Saints’ Trevor Penning Taking LG Snaps
Trevor Penning spent his first two NFL seasons at left tackle, but the Saints moved him to right tackle last year. The former first-rounder appears to be on course for another position change in 2025. 
Penning has been taking snaps at left guard during OTAs, with Taliese Fuaga moving to the right tackle spot. The 2024 first-rounder handled blindside duties as a rookie, but that responsibility could now fall to the latest Day 1 addition along the O-line. Kelvin Banks Jr. has worked at left tackle so far, although he will also see time at other spots during the offseason.
“We feel great about Trevor and it’s just a matter of putting the best five out there on the field, giving ourselves opportunities and the versatility that that provides,” head coach Kellen Moore said of the move (via the team’s website). “Trevor’s physicality and his demeanor and the way he plays, we feel like guard presents him a great opportunity.”
Penning entered the NFL known for his physicality in the run game, but questions lingered about his pass protection. Struggles in the latter area have persisted through the Northern Iowa product’s three years in New Orleans, and in 2024 he ranked 75th in overall PFF grade amongst offensive tackles. Moving inside could mitigate Penning’s issues against the pass while allowing Fuaga to return to right tackle (where he played exclusively in college).
Banks handled blindside duties during his time at Texas, but a generally underwhelming final year with the Longhorns led some to expect a fall down the draft board and/or a switch to guard at the NFL level. It remains to be seen where he will line up with the Saints during his rookie campaign, although the team’s decision to select him ninth overall is a clear indication of their confidence in a long-term left tackle stint being possible. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz remain on track to start at center and right guard, respectively.
Penning expectedly had his fifth-year option declined last spring. As a result, the 26-year-old enters this campaign as a pending free agent. His ability to find success wherever he lines up will be key in determining his value to New Orleans or an outside team next offseason. 2025 could still include at least some time at either tackle spot, but a stint along the interior is clearly being explored in Penning’s case as well.
Saints’ Jake Haener Suffers Oblique Strain
The Saints’ quarterback competition will not be conducted at full strength for the remainder of the spring. Jake Haener suffered an oblique strain at the end of yesterday’s practice, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
The injury is likely to keep Haener sidelined for a number of weeks, Schefter adds. The 26-year-old is thus likely to miss the remainder of OTAs. He is expected to return in time for the start of training camp, however. Nevertheless, missed practices of any kind will of course hinder Haener’s development and his hurt his chances of winning the Saints’ starting job.
In the wake of Derek Carr‘s retirement, it became clear New Orleans would not look to add a veteran passer but rather hold an open competition between the team’s remaining options. That list consists of Haener, Spencer Rattler and second-round rookie Tyler Shough. The latter two will continue sharing reps during OTAs in advance of training camp.
Haener’s rookie campaign began with a six-game PED suspension and he did not see the field upon returning to the lineup. The 2023 fourth-rounder made just one start last year after Carr went down for the season. Neither Haener nor Rattler (who made six starts to close out the campaign) managed to record a win while filling in for the Pro Bowler. Improvement will be sought out under new head coach Kellen Moore as New Orleans aims to avoid the injury issues of last year on offense.
Shough enters the NFL with seven years of college experience, and he is one year older than Rattler. That could prove to be advantageous (to an extent) over the coming months, although plenty of time remains for a frontrunner for the Week 1 start to emerge. That responsibility could still fall to Haener, but for now his attention will turn to recovery.
Browns, Steelers Inquired About Saints’ Chris Olave
The Browns and the Steelers both reached out the Saints regarding the availability of wide receiver Chris Olave this offseason, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
New Orleans rebuffed those overtures and doubled down on their commitment to the 2022 first-rounder by picking up his fifth-year option. That will keep Olave under contract through the 2026 season, during which he will earn a fully-guaranteed $15.5MM.
Cleveland and Pittsburgh have both been active in the wide receiver trade market over the last few years. The Browns brought in Amari Cooper in 2022 and Jerry Jeudy in 2024. (Cooper was later traded to the Bills at last season’s trade deadline.) The Steelers, meanwhile, sent a second-round pick to the Seahawks to acquire D.K. Metcalf this offseason and sent George Pickens to the Cowboys earlier this month.
Installing a new coaching staff tends to lead to player turnover as the roster is evaluated for fit with the incoming scheme. Between that and Olave’s down year in 2024, the Browns and the Steelers may have thought they could swoop in for a bargain.
However, the Saints declined to engage in trade talks for the 24-year-old wideout. That could be because new head coach Kellen Moore and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier see a major role for Olave in their passing attack. It could also be due to Olave’s lower trade value coming off a 400-yard season after he eclipsed 1,000 yards in each of his first two.
Picking up Olave’s fifth-year option indicates that the Saints believe he can bounce back in 2025, though he will have to adjust to a new coaching staff and a new quarterback, likely rookie Tyler Shough. If Olave returns to his top-25 production, he should be in line for an extension with a substantial raise next offseason.
The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History
The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.
The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.
Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jordan Hicks; March 12, 2019: Four years, $34MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Deion Jones; July 17, 2019: Four years, $54MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Roquan Smith; January 10, 2023: Five years, $100MM ($60MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Matt Milano; March 12, 2023: Two years, $28.33MM ($27.15MM guaranteed)
Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees
Carolina Panthers
- Luke Kuechly; September 10, 2015: Five years, $61.8MM ($33.36MM guaranteed)
Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees
Chicago Bears
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 13, 2023: Four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Logan Wilson; August 4, 2023: Four years, $36MM ($10MM guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Jamie Collins; January 23, 2017: Four years, $50MM ($26.4MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Jaylon Smith; August 20, 2019: Five years, $63.75MM ($35.41MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Brandon Marshall; June 14, 2016: Four years, $32MM ($20.1MM guaranteed)
Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee
Detroit Lions
- DeAndre Levy; August 5, 2015: Three years, $33.74MM ($24MM guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- De’Vondre Campbell; March 14, 2022: Five years, $50MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Benardrick McKinney; June 14, 2018: Five years, $50MM ($22.16MM guaranteed)
Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees
Indianapolis Colts
- Shaquille Leonard; August 8, 2021: Five years, $98.5MM ($52.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Foye Oluokun; March 14, 2022: Three years, $45MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Nick Bolton; March 9, 2025: Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Cory Littleton; March 17, 2020: Three years, $35.25MM ($22MM guaranteed)
Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Donald Butler; February 28, 2014: Seven years, $51.8MM ($11.15MM guaranteed)
Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal
Los Angeles Rams
- James Laurinaitis; September 8, 2012: Five years, $41.5MM ($23.62MM guaranteed)
Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee
Miami Dolphins
- Jerome Baker; June 13, 2021: Three years, $37.5MM ($28.41MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Barr; March 12, 2019: Five years, $67.5MM ($33MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money
New Orleans Saints
- Demario Davis; September 13, 2020: Three years, $27MM ($18.35MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Bobby Okereke; March 13, 2023: Four years, $40MM ($21.8MM guaranteed)
Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee
New York Jets
- C.J. Mosley; March 12, 2019: Five years, $85MM ($51MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Zack Baun; March 5, 2025: Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Patrick Queen; March 12, 2024: Three years, $41MM ($20.51MM guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner; May 19, 2025: Three years, $63MM ($56MM guaranteed)
Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Bobby Wagner; July 26, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($40.25MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lavonte David; August 9, 2015: Five years, $50.25MM ($25.56MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Cody Barton; March 10, 2025: Three years, $21MM ($13.33MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- London Fletcher; March 3, 2007: Five years, $25MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)
Aaron Rodgers To Sign With Steelers By End Of May?
It has long seemed like a foregone conclusion that, assuming Aaron Rodgers chooses to play in 2025, he will suit up for the Steelers. A report from earlier this week indicated Pittsburgh was still optimistic it would get a deal done with the future Hall of Famer, and signs continue to point in that direction.
Rodgers’ biographer, Ian O’Connor, recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team and predicted the 41-year-old would put pen to paper by the end of May (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Although he declined to disclose the personal issues that Rodgers himself has cited for his delay in signing with a club, O’Connor does not believe those issues – which pertain to a member of Rodgers’ inner circle – would preclude him from playing football.
Florio previously expressed his belief, supported by a source who knows Rodgers but who has no specific knowledge of the current situation, that the eccentric signal-caller may have wanted to avoid being a distraction by signing a contract with the Steelers but remaining away from the team for the early stages of the club’s offseason program as he sorts out his personal matter. Of course, given Rodgers’ status and the coverage that constantly surrounds him, the fact that he has not signed a contract at all is its own form of distraction. Still, it is fair to conclude that officially joining Pittsburgh and not reporting during the first phases of the offseason – which Rodgers has openly opposed anyway – would have invited even more scrutiny.
“I just think verbally, behind the scenes, not that he guaranteed it, but he’s told [the Steelers], ‘Listen, I’m gonna play for you. I just don’t want to go there and then miss part of mandatory minicamp because of my personal issues. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be solved by the end of May, at least in my satisfaction where I can give you my all,'” O’Connor said (via Ross McCorkle of SteelersDepot.com).
Florio believes O’Connor was referring to the offseason program in general and not mandatory minicamp specifically, as mandatory minicamp does not take place until June 10. Florio also believes there is a good chance Rodgers will have signed with Pittsburgh by next week, as OTAs get underway on May 27.
Outside of the quarterback position, the Steelers have a playoff-worthy roster and did not select a signal-caller in this year’s draft until they added Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth round. As such, the runway is very much clear for Rodgers to come aboard and supplant Mason Rudolph as Pittsburgh’s QB1.
O’Connor, who interviewed 250 people for his book Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers, believes Pittsburgh is the “perfect place” for Rodgers to finish his playing career.
“It may be me as an optimist, but I think this is gonna work out,” O’Connor said. “Do I think the Steelers will win the Super Bowl next year? No. But if you told me 11-6 with at least one playoff victory … I think that’s realistic.”
Rodgers has never been linked in any meaningful way to the Saints this offseason, and that did not change after it became clear Derek Carr would retire, per NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan. New Orleans will conduct an open competition between second-round rookie Tyler Shough and holdovers Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener as it seeks its starting quarterback for 2025.
Saints Exploring Versatility Of No. 9 Pick Kelvin Banks Jr.
The Saints are planning to play No. 9 pick Kelvin Banks Jr. at multiple offensive line positions this summer as the team’s coaching staff determines his best fit in the NFL.
Banks played exclusively left tackle for the last six years (three in high school, three at Texas) with zero snaps at any other spot in college. He has the requisite height, weight, and athleticism to stay at tackle, though his 33.5-inch arms barely meet NFL standards for the position. Banks’ ultimate role in New Orleans will be based on his ability to add positional versatility as well as the Saints’ needs along their offensive line.
Head coach Kellen Moore indicated that Banks would spent time at multiple spots this summer with the goal of finding the team’s best five-man OL combination, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
During rookie minicamp, Banks lined up at left and right tackle, as well as left guard, per Underhill. He could contribute at any of the three spots for the Saints as a rookie after the team started several different O-line combinations last season. 2024 first-rounder Taliese Fuaga started all 17 games at left tackle with Trevor Penning replacing an injured Ryan Ramczyk on the right side. Ramczyk retired in April and Penning is in the last season of his contract, so the Saints may be looking to identify a long-term pair of tackles this season.
Since all of Fuaga’s college starts came at right tackle, the Saints could look to move Fuaga back to his natural position and allow Banks to remain at left tackle. If New Orleans is more comfortable keeping Fuaga on the blind side, Banks could then flip to the right tackle, though such transitions can be challenging. (The Chargers successfully moved 2024 first-rounder Joe Alt from left to right tackle as a rookie.)
If the Saints want to stick with last year’s tackle combination, Banks could be a candidate to take over at left guard, where the team started multiple players amid a rash of interior O-line injuries. They have a host of options this year as well. Nick Saldiveri started six games in 2024, while Landon Young played multiple games at both guard spots. New Orleans also signed Dillon Radunz this offseason. The former second-round pick started at right guard for the Titans in 2024 but has NFL experience at every offensive line position except center.
Derek Carr Gauged Market Before Retiring
Derek Carr and the Saints found clarity with the recent decision for the veteran quarterback to hang up his cleats. That move came after potential opportunities outside New Orleans were sought out. 
Carr’s representatives reached out to at least two teams in the market for a signal-caller this offseason, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Katherine Terrell report. The 34-year-old had not received formal permission to seek a trade, per the report, but the possibility loomed during the spring that a parting of ways could be in store. New Orleans had Carr on the books for 2025 and beyond, and the team did not see informal contact with suitors as an issue.
Conversations with potentially interested teams did not reach a serious point, something which seemed to set the stage for a third Carr campaign as the Saints’ starter. The four-time Pro Bowler declined to accept a pay cut, making his contract a cumbersome one for suitors to take on in a trade. As new head coach Kellen Moore prepared for his first season at the helm, it remained unclear whether or not Carr would be in place. The report notes minimal communication took place between team and player this offseason, one in which Carr did not take part in voluntary workouts despite a new offense being installed.
A left hand injury was noted during the 2024 campaign as Carr missed the end of the year. Nothing was mentioned during or after the season, however, about the issue affecting his throwing shoulder which ultimately ended his playing days. Barring something unforeseen, Carr is not expected to return to the NFL after 11 years in the league. The report notes the shoulder injury was not a topic of conversation during talks with outside teams while adding retirement was still under consideration even before knowledge of the ailment became widespread.
Once the commitment was made on the former Raider’s part to end his career, talks on a financial agreement took place shortly before the draft. Carr wound up retaining his $10MM roster bonus from this year, but he will not receive the $30MM in guaranteed salary he was owed for the campaign. A source close to him noted “integrity” prevented Carr from choosing to collect that money during a season in which he will not play.
In the end, the Saints are now in position to transition at quarterback after planning on one more year with Carr under center. Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener and second-round rookie Tyler Shough will take part in an open training camp competition as the team looks to find a new young core to build around. That effort may well have started next offseason, but the unexpected Carr departure has accelerated it at the QB spot in particular.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Jadon Janke
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: TE Quintin Morris
New England Patriots
- Signed: RB Trayveon Williams
- Released: DT Eric Johnson
Tennessee Titans
- Claimed off waivers (from Saints): LB Anfernee Orji
- Waived: RB Jabari Small
Williams, who recently worked out for Houston without getting a contract, turned a workout with the Patriots into a roster spot for the summer. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, New England also worked out former Saints running back Jordan Mims, but Williams walked away with the deal.
Derek Carr ‘Extremely Unlikely’ To Unretire
Delivering great value as a second-round pick, Derek Carr lasted 11 seasons as a starting quarterback. Among second-round picks in NFL history, only Drew Brees and Brett Favre have accumulated more passing yards. Carr’s 257 TD passes also presently edge Andy Dalton‘s 253 for third in that category among QBs chosen in Round 2. While second-rounders in lower-volume passing eras were considered better QBs as well, Carr did quite well from his No. 36 overall draft slot.
Carr did not exactly approach a lower-quality Brees season during his time with the Saints, however; that 2023 signing not panning out as the organization hoped. A compromise upon retirement will help ease the financial burden the Saints will carry as a result of the restructure-generated dead money on the QB’s contract, but the team is now without insurance in the event Tyler Shough does not prove a viable option after being chosen in the second round.
[RELATED: Saints Preparing For Open QB Competition]
The Saints revealed Carr will walk away after suffering significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff, stemming from a 2023 injury, and fans should not expect the 34-year-old passer to change his mind. Carr is considered “extremely unlikely” to unretire, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. The former Raiders and Saints starter is already making other plans, which are not yet known.
Considering this injury has dogged Carr for over a year, his retirement is not quite an Andrew Luck-level shock. Luck retired just before his age-30 season, doing so after he had claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors. Luck unretirement rumors never produced much of consequence, and the once-promising passer quickly drifted out of the spotlight. Carr dealt with extensive injury trouble in New Orleans, having sustained two concussions in 2023 — in addition to his shoulder malady — before missing time with oblique and hand injuries last season.
Although Carr will pass on $30MM in 2025, he has already earned more than $285MM during his time in Oakland, Las Vegas and New Orleans. If Carr unretired and the Saints did not release him in 2026, that $30MM that was to be due this year would move back into the picture for the team. The QB having encountered the injury volume he has, finding a trade partner — in the event of an unretirement — would be quite difficult for the Saints, especially considering his contract. New Orleans gave Carr a four-year, $150MM deal in 2023. That contract became more difficult to escape thanks to a 2024 restructure. Although the sides’ 2025 restructure will be modified as part of this retirement, the Saints will still have this contract on their books through 2026.
Shough joins holdovers Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener in New Orleans’ QB room, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson passes along a fourth option – – Hunter Dekkers — will sign on as well. Dekkers played last season at Iowa Western Community College. Dekkers had previously served as Brock Purdy‘s successor at Iowa State, starting for the Cyclones in 2022. Three years later, he profiles as an offseason/camp arm that will not bring a great chance to unseat Rattler or Haener for a roster spot. The Saints, though, have moved into their post-Carr stage by adding another QB for this purpose.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Kaimon Rucker
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DL Keith Cooper
- Waived: OL Leif Fautanu
Houston Texans
- Waived: CB Gregory Junior
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Kana’i Mauga
- Waived: LB Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Da’Jon Terry
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed off waivers (from Raiders): DT Matthew Butler
- Waived: DT Tre’vonn Rybka
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Anfernee Orji
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: CB Derrick Canteen
- Waived: S Quindell Johnson