Newsstand News & Rumors

Vikings, S Josh Metellus Agree To Extension

July 26th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Vikings safety Josh Metellus was heading into the 2025 NFL season on a contract year with a $6.54MM cap hit. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team has secured the defender long term by signing him to a three-year, $36MM extension.

Adding onto the end of his current deal, the extension keeps Metellus under contract through the 2028 season. Per Schefter, Metellus’ new deal comes with $25MM in guaranteed money and has a potential maximum value of $42MM with contract incentives.

Coming out of Minnesota’s 15-man 2020 draft class, Metellus is one of three players drafted by the team that year to still be on the roster — the other two being Justin Jefferson and backup offensive lineman Blake Brandel.

For much of his first two seasons, Metellus was a special teamer, coming off the bench for significant snaps for the first time in the final game of his sophomore campaign. He played a similar role in 2022, but three Harrison Smith absences allowed Metellus to showcase what he could contribute as a starter. He looked good in his first glimpses with the first team, catching an interception in the first start of his career.

Already, in 2022, the Vikings were beginning to see the potential and versatility Metullus offered to the defense. Most of his snaps came at safety, but he spent about 40 percent of his time on the field roaming into the box or the slot or, occasionally, lining up as an edge rusher or outside cornerback. In 2023, Minnesota made a call that it could no longer allow starters Smith and Camryn Bynum to keep Metellus off the field.

All three safeties started 17 games that season and led the team in defensive snaps played. Bynum worked most often as the deep safety, Smith split his time between the defensive outfield and the box, and Metellus roamed the slot, the box, and the edge in near equal quantities. In fact, aside from outside cornerback, where he logged 29 snaps, Metellus’ least seen position was safety (55 snaps). Playing all over the field in the first year of a two-year, $8MM extension and his first year as a full-time starter, Metellus delivered all over the field. His 116 total tackles were second to only Bynum, and he added 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, an interception returned for 43 yards, five passes defensed, and four forced fumbles to boot.

In 2024, Metellus logged fewer starts, but his usage remained the same as he continued to share the field with Smith and Bynum in equal shares. The 2024 season saw Metellus diversify a little less, spending under 100 snaps at edge, outside corner, and safety, but he spent about half his snaps in the box and a quarter in the slot. Once again, he finished second on the team with 103 total tackles, and he logged two tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, two interceptions, five passes defensed, and one forced fumble for good measure.

In 2025, the Vikings will be without their deep safety after Bynum signed a four-year, $60MM deal with the Colts. The backups behind Metellus and Smith — Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, and Mishael Powell — are all young and inexperienced, so Metellus may be making a move back into a more traditional safety spot. Smith will likely take back a free safety role, after playing a bit more strong safety when Bynum was in the picture, while Metellus works as the primary strong safety, allowing him to drift up into the box or slot when necessary.

The idea of an extension for Metellus and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel was first floating around the rumor mill in the days after the Super Bowl. Van Ginkel got his done in May, and after the team addressed an extension for tight end Josh Oliver in June, Metellus became the next focus.

Metellus had missed the first two days of practice in training camp, and while that now looks like he was pushing for an extension, head coach Kevin O’Connell assured the media that they “were being honest” about an ankle injury being the reason for his absences, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Regardless, a little payday should make him feel better. He’s expected to sit out Saturday practices and return to the field on Monday under his new contract. He’s already outperformed his sixth-round draft slot and his $8MM extension; now, the Vikings will be hoping he can take another step and outperform this one, as well.

Bengals Sign First-Round DE Shemar Stewart

July 26th, 2025 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 26: Stewart officially put pen to paper today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Inking the deal on an off day for the team, Stewart will officially rejoin his teammates on the field tomorrow.

JULY 25: The Bengals have cut their contract issues with defensive ends from two to one. At long last, the AFC North team has its first-round pick under contract.

Shemar Stewart agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal Friday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The sides had been engaged in a dispute about default language, and the impasse kept Stewart from working out during OTAs or minicamp. After the stalemate continued into training camp, it is now over. The Bengals bent on language to finally sign Stewart, as Pelissero adds an adjustment was made.

Cincinnati attempted to build new language into its rookie contracts that would void all guarantees in future years if a player does something to void guarantees in any year of the contract, as opposed to only voiding the guarantees in the year that something occurred. Stewart voiced displeasure in being the guinea pig here and refused to sign, becoming the last first-rounder to put pen to paper this year. After this deal’s completion, only Browns second-round running back Quinshon Judkins — due to a domestic violence arrest — is unsigned.

The above-referenced adjustment, however, does not constitute a win for the Stewart camp on the core issue. Rather, the Bengals agreed to adjust Stewart’s signing bonus payment schedule, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. That evidently convinced Stewart being the guinea pig for the Bengals’ default language quest was acceptable. Second-rounder Demetrius Knight also objected to the Bengals’ void language, but he ended up accepting it in exchange for receiving 75% of his signing bonus upfront.

More specifically, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports $500K in Stewart’s bonus will be paid upfront rather than in December. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, the team also greenlit a $550K bump to bring Stewart into camp. That would be the more notable development, as it would stand to bring a true raise for the disgruntled player in exchange for his agreement on the much-discussed default matter.

Unsigned draftees generally participate in OTAs and minicamps by signing waivers, but Stewart expressed issues with the Bengals on that front as well. He has yet to practice since the team chose him 17th overall. The Texas A&M product and the Bengals had been at odds for months on this matter, and while Cincinnati’s concession is not yet known, the team will have its top draft choice in uniform moving forward.

This closes one of the strangest negotiating chapters in the rookie-scale contract era (2011-present). First-rounders had been in the fully guaranteed contract bracket for a few years now; at No. 17, Stewart was locked into a fully guaranteed $18.97MM contract when the Bengals drafted him. The team’s crusade over minor default language, which prompted VP of player personnel Duke Tobin to criticize Stewart’s agent this week, brought scrutiny — especially as the Bengals navigate their Trey Hendrickson impasse. As a result, the team has not had its two highest-profile D-ends at work throughout the offseason.

Stewart had been training at his alma mater ahead of training camp — no, an actual Aggies return (with an aim at a 2026 draft reentrance) was not a thing — but will be tasked with developing quickly in Al Golden‘s defense. The Bengals have Hendrickson engaged in a holdout, already stripping away their top defender. Having Stewart out of action for this long compounded the issue, but the team at least has two first-rounders — Stewart and 2023 draftee Myles Murphy — at work.

The team drafted Stewart weeks after Sam Hubbard‘s retirement. He arrived for a team coming off a woeful defensive season, a campaign that prompted the Bengals to fire six-year DC Lou Anarumo and hire Golden. Stewart also checks in as a potential Hendrickson successor, in the event the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and the Bengals cannot agree on an extension, or insurance against Murphy failing to make strides after two unremarkable years.

The Bengals are going on projection with Stewart, who totaled 1.5 sacks in each of his three college seasons. In correctly tabbing Stewart as the Bengals’ pick in his PFR mock draft, Ely Allen indicated scouts were enamored with the project pass rusher’s build, balance and bend. Cincinnati will finally have a chance to see their prized investment’s skills firsthand.

Raiders Release DT Christian Wilkins

July 25th, 2025 at 9:25am CST by Ben Levine

JULY 25: Clarifying the matter of a surgery request on the team’s part, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Vegas attempted to have Wilkins undergo a second operation as a follow-up to his procedure in October. Wilkins’ preference to continue rehabbing instead of going under the knife a second time resulted in the tension between the parties which has now culminated in this release.

JULY 24: In a stunning move, the Raiders are moving on from one of the prizes of the 2024 offseason. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the team is releasing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Per Schefter, the team is releasing Wilkins as a “terminated vested veteran.” The team was able to void the rest of the player’s remaining money ($35.2MM) following a dispute over Wilkins’ approach to rehabbing his foot injury. The voiding of guarantees happened last month, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, and the veteran subsequently filed a grievance with the NFLPA. Those events ultimately culminated in today’s sudden move.

We’re only a year removed from Wilkins signing one of the most notable contracts of the 2024 offseason. The defensive tackle inked a four-year, $110MM deal that included $57.5MM in guaranteed money. He only ended up getting into five games during his first (and lone) season in Las Vegas, as a foot injury ended his season early in October.

That Jones fracture reportedly required surgery, but there are conflicting reports about how Wilkins approached his recovery. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders wanted their investment to go under the knife, but the player refused after seeking multiple opinions. Meanwhile, Tashan Reed of The Athletic says the player did indeed undergo foot surgery, and today’s transaction stems from the player’s approach to rehab.

Either way, there was a clear lack of progress in his recovery from the injury, and this issue was at the root of a private battle that was “simmering” between the two sides for months, according to Russini. Vic Tafur of The Athletic adds that there have been “rumblings” about the player’s rehab for a while.

While the current Raiders’ regime wasn’t involved in the signing of Wilkins, the hulking defensive tackle was still one of the most talented players on the current roster. In other words, things must have gone very wrong between the two sides this offseason, and the team’s natural decision to void guarantees will only lead to more contention. Wilkins is surely done in Las Vegas, as his grievance will simply look to recoup any of that lost money. If the Raiders end up getting their way, they’ll only be on the hook for a prorated version of the player’s $24MM signing bonus (per Reed). This commitment comes via a restructuring from earlier this offseason.

The team clearly didn’t mince words in a statement announcing the transaction:

“This franchise has a Commitment to Excellence on and off the field. With no clear path or plan for future return to play from Christian, this transaction is necessary for the entire organization to move forward and prepare for the new season.”

Wilkins really didn’t bring much injury risk to Las Vegas. The former Dolphins first-round pick only missed a pair of games during his five seasons in Miami, and he appeared in all 51 games between 2021 and 2023. Over that span, the six-foot-four, 310-pound lineman compiled 252 tackles, 17 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-10 interior defensive lineman in both 2021 and 2022.

The free agent addition was trending towards at least a top-20 PFF grade during the 2024 season. He started each of his five appearances with the Raiders, compiling 17 tackles and a pair of sacks while only missing a handful of snaps in his four healthy games. The injury ultimately ended that productive campaign (and his Raiders career) early.

Adam Butler ended up leading the position grouping in snaps in 2024, and the veteran will now definitively be at the top of the depth chart with Wilkins no longer in the picture. The team is also still rostering Jonah Laulu, one of the main beneficiaries of Wilkins’ injury last year. John Jenkins is gone after finishing second among Raiders DTs in snaps last season, but the team did replace him with free agent acquisition Leki Fotu, who started nine of his 11 games with the Jets in 2024.

Wilkins’ foot issue obviously clouds his immediate future, and it may delay his signing with another squad. When he is ultimately deemed healthy, he’ll represent the most impactful free agent on the market, even as teams make cuts to their preseason rosters. Thanks to his newfound free agency and his ongoing dispute with the Raiders organization, this story is far from over.

Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu Announces Retirement

July 23rd, 2025 at 9:39am CST by Nikhil Mehta

July 23: The Saints will get some minor cap savings from Mathieu’s retirement, per NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett. He agreed to a revised contract earlier this offseason with a $2.47MM signing bonus and a fully guaranteed $1.53MM salary. The latter will come off this year’s cap, while the former will be taken off of Mathieu’s 2026 dead money from his last contract.

July 22: Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement on social media (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport), ending the Honey Badger’s sterling 12-year career.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said that the team was informed of Mathieu’s decision in advance, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, but it still came as somewhat of a surprise. It also leaves the team without a starting safety with six weeks left until Week 1. Mathieu started every Saints game for the last three years.

Loomis indicated that the Saints will explore adding a safety, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, but they may already have Mathieu’s replacement on the roster. It won’t be veteran offseason signing Justin Reid, as he was already expected to start this year. Instead, 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden jumps out as the most likely candidate.

Though he has only logged 11 career starts, Howden played just under 50% of the Saints’ defensive snaps over the last two years, primarily as a free safety. That experience should put him in a strong position to start opposite Reid, though veterans J.T. Gray and Terrell Burgess will also be in the mix. A number of free agents safeties are also available, including former Saint Marcus Maye.

The Saints also drafted Virginia safety Jonas Sanker in the third round, a sign that they believe he can grow into an NFL starter. He will likely have a chance to compete for the starting job, but rookie safeties – even ones drafted on Day 2 – are rarely able to catch up to NFL speed and start right away.

Mathieu, meanwhile, will be enjoying retirement after 12 years, 180 appearances, 171 starts, and more than 11,000 snaps in the NFL. Despite an excellent college career at LSU, Mathieu fell to the third round in the 2013 draft due to size concerns. The Cardinals snagged him with the 69th overall pick, and he went on to finish fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.

Working regularly in the slot for the Cardinals in 2015, Mathieu earned a first-team All-Pro nod upon helping the team to a franchise-most 13 wins — and a run to the NFC championship game. The Cardinals gave Mathieu a five-year, $62.5MM extension in 2016; at the time, that deal made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The Cards cut bait on the deal two years in, as the safety market cratered in 2018. After a one-off in Houston, Mathieu made his way to Kansas City and sparked a midcareer turnaround.

Hours after Washington gave Landon Collins a $14MM-per-year deal to reignite the safety market, Kansas City matched it — as the team loaded up around Patrick Mahomes‘ rookie contract. Mathieu played an instrumental role in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV-winning season, justifying the team’s big-ticket payment. In 2020, Mathieu intercepted a career-high six passes and delivered his second straight first-team All-Pro season.

Despite Mathieu remaining a quality starter in 2021, the Chiefs let him walk as a 2022 free agent. They brought in Justin Reid as a cheaper alternative, redirecting Mathieu to the Saints (on a three-year, $27MM pact). New Orleans adjusted Mathieu’s deal twice, the second such change bringing a pay cut. Reid joined the Saints this offseason, but rather than finally align as a Mathieu teammate, the former Texans draftee will end up replacing him for a third time.

The LSU standout finishes his career with 36 interceptions, 11 sacks and seven forced fumbles. His work with the Cardinals and Chiefs spearheaded an All-Decade honor for the 2010s. Mathieu retires just shy of $100MM in career earnings, per OverTheCap, though that may change depending on how the Saints financially handle his retirement.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Packers Give T Zach Tom Four-Year Extension

July 21st, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Packers are signing right tackle Zach Tom to a four-year, $88MM extension, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The Packers had been working on Tom’s extension throughout the offseason, and with training camp starting this week, the team managed to get it across the finish line. The 26-year-old tackle is now under contract through 2029 and will continue to be a key part of Green Bay’s offensive line. Originally a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022, Tom played every position except center as a rookie before settling in at right tackle for the last two years.

Tom’s deal has a maximum value of $92MM, per Pelissero, which includes a $30.2MM signing bonus, the biggest for any offensive lineman in league history. The previous record holder was David Bakhtiari, another Packers offensive tackle.

That’s no coincidence: Green Bay typically does not guarantee any money outside of the signing bonus, so they regularly hand out large signing bonuses (and roster bonuses that vest early in the offseason) to address players’ cash flow and guarantee concerns. That makes it likely, though not certain, that Tom’s guarantees top out at $30.2MM as well, which would trail the rest of the OT market.

However, the overall value of Tom’s deal reflects his ascension from versatile fourth-rounder to one of the league’s best right tackles. His $22MM APY is the fourth highest among right tackles and tied with Jordan Mailata for 10th among all offensive lineman, fitting for a player who graded out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle in 2024 (subscription required).

Tom’s extension will likely put pressure on the Packers to address Elgton Jenkins‘ contract. The 2019 second-round pick entered the league as a left guard, where he has played a vast majority of his snaps, with multiple starts at center and both tackle spots. He is expected to move to center – a lesser-paid position – this offseason, so he has requested an adjustment to the extension he signed in 2022. That deal runs through 2026, when Jenkins has a $24.8MM cap hit that the Packers might find untenable for a center, especially with no remaining guaranteed money. (In 2025, the highest cap hit for a center is Lloyd Cushenberry at $14.255MM, per OverTheCap.)

Green Bay’s precedent will make it very difficult for Jenkins to add guaranteed money to his deal, so he may have to pursue an outright extension. That route will be complicated by the pending free agency of left tackle Rasheed Walker, a late seventh-round pick in 2022 who took over for an injured Bakhtiari in 2023 and never looked back. With significant capital already invested in both guard spots – a $77MM contract for Aaron Banks and a first-round pick on 2024 draftee Jordan Morgan – Jenkins might be the odd man out if the Packers ultimately prioritize Jordan Love‘s blind side over his snapper.

No matter how Jenkins’ contract situation shakes out, Love will be able to count on Tom to protect his strong side for the foreseeable future.

Chiefs, George Karlaftis Agree To Extension

July 21st, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 21: The $1.25MM in annual incentives included with Karlaftis’ deal (which is now official) run from 2027-30, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. His cap charges range from as low as $5.1MM this year to as high as $25MM in 2029.

JULY 20: George Karlaftis is the latest member of the Chiefs to secure a big-ticket extension. Team and player have agreed to terms on a new deal, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

Providing details on the accord, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds this four-year contract is worth $93MM; it includes $62MM in guarantees. The value of this pact is therefore almost identical to the extension guard Trey Smith signed in advance of the recent franchise tag deadline. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated clarifies the pact has a base value of $88MM and can top out at $93MM via incentives. $32MM is locked in at signing with the other $30MM in place as injury guarantees.

To no surprise, Karlaftis had his fifth-year option picked up this spring. That decision kept him under team control for the next two seasons, leaving team and player plenty of time to work out a long-term extension. In time for training camp, though, one has already been taken care of. The 24-year-old is now on the books through the 2030 campaign.

Karlaftis now ranks 11th amongst edge rushers with respect to AAV at $22MM. A number of pass rushers have received attention in recent months, but Karlaftis has flown under the radar by comparison. Of course, the market has shifted recently (with T.J. Watt moving the bar to $41MM annually) and further mega-deals are expected later in the summer. This accord could look rather team-friendly in the near future.

The Purdue product was not as high as Smith on the extension priority, but he joined fellow 2022 first-rounder Trent McDuffie in discussing a second contract at least as far back as April. As a result, it comes as little surprise an agreement has been reached ahead of the 2025 campaign. Karlaftis has taken on a larger workload with each passing season to date, logging 831 defensive snaps during the regular season last year. He has also been a mainstay in Kansas City’s three trips to the Super Bowl during his career.

Karlaftis flashed potential with six sacks as a rookie and took a step forward with 10.5 the following year. While his sack total dropped to eight in 2024, he remained consistent in terms of quarterback pressures (37 after recording 35 the previous year). Kansas City will be counting on continued production in that respect for several years while keeping Karlaftis in place as a strong run defender.

One year after taking Karlaftis in the first round, the Chiefs made another Day 1 selection along the edge in the form of Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The latter was only a rotational contributor during his rookie campaign, but he took on a larger workload last year and should continue to develop into a regular on defense. He and Karlaftis will give the Chiefs a young pass-rush tandem for several years with Chris Jones still in the fold as the team’s defensive line anchor.

With Smith and Karlaftis now on the books for the foreseeable future, attention will turn to McDuffie. If an extension can also be worked out in his case before Week 1, another central figure in the team’s success will locked up for years to come. Regardless, recent days have ensured Kansas City will have key (and young) contributors on both sides of the line of scrimmage in the fold for 2025 and well beyond.

J.C. Tretter To Resign From NFLPA

July 20th, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Instead of being a candidate to replace Lloyd Howell as the NFLPA’s executive director, J.C. Tretter will instead step aside from the union. The former NFLPA president said in an interview with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones he will resign.

“Over the last couple days, it has gotten very, very hard for my family. And that’s something I can’t deal with,” Tretter said. “So, the short bullet points are: I have no interest in being [executive director]. I have no interest in being considered; I’ve let the executive committee know that. I’m also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don’t have anything left to give the organization.”

Howell received backing from the NFLPA before, days later, deciding to step down. Tretter – who was a key figure in the Howell hire and the union’s actions during his tenure at the helm – has also emerged as the source of backlash with a number of revelations being made about his conduct. Currently the union’s chief strategy officer, Tretter was among the names listed as potential Howell replacements on an interim basis. Shortly after a meeting of player reps and the executive committee, however, things have changed.

“I love the guys [in the union], and that’s why I’ve done what I’ve done for the last six years is because I love what they do and who they are and the mission of the organization,” the 34-year-old added, noting he did not conceive a ploy to usurp Howell as the executive director. “And I think what I realized this morning when I woke up… is that I fell in love with the idea of what this place could be. And over the last six weeks, I’ve realized what this place is, and the delta between those two things.”

Tretter’s interview contains details about the process by which Howell was hired in 2023. A shift to a more streamlined vetting and interview process resulted in a hire shrouded in secrecy compared to previous ones. Tretter also noted the NFLPA’s executive voted 10-1 against Howell (with his vote being one of the 10) in a straw poll but decided not to mention it to the union’s general membership. Brought in with the hopes of leading the way through CBA talks, Howell’s tenure came to an abrupt end after revelations about his role in keeping collusion grievance findings hidden as well as conflict of interest concerns. Tretter’s connections to Howell (and thus the scandals) made him a target for scrutiny over the past few days.

Tretter expressed regret during the interview about his remarks made about Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson with respect his lack of a fully guaranteed contract. The former NFL center also offered an apology for his comments suggesting running backs could feign injury as a negotiating tactic. That spurred a grievance against the NFLPA which the league won and which resulted in the union firing the arbitrator involved in the case.

In a sign of the growing consternation over his presence in the organization, Tretter added he feels many of the “attacks” he has received in recent weeks have come from within the NFLPA. With the union seeking a new leader, Tretter will not take part in the search process nor will he stay on in any capacity.

Jets, WR Garrett Wilson Agree To Extension

July 20th, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 20: Wilson secured $38.3MM fully guaranteed, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. That includes a $13.75MM signing bonus and $15MM in total compensation for 2025. The remaining locked in money – included in the pact as injury guarantees – is scheduled to vest one year early for the 2026 and ’27 campaigns. Wilson’s compensation for the final two years of the deal is not guaranteed. His cap charges, per Breer, range from $4MM this year to $38.5MM in 2030.

JULY 14: One of the Jets’ major offseason priorities has been taken care of. An extension agreement has been reached with wideout Garrett Wilson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.

Wilson’s new pact is four years in length and carries a value of $130MM with $90MM guaranteed, per Schefter. That works out to an average annual value of $32.5MM; the former first-rounder is the first to reach that figure after three seasons in the NFL. Given New York’s decision to pick up Wilson’s fifth-year option this spring, he is now on the books through 2030. This marks the first Jets extension for a former Day 1 pick ahead of their fourth season in the rookie wage scale era (h/t Schefter).

Adding further details on this mega-extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Wilson will receive a $13.75MM signing bonus. The pact also contains a $20MM option bonus in its second year as well as a $10MM option bonus in Year 3. As expected, the 24-year-old is therefore due to collect on a large scale in the near future.

In terms of both total value and average compensation on a per-year basis, this deal moves Wilson to fifth at the receiver spot. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has proven to be a focal point on offense in spite of the Jets’ level of play at the quarterback position over the past three years. To no surprise, Wilson was thus a high priority for the team on the extension front. In time for training camp, team and player worked out an agreement.

Part of the Jets’ highly successful 2022 draft class, Wilson made an immediate impact. The Ohio State product has been consistent to say the least even with New York cycling through multiple quarterbacks. Wilson has yet to miss a game in his career, and he has managed no fewer than 1,042 yards each season. Having seen his receptions total climb from 83 to 95 to 101, he will be expected to continue operating as the team’s top option in the passing game for years to come.

The Aaron Rodgers addition resulted in only four snaps played in 2023, but this past season saw the future Hall of Famer play a full campaign. Wilson and Rodgers did not mesh as well as many hoped, and the midseason arrival of Davante Adams notably altered the receiver pecking order. In the wake of that phase of his career (and the Jets’ continued inability to reach the postseason), Wilson’s future in New York became a talking point. This spring, however, he made it clear he hoped to remain in place as part of the post-Rodgers future.

Of course, the Jets’ decision to install a new coaching staff (led by Aaron Glenn) and general manager (Darren Mougey) has marked a turning point in addition to the fact Rodgers and Adams are not in place moving forward. Contract talks with Wilson have been taking place for some time now, and as of last month at least one offer was on the table. Without much issue (in terms of a potential holdout or other training camp drama), Wilson and the new decision-making regime have managed to hammer out a deal.

Now, Gang Green will turn their attention towards their ongoing negotiations with cornerback Sauce Gardner. His contract is likely to eclipse the $30MM per year mark set this offseason by Derek Stingley, who was selected one pick ahead of Gardner in the 2022 draft. Extending the two-time All-Pro would give the Jets’ new regime clear cornerstones on both sides of the ball for the foreseeable future.

J.C. Tretter, Don Davis Are Frontrunners For Interim NFLPA Exec. Director

July 20th, 2025 at 8:08am CST by Nikhil Mehta

July 20: Many training camps around the league open on Tuesday, and the NFLPA is expected to vote on an interim executive director by then, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

July 19: The NFLPA is continuing to navigate the fallout of a series of revelations about executive director Lloyd Howell and his subsequent resignation.

The union’s 32 player representatives met on Friday night to discuss the next steps regarding Howell’s now-vacant position. Two current NFLPA leaders emerged as frontrunners, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini: Chief Strategy Officer J.C. Tretter and Chief Player Officer Don Davis. Also gaining some support among players is retiring NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

Tretter and Davis are both former players, which will help them gain credibility among the union’s active membership. Tretter lined up at center for the Packers and the Browns across eight NFL seasons, while Davis played linebacker for four teams across 11 years and earned two back-to-back Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.

Tretter also has experience leading the union after serving as NFLPA president for two terms. He was elected in March 2020 and helped close out collective bargaining negotiations with the league. One month later, the NFL was facing an uncertain future due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tretter became the co-chair of the NFLPA’s COVID committee and helped the union navigate the 2020 season. It was widely considered a success with a full 256-game schedule and minimal, contained outbreaks. Tretter then won re-election in 2022, but his second term could be a vulnerability due to his involvement with several major issues facing the union. Two of those issues – hiring Howell in 2023 and suppressing two arbitration rulings – were part of Tretter’s effort to ascend to the top of the union’s leadership structure, according to Pablo Torre of Pablo Finds Out.

The 34-year-old currently has a “majority of support,” per Russini, but there is a growing movement among players to move on from Tretter’s leadership along with Howell. Some are even exploring legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter specifically, “citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union funds,” according to Russini. A text criticizing Tretter’s leadership circulated between players during last night’s meeting, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.

Davis, who has overseen player affairs at the NFLPA for more than a decade, is Tretter’s main competition for the interim executive director role. He is considered the “No. 1 internal candidate,” per CBS Sports Jonathan Jones, and is already receiving support from players, according to both Russini and Maske. (Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has already expressed his support for Davis on social media.)

After he retired from playing in 2006, Davis joined the Patriots’ strength and conditioning staff and later became the team chaplain. He joined the NFLPA as director of player affairs in 2010, according to his LinkedIn, and was promoted to senior director in 2015 and Chief Player Officer this past April. Davis could also be a candidate for the permanent executive director job, per Jones.

DePaso, the union’s retiring general counsel who briefly played for the Bengals, is another name that has been mentioned by players as a candidate. There is also precedent for the union’s general counsel to serve as interim executive director. The last time the NFLPA needed an interim executive director was 2008, when Gene Upshaw died in office. Then-general counsel Richard Berthelsen served as Upshaw’s interim replacement until DeMaurice Smith was hired, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

Howell was just hired in 2023 and past executive directors have typically served more than a decade, so the union was not prepared to start another search process right away. Finalists in the last process are unlikely to re-emerge, according to Jones, as players will be seeking a leader they can trust. The union will be looking for experience, either within the NFL as a player or with labor management more generally. The NFLPA currently has no timetable for selecting a permanent executive director, per Russini, and whoever is tapped as the interim is not expected to be promoted to the full-time role.

It’s also worth noting that many players are not fully up to date on the multitude of issues now facing the NFLPA. Much of last night’s meeting was about answering questions and clarifying information, according to Russini. Awareness will continue to spread around the league, especially as teams reunite for training camp. The union’s next priority will be selecting an interim leader before kicking off what will likely be a revamped, more thorough search process for a permanent executive director.

Commanders Signing OLB Von Miller

July 19th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Ely Allen

July 19: Miller’s deal is worth $6.1MM with another $4.4MM available in incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His last two contracts were each worth over $19MM per year, according to OverTheCap; now, Miller will have a base APY slightly lower than his rookie contract.

The Commanders have enough cap space to absorb the deal without void years, but the team has been using them more frequently under new general manager Adam Peters.

July 16: Washington is adding a major veteran at a key position of need. After deciding not to draft a pass rusher back in April, the Commanders have moved to add a proven veteran. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, veteran pass rusher Von Miller is signing with the Commanders. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us that it’ll be a one-year deal for the 36-year-old, once terms are finalized.

After parting ways in recent years with former first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young, Washington depended on a pair of former Cowboys in Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. for most of their pass rushing sets in 2024. The latter of two led the Commanders in sacks last year with 10.5 but returned to Dallas on a one-year deal in free agency back in March.

The only additions Washington made to cancel out the loss of Fowler were those of former Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise, who averages about 4.5 sacks per season and topped out at 7.5 back in 2022, and former Bears outside linebacker Jacob Martin. The team showed interest in bigger names like DeMarcus Lawrence and Joey Bosa, as well, but ultimately fell short landing either.

Edge rusher was identified as a major need for Washington leading into the 2025 NFL Draft, but this year’s crop of prospects was not viewed as a strong one, past No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. Nevertheless, by the time the Commanders’ first pick came around, three more pass rushers had been taken off the board, with Atlanta trading three spots ahead of Washington to take their second pass rusher that night, further weakening the caliber of available prospects at the position.

The team never ended up finding a prospect at an appropriate value with their remaining four picks, leaving them to enter the 2025 season with Armstrong as a returning starter across from Wise with Martin and Clelin Ferrell coming off the bench as the primary backups. It looked like Washington was set to head into training camp with a downgraded pass rushing group, but the addition of Miller has the potential to keep that from being the case.

True, Miller has not been the double-digit sack-getter we know him as for years now; he hasn’t passed 9.5 since 2018. Still, much of that has been due to either health or role. In 2021, splitting time between two different defenses, Miller collected 9.5 sacks in 15 starts. The next season, his first in Buffalo, Miller started 11 games, racking up 8 sacks. In both cases, he was likely to reach double-digits if he played the full allotment of games in a season.

The following two years in Buffalo, though, Miller lost his role as a starter. In fact, Miller fell to fifth in the pecking order in 2023, seeing snaps in only 12 games (no starts) behind Leonard Floyd, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Shaq Lawson and getting zero sacks, as a result. In 2024, though, with Floyd and Lawson elsewhere, Miller thrived as the first pass rusher off the bench, tallying six sacks in 13 games (no starts).

It’s hard to say that Miller will certainly come in and start over Wise at his age. If he can come in and start, though, he’s likely to amass more sacks than Wise would in the same snap share, despite the age gap. Even if Miller ends up just working as the first pass rusher off the bench for the second year in a row, six sacks would’ve been good for third on the Commanders defense last season. It’s an easy risk to take for the Commanders, as it likely only cost them a cheap, one-year contract laden with incentives they’ll happily pay if it means they get strong contributions from the 36-year-old.

The move reunites Miller with senior defensive assistant John Pagano, who was his outside linebackers coach in Denver for a short time, and general manager Adam Peters, who was a scout for the Broncos when the team drafted Miller in 2011. He also stands a chance at being one of two starters on the defense north of 35 years old alongside veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. One would be hard pressed to find a team with an older pair of defensive starters, assuming Miller starts.

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