Dolphins OLBs Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips Nearing Full Strength
Although Tua Tagovailoa‘s health and Tyreek Hill‘s mercurial trajectory overshadowed the Dolphins’ lack of edge rusher availability last season, the latter storyline lingered throughout 2024 in Miami. Bradley Chubb missed all of last season, while Jaelan Phillips‘ recovery from a 2023 Achilles tear produced a handful of games before another major setback.
The Dolphins reworked Chubb’s extension this offseason, a move that amounted to a pay cut for a player once acquired in a blockbuster trade, and have Phillips in a contract year. While 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson is in place, the Dolphins will need their veteran duo to return. In some rare good news involving the team’s OLB corps, both are on the homestretch of their respective recovery efforts.
Mike McDaniel said (via Outkick.com’s Armando Salguero) Wednesday have been able to participate in “most things most days.” Considering where both starters were last year, each being nearly recovered before minicamp represents significant progress. Chubb has not played since suffering an ACL tear — the second of his NFL career — in Week 17 of the 2023 season; Phillips followed up a November 2023 Achilles tear with an October 2024 ACL tear.
These injuries have prevented the Dolphins from being able to bank on a long-term future featuring these two. Phillips is in a contract year — on a fifth-year option Miami exercised in the time between his Achilles and ACL tears — while Chubb saw his $19.45MM 2025 base salary slashed; no guaranteed money remains on the former top-five pick’s deal following 2025. The Dolphins have Robinson signed through 2027, and they will need to see some positive returns from their more experienced OLBs in order to justify 2026 employment.
Phillips’ recovery from his second major injury as a pro involved harvesting his patellar tendon, according to The Athletic’s Dan Pompei, who details the injuries and past surgeries — while Phillips was at UCLA — that had doctors advising him to retire. Phillips sustained a major wrist injury in a moped accident, leading to multiple operations — including one removing three bones. Phillips also endured multiple concussions before transferring to Miami. This coming season will be pivotal for the 2021 first-round pick, who was enjoying a breakthrough year (6.5 sacks in eight games) in 2023 before suffering the Achilles tear in the Dolphins’ Black Friday game.
Acquired in a trade headlined by a first-round pick going to the Broncos, Chubb signed a five-year, $110MM extension days later. He remains on a through-2027 contract, but having spent all of last year on the reserve/PUP list has brought a derailment. The Dolphins had expected Chubb (29 in June) to return late last season and designated him to practice, but no activation commenced as Miami’s playoff hopes waned.
Chubb already missed most of the 2019 season with an ACL tear, and a two-ankle-surgery 2021 limited him to seven games (and no sacks) that year. Moving back on track in 2022 prompted the Dolphins to pay the high trade price, and while Chubb reached 11 sacks in 2023, the Dolphins entered the playoffs decimated on the edge and did not see their situation improve last year.
In addition to missing Chubb for the full season and Phillips for 13 games, the Dolphins signed Shaq Barrett and then saw him retire before suiting up. Barrett ended the season back with the Buccaneers. Despite this run of misfortune at outside linebacker, the Dolphins focused on other areas in the draft and free agency. They will count on Chubb and Phillips’ returns. Having both back alongside Robinson should raise the ceiling for Anthony Weaver‘s defense, but each’s injury past has certainly become a concern as the DC readies for his second season in charge.
Kenny Pickett Holds Early Lead In Browns’ QB Competition; Dillon Gabriel Next In Line?
Roughly two months remain until training camp, and minicamp is still weeks away. But the Browns’ quarterback competition will begin to take shape at OTAs, which started today.
A player the Eagles did not deem a priority, as Tanner McKee is set to move into their QB2 role, is expected to take the first reps with the starters at OTAs. Kenny Pickett indeed will enter Cleveland’s on-field voluntary work receiving the first crack in the starting role, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot notes.
Pickett starter buzz, despite his quick Pittsburgh exit and uninspiring Philadelphia stay, has picked up recently. OTAs do not provide any padded reps, but they are certainly part of the conversation. The Browns have one of the more complicated quarterback situations in many years, especially considering the Deshaun Watson component, and Pickett is suddenly a key presence after effectively hovering off the radar at Eagles OTAs last year.
[RELATED: Who Will Lead Browns In 2025 QB Starts?]
Affirming Pickett will see the first work at OTAs, Cabot offered an update that Dillon Gabriel is likely set to be the second QB in this mix. Kevin Stefanski recently said Browns QB reps will not be doled out equally this offseason, and the May and June work will be important here. Training camp does not offer a setup where a four-man QB competition can realistically be conducted, due to time constraints, so it is certainly possible one member of this mix will be eliminated from a realistic starter path by that point. Through this lens, Gabriel’s OTA status becomes more noteworthy.
The Browns prioritized Gabriel in the draft, ranking him ahead of Jalen Milroe and new teammate Shedeur Sanders. GM Andrew Berry deemed the six-year college QB a better fit compared to Sanders; of course, that was before the team then circled back to the freefalling Colorado passer in Round 5. While ownership making its stance known re: Sanders is certainly possible, he is part of the competition along with Pickett, Gabriel and Joe Flacco. Sanders’ status also will overshadow Gabriel, who is in the historically strange position of seeing a QB drafted later by his own team dwarf his popularity.
Viewed as a Day 3 pick, Gabriel — who started at Oregon, Oklahoma and Central Florida — went off the board 50 spots before Sanders. Going at No. 94, the 5-foot-11 prospect appeared a handpicked option — whereas Sanders profiled as a value play. Sanders’ presence complicates Gabriel’s Cleveland future, but for now, the two-year Buffaloes starter resides in the background in Cleveland. He and Flacco, in some order, are set to enter OTAs in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, Cabot offers. The Browns guaranteed Flacco $3MM, while cutting Pickett (and seeing no team claim him) would bring a $2.6MM cost.
All four will receive plenty of reps during OTAs, as concurrent QB drills will commence, but the team will need to make a plan for training camp. Team work once in training camp will begin to shape the competition ahead of the regular season, with the preseason providing the final evaluations. Teams rarely carry four passers on a 53-man roster, though it is not unprecedented. That said, the Browns either keeping all four or presenting a roster with two rookie draftees on the final 53 would mark a rare occurrence.
Watson’s status will still be worth monitoring, as he has resumed throwing, but the trade bust is not viewed as part of the current competition. His second Achilles tear is expected to lead to a placement on the reserve/PUP list, after residing on the active/PUP list (a camp-only designation) while the other four QBs vie to replace him as Cleveland’s starter. Even though Flacco and Sanders are bigger names than Pickett and Gabriel, the latter contingent appears to have the upper hand early.
How Will Packers Proceed With Suddenly Crowded Receiving Corps?
In 2022, the Packers attempted to get by with multiple rookie-contract cogs arriving in the wake of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s departures. The result: a season that began Aaron Rodgers‘ decline. However, the team has continued to stockpile rookie contracts at the position — with the most notable move coming last month. Even as Matt LaFleur minimized the need for a true No. 1-level wide receiver, the team snapped a 23-year drought by choosing Matthew Golden at No. 23 overall.
A roster that still includes the two players added to supplement a post-Adams receiver cadre — Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs — received another youth infusion via Golden and third-round addition Savion Williams. If these four were all healthy and the only notable parts in Green Bay’s receiving group, no front-burner issue may have appeared. But the team also has two 2023 draftees as WR regulars. As a result, the Golden and Williams arrivals create big-picture questions.
While delayed QB ascents (amid a succession that dates back to 1992) define the Packers’ roster-building philosophy, the franchise’s reluctance to draft a wideout in Round 1 had become a core component as well. As the likes of Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Adams revealed, the Pack regularly got by without selecting a receiver in the first round. After the Packers cut ties with 2002 first-rounder Javon Walker via a draft-weekend trade in 2006 (to the Broncos), they moved out of the first-round receiver business.
It could be argued the Pack did not do enough to supplement Rodgers during his heyday — one filled with playoff shortcomings following Super Bowl XLV — but a team once known for free agency avoidance managed to support four MVP seasons for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Entering Jordan Love‘s third season at the controls, however, the team deemed receiver a high enough priority — after no 900-yard seasons have occurred since Adams’ departure — to use two of its first three picks on the position.
The Jets sent the Packers two second-round picks for Rodgers in 2023. Jayden Reed did not arrive via one of those picks, as the Packers used their original second-rounder to trade down two spots (via the Buccaneers) for him. Dontayvion Wicks arrived in the 2023 fifth round. This already created a glut of Packers rookie-contract receivers, as backup Bo Melton and free agent signing Mecole Hardman are rostered as well. Hardman’s Super Bowl LVIII-winning reception notwithstanding, he provides more return-game value. But the Packers adding the seventh-year veteran and two more rookies creates a situation where notable changes are coming.
Reed is under contract for two more seasons, and he has seen Golden’s rookie terms ($17.58MM fully guaranteed) dwarf his. On a $7.18MM (4MM guaranteed) pact through 2026, Reed cannot discuss an extension until next year. Packers brass is believed to have met with Reed to clarify his situation recently. With Watson battling injuries before his Week 18 ACL tear, the Packers have turned to Reed as their nominal No. 1 receiver. The slot presence has totaled 1,650 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons. He now profiles as the team’s top veteran in a group now headlined by Golden, but what will happen to the other experienced presences?
Watson would carry considerable trade value, even with a past of soft-tissue maladies, but his knee rehab effectively ensures the North Dakota State product will not be going anywhere this year. Watson is expected to be sidelined until around midseason. This would leave Doubs and Wicks as potential options to be moved.
Wicks did not match his rookie-year yardage figure (581) in Year 2 (415), even as his snap share increased to 54% last season. Doubs, a 2022 fourth-rounder, has been more consistent; he enters a contract year riding back-to-back 600-yard seasons, playing 77% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps in each of the past two seasons. Doubs, 25, managed to clear the 600-yard barrier despite missing four games last season. A team-imposed suspension, as Doubs expressed frustration about his role, took place. He will profile as a quality 2026 free agent, but that episode represents an important chapter in his Green Bay career.
Wicks will need better production to become a higher-end FA target in 2027. But Golden and Williams’ arrivals complicate Wicks’ 2025 place in the offense and Doubs’ post-2025 Wisconsin future. As Reed makes sense as an extension candidate, Doubs trade rumors may be coming. Though, a Packers team that has hoarded these pieces may be reluctant to move a key performer before the November deadline — especially with Watson not healthy. But calls will undoubtedly come in for the Nevada alum.
Steelers connections, as Rodgers played with Doubs in 2022, have already emerged in the wake of the team’s George Pickens trade. As of now, however, waiting to see how its younger players look alongside D.K. Metcalf looks to be Pittsburgh’s party line.
Even if Watson lands on the reserve/PUP list as expected, the Packers have plenty of options — fast-emerging tight end Tucker Kraft should also factor into the extension pie — for Love entering training camp. Williams, who did not eclipse 650 yards in any of his five TCU seasons, would have the luxury of an extended developmental arc thanks to the Packers’ bevy of young veterans. But how the team rearranges its pass-catching group in 2026 — or before then — makes this one of the NFL’s most interesting position groups presently.
Panthers Aimed To Avoid Jadeveon Clowney Blocking Younger OLBs’ Paths
The Panthers did not offer a strong response at outside linebacker after trading Brian Burns. Although other issues led to Carolina’s defense sinking to last place across the board, the team struggled to replace the pass rusher it traded after endless extension talks.
Jadeveon Clowney became the top Panthers solution here, having signed his first multiyear deal (two years, $20MM) since his Texans rookie pact back in 2014. But the Panthers made the South Carolina alum’s homecoming short-lived, cutting Clowney after engaging in trade talks earlier this offseason. Carolina’s draft plan played into Clowney’s fourth NFL one-and-done, as the selections of second- and third-round edge rushers (Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen) directly influenced the team’s approach with its veterans.
The two SEC products will have direct routes to playing time, and the team wanted to ensure that by cutting Clowney. The Panthers were not exactly facing a lofty payment for the former No. 1 overall pick, and while they saved $7.75MM with the release, ESPN.com’s David Newton notes the goal of seeing younger talents enjoy extended auditions provided just as much reason for Clowney’s exit as finances did.
“When you watch the 2024 film, [Clowney] was a guy that gave us everything that he had on the field,” Dave Canales said, via Newton. “[But] we’re developmentally minded, and we understand bringing in outside linebackers and [drafting] two edge rushers — all those reps are valuable.”
In addition to Scourton and Umanmielen, the Panthers return D.J. Wonnum and signed Patrick Jones after four seasons as a Vikings rotational cog. Wonnum’s former Minnesota teammate will have the first crack at replacing Clowney in Carolina’s lineup, Newton adds. While Jones’ contract (two years, $15MM) suggested a starter chance, it does not provide open-and-shut first-stringer money. And the Panthers soon using two second-day picks on OLBs changed the position’s outlook from when Jones signed.
Jones started only five games during a four-year Minnesota run but generated free agency interest on the heels of a seven-sack season. Contributing to a Vikings pass rush housing Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard (along with first-rounder Dallas Turner), Jones saw his Twin Cities path blocked. He will have a chance to prove himself as a starter, though the presences of Wonnum (31 Vikings starts from 2020-23) and the two rookies could may this a short-term partnership.
Jones, 26, will have a chance to up his value while in Charlotte, as another crack at free agency in his 20s would loom. Wonnum is coming off a season shortened by the quad injury he suffered in his Vikings finale, and Canales said Tuesday a back flareup emerged. That will be something to monitor for the Panthers, who did not have much committed to the sixth-year veteran ahead of his contract’s second and final year. Clowney, 32, remains a free agent but intends to play in 2025. He led the Panthers with 5.5 sacks last season and was the team’s only player to post more than eight QB hits (11).
James Cook Absent From Bills OTAs
Agreeing to four extensions that produced team-friendly numbers this offseason, the Bills still have a James Cook issue to sort out. The Pro Bowl running back has angled for a second contract placing him near the top of the running back market, and Brandon Beane‘s comments on the situation did not exactly indicate a desire on the Bills’ part to placate him.
Beane pointed toward the possibility of Cook needing to prove himself once again in Buffalo’s offense. The former second-round pick is under contract for one more season, but he is stopping the Bills from reaching perfect attendance at OTAs. Cook is indeed absent to start the final round of voluntary work for the perennial AFC East champions, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes. Cook has skipped Bills offseason work thus far.
Given the developments that have shaped this stalemate, it would almost be surprising if Cook did show for OTAs. The two-year Buffalo starter floated a $15MM-per-year deal as a price point before the Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry extensions. The latter came in with a $15MM-AAV extension this month, and even though the Ravens standout’s deal became notable due to the likely Hall of Famer’s age (31), Cook matching Henry may be a tough ask for the Bills, who have not paid a running back in a bit.
Buffalo’s current regime has shown some reluctance to reward RBs. While previous Bills front offices passed on second contracts for Marshawn Lynch or C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and LeSean McCoy were ultimately rewarded. McCoy received an extension upon being traded to Buffalo in 2015, but that deal occurred on Doug Whaley‘s watch. McCoy’s Buffalo separation transpired early in the Beane-Sean McDermott era. The Bills released McCoy months after drafting Devin Singletary in the second round. Singletary then played out his rookie contract, doing so as the team traded Zack Moss midway through his. Cook had arrived as a potential starter just before the Moss trade, but the time is near for the Bills to decide on his future.
Beane has said he does not expect a holdout from Cook, who would face roughly $100K in fines by skipping minicamp next month. A true holdout would not begin until training camp, and the language in the CBA pertaining to holdouts makes them difficult to wage — especially for fourth-year players. While teams can waive fines levied upon players holding out on fifth-year options, a complication emerges for non-first-round holdouts. With Cook needing to report by early August to ensure he accrues a fourth season toward free agency, a holdout will indeed be unlikely (and is not anticipated). A hold-in, however, will be something to monitor if he and the Bills cannot come to terms by then.
Leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns (16) despite Josh Allen‘s imposing goal-line presence, Cook posted a second 1,000-yard season in 2024. He served as an integral part of the Bills’ success, as the team has leaned into its run game following Joe Brady‘s climb to OC. It would be interesting, then, for the team to play hardball with the 25-year-old back. But that is nonetheless transpiring, even after the Bills paid Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Christian Benford this offseason.
Titans Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Cam Ward
MAY 23: Ward’s rookie deal with the Titans includes a $32.159MM signing bonus, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Training camp roster bonuses have also become a common way to accelerate the payment schedule of rookie contracts, and Ward’s is no different. He will receive $2.054MM in 2026, $4.159MM in 2027, and $6.264MM in 2028 via training camp roster bonuses, all fully-guaranteed.
MAY 21: The rookie-scale system’s latest top contract, Cam Ward has put pen to paper with the Titans. The No. 1 overall pick is now signed through 2028, as the team announced the signing.
Ward’s rookie deal is worth $48.75MM. The pact is fully guaranteed and will include a fifth-year option for the 2029 season. Ward is currently splitting reps with the QB he is almost certain to supplant as Tennessee’s starter (Will Levis), but the Titans’ Week 1 Denver trip will presumably see the prized rookie at the controls.
Owners made it a point to curb excessive first-round salaries in the 2011 CBA. To illustrate how far ahead the quarterbacks chosen first overall under the pre-rookie-scale system were, Sam Bradford‘s rookie contract checked in at five years and $78MM in 2010. That contract was not fully guaranteed, but it still locked in Bradford to $50MM at signing. With the rookie scale in place in 2011, however, Cam Newton‘s draft slot commanded a four-year, $22MM accord. While Newton landed a lucrative Panthers extension later on, he trailed Bradford, Matthew Stafford and even JaMarcus Russell by a considerable margin out of the blocks.
Ward’s contract checks in much higher than Caleb Williams‘ Bears terms ($39.49MM), and this one will likely be the No. 1 draft slot’s last south of $50MM. Arch Manning (or the passer chosen first in the event the Texas prodigy stays in Austin) will be in line to clear that bar for the first time since Bradford. As for Ward, he will attempt to justify the significant leap he made during his final college season.
Famously going from zero-star recruit who began his college career at Division I-FCS Incarnate Word to a player who had distanced himself from the rest of the QBs in the 2025 class, Ward played two seasons at Washington State and finished his collegiate run at Miami. Completing 67.2% of his passes, Ward amassed over 4,300 passing yards and a 39:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those figures earned him ACC Player of the Year honors (among others), and his arm strength and playmaking ability created distance from the likes of Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders in this year’s class. The Titans met with Ward by mid-March and had settled on him early, arranging a second meeting and then rebuffing Browns and Giants attempts to trade up to No. 1.
Ward, 23 on Sunday, will continue a recent trend of QBs garnering considerable experience in college before being chosen No. 1. Williams turned 23 last season, while Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. played age-24 seasons as rookies. The extensive seasoning benefited the Commanders and Broncos, who saw their respective draft choices finish first and third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Ward started four college seasons during his three-school journey, and the Titans will attempt to recover after some early-round QB misfires.
Levis’ rough sophomore season led the Titans to the No. 1 overall draft slot, and the team needed its Ryan Tannehill reclamation project after 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota did not become a long-term franchise QB. Tennessee’s 2011 first-rounder, Jake Locker, was the team’s primary starter for just two seasons — before retiring after Year 4 — and 2006 No. 3 overall choice Vince Young‘s early-career promise fizzled. (2022 third-rounder Malik Willis is playing out his rookie deal in Green Bay, after being traded last summer.)
The Titans have not featured a true long-term QB option since Steve McNair‘s 11-season run. They will hope Ward can play well enough to secure a second contract. While the Titans did pay Tannehill after his 2019 turnaround, they have not extended a passer they have drafted since McNair.
Steelers Unlikely To Add WR In Near Future
MAY 22: Free agency is a likelier route for the Steelers to take than another trade acquisition at the receiver spot, Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes. Unless one of the options still on the board (such as Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen) ends up being added, Kaboly predicts Pittsburgh will wait until roster cutdowns at the end of training camp to supplement the Metcalf-Austin-Wilson-Woods group.
MAY 14: With the Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers courtship still on, the team made George Pickens its latest contract-year wide receiver traded. Rather than pairing the talented wideout with D.K. Metcalf, Pittsburgh passed and is resetting around its high-priced trade acquisition.
On the surface, it would appear the Pickens trade leaves the Steelers in need of a replacement. After all, they spent much of 2024 searching for a player to pair with Pickens. This included an aggressive Brandon Aiyuk pursuit and later looks into Christian Kirk and even Metcalf before the 2024 deadline. Mike Williams ended up being Pittsburgh’s play, but production did not follow the former top-10 pick (who has since returned to the Chargers).
[RELATED: Small Market Formed For Pickens]
This year, Omar Khan and Co. may be content to wait. The Steelers are more likely to see how their young batch of potential Metcalf complementary pieces looks before pursuing a Pickens replacement, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Pittsburgh does roster multiple intriguing rookie-contract cogs, and the team’s only known commodity behind Metcalf — Robert Woods — is on his fifth squad and entering his 13th season.
Calvin Austin, in particular, is a player the Steelers are higher on than most realize, Breer adds. The slot target has made progress since going off the 2022 draft board in Round 4, moving from a full-season absence to 180 yards in 2023 to 548 in ’24. Austin’s size (5-foot-9, 162 pounds), however, effectively brings a low ceiling on his capabilities alongside Metcalf. That said, the contract-year performer will almost definitely play another central role in the Steelers’ passing attack.
Roman Wilson may be the more interesting piece here, as the Steelers have an established track record of identifying wideout talent on Day 2 0f a draft. Wilson, however, basically redshirted as a rookie. Ankle and hamstring injuries kept Wilson off the field for just about his entire rookie season. He played just five offensive snaps in 2024. Expecting the Michigan product to go from such sparse usage to potential No. 2 wide receiver is probably unrealistic, even considering the Steelers’ history of development here. But the team still views Wilson as a key piece, even as rumors of the Steelers — as the Rodgers wait continues — pursuing Allen Lazard (or potentially another of the QB’s former Packer targets) have circulated.
The Steelers gave Woods a one-year, $2MM deal ($745K guaranteed) but added him after a 203-yard 2024 season. Years removed from his Rams apex, the 33-year-old target also does not profile as a player capable of making a difference in a starting role. However, Woods would bring some insurance in case Wilson is again not ready. That scenario would almost definitely, however, lead the Steelers to reignite their WR pursuit before the post-Week 9 deadline. For now, it appears Metcalf — who played with Tyler Lockett throughout his Seahawks career and with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the past two seasons — will have less around him going into training camp.
The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History
The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.
The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.
Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jordan Hicks; March 12, 2019: Four years, $34MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Deion Jones; July 17, 2019: Four years, $54MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Roquan Smith; January 10, 2023: Five years, $100MM ($60MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Matt Milano; March 12, 2023: Two years, $28.33MM ($27.15MM guaranteed)
Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees
Carolina Panthers
- Luke Kuechly; September 10, 2015: Five years, $61.8MM ($33.36MM guaranteed)
Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees
Chicago Bears
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 13, 2023: Four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Logan Wilson; August 4, 2023: Four years, $36MM ($10MM guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Jamie Collins; January 23, 2017: Four years, $50MM ($26.4MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Jaylon Smith; August 20, 2019: Five years, $63.75MM ($35.41MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Brandon Marshall; June 14, 2016: Four years, $32MM ($20.1MM guaranteed)
Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee
Detroit Lions
- DeAndre Levy; August 5, 2015: Three years, $33.74MM ($24MM guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- De’Vondre Campbell; March 14, 2022: Five years, $50MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Benardrick McKinney; June 14, 2018: Five years, $50MM ($22.16MM guaranteed)
Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees
Indianapolis Colts
- Shaquille Leonard; August 8, 2021: Five years, $98.5MM ($52.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Foye Oluokun; March 14, 2022: Three years, $45MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Nick Bolton; March 9, 2025: Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Cory Littleton; March 17, 2020: Three years, $35.25MM ($22MM guaranteed)
Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Donald Butler; February 28, 2014: Seven years, $51.8MM ($11.15MM guaranteed)
Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal
Los Angeles Rams
- James Laurinaitis; September 8, 2012: Five years, $41.5MM ($23.62MM guaranteed)
Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee
Miami Dolphins
- Jerome Baker; June 13, 2021: Three years, $37.5MM ($28.41MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Barr; March 12, 2019: Five years, $67.5MM ($33MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money
New Orleans Saints
- Demario Davis; September 13, 2020: Three years, $27MM ($18.35MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Bobby Okereke; March 13, 2023: Four years, $40MM ($21.8MM guaranteed)
Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee
New York Jets
- C.J. Mosley; March 12, 2019: Five years, $85MM ($51MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Zack Baun; March 5, 2025: Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Patrick Queen; March 12, 2024: Three years, $41MM ($20.51MM guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner; May 19, 2025: Three years, $63MM ($56MM guaranteed)
Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Bobby Wagner; July 26, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($40.25MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lavonte David; August 9, 2015: Five years, $50.25MM ($25.56MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Cody Barton; March 10, 2025: Three years, $21MM ($13.33MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- London Fletcher; March 3, 2007: Five years, $25MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)
Steelers Sign Round 1 DL Derrick Harmon, Wrap Draft Class Deals
Add the Steelers to the list of teams to have their first-round pick under contract. Pittsburgh agreed to terms with defensive lineman Derrick Harmon on Wednesday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes.
Harmon’s rookie pact, as the No. 21 overall pick, will run through 2028. The Steelers will have a fifth-year option on the contract, one the team must exercise by May 2028. The Oregon alum will be tied to a fully guaranteed $17.97MM deal. Harmon is the first D-lineman the Steelers have drafted in Round 1 since Cameron Heyward in 2011.
While the Steelers will pair Heyward and Harmon this season, the Oregon prospect profiles as one the team will hope anchors the D-line after Heyward retires. Two seasons remain on Heyward’s deal, though no guarantees are in place beyond 2025. Heyward is heading into his age-36 season; Harmon will not turn 22 until August.
Viewed as a clear landing spot for either Jaxson Dart or Shedeur Sanders, the Steelers instead fortified a D-line by adding a first-rounder alongside Heyward and 2023 second-rounder Keeanu Benton. The Giants were leery of the Steelers’ QB need at No. 21, but New York’s front office expected Pittsburgh to pass. This led to Big Blue trading up (via the Texans) at No. 25 for Dart, a player the Steelers are believed to have graded as a first-round talent.
Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers wait has surpassed two months now, but the organization remains optimistic. The team entered the draft aiming to take its swing for a long-term QB — after missing on Kenny Pickett — in either the 2025 or ’26 drafts. The Harmon pick points such a move to 2026, as the Steelers added an extra third-round pick via the post-draft George Pickens trade with the Cowboys.
Harmon put up career-best numbers during his one season at Oregon. The Michigan State transfer posted five sacks, 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, helping the Ducks to the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The 311-pounder’s quickness and power make him a menace inside the tackles, but he also showed the ability to line up outside. Although Heyward played sparingly as a rookie 14 years ago, the Steelers will likely turn to Harmon as an immediate regular along their D-line.
This signing wraps the Steelers’ draft class contracts. Here is how Pittsburgh’s class looks heading into OTAs:
- Round 1, No. 21: Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 83: Kaleb Johnson (RB, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 123: Jack Sawyer (OLB, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 164 (from Lions through Browns, Eagles and Chiefs): Yahya Black (DE, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 185 (from Bears through Seahawks): Will Howard (QB, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 226 (from Panthers through Chiefs): Carson Bruener (LB, Washington) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 229 (from Falcons through Eagles): Donte Kent (CB, Central Michigan) (signed)
Texans To Re-Sign CB Myles Bryant
Nick Caserio will stick with one of the players he helped identify back in his Patriots days. Myles Bryant, a former Pats UDFA, is re-signing with the Texans, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.
Added on a one-year, $1.75MM deal in 2024, Bryant played in 11 Texans games last season. While the former New England contributor’s Houston workload paled in comparison to his usage in Foxborough, the Washington alum has held a key role at points during his five-year NFL run.
Obtained during Caserio’s final Patriots offseason (2020), Bryant played 75% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps in Bill Belichick‘s final slate (which produced a No. 7-ranked defense). Prior to that, he logged 55% (2021) and 61% (’22) usage rates under Belichick. The Pats turned to Bryant initially after a Jonathan Jones season-ending injury in 2021. New England, however, shifted Jones — its longtime slot corner — to more of an outside role to accommodate Bryant once the veteran returned to full strength. The Pats used both Jones and Bryant regularly over the next two seasons.
Signing with the Texans in late March last year, Bryant did not enjoy a comparable role under DeMeco Ryans. The Texans used the 5-foot-9 defender on just 10% of their defensive snaps last season. He also logged a career-high 121 special teams snaps. Bryant, 27, came to Houston after a 77-tackle season that featured seven TFLs. He will attempt to carve out a bigger role in 2025.
The Texans have a primary slot corner already, having shifted safety Jalen Pitre to that post last year. Pitre recently signed a three-year, $39MM extension that briefly (before Kyler Gordon‘s Bears payday) made him the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot CB. Bryant stands to compete for a job behind Pitre, who saw a pectoral injury end his 2024 season early.
This has proven to be a busy offseason for the Texans at corner. They also used a third-round pick on Jaylin Smith, a cornerback out of USC; that move came after Houston chose boundary starter/Derek Stingley Jr. sidekick Kamari Lassiter in last year’s second round. Prior to paying Pitre, Houston authorized a market-resetting three-year, $90MM extension for Stingley. Highlighting a commitment to the position, the Texans also took a flier on Ronald Darby this offseason.