Jets, CB Sauce Gardner Agree On Extension
JULY 17: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes Gardner’s locked in compensation includes a $13.75MM signing bonus along with annual workout and roster bonuses (many of which are guaranteed upfront or are set to vest one year early). His base salaries in 2025 ($1.25MM) and ’26 ($5.25MM) are locked in. A $20MM 2026 option bonus is included and is guaranteed in full; the 2027 option bonus ($10MM) is guaranteed for injury and shifts to a full guarantee one year early. The same is true of Gardner’s base salaries for 2027 ($13.95MM) and ’28 ($19.2MM). His pay for the final two years of the pact is not guaranteed.
JULY 15: One day after extending star wide receiver Garrett Wilson, the Jets are signing All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner to a four-year, $120.4MM contract extension, per Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Gardner himself announced on social media that an agreement had been reached. His deal has the same structure as Wilson’s extension, per Schefter.
With a $30.1MM AAV, Gardner is now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, beating out the $30MM per year deal signed by fellow 2022 first-rounder Derek Stingley Jr. earlier this year. However, Gardner’s $85.653MM in total guarantees (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) do not quite reach Stingley’s $89MM.
It will be interesting to see where the full guarantees fall here; Stingley holds that standard — with $48MM — as well. Gardner agreeing to a four-year deal should allow him to eclipse that number, as Stingley is tied to a three-year extension.
The Jets have now spent $250MM in the last two days to lock down cornerstone players on both sides of the ball in a solid start for new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Past offseasons in New York have been marked by quarterback drama and contract standoffs with key veterans, but the new regime avoided such pitfalls by signing Justin Fields early in free agency and getting the Wilson and Gardner extensions done before training camp.
Mougey has now been part of two record-setting cornerback extensions since September. The former Broncos assistant GM was in place when the team inked Patrick Surtain on a then-record $24MM-per-year deal. Despite Surtain’s Defensive Player of the Year season, he has already fallen to fifth in the cornerback pecking order. This effectively illustrates timing, rather than merit, reigns in NFL contract matters. Gardner and Stingley do owe Surtain for breaking through the ice formed over a two-plus-year period in this market.
Prior to Surtain’s agreement, the CB market had not seen anyone top Jaire Alexander‘s four-year, $84MM Packers pact — one agreed to in May 2022. Corners have seen wide receivers move into a higher tax bracket over the past several years, and even safeties — via Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s four-year, $84.1MM accord — had passed them by last year. But Surtain’s contract brought a thaw, and Jalen Ramsey‘s third contract — one already traded — came a day after the standout Broncos defender’s deal emerged.
This offseason then brought Jaycee Horn to the $25MM-per-year level. The Panthers cover man reached that place despite no All-Pro honors (to Surtain’s two). But the salary cap having jumped by another $24MM, after a record $30.6MM spike in 2024, set the stage for an overdue market boom. After all, Ja’Marr Chase elevated the WR ceiling past $40MM per year in March. Stingley and Gardner have made significant inroads for their position, creating a new tier in terms of AAV this year.
Gardner benefited by waiting, and he can perhaps owe that to the Jets changing regimes this offseason. But his rookie-contract play warranted a substantial commitment. The former No. 4 overall pick arrived under Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh‘s watch and played a lead role in vaulting the Jets’ defense — a last-ranked unit in 2021 — to fourth place (in scoring and yardage) in 2022. The physical corner earned first-team All-Pro honors for his work as a rookie, and he matched that showing in 2023.
Pro Football Focus ranked Gardner first and third among CB regulars in 2022 and ’23, respectively, but observed a drop-off in 2024. Although Gardner checked in 31st on the advanced metrics website’s list last year, issues with his tackling were apparent during a season that saw Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense take a step back (20th in points allowed). Gardner saw his yards-per-target number rise from 6.0 to 9.3 from 2023 to ’24 — a non-Pro Bowl season — creating a rebound opportunity under Glenn. But Tuesday’s agreement showed the Jets’ new power brokers did not need to see how Gardner fit into Glenn’s defense before making a historic commitment.
The Jets had never wavered from their plan to pay Gardner, having let D.J. Reed walk in free agency (after extending Michael Carter at the lower slot rate), and the team eyed the post-draft period as the window for true negotiations. Gardner had expressed interest in remaining a Jet long term, and the team had made an offer by mid-June. Although Mougey and Glenn brought in Brandon Stephens at $12MM per annum in March, the team will not let Gardner come close to a contract year. This is now the NFL’s only team with three eight-figure-per-year corners on the payroll.
New York had cooled on paying CBs since its whiffs on Darrelle Revis (the second stint) and Trumaine Johnson. But Gardner’s early-career form meant that pattern needed to end. The team’s chaotic 2024 has preceded a calmer ’25, as Aaron Rodgers is out and news of Woody Johnson meddling has drifted off the front burner. Wilson and Gardner’s paydays signal a willingness to reward Douglas-era draftees, and the moves leave Jermaine Johnson — who is coming off a season-ending injury — as the only member of the Jets’ 2022 first-round trio still on a rookie deal. Post-Rodgers, Wilson and Gardner will be asked to be the franchise’s centerpiece players as it attempts to end the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Chiefs, G Trey Smith Finalize Extension
9:45pm: Smith will see $46.75MM fully guaranteed, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. That sits second among guards, trailing only Lindstrom’s $48.2MM number. Smith’s guarantee also checks in lower than what two franchise tags would have brought, but Kansas City was still able to finalize a deal before today’s deadline.
As the Chiefs reward the former sixth-round pick, they will use their Patrick Mahomes guarantee model. Smith secured a rolling guarantee structure, per Breer, who reports the Pro Bowl right guard’s $23.25MM 2027 base salary will become fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2026 league year. Smith’s $23.25MM 2028 base salary is nonguaranteed, but the 2027 structure effectively ensures he will collect three years’ worth of cash on this lucrative contract.
12:45pm: The Chiefs are finalizing a four-year extension with franchise-tagged right guard Trey Smith, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $94MM with $70MM in guaranteed money, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, keeping Smith as the highest-paid guard in league history. His $23.5MM APY is slightly more than his one-year franchise tag and resets the position’s market by $2.5MM after the Eagles gave left guard Landon Dickerson $21MM per year last offseason. Smith’s total guarantees of $70MM will also set a new record by $7MM, per OverTheCap, beating out Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom.
News of the agreement comes mere hours before a 3pm CT deadline for tagged players to sign a multiyear deal. With a strong desire to lower Smith’s 2025 cap hit and lock him down for the foreseeable future, the Chiefs finally accomplished their biggest goal of the offseason. This comes three years after Kansas City failed to beat the buzzer with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., but the team had eyed a Smith payday for a bit. The March Joe Thuney trade set this in motion, as the three-time reigning AFC champions swapped out one high guard salary for another.
Smith will be under contract through 2028, as will All-Pro center and fellow 2021 draftee Creed Humphrey, who signed a four-year extension last August. Arguably the best guard-center duo on the league, Smith and Humphrey are both the highest-paid players at their position and will form the bedrock of the Kansas City’s offensive line for years to come.
While the Chiefs are coming off a humbling loss in Super Bowl LIX — a game that saw its O-line struggle — the team had done well to reconfigure its O-line following the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV onslaught. This came via the Brown trade, the Thuney contract (five years, $80MM) and adding Humphrey and Smith in the draft. It will be on Smith and Humphrey to lead the way back following the Eagles’ blowout win.
The Chiefs also spent this offseason acquiring potential long-term left tackles to join Smith and Humphrey on the O-line, including veteran free agent signing Jaylon Moore and first-round rookie Josh Simmons. However, the team’s future at left guard and right tackle is less certain. 2023 UDFA Mike Caliendo is the most experienced guard on the roster with just three career starts, while right tackle Jawaan Taylor has struggled to live up to his $80MM contract and has no guaranteed money on his deal after this year.
Regardless of who he plays next to, Smith figures to be one of the best blockers in the league for the foreseeable future. He fell into the sixth round of the 2021 draft due to medical concerns about blood clots in his lungs, but earned the Chiefs’ starting right guard job as a rookie and never looked back.
The 25-year-old blocker has only missed one game due to injury in his four-year NFL career and was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024 after giving up only one sack in 1,288 total snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF has rated Smith as a top-15 guard in each of his four seasons, and ESPN’s pass block win rate has slotted him sixth in run blocking in 2024 — after placing him fourth in pass protection in ’23.
Smith’s new contract is a final leap in a guard market that has exploded over the last few offseasons. Next up will be Cowboys Pro Bowler Tyler Smith, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He could approach Smith’s $23.5MM APY, but other guards up for new deals are either significantly older or significantly less-proven.
Bears To Extend GM Ryan Poles
Ryan Poles is set to remain in place for years to come. The Bears reached agreement on an extension with their general manager Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Poles had two years remaining on his deal, but today’s agreement will add to his tenure in the Windy City. Poles is now under contract through 2029. That lines his pact up with that of new head coach Ben Johnson. This move comes as little surprise given the confidence shown this year in Poles, 39, by team president Kevin Warren. 
Hired in 2022 alongside Matt Eberflus, Poles has overseen a number of roster changes during his tenure. The team has not developed as hoped over the past three years – posting a combined record of 15-36 over that span – and Eberflus did not make through the 2024 campaign. As Johnson aims to provide Chicago with long-term stability on the sidelines, though, Poles will remain in place to continue the rebuild he has undertaken since his arrival from a lengthy tenure with the Chiefs.
Of course, the focal point of that process will be the development of Caleb Williams. Poles worked out a blockbuster trade with the Panthers in 2023 which allowed Carolina to move up to No. 1 in that year’s draft and select Bryce Young. One the of elements of that trade was that Chicago owned the Panthers’ top choice in 2024, which wound up being the first overall selection. Taking advantage of the opportunity to start over under center after three years with Justin Fields in place, Poles traded Fields and drafted Williams last spring.
A number of moves made last offseason – such as the acquisition of wideout Keenan Allen and running back D’Andre Swift – were aimed at easing Williams’ acclimation to the NFL. Questions lingered about the state of Chicago’s offensive line entering the campaign, however, and (in part due to that unit’s play) Williams took a league-leading 68 sacks. One of Poles’ key goals this year was to shore up the interior of the Bears’ O-line, and he landed guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trade. Each signed extensions tying them to the team through 2027, which is also the length of center Drew Dalman‘s free agent deal.
Adding further pass-catching options during the draft, Poles selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and receiver Luther Burden in the second. The latter will join a WR room led by D.J. Moore – part of the package which went to Chicago in the Young blockbuster – as well as 2024 top-10 selection Rome Odunze. At the tight end spot, Loveland will form a tandem with Cole Kmet, who is among the players Poles has extended on long-term deals during his tenure.
On defense, Chicago’s secondary has been the target for multiple lucrative deals. Over the past two offseasons, Poles has authorized extensions for cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and they will remain key members of a defense led by edge rusher Montez Sweat and the Tremaine Edmunds–T.J. Edwards tandem at linebacker moving forward. Chicago’s defense has improved in terms of points allowed during each of the past three years, but after ranking 13th in 2024 there is still room for another step forward from the unit.
Of course, Poles’ time in charge has included notable misses as well. The prime example on that front is the second-round pick traded to the Steelers for receiver Chase Claypool in 2022. Claypool showed promise during his time in Pittsburgh, but he made a total of just 18 catches with the Bears. He was dealt in 2023 to the Dolphins as part of a Day 3 pick swap, an illustration of the extent to which the initial move on Poles’ part did not pan out.
The NFC North sent three teams to the postseason in 2024, and expectations will be high once more in the division this year. Coming off a 5-12 campaign, Chicago will look to take a step forward and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Failure to do so may have fueled speculation about a 2026 GM change, but today’s news ensures Poles’ job security for at least the intermediate future.
Dolphins Acquire TE Darren Waller From Giants
JULY 7: The deal is now official, per an announcement from the Dolphins. Sirius XM’s Howard Balzer notes Waller is still on the reserve/retired list at this point, but that will of course change in the near future. Miami was at the roster limit entering Monday, but with the Jalen Ramsey and Smith swap for Minkah Fitzpatrick also officially taking place, activating Waller should not require a corresponding move.
JULY 1: The Dolphins have taken an unexpected route to find a new veteran tight end. A trade agreement is in place with the Giants for Miami to acquire Darren Waller, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. 
Waller is coming out of retirement to head to Miami. New York still held his rights, requiring this swap to take place. The former Pro Bowler only intended to resume his playing career if he could do so with the Dolphins, Pelissero adds. That will indeed be the case. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Miami will receive Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2026.
Acquired via trade from the Raiders, Waller faced high expectations upon arrival with the Giants. The former sixth-rounder wound up only playing one season in New York, however. Retirement was brought up on more than one occasion, and last June Waller officially decided to hang up his cleats. That move – which came in the wake of a frightening health episode in November 2023 – created cap savings for the Giants but the team did not deal away his rights at any point. Two years remained on Waller’s contract at the time of his retirement, but Pelissero notes he will ink a restructured pact heavy on incentives as part of this trade.
Providing details on that point, Schefter adds this will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM via incentives. Waller will now aim to provide his new team with a veteran pass-catching option in the wake of Jonnu Smith being dealt to the Steelers yesterday. The Dolphins were in the market for a tight end as a result, but this move is certainly not the one many would have expected.
In addition to health issues, Waller cited a waning passion for the game when addressing his decision to retire. That is of course commonplace for many around the league when they elect to hang up their cleats, but it seemed to confirm Waller would not be eyeing a return. With one exception clearly being made in the case of the Dolphins, however, he is now set to play a ninth NFL campaign.
Miami’s depth chart at the TE spot consisted of veteran Pharaoh Brown along with Julian Hill, Hayden Ricci and Jalin Conyers. Each member of the latter trio entered the league as an undrafted free agent. Expectations will be limited in their cases as a result, but it will be interesting to see how this Waller experiment unfolds in 2025.
Steelers Extend GM Omar Khan
Omar Khan‘s tenure as general manager of the Steelers will not be ending any time soon. The team announced on Thursday that Khan has received a contract extension through 2028. 
Kevin Colbert handled GM responsibilities in Pittsburgh from 2000-21. Khan loomed as a potential in-house successor during the latter stages of his tenure, so it came as no surprise when the team looked internally as part of the final round of interviews. Khan was promoted to the role in May 2022.
The timing of that move meant Khan was tasked with overseeing the start of the post-Ben Roethlisberger era at quarterback. That stretch has seen six different signal-callers start for Pittsburgh, but the team has yet to identify a long-term solution at the position. That remains true at the moment, but for 2025 Khan and the Steelers will rely on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers to lead the offense.
The decision to sign Rodgers (in June, ending a months-long run of uncertainty over whether or not he would suit up for a 21st NFL campaign) is one of several unorthodox moves Khan has made this offseason. The trade acquisition of D.K. Metcalf – which involved a big-ticket extension – and the departure of fellow wideout George Pickens coupled with the Rodgers signing mean Pittsburgh’s offense will look much different this year.
More recently, the Steelers and Dolphins pulled off a blockbuster trade. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith are now in place, while Minkah Fitzpatrick is not. The latter earned All-Pro acclaim early in his Pittsburgh tenure, but the past two years have seen a downturn in production. Despite two years remaining on Fitzpatrick’s contract, the team moved forward with a notable swap which sees Ramsey arrive with considerable term (and 2025 guarantees) remaining on his pact.
Khan has acted with an aggression Colbert did not often display during the 2025 offseason in particular. His moves up to this point have clearly sat well with owner Art Rooney II, who has certainly shown an affinity for stability in the front office and on the sidelines during his tenure. Regardless of how his recent moves play out, Khan will be in position to continue shaping the Steelers’ roster – which still has defensive stalwarts Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt in the fold – for years to come.
That effort will include the 2026 draft, an event which will take place in Pittsburgh. By next spring, Rodgers will likely be retired, leaving Khan and Co. in position to target a rookie passer early. Other key roster moves will be required regardless of how the current setup fares, but Rooney and the Steelers will not be on the lookout for a replacement in the front office in any case.
Dolphins Trade Jalen Ramsey To Steelers For Minkah Fitzpatrick
The Jalen Ramsey trade saga is coming to an end. The All-Pro corner is on the move, but not out west as many predicted. 
The Dolphins have reached agreement with the Steelers on a Ramsey swap, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Pittsburgh recently emerged as the most recent team likely to be eliminated from the list of landing spots in this case, but a trade has nevertheless been worked out and is now official. Ramsey will receive a $3MM bump in pay as part of this deal.
[RELATED: Steelers Acquire, Extend TE Jonnu Smith]
With the Dolphins paying $7MM of the $26.6MM Ramsey was owed this season, Rapoport reports the Steelers will be responsible for the remainder of that total. Pittsburgh will thus pay him $19.6MM in 2025.
Adding an unexpected layer to this blockbuster deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is headed the other way in the swap. Fitzpatrick began his career in Miami, and the former first-rounder was dealt to the Steelers in 2019. He will now return to his original team for 2025. This represents the first time since 2002 there have been players with five or more Pro Bowl nods traded for one another (h/t Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports).
Rapoport notes the Rams and Steelers were the two main Ramsey suitors, with Los Angeles long representing the expected destination in this situation. He adds Pittsburgh was out of the running until very recently, but that has obviously changed rather quickly. Ramsey himself has confirmed that he is headed to the Steelers, which will be his fourth career team.
The three-time All-Pro spent the past two seasons in Miami, rebounding from his injury-shortened 2023 campaign to play a full slate last year. Ramsey appeared set to remain in South Beach for the foreseeable future when he agreed to a lucrative extension last offseason, but a falling out with head coach Mike McDaniel led to the mutual decision a parting of ways would be best. Ramsey was on the trade block through the spring, but the list of suitors publicly expressing interest proved to be rather short.
Rams head coach Sean McVay made it clear the team was open to a Ramsey reunion (after he helped the team win the Super Bowl in 2021). Finances were a sticking point in this case, however. The seven-time Pro Bowler has already received a $4MM roster bonus from Miami, but his outstanding $21MM-plus in compensation for the year is guaranteed. Ramsey is on the books for another three yeas after the coming campaign, but an adjustment to his pact has been expected upon arrival with an acquiring team.
Despite a limited market emerging, the Dolphins remained steadfast in their desire to move on from Ramsey. The 30-year-old has proven to be one of the league’s top corners over the course of his career, although age will become a concern during his Steelers tenure. Nonetheless, Pittsburgh’s CB depth chart now includes another standout veteran after the team added Darius Slay in free agency. Those two will join returnee Joey Porter Jr. in a secondary which will look much different in 2025.
Fitzpatrick only played 18 games during his first Dolphins tenure. Expectations were high for the former No. 11 pick, but his departure came about as part of the team’s maneuvering in advance of the 2020 draft (which brought about the selection of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa). Upon arrival in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick shone and earned first-team All-Pro honors. He remained productive through the following years.
However, things took an unwanted turn following the 2022 campaign (one in which Fitzpatrick recorded a league-leading six interceptions). Over the past two seasons, the Alabama product has been limited to just one pick and seven pass deflections while operating in different areas on the field. A five-time Pro Bowler, Fitzpatrick will aim to return to his previous form during his second Dolphins stint. His original team has a notable vacancy at the cornerback spot, but he will provide starting play at the safety position.
Two years remain on Fitzpatrick’s contract, and he is set to carry cap charges of $22.36MM and $24.46MM as things stand. With none of his remaining base salaries guaranteed, the Steelers will create $15.5MM in savings while generating a dead money charge of only $6.86MM. Those figures will help absorb the incoming Ramsey pact.
Pittsburgh has made a number of aggressive moves this offseason, deviating from standard operating procedure. The additions of Aaron Rodgers and D.K Metcalf were aimed at upgrading on offense, a unit which has been further augmented with today’s blockbuster. Ramsey will aim to further fuel the team’s Super Bowl aspirations for what will likely be a one-and-done Rodgers season. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will move forward in 2025 with a much different core in terms of veterans on both sides of the ball.
Steelers Acquire, Extend TE Jonnu Smith
Part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick blockbuster will see the Dolphins and Steelers agree to another swap. Tight end Jonnu Smith is headed to Pittsburgh.
With the dust having settled on all portions of this singular trade (which is now official), here are the full details (courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport):
Steelers receive:
- Ramsey
- Smith
- 2027 seventh-round pick
Dolphins receive:
- Fitzpatrick
- 2027 fifth-round pick
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Smith will receive a one-year, $12MM extension upon arrival in Pittsburgh, allowing him to earn a raise as hoped. Finances were a sticking point between he and the Dolphins. Smith preferred to remain in Miami, but after enjoying a career year and setting a new franchise record for tight end production he aimed to parlay his play into a new pact.
[RELATED: Fallout From Dolphins, Steelers’ Sides Of Ramsey Trade]
On more than one occasion, the Steelers emerged as a potential landing spot for Smith in the event no new Dolphins pact could be worked out. Talks on a Miami extension took place, but the 29-year-old’s absence from minicamp was a sign this situation could end in a change of scenery. After only one year with the Dolphins, Smith is indeed on the move once again. Of course, today’s news means he is in store for another reunion with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Jonnu and Arthur Smith worked together with the Titans and again when they were alongside each other with the Falcons. The latter took on OC duties in Pittsburgh last season, overseeing an offense which used both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback. QB1 duties are now held by Aaron Rodgers, who will likely retire after this season. The Steelers are certainly not being shy in terms of notable moves on both sides of the ball in preparation for the coming campaign.
Pittsburgh already has Pat Freiermuth in place at the tight end spot. The former second-rounder is under contract through 2028, something which made a potential Smith move a somewhat awkward one. Now that it is in place, though, the Steelers can be expected to lean heavily on two-tight end sets. With uncertainly looming over the team’s WR options aside from D.K. Metcalf, Smith will give Pittsburgh a veteran pass-catching option.
The former third-rounder posted a statline of 88-884-8 last season, leading to his first career Pro Bowl nod. Expectations will be high for Smith with his fifth NFL team given his production and the fact he will be in a familiar scheme. For the Dolphins, meanwhile, Ramsey’s departure has created a notable vacancy at the CB position; the loss of Smith will likewise leave the team short on experienced tight ends.
The 2025 offseason has seen a major exodus in terms of veterans in Miami, by means of free agent departures, releases and trades. As the Dolphins look to bounce back from last year’s underwhelming campaign, they will do so with a slew of new faces on both sides of the ball. Smith is now under contract for the next two years. He will look to operate as a complementary option for Rodgers and Co. as Pittsburgh takes a run at a Super Bowl in 2025.
Buccaneers Extend HC Todd Bowles, GM Jason Licht
The Buccaneers have enjoyed a run of success under head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht, and the team will have continuity on the sidelines and in the front office moving forward. Both have received extensions, as first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. 
The move is now official, per a team announcement. Licht has been in place since 2014, and for the past three seasons he and Bowles have worked in their current capacities. The latter took over from Bruce Arians as Tampa Bay’s head coach after a three-year stint as the team’s defensive coordinator. Bowles’ extension is three years in length, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. He is therefore in place through 2028.
“Jason and Todd’s excellent leadership and vision have been critical to our organizational success, and the winning culture they have established has us well positioned into the future,” a statement from owner Jay Glazer reads. “Jason has evolved into one of the top talent evaluators and general managers in the NFL, while Todd has led us to three consecutive division titles and is one of the league’s leading defensive minds. Under their guidance, we will continue building towards another championship.”
The past five seasons have marked the longest sustained run of success in franchise history, and the Buccaneers are the only NFC team to have reached the playoffs each year since 2020. That campaign produced a Super Bowl title and validated Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady acquisition. Questions were raised when the seven-time champion retired (for the second and final time) about how the team would proceed under center. The decision to take a flier on Baker Mayfield has certainly proven to be a fruitful one, though.
The former No. 1 pick’s future as a starter was in doubt coming off his 2022 campaign split between the Panthers and Rams. Mayfield was added on a one-year, $4MM deal and handled QB1 duties through his debut Tampa season. The Bucs won their division and advanced to the second round of the postseason. Mayfield was rewarded with a three-year, $100MM pact just before the start of free agency last March, keeping him in the fold.
The 30-year-old posted career bests in yards (4,500) and touchdowns (41) in 2024, production which helped Liam Coen continue the trend of offensive coordinators turning success with the Bucs into a head coaching gig. As Mayfield prepares to work with yet another OC, Bowles and his staff will aim to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season in 2025.
In four years with the Jets, Bowles managed a winning record only once and finished with an overall mark of 24-40. The 61-year-old joined Arians in Tampa Bay in 2019 to oversee the team’s defense. Since Bowles’ arrival, that unit has finished in the top 10 in points allowed on three occasions. Arians initially planned to stay on as head coach for the 2022 season, but Brady’s decision to unretire led to the reins being handed over to Bowles. A number of notable moves – including the dismissal of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich – did not sit well with Arians, but Tampa Bay has managed a run of sustained success since the transition on the sidelines and under center took place.
Mayfield is one of many high-profile Buccaneers whom Licht and Co. have managed to retain in recent offseasons. Wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and linebacker Lavonte David are among the veterans who have elected to avoid joining a new team for the first time in their careers by re-upping in Tampa Bay recently. Licht is also responsible for market-resetting extensions in the case of left tackle Tristan Wirfs as well as safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (whose deal has since been slightly surpassed in annual average value).
With a veteran core in place, expectations for at least another home wild-card game are high in the case of the Buccaneers in 2025. Bowles and Licht were already set to continue in their respective roles for the coming campaign, but their futures beyond this season have now been assured as well.
Ravens Sign CB Jaire Alexander
Regular participants in the summer free agent market, the Ravens will make another play for a veteran. They are bringing in Jaire Alexander, per a team announcement. Alexander was in Baltimore to sign his deal Wednesday.
Baltimore had not been closely linked to the high-profile cornerback since his Green Bay release, but the team appeared to have a need. Alexander will join Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-rounder Nate Wiggins to give the Ravens a potentially formidable corner trio. Alexander has seen his stock dip in recent years due to unavailability, but his past two full seasons have brought second-team All-Pro honors. And a few teams were willing to bet on a return to form.
The sides agreed on a one-year deal worth $6MM, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. That represents the max value, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, who indicates the contract covers $4MM in base and includes an additional $2MM in incentives. These benchmarks are not exactly unrealistic, as NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds they are tied to playing time. Alexander can earn $500K by playing just 35% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps. The other thresholds here — all covering $500K — check in at 40%, 45% and 50%.
This will provide a potential platform for Alexander to reestablish his value ahead of a 2026 free agency bid. A report last week indicated a one-year pact with an eye on a 2026 market trip was the most likely outcome, and it is rather interesting Alexander will fetch a deal at this rate given his considerable injury struggles. But the 2018 first-round pick has shown a high ceiling when healthy. The Ravens, who had already done some CB work this offseason, will bite as they attempt to book an elusive Lamar Jackson-era Super Bowl berth.
A few teams had established themselves as apparent non-suitors, as the Rams and Dolphins were believed to be out on the former Pro Bowler. The Panthers also appeared unlikely to make a push, but the Bills had discussed trade terms with the Packers earlier this offseason. Buffalo, though, used a first-round pick on Maxwell Hairston (as Rasul Douglas remains unsigned). And a handful of teams did reach out to Alexander’s camp following his recent release. On that note, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports the Ravens did not submit the best offer. They will land him anyway.
This deal also comes a day after Jackson offered an endorsement, telling GM Eric DeCosta to “go get” his former college teammate. Jackson informed media at minicamp (including PFR’s Nikhil Mehta) he backed a reunion. Jackson and Alexander each entered the NFL in the 2018 first round out of Louisville, the latter going to the Packers 14 picks earlier (No. 18). Baltimore now has exclusive negotiating rights with Alexander until the 2026 legal tampering period, but this also stands to be an audition season after the talented cover man missed 20 games over the past two years.
The Packers offered Alexander a pay cut to stay, circling back to the injury-prone CB after dangling him in trades during free agency and the draft. Alexander, 28, balked a pay slash and ended up generating a market. He missed time with groin, back, shoulder and knee injuries from 2023-24 — a period that also included a one-game team-imposed suspension for a strange coin-toss incident against the Panthers in 2023. While the Packers gave the 5-foot-10 corner another chance in 2024, he burned them again with unavailability. Green Bay, which had given Alexander a then-CB-record four-year deal worth $84MM in May 2022, added Nate Hobbs in free agency.
Alexander’s $21MM-AAV contract came despite him missing most of Green Bay’s 2021 season — one in which the team booked the NFC’s No. 1 seed — due to a shoulder injury. Alexander did make it back for the Packers’ divisional-round game — a loss to the 49ers — but that season began a trend of unreliability. Though, Alexander has impressed when on the field.
Pro Football Focus graded Alexander as a top-10 corner upon his return in 2022, and the advanced metrics site viewed him as a plus defender during each of the past two injury-marred years. PFF slotted Alexander 22nd among CB regulars in 2023 and 19th last season. This will help a Ravens that improved during Zach Orr‘s first season in charge. The Ravens have gone to the summer free agent well largely to add edge rushers in recent years, bringing in the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Van Noy, Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Houston. This addition will shake up a CB group that already included an injury reclamation project.
Baltimore added Chidobe Awuzie — on a one-year, $1.26MM deal — following his Titans release in March. Awuzie now represents the lower-profile of the Ravens’ two CB rebound bids, standing to work as the team’s top off-the-bench option. Our Adam La Rose broke down an Awuzie-T.J. Tampa battle for a starting spot Tuesday, but these performers now supply depth.
Awuzie, whom the Titans released after he missed much of last season (on a big-ticket contract) with another injury, could certainly be needed for extensive work based on Alexander’s medical sheet. But the Ravens will hope their Humphrey-Wiggins-Alexander trio holds up as they attempt to topple the Chiefs for the AFC title.
In a corresponding transaction, the Ravens have waived undrafted rookie running back Sone Ntoh.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Packers Release CB Jaire Alexander
JUNE 10: The Packers had the option of splitting the dead money charge from the Alexander release across the next two years. Instead, Schneidman reports the team will take that hit in full in 2025. As a result, Alexander will account for $17.04MM this year before coming off the books entirely in 2026.
JUNE 9: Jaire Alexander‘s time in Green Bay has come to an end. After talks regarding both a trade and a restructure took place this offseason, the Pro Bowl corner will hit free agency. Alexander is being released today, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The move is now official.
The team spoke with Alexander’s camp yesterday, Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic add. It was during that meeting that the 28-year-old learned he would be let go. Instead of continuing to pursue a trade or a pact keeping Alexander in Green Bay at a reduced rate, team and player will now go their separate ways. Despite the financial impasse the parties arrived at, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky notes Alexander was planning to attend this week’s mandatory minicamp.
[RELATED: Alexander’s Contract Impeded Packers’ Trade Efforts]
Two years remained on the former first-rounder’s contract, one which included nonguaranteed base salaries for the remainder of the pact. Alexander was due to carry cap charges of $24.64MM and $27.02MM, figures which were not feasible from the team’s perspective given his inability to remain healthy in recent years. By making this move after June 1, the Packers will see $17.12MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of $7.52MM.
Alexander has spent each of his seven NFL seasons in Green Bay, operating as a full-time starter throughout his time with the team. The Louisville product has been one of the league’s top corners when healthy, and he collected a second-team All-Pro nod in 2020 and ’22. During the latter campaign, Alexander set a new career high with five interceptions while recording double-digit pass deflections (14) for the fourth time. Both years since then, however, he has played only seven games.
That lack of availability has made Alexander’s Packers future a talking point for some time now. A trade was not only explored in this case, but the team shopped him prior to free agency. No agreement was worked out on that front, and shortly after the new league year began Green Bay inked Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48MM pact. The former Raider will be a key member of the Packers’ new-look secondary this season as the team looks to move forward without a defensive mainstay in the fold any longer.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how much of a market develops for Alexander late in the offseason. Suitors were understandably hesitant about parting ways with draft capital given his injury issues and the possibility of a release taking place. Now that Alexander is indeed set to become a free agent, any number of teams have the financial wherewithal to pursue what will no doubt be a short-term deal. Alexander was the league’s highest-paid corner at the time he inked his Packers extension, but his earning power will of course be greatly reduced this time around.
Jalen Ramsey looms as another high-profile corner available to interested teams, although the Dolphins All-Pro will (in all likelihood) be acquired via trade. Alexander, by contrast, can begin lining up visits with suitors once his release is processed later today.