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Jason Peters Expected To Retire, Join Seahawks’ Staff

February 25th, 2025 at 1:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jason Peters was unable to see any game action during his age-42 season, but the decorated veteran was still in the NFL as a member of the Seahawks’ practice squad. His next gig is not expected to be as a player, which stands to bring an end to one of this era’s best O-line careers.

The Seahawks are hiring Peters to a full-time staff position, GM John Schneider said, with the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta indicating the 21-year veteran’s title will come under the player-engagement umbrella. But Peters will work with the Seahawks’ O-linemen. While this would not slam the door on an emergency return, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds a retirement is expected. Peters turned 43 in January.

Although Peters only saw game action in 19 seasons, he was in the league for 21. He missed the 2012 season due to two Achilles ruptures and did not move up to Seattle’s active roster in 2024. Regardless, Peters is expected to walk away after playing in 248 games. While 61 players reside above Peters on the all-time games-played list, few of them are offensive linemen. Among pure O-linemen, only four (Bruce Matthews, Ray Brown, Jackie Slater and Mike Kenn) played in more games. Peters will be expected to join Slater and Matthews in the Hall of Fame.

A nine-time Pro Bowler, Peters forged a Canton path despite being passed over in the 2004 draft. The former Bills UDFA will be best remembered for his time with the Eagles, whom he helped win a Super Bowl. Peters did not play in Super Bowl LII, having suffered ACL and MCL tears, but opened that season as the team’s left tackle starter. Peters booked both his first-team All-Pro nods (2011, 2013) with Philly and made his final Pro Bowl (2016) during Carson Wentz‘s rookie season.

The Eagles initially acquired Peters in 2009, Donovan McNabb‘s final season. Peters is experienced enough he signed with the Bills during Drew Bledsoe‘s time as the team’s starting QB. Peters moved into Buffalo’s starting lineup at right tackle in 2005. His first full season as a left tackle, 2007, produced a second-team All-Pro honor. Peters had signed a midlevel extension — a four-year, $16.1MM deal — in 2006, but as he picked up a second All-Pro accolade, an impasse on a third contract formed.

Peters did not report to Bills training camp on time in 2008, and while he eventually showed, a trade commenced after that season. The Eagles traded first-, fourth- and sixth-round picks to the Bills for Peters, who landed a four-year extension worth $51.45MM before his first Philadelphia season. Peters then spent the next 12 seasons with the Eagles, agreeing to four more contracts to stay with the team. Peters helped Michael Vick to the Pro Bowl, and joined future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce and then-rookie Lane Johnson in boosting LeSean McCoy to the 2013 rushing title. As the Eagles retooled around Wentz, they had Peters as an upper-crust blindside blocker.

Peters’ final seasons took on an Adrian Peterson-like arc, as the veteran blocker stopped through three teams in three years. The Bears used him as an emergency LT, as Teven Jenkins sustained a back injury before the 2021 season. After 15 starts for that Bears squad, Peters came to Dallas after Tyron Smith‘s season-defining hamstring injury sustained in training camp. Working more in a backup capacity (including some guard time) that year, Peters made his last stop in Seattle. He played in eight games and made two starts for a Seahawks team dealing with RT Abraham Lucas‘ injury trouble.

No pure NFL O-lineman has seen action in a 21st season, but Peters came closest. The Seahawks signed him to their practice squad in October, as Lucas and veteran George Fant dealt with injuries, doing so despite having changed coaching staffs. The Mike Macdonald-led group will keep the veteran around as a mentor.

If this is it for Peters, he will retire with nine Pro Bowl invites and six All-Pro honors. He joined Smith as an All-Decade-teamer for the 2010s. He earned $119.9MM during his 21-year run. It will be interesting to see if the Arkansas alum moves up the coaching ladder in the coming years.

Eagles Expected To Move On From CB Darius Slay, Re-Sign CB Isaiah Rodgers?

February 23rd, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Rory Parks

Eagles cornerback Darius Slay has indicated he wants to retire at the end of the upcoming season. He also said he would like to finish his playing career with Philadelphia, and his contract with the club does run through 2025.

However, there has been some question as to whether the Eagles will retain the six-time Pro Bowler, and according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com, the club is not expected to bring Slay back. Given the high quality of Slay’s performance even as he nears the end of his career – he limited opposing passers to an 81.9 QB rating in 2024 and finished with a strong 73.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus – one would think that such a decision would be largely motivated by salary cap considerations.

But releasing or trading Slay prior to June 1 would result in a dead money charge of $22.71MM and would actually decrease Philadelphia’s cap space. Even a post-June 1 maneuver would create only $4.32MM of space while still saddling the team with over $9MM of dead money.

That makes Shorr-Parks’ report even more intriguing, especially since fellow corner Isaiah Rodgers is an impending free agent. Shorr-Parks believes the Eagles could have bigger plans for Rodgers, who saw a modest 36% snap share in 2024 after serving a year-long suspension in 2023 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.

Despite the somewhat limited action, Rodgers played well last season, finishing as PFF’s 24th-best corner out of 116 qualified players (just one spot below Slay, albeit in a considerably smaller sample size). One of the biggest reasons for Philadelphia’s turnaround from its one-and-done showing in the 2023 playoffs to a Super Bowl title in 2024 was the improvement of its pass defense, and Rodgers – along with rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean – was a key addition to the secondary.

Shorr-Parks suggests Rodgers – who is a popular and vocal player – could be retained on a fairly modest two-year contract worth around $10MM. He could also take over Slay’s role and play opposite Mitchell as a starting boundary corner, which would allow Super Bowl hero DeJean to remain in the slot. The team is still rostering 2023 fourth-rounder Kelee Ringo as well, and he could at least compete for the CB2 gig (though defensive coordinator Vic Fangio appears to prefer Rodgers to Ringo).

If the Eagles do move on from Slay, the longtime Lion has said he would like to return to Detroit. The Lions could certainly be in the market for CB help, particularly if Carlton Davis departs in free agency.

Eagles’ Nolan Smith Tore Tricep During Super Bowl, Underwent Surgery

February 21st, 2025 at 4:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Nolan Smith played through a torn triceps in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.

Smith underwent surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be ready by start of the 2025 season. However, the injury could threaten his status for the Eagles’ offseason activities this summer.

Torn triceps typically have lengthy recovery times. For example, both Javon Hargrave and Justin Jones missed the rest of the 2024 season after suffering similar injuries in September. However, Brandon Graham, Smith’s teammate in Philadelphia, underwent surgery for a torn triceps in November and managed to return for the Super Bowl.

Smith will have at least three months before the Eagles even start practicing and should not have any urgency to rush back to the field this summer. A successful rehab without any setbacks should set him up to participate in training camp, though he may have to ramp up his participation across July and August before hitting the field in the regular season.

The 2023 first-round pick stepped up in Graham’s absence last year and broke out with a career-high 6.5 tacks and eight tackles for loss in the regular season. Smith took his play to another level in the playoffs, recording 4.0 sacks and four tackles for loss during the Eagles’ championship run.

Smith wasn’t the only Eagle to gut it out in the Super Bowl. Center Cam Jurgens played through a back injury and underwent surgery to alleviate nerve pain, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He is expected to make a full recovery heading into training camp before the last year of his rookie contract. Jurgens is an extension candidate, but the Eagles may wait until he’s fully-healthy before committing to a long-term deal.

Neither injury is unlikely to significantly impact Philadelphia’s roster plans this offseason. They may look for some additional edge-rushing depth as insurance for Smith, especially if they lose Josh Sweat in free agency.

Saints To Hire Doug Nussmeier As OC

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Doug Nussmeier is indeed set to continue working with Kellen Moore in 2025. The Saints are hiring Nussmeier as their offensive coordinator, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Earlier this week, it became clear Moore and the Saints were aiming to hire Nussmeier. The two will continue working together in New Orleans as Moore takes on his first career head coaching gig. The Eagles, of course, have already filled their OC vacancy.

Especially after Mike McCarthy was out of the running for the Saints’ head coaching gig, Moore became the top name to watch. New Orleans arranged to speak with him after the Super Bowl, and at that point Nussmeier’s name was mentioned as a strong contender to join Moore in New Orleans. The two have worked alongside each other with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles (Moore’s previous OC destinations) and that will continue next season.

Nussmeier’s coaching career dates back to 2001, and on five occasions he operated as an offensive coordinator at the college level. This will be the 54-year-old’s first OC opportunity in the NFL, albeit with a familiar face alongside him. Moore has already confirmed, to no surprise, that he will call plays as head coach.

The Saints’ offense features a number of questions at the moment, and the future of quarterback Derek Carr is uncertain as things stand. Even if the veteran remains in place for 2025, strong play up front will be needed in addition to increased efficiency through the air. During Klint Kubiak‘s one-and-done campaign at the helm, New Orleans ranked 23rd in passing yards. A healthy season from Carr (presuming he is not cut or traded) will help in that department, but in any event Nussmeier’s background as a quarterbacks coach will make him a key figure on Moore’s staff for whichever passer the team uses in 2025.

Other moves have been made in recent days as part of Moore’s efforts to quickly build a staff after taking on head coaching duties in the wake of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. The Saints’ defensive coordinator position has not been filled yet, but attention can now turn in that direction with Nussmeier in the fold.

Darius Slay Wants To Retire After 2025 Season, Open To Lions Return

February 20th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

FENRUARY 20: During an appearance on the St. Brown Podcast (video link), Slay repeated that his preference would be to remain with the Eagles for 2025, the final year of his pact. In the event his time in Philadelphia were to come to an end, though, the former Lion added his next choice would be to return to Detroit. Slay spent his first seven years in the Motor City, and especially if Carlton Davis were to depart in free agency the Lions could be in the market for a cornerback addition. That will of course be a moot point if the Eagles retain Slay for next year.

FEBRUARY 5: Eagles cornerback Darius Slay‘s current focus is winning the first Super Bowl of his career, but he has already thought about his plans for the 2025 season and beyond.

The 12-year veteran would like to play one more season before retiring, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, and he’d prefer to finish his career in Philadelphia.

“Next year will most likely be my last,” said Slay during Super Bowl media availability. “I would love for it to be with the Philadelphia Eagles.”

The eight-time Pro Bowler is still playing at a high level despite his age, though 2024 was his first interception-less season since his 2013 rookie year. He has missed eight games due to injury over the last two seasons, including a four-game absence in 2023 due to knee surgery. By the time the 2025 season ends, Slay will be 35 years old, making retirement a natural next step.

Slay’s comments indicate that a return to Philadelphia next season is not a certainty, though his contract would make it difficult to move on. After renegotiating his deal in 2023, his 2025 cap hit comes in just under $13.8MM, per OverTheCap, an affordable price for a starting boundary corner. A release before the new league year would force the Eagles to account for $22.7MM as a dead cap hit in 2025, a difficult proposition considering their cap situation and need to sign key pending free agents like Zack Baun. A post-June 1 release would allow the Eagles to spread Slay’s dead cap hits between 2025 and 2026, but they would also have to pick up his $16.1MM option bonus and account for it as dead money.

As a result, the best option for both sides seems to be Slay playing out his contract in Philadelphia as he desires. The Eagles could then restructure his deal to allow for a post-June 1 retirement designation, as the Rams did for Aaron Donald to spread out his remaining dead money.

Eagles Promote Kevin Patullo To OC

February 19th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Saints showed interest in multiple Eagles staffers for Kellen Moore‘s new OC, Philadelphia will protect one via promotion. Kevin Patullo will replace Moore as OC, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. The Super Bowl champions have since announced the move.

A true Eagles OC search does not look to have transpired, pointing to the team’s confidence in Patullo. While the Eagles’ last internal promotion at OC (replacing Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson) failed, Patullo — rumored as a Saints OC option early in that search — will be called upon to step in for Moore.

One of Nick Sirianni‘s hires when he arrived in Philly in 2021, Patullo has been the team’s pass-game coordinator for four seasons. Although he did not leapfrog Johnson to become OC once Steichen took the Colts’ HC job in 2023, he will make the move up after an Eagles job search that never appeared to take shape. Patullo also came up during the Jets and Ravens’ OC searches in 2023 but was not on the carousel in 2024, as a collapse defined the Eagles’ 2023 season.

The Eagles needed to have conducted an interview with at least one external minority to comply with the Rooney Rule, but they are not the only NFC power to move quickly on a candidate without having performed a thorough search. The Lions hired John Morton soon after losing Ben Johnson. Patullo will replace Moore, who rebuilt his stock after a down Chargers season. While Moore will walk into a Saints situation that features plenty of questions, Patullo will take the keys to an offense that just stampeded past the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX.

Philly is expected to lose QBs coach Doug Nussmeier to the Saints, as Moore’s new OC, but they will not see both offensive staffers leave. Nussmeier also has much closer ties to Moore than the team, having worked with the ex-Cowboys QB in Dallas and Los Angeles. Patullo, 43, has come up through the coaching ranks under Sirianni and Frank Reich.

Reich hired Patullo as his wide receivers coach to start his Colts tenure in 2018, and he held that role for two years before transitioning to a pass-game specialist in 2020. Sirianni brought Patullo with him to Philly in 2021, immediately installing him as pass-game coordinator. Patullo worked under Steichen for two years, as the Eagles transitioned to a run-oriented attack midway through the 2021 season before seeing Jalen Hurts display tremendous growth as a passer during an MVP-caliber 2022 season. After the Eagles took a step back in 2023, Moore, Patullo and Co. retooled the offense once again this past season.

The Eagles did not ask Hurts to operate as a passer on the level he had in 2022 and ’23, with the Saquon Barkley signing transforming Philly’s ground attack. The team ran roughshod over the Commanders in the NFC championship game, and although the Chiefs did well to minimize Barkley, the Eagles received a sharp game from Hurts in an MVP performance that included TD passes to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and a Super Bowl QB record 72 rushing yards.

Despite the Eagles’ step back under Johnson in 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicates the team wanted continuity for Hurts, who has trained in four offensive schemes over his first five seasons. Also transferring in college, Hurts has seen significant change on his coaching staffs in that span. Sirianni had Patullo pegged as his preferred Moore successor once he found out the Saints hire was imminent, McLane adds, lending to the non-search here.

The 2025 season will mark Patullo’s first crack as a play-caller at any level, but McLane adds he was involved with that process under Moore. Still, this will be a notable storyline to follow in Philadelphia, as Moore carried five seasons of play-calling experience into last season. Sirianni gave up play-calling duties midway through the ’21 season and will not be expected to reclaim them, as this formula has now produced two Eagles Super Bowl berths and a runaway title.

Beyond the Patullo move, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds the Eagles are planning to hire Parks Frazier to fill Patullo’s old job. Philly’s new pass-game coordinator is best known for the half-season he spent as Jeff Saturday‘s Colts play-caller, as others turning the job down led to Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach to take the role. Frazier, 33, worked for the 2-15 Panthers in 2023 (as pass-game coordinator) as for the Dolphins as an offensive assistant last season.

While Frazier will step back into a prominent role, the Eagles have ensured continuity under Sirianni in the form of Patullo moving up and acclaimed O-line coach Jeff Stoutland remaining in place as run-game coordinator. Frazier worked with Sirianni under Reich for three seasons in Indianapolis, though he topped out on the quality control level during that time.

Minor NFL Transactions: 2/18/25

February 18th, 2025 at 7:37pm CST by Ely Allen

We had a number of minor moves today in the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Saints Hire Scott Tolzien, T.J. Paganetti; Team ‘Zeroing In’ On Doug Nussmeier As OC

February 18th, 2025 at 5:29pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Like many coordinators who get head coaching opportunities, Kellen Moore is bringing multiple members of his staff in Philadelphia to his new job in New Orleans.

The Saints “are currently working to finalize a deal” to make Doug Nussmeier their next offensive coordinator, per veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson. Nussmeier spent 2024 as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach and is considered the frontrunner for the job position in New Orleans. He previously coached quarterbacks for the Chargers and the Cowboys. Nussmeier also served as offensive coordinator for several major college programs from 2008 to 2017, including Alabama, Florida, and Michigan.

Nussmeier isn’t the only top Eagles assistant following Moore to New Orleans. The Saints are also hiring Eagles run game specialist and assistant offensive line coach T.J. Paganetti, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He has spent the last eight seasons in Philadelphia, working closely with legendary Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Paganetti will likely take over as the Saints’ offensive line coach after John Benton followed Klint Kubiak to Seattle.

Moore is hiring another familiar face to serve as quarterbacks coach in Scott Tolzien, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Tolzien was an assistant in Dallas when Moore was the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator from 2020 to 2022. Tolzien was promoted to quarterbacks coach after Moore moved on in 2023, but was not expected to be retained on Brian Schottenheimer‘s new staff.

Tolzien, a former NFL quarterback himself, will help the Saints navigate an uncertain quarterback situation this year. Derek Carr performed well in 2024, but struggled to stay healthy. His durability will remain a concern entering his age-34 season – if he even stays on the roster – but neither Spencer Rattler nor Jake Haener inspired much confidence in 2024. The Saints’ cap situation will hinder them in the free agent quarterback market, and the draft’s top quarterbacks will likely go before their first round pick (No. 9 overall).

Doug Nussmeier Favorite For Saints’ OC Position; Joel Thomas Returning To Staff

February 18th, 2025 at 11:19am CST by Adam La Rose

Three of the staffers connected to the Saints’ offensive coordinator vacancy are currently with the Eagles. To no surprise, one of them is in pole position to join Kellen Moore in New Orleans.

Philadelphia quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier is seen as the favorite at this point, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. While nothing is imminent, he adds the situation is likely heading toward Nussmeier taking on the position. This would represent his first OC opportunity at the NFL level.

Nussmeier’s coaching career began in the CFL, and he has experience at a number of levels as a QBs coach. The 54-year-old also handled coordinator duties at five different college programs from 2008-17 before beginning his time in the NFL. During his time with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles, Nussmeier has overlapped with Moore with the latter operating as offensive coordinator.

Moore now has his first head coaching gig, and once it became clear he would depart the Eagles to join the Saints Nussmeier’s name came up as a logical candidate to join him. As expected, Moore will call plays in 2025, but his coordinator hires will of course be key as he puts together his initial staff. That process will include a return to New Orleans for a familiar staffer.

Running backs coach Joel Thomas is set to join the Saints once again, as first reported by Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Thomas spent the 2024 campaign coaching the Giants’ running backs, but he will now make the lateral move back to New Orleans after working there from 2015-23. Brian Daboll will once again need to find a replacement at the RBs coach spot, something which has become an annual endeavor during the hiring cycle.

With Thomas in the fold and Nussmeier the top name to watch on the OC front, here is how the Saints’ coordinator search is shaping up:

Saints Conduct OC Interview With Eagles’ Jemal Singleton

February 17th, 2025 at 12:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The list of Saints targets for their offensive coordinator vacancy continues to grow. To no surprise, the latest name to emerge is another Eagles staffer.

New Orleans has conducted an interview with Jemal Singleton, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That makes him the third member of the Eagles’ staff connected to the possibility of joining Kellen Moore on his new team. Of course, Singleton could be a among the candidates to take over from Moore as the Super Bowl LIX winners’ next offensive coordinator if he were to remain with the Eagles.

The 49-year-old began his coaching tenure in the college ranks, spending time at three programs from 2000 to 2015. Singleton spent a pair of seasons coaching the Colts’ running backs before doing the same for one year with the Raiders. He then moved on to the Bengals, staying there for the 2019 and ’20 campaigns. Since 2021, he has held the role of RBs coach with the Eagles.

In addition to those responsibilities, though, Singleton has served as Philadelphia’s assistant head coach during his time with the team. Losing him would deal a blow to Nick Sirianni‘s staff, but joining Moore in New Orleans would give Singleton the opportunity to operate as a coordinator for the first time in his career. Given the strong play of Saquon Barkley in 2024, expectations would be high in the run game for the Saints if they were to move forward with a hire on this front.

With the Combine and free agency approaching, Moore and the Saints have a number of key decisions to make, including how to proceed with quarterback Derek Carr. Before a final call is made in that department, though, Moore will look to fill out his staff, including the hiring of a non-play-caller at the OC spot.

Via PFR’s Coordinator Search Tracker, here is an updated look at where things stand with the Saints:

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