Patriots’ Brandon Aiyuk Offer Eclipsed $28MM Per Year; WR Wants To Land With Steelers?
In on Calvin Ridley until the end of his free agency sweepstakes, the Patriots have been connected to both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. New England’s Aiyuk effort became rather serious, though as of midday Wednesday, it does not look like the disgruntled 49er will end up a Patriot.
This is not due to lack of desire on the Pats’ part. The team was prepared to give Aiyuk an extension worth more than $28.5MM per year, according to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson. Aiyuk does not hold a no-trade clause, but a team willing to trade assets for the second-team All-Pro will want the pass catcher committed. A report Tuesday night revealed Aiyuk was not sold on the Patriots, and Anderson also indicates the team believes this is the case.
The Steelers do not make a habit of giving outside receiver hires key roles, preferring a draft-and-develop model that has produced sustained success. But the team has been more open to outside additions under third-year GM Omar Khan. Questions outside of George Pickens persist at wideout for the Steelers, who are spending next to nothing at quarterback following the acquisitions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. This expands to all positions on offense, essentially, with no eight-figure-per-year payment allocated to a Pittsburgh offensive player.
No deal is in place with Pittsburgh, Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz tweets, though the sides continue to hold discussions.
Aiyuk, 26, has held in at 49ers training camp. This comes after months of negotiations did not lead to much (if any) progress. Aiyuk has been tied to wanting a deal in step with Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s $30.01MM-per-year contract and guarantees on the A.J. Brown level. Only Justin Jefferson‘s $110MM guaranteed tops Brown’s number ($84MM). Aiyuk has not shown himself to be in these players’ class just yet, ranking 17th in receiving yards since his 2020 NFL entrance. Though, the 49ers’ target tree has not allowed for WR1-level volume. Aiyuk still managed 1,342 receiving yards on 105 targets last season, and he wants to be paid like a high-end No. 1 weapon.
A Monday report indicated the Patriots and Browns had established Aiyuk trade framework with the 49ers, but multiple suitors being in the mix gives the defending NFC champions leverage. New England also asked about Aiyuk earlier this offseason. Aiyuk’s manageable fifth-year option salary ($14.12MM) would stand to buy the 49ers time, and they would have the option of franchise-tagging him in 2025. That number could hit $25MM, and San Francisco is already projected to be nearly $40MM over the 2025 cap. While that would not make an Aiyuk tag a non-starter, it certainly appears the 49ers are more willing to discuss a deal — as they were during the draft — compared to their stance earlier this summer.
The Titans outbid the Pats for Ridley, who signed a four-year deal worth $92MM in free agency. New England, amid a spree of re-signings and extensions this offseason, kept Kendrick Bourne and used a second-round pick on Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk. These two join Demario Douglas as the Pats’ top options at receiver, though JuJu Smith-Schuster remains on the team for the time being. De facto GM Eliot Wolf has shown a far greater willingness to pay for talent compared to Bill Belichick, and this Aiyuk offer goes along with this organizational change.
Trading Aiyuk without a known replacement — Ricky Pearsall‘s rookie-year form notwithstanding — would inject considerable risk into San Francisco’s equation. The team has Brock Purdy on what almost definitely will be his final season on a rookie contract, and a host of defensive talent is due for free agency in 2025. Losing Aiyuk now would wound a 49ers team perennially on the championship doorstep. It would also reveal the NFC West team taking a hardline stance on Aiyuk’s value, which it is believed to have pegged in the $26-$27MM-per-year range.
While the 49ers solved Samuel’s trade request/hold-in drama with a $23.85MM-per-year extension, they have encountered tougher sledding in the Aiyuk negotiations — as the WR market has boomed once again. If Aiyuk is dealt, Samuel suddenly would appear more likely to stay. An Aiyuk extension could well lead the older, more versatile player out of town in 2025. We continue to wait on whether the 49ers will pull the trigger here, as Aiyuk’s hold-in will soon pass the two-week point.
NFC North Notes: O’Connell, Vikings, Adofo-Mensah, Packers, Clark, Jones, Bears, Lions
Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s first year produced a surprising 13-4 record and an NFC North crown. The Vikings took a step back in the power brokers’ second season, with Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear and Justin Jefferson‘s hamstring trouble playing central roles in the team’s 2023 struggles. Though, the Vikings held their own in a rare season that featured four starting QBs. Still, no extensions are being planned for the HC-GM combo just yet.
“I think that’s fair. I think right now we’re just focusing on the season and putting those things aside for now,” Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) of the prospect of tabling extension talks with O’Connell and/or Adofo-Mensah to 2025. “It’s not something we’re talking about at this point.”
Considering the pair has only been in place since 2022, the Vikings exploring early extensions would have surprised. No coach or GM hired in 2022 has been extended, and only one tandem hired in 2021 (Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes) has been re-upped. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah signed four-year contracts, which will make 2024’s direction — as the Vikings transition to Sam Darnold and eventually J.J. McCarthy — pivotal for the leaders’ futures. The Lions gave their bigwigs extensions despite authorizing six-year contracts in 2021, though they have accomplished more thus far.
Here is the latest from the NFC North:
- Velus Jones did not become a regular option at wide receiver for the Bears since the team chose him in the 2022 third round, and the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze this offseason obviously did not help Jones’ prospects. As a result, the Bears are trying the third-year performer at running back. Matt Eberflus (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) confirmed the move. Primarily used as a kick returner over his first two seasons, Jones has just 17 receptions as a pro. The Bears’ RB situation is not quite as strong as their WR setup, but the team did add D’Andre Swift to a position group already housing Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert.
- Kenny Clark‘s three-year, $64MM Packers extension includes $17.5MM guaranteed at signing — all in the form of a signing bonus — and, per OverTheCap, the veteran defensive lineman will receive a $7.5MM roster bonus if on Green Bay’s roster by Day 3 of the 2025 league year. This ups the practical guarantee to $25MM. On Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Clark will be due an $11MM roster bonus. Considering it would cost the Packers $17MM in dead money to cut Clark in 2026, the ninth-year defender has a decent chance to collect the second roster bonus as well. The extension lowered Clark’s 2024 cap hit by just $1.1MM, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
- Going into the final season of his rookie contract, Royce Newman accepted what amounts to a pay cut. The Packers dropped the former fourth-round pick’s base salary from $3.12MM to $1.25MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Newman had seen his base salary increase due to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program. Newman has started 24 games along Green Bay’s O-line. The team included up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses for the contract-year blocker.
- Taylor Decker‘s three-year, $60MM Lions extension includes $31.83MM guaranteed at signing, with the longtime Detroit LT’s 2024 and ’25 base salaries ($1.2MM, $14.8MM) locked in, per OverTheCap. The contract’s remaining guarantees come via a signing bonus. Decker will be due $1.5MM roster bonuses on Day 3 of the 2026 and ’27 league years. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are nonguaranteed, though two void years included to spread out the former first-rounder’s cap hits. Still, 2026 looms as a potential out here, as the Lions would only take on $9.4MM in dead money in 2026 — as opposed to $31.4MM in 2025 — by moving on.
- The Vikings will pay Khyree Jackson‘s $827K signing bonus to the deceased cornerback’s estate, Seifert tweets. Jackson died tragically in a car accident in early July. The NFLPA is also expected to support Jackson’s estate.
Mekhi Becton In Lead For Eagles’ RG Job?
It took until late April for Mekhi Becton to land with a team. Before his first preseason game with the Eagles, the former Jets long-term left tackle hopeful is making a case for a starting role at a new position.
The Eagles continue a close examination of Becton at guard. The former first-round tackle saw reps at guard during the team’s offseason program, and although 2023 third-rounder Tyler Steen entered camp as the favorite to take over — as 2023 RG starter Cam Jurgens slides to center post-Jason Kelce — Becton may interfere with the organization’s previous plan.
Steen missed some time due to injury recently but has since made his return to practice. For a third straight day with Steen back at work, PHLY’s Zach Berman notes Becton is running with the team’s first-team offense. This trend began when Steen went down with an ankle injury on Day 3 of training camp, per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro, who notes Steen’s stock has begun to drop since.
Steen took all the team’s first-string RG reps before his injury, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. While the Eagles may be easing Steen back into action, a position battle — at the very least — appears to have formed here.
Becton becoming Philly’s answer at right guard would mark a significant change for the ex-Jets starter’s positional trajectory and halt a period of internal Eagles solutions up front. The Eagles drafted both Jurgens and Landon Dickerson as potential center heir apparents, using the former at left guard once he proved an immediate solution there during Kelce’s career. With Kelce hanging up his cleats after 14 seasons, Jurgens is sliding to center to create an RG open Steen was ticketed to fill. While Nick Sirinni indicated Becton’s continued run with the first team does not reveal a shift in this competition, it does appear the 2020 first-rounder is in the lead.
Becton, who signed a one-year deal worth $2.75MM, has never played a down at guard in the NFL. The Jets kicked him to right tackle at multiple points, doing so in a game for the first time last season. Of course, Becton position changes were largely moot in 2021 or ’22 since he missed all but one regular-season game during that span. He returned to extensive action last season, however, playing mostly left tackle but logging 101 snaps on the right side. The underwhelming Jets tackle, however, appears to have a gateway to starting for what has been one of the NFL’s premier offensive lines over the past few seasons.
While Becton has never played an NFL down at guard, Steen logged only 71 snaps as a rookie. The preseason slate will play a central role in determining which of these blockers steps in, but Becton making this strong of an impression at a new position early is certainly notable.
DeAndre Hopkins To Miss Up To Six Weeks
AUGUST 3: Callahan provided some updates on Hopkins’ situation today. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Hopkins knee injury will not require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that Callahan confirmed that Hopkins is out for “several weeks,” but with the absence of surgery, a return in only four weeks could be likely, though it’s not guaranteed. This encourages the optimism that Hopkins’ malady won’t keep him from any regular season appearances.
AUGUST 1: After a productive debut in Tennessee, DeAndre Hopkins looks set to see his preparation for his second season end early. The former All-Pro wide receiver is expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury.
Hopkins sustained a strained knee during practice this week, according to veteran Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky, who indicates a four- to six-week absence is on tap. Week 1 will occur during this timeline, making Hopkins’ recovery one to monitor. ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport confirms the Titans are optimistic about Hopkins avoiding any missed games.
Although the Titans added Calvin Ridley on a big-ticket deal and signed former Brian Callahan Bengals charge Tyler Boyd, they are still counting on Hopkins to play a key role. The late-2010s first-team All-Pro staple produced his seventh 1,000-yard season with the Titans in 2023, continuing to make a solid Hall of Fame case. If this injury timetable is accurate, the accomplished wideout has a change to re-emerge just before Week 1.
This is not the first time Hopkins has run into knee trouble. An MCL tear knocked him out for an extended stretch during the Cardinals’ 2021 playoff season; Hopkins missed seven games that year and was unavailable for Arizona’s wild-card contest. He then missed the final two Cardinals games in 2022 due to a knee flareup.
Arizona, which hired a new regime headed by ex-Tennessee exec Monti Ossenfort soon after, released Hopkins months later. The former Texans star did rebound in his Titans debut, but his recent history of knee issues is suddenly relevant again. That said, Davenport adds this is a left knee injury; Hopkins sustained the MCL tear to his right knee. Hopkins continued to practice with a wrap on his left knee Wednesday, per Davenport, but it appears the Titans did not like what they saw and are shutting him down.
As the Titans’ top wideout last season, Hopkins bounced back by playing in all 17 games and totaling 1,057 yards — his first 1,000-yard year since 2020. Operating as a key part of Will Levis‘ development, Hopkins caught seven touchdown passes. The Titans paid up to add help via Ridley, and Boyd played under Callahan for five of his eight Bengals seasons. The Titans also have 2022 first-rounder Treylon Burks, who appears poised to see some run with the first unit while Hopkins recovers. This could represent a key opportunity for Burks, who has underwhelmed since Jon Robinson chose him minutes after the A.J. Brown trade.
The Titans have Hopkins on a two-year, $26MM deal; they outbid the Patriots and Chiefs for the veteran — after a much-discussed free agency derby — last summer. He earned a $4.1MM roster bonus by remaining a Titan on Day 5 of the 2024 league year.
Tennessee’s new coaching staff is heavily invested in Ridley, but Hopkins remains a key part of the franchise’s Levis development. Hopkins spoke earlier this month on an interest in signing a second Titans contract, expressing his satisfaction since joining the organization. His next step will be to return by the time the Titans are preparing to face the Bears in September.
Cowboys Sign DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
AUGUST 2: Muhammad will be eligible to play in Week 1 if he makes Dallas’ roster. Shortly after his signing became official, team reporter Patrik Walker noted the NFL removed the final game from Muhammad’s 2023 PED suspension. As a result, he will not miss time in September whether he finds himself on the Cowboys or another team.
AUGUST 1: Dallas’ defensive end workout will produce an agreement with Al-Quadin Muhammad. The former Colts defensive end is joining the Cowboys after auditioning for the team today, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
Muhammad did not see any game action last season but completed a six-sack showing in the not-so-distant past. That came with the 2021 Colts. The Cowboys will see what the veteran can contribute following the news of Sam Williams‘ ACL tear.
While this marks a second Carl Lawson workout that did not lead to a deal over the past week, as the former Bengals and Jets sack artist also auditioned for the Panthers, it represents another opportunity for Muhammad, who was part of the Saints’ trajectory-changing 2017 draft class. Muhammad joined Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Alvin Kamara, Trey Hendrickson and Alex Anzalone in that group — one that went 4-for-4 in playoff berths from 2017-20 — but was not part of those late-Drew Brees-era squads beyond his rookie year. The Saints waived Muhammad in 2018, leading to a long-term Colts partnership.
Mostly working as a rotational defender in Indianapolis, Muhammad did secure a starting role in 2021 — after the team did not re-sign Justin Houston. Playing under ex-Cowboys linebackers coach Matt Eberflus that year, Muhammad totaled six sacks, 13 QB hits and a forced fumble. This led to a Bears free agent signing (two years, $8MM), though Chicago cut bait after one season.
Should the Cowboys end up keeping Muhammad into the regular season, they would need to wait until Week 2 to deploy him. Muhammad’s return to the Colts in 2023 produced no playing time and a six-game PED suspension. That ban came down with only five games left last season, which will lead to the 29-year-old DE being sidelined for one game to start this campaign.
The Cowboys had big plans for Williams, as they let Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler follow Dan Quinn to Washington. The team did, however, use a second-round pick on Marshawn Kneeland. The rookie figures to see more playing time in the wake of Williams’ injury, though Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence remain the team’s edge-rushing cornerstones. Muhammad will attempt to mix in behind the top two, and his 2023 season on the Colts’ practice squad could also point to an emergency-stash-type role for the eighth-year vet.
John Mara Expects Giants To Take ‘Big Step Forward’; Owner Remains Onboard With Daniel Jones Plan
Hard Knocks‘ initial offseason project captured the third Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll Giants roster-building effort, with John Mara making some important cameos. After cameras documented the Giants’ free agency period, the Brian Burns trade and the pre-draft buildup, it is safe to say a bigger spotlight will be on the team’s 2024 season.
Mara, who advocated for keeping Saquon Barkley (though, without mandating Schoen make a strong effort to do so) and certainly wanted him to end up outside of Philadelphia, stopped short of requiring his third-year decision-makers steer the team back to the playoffs. But the owner does expect a significant improvement, even after the Barkley and Xavier McKinney defections, this season.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: New York Giants]
“I expect us to take a big step forward,” Mara said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “… I obviously want to show significant improvement over last year, but I’m not going to make any specific guarantees or demands or anything like that. They know what I want to see. I have a lot of confidence in this particular team. I think we’ve added some good pieces. Now it’s time to show everybody.”
The Giants finished 6-11 last year, but five of those wins came without Daniel Jones. The starter, who received $81MM guaranteed during an eventful 2023 offseason that involved a Barkley franchise tag, struggled amid a tough early-season schedule. Jones battled a neck injury before his November ACL tear. Fully healthy once again, Jones looks to be going into another “prove it” season. The Giants can escape the contract by taking on only modest dead money by releasing the longtime starter as a post-June 1 cut next year, though Mara remains onboard with the team’s embattled starter.
“I’m still happy we gave him that contract because I thought he played really well for us in 2022,” Mara said (via Dunleavy) of the four-year, $160MM extension authorized in March 2023. “Last year, he got hurt. And let’s be honest: When he was playing, we weren’t blocking anybody. Let’s give him a chance with a better offensive line and some weapons around him to see what he can do.”
Hard Knocks followed the Giants’ rumored plan to trade up for a Jones heir apparent. The Giants attempted to trade Nos. 6 and 47, along with their 2025 first-round pick, to the Patriots for the No. 3 overall draft slot. The Pats passed, rejecting a substantial Vikings offer as well, and chose Drake Maye — whom both NFC teams coveted — to be their hopeful franchise QB. With that off the table, Schoen pivoted to a wide receiver-based strategy in Round 1 by choosing Malik Nabers.
Not impeding Schoen in free agency, Mara was not thrilled about the Barkley conclusion. But the owner’s Jones support — which was a key part of the first Schoen-Daboll offseason back in 2022 — did not prompt him to stand in the way of an attempt to trade up for a passer in the draft. The team’s Plan B unfolding, with Nabers profiling as the highest-ceiling WR option the Giants have rostered during the Jones era, will apply increased pressure on the sixth-year passer.
“I was nervous about giving up too much to go get a quarterback,” Mara said, “but I was prepared to let them do that if that’s what they wanted to do. We made a decision to stay with Daniel and add a weapon for him, and I think that’s going to work out.”
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the owner and his nephew — player personnel director Tim McDonnell — stood as the biggest skeptics of Schoen’s plan to let the two-time Pro Bowl running back walk in free agency (subscription required). Pro scouting director Chris Rossetti also made a minor pitch to apply a second franchise tag, but the Giants passed on the $12MM payment. The Eagles gave Barkley a three-year, $37.5MM payday with $26MM fully guaranteed; the latter figure leads all active RBs.
Mara also confirmed (via Duggan) he sought this offseason Hard Knocks version to avoid cameras following his team at a near-future training camp; after the access the Giants provided, it will be unlikely other teams make a point of doing that. The longtime owner seen his club produce one winning season over the past seven — a surprise 9-7-1 slate that ended in the 2022 divisional round — and no Giants head coach has reached Year 4 since Tom Coughlin. Jones disappointing and Barkley thriving as an Eagle will probably affect Mara’s support for his current decision-makers.
Although the Giants’ roster has some well-paid Dave Gettleman-era draftees as cornerstones, Year 3 features more Schoen imports. It will obviously be a critical year for the regime. The lack of an improvement on last season runs the risk of Schoen and Daboll’s jobs being on the line without the duo having acquired their own quarterback.
NFC South Notes: Panthers, Diaby, Saints
The Panthers will be shorthanded at the quarterback position for a bit. Andy Dalton sustained a quad injury, per Dave Canales, that is expected to sideline the 14th-year veteran for the next couple of weeks. As a result, Canales said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) the Panthers are looking to add a quarterback. Carolina gave Dalton a two-year, $10MM deal with $8MM fully guaranteed to back up its to-be-determined rookie arm last year. Dalton backed up Bryce Young throughout last season and is in place to do so for a second coaching staff.
Rookie UDFA Jack Plummer is the only other passer on the Panthers’ 90-man roster. Ryan Tannehill headlines the list of available arms, one that also includes Blaine Gabbert and Trevor Siemian, but it would surprise if the recent Titans starter — who said recently he is not actively seeking a deal — accepted what looks to be a short-term opportunity. Though, it does appear the Panthers want a more experienced option running with their second team during practice and into the preseason.
Here is the latest from the NFC South:
- Also on the injury front, the Buccaneers will be without YaYa Diaby for several weeks. A 2023 third-round pick who may well be Tampa Bay’s top edge-rushing option, Diaby sustained a high ankle sprain in practice, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Diaby was carted way from Bucs practice Thursday but looks to have avoided a major injury. The team has Week 1 as a realistic goal, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine, who adds the second-year pass rusher is optimistic about not missing any regular-season time. He will not play during the Bucs’ preseason slate. Diaby, who replaced Joe Tryon-Shoyinka opposite the since-retired Shaq Barrett during the season, registered a Bucs-most 7.5 sacks in 2023.
- The Saints‘ tackle situation has generated considerable attention this year, but they also need to make a change at guard. After James Hurst‘s retirement and Andrus Peat‘s Raiders defection, the team has a vacancy on the left side next to first-rounder Taliese Fuaga. Early during camp, the Saints have 2023 fourth-rounder Nick Saldiveri in place as their LG starter opposite Cesar Ruiz, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. It sounds like the Saints want the Old Dominion alum to start, as WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak indicates the team has not planned on rotating its first-team O-line reps. Saldiveri, a trade-up target last year, played in four games as a rookie. This would also mean the team’s Trevor Penning-at-RT rumors are close to producing a starting role, though preseason play will help determine New Orleans’ final five.
- New Orleans’ recent Rashid Shaheed extension will give him a $4.2MM base salary for 2025 and a $1MM signing bonus, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. Heavy void years proponents, the Saints will spread the bonus from 2024-27; the ’26 and ’27 seasons are voids. This will prevent the Saints from having to use a first- or second-round tender on their UDFA find next year, though it is far from a true extension. Given an ERFA tender months before this deal, Shaheed remains on track for unrestricted free agency in 2026.
- Circling back to the Panthers, their agreement with Kemoko Turay is for one year and $1.13MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No guaranteed money is included in the deal. Carolina’s contract for return man/receiver Deven Thompkins is worth $985K, Wilson adds.
- As the Panthers transition to GM Dan Morgan‘s leadership, a scouting change will occur. Carolina is losing Midwest area scout Joel Patten, Person indicates. Patten, whom Dave Gettleman hired to his Midwest scout post in 2016, is retiring. A former NFL O-lineman who started for the Chargers and Colts in the late 1980s, Patten has worked in scouting roles in Washington, San Francisco, Houston and St. Louis. The 49ers employed Patten, 66, as director of player personnel from 2013-15. Former Eagles staffer Brad Obee is now in place as the Panthers’ Midwest scout.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the league:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: QB Nathan Rourke, TE Jordan Thomas
- Waived: QB John Paddock, WR Daylen Baldwin
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Curtis Hodges
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Sullivan
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Caleb Johnson
- Placed on IR: LB Charlie Thomas
Denver Broncos
- Activated from active/NFI list: RB Blake Watson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OL Jake Burton, DL Pat O’Connor
- Placed on IR: G Netane Muti
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Marquez Callaway
- Waived/injured: TE Tommy Hudson
Rourke joins a third team this year. The Patriots waived the former CFL quarterback in May, and the Giants — after claiming him — moved him off their 90-man roster shortly after Daniel Jones received full clearance. Rourke spent most of last season with the Jaguars, catching on with the Pats late in the year. He will try to stick on a Falcons team with three QBs — Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr. and Taylor Heinicke — already rostered. Heinicke expects to be jettisoned before Week 1, with the Falcons planning to keep two QBs on their active roster. Though, the veteran could have a place on Atlanta’s practice squad.
This will mark a third Callaway Saints stint. Utilized frequently during a 2021 season that featured zero Michael Thomas participation and brought back in 2023 after the Broncos and Raiders cut him, Callaway returns days after a Steelers departure. The former UDFA, who has a 698-yard 2021 season on his resume, played in three Saints games last season but did not make a catch. This comes at an interesting point, at least, with the Saints having moved on from OC Pete Carmichael en route to a Klint Kubiak hire.
Sullivan suffered a quadriceps injury, per the Panthers. The 2020 Seahawks seventh-round pick, who reunited with ex-Seattle assistant Dave Canales this offseason, has been with the Panthers for the past three seasons.
Zach Wilson Losing Ground In Broncos’ QB Competition
This week of Broncos practices has revealed a separation in the team’s quarterback competition. One member of the three-man battle is losing ground to the point his place in it is now in question.
The team’s recent workouts included Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix receiving their turns with the first-string offense, but Zach Wilson saw his turn with the 1s skipped. For the time being, per ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, this appears a two-man competition. Sean Payton said recently the Broncos would eliminate a member from the competition during the first two weeks of padded practices. It looks like Wilson will be the one dropped, putting his roster spot in question.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos]
Payton indicated today the current makeup of Denver’s QB competition is not “etched in stone,” and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds it has been communicated to the former Jets No. 2 overall pick he is not yet out of this race. But Wilson entered training camp with ground to cover to win even the backup job. Early camp work is continuing this storyline.
No plans to stash Nix as a developmental third-stringer are in place, and Breer adds the No. 12 overall pick is swiftly picking up Payton’s offense. That said, Legwold indicates Stidham has spent most of this week with Denver’s first-stringers. Stidham, who has moved into a starting role after two teams have sat their starters (Russell Wilson, Derek Carr) due to injury guarantees, has the most experience of the trio in Payton’s offense, as he signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Broncos last March.
Stidham, 28 next week, would appear a placeholder at best. Nix being 24 and having set the record for most starts by a Division I-FBS quarterback (61) points to him making his starter debut early in the season — if not in Week 1. The preseason will be telling regarding the Oregon- and Auburn-developed prospect’s chances of winning this job — though, a midsummer report indicated it is likely his to lose — but Stidham should not be expected to hold him off for too long.
The Broncos would take on $2.73MM in dead money by releasing Zach Wilson and $2MM by cutting Stidham. Payton typically keeps two QBs on his active roster. Wilson would need to clear waivers to factor into any Broncos practice squad/emergency QB3 plans.
Elsewhere in Broncos camp, Breer notes the team’s No. 2 cornerback competition looks to be down to Riley Moss and Damarri Mathis. The team signed Levi Wallace and used a fifth-round pick on Kris Abrams-Draine, but this competition appeared Moss’ to lose entering camp.
The 2023 third-rounder, for whom the Broncos sent the Seahawks a 2024 third-rounder to acquire, played a special teams role after a core muscle injury set his development back last summer. Mathis, a 2022 fourth-rounder who replaced Ronald Darby as Denver’s outside CB starter opposite Patrick Surtain in 2022, struggled to start last season and was benched for Fabian Moreau. Wallace is the veteran of this group, with Moreau signing with the Vikings this week, but he was unable to hold a Steelers starting gig last season. The Broncos, who have Mathis signed through 2025 and Moss through 2026, only guaranteed Wallace $668K.
Bolts’ Justin Herbert Sustains Foot Injury
Justin Herbert‘s development in Jim Harbaugh‘s system will not include on-field work for a bit. The Chargers quarterback has sustained a foot injury that will keep him off the field, though the team announced this is not expected to threaten his regular-season availability.
The fifth-year passer sustained a plantar fascia injury in his right foot, per the Chargers, and at least a two-week period in a walking boot will follow. While this might not place Herbert’s Week 1 status in doubt, the Bolts are certain to be cautious with their centerpiece player in an effort to ensure no reinjury occurs.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Chargers]
This will halt Herbert’s work in Harbaugh’s offense and move Easton Stick — Herbert’s injury replacement once he sustained a season-ending finger injury late last year — back to first-team duties. Despite Herbert not missing a rep during the Chargers’ Wednesday practice, he will be parked for a stretch.
Herbert is now in a fourth offense during his five-year career. The Bolts have transitioned from Shane Steichen to Joe Lombardi to Kellen Moore to Greg Roman as play-callers. While he has enjoyed several months to prepare, it is notable the upcoming period will not include much on-field work. It is now likely Herbert will not play in the preseason.
The Pro Bowl passer memorably played through a significant rib injury in 2022, a malady that certainly affected his performance that season. The Chargers still made the playoffs. Expectations are lower ahead of Harbaugh’s first season, as the Bolts stumbled badly in Brandon Staley‘s finale. This included an 0-4 mark in Stick starts.
The Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz regime re-signed Stick this offseason, giving the former North Dakota State standout a one-year deal worth $2.67MM. It was a bit surprising the new Los Angeles power duo did not make a move to improve the team’s backup situation, as Stick was a Tom Telesco-era pickup who spent his first three seasons as a third-stringer.
Stick is indeed in front of Max Duggan on the depth chart and will move into the QB1 spot, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper notes (subscription required). For now, Herbert remains on track to debut on time. But this injury’s potential to linger will be a central Chargers storyline to monitor ahead of the regular season.