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RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/3/25

March 4th, 2025 at 9:37pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:

RFAs

Non-tendered: 

Despite 48 appearances, 19 starts, and 1,794 total snaps over the last three years, the Bears will not tender Sanborn, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. While not considered a starting defender, Sanborn could draw interest in free agency as a backup linebacker and core special teams contributor.

ERFAs

Tendered: 

Non-tendered:

Hoffman started the Cowboys’ last seven games of the 2024 season after Zack Martin went down for the season. He primarily played right guard, though he played 109 snaps at center and 19 at left guard, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Martin retired last month, so Hoffman will likely compete for a starting role in 2025 while earning $1.1MM.

CB Notes: Reed, Jets, Davis, Ward, Packers, Alexander, Hobbs, Raiders

March 4th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

As is the case at wide receiver, the cornerback market will feature several players who have been in free agency before. A handful of this batch of third-contract-seeking cover men, however, are under 30. D.J. Reed may lead this contingent, with SNY’s Connor Hughes indicating the three-year Jets starter is believed to be the top free agent corner on the market. The Jets are not expected to re-sign Reed, per Hughes and The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. This is certainly not too surprising, as the team paid slot corner Michael Carter last summer and has a top-market deal with Sauce Gardner on the horizon. Reed saw the writing on the wall as well, saying before his contract year he would test free agency. He has continued to point to an exit for months, and the former 49ers and Seahawks CB — who will turn 29 during the 2025 season — will soon see a strong market.

Here is the latest from the cornerback ranks:

  • The Eagles took two 30-something CB contracts (for Darius Slay and James Bradberry) off their payroll this week, leaving the market for experienced vets at the position thin. Beyond Jalen Ramsey, Chidobe Awuzie (three years, $36MM) is the only boundary corner attached to an eight-figure-per-year salary on a third contract. That number should expand soon, with the cap going up by another $24MM and a host of late-20-somethings hitting the market. Two more names who should do well: Carlton Davis and Charvarius Ward. Davis and Ward’s markets could reach the “high teens” in terms of AAV, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. That would be a substantial jump from where Awuzie is. Davis and Ward are each 28 and coming off three-year contracts, with the Buccaneers having traded Davis’ to the Lions. The 49ers extending Deommodore Lenoir points Ward out of town, while Davis did not discuss an extension with the Lions before season’s end. The Jaguars have been connected to the former Super Bowl LV starter.
  • Another late-20-something corner could be joining this quartet soon. Although the Packers are shopping Jaire Alexander, Schultz adds many NFL staffers expect the team to move on via release. The Packers have been viewed as highly unlikely to keep the 28-year-old CB another year, as injuries keep intervening during a $21MM-per-year contract. Two years remain on Alexander’s accord. The Pack could save $17.1MM by designating Alexander as a post-June 1 cut; they would need to wait until the start of the 2025 league year (March 12) to cut him in that case.
  • Not all of the notable corners hitting free agency will be gunning for a third contract. Nate Hobbs joins Paulson Adebo and Asante Samuel Jr. as regular starters set to test the market for the first time. Adebo is expected to, despite suffering a broken femur in October, garner significant interest. The Saints are interested in re-signing him. Hobbs is close to seeing an interesting market emerge. Despite an inability to stay healthy, the Raiders slot corner is being mentioned as a player who could command Kenny Moore-level money, The Athletic’s Tashan Reed notes, adding that significant interest is coming the four-year vet’s way. Moore’s third Colts contract came in at three years, $30MM last March. Taron Johnson soon upped the slot market to just beyond $10MM per annum. Although Hobbs is not as proven as those two players, he did generate trade interest from the 49ers and has four years of experience patrolling the slot for the Raiders.

Jaguars Preparing Free Agent Pursuit Of CB Carlton Davis?

March 3rd, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaguars turned their free agent attention toward retaining in-house players last offseason, with the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Walker Little receiving lucrative extensions. A major pursuit of numerous outside options should not be expected in 2025, but one potential target has been linked to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville is set to “gauge the market” on Carlton Davis, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes. The veteran corner spent his first six years with the Buccaneers, serving as a full-time starter during that stretch. Given Tampa Bay’s other investments in the secondary, though, the team traded Davis to the Lions last March.

The 28-year-old faced high expectations as part of Detroit’s multi-faceted efforts to improve at the cornerback position. Davis started all 13 of his Lions games but his campaign was ended due to a broken jaw. That missed time could hurt his value, but after posting a pair of interceptions and 11 pass deflections in 2024 the former second-rounder could still stand to do well in free agency. As of January, no talks on a re-up with Detroit had taken place.

Davis – whom Fowler had previously named as a potential Jaguars target – inked a three-year, $44.5MM Bucs extension in 2022. Corners rarely have the opportunity to secure lucrative third pacts during their careers, but his age and ball production (11 career interceptions, 84 pass breakups, four forced fumbles) could lead to strong outside interest. With more than $38MM in cap space, Jacksonville could afford a notable investment in Davis on the open market.

The new regime led by James Gladstone and Liam Coen faces a number of key decisions this offseason, but upgrading in the secondary is an obvious priority. The Jags finished last in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2024 and they recorded only six interceptions. Tyson Campbell was among the players to receive large paydays last offseason, inking an extension averaging $19.13MM per year. No other major contracts are on the books at the cornerback position, but that could change if Davis reaches the market and entertains the idea of heading to Duval County.

NFC North Notes: Garrett, Lions, Pack, Vikes

March 2nd, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the Lions zeroed in on Za’Darius Smith at the 2024 deadline, they asked the Browns about their other starting defensive end. As calls came in for Myles Garrett months before his trade request, ESPN’s Kimberley Martin notes the Lions showed the most interest. At the time (as is the case now), the Browns were not interested in moving Garrett. It is interesting that the Lions pursued Garrett and then completed a deal with the same team for Smith, acquiring the two-year Garrett sidekick in a pick-swap deal. Smith is on the radar to stay in Detroit, at a lower rate compared to his two-year, $23MM deal agreed to in 2023. The Lions needed a D-end, having lost Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season, but the Browns did not budge. It would be tough for the Lions to swing a Garrett deal now, as Hutchinson moves toward a market-setting extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • While Hutchinson will be on the Lions’ extension radar, the team will have two years of rookie-deal control after it exercises the standout pass rusher’s fifth-year option. That did not delay the Lions on Penei Sewell, which will make Hutchinson a player to monitor in an explosive edge defender offseason. The Lions, however, have only this year left on Kerby Joseph‘s rookie deal. The All-Pro safety is targeting an extension, indicating (during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show) he wants to be a “life-long Lion.” Joseph could be a 2026 franchise tag candidate, if nothing transpires on that front before the 2026 free agency period, as the team also has Brian Branch likely in its future extension queue. Branch has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
  • Staying on the subject of extensions, Quay Walker is a candidate for a 2025 Packers payday. Because rush and non-rush linebackers are grouped together on the fifth-year option formula, Walker’s option will check in at $14.75MM. No team has picked up an ILB fifth-year option since 2022 (Devin White), and Brian Gutekunst (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) did not make it sound like Walker would be an exception. “The linebacker for the fifth-year option is a little wonky because there’s so many edge guys that are part of that, which drives up that number, which probably isn’t great,” Gutekunst said. “But yeah, we’d like to find a way to keep Quay around here long-term, whether that be an extension or something.” The three-year starter will be in a contract year if/when the Pack decline his option.
  • Josh Myers should have a nice free agency market, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the four-year starter did not suffer an injury during the Packers’ wild-card loss to the Eagles. Healthy heading into free agency, Myers may check in as the second-best center option (behind the Falcons’ Drew Dalman) on this year’s market. Gutekunst praised Myers after the season, and the former second-rounder wants to stay. The Packers, who let center Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers, also have a potential Zach Tom extension to prepare for this year.
  • If the Vikings are to re-sign Aaron Jones, something Kevin O’Connell would be in favor of, they would plan to reduce his workload, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Compiling a career-high 306 touches, the 30-year-old RB totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — also the second-most in his career. The ex-Packer said he wants to stay in Minnesota, and his void date has been pushed back to March 11, giving the Vikes more time on a re-signing. Jones’ workload came in part because the Vikings lost faith in Ty Chandler, Seifert adds, leading to their second Cam Akers trade.
  • Neither Ed Ingram nor Blake Brandel are locks to be blocking for whichever running back the Vikings start in 2025. Brandel will see $1.65MM of his $2.6MM base salary become guaranteed on March 14, while the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Ingram — who lost his RG job last season — is “highly unlikely” to be brought back at a $5.2MM base salary (thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program) in the final year of his second-round deal.

WR Allen Robinson Mulling Retirement

March 2nd, 2025 at 5:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2024 season saw Allen Robinson receive the opportunity to play for his hometown team. The veteran receiver could again find himself with the Lions this offseason, but he is giving thought to retirement.

“For me it’s more so about figuring out what my future in this game and in this league looks like,” Robinson said of his outlook (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “So for me it’s now just taking time to evaluate what next year looks like for me in general. That’s kind of where I’m at with it. So I’m taking some time to make this decision with my family.”

Robinson’s career began with a four-year Jaguars spell which included a Pro Bowl nod followed by four seasons with the Bears. During his Chicago time, the former second-rounder topped 1,100 yards twice, but he has been unable to duplicate that success since. A three-year Rams pact resulted in only one season with Los Angeles, and in 2023 a trade sent him to the Steelers.

The Penn State product was released last offseason, leaving him on the move once again. Robinson joined the Giants but he failed to make their roster, leading him to pivot to the Lions just before the start of the regular season. In all, he made 12 appearances during the campaign but registered only three receptions while logging a snap share of only 11%.

Birkett notes the Lions are open to bringing Robinson back, but a decision will first need to be made regarding his playing future. Detroit has Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Kalif Raymond atop the WR depth chart entering 2025. Tim Patrick – who provided complementary production this past season – is a pending free agent but he could remain in place on a new Detroit deal. That would stand to limit Robinson’s upside even if he were to continue playing and re-sign with the Lions.

Robinson (who made it clear he intends to shift to a career in media once he hangs up his cleats) is a veteran of 142 combined regular and postseason games. His career earnings currently stands at just over $95MM.

Lions To Cut LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin

February 27th, 2025 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Better known now for his role as the NFLPA president, Jalen Reeves-Maybin remains an active player. He will likely be on the hunt for a new team soon. The Lions are prepared to move on.

Detroit is set to release the veteran linebacker/special-teamer once the league year begins, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Reeves-Maybin has spent seven of his eight seasons with the Lions, enjoying two stints with the team.

This move will save the Lions $1.89MM in cap space, as the team will pass on paying the 30-year-old defender a $2.75MM base salary in 2025. This move will bump the Lions’ cap-space figure past $53MM, which sits in the middle of the pack nearly two weeks ahead of the 2025 league year.

Arriving as a Bob Quinn-era draftee, Reeves-Maybin has settled in as a special teams presence on better-constructed Brad Holmes rosters. Reeves-Maybin’s only run as a starter came during the Lions’ 3-13-1 season in 2021, but the team was quick to bring him back after a short Texans stint.

The Texans cut Reeves-Maybin in March 2023; he landed back with the Lions two weeks later and signed another contract — a two-year, $7.5MM deal — last February. Reeves-Maybin then climbed to the top of the NFLPA ladder. As he will be one of the point men during negotiations on an 18-game season, a search for a new team appears imminent. Though, the Lions could certainly be open to retaining him on a cheaper deal.

Reeves-Maybin has played on at least 60% of the Lions’ special teams snaps in each of his seven seasons with the team. Over the past two, that usage floor climbed to 78%. A year after being a Texans one-and-done, the former fourth-round pick earned his second-team All-Pro nod. Should Reeves-Maybin want to continue playing into his 30s, there will likely be a market for his ST services.

Bears Add J.T. Barrett, Anthony Blevins, Matt Giordano To Staff

February 20th, 2025 at 9:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Remembered by most for his time at Ohio State and perhaps by some PFR loyalists for his journeys on and off the Saints’ practice squad, J.T. Barrett is making a move into a key coaching position.

Ben Johnson is bringing Barrett with him from Detroit, and the ex-Lions assistant quarterbacks coach will move up the ladder. Johnson has installed Barrett as the Bears’ QBs coach. The former practice squad arm has been in coaching since being hired on Dan Campbell‘s staff in 2022, and he has quickly climbed the ladder.

[RELATED: Bears Add Eric Bieniemy To Staff]

As was the case with fellow recent retiree-turned-coach Shaun Dion Hamilton, Barrett joined the Lions as a low-level assistant. Three years later, he is set to be Caleb Williams‘ position coach. Barrett, 30, never appeared in a regular-season game but stuck around with the Saints for the better part of two seasons before joining the CFL’s Edmonton Elks in 2022. A season-ending injury prompted Barrett to hang up his cleats, and he caught on under a rising assistant. He joins Antwaan Randle El as key offensive staffers following Johnson to Chicago.

The Bears are also bringing Anthony Blevins back to the NFL, hiring him as assistant special teams coach. Blevins made some news in 2023 when he left the Giants shortly before training camp to become head coach of the XFL’s Las Vegas Vipers. Blevins never enjoyed the chance to coach the Vipers, as the XFL 3.0 team did not survive to become part of the UFL last year. But Blevins worked with the Birmingham Stallions during the UFL’s debut season.

Blevins has an extensive history in the NFL, having been Bruce Arians‘ assistant ST coach for five seasons in Arizona and then taking the same position for five years with the Giants. The Alabama native will return to the league after a two-season absence.

Joining Blevins as a new hire, Matt Giordano will come over after two years with the Saints. The Bears have the former NFL DB in place as their safeties coach. The nine-year vet began his NFL coaching run in 2023; this will be his second gig in the league. Chicago is also hiring Oregon State offensive line coach Kyle DeVan to be its assistant O-line coach. DeVan, a five-year NFL vet, began his coaching tenure as the Saints’ assistant OL coach in 2015 but has traveled plenty since. The Bears will be DeVan’s sixth employer in the 2020s.

Johnson is not turning over the entire staff, opting to retain a few members from the Matt Eberflus period. Kevin Koch is moving up from the quality control level to assistant linebackers coach. Kenny Norton III is staying with the team as well, remaining a defensive QC staffer. The second-generation NFL assistant is starting his third year with the Bears. Another coach’s son, Zach Cable (son of veteran staffer Tom Cable) is sticking around for a second season as an offensive QC coach. Zach coached under his father with the Raiders from 2018-21.

NFC North Notes: Mack, Lions, Pack, Addison

February 20th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Ryan Poles‘ rebuild effort began in 2022, the Bears traded Khalil Mack for second- and sixth-round picks. After three Chargers seasons, Mack is hitting free agency for the first time. The decorated pass rusher showed sustained health in Los Angeles, missing only one game in three years, and earned three Pro Bowl nods. The Chargers want Mack back, but the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes to not rule out a Bears reunion. Mack is heading into his age-34 season and would profile as a decorated but declining rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Although Poles is expected to receive an extension, he is 0-for-3 in playoff berths for a team trying to maximize Caleb Williams‘ rookie-contract window. The Bears will have a chance to add talent, as they are projected to hold more than $69MM in cap space, and Mack would be an interesting bookend piece — even though both the GM and team president roles have changed from when Chicago acquired him in 2018.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Staying on the Bears, they are not likely to retain Gerald Everett for too much longer. Given a two-year, $12MM deal, Everett followed Shane Waldron to a third team. Waldron was done by midseason as Chicago’s OC, and The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain indicates the veteran tight end will be as well. The Bears gave Everett a two-year, $12MM deal but saw him total just eight catches for 36 yards despite playing all 17 games. By cutting the former Rams, Seahawks and Chargers TE, the Bears would save $5.5MM.
  • The Lions have announced their coaching staff, and some new names have emerged. The most notable among them, Marques Tuiasosopo will make an NFL return more than 15 years after his playing career wrapped. The former Raiders QB is joining the Lions as an offensive assistant. He comes over after four seasons as Rice’s OC, having previously coached QBs and tight ends at Washington, UCLA, USC and Cal. Detroit also hired Justin Mesa as a quality control staffer, and Caleb Collins and August Mangin are joining as defensive assistants. Mesa spent the past four seasons at Washington State, working most recently as the Cougars’ tight ends coach.
  • Detroit is also losing two staffers. Director of scouting advancement Mike Martin is heading to Notre Dame to become the program’s GM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. Martin has worked under Brad Holmes throughout the GM’s time in Detroit. Another Lions staffer, Jon Dykema, is leaving for the college ranks. Michigan State is hiring the exec to handle contract management for its athletics programs, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel adds. Dykema had worked as the Lions’ director of football compliance, staying with the team for 15 years; he will now help the Spartans navigate the NIL waters.
  • The Packers are adding to Jeff Hafley’s defensive staff. They are bringing in recent Patriots assistant Jamael Lett as a defensive quality control coach, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. A former staffer at North Carolina and Akron, Lett also spent time as South Alabama’s special teams coordinator. Lett was part of the Pats’ defensive staff under DeMarcus Covington, who is now the Packers’ D-line coach.
  • Circling back to the player side of the NFC North, Jordan Addison‘s DUI case continues. The Vikings wideout filed a continuance and is set to appear in court, for a pretrial hearing, March 12, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Addison pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges — stemming from an August 2024 arrest — earlier this year. A suspension would stand to affect his 2025 availability, should this matter be resolved this offseason.

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.

Lions’ Jameson Williams Avoids Suspension In Connection With 2024 Gun Incident

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

A gun incident involving Jameson Williams produced an internal police review in Detroit, but no charge ended up surfacing in connection with the fall development. That still left the blossoming wide receiver open to an NFL suspension, but he is in the clear there now as well.

Williams will not face NFL discipline here, per ESPN.com. The Lions wideout has already been suspended under the NFL’s gambling and PED policies, but he will not be kept off the field under the personal conduct umbrella.

A strange early-morning sequence October 8 involving Williams handcuffed led to the former first-round pick being released, only to see an investigation into the police department’s conduct take place. Officers placed Williams in cuffs and nearly booked him on a gun charge. Williams was to be taken to jail before being released from custody shortly prior to being booked. This incident occurred after midnight Oct. 8, 2024.

An officer’s suspected effort to have Williams evade an arrest due to his Lions status was part of the investigation, but an internal review cleared the Alabama alum of a concealed weapons charge. Months later, Williams will not see a fourth season interrupted. The former No. 12 overall pick already missed most of his rookie season due to injury and lost time due to the gambling ban in 2023. The above-referenced PED suspension cost Williams two games last season, but he broke through for a 1,000-yard slate anyway.

Williams and his brother were pulled over in Detroit, and the stop led to Williams — the passenger in the vehicle — admitting he was in possession of a gun without a concealed pistol license. Williams, 23, identified himself as a Lions player to police at the time of the early-morning arrest. A sergeant who arrived to back up the arresting officers soon made several calls to superiors asking if Williams needed to be arrested on the concealed weapon charge. (The sergeant’s cellphone wallpaper included a Lions logo.) The aforementioned internal review cleared this officer of wrongdoing, and Williams has now avoided a criminal charge and an NFL ban.

The Lions will have until shortly after the draft to pick up Williams’ fifth-year option. While Williams has not proven especially reliable, the rising team has shown patience with him through the spate of early-career issues. He finished with eight regular-season touchdowns, adding a ninth in the Lions’ shootout divisional-round loss to the Commanders. Williams is now extension-eligible as well, but the option could keep him on his rookie deal through 2026.

With Williams having only one season as a consistent receiving weapon on his resume and the team having Amon-Ra St. Brown on a $30MM-per-year deal, it would make sense if Detroit exercised the option and gave Williams a “prove it” year of sorts in 2025. That will be the next step on the talented wideout’s career timeline, as the Lions will presumably be curious to see if he can steer clear of any further off-field trouble now that this incident is in the rearview mirror.

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