Texans S Jimmie Ward Arrested For Violating Bail
Jimmie Ward is due in court next week for a hearing on his third-degree felony charge. That hearing had been postponed from mid-July to August 13. In advance of that, the Texans safety was arrested again.
The 34-year-old defender spent Thursday night in Montgomery County Jail after being arrested on an alcohol charge in Texas, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. Ward tested positive for alcohol, which is a violation of his bail.
Ward’s attorney said the former first-round pick was unaware he could not consume any alcohol as part of a bond condition; Ward is expected to be released from jail Friday, Wilson adds. Ward is currently on the active/PUP list while rehabbing foot surgery.
In his third year with the Texans, Ward has seen off-field issues overshadow his aim at playing a 12th NFL season. The former 49ers draftee was accused of assaulting, strangling and threatening the mother of his child, being hit with an assault family violence impeding breath/circulation charge related to an incident at his home in Magnolia, Texas. The woman has been granted an emergency protective order. After his August 13 information setting court date, Ward is due back in court to appear before a grand jury August 31.
The Texans have Ward tied to a $5.67MM cap number; he is due a $2.75MM base salary. An NFL suspension is unlikely to come before this grand jury appearance, potentially putting Ward in position to debut on time with the Texans. But he has also yet to practice with the team during camp.
Ward suffered the season-ending foot malady in Week 16. The Texans then traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who has worked as a starter alongside Calen Bullock. Gardner-Johnson dodged a bullet in avoiding an ACL tear in practice Thursday, but the twice-traded DB is still expected to miss time with an unspecified knee injury.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson Suffers Dislocated Finger
AUGUST 8: After Richardson downplayed the injury postgame, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes his X-rays came back clean. The young passer is expected to be back at practice without missing much time. This will allow Richardson to remain in the Colts’ QB competition.
AUGUST 7: The Colts’ quarterback competition received a pivotal update Thursday night. Anthony Richardson left Indianapolis’ preseason opener in Baltimore with a finger injury and appears likely to miss time.
Richardson suffered a dislocated pinky finger on his throwing hand, Shane Steichen told Colts sideline reporter Larra Overton (h/t the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson). No timetable is in place for the third-year QB’s return.
Tonight’s game represented an important window for Richardson, who earned the first start over Daniel Jones in Indy’s QB race. Richardson was to play roughly 1 1/2 quarters tonight, with Jones receiving less time. That order will flip next week, but the Colts’ second preseason contest may not feature any Richardson action based on tonight’s events.
The injury occurred during a David Ojabo sack on the Colts’ second possession, limiting Richardson’s time. Jones joined Indianapolis because of the starting opportunity in play, and Richardson’s injuries are a key part of why they pursued the longtime Giants starter. Jones’ path to a sixth straight Week 1 starting role became clearer tonight.
Richardson missed 13 games with a shoulder injury last season and dealt with multiple issues in 2024. Oblique trouble knocked Richardson out early in the season, and after a performance-based benching brought only a brief midseason Joe Flacco cameo, the aging QB was back at the controls to close the season due to Richardson experiencing foot and back trouble. This offseason then brought another shoulder issue for Richardson, who fell behind Jones after missing minicamp.
Richardson only started one college season, and that brought inaccuracy concerns that have not been resolved. The Florida alum’s woeful accuracy showing (47.7%) last season also prompted the Colts to acquire Jones as high-profile insurance. Leading up to camp, it looked like Jones would be the Week 1 starter. But Richardson had shown signs of life during camp’s early practices, drawing even with Jones ahead of this starting assignment. An extended absence would likely lead to Jones winning this competition by default.
Jones has also not been a beacon of health during his career, missing extensive time due to neck trouble and a 2022 ACL tear. The once-embattled New York starter made it back to open the 2024 season but did not last through November in that role, being released after a benching. Jones would move closer to the Colts’ job if Richardson sits during the team’s second preseason tilt, but this competition could certainly drag into the season based on the unremarkable NFL work each entrant has submitted to date.
Cameron Heyward, Chris Boswell Seeking Steelers Contract Adjustments
Questions about Cameron Heyward‘s 2025 status loomed last year, when the standout defensive lineman had come off a season in which an injury provided significant limitations. The Steelers, however, extended their top piece up front to seemingly put an end to contract speculation.
A year later, however, Heyward is not happy with his deal. The Steelers tacked on a two-year, $29MM extension to the likely Hall of Famer’s through-2024 contract; as a result, he is signed through the 2026 season. Heyward bounced back in 2024, earning his fourth first-team All-Pro honor. The resurgent interior pass rusher is now seeking a contract update, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter and Brooke Pryor report.
This situation has morphed into a hold-in, as Pryor indicated Heyward did not suit up for practice Thursday. The 15th-year Steelers defender has mostly done work off to the side during camp, per ESPN. First-round pick Derrick Harmon has benefited in terms of team reps. Harmon is in place as a presumptive Heyward successor up front, but for the time being, the two will be expected to work together to help a Steelers defense perennially in the NFL’s upper echelon.
The parties have discussed this matter privately, per ESPN, but no progress has emerged. This would explain the matter becoming public, as the Steelers — after months of another T.J. Watt extension saga — have another cornerstone player to deal with on the contract front. Heyward, who rebounded from two groin surgeries after missing six 2023 games to post an eight-sack 2024, has been a high-end Watt sidekick in one of the sack era’s best inside-outside tandems. Heyward was open to exploring a post-Pittsburgh path last year, but his extension quieted that talk. Now, he will force the issue once again.
Heyward is going into his age-36 season, making it somewhat understandable — given his importance to the Steelers and the form he showed last season — he would be back at the table already. Though, the Steelers have rigid contract principles. They do not negotiate in-season, and they have traditionally refused to rip up deals before players’ contract years. Antonio Brown‘s past is worth recalling here.
The superstar wideout had outplayed his contract, soaring to back-to-back first-team All-Pro placements in 2014 and ’15. But two years remained on Brown’s deal in 2016. The Steelers did not budge, rather (as the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly reminds) moved $4MM from the mercurial wideout’s 2017 money into 2016 to placate him without setting a new contract precedent. The Steelers then extended Brown on a top-market deal early in the 2017 offseason. Brown, though, was only 28 when he landed a lucrative third contract. Heyward is much closer to the end of his career, and a 2025 decline would stand to weaken his negotiating position ahead of the 2026 offseason.
Heyward’s $14.5MM-per-year number represents a rare discount, as he was tied to a $16.4MM-AAV deal prior to that 2024 redo. Heyward’s current AAV figure sits 22nd among interior D-linemen. Far less accomplished players like Milton Williams and Zach Allen scored deals averaging more than $25MM per year, though they are obviously much younger and in better position to command that kind of money. But the offseason also saw the likes of Osa Odighizuwa reach $20MM per year and one-year Chiefs starter Tershawn Wharton top Heyward (at $15MM per).
Pittburgh’s longest-tenured player, who became the first 35-year-old D-lineman to be named first-team All-Pro since sack kingpin Bruce Smith in 1998, will attempt to use his absence to force at least a Brown-like update due to his value to the team ahead of what is expected to be an Aaron Rodgers one-and-done.
Heyward is not the only Steeler eyeing an updated contract. Chris Boswell is angling for new terms as well, according to Schefter and Pryor. One of the NFL’s best kickers, Boswell has dropped to the league’s 11th-highest-paid player at the position. Boswell is tied to a four-year, $20MM deal. The gap between Boswell and the highest-paid kickers is not nearly as wide as the Heyward gulf, but a number of specialists have passed him since that $5MM-per-year pact matched Justin Tucker atop the market in August 2022.
Like Heyward, however, Boswell is signed for two more seasons. If the Steelers do not break stride for one of the best defenders in team history, they certainly would pause with their kicker. Boswell, 34, is the team’s second-longest-tenured player. But he will likely need to wait in line here, as a true extension is unrealistic until 2026.
Colts CB Justin Walley Suffers ACL Tear
Justin Walley had impressed during the offseason program and into training camp, pushing hard to start alongside Kenny Moore and Charvarius Ward. A major injury will change the Indianapolis cornerback equation.
The Colts third-round rookie suffered an ACL tear. Shane Steichen confirmed postgame (via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins). This comes shortly after the third-year Colts HC confirmed Anthony Richardson had suffered a dislocated pinky finger.
Initially coming up as an option in the slot behind Moore, Walley made an offseason leap to the point he was being given real consideration to beating out JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones for the Colts’ boundary spot opposite Ward. The Colts have experienced issues at outside corner for multiple seasons, and this development thins their latest competition.
Brents has experienced frequent injury trouble since being drafted in the 2023 second round, missing 23 games. This included a 15-game absence last season, altering the Colts’ CB plans early. Walley’s setback comes as both Brents and Jones — a regular CB starter over the past two seasons — had missed camp time because of hamstring issues.
The Colts chose Walley 80th overall in April, further augmenting a position group bolstered by winning the Ward free agency derby. GM Chris Ballard followed through on his stripe-changing proclamation by handing both Ward and safety Camryn Bynum big-ticket deals on Day 1 of free agency. Moore is already tied to a three-year, $30MM deal. This still left one spot open at corner, and Walley had regularly mixed in with the first team — to the point he may have been moving ahead of Brents and Jones in the competition.
A Minnesota alum, Walley intercepted seven passes in four seasons with the Big Ten program. The 5-foot-11 corner returned an INT for a touchdown last season and blocked two kicks, earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim. Walley’s rookie contract runs through 2028, but this injury will impact his time spent to claim a 2026 starting job, as a lengthy rehab odyssey is on tap.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Campbell, Cowboys, Revel, Nabers, Giants, Miller
The Eagles nearly pulled off a trade with the Chargers to climb 10 spots, to No. 22, in the first round. It turns out, the defending Super Bowl champions were in talks to move as high as No. 18. While it could have been interpreted as an effort to land a prospect higher on the board, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Eagles’ attempts were aimed at ensuring Jihaad Campbell became Philly-bound. Teams’ concerns about Campbell’s medicals affected his fall down the board, and the Eagles ended up moving up just one spot (via the Chiefs) to obtain Campbell.
This amounted to essentially a free fifth-round pick going to the AFC champions, who had their eyes on tackle Josh Simmons. Campbell rehabbed from shoulder surgery in time for an early-camp push to start alongside Zack Baun. Barring another setback, it would stand to reason the Alabama product will beat out Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for that role to open the season.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- In non-Micah Parsons Cowboys news, the team still is operating without two of its top three cornerbacks. While Trevon Diggs rehabs another knee injury that may lead to a delayed start to the season, Shavon Revel has yet to debut at practice because of an ACL tear suffered early during his final East Carolina season. Jerry Jones said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the third-rounder is making progress, but a return timeline is elusive here. Revel’s father recently weighed in on the situation, labeling (via 105.3 The Fan’s Gavin Dawson) his son roughly six to eight weeks from returning. This would put the reserve/NFI list in play; such a move would shelve Revel for at least four games. Diggs is aiming to avoid the reserve/PUP list. These developments are affecting a Cowboys secondary that also has second-year backup Caelen Carson out for at least a month with a hyperextended knee, pointing trade pickup Kaiir Elam toward an expanded role.
- Malik Nabers has been dealing with a toe issue since his LSU days. It caused him to miss the Giants‘ offseason program. No surgery has addressed this problem yet, but the team has not ruled that out. The murky situation is now leading to reduced practice time at training camp, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Nabers, who also dealt with a shoulder issue during camp, frequently can be seen tending to his toe during practices; Giants trainers are helping him along as well. For his part, Nabers said he is “feeling great” and ready to build on last year’s impressive rookie season. With this being more of a management issue, the second-year wideout’s toe looks appears likely to continue as a talking point moving forward.
- The Commanders‘ $6.1MM Von Miller contract includes $4.4MM in incentives. Sack-based bumps are present here, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes those start at the seven-sack threshold. Seven sacks lands Miller $500K, while another $500K would come his way by reaching nine. A total of $2.5MM is available through sacks. A Pro Bowl nod would bring another $500K, Florio adds. If Miller reaches 11 sacks and Washington wins its first NFC championship since 1991, Miller would receive another $700K. A Super Bowl win following an 11-sack Miller season would net the future Hall of Famer another $700K.
- Jake Ferguson‘s four-year, $50MM Cowboys extension includes $30MM in total guarantees and ties him for the NFL’s seventh-highest-paid tight end; Florio confirms the full guarantee number is $21.41MM. Ferguson’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are guaranteed at signing; his 2027 base ($6.25MM) shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2027. The contract includes a $9.75MM 2028 option bonus, which is nonguaranteed, though Florio adds $1.59MM of Ferguson’s $2MM 2028 base salary is guaranteed for injury at signing. The deal includes another $9.75MM option bonus in 2029, with a $2MM base salary for that year as well. Neither 2029 figure is guaranteed. The Cowboys could cut Ferguson in 2027 with a $7.2MM dead money charge.
Texans’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Avoids ACL Tear
A cart transported C.J. Gardner-Johnson off the practice field Thursday, and the Texans expressed a fear the trade acquisition suffered a serious injury. That said, conflicting reports surfaced regarding Gardner-Johnson’s 2025 status.
One report (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson) indicated the recently acquired safety suffered an ACL tear. Another (from Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz) pointed to the team fearing a tear. Minutes later, however, a source told Wilson the new Houston safety did not suffer a tear. While Schultz indicated tests were ongoing, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirmed more encouraging news by indicating tests are showing Gardner-Johnson, in fact, did not suffer a tear. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Texans are no longer concerned about Gardner-Johnson’s ACL, as tests are now being conducted to determine what the lesser injury is.
While “team fears” reports can occasionally lead to sighs of relief — as the Cowboys’ Tyler Guyton situation recently showed — they regularly lead to full-season absences. The Texans appear to have dodged a bullet.
Houston acquired Gardner-Johnson in a trade with Philadelphia in March, sending disappointing first-round guard Kenyon Green to the defending Super Bowl champions for a player who started in both the Eagles’ past two Super Bowl seasons. The Texans threw in a fifth-round pick in a swap that brought back a sixth, but they were landing the more established (by far) player in this trade.
Two seasons remain on the contract Gardner-Johnson signed with the Eagles last year, but a major injury would stand to reshape his Texans outlook. Gardner-Johnson, 27, has a history with season-reshaping injuries, having sustained a torn pectoral muscle in September 2023. That kept him off the field for most of his Lions tenure. If Gardner-Johnson avoided an ACL tear this time around, it will be interesting to learn how long he will be out.
This offseason brought a fourth straight relocation for the trash-talking ace. The Eagles obtained him from the Saints via trade in August 2022, and he joined the Lions as a free agent the following March. The Eagles prioritized CJGJ in 2024, bringing him back to start in Vic Fangio‘s defense, but changed their thinking as raises elsewhere on the roster came due. Gardner-Johnson. who intercepted six passes as an Eagle in 2022 and ’24, joined a safety corps housing Jimmie Ward and Calen Bullock.
That duo would have provided cover for the Texans, and it may still be necessary if Gardner-Johnson is to miss regular-season time, but Ward was arrested on a family violence charge this summer. Ward has an August 13 court date set, and the longtime 49ers DB is still on the Texans’ active/PUP list.
No PUP-list stay would come for Gardner-Johnson, who could only be shifted to IR in the event the Texans were worried about a long-term regular-season absence. The team could carry CJGJ over to its 53-man roster and hold an IR activation for him or use one of its two summer IR-return moves on him, burning one of its eight in-season activations in preparation of a return.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/7/25
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on active/PUP list: G Will Hernandez
Buffalo Bills
- Reverted to IR: LB Baylon Spector
Dallas Cowboys
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Matt Waletzko
Detroit Lions
- Signed: TE Steven Stilianos
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Thomas Yassmin
- Waived/injured: TE Jordan Petaia
New York Giants
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Ty Summers
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Michael Dwumfour
- Released: CB Eli Apple
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Joe Gaziano
- Placed on IR: OL Chandler Brewer
Hernandez received full clearance after an October 2024 ACL tear, but his Cardinals return will not come with immediate full-time practice duty. The former Giants second-round pick should be considered a strong candidate to start again for the Cards, but for now, the team is easing him back into action.
Summer expects to be running again soon after suffering a groin injury, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan, who indicates a return to the Giants is not off the radar. Summers played 16 games for the Giants last season, starting two.
A former Giants first-rounder who has bounced around the league in recent years, Apple will see his 49ers stint last barely a week. The 49ers were Apple’s seventh NFL team. He spent last season with the Chargers, playing four games.
Jerry Jones, Micah Parsons Have Not Spoken Since DE’s Trade Request
Jerry Jones has made an odd point of communicating directly with Micah Parsons during the superstar pass rusher’s contract negotiations, rather than taking the standard step of going through an agent. The Cowboys’ approach this offseason has irked Parsons to the point he became the rare Dallas player to request a trade.
Parsons outlined a number of issues with Jones’ tactics as he made the request, but he remains at Cowboys camp as a de facto hold-in. Despite Parsons’ presence, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes he and Jones have not spoken since the trade request. Jones and Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, have also not spoken since the trade ask emerged last week.
Although Jones described his stance as “urgent” regarding this Parsons matter, his actions do not align with that. The 37th-year owner said this past weekend Cowboys fans should not lose sleep over this standoff. The Cowboys do not intend to trade Parsons, but they appear no closer to extending him.
As it stands, the longtime owner/GM is not guaranteeing Parsons suits up for the Cowboys in Week 1. That still seems the most likely outcome, but this situation has veered off course compared to where the Cowboys were with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last year. Even the 2019 Ezekiel Elliott holdout, resolved days before that season, did not lead to a trade request.
“No, absolutely not,” Jones said of guaranteeing Parsons will debut with the Cowboys in Philadelphia. “A big part of that is his decision. How would I know that?”
Jones and Parsons conducted extension talks this offseason. The parties disagreed over whether those were considered formal discussions, with Parsons preferring the Cowboys go through his agent. Unless a player is representing himself, agents negotiate contracts. Thus far, however, the Cowboys have only communicated with Mulugheta through exec Adam Prasifka. Days before Parsons’ trade request, negotiations were said to be going backward. Mulugheta reaching out to COO Stephen Jones did not lead to negotiations, according to Parsons, who added in his request the Cowboys have not contacted his camp for negotiations since Mulugheta’s overture went nowhere with ownership.
The Cowboys’ negotiating trends have baffled many, as Parsons’ price has undoubtedly risen since 2024 and throughout this offseason — as dominoes fell on the EDGE market. Parsons said the Cowboys told him last year they wanted to do a deal in 2025. Timeline-wise, this situation resembles Lamb’s due to the All-Pro wide receiver being unsigned to open training camp ahead of a fifth-year option season. Lamb’s deal did not come to pass until August 26, 2024. Lamb also held out and was not keen on a 2023 extension. That separates the WR’s saga from Parsons’, as the All-Pro defensive end said he was ready to talk terms before his fourth season.
With the Cowboys understandably prioritizing Lamb and Prescott — who both were entering contract years — over a player signed through the 2025 season, they have seen Parsons’ price rise. Parsons expressed confusion at the Cowboys’ hesitancy at multiple points this offseason. Jones did say, via Archer, he offered Parsons “a hell of a lot more than you think I did.” The owner also referenced a guarantee of “almost $200MM.”
That total would not stand to reflect a full guarantee, and a $200MM guarantee of any sort would point to the Cowboys reverting to their preference of a longer-term deal. Term length was reported to be a sticking point in these talks, as players are preferring shorter-term contracts amid annual cap spikes. No current defensive player is guaranteed more than $123MM (Myles Garrett). T.J. Watt‘s $108MM fully guaranteed — on a three-year deal — leads the pack in that more important category.
Opening their season on a Thursday night in Philly, the Cowboys have a bit less time than they did when they went down to the wire with Prescott last year. Tied to a $24MM fifth-year option salary, Parsons would lose weekly game checks worth approximately $1.41MM if he sat out. Excepting the 1993 Emmitt Smith situation (when the Hall of Fame running back missed two games amid a contract dispute), the Jones-era Cowboys have a track record for finishing these negotiations. How they go about getting there continues to generate confusion.
Offseason In Review: Los Angeles Chargers
As he had done at his other career stops, Jim Harbaugh orchestrated a turnaround season in his Chargers debut. The Bolts returned to the playoffs and transformed their defense. While a more run-focused attack minimized Justin Herbert, the star quarterback operated efficiently despite limited weaponry. The team still has questions to answer in the pass-catching department, but a more significant running back retooling effort commenced this offseason.
The Chargers made a host of affordable free agency moves, through retention and outside acquisitions, and budgeted for a record-setting extension. They will operate in a historically loaded division for coaching achievement, with Harbaugh suddenly the only AFC West leader without a Super Bowl title. Last season established the Chargers as a rejuvenated operation; how will they take the next step?
Extensions and restructures:
- Agreed to four-year, $114MM extension ($56MM guaranteed) with LT Rashawn Slater
- Agreed to one-year, $4.1MM extension ($2.5MM guaranteed) with OLB Bud Dupree
Although Slater was extension-eligible in 2024, the Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz regime made the former Tom Telesco first-rounder wait. While the Bolts received an additional year of rookie-contract control on the 2021 first-rounder, his price naturally rose this offseason. Slater’s resume does not match those of Tristan Wirfs or Penei Sewell, but he is now the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. Waiting a year brought that to fruition, and Slater’s benchmarks compare favorably to the other top left tackle contracts.
In addition to his record-setting $28.5MM AAV, Slater commanded the second-highest guarantee at signing (behind only Andrew Thomas). Thomas needed to give the Giants five years of control to get his $67MM at-signing guarantee. Slater’s $92MM in total guarantees beat Wirfs’ previous highwater mark ($88.24MM).
Slater, 26, received the top one- and two-year cash flows for any O-lineman. The Chargers also gave Slater a rolling guarantee structure, which will lock in his 2027 and ’28 base salaries one year early. This provides considerable protection for a player who had made a calculated gamble before, having joined Sewell and Micah Parsons in opting out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 cloud. Slater skipped this year’s Bolts OTAs but had a deal in place before training camp.
The Chargers had seen their LT situation become unstable in between King Dunlap‘s final season (2016) and Slater’s debut, but the Northwestern product gave the team an upper-crust blindside protector for Herbert. Slater is a two-time Pro Bowler who bounced back from a three-game 2022 to play in 32 regular-season games from 2023-24. Pro Football Focus rated Slater second among all tackles last season and has never graded him outside the top 20 in a campaign. The Chargers’ second-year regime is buying in, and they now have him signed through 2029.
The Dupree commitment is obviously modest by comparison, but the move keeps the former first-rounder as a quality No. 3 edge rusher. Although the Chargers do look weaker here on paper due to the Joey Bosa release, Dupree backing up Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu presents a workable situation.
Dupree notched six sacks and 10 QB hits as a full-time backup last season. While extending a 32-year-old pass rusher after retaining a 34-year-old EDGE does introduce age concerns at this premium position, Dupree is a 99-start player who can easily step in as a sidekick in the event Mack or Tuipulotu miss time.
Free agency additions:
- Keenan Allen, WR. One year, $8.52MM
- Donte Jackson, CB. Two years, $13MM ($7MM guaranteed)
- Mekhi Becton, G. Two years, $20MM ($6.94MM guaranteed)
- Najee Harris, RB. One year, $5.25MM ($5.25MM guaranteed)
- Tyler Conklin, TE. One year, $3MM ($2.83MM guaranteed)
- Trey Lance, QB. One year, $2MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
- Benjamin St-Juste, CB. One year, $2.5MM ($1MM guaranteed)
- Da’Shawn Hand, DL. One year, $2.35MM ($325K guaranteed)
- Del’Shawn Phillips, ILB. One year, $2MM ($700K guaranteed)
- Naquan Jones, DL. One year, $1.84MM ($250K guaranteed)
- Nyheim Hines, RB. One year, $1.17MM
- Andre James, C. One year, $1.17MM
Harbaugh did not dismiss an Allen reunion when asked in April, but it did not sound promising at that point. Midway through training camp, however, circumstances had changed and Harbaugh was eager to bring back the second-leading receiver in franchise history. Allen had said he would only delay retirement for a Bears re-signing or a Los Angeles return. Even after the Cal alum-turned-decorated Charger had been offered a pay cut before being traded to Chicago last year, he and the Bolts made peace and will reunite at an interesting juncture. Mike Williams‘ retirement may have pried the door open for a team that would have otherwise relied on unproven players alongside Ladd McConkey.
Allen’s 10,530 yards trail only Antonio Gates (11,841) in Chargers history; the 2025 Hall of Fame inductee also played 16 seasons to accumulate that total. Allen is now 33, but he remains a quality starter. The six-time Pro Bowler did not add a seventh 1,000-yard season to his resume last season, but he still drew 121 targets and turned them into 744 yards and seven TD grabs during a disjointed Bears season. Multiple teams considered Allen, who left the Chargers as their No. 1 target but will return as a McConkey complementary piece.
Allen’s most recent Chargers season was one of his best; with Williams sidelined with an ACL tear, the slick route runner averaged a career-high 95.6 yards per game during a 1,243-yard season. While Allen and Williams fit together seamlessly, his place in a McConkey-centered attack will be interesting.
Regardless of a slot overlap, Allen is a proven target who meant plenty during Justin Herbert‘s ascent. The Tom Telesco draftee/two-time extension recipient could be a missing piece, having provided a significant boost to Herbert- and Philip Rivers-piloted attacks throughout his first Chargers stint. Allen’s presence stands to help the Chargers, whose lack of weaponry helped lead to a 19th-place 2024 pass-game ranking.
The Chargers did not overreach in free agency, but they look to have upgraded in certain areas nonetheless. Harris may not be a clear upgrade on J.K. Dobbins, but the draft rounded out a two-pronged backfield plan. Dobbins resides as one of the NFL’s top injury risks, while Harris never missed a game in four seasons. Of course, the fireworks accident the veteran RB encountered July 4 does offer some concern about his unblemished durability record.
Harris is believed to have suffered a “surface-level” eye injury in the accident. Initially, Harris began working with doctors at Stanford; he transitioned to the Chargers’ medical team once training camp began. The Bolts have conveyed confidence about Harris’ expected regular-season availability, but after he began camp on the active/NFI list (as Hortiz announced neither he nor Chargers doctors had observed the damages firsthand until that point), this situation is a bit murky.
After a 4-for-4 stretch of 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Harris certainly hoped last year’s running back resurgence would garner him more than $5.25MM. The 2021 first-rounder did note that by late last year he did not expect the Steelers to re-sign him. Pittsburgh passed, having placed a near-identical value (via second-round RFA tender) on Jaylen Warren. Kenneth Gainwell and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson round out Pittsburgh’s new backfield.
Harris, 27, is more of a grinder; that style fits Harbaugh’s approach. Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric ranked Harris (minus-3) in the bottom half last season (while Dobbins checked in at 115 RYOE). Harris’ 1,277 career touches undoubtedly affected his market, but not benefiting from the likes of Alvin Kamara, Rhamondre Stevenson, James Conner and Chuba Hubbard being signed beforehand did prove interesting. The Miami alum will try to reestablish value in L.A.
Interior O-line issues plagued the Chargers last year; they added some new options as a result. The Chargers have not abandoned starters from 2024, re-signing Bradley Bozeman and retaining Trey Pipkins, but they have at least one new guard starter and an interesting buy-low piece at center.
Becton rebuilt value with the Eagles, but his market made it clear teams were still skeptical. Becton played one game between the 2021 and ’22 seasons, after weight concerns surfaced during an otherwise promising rookie year. He lobbed salvos at the Jets to proclaim himself their best left tackle option in 2023; despite significant weight loss and a return to the starting lineup (at RT and LT), Becton landed just $2.75MM from the Eagles. He finally started to make strides in Philly, winning the team’s right guard job and mixing in on the NFL’s top offensive line. The Eagles’ commitments at the other four O-line positions never made it realistic Becton would be retained, however.
PFR’s No. 22 free agent — albeit with a bit of a wild-card profile — ranked 20th (per PFF) among guard regulars last year. The NFL effectively labeled Becton a “prove it” case, but if he can show the Chargers his 2024 tackle-to-guard transition was no fluke, the Bolts have him at a favorable rate. If he cannot, the team has an easy out in 2026. The Bolts can cut Becton with just $2.5MM in dead money next year.
James landed in PFR’s top 50 entering the 2024 free agency period, and the Raiders re-signed him on a three-year, $24MM deal. The four-year Las Vegas starting center appears underpriced at a vet-minimum number. James, 28, made 59 starts in that time. PFF graded James as the NFL’s ninth-best center in 2023 but dropped him to 33rd last year. James played for six play-callers since 2021, and Vegas’ new regime dropped a player paid during Telesco and Jon Gruden‘s stays. If nothing else, the experienced blocker offers the Bolts high-end depth.
Running back was not the only position bringing substantial turnover. The Chargers let Asante Samuel Jr. and Kristian Fulton go while adding Jackson and St-Juste. Jackson landed on his feet, via a second notable free agency deal, despite being graded poorly in coverage during his Steelers one-off. Although PFF graded the 2024 Pittsburgh trade pickup as a bottom-10 CB last year, he intercepted five passes as a 15-start player. Coverage metrics still have a ways to go in terms of reliability, but PFF ranked Jackson outside the top 60 at corner from 2021-24.
Jackson has worked as a boundary corner throughout his career, signing two Panthers contracts before being traded straight up for Diontae Johnson — a deal that produced a surprising Steelers win on the judges’ scorecards. The Chargers will hope the 5-foot-10 cover man (30 in November) has some quality football left; they certainly coaxed good work from unlikely sources in 2024.
St-Juste has seen far more slot work compared to Jackson, logging 441 snaps inside in 2023. The Chargers are almost shorting PFF at this point, as the advanced metrics site graded the Canadian talent 112th (just behind Jackson) last season. St-Juste is more of a flier, given his price, but he made 45 starts in Washington. The Chargers have 2024 draftee Tarheeb Still primed for a big role. Jackson’s contract points to him starting, leaving St-Juste and Cam Hart‘s roles less certain. L.A. carries some moving parts here, but the team should have more depth at corner entering this season.
The Chargers met with Evan Engram and offered him a similar contract to his Broncos proposal (two years, $23MM, $16.5MM guaranteed), but the former Giants and Jaguars pass catcher chose Denver and may have a de facto WR2 role on tap. Conklin outproduced fellow Jets 2022 signee C.J. Uzomah, playing fairly well with Aaron Rodgers and Zach Wilson. Conklin tallied a career-high 621 yards (10.2 per reception) in 2023 and posted 449 (8.8 YPC) last year. Two other 550-yard seasons are on Conklin’s resume.
Unspectacular, yes, but the Chargers saw Will Dissly lead their TE group with 449 yards in 2024. Nearing 30 and without the blocking credentials Dissly has, Conklin looks like a placeholder — perhaps in the event fifth-rounder Oronde Gadsden II, a dynamic threat at Syracuse, does not develop.
Harbaugh’s initial Bolts QB2 plan did not work, leading to the team replacing the re-signed Easton Stick with Taylor Heinicke via trade last August. Heinicke is now battling Lance for that gig. Wildly overvalued as the No. 3 overall pick in 2021, Lance has still logged an alarmingly low usage rate since his 2017 high school finale. Since 2019, Lance has just 460 pass attempts.
Redshirted at North Dakota State, Lance shredded Division I-FCS opposition — albeit as part of the level’s best program — in 2019 but saw the pandemic keep him off the field in 2020. The 49ers used Lance as a four-game starter, but their 2022 plan to build around him involved regrouping with Jimmy Garoppolo as insurance; Lance’s fractured ankle also pried the door open for Brock Purdy, leading the unseasoned talent to Dallas in 2023.
Lance threw all of 41 passes in two Cowboys seasons, even with Dak Prescott missing half of 2024. Harbaugh will attempt to derive some value from Lance, who is still just 25. A package role also could intrigue here, due to Lance’s run-game skills. That would seemingly appeal to Greg Roman, who coached Colin Kaepernick and Lamar Jackson, but it would also involve taking Herbert off the field. The Hall of Fame Game outing did bring an encouraging start for the bust-turned-backup hopeful.
Re-signings:
- Khalil Mack, OLB. One year, $18MM ($18MM guaranteed)
- Elijah Molden, DB. Three years, $18.75MM ($11.63MM guaranteed)
- Teair Tart, DT. One year, $4.5MM ($3.5MM guaranteed)
- Bradley Bozeman, C. Two years, $6.5MM ($3.38MM guaranteed)
- JK Scott, P. Two years, $6MM ($3.15MM guaranteed)
- Troy Dye, ILB. Two years, $5.5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Taylor Heinicke, QB. One year, $2.5MM ($2MM guaranteed)
- Jalen Reagor, WR. One year, $1.34MM ($360K guaranteed)
- Denzel Perryman, LB. One year, $2.66MM ($300K guaranteed)
- Tony Jefferson, S. One year, $1.38MM ($25K guaranteed)
Mack shook off his one injury-plagued season (2021) and became the Chargers’ lead option following a 2022 trade. The Bolts could not rely on Joey Bosa, counting on Mack continuing as an OLB regular into his mid-30s.
Mack, 34, considered retirement this offseason but had seen the Bolts aggressively pursue him despite having handed him a 2024 pay cut. The former Defensive Player of the Year had been tied to a six-year Bears-designed/Chargers-updated contract. While that limited Mack from cashing in on a notable multiyear deal in his prime, the 11-year vet has still earned more than $179MM. He will approach $200MM via this Chargers re-signing.
Aging players typically slide down our free agent rankings, or are omitted altogether, but Mack has continued to deliver and stay healthy. Slotted 25th in PFR’s 2025 FA offering, Mack indeed did well on a one-year deal. Among non-quarterbacks and franchise-tagged players, Mack’s $18MM guarantee represents the third-highest amount on a one-year deal (behind only Danielle Hunter and Andrew Van Ginkel‘s 2025 extensions) in NFL history. Mack can use this extra Chargers year to build on his Hall of Fame case. The All-Decade-teamer may be a decent bet, but his 107.5 sacks sit 32nd in the sack era (1982-present). Mack may need more work.
Josh Conerly Jr., Andrew Wylie Vying For Commanders’ RT Job; Sam Cosmi Week 1 Return In Play
The Commanders seemingly want to spend the bulk of their season with two new tackles protecting Jayden Daniels. Weeks after trading for Laremy Tunsil, Washington drafted Josh Conerly Jr. With the left tackle job unavailable, the first-round pick is competing at the other tackle spo
Conerly is vying to usurp Andrew Wylie at right tackle, ESPN.com’s John Keim notes. The rookie is rotating first-team snaps with the 2022 free agent signing, but the Commanders are attempting to give regular reps regardless of position. Conerly is seeing LT time when Tunsil is not in, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds.
Viewed as a future left tackle, Conerly — a college LT — does not have a route to that role thanks to Tunsil’s arrival. Washington has not extended Tunsil, though after trading four draft choices in that Texans swap, extension talks certainly would make sense. Tunsil has shrewdly commanded two top-market extensions, receiving the first a year after being acquired in a trade that sent the Dolphins two first-rounders. For now, Tunsil is signed through 2026; his ’26 base salary ($20.95MM) is nonguaranteed.
Tunsil extension plans would mean Conerly’s early-career stop will be right tackle. The Eagles had once envisioned a potential Lane Johnson LT transition post-Jason Peters, but the potential Hall of Famer became so impactful at RT no change ever transpired. Tunsil also played guard as a rookie (alongside Branden Albert), before moving to left tackle in Year 2. Conerly has not yet shown himself to be a surefire starter, Keim adds, keeping Wylie in the mix for another Week 1 starting role.
The Commanders’ RT starter for three seasons, Wylie accepted a pay cut this offseason. He is now on a one-year, $4MM deal. Tunsil’s presence also moved primary 2024 LT Brandon Coleman away from that position; the third-round pick is expected to play left guard this season, displacing 2023 free agent pickup Nick Allegretti. We heard after the Conerly pick Coleman would be more likely to factor in at guard than right tackle, and he has been working at the LG spot during training camp.
Wylie, who joins Allegretti in having a guard past in Kansas City, replaced Coleman at LG after the second-year blocker exited a recent practice, veteran Commanders reporter Ben Standig notes. Both the ex-Chiefs would represent plus swing options, even though they were signed to start. Allegretti is on a three-year, $16MM deal that runs through 2026. He started every Commanders game last season.
With Sam Cosmi recovering from a divisional-round ACL tear, Washington’s RG spot is currently open. Allegretti has seen some RG work during camp, but Dan Quinn is not ruling out Cosmi returning by Week 1. That would be on the aggressive side, but players have certainly made comparable journeys back previously.
Quinn said (via Keim) a Cosmi Week 1 return is on the table while also not dismissing a shift to the reserve/PUP list, which would knock the well-paid guard out for at least four games. The second-year Washington HC said more time will be necessary to determine if Cosmi will be ready to go.
The Commanders also could carry Cosmi over to the 53-man roster later this month and go week-to-week in the regular season, passing on a PUP stay in order to ensure he could play if ready to return by Week 2, 3 or 4. But Allegretti or Wylie, should the latter lose the RT competition to Conerly, represent solid backup options at RG if Cosmi is not ready to open the season.