Anthony Richardson To Start Colts’ Preseason Opener
Anthony Richardson has missed a chunk of the Colts’ quarterback competition, seeing more shoulder trouble shelve him during minicamp. But the third-year passer returned in time for training camp, keeping him in step with Daniel Jones in this battle.
Although Jones was viewed as more likely to win the job thanks to Richardson’s latest absence, the ex-Giant has not distanced himself here. He will now take a backseat to the younger passer to open the preseason. Shane Steichen said today (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) Richardson will start Indianapolis’ preseason opener Thursday. Jones will make the start in the Colts’ second preseason game.
[RELATED: Assessing Colts’ 2025 Offseason]
Richardson will play roughly a quarter and a half, Steichen said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins) while Jones will finish that stanza. That order will flip against the Packers next week. This does not yet represent a missed opportunity for Jones, as the Colts obviously have a vested interest in giving Richardson reps, but the high-profile import has not created separation in this matchup during camp.
Neither player has looked overly impressive, per Holder, who notes both QBs have shown inconsistency in line with their careers to date. The Colts signed Jones after Richardson’s historically inaccurate 2024 season, one that also featured the memorable tap-out sequence that affected the dual-threat player’s standing in the locker room. The Colts had also deemed Richardson’s preparation methods insufficient, leading to an in-season benching for the since-departed Joe Flacco. Jones, 28, is a much younger option and was believed to enter camp as the more likely starter. After minicamp, the former No. 6 overall pick was believed to hold a “significant” lead for the job.
Richardson had recovered a bit before camp and did not start camp on the active/PUP list, bringing a good sign he could at least threaten Jones, who landed a $14MM deal ($13.15MM guaranteed). That checks in north of backup money (non-Kirk Cousins division), but the Colts seeing Richardson strides would naturally be encouraging given what the organization has sunk into the one-year Florida starter. Richardson has probably not seen enough game action for a final determination, missing 13 contests as a rookie and six last season. But time is running out, after he finished with a ghastly 47.7% completion rate last season.
Benched and then quickly released by the Giants midway through last season, Jones landed with the Vikings’ practice squad but rejected a free agency offer to stay thanks largely to the Colts opportunity providing a better chance to start. Jones has operated “neck and neck” with Richardson, per The Athletic’s James Boyd. This standing could be perceived as a slight to Jones given his significant experience edge.
Jones would certainly offer more stability compared to the erratic Richardson, but the ceiling disparity between the two is also important here. The upcoming games against the Ravens and Packers will go a long way toward determining which arm Steichen chooses for Week 1. Though, this competition will almost definitely carry into the season. Steichen has said he is prepared to take his time on the decision, and the possibility of in-season benchings certainly looms considering the two passers’ profiles.
Micah Parsons Requests Trade From Cowboys
Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons has requested a trade, according to a lengthy social media post that details his protracted negotiations with the team.
Dallas has no intention of trading Parsons, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, but teams are still expected to reach out to the Cowboys to inquire about his availability.
Despite the trade request, Parsons is not planning to leave training camp, according to WFAA’s Ed Werder, which would subject him to a daily fine of $40K. This certainly has the makings of an awkward situation, but teams have received trade requests from hold-ins in the past.
“I did everything I could to show that I wanted to be a Cowboy. … Unfortunately, I no longer want to be here,” Parsons said. “I no longer want to be held to close door (sic) negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization, our fans and my teammates.
“I no longer want negatives created and spread to the media about me. I purposely stayed quiet in hopes of something getting done, but there is confusion out there. Let me clear some things up.”
Parsons’ statement references Jerry Jones mentioning his 2024 injury, a high ankle sprain, in reference to the negotiations. The fifth-year defender said he had his agent (David Mulugheta) reach out to the Cowboys about a 2024 deal, and his statement indicates the team did not want to begin talks last year. Parsons said Mulugheta told him to wait until other deals were completed, thus seeing his price rise, but Parsons wanted to start the process before that happened. The DE’s camp alerted the Cowboys at the Combine about a readiness to launch talks, acknowledging how that route would leave money on the table. The aforementioned Parsons-Jones dialogue that set up parameters of a deal did not, per Parsons, constitute formal negotiations.
Mulugheta then contacting Cowboys negotiator Adam Prasifka led to a team stance, per Parsons, that the deal was already done. Parsons then said Mulugheta reaching out to COO Stephen Jones did not lead to negotiations. After Parsons’ camp put the ball in the Cowboys’ court following that attempt, the player indicates the team has not contacted Mulugheta regarding an effort to resume negotiations. That brings us to today’s trade request.
Last year, Brandon Aiyuk requested a trade and was allowed to shop around while holding in with the 49ers. That process led to the parties regrouping on an extension. The 49ers had developed a reputation for waiting too long on paydays, but the Cowboys are on another tier — based on the developments in 2024 and with Parsons this year — regarding contract timing. Many other instances of trade requests leading to no change have transpired in recent years as well.
This is a long time coming for Parsons, who had expressed confusion as to why the Cowboys were waiting this long — as the edge rusher market continued to be updated with market-setting extensions — to pay him. Parsons is almost definitely the Cowboys’ best player, and even as the team paid Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb ahead of contract years in 2024, a 2025 extension always loomed for the All-Pro edge rusher. But a report earlier this week pointed to progress stopping between the parties, leading to a rumor earlier today Parsons was considering a trade ask.
Parsons had long aimed for a deal to be done by training camp, having observed how extended negotiations can affect a player’s upcoming season. Zack Martin admitted his holdout affected his 2023 season. The Cowboys have not displayed expediency here, despite Parsons becoming extension-eligible in January 2024. The team’s reputation for prolonged negotiating sessions reached a boiling point last year, when Lamb held out into late August before being paid and Prescott’s deal was not done until hours before their season opener in Cleveland.
Parsons follows Terry McLaurin in requesting a trade. Unlike McLaurin, Parsons did not begin training camp as a holdout. But the two are using a similar playbook during slow negotiations. Each is not practicing due to injury, though as the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins pointed out this week, Parsons is not receiving on-field treatment for his reported back issue. This amounts to a de facto hold-in, which is understandable given Parsons’ frustration with the team.
Lamb did not request a trade, and Prescott practiced while his deal was being negotiated. Those proceedings unfolding as they did and then the Cowboys taking this path with Parsons has led to torrents of criticism, especially with the EDGE market exploding this offseason. Maxx Crosby topped Nick Bosa‘s $34MM AAV to set a new standard in March, and Myles Garrett topped it with a whopping $40MM-per-year deal. Danielle Hunter then eclipsed Crosby’s number, albeit on a one-year add-on, and T.J. Watt set a new standard — at $41MM AAV.
That market explosion sets up Parsons with a clear chance to enter the season as the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher, seeing as he is 26 — nearly four years younger than Garrett and five years younger than Watt. The Cowboys could see the price rise higher if the Lions pay Aidan Hutchinson before the season, but Jerry Jones has let it be known that is not exactly a chief concern.
The owner’s deep pockets notwithstanding, the Cowboys will still see an inflated Parsons rate affect their ability to build rosters long term, especially as Prescott is tied to a record-smashing extension (no player is within $5MM AAV of Dallas’ QB) and Lamb being on the league’s third-most lucrative WR deal.
Although multiple trade rumors cropped up between last season and the early offseason, the Cowboys should not be expected to budge here. They have a track record, cost notwithstanding, of completing big-ticket deals. Dallas also showed a willingness to bend on its preferred five- and six-year term-length preference — an outdated model as the cap continues to spike — by giving Prescott and Lamb four-year deals. We heard earlier this offseason term length could be an issue here, and while it is odd neither Jerry or Stephen Jones has negotiated directly with Parsons’ agent, the team almost always finishes these agreements.
Dallas also has not been shy about unholstering the franchise tag. That would be an obvious option with Parsons if the Cowboys cannot move past the finish line before Week 1. They went to that well with Prescott in 2020, after spending much of the 2019 offseason negotiating with Prescott. The sides did not wrap that negotiation until March 2021, as Prescott’s price steadily climbed — to the point the Cowboys executed a wildly player-friendly deal. That preceded Prescott scoring historically player-friendly terms on his $60MM-per-year extension. The Cowboys waiting with Parsons will only increase the price, barring a major injury.
The Cowboys could waive fines if Parsons did shift to a holdout, with the CBA granting them that choice due to the decorated EDGE being on a rookie deal. Even if the Cowboys (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter) have not traded a player coming off a Pro Bowl season since dealing Super Bowl-years safety Thomas Everett in 1994, they would run into considerable trouble if Parsons threatened to miss games. When Parsons has been on the field from 2021-24, Dallas has ranked as the NFL’s best defense (per EPA); they have, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, ranked as the second-worst during this span when Parsons is off the field.
Parsons has not technically made the threat to hold out, though his trade request does move him down that road. A true holdout would mean sacrificing $1.41MM each week. This situation has gotten ugly, a scenario that certainly could have been prevented with an earlier extension.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Chargers, Keenan Allen Discussing Reunion
The second-leading receiver in Chargers history is discussing a reunion with his initial NFL team. Keenan Allen said in January he would aim for either a Bears re-signing or a return to California. The latter option appears in play.
Allen is meeting with the Chargers today, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. Mutual interest exists here, as Jim Harbaugh did not slam the door on an Allen comeback in April. After longtime Allen sidekick Mike Williams retired before his second Bolts stint was to begin, a veteran opening exists here.
Although Allen is more of a slot player at this point in his career, the Chargers are determining if he and Ladd McConkey can coexist. McConkey seized command of the Bolts’ receiving corps last year, being drafted weeks after the team traded Allen to the Bears. After Chicago used a 2025 second-round pick on Luther Burden, Allen’s path back to the team looked to be blocked. A recent report indicated Allen was drawing interest, and the Chargers appear to be one of the teams open to a signing.
The Chargers have a locked-in top target in McConkey, but they do not have much certainty beyond him. The team has not seen 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston justify his draft slot, and rookies — post-Williams — are otherwise being asked to step in. Los Angeles added another second-round wideout, Tre Harris, and used a fifth-round selection on KeAndre Lambert-Smith. While Allen is 33 and nearing the end of his career, he could still probably provide a solid supporting-cast option. The Bolts are undoubtedly seeing what such a move will cost.
Allen’s 10,530 receiving yards trail only 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Antonio Gates (11,841) in Bolts history. Allen also trails Gates in terms of years of service with the franchise (16-11). Not certain to join Gates or Charlie Joiner in Canton, Allen is an all-time Chargers great who provided an important No. 1 presence during Philip Rivers‘ later years and Justin Herbert‘s rookie contract. Allen posted six 1,000-yard seasons with the Bolts, his most recent producing a career-high 95.6 yards per game.
After Allen’s 1,243-yard season, hard feelings emerged after the Chargers attempted to give him a pay cut. This came as the Bolts made four major moves to reach cap compliance in Joe Hortiz‘s first year as GM. The team gave Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack pay cuts and released Mike Williams. Allen was then traded to the Bears for a fourth-round pick. It proved interesting that Allen was willing to return to the Chargers under this regime, but it being in the city where he lived for 11 years upon becoming a pro obviously matters a great deal.
Last season, Allen became a regular Caleb Williams target. At 32, he caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. The Bears did not adjust Allen’s $20MM-per-year deal upon acquiring him, letting it expire in March. Allen’s Chicago-or-L.A.-or-retirement pledge has not produced a known update yet, even as a recent report indicated multiple teams were interested. Allen has not been closely linked to another team, making these rather important Chargers talks.
A six-time Pro Bowler, Allen is running out of time to submit a Hall of Fame case. The Chargers giving him a chance to add important contributions to a playoff-caliber team would help in that regard. Allen joins Amari Cooper as accomplished unsigned 30-somethings at the position, as DeAndre Hopkins, Stefon Diggs and Tyler Lockett found homes months ago.
49ers Did Not Offer Charvarius Ward Extension; Latest On Colts’ CB Corps
Charvarius Ward landed on his feet in free agency, joining a few third-contract-seeking cornerbacks in collecting a nice payday on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. That market settled in between $16-$18MM per year, and Ward landed a deal on the high end of that range by signing with the Colts.
The All-Pro corner’s three-year, $54MM deal matched the pacts given to Carlton Davis and Byron Murphy, and it came after a down year for Ward in San Francisco. Ward mourned the loss of his 1-year-old daughter, who died in October. Ward missed three games, but he admitted his 49ers tenure was going south independent of his personal tragedy.
“Even before everything happened with my baby, I really wasn’t super motivated,” Ward said, via The Athletic’s Michael Silver. “Because after the year I had in ‘23, I wanted a contract extension — because I wanted to stay — and I knew I wasn’t getting a contract offer. They came to me and kind of told me what it was, ’cause they had (other) people to pay. So it kind of had me in my feelings a little bit. I just never made it public.
“I was hurt when I realized I wasn’t getting a contract extension or even an offer for an extension. So, I wasn’t motivated; like, from OTAs all the way through camp, I was kind of pissed off. I knew when the season started it was a wrap for me in the Bay.”
Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers were interested in paying Ward, but their actions revealed he was almost definitely set to be a one-contract 49er. San Francisco paid their other starting corner, Deommodore Lenoir, weeks after the death of Ward’s daughter. Lenoir, more than three years younger than the 29-year-old Ward, became the corner the 49ers built their 2025 roster around. Ward joins Kenny Moore in a suddenly pricey Colts CB corps. The 49ers also let the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks walk; they have since paid Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner as well.
PFR’s No. 23 free agent, Ward will be expected to reprise his 2023 form in Indianapolis. He earned second-team All-Pro acclaim for that season, which produced a 49ers NFC championship. In 2024, however, Ward yielded 61.5% accuracy as the closest defender. This corresponded with a rise in passer rating allowed (116.6 – up from 2023’s 64.5 number). Pro Football Focus had rated Ward as a top-six corner in both 2022 and ’23, but it dropped him to 93rd. Despite moving close to 30, Ward commanded a big market — one that included interest from the Saints and Chiefs.
Ward and Moore will anchor Indy’s CB cadre, but the team has seen rookie Justin Walley push for a starting role. Walley drew praise during the Colts’ offseason program, but other competitors for the team’s boundary job opposite Ward (Jaylon Jones, Julius Brents) were down with injuries. Hamstring issues have limited both in training camp as well. Walley has since continued his ascent to the point he appears the favorite to be the team’s third CB starter, The Athletic’s James Boyd notes. The Colts have given the third-round pick first-team work alongside Moore and Ward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.
Although Walley worked with the starters during the first week of Colts camp, Erickson notes the competition is not over. Jones made 27 starts from 2023-24, helping the team cover for Brents’ injury trouble. Brents is a former second-round pick who arrived just before the Isaiah Rodgers gambling scandal emerged, but the Indianapolis native has played only 11 games in two seasons.
Walley was rumored to be a Moore heir apparent in the slot. At 5-foot-11, the Minnesota alum has filled in for the veteran staple there during camp as well. Moore is not in any danger of being displaced this year, but the Colts look ready to give Walley a big role in the not-too-distant future. That may start on the perimeter this season.
Cowboys To Bring Back T La’el Collins
After meeting with La’el Collins, the Cowboys have a deal in place. Although the Micah Parsons news will overshadow anything Cowboys today (and for the foreseeable future), the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris reports they have a deal in place with Collins.
This deal may not be final yet, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, but Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz confirms Harris’ report of an agreement. The contract is pending a physical, per Schultz, and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicates the Cowboys will officially process the transaction Saturday. While working out Collins, the Cowboys also auditioned veteran tackle Geron Christian, Wilson adds.
Collins has not seen regular-season action since suffering ACL and MCL tears as a Bengal in 2022, though he has latched on with multiple teams since his September 2023 Cincinnati release. Collins, 32, reunited with the Cowboys to close the 2023 season but did not see any game action. Collins did not make the Bills’ 53-man roster last summer and spent the season out of football. The Cowboys are giving him a chance at another year.
The Cowboys deployed Collins as both a guard and tackle starter, grabbing the first-round talent as a UDFA back in 2015. The team moved Collins to right tackle in 2017, and he worked as — a missed 2020 season notwithstanding — the team’s RT starter over the next five seasons. The Cowboys rewarded Collins with two extensions but shed the second one from their payroll in 2021, leading to the Bengals signing. Collins did not make it through a season in Cincinnati, and the team released him from the reserve/PUP list months later.
For his career, Collins has made 86 starts (71 with Dallas). This profiles as a last chance of sorts, due to the time the LSU product has been away from regular-season action. The Cowboys have run into a key O-line injury, with left tackle starter Tyler Guyton expected to miss several weeks due to a bone fracture and sprained knee. They also are without free agent guard addition Robert Jones. The team has Terence Steele entrenched at right tackle, but Jones is a key swing option following the first-round selection of Tyler Booker. All-Pro Tyler Smith is locked in at left guard, with the Cowboys resisting a move back to tackle for the ascending performer. At this point in his career, Collins would be a depth option at best. But he is one the Cowboys appear to need right now.
Offseason In Review: Seattle Seahawks
Hovering somewhere between the Saints and Steelers in the NFL’s middle class over the past few years, the Seahawks made significant offseason changes. They swapped out two known commodities on offense, dealing away Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf before adding less reliable figures to replace the two cornerstones. Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp‘s performances will go a long way toward determining if the Seahawks can make a level jump this year.
Beyond that, John Schneider‘s second offseason with full roster control led to a major offensive line investment in the draft. In a division with Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, the Seahawks have an annually difficult task. Will their offensive adjustments move the needle in what should be a more difficult NFC West compared to 2024?
Trades:
- Traded QB Geno Smith to Raiders for No. 92
- Dealt WR D.K. Metcalf, No. 185 to Steelers in exchange for Nos. 52, 223
- Sent QB Sam Howell, No. 172 to Vikings for No. 142
Smith’s contract became an issue for a second straight offseason. While the Seahawks were ready to renegotiate this year — not the case in 2024 — they moved on. This wrapped a six-year partnership with Smith, who had moved from a low-priority player — the Seahawks cut the former Russell Wilson backup for roster-rearranging purposes in 2019 — to a starter who had clearly established himself as a midlevel option. The Seahawks were just not ready to greenlight an upper-middle-class payday to retain the late-blooming arm.
Mike Macdonald endorsed a second Smith starter-level payday coming off a 10-7 season, and early expectations pointed to that eventually happening after talks began in February. Smith, though, tabbed his value in a different salary bracket than the Seahawks wanted to enter.
After evaluating Smith for three-plus years (counting an injury fill-in stretch in 2021), Schneider deemed him worthy of a slight raise — but not one that would have vaulted the QB near the $50MM-per-year club. Smith was believed to be eyeing a deal between $40 and $45MM per annum. That is now well off the top tier, thanks to the $50MM-AAV club’s expansion, but the Seahawks are believed to have offered Smith a deal that resembled the Darnold terms (three years, $100.5MM). Smith rejected it, and the team moved on.
Smith, 35 in October, did not land the contract he sought from the Raiders. His reunion with Pete Carroll brought a two-year, $75MM extension. A key difference between Smith and Darnold’s deals, though, involves fully guaranteed money. Smith secured $58.5MM at signing. Not only is that north of where the Seahawks went for Darnold, it marks a sizable bump from what Smith received on his previous Seattle pact. Carroll and Schneider signed off on a three-year, $75MM contract in 2023. This was essentially a pay-as-you-go deal, as it contained only $27.3MM at signing.
Smith hovered in no-man’s land in terms of QB AAV on that contract, checking in north of backup money but well south of true franchise-level dough. The Seahawks rebuffed Smith’s hopes of an adjustment last year, as two seasons remained on his contract, but he did not escape the QB middle class even after securing a coveted update. Smith is set to enter the season as the NFL’s 17th-highest-paid passer (his previous deal would have checked in 20th). Only Darnold and Baker Mayfield, the latter having outplayed his 2024 Buccaneers contract, are in his neighborhood. Considering Smith’s age and atypical profile, moving toward $45MM AAV was not realistic.
Although Smith posted better marks compared to his Comeback Player of the Year season in completion percentage (70.4) and passing yards (4,320), the season came with an interception uptick (a career-high 15). Initially being placed in a competition with Drew Lock following the Wilson blockbuster trade, Smith surprised most by reemerging as an NFL starter. The Seahawks could not ultimately land great value in a trade for the elevated asset, though using the third-round pick on quarterback Jalen Milroe brings symmetry.
Raiders trade talks included a Seahawks offer of Smith and Metcalf in a package that would have brought back Maxx Crosby. Unsurprisingly, Las Vegas declined. But days after the Smith swap, Seattle moved Metcalf. The big-bodied weapon had requested a trade, and while Schneider said this situation did not feature animosity or a major value discrepancy, the team bailed on a six-year contributor. Metcalf, 27, had requested a trade in the past. The Steelers rewarded him with a four-year, $131.99MM extension ($60MM at signing). That dwarfed his Seattle terms (3/72); Metcalf is now the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid receiver.
That placement is bullish on a player who is 2-for-6 in Pro Bowl nods and one who was not a regular red zone threat during Smith’s time. Metcalf has three 1,000-yard seasons on his resume and has never finished south of 900, representing consistency. An argument can be made the Steelers paid higher-end WR1 money for a second-tier wideout, but the AFC North team had pursued Metcalf in 2024 — a year filled with Pittsburgh WR inquiries. This worked out well for Metcalf, who followed college teammate A.J. Brown in already collecting a second extension out of the 2019 second round.
The Seahawks had targeted a first-round pick for Metcalf, but the wide receiver eyeing an extension that surpassed $30MM per year stood to limit the return. Unsurprisingly, Seattle pulled off a deal after reducing its asking price. Metcalf played a lead role in Wilson’s late-prime years — a stretch that may need to be isolated if the declining QB is to reach the Hall of Fame — and delivered quality (if unspectacular) work with Smith.
Metcalf’s durability also factored into the trade price, as fellow 2019 second-rounder-turned-contract-year trade piece Deebo Samuel only brought the 49ers a fifth. As Metcalf moved toward a contract year, however, Schneider pivoted and will build around Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Howell has been traded twice in two years; he became expendable after Lock’s return. The team waited until it acquired Milroe to make the move, sending Howell to Minnesota. Smith played all 17 Seahawk games last season, keeping Howell on the sideline after he started all 17 Commander tilts in 2023. The former fifth-round pick is in a contract year, being set to back up J.J. McCarthy after an uneventful Seattle stop.
Free agency additions:
- Sam Darnold, QB. Three years, $100.5MM ($37.5MM guaranteed)
- Cooper Kupp, WR. Three years, $45MM ($17.5MM guaranteed)
- DeMarcus Lawrence, OLB. Three years, $32.5MM ($13MM guaranteed)
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR. One year, $4MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Josh Jones, OL. One year, $4MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Drew Lock, QB. Two years, $5MM ($2.25MM guaranteed)
- Shaquill Griffin, CB. One year, $3MM ($1.75MM guaranteed)
- Eric Saubert, TE. One year, $1.42MM ($518K guaranteed)
- D’Anthony Bell, S. One year, $1.37MM ($225K guaranteed)
- Shemar Jean-Charles, CB. One year, $1.3MM ($50K guaranteed)
- Steven Sims, WR. One year, $1.17MM
The Raiders did not think highly of Darnold, leading to the Smith trade. Shortly after that swap, however, it became known the Seahawks would make an aggressive push for PFR’s No. 1 free agent. Darnold’s Minnesota breakthrough attracted several teams’ interest — in a year featuring unexciting free agents and, beyond Cam Ward, a maligned draft crop — but ended up with a franchise that did not have a need at the position until just before free agency.
An Aaron Rodgers rumor surfaced re: Seattle, as Schneider was in Green Bay when the team drafted the future Hall of Famer, but a Darnold deal was done less than 24 hours later. The Mayfield contract shaped his 2018 draft classmate’s. The Buccaneers have their starter on a three-year, $100MM deal. Though, the former No. 1 overall pick’s better track record led to a $40MM guarantee at signing. Darnold did not reach that point, and the Seahawks designed a Derek Carr-like deal that created an out next February.
An additional $17.5MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LX. That matches the Raiders’ 2022 Carr deal. The AFC West team escaped the contract shortly after Super Bowl LVII; will the Seahawks send Darnold back to free agency after one season?
Darnold’s 35-touchdown pass season also brought outlier numbers, based on Darnold’s Jets and Panthers work, in completion rate (66.2%) and yardage (4,319). He powered the Vikings to a 14-3 season and elevated Kevin O’Connell to Coach of the Year honors. A rough ending to the season also became part of the Darnold free agency package, as the Lions and Rams routed the Vikings — the QB took nine sacks in the wild-card loss. The Vikings also had J.J. McCarthy readying to take over, and even though Darnold would have brought far more 2025 certainty, Minnesota passed on a franchise tag.
Teams showed interest in Darnold. The Steelers and Giants were among them. Darnold’s shaky run in New York and Carolina clearly limited his market, as no true multiyear guarantee appeared available to the former No. 3 overall pick. Darnold sought a bigger guarantee, but this pay-as-you-go Seattle deal looked to be the best he could muster. Thus, a “prove it” year will either be the bridge to another Seahawks contract or lead a regressing passer to the 2026 market.
Darnold’s Seattle success will need to feature regular contributions from Kupp, who will return to his native Washington. Drafted out of Division I-FCS Eastern Washington in 2017, Kupp emerged as a go-to target for Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. His 2021 season remains one of the greatest in the history of the receiver position. The slot performer won the triple crown and both approached Calvin Johnson‘s regular-season receiving record and Larry Fitzgerald‘s postseason mark. Kupp’s 2,425 combined receiving tally is the most in a season, and the Super Bowl LVI MVP parlayed that dominant performance into a three-year, $80MM extension that included a substantial guarantee.
Kupp’s compensation became an issue quickly, after injury-plagued 2022, ’23 and ’24 seasons. Missing 18 games from 2022-24, Kupp was due a $7.5MM roster bonus in March. The Rams cut bait and replaced him with Davante Adams. Kupp, though, commanded widespread interest. He was linked to the Patriots, Jaguars, Broncos, Packers, Titans, Raiders, Saints and Cowboys. But an opportunity to come home and replace Metcalf appealed to the 32-year-old wideout, whose contract also allows for the Seahawks to move on fairly cleanly after one season.
February 13 will be a seminal Seahawks date. The same day the team must decide on Darnold’s $17.5MM guarantee will bring a Kupp call, as a $9MM guarantee will vest on that date. The team has Kupp on a fairly favorable deal; his injuries and age suppressed his value here. Kupp is NFL’s 25th-highest-paid receiver. Injury leeriness is baked into this deal, with ankle and hamstring trouble sidelining Kupp since his impact Super Bowl. An ACL tear also appears on Kupp’s medical sheet. He will attempt to work as a Smith-Njigba complementary piece.
Lawrence landed on his feet still and will reunite with ex-Cowboys position coach Aden Durde. The second-year Seahawks DC coached Lawrence from 2021-23. Going into his age-33 season, Lawrence commanded interest beyond the “prove it” level his Lisfranc injury seemingly could have required. Prior to the truncated 2024, however, Pro Football Focus graded Lawrence as a top-12 edge defender six times in the previous seven years.
The well-rounded defensive end secured two Cowboys extensions but lost value after missing 13 games last season. Lawrence anchored Dallas’ D-line before Micah Parsons‘ arrival and transitioned into a high-end sidekick under Durde. Lawrence also stayed healthy in 2022 and ’23, playing 17 games in each season. The Seahawks also protected themselves in case the four-time Pro Bowler does not pan out. In only guaranteeing 2025 salary, Seattle would owe barely $4MM in 2026 dead money in the event of a release. Like Darnold and Kupp, the Seahawks managed a careful contract here.
Fresh off hijacking the Giants’ hopes at landing Ward at No. 1 overall (via a Week 17 upset win over the Colts), Lock returned to Seattle on a pay cut. He played for $4MM with the 2023 Seahawks and $5MM with the ’24 Giants. He is now at $2.5MM per annum.
49ers Work Out Jeff Wilson, Ameer Abdullah
July 31: The 49ers are signing Abdullah after his tryout on Thursday, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. A thin running back room in San Francisco may give the 10-year veteran a chance at making the 53-man roster as a kick returner who can provide depth in the backfield.
July 30: Jeff Wilson has spent the past his entire career in roughly the same scheme, rejoining ex-49ers OC Mike McDaniel after a 2022 deadline deal. After playing out his Dolphins contract, Wilson has lingered in free agency for four-plus months.
The 49ers are back on the radar for their former UDFA find. Wilson went through a workout with his original NFL team Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport. Wilson played with the 49ers from 2018 until that November 2022 trade. He joined ex-Browns and Jaguars backup D’Ernest Johnson at the audition.
Additionally, the 49ers brought in veteran tackle Cameron Fleming for a recent workout, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds. Fleming played in one Broncos game last season, rejoining the team he played for from 2021-23.
Wilson had re-signed with the Dolphins on a two-year, $6MM deal in 2023 but accepted a pay cut in 2024. The Dolphins added De’Von Achane in the 2023 third round and turned to him as a rookie, preceding Wilson adjusting his 2024 Miami terms (one year, $1.75MM). Achane received more work in 2024, reducing 2023 NFL touchdown leader Raheem Mostert to a backup and Wilson to an afterthought. Wilson totaled just 15 carries for 57 yards last season.
For his career, Wilson has logged only 531 carries. The 49ers traded him to the Dolphins shortly after acquiring Christian McCaffrey via trade, but Wilson still gained a career-high 860 yards (between San Francisco and Miami work) that season. He amassed 600 rushing yards (4.8 per carry) and seven touchdowns for the 2020 49ers. Mostert is now a Raider, and Wilson (30 in November) has a chance to head west as well.
The 49ers have Isaac Guerendo positioned as their top McCaffrey backup, having traded Jordan Mason to the Vikings in March. San Francisco is ready to redeploy McCaffrey, but his extensive injury history should call for depth to be prioritized. The 49ers did use a fifth-round pick on Oregon’s Jordan James, and ex-Packer reserve Patrick Taylor is on the 90-man roster. Wilson would certainly bring scheme familiarity to go with a light career workload.
In addition to auditioning Jeff Wilson, the 49ers (per Aaron Wilson) had Ameer Abdullah at the audition. Abdullah has lasted 10 years in the NFL, playing the past three with the Raiders. Las Vegas used Abdullah as a backup and kick returner, though more in the latter capacity, during his tenure. The former Lions second-round pick did make three starts last season, when he rushed for 311 yards — his most since 2017 — but he has made five total starts over the past seven seasons.
Abdullah spent four seasons with the Lions but did not impress much as a starter. At 32, he has still managed to impress a host of coaching staffs and stick in the league for an extended period.
Fleming worked as a regular starter for the Broncos in 2021, after the Ja’Wuan James offsite injury saga, before becoming a swing backup in ’22. The Broncos have enjoyed good health along their O-line over the past two seasons, and Fleming was not needed for the most part. Last year, the 11-year veteran caught on with Denver in-season. Mostly a swingman throughout his career, Fleming (33 in September) has played in 118 games with 62 starts.
The 49ers have Andre Dillard rostered as a swing option, though he has mostly played left tackle as a pro. They did not ultimately do a deal with D.J. Humphries, also waiving Nicholas Petit-Frere after a brief stint. Trent Williams missed nearly half of last season due to injury, and the 49ers lost swingman Jaylon Moore to a $15MM-per-year Chiefs deal. Converted guard Spencer Burford represents an option behind starting RT Colton McKivitz, but Fleming would provide considerably more tackle experience if called upon.
Joe Flacco To Take Bulk Of Browns’ First-Team Reps; Shedeur Sanders Highly Unlikely To Win Job
The extraordinarily rare four-man quarterback competition unfolding in Cleveland is ongoing, but adjustments are being made. Kenny Pickett is out with a hamstring injury, giving Joe Flacco a wider runway to reacquire the job.
While Pickett recovers, Kevin Stefanski said (via ESPN.com’s Daniel Oyefusi) Flacco will take the bulk of the first-team reps. Flacco did not take as many offseason reps, but because of his 2023 Browns showing, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer indicates he received what amounted to a first-round bye in this battle ahead of training camp.
Flacco proved he remained a capable starter during a serviceable but unremarkable Colts stint, but his elevating a battered Browns offense to a playoff berth in 2023 carries considerable weight. The Browns are obviously evaluating how a 40-year-old Flacco differs from his 38-year-old version, but with Pickett down, the 18th-year veteran has a chance to impress and start a season opener for the first time since filling in for Zach Wilson in 2022. This would be Flacco’s 14th time earning a Week 1 NFL start.
As Flacco enjoys a strong opportunity to grab the reins, Shedeur Sanders does not look to have a chance at the Week 1 gig. Sanders entered the Browns’ offseason program “far behind” Flacco, Pickett and third-rounder Dillon Gabriel, Breer adds, and is trying to catch up. Sanders received extensive criticism for his strange approach to the pre-draft process, but beyond proving difficult in interviews with teams (as a recruiting-type mentality is believed to have taken place on the QB’s part), Sanders drew attention for being behind from a football knowhow perspective, according to Breer.
The two-year Colorado starter being as far behind as he was during pre-draft meetings surprised some, Breer adds, and he fell into fourth place during the Browns’ offseason workouts due in part to lagging on the football IQ front. To open camp, the first-team reps primarily went to Flacco and Pickett, with Gabriel taking the leftover work. Operating as an inverse option to Sanders thus far, Gabriel has impressed with his football IQ while presenting a less-than-ideal frame (at 5-foot-10) and skillset.
The Browns plan to stop sending out two offensive units simultaneously, a tactic deployed due to the unique four-man QB battle, according to Stefanski. This transition will lead to fewer reps, further increasing Sanders’ degree of difficulty as a developmental option. As it stands, Sanders faces a “Super Bowl LI”-like uphill climb to win the job, Breer concludes, adding he has gained ground since workouts started.
Although Sanders was a much-rumored first-round candidate, falling to fifth for myriad reasons made it unrealistic he would win the Browns’ Week 1 job. Fifth-round rookies are almost never in QB competitions in the first place, making this training camp more of a developmental stage for the second-generation pro.
At the preseason’s conclusion, the Browns will need to decide if they want to carry four quarterbacks — a genuine possibility — on their 53-man roster. Gabriel looks close to a roster lock here, with Sanders the wild card. Pickett’s injury would open a door for the Browns regarding an IR move, as a way to retain both rookies, but it would seem unlikely the team would proceed that way with a player firmly in the mix for the Week 1 job. (The team is not planning to trade one of its rookie arms.) Sanders would need to pass through waivers to reach Cleveland’s practice squad, further complicating the situation.
Jimmy Haslam also fielded a question about Arch Manning this week. While the owner cannot realistically comment on the Browns’ path to the soon-to-be Texas starter, he did voice a belief (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) the QB will stay in school for the 2026 season (kicking the can to the 2027 draft). Haslam mentioned his relationship with the Manning family in offering that prediction.
Even if Manning is unlikely to declare for the 2026 draft, next year is projected to include a much deeper class compared to 2025. The Browns having two first-round picks seemingly came in preparation for that. For now, Gabriel and Sanders continue to make their cases about future duty while the Flacco-Pickett veteran matchup represents the far more likely decider for Week 1 this season.
Trey Hendrickson Not Seeing Bengals Talks Shift; Guarantees Remain Issue
Following Terry McLaurin, Trey Hendrickson reported to training camp after a brief holdout. The Bengals can no longer levy nonwaivable $50K fines daily, but they will not see the disgruntled defensive end suit up for practice.
Hendrickson will also follow the Commanders wideout in staging a hold-in; unlike McLaurin, no injury designation is covering this tactic. Hendrickson (via the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway) is healthy and not working out due to dissatisfaction with his Bengals negotiations.
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Although Hendrickson reporting to camp can be interpreted as a positive sign, the 2024 sack leader squashed a notion of improvement by saying (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) “nothing has changed” with regard to his Bengals impasse. Though, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz indicates Hendrickson does plan to attend Bengals meetings to stay engaged while embroiled in this dispute.
Hendrickson wants future salary guarantees, a contract dealbreaker — for non-Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase performers — in Cincinnati. A report indicated Hendrickson rejected multiple Bengals offers following the franchise’s traditional structure, which features no post-Year 1 salary guarantees, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed (during a Pat McAfee Show appearance) locked-in money represents the final hurdle here. The parties are believed to be in agreement on total value.
The Bengals are not willing to budge much on guarantees, per Schefter, who indicates the parties are far apart here. Schefter pointed to a roughly $10MM guarantee gap existing while adding, in a notable inclusion, the Bengals have discussed a partial guarantee for Year 2 of the extension. We broached this as a possible middle ground in the latest Trade Rumors Front Office post, though Hendrickson is displeased with the amount of guaranteed money the team is willing to provide post-Year 1. For 2025, however, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero note Hendrickson would receive a “huge” raise.
Cincy broke with its guarantee M.O. for Chase while tying Tee Higgins to a traditional deal. Higgins being paid almost definitely is affecting Hendrickson, as all signs were pointing to Higgins departing — in free agency or via a tag-and-trade move — in 2025. Burrow’s persistent lobbying undoubtedly swayed the Bengals on Higgins, and the QB is still pushing for a Hendrickson extension. Considering the weight Burrow holds, his latest endorsement is notable.
“This is the guy that has the most sacks over the last two years,” Burrow said, via SI.com’s Russ Heltman. “Production is value in this league. I know you can think you’re such a good player, but to not have any production doesn’t really matter. So when you have a guy like that, you want to reward him.”
Burrow made a public plea to the Bengals on Hendrickson in May as well. Hendrickson and the Bengals being in agreement regarding value is an important takeaway here, but with the perennial Pro Bowler set to turn 31 later this year, ensuring protections beyond the first year of an extension represents an important negotiating component. An AAV number has not surfaced, but it would stand to reason it would be close to the $35.6MM figure Danielle Hunter agreed to with the Texans ahead of his age-31 season.
Early this summer, however, no $35MM-AAV proposal had come from the team. The Bengals had preferred to resolve this with a one-year add-on; Hendrickson already did that (in 2023), being tied to that one-year, $21MM bump. Significant updates to his position’s market have emerged since, many coming this year.
T.J. Watt raising the EDGE ceiling (to $41MM) before his age-31 campaign could also have inflated Hendrickson’s asking price; Watt’s full guarantees on a three-year deal ($108MM) likely emboldened the Cincinnati rusher as well.
While Hendrickson is unlikely to surpass that, the Bengals have seen this saga play out during an offseason in which the position’s market has seen four updates to its previous highwater mark (Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-per-year deal). Micah Parsons is at odds with the Cowboys, but that deal could affect a Hendrickson rate as well. Parsons going first and raising the market past $41MM per annum could introduce another element in the Hendrickson talks. For now, the sides remain dug in on the guarantee matter.
Seahawks To Extend GM John Schneider
The Seahawks moved John Schneider to the top of their personnel pyramid in 2024, firing Pete Carroll and giving their GM final say. A year later, the team is extending its longtime front office boss.
Schneider and the Seahawks have agreed on a four-year extension, according to FOX’s Jay Glazer. The new deal will push Schneider’s contract through 2030. Schneider has been in place as Seattle GM since 2010. Were he to finish out this contract, the Super Bowl-winning decision-maker would become one of the longest-tenured GMs in NFL history. Among pure GMs in the league today, Schneider already sits second (behind only the Saints’ Mickey Loomis) in terms of longevity.
This is Schneider’s first extension since the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade. Credited with drafting the franchise QB in the 2012 third round and building a loaded roster around him in the early 2010s, Schneider cashed out at the right time by unloading the 10-year Seattle starter for an eight-asset bounty. The Broncos gave the Seahawks two first-round picks and two seconds to headline the package, one that also included Noah Fant, Drew Lock and Shelby Harris. This armed the Seahawks in the 2022 and ’23 drafts, and key starters emerged from the haul.
While Schneider’s trade gave the Seahawks prime draft resources, the team has not turned a corner since that March 2022 swap. Wilson indeed tumbled off the star tier, to the point the Broncos needed to designate him a post-June 1 cut in 2024 and take on a record-setting dead money total to do so, but the Seahawks have not reached the heights of even the QB’s late prime. They booked a playoff berth in 2022, at 9-8, but missed the following two brackets. A 9-8 2023 season led ownership to ditch Carroll and retain Schneider, who then hired Mike Macdonald. The duo signed off on significant offseason changes this year.
After reviving Geno Smith‘s career, the Seahawks traded their three-year starter to the Raiders for a middling return (a 2025 third-rounder). D.K. Metcalf had requested a trade, and Seattle parted with the Pro Bowl wide receiver days later. The team collected a second for the six-year veteran and will retool around free agency additions Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp. This swap injects considerable risk into the equation, given Darnold’s uneven history and Kupp’s injury trouble. Both Smith and Metcalf signed extensions elsewhere this offseason.
Schneider’s previous extension had run through the 2027 draft; ownership is showing confidence the GM can steer another turnaround following the offseason shakeup. This belief undoubtedly comes from Schneider being in place when he and Carroll built one of the best NFL nuclei this century, having stacked their defense during Wilson’s rookie-contract years. This produced a dominant Super Bowl win and, despite injuries piling up a year later, another run to the game’s top stage. The Seahawks have not been back to an NFC championship game since the fateful Malcolm Butler interception, and Wilson was asked to do much more during the second half of his tenure. That still brought a host of playoff berths, but the Seahawks are attempting to elevate their operation to the Legion of Boom-era level more than a decade after the Patriots loss.
The Seahawks have booked 10 playoff trips during Schneider’s tenure, forging a successful partnership in pairing Carroll with a veteran Packers exec. They are 147-96-1 under Schneider, whose draft record slipped a bit between the Legion of Boom period and the Wilson trade. The Seahawks had not picked up a fifth-year option on a player Schneider drafted until this offseason, exercising Charles Cross‘ 2026 option. Ownership is counting on the pieces from the Wilson trade changing the equation, and Schneider has security as a new-look roster tangles with the Rams and 49ers in the NFC West.