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49ers, Packers Showed Interest In CB Damon Arnette

June 28th, 2025 at 3:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Damon Arnette returned to pro football this year with a season in the UFL, and his performance led to NFL interest. The former first-rounder wound up landing a contract with the Texans allowing him to compete for a roster spot during training camp.

Arnette’s last action in the NFL came in 2021, his second year in the league. The 28-year-old was involved in a number of legal issues after his Raiders tenure came to an end, and stints with the Chiefs and Dolphins did not result in any playing time. A strong showing with the Houston Roughnecks put Arnette back on the NFL radar, however, leading to a Texans agreement being reached. They were not the only team to show interest in this case.

“It was a couple of teams that were reaching out on him,” UFL executive vice president Daryl Johnston told KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “He’s got everything you want… He’s a former first round draft pick, so the talent is there. It’s really the maturity.

“So, it was great to see the Houston Texans call, [head coach] DeMeco Ryans, because [general manager] John Lynch in San Francisco was another one that called about him. So you can see that he really fits that style of defense that DeMeco wants to install with the Texans coming from the San Francisco 49ers because those were probably the two busiest teams that were reaching out on Damon’s behalf.”

The 49ers have undergone a number of changes at the cornerback spot this offseason. Charvarius Ward, Isaac Yiadom, Rock Ya-Sin and Nick McCloud have all departed in 2025. As a result, it comes as little surprise San Francisco checked in on a low-cost Arnette addition. The Ohio State product will look to carve out a depth role with Houston in the wake of Ronald Darby‘s recent retirement.

Wilson reports the Packers were also an Arnette suitor. Green Bay’s CB depth chart will of course no longer feature Jaire Alexander after efforts to work out a restructure were unsuccessful. The two-time Pro Bowler was released, ending his injury-plagued run with the Packers. Arnette would have represented a candidate for a backup gig, but the team will move forward with its in-house corners (a group including big-ticket free agent addition Nate Hobbs).

To no surprise, Arnette’s one-year Texans pact is worth the veteran minimum. If he manages to make the roster and enjoy a productive return to the NFL, though, he could once again find himself on the radar of multiple teams as a free agent next spring.

Contract Details: Metcalf, Chubb, Joseph

June 28th, 2025 at 12:56pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

D.K. Metcalf‘s four-year, $132MM extension with the Steelers is “really a two-year commitment,” according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.

The 27-year-old’s deal only includes $60MM in guaranteed money, made up of a $30MM signing bonus and $30MM in guaranteed salary over the next two years, per OverTheCap. After 2026, he has no guaranteed money with his financial security instead tied to roster bonuses – $6.5MM in 2027 and $5M in 2028 and 2029 – all due on the third day of the league year. That will force the Steelers to make a decision on Metcalf’s future early in the offseason for the last three years of his deal.

The earliest potential split will be the 2027 offseason. The Steelers can release Metcalf before his roster bonus is due with just $18MM of his signing bonus prorations as dead money. As a result, Metcalf will have to produce in Pittsburgh, and he seems to know it. The star wide receiver added a smiley face to his signature on the page of his contract including the 2027 roster bonus language (and only that page), per Graziano.

Here are a few other contract updates from around the league.

  • Nick Chubb‘s deal with the Texans includes $1.5MM in guarantees, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with a $575k signing bonus and $925k in guaranteed salary. The veteran running back can earn another $425k in per-game roster bonuses over the course of the season with $25k available for each appearance.
  • Lions safety Kerby Joseph received fully guaranteed money into the third year of his recent contract extension. $1.26MM of his 2027 salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Graziano. The contract also includes more guaranteed money that vests early in the 2026 and 2027 league years, according to OverTheCap.
  • The Seahawks once again made Michael Dickson the highest-paid punter in the NFL with a base value of $16.2MM over four years, or $4.05MM per year. The deal also includes $10.2MM in guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson, with a maximum value of $16.7MM.

Multiple Starting Jobs Up For Grabs On Texans OL

June 27th, 2025 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

With Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green all missing from the roster in 2025, the Texans had an interesting challenge in filling out their offensive line this offseason. There are lots of new faces, only one returning full-time starter, and according to Mike Jones of The Athletic, almost every starting job appears to be up for grabs.

The lone returning full-time starter is Tytus Howard. While he’s likely certain to be destined for a starting job, Houston has been working Howard at both right guard and right tackle in the offseason. This isn’t new to Howard, though. Since getting drafted in the first round in 2019, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle for the Texans.

Right guard would be a new position, but Howard has swapped sides and positions for the team frequently in the past. He likely won’t be going back to left guard, though, since free agent addition Laken Tomlinson seemingly has that job locked down.

When Howard’s working at right guard, rookie second-round tackle Aireontae Ersery and last year’s second-round tackle, Blake Fisher, have been splitting snaps at the position. Ersery has also been splitting snaps with veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson on the blind side.

Robinson has spent his entire NFL career as a left tackle, and it’s hard to imagine the team is paying him $12MM this year to sit on the bench. More likely, Robinson is expected to start at left tackle while Ersery is competing for the right tackle job and cross training at left tackle to either prepare for a role as a swing tackle or prepare to start there in case Robinson gets injured. Last year was only the second time in Robinson’s eight-year career that he played in every game of a single season.

The majority of Ersery’s experience at Minnesota was at left tackle; he started one game at right tackle in his COVID-shortened freshman year. Fisher was almost the opposite. His first ever start for the Fighting Irish came a left tackle before starting at right tackle for the rest of his collegiate career. This could give Fisher the edge over Ersery in that position battle, but so far, there doesn’t appear to be a clear leader.

Much like the last two seasons in Houston, the center position seems extremely undecided. In 2023, Michael Deiter and Jarrett Patterson split time at the position, while in 2024, it was Patterson and Juice Scruggs splitting time. Patterson and Scruggs are back to compete for the job in 2025, but the Texans claimed former Patriots center Jake Andrews off of waivers back in April, and he has tossed his hat into the ring, as well.

The good news is that whoever wins the starting job, the Texans should have plenty of depth. The loser of the tackle competitions will be a capable backup, the losers of the center battle will be available to fill in as backups on the interior, and if Howard shifts in across from Tomlinson at guard, trade acquisition Ed Ingram will be a backup with 41 starts under his belt. The bad news is that, if nobody is convincingly winning a starting job, the winner might not pan out as a starter.

In summation, Robinson and Tomlinson likely have the left side locked down. Ersery or Fisher could win the right tackle spot, pushing Howard inside to right guard, but if neither player proves capable of starting, Howard could bookend the line with Robinson with Ersery and Fisher as backups. If Howard isn’t starting at guard, Ingram and the losers of the center battle can compete at right guard, and of course, the winner of the center battle — whomever that may be — with be the center.

Another year, another new-look offensive line in Houston. After allowing the third-most sacks in the NFL last season, it makes sense that they’d want it to look significantly different, but now they have the rest of the summer to determine just what the line will look like in 2025.

AFC Staff Updates: Chargers, Texans, Jaguars, Colts, Ravens, Patriots

June 20th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers announced two promotions and two new hires earlier this month in their front office. In the scouting department, Mike Jasinski was promoted to national scout, Jaylen Bannerman-Oden was promoted to area scout, and Kevin Weidl was hired as a national scout. In analytics, Maya Harvey was hired as a football systems developer.

Jasinski has been with the Chargers since 2018, when he joined the team as a combine area scout after recruiting roles at Purdue and Northwestern. In two years, Los Angeles promoted him to an area scouting role, in which he covered the northeast area for two years and the plains area for the past three. The son of Titans pass game coordinator & cornerbacks coach Tony Oden, Bannerman-Oden entered the NFL as a video intern and external scouting game charter for the Browns in 2020. He joined the Chargers the next year as a pro scouting/operations intern and worked two years after that as a scouting assistant before getting promoted to college & pro scout last year.

Weidl reunites with second-year general manager Joe Hortiz, coming from Hortiz’s old team in Baltimore. Weidl ended an eight-year stretch with the Ravens, in which time he served as a southeast/southwest area scout for four years and a southeast/midwest area scout for the other four. Before arriving in Baltimore, Weidl spent 10 years with ESPN Scouts Inc.

Harvey earns her new job after working as a fellow for the Chargers during the final year of her computer science degree program (with a concentration on human computer interaction) at Stanford last year. In addition to her computer science background, Harvey was an athlete for the Cardinal, lettering all four years in beach volleyball.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC:

  • The Texans were the other team to make multiple additions in the month of June. In the front office, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mack Marrone has joined the staff as a scouting and administration assistant. The son of Patriots offensive line coach Doug Marrone, Marrone debuts in the NFL after finishing a collegiate playing career as a linebacker at Colgate. The second addition in Houston was Will Stokes who joins the analytics department as a football data analyst, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Stokes worked last summer as a football data analyst with the Commanders.
  • Jon Dykema can’t seem to keep away from the NFL. Four months after leaving the Lions to serve as Michigan State’s executive senior associate athletic director and assistant general counsel, Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that Dykema is expected to be hired by the Jaguars. His role in Jacksonville is not year known, but his 14 years in Detroit were spent as the team’s director of football compliance.
  • Per Stratton, the Colts have promoted Greg Liverpool III to midlands area scout. He began in football working recruiting internships throughout his education at Coastal Carolina and served internships for the Colts doing operations during training camps in 2021 and 2022 and for the NFL Scouting Combine in 2022. In 2023, he joined Indianapolis in a full-time role, serving as a scouting assistant until this promotion.
  • The Ravens have hired Ramon Ruiz away from Rutgers, according to Zenitz. Most recently serving as the Scarlet Knights director of recruiting, Ruiz has reportedly been a key contributor to head coach Greg Schiano‘s turnaround of the Rutgers football program, helping the team to winning records in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 12 years. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds that Ruiz’s title with the team will be player personnel assistant.
  • Lastly, ESPN’s Seth Walder tells us that the Patriots have hired Max Mulitz as personnel analytics coordinator. Mulitz came to the NFL as a full-time intern in the Eagles’ data research department in 2015. Three years later, the Dolphins hired him as a football analyst and promoted him to manager of coaching analytics after just a year. He held the position for four seasons before parting ways with Miami in March. Mulitz joins Ekene Olekanma as the second analytics hire for New England this month.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/20/25

June 20th, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Addington’s placement on the waiver wire comes as a corresponding move to cornerback Damon Arnette‘s signing. Addington was presumed to be Houston’s starting long snapper after they allowed Jon Weeks to depart in free agency. That presumed role will now be assigned to Austin Brinkman. With Weeks and Addington gone, the undrafted rookie out of West Virginia is the only long snapper left on the roster.

Kansas City and New Orleans each announced corresponding moves to recently announced signings, as well.

Texans Sign CB Damon Arnette

June 20th, 2025 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

JUNE 20: The Arnette deal is now official, per a team announcement. To no surprise, Wilson notes this pact is worth the veteran minimum. It will be interesting to see if Arnette’s showing in training camp and the preseason earns him another NFL roster spot.

JUNE 18: Both the Raiders’ 2020 first-round picks flamed out of the NFL quickly, but Damon Arnette will receive another chance. After drawing NFL interest, the recent UFL cornerback is signing a one-year deal with the Texans, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.

This will allow Arnette to remain in Houston, as he played with the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks during the league’s second season. The Texans brought Arnette in for a visit earlier this month, and they saw enough from his UFL tape to sign off on what is a fourth NFL chance. Arnette has not played in the NFL since 2021.

Already struggling to justify his first-round value in Las Vegas, Arnette saw his NFL path change when he was shown brandishing a gun in a social media video during the 2021 season. The Raiders waived Arnette not long after cutting Henry Ruggs, whose involvement in a fatal drunk-driving accident led to a prison sentence. This came during a period in which the Raiders missed on a few first-rounders, with Clelin Ferrell, Johnathan Abram and Alex Leatherwood significant missteps during the Jon Gruden 2.0 period.

Multiple teams gave Arnette opportunities following his Vegas exit, as the Dolphins and Chiefs added him. But the Ohio State product did not make his way into any games following his Raiders tenure. Known for having a rather strong tolerance for off-field trouble, the Chiefs quickly cut bait on Arnette after a 2022 arrest for assault with a deadly weapon. He had been off the NFL radar since that January 2022 transaction. Arnette reached a plea bargain that led to community service as a result of that arrest, and Wilson adds another arrest — for possession of methamphetamine and the unlawful carrying of a firearm — occurred in January 2024, leading to uncertainty the UFL would provide him an opportunity.

Arnette started seven games as a rookie but did not lock down a starting job in Year 2; the Raiders used him in just four games during the latter season, as it became clear they needed to make other plans at corner. His rebound opportunity with the Roughnecks, however, will at least garner him another shot. This comes a year after the Cowboys signed former Raiders first-rounder Gareon Conley, though the ex-Buckeye did not make Dallas’ 53-man roster after his UFL stay.

Now 28, Arnette is coming off a UFL season in which he broke up five passes and notched a pick-six against the Birmingham Stallions. He joins a Texans team that recently saw Ronald Darby backtrack on a free agent signing and ultimately retire. The Texans have Kamari Lassiter and Jalen Pitre in place at corner alongside Derek Stingley Jr. Arnette joins Tremon Smith and Myles Bryant as notable backup options, as Houston did not draft a corner this year.

Court Date Set For Texans S Jimmie Ward

June 20th, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 20: Ward’s court date has now been revised to August 13, per Wilson. The court proceedings will take place well into training camp and midway through Houston’s preseason schedule as a result.

JUNE 19: Last week, Jimmie Ward was arrested and charged with assault family violence impeding breath/circulation. The Texans safety now has a court date scheduled.

Ward will have his initial court hearing on July 16, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. The 33-year-old’s charge is a third-degree felony stemming from an alleged incident which took place at his home in Magnolia, Texas. During a pre-trial hearing, Ward was informed a guilty verdict could lead to a sentence up to 10 years in length and a $100K fine.

“We believe that Jimmie will be vindicated,” a statement from Ward’s attorney, Steve Jackson, reads (via Wilson). “We just ask that the public reserve judgment so that we can show everyone that the Jimmie Ward they all know is the same person and did not do this.”

During a reading of the charges, the assistant district attorney noted how the alleged victim in the case – Ward’s fiancé – told police Ward “slapped her in the face, strangled her and threatened to kill her.” She filed for and received an emergency protective order in the wake of the incident. Ward was released from prison on a $30K bond and his movements will be monitored via GPS.

A longtime starter with the 49ers, Ward joined DeMeco Ryans and the Texans in 2023. He has operated as a team captain during each of his two years in Houston while handling a notable defensive workload. Thanks to an extension signed last offseason, the former first-rounder is under contract for 2025 and is owed $3.25MM this year. That could obviously change in the wake of legal developments taking place and/or an NFL suspension being handed down before the start of the season.

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

June 18th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Many months remain before teams know where they are picking in the 2026 draft, but many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the Browns and Rams’ efforts, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

AFC Workouts: Snead, Texans, Mims

June 15th, 2025 at 7:41pm CST by Ely Allen

Willie Snead hasn’t seen much success in the NFL since his departure from Baltimore following the 2020 season. The 32-year-old veteran receiver bounced around over the next two years, splitting his 2021 campaign between the Raiders and Panthers before spending two seasons in San Francisco. After an injury placed him on the Dolphins’ injured reserve in last year’s preseason, resulting in him getting cut and sitting out the entire season, Snead is attempting a comeback with a recent tryout with the Chargers.

Los Angeles attempted to improve their receiving corps this offseason through the draft with additions like Ole Miss’ Tre Harris in the second round and Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the fifth. Their top returning wideouts from last year include Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis, and an aging Mike Williams has returned after a year away. The team hosted Snead for a veteran tryout earlier this week, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

Adding Snead would provide some veteran depth to the group. Though he had some resurgent seasons catching balls from Lamar Jackson in Baltimore, he was never able to reach the heights of his surprising first two campaigns in New Orleans. Since leaving the Ravens, his production has been minimal, so it will likely take a stellar tryout to convince the next team to sign him.

Here are a few more workout updates from around the AFC:

  • The Texans continue to work out cornerbacks as the offseason carries on. After the team hosted former Raiders first-round pick Damon Arnette on Monday, Houston welcomed Duke Shelley and Keenan Isaac in the days after, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Shelley, a six-year veteran, has 11 starts in his career over time with the Bears and Vikings. The last two years, though, have seen him relegated to specials teams with the Rams and the practice squad of the Giants. Isaac, a former undrafted signee for Tampa Bay in 2023, spent this past United Football League season with Arnette on the Houston Roughnecks.
  • Lastly, the Browns worked out former Saints running back Jordan Mims, per Wilson. With a deep, young group of rushers already on the roster, Mims potential signing would add some camp depth with the possibility of him contributing on special teams as a returner.

Texans S Jimmie Ward Arrested On Family Violence Charge

June 12th, 2025 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:45pm: Providing further details on the matter, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes the alleged victim in this case is Ward’s fiancé. She informed police she had been “assaulted, strangled, and threatened” by Ward. The latter’s official charge is assault family violence impeding breath/circulation, which is a third-degree felony in Texas.

Ward’s fiancé has filed an emergency protective order in the wake of the incident. Meanwhile, Wilson adds Ward has since been released on $30K bail.

9:41am: Texans safety Jimmie Ward was arrested early Thursday morning following an incident at his home in Magnolia, Texas, as detailed by the Houston Chronicle’s Catherine Dominguez and Jonathan Alexander.

Ward is facing a felony assault family violence charge after being arrested around 5:30am. Per records from the Montgomery County Jail, the 33-year-old stands accused of strangulation stemming from the incident in question. Ward is currently being held without bond.

“We are aware of the report involving Jimmie Ward,” a team statement reads. “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”

Ward spent the first nine years of his career in San Francisco, spending plenty of time working with DeMeco Ryans along the way. Player and coach have continued their relationship over the past two years with Ryans at the helm of the Texans. Ward has been limited to 10 games in each of the 2023 and ’24 campaigns, but he has operated as a starter when healthy, logging a notable defensive snap share and totaling three interceptions during that time.

The Northern Illinois product originally joined the Texans on a two-year deal, but he received an extension last offseason. Ward is thus under contract for 2025 and is owed $3.25MM for the campaign. A foot injury ended his 2024 season in December, and while he has continued to recover Ward has been sidelined from spring practices. As he continues to work toward full health, his Texans future could now depend on this legal situation.

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