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John Franklin-Myers Not Expecting Broncos Extension; Latest On Nik Bonitto Deal

September 6th, 2025 at 10:26am CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have now completed their three top extension priorities, coming to terms with Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto. The Bonitto deal came to pass Thursday, and it marked a fourth contract given to a front-seven starter since November 2024.

Denver also re-upped Jonathon Cooper and D.J. Jones in this span. This spending spree naturally will leave some on the outside looking in. John Franklin-Myers expects to be one of those who miss out, with the Denver Post’s Luca Evans reporting no extension is likely. Franklin-Myers, then, will be on track to hit free agency in 2026. No talks had taken place as of late August.

[RELATED: Recapping Broncos’ 2025 Offseason]

“Shoot, it’s only a matter of time,” Franklin-Myers said, via Evans, after the Bonitto deal emerged. “You can’t deny me. And a lot of that stuff is circumstantial, is based on circumstances. But after this year, I’m a free agent, and I control the circumstances.”

Acquired in a salary-dump trade with the Jets during the 2024 draft, Franklin-Myers became a full-time starter in the Broncos’ 3-4 defense. The versatile D-lineman played a part in the Broncos leading the NFL in sacks, finishing with seven to go with eight tackles for loss and 18 QB hits. The seven sacks marked a career-high tally for the soon-to-be 29-year-old defender. Another strong year would make him a candidate to land a starter-level deal in free agency come March.

Franklin-Myers has not reached free agency previously. The Jets claimed him from the Rams and later extended him. With the team expecting to have Haason Reddick in Week 1 of last season, it unloaded Franklin-Myers to Denver for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Franklin-Myers joined Allen and Jones as Broncos D-line starters last season but saw the team trade up for D-lineman Sai’Vion Jones (via the Eagles) in the third round this year. With money going to Allen and D.J. Jones (and the two OLBs), Franklin-Myers appears set to play out his two-year, $15MM deal before potentially giving way to Sai’Vion Jones in 2026.

Malcolm Roach joins Franklin-Myers as a contract-year Denver D-lineman, though the ex-Sean Payton Saints charge would be easier to retain by comparison. Roach, though, will not start his second Broncos season on time. The interior defender suffered a grade two calf strain, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. The Broncos have already ruled out Roach and linebacker Dre Greenlaw for Week 1. Spending most of his first Broncos offseason out, Greenlaw is down with a quad issue.

The team was already going to keep Greenlaw on a pitch count to start the year, due to his recent Achilles trouble, but the Broncos’ LB depth will again be tested. Justin Strnad, who replaced Alex Singleton last season, will be the likely next man up. Singleton has returned from the ACL tear he sustained in Week 3 last season.

Circling back to Bonitto’s deal, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports it contains $38.35MM at signing. The four-year, $106MM extension includes a key 2026 date. If/when Bonitto is on the Broncos’ roster on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, his $24.49MM 2027 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap.

The Broncos used this rolling guarantee structure in their Allen and Mike McGlinchey contracts, and it effectively ensures Bonitto will be on this deal for at least the next three seasons. Bonitto, who only landed the 10th-largest EDGE deal despite waiting out a market that skyrocketed this offseason, also secured a rolling guarantee structure for 2028. If on Denver’s roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, the All-Pro OLB will see $7.16MM of his $20.99MM 2028 base salary become fully guaranteed, per Florio. Bonitto’s 2029 base salary is nonguaranteed.

Broncos Notes: Nix, Contracts, Ehlinger, LBs

August 31st, 2025 at 4:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Broncos have a rookie-QB salary headlining their roster, they are still not out of the woods on the Russell Wilson contract. The 2022 trade/extension mistake — which the NFLPA grievance shed more light on — still has Bo Nix‘s predecessor on the Broncos’ cap sheet for $32MM. This has influenced how the Broncos have structured contracts and approached acquisitions.

As ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold notes, the Saints had 11 Sean Payton-era draft classes in which they chose fewer than seven rookies. The Broncos grabbed seven in 2024 and ’25. This was by design, as Legwold indicates the Wilson release influenced the Broncos to pivot from the veteran-heavy roster constructions Payton preferred in New Orleans. Denver did enjoy a more notable free agency period this year than last, signing the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Evan Engram. But the team also minimized its usage of void years. While Denver added a void year to Patrick Surtain‘s extension to help with 2025 cap space, the cap-manipulating tactic did not surface in Zach Allen‘s four-year, $104MM deal.

Void years savants, the Saints continue to navigate historic cap issues each offseason. The Broncos began their Payton years by using this route regularly — via the Mike McGlinchey, Ben Powers and Garett Bolles deals. Even Courtland Sutton‘s extension includes two dummy years, but a source told Legwold Broncos ownership seems to have an influence in this matter. Payton’s Saints past injects some “prove it” vibes to any notions of a stripes change regarding cost conservation, but many in the league noticed some changes this offseason.

It will be interesting to see if more comes from CEO Greg Penner regarding contract structure in the near future. Here is the latest out of Denver:

  • The Nix pick drew reach labels last year, but Payton helped coax a strong rookie season from the No. 12 overall selection. When the Broncos assembled their 2024 QB big board, they ranked Nix behind only Jayden Daniels, per Legwold. Payton’s Nix infatuation has been well chronicled, and it is certainly interesting the Broncos appear to have ranked the polarizing Oregon prospect above no-doubt No. 1 Caleb Williams. We are still far too early in this quarterback class’ run to establish a clear hierarchy. This year, when seven 2024 QB draftees (counting the Saints’ Spencer Rattler) will start in Week 1, will provide more evidence on each second-year QB talent.
  • Behind Nix and Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger resides on Denver’s practice squad. Ehlinger is believed to have received two active-roster invites following his Broncos release, veteran insider Jordan Schultz notes. They were each viewed as contending teams, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. Considering the gulf between veteran-minimum money and practice squad payouts, Ehlinger’s decision is interesting. The Broncos can up his rate via gameday elevations or a potential signing off the practice squad in-season.
  • Denver will count on two starters recovering from at linebacker, in Greenlaw and Alex Singleton. Greenlaw, who suffered an Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII and missed most of last season, also was down due to multiple injuries this offseason. Payton pointed to (via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel) pitch counts for the two LBs early in the season. The Broncos re-signed Justin Strnad, Singleton’s primary sub after the starter’s Week 3 ACL tear, and kept rookie UDFA Karene Reid as backups. Those two may see more time earlier, as Greenlaw and Singleton round into form.
  • Tight end Nate Adkins remains on the Broncos’ 53-man roster, rather than being stashed as an IR-return player, after undergoing tightrope surgery to address a high ankle sprain. Adam Prentice is the current Denver fullback, but when Atkins returns, Tomasson adds the team is considering sliding him to a fullback role. Adkins is one of four Broncos TEs, joining Engram, Adam Trautman and Lucas Krull.
  • Four RBs (J.K. Dobbins, R.J. Harvey, Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie) are on the active roster, and Tomasson indicates the team could circle back to Blake Watson. The Broncos reached an injury settlement with the second-year UDFA after he suffered a preseason PCL strain. They want him back on the P-squad, per Tomasson, who notes it is a three-week injury settlement. No deal can commence until that time passes.

Broncos’ Dre Greenlaw Sustains Quad Injury

April 27th, 2025 at 7:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:26pm: Denver was aware of the injury before the draft, per 9News’ Mike Klis. The team’s decision not to select another linebacker, despite Greenlaw now coming off two injuries and Singleton amid ACL rehab, reflects confidence Greenlaw will be ready to go. He is expected to be ready for training camp, Klis adds.

6:37pm: The Broncos may have dodged a bullet here. It is believed Greenlaw suffered a quad strain, according to KOA’s Benjamin Allbright, who adds the free agency addition is not expected to need surgery. This would place him on track to be ready for Denver’s opener.

6:09pm: After further strengthening their defense with first-round pick Jahdae Barron, the Broncos have the makings of a formidable unit. But one of their high-end free agency pieces might not be ready for the start of the season.

Coming to Denver after missing almost all of last season, Dre Greenlaw is believed to have suffered another injury. The former 49ers standout sustained a quadriceps tear while working out, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan reports. This stands to sideline Greenlaw for months, potentially making him unavailable to begin the season with his new team.

The fallout from the linebacker’s latest setback stands to hinge on surgery. If a procedure is required, Greenlaw could miss several months. If he is able to recover without surgery, that would put him on track for Denver’s season opener. This certainly represents a blow for Greenlaw, whose Super Bowl Achilles tear carried seismic ramifications for the 49ers that night and then kept the longtime Fred Warner sidekick off the field for three-plus months in 2024.

After seeing a groin injury lead to Greenlaw miss most of the 2021 season, the 49ers extended the talented defender in 2022. Greenlaw outplayed his $8MM-per-year contract in 2022 and ’23 but went down at a historically inopportune time, tumbling to the turf while trotting onto the field for a defensive possession. The Chiefs picked on Greenlaw’s primary replacement (Oren Burks), and the 49ers went through multiple plans (Eric Kendricks and De’Vondre Campbell) in 2024. Campbell’s refusal to enter a nationally televised Rams matchup came when Greenlaw returned, but that represented his only action of the season. Achilles soreness led to the 49ers shutting him down. Still, a nice market formed for the high-end linebacker.

The 49ers attempted to re-sign the linebacker, upping their offer at the 11th hour. They made that move, with John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan trekking to Greenlaw’s home in Texas, after he had committed to join the Broncos. Denver gave him a three-year, $31.5MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. Despite the 49ers surpassing the Broncos’ offer, the 27-year-old defender tuck with his initial pledge despite the late 49ers push. However, his injury past allowed the Broncos to sign him while only providing an $11.5MM at-signing guarantee. This injury could potentially play a significant role in Greenlaw’s post-2025 future in Denver.

It is not known when Greenlaw suffered the quad injury, but it can be assumed the Broncos did not know about it when they went through their draft. The team did not select an off-ball linebacker, leaving that group exposed. Their other projected three-down LB, Alex Singleton, is coming off an ACL tear. Singleton, 31, went down in Week 3 of the 2024 season. The Broncos let their top 2024 LB, Cody Barton, defect to the Titans while they pursued Greenlaw. While Singleton replacement Justin Strnad re-signed on a low-cost deal, a high-end Broncos defense appears vulnerable at linebacker. Denver did relocate Drew Sanders from edge rusher back to ILB; Sanders could be a key player to watch in the wake of Greenlaw’s setback.

A serious question about where Greenlaw went down also looms. He could be subject to the NFI list if the injury occurred while working out away from the team facility. The Broncos released RT Ja’Wuan James after he sustained an Achilles tear while working out away from the team in 2021. Greenlaw would not become a release candidate this year, but he would stand to land on the PUP list — if this injury proved serious enough for such a stash — if the injury occurred at the Denver facility. None of Greenlaw’s 2026 and ’27 salaries are guaranteed at signing; the seventh-year LB would collect a $2MM roster bonus if on the Broncos’ roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year.

NFC West Notes: Greenlaw, Seahawks, Rams

April 5th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Not only did the Broncos manage to withstand an 11th-hour 49ers push for Dre Greenlaw, the AFC West team appears to have won out for the talented linebacker despite submitting a lesser offer. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch trekked to Greenlaw’s Texas home to convince the longtime Fred Warner wingman to stay, and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch notes this mid-March meeting involved the team topping the Broncos’ offer. It is not known if San Francisco beat Denver’s overall number ($31.5MM) or guarantee at signing ($11.5MM), but Branch points to Greenlaw’s injury history keeping the 49ers from a substantial effort to retain the six-year veteran, who was on the team’s radar for a third contract. Greenlaw, 27, missed most of the 2021 season with a groin injury and played only a handful of snaps after suffering an Achilles tear in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Broncos will bet on Greenlaw and ex-49ers teammate Talanoa Hufanga returning to full strength, while the 49ers have Dee Winters — a 2023 sixth-round pick who started 10 games last season — in place as the top internal option to complement Warner. The draft could change this equation, but the 49ers have stood down on the veteran front after their regrettable De’Vondre Campbell stopgap investment in 2024.

Here is the latest from the NFC West:

  • Not on the level of Greenlaw’s departure, Laken Tomlinson‘s Texans defection still leaves the Seahawks with a guard need once again. The team hosted Teven Jenkins, Lucas Patrick, and John Schneider also said (via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson) a meeting with Jaguars RFA Cole Van Lanen occurred. No offer sheet emerged for Van Lanen, who has three career starts. The Jags gave Van Lanen the low-end RFA tender ($3.26MM). Seattle still has RG starter Anthony Bradford contracted, but Schneider said no veteran addition would be likely until after the draft. That is when Tomlinson arrived last year, but the draft will be a place to look here for the Seahawks.
  • Cooper Kupp‘s three-year, $45MM Seahawks deal features an important 2026 date. The team guaranteed the former All-Pro receiver $17.5MM at signing, but $26.5MM in total. Kupp will see the remaining $9MM shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer notes. Seattle could escape the Kupp contract, should the homecoming not prove a fit, for $8MM in 2026 dead money (due to signing bonus proration).
  • Additionally, the Rams did not designate Kupp a post-June 1 cut, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds. This created a $22.26MM dead money bill for the team. It had been assumed the Rams would attempt to halve that by using the post-June 1 option, which would have spread part of the bill into the 2026 offseason. Although this is a lofty single-player dead cap hit, the Rams will be free of the Kupp contract after this year.
  • The Seahawks will deviate from their usual approach by adding a fullback, it appears. Importing Klint Kubiak‘s offense will mean a likely fullback inclusion, as Schneider said (via The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar) the team is looking to add one via the draft or free agency. While the likes of Mack Strong and John L. Williams once thrived in Seattle, the team has not used a fullback regularly in many years. Kubiak’s offense, derived from his father’s attack, does make use of the niche position, however.
  • Returning to the topic of Seahawks contracts, they made a much cheaper receiver investment by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The brief Kubiak Saints option agreed to a one-year deal worth $4MM in base value ($3MM guaranteed), per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. While this is far less than MVS played for in Kansas City, it beats his Buffalo and New Orleans pacts.
  • The Cardinals‘ second Zay Jones contract also checked in south of the initially reported value. Pegged at $4.4MM, Jones’ deal is worth $2.4MM in base value, Balzer notes. Arizona guaranteed the veteran only $1.3MM. Jones, who turned 30 last week, caught just eight passes for 84 yards with the Cards last season.

Brock Purdy Extension Aim Influenced 49ers’ Free Agency Approach; Team Upped Dre Greenlaw Offer

April 2nd, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Sam Robinson

Many of the players that helped the 49ers push the Chiefs near double overtime in Super Bowl LVIII exited San Francisco this offseason. After the team traded Deebo Samuel, it let a host of talent walk.

The Broncos poached Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga, while Aaron Banks‘ Packers deal eclipsed both the Denver pacts in base value. The 49ers traded Jordan Mason after slapping a second-round RFA tender on the backup running back and stood down as the Chiefs gave Jaylon Moore a $15MM-per-year deal to jump from the backup level to, in all likelihood, a starting job. The team also cut Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd while letting 2023 All-Pro Charvarius Ward join the Colts on a big-ticket deal.

While cornerstone players remain, Brock Purdy‘s fourth season at the controls will involve some new personnel. And it should be expected to come with a roster-reshaping contract. The 49ers expecting to go from paying Purdy a seventh-round salary to a top-market contract influenced their free agency approach.

“I get it. Fans care. You want to win. And when you’re in a world where everybody is watching the NFL the first week of free agency or at least the first few days of free agency, it’s a frenzy,” owner Jed York said, via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “… When you’re not overly active in that space, it gets easy to say, ‘Oh, you don’t want to win.’ … I don’t know that, as we looked at the board, that there was somebody that we felt made that type of an impact more so than making the decision to try to go pay Brock.”

The 49ers used Purdy’s rookie deal to splurge on Hargrave in 2023, doing so after carving out cap room for Ward’s free agency deal in 2022 — a deal agreed to when the expectation remained Trey Lance would eventually succeed Jimmy Garoppolo. With Purdy on track to command more than $50MM per year, sacrifices will need to be made. Identifying more rookie-deal starters will become paramount as the draft approaches.

As for Purdy’s next contract, Wagoner floats a deal between $53MM and the $55MM number authorized for Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love last year as a potential sweet spot. That said, Purdy has accomplished more than both. Convincing the former Mr. Irrelevant to settle south of the Jaguars and Packers starters after the cap spiked by another $24MM — and after Dak Prescott reset the QB market at $60MM per year — may be difficult. The 49ers are confident they will sign Purdy, rather than allow him to play out his rookie contract, and negotiations have begun.

While the team is believed to be shying away from Prescott territory, a number north of $50MM per year — as should be expected — is firmly in play. The team has needed to go into training camp (or near Week 1) to extend George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa and Brandon Aiyuk in recent years. The 49ers appear to be aiming to avoid that timeline with Purdy, but nothing is imminent. Plans for a monster re-up are obviously in place, as the 49ers have not wavered from a stance in which the Iowa State alum remains in place for many years. That aim has already reshuffled the roster.

Kyle Shanahan confirmed (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the 49ers attempted to retain Greenlaw before the legal tampering period, but the team saw him sign a three-year, $31.5MM Broncos accord. Denver has an out after Year 1, in guaranteeing only $11.5MM at signing, protecting itself after Greenlaw’s recent injury trouble.

San Francisco also kept its Greenlaw effort going after his Denver commitment, and the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel reports Lynch and Shanahan flew to Greenlaw’s home in Texas to continue recruitment. The 49ers upped their offer before seeing Greenlaw keep his pledge to join the Broncos. The 49ers power brokers flew out after Greenlaw had agree to Broncos terms, Gabriel adds, representing a more serious attempt to flip a commitment during the legal tampering period.

In addition to Greenlaw’s injury playing a central role in the 49ers’ Super Bowl LVIII loss, it may well have led him to the market. 49ers interest in retaining Greenlaw was known late last season, and the sides discussed terms in February. Had the longtime Fred Warner sidekick not suffered an Achilles tear, the team presumably would have made a stronger effort to retain him before he became free agency-eligible March 10. Sean Payton viewed (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) Greenlaw’s Achilles setback as a key reason he was available.

It is not like the 49ers stood down entirely in free agency. The team gave backup tight end Luke Farrell a three-year, $15.75MM deal and added safeties Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant. Returning Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha, the 49ers added the safety depth pieces at low rates. Pinnock could be more than depth, after starting 32 Giants games from 2023-24, but he signed with the 49ers for just $2.2MM over one year. The contract is fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. An ex-Falcons starter, Grant signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal, Wilson adds. Only $345K is guaranteed.

49ers Tried To Bring Back LB Dre Greenlaw After Broncos Commitment; Latest On De’Vondre Campbell, Kyle Juszczyk

March 23rd, 2025 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Parks

The 49ers have seen a host of high-profile talent depart in free agency and, outside of blocking tight end Luke Farrell, have not authorized an FA contract with an average annual value above $4MM. However, as Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required) confirms, the club did try to re-sign linebacker Dre Greenlaw even after he had agreed to join the Broncos.

We heard back in February that San Francisco and Greenlaw were discussing a new contract, though GM John Lynch suggested even then that the 27-year-old defender could look to test the free agent market. According to Barrows, that market may have been slow to heat up but eventually became a “dogfight” that included the incumbent Niners. Barrows does not provide details on Lynch’s final pitch to Greenlaw, who ultimately signed a three-year, $31.5MM deal with Denver.

The contract is relatively light on full guarantees, which allows the Broncos to escape the pact fairly painlessly in 2026. It also underscores the fact that Greenlaw has a notable injury history; he played in only two regular season games in 2024 thanks to the Achilles tear he suffered in Super Bowl LVIII at the end of the 2023 campaign, and he also missed 14 games in 2021 due to a groin injury.

When healthy, though, Greenlaw teamed with Fred Warner to form one of the league’s best LB duos, and Greenlaw also has developed a reputation for being strong in coverage. His track record of high-level production, combined with a weak collegiate class of linebackers, helped him generate significant competition for his services.

After losing out on that competition, the 49ers – who presently have a number of recent Day 3 draftees like Dee Winters penciled in as Warner’s running mate – could look to the free agent market to bolster the position. Some of the more notable names still available include C.J. Mosley, who made plain he intends to continue his playing career, and E.J. Speed, who tallied 142 tackles for the Colts last season.

In terms of starting experience, De’Vondre Campbell also stands out as one of the more accomplished LBs on the market, but obviously his relationship with San Francisco is beyond repair. After signing with the 49ers as a Greenlaw insurance policy last March, Campbell started 12 of the team’s first 13 games of the 2024 season. Greenlaw returned in Week 15, thereby relegating Campbell to a reserve role. Then, when Greenlaw and Winters sustained injuries during that Week 15 contest, Campbell was asked to go into the game. He refused, thus leading to a suspension and the forfeiture of just over $260K in salary and roster bonuses (h/t Spotrac).

Last month, Campbell published on X a series of NSFW posts referencing the situation, though he did not go into detail as to why he refused to enter the Week 15 game. 

“It’s been 2 months and I have yet to address the situation cause I know the truth and don’t care to clear anything up. … I ain’t addressing s***. I’m rich and never have to work another day of my life and I told Kyle Shannahan [sic] and John Lynch that when they FaceTime me and begged me to come out there an hour after Green Bay cut me.”

Campbell, 31, has amassed just under $40MM in career earnings. His posts suggest he is content with not continuing his playing career, and given the way his San Francisco tenure ended, teams may be reluctant to bring him aboard anyway, even for a modest salary.

While the 49ers were unable to entice Greenlaw back to the team after he tested the open market, Lynch & Co. were successful in re-signing fullback Kyle Juszczyk less than a week after releasing him. The Steelers hosted Juszczyk on a visit, and the nine-time Pro Bowler indicated in a recent interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio that other clubs were interested as well (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). His brief time as a 2025 free agent solidified his desire to remain in the Bay Area, and he returned to the Niners on a two-year pact featuring an AAV just less than what he was due to make prior to his release (but which presumably helped carve out some 2025 cap space).

“They put it in my court, whether I wanted to be released or continue to negotiate a pay cut,” Juszczyk said, while adding he was told by the 49ers that their financial constraints are real. “I think it’s good to see what your market is, so they gave me the opportunity to do that. Me and my agent, we went to work and we had some interested teams, we explored those possibilities. … I wanted to be a Niner and we were able to get to a number I was comfortable with and we made a deal and I couldn’t be happier.”

As Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle observes, the club’s decision to sign Farrell to a notable contract made more sense upon Juszczyk’s release, as it suggested the tight end would take on a portion of the FB’s blocking responsibilities. With Juszczyk back in the mix, Farrell is still likely to see significant playing time, but his presence will allow George Kittle to spend more time running routes and less time showing off his admittedly formidable blocking skills.

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.

Broncos, LB Dre Greenlaw Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 6:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos are investing heavily in recent 49ers defensive standouts. Dre Greenlaw will be joining Talanoa Hufanga in Denver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

This agreement ends a six-season Greenlaw stay in San Francisco. Like Hufanga, Greenlaw saw the back end of his Bay Area stay marred by injuries. The Broncos will take a chance on another standout starter (when healthy) and one whose setback played a central role in a Super Bowl outcome.

Greenlaw will join the Broncos on a three-year, $35MM accord, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Despite a seminal Achilles tear in Super Bowl LVIII and barely playing last season, Greenlaw will score a much better deal than he did when he signed a 49ers extension (two years, $16.4MM). In need at linebacker, the Broncos will bet on the form Greenlaw showed alongside Fred Warner.

A strong coverage player before suffering the Achilles injury — one sustained while trotting onto the field during the first half against the Chiefs — Greenlaw combined to make 147 tackles from 2022-23. He and Warner became a top-tier linebacking duo, but injuries have been an issue for Greenlaw beyond that Super Bowl. The former fifth-round find missed 14 games in 2021 due to a groin injury. Last season, Greenlaw did not debut until December; he logged just 30 snaps upon being activated.

While an argument exists Greenlaw’s injury cost the 49ers a championship, a player Pro Football Focus tabbed a top-25 linebacker (ninth in 2022) will attempt to help a Broncos team that lost Cody Barton (to the Titans) earlier today. Denver lost Alex Singleton to an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season, using Barton and special-teamer Justin Strnad as its primary LBs. Strnad is also a free agent, while Singleton is going into an age-31 season coming off a major injury. The Broncos probably are not done at ILB, but Greenlaw profiles as their new centerpiece there.

The Titans, Texans and Cowboys showed preliminary Greenlaw interest, per The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, but the Broncos will come out of Day 1 with two ex-49ers bastions.

49ers, Dre Greenlaw Discussing New Deal

February 26th, 2025 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Dre Greenlaw has spent his entire career in San Francisco, and it sounds like there’s some mutual interest in extending the partnership. While speaking with reporters today, 49ers GM John Lynch said the two sides are engaged in ongoing discussions, and there’s optimism that they agree to a new pact before free agency.

[RELATED: 49ers Want To Re-Sign LB Dre Greenlaw]

At the same time, Lynch acknowledged that Greenlaw may look to test free agency before definitively returning to the only team he’s ever played for.

“Dre should go out and see what’s out there,” Lynch said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic). “And then we’ll know where we have to be. We know how highly we think of Dre. We’d love to have him back. Hopefully, we’ll come to an agreement. We’ve been having talks. So hopefully we can prevent him from testing free agency.”

Greenlaw suffered an Achilles tear during Super Bowl LVIII, but he worked his way back to make his 2024 debut this past December. The linebacker exited his first game after logging 30 snaps, and he got into only four defensive plays the following week. With the 49ers subsequently out of the playoff picture, both sides decided to shut the veteran down for the rest of the 2024 campaign.

A former fifth-round pick, Greenlaw has been a productive member of the 49ers throughout his career. However, the defender’s stint has partly been defined by injuries; in addition to the aforementioned Achilles injury, Greenlaw was limited to three games in 2021 thanks to a groin injury. In his four mostly healthy seasons, the linebacker has collected 425 tackles, and he’s added another 72 stops in 12 playoff starts.

The 49ers struggled to replace Greenlaw’s production in 2024, as the team’s backup plan notably blew up when De’Vondre Campbell refused to enter a game. Even if the organization does re-sign the veteran, it wouldn’t be shocking if they add more depth at the weakside linebacker spot.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/31/24

December 31st, 2024 at 6:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The last minor NFL transactions of the 2024 calendar year:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

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