Jets’ Aaron Rodgers Suffers Achilles Tear
3:29pm: As expected, Rodgers is now on the Jets’ IR list. Saleh confirmed Tuesday afternoon the future Hall of Famer will require surgery. Although the Jets are in discussions with free agents — Chad Henne among them — the third-year HC made it clear Wilson is the unquestioned starter.
10:04am: The Jets’ worst fears regarding Aaron Rodgers have been confirmed. An MRI revealed on Tuesday that he has indeed suffered a torn Achilles, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes. His season is over as a result.
Rodgers exited his regular season Jets debut after just four snaps, and it was learned shortly thereafter that an Achilles tear was the expected diagnosis. With that now having been confirmed, New York is poised to move forward with Zach Wilson at the helm of an offense which was expected to take a dramatic step forward in 2023. Rodgers’ performance was set to play a major role in that improvement, but much will now depend on Wilson’s ability to rebound from his previous struggles. 
SI’s Albert Breer notes that Jets decision-makers are set to meet today discuss their plans going forward at the QB position. At least a depth addition will be required with Rodgers headed to injured reserve, but head coach Robert Saleh confirmed after last night’s game that Wilson is in line to serve as the starter moving forward. The latter will be tasked with keeping the Jets (a team with Super Bowl aspirations in 2023) competitive with the help of an impressive skill-position corps and a strong defense.
Rodgers, 39, was the subject of considerable speculation regarding his future with the Packers this offseason. After giving serious thought to retirement, he ultimately went public with his intention of continuing his career with the Jets, a team which devoted much of its efforts to creating familiarity on the field and the sidelines for the four-time MVP. After the blockbuster trade sending him to New York was finalized, Rodgers and the Jets became the central storyline around the league entering the 2023 campaign.
The Jets’ package sent to Green Bay to acquire Rodgers included a conditional 2024 draft pick. That selection would have been a first-rounder had the 10-time Pro Bowler logged a snap share of at least 65%, but that will not be the case given the news of his injury. As a result, New York will send a second-rounder to the Packers as the former team contemplates its long-term future under center next spring.
Rodgers initially declined to make a commitment to playing beyond 2023, but his decision to take a $35MM pay cut over the remainder of his contract suggested he was willing to remain in place for at least a few years. He said as much in August, though he admitted that unforeseen developments could alter his thinking with respect to continuing his career. A massive injury such as this one would certainly qualify in that regard.
Attention will turn to Rodgers’ ability to rehab his Achilles, a process which could threaten his ability to return to full health given his age and the severity of the injury. Questions will be raised regarding whether or not Monday’s contest will represent the final one of his decorated career. For time being, though, the Jets will need to proceed with Wilson and Tim Boyle (who is currently on the practice squad) as the organization’s top passers. Who they target as an addition via trade or free agency will be worth watching closely.
Chiefs, Chris Jones Agree To Revised Deal
SEPTEMBER 12: Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes the new deal has the same base value of $19.5MM as it did before (minus the $1.1MM Jones lost out on by missing Week 1). Incentives can push its value as high as $25.17MM, though, meaning Jones has the potential to come out slightly ahead of what he would have earned by not holding out and incurring more than $3MM in financial penalties.
$2MM is available via playing time incentives, and Jones will earn that amount with a snap share of at least 50%. An additional $1.75MM is in place if he records 15 sacks, and another $1MM for again receiving a first-team All-Pro nod. A Defensive Player of the Year award and another Super Bowl will yield an extra $2MM.
Notably, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Chiefs will still have the option of franchise tagging Jones at the end of the season. Doing so would come at a cost of roughly $32.4MM, representing a 120% increase from his 2023 cap hit of $27MM. That would be a pricey endeavor on Kansas City’s part, but it would prevent Jones from hitting the open market in his bid to land another multi-year accord.
SEPTEMBER 11: After a high-profile holdout, Chris Jones is set to return to the field. The All-Pro defensive tackle has agreed to a revised one-year contract with the Chiefs, as his agency announced on Monday. The team has confirmed the news.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that no new years have been added to Jones’ deal, meaning he is still only on the books for 2023. He adds, however, that Jones can earn “considerably more money” than the $19.5MM in salary he was originally due to make given the presence of incentives on this new agreement. 
Jones was absent from the team through training camp, a move which resulted in more than $2MM in fines being racked up. The threat of forfeited weekly game checks did not seem to dissuade his holdout lasting through the start of the regular season, as he hinted at an absence stretching into Week 8. That will no longer be the case, though the 29-year-old added to the compensation he has walked away from by missing a $1.1MM game check in the Chiefs’ season-opening loss.
After seeing a number of young defensive tackles sign lucrative second contracts, Jones made it clear he was aiming to move much closer to Aaron Donald in terms of annual compensation. The latter’s $31.67MM AAV was unmatched in terms of all defensive players until Nick Bosa signed a record-breaking 49ers extension last week. Still, a gap existed between Donald and a pack of other DTs (led by Quinnen Williams) with respect to earnings and guaranteed money. Jones appears to have met his goal of at least moving into second in the position’s market.
The four-time Pro Bowler was connected to an asking price of $28MM per year on a three-year extension, while Kansas City has been reported to be treating Donald’s Rams accord as an outlier. The Chiefs picked up talks with Jones not long before the start of the regular season, but little progress was known to be made before the team’s Thursday night defeat. In the aftermath of that contest, he still appeared as though the sides were not close to working out an agreement.
No long-term deal has been worked out, meaning Jones will still be able to hit the open market in March. That is, of course, unless this new agreement does not include a provision preventing the Chiefs from being able to use the franchise tag to keep Jones in place for 2024. Such a move would be likely if the Mississippi State alum were to continue his high-end production, which included 15.5 sacks last season (matching a career high) en route to helping the Chiefs to another Super Bowl title.
“Chris is an elite player in this league, and over the last seven years, he’s really developed into a leader on our team,” general manager Brett Veach said in a statement. “He’s been instrumental to our success and Super Bowl championship runs and it was a priority for us to keep him in a Chiefs uniform… Through this process two things were obvious, Chris wanted to be a Chief, and the Katz brothers worked diligently on his behalf.”
While further details are yet to emerge, Jones is now set to make his return, something which will pay substantial dividends for the defending champions. It will be interesting to see where he winds up relative to Donald in terms of earning power and the structure of his reworked pact.
Jets Fear Aaron Rodgers Suffered ‘Significant’ Achilles Injury
11:59pm: Robert Saleh confirmed the team fears its recently acquired quarterback suffered a “significant” Achilles injury. Rodgers took four snaps before suffering what could well be a season-ending injury. Although the Jets came back to defeat the Bills with Wilson at the controls, the main focus is understandably on Rodgers’ status.
“The MRI is probably going to confirm what we think is going to happen, so prayers tonight,” Saleh said, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “But it’s not good.”
Rodgers, 39, said in March he strongly considered retiring before reversing course and announcing his intention to play for the Jets. The Packers sent him to New York in a blockbuster trade, one that involved a conditional 2024 draft choice going to Green Bay. Rodgers failing to play 65% of the Jets’ offensive snaps this season would reduce the Packers’ 2024 compensation to a second-round pick, rather than a first.
For the Jets, the immediate damage could obviously be massive. Riding the NFL’s longest active playoff drought, the Jets entered the season with tremendous optimism due to the Rodgers acquisition. While Rodgers has missed chunks of a season in the past — 2013, 2017 — this would be a new chapter and deal a crushing blow to the snake-bitten franchise that traded for him.
10:09pm: Aaron Rodgers‘ debut in New York lasted all of four offensive snaps before he was helped off the field with an apparent ankle injury. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported as a cart came to take Rodgers to the locker room for X-rays in an air-cast. Ultimately, while X-rays were reportedly negative, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, Rodgers was ruled out for the remainder of the game. 
It’s unclear for now what the official diagnosis of the injury will be. Since X-rays don’t show soft tissue, one can assume they were looking for broken bones in the foot or ankle. Any broken bones would likely take several weeks to heal, but negative X-rays are a good sign. A fear exists, however, Rodgers is dealing with an Achilles injury, The Score’s Jordan Schultz reports.
With Rodgers out of the game, the Jets called on third-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who started 22 games over the first two years of his career. After amassing a 3-10 record as a rookie starter, Wilson had to come back from injury to start in his sophomore season. Although he was able to reach a record of 5-4 last year, he ended up getting demoted to third-string behind Mike White and Joe Flacco. He eventually made his way back to the field before getting benched once again in favor of Chris Streveler.
With White now in Miami and Flacco and Streveler no longer on the roster, Wilson once again becomes the go-to guy in New York. He’ll be forced to run a Rodgers-centric system for the remainder of tonight, and many in New York will be hoping that Rodgers can escape a serious injury and make it back to the field before long.
Bills’ Von Miller Uncertain To Return In Week 5
SEPTEMBER 10: Miller says that his knee was cleared even before the decision was made to put him on the PUP list (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). However, Miller still has “steps to take” before he is football-ready, and per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, it is unclear if the second-year Bill will suit up when he is first eligible in Week 5.
AUGUST 29: The Bills will play it safe with Von Miller. Finishing up a rehab effort from a second ACL tear, the future Hall of Famer is not slated to come off Buffalo’s PUP list before today’s deadline.
Miller will move from the Bills’ active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will sideline Miller for at least four games. Miller has expressed confidence in his early-season readiness, and GM Brandon Beane said it was possible the dominant pass rusher suited up in Week 1. But the Bills will play the long game with their top pass rusher.
Considering the Bills’ path with Tre’Davious White, this Miller transaction certainly does not surprise. White suffered a torn ACL during the Bills’ Thanksgiving game in 2021; he did not make his 2022 debut until the team’s Thanksgiving contest in Detroit. That marked the only time White and Miller have played together, with the defensive end going down during the holiday tilt. Miller, 34, should not be expected to be out as long as White. But he will not be back until at least October.
This marks a different post-ACL path for Miller, who returned for Week 1 of the 2014 season despite suffering his first tear in December 2013. Miller returned to play in 16 games and finish with 14 sacks that year, but the circumstances are a bit different this time. Miller is going into his 13th season and already has a full-season absence (2020, due to an ankle malady) on his resume. The Bills also made an important adjustment to their pass-rushing group, signing ex-Miller Rams teammate Leonard Floyd.
Floyd, 30, agreed to a one-year, $7MM deal with the Bills in June. While Beane said the Bills targeted Floyd regardless of Miller’s status, the former top-10 pick also represented an insurance addition. Floyd and Gregory Rousseau will lead the way for the Bills to start the season, with A.J. Epenesa and Shaq Lawson in place as backups. Epenesa has drawn trade interest, but after the Bills sent Boogie Basham to the Giants earlier Tuesday, it should be expected the Iowa alum will stay put.
Miller is going into the second season of a six-year, $120MM extension. The All-Decade defender chose the Bills over the Cowboys and Rams last year and notched eight sacks to start his Buffalo tenure. Miller will miss games against the Jets, Raiders, Commanders and Dolphins. He can begin practicing ahead of Week 3 but cannot be activated until Week 5.
49ers, Nick Bosa Agree To Extension
SEPTEMBER 9: Details were released today on Bosa’s big money extension. The five-year, $170MM extension reported below includes $88MM in fully guaranteed money (Overthecap.com), beating out the previous high from Watt’s contract of $80MM. Like most massive deals are, the deal is incredibly backloaded.
With cap hits for the next three years of $11.01MM in 2023, $14.67MM in 2024, and $20.52MM in 2025, things get much scarier over the following three years with cap hits of $42.03MM in 2026, $52.03MM in 2027, and $42.85MM in 2028. The team will likely never see those cap numbers as they’ll probably end up doing some restructuring before those dates appear, but with $88MM fully guaranteed, Bosa doesn’t have much to be concerned about.
According to David Lombardi of The Athletic, adjusting Bosa’s cap hit in 2023 sets San Francisco up well for future potential cap issues. With $42MM of cap space in 2023, the 49ers have plenty of space to go out and acquire some top talent by the trade deadline. If not, unused cap will roll over into 2024, a season in which the 49ers are projected to be $40MM over the salary cap. This would mean that San Francisco wouldn’t need to make any moves in order to stay under the cap with their current projected roster, though some adjusted are still expected.
SEPTEMBER 6: One of the NFL’s high-profile holdouts has come to an end. Nick Bosa has agreed to a five-year, $170MM extension with the 49ers, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Schefter adds that the monster pact includes $122.5MM in guaranteed money, which, coupled with the $34MM annual average value, comfortably makes this the largest commitment ever made to a defensive player. Bosa will see more guaranteed money – provided it is paid out in full over the life of the pact – than all but four players in the league, each of whom are quarterbacks. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that Bosa will receive a $50MM signing bonus, which is also unprecedented for defenders.
It has long been assumed that the former No. 2 pick would eclipse the $28MM-per-year mark and in doing so overtake T.J. Watt as the league’s top paid edge rusher. The only question was whether or not Bosa would move past Aaron Donald (whose re-worked Rams deal pays out $31.67MM per year) as the top earning non-quarterback. That question has now been answered rather emphatically, as reporting on this situation suggested would be the case.
Bosa – who has long been on the extension radar – has been holding out through the summer in an attempt to leverage a new deal. He incurred $40K in daily fines starting at the onset of training camp, but the team has long been expected to waive those. NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco confirms that will indeed be the case. The 25-year-old will now travel to Santa Clara in advance of a very brief ramp-up period for his fifth season with the 49ers.
After following in his brother Joey Bosa‘s footsteps at Ohio State, Nick entered the league with massive expectations. He has lived up to them when healthy, earning a Pro Bowl nod each year aside from his injured-shortened 2020 campaign. Bosa took a step forward in 2022 by leading the league in sacks (18.5), helping him win Defensive Player of the Year honors. A continuation of that production will be expected through at least most of the term of this deal, which will cover the remainder of his prime years.
Bosa was due to earn $10.8MM this season on the fifth-year option, but with an extension in place his cap hit for the coming season can now be adjusted. He has a window of only a few practices to prepare for Sunday’s season opener against the Steelers, but head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed during a Wednesday press conference (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo) that Bosa will indeed suit up for that contest.
With Bosa’s holdout now in the past, attention will turn increasingly to Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones and Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns. The latter in particular will be affected by today’s news, as he is believed to be seeking a second contract not far off the AAV of what Bosa earned on his extension. Looking ahead, talks between the Cowboys and Micah Parsons on a monster deal next offseason will no doubt be centered in large part on the figures of today’s agreement.
For now, though, San Francisco can enter another season in which expectations are high (particularly on the defensive side of the ball) with the team’s best defender on the books through 2028. A repeat of Bosa’s previous performances could again make the 49ers a force in the NFC come playoff time now and into the future.
Bengals, QB Joe Burrow Agree To Five-Year Extension
SEPTEMBER 9: The Bengals have made it official, with the organization announcing their extension with Burrow.
“Quarterback is the most critical position in sports, and Joe has embraced his role here with intelligence and determination,” coach Zac Taylor said in a statement. “The team responds to Joe as our quarterback, and we look forward to a bright future with Joe continuing to lead our talented roster. He makes everyone better.”
SEPTEMBER 7: With all eyes on the NFL’s season opener in Kansas City, the Bengals have stolen some attention away from their conference rival. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow have agreed to a record-breaking extension.
It’s a five-year, $275MM deal for Burrow, including $219.01MM in guaranteed money. The contract makes the QB the highest-paid player in NFL history.
It always seemed inevitable that Burrow would eventually get his megadeal, with offseason reports indicating that the extension would get done before the start of the regular season. Indeed, it sounds like both sides made some recent progress. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the extension was an “open secret” at Bengals practice today, and Rapoport adds that the organization was simply waiting for Burrow’s “final official yes.”
It’s been a pricey offseason for quarterback extensions, and Burrow always seemed like he’d be the final QB to sign. His $275MM contract tops the offseason deals signed by Justin Herbert ($262.5MM), Jalen Hurts ($255MM), and Lamar Jackson ($260MM). Per ESPN’s Field Yates, Burrow now paces the position “in new money average per year” at $55MM, beating Herbert ($52.5MM), Jackson ($52MM), Hurts ($51MM), and Aaron Rodgers ($49MM).
It’s been an impressive five-year run for Burrow. The LSU product won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship before being selected with the first-overall pick in the 2020 draft. He reached the Super Bowl during the 2021 campaign, and the Bengals returned to the AFC Championship Game during the 2022 season. Now, Burrow is the highest-paid player in NFL history, although he’ll surely fall down the list when the next round of extensions pop up next offseason.
Now signed to a lucrative deal, Burrow will look to build off his productive 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Burrow suffered a sprained calf back in August, putting the start of his 2023 season in doubt. However, after returning to practice last week, it sounds like the franchise QB will be good to go for Sunday’s season opener against the Browns.
While the Bengals front office can cross Burrow’s extension off their to-do list, the team has more pricey deals coming up. Tee Higgins is an impending free agent and will be a popular free agent, with the wideout topping 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons. Ja’Marr Chase is also eligible for an extension next offseason, meaning the Bengals could soon be eyeing pricey cap hits for three of their offensive stars.
Burrow’s record-breaking deal comes a day after Nick Bosa agreed to a contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. As Schefter notes, WME Sports was responsible for negotiating both deals, with the two contracts combining for more than $445MM.
Cowboys, Terence Steele Agree To Extension
SEPTEMBER 4: Steele will collect a signing bonus of $15MM, per Schefter’s colleague Todd Archer. The new pact is guaranteed in full for the first two years, and his 2025 base salary ($13.25MM) will become guaranteed on the fifth day of that league year. The deal will not alter Steele’s cap hit for this season, so that figure will remain at $4.3MM before jumping in later years given the sizable raise from his previous earnings. $1.25MM in escalators are included for the years 2025-28, and he can earn roster bonuses of $750K annually beginning in 2024.
SEPTEMBER 3: The Cowboys and right tackle Terence Steele have agreed to a five-year, $86.8MM extension, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The deal includes $50MM in guarantees and can max out at $91.8MM.
This represents a major vote of confidence in a player whose 2022 season was cut short by ACL and MCL tears. But as head coach Mike McCarthy recently told reporters, including Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, he has never seen a player recover quite like Steele.
“He hasn’t missed a day, and it’s just Terence,” McCarthy said. “He’s in there the same time every day, doing the rehab. It feels like he never left. Terence is a stud.”
Steele, 26, signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Over his three seasons with the club, he has appeared in 45 games (40 starts), with most of his work coming at right tackle. His level of play at that spot allowed Dallas to move on from La’el Collins and commit to Steele on a full-time basis in 2022. Steele took a step forward in Pro Football Focus rating for the third straight year, generating an overall grade of 73.9.
Despite the ACL and MCL injuries, the Cowboys placed the second-round RFA tender, worth $4.3MM, on Steele this offseason. Reports on Dallas’ O-line plans in the spring suggested that the Texas Tech alum could operate as the swing tackle behind Tyron Smith and Tyler Smith, with Tyron Smith lining up at RT and Tyler Smith on the blindside. However, the club has consistently maintained that it wants to field its best five offensive lineman, and that group includes Steele. As such, Tyler Smith eventually kicked inside to left guard, Tyron Smith has assumed his familiar LT post, and Steele has been reinserted at right tackle.
Along with Tyler Biadasz at center and Zack Martin at right guard, the Cowboys boast a strong contingent of blockers in front of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Tony Pollard. With Tyron Smith set to become a free agent at season’s end, it is certainly possible that Tyler Smith could move back to left tackle in 2024, but the team has the RT position set for the foreseeable future.
Steele’s new money AAV of $17.36MM ranks as the eighth-highest figure among the league’s right tackles. His $50MM in guaranteed money, however, ranks as the fourth-highest number, so he did quite well for a former UDFA who has yet to make a Pro Bowl and who is coming off a major knee injury.
The Cowboys were eyeing extensions for players like CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, and Steele this year, and they have now struck accords with Diggs and Steele. They also gave Martin a raise that ended his holdout and will now presumably turn their attention to Lamb and Prescott, whose cap number balloons to over $59MM next year.
Vikings, T.J. Hockenson Agree On Extension
11:01am: This move, in fact, will lead to Hockenson becoming the NFL’s highest-paid tight end. The Vikings are giving their starter a four-year, $68.5MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That will make the AAV $17.13MM, which checks in just north of Waller’s previous position record. Hockenson’s guarantees dwarf Waller’s, however, with Schefter adding this extension comes with $42.5MM guaranteed. That likely accounts for the total guarantee here, rather than the guarantee at signing. Still, that number eclipses George Kittle‘s previous position high of $40MM.
The $68.5MM number may not be the base value here, per Pelissero, who adds the deal is worth $66MM over four years. Incentives can move the deal to that $68.5MM place. This would bump Hockenson down to the No. 2 slot for tight end AAV, at $16.5MM. But he has still done quite well on the through-2027 contract, with Pelissero echoing Schefter’s report on the guarantee figure. Negotiations between the Vikes and Hockenson did not alter this framework much, as Pelissero adds this is close to the deal that was on the table before camp.
10:04am: T.J. Hockenson‘s time as a Vikings practice spectator looks like it will come to an end. The Vikings are rewarding the 2022 trade acquisition with an extension, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report. The team has since announced the move.
While the ex-Lions top-10 pick was believed to be seeking a deal that made him the league’s highest-paid tight end, this agreement will move him close to the top of the market. Minnesota is making Hockenson “one of” the NFL’s top earners, per NFL.com. Hockenson, 26, was going into his fifth-year option season ($9.33MM).
This has been on Minnesota’s radar for a bit. Hockenson had loomed as a Detroit extension candidate coming into last season, but after a 1-6 start, the Lions dealt the 2019 draftee to a division rival for two Day 2 draft choices. Hockenson stepped in as a key Justin Jefferson complementary piece during the Vikings’ surprising 13-4 season. Although Minnesota is also talking with Jefferson about an extension ahead of his fourth season, Hockenson loomed as the priority due to his contract-year status.
One of many productive tight ends to come out of Iowa, the former No. 8 overall pick went through an inconsistent Lions career. Injuries limited him during multiple Detroit seasons, but he did showcase his talents with a 723-yard showing in Matthew Stafford‘s 2020 finale. But the Brad Holmes–Dan Campbell regime inherited Hockenson, a Bob Quinn-era draft choice. The Lions moved Hockenson on deadline day last year and have since replaced him with another ex-Hawkeyes standout, No. 34 overall pick Sam LaPorta.
In Minnesota, Hockenson finished up a 914-yard receiving season. The receiving tight end added a 10-reception, 129-yard day in the Vikings’ wild-card loss to the Giants. This year, Hockenson had missed training camp time due to an ear infection he said affected his equilibrium. The fifth-year pass catcher then complained of back stiffness. The 6-foot-5 tight end has not yet practiced with his teammates since camp began, with this stretch likely doubling as a hold-in measure amid negotiations.
Jefferson is poised to reset the wide receiver market, either this year or next, and it will be interesting to see the Hockenson numbers through that lens. The Vikings will soon have a top-market tight end deal and the NFL’s most lucrative receiver contract on their books. For a team that has Kirk Cousins on a big-ticket contract (complete with four void years), this represents a substantial commitment to its aerial centerpieces. That said, the Vikings moved Dalvin Cook‘s $12.6MM-per-year contract off their books this offseason, and the team only has one offensive lineman (right tackle Brian O’Neill) earning more than $6MM on average. Cousins’ contract also expires at season’s end. The Vikings are paying Hockenson (and soon Jefferson) to anchor their post-Cousins passing attack.
Darren Waller‘s $17MM sits atop the tight end salary spectrum, AAV-wise. This checks in well south of Tyreek Hill‘s receiver-leading number ($30MM). The Patriots holding Rob Gronkowski to his six-year contract, which quickly became a bargain, and Travis Kelce not raising the bar especially high on his second Chiefs extension in 2020 have led to the tight end market stagnating. Hockenson’s figure will make for a notable update, though it is interesting this deal does not appear set not top Waller’s. At this rate, it may still take years for tight ends to crack the $20MM-per-year barrier.
But the Vikings have one of their core passing-game pieces in place for the long haul. Minnesota’s upcoming Jefferson deal — assuming it advances past the goal line — will ensure Cousins (and his successor) will have a Jefferson-Hockenson-Jordan Addison arsenal at his disposal.
Packers Engaged In Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks With Colts
Set to run back their Aaron Jones–AJ Dillon tandem for a fourth season, the Packers have their 2023 backfield in place. But questions exist regarding Green Bay’s running back group beyond this year.
On that note, the Packers look to be one of the teams interested in Jonathan Taylor. They talked Taylor with the Colts before the AFC South team’s Tuesday deadline, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports. While as many as six teams were said to have expressed interest in Taylor, Holder notes the Packers joined the Dolphins in discussing the disgruntled All-Pro with the Colts.
The Packers component in these talks figures to remain relevant, as the Colts have until the Oct. 31 trade deadline to move Taylor. The former rushing champion remains on Indianapolis’ PUP list, with his reserve/PUP designation mandating he miss the season’s first four games. Taylor can return to practice after Week 2, however, which would open the door to trade talks picking back up in the near future.
Jones and the Packers huddled up on a reworked contract in February, a move that marked the first major transaction in a tough offseason for running backs. The deal gave Jones more 2023 guarantees but also came with a $5MM pay slash. The four-year, $48MM deal Jones signed before free agency in 2021 runs through 2024. The Packers could still designate Jones a post-June 1 cut next year, incurring less than $6MM in dead money to do so. Jones’ adjustment still makes a 2024 divorce somewhat prohibitive, but the Packers did just approach a dead-money record by taking on $40MM by trading Aaron Rodgers.
Dillon is going into the final season of his rookie contract. The former second-round pick has indicated he would like to stay in Green Bay, and next year’s free agent class looks set to top this year’s buyer’s market. Dillon is on track to join a number of high-end RBs on next year’s market, barring extensions agreed to before the tampering period. Taylor would represent a preemptive strike for the Packers, who would seemingly need to part ways with both their current backs in 2024 if they were to complete a trade-and-extend scenario involving the Wisconsin alum.
While Taylor is a New Jersey native, he starred at Wisconsin before going to the Colts in the 2020 second round. The Packers will not have Rodgers’ top-market contract on their payroll in 2024, being set to shed the contract off their cap sheet after this season. But the team will also need to make a call on Jordan Love, who signed a half-measure extension (two years, $13.5MM) that prevented the team from having to exercise a fully guaranteed fifth-year option on a player with little experience. Taylor would stand to fit better on a team with a rookie-QB contract, but the Packers have a unique signal-caller salary situation post-Rodgers.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, discussed “several” potential deals with the Colts, Holder adds. None are believed to have involved a first-round pick. Indianapolis asked for a first-rounder or a package of picks matching that value. Taylor still wants to be traded, and Holder adds interest remains. The Dolphins look to have viewed the Colts’ Tuesday deadline as fairly loose, and their extensive interest in running backs this offseason points to a reengagement at some point.
Indy’s asking price will need to come down in order for the Dolphins to bite. The Colts targeted Jaylen Waddle in their Taylor talks, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. The AFC South club wanted the former top-10 wideout draftee and then some, per Jackson, who adds the Dolphins discussed packages involving players and picks. Suffice to say, Miami did not view Indianapolis’ ask as reasonable. The Colts made multiple counterproposals over the span of a week, per Jackson and Holder.
The Dolphins traded up from No. 12 to No. 6 for Waddle, who has become one of the NFL’s best young wideouts. With receivers dwarfing running backs on the salary spectrum, it is understandable the Dolphins did not want to engage on Waddle. The Alabama-developed speedster teamed with Tyreek Hill to form one of the top receiving duos in recent NFL history last season. Waddle posted 1,356 yards (an NFL-high 18.1 per catch) and eight touchdowns in his second season.
The prospect of a team giving up high-level draft assets and authorizing a near-top-market extension for Taylor — in a year in which RB value cratered — has led this situation to its current place. With Taylor eligible to practice in less than a month, the market could heat up again.
Colts’ Jonathan Taylor To Stay On PUP List
No Jonathan Taylor trade took place Tuesday. The Colts had set today as a loose deadline to deal their disgruntled running back, but they have not liked an offer enough to move him.
Not only will Taylor stay in Indianapolis, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the former rushing champion is set to begin the season on the reserve/PUP list. This will sideline Taylor for at least four games. The Colts technically have until the October 31 trade deadline to move Taylor, but they had set today as a temporary endpoint. As a result, this impasse has reached gridlock.
Two teams showed significant interest, but Colts GM Chris Ballard did not view the offers as fair, per Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This saga has lasted for more than a month now, with Taylor making his trade request in late July.
The Colts opened the market last week, allowing Taylor’s camp to find a trade partner. No first-round pick was believed to have been offered. Considering no team has traded a first-rounder for a running back since the Colts sent the Browns one for Trent Richardson 10 years ago, it is certainly not surprising the Colts’ asking price has not been met. Indianapolis has sought a first-rounder or an equivalent package of picks, but in a year in which RB value has tanked, the team is stuck for the time being.
Jim Irsay led the way in alienating Taylor and leading this relationship to this point, sending a much-discussed tweet about the state of the running back market and then not helping matters with more comments on the situation after a one-on-one meeting with the team’s would-be starter. Taylor, 24, had said earlier this year he wanted to retire a Colt. This situation has deteriorated in the months since that remark. Irsay had said the Colts were not trading Taylor, and while the Colts have backtracked on that a bit, the saga will now lead to the team playing four games without the former All-Pro.
Inquiring on just about every high-profile running back potentially available this year, the Dolphins have been in the mix since the Colts gave the green light for teams to send offers. It is safe to assume the Dolphins are one of the two teams to express serious interest; talks with Miami were believed to have taken place over a several-day period. But the Dolphins, as they did with Dalvin Cook, continue to stand down. As of Monday, it sounded like the Dolphins would still look into Taylor after this Colts-imposed deadline.
This certainly is not a good look for the Colts, who will begin Shane Steichen’s tenure with their best skill-position player out of the mix despite probably being healthy. This also will lead to a delay in Taylor’s bounce-back opportunity. Taylor suffered an ankle injury — his first notable malady during his pro or college tenures — last season, costing him six games, but underwent surgery in January. Irsay pronounced Taylor ready to go for camp, and while rumors of the fourth-year back needing more treatment ahead of camp surfaced (before Taylor left camp for reported ankle treatment), this should be considered a hold-in of sorts.
The Colts are not planning to extend Taylor’s contract this year, refusing a request from the running back during the offseason. Other teams’ unwillingness to both trade high-value compensation for Taylor and give him an upper-crust contract has led this drama to a standstill. With the team keeping Taylor on the PUP list, this pause could last a while.