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Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.

While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.

Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.

This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:

2022 draft:

Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.

This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.

2023 draft:

While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.

Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.

2024 draft:

The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.

Keenan Allen Only Open To Playing In Chicago, Los Angeles In 2025

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Keenan Allen changed agents this offseason; his new representation will have an interesting task ahead. One of the biggest names on track for free agency at wide receiver, Allen does not sound interested in a true open market. Ahead of what would be his age-33 season, the decorated wideout is only open to landing in two cities.

Allen only wants to continue his career with the Bears or in Los Angeles, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley. The perennial Pro Bowler joined the Bears in a contract year, and the team is set for a transition. It is interesting that Allen will keep the door open to a Chicago signing, as the GM who acquired him (Ryan Poles) will be back. Allen said early last month he wanted to re-sign with the Bears, but family reasons have kept the L.A. door open.

Clarifying Allen’s L.A. stance, Finley notes the 12-year veteran would be open to returning to the Chargers or joining the Rams. Allen’s family still lives in Southern California; they would relocate if he re-signed with the Bears. It would be interesting to see if another team could change the veteran’s mind, as sticking to this three-teams-or-bust route would significantly limit his options. As it stands, however, Allen is not preparing to be a true free agent — even though he has never been on the open market previously.

The Chargers and Allen experienced a memorable fallout, with the team attempting to reduce the wideout’s pay early during the Jim Harbaugh-Joe Hortiz run. An extension offer made would have led to a reduction on Allen’s $20MM-per-year deal; he is instead playing out the contract with the Bears. Prior to being traded, Allen had expressed hope of finishing his career with the Bolts.

Allen experienced steady success with Justin Herbert targeting him and trails only Antonio Gates in receiving yards with the now-L.A.-based franchise. The former San Diego draftee is one of the best players in team history, though based on what transpired this past offseason, expecting a big-ticket contract offer from the Bolts may be unrealistic.

The Cal alum made it clear he has not decided on playing a 13th NFL season. This Bears campaign has brought a step back, as the team has made major changes while breaking in a rookie quarterback. Allen has topped 100 yards just once this season, entering Week 18 with 719 during Caleb Williams‘ rookie year. The Bears had acquired Allen to help the No. 1 overall pick develop, but the team fired OC Shane Waldron weeks into his first season — as criticism from Allen and D.J. Moore surfaced — and has used pass-game coordinator-turned-OC-turned-interim HC Thomas Brown as its play-caller since. The Bears have not won a game since giving up a Hail Mary touchdown to the Commanders in Week 7.

Allen’s age already stood to limit his 2025 market, as a short-term deal would be likely — in the event the six-time Pro Bowler did not choose to retire. Tee Higgins is set to headline the 2025 WR class — if the Bengals do not reapply the franchise tag — while the likes of Chris Godwin, Marquise Brown, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins and Brandin Cooks in a mostly veteran-heavy crop that also includes ex-Allen sidekick Mike Williams, who has not made much of an impact in his first post-Chargers season.

The Bears gave Moore a long-term deal this summer and used a top-10 pick on Rome Odunze, likely limiting where they would go for Allen. The Chargers have centered their receiving corps around second-round sensation Ladd McConkey, who became the first Chargers wideout since Allen to post 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. Harbaugh’s team needs help here, however, especially with Josh Palmer headed to free agency.

It is unclear how interested the Rams would be, having passed on a Cooper Kupp trade and seeing Puka Nacua become one of the NFL’s best pass catchers. Sean McVay‘s team eyeing Allen as a complementary piece would be something to monitor, Allen Robinson‘s Chicago-to-L.A. faceplant notwithstanding, especially if the quality route runner sticks to his California-or-Illinois plan.

Sitting 18th on the all-time receptions list (971) and 41st in yards (11,249), Allen probably needs to submit more to build a viable Hall of Fame case. It will be interesting to see if he passes on potential offers from non-Chicago or Los Angeles-based teams to ensure he continues his career on his terms.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New England Patriots (3-13)
  2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
  3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
  4. New York Giants (3-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
  6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
  7. New York Jets (4-12)
  8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
  13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
  14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
  15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
  17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
  19. Houston Texans (9-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
  25. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
  26. Washington Commanders (11-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
  30. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

NFL Coaching Rumors: Vrabel, Desai, Falcons

December 29th, 2024 at 8:11pm CST by Ely Allen

Following his first head coaching stint in Tennessee, Mike Vrabel has been serving as a coaching and personnel consultant in Cleveland. His job with the Browns was obviously a last-second alternative after he attempted to go after another head coaching gig in the offseason and failed.

We had heard rumors back in January following the hiring of Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles that Vrabel was the second option for the job. That rumor was reiterated by Diana Russini of The Athletic recently. Vrabel had reportedly nailed his interview with the Chargers, and there was legitimate concern that Harbaugh might have backed out of the agreement to become head coach. Unfortunately for Vrabel, Harbaugh returned to the NFL, leaving Vrabel in a quick search for work.

The next head coaching cycle should give Vrabel a bit more time to find a job, and according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, he may not be the only one who departs. Kay claims that, should Vrabel leave for his next head coaching gig in 2025, there’s an expectation that he will attempt to bring pass game specialist and tight ends coach Tommy Rees with him.

Rees doesn’t have much NFL experience. Starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern, Rees spent one season as an offensive assistant for the Chargers in 2016 before going back to the collegiate ranks. He spent three seasons as Notre Dame’s quarterbacks coach before earning the offensive coordinator title for three more years. Before joining Cleveland, he spent a single season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Alabama.

Here are a couple other coaching rumors from around the NFL:

  • Another coach who took a small role in 2024 was former NFL defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Desai has spent two separate seasons as a coordinator in the NFL, both times failing to retain his position into the next year. After being fired by the Eagles following the loss of six of their final seven games, Desai took the role of senior defensive assistant with the Rams, calling the scout team defense against the team’s offense in practice. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Desai is expected to be a hot name in the upcoming cycle as a candidate to once again become a defensive coordinator.
  • In the realm of college, Falcons pass game specialist Chandler Whitmer has been hired to serve as the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for Indiana in 2025, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He is set to replace Tino Sunseri who will take the opportunity to call plays at UCLA next year. Whitmer brings four years of NFL experience, previously working as a quality control coach with quarterbacks for the Chargers. He also spent time as a graduate assistant with Clemson and Ohio State. This will be his first job as a full-time position coach.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 24th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

Two weeks remain in the regular season, and while a number of teams are jockeying for playoff spots several others are still in contention to land a coveted draft slot. It remains to be seen where the No. 1 selection will wind up.

The Giants and Raiders entered Sunday’s action with two wins apiece, and New York’s loss kept the team strongly in contention to kick off the draft in April. By virtue of winning against the Jaguars, though, the Raiders hurt their chances of finding themselves in that position. A top-two spot (or thereabouts) may be required to draft either of this year’s top passers, but a small move up the order positioning Vegas to add one could still be on the table.

Five teams currently sit a 3-12, and a head-to-head matchup between the Titans and Jaguars on Sunday will be key in deciding where each of them wind up. Another three squads own a 4-11 record, so plenty of potential exists in terms of changes being made to the order at the top of the board. Numerous expected suitors for a Day 1 quarterback (including teams like the Browns and Jets) may very well find themselves out of reach for Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders without a trade-up being necessary. The Panthers’ starting situation with Bryce Young is certainly not settled for 2025, but adding a passer on Day 1 would come as a surprise at this point.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New York Giants (2-13)
  2. New England Patriots (3-12)
  3. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-12)
  5. Cleveland Browns (3-12)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (3-12)
  7. Carolina Panthers (4-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-11)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-11)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-10)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Miami Dolphins (7-8)
  13. Indianapolis Colts (7-8)
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (7-8)
  15. Dallas Cowboys (7-8)
  16. Arizona Cardinals (7-8)
  17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
  19. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
  20. Los Angeles Chargers (9-6)
  21. Houston Texans (9-6)
  22. Denver Broncos (9-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
  24. Washington Commanders (10-5)
  25. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)
  26. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)
  27. Green Bay Packers (11-4)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (12-3)
  30. Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/21/24

December 21st, 2024 at 7:34pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor transactions and standard gameday practice squad elevations:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After being activated from injured reserve in early November, Bates only played two games before suffering a concussion. The 27-year-old has not played since Week 11 and will now miss the remainder of the season on IR. Bates is under contract through 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/17/24

December 17th, 2024 at 9:21pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from the around the NFL:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Rams

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

After another round of injuries in Week 15, the Lions signed Pittman off the Jaguars’ practice squad to bolster their linebacker room. The five-year veteran appeared in just one game for Jacksonville this season, which coincidentally came against the Lions in Week 11. Pittman has primarily played special teams in his NFL career and will continue that role in Detroit.

The Raiders will be without Robinson for the rest of the season after he received a three-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.

The 49ers placed Thomas on injured reserve after initial roster cuts, but never designated him to return. He is “now healthy and, as a former third-round pick out of Michigan, is expected to garner interest,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Thomas appeared in 42 games, including 11 starts, in San Francisco, but never developed into a consistent starting corner as the team hoped.

Rams Activate TE Tyler Higbee

December 17th, 2024 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Rams needed to activate Tyler Higbee from the reserve/PUP list this week, and rather than ensure the veteran tight end missed the whole season, the team is moving him back to the 53-man roster.

Down with an ACL tear sustained in a 2023 wild-card game, Higbee has spent the season on the PUP list. The Rams designated the ninth-year player for return on November 27, giving them until Wednesday to activate him before a move to season-ending IR would have commenced. Higbee, however, is back and would be moving toward debuting.

Los Angeles also placed linebacker Nick Hampton on IR and added veteran edge rusher Rashad Weaver to its practice squad. Higbee, of course, is the lead news item here. With Aaron Donald retired, Higbee is the team’s second-longest-tenured player — behind only right tackle Rob Havenstein.

Sean McVay said in late November that Higbee was still several weeks away from coming back. The Rams designating him for return when they did, however, gave him three weeks of practice in advance of this point. Higbee, 31, would end up with four weeks of practice ahead of L.A.’s Week 16 game. That provides a lengthy onramp, and it will be interesting to see if the Rams have him in uniform Sunday.

Drafted in the 2016 fourth round, Higbee joins Havenstein as the only Rams to predate McVay’s arrival. Higbee, however, has signed two Rams extensions. The most recent — a two-year, $17MM deal — runs through the 2025 season. Higbee secured $2MM of his $4.5MM 2025 base salary guaranteed, which will make him a bit harder to jettison next year. He could be a nice bonus for this year’s Rams, who have rallied from 1-4 to the NFC West lead.

The 8-6 team has used free agency addition Colby Parkinson as its top pass-catching tight end. The former Seahawk has 288 yards on 29 receptions. Hunter Long, acquired in the 2023 Jalen Ramsey trade, has just seven grabs for 60 yards. Higbee has been an integral part of McVay’s passing attack, averaging at least 51 yards per game in each of the past six seasons. Chosen as the team’s long-term tight end over Gerald Everett years ago, Higbee has a 734-yard season on his resume and three more 500-plus-yard years. Missing two games last season, Higbee still totaled 47 catches for 495 yards. This came after he amassed 621 yards on a career-high 72 receptions.

Los Angeles played an extended stretch without both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, with each impact receiver joining Higbee in picking up injuries. The trio could be back together soon, as the Rams attempt to secure their first division title since 2021.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 17th, 2024 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

This NFL season saw several teams slip out of contention quicker than usual, slimming wild-card races and expanding the pursuit for the No. 1 overall pick. Two teams now lead that race.

While no prospect on the Caleb Williams level is dangling for the Raiders and Giants, an interesting showdown has formed. With three weeks to go, the Giants would currently hold the top 2025 draft choice. But based on projected strength of schedule, the Raiders would win the tiebreaker if the results held. The team with the weaker overall strength of schedule would win that. The Giants still have a game against the 12-2 Eagles, while the Raiders’ upcoming matchup with the 3-11 Jaguars works in their favor.

The Giants have not held the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1967-present), last making a choice atop a draft in 1965 (running back Tucker Frederickson). Their Eli Manning trade occurred after the Chargers had chosen the quarterback to start the 2004 draft. The Raiders have held the top pick once in the common draft era, famously choosing JaMarcus Russell to start the ’07 draft. Both teams have coaches fighting for their jobs, but each also has seen All-Pros (Dexter Lawrence, Maxx Crosby) removed from equations. Losers of 10 straight, the Raiders follow their Jaguars matchup with games against the Saints and Chargers. The Giants, who have dropped nine consecutive games, go Falcons-Colts-Eagles to close the season.

Five 3-11 teams sit behind the Raiders and Giants presently, with the NFL having nine teams who have already lost double-digit contests. If a Giants or Raiders win occurs, there are candidates to move toward pole position in what could be races for Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. Though, a non-Giants or Raiders team finishing in the top two creates a bit more intrigue, as both those clubs are in dire need of QB help.

With an eye on teams’ projected strength of schedule based on current records, here is how the draft order looks with three games to go:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
  2. New York Giants (2-12)
  3. New England Patriots (3-11)
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
  5. Carolina Panthers (3-11)
  6. Tennessee Titans (3-11)
  7. Cleveland Browns (3-11)
  8. New York Jets (4-10)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-10)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
  11. Miami Dolphins (6-8)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (6-8)
  13. Cincinnati Bengals (6-8)
  14. Dallas Cowboys (6-8)
  15. San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
  16. Atlanta Falcons (7-7)
  17. Arizona Cardinals (7-7)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
  19. Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
  20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6)
  21. Los Angeles Rams (8-6)
  22. Washington Commanders (9-5)
  23. Denver Broncos (9-5)
  24. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
  25. Houston Texans (9-5)
  26. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)
  27. Green Bay Packers (10-4)
  28. Minnesota Vikings (12-2)
  29. Buffalo Bills (11-3)
  30. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2)
  31. Detroit Lions (12-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (13-1)

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/24

December 12th, 2024 at 8:53pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest moves from around the NFL:

Los Angeles Rams

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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