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AFC Contract Details: Garrett, Stingley, Broncos, Bills, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers

March 19th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Beginning with two record-setting deals, here are the latest contract details from the AFC:

  • Myles Garrett, DE (Browns). Four years, $160MM. Garrett’s $88.8MM full guarantee consists of a $21.54MM signing bonus, fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26 and a fully guaranteed 2026 option bonus. Almost all of Garrett’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed as well, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting a $39.34MM option bonus shifts to a full guarantee no later than Day 3 of the 2026 league year. Garrett’s $21.41MM 2028 option bonus is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2027 league year. Only $800K of Garrett’s $38MM 2029 base salary will be guaranteed a year out, however; Garrett’s $38MM 2030 base is nonguaranteed. The option bonuses and four void years will help keep Garrett’s cap numbers under $30MM until 2028.
  • Derek Stingley Jr., CB (Texans). Three years, $90MM. Of Stingley’s eye-popping $89MM guarantee, only $48MM is locked in at signing, Florio adds. Early protections, as in the Garrett contract, are included here as well. After fully guaranteed base salaries in 2025 and ’26, Stingley will see his $20MM 2027 base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2026. That same structure is in place for 2027, with a $21MM salary moving from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed by March 2027. Stingley’s 2029 base is nonguaranteed.
  • D.J. Jones, DT (Broncos). Three years, $39MM. Jones fetched an impressive second Broncos contract. Before the team reunited him with 49ers teammates Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, Jones scored a $26MM full guarantee, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. Two void years are in this Denver deal.
  • Dre Greenlaw, LB (Broncos): Three years, $31.5MM. This base value checks in a touch south of the initial reports as well. Of that sum, $11.5MM is fully guaranteed, per Spotrac. Another $2MM locks in on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, via OverTheCap, but Greenlaw’s injury trouble looks to have affected him on the market after all. A $3MM incentive package is present, and Denver can move on from the deal for less than $5MM in 2026 dead money.
  • Josh Palmer, WR (Bills). Three years, $29MM. This is south of the $36MM number initially reported. TD and yardage incentives cover $6MM, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. The ex-Charger will see $15MM fully guaranteed. Palmer’s 2025 salary is locked in, and $4.84MM of his $9.66MM 2026 base salary is as well. Another $3MM will convert from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, per OverTheCap.
  • Cody Barton, LB (Titans). Three years, $21MM. The nomadic defender will see $13.3MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Both Barton’s 2025 and ’26 salaries are guaranteed, with Wilson adding $1.5MM of his 2027 base is as well.
  • Robert Hainsey, C (Jaguars). Three years, $21MM. Hainsey will receive $10MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Of Hainsey’s $6.25MM 2026 base salary, $3MM is guaranteed at signing. The rest locks in if Hainsey is still a Jaguar by Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Eric Murray, S (Jaguars). Three years, $19.5MM. This massive Murray raise from his Texans deals brings $10MM fully guaranteed, per OverTheCap. Murray will see $3.5MM of his 2026 base salary locked in, while Wilson adds the rest becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the ’26 league year.
  • Marquise Brown, WR (Chiefs). One year, $6.85MM. This is down from the “up to” $11MM report, with Wilson indicating $6.5MM is guaranteed. After a season-marring injury, Brown takes a slight pay cut (after a $7MM 2024 deal).
  • Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Chargers). One year, $2.5MM. The Chargers are guaranteeing St-Juste $1MM, Wilson adds. This profiles as a flier on a four-year Washington regular, whose $1.5MM base salary is nonguaranteed.

Giants Host Jameis Winston, Zach Pascal

March 18th, 2025 at 6:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

MAR 18: Winston becomes the third quarterback to visit New York and leave without a deal, following Wilson and Flacco. Everyone continues to be in a sort of holding pattern with the decision of Rodgers holding sway over the decisions of several others. A series of secondary decisions seems increasingly likely to be made in the wake of an eventual Rodgers’ choice.

MAR 17: As the Giants continue to wait out the remaining veteran quarterback market, another potential target has emerged. Jameis Winston will visit New York tomorrow, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The Giants are among the teams whose plans under center depend in large part on what Aaron Rodgers decides to do in 2025. Provided the 41-year-old suits up for next season, he could do so by following his two-year Jets run with MetLife Stadium’s other team. The Giants are believed to have the best Rodgers offer on the table, but the Steelers have also made their pitch while the Vikings loom as a landing spot as well.

In need of contingencies, therefore, New York has checked in on other veteran passers. The team hosted Russell Wilson on a visit last week, repeating the process which preceded his 2024 Pittsburgh agreement. A weekend report indicated Wilson is ready to sign at any time, but that is unlikely to take place until Rodgers makes his decision. Another Steelers pact could be in play, while the Browns also hosted Wilson. Joe Flacco has already met with the Giants, but is is under consideration for other QB-needy teams as well.

Winston made it clear in the build-up to the Super Bowl that he would be open to joining the Giants, who currently only have Tommy DeVito under contract. Adding a passer on Day 1 of the draft is certainly in play, as New York owns pick No. 3 and could be willing to trade up and select Cam Ward. Bringing in Winston, 31, would give the team a veteran of 87 starts capable of handling (or at least competing for) QB1 duties in 2025.

Winston signed with the Browns to serve as their backup last offseason, but Deshaun Watson‘s Achilles tear allowed him to start seven games. Winston said last month he hoped to remain in Cleveland, but the team has since swung a trade for Kenny Pickett. A deal with the Chargers or 49ers (with whom the former No. 1 pick has spoken) could be more feasible as a result. The Giants will now find themselves in the mix if tomorrow’s visit goes well.

Before Winston meets with the Giants, the team will bring in Zach Pascal. The veteran wideout is visiting today, Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo reports. Pascal has worked with Giants receivers coach Mike Groh in Indianapolis, and the former Eagle and Cardinal would provide depth at the position if he were to sign.

NFL Restructures: Texans, Humphrey, Wirfs, Holcomb, Conklin

March 17th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans have restructured a number of deals in recent days to clear up some cap space for the 2025 league year.

First, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports that the team converted $12.33MM of Nico Collins‘ 2025 salary into a signing bonus and added two void years to the end of his deal. These moves opened of $9.86MM of cap space. Fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk also agreed to convert $14.33MM of his 2025 salary into a signing bonus while adding four void years to the end of his deal, freeing up $11.46MM of cap space, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Pelissero also reported a restructuring on the defensive side of the ball, as outside linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair saw $7.83MM of his 2025 salary converted into a signing bonus with an additional void year added to the end of his deal. This last move created $6.26MM more of cap space.

Here are a few other restructured deals from around the NFL:

  • In Baltimore, Brian McFarland of RussellStreetReport.com detailed how the Ravens did a max restructure of cornerback Marlon Humphrey‘s contract. His $18MM base salary was reduced to the veteran minimum as $16.74MM was converted into a signing bonus. The team also added two void years to the end of his deal, ultimately opening up $13.39MM of cap space.
  • Per Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs agreed to a restructured deal that would see his $26MM base salary reduced to the veteran minimum with $24.83MM converted into a signing bonus. The move created $19.86MM of cap space.
  • Pelissero also reported on a restructured deal for Steelers linebacker Cole Holcomb. While details of the restructuring have yet to be released, we know the deal will clear $5MM of cap space, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler brings us our final restructured deal of the day for Browns right tackle Jack Conklin. The revised contract reportedly removes a year — making Conklin a free agent in 2026, instead of 2027 — and pays him $10MM this year with $9MM in guarantees and $2MM available in incentives. Cap influences from this deal have not yet been reported.

Joe Flacco ‘In Play’ For Steelers, Browns, Vikings

March 16th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The NFL’s annual quarterback carousel is still spinning, and Aaron Rodgers seems to have his hands on the controls. Multiple teams are pursuing the four-time MVP, and his decision will have a cascading effect on the rest of the market.

Russell Wilson is ready to sign and will likely be the next domino to fall, leaving Joe Flacco as the top veteran option on the market.

Flacco is already receiving interest from multiple teams. He is “in play…for jobs with the Steelers, Browns, and Vikings,” per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. It’s easy to see Flacco end up in any of those destinations. He’s been a mercenary ever since he left Baltimore and spent the last three years with three different teams.

In Pittsburgh, Flacco would have a winnable battle with Mason Rudolph for a starting job after he re-signed with his old team last week. The Steelers may also look to add a quarterback through the draft, though their first-round pick (No. 21 overall) is likely too late for a top prospect. If Flacco wants a legitimate shot at starting, Pittsburgh may be his best bet.

The Browns are similarly bereft at the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson could miss the entire 2025 season after tearing his Achilles for a second time, which would leave Flacco to take on fellow former first-rounder Kenny Pickett for the starting gig. Flacco also spent the 2023 season in Cleveland, which was his best since leaving Baltimore. The Browns went 4-1 in his five starts, which featured 323.2 yards per game and 13 touchdowns. Flacco’s previous success in Cleveland and familiarity with Kevin Stefanski and much of his offensive line could motivate the 40-year-old to return to a previous team for the first time in his career.

Minnesota seems to offer the least upside. Flacco could start over J.J. McCarthy at the beginning of the season, but unless he truly thrives, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings sacrificing another year of development for the 2024 No. 6 overall pick. But if Flacco wants to win, Minnesota might be the place to do it. They retained pending free agents like Aaron Jones and Byron Murphy while making upgrades in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

AFC North Contract Details: Slaton, Ricard, Bush, Harrison

March 16th, 2025 at 7:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Here is a list of some of the released contract details concerning some free agent signings from the AFC North:

  • Patrick Ricard, FB (Ravens): One year, $2.87MM. Because of the new CBA’s four-year qualifying options, players who have been with the same team for four or more consecutive seasons can earn more than they count against the salary cap. As a result, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Ricard will only count for $1.42MM against the cap. The deal includes $167.5K in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.
  • Tylan Wallace, WR (Ravens): One year, $2.1MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Wallace’s new deal will have $1.35MM guaranteed including a $930K signing bonus. Additional void years from 2026 to 2029 will spread his cap hit out over time.
  • T.J. Slaton, DT (Bengals): Two years, $14.1MM. Per Wilson, Slaton’s contract has $5MM of guarantees. The $5MM of guarantees comes in the form of a 2025 league year roster bonus. Slaton can also earn an active roster bonus of $20K per game and a playtime incentive that could pay out an additional $500K for the year.
  • Cody Ford, G (Bengals): Two years, $6MM. Per Wilson, Ford’s deal has $1MM of guarantees in the form of a signing bonus. He can also earn an active roster bonus of $29.41K per game and an additional $500K for playing 75 percent of the team’s offensive snaps each year.
  • Marco Wilson, CB (Bengals): One year, $1.52MM. Per Aaron Wilson, Marco Wilson’s guaranteed money comes in the form of a $150K signing bonus. He’ll also be able to earn an active roster bonus of $5.88K per game.
  • Devin Bush, LB (Browns): One year, $3.25MM. Per Wilson, Bush’s contract includes $2.97MM in guarantees that are comprised of a $1.8MM signing bonus and the entirety of his $1.17MM base salary. Bush can earn an active roster bonus of $15K per game and an additional $250K through incentives. The team added four void years to the deal in order to space out his cap impact.
  • Malik Harrison, LB (Steelers): Two years, $10MM. Per Wilson, Harrison’s contract includes $4.08MM in guarantees in the form of a signing bonus.

Russell Wilson Prepared To Sign; Steelers, Giants Waiting On Aaron Rodgers’ Decision

March 15th, 2025 at 10:29pm CST by Adam La Rose

The top free agent storyline around the league remains Aaron Rodgers‘ next destination. That could be the Vikings, although it remains to be seen if they will match his willingness to take a Minnesota deal.

Retirement is also an option for the 41-year-old, but if does elect to play – and the Vikings decline to submit an offer – the Steelers and Giants loom as interested suitors. Both Pittsburgh and New York have made a pitch to sign Rodgers, with the latter’s believed to be the best one on the table. Much of the remaining movement at the quarterback position will likely wait until after this situation reaches a conclusion.

In the case of Russell Wilson, his landing spot therefore remains uncertain for the time being. That is not due to hesitation on the player’s part, however. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Wilson is ready to sign at any time, a notable update given his recent Browns and Giants visits (video link).

The 10-time Pro Bowler met with Cleveland on Thursday and then New York yesterday. The Browns have already made one move under center by trading for Kenny Pickett, but they are still in the market for another passer. The Giants are also set to make multiple additions, a factor which explains the strong Rodgers pursuit as well as their continued interest in Wilson. Prior to the former Seahawk and Bronco’s decision to take a one-year Steelers pact last offseason, he met with the Giants. As Fowler notes, though, Wilson’s market is on hold until the Rodgers domino falls.

Handling starting duties since from Week 7 onwards, Wilson saw his play (and that of the team in general) decline at the end of the 2024 campaign. Justin Fields – who had support from some in the building to stay atop the depth chart even when Wilson’s calf injury healed – was widely viewed as Pittsburgh’s preference to retain over the veteran this spring. Fields ultimately took a two-year Jets deal, though, leaving Wilson in play as a fallback option should Rodgers not head to Pittsburgh.

Whereas Rodgers has a number of options to consider, Wilson’s market seems to be more limited. The 36-year-old has not been connected to the Vikings yet, while a report from earlier this week indicated the Titans are not interested despite their need for Will Levis competition. Provided one of Pittsburgh or New York end up acquiring Rodgers, the other could pivot to Wilson in short order.

Given the offset money left from his Broncos pact, Wilson was able to sign for just $1.21MM with Pittsburgh last year. He will be aiming higher this time around, but no movement should be expected with respect to his market before Rodgers’ future is determined.

Myles Garrett Insists Extension Wasn’t About Money

March 15th, 2025 at 2:36pm CST by Ely Allen

We recently saw the long-awaited conclusion to the Myles Garrett-Browns feud which ended with Garrett agreeing to play with a four-year, $160MM extension. The deal ended up making Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, but if you ask him, he’ll still claim that his concern was not money but being on a competitive team, per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi.

Despite having two years remaining on a five-year, $125MM contract, Garrett and Cleveland became so entrenched in an extension negotiation that Garrett requested a trade. At the time, Garrett seemed to indicate that his desire to leave Cleveland had nothing to do with the money the team didn’t seem to be willing to pay him and everything to do with playing for a team that had the ability to contend for a Super Bowl.

That stance seemed to hold true as player and team had seemed to cut off all possibilities of reconciliation. At one point owner Jimmy Haslam even declined to meet with his start player. Yet, days later, the new deal came through and everything was peaches.

So, what changed? Did the Browns make a move to become contenders or did the money become too much to ignore? While fans and analysts pointed early and often to the latter options, Garrett insists that, despite many frustrations throughout the ordeal, his confidence in the team’s future did, ultimately, change.

Garrett claims that further conversations and “constant communication” with team management change his mind about being traded, that “talking about the plans and future of this team” convinced him that they could “turn this around and turn Cleveland into a winner.” While Garret admits that his frustrations led to those early, frustrated comments, they were true and allowed him and the team to come together with meaningful conversations about how to improve their outlook.

It’s hard to tell if Garrett is just backtracking so as not to seem like he went back on his word. At one point, Garrett was doubling down on his desire to be traded while general manager Andrew Berry was adamant that he had no intention of trading him. One’s will may have just been stronger than the other in this situation.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter all that much. Whether these were just lengths Garrett went to in order to have meaningful input on what the team needed to do to improve or whether the team just showered Garrett in enough money to drown out his concerns, he’s back and under contract for years to come. We’ll see if Garrett’s efforts are enough to change the trajectory of the franchise moving forward.

NFL Announces 2025 Compensatory Picks

March 14th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: In an unusual step, the NFL has awarded the Saints a seventh-round compensatory pick and stripped one from the Dolphins. The Saints’ pick appears to check in in front of the Browns and Chargers’ Nos. 254 and 255 slots, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cleveland and Los Angeles’ last 2025 picks will slide down one spot. The Dolphins will retain their other seventh-round comp pick, however.

MARCH 11: The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2025 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2024 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.

This year, the NFL awarded 35 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.

Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2025 compensatory selections:

By round:

Round 3: Vikings (No. 97 overall), Dolphins (98), Giants (99), 49ers (100)*, Rams (101)*, Lions (102)*

Round 4: Dolphins (135), Ravens (136), Seahawks (137), 49ers (138)

Round 5: Bills (169), Cowboys (170), Cowboys (171), Seahawks (172), Bills (173), Cowboys (174), Seahawks (175), Ravens (176)

Round 6: Chargers (209), Ravens (210), Cowboys (211), Ravens (212), Raiders (213), Chargers (214), Raiders (215), Browns (216)

Round 7: 49ers (249), Packers (250), Chiefs (251), 49ers (252), Dolphins (253), Browns (254), Chargers (255), Dolphins (256), Chiefs (257)

By team:

  • Baltimore Ravens: 4
  • Dallas Cowboys: 4
  • Miami Dolphins: 4
  • San Francisco 49ers: 4
  • Los Angeles Chargers: 3
  • Seattle Seahawks: 3
  • Buffalo Bills: 2
  • Cleveland Browns: 2
  • Kansas City Chiefs: 2
  • Las Vegas Raiders: 2
  • Detroit Lions: 1
  • Green Bay Packers: 1
  • Los Angeles Rams: 1
  • Minnesota Vikings: 1
  • New York Giants: 1

* = special compensatory selection

Browns, Giants To Meet With Russell Wilson

March 12th, 2025 at 11:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Russell Wilson may be behind Aaron Rodgers in the free agent QB pecking order, another team is showing interest. The Browns are preparing to meet with the 13-year veteran.

Wilson will travel to Cleveland tonight for a Thursday meeting, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds the passer’s second Giants meeting in two years is set for Friday. The Giants have been linked to Wilson for a while, but they join the Steelers in waiting for a Rodgers answer.

When the Browns traded for Kenny Pickett, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot indicated the ex-Steelers first-rounder would not automatically be the veteran that steers the ship while Deshaun Watson is out and before it is known a rookie QB is Cleveland-bound. The Browns are still believed to be looking into vets, and Wilson will qualify. Given teams’ preference of Rodgers over him, Wilson will also not stand to be a particularly pricey option at this stage of his career.

The Browns have been more closely connected to Kirk Cousins than Wilson, but as the 2025 league year begins and a $10MM Cousins payment is due, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot is sticking to his guns on cuffing the QB as a high-priced backup. Teams were split on if that Atlanta strategy will continue, but Cousins is not coming up in trades and is not yet a free agent. Despite Kevin Stefanski’s past with Cousins, the 2012 fourth-round pick’s status may well be leading the Browns to look into a 2012 third-rounder.

Certainly not one to cool down drama, Rodgers is taking his time on a potential Pittsburgh-or-New York decision. That has affected Wilson, who is not believed to be a Titans target. The Vikings are also in the mix for a veteran stopgap, but a Browns fit would be quite interesting given the makeup of the team’s QB room. The Browns are needing to keep costs low because of their 2022 decision to give Watson a fully guaranteed $230MM. That trade came barely a week after the Broncos sent two first-rounders, two seconds and other assets to the Seahawks for Wilson. The Browns are considering carrying both players on the same roster.

Wilson, 36, is certainly more than a failed trade piece. He is a nine-time Pro Bowler who sits third all time in QB rushing yards. Mike Tomlin, against the wishes of some in the Steelers organization, installed Wilson as his starter for 11 games last season. Wilson threw 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions. Wilson finished 23rd in QBR, two spots ahead of Rodgers, and posted a better yards-per-attempt number (7.4) than the older great (6.7) as well. Never in Rodgers’ league as a pure passer, Wilson being five years younger may not matter too much right now for teams, either. But the Browns will consider Wilson ahead of a season when Watson figures to land on the reserve/PUP list.

The Giants met with Wilson before his Broncos release last year. The quick visit pertained to a QB who could push Daniel Jones, but Wilson became intrigued by a clearer shot to start in Pittsburgh. The Giants admitted defeat on Jones midway through last season and now need at least two QBs, as Tommy DeVito is the only one contracted. Despite Rodgers underwhelming as a Jet, the Giants are fairly desperate. If Rodgers chooses the Steelers or retires, the Giants may need to give Wilson strong consideration while they determine a draft path.

Browns To Sign DT Maliek Collins

March 12th, 2025 at 3:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

Maliek Collins was let go by the 49ers earlier this week. The veteran defensive tackle did not need to wait long to find a new home, however.

Collins has agreed to a two-year deal with the Browns, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The contract is worth $20MM and includes $13MM fully guaranteed, he adds. Collins will now join a Browns D-line which no longer features Dalvin Tomlinson.

Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes the deal is still being worked on. Presuming it is finalized, though, Collins will be expected to handle a starting role on his fifth career team. The 29-year-old has operated as a first-team presence throughout his career, which has included time with the Cowboys, Raiders, Texans and 49ers.

San Francisco traded for Collins last offseason, and he started all 17 games with the team. The former third-rounder recorded five sacks along the way, but that production was not enough to keep him in place. The 49ers elected to cut Collins as part of their efforts to reset along the defensive interior. The same remained the case for Javon Hargrave, who was designated as a post-June 1 release.

The Browns used Tomlinson as a full-time starter for each of the past two seasons. The former Giant and Viking posted three sacks in each of his Cleveland campaigns, and halfway through his contract the Browns elected to move on. Tomlinson’s pact averaged $14.25MM per season; this Collins one checks in at a lower figure but it will still carry notable expectations on a Browns defensive front which will still include Myles Garrett in 2025.

The All-Pro’s saga saw a trade request replaced by a record-breaking extension on Sunday. Garrett will be counted on to remain an elite producer along the edge moving forward as a result. Collins will look to serve as a complementary pass-rushing presence along the interior.

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