Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Agree To Extension
The Chiefs have agreed to a brand new deal with star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The deal is worth $54MM over three years, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. 
Hill, of course, is a controversial figure. His partner, Crystal Espinal, has accused him of domestic violence, and, recently, there were allegations that Hill broke his three-year-old son’s arm. Hill did not receive league discipline or legal consequences for the claims of child abuse, and the Chiefs have stood by him.
Recently, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt met with Hill in person to discuss the latest controversy.
“So I had a good visit with him,” Hunt said. “I’m not going to get into the details of that conversation, but it was a very frank conversation, talking to him about responsibility as he comes back to be a Kansas City Chief.”
On the field, Hill has been absolute dynamite for the Chiefs. Last year, Hill nearly reached 1,500 yards receiving, averaged 17.0 yards per grab, and gave opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. His nickname – Cheetah – says it all. Hill is one of the fastest players in the entire league and one of the most dangerous on-field weapons the game has seen in years.
The $18MM average annual value of the deal makes Hill one of the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. It’s also shorter than it would have been, if not for his off-the-field issues, and includes a “unique structure” that is almost certainly team-friendly (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports). Hill will get a relatively modest $5.8MM signing bonus, though the deal includes $35.2MM in total guarantees.
From a football perspective, the deal is a big win for the Chiefs. They boast one of the league’s very best offenses with a core that is locked down for years to come thanks to these recent extensions:
- RB Damien Williams (signed through 2020)
- WR Sammy Watkins (2020)
- TE Travis Kelce (2020)
- C Austin Reiter (2020)
- OT Eric Fisher (2021)
- OT Mitchell Schwartz (2021)
- OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (2022)
- WR Tyreek Hill (2022)
Patriots Cut Russell Bodine
The Patriots are releasing newly acquired center Russell Bodine, according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). To take his place, they’ll re-sign center/guard James Ferentz.
The Pats shipped a sixth-round pick to the Bills for Bodine on August 30th. Apparently, in the last week or so, Bodine didn’t show enough to stick on the roster.
The Patriots initially carried Bodine on the 53-man squad, but he’s out of a job with just two days to go before the first Sunday of the NFL calendar. Ferentz, meanwhile, is back in the mix to help on the interior line, along with fellow new OLs Korey Cunningham and Jermaine Eluemunor.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/5/19
Here are today’s practice squad moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DT Vincent Taylor
- Released: TE Nate Becker
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris
- Released: LB Deshaun Davis
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Josh Malone
Raiders To Suspend Antonio Brown
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Raiders and Antonio Brown. The wide receiver and GM Mike Mayock got into an argument on Wednesday, and the team is now planning to suspend Brown, league sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 
Here’s where things stand at the moment:
- The Raiders have yet to formally suspend Brown for Week 1 (Twitter link via CBS’ Jason La Canfora).
- The incident between Brown and Mayock did not get physical (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). However, there was a screaming match, and Brown told Mayock that he would hit him in the face. Then, Brown punted a football and said, “Fine me for that.”
- A fun side note: Vontaze Burfict, who has had incidents of his own and has a history with Brown, held Brown back from escalating things with Mayock (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur).
- Some around the league believe the Raiders could suspend Brown with the idea of trying to void his $30.125MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link via Schefter). Of course, Brown would not take this lightly, and this would result in a serious showdown involving the Raiders, the NFLPA, the NFL, and Brown.
- As noted by former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum (Twitter link) – If Brown is on the active roster on opening day, his $14.625MM salary for 2019 will become guaranteed, because he meets the service time requirement for veteran status. It’s not immediately clear whether today (Thursday) is “opening day” for these purposes, or if that corresponds with the Raiders’ Week 1 opener.
For those of you who haven’t been following this summer’s craziest NFL storyline, here’s a quick recap. Brown, who was acquired via trade from the Steelers and given a lucrative new contract, missed time due to a combination of a cryotherapy session gone awry and a battle with the NFL for his right to wear his favorite helmet.
This week, the Raiders sent Brown a letter informing him that he would be fined for missing a practice and a walkthrough last month. Brown, in turn, posted a picture of that letter to social media to inform the Raiders (and the world at-large) that he would not be paying said fines.
Along the way, Mayock indicated that Brown would have to decide whether or not he was “all in” with the team. At this moment, it’s unclear as to whether Brown is “all in” with Mayock & Co. – and vice versa.
Rams, Tyler Higbee Agree To Extension
Another day, another extension for the Rams. On Thursday morning, they reached agreement on a new four-year deal with tight end Tyler Higbee (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 
[RELATED: Rams, Jared Goff Agree To Extension]
After Tuesday’s massive deal for Jared Goff, the Rams managed to lock up one of the quarterback’s favorite targets. The new pact will keep Higbee’s 2019 agreement in tact while locking him up through the 2023 season.
The 26-year-old is one of the game’s most promising young TEs, and the new deal pays him accordingly – he’s cracked the top ten at the position for average yearly compensation. The deal has a base value of $31.025MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter) hears. He’s guaranteed $15.5MM and, with incentives, he could earn up to $36MM.
The fourth-year pro shares L.A’s tight end spotlight with Gerald Everett, though Everett is utilized more as a receiver. Last year, Higbee finished out with 24 catches for 292 yards and two scores.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Released from IR via injury settlement: RB Senorise Perry
Dallas Cowboys
- Released from IR via injury settlement: WR Codey McElroy
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB B.J. Bello
Kansas City Chiefs
- Released from IR via injury settlement: CB Michael Hunter
Los Angeles Chargers
- Released from IR via injury settlement: TE Ben Johnson
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: LB Quentin Poling
Titans Sign Cairo Santos
At the last minute, the Titans have made a kicking change. The Titans will place Ryan Succop on IR and sign Cairo Santos to take his place, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Schefter hears that both Santos and former Bears kicker Cody Parkey auditioned for Tennessee this week and Santos, apparently, turned in the better performance.
Santos spent the offseason with the Bucs before losing the job to rookie Matt Gay. In seven games for the Bucs in 2018, Santos made 9-of-12 field goals and nailed all 17 of his extra points. Santos also saw time in a pair of games for the Rams.
Cowboys Sign Ezekiel Elliott To Extension
It’s a done deal for the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott. At long last, America’s Team has ended America’s biggest ongoing football saga by inking a brand new extension with the star running back. 
Elliott’s new deal will give him $90MM over the course of a six-year add-on. The deal includes a whopping $50MM in guarantees, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter) hears, though it’s unclear how much is fully guaranteed at signing.
More importantly, perhaps, the deal will bring an end to his 40-day holdout. With that, Elliott will take the field on Sunday against the Giants for the club’s 2019 season opener.
It remains to be seen how Elliott will adjust to the quick turnaround, as well as the plays of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. On the plus side, Moore’s offensive game plan is not believed to be a radical departure from the playbook of last year. Also, head coach Jason Garrett seems to think that Elliott will be able to pick up where he left off.
“Zeke is as capable as anybody I know,” Garrett said. “He’s an experienced player, he’s been a really good player for us, he knows our system of football. I don’t think they’ll be a lot of learning there. He’s a smart guy, an instinctive guy.”
In theory, the new deal ties Elliott to the Cowboys for the next eight seasons, though the exact breakdown of the deal may reveal that it’s something more akin to a four or five-year commitment for Dallas. Either way – it’s a lengthy add-on with enough cash to satisfy Zeke.
Here’s what we do know: Elliott’s “new money,” on average, gives him $15MM per season. That’s enough to match the league-high AAV for running backs, a mantle that used to belong solely to Rams star Todd Gurley.
Next up for the Cowboys – new deals for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper. If they ink both players to long-term deals, they’ll likely have Top 5 AAVs at the QB, RB, and WR position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/3/19
Here are today’s minor moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Allen Lazard
- Placed on IR: TE Jace Sternberger
Houston Texans
- Placed on IR: TE Jordan Thomas, TE Kahale Warring
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed: LB Austin Calitro
- Waived: LB Joe Giles-Harris
Rams, Jared Goff Agree To Extension
The Rams and quarterback Jared Goff have agreed to a four-year extension that will keep Goff in LA through 2024, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The team announced that the two sides have indeed agreed to terms.
Schefter reports in a separate tweet that the four-year pact is worth $134MM and includes a record $110MM guarantee. When factoring in the two years that were remaining on Goff’s rookie deal (including the fifth-year option), LA effectively has Goff on a six-year, $161MM contract.
Carson Wentz, who was taken No. 2 overall in the 2016 draft — one spot behind Goff — signed a massive extension several months ago that ties him to the Eagles through 2024. Wentz’ extension is for four years and $128MM ($32MM per year) with just over $107MM in guarantees, so it stands to reason that Goff’s deal would top Wentz in terms of AAV and guarantees.
After all, Goff does not have the major injury concerns that have plagued Wentz in the early stages of his professional career, and Goff is coming off a stellar campaign in which he threw for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while earning a Pro Bowl nod and a trip to the Super Bowl. There was some chatter that the Rams would simply allow Goff to play out his contract and walk in free agency after the 2020 campaign, but head coach Sean McVay dismissed that notion back in June while fully committing to his soon-to-be 25-year-old signal-caller.
Obviously, the QB market is only growing, and it makes sense for the Rams to make a move now before it hits $40MM/year territory. Goff is not perfect, but he’s quite good already, and he still has room to grow. Plus, the Rams profile as Super Bowl contenders for at least the next couple of seasons.
The team already extended McVay and GM Les Snead in July, so three of the most important people in the organization are set to guide LA for the long haul.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported that the deal would pay Goff over $32MM per season and would include the largest guarantee in league history (Twitter links).