Steelers Made Decision To Trade WR George Pickens Immediately After 2024 Season
Following a four-game losing streak to close the regular season, during which the offense put up 107-, 198-, 162-, and 119-yard passing performances. Following the subsequent road playoff exit at the hands of a division rival that passed it for the division lead over those final four games with a four-game winning streak, Pittsburgh knew it had to improve its passing attack. It started with a single trade, but according to NFL Insider Adam Caplan of FOX Sports Radio (h/t Steelers Depot), the Steelers always knew that two trades were going to take place. 
Early in the 2024 NFL offseason, the Steelers made a decision about a position they take a lot of pride in. Watching the offense flounder and fumble away a home playoff game, the team looked to improve its receiving corps. It started in early-March, when the Steelers traded for former Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf before the start of the new league year. While many looked at the roster as adequately improved, now sporting a pair of Metcalf and George Pickens backed by Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson, the Steelers had made the move with the intention of trading Pickens already in mind.
That’s right, Pittsburgh knew that early that it was moving on from Pickens. In the words of Caplan, the team “made a decision at the end of the 2024 season that they knew that they were not going to extend (Pickens’) contract.” Caplan told listeners, “There was no way this would work with Pickens, they felt, and they were going to move him for whatever they could get. The best they could get. And Dallas was very interested, and they made that work.”
The Cowboys were also in a desperate search for improvement as they sought a suitable WR2 to pair with star receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys made an early offer for Pickens in the days after the Metcalf-trade, but thought they’d try their luck with the draft when the Steelers didn’t bite. Dallas also inquired into trading for Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman. Bateman, also going into the final year of his rookie deal, opted to stay put and signed a three-year, $36.75MM extension to remain in Baltimore.
The Steelers, on the other hand, had already done their research on the prospective pass catchers in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite having a penchant for uncovering diamonds in the middle rounds of the draft, there were no prospects that the Steelers liked at the values which they were predicted to fall to. In fact, this lack of faith in the draft solving their problems led to the team’s decision to trade for Metcalf. Once Dallas also failed to find anyone at a value they felt was reasonable in the draft, the Cowboys came back with an upped offer, and the Steelers happily accepted.
The plan was never to play Metcalf and Pickens together; Pickens had become a headache in the building, and the two’s style of play are altogether all too similar. An extension was not in the cards for the 24-year-old, so Pittsburgh took a stab at a more proven 27-year-old asset and signed him to a four-year, $132MM extension. It wasn’t a one-for-one, put the team was even able to replenish some of the picks it sent to Seattle with the picks it received from Dallas and was able to replace a troubling, young receiver on the last year of his contract with a proven veteran signed through the 2029 season.
The Steelers played their cards fairly close to their chest, and they played them extremely well. They got the exact improvements for which they were hoping, and even did best by Pickens and the Cowboys, who may both be in a better situation now as a result. It’s not often the full details come out so soon after the dominos finish falling, but with the recent hindsight being nearly 20/20 on these Steelers’ trades, they appear artfully crafted from here.
5 Key Stories: 7/6/25 – 7/12/25
The build-up to NFL training camps continues, and the offseason’s quiet period has nearly come to an end as a result. The past few days have nonetheless seen a few notable developments. In case you missed any of them, here is a quick recap:
- Bears, Poles Agree To Extension: The 2025 offseason has seen plenty of changes on the sidelines in the case of the Bears, but they will have continuity in the front office. As expected, general manager Ryan Poles has agreed to an extension which keeps him under contract through 2029 (just like new head coach Ben Johnson). Poles – in place since 2022 – led the coaching search this winter as he looks to guide the team to a step forward from his first three years at the helm. Chicago has gone just 15-36 over that span, but expectations for quarterback Caleb Williams will be high ahead of Year 2 in the league. Poles has been busy attempting to fortify Chicago’s offensive and defensive lines this spring, but even if those moves do not produce the desired results his future should be secure.
- NFLPA Planning Collusion Case Appeal: For several months, the arbitration ruling on the NFLPA’s collusion case against the NFL were kept secret. Two weeks after the findings became public, however, the union now intends to appeal the decision made by arbitrator Christopher Droney. The January ruling stated the NFL did not engage in collusion following Deshaun Watson‘s fully guaranteed contract, but also noted how the league “urged” teams to limit guaranteed spending on player contracts. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell will oversee the appeal since he is facing scrutiny based on his role in suppressing the ruling from players and conflict of interest concerns stemming from his consultant role with a private equity firm. For now, at least, Howell does not intend to resign.
- Cousins Speaks Out On Falcons’ Free Agent Approach: Last March, Kirk Cousins ended his six-year Vikings tenure by signing with the Falcons in free agency. That four-year deal included full guarantees for 2024 and ’25, suggesting he would remain atop the QB depth chart during that time. Atlanta then drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round, though, and the rookie took over for Cousins late last season. Cousins has spoken on the topic in Netflix’s Quarterback series, stating his free agent approach would have been different had he known the Falcons would draft a passer. The 36-year-old’s preference, in hindsight, was to stay in Minnesota knowing both the Vikings and Falcons would select a first-round quarterback. Cousins is set to handle backup duties in Atlanta moving forward.
- Holdout Possible For Bengals’ Hendrickson: Several notable pass rushers have yet to sort out their financial situations, and that includes Trey Hendrickson. A new round of extension talks with the Bengals is taking place, but the 2024 sack leader remains willing to stretch his holdout through not only training camp but also into the regular season. As one might expect given the nature of negotiations so far, no agreement is expected before camp begins. One year remains on Hendrickson’s current pact, and he is owed $16MM as things stand. The 30-year-old is aiming for a multi-year extension whereas the Bengals prefer a single year being added to his contract. The stalemate in this case could persist for quite some time.
- Bucs’ Wirfs To Miss Time In 2025: A sprained MCL proved to be a lingering issue for Buccaneers left tackle Tristan Wirfs. The All-Pro left tackle missed time during the spring while struggling to recover in full from the injury. As a result, arthroscopic surgery was deemed the best course of action, and Wirfs will miss the beginning of the regular season while rehabbing. Veteran Charlie Heck is in line to handle starting duties on the blindside as things stand, but regardless of who fills in Tampa’s offensive line will be notably shorthanded until Wirfs is back in the fold.
Chargers WR Tre Harris Absent From Training Camp
Saturday marks the reporting date for rookies at the Chargers’ training camp. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports Tre Harris is absent from the team, however. 
The wideout is one of 33 selections from the 2025 draft who have yet to sign their rookie contracts. 30 of them – including Harris – were second-round picks. A logjam is expected as all players taken in that round aim to secure fully guaranteed contracts.
First-round picks receive their four-year compensation in full, but until 2025 that was never the case for rookies selected on Day 2. New precedents were set earlier this offseason, however, when Jayden Higgins and the Texans agreed to a deal which is fully guaranteed. Higgins was selected 34th overall; one day later, No. 33 pick Carson Schwesinger received the same terms from the Browns. All other second-round picks have since waited to sign their respective deals while attempting to negotiate a pact which is fully locked in.
Throughout the spring, that resulted in a dearth of rookie deals being signed amongst those in a similar situation to Higgins and Schwesinger. Second-rounders are often the last to ink their pacts, but 2025 has seen this matter stretch well into the summer. Harris is now in position to miss on-field reps (veterans report on July 16) if his absence continues beyond the next few days. Since he is not under contract, though, he will not be subject to fines.
Harris was the 55th overall pick in April’s draft. The 23-year-old spent his first three college seasons at Louisiana Tech, showing improvement with each passing year. Harris then transferred to Ole Miss; during two campaigns with the Rebels, he amassed 2,015 yards and 15 touchdowns. Harris will be expected to play a role in Los Angeles’ receiver room, one led by Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and – for the second time around – Mike Williams. The departure of Josh Palmer in free agency created a void in terms of production at the WR spot, and Harris will be tasked with helping to fill it in 2025 while developing into a regular contributor down the road.
That process will of course depend in large part on padded practice reps during training camp. Harris is now in danger of missing time during camp, and it will be interesting to see if this move leads to increased urgency on the Chargers’ part to sign him. With other second-rounders set to face a similar scenario over the coming days, this could be a notable test case.
Giants Rumors: Miller, Robinson, UDFAs
Technically an undrafted signee in 2023, Dante Miller made his NFL debut last year for Big Blue in two games off the practice squad. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, there’s a chance he could work his way on to the active roster in 2025.
Miller was an interesting case study in last year’s offseason. Starting as an Ivy League running back at Columbia, Miller was one of the common cases we see of Ivy Leaguers transferring for their fifth year of play — Ivy League schools don’t allow players to remain longer than four years. Miller’s 2019 season had been forfeited to COVID-19, so transferring to South Carolina, the school and student believed that he had two years of eligibility remaining.
The Gamecocks played him infrequently, as a result, letting him get garbage time snaps while prepping for a larger role in Year 2. Six games into the season, though, they learned that they had misunderstood his eligibility status and that he didn’t have two years of eligibility, he had two years to play one season. Two games past the four-game limit for redshirting, South Carolina halted Miller’s participation and immediately filed an appeal with the NCAA. Not only did the NCAA deny the appeal, but they also waited to announce their decision until after the deadline to declare for the 2023 draft, forcing Miller to continue sitting out for no reason and preventing him from getting to the NFL in 2023.
Regardless, he signed with the Giants and saw game action as a rookie in 2024. Now, in 2025, he could have more of an impact for New York. Part of the reason Miller drew NFL interest after barely participating in his final year of play was a 4.27-second 40-yard dash at his South Carolina pro day that would’ve bested any back that ran at the combine that year. Duggan predicts that, with kickoffs being moved to the 35-yard line in the offseason, Miller could make a significant impact as a return man. The running backs group is loaded in New York, with Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and Eric Gray being joined by rookie Cam Skattebo, but Miller may be able to stand out with his explosive speed on special teams.
Here are a couple other rumors from the G-Men’s offseason:
- Despite seeing the 12th-most targets in the NFL last year, wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson expressed dissatisfaction with his role. Playing mostly in the slot in 2024, Robinson’s yards per catch was only 7.5, as most of his targets came on short routes. Duggan says that Robinson wants more opportunities to make plays downfield in 2025, and he expects to get more snaps on the outside. The Giants didn’t indicate that move with his usage in spring, but with Robinson playing on a contract year, they may want to appease him if they hope to retain him long-term.
- The Giants did an interesting thing when signing three undrafted receivers this offseason. All of Beaux Collins, Da’Quan Felton, and Juice Wells received a $234K salary guarantee when they signed as undrafted free agents. Per Duggan, that number was by design, as it’s the full-season salary a rookie makes on the practice squad. By guaranteeing that portion of the contract, New York was saying that even if they don’t make the 53-man roster, they’re essentially certain to earn a practice squad spot, or at least get paid like it. That being said, Collins earned first-team reps in the spring and could have the opportunity to make his full salary of $840K. Wells was a teammate of rookie first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart, but the expected connection between the two didn’t materialize in the spring. Felton, on the other hand, likely needs development and could benefit from a year on the practice squad.
Browns Rookie QBs Unlikely To Win Starting Gig; Dillon Gabriel Has Slight Edge Over Shedeur Sanders
The Browns’ four-man quarterback battle is slowly coming into focus as we approach training camp. With Deshaun Watson soon headed for the reserve/physically unable to perform or reserve/non-football injury list, The Athletic’s Zac Jackson tells us that he views it as Joe Flacco vs. Kenny Pickett for the starting job to open the season, and Dillon Gabriel vs. Shedeur Sanders for a potential roster spot and place on the depth chart. 
Jackson essentially doesn’t believe either rookie has a chance to open the season as the new starting quarterback, saying that he’d “be stunned if either rookie can actually win the job in camp.” In addition to their competition with each other, each rookie is also battling the usual battle of a rookie making the jump from college football to the NFL, learning the playbook and maximizing reps, while trying to improve and outshine the others around them.
This secondary battle is an important one for the Browns to watch, though. Likely, neither Flacco nor Pickett are considered long-term solutions at the most important position in the sport. Flacco is 40 years old, and even if Pickett had a Sam Darnold-esque breakout season, he’s in the final year of his rookie contract after the Browns declined his fifth-year option.
Even if they wanted to re-sign him to a long-term deal off a successful 2025 campaign, Watson’s $80.72MM cap hit in 2026 is going to make that extremely difficult to do. With that cap crunch looming, Cleveland’s best chance is for one of the two passers on rookie deals with rookie cap hits to take over in the future. So, while the Browns have the important job of preparing Flacco and Pickett to open the 2025 season as a starter, they also have the very important job of making sure one or both of Gabriel and Sanders can either be ready to start later on in the season or even next year.
In that battle, so far, Jackson posits that Gabriel has the early edge over Sanders. Gabriel got starter snaps in the spring, while Sanders’s recent run-ins with the law have not dispelled rumors of immaturity. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com tends to agree with Jackson on this point, claiming that “Gabriel has at least a slight edge over Sanders to make a legitimate push for the starting job.”
She praised Gabriel’s “computer-like processing speed and decision-making,” saying that he “looked solid and held his own…Thanks to his quick grasp of the terminology and playbook.” When Gabriel signed his rookie deal, we noted that he may hold such an advantage after having to learn three different offenses under eight different coordinators in time at UCF, Oklahoma, and Oregon while always working in a spread system that feeds off of quick decision-making.
We also noted that Sanders, on the other hand, has been coached by his father at every step towards the NFL since high school. While he, too, worked with several (four) coordinators and actually saw time in run-and-shoot and air raid schemes in addition to spread, ultimately, Gabriel had much more experience coming into a new place under new leadership and taking over with near-immediate success than Sanders did. That analysis seems to be holding true as both reporters see Gabriel quickly finding his footing in Cleveland.
Ultimately, Cabot doesn’t agree with Jackson that a roster spot is on the line; she believes both rookies will make the final 53-man roster, which we touched on, as well, considering that putting either rookie on the practice squad would expose them to the waiver wire first. For now, on the surface and in their own mentality, the rookies will be pushing to compete for the starting job at the open of training camp. In reality, the two have a much more important, long-term battle to contend with that could shape the future of the Browns organization.
Kyle Juszczyk On Steelers Interest, 49ers Stay
Despite taking a visit to the Steelers, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk never wanted to leave San Francisco when he was briefly made a free agent in March.
“It was the worst three days of my life, but I’m genuinely grateful for it now,” said Jusczyzk in an interview with The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. Even though he knew “the door wasn’t shut” when he was released by the 49ers, he still said his goodbyes and considered other options.
While there was interest from other teams, Juszczyk accepted an invitation from the Steelers and met with head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
“It was a different experience,” said Juszczyk of his visit to Pittsburgh. “It was a chance to go look at a different team and I felt a lot of love from them. I got excited for a second about what possibly could be, about new beginnings and fitting into a new offense, all that type of stuff.”
However, Juszcyzk could not envision himself playing anywhere except San Francisco, and a few days later, he signed a two-year, $7.5MM deal to return for his ninth season with the 49ers. With $7MM of guaranteed money – including $3.15MM in the second year – he is confident that he will not have to deal with a similar situation next offseason.
Instead, he will have two more years as a moveable blocking and receiving weapon in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, which is expecting a bounce-back year with the return of Christian McCaffrey.
Jusczyzk said that McCaffrey is “arguably the best player in the NFL” and “changes everything” for the 49ers offense. Both participated in the team’s offseason workouts, though McCaffrey’s workload is being carefully managed after his recent injury woes.
“He looks so healthy, he looks so explosive,” said Juszcyzk.
Bears To Extend GM Ryan Poles
Ryan Poles is set to remain in place for years to come. The Bears reached agreement on an extension with their general manager Friday, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Poles had two years remaining on his deal, but today’s agreement will add to his tenure in the Windy City. Poles is now under contract through 2029. That lines his pact up with that of new head coach Ben Johnson. This move comes as little surprise given the confidence shown this year in Poles, 39, by team president Kevin Warren. 
Hired in 2022 alongside Matt Eberflus, Poles has overseen a number of roster changes during his tenure. The team has not developed as hoped over the past three years – posting a combined record of 15-36 over that span – and Eberflus did not make through the 2024 campaign. As Johnson aims to provide Chicago with long-term stability on the sidelines, though, Poles will remain in place to continue the rebuild he has undertaken since his arrival from a lengthy tenure with the Chiefs.
Of course, the focal point of that process will be the development of Caleb Williams. Poles worked out a blockbuster trade with the Panthers in 2023 which allowed Carolina to move up to No. 1 in that year’s draft and select Bryce Young. One the of elements of that trade was that Chicago owned the Panthers’ top choice in 2024, which wound up being the first overall selection. Taking advantage of the opportunity to start over under center after three years with Justin Fields in place, Poles traded Fields and drafted Williams last spring.
A number of moves made last offseason – such as the acquisition of wideout Keenan Allen and running back D’Andre Swift – were aimed at easing Williams’ acclimation to the NFL. Questions lingered about the state of Chicago’s offensive line entering the campaign, however, and (in part due to that unit’s play) Williams took a league-leading 68 sacks. One of Poles’ key goals this year was to shore up the interior of the Bears’ O-line, and he landed guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trade. Each signed extensions tying them to the team through 2027, which is also the length of center Drew Dalman‘s free agent deal.
Adding further pass-catching options during the draft, Poles selected tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and receiver Luther Burden in the second. The latter will join a WR room led by D.J. Moore – part of the package which went to Chicago in the Young blockbuster – as well as 2024 top-10 selection Rome Odunze. At the tight end spot, Loveland will form a tandem with Cole Kmet, who is among the players Poles has extended on long-term deals during his tenure.
On defense, Chicago’s secondary has been the target for multiple lucrative deals. Over the past two offseasons, Poles has authorized extensions for cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and they will remain key members of a defense led by edge rusher Montez Sweat and the Tremaine Edmunds–T.J. Edwards tandem at linebacker moving forward. Chicago’s defense has improved in terms of points allowed during each of the past three years, but after ranking 13th in 2024 there is still room for another step forward from the unit.
Of course, Poles’ time in charge has included notable misses as well. The prime example on that front is the second-round pick traded to the Steelers for receiver Chase Claypool in 2022. Claypool showed promise during his time in Pittsburgh, but he made a total of just 18 catches with the Bears. He was dealt in 2023 to the Dolphins as part of a Day 3 pick swap, an illustration of the extent to which the initial move on Poles’ part did not pan out.
The NFC North sent three teams to the postseason in 2024, and expectations will be high once more in the division this year. Coming off a 5-12 campaign, Chicago will look to take a step forward and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Failure to do so may have fueled speculation about a 2026 GM change, but today’s news ensures Poles’ job security for at least the intermediate future.
Offseason In Review: Jacksonville Jaguars
After authorizing the three biggest contracts in team history, the Jaguars moved through a disastrous season. The team’s 4-13 campaign led to Doug Pederson‘s ouster, as the former Super Bowl-winning HC’s fate became easy to predict as the season’s final weeks transpired. The team’s initial offseason plan, however, took on water as it became clear GM Trent Baalke‘s presence was interfering with the search to replace Pederson.
A course change midway through led the Jaguars to their eventual Liam Coen–James Gladstone pairing. This brings far less experience compared to Pederson-Baalke, but Jacksonville had seen its fortunes worsen as that pair’s third season ended. Coen will be asked to elevate Trevor Lawrence to justify the $55MM-per-year contract awarded last year, and the new regime’s defining move equipped the former No. 1 overall pick with one of the most unique weapons in NFL history.
Coaching/Front Office:
- Fired Doug Pederson, gave Liam Coen five-year deal as HC replacement
- Fired Trent Baalke, hired James Gladstone as GM replacement
- Hired Grant Udinski as OC, Anthony Campanile as DC
- Parted ways with assistant GM Ethan Waugh, added Tony Boselli as VP of football ops
- Hired former Broncos GM Brian Xanders as senior advisor
Before Travis Hunter became in play for the Jaguars, they needed to sort out their leadership positions. It took a bit. Pederson, though, received an early pink slip. He was the only coach fired on Black Monday this year, and although reports of uncertainty did emerge late in the season, it was not hard to see where the situation was heading. After a 9-8 2022 season that featured a Lawrence-led 27-point comeback win over the Chargers in the wild-card round, the Jags were 8-3 and sniffing the AFC’s No. 1 seed a year later. They finished Pederson’s tenure with five wins in their final 23 games.
Lawrence’s health, a non-issue until his third season, hurt the Jags in this span. But the former Clemson super-prospect has not developed as the team hoped. The Jags ranked 24th offensively last season, one that ended with Lawrence sidelined due to a concussion and a nonthrowing shoulder injury that required surgery.
Pederson’s first Jacksonville season brought a 10th-place offensive ranking, the best of his tenure, with the HC being the primary play-caller. The veteran coach, however, gave OC Press Taylor the call sheet before the 2023 season and kept outsiders in suspense about his play-calling plans for 2024. Shad Khan even voiced support for Pederson taking the reins back, but Pederson stuck with Taylor — a development that reminded of the HC’s Eagles undoing.
Pederson had aimed to have Taylor promoted to Eagles OC in 2021, but ownership was not onboard. This helped lead to a split. Pederson brought Taylor with him to Jacksonville and stuck with him as play-caller for the past two seasons, even as the walls tumbled down. Pederson firing Mike Caldwell as DC did not bring a 2024 boost, as the Jags regressed in both points and yards allowed (dropping to 27th and 31st in those categories, respectively) under Ryan Nielsen. Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell joined Lawrence in failing to justify their 2024 paydays.
While Pederson’s tenure did not reach the depths of Gus Bradley‘s or Doug Marrone‘s, Khan gave him less time by moving on after three years. That came months after the owner labeled the 2024 Jags as the most talented roster in team history. Khan attempted to have only Pederson take the fall, keeping Baalke on to help hire the next HC. Although Khan stopped short of guaranteeing Baalke would remain GM, coaching candidates certainly assumed that would be the case (even Pederson had been hesitant about the then-GM in 2022).
This created a disjointed search, as both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson had reservations about Baalke. This contributed to Johnson choosing the Bears despite the coveted candidate’s reported Jags interest. The Jags then saw Coen decline a second interview, bowing out of their search and agreeing to a Buccaneers extension worth roughly $4.5MM per year on January 22nd. The Bucs’ extension offer was contingent on Coen not taking a second Jaguars meeting, but once he realized he held a strong chance at landing the Jags gig, another raise ask occurred. Bucs ownership declined it, however. This sequence proved to be an important stretch regarding the Jaguars’ big-picture direction.
Hours after Coen backed out on his second meeting, Khan fired Baalke. The owner did so despite claiming a full-on overhaul would be “suicide” for the franchise. Signaling the GM was the primary hang-up, Coen circled back and met with the Jags. This then involved Coen avoiding Bucs contact, telling Todd Bowles he was dealing with a personal matter, as a clandestine mission in north Florida commenced.
An agreement emerged Jan. 23. The one-and-done Tampa Bay OC certainly burned bridges on the way out of town — to the point the Bucs blocked two assistants from becoming Coen’s O-line coach — but he secured stunning power given his limited experience and history of leaving jobs quickly.
The Jaguars’ 2024 struggles prompted Khan to hand the keys to Coen. This came four years after the owner placed Urban Meyer atop the personnel pyramid. With Pederson not doing enough in between, the Jags are a coach-centric operation again.
Coen, 39, has not stayed in the same job since his first Rams stint in the late 2010s. Sean McVay hired Coen as assistant wide receivers coach in 2018 and moved him to assistant QBs coach in 2020. Coen then bounced from Kentucky to the Rams and back to Kentucky — all in OC roles — before yo-yoing back to the NFL with the Bucs, who gave the young coach his first NFL play-calling shot.
The 2022 Rams did not impress, but Coen coaxed a breakout Will Levis junior season (2021) and later helped Baker Mayfield build on his 2023 resurgence. Mayfield established career-high marks across the board last season, throwing 41 TD passes and completing 71.4% of his throws. This came as he reached a career-best 7.9 yards per attempt, checking enough boxes for Coen to follow Dave Canales in receiving a head coaching offer after one season as Bucs OC. Robert Saleh, who worked under Bradley in Jacksonville, was believed to be the team’s fallback option if Coen did not reconsider his stance.
Rumors over the past several years paint a grim picture of life during a Baalke GM stay. The 49ers keeping their GM over Jim Harbaugh in 2015 proved a mistake, as the team sunk to its lowest depth since the late 1970s, and the Jags’ 2022 HC search featured hiccups involving the GM. Khan firing Meyer increased Baalke’s organizational power ahead of a draft that brought a Travon Walker-over-Aidan Hutchinson pick. An early-season report last year also depicted friction between Baalke and Pederson, with Taylor’s status a point of contention.
Baalke following Tom Telesco off the GM tier this offseason means no second-chance GMs are currently employed, illustrating the high stakes these jobs carry. No team has hired Baalke or Pederson, and the Jags’ midwinter changeup brought in Gladstone, who is the NFL’s youngest GM (at 34).
Gladstone spent nine years in Los Angeles, rising from an assistant to the general manager position to director of scouting strategy. The Jags were Gladstone’s only GM connection, and it came after reported Coen preference Mike Greenberg, the Bucs’ assistant GM, declined an interview. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham also checked in as an early frontrunner. Gladstone and Coen worked together for four nonconsecutive seasons in L.A., and the former had worked under Brad Holmes before he became the Lions’ GM.
The Rams have an established history of finding draft gems in the McVay era, and their 2023 and ’24 drafts — efforts that helped create a formidable pass rush as Aaron Donald exited — reflected well on their scouting strategy chief. Seeing Holmes do wonders in Detroit, the Jags will roll the dice on a young exec. He joins Coen and Boselli as part of a decision-making troika, but the HC is atop the pyramid.
Coen did not hire an experienced OC. Udinski rises from Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach to this post. Even though the Jags’ OC position is currently a non-play-calling gig, this represents quite the vault for a 29-year-old assistant. Udinski landed this job after candidate Nate Scheelhaase bowed out to stay with the Rams.
Like Gladstone, Udinski rose from the “assistant to the” level. This climb, however, occurred within a two-year span. Kevin O’Connell made Udinski his assistant QBs coach in 2023, and Sam Darnold‘s belated breakthrough garnered attention for the staff. Udinski becoming an OC before Vikes QBs coach Josh McCown is interesting, but O’Connell — Coen’s Rams boss in 2020 — has become one of the NFL’s most respected coaches. This represents the first major branch off his coaching tree.
Campanile, 42, has no history with Coen or Gladstone. He spent four years in Miami as linebackers coach, arriving under Brian Flores and being retained by both of Mike McDaniel‘s first two DCs. Campanile only interviewed for the Jags’ DC job this year but met with the Dolphins and Giants about their positions in 2024. The Jaguars are now on their fifth DC of the 2020s. Nielsen has now been a one-and-done DC in New Orleans, Atlanta and Jacksonville over the past three years, managing to pull this off without technically being fired. The 2022 Saints co-DC took the Falcons’ job in 2023 and was subsequently tied to two canned HCs.
Trades:
- Dealt WR Christian Kirk to Texans for 2026 seventh-round pick
Among the extensive receiver turnover in Jacksonville, this move stands out. The team was prepared to release Kirk, who turned heads with his $18MM-per-year contract as a 2022 free agent, but collected a low-end return from a division rival. While dealing Kirk to the Texans may have signaled the new staff’s view of his abilities, this is more of a salary dump from a regime that had no ties to Lawrence’s previous top target.
Kirk is still just 28 and delivered two impressive seasons in Jacksonville. Proving the Baalke-Pederson regime right for a market-reshaping contract — via the wave of deals made after Kirk’s — the former Cardinals second-round pick helped elevate Lawrence with an 1,108-yard 2022 showing and was more productive on a per-game basis in 2023. The slot weapon averaged a career-high 57.6 yards per game in 2023 but went down with a core muscle injury early in Week 13. That setback coincided with the Jags’ swoon, as they were 8-3 in the games Kirk finished that season.
A broken collarbone shelved Kirk last season, denying teams — including the then-WR-fixated Steelers — a chance to make trade offers near the deadline. The Jags moved on from Kirk’s $15.5MM 2025 salary in the final year of the contract, saving $10.44MM as a result. Though, the Coen-Gladstone regime did OK a $13MM-plus dead money hit via this trade. The Jags have made two significant WR investments in the past two drafts, lessening the blow to Lawrence.
Free agency additions:
- Patrick Mekari, OL. Three years, $37.5MM ($20MM guaranteed)
- Jourdan Lewis, CB. Three years, $30MM ($20MM guaranteed)
- Robert Hainsey, C. Three years, $21MM ($10MM guaranteed)
- Eric Murray, S. Three years, $19.5MM ($10MM guaranteed)
- Dyami Brown, WR. One year, $10MM ($9.5MM guaranteed)
- Chuma Edoga, T. Two years, $7MM ($3.2MM guaranteed)
- Hunter Long, TE. Two years, $5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Nick Mullens, QB. Two years, $4.5MM ($3MM guaranteed)
- Johnny Mundt, TE. Two years, $5.5MM ($2.26MM guaranteed)
- Emmanuel Ogbah, DE. One year, $3.25MM ($2MM guaranteed)
- Dennis Gardeck, DE. One year, $2MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
- Dawuane Smoot, DE. One year, $1.5MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
- Fred Johnson, T. One year, $1.34MM ($1.14MM guaranteed)
- Quintin Morris, TE. One year, $1.15MM ($365K guaranteed)
- Trenton Irwin, WR. One year, $1.17MM
One of the league’s most versatile players, Mekari has seen at least 200 snaps at all five O-line positions. His work at guard in 2024, however, set a quality free agent market in March. The Ravens had slotted Mekari as a swing backup but needed him at left guard last season. Jacksonville will slide Mekari to right guard, as Ezra Cleveland is in place at LG. This contract represented a value vault for Mekari, who played out a three-year, $15.45MM deal.
ESPN’s pass block win rate metric ranked Mekari fifth among guards last season, marking an impressive showing given that the versatile blocker’s primary position was tackle from 2021-23. The Jags are not certain 2023 first-round pick Anton Harrison will remain their RT starter, so it is possible Mekari could be tapped to take over there. His projected 2025 spot will be RG, however.
A $7MM-per-year deal looks like a win for Hainsey, who joined Murray and Brown among the Jags’ curious contracts on Day 1 of free agency. The Buccaneers demoted Hainsey, Ryan Jensen‘s center replacement, for first-rounder Graham Barton last year. Hainsey started a game in his contract year but played only 95 offensive snaps. Pro Football Focus was down on the former third-rounder’s center work in 2023, ranking him 32nd at the position, but viewed him as a top-15 snapper in 2022. Even as Coen only stopped through during Hainsey’s second-string season, the one-year Bucs OC signed off on a top-10 center contract to bring him to Jacksonville.
After the slot cornerback market received updates to move it past eight figures per year for the first time, a few more inside contributors cashed in. Kenny Moore and Taron Johnson did the early damage in March 2024, and Michael Carter passed them months later. This year, Lewis helped set the table for Jalen Pitre and Kyler Gordon. Lewis’ situation reminds more of Moore and Johnson’s, as Carter, Pitre and Gordon are second-contract players. Entering his age-30 season, Lewis is on his fourth contract. The Jags looked into reuniting Coen and Carlton Davis, but that market reached $16MM per year. Lewis instead became the team’s CB addition.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Didn’t Want To Leave Minnesota
With the second season of Netflix’s Quarterback documentary series releasing earlier this week, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports gave some interesting context to one of the more solemn storylines of the show. Two years after appearing on the show’s first season, in which he shined as the starter of a 13-4 Vikings team who led a league-leading eight game-winning drives, Kirk Cousins returned to the show at one of the lowest points of his career. 
Coming off a 2023 campaign in which he missed the final nine games of the season with a torn Achilles tendon, Cousins found himself on the show with a new team. With the injury having ended a contract year for Cousins, his future in Minnesota had come into question. In a home interview captured in the series, Cousins harkened back to a separate interview from Atlanta’s trip to Minnesota in 2024 that highlighted the situation.
“I was asked by the broadcasting group for the game, ‘What about Atlanta made you want to leave Minnesota?'” Cousins recalled. “And I said, ‘That question is the wrong question. I didn’t want to leave Minnesota. There was nothing about anywhere that made me want to leave Minnesota. We wanted to be in Minnesota.’ But it became clear that we were gonna be there year to year, and that’s what we didn’t want.”
He continued, “At that point, we said, ‘Alright, we need to look elsewhere. If that’s our only option, then we’ll be back.’ And when we said, ‘Well, we looked around and we found there’s an opportunity that would be a longer commitment — would you be interested in giving us that longer commitment?’ (Minnesota) said, ‘No, we’re good with our offer.’ I said, ‘Okay, you made my decision really easy.'”
From that context, it’s easy to see how it all played out. Cousins desired a new deal with the Vikings, but coming off a serious injury in his age-35 season, Minnesota was weary of giving him anything long-term. The team was honest with him, telling him that they’d be willing to bring him back on a one-year deal and that they’d be drafting a rookie quarterback to groom to eventually replace him.
Unhappy with that situation, he heard the offer from the Falcons that included four years and $100MM in guarantees, a deal the Vikings were never going to touch. When Minnesota confirmed as much, he took Atlanta’s offer with the understanding that he was entering a better situation in which his status as the team’s new franchise quarterback was unquestioned. Then, the Falcons did the exact thing that led Cousins to leave Minnesota, drafting a first-round quarterback. As we frequently saw in headlines afterwards, Cousins and his agent were blindsided by the team’s decision.
Still, Cousins was the recipient of a shiny, new contract and had the keys to the offense. Unfortunately, it all came with a first-round talent breathing down his neck, something he had tried so desperately to avoid. Regardless, Cousins kept his head down, leading the team to a 6-3 start to the season before suffering an apparent arm injury in a Week 10 loss to the Saints.
Were he to have not had Michael Penix Jr. waiting eagerly on the bench for his first real chance at some action, perhaps Cousins would’ve recognized the minor nature of the injury and taken time to rest and recover for a late-season playoff push. Instead, likely fueled by the fear of Penix taking the field in his place and never ceding the job back to him, Cousins pushed through. What followed were some of the worst games of Cousins’ career. A loss of arm strength was evident, and as a result, the team lost four straight games in which Cousins threw zero touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Eventually, Cousins reached his lowest point and was benched in favor of Penix. The very thing he feared, the thing he left Minnesota to avoid, had happened, and it may have been a result of his fear pushing him to play when he should’ve been healing.
Now, he enters 2025 as a backup with the sixth-largest cap hit in the NFL. The same contract that drew him away from Minnesota and into the situation he’s found himself now remains as the biggest hurdle in finding a trade partner that would allow him to leave. With his $27.5MM salary fully guaranteed for 2025, the Falcons can’t cut him, but that figure is going to be tough to get another team to accept.
At the last report of the situation, there was no trade market for Cousins. Perhaps some quarterback-needy team — maybe the Saints, Colts, or even the Browns — will find some agreeable terms that allow Cousins a new change of scenery. For now, though, he projects to be the most expensive backup quarterback in the NFL.
CB Asante Samuel Jr. Hasn’t Ruled Dolphins Out
It stands to reason that retired cornerback Asante Samuel would harbor no love for the Dolphins, a division rival of his for the first five years of his career in New England. Regardless, his free agent son, former Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., may still have the door open to returning to his hometown to play for the team. 
In a recent episode of his podcast, Say What Needs To Be Said, the elder Samuel did what his podcast instructs. In response to Miami’s recent trade with Pittsburgh, Samuel was critical of the team’s leadership, calling head coach Mike McDaniel a “pushover” and accusing general manager Chris Grier of having “no backbone.” He claimed that the team cannot “stand up to the players…are terrified of their own players, and…have no control over their players.”
The rant comes a month after reports that the Dolphins were interested in adding his son to the roster. Even before Jalen Ramsey‘s departure, there were serious concerns about the team’s depth at cornerback, and after Ramsey’s departure, adding a cornerback with starting experience feels like a priority in Miami. The group is currently led by Kader Kohou, Cam Smith, Artie Burns, second-year undrafted corner Storm Duck, and rookie fifth-round pick Jason Marshall Jr.
Despite his father’s potential disapproval, Samuel doesn’t appear to hold the same animosity as his namesake. A recent comment on Samuel’s social media pleaded with him to ignore his father’s comments and join the Dolphins, and Samuel like the comment. Adding context to the interaction, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald passed on that, in his last check-in with Samuel a month ago, “there was nothing…to suggest he wouldn’t consider Miami if the Dolphins make an offer.”
Jackson adds that there has been contact between the two parties this offseason, so it doesn’t seem to be a stretch to imagine Samuel returning home to South Florida. If Miami does make an offer that Samuel accepts, one wonders if we’ll see his father sport a Dolphins jersey in support of his son.