Bucs GM: Team Seeking Long-Term Future With Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers do not have a history with long-term quarterback partnerships. No one has started more than six years with the franchise at the game’s premier position.
The team’s longest-tenured starting QB is Vinny Testaverde, a former No. 1 overall pick who left in free agency in 1993. Trent Dilfer was also a six-year Buc, leaving in 2000 as a free agent after an injury-shortened 1999 season. Doug Williams lasted five years, but a messy dispute with ownership led to the future Super Bowl MVP’s 1983 exit — after five years in Tampa. Super Bowl XXXVII starter Brad Johnson played four seasons with the team.
Although Ryan Griffin never started a game in Tampa, he is technically the longest-tenured QB in franchise history — at seven years (2015-21). Baker Mayfield is contracted for one more season — which will be his fourth in Tampa — but the club has designs on moving the former No. 1 pick into position to become its longest-tenured quarterback.
Rumblings about a Mayfield extension emerged at multiple points this offseason, and while negotiations do not look to have begun, GM Jason Licht said during a WDAE appearance (h/t Fox Sports’ Greg Auman) the quarterback’s situation is “at the forefront of our minds.” Licht added “nobody here wants Baker playing for any other team.”
Mayfield’s three-year, $100MM deal includes a $39.98MM cap number for 2026. The Bucs made the decision to guarantee $30MM of Mayfield’s 2026 compensation last summer, providing security for a player who has rejuvenated his career during his time in Florida. Two void years are on the contract; if the Bucs do not extend Mayfield by the start of the 2027 league year, they would owe $30.15MM in dead money in 2027.
That number approaches the penalty the Bucs received on their 2023 cap after Tom Brady‘s second retirement. Mayfield arrived in the wake of the three-year Bucs QB1’s decision, with the team staying away from a big-ticket investment due largely to the Brady dead money. Mayfield joined the Bucs on an incentive-laden contract that provided only $4MM in base value. After a bounce-back 2023 season, Mayfield signed his three-year deal on the eve of the ’24 free agency period.
Mayfield then posted better numbers under Liam Coen in 2024, throwing 41 touchdown passes and completing 71% of his throws. The QB regressed last season, seeing his yards per attempt fall from 7.9 in 2024 to 6.8 in ’25; Mayfield also completed just 63% of his passes. The Bucs, though, trudged through an injury-plagued season that featured extensive missed time from skill-position players — including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving — and O-linemen. The Bucs, who replaced OC Josh Grizzard with Zac Robinson this offseason (with input from their quarterback on the hire), are ready to give Mayfield another chance.
While the Licht-era Bucs have regularly had key starters play out contract years and re-signing them either before or during the following free agency period, it would be a bit surprising to see Mayfield not extended before Week 1. The 31-year-old passer would be an attractive UFA in 2027 were the Bucs to pass on an extension.
Tampa Bay currently has Mayfield on a wildly team-friendly accord, with his AAV checking in 16th among QBs. The Colts giving Daniel Jones a two-year, $88MM deal probably will factor into Mayfield’s Bucs negotiations. While only two teams — the Packers (Aaron Rodgers) and Cowboys (Dak Prescott) — have authorized $50MM-per-year extensions for QBs past their 30th birthdays, Mayfield will be a candidate to at least come in above Jones on his next contract.
Sam Darnold‘s camp will be taking notice of how the Bucs and Mayfield proceed. Although the Bucs would have a franchise tag at their disposal if they are unable to extend Mayfield, that pricey number along with the $30MM-plus dead cap figure — in the event the former Heisman winner does ultimately relocate next year — arms the fourth-year Tampa Bay starter with some leverage ahead of his talks. It will be interesting to see what numbers emerge once serious discussions begin.
Dolphins Release LS Taybor Pepper, Waive P Seth Vernon
An eight-year veteran long snapper, Taybor Pepper signed with the Dolphins in March. But his tenure with the team will be short-lived. The Dolphins released Pepper on Monday.
Miami also waived punter Seth Vernon, cornerback Isaiah Johnson, tight end Zack Kuntz, cornerback Jason Maitre, edge rusher Derrick McLendon and linebacker K.C. Ossai. The Pepper and Vernon moves provide some early clarity among Miami’s special teams units. Johnson, who played in four Dolphins games last season, was waived with a failed physical designation, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
The team gave Pepper a $1.3MM deal with no guarantees in mid-March. Pepper, 31, had not played in a regular-season game since the 2024 season. The longtime 49ers long snapper lost his Bay Area job to former Texans mainstay Jon Weeks in March 2025. Miami’s move clears the way for Tucker Addington, who snapped for the team in three 2024 games, to hold the job. Though, we are four months away from the season.
Addington, 28, has only snapped in 10 career games. Pepper is at 100, serving as the 49ers’ LS from 2020-24. Pepper also snapped in every Dolphins game in 2019.
It is unusual for a team to nix a competition so early in offseason workouts, but it is possible the Dolphins bring in another snapper to compete with Addington. Miami used Joe Cardona as its long snapper in 2025, but he committed to the Rams on Day 1 of free agency. The Steelers waived Addington last August; he did not snap in 2025. Cardona, an 11-year veteran, signed a two-year Rams deal that included $2.1MM guaranteed.
The Dolphins signed veteran Bradley Pinion to be their punter in mid-March, giving him a one-year deal that included $1.26MM fully guaranteed. Vernon entered the league as a Falcons UDFA in 2022 but did not unseat Pinion for the Falcons job that offseason. His pro game action has come in the UFL; the Michigan Panthers used Vernon as their punter in 2025.
Steve Wilks Joins Appalachian State Staff
Steve Wilks‘ nomadic 2020s will continue with a move back to the college level. Fired in his first year as Jets defensive coordinator, the veteran NFL staffer is heading back to his home state.
The North Carolina native is joining the Appalachian State staff as a special athletics assistant, the school announced. Wilks played at Appalachian State from 1987-91, moving into the coaching ranks not long after that tenure. Wilks, 56, last worked for his alma mater in 2001, when he served as the Mountaineers’ DBs coach. Appalachian State is a Division I-FBS school that currently plays in the Sun Belt Conference.
Wilks has yoyoed between the NFL and college ranks over the past decade and has not been in the same job for two consecutive seasons since his Panthers DC tenure ended after the 2017 campaign. Wilks moved from Charlotte to Arizona in 2018, becoming the Cardinals’ HC, going 3-13; he then served as Browns DC under Freddie Kitchens in 2019. After spending the 2020 season out of football, Wilks was Missouri’s DC in 2021.
The 2022 and ’23 seasons brought increased Wilks relevance, with the veteran staffer returning to the league. He served as the Panthers’ interim HC that season, righting the ship with a 6-6 record after the team started 1-4 under Matt Rhule. The 49ers hired Wilks as DC in 2023 and played even with the Chiefs for five quarters, but after holding up for most of the game, San Francisco’s defense caved to allow a game-tying Kansas City field goal and overtime walk-off touchdown. The 49ers fired Wilks soon after, and he served as an advisor at Charlotte — an AAC school — in 2024.
The Jets’ defense tumbled far from its Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich place under Wilks and Aaron Glenn last year, and the first-year HC dismissed him in December. No team interviewed the four-time NFL DC, whose class-action discrimination lawsuit (along with Brian Flores and Ray Horton) is close to proceeding to open court, this offseason. The book may not be closed for Wilks in the NFL, but he is heading back to the college ranks for the third time this decade.
Packers To Release QB Desmond Ridder
On Monday, the Packers identified their new backup quarterback in the form of Tyrod Taylor. With a deal being worked out on that front, a corresponding move will see an incumbent Green Bay signal-caller let go.
The Packers are releasing Desmond Ridder, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. As a result, the team is set to move forward with a trio of passers on the books. Jordan Love is still positioned to operate as Green Bay’s starter, while Taylor will serve as the backup. Kyle McCord remains in place as a low-cost QB3.
Ridder has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Falcons in 2022. A four-game run to close out his rookie season set up an extended look atop the depth chart for the following year. Ridder was unable to develop as hoped, though, and he was traded to the Cardinals in 2024. His time in Arizona was short-lived, with his only regular-season game time that year coming as a member of the Raiders.
In 2025, Ridder saw time with the Bengals and Vikings before joining Green Bay late in the year as injury insurance. The 26-year-old was due $1.22MM in salary for the coming campaign, but none of it was guaranteed. As a result, the Packers will save that amount with this release without taking on any dead money charges. The funds saved from cutting Ridder will of course help offset the cost of Taylor’s deal.
With much of free agency and now the draft in the books, many teams around the NFL have sorted out their QB depth charts. That will make it challenging for Ridder to line up his next gig, and he may remain on the open market for an extended period. In any case, he will look to find a new home no later than the start of training camp during the summer.
Ravens Sign QB Skylar Thompson
The Ravens are expected to add a fifth quarterback to their offseason roster. Skylar Thompson is expected to be added among Lamar Jackson‘s backups, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Ravens have since announced the signing.
Thompson, who spent last season on the Steelers’ practice squad injured list, will join a crowded Ravens QB room. The team re-signed Tyler Huntley — Thompson’s former Dolphins teammate — and added Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano as UDFAs.
Teams do not regularly carry five QBs, pointing to one potentially being jettisoned before training camp, but Thompson has found another gig nearly 18 months after being given a Steelers reserve/futures contract. Thompson, 28, has made four NFL starts (counting a 2022 wild-card game in Buffalo) and appeared in 10 contests.
Miami drafted Thompson in the 2022 seventh round. While the Kansas State product entered that season as the Dolphins’ third-stringer, injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater forced him into action. Thompson took over for an injured Bridgewater — after a concussion sidelined Tagovailoa — in October 2022 and then needed to play again late in the season. Thompson, who started the Dolphins’ Week 6 game that season, returned for a Week 18 start after another Bridgewater injury. He then struggled in a 34-31 loss to the No. 2-seeded Bills in the wild-card round.
The Dolphins did not need any Thompson starts in 2023, but he did beat out Mike White for Miami’s QB2 job in 2024. However, the Dolphins brought in Huntley after Thompson struggled in relief of Tagovailoa early that season. Thompson then made his way to Pittsburgh in January 2025, but an injury intervened months later.
Huntley’s QB2 job appears safe; the Ravens gave their multi-stint backup a $3.5MM guarantee. Pavia is set to compete with Fagnano — who played at Maine and UConn — for the third-string position, Eric DeCosta said during a WBAL appearance (h/t ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley). The Ravens held their rookie minicamp over the weekend, and it is worth wondering if Thompson insurance came up after the duo’s early work. It would stand to reason Thompson will be vying for the QB3 gig with Pavia and Fagnano. Pavia received no guaranteed money, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Pavia finished as last season’s Heisman runner-up, dazzling at Vanderbilt. He has also become somewhat of a polarizing prospect, standing 5-foot-9 and not exactly come off as a mature presence on social media. The Thompson signing likely shortens Pavia’s leash with the Ravens.
Packers To Sign QB Tyrod Taylor
Since Malik Willis departed in free agency, the backup quarterback spot has been a question mark for the Packers. A veteran QB2 has been identified by the team, though.
Tyrod Taylor has agreed to a deal with Green Bay, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. He is now in position to handle backup duties behind Jordan Love for 2026. Taylor spent the past four years in New York, splitting that time between the Giants and the Jets.
Willis impressed during his limited starting action in Green Bay, which led to a notable free agent pact with the Dolphins. His departure left the Packers with Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord in place to compete for the backup gig over the course of the offseason. Those two are still on the roster for now, but Taylor’s arrival will bring considerable experience to the fold for 2026.
A Ravens draftee in 2011, Taylor handled backup duties over the course of his rookie contract. Since then, the former sixth-rounder has put together a journeyman career featuring stints with the Bills, Browns, Chargers and Texans prior to his four-year spell in New York. Taylor was open to remaining with the Jets on a new deal this offseason, but noting materialized on that front. Indeed, ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes it became “increasingly clear” recently there would not be a re-signing in this case.
Taylor totaled five starts in 2023 and another four this past season. In all, the 36-year-old has amassed 62 starts and 100 appearances during the regular season. A full-time starting opportunity has not been available for quite some time now, and that will of course remain true barring a Love injury in 2026. Nevertheless, Taylor should provide the Packers with a higher floor than what Ridder or McCoy would have.
Ridder joined Green Bay’s practice squad late last season with Love and Willis managing injuries. The former Falcon and Raider is owed $1.22MM in 2026, but none of that figure is guaranteed. Similarly, none of McCord’s $885K in scheduled compensation is locked in. The Packers moving on from at least one of the two at some point this offseason will be something to watch for now that Taylor is place.
Green Bay entered Monday with over $20MM in cap space. This Taylor contract will no doubt be a low-cost deal covering the 2026 campaign, so it should not alter the team’s other plans as the spring continues.
Rams Hire Phil Savage As Consultant
The Browns were not the only team to add a former GM before the draft. As Cleveland brought in Tom Telesco and Trent Baalke to help with its two-first-rounder itinerary, Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora notes the Rams added Phil Savage to their personnel department.
Savage, the former Browns GM and Jets interim front office boss, joined the Rams in late March. This hire came after the team traded the No. 29 overall pick to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie.
[RELATED: Grade Rams’ Ty Simpson Draft Decision]
An Alabama native who spent six-plus years as the executive director of the Senior Bowl, Savage worked under Joe Douglas with the Jets from 2019-24. The team hired the veteran exec as a senior personnel advisor in 2019 and kept him on to steer the ship in the final weeks of 2024, with Douglas fired during that season. Savage, 61, also remained with the team as a consultant in 2025.
Savage working with the Jets’ new regime may have been beneficial for the Rams, with at least one NFL exec connecting the dots (via La Canfora) ahead of the NFC West team surprisingly choosing Ty Simpson 13th overall last month. Savage having knowledge of the Jets’ inner workings certainly did not hurt as the Rams determined who their top competition would be, and the Alabama native’s extensive time in Mobile with the Senior Bowl and with the Crimson Tide as a broadcaster for a while may have helped push the Simpson-L.A. connection past the goal line.
Moreover, an exec informed La Canfora that Savage was high on Simpson during the pre-draft process. The Rams were loosely connected to the one-year Alabama starter, with a report indicating the team liked the quarterback but not at No. 13. The team’s McDuffie trade was viewed as one likely to send Simpson elsewhere — perhaps to Arizona or New York — but the QB revealed post-draft he met in secret with Sean McVay at points. The Rams do not hold “30” visits, making it harder to gauge their interest level in certain prospects.
The Rams viewed the Cardinals as a threat to take Simpson, believing their NFC West rivals held heavy interest. Hence, the team’s decision not to risk losing Simpson by trading down from 13. Les Snead helped Simpson determine if he would enter the draft or stay in school, with a $6.5MM NIL deal from Miami — which wanted him to replace Carson Beck in 2026 — being extended. Snead, who had known Simpson’s father from their SEC playing days, had been in on the QB since the fall.
Savage debuted in the NFL as a Bill Belichick assistant in Cleveland back in 1991, later teaming with Alabama icon Ozzie Newsome in the Ravens’ front office. His various Alabama ties may well have contributed to the Rams determining this was the correct window to acquire their Matthew Stafford heir apparent.
QB Anthony Richardson Reports To Colts Workouts
Anthony Richardson was absent from the beginning of the Colts’ offseason program. After two weeks away from the team, though, things have changed.
Richardson has reported to the Colts for today’s work, ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports. Today’s development comes shortly after Indianapolis made the expected decision of declining the former No. 4 pick’s fifth-year option. As a result of that move, Richardson is a pending 2027 free agent.
It came as little surprise when team and player were apart from each other at the beginning of voluntary workouts. Richardson requested a trade earlier this offseason, and with Daniel Jones atop the depth chart Indianapolis could stand to move on in his case. As general manager Chris Ballard recently confirmed, however, no trade calls were made during last month’s draft. An extended Richardson waiting period could thus be in store.
All work between now and June’s minicamp is voluntary. Richardson will now be in store to participate in team drills as he awaits clarity on his future. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has totaled only 15 starts through three seasons in the NFL, with injuries and inconsistent play when on the field defining his Colts tenure. That will hinder Richardson’s stock in any potential trade, and many teams added to their QB depth charts by selecting a signal-caller on Day 3 of the draft (or earlier, in a few cases).
Ballard has suggested the Colts could keep Richardson in the fold through 2026, and the nature of the Florida product’s trade market will be worth watching as the offseason unfolds. Riley Leonard looms as Indianapolis’ QB2 in the event Richardson winds up being dealt. It remains to be seen when or if that will take place, but suitors could of course emerge if injuries strike during practices around the league.
Richardson is owed $1.15MM in salary for the coming season. He could be viewed as a low-cost option for teams seeking a developmental passer or a one-year rental as a result. Otherwise, on-field preparation for a fourth season in Indianapolis will begin today.
Chiefs Waive QB Jake Haener, Two Others
With rookie minicamps and tryouts taking place, many teams around the league will see roster turnover across the coming days. The Chiefs have made a number of moves.
Kansas City added three players to the roster on Monday, per a team announcement. Three more were waived in corresponding moves. Quarterback Jake Haener, along with defensive tackle Zacch Pickens and undrafted rookie Ethan Hurkett have been let go.
Haener entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2024. He made eight appearances and one start as a rookie but did not see any regular-season action in 2025. In January, Haener was offered a futures deal from New Orleans but joined the Chiefs instead. Kansas City has since traded for Justin Fields, though, adding to the team’s QB depth while Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from ACL and MCL tears.
Pickens was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft by the Bears. He spent two seasons in Chicago but failed to survive roster cuts this past summer. That resulted in a practice squad deal with Kansas City, and Pickens made three appearances for the Chiefs in 2025. Hurkett went undrafted last month, and he was among the 20 players Kansas City signed shortly after the draft concluded.
With the roster spots created by those three departures, the Chiefs have signed receiver Xavier Loyd, defensive back Marlen Sewell and offensive tackle Kahlil Benson. Those rookies will join the others still in place for Kansas City in competing for a role during spring practices.
Eagles Likely To Make S Addition
The safety position has seen plenty of movement so far this offseason in the case of the Eagles. At least one more move could be coming.
Philadelphia lost Reed Blakenship to the Texans in free agency. The team also moved on from Sydney Brown by trading him to the Falcons. While the Eagles have since brought back veteran Marcus Epps and added special teams veteran J.T. Gray, another addition could be coming during the post-draft period of free agency.
“You go into this understanding that you’re going to come out of it with not everything perfect, but [Eagles officials] probably have a different vision of our safety room than maybe it is publicly,” general manager Howie Roseman said (via The Athletic’s Zach Berman) when reflecting on the draft. “But that’ll all sort itself out. We don’t play our first game until September.”
The Eagles have Andrew Mukuba, Michael Carter II and seventh-round rookie Cole Wisniewski in the fold along with Gray and Epps as things stand. PhillyVoice’s Geoff Mosher predicts the team will bring in a starting-caliber player between now and Week 1. With free agent deals no longer counting against the compensatory pick formula, movement over the coming days could pick up as veterans line up deals with new teams.
The list of safeties on the market was recently thinned out by Justin Simmons‘ retirement. Still, a number of experienced producers are available this deep into the offseason. The likes of Donovan Wilson, Ashtyn Davis, Xavier Woods and Taylor Rapp are unsigned at this time. Any of them could be acquired on a low-cost deal covering the 2026 season. The trade market running through roster cutdowns in the summer will provide Roseman and Co. with another opportunity to add in the secondary.
The Eagles currently have nearly $28MM in cap space. Their financial situation will of course change in the expected event A.J. Brown is traded after June 1, but there will still be plenty of available funds during the summer if a safety acquisition is sought out.