Randy Gregory Files Lawsuit Against NFL, Broncos
A matter involving prescription medication has prompted former Broncos edge rusher Randy Gregory to sue the team and the NFL, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports.
The current Buccaneer’s lawsuit indicates he has been fined more than $500K over the past year and change for taking medications that include THC. Gregory’s suit alleges discrimination. The veteran edge defender claims he was denied a therapeutic use exemption for this medication and subsequently fined $533K by the league. The Broncos were not involved with levying the fines, per Gabriel.
Although the 2020 CBA brought relaxed policies regarding recreational drugs, THC remains a banned substance. Players are no longer suspended under the positive THC tests, but fines remain in play. Gregory’s suit said he sought permission to use a drug he was prescribed for a social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders, Dronabinol, during non-work hours but was denied. Gregory, who often ran afoul of the league’s stricter drug policy during the 2010s, has been open about his anxiety disorder.
Gregory, 31, initially sought permission from the Broncos and NFL to use Dronabinol in March 2023 but was denied, Gabriel adds. Another therapeutic use exemption request ended up denied, per the suit, in May 2023. It is not known how many fines Gregory incurred; players are to be fined a half-week’s salary for positive THC tests, with the penalty increasing to three weeks’ pay later in this process. Gregory was attached to a five-year, $70MM deal with the Broncos from 2022 until the team traded him to the 49ers in October 2023.
The suit alleges the NFL and Broncos’ unwillingness to provide the former second-round pick “reasonable accommodation” is discriminatory under Colorado low, and he is seeking damages. Gregory was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder in 2021, with Gabriel noting the post-traumatic stress diagnosis emerged in February 2023. Gregory signed with the Broncos in March 2022. The former Cowboys draftee initially filed discrimination charges against the Broncos and the NFL in July 2023.
The Nebraska product incurred four substance-abuse suspensions from 2016-19. He missed all of the 2017 and ’19 seasons due to bans, playing only two games in 2016 as well. Gregory resurfacing with a productive stretch from 2020-21 fetched him a $14MM-per-year contract, but he did not live up to the deal in Denver. Injuries sidelined him for most of 2022, which also included a chapter in which Gregory reneged on a Cowboys pact at the 11th hour due to contract language.
Denver traded Gregory to San Francisco in October, only securing a Day 3 pick-swap agreement despite paying most of the outside linebacker’s salary to facilitate a deal. Gregory signed a one-year, $3MM contract with Tampa Bay in April.
Andrus Peat Sought Saints Exit; Raiders Making O-Line Changes
Andrus Peat spent nine seasons with the Saints, the last four attached to a contract he signed as a free agent in 2020. Peat played out what became a four-year deal and signed a one-year, $2MM deal with the Raiders shortly after the draft.
The Saints are believed to have shown interest in another Peat contract, but NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill writes he preferred a fresh start elsewhere. Peat figures to vie for a starting job in Las Vegas, while New Orleans is holding a competition to see who will start at guard opposite Cesar Ruiz.
The Saints initially signed Peat to a five-year deal back in 2020, but they voided the former first-rounder’s final year and gave him a pay cut in 2023. Peat, 30, missed 17 games due to injury from 2021-22 but ended up being the team’s replacement for struggling first-rounder Trevor Penning at left tackle last season.
Not much interest came his way this offseason, which also included a Titans visit. Pro Football Focus ranked Peat 56th among tackles last season; the former Pro Bowl guard will attempt to rebound with the Raiders. Though, Las Vegas is far from certain to turn to the mid-offseason pickup as a first-stringer. The team made some moves to bolster its front after multiple low-key offseasons regarding this position group.
In addition to Peat, the Raiders added Cody Whitehair in free agency and then used both their Day 2 picks on blockers — second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson, third-rounder DJ Glaze. The Raiders may view Peat as a swingman, making it rather interesting he would select Las Vegas as his free agency destination. It is unclear, however, if New Orleans made an offer. Given the Saints’ situation at tackle and left guard, it would make sense for the team to bring Peat back. But the sides separated. The 10th-year blocker is now on an O-line set for significant change.
Kolton Miller and re-signed center Andre James will reprise their roles, but the other three positions stand to see change from 2023. The Raiders are shifting two-year left guard Dylan Parham to the right side, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore, while Thayer Munford is the favorite to replace Jermaine Eluemunor at right tackle. Eluemunor signed a two-year, $14MM Giants deal in March.
A 2022 third-round pick, Parham logged 110 snaps at right guard as a rookie. But he has primarily played on the left side as a pro. Munford pushed Eluemunor during the Raiders’ 2023 training camp, but the veteran remained the Silver and Black’s right tackle when available. He also saw time at left tackle, filling in for Miller, who missed four games. PFF viewed Munford’s work positively, particularly in the run game, last season. This will still be a big jump for a former seventh-round pick.
Peat’s tackle history in the NFL has mostly come on the left side; he has logged all of 80 snaps at RT (78 of those as a rookie in 2015) as a pro. Glaze, who also could settle in as the Raiders’ swing tackle, will be part of the team’s RT battle as well, Bonsignore adds.
The Raiders are expected to use Powers-Johnson at left guard, but he missed much of the team’s OTA sessions, Bonsignore adds. Powers-Johnson played center at Oregon last season, replacing 2023 Broncos seventh-rounder Alex Forsyth as Bo Nix‘s snapper and winning the 2023 Rimington Award (given to Division I-FBS’ top center). The Raiders, who re-signed James to a three-year deal worth $24MM, are converting their second-round pick to guard. Powers-Johnson played 350 snaps at right guard as a sophomore in 2022.
Las Vegas, which did not re-sign primary 2023 RG Greg Van Roten, suddenly features both experience and a collection of early-round picks up front. It will be interesting to see how the team uses its host of offseason additions, as Peat (102) and Whitehair (118) have combined for 220 career starts. New Raiders OC Luke Getsy coaching Whitehair for two seasons in Chicago makes his status as a projected backup — as of now, at least — rather interesting as well.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/24
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Clay Fields III, WR Derek Slywka
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Scott
- Waived: C Jack Anderson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Reverted to IR: WR David White
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: RB Hassan Hall
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR JaQuae Jackson
- Waived: WR T.J. Luther
New York Jets
- Waived/failure to disclose physical condition: DL Tyreek Johnson
The Colts chose Scott in the 2023 fifth round, but they will see him miss a second full season due to injury. Scott suffered a torn Achilles during OTAs last week, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson. This marks the second time Scott has gone down before Colts training camp; he sustained an ACL tear during spring workouts last year. The Colts chose Scott 158th overall out of Cal.
Best known for a 12-game Giants tenure that featured two starts in 2022, Anderson found his way to the Colts last year. The team used the young O-lineman in one game and extended him in March. A seventh-round Bills draftee in 2021, Anderson also started a game for the Eagles in 2021.
Jaguars Sign Round 2 DT Maason Smith
In addition to making Brian Thomas Jr. a priority during the draft, the Jaguars invested heavily in LSU’s defensive line. Two former Tigers defensive tackles — Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson — became Duval County-bound during the draft.
The first of those DT draftees, Smith, is now signed to his four-year rookie contract. The Jaguars inked the No. 48 overall pick Thursday; the contract — which will come mostly guaranteed — will run through 2027. Recent second-round deals — most notably the Colts’ agreement with No. 52 overall pick Adonai Mitchell — undoubtedly helped Smith on the contract front.
Indianapolis guaranteed $700K of Mitchell’s 2026 base salary. Being chosen four spots in front of the Texas wideout, Smith presumably secured better terms from the Jags. As second-rounders are making significant guarantee gains this year, Smith will step in and aim to provide a boost for the Jags’ defensive line.
Jacksonville fared better against the run (ninth) than against the pass (26th) last season, and the team added ex-Trent Baalke 49ers draftee Arik Armstead to provide a proven interior presence alongside Roy Robertson-Harris and DaVon Hamilton. As they did with Travon Walker, the Jaguars will bet on upside with Smith, who saw an injury disrupt his college career.
Smith sustained an ACL tear on LSU’s first defensive possession of the 2022 season, stalling the five-star recruit’s progress. As a freshman in 2021, Smith totaled four sacks. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound interior defender profiles as a bit of a project due to the major injury, and he was not quite as productive in nine games last season. Smith totaled 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
The Jags nevertheless took a swing with their second-round pick, with the team clearly impressed with LSU’s D-line operation due to the fourth-round Jefferson investment.
49ers, TE Logan Thomas Agree To Deal
JUNE 6: Thomas will receive the veteran’s minimum ($1.21MM) on his 49ers accord, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. That total includes $300K guaranteed. Thomas’ cap hit will be $985K, a manageable figure if he can effectively serve as a backup tight end for San Francisco.
JUNE 3: Seeing a previous effort to add a backup tight end thwarted by the Lions matching a restricted free agency offer sheet, the 49ers are circling back to the position months later. Logan Thomas is on his way to the Bay Area.
The 49ers and the recent Commanders starter are finalizing a deal, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. This will end a lengthy free agency stay for Thomas, whom Washington released before free agency’s outset. A converted quarterback, Thomas will have a chance to play an 11th NFL season.
San Francisco lost Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley to Atlanta in free agency and has 2023 third-round pick Cameron Latu coming off a season-ending knee injury. The team’s Brock Wright offer sheet did not bring the Sam LaPorta complementary piece to San Francisco; Detroit matched the three-year, $12MM deal. Thomas is now ticketed to be George Kittle‘s top sidekick.
Considering the recent developments, tight end depth became a need for the 49ers. Thomas, 32, stands to fill that void. Despite coming into the league as a Cardinals backup QB, Thomas did not present evidence of being overmatched as a blocker. Pro Football Focus rated the veteran pass catcher 17th in run blocking at the position last season. The 49ers’ offense certainly requires its tight ends to play key roles in the run game, and it will be interesting to see if the 6-foot-6, 250-pound performer can work his way into two-tight end sets alongside Kittle.
Set to turn 33 in early July, Thomas is coming off a four-season Washington tenure. The first of those featured a career-high 670 receiving yards, giving the team a surprise supplementary option alongside Terry McLaurin. Thomas also hit his career high with six touchdowns that season. The showing earned the former Virginia Tech QB a three-year, $24MM deal in July 2021. That turned out to represent important timing for Thomas, who suffered a torn ACL during a six-game ’21 season.
Thomas struggled to regain his form in 2022 but showed signs of promise in Eric Bieniemy’s offense last year. Eclipsing 40 receiving yards in seven games, Thomas finished with 55 receptions for 496 yards and four TDs last season. This effort did not prompt the Commanders’ new regime to sign off on keeping Thomas in the final year of his contract. The team added ex-Kliff Kingsbury charge Zach Ertz and used a second-round pick on Ben Sinnott.
The 49ers did not draft a tight end and came into OTAs with some questions at the position. Most recently, 2023 seventh-rounder Brayden Willis appeared in the lead for the team’s TE2 role, though Latu will probably be heard from at some point ahead of the season. The team also has veteran Eric Saubert on the roster. Thomas’ presence will create some competition among the team’s lesser-known tight ends.
The 49ers have seen Kittle play through injuries in recent years, though he has not missed more than three games in a season in that span. Thomas stands to provide a veteran option for Brock Purdy — in an offense loaded at the skill positions after the draft came and went without Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel being traded.
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons Expects To Become NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB
Micah Parsons is probably the Cowboys’ best player, but he appears to sit third in the team’s latest extension queue due to contract timelines. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb‘s contract-year statuses make their situations front-burner matters. Parsons appears fine waiting.
Rather than push the issue ahead of his fourth seasons, Parsons is prepared to see where the market will go once his time to see market-changing money comes. During the fifth-year option era (2011-present), the Cowboys have paid three first-rounders (Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, Ezekiel Elliott) before their fourth seasons. Dallas exercised Parsons’ fifth-year option, but it does not seem like an early deal — given the Prescott and Lamb matters — is coming.
[RELATED: CeeDee Lamb Not Present At Cowboys’ Minicamp]
“I’m patient. Patience is a virtue,” Parsons said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill. “I’m waiting my turn. Let CeeDee go get whatever. Let Dak get whatever. I kind of know where the money is. It’s not like I see the Cowboys with $90MM in cap space.
“This market is going to just jump up and the cap goes up again next year. They’re talking about these contracts might for a high-caliber player might be up to $40MM by then.”
When asked if he expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback on his second contract, the All-Pro Dallas defender replied, “I mean, yeah.” Parsons, 25, will have a clear-cut case to surpass Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-per-year deal and Justin Jefferson‘s new $35MM-AAV accord. While the cap might not take another $30MM jump in 2025, it will check in higher than its $255.4MM place next year. This bodes well for Parsons, who has displayed transformative abilities during his rookie contract.
Frequently battling double-teams, the 2021 first-round pick is 3-for-3 in All-Pro nods (two first-team selections) and is one of just five players in the sack era (1982-present) to record 40 sacks over his first three seasons. The Cowboys did well by nabbing Parsons following a trade down to No. 12, which helped the Eagles outflank the Giants for DeVonta Smith; they will need to reward their impact defender in the not-too-distant future.
The 49ers’ Bosa extension talks came down to the wire last September, with the former Defensive Player of the Year inking a deal that placed him nearly $6MM north of previous top edge earner T.J. Watt. Although Brian Burns and Josh Allen have signed extensions this offseason, their deals barely outpace Watt’s for AAV. No one is within $20MM of Bosa’s guarantee number ($122MM); the San Francisco dynamo’s $88MM full guarantee checks in $8MM higher than Watt’s. The Bosa deal should set the floor for the Cowboys, who should have more financial clarity by the time they enter serious extension talks with Parsons (likely in 2025).
Parsons is tied to a $2.99MM 2024 salary and a fully guaranteed $21.32MM fifth-year option number. The Cowboys are in the rare position of needing to consider record-setting QB, WR and defender payments on one cap sheet. The team is expected to make a strong Prescott extension offer — one that would reduce his 2024 cap hit from its eye-popping $55.13MM place — this summer and has viewed 2024 as the Lamb extension window. Jefferson’s guarantees will complicate Lamb talks, which will occur as Prescott carries considerable leverage against his team.
Despite their past early extension efforts, the Cowboys have taken some heat for creating this situation. While this can be dubbed a good problem due to the talents of Prescott, Lamb and Parsons, the team will certainly see its depth tested if it opts to pay all three players. No trade rumors have emerged regarding the trio; Prescott holds a no-trade clause.
For now, Parsons appears set to play a fourth season on his rookie contract. Bosa and Aaron Donald did so in the past. But the Cowboys waiting with the Penn State product runs the risk of upping his asking price when negotiations commence.
Browns Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry
Rumored to be on tap for this offseason, the Browns’ extension agreements with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are now official. The team announced its fifth-year HC-GM combo is signed long term.
This represents rare territory for the Browns, who shuffled through numerous coaches and GMs during the Haslams’ first several years as owners. After two playoff berths in four seasons, Stefanski and Berry did enough to show ownership they should be at the wheel for the foreseeable future.
Rumblings of the Browns readying extensions for their power brokers emerged in March, and a recent offering from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot pointed to the deals being close. The Browns have posted their best four-year win percentage under Berry and Stefanski since the 1986-89 run. Although this regime has not matched the Marty Schottenheimer-Bernie Kosar teams in terms of consistency or postseason accomplishments, it has elevated one of the NFL’s perennial doormats to a contender position.
“Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said, referencing the 2023 season, in a statement. “They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns.”
Since the Haslams acquired the Browns in October 2012, they have employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Prior to the Stefanski-Berry 2020 debut season, the team had gone 1-for-21 in playoff berths since rebooting in 1999. While the Browns have seen some stumbles (particularly at quarterback) during this duo’s tenure, their 2023 showing presented cause for optimism. With two 11-win seasons since 2020, the Browns are now 37-30 since Stefanski and Berry took over.
Stefanski, 42, joins Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera as HCs to win two Coach of the Year honors since 2000. The second one certainly solidified the play-caller’s case for an extension. The Browns gave Stefanski a five-year contract in 2020. Teams almost never make HCs lame ducks, the Dallas situation notwithstanding, and Stefanski is the longest-tenured Browns HC since Belichick (1991-95). None of the current Browns franchise’s coaches match Stefanski’s longevity or success, and the ex-Vikings OC managing to steer last year’s team to the playoffs marked quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.
The Browns withstood season-ending injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb and their top three tackles yet managed to win 11 games. Stefanski coaxed a stunning resurgence from late-season free agent signee Joe Flacco, who claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors despite only starting five games. Winning a playoff game proved too daunting a task for this ragtag cast, but Stefanski’s 2020 Coach of the Year offering produced a playoff upset (over the Steelers). That win came with Stefanski at home with COVID-19, though the Browns nearly toppled the No. 1-seeded Chiefs a week later.
Due to the 2022 Watson trade, Berry’s path has been a bit rockier. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers to give up three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and Jimmy Haslam pinned the idea for guaranteeing Watson’s entire five-year, $230MM contract on his GM.
Watson has struggled, with his 2023 health issues coming as replaced starter Baker Mayfield — who succeeded under Stefanski in 2020 before struggling amid injuries in 2021 — found his footing again in Tampa. As the Browns have no choice but to make it work with Watson, the roster Berry has assembled has proven successful despite its QB.
Draft choices under Berry’s predecessors still represent some of the top Browns pieces. Berry, however, reached extensions with Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. The GM also extended Joel Bitonio while acquiring Amari Cooper for only Day 3 draft choices. Berry acquisitions, along with the team’s Jim Schwartz hire, put pieces in place for a No. 1-ranked pass defense to help the battered offense last season. While Berry’s draft acumen remains to be fully seen due to the team not having a first-round pick for the past three years, the 36-year-old exec has made some pivotal contributions during his second Cleveland stint.
Berry, who rejoined the Browns two weeks after Stefanski’s hire in January 2020, initially served as a staffer under John Dorsey and de facto GM Sashi Brown during the 2010s. The Browns are still waiting for their Watson bet to pay off, but the team will give its decision-makers more time to operate around that monster contract.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/24
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Ilm Manning
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Brady Breeze
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived/injured: WR David White
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: TE Izaiah Gathings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: WR Cody Thompson
White suffered a torn ACL during one of the Jaguars’ practices last week, Doug Pederson said recently. The Jags signed White as a UDFA following a career at Western Carolina. White will revert to the Jags’ IR list if unclaimed, with this process generally leading to an injury settlement that moves the player off the team’s roster. White was among five UDFAs receivers the Jags signed this year.
A sixth-round Titans draftee back in 2021, Breeze was most recently with the Texans. He spent the second half of last season on Houston’s practice squad, staying on the AFC South champions’ 16-man unit until season’s end. No reserve/futures contract emerged for the Oregon alum, however. Breeze has played in 11 career games, splitting his career in Tennessee and Detroit.
Chiefs Sign First-Round WR Xavier Worthy, Wrap Draft Class Deals
Opting to downgrade in wide receiver talent upon trading Tyreek Hill in 2022, the Chiefs managed fine without the All-Pro weapon. The team is riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Though, the wideout issues from last season clearly played a lead role in Kansas City’s 2024 offseason plan.
The team signed Marquise Brown to a one-year deal and further bolstered its receiving corps with a first-round trade-up for Texas’ Xavier Worthy. He of a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy will be expected to infuse Kansas City’s passing game with a long-range upgrade. The Chiefs and Worthy moved past one offseason hurdle Wednesday, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting the sides have agreed to terms on the receiver’s rookie contract.
[RELATED: Prospect Profile: Xavier Worthy]
Worthy is now signed through the 2027 season, and the Chiefs have a fifth-year option on the player chosen 28th overall. The deal is fully guaranteed. Worthy is the first Round 1 wideout the Chiefs have chosen during Andy Reid‘s tenure and the franchise’s first since Jonathan Baldwin in 2011. Worthy will enter the NFL in a considerably better situation, having Reid calling the shots and Patrick Mahomes targeting him.
The former Longhorns standout generated interest from multiple teams. The Patriots made an effort to move up for Worthy; they are believed to have presented the Bills an offer for No. 28. The Chiefs’ offer to climb up from No. 32 clearly impressed the Bills more, as they were willing to move down to accommodate the team that has knocked them out of the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. Kansas City’s trade allowed Buffalo to jump up 38 spots (to No. 95) and move up in Round 7 as well. While many have questioned the Bills for allowing this, the perennial AFC East champs clearly did not have Worthy too high on their board. Though, Worthy’s progress in Missouri will spotlight the Bills’ choice.
Worthy’s size likely presented an issue for some teams; he checked in at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. The 4.21 talent did not operate purely as a downfield producer with the Longhorns, though it will be interesting to see how his frame translates to the NFL. The Chiefs are banking on the coach that drafted DeSean Jackson 16 years ago boosting Worthy, as both the team’s top WR acquisitions are diminutive targets; Brown goes 5-9, 180.
Worthy brings both a strong body of work and an explosive final college season. Last year, the Texas speedster caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. That was Worthy’s only 1,000-yard season, but he topped 750 in both his other college campaigns and combined for 21 TDs from 2021-22. Texas saw its top two receivers drafted in the first two rounds, with Adonai Mitchell going off the board in Round 2 (Colts). Worthy led the CFP semifinalist in yardage, while Mitchell paced the Big 12 in receiving TDs.
Although the Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl LVIII, they dealt with inconsistency at WR throughout 2023. Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (playoff contributions aside) proved largely unreliable. Toney remains in the team’s plans, though it is unclear for how much longer, while Rashee Rice — the team’s lead WR last season — is headed for a likely suspension. A Rice ban would put more pressure on the Chiefs’ new wideouts to pick up the slack during the upcoming threepeat effort.
Here is how the Chiefs’ 2024 draft class wrapped up:
- Round 1, No. 28 (from Bills): Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 63 (from 49ers): Kingsley Suamataia (T, BYU) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 131: Jared Wiley (TE, TCU) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 133 (from Bills): Jaden Hicks (S, Washington State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 159 (from Cowboys): Hunter Nourzad (C, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 211 (from 49ers): Kamal Hadden (CB, Tennessee) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 248 (from Bills): C.J. Hanson (G, Holy Cross) (signed)
Tyreek Hill Addresses Contract Situation
Although Tyreek Hill‘s four-year, $120MM contract held the belt for most lucrative wide receiver deal for 25 months, this offseason’s developments have made the contract look Dolphins-friendly.
Prior to Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson raising the AAV bar past Hill’s $30MM number and the Dolphins giving Jaylen Waddle more in total guarantees compared to their WR1’s contract, Miami’s future Hall of Fame pass catcher had been angling for an adjustment to his deal. The backloaded structure of Hill’s contract came up during the Jefferson-Vikings negotiations, and the younger wideout superstar managed to avoid the issue the Miami-based performer is navigating.
Jefferson’s guarantee numbers lap the WR field, with his fully guaranteed figure ($88.7MM) checking in $36MM north of Hill’s previous highwater mark. The Minnesota standout’s contract structure does not feature a phony final year to prop up the AAV figure the way Hill’s Dolphins pact does. Hill’s agent (Drew Rosenhaus) has communicated with Dolphins GM Chris Grier on this matter, but with the All-Pro talent signed through 2026, the team does not exactly have to act now.
“About the contract situation, I’m going to let my agent do his job,” Hill said, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. “That’s his job, man. His job is to get great at that. My job is obviously to come out here and help this team win. … We want to make sure it benefits both sides. I want to be able to help the team as much as I can. That’s as much as I can say about it.”
Hill, 30, added his top priority is making sure he will be a “Dolphin for life.” Offering glowing sentiments about his situation in Miami, Hill does not appear ready to force the issue just yet. His contract issue comes as the Dolphins are negotiating a blockbuster extension with Tagovailoa. As this situation plays out, Mike McDaniel said (via ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Beasley) Hill did not participate in team drills at this week’s minicamp.
It will be interesting to see, however, if Hill’s tone shifts should the Dolphins continue to hold their top player to a contract that includes three more seasons. Teams have held comparable players to club-friendly terms in the not-so-distant past. The Steelers did not relent on a third Antonio Brown contract until his walk year in 2017, and the Patriots never gave Rob Gronkowski a third contract, keeping him on the six-year deal he signed in 2012.
Hill made his way to South Florida after Davante Adams‘ Raiders contract prompted a course change during talks on a third Hill-Chiefs contract. While Hill said at the time he was not asking to be the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, the Chiefs bailed upon learning the speed merchant’s new asking price. The trade became mutually beneficial, with the draft capital obtained helping Kansas City win back-to-back Super Bowls and Hill elevating his profile with consecutive first-team All-Pro seasons while boosting Tua Tagovailoa‘s career in the process.
This Dolphins regime did cave to Xavien Howard earlier this decade. A year after giving Byron Jones a then-cornerback-record contract, the Dolphins dealt with Howard displeasure regarding a deal he signed in 2019. Four years remained on Howard’s deal when Grier authorized a reworking, and the GM greenlit a new contract that brought $50.7MM in new money months later. This process has probably already come up as the Hill camp presents a case for an adjusted contract, and after back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, the eight-year veteran can certainly cite his impact on Tagovailoa as a reason he deserves to be paid in step with the new WR market.
Hill’s guarantees run out after 2024, and the 2026 season features an inflated base salary ($43.9MM) that almost definitely will not be paid. While Hill’s age and the duration of his contract provide some complications on his path to an adjusted accord, the Howard precedent — and perhaps the Dolphins wanting to finalize this before a CeeDee Lamb extension impacts the market further — may lead to a near-future resolution.