2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2023 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
- Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th top salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position
PFR’s Offseason Outlook series examined each of these decisions in-depth, and weeks remain until this year’s deadline. In the meantime, we will use the space below to track all the 2027 option decisions from around the league:
- QB Bryce Young, Panthers ($25.9MM): To be exercised
- QB C.J. Stroud, Texans ($25.9MM): To be exercised
- DE Will Anderson Jr., Texans ($21.51MM)
- QB Anthony Richardson, Colts ($22.48MM)
- CB Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks ($21.16MM): Exercised
- LT Paris Johnson Jr., Cardinals ($19.07MM)
- DE Tyree Wilson, Raiders ($14.48MM)
- RB Bijan Robinson, Falcons ($11.32MM)
- DT Jalen Carter, Eagles ($27.13MM)
- RT Darnell Wright, Bears ($19.07MM)
- G Peter Skoronski, Titans ($19.07MM)
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions ($14.29MM)
- DE Lukas Van Ness, Packers ($13.75MM)
- LT Broderick Jones, Steelers ($19.07MM)
- DE Will McDonald, Jets ($13.75MM): To be exercised
- CB Emmanuel Forbes, Rams ($12.63MM)
- CB Christian Gonzalez, Patriots ($18.12MM): To be exercised
- LB Jack Campbell, Lions ($21.93MM)
- DL Calijah Kancey, Buccaneers ($14.48MM)
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks ($23.85MM): Exercised*
- WR Quentin Johnston, Chargers ($18MM)
- WR Zay Flowers, Ravens ($27.3MM): To be exercised
- WR Jordan Addison, Vikings ($18MM): To be exercised
- CB Deonte Banks, Giants ($12.63MM)
- TE Dalton Kincaid, Bills ($8.16MM): To be exercised
- DT Mazi Smith, Jets ($13.93MM)
- RT Anton Harrison, Jaguars ($19.07MM): To be exercised
- DE Myles Murphy, Bengals ($14.48MM)
- DT Bryan Bresee, Saints ($13.93MM)
- DE Nolan Smith, Eagles ($13.75MM)
- DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Chiefs ($13.75MM)
* = Seahawks gave Smith-Njigba four-year, $168.6MM extension
OL Notes: Lions, Linderbaum, Steelers, Texans, Giants, Panthers, Browns, Saints
Winning a 49ers starting guard job to open last season, Ben Bartch ran into injury trouble and ultimately lost his job. The veteran interior O-lineman suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 2, being part of another injury-riddled 49ers season. Upon return, Bartch did not reacquire his starting job. Bartch ended up suffering a foot sprain, after the 49ers used an IR activation on him, and played out his contract. The Lions have him on their radar, however, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting the NFC North team conducted a visit recently. A 24-game starter with Jacksonville and San Francisco, Bartch is heading into an age-28 season. Detroit signed Cade Mays to fill in at center, and the team returns starters Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany from last season.
Here is the latest from around the O-line groups:
- Not returning after a Week 12 neck injury, Broderick Jones underwent fusion surgery in his neck (according to the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly). It looked like a long shot Pittsburgh would exercise Jones’ fifth-year option ($19.07MM), and Omar Khan did not confirm Jones would be ready for training camp. That will make the left tackle position — in a stopgap scenario at the very least — one to monitor in Pittsburgh.
- Tyler Linderbaum‘s Raiders deal keeps looking more impressive. Already locked in to what is practically a three-year, $81MM fully guaranteed contract, the new Raiders center secured a no-tag clause for 2029, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. No center has been franchise- or transition-tagged since the Panthers cuffed Ryan Kalil with a franchise tag in 2011. Then again, no center (or guard) has approached Linderbaum’s $27MM-AAV accord. With tackles, guards and center grouped together on the tag, a 2029 Linderbaum tender would have been highly unlikely. But, showcasing the leverage the three-time Pro Bowler held in free agency, he secured this deal point anyway.
- The Giants re-signed Joshua Ezeudu earlier today; this came after the team hosted veteran guard Ryan Bates on a visit, Wilson adds. Bates spent the past two seasons with the Bears, starting only two games in two Chicago seasons, but he played out a four-year, $17MM Bills deal — one designed by Chicago via a 2022 RFA offer sheet — last season. The Giants have been stingy at guard despite making a strong push for Alijah Vera-Tucker, and options are dwindling. Though, ex-John Harbaugh Ravens charge Daniel Faalele remains available.
- Wyatt Teller played right guard throughout his Browns tenure, with LG staple Joel Bitonio in place on the other side for 12 seasons, but Wilson indicates a willingness on the new Texans signee’s part to switch sides. With 2025 Houston RG Ed Ingram re-signed, Wilson points to Teller playing left guard in 2026. Wilson also posits a scenario in which Evan Brown competes with incumbent Jake Andrews for the center position. While the Cardinals used Brown at guard over the past two seasons, he has logged full seasons at center — for the Seahawks and Lions — in the past.
- As Teller leaves Cleveland after six-plus seasons and Bitonio not certain to return, the Browns added three guard options (though, guard/tackle Tytus Howard is expected to play RT following a trade). Howard’s two-year, $45MM Browns extension includes $34.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Option bonuses exist in 2027 ($18.41MM) and ’28 ($14.36MM), and $13.5MM of Howard’s 2027 compensation is guaranteed at signing. Howard is due a $4MM roster bonus in 2028, per Spotrac. Zion Johnson‘s three-year, $49.5MM Browns deal includes $27.83MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Two option bonuses are in place here, with Wilson adding the ex-Chargers guard will be due a $3MM roster bonus if on Cleveland’s roster by Day 3 of the 2028 league year. $13.57MM of Johnson’s 2027 compensation is fully guaranteed.
- The Saints‘ Dillon Radunz deal is worth $6.9MM over two years, with ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell noting it includes $3.5MM guaranteed.
- Adding center Luke Fortner and tackle Stone Forsythe, the Panthers kept costs low for both. A 2025 Saints trade pickup, Fortner is tied to a one-year deal worth $2.75MM ($1.33MM guaranteed), Wilson adds. Coming over from the Raiders, Forsythe signed a one-year, $2MM pact with $500K guaranteed (per Wilson).
Steelers Place LT Broderick Jones On Season-Ending IR; CB Asante Samuel To Make 2025 Debut
NOVEMBER 30: Jones’ neck injury is more serious than originally thought, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He will be miss the remainder of the season as a result.
NOVEMBER 29: The Steelers placed left tackle Broderick Jones on injured reserve and elevated cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Bills, per a team announcement.
The 2023 first-round pick will miss at least four games due to his IR placement. His earliest return would come in Week 17 against the Browns.
Jones suffered a neck injury during Pittsburgh’s Week 12 loss to the Bears. Six-year veteran Calvin Anderson closed out the game, but head coach Mike Tomlin said on Saturday that Andrus Peat would take over blind side duties in Week 13.
Jones, 24, started the Steelers’ first 11 games of the season, allowing six sacks and 23 pressures in 356 pass-blocking opportunities, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His 95.9 pass block efficiency is not much better than his 95.3 marks in the previous two season.
Peat will start at left tackle in the meantime. He has barely played in the last two years, but started 11 games at left tackle in New Orleans in 2023. He allowed two sacks and 30 pressures in 459 pass-blocking opportunities, per PFF, suggesting he can be a solid but unspectacular fill-in for Jones.
Samuel, 26, will make his 2025 debut against the Bills He was cleared from offseason spinal fusion surgery at the beginning of November and signed with the Steelers after taking visits with a number of teams. Sunday’s game will be Samuel’s first action in over a year and the Steelers are entering Week 13 with a relatively healthy cornerback room. As a result, he may not see much action, though Pittsburgh may try to get him in the game so he can reacclimate to the field. That would also give the Steelers a chance to evaluate Samuel and see what he can contribute for the rest of the year.
Steelers Optimistic Aaron Rodgers Will Return In Week 13
The fracture in Aaron Rodgers‘ left wrist left him sidelined for Week 12. With the Steelers coming off a loss, they will likely have their starting quarterback in the fold once more. 
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin said (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) he has “great optimism” about Rodgers being able to suit up this week. Plenty will depend on how the coming days play out in practice, of course. At this point, though, Tomlin is “comfortable with [Rodgers’] general trajectory.”
That update comes as little surprise. It quickly became clear last week that Rodgers will not require surgery, and as such a lengthy absence has not been expected. The 41-year-old wore a brace on his non-throwing hand during practice, and pain management is not believed to be a major issue in this case. After Rodgers pushed to be able to play last week, he will no doubt do the same ahead of Week 13’s game against the Bills.
Pittsburgh turned to Mason Rudolph against the Bears. The veteran completed 24 of his 31 attempts, but that yielded just 171 yards and one touchdown (to go along with one interception). The Steelers lost 31-28 and they now sit at 6-5 on the year. With the Ravens riding a five-game win streak, Baltimore now sits atop the AFC North. Rebounding against the Bills will be critical for Pittsburgh’s postseason outlook.
While Rodgers is on track to be available, the news on other injury fronts is less positive. Tomlin said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor) defensive tackle Derrick Harmon is dealing with a knee injury. He specified this is a separate issue from the MCL sprain which left the first-round rookie unavailable early in the season. Tomlin is unsure if the same knee has been affected by this latest ailment.
Harmon will be out for at least Week 13, and the same is also true of left tackle Broderick Jones. The third-year blocker is thus in line to miss a game for the first time in his career. Tomlin noted (h/t Pryor) swing tackle Calvin Anderson and offseason acquisition Andrus Peat will share first-team reps on offense this week. Those two will compete for the starting gig on the blindside while Rodgers continues to prepare for his return.
Steelers To Prioritize 2025 T.J. Watt Deal
Although Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson have generated far more headlines this offseason, T.J. Watt is a central part of what promises to be a transformative edge rusher year. As expected, the Steelers are readying a second extension.
Fourth-year GM Omar Khan said (via the Pat McAfee Show‘s Mark Kaboly) extending Watt will be a priority. Watt, who said he wants to remain with the Steelers beyond 2025, joins Hendrickson and Micah Parsons as All-Pro edge defenders entering contract years.
It took the Steelers until days before Week 1 to complete a Watt deal in 2021, as the Pennsylvania pass-rushing icon scored three fully guaranteed years — breaking a Steelers non-QB precedent — at that point. With other standouts (Garrett included) on the radar for big-ticket extensions, more complications may be afoot for the Steelers this time around.
Watt’s four-year, $112MM extension held the title for most lucrative EDGE contract for two years, as it took until Nick Bosa‘s holdout produced a $34MM-per-year deal. It took until March 2024 for another player (Brian Burns) to surpass Watt’s $28MM-AAV pact. Bosa remains the only edge player earning more than $29MM per annum. That will almost definitely change this offseason.
Early word about a Watt number has produced a price between $35-$37MM per year, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. The cap has ballooned by a staggering amount since Watt signed his deal. The COVID-19 pandemic had dropped the 2021 cap $182.5MM. Projections for the 2025 cap have it checking in nearly $100MM north of that place. Some of the league’s best players are in contract years, and their extensions should reflect where the cap has gone.
Garrett, Hendrickson and Parsons’ situations will naturally impact Watt’s. The Pittsburgh superstar is the most decorated player from this contingent, and he is going into an age-31 season. Watt will glide to the Hall of Fame one day, but he remains in his prime. A deal that approaches $40MM per year would not be out of step with a market that could produce some eye-popping numbers before Week 1. As the Bengals are prepared to make Ja’Marr Chase the league’s highest-paid non-QB, the superstar wide receiver will have competition beyond his own position for that title. Justin Jefferson is currently the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, at $35MM per year. It will probably take more for the Steelers to extend Watt.
One of Watt’s practice opponents is again in position-change rumors, as Kaboly adds the Steelers are planning to slide Broderick Jones to the left side. The Steelers’ starter at RT for the past 1 1/2 seasons, Jones was rumored to be heading to LT to challenge Dan Moore Jr. for the past two years. No stiff challenges emerged, as Moore continued to fend off first-round picks.
With Moore expected to depart in free agency and Troy Fautanu returning after missing most of his rookie season, a Pittsburgh line featuring their 2023 and ’24 first-round picks at left and right tackle will be the plan.
Jones has not yet justified the Steelers’ No. 14 overall investment. Pro Football Focus rated the Georgia alum as the 65th overall tackle. He allowed 10 sacks — the third-most in the NFL — in his second season. While the Steelers employing sack-prone QBs in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields did not help either Jones or Moore (NFL-high 12 sacks allowed), the team is counting on Jones to step up. Jones moving to LT, where he has only played 129 snaps, will be his next step, as the 2025 season will largely determine how the Steelers proceed with the Jones’ fifth-year option come 2026.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bengals, Conklin
Despite their wide receiver depth being an issue throughout this season, the Steelers managed a two-score win over the Browns without George Pickens. The standout Pittsburgh pass catcher suffered a hamstring injury doing post-practice work late last week, and the Steelers exercised caution by holding him out. That strategy is expected to continue against the Eagles in Week 14, with Mike Tomlin pointing to another absence for Pickens. The third-year wideout, who had never missed a game as a pro until Sunday, is battling a grade 2 hamstring strain, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Tomlin said this injury has proven to be “a little more significant” than the team initially believed, and this comes at a bad time for the AFC North leaders.
The Steelers face the Ravens in Week 15 and Chiefs in Week 16, those matchups coming on short weeks. While Pittsburgh is two weeks from its Christmas Day matchup with Kansas City, Pickens’ availability for the Baltimore rematch should probably be considered up in the air. The Steelers traded for Mike Williams and have seen flashes, most notably a game-winning TD grab against the Commanders, but the team would be lacking against upper-crust competition if Pickens is sidelined.
Here is the latest from the AFC North:
- Perhaps the NFL’s lead underachievers this season, the Bengals are 5-8. A team expected to return to Super Bowl contention has seen its defense crater. This franchise has proven conservative when it comes to many matters, and coaching is among them. As such, Zac Taylor is unlikely to be viewed as a hot-seat occupant, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano. This reaffirms the team’s October stance. Though, this certainly does not mean the Bengals will maintain their status quo throughout the coaching staff. DC Lou Anarumo should probably be viewed as a chopping-block candidate given how poorly the once-well-regarded coordinator’s unit has performed. But Taylor, who took over after 16 Marvin Lewis Cincinnati seasons, is believed to be safe. His contract runs through 2026.
- Putting up MVP-caliber numbers (without the required record for consideration), Joe Burrow made some noise this week by indicating he will play a role in helping to push for the Bengals to re-sign Tee Higgins. The franchise-tagged wide receiver, who has been viewed as likely to leave in 2025, has said he would like to stay but did not offer much confidence he would re-sign. The Bengals cannot reengage on negotiations, which are not believed to have been serious this year, until season’s end. When the team does, new Higgins representation may be at the wheel. Rumblings have surfaced regarding a potential Higgins agency change, Graziano adds. Such a switch would inject an interesting variable into Higgins’ next round of negotiations. The Bengals hold exclusive negotiating rights with their WR2 until March 10.
- Dan Moore Jr. has twice managed to fend off competition to keep the Steelers‘ left tackle job, doing so despite the team using first-round picks on tackles in back-to-back drafts. Troy Fautanu‘s injury did leave the team with fewer options, and Broderick Jones has continued to play right tackle this season. The plan remains for Jones to switch sides in 2025, when Moore is due for free agency. Though, Jones was rumored to be the team’s preferred LT this year. Moore is likely to depart in March, Dulac adds, as they have not shown an indication they are losing faith in Jones. Next year’s Pittsburgh tackle plan will be for their 2023 and ’24 first-rounders — Jones and Fautanu — to start, with veteran Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly leaving little doubt about the 2025 starters.
- Two nonguaranteed years remain on Jack Conklin‘s contract, and the Browns — facing an unprecedented situation with Deshaun Watson — will need cap space. They will almost definitely look to Conklin’s deal, with The Athletic’s Zac Jackson noting the team will either restructure it or move it off the payroll via a post-June 1 cut. Conklin, 30, has returned from a second career ACL tear, coming back after missing 16 games last season and five this year. The quality starter’s injury history will factor into Cleveland’s 2025 decision.
Jets Rumors: HCs, Kingsbury, Johnson, Moses, Adams, McDonald
There are going to be plenty of question marks for the Jets to solve this offseason, but the most important one is going to be the head coaching position. After firing Robert Saleh in early-October, Jeff Ulbrich has been serving as interim head coach, but in the last ten years, only three of 23 interim coaches have been hired for the official job following their interim duties.
According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, team owner Woody Johnson is overseeing the head coaching search, and the organization has already “started putting feelers out on potential head coaching candidates.” This doesn’t bode well for Ulbrich, who has only gone 1-5 since taking over as the interim head coach.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- Speaking of head coaching searches, Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury interviewed for the Jets’ open job back in 2019. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Kingsbury’s interview “went terribly,” partially due to the fact that he likely already knew that the Cardinals’ job was his. Six years later, Kingsbury’s name is likely to pop up again this offseason in head coaching conversations. He may get a second chance at his Jets interview.
- With a head coaching search in progress and a potential change in general manager looming, as well, Johnson’s role as owner becomes a crucial one. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, though, there’s reportedly uncertainty because of Johnson’s volatility. Specifically, there appears to be a sense that Johnson takes too many opinions from “nonfootball people” and listens far too often to social media and the internet. That’s a scary concept for Jets fans to swallow as they gear up for another potential rebuild.
- According to Costello, Jets starting right tackle Morgan Moses has been playing through a grade 2 MCL sprain, a meniscus issue, and a fracture in his knee for the last several weeks. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Moses has been “sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber and rehabbing around the clock” in order to get into playing shape each week.
- Per Rich Cimini of ESPN, the Jets are experimenting with giving starting safety Tony Adams a bit less time on the field. An every-down player since 2023, Adams is the team’s third-leading tackler this season despite missing four tackles last week and missing the prior two games with a hamstring injury. Jalen Mills had been filling in during Adams’ absence, and he may be taking up the slack as Adams handles a reduced role.
- Defensive end Will McDonald didn’t do too much to live up to his first-round draft status as a rookie last year. In Year 2, McDonald is looking much more worthy of the Day 1 pick, totaling eight sacks in ten games this season. There were assumptions after the draft that the Jets had reached for McDonald after the Steelers traded ahead of them to draft offensive tackle Broderick Jones, the assumed target of New York. According to Cimini, general manager Joe Douglas always preferred McDonald over Jones, intending to pair him opposite their first-round pick from the previous year, Jermaine Johnson, for the foreseeable future. McDonald’s sophomore success has made it clear that perhaps the Jets did not reach, as many assumed.
Steelers Place OT Troy Fautanu On IR
6:35pm: Fautanu maywell end up missing much more than a month. Dulac reports the injury is set to sideline him for most, if not all, of the season’s remainder. Fautanu had red flags coming into the draft for medical reasons, and his rookie campaign appears to already be over due to his latest ailment.
4:20pm: The Steelers have officially moved Fautanu to injured reserve, ensuring that he will miss at least the next four games because of his knee injury, per Teresa Varley of Steelers.com. Jones will be ready to take over the starting role versus the Chargers tomorrow.
In addition to Fautanu’s placement on IR, the team is also promoting offensive lineman John Leglue and cornerback James Pierre from the practice squad. As standard gameday practice squad elevations, Leglue and Pierre will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.
9:02am: The Steelers will be without their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future. Rookie Troy Fautanu injured his knee during yesterday’s practice and is sidelined indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The lineman is set to undergo further testing, and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the rookie definitely won’t be playing in Week 3. Offensive tackle Broderick Jones told reporters yesterday that his teammate suffered “a little tweak” to his knee (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
The Steelers selected Fautanu with the 20th-overall pick in this past year’s draft. The rookie was sidelined with an MCL injury during the preseason, and he didn’t end up seeing the field for the team’s season-opener. With Jones struggling at RT, coach Mike Tomlin said the team would likely rotate tackles during Week 2.
While Fautanu garnered the start, Tomlin did initially stick to his rotational plan. However, as Pryor points out, Jones proceeded to commit three penalties in a six-play span, leading to the rookie playing out the contest. Fautanu finished the game getting into 55 offensive snaps, with the lineman earning praise from Pro Football Focus for his pass-blocking prowess.
With Fautanu now sidelined, the Steelers will likely turn back to Jones. Outside of LT Dan Moore Jr., the team’s only other healthy offensive tackle is practice squad rookie Doug Nester. For what it’s worth, Jones recognized his struggles through the first two weeks, and Tomlin believes the former first-round pick is prime for a rebound.
“He’s a talented young player,” Tomlin said (via Pryor). “I’m sure he suffered some disappointment in terms of Troy starting. It’s a natural thing, but he’s got to move past it. I got to give him an opportunity to move past it as a leader.”
The Steelers’ offensive line has already been wrecked by injuries. Center Nate Herbig is likely out for the year while recovering from a torn rotator cuff, and guard Isaac Seumalo hasn’t played this season while dealing with a pectoral injury.
Steelers Expected To Start Troy Fautanu At Right Tackle
The Steelers have used back-to-back first-round picks on tackles, aiming at a long-term foundation. The team, however, is believed to have rated Troy Fautanu as a higher-end prospect compared to Broderick Jones. That assessment looks to have been reflected during training camp.
Fautanu is currently battling an MCL sprain, but he is expected back for the Steelers’ regular-season opener. When Fautanu returns, it appears he will do so as a starter. The No. 20 overall pick has already done enough to be considered the team’s first-string right tackle, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
This quick anointment represents an important development for the Steelers, who moved on from multiyear RT Chukwuma Okorafor this offseason. The team had benched Okorafor to install Jones at RT midway through last season. Jones kicked over to left tackle this offseason but is back on the right side, per Dulac, while Fautanu is on the mend.
Although the Steelers are transitioning away from Dan Moore Jr. as a starter, Dulac adds the 2025 free agent-to-be will eventually compete for the LT job with Jones. The latter held that position for the past three years, but his inconsistent play helped lead to the Steelers prioritizing tackles over the past two drafts.
Moore held off Jones for the LT job last year, but Pro Football Focus graded him outside the top 60 among tackles. The advanced metrics site has never viewed the former fourth-round pick as a top-50 tackle, and Dulac indeed indicates Jones probably has the edge. Moore as a swingman would stand to hurt his 2025 FA market, but young tackles with extensive starting experience are not regularly available. The 49-game starter also would stand to be an important depth piece — assuming Jones and Fautanu are indeed Pittsburgh’s first-string tackles — this season.
Fautanu came into camp in a backup role, though it has not taken much time for the Steelers to decide the Washington product is ready. Fautanu did allow two sacks in his preseason debut, which the MCL injury shortened, but the team has evidently seen enough during practice to make this early call. Now, the Steelers will wait until the point it can place its preferred tackles back on the field together.
AFC East Rumors: Patriots OL, Saleh, Milano
With veteran left tackle Trent Brown departing in free agency, the Patriots are looking to fill his old role this offseason. As organized team activities have opened, free agent addition Chukwuma Okorafor has been taking first-team snaps at the position, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
Okorafor, a former third-round pick for the Steelers, has spent the first six years of his NFL career in Pittsburgh. His first two seasons only saw the Nigerian find starting time as an injury replacement. After Okorafor finished out his rookie contract with two straight seasons as a starter, the Steelers rewarded him with a three-year, $29.25MM extension. After losing his starting job to first-round rookie Broderick Jones last year, though, the Steelers released Okorafor to free agency.
Now in New England, Okorafor will have the opportunity to re-earn a starting job and fill in for the departed Brown. Okorafor’s competition for the job will be Vederian Lowe, who started eight games in injury relief for the Patriots last year, and third-round rookie Caedan Wallace out of Penn State.
In additional offensive line news out of New England OTAs, second-year lineman Atonio Mafi was seen taking snaps at center behind starter David Andrews. Mafi, a former fifth-round pick who converted from defensive line to guard at UCLA, had yet to seen time at center while making five starts at left guard as a rookie. New offensive line coach Scott Peters and assistant offensive line coach Robert Kugler seem to have some interest in expanding his role on the line.
Here are some other rumors coming out of the AFC East:
- We had reported previously that Jets head coach Robert Saleh had explored the idea of reducing the role of offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. This exploration came after the seeing Hackett seemingly lost for options after the loss of starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in the season. A more recent report from ESPN’s Rich Cimini claims that Saleh is now taking a deeper role in the offense himself. The former defensive coordinator seems to be keeping a close eye over the shoulder of Hackett as their jobs both heat up in 2024.
- Long-time Bills starting linebacker Matt Milano missed 12 games after suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. The team is looking to pair Milano back up with last year’s emergent starter Terrel Bernard, but that won’t be happening in OTAs. According to Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN, Milano is on schedule with his recovery, but “it’s probably going to be more closer to training camp until” he sees the field again.