AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Jets, Thornton
The 2019 draft produced several long-running partnerships between defensive tackles and the teams that chose them in the first round. Four of the six DTs selected in Round 1 that year signed extensions this offseason. Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons have new deals in hand. Jerry Tillery did not work out for the Chargers, but he was the only first-round DT from the ’19 class not to negotiate an extension this offseason. Christian Wilkins spent months discussing a deal with the Dolphins, but the sides have tabled matters to 2024, when the former No. 13 overall pick will be on the cusp of free agency.
Guarantees represented a sticking point for Wilkins, but Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers that the Dolphins appeared to be skittish about authorizing a Williams-level deal for a player without much in the way of sack production. Wilkins’ camp undoubtedly pushed for terms in the Williams-Lawrence-Simmons-Daron Payne neighborhood ($22.5-$24MM per year), as the Clemson alum led all DTs with 98 tackles last season. Wilkins, who produced 89 tackles in 2021, has never topped 4.5 sacks in a season. He has also eclipsed seven QB hits in just one of his four NFL slates (13 in 2021). Wilkins has not requested a trade, per Jackson, and the Dolphins — despite trade interest emerging — are not interested in moving him.
The Dolphins will have the option of franchise-tagging Wilkins next year. The Commanders used the tag as a bridge to a Payne deal, but the D-tackle tag number will likely come in north of $20MM in 2024. The Dolphins are currently projected to be $27MM over the cap next year (29th in the league), though much will obviously change between now and then. Here is the latest from the AFC East:
- It would make sense if right guard Robert Hunt was in the Dolphins’ extension plans, but the contract-year blocker said (via Jackson) he is not aware of any talks transpiring. Hunt joins a few notable guards on track to become 2024 free agents. Jonah Jackson (Lions), Damien Lewis (Seahawks) and Michael Onwenu (Patriots) are also multiyear starters in the final year of their rookie deals. Only Jackson has been known to have held extension talks with his respective team.
- Carl Lawson is expected to make his 2023 debut in Week 2, Robert Saleh said (via the New York Post’s Brian Costello). The veteran defensive end missed most of training camp due to back tightness, and the Jets held him out of their Week 1 Bills matchup. Lawson, who took a pay cut this offseason, totaled seven sacks and 24 QB hits (both totals second among Jets) last season.
- The Jets also worked out a few offensive linemen this week. Cameron Erving, Dennis Kelly, D.J. Fluker and Rashaad Coward auditioned for the team, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. None have joined the squad. The Jets have Billy Turner and Max Mitchell slotted as their backup tackles. Rookie fourth-rounder Carter Warren is on short-term IR. Starters Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton, who each spent their offseason rehabbing injuries, logged limited practices Wednesday.
- Tyquan Thornton is starting a second straight season on IR, but the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes the Patriots do not expect the 2022 second-rounder to miss much time. A shoulder injury sent Thornton to IR. That said, Thornton was not pushing to be a starter during his second training camp. The Baylor product, who suffered a broken collarbone during his first NFL camp, was likely “significantly” behind JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker before his latest injury, Kyed adds.
- Mike McDaniel said (via Jackson) special teams duty led to third-round rookie Devon Achane being a healthy scratch in Week 1. Raheem Mostert, Salvon Ahmed and rookie UDFA Chris Brooks, who holds a bigger ST role than Achane, were Miami’s active backs in their Week 1 win.
- The draft choice the Patriots sent to the Vikings for O-lineman Vederian Lowe is the Raiders’ 2024 sixth-rounder, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. New England acquired that pick in exchange for O-lineman Justin Herron last summer.
Bears Place CB Kyler Gordon On IR
The hand injury Kyler Gordon suffered in Week 1 will sideline him for an extended period. The Bears feared Gordon suffered a broken hand in the Bears’ opener, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, and have since placed him on IR.
Gordon must miss at least four games. He underwent surgery this week, with The Athletic’s Adam Jahns confirming that the second-year corner sustained a broken hand. That said, Jahns adds Gordon is expected back when first eligible (Week 6).
Chicago drafted Gordon in the 2022 second round and have used him as a starter since doing so. Gordon shifted into a full-time slot role this offseason, accommodating the team’s latest second-round corner investment (Tyrique Stevenson). Gordon suffered the injury on a blitz in Chicago’s loss to Green Bay on Sunday.
Rolling out a Gordon-Stevenson-Jaylon Johnson trio comprised of Round 2 picks, the Bears have devoted notable draft capital to this spot. They will not have a chance to see the trio in action together again until mid-October. Players placed on IR in-season must miss at least four contests. Clubs can activate up to eight players from the injured list during a season.
The Bears will be set to turn to Josh Blackwell as their primary nickel, per the Chicago Sun-Times’ Mark Potash. A 2022 Eagles UDFA-turned-Bears waiver claim, Blackwell played in 16 Bears games last season but logged only 133 defensive snaps. The Bears also promoted Greg Stroman from their practice squad. Stroman is a sixth-year vet who has been with the Bears since April 2022. The former Washington seventh-round pick played in two games for Chicago last year.
Chosen 39th overall out of Washington, Gordon joins both Stevenson and Blackwell in being acquired during the Ryan Poles regime’s run. A Ryan Pace-era draftee, Johnson is going into a contract year. The Bears are looking to rebound from a last-place defensive showing last season. Their 2023 effort did not start well, with the Packers putting up 38 points in a Week 1 rout.
Jets Not Planning To Contact Tom Brady About Comeback
As the Jets attempt to reinstall Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback, they are believed to have contacted available quarterbacks to round out their depth chart in the wake of Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. The biggest name available does not appear to be on their radar.
The team is not planning to make a pitch to Tom Brady to unretire for a second time, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who notes the future Hall of Famer continues to inform those close to him he does not intend to play again. While Brady unretired last year, he was out of the game for barely a month. This retirement has spanned more than seven months.
Brady, 46, retired for a second time on Feb. 1 and has made multiple plans to stay connected to the game after completing one of the greatest careers in sports history. He is planning to begin his tenure as FOX’s top analyst next year and has agreed to buy a stake in the Raiders. While the latter endeavor generated rumors about Brady being an emergency Jimmy Garoppolo injury replacement with Las Vegas, the 23-year veteran shot those down by indicating he was indeed done.
Rumblings of a Brady return to the AFC East caused quite the uproar last year, when the Brady-Sean Payton tampering scandal cost the Dolphins first- and third-round picks. During his first retirement, Brady buzz about becoming a player/owner with the Dolphins circulated. That Miami penalty surfaced just before the Buccaneers reconvened for their 2022 training camp, which preceded a surprising Brady hiatus after he had initially showed up at Bucs camp.
Both Brady and the Bucs proceeded to take significant steps back last season, as injuries mounted along Tampa Bay’s offensive line. While Brady joined a Bucs team with a number of intriguing defensive pieces in 2020, stepping in to help a talented young Jets defense does not look realistic.
The Jets have been connected to the likes of Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, who were each in Philadelphia during Joe Douglas‘ tenure as a Howie Roseman lieutenant. The team has also been linked to be aimed at convincing one player — Chad Henne — to unretire. The ex-Nathaniel Hackett Jaguars pupil came up Tuesday as an option for the Jets, but no indications have emerged regarding the four-year Chiefs backup’s interest in unretiring to play behind Wilson.
Although the Jets made no secret of their effort to replace Wilson this offseason, their primary targets were Rodgers and Derek Carr. Brady was briefly linked to the Raiders as a free agent, but he retired soon after. The NFL still needs to approve of his Raiders ownership path. It would certainly be easier for the Jets to land Brady compared to the Dolphins, who pursued a quarterback still under contract with another team. As of now, however, Wilson is back at the helm for a Jets team that has seen its stock take a substantial hit despite a come-from-behind Week 1 win.
In addition to Brady, the Jets are not pursuing Colin Kaepernick, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets. Kaepernick, who was brought up as an injury-replacement option often during the late 2010s, contacted the Jets about their sudden QB issue. But the former Super Bowl starter was never a realistic option, seeing as his unique NFL exit occurred more than six years ago.
Colt McCoy may be an option, Anderson adds. The Cardinals released McCoy just before the deadline to cut their roster to 53 players, going instead with recent trade pickup Joshua Dobbs in Week 1. McCoy, who turned 37 earlier this month, spent the past two seasons in Arizona. He came up as an option for New England, but the Patriots have used younger options as Mac Jones‘ backup. This would be McCoy’s 14th NFL season.
Bengals Release La’el Collins From PUP List; Patriots Have Inquired About T
SEPTEMBER 13: Collins’ health will no doubt influence his free agent prospects to a great extent. On that point, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports he should be available to suit up in either late October or November. The timing of when Collins does find a home could lead to an injury grievance being filed against the Bengals, he adds.
Notably, Pauline names the Patriots as a team which has inquired about Collins, though New England will surely have competition to add the veteran as at least a depth option up front. All five starting members of the Patriots’ O-line are included on the Week 2 injury report, and tackle was a position facing question marks at the start of the season. As Collins moves closer to full health over time, it will be interesting to see how much of a market he develops for himself.
SEPTEMBER 12: The Bengals will cut bait on La’el Collins, who had remained on their PUP list to start the season. Collins is back in free agency, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Signed to a three-year deal in 2022, Collins suffered ACL and MCL tears in late December last year. Those injuries were expected to sideline him to start the season. The longtime Cowboys starter will have a chance at a fresh start now. The Bengals will save more than $7MM in cap space by making this move.
Cincinnati’s Orlando Brown Jr. signing rearranged its tackle corps, sliding three-year starter Jonah Williams to the right side. After a trade request, Williams remained in the fold and opened the season at right tackle. Jackson Carman, who lost the RT position battle with Williams early in training camp, is in place as the team’s swing tackle. This left Collins without a clear role. While teams frequently prioritize O-linemen, a veteran starter is now available. Though, there is the matter of Collins returning from his knee injuries.
Given a three-year, $21MM deal following a Cowboys release, Collins started 15 games for the Bengals last season. A steady run of O-line injuries affected the Bengals significantly in a narrow AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs, which featured three starters — Collins, Williams, guard Alex Cappa — out of commission. Williams and Cappa returned this offseason, but Williams’ injuries were more severe. This will undoubtedly affect his earning potential as a second-time free agent.
Collins, 30, has 86 starts on his resume. While several of those came at guard to start his career, the former LSU standout ended up at right tackle early in his NFL run. The Cowboys gave Collins two extensions, the second a five-year deal worth $50MM, but released him in 2022.
This Bengals transaction should generate some interest from tackle-needy teams, but it remains to be seen how healthy Collins is. Had Collins entered the offseason healthy, he would have resided as a trade candidate for the Bengals, who were not pleased with his work last season. They were not interested in trying Collins at guard following the Brown addition, either. But they moved on early, incurring only a $1.7MM dead-money hit to do so. The Bengals also roster D’Ante Smith, a 2021 fourth-round pick, as a backup tackle option.
Tee Higgins Not Planning To Discuss Bengals Extension In-Season
Receiver-needy teams will be monitoring the Bengals, who have Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd playing on expiring contracts. But this situation will be on hold for a while, as the Bengals will almost definitely not be viewed as a deadline seller.
The Bengals and Higgins could not reach an agreement on an extension before the season, with Joe Burrow and Logan Wilson being the team’s extension recipients this summer. As a result, Higgins is set to play out his contract. No in-season extension talks are coming between the Bengals and their No. 2 wideout, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. and Dianna Russini report (subscription required).
Higgins looks to have made this call, with Dehner and Russini adding the Bengals made him an offer sources deemed low leading up to the season opener. The former second-round pick is now on track to become a free agent in 2024. That is, if Cincinnati does not apply the franchise tag by the March 5 deadline.
Burrow’s cap numbers on his landmark $275MM extension are out. The Bengals did, in fact, go to the void-years well to spread out Burrow’s cap hits. The void numbers run through 2032, though the real contract expires after the 2029 season. That could prove pertinent for Higgins’ Cincinnati future. Burrow’s 2024 cap number checks in at $29.7MM. With Ja’Marr Chase still tied to a rookie contract, the Bengals could probably find a way to cuff Higgins with a tag. Cincy is projected to carry more than $74MM in cap space in 2024. Although we are several months away from free agency, that number sits seventh in the NFL.
Chase’s price tag may not come into focus until the Vikings hammer out a Justin Jefferson extension. That is now expected to commence in 2024, continuing a decade-long trend of teams passing on Year 4 extensions for first-round wide receivers. No team has extended a first-round wideout with two seasons of rookie-deal control remaining in the fifth-year option era (2014-present). History certainly points to the Bengals keeping Chase on his rookie deal until 2025, when he will head into his fifth-year option season. While a long-term Chase-Higgins partnership may be unrealistic, retaining Higgins in 2024 — while Chase is tied to a $9.8MM salary — via the tag is an option the Bengals will surely consider.
A Higgins tag-and-trade transaction could also be an option for the Bengals, who will likely let Boyd walk next year. But VP of player personnel Duke Tobin shooting down Higgins trade rumors at this year’s Combine may still lend to the notion of the Bengals keeping him as long as they can.
The Buccaneers managed to roster both their top wideouts — Mike Evans, Chris Godwin — on upper-crust extensions while employing Tom Brady last season. They kept Godwin on a tag in 2021 and tagged him again in 2022, reaching an extension with their WR2 that year. But Brady’s Bucs contract did not exactly compare to the deal Burrow just signed. Chase will also be expected to sign a second contract north of $30MM per year.
Set to play out a five-year, $82.5MM deal, Evans is on track to hit free agency in 2024. If the Bengals do not tag Higgins, Evans would stand to be bumped down a slot in wideout-seeking teams’ priority queues next year. After this year’s free agency receiver pool featured the likes of Allen Lazard, Jakobi Meyers and JuJu Smith-Schuster as its headliners, next year’s could produce fireworks. But the Bengals having the tag option with Higgins threatens to prevent that scenario from forming.
Jets In Discussions With Free Agent QBs; Team To Start Zach Wilson
SEPTEMBER 13: The Jets are unlikely to add a quarterback this week, Cimini tweets. As they prepare to face a top-tier Cowboys defense, the Jets are gearing up to head into that game with a Wilson-Boyle depth chart. While Saleh said he would he “shocked” if Rodgers retired after this injury, Cimini adds, the eventual first-ballot Canton inductee is out of the picture until 2024. No surgery date has emerged yet.
SEPTEMBER 12: Aaron Rodgers‘ historically short cameo this season leaves the Jets back with Zach Wilson as their starting quarterback. Although the team aggressively chased veteran passers — in a search that produced Rodgers — this offseason to avoid Wilson returning as QB1, the future Hall of Famer’s Achilles tear leaves the much-hyped team scrambling.
While Wilson is back in place atop the Jets’ depth chart, team brass is meeting to discuss options at the position. The team has already begun to reach out to free agent signal-callers, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. As should be expected, representatives for a number of free agent options have contacted the Jets, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager adds. The Jets are only planning for an outside addition to fill out the QB room, with Robert Saleh clarifying Wilson will be the starter.
“I want to make it very clear: Zach’s our quarterback,” Saleh said, via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. “We have a lot of faith in Zach. We’re rolling with Zach and excited for him. … Under no circumstances is any of this a competition. This is Zach’s team and we’re rolling with Zach.”
Former Rodgers Green Bay backup Tim Boyle is the only other QB with the Jets presently, and Saleh confirmed he will become the backup. The team let Mike White walk in free agency; the two-year Jets spot starter who eventually moved past Wilson on the depth chart is now Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins backup. Joe Flacco was part of the Jets’ QB room for three seasons, including Saleh’s first two. The former Super Bowl MVP has expressed interest in continuing his career, and ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes the 15-year veteran is interested in coming back. Nothing has transpired on this front just yet, however, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Flacco, 38, would seemingly be an option, though the Mike LaFleur-to-Nathaniel Hackett switch may be a hurdle here. But GM Joe Douglas having brought in Flacco, whom he worked while a scout with in Baltimore, would count in the ex-Ravens cornerstone’s favor. Douglas was also with the Eagles when they traded up for Carson Wentz and during Nick Foles‘ second stint with the team.
Three teams have jettisoned Wentz over the past three offseasons; the former No. 2 overall pick has been working out preparing for another opportunity since his Commanders exit. The Colts cut Foles, 34, in May. Neither has been tied to a team since their respective releases. At this juncture, both would qualify as logical emergency options. Wentz would represent the better chance to replace Wilson, having been a starter throughout his career. Colt McCoy, whom the Cardinals recently released, is also unattached. McCoy came up as a potential Patriots option but has not signed with a team since his Arizona exit.
The team has inquired about Chad Henne, per Schultz. The four-year Chiefs backup retired after Super Bowl LVII, but he has worked in Hackett’s system before. Henne’s time with the Jaguars overlapped with Hackett’s. Hackett coached Henne from 2016-18, working as Jacksonville’s OC. Henne turned 38 shortly after his retirement announcement.
Colin Kaepernick‘s agent has reached out to the Jets as well, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets. While Saleh and Kaepernick technically overlapped with the 49ers, that brief period did not involve any game action. The 49ers were set to release the polarizing passer had he not opted out of his contract in March 2017; that sequence came less than a month after Kyle Shanahan hired Saleh. Despite having not played since the 2016 season, the exiled QB has continued to work out in hopes of resuming his career. Considering how long it has been since Kaepernick played in the NFL, he is not a realistic option at this point.
The 49ers were prepared to pull Philip Rivers out of a multiyear retirement in February, had they somehow upended the Eagles after Brock Purdy‘s injury and advanced to Super Bowl LVII. The former Chargers great is now 41. Matt Ryan did not close the door on returning, but the 2022 Colts starter is now at CBS and did not show good form last season.
Tom Brady collected his seventh Super Bowl ring by joining a team with a talented defense and young skill-position talents. Unlike Brady retirement No. 1, the all-time great is a free agent. The 46-year-old icon has said repeatedly this year he is done, and while this would be an intriguing opportunity for a quarterback who was open to playing an age-46 season late last year, SI.com’s Albert Breer views each of the longtime starters as unlikely options.
Rodgers’ injury development is eerily similar to the one that wrecked the Jets’ 1999 season. Following an AFC championship game berth, the Jets lost starter Vinny Testaverde to an Achilles tear in Week 1 of the ’99 campaign. The team used former No. 2 overall pick Rick Mirer, who had washed out with the Seahawks, as its starter soon after. Mirer had arrived via trade that August. The team eventually benched Mirer for mobile third-stringer Ray Lucas, who ended up starting nine games that year. The Jets finished 8-8 in Bill Parcells‘ third and final year at the helm; Testaverde returned to retake the reins in 2000.
Wilson struggled mightily last season and ended up being benched for White midway through. Issues in the locker room were rumored to have contributed to the benching. Although Wilson ended up moving back into the backup role to fill in for an injured White in Week 16, a woeful showing against the Jaguars cemented the Jets’ pursuit of veteran options this offseason. The team resisted on adding a veteran backup behind Rodgers, with the trade rumors surrounding Wilson ending up unfounded. The former No. 2 pick is awkwardly back in the Jets’ top spot, but it will be interesting to see if a starter-caliber veteran arrives and eventually pushes the underwhelming investment for playing time.
Texans Place WR Noah Brown, DT Hassan Ridgeway On IR
Noah Brown‘s Texans debut included three receptions, but the career-long Texas-based wideout will be shut down for a while. The Texans placed him on IR on Wednesday.
Hassan Ridgeway joins Brown on Houston’s IR list. The veteran defensive tackle, who followed DeMeco Ryans from San Francisco, suffered a calf injury in Week 1. A groin issue will send Brown to IR, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
This is familiar territory for Ridgeway, who finished last season on IR. The 49ers had used their eight injury activations, leaving Ridgeway on IR with a pectoral strain. Due to the NFL’s adjusted IR setup, neither Ridgeway nor Brown can return before Week 6.
After spending six seasons with the Cowboys, Brown signed a one-year deal worth $2.25MM to switch Texas teams in March. Houston gave Ridgeway a one-year, $3.25MM accord to join Jimmie Ward as a 49ers defender following Ryans. Both players worked as backups in the Texans’ season-opening loss to the Ravens. Ridgeway played 15 defensive snaps, while Brown saw extensive time on offense, logging 52 snaps. The latter caught three passes for 20 yards in C.J. Stroud‘s debut.
The Texans were without John Metchie to start their season as well. Returning after a leukemia diagnosis kept him off the field as a rookie, Metchie sustained a hamstring injury while preparing to debut. The Texans have Nico Collins, Robert Woods and rookies Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson as healthy options at receiver.
In addition to the IR moves, the Texans received a scare in their secondary Sunday. A collision with Lamar Jackson led to second-year safety Jalen Pitre being hospitalized with a bruised lung, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. While the 2022 second-round pick was coughing up blood at one point, he has since been released from the hospital, per Wilson and Pelissero.
Colts Place RB Evan Hull On IR, Add G Ike Boettger; Team Worked Out RB Darrell Henderson
The Colts’ changes at running back continued Tuesday. Rookie Evan Hull is now on IR, and Jake Funk will replace him on the 53-man roster. Hull went down with a knee injury in Week 1.
In addition to the running back switch, the Colts added veteran guard Ike Boettger to their practice squad. The team worked out the ex-Bills blocker recently. Boettger spent the past five seasons in Buffalo.
At running back, this Colts operation continues to see hurdles form. Zack Moss missed most of training camp with a broken arm, and the team brought in Kenyan Drake. The seven-year veteran could not make Indianapolis’ 53-man roster. Funk played in Indy’s opener as a practice squad elevation. The former Rams UDFA is now on the Colts’ active roster.
Ex-Funk teammate Darrell Henderson also auditioned for the Colts on Tuesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. A multiyear Rams starter, Henderson has resided in free agency since he cleared waivers following a Jaguars cut late last season. Henderson worked out for the Patriots last month, joining Leonard Fournette in that regard, but was not signed. The Pats ended up signing Ezekiel Elliott.
Henderson, 26, worked as the Super Bowl champion Rams’ primary starter in 2021, though Sony Michel ended up replacing him down the stretch. Making 21 starts between the 2020 and ’21 seasons, Henderson cleared 600 rushing yards in each and totaled 14 touchdowns in that span. The Rams used him a bit more than expected early in 2022, when the team tried to trade Cam Akers. After Akers returned to the fold, the Rams ultimately waived Henderson, who certainly hit free agency at a bad time for running backs.
Hull must miss at least four games due to this IR designation. The Colts can activate up to eight players from IR this season. The Northwestern product logged two touches in his first game. After producing an impressive 546 receiving yards in his final season with the Big Ten program, Hull will see his NFL career pause. Funk joins Deon Jackson as healthy options in Indy’s Jonathan Taylor-less backfield, with Moss finishing up a recovery from the arm break. Taylor is on the Colts’ reserve/PUP list but resides there in part because of a push to be traded. The 2021 rushing champion is believed to be healthy, and the Colts are likely to restart trade talks soon.
The Bills made some guard upgrades this offseason and released Boettger, who had started 17 games for the team during his career. Boettger, 28, made 17 of those starts between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. An Achilles tear in January 2022 sidelined Boettger for much of last season. The Bills moved on to new options this year, adding Connor McGovern, second-rounder O’Cyrus Torrence and ex-Rams starter David Edwards at guard.
Chiefs, Chris Jones Open To Extension
After viewing the Chiefs’ season-opening loss in an Arrowhead Stadium suite, Chris Jones will be on track to suit up against the Jaguars in Week 2. In an arrangement similar to the Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs agreements, Jones is back with the team with some sweeteners added to his through-2023 deal.
Jones’ contract still runs only through season’s end, and with the franchise tag prohibitive due to the Chiefs having tagged him 2020, has a decent chance to reach free agency next year. But the Chiefs have not ruled out keeping Jones on another deal, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who adds there is no bad blood in this situation.
Both Jones and the Chiefs are open to revisiting talks on a contract that would keep the All-Pro in Kansas City beyond this year, Breer adds. Though, the Chiefs not being willing to move into Aaron Donald territory for Jones now obviously runs the risk of the dominant interior pass rusher leaving in March. The Chiefs’ exclusive negotiating rights with Jones run until the 2024 legal tampering period. Without the franchise tag as a likely deterrent, as it would run the Chiefs more than $32MM to cuff Jones in 2024, the team would enter crunch time with its top defender between season’s end and the tampering period that kicks off free agency.
This situation also reminds of the Chiefs’ failed negotiations with Orlando Brown Jr., who cited insufficient guarantees in the team’s offer before the July 2022 deadline to extend franchise-tagged players. Although the Chiefs could have re-tagged the Pro Bowl left tackle for just less than $20MM, they passed and let Brown hit the market. Brown’s overall money with the Bengals (four years, $64.1MM) did not match the Chiefs’ proposal (six years, $139MM), but the veteran blocker will collect $42.35MM over the Cincinnati pact’s first two years and be better positioned for another big-ticket deal sooner. The Chiefs proposal included $38MM guaranteed at signing.
In terms of age and accomplishments, Jones (29) would be poised to become one of the best defensive players to hit free agency in many years. It would be interesting to see what kind of market would form for the longtime Chiefs defensive centerpiece. With the salary cap expected to balloon in the $250MM range — which would mark a substantial increase from this year’s ceiling ($224.8MM) — it would seemingly be difficult for the Chiefs to finalize an agreement with Jones between season’s end and the market opening. But some time remains before that point.
Even after Week 1, a gap was believed to remain between the Chiefs and Jones on value. With Nick Bosa signing for $34MM per year, it will be difficult for teams to paint the Donald contract ($31.7MM AAV) as an outlier in terms of salary. The Chiefs were believed to have offered Jones a three-year deal that featured $24.7MM AAV. That number checked in barely above Quinnen Williams‘ figure. Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons and Daron Payne formed a second tier behind Donald. Arguing he is much closer to the Rams great than the younger lot of D-tackles, Jones pushed for Donald-level money.
With none of these players hitting the market, Jones could be months away from finding out what a top-flight D-lineman is worth when a bidding war ensues. For now, however, the eighth-year D-tackle will aim to help the Chiefs shake off an 0-1 start and attempt to defend their Super Bowl title.
Browns To Sign T Ty Nsekhe
For a second straight year, Ty Nsekhe will join a team in-season. After his Rams signing last year, the veteran tackle will join the Browns. In the wake of Jack Conklin‘s season-ending ACL tear, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Nsekhe will sign with Cleveland.
Nsekhe, who will turn 38 next month, has started 25 games over the course of his career. Eight of those came for the Rams last season, a campaign that featured numerous injuries on Los Angeles’ offensive line. Nsekhe was with Washington during Browns O-line coach Bill Callahan‘s time with the NFC East team.
Working as Washington’s O-line coach from 2015-19, Callahan coached Nsekhe for four seasons. Nsekhe’s longest NFL stint came in Washington, which employed him as primarily a swing tackle from 2015-18. Sixteen of Nsekhe’s career starts came in Washington. The Browns used fourth-round rookie Dawand Jones as Conklin’s replacement in Week 1. Nsekhe profiles as insurance behind the 6-foot-8, 375-pound blocker. James Hudson, a 2021 fourth-round pick, looms as another option. But Nsekhe will be part of the equation now as well.
Last year, the Rams signed Nsekhe in mid-October. The team had lost then-starting left tackle Joseph Noteboom during a season in which a number of Rams O-linemen suffered season-ending injuries. Nsekhe moved into the starting lineup in Week 9 and, with Alaric Jackson later being lost for the year, started the Rams’ final six games.
Nsekhe auditioned for the Jets in mid-August but did not sign with the team. The former UDFA played for the Bills and Cowboys, respectively, from 2019-21. Prior to his Rams stint, Nsekhe went two seasons without starting a game.
Conklin also suffered an ACL tear in 2018, a development that helped lead to his earlier-than-expected Tennessee exit. The Browns have benefited from the Titans not hanging onto their four-year right tackle starter, signing Conklin to two contracts. Cleveland gave Conklin a four-year, $60MM extension just before last season ended. Conklin’s contract contained only $12.75MM guaranteed at signing, but another $16.1MM — his 2024 base salary, a 2024 option bonus and $3.25MM of his 2025 base — became guaranteed in March. His second Browns deal runs through the 2026 season.