HEADLINES

Raiders Fire OC Chip Kelly

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:46pm CST by Ely Allen

Halfway through his first season back in the NFL after an eight-year hiatus, Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is right back out. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Las Vegas has fired Kelly.

Breaking into the NFL as an immediate head coach after major success at Oregon, Kelly initially found more success in Philadelphia, taking his team to the playoffs in his first year at the helm in 2013. Kelly was given control over roster decisions by owner Jeffrey Lurie, but after some questionable trades, some character complaints, and a losing record in his third season, Kelly was fired before he could finish Year 3. Several teams attempted to land him after his dismissal, and he signed with San Francisco, where he was quickly let go after a 2-14 season.

After taking a year away from coaching as a studio analyst at ESPN, Kelly took up the clipboard again to coach at UCLA for six years. Starting in 2022, Kelly started to appear on NFL radars again, and in 2024, following his final year with the Bruins, he began to emerge as an offensive coordinator candidate. He reportedly was aiming for the Raiders’ position under then-head coach Antonio Pierce, and even though he was reportedly interviewed twice, Kliff Kingsbury emerged as the favorite for that job. Kelly then emerged as a candidate for the Commanders’ job, which ultimately went to Kingsbury as Luke Getsy landed the job in Las Vegas.

Having missed out on both positions, Kelly settled back into the world of college football, replacing Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he coordinated the 12th-best scoring offense in the country en route to a National Championship victory over current-Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden‘s Notre Dame defense. The successful year led to more NFL attention as the Texans and Jaguars expressed early interest in Kelly, but he once again homed in on Vegas, and this time, he landed the gig, doing so as the NFL’s highest-paid coordinator.

Now under new head coach Pete Carroll and Kelly (not to mention new minority owner Tom Brady), the Raiders’ momentum seemed to be swinging in a majorly positive direction. Moves were made to improve the offensive side of the ball, starting with a trade that brought quarterback Geno Smith down from Seattle to reunite with Carroll.

Impact free agents like offensive guard Alex Cappa and running back Raheem Mostert were signed. The 2025 NFL Draft was offense-heavy for the Raiders with the consensus top running back, Ashton Jeanty, coming off the board at No. 6 overall, Senior Bowl favorite wide receiver Jack Bech coming out of the second round, two offensive tackles coming out of the third, and two FCS quarterbacks hearing their names called in the sixth.

12 weeks into the 2025 campaign, nothing seems to have panned out. After today’s games, every team in the NFL has played 11 games, and the Raiders sit with New Orleans at the bottom of the league with a league-worst 165 points scored. Las Vegas ranks 30th in the NFL with 2,958 yards of total offense. The team has a bottom-six passing offense and a bottom-two rushing attack.

Smith is having his worst season since reestablishing himself as a starting quarterback, leading to some concerns about his ability to lead the team. While showing flashes, Jeanty’s effectiveness has been a rollercoaster throughout his rookie season, while his fellow offensive rookies have been extremely quiet. The free agent additions, Cappa and Mostert, have been nonfactors, despite Cappa having spent most of his career as a full-time starter.

But the change that Las Vegas has keyed in on as the biggest factor to the lack of success appears to be the hiring of Kelly, and whether or not he was the key issue at play here, he’s become the latest victim of the Raiders’ quick decision-making. Since the dying days of general manager Reggie McKenzie and head coach Jack Del Rio, stability has been a challenge for staffers in Las Vegas.

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock became the new established head coach and general manager, respectively, for the team’s transition to Vegas in 2019. In 2020, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was fired midseason. Gruden resigned five games into the following year, and Mayock and both coordinators were cleaned out at the end of that season. The new head coach (Josh McDaniels), general manager (Dave Ziegler), and offensive coordinator (Mick Lombardi) for the 2022 campaign all only lasted until Halloween of the following year.

That brings us almost up to date to last year, when Pierce, Tom Telesco, and Luke Getsy took over those respective positions. Getsy didn’t even get to finish the year, getting fired after the team’s Week 9 contest last year in a similar late-night November decision. Under yet another new head coach (Carroll) and GM (John Spytek), Kelly lasted just three more weeks than Getsy. And all the while, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has been learning new names since 2022. The only familiar face Graham had over the past three years was special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, who was let go earlier this month.

There’s been no word yet on who will serve as an interim coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Greg Olson seems to make the most sense, considering he held the position under Gruden from 2018 to 2021. Whatever the case, if the Raiders truly hope to turn this team around in the future, establishing some stability may pay major dividends.

As for Kelly, there may still be some significant interest in his abilities as a playcaller, though the interest may take him back to the world of college football. There is sure to be opportunities for Kelly to land on his feet after briefly dipping his toe back in the NFL waters.

Bengals’ Duke Tobin On Hot Seat?

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Rory Parks

Duke Tobin has served as the Bengals‘ director of player personnel and de facto general manager since 2002. Despite his lengthy tenure, Tobin’s job security may be in doubt.

Per Mike Jones of The Athletic (subscription required), league insiders are questioning whether team owner Mike Brown will keep his top lieutenant in the fold. After all, the 3-7 Bengals are just two losses away from clinching a losing season and, barring a miraculous turn of events, will miss the playoffs for a third straight year.

Of course, Cincinnati’s difficulties since the club advanced to the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2022 campaign can largely be attributed to quarterback Joe Burrow’s health concerns. The star passer played in just 10 games in 2023 and has appeared in just two contests this year, and any team that loses its QB1 for long stretches of time – especially a player of Burrow’s caliber – is going to struggle.

But Burrow played a full complement of games last year, and the Bengals still failed to qualify for the postseason (Burrow finished fourth in MVP voting and may have fared better in that regard if Cincy had cracked the playoff field). The culprit for 2024’s failures was not Burrow’s health, it was the defense, which surrendered the eighth-most yards and the eighth-most points per game.

This year, the defense has performed even more poorly. The Bengals are dead last in total defense and scoring defense, so although 40-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco has kept the offense in decent shape after Jake Browning faltered in relief of Burrow – Cincy is averaging 28.6 points per game and 385.6 yards per game during Flacco’s five games at the controls – the team has just one win since Burrow went down.

Earlier this year, Tobin conceded he tried to keep the defensive core of the roster that advanced to Super Bowl LVI intact for a bit too long, which he believed was a factor in the unit’s 2024 struggles. In order to address last season’s deficiencies, Tobin devoted three of his first four picks in the 2025 draft to the defensive side of the ball, including first-round selection Shemar Stewart and second-rounder Demetrius Knight. 

Unfortunately, Stewart has appeared in only five games due to injury, and he generally has failed to impress when he has been on the field (Knight has also failed to live up to expectations in his rookie season). The team’s handling of Stewart’s and Trey Hendrickson’s contract situations have invited outside scrutiny, though Brown surely had a hand in those matters and may not hold them against Tobin. 

What will work against the 55-year-old exec is his recent inability to hit on defensive players in the draft. Those shortcomings have undermined DC Al Golden’s efforts in his first year in charge of the Bengals’ defense and have made the decision to fire Lou Anarumo in favor of Golden look like a poor one.

On the other hand, some rival executives believe Burrow’s injury and Brown’s frugality will give Tobin a reprieve and another chance to return the team to contention in 2026. Until Brown formally confirms as much, Tobin’s future in the Queen City will remain a talking point.

Saints Waive Brandin Cooks; Latest On WR’s Contract Restructure

November 23rd, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints have officially put veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks on waivers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio passes along a few of the “contractual technicalities” that were referenced in prior reporting on Cooks’ impending departure, technicalities which held up the transaction.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football had reported that Cooks negotiated his contract downward to facilitate his exit, which appears to be true to a degree. Per Florio, the 32-year-old wideout gave up his right to $420K in termination pay, which will not be offset by the salary an acquiring team will have to give him.

In exchange, the team that originally drafted Cooks increased his guaranteed pay for 2026 – the final year of the two-year pact he signed this offseason – from $1.69MM to $5.94MM. A team claiming Cooks off waivers would have to absorb his contract, so bumping up the guaranteed money on the deal makes it more likely he will pass through waivers unclaimed, thus making him a free agent and therefore able to sign with any team he wants (read: a playoff contender).

Of course, the perennially cap-strapped Saints would not willingly put themselves on the hook for more money for a player they are trying to remove from the roster, so the revised contract also created a window for New Orleans to cut Cooks in a way that absolves the team of its 2026 obligation to him. The problem, according to Florio, is that league rules specifically prohibit a team from modifying a contract to deter a waiver claim, which is precisely what the Saints have done.

However, it presently appears as if the NFL is allowing the waiver process to move forward. One high-ranking official with another club expressed shock at the league’s willingness to do so, and the NFL has not responded to Florio’s request for comment or clarification.

Absent some sort of about-face on the league’s part, it looks like Cooks and the Saints will achieve their desired outcome and Cooks will soon hit the open market. As our Connor Byrne noted in the story linked above, a number of contending teams – including the Bills, Broncos, and Steelers – were in the hunt for a receiver at the trade deadline but were unable to land one. They are among the clubs that could show interest in Cooks if he does, in fact, become an FA.

The former first-round pick has 19 catches for 165 scoreless yards in 2025.

Giants May Explore Trading For Next Head Coach

November 23rd, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Ely Allen

We’ve seen some recent rumors concerning the Giants’ open head coaching job following their dismissal of Brian Daboll. Some rumors have focused on names from the collegiate ranks like Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, who was identified as an emerging candidate, or North Carolina’s Bill Belichick, who declined to pursue the job. Other reports focused on the decision to target a quarterback whisperer — for rookie Jaxson Dart — or a so-called “leader of men” type, in the mold of a Mike Tomlin or a Dan Campbell.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, though, New York hasn’t yet ruled out a fairly unorthodox method for finding their new coach. While the team is sure to explore the options available at the collegiate level as well as any of the NFL’s coordinators and assistant coaches who deserve a chance at more responsibility, the Giants are reportedly open to entertaining the idea of trading for a current head coach.

NFL trades including head coaches are extremely rare but not unheard of. In the history of the league, there has only ever been two true trades in which offers were made before things were finalized in some form or fashion. Six other transactions have taken place that were essentially trades, though they didn’t start out that way.

Before the concept of trading for a head coach was an established idea, there were still coaches who wanted to terminate their existing contract in favor of greener pastures. The first such example saw former Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula leave the franchise to accept a perk-filled offer to coach the Dolphins. Baltimore accused Miami of tampering, and then-commissioner Pete Rozelle decided that the Dolphins would send a 1971 first-round pick to the Colts to make up for the years that had remained on Shula’s contract when he left.

Similar such transactions have occurred a few times since, wherein head coaches would either resign or retire with time remaining on their contract before ultimately choosing to coach elsewhere. This happened twice between the Jets and Patriots, with Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick both serving as the main pieces in those “trades.” The Seahawks poached Mike Holmgren from Green Bay in the ’90s, and we’ve recently seen examples with Bruce Arians and Sean Payton, who both took a year away from the NFL before taking new jobs that required an additional exchange of draft compensation for their former teams.

The two true trades saw Jon Gruden shipped from Oakland to Tampa Bay in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and $8MM in cash and Herm Edwards shipped from the Jets to the Chiefs for a fourth-round pick. Because there aren’t any free agent coaches, currently, who walked away from remaining contract years, it appears this would be the route New York would need to pursue.

This method would require the Giants to reach out to the front office of any coaches they may be interested in to determine if any interest in a deal is mutual. From there, the two teams would work out what they agree is sufficient compensation, but before sealing the deal, the coach would get a chance to veto. We saw the first part of this occur last year, when rumors were reported that the Bears were interested in acquiring 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and in 2014, we saw the second part, when then-49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh nixed a deal that would’ve sent him to Cleveland.

It’s not the likeliest method for how the Giants are expected to find Daboll’s replacement, but it’s certainly interesting that they’re not turning it down as a possibility. And if New York has a chance to pair a coach currently under contract with their litany of young, drafted standouts on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t be out of bounds for them to use some of that draft capital to bring in a standout head coach, as well.

Chiefs Signing RB Dameon Pierce

November 23rd, 2025 at 6:01pm CST by Ely Allen

It was expected that running back Dameon Pierce would have plenty of suitors following his release from the Texans. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, it’s the Chiefs who have landed Pierce’s signature. The 25-year-old heads to Kansas City on a practice squad deal.

Once viewed as a potential franchise back following a rookie campaign in which he rushed for an impressive 939 yards on 220 carries, Pierce’s production in Houston declined significantly in each successive season. He served as a featured back as a rookie, with his 220 carries eclipsing those of Dare Ogunbowale (42), Royce Freeman (41), Rex Burkhead (26), and Eno Benjamin (3).

By Year 2, Pierce’s rushing yard total was more than halved as the team brought in veteran Devin Singletary, who averaged three carries for every two for Pierce. Last year, the Texans once again went to the free agent market, going for an even bigger name in Joe Mixon. As a result, Pierce saw himself relegated to the role of the other backs from his rookie season. Pierce’s 40 carries last year tied with Cam Akers‘ — who only played in five games — and paled in comparison to Mixon’s 245 carries.

This year, despite the fact that Mixon has spent the entire season on the reserve/non-football injury list, Pierce has remained an afterthought in the Texans’ backfield. Instead, fourth-round rookie Woody Marks and veteran Nick Chubb have manned the two-headed rushing attack in Houston with nearly identical carry, yard, and touchdown totals. With Pierce’s role declining to the point of obscurity, the Texans made the move to put him on waivers.

Pierce is joining a banged up running backs room in Kansas City. The Chiefs have a stable of backs featuring Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith, and Elijah Mitchell on the active roster and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on the practice squad. Pacheco hasn’t played since October, and Mitchell has been a healthy scratch in every game but one, so Edwards-Helaire was called up as a practice squad elevation to backup Hunt and Smith today.

Pierce adds another body to the stable, boasting previous experience as a featured back. It’s been a long time since he’s enjoyed that kind of volume, but perhaps, now that he’s gotten out from under DeMeco Ryans, he’ll be able to reestablish himself in a new city and uniform.

Patriots LT Will Campbell To Undergo MRI On Knee

November 23rd, 2025 at 4:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

Will Campbell exited the Patriots’ win on Sunday. Head coach Mike Vrabel did not offer an update on the left tackle’s status after the game, but further testing is forthcoming.

Campbell suffered a knee injury during New England’s Week 12 contest. The first-round rookie was ultimately carted off the field and did not return to the game. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports an MRI will take place tomorrow. More on Campbell’s situation will be known at that point.

Losing the No. 4 pick for any extended period would deal a major blow to the Patriots’ offensive line. Upgrading that unit was understood inside and outside the organization to be a major offseason priority ahead of Vrabel’s first year at the helm. He and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have enjoyed a stellar campaign to date, with New England’s offense playing a major role in that regard. The team entered Sunday ranked sixth in the NFL in scoring.

The development of second-year quarterback Drake Maye has been a central storyline for the Patriots in 2025. His play (and that of the team, of course) will be greatly impacted in the event Campbell misses any significant time. The LSU product was – as expected – the top lineman selected in April’s draft. Upon entering the league, he faced concerns related to arm length. Campbell has worked exclusively on the blindside, though, ranking 27th amongst offensive tackles in PFF grade entering today’s game.

With a win over the Bengals, the Patriots sit at 10-2 on the year. The AFC leaders will look to maintain their strong showing down the stretch and into the playoffs, but Campbell’s status will be worth watching given his importance to the team. Fourth-year blocker Vederian Lowe filled in after Campbell went down, likely leaving him in line to start in Week 13 if necessary.

Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins Aiming For Super Bowl Return

November 23rd, 2025 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

J.K. Dobbins‘ latest injury has him unavailable for the foreseeable future. The veteran running back has his eyes set on a Broncos return if their season goes the distance, however.

A Lisfranc injury suffered earlier this month will leave Dobbins sidelined through at least the remainder of the regular season. Surgery has already taken place, and a lengthy recovery process is underway as a result. If all were to go well on that front, Dobbins could find himself available at the tail end of the playoffs.

Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post reports there is a “hope” Dobbins will be able to return in the event the Broncos reach the Super Bowl. That would amount to a recovery timeline of roughly three months, something which would fall well short of how long severe Lisfranc injuries require to heal. Even a less severe version of the injury will require a notable period out of game action.

“If it’s a more subtle injury, it’s potentially something you can rehab more quickly and get back on your feet quicker,” Dr. Nicholas Strasser told Gabriel (while adding he is not involved in Dobbins’ particular case). “It’s not totally unrealistic for February, thinking through the timeline. A lot of things would have to go his way and probably have to have a lot of luck as well.”

Indeed, a Super Bowl appearance representing the best-case scenario in this situation illustrates how unlikely it is to take place. The Broncos are on their bye week, but with a 9-2 record the AFC West leaders are certainly in the mix with respect to contenders for a championship in 2025. The team’s running game will be determined in large part by the play of second-round rookie RJ Harvey, who has recorded 469 yards from scrimmage and scored six total touchdowns this season.

Injuries have been a consistent issue throughout Dobbins’ career. The 26-year-old had been enjoying a strong debut campaign with the Broncos (5.0 yards per carry, four touchdowns) before going down. Dobbins is a pending free agent, and another short-term contract is no doubt in store given the time he will miss down the stretch. At the moment, at least, the door is nevertheless open to him making a final contribution to the Broncos should they parlay their performances to date into a championship run.

49ers Voided WR Brandon Aiyuk’s 2026 Guarantees In July

November 23rd, 2025 at 3:13pm CST by Adam La Rose

NOVEMBER 23: Shanahan said (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle) he and Aiyuk spoke early in training camp after the decision was made to alter the contract. He described those talks as “positive,” but things have clearly soured since then. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports, meanwhile, that Aiyuk is still considered close to being medically cleared for a return (video link). Whether or not he plays this season will remain something to monitor.

NOVEMBER 22: A Friday report pointed to a split between Brandon Aiyuk being likely for the 2026 offseason. The main reason pointing in that direction is the fact Aiyuk’s 2026 guarantees have been voided in a move he has not challenged through the NFLPA.

When speaking to the media for the first time since Friday’s report, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Aiyuk’s future guarantees have indeed been voided. Notably, though, he clarified that move was made by the team in July. Shanahan did not specify why the contract adjustment took place.

“I’ve been coaching over 20 years and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,” he said, via Sam Jane, Matt Barrows and Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). “It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided. Never dealt with that. It was unusual, but it’s stuff I can’t get into right now.”

During the outset of training camp, Shanahan admitted he was “frustrated” with Aiyuk’s situation as it pertained to his knee rehab. ACL, MCL and meniscus tears ended the former first-rounder’s 2024 season after seven games. Aiyuk has not played since, despite a number of updates to his status suggesting a return would take place sometime in 2025. Shanahan added the 27-year-old is still considered week-to-week at this point, although it is unclear how much progress he has made in recovery.

Today’s Athletic piece on the situation notes how Aiyuk was a “mainstay” at practices during training camp and into September. Things changed afterwards, however, with Shanahan confirming the Arizona State product has missed meetings and other team activities recently. He added Aiyuk’s absences in meetings is not related to his contract but also reiterated the team’s frustration with an overall lack of communication in this case.

Tension between Aiyuk and Shanahan dates back several years, and it appeared at multiple points in 2024 as though a trade would end their time together in San Francisco. With a Steelers swap having been agreed to (and something Aiyuk was prepared to proceed with), a four-year, $120MM 49ers deal was instead ultimately worked out. That seemed to put an end to speculation about a parting of ways, but with no guaranteed money owed after the current season ends the team will be able to proceed with a release with relative ease.

The 49ers traded away Deebo Samuel this past offseason in a move which came as little surprise. That seemed to pave the way for Aiyuk and 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall to operate as the team’s top receivers for years to come, but an Aiyuk release would leave San Francisco in need of another notable WR commitment this spring. Without him in the fold, the team ranks second in the league in passing offense so far this season.

A return to the lineup for the 7-4 49ers at any point would be welcomed given the impact Aiyuk – who topped 1,000 yards in 2022 and ’23, totaling 15 touchdowns in that span – could make on the field. It is clear no certainty exists on that front, however, and the team has obviously been preparing for a split since the summer. This will remain a key San Francisco storyline for the foreseeable future while a potential release approaches.

Colts’ Alec Pierce In Line For Strong Market

November 23rd, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Entering the 2025 season, Alec Pierce appeared to be in line for a departure once his rookie contract expired. A new Colts deal is now something to watch for, though.

Indianapolis’ 9-2 start to the season has included a stronger-than-expected showing on offense. Pierce has played a major role in that regard, with the vertical threat showcasing a more varied receiver skillset along the way. As a pending free agent, his play down the stretch will be worth watching closely.

The Colts included Adonai Mitchell in the Sauce Gardner trade. As a result, retaining Pierce for 2026 and beyond would now be more feasible. The 25-year-old is currently on track to be one of the most in-demand wideouts on the open market given his performances to date this season. No thought is currently being given – at least publicly – to Pierce’s financial situation, however.

“All that’s on my mind is winning games, winning the division, get in the playoffs, make it to the Super Bowl,” the former second-rounder said when asked about a potential extension (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star).

As Erickson notes, the Colts have a history of working out big-money deals during a season. He writes it is therefore “not out of the question” a new Pierce accord could be agreed to before the end of the campaign. Doing so would prevent the Cincinnati product from testing free agency during his first opportunity to do so.

Erickson echoes a previous report that $20MM per year could represent the floor for a Pierce extension. The team’s skill-position group is led by fellow receiver Michael Pittman Jr., whose 2024 extension averages $23.33MM annually. Tight end Tyler Warren has impressed during his rookie season, but no long-term deal in his case will be possible until after the 2027 campaign. Running back Jonathan Taylor is under contract for next year, although without any of his base salary guaranteed he could be on the list of targets for an extension in the near future.

Of course, Indianapolis’ financial planning will revolve in large part on quarterback Daniel Jones. A major raise is in store in that case, and the Colts are expected to make a long-term commitment. Regardless of what happens on that front, Pierce – who is once again leading the league in yards per catch (20.9) – remains on track for a lucrative second contract. It will be interesting to see if team and player pursue an agreement soon or elect to wait until the spring.

Chiefs Unlikely To Retain CB Jaylen Watson

November 23rd, 2025 at 12:44pm CST by Rory Parks

Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson is not a household name, but he has established himself as a quality starter and has become an important piece of Kansas City’s stout defense. Watson’s success with the AFC powerhouse may lead the impending free agent elsewhere in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Nate Taylor.

The Chiefs selected Watson in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, and he operated in a rotational capacity during his first two years in the pros. The club’s trade of L’Jarius Sneed in March 2024 opened up more playing time for Watson, who started the first six games of the 2024 slate before a fractured fibula and tibia put a premature end to his regular season (though he did return in time for KC’s playoff run). This season, he has remained an every-down corner along with Trent McDuffie, and he presently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 11th-best CB out of 108 qualified players (just five spots behind McDuffie).

Kansas City moved Sneed in a tag-and-trade maneuver rather than authorize a lucrative extension for him – a wise decision, in hindsight – and Taylor believes the team will allow Watson to simply hit the open market. That is not reflective of the Chiefs’ view of Watson; it is simply a matter of resource allocation. Taylor reports the club will prioritize an extension for McDuffie, a 2023 First Team All-Pro who is reportedly seeking a market-topping contract, and a mega-deal for McDuffie may preclude a Watson re-up.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler likewise suggests McDuffie’s contract situation could force Watson out of Missouri. Watson, who checks in at No. 15 on ESPN’s most recent list of the league’s top 25 players slated for free agency in 2026, has generated some buzz around the league, per Fowler. One AFC executive told the ESPN scribe that Watson will “have a nice market” and “could surprise some people.”

Watson, 27, likely will not come close to the top of the cornerback market, which now includes two players at or above the $30MM/year threshold (McDuffie could join that group in short order). However, the Ventura College and Washington State product should land a deal featuring an eight-figure annual average, and his earning power will be bolstered by his ability to succeed both in press coverage and in zone.

One of GM Brett Veach’s Day 3 success stories, Watson has compiled 42 total tackles, four passes defensed, an interception, and a sack through ten games in 2025.

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