Myles Garrett ‘Not Open’ To Extension With Browns
Myles Garrett is “not open” to a contract extension with the Browns, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot.
Garrett’s trade request has been one of the biggest stories of the offseason. The Browns have insisted that they will not move Garrett and are reportedly willing to make him the highest-paid defensive player in the league to keep him in Cleveland. That contract could come in as high as $40MM per year, the highest APY of a non-quarterback in NFL history.
But this situation isn’t centered around money. Garrett knows he can get a top-of-the-market contract from most teams in the NFL, but he’s looking for something without a price tag: a Super Bowl. Based on his assessment of the Browns’ immediate future, they won’t be competing for a Lombardi trophy in the immediate future.
Garrett is entering his age-30 season but remains at the height of his powers, which is one of the motivations behind his trade request. He doesn’t want to chase a championship in the twilight of his career; he wants to lead a defense to the Super Bowl during his prime. Crucially, he doesn’t want to waste any time participating in a rebuild in Cleveland.
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year is coming off of his fourth straight season of at least 14.0 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He set a career-high in the latter category with 22 in 2024 on his way to his sixth Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selection. He would immediately be the best player on most defenses in the NFL and would likely fetch one of the biggest trade hauls in league history.
While the Browns would receive plenty of draft capital to rebuild their roster, the cap implications of trading Garrett make it a difficult move to swallow. If both sides maintain their current position, they’ll continue their standoff into the summer. Garrett will likely skip offseason workouts and refuse to participate in training camp. From there, he could even hold out into the regular season.
Prolonged hold-outs have rarely worked out in the players’ favor, but Garrett has a few factors working for him. First, if he genuinely doesn’t care about the money, he won’t mind forfeiting his game checks to get the trade he wants. He’s the type of player that can transform a defense overnight, and he would carry a low 2025 cap hit in a trade which would allow almost any team to acquire him.
Even if they get a massive trade offer, the Browns could still play hardball and ensure that Garrett plays for no one but them. However, how the team treats their former No. 1 overall pick will impact their reputation with other players around the league. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin once said that teams want “volunteers, not hostages.” Players feel the same way and could avoid Cleveland in the future if they think the team won’t honor a request to leave.
There’s no easy answer for the Browns, so their impasse with Garrett is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Once the team has more clarity on their roster after free agency and the draft, they may revisit the trade request as a way to kickstart their rebuild.
Chiefs’ Travis Kelce Will Play In 2025
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is planning to play in 2025, as first reported by ESPN’s Pat McAfee and confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Kelce’s comments on his podcast after the Super Bowl indicated that he was considering retirement after 12 seasons and 200 games between the regular season and the playoffs. With a $12.5MM roster bonus due on March 15, the Chiefs reportedly set a March 14 deadline for his decision. When asked about Kelce at the Combine, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach both said that they expect him to play this year. (Veach also shot down the idea of a hard deadline for Kelce’s decision.)
McAfee then reached out directly to Kelce, who responded via text that he is “coming back for sure.” The four-time All-Pro promised to get in the best shape of his career in order to “get back to the mountaintop.”
“[I] got a real bad taste in my mouth with how I played in that last game and how I got the guys ready for battle,” Kelce continued. “I can’t go out like that!!!!”
Indeed, Kelce was one of many Chiefs to struggle in the Super Bowl, finishing with just four receptions for 39 yards. The offense was shut out in the first half and only managed six points in the third quarter. They added two more touchdowns in the fourth, but the game was all but over by that point.
With Kelce set to return this year, the Chiefs will likely explore a contract extension to lower his $19.8MM cap hit, especially with Trey Smith now on the franchise tag. Such an agreement wouldn’t ensure that Kelce will play beyond the 2025 season; rather, it would allow the Chiefs to prorate more of his cap burden into the future.
For now, though, Kelce (and Smith) will be playing for the Chiefs in 2025 as they vie for their fourth Super Bowl in five years.
Assessing Where QB Market Stands
This year’s veteran quarterback market consists of at least one Hall of Famer, possibly two. Although Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are no longer in their primes, each is expected to play in 2025. Kirk Cousins is also lingering as a potential option.
Sam Darnold, however, headlines this free agent class — one that features four of the five QBs chosen in the 2021 first round. Only Justin Fields qualifies as a starter-level option from that quintet, as Mac Jones, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance will not garner attention on that level this year. Daniel Jones also hovers as an interesting option, despite his rough 2023 and ’24 showings.
The trade market, which technically includes Cousins, also has introduced a big name. The Rams continue to dangle Matthew Stafford. Even if this is merely to pinpoint his value as the sides haggle over a new contract, a handful of teams — chiefly the Raiders and Giants — have entered the fray for the former Super Bowl winner. Here is where these markets stand at the Combine:
Making sense of Stafford saga
It has now been five days since it became known the Rams were letting Matthew Stafford speak with other teams. Rather than seeking another reworking, Stafford is gunning for a new contract — and to become the oldest member of the $50MM-AAV club since Rodgers, who was there for a season. No one tied to a long-term deal averaging north of $50MM is older than 31; Stafford will play an age-37 season in 2025.
He is partially at fault for this value discrepancy. After all, Stafford had left money on the table during his initial Rams negotiations in an effort to help the team around him. That led to Stafford signing for four years and $160MM; that matched the Dak Prescott terms — though with less player-friendly language — at the time. It now sits 15th at the position..
The Browns and Steelers were loosely tied to Stafford, but the Giants and Raiders have stepped to the forefront. It would make more sense, were Stafford angling to jump to a roster that could form a contender, for him to consider the AFC North teams. But it is not known if they made serious pushes. As it stands, Giants and Raiders teams respectively coming off 3-14 and 4-13 seasons are in pursuit. The Giants have met with Stafford’s camp and asked about the QB before last year’s deadline, as their Jones plan was imploding. But the Silver and Black have done far more to indicate they are serious.
No matter how it happened, Stafford and new Raiders power broker Tom Brady met in Montana to discuss a potential fit. The Raiders have since come close on contract parameters, though it is not believed trade terms are worked out. Neither the Giants nor Raiders are open to meeting the Rams’ first-rounder asking price, as the teams hold Nos. 3 and 6. A high second-rounder headlining the package, or a potential future first, would make more sense.
Like the 49ers did with Brandon Aiyuk, the Rams still have the final say. They can opt to pay Stafford his modest roster bonus ($4MM) and work out a deal to ensure continuity for a team that has mounted stiff playoff challenges over the past two years. (As of now, however, L.A. is balking at a $50MM-per-year number.) Otherwise, the Rams risk falling backward without a quarterback plan.
Rodgers-Rams link emerges; who else makes sense for 20-year vet?
If the Rams truly go to the edge with Stafford, a report has emerged depicting Rodgers as an interested observer. Rodgers has been tied to wanting to join the Rams and to take Davante Adams with him once again. Adams was mentioned as a potential Rams target before Rodgers was thrown into the mix. It would be interesting to see the Rams try a formula that did not work for the Jets, but Rodgers — albeit at 41 — would be a capable option for far less than Stafford.
Our late-December poll about Rodgers fits did not place the Steelers as a realistic destination. Ditto the Browns. Both teams would benefit from a high-profile placeholder, though the four-time MVP’s current form may not be worth the baggage that also now comes with him.
While the Jets may not have issued an ultimatum regarding Rodgers’ Pat McAfee Show appearances, they are believed to have discussed the matter — as Gang Green’s new regime quickly decided to move on. A Jets team that lacks a surefire route to acquiring a more talented QB in 2025 announcing it would move on from Rodgers so soon is rather telling.
The Giants have not been tied to Rodgers, despite their Stafford pursuit and the team having no QBs contracted presently. If the Titans were to trade down from No. 1 overall, a veteran bridge would be logical as well. Thus far, however, Rodgers connections beyond the Rams have not surfaced.
Steelers to make internal call?
Thus far, the Steelers have been tied to a Wilson-or-Fields decision. The team has entered talks with both players, as the longstanding organizational policy prevents in-season negotiations. Early rumors pointed to Fields having a better chance to come back than Wilson, and the fifth-year veteran is interested in staying — should he receive a legitimate chance to start. Considering the raise the Steelers would need to authorize to either keep Fields off the open market or outbid other curious teams, it would stand to reason any arrangement in which Fields stays in Pittsburgh would come with a good chance to start.
Fields has long believed to have support in the Steelers’ building, dating back to when he closed the gap on Wilson — long positioned as the favorite for the job during the 2024 offseason — leading to a late Mike Tomlin decision. Although Fields did not show much improvement from his Bears form as a passer while filling in for Wilson, the Tomlin call to give the veteran the job back was not unanimous.
After Wilson struggled down the stretch (albeit with a limited receiving corps), suddenly he has not been as closely linked to the Steelers (though, he has repeatedly stated he wants to stay). Wilson, 36, would be competing with Rodgers (and perhaps Cousins) as a high-profile stopgap were the Steelers to work out something with Fields.
The Giants have been loosely tied to Wilson, whom they hosted on a short visit last year. That could be a team to monitor if this Steelers situation breaks Fields’ way, but a Pete Carroll reunion in Vegas — if Stafford and/or the Rams balk about a divorce — has been floated as a possibility.
Will Falcons really keep Cousins as backup?
Terry Fontenot has twice indicated the Falcons are fine keeping Cousins as a backup. He would be the most expensive backup in NFL history, being on a four-year deal worth $180MM. That contract came with $90MM at signing, covering Cousins’ 2025 salary. The Falcons would also owe him $10MM more, in the form of a 2026 roster bonus that vests a year out, if he is still on the roster on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
The team paying Cousins that bonus would be interesting, but this situation does differ a bit from the Broncos’ decision to cut Wilson, as they the AFC West club was protecting itself against his 2025 base salary becoming guaranteed. The Falcons already have to eat a $27.5MM base, regardless of how they proceed with the 14th-year vet, but they would have a faint hope of trading the Cousins contract. That makes Atlanta’s route interesting, as Fontenot is now 0-for-4 in playoff berths or .500 seasons as a GM. Michael Penix Jr. emerging as a solid starter would minimize the damage from the Cousins miss, but time would seem to be running out on a struggling decision-maker.
The Browns have been linked to Cousins, who played under Kevin Stefanski for two seasons in Minnesota. Considering the Browns’ Deshaun Watson mess extends through 2026, Cousins on a vet-minimum deal — what he would almost certainly be tied to due were the Falcons to cut him, due to offset language in his current contract — would seem rather enticing for Cleveland. Cleveland also has a direct path to either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, however. Cousins may be leery of finding himself in the same situation as 2024, but after a down season, the soon-to-be 37-year-old’s options will be limited.
The Vikings’ decision
In a more commanding position with Darnold than they were with Cousins in 2024, the Vikings could send the best free agent option to the market or hang onto him as either high-priced J.J. McCarthy insurance (via the franchise tag) or a trade asset (in a tag-and-trade move). Either way, this is a much better spot for Minnesota compared to last year, when its starter left and stuck the team with a $28.5MM dead money bill.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been cagey about his choice, but less than a week remains until the Vikings must decide on a tag. No tag by 3pm CT on March 4 would effectively send Darnold to free agency. This would be a better financial path for the rejuvenated passer, who played for $4.5MM in 2023 and $10MM in 2024. A host of QB-needy teams would pursue Darnold, ensuring plenty of guaranteed money will be available beyond Year 1. The Raiders were connected early, and other teams would be ready to enter the mix. Back in December, the Browns were mentioned as a party monitoring this situation
We have heard the Vikings being a bit leery of applying the tag, at more than $40MM, which could open the door to the team letting Darnold walk and huddling back up with Jones as a much cheaper McCarthy insurance option. Kevin O’Connell has spoken highly of Jones, who could be a Darnold-, Baker Mayfield– or Geno Smith-like rejuvenation candidate under the reigning Coach of the Year. Jones would be far less costly than Darnold. The six-year Giant would be a bridge candidate elsewhere, on a one-year deal, but he would naturally be interested in seeing how the Vikings handle the Darnold matter.
A rumor about McCarthy needing plenty of work included a GM predicting the Vikings tag Darnold to protect themselves; more Darnold tag rumors also surfaced before his struggles in Week 18 and in Round 1. Despite his late-season faceplant, the former No. 3 overall pick belatedly delivered on his USC hype under O’Connell. After Mayfield and Smith proved their resurgences were far from fluky, Darnold will be the unquestioned prize on this year’s market. The Vikings will, then, have the most important say in this year’s free agency.
Chiefs Place Franchise Tag On Trey Smith
The NFL’s top pending free agent amongst offensive linemen will not reach the market. The Chiefs plan to use the franchise tag on guard Trey Smith, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The move is now official, per a team announcement.
The franchise tag groups all offensive linemen together, something which often makes using it on interior blockers a cumbersome endeavor for teams. Smith has long been known to be a key priority for Kansas City, though, and this move will ensure he remains with the team for at least one more season. If no long-term deal is worked out, the Pro Bowler will earn $23.4MM next year.
The top of the guard market reached $21MM per season when Landon Dickerson inked an Eagles extension last year. Smith was in position to surpass that figure on a multi-year pact of his own in the event he reached free agency, something which at one point seemed likely given the report from last week which stated no franchise or even transition tag was expected in this case. Even if he were to play out the one-year tag in 2025, the 25-year-old would break the record for guard compensation given its value.
On Wednesday, it was learned the Chiefs were preparing a long-term Smith extension. Such a pact – should one be worked out – will represent a massive commitment up front on the team’s part, something which has already been witnessed by the free agent deals for left guard Joe Thuney and the extension for center Creed Humphrey. The latter reset his position’s market by a wide margin in August with a four-year extension averaging $18MM per season. If things go according to plan for Kansas City, the team will have the league’s highest-paid center as well as its top earner amongst guards playing alongside each other for years to come.
The tackle positions remain an issue for the Chiefs, as the Super Bowl illustrated. Smith has been a consistent presence along the interior, though, ranking between 10th and 15th in terms of PFF evaluation for guards in each of his four seasons. The Tennessee product will of course be expected on to remain a top blocker either on the tag or a new deal moving forward. Having missed only one game so far, Smith’s durability will no doubt help his case for an extension.
A number of teams in better cap shape than the Chiefs would have been in position to make a strong push for Smith on the open market; former Chiefs exec Ryan Poles and the Bears in particular may have been a suitor to watch on that front. A tag-and-trade could still be in order in the event the Chiefs cannot work out a deal (having taken that route with cornerback L’Jarius Sneed last year), but for now Smith is on track to play for the AFC champions once again.
A left tackle addition is a priority for Kansas City this offseason, so more developments can be expected up front in the near future. Regardless of what takes place on that front, though, Smith is in line to play out at least one more campaign with the team. Presuming no trade occurs, he and the Chiefs will now have until mid-July to work out a long-term extension.
Coaching Notes: Chargers, Saints, Sirmon, Wilber, Eagles, Vikings, Chiefs, Steelers
Jim Harbaugh now has former Michigan offensive and defensive coordinators on his staff. A year after bringing Jesse Minter with him, the Chargers HC is hiring Kirk Campbell from Ann Arbor, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Campbell moved up to Wolverines OC following Harbaugh’s exit but was in place as QBs coach during the team’s unbeaten national championship-winning season. Campbell, 38, moved up the ranks quickly, rising from offensive assistant in 2022 to OC two years later. Serving as Old Dominion’s OC before heading to Michigan, Campbell will be in place as a Chargers offensive assistant in 2025.
The Bolts have also promoted Dylan Roney to edge rushers coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz adds. Roney, 29, had joined Minter in following Harbaugh to Los Angeles last year, working as a defensive assistant. He was previously in place as a Michigan graduate assistant.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:
- The last team to make an HC hire this year, the Saints continue to fill out Kellen Moore‘s staff. New Orleans is hiring two former NFL linebackers. They are adding Cal defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon as its linebackers coach, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel tweets. Sirmon played seven seasons with the Titans, starting for the final four (2003-06). He had been the Golden Bears’ DC for the past six years. This will be the former NFLer’s first coaching job in the league. Another retired linebacker, Kyle Wilber, will join Moore as Saints assistant special teams coach, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Wilber was a Moore teammate in Dallas, playing with the Cowboys from 2012-17; he comes over after two years on the Packers’ staff.
- Elsewhere on New Orleans’ staff, the team is hiring Bo Davis to be its D-line coach, NOLA.com’s Luke Johnson tweets. This is a local hire, as Davis was previously in place as LSU’s D-line coach. Davis previously spent time on the Dolphins and Lions’ staffs. They are adding Texas assistant Terry Joseph to be their defensive pass-game coordinator, per Pelissero. Terry Joseph is the younger brother of Broncos DC Vance Joseph; he had been the Longhorns’ pass-game coordinator for four seasons.
- Needing a QBs coach because the Saints poached theirs (Doug Nussmeier) for OC, the Eagles interviewed Syracuse QBs coach Nunzio Campanile, per 247Sports.com. Campanile had previously served as interim HC and OC at Rutgers; he spent the past two years at Syracuse, being retained despite the Orange changing HCs in 2024. The Eagles are also are bringing back a familiar face, hiring Greg Austin, according to 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks. Austin was the team’s assistant O-line coach under Chip Kelly from 2013-15. After some time in the college ranks, Austin worked in a quality-control role on Doug Pederson‘s Jaguars staff. He will likely work under Jeff Stoutland, Shorr-Parks adds.
- Keith Carter has resurfaced in Minnesota. The Vikings hired the former Jets and Titans offensive line coach as their assistant O-line coach. An NFL assistant for the past nine years, Carter was fired from his post as Titans O-line coach after the 2022 season. He resurfaced under Nathaniel Hackett in New York in 2023.
- The Chiefs are also greenlighting a reunion, rehiring Matt House. Formerly the Chiefs’ linebackers coach form 2019-21, House is now in place as a senior defensive assistant with Kansas City. The veteran staffer had been working as the Jaguars’ ILBs coach, having served as LSU’s DC during the two years prior. He also served as DC at Kentucky, Pitt and Florida International over the past decade. The Chiefs also hired Chris Orr as a defensive quality control coach.
- After Aaron Curry joined the Jets’ staff, the Steelers have replaced him as ILBs coach. They brought in Scott McCurley to fill the job. A Western Pennsylvania native, McCourley was the Cowboys’ linebackers coach throughout Mike McCarthy‘s tenure. He previously spent 13 years under McCarthy in Green Bay, working his way up to Packers LBs coach.
Jets Talk Of Cutting Aaron Rodgers Preceded HC-GM Hires; Team Likely To Add Veteran QB
Aaron Glenn has done his best to distance himself from the previous regime’s Aaron Rodgers experiment, making it known he would not cater to the former MVP like the Joe Douglas–Robert Saleh duo did. Shortly after Glenn’s hire, the Jets announced Rodgers would be jettisoned.
This had been the expected course of action, though a report had circulated indicating the new Jets HC and Rodgers were potentially OK working together for another season. On that note, Bovada’s Josina Anderson notes internal talk about the team wanting to end the Rodgers partnership had started at least a week before the hires of Glenn and GM Darren Mougey. This comes after a host of reports of Johnson meddling and after the owner said he would leave the decision to Glenn and Mougey.
[RELATED: Reexamining Jets-Packers 2023 Rodgers Trade]
Such a push would point to ownership driving that point, and it would not be a surprise if Woody Johnson indeed made that clear. Reports of Johnson and Rodgers not getting along had surfaced months ago. They involved Nathaniel Hackett‘s position and bled into the 2024 season, when Johnson was believed to have called for Rodgers’ benching on multiple occasions. After a failed experiment, the Jets will be done with the declining (but still capable) veteran and moving into uncertain territory at quarterback.
As it became clear Glenn and Mougey would start fresh at quarterback, a report indicated the team discussed Rodgers’ appearances on the Pat McAfee Show. Those weekly segments generated regular headlines, some of which Jets brass had to address. In what turned out to be a Rodgers exit meeting, Mougey said (via ESPN’s Kimberley Martin) no ultimatum was issued to the polarizing quarterback regarding his off-field schedule. Rodgers also took heat for skipping Jets mandatory minicamp, forcing Saleh to declare it an unexcused absence, but Anderson adds Jets players largely did not care that he missed the June workouts. Nevertheless, Rodgers is gone after a 5-12 season. He is tentatively expected to play in 2025.
With Rodgers destined to become a post-June 1 cut — which means he be will off the roster on March 12, when the 2025 league year begins — the Jets still have Tyrod Taylor on the roster. Mougey praised Taylor, but it does not sound like the nomadic QB’s roster spot is secure, as the new front office boss pegged it at too early to determine that component. The Jets have Taylor tied to a $6MM 2025 base salary. Due to void years being on Taylor’s deal, the team would be tagged with $5.7MM in dead money if it releases him. Still, the Jets should be expected to add a veteran soon, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini.
A report earlier this month indicated the Jets could pair a veteran passer with a rookie. Holding the No. 7 pick in a draft that both features a few QB-needy teams above them and a short supply of QB prospects, the Jets are not in a great place to add an heir apparent.
Barring an unlikely Sam Darnold return, the team also is moving on from probably the most talented option in Rodgers. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, depending on how the Steelers proceed before March 10, could be in play. Ditto Kirk Cousins, whom the team aggressive pursued during his 2018 free agency. Bridge types like Jacoby Brissett, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston will be available as well.
It would seem likely the Jets will have a less talented quarterback than Rodgers leading their depth chart in 2025. While the organization may need a multiyear plan here, it will be interesting to see how the Glenn-Mougey regime picks up the pieces ahead of this coming season.
Lions To Cut LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Better known now for his role as the NFLPA president, Jalen Reeves-Maybin remains an active player. He will likely be on the hunt for a new team soon. The Lions are prepared to move on.
Detroit is set to release the veteran linebacker/special-teamer once the league year begins, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Reeves-Maybin has spent seven of his eight seasons with the Lions, enjoying two stints with the team.
This move will save the Lions $1.89MM in cap space, as the team will pass on paying the 30-year-old defender a $2.75MM base salary in 2025. This move will bump the Lions’ cap-space figure past $53MM, which sits in the middle of the pack nearly two weeks ahead of the 2025 league year.
Arriving as a Bob Quinn-era draftee, Reeves-Maybin has settled in as a special teams presence on better-constructed Brad Holmes rosters. Reeves-Maybin’s only run as a starter came during the Lions’ 3-13-1 season in 2021, but the team was quick to bring him back after a short Texans stint.
The Texans cut Reeves-Maybin in March 2023; he landed back with the Lions two weeks later and signed another contract — a two-year, $7.5MM deal — last February. Reeves-Maybin then climbed to the top of the NFLPA ladder. As he will be one of the point men during negotiations on an 18-game season, a search for a new team appears imminent. Though, the Lions could certainly be open to retaining him on a cheaper deal.
Reeves-Maybin has played on at least 60% of the Lions’ special teams snaps in each of his seven seasons with the team. Over the past two, that usage floor climbed to 78%. A year after being a Texans one-and-done, the former fourth-round pick earned his second-team All-Pro nod. Should Reeves-Maybin want to continue playing into his 30s, there will likely be a market for his ST services.
Raiders To Prioritize Deals For Malcolm Koonce, Tre’von Moehrig, Robert Spillane
The Raiders were unable to build on their 2021 wild-card appearance, having changed HCs and GMs twice since that game. But the new Las Vegas staff remains interested in some continuity despite this batch of free agents having arrived the Jon Gruden-Mike Mayock and Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regimes.
The team is expected to prioritize new deals for safety Tre’von Moehrig and linebacker Robert Spillane, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore notes. Moehrig arrived as a Gruden-Mayock second-round draftee, while Spillane signed during the second and final McDaniels-Ziegler offseason.
Moehrig is expected to garner considerable interest in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds. The Raiders used Moehrig closer to the line of scrimmage in 2024, and he posted big numbers in a contract year. Moehrig set new career highs in tackles (104) and passes defensed (10), showing he could make an impact in this area as well as in a deep safety role. While the Raiders’ defense regressed in 2024, they are retaining DC Patrick Graham and want to keep some of his top pieces.
Malcolm Koonce did not have a chance to build on his promising 2023, suffering a knee injury just before the season. Still, his first go-round as a regular edge rusher will generate free agency interest. Pete Carroll said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) the team wants Koonce back as well. While the ex-Seahawks HC spoke of retaining more free agents, he singled out Koonce, who broke through for eight sacks during his 11-start 2023.
Spillane played on a two-year, $7MM deal — after mostly working as a Steelers backup over the course of his rookie contract. The Raiders unlocked more from the former UDFA, using him as a starter in every game over the past two seasons. Spillane led the team in tackles (148, 158) in each season and combined for 17 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and five INTs in that span. Off-ball linebackers have seen their market stall in recent years, but Spillane (29) brought value and will likely secure a better contract compared to his 2023 terms. We heard around the midseason point the Raiders would push to retain their three-down LB.
The Raiders trail only the Patriots in cap space, holding nearly $100MM. Considering Carroll, new GM John Spytek and heavily involved part-owner Tom Brady are new, a host of fresh faces will likely come enter the picture after a 4-13 season. But it sounds like the Raiders will make efforts to bring back some of their own talent before they hit the market March 10.
Marshall’s Mike Green Won’t Work Out At Combine, Denies Sexual Assault Allegations
Marshall edge rusher and projected first-round pick Mike Green will not work out at the NFL Combine due to hamstring tightness, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Green has flown up draft boards since a standout performance at the Senior Bowl. He entered the Combine as the 17th-ranked prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board and was expected to have an impressive athletic testing session in Indianapolis. Instead, he will have to wait until Marshall’s pro day (date TBD), where he will run and do positional drills, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Green also spent much of his podium session on Wednesday addressing two allegations of sexual assault against him, one from high school and one from his time at the University of Virginia. He was suspended by the Cavaliers before leaving the program in September 2022, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Joseph Person. Green then transferred to Marshall, where he led college football with 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in 2024.
Green answered a series of questions about the allegations and insisted that he’s “done nothing wrong.” He also claimed that he could have remained at Virginia if he had chosen, but preferred to get a “fresh start” and “lay down a foundation” at Marshall.
The accusations will likely be an area of concern for teams interested in drafting Green. In addition to the public scrutiny he is facing, he will also have to answer directly to coaches and executives over the next two months. Teams will also talk to coaches, teammates, and anyone else who can shed light on Green’s history and how it could affect his future.
49ers Rumors: CMC, Kittle, Williams, Dobbs
After shaking off injury trouble for two seasons, en route to staking a claim as the NFL’s best running back, Christian McCaffrey saw two issues create a lost season for him in 2024. The superstar back missed much of the season with an Achilles injury, and a PCL malady sustained in Buffalo sidelined him not long after he debuted. McCaffrey, who is going into his age-29 season, landed more guaranteed money via another market-setting extension (two years, $38MM), protecting himself for the 2025 season. The 49ers also expect their RB starter to be back by training camp and perhaps before, with John Lynch indicating (via The Athletic’s Matt Barrows) the ninth-year veteran will probably be ready for part of the team’s offseason program.
Not that McCaffrey needs to log much offseason participation, as this will be Year 4 for him in Kyle Shanahan‘s offense, but it would be an encouraging sign for a player who totaled only 50 carries last season. McCaffrey also saw injuries significantly limit him in 2020 and ’21 while in Carolina, but he played 17 games in 2022 and 16 in ’23, not missing any due to injury. The 49ers will hope the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year can return to that form in ’25.
Here is the latest out of San Francisco:
- As another 49ers NFC title defense could not navigate a rash of injuries, Trent Williams became part of the unavailable contingent. The future Hall of Fame left tackle missed the final seven games of San Francisco’s season with an ankle injury. Lynch confirmed (via Barrows) what had been expected, indicating Williams will be back for a 16th NFL season. Williams can break the tackle record for Pro Bowl invites by booking a 12th in 2025, which will be his age-37 season. Thanks to the contract adjustment he received to end a holdout, Williams would have brought more than $50MM in dead money had he retired after the 2024 slate.
- We heard Wednesday that the 49ers were talking not only with their top extension candidate, Brock Purdy, but with George Kittle as well. Staying mostly healthy over the course of his five-year, $75MM extension, the eight-year veteran — chosen in Lynch and Shanahan’s first draft — has put himself on the Hall of Fame radar. Lynch wants the star tight end to be a 49ers-only player during his career. “We want George to retire a Niner,” Lynch said. “He’s one of those guys — he’s a Niner through and through. So we want that to become a reality. I think the only thing on that is timing. And that’s no different than what I’ve told George and his agent.” The 49ers hammered out their first Kittle extension during training camp in 2020. Considering how this franchise usually conducts business, that is a timeframe to again monitor this year.
- An either/or path at defensive end may form regarding Nick Bosa‘s wingmen. Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos are release candidates, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. While Floyd has a track record as a sack artist, totaling at least nine each year from 2020-23, Gross-Matos received a surprising two-year, $18MM deal in 2024. The ex-Panthers second-rounder underwent in-season knee surgery and finished with four sacks in 11 games. That was a half-sack off his career high, however, but the 49ers having backloaded his deal would free up $7.82MM in a post-June 1 release. Using a post-June 1 designation on Floyd would free up $7.95MM in 2025 space but leave a bigger hole in the pass-rushing department. The 49ers have one June 1 move to make, as Javon Hargrave‘s release takes up the team’s other allotted slot.
- Josh Dobbs threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns during a meaningless Week 18 loss to the Cardinals, likely helping his cause for another QB2 deal. After losing the backup job to Brandon Allen, however, Dobbs is unlikely to re-sign with the 49ers, per Branch. When asked about a potential re-signing, Dobbs said recently, “Free agency is free agency.” If Allen is to reprise his 49ers QB2 role, he will need to be re-signed.