Raiders. A planned Broncos workout did not take place, and a workout with the Colts did not produce a deal.
Ridder, who will turn 26 next month, entered the league as a third-round pick of the Falcons in 2022. He earned a starting job by the end of his rookie year, and he was named the starter in advance of the 2023 campaign. Despite a brief demotion in favor of Taylor Heinicke that year, Ridder started 13 games, winning six of them.
His performance was generally underwhelming — and was certainly not enough to prevent Atlanta from signing Kirk Cousins in free agency last offseason — and he was traded to the Cardinals shortly after Cousins came aboard. Ridder ultimately lost Arizona’s backup quarterback battle to Clayton Tune, and after he spent several months on the team’s taxi squad, he signed with the QB-needy Las Vegas outfit.
Ridder started just one game for the Raiders (in Week 15), and he completed 23 of 39 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions in a 15-9 loss. The new Vegas regime is moving forward with Aidan O’Connell as its backup to new acquisition Geno Smith, leaving Ridder to search for his next opportunity elsewhere.
As he battles for his NFL future, Ridder will at least be in familiar environs, as he excelled as a collegian with the University of Cincinnati (leading the Bearcats to the college football playoff semi-finals against Alabama in 2021). Bengals HC Zac Taylor worked as the Bearcats’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016 and played a significant role in recruiting Ridder, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Nonetheless, Conway says Ridder will be competing for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with Logan Woodside. That indicates Jake Browning’s job as Joe Burrow’s top backup is safe.
More On T.J. Watt’s Record-Setting Extension With Steelers
Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt just landed a record-setting three-year, $123MM extension, which keeps him under club control through 2028. The contract already looked like a win on paper for Watt, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along a few details highlighting just how far Pittsburgh was willing to go to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year in the fold.
It was previously reported that Watt’s new deal includes $108MM in full guarantees. According to Florio, that figure is comprised of a $40MM signing bonus, a fully-guaranteed 2025 base salary of $4MM, and fully-guaranteed base salaries of $32MM in 2026 and 2027. In other words, Watt secured a whopping three fully-guaranteed seasons of pay, which will obviously make it very difficult for Pittsburgh to move on before the end of the 2027 campaign.
Per OverTheCap.com, Watt will carry a $23.37MM cap hit this season, and that number jumps to $42MM in 2026 and 2027 and tops out at $46.05MM in 2028. From 2026 onward, Watt’s cap charges are projected to account for well over 10% of Pittsburgh’s total cap room, which the club is perhaps willing to stomach since it expects to have a rookie-contract quarterback in the starting lineup as early as Week 1 of the 2026 slate.
Still, if Watt continues to perform at a high level – as his extension plainly anticipates, despite reported misgivings from the team in that regard – it would not be surprising to see the Steelers restructure the deal down the line to create additional cap space. At present, only his 2028 pay, which includes a $15MM roster bonus and a $21.05MM base salary, is non-guaranteed, but the roster bonus does trigger on the third day of the 2028 league year.
The $41MM average annual value of Watt’s extension is a record for non-quarterbacks, as is the $108MM in full guarantees. The same can be said of the early-year cash flow ($76MM within two years, $108MM within three years). The $108MM figure even tops the $100MM in fully-guaranteed money the 49ers ponied up for QB Brock Purdy earlier this year. As compared to fellow premium EDGE talent, Watt’s full guarantees represent 87.8% of his extension value, while Myles Garrett‘s $88.8MM in full guarantees make up just 55.5% of his extension, which is one year longer (h/t TexansCap).
Of course, Watt’s deal will have ramifications beyond his own team. Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, who has been seeking a new commitment from Cincinnati for several years, is perhaps the most obvious beneficiary, as he is two months younger than Watt and outpaced him by six sacks in 2024. It is difficult to say whether Hendrickson and the Bengals will be able to resolve their long-standing impasse, but Hendrickson certainly has no reason to shoot for anything less than a $41MM AAV.
And, as older players get paid at that level, the price tags of elite younger players like Micah Parsons (26) and Aidan Hutchinson (25 in August) will rise even higher.
Patriots Would Be Interested In Trading For Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
The Patriots’ long-running search for a proven wideout to pair with second-year quarterback Drake Maye culminated in a three-year, $69MM deal for Stefon Diggs in March. Despite having Diggs in the fold, New England would be in the market for another accomplished pass catcher if he becomes available.
That pass catcher is Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, who is entering the final year of his current contract and who is seeking an extension from Washington. The Ohio State product has expressed frustration with the lack of progress in that regard, and he recently indicated no talks have taken place in the last month.
In a recent appearance on Arbella Early Edition (video link), Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms there have not been many recent discussions between the Commanders and McLaurin’s camp. He does expect the team to “take a swing” at resolving the matter in short order, but if McLaurin were to become available via trade, Breer says the Patriots would be interested.
McLaurin, who is entering his age-30 season, has been a model of consistency for Washington since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019. Following a 14-game rookie slate in which he recorded 919 yards and seven scores, he has exceeded the 1,000-yard threshold in each of the last five seasons and has enjoyed perfect attendance in each of the last four. He also upped his touchdown production in 2024, finding paydirt a career-high 13 times with Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels under center.
Washington’s Daniels-led outfit is coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance, and given McLaurin’s importance to the team, a trade would qualify as a major surprise. It is nonetheless notable that New England would consider adding the two-time Pro Bowler, which would require trading draft capital and authorizing a second lucrative WR accord.
With over $60MM in cap space and a rookie-contract QB1, the Pats could certainly afford such a move from a financial perspective. And, while Diggs and the team have seemingly moved beyond an offseason incident that momentarily triggered release rumors, he will turn 32 in November and is still working his way back from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his 2024 campaign (though he did avoid placement on the PUP list to start training camp).
Another new addition to the WR room, Mack Hollins, did land on the active/PUP list, and outside of promising slot target DeMario Douglas, the rest of the depth chart is comprised of unproven and/or uninspiring options. Between that reality and McLaurin’s blend of strong performance and strong character – an important trait for head coach Mike Vrabel – it is easy to see the appeal in a possible trade.
Still, it is a big jump from stalled extension talks to the trade of a franchise cornerstone. It remains to be seen if the Commanders will seriously entertain that notion.