Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross Suspended; Team Docked Draft Picks For Tampering
The tampering allegations faced by the Dolphins have led to serious consequences for the organization. Owner Stephen Ross has been suspended for the beginning of the 2022 season, and the team has been docked two draft picks (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero). ESPN’s Jeff Darlington notes that the decision is final, and there is no appeals process (Twitter link).
Ross will be suspended through October 17 of this year. He is also banned from all league committees and is not
allowed to attend league meetings until March 2023. In addition, he has been fined $1.5MM. The draft picks the team is forfeiting are a first-round selection in 2023, as well as a third-rounder in 2024. Dolphins vice chairman Bruce Beal, who is also a TB12 board member (per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times), has also been suspended and fined $500K.
The full findings of the league’s investigations into the team’s attempts to acquire quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Sean Payton include “tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity,” per commissioner Roger Goodell. The league has found that the Dolphins engaged in “impermissible communications” with Brady dating back to 2019-20, when he was with the Patriots (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
Miami likewise held illegal talks with Brady while he was a member of the Buccaneers, pertaining to a potential ownership stake, Schefter adds. As for Payton, the league has found that the Dolphins’ initial talks with him took place before before his decision to step away from the Saints in January, and that permission was still not granted by the Saints after that decision (Twitter links).
“With regards to tampering, I strongly disagree with the conclusions and the punishment,” Ross said in a statement. “However, I will accept the outcome because the most important thing is that there be no distractions for our team as we begin an exciting and winning season. I will not allow anything to get in the way of that.”
Reports surfaced early in the offseason of repeated attempts by Ross to bring Brady (who has a well-known personal relationship with Ross and Beal) to Miami as the team’s quarterback and/or minority owner. The move was expected to represent a package deal with Payton, but fell through in the wake of Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against, among others, the team. Much of the story was first detailed by PFT’s Mike Florio, but was later corroborated by a number of outlets; today’s new confirms what many had already suspected based on that reporting.
The punishment handed down to Ross, Beal and the organization is meant to “deter future violations and safeguard the integrity of the game,” per the league’s ruling. While it remains to be seen if it will have the intended effect in future cases of the sort, the Dolphins certainly face a steep price for their actions.
Deshaun Watson Suspended Six Games
The outcome of the Deshaun Watson hearing has indeed been finalized. The Browns QB has been suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).
The rendering from retired judge Sue. L. Robinson does not include any fines in addition to the salary Watson will 
forfeit, reports Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). In a follow-up, he adds that the ruling requires Watson receive all future massages from club therapists – as opposed to the dozens of private ones he met with during his tenure with the Texans; his alleged sexual misconduct with dozens of those women sparked lengthy criminal and civil proceedings, along with a league investigation and June’s disciplinary hearing.
Robinson’s decision states that Watson’s “pattern of behavior was egregious,” but adds that his actions constituted “nonviolent sexual conduct,” per Pelissero (Twitter link). The particulars of the application of the policy under the new CBA have led to varied estimations on how long Watson would be banned; the Browns were recently reported to be anticipating an eight-game suspension, so today’s news falls much closer in line with that prediction than the NFL’s stated preference of an indefinite one lasting at least one season.
The NFL has three days to appeal this ruling, which would turn the matter to commissioner Roger Goodell or his appointee. Rapoport tweets that it is unclear whether or not the league will do so, but he confirms yesterday’s news that the NFLPA will not contest the terms of Watson’s suspension. That came as something a revelation, given previous reports that he and the union were prepared to sue the league in the event of a lengthier suspension.
After acquiring the 26-year-old from Houston, the Browns signed Watson to an extension which lowered his 2022 base salary to $1MM. As a result, this suspension will cost him $345K, compared to well over $11MM had his previous contract still been in play (Twitter link via Rapoport). The six-game absence will leave him sidelined for four contests against AFC opponents, and one of the team’s six divisional matchups.
Cleveland was thought to be in the market for added depth at the QB position if Watson were to be handed a lengthier suspension. Assuming his ban remains six weeks in length, though, they will in all likelihood hand the reins to Jacoby Brissett to begin the campaign, leaning on Joshua Dobbs or recent signing Josh Rosen in the event of injury.
For the immediate future at least, the league’s top offseason story has reached a vital checkpoint. More could still be coming soon, in the event of an appeal, but the Browns now have more clarity on when their franchise signal-caller will first be available to them.
49ers, WR Deebo Samuel Agree To Deal
After months of precarious conversations and rumors, the 49ers and star wide receiver Deebo Samuel have finally agreed to a new deal. Samuel has landed a three-year extension worth $71.55MM, with a potential maximum value of $73.5MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. 
Samuel’s annual average value of approximately $23.85MM per year ranks eighth among wide receiver contracts in the league behind Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown, Stefon Diggs, and recent fellow hold-in participant D.K. Metcalf. As expected, Samuel joins the trend of wide receivers breaking the $20MM per year threshold.
Samuel’s feud with the team that drafted him stems back to the early days of the offseason. General manager John Lynch had readily admitted that the team had an extension budgeted for Samuel and defensive star Nick Bosa, but San Francisco’s initial offer was out of range enough for Samuel to request a trade. Several teams reached out in hopes of trading for the 26-year-old, with the Jets making a dramatic push around the draft, but, ultimately, no trade unfolded.
At one point, Samuel had removed all references to the team on social media, indicating that the relationship was all but deteriorated, but eventually refollowed the team on Instagram and liked a post in which Lynch claimed the issues between the two parties could be worked out. The team’s communication with the media after that seemed to insist that a deal would get done, but as training camp approached, questions on the imminence of a new contract still pressed.
Samuel’s “hold-in” can now come to an end. While he had reported to training camp earlier this week, Samuel refused to practice amid his then-ongoing contract dispute. He had reported to minicamp, as well, but didn’t participate in any on-field work then either. The “hold-in” was a new concept, a result of the CBA’s crackdown on holdouts that would fine Samuel $40,000 for each day he was absent from camp.
With contract discussions in the rearview, Samuel can return focus to continuing his meteoric NFL development. Samuel impressed as a rookie amassing 57 receptions for 802 yards and three touchdowns en route to his teams run to a Super Bowl loss against the Chiefs. Samuel also showed that his impressive athleticism could provide an extra tool as he rushed for three more touchdowns on 14 carries for 159 yards. Samuel’s sophomore season was derailed a bit by injury as a fracture in his left foot forced him to miss the first three games of the season. He would miss nine games total that year due to a mix of COVID-19 and a hamstring injury.
Finally healthy again, Samuel exploded for a breakout year last season. Samuel more than doubled his career total recording 1,405 receiving yards on 77 catches for six touchdowns. He continued his dual-threat nature by rushing 59 times for 365 yards and a team-leading eight rushing touchdowns. Some reports indicated that one of Samuel’s gripes was his overuse in the run game, but the team supposedly addressed it by adding some depth to the running backs room.
But, now, all the gripes and issues will hopefully be behind the two parties. Samuel got his payday and the 49ers aren’t forced to deal one of their most valuable offensive weapons. Between signing Bosa and Samuel to massive extensions, Lynch and the 49ers’ brass have had one heck of an offseason.
Buccaneers Fear Season-Ending Knee Injury For C Ryan Jensen
JULY 29: The Bucs indeed fear Jensen will be out for the season, Rapoport adds. Todd Bowles confirmed Friday the team’s starting center will miss a significant amount of time (video links). The new Tampa Bay HC did not say Jensen would miss the entire season, mentioning a potential multi-month timeline.
The Bucs have already discussed bringing in a veteran, per Bowles, though the fourth-year Tampa Bay staffer said these discussions have not progressed too far just yet. Hainsey, a right tackle at Notre Dame who converted to the interior as a pro, is expected to receive the first crack at replacing Jensen, per Rapoport. Nick Leverett, a former UDFA who played in two games last season, is also in the mix.
JULY 28: A cart transported Buccaneers center Ryan Jensen off the practice field Thursday, and the team is concerned about a long-term absence. The Bucs fear the recently re-signed snapper suffered a serious injury, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report (on Twitter).
These reports indeed usually precede bad news for teams. The Bucs just gave Jensen a second contract — a three-year, $39MM deal — to return as Tom Brady‘s center. Tests are ongoing here, but a source informed ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter this situation is “not looking good” for the veteran blocker (Twitter link). Jensen is dealing with a major injury, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). His season is certainly in jeopardy.
Offensive line continuity played a big part in the Bucs’ surge to the Super Bowl LV championship, but the 2021 playoffs and this offseason have brought uncertainty to Tampa Bay’s front. This year has injected considerable O-line change, with longtime guard Ali Marpet retiring and the Bucs letting their other guard starter — Alex Cappa — defect to the Bengals in free agency. A Jensen absence would create a new issue for the Bucs, who will have the oldest primary starting quarterback in NFL history.
Jensen’s recommitment to the Bucs came just after Brady’s; the ninth-year center re-signed with the team hours after Brady’s unretirement. Jensen has established himself as one of the NFL’s top centers, having moved from sixth-round pick to using a contract-year springboard with the Ravens to a 2018 Bucs deal. On that pact, Jensen did not miss a game. The Colorado State-Pueblo alum has not missed a game since the 2016 season. Jensen, 31, made his first Pro Bowl last season.
Tampa Bay did trade a Day 3 pick to acquire Shaq Mason, reuniting Brady with one of his longtime Patriots guards. But the team could soon be vulnerable at two guard positions. With interior O-line play vital to Brady-led offenses, the Bucs could be in need of another veteran reinforcement. While it is premature here, center does feature an interestingly experienced free agent crop. J.C. Tretter, Matt Paradis and Trey Hopkins remain available.
For now, Robert Hainsey will take over at the pivot, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. Competing for the other guard spot with second-round pick Luke Goedeke and the recently re-signed Aaron Stinnie, Hainsey is a third-round pick in his second season. Tampa Bay quickly addressed the Rob Gronkowski void by signing Kyle Rudolph. If Jensen is set to miss a substantial amount of time, it would not remotely surprise if Tampa Bay signed one of the top free agent snappers.
Ryan Kerrigan Announces Retirement
Following an 11-year career spent entirely in the NFC East, Ryan Kerrigan is walking away. The longtime Washington pass rusher signed a ceremonial contract with the team Friday to announce his retirement.
Kerrigan, 33, will retire as Washington’s all-time sack leader. The former first-round pick collected 95.5 over the course of his 10-season run with the franchise. While Kerrigan did not add to his sack total with the Eagles last season, he played 16 games with the team after signing a one-year deal in May.
Chosen as part of a stacked 2011 draft, Kerrigan earned four Pro Bowl nods and finished with at least 7.5 sacks in each of his first eight seasons. Becoming one of the most durable players in modern NFL history, the Purdue product did not miss a game during that stretch was only sidelined for five during his career. The last came because of a COVID-19 contraction. Team success was fleeting during Kerrigan’s Washington run, but the 3-4 outside linebacker — a role he played for most of his career — remained one of the game’s more consistent edge rushers.
After trading down with the Jaguars in the ’11 draft, in order for Jacksonville to take Blaine Gabbert at No. 10 overall, Washington nabbed Kerrigan at 16. He broke into the team’s starting lineup immediately and did not play a game as a rotational sub until 2020, when the team’s current Chase Young–Montez Sweat D-end configuration formed. Kerrigan signed a five-year, $57.5MM extension seven years ago today and played out that deal. The Eagles gave him a one-year pact worth $1.425MM.
Illustrating how deep the the 2011 draft was for pass rushers, Kerrigan’s 95.5 sacks rank only sixth among that class. His 26 forced fumbles, however, are tied for second among 2011 draftees — matching Von Miller and J.J. Watt. Kerrigan’s five strips led the NFL in 2014. Kerrigan is unlikely to join Miller and Watt in the Hall of Fame, but he anchored the Washington rush for most of his career.
The team reduced his role upon drafting Young in 2020, but the elder edge defender broke Dexter Manley‘s franchise sacks record — though Manley’s 1981 rookie year came before sacks became an official stat — by recording 5.5 that year. The 2020 Washington D-line housed five first-round picks, and it played a major role in helping the team make a surprise playoff run. Kerrigan also added 1.5 sacks in the Eagles’ playoff loss to the Buccaneers in January.
Seahawks, DK Metcalf Agree To Extension
DK Metcalf is sticking around Seattle for the foreseeable future. The receiver has agreed to an extension with the Seahawks, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Jordan Schultz of Boardroom was first with the news (on Twitter).
The former second-round pick got a three-year extension worth $72MM, including $58.2MM guaranteed. The deal also includes a $30MM signing bonus, the largest ever for a wide receiver (per Schefter). By May 2023, Metcalf will have collected $43MM from this deal, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk adds.
Metcalf’s agent, Tory Dandy, finalized the deal with Seahawks GM John Schneider and exec Matt Thomas this afternoon. Interestingly, Dandy is also the agent for 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel, another star receiver from the 2019 draft who’s awaiting an extension.
Metcalf had one year remaining on his rookie contract at just under $4MM. He’ll now be signed through the 2025 campaign, allowing him to get another stab at free agency before his age-28 season. As ESPN’s Brady Henderson points out on Twitter, the Seahawks prefer longer deals when it comes to first-time extensions for players. Ultimately, Metcalf’s camp got their way, leading to a shorter extension that could have been partly inspired by fellow ’19 draft mate Terry McLaurin.
The 24-year-old Metcalf now leads the WR position in guaranteed money, topping the $56.4MM that A.J. Brown got from the Eagles. The total value of the contract ranks 10th at wide receiver (alongside Kenny Golladay and Christian Kirk), and the $24MM average annual value on the three-year extension would rank sixth at the position (tied with Stefon Diggs).
Metcalf sat out mandatory minicamp in pursuit of a new contract. This move surprised some in the organization, and it may have been a bigger shock when the receiver reported to training camp this week but staged a “hold in” while refusing to participate in drills. There seemed to be some optimism that a deal would eventually be signed, although it wasn’t expected to materialize this quickly. Now, the Seahawks will have their top offensive weapon back on the practice field as they prepare for a transitional season on offense.
It didn’t take long for Metcalf to make a name for himself in Seattle. After finishing with 900 receiving yards as a rookie, the wideout earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2020 after finishing with 83 receptions for 1,303 yards and 10 touchdowns. While he hauled in a career-high 12 touchdowns during the 2021 campaign, he saw a dip in his other key numbers (75 receptions, 967 yards). Still, Metcalf was listed 14th among 115 eligible receivers on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of the position.
With a pair of mainstays (Russell Wilson, Chris Carson) now out in Seattle, Metcalf will be relied on as the leader of a shaky offense. Fortunately, the receiver has had success with Geno Smith under center, at least in the red zone. In Smith’s three starts last season, Metcalf had 14 receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns.
LB K.J. Wright Retires After 11 Seasons
K.J. Wright said earlier this offseason he would retire if a deal to return to the Seahawks did not transpire. A middle ground of sorts emerged Wednesday. The Seahawks signed Wright to a one-day contract, allowing the veteran linebacker to retire with the team.
Wright will walk away from football after 10 seasons with the Seahawks and one with the Raiders. He ends his career having signed four contracts, including two Seattle extensions. Wright, who turned 33 last week, is one of the longest-tenured defenders in Seahawks history.
Playing alongside Bobby Wagner for most of his career, Wright also became one of the better off-ball linebackers of this era. He started 148 games; his 140 starts as a Seahawk are the eighth-most by a defender in franchise annals. Wagner and Wright represent one of the longest-running linebacking tandems in modern NFL history. The organization has said goodbye to each in the past two offseasons, letting Wright walk in 2021 and releasing Wagner in March. The team is expected to use Cody Barton alongside 2020 first-round pick Jordyn Brooks this season.
Wright’s 934 tackles are the third-most in Seahawks history — behind only Wagner and safety Eugene Robinson — and he added 111 more in the playoffs. This included an 11-tackle performance in Super Bowl XLIX. The Mississippi State alum totaled 68 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles.
Being part of one of this generation’s defining defenses will be a major part of Wright’s legacy. He joined the Seahawks as a fourth-round pick in 2011 and was on a defense that housed impact players up front (Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril), at linebacker and in the secondary (Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor). Wright outlasted all of them but Wagner in Seattle. The Seahawks became the first team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in scoring defense in four straight seasons, doing so from 2012-15.
The Seahawks gave Wright a four-year, $27MM extension in December 2014, locking him down not long after extending Thomas and Sherman. They decided on a third Wright pact in 2019, keeping him off the free agent market by doing a two-year deal worth $14MM. Wright recorded a career-high 132 tackles in 2019, his age-30 season, and held off Brooks to keep his job as a full-time player throughout the 2020 campaign. Last year, however, the Seahawks opted not to pair Wagner’s top-market contract with another Wright deal.
The Raiders gave Wright a one-year deal worth $3.5MM just before last season but used Wright as a part-time player. Although the SEC product played in all 17 Raider games, he was on the field for just 37% of Las Vegas’ defensive snaps. That will be a footnote for Wright, who will retire after making nearly $50MM during a career that included two Super Bowl starts and a Pro Bowl nod in 2016.
Buccaneers To Sign WR Julio Jones
Although the Buccaneers have two Pro Bowl wide receivers and gave former Falcon Russell Gage a $10MM-per-year deal this offseason, they are not stopping here at wide receiver. A rather notable ex-Gage teammate is coming to Tampa.
The Bucs reached a one-year agreement with Julio Jones on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. He will team with Gage, his Atlanta teammate of three seasons, along with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in what will be another decorated Tampa Bay receiver stable. Jones committed to the Bucs for $6MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The deal can be worth up to $8MM.
This news comes shortly after Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times noted Godwin will not start camp on the Bucs’ active/PUP list (Twitter link). It would certainly have been understandable if Godwin, who suffered a torn ACL in December and underwent surgery Jan. 3, eased into camp work. But the former Pro Bowler will not require a roster move to begin practice. Coupled with the Jones addition, the Bucs will have one of the most accomplished wideout groups in modern NFL history.
While Tampa Bay signing an All-Decade wideout to pair with Tom Brady is not exactly new, given the team’s multiyear partnership with Antonio Brown, Jones brings none of the off-field baggage Brown does. That said, Brown displayed a higher performance level than Jones last season. Jones has seen hamstring trouble sidetrack his career, leading to an absence-laden Titans season and a several-month free agency stay — after Tennessee made the 2021 trade acquisition a cap casualty in March. The Bucs will still take a flier on the player who ripped off the most prolific six-year stretch by a receiver in NFL history.
Jones’ 9,388 receiving yards from 2014-19 are the most in a six-season span ever, but in the 2020s, the former perennial Pro Bowler has missed 14 games. Most of those absences came because of hamstring trouble. Jones’ hamstring issues led him to Tennessee’s IR list in 2021, a season in which he finished with 31 catches for 434 yards and one touchdown. Those were easily career-worst totals for the future Hall of Famer, but the Bucs will attempt to coax a bounce-back effort in Jones’ age-33 season.
The Bucs are making this signing despite rostering Scotty Miller, Breshad Perriman, 2021 fourth-round pick Jaelon Darden and 2020 fifth-round pick Tyler Johnson as well. Miller’s rookie-contract contributions notwithstanding, he is not a lock to make Tampa Bay’s roster. The same can probably be said for Jones, who will need to show — at least during camp and the preseason — he can submit a stretch of healthy work to be part of this talented receiving corps. Jones staying healthy during the preseason should all but assure him a spot on this roster.
Packers Extend Matt LaFleur, Brian Gutekunst, Russ Ball?
The Packers are happy with the core of leaders they’ve built over the years and they’re determined to keep key pieces in place for years to come. Head coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst, and executive vice president Russ Ball all received extensions this offseason, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Interestingly, the team’s president and CEO, Mark Murphy, refused to confirm the extensions, saying only, “I’ll just say I’m confident not only Matt and Brian but (Ball) will continue to be Packers’ employees for years to come.” 
LaFleur was hired as head coach in 2019 after two starkly different seasons as an offensive coordinator with the Rams and with the Titans. As offensive coordinator in Los Angeles, LaFleur didn’t call plays, but still gets credit for coordinating the league’s top scoring offense that year. The next year he took over play-calling duties in Tennessee and, after an onslaught of injuries, the team finished with the 27th ranked scoring offense. Still, the Packers saw enough coaching potential to hire him to replace Mike McCarthy.
Since LaFleur took over in 2019, the Packers have been a league best 39-10. Unfortunately, though, LaFleur has struggled to take the league’s best regular season team to the Super Bowl, losing two straight NFC Championship games in his first two seasons and exiting in the Divisional Round of last year’s playoffs. LaFleur’s contract was set to expire at the end of the season, so an extension was expected.
Gutekunst was promoted to his current role one year before the hire of LaFleur. After entering the league as a Chiefs scouting assistant in 1998, Gutekunst quickly made his way to Wisconsin where he rose through the ranks over the following 20 years from area scout to director of college scouting to director of player personnel to his eventual general manager position in 2018. Gutekunst was granted the promotion when former general manager Ted Thompson took a reduced role with the organization after being diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorder. In Gutekunst’s five years of heading the personnel departments, the team has drafted starters like cornerback Jaire Alexander and defensive lineman Rashan Gary while bringing in impact players like Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Christian Kirksey, Jaylon Smith, and Whitney Mercilus. Gutekunst’s contract was also set to expire at the end of the season, so his extension, while not guaranteed, was also expected.
Ball has been with the franchise since 2008, spending ten years as vice president of football administration/player finance and getting promoted to executive vice president/director of football operations in 2018. Ball has held the unenviable responsibility of managing the team’s salary cap, a task that hasn’t been made any easier with the demands of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. His masterful management during the pandemic was something that drew praise from Murphy, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Ball was promoted the same year Gutekunst was, so his deal was likely also nearing an end.
This isn’t the first time Murphy and the Packers have kept silent about contract moves with the staff. The past scenario was a bit more tense as McCarthy was quietly given a one-year extension for what would eventually be his last season. Regarding the lack of an announcement or confirmation, Murphy said, “I’d prefer to keep (contract extensions) internal, but, obviously, you can see from my comments that I feel like they’re doing an outstanding job.”
With the extension of key pieces to the team’s core leadership, the Packers brass is putting forth a vote of confidence. They are likely also posing two daunting tests: 1) take the next step and win a Super Bowl and 2) keep the boat afloat when Rodgers is finally gone. The three men will apparently have another few years to complete those assignments.
Cardinals, Kyler Murray Finalize Extension
After a tenuous offseason in which he first became eligible for an extension, Kyler Murray is now on the verge of a lucrative second contract. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Cardinals are “working to close a monster extension” with the former No. 1 pick.
Rapoport adds that the deal will make Murray “one of the NFL’s highest-paid players,” and that is has now been finalized (Twitter link). The team has corroborated (via Twitter) that the contract is in place. The two sides have been negotiating “for weeks” to hammer out terms, and now the process has reached the finish line. The deal comprises a five-year extension, meaning that Murray (who has two years remaining on his rookie contract) will remain under contract with Arizona through 2028. 
Regarding financial details, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the pact has a total value of $230.5MM, adding that the contract carries $160MM in guaranteed money. At a annual average value of $46.1MM-per-year, this deal makes Murray the NFL’s second highest-paid QB, behind Aaron Rodgers. It also ranks second in terms of guaranteed compensation, trailing only the historic $230MM deal the Browns gave Deshaun Watson, ever dollar of which is assured. Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero adds that Murray will make $69MM over the first two years of the extension, and $106.15MM by year three (Twitter link).
Murray, 24, has been a full-time starter immediately since entering the NFL in 2019. After winning Rookie of the Year honors, he has been named a Pro Bowler in each of the past two seasons. That made a long-term commitment seem inevitable, but tensions have run high between the player and club leading up to this deal.
Back in February, there were reports of acrimony as the window for an extension to be signed was soon to be opened. Weeks later, Murray’s agent issued, in essence, an ultimatum to the team detailing his contributions to the franchise, along with a blueprint for an extension. Things looked bleak in terms of the relationship between the two sides at that point, but the situation steadily progressed as the offseason moved closer to the summer, when a deal of this magnitude was always more likely to be signed.
In June, it came out that an extension being finalized ahead of training camp was quite likely. Now, the Cardinals have their franchise centerpiece in place for the long-term future. Questions about his leadership will no doubt remain, and in fact be amplified, by his rank amongst the highest-paid players in the league. Delivering postseason success will likewise become an even greater expectation with this deal in place. Meanwhile, this contract shows the close link between the value of Watson’s extension and the financial terms Murray ended up agreeing to. It will be worth watching if any Lamar Jackson deal ends up taking on a similar form.