Buffalo Bills News & Rumors

AFC East Notes: Campbell, Milton, Jets, Bills

April 16th, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Sam Robinson

Likely holding the right of first refusal with this draft’s tackle class, the Patriots continue to be tied to LSU’s Will Campbell. Pats-Campbell connections have persisted for an extended stretch, as the team’s free agency activity brought in many high-profile options but did not produce a left tackle addition. While Morgan Moses is coming into play right tackle, a rookie is likely to join him. As of now, Campbell appears the frontrunner. The Patriots are believed to prefer Campbell at No. 4, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Although Pauline adds considerable in-house support for Missouri’s Armand Membou exists, he may need to wait a bit longer to hear his name called. The Pats have been high on Campbell for a while, as arm-length concerns appear to have been overblown, and Mike Vrabel pointed to the draft as a good way the team can address its LT issue. Vrabel added (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) he believes LT starters are in this draft.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

The Pats unloaded popular reserve QB Joe Milton in a trade, dealing him to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. This represented a net gain for New England, which drafted Milton in last year’s sixth round. Vrabel pointed to a lack of reps being available behind Drake Maye and UFA pickup Josh Dobbs as the main reason for Milton’s early exit. “Well, we felt like that his reps were going to be decreased as we worked through the offseason,” Vrabel said (via Kyed). “And we felt like just like every other decision, we’re going to try to do what’s best for the team, and that’s the decision that we ultimately made. And so, excited to move forward with Drake and Josh.” Three years remain on Milton’s rookie contract.
The Jets signed Josh Reynolds and worked out a pay-cut agreement with Allen Lazard. This makes the team unlikely to also add one of the 30-something wide receivers still in free agency, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett remain unsigned. The trio may need to wait until the post-draft deadline pertaining to the 2026 compensatory formula to find homes, as the draft will also provide clarity regarding teams’ receiver needs.
Staying with the Jets, Cimini noted in a previous piece Rick Spielman‘s presence in the team’s GM hiring process, one that ended with Darren Mougey landing the job, did not sit well with some of the candidates who interviewed. Although Mougey had not previously worked with Spielman, Mougey’s former boss — Broncos GM George Paton — was Spielman’s assistant GM in Minnesota. Paton gave Mougey a strong endorsement to ex-boss, according to Cimini, and some who lost out on the job connected the dots. Familiarity often leads to hirings at the executive or coaching level, though it is interesting Spielman — who had been out of the NFL until the Jets added him to lead the HC/GM hiring process — is staying on to help Mougey in a full-time role. It is worth wondering if all the candidates interviewed would have kept Spielman on.
Holding 10 picks, the Bills profile as a team who could move up in the draft. One scout informed ESPN.com’s Matt Miller a Buffalo move up for an impact first-round defender is a scenario to monitor. Cornerback represents a spot to follow regarding the Bills’ first-round pick, ESPN.com’s Field Yates adds. Buffalo has not re-signed Rasul Douglas, and Dane Jackson does not profile as a surefire starter opposite the recently extended Christian Benford.
The Bills used a “30” visit on Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Our Ely Allen profiled Scourton recently, and a few teams have met with the ex-Aggies regular. The Bills added Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa in free agency and still roster A.J. Epenesa; Bosa and Epenesa, however, are on expiring contracts.

Bills To Meet With CB James Bradberry

April 16th, 2025 at 8:41am CST by Sam Robinson

With Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane now in their ninth years in Buffalo, it would seem the Panthers-to-Bills pipeline would be on the verge of closing. One defender, however, would represent another option to join Curtis Samuel in keeping it open.

The Bills are set to meet with James Bradberry today, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Eagles cut the veteran cornerback last month, moving on after three seasons. Bradberry, 31, did not play for the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia edition due to injury.

McDermott and Beane’s Panthers tenures overlapped with the team’s 2016 Bradberry draft choice, a second-round move made in the wake of then-GM Dave Gettleman rescinding Josh Norman‘s franchise tag. Bradberry became a starter that year, his first of many such seasons in a team’s lineup, before seeing McDermott and then Beane leave for Buffalo. As Bradberry’s career winds down, he will huddle up with two of the staffers that played a role in shaping his career path.

Several of Bradberry’s former teammates already stopped through Buffalo for stints. The Bills have rostered the likes of Samuel, A.J. Klein, Kelvin Benjamin, Star Lotulelei, Daryl Williams and Vernon Butler during the McDermott-Beane tenure. They also added Norman for a two-season stint. Samuel, whom the Panthers added during Beane’s final draft with the team, represents the last link to this once-fruitful pipeline. It would be interesting if a 2025 move could keep it going, and Bradberry is now likely available at a near-veteran-minimum rate.

An Achilles tear sidelined Bradberry last year, but the two-season Eagles starter was not set to hold a similar role due to the team’s CB additions. Bradberry had been working at safety after an offseason position change, but he said following Super Bowl LIX he would prefer to move back to corner. The former Giants free agent signee has only played corner, doing so as a 124-game starter in a career that included a 2020 Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl LVII start. The Eagles parted with each of their three CB regulars from that game this offseason, cutting Bradberry and Darius Slay and seeing the Lions sign Avonte Maddox.

The Bills have a need on the boundary opposite the recently extended Christian Benford. They have not re-signed Rasul Douglas, who will turn 30 this year. Douglas remains a free agent. The Bills did bring back Dane Jackson, though he does not technically qualify for the above-mentioned pipeline due to having stopped through Carolina well after McDermott and Beane’s departures. The draft will be a place to look for Buffalo at corner, but the team will see if Bradberry can be a fit first.

Draft Notes: Carter, Colts, Cowboys, Bengals, Falcons, Vikings, Bills, Burden, Broncos, Bears, Campbell

April 12th, 2025 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Abdul Carter‘s foot injury created some early-offseason concern, the Penn State prospect has not run into any real hurdles toward becoming a surefire top-four pick. The edge defender did not see any emerge during a Combine medical recheck, either, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Carter’s foot is improving and no surgery will be needed. The stress reaction Carter suffered kept him out of drills at the Nittany Lions’ pro day, but the potential Browns target has still built up enough capital pre-draft to turn down visit requests for teams holding picks outside the top four. He has met with the Browns and Titans and will stop his visits after the Giants (No. 3) and Patriots (No. 4).

Here is the latest from the draft:

One of the top non-Carter edge players in this prospect crop, James Pearce Jr. is continuing his visit schedule. The Tennessee product conducted recent visits with the Bengals, Colts, Cowboys and Falcons, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Pearce has already met with the Cardinals, and a report of Saints interest emerged. The Colts came up as a team interested in D-line augmentation, while the Falcons are prioritizing defense in this draft after their Michael Penix Jr. pick last year. The Bengals are still in an uncertain place with Trey Hendrickson, and Sam Hubbard retired.
Skill players have come up regarding the Broncos‘ first-round draft slot (No. 20), as the team added Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw on defense — after re-signing D.J. Jones. But strengthening a strength should not be ruled out here, per ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid. Viewing this running back class as deep enough the RB-seeking team can wait until after Round 1 to make that play, Reid mentions safety Nick Emmanwori as a wild-card option to watch. The No. 15 prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, Emmanwori is a South Carolina product who could shift into the box in sub packages. The Broncos have Hufanga, Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke at safety; they are thinner at linebacker, with both Greenlaw and 31-year-old Alex Singleton coming off injuries.
Denver hosted Mizzou receiver Luther Burden, and it is possible the SEC pass catcher will be available on Day 2. Burden is likely to fall out of the first round, per ESPN.com’s Matt Miller, but the longtime draft expert views him as a first-round talent. A former top recruit, Burden fared much better as a sophomore in 2023 (1,212 yards, nine touchdown receptions) than 2024 (676/6), contributing to his potential second-round status. While Jeremiah labels Burden a slot player, Miller classifies the 5-foot-11 talent as someone who could make an impact outside.
Another player who may end up sliding a bit, Jihaad Campbell has seen a post-Combine shoulder surgery change his draft trajectory. Teams are gathering intel on the Alabama linebacker, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates, who indicates it would not surprise to see a top-20 talent in this draft fall toward the end of Round 1 or into the second round.
Mentioned as a team high on Ashton Jeanty, the Bears have more pressing needs than running back. Specifically, the team views defensive tackle as a bigger need than defensive end, Miller adds. This does not surprise, considering the team’s Dayo Odeyingbo deal. Despite the ex-Colt’s ability to rush from inside and the ensuing Grady Jarrett pickup, the Bears appear to have a clear interest in upgrading here. Miller ESPN colleague Courtney Cronin ponders a potential long-term play at left tackle, as Braxton Jones is in a contract year, in the first round as well.
Still in place as a top cornerback prospect despite missing last season with an ACL tear, Shavon Revel continues to meet with teams interested in his rebound effort. The Bills, Colts and Vikings met with the East Carolina CB this week, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Buffalo is in need of a corner to replace Rasul Douglas, who remains in free agency, while Indianapolis may still be interested in adding despite giving Charvarius Ward $18MM per year. Minnesota added Isaiah Rodgers to go with Byron Murphy but could certainly benefit from a higher-level investment.

2025 NFL Draft Visits: Williams, Simmons, Texans

April 10th, 2025 at 10:12pm CST by Ely Allen

The 2025 NFL Draft class is fairly deep at the defensive tackle position. One player contributing to that depth is Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams. Williams has gotten a ton of attention lately. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Williams visited the Texans today after recent visits with the Eagles, Bills, and Packers.

Part of this year’s championship-winning Buckeyes crew, Williams has been a full-time starter in Columbus for the last two seasons. He broke out with his performances in those two years, totaling 18 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks over that time.

Because Williams is not expected to be a top 10 pick, his interest is coming from all over the NFL, both from teams who could select him in the late-first or early-second round. Per Wilson, he has upcoming visits with the 49ers, Ravens, and Lions on his schedule.

Here are a few other reported visits from around the NFL:

A teammate of Williams’ on the other side of the ball, offensive tackle Josh Simmons is also a fringe first-round prospect. After starting all 13 games for the Aztecs of San Diego State as a true freshman, Simmons transferred to Ohio State where he immediately became a full-time starter at right tackle. In 2023, he switched over to the blindside, where he started every game until missing half his senior season with a torn patellar tendon. The injury hasn’t stopped teams from being interested, though. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Simmons visited with the Packers on Monday and the Ravens on Tuesday. Schefter adds that he met with the Colts today and will see the Chiefs tomorrow.
One team that could see Simmons in the future is the Texans, who have been doing plenty of research on offensive linemen after seeing some changes to their starting lineup for 2025. The team hosted North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel today, per Wilson. Zabel had experience playing for the Bison at all four tackle and guard spots but is widely seen as one of the top center prospects in the class, a position at which Houston would welcome an upgrade with open arms. The team also hosted fringe first-round prospect Aireontae Ersery out of Minnesota. Playing left tackle for the Golden Gophers, Ersery could be a potential tackle of the future to step in after Cam Robinson or Trent Brown.

Latest On James Cook, Bills

April 8th, 2025 at 5:57pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bills have placed extension negotiations with James Cook on hold until after the draft with the star running back seeking $15MM per year on his next deal.

Initial contract talks with Cook “didn’t go great,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, but the Bills want to sign him to a long-term deal.

“He’ll play for the Bills next year,” said Rapoport, indicating that Cook is not planning to demand a trade or hold out for an extension.

Cook recently caused a stir by putting his Buffalo house on the market and removing the team from his social media, a signal that he is dissatisfied with the lack of progress in contract negotiations.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but players know it gets reported,” explained Rapoport. “That’s a pretty big statement.”

Rapoport also indicated that the two sides would need to improve their relationship before agreeing on an extension, saying that Cook’s public contract demands were not “the most welcome thing in the organization.”

A $15MM APY would make Cook the third-highest paid running back in the NFL. He ranks ninth in rushing yards in the last two years and tied for the league-lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024.

The Bills are not expected to agree on terms with Cook anytime soon, per Rapoport. His asking price may become more palatable heading into 2026 after another jump in the salary cap, though he could certainly increase his demands accordingly. The two sides will need to bridge what appears to be a significant gap in negotiations, which could take on another shape depending on Cook’s performance next season.

2025 NFL Draft Visits: Schwesinger, Cowboys, Nolen, Ezeiruaku, Burden, Turner, Bond, Steelers, Emmanwori

April 6th, 2025 at 10:14pm CST by Ely Allen

This isn’t exactly a visit in the sense of top-30 visits, like most of the rest of bullets that follow this will be, but UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger held a private pro day earlier this week in Los Angeles and had 30 teams in attendance, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

While, obviously, not a comprehensive list, Schefter specifically mentions the Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Chargers, and Broncos, and notes that the linebackers coaches from Dallas, New York, and New Orleans all met privately with Schwesinger.

Schwesinger is not currently the top-ranked linebacker prospect in most analysts’ eyes, but he often slides in as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the class behind Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell — third if you count Georgia defender Jalon Walker, who has the ability to play every linebacker spot at the next level. Some thought Schwesinger may sneak into the back end of the first round at the end of the month, but more likely is that he hears his name on Day 2. Per Tony Pauline of sportskeeda, it would be surprising to see him fall past the first half of the second round.

Here are some more prospect-NFL team connections we’ve seen recent reports on:

The Cowboys have certainly been very busy in the runup to the 2025 NFL Draft. On Friday, the team held their invite-only “Dallas Day,” hosting draft prospects without the visits counting towards their top-30 visits. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton met with the team at “Dallas Day.” The well-balanced rusher continues to skyrocket up draft boards, is likely to join Ashton Jeanty in the first round, and has several other visits lined up.
Jeanty was also in attendance on Friday, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. We had relayed that Jeanty would be taking a top-30 visit with the Cowboys, but it’s unclear whether this is what was meant in that original report. Also in attendance for “Dallas Day” were Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, TCU wide receivers Savion Williams and Jack Bech, Texas quarterback and offensive lineman Quinn Ewers and Cameron Williams, and Miami tight end and running back Elijah Arroyo and Damien Martinez.
Also in attendance at “Dallas Day” was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Nolen will follow up his Dallas visit with a visit with the Panthers on Monday and a visit with the Bengals some other time this week.
Joining Nolen in Carolina on Monday will be Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, per Joe Person of The Athletic. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has been a hot topic with multiple scouts of late, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. He’s currently viewed as an early-Day 2 prospect, and his stock continues to rise.
Speaking of another “Dallas Day” athlete, Wilson of KPRC 2 provided an updated list of teams that Turner, from Texas A&M, is set to visit with. We already noted his recent visit in New Orleans, but Wilson tells us that Turner has also visited the Texans and plans to visit the Ravens, Rams, Eagles, Dolphins, Colts, Buccaneers, and Cardinals.
According to Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the Broncos hosted Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden for a top-30 visit last week. The talented wideout fell off in 2024 after an incredible sophomore campaign with the Tigers, but his high ceiling makes him a borderline first-round prospect. Denver would love to bring in another talented weapon for young quarterback Bo Nix.
We already reported recent visits for Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond in Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Los Angeles, but we now have a couple sources adding some new locations for the Longhorn. Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Bond had dinner with the Bills before a private workout Friday and a top-30 visit as well as visits with the Browns and Packers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that Bond has visits scheduled with the Chiefs and Titans, as well.
Brooke Pryor of ESPN tells us that the Steelers hosted a full house on Thursday. Prospects on hand last week included Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden, Florida State cornerback Azareye’h Thomas, Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson, and Pittsburgh tight end Gavin Bartholomew.
Lastly, Pryor adds that Pittsburgh was one of the recent teams to host South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. The pre-draft standout had reportedly lined up visits with Atlanta, Carolina, Seattle, Cincinnati, and Miami already. The Steelers’ interest in the Gamecock is no surprise as he’s trending towards being a Day 1 selection at this point.

Bills Unlikely To Extend RB James Cook Before Draft

April 4th, 2025 at 10:27am CST by Adam La Rose

The Bills’ offseason has been defined in large part by their extension efforts with key in-house players. Quarterback Josh Allen‘s recent top-up has him near the top of the position’s pecking order, and a quartet of starters on their rookie contracts now have lucrative second deals in place.

Receiver Khalil Shakir, linebacker Terrel Bernard, edge rusher Gregory Rousseau and cornerback Christian Benford have all had their long-term futures assured early in the 2025 offseason. Other extension candidates loom on the roster, including running back James Cook. Nothing on that front should be expected over the coming weeks, however.

When speaking to the media at the league meetings, Bills general manager Brandon Beane said (via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News) nothing is imminent regarding a Cook extension. The team has turned its attention to the upcoming draft. As a result, a Cook deal may very well not be in place until after it is over.

Buffalo’s primary back for the past two seasons, Cook has earned a Pro Bowl nod each time in that span. The former second-rounder topped 1,500 scrimmage yards in 2023 and upped his end zone production considerably this past year. Cook tied for the league lead with 16 scores on the ground, something which helped inform his asking price. $15MM per season represents the target for a long-term deal, something Cook doubled down on shortly after letting it be known he aims to be one of the best-compensated backs in the NFL.

The top of the RB market sat at $19MM in AAV (Christian McCaffrey) at the start of the offseason, but it has since moved. In the wake of his historic debut Eagles campaign, Saquon Barkley inked an extension averaging $20.6MM per year; to no surprise, though, that investment was not followed by a series of lucrative free agent pacts at the position. If Cook, 25, were to hit his stated asking price on a long-term accord, he would rank third in the financial pecking order behind Barkley and McCaffrey and just ahead of Jonathan Taylor.

2024 fourth-rounder Ray Davis, veteran Ty Johnson and journeyman Darrynton Evans are also in place on the Bills’ backfield depth chart. Cook – who has handled 444 regular season carries across the past two years – is in line to remain the team’s lead option at the position, but as things stand he is entering the final year of his deal. Buffalo would avoid a potential departure on the open market next spring with an extension, but efforts to work out a deal on this front appear to be on pause until the draft is in the books.

Bills, Christian Benford Agree On Extension

April 3rd, 2025 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 3: Benford’s deal does not quite check in at $76MM, but rather $69MM, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The contract includes just $18.85MM at signing. While Benford’s updated AAV ($17.25MM) ranks 19th among cornerbacks, his full guarantee sits 24th at the position. Though, there are mechanisms in place for Buffalo’s top cover man to pick up more guarantees.

The Bills used option bonuses in this deal, helping to keep Benford’s cap numbers below $9MM until 2027, and the CB will see $4.29MM of his 2026 compensation shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Feb. 9, 2026. Additionally, $2.5MM of Benford’s 2027 base salary ($14.49MM) locks in on that date. The remaining $11.99MM becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year in March. $3.16MM of Benford’s 2028 base salary ($15.24MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing; that represents his only post-2027 guarantee. Another $7MM is available via incentives and escalators.

MARCH 29: An offseason spree of Bills extensions will continue with a Christian Benford payday. Buffalo’s top cornerback is re-signing with the team on a four-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The Bills will lock down the former sixth-round pick for less than $20MM per year, with Schefter adding the contract checks in at $76MM in total. Benford’s deal follows those given to Khalil Shakir, Gregory Rousseau and Terrel Bernard, as the Bills are showing tremendous faith in the emerging standouts from their early-2020s drafts.

Buffalo has convinced each of these performers to agree to four-year deals. Doing so as the salary cap continues to rise by more than $20MM annually could represent good business for the perennial AFC East champions. While James Cook remains an extension candidate, the team has taken care of the other core homegrown performers it wanted to extend this offseason.

Like Shakir and Bernard, Benford was entering a contract year as a player the team wanted to pay. The Bills will reward a player who had taken an unlikely route to becoming their No. 1 cornerback. Benford’s emergence helped bail the Bills out on their Kaiir Elam miss, with the former No. 185 overall pick usurping the ex-first-rounder and helping Buffalo cover for Tre’Davious White‘s injury trouble as well. While the Bills’ pattern of having key CB personnel unavailable for Chiefs playoffs games has persisted, Benford has still brought the team strong value on what amounted to a late-round flier.

In addition to coming from Round 6, Benford has become a Bills pillar after emerging from the Division I-FCS ranks. Playing at Villanova, Benford started five games as a rookie but turned into a full-timer in his second season. Starting 29 games over the past two years, Benford teamed with Rasul Douglas to give their Bills their post-White CB duo. White did not return from his Thanksgiving 2021 ACL tear for an entire year, and he was not the same upon coming back. White later went down for the season in October 2023, leading to the Douglas trade. Benford, however, grew into Buffalo’s top option on the outside in that time. Douglas remains in free agency, creating a need for the Bills, but the team locked down its younger perimeter starter.

The 2024 season brought more growth from Benford, who graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 overall corner. The 6-foot-1 defender allowed merely 5.4 yards per target last season, and his passer rating-against numbers have never surpassed 89.0. Yielding an 86.6 number last season, Benford intercepted two passes, forced two fumbles and notched 10 pass breakups for the second straight season.

Moving early on Benford makes sense, as he will not turn 25 until September, and finalizing this extension for less than $20MM AAV could age quite well for the team — especially after Derek Stingley Jr. just took the market to $30MM per year. As Sauce Gardner undoubtedly angles for a similar number, Benford’s $19MM AAV — if that is the deal’s true base value — checks in only 13th among corners.

Ill-timed Benford injuries have brought a key footnote in the Bills-Chiefs rivalry. After seeing Benford help Buffalo to regular-season wins over Kansas City in 2023 and ’24, the five-time reigning division champs did not have him available for the bulk of the two playoff matchups. Benford missed the Bills’ 2023 divisional-round Chiefs outing — a 27-24 Kansas City road win — due to a knee injury sustained in the wild-card round. Benford then suffered a concussion on a Baltimore onside-kick attempt to close a divisional-round win last season. He left the subsequent Kansas City outing early with a head injury. As the Chiefs picked on Elam — who has since been traded to the Cowboys — another Benford “what if?” loomed for the Bills after another three-point loss ensued.

The Bills will attempt to move past their persistent Missouri-based roadblock again in 2025, and they will have several well-paid young performers rostered upon doing so. While Cook’s contract now shifts to the forefront, the Bills have locked down their 2021 first-round pick (Rousseau) along with 2022 third- (Bernard), fifth- (Shakir) and sixth-round choices, doing so after giving Josh Allen a record-setting raise.

NFL Competition Committee ‘Split’ On Tush Push Ban

March 31st, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

MARCH 31: Although McDermott’s team has increasingly turned to using a version of this play, the competition committee member confirmed Monday (via 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks) he would support banning it. This sets up a rather significant vote Tuesday.

MARCH 30: In 2022, the Eagles introduced the “tush push,” an extremely effective quarterback sneak with players pushing Jalen Hurts from behind to secure first downs in short-yardage situations. Three years later, the NFL is considering banning the play based on a proposal submitted by the Packers.

The proposed rule change would “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap,” per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. Green Bay’s proposal is expected to be “hotly contested” during league meetings in Florida this week and will likely be voted on by team owners Tuesday. This comes shortly after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini indicated some momentum has emerged for banning the play.

There is support for the rule change on the NFL’s competition committee, comprised of 10 coaches and executives. Among them are Rams head coach Sean McVay and Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who had an “animated side conversation” with Eagles executives Howie Roseman and Jon Ferrari on Sunday afternoon, according to Kahler. That was after a football operations meeting produced a “heated” discussion when the proposed language was introduced.

The competition committee is “split” on the tush push ban, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post. The same is true of the league’s 32-team voting body, 24 of whom would need to vote in favor of the ban for it to be implemented.

Resistance from within the committee is likely led by McDermott, whose Bills have adopted the play from the Eagles. Combined, they have run the play more times than the other 30 teams combined over the last three years, leading to accusations that the Packers’ proposal is unfairly targeting the two teams.

Falcons CEO Rich McKay, who chairs the competition committee, acknowledged that belief on Sunday.

“The thing that nobody likes about the discussion we are having…is that the rule is directed towards two teams,” said McKay (via Kahler). “I don’t think any of us like the fact that there are teams associated with this rule proposal.”

The Packers listed player safety and pace of play as the reason for their proposal, though little evidence exists (or can exist) of either claim. Other teams believe that Green Bay wants to ban the play because they can neither replicate it on offense nor stop it on defense.

The play was only run 101 times in 2024, 0.28% of the league’s total plays, according to Kahler, so there is not enough data to support player safety concerns. The same goes for pace of play, though the Commanders’ repeated penalties in January’s NFC championship game could be a blueprint for how teams may approach defending the tush push in the future.

Rather than give up an easy touchdown at the goal line, Washington tried to jump Philadelphia’s snaps, leading to four penalties in the span of six plays. Each flag only advanced the ball half the distance to the end zone, and the Eagles couldn’t score. Eventually, referee Shawn Hochuli stepped in and warned the Commanders that another penalty would result in the officials awarding a touchdown to the Eagles, relying on a little-used rule prohibiting a “palpably unfair act.”

The NFL has a multitude of reasons to want to avoid a recurrence of the Commanders’ strategy. Other teams may try to force referees into the difficult position of uniformly enforcing an obscure rule to award a touchdown to a team that never actually reached the end zone. That would complicate league efforts to keep officiating consistent and take considerable time and excitement out of the game.

There are other arguments to ban the tush push. One is consistency with league rules that prohibit pushing in other situations.

“We don’t allow the linebackers to push the defensive linemen on extra points and we’re just trying to be consistent,” said Stephen Jones, the co-owner of the Cowboys and a member of the competition committee, before offering a counterargument against concerns about targeting the Bills and the Eagles. “These quarterbacks, I’m sure they would be wildly successful whether you’re pushed or not,” continued Jones (via Kahler). “I’m sure [Hurts will] make first downs at a high rate, whether someone’s pushing him or not, because he’s an inordinately strong special athlete.”

While a tush push ban would have a disproportionate effect on the Eagles and the Bills, both teams would still retain the core advantage that makes them so successful: extremely powerful quarterbacks. Kahler also described more general criticism about the tush push for the nature of the play: “Coaches, executives and players have argued it’s not a football play, with some comparing it to a rugby play.”

If the rule is approved, the NFL will then have to figure out how to enforce it. That uncertainty is another reason that teams may hesitate to vote for the Packers’ proposal. The Eagles believe they have some support to stop the rule change given that three of their former assistant coaches were hired as head coaches in the last two years.

“We’ll see how it goes,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. “All I will say about it is (Jonathan) Gannon, (Shane) Steichen and (Kellen) Moore better vote for it. They are in the position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”

Based on comments by Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles, Texans GM Nick Caserio, and Ravens HC John Harbaugh, those three teams are unlikely to support the tush push ban either, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. Bowles and Caserio believe that teams should have to figure out how to stop the play. Harbaugh offered a different take on Stephen Jones’ consistency argument, saying that officiating is already inconsistent in regards to pushing.

If Gannon’s Cardinals, Steichen’s Colts, and Moore’s Saints also vote no, only two more teams would be needed to shoot down the Packers’ proposal. That would preserve the tush push for the 2025 season, though teams could certainly renew efforts to ban it next offseason.

Bills To Sign P Brad Robbins

March 31st, 2025 at 2:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Brad Robbins did not have a long tenure as the Bengals’ punter, but he has landed a new opportunity. A deal is in place with the Bills, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Robbins was drafted in 2023, and during his rookie season he played all 17 games for Cincinnati. The sixth-rounder averaged 44.3 gross yards per punt, along with an average of only 40.1 net yards per attempt. The Bengals brought in Ryan Rehkow as competition last offseason, and he won the job.

In spite of that development, Robbins was retained through roster cutdowns and activated from injured reserve in September this season. The move could have set the stage for an in-season contest for punting duties, but instead he was waived one day later. Rehkow continued as the Bengals’ punter through the rest of his rookie campaign, and he will be expected to do so again in 2025.

The Bills used Sam Martin as their punter from 2022-24, and he missed only one game during that span. Martin took a deal with the Panthers in free agency, however, leaving Buffalo in the market for a replacement. The team already had Jake Camarda attached to a futures deal prior to today’s move.

He and Robbins, 26, will now be set up for an offseason competition in Buffalo. Both punters will look to secure a gig for the 2025 campaign, but teams often only carry one option on their active roster during the season. As a result, the runner-up of the upcoming contest could very well be on the move again this summer.

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