AFC Contract Details: Mafe, Titans, Raiders, Dean, Bills, Texans, Jets, Pats, Steelers, Jags, Ravens
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock of the full numbers given to some of this year’s top targets. Here are the details on some of the top contracts awarded by AFC teams:
- Boye Mafe, DE (Bengals). Three years, $60MM. The Bengals gave Mafe $19MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Seahawk is projected to land $43.3MM over the deal’s first two seasons, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Alontae Taylor, CB (Titans). Three years, $58MM. Taylor received $42MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Saints CB will receive $22MM in 2026, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Titans). Four years, $70MM. Robinson secured $36.98MM guaranteed at signing, Breer tweets. Neither of Robinson’s 2028 or ’29 base salaries contain guarantees or guarantee mechanisms. Each year carries $2MM in incentives, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
- Kwity Paye, OLB (Raiders). Three years, $48MM. Paye secured $31.28MM guaranteed, per Wilson; of that total, $25.34MM is locked in at signing (according to OverTheCap). Paye landed $10MM of his $15.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing; the remainder of his ’27 salary vests on Day 4 of 2027 league year.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Bills). Three years, $43.5MM. Of Chubb’s previously reported $29MM guarantee, Wilson notes $21.74MM is guaranteed at signing. Chubb will see a $4MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2028 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G (Patriots). Three years, $42MM. Vera-Tucker’s $21MM signing bonus represents his guarantees at signing, Wilson tweets, though the team has included a notable wrinkle. Vera-Tucker will earn $250K for each game he is active, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting this is among the highest per-game roster bonus figures in NFL history.
- Ed Ingram, G (Texans). Three years, $37.5MM. Receiving $20MM guaranteed at signing, the former second-round pick secured $5MM of his $8.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing. The rest shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year, per Spotrac.
- Jamel Dean, CB (Steelers). Three years, $36.75MM. Keeping with Steelers non-QB/T.J. Watt norms, Dean’s guarantee is his signing bonus ($12MM). Dean would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson notes.
- Nakobe Dean, LB (Raiders). Three years, $36MM. Nakobe Dean scored $20MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The former Eagles linebacker, who missed 12 games due to injury in 2023 and six in ’25, will see $8.5MM of his $11.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed. The remainder becomes guarantee on Day 3 of the ’27 league year (via Spotrac).
- Joseph Ossai, OLB (Jets). Three years, $34.5MM. Ossai will receive $22.49MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. Ossai’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
- Montaric Brown, CB (Jaguars). Three years, $31.8MM. Brown landed $20.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The former seventh-round pick secured $8.15MM of his $9.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing.
- John Simpson, G (Ravens). Three years, $30MM. Simpson secured $17.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson notes. This includes $5.5MM of an $8MM 2027 salary.
Jaguars GM James Gladstone Addresses Brian Thomas Jr. Trade Speculation
As the opening days of the new league year unfolded, Brian Thomas Jr.‘s name was once again mentioned in trade speculation. Follow-up reporting stated the Jaguars do not intend to deal the third-year wideout, something general manager James Gladstone has since confirmed. 
Gladstone described rumors about a Thomas trade as “fraudulent”, adding, (via NFL.com) “there hasn’t been a ton of dialogue around that front as teams check in simply because it seems like — I know the word reputable came up earlier — I don’t think there’s been any reputable statement. We don’t have any real action on any of those fronts.”
Gladstone confirmed no offers have been made at this point. Indeed, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports (video link) a recent call made by an AFC team “went nowhere” with respect to trade talks. Thomas was the subject of interest leading up to the 2025 trade deadline, but no deal was made. His rookie contract runs through 2027 with a fifth-year option covering 2028 needing to be made next spring.
Thomas enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign, racking up 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Jaguars were successful overall during the first year with Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen in place, but Thomas himself saw his production (albeit not his efficiency with a 14.7 yards per catch average) suffer a drop. Upon returning to full health, Travis Hunter is on track to be used primarily as a cornerback. That will leave Thomas, Jakobi Meyers – who landed a three-year, $60MM deal after a strong post-trade showing in Jacksonville – and Parker Washington atop the full-time WR depth chart.
The Jags ranked 12th in the NFL in passing in 2025, leaving plenty of room for improvement moving forward. The team’s efforts to build off a 13-4 campaign could include a heavy reliance on Thomas, 23, next season. As the offseason market continues to take shape, the possibility of other offers in this case will of course remain. Based on the latest Thomas updates, though, a swap would come as a surprise.
Jaguars To Sign RB Chris Rodriguez
The Jaguars have lost a running back in Travis Etienne, but they are adding back to the position in free agency. Jacksonville has agreed to a deal with former Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. This is a two-year pact, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. DiRocco’s colleague Jeremy Fowler adds that the contract has a base value of $10MM with $6.2MM fully guaranteed and a maximum value of $12MM. 
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had to say goodbye to his backfield mate of the past eight years, but the goodbyes seemingly began after an uncharacteristically poor 2024 campaign in which Etienne totaled only 558 rushing yards and two touchdowns despite starting 15 games. That performance likely resulted in the team opting to draft Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen in the fourth and seventh rounds last year, respectively.
There was a good amount of buzz around Tuten who looked to steal a decent share of carries as a rookie out of Virginia Tech. Ultimately, Etienne reclaimed backfield dominance, thanks in part to the timely trade of Tank Bigsby to the Eagles just after the Jaguars’ season opener. Etienne looked much closer to being on par with how he had performed in his first two years of NFL play, but he was never able to top the rushing total of his first season or the touchdown high of his sophomore campaign.
With Etienne gone, Tuten appears to be the heir apparent to RB1 duties in Jacksonville, but Rodriguez now enters the picture with experience in a crowded backfield. Rodriguez just finished off what was a bit of a comeback campaign in Washington. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Kentucky, Rodriguez was limited as RB3 behind Brian Robinson and Antonio Gibson and ended the season on injured reserve with concussion symptoms. His rookie contract was scrapped when he failed to make the 53-man roster in Year 2 and cleared waivers to end up on the practice squad.
Rodriguez did find his way off the taxi squad late in the 2024 season and even delivered some strong performances as he averaged 4.9 yards per carry on limited playing time to close the year. He entered 2025 as the RB2 in a traffic-jammed running backs room that included Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. He earned the first two starts after Ekeler went down with a season-ending injury two games into the year, but Croskey-Merritt took the baton for five games after that. The hot hand swung back and forth between the two for the remainder of the season, and over the last few weeks of play, they ended up seeing a pretty similar number of touches.
Rodriguez ended the season with a career-high 500 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. While Duval’s running back’s room isn’t nearly as crowded as D.C.’s was, Rodriguez still finds himself in a good position to compete for RB1 or RB2 duties. Jacksonville may be comfortable moving forward with Tuten as RB1, or they may push him to earn the job over Rodriguez, who put up a good competition in the regular season all last year. With an average annual value of $5MM, though, it seems Rodriguez is expected to contribute.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/26
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: WR Dayton Wade
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR David Moore, DE LaBryan Ray
- Waived: DT Popo Aumavae
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OL Darian Kinnard
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jake Hummel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: WR Nikko Remigio
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: CB Deane Leonard
New York Giants
- Re-signed: CB Art Green
- Signed: LB Caleb Murphy
- Waived: S Anthony Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Garret Wallow
NFL Restructures: Clark, Packers, Meinerz, Falcons, Saints, Eagles
As the Cowboys made another trade to acquire a higher-end Packers defender salary (Rashan Gary‘s four-year, $96MM deal), they are restructuring the one they added last summer. Dallas is reducing Kenny Clark‘s 2026 cap number with a restructure, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. As Connor Byrne’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook detailed, Clark was due an $11MM roster bonus Friday; Dallas is moving that into a signing bonus to open up $8.8MM in cap space. This will drop Clark’s cap number well south of its $21.5MM place, though it would create more dead money if he is not extended by the 2027 league year. An extension is on the Cowboys’ radar, even as the former first-round pick goes into an age-31 season. With Clark signed through 2027, however, it is possible this restructure will table any extension talks.
With the cap-compliance deadline less than 24 hours away, here are more restructure decisions:
- Trading Gary to the Cowboys and cutting Elgton Jenkins, the Packers are busy at work with cost-shedding moves. They also completed an Xavier McKinney restructure, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The move will save more than $9MM in space for Green Bay. McKinney will also secure an additional $11.54MM guaranteed — on top of his $23MM guarantee from March 2024 — according to Wilson, who adds the Pack included three void years to defray the bonus money. McKinney’s cap hit is down to $9.86MM.
- The Broncos have mostly used free agency to retain their own talent thus far, but the team is adding eight figures of cap space as of Tuesday. Denver is restructuring Quinn Meinerz‘s deal, according to the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson, who notes this is a simple restructure of the All-Pro guard’s 2026 base salary. Moving it to a signing bonus, the Broncos will free up around $11MM. The Broncos sit mid-pack in cap space, holding more than $23MM.
- Troy Andersen will be part of the 2026 Falcons. At least, he will have an opportunity to contribute, with SI.com’s Garrett Chapman reporting the linebacker agreed to a restructure to avoid his contract tolling from 2025. Andersen missed all of last season, spending it on the reserve/PUP list. A player who spends the season on the PUP can see his contract toll in the final year of a deal; a knee injury sidelined the former second-round pick last season. This amounts to a de facto re-signing, since Andersen’s four-year rookie deal was set to expire Wednesday. The team confirmed the restructure, per Falcons.com’s Tori McElhaney and Will McFadden.
- One of the NFL’s long-running restructure hubs, the Saints are adding another before the league year begins. New Orleans is saving $7.36MM in cap space by restructuring Erik McCoy‘s deal, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. One void year is being added to the center’s contract. McCoy’s deal runs through 2027; three void years are now included.
- The Jaguars completed a simple restructure of center Robert Hainsey‘s deal, according to Spotrac, with the move saving the team $4MM in cap space. Three void years are now on Hainsey’s deal, Wilson adds.
- Michael Carter II will stay with the Eagles in 2026, but it sounds like he has agreed to a pay cut. Carter’s deal is being restructured in order for the 2025 trade acquisition to remain on the roster, The Athletic’s Zach Berman tweets.
Jags Not Open To Brian Thomas Jr. Trade?
MARCH 10: It appears the Jaguars have not actually changed their stance from the fall. The team is not believed to be interested in moving the third-year wide receiver, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. With Hunter moving to more of a cornerback role, the Jags appear set to see if Thomas can bounce back alongside Meyers and Washington.
MARCH 9: Arriving during Trent Baalke‘s final draft as Jaguars GM, Brian Thomas Jr. enjoyed a promising rookie season before submitting to a sophomore slump. With a new regime running the show now, Thomas’ standing in Duval County may be a bit shaky.
The Jaguars are believed to be listening to offers on Thomas, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Teams called the Jags about Thomas at last year’s deadline — the Giants, Jets and Steelers among them — but the team was not open to dealing the 2024 first-rounder. It appears the AFC South club is now more willing to hear what Thomas can bring in a trade.
The Steelers called the Jags on Thomas last year, but they agreed to trade for Michael Pittman Jr. earlier today. The Jets added Adonai Mitchell in their Sauce Gardner trade. The Giants lost Wan’Dale Robinson to the Titans in free agency, though they still roster Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. Thomas played with Nabers at LSU, and Slayton’s contract can be shed fairly easily in 2027.
Although the Jags are prepared to shift Travis Hunter to more of a cornerback-first role, they saw Thomas fail to make a big impact in Liam Coen‘s debut. The big-bodied target slumped to a 48-catch, 707-yard season. That would not exactly qualify as a woeful campaign, but Thomas posted 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie. He caught just two TDs last season, and trade pickup Jakobi Meyers checked in as a more reliable option in Coen’s offense. The Jags have since given Meyers a three-year, $60MM extension.
It would seemingly take at least a Day 2 pick — possibly with another choice sprinkled in — to convince the Jags to move off a player with a 1,200-yard rookie season in his recent past. Two years remain on Thomas’ rookie contract, increasing his value. No extension talks can commence until 2027. As it stands, the Jags do not look likely to ever initiate those.
Coen and GM James Gladstone gutted Baalke’s pass catcher setup last year, trading Christian Kirk and cutting Evan Engram, Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay. Dyami Brown also played out his 2025 contract. If the Jags are to seriously entertain trading Thomas, they would need at least one more option. That said, Parker Washington took a step forward last year and led the division-winning team with 847 receiving yards. Though, he is now in a contract year. Thomas’ status will be a storyline to monitor as teams fill their receiver rooms in free agency.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/26
Here are the minor move from a frenzied free agency first day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Natrone Brooks, LB Christian Harris, DE Cameron Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Akayleb Evans, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Dominique Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OLB Dennis Gardeck
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to two-year deal: K Matt Gay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Joe Cardona
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Greg Dulcich
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Andrew Beck
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Esezi Otomewo
NFL Announces 2026 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2026 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2025 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 33 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2026 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97), Eagles (98), Steelers (99), Jaguars (100, from Lions*)
Round 4: 49ers (No. 133), Raiders (134), Steelers (135), Saints (136), Eagles (137), 49ers (138), 49ers (139), Jets (140)
Round 5: Ravens (No. 173), Ravens (174), Raiders (175), Chiefs (176), Cowboys (177), Eagles (178), Jets (179), Cowboys (180), Lions (181)
Round 6: Steelers (No. 214), Eagles (215), Steelers (216)
Round 7: Colts (No. 249), Ravens (250), Rams (251), Rams (252), Ravens (253), Colts (254), Packers (255), Bronc0s (256), Broncos (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 3
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Indianapolis Colts: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Los Angeles Rams: 2
- New York Jets: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New Orleans Saints: 1
* = awarded for Lions DC Aaron Glenn becoming Jets’ HC
The Bears lost a minority executive to a GM role, with Ian Cunningham taking over in Atlanta. But the NFL will not award Chicago two third-round picks for that hire because the Falcons have Matt Ryan positioned as their president of football. Although Cunningham — Chicago’s assistant GM for four years — holds plenty of organizational say, Ryan is atop its front office hierarchy. The Bears disagree with the NFL’s ruling, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) the team spoke with the NFL about the matter, but the league did not rule in the team’s favor. Had this decision gone the Bears’ way, they would have received third-round picks in the 2026 and ’27 drafts.
Jaguars Re-Sign CB Montaric Brown
Montaric Brown would have been one of the top cornerback options on the open market later this week, but he will be staying put. A new Jaguars contract has been agreed to prior to the start of free agency.
Brown and Jacksonville have agreed to a three-year, $33MM pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler report. Instead of testing the market, Brown will continue to operate as a starter for his only NFL team. He has been in Duval County since being drafted in the seventh round in 2022. The team has since announced the news.
While Brown has bounced in and out of the starting lineup during his time in Jacksonville, the cornerback has still been a key piece for the Jaguars. When healthy, he’s appeared in at least 59 percent of his team’s defensive snaps over the past three years. Between 2024 and 2025, he tallied a combined 126 tackles, 20 passes defended, and three interceptions.
Pro Football Focus listed this past season as Brown’s best, ranking him 26th among 112 qualifying cornerbacks. Before re-signing with the Jaguars, Brown was mentioned as a potential target for the 49ers.
Other than free agent Greg Newsome, the Jaguars are set to return the majority of their CBs. This includes Travis Hunter, who is expected to focus more on CB than WR in 2026, and slot CBs Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones. Depending on the team’s approach to the position in the draft, Brown may be in line for the largest role of his career.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
49ers Interested In CBs Riq Woolen, Montaric Brown
The Seahawks have three regulars from their Super Bowl-winning secondary hitting free agency Monday. All three — Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe — landed in PFR’s top 50. Riq Woolen ranked highest, and the 6-foot-4 cornerback figures to draw extensive interest soon.
If/when Seattle lets Woolen hit the market, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows notes several execs around the NFL expect the 49ers to be in that mix. The 49ers used Day 2 picks at corner in 2024 (Renardo Green) and ’25 (Upton Stout). They also have Deommodore Lenoir signed long term.
Pro Football Focus graded Green 86th overall among qualified cornerbacks last season. The 49ers gave Green a 92% defensive snap share alongside Lenoir, who has anchored San Francisco’s corner corps for multiple seasons. The team gave Lenoir a five-year, $89.8MM extension in 2024. As Ely Allen’s 49ers Offseason Outlook pointed out, however, Lenoir is owed a $16.75MM guarantee for his 2026 compensation on April 1. That could give San Francisco a decision, but losing Lenoir would also create a major need.
Mike Macdonald used Jobe in front of Woolen during the season’s second half, when the 6-foot-4 CB only topped 70% usage in one of the team’s final eight regular-season games. He still allowed a passer rating of 78.5, ranking 25th among 200-plus-snap CBs in 2025, according to The Athletic. Woolen burst onto the NFL scene in 2022 by intercepting six passes. He was viewed as a better fit for Pete Carroll‘s defense than Macdonald’s, however, as he was mentioned in trade rumors before the deadline. Though, the former fifth-round pick still played extensively during Seattle’s Super Bowl slate.
Cornerback does appear on the 49ers’ wish list, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the NFC West team is interested in the Jaguars‘ Montaric Brown. The Jags are still interested in re-signing Brown, though they are barely under the cap as of Sunday afternoon.
A seventh-round success story, Brown started 22 games for the Jags from 2024-25. After regarding Brown modestly prior to 2025, PFF graded him as the No. 26 overall CB last season — as the Jags made dramatic defensive improvements under Anthony Campanile. Jacksonville traded Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome in-season, and Newsome is now a free agent. Losing Brown would create a need for the reigning AFC South champs, though the team is expected to deploy Travis Hunter primarily as a cornerback next season.