HEADLINES

OL Justin Pugh Retires

July 25th, 2025 at 12:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Pugh‘s time in the NFL has come to an end. On Friday, the veteran offensive lineman announced his decision to retire as a member of the Giants (h/t Dan Duggan of The Athletic).

“Not many players get to go out on their terms, and after 11 years playing in the NFL, I am officially retiring from the league,” Pugh said (via ESPN.com). “I thought I was going to do another one, but just didn’t have it in the tank. I started losing weight and started feeling good, and didn’t want to do a 12th year.”

Pugh entered the league as a Giants first-rounder. His first stint with the team lasted five years, and during that span he handled starting reps at multiple spots. After beginning at right tackle, he moved inside and split most of his time between left and right guard.

During his first trip to free agency, Pugh landed a five-year pact with the Cardinals. The Syracuse product remained a full-time starter throughout his tenure in Arizona, although in two of his five campaigns there he was limited to single-digit games due to injury. Pugh occasionally saw time elsewhere along the team’s offensive line, but for the most part his Cardinals run saw him entrenched at left guard.

Over the course of his first Giants stint, Pugh drew a number of favorable PFF reviews. He never managed a Pro Bowl nod over the course of his career, however, and his extended run as a starter along the interior did not yield strong evaluations over time. Pugh returned to New York in 2023 while the team dealt with a slew of injuries up front; he wound up starting all 12 of his appearances that year while filling in at left tackle and left guard. No repeat of that setup was deemed necessary last season.

After spending the 2024 campaign out of the league, Pugh will not attempt another comeback with the Giants or any other team. The 34-year-old racked up 134 combined regular and postseason appearances over the course of his career, starting all but three of them. Between his various Giants and Cardinals contracts, Pugh amassed over $54MM in earnings.

TE Noah Fant To Visit Saints

July 25th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Noah Fant‘s free agent tour began yesterday with the Bengals. The veteran tight end is exploring his options before taking a new deal, though.

Fant will meet with the Saints, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. He adds yesterday’s Bengals summit went well, meaning a Cincinnati agreement is still possible. It will be interesting to see how this New Orleans visit plays out.

Fant is among the top free agents on the market during the opening stages of training camp. He was released by the Seahawks on Sunday in a cost-shedding move. The 27-year-old spent the past three seasons in Seattle, operating as the team’s top tight end. In spite of that workload, Fant was unable to replicate his production from his three-year Broncos stint.

The former first-rounder posted at least 40 receptions and 562 yards every year with Denver. Fant managed 130 catches during his time in Seattle, but he not able to be as efficient with his second career team. Still, he could offer a boost to the passing attack of any number of interested suitors.

The Saints still have tight end Juwan Johnson in the fold after he re-signed on a three-year, $30.75MM pact this offseason. Fellow veteran Foster Moreau is also set to reprise his role as a regular on offense. Taysom Hill joined Moreau on the active/PUP list this week as he rehabs an ACL tear. Bringing in Fant would offer healthy depth at the tight end spot for a Saints team looking to avoid the skill position injuries suffered on offense last season.

New Orleans is using training camp and the preseason to determine the team’s starting quarterback. Regardless of who the Saints – currently armed with almost $23MM in cap space – wind up handing the reins to, Fant would be capable of adding depth at the TE spot with a signing.

Raiders Release DT Christian Wilkins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Browns LB Jordan Hicks Retires

July 25th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Adam La Rose

Jordan Hicks worked as a full-time starter with the Browns last season, and he was in position to do the same again in 2025. Instead, the veteran linebacker is hanging up his cleats.

Hicks announced on Instagram Friday (via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal) that he has retired. One year remains on his contract, but today’s news means Cleveland will likely be in the market for a linebacker addition. The team was already shorthanded at that spot given Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah‘s reserve/PUP designation in May which ensured he will miss all of the coming season.

“After 23 years of playing football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Hicks’ announcement reads in part. “Football has given me more than I could have ever imagined… I’m looking forward to this next season of life and all that it brings. I walk away with peace knowing I gave football all I had, and that the best is yet to come.”

Hicks, 33, entered the NFL as an Eagles third-rounder. He played out his rookie contract with Philadelphia, establishing himself as a regular first-team presence on defense. The Texas product then spent three years with the Cardinals, logging over 1,000 snaps in each campaign. Hicks was released in 2022, but his time on the free agent market proved to be short-lived.

A two-year Vikings pact allowed Hicks to operate as a starter with his third career team. While in Minnesota, he reached triple-digit tackles both times, extending his streak in that regard to five years. Hicks took a two-year, $8MM pact to join the Browns last March, and he was a regular when healthy in 2024. Injury resulted in just 12 games played, but a notable snap share would have been expected this time around (especially with Owusu-Koramoah not in the picture for 2025).

Cleveland’s linebacker depth chart also includes Devin Bush, although the former first-rounder is facing simple assault and harassment charges from an alleged domestic violence incident. Even if Bush does wind up playing a full campaign in 2025, today’s news means the Browns will need to rely even more on second-round rookie Carson Schwesinger as a starter than they were already in position to. It will be interesting to see if the team pursues a short-term veteran signing in the near future.

A member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team from 2017, Hicks will depart the NFL after playing 138 combined regular and postseason games. In addition to a championship, he exits the game with over $44MM in career earnings.

James Cook Participating In Training Camp; RB Still Discussing Bills Extension

July 24th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

2025 has witnessed a pair of training camp holdouts and the attendance/participation of other extension-seeking players will remain a storyline to follow in the coming days. With respect to James Cook, things have been business as usual regarding his on-field work.

The two-time Pro Bowler participated in full during the Bills’ first training camp practice. That is expected to continue, as noted by Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic (subscription required). Earlier this month, it was unclear if a hold-in would take place, but Cook said he did not consider such a move. The former second-rounder remains focused on securing a Bills extension, although it still remains to be seen if a big-ticket deal will come from Buffalo or another team next spring.

“I mean, we have talks. I’m never going to give up,” Cook said during his first public remarks since arriving at camp. “I deserve it — what I want, what I need. It’s going to eventually happen. I mean, however it happens, it’s going to get done. Wherever it happens.”

A mutual interest still exists for an agreement to be reached allowing Cook to play on his second contract with the Bills. Since an asking price of $15MM per season became public, however, little progress has been made with respect to negotiations. One year remains on the Georgia product’s rookie contract, and a season similar to 2024 would position him for a major raise. Cook tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns last season (16) and averaged nearly 91 yards per game on the ground during the playoffs.

While the 25-year-old should be expected to remain productive for the foreseeable future, he logged a snap share of only 48% in 2024. Cook has yet to establish himself as a true three-down workhorse similar to many of the top earners at the running back spot (a position whose market currently has seven players averaging between $10MM and $20.6MM annually). The Bills still have Ray Davis and Ty Johnson in the fold, so a major increase in Cook’s 2025 workload compared to past years would come as a surprise. In any case, general manager Brandon Beane remains hopeful a deal can be struck at some point.

“As I’ve said all along, I love James Cook. You know how I am. I want to draft, develop, re-sign our own,” Beane said. “It is a business. We have to fit it in, not only cash, but cap… But we also have to look at ’26, ’27 and beyond… So all those things have to make sense for us to fit in him.” 

This offseason, Beane and the Bills have worked out long-term deals with Christian Benford, Gregory Rousseau, Terrel Bernard and Khalil Shakir. In each case, those moves ensured a departure next spring will not be possible. Cook still looms as a candidate for a multi-year pact of his own, and his situation will no doubt remain a storyline until and unless an agreement can be reached.

Cardinals LB J.J. Russell Carted Off Field Following Collision

July 24th, 2025 at 8:30pm CST by Ben Levine

There was a scary moment at Cardinals practice today. According to Darren Urban of the team’s website, linebacker J.J. Russell was involved in a collision before being placed on a backboard and carted off the field. The player has since been released from the hospital and re-joined the team after tests were negative, per the organization.

The Cardinals passed along an update earlier tonight that the player was alert and had movement in all his extremities following the collision.

“JJ Russell is being evaluated for a head [and] neck injury suffered in this afternoon’s practice,” the team said. “He was alert on the field [and] had movement in all his extremities. He has been taken to a local hospital for further testing [and] continued evaluation.”

Per Urban, Russell was injured when he collided with safety Kitan Crawford while trying to break up a pass attempt. Players gathered around the linebacker before he was carted off the field.

Russell joined the Cardinals this offseason after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Buccaneers. The former UDFA out of Memphis got into 30 games during his time in Tampa Bay, including a 2024 campaign where he appeared in a career-high 16 games. He finished last season with 33 tackles, with more than half of his snaps coming on special teams.

Russell will likely be competing for a similar ST role in Arizona, although he could also push for reps at weakside linebacker. Akeem Davis-Gaither was added in free agency to lead that position grouping, with Owen Pappoe and Vi Jones providing the rest of the depth at that position.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/24/25

July 24th, 2025 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: G Michael Jordan, OL Tyler McLellan
  • Waived/injured: OL Silas Dzansi
  • Placed on reserve/retired list: OT Garret Greenfield

Washington Commanders

Following rumblings yesterday that Artie Burns may have suffered a season-ending injury, the bad news was confirmed today, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Dolphins cornerback indeed suffered a torn ACL. It’s a tough break for the veteran, who’s looking to revive his NFL career after being limited to only four games with the Seahawks last season. The Dolphins were quick to sign a replacement, as Miami signed Cornell Armstrong. A former sixth-round pick by the Dolphins, Armstrong last appeared in an NFL game in 2022, when he started four of his nine games for the Falcons.

The Buccaneers did some shuffling on their offensive line today. In comes a pair of lineman: Michael Jordan, who started 11 games for the Patriots last season, and Tyler McLellan, a six-foot-eight, 355-pound lineman out of Campbell. Garret Greenfield, a UDFA in the 2024 draft, has apparently decided to hang up his cleats, and the team also moved on from Silas Dzansi with an injury designation.

The Commanders were looking ahead to 2026 today, as the team added an extra year to Percy Butler‘s contract. The former fourth-round pick has had some run in the starting lineup, including a 2023 season where he started 13 games while compiling 64 tackles and eight passes defended. He started five of 17 games in 2024 while establishing himself as one of Washington’s special teams aces.

Nathaniel Hackett Joins Packers Staff

July 24th, 2025 at 7:55pm CST by Ben Levine

A familiar face is back with the Packers. Coach Matt LaFleur revealed today that former offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is back with the organization in “an analyst role for our defense,” per Albert Breer of TheMMQB.

Hackett was once one of the bright, young offensive minds in the NFL. After cutting his teeth as the Bills offensive coordinator, he took the same role with the Jaguars in 2016. Jacksonville had a pair of dismal seasons during Hackett’s three years on the sideline, but their one successful campaign saw the offense finish the year ranked fifth in points scored.

He caught on with LaFleur’s new staff in Green Bay ahead of the 2019 season. Working alongside Aaron Rodgers, Hackett helped guide the Packers offense to three relatively successful seasons. This included a 2020 season where Green Bay led the league in points scored, and the team followed that up with a 10th-place showing in 2021. Rodgers also won back-to-back MVPs while playing in Hackett’s system.

That performance helped earn the coach his first (and, at the moment, only) head coaching gig in Denver, but things couldn’t have gone much worse. After guiding the Broncos to a 4-11 start, Hackett was fired from his role, making him only the fifth head coach since 1970 to not make it through a full season with his new club. Still, his relationship with Rodgers helped get him the OC job with the Jets in 2023.

We’re all familiar with how that went. Rodgers’ season-ending injury in 2023 helped buy Hackett another season, but when Jeff Ulbrich took over as interim HC following Robert Saleh‘s firing in 2024, the OC was stripped of his play-calling duties. Predictably, Hackett was let go by the end of the campaign.

Now, he’ll resurface in a familiar spot in Green Bay. It’s interesting that he’s been hired for a defensive role, although it’s not particularly rare in today’s day and age. Just last year, the Packers made a similar hire with Saleh, as the ousted Jets coach was hired to provide a defensive viewpoint to the team’s offense.

“I just think it’s a fresh perspective,” LaFleur said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky). “You kind of, especially when you take a defensive guy and put them on offense and vice versa, and offensive guy and defense, it gives you a little different lens to see it through and talk through. And so, he’s sitting in with all our, with our defensive staff, and he’s been in the linebacker room and kind of just going through the film and, you know, gives them a good offensive perspective.”

Titans Unlikely To Add Another Quarterback

July 24th, 2025 at 5:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans are down a quarterback following Will Levis‘ sudden season-ending shoulder surgery. While the injury opens up even more camp reps for first-overall pick Cam Ward, there was some speculation that the organization could look to add another player at the position.

[RELATED: Titans QB Will Levis To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery]

It sounds like that won’t be the case. Titans GM Mike Borgonzi told reporters that he feels good about his current grouping of quarterbacks and doesn’t anticipate adding another player to the mix (via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website). Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com passed along a similar sentiment yesterday, stating that the Titans are unlikely to add a fourth QB to the depth chart.

To the Titans’ credit, the team did add a pair of veteran QBs to their roster this offseason, bringing in both Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle. Allen brings 10 games of starting experience to Tennessee, one of which came last season with the 49ers. In that contest, the veteran completed 17 of his 29 pass attempts for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a San Francisco loss. Boyle is winless in his five career starts, including a two-game starting gig with the Jets during the 2023 campaign.

Those two options are uninspiring, and there’s a chance the team only carries one backup heading into the regular season. Allen would appear to have the upper hand in the QB2 competition, as the player previously worked with head coach Brian Callahan when the two were in Cincinnati.

“He’s got a great feel for the system, how to operate,” Callahan said of Allen (via John Glennon of the Nashville Post). “He understands the role of the backup quarterback. He’s got a lot of experience he can share with Cam as well, from all the places he’s been, and things he’s done and seen … He can help manage the offense, operate it when he steps in there.”

Despite being in the NFL for only two seasons, Levis brings more starting experience than his two potential replacements, as the former second-round pick got an extended look as QB1 between 2023 and 2024. The team’s addition of Ward put Levis in a somewhat awkward spot, and the incumbent was a popular name in trade rumors this offseason. With Levis now out for the season, he’ll be sticking in Tennessee at least through the 2025 campaign.

Colts, Bernhard Raimann Talking Extension

July 24th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

One year remains on Bernhard Raimann‘s rookie contract. To little surprise, talks on an extension have taken place between the Colts and their starting left tackle.

Raimann has handled first-team duties for 40 of his 45 career games with Indianapolis. The 27-year-old Austrian has yet to log a full 17-game slate, but he figures to be in the team’s long-term plans. While negotiations on a new deal are underway, though, a gap exists between team and player at this point.

“From my understanding, is that the numbers don’t quite add up yet,” Raimann said when speaking to Jake Query of 107.5 The Fan. “They way they might value a position differently than my team thinks it is. We’re working on things.”

Of course, differences between the initial asking price from a player’s camp and the team’s valuation is commonplace in extension talks. As training camp progresses, it will be interesting to see if progress can be made allowing for a deal to be reached by Week 1. If no agreement is struck, 2025 will become a crucial campaign Raimann’s case.

The former third-rounder has seen his PFF evaluation improve with each passing season far in his career. Raimann ranked 25th amongst qualifying tackles as a rookie, but he has landed in the top 10 for each of the past two campaigns. A similar showing this year would certainly boost his stock on either a second Colts pact or one sending him to a new team via free agency (although the franchise tag would allow Indianapolis to prevent a departure in March).

The Colts already have Quenton Nelson attached to a deal averaging $20MM per season, making him one of only five NFL guards with an AAV that high. Right tackle Braden Smith – who agreed to a pay cut this offseason and is a pending 2026 free agent – is the only other offensive linemen on the team on the books at a notable figure. Two in-house blockers (center Tanor Bortolini and right guard Matt Goncalves) are set to take on full-time starting roles in the wake of center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries joining the Vikings in free agency. Raimann leaving on the open market would be even more consequential to the Colts, so the progress of negotiations will be worth watching in his case.

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