Saints Release S J.T. Gray
J.T. Gray has operated as a core special teams presence throughout his Saint tenure, but his time with the team could be coming to an end. The eighth-year safety is being released, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. Head coach Kellen Moore has since confirmed the news. 
[RELATED: Recapping Saints’ Offseason]
Gray survived roster cuts last week, something which appeared to set him up for another campaign serving as a central figure on special teams in 2025. The former UDFA has played 98 NFL games, all of which have been with the Saints. Barring a practice squad return, though, he will now test the open market.
One year remained on Gray’s contract, and he was owed $3.1MM this season. Today’s move will generate $2.6MM in cap savings since that was his scheduled base salary. The 29-year-old has already been paid a roster bonus in March, and that will contribute to the $980K in dead money charges incurred by this release.
During his New Orleans tenure, Gray has totaled only 153 snaps on defense. His impact in the third phase has been substantial, however; Gray has amassed 2,065 snaps on special teams, logging a workload of 83% or higher in three of the past four seasons. In 2021, the Mississippi State product received a Pro Bowl invitation along with a first-team All-Pro nod for his special teams work. Gray has also landed on the second All-Pro team twice, including last year.
Moore deemed (via team reporter Erin Summers) the decision to cut Gray the most challenging to date of his tenure. That suggests a return by means of the taxi squad is not immediately forthcoming. With plenty of roster moves still likely to be made before Week 1, however, it will be interesting to see if the team attempts to keep him in the fold at some point.
For now, the Saints will move forward with a safety room which lost Tyrann Mathieu to retirement this offseason. Free agent signing Justin Reid will be counted on to help replace him, while later addition Julian Blackmon and third-round rookie Jonas Sanker will be tasked with contributing defensively as well. New Orleans’ depth in the secondary will be thinner based on the Gray release, and special teams could suffer a notable loss with him no longer in the fold.
Cowboys Extend CB DaRon Bland
SEPTEMBER 1: Bland’s extension is worth a maximum (rather than a base value) of $92MM, as detailed by ESPN’s Todd Archer. A $22MM signing bonus is present, and Bland’s base salaries in 2025 and ’26 are locked in at signing. His $12MM salary for 2027 is guaranteed for injury and vests in March of that year. The same structure is in place for annual $1MM roster bonuses.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the deal includes a $19MM option bonus in 2028. Annual escalators worth up to $500K each are in place based on individual and team performances (with five and seven interceptions marking the thresholds and full pay being tied to whether or not the team reaches the playoffs the previous season). Salary de-escalators are also present instead of workout bonuses. In all, the four-year pact is worth $90MM in base value with $36.35MM fully guaranteed and another $13MM set to lock in midway through the deal.
AUGUST 31: The Cowboys have agreed to a four-year extension with cornerback DaRon Bland, as FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first to report. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds the deal is worth $92MM and includes $50MM in guaranteed money. The Cowboys have since announced the extension.
We heard back in April that Dallas was eyeing long-term deals for Bland, tight end Jake Ferguson, left guard Tyler Smith, and kicker Brandon Aubrey. Now, a little over month after extending Ferguson, Bland is on the books for the foreseeable future.
Of course, the situation involving former Cowboys edge defender Micah Parsons has been one of the NFL’s key storylines this offseason. Parsons, a premier, in-his-prime talent, was not originally viewed as a realistic trade candidate, but the relationship between player and team deteriorated in a very public way, and Dallas recently dealt the four-time Pro Bowler to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. While the trade and the circumstances that gave rise to it have earned owner Jerry Jones a great deal of criticism, it did free up some funds to be allocated elsewhere.
Indeed, as Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News writes, team sources said in the wake of the Parsons trade that the Cowboys would be active on the extension front. As such, it would not be surprising to see Smith and/or Aubrey get a new contract in short order.
A report at the end of July suggested Dallas and Bland were engaged in contract talks, and those conversations progressed to the point that Bland was hoping to put pen to paper before Week 1. He has gotten his wish, and in so doing he has landed just outside the top-five earners at the cornerback position in terms of average annual value. His new-money average of $23MM/year is just behind the likes of Patrick Surtain ($24MM), Jalen Ramsey ($24.1MM), and Jaycee Horn ($25MM).
Bland followed Trevon Diggs to the first-team All-Pro level in 2023, returning an NFL-record five interceptions for touchdowns. The fifth-round find became a vital piece in Dallas’ defense that season, shifting to an outside CB role in the wake of Diggs’ September ACL tear. Bland, who intercepted an NFL-most nine passes that season, now joins Diggs as a high-priced corner on the Cowboys’ defense. Pro Football Focus ranked Bland second among qualified corners in 2023 and 33rd during his seven-game 2024.
Entering his age-26 season, Bland also saw his extension leverage strengthened by Diggs’ injury trouble. The Cowboys paid Diggs (via a five-year, $97MM extension) before the 2023 season but have not seen the 2021 first-team All-Pro live up to the deal. The knee trouble Diggs ran into in 2023 resurfaced last year, and he missed the team’s offseason program and training camp due to the rehab effort. Diggs is off Dallas’ PUP list but is a question mark going into the season.
Bland is no stranger to injury trouble himself, having suffered a foot fracture during training camp last year. That kept him out 10 games, as the Cowboys activated him in late October but did not use him in a game until their Thanksgiving tilt. This extension certainly reveals confidence Bland can anchor Dallas’ CB corps moving forward. The team can release Diggs for just less than $6MM in dead money in 2026.
With third-round rookie Shavon Revel on the team’s reserve/NFI list after an ACL tear sustained during his final East Carolina season, Bland will be a crucial piece to Matt Eberflus‘ defense — especially considering one of the NFL’s lead pass-rushing pieces is now in Wisconsin. The Cowboys have question marks at their other CB posts for the time being, with trade acquisition Kaiir Elam — a former first-rounder the Bills never trusted as a regular starter — set to play a key role while Diggs and Revel recover.
Bland’s usage will be interesting to track this year as well. After playing a near-full-time slot role as a rookie, he has largely been a boundary defender. This offseason, however, the Cowboys had Bland working in the slot regularly. A setup where he plays inside on passing downs, alongside Diggs and Elam/Revel, would make sense for the Cowboys. This contract also checks in well north of where the 49ers went for their multipurpose CB (Deommodore Lenoir) last year and miles ahead of the slot-only market.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Texans S Jimmie Ward’s Case To Proceed To Grand Jury
Jimmie Ward will be unavailable for at least the first four weeks of the campaign, but it remains to be seen when he will be available to the Texans even when healthy. 
Last week, Ward was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list pending the outcome of his legal case. The 34-year-old was arrested in June on an assault family violence charge, which is a third-degree felony. An arrest also took place in August after Ward violated the conditions of his bail by consuming alcohol. The matter of the family violence charge is now set to be presented to a grand jury.
“We are prepared to present a strong packet to the grand jury to show that Jimmie should not be indicted,” Ward’s attorney Steve Jackson said in a pair of statements to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. “We believe we have strong information and facts to assist the grand jury to no-bill Mr. Ward.”
Jackson’s submission is due tomorrow, and it is currently scheduled to be presented to the grand jury later this week. The outcome of that process will determine if the criminal case proceeds or if Ward is no-billed and charges are therefore dropped. Regardless of how that plays out, Ward will also have a civil suit stemming from the alleged incident to attend to.
The commissioner’s exempt list is generally reserved for domestic violence cases, so it comes as little surprise Ward finds himself on it for the time being. The 11-year veteran is prohibited from practicing or playing while on the list, although he was slated to begin the year with a reserve/PUP designation anyway. Ward will thus be sidelined during September while recovering from offseason foot surgery.
The longtime 49ers defensive back has one year remaining on his contract and he is owed $3.25MM in 2025. It remains to be seen when Ward will be eligible to return to the Texans’ active roster (if at all), but clarity on his criminal case emerge shortly.
Dolphins OLBs Coach Ryan Crow Arrested On Domestic Battery Charge
SEPTEMBER 1: Crow has been placed on indefinite administrative leave while his case plays out, head coach Mike McDaniel said on Monday (via Wolfe). Senior defensive assistant Sean Ryan will take on the responsibilities of outside linebackers coach in his absence.
AUGUST 29: Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow was arrested this early this morning on a domestic battery charge, as noted by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.
The arrest by Fort Lauderdale police has led to a stay in Broward County, FL.’s main jail without bond, ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds. An on-scene investigation by police shortly after midnight led to the arrest on a misdemeanor battery charge. According to Louis-Jacques, the alleged victim was not seriously injured and declined attention.
“We are aware of the serious matter involving Ryan Crow and currently gathering more information,” a Dolphins statement reads. “Ryan has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately. We have been in communication with the NFL and will reserve further comment at this time.”
Crow began his pro coaching career in 2018 with the Titans. He served as a defensive assistant for two years in Tennessee before a single season as a special teams assistant. From 2021-23, he worked as the Titans’ outside linebackers coach. The 37-year-old joined Miami’s staff last offseason in the same role.
The likes of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips and Chop Robinson are set to handle key roles along the edge in 2025. The Dolphins may enter the campaign shorthanded on the sidelines based on the outcome of this case, however. Miami does not have a designated assistant outside linebackers coach, so it is unclear who would take over from Crow in the event he were to miss game time as a result of this alleged incident.
Steelers Extend RB Jaylen Warren
Retained on an RFA tender this spring, Jaylen Warren has received a new commitment from the Steelers. The fourth-year running back received an extension on Monday, per an announcement from his agency. 
This new pact is two years in length, Warren’s agency announced. As a result, he is now under contract through 2027. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes the contract will pay out over $7MM this season and includes $12MM guaranteed. Colleague Mike Garafolo adds the total compensation owed across the next three years is nearly $17.5MM. A $5.95MM signing bonus is present in the pact, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The coming campaign will represent the first year Warren, 26, operates as Pittsburgh’s lead back after Najee Harris departed in free agency. Before the start of the season, the Steelers have made a notable investment. How he fares in an increased role will be critical to the team’s new-look offense.
Warren received the second-round RFA tender just before the start of free agency in a move which prevented him from testing the market. The tender is valued at $5.35MM, a notable step up from his previous earnings in the NFL. The details available so far on this pact demonstrate it is a strong sign Warren will be counted on as Pittsburgh’s RB1 beyond 2025.
The former UDFA flashed potential during his rookie season by averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Warren received 149 carries the following season and averaged 5.1 yards per attempt (a stark contrast to Harris’ efficiency). Pittsburgh declined Harris’ fifth-year option last offseason, an indication 2024 would be his final year with the team. That proved to be the case, with the former first-rounder joining the Chargers in March and the Steelers electing to move forward with Warren atop the depth chart. The Oklahoma State product has never handled a snap share higher than 49% to date, but that is likely to change this year.
Pittsburgh added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency before selecting Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the draft. Those two will handle complementary roles in 2025, with Gainwell being added on a one-year deal. Johnson could take on a larger workload over the course of his rookie contract, but today’s news means Warren will remain in place for most of that time. It will be interesting to see how the backfield workload gets split up over the coming months.
Warren’s ability as a receiver allowed him to amass 1,154 scrimmage yards in 2023. His production took a step back last year, a season in which he missed two games. After scoring just one touchdowns as a rookie and again in 2024, improvement in that capacity will be a target for team and player. Plenty of time remains for Warren to find the end zone with increased regularity though, as he will continue in the team’s offensive plans for the foreseeable future.
Bengals Sign DT Mike Pennel
Mike Pennel has a deal lined up in time for Week 1 shortly after becoming a free agent. The veteran defensive tackle is set to join the Bengals, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. 
This will be a practice squad arrangement, per Fowler. An elevation to the active roster could be in store in relatively short order, though. Pennel is a veteran of 125 appearances and 25 starts in the NFL. His Cincinnati signing is now official.
Pennel played on a one-year Chiefs pact in 2024, and he was retained by Kansas City in March on a contract of the same length. That appeared to set up the 34-year-old for a third consecutive Chiefs campaign during his second stint with the franchise. Pennel was among the team’s roster cuts last week, however.
Instead of remaining in place on Kansas City’s practice squad, the former UDFA will head to Cincinnati. The Bengals will be Pennel’s sixth career team, with his second Chiefs stint being preceded by time with the Packers, Jets, Falcons and Bears. Never a full-time starter on defense or a known presence in the pass rush department, he set a new career high with three sacks in 2024.
Pennel will look to carve out a role along the defensive interior whenever he finds himself on the active roster. The two-time Super Bowl winner is joining a group featuring returnee B.J. Hill, free agent signing T.J. Slaton and 2024 draftees Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson. Cincinnati ranked 19th against the run last season, and improvement in that department will be a goal under new defensive coordinator Al Golden.
The Bengals entered Monday with roughly $17MM in cap space, more than enough afford what will be an inexpensive Pennel addition. It will be interesting to see how early he receives a gameday elevation or winds up being promoted to the active roster.
Chiefs, CB Trent McDuffie Will Not Reach Extension Agreement Before Week 1
Both guard Trey Smith and edge rusher George Karlaftis have finalized long-term Chiefs extensions this offseason. Cornerback Trent McDuffie has long been known to be high on the list of players next in line for a deal of their own. 
Talks on an extension for the 24-year-old have taken place through the summer, with the goal emerging of an agreement being reached in time for Week 1. With days remaining before Kansas City’s season begins on Friday, however, that will not be the case. ESPN’s Nate Taylor reports a deal is not expected in time for the Chiefs’ opening game.
“Moving forward now, really, it’s just about the season and about [Friday’s] game,” McDuffie said (via Taylor). “I’m not too worried about the contract. That can just happen in the [next] offseason. Let’s just go out there and have a great year.”
Extensions can of course be finalized during the campaign, but based on McDuffie’s comments that is unlikely in this case. Kansas City picked up his fifth-year option this spring, meaning a 2026 salary of $17.6MM is in store. A multi-year pact will cost much more on an annual basis, something illustrated by this year’s movement in the cornerback market. Jaycee Horn secured $25MM per year with the Panthers before Derek Stingley Jr. moved the bar to $30MM on his Texans extension. Most recently, the Jets have made Sauce Gardner the top earner at the position with an average of $30.1MM annually.
McDuffie will look to join the elites at the CB position whenever his second Chiefs contract is in hand. Kansas City does not have a long history of committing to corners on a lucrative deal in recent years. Charvarius Ward was allowed to depart in free agency in 2022, and last offseason saw the team place the franchise tag on L’Jarius Sneed before trading him. With two All-Pro nods (first-team in 2023, second-team in ’24) to his name already, McDuffie is an obvious candidate to be treated as an exception from an organizational standpoint.
As Taylor notes, conversations about an extension have taken place over the past six weeks. Since no agreement was reached during that time, however, attention will turn to the coming season. The Chiefs’ efforts to return to the Super Bowl will depend in large part on how McDuffie fares in leading a secondary which added Kristian Fulton in free agency. Another standout campaign would stand to raise the value of a new pact in McDuffie’s case when negotiations resume in the middle of the season or next spring.
Offseason In Review: Arizona Cardinals
2024 marked a year for improvements in Arizona. In the second year of the Jonathan Gannon–Monti Ossenfort regime, the head coach and general manager duo took a team that had finished last in the NFC West for two straight years and had given up the second-most points and most rushing yards on defense in 2023 and improved in every one of those facets. Seeing that the new leadership was having a positive effect and knowing that quarterback Kyler Murray is now well over two years removed from his late-2022 ACL injury, the Cardinals came into this offseason with a new plan.
With a 2024 salary cap carryover of $11.38MM and another cap increase by the league, Arizona entered the offseason with $71.33MM in cap space — good for the fourth-highest amount in the NFL — and a plan to utilize it. With the small caveat of having to shoulder Murray’s $43.33MM-cap hit — good for the fifth-highest such figure in the NFL — the Cardinals came out of 2024 looking to improve the roster with tons of new contracts for players both foreign (to the team) and domestic.
Extensions and restructures:
- Extended TE Trey McBride on four-year, $76MM deal ($32.5MM guaranteed)
Early this offseason, the Cardinals expressed hope to sign their star tight end to an extension as soon as he became eligible. They got it done just two months after that report, making McBride the highest-paid tight end in NFL history (for a little less than four weeks, until George Kittle moved the market just past him).
McBride, 25, has proven to be more than worth the $19MM-per-year price tag after finishing just one catch (111) and 48 yards (1,146) short of matching the totals of the league’s leading tight end in both stats. The TE market remains south of the $20MM-per-year place, even as WR salaries are now past $40MM AAV, but McBride set the table for such a breakthrough after his strong third season.
Although frustrating fantasy GMs by catching only two touchdown passes last season, McBride has established himself as the most prolific receiving tight end in the Cardinals’ Arizona-years history. McBride’s past two seasons rank first and second for Cards TEs in single-season yardage since the team relocated to the desert in 1988. This contract ensures the Colorado State product will team with Marvin Harrison Jr. as the Cardinals’ top pass-catching weapons for the foreseeable future.
Part of McBride’s full guarantee comes via a $16.5MM signing bonus. The former second-round pick secured a fully guaranteed 2026 base salary, and the Cardinals used $7.5MM in option bonuses — in lieu of void years — to help keep his cap hits low. McBride will not be tied to a cap number higher than $9MM until 2027. McBride’s $1.88MM 2026 option bonus is guaranteed, while $3MM of his 2027 base salary locks in on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. Per Spotrac, the other $7.53MM of McBride’s 2027 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
Free agency additions:
- Josh Sweat, DE: Four years, $76.4MM ($38MM guaranteed)
- Dalvin Tomlinson, DT: Two years, $29MM ($15.5MM guaranteed)
- Jacoby Brissett, QB: Two years, $12.5MM ($8MM guaranteed)
- Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB: Two years, $10MM ($5MM guaranteed)
- Calais Campbell, DL: One year, $5.5MM ($4.25MM guaranteed)
- J.J. Russell, LB: One year, $1.17MM
- Jake Curhan, T: Practice squad
- Josiah Deguara, TE: Practice squad
- Simi Fehoko, WR: Practice squad
The area in which the Cards were most prepared to spend was in free agency, and the main focus was on a defense that, despite showing improvement in 2024, still had a long way to go in order to be considered an impressive unit. A defensive line last year that most often was comprised of L.J. Collier, Dante Stills, Roy Lopez, and Naquan Jones has been transformed into a unit led by a familiar face in Campbell, with Tomlinson, Sweat, and last year’s first-round pick, Darius Robinson, filling out the rest of the line. 
Campbell spent the first nine years of his career in Glendale, and when he tested the free agency waters for the first time at 30 years old, he was a hot commodity. To Arizona’s credit, the team tried to retain the star lineman on a $9MM-per-year hometown discount back in 2017, and the Denver native even received a $13MM-per-year offer from his actual hometown Broncos team. Ultimately, he landed in Jacksonville — which promptly became known affectionately as “Sacksonville,” due in part to his presence — and gave the Jaguars three of the best years of his career.
Campbell was traded in 2020 to the Ravens, where he put forth three more decent campaigns, but injuries began to nag a bit when his time in Baltimore ended at 36 years old. Not one to bow to Father Time, though, Campbell played all 17 games in each of the past two seasons — 2023 with the Falcons, 2024 with the Dolphins — before heading back to the team that drafted him. The Cardinals, in fact, had attempted to reacquire him in the middle of the 2024 season.
Set to turn 39 Monday, Campbell has not posted double-digit sacks since his second year in Jacksonville. But he routinely grades as one of the strongest defensive linemen in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and his leadership and community work are often considered second to none. Recent rumblings have revealed Campbell’s return to Arizona may include a swan song performance as he anticipates retiring after his 18th NFL season.
Joining Campbell on the line are top signees Sweat and Tomlinson. Sweat arrives in Arizona after seven years in Philadelphia, where he had established himself as a full-time starter after earning a three-year, $40MM extension and collected 43 sacks in his final six years with the team after going sackless as a rookie.
It became clear the Eagles were not going to be able to retain Sweat following their Super Bowl-winning campaign, and the 28-year-old switched his representation up in preparation to land a deal like the one he got with the Cardinals. PFR’s No. 2 overall free agent, Sweat dominated in Super Bowl LIX — with 2.5 sacks and a crucial second-quarter pressure that forced a Patrick Mahomes interception — to cement himself as a top-tier free agent. This will bring a reunion with Gannon, Sweat’s DC from 2021-22.
Tomlinson, on the other hand, found himself a surprise free agent after the Browns made him a cap casualty in the aftermath of making Myles Garrett the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL (at the time). Tomlinson, 31, had been midway through his third NFL contract after playing out his rookie deal with the Giants and spending two years in Minnesota. Per PFF, his first season in Cleveland was a down year for the veteran, but he recovered quite well in 2024.
Before becoming a Brown, though, Tomlinson routinely graded out as a top-25 interior defensive lineman in the NFL. The new one-two of Campbell and Tomlinson in the middle with Sweat and Robinson on the ends should make for a formidable new-look unit.
The team’s linebacking corps also got some renovations. Deciding to move on from the Kyzir White experience, the Cardinals added a budding Davis-Gaither to the group. Davis-Gaither spent the first four years of his career as a rotational player with the Bengals, starting only four games in 54 appearances. More was asked of Davis-Gaither at the end of last season, though, when an injury to Logan Wilson forced him into the starting lineup for the final six games. The team’s current depth charts indicate that Davis-Gaither may retain a starting role in his first year with the Cardinals.
The team made relatively very few moves on offense when looking at external free agents, deciding instead to focus their efforts on bodies in the building already, as we’ll visit in later sections. One spot in which the team figured it could make a significant improvement was at backup quarterback.
When Murray suffered his ACL injury two years ago, the two backup quarterbacks, Joshua Dobbs and Clayton Tune, went a combined 1-8 to open the 2023 season. Luckily for Arizona, Murray started every game last season, but it seems the Cardinals still felt a need to find a more experienced, successful option than the former fifth-round pick out of Houston.
Brissett seems to be the latest entry into the journeyman emergency starter archetype. Like those who came before him — Ryan Fitzpatrick, Josh McCown, Vinny Testaverde — he comes to town with multiple years of experience as a full-time starter and double-digit starts for the Browns and/or Jets.
While it is true that Brissett has never finished a season with more starts won than lost, the 32-year-old is a composed professional that rarely throws the ball to the other team. When your star quarterback is out for any reason, being able to minimize mistakes becomes a crucial part of winning games. Regardless, Arizona will hope it doesn’t see much of its new $6.25MM-per-year asset.
One area on the defense the team failed to improve through free agency was at cornerback. While Garrett Williams earned much acclaim for his performance in the slot, the outside group of corners was pretty average. A season-ending knee injury in May for returning starter Sean Murphy-Bunting put a scare into the team, then a torn ACL for the other returning starter, Starling Thomas, exacerbated concerns (more on that below) at the position even more three weeks ago.
Very early in the offseason, the Cardinals kicked the tires on former Chargers starting cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., who’s coming off an injury of his own. No contract emerged from the visit, but Samuel remains unsigned to this day. At the moment, though, it appears Arizona will be content with the help it obtained at the position through the draft.
Re-signings:
- Baron Browning, OLB: Two years, $15MM ($10MM guaranteed)
- Evan Brown, G: Two years, $11.5MM ($6MM guaranteed)
- Kelvin Beachum, OL: One year, $4MM ($3.49MM guaranteed)
- L.J. Collier, DE: One year, $3MM ($1.5MM guaranteed)
- Zay Jones, WR: One year, $2.4MM ($1.3MM guaranteed)
- Will Hernandez, G: One year, $2.17MM ($790K guaranteed)
- Joey Blount, S: Two years, $3.75MM ($400K guaranteed)
- Aaron Brewer, LS: One year, $1.42MM ($167.5K guaranteed)
When Ossenfort and Co. looked at the free agent market, they saw a lot of players they liked who wore the same logo they did. The front office then got busy re-signing several key players from last year’s team.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice Wanted To Serve Suspension Early In 2025 Season
Rather than delay his inevitable suspension until after a September 30 hearing, Chiefs WR Rashee Rice accepted a six-game ban, which he will begin serving immediately. As ESPN’s Nate Taylor details, there are several factors that informed Rice’s decision.
For one, he knew there was no guarantee that former U.S. district judge Sue L. Robinson, who was scheduled to hear his case, would have handed him a ban of fewer than six games. Secondly, he wanted to get his suspension out of the way early so that he would be available for Kansas City’s playoff push.
As our Adam La Rose recently observed, the earlier suspension will give Rice more time to continue healing from the LCL tear that prematurely ended his 2024 season. Taylor also points out that Rice will be eligible for an extension after the upcoming campaign, at which point he will have accrued three years of service time. Serving the ban at the beginning of the year will enable him to build momentum in that regard rather than starting the season on the field and then being forced to sit out a significant number of games in the middle of the 2025 schedule.
Rice’s criminal matter, which stemmed from a March 2024 hit-and-run incident that brought eight felony charges, concluded last month with a sentence of five years probation and a 30-day prison term. Rice received deferred adjudication, which gives him the opportunity to avoid the prison stay, but his NFL matter lingered for several weeks after the legal resolution.
With Rice on the sidelines, Kansas City’s WR targets will be shared by Xavier Worthy, Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, and Jalen Royals. Rice, though, is probably the club’s best wideout, and while the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl without him last season, they certainly felt his absence.
“It’s another threat,” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Rice. “Rashee gets those screens and he gets 15-20 yards. That kind of crushes a defense. When they’re worried about us going deep and then all of a sudden we’re hitting screens and getting the same explosive plays, that kind of completes the offense.”
Smith-Schuster and Brown will likely share time in Rice’s familiar slot receiver role until the SMU product returns to the field. He will miss games against the Chargers, Eagles, Giants, Ravens, Jaguars, and Lions, and he will not be eligible to practice until Week 7.
Bills DT DeWayne Carter Out For Season
The Bills saw a depth piece on their defensive line go down with a season-ending injury today. Defensive tackle DeWayne Carter suffered a torn Achilles tendon, according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Now, instead of preparing for Week 1 of the 2025 season, the 24-year-old will begin working his way back to the field in time for 2026.
Carter was a third-round pick for Buffalo last year after five years at Duke. He started earning some recognition in his redshirt sophomore year with the Blue Devils, when he earned third-team All-ACC honors in his first year as a full-time starter, breaking out with 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, and three batted passes. He stepped it up in 2022, logging 5.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown.
After earning second-team All-ACC honors for his redshirt junior season, Carter’s production dropped a bit in 2023 as he became a focal point for opposing offenses. He only logged once sack and four tackles for loss, but he did bat four passes and returned another fumble for a touchdown. His defensive impact was still clear as he earned first-team All-ACC honors and became a third-round pick headed to Buffalo.
As a rookie, Carter was eased into the NFL with a minimal Week 1 workload but became a significant part of the rotation on the defensive line for the next six weeks, even earning his first two career starts in Weeks 5 & 6. He missed the next five weeks but returned to play in four of the final five games of the season, including a Week 18 start as the usual starters rested. In 11 games with three starts, Carter totaled five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and one pass defensed.
Carter wasn’t expected to step into a starting role in 2025 as DaQuan Jones and Ed Oliver return to the starting lineup, but the second-year lineman was once again expected to be a key part of the rotation, especially during the suspension of free agent addition Larry Ogunjobi. Instead, Carter will likely undergo surgery and begin rehabilitation with a goal of being healthy for Year 3.