Police Investigation Into Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Ongoing
JUNE 22: In an update on the situation which contradicts Wednesday night’s, Angie DiMichele of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes the police investigation is still ongoing. In addition, the police report indicates the unnamed victim is in fact interested in proceeding with what would be misdemeanor charges. Depending on what additional information is uncovered during the investigation, further developments could take place on this matter. Any NFL discipline will likely only be decided upon after the police investigation has concluded.
JUNE 21, 5:17pm: This investigation wrapped Wednesday, and it does not look like a charge will be filed. Police informed the alleged victim he would need to pursue a criminal charge with the state attorney, per Slater. Hill certainly does not come off looking good, despite potentially avoiding a charge, as Slater adds the second-year Dolphins pass catcher allegedly told the employee, “I can buy you and the boat” (Twitter links).
9:39am: Miami-Dade Police have begun an investigation into Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, according to Local 10 News’ Ian Margol, who reports Hill allegedly hit a worker at Haulover Marina.
A disagreement with a man working at the marina led to Hill slapping the employee, Fox Sports 640’s Andy Slater tweets. This dustup began when Hill and others attempted to board a boat without permission, per Slater, who adds police are reviewing a video that may show the alleged strike.
Hill shared an Instagram story of a Father’s Day celebration on a boat Sunday. Police were at the marina Tuesday, and Margol indicated the department confirmed an investigation is underway. The Dolphins announced Wednesday morning they are aware of the investigation.
The employee is not believed to want to press charges, per Slater, but the NFL’s personal conduct policy does not require an indictment for a suspension to take place. The Dolphins have Hill signed to a receiver-record four-year, $120MM contract. A suspension would put Hill’s guarantees at stake.
The eighth-year wide receiver has a history of off-field violence connections. He was arrested for reportedly punching and choking his pregnant girlfriend in December 2014. That arrest led to Hill’s dismissal from the Oklahoma State football team and caused him to fall to the fifth round of the 2016 draft. In 2019, audio emerged of Hill threatening the same woman, and an investigation into the then-Chiefs wideout striking his oldest child took place. The investigation did not produce an NFL suspension.
Traded to the Dolphins for a five-asset package including a first-round pick, Hill delivered another All-Pro season in 2022, doing so despite Miami playing without Tua Tagovailoa for a chunk of the slate. The perennial Pro Bowler totaled career-high marks in receptions (119) and receiving yards (1,710) in his first year with the Dolphins.
Giants Still In Talks With Saquon Barkley
The Giants have until July 17 to reach an extension agreement with Saquon Barkley. Otherwise, the Pro Bowl running back would be forced to play the season on the franchise tag. While acrimony has come out during this process, Barkley is still in talks with the Giants, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Barkley turned down multiple proposals from the Giants, one of which in the $13MM-per-year neighborhood. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has expressed frustration about the leaks from the team’s side during the talks, and the Giants’ previous top offer — which was taken off the table after team applied the tag in March — is not believed to have been favorable on the guarantee side.
Offer No. 1 came during the Giants’ bye week last season, and it was believed to be north of $12MM per year. But Barkley and the Giants did not come close to a deal at that point. The second proposal came this offseason, when the Giants attempted to keep both Barkley and Daniel Jones off the market. They succeeded, extending the fifth-year quarterback minutes before the franchise tag deadline. The third phase of discussions began shortly after the draft, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy (Twitter link). Since the Barkley tag, however, not much has come out regarding terms.
The prospect of Barkley missing training camp — absent a long-term deal by the July extension date — has emerged, but Rapoport notes the Penn State product should not be expected to follow in Le’Veon Bell‘s footsteps by skipping the season. While Barkley responded in the affirmative when asked if this strategy was in play, the sixth-year back passing on a $10.9MM guaranteed salary has never been a likely scenario.
While the Giants pulling their offer to Barkley suggested these negotiations could take a bad turn, Rapoport adds a deal should not be considered out of the question. The 26-year-old back is the team’s most popular player, and few running backs are as important to their respective franchises. That said, Barkley went through three injury-plagued seasons prior to a breakthrough contract year.
The Giants being hesitant to provide a substantial guarantee is understandable, and the running back market losing two top contracts (Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook) this offseason while seeing the other free agent backs struggle did not help the tagged contingent (Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard). Jacobs has expressed disappointment with his time on the tag as well.
The Giants have used their franchise tag seven times since the tag’s 1993 inception and have never failed to hammer out an extension, though two players did play on the tag before being re-signed following a second tag. The team reached an agreement with tackle Jumbo Elliott in 1993 and extended punter Steve Weatherford in 2012. Both Jason Pierre-Paul and Leonard Williams were tagged twice; each signed an extension following the second tag (in 2017 and 2021, respectively).
Barkley bucking that trend would certainly be a notable development for the team, which has also given a big-money deal to Dexter Lawrence this offseason. But if the Giants do not submit an offer with at least $22.2MM guaranteed — which would cover a second Barkley tag in 2024 — it will put the dynamic back to a tough decision.
Poll: Who Will Sign Dalvin Cook?
Indicating on multiple occasions he plans to take his time during his first go-round in free agency, Dalvin Cook is surveying the field. The six-year Vikings running back is believed to have attracted interest from a few teams, but the market has not produced many known suitors yet.
When determining a Cook destination, it is probably logical to start with the Dolphins. Cook is a Miami native who dropped a bit of a hint about his hopes after the Vikings released him. Mutual interest is believed to exist between these parties, and while the Dolphins are not planning to give Cook a contract on par with the $12.6MM-per-year deal he signed with the Vikes back in 2020, they are expected to make an offer.
Miami adding Cook would crowd its backfield, given the re-signings of ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charges Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, along with Myles Gaskin (though, Gaskin’s deal contains no guarantees). The team also drafted Texas A&M’s Devon Achane in Round 3. Cook would fit in on a Dolphins team loading up around Tua Tagovailoa‘s rookie contract. Tyreek Hill‘s deal represents the only notable skill-position contract on Miami’s payroll, and Tagovailoa is due to count only $9.63MM against the team’s cap this season. Next year becomes trickier, with Tua’s fifth-year option bumping his cap number to $23.17MM.
Elsewhere in the AFC East, the Jets have not exactly made their desperation a secret. They have brought in three veteran skill cogs already, in Allen Lazard, Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb, to team with Aaron Rodgers. New York features a question at running back, with Breece Hall coming off ACL surgery. But the 2022 second-round pick is on track to be ready for Week 1. The Jets have Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight and fifth-round rookie Israel Abanikanda. The Bills appear less needy, having signed Damien Harris and Latavius Murray. But the team does roster Dalvin’s younger brother, James Cook, and is aiming to capitalize on a Super Bowl window that has been open for years.
Beyond the competitive AFC East, the Bengals loom as an interesting option. They are still planning to seek a Joe Mixon pay cut. A refusal by the six-year starter would deal a blow to a locked-and-loaded offense, but in the event the $12MM-per-year back balks, the Bengals would check Cook boxes of a contender with a clear need. That said, Mixon would not have many options were he to refuse a cut. It will be interesting to see how much of a reduction Cincy requests.
The Ravens have seen their J.K. Dobbins–Gus Edwards backfield plan thrown off course by injuries, and considering the aggressive moves to bolster a long-shaky receiver situation, would Baltimore consider a veteran back without major injury questions? Cook has said he is recovered from the February shoulder surgery he underwent. The Browns are likely to explore the addition of a Nick Chubb backup, though the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the team is unlikely to chase a Cook- or Ezekiel Elliott-level back for this role.
The NFC East profiles as another division to watch here. Elliott remains in play to return to Dallas on a significant pay reduction; Cook would be an upgrade on the popular Cowboy. But how much money would the team be comfortable shelling out during an offseason in which it tagged Tony Pollard at $10.9MM? Washington has Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson rostered, but the team is looking into former Eric Bieniemy Chiefs charge Kareem Hunt. Cook may need to compromise on his interest in landing with a contender, given the uncertainty surrounding likely Commanders QB1 Sam Howell. But the team’s running back interest should be factored into this equation.
Last month, the Buccaneers were connected to the pursuit of a veteran to complement Rachaad White. Cook would be overqualified for such a role, and Tampa Bay’s post-Tom Brady contender status is in question. But the Bucs, their Chase Edmonds acquisition notwithstanding, profile as a team that could stand to add a backfield piece. The Broncos initially came out as a team monitoring the four-time 1,100-yard rusher, joining the Dolphins in this regard, but they have since been mentioned as a team expected to steer clear of this market.
Kirk Cousins mentioned a potential Vikings reunion — which would need to come at a significantly reduced rate — and Cook has spoken highly of Minnesota. Though, this does not seem likely. Is there another team that should be mentioned as a Cook destination? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this summer free agency storyline in the comments section.
LB Alec Ogletree Announces Retirement
Alec Ogletree made an effort to play a 10th season last year, but the veteran linebacker will not aim to suit up this season. The former first-round pick announced his retirement (Instagram link).
One of the more successful players to enter the league from the much-maligned 2013 first round, Ogletree secured a Rams extension and started 110 games across a career spent in St. Louis, Los Angeles, New York (with the Giants and Jets) and Chicago. Ogletree picked up a second-team All-Pro honor (in 2016) and finished his career as a full-time starter, lining up with the Bears’ first-stringers throughout the 2021 season.
Known best for his Rams tenure, the off-ball linebacker began as a No. 30 overall pick during Jeff Fisher‘s regime. Fisher and then-second-year GM Les Snead signed off on the linebacker in a two-first-rounder Rams draft, which began with Tavon Austin going eighth overall. Both players fetched extensions from the Rams, but Ogletree made a bigger impact. His 2016 second-team All-Pro season included a career-high 136 tackles (nine for loss), two interceptions and a forced fumble.
That showing earned Ogletree a four-year, $42MM extension in October 2017. Despite the Rams changing HCs by hiring Sean McVay in 2017, they signed off on keeping Ogletree. Though, they reversed course during the ’18 offseason by trading the contract to the Giants. Ogletree, who combined to force 10 fumbles over his first two seasons, led the Rams in tackles during each of the four seasons he finished with the team.
The Giants kept the Georgia alum on that contract for two seasons, and he posted two pick-sixes during his Big Blue debut slate. The Giants had traded fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Rams for Ogletree and a seventh. A 2020 release led Ogletree to the Jets, with whom he only played two games. Despite the Jets cutting bait in October 2020 and Ogletree not playing again that season, he stepped in as a Bears full-timer to close out his career. In 16 Chicago starts, Ogletree made 87 tackles in 2021.
Ogletree, 31, collected just more than $40MM during his NFL run. He added 12 INTs and 7.5 sacks to a resume that includes 766 tackles (49 for loss).
Vikings Not In Rush To Complete Justin Jefferson Extension?
Last year’s wide receiver market boom set up Justin Jefferson for a monster extension, and the superstar Vikings pass catcher continued his historic ascent with a push for the first 2,000-yard receiving season. While Jefferson fell short (an NFL-most 1,809 yards), he did nothing to remove himself from the record-setting extension track.
Jefferson and the Vikings have begun discussions, but it does not sound like the team is intent on hammering out a deal before the season. Both Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have indicated a desire to have Jefferson locked down long term, though the former did not want to place a timeline on these talks. The contract is all but certain to set the market at the receiver position. But the Vikings picking up Jefferson’s fifth-year option limits the urgency on the team’s part, since that transaction pushed the All-Pro’s contract through 2024.
[RELATED: Kirk Cousins Not Expecting Contract Talks Until 2024]
Teams do not make a habit of extending non-quarterbacks with two years of control remaining, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com noted during a recent SportsCenter appearance the Vikings may not be committed to extending their top player just yet. The team is not in a rush here, per Fowler (h/t SI.com’s Joe Nelson), due to both the money involved and the rookie-contract component. Although Minnesota believes Jefferson is a cornerstone player and the league’s best wideout, the NFL’s modern history with receiver extensions may complicate matters.
Since 2014, the first year players given fifth-year options under the 2011 CBA were eligible for extensions, no team has authorized an extension for a first-round receiver before his option year. Star first-round talents like Julio Jones, A.J. Green, DeAndre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans each signed extensions during the offseason of their respective option years. Amari Cooper and Mike Williams played out their option seasons and re-signed during the ensuing offseason. A fairly extensive history exists of teams tabling receiver extensions, but Jefferson’s camp may try to force the issue.
Off to a better statistical start than any of the above-referenced receiver standouts chosen in Round 1 (or any wideout in NFL history), Jefferson skipped Vikings offseason workouts before reporting to minicamp. Jefferson plans to show for training camp, as the 2020 CBA placed stiff penalties on holdouts, but a hold-in measure should not be ruled out. Jefferson’s 4,825 receiving yards are the most through three seasons in NFL history, outpacing the previous three-year pace setter here (Randy Moss) by nearly 700. Jefferson can ramp up the pressure on a Vikings team that needs him by holding in, but if the Vikings do not cave, he will be tied to a $2.39MM salary.
Vikings negotiations with the 24-year-old phenom figure to start north of Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year deal, and while it took a backloaded deal for the Dolphins wideout t0 land that lofty per-year average, the NFC North pass catcher should be able to secure a $30MM-plus AAV without heavy backloading. The Vikings’ preference to not have injury guarantees vest a year out may be an issue for Jefferson’s camp, though the team made an exception for Cousins. That issue aside, we have not heard any major hiccups in these negotiations. If Jefferson is intent on breaking precedent and landing a monster deal ahead of his fourth season, however, some turbulence could emerge.
The 2020 CBA introduced fully guaranteed fifth-year options, and Jefferson is tied to a $19.74MM 2024 salary as a result. But the option’s existence still restricts first-round picks, while later-round selections are frequently paid before Year 4. Last year featured the receiver standouts from the 2019 second and third rounds — A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf and Diontae Johnson — secure pre-Year 4 extensions. It will be interesting to see if Jefferson is forced to wait until his fifth offseason for his payout.
Cowboys Preparing To Move LB Damone Clark Into Starting Role
With Micah Parsons having become primarily an edge rusher — though, the team is not ready to label its star sack artist a pure defensive end yet — the Cowboys have needed to make adjustments at their off-ball linebacker positions. Last year, a chunk of the playing time went to veteran Anthony Barr. But the longtime Viking is no longer on the team.
Although he arrived in Dallas late in the summer, Barr played 609 defensive snaps last season and started 10 games. The Cowboys have some big-ticket payments to authorize going forward, having deals for CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs on the radar. Parsons is not yet extension-eligible, but by the time he is, the All-Pro talent will almost definitely be in the running for a defender-record contract. As such, the team is keeping its linebacker payments low.
Dallas re-signed Leighton Vander Esch this offseason, greenlighting a raise — a two-year, $11MM deal — to keep the former first-round pick away from other suitors. The Steelers and Texans showed interest. While Vander Esch has extensive staring experience, the Cowboys are planning an in-house promotion for the three-down linebacking role alongside the sixth-year defender. Damone Clark is firmly on track to work as the Cowboys’ No. 2 linebacker, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
The Cowboys used a fifth-round pick on Clark last year, doing so despite the LSU product coming off spinal fusion surgery. Clark was not expected to play much last season, but he suited up for 10 games and made five starts. Clark played 398 defensive snaps, making 47 tackles and forcing two fumbles. Dallas confined Clark to a special teams-only role during its two playoff games, however. Pro Football Focus viewed Clark’s rookie season as a promising one, slotting him 38th among off-ball ‘backers. Clark’s rookie deal runs through 2025, giving the Cowboys an opportunity to deploy low-cost option as a long-term starter on their defensive second level.
The Cowboys have notable backups at this spot as well, having used a third-round pick on DeMarvion Overshown. They also have 2021 fourth-rounder Jabril Cox on their roster. Cox sustained a torn ACL as a rookie and has only played 45 career snaps on defense, but Machota adds the team is anticipating its other LSU linebacker product will be better two seasons removed from the knee setback. The Cowboys chose Overshown 90th overall out of Texas.
Chiefs Open To Carlos Dunlap Return?
Carlos Dunlap is not looking to retire just yet. The 13-year veteran pass rusher recently helped the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in four seasons, but the defending champions moved on with multiple defensive end additions.
Kansas City added ex-San Francisco Nick Bosa complement Charles Omenihu in free agency and, for a second straight year, used a first-round pick on an edge defender (Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah). The Chiefs have 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis in place as well, but the team released its most prominent defensive end in Frank Clark, who is now with the Broncos. Dunlap is under the impression a return for another Chiefs run is in play.
“I can help another team get one of their own or help the Chiefs again,” Dunlap said, via Forbes’ Jeff Fedotin. “The Chiefs haven’t ruled that out, but currently it’s a waiting game.”
The Chiefs added to their Clark-Karlaftis tandem by signing Dunlap in late July last year, bringing the former Pro Bowler in on a one-year deal worth $3MM. Dunlap, who essentially replaced Melvin Ingram as the Chiefs’ veteran Clark wingman, registered four sacks and 12 quarterback hits during his Chiefs season. Dunlap, however, totaled nearly as many QB pressures (20) as Clark (24) last season.
Clark’s $5MM Denver guarantee followed Leonard Floyd securing $7MM from Buffalo, helping to see a veteran edge rusher market that will likely affect the respective free agencies of Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney. Markus Golden, however, secured just $1.32MM from the Steelers ($153K guaranteed). Given Dunlap’s age (34), it will be unlikely he can land a Floyd- or Clark-level commitment. But takers may well be there, especially if teams see a training camp injury or are dissatisfied with their depth at this premium position once pads come on. Multiple teams have contacted Dunlap, per Fedotin, but no offer has emerged.
As of now, the Chiefs are going with rookie-contract performers and Omenihu, who has not topped 4.5 sacks in a season. In addition to Karlaftis and Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs also drafted BJ Thompson in the fifth round and have fourth-year backup Mike Danna (five 2022 sacks) still on the roster. This quintet staying healthy would make it difficult to envision another Dunlap deal coming to pass.
Last season allowed Dunlap to reach the 100-sack plateau; he sits on 100 even after 13 years. While Dunlap has delivered just one double-digit sack slate, he has notched at least six in 11 campaigns — including an 8.5-sack offering for the 2021 Seahawks. Dunlap joins Ingram, Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Quinn as mid-30-something edges still on the market.
Michael Thomas Did Not Aim To Test Free Agency; Latest On WR’s Saints Deal
One of the league’s restructure bastions, the Saints went to this well with Michael Thomas‘ previous contract on a few occasions. A 2023 reworking looked to point Thomas to free agency, but the former All-Pro re-signed to stay in New Orleans.
Thomas agreed to terms on a one-year, $10MM deal that comes with $6.26MM fully guaranteed. Void years spread out Thomas’ cap hit through 2027 while providing a steep 2024 penalty ($18.2MM in dead money) if the contract is not adjusted before the ’24 league year. While the 30-year-old pass catcher once signed a monster extension that made him the league’s second-highest-paid receiver, a spree of injuries during the 2020s have thrown his career off course.
For his part, Thomas said he did not make a genuine effort to leave New Orleans this offseason, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes (on Twitter). Describing the contract talk as “fluff,” the league’s single-season reception record holder said he has a great relationship with the organization. Thomas’ 2021 could have irrevocably altered this relationship, as a disagreement regarding his recovery timetable from a 2020 ankle injury preceded him missing all of that season. Thomas then missed 14 games in 2022, running his absence count to 40 during the 2020s.
The Saints included incentives in Thomas’ latest agreement, escalators that could bump the contract to $15MM in total. While Thomas’ 2010s version would be positioned to cash in, the developments since do not indicate a strong likelihood he will add to his new deal. There are $750K in incentives tied to receptions and another $750K tethered to receiving yards. The three-tiered receptions structure begins at 100, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter), including $250K bonuses for 100, 110 and 120 catches. For receiving yardage, Thomas can collect $250K bonuses at 1,000, 1,150 and 1,300.
Thomas earned his initial Saints extension — a five-year, $96.25MM pact agreed to during the 2019 offseason — on the back of consecutive first-team All-Pro honors. He led the NFL in receptions in 2018 (125) and 2019 (a record-setting 149) but only reached 40 in a seven-game 2020 slate. After four straight 1,100-plus-yard seasons to start his career, the former second-round pick has not topped 450 in a season since. The Saints have also placed a $250K bonus at the seven-touchdown barrier and another $250K bump if Thomas earns original-ballot Pro Bowl Games entry, which will only vest if the Saints make the playoffs. The other $2.5MM in incentives are even less likely to be earned, as they are tied to top-tier achievements (first-team All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP) or honors never before attained by a wideout (NFL MVP).
Although the Saints were connected to trading up for a wide receiver — believed to be USC’s Jordan Addison — in the first round, they left the draft with only sixth-rounder A.T. Perry in their class. The team has not re-signed Jarvis Landry and will count on speedy second-year UDFA Rashid Shaheed taking another step alongside Chris Olave. New Orleans also has vets Bryan Edwards, Tre’Quan Smith, James Washington, Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden rostered. But Thomas represents a key part of their receiver plan. While Thomas did not participate in New Orleans’ offseason program for a third straight year — this time due to rehab from toe surgery — he is on track to give it another go in training camp.
Steelers Sign LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Nick Kwiatkoski‘s minicamp audition with the Steelers will lead to an agreement. The Pittsburgh-area native agreed to terms with his hometown team Tuesday, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).
The veteran linebacker will head back to Pennsylvania after spending the 2022 season in Atlanta. Kwiatkoski joins Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as veteran linebackers added to the Steelers’ equation this offseason. It is a one-year deal, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter).
This marks the third Kwiatkoski contract agreement in four years, though the West Virginia alum also agreed to multiple Raiders restructures. The Raiders signed the former Bears part-time starter to a three-year, $21MM deal in 2020, but after the team cut bait in 2022, worse terms awaited from the Falcons. But Atlanta still afforded an opportunity — on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum. Considering this is a June addition after a minicamp tryout, Kwiatkoski’s Steelers terms are likely similar to what he received from the Falcons.
Drafted in the 2016 fourth round by the Bears a month after their Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman signings, Kwiatkoski ended up moving into Chicago’s starting lineup frequently over his first two seasons. He started 13 games from 2016-17, and even after the Bears made Roquan Smith a top-10 pick in 2018, they still needed Kwiatkoski for eight starts during his 2019 contract year. He parlayed that into the Raiders accord, with the Silver and Black signing he and Cory Littleton in March 2020. Neither deal worked out, and both off-ball ‘backers were gone as the Dave Ziegler–Josh McDaniels regime took over last year.
Kwiatkoski, 30, played 12 Falcons games last season, working mostly as a special-teamer. He logged 228 special teams snaps, marking his third season with at least 200 ST plays. While Kwiatkoski has started 34 career games, he profiles as a depth piece in Pittsburgh. The Bethel Park High alum joins offseason addition Tanner Muse and 2022 seventh-round pick Mark Robinson as the Steelers’ top non-Holcomb and Roberts options. Depth could be key here, with Holcomb coming off a December foot surgery.
Additionally, the Steelers released wide receiver Anthony Miller. A former Kwiatkoski Bears teammate whom the team chose in the 2018 second round, Miller has been unable to find his NFL footing since a promising 2019 season (656 receiving yards). The Bears traded Miller to the Texans in July 2021, but Houston waived him soon after. The Jaguars and Steelers took subsequent fliers later that year, and Miller ended up sticking with Pittsburgh for a bit. But he only played in one game with the Steelers. The ex-Chicago slot suffered a shoulder injury while competing for a Steelers job in training camp last year and spent the season on IR.
Key Dates Remaining On 2023 NFL Calendar
The NFL recently announced important dates for the remainder of 2023. Here are the dates to file away:
- Deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign extensions: 3pm CT, July 17
- Roster cutdown from 90 to 53 players: 3pm CT, August 29
- Post-cutdown waiver claims due: 11am CT, August 30
- Fall owners’ meetings: October 17-18
- NFL trade deadline: 3pm CT, October 31
- Vested veterans, if cut, become subject to waivers: November 1
- Deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign tenders: 3pm CT, November 14
Two of the six players tagged this year — Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne — has reached an extension agreement. Tony Pollard is the only other player to sign his franchise tender. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Evan Engram have not put pen to paper yet. Pollard, Barkley, Engram and Jacobs will have until July 17 to sign extensions. Absent any deals by July 17, these players must wait until January 2024 to resume negotiations. Teams are still permitted to trade tagged players after July 17, but only if they have signed their tender.
After revisiting the three-tiered cutdown structure over the past two years, the NFL will opt for a late-August transaction flurry. Rather than having teams trim their rosters from 90 to 85 players and then from 85 to 80 and 80 to 53, the league will reintroduce the 90-to-53 cut.
While rumors of the NFL considering moving the trade deadline back from its usual spot — the Tuesday after Week 8 — it is sticking with its modern setup. The rumored talks were to included dialogue about moving the deadline back one or two weeks, seeing as the league has extended its season by a week since slotting the trade date post-Week 8 back in 2012. Major League Baseball and the NBA have their respective trade deadlines beyond the midseason point, but the NFL will stick with its date just before that juncture.
Any vested veteran released before Nov. 1 will pass straight to free agency, which separates this class of player from those without required service time. However, all cuts will be grouped together — with players of any experience level subject to the waiver wire if cut — from Nov. 1 through season’s end.
If Barkley, Jacobs and Engram do not sign their respective tenders by Nov. 14, they will be ineligible to play in 2023. Only one player this century — Le’Veon Bell (2018) — has taken this route, though two did so in the 1990s — Washington defensive lineman Sean Gilbert (1997) and Kansas City D-lineman Dan Williams (’98).