Bengals Did Not Seek Trade For QB Following Joe Burrow Injury
On Tuesday, the Bengals signed free agents Sean Clifford and Mike White to supplement their QB depth chart in the wake of Joe Burrow’s turf toe injury, which will keep the star signal-caller sidelined until sometime in December. But as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports, Cincinnati did not make any trade inquiries into veteran passers on other teams.
The implication is that the Bengals believe Browning gives them at least as good of a chance to win as any trade candidate. And there is some justification for that belief. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter observes, Browning’s 70.4% completion percentage during the seven games he played in relief of an injured Burrow in 2023 led the NFL. That percentage was not simply a function of short, safe passes, because his 267 passing yards-per-game average was the sixth-highest mark in the league during his stint as a starter (which yielded a 4-3 record).
After Burrow exited last week’s game against the Jaguars, Browning completed 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also rushing for the game-winning score in the waning moments of the contest. However, he did throw three interceptions, so ball security was surely a point of emphasis in practice this week.
Despite close calls against the Browns and Jags to open the current campaign, the Bengals are 2-0. They will hope that Browning can keep them in the running for a playoff berth come December, when Burrow will have a chance to return. Rapoport says that remains a possibility and that Cincinnati could have the two-time Pro Bowler back on the field for the last few games of the regular season if the team’s record warrants it, though Burrow’s rehab will also have to go “perfectly.”
For the 29-year-old Browning, the next several months represent a prime opportunity to cash in. As Rapoport points out, the 2019 UDFA did not stick on an active roster until 2023. Therefore, he will only hit three years of service time at the end of this season, which will make him a restricted free agent in 2026.
The Bengals will have the option of tendering Browning at the original-round level (a tender that was worth $3.4MM this year), second-round level ($5.33MM), or first-round level ($7.5MM). Given Burrow’s history of health concerns, a first-round tender is not out of the question, especially since annual salaries for qualified backup QBs are around the $6MM-$8MM range (with the obvious exception of Kirk Cousins, who was not signed to be a backup).
Rapoport also leaves open the possibility that the Bengals and Browning could agree to an extension, as the Bears and Tyson Bagent did in August. Or, if Browning plays well enough to convince another team he can be a full-time starter, such a team could sign the Washington product to an offer sheet that Cincy cannot match.
Of course, a great deal has to go right for that to be a realistic possibility. For now, Browning & Co. will try to navigate a schedule that includes matchups with playoff hopefuls like the Broncos, Lions, Packers, and Steelers.
Attorneys In Brian Flores Suit Renew Attempt To Remove Claims Against Dolphins, Cardinals, And Titans From Arbitration
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going back on the offensive in his class-action suit against the NFL and six of its teams. Per Daniel Kaplan of Front Office Sports, Flores and other members of the class allege that Peter Harvey, the arbitrator whom commissioner Roger Goodell appointed on September 17, 2024, is merely “sitting on his hands” in an effort to delay the proceedings.
Flores argues that Harvey has done nothing in the year since his appointment, including responding to requests regarding his own potential conflicts of interest. For instance, as Kaplan points out, Harvey has ties to the league thanks to his seat on the NFL diversity committee, which was formed in the wake of Flores’ suit. Harvey has also served as an arbitrator in other NFL matters, and Flores claims those appointments likely resulted in substantial compensation. In a December 2024 letter to Flores’ lawyers, NFL outside counsel Loretta Lynch said those types of conflict disclosures are not required by law.
In a recent motion that was filed in an effort to remove all of the Plaintiffs’ claims from arbitration and put them in court, Flores’ attorneys write, “[i]ncredibly, as of the filing of this motion for the court, Mr. Harvey has not issued any decision on the motion for arbitral disclosures, nor communicated with parties in any manner whatsoever regarding the proceedings. As such, the entire arbitration has been at a complete standstill and effectively stayed. Mr. Harvey effectively gave the NFL its desired stay through his inexplicable inaction.”
We heard last month that Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, the Giants, and the Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. In affirming that decision and ruling against the NFL, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reasoned that Flores never signed contracts with mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three teams is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule). On the other hand, because Flores and co-Plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton had signed contracts with the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans, respectively, and because those deals included a mandatory arbitration provision, the claims against that trio of teams remain in Harvey’s purview for the time being.
That has set up a new battlefront of sorts: while the NFL is appealing the Second Circuit’s three-judge decision to the court’s full 13-judge panel, Flores’ camp argues in its above-referenced motion to the trial court that the Second Circuit’s ruling with respect to the Broncos, Giants, and Texans – in which the appeals court held that it would be unconscionable for Goodell or one of his designees to act as an arbitrator in a case against the NFL and its teams – should also apply to the claims against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans (contract language notwithstanding).
Of course, the league prefers the more sheltered arbitration setting, whereas Flores & Co. are seeking the more objective arena of an open courtroom. That venue dispute has dragged on since the suit was filed three-and-a-half years ago, and it apparently will continue for at least a while longer.
In underscoring the amount of time that has passed with little by way of substantive movement in the litigation, Flores’ lawyers wrote, “[g]iven Mr. Harvey’s inaction and lack of communication, the litigations before him have not even moved to the very initial discovery stage. Mr. Harvey has completely abdicated and disregarded his responsibilities…and he has let the entire arbitration before him languish without any communication.”
The NFL has opposed the Plaintiffs’ motion but has declined public comment on it.
NFL Could Suspend Eagles DT Jalen Carter
SEPTEMBER 8: No decision has been made yet regarding supplemental discipline for Carter at this point, Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes. He adds the league’s evaluation process is expected to conclude early this week, so clarity in the case case should emerge shortly.
SEPTEMBER 7: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter did not play a single snap during his club’s win over the Cowboys in the NFL’s regular season opener on Thursday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Carter may also miss at least Philadelphia’s Week 2 matchup with the Chiefs, as the league could suspend the 2024 Pro Bowler.
Following an injury to Philadelphia fullback Ben VanSumeren on the opening kickoff, Carter spit on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott while the two teams were waiting on the field during the ensuing injury delay (it later became clear that Prescott spit in the direction of Carter and the Eagles’ defense before Carter’s retaliation). Carter was promptly ejected, and a decision from the NFL as to whether the Georgia product will miss any additional games is expected on Monday.
He will at least receive a substantial fine, per Schefter, who says a speech given by NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent during the spring owner’s meetings could be instructive in this matter. In his speech, Vincent said sportsmanship posed one of the biggest threats to the NFL’s brand, and that there would be “zero tolerance for acts that demean the game.”
The Eagles survived the Cowboys contest and hung on for a 24-20 victory, but Carter’s absence was noticeable, particularly in the early stages of the game. The team would obviously love to have him on the field for the upcoming Super Bowl rematch.
Carter, the ninth overall pick of the 2023 draft, finished second to Texans defensive end Will Anderson in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his rookie season and earned Second Team All-Pro acclaim last year, in addition to his first Pro Bowl nod. He has compiled 10.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits, and 20 tackles for loss over his first two years in the league.
“It was a mistake that happened on my side, and it just won’t happen again,” Carter said after the game. “I feel bad for my teammates and the fans out there. … It won’t happen again. I can make that promise.”
Technically, a suspension of any length would automatically void the remaining guarantees on Carter’s rookie contract, as Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports confirms. However, Jones says the club would not try to claw back any money, so the ascending player will likely earn every dollar due to him under his deal. He will be extension-eligible after the 2025 season.
Head coach Nick Sirianni did not indicate whether Carter would receive any internal discipline.
Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy Suffers Dislocated Shoulder, Expected To Miss Time
The Chiefs, already short-handed at the wide receiver position due to Rashee Rice’s six-game suspension, are now expected to be without Xavier Worthy for an undetermined amount of time, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link). Worthy collided with teammate Travis Kelce during Kansas City’s Week 1 loss to the Chargers on Friday, and he sustained a dislocated shoulder as a result.
Worthy will obtain a second opinion on the matter, and Rapoport says the most likely scenario is that the second-year pro will be able to return this season and play with a brace. That said, surgery is still an option as of the time of this writing.
The 28th overall pick of the 2024 draft, Worthy set a scouting combine record for the fastest 40-yard dash in the history of the event, though that speed did not translate to massive yards-per-reception numbers in his first NFL regular season. Worthy was targeted 98 times last year, and he hauled in 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns.
He did, however, add 20 carries for 104 yards and three more scores, and he elevated his game in the postseason. In three playoff games, Worthy caught 19 of his 21 targets, tallying 287 yards and three TDs. That led to heightened expectations for the 2025 slate, especially in the wake of Rice’s early-season ban.
Unfortunately, those expectations will be put on hold for the time being. The Chiefs still have Hollywood Brown as a big-play threat, and Brown and fellow veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster combined to catch 15 passes for 154 yards in the Los Angeles game.
Meanwhile, fourth-round rookie Jalen Royals missed the regular season opener due to a knee injury, so the Chiefs are certainly feeling the pinch when it comes to their WR depth chart. Although Rapoport does not say so, it is fair to wonder if the team will look to fortify the group with a free agent signing.
At present, Tyler Boyd and Nelson Agholor represent two of the most accomplished names on the list of FA wideouts.
49ers Want To Retain RT Colton McKivitz, Have Initiated Extension Talks
49ers right tackle Colton McKivitz signed a one-year extension last March, so he is entering a platform campaign. As opposed to many impending free agents who publicly downplay the appeal of a massive payday, McKivitz is a bit more upfront.
“It is a big deal. You see what guys are getting (paid) now so it’s hard to not be thinking about it, right?” McKivitz said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). “It is a lot of money. You’re in the NFL for, obviously, winning and being good. But money is a hard thing to not think about.”
McKivitz, 29, was selected by the Niners in the fifth round of the 2020 draft. He played sparingly over his first three years in the league but was anointed the starting RT in 2023 after Mike McGlinchey defected to the Broncos in free agency.
Just before McGlinchey signed with Denver in March 2023, McKivitz inked a two-year, $4.65MM re-up, and he then agreed to the aforementioned one-year add-on in March 2024.
As such, he has earned “just” $10.27MM in his career to date, and he is due to make $3.19MM in base salary this year. So it stands to reason that he is hungrily eyeing the booming OT market.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the club would like to retain McKivitz, and Branch indicates San Francisco thinks more highly of him than former starting guard Aaron Banks, who was allowed to depart via free agency this offseason. McKivitz, who presently ranks 25th among the league’s right tackles in terms of average annual salary, said the Niners have contacted his agent to discuss an extension, but “nothing crazy is going on at the moment.”
Branch believes the team is likely offering McKivitz far less than what he would stand to earn on the open market. And after accepting several modest deals, McKivitz may have a bigger goal in mind.
In terms of Pro Football Focus’ evaluations, McKivitz improved across the board from 2023 to 2024. His uptick in play was particularly noticeable in his pass-blocking efforts, as he surrendered nine sacks and 59 pressures in 17 games in 2023 but just two sacks and 36 pressures in the same number of games last year. His 72.2 overall PFF grade placed him 37th among 140 offensive tackles.
Further improvement, or even a reprisal of his 2024 performance, should allow McKivitiz to rocket up the RT pay scale.
NFC North Rumors: Hafley, Thielen, Ratledge
In 2024, Jeff Hafley’s first year as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, Green Bay ranked fifth and sixth in total and scoring defense, respectively, while also finishing third in interceptions and seventh in sacks. That performance garnered Hafley a head coaching interview with the Jets this offseason, and more such interviews could be on the horizon.
Per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required), Hafley is viewed as a legitimate HC candidate in some league circles, and he has a chance to elevate his stock even further given the Packers’ addition of star edge defender Micah Parsons. Howe already expects teams in search of a defensive-minded head coach in next year’s cycle to do their homework on Hafley, and another strong showing from his unit will solidify his place on the HC radar.
Now for more from the NFC North:
- A trade at the end of August brought WR Adam Thielen back to the Vikings after a two-year stint with the Panthers. In a comprehensive look behind the scenes of the swap, Joseph Person of The Athletic (subscription required) says Carolina was not actively looking to deal Thielen, who became an important veteran leader. Given that, and given the Panthers’ leverage – Minnesota’s need for a veteran wideout was well-documented – Carolina originally asked the Vikes for a third-round pick in exchange for Thielen and a fifth-rounder. The Panthers wanted to get the equivalent of fourth-round value in a Thielen trade, and they eventually got there while shaving off $7MM in cap space they can roll over to next year. The Vikes, meanwhile, did not have to give up a third.
- Rookie Tate Ratledge was initially penciled in as the Lions’ starting center in the wake of Frank Ragnow’s retirement, but that experiment lasted all of three training camp practices before Detroit shifted Ratledge to right guard and veteran Graham Glasgow to the pivot. However, that had less to do with Ratledge’s performance than Glasgow’s existing rapport with QB Jared Goff, and as Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network writes, GM Brad Holmes still sees Ratledge as the long-term center, where he may have an even higher ceiling (despite his success at guard in college).
- The Lions waived sixth-round rookie Ahmed Hassanein with an injury settlement during final roster cutdowns at the end of August, but Holmes still expects the defensive end to suit up for the team this year (via Jeremy Reisman of PrideofDetroit.com). Holmes said there is a handshake deal in place for Hassanein, who has cleared waivers, to return to Detroit once the length of the injury settlement term (plus an additional three weeks) is complete. That term is presently unknown.
- Former Lions long snapper Don Muhlbach will serve in a game management role for the club this year, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Muhlbach, a two-time Pro Bowler and the second-longest-tenured player in franchise history, joined the team in an administrative role shortly after his 2021 release. He will now assist HC Dan Campbell with replay reviews, rules interpretations, and “other gameday trends.”
Jaxson Dart Will Be Giants’ QB2; Team Has Designed Package Of Plays For Dart
One month ago, it was reported that the Giants were willing to let rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart sit out the entirety of the 2025 campaign. However, after an impressive training camp and preseason, Dart could see the field as soon as Week 1.
As Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post observed earlier this week, the Giants listed Dart as the No. 2 QB on their unofficial depth chart, behind starter Russell Wilson but ahead of Wilson’s fellow veteran passer, Jameis Winston. And, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, the team has designed a package of plays for Dart, whose status as the QB2 will allow him to enter and exit the game at will (as opposed to the third, emergency quarterback, which is the role Winston will occupy, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan).
Of course, there is no guarantee the package of plays will be utilized, as that will be dictated by situational strategy. It is nonetheless noteworthy that the Giants’ coaching staff would take this route.
As Dan Duggan of The Athletic points out, Dart is more athletic than Wilson at this stage of the two players’ careers, but he is not a Taysom Hill-esque threat as a runner. So if he is simply going to enter the game and run a series of “traditional” plays, the team risks getting Wilson out of rhythm while also relying on a rookie to effectively run the offense without the opportunity to develop a rhythm of his own. And, if Wilson struggles but Dart shows promise (however limited his cameo might be), the coaching staff could be facing a full-blown QB controversy this week.
Rapoport and Garafolo also acknowledge the fact that Dart does not pose the type of athletic threat that players like Hill and Jalen Milroe do. Instead, they believe the goal of the “Dart package” is simply to get the young signal-caller on the field and get his feet wet in regular season action.
In three preseason games, Dart connected on 32 of 47 passes (68% completion rate) for three touchdowns. He did not throw an interception, and he added six carries for 52 yards and a score.
Cowboys Extend CB DaRon Bland
SEPTEMBER 1: Bland’s extension is worth a maximum (rather than a base value) of $92MM, as detailed by ESPN’s Todd Archer. A $22MM signing bonus is present, and Bland’s base salaries in 2025 and ’26 are locked in at signing. His $12MM salary for 2027 is guaranteed for injury and vests in March of that year. The same structure is in place for annual $1MM roster bonuses.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the deal includes a $19MM option bonus in 2028. Annual escalators worth up to $500K each are in place based on individual and team performances (with five and seven interceptions marking the thresholds and full pay being tied to whether or not the team reaches the playoffs the previous season). Salary de-escalators are also present instead of workout bonuses. In all, the four-year pact is worth $90MM in base value with $36.35MM fully guaranteed and another $13MM set to lock in midway through the deal.
AUGUST 31: The Cowboys have agreed to a four-year extension with cornerback DaRon Bland, as FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first to report. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds the deal is worth $92MM and includes $50MM in guaranteed money. The Cowboys have since announced the extension.
We heard back in April that Dallas was eyeing long-term deals for Bland, tight end Jake Ferguson, left guard Tyler Smith, and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Now, a little over month after extending Ferguson, Bland is on the books for the foreseeable future.
Of course, the situation involving former Cowboys edge defender Micah Parsons has been one of the NFL’s key storylines this offseason. Parsons, a premier, in-his-prime talent, was not originally viewed as a realistic trade candidate, but the relationship between player and team deteriorated in a very public way, and Dallas recently dealt the four-time Pro Bowler to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. While the trade and the circumstances that gave rise to it have earned owner Jerry Jones a great deal of criticism, it did free up some funds to be allocated elsewhere.
Indeed, as Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News writes, team sources said in the wake of the Parsons trade that the Cowboys would be active on the extension front. As such, it would not be surprising to see Smith and/or Aubrey get a new contract in short order.
A report at the end of July suggested Dallas and Bland were engaged in contract talks, and those conversations progressed to the point that Bland was hoping to put pen to paper before Week 1. He has gotten his wish, and in so doing he has landed just outside the top-five earners at the cornerback position in terms of average annual value. His new-money average of $23MM/year is just behind the likes of Patrick Surtain ($24MM), Jalen Ramsey ($24.1MM), and Jaycee Horn ($25MM).
Bland followed Trevon Diggs to the first-team All-Pro level in 2023, returning an NFL-record five interceptions for touchdowns. The fifth-round find became a vital piece in Dallas’ defense that season, shifting to an outside CB role in the wake of Diggs’ September ACL tear. Bland, who intercepted an NFL-most nine passes that season, now joins Diggs as a high-priced corner on the Cowboys’ defense. Pro Football Focus ranked Bland second among qualified corners in 2023 and 33rd during his seven-game 2024.
Entering his age-26 season, Bland also saw his extension leverage strengthened by Diggs’ injury trouble. The Cowboys paid Diggs (via a five-year, $97MM extension) before the 2023 season but have not seen the 2021 first-team All-Pro live up to the deal. The knee trouble Diggs ran into in 2023 resurfaced last year, and he missed the team’s offseason program and training camp due to the rehab effort. Diggs is off Dallas’ PUP list but is a question mark going into the season.
Bland is no stranger to injury trouble himself, having suffered a foot fracture during training camp last year. That kept him out 10 games, as the Cowboys activated him in late October but did not use him in a game until their Thanksgiving tilt. This extension certainly reveals confidence Bland can anchor Dallas’ CB corps moving forward. The team can release Diggs for just less than $6MM in dead money in 2026.
With third-round rookie Shavon Revel on the team’s reserve/NFI list after an ACL tear sustained during his final East Carolina season, Bland will be a crucial piece to Matt Eberflus‘ defense — especially considering one of the NFL’s lead pass-rushing pieces is now in Wisconsin. The Cowboys have question marks at their other CB posts for the time being, with trade acquisition Kaiir Elam — a former first-rounder the Bills never trusted as a regular starter — set to play a key role while Diggs and Revel recover.
Bland’s usage will be interesting to track this year as well. After playing a near-full-time slot role as a rookie, he has largely been a boundary defender. This offseason, however, the Cowboys had Bland working in the slot regularly. A setup where he plays inside on passing downs, alongside Diggs and Elam/Revel, would make sense for the Cowboys. This contract also checks in well north of where the 49ers went for their multipurpose CB (Deommodore Lenoir) last year and miles ahead of the slot-only market.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Wanted To Serve Suspension Early In 2025 Season
Rather than delay his inevitable suspension until after a September 30 hearing, Chiefs WR Rashee Rice accepted a six-game ban, which he will begin serving immediately. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor details, there are several factors that informed Rice’s decision.
For one, he knew there was no guarantee that former U.S. district judge Sue L. Robinson, who was scheduled to hear his case, would have handed him a ban of fewer than six games. Secondly, he wanted to get his suspension out of the way early so that he would be available for Kansas City’s playoff push.
As our Adam La Rose recently observed, the earlier suspension will give Rice more time to continue healing from the LCL tear that prematurely ended his 2024 season. Taylor also points out that Rice will be eligible for an extension after the upcoming campaign, at which point he will have accrued three years of service time. Serving the ban at the beginning of the year will enable him to build momentum in that regard rather than starting the season on the field and then being forced to sit out a significant number of games in the middle of the 2025 schedule.
Rice’s criminal matter, which stemmed from a March 2024 hit-and-run incident that brought eight felony charges, concluded last month with a sentence of five years probation and a 30-day prison term. Rice received deferred adjudication, which gives him the opportunity to avoid the prison stay, but his NFL matter lingered for several weeks after the legal resolution.
With Rice on the sidelines, Kansas City’s WR targets will be shared by Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Royals. Rice, though, is probably the club’s best wideout, and while the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl without him last season, they certainly felt his absence.
“It’s another threat,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Rice. “Rashee gets those screens and he gets 15-20 yards. That kind of crushes a defense. When they’re worried about us going deep and then all of a sudden we’re hitting screens and getting the same explosive plays, that kind of completes the offense.”
Smith-Schuster and Brown will likely share time in Rice’s familiar slot receiver role until the SMU product returns to the field. He will miss games against the Chargers, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Jaguars, and Lions, and he will not be eligible to practice until Week 7.
Elijah Wilkinson To Start At RT For Falcons
The Falcons were dealt a significant blow when it became clear they would need to put starting right tackle Kaleb McGary on season-ending injured reserve. Veteran Elijah Wilkinson was McGary’s immediate replacement in practice, and D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirms Wilkinson will open the season as the club’s starting RT.
With southpaw Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, Atlanta’s right tackle position is particularly important. McGary, who recently inked a two-year extension keeping him under club control through 2027, has not earned any Pro Bowl accolades like left tackle Jake Matthews and right guard Chris Lindstrom, but he has established himself as an above-average tackle, particularly in terms of run-blocking.
Plus, as Penix enters his first full season as a starter, stability along the O-line would be welcome. While the Falcons return Matthews, Lindstrom, and left guard Matthew Bergeron, they lost center Drew Dalman in free agency this offseason and will rely upon Ryan Neuzil – a 2021 UDFA who has eight career starts – as Penix’s full-time snapper. Team brass thinks highly of Neuzil, though he was not particularly impressive as an injury fill-in for Dalman last year.
Instead of replacing just one starting O-lineman, Atlanta will be forced to replace two. And it is quite possible there will be a noticeable drop-off in performance with Wilkinson on the first-team unit in lieu of McGary. This will be Wilkinson’s second Falcons stint; he played as a nine-game guard starter in 2022.
Now 30, Wilkinson does have 45 starts to his name, but his last start at right tackle came in 2021, when he was with the Bears. The well-traveled blocker started nine games at left guard for the Cardinals in 2023 and earned an abysmal 46.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, one of the worst marks in the league. Arizona released him during final roster cutdowns last August, and though he quickly caught on with the Falcons’ taxi squad, he ultimately appeared in just two games for the team and played one offensive snap. Wilkinson did serve as the Broncos’ primary RT in 2019 and added seven more starts at the position in 2020. For most of this decade, however, teams have employed the eight-year veteran as a backup.
The Falcons at least saw enough from Wilkinson to re-sign him this offseason – albeit on a veteran-minimum salary – and they used him at left tackle in their second preseason contest. He indicated he is looking forward to playing alongside Lindstrom, and Lindstrom’s presence certainly could help elevate Wilkinson’s play.
If Wilkinson is not up to snuff, Atlanta has recent trade acquisition Michael Jerrell waiting in the wings, and veteran swing tackle Storm Norton could be an option later in the season. Placed on short-term IR this week, Norton recently underwent ankle surgery and is expected to miss at least the first month of the 2025 campaign.