Steelers To Trade WR Diontae Johnson To Panthers For CB Donte Jackson
The Diontae Johnson trade rumors will indeed produce a deal, and for the second straight day, the Panthers are involved in a big trade. The Steelers are sending the veteran wide receiver to Carolina, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
One season remains on Johnson’s contract, with Schefter adding the Panthers will now pay the sixth-year receiver’s $3MM roster bonus due later this week. After five Steelers seasons, the shifty route runner will settle in as a Bryce Young weapon.
The full trade will involve cornerback Donte Jackson coming back to the Steelers, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Carolina will send Jackson and a sixth-round pick for Johnson and a seventh. The picks will come in 2024. The Steelers are sending No. 240 in this swap, with the Panthers moving No. 178 to Pittsburgh, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer. The No. 178 choice is originally a Cardinals selection.
[RELATED: Steelers To Sign QB Russell Wilson]
A report earlier this month indicated the Panthers would move on from Jackson, via trade or release; Carolina has found a trade partner. After rumblings of a Johnson deal surfaced as well, the two will end up being exchanged.
For the Panthers, this provides Young with a proven wide receiver. The Panthers were light here last season, contributing to the steep freefall. Johnson will now join Adam Thielen atop the Carolina aerial pecking order. As Thielen is going into his age-34 season, this trade will provide a player in his prime for Young to target.
Heading into his age-28 season, Johnson has not been the most consistent receiver. Drops have plagued the elusive target, whose effort level has also come into question in Pittsburgh. But Johnson will be playing for a big contract in 2024. The Steelers gave the Toledo alum a two-year, $36.7MM extension just before the 2022 season. That deal fell short of the market set by fellow 2019 Day 2 picks A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf, but Johnson’s production has checked in south of those standouts’. He has still shown a consistent ability to create separation, doing so almost entirely with limited QB play. Johnson’s presence will help the Panthers determine Young’s value as a pro.
Johnson totaled 1,161 yards in 2021, Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season, and exceeded 850 yards in 2020 and ’22. Last season, the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett–Mitchell Trubisky–Mason Rudolph platter struggled for the most part. Johnson also missed four games due to a hamstring injury, coming in with 717 receiving yards and five touchdowns — after he memorably failed to score in 2022.
This will leave the Steelers with George Pickens leading the way at receiver, though it should be expected the AFC North club will target another starter-caliber wideout in a deep draft at the position. Johnson is one of many Day 2 wideouts the modern Steelers have turned into long-term starters. Pittsburgh broke with its usual tradition of these players leaving during or after their rookie contracts by extending Johnson, but after trading Chase Claypool and then executing this swap — and then cutting Allen Robinson — Pittsburgh will need to give Pickett (or, more likely, Russell Wilson) more help.
The Panthers also gave Jackson a second contract, re-signing the boundary corner in 2022. He is due a $4MM roster bonus March 16; these teams are trading picks, players and bonus obligations. One year remains on Jackson’s pact, a three-year, $35.18MM deal signed after the expiration of his rookie contract.
The former second-rounder has spent his entire six-year career in Carolina, but he was due to count $15.72MM against the cap in 2024. The Steelers will have Jackson on their 2024 cap sheet at $10.5MM, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
Coming back from a 2022 Achilles tear, the 28-year-old corner also had a down 2023 in coverage. Jackson allowed three touchdowns as the nearest defender and surrendering an opposing passer rating of 107.7. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson just outside the top 60 at corner, though he has shown better form in the past. The Steelers, who released Patrick Peterson last week, will see if Jackson can become a fit opposite Joey Porter Jr.
Danielle Hunter To Sign With Texans
The Texans’ talks with Danielle Hunter will produce an agreement, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. After the Vikings poached Jonathan Greenard, the Texans will bring in the longtime Minnesota sack artist. Hunter will join the Texans on a two-year deal worth $49MM, Rapoport adds.
Although Hunter ran into significant injury trouble to start this decade, he bounced back in a big way over the past two years. That recent surge will allow for a uniquely structured Texans contract. Houston is guaranteeing nearly the whole contract, with Schefter adding the nine-year veteran will receive $48MM fully guaranteed.
The Colts also pursued Hunter, but they are not known for big spending on outside FAs under Chris Ballard. The Texans’ payroll also lines up well with this two-year Hunter guarantee. Hunter will receive $29.5MM in the first year of this deal, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweets.
This marks a homecoming for Hunter, who went to high school in the Houston area. Hunter spent the past six seasons tied to a contract that was widely viewed as Vikings-friendly in the moment. After two reworkings, the former third-round pick made his way to free agency. The second of those adjustments prevented the Vikings from franchise-tagging Hunter, which will lead him out of town. While the Vikes will lean on Greenard, the Texans will pair reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson with a more established sack ace.
While Greenard notched his first double-digit sack season last year, Hunter has five such seasons on his resume. Despite Hunter entering the NFL in 2015, he is still just 29. The youngest player in league history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter was a mainstay during Mike Zimmer‘s Minnesota years and played the lead role in the past two Vikings pass rushes.
This included a 16.5-sack performance last year, which also featured Hunter leading the NFL with 23 tackles for loss. That generated trade interest, and while the Texans were not pursuing Hunter at the time, they will come away with one of this year’s top free agents today.
Tied to a $14MM-per-year deal for an extended period — albeit with multiple adjustments, coming in 2021 and 2023 — Hunter will do well on this short-term agreement. The Texans will also take advantage of their setup. Last year, the team effectively had low- or mid-level deals across its roster save for along the offensive line. With Anderson and C.J. Stroud on rookie deals through at least 2025, Houston will capitalize. Hunter’s contract will overlap fully with the Anderson and Stroud rookie accords. He will join Azeez Al-Shaair and Denico Autry as new starters on DeMeco Ryans‘ defense.
Kirk Cousins To Sign With Falcons
The Falcons will make their upgrade at quarterback. Kirk Cousins is coming to town, according to his agent. The Falcons are giving the longtime Vikings passer a four-year deal, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports.
After steady buzz about Cousins changing teams in free agency once again, he will give the Falcons a major upgrade at a position they have struggled to staff since trading Matt Ryan. It will also mean a new era for the Vikings, who have a massive need to fill now.
As he is wont to do, Cousins will cash in big. The Falcons are giving him a four-year, $180MM deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The contract includes $100MM guaranteed and features a $50MM signing bonus as part of that commitment. This $45MM-per-year deal represents Cousins’ first AAV beyond $35MM.
Additionally, Pelissero notes $90MM is guaranteed at signing and an additional $10MM will lock in by March 2025, making the $100MM a practical guarantee. A $2MM incentive exists each year for a Super Bowl win, bringing the contract’s max value to $188MM.
The Vikings made a last-ditch push to retain Cousins on Sunday night, NFL.com’s James Palmer reports. This looks to have driven up the price. Cousins has already made more than $230MM in his career; he is set to add a considerable amount to that whopping total in Atlanta.
Minnesota attempted to retain Cousins, but it became clear a price ceiling existed. The Vikings had refused to provide guarantees into a third year for the veteran quarterback during 2023 negotiations, and it is believed that remained an issue. That is not exactly surprising, as Cousins is coming off an Achilles tear. Still, the Vikings had bent to Cousins during 2018, 2020 and 2022 negotiations. They will now be tasked with replacing the third-longest-tenured QB1 in franchise history.
For the Falcons, this is a major change from where they were last year. The team memorably passed on a Lamar Jackson pursuit, though it was not exactly alone on that front, and anointed Desmond Ridder early last offseason. Ridder did not fare well as Atlanta’s starter, being benched on multiple occasions. Taylor Heinicke remains on Atlanta’s roster, but the team made no secret of its desire to unlock more from its passing game. Cousins’ arrival stands to be big news for ex-Terry Fontenot top-10 picks Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
Cousins, 35, has never been confused with a top-tier quarterback. But he has offered stability for multiple franchises. Cousins’ Washington QB1 status proved fleeting, as negotiations soured and led to a two-franchise tag route out of town. Cousins repeatedly said he wanted to stay in Minnesota, but the Big Ten product will venture to a new region in a Falcons effort to change their trajectory under Raheem Morris and OC Zac Robinson. Cousins and his wife were believed to be scouting real estate in Atlanta recently, and the team will change its QB pay structure from the past two years.
While Cousins offered the Vikings stability leading up to his Achilles tear, Minnesota was not an automatic contender despite the spree of big-ticket payments to the former fourth-round pick. The Vikings won one playoff game with Cousins and missed three NFC brackets during his healthy seasons. Cousins was playing at a high level before his October Achilles setback, however, ranking seventh in QBR in a span that also included a Justin Jefferson injury. Still, Cousins has one Pro Bowl nod as a non-alternate (2022) in his career.
Arthur Blank said last year he wanted to reset around a rookie-QB contract; that charted course lasted one year. But the Falcons were ready to trade three first-round picks for Deshaun Watson in 2022. After Ridder underwhelmed, they are back in the high-priced QB business. Meanwhile, the Vikings will take on a $28.5MM dead money hit for not re-signing Cousins by March 13. Void years used to drop Cousins’ 2023 cap hit will lead to that penalty.
This will be a big swing for Fontenot and Co., who probably had a chance to add Georgia native Justin Fields via trade. The Falcons’ desire for a better passer has stalled Fields’ market, but with Baker Mayfield staying with the Buccaneers and Cousins leaving Minnesota, the Bears may need to sit tight with their three-year starter.
Panthers To Send OLB Brian Burns To Giants
At last, a resolution is coming in the Brian Burns saga. Two years after Burns became extension-eligible, he is being traded. The Giants will be the team to pay the franchise-tagged player now.
The Giants are sending the Panthers second- and fifth-round picks for Burns, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This deal will also come with an extension. New York will give Burns his long-sought-after extension, signing off on a five-year deal worth up to $150MM. The contract includes $87.5MM in guarantees. The Giants held an extra second-round pick from the 2023 Leonard Williams trade; that will come in handy as the team replenishes its pass rush.
Carolina-New York conversations on Burns had taken place for a stretch, and with the Panthers pausing extension talks for the 2019 first-round pick, that will lead to a scenery change. The Panthers kept Ejiro Evero in place as DC, and GM Dan Morgan was in the front office during Burns’ negotiations last year and when the Rams made a monster trade offer — one that far surpasses this actual haul — in 2022. But the Panthers were unable to complete a deal. They will now take what they can get and move on.
This moves comes nearly 18 months after the Rams proposed two first-round picks and a third for Burns at the 2022 trade deadline. In the aftermath of the Matt Rhule firing, the Panthers balked and prepared extension talks with Burns in 2023. Those conversations did not produce an agreement, and it did not sound like anything was close last year. The sides broke off talks before the season, and although more trade offers — not on the level of the Rams proposal — came out, the then-Scott Fitterer-run Panthers stood pat.
Burns has not been a top-tier edge rusher, having recorded one 10-plus-sack season (12.5 in 2022) in his five-year career. But the Giants will bet on the Florida State alum’s consistency. Burns has tallied at least 7.5 sacks in each of his NFL slates. He totaled eight last year. The former Ron Rivera-era Panthers draftee has tallied between 18 and 22 QB hits over the past four seasons. Burns’ 46 career sacks rank 12th in the NFL since 2019.
The Giants took a bit to reinvest in their edge positions following the Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon trades, but they took Azeez Ojulari in the 2021 second round. That was a Dave Gettleman-era move, and Ojulari did not play well in 2023. Ojulari only totaled 2.5 sacks in 11 games, undercutting Thibodeaux’s breakout to a degree. The Giants will pay up for Burns to go with Thibodeaux’s rookie deal, which can run through 2026 via the fifth-year option. While Burns’ AAV is not yet known, anything north of $28MM (T.J. Watt‘s deal) would bump him into second place behind only Nick Bosa among edges.
This wraps a long-running partnership for the Panthers, who had struggled to complement Burns on the edge. Yetur Gross-Matos and Justin Houston were unable to adequately do so, with hybrid performer Frankie Luvu — who is signing with the Commanders — being Carolina’s other top LB pass rusher. Gross-Matos and Marquis Haynes are free agents now. The Panthers will be in dire need at this premium position, and Monday saw a few of this year’s top edge players choose destinations already. The draft stands to be an avenue for the rebuilding team.
Eagles, RB Saquon Barkley Agree To Deal
Saquon Barkley will indeed be making a move inside the NFC East as he begins his post-Giants career. The Eagles have agreed to terms with Barkley on a three-year, $37.75MM contract featuring $26MM fully guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
A number of suitors have been floated as Barkley suitors in the build-up to free agency. A new Giants arrangement was long thought to be a possibility, but for some time a trip to free agency seemed to be on deck. Barkley and the Eagles were believed to have a mutual interest, so this news comes as little surprise. Jordan Shultz of Bleacher Report adds the Bears and Texans were finalists for the Penn State product.
Still, the move is of course a noteworthy one as it ensures Barkley will play against his former team twice per season. The former No. 2 pick was one of three running backs who received the franchise tag (valued at $10.1MM) last offseason. A second tag was an option for New York, although a multi-year deal was believed to be a consideration as well for general manager Joe Schoen. As recent reports indicated (and Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post confirms), however, the Giants did not make an offer this offseason.
Free to pursue other options, Barkley managed to secure a guarantee figure higher than what he would have landed playing on consecutive tags. Term – like with all backs in this year’s market – was no doubt a consideration for both team and player, but at age 27 this represents a notable commitment in terms of length for Barkley. He will take the place of D’Andre Swift, who has a deal in place with the Bears.
Barkley has recorded at least 1,200 scrimmage yards four times in his six-year career, one which has been marred by injuries at times. He has been a focal point on offense throughout his tenure, though, and questions will now be raised about the Daniel Jones-led Giants’ ability to replicate Barkley’s production moving forward. Even with the numerous deals worked out at the RB spot, plenty of veterans are still on the market as potential Barkley replacements.
The Eagles will be looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s late-season collapse. A strong commitment to the run game could be an element of that effort, one which in general will be overseen by new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Increased usage of running backs in the passing game could be in the cards moving forward, but even if not Philadelphia will have a dynamic option in the backfield.
Raiders To Add DT Christian Wilkins
Following Chris Jones‘ decision to stay with the Chiefs, the Raiders will pick up this year’s top defensive free agent remaining. Christian Wilkins is heading to Las Vegas.
Like Jones, Wilkins will benefit from betting on himself in a contract year. The Raiders are giving the former Dolphins first-rounder a four-year, $110MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. Wilkins will receive a whopping $84.75MM guaranteed to help the Raiders’ defensive line.
In terms of full guarantees, the Raiders are giving the 2019 first-rounder $57.5MM, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. But Wilkins’ 2026 salary ($27.25MM) locks in on Day 3 of the 2025 league year, giving him the kind of year-out security Jones scored from the Chiefs. This effectively makes that above $84.75MM the full guarantee number. Jones and Wilkins’ deals finish off a transformative week for the D-tackle market.
To illustrate where this market has gone over the past four days, Quinnen Williams‘ $66MM in guarantees topped the field entering March. Justin Madubuike soon scored $75MM guaranteed on his Ravens extension, and Jones has a practical guarantee of $95.3MM. Wilkins, despite the Dolphins being reluctant to pay him in line with Williams last year, will outdo the Jets performer in AAV and guarantees.
At $27.5MM per year, Wilkins is now attached to the third-highest D-tackle AAV — behind only Jones and Aaron Donald. Despite committing to the Raiders for just four years (as opposed to Jones’ five-year Chiefs pledge), Jones will see his guarantees spike to this rare place. Only four edge rushers match the guarantee Wilkins just scored with the Raiders, illustrating the value of hitting the market at the right time.
After the Raiders struggled for 20 years to assemble a quality defense, Patrick Graham’s unit did take a step forward in 2023. The Raiders ranked ninth in scoring defense — their first top-15 ranking since 2002 — but the team was light on D-line investments. That will change, as Wilkins joins Maxx Crosby to anchor the Raiders’ pass rush.
The Texans and Vikings were believed to be among the teams in on Wilkins, and the Dolphins made a futile attempt to keep him at the 11th hour. But Miami does not reside in a good cap situation. The team offered Wilkins a deal north of the $17MM-per-year point in 2023; Wilkins moved to a higher NFL tax bracket in free agency. Wilkins is coming off his best year as a pass rusher. After totaling 11.5 sacks over his first four seasons, the Clemson alum registered nine last season. He has also been one of the NFL’s top run-defending DTs in recent years, ranking in the top two in ESPN’s run stop win rate metric in 2021 and ’22. At 28, Wilkins brings upside on two fronts to Vegas.
The Raiders ranked 21st against the run last season. Bilal Nichols, Adam Butler and John Jenkins are free agents, leaving Las Vegas with more work to do here. But Wilkins will become the team’s centerpiece D-lineman. The Raiders will hope their latest Clemson investment pays off alongside Crosby for the long haul.
Bengals To Cut Joe Mixon, Sign Zack Moss
Joe Mixon will not be on the Bengals’ roster when a bonus vests later this week. The Bengals are moving on from their seven-year starting running back, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo report.
This was a rumored scenario in Cincinnati, with Mixon agreeing to a reworked contract last summer. Cincy is also bringing in a replacement. Zack Moss will be the latest 2023 RB starter to change teams, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the recent Colt will sign a two-year deal to join the Bengals. Moss will head for the AFC North on a two-year, $8MM pact. The Bengals will save $6.1MM by releasing Mixon, who was due a $3MM bonus Saturday.
Mixon came with considerable controversy when the Bengals drafted him — due to a video catching him striking a woman while at Oklahoma, leading to a team-imposed suspension — and a 2023 arrest became a headache for the team. (Mixon was found not guilty on an aggravated menacing charge in August.)
The 27-year-old back has operated as a fixture in Cincinnati’s offense dating back to the Marvin Lewis–Andy Dalton era. But last year’s contract redo — a two-year, $11.5MM pact that significantly reduced Mixon’s pay, after he had signed a four-year, $48MM deal in 2020 — displayed some wall writing for the Bengals, whose roster blueprint is different with Joe Burrow on an NFL-record extension.
The Bengals still leaned on Mixon in 2023, having lost Samaje Perine to the Broncos in free agency. Mixon churned out his fourth 1,000-yard season. In addition to clearing that barrier, Mixon crossed 1,400 scrimmage yards (1,410) for the fourth time. He added 12 touchdowns in what amounted to a lost season due to Burrow’s injury. As the musical chairs spin at this position, Mixon is much shorter on options than he was coming into Monday.
Mixon stood 35 yards away from James Brooks for second in Bengals rushing annals, and while he should have an opportunity in 2024, Cincinnati is moving on. The team will turn to Moss, who is going into his age-26 season. Moss impressed as the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor fill-in last season and will collect a bit of guaranteed money from his new team. The ex-Bills second-rounder will collect $4.5MM in the first year of this Bengals contract. Moss tallied 794 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a Colt last season, adding two receiving scores.
One of the teams to lose a running back today, the Cowboys were also in the mix for Moss. Dallas was not quite willing to go where Cincinnati was, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Whereas Mixon has 1,571 carries on his odometer — more than any back to change teams today — Moss is at just 484. At a position where mileage matters most, the Bengals are rebooting. Moss will join Chase Brown and the recently re-signed Trayveon Williams in Cincinnati’s backfield.
Thus far Monday, 12 teams changed starting running backs. A few clubs still have needs, and Mixon will join Aaron Jones — also released today — and Derrick Henry as big names in search of a new opportunity.
Packers To Release RB Aaron Jones
In a move which comes as no surprise given Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs deal, Aaron Jones is on the way out. The latter has been informed by the Packers he will be released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move has now officially taken place, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. As such, Jones is free to sign at any time.
The Packers and Jones were able to work out a pay-cut agreement last year, but the sides could not come to terms after recent negotiations. Green Bay may well have wanted Jones to take another cut, having attempted to bring down his cap number recently. Failing to reach a resolution will help bring Josh Jacobs to Wisconsin and send Jones to a market that has seen big movement today. This will not be a post-June 1 cut, per OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald.
Jones accepted a $5MM trim in exchange for 2023 guarantees; that reworking inflated his 2024 cap number to $17.6MM. The Packers did not want to go into free agency with that number on their payroll, so they will sever one of the longest-tenured RB partnerships in franchise history. Jones rewarded the Pack on his four-year, $48MM deal from 2021, and although last season featured multiple injuries, the former fifth-round pick zoomed to five straight 100-yard games to close out the season. That certainly played a major role in the Packers reaching the divisional round, where they pushed the eventual NFC champion 49ers to the brink.
Excelling in the passing game and on the ground, Jones has been one of the NFL’s best backs over the past several seasons. He does join a host of big-name RBs in being released or seeing their pay reduced in recent years. Jones will follow Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook in being cut from an eight-figure-AAV contract over the past year. Other backs — Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, Antonio Gibson, Devin Singletary and D’Andre Swift — have found homes already, thinning out the market. But Jones still should have a chance to start somewhere due to his talent.
Jones, 29, made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and totaled 1,500-plus scrimmage yards in 2019 and ’23. He helped a Packers team featuring next to no skill-position experience last season. Jacobs will provide that, but that move comes after GM Brian Gutekunst said he expected Jones to be back in 2024. The team is not expected to re-sign AJ Dillon, leading to a new era in the Green Bay backfield.
Vikings To Sign OLB Jonathan Greenard
The Vikings had attempted to re-sign Danielle Hunter, but the nine-year Minnesota pass rusher appeared intent on exploring the market. It looks like the Vikings sack ace will be headed elsewhere, as the team is making a big investment at the position.
Jonathan Greenard has a deal in place with the Vikings, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report. The four-year Texans contributor is coming off his best season — a 12.5-sack campaign — and played a key role in Houston making a surprise run to the divisional round. He will cash in as a result.
Minnesota will give Greenard a four-year, $76MM deal that includes $42MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The Texans were interested in keeping Greenard, but the team seemed a bit leery about where his market would end up. While it did not quite take a $20MM-AAV deal to land Greenard, the Texans will stand down.
PFR’s free agency rankings slotted Greenard one spot higher than Hunter, despite the latter being a more proven pass rusher. Greenard, however, is three years younger than Hunter. The former third-round pick is set to begin his age-27 season in Minnesota. Hunter will turn 30 later this year.
Greenard is coming off a strong contract year, but he had shown flashes — albeit for off-grid Texans teams in the wake of the Deshaun Watson mess — prior to that 2023 breakthrough. Greenard totaled eight sacks in 2021 but ran into injury trouble in 2022. Shifted to defensive end in DeMeco Ryans‘ system, Greenard led the Texans in sacks last season by a wide margin.
While Will Anderson won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Greenard served as the team’s top sack artist in 2023. Ranking 20th with 33 quarterback pressures, Greenard smashed his career-high with 22 QB hits. He ranked sixth among edge rushers in ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric in 2023. A similar effort will be expected in Minneapolis.
With the Vikings in transition on the edge, they will look to him — in all likelihood — as their No. 1 option next season. The Vikings came into the tampering period with Hunter, Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum unsigned. They exited last season with Davenport and Wonnum on the shelf as well. Brian Flores will soon get to work attempting to mold Greenard into a Pro Bowl-level edge presence.
The youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter was a pivotal Vikings defender for much of the Mike Zimmer era and beyond. He used the past two seasons to bounce back, and while the Vikings held onto the former third-rounder at last year’s trade deadline, the sides’ August contract reworking prevented them from using the franchise tag. As it stands, Hunter appears set to depart the Twin Cities after one of the best runs by a pass rusher in the team’s modern history.
Colts, WR Michael Pittman Jr. Finalizing Deal
Michael Pittman Jr.‘s immediate future was already assured given the Colts’ decision to place the franchise tag on him. The team’s top wideout could be in place well beyond 2024, however, as Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the sides are working on a long-term deal which could be finalized today. 
[RELATED: Colts Extend Zaire Franklin]
Providing financial details on the agreement, Rapoport notes it will be a three-year deal with a base value of $70MM. $46MM of that total is guaranteed, and Pittman could earn up to $71.5MM. This accord will take the place of his $21.8MM franchise tag.
Pittman represented an obvious candidate for a new Colts deal given his importance to the team’s passing game. The 26-year-old saw his target share increase in each of his four seasons in the NFL, and that figure has comfortably reached triple-digits every year since 2021. He topped 1,000 receiving yards that year and again in 2023, but his number have pointed to good-not-great production in the eyes of many. Paying out a one-year tender (via the tag) at an average of the top-five receiver earners was thus seen as challenging for the team.
Instead, that situation has now been avoided with a multi-year pact, albeit one which will increase Pittman’s AAV. This new deal will bring an average of $23.3MM, a figure which ranks eighth in the league amongst wideouts and outpaces the value of the tag. The Colts are banking on continued development while also getting ahead of the next wave of WR deals. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk are among the up-and-coming producers at the position in line for monster extensions as early as this offseason. They could each move past Pittman on their respective accords.
Indianapolis has made multiple draft investments in recent years in a bid to find other cost-effective wideouts to complement Pittman. That effort has included using a second-round pick on Alec Pierce in 2022 and a third-rounder on Josh Downs last April. No pass-catcher has matched Pittman’s importance to the Colts’ offense, however, and the USC product will remain a focal point moving forward. He, along with quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor will comprise the backbone of Indianapolis’ offense in 2024 and beyond.
The Colts will still have plenty of spending power for the offseason; this extension will likely lower Pittman’s 2024 cap number despite the AAV coming in at a higher rate than the franchise tag. More moves involving offensive playmakers could be coming, but the team’s top internal priority has now been taken care of.