Rams, Matthew Stafford Agree To Extension
The Rams have officially committed to Matthew Stafford through at least the 2027 campaign. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed to a one-year, $55MM extension. The deal could reach $60MM with incentives. The Rams have officially announced the deal.
After reworking the QB’s contract in both 2024 and 2025, there was one year remaining on the reigning MVP’s pact. With today’s extension, Stafford will now be attached to a two-year deal worth up to $105MM. The true $50MM average annual value would only rank 11th at his position, but a $55MM AAV would be tied for second behind Dak Prescott‘s record-breaking $60MM in annual earnings.
We heard last month that the Rams were progressing on a deal with Stafford. However, the team later stunned the NFL world when they used their 13th-overall selection in the draft on QB Ty Simpson. While the team is counting on the Alabama star to eventually guide their offense, Rams leadership also made it clear that the selection wasn’t an indictment on Stafford nor his standing on the team. Today’s agreement all but assures that Simpson will now warm the bench for at least his first two professional seasons.
The Rams have had to navigate a handful of contractual issues with Stafford. A year after acquiring the former first-overall pick from the Lions, the Rams signed the QB to a four-year, $160MM extension. As the veteran fell down the AAV leaderboard, he came to the table with restructuring requests in 2024 and 2025.
That latter negotiation led to the Rams letting Stafford speak with other teams about a potential trade. While the Giants and Raiders lined up guarantee packages covering north of $90MM, Stafford ultimately stuck with the Rams, agreeing to a revised two-year, $80MM deal that included a $40MM guarantee at signing. Another $40MM guarantee vested on Day 5 of the current league year. A $24MM 2026 option bonus was also split into four parts.
Stafford won MVP following an age-37 season that saw him pace the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). The veteran has seen a career renaissance while playing under Sean McVay in Los Angeles. After going 74-90-1 in 12 seasons with the Lions, Stafford has gone 46-28 through his first five years with the Rams. The QB has also added 10 playoff appearances to his resume, including four during his team’s 2021 run to a Super Bowl championship.
The team’s pursuit of another championship has fallen short in recent years. However, the organization can rest easy knowing that the McVay/Stafford tandem will remain in place for at least the next few seasons.
Giants, GM Joe Schoen Agree To Multiyear Extension
Once believed to be on the hot seat, Joe Schoen is now sticking in New York for the foreseeable future. The Giants have agreed to a multiyear extension with their general manager, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The team has since announced the move.
Following last season’s ouster of Brian Daboll, it became apparent that Schoen had a relatively short leash in his role. The organization’s offseason additions only seemed to reinforce that notion. First, the team landed John Harbaugh to be their next head coach. While Schoen was notably involved in that search, the new head coach insisted on reporting to ownership instead of the GM. Before the higher-ups ultimately greenlit that arrangement, it was rumored that Schoen represented an impediment to that potential change.
Later in the offseason, we heard the Giants’ Dawn Aponte hire (as senior VP of football operations and strategy) stripped power from Schoen. That report hinted that Schoen had essentially been “relegated to handling scouting” while the “rest of the building reports to Dawn.” Since franchise’s tend to prefer some continuity before the draft, there were even whispers that Schoen could be a post-draft casualty.
At the same time, a report during the Giants’ Harbaugh pursuit indicated the coach’s likely willingness to work with the GM. After navigating both free agency and the draft, it sounds like leadership (including the new HC) was satisfied with their current hierarchy, leading to today’s unexpected extension.
Schoen has spent more than two decades in NFL front offices, including initial stops with the Panthers and Dolphins. During that latter stint in Miami, the executive worked his way up to director of player personnel, and he parlayed that gig into the assistant general manager role in Buffalo under Brandon Beane.
The Giants hired Schoen to lead their front office in 2022, and the GM quickly recruited Daboll to join him in New York. The organization saw some immediate success under the new regime, as the team won their first playoff game since their Super Bowl-winning run in 2011. However, that success didn’t last. Following a nine-win showing in 2022, the Giants dropped to six wins in 2023 before bottoming out with three wins in 2024 and four wins in 2025.
While Schoen has had some hits in the draft, he’s also earned his fair share of criticism. His willingness to let Saquon Barkley and fellow first-team All-Pro Xavier McKinney walk in free agency left both fans and players (including Dexter Lawrence) disillusioned with the franchise’s direction. Schoen also spearheaded the regrettable Daniel Jones extension, a deal the Giants will continue paying in 2026.
Harbaugh undoubtedly has the final say from a roster-building perspective, and the coach could have easily pushed for a change to the front office hierarchy. Despite Schoen’s warts, today’s extension indicates a vote of confidence from both ownership and (perhaps most importantly) Harbaugh.
Lions Extend LB Jack Campbell
11:20pm: Campbell and the Lions agreed to a four-year deal worth $81MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal includes $51.5MM in guaranteed money.
With the deal coming in at a $20.25MM average annual value, Campbell will slide right behind Warner ($21MM) and right ahead of Smith ($20MM) on the list of the highest AAVs among linebackers.
12:55pm: Extension talks between the Lions and Jack Campbell have produced an agreement. The All-Pro linebacker announced on Thursday that he has signed a new deal with Detroit.
The Lions recently declined Campbell’s fifth-year option, but an extension remained the team’s goal in this case. The Lions have since confirmed today’s news of a long-term pact being finalized. Campbell will remain on the books through 2030 as a result of this deal.
This marks the first Lions action with regards to one of their impact 2023 draftees. The team came away with Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in the first two rounds of the ’23 draft. The team exercised Gibbs’ fifth-year option, buying more time on that front, but off-ball linebacker options are annually declined. Detroit followed suit, but this move differentiates the Lions, as several teams have lost first-round ILBs in free agency after declining an option.
Since the Buccaneers exercised Devin White‘s option in 2022, no team has picked up a non-rush linebacker’s. This has led to subsequent free agency defections from Patrick Queen, Jordyn Brooks, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd over the past three offseasons. Lloyd and Walker respectively left Jacksonville and Green Bay in March. The Lions’ proactivity with Campbell — whose option, thanks to the NFL grouping rush and non-rush ‘backers together in the option formula, checked in at $21.93MM — will bring a course change at this position and ensure a 2025 All-Pro talent remains in place with the team that selected him.
Detroit drew criticism coming out of the 2023 first round, as both picks went to players at non-premium positions. But Gibbs has become one of the NFL’s most electric running backs; Campbell made 2025 a breakout season. The Iowa product, chosen 18th overall in 2023, zoomed to first-team All-Pro acclaim after finishing the season with 176 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss. Campbell is the first player to record 160-plus tackles and five-plus sacks in a season in more than 20 years.
He became the first Lions linebacker to claim first-team All-Pro honors since Chris Spielman‘s 1991 season. Because of Campbell’s original-ballot Pro Bowl nod, his option number increased to nearly $22MM.
Campbell, 25, has never missed a game as a pro. This ironman run proved tremendously beneficial for the Lions in 2024, when their 15-2 squad lost several defenders — including linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez — to major injuries. The Lions re-signed Barnes to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2025 but let Anzalone play out his contract. The longtime starter joined the Bucs in free agency. Rodriguez re-signed with the Lions (one year, $2.75MM) in March.
Although the Lions could not negotiate with Campbell on a new deal until January, a re-up has been on the team’s radar for a while. We heard in November a likelihood the team would act here, and steady buzz has built in the months since. GM Brad Holmes called Campbell, Gibbs, LaPorta and Branch priorities in January, and the team has now taken care of one key contractual matter. It would surprise if a Gibbs payday does not follow suit, potentially leaving the Lions with a LaPorta-or-Branch decision. Holmes, however, has done well to extend core players drafted during his tenure.
This Campbell extension follows the deals given to Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph, Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson. With Jared Goff also extended, the top of the Lions’ payroll is becoming a bit crowded. Considering the struggles the franchise endured in the period prior to Holmes’ arrival, this represents a good problem to have.
The NFL only features two off-ball linebackers on $20MM-per-year deals — All-Pros Fred Warner and Roquan Smith — while Azeez Al-Shaair ($18MM AAV) and Zack Baun ($17MM) are the only ILBs north of $15MM per annum. This is a good time to pay an inside ‘backer, with the market stagnating during the 2020s. Al-Shaair’s extension earlier this year could certainly be relevant for Campbell, and it would surprise if the ascending player did not join this group as a top-five salary player at the position.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Dolphins Extend RB De’Von Achane
MAY 21: For full guarantees, Achane’s contract comes in well south of the previously reported $32MM number. It contains $17.38MM guaranteed at signing, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That ranks 13th among running backs. Another $3MM — from Achane’s 2028 salary ($14.23MM) — will vest in March 2027. That $3MM number is part of a $10MM 2028 guarantee; the remaining $7MM will lock in by March 2028, Florio adds.
Achane’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is guaranteed at signing. His 2029 and 2030 base salaries ($14.23MM, $15.72MM) are nonguaranteed, giving the Dolphins a realistic out after the 2027 season. Though, Achane’s camp did well to secure the early guarantee on part of his 2028 salary.
MAY 13: After months of discussions and trade rumors, the Dolphins have closed the deal to extend running back De’Von Achane. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Miami rusher has agreed to a four-year, extension worth up to $68MM with $32MM in guaranteed money.
[RELATED: The Richest RB Contract In Every Team’s History]
Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN clarified that Achane’s new deal has a base value of $64MM with bonuses worth up to $4MM. His annual average value ($16MM per year) and guarantee total are both all-time highs for running backs coming off their rookie deal. Achane is now set to enter the 2026 season with the position’s third-highest AAV, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, and fourth-most guarantees, behind Barkley and recent top draft picks Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love.
Achane came to the NFL after three years at Texas A&M. Despite sitting second on the depth chart behind Isaiah Spiller for two years in College Station, Achane broke out in his sophomore season as RB2. After averaging 8.5 yards per carry as a true freshman in limited time, Achane continued that outrageous efficiency with more touches, averaging seven yards per carry en route to a 910-yard, nine-touchdown season. Unfortunately, Achane’s lone season leading the backfield for the Aggies was the 12th Man’s only losing season since 2009, but he continued to produce with 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns rushing.
In a loaded draft class for running backs, Achane received high grades, but his short, stout frame caused him to slip far behind the first-round ranks of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. After getting selected in the third round by Miami, Achane joined a backfield that had struggled through the 2022 season led by Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, Chase Edmonds, Salvon Ahmed, and Myles Gaskin. With Achane spelling him, Mostert excelled in a starting role, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career and leading the league in rushing touchdowns with 18.
Used to coming off the bench with efficiency, Achane was not slowed down by the transition to the NFL. After receiving one carry in the team’s first two contests, he exploded onto to the scene with rushing lines of 18 carries-203 yards-2 touchdowns, 8-101-2, and 11-151-1 in his next three games before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury. Despite the time missed due to injury, Achane finished the year with 800 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Achane took lead back duties from Mostert the following year, but a far less effective all-around unit resulted in Achane finishing with just 907 yards and six touchdowns rushing, though he added a new element to his game with 78 catches for 592 yards and six more scores. Last year, Achane bounced back much closer to the expectations that followed his explosive start in 2023. Starting all 16 games for Miami, he totaled 1,350 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, adding 488 yards and four touchdowns receiving.
Unfortunately for Achane, as he’s gotten healthier and returned to form, the Dolphins have backslid into what looks now to be a rebuild. Former starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released, shouldering Miami with record-setting dead money, star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was released, and WR2 Jaylen Waddle has been traded away. While the Dolphins were okay parting ways with those key assets, it seemed Achane was where they drew the line.
As the team’s 2025 campaign finally began to come to a close, Achane made it known that he intended to stay in Miami, telling reporters he was seeking an extension. As a lack of team success spurred several teams to inquire about potential assets the Dolphins might be willing to move, the team made it clear that Achane was not available. The 24-year-old was absent from voluntary team activities once April came, but extension talks were well underway by then and really starting to gain traction. He’s landed his new deal now and become a key building block for the franchise.
To ease the financial pains of the transactions that removed Tagovailoa, Hill, and Waddle, Achane and center Aaron Brewer agreed to restructured deals. Well, according to Louis-Jacques, Brewer is believed to be one of two other players expected to follow Achane’s lead to a new extension. The other player Louis-Jacques beileves could land a new deal soon is veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks.
Aaron Rodgers Plans To Retire After 2026
It appears Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will ride off into the sunset after the 2026 season. Meeting with the media on Wednesday, Rodgers revealed that he will only play one more year (via Brooke Pryor of ESPN).
“Yes,” said Rodgers when asked if this will be his last season.
It is worth pointing out that Rodgers made similar comments last June, a couple of weeks after the former Packer and Jet ended a protracted trip to free agency to join the Steelers. It was a similarly drawn-out process this spring, but Rodgers finally agreed to return last weekend for a guaranteed $22MM. Rodgers stated that he made the decision after last month’s draft, adding he has been in Pittsburgh since early May (via Pryor). The four-time MVP and future Hall of Famer is now in line to play his 22nd season at the age of 42 (he’ll turn 43 in December).
Rodgers’ respect for longtime head coach Mike Tomlin influenced his decision to sign with Pittsburgh in 2025. The two went on to form a strong connection in a 10-7, AFC North-winning campaign for the Steelers. Rodgers did not resemble his all-world Green Bay self, but he bounced back from a couple of forgettable Jets seasons to win 10 of his 16 starts. He completed 65.7% of passes (in line with his career mark of 65.1), tossed 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, and posted a respectable 94.8 traditional rating.
While the regular season was a success for the Rodgers-led Steelers, the franchise extended its playoff losing streak to seven games. Led by a ferocious defense, Houston went into Pittsburgh in the wild-card round and crushed the Steelers, 30-6. Tomlin resigned shortly after that. It appeared Rodgers would follow Tomlin out the door, but then the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach. McCarthy held the same position in Green Bay from 2006-18. He and Rodgers won their only Super Bowl together, and the QB also took home two of his MVP awards in that span.
Rodgers told reporters Wednesday that he suggested McCarthy to Steelers general manager Omar Khan after Tomlin stepped down (via Pryor). The QB and coach were in communication over the past few months.
“There is a full aspect circle that piqued my interest of coming back,” Rodgers said of reuniting with McCarthy (via Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show).
Tomlin never posted a sub-.500 season in any of his 19 years at the helm, and he ended his Pittsburgh tenure with three straight playoff berths. The Steelers will expect similar regular-season results in McCarthy’s first year and Rodgers’ last, though it will go down as a disappointment if they are once again immediately dispatched in the playoffs. The Steelers have not won a postseason game since January 2017, which has led to increased frustration from their fan base.
With Rodgers’ career nearing an end, the Steelers may have to shop for a starting signal-caller yet again next offseason. That will depend on how much faith they have in 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and rookie third-rounder Drew Allar. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 campaign, Pittsburgh has been unable to find a long-term answer at the game’s foremost position.
The Steelers spent a 2022 first-rounder on Kenny Pickett, but he lasted just two years with the organization. After Pickett flamed out, they brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as starting options in 2024. Despite making the playoffs that year, the Steelers were not impressed enough to bring Wilson or Fields back for a second season. That led them to Rodgers, who will go down as a two-year starter for the franchise.
Rodgers will enter his final season fourth all-time in touchdown passes and fifth in both yards and completions. He is 13 TD tosses from 540, which would move him past Peyton Manning for third on the list. He will also have a chance to become just the sixth QB to ever start a game at age 43 or older (via James Palmer of Bleacher Report).
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Ordered To Serve 30 Days In Jail For Violating Probation
Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice is once again in legal trouble. Rice violated his probation after testing positive for THC, Matt Foster of KSHB 41 News reports. He has been ordered to serve 30 days in jail.
Rice is on probation for five years as a result of a 2004 hit-and-run crash that led to eight felony charges. After pleading guilty to felony collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury, Rice was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to pay $115K to the injured victims.
[RELATED: Rice Facing Multi-Month Rehab After Knee Surgery]
Rice’s jail sentence is the same one he was originally ordered to serve, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Had he not violated probation, Rice would have been able to choose when to serve his time over the next five years, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports relays. He will now have to go through with it immediately, which will prevent him from participating in the Chiefs’ upcoming OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
The NFL suspended Rice for the first six games of last season as a result of his street-racing crash. However, it is unlikely this violation will lead to another ban, according to Jones, who notes the league does not suspend players for positive marijuana tests. It is nonetheless another unwelcome off-field development for Rice, who was accused of domestic violence in a civil lawsuit filed in February. Dacoda Jones, Rice’s ex-girlfriend, claimed he repeatedly assaulted her from December 2023 to July 2025. He was not charged with a crime, and the league chose not to suspend him after reviewing the matter.
On the field, Rice is entering the pivotal final season of the four-year rookie contract he signed in 2023. During the pre-draft process, NFL teams became aware of an alleged incident in which Rice or a member of his party fired multiple shots into an empty car belonging to a member of SMU’s basketball team. The Chiefs nonetheless selected Rice in the second round (No. 55 overall), a move that has paid dividends when he has taken the field. Rice was a standout during a 16-game rookie year in which he caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. He added another 26 receptions in a four-game playoff run, including six in a Super Bowl LVIII win over the 49ers.
Thanks to a Week 4 LCL tear in 2024, last year’s suspension and a concussion, Rice played a mere 12 games over the previous two seasons. Despite suiting up just eight times in 2025, the 26-year-old piled up 53 catches, 571 yards and five scores. Barring punishment from the league, the Chiefs will count on Rice to continue serving as a key weapon when the upcoming season starts. Rice will be the top receiver in a corps that also includes Xavier Worthy, Tyquan Thornton, Jalen Royals and fifth-round rookie Cyrus Allen.
Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Deal
MAY 18: The Rodgers pact is now official, per a team announcement. Rodgers will indeed collect up to $25MM in 2026. He took part in the first day of OTAs, and a first-team workload will be in store through the remainder of the offseason.
MAY 16: Speculation surrounding the second year of the Steelers-Aaron Rodgers partnership can be put to rest. A deal is indeed in place between team and player.
Rodgers has agreed to another one-year Pittsburgh contract, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Rodgers has long been expected to suit up for the 2026 season. He will do so and reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy in the process while delaying retirement once more.
This pact has a base value between $22MM and $23MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It can max out at $25MM via incentives. Pelissero notes $22MM is guaranteed. Last year, Rodgers collected $10MM guaranteed and over $14MM in total, so this new deal certainly marks a considerable raise.
McCarthy – who took over following Mike Tomlin‘s resignation – remained in constant communication with Rodgers in recent months. That helped fuel the belief a reunion between the two would be forthcoming, although no firm commitments were known to be made by the four-time MVP. In the end, the anticipated outcome has emerged. Pelissero adds, to no surprise, Rodgers is set to take part in the start of organized team activities on Monday.
OTAs represented the latest artificial deadline for an agreement in this case. The Steelers hoped to avoid a lengthy waiting period on the Rodgers front after one took place in 2025. As the draft came and went, uncertainty continued to loom with respect to Pittsburgh’s quarterback outlook. Drew Allar was added in the third round of the event, but he will spend the coming campaign as a developmental passer. Veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard are also in the fold.
In the event a Rodgers agreement fell through, Rudolph and Howard were set to engage in a training camp competition with Pittsburgh not seeking an outside addition. The latest update on that front confirmed, however, that both passers were expected to occupy depth roles in 2026. Not long after receiving the rarely-used UFA tender, Rodgers is indeed in the mix. The future Hall of Famer was seen in Pittsburgh today with some members of the Steelers, and he will spend the coming months preparing for his 22nd NFL season.
A visit from earlier this month suggested an agreement was imminent, although it was only Rogers’ agent who spoke with the Steelers at that time. Finances were not seen as an issue regarding a second arrangement between the parties, something which has proven to be true. An otherwise low-cost Pittsburgh quarterback room will no doubt continue to face questions regarding the future as the 2026 season plays out, but there will be stability atop the depth chart.
Rodgers made 16 appearances during the year in 2025 and also played in Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss. His statistical output over that span fell short of his peak years but offered Pittsburgh with a high floor in QB play, especially relative to the team’s other post-Ben Roethlisberger passers. Expectations will need to be tempered as Rodgers approaches his age-42 campaign, but the Steelers have made several notable offseason additions on offense. Improved play with those new faces, and a revamped staff led by McCarthy, could see the Steelers end their drought (2016-present) for playoff victories.
A veteran-laden core remains in place on defense in particular for Pittsburgh. Rodgers will be expected to help the win-now group justify the commitment from owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and Co. to contending in 2026 instead of resetting under center this spring. Questions will loom about the Steelers’ plans over medium- and long-term future at the quarterback position, but for at least one more season the status quo will be in place.
Jets, RB Breece Hall Agree To Extension
MAY 13: The deal will include $29MM guaranteed over its first two years, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer tweets. While it is not known if this figure is fully guaranteed, that is likely the case due to what Hall would have made on two franchise tags. If the $29MM is locked in at signing, it will rank fourth among RBs (and second among non-rookie-contract deals at the position). Two void years are included in the contract, per Breer. Hall will carry cap hits of $11.48MM (2026), $14.48MM (2027) and $15.48MM (2028).
There are $1.5MM in incentives present as well. Hall reaching seven rushing touchdowns, surpassing 1,426 scrimmage yards or being named to the Pro Bowl would carry a $250K bump in each season, Breer adds. Hall if the first of this year’s three franchise-tagged players to sign an extension.
MAY 11: The Jets have officially announced the extension. We’ve also learned that the base value of the contract actually comes in at $43.5MM, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
MAY 8: Breece Hall‘s Jets tenure will continue beyond 2026. The franchise-tagged running back has worked out an extension agreement with New York.
Team and player have struck a three-year deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds this extension is worth up to $45.75MM. Instead of only being in place for one more season due to the tag, Hall will now be on the books through 2028.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes $45.75MM represents the base value of this deal. As such, Hall’s average annual value checks in at $15.25MM. That figure ranks third in the NFL among running backs, behind only Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey. The position’s landscape could change soon with Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson each eligible for extensions of their own this offseason. In any case, Hall’s outlook has now become much clearer.
The transition tag loomed as an option for New York to keep Hall in the fold for 2026. However, interest in offer sheets would have emerged had the Jets used the less-expensive one-year tender. Indeed, the Broncos were among the teams which would have pursed Hall in that scenario. As such, New York wound up applying the non-exclusive franchise tag. That set Hall up for $14.29MM in guaranteed 2026 earnings, but a long-term arrangement has now taken the place of the tag. The upfront payments in this new deal will be interesting to see.
On that note, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports Hall will receive $29MM guaranteed. That figure essentially matches what he would have collected by playing on two straight franchise tags. Connor Hughes of SNY adds that locked-in money will be paid out over the next two years, with no guarantees present for 2028. This agreement is therefore a $14.5MM-per-year pact for now with incentives present in Year 3 which could increase Hall’s overall earnings.
Hall, who will turn 25 later this month, expressed a desire to remain in place with the Jets and a general confidence that he would eventually land a deal near the top of the running back market. Both goals have now been achieved. After the tag was applied, a period following the draft emerged as a target for a multiyear extension to be finalized. GM Darren Mougey expressed optimism a deal would be reached, and that has proven to be the case in time for spring practices.
As a rookie, Hall flashed plenty of potential before suffering an ACL tear. Since returning to action, the former second-rounder has handled a heavy workload and been a regular presence in the passing game along the way. Hall topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in 2025, but he recorded more than 1,300 scrimmage yards for the third year in a row while doing so. The Iowa State product will once again be joined by Braelon Allen in the backfield next season, although another large offensive role for Hall can be expected.
The Jets will have Garrett Wilson in place once again for 2026, and he too is under contract for the future. Mougey has been busy adding at the skill positions, selecting tight end Mason Taylor in last year’s draft and trading for receiver Adonai Mitchell as part of the Sauce Gardner blockbuster. Last month, New York used two of three first-round selections on another tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) and an additional wideout (Omar Cooper Jr.). Those players, led in large part by Hall, will serve as an offensive nucleus moving forward.
Steelers, Chris Boswell Agree To Extension
Last summer, it became clear Chris Boswell was among the members of the Steelers who were seeking a raise. No new deal was worked out with Pittsburgh’s longtime kicker in 2025, but an agreement is now in place.
Team and player have agreed to an extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This is a four-year, $28MM deal, he adds. Boswell was set to enter the 2026 season as a pending free agent, but that will no longer be the case. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette adds the deal contains $14.7MM guaranteed.
Schefter notes Boswell is under contract through 2030, meaning today’s news consists of four new years being added to the final one of the two-time Pro Bowler’s existing pact. A raise is indeed forthcoming as a result of this extension as well. Boswell was previously attached to an average annual value of $5MM, but this new pact checks in at $7MM per year. That AAV mark matches the price point Brandon Aubrey recently reached with the Cowboys on his own 4/28 deal.
Boswell has handled kicking duties for the Steelers over the past 11 years, and that lengthy run will continue well into the future. The 35-year-old posted a field goal accuracy rate of just 65% in 2018 and 71.4% in 2022. Otherwise, Boswell has enjoyed consistent high-end production and given Pittsburgh stability at the position. The team is clearly comfortable with a long-term commitment in this case despite Boswell’s age.
In 2024, the former UDFA led the NFL with 41 made field goals. Boswell reached that mark on 44 attempts while going 35-for-35 on extra point kicks. That success resulted in a Pro Bowl nod along with first-team All-Pro honors. Boswell delivered another strong season this past year, including success on nine of 11 field goal tries from 50 yards and beyond. Sustained accuracy from long distance will be expected given the term and finances of this extension.
The top of the kicker market sat at $6.4MM at the onset of the 2026 offseason. Since then, Ka’imi Fairbairn has worked out a $6.5MM-per-year deal with the Texans, something which was followed by Aubrey’s Cowboys extension. There are now two kickers at the $7MM AAV mark, with seven others earning over $5MM annually.
Boswell has totaled 178 regular and postseason appearances during his Steelers tenure. That figure is set to increase substantially over the coming years while he plays out his third consecutive four-year pact. Pittsburgh will have a new punter for 2026 after Corliss Waitman departed in free agency. Cameron Johnston will be back in the fold for next season, while Christian Kuntz is in position to remain the team’s long snapper. That special teams familiarity will include a continued runway for Boswell in 2026 and beyond.
Broncos Extend GM George Paton
MAY 10: Parker Gabriel and Luca Evans of the Denver Post report the Paton extension was “hammered out” over the past couple of weeks. The deal was obviously expected at some point, but Paton and the team wanted to remain focused on the draft before turning their attention to the GM’s own contract status.
Payton, who spent his entire Saints career working with one GM in Mickey Loomis, is happy to have Paton in place for the long haul.
“I said to [Paton], I said, ‘Man, I consider myself very fortunate to have been with one General Manager in New Orleans who I would call a very close friend and a great working partner,’ and then to find another person like George,” Payton said at the Broncos’ rookie minicamp (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “I know that we both feel the same way. We love the grind together. He’s a tremendous asset and all, and he’s very good at what he does. I think we complement each other. I am super excited for him. I said that to you guys at the [scouting combine], it was just a matter of time. We think alike in a lot of cases.”
MAY 8: As expected, George Paton has landed a new agreement in Denver. The Broncos’ general manager signed a five-year deal on Friday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
Before the 2025 season had ended, a Paton extension emerged as a likely goal for the Broncos. The veteran had one year remaining on his contract prior to today’s news. Now, though, Paton is on the books through 2030 on a deal which has since been confirmed via a team announcement.
Head coach Sean Payton has of course wielded considerable power since arriving in 2023. The ex-Saints Super Bowl winner has formed a strong tandem with Paton, and in February he expressed confidence an agreement would be worked out. The Paton-Payton pairing will continue for years to come as the Broncos look to build off their recent success. That includes earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed this past year.
“As our general manager, George has demonstrated a strong commitment toward building a winning roster while forming a collaborative and supportive partnership with Sean Payton,” a statement from owner Greg Penner reads. “I’ve enjoyed working with George over the last four seasons and appreciate the alignment we share in positioning the Broncos for sustained success.”
After time with the Bears and Dolphins, Paton joined the Vikings in 2007. He worked his way up to assistant general manager, serving in that capacity from 2007-20. Paton also held the title of VP of player personnel during his Minnesota stint. A return to the Vikings was floated as a possibility after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s firing, but the Broncos’ desire for a long-term agreement remained. Minnesota’s GM spot is still vacant at this point and Paton, 56, will be staying put.
Denver’s post-Peyton Manning cold spell continued upon Paton’s arrival. The team posted a losing record in each of his first three years at the helm, and moves such as the Nathaniel Hackett hire and the Russell Wilson trade certainly did not pay off. Despite carrying a massive dead money charge in the wake of Wilson’s release, though, the Broncos have managed to rebound thanks to Paton’s roster-building moves. Denver reached the playoffs as a No. 7 seed in 2024, and this past campaign saw the team host the AFC title game.
Quarterback Bo Nix‘s ankle injury kept him out of that contest, but expectations will be high in his case individually and that of the Broncos in general for years to come. Paton has managed to retain a strong core on defense and along the offensive line, and he recently swung a deal for receiver Jaylen Waddle. That move should help shore up the receiver position as the Broncos look for more consistent play in the passing game for 2026 and beyond. Attaining that goal should set the team up for another playoff run.
The Broncos’ original long-term investment in Paton provided a strong return. Penner and Co. will hope this second one continues a run of productive moves in the front office. With Payton’s job security certainly not an issue at this point, organizational stability for the foreseeable future can be expected in Denver’s case.