Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson Dies At Age 26
Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson died at age 26, according to a team announcement Wednesday morning. No cause of death has been provided.
The former Louisiana Tech standout had been with the Ravens since 2019, joining the team as a third-round pick. Ferguson died in Baltimore, according to his agent.
Responding Tuesday night, Baltimore City Police found Ferguson unresponsive at home, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets. After being treated by medics, Ferguson was pronounced dead at the scene. No signs of trauma or foul play were found, Hensley adds (on Twitter).
“We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson,” the team said in a statement. “He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality. We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon’s family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon.”
Ferguson served mostly as a rotational edge rusher with Baltimore, accumulating 4.5 sacks during his three-year pro career. He started nine games as a rookie and one during the 2020 season. But in college, the 6-foot-5 defender was a historically prolific sack artist.
Ferguson’s 45 sacks at Louisiana Tech are the most in Division I-FBS history. The Louisiana native played extensively in all four years at the mid-major program and closed out his college career with a 17.5-sack season in 2018, a campaign that earned him Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year acclaim.
“Jaylon was a good-hearted, gentle person who loved his family and his team,” John Harbaugh said. “He was a joy to talk with and be around every day. You always wanted to see and talk to ‘Ferg.’”
This tragedy comes during an offseason in which the NFL has lost 24-year-old Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins and 25-year-old Cardinals cornerback Jeff Gladney.
Rob Gronkowski Intends To Retire
Linked to a possible Buccaneers agreement ahead of training camp, Rob Gronkowski had said another retirement was a true consideration. The future Hall of Fame tight end is following through on that, telling NFL reporter Jordan Schultz he is retiring after 11 seasons (Twitter link). Gronkowski subsequently announced his decision (via Instagram).
Gronkowski, 33, played a key role on the past two Bucs teams, re-emerging from a 2019 retirement to join Tom Brady in relocating to Tampa. His exit will leave the Bucs shorthanded at tight end. O.J. Howard joined the Bills in March. Gronk, who secured a spot on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team before his Bucs stint began, will leave the game as one of his era’s defining players.
“I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field,” Gronkowski said. “The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my teammates and coaches for giving everything they had as well.
“From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all.”
The Bucs learned of Gronk’s decision last week, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. This transaction will lead to a $5MM 2022 dead-money charge. Gronkowski has resumed his career after this sort of announcement before, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he would not be surprised if his client answered a call from Brady to return during the season (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). For now, however, Gronk retirement No. 2 is upon us.
Barely two weeks ago, the Bucs were confident they could convince Gronkowski to return for another season — one that could end up being Brady’s true finale. But the soon-to-be 45-year-old quarterback will once again soldier on without his top NFL sidekick. Gronk’s 2019 exit resulted in Brady having a down season, his Patriots finale. While the Bucs have positioned the legendary (and recently unretired) QB better in terms of weaponry than the Pats did in the late 2010s, Tampa Bay relied on Gronk at points during its Brady-fueled ascent over the past two seasons.
A four-time first-team All-Pro, Gronk will be a surefire candidate for first-ballot Canton induction in 2027 — assuming he does not again unretire. He added 13 more touchdown receptions to his career ledger, which stands at 92 (third-most by a tight end). His 17 touchdowns in 2011 remain the single-season tight end record. That showing prompted the Pats to give their breakout star a six-year, $54MM extension in 2012. That deal ended up covering his entire New England career and became an issue for both Gronk and the tight end market as a whole.
In terms of playoff scoring, Gronk is on his own tier between Jerry Rice and the field. The former Pats and Bucs pass catcher’s 15 postseason touchdown catches lead all non-Rice performers by at least three. Gronk has scored two touchdowns in multiple Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LV as a Buccaneer, and came through with a pivotal deep grab to help the Patriots secure their sixth championship three seasons ago.
Gronk will fall short of the career totals amassed by the likes of Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates, but for sheer dominance, he rivals not only any tight end to play the game but just about any pass catcher. The 2010 second-round pick’s emergence helped Brady remain a top-tier quarterback into his 40s. The 6-foot-6 cog posted four 1,000-yard seasons, collected four Super Bowl rings and won Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2014. Despite Gronk’s shorter career compared to some of his positional peers, the Arizona alum’s 32 100-yard games are the most by a tight end in NFL history.
Injuries, however, plagued the gregarious superstar for most of his career. Gronk suffered a high ankle sprain in the 2011 AFC championship game, limiting him for Super Bowl XLVI, and missed time due to a fractured forearm in 2012. After remaining relatively healthy from 2014-15, following a 2013 ACL tear, Gronkowski sustained a herniated disk that knocked him out for much of the 2016 season. He missed part of the 2017 AFC title game due to a concussion and was hobbled during the ’18 campaign. Upon returning from the 2019 sabbatical — one that involved extensive WWE work — Gronk surprisingly did not miss a game for the 2020 Bucs. But he missed five games due to a rib injury last season.
That string of 2010s injuries knocked the then-Patriots dynamo off his perch as the game’s unquestioned top tight end, but he proved effective in spurts in 2018 and with the Bucs, who suddenly feature a glaring void on offense. Tampa Bay still has Cameron Brate returning. After seeing Howard and Gronkowski eclipse his profile for years, Brate — a ninth-year Buccaneer who posted 500-plus-yard seasons back in 2016 and ’17 — could return as a starter. The Bucs also drafted Day 3 tight ends Cade Otton (Round 4) and Ko Kieft (Round 6) this year. If the Bucs want another vet to replace Gronkowski, Eric Ebron, Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook and Kyle Rudolph are free agents.
A year after the Bucs went into a season with two All-Decade-teamers (Gronkowski and Antonio Brown) supplementing Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Brate stands to again be an important player ahead of his age-31 campaign. Tampa Bay was hellbent on continuity in 2021, retaining its entire Super Bowl core. This year, the team is set to be without Gronkowski, Brown, Bruce Arians, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Ali Marpet, Alex Cappa and Jordan Whitehead.
Deshaun Watson Settles 20 Of 24 Lawsuits
The case of Deshaun Watson and his ongoing legal battle has taken a significant turn. As detailed by Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, the Browns quarterback has settled 20 of the 24 lawsuits filed against him. 
Tony Buzbee, the attorney for the plaintiffs suing Watson for sexual assault and sexual misconduct, released a statement which reads in part, “Today I announce that all cases against Deshaun Watson, with the exception of four, have settled. We are working through the paperwork related to those settlements. Once we have done so, those particular cases will be dismissed.”
Buzbee understandably adds that the details of the settlements will remain confidential. Still, this is a substantial development for the embattled QB, whose arrival in Cleveland has been overshadowed by the ongoing litigation he faces and the subsequent league discipline he is expected to receive as a result.
Of the four remaining suits, one is that brought forward by Ashley Solis, the first to be filed against Watson. Buzbee confirmed that he and his legal team still plan to proceed with her case, which began the sequence of events including Watson’s trade to Cleveland (and record-breaking new contract) after two grand juries decided not to bring forth criminal charges. It is unclear at this point if the two plaintiffs who most recently filed suits against Watson (something which briefly called into question the matter of the fully-guaranteed money in his deal) are among the other three who have not reached settlement agreements.
The league had been expected to hand down a “significant” suspension in the near future, and while this news stands to significantly reduce Watson’s 2023 court time, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the settlements have no bearing on potential league discipline (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). The Browns had a lengthy ban in mind when they structured Watson’s contract, lowering his 2022 pay to just $1MM.
A potentially lessened punishment for Watson would have a significant domino effect on the Browns. The team still faces the possibility of playing the entire 2022 campaign without its highly paid quarterback, but clarity could soon be coming with respect to the length of his absence in the wake of this development. In that case, Cleveland could be better positioned to execute a Baker Mayfield trade, which has been forthcoming for months now.
Daniel Snyder, Roger Goodell Requested To Testify At House Oversight Committee Hearing
JUNE 20: Goodell has agreed to testify at Wednesday’s hearing, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Goodell will testify remotely, however. Snyder’s refusal to testify this week prompted a Committee response.
“If Mr. Snyder was truly committed to cooperating with the Committee’s investigation, he would have accepted the Committee’s invitation to testify about the Commanders’ toxic workplace culture,” a Committee spokesperson said, via Keim. “As the Chairwoman’s letter made clear, the Committee has been more than accommodating — even allowing Mr. Snyder to testify remotely from France. His refusal to testify sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide and is afraid of coming clean to the American public and addressing major worker protection concerns facing the NFL.”
JUNE 15: Snyder has turned down the Oversight Committee’s request. Indicating he will be out of the country June 22, the Commanders owner will not testify, John Keim of ESPN.com reports. This had been the long-expected outcome, Keim adds. A letter from attorney Karen Patton Seymour notes Snyder had a “longstanding Commanders-related business conflict and is out of the country on the first and only date the Committee has proposed for the hearing.”
The letter also indicates Snyder would be willing to testify if the date is changed. The Committee intends to move forward with the hearing, absent the embattled owner. It is not yet known if Goodell will testify before the Committee next week.
JUNE 1: The subject of the Washington Commanders’ workplace culture continues to be an issue for the NFL. Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee, which has been investigating the Commanders for months, invited Daniel Snyder and Roger Goodell to testify in a June 22 hearing.
Snyder’s long-scrutinized tenure as the NFC East franchise’s owner has become an increasingly higher-profile topic for the league. Rumors of frustration among other owners, due to the Snyder-centered scandals that have emerged in recent years, have emerged. Wednesday’s development will certainly not cool anything down.
“The hearing is the next step in the Committee’s months-long investigation into the Commanders’ hostile workplace culture and will also examine the NFL’s handling of allegations of workplace misconduct, the NFL’s role in setting and enforcing standards across the league, and legislative reforms needed to address these issues across the NFL and other workplaces,” the Committee said in its statement.
Last year, the NFL fined Snyder $10MM as a result of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations from 15 former Washington Football Team employees. The fallout from this proved controversial for the league, which did not produce a written report of the findings. The NFL also did not suspend Snyder, who took a backseat to his wife, Tanya, regarding day-to-day operations. This came under the purview of Congress late last year, when it began its own investigation.
“Since we launched our investigation in October, the Committee’s goal has been to uncover the truth about the culture of harassment and abuse at the Washington Commanders, to hold accountable those responsible, and to better protect workers across the country,” said New York Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Committee chairwoman. “The Committee has worked tirelessly to obtain critical information, including the findings of the internal investigation conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson, only to be met with obstruction from the Commanders and the NFL at every turn.
“We must have transparency and accountability, which is why we are calling on Mr. Goodell and Mr. Snyder to answer the questions they have dodged for the last seven months. The hearing will explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again.”
Issuing similar statements, the Commanders and the NFL said they would issue responses to the invites “in a timely manner,” via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter links). The Commanders’ statement indicated they have complied with all previous Committee requests.
Wilkinson’s investigation lasted 10 months; the Oversight Committee’s ensuing probe is approaching that benchmark. The Federal Trade Commission has also been investigating the Commanders’ alleged financial wrongdoing, adding to the turmoil currently engulfing Snyder. Attorneys general in Virginia and Washington D.C. announced subsequent investigations into this matter. The team has denied those allegations. Earlier this year, the NFL launched an investigation into this matter as well.
The embattled owner may not be on the verge of losing his team, one he has owned since 1999, but these controversies continue to generate concern among Snyder’s peers. An actual suspension for the Commanders owner has been floated. The forthcoming hearing will not help matters on this front.
Deshaun Watson’s Camp, NFLPA Expecting Lengthy Suspension For Browns QB
Although two more women have filed civil lawsuits against Deshaun Watson since the Browns traded for him, the NFL was on the homestretch of its lengthy investigation prior to those suits emerging. Watson’s camp is expecting a “significant” suspension, according to Mark Maske of the Washington Post.
While careful not to predict a precise punishment, a source informed Maske the NFL will likely seek a year-long suspension. A league presentation on the case to the NFLPA and Watson’s representatives has led the union to expect a lengthy ban. The NFL’s punishment may indeed be near, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting the NFLPA is bracing for an “unprecedented” ban in this case. The steady stream of Watson news to emerge since the trade has become a concern for NFL higher-ups, per Florio, who adds some in the league office do not believe Watson should be cleared to play until these issues are resolved.
[RELATED: Browns Not Looking To Void Watson’s Guarantees]
The prospect of Watson being sidelined throughout the course of the civil suits does not seem realistic, based on Roger Goodell‘s comments this spring and his handling of the situation since the lawsuits began to emerge in March 2021. The NFL did not place Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list last year, relying on the Texans to deactivate their former starter for all 17 games. Watson’s 2021 trade request and the Texans’ rebuilding approach last season also contributed to the team’s decision to deactivate the Pro Bowler.
The Browns almost certainly would not follow suit, considering the historic compensation package they sent to the Texans for Watson and the record-shattering contract they authorized upon doing so. Citing conversations with the NFLPA, Goodell said after a second Texas grand jury did not recommend charges against Watson he would not be placed on the exempt list. That opens the door to Watson receiving punishment this year and when the civil suits eventually conclude. Cleveland’s front office structured Watson’s contract — perhaps the most divisive deal in modern NFL history — in a way to protect him from a 2022 suspension, giving him a mere $1MM salary this season.
The timeline for Watson’s civil suits also would make the prospect of Watson being banned until they are resolved unlikely. After August 1, the civil suits will pause until March 1, 2023. Both Watson’s legal team and the Tony Buzbee-led attorney for the plaintiffs agreed on that timeline. Parking Watson on paid leave until these suits are all resolved runs the risk of the embattled QB being sidelined into the 2023 season, due to the high number of women who have accused him of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault.
Since the 24th accuser’s suit surfaced, a New York Times report added more detail and startling number to this saga. The report indicated Watson received massages from at least 66 women between fall 2019 and spring 2021. In the days since, Watson news has continued to circulate. Houston police detective Kamesha Baker said during a recent civil deposition she believed Watson committed sexual assault, USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer notes. Ten women filed criminal complaints against Watson, but they did not lead to charges. Two of those 10 accusers are not part of the ongoing civil cases. Prior to these news items coming out, the NFL had concluded its meetings with Watson. It is possible the league had all of this information beforehand. If not, more meetings could ensue, further muddying this saga.
Independent arbitrator Sue Robinson will render the punishment, and the NFL would handle an appeal. The NFLPA would move to defend Watson during an appeal process — one Maske notes the NFL wants completed by the time the Browns report to training camp July 27. Watson has continued to deny all wrongdoing and said as much again this week from Browns minicamp, but the sixth-year veteran faces the prospect of missing back-to-back seasons.
Steelers Sign Minkah Fitzpatrick To Record-Setting Extension
The Steelers have reached agreement on an extension with All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The fifth-year defender signed a four-year contract which will pay him more than $18.4MM per year. The Steelers have announced the signing.
Schefter adds that the pact includes $36MM in guaranteed money. The deal comes as the 25-year-old was soon to begin a contract year in 2022. He was already on the books for one more season at $10.6MM, by virtue of his fifth-year option being picked up. Now, he is set be with the Steelers for the long-term.
Fitzpatrick quickly lived up to his draft stock as the No. 11 overall pick in 2018 with the Dolphins. His time in Miami was very short-lived, however, as he was dealt to Pittsburgh midway through the 2019 campaign. The Steelers paid a significant price to acquire him, sending a package which included a first-rounder, but Fitzpatrick has been worth it up to this point. Starting in all 46 contests he has appeared in with Pittsburgh, he has registered 203 tackles and 11 interceptions.
His level of play has earned him a pair of Pro Bowl nods and two appearances on the First-Team All-Pro list. As a result, the matter of an extension had long been seen as one of the top priorities for the Steelers’ front office, now led by Omar Khan. The possibility was raised of the Alabama alum conducting a ‘hold-in’ during mandatory minicamp to try and leverage a new deal, but that will no longer be necessary.
The value of this contract will make Fitzpatrick the league’s all-time highest-paid safety. Jamal Adams had held the top spot at $17.5MM-per-season, but this deal is the new watermark in a positional market which could continue to be on the rise with subsequent deals. Extensions for the likes of Derwin James and Jessie Bates will no doubt be influenced by this one.
“Minkah is one of the top safeties in the NFL and we are thrilled he will be in Pittsburgh through at least the next five years” Khan said, via the team’s website. “When we traded for him, we knew he was going to be an integral part of our defense and we look forward to that continuing as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
With fellow defensive pillar T.J. Watt under contract for the long-term already, the Steelers have another foundational player signed through the transition into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. While questions remain on the offensive side of the ball heading into this season, the team’s pass defense will have one of its most important elements in place for the foreseeable future.
Rams, WR Cooper Kupp Agree To Extension
And like that, the Rams have extended another star player. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp has signed a three-year extension with the Rams, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
The three-year extension will be added to the remaining two years on Kupp’s current deal, locking the Super Bowl MVP into what’s essentially a five-year, $110MM deal. That’s about $80MM in new money, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Schefter clarifies on Twitter that Kupp will earn a new $75MM in guaranteed money. Earlier this evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport estimated that Kupp and the Rams were zeroing on a three-year deal.
Kupp wasn’t looking to reset the market with his new deal, and while he earned a handsome pay day, it still doesn’t crack the top-five at the position in terms of average annual value. The five-year, $110MM puts Kupp’s AAV at $22MM; that ranks sixth at wide receiver behind Tyreek Hill ($30MM/yr), Davante Adams ($28MM), DeAndre Hopkins ($27.25MM), A.J. Brown ($25MM), and Stefon Diggs ($24MM). In terms of total value, the five upcoming years for Kupp is only rivaled by Adams ($140MM) and Hill ($120MM).
Following an incredible 2021 campaign that saw Kupp lead the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) before earning a championship and the Super Bowl MVP, it always seemed inevitable that Kupp would ink a new deal. The team made it clear throughout the offseason that a Kupp extension was a priority, but the team was in no rush to ink the deal with several priorities (including a new contract for Aaron Donald) still unresolved.
Indeed, the organization only inked Donald to a new deal days ago, and they’ve now completed a new contract for Kupp. In only a matter of days, the Rams have committed $205MM to the two players, and while the front office has done an admirable job of getting creative with their cap machinations, there’s no denying the future money the organization has committed to in pursuit of another Super Bowl win. Besides Donald and Kupp, the organization has also handed out a sizable extension to quarterback Matthew Stafford (four years, $160MM) while also signing linebacker Bobby Wagner (five years, $50MM) and wideout Allen Robinson (three years, $46.5MM).
The new deal will keep Kupp in Los Angeles through the 2026 season. This is already Kupp’s third contract, and as Albert Breer of TheMMQB points out on Twitter, this is a good case study in support of shorter extensions being more beneficial for players. Kupp inked a three-year, $48MM extension with the Rams in 2020. The East Washington product entered the NFL as a third-round pick in in 2017.
Kupp was productive as a rookie, but he missed half of his sophomore campaign. The receiver topped 1,000 receiving yards in 2019, and while he exceeded 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2020, the numbers were still a step down from the previous campaign. Then, with Stafford joining the Rams, Kupp exploded, achieving the NFL’s receiving triple crown. His performance in 2021 earned him a number of accolades, including Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro.
Rob Walton Submits NFL-Record $4.65 Billion Bid For Broncos
The second round of bids for the Denver Broncos came through, and the long-rumored frontrunner remained ahead in the race. Rob Walton‘s group submitted a $4.65 billion bid to buy the AFC West franchise, Mike Klis of 9News reports. The group enters a sales agreement, one expected to lead to the Broncos having new owners ahead of the 2022 season.
That price not only shatters the NFL record — one David Tepper set when he bought the Carolina Panthers for $2.3 billion in 2018 — but breaks the American sports record by more than $2 billion. Walton, his daughter Carrie Walton Penner and son-in-law Greg Penner — all Walmart family heirs — will take over a Broncos franchise that had been in Pat Bowlen‘s family from 1984 until it went on the market in February. Although the Broncos have been run by the Pat Bowlen Trust for years, disagreements among the late owner’s children led to the team going up for sale.
Walton’s group beat out the Josh Harris– and Magic Johnson-fronted contingent, along with those headed by Mat and Justin Ishbia and Jose Feliciano, respectively. All four finalists submitted bids Monday, but Walton’s — unsurprisingly, as his approximately $70 billion net worth puts him in line to become the NFL’s richest owner — won out. Walton’s net worth more than triples Tepper’s. The Panthers owner’s $16.7 billion worth currently leads the league. Rob Walton, 77, is the oldest son of the late Walmart founder, Sam Walton.
“I have enjoyed getting to know Rob Walton, Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner throughout this process,” Broncos CEO and president Joe Ellis said in a statement. “Learning more about their background and vision for the Denver Broncos, I am confident that their leadership and support will help this team achieve great things on and off the field.”
This transaction’s next step will be an NFL finance committee review. A three-fourths approval among other owners will greenlight Walton’s transition to becoming the Broncos’ next owner. Tepper’s Panthers purchase garnered a 32-0 vote. Walton’s acquisition is not expected to be met with resistance. A special convening between NFL owners is expected to take place in July, Klis notes. Walton appears set to be the Broncos’ controlling owner. But his daughter and son-in-law, along with Arial Investments co-CEO Mellody Hobson, will play roles.
All four ownership groups reached out to Peyton Manning, who had expressed interest in being part of the franchise’s next group. John Elway had as well. It is unclear as of Tuesday night if the Hall of Fame quarterbacks will move forward with a Walton-run franchise. Elway, the team’s GM from 2011-20, currently serves as a consultant to GM George Paton.
Rams Give Aaron Donald Record-Setting Raise
Aaron Donald will be back with the Rams in 2022 and likely into the mid-2020s. The team gave the perennial All-Pro defensive tackle a raise. While no new years were added to Donald’s through-2024 deal, he will receive considerably more cash than he would have under the terms of his 2018 extension.
Donald, who has discussed retirement for months, is now set to earn a whopping $95MM by 2024, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The 31-year-old pass rusher will collect a $40MM raise on his old deal, Rapoport tweets, and again become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the game — a title the future Hall of Famer held for a few days prior to Khalil Mack topping him four years ago.
The eight-year veteran is returning to his place anchoring the Rams’ defense. The seven-time All-Pro is set to collect $65MM over the next two years of his contract, per Rapoport. It will be interesting to see if the Rams added void years to spread out the cap hits. The Rams have announced Donald’s return; he reported to the team’s facility Monday ahead of minicamp.
As far as guarantees go, Donald will receive a $25MM signing bonus and $6.5MM in additional 2022 guarantees, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. His $13.5MM 2023 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. A $5MM roster bonus also will come Donald’s way if he is a Ram on Day 2 of the ’23 league year. Donald can collect the final $30MM if he remains a Ram on Day 5 of the 2024 league year. If Donald intends to play in 2024, the Rams would pay him a $20MM option bonus and $10MM base salary, Florio adds. No offset language is present.
This allows the team some flexibility beyond 2023, but Donald has been one of the NFL’s most durable players throughout his career. Donald would not reach free agency until the offseason ahead of his age-34 campaign. Still, the all-world defender’s through-2024 sum and his not being forced to add any new years to the deal illustrates both his value and the seriousness of his retirement threat. Donald’s previous contract carried a $23.5MM 2023 cap charge. The biggest difference of the pre- and post-raise cap hits will be a $38MM cap charge next year, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com estimates. Void years are indeed present here, per SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter).
Retirement rumors emerged shortly before Super Bowl LVI’s kickoff, and while Donald seemed to backtrack at the team’s parade, he still mentioned leaving the game after eight seasons last week. Sean McVay and Les Snead insisted throughout the offseason the team would take care of Donald, with McVay expressing confidence last week. It is fairly clear now why that was the case.
Money always hovered at the forefront here. Although no interior D-linemen passed up Donald in earnings over the course of his second NFL contract, several edge players did. T.J. Watt‘s $28MM-per-year pact topped the defender market entering the week. Tied to what amounts to a three-year, $95MM deal, Donald is the first non-quarterback to secure a contract north of $30MM per year.
Wide receivers made inroads toward the $30MM-per-year mark this offseason, but it took inflated figures in the final years of Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill‘s deals to balloon those contracts to their $28MM-AAV and $30MM-AAV marks. By not adding any new years on Donald’s contract, the Rams have moved into new territory with Monday’s deal. Given Donald’s resume and impact in the Rams’ second Super Bowl win, it is tough to argue he did not deserve a significant raise.
Since going 13th overall in the 2014 draft, Donald has become one of the greatest players in NFL history. Only Donald, J.J. Watt and Lawrence Taylor have won Defensive Player of the Year acclaim three times. The Pitt alum has maintained top form into his 30s, as evidenced by his Super Bowl-sealing takedown of Joe Burrow, which punctuated a dominant performance. Donald is the only active player to be named a first-team All-Pro seven times. The player with the second-most such honors among active performers, Bobby Wagner (six), will join him in L.A. this season. Donald has only missed two games in his career — both due to a 2017 holdout.
The Rams have taken care of their offensive and defensive pillars this offseason, with the Donald deal following their Matthew Stafford extension. The team remains at work on augmenting Cooper Kupp‘s contract, following his stratospheric 2021 season.
24th Accuser Files Civil Lawsuit Against Browns’ Deshaun Watson
A week after a 23rd woman filed a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, another massage therapist has done so, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
The number of women who have accused the Browns quarterback of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault stood at 22 for many months. The 23rd accuser filed suit after seeing two of Watson’s accusers, Kyla Hayes and Ashley Solis, detail their allegations during an episode of HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel in late May.
The 24th lawsuit indicates the accuser and Watson met for two massages, the first ending early because the quarterback took a phone call. The second is when the alleged misconduct took place, with the suit also indicating the plaintiff quit massage therapy because of it, according to Barshop and ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter. This suit also alleges Watson sought massages from “random strangers on Instagram” more than 100 times, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Real Sports segment also indicated Watson has received more than 100 massages in a year.
Watson has denied all allegations against him, but the rising number of accusers will apply pressure on the NFL from a public-perception standpoint. The league has concluded its interviews with the 26-year-old passer. The period for pretrial discovery expires July 1, pointing to a suspension coming after that date. Watson has not been criminally charged, but that is not necessary for a suspension under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
Ten of the first 22 accusers made criminal complaints against Watson. Those led to two grand juries not recommending charges against the embattled quarterback. The civil suits are also not expected to be resolved until at least 2023, with the increasing number of suits set to drag this process out. But a suspension is expected to be handed down before this season begins. Additional punishment could emerge after the conclusion of the civil suits, but with that process set to pause from August 1, 2022-March 1, 2023, it is possible this matter will not be finalized by the start of the 2023 season.
Monday’s lawsuit mentions the “happy endings” remark Watson defense attorney Rusty Hardin made during an interview with Houston Sports Radio 610 last week, Barshop adds (via Twitter). Hardin referenced happy-ending massages not being illegal, and while Watson’s defense leader later attempted to clarify his remarks as hypothetical, the attorney for all 24 accusers, Tony Buzbee, said (via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com) they would be used in civil suits alleging Watson attempted to turn massages from therapeutic to sexual in nature.
The 23rd lawsuit emerged before Hardin’s comments, but it alleges Watson offered each accuser $100K to settle the cases. Not all of the accusers were prepared to settle, Florio notes, adding Watson’s team included “aggressive nondisclosure agreements” as part of those settlement offers. The NDA matter came up when the Texans and Dolphins were discussing a Watson deal before last year’s trade deadline. The Dolphins moved in a different direction, leading to the Browns signing off on a trade and historic extension agreement. They now await to learn how much time their new quarterback will miss.