Newsstand News & Rumors

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler Suffered Achilles Tear

September 13th, 2025 at 12:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

September 13: An MRI confirmed that Ekeler suffered a torn Achilles, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He will miss the rest of the 2025 season as a result with Croskey-Merritt and McNichols set to step up in the Commanders’ backfield. Washington may be regretting their decision to deal Robinson before the regular season and could explore a running back addition via free agency or the trade market.

September 11: A cart transported Austin Ekeler off the field tonight in Green Bay, and the Washington running back is unlikely to play again this season. Some inside the Commanders organization believe the veteran pass-catching back suffered a season-ending injury, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Ekeler will undergo an MRI, but the expectation — according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter — is his second Commanders season will end after two games due to a torn Achilles. This will leave Washington without its top back, as the team traded three-year starter Brian Robinson to San Francisco in late August.

In the second season of a two-year, $8.43MM contract, Ekeler was to play a lead role for the Commanders. At 30 and due for free agency again in March, the former single-season touchdown leader faces an uncertain NFL future. Ekeler went down on a noncontact play in the fourth quarter. Trying to walk off the field under his own power, the dynamic RB fell back to the turf and needed assistance leaving the game.

Although Ekeler could not command a lofty guarantee as a 2024 free agent, he played an auxiliary role in Washington’s journey to its first NFC championship game in 33 years. Missing five games due to injury and complementing Robinson, the former UDFA accumulated 733 scrimmage yards and scored four touchdowns in 2024. He added 173 more yards from scrimmage during the Commanders’ three playoff games. Ekeler landed on IR due to a concussion last year but returned in time for Washington’s postseason run.

Acquired by the Chargers following the 2017 draft, Ekeler has done well to craft a nine-year career out of Division II Western State (Colo.). He outlasted Melvin Gordon in Los Angeles, signing a four-year extension and eventually leading the NFL in touchdowns in both the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Ekeler attempted to secure a raise on the heels of that stretch but was unsuccessful. The Bolts let their then-starter seek a trade, but in an offseason that brought a macro RB crisis, not much interest developed. Ekeler received a minor incentive bump that year and saw an early-season ankle injury lead to a downturn, thus limiting his appeal as a 2024 UFA.

Ekeler joined a stellar collection of RBs as 2024 free agents, hitting the market at the same time Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, Tony Pollard and D’Andre Swift did. Ekeler’s guarantee ($4.21MM) paled in comparison to the non-Jones contingent here, but as a vested veteran, the rest of his contract locked in this month. While Ekeler will collect the rest of his $8.43MM from the Commanders, the part-time fantasy football analyst has hit a career crossroads thanks to tonight’s development.

Following the Robinson trade and Ekeler injury, the Commanders will probably look to add at the position. The team currently rosters ninth-year veteran Jeremy McNichols and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt. The latter flashed against the Giants in Week 1, despite limited duty, and his presence was believed to have influenced the Commanders on the Robinson trade. While seventh-round rookies are not commonly early-season backfield contributors, Washington may have no choice but to give Croskey-Merritt a bigger role immediately.

The Commanders have also seen their Deebo Samuel trade provide good early returns. Famously referring to himself as a “wide back” in San Francisco, Samuel may also see some backfield work. If nothing else, Washington figures to heavily involve the wideout/gadget cog significantly moving forward — perhaps in dusting off his run-game skillset at points. The recent trade acquisition has logged 255 carries (counting playoffs) during his seven-year career. This included a 19-yard rushing touchdown in Week 1.

Packers Sign Christian Watson To Extension

September 10th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 10: The base value of Watson’s new deal is $11MM, ensuring roughly $13MM in total compensation across the next two seasons (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). $6MM in new guarantees are included, all in the form of a signing bonus. A $1.85MM roster bonus is present for 2026 as well.

SEPTEMBER 9: Christian Watson continues to work his way back from a torn ACL suffered during the 2024 regular season finale. While the Packers wideout isn’t expected to take the field until at least next month, the team is still rewarding him with a new contract.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers have signed Watson to a one-year, $13.25MM extension. The receiver was set to play the 2025 campaign on the final year of his rookie deal, but this extension will now keep him in Green Bay through at least the 2026 season. According to Schefter, the Packers wanted Watson to focus on his return from injury in 2025 vs. his impending free agency, leading to today’s deal.

A former second-round pick, Watson spent his rookie campaign playing alongside Aaron Rodgers, with his nine touchdowns and 691 yards from scrimmage still representing career-highs. He’s spent the past two seasons serving as one of Jordan Love‘s key targets, but Watson has yet to truly break out like the organization may have expected.

The receiver averaged a career-high 46.9 yards per game during the 2023 season, but he was limited to only nine appearances thanks to a pesky hamstring issue. He got into a career-high 15 games last season, but he was limited to a career-low 41.3 yards per game and 47.2 success rate. Watson suffered a torn ACL in Week 18, and considering the timing, it was always expected that his recovery time would leak into the 2025 campaign.

That ended up being the case, as Watson landed on the PUP list to begin this season. He’ll be forced to miss the first four games, but there’s a chance he’s back shortly after he becomes eligible. The last we heard, Watson was a candidate to return as early as Week 5, but considering the team’s receiving depth, the Packers may not feel any urgency to immediately get him back on the field.

That depth has also clouded Watson’s future in Green Bay, although today’s one-year extension is somewhat a vote of confidence. Watson finished the 2024 season as the fourth-most targeted WR in Green Bay, and each of the three wideouts ahead of him —Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs — are still on the roster (not to mention TE Tucker Kraft, who has emerged as one of Love’s favorite weapons). The team also added rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden and rookie third-round pick Savion Williams to the squad.

Notably, Watson is the oldest player in the receivers room. While his extension gives him a better chance of carving out a long-term role with the Packers, it seems likelier than not that the 2026 campaign could be his final season in Green Bay.

Eagles To Acquire Tank Bigsby From Jaguars

September 8th, 2025 at 10:51pm CST by Ben Levine

We have our first major trade of the 2025 season before Week 1 has even come to an end. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles are trading for Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars will receive 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks from Philly. There is a slight wrinkle with the return. Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the fifth-round selection is the pick the Eagles received from the 49ers in the Bryce Huff trade. That pick is set to improve to a fourth-round pick if Huff hits eight sacks in 2025. In that scenario, the Eagles would send that newfound fourth-round pick to Jacksonville instead of the listed fifth-round selection.

[RELATED: 2025 NFL Trades]

It’s a sudden, stunning move, especially from the Jaguars perspective. Bigsby was listed as a co-starter alongside Travis Etienne for the season opener. The latter finished that victory over the Panthers with 19 touches (including 16 carries) for 156 offensive yards. Bigsby was limited to only five carries and 12 yards.

Following the 2024 campaign, it appeared that Bigsby’s stock was rising in Jacksonville while Etienne’s continued to fall. A 2021 first-round pick, Etienne missed his rookie campaign before topping 1,400 yards from scrimmage in each of his first two healthy NFL seasons. However, he took a step back in 2024, when he was limited to only 812 yards and two scores. Bigsby, a 2023 third-round pick, served as a deep backup as a rookie before cutting into his teammate’s playing time in 2024, with the second-year player compiling 820 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns.

With new head coach Liam Coen and a new front office guiding the way, there were bound to be changes in 2025, especially on offense. The team further muddied their RB depth when they used a pair of draft picks at the position, including fourth-round pick Bhayshul Tuten. The Virginia Tech product impressed during training camp and was expected to carve out his own role as a rookie. However, it was expected to come at the expense of Etienne, not Bigsby.

Now, the Jaguars will move forward with Etienne leading the depth chart and Tuten taking on the RB2 role. Etienne is currently playing on his fifth-year option and is set to hit free agency after the season. The impending free agent has every reason to remain on the field during the 2025 campaign, with Tuten potentially taking over in 2026.

Bigsby, meanwhile, will slide into a clear backup role with the defending champs. Saquon Barkley will continue to command touches as an offensive focal point, which will greatly impact Bigsby’s 2025 outlook. On the flip side, the Bigsby acquisition could convince the Eagles to lean more on their Barkley alternatives.

The defending Offensive Player of the Year finished his first season in Philadelphia with a career-high 378 touches, and that doesn’t include the 100-plus looks he had in the playoffs. Coming off such a significant workload, the Eagles always seemed destined to monitor his touches in 2025. With Bigsby now on the roster, the coaching staff may be even more comfortable giving Barkley some much-needed rest during his age-28 campaign.

The Eagles also lost some depth at the position during their season opener, as backup Will Shipley exited the game with a rib injury. AJ Dillon is currently penciled in as the team’s RB3, and Bigsby could slide right into Shipley’s spot on the depth chart assuming the second-year player is forced to miss some time.

The Eagles may also be eyeing Bigsby for a role beyond the offense. According to EJ Smith of PHLY Sports, the RB may have also been acquired for his special teams ability. Bigsby got a look as a kick returner during his first two seasons, returning 10 kickoffs for 294 yards. He also had a 20-yard return yesterday. John Metchie and Shipley both got looks as returners for the Eagles in the season opener, with the duo averaging 16 yards between the two of them.

As Schefter notes, the Super Bowl champs have been especially active in the trade market over the past few weeks. In addition to their acquisitions of Bigsby and Metchie, the team has also added QB Sam Howell and OT Fred Johnson via trade.

Lions, Jameson Williams Agree To Extension

September 6th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jameson Williams was already under contract with the Lions through 2026 entering the season, but he will remain in place beyond that point. The ascending wideout has an extension agreement in place.

Team and player worked out a deal on Saturday, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. This pact is three years in length, and it is worth $83MM with $67MM guaranteed. Since Williams’ fifth-year option was picked up this spring, he is now on the books through 2029.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarifies $83MM represents the maximum value of this pact. The average annual value of the extension at first glance – $27.67MM – is likely an inflated figure as a result. Even if so, a strong guarantee along with long-term stability has been attained via this agreement. Williams is the latest member of the Lions’ offensive core to receive a major raise.

Last offseason, fellow receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown landed an extension averaging just over $30MM per season. Quarterback Jared Goff, along with offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker, as well as running back David Montgomery, each signed new deals in 2024 as well. That led to questions about whether or not Williams would fit into the team’s long-term plans, especially with Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta eligible for extensions next year.

An answer has now arrived just before Week 1. Williams, 24, will finish playing out his rookie deal in the Motor City but he will remain in place on his second contract. The Alabama product played just 18 games across his first two campaigns due to injury and multiple suspensions. When on the field, though, Williams showed his potential as a deep threat.

In 2024, a notable step forward was taken in terms of production. Williams played 16 combined regular and postseason games, and his availability yielded positive results. He recorded 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 17.3 yards per catch. A full-time role and increased expectations will await Williams in 2025 but for several years after the coming season as well.

Rumors emerged about a potential trade being considered in this situation, but Lions general manager Brad Holmes said in April that was not the case. Williams’ future in Detroit was ensured to an extent when his option – like that of former No. 2 pick Aidan Hutchinson – was exercised. Talks on a Hutchinson extension have taken place, but during that process work has also successfully been done on a new Williams accord.

The Lions were largely quiet this offseason with respect to outside free agent additions, looking instead to retaining as many member of their core as possible. That resulted in safety Kerby Joseph landing a monster deal of his own, and Williams has now joined him in that regard. Continued development from both players would be key in allowing for Detroit to remain among the NFL’s top contenders.

St. Brown topped 1,100 yards for the third straight season in 2024, and he will be counted on to lead the way once again this year. LaPorta figures to reprise his role as a key figure in the passing game. Williams will offer a different skillset than those two, and based on this investment the Lions are confident he will be able to consistently offer them another high-end option on offense.

Titans Extend S Amani Hooker

September 6th, 2025 at 9:54am CST by Sam Robinson

Amani Hooker will agree to a second extension in Tennessee. The veteran safety will put pen to paper on a new three-year deal before Week 1, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

The longtime Titans starter is signing a three-year, $48.6MM accord — one that comes with $29MM guaranteed in total. Hooker was set to enter the final season of his previous deal (three years, $30MM). This will mark a significant raise for a player extended two GMs ago. The Titans have since announced the extension.

Jon Robinson signed off on Hooker’s previous contract nearly three years ago today. The Titans have changed coaching staffs since then and have fired two GMs — Robinson and Ran Carthon — in that time. Formerly in place as a Kevin Byard sidekick, Hooker has endured in Tennessee and factors in prominently moving forward under the Chad Brinker–Mike Borgonzi power structure.

Hooker’s second Titans extension comes after he intercepted five passes last season. Although the Titans bottomed out at 3-14, Hooker has been one of their best players for several years. The team traded Byard to the Eagles during the 2023 season, building their safety corps around Hooker. One of Robinson’s top draftees, the former fourth-rounder is still only 27. He has started 51 games. That number will continue to climb in Nashville, as the Titans are now building around Cam Ward‘s rookie contract.

If the $48.6MM number represents the contract’s base value, Hooker becomes the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid safety. He would settle between Derwin James and Budda Baker, though initial reports frequently reflect contracts’ max values. At $29MM in total guarantees, Hooker sits 11th. Only agreeing to a three-year extension naturally stands to reduce the seventh-year vet’s standing in that category. But this deal should keep the door open for another lucrative deal down the line; Hooker will turn 30 in his 2028 contract year.

No Pro Bowls are on Hooker’s resume, though he was extended the first time following a third-place finish in Pro Football Focus’ 2021 rankings. Last year, PFF slotted Hooker 33rd among safeties. This came on a Titans defense that produced a 30th-place points ranking but second in total yardage. Ward’s presence should help bring those numbers closer together, and Tennessee wants Ward as a key part of its Ward-years nucleus.

The Titans made a few investments at safety this offseason, adding Xavier Woods and re-signing Quandre Diggs. The team also drafted Kevin Winston Jr. in the third round. Woods is expected to start alongside Hooker, having signed a two-year, $8MM deal.

Buccaneers, CB Zyon McCollum Agree To Extension

September 5th, 2025 at 1:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Buccaneers have taken care of another extension in time for Week 1. Cornerback Zyon McCollum has a new deal in place.

McCollum’s agents announced on Friday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) an agreement has been reached on a three-year extension. The pact has a value of $48MM and includes $35.4MM guaranteed. McCollum was set to enter the season as a pending free agent, but he will now be under contract through 2028.

Today’s news comes as little surprise, considering McCollum was known to be seeking a second Tampa accord. The former fifth-rounder has developed into a mainstay on defense over the course of his first three seasons in the NFL. His rookie campaign included a part-time workload, but the following year resulted in a major jump in playing time. Last season, McCollum handled over 1,000 defensive snaps; he will be relied on as a permanent fixture in the secondary for years to come.

In 2024, the 26-year-old recorded his first two interceptions while adding 17 pass deflections. The latter stat put him in a tie for third in the NFL and helped result in a career-best PFF evaluation. McCollum finished 45th amongst qualifying corners in overall grade after setting a new personal best in completion percentage and passer rating allowed. Continued improvement in that regard would be welcomed and is certainly something the Buccaneers are investing in.

Even if McCollum doesn’t grow into a top-tier cornerback, there is an argument to be made for basic stability at one of the game’s most important positions. With a $16MM APY, McCollum is only the 15th-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL with a market that should continue to grow after a major increase this offseason. Just being a healthy, consistent starter would make his deal a solid value.

With his new deal, McCollum will continue to be a key cog in Tampa Bay’s secondary for the next few years. He’s played next to Jamel Dean for his entire career, but the Buccaneers made a clear effort this offseason to find the future of their cornerback room by drafting Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of April’s draft. Dean is under contract through 2026, but the exploding cornerback market may preclude another extension in Tampa Bay with younger players waiting in the wings.

Broncos, Nik Bonitto Agree To Extension

September 4th, 2025 at 9:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

Work on a Nik Bonitto extension has taken place throughout the offseason. A deal has now been struck between the Broncos and the ascending pass rusher.

Bonitto agreed to a four-year extension Thursday, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The pact has a maximum value of $120MM and contains $70MM guaranteed. Bonitto’s extension is now official, meaning he is on the books through 2029. An announcement from his agency notes this pact has a base value of $106MM (h/t Tom Pelissero of NFL Network).

As a result, this latest high-profile piece of Broncos business carries an average annual value of $26.5MM. That figure ranks 10th amongst edge rushers, an indication of the major surge that position’s market has witnessed over course of the offseason. If Bonitto maxes out the value of this pact, he will become the seventh pass rusher to reach $30MM in annual compensation.

In May, it became known talks on a long-term pact were taking place in this case. Since then, Bonitto has increasingly emerged as a priority for Denver, a team which also worked out new deals for receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive lineman Zach Allen in 2025. The latter’s pact is worth $102MM in base value. As such, Bonitto now holds the title as the Broncos’ highest-paid player for the coming season and the top earner for defenders in franchise history.

Starting only five games during his first two Denver seasons, Bonitto showed plenty of potential with eight sacks in 2023. The 25-year-old took another step forward last season, handling a first-team workload and totaling 13.5 sacks. That production resulted in a second-team All-Pro nod along with a Pro Bowl invitation and upped the value of this long-discussed extension. Denver dealt away Baron Browning at the 2024 trade deadline shortly after working out a new deal with Jonathon Cooper. Those transactions confirmed a Cooper-Bonitto pairing was seen as the foundation of the team’s pass rush for years to come.

Bonitto recently expressed optimism about an extension being worked out, with the qualifier that an agreement did not necessarily need to be in place before the start of the regular season. Nevertheless, the Broncos have operated on a similar timeline to the Patrick Surtain negotiations from last summer and finalized a pact days before Week 1. Another member of the team’s core is thus in the fold for the foreseeable future.

The Broncos’ standout 2024 defense contained a league-high six players with at least five sacks. Bonitto led the way in that regard, finishing third in the NFL. Expectations for continued high-end production will be present throughout the length of this pact, especially given his age. The Oklahoma product has amassed 60 quarterback pressures over the past two years, and remaining one of the league’s most disruptive edge rushers would allow for Denver’s defense to continue operating at a high level.

Broncos GM George Paton has been busy retaining a number of core players dating back to the midway mark of last season. The nucleus of a team which reached the postseason in 2024 is even further cemented given today’s news, and Bonitto will look to help lead his team a step further over the coming months with his long-term future secured.

Buccaneers To Extend RT Luke Goedeke

September 2nd, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Buccaneers are signing right tackle Luke Goedeke to a four-year contract extension, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

The deal is worth $90MM with $50MM guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Goedeke’s $22.5MM APY is a slight increase on the deal signed by the Packers’ Zach Tom last month, making him the third-highest-paid right tackle and the 11th-highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.

Goedeke was a two-year starter at right tackle for Central Michigan before the Buccaneers made him a second-round pick in 2022. He earned the starting left guard job out of training camp as a rookie, but struggled to adapt to the new position and was benched after Week 7. He then started in Week 18 at right tackle before moving back to left guard for the playoffs.

Tampa Bay moved Goedeke back to his natural position in 2023. He started every game during the regular season with significantly-improved results, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). A concussion sidelined him for four games in 2024, but he put up a strong performance across the season and entrenched himself as the Buccaneers’ long-term right tackle. The team’s decision-makers have now formalized that role with a deal that will keep Goedeke in Tampa Bay through the 2029 season.

Goedeke was set to head into the final year of his rookie contract before today’s deal. With the improvement the 26-year-old has shown each year, it was prudent for the Buccaneers to lock him down now, as opposed to letting him show another level of play in a contract year that might price himself out of Tampa Bay. While Goedeke is getting a strong deal to stay with the team that drafted him, the open market after a strong 2025 campaign could’ve made Goedeke a truly expensive commodity.

Right guard Cody Mauch will be in a similar situation as Goedeke next offseason, after having finished his third year of play, then it will be center Graham Barton the year after that. Barton, a first-rounder last year, would technically have a fifth-year option available to push back any possible deadline on extensions, but with the way offensive linemen are priced the same regardless of position in fifth-year option formulas, centers hardly see those options exercised.

With left tackle Tristan Wirfs under contract through 2030 following his extension last year, the Buccaneers now have the bookends to their offensive line secured for the foreseeable future. If the team works to extend Mauch and Barton in the future, as well, it will have done quick work to secure 80 percent of their offensive line long term. With the way the league has been won in the trenches in recent years, this focus on offensive line building could be a recipe for success.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Cowboys Extend CB DaRon Bland

September 1st, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Rory Parks

SEPTEMBER 1: Bland’s extension is worth a maximum (rather than a base value) of $92MM, as detailed by ESPN’s Todd Archer. A $22MM signing bonus is present, and Bland’s base salaries in 2025 and ’26 are locked in at signing. His $12MM salary for 2027 is guaranteed for injury and vests in March of that year. The same structure is in place for annual $1MM roster bonuses.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the deal includes a $19MM option bonus in 2028. Annual escalators worth up to $500K each are in place based on individual and team performances (with five and seven interceptions marking the thresholds and full pay being tied to whether or not the team reaches the playoffs the previous season). Salary de-escalators are also present instead of workout bonuses. In all, the four-year pact is worth $90MM in base value with $36.35MM fully guaranteed and another $13MM set to lock in midway through the deal.

AUGUST 31: The Cowboys have agreed to a four-year extension with cornerback DaRon Bland, as FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first to report. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds the deal is worth $92MM and includes $50MM in guaranteed money. The Cowboys have since announced the extension.

We heard back in April that Dallas was eyeing long-term deals for Bland, tight end Jake Ferguson, left guard Tyler Smith, and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Now, a little over month after extending Ferguson, Bland is on the books for the foreseeable future.

Of course, the situation involving former Cowboys edge defender Micah Parsons has been one of the NFL’s key storylines this offseason. Parsons, a premier, in-his-prime talent, was not originally viewed as a realistic trade candidate, but the relationship between player and team deteriorated in a very public way, and Dallas recently dealt the four-time Pro Bowler to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. While the trade and the circumstances that gave rise to it have earned owner Jerry Jones a great deal of criticism, it did free up some funds to be allocated elsewhere.

Indeed, as Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News writes, team sources said in the wake of the Parsons trade that the Cowboys would be active on the extension front. As such, it would not be surprising to see Smith and/or Aubrey get a new contract in short order.

A report at the end of July suggested Dallas and Bland were engaged in contract talks, and those conversations progressed to the point that Bland was hoping to put pen to paper before Week 1. He has gotten his wish, and in so doing he has landed just outside the top-five earners at the cornerback position in terms of average annual value. His new-money average of $23MM/year is just behind the likes of Patrick Surtain ($24MM), Jalen Ramsey ($24.1MM), and Jaycee Horn ($25MM).

Bland followed Trevon Diggs to the first-team All-Pro level in 2023, returning an NFL-record five interceptions for touchdowns. The fifth-round find became a vital piece in Dallas’ defense that season, shifting to an outside CB role in the wake of Diggs’ September ACL tear. Bland, who intercepted an NFL-most nine passes that season, now joins Diggs as a high-priced corner on the Cowboys’ defense. Pro Football Focus ranked Bland second among qualified corners in 2023 and 33rd during his seven-game 2024.

Entering his age-26 season, Bland also saw his extension leverage strengthened by Diggs’ injury trouble. The Cowboys paid Diggs (via a five-year, $97MM extension) before the 2023 season but have not seen the 2021 first-team All-Pro live up to the deal. The knee trouble Diggs ran into in 2023 resurfaced last year, and he missed the team’s offseason program and training camp due to the rehab effort. Diggs is off Dallas’ PUP list but is a question mark going into the season.

Bland is no stranger to injury trouble himself, having suffered a foot fracture during training camp last year. That kept him out 10 games, as the Cowboys activated him in late October but did not use him in a game until their Thanksgiving tilt. This extension certainly reveals confidence Bland can anchor Dallas’ CB corps moving forward. The team can release Diggs for just less than $6MM in dead money in 2026.

With third-round rookie Shavon Revel on the team’s reserve/NFI list after an ACL tear sustained during his final East Carolina season, Bland will be a crucial piece to Matt Eberflus‘ defense — especially considering one of the NFL’s lead pass-rushing pieces is now in Wisconsin. The Cowboys have question marks at their other CB posts for the time being, with trade acquisition Kaiir Elam — a former first-rounder the Bills never trusted as a regular starter — set to play a key role while Diggs and Revel recover.

Bland’s usage will be interesting to track this year as well. After playing a near-full-time slot role as a rookie, he has largely been a boundary defender. This offseason, however, the Cowboys had Bland working in the slot regularly. A setup where he plays inside on passing downs, alongside Diggs and Elam/Revel, would make sense for the Cowboys. This contract also checks in well north of where the 49ers went for their multipurpose CB (Deommodore Lenoir) last year and miles ahead of the slot-only market.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Ravens Extend S Kyle Hamilton

August 29th, 2025 at 3:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

AUGUST 29: Hamilton’s fully guaranteed money includes a signing bonus, his 2025 and ’26 base salaries, and a 2026 option bonus, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. More significantly in the long term, Hamilton secured a rolling guarantee structure. His $17MM 2027 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in 2026. His $17MM 2028 base salary makes that shift in 2027, providing advanced security for the young standout.

While Hamilton’s 2029 base salary ($17.9MM) is nonguaranteed, he will collect a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the ’29 league year, Florio adds. Since the deal tacks four years onto his through-2026 rookie contract, Hamilton is signed through 2030. There is also a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2030 league year. This marks the second time (in the fifth-year option era) the Ravens have paid a first-rounder with two years left on a rookie contract; they did the same with Marlon Humphrey in 2020.

AUGUST 27: The Ravens have eyed a Kyle Hamilton extension for a lengthy stretch. As the season nears, Baltimore has one of its 2022 standout first-rounders locked in long term.

Hamilton has agreed to a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid safety, the team announced (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec). While fellow 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum remains on his rookie deal, Hamilton has reset the safety market.

This extension will move the bar far north at safety, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Ravens are giving Hamilton a four-year, $100.4MM deal. Of that amount, $82MM is guaranteed, including $48MM in fully guaranteed money, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While this is a significant increase over the top of the safety market – set earlier this year by Kerby Joseph just over $21MM – it’s also somewhat reflective of increase in cornerback pay this offseason.

More than anything, of course, Hamilton’s contract is a reflection of his status as one of the best – if not the best – safeties in the NFL. He’s coming off back-to-back Pro Bowls and a ninth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting after turning around Baltimore’s pass defense with his move to a more traditional safety role in 2024. His versatility and impact can be felt at all three levels of the field, similar to the Chargers’ Derwin James.

Appropriately, Hamilton’s deal is essentially James’ 2022 extension adjusted for cap inflation. James received $19MM per year, which accounted for 9.1% of the salary cap at the time, per OverTheCap. Hamilton’s $25MM APY represents just under 9.0% of the 2025 cap. Though it’s an expensive deal, the 24-year-old has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Adding four years and $100.4MM to that deal will keep Hamilton in Baltimore through the 2030 season for $20.3MM per year, which could become a steal as the cap continues to rise in the coming years.

The Ravens drafted Hamilton 14th overall in 2022 and have seen him soar to the All-Pro tier. With two original-ballot Pro Bowls on his resume, Hamilton secured the top fifth-year option price at safety ($18.6MM). His new deal checks in well north of that in terms of per-year average, and it will give future impact safeties a price to target.

The recent CB boom — which Patrick Surtain reset last year only to see the deal topped a few times over since — illustrates how quickly a market-setting contract can be eclipsed by others using it as a benchmark. After all, Antoine Winfield Jr. became the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year safety barely a year ago. That said, safety value has fluctuated over the years. As a result, Hamilton’s AAV may top the market for a while — particularly given the Notre Dame alum’s versatile skillset that is so pivotal to Baltimore’s defensive blueprint.

Hamilton is now the second-highest-paid Raven — behind only Lamar Jackson — representing rare status for a safety. The Ravens will now turn their attention to Linderbaum, who did not see his fifth-year option exercised due to the option formula grouping all O-linemen together. The Ravens want to pay their All-Pro center before season’s end.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

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