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Contract Details: Horn, Pats, Pack, Vikings

March 12th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Sam Robinson

It’s that time of year. It is time to begin sorting through the contracts agreed to early in free agency. We will start with some of the biggest deals to emerge this week.

  • Jaycee Horn, CB (Panthers). Four years, $100MM. Horn’s Carolina extension covers $72MM in total guarantees (second among CBs) and $46.7MM at signing (first). Horn’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are fully guaranteed; his $15.74MM 2027 base salary will shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Additionally, $7.1MM of Horn’s $21.7MM 2028 base is already guaranteed for injury, per Wilson. That amount will shift to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2028 league year.
  • Milton Williams, DT (Patriots): Four years, $104MM. Williams will see $63MM in total guarantees and $51MM at signing, per OverTheCap. Williams’ 2027 base salary ($27MM) is guaranteed for injury; it will shift to a full guarantee if he remains on New England’s roster on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson tweets.
  • Aaron Banks, G (Packers). Four years, $77MM. Only a $27MM signing bonus is guaranteed, via OverTheCap, as the Packers do not usually include guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. Banks is due a $9.5MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Wilson notes. The same structure is in place for 2027, with another $9.5MM bonus due. These represent future guarantee dates on this year-$20MM-AAV accord, though the Pack — as they do with Josh Jacobs — will have a natural out after Year 2 of the deal.
  • Byron Murphy, CB (Vikings): Three years, $54MM. This is significantly lower than initially reported (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo), as Murphy can only reach the $22MM-AAV number through incentives. Murphy’s first two base salaries are fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Rather than being the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid CB, Murphy is tied for 13th after the true AAV emerged.
  • Charvarius Ward, CB (Colts): Three years, $54MM. This one had the correct value from the start, as Murphy’s subsequent Vikings deal matched these terms. Ward will see $27MM at signing. To reach the $34.98MM total guarantee, he must remain on Indianapolis’ roster past Day 5 of the 2026 league year. As $5MM of Ward’s $12.98MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, the rest locks in on that March 2026 date, Wilson tweets.
  • Jonathan Allen, DL (Vikings): Three years, $51MM. This also checks in lower (via Garafolo) than initially reported, which is not uncommon. Half of Allen’s $16MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed at signing, with the other half (via Wilson) locking in if the D-lineman is on Minnesota’s roster come Day 3 of the 2026 league year.
  • Jamien Sherwood, LB (Jets). Three years, $45MM. The Jets are guaranteeing $30MM, as ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes this is the second-biggest LB guarantee the team has authorized (after C.J. Mosley‘s then-record FA deal in 2019). The Jets included a $7.5MM option bonus due at any point before Week 1 of the 2026 season, Wilson notes. This, along with three void years, will reduce Sherwood’s cap hits; he will not carry a figure north of $11.5MM until 2027.
  • Drew Dalman, C (Bears): Three years, $42MM. $26.5MM of Dalman’s $28MM guarantee comes at signing, giving the ex-Falcons center the second-biggest center guarantee (passing Lloyd Cushenberry‘s 2024 Titans FA deal). $9.5MM of Dalman’s $11MM 2026 base salary is fully guaranteed at signing, per Wilson. The other $1.5MM vests if/once he is on Chicago’s roster on Day 3 of the ’26 league year. Dalman’s 2027 salary is nonguaranteed.

Jets Agree To Deal With S Andre Cisco

March 10th, 2025 at 8:47pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jets are in line to have a complete reset at their safety positions in 2025, and it looks like they’ll start by signing former Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cisco and the Jaguars have come to an agreement on a one-year, $10MM contract.

A former third-round pick out of Syracuse, Cisco made himself a key part of the Jaguars secondary as a rookie in 2021. He slowly took over the job as a starter from Andrew Wingard that season before establishing himself as a full-time starter. Cisco’s best two seasons came in 2022 and 2023, in which he started all 30 games he appeared in and racked up 15 passes defensed and seven interceptions for 136 yards and a touchdown.

In those two seasons, Cisco graded just above average, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The analytics site ranked him as the 39th-best safety out of 88 graded players in 2022 and the 34th-best out of 95 in 2023. The 2024 NFL season saw a decline in analytics and production for Cisco, as PFF ranked him the 70th-best safety of 98 players graded at the position. Statistically, he only logged one interception to go along with seven passes defensed.

New York will be willing to disregard a down year likely based on Cisco’s youth. At only 24 years old, Cisco already has 47 starts under his belt and has shown he can be effective. The Jets will hope to see that potential turn back into production in 2025. With Chuck Clark, Tony Adams, Ashtyn Davis, and Jalen Mills all hitting the free agent market from New York this offseason, Cisco immediately becomes a crucial addition to the roster.

The Jaguars, on the other hand, have already filled the vacancy left by Cisco, as they’ve reportedly reached a deal to acquire former Texans safety Eric Murray. Murray will team up with Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson to fill out the back end of Jacksonville’s secondary.

Jets To Sign CB Brandon Stephens

March 10th, 2025 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets have seen D.J. Reed agree to a deal which will send him to the Lions, but they have quickly worked out a cornerback addition. New York has an agreement in place with Brandon Stephens, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The former Raven will sign a three-year, $36MM deal, per Garafolo. Stephens entered the league as a safety, but over time he increasingly established himself as a perimeter corner. He will now be in position to operate as a first-team option in that role with the Jets.

Having invested big money in Marlon Humphrey and a first-round pick in Nate Wiggins, Stephens had been a clear candidate to leave town after the 2024 season. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said that he expected Stephens to hit free agency, indicating the team would not pursue re-signing him before then. Stephens emerged as a starting outside corner in 2023 but took a step back this past year, especially when defending the deep ball.

Stephens was charged with four touchdowns allowed and a 106.1 passer rating yielded as the closest defender last season. While the Ravens will need a new perimeter starter, the Jets are betting on upside under Aaron Glenn. Stephens made 48 starts — both at corner and safety — with Baltimore, bringing considerable experience to Glenn’s defense.

It might be a stretch to suggest Stephens will be a one-for-one replacement for D.J. Reed, who joined the Lions today, and the new addition is barely a year younger than the more accomplished player. But Reed never appeared a real candidate to stay in New York, having seen the Jets pay Michael Carter a top-market slot rate and have Sauce Gardner on the radar for a potential record-setting extension. As Reed transitions to the Motor City, Stephens’ contract suggests he is moving into a starting role in the Big Apple.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Jets To Sign QB Justin Fields

March 10th, 2025 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are indeed prying Justin Fields from the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s long-rumored top option had been connected to Gang Green for several days now, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report a deal is done.

Fields is joining the Jets on a two-year, $40MM contract that comes with $30MM guaranteed at signing. While the Steelers will look for another starter option, their 2024 backup secured a big raise to replace Aaron Rodgers. The latter is now a potential Pittsburgh option.

Linked to ramping up their Fields pursuit at the Combine, the Jets will land the youngest of this free agent crop’s starter-level options. Fields was unable to hold off Russell Wilson for the job last year, as Mike Tomlin overruled some staffers by turning to the veteran who had won the job out of training camp, but his going into an age-26 season created natural interest. Fields has roughly 3 1/2 seasons of starter work, and the Jets will attempt to mold him.

A Friday report pegging the Fields-Pittsburgh fit as a bit shaky, citing Tomlin’s decision to yank him from the starting lineup as a factor. Fields did not impress as a passer in 2024 and has never been among the league’s better options here, but the 2021 first-rounder does bring all-time rushing skills from the QB position. The Jets will need to coax improved play from the Ohio State alum through the air, but Tanner Engstrand’s offense does bring a bit of familiarity — personnel-wise, at least — for its new centerpiece.

Fields will reunite with Buckeyes target Garrett Wilson. The two overlapped as Ohio State regulars in 2019 and 2020, and after Wilson clashed with Rodgers last year, he will have his former college passer targeting him in 2025. The Jets again need a Wilson complement, after a few Rodgers-driven moves ultimately did not translate to wins, but they are checking the QB box off their list. While Fields may not be a set-it-and-forget-it option that keeps the Jets out of the mix for a rookie, they are at least covered for Aaron Glenn’s first season.

Fields matched his 2023 yards-per-attempt figure (6.9) and finished with a 5-1 TD-INT ratio during his six-start run in Pittsburgh. The former 1,000-yard Bears rusher also ran for five scores in 2024. He ranked 23rd in QBR in 2023 with the Bears, who had passed on drafting Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud first overall in 2023. Chicago’s effort to build around Fields ended largely because of the Panthers’ 2023 freefall, which gave the Bears Caleb Williams access.

Resurfacing in Pittsburgh after being traded for only a sixth-round pick, Fields had closed the gap on Wilson during the latter’s training camp calf injury and had supporters in the building when Tomlin benched him in October. Fields also was believed to have backers in Pittsburgh this offseason, and while it is unclear if he gave the team a chance to match the New York proposal, the Steelers need a new plan quickly.

Unlike the Giants, Browns or Titans, the Steelers sit nowhere close to the top of the draft. A trade-up for one of this year’s starter-level passers would be incredibly costly for Pittsburgh, which could certainly pivot back to Wilson as a stopgap as well. After so much Fields momentum, it is worth wondering how motivated Wilson would be to stay with his 2024 team — even as the decorated veteran expressed interest in re-signing before the offseason rumor cycle heated up.

As for the Jets, this marks a bit of a course change. They had tabbed top-three draft choices (Sam Darnold, Zach Wilson) and a trade pickup (Rodgers) to start over the past seven seasons. The organization had also turned to draft choices (Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith) previously. This agreement reminds of the Ryan Fitzpatrick fit, though Fields and the current Amazon analyst’s skillsets certainly differ. The Jets, who have now seen two blockbuster Packers trades at the position backfire, will hope Fields can show upside that would prevent yet another first-round QB from stopping through in the near future.

Free Agency Rumors: Raiders, Murphy, Holland, Jets, Dalman, Bears, Falcons, OL

March 9th, 2025 at 10:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Byron Murphy was on the 2023 market, but the four-year Cardinals starter settled for a midlevel two-year deal. After a productive Vikings run, the former No. 33 overall pick has set himself up for a second payday. On a market featuring a host of third-contract-seeking corners, Murphy may be in the best shape due to going into an age-27 season. A suitor has emerged for the six-year vet in the Raiders, with The Athletic’s Tashan Reed labeling him a top priority for the Silver and Black. Murphy has set a high asking price, potentially up to $20MM per year, though the Vikings are exploring a second contract.

Elsewhere in the Raiders’ secondary, the team still wants to keep Tre’von Moehrig. With Moehrig expected to do well on the market, the Raiders may need a backup plan. Identifying Moehrig as the most difficult of Las Vegas’ in-house free agents to retain, Reed mentions Murphy teammate Camryn Bynum as a player to watch for a potential addition. Evidently viewing the Vikings’ secondary as a well-run unit, the Raiders have both starting safeties (Moehrig, Marcus Epps) hitting the market. Moehrig landed 24th on our top 50 free agents list, Bynum 36th. Bynum joins Murphy in going into an age-27 season and as a player who played a key role in helping Minnesota form a top-five defense.

Here is the latest from the free agent market:

  • Jevon Holland has been tied to the Panthers and Titans, with the Dolphins not giving up hope — reminding of their Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt final hours — of retaining him. The Jets should be a team to monitor for Holland as well, SNY’s Connor Hughes tweets. No. 6 on our FA list, Holland has been linked to potentially commanding as much as $20MM per year. The Jets have Chuck Clark, Jalen Mills and Ashtyn Davis due for free agency. Holland would be a much pricier replacement, but the Jets have a veteran secondary coach (Aaron Glenn) as HC now. Glenn just had considerable success developing Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch.
  • The Jets are not expected to retain Tyler Conklin, Hughes adds. Conklin played three seasons with the Jets, outdoing C.J. Uzomah after both were signed in the same offseason. Conklin, 29, could do reasonably well on the market. This is a thin TE market, with Juwan Johnson and now Evan Engram profiling as the top options. Mike Gesicki scored a three-year, $25.5MM Bengals deal. Conklin has been more consistent. He was oddly more productive with Zach Wilson, posting a career-high 621 yards in 2023; he tallied 449 and a career-high four TDs last year.
  • Extending Jake Matthews stands to create some cap space for the Falcons, but Drew Dalman will draw a strong market, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. A three-year Falcons center starter, Dalman looks to be the top snapper available ahead of his age-27 season. The Bears are being mentioned as a team to monitor for Dalman, Schultz adds. Chicago has been busy revamping its interior O-line in Ben Johnson‘s first weeks on the job, trading for Joe Thuney and ex-Lions starter Jonah Jackson. Dalman would fetch an upper-crust center deal, but the Bears do have two rookie tackle salaries (for now) and Caleb Williams‘ rookie-scale deal around which to build.
  • Dan Moore Jr. has been set to leave Pittsburgh for a while, as the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks on tackles. The four-year Pittsburgh LT is expected to command at least $15MM on the open market, with Schultz adding a high-teens AAV may be required. Ronnie Stanley landed a $20MM-per-year deal from the Ravens. The more accomplished tackle is four years older and more injury-prone than Moore. In what would be a more surprising free agency market, Schultz adds the 49ers’ Jaylon Moore may score a deal on the same level as the more experienced Moore. Jaylon Moore, a 2021 fifth-rounder, filled in for Trent Williams last season and has 15 starts on his resume. With Stanley and Alaric Jackson off the board, the Moores and Cam Robinson stand to do well.

T Morgan Moses Cleared Medically Prior To Free Agency

March 9th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 9: The Jets are working to re-sign Moses, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. She adds, however, that a trip to free agency is expected in this case. Moses’ health will of course play a large role in determining his market amongst outside suitors, but another New York pact could be in the cards.

MARCH 8: Pending free agent offensive tackle Morgan Moses turned 34 years old this week, yet it seems he’s coming back for another year of football. It takes a lot for an offensive tackle to keep playing at a starting level at that age, and Moses has certainly been dealt his lumps, but according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Moses was “given a clean bill of health from the Jets’ medical staff” today.

In 11 seasons of NFL play, Moses has not been known for missing time with injuries. While he has missed three games in each of the past two seasons, those were his first missed games since his rookie season in Washington in 2014, when he missed time due to a Lisfranc injury.

Last year, Moses missed two games early with a reported grade 2 MCL sprain and a bone bruise. Later on, following his return to the field, it was reported that Moses had been playing through the MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for several weeks. The veteran lineman had been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and rehabbing around the clock in order to get into playing shape each week, despite the Jets being fairly out of range of playoff contention.

While, at 34, it’s not likely that Moses’ clean bill of health will last through another full season, his warrior-like mentality to battle through injuries will not be necessary to start the year. Wherever he plays in 2025, he won’t be working through anything to start the year.

In regard to where he’ll play, ESPN’s Rich Cimini communicated that New York has remained in contact with Moses. Cimini points out that the Jets lack a serviceable replacement for Moses on the roster at the moment and that the free agent market at the position in extremely thin. The NFL draft doesn’t stand to be much help either, as many of the NCAA’s best tackles entering the draft are being viewed as likely interior options at the next level.

The importance that Moses has to the roster is a good sign for his likelihood to re-sign with the Jets. Especially since New York has already cleared him medically, while passing a physical elsewhere might not be as smooth of a process, all signs seem to be pointing to another season with the Jets.

Jets To Re-Sign LB Jamien Sherwood

March 9th, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamien Sherwood‘s contract year will bring a considerable reward. The three-year backup-turned-C.J. Mosley fill-in has landed a high-end deal to stay with the Jets.

Gang Green will pay Sherwood $45MM over three years, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Sherwood will pull in $30MM guaranteed at signing. While the Jets could certainly have an issue with Quincy Williams at this point, due to the gap between the two LBs’ money, Sherwood is staying ahead of his age-25 season.

The Jets have Williams signed to only a three-year, $18MM deal. Williams, who has an All-Pro honor on his resume, is heading into a contract year now tied to less than half of what Sherwood is now making. It would stand to reason the Jets, who are expected to cut Mosley, will give Williams an update. Though, a new regime is making the calls now; that will be a storyline to monitor for Gang Green.

A former fifth-round pick, Sherwood capitalized on Mosley’s absence and led the NFL with 98 solo tackles. He made 158 stops overall and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 18 off-ball linebacker. Sherwood had combined for only 77 tackles over his first three seasons, as Mosley and Williams formed one of the NFL’s top LB duos.

A Cinderella story of sorts formed behind them, as the player who had been an afterthought fetched a deal north of where Mosley was last season. The new Jets regime certainly liked what it saw in Sherwood’s first extended run of defensive playing time.

Sherwood and Nick Bolton are now tied as the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid ILBs, with each agreeing to terms today. Bolton has proven far more, as a four-year starter on a perennially sound defense, but Sherwood came on strong enough he generated considerable momentum ahead of free agency. Although the Patriots looked into Sherwood — who had possible landing spots with Jeff Ulbrich (Falcons) and Robert Saleh (49ers) — the Jets are keeping him off the market.

Steelers Expected To Make Offer To Sam Darnold; Latest On Jets’ Justin Fields Effort

March 9th, 2025 at 5:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sam Darnold-Seahawks connections came in hot after the Geno Smith trade, and Seattle may well reside as the 2024 Vikings starter’s most likely destination. But other teams will drive up the bidding.

The Titans have been closely tied to Darnold, as they are not considered likely (via TitanInsider.com’s Terry McCormick) to pursue a reclamation project like Daniel Jones or one of the failed 2021 first-round picks. But Tennessee may not be the only team that pursues Darnold. After being closely tied to Justin Fields throughout the winter, the Steelers are expected to see what it will take to land Darnold.

Pittsburgh is expected to make Darnold an offer, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets. PFR’s No. 1 free agent, Darnold will almost definitely cost more than Fields. And the Steelers going from a veteran-minimum contract and a rookie-scale deal at QB to Darnold would be an amazing jump for a team that has not paid top-tier money at the position since the 2010s.

Fields, however, remains the focus for Pittsburgh, Russini adds. Jets interest in Fields has built since the Combine, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The Steelers hold more than $63MM in cap space; the Jets check in at just more than $51MM.

Fields would bring scheme familiarity and a lower price tag, but the Jets have gained steam as a suitor. New York’s interest, as the team is not going to be a Darnold suitor for obvious reasons, may be heavy for Fields, with Russini adding the Jets are viewed as team showing “strong” interest. We heard over the weekend the Jets would be a top threat to the Steelers’ effort to re-sign Fields. That appears quite real. The Jets going from Rodgers to Fields would mark a passing downgrade, but the latter is only going into his age-26 season. He is two years younger than Darnold and clearly still has fans in NFL front offices and on coaching staffs.

The Steelers losing out on Fields could drive them to make a genuine push for Darnold, but they could also merely pivot to Russell Wilson, whose market should not rival Fields’ — the Steelers’ 2024 depth chart notwithstanding — or perhaps Aaron Rodgers. The polarizing veteran is unlikely to land in Pittsburgh, per the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly, but the veteran Steelers reporter indicates he could be an option.

The Falcons have not yet budged on Kirk Cousins, intending to (for now, at least) keep him as their backup. Cousins would be a Wilson-like option, as another team would be paying him, for 2025 should he be released. Wilson has spoken with the Steelers this offseason but has long hovered as plan B, and now that Smith has reunited with Pete Carroll, one other option is off the table. Thus far, we have not heard serious talk of a potential Seahawks-Wilson reunion.

Darnold’s price tag impacting the Steelers’ ability to build around him and Fields’ struggles as a passer do not place the Steelers in a great spot here. They do have a strong defense, one Rodgers could conceivably complement, as we suggested back in December. (Though, an upper-crust Jets defensive nucleus just went 5-12.) But the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016. That raises the stakes for them to identify the right player this offseason. If a Fields second season is not in the cards, paying more for Darnold appears on the radar.

Justin Fields Likely To Test Market; Steelers Looking Into Outside QB Addition

March 8th, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers have been talking to both Justin Fields and Russell Wilson for weeks, but no signing has taken place. It can naturally be assumed complications have interfered with the team’s rumored plan to retain Fields. Recent reports seem to indicate that is the case.

We heard Friday that Fields has a burgeoning market, and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini points to the young QB reaching free agency to hear offers from other clubs. The Jets will be one of the teams in pursuit, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds. A Jets-Fields connection emerged recently, and with two options on this market not in play for Gang Green (Sam Darnold and Aaron Rodgers, the latter of whom about to be a Jets release), Fields would make sense — as a bridge if nothing else.

Other teams have interest in Fields, too, Rapoport adds. This will drive up the Steeler backup’s price and test the AFC North team’s resolve. As the Steelers have been primarily connected to only Fields and Wilson, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports the team has not dismissed pursuing an outside free agent to solve its QB issue.

The team has enjoyed plenty of time to both evaluate their in-house options and conduct negotiations, even though it does not talk extensions in-season. Both passers have clashed with the coaching staff, though. Fields was understandably upset when Mike Tomlin overruled player and staffer support to keep him as a starter, but the veteran HC did not turn back to Fields after making the call to bench him for Wilson once the latter recovered from his calf injury. The Steelers’ Wilson path started well but ended badly, with the team losing its final five games.

Wilson also clashed with OC Arthur Smith, with Dulac adding the two disagreed about the state of the offense. Wilson being upset about an offense’s direction would continue a refrain. He had disagreed with Pete Carroll‘s plan in Seattle, at the height of the “Let Russ cook” movement, and received tremendous input into the direction of the Denver offense during Nathaniel Hackett‘s doomed HC stay. Sean Payton and Wilson did not prove a fit, as a messy divorce commenced. Wilson has been expected to leave Pittsburgh, but if Fields is lured away by a strong offer elsewhere, the 36-year-old may need to be a fallback option.

If the Steelers are to look outside for a new QB, they would have options in Darnold, Rodgers, Daniel Jones and perhaps Kirk Cousins. Beyond Darnold, these options would serve as temporary fixes. Rodgers and Cousins, though, would remind of Wilson’s situations, as other teams would be on the hook for the veterans’ salaries. As of now, however, the Falcons are holding firm on Cousins. A release remains a possibility, however.

The Jets not having Rodgers or Darnold as options and sitting behind the Titans, Browns and Giants in the draft would stand to ramp up a Fields push. The former three-year Bears starter could serve as a multiyear option in New York, which as an OC (Tanner Engstrand) who observed Fields closely while on an NFC North staff. Fields going into his age-26 season would appeal to suitors as well. If Darnold is now most likely to be a Seahawk, the Fields domino would be next to fall.

The Steelers have until 11am CT Monday to keep him off the market. As of now, that appears unlikely to happen. Were Fields to remain unsigned by that point, the Steelers could still bring him back. They would just have to bid against other teams to do so.

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