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Rams Expect Matthew Stafford To Be Ready For Week 1

August 10th, 2025 at 12:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 10: During his planned workout on Saturday, Stafford threw 68 passes, and McVay said there were no limitations on the throws Stafford was able to make (via Barshop). As such, Stafford will indeed take part in individual drills on Monday, Barshop adds.

The joint practices with the Chargers have been cancelled, as the Bolts are a “little bit banged up,” per McVay.

AUGUST 7: McVay said on Thursday (via Rapoport) Stafford will conduct a workout on Saturday before the Rams’ preseason opener. If all goes well, Stafford will participate in Monday’s practice. In any case, McVay added his team’s QB1 will not take part in next week’s joint practices with the Chargers (h/t ESPN’s Sarah Barshop).

AUGUST 6: After the 2022 season created long-term questions for Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback rebounded to accelerate a Rams retooling effort. Stafford received a significant contract adjustment this offseason as a result of that reemergence.

But the back issue he has been dealing with is lingering. The quarterback is still sidelined due to an aggravated disk in his back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes. The 37-year-old passer has since received an epidural injection. While the Rams are expecting their standout QB to be ready for Week 1, this is certainly a situation to closely monitor considering Stafford’s age and injury history.

The Rams are labeling this a week-to-week situation, with Rapoport indicating the team is exercising caution with an aim for a regular-season debut on time. But the 17th-year veteran has been dealing with this nagging concern for over a week already. Jimmy Garoppolo, who obviously has a checkered injury past, re-signed as L.A.’s backup this offseason. Garoppolo is attached to a one-year, $3MM contract.

Although Stafford’s injury past includes stretches in which he was unable to play, the former 12-year Lions starter has regularly suited up in spite of various maladies. He may need to do so again, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicates L.A.’s fifth-year QB1 is on track to return to on-field work this week. Stafford has twice seen a back specialist about this issue, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, who adds neither Stafford nor Garoppolo will see preseason action.

Stafford entered the 2022 season after a nagging elbow injury altered his offseason, and the QB ended up missing much of the campaign due to a spinal cord contusion. The Rams were willing to discuss a trade during the 2023 offseason, but guaranteed money made it unrealistic coming off an injury-plagued season. From 2023-24, however, Stafford only missed one game for health reasons. This led to a minor 2024 contract update and a pivotal tweak this year. The Rams gave Stafford a $40MM guarantee, with another $40MM becoming guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.

The Giants and Raiders aggressively pursued Stafford, with each suitor preparing substantial guarantee packages totaling at least $90MM to bring him in. Both situations did not compare to the security Stafford has enjoyed under Sean McVay, and the QB opted to regroup with the Rams. While the extension the former No. 1 overall pick signed in 2022 (four years, $160MM) still runs through 2026, the trade interest led the Rams to make a bigger commitment in terms of guarantees at this juncture of the deal.

Garoppolo, 33, is in Year 2 with the Rams. He missed two games before being benched during a Raiders one-off but was among the NFL’s most injury-prone players during his 49ers tenure. Garoppolo’s foot fracture in December 2022 ended that run, keying Brock Purdy‘s rise. Garoppolo missed 32 regular-season games due to injury in San Francisco. With Stafford uncertainty lingering, the 12th-year vet’s injury past is again relevant. For the time being, however, Garoppolo is at the controls with an expected Super Bowl contender.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/25

August 2nd, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Adam La Rose

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from active/PUP list: TE Mark Redman

New York Jets

  • Claimed off waivers (from Broncos): CB Mario Goodrich
  • Waived (with injury designation): S Jaylin Simpson

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Danny Gray

Pittsburgh Steelers 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders 

Watkins and Campbell are among the notable veterans who are out for the season unless they wind up being released via an injury settlement and later signing with another team. Watkins left Arizona’s practice early on Thursday, and subsequent evaluation has clearly confirmed a notable injury occurred.

Campbell is dealing with a knee ailment, ESPN’s Todd Archer notes. Injuries have been a near-constant issue for the 28-year-old, who has played a full season only once so far in his career. The Cowboys marked Campbell’s third consecutive NFC East team, but instead of competing for a roster spot he will once again turn his attention to recovery.

Wallace has 96 games and 72 starts to his name, although his 35% defensive snap share with the Broncos last season was by far the lowest of his career. The 30-year-old will head to Jacksonville in time for the preseason. A strong showing through the remainder of training camp could allow him to occupy a backup role in the Jags’ secondary this season.

Rams, RB Kyren Williams Nearing Extension?

July 27th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Parks

It sounds as if extension talks between the Rams and running back Kyren Williams are continuing to trend in the right direction. As was the case with spring work, Williams timely reported to training camp, and he emphatically stated he would be a full practice participant while negotiations are ongoing (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic).

Head coach Sean McVay told reporters (including Rodrigue) that Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, spent time at the team’s training camp site on Thursday to discuss Williams’ contract with Los Angeles brass. No agreement is in place yet, but McVay conceded that the mere fact Rosenhaus made the trip is an indication that discussions are going well.

McVay expressed similar sentiments back in May, so it is unclear how much work remains to be done before the two sides strike an accord. In any event, the Rams understandably will not reset the running back market for Williams, and it is difficult to predict exactly where his new contract will rank among the deals his RB peers have secured.

The top of the market is set by game-changing talents like Saquon Barkley ($20.6MM average annual value), Christian McCaffrey ($19MM), and Derrick Henry ($15MM). While the soon-to-be 25-year-old Williams has the age advantage on those players, he does not have nearly the same record of production.

Williams, a fifth-round pick in 2022, saw just 35 totes in his rookie season. He exploded onto the scene in 2023 with a league-leading average of 95.3 rushing yards per game to go along with a stellar 5.0 yards-per-carry rate. He added 206 receiving yards for good measure and piled up 15 total touchdowns.

Increased usage in 2024 (316 carries, as opposed to 228 in 2023) was accompanied by a drop in efficiency. Williams’ 4.1 YPC mark in 2024, while solid, was not stellar, and he also fumbled five times. He nonetheless remained a touchdown and first down machine, recording 16 total scores and moving the chains a total of 91 times.

As such, it would not be surprising to see Williams hit the $10MM/year threshold, an AAV that seven other running backs presently enjoy. Barring an unforeseen development, an extension should be expected sooner rather than later.

QB Matthew Stafford Has Back Soreness; Rams Using Altered Practice Approach

July 26th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Back soreness resulted in Matthew Stafford being limited to start training camp. Instead of returning to practice this coming week, the Super Bowl winner will be sidelined.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said on Saturday (via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop) that Stafford is still expected to be at full strength in time for Week 1. For now, though, the 37-year-old is considered week-to-week.

“I don’t think we can be smart enough with somebody like Matthew [Stafford] and I think it’s best for him, best for our football team, and that’s kind of the plan that we’ll have moving forward,” McVay said of the team’s amended practice schedule which will be implemented this summer.

McVay also noted (via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network) that Stafford is on board with the plan to manage his workload during camp. The team will also employ a “modified schedule” for practice with other veterans on the offensive side of the ball. Longevity through the campaign is the target as Los Angeles aims for another postseason run in 2025.

Keeping Stafford in particular healthy will of course be critical to the team’s success. He was able to handle a full campaign last year, only sitting out the regular season finale with the Rams having already clinched the NFC West title. A sustained run of availability will also be key given the commitments which are in place beyond the 2025 campaign.

The Rams allowed Stafford to survey his trade market this offseason before ultimately working out another restructured pact. The two-time Pro Bowler is scheduled to collect $84MM over the next two years, with $56MM of that figure – including $16MM in 2026 – fully guaranteed. No long-term successor is in place, so Stafford’s healthy and level of play will remain central in determining the team’s fate for at least another two years.

In the meantime, veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo and 2023 fourth-rounder Stetson Bennett will handle practice reps at the quarterback spot. Stafford will see time as camp progresses, but his ability to avoid any setbacks will be a storyline to monitor leading up to the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

July 23rd, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/25

July 21st, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Training camps are underway around the league, bringing more and more roster adjustments every day. Here are the latest minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Will Sheppard
  • Released: K Alex Hale

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: QB Dresser Winn

Minnesota Vikings

  • Placed on active/PUP: TE Gavin Bartholomew, LB Chaz Chambliss

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: CB Kam Alexander, DT Justin Rogers
  • Waived/NFI: CB Zy Alexander

Martin, a 12-year veteran who signed with the Panthers this offseason, is dealing with a minor hamstring injury, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

The Cowboys’ trio of cornerbacks were all expected to be placed on their respective lists given where they are in the rehab process, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The same is true of Overshown, who recently shared a positive update on social media (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).

An eye injury will sideline Hale for several weeks, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, forcing the Packers to release him. Hale was not expected to push Brandon McManus for the starting job in Green Bay, but the team will need another kicker for training camp.

The Seahawks swapped undrafted cornerbacks, adding Alexander out of Oregon and waiving Alexander with a non-football injury designation. Rogers, meanwhile, was signed after a successful tryout.

Rams Sign Second-Round TE Terrance Ferguson, Complete Draft Pick Signings

July 19th, 2025 at 12:39pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Rams are signing No. 46 pick Terrance Ferguson to a four-year, $9.71MM rookie contract, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Like virtually every 2025 second-rounder, the rookie tight end will set a record for guaranteed money for his draft slot. 82.8% of his contract (just under $8.05MM) is fully guaranteed, per Fowler; in 2024, No. 46 Jonathon Brooks signed a deal that was 74.1% fully guaranteed (via Spotrac).

Ferguson’s signing comes on the heels of the Colts’ agreement with No. 45 pick J.T. Tuimoloau, who reached 88.02% in total guarantees. If that number also reflects Tuimoloau’s fully guaranteed allotment, the gap between him and Ferguson would be significantly larger than the one between Ferguson and No. 49 pick Demetrius Knight, signed earlier today with nearly 80% of his deal fully guaranteed.

With both Ferguson and Knight putting pen to paper, deals should quickly fall into place for the players drafted between them: Cardinals No. 47 pick Will Johnson and Texans No. 48 pick Aireontae Ersery.

Ferguson, meanwhile, is all set to report for Rams training camp this week as the team’s highest selection in this year’s draft. He will push veteran tight end Tyler Higbee for the starting job and is considered the 31-year-old’s long-term replacement.

The Rams have now signed all six of their 2025 draft picks:

Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

July 13th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

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

2016

2017

2018

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

2019

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

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

2022

2023

Raiders provided raise to Jacobs to bring him into training camp

2024

Ndamukong Suh Announces Retirement

July 12th, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Longtime NFL defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has officially announced his retirement in a social media post.

Suh was one of the most dominant defensive linemen of the 2010s, earning five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro selections across his 13-year career. He finished one game shy of 200 regular-season appearances and recorded 600 total tackles, 71.5 sacks, and 130 tackles.

Suh revealed that his father passed away exactly one year ago, inspiring him to seek out a post-football career hosting No Free Lunch, a podcast with The Athletic focused on business and finance. He hopes to use his platform to help athletes and young entrepreneurs.

Suh had a stellar career at the University of Nebraska, including a monstrous senior year in 2009 with 12.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. He won the Nagurski and Bednarik Awards as the best defensive player in college football, was named a unanimous All-American, and finished fourth in Heisman voting.

He was then selected by the Lions with the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and burst onto the pro scene with 10.0 sacks as a rookie, earning him the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award along with Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors. He never reached double-digit sacks again, but remained a fierce disruptor on the interior with three more Pro Bowls and three more All-Pro nods in Detroit.

Suh was one of the biggest prizes of free agency in 2015 and ultimately signed a massive six-year, $114MM contract with the Dolphins. Suh’s $19MM per year — a defender-record contract at the time — may not seem like much relative to the modern interior defensive line market, but it represented a whopping 13.3% of the 2015 salary cap. Adjusted to the 2025 cap, Suh’s APY would be over $37MM, by far the highest-paid DT in the league, per OverTheCap.

However, after 36 sacks and 66 tackles for loss in five years with the Lions, Suh only had 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in his first three years in Miami. He was released in 2018 and signed with the Rams for one season before a three-year stint in Tampa Bay. Suh helped the Rams to Super Bowl LIII, pairing with Aaron Donald for a season, and returned to the sport’s biggest stage with the Buccaneers.

Suh’s time with the Bucs featured a resurgence in play (12 sacks across 2020 and 2021) and his first and only championship in Super Bowl LV. Suh teamed with Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul to hound Patrick Mahomes in a home Super Bowl romp, the Bucs’ second championship. As the Bucs attempted to run it back with their full starting lineup in 2021, that meant re-signing Suh. The former Heisman runner-up ended up signing three one-year contracts with the Bucs, the last of which being worth $9MM.

Finishing off his career with five one-year contracts in a row, Suh then joined the Eagles partway through the 2022 season and even appeared in Super Bowl LVII. Although he was connected to a 2023 return, no comeback commenced. He received interest from the Ravens and the Dolphins during the 2023 season, but no deal came to fruition.

Suh finishes his career with just over $168MM in total earnings. He was already been named to the Hall of Fame All-2010s team and will have a chance at being inducted in five years. His candidacy, along with other modern DTs like Fletcher Cox, Geno Atkins, and Cameron Heyward, will be an interesting litmus test for the position’s Hall of Fame standards.

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

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:

Round 2:

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.

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