49ers To Sign OL Robert Jones
Robert Jones’ comeback season will come in San Francisco. The veteran offensive lineman is signing with the 49ers, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Jones joined the Cowboys last offseason but suffered a scary injury during training camp when he broke a bone in his neck. That injury ultimately landed the guard on season-ending injured reserve.
More to come…
Details On Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Record-Breaking Extension
The Seahawks didn’t waste time extending their star wide receiver, as the organization inked Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a record-breaking contract this morning. We learned that the four-year, $168.6MM deal would reset the position’s average annual value ($42.15MM) and guarantees ($120MM). Thanks to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, we’ve got more details on the pact.
[RELATED: Seahawks, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Agree To Extension]
The receiver will earn modest base salaries in both 2026 ($1.25MM) and 2027 ($1.53MM) before seeing a significant jump in 2028 ($18.83MM). That number will increase to $19.9MM in 2029, $32.2MM in 2030, and $37.7MM in 2031. The 2028 and 2029 base salaries are guaranteed for injury at signing, and they’ll become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of their respective year’s waiver period.
Secondly, the contract contains lucrative option and roster bonuses. It starts with a $30MM fully guaranteed option bonus for 2027, followed later by a $10MM option bonus in 2029 (guaranteed for injury and fully guaranteed on the fifth day of 2028 waiver period). Smith-Njigba will also earn a $3MM 2031 offseason roster bonus (due on the fifth day of the 2031 league year). And, to top it off, the Seahawks handed the WR a $35MM signing bonus.
The extension is also full of workout bonuses and per-game incentives. The WR will earn $250K workout bonuses each season from 2026 through 2031. The 2026 and 2027 bonuses are fully guaranteed but must be earned, while the 2028 and 2029 bonuses are guaranteed for injury and will become fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the respective year’s waiver period. Smith-Njigba also has consistent $850K per-game roster bonuses (total) between 2027 and 2031. The 2027 incentive is fully guaranteed and must be earned, while the 2028 and 2029 bonuses are guaranteed at signing and will be fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the respective year’s waiver period.
As Florio points out, the contract comes out to $195MM in earnings over the next six years. That would equal out to a $32.5MM AAV, but the new money represents the record-breaking annual average.
The former first-round pick still had two years remaining on his rookie contract (by virtue of the fifth-year option), and the Seahawks were eager to capitalize on those inexpensive commitments before truly breaking the bank over the following four years. It will be interesting to see if teams follow this trend vs. waiting for their WR to complete their fourth season before extending, as the Bengals did with Ja’Marr Chase and the Cowboys did with CeeDee Lamb.
Cowboys Re-Sign CB Corey Ballentine
Corey Ballentine is sticking in Dallas. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the veteran cornerback is re-signing with the Cowboys.
Ballentine had a busy start to his 2025 campaign. After signing with the Colts last offseason, he was cut by the team at the beginning of August. He subsequently caught on for a second stint with the Packers but was among Green Bay’s final roster cuts, leading to him joining the Patriots practice squad. He made his way onto the active roster for a single game before he was cut in late September.
He quickly signed with the Cowboys practice squad, and he proceeded to get into five games with his new organization. He was limited to only 70 total snaps during his time in Dallas, with the majority of those reps coming on special teams.
The 2019 sixth-round pick has bounced around the NFL, with the Cowboys representing his ninth team. Besides some brief flashes as a rookie with the Giants, Ballentine’s most notable stint came with the Packers, including a 2023 campaign where he collected 43 stops, seven passes defended, and an interception.
Ballentine will likely be eyeing a similar ST-centric role in Dallas in 2026. The Cowboys added Cobie Durant to a grouping of CB holdovers like DaRon Bland, Reddy Steward, Shavon Revel, and Caelen Carson. The organization moved on from both Kaiir Elam and Trevon Diggs last season without figuring out a true contingency plan, and perhaps Ballentine could work his way into a role with a strong summer showing.
49ers, Trent Williams Not Close To Agreement On Reworked Contract
Both Trent Williams and the 49ers have some incentive to explore a reworked contract for 2026 and beyond. While recent reports indicated that the two sides could agree to some resolution before the draft, it doesn’t sound like they’ve made up much ground in those talks.
[RELATED: 49ers Will Not Exercise Trent Williams’ $10MM Option Bonus]
According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.com, there remains a “huge divide” between the offensive tackle and the 49ers. One source hinted that a move won’t be made until the 49ers are absolutely forced to make a decision, while another source noted that Williams has no incentive to take a new deal now.
The 49ers passed on Williams’ $10MM option bonus earlier this month, which bumped his $38.84MM cap number to an untenable $47MM. The front office is surely pushing to reduce that number while enticing Williams with future guarantees. However, as La Canfora points out, the offensive tackle doesn’t have much reason to take a contract that reduces his $33MM in 2026 cash earnings. Williams is still attached to the three-year, $82.66MM deal he inked with the franchise back in 2024. While there’s still two years remaining on that pact, it doesn’t contain any guaranteed money beyond 2026.
This stare down can lead to three potential outcomes. The path of least resistance sees the sides agree to an extension that reduces Williams’ 2026 cap number, provides the player with future guarantees, and doesn’t drastically reduce his earning potential for this upcoming season. If the two sides can’t work out a deal, then the 49ers could look to trade the lineman, who would surely have a “robust” market, per La Canfora. However, recent reports indicated that San Francisco didn’t have interest in trading the star OT.
The 49ers could also choose to cut the player, although the organization would surely drag that decision out to the last minute. That scenario would see Williams seeking a landing spot right before the start of Week 1 while risking reduced earnings for 2026. It would make sense for the player to blink before negotiations got to that point, although Williams has a history of making these standoffs uncomfortable.
He famously sat out the entire 2019 season in Washington as a result of failed contract talks, culminating in him being dealt to the 49ers in 2020. He later signed a six-year, $138MM deal with his new squad that made him the highest-paid OL in the NFL, and that aforementioned 2024 extension was a record for a non-quarterback over the age of 35. All the while, Williams has continued to perform as one of the league’s premier offensive tackles, with Pro Football Focus consistently ranking the veteran inside the top-three at the position throughout his 49ers tenure.
While there’s no urgency to complete a new deal today, things will surely heat up if the two sides don’t agree to a revised contract over the next few months. At that point, there will be worthy questions about Williams’ ability to finish his career in San Francisco.
Dolphins Did Not Aggressively Shop Jaylen Waddle; Broncos Inquired After Combine
Sean Payton‘s Saints did acquire Jeremy Shockey via trade (in 2008), but they were known more for jettisoning playmakers than acquiring them in trades. The Saints traded Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills in 2015 and unloaded Brandin Cooks in 2017. First-round picks came back in the Graham and Cooks swaps, with the pick in the latter deal becoming All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk in an impact Saints draft class.
Entering Year 4 in Denver, however, the Broncos held the No. 30 overall pick and carried a roster without many glaring needs — especially since the team completed a host of 2025 extensions before re-signing a handful of free agents. Although the Broncos traded three first-round picks from 2022-23 — for Russell Wilson and then Payton’s rights — they felt comfortable to deal first-, third- and fourth-round picks to the Dolphins for Waddle and a fourth. Waddle joins Courtland Sutton to form one of the NFL’s top receiving duos.
The Broncos inquired about Waddle before last year’s deadline, when the Bills were believed to have come closest to acquiring the speedy wide receiver, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes assistant GM Reed Burckhardt reached out to new Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan after the Combine to initiate talks with Miami’s new regime. This came after, per Breer, interest from other teams emerged in Indianapolis. Though, that interest did not progress too far.
Then-interim GM Champ Kelly held onto Waddle despite a Bills offer believed to include a 2027 first-rounder and a 2026 third, the Broncos also started their second Waddle process with an offer of a 2027 pick. Denver put its 2026 first on the table immediately during talks this offseason, Breer adds, but its initial proposal included a 2027 third-rounder. The Dolphins pushed the Broncos to include their 2026 third-rounder rather than their 2027 third.
No other aggressive suitors appeared to be in play here, per Breer, who notes Broncos GM George Paton trusted Sullivan not to shop Denver’s offer around the league. Paton worked with Jon-Eric Sullivan’s father, Jerry, who was a former Dolphins receivers coach during the current Broncos GM’s time in Miami’s front office. The Bills had also already made their receiver move, sending a second-round pick to the Bears for D.J. Moore and a fifth. Other teams obviously had Waddle on the radar, but it does not sound like anyone rivaled the Broncos’ aggression this month.
The Broncos used a few of their own players — from Patrick Surtain to ex-Auburn QB Bo Nix to former Dolphin safety Brandon Jones — as resources regarding Waddle, with the team contacting Nick Saban on his former charge as well. Surtain, Waddle’s roommate at Alabama, had spoken to others (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans) about a potential trade reuniting the Crimson Tide teammates. Overall, around 15 sources led the Broncos to make this Waddle investment.
Naturally, the Broncos compared Waddle’s value to what could be obtained in free agency and at No. 30 overall. The team ranked 14th in scoring offense last season but 19th in explosive pass rate, according to Sharp Football Stats. Marvin Mims has made impactful plays as a Broncos deep threat, but the team has not regularly trusted the former second-round pick as a receiver. Mims’ increased playoff usage came after both Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant suffered injuries. Franklin and Bryant will see their paths to prominent roles blocked by this Waddle acquisition, while Mims’ future is foggier. The All-Pro return man is in a contract year.
Three years remain on Waddle’s $28.75MM-per-year contract — a deal that looks slightly better after Jaxon Smith-Njigba moved the WR market to $42.15MM AAV today — and the 2021 first-rounder is on Denver’s 2026 cap sheet at just $4.91MM. As our Adam La Rose noted in his most recent mailbag, Waddle’s deal will both line up with Nix’s 2026 rookie-deal salary and the early years of an extension. Nix will likely be extended in 2027, but the Broncos will assuredly backload the deal to keep the QB’s cap numbers manageable in the near future — especially after authorizing many extensions from 2024-25.
The Dolphins now hold Nos. 11, 30, 43, 75, 87, 90 and 94 in the first three rounds of this draft. That is an impressive war chest for Sullivan in his first draft as a GM, though the team did not do well to maximize its draft capital when it tore down the roster early in Chris Grier‘s decision-making run.
Miami, which is not planning to trade De’Von Achane, extracted plenty of value for Waddle. It should not be expected the Broncos extend the high-end trade pickup this year, as that would negate the advantage trading for a through-2028 deal (the Broncos may also be skittish about such a move considering how poorly their summer 2022 Wilson extension aged).
But if Waddle impresses this season, it should be expected his camp will want an update with his new team. For now, though, the Broncos have Waddle and Sutton sitting as the NFL’s 13th- and 19th-highest-paid wideouts.
49ers Meet With G Robert Jones
A 30-game starter in Miami, Robert Jones joined the Cowboys in free agency last year. But the former UDFA offensive lineman suffered a season-nullifying injury, hitting free agency on a low note a year later.
Two-plus weeks into this year’s FA period, Jones remains unsigned. But he is drawing interest. The 49ers met with the veteran guard Monday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The 49ers have Dominick Puni penciled in as their right guard starter, and they signed veteran swingman Brett Toth as a potential LG option. As of now, Toth and part-time 2025 starter Connor Colby would battle for the 49ers’ starting LG position, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch writes. Jones’ visit shows the 49ers still likely have this position on their radar.
No relation to the former Cowboys linebacker of same name, this Robert Jones turned is going into an age-27 season after his lost year in Dallas. Jones suffered a broken bone in his neck in August and ended up on Dallas’ season-ending IR list. The Cowboys had signed him to a one-year, $3.75MM deal with $3MM guaranteed. While that move conceivably put Jones in position to be the Cowboys’ Zack Martin RG successor, the team drafted Tyler Booker 12th overall to pair with Tyler Smith.
Pro Football Focus graded Jones 41st and 35th among guards in 2022 and ’23, respectively, though the advanced metrics site viewed Jones’ 17-game starter season (2024) as less impressive (59th overall). Jones played left guard throughout the 2024 season in Miami, which did not see its Isaiah Wynn signings lead to much work. Jones logged more than 150 snaps at both LG and RG in 2023 and played 431 LG snaps in 2022.
Toth joined the 49ers on a one-year, $2.5MM deal, Wilson adds. The 49ers guaranteed the ex-Eagle $2.22MM at signing. Colby and Nick Zakelj, whom the team re-signed in February, are in place as guard options on a line that returns starters Puni, Jake Brendel, Colton McKivitz and, as of now, Trent Williams.
In other 49ers contract news, their deal with linebacker Luke Gifford is worth $5MM over two years, according to Wilson. Gifford secured $2MM fully guaranteed. Defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu joined the team on a one-year, $2.3MM accord that comes with $1.8MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson adds. Punter Corliss Waitman signed a one-year, $1.29MM deal that includes $475K fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets.
Chiefs Considered Pursuing Anthony Richardson Prior To Justin Fields Trade; Latest On Colts QB
Once Gardner Minshew departed in free agency, the Chiefs found themselves in need of a new backup quarterback. They filled that vacancy with last week’s trade for Justin Fields.
The former Bear, Steeler and Jet will spend the offseason handling first-team reps while Patrick Mahomes continues his rehab process. Depending on how long that takes, Fields could find himself atop the depth chart early in the 2026 campaign. That may have also been true of another quarterback Kansas City showed interest in.
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports the Chiefs “considered” Anthony Richardson when weighing their QB options. The three-year Colts passer was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this offseason, something which came as no surprise. La Canfora’s latest piece echoes earlier ones indicating a limited market exists for Richardson, whose NFL career has certainly not gone according to plan so far.
The Packers have been mentioned as a potential landing spot previously, and a GM voiced an expectation (via La Canfora) Green Bay will be the team that brings in Richardson. The Packers had success with their Malik Willis buy-low transaction, sending the Titans only a seventh-round pick for a player who just landed $45MM guaranteed at signing (from the Dolphins). While the Packers will be in the market for another Jordan Love backup, some around the league pointed to the Jaguars as a potential Richardson destination.
Although the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade (Dolphins to Jets) showed teams can be open to trading starters within their divisions, it is quite rare for such moves to take place. The Joe Flacco (2025), Donovan McNabb (2010), Drew Bledsoe (2002) swaps — which involved supplanted starters or, in the Eagles’ case, soon-to-be replaced starters — show in-division QB deals can happen. But they are extraordinarily uncommon.
The Jaguars have Nick Mullens stationed as Trevor Lawrence‘s backup presently; the Liam Coen-James Gladstone regime brought in the journeyman reserve in March 2025. Richardson, 24 in May, would obviously bring a talent upgrade — albeit one that has struggled for most of his pro career. The Colts look to be through with the former No. 4 overall pick. They separated from the exec who initially championed Richardson — Morocco Brown — last year and have since transition-tagged and extended Daniel Jones. Riley Leonard is in place as Jones’ backup.
Richardson, who starred in Gainesville in 2022, is due a $5.39MM guarantee for 2026. The Jaguars have experience with this type of trade, having sent the Patriots a sixth-rounder for Mac Jones in 2024. Jones played out his rookie deal before signing with the 49ers (two years, $7MM) in 2025, becoming a high-end trade chip after a bounce-back season in San Francisco.
Becoming only the eighth quarterback to complete fewer than 50% of his passes on 200-plus attempts in a season, Richardson has been both erratic and unreliable as a pro. The one-year Florida starter missed missed 13 games with a shoulder injury in 2023 and dealt with multiple issues in 2024. Oblique trouble knocked Richardson out early in the ’24 season, and after a performance-based benching brought a brief midseason Flacco cameo, the aging QB was back at the controls to close the season due to Richardson experiencing foot and back trouble. The 2025 offseason then brought another shoulder issue for Richardson, who then suffered an orbital fracture in the Colts’ locker room.
The latter issue prompted the Colts to bring Philip Rivers out of retirement when Jones suffered an Achilles tear in December. Richardson returned to practice but was not activated from IR. Some teams are concerned about the quarterback’s vision in the wake of the eye injury, according to La Canfora.
Last year, execs pegged the fourth-rounder Lance drew from the Cowboys as realistic for Richardson. But if vision concerns are shared by a number of teams — for a player who has fallen out of favor in Indianapolis — it might be difficult for the Colts to fetch that price. For now, Richardson’s camp can keep shopping. A report of mutual interest between the QB and the Vikings will not produce a move, as Minnesota has since signed Kyler Murray and brought back Carson Wentz.
As for the Chiefs, they have seen Mahomes prove a quick healer in the past. ACL and LCL tears obviously represent the megastar’s most significant hurdle to date, and Fields represents low-cost insurance. The Chiefs are on the hook for just $3MM of Fields’ 2026 compensation. Mahomes does not have a clear timetable yet, but Week 1 is believed to be in play. Fields will follow the likes of Wentz, Chad Henne, Blaine Gabbert and Gardner Minshew as a veteran backup. Late-season starter Chris Oladokun remains on Kansas City’s roster as well.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Patriots To Add T James Hudson
A strange penalty-filled Week 2 outing sidetracked James Hudson‘s Giants season, leading to a release. The veteran tackle, however, will have another chance.
The Patriots are adding Hudson on a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This will check in as a veteran-minimum accord (per ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss), the signing comes after Vederian Lowe joined the 49ers shortly after the legal tampering period began. This will reunite Hudson with Mike Vrabel, a 2024 Browns consultant who helped out with Cleveland’s O-line during his return trip to Ohio.
The Giants gave Hudson a two-year, $12MM deal to become their swing tackle, a position that became more important once it was determined All-Pro Andrew Thomas was not ready to go by Week 1. After making a Week 1 start, Hudson imploded in Dallas. He committed four penalties on one drive; this included two unnecessary roughness infractions. Brian Daboll yanked him midgame, and no notable playing time commenced for the team’s expected third tackle henceforth. John Harbaugh, as expected, signed off on a release earlier this month.
Hudson, 27 in May, had operated as the Giants’ starting left tackle during the preseason and in Week 1. The team benched him for rookie Marcus Mbow in Dallas, and the latter operated as Big Blue’s swingman the rest of the way. Hudson was essentially banished despite a $6MM-per-year contract. He played one offensive snap the rest of the season, completing one of the more unusual campaigns by an offensive lineman in recent NFL history.
Prior to his Giants deal, Hudson played four seasons with the Browns. The former fourth-round pick started 17 games with Cleveland from 2021-24. Most of Hudson’s Browns work came at right tackle, where Jack Conklin battled injuries during most of his time with the team. He played 1,033 snaps at RT from 2021-23 before a 207-snap cameo at LT in 2024. The Patriots will seemingly give the sixth-year vet a mulligan for his Giants misstep, with a swing role — behind starters Will Campbell and Morgan Moses — appearing to be in play.
Lowe worked as the Pats’ primary LT starter in 2024 after having made eight starts on the blind side in 2023. The former trade pickup filled in for Campbell during the first-rounder’s four-game IR stay. The 49ers gave Lowe a two-year, $9.25MM deal two weeks ago. The Pats have tackle-turned-guard Caedan Wallace as a potential swing option, and the team used a seventh-round pick on tackle Marcus Bryant last year. Lorenz Metz and Sebastian Gutierrez are also on New England’s roster at the position, but Hudson brings far more experience.
Bucs To Sign LB Christian Rozeboom
Lavonte David has not re-signed with the Buccaneers, though were the standout linebacker to return in 2026, it would be with Tampa Bay. But the Bucs are adding another starter-caliber linebacker following their Alex Anzalone addition.
The team is expected to sign former Panthers and Rams LB Christian Rozeboom, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets. This is a one-year contract, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman adds.
Playing on a one-year, $2.5MM deal in Carolina last season, Rozeboom kept his Los Angeles momentum going by starting 15 games and making 122 tackles; this line included a career-high seven TFLs. The former UDFA added two sacks, three passes defensed and an interception. Given a starting role in his Rams contract year, Rozeboom could have a shot — depending on what David decides — to be a regular starter for a third team in three years.
A 2020 Rams UDFA out of South Dakota State, Rozeboom stopped through Kansas City in 2021 before returning to play a backup role on the Super Bowl LVI-winning Rams team that year. Backing up Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones in 2022, Rozeboom made five starts in 2023 before making a career-high 135 tackles during an 11-start 2024 slate.
Pro Football Focus ranked Rozeboom outside the top 70 among qualified LBs each year from 2023-25, and no big offers came in free agency during the 2025 offseason. It is unlikely this Bucs pact is worth too much. But it should secure the 29-year-old defender a good shot to at least be Tampa Bay’s third linebacker — should David return. If the 14-year stalwart retires, Rozeboom would be ticketed to start alongside Anzalone.
Ending the Devin White period after four years, the Bucs lost replacement K.J. Britt in free agency last year. They did not see SirVocea Dennis excel alongside David in 2025, and with the potential Hall of Famer playing out another one-year contract, the team needed to act at the position in free agency. Anzalone is on a two-year, $17MM deal ($12MM guaranteed). That virtually ensures the 10th-year veteran will be a 2026 starter. It would seem David or Rozeboom — barring an early-round addition at the position — will primarily play alongside Anzalone in Todd Bowles‘ 3-4 scheme.
Seahawks Match Jaguars’ Offer Sheet For WR Jake Bobo
Last week, Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo signed an offer sheet with the Jaguars. He will not be on the move this offseason, however.
Seattle has matched the Bobo offer sheet, ESPN’s Field Yates reports. The restricted free agent inked a two-year deal with the Jags as part of their efforts to acquire him. The contract included $4.5MM guaranteed, a figure Bobo will now collect without changing teams. This agreement also includes a $1.75MM signing bonus and a maximum value of $7MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds.
The offer’s base value checks in at two years and $5.5MM, according to Spotrac. Of that amount, $3.25MM is due in Year 1. Teams regularly frontload offer sheets to make them more difficult to match, but this low-cost figure did not prove to deter the defending Super Bowl champions. The offer sheet will allow the Seahawks to drop Bobo’s cap number from $3.52MM to $1.22MM, per Spotrac.
Bobo has been a regular presence with Seattle over his three years in the NFL. The former undrafted free agent played 17 games in 2023 and ’24 before adding another 11 appearances this past campaign. Bobo has only registered three starts to date while operating as a depth presence on offense; that will be expected to continue moving forward. He will instead remain focused on making special teams contributions.
This new deal will represent a raise in Bobo’s case while ensuring stability beyond 2026 along the way. The UCLA product was tendered at a rate of $3.52MM in a move which allowed Seattle to match an outside offer sheets. With a two-year contract in place, though, team and player can move forward without uncertainty regarding his Seattle future for next spring.
Brian Thomas Jr, Jakobi Meyers and Parker Washington remain atop the Jags’ receiver depth chart at this point. They also have Travis Hunter in line to handle a part-time workload on offense in 2026. Bobo was set to occupy a depth role in Jacksonville after the team lost Dyami Brown in free agency. Tim Patrick and Josh Cephus remain unsigned at this time, so a different WR may now be targeted.
Bobo will remain in place on a Seattle team which has Jaxon Smith-Njigba attached to a massive extension worked out earlier today. The Super Bowl champions also managed to retain Rashid Shaheed, and expectations will be high in his case after he made a strong impact upon arrival at the trade deadline. Those two, coupled with Cooper Kupp, will lead the way regarding the Seahawks’ passing game. Bobo will look to chip in while handling third phase duties.