Bengals Sign First-Round DE Shemar Stewart
JULY 26: Stewart officially put pen to paper today, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Inking the deal on an off day for the team, Stewart will officially rejoin his teammates on the field tomorrow.
JULY 25: The Bengals have cut their contract issues with defensive ends from two to one. At long last, the AFC North team has its first-round pick under contract.
Shemar Stewart agreed to terms on his four-year rookie deal Friday, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. The sides had been engaged in a dispute about default language, and the impasse kept Stewart from working out during OTAs or minicamp. After the stalemate continued into training camp, it is now over. The Bengals bent on language to finally sign Stewart, as Pelissero adds an adjustment was made.
Cincinnati attempted to build new language into its rookie contracts that would void all guarantees in future years if a player does something to void guarantees in any year of the contract, as opposed to only voiding the guarantees in the year that something occurred. Stewart voiced displeasure in being the guinea pig here and refused to sign, becoming the last first-rounder to put pen to paper this year. After this deal’s completion, only Browns second-round running back Quinshon Judkins — due to a domestic violence arrest — is unsigned.
The above-referenced adjustment, however, does not constitute a win for the Stewart camp on the core issue. Rather, the Bengals agreed to adjust Stewart’s signing bonus payment schedule, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. That evidently convinced Stewart being the guinea pig for the Bengals’ default language quest was acceptable. Second-rounder Demetrius Knight also objected to the Bengals’ void language, but he ended up accepting it in exchange for receiving 75% of his signing bonus upfront.
More specifically, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports $500K in Stewart’s bonus will be paid upfront rather than in December. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway, the team also greenlit a $550K bump to bring Stewart into camp. That would be the more notable development, as it would stand to bring a true raise for the disgruntled player in exchange for his agreement on the much-discussed default matter.
Unsigned draftees generally participate in OTAs and minicamps by signing waivers, but Stewart expressed issues with the Bengals on that front as well. He has yet to practice since the team chose him 17th overall. The Texas A&M product and the Bengals had been at odds for months on this matter, and while Cincinnati’s concession is not yet known, the team will have its top draft choice in uniform moving forward.
This closes one of the strangest negotiating chapters in the rookie-scale contract era (2011-present). First-rounders had been in the fully guaranteed contract bracket for a few years now; at No. 17, Stewart was locked into a fully guaranteed $18.97MM contract when the Bengals drafted him. The team’s crusade over minor default language, which prompted VP of player personnel Duke Tobin to criticize Stewart’s agent this week, brought scrutiny — especially as the Bengals navigate their Trey Hendrickson impasse. As a result, the team has not had its two highest-profile D-ends at work throughout the offseason.
Stewart had been training at his alma mater ahead of training camp — no, an actual Aggies return (with an aim at a 2026 draft reentrance) was not a thing — but will be tasked with developing quickly in Al Golden‘s defense. The Bengals have Hendrickson engaged in a holdout, already stripping away their top defender. Having Stewart out of action for this long compounded the issue, but the team at least has two first-rounders — Stewart and 2023 draftee Myles Murphy — at work.
The team drafted Stewart weeks after Sam Hubbard‘s retirement. He arrived for a team coming off a woeful defensive season, a campaign that prompted the Bengals to fire six-year DC Lou Anarumo and hire Golden. Stewart also checks in as a potential Hendrickson successor, in the event the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up and the Bengals cannot agree on an extension, or insurance against Murphy failing to make strides after two unremarkable years.
The Bengals are going on projection with Stewart, who totaled 1.5 sacks in each of his three college seasons. In correctly tabbing Stewart as the Bengals’ pick in his PFR mock draft, Ely Allen indicated scouts were enamored with the project pass rusher’s build, balance and bend. Cincinnati will finally have a chance to see their prized investment’s skills firsthand.
Titans WR Treylon Burks Suffers Fractured Collarbone
Heading into perhaps his most meaningful season, former-first round wide receiver Treylon Burks experienced a significant setback today. The 25-year-old, coming off a season in which he missed the final 12 games with an ACL injury, fractured his collarbone today on a diving catch, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. A recovery timeline will come after he undergoes further testing, but he’ll certainly miss the start of the final year on his rookie contract. 
2025 is set to be a contract year for Burks after Tennessee opted to decline his fifth-year option. His rookie year showed some promise through a bit of adversity. Catching passes in one of Ryan Tannehill‘s last two years in a Derrick Henry-heavy offense, Burks was the second-leading wide receiver on the team with 444 yards and a touchdown off of 33 receptions. His rookie year had potential to be more, but a turf toe injury in Week 4 of the season led to an inconsistent, 11-game campaign. Year 2 was more of the same as a preseason LCL sprain hampered him coming into the year. Missing two separate three-game blocks, Burks’ inconsistency continued to the tune of only 16 receptions for 221 yards in 11 games.
After letting injury derail his first two seasons before they really had a chance to get going, Burks was in a tough spot. New head coach Brian Callahan told reporters before the season that Burks would need to contribute on special teams in order to justify his roster spot. Burks was healthy heading into Year 3, but his usage and targets began to dwindle. In the week following a nine-snap offensive performance in a home loss to the Colts, Burks suffered a knee injury in practice that would be reported weeks later as a “loose ACL” that, ultimately, required season-ending surgery.
With injuries having defined his career thus far, it’s extremely unfortunate for Burks to suffer this injury today. Rapoport claims that Burks showed up to training camp “in great shape,” and we saw reports back in June that he looked ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation. The collarbone is, at the very least, a setback, as he’ll need to get back up to full speed in the midst of the regular season.
Burks already faced the challenge of trying to gel with a new passer in rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Burks was set to be the clear WR2 to Calvin Ridley after the team neglected to re-sign free agents Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The Titans, though, imported a ton of competition in the offseason, signing veteran free agents Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson, drafting two fourth-round rookies in Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor, and even signing Ward’s favorite target in college, Xavier Restrepo, as an undrafted free agent.
With the influx of new talent and only $2.66MM in cash owed to him this year, there was a non-zero chance that Burks could fail to make the initial 53-man roster. Honestly, if he wasn’t going to end up making it on the team, this injury may have helped him stay on the roster with an injury designation.
The Titans will make their decisions on how to handle all of that business in the days and weeks to come, but in the meantime, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that former Raiders wide receiver Ramel Keyton is signing with Tennessee to fill in the spot vacated by Burks. Keyton made the Raiders’ initial 53-man roster last year, despite going undrafted out of Tennessee, with a stellar preseason. After failing to appear in the team’s first three games, Keyton was waived and put on the practice squad. He was signed back to the active roster again in Week 9, playing significant snaps on the offense that week, but spent the rest of the season mostly as a special teamer.
At 6-foot-3, Keyton brings size to the room as he heads back to the state of his alma mater. With the Titans off tomorrow, Keyton will join the team on Monday. Burks, on the other hand, will conclude medical testing and begin determining his path back onto the field. He has one more year to show Tennessee he can play up to his draft stock when healthy, he’ll just be doing so with a late start to his 2025 campaign.
Bears CB Jaylon Johnson To Miss Several Weeks
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is expected to miss most of training camp due to a leg injury, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
Johnson was placed on the non-football injury list when veterans reported to Chicago for camp. He suffered the injury during offseason training, according to Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
Johnson is coming off his second consecutive Pro Bowl and is headed into the second year of a four-year, $76 million deal signed last year. He has dealt with a number of injuries over his career, playing no more than 15 games in a season over the first four years of his career. In 2024, he played a full season for the first time, starting all 17 games with a career-high 1,032 snaps.
An extended absence into the regular season would force Chicago to find another starting cornerback among their veteran depth, but Poles said that the team is not “overly concerned” about a long-term injury.
“We’ve got a lot of faith that he’s going to put in the time to rehab and be his full self when he comes back,” said Poles on Tuesday.
2023 fifth-rounder Terell Smith will likely step into a first-team role in Johnson’s absence. Chicago largely relied on a cornerback trio of Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon last year; Smith is the only remaining defensive back on the roster who played at least 150 snaps on the boundary for the Bears in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus (subscripton required).
Offseason signings Nick McCloud and Tre Flowers may also see a bump in reps over the coming weeks as Johnson rehabs his leg with his eyes on returning for the Bears’ Week 1 opener against the Vikings.
Steelers, S Chuck Clark Agree To Deal
July 26: Interestingly, the Steelers brought in another ex-Ravens safety for a workout, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson: Marcus Williams. The 28-year old started alongside Clark for much of the 2022 season and left Baltimore this offseason after losing his starting job in 2024.
July 25: In the wake of the blockbuster Dolphins-Steelers trade which sent Minkah Fitzpatrick back to Miami, Pittsburgh was seen as a team to watch regarding a safety acquisition. The team has lined up its preferred addition. 
Chuck Clark has agreed to a Steelers deal, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes. Pittsburgh already has DeShon Elliott and Juan Thornhill in place at the safety spot. Clark – who returned to action last year after an ACL tear cost him the 2023 campaign – will now join them as Pittsburgh’s secondary gets sorted out.
A sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Clark developed from a special teams mainstay into a full-time defensive starter. During each of his final three Baltimore campaigns, he was on the field for every defensive snap. A trade to the Jets did not go according to plan, however, with the ACL tear leaving him sidelined in 2023. Upon returning to full health, Clark did manage 12 games and a full-time starting role in New York.
The Virginia Tech product was charged with a 118 passer rating and two touchdowns allowed in coverage as the nearest defender in 2024. That helps explain why Clark remained on the open market deep into the offseason, but he will now look to use training camp to carve out a regular spot in Pittsburgh’s secondary. He will reunite with Elliott after the two previously played together in Baltimore.
Fitzpatrick drew criticism over the past two years as he playmaking dried up, and he was traded to the Dolphins with two years left on his deal in exchange for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith. Ramsey is a candidate for a hybrid role with his newest team since the Steelers have returnee Joey Porter Jr. and free agent addition Darius Slay in place at the cornerback spots. If Ramsey sees considerable time at safety, it will impact the Elliott-Thornhill-Clark trio’s workload and rotation.
Today’s move comes shortly after the Saints responded to Tyrann Mathieu‘s retirement by signing Julian Blackmon. With Clark now off the market as well, Justin Simmons remains a name to watch. The two-time Pro Bowler saw his eight-year Broncos run come to an end last offseason and he does not anticipate remaining with the Falcons after he spent 2024 in Atlanta. Pittsburgh represented a logical landing spot in Simmons’ case, but that is no longer feasible given Clark’s signing.
Falcons WR Darnell Mooney To Miss Time
A shoulder injury is expected to sideline Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a few weeks, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The injury occurred when Mooney dove for a deep ball during full-team work on Thursday and left the field with a trainer, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. The sixth-year wideout could be sidelined for most of training camp, per WSB’s Zach Klein.
DJ Chark‘s workout was already scheduled before Mooney went down, but his injury seems to explain why the Falcons completed the signing yesterday. The team announced the one-year deal this morning.
The Falcons have a number of receivers who can step up in Mooney’s place during his absence, including KhaDarel Hodge, who played with the first team on Saturday, according to Josh Kendall of The Athletic. Veteran Jamal Agnew, who arrived in Atlanta this offseason on a one-year, $2.5MM deal, could also be in line for more reps. The same goes for Chark as he learns Atlanta’s offense.
Mooney’s injury doesn’t appear to threaten his Week 1 availability. He signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Falcons last offseason and immediately turned in a strong debut season in Atlanta. He finished second on the team to Drake London in virtually every receiving category with 64 receptions on 106 targets for 992 yards and five touchdowns. Those were Mooney’s best numbers since 2021, and the team’s lack of investment in their receiver room this offseason shows that they believe in a repeat performance this year.
NFL Fining 100+ Players, Several Team Employees For Profiting Off Super Bowl Tickets
The offseason of NFL administrative drama continues as the league is fining over 100 players and two dozen club employees, according to Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press. The fines are a result of violations of a league policy prohibiting players and employees in the NFL from personally profiting off of their league benefits at the expense of the fans.
The league benefit in question in this particular case is one that allows players on all 32 teams to purchase two tickets for the Super Bowl. It’s a perk outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but that same CBA prohibits league or team employees, including players, “from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket.”
According to a league investigation, which is still in progress, “club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” Club employees who resold their tickets will be forced to pay a fine of twice the face value of the tickets they purchase. Some of the club employees involved in the violation were reportedly coaches.
Players who resold their tickers will have to pay a fine of 1.5 times the face value they paid for the ticket. The players involved also will not be allowed to utilize their two-ticket allotment for the next two Super Bowls, unless they are playing in the game. ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Tisha Thompson add that players who decline to pay the fines could face a suspension from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, adding that several have already accepted the fines in order to avoid missing game time.
The league also warns that the ‘bundlers,’ anyone who directly sold their ticket for a profit, or anyone who “otherwise had a greater role” will face heavier penalties. In the announcement, no players’ or employees’ names were revealed. Ultimately, the league will enhance mandatory compliance training before Super Bowl LX to emphasize the rules and “the broader principle that no one should profit personally from their NFL affiliation at the expense of (the) fans.”
Jason Licht: Buccaneers Eyeing Baker Mayfield Partnership Beyond Current Deal
Baker Mayfield‘s 2023 ‘prove-it’ deal went better than he or the Buccaneers could have envisioned. As a result, team and player worked out a three-year, $100M pact last spring. 
In his first campaign after inking that pact, Mayfield delivered the best statistical output of his career. The former No. 1 pick ranked third in the NFL in passing yards (4,500) and tied for second in touchdowns (41). While Mayfield’s 16 interceptions put him in a tie with Kirk Cousins for the most in the NFL, expectations are high for 2025 and beyond.
Especially if the former Brown, Panther and Ram manages to post strong numbers early in the coming season, the matter of an extension will increasingly become a talking point. Working out a raise now would be somewhat surprising given the term left on Mayfield’s deal, and Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes there are currently no plans to arrange a bump in compensation (subscription required). Nevertheless, general manager Jason Licht is hopeful Mayfield will remain in place beyond the 2026 season.
“I love Baker. I love everything he’s done for us,” Licht said. “The goal for us is for Baker to continue to be the player that he is, and at some point, we reach an extension when the time is right and he continues to be our quarterback for a long time. That’s the goal.”
After restructuring his pact this spring, Mayfield is set to carry a cap charge of $26.48MM. When compared to a number of other big-ticket quarterback deals, that figure (along with his AAV) can be considered team-friendly. A raise could be in store if the 30-year-old carries on from where he left off during the 2025 season with next spring representing a logical period for an extension to be worked out. It will be interesting to see if Tampa Bay would be on board with an arrangement bringing Mayfield closer to the top of the position’s pecking order than where he currently finds himself (19th in terms of average annual value).
Keeping with what has been an annual tradition in Mayfield’s case, 2025 will see him work with a new offensive coordinator. Liam Coen‘s decision to take the Jaguars’ head coaching gig means Josh Grizzard will handle OC duties after being promoted from receivers coach this offseason. A familiar face should help Mayfield adjust to the new system, and another encouraging performance could result in an extended stay with the Buccaneers.
NFL Players Association Facing Potential Federal Probe Into Finances
The dust had barely begun to settle in the wake of Lloyd Howell and J.C. Tretter‘s resignations from the NFL Players Association. New leadership has not even been appointed. Still, controversy continues to toil in the players’ union as ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler report the existence of a federal criminal investigation into the NFLPA’s “potential misuse of funds and self-enrichment by union officials.” 
The news comes off of ESPN’s acquisition of a confidential document “marked ‘privileged’ and emblazoned with the union logo on each page.” The document was provided to several other sources and players and contains a memo drafted by a senior union attorney, titled “Crisis Management,” that outlines the scope of the investigation. The memo was provided to the NFLPA’s executive committee and player representatives earlier this week.
“Immediate threats” identified by the memo indicate how “potential action by the National Labor Relations Board over ‘unfair labor practices’ and a ‘lapse of fiduciary duty oversight practices during (the) Howell tenure'” could result in the union paying “direct or foreseeable pecuniary harms.” The document doesn’t identify which specific individuals are under criminal investigation, but Tretter denied being under investigation, while Howell did not respond to attempts by ESPN to reach him.
The document’s main point is summarized in this quote:
(The) government is watching (the NFLPA’s) response (and) could quickly ramp up and expand (the) scope of (the) existing (Department of Justice) criminal investigation. (The NFLPA’s) Board (and) Officers need to show (the) government (and) fellow union members that they are acting immediately to find out (the) depth of problems at (the) union (and) related entities.
Essentially, the document claims that eyes will be closely watching how the NFLPA settles on Howell’s successor. Howell’s appointment in the first place was the result of a 16-month process in determining DeMaurice Smith‘s successor, just for the former to resign disgraced by becoming “a distraction” because of his strip club charges to the union for over $3K and rumors of conflicts of interest and a culture of secrecy best represented by Howell’s confidential agreement with the NFL to keep the details of the arbitrator’s collusion ruling from the NFLPA’s executive committee and player representatives.
Howell has since resigned from his consulting role with the Carlyle Group, per Van Natta, and OneTeam Partners, a $2BB group-licensing firm co-founded by the NFL and MLB’s Players Associations on which Howell held a board seat, is under FBI investigation for its financial dealings.
NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin released a statement announcing the Association’s intention to hold a vote for an interim executive director earlier this week. Tretter was considered a frontrunner, along with NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis, before Tretter’s sudden resignation. Since then, several other names have been rumored as candidates.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports reported rumors of NFL Players, Inc. president Matt Curtin and NFLPA associate general counsel Chris Fawal being options. The document names Davis, NFLPA senior director of player affairs Lester Archambeau, NFLPA chief operating officer Teri Smith, former NFLPA president Dominique Foxworth, and Foxworth’s successor, former NFLPA president Eric Winston, as candidates, as well, in what it calls the union’s “triage plan.” Foxworth was also considered for the job during the 16-month process that led to Howell. ESPN even adds that multiple sources have identified Smith as the potential interim successor of his successor.
It’s believed that the 32 teams’ player representatives could choose an interim executive director as soon as this weekend. The document asserts that the interim director will serve as the “Triage Manager” and shouldn’t be required to abstain from running for the permanent job whenever that election occurs.
The document ultimately makes several other opinionated claims like the possibility that players may sue the union for the January collusion decision situation or that there should be improved oversight of an investment advisor for the NFLPA’s discretionary funds. In the end, it maintains its main assertion that the NFLPA must take “prudent and definitive actions” to fill the “leadership vacuum” in order to avoid federally ordered, court-supervised oversight of the union as a result of a federal criminal investigation.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/25
Friday’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Mello Dotson, OLB J.J. Weaver
- Waived (with injury designation): CB M.J. Devonshire
- Waived: OLB Amare Barno
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Winston Wright
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): RB Israel Abanikanda
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR JaQuae Jackson
- Waived: T Elijah Ellis
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Reverted to reserve/PUP list: T Silas Dzansi
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Matt Landers
- Waived: WR Colton Dowell
Lions LB Alex Anzalone “Disappointed” By Lack Of Contract Talks
JULY 25: The linebacker’s frustrations notwithstanding, Campbell said (via Woodyard) negotiations are taking place. Describing Anzalone as a player the Lions need, the fifth-year HC said no animosity exists on the team’s side.
JULY 22: Alex Anzalone wants to stick in Detroit long-term, but it’s uncertain if the Lions feel the same way. Speaking with reporters today, the impending free agent linebacker acknowledged that he’s upset by the lack of progress regarding an extension.
“I’m disappointed, I’ll just say that. I’m disappointed,” Anzalone said today (via ESPN’s Eric Woodyard).
The veteran is entering the final season of a three-year, $18.75MM contract he signed back in 2023. After having a career year during his first season in Detroit, Anzalone took it to another level during the first two seasons of his extension, averaging 127 tackles and more than two sacks per year.
Anzalone suffered a broken arm last season that limited him to 10 games and only 63 stops, his lowest total since joining the Lions. Still, the linebacker has been considered a defensive leader throughout the organization’s turnaround, leaving the player confused about Detroit’s apparent refusal to engage in contract talks.
“For sure. This is a weird situation and wasn’t on my end or my agent’s end,” Anzalone said.
The 30-year-old isn’t practicing with the squad while he nurses a hamstring injury. Coach Dan Campbell refused the notion that Anzalone was engaging in a hold-in, and Woodyard writes that the player could eventually take the practice field without an extension. Of course, if the linebacker has his way, he’ll spend the rest of his career with the Lions.
“I put so much into my time here and being a four-time captain and my teammates and the city and just living here,” Anzalone said. “You could list all the reasons, but it’s just important to me. I feel like I love this place, and I want that opportunity.”
While Anzalone has played both middle linebacker and weakside linebacker during his time in Detroit, he’s currently penciled in as the starting WLB. The team is already lacking some depth at the position, as Malcolm Rodriguez isn’t expected to see the field until midseason as he works his way back from a torn ACL.