Each AFC Team’s Largest 2026 Cap Hit
Let’s begin with a look at the AFC…
Justin Herbert, QB, Chargers ($46.35MM)
Herbert’s interception total climbed from three in 2024 to 13 last year, but one of the league’s worst offensive lines contributed to the increase in turnovers. The Chargers went the entire season without stud left tackle Rashawn Slater and most of it without excellent right tackle Joe Alt. Herbert took 54 sacks, the second-highest total in the game, behind a porous group of blockers. The 28-year-old still helped the Chargers to 11 wins and a playoff berth, but he and the offense flamed out in a 16-3 wild-card round loss to the Patriots.
The Chargers have since helped Herbert’s cause by replacing offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Mike McDaniel, snagging two quality tight ends (Charlie Kolar and David Njoku) to join Oronde Gadsden, and making interior O-line upgrades. Most importantly, Slater and Alt will be back. The arrow is pointing up for Herbert as he goes into the third season of a five-year, $262.5MM extension.
Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs ($44.85MM)
Patrick Mahomes‘ mega extension doesn’t kick in until 2027, leaving Jones atop the Chiefs’ cap hierarchy for another season. Jones, who is celebrating his 32nd birthday on Friday, continued to notch strong production during a shocking down year for the Chiefs. He racked up 25 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
While Pro Football Focus “only” ranked Jones’ overall performance 29th among 127 qualifying interior defensive linemen, he earned the site’s second-best pass-rushing grade at his position. Jones saw his three-year streak of first-team All-Pro selections end, but he made his seventh straight Pro Bowl in 2025.
Josh Allen, QB, Bills ($44.29MM)
Although he is about to enter his age-30 season with zero Super Bowl appearances, Allen remains on the shortlist of elite QBs. Frustrated with the franchise’s inability to capitalize on Allen’s presence, owner Terry Pegula fired longtime head coach Sean McDermott after an overtime loss to the Broncos in the divisional round. Allen played the first nine years of his career under McDermott. He is now playing for a familiar replacement in Joe Brady, who was Buffalo’s QBs coach from 2022-23 and the team’s offensive coordinator from 2024-25. Brady will continue to call the plays as a head coach.
The Bills’ Allen-led offense has never had issues scoring points with Brady at the controls. However, they will not get over the AFC hump and reach a Super Bowl unless their defense does a better job keeping points off the board in the postseason (if they get there). Allen has gone 8-7 in the playoffs despite a 101.5 passer rating, the fifth-best mark ever. The defense allowed a staggering 33.2 points per game in the Bills’ last six playoff defeats.
T.J. Watt, OLB, Steelers ($42MM)
The Steelers gave a nine-figure extension to backup outside linebacker Nick Herbig a month ago. In the immediate aftermath, there was speculation about the Steelers trading Watt ahead of his age-32 season. However, Watt (and fellow OLB Alex Highsmith) will stick around for at least another year.
At the height of his powers, Watt amassed 22.5 sacks en route to Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021. He isn’t on that otherworldly level anymore, but Watt remains a defensive cornerstone. The eight-time Pro Bowler chipped in 19 QB hits, 10 TFL, eight pass deflections, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions in 14 games in 2025. He was PFF’s 31st-ranked edge defender among 119 qualifiers.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Browns ($40.96MM)
This is the only real albatross cap hit on the list. The Browns have been stuck with Watson since they astonishingly traded three first-round picks to the Texans in 2022 and then gave him a fully guaranteed $230MM extension. While Watson was a three-time Pro Bowler at the time, he also sat out the previous season amid a contract dispute and dozens of sexual assault allegations. Watson’s off-field conduct led to an 11-game suspension, which he served at the beginning of what has been a disastrous Browns tenure.
He made 19 forgettable starts before rupturing his Achilles in October 2024. He ruptured it again while rehabbing in January 2025. Watson missed all of last season, but to the chagrin of Browns fans, he is returning as the front-runner to win the starting job over Shedeur Sanders. Although this is the last season of Watson’s ill-fated contract, he will remain on the Browns’ books until 2029.
Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals ($37.6MM)
Burrow has ranked among the sport’s top passers throughout his six-year career, but injuries have held him out of sizable portions of three seasons. Most recently, a toe injury sidelined him for nine games last year. The Bengals went 1-8 without Burrow, 6-11 overall, and missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. The team is a popular pick to rebound in 2026 as long as the 29-year-old Burrow stays healthy. It’s easy to see why. To complement the superb offensive core of Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown, the club has made multiple splashes to upgrade what was one of the league’s worst defenses in 2025. Defensive tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen, edge rushers Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell, and safety Bryan Cook are now in the fold.
Burrow is excited to get some much-needed help on the other side of the ball. “I think this is the most talented roster that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow declared in May.
Maxx Crosby, DE, Raiders ($35.79MM)
Crosby remains the Raiders’ largest cap charge, though they came very close to cutting ties with him in March. They agreed to trade the five-time Pro Bowler to the Ravens for two first-round picks, but it collapsed when Crosby failed the Ravens’ physical. At that point, Crosby was just two months into his recovery from surgery on a torn left meniscus. With Crosby further distancing himself from that procedure, teams have continued to show interest in acquiring him. As of now, though, he remains on track to open his age-29 season donning the Silver and Black.
Despite playing through knee problems last year, Crosby remained a force. He piled up 73 tackles, 28 TFL, 20 QB hits, 10 sacks, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles and a pick in 15 games. If Crosby continues looking like his usual self in September and October, he will likely be popular in trade rumors leading up to the Nov. 3 deadline.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens ($34.9MM)
Jackson didn’t quite look like his two-time MVP-winning self during a truncated 2025. The all-world dual threat entered the season with an eye-popping 70-24 record as a starter, but he went just 6-7 last year while battling knee, ankle, toe and back injuries. After going 8-9 and narrowly missing the playoffs, the Ravens fired long-tenured head coach John Harbaugh. Jackson played the first eight years of his career under Harbaugh, whom the Ravens replaced with defensive guru Jesse Minter.
If healthy, there is little doubt Jackson will rebound and lead a talented Baltimore roster back to contention. The main question is whether the Ravens and Jackson will eventually work out an extension. Both sides seem optimistic it will eventually happen, but with no agreement in place when the new league year opened in March, the Ravens restructured his current pact. While the move lowered Jackson’s cap hit by $15MM and created $40MM in spending space, it left the two parties without long-term security. As things stand, Jackson is only under wraps through 2027.
Milton Williams, DT, Patriots ($28.5MM)
In March 2025, a few weeks after winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles, Williams moved to New England on a four-year, $104MM payday with $63MM guaranteed. Williams and Christian Barmore comprised a formidable duo up front, though an ankle injury limited the former to 12 games in his first season with the Patriots. While tallying eight TFL, eight QB hits and 3.5 sacks, Williams helped the Pats to a stunning 14-3 regular-season record. The 290-pounder then added seven tackles and three sacks over four playoff games, including Williams’ second straight Super Bowl. He was denied another championship, though, as the Patriots were no match for the Seahawks in a 29-13 defeat.
DeForest Buckner, DT, Colts ($26.6MM)
A cavalcade of major injuries, including Buckner’s, led to the Colts’ downfall in 2025. After starting a white-hot 7-1, the injury-plagued club finished 8-9 and extended its playoff drought to a half-decade. Buckner missed seven games with a neck issue, depriving the Colts of one of their defensive linchpins. With the 32-year-old still in recovery as camp approaches, he is not a sure thing to take the field when the Colts kick off their season against the Ravens on Sept. 13. This much is clear: Indianapolis will have a much better chance of rebounding from last year’s Murphy’s Law second half if Buckner returns to full strength.
Dan Moore Jr., LT, Titans ($26.35MM)
While Moore has been a career-long starter since he entered the league as the Steelers’ fourth-round pick in 2021, the Titans turned heads when they handed him a four-year, $82MM deal with $50MM in guarantees in March 2025. Jones went on to start in all 16 of his appearances in his first Titans season, but he wasn’t particularly effective. PFF charged him with allowing eight sacks and taking seven penalties, and he ended the year as the site’s 57th-ranked tackle out of 78 qualifiers. Thanks in part to Moore’s struggles, QB Cam Ward took a league-high 55 sacks as a rookie. The Titans are counting on Ward, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, to make a Year 2 leap. Better blindside protection would increase Ward’s chances of breaking out.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars ($24MM)
After going No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft, Lawrence put together an uneven first four seasons in the NFL. It would have been fair to regard the former Clemson star’s career as somewhat underwhelming at this time a year ago, but then Lawrence found a new gear under offensive-minded head coach Liam Coen.
With Coen in his first year on the job, the Jaguars stormed to a 13-4 record and won the AFC South. Lawrence bounced back from an injury-limited 2024 to start all 17 games. In the process, he eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark as a passer for the third time and set career highs in touchdowns (38; 29 passing, nine rushing) and rushing yards (359). The 26-year-old earned a fifth-place finish in the MVP race for his efforts.
Mike McGlinchey, RT, Broncos ($23.78)
The Broncos lured McGlinchey from the 49ers with a five-year, $87.5MM offer in March 2023. The investment has worked out well for Denver. McGlinchey missed four games in 2024, but he returned to start all 17 games last year and help the Broncos to 14 wins and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Aside from quarterback Bo Nix, no Broncos offensive player logged more snaps than McGlinchey. The 6-foot-8, 315-pounder played the second-most snaps (1,127) among all offensive tackles, per PFF, which ranked his performance 18th among 84 qualifying bookends.
Danielle Hunter, EDGE, Texans ($16.41MM)
This is a steal of a cap hit for one of the league’s most dominant pass rushers, but it is due to climb when Hunter’s $40.1MM extension kicks in next year. In the meantime, Hunter and fellow pass rusher extraordinaire Will Anderson Jr. should continue menacing opposing offenses in 2026. Hunter will turn 32 in October, but there are absolutely no signs of decline.
He amassed 15 sacks in 2025, his fourth straight season in the double digits and seventh in his 10-year career. The 6-5, 263-pounder also registered 22 QB hits, 15 TFL and three forced fumbles en route to second-team All-Pro honors. Hunter was PFF’s fifth-rated edge defender, while Anderson came in first. The Hunter-Anderson duo is the envy of the AFC.
Brandon Stephens, CB, Jets ($13.97MM)
The Jets brought in the former Raven on a three-year, $36MM agreement in March 2025. Unfortunately for the Jets and Stephens, their defense sputtered through a horrid season. The unit inexplicably failed to intercept a single pass, which was the second straight year Stephens went without a pick. Stephens tallied 73 tackles and nine passes defensed in 16 starts, but on 85 targets against him, opposing QBs completed 71.8% of attempts and put up a lofty 134.3 passer rating. As alarming as that looks, PFF still ranked Stephens a respectable 35th among 106 corners.
The Jets have since hired Brian Duker as their D-coordinator, though head coach/former defensive back Aaron Glenn will call the plays. Perhaps Stephens will benefit from Glenn’s expertise. Regardless, the 28-year-old remains a surefire starter going into his second season in New York. It is TBD whether free agent pickup Nahshon Wright or Azareye’h Thomas will start on the other side.
Zach Sieler, DT, Dolphins ($11.42MM)
The Dolphins no longer employ Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Jalen Ramsey or Minkah Fitzpatrick, leaving Sieler’s modest cap hit as the highest among their current players. Sieler is locked in on the three-year, $67.75MM extension he inked last August. Miami is now in the early stages of a full-blown rebuild under a new regime, but the 30-year-old has made it clear he wants to be a Dolphin for the rest of his career.
As for his recent work, Sieler entered last season aiming for a third straight 10-sack campaign. He ended up with 5.5 over a full 17-start season in which he led Dolphins D-linemen in snaps (780). Sieler also pitched in 47 tackles, 10 TFL and nine QB hits. PFF graded Sieler as a top-20 interior lineman in both 2022 and ’24, but he dropped to 58th (among 127 qualifiers) last season. Sieler will aim for a return to top form under defensive-minded head coach Jeff Hafley, who will call the plays, and DC Sean Duggan.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Patriots Pursued LT Dan Moore Jr.
Despite entering the offseason with a runaway lead in cap space, the Patriots have not added a starting left tackle yet. The draft may become New England’s avenue to address this high-level need, but the team does look to have contributed to framing a pricey market the Titans closed.
Dan Moore Jr. led the way on the tackle front this year, outdoing Ronnie Stanley, Alaric Jackson and Cam Robinson in free agency thanks to his four-year, $82MM Titans contract. This monster deal did not feature an inflated early report or any “up to” misdirection; it cost the Titans a true $82MM ($42.5MM guaranteed at signing) to land the four-year Steelers LT.
Not viewed as an upper-echelon player at the position, PFR’s No. 13 free agent cashed in due to a combination of age (26), experience (66 career starts) and durability (two missed games). Moore also may have scored the deal he did because of Patriots market participation. The Patriots launched what sounds like an aggressive pursuit of Moore, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, only to stand down as the bidding soared.
Mike Vrabel spoke of bolstering his lines this offseason, but the Pats did not opt to stay in the Moore and Drew Dalman markets to the end. A New England Dalman pursuit ended with the ex-Atlanta starter signing with Chicago (three years, $42MM). The Patriots have answered some of their O-line questions, but neither came with a high price tag. The Pats added Morgan Moses on a three-year, $24MM deal that includes $11MM at signing. Despite going into his age-34 season, the veteran right tackle will see $4.5MM of his $6.5MM 2026 base salary already guaranteed, Breer adds.
Moore secured $50MM through the first two years of his Titans deal, Breer adds. Tennessee and New England reside in similar positions, payroll-wise, as the Titans have a rookie QB contract (Will Levis‘). They also may be set to restart that clock by drafting Cam Ward first overall. The Patriots took Drake Maye at No. 3 last year and have him under rookie-deal control through at least 2026. But the team is still searching for its biggest O-line piece, as only an aging Moses and a Vikings cap casualty (center Garrett Bradbury) are en route to help.
With the open market as an advantage for Moore, he managed to go from oft-scrutinized Steelers option to receiving the fifth-highest full guarantee number among LTs. In terms of total guarantees, Moore’s $50MM trails only Christian Darrisaw, Andrew Thomas and Laremy Tunsil. Moore’s resume can certainly open the door to overpay criticisms, but as the Titans prepare to kick JC Latham back to his primary college position (RT), the retooling AFC South team checked a big need off its list.
Beyond their O-line contracts, we have a few more Pats financials to pass along. New backup quarterback Josh Dobbs will be tied to a two-year, $8MM deal. The Pats, however, did not guarantee anything beyond Year 1, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. The team could move on for a $1.1MM dead money charge in 2026. Though, the Pats’ openness to trading Joe Milton this offseason points to a multiyear Dobbs partnership.
Elsewhere on the Pats’ payroll, Mack Hollins‘ deal checks in at two years and $8.4MM. The journeyman WR will see $3.5MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Like Dobbs, no Hollins money is guaranteed beyond Year 1. A $1MM receptions incentive is in place, however, per Wilson. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins‘ agreement to stay in Foxborough is a one-year, $1.8MM pact, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss tweets. Hawkins, who started seven Pats games last season, will see $650K guaranteed at signing.
Titans To Add LT Dan Moore Jr.
The left tackle market is moving. After the Rams and Ravens respectively re-signed their options, the Chiefs took Jaylon Moore off the market. Now, the Titans are adding Dan Moore Jr.
Moore agreed to a four-year, $82MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported during a TV appearance. The four-year Steelers LT will receive $50MM guaranteed. This marks a massive agreement for Moore, whom the Steelers had effectively informed would not be back thanks to back-to-back first-round tackle draft choices.
PFR’s No. 13 overall free agent, Moore will outdo Stanley’s $20MM-per-year number. The Titans will bet big on a player who allowed the NFL’s most sacks (12) last season. Some of that most likely was due to Moore blocking for two sack-prone QBs — in Justin Fields and Russell Wilson — but the Titans are bringing in Moore to play on a line featuring two first-round picks (Peter Skoronski, JC Latham) and high-priced center Lloyd Cushenberry.
Pro Football Focus has never been high on Moore, ranking the former fourth-round pick outside the top 40 at tackle in each of his seasons. But Moore thwarted challenges to his Pittsburgh blindside job in each of the past two years. The Steelers are still moving Broderick Jones to left tackle, with Troy Fautanu slated to man the right side.
A 66-game starter, Moore is going into his age-27 season. With Jackson off the market, the Titans have decided on Moore over a more proven option in Cam Robinson, who will turn 30 this year. This move would appear to mean Tennessee is readying to move Latham from left to right tackle. Latham had ended his college career at RT but became one of the many rookie tackles to change sides last season. PFF graded Latham 56th among tackles in 2024.
The Titans’ 2025 starting quarterback is not yet known, but it appears it will be Moore guarding his blindside. The Titans have four locked-in starters up front, with only their right guard position up for grabs. And, as the Steelers made it clear Moore would be a one-contract player, the Texas A&M alum will land on his feet.
Patriots Targeting Ronnie Stanley, Jamien Sherwood; Team Has “Kicked Tires” On D.K. Metcalf
The Patriots are known to be targeting additions to the offensive and defensive lines this offseason, and new head coach Mike Vrabel has indicated his club will be active in free agency (after all, New England does have nearly $130MM in cap space, the most in the league by a comfortable margin). To that end, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports the Pats will aggressively pursue Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley should Stanley hit the open market.
Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald also hear that Stanley is one of New England’s top targets. Offensive line play was a major issue for the team in 2024, as the Pats finished 31st in Pro Football Focus’ metrics with respect to pass protection and last in run blocking. Stanley had struggled with injuries in recent years, and even when he was on the field, he did not look like the same player that earned a First Team All-Pro nod in 2019. After being forced to accept a $7.5MM pay cut in advance of the 2024 season, Stanley turned in a terrific platform campaign, landing his second Pro Bowl bid and playing a full complement of games for the first time in his career.
Naturally, the Ravens want Stanley back and have prioritized a new contract for him. However, the franchise tag is not considered as an option because of how it would hinder a team that is just outside the bottom-10 in cap room and because the $23.4MM tag number for O-linemen would set the floor in negotiations above where Baltimore is willing to go. New England reportedly values Stanley’s leadership and experience in big games in addition to his raw ability, and if Stanley and the Ravens cannot come to terms before the onset of free agency, Vrabel & Co. appear ready to pounce.
If their Stanley pursuit is unsuccessful, Callahan and Kyed say the Patriots are nonetheless comfortable with the Steelers’ Dan Moore or the Vikings’ Cam Robinson – a New England trade target at the 2024 deadline – as fallback plans (the team also had interest in the Rams’ Alaric Jackson before he re-upped with Los Angeles). And, even if they are able to acquire an established OT, the Pats will presumably not be done in their search for better protection for QB Drake Maye and their rushing attack
LSU OT Will Campbell is a real possibility for the Patriots’ No. 4 overall selection in April’s draft, with league evaluators seeing Campbell or Michigan DT Mason Graham as the most likely candidates for the pick. If QB-needy teams select both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders before New England is on the clock, though, the Pats will have the opportunity to take one of the top non-QBs in the 2025 class (Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter).
Of that duo, Hunter is viewed as the more likely to fall to No. 4. As opposed to Carter, Hunter would not address the Pats’ top goal of bolstering their trenches, but beyond OL and DL help, the Boston Herald sees cornerback, wide receiver, and linebacker as the next positions of priority. Regardless of whether New England sees Hunter as a CB or wideout, the two-way blue-chipper would be a major get.
With respect to the linebacker need, the Patriots reportedly “covet” Jets LB Jamien Sherwood, particularly since he exhibits the speed and physicality that Vrabel is hoping to inject into his front seven. The 2021 fifth-rounder was mostly quiet through his first three professional seasons before bursting onto the scene in a big way in his walk year, starting 16 of New York’s 17 games while tallying 158 total tackles – including a league-leading 98 solo stops – and 10 tackles for loss while finishing as PFF’s 18th-best LB. The Jets and Sherwood have mutual interest in an extension, though it appears the Pats are eyeing the situation closely.
As for the WR position, there were several reports connecting the Patriots to Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins this offseason. Those reports were published before it became clear Cincinnati was prepared to put the franchise tag on Higgins for a second time. While a tag presumably remains a possibility, Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required) reports the team has not told Higgins whether he will actually receive the tag before Tuesday’s deadline.
Nonetheless, sources tell Callahan and Kyed that Higgins will not be available (either as an FA or as a trade candidate). Should the Bengals change their mind on that front, the Patriots would be back in the mix, despite some conflicting reports to the contrary.
It has been said that the Patriots would explore trades for a WR, though the Boston Herald believes the team would prefer to address their need for a proven pass-catcher through free agency to avoid surrendering premium draft capital. The Bucs’ Chris Godwin would be a top target if Tampa Bay allows him to test the free agent waters, and on the trade front, the Pats have reportedly “kicked the tires” on the Seahawks’ D.K. Metcalf. It is presently unclear if those discussions gained any traction.
Given New England’s areas of need, it is not surprising that Callahan and Kyed – whose piece is well-worth a read for Pats fans in particular given its scope and comprehensiveness – name Eagles DT Milton Williams and 49ers CB Charvarius Ward as several of New England’s other top FA targets.
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.
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Powers, Wills
The Steelers are not expected to re-sign offensive linemen Dan Moore and James Daniels after the 2024 season, according to Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show.
Moore is in the final year of his rookie contract with 58 career starts at left tackle for the Steelers, a solid return for the fourth-round pick used to draft him in 2021. However, he allowed at least seven sacks in each of his first three seasons, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Pittsburgh used first-round draft picks on tackles in 2023 and 2024, signaling a desire to upgrade at the position. Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu primarily played left tackle in college, giving the Steelers multiple options to take over on the blindside in 2025.
Daniels started just four games at guard this year before tearing his Achilles, which will likely end his tenure in Pittsburgh. Daniels signed a three-year, $26.5MM contract with the Steelers in 2022 and largely played well over the last three years. However, the seven-year veteran will be looking to cash in on the massive increase in the guard market. Pittsburgh may not be inclined to spend so much at guard after drafting Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick this past year, especially with T.J. Watt and George Pickens in line for extensions at more expensive positions.
- Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills said on Monday that his recent benching “was pretty shocking,” per Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “I made a business decision not to play after the Bengals game going into that Ravens game because I was injured,” explained Wills. He hyperextended his right knee on the first play against the Bengals in Week 7 and managed to finish the game but “couldn’t really bend” his knee the following day. He sat out Week 8 against the Ravens and was subsequently benched for Dawand Jones. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that “business decision” was a “poor choice of words” by Wills, though it would not affect whether or not he would play again this year, per Cabot. Stefanski also hinted that Willis’ 2023 injury is still hampering him. “I wouldn’t categorize it as a setback,” said Stefanski, per The Athletic’s Zac Jackson. “It hasn’t recovered how quickly he would want it to…it’s been a tough rehab for him.” Wills opted for surgery last year to repair his torn MCL – in the same knee he hyperextended recently – and did not debut until Week 3 this year. Wills is currently in the final year of his rookie contract, and his health issues may complicate extension negotiations with the Browns.
- Broncos left guard Ben Powers confirmed he didn’t receive an offer to re-sign with the Ravens when he hit free agency in 2023, according to Chris Thomasson of The Denver Gazette. “I didn’t hear from them,” said Powers, who signed with the Broncos on a four-year, $52MM deal and returned to Baltimore for the first time in Week 9. However, the sixth-year guard didn’t hold it against Baltimore, saying that he “kind of understood their situation. That was the offseason they were handling [Lamar Jackson‘s] contract, so I kind of anticipated it.”
- Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer will be expected to develop his group of young blockers over the next few seasons as Pittsburgh figures out a long-term plan at quarterback. Meyer in his third year with the team after Shaun Sarrett was fired after the 2020 season and his successor, Adrian Klemm, left for Oregon before the end of 2021. His departure was related to tensions with then-offensive coordinator Matt Canada, per Kaboly. The Steelers then fired Canada in November 2023, the franchise’s first in-season coaching change since 1941.
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.
Troy Fautanu Likely To Enter Steelers Training Camp In Backup Role
A few of this year’s first-round tackle draftees are being asked to change positions. Troy Fautanu had been rumored to be headed to right tackle, and the No. 20 overall pick confirmed that is where he expects the Steelers to slot him in his first NFL training camp.
Fautanu’s expected move to right tackle is part of an interesting plan for the Steelers, who are preparing to use a 2023 right tackle on the left side and pit two 2023 LTs against each other on the right side. After three years as the Steelers’ left tackle starter, Dan Moore Jr. is projected to switch sides to accommodate Broderick Jones‘ rumored LT move.
During Moore’s time at left tackle, the Steelers used back-to-back first-round picks to bolster the position. As the three-year starter heads into a contract year, he could be moving toward free agency from a backup role. That does not appear to be in the cards just yet.
Moore appeared far ahead of Fautanu during the offseason program, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly notes, while adding the veteran’s lead should be expected due to the experience gap (subscription required). But Fautanu will need to unseat a 49-start player. Pittsburgh’s Moore plan has been rather complicated, as the incumbent LT remained in his blindside post during OTAs. But the expectation remains he will move to right tackle.
The Steelers are certainly grooming Fautanu to start opposite Jones, who manned the left side for Georgia in 2022 before replacing Chukwuma Okorafor at Pittsburgh’s RT midway through the season. Rumors about Jones pushing Moore last summer emerged, but the former fourth-round pick held off the high-end prospect. The Steelers are believed to have viewed Fautanu as a superior prospect to Jones, so it will be interesting to see if the rookie can mount a strong challenge once the pads come on.
Harshly assessing Moore’s pass protection, Pro Football Focus slotted the Texas A&M alum outside the top 60 among tackles last year. The advanced metrics site charged him with eight sacks allowed; among tackles who started full seasons, PFF rated Moore as the worst pass protector. With one of this era’s most sack-prone quarterbacks (Russell Wilson) likely to start, this sets up as a shaky combination.
Moore, 25, is most likely playing his final season in Pittsburgh. With free agency in sight, this profiles as a pivotal position battle. Moore’s experience edge will matter, of course, but the position change stands to negate that to some degree. He has all of five NFL snaps at RT.
The fifth tackle chosen this year, Fautanu checked in as the No. 11 overall prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board. Fautanu spent the past two seasons as a full-time starter at Washington, including a 2023 campaign where he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He joins Joe Alt, JC Latham, Tyler Guyton, Taliese Fuaga and Graham Barton as first-round O-linemen set to change positions as rookies. Barton is moving from left tackle back to center; the others are flipping tackle spots.
As the Steelers’ Jones rookie-year plan showed, Moore beating out Fautanu in camp would not relegate the rookie to full-season backup duty. But Moore’s early lead here could also point to a developmental season for the team’s hopeful long-term RT.
Latest On Steelers’ Offensive Line
The Steelers offensive line in 2023 was pretty decent, allowing the ninth-least sacks in the NFL and ranking as the 13th-best rushing offense. Still, Pittsburgh opted to make a number of moves towards an upgrade on their offensive front for the 2024 season. In fact, the Steelers utilized their first two draft picks (and three of seven) this year on linemen, and all three could be in line to start as rookies.
The only position that lost a starter on the line this year was center. The team watched their starter of the last two seasons, Mason Cole, depart in free agency. Cole graded out as the league’s 29th-best center out of 36 graded players at the position last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). They have a couple options to replace Cole, including veteran Nate Herbig. Herbig hasn’t played center much at the college or NFL level, but he has versatile experience all over the line and could be utilized there in a pinch. The favorite to start, though, is the second-round rookie out of West Virginia, Zach Frazier.
At guard things are a bit more interesting. Like Frazier, fourth-round rookie guard out of South Dakota State Mason McCormick is currently slotted to start on the depth chart of the team’s website. McCormick is listed as the starting left guard, presumably because that’s the only position he played in college. The team’s returning left guard, Isaac Seumalo, graded out as the team’s best offensive lineman in 2023, though, per PFF. So, unless the team benches their top returning lineman, Seumalo or McCormick will need to move over to the right side to compete with James Daniels. Seumalo has experience starting at right guard in the past, so it makes the most sense to move him over.
At tackle, the Steelers utilized their first-round pick to bring in Washington lineman Troy Fautanu. Many projected Fautanu’s skillset to fit best at guard or center at the NFL-level, though he spent most of his time at tackle during college in Seattle. Pittsburgh believes that he has the ability to stay at tackle and start in the NFL. Pundits predict that last year’s rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones will remain at right tackle, where he played in 2023, putting Fautanu at left tackle to replace Dan Moore Jr. as the starter. According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, though, Fautanu has spent the first three days of organized team activities at right tackle behind Jones.
Kaboly doesn’t think Fautanu will stay as the backup at right tackle, though. More likely, with OTAs serving as the ideal time to mold and learn. This experience is the perfect opportunity for Fautanu to learn both positions in the event that he may have to move over to the right side and fill in for an injured Jones. It’s not uncommon for offensive lineman to need time to develop, but the Steelers likely didn’t use their first two draft picks on players they didn’t intend to start.
Things are still extremely early. The rookies are still finding their footing, and a number of camp battles are sure to ensue. The team even has plenty of time to sign a veteran free agent if they deem it necessary. Still, Pittsburgh has the potential to serve as a rare occasion in which we see three rookies starting across the offensive line.
We last saw that in 2020 when the Dolphins started Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, and Solomon Kindley (their first-, second-, and fourth-round picks, respectively) as rookies. That Miami team improved their record from 5-11 the previous year to 10-6 despite the youth across the line. The Steelers may be hoping for a similar level of improvement.
Latest On Steelers’ Battles At OT
Last weekend, we noted how the Steelers seemed to be prepping first-round rookie offensive tackle Broderick Jones for a starting role in training camp. Now, after the team’s first preseason game of 2023, it seems Jones has some ground to make up on the incumbent starters from last season. 
Pittsburgh opened camp not only with Jones at left tackle in place of Dan Moore, who started at the position all last season, but also with Moore in the place of Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle. Not only did it seem that Jones was set to start as a rookie, it appeared that he was about to push both of the prior year starters out of their positions.
Mark Kaboly of The Athletic was not having it. Kaboly delivered an extremely honest and realistic take after attending Steelers’ practice last Sunday. What he saw did not have him feeling confident about Jones lining up against Nick Bosa in Week 1, when the 49ers open the season in Pittsburgh. Kaboly gave the rookie some credit; the young man is a physical specimen playing at one of “the most unnatural” positions on offense.
It’s never a given that a rookie can come in and start during their first season, but the Steelers traded up in the first round to select an offensive tackle for the first time in 25 years. It would seem like a disappointment for Jones not to develop into a starter to open his rookie year, but it’s only important that he develops into a starter eventually. The preseason will be an important time to get Jones acclimated to the speed of the game at the NFL level, but rushing Jones into starting action could be detrimental to the team and Jones’s development.
Right now, Kaboly asserts that Moore, the incumbent starter on the blindside, currently looks better than Jones. He certainly should considering he has 34 NFL starts on his resume. Jones is still learning the ins and outs of playing one of the most challenging positions in the NFL. Moore’s got the experience, as does Okorafor, who’s started 52 games over his first five years in the league.
To start the preseason tonight, the Steelers trotted Moore and Okorafor out in their starting positions from last season on the first series of the game. The rest of the contest saw Jones getting his feet wet against NFL competition as the team’s left tackle. That sequence of events seems to support Kaboly’s assertion. It seems the Steelers feel better about Moore and Okorafor’s abilities to start right now, while Jones still needs a bit of seasoning.
Jones delivered a mixed bag in his first NFL action. For much of the appearance, he impressed against a second-team Buccaneers defense, eventually showing inconsistencies as the game wore him down. The results don’t matter too much, though, for now. It was just important for Jones to get out there and start getting comfortable at the position. Despite not starting his rookie year on the first team, his draft stock makes him the de facto tackle of the future in Pittsburgh.
With Jones expected to take over eventually, that makes this season crucial for Moore and Okorafor. Both linemen are under contact through the 2024 season and would be likely extension candidates in the coming offseason. According to another Kaboly take, though, Jones’s presumed place atop future depth charts makes it likely that only one of Moore or Okorafor will be chosen to extend their tenure in Pittsburgh. It will likely be a combination of who performs better this season and who fits best across from Jones that will decide the team’s other tackle of the future.
For now, though, it appears Moore and Okorafor will continue their stints as starters on the Steelers’ offensive line. It’s too early to rule Jones out to open the season as a starter, but it’s seeming more and more likely that he’ll be coming off the bench to start the year and will need to continue working to earn a starting role.