Broncos RB Javonte Williams Avoids PUP To Start Camp
JULY 27: Williams confirmed (via 9News’ Mike Klis) Thursday he has been cleared for contact work. The North Carolina alum said he was told his recovery timetable could last around a year. Instead, he has been cleared before the 10-month mark. Sean Payton said the team will proceed cautiously with Williams, who has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
JULY 23: The Broncos delivered some good news as they announced some injury list placements today, leaving third-year running back Javonte Williams off of any lists as he continues to work his way back from last year’s season-ending injury. While there’s still work to be done, Williams’s continued participation in this offseason points to a Week 1 return for Denver’s lead back. 
Williams suffered a blow to his sophomore season when he suffered a torn ACL after only four weeks of play last year, ending his season. The initial diagnosis was dire enough, but further reports detailed that Williams had also torn his LCL and posterior lateral corner, making his road to recovery a bit longer.
As Denver entered into the offseason, the goal became clear: get Williams back in time for training camp. Things were looking positive as Williams was on the field for spring activities. He only worked out in a limited capacity, but getting Williams on the field at all that early was a big step. Earlier this month, Williams expressed much of the same optimism that his team had been expressing publicly, believing himself that he’d be able to make a return by training camp. His absence from any designated injury lists today is yet another good sign of where he’s at in his recovery.
Williams injury had originally occurred during a season in which he was expected to take on much more work after splitting carries with Melvin Gordon as a rookie. When he returns this season, though, there won’t be too big of an expectation to work as a bell-cow in the Broncos offense. New head coach Sean Payton is certainly familiar with two-headed rushing attacks dating back to the Pierre Thomas–Reggie Bush duo and the Alvin Kamara–Mark Ingram combinations in New Orleans. While Gordon is now in Baltimore and Mike Boone found his way to Houston, Denver plans to pair Williams with former Bengals rusher Samaje Perine, who signed with the team in March. Perine has a history of being a strong RB2 over his career, which should take a bit of the pressure off of Williams’s shoulders.
While Williams’s absence from any lists is the main news, the Broncos did move four players from the active roster, according to Broncos lead writer Aric DiLalla. Outside linebacker Baron Browning and wide receiver Kendall Hinton were placed on the physically unable to perform list, while wide receiver K.J. Hamler and nose tackle Mike Purcell were placed on the non-football injury list.
Browning underwent knee surgery in June, but he hasn’t yet been ruled out from returning in time for the regular season. Hinton also went through a knee procedure, so his placement on the list is no surprise. Hamler was expected to be ready in time for training camp as he works his way back from a pectoral tear, but Denver will have to wait a little longer.
Bengals Extend DE Trey Hendrickson
Trey Hendrickson was not entering a contract year, but the Bengals will push the defensive end’s current agreement into an additional season anyway. The team announced Hendrickson’s deal, via a one-year add-on, now runs through 2025.
The former Saints draftee signed a four-year, $60MM deal in 2021 and has become an impact player for the Bengals. This agreement will likely provide more guaranteed money for Hendrickson, and it stands to create some cap space for Cincinnati this year. The deal will indeed raise Hendrickson’s 2023 payout, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that Hendrickson will earn $21MM in new money, including a $5MM raise this year and a $16MM payout in 2025 (2024 remains unchanged).
Hendrickson’s initial Cincy contract includes a $15.5MM 2023 cap number and a $17.5MM 2024 cap hit. Conversations about a new deal took place last year, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., and an unexpected resolution emerged. With Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert having signed, the final QB extension domino resides in Cincinnati.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals have been in talks for months on an extension that almost definitely will make the former No. 1 overall pick the NFL’s highest-paid player. The Bengals also have Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson going into contract years. This Hendrickson agreement should help on these fronts.
Hurts, Jackson and Herbert each raised the AAV bar this offseason, with the Chargers quarterback setting it at $52.5MM on his Tuesday extension. It will be interesting if Burrow aims to create a bit of a gap between himself and the field, seeing as he has quarterbacked the Bengals to back-to-back AFC championship games — a franchise first — and changed the trajectory of a previously downtrodden team. Mike Brown has mentioned the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes model as a potential target, but no QB extension since has followed that path. Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450MM Kansas City extension in 2020, but only one passer since — Josh Allen — has even committed to six years.
As for Hendrickson, he has shown his Saints contract year was no fluke. After not producing much during his first three seasons, the former third-round pick totaled 13.5 sacks in 2020. He collected 14.5 sacks in his Bengals debut, adding 3.5 more during the team’s run to Super Bowl LVI. Last season, Hendrickson finished with eight sacks and 24 QB hits.
Although this agreement will increase Hendrickson’s 2023 earnings, it is interesting Florida Atlantic alum would sign off on pushing a $15MM-per-year contract beyond its previous endpoint. The edge rusher market will continue to rise, especially after Nick Bosa‘s upcoming extension, and Hendrickson could have increased his leverage by entering a contract year in 2024. A 2025 free agency trip could have certainly been lucrative, assuming Cincinnati’s top pass rusher keeps up his current pace. Hendrickson is now tied to the Bengals through his age-31 season.
Then again, Hendrickson was tied to a nonguaranteed 2024 payment and would have turned 30 before a potential free agency bid anyway. Now, the productive pass rusher — whose 2021 deal included just $16MM fully guaranteed — will pick up more cash while still in his prime.
Colts Sign DE Al-Quadin Muhammad
JULY 27: The Colts will bring Muhammad back on a league-minimum deal, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter). For a player with six years of service time, that number checks in at $1.1MM. Indianapolis will guarantee the veteran edge defender $500K.
JULY 21: Al-Quadin Muhammad is set to make a return to his most productive NFL home. The veteran defensive end agreed to a one-year deal with the Colts, as noted (on Twitter) by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey confirmed the reunion. 
Muhammad had been on the open market since February. He was released by the Bears after one season spent under head coach Matt Eberflus in Chicago. The pair had previously spent time together in Indianapolis when Eberflus served as defensive coordinator of the Colts. Muhammad’s final season there saw him record six sacks, leading to expectations he would carry over that production into the Windy City.
However, the 28-year-old registered only one sack with the Bears while playing a signficant role on the team’s underwhelming pass rush group. He, like many other veteran edge rushers, remained unsigned through the summer while evaluating opportunities ahead of training camp. A deal sending him back to Indianapolis could help him regain his previous form while maintaining the team’s pass rush effectiveness.
In a 2022 season in which hardly anything went according to plan, the Colts finished in the top 10 in sacks with 44. Free agent addition Samson Ebukam and 2021 first-rounder Kwity Paye will be leaned on heavily off the edge, but Muhammad should be expected to serve a notable rotational role in his return. His snap shares ranged between 42% and 73% during his four-year Colts stint (2018-2021).
Muhammad’s second tenure in Indianapolis will be his first under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. The latter’s first year in place of Eberflus drew mixed reviews, but he is in place for a second season in charge of the unit. A rebound from his disappointing Bears stint could help Muhammad’s free agent prospects next year on the open market while giving the Colts’ defensive boost a front.
Jets, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Revised Deal
A resolution to Aaron Rodgers‘ financial future has arrived. The Jets signed their new franchise quarterback to a two-year contract worth $75MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). 
Rodgers was already under contract through 2024, but his decision to push a fully-guaranteed roster bonus to next season as part of his blockbuster move to New York left the team with an enormous bill of $107.55MM for next year. The four-time MVP was due nearly $110MM guaranteed prior to today’s news, meaning he took a pay cut which will benefit the Jets.
Pelissero adds that the new contract is technically five years in length, with option years being added to help spread out the bonus payments included. Rodgers’ cap hit will sit just under $9MM this season, and he will receive a $35MM roster bonus next week, while drawing a base salary of over $38MM in 2024. The deal includes no-tag and no-trade clauses (Twitter links). ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the pact also includes a non-guaranteed $37.5MM in 2025, while adding that Rodgers’ 2024 cap hit will check in at $17.1MM.
Not long after the trade which ended his Packers career, it was confirmed a new Rodgers deal was being worked on by the Jets. Progress on that front came slowly, but it was learned recently that the revised pact had been worked out. Mike Florio of Pro Footbal Talk was the first to report that terms had been agreed to, and both sides can now move forward with more clarity regarding the immediate future.
Given the unique contract situation he was in upon arrival in New York, the 39-year-old Rodgers faced questions about how willing he would be to play more than one season as a Jet. He stated last month that, while the team’s success and his health status will be key determining factors in his decisions, he intends to play at least the next two campaigns in New York. That should give the win-now franchise multiple attempts to find success in a crowded division and conference at the twilight of the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Eight quarterback deals (including last night’s Justin Herbert mega-extension with the Chargers) include more than $75MM in total guarantees, but prior to this agreement, only Deshaun Watson‘s was guaranteed in full. Rodgers will thus add considerably to his career earnings while providing the Jets with cap flexibility to help manage a roster which faces substantial expectations for the next two seasons.
Giants Extend LT Andrew Thomas
Although the Giants had the opportunity to keep Andrew Thomas on his rookie contract through the 2024 season, they will add the ascending left tackle to their list of newly extended talents. Thomas agreed to terms on a five-year extension Wednesday morning.
After giving Daniel Jones and Dexter Lawrence big-ticket deals earlier this year, Big Blue is coming in with a deal that will make Thomas the NFL’s second-highest-paid offensive lineman. Thomas signed a five-year, $117.5MM extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports. While Thomas’ deal falls short of Laremy Tunsil‘s $25MM-AAV mark that emerged earlier this year, Schefter adds the fourth-year blocker secured an O-line-record $67MM guaranteed. The Giants have announced the extension.
The Giants selected Thomas fourth overall in 2020 and picked up his fifth-year option in the spring. During an offseason in which the team was unable to come to terms with Saquon Barkley on a long-term agreement, the Giants have reached extension pacts with three more Dave Gettleman-era cornerstones. Joe Schoen has authorized a $40MM-per-year Jones deal and a $22.5MM-AAV Lawrence re-up. Two months after Lawrence’s agreement, Thomas is now the Giants’ second-highest-paid player.
These terms come after Thomas built on his 2021 rebound season last year, earning his first All-Pro nod. The Georgia alum earned second-team All-Pro acclaim for his work in the Giants’ surprise playoff season. After struggling as a rookie, Thomas has become the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle. This agreement solidifies that status.
The prospect of an early Thomas extension surfaced in April, but teams as a rule wait until first-rounders’ contract years before reaching long-term agreements. Several players have bucked that trend, though the Giants had never previously made such an investment. But Thomas, 24, joined that group Wednesday. In the fifth-year option era, Thomas is only the fifth tackle to sign an extension with two rookie-contract years remaining.
Instead of being tied to a $1MM base salary and a $4MM roster bonus for 2023, Thomas beat Ronnie Stanley‘s guarantee mark by nearly $3MM. That is an impressive feat, considering the Ravens left tackle’s guaranteed-at-signing term paced the field by nearly $15MM. Thomas’ AAV comes in just ahead of Trent Williams‘ $23MM number, which the 49ers signed off on in March 2021. With the salary cap on the rise, Thomas will be one of the players to benefit.
It took Thomas giving up considerable control over his career to make this windfall possible, however. This extension locks down the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle through the 2029 season. Tunsil has twice managed to secure market-resetting extensions on three-year accords, and while Thomas could have increased his leverage by entering a contract year in 2024, the Giants put together an early proposal he could not refuse. Thomas’ 2023 cap hit will drop from $10.3MM to around $5MM, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets.
Struggling to fill their left tackle post since their Super Bowl XLVI group splintered in the early 2010s, the Giants have seen their Thomas bet pay off. The team had used a top-10 pick on Ereck Flowers and given Nate Solder a position-record deal in March 2018. Neither move worked. When Solder opted out of the 2020 season, that opened the door for Thomas, who initially was set to begin his career at right tackle. When Solder returned in 2021, Thomas did not move off his blindside spot.
After Thomas’ rough rookie season, Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-20 tackle in 2021. Last season, PFF ranked Thomas third among all tackles; ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted him 10th at the position. The Giants will bet on many more productive years, and Thomas will take the early cash rather than try the Tunsil approach. Due to this agreement, it will be a while before Thomas becomes an extension candidate again. He, Lawrence and Jones are each signed through at least 2026.
WR John Ross Retires
John Ross delivered a memorable performance at the Combine, but his pro career is coming to an end after an inability to translate his skillset to the NFL. The former top-1o was placed on the reserved/retired list by the Chiefs on Wednesday, per the wire.
The 27-year-old entered the league with substantial expectations after he ran a record-setting 4.22 second 40-yard dash at the Combine in 2017. His speed helped make him the ninth overall selection in that year’s draft, with the Bengals selecting him ahead of a group of other prospects headlined by Patrick Mahomes. Ross was the third and final receiver taken in that year’s first round (behind Corey Davis and Mike Williams).
Ross battled injuries through much of his Cincinnati tenure, and he played only 27 games with the Bengals. The Washington alum’s best season came in 2019, when he recorded 506 yards and three touchdowns despite only getting into eight games. The rest of his Bengals stint saw him haul in only 23 catches for 227 yards in 19 games across three campaigns, although he did score a career-high seven touchdowns in 2018.
Following a 2020 season where he was limited to only three games thanks in part to a foot injury, Ross hit free agency. He ended up catching on with the Giants on a one-year deal, catching 11 passes in 10 games for his new squad.
After not getting into a game during the 2022 season, Ross signed a futures contract with the Chiefs back in January. He was set to compete for a roster spot before his sudden decision to retire.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on PUP: TE Zach Ertz, QB Kyler Murray, LB BJ Ojulari
- Placed on NFI: CB Garrett Williams
- Waived: TE Chris Pierce
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on NFI: DB Trayvon Mullen
- Waived: OT Brandon Kipper
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Javon Wims
- Waived: WR Marquez Stevenson
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Aviante Collins
- Waived: OL Lorenz Metz
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Cody Chrest
- Placed on NFI: OT Caleb Jones
- Waived/injured: WR Jeff Cotton
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on PUP: LB Dawuane Smoot
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on NFI: DT Neil Farrell
Los Angeles Chargers
- Activated from PUP: WR Pokey Wilson
- Placed on PUP: WR Jalen Guyton, DL Austin Johnson, DT Otito Ogbonnia
Los Angeles Rams
- Claimed off waivers (from Bears): LB Sterling Weatherford
- Placed on PUP: TE Hunter Long, OT Warren McClendon
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kevin Atkins
- Reverted to IR: LB Elerson Smith
New York Jets
- Activated from PUP: TE C.J. Uzomah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Deon Cain
- Placed on NFI: WR Devon Allen
- Released: TE Dalton Keene
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Chris Steele
- Placed on PUP: S Jamal Adams, LB Jordyn Brooks, TE Noah Fant, NT Austin Faoliu, NT Bryan Mone, CB Tariq Woolen
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB A.J. Moore
- Waived: DT Curtis Brooks
Among the additions on today’s list, defensive back A.J. Moore is the most notable. The defensive back spent four years with the Texans to begin his career, compiling 69 tackles in 55 games while primarily playing on special teams. The 27-year-old spent a chunk of last season on the Titans practice squad, and he ultimately got into one game with the big-league club.
Chargers Sign WR Milton Wright
After going undrafted in the NFL Supplemental Draft earlier this month, Milton Wright has found his way on to an NFL roster. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the wide receiver has signed with the Chargers.
After hauling in 42 receptions through his first two collegiate seasons, Wright had a breakout campaign in 2021. The Purdue wideout finished the season with 57 receptions for 732 yards and seven touchdowns, and he appeared ready to take it to another lever in 2022.
However, persistent academic issues resulted in him being deemed ineligible for the 2022 season. Wright first tried to transfer before deciding to pivot to the supplemental draft. The receiver ended up going undrafted, allowing him to sign with any team.
Despite an NFL-ready body (six-foot-three, 195 pounds), Wright’s 4.69-second 40-yard dash time led some scouts to sour on the prospect. Still, the Chargers decided to take the low-risk move following a successful tryout earlier today.
The organization is plenty deep at the receiver position, with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and first-round rookie Quentin Johnston leading the way. With Josh Palmer and rookie fourth-round pick Derius Davis also appearing to be roster locks, Wright will have to compete with the likes of Jalen Guyton, Keelan Doss, and John Hightower for one of the final spots on the depth chart.
Bears, TE Cole Kmet Agree On Extension
Months after acquiring D.J. Moore, the Bears will soon have another high-end skill-position contract on their books. The team is set to extend Cole Kmet.
The fourth-year tight end agreed to a four-year deal worth $50MM, per ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The former second-round pick will receive $32.8MM guaranteed and $20MM in the first year of the contract, an agreement that will tie the promising pass catcher to Chicago through the 2027 season.
This is a reasonable re-up for the Bears, who will have Kmet tethered to the NFL’s ninth-most lucrative tight end accord. Kmet and Hunter Henry will share this distinction. Considering the Patriots inked Henry to his deal nearly 2 1/2 years ago, this could certainly represent good value for the Bears. The contract comes after David Njoku, Dawson Knox and Evan Engram agreed to deals between $13-$14MM per year. Kmet not reaching that territory is interesting, as the cap is back on the rise, but this still brings a nice payment to a player who took a step forward despite a run-heavy offense last season. Kmet also received the fifth-most guaranteed money at his position.
Part of a 2020 Chicago draft class that has included a few long-term starters, Kmet totaled seven touchdown receptions last season. While his yardage total (544) dipped from 2021 (612), he did not find the end zone during Justin Fields‘ rookie year. The Bears will expect the Notre Dame product to be a key Fields option going forward.
An Illinois native, Kmet arrived in Chicago as the No. 42 overall pick in 2020. Kmet was the team’s top pick that year, with the Khalil Mack trade costing first-round picks in 2019 and ’20. The Bears concluded their Jimmy Graham partnership after that season and gave the keys to Kmet, who has been a steady player since becoming the team’s top tight end. Kmet, 24, has not missed a game over the past two seasons. Fields has some questions to answer regarding his viability as an NFL passer, and the organization — one that passed on taking a quarterback this year, trading out of the No. 1 spot to add Moore and future assets — is counting on Kmet being a big part of of the talented QB doing so.
This marks the first big extension of Ryan Poles‘ Bears GM tenure. Two other members of the 2020 class — Darnell Mooney, Jaylon Johnson — loom as extension candidates for the Bears, who will have Fields eligible for a re-up in January.
Chargers Sign Justin Herbert To Five-Year Extension
JULY 26: The extension, which ties Herbert to the Chargers through the 2029 season, is now official. Herbert’s 2023 and ’24 cap hits will be under $20MM, with the ’24 number ($19.3MM) representing a $10MM decrease from his $29.5MM fifth-year option salary. The 2025 number checks in at $37.3MM, per OverTheCap, with the ’26 cap hit sitting at $46.3MM. The Bolts will undoubtedly go to the restructure well during this contract, as $58.3MM (2027) and $71.1MM (’28) cap figures appear on this deal down the road.
JULY 25: The latest quarterback domino has fallen. The Chargers have signed quarterback Justin Herbert to a massive five-year extension worth up to $262.5MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The new deal will keep Herbert in Los Angeles through at least the 2029 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), the new deal contains a no-trade clause.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS (via Twitter), the deal can actually reach $265MM with incentives. The five-year extension includes $218MM in guaranteed money, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic (via Twitter). Schefter clarifies (on Twitter) that the extension contains $133.7MM in fully guaranteed money, $193.7MM with the injury guarantee, and a potential $218.7MM in total guarantees.
Rapoport notes on Twitter that Herbert will earn a whopping $100MM in year one of the extension, topping the previous one-year high of $80MM in earnings. This will be a significant raise for Herbert, who was set to earn $4.2MM in the fourth year of his rookie deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
In terms of new money, Herbert’s deal will rank fourth at the position in full guarantees and injury guarantees, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com (via Twitter). Herbert’s overall guarantees will slide him in third among QBs, and his overall injury guarantees will rank second at the position.
It was only a matter of time until the two sides ultimately agreed to a new deal. We heard back in March that the Chargers and Herbert had started extension talks, and with several quarterbacks having already reset the positional market this offseason, Herbert appeared to be the next in line.
Jalen Hurts (five years, $255MM) briefly held the title of highest-paid QB before Lamar Jackson‘s extension (five years, $260MM) a week later. Now, a few months after Jackson signed his record-breaking deal, Herbert is once again resetting the market, settling in at a contract that will pay him $52.5MM. The Chargers QB is now one of four players at his position to top $50MM (along with Hurts, Jackson, and Aaron Rodgers), and it will only be a matter of time before Joe Burrow and the Bengals agree to an extension that once again reshapes the market.
A mega-deal is certainly warranted for Herbert. Through three seasons in the league, Herbert has quickly established himself as one of the NFL’s top signal-callers. His 14,089 passing yards are the most through a player’s first three seasons in NFL history, and his 94 touchdowns through three seasons trails only Dan Marino (98) on the all-time list.
The sixth-overall pick in the 2020 draft, Herbert earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after tossing 31 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions. He got a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 after compiling 38 touchdowns, but Herbert found the end zone only 25 times in 2022. However, he had a career-high 68.2 completion percentage this past season while guiding the Chargers to 10 wins and his first career playoff appearance.
2023 will be a crucial year for the Chargers. With Herbert’s extension set to kick in, the cash-strapped organization will look to capitalize on an offense led by Herbert, running back Austin Ekeler, and wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. As ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry points out on Twitter, the Chargers’ ability to sign Herbert on the eve of training camp also ensures that there will be zero distractions as the Chargers look to install coordinator Kellen Moore‘s new offense.