5 Key Stories: 7/13/25 – 7/20/25
As players begin reporting to training camp, activity has picked up around the league. A number of contract situations remain unresolved at this point, but several have been taken care of in time for summer practices. In case you missed any of this week’s top developments, here is a quick recap:
- Steelers Extend Watt: After T.J. Watt skipped minicamp in June, it appeared he could be on course to engage in a training camp hold-in like he did during extension talks with the Steelers in 2021. That will not be the case this time around, however, as team and player agreed to a three-year, $123MM deal. The pact keeps Watt in place through 2028 and carries an AAV of $41MM, which is the new watermark for non-quarterbacks. Once again, the former Defensive Player of the Year holds the title of top earner outside the QB spot (for now, at least) and with $108MM fully guaranteed his Pittsburgh tenure is assured for the foreseeable future.
- Wilson, Gardner Ink New Jets Deals: The new Jets regime was clear this spring that extending receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner was a priority; in consecutive days, both deals were taken care of. Wilson secured $130MM (including $90MM in total guarantees) on a deal which has him under contract for the next six years counting the term remaining on his rookie pact. His $32.5MM AAV ranks fifth amongst receivers. Gardner, meanwhile, also signed a four-year extension and his average annual value of $30.1MM represents a new benchmark for corners. The two-time first-team All-Pro fell just short of Derek Stingley Jr. in terms of total guarantees with $85.65MM but he joins Wilson as a foundational player for New York through the remainder of his 20s.
- Smith, Karlaftis Land Chiefs Extensions: Hours before the deadline to do so, the Chiefs finalized a long-term deal with franchise tag recipient Trey Smith. The four-year extension is worth $94MM, and his AAV of $23.5MM has reset the guard market. While Smith, 26, secured less in full guarantees ($46.75MM) than he would have received on consecutive tags, his future is assured beyond the next two years. Expectations will remain high given his durability (one missed game in four years) and status as a 2024 Pro Bowler. Kansas City has also taken care of a major extension in the form of edge rusher George Karlaftis. His four-year deal has a base value of $88MM and keeps him in place through 2030. With Smith and Karlaftis signed for the long term, the Chiefs will have continuity on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
- Howell, Tretter Resign Amidst NFLPA Scrutiny: Recent weeks have seen pressure mount on Lloyd Howell with clarity emerging regarding the NFLPA’s role in burying the findings of its collusion case against the NFL. Issues related to a conflict of interest soon followed stemming from Howell’s role as a consultant for one of the private equity firms eligible to purchase an ownership stake in a team. While the union initially offered a statement supporting him, Howell decided to resign his position as executive director days later. The search for his replacement has begun, but at the early stages of that process chief strategy officer J.C. Tretter decided to resign as well. As such, veteran NFLPA executive Don Davis and union general counsel Tom DePaso are among the early names to watch regarding Howell’s successor on an interim or full-time basis.
- Williams Retires After Eight Seasons: 2025 was set to mark Mike Williams’ return to the Chargers. Instead, his NFL career came to an abrupt end when he elected to retire after eight seasons in the league. The first seven of those came as a member of the Bolts and included a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns. Williams, 30, battled injuries during his career but he did not miss any time last year during his tenure with the Jets and Steelers. His decision (along with its timing just ahead of training camp) thus comes as a surprise. Receiver will be a position to watch before Week 1 if Los Angeles deems an outside addition necessary to replace Williams.
Jets, WR Garrett Wilson Agree To Extension
JULY 20: Wilson secured $38.3MM fully guaranteed, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. That includes a $13.75MM signing bonus and $15MM in total compensation for 2025. The remaining locked in money – included in the pact as injury guarantees – is scheduled to vest one year early for the 2026 and ’27 campaigns. Wilson’s compensation for the final two years of the deal is not guaranteed. His cap charges, per Breer, range from $4MM this year to $38.5MM in 2030.
JULY 14: One of the Jets’ major offseason priorities has been taken care of. An extension agreement has been reached with wideout Garrett Wilson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
Wilson’s new pact is four years in length and carries a value of $130MM with $90MM guaranteed, per Schefter. That works out to an average annual value of $32.5MM; the former first-rounder is the first to reach that figure after three seasons in the NFL. Given New York’s decision to pick up Wilson’s fifth-year option this spring, he is now on the books through 2030. This marks the first Jets extension for a former Day 1 pick ahead of their fourth season in the rookie wage scale era (h/t Schefter).
Adding further details on this mega-extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Wilson will receive a $13.75MM signing bonus. The pact also contains a $20MM option bonus in its second year as well as a $10MM option bonus in Year 3. As expected, the 24-year-old is therefore due to collect on a large scale in the near future.
In terms of both total value and average compensation on a per-year basis, this deal moves Wilson to fifth at the receiver spot. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has proven to be a focal point on offense in spite of the Jets’ level of play at the quarterback position over the past three years. To no surprise, Wilson was thus a high priority for the team on the extension front. In time for training camp, team and player worked out an agreement.
Part of the Jets’ highly successful 2022 draft class, Wilson made an immediate impact. The Ohio State product has been consistent to say the least even with New York cycling through multiple quarterbacks. Wilson has yet to miss a game in his career, and he has managed no fewer than 1,042 yards each season. Having seen his receptions total climb from 83 to 95 to 101, he will be expected to continue operating as the team’s top option in the passing game for years to come.
The Aaron Rodgers addition resulted in only four snaps played in 2023, but this past season saw the future Hall of Famer play a full campaign. Wilson and Rodgers did not mesh as well as many hoped, and the midseason arrival of Davante Adams notably altered the receiver pecking order. In the wake of that phase of his career (and the Jets’ continued inability to reach the postseason), Wilson’s future in New York became a talking point. This spring, however, he made it clear he hoped to remain in place as part of the post-Rodgers future.
Of course, the Jets’ decision to install a new coaching staff (led by Aaron Glenn) and general manager (Darren Mougey) has marked a turning point in addition to the fact Rodgers and Adams are not in place moving forward. Contract talks with Wilson have been taking place for some time now, and as of last month at least one offer was on the table. Without much issue (in terms of a potential holdout or other training camp drama), Wilson and the new decision-making regime have managed to hammer out a deal.
Now, Gang Green will turn their attention towards their ongoing negotiations with cornerback Sauce Gardner. His contract is likely to eclipse the $30MM per year mark set this offseason by Derek Stingley, who was selected one pick ahead of Gardner in the 2022 draft. Extending the two-time All-Pro would give the Jets’ new regime clear cornerstones on both sides of the ball for the foreseeable future.
NFL Legal Notes: Browns, Rice, Ruggs
In keeping with her prior update on first-year running back Quinshon Judkins, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed Judkins did not report to training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday. Veterans are due to report on Tuesday, with the first full-squad practice scheduled for Wednesday.
Judkins, a second-round pick, was expected to compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. Judkins may still see a great deal of action in 2025, but a misdemeanor domestic battery charge has put his NFL career on hold. For now, Cleveland wants Judkins to focus on resolving his legal issues, and it sounds as if the team will not sign him to his rookie contract until that happens.
And, when the legal matter is resolved, Judkins could face discipline from the NFL. Until then, players like fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson and holdover Pierre Strong will get more reps.
Let’s take a look at a few more legal matters impacting players around the league:
- As expected, Browns LB Devin Bush was arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment on Friday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. After making 16 appearances (10 starts) in his first year in Cleveland in 2024, Bush re-signed with the club on a one-year pact in March. Although the addition of Carson Schwesinger in this year’s draft will eat into Bush’s playing time, the former first-round pick of the Steelers should remain involved in at least a rotational capacity. He will have a pre-trial hearing on August 15.
- Despite a February DUI charge, and despite having failed to earn a role as a regular starter over his first four years in the league, the Ravens re-signed OL Ben Cleveland to a one-year deal this offseason. Baltimore appears to appreciate Cleveland’s ability to back up multiple spots on the O-line and is prepared to once again carry him on the roster as a reserve. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Cleveland’s trial has been postponed to November 13. He has pleaded not guilty.
- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was facing three civil suits stemming from the street-racing crash that took place in March 2024 (the criminal component of the incident was recently resolved, with Rice receiving a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation). Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star says Rice settled one of the civil matters for $1.086MM, which will accrue interest until paid. Rice, a 2023 second-rounder, has no guaranteed money remaining on his rookie deal, and he stands to lose roughly $70K for every week he misses due to suspension in 2025 (h/t Spotrac, which also notes the club could seek repayment of a portion of Rice’s signing bonus — roughly $23K per week).
- Like Rice, Texans RB Joe Mixon had a civil suit to resolve. As Sheree Paolello of WLWT 5 reports, Mixon settled a lawsuit involving a teenage boy who was shot with a real bullet while playing Nerf Wars near Mixon’s home in March 2023, when Mixon was still a member of the Bengals. As Paolello detailed in a full-length piece a few months after the incident, the shots were allegedly fired by the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, though the victim’s family believed the gun and ammunition were owned by Mixon. The details of the settlement will not be released.
- Jordan Addison recently entered into a plea agreement in his DUI matter. While the Vikings’ wide receiver did consider going to trial, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), he did not want the issue creating a distraction during training camp. He could still receive a suspension from the league, of course.
- We heard in May that former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, currently imprisoned for a drunk-driving incident that resulted in the horrific death of a woman and her dog, is eyeing an NFL return. He will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and if he is granted parole, Albert Breer of SI.com believes an NFL club could give him another chance. Breer says it is unclear whether the league would suspend Ruggs; a league official told Breer the matter would be “reviewed” when the time comes.
Bengals Sign QB Desmond Ridder
The Bengals have agreed to terms with free agent QB Desmond Ridder, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ridder was eligible for restricted free agency this offseason but was non-tendered by the Raiders. A planned Broncos workout did not take place, and a workout with the Colts did not produce a deal.
Ridder, who will turn 26 next month, entered the league as a third-round pick of the Falcons in 2022. He earned a starting job by the end of his rookie year, and he was named the starter in advance of the 2023 campaign. Despite a brief demotion in favor of Taylor Heinicke that year, Ridder started 13 games, winning six of them.
His performance was generally underwhelming — and was certainly not enough to prevent Atlanta from signing Kirk Cousins in free agency last offseason — and he was traded to the Cardinals shortly after Cousins came aboard. Ridder ultimately lost Arizona’s backup quarterback battle to Clayton Tune, and after he spent several months on the team’s taxi squad, he signed with the QB-needy Las Vegas outfit.
Ridder started just one game for the Raiders (in Week 15), and he completed 23 of 39 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown against two interceptions in a 15-9 loss. The new Vegas regime is moving forward with Aidan O’Connell as its backup to new acquisition Geno Smith, leaving Ridder to search for his next opportunity elsewhere.
As he battles for his NFL future, Ridder will at least be in familiar environs, as he excelled as a collegian with the University of Cincinnati (leading the Bearcats to the college football playoff semi-finals against Alabama in 2021). Bengals HC Zac Taylor worked as the Bearcats’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2016 and played a significant role in recruiting Ridder, per Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Nonetheless, Conway says Ridder will be competing for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart with Logan Woodside. That indicates Jake Browning’s job as Joe Burrow’s top backup is safe.
More On T.J. Watt’s Record-Setting Extension With Steelers
Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt just landed a record-setting three-year, $123MM extension, which keeps him under club control through 2028. The contract already looked like a win on paper for Watt, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk passes along a few details highlighting just how far Pittsburgh was willing to go to keep the former Defensive Player of the Year in the fold.
It was previously reported that Watt’s new deal includes $108MM in full guarantees. According to Florio, that figure is comprised of a $40MM signing bonus, a fully-guaranteed 2025 base salary of $4MM, and fully-guaranteed base salaries of $32MM in 2026 and 2027. In other words, Watt secured a whopping three fully-guaranteed seasons of pay, which will obviously make it very difficult for Pittsburgh to move on before the end of the 2027 campaign.
Per OverTheCap.com, Watt will carry a $23.37MM cap hit this season, and that number jumps to $42MM in 2026 and 2027 and tops out at $46.05MM in 2028. From 2026 onward, Watt’s cap charges are projected to account for well over 10% of Pittsburgh’s total cap room, which the club is perhaps willing to stomach since it expects to have a rookie-contract quarterback in the starting lineup as early as Week 1 of the 2026 slate.
Still, if Watt continues to perform at a high level – as his extension plainly anticipates, despite reported misgivings from the team in that regard – it would not be surprising to see the Steelers restructure the deal down the line to create additional cap space. At present, only his 2028 pay, which includes a $15MM roster bonus and a $21.05MM base salary, is non-guaranteed, but the roster bonus does trigger on the third day of the 2028 league year.
The $41MM average annual value of Watt’s extension is a record for non-quarterbacks, as is the $108MM in full guarantees. The same can be said of the early-year cash flow ($76MM within two years, $108MM within three years). The $108MM figure even tops the $100MM in fully-guaranteed money the 49ers ponied up for QB Brock Purdy earlier this year. As compared to fellow premium EDGE talent, Watt’s full guarantees represent 87.8% of his extension value, while Myles Garrett‘s $88.8MM in full guarantees make up just 55.5% of his extension, which is one year longer (h/t TexansCap).
Of course, Watt’s deal will have ramifications beyond his own team. Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, who has been seeking a new commitment from Cincinnati for several years, is perhaps the most obvious beneficiary, as he is two months younger than Watt and outpaced him by six sacks in 2024. It is difficult to say whether Hendrickson and the Bengals will be able to resolve their long-standing impasse, but Hendrickson certainly has no reason to shoot for anything less than a $41MM AAV.
And, as older players get paid at that level, the price tags of elite younger players like Micah Parsons (26) and Aidan Hutchinson (25 in August) will rise even higher.
Patriots Would Be Interested In Trading For Commanders WR Terry McLaurin
The Patriots’ long-running search for a proven wideout to pair with second-year quarterback Drake Maye culminated in a three-year, $69MM deal for Stefon Diggs in March. Despite having Diggs in the fold, New England would be in the market for another accomplished pass catcher if he becomes available.
That pass catcher is Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, who is entering the final year of his current contract and who is seeking an extension from Washington. The Ohio State product has expressed frustration with the lack of progress in that regard, and he recently indicated no talks have taken place in the last month.
In a recent appearance on Arbella Early Edition (video link), Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer confirms there have not been many recent discussions between the Commanders and McLaurin’s camp. He does expect the team to “take a swing” at resolving the matter in short order, but if McLaurin were to become available via trade, Breer says the Patriots would be interested.
McLaurin, who is entering his age-30 season, has been a model of consistency for Washington since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2019. Following a 14-game rookie slate in which he recorded 919 yards and seven scores, he has exceeded the 1,000-yard threshold in each of the last five seasons and has enjoyed perfect attendance in each of the last four. He also upped his touchdown production in 2024, finding paydirt a career-high 13 times with Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels under center.
Washington’s Daniels-led outfit is coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance, and given McLaurin’s importance to the team, a trade would qualify as a major surprise. It is nonetheless notable that New England would consider adding the two-time Pro Bowler, which would require trading draft capital and authorizing a second lucrative WR accord.
With over $60MM in cap space and a rookie-contract QB1, the Pats could certainly afford such a move from a financial perspective. And, while Diggs and the team have seemingly moved beyond an offseason incident that momentarily triggered release rumors, he will turn 32 in November and is still working his way back from a torn ACL that prematurely ended his 2024 campaign (though he did avoid placement on the PUP list to start training camp).
Another new addition to the WR room, Mack Hollins, did land on the active/PUP list, and outside of promising slot target DeMario Douglas, the rest of the depth chart is comprised of unproven and/or uninspiring options. Between that reality and McLaurin’s blend of strong performance and strong character – an important trait for head coach Mike Vrabel – it is easy to see the appeal in a possible trade.
Still, it is a big jump from stalled extension talks to the trade of a franchise cornerstone. It remains to be seen if the Commanders will seriously entertain that notion.
J.C. Tretter, Don Davis Are Frontrunners For Interim NFLPA Exec. Director
July 20: Many training camps around the league open on Tuesday, and the NFLPA is expected to vote on an interim executive director by then, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
July 19: The NFLPA is continuing to navigate the fallout of a series of revelations about executive director Lloyd Howell and his subsequent resignation.
The union’s 32 player representatives met on Friday night to discuss the next steps regarding Howell’s now-vacant position. Two current NFLPA leaders emerged as frontrunners, according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini: Chief Strategy Officer J.C. Tretter and Chief Player Officer Don Davis. Also gaining some support among players is retiring NFLPA general counsel Tom DePaso, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
Tretter and Davis are both former players, which will help them gain credibility among the union’s active membership. Tretter lined up at center for the Packers and the Browns across eight NFL seasons, while Davis played linebacker for four teams across 11 years and earned two back-to-back Super Bowl rings with the Patriots in 2003 and 2004.
Tretter also has experience leading the union after serving as NFLPA president for two terms. He was elected in March 2020 and helped close out collective bargaining negotiations with the league. One month later, the NFL was facing an uncertain future due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tretter became the co-chair of the NFLPA’s COVID committee and helped the union navigate the 2020 season. It was widely considered a success with a full 256-game schedule and minimal, contained outbreaks. Tretter then won re-election in 2022, but his second term could be a vulnerability due to his involvement with several major issues facing the union. Two of those issues – hiring Howell in 2023 and suppressing two arbitration rulings – were part of Tretter’s effort to ascend to the top of the union’s leadership structure, according to Pablo Torre of Pablo Finds Out.
The 34-year-old currently has a “majority of support,” per Russini, but there is a growing movement among players to move on from Tretter’s leadership along with Howell. Some are even exploring legal action against the NFLPA and Tretter specifically, “citing potential violations around inclusion, labor rights, and misuse of union funds,” according to Russini. A text criticizing Tretter’s leadership circulated between players during last night’s meeting, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Davis, who has overseen player affairs at the NFLPA for more than a decade, is Tretter’s main competition for the interim executive director role. He is considered the “No. 1 internal candidate,” per CBS Sports Jonathan Jones, and is already receiving support from players, according to both Russini and Maske. (Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has already expressed his support for Davis on social media.)
After he retired from playing in 2006, Davis joined the Patriots’ strength and conditioning staff and later became the team chaplain. He joined the NFLPA as director of player affairs in 2010, according to his LinkedIn, and was promoted to senior director in 2015 and Chief Player Officer this past April. Davis could also be a candidate for the permanent executive director job, per Jones.
DePaso, the union’s retiring general counsel who briefly played for the Bengals, is another name that has been mentioned by players as a candidate. There is also precedent for the union’s general counsel to serve as interim executive director. The last time the NFLPA needed an interim executive director was 2008, when Gene Upshaw died in office. Then-general counsel Richard Berthelsen served as Upshaw’s interim replacement until DeMaurice Smith was hired, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Howell was just hired in 2023 and past executive directors have typically served more than a decade, so the union was not prepared to start another search process right away. Finalists in the last process are unlikely to re-emerge, according to Jones, as players will be seeking a leader they can trust. The union will be looking for experience, either within the NFL as a player or with labor management more generally. The NFLPA currently has no timetable for selecting a permanent executive director, per Russini, and whoever is tapped as the interim is not expected to be promoted to the full-time role.
It’s also worth noting that many players are not fully up to date on the multitude of issues now facing the NFLPA. Much of last night’s meeting was about answering questions and clarifying information, according to Russini. Awareness will continue to spread around the league, especially as teams reunite for training camp. The union’s next priority will be selecting an interim leader before kicking off what will likely be a revamped, more thorough search process for a permanent executive director.
Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike Out For Season
July 20: During the Lions’ first day of training camp Sunday, head coach Dan Campbell addressed the media. He told reporters, including Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network, that Onwuzurike tore his ACL and is out for the year.
This is obviously difficult news for the player, who will have no momentum when he becomes eligible for free agency again in 2026, and the team, which is not expecting McNeil to return until late October or early November. The club’s defensive tackle depth will be tested immediately, and Williams will face increased pressure in his rookie season.
July 17: Levi Onwuzurike will be sidelined for at least the first month of the 2025 season. The veteran defensive tackle was placed on the reserve/PUP list Thursday, per a team announcement. 
At the onset of training camp, several players around the league are placed on the active/physically unable to perform list. That move is generally made in the case of short-term ailments, and players can be (and almost always are) activated at some point during the summer. This case is different, however.
Onwuzurike’s placement on the reserve/PUP list guarantees he will miss at least the Lions’ first four games. His absence will be felt along the defensive interior regardless of how long it lasts. Onwuzurike has not been linked to a specific injury this offseason, but he has dealt with lingering back injuries dating back to his college career.
That issue resulted in the entire 2022 campaign being missed. Onwuzurike managed to play 10 games the following year, though, and in 2024 he logged by far the heaviest workload of his career. The 27-year-old played 635 snaps while starting 10 games; to no surprise, an uptick in production followed. Onwuzurike notched 28 tackles while adding 22 quarterback pressures and 1.5 sacks.
The former second-rounder was on track for free agency until a new Lions pact was worked out just before the start of the new league year. Onwuzurike took a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in the Motor City. It will be interesting to see what his prognosis is once further details emerge.
In the meantime, the Lions will move forward with a defensive line group led by Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader and first-round rookie Tyleik Williams. Onwuzurike will look to regain his role from last season whenever he returns to full health and is activated.
Saints, QB Tyler Shough Agree On Fully Guaranteed Rookie Deal
Once thought to be the first domino that would fall in the second-round standoff, Louisville second-round quarterback Tyler Shough has finally signed his four-year, entry-level contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms that Shough got the fully guaranteed four-year, $10.8MM contract many expected, but it comes with a few more benefits, as well. 
It was 49ers defensive tackle Alfred Collins, picked three slots after Shough, who actually broke through the impasse, and the pick after Shough, Bills defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, signed yesterday with 94.6 percent of his contract guaranteed, meaning Shough’s 40th draft slot now stands as the lowest pick in modern draft history to receive full guarantees. His contract also, according to Schefter, is the only for non-first round picks that includes annual roster bonus structure, with which Shough receives the majority of his compensation each year during the first week of training camp.
Coming out of football powerhouse Hamilton HS (Ariz.), Shough committed to Oregon as the top recruit in the state and a consensus top-seven quarterback recruit. With Justin Herbert firmly entrenched in the starting spot behind center, Shough redshirted and served as a backup in Year 2. After Herbert moved on to the NFL, Shough got his chance to start for the Ducks, winning his first three contests. Back-to-back unexpected losses to Oregon State and Cal forced then-head coach Mario Cristobal to start splitting series between Shough and Anthony Brown down the stretch of the COVID-19-shortened season
With Brown ending the season with more momentum than Shough, the latter made the decision to transfer to Texas Tech. In his first season in Lubbock, Shough won the starting job over an incumbent senior and three freshmen but broke his collarbone in the fourth game of the season. He won the starting competition the following year, as well, but missed a few games after exiting the season opener with a shoulder injury. When he returned late in the year, he won every one of his starts, assuring that he would start again in 2023. Once again, though, injury forced Shough off the field after only four games when a broken fibula required surgery.
Granted a seventh year of eligibility, Shough transferred to Louisville and finally delivered a full season of work. Starting all 12 games for the Cardinals, Shough went 8-4, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Perhaps, cautioned from his injury-riddled history, the at times mobile quarterback showed a much lower propensity for taking off with the ball in his final collegiate season.
With a 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame, Shough looks the part of an NFL quarterback. He also does a lot of things that offensive coordinators love to see at the NFL level. He boasts a quick delivery, an ability to throw from different arm angles, the touch and arm strength to cover all areas of the field, and good accuracy when throwing on the run. The red flags are a bit obvious, having only completed one full season in seven years of college and entering the NFL at 26 years old, but he also has a tendency to throw up some prayers, which can result in big plays but also potential disasters.
After Derek Carr‘s mid-offseason retirement, there is no question what his role will be in New Orleans. Shough will be coming in with the hopes that he can beat out Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener for the starting job behind center in 2025. He proved time and again in college that he can win out in position battles, but now he’ll be competing with a couple of passers who have a head start in NFL experience. “NFL experience” is specified there, since Shough is the oldest quarterback to enter the NFL since Brandon Weeden, who was 28 years old when he was selected, encroaching a bit closer to Weeden than last year’s 24-year-olds, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr.
With one of the three biggest dominoes having now fallen, only nine rookies still need to sign their contracts. The Shemar Stewart situation has been covered in great detail, and the Browns want Quinshon Judkins focusing on his legal situation. Aside from those two, there are three groups of picks later on in the second round that should put pen to paper in the coming days.
With Shough closing out the Saints’ rookie class signings, here’s a final look at New Orleans’ nine-man draft class:
- Round 1, No. 9: Kelvin Banks Jr. (T, Texas) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 40: Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 71: Vernon Broughton (DT, Texas) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 93 (from Commanders): Jonas Sanker (S, Virginia) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 112: Danny Stutsman (LB, Oklahoma) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 131 (from Commanders): Quincy Riley (CB, Louisville) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 184 (reacquired from Commanders): Devin Neal (RB, Kansas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 248 (from Eagles through Commanders): Moliki Matavao (TE, UCLA) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 254*: Fadil Diggs (DE, Syracuse) (signed)
Panthers Sign Second-Round OLB Nic Scourton, Complete Rookie Deals
The Panthers are the latest team to wrap up their rookie deals in time for training camp. Edge rusher Nic Scourton agreed to terms Saturday, per a team announcement. 
Scourton was selected with the No. 51 pick in April’s draft. That slot saw guarantee rates of 54.8% and 66.4% over the past two years, Jason FItzgerald of Over the Cap notes. This pact is highly unlikely to be fully guaranteed like a number of other second-round deals signed this year, but Scourton no doubt moved that mark upward like all other players taken around him in the 2025 draft.
During his first two college seasons, Scourton played at Purdue. After not logging any starts as a freshman, he stood out the following year with 10 sacks (most in the Big Ten) and 15 tackles for loss. Last offseason, the second-team all-conference performer transferred to Texas A&M. During his lone campaign with the Aggies, Scourton saw his sack total drop to five (which nevertheless led the team) while adding 14 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
That production landed him first-team All-SEC honors as well as a second-team All-American nod. Scourton drew plenty of attention during the pre-draft process and it came as little surprise when he came off the board midway through the second round. The Panthers were seen by many as a strong candidate to select a pass rusher with their first pick, but they instead went the receiver route on Day 1 (Tetairoa McMillan) before turning their attention to pass rushers.
Scourton’s selection was followed by that of Princely Umanmielen in the third round. Both rookies should feature on at least a part-time basis as members of an edge rush group which lost Jadeveon Clowney due to his release this spring. Scourton’s strength against the run should allow him to carve out a role fairly early with Carolina as the team looks to take a needed step forward on defense in 2025.
With Scourton’s pact taken care of, here is the full breakdown of the Panthers’ draft class:
- Round 1, No. 8: Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 51 (from Broncos): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 77 (from Falcons through Patriots): Princely Umanmielen (OLB, Ole Miss) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 114 (from Cowboys): Trevor Etienne (RB, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 122 (from Broncos): Lathan Ransom (S, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 140 (from Giants): Cam Jackson (DT, Florida) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 163 (from Ravens): Mitchell Evans (TE, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 208 (from Eagles through Broncos): Jimmy Horn (WR, Colorado) (signed)