Vikings Sign Bills T Ryan Van Demark To Offer Sheet
MARCH 18: Minnesota’s offer sheet hit the transaction wire today, per ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg. That gives the Bills until Monday to match. The Bills, who did match a 2022 Bears RFA offer sheet for guard Ryan Bates, will not receive any compensation if they fail to match the Vikings’ offer.
MARCH 17: The Vikings have signed Bills restricted free agent offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark to an offer sheet, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Buffalo has five days to match, but the team will not receive compensation if it allows Van Demark to leave.
The Bills gave Van Demark, who went undrafted, an original-round tender worth $3.52MM. The Vikings offered Van Demark a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $4.2MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports.
After starting 43 games at UConn, Van Demark signed with the Colts in 2022. The 6-foot-6, 307-pounder was part of their final roster cuts that year, but he caught on with the Bills’ practice squad.
Although Van Demark did not appear in any games as a rookie, he played 43 and started six from 2023-25. He combined for 511 offensive snaps over the past two seasons. During his first career 17-game campaign in 2025, Van Demark logged 154 snaps at right tackle and 43 at left tackle.
With Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown entrenched as the Bills’ starting bookends, Van Demark will continue to fill a swing tackle role if they match the Vikings’ offer sheet. In the event the cap-strapped Bills deem it too pricey, Tylan Grable and Chase Lundt are among in-house options who could take over for Van Demark.
Like the Bills, the Vikings have a pair of established and expensive tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. But injuries have been a problem for Darrisaw, who has never played in more than 15 games in any of his five seasons. The 26-year-old tore his ACL and MCL in 2024, limiting him to seven games then, and his recovery dragged into ’25.
Darrisaw played just 10 games last year, and with the Vikings managing his workload, they put him on season-ending IR in late December. O’Neill posted perfect attendance during his second Pro Bowl campaign in 2024, but it was sandwiched between two 14-game seasons. Adding Van Demark would give the Vikings some insurance behind Darrisaw and O’Neill in 2026.
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).
NFC Contract Details: Phillips, Saints, Evans, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Giants, Cardinals, Eagles
We covered a batch of contract details from the AFC earlier today. Here are the numbers from some of the NFC’s biggest deals from free agency’s first wave:
- Jaelan Phillips, OLB (Panthers). Four years, $120MM. Of Phillips’ $80MM guarantee, $60MM is locked in at signing (per SI.com’s Albert Breer). Phillips secured an early guarantee as well, according to OverTheCap, with $20MM of his 2028 base salary becoming guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- David Edwards, G (Saints). Four years, $61MM. Edwards secured $45MM guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, with $40MM at signing (via OverTheCap). The Saints gave Edwards — who was tied to a two-year, $6MM Bills deal from 2024-25 — guarantees through 2028, with Terrell indicating $10MM of the guard’s $15MM 2028 base salary is locked in at signing (Edwards’ full guarantee ranks sixth among guards). The remaining $5MM in 2028 compensation vests on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, per OverTheCap. Edwards is also due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2029 league year, Terrell adds.
- Mike Evans, WR (49ers). Three years, $42.5MM. Evans will receive $14.3MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. Two nonguaranteed option bonuses are included in the deal, per ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner, who indicates a $12.05MM option bonus is in place for 2027 and a $10.95MM bonus for 2028. Four void years are in place on the deal, which includes $4.25MM, $7.31MM and $9.7MM cap numbers. Essentially, this is a one-year, $14.3MM accord with team options.
- Coby Bryant, S (Bears). Three years, $40MM. Bryant landed $25.75MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Bryant secured a Year 2 fully guaranteed base salary ($12.25MM), SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. A $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2028 league year.
- Jermaine Eluemunor, RT (Giants). Three years, $39MM. Eluemunor secured a $25.45MM guarantee at signing, Wilson adds. (This comes after he played out a two-year, $14MM deal.) Eluemunor received $12.15MM of his $12.4MM 2027 salary guaranteed (via OverTheCap).
- Kaden Elliss, LB (Saints). Three years, $33MM. Of that total, Terrell notes $23MM is fully guaranteed. Both Elliss’ 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed.
- Sean Rhyan, OL (Packers). Three years, $33MM. Per Packers non-QB norms, Rhyan’s signing bonus ($11MM) represents his only fully guaranteed money. Green Bay included a $6.65MM roster bonus, which ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. A $3MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the ’28 league year, Demovsky adds.
- Isaac Seumalo, G (Cardinals). Three years, $31.5MM. Seumalo secured $19MM guaranteed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with $15MM fully guaranteed. Semualo received $3MM of his 2027 base salary ($8MM) guaranteed at signing; another $4MM of the 2027 salary locks in on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Javonte Williams, RB (Cowboys). Three years, $24MM. Williams scored $16MM at signing. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are locked in, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. There are $3MM — $1MM per year — in per-game roster bonuses.
- Riq Woolen, CB (Eagles). One year, $12MM. The deal is fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Seeing as this is the Eagles, there are four void years included in this contract. If he is not re-signed before the deal voids in 2027, the Eagles would be hit with $8.59MM in dead money.
AFC Contract Details: Mafe, Titans, Raiders, Dean, Bills, Texans, Jets, Pats, Steelers, Jags, Ravens
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock of the full numbers given to some of this year’s top targets. Here are the details on some of the top contracts awarded by AFC teams:
- Boye Mafe, DE (Bengals). Three years, $60MM. The Bengals gave Mafe $19MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Seahawk is projected to land $43.3MM over the deal’s first two seasons, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Alontae Taylor, CB (Titans). Three years, $58MM. Taylor received $42MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Saints CB will receive $22MM in 2026, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Titans). Four years, $70MM. Robinson secured $36.98MM guaranteed at signing, Breer tweets. Neither of Robinson’s 2028 or ’29 base salaries contain guarantees or guarantee mechanisms. Each year carries $2MM in incentives, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
- Kwity Paye, OLB (Raiders). Three years, $48MM. Paye secured $31.28MM guaranteed, per Wilson; of that total, $25.34MM is locked in at signing (according to OverTheCap). Paye landed $10MM of his $15.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing; the remainder of his ’27 salary vests on Day 4 of 2027 league year.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Bills). Three years, $43.5MM. Of Chubb’s previously reported $29MM guarantee, Wilson notes $21.74MM is guaranteed at signing. Chubb will see a $4MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2028 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G (Patriots). Three years, $42MM. Vera-Tucker’s $21MM signing bonus represents his guarantees at signing, Wilson tweets, though the team has included a notable wrinkle. Vera-Tucker will earn $250K for each game he is active, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting this is among the highest per-game roster bonus figures in NFL history.
- Ed Ingram, G (Texans). Three years, $37.5MM. Receiving $20MM guaranteed at signing, the former second-round pick secured $5MM of his $8.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing. The rest shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year, per Spotrac.
- Jamel Dean, CB (Steelers). Three years, $36.75MM. Keeping with Steelers non-QB/T.J. Watt norms, Dean’s guarantee is his signing bonus ($12MM). Dean would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson notes.
- Nakobe Dean, LB (Raiders). Three years, $36MM. Nakobe Dean scored $20MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The former Eagles linebacker, who missed 12 games due to injury in 2023 and six in ’25, will see $8.5MM of his $11.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed. The remainder becomes guarantee on Day 3 of the ’27 league year (via Spotrac).
- Joseph Ossai, OLB (Jets). Three years, $34.5MM. Ossai will receive $22.49MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. Ossai’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
- Montaric Brown, CB (Jaguars). Three years, $31.8MM. Brown landed $20.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The former seventh-round pick secured $8.15MM of his $9.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing.
- John Simpson, G (Ravens). Three years, $30MM. Simpson secured $17.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson notes. This includes $5.5MM of an $8MM 2027 salary.
S Geno Stone To Join Bills
The Bills continue to reorganize their safeties room. After signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Buffalo is also bringing in another veteran safety in Geno Stone. Having just played out his two-year Bengals contract, Stone is joining the Bills on a new one-year deal (via NFL insider’s Jordan Schultz). 
The Bills appear to be pressing the reset button at safety this offseason. They’ve already seen Darnell Savage — who joined the team in Week 17 last year — depart to sign with the Steelers, and veterans Jordan Poyer, Taylor Rapp, and Damar Hamlin all saw their contracts expire at the end of the season, as well. While still sporting a top 10 passing defense in the league last year, the best play in the defensive outfield came from Poyer — who turns 35 next month — and the team’s youngest, newest additions.
The signing of Gardner-Johnosn and Stone brings back the veteran presence that Buffalo is allowing to walk in free agency. The duo also provides a bit of a new look and a chance at more impactful contributions on the field. Stone came to the NFL as a seventh-round pick out of Iowa and spent his first two years buried on the depth chart behind DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark. In his third year in Baltimore, Stone got bumped up into a starting role when veteran Marcus Williams hit injured reserve. Stone started seven games next to Clark as a rookie Kyle Hamilton began to master his Swiss Army role.
In the final year of his rookie contract, Stone found his way back into a starting role as Clark departed in free agency. The first-year full-time starter had a breakout season. If Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland hadn’t been so busy setting pick six records, Stone might’ve been the name to remember that season as he finished the year with seven interceptions, second only to Bland.
Cashing in on his breakout season, Stone signed with the Bengals on a two-year, $14MM deal. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Stone finished his time in Baltimore ranked the 24th-best safety out of 95 graded at the position. In 34 starts with the Bengals, despite nabbing six interceptions (including two pick sixes) and logging 185 total tackles, PFF ranked him 83rd out of 98 in 2024 and 76 out of 91 this past season.
The Bills return 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop and Jordan Hancock, a fifth-round rookie last year, at the safety position. Bishop will be returning to a full-time starting role in his third season of play, and it looks like Stone could stand a decent chance at sliding into the other starting spot. Gardner-Johnson also has full-time starting experience and could push Stone for the job, but Hancock has more familiarity with the system and may be looking to take the next step in Year 2 and compete for a bigger role, as well.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Mike Evans Considered Signing With Bills
A dozen years into a potential Hall of Fame career, wide receiver Mike Evans left the Buccaneers for the 49ers on Monday. Discussing the decision on Thursday, Evans told reporters he entered free agency seeking a contender with a good quarterback (via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports California). He found that in San Francisco, which reeled him in with a three-year offer worth a base value of $42.4MM.
The 32-year-old Evans will go forward with Brock Purdy as his quarterback, but he also considered moving to Buffalo to team with Josh Allen.
“So I was looking at here, Buffalo Bills, teams that needed a No. 1 wide receiver,” Evans said. “I liked this place. This was my No. 1 spot on my own.”
It is unclear if the Bills were aggressive in pursuing Evans, especially after they acquired the pricey D.J. Moore from the Bears last week. However, if the Bills brought in Evans to pair with Moore, it would have given them a much better outside receiver duo than they had last year. The Bills have a quality slot target in Khalil Shakir, but the rest of their wideouts underwhelmed in 2025.
Former second-round pick Keon Coleman did not progress as hoped during a year in which former head coach Sean McDermott made him a healthy scratch four times. Meanwhile, Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel struggled to produce during injury-shortened years. To no surprise, the Bills released Samuel last Friday. Late-season pickup Brandin Cooks is also a free agent. Tyrell Shavers is under contract, but he will miss time next season after tearing his ACL in a wild-card round win over the Jaguars.
As things stand, Coleman and Palmer are Buffalo’s top boundary receivers beyond Moore. There is clearly still room for improvement, whether it comes by way of a dwindling free agent market, another trade or the draft.
Jauan Jennings, the 49ers’ most productive receiver in 2025, may be the No. 1 option left in free agency. The 49ers have already lost auxiliary wideout Kendrick Bourne to the Cardinals, but they now have Evans slotting in with Ricky Pearsall atop their receiving corps. The 49ers are counting on healthier seasons for both players. Multiple injuries – including a hamstring strain and a broken clavicle – limited Evans to eight games in 2025 and denied him a record-setting 12th straight 1,000-yard season. Knee problems held Pearsall to nine games during the second year of his career.
Despite injuries to Pearsall and a slew of other noteworthy contributors, the 49ers went 12-5 and advanced to the divisional round last season. During their run to a Super Bowl title, the NFC West rival Seahawks knocked the 49ers out of the postseason in a 41-6 blowout. But Evans, who won a Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, is confident he will help San Francisco get over the hump next year.
“Even with all the injuries last year … I feel like they were one piece away,” the six-time Pro Bowler said (via Nick Wagoner of ESPN). “And I think that I am that piece. I look forward to coming here and proving that.”
Bills To Sign DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
After spending time with three different squads in 2025, C.J. Gardner-Johnson has found a new home. The veteran defensive back is signing with the Bills, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It’s a one-year deal for Gardner-Johnson. The deal will be worth up to $6MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The veteran was dealt from the Eagles to the Texans last offseason for a late-round pick swap. He started the first three games of the season for his new squad, but he quickly fell out of favor in Houston following a disagreement over his defensive role. He was cut by the Texans before September was through, and he subsequently landed on the Ravens practice squad.
He only lasted a week in Baltimore before earning his walking papers, but he quickly caught on with the Bears, where he was reunited with his former Saints coach Dennis Allen. Gardner-Johnson started seven of his 10 appearances for Chicago, tallying 51 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions. He suffered a concussion during the regular season finale that forced him to miss the Bears first playoff game, but he returned for the team’s eventual loss to the Rams.
Ceedy Duce has generally been a starter throughout his NFL career, but he’s struggled to stick with any single team. His longest stint came with the Saints to begin his career, but he was traded to the Eagles before his rookie contract was done. A torn pectoral muscle basically erased his lone season with the Lions in 2023, and he returned to Philly and won a Super Bowl in 2024.
Gardner-Johnson’s ability to play around the secondary will keep affording him NFL gigs. He’ll now be joining a Bills squad that may see some significant change to their cornerbacks and safeties corps in 2026. They’ve already dealt Taron Johnson to the Raiders, and Cam Lewis left for Chicago. Meanwhile, the likes of Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer are currently free agents. The Bills added Dee Alford to likely serve as their slot CB, but Gardner-Johnson should still have an opportunity to carve out his own role considering the uncertainty.
Ravens To Sign DE Trey Hendrickson
Making the decision to wave off the Maxx Crosby trade Tuesday, the Ravens will add the best edge rusher left available. Trey Hendrickson is signing with the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Hendrickson agreed to a four-year, $112MM deal with Baltimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That contract comes in south of where Crosby’s resides on the Raiders’ payroll. Hendrickson agreed to a contract that includes $60MM guaranteed at signing, Schefter adds. That will bring the 10th-year veteran pass rusher guarantees beyond Year 1 — something he targeted during his yearslong Bengals negotiating saga.
[RELATED: Raiders Prepared To Keep Crosby; Latest On Trade Breakdown]
Incentives can take the two-year total to $64MM, Rapoport tweets, with Schefter adding eight-, 10- and 12-sack benchmarks are in place. A $500K incentive covers Hendrickson in sacks, meaning most of this deal goes to base value. The $60MM full guarantee ranks in the top 10 at the position, though it is not yet known where Jaelan Phillips and Odafe Oweh ended up in terms of locked-in money.
The Crosby fallout may have benefited Hendrickson. Most teams viewed the 31-year-old All-Pro EDGE as being set to land a deal in the $24-$25MM-per-year range, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates $25-$27MM represented the range, helping explain why Hendrickson lingered in free agency. As of Tuesday, roughly a $10MM gap existed between Hendrickson’s camp and teams’ early offers.
As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes, Crosby has about four years and $116MM left on his Raiders contract. The Ravens will shift to a free agent and retain their first-round picks, something the California Post’ Vincent Bonsignore notes does not appear to be going over well in some league circles. The Ravens stayed in touch with Hendrickson’s camp Tuesday, Russini adds, noting most in the building knew the ex-Bengal was set to join the team.
The Colts and Eagles are also believed to have made offers, Russini adds. An Indianapolis agreement would have reunited Hendrickson and Lou Anarumo, while Philly is still searching for a replacement for Jaelan Phillips. While those two clubs missed out, the Ravens have completed a shocking turn of events, ruffling feathers in the process.
The Bills, Buccaneers and Commanders were also involved in the Hendrickson derby, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Philly’s involvement here is classified as a late entrance, per Fowler, who adds the Colts believed they were close. The Bucs were offering a short-term deal. Hendrickson was connected to interest in joining the Bucs, as he is an Orlando native who played college ball at Florida Atlantic.
The Bills were also involved in a Crosby trade pursuit, while the Commanders pivoted to K’Lavon Chaisson shortly before the Hendrickson-Baltimore news emerged. Washington was in this market until the end, per ESPN.com’s John Keim, explaining the Chaisson deal’s timing.
It is worth wondering when the Ravens began discussing Hendrickson. Trades are not official until the start of the new league year (3pm CT today). It can be assumed Baltimore was all-in on Crosby, but Russini adds the team was familiar with the Raiders edge rusher’s rehab timeline. Crosby is recovering from meniscus surgery, a monthslong process that is not expected to affect his Week 1 availability, and some around the league view this as simply the Ravens getting cold feet on unloading two first-round picks. Hendrickson is nearly two years older than Crosby, but not costing two first-rounders is rather significant.
The Hendrickson market looked to see a mystery team emerge Tuesday afternoon, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who indicates teams became leery of this stealth suitor. That is widely believed to be the Ravens, who knew hours before the Raiders’ social media announcement they would be nixing the Crosby trade.
While this sets a bad precedent, such options are available to teams under a setup in which deals can be agreed to weeks in advance — as the 2021 Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford trade reminds — of the new league year before becoming official. The unraveling of the Ravens-Raiders’ Crosby trade took hours, Garafolo adds. Hendrickson came into the picture for the AFC North team at that point.
PFR’s No. 4-ranked free agent, Hendrickson scores a deal that lands between Phillips (our No. 3 FA) and Oweh in terms of AAV. His $28MM number is much better than where he was during most of his Cincinnati tenure. Hendrickson had signed a four-year, $60MM Bengals deal in 2021 before agreeing to a one-year, $21MM extension in 2023.
Hendrickson pursued an extension for years in Cincinnati, but the Bengals stood their ground and refused to offer post-Year 1 guarantees — an organizational precedent except in rare cases (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase) — during last year’s standoff. A one-year, $29MM pact ended up being the late-summer resolution. The Bengals offered their top pass rusher a backloaded three-year, $95MM deal; he passed, leading to the August raise. The Bengals were linked to a 2026 Hendrickson franchise tag, but it would have come in well north of $30MM. Cincy passed and will move on, having agreed to sign Boye Mafe.
While Crosby probably has more long-term upside, Hendrickson put together a dominant run in the 2020s. The Bengals sack ace finished back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks and has two more campaigns (2020, 2021) with at least 13. After a belated breakthrough in a contract year (2020) with the Saints, Hendrickson helped the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in his debut Ohio season. Hendrickson recorded at least 24 QB hits from 2020-24, topping out at 36 in managing to finish as Defensive Player of the Year runner-up on a bad 2024 Cincinnati defense.
Last year, hip trouble ended up shutting Hendrickson down after five games. The four-time Pro Bowler underwent core muscle surgery in December. That adds a layer to this edge rusher switcheroo, though the Ravens obviously do not expect Hendrickson to be delayed in coming back in time for the regular season. Wherever Crosby plays in 2026, he is expected to be on the field in Week 1 as well.
Never trading a future first-round pick for a veteran player in their 30-year history, the Ravens also have not been big spenders at the EDGE position since Terrell Suggs‘ Baltimore run ended. The team franchise-tagged Matt Judon but did not re-sign him, moving to Oweh’s rookie deal and a host of veteran stopgaps. This strategy, which included an Oweh trade midway through last season, led to Baltimore ranking 30th in sacks last season. The team will bet on Hendrickson recapturing his pre-injury form, while we wait to see where Crosby will end up.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/11/26
Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive free agent tenders:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: OT Ryan Van Demark
- Buccaneers: RB Sean Tucker
- Seahawks: WR Jake Bobo
- Titans: WR Bryce Oliver
Non-tendered:
- Eagles: FB Ben VanSumeren
- Panthers: LB Claudin Cherelus
- Patriots: LB Jack Gibbens
OLB Bradley Chubb To Join Bills
Designated a post-June 1 cut by the Dolphins, Bradley Chubb intends to join one of their rivals. The Bills are bringing in the former top-five pick, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Chubb is signing a three-year, $43.5MM contract with Buffalo. Of that total, $29MM is guaranteed. The deal can max out at $52.5MM. This signing could point Joey Bosa out of Buffalo, but with a new defensive system being implemented, the Bills are making changes to that unit early in free agency.
Miami officially designated Chubb a post-June 1 release, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. This long-rumored cut will create $20.23MM in cap space for a Dolphins team that made history with its other post-June 1 designation today. Tua Tagovailoa‘s release will tag Miami with an NFL-record $99.2MM in dead cap. That money will be spread over two years, but it still smashes the record Russell Wilson‘s Broncos release set in 2024.
Long deploying a 4-3 defense, the Bills are switching to a 3-4 scheme under new DC Jim Leonhard. Chubb is a career-long 3-4 outside linebacker, beginning in that role with the Broncos and moving to the Dolphins via a blockbuster 2022 trade. The former Denver Von Miller sidekick has battled major injuries — two ACL tears — during his time as a pro, but he bounced back with a healthy 2025 season. Still, the Dolphins’ new regime moved on.
Drafted two spots before Josh Allen in the 2018 first round, Chubb pursued the rookie-year sack record and reached 12 alongside Miller that year in Denver. He missed most of the 2019 season with an ACL tear and battled more injury trouble in 2021, seeing Denver unload him at the ’22 deadline. Chubb signed a Dolphins extension in 2022 but suffered a second ACL tear late in the ’23 season and missed all of 2024. This led to a reworked deal in 2025.
Returning to play his age-29 season last year, Chubb started in all 17 of the Dolphins’ games and recorded quality counting stats. Chubb finished the campaign with 47 tackles (eight TFL), 20 QB hits and 8.5 sacks. On the other hand, Pro Football Focus was unimpressed with the two-time Pro Bowler, whom it ranked 103rd among 119 qualifying edge rushers.
With Bosa and A.J. Epenesa among their free agents, it was obvious the Bills would need to add at least one established edge rusher this offseason. Those two combined for 1,000 defensive snaps and 7.5 sacks in 2025. Bosa led the league with five forced fumbles, though his impact dropped off to a noticeable degree as the season progressed.
The Bills were involved in the free agency sweepstakes for Trey Hendrickson, but he agreed to a four-year, $112MM deal with the Ravens on Wednesday. They also factored into the initial round of trade talks for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. While Crosby could become available again after the Ravens backed out of a trade with the Raiders, the Chubb signing may take the Bills out of the running.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.