Titans, G Kevin Zeitler Agree To Deal
Continuing to play well into his mid-30s, Kevin Zeitler will once again command a solid one-year deal in free agency. The nomadic starter is heading to Nashville.
The Titans are adding Zeitler on a one-year, $9MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Zeitler is moving back to the AFC after a season in Detroit. This will continue a long-running career for Zeitler, who entered the NFL in the 2012 first round.
Although Zeitler is a former Browns blocker, his Cleveland years predated Bill Callahan‘s time as Browns O-line coach. The current Titans OL boss will still coach one of the most experienced guards in NFL history. Zeitler made 16 more starts last season, running his career total to 197. Among guards, that is tied for eighth all time. With 10 starts in 2025, Zeitler can move to third on that list. With another 16-start season, Zeitler can move into the top 15 all time for starts among all offensive linemen.
The Titans have added both Zeitler and left tackle Dan Moore Jr. this offseason. Zeitler will provide tremendous experience on an O-line that features two rookie-contract players (JC Latham, Peter Skoronski) and veterans with inconsistent resumes (Lloyd Cushenberry, Dan Moore). This is a fully revamped O-line now, as two additions have come in each of the past two offseasons. Even as he reaches an age-35 season, Zeitler may be the safest bet here.
This could sting Detroit, which relied on Zeitler to help launch a full-on Jahmyr Gibbs breakout season alongside David Montgomery. Pro Football Focus graded Zeitler as the No. 3 overall guard last season. The Lions were considering a second Zeitler contract, but nothing transpired on that front. He will now head to a team that won 12 fewer games than his previous squad last season.
The former Bengals, Browns, Giants, Ravens and Lions blocker will not exactly be going to a team expected to contend. But the Titans may well be bringing in a first-round quarterback. Having Zeitler around to help that to-be-determined prospect — and/or Will Levis — stands to help a team that went 3-14 in 2024.
Colts To Sign RB Khalil Herbert
The Colts are signing veteran running back Khalil Herbert to a one-year deal, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. After backing up Chase Brown down the stretch last year, Herbert will move to a Jonathan Taylor RB2 role.
Having flashed at points in Chicago, Herbert will bring more to the table than the Colts’ array of 2024 backups did. Indianapolis did not opt to do much to replace Zack Moss, whom Cincinnati eventually acquired Herbert to fill in for last season. Herbert could provide more cover for Taylor, who has battled injuries after a healthy start to his career.
Working in what amounted to a role as Justin Fields‘ ground-game sidekick, Herbert impressed in 2022 by gaining 731 rushing yards — at a slick 5.7 per carry — and helping the Bears lead the NFL in that category. The former sixth-round pick managed to get there despite starting only one game. Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected metric placed Herbert fourth that season, but he gradually fell out of favor with the Bears as his rookie contract progressed.
Herbert, who had played behind David Montgomery that year, made nine starts in 2023. He saw his YPC number drop to a still-respectable 4.6, but the team signed D’Andre Swift last year, giving the former Lions and Eagles starter $14MM fully guaranteed. Herbert entered the Bears’ 2024 training camp on the roster bubble and was ultimately shipped out for a sixth-round pick weeks after the Bengals lost Moss for the season.
After Moss fared well as a Taylor 2023 fill-in — during his contract impasse and later amid the starter’s injury absence — the Colts saw backup Trey Sermon average just 2.8 yards per tote. Sermon is unsigned for 2025, but Tyler Goodson, who performed a bit better as a third-stringer, remains under contract. Herbert will be positioned to spell Taylor, and he should be fairly fresh. The ex-Bears and Bengals contributor has accumulated just 400 career carries.
Titans To Trade Kenneth Murray To Cowboys
Kenneth Murray‘s Tennessee stay looks set to end after one season. The Titans and Cowboys have a deal in place that would send the former first-round linebacker to Dallas.
The teams closed out a negotiation that appears to be a pick swap, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the clubs are expected to exchange late-round choices. The Cowboys will be taking on Murray’s two-year, $15.5MM deal. Murray is due a $5.99MM base salary — well north of his 2024 paragraph 5 number — next season. A classic pick-swap structure wrapped this deal, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adding the Titans will receive a sixth-rounder in exchange for Murray and a seventh.
This qualifies as a midlevel contract, as Murray did not justify his draft slot in Los Angeles. While teams annually pass on off-ball linebacker fifth-year options, Murray’s was not exactly a complex decision for the Bolts. They had benched the Oklahoma product at points, though a market still formed. Murray had fans in Tennessee last year, but after one season, he is out.
The Titans signed Cody Barton in free agency but also did not tender Jack Gibbens as an RFA. This comes a year after Tennessee did not extend its partnership with Azeez Al-Shaair past one year. Last season, the team also shipped August trade pickup Ernest Jones to the Seahawks for Jerome Baker, who has not re-signed. As of late, Nashville has not been a hub for linebacker continuity. The Cowboys, however, also have issues to sort out on their defensive second level.
While Pro Football Focus has never been remotely high on Murray, he was productive last season. The 2020 No. 23 pick finished with 95 tackles (eight for loss), 3.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. PFF still labeled Murray as the third-worst full-time linebacker (among off-ball regulars). PFF has graded Murray outside the top 70 at his position in four of his five seasons. The Cowboys will take what amounts to a flier here, as they have Eric Kendricks — after ex-Vikings HC Mike Zimmer‘s second Cowboys stint was a one-and-done — unsigned and DeMarvion Overshown rehabbing a serious injury.
The Chargers had benched Murray in 2021, but by his contract year, he teamed with Kendricks and played 93% of the Bolts’ defensive snaps. Murray, 26, saw action on 94% of Tennessee’s defensive plays last season. That came in a 3-14 campaign that led to GM Ran Carthon‘s ouster. Nevertheless, Murray will have a clear path to first-string work to start Dallas’ 2025 season.
Steelers, CB Darius Slay Agree To Deal
Darius Slay‘s Steelers agreement is now final. After being rumored to be close to landing the veteran cornerback, Pittsburgh will indeed bring in the two-time Super Bowl starter.
The team is adding Slay on a one-year, $10MM pact, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal comes fully guaranteed for Slay, who turned 34 shortly before the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win. Slay will join running back Kenneth Gainwell in changing Pennsylvania addresses this week. Slay will also rejoin ex-Lions DC Teryl Austin in Pittsburgh.
This deal comes minutes after the 2025 league year starting greenlit Slay’s official Philadelphia exit. The Eagles had planned to cut Slay for a bit, but teams cannot designate players as post-June 1 releases until 3pm CT today. The Steelers waited a bit, but they have added a boundary starter opposite Joey Porter Jr. The player who primarily worked in that role last season, Donte Jackson, joined the Chargers this week.
While this transaction will officially end the biannual Darius Slay-Darius Slayton divisional matchup, Slay did well to secure an opportunity quickly at an age when most corners are long retired. The batch of corners that topped this year’s free agent market were in their late 20s, scoring nice third contracts after smartly inking two- or three-year deals previously.
This is Slay’s fourth contract, illustrating the talent the ex-Eagles and Lions defender has displayed. He played two seasons on a three-year, $39MM Eagles accord, but after Philly drafted first- and second-round CBs last year, they bid farewell to Super Bowl LVII starters Slay and James Bradberry.
Bradberry missed all of last season, but Slay was in place as the veteran corner giving the Eagles experience while Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean acclimated. Slay started all 14 games he played last season and logged an 81% snap rate. That was slightly down from his previous seasons, though given Slay’s age and the Eagles’ deep CB depth chart last season, it makes sense. Slay, however, played at least 85% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps in each of their four playoff games — including an 88% Super Bowl LIX rate.
Pittsburgh had given Patrick Peterson a chance to play an age-33 season in 2023; the Steelers will bet on Slay having one more good year in the tank. Slay has planned for 2025 to be his finale. If so, he will work in a familiar system, as the six-time Pro Bowler began his ascent under Austin in Detroit. Austin coached the Lions’ defense from 2014-17; Slay’s issues with the Lions came after Matt Patricia‘s 2018 arrival. Patricia played a central role in the Eagles’ defensive descent in 2023, but Slay had signed off on a reunion. After the Eagles moved back on track with Vic Fangio, Slay reestablished momentum to gain a shot at a rare age-34 CB season.
Packers, Patriots Did Not Make Offers For D.K. Metcalf
Despite reports of interest from the Packers and the Patriots, neither team submitted offers to the Seahawks for D.K. Metcalf, per The Athletic’s Matt Schniedman and NBCS Boston’s Phil Perry
Seahawks general manager John Schneider spent 2002 to 2009 in Green Bay when Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was a scout with the team. That led to rumblings that the Packers would trade for Metcalf to add a proven WR1 to their receiver room. However, such a deal was “never a realistic possibility,” per Schniedman.
The Patriots were linked with several available wide receivers who could bolster Drake Maye‘s group of pass-catchers, but they did not make an effort to acquire Metcalf, according to Perry. New England was expected to pursue Chris Godwin, but he opted to re-sign with the Buccaneers instead.
Reports also indicated that Metcalf preferred to play in a warm climate, but he did not express that desire to his agent, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Instead, he ended up in Pittsburgh where his 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame will fit with the physical playing style of the AFC North.
Metcalf’s new team better aligns with his priority of winning, per Pelissero. Mike Tomlin has led the Steelers to the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. Metcalf has just two postseason appearances in that span and three in his entire career.
Titans Not Interested In Russell Wilson
Even as we near the 2025 league year, Aaron Rodgers has commanded enough attention he is holding up the quarterback market. Set to turn 42 later this year, the all-time QB talent is believed to be the first choice of the Steelers and Giants. The Vikings are lurking, even if they do not appear the favorite here.
Wilson has emerged as a backup plan for the Steelers and likely the Giants as well (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If Wilson does not land in New York or back in Pittsburgh, finding a fit may be difficult. Not connected to the Vikings, Wilson also does not look to be an option for the Titans. Tennessee is not interested in the 13-year veteran, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes.
The Titans were connected to Sam Darnold before the market opened, but the team was not viewed as likely to exceed $30MM per year for the 2024 Pro Bowler. The Seahawks did, giving Darnold a three-year, $100.5MM contract. Tennessee was not believed to be interested in a reclamation-project-type arm, pointing the team away from some of free agency’s options. Though, Wilson would not profile as such. The decorated ex-Seahawk is nearing the end of a great career; there is not much mystery to the 36-year-old passer at this point. Even though Wilson would provide the Titans with some veteran certainty, they are looking elsewhere.
Tennessee has not been closely tied to Rodgers, either. The team still has Will Levis and is open to bringing back Mason Rudolph. The Titans coming out of free agency without a starter-caliber veteran will point them to a quarterback in the first round. Holding the No. 1 overall pick, the Titans have Cam Ward backers in their building — even as trade-down rumors have swirled. A Shedeur Sanders selection would seemingly hinge on how far Tennessee moves down, should it opt to add assets in exchange for No. 1 overall.
The Steelers gave Wilson their starting job out of training camp. This, however, came as Justin Fields closed the gap between the two passers — after a stream of offseason assurances the job was Wilson’s — while the older QB battled a nagging calf injury. After aggravating the calf issue, Wilson missed six games. Player and assistant support for Fields to keep the gig existed, but Mike Tomlin “acted alone” in reinstalling Wilson. This route helped guide the Steelers to 10-3, but Wilson lost momentum after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a five-game losing streak. Wilson and OC Arthur Smith also clashed about the offensive direction, which reminds of Wilson’s issues late in his Seattle days and during his two-year Denver stint.
While Wilson has spoken to the Steelers about a deal, it was clear Fields was the team’s preference. The nine-time Pro Bowler may not be a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, after the past three seasons, but he is the NFL’s third-leading QB rusher and coming off a season in which he ranked 23rd in QBR (two spots north of Rodgers). Following a 16-TD, five-INT 11-game sample in Pittsburgh — at 7.4 yards per attempt, which is much higher than Rodgers’ 2024 number (6.7) — Wilson will not be guaranteed a starting job in 2025.
Seahawks To Add Marquez Valdes-Scantling
D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett‘s departures have brought a significant retooling effort at receiver in Seattle. While the team will need to add at least one starter-level receiver to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba, it is adding a likely depth piece now.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling will sign with the Seahawks, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The well-traveled wideout agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $5.5MM. After the Chiefs and Bills both cut Valdes-Scantling last year, he caught on with the Saints and played a regular role. He will follow 2024 New Orleans OC Klint Kubiak to Seattle.
Valdes-Scantling made some memorable contributions with the Chiefs, but they moved on from his three-year, $30MM contract after a disappointing 2023 season. The 2022 JuJu Smith-Schuster complementary piece signed with the Bills after the draft but did not see much playing time before an in-season release. With the Saints, however, he became a regular part of a battered receiving corps.
Kubiak used MVS as a downfield threat, as the ex-Packer draftee caught 17 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns during a half-season in New Orleans. With Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed out, Kubiak needed to find other producers. Although MVS had been trending downward and has enjoyed an inconsistent career, he produced during the short Saints stint. This included a 109-yard, two-TD day in a Saints win over the Falcons. MVS also cleared 50 receiving yards on three other occasions with the Saints to close his age-30 season.
The former fifth-round pick is still better known for his Green Bay and Kansas City stays. The 6-foot-4 receiver totaled a career-high 690 yards for the 2020 Packers, leading the NFL with a 20.9-yard average per catch and adding six TDs during Aaron Rodgers‘ third MVP season. Given a $10MM-per-year deal as the Chiefs pivoted to a cheaper receiving group after Tyreek Hill extension talks turned into a Dolphins trade, Valdes-Scantling amassed 687 yards for the Super Bowl champions that year.
The Chiefs depended on MVS in the 2022 AFC championship game, as a few other among their receiving corps battled injuries. He came through with a six-reception, 116-yard showing to help the Chiefs stave off the Bengals. In 2023, Valdes-Scantling caught two deep balls in a Chiefs divisional-round win over the Bills and added the game-clinching grab against the Ravens. He then caught a third-quarter TD pass in Super Bowl LVIII. Of course, that came after a 315-yard season that featured a costly deep-ball drop in a November loss to the Eagles.
Following the Metcalf trade and Lockett release, the Seahawks have Jake Bobo and fourth-year performer Dareke Young as Smith-Njigba complements. While adding a second wideout with a hyphenated name reminds of a recent Chiefs setup, Seattle will undoubtedly be seeking more help for Sam Darnold soon.
Bills To Sign S Darrick Forrest
Already carrying Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop on their roster going into free agency, the Bills have used Day 3 to add two more safeties. After re-signing Damar Hamlin, Buffalo is bringing in a former NFC East starter.
Ex-Washington draftee Darrick Forrest is heading to Buffalo on a one-year deal, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz tweets. Forrest is a 17-game Commanders starter, with most of those opportunities coming during the 2022 season.
Washington drafted Forrest in the 2021 fifth round and made him a primary 2022 starter. That season included 88 tackles and four interceptions. The Cincinnati alum, however, did not grab any INTs outside of that 2022 season. A starter during the ’22 campaign’s second half, Forrest saw his momentum stall in 2023. A shoulder fracture ended his season five games in, and the Commanders changed plans soon after.
Hiring Adam Peters as GM, the team signed Jeremy Chinn to pair with 2023 second-round pick Quan Martin. Even with Kamren Curl leaving in free agency last year, Forrest did not earn his starting job back. He made one start and played only 74 defensive snaps. Washington has lost he and Chinn this offseason; two years remain on Martin’s rookie deal. The team has since signed former Lions and Saints DB Will Harris as a potential option alongside Martin.
Forrest, 26 in May, graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 42 overall safety (out of 88 qualifiers) in 2022. While avenues to the Buffalo starting lineup appear closed, the Bills at least have secured another experienced depth piece a year after their Mike Edwards pact did not work out.
Contract Details: Horn, Pats, Pack, Vikings
It’s that time of year. It is time to begin sorting through the contracts agreed to early in free agency. We will start with some of the biggest deals to emerge this week.
- Jaycee Horn, CB (Panthers). Four years, $100MM. Horn’s Carolina extension covers $72MM in total guarantees (second among CBs) and $46.7MM at signing (first). Horn’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his $15.74MM 2027 base salary will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Additionally, $7.1MM of Horn’s $21.7MM 2028 base is already guaranteed for injury, per Wilson. That amount will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2028 league year.
- Milton Williams, DT (Patriots): Four years, $104MM. Williams will see $63MM in total guarantees and $51MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Williams’ 2027 base salary ($27MM) is guaranteed for injury; it will shift to a full guarantee if he remains on New England’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson tweets.
- Aaron Banks, G (Packers). Four years, $77MM. Only a $27MM signing bonus is guaranteed, via OverTheCap, as the Packers do not usually include guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. Banks is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson notes. The same structure is in place for 2027, with another $9.5MM bonus due. These represent future guarantee dates on this year-$20MM-AAV accord, though the Pack — as they do with Josh Jacobs — will have a natural out after Year 2 of the deal.
- Byron Murphy, CB (Vikings): Three years, $54MM. This is significantly lower than initially reported (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), as Murphy can only reach the $22MM-AAV number through incentives. Murphy’s first two base salaries are fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Rather than being the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid CB, Murphy is tied for 13th after the true AAV emerged.
- Charvarius Ward, CB (Colts): Three years, $54MM. This one had the correct value from the start, as Murphy’s subsequent Vikings deal matched these terms. Ward will see $27MM at signing. To reach the $34.98MM total guarantee, he must remain on Indianapolis’ roster past Day 5 of the 2026 league year. As $5MM of Ward’s $12.98MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, the rest locks in on that March 2026 date, Wilson tweets.
- Jonathan Allen, DL (Vikings): Three years, $51MM. This also checks in lower (via Garafolo) than initially reported, which is not uncommon. Half of Allen’s $16MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with the other half (via Wilson) locking in if the D-lineman is on Minnesota’s roster come Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
- Jamien Sherwood, LB (Jets). Three years, $45MM. The Jets are guaranteeing $30MM, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes this is the second-biggest LB guarantee the team has authorized (after C.J. Mosley‘s then-record FA deal in 2019). The Jets included a $7.5MM option bonus due at any point before Week 1 of the 2026 season, Wilson notes. This, along with three void years, will reduce Sherwood’s cap hits; he will not carry a figure north of $11.5MM until 2027.
- Drew Dalman, C (Bears): Three years, $42MM. $26.5MM of Dalman’s $28MM guarantee comes at signing, giving the ex-Falcons center the second-biggest center guarantee (passing Lloyd Cushenberry‘s 2024 Titans FA deal). $9.5MM of Dalman’s $11MM 2026 base salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Wilson. The other $1.5MM vests if/once he is on Chicago’s roster on Day 3 of the ’26 league year. Dalman’s 2027 salary is nonguaranteed.
Chiefs Restructure Patrick Mahomes, Chris Jones’ Contracts
The gift that keeps giving for the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes‘ contract has now been restructured four times. Having franchise-tagged Trey Smith and paid Nick Bolton and then Kristian Fulton, the Chiefs are again turning to the Mahomes restructure tactic.
Kansas City is also completing a base-to-bonus restructure on Chris Jones‘ contract, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who indicates these two moves saved the defending AFC champions $49.4MM. After coming into Wednesday over the cap, the Chiefs now hold more than $29MM in space ahead of the 2025 league year.
Even five years after it was signed, Mahomes’ 10-year, $450MM deal remains the NFL’s only deal to run through 2031. The megastar quarterback gave up a more lucrative path by locking himself in on that July 2020 extension. Only Josh Allen has come close to replicating Mahomes’ path, as the reigning MVP’s initial Bills deal — one since updated — is the only six-year QB contract to be finalized since. Rather than coming back to the table, Mahomes remains under Chiefs control for many years.
The Chiefs did rework Mahomes’ contract after the wave of $50MM-AAV deals hit in 2023, moving money around to create $133.7MM in guarantees. That said, the contract running through 2031 continues to give the Chiefs short-term flexibility. The franchise will undoubtedly do more work on this deal moving forward, as the restructures have spiked Mahomes’ 2026 cap hit beyond $78MM and his 2027 number past $74MM.
Jones agreed to a more player-friendly deal last year, resetting the defensive tackle market shortly before the 2024 legal tampering period. The Chiefs gave Jones $95MM guaranteed in total on a five-year, $158.75MM contract. That number came in well north of where the Chiefs were willing to go during Jones’ 2023 holdout, but after another dominant season, the team relented as the future Hall of Famer neared free agency. As the Chiefs attempt to trek to a fourth straight Super Bowl, they are using their top two players’ contracts as tools to free up immediate funds.