Commanders Aim To Retain Marshon Lattimore Beyond 2024
Marshon Lattimore was known to be a trade candidate well before the 2024 season began, and to little surprise he was dealt before last month’s deadline. The Pro Bowl corner is set to make his debut with his new team (in his former home stadium) in Week 15, but he is not seen strictly as a rental. 
Many players moved at or around the trade deadline are pending free agents, but Lattimore’s contract runs through 2026. He is due $36.5MM between the 2025 and ’26 seasons, but none of his base salaries for those years are guaranteed. A restructure should be expected this coming offseason as a result, but the Commanders fully intend to keep Lattimore in place for years to come.
“We wanted to get him for not only this year but as long as we can, really,” general manager Adam Peters said when discussing the Lattimore trade (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post). “He’s got two more years on his contract and the way he’s played, we want him to be a Commander for a long time.”
A shortlist of serious suitors emerged in the build-up to the trade deadline, and the Commanders ultimately outbid the Ravens, Chiefs and Chargers to acquire Lattimore. The 28-year-old served as an impact starter during his time in New Orleans, but injuries have been an issue in recent years. He is currently on pace to carry cap hits of $18MM and $18.5MM over the next two years, and lowering those figures will be a goal for Washington even if Lattimore lives up to expectations during his initial Commanders games. The team – unlike those who also engaged in a trade pursuit – does not have a veteran quarterback attached to a monster contract, something which will make it easier to keep Lattimore in place beyond 2024.
The secondary has been an issue in past years for Washington, but the team currently ranks fifth against the pass (a stark contrast to this season’s struggles against the run). The Commanders recently moved on from former first-rounder Emmanuel Forbes, and Lattimore (who has racked up 15 interceptions in his career and recorded double-digit pass deflections in each of his first five seasons) could emerge as a key figure in Washington’s CB room now and into the future. If Peters is able to meet his goal of working out a long-term arrangement, Lattimore should be expected to remain in the nation’s capital for several years.
Bill Belichick Interviewed For North Carolina HC Job; Latest On NFL Interest
This season marked Bill Belichick‘s first out of the NFL since 1974. The legendary HC-turned-media mainstay has only served as a full-time coach in the NFL ranks, moving from assistant positions in Baltimore, Detroit, Denver and New York to his two HC roles (Cleveland, New England). It is widely known the recently fired Patriots leader is eyeing a jump back into the league.
An unusual development may well have taken place in the meantime. Belichick interviewed for the North Carolina head coaching job, according to 247Sports.com’s Grant Hughes. Considering the instability in the college ranks right now, along with Belichick’s exclusive ties to the NFL over a near-five-decade span, it would be borderline shocking if he made his coaching return to that level. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the North Carolina meeting.
Discussions have occurred over a several-day period, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and Pat Forde report. Belichick is the son of a longtime college coach. His father, Steve, was an assistant at Navy for 34 years. Steve Belichick also spent three seasons (1953-55) as an assistant at North Carolina. While the NFL lifer bowing out of a second NFL derby to coach the Tar Heels 70 years after his father did would be unexpected, it is a key coaching storyline to monitor right now. Belichick indeed still would likely prefer the pros, per Breer, though he has done extensive research on the current college game.
[RELATED: Ex-Belichick Lieutenants Ready To Rejoin Him At Next Job?]
Belichick, 72, has been tied to the Giants and Cowboys and has connections to Jaguars ownership, further clouding Trent Baalke‘s Jacksonville future. All three jobs may soon be available, and while Belichick has an advantage on candidates employed by teams presently, he would need to wait on those three jobs. The Bears, Jets and Saints are the only teams that can interview Belichick now.
Coaches still on staff elsewhere must wait until after the wild-card round to interview, while unattached candidates can start early. Though, Belichick is almost definitely not returning to the Jets due to a long-adversarial relationship. Unless the Bears and Saints show interest, Belichick will need to wait until the offseason carousel starts.
North Carolina fired its two-time HC Mack Brown recently, and Steelers OC Arthur Smith came up as a target. Smith rebuffed Tar Heels interest, as a potential second chance as an NFL leader awaits. Belichick taking the meeting is certainly interesting, and he would obviously raise the ACC program’s profile. That said, Belichick’s age and the unstable landscape of Division I sports right now stand to generate roadblocks. The Tar Heels have been open to senior-citizen HCs, hiring Brown back at age 67 in 2018. The Tar Heels have produced one 10-win season over the past 27 years.
Belichick’s 20-plus-year tenure as a de facto GM would appeal to schools in the NIL era, in addition to his obvious coaching resume’s draw, though the transfer portal and evolving compensation setup have led high-profile coaches in both football and basketball out. Boston College’s Jeff Hafley was among them, leaving an ACC HC gig for the Packers’ DC post (Brown also expressed frustration with the current state of college sports). The world’s highest-profile football coach stepping in would be rather strange. Indeed, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds some in the NFL believe Belichick is using North Carolina in an effort to push teams to act faster and make it known he wants back into the league in 2025.
Any college commitment would also drain time from Belichick’s quest to break Don Shula‘s career wins record. At 333, Belichick sits 14 behind Shula’s mark. The NFL also brings a potential age barrier, one that impacted Belichick’s candidacy this year. No team has hired a head coach older than 66; Belichick will turn 73 in April. The Falcons viewing Belichick as a short-term option prompted them to steer clear, though myriad other factors were also behind Atlanta’s decision.
The Raiders job also may open soon, creating a fascinating what-if about now-part-owner Tom Brady overseeing his former coach. Mark Davis pulling the plug so quickly on longtime Belichick lieutenant Josh McDaniels likely makes that a nonstarter, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indeed does not see a fit there if the Silver and Black boot Antonio Pierce soon.
The Cowboys continue to come up as a potential Belichick destination, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who adds the Buccaneers have as well. Tampa Bay passed on firing Todd Bowles last year, as the third-year HC ultimately rallied to lead the team to the divisional round. The Bucs are 6-6, putting Bowles on shaky ground once again. Though, they play in the NFL’s worst division and could certainly claim a playoff spot for a fifth straight year. Mike McCarthy is wrapping up a five-year contract, though the prospect of Jerry Jones keeping his embattled HC — one Dak Prescott strongly endorsed this week — has also surfaced.
Belichick was believed to be willing to cede some power if hired by the Falcons, with Arthur Blank confirming the coach did not demand a de facto GM role during his interviews. But meshing with Dallas’ long-running honcho, who obviously plays the lead role in Cowboys personnel moves, continues to loom as a potential dealbreaker for both parties. Barring an unexpected move into the college ranks, Belichick connections to teams figure to pick up again soon.
Long-Term Seahawks Commitment Unlikely For Geno Smith
Geno Smith attempted to work out an extension this summer, but it quickly became clear the Seahawks were not interested in doing so. As a result, the veteran quarterback is set to play out the 2025 campaign the final season of his three-year, $75MM deal worked out last spring. 
That pact calls for $25MM in compensation for the 2025 campaign, including a $10MM roster bonus set to kick in shortly after the start of the new league year in March. With none of Smith’s base salary for the year guaranteed, a window of opportunity exists for Seattle to move on if the team decides to do so. While that would represent a surprise, another multi-year commitment should also not be expected at this point.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes a long-term pact near the top of the QB market is much less likely than another deal aimed at providing more stability in the immediate future. A short-term deal which allows Smith to increase his 2025 earnings with new guarantees would be a reasonable approach given the extent to which he has succeeded in filling a role atop the QB depth chart over the past three years.
Questions surrounded Seattle’s future at the position after the Russell Wilson trade, but Smith has proven to be a capable replacement with a resume now featuring the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2022 and Pro Bowl nods for each of the past two seasons. The West Virginia product has seen a slight downturn in passer rating (88.9) along with an underwhelming touchdown-to-interception ratio (13:12) this year with the Seahawks struggling up front and with respect to the ground game. Still, Seattle sits atop the NFC West with a 7-5 record and a second playoff berth in the past three years is therefore a distinct possibility.
Strong play down the stretch would help Smith’s case to secure at least an upgraded compensation package over the short term. His $25MM AAV ranks 19th amongst quarterbacks, although age is of course a factor working against the 34-year-old on that front. A move toward the top of the market (which is now $60MM per season) would require a massive raise, but an incremental one – via new guarantees and/or incentives – could be feasible but still challenging for a Seahawks team currently projected to be over the cap next season. Former Commanders draftee Sam Howell is under contract for next year, but he will no doubt still be seen as a backup option by Seattle at this point.
Smith said in October he plans on playing 20 seasons in the NFL. Reaching that mark will require multiple new contracts down the road, the first of which could be worked out this winter. How negotiations on that front proceed will be a key storyline for the Seahawks if they look to retain Smith but also leave the door open to a successor in the not-too-distant future.
Dak Prescott Endorses Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
2024 has long seemed like a lame duck season for Mike McCarthy, but nothing is certain at this point with respect to how the Cowboys will proceed on the sidelines. McCarthy has received praise on more than one occasion from owner Jerry Jones, including recent remarks leaving the door open to a new contract. 
While Jones will obviously have the final say on whether or not McCarthy is retained for 2025, the former Packers Super Bowl winner also has the support of quarterback Dak Prescott. A hamstring injury has left Prescott on the mend since he underwent surgery last month, and his absence has further hindered on offense which was not performing well when he was healthy earlier in the year. Despite Dallas’ 2024 struggles, Prescott offered a public endorsement of McCarthy staying in place on a new contract.
[RELATED: Zack Martin To Miss Rest Of Season]
“I believe in him wholeheartedly,” Prescott said (via Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein). “I don’t want to necessarily get into the nuts and the screws of it all obviously, but I think he definitely deserves a chance — another contract and a chance to coach this team amongst more influence. ‘On his terms’ may be a good way to say it.”
On the latter point, McCarthy himself said his level of influence with the Cowboys outweighs that of when he was with the Packers (h/t DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr.). That represents an interesting comment in the wake of Prescott’s remarks, but it is nevertheless notable Dallas’ franchise passer is on board with maintaining continuity on the sidelines. Prescott will be expected to rebound from his showings in 2024 when he his back on the field next season, regardless of what the Cowboys’ coaching staff looks like.
McCarthy guided the team to a 6-10 record during his first season at the helm, followed by three consecutive 12-5 campaigns. Over the stretch, Dallas failed to advance past the divisional round, and last year’s lopsided home defeat to the Packers resulted in a one-and-done playoff appearance. That game, Jones has publicly acknowledged, played a role in his decision not to work out an extension with McCarthy ahead of the 2024 campaign. Dallas now sits at 5-7 with a playoff berth not seen as a realistic possibility.
Prescott landed a $60MM-per-year extension just before the start of the season, and he is on the books through 2028 as a result. His future is not in question, whereas McCarthy’s status will be interesting to follow once the 2024 campaign comes to a close. It will be interesting to see how much weight Prescott’s endorsement carries when Jones decides what to do on the coaching side this winter.
Cowboys’ Zack Martin To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
9:43pm: Martin is “dealing with a degenerative condition” in his ankle, per David Moore of The Dallas Morning News, fueling speculation that he has played his last snaps in the NFL.
Martin’s ankle had bothered him dating back to last season and flared up during training camp this year. The Cowboys tried to manage the injury, but it worsened in November. Martin originally planned to sit out two games and return in Week 14, but his ankle did not respond to his usual treatment regimen after Week 11. It became clear that Martin could not maintain his All-Pro level of play for the rest of the year. With Dallas all but eliminated from the playoffs, surgery became the best option, as it would give Martin a head-start on his recovery if he chooses to return in 2025.
Martin has previously hinted that the 2024 season would be his last, and his lasting ankle injury may provide additional reason to believe that he will retire after this year.
11:30am: Zack Martin suffered an ankle injury in Week 11, and it will keep him out of the Cowboys’ lineup for the rest of the year. The future Hall of Fame guard will undergo season-ending surgery, head coach Mike McCarthy announced on Thursday. 
Martin operated as a full-time starter during his 10 appearances in 2024, his 11th season with Dallas. The 2010s All-Decade team member has been a staple along the interior offensive line throughout his career, but there is a chance this news marks the end of his NFL playing tenure. Martin admitted this past summer he will give thought to retirement following the 2024 campaign.
The 34-year-old is a pending free agent, and in the event he were to hang up his cleats the Cowboys would face the challenging task of finding a replacement. In the immediate future, Dallas will continue with a shorthanded unit up front including former undrafted rookie T.J. Bass seeing time at guard. The team sits at 5-7 on the year, and news of Martin being gone the rest of the way adds further to the likelihood of the season ending without a postseason berth.
While Martin’s Cowboys tenure has not included a deep playoff run, his career features a long list of individual accolades. The former first-rounder has received nine Pro Bowl invitations and he has landed on nine total All-Pro lists (seven first-team, two second-team). Only in 2020 – when he was limited to just 10 games – did Martin not add to those figures. That will likely be the case again for 2024.
As the Cowboys prepare to make a number of key financial decisions this offseason, Martin’s future will be a central storyline for the franchise. The Notre Dame product has started all 162 of his appearances, operating as a consistent figure up front while other blockers have cycled through. Adding new options up front has been a draft priority in recent years, with Tyler Smith being selected in 2022 and fellow starters Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe being added this past April.
Finding a long-term right guard option would be a target this offseason if Martin were to retire. A decision on that front may not be made for several months, but it could take into account the lengthy rehab process which will await him once his operation takes place.
Cardinals Extend RB James Conner
DECEMBER 5: Details of Conner’s contract have emerged via OverTheCap. The deal includes $10.39MM in total guarantees, including $8.25MM of fully-guaranteed money. Conner’s $6.75MM signing bonus and his $1.5MM guaranteed salary in 2025 are both fully guaranteed, with an additional $2.14MM of 2025 salary that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year.
The contract also includes $100k in workout bonuses and $510k in per-game roster bonuses in both 2025 and 2026, as well as a $1MM roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. Connor’s 2024 salary cap number rose to $11.24MM to account for the $2.25MM prorated portion of his new signing bonus. His cap hit will be $6.5MM in 2025 and $10.25MM in 2026.
Overall, the deal rewards Conner for his success this season with solid guarantees while the structure minimizes risk for the Cardinals if his effectiveness dips next year. Conner can be released after the 2025 season with just $2.25MM in dead money while saving $8MM against the cap.
NOVEMBER 30: James Conner is sticking in Arizona. The impending free agent running back has signed a two-year extension with the Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal is worth $19MM. The extension will keep Conner in Glendale through the 2026 campaign.
The 2025 campaign will represent Conner’s age-30 season, a milestone that teams have generally been wary of investing in. While the RB missed time in each of his first three seasons with the organization, he’s still topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage each year. He’s collected 35 touchdowns over that span, including an 18-score campaign during his debut in Arizona.
Conner has avoided the injury bug for the first chunk of the 2024 campaign, and he’s continued to produce. In 11 games, the 29-year-old has collected 993 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns. As Schefter notes, the Cardinals are 5-1 when Conner reaches 100 scrimmage yards…and 1-4 when he doesn’t. The team continues to be especially reliant on their RB1, and he should continue to be a focal point over the next few seasons.
The former third-round pick started his career as Le’Veon Bell‘s backup in Pittsburgh. When the starter sat out the 2018 campaign due to a contract dispute with the Steelers, Conner literally and figuratively ran with the job. Conner finished his sophomore campaign with 1,470 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns. Thanks in part to injuries and a drop in efficiency, Conner’ was barely able to match his 2018 numbers to his 2019 and 2020 outputs; between those two campaigns, the RB collected 1,651 scrimmage yards and 13 scores.
The Cardinals were somewhat taking a chance on Conner during the 2021 offseason, signing the RB to a one-year deal. His 18-touchdown performance earned him a new three-year pact with the organization, so today’s extension represents his third contract with the Cardinals.
The front office could have been preparing for a post-Conner backfield when they selected running back Trey Benson in the third round of this year’s draft. The Florida State product will move forward as high-end insurance behind the oft-injured starter.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this article.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/5/24
Here are the latest practice squad transactions from around the NFL:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: S Loren Strickland
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Laviska Shenault
- Released: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
The Seahawks waived Shenault on Monday after being a non-factor on offense all year. He played just 45 offensive snaps across 11 games, but carved out a role on special teams with 168 snaps between returns and coverage. Shenault was Seattle’s primary kick returner for much of the year with an average of 28.7 yards per return. His 97-yard touchdown in Week 6 was one of the league’s six kickoff return scores this season.
However, the Seahawks had to make room for Uchenna Nwosu‘s activation from injured reserve. He will get another chance in Los Angeles where he could quickly factor into the special teams picture.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/24
Here are the latest moves from around the league, including game day elevations for Thursday Night football:
Arizona Cardinals
- Designated to return from injured reserve: CB Elijah Jones
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: WR Maurice Alexander
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: S Jamal Adams, OLB Mitchell Agude
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated to the active roster from the practice squad: CB Kalen King
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve/suspended list: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Activated from injured reserve: CB Cory Trice
Seattle Seahawks
- Awarded via waivers: WR Jaelon Darden
- Waived: CB Dee Williams
The Lions signed Adams to their practice squad on Sunday after a slew of injuries on Thanksgiving. The onetime All-Pro played 20 snaps across three games for the Titans this year before he landed on the Non-Football injury list and requested his release. Though he’s still listed as a defensive back, Adams is likely to play in the box after Malcolm Rodriguez joined three other Lions linebacker on injured reserve.
NFL Relaxes Policies On Substance Abuse, Performance-Enhancing Drugs
The NFL has reached an agreement with the NFLPA to make several changes to the league’s policies regarding substance abuse and performance-enhancing substances, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Modifications regarding banned non-performance-enhancing substances – termed substances of abuse – are more lenient and forgiving. For example, a positive THC test now requires 350ng/ml, more than double the previous amount of 150ng/ml.
When players test positive for a banned non-performance-enhancing substance, teams will no longer be notified which substance was detected. They will only be informed of the violation and the resulting punishment.
The scale of fines has also been reduced and restructured. Under the previous policy, fines were proportional to game paychecks, with half-game, whole-game, and two-game penalties for first, second, and third violations. Now, a first violation will result in a $15K fine, followed by $20k for a second violation and one game check for a third.
For performance-enhancing substances, new changes relate to testing time and reinstatement. Previously, players had to test within three hours of notification; now, if notified before team activities in the morning, they have to test before afternoon activities.
Suspended players no longer have to test negative for the performance-enhancing substance before reinstatement. Now, they can be reinstated as long as “the presence of a substance(s) provides no performance enhancing effect,” per an NFLPA memo.
AFC West Notes: Moss, Raiders, Chargers
While the Broncos were able to contain Jerry Jeudy when they opted to use All-Pro Patrick Surtain on their former receiver, the first-year Browns contributor otherwise preyed on the team’s primary Riley Moss replacement during a dominant Monday-night showing. Free agency addition Levi Wallace struggled mightily, leading to a late-game benching and exposing an issue for a Broncos defense that had entered the game as one of the NFL’s best. The Broncos have seen Moss deliver quality play in his first season as a starter, but an MCL sprain sidelined him for Week 13. It is not certain Moss will be ready to return after Denver’s bye week.
The 2023 third-round pick is slated to need “a couple” weeks to return, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler pointing to a re-emergence against the Colts next week being in play but perhaps not a certainty. A two-week absence from an MCL sprain would be on the short end as far as recoveries go. A long-term lens reveals the Broncos nabbing an important contributor in Moss, given the looks the team’s non-Surtain corners see, but a woeful coverage effort Monday exposes a short-term issue for the wild-card contender. Denver used fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, making his season debut, late in the game, playing him ahead of third-year cog Damarri Mathis.
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- When Antonio Pierce fired OC Luke Getsy, the Raiders installed Scott Turner as the interim play-caller. They also brought veteran Norv Turner out of retirement, with Scott indicating (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he spearheaded that effort. Norv, a three-time HC and Super Bowl-winning OC, had been out of the NFL since 2020. The 72-year-old coach is currently staying with his son in Las Vegas, as the Raiders attempt to find solutions on offense amid a rough season.
- Norv Turner makes three former HCs on Pierce’s Vegas staff, joining Joe Philbin and Marvin Lewis. The Raiders also kept DC Patrick Graham around from Josh McDaniels‘ brief HC run while adding Getsy — the team’s second choice for OC after Kliff Kingsbury backed out during negotiations — as the top voice on offense. Getsy’s quick firing and how Pierce pieced his first staff together has drawn some internal pessimism, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Not having much NFL coaching experience nor possessing any college HC seasoning made Pierce a historic outlier in terms of NFL HCs, and it limited his coaching tree’s reach. Pierce leaned on his former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, for guidance in assembling his first staff. Thus far, the Raiders are 2-10, having lost eight straight. Regardless of players’ push to have Pierce move to HC, Mark Davis is likely considering making the former interim boss a one-and-done as the full-time leader.
- Ladd McConkey is battling two sprains presently. The blossoming Chargers rookie has been playing through an AC joint sprain, with Fowler adding he picked up a knee sprain against the Falcons. Jim Harbaugh was vague about the second-round wideout’s status for Sunday’s Chiefs rematch, but McConkey did log a limited practice Wednesday. McConkey, whom the team traded up for in April, has 401 more receiving yards (815) than the next-closest Charger.
- J.K. Dobbins will not be part of the Chargers-Chiefs rematch, being placed on IR due to a sprained knee. Prior to going down, however, the resurgent running back picked up a $150K bonus by clearing 600 rushing yards for the season, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The injury-prone RB signed a one-year, $1.61MM deal this offseason. The team has Gus Edwards, tied to a more lucrative deal, and sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal as its top backs on the 53-man roster.