Lions To Sign OL Trystan Colon
Dealt a blow via Frank Ragnow‘s retirement before age 30, the Lions have now lost two of their starters from a top-shelf 2024 offensive line. Kevin Zeitler‘s free agency defection (to the Titans) brought the first development here.
The Lions have options at center, considering their draft moves and Graham Glasgow‘s versatility, but they are adding another piece in the wake of the Ragnow news. Detroit is bringing in Trystan Colon, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. The parties agreed on a one-year deal.
Spending the past two seasons with the Cardinals, Colon started 11 games in that span. The veteran interior lineman spent the first three seasons of his career with the Ravens, stopping over with the Jets during the 2023 offseason. He will now be expected to at least land a job as a swing backup with the Lions.
The Cardinals used Colon primarily at right guard in 2024, re-signing him (on a one-year, $1.75MM) after initially bringing in the former UDFA in just before the 2023 season started. The Jets had cut Colon, after dangling him in trades, that year. Colon made four starts for the 2023 Cardinals, who used him on 315 snaps at left guard. Although Colon has center experience (from his time in Baltimore), his first-string NFL duty has primarily come at guard.
Colon, who follows defensive tackle Roy Lopez with this Arizona-to-Detroit move, graded impressively during his part-time run as an Arizona starter last season. Pro Football Focus slotted the Mizzou alum 18th overall among guard regulars. Granted, Colon barely saw enough snaps to qualify as such. But the Lions will take a flier on a 27-year-old blocker in light of the Ragnow news.
Ragnow had been the Lions’ top center for six seasons, shifting from guard one year into his career. Replacing a four-time Pro Bowler will not be easy for the Lions, but they did add interior O-linemen in the second and fifth rounds, selecting Tate Ratledge (Georgia) and Miles Frazier (LSU). Ratledge earned All-American acclaim in 2023 and ’24 and started during the Bulldogs’ 2022 national championship season. Glasgow has extensive experience at both guard and center, logging starts at each position in Detroit and Denver, while the Lions have also begun cross-training Ratledge at both spots this offseason.
Rams Made Offer For Panthers’ No. 8 Pick; Carolina Eyed Jalon Walker As Backup Plan
Despite having made a Cooper Kupp-for-Davante Adams offseason switch, the Rams were connected to wide receivers in the draft. Buzz about Los Angeles and Emeka Egbuka emerged, but prior to that, the team was believed to be interested in a trade-up for Tetairoa McMillan.
Rams-McMillan rumors came up shortly after the Panthers made their pick at No. 8, but a recent offering from the NFC South team reveals Los Angeles did make an offer. The Panthers discussed terms with the Rams well into their time on the clock, and the Dan Morgan–Brandt Tilis duo debated (YouTube link) accepting Les Snead‘s offer.
The NFC teams discussed trade terms before the draft, per Tilis, but the Rams look to have come in with a different offer during the first round. Morgan assumed L.A. was eyeing McMillan at No. 8, leading him to ask for a monster proposal. The Panthers and Rams had made a key swap during last year’s second round, a move that gave the Rams Braden Fiske (after a move from No. 52 to No. 39) and the Panthers a 2025 second-rounder.
“It’s like if they want this, they’re going to have to go above and beyond, kind of like what they did to us last year when they gave us the two,” Morgan said, via Panthers.com’s Darin Gantt. “That’s because I was convicted on our guy. I really don’t want to lose this player. But if we are going to lose the player, and it’s something that could potentially set us up for the future, if we get a load of picks out of them, then let’s explore it.
“But I didn’t really want to. I was kind of hoping that they would say no. So when they said no at the end, I was fine with it. I was actually like, ‘Sweet.'”
It is not known what the Rams proposed, but a 2026 first-rounder and much more would have been required for the Panthers to move back to No. 26. After the Rams did not swing a deal for McMillan or Egbuka, they acquired a 2026 first-round pick — potential ammo for a QB-based trade-up next year — from the Falcons, who traded back into Round 1 for James Pearce Jr. The Falcons had chosen Jalon Walker at No. 15. The Panthers were closely connected to the hybrid Georgia linebacker, and The Athletic’s Joe Person notes the team would have been comfortable taking him at No. 8 — in the event McMillan was off the board.
A meeting between McMillan and WRs coach Rob Moore convinced the Panthers, who have now made first- or second-round receiver investments in the past three drafts (following Xavier Legette and the since-traded Jonathan Mingo). Carolina tabled its pass rush need to Day 2, viewing this draft’s EDGE class as bringing superior options compared to what the second round presented at wideout. As Walker will be expected to help solve the Falcons’ years-long edge-rushing issue, McMillan will be a central component of the Panthers’ renewed Bryce Young development effort.
The Panthers would have also been comfortable taking Mason Graham, Person adds, but the Browns closed that path by choosing him at No. 5. It is unclear how the Panthers would have proceeded between Graham and McMillan had the Michigan DT slid to 8. Had Carolina enjoyed access to Graham, Dallas awaited a potential McMillan grab at No. 12. Though, the 49ers and Packers were interested in trading up for the Arizona pass catcher as well.
The Rams did not choose a receiver until Round 7, and while they re-signed Tutu Atwell, it is fairly clear it wanted another weapon to pair with Adams — who will turn 33 before season’s end — and Puka Nacua. The Rams can also separate from Adams with a modest dead money charge in 2026. Not landing an early-round talent at the position, a year after a Brock Bowers-based trade-up move failed, would stand to affect Adams’ chances of playing out his two-year, $46MM L.A. accord.
2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team
This week started with a point on the NFL calendar that has been important for decades. Although teams have not needed to wait until June to make their most expensive cuts in many years, they do not see the funds from post-June 1 designations until that point.
With June 1 coming and going, a fourth of the league has seen the savings from post-June 1 releases arrive. That has affected the NFL’s cap-space hierarchy. Here is how every team stands (via OverTheCap) following June 2 changes:
- New England Patriots: $67.34MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $53.49MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.12MM
- New York Jets: $39.8MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $36.16MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $32.11MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $32.11MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $31.88MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $31.21MM
- Tennessee Titans: $30.16MM
- Green Bay Packers: $28.94MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $27.08MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $26.83MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $26.63MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $26.54MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $25.79MM
- New Orleans Saints: $22.62MM
- Washington Commanders: $21.13MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $20.09MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $19.44MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $18.95MM
- Carolina Panthers: $18.69MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $18.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $18.2MM
- Houston Texans: $16.3MM
- Denver Broncos: $16.23MM
- Chicago Bears: $14.76MM
- Miami Dolphins: $13.81MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $10.75MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $5.02MM
- New York Giants: $3.82MM
- Buffalo Bills: $1.69MM
The Jets saw their situation change the most from post-June 1 designations, as $13.5MM became available to the team after its Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley cuts. Teams have up to two post-June 1 designations at their disposals. Five clubs — the Jets, Browns, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers — used both slots. Only three other teams made a post-June 1 cut before that seminal date. The eight that made these moves will have dead money split between 2025 and 2026.
Baltimore used the cost-defraying option to release Marcus Williams and Justin Tucker, while Cleveland — in Year 4 of the regrettable Deshaun Watson partnership — used it to move on from Juan Thornhill and Dalvin Tomlinson. As the Eagles’ option bonus-heavy payroll included two hefty bonus numbers for Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the reigning Super Bowl champions released both 30-something cornerbacks. Together, Slay and Bradberry will count more than $20MM on Philadelphia’s 2026 cap sheet. As for this year, though, the Browns, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers respectively saved $9.85MM, $9.4MM, $6.3MM, $6.4MM and $5.6MM, according to Spotrac.
The Jaguars made a mid-offseason decision to release Gabe Davis, doing so not long after trading up to draft Travis Hunter — with the plan to primarily play him at wide receiver — at No. 2 overall. Off-field issues, coupled with a down 2024 season, made Tucker expendable — after the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in Round 6. The Vikings moved off Garrett Bradbury‘s contract and will replace him with free agency addition Ryan Kelly, while Mason lasted two seasons paired with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal. The 49ers made it known early they were moving on from Javon Hargrave, while 2024 trade addition Maliek Collins also exited the team’s D-tackle room.
Derek Carr‘s retirement being processed Tuesday also changed the Saints’ funding. The team will spread the dead money ($50.13MM) across two years. Even with the number being reduced this year, the Saints will be hit with the second-highest single-player dead money hit (behind only the Broncos’ Russell Wilson separation) in NFL history as a result of the Carr exit. The Saints will only be responsible for $19.21MM of that total in 2025. As they did with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox‘s retirements last year, the Eagles will also process Brandon Graham‘s hit this way.
Eight of this year’s post-June 1 releases remain in free agency. The Patriots added Bradbury to replace the now-retired David Andrews, while the Vikings scooped up Hargrave. As the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, they added two other post-June 1 releases in Slay and Thornhill. Tomlinson joined the Cardinals not long after his Browns release.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Not On Hot Seat
The longest-tenured active NFL HC, Mike Tomlin continues to move closer to Chuck Noll‘s duration number in Pittsburgh. The four-time Super Bowl winner logged 23 seasons; Tomlin is now in Year 19. He received another extension — a three-year deal — last June.
Another season without a playoff win followed, further establishing a trend for a franchise that has settled into a sector with a historically high floor. Of course, the Steelers have not enjoyed a particularly high ceiling in many years. They have not won a playoff game since a six-field goal performance edged the Chiefs, who used that home loss as a launch point to trade up for Patrick Mahomes, in the 2016 divisional round. The Steelers are 0-5 in the postseason since.
[RELATED: Steelers Denied Bears Permission To Meet With Tomlin]
Tomlin, 53, received assurances in January — after a 10-3 start ended with five straight losses, the last a one-sided wild-card defeat in Baltimore — he would be back for a 19th season. While the Steelers have drifted into strangely desperate territory during this months-long Aaron Rodgers pursuit, the extended courtship does not indicate Tomlin is coaching for his job. On the contrary, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac indicates the accomplished HC’s seat is not particularly hot.
The dynamics of this situation have generated interest for years, as Tomlin’s popularity among Steelers fans appears to be waning — as January one-and-dones mount — while national respect remains. The Super Bowl-winning HC, of course, has never experienced a losing season in his lone HC gig. He has done well to navigate undesirable QB situations for several years, dating back to the 2019 season Ben Roethlisberger largely missed with an elbow injury that effectively ended his prime. Tomlin reaching a 10-7 mark with Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph in 2023 proved quite impressive, and the Steelers — who carried a minus-20 point differential into those playoffs — were within one score of the No. 2-seeded Bills until midway through the fourth quarter.
Famously having employed only three HCs since 1969, the Steelers give their power brokers plenty of time to operate. Kevin Colbert was in place for 23 years as Steelers GM or de facto GM, and it would stand to reason Omar Khan is not on a hot seat entering his fourth year in the role. He and Tomlin have continued to fortify a high-end defense, after the unit’s work had dipped a bit during the “Killer B’s” period, that has kept the operation afloat during this period of quarterback uncertainty. Though, the Steelers have also seen their QB situations produce undesirable results for a while.
That has led to this Rodgers waiting period. The Steelers are still banking on the 41-year-old passer to end his lengthy free agency stay and sign; Rodgers and Tomlin have been in contact during most of the offseason. As of last weekend, however, the team did not have true assurances Rodgers would ultimately commit. Rodgers has dropped hints, as he makes public appearances while not being part of the Steelers during OTAs. A prediction that a late-May signing would commence proved inaccurate.
The Steelers acquired an additional 2026 third-round pick (via the George Pickens trade), as a pursuit of a hopeful long-term QB option looms for next year, but Rodgers is the team’s main focus — to the point this pursuit is overshadowing the steady AFC North outfit’s offseason — for 2025.
The Steelers also won a playoff game in 2015, an Andy Dalton-less wild-card contest in Cincinnati marred by late Bengals penalties, but followed their Super Bowl XLV appearance with one-and-done showings in 2011 and 2014. A stretch with three postseason wins in 14 seasons is not a great look for a head coach; though, having zero losing seasons in that span certainly is. Pittsburgh has opted for stability, but it will be interesting to see if this Rodgers- or Kirk Cousins–led season changes Steelers ownership’s view of the situation. Tomlin has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt, even as frustration mounts, and a 20th season will mark the next milestone. How much longer should the team proceed in this direction?
Dolphins, Steelers Resume Talks On Jonnu Smith; TE Has Discussed Miami Extension
The Dolphins-Jonnu Smith saga keeps going. After a report indicated Miami was not expected to unload Smith, ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicates talks between the Dolphins and Steelers on the veteran tight end are back on.
Smith has expressed a desire to stay in Miami, but he is angling for a new contract. The sides have talked about a new deal, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, Omar Kelly and Isiaah Smalls Jr., though it does not sound like an extension is close. While Mike McDaniel said Tuesday he wants Smith on the 2025 roster, a player who rebounded from down New England years is underpaid relative to his recent production.
“Jonnu is a very important player and person to me, and the guys,” McDaniel said, via Kelly. “The thing that we can stand on is his professionalism and how he goes about his business. There are times that business can play a part, for sure. And a team can make it as complicated as they like if they have a lot of time to focus on what’s going on with Jonnu. I’d encourage them to focus on what’s going on in their game.”
Entering the second season of a two-year, $8.4MM deal, Smith is coming off an 884-yard season. As Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle‘s production decreased during a disappointing Dolphins season, Smith provided a spark. As he heads into an age-30 season, time is running short for the former Arthur Smith charge (in Tennessee and Atlanta) to capitalize on his prime form.
A Schefter report earlier today noted Smith was unlikely to be moved. A trade would certainly deal a blow to the Dolphins’ ability to complement Hill and Waddle at tight end, and as McDaniel and Chris Grier‘s seats do not appear particularly cool, dealing a quality tight end without a clear path to replacing him would be quite the risk.
Smith is staying away from the team until at least mandatory minicamp, and Kelly adds the Dolphins viewed the first of these rumors — which emerged last week — as a leverage play from Smith’s camp. That would indicate suspicion these are not genuine trade talks, though we have now heard them surface on multiple occasions. It would seem odd if that were a leverage play on the player’s side, as the Dolphins would obviously need to pull the trigger on a deal. But here we are, as this situation has now generated is approaching the Jalen Ramsey matter for update volume.
Arthur Smith could use Jonnu Smith in a Steelers offense lacking proven auxiliary playmakers, though Pat Freiermuth presently stands as the team’s top D.K. Metcalf complementary piece following the George Pickens trade. Pittsburgh also rosters Darnell Washington at tight end, making these Jonnu Smith talks rather interesting.
The Steelers clearly want to add another weapon to their offense after sending Pickens to the Cowboys. The repeated links to Smith suggest that he is their top target, but they have been in touch with multiple teams in recent weeks.
Pittsburgh’s persistent pursuit of Metcalf dated back to the 2024 trade deadline and was eventually rewarded in March. However, the team may have trouble extracting Smith out of Miami if the Dolphins don’t think they can find a suitable replacement by the start of the season.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Former Vikings DE Jim Marshall Dies At 87
Jim Marshall, whose ironman streak remains the standard for NFL defenders, has died. He was 87. The Vikings announced the longtime defensive end’s passing. Marshall had been hospitalized for a lengthy period, according to the team.
Minnesota rostered Marshall for 19 of his 20 NFL seasons, acquiring the historically durable pass rusher in the franchise’s first year of existence (1961) and using him as a starter until his age-42 campaign in 1979. Marshall was part of the Vikings’ famed Purple People Eaters defensive line, one housing Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller. Marshall has not joined those two standouts in Canton, but his run of starts is unrivaled among defensive players.
It took Brett Favre‘s streak to knock Marshall’s run of 282 straight games from the top of the NFL ranks. Marshall logged 270 consecutive starts for the Vikings, a run that also included 19 playoff games. Favre did not eclipse it until the first month of his Vikings career, in 2009.
“The entire Minnesota Vikings organization is mourning the loss of Jim Marshall. No player in Vikings history lived the ideals of toughness, camaraderie and passion more than the all-time iron man,” Vikings Zygi Wilf said in a statement. “A cornerstone of the franchise from the beginning, Captain Jim’s unmatched durability and quiet leadership earned the respect of teammates and opponents throughout his 20-year career.”
The Vikings did not draft Marshall, obtaining him from the Browns via trade in 1961. Marshall started seven games for Paul Brown‘s team as a rookie fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, and the Kentucky native made an immediate mark with the Vikings by taking over as a full-timer in his first game. He did so despite arriving barely a week before the 1961 season. Marshall predated Eller’s arrival by three years and Page’s by six, yet he outlasted both with the team. The Vikings voyaged to four Super Bowls between 1969 and 1976; Marshall was on the field for each. While accolades on the level of Page and Eller did not come his way, Marshall played an integral role — both from a performance and leadership standpoint — in helping Bud Grant‘s team field formidable defenses for many years.
Sacks did not become official until 1982, but retroactive work on the part of Pro-Football-Reference credits the ironman D-end with 130.5. When pre-sack-era unofficial totals are grouped with modern-day numbers, Marshall’s total is tied for 22nd in NFL history. Marshall, Page, Eller and defensive tackle Gary Larsen comprised the primary Purple People Eaters front, one that powered the Vikings to those Super Bowls along with Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The Vikings fielded a top-three defense seven times from 1969-76.
Marshall earned Pro Bowl honors in 1968 and ’69, the latter year doubling as Minnesota’s first Super Bowl trip — one made before the team reacquired Tarkenton from the Giants. Marshall is credited with 14 sacks, earning him a second-team All-Pro nod, in 1969. Marshall, of course, is also remembered for a 1964 play in which he recovered a fumble and sprinted the wrong way into the end zone for a 66-yard safety. While the Vikings won that game over the 49ers, it lives on to this day. Though, Marshall did plenty to balance out that gaffe during a two-decade career.
Among defenders, only Bruce Smith is within 15 starts of Marshall in NFL history. Darrell Green‘s 295 total games have Marshall’s number topped, but the Hall of Fame cornerback is nearly 20 starts behind the revered Viking. No active defender has a realistic shot at eclipsing Marshall’s 277 career starts, and only five offensive players — Tom Brady, Favre, Bruce Matthews, Drew Brees and Jerry Rice — have that number beat.
49ers Waive T Nicholas Petit-Frere, Place WR Trent Taylor On IR
The 49ers have not yet brought in D.J. Humphries, despite spring reports to the contrary, but they will also take another tackle out of the equation ahead of minicamp. San Francisco waived recent addition Nicholas Petit-Frere on Tuesday.
A three-year Titans starter, Petit-Frere has now been cut by two teams this offseason. No one claimed the former third-round pick on waivers after his Tennessee exit, and without sufficient service time to pass straight to free agency, the young right tackle will head back to the wire.
San Francisco also placed wide receiver Trent Taylor on IR. Although teams now regularly activate players from IR, a placement on the injured list now will end Taylor’s season. Barring an injury settlement and subsequent return, Taylor is out of the picture for the 49ers in 2025. In a corresponding move, the team signed wide receiver Malik Knowles. Taylor suffered a back injury, per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows.
When the 49ers added Petit-Frere post-draft, they also signed one-year Titans left tackle Andre Dillard, who spent last season with the Packers. Dillard joins Spencer Burford as swing tackle options for the Niners. The team had shifted Burford from guard to tackle, giving the former inside starter reps behind the likes of Trent Williams, Colton McKivitz and the since-departed Jaylon Moore. Petit-Frere, 25, will look for another landing spot.
Petit-Frere beat out Dillon Radunz for the Titans’ RT job as a rookie in 2022, but his chances of stopping a revolving door at the position worsened in 2023 after a gambling suspension preceded a season-ending injury. The Ohio State product returned from injury to start 10 games last season, but he had arrived before respected O-line coach Bill Callahan. The elder of the two Callahans in key Titans positions now has 2024 first-round pick JC Latham at RT, after the Titans signed Dan Moore Jr. to man the blind side.
Taylor, 31, rejoined the 49ers in April 2024 and toggled between the practice squad and active roster last year. Though, the veteran receiver/return man played in just two games. The 49ers gave him a reserve/futures contract in January. Taylor spent four seasons in San Francisco to start his career, arriving during the Kyle Shanahan–John Lynch regime’s first offseason in charge. The former fifth-round pick served as a slot player and 49ers punt returner in that span, missing all of the 2019 Super Bowl LIV season due to injury. Taylor resurfaced in 2020 before moving to the Bengals (2021-22) and Bears (2023).
Patriots Sign First-Round LT Will Campbell
The first of this year’s tackles chosen now has a contract. The Patriots and Will Campbell agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Chosen fourth overall, Campbell will be attached to a lofty fully guaranteed pact ($43.66MM). New England will have a fifth-year option on this contract, covering the 2029 season. This deal leaves Travis Hunter as the only top-10 pick unsigned.
The full guarantee on Campbell’s contract already ranks fifth among LTs, trailing only Andrew Thomas, Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley and Christian Darrisaw. Campbell’s No. 4 draft position this year calls for a substantially higher number than last year’s No. 4 choice (Marvin Harrison Jr.) received — at $35.37MM. The player Campbell has vowed to protect, 2024 No. 3 overall choice Drake Maye, will also see his LT’s terms outdistance his considerably. Maye is tied to a four-year, $36.64MM accord.
Although Cam Ward‘s No. 1 draft slot has not caught up with the monster payments the pre-rookie-scale era brought No. 1 QB choices, Campbell’s AAV and full guarantee have passed the final pre-rookie-scale No. 4 draftee (Trent Williams). The future Hall of Famer signed a six-year, $60MM Washington deal in 2010; that pact came with $26.38MM fully guaranteed. Campbell is the first rookie-deal O-lineman to surpass those terms in the rookie-scale era.
Moving beyond financials, the Patriots will have Campbell (barring injury) in their Week 1 lineup at left tackle. This comes after an ill-fated 2024 plan backfired, as a handful of options — free agent signings, low-end trade acquisitions and a waiver claim — took turns at the marquee O-line spot. The first of those options (Chukwuma Okorafor) left the team after one game. The Pats regrouped at tackle in Mike Vrabel‘s first offseason in charge, adding Morgan Moses to man the right side and targeting Campbell in Round 1. Although the Pats pursued Dan Moore Jr. and Cam Robinson for the blind side, Campbell and Moses will give Maye a better tackle setup compared to the makeshift configuration 2024 brought.
A consensus All-American at LSU, Campbell certainly performed like an elite LT in college. He still carried question marks heading into the draft. Specifically, scouts often criticized his lack of arm length. Campbell’s arm length measured 32.68 inches at the Combine, which falls short of the 33-inch point teams target with tackles. Oddly, Campbell then measured an even 33 inches at LSU’s pro day. Regardless of Campbell’s arm length, the Patriots were linked to the elite SEC blocker for months.
The Patriots have been unable to find a steady LT option since Nate Solder‘s lengthy tenure. Solder, who had succeeded long-running Tom Brady blind-sider Matt Light, left for a monster Giants contract in 2018. New England did well to land Trent Brown in a pick-swap trade with San Francisco that year, but its first-round pick that weekend — Isaiah Wynn — did not establish himself as a long-term option there. The Vrabel-Eliot Wolf pair will hope Campbell can do so, as his performance will be central to Maye’s development.
C David Andrews Announces Retirement
TODAY, 6:40pm: Andrews has officially announced his retirement, as the long-time Patriots center held a press conference today at Gillette Stadium.
“David Andrews has been the heart and soul of our offensive line for the past decade and helped us achieve two Super Bowl championships,” said CEO Robert Kraft. “David’s leadership, work ethic, and dedication to the team earned the respect and admiration from his coaches, teammates, and fans. We are deeply grateful for everything he has given to this organization, both on and off the field. We know his impact on this franchise will be felt for years to come. We wish David and his family all the best in all his future endeavors.”
MAY 28, 1:30pm: Completing a journey from UDFA to rookie starter with the Patriots, David Andrews held that distinction until 2024. As the Patriots removed all player ties to their Super Bowl teams this offseason, Andrews will not attempt to bounce back in 2025.
The veteran center intends to retire with the Patriots, according to the team. This will wrap a 10-year run, as Andrews became a rare UDFA to play a decade with one franchise.
When the Pats released Andrews in March, he expressed uncertainty about his playing future. The 32-year-old snapper had provided the bridge up front from Tom Brady to Mac Jones to Drake Maye. Garrett Bradbury is on track to be Maye’s center in 2025, but the former Vikings starter will have a tough act to follow.
Andrews made 121 career starts, beginning his run as New England’s top center in Week 1 of his rookie season. The Georgia product supplanted Bryan Stork in that role and kept it until a blood clot issue kept him out for the entire 2019 campaign. Andrews returned for the 2020 season, beginning the Pats’ post-Brady period, and outlasted the other O-linemen from the Patriots’ Super Bowl years. Although Shaq Mason kept going into the 2020s in New England, the veteran guard has since been traded twice. Andrews managed to stick around for five more seasons, though his 2024 slate ended early due to injury.
A shoulder surgery shut down Andrews, who played just four games last season. The Pats also released him with a failed physical designation, calling into question his readiness for a potential return elsewhere in 2025. Fellow Super Bowl-era Patriot cogs Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise (Commanders) and Joe Cardona (Dolphins) have found new homes amid the Pats’ offseason makeover; Andrews will pass on a true effort to do so, wrapping a successful career.
The Patriots used Andrews as a starter in 12 playoff games, and his 121 regular-season starts rank highly among O-linemen in team history. Andrews’ regular-season start count ranks seventh in Pats history for offensive linemen, one game ahead of fellow former Brady center Dan Koppen. Among Pats blockers to participate in the second wave of Super Bowls during the Brady years, Andrews leads the way in terms of attendance.
Pro Football Focus graded Andrews as a top-five center twice (2017, 2021) and slotted him in the top 15 on four other occasions, including in 2023. The Pats gave Andrews three extensions, the most recent a one-year, $6.5MM bump agreed to in May 2024. Andrews’ more notable deals came in 2017 (three years, $9MM) and 2021 (four years, $19MM). For his career, the 300-pound blocker earned more than $34MM.
No Pro Bowl nods came Andrews’ way, but he holds a key distinction to cement a signature underdog story. No UDFA has Andrews’ 121 starts beat in Patriots history, as only one other New England cog (offensive lineman Sam Adams) logged more than 100 starts after going undrafted. Andrews will walk away as a key presence on the Brady- and Rob Gronkowski-led Patriots teams that increased that dynasty’s Super Bowl count to six.
49ers Sign P Thomas Morstead, Release P Mitch Wishnowsky
4:40pm: The Morstead signing is now official, and it will not spark a punter competition. Wishnowsky was released on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The latter move will generate just $266K in cap savings for San Francisco, and in the wake of Wishnowsky’s 2024 struggles and back injury questions will be raised about his NFL future.
9:06am: Thomas Morstead looks to have secured a chance to play a 17th NFL season. Once again released by the Jets, the veteran punter appears set to land with a 49ers team that has gathered some recent Jets personnel.
The former Super Bowl-winning specialist revealed Wednesday morning a 49ers commitment looms. This will reunite Morstead with Robert Saleh and former Jets special teams coordinator Brant Boyer. One of the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein fill-ins, Greg Joseph, is also set to vie for the 49ers’ kicker job.
Although Morstead held his Jets gig during the first several weeks of the 2025 league year, he received walking papers two weeks after the draft. The Jets dumped he and Zuerlein; the latter remains unsigned after an injury-marred season. Morstead punted in 34 games for the Jets over the past two seasons, completing a second stint with the team. The longtime Saint’s first Jets work came in Saleh’s debut season as HC (2021); Boyer coached Morstead during both his Jets tours as well.
The 49ers roster seventh-year punter Mitch Wishnowsky, who is tied to a four-year, $11.2MM contract that runs through the 2026 season. But the veteran’s 2024 season ended early due to a back injury. Wishnowsky landed on IR after nine games, the first absences of the Australian punter’s career.
Wishnowsky, 33, is set to carry a $2.25MM cap number, though the 49ers would take on nearly $2MM by releasing him due to signing bonus proration. Nevertheless, it appears he will have competition to retain his longtime role this offseason.
Going into what would be an age-39 season, Morstead averaged 47.2 yards per punt in 2024. That was down slightly from his 48.8-yard average in 2023. Wishnowsky finished at 45.2 last season. Morstead punted for the Dolphins in 2022, after splitting the 2021 season between New York and Atlanta. He is still best known for a 12-season Saints tenure, which began with the SMU alum punting for the Super Bowl XLIV-winning New Orleans squad as a rookie.