Titans CB L’Jarius Sneed Fully Healthy
L’Jarius Sneed was limited to just five games in 2024, his debut campaign with the Titans. While the most recent update on his health status suggested a lengthy wait would be in store for his return to the field, that may not wind up being the case. 
“I’m healthy, I’m healthy as I’ve been,” the veteran corner said in an interview with NBC6 (video link). “I’m ready to get back on the field, that’s my life, that’s what I do for a living. I missed the whole year and I have to remind everybody who L’Jarius Sneed is.”
After four years with the Chiefs – most of which was spent as a full-time starter – Sneed received the franchise tag last spring. In keeping with organizational policy, a long-term cornerback investment was not a high of a priority as other roster moves, and a trade to the Titans was ultimately worked out. Tennessee sent Kansas City a second- and third-round pick to acquire the 28-year-old.
That swap was followed by a four-year, $76.4MM extension being worked out. Expectations were high in Sneed’s case as a result, but prior to suffering his quad injury the Louisiana Tech product struggled in coverage without managing to demonstrate the ball skills he showcased with the Chiefs. Sneed wound up on injured reserve to close out the campaign, and one month ago the fall was floated as a potential point at which he could return to full health.
Now, however, it appears the former fourth-rounder could receive full clearance in time for next month’s training camp. That would be a welcomed development given his status as a key member of the secondary. Sneed is owed $19MM fully guaranteed for 2025, meaning a trade or release is not feasible. The final two years of his pact could very well be impacted by his performance this season, though.
Without locked in money (at the moment) in 2026 or ’27, Sneed will need to remain healthy this season to avoid a potential pay cut or a parting of ways next spring. It now appears he will be in position to do so well in advance of Week 1.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins On Health Status; Latest On Trade Market
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, one of the most prominent names in this offseason’s news cycle, remains with Atlanta despite being an obvious trade/release candidate. After Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers, the last team that realistically would install Cousins as a QB1 took itself off the list of potential destinations, leaving the soon-to-be 37-year-old on track to be the most expensive backup signal-caller in NFL history.
While Cousins obviously would like to be traded or released so he can finish his career atop someone’s depth chart, he seems resigned to the fact that he may spend at least the 2025 campaign as second-year passer Michael Penix Jr.’s mentor and clipboard holder. Of course, if another club’s starter should get injured at some point before the trade deadline, Cousins could find himself on the move.
But given the way Cousins’ 2024 season ended, it is fair to wonder how even a QB-needy team will view him. In the span of five games from Week 10 to Week 15, he threw just one touchdown against nine interceptions and led the Falcons to a 1-4 record, which torpedoed the club’s playoff chances (Atlanta was 6-3 before that point). After that stretch, he was demoted in favor of Penix.
On the other hand, Cousins did sustain a hit to his right arm and shoulder in a Week 10 loss that appeared to have a real and significant impact on his performance. Prior to that game, he had a TD:INT ratio of 17:7, which makes the injury a clear demarcation point between a solid, starter-level showing and a disastrous few weeks that precipitated his benching.
Assuming he is recovered from the Week 10 injury, a team that suddenly has the need for a viable starting option could certainly convince itself that Cousins, despite his age, can be the player he was in the first half of the 2024 season and throughout much of his time in Minnesota. To that point, Cousins says he expects his health to be a non-issue.
“I think I’ve still got a little bit more to go but very encouraged by the progress I’ve made since January,” Cousins told reporters, including ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, at this month’s mandatory minicamp. “So, even jogging out here today, just very encouraged by what I felt compared to where I was even like six weeks ago out here throwing with the guys. And I believe there’s more progress up ahead, too.”
Cousins also addressed the Achilles tear that prematurely ended his 2023 season, his last as a member of the Vikings. Per Raimondi, Cousins says he was not as healthy as he believed he was going into 2024, which may or may not jibe with comments he made in an appearance on Good Morning Football: Overtime back in February.
During that interview, Cousins said the Achilles healed well and that, although he was also trying to get his right ankle “back,” those issues did not impact his play too much, as evidenced by the 6-3 start and his overall body of work in the first half of last season. But in his comments several weeks ago, Cousins said that while he focused on strengthening his ankle after the Achilles tear, he did not work enough on his mobility, which affected him negatively.
In any case, it sounds as if he will be at full strength if Atlanta or some other team should call on him in 2025. Fortunately, Cousins did not require any offseason surgeries on his arm or shoulder, nor any follow-up procedures on his Achilles or ankle.
One of the obstacles to a trade is the fully-guaranteed $27.5MM salary that Cousins is due this year, as well as the $10MM roster bonus for 2026 that has already vested. Raimondi believes the Falcons would be willing to pull the trigger on a deal if the acquiring team takes on $10MM of Cousins’ 2025 pay (that team would be liable for the 2026 roster bonus as well).
Raimondi confirms recent reports indicating there is no trade market at the moment, though he also believes such a market could quickly form in the event of an injury to another team’s starting QB. Assuming the Falcons and a prospective suitor agree to trade terms, Cousins would surely waive his no-trade clause for the opportunity to start elsewhere.
Other Edge Rush Deals Could Alter Price On Trey Hendrickson Bengals Extension
While Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals have resumed extension talks, the parties still do not appear to close to an agreement. With other monster edge rush deals looming, a waiting game could ensue which has an impact on the 2024 NFL sack leader. 
[RELATED: Bengals Prefer One-Year Hendrickson Extension]
Micah Parsons has yet to sign a Cowboys extension, one which could move him to the top of the pecking order amongst edge rushers (and, quite possibly, all non-quarterbacks). At the age of 26, Parsons is preparing to land his second career contract. That factor makes his situation somewhat different than that of Hendrickson or Steelers All-Pro T.J. Watt.
The latter is entering his age-31 season, something which is also the case for Hendrickson. Both could be looking at similar deals with their respective teams as a result. With training camp approaching, though, considerable work on both fronts is still needed to hammer out an agreement. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted during a recent Rich Eisen Show appearance (video link) that Hendrickson could aim to wait for Watt’s deal in particular (and perhaps Parsons’ as well) before signing his own with the Bengals.
Unlike last offseason, Cincinnati gave Hendrickson permission to seek a trade. Offers came in, but the team’s asking price of a first-round pick (or a package of similar value) was not met. No trade is currently expected, although it remains to be seen if the four-time Pro Bowler will report to training camp in the absence of an extension. Hendrickson skipped mandatory minicamp, drawing fines in the process. The same would be true if he were to engage in a training camp holdout.
Pelissero confirms Hendrickson is not seeking to match the value of Myles Garrett‘s Browns extension (which checks in at a market-topping $40MM per season on average). The Bengals’ best known offer to date has not reached the $35MM-per-year mark, a value which would place him in the next financial tier for veteran pass rushers. Watt could also be in line for a Steelers pact worth roughly that amount if/when he and the team can reach agreement on a third pact.
In each of these cases, there is still time to avoid potential absences or missed practice reps during training camp. With the EDGE market positioned to move once more late in the offseason, though, it will certainly be interesting to see how one deal affects the others. Given Hendrickson’s impact on a Bengals defense which struggled even with him in place last season, he could especially look to leverage the Watt situation for a multi-year commitment.
Aaron Rodgers Cites D.K. Metcalf As A Reason For Joining Steelers; FA Tyler Boyd Would Welcome Pittsbugh Deal
Although he may not have had much by way of realistic landing spots in 2025, new Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers still had to think highly enough of the situation in Pittsburgh to join the team and put off retirement for one more year. Having previously cited head coach Mike Tomlin as a factor in his decision, Rodgers also pointed to another new Steeler, trade acquisition D.K. Metcalf.
[RELATED: Rodgers Expects To Retire After 2025 Season]
Rodgers, 41, said Metcalf is a “big part of the reason” he joined the Steelers (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). He went on to say Metcalf is “a really solid human being.”
The Steelers’ decision to trade former WR1 George Pickens after acquiring and extending Metcalf is in keeping with their modus operandi, as Pickens is entering his walk year, and Pittsburgh does not make a habit of rostering two wideouts on top-dollar deals. That said, the club was also wary of pairing Pickens and his history of maturity issues with the notoriously prickly Rodgers, a concern that may have helped grease the trade wheels.
By contrast, the throwing sessions that Rodgers and Metcalf had this offseason – before Rodgers officially joined the team – apparently helped sell the future Hall of Fame signal-caller on his new top target. Still, losing a talent like Pickens is a big blow to Pittsburgh’s offense, so the team is reportedly continuing to seek a veteran wideout despite having added Robert Woods in late April.
Pro Bowl stalwarts like Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper remain on the market and thus have been connected to Pittsburgh, at least speculatively. While finances are likely not a major factor in the Steelers’ calculus at this point since they have roughly $19MM in cap room, a less expensive option like Tyler Boyd may also make sense.
Boyd, 30, spent the first eight years of his career as a key part of the Bengals’ passing attack and topped 1,000 receiving yards in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Even in his last season in Cincinnati in 2023, Boyd saw 98 targets. However, the team’s decision to use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and the specter of a record-setting extension for Ja’Marr Chase led Boyd out of the Queen City last offseason.
The Pittsburgh native and University of Pittsburgh product was interested in joining his hometown Steelers in 2024, and the interest was reportedly mutual. But the parties could not find common ground on contract terms, so Boyd ultimately inked a one-year deal with the Titans.
As Tennessee slogged through a forgettable year with second-year passer Will Levis and veteran Mason Rudolph (now back with Pittsburgh) at the controls, Boyd put up an underwhelming stat line. Excluding the 2017 campaign, in which he appeared in just 10 games, Boyd tied or set career lows with 57 targets, 39 catches, 390 receiving yards, and a 10.0 yards-per-catch rate. He also failed to find the endzone for the first time in his career.
Of course, he had done much better with different quarterback situations, and he represents an intriguing buy-low candidate for teams in need of receiving help. For the second year in a row, he is hoping to head home to western Pennsylvania.
At this youth camp on Saturday, Boyd was asked by Pittsburgh Sports Now if he would like to sign with the Steelers.
“Absolutely,” he said (via Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports; h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “You know, all my family is here. I’d be able to have the majority of them be able to support me.”
Like many players, Boyd has a fondness for Tomlin.
“I’m real cool with Tomlin,” he added. “He’s always been a good person. … When I was at Pitt, we had a good relationship. After practice, I’d walk over there, talk to [Antonio Brown] and those guys, talk to Tomlin, and he’d just pick at different things, where I could get better and get some guidance. I think we had a great friendship.”
There have been no public reports of interest in Boyd’s services in 2025. It remains to be seen if the Steelers will reciprocate his interest this time around.
Eagles’ Cooper DeJean Could See Time At Safety
As we discussed earlier in the month, Cooper DeJean is expected to be a full-time starter in Philadelphia this year, instead of only being on the field in nickel packages as the primary slot corner. DeJean will still be the primary nickelback, but when the defense’s base personnel are on the field, DeJean will be there in a different position. While originally, we posited that this meant more time at outside cornerback for DeJean, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer tells us another position is under consideration. 
Per McLane, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio suggested that DeJean could end up starting at safety rather than cornerback. While, at the moment, DeJean has still been working across from Quinyon Mitchell as the first-team boundary corners, he’s also been seen working with the safeties in individual drills.
This isn’t a totally novel concept for DeJean. The versatile defender moved around frequently during his time at Iowa, and though, over three years, he only ever played one snap as a true safety in college, he worked out as a safety for several teams that scouted him. While it’s much more common for slot corners to move to the outside or for safeties to move to the slot, DeJean is likely talented enough to be able to make a move to safety work.
The question still remains, though, who will be CB3 coming off the bench to fill the second outside cornerback role behind Mitchell and DeJean. We delved into this topic as well earlier in the offseason, and Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson are still very much undergoing a position battle for the role.
After a decent rookie campaign in 2023, Ringo got demoted to CB5 or 6 with the arrivals of DeJean and Mitchell. He’s looking to get back on the field in the CB3 role, but Jackson, a free agent addition, has become stiff competition for the job. In most situations the two are running together as the outside cornerbacks on the second-team defense. The two have also gotten the chance to split time with one player working with the first team and one with the second. Jackson reportedly got first dibs at first-team reps to start, but the next week, Ringo was getting the primary opportunities on the first team.
It looks to be a true and honest battle that either player could win at this point, while fifth-round rookie Mac McWilliams and Eli Ricks continue to be viewed as longshots. Regardless, the Eagles have to be happy with the depth of competition they have going in their secondary at the moment, and it’ll be a fun situation to watch throughout camp.
Ravens Rookie K Tyler Loop Facing Undrafted Competition
On the third day of this year’s draft, the Ravens drafted a kicker for the first time in their 30-year history, taking Arizona’s Tyler Loop with the 186th pick. Despite getting undercut by the Patriots, who took the first kicker of the draft four picks earlier, the Ravens insisted that Loop was always their intended target. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, though, Loop’s path to the 53-man roster will not be unchallenged.
At the conclusion of the Ravens’ Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp, Zrebiec listed a number of players whose stock went up or down. Loop was included as a player whose stock was trending down. While, at times, Loop showed his big leg with some long conversions, there were multiple reports of days in which he struggled with both consistency and accuracy from distance.
Per Zrebiec, Loop is making some changes to his technique and kicking motions at the behest of the team’s senior special teams coach, Randy Brown. While that may be contributing to his early issues, it’s concerning to see the drafted kicker struggle. One could also account it to the pressure of replacing the most accurate kicker in NFL history, but playing for a perennial playoff contender, pressure is something Loop is going to have to deal with.
There’s added pressure on Loop from some competition that the Ravens brought in shortly after the draft. One of the team’s undrafted free agents this year was Wyoming kicker John Hoyland. Neither kicker was very accurate during their collegiate years. Loop started strong, going 30 for 33 in his first two years for the Wildcats, but he missed 10 of 47 field goal attempts in his final two years. Hoyland had two excellent, separate years going a combined 35 of 39 in the 2020 and 2022 seasons. The other three years told a very different story as he missed 15 of 53 attempts.
In the offseason, both players have had good days and bad days, but reports seem to indicate that Hoyland has done enough to put himself in a legitimate kicking competition with the player on whom Baltimore used a draft pick. The Ravens are notorious for finding diamonds in the undrafted rough, having fielded undrafted rookies on their Week 1 roster in 20 of the past 21 seasons. Of this year’s undrafted crop, Zrebiec gives Hoyland the best chance of making the roster via his kicking competition with Loop.
91 percent of the made field goals in Ravens history have come off the leg of either Matt Stover (only drafted because drafts were 12 rounds in 1990) and Justin Tucker (undrafted). Despite the team finally using a draft pick on a kicker, there’s a chance they may turn to an undrafted leg yet again.
Patriots Kept K Andy Borregales From Falling To Ravens
Make no mistake, the Patriots were in dire need of a kicker, and to address this, they took Miami kicker Andy Borregales with the 182nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. New England was strategic about where they selected Borregales, though, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Drafting kickers is a notoriously risky proposition. To illustrate, from 2010-16, only 11 kickers were selected through the NFL draft. Of those 11 drafted kickers, only three — Greg Zuerlein, Randy Bullock, and Dustin Hopkins — are still in the NFL today. In the meantime, several undrafted kickers have made impressive careers for themselves. Justin Tucker is the prime example, as he ended his time in Baltimore with him holding the highest field goal conversion percentage in NFL history. Players like Brandon Aubrey, Chris Boswell, Cameron Dicker, and Younghoe Koo have all followed in Tucker’s footsteps as undrafted standouts in recent years.
For this reason, teams tend to wait as long as possible before drafting a kicker. Not doing so has historically bit the teams who spent significant draft capital on the position. Former second-round kicker Roberto Aguayo only lasted one season in Tampa Bay and never kicked in the league after getting waived by the team that drafted him. More recently, Jake Moody was drafted by the 49ers in the third round. After struggling through an injury-riddled sophomore campaign last year, San Francisco brought in a veteran to compete with him this summer.
The Patriots knew they were going to add a kicker at some point in the offseason, but in the sixth round of the draft, one certain factor led them to pull the trigger on Borregales. Per Reiss, the Patriots brass knew that Baltimore was going to be looking to draft a kicker at some point to address Tucker’s troubling legal situation. Four picks in front of the Ravens, they tabbed Borregales. Baltimore ended up with Arizona’s Tyler Loop instead, who has reportedly been struggling so far in offseason activities.
Regardless, Borregales stands to be a key player in New England’s rookie class. Borregales never converted less that 80 percent of his kicks in four years with the Hurricanes, and he ended his time in Coral Gables with his strongest season. In a high-scoring offense led by No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, Borregales did his part converting all 62 extra point attempts and 18 of 19 field goals attempts, including a 56-yarder.
For a team that, for so long, relied on the legs of consistent stars like Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski, Borregales represents a hope that the team will return to that norm of consistency. In the years following their decision to move on from Gostkowski, Reiss points out that the Patriots rank 22nd in field goal success rate and 27th in extra point success rate. The Patriots made a move they hope will get them back on the right track, and they did it by taking the first kicker in the draft, just out of reach of the kicker-hungry Ravens.
Steelers Likely Out On CB Jalen Ramsey
Speculation continues as the Dolphins work to trade veteran cornerback Jalen Ramsey. In an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network claimed that he doesn’t believe Pittsburgh is a trade destination for the three-time All-Pro. 
Since 2022, the Steelers secondary has been uncharacteristically average, while last year saw them become even less characteristically porous, as they finished the season having given up the eighth-most passing yards in the NFL. Safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and DeShon Elliott are reliable veterans in the defensive backfield, but the team’s cornerbacks had a disappointing showing in 2024.
The Steelers exchanged veterans in free agency, watching Donte Jackson walk while signing Darius Slay to a one-year, $10MM deal. Slay instantly becomes the best cornerback on the roster, though at 34 years old, there’s always a chance that this is the year his effectiveness begins to dip. Slay should start across from Joey Porter Jr., who saw a bit of decline in his sophomore campaign. Porter allowed completions on nearly 63 percent of the passes in which he was the primary defender, and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as the 99th-best cornerback in the league out of 116 graded players.
The next two cornerbacks on the depth chart are James Pierre and Cory Trice, who both graded out better than Porter in 2024, but neither player played in more that 16 percent of the team’s defensive snaps last year. While Beanie Bishop and Cameron Sutton are also available, they play almost exclusively in the slot for Pittsburgh. Plus, PFF wasn’t too kind to them either.
With this all in mind, it would make perfect sense for the Steelers to inquire about acquiring Ramsey, like they did with Fitzpatrick six years ago. But Rapoport made it clear to McAfee and company that that’s not a likely scenario. Instead, he continues to push the narrative that a return to the Rams makes “the most sense” for Ramsey. Rapoport posits that the money involved in this deal is the thing that has consistently been keeping it from getting done.
Pittsburgh, though, will move forward with its current group. The team will hope to see developed improvement from young impact players like Porter and Bishop, while also hoping that this year’s veteran, Slay, can help foster more success in the position room.
Cardinals’ Isaiah Adams In “Pole Position” For Starting RG Job; RB Trey Benson Hopes To Earn More Carries
Isaiah Adams, one of four third-round picks the Cardinals made in 2024, started at right guard over the last five games of his rookie season after seeing sporadic playing time prior to that point. Per Darren Urban of the team’s official website, Adams is in “pole position” to earn the starting RG gig in 2025.
In the estimation of Pro Football Focus, Adams did not play particularly well in his limited action last year. PFF assigned him a middling grade of 58.4, which placed him as the 52nd-best guard out of 77 qualified players. His 50.3 pass-blocking grade was the main culprit for that mark, which was mitigated by his above-average performance in the run game.
Regardless of whether the club’s view of Adams’ work aligns with PFF’s evaluation, the Cardinals clearly saw enough to pencil him in as a first-team blocker. One of his primary needs this offseason was to improve his strength, which he acknowledged was on the top of his agenda.
Urban leaves open the possibility of a veteran addition once training camp gets underway next month. However, given Adams’ draft status, the longtime Cardinals beat believes the club wants Adams to win the job.
Arizona did add Royce Newman in free agency this offseason. Newman served as the Packers’ primary right guard in 2021, but his playing time has gone down in each subsequent season. Green Bay waived him last August, and though the Bucs claimed him on waivers, he appeared in a grand total of three snaps for Tampa Bay in 2024. It therefore appears the RG job is Adams’ to lose.
One of Adams’ fellow 2024 third-rounders, running back Trey Benson, still finds himself behind RB1 James Conner on the Cardinals’ depth chart. Conner played in a career-high 16 games last season, which allowed him to set a personal high-water mark of 1,508 scrimmage yards while maintaining a healthy 4.6 yards-per-carry rate. He also added nine total TDs, and his efforts earned him an extension that will keep him in place through 2026.
Because of Conner’s performance and availability, Benson was limited to 63 totes in 2024. Like Conner, Benson managed 4.6 yards per carry, and he added bulk this offseason while simultaneously improving his speed, power, and explosiveness in an effort to earn more carries (via Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic).
Conner, 30, dealt with a lingering right knee injury last season, and though he was mostly able to play through it, the Cardinals shut him down for the 2024 finale (along with Benson). We have not heard anything troublesome about Conner’s health, but it would not be surprising for Arizona to lighten the veteran’s workload a bit in 2025 to see what one of its recent draftees can do.
For his part, Conner believes Benson is up to the task.
“He’s worked unbelievably this offseason,” Conner said of Benson. “Showed up every single day, working out together and yeah, he wants it. He wants it bad. That’s because he knows the type of player he can be. We all know that. … He was already a freak athlete before, but now … He’s a grown man out there.”
Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks Joins Athletes First
Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks will be eligible for an extension after the 2025 slate, which will mark his third season in the league. In anticipation of that, perhaps, Wicks has signed with powerhouse NFL agency Athletes First, as the agency itself recently announced.
Wicks, a fifth-round draft choice in 2023, led Green Bay in targets last year with 76, one more than 2023 second-rounder Jayden Reed. However, he was not terribly efficient with those looks, as he caught just 39 balls (a 51.3% catch rate) and recorded just 10.6 yards per reception.
In an effort to provide a jolt to their WR room, particularly since top deep threat Christian Watson could miss regular season time in the upcoming campaign, the Packers selected a first-round receiver for the first time since 2002, turning in the card for Texas pass catcher Matthew Golden. Green Bay also added Savion Williams in the third round, continuing the club’s recent trend of drafting and developing receivers rather than acquiring them on the free agency or trade markets.
The rookie additions obviously will create additional competition for targets for holdovers like Wicks, Reed, and Romeo Doubs, even with Watson’s health status up in the air. Reed’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has already expressed concern about the team’s plans for his client, though it sounds as if Reed – who has led the Packers in receiving yards in each of his first two professional seasons and who has scored 14 TDs during that time – will continue to operate as one of QB Jordan Love’s top weapons.
It is unclear if the same will be true for Wicks, who struggled with drops in 2024. It should be noted that a number of his targets from Love were uncatchable, and Reed dropped his fair share of balls as well. But if Wicks is to put himself in consideration for a new deal next offseason, he will need to clean up his drop issues while fending off his incumbent teammates and the incoming first-year talent. That is especially true given the fact that Reed is also extension-eligible for the first time in 2026 and since Watson and Doubs are entering walk years.
While Rosenhaus is the most recognizable NFL agent for most fans, Athletes First and star agent David Mulugheta have done quite well for themselves. The agency noted on Instagram that Mulugheta was the first agent in history to close contracts totaling $1 billion in a single year, a feat he accomplished in 2024. Athletes First’s website boasts its representation of 115 first-round picks and 102 Pro Bowlers, among other accomplishments.