Lions DL John Cominsky Tears MCL
As the Lions’ run of extensions continues with Taylor Decker — and potentially Alim McNeill — they will be without one of their defensive line regulars for an extended stretch. John Cominsky‘s injury at practice Tuesday will likely sideline him for the entire regular season.
A cart transported Cominsky off the practice field, and ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports the veteran D-lineman suffered a torn MCL. This injury is not necessarily a season-ender, but Cominsky is expected to miss months. The playoffs may be the target date, per Schefter. This will be a five- or six-month injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
This is a setback to a Lions team that played Cominsky on 56% of its defensive snaps last season. Initially claimed off waivers — in an interesting transaction, as seven other teams submitted claims for the former Falcon — Cominsky has become a quality piece up front for the Lions. He played 60% of the team’s defensive snaps in 2022, rebounding after falling out of favor in Atlanta.
While Pro Football Focus slotted Cominsky 73rd among interior defenders, the advanced metrics site placed him in the top 30 at the position as a run defender. The former fourth-round pick has totaled six sacks and 20 QB hits during his two-season Detroit stay, faring well enough in 2022 to bring the Lions to re-sign him — at two years and $8.5MM — last March.
Working more as an interior presence, Cominsky leaves a void for a Lions team that does not yet have D.J. Reader back from the torn quad that ended his 2023 season in Cincinnati. McNeill remains the Lions’ top interior pass rusher, though the team did not see much from third-rounder Brodric Martin during a 28-snap rookie season. Levi Onwuzurike remains on the roster as well. Cominsky, however, trailed only McNeill for snaps by a Lions interior defender. This will require an adjustment for the defending NFC North champs.
Eagles Agree To Terms With OL Nick Gates
Nick Gates‘ journey around the NFC East is set to continue. The former Giants and Commanders starter is heading to Philadelphia. The Eagles agreed to terms with Gates on Tuesday, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. The team waived cornerback Mario Goodrich to make room on its roster.
Having played center in Washington and across the O-line in New York, Gates will head to Pennsylvania to join a team that lost a future Hall of Fame center. Cam Jurgens is sliding from guard to center to replace Jason Kelce, but the Eagles are holding a competition at right guard. Thus far, former third-round pick Tyler Steen has been mentioned most frequently as the likely RG. But Gates will supply another option.
The Commanders released Gates one season into a three-year, $16.5MM deal, one authorized by the Ron Rivera-led regime. The Adam Peters-run operation moved on from Gates and left tackle Charles Leno. While Leno remains unsigned, Gates has secured another gig ahead of what would be his sixth NFL season.
Gates, 28, came back from a major injury to secure that midlevel Commanders contract. A broken leg sustained in September 2021 kept Gates out for over a year, sidetracking his run as a Giants starter. He made a return midway through the 2022 season and worked mostly in a platoon role. Despite splitting time for a chunk of his comeback season, Gates managed to land a nice Washington payday. Pro Football Focus slotted Gates as the No. 17 overall center last season.
This still prompted the new Commanders regime to drop the former UDFA; the team is taking on a $5.3MM dead money hit this year as a result. Gates will join a crowded setup inside in Philly. Brett Toth, ex-Falcon Matt Hennessy and former second-rounder Max Scharping are in place as guard/center options. Day 3 draftees Trevor Keegan (Round 5) and Dylan McMahon (Round 6) are also rostered. The Eagles have cross-trained Mekhi Becton at guard, however, providing an interesting wrinkle here. Becton played exclusively at tackle in games as a Jet.
While Gates has 29 starts under his belt — including a 16-game run as the Giants’ center back in 2020 — this Eagles equation may not guarantee him a spot on the 53-man roster. The signing does add an intriguing name to the mix, as the team prepares to transition from Kelce and find capable backups. Gates’ time at center and both guard spots, along with an early-career right tackle work, would make him an appealing swing option behind the starting five.
Giants Not Committing To Evan Neal Being Ready By Week 1
Not viewed as a “break glass in case of emergency”-level option at tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor nevertheless changed positions to start Giants training camp. The two-year Raiders right tackle starter, who worked at left guard throughout the Giants’ offseason program, has lined up at RT with the first-stringers during training camp.
The Giants have now also signed Greg Van Roten, who lined up alongside Eluemunor in Las Vegas at right guard last season. A starting job could well open up for Van Roten, as the Giants still do not have Evan Neal at practice. Expected to return by training camp and be given another opportunity to stick at right tackle, Neal appears without a timetable.
Aiming to return from a fractured ankle initially diagnosed as a sprain last November, Neal landed on the Giants’ active/PUP list to start camp. Although that is a summer-only designation, Brian Daboll did not commit to Neal being ready by Week 1.
Unless the Giants were to take it week by week and carry the former top-10 pick on their 53-man roster on cutdown day next month, a transition to the reserve/PUP list — which mandates a four-game absence — would seem to be in play. Daboll called Neal “day to day,” via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, though SNY’s Connor Hughes classifies this situation as Neal “falling out of favor” with the team. This is obviously quite concerning for Neal, whose injury came after steady struggles on the field.
Jon Runyan Jr., who had lined up at right guard during the Giants’ offseason program, has shifted to the left side following the Van Roten signing, Hughes adds. The team had partially placed the ex-Packer at RG to help protect Neal, who has struggled since being drafted seventh overall in 2022. The Runyan component could certainly point to Week 1 plans that do not involve Neal with the first-stringers, though the $10MM-per-year player did play left guard in 2021 and part of the 2022 season.
Neal, whom Pro Football Focus has ranked as the NFL’s second-worst tackle regular in each of his two seasons, has made 20 starts at right tackle. The Alabama alum been connected to a potential guard move. He played inside partially in college, but GM Joe Schoen said last year a move inside was unlikely. At this point, returning to practice and attempting to win any job would represent a win for the third-year blocker. While Kayvon Thibodeaux has panned out for the Giants, GM Joe Schoen‘s other top-10 pick in his first draft disappointing on this level has represented a significant letdown.
The Giants needed to rearrange their O-line at several points last season, which memorably included Justin Pugh‘s “straight off the couch” Sunday Night Football intro, and allowed a staggering 85 sacks — the second-most in NFL history. Multiple players changing positions, along with potentially a new starter preparing to step in, would represent familiar territory for the team. Unless Neal makes significant strides soon, he is running out of time to win back his starting job.
Jaguars To Sign DL Rasheem Green
Rasheem Green is coming back to the AFC South. The former Texans defensive line contributor has a deal in place with the Jaguars, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. This will be Green’s fourth team in four seasons.
Spending 2023 with the Bears, Green played out his rookie contract in Seattle before going year-to-year with teams. This will be another one-year contract for the former third-round pick. Green joins a Jaguars team that still has Arik Armstead on the active/PUP list.
Green played on a one-year, $2.5MM deal in Chicago; he was attached to a one-year, $3.25MM accord in Houston two years ago. The Bears stationed the USC alum as a depth piece, using him as a rotational rusher in all 17 games last season. Green, 27, registered two sacks with Chicago; his five QB hits were his fewest since his 2018 rookie season.
Pro Football Focus slotted Green outside the top 100 among edge defenders last season, though he has played both inside and outside during his career. Armstead has transitioned to a DT regular as his career has progressed; he is expected to be a starter upon signing a three-year, $43.5MM deal ($28MM guaranteed) following his 49ers release. Armstead, however, is recovering from a torn meniscus.
The Seahawks received a 6.5-sack season from Green in 2021, though he was unable to score a notable contract following that solid platform year. During a Texans season spent as a part-time starter, Green totaled 3.5 sacks and eight QB hits. Having spent time in 4-3 and 3-4 defenses — mostly in 4-3 schemes, however — Green will join a Jaguars team that lost rotational rusher Dawuane Smoot this offseason.
While Jacksonville’s rush still hinges on Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, the team used second- and fourth-round picks on LSU DTs Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson. As Ryan Nielsen takes the reins as the third Jags DC in four seasons, he will also see what Green can provide as a supporting-caster.
Titans’ Arden Key Facing Six-Game Ban
A day after the news of Denico Autry‘s suspension emerged, another AFC South pass rusher is set to begin the season late. Titans outside linebacker Arden Key is facing a six-game suspension, ESPN.com’s Turron Davenport reports.
Going into his second season with the Titans, Key violated the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Key started nine games for the Titans last season; he is tied to a three-year, $21MM deal authorized during the 2023 free agency period.
“I don’t have much to comment on it until that comes out from the league,” Titans HC Brian Callahan said, via Davenport. “It’s not something that you want to hear, but we don’t have a choice. We have to go play football with what we have.”
The loss of Autry was set to make Key a more important presence in Tennessee, which was planning to use the well-traveled rusher as a starter opposite Harold Landry. Suddenly, a Titans pass rush that housed Landry, Key, Autry and Jeffery Simmons will enter the season depleted.
Autry led the Titans with 11.5 sacks last season; Landry contributed 10.5 upon returning from an ACL tear. Key added six, finishing third on the team in this department. This suspension would also void Key’s remaining guarantees, though considering no guarantees remain on his deal beyond 2024, this suspension probably does not stand to affect him on this front.
This could lead to the Titans looking into an outside addition, as they are thin on the edge after Autry’s Texans defection. Rashad Weaver, a three-year Titan who started four games in 2022, could step in opposite Landry in a pinch. Seventh-rounder Jaylen Harrell and 2023 UDFA Caleb Murphy represent the other Landry sidekick options outside of Key.
Lions GM: Alim McNeill Extension Talks On Tap
This offseason has brought significant contractual developments in Detroit. The team has authorized multiple record-setting extensions — for Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown — and paid Jared Goff at a top-market rate. Taylor Decker joined in on the extension spree Monday, becoming a Bob Quinn-era draftee to be paid by the now-Brad Holmes-run team.
Sewell, St. Brown and Goff arrived during Holmes’ first year, and the recently extended GM has another of his 2021 investments on the radar to be a long-term Lion. After a rumor suggested Alim McNeill was in the Lions’ extension plans, Holmes confirmed that is the case.
“He’s another one that Dan [Campbell] and I have talked about it. He’s part of the foundation,” Holmes said of McNeill during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket’s Costa & Jansen with Heather show (h/t Pride of Detroit). “He was part of our first draft, and again, we’ve gotten Penei done, we’ve gotten St. Brown done, and there’s plenty other guys within that draft class that have played key roles.
“But Alim, the way that he’s developed his game, he does everything right; he’s a total pro, and he’s extremely talented. So he’s another one that, it’s about time. So we’ll get talks going at some point and hopefully try to get something done.”
A third-round pick in 2021, McNeill has started 36 games for the Lions. The interior D-lineman has been Aidan Hutchinson‘s steadiest sidekick up front and took a step forward last season. McNeill totaled career-high numbers in sacks (five) and QB hits (10) while matching his 2022 tackle for loss total (six) despite a short IR stint due to an MCL injury. McNeill, 24, then added another sack in the NFC championship game.
Although McNeill did not rank in the top 20 in pass rush win rate, Pro Football Focus viewed him as one of the better DTs against the run and pass and slotted him seventh overall at the position. That marked a notable improvement from 2022. The Lions did just pay D.J. Reader in free agency, giving the former Texans and Bengals starter a two-year, $22MM deal. That contract, however, comes with $7.43MM guaranteed. Reader is due a $4MM roster bonus if he is on Detroit’s roster by Day 3 of the 2025 league year. Hutchinson will also need to be paid, becoming extension-eligible in 2025. While that will complicate matters for McNeill, Reader may not be in the picture by the time Hutchinson’s cap numbers — from an eventual extension — begin to spike.
The Lions’ above-referenced extensions stand to also make it challenging to complete a McNeill deal, and the NC State alum could increase his value with a quality contract year. It sounds like the Lions will attempt to pay him early, which would represent quite the early commitment to a single draft class. That said, Holmes’ 2021 investments played lead roles in the team completing a remarkable turnaround. McNeill being extended would round out one of the most memorable offseasons in Lions history.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Off PUP List
Trevon Diggs‘ recovery from an ACL tear sustained during practice has reached a key stage. The All-Pro cornerback is ready to practice once again. He is officially off Dallas’ active/PUP list.
The Cowboys had nearly a month to activate Diggs from their active/PUP list, a training camp-only designation, but his being ready before August represents a positive direction for this particularly rehab odyssey. Team officials, per the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, have been confident Diggs will be ready for Week 1. Today’s activation certainly points to a return on time.
Dallas managed to remain a top-tier defense despite losing the former 11-interception player early last season. DaRon Bland delivered a ballhawk season for the ages, setting an NFL record with five pick-sixes. The Cowboys now have 11- and nine-INT players rostered at corner, and they are close to playing together once again. Dallas has planned a Diggs-Bland-Jourdan Lewis trio at the position under new DC Mike Zimmer, and the veteran coach will see his top troops together for the first time.
It sounds like the Cowboys will ease Diggs back into action, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. That makes sense given that the fifth-year corner is just more than 10 months removed from the injury. Diggs going down so early last season helps him on this front, and the injury did not end up costing him any value. The Cowboys extended the former second-round pick during last year’s training camp, and the injury soon made signing early — as opposed to playing out his rookie contract — an important decision.
Diggs, who will turn 26 in September, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 — after he became the first 11-INT player since Cowboys then-rookie Everson Walls in 1981. Diggs parlayed that season into a five-year deal worth $97MM. That still ranks fifth among CBs. In terms of AAV, this year’s batch of cornerback accords — for the likes of Jaylon Johnson, L’Jarius Sneed and Tyson Campbell — did not eclipse that. Though, each of the three 2024 big-ticket CB extension recipients outdid Diggs for guarantees.
The team has not re-signed Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent. But Zimmer will soon see how the Diggs-Bland-Lewis trio looks in practice. Diggs has started 46 games for the Cowboys, becoming one of the team’s many draft finds in recent years. The Alabama alum will hope to join Lewis in putting an injury-marred chapter behind him.
Offseason In Review: Houston Texans
Although more stunning turnarounds have occurred, the Texans’ 2023 ascent was particularly notable because of their roster-building approach under Nick Caserio. Outside of some 2023 payments along the offensive line, the GM had spent little during his tenure — one that featured numerous short-term deals for middling veterans. C.J. Stroud‘s emergence shifted the Texans’ car out of neutral last year, and their 2024 offseason reflected the opportunity the Offensive Rookie of the Year provides.
Gifted with a rookie-scale QB contract for at least the next two seasons, Caserio put forth by far his most active offseason by making multiple trades for skill-position starters and signing a host of defenders in free agency. Tabbed as a potential Super Bowl threat despite Caserio having made multiple HCs one-and-dones and having traded the team’s previous franchise quarterback during a rocky tenure, the Texans gave Stroud a much better roster to lead in 2024.
Trades:
- Acquired Stefon Diggs, No. 189, 2025 fifth-round pick from Bills for 2025 second-rounder; Texans removed three years from WR’s contract
- Obtained Joe Mixon from Bengals in exchange for No. 224; team gave RB three-year, $19.75MM extension ($13MM guaranteed)
- Sent DT Maliek Collins to 49ers in exchange for No. 232
- Landed WR Ben Skowronek, 2026 seventh-round pick from Rams for 2026 sixth-rounder
- Dealt Nos. 23, 232 to Vikings in exchange for Nos. 42, 188 and 2025 second-rounder
Diggs wore out his welcome in Buffalo, and the second half of his 2023 season no longer justified the payment or the occasional headache. The Bills, however, took on a non-quarterback record dead money hit ($31.1MM) to move on; the Texans dangling a future second-rounder changed the AFC East champs’ mind. Buffalo has shifted to a receiving corps featuring considerable uncertainty; Houston suddenly has a locked-and-loaded top three with Diggs set to join Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
For much of last season, Stroud did not have many places to turn outside of Collins and Dalton Schultz. The Texans still made this work, inviting intrigue about how their Bobby Slowik-run offense will look now that Stroud has Dell back and set to join one of this period’s best route runners. The Texans having looked into Keenan Allen weeks before acquiring Diggs highlights a type of wideout the team identified, as the longtime Charger-turned-Bears addition joins Diggs in being among this era’s best separators. Diggs, 30, being more than a year younger than Allen helped create a higher price tag.
Diggs played a central role in Josh Allen morphing from raw talent to megastar. Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins were moved on the same day in March 2020. Buffalo needed to included a first-round pick to pry Diggs from Minnesota, while the Bill O’Brien-as-GM Texans did not collect a first from the Cardinals for Hopkins. The Bills ended up with the better asset, as Diggs ripped off four 1,100-yard seasons — two surpassing 1,400 — and missed only one game while with Buffalo. It is worth wondering how Allen will look without his No. 1 target, and with Diggs likely having multiple quality seasons left, how this trade affects Stroud’s trajectory will be a lead 2024 storyline.
The Texans agreeing to remove the final three seasons from a team-friendly contract is, at least, worth questioning. Only $3.5MM in guaranteed money remained on Diggs’ Bills-built extension beyond 2024, and the Texans shifted that figure to the ’24 season and turned the trade pickup into a 2025 free agent-to-be. The Bills made Diggs play two seasons on his Vikings-constructed contract before giving him a four-year, $96MM extension in 2022. This profiled as a flexible contract the Texans could have moved had Diggs not proved to be a fit in Slowik’s offense, but they now face the prospect of the asset leaving in 2025 without any compensation coming back.
A franchise tag will be prohibitive, checking in north of $27MM, and because Houston adjusted the contract, no compensatory pick would come back if Diggs leaves in free agency. While Houston created some cap space with the move, the team added void years to do so. If Diggs leaves in free agency next year, the Texans would be hit with $16.6MM in dead money. This represented an odd step, and while it was framed as a motivational tool for Diggs due to the 2025 payday that would await, it does not seem that outweighed the advantage the Texans would have by leaving his contract untouched.
Houston also took the step of preventing a Mixon release. Not only did the Texans send the Bengals a late-round pick, they gave an eighth-year back $13MM guaranteed at signing. Aaron Jones, who has been a more complete back than Mixon since going off the board three rounds later in 2017, only fetched a one-year, $7MM Vikings pact. Dalvin Cook, whose 1,585 career touches trail his 2017 draft classmate’s count by nearly 300, is out of the league presently. After the Bengals gave Mixon a substantial pay cut last summer, the former second-round pick did very well for himself this offseason.
Mixon’s 1,854 career touches are the third-most among active RBs — behind Ezekiel Elliott (2,421) and Derrick Henry (2,185). At 28, Mixon is two years younger than Henry and nearly two years Jones’ junior. But the Texans are making a notable bet here, as only Saquon Barkley ($26MM) and D’Andre Swift ($14MM) secured more at signing than Mixon did this offseason.
The Mixon trade came to pass after the Texans offered Barkley more than $11MM per year, illustrating Caserio’s commitment to upgrading in the backfield after the 2023 team ranked 22nd in rushing (29th in yards per carry). Barkley said the Texans piqued his interest early, but it appears likely Houston did not match Philadelphia’s $26MM guarantee at signing. The Texans also pursued Swift and Tony Pollard. Both Barkley alternatives are better in the passing game compared to Mixon, though they offer less between-the-tackles muscle.
A four-time 1,000-yard rusher, Mixon did accumulate 376 receiving yards last season and 441 in 14 games in 2022. He has not averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry since 2018. The Texans, who saw Dameon Pierce take a notable step back last season, will bet on the Oklahoma product having some gas left in the tank. The Bengals appear to be betting against that, deeming Mixon not worth a $3MM bonus due on the back end of his reworked two-year, $11.5MM deal.
The rare constant on all three Caserio-era Texans defenses, Collins signed three contracts in three years. The most recent — a two-year, $23MM extension — preceded a five-sack season complete with a career-high 18 QB hits. A former Cowboys second-round pick, Collins became one of Caserio’s biggest hits during a period featuring many dart throws on midlevel vets. The Texans ended up overhauling their DT crew, and Collins will play his age-29 season in San Francisco.
Extensions and restructures:
- Gave WR Nico Collins three-year, $72.75MM extension ($32.12MM guaranteed)
Unlike a few other teams with high-end receiver extensions to complete, the Texans did well to beat the Vikings to the punch. Houston extending Collins days before Minnesota reset the market with its Justin Jefferson windfall helped keep this contract more in line with those Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf signed in 2022. Had the Texans waited for Jefferson’s guarantee avalanche to shake the lower tiers of the market, they probably would have needed to go beyond $32.12MM fully guaranteed and $52.12MM guaranteed in total.
A former third-round pick, Collins delivered one of this decade’s stronger WR breakthroughs by ripping off a 1,297-yard, eight-touchdown showing in Year 3. This came after the Michigan product failed to eclipse 500 yards in a season during the two Davis Mills-led campaigns. Tied to Texans teams largely playing out the string in the wake of the Deshaun Watson mess, Collins became a pivotal part of a Slowik attack that depended on him once Dell went down. Collins’ 191- and 195-yard games sans Dell helped Houston to the AFC South crown, and the team did well to finish this accord when it did.
Collins, 25, came in above Metcalf and Samuel in terms of AAV but still sits as the league’s ninth-highest-paid receiver. That number will continue to drop, as players like CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk are rewarded, and the Texans undoubtedly benefited from Collins not being a steady producer during Tim Kelly and Pep Hamilton‘s OC seasons.
Joining Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard by landing a three-year extension will give Collins another payday opportunity in his late 20s. For now, the Texans can comfortably fit this contract — and Diggs’ since-adjusted deal — due to the bargain Stroud brings while tied to rookie terms.
Free agency additions:
- Danielle Hunter, DE. Two years, $49MM ($48MM guaranteed)
- Azeez Al-Shaair, LB. Three years, $34MM ($21.5MM guaranteed)
- Denico Autry, DL. Two years, $20MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
- Folorunso Fatukasi, DT. One year, $5.13MM ($4.63MM guaranteed)
- Tim Settle, DT. Two years, $6MM ($3.25MM guaranteed)
- Jeff Okudah, CB. One year, $4.75MM ($2.5MM guaranteed)
- Del’Shawn Phillips, LB. One year, $2.6MM ($2.3MM guaranteed)
- Tommy Townsend, P. Two years, $6MM ($2MM guaranteed)
- Mike Ford, CB. Two years, $4.5MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
- Derek Barnett, DE. One year, $2MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Lonnie Johnson Jr., DB. One year, $2MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Myles Bryant, CB. One year, $1.75MM ($800K guaranteed)
- C.J. Henderson, CB. One year, $2MM ($500K guaranteed)
- Mario Edwards, DL. One year, $1.65MM ($500K guaranteed)
- David Sharpe, T. Two years, $2.58MM ($200K guaranteed)
- Jacob Phillips, LB. One year, $1.15MM ($45K guaranteed)
- Malik Fisher, DL. Three years, $2.83MM
- Chris Reed, G. One year, $1.21MM
Showing interest in retaining Jonathan Greenard, the Texans effectively completed a swap with the Vikings during the legal tampering period. Greenard was one of free agency’s first commitments, joining the Vikings hours into the tampering period. Hunter-to-Houston rumors did not emerge for nearly a day, and the Texans needed to fend off the Colts for the productive edge rusher. Indianapolis is believed to have offered more money in total, but Hunter — who played high school football in the Houston area — chose a return to Texas on a contract that comes nearly fully guaranteed.
The guarantee percentage Hunter secured is rare for contracts this pricey, but after angling to reach free agency for a bit, the former Mike Zimmer-era Minnesota staple both collected a high guarantee and the chance to hit the market again at just 31. Still 29 despite going into Year 10, Hunter’s deal will overlap with the two additional seasons Stroud must be kept on a rookie pact. This qualifies as a splurge for Caserio, who did almost nothing of the sort during his early years as Texans GM.
After neck and pec injuries sidetracked Hunter from 2020-21, he rebounded to elevate the 2022 Vikings to a surprising 13-4 record and then built on that to create a big market. Still pursuing a playoff spot, the Vikings opted against trading Hunter at the 2023 deadline. He ripped off an NFL-most 23 tackles for loss last season to go with a career-high 16.5 sacks. After Greenard delivered his best season under DeMeco Ryans, Hunter brings both an extensive production history — after becoming the NFL’s youngest player to reach 50 sacks and earning four Pro Bowl nods in Minneapolis — and age-related stability opposite Will Anderson Jr. Hunter’s history should help the Defensive Rookie of the Year see better matchups.
An injury-shortened 2022 season limited Al-Shaair’s market, but the former Fred Warner/Dre Greenlaw sidekick created more interest after a prolific Titans season. Al-Shaair, who found another 49ers outpost under Ryans after following GM Ran Carthon to Tennessee, racked up 163 tackles — the most by a Titan this century — and two sacks in 2023. Al-Shaair was in San Francisco for both of Ryans’ DC seasons but played under the current Texans HC during his two years spent as 49ers ILBs coach. This helped explain why the former UDFA sought the Texans in free agency, and after not putting much money into the linebacker spot from 2021-23, Houston upped its investment to fortify its defensive second level.
Despite ranking sixth against the run last season, the Texans rebooted at defensive tackle. They pursued Arik Armstead, but the nine-year 49er opted to rejoin the GM that drafted him — Trent Baalke — and sign with the Jaguars. Houston also showed interest in Christian Wilkins but may well have exited that race once the Raiders offered a staggering guarantee ($82.75MM). Lower-cost cogs signed up instead, with Autry’s deal more of a one-year contract with an option. The Jags had released Fatukasi, while Settle was a rotational presence in Buffalo.
Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst Address Packers’ Jordan Love Extension
Contractually speaking, it is difficult to find a direct comp to Jordan Love‘s climb. The Packers did extend Aaron Rodgers midway through his first season as a starter, but the team did not need to give its Brett Favre successor a contract that checked in first or even second in terms of average annual value in 2008. They did reach the NFL’s AAV ceiling for Love, and the Rodgers replacement’s four-year, $220MM extension — which the parties finalized Friday night — is now official.
While Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence are tied to $55MM-per-year deals like Love now is, the Bengals and Jaguars QBs are on five-year contracts. Negotiating in a contract year — whereas Burrow, Lawrence and Justin Herbert had two years left on their rookie deals — Love managed the $55MM AAV over a four-year contract, topping where the Dolphins went for Tua Tagovailoa earlier Friday. After contract structure was believed to loom as this negotiation’s final hurdle, Love secured favorable terms and will return to practice after a brief hold-in.
The Packers guaranteed Love $100.8MM at signing, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting the practical guarantee in this contract is $140.3MM. Against guarantees beyond Year 1 for non-quarterbacks, the Packers guaranteed Love’s 2025 base salary ($11.9MM) and part of his 2026 base ($49.9MM). The team guaranteed $10.9MM of that 2026 figure at signing, with the rest of that money shifting from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2025. Love will be a Packer by that March date, raising the practical guarantee to that $140.3MM point.
This contract does include a record-setting signing bonus of $75MM. Love will see that money in three 2024 installments, collecting the bonus — which will be used to spread out the QB’s cap hits — by December, Florio adds. The Packers are also using a rolling guarantee structure for Love’s 2027 payout. Of Love’s $41.9MM 2027 base salary, $20MM is guaranteed for injury at signing and becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
Further spreading out Love’s cap hits, Florio indicates $39.5MM of Love’s 2026 base salary and $31.5MM of his 2027 base will convert to option bonuses in those years. After just two seasons, Love’s full guarantee balloons to $160.3MM. If the Packers cut Love in 2027, Florio adds the $20MM injury guarantee includes offset language.
Addressing the contract Saturday morning, Matt LaFleur said (via the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Ryan Wood) it is difficult to argue anyone outplayed Love during last season’s second half. Love indeed led the NFL in QBR from Weeks 11-18, throwing 18 touchdown passes and one interception in that span. This continued with a dominant outing in a wild-card upset win in Dallas. For the full season, Love ranked ninth in QBR.
Taking considerable heat upon trading up for Love in 2020 — a decision that indeed deprived the last wave of Rodgers-era teams of a first-rounder who would help Super Bowl-contending squads — the Packers are making a seismic bet last season’s second half will lead to another run of stability at the QB position. They have enjoyed an unparalleled run, of course, at this position, as Favre lasted 16 seasons and Rodgers 15 as the team’s starter.
LaFleur said (via SI.com’s Bill Huber) he became comfortable with Love replacing Rodgers after the 2022 season due to how the 2020 draftee played during the preseason and on Green Bay’s scout team during the regular season. This led to a separation that involved two second-round picks coming back to Green Bay in last year’s Rodgers trade.
The outlier organization when it comes to quarterback development, the Packers are again betting on a season’s worth of starts will be indicative of long-term success. The Ted Thompson regime was certainly right on Rodgers, who was considered a higher-level prospect compared to Love. By parking Love for three seasons, the team missed out on the chance to build around Love’s rookie-scale contract and now will go from carrying a $40.3MM Rodgers dead money hit in 2023 to rostering a record-setting Love deal in 2024. Gutekunst acknowledged this contract will create cap challenges, via Huber, but noted he would rather be in that boat than lacking a good quarterback.
Both Love and Tagovailoa benefited from their teams waiting until Year 5 to complete extensions, as each secured four-year terms to move them into position for lucrative third contracts earlier. This NFL period has generally featured franchise-level first-round QBs being extended in Year 4, giving teams an extra year of control. Because of Tagovailoa’s injury issues and uneven career start, the Dolphins waited. The Packers reached a half-measure extension (two years, $13.5MM) with Love last year, rather than exercise a fifth-year option on a QB who had barely played. Less than 18 months later, the Utah State product required a record-setting contract, illustrating the leverage quality quarterbacks — even those without extensive sample sizes — possess in today’s game.
Jets, DE Haason Reddick Making Progress On Resolution
The Haason Reddick situation has not reflected well on the Jets, who sent the Eagles a conditional third-rounder for a player angling for a new contract. With no new deal in sight, Reddick has stayed away from his new team since being acquired nearly four months ago.
Reddick skipped Jets minicamp and is one of the few NFLers holding out of training camp. The Jets placed the veteran sack artist on their reserve/did not report list this week. A recent report did indicate the Jets offered Reddick an extension while he was still with the Eagles — as Philly had let the disgruntled pass rusher speak with other teams — most of the rumors coming out of New York this offseason pointed to the team wanting to see its trade pickup in action before making any commitment.
Understandably, the latter aim is not sitting well with Reddick, who is going into his age-30 season. The Jets, however, may be making some progress here. Talks between Reddick and the team have seen some positive development this week, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, who points to a near-future appearance from the former first-round pick. Addressing this report, Robert Saleh noted (via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini), “That’s good to hear.”
It would make sense if Reddick showed up soon, as he is racking up $50K-per-day fines for not being at Jets camp. The Jets have been linked to adding sweeteners to Reddick’s current contract, a $15MM-per-year deal that expires after the 2024 season, but it is logical the nomadic edge defender is targeting something bigger. Reddick, whose career arc included multiple seasons miscast as a Cardinals off-ball linebacker, has registered 50.5 sacks since 2020 — fourth-most this decade — and has seen less productive pass rushers lap him on the market.
Reddick’s AAV now ranks 19th among edge rushers, and he is running out of time to score a market-value contract. Of the 18 players ahead of him on that list, only one — Von Miller — secured his deal after age 30. Reddick will turn 30 in September.
While the Jets’ hope of Reddick playing a bigger role than Bryce Huff did last year gives the former some ammo, the team still holds the cards here. The Jets have not ruled out an extension, but for now, the former Cardinals, Panthers and Eagles rusher may be ready to report to camp and settle for an incentive-based agreement in hopes of a better deal coming down the line.