Buccaneers Extend HC Todd Bowles, GM Jason Licht
The Buccaneers have enjoyed a run of success under head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht, and the team will have continuity on the sidelines and in the front office moving forward. Both have received extensions, as first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. 
The move is now official, per a team announcement. Licht has been in place since 2014, and for the past three seasons he and Bowles have worked in their current capacities. The latter took over from Bruce Arians as Tampa Bay’s head coach after a three-year stint as the team’s defensive coordinator. Bowles’ extension is three years in length, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. He is therefore in place through 2028.
“Jason and Todd’s excellent leadership and vision have been critical to our organizational success, and the winning culture they have established has us well positioned into the future,” a statement from owner Jay Glazer reads. “Jason has evolved into one of the top talent evaluators and general managers in the NFL, while Todd has led us to three consecutive division titles and is one of the league’s leading defensive minds. Under their guidance, we will continue building towards another championship.”
The past five seasons have marked the longest sustained run of success in franchise history, and the Buccaneers are the only NFC team to have reached the playoffs each year since 2020. That campaign produced a Super Bowl title and validated Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady acquisition. Questions were raised when the seven-time champion retired (for the second and final time) about how the team would proceed under center. The decision to take a flier on Baker Mayfield has certainly proven to be a fruitful one, though.
The former No. 1 pick’s future as a starter was in doubt coming off his 2022 campaign split between the Panthers and Rams. Mayfield was added on a one-year, $4MM deal and handled QB1 duties through his debut Tampa season. The Bucs won their division and advanced to the second round of the postseason. Mayfield was rewarded with a three-year, $100MM pact just before the start of free agency last March, keeping him in the fold.
The 30-year-old posted career bests in yards (4,500) and touchdowns (41) in 2024, production which helped Liam Coen continue the trend of offensive coordinators turning success with the Bucs into a head coaching gig. As Mayfield prepares to work with yet another OC, Bowles and his staff will aim to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season in 2025.
In four years with the Jets, Bowles managed a winning record only once and finished with an overall mark of 24-40. The 61-year-old joined Arians in Tampa Bay in 2019 to oversee the team’s defense. Since Bowles’ arrival, that unit has finished in the top 10 in points allowed on three occasions. Arians initially planned to stay on as head coach for the 2022 season, but Brady’s decision to unretire led to the reins being handed over to Bowles. A number of notable moves – including the dismissal of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich – did not sit well with Arians, but Tampa Bay has managed a run of sustained success since the transition on the sidelines and under center took place.
Mayfield is one of many high-profile Buccaneers whom Licht and Co. have managed to retain in recent offseasons. Wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and linebacker Lavonte David are among the veterans who have elected to avoid joining a new team for the first time in their careers by re-upping in Tampa Bay recently. Licht is also responsible for market-resetting extensions in the case of left tackle Tristan Wirfs as well as safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (whose deal has since been slightly surpassed in annual average value).
With a veteran core in place, expectations for at least another home wild-card game are high in the case of the Buccaneers in 2025. Bowles and Licht were already set to continue in their respective roles for the coming campaign, but their futures beyond this season have now been assured as well.
Steelers Planning 2026 First-Round QB Investment
Earlier this offseason, Steelers owner Art Rooney II made it clear the team would prioritize selecting a quarterback early in the 2025 or ’26 draft. GM Omar Khan and Co. then waited until the sixth-round to add a passer (Will Howard) in April while awaiting a commitment on the part of Aaron Rodgers. 
In time for minicamp, Rodgers did indeed ink a one-year deal with the Steelers. The future Hall of Famer views the coming campaign as his last in the NFL, so the team will once again be on the lookout for a new starter next year. It would come as no surprise if the draft was used as a means of filling that vacancy.
Indeed, Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes the Steelers still plan on using their first-round pick in 2026 on a signal-caller. Plenty of time remains for things to change on that front, but a Rodgers retirement would leave Pittsburgh with Howard and Mason Rudolph in place. The latter has been viewed as a backup through much of his Steelers tenure, and upon reuniting with the team in March he was informed of Pittsburgh’s intentions regarding a starting-caliber addition.
Howard’s rookie contract runs through 2028, while Rudolph’s second Steelers stint came about as a result of the two-year deal he signed this spring. Both passers represent reasonable backup options for this season and the next, but free agency and/or the trade market will present opportunities for a veteran QB1 move. Pittsburgh was among the teams interested in Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason and – until it became clear a Rodgers deal was set to take place – Kirk Cousins.
A short-term veteran acquisition could certainly be feasible depending on how the quarterback landscape takes shape next spring. Still, adding a QB via the draft could set the Steelers up for long-term stability and thus provide them with a true Ben Roethlisberger successor. Rodgers is set to become the seventh different Pittsburgh starter since Roethlisberger’s retirement, and even raising the team’s floor on offense in a one-and-done campaign would still leave the need for an eighth in 2026.
Pittsburgh will host next year’s draft, and the possibility of a new starting quarterback being selected would certainly add intrigue regarding the Steelers’ approach to the event. Over the course of the coming campaign, it will be interesting to see if the team’s plans deviate.
Donovan Jackson Leading Vikings’ LG Battle
Vikings first-round pick Donovan Jackson “has the inside track to emerge from training camp” as the team’s starting left guard, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
Jackson, the No. 24 selection in April’s draft, made his first 31 college starts at left guard before moving to left tackle to replace injured then-Ohio State teammate Josh Simmons. Jackson performed admirably on the blind side, leading to some pre-draft chatter about his potential as a guard/tackle hybrid.
But with Christian Darrisaw firmly entrenched as the Vikings’ long-term left tackle, Jackson will play left guard in Minnesota. He took the majority of first-team reps during spring practices, per Seifert, though that is partially because starting right guard Will Fries is still sidelined by last season’s broken leg. Blake Brandel, who played every snap at left guard for the Vikings last year, has been working in Fries’ spot, but he will likely still compete with Jackson in training camp once Fries is back on the field.
Brendel struggled in 2024 with 46 quarterback pressures allowed, the second-most among starting guards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That gives Jackson a clear opening to seize the starting job by demonstrating better pass protection during the preseason.
The Vikings turned over their offensive line depth this offseason, so there are no other obvious candidates to push Jackson and Brendel for the starting left guard job.
Seahawks Holding Starting C, RG Battles; Grey Zabel A ‘Sure Thing’ At LG
Injuries forced the Seahawks to rotate through several different offensive line groupings in 2024. By the end of the season, they had surrendered the third-most sacks in the NFL while generating the fifth-fewest rushing yards.
Seattle will be hoping for a healthier, more consistent season from the unit in 2025, starting with stability at offensive tackle. Charles Cross is entering his fourth season as the team’s starting left tackle while Abraham Lucas seems to have put his knee issues behind him on the right side.
First-round pick Grey Zabel “appears a sure thing” at left guard, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. He took all the first-team reps next to Cross during spring practices, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Selecting the North Dakota State standout with the 18th overall selection in April’s draft was a clear sign that the Seahawks envisioned him starting as a rookie. The only question was where after Zabel primarily lined up at offensive tackle in college with some time at guard and Senior Bowl reps at center. He has landed at left guard in Seattle with minimal competition for the starting gig, as 2024 sixth-rounder Sataoa Laumea has been working with the second-team.
The Seahawks’ starters at center and right guard remain up in the air. In spring practices, Olusegun Oluwatimi split first-team center reps with Jake Sundell, though the former should have a leg up on the latter. In 2024, Oluwatimi started Seattle’s last eight games at center, while Sundell only played 57 offensive snaps all year as an undrafted rookie.
New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak called the right guard battle “wide open” (via team reporter John Boyle). First-team action in the spring was split between last year’s Week 1 starter Anthony Bradford and 2024 third-rounder Christian Haynes. However, head coach Mike Macdonald indicated that Sundell and Laumea could factor into the right guard competition depending on how other spots shake out.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a two-man race right now,” said Macdonald (via Condotta). “It’s more open.”
As always, OTAs and mandatory minicamp offer a strong idea of what a team is planning for the season, but as Macdonald noted, the real test will be when pads come on during training camp. That will give the several players competing for the center and right guard jobs a chance to separate themselves as starters heading into the season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/26/25
Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: K Andre Szmyt
New England Patriots
- Released: DT Wilfried Pene
Szmyt signed with the Bears as an undrafted rookie in 2023, but did not make the 53-man roster. In 2024, he played for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks, converting 19 of his 21 field goal attempts with a long of 61 yards. Szmyt then joined the Browns’ practice squad at the end of the 2024 season and signed a reserve/futures contracts for 2025. He was waived in early June to make room for wide receiver Jaelen Gill and now finds himself back on the roster after the team’s release of Ogbo Okoronkwo.
NFL No Longer Distributing Non-Player Salary Data To Teams
The NFL will no longer share non-player salary data with teams, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
In past years, the league shared the high, low, median, and average salary for “every job in every NFL team,” per Florio. The decision to end that practice comes on the heels of the collusion arbitration ruling regarding guaranteed money in player contracts and appears to be an effort by the league to avoid future collusion accusations by non-players.
Indeed, as Florio reports, “the official position is that the information is no longer being provided for legal reasons.” Non-player employees could argue that it limits their ability to push for higher salaries at their current or other teams contrary to existing antitrust law.
Florio claims that the practice is “per se coordination/collusion,” arguing that the NFL is implicitly encouraging teams to adhere to league-wide standards instead of offering higher salaries to attract talent in a competitive labor market. Eliminating the information-sharing can protect the league from future legal action by non-player employees, though the same policy in past years may still leave them exposed.
Non-player salaries are not officially released by teams, and even finding reliable data on more prominent staff like general managers, head coaches, and coordinators can be difficult.
Cole Strange Leading Patriots’ LG Battle
The Patriots’ 2025 offensive line is largely set with Will Campbell at left tackle, Garrett Bradbury at center, Michael Onwenu at right guard, and Morgan Moses at right tackle.
The only spot without a clear starter is left guard, where Cole Strange “appears to be the front-runner” coming out of spring practices, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. The 2022 first-rounder started every game at left guard as a rookie and 10 of the team’s first 15 games in 2023 before tearing the patellar tendon in his left knee. The injury sidelined him until December 2024, when he was able to start at center for the Patriots’ last two games of the season.
With Bradbury arriving this offseason on a two-year, $9.5MM contract, Strange is returning to his original position where he faces plenty of competition. Sidy Sow, Layden Robinson, and Tyrese Robinson all took first-team reps this spring, per Volin, suggesting that the battle for the starting job will continue well into training camp.
Sow, a 2023 fourth-round pick, started 13 games at right guard as a rookie and profiles as the biggest threat to Strange. Sow was set to start at left guard in 2024 before a preseason ankle injury sidelined him for the first three games. He played every snap at left guard in Week 4, but did not start another game for the rest of the season.
Layden Robinson was drafted in the fourth round last year and closed out his rookie season with five starts at left guard. He bears no relation to Tyrese Robinson, a 2022 undrafted free agent who made his NFL debut in 2024 with Week 18 action for the Patriots at right guard.
Patriots third-round rookie Jared Wilson was described as a “wild card” by Volin, but he rarely lined up at guard in college and missed spring practices with an injury. That will severely lessen the former Bulldog’s chances of winning a starting job as a rookie; overall, Wilson seems more likely to take over from Bradbury at center in 2026 or 2027.
Commanders, WR Terry McLaurin Not Close To Extension Agreement
Like every year, 2025 has seen a number of notable veteran contract situations linger into the period between offseason programs concluding and training camps beginning. Terry McLaurin is among the players who skipped minicamp as a sign of dissatisfaction with the status of negotiations. 
An extension has long been known as a goal for team and player in this case. Given McLaurin’s importance to the Commanders’ offense during his six years with the franchise, many observers presumed talks on a third contract would be relatively smooth. It has become increasingly clear, however, that player and team are not close to an agreement. The Commanders themselves have been surprised by the extent to which progress has not yet been made regarding a McLaurin extension.
On that point, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated confirms there is still plenty of work to be done between Washington and the two-time Pro Bowler. Plenty of time remains before training camp opens, and Breer predicts efforts will pick up again in July. Still, the possibility of a McLaurin holdout (or hold-in, depending on the approach he takes) is no doubt unwanted on the part of general manager Adam Peters as Washington looks to build off last year’s success.
McLaurin has reeled off five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons while serving as the Commanders’ clear-cut No. 1 receiver. His touchdown total jumped to 13 in 2024 as quarterback Jayden Daniels enjoyed a stellar rookie season. Washington has since acquired Deebo Samuel via trade, but even with the former 49ers All-Pro in the fold another strong season from McLaurin will be needed if the team is to repeat last year’s run to the NFC title game.
Samuel is a pending free agent, and the same is currently true of McLaurin. At the age of 30, making a long-term investment in the latter could bring about challenges for Washington, but a raise compared to his $15.5MM non-guaranteed salary (especially taking the receiver market into account) would be a feasible move. A new deal would no doubt lower McLaurin’s cap charge, which is currently set to check in at $25.5MM.
Ja’Marr Chase moved to the top of the pecking order for average annual compensation amongst wideouts ($40.25MM) when he signed his Bengals extension this offseason. McLaurin is not in position to challenge that figure, but seven other receivers are attached to an AAV of $30MM or more at the position. It will be interesting to see if a pact around that value winds up being agreed to in the coming weeks or if the threat of missed time during training camp increases as the result of an ongoing stalemate.
Cowboys Could Target CB Addition
Little movement on the free agent front is expected during the break between minicamps wrapping up and training camps beginning around the NFL. When moves are made next month, though, the Cowboys are among the teams which could afford a notable addition. 
If a free agent is to be pursued this summer, Jon Machota of The Athletic writes cornerback will be a position to watch closely (subscription required). Dallas is set to rely on returnee Trevon Diggs and third-round rookie Shavon Revel Jr. once both are fully healthy. It remains to be seen when that will take place, however, and Diggs is a candidate to begin the season with an IR-designated for return status or on the team’s PUP list as he rehabs from knee surgery.
In either of those cases, Diggs would miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign. With Revel working his way back from the ACL tear which ended his college career, the Cowboys could make a one-year addition ahead of training camp to give them a veteran depth option in the secondary. Of course, roster cutdowns following the preseason represents another opportunity for moves to be made.
Dallas also has the likes of DaRon Bland, C.J. Goodwin, Caelen Carson and trade acquisition Kaiir Elam on the CB depth chart as things stand. The latter did not live up to expectations as a first-round pick during his time with the Bills, and as expected his fifth-year option was declined this spring. 2025 thus represents a critical year for Elam, and his playing time could obviously be impacted by a late-summer acquisition.
Stephon Gilmore is among the veteran cover men still on the market, and he played for the Cowboys in 2023. The 34-year-old is unsure if he will continue his career this season, though. Asante Samuel Jr., Rasul Douglas, Mike Hilton and Kendall Fuller are also unsigned at this point and could be available for short-term deals this summer. The Cowboys currently have over $32MM in cap space, but All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. reports the team plans to set aside roughly $20MM of that figure.
Even taking that into account, Dallas could afford to take a flier on one of the corners still available this summer. As the recovery process continues for Diggs and Revel, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues a CB move prior to Week 1.
Bengals Reach Stadium Lease Agreement
11:38am: A 2-0 vote (with one abstention) has taken place to approve the framework of the new lease agreement, ESPN’s Ben Baby notes. As a result, the Bengals are indeed on track to remain in in place through at least 2036.
10:52am: As expected, the Bengals are set to remain in Cincinnati well beyond 2025. A new lease agreement has been reached between the team and Hamilton County, as first reported by Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 
Final approval will not be voted on today, per an announcement from administrator Jeff Aluotto. Nonetheless, unanimous approval from the county’s commissioners is expected. If/when the new lease is in place, speculation about a potential relocation – which picked up in April amidst a lack of progress in negotiations between the parties – will come to an end. June 30 loomed as the deadline for a deal to be struck, and while nothing is official yet it is clear major progress toward a long-term arrangement has been made.
Providing details on the new proposal, Williams’ colleagues Erin Glynn and Quinlan Bentley note the lease in question will be 10 years in length (the existing one runs through 2025). The option also exists for as many as five two-year extensions to be exercised, meaning the Bengals will remain at Paycor Stadium well into the 2030s provided final approval is received. While $830MM in stadium renovations were initially planned, that figure now sits at $470MM.
To no surprise, the split between private and public funding was a point of contention during negotiations. Per the Enquirer report, $350MM in stadium funds will come from the county with the remaining $120MM being contributed by the Bengals. That 75-25 split comes after the previous agreement saw Hamilton County take on an 88% share of costs to the stadium project.
“It’s not perfect, but as often is the case in in tough negotiations, no one leaves the table thinking they got the perfect deal,” Aluotto said when speaking about the proposal agreement (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Jay Morrison). “And I think as you’ll hear, it’s a better deal, a smarter deal than what was done under the previous lease. I’m hoping the team would concur with that.”
The two-year extensions are again the Bengals’ prerogative, Morrison notes. Interestingly, though, he adds the first one will become mandatory if the team reaches the top 24 in terms of revenue amongst the NFL’s 32 clubs. In any event, the team’s future for at least the next 11 years will be assured once the proposed deal receives final approval.