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Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25

By | at July 19, 2025 8:08 pm

Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Washington Commanders

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay

The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.

Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.

The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.

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Jets, Second-Round TE Mason Taylor Agree To Terms

By | at July 18, 2025 10:36 am

Tight end Mason Taylor is the latest second-round rookie to agree to terms on their rookie deal. He and the Jets have an agreement in place ahead of training camp.

Taylor’s four-year deal is worth $10.46MM. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that $9.56MM (or 91.4%) of that figure is guaranteed. As a result, Taylor will not join the first three players selected on Day 2 in securing a fully locked in pact. Nevertheless, the No. 42 pick will receive a considerable commitment in terms of guarantees.

Over the past two years, players taken in that slot received guarantees of 77.1% and 78.7%, per Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. This Taylor agreement is a major step in the direction of a fully locked in deal, and like in the case of many other second-round draft slots, it will no doubt serve as precedent moving forward for more guarantees. In any event, Taylor will be in place when the Jets’ rookies report to camp tomorrow.

A three-year contributor at LSU, Taylor was a productive member of the team’s pass-catching group. His junior campaign was his best, with 546 yards on 55 receptions. The two touchdowns scored that year brought his career total to six, and operating as a red zone target would be key in allowing Taylor to contribute right away with the Jets. Even if that is not the case, though, he should be able to handle at least a part-time role on offense.

Finding production from the TE position has proven to be a challenge in recent years for the Jets, a team which has wideout Garrett Wilson in place through 2030. He will serve as the anchor of New York’s passing game during that span, but finding complementary options will be key. Taylor – who will spend camp competing for playing time with the likes of Jeremy Ruckeret and Stone Smartt – should feature in that effort over the coming years.

With the Taylor deal done, here is a complete look at the Jets’ draft class:

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Jets, CB Sauce Gardner Agree On Extension

By | at July 17, 2025 9:00 am

JULY 17: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Gardner’s locked in compensation includes a $13.75MM signing bonus along with annual workout and roster bonuses (many of which are guaranteed upfront or are set to vest one year early). His base salaries in 2025 ($1.25MM) and ’26 ($5.25MM) are locked in. A $20MM 2026 option bonus is included and is guaranteed in full; the 2027 option bonus ($10MM) is guaranteed for injury and shifts to a full guarantee one year early. The same is true of Gardner’s base salaries for 2027 ($13.95MM) and ’28 ($19.2MM). His pay for the final two years of the pact is not guaranteed.

JULY 15: One day after extending star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets are signing All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension, per Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Gardner himself announced on social media that an agreement had been reached. His deal has the same structure as Wilson’s extension, per Schefter.

With a $30.1MM AAV, Gardner is now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, beating out the $30MM per year deal signed by fellow 2022 first-rounder Derek Stingley Jr. earlier this year. However, Gardner’s $85.653MM in total guarantees (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) do not quite reach Stingley’s $89MM.

It will be interesting to see where the full guarantees fall here; Stingley holds that standard — with $48MM — as well. Gardner agreeing to a four-year deal should allow him to eclipse that number, as Stingley is tied to a three-year extension.

The Jets have now spent $250MM in the last two days to lock down cornerstone players on both sides of the ball in a solid start for new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Past offseasons in New York have been marked by quarterback drama and contract standoffs with key veterans, but the new regime avoided such pitfalls by signing Justin Fields early in free agency and getting the Wilson and Gardner extensions done before training camp.

Mougey has now been part of two record-setting cornerback extensions since September. The former Broncos assistant GM was in place when the team inked Patrick Surtain on a then-record $24MM-per-year deal. Despite Surtain’s Defensive Player of the Year season, he has already fallen to fifth in the cornerback pecking order. This effectively illustrates timing, rather than merit, reigns in NFL contract matters. Gardner and Stingley do owe Surtain for breaking through the ice formed over a two-plus-year period in this market.

Prior to Surtain’s agreement, the CB market had not seen anyone top Jaire Alexander‘s four-year, $84MM Packers pact — one agreed to in May 2022. Corners have seen wide receivers move into a higher tax bracket over the past several years, and even safeties — via Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s four-year, $84.1MM accord — had passed them by last year. But Surtain’s contract brought a thaw, and Jalen Ramsey‘s third contract — one already traded — came a day after the standout Broncos defender’s deal emerged.

This offseason then brought Jaycee Horn to the $25MM-per-year level. The Panthers cover man reached that place despite no All-Pro honors (to Surtain’s two). But the salary cap having jumped by another $24MM, after a record $30.6MM spike in 2024, set the stage for an overdue market boom. After all, Ja’Marr Chase elevated the WR ceiling past $40MM per year in March. Stingley and Gardner have made significant inroads for their position, creating a new tier in terms of AAV this year.

Gardner benefited by waiting, and he can perhaps owe that to the Jets changing regimes this offseason. But his rookie-contract play warranted a substantial commitment. The former No. 4 overall pick arrived under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh‘s watch and played a lead role in vaulting the Jets’ defense — a last-ranked unit in 2021 — to fourth place (in scoring and yardage) in 2022. The physical corner earned first-team All-Pro honors for his work as a rookie, and he matched that showing in 2023.

Pro Football Focus ranked Gardner first and third among CB regulars in 2022 and ’23, respectively, but observed a drop-off in 2024. Although Gardner checked in 31st on the advanced metrics website’s list last year, issues with his tackling were apparent during a season that saw Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense take a step back (20th in points allowed). Gardner saw his yards-per-target number rise from 6.0 to 9.3 from 2023 to ’24 — a non-Pro Bowl season — creating a rebound opportunity under Glenn. But Tuesday’s agreement showed the Jets’ new power brokers did not need to see how Gardner fit into Glenn’s defense before making a historic commitment.

The Jets had never wavered from their plan to pay Gardner, having let D.J. Reed walk in free agency (after extending Michael Carter at the lower slot rate), and the team eyed the post-draft period as the window for true negotiations. Gardner had expressed interest in remaining a Jet long term, and the team had made an offer by mid-June. Although Mougey and Glenn brought in Brandon Stephens at $12MM per annum in March, the team will not let Gardner come close to a contract year. This is now the NFL’s only team with three eight-figure-per-year corners on the payroll.

New York had cooled on paying CBs since its whiffs on Darrelle Revis (the second stint) and Trumaine Johnson. But Gardner’s early-career form meant that pattern needed to end. The team’s chaotic 2024 has preceded a calmer ’25, as Aaron Rodgers is out and news of Woody Johnson meddling has drifted off the front burner. Wilson and Gardner’s paydays signal a willingness to reward Douglas-era draftees, and the moves leave Jermaine Johnson — who is coming off a season-ending injury — as the only member of the Jets’ 2022 first-round trio still on a rookie deal. Post-Rodgers, Wilson and Gardner will be asked to be the franchise’s centerpiece players as it attempts to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

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Players To Spend Season On Franchise Tag Since 2015

By | at July 13, 2025 10:07 pm

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

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Jets CB Michael Carter II Fully Healthy

By | at July 10, 2025 11:33 am

Michael Carter II managed to play 13 games last season, but he was nowhere near full strength for much of that time. The fifth-year Jets corner is healthy entering training camp, however.

Carter dealt with an ankle injury which lingered through the opening part of the campaign. He eventually recovered but then faced issues stemming from a herniated disc in his back. The 26-year-old saw his defensive snap share drop to 32% – by far the lowest mark of his career – as a result.

“It was super tough, more mentally than physically,” Carter said during minicamp (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “Everything physically was going on, but mentally I was just trying to make sure I was kind of staying in it, staying enthused, not being down and trying to prepare the best I could so I could help my teammates and at least try to make an effort to make it through a game and be out there for those guys because I want it so bad.

“I definitely wanted to make sure I did everything I could to do what I could for them. It was one of those things that it didn’t work out, but I’m in a lot better place now.”

Being back to full health will be key for Carter given the investment made in him by the Jets’ previous regime. The former fifth-rounder landed a three-year, $30.75MM extension last offseason which made him the league’s highest-paid slot corner at the time. Carter no longer holds that title, but after handling snap shares between 64% and 74% during his first three years with the team he can once again be expected to serve as a crucial member of New York’s secondary in 2025.

The new tandem of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn will have Sauce Gardner in place for at least the next two years (although he is understandably among the team’s current extension priorities). New York expectedly lost D.J. Reed in free agency and replaced him with Brandon Stephens to operate as a starter on the perimeter. Carter will be tasked with handling slot duties once again in 2025, and his ability to remain healthy will be key in determining the success of the Jets’ defense.

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33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

By | at July 9, 2025 9:19 pm

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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LB C.J. Mosley Retires, Launches Agency

By | at July 8, 2025 2:15 pm

JULY 8: Mosley’s retirement won’t keep him completely away from football. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Mosley is launching Legacy Trust Sports Group, a full-service sports agency co-founded with longtime business partner Brandon Wassel.

“Coaching was never my path, but guiding, mentoring and doing the right thing has always been in my DNA,” said Mosley. He will be joined at LTSG by senior agent Joe Gazza, while former Auburn scouting director AK Mogulla will be the vice president of player personnel, per Zenitz.

JUNE 19: Still unsigned deep into the offseason, C.J. Mosley will not continue his career in 2025. The veteran linebacker informed CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Thursday that he is retiring.

“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said on Instagram while officially announcing his decision (video link). “I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams.”

Mosley was long seen as a cut candidate for the Jets this offseason, and he was indeed let go in March. The 33-year-old (as of today) became a free agent as a result, but no suitors showed interest up to this point. Mosley intended to keep playing this season, but that will no longer be the case.

A first-round pick of the Ravens in 2014, Mosley immediately took on starting duties and established himself as one of the league’s most productive linebackers. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in four of his five Baltimore campaigns before departing on the open market. Mosley landed a five-year, $85MM pact with the Jets, a deal which did not pay early dividends for the team. The Alabama product was limited to two games in 2019 and he was among the players who sat out the following campaign due to COVID-19 concerns.

Each year from 2021-23, Mosley was able to remain available to his second career team. During that stretch, he continued to record triple-digit tackles (something he managed seven times during his NFL tenure). A herniated disc resulted in considerable missed time this past season, however, and that injury led to new questions about a potential parting of ways. Using a post-June 1 designation, the Jets proceeded with Mosley’s release to get out of the final year of his contract.

New York retained fellow linebacker Jamien Sherwood on a $15MM-per-year deal this spring, and he will be counted on to remain one of the team’s most productive defenders moving forward. With respect to the remaining market at the LB spot, meanwhile, the likes of Eric Kendricks, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Kyzir White are still available to teams looking to make an addition ahead of training camp. Mosley – whose career included five second-team All-Pro nods – will now turn his attention to his post-playing days.

Thanks in large part to his free agent Jets deal (a record-breaking accord for linebackers at the time), Mosley accumulated over $88MM in career earnings. He will depart the NFL with 136 combined regular and postseason games to his name at the pro level following a college tenure which included a pair of national championships.

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The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

By | at July 5, 2025 10:57 pm

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
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Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Defense

By | at July 4, 2025 9:00 pm

The 2025 offseason has been defined in no small part by extensions amongst the league’s top edge rushers. A number of high-profile situations on that front remain unresolved at this point, which will make for interesting storylines over the coming weeks. Still, pass rushers once again account for some of the top cap charges around the NFL.

Just like on offense, here is a breakdown of the top 25 defensive cap hits in 2025:

  1. Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): $38.15MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $30.42MM
  3. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $26.6MM
  4. Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): $26.17MM
  5. Rashan Gary, OLB (Packers): $25.77MM
  6. Montez Sweat, DE (Bears): $25.09MM
  7. Denzel Ward, CB (Browns): $24.56MM
  8. Micah Parsons, DE (Cowboys): $24.01MM
  9. Derwin James, S (Chargers): $23.86MM
  10. Roquan Smith, LB (Ravens): $23.72MM
  11. Dexter Lawrence, DT (Giants): $23.64MM
  12. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $23.6MM
  13. Jeffery Simmons, DT (Titans): $22.7MM
  14. L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Titans): $22.58MM
  15. Vita Vea, DT (Buccaneers): $22.47MM
  16. Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Dolphins): $22.36MM
  17. Jonathan Greenard, DE (Vikings): $22.3MM
  18. Jessie Bates, S (Falcons): $22.25MM
  19. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $21.92MM)
  20. Quinnen Williams, DT (Jets): $21.59MM
  21. Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): $21MM
  22. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $20.43MM
  23. Kenny Clark, DT (Packers): $20.37MM
  24. Danielle Hunter, DE (Texans): $20.2MM
  25. Zach Allen, DE (Broncos): $19.8MM

Crosby briefly held the title of the league’s highest-paid pass rusher when his latest Raiders extension was signed. That $35.5MM-per-year pact was quickly overtaken in value, but it put to rest speculation about a potential trade. Now fully healthy, Crosby’s level of play in 2025 will be critical in determining Vegas’ success.

Garrett currently leads the way in terms of AAV for edge rushers (and, in turn, all defensive players). He landed $40MM in annual compensation from the Browns in a deal which ended his long-running trade request. The four-time All-Pro sought a change of scenery to a Super Bowl contender but then altered his stance following communication with Cleveland’s front office. Garrett is now on the books through 2030.

Other notable pass rushers face an uncertain future beyond the coming campaign, by contrast. That includes Watt, who is not close to reaching an agreement on a third Steelers contract. The former Defensive Player of the Year is reported to be eyeing a pact which will again move him to the top of the pecking order for pass rushers. He thus finds himself in a similar situation to fellow 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals.

While Hendrickson is believed to be aiming for a new deal similar in average annual value to those like Bosa and Hunter’s, Parsons could leapfrog Watt atop the pecking order by the time the season begins. Little (if any) progress has been made since Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached a handshake agreement on the framework of a deal. Time remains for a pact to be finalized before training camp; failing that, the possibility of a hold-in will increase.

Recent years have seen a major spike in the valuation of interior defensive linemen capable of producing against the pass. It comes as no surprise, then, to see a multitude of D-tackles on the list. Buckner and Chris Jones are among the veterans with the longest track record of success in terms of sacks and pressures (along with disruptive play against the run, of course). Payne, Lawrence, Simmons and Williams were among the players who helped moved the position’s market upward with similar second contracts during the 2023 offseason.

Gary, Sweat and Greenard will again be counted on to lead the way in terms of pass rush production for their respective NFC North teams. Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota each have upside elsewhere on the depth chart, but expectations will remain high for those three based on their lucrative deals. The highly competitive division will no doubt come down to head-to-head games, and they will be influenced in large part by the performances of each defense.

The cornerback market reached $30MM per year this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Given the term remaining on his rookie pact, though, his cap charge for this season checks in at a much lower rate than that of teammates like Hunter or other top CBs. Ward and Jaylon Jones are on the books through 2027, and the same is true of Sneed. The high-priced Tennessee trade acquisition did not enjoy a healthy debut season with his new team in 2024, but he appears to be set for full participation in training camp.

Safety and linebacker are among the positions which have witnessed slower growth than others recently. Still, a few top performers are attached to deals landing them on this list. Smith has been a first-team All-Pro performer during his tenure with the Ravens; he will be expected to remain one in 2025 and beyond. James and Bates will likewise be counted on as key playmakers in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Fitzpatrick will, interestingly, return to his original team after being part of the blockbuster Steelers-Dolphins trade from earlier this week.

Vea helped the Buccaneers rank fourth against the run last season while Clark and the Packers finished seventh in that regard. Both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals, although in both cases the final season does not include guaranteed money. Vea and/or Clark could thus find themselves discussing an extension next offseason.

Allen is among the players listed who could have a new deal in hand before Week 1. The former Cardinal is coming off a career-best 8.5 sacks from the 2024 season. To no surprise, then, Allen is high on Denver’s list of extension priorities, and it will be interesting to see if the pending 2026 free agent works out a new pact prior to the start of the campaign.

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The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

By | at July 3, 2025 10:26 pm

By the end of the 2024 regular season, the Bears, Jets and Saints had already moved on from their head coaches. Those teams were joined by Cowboys, Jaguars, Raiders and Patriots in making a change on the sidelines.

After their midseason terminations, Matt Eberflus, Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen each landed defensive coordinator gigs during the 2025 hiring cycle. The staffers who remained in place through the end of the campaign have yet to line up their next NFL opportunity, however. Mike McCarthy withdrew from the Saints’ search, setting the 61-year-old for at least one year out of coaching (just like the pause between his Packers and Cowboys stints).

Meanwhile, Doug Pederson was unable to parlay interest in an offensive coordinator position into a hire this spring. The former Super Bowl winner is thus set to be out of coaching for 2025. The same will also be true of Antonio Pierce and Jerod Mayo after their one-and-done stints as full-time head coaches did not go as planned.

While recent months have brought about the latest round of changes, many of the longest-tenured head coaches around the league remain in place. McCarthy was the only staffer within the top 10 on last year’s list in that regard who has been replaced. In all, nine head coaches hired at the beginning of this decade (or earlier) will carry on with their respective teams in 2025.

Six of those reside in the AFC, with Mike Tomlin – who became the league’s longest-tenured head coach last year in the wake of Bill Belichick’s Patriots departure – once again leading the way, albeit with questions about his future beyond this season present. The NFC will include Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur handling their familiar roles in 2025, although the latter (who has two years left on his deal) will not receive an early extension.

Here is a look at how the league’s head coaches shape up entering the 2025 campaign:

  1. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
  2. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2028
  3. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
  4. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  5. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
  6. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: extended through 2026
  8. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  9. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed extension in June 2024
  10. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
  11. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021; signed offseason extension
  12. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  13. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022; signed offseason extension
  14. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022; extended through 2028
  15. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022; extended through 2028
  16. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  17. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  18. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  19. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
  20. Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
  21. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
  22. Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
  23. Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
  24. Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
  25. Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024
  26. Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots): January 12, 2025
  27. Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears): January 20, 2025
  28. Aaron Glenn (New York Jets): January 22, 2025
  29. Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 23, 2025
  30. Pete Carroll (Las Vegas Raiders): January 24, 2025
  31. Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys): January 24, 2025
  32. Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints): February 11, 2025
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