Bengals Announce 3 Assistant GM Promotions
The Bengals promoted Steven Radicevic, Mike Potts, and Trey Brown to assistant general manager under director of player personnel and de facto general manager Duke Tobin.
“Steve, Mike and Trey work in all areas of the club and assist me in every aspect,” said Tobin (via senior team writer Geoff Hobson). “They’re highly capable. They’re impactful in all areas of personnel. We felt like this title fit their role with us.”
Despite the new titles, Cincinnati’s new trio of assistant GMs will largely have the same job descriptions. Radicevic, who was the co-director of college scouting with Potts, will continue to lead the Bengals’ pro scouting operation and assist in contract negotiations. Potts oversees the team’s college scouting and draft processes while also contributing to their pro personnel strategy. He also works to incorporate the Bengals’ analytics team into the front office’s decision-making process.
Brown, formerly a senior player personnel executive, has a hand in all aspects of Cincinnati’s roster management. He also uses his extensive history as a scout to contribute to the Bengals’ pro and college player evaluations. Brown is widely considered to be a future general manager after interviewing for such a position with four different teams in the last two years.
The Bengals also made a number of moves in their scouting department. Andrew Johnson was promoted from scout to scouting executive and will continue to scout players across the NCAA, the NFL, and other professional leagues. The team also added two scouts: Tyler Ramsey and Josh Hinch. Ramsey started his career with Seattle and most recently worked as the Panthers’ assistant director of pro player personnel from 2022 to 2023. He will scout college players and track the rosters of other NFL teams for the Bengals. Hinch formerly worked for the Patriots’ pro and college personnel departments and will assist in pro and college scouting in Cincinnati.
Raiders Place Christian Wilkins On Active/PUP List; DT Making Progress In Recovery
Christian Wilkins will not be available for at least the start of training camp. The high-priced defensive tackle was placed on the active/PUP list by the Raiders on Friday. 
Wilkins can be activated at any time, which would not have been the case had he been given the reserve/PUP designation leading up to training camp. If the 29-year-old is not moved to the active roster by the time final cutdowns take place, he will be forced to miss the first four weeks of the campaign. That should not be expected in this case, however.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes Wilkins has been making “sound progress” while rehabbing the Jones fracture in his foot. The recovery process in this situation has proven to be long and arduous, with head coach Pete Carroll noting this spring it has been “challenging” for Wilkins to return to full health. As recently as late June, the former Dolphin had yet to shed a walking boot.
As a result, it comes as little surprise Wilkins will be unavailable for at least a portion of training camp. The Clemson product’s absence is nevertheless notable given the timing of his injury. Wilkins went down in Week 5 during the 2024 campaign, his first in Vegas. After a five-year run in Miami, he landed a free agent deal including $57.5MM fully guaranteed. Needless to say, expectations have not been met so far.
There is of course still plenty of time for Wilkins – who notched a career-high nine sacks in his final Dolphins campaign and posted double-digit tackles for loss each year from 2021-23 – to serve as a foundational member of the Raiders’ defensive interior. Returning to full health will be key as he prepares for the 2025 season, though, and there is clearly still work to be done on that front over the summer.
Seahawks Sign Second-Round TE Elijah Arroyo, Complete Draft Class Deals
Last night, Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori became the third member of the 2025 draft class taken in the second round to secure a fully guaranteed rookie contract. Fellow Round 2 selection Elijah Arroyo has not managed to do the same, but he has signed with Seattle. 
Arroyo signed his four-year, $8.81MM contract on Friday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes the pact contains $6.87MM in guarantees, meaning 78% of the deal is locked in. In the past two years, the No. 50 slot (where Arroyo was selected) has seen guarantees of 61.6% and 68.3%, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap.
This is, to no surprise, therefore a step in the direction of players taken in the middle of the second round receiving full guarantees down the road. That trend has emerged in recent days with much of the logjam created by 30 unsigned second-rounders being cleared in time (more or less) for training camp. Both Emmanwori and Arroyo will be in the fold by the time Seattle’s first camp practice takes place.
The 2025 draft class had a pair of tight ends seen as locks to be selected on Day 1; that wound up holding true in the case of Colston Loveland (Bears) and Tyler Warren (Colts). The next tier of prospects at the position included Arroyo, though, so it was no surprise when he came off the board with Seattle’s second pick of the round. The Miami product made only 11 catches across his first three years in college, but 2024 saw a major uptick in production. Arroyo posted a 35-590-7 statline during his one and only campaign playing with No. 1 pick Cam Ward.
The Seahawks will be banking on that performance translating to the NFL. Seattle still has Noah Fant in place for 2025, but the coming season is the final one of his contract. Arroyo could carve out a part-time role during his rookie campaign before stepping into a starting spot in the event Fant were to depart in free agency next spring. In any case, it will be interesting to see how that tandem fares this year.
Here is a final look at Seattle’s draft class with each member now on the books:
- Round 1, No. 18: Grey Zabel (OL, North Dakota State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 35 (from Titans): Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 50: Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 92 (from Lions through Jets and Raiders): Jalen Milroe (QB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 142 (from Jaguars through Texans and Vikings): Rylie Mills (DT, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 166 (from Bills through Texans): Tory Horton (WR, Colorado State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 175*: Robbie Ouzts (TE, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 192 (from Dolphins through Bears): Bryce Cabeldue (G, Kansas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 223 (from Saints through Eagles and Steelers): Damien Martinez (RB, Miami) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 234: Mason Richman (T, Iowa) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 238 (from Chargers through Patriots)*: Ricky White (WR, UNLV) (signed)
Jets, Second-Round TE Mason Taylor Agree To Terms
Tight end Mason Taylor is the latest second-round rookie to agree to terms on their rookie deal. He and the Jets have an agreement in place ahead of training camp. 
Taylor’s four-year deal is worth $10.46MM. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports that $9.56MM (or 91.4%) of that figure is guaranteed. As a result, Taylor will not join the first three players selected on Day 2 in securing a fully locked in pact. Nevertheless, the No. 42 pick will receive a considerable commitment in terms of guarantees.
Over the past two years, players taken in that slot received guarantees of 77.1% and 78.7%, per Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. This Taylor agreement is a major step in the direction of a fully locked in deal, and like in the case of many other second-round draft slots, it will no doubt serve as precedent moving forward for more guarantees. In any event, Taylor will be in place when the Jets’ rookies report to camp tomorrow.
A three-year contributor at LSU, Taylor was a productive member of the team’s pass-catching group. His junior campaign was his best, with 546 yards on 55 receptions. The two touchdowns scored that year brought his career total to six, and operating as a red zone target would be key in allowing Taylor to contribute right away with the Jets. Even if that is not the case, though, he should be able to handle at least a part-time role on offense.
Finding production from the TE position has proven to be a challenge in recent years for the Jets, a team which has wideout Garrett Wilson in place through 2030. He will serve as the anchor of New York’s passing game during that span, but finding complementary options will be key. Taylor – who will spend camp competing for playing time with the likes of Jeremy Ruckeret and Stone Smartt – should feature in that effort over the coming years.
With the Taylor deal done, here is a complete look at the Jets’ draft class:
- Round 1, No. 7: Armand Membou (T, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 42: Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
- Round 3, No. 73: Azareye’h Thomas (CB, Florida State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 110: Arian Smith (WR, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 130 (from Lions through Broncos and Eagles): Malachi Moore (S, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 162 (from Rams through Steelers): Francisco Mauigoa (LB, Miami) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 176 (from Ravens): Tyler Baron (DE, Miami) (signed)
Shemar Stewart Doing Individual Workouts At Texas A&M
JULY 18: Aggies head coach Mike Elko confirmed (via ESPN’s Ben Baby) Stewart has no intention of attempting to return to college for the coming season. With today marking the reporting date for Bengals rookies, though, Stewart is of course not expected to be present as his contract standoff continues.
JULY 16: Bengals first-round edge rusher Shemar Stewart has been working out at Texas A&M’s facilities, as first reported by 247 Sports’ Ben Elliott (via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnnati Enquirer).
That has stirred speculation that he could be seeking a return to his alma mater amid his rookie contract dispute with the Bengals. Conway clarified that Stewart is only using Texas A&M’s facilities on an individual basis and is not participating in any team activities. In fact, NCAA rules prevent Stewart from returning to college for the 2026 season after declaring for the 2025 draft. Instead, he is trying to stay in shape and prepare for the NFL season with the hopes of working out his contract before Week 1.
At the moment, however, the Bengals seem poised to take their standoffs with Stewart and All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson into training camp and potentially the regular season. Cincinnati has until the end of Week 11 to reach an agreement with Stewart, per Yahoo Sports’ Jason Owens. If they don’t, Stewart won’t be eligible to play at all this season.
However, the Bengals would still control his rights until next year’s draft. If they cannot sign Stewart by then, he can enter his name into the 2026 draft, and the Bengals would not be allowed to select him a second time.
It still seems unlikely that Stewart would go down that route given what he stands to lose. Spending a year away from the field would be especially damaging to a raw prospect with untapped physical potential. Sure, Stewart can continue to get stronger and faster, but the technical parts of his game that require significant improvement would be harder to address without full-team practices and games. He would also enter the draft a year older, which could potentially drop him out of the first round where his total value and guaranteed money would be significantly lower.
Bills Sign Second-Round DT T.J. Sanders, Complete Draft Class Deals
Like many other teams around the NFL, the Bills have their entire draft class on the books. Second-rounder T.J. Sanders has signed his rookie deal. 
Sanders’ four-year pact is worth $10.65MM, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes $10.07MM of that figure is guaranteed. The No. 41 slot (where Sanders was selected in April) has seen guarantee rates of 77.9% and 79.5% over the past two years, per Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Sanders has not joined the three second-round picks who have received full guarantees on their rookie deals, but this is clearly a step forward in terms of locked in compensation deep into the pact.
Over the course of his career at South Carolina, Sanders emerged as a key figure on defense. Between his redshirt sophomore and junior campaigns, he totaled 8.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. That disruptiveness against the pass and run made Sanders one of several highly-regarded defensive tackle prospects in the 2025 class.
Buffalo expectedly targeted the secondary in the first round of the draft (taking cornerback Maxwell Hairston), but the team focused heavily on the defensive front through the middle portion of the event. The Sanders selection was followed by the addition of edge rusher Landon Jackson in the third round and fellow D-lineman Deone Walker in the fourth. The Bills’ defensive front could look noticeably different in the near future as a result, and Sanders in particular will be counted on to occupy at least a rotational role early in his career.
Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones served as full-time starters along the defensive interior last season, and they remain in place entering 2025. The Bills also have 2024 third-rounder DeWayne Carter in the fold, and after logging a 42% snap share as a rookie he figures to play a notable role this season. Sanders should nevertheless be able to contribute on a part-time basis in 2025 as he develops into a potential starter down the line.
With every member now under contract, here is a final look at Buffalo’s 2025 draft class:
- Round 1, No. 30: Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 41 (from Bears): T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 72 (from Bears): Landon Jackson (DE, Arkansas) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 109 (from Bears through Bills and Bears): Deone Walker (DT, Kentucky) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 170 (from Cowboys)*: Jordan Hancock (CB, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 173*: Jackson Hawes (TE, Georgia Tech) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 177 (from Giants): Dorian Strong (CB, Virginia Tech) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 206: Chase Lundt (T, UConn) (signed)
- Round 7, 240 (from Vikings through Browns and Bears): Kaden Prather (WR, Maryland) (signed)
Steelers, T.J. Watt Agree To Extension
The wait has ended for T.J. Watt and the Steelers to work out an extension. Team and player have agreed to terms on another monster pact. 
Watt has landed a three-year, $123MM extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The pact includes $108MM in full guarantees. With an average annual value of $41MM, Watt has once again claimed the title of the league’s top earner for defensive players and all non-quarterbacks.
Myles Garrett reset the edge rush market when he signed a Browns pact averaging $40MM per year. Ja’Marr Chase did the same at the receiver position when his Bengals extension (carrying an AAV of $40.25MM) became official. To little surprise, Watt has surpassed both of those figures while helping to ensure he will finish his career in Pittsburgh. Progress has been made rather rapidly, as Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes no agreement was imminent as recently as six days ago.
Both parties in this case expressed a desire to work out a deal months ago, but Watt hinted at dissatisfaction with the early state of contract talks. Over time, this became one of many tense situations involving edge rushers around the league. A major domino has now fallen, though, and Watt is on the books through 2028. This agreement falls short of the length he was seeking, but the former Defensive Player of the Year has succeeded in moving the bar for pass rushers and securing multiple years of locked in money.
Watt has led the NFL in sacks on three occasions (2021-22 and 2024) and he has played in every game the past two seasons after a pec tear cost him notable time in 2023. However, a downturn in play late in the campaign and into the postseason last year was viewed as cause for concern on the Steelers’ part regarding a new deal. Watt already reset the market in 2021, but doing so as he enters his age-31 season obviously carries risk for the team. General manager Omar Khan and Co. are certainly banking on a major drop-off not taking place for several more years.
Watt has operated as the anchor of Pittsburgh’s EDGE group over the course of his All-Pro career, and he will remain in that role well beyond the coming season. Rumors about a potential trade circulated amidst his decision to skip minicamp, but a deal never seemed likely or imminent. A holdout (or at least hold-in) effort during training camp will now not be necessary to get this deal over the finish line, something which was the case last time for Watt.
Alex Highsmith has recorded at least six sacks in each of the past four years, and he remains on the books through 2027. He will remain a starter along the edge, with Nick Herbig and fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer operating as rotational contributors. Watt (who has amassed 33 forced fumbles and 126 tackles for loss in his career) will be counted on to lead the way in terms of production once again this year and well beyond that point.
The seven-time Pro Bowler has yet to win a playoff game in his career, something Khan and the Steelers have aimed to change this offseason. Pittsburgh has aggressively pursued several new players through trade and free agency, breaking with standard practice in some regards. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver D.K. Metcalf, cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay as well as tight end Jonnu Smith are among the new faces which will be relied on to end the Steelers’ drought for playoff wins in 2025.
Watt will of course also be a central figure in that effort. Regardless of if things go according to plan this year, though, he will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
Lloyd Howell Resigns As NFLPA Executive Director
The turmoil to engulf Lloyd Howell early in his term as NFLPA executive director will end up producing a sea change. Howell is resigning his post, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
This comes not long after the NFLPA issued a statement backing Howell amid a conflict-of-interest controversy and the recent fallout from the collusion grievance report. Howell had become an increasingly divisive figure in light of these developments, and Jones adds the union board plans to meet as soon as possible to determine a path forward.
“It’s clear that my leadership has become a distraction to the important work the NFLPA advances every day,” Howell said. “For this reason, I have informed the NFLPA Executive Committee that I am stepping down as Executive Director of the NFLPA and Chairman of the Board of NFL Players effective immediately. I hope this will allow the NFLPA to maintain its focus on its player members ahead of the upcoming season.”
While a forced resignation certainly would make sense as a logical conclusion to this swiftly developing story, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Howell made the choice to move on rather than the union forcing him out. On Sunday, the executive committee released a statement that denied reports of unrest regarding Howell’s place as executive director. That now appears an ominous offering, as Howell is out four days later.
The NFLPA appealed an independent arbiter’s ruling that no definitive collusion occurred but did so only after the findings became public. The initial ruling was handed down in January, and a Pablo Torre June report — which unearthed Christopher Droney’s grievance ruling — in June indicated the NFLPA joined the NFL in wanting the findings to remain private. This appeared odd, seeing as Droney ruled the owners likely made a collective effort to limit guaranteed money in big-ticket quarterback contracts. Rather than launch an all-out crusade against the league, the Howell-led union stood down for months. The union’s appeal will be in new hands moving forward.
Torre reported the NFLPA wanted to keep ex-union president-turned-chief strategy officer J.C. Tretter‘s remarks about Russell Wilson‘s failed crusade to land a fully guaranteed Broncos contract concealed. Howell appointed Tretter as the chief strategy officer shortly after his term as president wrapped; linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin is the current NFLPA president. The latter will play a lead role in the union’s effort to determine Howell’s replacement.
More significantly in the Howell drama, a subsequent report revealed he had done consulting work for a firm approved to purchase a minority stake in a franchise. Howell earned $3.4MM consulting for The Carlyle Group in 2024. While Carlyle released a statement that attempted to distance Howell from the firm’s workings regarding a potential franchise stake purchase, Howell continuing to do work outside of his NFLPA role brought red flags by itself. Previous union heads were not believed to have worked outside jobs, let alone serving in roles posing clear conflicts of interest.
The NFLPA named Howell as DeMaurice Smith‘s successor in June 2023. At the time, this brought surprise due to Howell’s candidacy unfolding in secret. When the ESPN.com report regarding Howell’s involvement with Carlyle surfaced, it was not set to bring his tenure to a quick close. The two stories persisting became too much to overcome for Howell, who had taken the perch after 34 years at the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting firm. He concluded that tenure as the firm’s CFO.
Howell’s time at Booz Allen included a lawsuit alleging sexual discrimination and retaliation. Earlier today, a report from ESPN.com’s Don Van Natta and Kalyn Kahler indicated two executive committee members were unaware of the lawsuit when they voted Howell into the executive director post. Two other executive committee members, though, said (via Van Natta and Kahler) the board did know of the suit before the vote. (The 2011 lawsuit was ultimately settled.)
This marks a remarkably short tenure in the executive director position. Smith served 14 years in the position, steering the NFLPA through CBA talks in 2011 and 2020. Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw was in the position for 25 years. Ed Garvey was in place in this role from 1971-83. As the union prepares to navigate the NFL’s push for an 18-game schedule, it will look for a leader equipped to remain in the role for a lengthy term. Considering the secrecy that accompanied Howell’s election, it would surprise if the executive committee’s next search was not a much more transparent process.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Sentenced To 30 Days In Jail, Five Years Probation
The legal situation surrounding Rashee Rice has reached a conclusion. The Chiefs receiver was sentenced on Thursday to five years probation and 30 days in jail, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
The prison sentence can be served at any time within that five-year period. Schefter adds Rice also received deferred adjudication, meaning that if he completes the probation process his case will be dismissed. This development paves the way for the NFL to move forward with its own investigation and potential discipline against Rice.
“We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review,” an NFL spokesman said in a statement (via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports). The Chiefs declined to comment (h/t Jones).
Rice was one of two people driving when a Lamborghini SUV and a Corvette lost control the night of March 30, 2024. He and all five other total occupants of the two vehicles fled the scene after the accident, which came about while Rice and former college teammate Theodore Knox were believed to be street racing. Rice became the subject of an arrest warrant days later and turned himself in to police. The 25-year-old faced a total of eight felony charges stemming from the incident.
As noted by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero), Rice entered into a plea agreement on two third-degree felonies (collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury). Prior to the agreement, Rice had already paid for the victims’ medical costs, totaling roughly $115K.
“Last March, I was involved in a high-speed accident in Dallas,” a statement from Rice (delivered through his attorney) reads. “There have been a lot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actions caused, and I will continue working within my means to make sure that everyone impacted will be made whole. I urge everyone to mind the speed limit, drive safe and drive smart.
“Last and certainly not least, I am profoundly sorry for the physical damages to person and property. I fully apologize for the harm I caused to innocent drivers and their families.”
Without a legal resolution in place by the start of the 2024 regular season, the NFL declined to place Rice on the commissioner’s exempt list. That allowed him to play and led to the expectation a suspension would not be handed down until 2025. In Week 4, the SMU product suffered a knee injury which was initially feared to be an ACL tear; further testing revealed that was not the case.
Nevertheless, Rice’s knee surgery ended his season and left the Chiefs shorthanded at the receiver spot. Two years remain on the former second-rounder’s rookie contract, and he is slated to be healthy in time for training camp. Of course, it now remains to be seen if he will be with the team at the onset of camp or if he will use the period between now and the start of the campaign to serve his jail time. In any case, today’s update should open to door to a decision regarding a suspension being made in the near future.
Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Eagles
Quickly revealing the Chiefs’ tightrope walk toward a threepeat would not go the distance in Super Bowl LIX, last year’s Eagles edition cemented itself among the great modern-era NFL teams. In terms of roster strength, the 2024 Eagles proved they belonged in the conversation with the century’s best squads.
After entering last season with questions stemming from a 2023 collapse, the Eagles used a savvy offseason blueprint to assemble a force that submitted one of the great peaks in NFL history. The defending champions passed on paying some starters from last year’s outfit while using this offseason to lock down some crucial cogs as well. A similar Philly roster will attempt to run it back, and the team will enter the season as the clear frontrunner to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LX.
Extensions and restructures:
- Handed RB Saquon Barkley two-year, $41.2MM ($36MM guaranteed)
- Gave RT Lane Johnson fully guaranteed one-year, $25MM extension
- Rewarded C Cam Jurgens with four-year, $68MM extension ($23.35MM guaranteed)
- Dallas Goedert accepted pay cut; TE now on fully guaranteed one-year, $10MM deal
As the RB market reached rough waters exiting 2023, Roseman saw an opportunity. The Eagles landed an elite back at a reasonable price, and Roseman received deserved credit for acquiring an ultra-talented RB at a second-tier price. The six-year Giant proceeded to deliver one of the best seasons in the position’s history, going from an injury-prone player who did not have a realistic Hall of Fame case to one that has at least approached the conversation.
Barkley was on track to break Eric Dickerson‘s hallowed rushing record, before being rested in Week 18, but he did eclipse Terrell Davis‘ mark for most rush yards in a season (counting playoffs). The 1998 MVP had totaled 2,476 yards between the regular season and the Broncos’ three playoff games that year; Barkley followed his 2,005-yard regular season with 499 more in the playoffs to eclipse Davis’ mark.
It did come in one more game, as the Eagles were sent to the wild-card round as the No. 2 seed, but the upgrade from D’Andre Swift to Barkley played a lead role in Philly’s championship surge. Barkley’s 205 yards against the Rams were certainly needed to eliminate them.
The Eagles had Barkley signed through 2026 via their three-year, $37.75MM ($26MM guaranteed) contract, but the team rewarded its most talented player with a market-resetting payday. Barkley became the first running back to cross the $20MM-per-year barrier.
This second payday in two years brings a stark contrast to Barkley’s New York exit, as the Giants did not make an offer to retain him. Barkley’s success did not bode well for HBO’s chances of seeing a second Hard Knocks: Offseason effort come to pass, and he managed to score a monster payday at 28 despite missing chunks of four seasons previously.
Although this looks great for one of the RB position’s top earners, the Eagles are taking a risk based on Barkley’s past. The former Offensive Rookie of the Year has missed 26 games due to injury as a pro. His 2026 pay transformed from nonguaranteed to a $16.75MM full guarantee while the option bonus-laden (as this is the Eagles) contract includes a $2.5MM guarantee in 2027. It would cost the Eagles $16.6MM in dead money to move on in 2027. The Eagles have not shown much fear of dead money in recent years, and they will bet on the three-time Pro Bowler after his otherworldly contributions to last season’s cause.
Johnson is pushing Mike Tomlin for extension volume at this point. This is the decorated right tackle’s fifth Eagles contract. Roseman has made a habit of early extensions for his O-linemen, and Johnson has regularly been paid with multiple years left on a previous contract. The Eagles rewarded their stalwart right tackle after he collected a fifth All-Pro accolade; he joined Jurgens and Landon Dickerson as Pro Bowlers on one of the best NFL position groups this century.
Johnson, 35, has likely done enough to be enshrined in Canton. He has won two Super Bowls, helped RBs to rushing titles 11 years apart and is the last active member of Philly’s “Core Four.” This contract will be difficult to escape until at least 2027 — due to six void years being included — and then would bring a $25.53MM dead money hit. These consequences have not mattered much for the Eagles, who are ahead of the curve here. Now the NFL’s second-highest-paid RT, Johnson (just four injury-driven absences since 2022) is also aiming to play until his contract expires in 2027.
Philly’s development strategy up front is second to none, and the team now has four of its five starters on extensions worth between $17MM and $25MM per year. Jurgens impressed at guard in 2023 and in replacing Jason Kelce last season, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024. This deal came after the Eagles paid Dickerson months into his first offseason of extension eligibility and gave Jordan Mailata a second extension when two years remained on his first.
Despite Jurgens’ resume not rivaling Creed Humphrey‘s, the Eagles closed the gap between the Chiefs center and the field with this accord. ESPN’s pass block win rate placed Jurgens 10th among interior O-linemen last season, though Pro Football Focus only slotted him as the game’s 14th-best center. The former second-round pick anchored the Eagles’ signature play, one that received a reprieve thanks to a hotly contested offseason vote, and the Eagles were comfortable with a top-market deal. It is difficult to doubt their O-line vision at this point, given the success in the Jeff Stoutland era.
A $14MM 2025 option bonus affected Goedert’s contract-year trade value — to the point the Eagles considered accepting 2026 draft capital in a swap. This situation differed from the Zach Ertz ending, as no Goedert-level presence lurked as an heir apparent. A steep drop-off would have come had the Eagles not found a way to retain the eight-year tight end.
Goedert, 30, has been entrenched as Philly’s No. 3 pass-game option for years and remains one of the league’s best all-around TEs. The team has seen him run into annual availability trouble, missing 20 games due to injury this decade. This led to the pay-cut ask succeeding.
The Division I-FCS product did not seek a relocation, even as his 2025 pay drops from $14.25MM to $10MM. Trade offers did emerge during this process, however, and the Eagles — thanks to their void years M.O. — will face a $20.49MM dead money hit if they do not extend Goedert by the 2026 league year.
Trades:
- Sent S C.J. Gardner Johnson to Texans for G Kenyon Green, 2026 fifth-round pick
- Moved QB Kenny Pickett to Browns for QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, No. 164
- Dealt DE Bryce Huff to 49ers for 2026 conditional fifth-round pick
The Eagles also capped Gardner-Johnson’s second stint at one season, making a curious trade of a proven safety for a future Day 3 pick and a guard teetering on bust status. Gardner-Johnson said the Eagles informed him on the first night of free agency they would trade or cut him. The Eagles benefited from Gardner-Johnson’s 2024 return, after an injury-plagued Lions season, and had him on an affordable deal (three years, $27MM). That certainly made it interesting the team once again moved on early.
Despite learning another new system — his fourth defense in four years — the cover man/known agitator nabbed six INTs in 2024. That matched his 2022 Philly total and helped Vic Fangio‘s defense lead the league in yardage and finish second in points allowed. Gardner-Johnson did not carry significant guaranteed money beyond 2024 and is only going into an age-27 season. He will be positioned to boost the Texans’ secondary, while the Eagles — who used this as a cost-cutting space as Barkley, Johnson, Jurgens and Zack Baun received raises — have safety uncertainty again.
The team’s issues at the position, among other problems, in 2023 prompted the CJGJ re-signing. Philly’s 2025 approach also spotlighted the decision to move on early, as the team made an offer to Justin Reid. The Saints won out for the three-year Chiefs starter (on a three-year, $31.5MM deal). Philly, however, has also been connected to a Fangio-Justin Simmons reunion. This will be a 2026 need as well, as Reed Blankenship is on an expiring contract.
Adding to the 2024 Eagles’ achievement: their highest-paid edge rusher was a Super Bowl healthy scratch. Huff did not work out in Philly, failing to make the transition from Robert Saleh‘s scheme to Fangio’s. The former Jets situational rusher posted 10 sacks in his 2023 contract year and drew a wave of free agency attention; the Eagles won out with a three-year, $51MM deal that included $34MM at signing. By November, Huff was barely playing 20% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps. After a wrist injury led him to IR, the former UDFA find made just two more appearances and did not record a statistic in his two playoff cameos.
The Eagles found an interesting taker, as Huff will reunite with Saleh in San Francisco. They managed this trade return despite it being clear, even after Josh Sweat‘s departure, Huff would not receive a second chance. While Fangio cited Huff’s hand injury as a key reason for the struggles, the player confirmed the bad fit upon being dealt. The Eagles are taking on more than $20MM in dead money — $4.94MM in 2026, $16.6MM in ’26 — based on this quick divorce.
One of the teams to show interest in Joe Milton, the Eagles are handing the QB2 reins to Tanner McKee. The 2023 sixth-round pick played well against Giants starters, as the Eagles were sitting most of their lineup in Week 18, by finishing with 268 passing yards and two TD throws. Pickett’s downward trend continues, even as he has a chance to earn the Browns’ starting job. The former No. 20 overall Steelers selection has been traded twice, with the second swap generating a lesser return compared to the Eagles’ package — which included a third-round pick — from 2024.
Re-signings:
- Zack Baun, ILB. Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
- Ben VanSumeren, ILB. One year, $1.06MM
Like at running back, the Eagles had kept costs low at linebacker for years. The team moved on from Mychal Kendricks and Nigel Bradham by the late 2010s, finding UDFAs (Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards) as fill-ins. Singleton and Edwards collected their money elsewhere (Broncos, Bears), while the Eagles cycled through more low-cost options. The team did not re-sign Super Bowl LVII starter Kyzir White, either. Although Philly’s 2023 linebacker setup contributed to the team’s late-season unraveling, no major investments came at the position in 2024. In fact, Baun received less money ($3.5MM) than Devin White ($4MM). Baun’s showing changed the team’s calculus.
The first Eagle linebacker to be named first-team All-Pro since Jeremiah Trotter in 2000, Baun dominated in his first extended look on defense. Formerly used as a backup Saints edge rusher, Baun researched special teams contracts as free agency comps. Fangio had initially looked at Baun as an edge piece, but with White not seizing the job alongside Nakobe Dean, the former third-round Saints draftee capitalized.
By season’s end, Baun had posted 151 tackles, 3.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. His diving interception of Patrick Mahomes, giving the Eagles a knockout opportunity before halftime, punctuated one of the best LB seasons in recent memory. The Shaquille Leonard-like (healthy version) stat line raised Baun’s value to the point the Eagles kept him out of free agency with a top-five ILB contract.
The off-ball linebacker market had sustained hits in recent years. Leonard saw injuries move him off his monster Colts contract, while the Jets (C.J. Mosley) and Jaguars (Foye Oluokun) gave their top tacklers pay cuts. It had become more affordable to roster top-tier ILBs, but Baun (28) helped reset the second tier of this market. His $17MM-per-year deal topped all free agent LBs, as Nick Bolton and Jamien Sherwood came in at $15MM AAV. Still, only six players at this position earn more than $14MM per year. This allowed Roseman to capitalize on another depressed market.
