Houston Texans Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Texans’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Was Informed By Eagles Of Decision To Move On

By Adam La Rose | at July 17, 2025 9:48 am

C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s return to the Eagles lasted only one season. After helping Philadelphia win the Super Bowl in 2024, the veteran safety was traded to the Texans in a deal which included guard Kenyon Green changing teams and Day 3 picks being swapped.

The move came as a surprise to Gardner-Johnson, who has two years remaining on his contract. Finances were cited by the Eagles as the reason for the trade, with the team extending a number of key members from the 2024 squad on more lucrative pacts while preparing future big-money moves. Gardner-Johnson took issue with that assessment last month, offering a partial explanation for the move from his perspective. The 27-year-old spoke in greater detail during an appearance on The Pivot podcast (video link).

“Scared of a competitor,” Gardner-Johnson said of the Eagles when reflecting on his second stint with the team (one which ended when, as he recalled, general manager Howie Roseman told him he would be released or traded at the outset of free agency). “Simple as that… You can’t program a dawg.”

The former fourth-rounder led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022, his first Philadelphia campaign. Gardner-Johnson departed in free agency on a one-year Lions deal, but he returned to the Eagles last spring. Despite being limited to three contests with Detroit due to injury, the Florida product landed a $27MM commitment from Philadelphia and delivered on the expectations that contract entailed. Gardner-Johnson again notched six picks during the regular season and remained a full-time starter through the team’s championship run. The differences in the way his actions amongst teammates were handled by coaches and management staff proved to be an issue, however.

“You want me to be a leader and outspoken but then you want me to sit back,” Gardner-Johnson added. “There’s nowhere been a locker room where I had a single issue with a teammate.”

In Houston, a fresh start will provide Gardner-Johnson with the opportunity to play on a contending team, something he requested upon finding out from Roseman he would be dealt. The Texans have been busy this offseason in an attempt to join the AFC’s elite. Strong play from Gardner-Johnson and the team’s secondary will be key in that effort, and it will be interesting to see if he can play his way into a long-term stay in Houston.

8 comments Houston Texans Philadelphia Eagles C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Offseason In Review: Houston Texans

By Sam Robinson | at July 14, 2025 10:07 pm

Although the Texans showed their 2023 rebound was far from a fluke, DeMeco Ryans‘ second season saw the team plateau. C.J. Stroud did not take the second-year step many anticipated, and Houston finished with an even point differential despite playing in one of the NFL’s worst divisions. After a second straight 10-7 season, the Texans made widespread offensive changes while fortifying Ryans’ defense for the long term.

As Houston attempts to infiltrate the AFC’s upper crust and reach the first conference championship game in franchise history, some points of emphasis emerged between free agency and the draft.

Trades:

Sent LT Laremy Tunsil, 2025 fourth-round pick to Commanders for 2025 third-, seventh-rounders, 2026 second, fourth
Acquired S C.J. Gardner-Johnson from Eagles for G Kenyon Green, 2026 fifth-round pick
Dealt 2026 seventh-round pick to Jaguars for WR Christian Kirk
Landed G Ed Ingram from Vikings in exchange for 2026 sixth-round pick

The Texans made the interesting decision to both label their offensive line a problem, the correct determination, while also trading away the best piece from it. Tunsil is out after six Texans seasons, having commanded two monster contracts since the 2019 blockbuster trade brought him in from Miami.

ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted Tunsil just outside the top 10 in 2023 and ’24, and the nine-year veteran had stayed mostly healthy since his injury-plagued 2021. Tunsil represented a key component in the Texans’ Stroud developmental effort, and they will pivot from a five-time Pro bowler (all five nods coming in Houston) to an eight-year vet (Cam Robinson) without any honors on his resume. Though, the Texans addressed this position early in the draft as well.

Tunsil is also weeks from his 31st birthday and would have been a candidate for an even higher-priced extension, as two seasons remain on his three-year, $75MM accord. Even though the Texans are light in terms of salary along their O-line — beyond Tytus Howard‘s three-year, $54MM deal — Tunsil said the team was prioritizing younger players over his fourth contract. That could have become a disruption along an O-line that had become a problem in 2024.

That said, this is a gamble due to the potential downgrade Tunsil to Robinson could bring. Still, the Texans fetched a nice haul for a player acquired before Nick Caserio‘s GM tenure began.

One of Caserio’s failed O-line projects is now in Philadelphia, being dealt for a proven safety. As Green did not pan out, the Texans will bet against the Eagles resurrecting his career a la their Mekhi Becton effort. Green struggled during his two seasons on the field while missing all of 2023 due to an offseason injury. A midseason IR trip ended Green’s starter run last season, as the Texas A&M product returned as a seldom-used backup by year’s end. One year remains on Green’s rookie deal; the Eagles declined his fifth-year option.

Gardner-Johnson is an interesting bet, especially in giving up an underperforming guard. Two years also remain on the two-time Super Bowl starter/renowned trash talker’s three-year, $27MM contract. No guaranteed money remains on Gardner-Johnson’s deal post-2025, giving the Texans flexibility if this fit does not work out. The Eagles have now ended both CJGJ’s stints at one season, letting him walk (to the Lions) in 2023 and trading him for a Becton replacement option after the second season.

Philly did see Gardner-Johnson prove an important piece. He tied for the NFL INT lead, with six, in 2022 despite missing five games. Although the Eagles had changed their defensive scheme yet again by the time Gardner-Johnson re-signed, he matched that six-INT season for a No. 1-ranked defense in 2024. Pro Football Focus graded Gardner-Johnson 14th among safety regulars last season, ranking him sixth in terms of coverage.

The former Saints draftee is also still just 27, creating upside in Ryans’ defense. Gardner-Johnson’s arrival could be much more important after Jimmie Ward‘s recent arrest, but he adds to an equation featuring Ward and emerging talent Calen Bullock at safety.

Capitalizing on Stroud’s rookie contract, the Texans parted with low-end compensation to add Kirk. This flier carries considerable upside, as the veteran slot receiver had been the Jaguars’ top Trevor Lawrence-era target. The retooling Jags were prepared to cut Kirk; the Texans made sure they would obtain his rights, picking up the final season of the 1,000-yard weapon’s four-year, $72MM contract.

The Jags’ 2023 freefall came just after Kirk’s season-ending core muscle malady. They went 1-5 without Kirk available down the stretch. The former Cardinals second-round pick had notched his first 1,000-yard season (1,108) in 2022 to justify a contract most labeled outlandish earlier that year. Kirk then beat that per-game yardage number by averaging a career-best 57.6 in 2023.

While Kirk was not as productive to start 2024, he drew trade interest before suffering a broken collarbone. A year after trading for Stefon Diggs, the Texans made a lower-stakes move with a younger cog; Kirk will not turn 29 until November. Given Diggs’ departure and Tank Dell‘s uncertain future, Kirk is probably a low-cost bet worth making.

Ingram is a true flier, having been benched by the Vikings last season. A former second-round pick out of LSU, Ingram made 41 starts with Minnesota. He factors into a crowded Houston guard mix. PFF ranked Ingram 66th among guard regulars last season, and while the advanced metrics site did slot him inside the top 40 in 2023, the Texans are attempting to revive a depressed asset.

Extensions and restructures:

Reached three-year, $90MM extension ($48MM guaranteed) with CB Derek Stingley Jr.
Handed CB Jalen Pitre three-year, $39MM extension ($20.66MM guaranteed)
Added one year (at $35.6MM) to DE Danielle Hunter‘s contract
Gave Denico Autry pay cut; DL now tied to one-year, $7.5MM ($3MM guaranteed) deal
Restructured contracts of WR Nico Collins, WR Christian Kirk, LB Azeez Al-Shaair creating $27.58MM in cap space
Restructured K Ka’imi Fairbairn‘s contract, adding void years and creating nearly $3MM in cap space

This offseason featured the first batch of highly drafted Caserio players become extension-eligible, marking a turning point for an organization that had bottomed out earlier this decade. Once deploying rosters chock full of average or subaverage veterans, Caserio restocked it with several extension-worthy performers. The fifth-year GM operated proactively, potentially establishing a blueprint for when Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. are up for new deals in 2026.

After an abbreviated rookie season, Stingley has become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. Caserio’s initial first-round pick as a GM hit big, intercepting five passes in back-to-back seasons and reaching the first-team All-Pro level. The Texans chose Stingley one spot over Sauce Gardner in 2022, and while the LSU product initially trailed the physical Jets cover man, a changing of the guard occurred — as the No. 1 contender for Patrick Surtain‘s belt, if you will — in 2024.

Pro Football Focus rated Stingley fifth among CB regulars last season, after placing him ninth in 2024, while Gardner struggled. Stingley, 24, already established himself by 2023, though, as his coverage metrics from last season closely resemble his second-year work. After allowing a 47.9% completion rate as the closest defender in 2023, Stingley posted a 47.1 number last year. His passer rating allowed only climbed from 41.3 to a still-elite 51.2, and the boundary defender’s yards-per-target number dropped significantly — from 12.5 to 9.6. A natural in Ryans’ defense, Stingley has become the Texans’ top player. Houston paid him as such.

Despite Surtain’s Defensive Player of the Year season, he now trails Stingley by $6MM in terms of AAV. Both players are signed through 2029, as the Texans still had two years of control on Stingley’s rookie deal (via a fifth-year option that would have been exercised), and the extension includes no full guarantees beyond 2026. Though, a rolling guarantee structure makes this a more player-friendly agreement. Stingley’s 2027 base salary locks in by March 2026; that pattern recurs a year later for his 2028 paragraph 5 number.

Although Stingley does not have a runaway lead in terms of two- and three-year cash flows like he does in CB AAV, it was still surprising to see the Texans agree to make him the NFL’s first $30MM-per-year DB on just a three-year contract. The corner market did not move between May 2022 and September 2024, needing Surtain to break through a $21MM-per-year ceiling — one that had fallen behind safeties by spring 2024. Seeing Surtain and Jalen Ramsey set the table, Stingley collected the final piece of leverage when Jaycee Horn scored a then-market-setting $25MM-per-year deal in early March.

Is Hunter quietly building a Hall of Fame resume? No first-team All-Pro accolades hurt that potential case, but the consistent sack artist’s prime has gone against those of Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons. The youngest player to reach 50 sacks also saw his prime interrupted by injury, as he missed 26 games between the 2020 and ’21 seasons. Despite this sizable chunk of missed time, Hunter ranks 11th in career sacks through an age-30 season (99.5) in NFL history. Houston could be ground zero for a back-door Canton ascent, and Caserio ensured the Hunter-Anderson duo would last longer.

The Texans gave the 2024 free agent signee a deal that narrowly eclipsed Maxx Crosby‘s $35.5MM AAV number, though this obviously differs from the Raiders’ three-year extension. After griping about his Vikings extension — a deal that was team-friendly at the time and only swung further in that direction — for years, Hunter has done well for himself in Houston. He scored a near-fully guaranteed first Texans contract (two years, $49MM; $48MM guaranteed), and the team effectively gave him a $6.1MM raise for 2025. More importantly, Hunter’s re-up secured a near-fully guaranteed 2026.

Hunter, 30, tacked a fifth Pro Bowl onto his resume with a 12.5-sack season. The Texans-Vikings’ Hunter-Jonathan Greenard free agency switch proved a win-win, as the latter earned Pro Bowl recognition as part of a top-five Minnesota defense. Since returning from a 2021 chest injury, Hunter has not missed a game and has displayed consistency by staying between 22 and 23 QB hits in each of those three seasons. Being paired with Anderson will allow a good chance at a seventh double-digit sack season, while his presence helped the younger rusher make strides forward.

Houston moved Pitre from safety to the slot last year, and the early extension reflects a belief that change worked. Shortly after making Stingley the NFL’s highest-paid perimeter corner, the Texans moved Pitre to the top of the slot salary list. This set the bar for Kyler Gordon‘s Bears extension to raise the ceiling to $13.3MM per year.

The slot market keeps growing, as teams are taking advantage of a bargain rate attached to this underrated position. As recently as March 2024, no pure slot had crossed the eight-figure-per-year barrier; after historic cap spikes in 2024 and ’25, six pure slot CBs are there now.

This came after Pitre’s season-ending pectoral injury, which required surgery. The contract certainly renders that a nonissue, as the Texans have the makings of a long-term CB trio. These two deals pair well with Kamari Lassiter‘s rookie pact. The 2024 second-rounder’s rookie deal runs through 2027.

Free agency additions:

Cam Robinson, LT. One year, $12MM ($10.75MM guaranteed)
Tremon Smith, CB. Two years, $6.5MM ($4.5MM guaranteed)
Sheldon Rankins, DT. One year, $5.25MM ($4.5MM guaranteed)
Nick Niemann, LB. Two years, $6MM ($4MM guaranteed)
E.J. Speed, LB. One year, $3.5MM ($3.25MM guaranteed)
Justin Watson, WR. Two years, $5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
Laken Tomlinson, G. One year, $4.25MM ($2.5MM guaranteed)
Darrell Taylor, DE. One year, $4.75MM ($2MM guaranteed)
Nick Chubb, RB. One year, $2.5MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
Trent Brown, T. One year, $2.35MM ($550K guaranteed)
Braxton Berrios, WR. One year, $1.8MM ($300K guaranteed)
Zachary Thomas, T. One year, $1.4MM ($100K guaranteed)
Casey Toohill, DE. One year, $1.34MM ($53K guaranteed)
Damon Arnette, CB. One year, $1MM

Having a biannual look at Robinson through his AFC South past, the Texans decided to add one of this market’s top players days into free agency. While it appeared Robinson’s market — thanks to Ronnie Stanley and Alaric Jackson taking themselves off the table via pre-free agency agreements — would rival Dan Moore Jr.‘s, the longtime Jags LT-turned-Vikings stopgap took a one-year accord with an eye on 2026. Based on the Texans’ offseason, this looks set to be a one-year partnership.

The pure left tackle carrying 101 career starts divided some entering free agency, as no Pro Bowls are on his resume. Then again, Pro Bowl LTs entering age-30 seasons rarely hit the market barring noteworthy injury concerns. PFF slotted Robinson outside the top 50 among tackles last season, and his 88.2% pass block win rate did not wow. But the Texans will add the twice-franchise-tagged blocker as a stopgap while second-round pick Aireontae Ersery develops.

The Hall of Fame will need to adjust its criteria if modern running backs are to be enshrined, as workloads plummeted compared to prior eras. Chubb looked to be one of the players who could create a case, provided the goalposts are moved to accommodate some of this period’s best ballcarriers, but the injuries he sustained in 2023 and ’24 altered that path. The former Browns dynamo missed 15 games in 2023 due to a severe knee injury, one that kept him from debuting until late October of 2024. He then saw a broken foot shelve him after eight games last season. As a result, Chubb’s free agency predictably tanked.

Chubb, 29, had taken a steep Browns pay cut after his 2023 knee injuries — a partially torn ACL, a fully torn MCL along with medial capsule and meniscus damage — and is certainly at a make-or-break point. The former second-round pick had zoomed to four straight Pro Bowls, running behind a well-built Browns O-line. This included two 1,400-plus-yard rushing seasons (2019, 2022), the first of which coming before the team rebuilt its O-line.

One of the NFL’s top pure runners of the past several years, Chubb now joins Joe Mixon — who is nearly a year younger despite being drafted a year earlier — in Houston’s backfield. After not seeing Dameon Pierce pan out, the Texans have one of the more experienced backfields in recent NFL history.

Chubb did not look himself before going down with the foot injury last season. He averaged 3.3 yards per carry, after topping 5.0 in each of his first five seasons, and is likely done as a regular starter. Still, the Texans have a former top-tier RB on a low-cost contract; they will hope the eighth-year vet being nearly two years removed from the major knee injury can spark a resurgence.

The Texans were in on Dre Greenlaw, a year after already reuniting Ryans with ex-49ers pupil Azeez Al-Shaair, but did not outbid the Broncos. Weeks later, the team circled back to a cheaper option in Speed. Replacing Shaquille Leonard as a three-down Colts linebacker, After a 102-tackle 2023 slate that included a career-high 12 tackles for loss, Speed posted a career-best 142 tackles (seven for loss) last year.

The six-year Colts contributor wanted to play for Ryans, but a full-time role will not be a lock. Al-Shaair returns, and Christian Harris missed most of last season. Henry To’oTo’o also started 15 games. Speed’s addition crowds Houston’s LB corps while supplying insurance at the very least.

Rankins did not fit with the Bengals, who edged the Texans for the interior pass rusher in 2024. The Bengals cut bait on Rankins’ two-year, $24.5MM deal, doing so after he missed 10 games with a hamstring injury and a bout with viral meningitis. Finishing last season on the reserve/NFI list, Rankins accepted a pay cut from his 2023 Texans terms (one year, $9.75MM). That year, he posted six sacks, nine TFLs and 10 QB hits to deliver his second-best pass-rushing season as a pro. Now 31, the former Saints first-rounder joins one of the most experienced D-lines in recent NFL history.

As the Texans ran wild reconfiguring their O-line, they took a flier on one of the Patriots’ Caserio-era pickups. With Caserio in the copilot seat, the Pats acquired Brown from the 49ers during the 2018 draft. He then started at left tackle for a Super Bowl-winning team. Brown could not justify his Raiders free agency payday but resembled his previous form during a second Pats stint.

Brown, 32, has been unreliable since that ’18 showing. The mammoth tackle has missed 44 games in that span. This included a strange ending to his Patriots 2.0 run, when internal concerns Brown was overplaying an injury to protect himself for a 2024 free agency bid emerged, and a patellar tendon tear three games into his Bengals year.

Brown joins Robinson, Ersery, Tytus Howard and Blake Fisher in the Texans’ tackle equation. Howard’s past at guard will likely come into play again, whereas Brown profiles as a depth piece — provided he makes the team. A 96-game starter, Brown has extensive experience at both left and right tackle. A Kelvin Beachum-like role as a veteran swing tackle could be in the cards, but this looks like the 11th-year veteran’s last chance.

Sporting a far steadier profile than Brown, Tomlinson’s reunion with Ryans brings more change to a front PFF ranked 29th last season. Stroud took 52 sacks last season — up from 38 in 2023 — as the unit contributed heavily to his somewhat disappointing follow-up effort.

None of the Texans’ newcomers match Tunsil’s pedigree, but the team has far more options at each position than it did in 2024. Tomlinson joins Howard, Ingram and the loser of the center competition (Jarrett Patterson–Juice Scruggs–Jake Andrews) as guard options. As it stands, Tomlinson looks like the Texans’ LG starter.

Tomlinson, 33, brings by far the most experience among any upfront option Houston has. The durable blocker has made 155 career starts, missing only one game in 10 seasons. Shaq Mason came to Houston with a similar profile, before missing time in 2024, but almost no one in the NFL matches Tomlinson’s durability. The 2024 Seahawks starter is on the downside of his career, but he did command a raise from his vet-minimum Seattle deal. The former San Francisco stalwart graded as a mid-pack (44th) option among guards, per PFF, last season. That represented an uptick from his two Jets years.

Re-signings:

Mario Edwards, DL. Two years, $9.5MM ($4.5MM guaranteed)
Derek Barnett, DE. One year, $4MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
Folorunso Fatukasi, DT. One year, $3MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
Jake Hansen, LB. One year, $1.7MM ($800K guaranteed)
Dare Ogunbowale, RB. One year, $1.5MM ($750K guaranteed)
M.J. Stewart, S. One year, $2.5MM ($500K guaranteed)
Myles Bryant, CB. One year, $1.34MM ($500K guaranteed)
Kurt Hinish, DT. One year, $1.8MM ($375K guaranteed)
Irv Smith Jr., TE. One year, $1.23MM ($15K guaranteed)

Anderson has plenty of vets to learn from. Houston’s D-line rotation could consist of a 12th-year player (Autry), two 11th-year vets (Edwards, Hunter), a 10th-year player (Rankins), a ninth-year cog (Barnett) and two eighth-year performers (Fatukasi, Tim Settle). By comparison, Taylor (Year 6) and Hinish (Year 4) look raw.

Working strictly as an inside player under Ryans, Edwards joining Rankins will make for an interesting duo of inside rushers. Houston will have more firepower there, with Settle totaling five sacks as a part-time starter last season, while Fatukasi is back as a run defender. It will be interesting to see who starts alongside Anderson and Hunter.

Barnett, 29, enjoyed his most productive season in ages last year; he notched five sacks and two scoop-and-scores as a backup D-end. Forcing two fumbles as well, the ex-Eagle first-rounder has found a role after being marginalized by Philly’s D-line depth. Suddenly, the Texans’ D-line looks like one of the NFL’s deepest position groups.

Notable losses:

Tucker Addington, LS (waived)
Tremayne Anchrum, OL (released)
Anthony Averett, CB (released)
Kris Boyd, CB
Ronald Darby, CB (retired)
Stefon Diggs, WR
Kendrick Green, G
Neville Hewitt, LB
Jerry Hughes, DE
Case Keenum, QB
Shaq Mason, G (post-June 1 cut)
Eric Murray, S
Jeff Okudah, CB
Del’Shawn Phillips, LB
Teagan Quitoriano, TE
Jon Weeks, LS
Devin White, LB
Robert Woods, WR

The Texans’ decision to lop three years off Diggs’ Bills extension following the 2024 trade remains odd, but the veteran’s free agency value crumbled after his midseason ACL tear. Diggs’ injury, which came weeks before Tank Dell‘s more severe setback, resulted in his first notable stretch of absences as a pro. Diggs going down played a major role in Stroud’s struggles, but the Texans moved on. The 31-year-old wideout is now a Patriot and has not been cleared for full work yet.

The team had a Diggs re-signing on its radar, but the Pats came in with a three-year, $63.5MM ($16.6MM at signing) offer. Woods expressed interest in staying as well, but the formerly productive pass catcher was unable to make much of an impact even with Diggs shelved. Woods posted 203 receiving yards in his age-32 season; he is now a Steeler. These exits opened the door for Houston’s Iowa State-focused WR approach in April.

Houston’s trade for Gardner-Johnson came a day after Murray’s Jaguars defection. Murray spent five seasons in Houston, dating to Bill O’Brien‘s final year in charge, and started 43 games. Fourteen of those came last season. Murray is now 31 and had rarely been confused with an upper-echelon safety; he notched just two INTs as a Texan and graded outside the top 50 at the position in 2024. Gardner-Johnson is a significant upgrade, and Murray’s Jaguars deal (three years, $19.5MM) was among the most surprising this offseason offered. Murray played for $1.75MM last season.

Darby retired months after signing his Texans deal, wrapping a 10-year career. Weeks, 39, is nearing retirement. He holds the Texans’ games-played record, with 244 (plus 14 playoff contests); second place (Andre Johnson) checks in at 169. Weeks wanted to stay for a 16th Houston season; he is now San Francisco’s long snapper. The 2024 Diggs restructure brings a $16.64MM dead money penalty, while Mason’s release brings $5.2MM (2025) and $7.3MM (2026) charges.

Draft:

Round 2, No. 34 (from Giants): Jayden Higgins (WR, Iowa State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 48 (from Dolphins through Raiders): Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
Round 3, No. 79 (from Dolphins through Eagles and Commanders): Jaylin Noel (WR, Iowa State) (signed)
Round 3, No. 97 (from Vikings through Jaguars)*: Jaylin Smith (CB, USC) (signed)
Round 4, No. 116 (from Dolphins): Woody Marks (RB, USC) (signed)
Round 6, No. 187 (from 49ers through Vikings and Jaguars): Jaylen Reed (S, Penn State) (signed)
Round 6, No. 197 (from Broncos): Graham Mertz (QB, Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Bears through Dolphins): Kyonte Hamilton (DT, Rutgers) (signed)
Round 7, No. 255 (from Browns)*: Luke Lachey (TE, Iowa) (signed)

As pre-draft rumors tied the Texans to adding more O-line help in Round 1, Caserio called about trading up. Though, it is believed the team pursued one of Stroud’s former Ohio State targets. The Texans were connected to trading up for Emeka Egbuka, who overlapped with Stroud’s two QB1 years in Columbus. The Buccaneers, who did not enter the draft with a receiver need, took him at No. 19. This led to a Texans pivot, as they allowed the Giants to come up to No. 25 for Jaxson Dart.

The Texans collected two Day 2 picks — a third-rounder this year and next — to slide down nine spots. They then began importing the Iowa State receiving corps to Houston, starting with Higgins. Set to play on the first fully guaranteed contract for a second-round pick, Higgins broke through for 87 receptions, 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Standing 6-foot-4 and 214 pounds, Higgins will complement Noel’s slot skillset in Houston just as he did in Ames. Post-Diggs, Higgins profiles as the Texans’ Nico Collins outside sidekick — while Noel may wait behind Christian Kirk for a year.

Higgins is certainly on the radar to start, as Kirk gives the team an option to avoid starting two non-first-round rookies. Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board ranked the two Cyclones 48th and 50th, respectively, viewing the latter (Noel) as great value at No. 79. Standing 5-10, Noel brings some size (201 pounds) to the equation inside. He also has more experience at a high level, spending his full college tenure in Ames — while Higgins transferred from Division I-FCS Eastern Kentucky in 2023. Noel also led the 2024 Cyclones in receiving, finishing with 1,194 yards last year.

These rookies arrived after the team was connected to Deebo Samuel, but the Commanders landing him for a fifth-round pick — a borderline salary dump — revealed modest interest. To that point, no trade offer emerged. D.K. Metcalf‘s trade crusade also included interest in joining the Texans. It cost much more for the Seahawk Pro Bowler, as the Steelers obtained him for a second-round pick and authorized a top-five WR extension. The Texans were also listed as a potential landing spot for Cooper Kupp. After all this and the Egbuka effort, the team will rely on two Big 12 products — as Tank Dell‘s future is foggy.

Dell suffering one of the worst knee injuries in recent NFL annals — ACL, PCL, LCL tears to go with a dislocated kneecap and meniscus tear — will keep the talented wideout from starting the season on time. The former third-rounder is not a lock to play at all in 2025, and while a 2026 return would stand to complicate matters for the Iowa State alums, the Texans selecting both reveals uncertainty whether Dell will be a productive player for the team again. Dell, who suffered a broken leg in 2023 before being wounded in a shooting in early 2024, is signed through 2026.

Once the Texans traded down to 34, they were tied to moving back into Round 1 for Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr.. The Commanders took Conerly at 29, leaving the Texans to address their tackle interest on Day 2. That came via a trade-up with the Raiders, with Ersery the prize. The Texans packaged the 99th pick obtained in the Dart trade in this transaction.

The Robinson signing gives Ersery an onramp, as his Big Ten workload points to being a left tackle-in-training. Ersery spent the past three seasons as Minnesota’s LT starter, earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2023 and first-team honors — in a much bigger conference follow the Pac-12 scramble — last season. Also earning third-team All-American acclaim in 2024, the Kansas City native checked in as the No. 37 prospect on Dane Brugler’s The Athletic big board.

Houston has its 2024 second-round pick, Fisher, set to push for its starting RT job in training camp. Ersery’s lack of experience there points to the Texans planning an Ersery-Fisher future at tackle, though Ersery did receive RT reps during Houston’s offseason program. Two seasons remain on Howard’s contract, but his constantly changing workload has included 27 starts at guard.

Darby’s retirement removes a guardrail for Smith, but the Texans do not have a starting spot available at corner, anyway. The 5-10 CB profiles as a depth player behind Lassiter for now. The team traded up to add Marks, a one-year Smith USC teammate, as a hopeful longer-term RB option. Pierce’s rookie contract expires at season’s end, and Mixon’s guarantees pay out after 2025. This came after the Texans and Browns exchanged Day 3 capital, across the 2025 and ’27 drafts, hours before this year’s event.

Other:

Fired Bobby Slowik, hired Nick Caley as OC replacement
Promoted Chris Liipfert, Chris Blanco to assistant GM posts
S Jimmie Ward arrested on domestic violence charge
Parted ways with team president Greg Grissom; Mike Tomon named replacement
Fired O-line coach Chris Strausser, promoted Cole Popovich as replacement
Hired Jerry Schuplinski as senior offensive assistant
Claimed C Jake Andrews‘ two-year, $4.65MM deal off waivers from Patriots
Brought in six UDFAs

In 2024, Slowik received a sizable raise on an extension after a run on the HC carousel. Going from PFF to 49ers assistant to Texans OC already represented considerable progress for the young staffer, the lead conductor of Stroud’s Offensive Rookie of the Year season. The Texans did not take a step back in the grand scheme last season, reaching the divisional round despite significant injury trouble on offense. The team dropping from 13th to 19th in scoring and 12th to 22nd in total offense, though, led to Slowik’s firing.

Now the Dolphins’ pass-game coordinator under ex-49ers coworker Mike McDaniel, Slowik put himself on the map in Houston. Caley will have a chance to do the same. While a fixture on PFR pages during coaching carousels, Caley secured his first coordinator opportunity after turning down two OC positions. The Rams tight ends coach both rejected the Patriots (in 2024) and Jets (in 2025); he was believed to be New York’s top choice this year.

Caley, 42, had the luxury of being a choosey candidate after being on Sean McVay‘s staff. More interest would have come. Caley will go from eight-season tight ends coach (with the Patriots and Rams) to play-calling OC. Though, he did serve as the L.A. pass-game coordinator last season. A Stroud rebound will undoubtedly garner him HC meetings, but the Texans will certainly hope for some continuity around their QB. Franchises with defense-based HCs, though, run into this problem regularly.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

Danielle Hunter, DE: $20.2MM
Dalton Schultz, TE: $14MM
Derek Stingley Jr., CB: $12.03MM
Tytus Howard, OL: $11.58MM
C.J. Stroud, QB: $9.89MM
Will Anderson Jr., DE: $9.6MM
Joe Mixon, RB: $9.41MM
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, S: $9MM
Nico Collins, WR: $8.58MM
Denico Autry, DL: $6.59MM

No one has won three straight AFC South titles since the Peyton Manning-led Colts did so from 2003-07; the Texans are a clear favorite to do so. Playing in what has been the AFC’s weakest division essentially since Manning’s 2012 Indianapolis exit helps Houston’s chances, but thus far, they have not been able to go the distance with the true AFC heavyweights in the playoffs. Houston has undoubtedly completed a turnaround, but back-to-back seven-loss seasons in the AFC South has chained the team to second-tier contender status.

A formidable defense will back Stroud, and the Texans devoted their offseason to protecting themselves against more WR and O-line injury trouble. Caley unlocking more from the franchise QB — against a schedule featuring 10 non-playoff teams from 2024 (though, one is the 49ers) — thanks in part to the offseason additions could give the Texans a slingshot to the AFC’s top level. How Stroud fares in this new scheme will be a key AFC variable to follow, as yet another powerhouse operation could be lurking in the conference.

6 comments Houston Texans Offseason Outlook PFR Originals

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

By Sam Robinson | at July 13, 2025 10:07 pm

The Chiefs and Trey Smith have just less than 48 hours to agree on a long-term extension; otherwise, the Pro Bowl guard will play on the franchise tag and negotiations will be tabled until 2026. That is 2025’s only tag situation as the July 15 deadline approaches.

Over the previous 10 offseasons, 77 players received the franchise tag. Many of those signed extensions before the midsummer deadline. Here are the players who did not and ended up playing the season for the tag price:

2015

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE (Giants): $3MM

Pierre-Paul’s infamous fireworks accident led to Giants rescinding $14.8MM tag, setting up revised agreement

2016

Eric Berry, S (Chiefs): $10.81MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington): $19.95MM
Alshon Jeffery, WR (Bears): $14.6MM
Trumaine Johnson, CB (Rams): $13.95MM

2017

Le’Veon Bell, RB (Steelers): $12.12MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Washington): $22.94MM
Trumaine Johnson, CB (Rams): $16.74MM

2018

Ziggy Ansah, DE (Lions): $17.14MM
Le’Veon Bell, RB (Steelers): $14.54MM
Lamarcus Joyner, S (Rams): $11.29MM
DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.14MM

Bell did not collect any money on his 2018 tag, being the 21st century’s lone franchise-tagged player to skip season

2019

Jadeveon Clowney, LB (Seahawks): $15MM

Texans applied $15.9MM linebacker tag on Clowney, trading him to Seahawks in August 2019; edge rusher agreed to salary reduction upon being dealt

2020

Shaquil Barrett, LB (Buccaneers): $15.83MM
Bud Dupree, LB (Steelers): $15.83MM
A.J. Green, WR (Bengals): $17.97MM
Anthony Harris, S (Vikings): $11.44MM
Hunter Henry, TE (Chargers): $10.61MM
Matt Judon, DE/LB (Ravens): $16.81MM
Yannick Ngakoue, LB (Vikings/Ravens): $12MM
Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $31.41MM
Brandon Scherff, G (Washington): $15MM
Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $11.44MM
Joe Thuney, G (Patriots): $14.78MM
Leonard Williams, DT (Giants): $16.13MM

Ravens, Judon agreed on compromise between defensive end, linebacker tag prices. Ngakoue agreed to salary reduction to facilitate trade from Jaguars. Vikings traded edge rusher to Ravens before 2020 deadline. Prescott received exclusive franchise tag from Cowboys.

2021

Chris Godwin, WR (Buccaneers): $15.98MM
Marcus Maye, S (Jets): $10.61MM
Allen Robinson, WR (Bears): $17.98MM
Cam Robinson, LT (Jaguars): $13.75MM
Brandon Scherff, G (Washington): $18MM
Marcus Williams, S (Saints): $10.61MM

2022

Jessie Bates, S (Bengals): $12.91MM
Orlando Brown Jr., T (Chiefs): $16.66MM
Mike Gesicki, TE (Dolphins): $10.93MM
Dalton Schultz, TE (Cowboys): $10.93MM

2023

Saquon Barkley, RB (Giants): $10.1MM
Josh Jacobs, RB (Raiders): $11.79MM
Tony Pollard, RB (Cowboys): $10.1MM

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): $21.82MM

9 comments Baltimore Ravens Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

By Ely Allen | at July 9, 2025 9:19 pm

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

No. 17 (Bengals): Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
No. 20 (Broncos): Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)

Round 2:

No. 35 (Seahawks): Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
No. 36 (Browns): Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
No. 37 (Dolphins): Jonah Savaiinaea (G, Arizona)
No. 38 (Patriots): TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
No. 39 (Bears): Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
No. 40 (Saints): Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville)
No. 41 (Bills): T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina)
No. 42 (Jets): Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
No. 43 (49ers): Alfred Collins (DT, Texas)
No. 44 (Cowboys): Donovan Ezeiruaku (DE, Boston College)
No. 45 (Colts): JT Tuimoloau (DE, Ohio State)
No. 46 (Rams): Terrance Ferguson (TE, Oregon)
No. 47 (Cardinals): Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
No. 48 (Texans): Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
No. 49 (Bengals): Demetrius Knight (LB, South Carolina)
No. 50 (Seahawks): Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
No. 51 (Panthers): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M)
No. 52 (Titans): Oluwafemi Oladejo (OLB, UCLA)
No. 53 (Buccaneers): Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
No. 54 (Packers): Anthony Belton, T (NC State)
No. 55 (Chargers): Tre Harris (WR, Ole Miss)
No. 56 (Bears): Ozzy Trapilo (T, Boston College)
No. 57 (Lions): Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
No. 58 (Raiders): Jack Bech (WR, TCU)
No. 59 (Ravens): Mike Green (OLB, Marshall)
No. 60 (Broncos): RJ Harvey (RB, Central Florida)
No. 61 (Commanders): Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
No. 62 (Bears): Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M)
No. 63 (Chiefs): Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee)
No. 64 (Eagles): Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)

Round 4:

No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

By Sam Robinson | at July 5, 2025 10:57 pm

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989^[1]
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991^[2]
Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010^[3]; signed extension in 2022
Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016^[4]
John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

22 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Texans Offensive Line Positions Starting To Settle

By Ely Allen | at July 5, 2025 4:50 pm

A week ago, we dove into some speculation about the potential starters that could emerge from several position battles along the offensive line in Houston. According to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, roles are “starting to sort themselves out for a completely revamped unit.”

To review, the departures of Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and Kenyon Green left the Texans with three vacant starting positions: left tackle, left guard, and right guard. Of the two positions with returning starters, the presumed right tackle starter could be moved elsewhere on the line, while the center position will likely have to be won through competition regardless of returners.

Nothing has changed on the situation at left guard. Veteran free agent addition Laken Tomlinson comes to Houston with 10 years of starting experience, all at left guard. He took the most reps at the position throughout the spring, and it appears to be his job barring injury. Similarly, there’s still a strong feeling that Tytus Howard will be a starter on the offensive line, though the team doesn’t know where. Over his six years in Houston, Howard has started 48 games at right tackle, 27 games at left guard, and four games at left tackle. Most of his time in the spring, though, was split between right tackle and right guard, so with Tomlinson at left guard, he’s likely pinned at the two spots on the right side of the line.

At left tackle, the Texans have been shuffling veteran free agent addition Cam Robinson and rookie second-round pick Aireontae Ersery on the first team. Robinson is likely the expected starter on the blindside, while Ersery appears to cross training at both tackle spots. This means Ersery is also rotating first-team snaps at right tackle. His competition on that side is last year’s second-rounder Blake Fisher, but Zachary Thomas is a new name Bien-Aime throws into the mix here.

Thomas joined the Texans last years after spending half the season in New England and two years before that with the Rams. He doesn’t have any starting experience in the NFL, so it’s interesting to see him getting rotated in with the two youngsters for first-team snaps. Whether they’re just checking every possibility or they lack confidence in their first- and second-year options remains to be seen, but it appears that Thomas has put himself in the conversation. If none of the three work out, Howard can always man the spot, and the new important position battle will be at right guard.

To look for who may start at right guard if Howard isn’t there, one must look to the position battle at center. Jarrett Patterson split time at the position with Michael Deiter in 2023 and then did the same with Juice Scruggs last year. Patterson and Scruggs return for another competition, but they’re now joined by Jake Andrews, a center that Houston claimed off waivers from the Patriots. Any of the three could win the job, and one may assume the best loser will have a good shot at filling the right guard spot, should Howard move back to tackle.

Elsewhere on the offense, Bien-Aime comments on the preferred wide receivers in Houston at the moment. With Nico Collins firmly atop the pecking order and with Tank Dell‘s prospects for playing in 2025 still uncertain, rookie second-round pick Jayden Higgins and veteran trade acquisition Christian Kirk have emerged as likely key contributors.

Higgens, a big-bodied pass catcher out of Iowa State, has reportedly been making plays on some of the Texans’ defensive starters as he develops a new chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud. After a down, injury-ruined year, Kirk is hoping his move to Houston will be fruitful. Kirk had already earned the nickname “slot demon” by the end of minicamp by the defense, and he seems to be establishing himself as a reliable safety blanket for Stroud, who was sacked last year more than every other quarterback in the NFL (except Caleb Williams).

With a new group of weapons on the offense establishing themselves and a re-tooled offensive line starting to figure out where everyone fits, the Texans are making quick and necessary progress on their new-look offense full of questions marks. They’ll hope to put together a group that can win its third straight division title and earn its third straight playoff appearance.

0 comments Houston Texans Aireontae Ersery Blake Fisher Cam Robinson Christian Kirk Jake Andrews Jarrett Patterson Jayden Higgins Juice Scruggs Laken Tomlinson Michael Deiter Tytus Howard Zachary Thomas

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

By Adam La Rose | at July 3, 2025 10:26 pm

By the end of the 2024 regular season, the Bears, Jets and Saints had already moved on from their head coaches. Those teams were joined by Cowboys, Jaguars, Raiders and Patriots in making a change on the sidelines.

After their midseason terminations, Matt Eberflus, Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen each landed defensive coordinator gigs during the 2025 hiring cycle. The staffers who remained in place through the end of the campaign have yet to line up their next NFL opportunity, however. Mike McCarthy withdrew from the Saints’ search, setting the 61-year-old for at least one year out of coaching (just like the pause between his Packers and Cowboys stints).

Meanwhile, Doug Pederson was unable to parlay interest in an offensive coordinator position into a hire this spring. The former Super Bowl winner is thus set to be out of coaching for 2025. The same will also be true of Antonio Pierce and Jerod Mayo after their one-and-done stints as full-time head coaches did not go as planned.

While recent months have brought about the latest round of changes, many of the longest-tenured head coaches around the league remain in place. McCarthy was the only staffer within the top 10 on last year’s list in that regard who has been replaced. In all, nine head coaches hired at the beginning of this decade (or earlier) will carry on with their respective teams in 2025.

Six of those reside in the AFC, with Mike Tomlin – who became the league’s longest-tenured head coach last year in the wake of Bill Belichick’s Patriots departure – once again leading the way, albeit with questions about his future beyond this season present. The NFC will include Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur handling their familiar roles in 2025, although the latter (who has two years left on his deal) will not receive an early extension.

Here is a look at how the league’s head coaches shape up entering the 2025 campaign:

Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2028
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: extended through 2026
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed extension in June 2024
Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021; signed offseason extension
Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022; signed offseason extension
Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022; extended through 2028
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022; extended through 2028
Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024
Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots): January 12, 2025
Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears): January 20, 2025
Aaron Glenn (New York Jets): January 22, 2025
Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 23, 2025
Pete Carroll (Las Vegas Raiders): January 24, 2025
Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys): January 24, 2025
Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints): February 11, 2025

15 comments Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders

Jayden Higgins To Compete For Starting Role In Houston

By Nikhil Mehta | at July 3, 2025 9:02 pm

Texans rookie receiver Jayden Higgins is expected to compete for a starting job during training camp after an impressive showing during spring practices.

The No. 34 pick made a number of plays downfield this spring, according to ESPN’s DJ Bien-Aime, though few of those passes were thrown by C.J. Stroud. A sore shoulder limited the star quarterback to handoffs during OTAs, per KRPC’s Aaron Wilson, but he was a full participant in mandatory minicamp and downplayed concerns about his arm.

Higgins has a clear opportunity to seize a role in Houston’s passing offense. Nico Collins is the team’s undisputed WR1, but the absence of a return timeline for Tank Dell and the departure of Stefon Diggs this offseason should open up plenty of targets for which Higgins (and others) can compete. The Texans traded a seventh-round pick for Christian Kirk and drafted Higgins’ Iowa State teammate Jaylin Noel in the third round; both will seek to carve out a target share of their own.

However, the Texans made their biggest investment in Higgins, both in terms of his draft slot and his contract. Not only did they draft him with the second pick of the second round, they also made him the first second-rounder in league history to receive a fully guaranteed rookie contract. (That forced the Browns to sign No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger to a fully guaranteed rookie deal and has delayed the signing of several other second-round picks.) A full training camp catching passes from Stroud will help Higgins build chemistry with his quarterback and build towards a potential starting role in the regular season.

6 comments Houston Texans Jayden Higgins

49ers, Packers Showed Interest In CB Damon Arnette

By Adam La Rose | at June 28, 2025 3:16 pm

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.

5 comments Green Bay Packers Houston Texans San Francisco 49ers Damon Arnette

Contract Details: Metcalf, Chubb, Joseph

By Nikhil Mehta | at June 28, 2025 12:56 pm

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.

3 comments Detroit Lions Houston Texans Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks D.K. Metcalf Kerby Joseph Michael Dickson Nick Chubb

Show all

Headlines

Houston Texans News & Rumors