Buccaneers To Extend RT Luke Goedeke
The Buccaneers are signing right tackle Luke Goedeke to a four-year contract extension, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. 
The deal is worth $90MM with $50MM guaranteed, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Goedeke’s $22.5MM APY is a slight increase on the deal signed by the Packers’ Zach Tom last month, making him the third-highest-paid right tackle and the 11th-highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL.
Goedeke was a two-year starter at right tackle for Central Michigan before the Buccaneers made him a second-round pick in 2022. He earned the starting left guard job out of training camp as a rookie, but struggled to adapt to the new position and was benched after Week 7. He then started in Week 18 at right tackle before moving back to left guard for the playoffs.
Tampa Bay moved Goedeke back to his natural position in 2023. He started every game during the regular season with significantly-improved results, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). A concussion sidelined him for four games in 2024, but he put up a strong performance across the season and entrenched himself as the Buccaneers’ long-term right tackle. The team’s decision-makers have now formalized that role with a deal that will keep Goedeke in Tampa Bay through the 2029 season.
Goedeke was set to head into the final year of his rookie contract before today’s deal. With the improvement the 26-year-old has shown each year, it was prudent for the Buccaneers to lock him down now, as opposed to letting him show another level of play in a contract year that might price himself out of Tampa Bay. While Goedeke is getting a strong deal to stay with the team that drafted him, the open market after a strong 2025 campaign could’ve made Goedeke a truly expensive commodity.
Right guard Cody Mauch will be in a similar situation as Goedeke next offseason, after having finished his third year of play, then it will be center Graham Barton the year after that. Barton, a first-rounder last year, would technically have a fifth-year option available to push back any possible deadline on extensions, but with the way offensive linemen are priced the same regardless of position in fifth-year option formulas, centers hardly see those options exercised.
With left tackle Tristan Wirfs under contract through 2030 following his extension last year, the Buccaneers now have the bookends to their offensive line secured for the foreseeable future. If the team works to extend Mauch and Barton in the future, as well, it will have done quick work to secure 80 percent of their offensive line long term. With the way the league has been won in the trenches in recent years, this focus on offensive line building could be a recipe for success.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Bills To Bring Back WR Gabe Davis
After one season out of Buffalo, Gabe Davis is on his way back. The veteran receiver has agreed to a Bills reunion, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Davis played out his rookie contract in Buffalo, establishing himself as a standout deep threat along the way. It came as no surprise when he departed on the open market, however. The 26-year-old landed a $13MM-per-year deal with the Jaguars in free agency. After one injury-filled campaign in Jacksonville, Davis was one of several receivers the team’s new regime elected to move on from.
That decision led to a long-running free agent process. Davis met with the 49ers, Giants and Saints once each this offseason, while also firmly remaining on the Steelers’ radar. A second visit with Pittsburgh took place last month, but no agreement was worked out. Shortly after that follow-up with the Steelers, Davis lined up a summit with the Bills. A familiar face to general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott, the former third-rounder did enough to land a new opportunity with his original team. Other offers were in play as well, Schefter’s colleague ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds.
A meniscus tear limited Davis to 10 games last year, and medical evaluations were a key focus of his visits. To no surprise, Schefter notes this will be a practice squad agreement. Veterans often take the taxi squad route upon joining teams once roster cuts have taken place. Davis will continue working toward full strength with an eye on moving to the active roster in short order.
Buffalo extended Khalil Shakir this offseason, making him one of many players to receive a long-term commitment on a second contract. The team also added Josh Palmer and Elijah Moore in free agency after seeing Amari Cooper and Mack Hollins depart. 2024 second-rounder Keon Coleman is positioned to take a step forward this season, with Palmer and Shakir handling notable roles along the way.
When he finds himself on the active roster, Davis will look to carve out a spot as well. The UCF product averaged 16.7 yards per catch and scored 27 touchdowns with the Bills. A strong second stint in Buffalo would help rebuild his value on another commitment from the team or a pact sending him elsewhere next spring.
Cowboys Set Focus On Deals With OL Tyler Smith, DE Sam Williams
SEPTEMBER 2: Though it looked like there might be a chance for the Cowboys to get a new deal done with Smith before the onset of the regular season, that appears less likely with the first game of the season less than 48 hours away. Smith doesn’t seem concerned about the delay in the slightest, though. Per an update on the team website, Smith’s attention is fully on Thursday’s season opener, as he remarks that “everything will happen in due time.”
AUGUST 31: Back in April the Cowboys set their sights on new deals for tight end Jake Ferguson, cornerback DaRon Bland, left guard Tyler Smith, and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Since then, Ferguson and Bland have received their desired extensions, and now, Smith should be the next priority in Dallas, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 
Smith came to Dallas as a first-round pick out of Tulsa in 2022. A left tackle during his time with the Golden Hurricane, Smith was expected to move inside to guard as a rookie. When veteran left tackle Tyron Smith suffered a torn hamstring, though, the rookie Smith was tapped as the next man up and looked like a natural as he started every game as the blindside blocker for a team that finished with the fourth-fewest sacks allowed in the NFL that year.
In his sophomore campaign, the Cowboys shifted Smith back inside to the left guard position he was expected to play as a rookie. Despite missing three games, Smith was named a second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler. When Tyron Smith departed in free agency, the team debated shifting Tyler Smith out to the left tackle role he excelled in as a rookie. Instead, Dallas drafted Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton at No. 29 overall and trusted the rookie with the left tackle job, allowing Smith to earn another Pro Bowl bid at left guard.
Now headed into the final year of his rookie contract, the Cowboys made the decision to exercise Smith’s fifth-year option. You don’t often see teams utilize a fifth-round option on an interior lineman, since the system for calculating the value of fifth-year options groups the usually cheaper interior linemen with notably more expensive tackles. The Cowboys likely don’t intend to pay out the option year but instead use the exercising of the option as a commitment to work towards an extension for the 24-year-old before his rookie contract expires.
Back in May, Smith changed up his representation in anticipation of contract negotiations. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that Smith and the team have started talks towards a new deal, and new head coach Brian Schottenheimer expressed hope that Smith would be the next player to get locked in long term.
Another player named as the next potential top priority for the team is defensive end Sam Williams, according to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys’ pick in the second round after Smith in 2022, Williams logged 8.5 sacks as a rotation rusher in his first two years with the team. He was expected to take on a potential starting role in 2024, but a torn ACL in training camp — with a partial MCL tear — took him out for the entire season. He now heads into the final year of his rookie contract and is once again expected to be a starter in 2025.
As owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones works to make everybody forget about Micah Parsons, it may be in his best interest to sign promising young players like Smith and Williams to long-term deals. They have another three days to talk, if they hope to get any more deals done before the regular season is underway.
Commanders Rookie T Josh Conerly Jr. To Start Week 1?
With unofficial depth charts coming out in the last few days before the regular season, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic pointed out that the Commanders have listed Oregon rookie Josh Conerly Jr. as the starting right tackle for Week 1 of the NFL season. If true, it would mean that the No. 29 overall pick of this year’s draft has officially won the position battle with incumbent starter Andrew Wylie. 
Last year, Washington counted on Wylie and third-round rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman to bookend the offensive line. On a line that gave up the eighth-most sacks in the NFL last year, neither player graded out favorably. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), out of 81 players graded at offensive tackle last year, Wylie ranked 57th and Coleman ranked 64th.
It now appears neither player will retain their starting duties from last year, as the team traded for former Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil early on in the offseason. Coleman, though, seems likely to keep a starting gig, even if not at left tackle. The second-year lineman out of TCU is currently slotted in as the first-team left guard. The bump inside shouldn’t be too difficult for Coleman, who started eight games at the position for the Horned Frogs in 2021.
Wylie, who has spent the past two seasons as the team’s starting right tackle, seems poised to serve in a swing tackle role for Washington in 2025. This makes his early-offseason pay cut make a bit more sense. Though, while last year’s starting left guard, Nick Allegretti, is listed as the first-team right guard for Week 1, the unofficial depth chart has an “or” between his name and Wylie’s.
Wylie has a versatile history, having started seasons at both right guard and left guard in the five years he spent in Kansas City before joining the Commanders. That, combined with Allegretti’s below average performance in his first full-time role as a starter last season, gives Wylie a decent shot at following Coleman’s path to bumping inside to retain a starting job. He’ll also likely be close by in the case that the rookie Conerly struggles at all in his first year of NFL play.
Conerly, a two-year starter for the Ducks, definitely showed areas that needed refinement as the left tackle in Eugene, but his athleticism, body control, and recovery balance made him a strong, bend-but-don’t-break tackle prospect with an ability to start early, if necessary. The Commanders have expressed a vision of Conerly being a left tackle for the team in the future, but with Tunsil manning the blind side at the moment, Washington will test Conerly’s ability to switch sides until potentially moving back to his normal position when Tunsil is no longer with the team.
With that in mind, it seems that Conerly will be tested in multiple ways this weekend. As he appears set to open his rookie season as a starter, the 21-year-old will be showcasing that he can both start early in his career and play on the right side of the offensive line.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/2/25
Here are today’s minor moves as we inch a day closer to the start of the regular season:
Carolina Panthers
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Ja’Tyre Carter
Chicago Bears
- Waived (with injury settlement): G Bill Murray, RB Ian Wheeler
Cleveland Browns
- Waived (with injury settlement): RB Pierre Strong
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: QB Jake Haener
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed from practice squad: WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
- Released: WR Russell Gage
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived (with injury settlement): CB JayVian Farr, CB Roman Parodie
The 49ers are doing a bit of shuffling in their receiving corps, calling up Valdes-Scantling from the practice squad and cutting Gage. According to multiple sources, it’s believed that Gage will be immediately signed back to the team’s practice squad to remain with the team.
Haener was brought back to the active roster in New Orleans after being waived at the roster cut deadline. The Saints had three quarterbacks, with Iowa Western rookie practice squad passer Hunter Dekkers, but adding Haener gives the team a bit more experienced depth, if only barely, in what may be the league’s youngest quarterbacks room.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/2/25
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Jared Bartlett, DT Denzel Daxon
- Released: T Roy Mbaeteka
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DT Simeon Barrow Jr., OLB Ronnie Perkins
- Released: T Brandon Parker
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Thayer Thomas
- Released: CB Quinton Newsome
New England Patriots
- Released: DT Jahvaree Ritzie
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Eku Leota
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: WR Robert Woods
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Anthony Campbell, DE Jalan Gaines, G Sataoa Laumea
- Released: CB Shemar Jean-Charles, T Amari Kight, RB Damien Martinez
Washington Commanders
- Signed: G Darrian Dalcourt
The 12-year veteran wide receiver, Woods, had been signed to the Steelers’ practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Woods requested to be released from his practice squad contract but told Pittsburgh that he would be open to returning if a spot on the active roster opened up for him. The team granted his request.
The Cardinals are able to add two players while only releasing one because Daxon is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, having been born in the Bahamas. Teams can have one more than the 16-player limit for their practice squad, as long as the 17th players is in the IPPP.
Per Brady Henderson of ESPN, it’s believed that the Seahawks have made this transaction as a courtesy to Campbell, Gaines, and Laumea, who’ve all spent most of the offseason in Seattle with the team. This week on the practice squad will potentially get each player a minimum check for $13K, but the Seahawks are expected to bring Martinez and Jean-Charles back to the p-squad. The same has yet to be confirmed for Kight.
Texans To Extend QB Davis Mills
Last September, the Texans signed backup quarterback Davis Mills to an extension as he entered a contract year.
Almost exactly a year later, Houston is tacking on another year to Mills’ deal, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Mills’ extension is worth a fully guaranteed $7MM, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, securing his services through the 2026 season as the No. 2 quarterback behind C.J. Stroud.
Mills, a 2021 third-round pick, wrested the starting job away from Tyrod Taylor as a rookie and carried it into 2022. However, it quickly became clear that he was not a long-term option under center after throwing a league-high 15 interceptions in 15 games. His struggles led the Texans to a 3-13-1 record in 2022, allowing them to draft Stroud with the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft. Over his two years as a starter, Mills completed 62.8% of his passes for 5,955 yards for 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions.
Since then, Mills has served as Stroud’s backup with six games played and zero starts. Virtually all of his appearances have come at the end of blowouts with one true relief showing in 2023.
Mills’ 2024 extension was worth $5MM, so his new deal includes a solid raise as well as some security for another year. However, Stroud will become eligible for an extension next offseason, so Houston may not be able to spend premium backup money on Mills for the rest of the decade. The Texans drafted former Wisconsin and Florida quarterback Graham Mertz in the sixth round of April’s draft and may look to groom him as a successor to Mills in their quarterback room.
Kendrick Bourne To Visit Commanders, 49ers
September 2: The 49ers did make a formal offer to Bourne, per NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco, but he opted to explore his options with the Commanders. Bourne is visiting Washington on Tuesday, where he may be seeking a stronger deal than what San Francisco had in mind.
August 28: Kendrick Bourne was one of PFR’s release candidates in June, and the Patriots made that move during final roster cuts after hosting the veteran wide receiver for the last four years.
A reunion with the 49ers quickly became a possibility with general manager John Lynch, who signed Bourne as an undrafted free agent in 2017, confirming the team’s interest. The 30-year-old is now set to visit San Francisco, as well as Washington to meet with the Commanders, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Bourne made the roster as an undrafted rookie before carving out a rotational role in 2018. He only averaged just 25.3 receiving yards per game across his first three seasons in San Francisco before a 49-catch, 667-yard season boosted his stock in a contract year. San Francisco opted to bet on their ascending offensive talents and let Bourne walk. He eventually signed with New England, though injuries contributed to declining production and his eventual release.
A return to San Francisco could position Bourne for early-season snaps with Brandon Aiyuk on the PUP list, Jacob Cowing on IR, and Jauan Jennings uncertain for Week 1. The 49ers believe in 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall to take a second-year leap, but veteran Demarcus Robinson is the team’s only other reliable depth. Though Kyle Shanahan‘s system has evolved since Bourne’s first stint in his offense, there should still be some familiarity that would allow a quick re-acclimation.
The Commanders, meanwhile, seem like a less obvious fit. They got Terry McLaurin back on the practice field after his extension, and Noah Brown has joined him after dealing with an undisclosed injury. They also have Deebo Samuel and young depth in Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane, though Bourne would be an offensive upgrade over special teams ace Chris Moore.
Bourne has agreed to a potential contract framework with both teams, per Rapoport, suggesting that a deal could come together relatively quickly.
Steelers’ Derrick Harmon Out For Week 1; Cameron Heyward Expected To Play
As expected, the Steelers’ defensive line will be without first-round pick Derrick Harmon for their Week 1 matchup with the Jets, but head coach Mike Tomlin is hopeful that veteran Cameron Heyward will take the field.
“I’m certainly expecting Cam to play,” said Tomlin on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “There are no reservations about his participation or his readiness. I’m sure he’s champing at the bit.”
Heyward, however, would only offer a “we’ll see” when asked about his Week 1 availability on his Not Just Football podcast, per Pryor. The 36-year-old has been dissatisfied with his contract and briefly engaged in a hold-in during training camp as he sought a pay raise.
Heyward returned to practice on August 19 without a deal, but that may not guarantee that he takes the field on Sunday. He previously hinted that he would consider sitting out regular season games as long as his contract remained unaddressed. On his podcast, Heyward said that there were no updates on that front.
The Steelers seem prepared to call his bluff. Though Heyward is still pushing for more 2025 compensation, according to Pryor, Tomlin expressed confidence that his All-Pro defensive tackle would play in Week 1.
An absence from Heyward would leave the Steelers scrambling to field a starting defensive line with Harmon also sidelined. Nose tackle Keeanu Benton would likely be joined by Isaiah Loudermilk and Yahya Black, according to the Steelers’ depth chart.
Bears To Start Braxton Jones At LT In Week 1
After an open competition during training camp, the Bears have settled on their Week 1 starting left tackle: Braxton Jones.
Head coach Ben Johnson announced the decision on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, keeping the team’s incumbent LT in place for the time being. Johnson previously said that he would name a Week 1 starter and “go from there.”
Jones, a 2022 fifth-round pick, started all 17 games as a rookie but missed 11 games due to injury over the last two years. He was medically cleared from the ankle surgery that ended his 2024 season at the beginning of camp and fought off challenges from recent Day 2 picks Kiran Amegadjie and Ozzy Trapilo, as well as second-year UDFA Theo Benedet. All four took snaps at left tackle in the preseason with Trapilo and Benedet working in at right tackle as well.
Jones always seemed like the most likely option to start in Week 1. He has consistently graded out as a good (but not elite) tackle in his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He and right tackle Darnell Wright will provide some continuity in a Bears offensive line that brought in three new starters along the interior this offseason.
However, Johnson’s desire to test out his options at left tackle could be a sign that Jones does not have long-term security in Chicago. With younger options waiting in the wings and an expensive interior trio, Jones will have to stay healthy and play well to make a case for an extension with the Bears. The team may already be angling to move on to Amegadjie or Trapilo in 2026 and beyond, in which case Jones could hit free agency as a coveted young left tackle with multiple years of starting experience under his belt.