HEADLINES

Cowboys-Micah Parsons Negotiations Could Be Held Up By Term Length

June 19th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cowboys are no strangers to lengthy negotiating periods with high-profile players, and this offseason has proven to be no exception. Micah Parsons is still a pending 2026 free agent with this year’s offseason program in the books.

He and owner Jerry Jones spoke months ago and made considerable progress toward a final agreement. Nothing is in place now, though, and the two parties have not spoken for some time. Finances are always a key factor in extension talks, but the length of a deal is crucial as well. On the latter point, the Cowboys have often favored longer agreements and it appears that could be an issue with respect to Parsons.

Term length seems to be a sticking point between the Cowboys and the two-time All-Pro, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes (video link). Longer deals with the likes of Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and DeMarcus Lawrence have demonstrated the team’s preference when it comes to big-ticket extensions. More recently, pacts for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb (both four years in length) illustrate how that approach may be shifting in the wake of player preferring more frequent opportunities to test the market.

At the age of 26 and with 52.5 sacks to his name, Parsons is an obvious candidate for a major raise over the course of several years. The four-time Pro Bowler intends to reset the EDGE market on his new deal, something which would require surpassing Myles Garrett‘s $40MM per year as things stand. Extensions for the likes of T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson and Trey Hendrickson could move the bar even higher this summer, something which would add to the cost of waiting on the Cowboys’ part.

It is unclear what terms Dallas is prepared to offer in this case, along with the particulars Parsons is seeking. With a training camp hold-in looming, though, progress regarding not only financials but also contract structure will need to be made over the next few weeks.

Guarantees At Issue In Steelers’ T.J. Watt Negotiations?

June 19th, 2025 at 10:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

Spring practices have come and gone without a deal being worked out between T.J. Watt and the Steelers. The former Defensive Player of the Year skipped mandatory minicamp in an indication of the gap which remains between the parties regarding negotiations.

[RELATED: Steelers Have Submitted At Least One Watt Extension Offer]

To little surprise, guaranteed compensation appears to be a sticking point in this case. Bleacher Report’s James Palmer notes the extent to which the Steelers are willing to make a new major commitment in terms of locked in money will be a determining factor in whether or not an agreement is reached (video link). Like many others, Palmer predicts a deal will be in place by the regular season.

If all goes well, Watt will report to training camp next month with his third Steelers contract in hand. The 30-year-old has one season remaining on his existing pact, and he is owed $21.05MM in 2025. In terms of average annual value, Watt currently sits sixth after his deal moved him to the top of the pecking order at signing. The pass rush market is currently topped by Myles Garrett ($40MM per year), and the likes of Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons could create a new benchmark this summer.

Watt tied the all-time single-season sack record (22.5) in 2021 before a torn pec limited him to 10 games the following year. The four-time All-Pro bounced back by leading the league in sacks once again in 2023, something which will of course help his bargaining position. On the other hand, Watt saw his sack total drop to 11.5 last season (although he topped the NFL with six forced fumbles). Given his age, the Steelers will no doubt be more hesitant about a monster extension this time around than when Watt was coming off his rookie deal.

Pittsburgh has Alex Highsmith in place as a fellow first-team edge rusher, and Nate Herbig along with fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer are in position to operate as notable depth options. The team’s defense will continue to rely heavily on Watt in 2025, though, and his situation will remain worth watching closely as a result. In the coming weeks, a renewed push could be made to arrive at an agreement regarding guaranteed money on a new long-term pact and thus to finalize an extension.

LB C.J. Mosley Retires

June 19th, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Still unsigned deep into the offseason, C.J. Mosley will not continue his career in 2025. The veteran linebacker informed CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Thursday that he is retiring.

“Today, it is time to wake up from my childhood dream and share it with the next generation,” Mosley said on Instagram while officially announcing his decision (video link). “I spent my whole life and career building my legacy. Now it’s time to start a new chapter with new dreams.”

Mosley was long seen as a cut candidate for the Jets this offseason, and he was indeed let go in March. The 33-year-old (as of today) became a free agent as a result, but no suitors showed interest up to this point. Mosley intended to keep playing this season, but that will no longer be the case.

A first-round pick of the Ravens in 2014, Mosley immediately took on starting duties and established himself as one of the league’s most productive linebackers. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in four of his five Baltimore campaigns before departing on the open market. Mosley landed a five-year, $85MM pact with the Jets, a deal which did not pay early dividends for the team. The Alabama product was limited to two games in 2019 and he was among the players who sat out the following campaign due to COVID-19 concerns.

Each year from 2021-23, Mosley was able to remain available to his second career team. During that stretch, he continued to record triple-digit tackles (something he managed seven times during his NFL tenure). A herniated disc resulted in considerable missed time this past season, however, and that injury led to new questions about a potential parting of ways. Using a post-June 1 designation, the Jets proceeded with Mosley’s release to get out of the final year of his contract.

New York retained fellow linebacker Jamien Sherwood on a $15MM-per-year deal this spring, and he will be counted on to remain one of the team’s most productive defenders moving forward. With respect to the remaining market at the LB spot, meanwhile, the likes of Eric Kendricks, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Kyzir White are still available to teams looking to make an addition ahead of training camp. Mosley – whose career included five second-team All-Pro nods – will now turn his attention to his post-playing days.

Thanks in large part to his free agent Jets deal (a record-breaking accord for linebackers at the time), Mosley accumulated over $88MM in career earnings. He will depart the NFL with 136 combined regular and postseason games to his name at the pro level following a college tenure which included a pair of national championships.

Saints’ Tyler Shough Wants Fully Guaranteed Deal, Delaying Second-Round Signings

June 19th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Several second-round picks from the 2025 NFL Draft remain unsigned as they seek fully guaranteed rookie contracts, according to Joel Corry of CBS Sports.

Back in May, the Texans gave No. 34 pick Jayden Higgins a fully guaranteed deal, the first of its kind for a second-round pick. In past years, the first few picks of the second round have received three years of fully-guaranteed money with increasing fourth-year guarantees after each draft. The Texans’ move put pressure on the Browns to do the same with No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger, which they did the next day.

With this new precedent, Saints second-round quarterback Tyler Shough is demanding a fully-guaranteed rookie contract of his own, per Corry. That would be a sizable jump from 2024 No. 40 pick Cooper DeJean, who only received partial guarantees in his third year and none in his fourth, per OverTheCap. Shough was taken with pick No. 40, six spots after Higgins, but the recent retirement of Derek Carr has positioned him as the Saints’ starting quarterback, giving him some extra leverage in negotiations.

Knowing that, the players drafted between Higgins and Shough are waiting to sign with their teams. If Shough can get a fully guaranteed contract from the Saints, every player selected before him will have an argument to receive the same deal. However, their teams will argue that Shough’s situation – and quarterbacks in general – are unique when it comes to contract negotiations.

Players selected in the early 40s will also be “hoping to benefit from a trickle-down effect” from Shough’s negotiations, according to Corry. If he extracts a fully guaranteed deal, the next few picks will push for their first three years to be fully guaranteed and potentially ask for guarantees in the fourth year as well.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/19/25

June 19th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

Canella has spent time with four different NFL teams, per Browns team writer Kelsey Russo, but he has never been able to make a regular season roster. He will look to change that in Cleveland after leading the UFL in receiving touchdowns in 2024 and earning an All-UFL nod this past spring.

To make room on the roster, the Browns waived McKitty, a 2021 third-round pick by the Chargers. He carved out a blocking role during his first two years in Los Angeles, but was released eight weeks into the 2023 season and has not appeared in a regular season game since.

Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs Aiming For Week 1 Return

June 19th, 2025 at 8:24pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is aiming to return to the field by the start of the regular season, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

Diggs has struggled with injuries in the past two years. He tore his ACL during a September 2023 practice and missed the rest of the year. The five-year veteran recovered in time for the regular season next fall and started the Cowboys’ first 10 games despite a lingering calf injury. However, Diggs was unable to play through another issue with his knee, which ultimately required surgery in January.

Diggs was present at the team’s mandatory minicamp last week, though he did not participate in any on-field work. He is not expected to be ready for the start of training camp, either. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in April that Diggs could even start the season on the physically unable to perform list, which would sideline him for the team’s first four games. That would give Diggs more time to get ready for the season, especially if he does not have a full ramp-up period during training camp.

However, the 26-year-old has plenty of reason to push for a Week 1 debut. Even if he stays healthy this year, Diggs could find himself a free agent next offseason, per The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf. He led the league with 11 interceptions in 2021 but has struggled to replicate that form since, though he has given up significantly fewer yards in coverage.

Diggs’ contract has no guaranteed money after 2025, per OverTheCap, and he’s due $57MM from 2026 to 2028. With escalating cap hits for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb – not to mention Micah Parsons‘ pending mega-deal – the Cowboys may elect to move on from Diggs to help balance the books.

All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland is also entering the final year of his rookie contract and could command upwards of $20MM per year on an extension. Releasing Diggs with a post-June 1 designation would save $15.5MM against the 2026 salary cap with just $2.94MM in dead money in 2025 and 2026. This future adds a key ingredient to Diggs’ latest rehab odyssey.

Josh Simmons Expected To Fully Participate In Training Camp

June 19th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chiefs are expecting first-round pick Josh Simmons to be a full participant in training camp, according to ESPN’s Adam Teicher.

Simmons, the No. 32 selection in April’s draft, ruptured his patellar tendon last October, prematurely ending his final year at Ohio State and sidelining him throughout the pre-draft process. That led to uncertainty regarding his availability for the start of the 2025 season.

The Chiefs believe that Simmons can be their Week 1 starter at left tackle, provided he’s healthy. They have reason to be encouraged after he participated in OTAs and mandatory minicamp. Spring practices are less physically demanding than training camp, allowing Simmons to get integrated into the Chiefs offense without threatening his ongoing rehab. Once pads and contact are introduced in July, Kansas City will have a stronger idea of Simmons’ ability to take the field in Week 1.

“He’s done a nice job, he’s worked well, and we’ll just see what training camp does,” head coach Andy Reid said of Simmons. “It’s different when things are flying fast up there and you’ve got full contact and pads on.”

Third-year wide receiver Rashee Rice, who also suffered a season-ending leg injury last fall, also participated in the team’s offseason practices and is still on track to fully participate in training camp. Barring any setback, Rice should be ready for Week 1, though his availability could be threatened by a potential suspension stemming from a hit-and-run accident — one that brought eight felony charges — last March.

NFC Staff Changes: 49ers, Buccaneers, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Vikings

June 19th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers announced a flurry of staff changes this week, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group, including the promotions of RJ Gillen and Brian Hampton to assistant general managers.

Gillien has been with the 49ers’ scouting department since 2015. He spent the last two years as the director of player personnel and will continue leading the team’s pro scouting operations.

Hampton started as a football operations intern in 2003 and rose through the ranks to become the director of football administration and analytics in 2010. He held that position for a decade before a promotion to vice president of football administration in 2020. Hampton is primarily focused on the 49ers’ roster construction and contract negotiations, particularly relating to the salary cap.

The 49ers also made three promotions in their scouting department – Jordan Fox to player personnel scout, Jason Kwon to pro scout, and Ryan Schutta to area scout – as well as two changes in football research and development. Shravan Ramamurthy was promoted to manager, while Benjamin Klein was hired as a performance analyst. The team also promoted Corry Rush to executive vice president of player personnel.

A number of other NFC teams also made staff changes in recent weeks:

  • The Buccaneers hired Ty Shiflet and Griffin Moore as scouting assistants, per Greg Auman of The Athletic. Shiflet was formerly a personnel assistant at LSU, while Moore was a college tight end at Illinois and Texas State.
  • The Eagles are planning to hire LSU director of player personnel Preston Tiffany, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. He previously held the same position at Ole Miss.
  • The Falcons hired Ari Glazier as a junior football data analyst, per Inside The League’s Neil Stratton. Glazier worked with the Syracuse football team for the 2024 season while pursuing degrees in sports analytics and economics.
  • The Giants promoted Justin Markus to from BLESTO scout to Midwest area scout, according to Stratton. Before joining the Giants, Markus was a video intern with the Jets and a recruiting analyst at Rice University.
  • The Vikings promoted Michelle Mankoff from college and pro scouting analyst to college scout, per Stratton. She previously interned with the Bills and the XFL.

Steelers Still Exploring WR Addition

June 19th, 2025 at 2:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 19: While also noting a trade is being looked into, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic writes the Steelers could very well wait until training camp to pursue a noteworthy receiver addition (subscription required). Austin and Wilson should have plenty of opportunities to earn a starter’s role; should they struggle to do so or face injury issues, though, Pittsburgh will remain a team to watch on this front.

JUNE 12: Four trades including receivers have taken place this offseason, and the Steelers have been involved in two of them. Pittsburgh’s depth chart will be led by D.K. Metcalf in 2025 and beyond, but questions linger about who will operate as the team’s No. 2 option.

Incumbents Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson are each set to have an increased role in the passing game as things stand. The Steelers have added a veteran in the form of Robert Woods, but acquiring another experienced option closer to their prime remains a goal. Pittsburgh is still “actively making calls” regarding a receiver trade while also looking into the remaining free agent options, per Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.

[RELATED: Steelers Were Among Chris Godwin’s Suitors]

Last month, it was reported the Steelers were content to evaluate their in-house wideouts before strongly pursuing an outside addition. With OTAs and minicamp now in the books, they have been able to do so. The likes of Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper – who have a combined 11 Pro Bowls to their names – are among the veterans still in need of a deal at this point of the offseason. Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers contract is now on the books, but even taking into account that one-year pact Pittsburgh still has nearly $19MM in cap space.

Finances will therefore not be an issue on the free agent front. With respect to trades, general manager Omar Khan has shown a willingness to pursue a high-profile move more than once. Prior to this year’s Metcalf swap, the Steelers reached agreement on a Brandon Aiyuk trade. He eventually landed a 49ers extension, though, something which fueled efforts to acquire a rental at the 2024 trade deadline. Mike Williams did not perform as hoped upon arrival, and he has since retuned to the Chargers.

No wideouts have a standing trade request (at least in public) at this point. Pittsburgh could nevertheless look to bring in a starting-caliber option before training camp. In the meantime, Austin in particular will continue preparing for a notable offensive role. The 26-year-old was sidelined for his entire rookie season and handled a part-time workload the following campaign. In 2024, though, Austin averaged 15.2 yards per catch while recording four touchdowns and chipping in as a punt returner as well.

2025 represents a key season in Austin’s case. Kaboly notes the Steelers have not approached the former fourth-rounder about an extension, but Austin could certainly boost his market value with a career-high in production. That, in turn, will of course depend on what moves (if any) Pittsburgh makes at the receiver spot this summer.

CB Jaire Alexander Preferred To Remain With Packers?

June 19th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jaire Alexander sweepstakes came to an end on Wednesday when he agreed to a deal with the Ravens. 2025 will mark the first season of his career played outside of Green Bay.

Alexander’s future was a talking point for much of the offseason, with the Packers holding trade talks on multiple occasions during the spring. Those efforts did not yield an agreement, as suitors were understandably leery of taking on the remaining two years of his contract. In the end, the two-time Pro Bowler got his wish in terms of being released (and thus choosing his next team via free agency) as opposed to a trade.

Before the Packers elected to move on, though, a push was made to work out a pay cut agreement. A restructure – in particular, one which would have made Alexander a free agent next offseason – was offered. It would appear the proposed short-term pact did not feature guaranteed compensation, a key factor a determining the end to this situation. Alexander’s father Landis spoke about the split with the Packers during an appearance on ESPN Wisconsin radio (video link).

“[Head coach] Matt LaFleur had reached out to him on his birthday, things like that,” Alexander said about discussions which took place with his son. “He wasn’t upset or angry with anybody. He wanted to come back. I thought that he was going to be there.”

At issue in this case, as Landis Alexander noted, was the fact the Packers’ pay cut offer did not feature any locked in money up front. None of the base salary originally owed ($16.5MM) was guaranteed, but a compromise was sought on Alexander’s side in which a reduction in overall pay was accompanied by a guarantee figure. Without any salary locked in or a signing bonus present in the offer – per the elder Alexander’s account of the negotiating process – the parties elected to move on.

Immediate interest was show once Alexander hit the open market, although the Ravens were not initially reported to be a suitor. Still, it comes as little surprise the Louisville product chose to reunite with college teammate Lamar Jackson for 2025. Alexander will collect $4MM in base pay with another $2MM available through incentives. That compensation falls well short of the $21MM annual average value of his previous deal, but the fact guaranteed money is present marks a contrast to the Packers’ stance.

It was reported yesterday the Ravens’ offer was not the most lucrative one Alexander fielded, something corroborated by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (subscription required). Now, the 28-year-old will join a secondary including other first-rounders at cornerback (Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins) and safety (Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks) as Baltimore looks to avoid the pass defense struggles which were prevalent for much of last season. The Packers, meanwhile, will proceed with a secondary no longer featuring its highest-paid member for 2025 and beyond.

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