Rams, QB Matthew Stafford Progressing On Extension
Matthew Stafford did not consider retirement for too long this offseason, revealing during his MVP acceptance speech he would play an 18th NFL season. As Sean McVay rejoiced, the Rams were aware they needed to complete another round of negotiations with their star quarterback.
Reaching reworked deals with Stafford in 2024 and ’25, the Rams are likely to complete a true extension with their five-year starter this year. Considerable progress has been made on that front, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Stafford’s latest revised deal runs through the 2026 season.
Agreeing to a Rams-friendly extension weeks after leading the team to a Super Bowl LVI conquest, Stafford came to regret that choice — which resulted in a four-year, $160MM 2022 re-up — and came to the table in 2024 and ’25. The 2025 rework came after the Rams let Stafford speak with other teams about a trade. The Giants and Raiders lined up guarantee packages covering north of $90MM, but Stafford ultimately decided to stay with McVay. That decision proved wise, as he soared to an MVP nod that could eventually be the deciding factor in his Hall of Fame case.
The Rams and Stafford agreed on a two-year, $80MM revision that included a $40MM guarantee at signing. Another $40MM guarantee vested on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. A $24MM 2026 option bonus was also split into four parts, according to Spotrac. The Rams will assuredly flood this agreement with void years and perhaps include more option bonuses to keep cap hits low, setting up for a big dead money blow when this partnership concludes down the road. Given Stafford’s play over the past three seasons — after a multi-injury 2022 that brought a half-season of work — the Rams will gladly make this sacrifice.
This figures to be an eventful offseason for the Rams on the contract front. They already imported the Chiefs’ starting cornerback tandem by trading for Trent McDuffie and signing Jaylen Watson. In-house extension decisions remain. In addition to a Stafford call — one that will lower the QB’s $48.27MM 2026 cap hit — the Rams have seen Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Steve Avila and Warren McClendon become extension-eligible. None of those players’ deals includes a fifth-year option, giving the Rams plenty of work to do on an impact 2023 draft class.
More to come.
Giants Host WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. did not finish the 2024 season as a member of the Dolphins, being waived during that campaign. No team signed the former Pro Bowler in 2025 — his second year out of football this decade.
Establishing himself as a star during the 2010s as a Giant, Beckham met with John Harbaugh at last month’s league meetings. Harbaugh coached Beckham with the Ravens in 2023 (but did not re-sign him for the ’24 season). The prospect of a second NFL comeback gained steam Monday, with the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy reporting OBJ is at the Giants’ facility taking a physical.
This is being described as a Beckham workout for the Giants, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo add. Although this would certainly be a fascinating reunion, SNY’s Connor Hughes indicates no deal is imminent.
Beckham, who played in last month’s flag football showcase as a reintroduction of sorts for evaluators, played with the Giants from 2014-18. All three of his Pro Bowl nods came in New York, but the team dealt him to Cleveland in 2019 in a haul that included the No. 17 overall pick. The Giants parted ways with the player obtained with that selection — Dexter Lawrence — over the weekend.
While Beckham played Hall of Fame potential during his five-year stint as a Giant, injuries slowed him considerably after his Big Apple exit. He has sustained two ACL tears, the second of which coming in Super Bowl LVI, and missed a chunk of the Dolphins’ 2024 season after more knee trouble intervened. Added on a one-year, $3MM deal to be a high-profile WR3 alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Beckham caught just nine passes for 55 yards before being cut in early December that year.
With Harbaugh now leading the Giants, Beckham’s 2023 season in Baltimore becomes more relevant. He was far more productive as a Raven, hauling in 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games. This worked out to a career-high 16.1 yards per catch. Until Zay Flowers is extended, Beckham’s $15MM guarantee at signing remains the most money the franchise has guaranteed a veteran wideout. The Ravens’ Beckham decision nixed a potential Courtland Sutton trade in 2023, providing a seminal development for a trade-rumor mainstay (who has enjoyed a strong Broncos second act since), and the team let him walk in 2024.
Considering the injury trouble Beckham has encountered, he is unlikely to reach the $3MM number he played for in Miami. The Giants already added low-cost wideouts in Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin, and with the team obtaining the Bengals’ No. 10 overall pick for Lawrence, the prospect of a first-round wide receiver looms as Malik Nabers rehabs an ACL tear. It would stand to reason the Giants wait on Beckham until after the draft. If Beckham is open to other destinations, waiting to see how WR rooms look post-draft would be logical for the free agent as well.
Patriots Remain A.J. Brown’s Expected Destination Following Eagles Trade
A.J. Brown has long been viewed as a trade candidate, and the Eagles‘ actions this offseason have pointed to a parting of ways. Philadelphia is still considered likely to proceed with a swap later this offseason, and the team most often named as a destination remains the presumed landing spot for Brown.
A trade taking place on or just after June 1 is “still tracking to happen,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. To no surprise, he adds the Patriots are the presumed destination for Brown. New England has frequently been mentioned as the likeliest team to acquire Brown, even in the wake of Romeo Doubs‘ free agent signing. A Patriots acquisition would result in a reunion between Brown and head coach Mike Vrabel.
The two were together in Tennessee from 2019-21. That stretch was followed by the trade which sent Brown to Philadelphia, a move which proved to be highly effective from the Eagles’ perspective. Brown collected three second-team All-Pro nods during his time with the team, topping 1,000 yards and scoring at least seven touchdowns each year along the way. Expectations will be high for the 28-year-old if/when he winds up in New England with the Patriots aiming to repeat the success of 2025.
Monday marks the beginning of the Eagles’ offseason program. As could be expected considering where this situation now stands, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports Brown is absent from the team. The Ole Miss product is not expected to return, meaning he is set to miss voluntary work including OTAs. Mandatory minicamp will not start until after June 1, and Schefter confirms trade negotiations are set to pick up prior to that date. Waiting until after the upcoming draft to add picks in 2027 or ’28 is not seen as an issue, per Schefter.
Garafolo’s colleague Tom Pelissero notes there have not been recent trade negotiations regarding Brown. The Eagles and Patriots (or any other suitor) are free to agree to the parameters of a swap at any time, though, so progress toward an agreement after the draft will be something to watch for. Any trade which is processed after June 1 would spread the dead money associated with the deal across two years and lessen the financial impact of the move for Philadelphia.
Four years remain on Brown’s contract, and he is set to carry a cap charge of $23.39MM in 2026. The Patriots remain near the top of the league in spending power, so absorbing that figure would be easier for them than it would for most other teams considering a high-profile WR move deep into the offseason.
Cowboys, K Brandon Aubrey Agree To Extension
The Cowboys have worked out another market-setting extension agreement. Kicker Brandon Aubrey has agreed to a long-term deal with Dallas.
Team and player finalized a four-year extension on Monday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a $28MM pact, giving Aubrey a position-topping $7MM average annual value. The deal runs through 2030 and includes $20MM guaranteed, which is also a new high mark for kickers. The news is now official.
Aubrey was due to collect $5.77MM in 2026 while playing on the second-round restricted free agent tender. The deadline for RFAs to sign offer sheets recently passed, and with no outside suitors showing interest it was confirmed he would spend at least one more year in Dallas. A long-term deal had been the team’s goal throughout the offseason, although as of one month ago there was still plenty of work to be done on the negotiating front.
Talks heated up over the weekend, according to Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler. He adds Aubrey will collect $10MM in 2026. An extension averaging that much per year had been the target in this case, but Aubrey has still managed to secure a notable payday in line with Dallas’ best offer. The kicker market moved to $6.5MM earlier this offseason, and it has now seen another jump.
Aubrey’s football career only began in 2022 when he took on kicking duties for the Birmingham Stallions. Strong showings in that capacity once again the following year put the former Major League Soccer draftee on the NFL radar. Aubrey joined the Cowboys in 2023 and won out the kicking gig. Since then, he has emerged as one of the league’s best at the position, particularly from long range.
Aubrey, 31, has connected on 88.2% of his field goal attempts during the course of his career, including a remarkable success rate (24-for-27) on attempts of 50 yards or longer. The three-time Pro Bowler has missed just four extra point kicks, and he will be expected to remain a consistent weapon on offense for the Cowboys for the foreseeable future. Maintaining a high-scoring unit will be a goal for Dallas moving forward, and a major commitment to Aubrey will be part of the team’s planning in that regard.
The Cowboys will of course turn their attention to this week’s draft, but today’s news leaves franchise tag recipient George Pickens as the next major in-house priority. A trade is not expected in his case, and a long-term agreement would ensure a presence on Dallas’ offense beyond 2026. In any event, Aubrey will be in the fold for years to come.
Chiefs Re-Sign P Matt Araiza
Matt Araiza will remain in place with the Chiefs for 2026. A one-year deal has been worked out between the punter and Kansas City, per his agents (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network).
Araiza was drafted by the Bills in 2022, but allegations of his involvement in a gang rape incident at San Diego State resulted in his Buffalo tenure being short-lived. The former sixth-rounder was the subject of an investigation, and criminal charges were ultimately dropped. Araiza was also eventually dropped from a civil suit on the matter.
Efforts to return to the NFL led to a Chiefs signing in 2024. Araiza handled punting duties that season, serving as Tommy Townsend‘s replacement. He averaged 48.8 gross yards per punt, with a net average of 41.8. Araiza was tendered as an exclusive rights free agent last spring, setting him up to operate as Kansas City’s punter once again.
Following another full campaign in that capacity, Araiza is now in position to spend a third season with the Chiefs. The 25-year-old averaged 47.6 yards per punt in 2025, and he will be counted on to deliver a similar performance moving forward. Araiza earned the league minimum during each of his first Kansas City seasons, and he is in line to do the same for 2026 (with $1.08MM due to be collected).
The Chiefs entered Monday near the bottom of the league in cap space, and signing their incoming draft class will limit their ability to make major offseason moves through the summer. As a low-cost contributor, however, Araiza will provide continuity on special teams without significantly altering Kansas City’s financial outlook.
Giants Eyeing Mid-Round Pick In Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade?
APRIL 20: A trade involving Thibodeaux is now less likely given the Lawrence blockbuster, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Trade calls have indeed taken place recently, but a strong enough offer has yet to be presented. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan confirms the Giants will not accept a Day 3 pick to move on from Thibodeaux, so he may remain in the fold through at least the draft.
APRIL 18: Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s name has frequently been mentioned in trade speculation, and the draft looms as a logical window for a deal to be worked out in his case. The Giants will be worth monitoring as they weigh their options on the Thibodeaux front.
It was reported in March that the Giants’ preference would be to move on in this case, and it became clear at the Combine the team would be open to fielding offers. No Thibodeaux swap was worked out ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. New York could elect to keep him in the fold to play out his fifth-year option, but a trade remains something to watch for over the coming days.
Casino.com’s Jason La Canfora writes it would be “quite surprising” if Thibodeaux were to still be with the Giants by the end of next week’s draft. A general manager he spoke with said New York hopes to secure a third-round pick in a trade but would be willing to accept an offer of a fourth-rounder. Any return in that range would of course represent a highly underwhelming end to the former No. 5 selection’s time as a Giant.
Thibodeaux has started all 55 of his combined regular and postseason appearances for New York, but his production and playing time has fluctuated across his four NFL seasons. 2025 saw his snap share drop to a career-low 72%, and the Oregon product’s 2.5 sacks were also a personal low. Thibodeaux has played a full campaign only once, and the Giants have a starting edge rush tandem in the form of Brian Burns and Abdul Carter for 2026 and beyond.
Those factors help explain New York’s aversion to a long-term Thibodeaux contract but they will also limit his trade value. The 25-year-old is owed $14.75MM for next season, making him an expensive rental option. An acquiring team could attempt to work out an extension, but doing so could be challenging given Thibodeaux’s career arc to date. Still, an edge rusher at his age could be an intriguing buy-low target for any number of suitors.
The Giants are currently set to experience a wide gap between their second pick (No. 37) and third one (No. 105). Acquiring a third-round selection would help bridge that divide and provide additional draft capital to improve a defense in need of upgrades with or without Dexter Lawrence in the fold.
Aaron Rodgers Unlikely To Inform Steelers Of Plans Prior To Draft
The week of the 2026 draft has arrived, and the Steelers are once again unsure of whether or not their presumed starting quarterback will be in the fold by the start of the season. The future of Aaron Rodgers remains uncertain at this time, and clarity does not appear to be imminent.
Rodgers has been in communication with head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan during recent weeks, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report a formal assurance of suiting up for 2026 has yet to be provided. Pittsburgh is not expected to know Rodgers’ intentions for certain until after the upcoming draft. Owner Art Rooney II previously tapped the draft as a checkpoint for finding out more on this front, but it appears that will not be the case.
The Steelers had hoped to receive clarity with respect to Rodgers in mid-February, which would have been an earlier timeline than in 2025. Instead, another wait lasting deep into the offseason has taken place and it is set to continue. Pelissero points to the start of OTAs as a logical time for Rodgers to make his return to the organization and participate in on-field work. For now, the Steelers are set to begin spring practices without the four-time MVP in the fold.
That will leave Will Howard to take first-team reps this week. The 2025 sixth-rounder has drawn praise from McCarthy and others, although a second Rodgers campaign would leave him short on opportunities to develop in advance of the 2027 offseason when Pittsburgh will need to decide on whether or not a starting-caliber QB addition is necessary. Veteran Mason Rudolph is also in the fold.
Rodgers came into the 2025 season thinking it would be his last. Even with Mike Tomlin stepping aside, the door has remained open to a reunion between Rodgers and McCarthy. The two enjoyed a successful tenure in Green Bay, and McCarthy has welcomed the possibility of spending another year together with the Steelers.
Rodgers is 42, and while the future Hall of Famer offered stability under center in 2025 he would not be expected to operate at level matching his peak years in the event of a Pittsburgh return. It remains a distinct possibility that one will take place, but the team is positioned to once again enter the draft without being sure of Rodgers’ future.
49ers, LT Trent Williams Agree To Deal
The contract impasse between Trent Williams and the 49ers has come to an end. Monday has brought about an agreement on another new accord for the future Hall of Famer.
Williams has worked out a two-year, $50MM deal, per an announcement from his agency. The pact contains $37MM fully guaranteed; that figure includes a $22MM signing bonus. After questions loomed about his future, Williams is now in position to continue his San Francisco career through at least 2027.
The guarantee figures on this pact are nearly identical to the ones included in the 49ers’ most recent offer. It thus comes as little surprise an agreement has been reached, and the left tackle spot is once again secured for the team ahead of this week’s draft. Williams was already on the books for next year, but he was scheduled to carry an untenable cap charge of $46.34MM in 2026 in the absence of a new deal. This new deal will lower his cap hit for the immediate future while offering a fresh round of guarantees.
As of March, a gap existed between team and player with respect to a new contract agreement being reached. That helped fuel speculation about a potential trade, with San Francisco reported to be open to a swap at one point. The Chiefs loomed as a landing spot in such a scenario, but the 49ers remained optimistic an agreement on a new contract would ultimately be reached. Negotiations in the days leading up to the draft have indeed taken a major piece of offseason business off the team’s to-do list.
Williams has been in place with the 49ers since arriving via trade in 2020. The 12-time Pro Bowler has been a mainstay up front over that span, collecting a total of four first- or second-team All-Pro nods in San Francisco. Williams inked a six-year deal worth just over $138MM in 2020, then agreed to a three-year extension in 2024. Retirement questions have become increasingly common for the veteran, who will be 38 by the start of next season. Given today’s news, though, Williams will be expected to remain in the fold for at least two more years.
A consistent presence throughout his 49ers tenure, Williams has ranked between first and seventh among tackles every year in terms of PFF grade since arriving in the Bay Area. Remaining one of the game’s best deep into his career will be key for the team’s offensive line, a unit which has faced a number of concerns at positions other than left tackle over the years. Williams is still one of the nine offensive tackles around the NFL attached to an average annual value of $25MM or more, and this latest pact will take him past $250MM in career earnings.
That figure is comfortably the highest in league history for non-quarterbacks. Williams has managed to secure another notable payday in time for offseason workouts later this spring, while the 49ers will not need to find his immediate replacement in the draft. Continued high-end play on the blindside will be expected for the short-term future as San Francisco looks to make further postseason runs over that span.
Bengals, DT Dexter Lawrence Agree To One-Year Extension
The trade sending DT Dexter Lawrence from the Giants to the Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in this week’s draft also featured a revised contract. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report that Lawrence has inked a one-year, $28MM extension that will keep him under the Bengals’ control through 2028.
A report that emerged in the immediate aftermath of the trade suggested the Giants did make an effort to retain Lawrence even after the Bengals put the No. 10 pick on the table. Paul Schwartz of the New York Post corroborates that report and confirms Big Blue made offers that would have resulted in a sizable raise for Lawrence, which the 28-year-old obviously declined.
Connor Hughes of SNY.tv adds that the Giants’ proposals included an average annual value “near” $28MM, but in exchange, they wanted to add more years to Lawrence’s existing deal (which had two seasons remaining). Per Hughes, Lawrence’s camp did not even make a counteroffer, which – combined with the relatively modest terms of his Cincinnati extension – make it plain that the player simply wanted a fresh start elsewhere.
Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk passes along a full breakdown of Lawrence’s Cincinnati deal. He was due $42MM over the final two seasons of his Joe Schoen-constructed contract, and the $28MM add-on makes it a three-year, $70MM agreement. The $23.33MM average annual value places Lawrence 10th among defensive tackles, just one spot higher than he was before the trade (though he will get some near-term raises; he was previously scheduled to earn $20MM in 2026 and $22MM in 2027, but he is now due $22MM in ‘26, $25MM in ‘27, and $23MM in ‘28, as Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano summarizes).
Lawrence’s potential impact on a Cincinnati defense that has undermined the club’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in recent seasons, together with a financial commitment that does not shoot their new acquisition particularly high up the league’s DT hierarchy, help to justify the Bengals’ uncharacteristic aggressiveness here. That said, league sources still believe the Giants did well to land the No. 10 choice.
Hughes spoke with several coaches who were “stunned” by the return. Those coaches agreed that Lawrence is a very good player but pointed to his age and conditioning as cause for concern, as well as the fact that he needs to be kept on something of a snap count to maximize his production. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan says the Giants themselves were surprised by the strength of the Bengals’ offer, and Raanan’s colleague, Jeremy Fowler, hears no one was going to top it.
Lawrence is coming off a down year – albeit one Schoen partially blamed on the elbow injury the three-time Pro Bowler sustained late in 2024 – and even though their gamble is mitigated to some degree by the nature of the extension, the Bengals are clearly banking on a return to elite form. In a statement issued after the trade became official, director of player personnel Duke Tobin made sure to thank much-maligned owner Mike Brown for greenlighting the transaction and added that he expects Lawrence to elevate the players around him (the full statement is available here, courtesy of SI’s Jay Morrison).
Lawrence is the centerpiece of an offseason defensive overhaul in the Queen City that also includes the additions of Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Kyle Dugger. The Giants, meanwhile, could consider one of the top DT prospects in the draft as a Lawrence replacement, and they now have two top-10 selections to aid in their quest for a return to contention.
Eagles Still Preparing For A.J. Brown Trade
A report from mid-March suggested a trade sending wide receiver A.J. Brown out of Philadelphia is seen as “inevitable,” and no subsequent reporting has offered any real pushback on that notion. Consistent with the prevailing thought on the matter ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (video link) says the Eagles will be navigating this week’s draft as if Brown will be dealt (a post-June 1 transaction has always felt like the most logical move given the dead money charges Philly would incur if it were to consummate a trade prior to that date).
Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports echoes those sentiments and uses GM Howie Roseman’s offseason additions of Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, and Dontayvion Wicks to a WR room that already includes DeVonta Smith (and, for the time being, A.J. Brown) as further evidence that the three-time Pro Bowler will soon be on the move. Robinson hears the Eagles have especially high hopes for Wicks, whom they believe can unlock another level in Philly after showing flashes over his three seasons in Green Bay. Roseman acquired Wicks from the Packers in exchange for two Day 3 selections and then authorized a one-year, $12.5MM extension that keeps him under club control through 2027.
Darlington cautions that his report does not necessarily mean the Eagles will add a receiver in the draft, although they certainly have the ammunition to do so. The club currently holds the No. 23 overall pick as well as three Day 2 choices (Nos. 54, 68, and 98), and prior rumblings have suggested Roseman will be targeting WR help early in the draft. In terms of physicality and skillset, Washington’s Denzel Boston is something of an A.J. Brown comp, and Roseman could consider him with the No. 23 selection, as former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum posits in the above video report.
Obviously, using a premium pick on a wideout like Boston would be yet another indication that a Brown trade is in the offing, but even if Roseman does not make such a move, Darlington would not take that as a sign that Brown will remain in Philly. It still appears the soon-to-be 29-year-old has already played his last snap with the Eagles – as a majority of PFR readership believes – and the Patriots remain the frontrunner for his services.
New England added Romeo Doubs in free agency this offseason, but the reigning AFC champs are squarely within the window of opportunity afforded by quarterback Drake Maye’s rookie contract and have the cap space to absorb Brown’s contract. Even in a down season defined by struggles throughout the Eagles’ offense, Brown managed to catch 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven TDs.