AFC Contract Details: Mafe, Titans, Raiders, Dean, Bills, Texans, Jets, Pats, Steelers, Jags, Ravens
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock of the full numbers given to some of this year’s top targets. Here are the details on some of the top contracts awarded by AFC teams:
- Boye Mafe, DE (Bengals). Three years, $60MM. The Bengals gave Mafe $19MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Seahawk is projected to land $43.3MM over the deal’s first two seasons, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Alontae Taylor, CB (Titans). Three years, $58MM. Taylor received $42MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Saints CB will receive $22MM in 2026, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Titans). Four years, $70MM. Robinson secured $36.98MM guaranteed at signing, Breer tweets. Neither of Robinson’s 2028 or ’29 base salaries contain guarantees or guarantee mechanisms. Each year carries $2MM in incentives, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
- Kwity Paye, OLB (Raiders). Three years, $48MM. Paye secured $31.28MM guaranteed, per Wilson; of that total, $25.34MM is locked in at signing (according to OverTheCap). Paye landed $10MM of his $15.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing; the remainder of his ’27 salary vests on Day 4 of 2027 league year.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Bills). Three years, $43.5MM. Of Chubb’s previously reported $29MM guarantee, Wilson notes $21.74MM is guaranteed at signing. Chubb will see a $4MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2028 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G (Patriots). Three years, $42MM. Vera-Tucker’s $21MM signing bonus represents his guarantees at signing, Wilson tweets, though the team has included a notable wrinkle. Vera-Tucker will earn $250K for each game he is active, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting this is among the highest per-game roster bonus figures in NFL history.
- Ed Ingram, G (Texans). Three years, $37.5MM. Receiving $20MM guaranteed at signing, the former second-round pick secured $5MM of his $8.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing. The rest shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year, per Spotrac.
- Jamel Dean, CB (Steelers). Three years, $36.75MM. Keeping with Steelers non-QB/T.J. Watt norms, Dean’s guarantee is his signing bonus ($12MM). Dean would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson notes.
- Nakobe Dean, LB (Raiders). Three years, $36MM. Nakobe Dean scored $20MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The former Eagles linebacker, who missed 12 games due to injury in 2023 and six in ’25, will see $8.5MM of his $11.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed. The remainder becomes guarantee on Day 3 of the ’27 league year (via Spotrac).
- Joseph Ossai, OLB (Jets). Three years, $34.5MM. Ossai will receive $22.49MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. Ossai’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
- Montaric Brown, CB (Jaguars). Three years, $31.8MM. Brown landed $20.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The former seventh-round pick secured $8.15MM of his $9.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing.
- John Simpson, G (Ravens). Three years, $30MM. Simpson secured $17.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson notes. This includes $5.5MM of an $8MM 2027 salary.
Steelers To Sign CB Jamel Dean
After a seven-year run with the Buccaneers, Jamel Dean will be on the move. The veteran cornerback has worked out an agreement with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is set to add Dean on a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The pact will be worth $36.75MM. A full-time starting role with the Steelers can be expected with this contract for Dean, who was a first-team presence for most of his Tampa Bay tenure.
Dean had a productive stint in Tampa Bay. The former third-round pick finished his Buccaneers tenure with 11 interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes. The cornerback was also a Pro Football Focus darling, with the site consistently ranking him inside the top-20 at his position. This included a 2025 campaign where Dean ranked fifth among 112 qualifying cornerbacks.
Dean mostly played on the outside in his 14 appearances in 2025. PFF credited him with allowing 25 catches on 54 targets, leading to 311 receiving yards and only a single touchdown. Dean also made some cameos at slot CB and in the box, showcasing his versatility.
That could come in handy in Pittsburgh, although it’s safe to say Dean will line up opposite Joey Porter Jr. on the outside. At the moment, Cory Trice and Asante Samuel Jr. represent the Steelers depth options among outside CBs, with Brandin Echols and Donte Kent penciled in for slot duties.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Tyler Linderbaum, Kenneth Walker Too Expensive For Giants?
Recent reports have linked pending free agents Tyler Linderbaum and Kenneth Walker III to the Giants, but an aggressive pursuit may be unlikely in both cases. Linderbaum and Walker are now out of the Giants’ price range, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. For a team with $14.28MM in cap space, winning a bidding war for Linderbaum or Walker would be a challenge.
As the Ravens’ center since entering the NFL in 2022, Linderbaum has only played for head coach John Harbaugh during his four-year career. However, it does not appear their partnership will continue with the Giants in 2026.
Linderbaum, a three-time Pro Bowler and PFR’s top-ranked pending free agent, is poised to surpass the Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey as the game’s highest-paid center. Humphrey inked a four-year, $72MM contract with over $50MM in guarantees in 2024.
If the Giants want to upgrade over starting center John Michael Schmitz, established free agent choices are dwindling. Connor McGovern (Bills) and Tyler Biadasz (Chargers) have come off the market over the past couple of days. Cade Mays, Ethan Pocic and Lloyd Cushenberry are a few of the experienced names left.
Riding the momentum of a Super Bowl LX MVP win with the Seahawks, Walker will be the prize among free agent running backs this offseason. Five-year Jaguar Travis Etienne will not be cheap, but he will be more affordable for the Giants and other teams that lose out on Walker. The Giants are reportedly interested in Etienne. Rico Dowdle, Tyler Allgeier, Rachaad White and Kenneth Gainwell are in the next tier of unsigned veterans. It’s unclear whether the Giants will go after any of them. The team kept veteran Devin Singletary around for a pay cut on Sunday. New York also has Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy under contract for 2026.
Along with their interior offensive line, cornerback and linebacker are among positions the Giants will prioritize, according to Hughes, who points to Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean as a name to watch. The Bucs are expected to move on from Dean after a seven-year run in which he mostly worked as a full-time starter. Dean, 29, is heading for the market after intercepting a career-high three passes in 14 games last season. He could replace pending free agent corner Cordale Flott in New York.
DB Rumors: Bryant, Bucs, Flott, Pierre
Joining Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe as Seahawks DB regulars less than a day away from free agency, Coby Bryant will be expected to draw extensive interest once the legal tampering period begins Monday. PFR’s No. 28-ranked free agent, Bryant is part of a crowded safety market that could see several starter-level players need to take lesser-value deals. Bryant may come in above that line, and the Seahawks are attempting to keep him off the market. The defending Super Bowl champs — who made a summer effort to extend Bryant last year but had not circled back as of Super Bowl LX — are interested in re-signing the converted corner, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes.
The Seahawks already have Julian Love on a three-year, $33MM deal, and even though the team once employed Love and Quandre Diggs alongside Jamal Adams‘ then-record deal, that came under Pete Carroll. Bryant started 26 games for the Seahawks over the past two seasons. While Ty Okada moving into the lineup alongside Love could serve as a Seattle contingency plan, it appears the team wants to keep Bryant from reaching the market. At 11am CT Monday, the Seahawks will need to compete against other teams for him.
Here is the latest from NFL secondaries.
- After removing a year from Jamel Dean‘s contract — as a pay cut also took place — the Buccaneers are expected to move on from the seven-year veteran, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Dean was tied to a four-year, $52MM deal entering September but was given a pay cut. The 29-year-old cornerback still excelled, allowing just 49.5% of the passes thrown his way to be completed and earning a fifth-place CB ranking from Pro Football Focus. As discussed in the Buccaneers’ Offseason Outlook, this will sever ties with Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl-era CB corps. The team will have Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish positioned to start on the outside in 2026, Stroud adds.
- The Giants were believed to have been the runners-up for Trent McDuffie, pointing to heavy cornerback interest. This effort may have been overblown, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets, expressing some doubt about the team’s interest in paying top dollar for a cornerback. No free agent on this year’s market will draw that kind of offer, but Duggan notes Cor’Dale Flott is expected to land somewhere from $8-$14MM per year. PFR’s No. 42 free agent, Flott started 37 games as a Giant. John Harbaugh identified the former third-round pick as a player the team would like to keep. With Paulson Adebo on an $18MM-per-year contract, how much will Big Blue be willing to spend to ensure he stays?
- James Pierre delivered a surprising season, based on his past as a part-time starter in Pittsburgh. PFF ranked Pierre second among corners last year, though he only logged 408 snaps. A six-year Steeler who has only started 13 career games, Pierre played well in spot duty (five starts) last season. As a result, The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson hears eight or nine teams have shown preliminary interest. This would be a nice development for Pierre, a former UDFA who played on a veteran-minimum deal in 2025. Pierre’s market will be hindered, to a degree, by his age. The Lamar Jackson cousin turns 30 this offseason.
- The Bills‘ recent Sam Franklin re-signing is for $7MM over three years, according to OverTheCap. The veteran special-teamer will see $2.53MM guaranteed.
Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving Out For Week 6, Potentially Longer
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving was ruled out for Week 6, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine. According to her colleague Dan Graziano, Irving may be at risk of missing Week 7 as well.
The second-year running back did not play in Tampa Bay’s last game due to a foot sprain and a shoulder injury that was later revealed to be a subluxation, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both injuries are expected to heal in two to three weeks, per FOX Sports’ Rick Stroud.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said (via FOX Sports’ Greg Auman) on Wednesday that Irving is “getting better by the day,” but did not set any expectations for a speedy return. He will likely need to return to practice next week to have a shot at playing in the team’s next game.
Tampa Bay will be more than comfortable turning to Rachaad White and Sean Tucker in the meantime. White has not turned out to be an especially dynamic rusher, but he is among the best pass-catching backs in the league. Tucker flashed with 308 yards on 50 carries (6.2 yards per carry) in 2024 but has just four attempts so far this year. Both should see plenty of touches as long as Irving is out. He was only averaging 3.3 yards per attempt when healthy, so White and Tucker could make strong arguments for their involvement for the rest of the year.
Undrafted rookie running back Josh Williams could have seen his first offensive touches in Irving’s absence, but he entered concussion protocol after Thursday’s practice and was also ruled out for Sunday’s game.
The Buccaneers are dealing with a number of other injuries at other positions. Pro Bowl wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were ruled out, as were cornerbacks Zyon McCollum and Benjamin Morrison. Bowles said (via team writer Scott Smith) that McCollum played through a thumb injury in Week 5 and had a minor procedure this week. He was seen by Auman sporting a cast and a sling at practice. Morrison has not played since Week 3 due to a hamstring injury and may not be close to returning.
The secondary will have veteran Jamel Dean back in Week 6 after a one-game absence due to a hip injury. He was taken off the injury report entirely and should be full-go on Sunday.
Jamel Dean Addresses Buccaneers Pay Cut
Earlier this week, it was learned Jamel Dean and the Buccaneers worked out a restructure. The veteran corner accepted a substantial pay cut for 2025 while the final year of his pact was removed. 
Dean’s scheduled compensation for 2026 was not guaranteed, meaning a release could have been highly likely anyway. The 28-year-old is nevertheless a pending free agent, and Tampa Bay’s other cornerback moves strongly point to a parting of ways next spring. Instead of being cut (or at least benched) this year, Dean is now on course to collect $4.25MM in base pay as a result of his pay cut agreement, something he recently spoke about.
“It was just more like I’m comfortable here,” Dean said about remaining in place with the Buccaneers (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). “So it’s just really not about the money anymore. I’m not in the mood to try to figure out a whole new team and city and go through all I went through my rookie year. So just to save me a headache.”
The seven-year veteran logged 74 defensive snaps in Week 1, working alongside Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish as a starter in the secondary. Parrish was selected in the third round of this year’s draft, while McCollum recently signed a big-ticket extension. Both of their futures are assured for years to come, and the same is also true of second-round rookie Benjamin Morrison.
Morrison did not play in Week 1, but head coach Todd Bowles said (via Stroud) he is expected to suit up on Monday night. A special teams role will await him, although Bowles added Morrison could also see part-time usage on defense. Dean can be expected to remain a first-team presence for at least the time being, but he could be in danger of being surpassed on the depth chart over time.
The Auburn product has been a mainstay throughout his Tampa Bay tenure, totaling 64 starts to date. Dean has totaled just one interception since the start of the 2023 season, however, and his coverage statistics over recent years have marked a downturn from the beginning of his career. Especially given the recent adjustments to his contract, a trip to free agency after the current campaign would thus come as no surprise. For now, though, Dean is content to remain with the only NFL team he has played for.
Buccaneers CB Jamel Dean Accepts Pay Cut
Jamel Dean‘s Buccaneers future was a talking point this offseason, although the veteran corner remained in place once roster cuts were finished. Dean has worked out a restructure which could make this season his final one in Tampa Bay, though.
Team and player agreed to a pay cut on Monday, as first reported by PewterReport’s Joshua Queipo. The move has since been confirmed by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, who notes Dean’s base pay for this season has been reduced from $12.5MM to $4.25MM. $750K could be earned back through playtime incentives.
Critically, the restructure also removed the final year of Dean’s contract. The former third-rounder was on the books through 2026 (although his scheduled compensation for that year was not guaranteed). Instead, Dean is now on track for free agency next spring. Given today’s news, it could certainly come as no surprise if a departure were to take place on the open market in this case.
Dean emerged as a starter for the Super Bowl winning Buccaneers in 2020, and he’s maintained his starting spot over the past four years. Thanks to his production, the defensive back earned a four-year, $52MM contract ($21.5MM guaranteed) from Tampa Bay ahead of the 2023 campaign. He’s continued to produce under his active contract, with Pro Football Focus grading him as a top-3o cornerback over each of the past two seasons.
While the Buccaneers may be signaling that they don’t have future plans for the cornerback, the team is clearly relying on him for the time being. Once a candidate to get benched, Dean earned a 97 percent snap share yesterday. The 28-year-old finished the season opener with six tackles and three passes defended.
The organization clearly started preparing for a post-Dean secondary during this year’s draft. The team selected Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison in the second round before selecting Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish in the third round. With Zyon McCollum and Josh Hayes also still attached to their rookie contracts, the Buccaneers are clearly pivoting to youth in their cornerbacks room.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
CB Jamel Dean In Danger Of Losing Buccaneers Starting Job
Known as a retention-heavy team, the Buccaneers handed both Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean second contracts. They shipped Davis’ deal to the Lions last year, building around Dean. But the younger cornerback has been unable to stay on the field since signing his second Tampa Bay deal in 2023.
The Bucs ranked 30th in pass defense last season, and Dean missed five games while being forced out of others with injuries. Although Dean has made 82 starts and resides as by far the Bucs’ most experienced cornerback, the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud indicates he is in danger of losing his starting job.
The 2019 third-rounder saw a snap uptick during the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV-winning season and has operated as a full-timer since. The Bucs also retained him at a favorable rate (four years, $52MM) during the 2023 legal tampering period; no guaranteed money remains on the deal. Dean’s contract helped lead Davis off the roster, as the Bucs made 2024 payments to Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr.
Dean, 28, then missed five games, hurting the team in coverage. Pro Football Focus ranked Dean 18th among CB regulars last season, but his struggles staying healthy proved costly. After the inconsistent regular season, Dean left the Bucs’ wild-card loss due to injury. He had battled back from a hamstring injury to be ready for the playoff tilt.
Tampa Bay then drafted Benjamin Morrison in Round 2 and Jacob Parrish in Round 3, continuing a string of second-day cornerback investments. The team had already turned to Davis, Dean, Sean Murphy-Bunting and Tykee Smith on Day 2; a new wave of cost-controlled corners emerged. Smith is also shifting from the slot to safety this year, and Parrish is pushing to start in the slot moving forward.
Morrison overtaking Dean would leave the Notre Dame product and Zyon McCollum as the outside starters; Dean would be an overpriced backup in that scenario. As Dean’s salary is nonguaranteed, it would save the Bucs $12.85MM in 2025 cap space if they were to trade or cut him. He is due $12.5MM in base salary this season; that figure does not become guaranteed until just before Week 1.
Release Candidate: Jamel Dean
Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has enjoyed an impressive career in Tampa Bay. Since the team drafted him out of Auburn in the third round of the 2019 draft, Dean has been a consistent, impactful presence in the Buccaneers’ secondary, starting 63 games in 82 appearances while recording eight interceptions, 52 passes defensed, and 313 tackles. He even won a Super Bowl in his second year with the team. Even so, it stands to reason that Dean’s time in pewter and red (and occasionally Creamsicle orange) could reasonably come to an end.
To begin with, injuries have been starting to impact the 28-year-old lately. Now, Dean has never played every game in a season, missing at least two games each year, but 2023 saw Dean miss four games with neck, knee, and ankle issues and 2024 saw Dean miss five games, including four straight, with a hamstring issue and a knee injury. Ultimately, it’s understandable to a degree, given the nature of the sport, but as Dean’s salary ($12.5MM in 2025 and $13MM in 2026) and cap hit ($15.14MM in 2025 and $15.78MM in 2026) continue to increase each year of his second contract, those missed games hurt that much more.
That brings us to our second point to this theory. Dean’s second contract — a four-year, $52MM re-signing in 2023 — features a potential out after the 2024 season that would have allowed the team to terminate the deal with only $6.85MM of dead money and $8.29MM of cap savings. Now that we are post-June 1, that potential out looks even more tempting as it would leave Tampa Bay with only $2.28MM in dead money and $12.85MM in cap savings.
In order to cut a starter like Dean, though, they should be confident that they can replace him. That makes it interesting, then, to go back and see that the Buccaneers utilized two Day 2 picks on second-round Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison and third-round Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish.
Morrison was garnering plenty of first-round buzz before suffering a season-ending hip injury in mid-October. His film from his freshman and sophomore campaigns — showing fluidity, vision, and big play ability — was enough to land him in the second round. Parrish is an extremely quick and twitchy cornerback with balance and physicality that help him play much bigger than his actual size. When matched up against the Heisman-winning, No. 2 overall pick Travis Hunter this season, Parrish limited the two-way player to only three catches for 26 yards and no touchdowns.
If all that’s been laid out here comes to pass, and the Buccaneers part ways with the veteran of six years, Dean should be fine. He’s only two years removed from having earned a significant second contract, and at 28, he still has plenty of tread on his tires. Not to mention, any team lucky enough to have a hole at cornerback and a healthy chunk of available cap would be getting a cornerback who has never ranked lower than 26th (he averages around 16th over six seasons) in Pro Football Focus’ position rankings (subscription required).
The Buccaneers may very well intend for Dean to see his contract through, or perhaps they may even restructure the deal or extend him on new terms. He’s been a consistent, impactful presence and could be for years to come in Tampa Bay. But should the team want to improve its cap space from an admittedly already healthy $26.63MM, per OvertheCap.com, to $39.48MM, moving them from 14th in the NFL to fourth, this would be a potential option.
Buccaneers’ Antoine Winfield Jr., Jamel Dean Expected To Play In Wild-Card Round
As the Buccaneers prepare for their wild-card matchup, they are set to have a pair of key defensive starters back in the lineup. Tampa Bay’s secondary figures to receive two notable boosts in time for Sunday. 
Head coach Todd Bowles said on Friday that safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback Jamel Dean are set to play this week (h/t Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). Both players were listed as full participants for today, and they are officially listed as questionable. Their respective returns to the lineup will be significant.
Winfield suffered a knee sprain one month ago, and it quickly became clear he would miss notable time. The All-Pro had already been sidelined by an ankle and foot sprain earlier in the season, and his absence was one of the factors influencing Tampa Bay’s underwhelming performance in many defensive categories this year. The Bucs elected not to place Winfield on injured reserve, though, and despite not being able to play in the waning stages of the regular season he will be back for the playoffs.
Dean was limited to 12 games this season as a result of his hamstring injury. The 28-year-old landed on injured reserve as a result, but at the first opportunity to do so he was activated. Dean managed a run of six straight games upon returning to the lineup, but he was absent for Tampa Bay’s regular season finale because of a knee injury. Considering the Bucs finished the season ranked 29th against the pass in 2024, having as many available options in the secondary as possible will be a welcomed sight.
By virtue of winning the NFC South, Tampa Bay is set to host Washington Sunday night. The Buccaneers’ offense will be leaned on after the unit finished top-four in the NFL in both points and yards per game this season. The team’s defense will welcome Winfield and Dean back into the picture, though, while attempting to generate a postseason run.