Broncos Extend HC Sean Payton
The Broncos have locked up their brain trust for the long haul. After signing general manager George Paton to a five-year extension last month, the team has agreed to a new contract with head coach Sean Payton. He will join Paton in landing a five-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Paton and Payton are under wraps through 2030.
“Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement announcing the agreement. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.”
The offensive-minded Payton has been one of the NFL’s most successful head coaches since he got his first opportunity with the Saints in 2006. Payton held the post in New Orleans for 15 years, during which the Saints went 152-89 in the regular season and earned nine playoff berths. In the greatest achievement of his career, Payton led the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV victory over the Colts to cap off the 2009 season.
Three years after he hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, Payton served a season-long suspension in 2012 for the Saints’ Bounty scandal. That marred his tenure in New Orleans, but he stuck around for nine more years and guided the team to four seasons of double-digit wins along the way.
Payton stepped away after the Saints went 9-8 and missed the playoffs in 2021, though it was a short-lived exit from the sidelines. The Dolphins pursued a Payton-quarterback Tom Brady package in the subsequent offseason, but Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit (which is still ongoing) foiled their plans. A year later, Payton interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Broncos, Cardinals, Panthers and Texans. With the Saints still holding his rights, hiring Payton would have meant giving up compensation for his services. Denver ultimately ponied up for Payton, whom it acquired from New Orleans for a first- and second-round pick.
The Broncos were stuck in a seven-year playoff drought when they brought in Payton, who was unable to lead them to an immediate turnaround. Payton did not form a connection with former star quarterback Russell Wilson during an 8-9 showing in 2023. The Broncos were so down on Wilson that they released him in March 2024 at the cost of a whopping $85MM in dead money, which they spread over two seasons.
With Wilson out of the picture, the Broncos experienced a revival under rookie quarterback Bo Nix in 2024. Taken 12th overall in the draft, Nix teamed with a ferocious defense to help the Broncos go 10-7 and reach the playoffs for the first time 2015. The Bills knocked the Broncos out of the wild-card round, but Payton, Nix and the defense went on to make even more progress last season.
Not only did the Broncos end the Chiefs’ nine-year run atop the AFC West in 2025, but they earned the top seed in the conference on the strength of a 14-3 record. After a first-round bye, the Broncos got revenge on the Bills in a 33-30 overtime win in the divisional round. However, it was a Pyrrhic victory for the Broncos, who lost Nix to a season-ending ankle injury on the second-last play of the game. They hosted the AFC championship game a week later, but with backup QB Jarrett Stidham at the helm, their offense struggled on a snowy afternoon in a 10-7 loss to the Patriots.
Although last season did not end on a high note, the Broncos will enter 2026 on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders. For the first time, though, Payton will not serve as his team’s primary offensive play caller. The 62-year-old handed off those duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who is considered one of the league’s top up-and-coming assistants. With Webb’s help, Payton will continue to climb the all-time wins list this season. He will head into 2026 with 184, which ranks 13th. Payton will eventually become the ninth head coach to reach 200.
Chiefs Hand QB Patrick Mahomes Extension Through 2033
11:21pm: Hours after the announcement hit the waves, Mahomes has officially put pen to paper on his new deal. With the record-setting deal finalized, the three-time Super Bowl MVP is now under Chiefs control for eight more seasons.
3:34pm: Six summers ago, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes agreed on an unrivaled extension that ran into the 2030s. The superstar’s lengthy contract benefited the Chiefs, and other passers’ salaries began to dwarf his.
The Chiefs agreed to a reworked deal in fall 2023 but did not remove any years from the mammoth pact. The parties have now agreed to add more time on this deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Kansas City will now have Mahomes signed through the 2033 season at $504.75MM. That is the total value of the new deal, which will add two seasons to Mahomes’ term.
That whopping number covers eight seasons in total, representing a seismic adjustment to the NFL’s longest-term contract. In terms of new money, Mahomes will receive $239.1MM, per Schefter and Rapoport. The first four years of the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s deal are guaranteed at signing, representing tremendous confidence the quarterback will return to his stratospheric heights after suffering ACL and LCL tears last December.
This does not mean the Chiefs are adding $239.1MM over the 2032 and ’33 seasons, as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio points out, but the team will give the all-time great a significant raise over the existing years of his deal. In exchange, Mahomes will give the Chiefs two more years of control.
The 2033 season would be Mahomes’ age-38 campaign. That $239MM number will mark a raise throughout the eight-year contract’s life, and it represents a record-setting AAV bump for the current game’s most accomplished quarterback.
The new guarantees probably represent the most notable component of this agreement. Aside from first- or early-second-round rookie contracts and the outlier Deshaun Watson deal, teams do not authorize four years of fully guaranteed money. The Chiefs are doing so, with Schefter and Rapoport adding guarantee mechanisms — which were used in the team’s initial Mahomes extension — are present to cover the 2030s part of this accord.
While plenty of details are yet to emerge, the eight-year package worth $504.75MM comes out to more than $63MM per year. We will wait to see how this is structured, but that blows past Dak Prescott‘s previous high-water mark — set in September 2024. The Cowboys have Prescott signed to a four-year, $240MM extension, one the QB secured thanks to historic leverage. Mahomes opted for a team-friendlier deal in 2020, and it helped the Chiefs retain Chris Jones on multiple extensions — to go with other roster-building advantages. The organization is rewarding the 10th-year quarterback, and it will be interesting to see how this contract breaks down in terms of cap hits.
When Mahomes agreed to his 10-year Kansas City extension (worth $450MM) in July 2020, Russell Wilson‘s $35MM-per-year Seahawks pact had resided atop the quarterback market. Mahomes’ accord raised the ceiling, but it did not take too long for the field to catch up with him. Watson topped the deal on a much more player-friendly package — the most player-friendly agreement in NFL history — while Aaron Rodgers became the first $50MM-AAV player days earlier in March 2022.
A host of QBs are now in the $50MM-per-year club, leading to the Chiefs infusing Mahomes’ contract with guarantees in September 2023, with Prescott hitting $60MM AAV. The $60MM-per-year club now houses two passers, and Lamar Jackson‘s camp will assuredly take note of Mahomes’ latest update.
Jackson carries favorable leverage compared to Mahomes, whose previous through-2031 arrangement gave the Chiefs flexibility — which they have continually used via restructures. The Chiefs have restructured Mahomes’ contract five times since its authorization; the latest change (in February) dropped his cap number to $34.65MM for 2026. That gave the Chiefs some breathing room, as they entered the offseason well over the cap.
The contract maxes out at $522.25MM, according to Schefter and Rapoport, with incentives and escalators present. This agreement comes more than a year after the Bills gave Josh Allen a monster adjustment by adding two more years to his lengthy contract. The only QB to remotely venture into Mahomes’ contractual territory — term length-wise — Allen signed a six-year Bills extension in 2021. After Allen’s 2024 MVP season, the team rewarded him with a six-year, $330MM contract that added two years to his previous pact. This Mahomes offering looks similar, but with four fully guaranteed years, the Kansas City icon fared better on that front.
It is debatable as to whether Allen has passed Mahomes in the QB pecking order exiting the 2025 season, and the Bills superstar is a year younger. But no debate exists as to the league’s most accomplished active QB.
The Chiefs had experienced a 50-year Super Bowl drought after their Super Bowl IV victory, which closed the sport’s AFL chapter, as the likes of Joe Montana, Trent Green and Alex Smith — among others in a QB carousel that formed a San Francisco-to-Kansas City pipeline — were unable to lift the franchise back to the game’s ultimate stage. Mahomes did, and he has played in five Super Bowls and seven AFC championship games through eight seasons as a starter.
Mahomes delivered his best statistical season in 2018, throwing 50 touchdown passes and reaching 5,097 passing yards in his first year succeeding Smith. A porous Chiefs defense could not stop Tom Brady and Co. in the AFC championship game, but Kansas City’s seminal Steve Spagnuolo hire soon after allowed Mahomes to have near-Brady-like defensive protection en route to forming the NFL’s only post-Patriots dynasty. The Chiefs won Super Bowls LIV, LVII and LVIII over the next five seasons, with Mahomes earning MVP honors in each game. Also receiving regular-season MVP acclaim in 2022, Mahomes created distance between himself and the field by that point.
Since then, the Chiefs have not rivaled their early Mahomes years on offense. The team ranked 15th in scoring in 2023 and ’24, with the Tyreek Hill trade — and a few misses at wide receiver — limiting the once-explosive attack. Travis Kelce moving into his mid-30s did not help matters, and Spagnuolo’s defense — a top-10 unit in six of the decorated DC’s seven seasons in K.C. — became an underrated component of this dynasty.
The Chiefs lost Mahomes to a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 last year, but the team was on the verge of elimination with the future first-ballot Hall of Famer at the wheel. Mahomes went 6-8 as a starter last season, as the Chiefs’ close-game mojo faded. The team ranked 21st in scoring offense, with the post-Mahomes period contributing to that placement. Wednesday’s commitment certainly shows no signs the franchise is concerned about its passer’s long-term viability.
Andy Reid, the Chiefs dynasty’s other pillar, has continually fended off retirement rumors. The NFL’s fourth-winningest all-time coach is heading into his 14th season in charge of the AFC West team. The Broncos toppled Reid’s bunch last season, going 14-3, while the Chargers swept the Chiefs with Mahomes starting both games. Reid, 68, will attempt to become the oldest HC to win a Super Bowl; Bruce Arians, 66 when his Buccaneers thrashed the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, currently holds that record.
Mahomes, who had missed only two games due to injury prior to his knee setback, did some work at Chiefs OTAs and is targeting a Week 1 return. The Chiefs acquired Justin Fields via trade, bringing in some insurance in the event the longtime starter is not ready. Mahomes has beat rumored injury recovery timetables in the past, most notably playing on a high ankle sprain in the 2022 playoffs, and comparable recoveries from ACL tears have commenced.
Seeing favorable AFC West draws in the years after Peyton Manning‘s retirement, the Chiefs now enter a season — for the first time in ages — in which they are not the surefire favorites to win the division. Kelce is entering an age-37 season, while Chris Jones is now 32. The team’s questions at wide receiver persist, with No. 1 target Rashee Rice currently in jail — while rehabbing from knee surgery — due to violating his probation. The Chiefs added Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker in free agency and made three top-40 picks in this year’s draft, using a 6-11 2025 record to their advantage.
The team will hope its cornerstone player will be back in Week 1. But for the long haul — which will feature the Chiefs moving across the Kansas state line into a new stadium in 2031 — no doubt exists about internal confidence in Mahomes, who remains the NFL’s only player signed beyond the 2030 season.
Dolphins To Extend C Aaron Brewer
The Dolphins had signed Aaron Brewer to a mid-tier center contract in 2024, but after his breakthrough 2025 season, a new deal is in place. Brewer is now the NFL’s third-highest-paid center.
Miami’s new regime is giving Brewer a three-year, $52.5MM extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal will provide the veteran interior blocker with $37MM guaranteed. At $17.5MM per year, Brewer trails only Tyler Linderbaum and Creed Humphrey among center salaries. Brewer is now signed through 2029.
Plenty of rumblings about a Brewer payday emerged this offseason. Although new regimes regularly use their early months to evaluate holdover players — and this Dolphins power structure has made sweeping changes — Brewer joins De’Von Achane as extension recipients during the team’s offseason program. Achane signed a four-year, $64MM extension in May.
The Chris Grier-Mike McDaniel power duo had added Brewer on a three-year, $21MM deal in 2024. That represented a mid-market deal, though the pact being finalized months before Humphrey’s extension raised the center ceiling made Brewer’s terms reasonably player-friendly. But Linderbaum has since smashed through both the center and guard roofs, using unrestricted free agency to create a new sector on the center market.
Linderbaum’s AAV outpaces Humphrey’s by a staggering $9MM, but Brewer and Cam Jurgens join Humphrey on the market’s new second tier. Jurgens did see more in total guarantees ($43MM) compared to Brewer, and it will be interesting to see where the latter’s new deal lands in terms of fully guaranteed money.
Should the $17.5MM AAV be the contract’s base value, Brewer will surpass Jurgens’ salary ($17MM per annum). GM Jon-Eric Sullivan is launching a rebuild, as the Tua Tagovailoa release and trades of Jaylen Waddle and Minkah Fitzpatrick illustrate, but will ensure Brewer is around to block for free agent signing Malik Willis and perhaps a long-term successor.
Playing both guard and center with the Titans, Brewer worked his way up from the UDFA level into surefire starter. An injury-battered Titans O-line could count on the Texas State alum in 2022, when Brewer started 17 games at guard. Tennessee then placed a second-round RFA tender on him in Mike Vrabel‘s final offseason in charge. Moving to center in 2023, Brewer started 17 more games that season and created a nice market for himself. That led to the Dolphins paying him to begin snapping to Tagovailoa. The signing surely went better than the team anticipated.
Brewer landed a second-team All-Pro honor despite the Dolphins struggling in McDaniel’s final season. Pro Football Focus graded Brewer as its second-best center — behind Humphrey — while ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted the 28-year-old blocker ninth among all interior O-linemen. Although Miami did not see Tagovailoa rebound from a concerning 2024, Brewer’s work helped Achane to a career-best season. New HC Jeff Hafley will count on that duo moving forward.
The Dolphins have questions to answer up front as Hafley’s tenure starts. Austin Jackson accepted a pay cut after another injury-plagued season, and the veteran right tackle is in a contract year. The team has Patrick Paul entering a second season as its starting left tackle. The Dolphins are stationing first-round pick Kadyn Proctor — a tackle at Alabama — at left guard while putting 2025 second-rounder Jonah Savaiinaea in a competition to keep a starting job. Savaiinaea, who started at LG last season, is vying for the RG post with Jamaree Salyer and rookie D.J. Campbell.
Brewer represents some certainty for Miami’s new staff. Sullivan’s staff has now taken care of he and Achane, and it will be interesting to see if a Jordyn Brooks extension — one the former first-round linebacker has lobbied for — will come next in this transition period.
Packers, WR Christian Watson Agree To Extension
JUNE 9: Watson’s new deal has a base value of $97.5MM, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. Keeping in line with standard Packers contracts, the $31MM signing bonus represents the only fully guaranteed money in the pact. As detailed by Over the Cap, per-game roster bonuses total $8.5MM over the course of the extension; incentives are present as well.
If Watson is on the roster by the third day of the 2028 league year, he will collect a $13MM roster bonus. A decision on that front will be key, as his cap charge will jump to $24.54MM that year (compared to $11.54MM in 2027).
JUNE 4: Last offseason, Christian Watson and the Packers agreed to a one-year extension. Another new deal has been worked out, and this time around a long-term commitment has been made.
Watson has agreed to a four-year extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This is a $110.5MM deal, he adds. The Packers have included a $31MM signing bonus in this contract, which will keep Watson on the books through 2030.
Injuries have been a concern throughout Watson’s NFL career. The former second-rounder was limited to 10 games during the regular season in 2025, although he also played in Green Bay’s wild-card loss. Watson was productive when on the field, totaling six touchdowns and maintaining a strong yards per catch average. The Packers clearly saw enough this past season to authorize a lucrative investment.
In March, Watson was named as one of several young members of Green Bay’s core who could be in line for an extension. One month later, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed a long-term deal was indeed a priority for the team. With plenty of time to spare before training camp, an agreement has now been reached. This represents the second big-money deal worked out with a receiver this spring in the case of Green Bay.
Jayden Reed agreed to an extension of his own shortly before the second day of the draft. That pact ensures he will remain in place through 2029 and carries an average annual value of $16.75MM. Watson’s new deal confirms he will be a focal point on offense for the foreseeable future as well. Tight end Tucker Kraft has yet to line up a second contract, but he may represent Green Bay’s next priority.
Watson has secured an AAV of $27.63MM on this latest extension. The 27-year-old will thus slot in just outside the top 15 in the NFL with respect to receiver compensation on an annual basis. Continued absences due to injuries could of course limit the success of this commitment, and Watson has yet to top 620 yards in a season. Nevertheless, he has averaged 17 yards per reception over the course of his career, and remaining one of the league’s top vertical threats would be critical for the Packers’ offense moving forward.
The 2026 offseason has seen Romeo Doubs depart in free agency, while Dontayvion Wicks was traded to the Eagles in April. Those absences will thin out a receiver room on a Green Bay team which added Matthew Golden in the first round in 2025 but did not make any draft investments this year. Watson, Reed and Golden will be counted on to operate as key figures for years to come as part of the Packers’ efforts to make a deep playoff run.
Brendan Sorsby Granted Injunction; QB Retains 2026 NCAA Eligibility
Previous updates in the case of quarterback Brendan Sorsby increasingly pointed to him participating in the NFL’s supplemental draft. That will not be taking place this summer, however.
Sorsby’s legal team has been granted an injunction by a judge in Lubbock, Texas, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. As a result, he is set to retain his NCAA eligibility for the 2026 season. Today’s unexpected development means Sorsby will not need to declare for the supplemental draft and instead enter the NFL under traditional circumstances next April.
[RELATED: NCAA Appeals Sorsby Injunction]
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger notes a condition of the injunction is that Sorsby will miss the first two games of Texas Tech’s season this fall. That was offered by his representatives as part of their efforts to work out a suspension allowing him to play in 2026. The NCAA expectedly shut down attempts by Sorsby’s camp and Texas Tech in recent days to work out a deal on this front. That seemed to set up one of the more interesting supplemental drafts in recent NFL history, but Sorsby’s attention will instead turn to preparation for another college season.
During his freshman year at Indiana, Sorsby placed numerous bets on the Hoosiers. No wagers were placed on games in which Sorsby played, but those bets – along with a high volume of others – represented a clear violation of the NCAA’s rules related to wagering. A lifetime ban was widely expected by many observers in this case, something which would have left the supplemental draft as Sorsby’s only path to the NFL. Now, though, the Red Raiders will have their QB1 for the coming season on an NIL deal worth roughly $6MM.
Some evaluators viewed Sorsby as a first-round prospect based on performances at Cincinnati over the past two years. The 2027 class is seen as being much stronger than 2026’s at the QB position in particular, but Sorsby could cement his status as a valuable passer leading up to the spring with a season free of further controversy. Sorsby entered a treatment program for a gambling addiction earlier this offseason.
As noted by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, today’s injunction also includes the condition that Sorsby continue receiving treatment for his gambling addiction along with anxiety (something noted in his original filing for an injunction). Sorsby will also be required to attend gambler’s anonymous meetings in addition to his suspension to open the season. Nevertheless, this news marks a surprise which will leave him on track to enter the NFL draft as part of the 2027 class.
Seahawks, Derick Hall Agree To Extension
JUNE 5: Hall’s contract includes $15.27MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. An additional $4.2MM will become fully guaranteed five days after Super Bowl LXI, per Spotrac. Another $1.5MM will lock in five days after Super Bowl LXII.
The Seahawks have used this structure in recent contracts, with Sam Darnold, Cooper Kupp and Ernest Jones earning early guarantees by remaining on Seattle’s roster this past February. The defending champs will use the February vesting plan for Hall as well.
JUNE 2: The Seahawks have managed to take care of another extension priority well before training camp. Edge rusher Derick Hall has a new deal in place.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports team and player have finalized a three-year extension. The pact has a base value of $42MM and can reach a maximum of $46.5MM. Hall is set to collect $21MM guaranteed. Instead of spending the coming season as a pending free agent, he will now be under team control through 2029.
The Super Bowl champions expectedly saw Boye Mafe depart in free agency this spring. Hall would have been in danger of doing the same one year later, but he will remain in Seattle for the foreseeable future. The Auburn product saw a drop in defensive usage in 2025, although a return to a starting gig may now be in store.
The No. 37 pick of the 2023 draft was part of the package sent by Denver to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson blockbuster in 2022. The Seahawks found a number of key contributors to build around via that swap, and Hall – taken with that selection – was one of them. He managed limited production as a rookie while handling backup duties before taking a notable step forward in both playing time and output in 2024.
That year, Hall notched eight sacks, 29 pressures and a pair of forced fumbles. A long-term run near the top of Seattle’s EDGE depth chart seemed to be in store, but the signing of DeMarcus Lawrence gave the team even more options in the pass rush department. Lawrence wound up working as a full-time starter during his debut Seahawks campaign, with Uchenna Nwosu also serving as a regular on defense. Hall, like Mafe, was relegated to part-time defensive duties during the regular season (although he posted two sacks and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LX).
Lawrence and Nwosu are still under contract for Seattle. The team also added Dante Fowler last month on a one-year pact. No draft investments were made along the edge, so those three, along with Hall, will be counted on to play key roles on the Seahawks’ vaunted defense. Considering the terms of this commitment, Hall can be expected to handle a notable workload during his age-25 season and beyond.
With an average annual value of $14MM, this extension is the most lucrative one for Seattle pass rushers as things stand. That figure falls well short of the upper echelon of a market which reached $50MM annually earlier this offseason, though. As the Seahawks aim to repeat as Super Bowl champions, the team will hope to gain value on an extension which could prove to be quite team-friendly over time.
Seattle already worked out a monster extension with receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba this spring, while another lucrative pact for cornerback Devon Witherspoon looms. There is still plenty of work to be done in the latter’s case, but another long-term agreement has nevertheless been reached with a different member of the team’s defense with plenty of time to spare.
Russell Wilson Announces Retirement
On Monday, it was reported Russell Wilson would spend the 2026 season as an analyst for CBS. That news obviously suggested his playing days were over, and that has now been confirmed.
On Wednesday, Wilson posted a video to social media announcing his retirement. The 37-year-old initially expressed a desire to play in 2026, and he received an offer from the Jets. Instead of serving as a backup for another campaign, though, Wilson will turn his attention to broadcasting.
Today’s announcement marks the expected end to a playing career which began with tempered expectations. As a third-round pick, Wilson was far from certain to serve as a capable long-term replacement for Matt Hasselbeck, whose Seattle tenure ended in 2010. As things turned out, though, the franchise enjoyed a sustained run of success under head coach Pete Carroll. His work and that of the ‘Legion of Boom’ on defense was of course critical to the Seahawks’ strong play, but Wilson was a foundational player as well.
Taking on QB1 duties as a rookie and never losing them over the course of his time in the Emerald City, Wilson helped lead Seattle to eight playoff appearances. That stretch included back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl; the Seahawks comfortably won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos and nearly came out on top the following year against the Patriots. Replicating those deep postseason runs proved to be a challenge Carroll’s Seahawks were unable to meet, but Wilson continued to provide the team with strong play over a decade in Seattle.
From the start of his career, Wilson was recognized as a perennial Pro Bowler, earning invitations to the event in nine of 10 seasons with the Seahawks. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019 after finishing the year with 31 touchdowns to just five interceptions despite getting sacked a league-leading 48 times that season. He departed Seattle as the franchise-leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and several other statistical categories.
Wilson’s time with the Seahawks came to an end after the 2021 NFL season, when he was packaged with a fourth-round pick and shipped off to Denver in exchange for two first- and second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. Over two years with the Broncos, Westbrook struggled to produce as he followed up his only losing season as a starter in Seattle with two more in Denver.
After getting released, Wilson signed with the Steelers, going 6-5 as a starter after missing the first six games of the season and earning Pro Bowl honors one last time. He began the following year as a starter for the Giants, before ultimately ceding his job to Jaxson Dart. He failed to go out on top, but for a third-round quarterback, winning a Super Bowl, making 10 Pro Bowls, winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and cementing himself as a top player in Seahawks history is a pretty good résumé. He’ll look now to expand his accomplishments on air.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams
JUNE 3: The third-rounder in 2029 is conditional, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. It will turn into a first-rounder if the Rams trade Garrett to a team in the Browns’ division, the AFC North.
JUNE 1, 11:20pm: Both teams have announced the trade. It is indeed Garrett for Verse, a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder.
12:23pm: Myles Garrett‘s time in Cleveland is coming to an end. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is being traded from the Browns to the Rams, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report.
The full trade terms, per Schefter, consist of Garrett being traded for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a second-round selection in 2028 and a 2029 third-rounder. This swap is not official yet, as Browns GM Andrew Berry confirms (video link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Once it is processed, though, it will no doubt go down as a seminal moment for both franchises.
[RELATED: Fallout From Browns-Rams Blockbuster]
Schefter reports Garrett has chosen to waive his no-trade clause to allow for this deal to take place. He will retain that clause upon arrival in Los Angeles. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, today’s stunning swap represents the first time in history a reigning Defensive Play of the Year has been dealt.
Garrett has been the subject of trade speculation since he requested to be dealt last spring. That request was rescinded when a then-record extension was worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler seemed to be in position to remain with Cleveland for years to come, but questions continued to be raised after the 2025 campaign saw him add further to his long list of accolades without any accompanying team success. Indeed, whispers about a trade lingered through the 2026 offseason.
In March, the Browns restructured Garrett’s contract in a way which did not add any new money or years to the pact. Nevertheless, the payment dates for his option bonuses were pushed back to one week before the start of the regular season. That move extended the window of opportunity for a trade – something Cleveland has denied would be taking place on multiple occasions – to be worked out.
June 1 is always a key checkpoint on the NFL calendar, and it was recently labeled the time after which a Garrett trade could occur. Just like the case of A.J. Brown, a deal formally being worked out any time after 3:00pm this afternoon will greatly impact the salary cap implications of the deal. Proceeding with this trade in a post-June 1 fashion will generate $8.34MM in cap savings for Cleveland with a $41MM dead money charge being spread out (and accounting for $15.53MM in 2026). Garrett’s contract runs through 2030.
Per Rapoport (video link), the Rams engaged in trade talks with the Browns shortly after the contract adjustment was made. Their efforts continued through the draft, with Cleveland remaining steadfast in rejecting offers. Things changed when Los Angeles general manager Les Snead offered to include Verse in the deal, though. Negotiations on an adjusted package of picks have now resulted in an agreement. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams informed Verse of the news earlier today.
Garrett has made clear his intention of playing on a contending team particularly toward the latter stages of his career. This blockbuster trade will help in that regard; the Rams fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2025 and have made other win-now moves on defense since then. Garrett will join cornerback Trent McDuffie as a new face tasked with elevating Los Angeles’ defense while the teams seeks out another high-end campaign from quarterback Matthew Stafford and Co. on offense.
The Rams were a strong Brown suitor, but Breer notes their inability to acquire him helped set up this Garrett push. Another lucrative pact – one which averages $40MM per year – is now on the books, but Los Angeles will have a future Hall of Famer leading the way along a defensive front which was already among the league’s best. This acquisition will further deprive the Rams of draft capital (which was critical in establishing the post-Aaron Donald core on defense); then again, Snead’s stance when it comes to picks is rather well known.
Verse, whom Schefter notes was born in Dayton, Ohio, has enjoyed a strong start to his career. The 2024 first-rounder took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while thriving in a full-time starting role. Last season, the 25-year-old collected a second Pro Bowl nod in as many years while posting 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His rookie contract runs through 2028, and Cleveland could keep him in place for a longer period via the fifth-year option.
Since Verse is five years younger than Garrett, he will align better with the roster reset Berry is overseeing. The 2025 class offered promising early results with respect to a new core emerging for Cleveland. The fate of the quarterback position beyond 2026 is unclear, but additional capital should help yield options on that front or at least provide upgrades at other spots.
In a series of remarks which have proved to provide noteworthy foreshadowing, new Browns head coach Todd Monken said earlier on Monday (video link via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan) he was not given any assurances upon being hired about Garrett remaining with the team. Instead of having the single-season sack record holder in the fold for his first year leading an NFL team, Monken will be tasked with integrating Verse and developing the group of younger players brought in via Cleveland’s haul of draft picks.
Falcons, Drake London Agree To Extension
The Falcons have locked in their top receiver for the foreseeable future. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team has signed Drake London to a four-year extension.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the numbers. London’s four-year deal is worth $141MM and could reach $150MM via incentives. London will also earn $100MM in guaranteed money. That $35.25MM average annual salary is the highest in Falcons franchise history.
From a positional standpoint, London’s AAV will rank third behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($42.15MM) and Ja’Marr Chase ($40.25MM) and just ahead of Justin Jefferson ($35MM). The $141MM in total value also trails JSN and Chase and barely tops Jefferson’s $140MM. The $100MM in guaranteed money will rank behind all three of those aforementioned WRs and ties CeeDee Lamb for fourth at the position.
The eighth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, it took London a bit to emerge as a top-tier WR. Through his first two seasons, he averaged 70 catches for 885 yards and three touchdowns per season. However, he took his play to another level while receiving passes from Kirk Cousins in 2024. London finished that campaign with 100 catches for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite that standout campaign, he didn’t agree to an extension with the Falcons last offseason, even as his fellow 2022 draftee Garrett Wilson received a lucrative new contract from the Jets.
London increase his yards-per-game mark to a career-high 76.6 in 2025. Since he was limited to only 12 games, his counting stats suffered as a result, with the 24-year-old finishing with 68 catches for 919 yards and seven touchdowns. Pro Football Focus still graded London as the league’s fifth-best WR.
This extension means the Falcons can count on some offensive continuity in the coming seasons. The team is currently navigating a QB competition between Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, and that duo will be throwing to a revamped WR depth chart that includes new addition Jahan Dotson and old friend Olamide Zaccheaus. This extension assures London will be present throughout crucial offseason practices.
The Falcons will now turn their attention their other offensive star, as running back Bijan Robinson is also eligible for an extension. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that it was a goal of the front office to extend their two main offensive weapons, and all focus will now turn to the first-team RB. The team could also look to extend tight end Kyle Pitts, who is currently attached to the franchise tag for the 2026 season.
Steelers To Extend OLB Nick Herbig
The Steelers have agreed to an extension with outside linebacker Nick Herbig, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. It’s a four-year, $100MM deal with $42MM in guaranteed money. He is now under contract through 2030.
Herbig, who joined the Steelers as a fourth-round pick in 2023, had been in position to reach free agency next year. While Herbig came up as a potential trade candidate before April’s draft, general manager Omar Khan made it known he wanted to extend the former Wisconsin Badger. Several weeks later, Khan has achieved his goal.
Herbig is now the third expensive edge defender in Pittsburgh, which also has T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith on pricey deals. The Steelers are spending $84MM along the edge, which ranks second behind the Texans’ $96MM, Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac notes. Watt, who is signed through 2028, is owed a guaranteed $32MM this year. Meanwhile, Highsmith is due a nonguaranteed $14.5MM this season. He could become a free agent after 2027.
With Watt and Highsmith playing prominent roles throughout Herbig’s career, the 24-year-old has only started in 11 of 45 games in the pros. To Herbig’s credit, though, he has put up impressive production when on the field. Having totaled 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles, Herbig is expected to receive more playing time under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in 2026.
Herbig played just 17% of defensive snaps as a rookie, but his snap share jumped under the former head coach-coordinator duo of Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin from 2024-25. He was on the field for 50% of plays in 2024 and 60% last season, a year in which the Steelers went without Watt for three games as a result of a collapsed lung.
Herbig took advantage of an increase in usage for the AFC North champions, leading all edge defenders in pass rush win rate and piling up a career-high 7.5 sacks in 15 games (six starts). He also tallied three forced fumbles and set career bests in tackles (30), QB hits (18), pass deflections (three) and interceptions (one). Pro Football Focus ranked Herbig’s performance a stellar sixth among 119 qualified edge defenders (Highsmith and Watt were 12th and 31st, respectively). Superstars Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson were the only players at the position who earned higher pass-rushing grades than Herbig.
With Herbig becoming the 10th current edge defender on a $100MM-plus contract, the 2027 free agent market has lost a big fish well in advance. Tuli Tuipulotu, Byron Young, Kayvon Thibodeaux, YaYa Diaby, Jermaine Johnson and Myles Murphy are still on track to become free agents in a year, but at least a few of those players will likely join Herbig in signing an extension this summer.
Now that Khan settled Herbig’s long-term future, his focus could turn to pending free agent cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Locking up the three-year starter is a priority for the Steelers, whose defense is currently the most expensive in the league.