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Raiders, Maxx Crosby Agree On Extension

March 5th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

As several edge rushers will have plenty to say about where that market goes this offseason, Maxx Crosby is beating his peers to the punch. Despite not being in a contract year, the star Raiders pass rusher now has a monster extension in place.

The Raiders and Crosby have agreed on a deal that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Crosby is signing a three-year, $106.5MM accord that includes a whopping $91.5MM guaranteed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Crosby going first will help the likes of T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett and perhaps Aidan Hutchinson this offseason. The six-year Raider’s new AAV checks in at $35.5MM — $1.5MM north of Nick Bosa‘s previous defender record. Crosby surpasses Justin Jefferson‘s Vikings re-up by $500K per year, elevating him past all his non-QB peers. While it will now be expected some other edge rushers will top where Crosby has gone, he receives an update on a contract he had outplayed.

Crosby’s $91.5MM guarantee number jumps out here, as he managed to secure it on a three-year extension. Bosa landed $122.5MM in total guarantees, Garrett $100MM back in 2020. The 49ers and Browns standouts, respectively, gave their teams four and five years on their deals. Crosby getting here on a three-year contract illustrates how highly the Raiders value him, while setting the table for what could be one of the most explosive contract offseasons at one position in NFL history.

Of course, this can be classified as a three-year deal in name only. Since two seasons remained on Crosby’s previous contract (four years, $94MM), Crosby will still be under Raiders control through 2o29. Still, it cost the Silver and Black plenty to tack on three years here. Crosby was by far the best investment the Raiders made during Jon Gruden‘s second stint at the controls, and he has now been extended by two different regimes.

The Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler pair gave Crosby his first extension, which came in 2022. He played two seasons on the deal, leading the NFL in tackles for loss on both. Mark Davis then slammed the door on Crosby trade inquiries last year. Crosby had gone from expressing hope of being a one-team player before some frustration with the Raiders’ struggles showed before the trade deadline. It is safe to say today’s news will put Crosby trade rumors to rest for a while.

The Raiders also moved money around on Crosby’s contract last year; even though that Tom Telesco move was not an extension, Crosby has now seen four Raider regimes pay him. That speaks to both Crosby’s talent and the swift organizational turnover during his tenure.

Crosby, 27, combined for 45 TFLs between the 2022 and ’23 seasons. He added 17 last year, doing so despite missing five games. He ended last season on IR due to a high ankle sprain, which required surgery. The Raiders clearly have no concerns about their EDGE dynamo’s status for 2025. The Eastern Michigan alum notched 7.5 sacks last year but has three double-digit sack seasons — including a career-best 14.5 in 2023 — on his resume. Charting a potential Hall of Fame course, Crosby is certainly now paid like his top peers after having seen some lesser pass rushers move well ahead of him over the past few years.

The Raiders came into the day with more than $95MM in cap space; only the Patriots hold more. They have since extended Crosby and given ex-Tom Brady blocker Alex Cappa a two-year deal days before unrestricted free agency starts. While Cappa checks in as a standard addition, Crosby is among the first players to reap the benefits of the NFL’s latest cap spike. After ballooning by a record $30.6MM in 2024, the cap climbed by $24MM this year. It resides $71MM higher than it did when Crosby was last paid.

It continues to make sense for players to sign short-term deals, as the cap is on a trajectory that does not closely resemble the previous CBA’s course. Crosby has now scored two big-ticket extensions by 27, playing well enough for his team to rip up a previous deal with two years remaining. While other Raiders will take notice, the team does not have anyone on Crosby’s level just yet. Though, Brock Bowers has certainly started well. The team has the likes of Malcolm Koonce, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane and Nate Hobbs set to hit free agency soon.

The Raiders also will be shopping for a veteran quarterback — before the draft brings another research project at the position — next week. They have plenty of funds remaining to both keep players and add more talent, as the franchise hopes the Tom Brady–John Spytek-Pete Carroll regime will begin an upward trend at long last.

Eagles To Re-Sign LB Zack Baun

March 5th, 2025 at 1:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Submitting one of this decade’s premier contract years, Zack Baun moved the needle in a big way toward the Eagles’ second Super Bowl championship. The Eagles are not letting the veteran linebacker return to free agency.

Baun was set to join other Eagles starters on the market, but a Wednesday payday will instead come to pass. The Eagles are keeping Baun on a three-year, $51MM deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Baun will have two fully guaranteed years on this contract, as Schefter adds $34MM will be locked in at signing.

The Eagles had expressed interest in keeping Baun, who in turn wanted to stay with the team he just helped to a dominant Super Bowl win. Baun will take himself off the market, with the two fully guaranteed years doing well to convince the ex-Saints draftee to pass on a second free agency go-round. Baun played a central role in the Eagles’ latest championship, and he has scored a top-market ILB deal as a result.

At $17MM per year, Baun becomes the fourth-highest-paid off-ball linebacker. He sits behind fellow first-team All-Pros Roquan Smith and Fred Warner and Bears 2023 signee Tremaine Edmunds. Baun, however, lands his contract at an older age than that trio did. Baun turned 28 late last year. The Eagles are willing to invest in his late 20s, at the very least, before reassessing. The former third-round pick gave the defending champs plenty of reason to do so.

Baun went from researching special-teamer contracts as comps to being a first-team All-Pro. The Wisconsin alum totaled 151 tackles – a cool 121 more than his previous career high – and added 3.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and 11 TFLs. Baun’s five fumbles forced were second in the NFL, and his diving Super Bowl LIX interception effectively ensured viewers needed to brace for a blowout. Baun’s 2024 goes in the contract-year hall of fame.

This agreement comes a day after the Eagles extended Saquon Barkley, who was already under contract through 2026. The superstar running back received a significant guarantee bump after soaring past 2,000 yards. Baun did not enjoy quite that productive of a season, but his breakthrough was more surprising. This continues Howie Roseman‘s recent zags when it comes to these positions, as the Eagles had gone a while since paying a running back and a linebacker before Barkley and Baun’s arrivals.

The Eagles’ 2024 free agent class, thanks largely to these two, probably goes down as an all-timer. The team must decide on 2024 bargain buy Mekhi Becton soon, but this Baun agreement — coupled with the team already having four well-paid offensive linemen — points the mammoth guard to the market.

Two other Eagles Super Bowl standouts — Josh Sweat and Milton Williams — are en route to free agency. It would seem the Eagles made Baun the top priority here. They are not expected to retain Sweat, and Williams — with Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis rostered — will probably fetch a better offer elsewhere. But the Eagles will still ensure some front-seven continuity in Baun, who will help as Nakobe Dean is likely to miss time in 2025.

Seahawks Release WR Tyler Lockett

March 5th, 2025 at 11:42am CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Lockett indicated late last season he might be on the way out in Seattle. Weeks later, the Seahawks are expected to move on. Lockett thanked the team for a 10-season run Wednesday.

He will be released soon, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, as the Seahawks have also since thanked Lockett for his run with the team. This will wrap one of the longest WR careers in team history and send yet another accomplished early-30-something wideout to the market.

Due a $5.3MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Lockett will now join Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Keenan Allen as mid-2010s receiver draftees in free agency. The Seahawks chose Lockett in the 2015 third round and saw him form productive tandems with Doug Baldwin and D.K. Metcalf. With the team having seen Jaxon Smith-Njigba make major strides in 2024, carrying both Metcalf and Lockett will not remain feasible.

An obvious Lockett landing spot would be the Raiders, as Pete Carroll coached the former 1,000-yard pass catcher for his first nine seasons. Carroll still holds Lockett in high regard, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Jakobi Meyers is going into a contract year, as the Raiders cut the cord on Adams last October. They will be in search of a No. 1-level wideout, but Lockett would help a team as a complementary target at this stage of his career.

This is not a post-June 1 cut, which means Lockett can sign elsewhere immediately. This gives him a head start on the Cooper-Diggs-Allen-Hopkins contingent; Adams can also sign somewhere now. This release will save the Seahawks $17MM, and it comes after the team created more than $27MM in cap space by cutting Dre’Mont Jones, Rayshawn Jenkins, Roy Robertson-Harris and George Fant. After entering Tuesday over the cap, the team is now up to $32MM in space.

As Smith-Njigba made significant strides in Year 2, Lockett posted just 600 receiving yards in 17 games. The four-time 1,000-yard pass catcher had already taken a backseat to Metcalf, but he was at 894 yards in Carroll’s final season. The former Russell Wilson weapon arrived just after the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Lockett’s 8,594 receiving yards trail only Hall of Famer Steve Largent in Seahawks history.

The Seahawks had given Lockett extensions in 2018 (three years, $31.8MM) and ’21 (four years, $69.2MM). Lockett, 32, also agreed to a reworking last year. It adjusted Lockett’s contract to a two-year, $30MM deal that created the $5.3MM roster bonus. That put a 2025 release on the radar, as the Seahawks will not pay him the roster bonus nor the $10MM base salary he was owed. But Lockett should catch on elsewhere soon. With so many comparable players on the market, Lockett may not be able to fetch a deal that even matches his 2018 payday for AAV. With Adams and Lockett available, teams seeking veteran WR help have many places to turn.

Jets Release WR Davante Adams

March 4th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, no suitors emerged for Davante Adams on the trade front. As a result, the Jets will move on from the All-Pro receiver.

Adams is being released, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He will now become one of the most intriguing options at the receiver position in free agency. Presuming this move is processed immediately, it will save $29.9MM in cap space while generating $8.36MM in dead money. The release is now official.

No guaranteed salary remained on Adams’ pact, something which essentially made him a rental in the eyes of interested teams ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. The Jets sent a conditional third-round pick to the Raiders for the six-time Pro Bowler, a move which allowed him to reunite with Aaron Rodgers. The latter will be released with a post-June 1 designation, though, so to no surprise Adams will also seek out a fresh start for 2025.

Rodgers and Adams had the potential to remain in place with New York, but their time with the Jets did not yield a playoff berth. On the other hand, the latter racked up 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games upon arrival, a sign he can still be counted on to provide high-end production at this stage of his career. Adams, 32, could draw attention in a free agent class light on impact players at many positions (including receiver).

A release was seen as likely one month ago, but the door was still open to a team avoiding free agency and agreeing to a trade (and subsequent restructure or extension to lower Adams’ cap charges for 2025 and ’26). Interest was shown on that front, but to no surprise a deal never appeared to be imminent. A report from yesterday confirmed a release would take place before the start of the new league year next week.

The Jets are allowing fellow ex-Packers wideout Allen Lazard to seek out a trade, but he too is unlikely to generate a market. A release could also be expected in that case, something which would leave the team short on experienced options behind Garrett Wilson on the depth chart. Taking into account the Adams release, New York has roughly $52MM in cap space.

With a change of scenery on tap, several updates have recently emerged regarding where Adams could play next. A return to the Packers could be in store, but a deal sending him to the West Coast is also something to watch for. Rapoport notes the opportunity for the Fresno State product to head west remains a key factor in his free agency. Rodgers, for his part, is still interested in playing with Adams (provided he decides to suit up in 2025), so a partnership between those two on a third team could come into play.

In any case, it will be interesting to see how things play out for Adams given his track record (six 1,000-yard seasons in the past seven years). The Jets, meanwhile, will need to be active in the receiver market in one form or another as they move past the Rodgers investment and the additions which accompanied it.

Eagles To Release Darius Slay

March 3rd, 2025 at 11:28pm CST by Adam La Rose

Darius Slay‘s decorated tenure with the Eagles is coming to an end. The Pro Bowl corner will be released, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Such a scenario has been raised recently, meaning the move does not come as a complete surprise. Eyeing one more year in the NFL, Slay will now need to find a new home for the second time in his career. Schefter notes this will be processed as a post-June 1 cut.

As a result, the Eagles will see $4.32MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of $9.44MM which can be spread across two years. No guaranteed salary remained on Slay’s pact for 2025, the final year of the deal. By moving on this offseason, Philadelphia will avoid paying out an option bonus of roughly $5MM which was due on September 1. Slay will officially become a free agent at the start of the new league year.

A seven-year stint with the Lions ended in 2020 when Slay was traded to the Eagles. He was a stalwart in the secondary during his time in Philadelphia, collecting three of his six Pro Bowl nods during that span. Of course, Slay’s tenure with the team will be best remembered for the two Super Bowl appearances – including one title – he played a central role in.

Slay’s time with the Eagles appeared to be coming to an end in 2023, but an agreement was reached allowing him to remain in the fold. The former All-Pro racked up between one and three interceptions during each of his first four Philadelphia campaigns, but he was held without one during the regular season in 2024. Slay was nevertheless a key figure on the Eagles’ run to the Super Bowl. Still, the decision to use first- and second-round picks on the CB position in last year’s draft (Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean) foreshadowed a parting of ways.

While Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes an Eagles reunion (at a reduced cost compared to the $16MM Slay was owed for 2025) could be in play, the team has other young options to turn to. Mitchell, DeJean and Kelee Ringo are all attached to their rookie contracts; Isaiah Rodgers is a pending free agent but retaining him on a low-cost deal could be a priority for Philadelphia. As the team continues to transition to a younger secondary, Slay should still have a notable market.

Any number of suitors will pursue starting-caliber options at the cornerback position, and even at the age of 34 Slay could serve as an effective one-year rental. The Mississippi State product preferred to finish his career with the Eagles, but he recently noted a return to the Lions represented his next-best scenario. Carlton Davis is a pending free agent, and losing him would leave Detroit in need of a first-team replacement.

Failing that, other teams could emerge especially since Slay will be available on a one-year pact (provided he intends to stick to his stated timeline of retiring after the 2025 campaign). It will be interesting to see where his final NFL campaign takes place.

Bengals Place Franchise Tag On Tee Higgins

March 3rd, 2025 at 11:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Tee Higgins will not reach the market in 2025. The Bengals wideout announced on Monday he has been informed of the team’s decision to use the franchise tag on him for the second year in a row.

After Higgins was tagged last offseason, he wound up being the only player who did not eventually work out a long-term pact with his team. That created the expectation of a free agent departure in 2025, where the 26-year-old would have been by far the most sought-after receiver on the market. For the past two weeks, though, signs have pointed to the tag being used once again to prevent that scenario.

When applied the second time around, franchise tags cost 20% more than the previous year’s price. As such, tagging Higgins in 2025 will cost the Bengals $26.16MM. That figure will immediately come onto the team’s books, and the former second-rounder will earn that amount (which is guaranteed in full) if he signs the tag and plays on it next season.

Of course, the tag can be (and often is) used strictly as a placeholder to ensure additional time to negotiate a long-term deal. That was the goal in this situation last time around, but team and player did not come particularly close to an agreement. The sides will have until July 15 to hammer out a contract and avoid another season with Higgins’ future in doubt.

Higgins has worked as a highly effective complement to Ja’Marr Chase, who himself was unable to work out a Bengals extension last summer. The latter is in line to become the league’s highest earner for non-quarterbacks, something the Bengals stated their willingness to authorize at the Combine. In spite of that, the team’s latest offer has reportedly left the sides far apart in contract talks. Chase – who won the NFL’s ‘Triple Crown’ in 2024 – represents an obvious priority on a monster deal but Cincinnati also aims to keep Higgins in place for years to come.

Quarterback Joe Burrow has gone public with his desire to see each of Chase, Higgins and 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson retained for 2025 and beyond. Burrow is prepared to restructure his deal to help free up cap space in the immediate future, although Cincinnati has made a number of cost-shedding moves recently as well. Prior to today’s news, the team had roughly $69MM in cap space, but a large portion of that will now be committed to Higgins.

The Clemson product has topped 900 receiving yards four times in his five-year career. Having missed five games in each of the past two campaigns, injuries represent a factor to be considered by the Bengals, but Higgins was connected to a annual average value of $30MM or more in the event he hit the open market. Several suitors (regardless of if the Patriots would have been one of them) were in line to make significant offers. Now, only a tag-and-trade would allow for Higgins to play elsewhere next year.

The 2025 free agent class is short on impact receivers near Higgins’ age, and this year’s draft is not viewed in the same light as previous ones with respect to first-round prospects. Those factors will make the trade market something to watch closely at the position as teams look to make at least modest additions to their pass-catching corps. Deebo Samuel is headed to Washington, but Cooper Kupp is among the veterans set to be on the move soon.

The Chiefs have used the franchise tag to keep guard Trey Smith off the market. He and Higgins were set to among the best free agents (regardless of position) available at the start of the new league year next week. Sam Darnold remains the top option, although the Vikings could keep their 2024 starting quarterback in place by using the tag. A decision on that front will need to be made by tomorrow afternoon. In any case, the most attractive option at the skill positions will not test free agency.

Cowboys Prepared To Tag Osa Odighizuwa; DeMarcus Lawrence Hopes To Re-Sign

March 2nd, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Micah Parsons‘ pending mega-extension is a key talking point related to the Cowboys’ offseason. The team has other pressing matters in the front seven, though, as free agency approaches.

DeMarcus Lawrence has spent his entire career with Dallas, including the past four as Parsons’ running mate along the edge. The four-time Pro Bowler is on track to reach the open market, and a departure would allow the Cowboys to transition to a younger core in the pass-rush department. Lawrence is aware he could explore other opportunities as a free agent, but his preference would be to remain in place.

“The ball is in their court. I’m not only going to play in Dallas,” the 11-year veteran said (via Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). “I’m going to have other options, but I’d like to stay here. It would be a glorious thing. My family is here. I love it here. The fans love me here.”

Lawrence played on the franchise tag in 2018, and was tagged again the following year before a five-year deal was worked out. A three-year pact signed in 2022 ensured the former second-rounder would continue with the Cowboys, and Lawrence did not miss a game over the first two campaigns of that stretch. In 2024, though, he was limited to only four contests; that missed time could hinder his market value.

At a minimum, Lawrence’s comments confirm he intends to continue his career in 2025. Entering his age-33 season, the Cowboys were recently reported to be waiting to see how he would proceed. It will be interesting to see if Dallas matches the Boise State product’s desire to work out another new pact. In addition to Parsons (who could soon become the league’s highest-paid defender), the Cowboys’ depth chart along the edge includes recent draftees Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland.

Stephen Jones has made it clear talks on a deal preventing defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa from reaching free agency. Talks are ongoing, and reaching agreement on a pact would give the Cowboys clarity along the D-line before the start of the new league year. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes progress has been made recently, and the DT market would lose arguably its most impactful member in the event talks reached the finish line shortly.

Failing that, Fowler’s colleague Dan Graziano notes the franchise tag could come into play. Using the tag in 2025 would result in a one-year guarantee of $25.12MM in Odighizuwa’s case – a massive raise compared to his rookie deal. The top of the position’s market has surged in recent years, and at the age of 26 the former third-rounder will be in position to command a lucrative long-term deal with Dallas or an outside suitor. Using the tag (a decision which must be made by Tuesday afternoon) would give the Cowboys until mid-July to negotiate a multi-year Odighizuwa pact. Fowler’s latest update on the situation confirms the Cowboys are indeed prepared to use the tag in this case.

Dallas’ list of in-house priorities also includes the likes of slot corner Jourdan Lewis and running back Rico Dowdle. As the team weighs its options on those fronts, Lawrence and Odighizuwa will remain names to watch closely over the coming days.

49ers To Trade Deebo Samuel To Commanders

March 1st, 2025 at 10:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 49ers finally found a trade partner with whom they came to an agreement on terms to trade star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Commanders will acquire the versatile offensive veteran for draft compensation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the trade compensation as a fifth-round pick. Schefter adds that the trade will not be processed until the start of the new league year on March 12.

A report from yesterday named the Texans and Commanders as the teams which were making the strongest pushes to acquire Samuel. In short order, a deal has been reached which will send the former All-Pro to the nation’s capital. Washington had recently been linked to the pursuit of a receiver capable of complementing Terry McLaurin, and if healthy Samuel will be able to fit the bill.

The 29-year-old spent spent his first six years with San Francisco, serving as a key figure on offense and establishing himself as a unique skill-position weapon. Samuel’s most productive season by far came in 2021, when he racked up over 1,400 receiving yards and led the NFL in yards per catch (18.2). The former second-rounder also scored eight rushing touchdowns while succeeding in his ‘wide back’ role.

The 2022 offseason was defined in large part for the 49ers by the protracted negotiating process on a Samuel extension (something the team has become increasingly familiar with). The South Carolina product requested a trade at one point, but a three-year, $71.55MM agreement was ultimately worked out. One year remains on the deal, and Schefter notes the Commanders are taking on the full amount of the outstanding compensation.

As a result, Washington will pay Samuel roughly $17.55MM in 2025 barring an extension or restructure being worked out upon arrival. Given his injury troubles and decline production since signing his deal, this will be a critical campaign for the one-time Pro Bowler. On the 49ers’ end, this transaction will save $15.68MM on the team’s cap but generate $31.55MM in dead money.

In spite of that financial impact, this move comes as no surprise from San Francisco’s perspective. Samuel was the subject of trade talk at the draft last spring, and the 49ers’ monster extension for Brandon Aiyuk (and, to a much lesser extent, their new deal for Jauan Jennings) represented commitments to other wideouts for the post-2024 future. Once Ricky Pearsall was added in the first round of the draft, expectations increased that Samuel would be on the move after this past season. General manager John Lynch recently confirmed the 49ers would honor Samuel’s most recent trade request.

Commanders general manager Adam Peters previously worked in the 49ers’ front office, a factor which helps explain how he and Lynch managed to work out a trade well in advance of free agency. Anthony Lynn – who joined the Commanders’ coaching staff under Dan Quinn last offseason – has also worked with Samuel in San Francisco, so he represents another familiar face. If all goes according to plan, this trade could result in a long-term partnership between team and player via a new contract.

Washington traded away former first-rounder Jahan Dotson shortly into the beginning of the Peters-Quinn regime, something which left team short on WR2 options. Veteran Noah Brown played a notable role on offense before being lost to injury, and he has expressed a desire to re-sign with the Commanders. It will be interesting to see how the team’s in-house plans at the receiver position change in the wake of the Samuel acquisition.

As for the 49ers, their passing attack will continue to be centered on Aiyuk (presuming, of course, the latest round of trade interest in his case his rebuffed), Jennings, Pearsall and extension candidate George Kittle. Talks with the latter, along with quarterback Brock Purdy, have begun. Working out a long-term extension which will keep Purdy in place represents the top priority for the 49ers, but the offense he will be at the helm of in 2025 and likely beyond will not include Samuel.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Rams To Retain Matthew Stafford

February 28th, 2025 at 11:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Speculation about Matthew Stafford‘s future is now over. The decorated quarterback will remain with the Rams for at least one more season.

A new, restructured deal was first reported to be agreed upon by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team has since announced the news that Stafford is staying put. He will play a fifth season with the Rams.

Financial details have not yet emerged, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes this new Rams deal will be worth less than Stafford could have landed on a pact with a new team. A trade remained a distinct possibility once his camp received permission to find a trade partner, a development which came about amidst challenges with respect to working out another short-term arrangement. Team and player avoided a training camp holdout last year by increasing Stafford’s 2024 pay without adding new years (or future guarantees) to his pact.

As a result, the Super Bowl winner approached the new league year with $27MM in base pay scheduled, including a $4MM roster bonus due next month. Finding a resolution before that point represented a logical goal for all involved, and an agreement has in fact been made. The most recent reporting on this storyline – the dominant topic of conversation at the Combine – noted Stafford was set to speak with the Rams today.

To say the least, that summit has gone over quite well. Stafford will continue his tenure in Los Angeles, which has included a Super Bowl win and one of his two career Pro Bowls. He has continued to deal with a number of ailments during the second chapter of his NFL tenure, however, and in 2022 he was limited to only nine games played. The Georgia product has remained generally durable since then, but questions of availability will remain moving forward.

In the wake of the Rams’ divisional round loss, Stafford took time to contemplate his future. He quickly made it known he intended to continue playing in 2025, and Sean McVay and the Rams have repeatedly stated their desire to keep him in the fold. That will be the case in spite of numerous conversations taking place between Stafford’s camp and interested teams. In particular, the Raiders and Giants made pitches to work out a contract agreement in the hopes of then attempting to generate a suitable package of draft capital to send to Los Angeles.

Both Las Vegas and New York were believed to be prepared to make a two-year offer including between $90MM and $100MM in guarantees. That comes as little surprise considering Stafford was known to be angling for an AAV of $50MM on his next pact. The Rams were reportedly unwilling to meet that asking price, so it will be interesting to see how this new arrangement takes shape. If additional void years are included as part of today’s arrangement, Stafford’s 2025 cap hit ($49.67MM) could be reduced.

The Raiders and Giants will now be forced to look elsewhere at the QB position. Stafford represented a massive offseason domino at the position, and the effect today’s news has on the other experienced passer set to reach the market will be notable. With an underwhelming draft class looming, teams could move with urgency in March to secure short-term fixes under center.

Veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo is a pending free agent, and his departure could lead to the Rams leaning on 2023 fourth-rounder Stetson Bennett (who has yet to play in the regular season) to handle QB2 duties. A Stafford successor is not in place in the organization, and his regression in statistical output from 2024 offers a warning sign that more could be coming in that regard moving forward. Nevertheless, McVay and the Rams will enjoy continuity atop the depth chart next season.

Rams To Re-Sign LT Alaric Jackson

February 28th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alaric Jackson will indeed be avoiding a trip to free agency. The fourth-year left tackle was known to be making progress on a new deal, and one is now in place.

Jackson and the Rams have agreed to a three-year contract, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. This will be a $57MM pact including $35MM in guarantees. Instead of hitting free agency, Jackson will now be on the books through the 2027 campaign.

The former UDFA took over from Joe Noteboom as the Rams’ preferred left tackle ahead of the 2023 campaign. Noteboom’s efforts to serve as Andrew Whitworth‘s long-term successor did not go according to plan, opening the door for Jackson to step in. The latter has started all 29 of his appearances across the past two campaigns.

Jackson earned a PFF grade of 66.6 during his first full campaign atop the depth chart. That left plenty of room for improvement, but the Rams made a short-term commitment to him via the second-round RFA tender last offseason. That move allowed him to collect $4.89MM during the 2024 campaign; the 26-year-old’s play certainly allowed him to command a much more lucrative pact this time around.

Showing improvement in pass protection in particular, Jackson graded out as PFF’s 18th-best tackle in 2024. It thus comes as no surprise he represented a key offseason priority for the Rams. Shortly after an agreement was reached which will keep quarterback Matthew Stafford in the fold for at least 2025, the team has additional cost certainty on offense.

12 offensive tackles are currently attached to an AAV of at least $20MM. Jackson’s deal checks in at $19MM per season, confirmation that he does not have the track record of many of the blockers ahead of him in the financial pecking order but also a strong commitment on the part of the Rams that he will continue developing over the life of the deal. Details on Stafford’s new pact are not yet known, but it is safe to assume Jackson will remain in place through the team’s transition to a new starting QB.

The right tackle spot could be a question mark in the future for the Rams since Rob Havenstein‘s $11.5MM-per-year deal will expire after the 2025 campaign. Regardless of whether or not the 32-year-old is retained past the coming season, though, Jackson’s medium-term future is now secure. The Windsor, Ontario native will look to justify this lucrative investment while remaining a key figure up front for Los Angeles.

The Rams can now turn their attention to sorting out their interior O-line situation. 2024 free agent signing Jonah Jackson has been given permission to seek a trade, having been benched midway though his debut Los Angeles season. A parting of ways could be on tap in that situation, but Alaric Jackson will remain a mainstay on the blindside for years to come.

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