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NFC Contract Details: Golston, Giants, Bucs, Cowboys, Cards, Panthers, Seahawks, Eagles

March 25th, 2025 at 2:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are more contract details from some recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFC in free agency:

  • Poona Ford, DT (Rams). Three years, $27.6MM. While not quite as high as the $30MM initial report, Ford’s contract includes $15.6MM guaranteed at signing, via OverTheCap. This comes after Ford played the 2024 season for $1.79MM in total. The Rams guaranteed $3.75MM of Ford’s $5MM 2026 base salary at signing. If on Los Angeles’ roster by Day 5 of the ’26 league year, Ford will see the other $1.5MM lock in. If the 29-year-old DT is still on L.A.’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, a $2.25MM roster bonus is due.
  • Chauncey Golston, DE (Giants). Three years, $18MM. This is slightly less than initially reported, but The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates it comes with $12MM fully guaranteed. The Giants guaranteed Golston’s 2025 and ’26 money.
  • Baron Browning, LB (Cardinals). Two years, $15MM. Receiving $10MM guaranteed at signing, Browning will see part of his 2026 base salary guaranteed. $2MM of the trade pickup’s $4.39MM 2026 base is locked in at signing, per Cards Wire’s Howard Balzer, who adds a $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. The bonus is not guaranteed at signing. If Browning reaches eight sacks in 2025, his 2026 base salary increases by $2MM. Five sacks represents Browning’s highwater mark thus far.
  • Patrick Jones, LB (Panthers). Two years, $15MM. This is down from the initial report as well, but the ex-Vikings rotational rusher will see $10.25MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Joe Person tweets. Another $4MM is available via performance-based incentives, per OverTheCap.
  • Evan Brown, G (Cardinals). Two years, $11.44MM. The Cardinals are guaranteeing Brown $6MM at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. If the veteran interior O-lineman is on Arizona’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he is due a $500K roster bonus.
  • Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB (Cardinals). Two years, $10MM. Arizona is guaranteeing Davis-Gaither $5MM at signing, Wilson tweets. The veteran linebacker’s $4.39MM 2026 base salary is nonguaranteed, giving the Cardinals an out after one year.
  • Anthony Nelson, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $10MM. The Bucs guaranteed Nelson $5.5MM to re-sign, Wilson tweets. Tampa Bay included a $500K roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year.
  • Markquese Bell, S/LB (Cowboys). Three years, $9MM. Bell will be guaranteed $6.2MM at signing, Wilson adds; this covers the young defender’s signing bonus and 2025 and ’26 base salaries.
  • Jamie Gillan, P (Giants). Three years, $9MM. Down a bit from initial reports, Gillan’s deal includes $4MM guaranteed, Duggan adds. The deal includes $1.2MM via incentives.
  • Solomon Thomas, DL (Cowboys). Two years, $6MM. The Cowboys guaranteed the former No. 3 overall pick $3MM, Wilson tweets. That covers a signing bonus and his 2025 base salary. An additional $2MM is available through playing time- and sack-based incentives.
  • Josh Jones, OL (Seahawks). One year, $4MM. Jones will see $3MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. This is up from his $665K guarantee with the Ravens last year.
  • Jimmy Garoppolo, QB (Rams). One year, $3MM. The Rams secured Garoppolo for a second season, doing so despite authorizing a pay cut. Garoppolo played out a one-year, $3.19MM deal in 2024. Like in 2024, Garoppolo’s deal is fully guaranteed.
  • Josh Uche, DE (Eagles). One year, $1.92MM. The Eagles guaranteed Uche $1.25MM, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tweets. $500K in sack-based incentives are available. Uche played for $3MM in 2024. Despite this low-value deal, Philly included four void years.

Rams WR Puka Nacua Hopes To Retire At 30

March 25th, 2025 at 10:31am CST by Adam La Rose

Puka Nacua enjoyed a stellar rookie season, and he followed it up with a strong campaign in 2024. The Rams wideout is positioned to operate as a foundational member of the team’s offense for the foreseeable future, but he recently provided insight on how long he intends to play in the NFL.

“I know I want to retire at the age of 30,” Nacua said during an appearance on the Join the Lobby podcast (video link). “I’m 23 right now, I’m going into Year 3 — it wouldn’t even be 10 years. It’d be maybe seven or eight. I think of Aaron Donald, to go out at the top, I think it would be super cool.”

Donald retired last spring at the age of 32. The future Hall of Famer had already won a Super Bowl along with three Defensive Player of the Year awards by that point, leaving him with little more to accomplish in the NFL. Donald’s success also made him one of the league’s all-time leaders in terms of career earnings, a list Nacua is obviously a long way from joining. The latter has two years remaining on his rookie contract.

Selected in the fifth round in 2023, Nacua set new NFL records for receptions (105) and yards (1,486) by a rookie receiver. He was limited to 11 games this past season, but he averaged 90 yards per contest, a slight increase in his output compared to his rookie campaign. The BYU product has seen Cooper Kupp released this offseason with the Rams bringing in Davante Adams as a replacement.

That will give Los Angeles a different look in the passing game, but Nacua will still be counted on to play a major role in the team’s offense. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is in the fold for at least one more season, so expectations will remain high for the unit. Nacua could play his way into a lucrative extension as early as next offseason, but his second contract could prove to be his sole lucrative deal if he holds firm on his career plans.

“The injuries are something you can’t control [as] part of the game, so you never know,” Nacua added. “Hopefully, the rest of the career can go healthy, but you have shoulder surgery, you have knee surgery, you have ankle. By the time my kids could be 18, I could be barely walking if you play the game and sustain all the injuries and stuff like that, but I want to retire early.”

For the time being, Nacua should be able to enjoy a highly productive career as long as he remains healthy moving forward. Even if that takes place, though, his tenure with the Rams could prove to be relatively short-lived.

Rams To Re-Sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon

March 19th, 2025 at 12:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

A third Ahkello Witherspoon Rams season is on tap. The veteran cornerback is returning to Los Angeles on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

It took until late June for Witherspoon to rejoin the Rams in 2023 and until September in 2024; the team will give him an earlier start in 2025. Witherspoon, who will turn 30 on Friday, has started 22 games for the Rams over the past two seasons.

The Rams used Witherspoon as a full-time starter in 2023, doing so after adding him June 29. The post-minicamp addition led to 17 starts, as Witherspoon served as a veteran presence along with Darious Williams at corner last season. With Tre’Davious White not working out on a one-year deal in 2024, Witherspoon moved up to the Rams’ active roster — after returning on a practice squad deal — and logged a 58% snap share on defense.

Intercepting three passes in 2023, Witherspoon added one pick and broke up nine more passes last season. His coverage metrics worsened, however. After allowing just 48.1% of the passes thrown his way to be completed in 2023, Witherspoon saw that number rise to 65.3 in 2024. He yielded 8.5 yards per target and a 96.9 passer rating as a the closest defender last season as well. Pro Football Focus saw the 6-foot-2 cover man as a middling corner, however, ranking him 53rd among regulars in 2024.

This agreement will give Witherspoon a chance to play a ninth NFL season. A 62-game starter, Witherspoon was a regular first-stringer on the 49ers’ Super Bowl LIV-bound team; though, he had been demoted to backup by the time that game came around. Witherspoon still started four more playoff games since, including both of the Rams’ contests last season. Witherspoon made a critical contribution during the Rams’ wild-card romp over the Vikings, stripping Sam Darnold of the ball to allow for a 57-yard scoop-and-score from Jared Verse.

Stopping through Seattle and Pittsburgh between his California stays, Witherspoon will continue to supply experience for a young Rams CB corps. Though, he is not the only such option. Williams, who re-signed with the Rams in 2024, is still under contract ahead of an age-32 season. Two 30-somethings at corner would be an interesting route for the Rams, who still have plans with Williams due to a recent development. Williams locked in $8MM, between a $5MM base salary and $3MM roster bonus, after remaining on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year. In addition to multiyear staple Cobie Durant, the Rams still have Emmanuel Forbes — whose first-round contract they claimed via waivers — rostered as well.

Rams Sign LB Nathan Landman

March 18th, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this month, it was learned the Falcons would not issue an RFA tender to Nathan Landman. That left the linebacker free to depart on the open market, and he has done just that.

Landman agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams on Tuesday, per a team announcement. During his three seasons in Atlanta, the former undrafted free agent made 36 appearances and 23 starts. He could take on a notable defensive role with Los Angeles as a result.

During his debut season, Landman played seven games but saw only sparse usage on defense while handling special teams duties. His workload changed dramatically in 2023, however, with 805 defensive snaps resulting in notable production. Landman posted 110 tackles, three forced fumbles and a pair of sacks that season while filling in for the injured Troy Andersen.

Landman remained a key defender this past season, although a quad injury forced him to miss four games. A deal allowing him to remain in Atlanta was floated as a possibility once the decision was made to non-tender him (something which would have cost as little as $3.26MM). Instead of returning at a lower rate, Landman has elected to join a new team for the first time in his career.

The 26-year-old now joins a LB room which saw Christian Rozeboom depart in free agency by taking a deal with the Panthers. The Rams have also lost special teamer Jake Hummel to the Ravens while Troy Reeder remains unsigned. Landman could again find himself occupying a heavy workload on defense as a result; failing that, he should have plenty of special teams snaps available.

The Colorado product collected roughly $2.5MM during his time with the Falcons. Deals signed this deep into free agency are not particularly lucrative in most cases, but it will be interesting to see if this Rams pact checks in at a higher rate than the value of the low tender. In any case, Landman can help his 2026 earning potential with a strong season in Los Angeles.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford Intends To Play In 2026; Team To Retain TE Tyler Higbee, RT Rob Havenstein For 2025

March 16th, 2025 at 9:28pm CST by Rory Parks

Before the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes got underway this offseason, a competition in which the Raiders and Giants emerged as the top contenders to acquire the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning quarterback via trade, Stafford first had to determine whether he was even going to continue his playing career in 2025. A little over a week after Los Angeles’ divisional-round loss to the Eagles, Stafford told his club he would not be retiring.

Both player and team knew after their 2024 restructure that Stafford’s contract would need to be revisited again if their relationship was to continue, and this year, the Rams gave the veteran passer permission to speak with other teams to determine his value. Although both Las Vegas and New York were prepared to part with draft capital and authorize a two-year contract featuring up to $100MM in guarantees, Stafford decided to stay with the Rams on another reworked pact.

Head coach Sean McVay recently confirmed that, just as the parties did last year, compensation due later in Stafford’s contract was accelerated to this season, and that is what facilitated an agreement. The exact financial details are not yet known, but what is clear is that Stafford’s thru-2026 deal was not extended. As such, if and when the parties find themselves in the same position next offseason – which McVay expects – there will be no more future years from which to borrow money. In other words, an actual extension and/or raise will need to be hammered out to keep Stafford with the Rams in 2026 and perhaps beyond.

Of course, that assumes the 37-year-old passer will want to keep playing in 2026. While a player’s thoughts can always change, Stafford does not sound as if he intends to again contemplate retirement after the upcoming campaign.

On a recent episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast, Stafford said, “I’m going to be [with the Rams] at least another year, and hopefully some after that” (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).

Stafford went on to call this offseason’s uncertainty “a little nerve-wracking,” and though such uncertainty appears to await next year as well, it may be entirely contract-related rather than retirement-related. Although Stafford always preferred to remain with McVay and the team that has employed him for the last four seasons, his use of the word “hopefully” indicates he still may not finish his career with the Rams.

The beyond-2025 futures of Los Angeles TE Tyler Higbee and RT Rob Havenstein are also uncertain, as both players are entering platform years. McVay recently confirmed, however, that both will be back with the club this season (via Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic).

As Rodrigue notes, the fact that Higbee and Havenstein have one season left on their existing deals warranted such confirmation from the head coach (as did the fact that both of them are coming off injury-impacted seasons). Higbee, 32, has operated as the Rams’ full-time starter at tight end since 2017, but he sustained a torn ACL and MCL in the 2023 postseason that delayed his start to the 2024 slate (he also suffered a chest injury in this year’s wildcard round, though he returned for the divisional-round matchup, catching seven balls for 54 yards and a score).

Havenstein, who is entering his age-33 season, has been a stalwart at right tackle since joining the Rams as a second-round pick in 2015. He has never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro nod, but he has started all 141 games in which he has appeared and has consistently generated good to excellent marks from Pro Football Focus. His return will be key for an aging QB and a team that has designs on another postseason run.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/25

March 14th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor NFL moves after a busy week of transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

NFL Announces 2025 Compensatory Picks

March 14th, 2025 at 12:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 14: In an unusual step, the NFL has awarded the Saints a seventh-round compensatory pick and stripped one from the Dolphins. The Saints’ pick appears to check in in front of the Browns and Chargers’ Nos. 254 and 255 slots, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes Cleveland and Los Angeles’ last 2025 picks will slide down one spot. The Dolphins will retain their other seventh-round comp pick, however.

MARCH 11: The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2025 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2024 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 35 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 2025 compensatory selections:

By round:

Round 3: Vikings (No. 97 overall), Dolphins (98), Giants (99), 49ers (100)*, Rams (101)*, Lions (102)*

Round 4: Dolphins (135), Ravens (136), Seahawks (137), 49ers (138)

Round 5: Bills (169), Cowboys (170), Cowboys (171), Seahawks (172), Bills (173), Cowboys (174), Seahawks (175), Ravens (176)

Round 6: Chargers (209), Ravens (210), Cowboys (211), Ravens (212), Raiders (213), Chargers (214), Raiders (215), Browns (216)

Round 7: 49ers (249), Packers (250), Chiefs (251), 49ers (252), Dolphins (253), Browns (254), Chargers (255), Dolphins (256), Chiefs (257)

By team:

  • Baltimore Ravens: 4
  • Dallas Cowboys: 4
  • Miami Dolphins: 4
  • San Francisco 49ers: 4
  • Los Angeles Chargers: 3
  • Seattle Seahawks: 3
  • Buffalo Bills: 2
  • Cleveland Browns: 2
  • Kansas City Chiefs: 2
  • Las Vegas Raiders: 2
  • Detroit Lions: 1
  • Green Bay Packers: 1
  • Los Angeles Rams: 1
  • Minnesota Vikings: 1
  • New York Giants: 1

* = special compensatory selection

OL Notes: Becton, Texans, Smith, Jags, Rams

March 13th, 2025 at 12:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Eagles‘ Mekhi Becton signing proved to be a highly effective one. The former Jets tackle was able to have success upon moving inside, and he helped his market after playing on a $2.75MM ‘prove it’ contract in 2024.

Becton’s preference would be to remain in Philadelphia, but he is of course an attractive option to teams eyeing upgrades up front. PFR’s No. 22 free agent in 2025 could look to capitalize on the strength of the guard market, which saw the likes of Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson, Kevin Dotson, Damien Lewis and Jon Runyan Jr sign deals averaging eight figures per year in free agency. Becton will likely not be able to match many of their earnings, but an Eagles departure could still be looming.

ESPN’s Tim McManus reports there has not been tangible progress between team and player to work out a re-signing in this case. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is among those who would like to see Becton, entering his age-26 season, brought back. As the Eagles move forward with a line already featuring four lucrative deals, though, keeping him in place may not be possible.

Here are some offensive line notes from around the league:

  • The Eagles, of course, have a deal in place to add a guard in the form of Kenyon Green. The former Texans first-rounder is one of three O-linemen the team is moving on from as part of its offseason plans. Veteran Shaq Mason was recently released, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil is on his way to the Commanders. The offensive line group increasingly became a problem in Houston last season, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. Tunsil is respected in the organization, Breer adds, but making sweeping changes up front this offseason allowed the Texans to avoid a third lucrative commitment to the 30-year-old. Houston will look for a noticeably different combination and a new culture along the O-line in 2025.
  • Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the Combine right tackle Braden Smith intended to continue playing in 2025. That will indeed be the case, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting an agreement has been reached on a restructured contract. The pact will pay out a $2MM roster bonus next week in addition to a $3.96MM base salary, per Over the Cap. Smith, 29 later this month, has served as a full-time starter since his arrival in 2018 but he missed the last five games of the 2024 campaign due to an undisclosed personal matter. He will still be a free agent next spring as things stand, but Smith’s return (at a cap charge of $10.4MM) will be welcomed on a Colts O-line which is set to lose Ryan Kelly and Will Fries after they both agreed to Vikings deals this week.
  • The Ravens managed to take care of one of their most important offseason priorities with the re-signing of left tackle Ronnie Stanley. That three-year, $60MM deal features $44MM in guarantees. The latter figure includes a $20.25MM signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 details. Stanley has dealt with several injuries in his career, but this latest pact guarantees $22MM in pay for 2025 and ’26, according to Over the Cap. The two-time Pro Bowler is also scheduled to collect a $4.04MM option bonus next March.
  • Prior to the Stanley deal, Alaric Jackson agreed to a three-year pact to remain with the Rams. The deal can reach a maximum value of $60.75MM and includes $35.43MM in guarantees, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap writes. $30MM is fully guaranteed at signing, with most of Jackson’s compensation over the next two years locked in. $1.45MM in per-game roster bonuses are present in every year of the deal, and a $5.43MM injury guarantee will shift to a full one if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league year.
  • Patrick Mekari parlayed his Ravens tenure into a three-year Jaguars contract at the outset of the negotiating period. That pact features $22.5MM in guarantees, including a $10MM signing bonus, per Wilson. The former UDFA has $10.5MM in 2026 salary locked in for injury, and remaining on the roster early in the 2026 league year will lead to further guarantees. Per-game roster bonuses totaling nearly $30K along with a $500K Pro Bowl incentive are present in every year of the deal.

Rams To Release Cooper Kupp; Latest On WR’s Market

March 12th, 2025 at 11:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Cooper Kupp trade partner has emerged. The Rams are moving on via release, NFL.com’s Tom Pelisseso reports. Releasing Kupp after the start of the 2025 league year (3pm CT today) will allow for a post-June 1 designation.

This will make Kupp a first-time free agent, and although no trade materialized, Kupp will generate FA interest, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. At least three teams have known interest, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes. The Packers should be a team to watch here, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets, mentioning the Seahawks and Titans as potential fits as well. The Raiders would also be interested, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, though they do not appear willing to make this move without a notable discount.

Kupp will join a host of accomplished early-30-something WRs in free agency. Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and Tyler Lockett are also available. None put together a season quite like what Kupp did in 2021, though his injuries since will limit his market. Kupp’s availability also stands to affect the above-referenced wideouts’ markets, as it is becoming crowded at receiver in free agency. Diontae Johnson joins this cast, but the veteran starter’s complicated 2024 has tanked his stock.

The Rams will be on the hook for a $5MM Kupp salary guarantee this year and prorated signing bonus money in 2025 and ’26. They will, however, avoid a $7.5MM roster bonus by moving on now. Kupp was due a $12.5MM base salary in 2025. The Rams can split the $22.26MM dead money bill over two offseasons with a post-June 1 designation. That expected move will create $15MM in 2025 cap savings.

Kupp, 31, said Sean McVay told him he would be traded shortly after the season. The former triple-crown winner made the Rams’ intentions public, indicating he was out after eight seasons. Although the Rams were willing to eat salary in a trade, teams waited them out and will determine FA proposals. Les Snead said Kupp’s $7.5MM bonus, which was due in a few days, served as the deadline for a decision and never made it sound like a ninth season together was in the cards.

Between the time the Rams informed Kupp he would be out of the picture soon and the actual release transpiring, the team signed Davante Adams. The three-time All-Pro will step in alongside Puka Nacua. The Rams’ Adams contract only brings 2025 guarantees, as a 2026 cut with a bit of dead money attached would be in play if that does not prove a it. Adams, however, has stayed much healthier than Kupp and has shown more consistency as a high-end receiver — even if Kupp has produced this decade’s best WR season.

The former third-round pick out of Division I-FCS Eastern Washington, Kupp made the closest push to Calvin Johnson‘s single-season receiving record. He paired 145 receptions and 16 touchdowns with the 1,947 passing yards. Kupp also trails only 2008 Larry Fitzgerald for yards in a single playoffs, having totaled 478 and six TDs — including a Super Bowl LVI game-winner — to help the Rams to a title. Significant injury trouble intervened in the years that followed, as ankle and hamstring maladies kept him off the field for 18 games over the past three seasons.

The Rams had given Kupp two extensions, with the second coming less than two years after the first. Kupp agreed to a three-year, $47.25MM extension in 2020 — after he had bounced back from a 2018 ACL tear with a 1,000-yard 2019 — and he inked a three-year, $80.1MM deal months after Super Bowl LVI.

Kupp ultimately could not deliver on the second payday, though he still showed he has starter-level form in his tank. He posted 710 receiving yards and six TDs in 12 games last season, though the team did not turn to him much down the stretch. We will soon find out how other clubs value him, especially on a crowded market.

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