Bengals’ Mike Brown, Duke Tobin Address Contract Standoffs
On the eve of training camp beginning, Bengals owner Mike Brown and de facto general manager Duke Tobin spoke to the media. To no surprise, the status of the ongoing contract standoffs with Trey Hendrickson and first-round rookie Shemar Stewart were a main topic of discussion. 
Hendrickson has been among the numerous high-profile edge rushers seeking a new deal this offseason. Some – including T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby – have inked lucrative extensions while others are still in negotiations. Contract talks with Hendrickson’s camp have been on and off, and with camp looming an artificial deadline exists for an agreement to be reached.
“I’m not going to go into details of negotiation but I think we’re in a good spot and hopefully something is done soon,” Brown said when speaking about the Hendrickson situation (via Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated). The reigning sack leader is not expected to have an agreement in place by the start of camp this week, and a holdout lasting into the regular season has been on the table for some time.
Unlike last offseason, the Bengals granted Hendrickson permission to seek a trade amidst contract talks. Offers came in but did not reach the team’s asking price. Cincinnati has not yet submitted a known offer averaging $35MM per year (a figure which would now rank fifth amongst pass rushers in the wake of Watt’s new Steelers accord). The team reportedly prefers a one-year extension which would keep the 30-year-old in place through 2026, whereas Hendrickson is seeking longer term on his third career contract. It will be interesting to see if Brown’s optimistic tone winds up being a sign that a deal is close.
On the Stewart front, meanwhile, little if anything has changed. The Texas A&M product did not report with the team’s other rookies to training camp, something which comes as no surprise given his absence from on-field work during the spring. The heart of the issue between Stewart and the Bengals remains contract language which would void all remaining guarantees on his deal in the event of an off-field issue. Historically, the team has not used such language and Stewart continues to hold out for a pact matching the ones signed by Cincinnati’s two most recent first-round picks.
“I’m not going to blame Shemar,” Tobin said (via The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.) in relation to the stance taken by agent Zac Hiller. “He is listening to the advice he is paying for. I don’t understand or believe or agree with the advice but I’m not the one paying for it. If I felt we were treating him unfairly as it relates to all the other draft picks in this year’s draft then maybe it would be a different story. But we are not. I don’t really understand where things are there.”
Hiller responded by informing Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio that Tobin has not been involved in contract talks with Stewart. As animosity between team and player continues, ESPN’s Ben Baby reports the percentage of second-round pick Demetrius Knight‘s signing bonus being paid up front – something which was no doubt a factor in an agreement being reached – has not yet been offered to Stewart. Neither side appears willing to budge at this point with padded practices set to commence.
In 2025, the Bengals will aim to return to the postseason with an offense widely seen as being among the league’s best. Their defense remains a question mark entering the campaign, though, and the unit will no doubt remain the subject of scrutiny until deals with Hendrickson and Stewart are complete.
Packers Give T Zach Tom Four-Year Extension
The Packers are signing right tackle Zach Tom to a four-year, $88MM extension, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Packers had been working on Tom’s extension throughout the offseason, and with training camp starting this week, the team managed to get it across the finish line. The 26-year-old tackle is now under contract through 2029 and will continue to be a key part of Green Bay’s offensive line. Originally a fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2022, Tom played every position except center as a rookie before settling in at right tackle for the last two years.
Tom’s deal has a maximum value of $92MM, per Pelissero, which includes a $30.2MM signing bonus, the biggest for any offensive lineman in league history. The previous record holder was David Bakhtiari, another Packers offensive tackle.
That’s no coincidence: Green Bay typically does not guarantee any money outside of the signing bonus, so they regularly hand out large signing bonuses (and roster bonuses that vest early in the offseason) to address players’ cash flow and guarantee concerns. That makes it likely, though not certain, that Tom’s guarantees top out at $30.2MM as well, which would trail the rest of the OT market.
However, the overall value of Tom’s deal reflects his ascension from versatile fourth-rounder to one of the league’s best right tackles. His $22MM APY is the fourth highest among right tackles and tied with Jordan Mailata for 10th among all offensive lineman, fitting for a player who graded out as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best tackle in 2024 (subscription required).
Tom’s extension will likely put pressure on the Packers to address Elgton Jenkins‘ contract. The 2019 second-round pick entered the league as a left guard, where he has played a vast majority of his snaps, with multiple starts at center and both tackle spots. He is expected to move to center – a lesser-paid position – this offseason, so he has requested an adjustment to the extension he signed in 2022. That deal runs through 2026, when Jenkins has a $24.8MM cap hit that the Packers might find untenable for a center, especially with no remaining guaranteed money. (In 2025, the highest cap hit for a center is Lloyd Cushenberry at $14.255MM, per OverTheCap.)
Green Bay’s precedent will make it very difficult for Jenkins to add guaranteed money to his deal, so he may have to pursue an outright extension. That route will be complicated by the pending free agency of left tackle Rasheed Walker, a late seventh-round pick in 2022 who took over for an injured Bakhtiari in 2023 and never looked back. With significant capital already invested in both guard spots – a $77MM contract for Aaron Banks and a first-round pick on 2024 draftee Jordan Morgan – Jenkins might be the odd man out if the Packers ultimately prioritize Jordan Love‘s blind side over his snapper.
No matter how Jenkins’ contract situation shakes out, Love will be able to count on Tom to protect his strong side for the foreseeable future.
Titans QB Will Levis To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
Will Levis‘ 2025 campaign has ended before it began. The third-year Titans quarterback is set to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
The procedure is scheduled for July 29. Levis has elected to prioritize his long-term health by going under the knife in anticipation of the 2026 campaign. Today’s news ends the possibility of any competition between Levis and No. 1 pick Cam Ward for the starting gig during training camp.
“After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,” a team statement reads. “We support his decision to focus on his long-term health. He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”
Levis took over starting duties from Ryan Tannehill during his rookie season, logging nine appearances. He largely remained atop the depth chart for 2024, the first year with new head coach Brian Callahan in place. Things did not go according to plan for Levis, who struggled with poor play and injury during the campaign. Once the Titans secured the No. 1 pick, the possibility remained that a new quarterback starter would be targeted (especially given Mason Rudolph‘s free agent departure).
Indeed, Ward’s showings in the pre-draft process confirmed his status as Tennessee’s preferred option at the top of the board. He and Levis shared first-team reps during the spring, and a similar arrangement may have been in store for training camp. Despite participating in OTAs and minicamp, however, Levis will miss the coming campaign in its entirety.
The former second-round pick will have one year remaining on his rookie deal once the 2026 season begins. That year will obviously be key for Levis, who was linked to trade rumors this offseason. The Titans have insisted no efforts were made to move on from the 26-year-old, and given today’s news there will obviously be no market in his case at least until he returns to full health. Ward will now enter camp even more assured of the starting gig than he already was.
Behind him on the depth chart are veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle. Those two were in position to compete for the third-string role during camp, with the runner-up being a release candidate during roster cutdowns. Instead, Allen and Boyle could be in position to remain in place unless a new signal-caller is brought in during the summer.
Tennessee’s success in 2025 was already going to depend in large part on Ward’s development as a rookie. That is especially the case now that Levis will not be available as a backup option. As the Kentucky product’s attention shifts to recovery, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues a depth addition for at least the summer.
RB Nyheim Hines To Make NFL Return With Chargers
Veteran running back Nyheim Hines is returning to the NFL with the Chargers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Hines has not played since the 2022 season after tearing his ACL in a freak jet skiing accident in July 2023. He signed with the Browns last offseason and practiced for three weeks in October before being shut down for the year. Now, he will finally get back on the field in Los Angeles.
“It’s been a long road back,” said Hines (via The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson). “I’ve watched [the Chargers] my whole life because of Philip Rivers, and always have liked the team. I also think I’ve fit their system for years, so I’m excited for this opportunity.”
Originally a 2018 fourth-round pick by the Colts, Hines immediately carved out a third-down role as a rookie and became one of the most consistent receiving backs in the league, logging at least 40 receptions and 300 receiving yards in each of his first four season. He signed a three-year, $18.6MM extension with the Colts in 2021 before being dealt to the Bills at the 2022 trade deadline. Hines did not have much of an impact in Buffalo, and his offseason injury has kept him on the sidelines since.
Now, Hines will join a young Chargers running back room as its oldest player. Veteran free agent signing Najee Harris is set to lead the group – once he recovers from a freak injury of his own – and the team hopes first-round pick Omarion Hampton can be an effective change-of-pace back and build on his impressive 2024 season as a ballcarrier and pass-catcher.
However, Harris’ receiving numbers in Pittsburgh were inflated by constant checkdowns by a rotating cadre of Steelers’ quarterbacks, and Jim Harbaugh may not trust a rookie to protect Justin Herbert on third downs. In addition to his desire to contribute as a returner, Hines could have a path to a role in Los Angeles as a pass-catching back who, in his career, has more targets (309) than carries (306) and more yards through the air (1,778) than on the ground (1,202).
First, he will have to prove that he is all the way back from his knee injury. Hines was healthy enough in May to work out for the Texans, and his signing in Los Angeles indicates that his medical passed muster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/21/25
Training camps are underway around the league, bringing more and more roster adjustments every day. Here are the latest minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on active/PUP list: WR Dan Chisena, TE Tommy Tremble
- Placed on active/NFI list: P Sam Martin
Dallas Cowboys
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Josh Butler, CB Trevon Diggs, LB DeMarvion Overshown
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Shavon Revel
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Will Sheppard
- Released: K Alex Hale
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Hal Presley
- Placed on active/PUP list: CB Kristian Fulton, OT Jawaan Taylor, TE Tre Watson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: QB Dresser Winn
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on active/PUP: TE Gavin Bartholomew, LB Chaz Chambliss
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Kam Alexander, DT Justin Rogers
- Waived/NFI: CB Zy Alexander
Martin, a 12-year veteran who signed with the Panthers this offseason, is dealing with a minor hamstring injury, per Joe Person of The Athletic.
The Cowboys’ trio of cornerbacks were all expected to be placed on their respective lists given where they are in the rehab process, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The same is true of Overshown, who recently shared a positive update on social media (via Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk).
An eye injury will sideline Hale for several weeks, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, forcing the Packers to release him. Hale was not expected to push Brandon McManus for the starting job in Green Bay, but the team will need another kicker for training camp.
The Seahawks swapped undrafted cornerbacks, adding Alexander out of Oregon and waiving Alexander with a non-football injury designation. Rogers, meanwhile, was signed after a successful tryout.
Titans Complete Draft Pick Signings With Second-Round OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo
The Titans have reached an agreement with second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, completing their 2025 draft class signings.
Oladejo’s deal is worth $8.415MM over four years, the first three of which are fully guaranteed along with a $2.76MM signing bonus. That represents a massive jump from last year’s No. 52 pick, Adonai Mitchell, who only received guarantees on 47.7% (700k) of his Year 3 salary, per OverTheCap. Oladejo received 52.3% more guaranteed salary in Year 3, which will push him well above Mitchell’s overall guarantees worth 65% of his rookie deal.
Though Oladejo’s contract is significantly stronger than past players in the same draft slot, it is somewhat weak compared to the rest of the 2025 second-round pick market. 85% of No. 54 pick Anthony Belton‘s Year 3 salary was fully guaranteed by the Packers, per OverTheCap; a few days later, No. 53 pick Benjamin Morrison reached 96% on his Year 3 guarantees in his deal with the Buccaneers. Initial reports of Oladejo’s contract did not mention any guarantees past the third year, so a mere 4% increase over Morrison in Year 3 guarantees seems disappointing after Morrison received 11% more than Belton in the same category.
Regardless, Oladejo’s rookie contract completes an impressive year for the 21-year-old. After spending his first three college seasons – two at Cal and one at UCLA – as an off-ball linebacker, he moved to the edge in 2024 and finished the season with 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Oladejo surged up big boards throughout the draft process and was consistently pegged as a Day 2 pick before the draft. He will now have an opportunity to compete for a starting role in a Titans defense that lost Harold Landry this offseason and did little to replace him in free agency. Seven-year veteran Arden Key will likely be one of Tennessee’s starting edge defenders, and Oladejo should push Lorenzo Carter to be the other.
Oladejo was the final Titans draft pick to sign his rookie deal;
- Round 1, No. 1: Cam Ward (QB, Miami) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 52 (from Steelers through Seahawks): Oluafemi Oladejo (OLB, UCLA) (signed)
- Round 3: No. 82 (from Seahawks): Kevin Winston (S, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 103: Chimere Dike (WR, Florida) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 120 (from Seahawks): Gunnar Helm (TE, Texas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 136 (from Ravens)*: Elic Ayomanor (WR, Stanford) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 167 (from Chiefs): Jackson Slater (G, Sacramento State) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 183 (from Panthers through Ravens): Marcus Harris (CB, Cal) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 188 (from Cowboys): Kalel Mullings (RB, Michigan) (signed)
Texans, CB Arthur Maulet Agree To Deal
Arthur Maulet endured an injury-shortened season in 2024, and he had a lengthy wait in free agency as a result. The veteran corner has lined up an opportunity in time for training camp, however.
Maulet told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe on Monday that he has agreed to terms on a one-year Houston pact. He will look to rebound on his latest team after only playing three games last season. In 2023, Maulet played a key role in the Ravens’ secondary, handling slot corner duties and having success as a blitzer.
The former Saint, Colt, Jet and Steeler has made 85 appearances and 23 starts during his career. Maulet will join the Texans while aiming to occupy at least a part-time role (particularly in the slot). Houston’s perimeter spots are accounted for with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the team lost Ronald Darby to retirement earlier this offseason.
Playing on a series of short-term deals during his career, it took until 2022 for Maulet to secure a deal carrying a seven-figure AAV. The former UDFA reached that mark on two separate Steelers contracts as well as his Ravens accord. Financial terms of his Texans agreement are not known, but it would come as no surprise if it were to check in at or around the veteran minimum.
Maulet, 32, has only recorded four interceptions in his career but he posted strong coverage numbers during his time in Baltimore. If he manages to do the same with his latest team, a shorter wait on the free agent market should be in store next year. For the time being, attention will turn to Maulet’s ability to carve out a role with Houston during training camp.
FA Jadeveon Clowney In Contact With Multiple Teams
Jadeveon Clowney is among the veterans still unsigned at this point of the offseason. The journeyman edge rusher is aiming to play in 2025, though, and he could have multiple suitors. 
When speaking with The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson, Clowney said he has been in touch with four to five teams this offseason. Conversations have been on and off since his Panthers release. That move ended his tenure with his hometown team after just one campaign.
As expected, Carolina targeted pass rushers during the draft. After adding Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen during the second and third rounds of April’s event, the team had a pair of new faces along the edge to develop. Parting ways with Clowney was aimed in part at an effort to give them more playing time as rookies. In the time since, no firm links to a suitor have emerged.
That is of course the case for a number of free agents prior to training camp. As teams start to evaluate their in-house options, though, Clowney is among the players who could be targeted for a signing in time for Week 1. The 32-year-old was a full-time starter for the Panthers last year, and he notched 5.5 sacks. Clowney has reached at least nine sacks four times in his career, including the 2021 and ’23 campaigns.
Duplicating that feat would not be expected from an acquiring team since he would presumably be signed as a rotational option. Even in that capacity, Clowney would offer value given his experience (140 games) and run defense (108 tackles for loss). Any number of teams could use a depth addition in their pass rush room, especially if injuries hit over the coming weeks.
Since receiving the franchise tag, Clowney played on a stretch of one-year deals with the Seahawks, Titans, Browns and Ravens. His Panthers pact (worth $20MM total) was the first multi-year accord of his career since his rookie contract. A long-term commitment would come as a surprise, but a market could take shape soon with respect to another one-year deal. It will be interesting to see where Clowney winds up for 2025.
DE Micah Parsons: Cowboys Ownership Has Made Negotiations “More Complicated” Than Necessary
JULY 21: When speaking to the media on Monday, Jones said (via NFL Network’s Jane Slater) he does not share Parsons’ frustrations about the lack of a deal this deep into the offseason. He added he has still yet to speak with Mulugheta, something which is relatively common in negotiations. COO Stephen Jones often makes contact with agents, although he too said no conversations with Mulugheta have taken place yet (h/t All City DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr.). Suffice it to say, there is little urgency on the team’s part to finalize a pact.
JULY 20: In April, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and star edge rusher Micah Parsons seemingly put the framework of an extension in place. After that report surfaced, however, there has been no indication that talks have gained any traction.
The Jones-Parsons summit did not include Parsons’ agent, David Mulugheta, and Jones’ public comments minimizing the importance of Mulugheta in the negotiation process did not sit well with Parsons. The four-time Pro Bowler nonetheless expressed optimism that the two sides would strike an agreement before training camp, which opens Monday.
In light of Parsons’ recent comments on the matter, such a development appears unlikely. In an appearance on the Six Feet Under podcast (video link via ESPN’s Field Yates), Parsons suggested the needle has not moved, and he laid the blame for that squarely at the Cowboys’ feet.
“We obviously wanted to get done early. We want that relief off our backs,” Parsons said. “But, obviously, ownership is always gonna make it drag out, make it more complicated than it has to be. Lack of communication and that standpoint, but, you know, I just always say, God has me this far, he ain’t done with me yet, so, you know, I just just keep working, keep going, and then when it comes, I’m gonna be ready. But, you know, ain’t gonna be no drop-off” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
Indeed, Dallas has been criticized for its delay in resolving contract situations with its best players, delays that have resulted in increased tension and increased price tags as the markets for premium positions (like edge rusher) continue to soar. Parsons himself recently indicated the new deals for players like Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett have driven up his own asking price, and during his Six Feet Under appearance, he seemed surprised Dallas would not want to get ahead of the curve for once.
“We wanted to do the contract last year,” Parsons added. “They were just kind of like, ‘We want to do Dak [Prescott] and CeeDee [Lamb].’ Then you go out there and perform again and, you know, you would think, like, alright, we’ll get it done early. We know there’s some guys that’s about to get ready to get repaid, like Garrett, you know, Crosby is gone. So you’d think like, hey, let’s get ahead of that, you know what I mean?”
Instead, the Steelers and T.J. Watt just pushed the EDGE market even higher by virtue of a massive three-year, $123MM extension that features an exceedingly player-friendly structure. Watt, 31 in October, is nearly five years older than Parsons, who missed time due to injury last season but who nonetheless posted 12 sacks, giving him a total of 52.5 over his first four years in the league. It would be quite surprising if Parsons does not top Watt’s deal, and with a record-setting extension for the soon-to-be 25-year-old Aidan Hutchinson possibly in the offing, it looks like Dallas will again be paying for its willingness to slow play a high-end negotiation.
Assuming no deal is in place by the time camp opens, Parsons is expected to stage a hold-in (though as NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirms, Parsons will report to training camp). As Florio notes, Parsons’ remark regarding a “drop-off” implies the Cowboys may be worried his performance will suffer once he signs a lucrative new deal, though not having him as a full camp participant – particularly with a new defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus at the controls – is also not ideal.
“It’s extremely important,” Parsons previously said of the significance of a deal being done by the onset of training camp. “You really see a lot of players struggle when guys aren’t participating in camp and they get off to slow starts. I want to hit the ground running.”
Eagles Sign Second-Round S Andrew Mukuba, Complete Draft Class Deals
The Eagles are the latest team to wrap up their rookie deals in time for training camp. Second-round safety Andrew Mukuba inked his contract on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Like 29 other players taken in the second round of April’s draft Mukuba was unsigned at the start of last week. Round 2 picks have received a notable uptick in guaranteed compensation this year, with a number of players taken at the top of the round seeing all four years of their deals locked in (something which was previously only the case for Day 1 draftees). As the 64th pick, Mukuba is not in line to have his entire deal guaranteed, but his agreement no doubt represents a step in that direction compared to previous years.
During three seasons at Clemson, Mukuba operated as a key member of the team’s secondary. He recorded only one interception within that span, but things changed in 2024. After transferring to Texas, Mukuba notched five picks while adding seven pass deflections. That production helped his draft stock considerably, and he now enters the NFL with a chance to carve out a starting role on defense.
Philadelphia’s offseason has included a number of defensive departures, including the trade which sent C.J. Gardner Johnson to the Texans. The Eagles informed Gardner-Johnson of their decision to move on from him during the opening stages of free agency, and the trade created a vacancy at the safety spot. Reed Blankenship is set to return for 2025, and the same is true of Sydney Brown.
Those two could operate as Philadelphia’s starting safety tandem in 2025, although the Super Bowl champions could also find themselves in the market for one of the veterans still on the free agent market. Barring an addition, Mukuba should at least be able to occupy a special teams role during his rookie season. With Blankenship entering the final year of his contract, a path could exist down the road to a first-team defensive gig.
Here is a final look at the Eagles’ 2025 draft class:
- Round 1, No. 31 (from Chiefs): Jihaad Campbell (LB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 64: Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 111 (from Panthers through Broncos): Ty Robinson (DT, Nebraska) (signed)
- Round 5, Nos. 145 (from Jets): Mac McWilliams (CB, Central Florida) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 161: (from Texans): Smael Mondon (LB, Georgia) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 168: Drew Kendall (C, Boston College) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 181 (from Patriots through Chargers): Kyle McCord (QB, Syracuse) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 191 (from Cardinals): Myles Hinton (T, Michigan) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 207 (from Chiefs and Jets): Cameron Williams (T, Texas) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 209 (from Chargers)*: Antwaun Powell-Ryland (OLB, Virginia Tech) (signed)