Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/25
Saturday’s minor moves around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Kyon Barrs
Chicago Bears
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Jaylon Johnson, QB Case Keenum, WR Jahdae Walker, RB Ian Wheeler
Cincinnati Bengals
- Placed on active/PUP list: TE Erick All
- Placed on active/NFI list: C Seth McLaughlin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on active/PUP list: LB Dennis Gardeck
New England Patriots
- Placed on active/PUP list: WR Mack Hollins, TE Austin Hooper, OT Vederian Lowe, LB Jahlani Tavai
- Placed on active/NFI list: CB Carlton Davis, S Josh Minkins, WR Jeremiah Webb
New York Jets
- Placed on active/PUP list: DE Jermaine Johnson, WR Irvin Charles
- Placed on active/NFI list: LB Aaron Smith
Washington Commanders
- Placed on active/NFI list: T Timothy McKay
The Cardinals were one of the two teams Barrs visited yesterday. His free agent workout clearly went well, and he will look to carve out a roster spot during training camp. Barrs, a former UDFA, has yet to make a regular season appearance.
Every player on a PUP or NFI list can be activated at any time, but their designations mean they are not cleared to practice at the start of their respective training camps. Notably, the Patriots’ list of PUP players does not include Stefon Diggs. The free agent addition was a candidate to begin camp on the PUP list, but New England’s decision to keep him on the active roster is an encouraging sign regarding his ACL recovery.
The Jets are taking a cautious approach with Jermaine Johnson, as the former first-rounder confirmed on X. An Achilles tear limited him to two games last year, but the Pro Bowler said on Saturday he is ready for on-field work. Activation well in advance of Week 1 should be expected in his case.
Commanders Signing OLB Von Miller
July 19: Miller’s deal is worth $6.1MM with another $4.4MM available in incentives, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. His last two contracts were each worth over $19MM per year, according to OverTheCap; now, Miller will have a base APY slightly lower than his rookie contract.
The Commanders have enough cap space to absorb the deal without void years, but the team has been using them more frequently under new general manager Adam Peters.
July 16: Washington is adding a major veteran at a key position of need. After deciding not to draft a pass rusher back in April, the Commanders have moved to add a proven veteran. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, veteran pass rusher Von Miller is signing with the Commanders. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tells us that it’ll be a one-year deal for the 36-year-old, once terms are finalized. 
After parting ways in recent years with former first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young, Washington depended on a pair of former Cowboys in Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. for most of their pass rushing sets in 2024. The latter of two led the Commanders in sacks last year with 10.5 but returned to Dallas on a one-year deal in free agency back in March.
The only additions Washington made to cancel out the loss of Fowler were those of former Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise, who averages about 4.5 sacks per season and topped out at 7.5 back in 2022, and former Bears outside linebacker Jacob Martin. The team showed interest in bigger names like DeMarcus Lawrence and Joey Bosa, as well, but ultimately fell short landing either.
Edge rusher was identified as a major need for Washington leading into the 2025 NFL Draft, but this year’s crop of prospects was not viewed as a strong one, past No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter. Nevertheless, by the time the Commanders’ first pick came around, three more pass rushers had been taken off the board, with Atlanta trading three spots ahead of Washington to take their second pass rusher that night, further weakening the caliber of available prospects at the position.
The team never ended up finding a prospect at an appropriate value with their remaining four picks, leaving them to enter the 2025 season with Armstrong as a returning starter across from Wise with Martin and Clelin Ferrell coming off the bench as the primary backups. It looked like Washington was set to head into training camp with a downgraded pass rushing group, but the addition of Miller has the potential to keep that from being the case.
True, Miller has not been the double-digit sack-getter we know him as for years now; he hasn’t passed 9.5 since 2018. Still, much of that has been due to either health or role. In 2021, splitting time between two different defenses, Miller collected 9.5 sacks in 15 starts. The next season, his first in Buffalo, Miller started 11 games, racking up 8 sacks. In both cases, he was likely to reach double-digits if he played the full allotment of games in a season.
The following two years in Buffalo, though, Miller lost his role as a starter. In fact, Miller fell to fifth in the pecking order in 2023, seeing snaps in only 12 games (no starts) behind Leonard Floyd, Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, and Shaq Lawson and getting zero sacks, as a result. In 2024, though, with Floyd and Lawson elsewhere, Miller thrived as the first pass rusher off the bench, tallying six sacks in 13 games (no starts).
It’s hard to say that Miller will certainly come in and start over Wise at his age. If he can come in and start, though, he’s likely to amass more sacks than Wise would in the same snap share, despite the age gap. Even if Miller ends up just working as the first pass rusher off the bench for the second year in a row, six sacks would’ve been good for third on the Commanders defense last season. It’s an easy risk to take for the Commanders, as it likely only cost them a cheap, one-year contract laden with incentives they’ll happily pay if it means they get strong contributions from the 36-year-old.
The move reunites Miller with senior defensive assistant John Pagano, who was his outside linebackers coach in Denver for a short time, and general manager Adam Peters, who was a scout for the Broncos when the team drafted Miller in 2011. He also stands a chance at being one of two starters on the defense north of 35 years old alongside veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. One would be hard pressed to find a team with an older pair of defensive starters, assuming Miller starts.
Commanders Agree To Terms With Second-Round CB Trey Amos
It took a bit, but the Commanders have now completed their draft pick signings. The team has agreed to terms with second-round cornerback Trey Amos, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Amos bounced around a bit during his collegiate career. He spent three seasons at Louisiana before spending the 2023 campaign at Alabama. He firmly put himself on the NFL map following his performance at Ole Miss in 2024. He finished last season with 50 tackles and three interceptions, earning him a first-team All-SEC nod.
Thanks to that performance, Amos was the sixth cornerback off the board during this year’s draft, as the Commanders snagged him at pick No. 61. A lingering back issue reportedly impacted his draft stock, and Washington is clearly hoping they got a steal with their second-round selection.
After excelling as a press cover corner in college, the six-foot-one cornerback has the ability to play on the outside in the NFL. A report from back in May indicated that the rookie may be competing with veteran Jonathan Jones for a starting spot, although both defensive backs bring different skillsets. If Amos does secure a starting spot opposite Marshon Lattimore, then Mike Sainristil would likely slide into the slot spot.
With only five selections, the Commanders were tied for the smallest rookie class in this year’s draft. All five of those rookies are now officially under contract:
- Round 1, No. 29: Josh Conerly Jr. (T, Oregon) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 61: Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
- Round 4, No. 128 (from Texans): Jaylin Lane (WR, Virginia Tech) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 205: Kain Medrano (LB, UCLA) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 245: Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB, Arizona) (signed)
Terry McLaurin Unlikely To Practice Without New Deal
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
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
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
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
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
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
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