Washington NFL Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Terry McLaurin Unlikely To Practice Without New Deal

July 15th, 2025 at 3:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Failing to develop a reliable Terry McLaurin sidekick for the first six years of the standout wide receiver’s career, the Commanders took on Deebo Samuel‘s salary in their most notable attempt to resolve the issue. As Samuel readies for training camp, Washington appears unlikely — based on how things are going, at least — to have McLaurin on the practice field to open its set of preseason workouts.

After a report last week indicated McLaurin is unhappy with the tone of extension talks, the Pro Bowl receiver confirmed as such Tuesday. McLaurin added (via ESPN.com’s John Keim) “without any progress in discussions it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.”

McLaurin mentioned that talks between he and the Commanders have not transpired over the past month. While the perennial 1,000-yard target is not pushing for a trade, he appears ready to force the issue in some way fairly soon.

“I want to be here. I want to make that abundantly clear,” McLaurin said. “… I guess you can say there is a point of no return. I don’t think it’s at that now but … time is kind of ticking.

“When you have that type of production, when you know how people value you and see you have told you to your face and then you see how it’s progressing until this point, that’s very disappointing. I’m just trying to get some clarity. Shoot it to me straight.”

Skipping OTAs, McLaurin received a $104K fine for failing to report to Commanders minicamp last month. Were he to miss training camp workouts, he would face $50K-per-day penalties. This has generally deterred players from holding out, as teams can no longer — as of the 2020 CBA — waive the fines for players on veteran contracts. That said, a holdout uptick has occurred over the past two years. Chris Jones, Zack Martin and Nick Bosa stayed away from training camp in 2023; Trent Williams and Haason Reddick followed suit last year. The hold-in measure has brought a sweet spot for disgruntled players, and McLaurin certainly seems set to exercise that option while he angles for a new contract.

McLaurin’s dissatisfaction with the Commanders’ negotiations has come up a few times this offseason. He was surprised by the difficulties this process has brought, but two weeks later, no progress had been made. McLaurin is tied to the three-year, $69.6MM deal agreed to during the 2022 offseason. That year brought a sea change in the WR market, and McLaurin joined 2019 draft classmates A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Diontae Johnson and Samuel in cashing in. However, Brown and Metcalf have since inked third contracts. McLaurin has been more consistent than Samuel and Metcalf on their respective second contracts as well, not missing a game and earning two Pro Bowl nods on the deal. McLaurin’s $23.2MM AAV has fallen to 16th among receivers.

McLaurin has amassed a string of 1,000-yard seasons but without a 1,200-yard year, though his QB draw was rather poor before Jayden Daniels‘ arrival. He then posted a second-team All-Pro showing in Daniels’ rookie year. The former third-round find also is heading into an age-30 season, and our Ely Allen highlighted the issue — upon seeing what an extension might look like — that brings for the Commanders. Though, McLaurin’s durability stands to mitigate some concerns about him aging out of WR1 territory in the near future. Term length and guarantee structure likely represent issues here.

“I’m not dismissing [age] completely,” McLaurin said. “There are data points to support that, but how come it’s not OK to say this may be a different case and based on what he’s proven, showing no signs of deterioration, I feel that should be acknowledged as well.”

The Commanders also could frame part of a third McLaurin contract around Daniels’ rookie deal. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year cannot sign an extension until 2027, giving the Commanders some time to pair that team-friendly agreement with another McLaurin pact. GM Adam Peters has not completed many extensions yet in Washington, but he did pay guard Sam Cosmi just before last season. The 49ers also developed a pattern — one that often produced unnecessary drama — of completing big-ticket extensions well into training camp during Peters’ time with the team.

If no deal is reached by Week 1, McLaurin will be attached to a $15.5MM base salary. Plenty of time, however, remains between now and Washington’s season opener. As the team has established rare modern-era momentum, it will naturally want to keep its top skill-position player happy before a Super Bowl push commences.

Extension Candidate: Terry McLaurin

July 12th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Ely Allen

There’s been no shortage of noise coming out of the District of Columbia — technically 25 miles or so west of DC — concerning the extension negotiations for veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin. It should be a no-brainer: a second-team All-Pro heading into a contract year with a $25.5MM cap hit while he’s catching balls from a quarterback on a rookie deal? Up to this point in the offseason, though, the two parties have been unable to make progress towards a new deal.

It started early in the offseason, with the team acknowledging that an extension for McLaurin was something it was interested in. McLaurin showed the team how serious he was about receiving new terms when he held out of Organized Team Activities and mandatory minicamp, racking up over $104K in fines. Reportedly, the Commanders were taken aback at the difficulties they were having reaching agreeable terms with their star receiver, and as it became clear that the two sides were very far apart on an agreement, McLaurin voiced his frustrations with the procedures.

But why has this been such a struggle? Does the team not want to lower McLaurin’s cap hit and make sure he’s around for all of the years Jayden Daniels plays on a rookie deal? It seems multiple factors are proving challenging when negotiations are taking place as performance and status say one thing, while age and potential for decline say another.

To start, McLaurin just completed his best season to date. While he didn’t put up a career high in receiving yards (1,096), his 13 touchdowns catches were more than half of his five-year career touchdown-total coming into the season (25). He also did it all in the fewest targets since his rookie year, showing improved efficiency with his new quarterback.

That’s the other thing to consider when looking at McLaurin’s career production. After falling 81 yards short of 1,000 receiving yards in his 14-game rookie campaign, McLaurin has been a 1,000-yard receiver in every season since. While that’s impressive on its own, consider that he put up consistent production while catching passes off the arms of players like Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, Carson Wentz, and Sam Howell. He’s a modern-day Andre Johnson in that regard. Now that you’ve paired him with a talented, young passer, he puts up an All-Pro season.

So, what does his production say he should be making on a new deal? First, let’s set the floor. Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins set the new mark for WR2s this year, surpassing Jaylen Waddle as the league’s highest-paid WR2 with an average annual value of $28.75MM. As a high-performing WR1, McLaurin should at least be making more than the highest-paid WR2. After that, the comparisons become difficult to make. The top-earning receivers market has drastically jumped in recent years with Ja’Marr Chase (AAV of $40.25MM), Justin Jefferson ($35MM), and CeeDee Lamb ($34MM) leading the pack.

Age becomes a factor, as well, though. Coming in as a 24-year-old rookie, McLaurin is set to turn 30 this season. Tyreek Hill was 30 years old when he signed his most recent contract ($30MM) that gave him a $54MM signing bonus. Older receivers like 29-year-old Calvin Ridley ($23MM), 32-year-old Davante Adams ($22MM), 29-year-old Chris Godwin ($22MM), 31-year-old Stefon Diggs ($21.17MM), and 30-year-old Mike Evans ($20.5MM) hurt McLaurin’s case. D.K. Metcalf ($33MM), though two years younger that McLaurin, may have helped McLaurin’s case a bit with his recent four-year, $132MM extension in Pittsburgh.

The last point of comparison may come from his status as an All-Pro. Chase and Jefferson were both first-teamers, along with Amon-Ra St. Brown ($32MM), while joining McLaurin as second-team All-Pros were Lamb and A.J. Brown ($32MM). With the lowest AAV of those five coming in at $32MM, one would expect that to be a target for McLaurin, as well. To McLaurin’s credit, he doesn’t seem intent upon resetting the market at the position. Reasonably, he is just looking to enter the echelon of pass catchers making $30MM or more.

Ultimately, there’s so many directions in which this deal can go. We’ve focused mainly on AAV, but term length, guarantees, and fee structure can all play huge roles in negotiating that AAV up or down. McLaurin could settle for a two-year commitment in order to try and get up to $33MM or $34MM. The Commanders could try to backload base salary, while supplementing the low-salaried early years with a substantial signing bonus. There’s no shortage of predictions for how this contract may end up looking, and that’s one of the reasons why there’s been so little progress and so much frustration.

Despite the frustrations, the two sides have been in constant communication and are expected to come to terms at some point. The oft-injured Deebo Samuel can be strong while on the field, but behind him and McLaurin, the receiving corps depth is either old or unproven. Look to McLaurin’s participation in training camp, and depending on what we see, we may look for an extension in the days leading up to the regular season.

NFL Staff Updates: Commanders, Falcons, Raiders

July 11th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Ely Allen

The Commanders announced a number of new hires and promotions to their scouting and analytics departments this week.

In the scouting department, Charles Brensinger was promoted from scouting assistant to manager of scouting operations for his fourth year with the team. Before Washington, Brensinger spent seven years in Detroit — five as a pro scout — after internships with the Lions in 2012 and the Giants in 2013. Fellow scouting assistant Mitch Sterner was promoted to BLESTO scout in his second year with the organization. Sterner started in the NFL working in video for the Colts and Lions before a three-year stint in New England as a pro & college scouting assistant.

Filling one of the newly vacant scouting assistant positions will be Austin Walter. A former NFL running back, Walter joined Washington last year as one of two Nunn-Wooten scouting fellows.

In analytics, Doug Drewry has been promoted from manager of football research & development to director of football research & development. A lifelong Washington fan, Drewry made the move from finance to football analytics, joining the team six years ago. The department also announced two new football research & development assistants in Dylan Riordan and Aidan McCarty. Riordan was promoted to the position after serving as a football research & development intern in 2024.

Here are a couple other updates to staffs in the NFL:

The Falcons have hired Alex Brown to a position as an area scout, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This will be Brown’s NFL debut after a number of collegiate positions. He leaves his position as director of player personnel at Ole Miss after only a year. He spent two years at SMU before that, getting elevated from director of scouting to senior director of personnel/general manager of the Mustangs. He also held the director of football recruiting role at Rice after four years on the recruiting staff at the University of Houston.
ESPN’s Seth Walder reports that Jonah Lubin has been hired by the Raiders as a new football data science assistant. Previously a business intern for the Texans, Lubin was a semi-finalist in this year’s Big Data Bowl.

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

No. 17 (Bengals): Shemar Stewart (DE, Texas A&M)
No. 20 (Broncos): Jahdae Barron (CB, Texas)

Round 2:

No. 35 (Seahawks): Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
No. 36 (Browns): Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
No. 37 (Dolphins): Jonah Savaiinaea (G, Arizona)
No. 38 (Patriots): TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
No. 39 (Bears): Luther Burden (WR, Missouri)
No. 40 (Saints): Tyler Shough (QB, Louisville)
No. 41 (Bills): T.J. Sanders (DT, South Carolina)
No. 42 (Jets): Mason Taylor (TE, LSU)
No. 43 (49ers): Alfred Collins (DT, Texas)
No. 44 (Cowboys): Donovan Ezeiruaku (DE, Boston College)
No. 45 (Colts): JT Tuimoloau (DE, Ohio State)
No. 46 (Rams): Terrance Ferguson (TE, Oregon)
No. 47 (Cardinals): Will Johnson (CB, Michigan)
No. 48 (Texans): Aireontae Ersery (T, Minnesota)
No. 49 (Bengals): Demetrius Knight (LB, South Carolina)
No. 50 (Seahawks): Elijah Arroyo (TE, Miami)
No. 51 (Panthers): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M)
No. 52 (Titans): Oluwafemi Oladejo (OLB, UCLA)
No. 53 (Buccaneers): Benjamin Morrison (CB, Notre Dame)
No. 54 (Packers): Anthony Belton, T (NC State)
No. 55 (Chargers): Tre Harris (WR, Ole Miss)
No. 56 (Bears): Ozzy Trapilo (T, Boston College)
No. 57 (Lions): Tate Ratledge (G, Georgia)
No. 58 (Raiders): Jack Bech (WR, TCU)
No. 59 (Ravens): Mike Green (OLB, Marshall)
No. 60 (Broncos): RJ Harvey (RB, Central Florida)
No. 61 (Commanders): Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
No. 62 (Bears): Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M)
No. 63 (Chiefs): Omarr Norman-Lott (DT, Tennessee)
No. 64 (Eagles): Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)

Round 4:

No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Latest On Commanders’ Pursuit Of New Stadium At RFK Site

July 8th, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders are pursuing a return to the nation’s capital, but the D.C. Council is unlikely to approve a $3.7 billion deal championed by Mayor Muriel Bowser before a July 15 deadline, according to Jenny Gathright of The Washington Post.

In January, former President Joe Biden signed into law a bill that transferred control of RFK Stadium – the franchise’s home from 1961 to 1996 – and the 170-acre property on which it sits to Washington, D.C. The bill also empowered Bowser to negotiate with the Commanders to bring them back to the city, which resulted in a term sheet that requires a council vote by July 15. If the deal is not approved by then – or if the terms are altered “materially” – the city will no longer have exclusive negotiating rights with the team, per Gathright. That would allow the Commanders to explore alternative options for their future stadium, whether it be a continued stay in Landover or another location in the D.C. metropolitan area.

Members of the D.C. Council have requested more information about the deal regarding revenue projections and tax exemptions, arguing that the size of the deal – which includes $1 billion in public funds – merits a more careful approach. They have also suggested changes to the stadium’s parking, rent, and labor agreements. Compiling this information and negotiating the proposed alterations are all but certain to delay the deal’s approval until after the July 15 deadline.

Bowser said in June that the Commanders were “outraged” and “blindsided” by the potential delay, as it could interfere with the team’s “very, very specific timelines” regarding construction. In a statement (via Gathright), the Commanders said that they “need a new home by 2030” and warned that further setbacks could threaten that goal as well as their desire to host other major events, such as the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Indeed, the council scheduled public hearings on July 29 and 30, per Liam Griffin of The Washington Times, essentially guaranteeing that the city will not hit the Commanders’ deadline. Bowser said last week (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk) that her level of concern was a four out of five last week, though council members have expressed confidence in the Commanders’ desire to return to Washington.

Team owner Josh Harris has made it clear on multiple occasions that his intention when he bought the team in 2023 was to bring it back to the city for which it is named. However, it would not be surprising if the Commanders looked into other locations in the meantime, both to give them leverage as they continue working with D.C. and to ensure they have another option for a future home if their preferred plan falls through.

Terry McLaurin ‘Not Happy’ With Commanders Extension Talks

July 7th, 2025 at 10:12pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin is “not happy with where things are with an extension,” according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (via Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker).

McLaurin and the Commanders have been working on a new contract throughout the offseason, and this is not the first report of his dissatisfaction with negotiations. He skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp over frustration with extension talks as he enters the final season of a three-year deal signed in July 2022.

Since signing his first extension, McLaurin has continued to produce as one of the league’s top pass-catchers. 2024 was his fourth fully-healthy season in a row and his fifth with at least 1,000 receiving yards; he also posted career-highs in catch rate (70.1%), success rate (58.1%) and touchdowns (13), the last of wich trailed only Ja’Marr Chase. For his efforts, McLaurin earned the second Pro Bowl nod of his six-year career and his first selection as an All-Pro (second-team).

With an ascending offense led by a quarterback on a rookie contract, the Commanders would appear to be in a position to reward one of their best and longest-tenured players. Extending McLaurin would also lower his 2025 cap hit, which currently ranks 20th among all players. However, the sides had made little progress as of late June, and that still seems to be the case, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“There’s no update…and that’s the problem,” said Schefter on the Pat McAfee Show, noting that comparable receivers like D.K. Metcalf signed for over $30MM per year this offseason. However, as Schefter added, perennial 1,000-yard wideout Mike Evans signed for just $24MM last offseason.

“There really is quite a difference and a gap between what both sides would want,” continued Schefter. “They have not made any progress.”

Teams may inquire about trading for McLaurin, per Schefter, but he “cannot envision the Commanders moving on.” He characterized the stalemate in Washington as similar to T.J. Watt‘s situation in Pittsburgh: both sides want to get a deal done with the expectation of reaching an agreement before the season, but as of now, they are “not close.”

McLaurin is due to report to training camp on July 27, so the parties have a few weeks to hammer out a deal to stave off a potential hold-in this summer.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989^[1]
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991^[2]
Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010^[3]; signed extension in 2022
Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016^[4]
John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

2025 Offseason In Review Series

July 4th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are PFR’s breakdowns of each NFL team’s 2025 offseason. The list will be updated between now and Week 1.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South

AFC West

Denver Broncos
Kansas City Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders

NFC North

Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks

Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Defense

July 4th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2025 offseason has been defined in no small part by extensions amongst the league’s top edge rushers. A number of high-profile situations on that front remain unresolved at this point, which will make for interesting storylines over the coming weeks. Still, pass rushers once again account for some of the top cap charges around the NFL.

Just like on offense, here is a breakdown of the top 25 defensive cap hits in 2025:

Maxx Crosby, DE (Raiders): $38.15MM
T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $30.42MM
DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $26.6MM
Daron Payne, DT (Commanders): $26.17MM
Rashan Gary, OLB (Packers): $25.77MM
Montez Sweat, DE (Bears): $25.09MM
Denzel Ward, CB (Browns): $24.56MM
Micah Parsons, DE (Cowboys): $24.01MM
Derwin James, S (Chargers): $23.86MM
Roquan Smith, LB (Ravens): $23.72MM
Dexter Lawrence, DT (Giants): $23.64MM
Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $23.6MM
Jeffery Simmons, DT (Titans): $22.7MM
L’Jarius Sneed, CB (Titans): $22.58MM
Vita Vea, DT (Buccaneers): $22.47MM
Minkah Fitzpatrick, S (Dolphins): $22.36MM
Jonathan Greenard, DE (Vikings): $22.3MM
Jessie Bates, S (Falcons): $22.25MM
Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $21.92MM)
Quinnen Williams, DT (Jets): $21.59MM
Jaylon Johnson, CB (Bears): $21MM
Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $20.43MM
Kenny Clark, DT (Packers): $20.37MM
Danielle Hunter, DE (Texans): $20.2MM
Zach Allen, DE (Broncos): $19.8MM

Crosby briefly held the title of the league’s highest-paid pass rusher when his latest Raiders extension was signed. That $35.5MM-per-year pact was quickly overtaken in value, but it put to rest speculation about a potential trade. Now fully healthy, Crosby’s level of play in 2025 will be critical in determining Vegas’ success.

Garrett currently leads the way in terms of AAV for edge rushers (and, in turn, all defensive players). He landed $40MM in annual compensation from the Browns in a deal which ended his long-running trade request. The four-time All-Pro sought a change of scenery to a Super Bowl contender but then altered his stance following communication with Cleveland’s front office. Garrett is now on the books through 2030.

Other notable pass rushers face an uncertain future beyond the coming campaign, by contrast. That includes Watt, who is not close to reaching an agreement on a third Steelers contract. The former Defensive Player of the Year is reported to be eyeing a pact which will again move him to the top of the pecking order for pass rushers. He thus finds himself in a similar situation to fellow 30-year-old All-Pro Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals.

While Hendrickson is believed to be aiming for a new deal similar in average annual value to those like Bosa and Hunter’s, Parsons could leapfrog Watt atop the pecking order by the time the season begins. Little (if any) progress has been made since Parsons and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reached a handshake agreement on the framework of a deal. Time remains for a pact to be finalized before training camp; failing that, the possibility of a hold-in will increase.

Recent years have seen a major spike in the valuation of interior defensive linemen capable of producing against the pass. It comes as no surprise, then, to see a multitude of D-tackles on the list. Buckner and Chris Jones are among the veterans with the longest track record of success in terms of sacks and pressures (along with disruptive play against the run, of course). Payne, Lawrence, Simmons and Williams were among the players who helped moved the position’s market upward with similar second contracts during the 2023 offseason.

Gary, Sweat and Greenard will again be counted on to lead the way in terms of pass rush production for their respective NFC North teams. Green Bay, Chicago and Minnesota each have upside elsewhere on the depth chart, but expectations will remain high for those three based on their lucrative deals. The highly competitive division will no doubt come down to head-to-head games, and they will be influenced in large part by the performances of each defense.

The cornerback market reached $30MM per year this offseason thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension. Given the term remaining on his rookie pact, though, his cap charge for this season checks in at a much lower rate than that of teammates like Hunter or other top CBs. Ward and Jaylon Jones are on the books through 2027, and the same is true of Sneed. The high-priced Tennessee trade acquisition did not enjoy a healthy debut season with his new team in 2024, but he appears to be set for full participation in training camp.

Safety and linebacker are among the positions which have witnessed slower growth than others recently. Still, a few top performers are attached to deals landing them on this list. Smith has been a first-team All-Pro performer during his tenure with the Ravens; he will be expected to remain one in 2025 and beyond. James and Bates will likewise be counted on as key playmakers in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Fitzpatrick will, interestingly, return to his original team after being part of the blockbuster Steelers-Dolphins trade from earlier this week.

Vea helped the Buccaneers rank fourth against the run last season while Clark and the Packers finished seventh in that regard. Both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals, although in both cases the final season does not include guaranteed money. Vea and/or Clark could thus find themselves discussing an extension next offseason.

Allen is among the players listed who could have a new deal in hand before Week 1. The former Cardinal is coming off a career-best 8.5 sacks from the 2024 season. To no surprise, then, Allen is high on Denver’s list of extension priorities, and it will be interesting to see if the pending 2026 free agent works out a new pact prior to the start of the campaign.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 3rd, 2025 at 10:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

By the end of the 2024 regular season, the Bears, Jets and Saints had already moved on from their head coaches. Those teams were joined by Cowboys, Jaguars, Raiders and Patriots in making a change on the sidelines.

After their midseason terminations, Matt Eberflus, Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen each landed defensive coordinator gigs during the 2025 hiring cycle. The staffers who remained in place through the end of the campaign have yet to line up their next NFL opportunity, however. Mike McCarthy withdrew from the Saints’ search, setting the 61-year-old for at least one year out of coaching (just like the pause between his Packers and Cowboys stints).

Meanwhile, Doug Pederson was unable to parlay interest in an offensive coordinator position into a hire this spring. The former Super Bowl winner is thus set to be out of coaching for 2025. The same will also be true of Antonio Pierce and Jerod Mayo after their one-and-done stints as full-time head coaches did not go as planned.

While recent months have brought about the latest round of changes, many of the longest-tenured head coaches around the league remain in place. McCarthy was the only staffer within the top 10 on last year’s list in that regard who has been replaced. In all, nine head coaches hired at the beginning of this decade (or earlier) will carry on with their respective teams in 2025.

Six of those reside in the AFC, with Mike Tomlin – who became the league’s longest-tenured head coach last year in the wake of Bill Belichick’s Patriots departure – once again leading the way, albeit with questions about his future beyond this season present. The NFC will include Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Matt LaFleur handling their familiar roles in 2025, although the latter (who has two years left on his deal) will not receive an early extension.

Here is a look at how the league’s head coaches shape up entering the 2025 campaign:

Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2027
John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2028
Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2029
Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2027
Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2027
Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: extended through 2026
Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020; signed extension in June 2024
Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021; extended through 2027
Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021; signed offseason extension
Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022; signed offseason extension
Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022; extended through 2028
Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022; extended through 2028
Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023
Brian Callahan (Tennessee Titans): January 22, 2024
Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers): January 24, 2024
Dave Canales (Carolina Panthers): January 25, 2024
Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons): January 25, 2024
Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks): January 31, 2024
Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders): February 1, 2024
Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots): January 12, 2025
Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears): January 20, 2025
Aaron Glenn (New York Jets): January 22, 2025
Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 23, 2025
Pete Carroll (Las Vegas Raiders): January 24, 2025
Brian Schottenheimer (Dallas Cowboys): January 24, 2025
Kellen Moore (New Orleans Saints): February 11, 2025

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