Minor NFL Transactions: 4/1/25

Today’s only minor move in the NFL:

Carolina Panthers

Although Blackshear didn’t get much run on offense as RB3 behind Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders in 2024, and despite the addition of Rico Dowdle and the health of Jonathon Brooks for this upcoming season likely pushing him to RB4, the signing of Blackshear shores up an important position on special teams for the Panthers.

Blackshear served as Carolina’s regular return man on kickoffs and punts. In a year where the league was trying out something new with the kickoff rules, Blackshear led the NFL with 31 returns. He added 17 punt returns in 2024, as well. He ends up returning to Carolina after the team chose not to tender him as a restricted free agent a month ago.

Rams Discussing Extension With Kyren Williams

The Rams will begin preliminary talks on an extension for running back Kyren Williams with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, at annual league meetings this week, per The Athletic’s Jordan Rodrigue.

General manager Les Snead said that the team wants to “engineer a long-term partnership” with Williams, who is entering the last year of his rookie deal. The 2022 fifth-rounder only carried the ball 35 times as a rookie before taking over a starting role in 2023.

Since then, Williams has been the focal point of the Rams’ rushing attack. In 2023, he led the NFL with 95.3 yards per game, earning a selection to the Pro Bowl. His efficiency went down in 2024 with significant drops in success rate and yards per carry, but he still finished with the seventh-most rushing yards (1,299) and the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (14) in the league. Across the last two seasons overall, Williams has rushed for 2,443 yards and 14 touchdowns, which both rank among the top three running backs in the NFL.

Williams will be looking to capitalize off of that production, as well as an increase in the running back market over the last year. From a negotiating standpoint, he may look at his league ranks and aim for a top-three APY at the position. That would push Williams’ initial demands over $14MM per year, a number that Los Angeles would likely be hesitant to match this offseason.

The Rams’ current valuation for Williams’ extension is different than his own asking price, per Rodrigue. He has only one full season under his belt after landing on injured reserve with ankle sprains in each of his first two years in the league. The former Notre Dame standout is a solid receiver with 66 catches in the last two years, but he doesn’t profile as a pass-catching weapon out of the backfield like some of the league’s highest-paid running backs.

Snead indicated that Williams could enter the 2025 season without a new deal, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of an extension in the future.

“If it doesn’t happen this year, it doesn’t mean that Kyren is not going to be a part (of) next year, doesn’t mean that we don’t do something a year from now,” he said (via Rodrigue).

As a result, the Rams will likely keep a close eye on Williams’ health and efficiency in 2025 as they continue negotiations. His Pro Bowl selection upgraded his 2025 salary to $5.35MM via the Proven Performance Escalator, per OverTheCap. Combined with his $78k signing bonus proration, his cap hit will be $5.42MM, though an extension could reduce that number by $3.4MM.

Cardinals Reunite With DL Calais Campbell

The Cardinals are signing six-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Calais Campbell to a one-year deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The signing, which was confirmed by Cardinals team reporter Darren Urban, will bring Campbell back to the team that originally drafted him. The 38-year-old is set to earn $5.5MM in 2025 with an additional $2MM available via incentives, according to Schefter and Rapoport.

Campbell entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent weighing retirement against a return to the field for his 18th season in the NFL. He had offers from the Dolphins and the Ravens, but chose to return to Arizona where he started his career as a second-round draft pick in 2008. All three options offered familiarity; Campbell spent his college career and the 2024 season in Miami, and he also played in Baltimore from 2020 to 2022. The Cardinals, however, are closer to Denver, where he was born and raised.

Campbell is the Cardinals’ second addition to their defensive line this offseason. They signed Dalvin Tomlinson in March to join Dante Stills and Bilal Nichols in the trenches. Campbell will give Arizona a four-man rotation to which they can still add via the draft.

Campbell’s departure leaves the Dolphins precariously thin along the interior of their defensive line. Zach Sieler and Benito Jones are the only returning starters from last year’s unit.. Neil Farrell and Matt Dickerson combined for just 11 appearances and 80 defensive snaps. That will likely force Miami to scour the league’s remaining free agents and invest in at least one defensive lineman in April’s draft, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

The new contract will bring Campbell’s career earnings over $150MM, per OverTheCap, the third-most of any defensive linemen in NFL history. He has remained an effective defender into his late-30s, with 17.0 sacks and 26 tackles for loss since 2022.

Titans Re-Sign Justin Hardee

The Titans have re-signed special teams ace Justin Hardee to a one-year deal, as first reported by FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz and confirmed by senior team writer Jim Wyatt.

2024 was Hardee’s first year in Tennessee, where he appeared in nine games with 185 snaps exclusively on special teams. He will take up a similar role in 2025 under new special teams coordinator John Fassel, according to Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick.

Originally a wide receiver at Illinois, Hardee converted to cornerback as an undrafted rookie in 2017. He didn’t make the Texans’ 53-man roster, but carved out a special teams role in New Orleans where he made 14 appearances. He remained with the Saints through the 2020 season, playing a handful of snaps on defense while continuing as a core special teams contributor.

Hardee’s reliability on special teams earned him a three-year, $6.75MM contract with the Jets in 2021. He played in every game in his first two seasons, but missed six games in 2023 due to a hamstring injury that landed him on injured reserve. Hardee was also named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2022.

He then signed with the Browns in 2024, but was released during final roster cuts. He bounced around a few practice squads – first in Cleveland, then in Carolina – before signing with the Titans at the end of October.

As an eight-year veteran, Hardee will receive a salary of at least $1.255MM. His success on special teams throughout his career could earn him a better contract with a higher base value and/or additional guarantees.

NFL Owners Approve Expanded Replay Assist, Amended OT Format

Tuesday brought about a number of rule changes to be enforced starting in 2025. Among them are an expansion to the use of replay assist, along with a tweak to the overtime format.

It was known well in advance of this week’s league meetings that consideration would be given to broadening the use of replay assist. To no surprise, then, the league has committed to doing so. Expanded use of video replay to help on-field officials was experimented with in 2024, and that will continue next year, as detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

As a result, penalties issued for calls such as roughing the passer, intentional grounding and unnecessary roughness are now subject to review (without a coach’s challenge being needed). Video officials can correct calls by nullifying penalties when clear evidence overturning the original decision exists. With that said, today’s changes do not allow for penalties to be issued upon review for plays where no flag is thrown.

The NFL recently amended playoff overtime rules to ensure both teams receive the ball at least once in the extra frame. That change brought about the expectation it would soon be duplicated in the regular season. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes both teams will have possession even in the event of a touchdown being scored by one of them in regular season contests.

In spite of that tweak, OT during the regular season will still consist of a 10- (rather than 15-) minute quarter. That could result in time constraints for the second team to receive the ball depending on how long the first team’s touchdown drive lasts. Nonetheless, the result of the coin toss at the beginning of the extra frame will carry less weight in the wake of today’s change.

These two changes come on the same day that the NFL’s dynamic kickoff was approved on a full-time basis (with touchbacks being moved up five yards to encourage further upticks in the rate of returns). Consideration to amending onside kicks will take place later this offseason; the same is also true of the tush push play.

Cowboys Willing To Make Micah Parsons NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB?

As of last week, it appeared as though no extension offer had been made by the Cowboys to Micah ParsonsThat has apparently changed, and the team is willing to go to record-breaking lengths to get a deal done.

Dallas has submitted an offer which will make Parsons the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback, Clarence Hill Jr. of All DLLS reports. That title currently belongs to receiver Ja’Marr Chase, whose Bengals extension averages $40.25MM per year. Amongst edge rushers in particular (and defenders in general), Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett leads the way at $40MM annually.

Interestingly, Hill adds an agreement is in place following a meeting between Parsons and owner Jerry Jones. Serious extension talks were not believed to have ocurred prior to this latest update. A sticking point with respect to a contract being signed, however, is the fact the summit between Jones and Parsons did not involve the latter’s agent, David Mulugheta. No talks with Mulugheta present have taken place since the Combine, per Hill.

“Some guys want to visit,” EVP Stephen Jones recently said when speaking about Parsons’ situation (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “And some guys don’t want to visit about their money. We respect both ways. But if players want to come in and talk to us, we got an open-door policy, whether it’s Jerry or myself. Micah likes to visit, so that’s a good thing.”

Jerry Jones confirmed on Tuesday that multiple meetings with Parsons have occurred and that an agreement is in place on several contract-related fronts (h/t ESPN’s Todd Archer). Nothing is imminent at this time, however. Nevertheless, it is clear considerable progress has been made toward ensuring the 25-year-old remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

Parsons has racked up between 12 and 14 sacks each year to date. He is under contract for 2025 as a result of the team’s decision to pick up his $24.01MM fifth-year option, but a long-term pact will of course be much more expensive. The four-time Pro Bowler has been attached to an asking price of $200MM on his extension, although it is unclear how long such a pact would be. Hitting that total on a five-year deal would match Garrett’s AAV; if the Cowboys are indeed prepared to move Parsons to the top of the defensive pecking order, though, his new deal will need to be shorter or reach an even higher total value.

The Cowboys made a pair of monster long-term commitments in Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb last offseason. It quickly became clear a new Parsons accord would need to wait until 2025, and the Penn State product’s initial goal of working out a deal before free agency was pushed back to training camp. Given today’s development, hitting that new target certainly seems feasible.

The team has previously spoken to Parsons about attending voluntary workouts this spring. On that point, new head coach Brian Schottenheimer said (via Archer) he expects that to be the case. Dallas’ offseason program begins April 7, and Parsons attending could represent another sign an agreement is close.

Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin Remain In Contact

APRIL 1: When speaking at the league meetings on Tuesday, Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed (via Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) “signs are pointing in that direction” with respect to a Rodgers deal being worked out. He added the team is still willing to wait for Rodgers at this point, although that will not be the case forever (h/t Pryor).

MARCH 31: We may not be any closer to Aaron Rodgers signing in Pittsburgh, but all signs continue to point to the quarterback joining the Steelers. While speaking with reporters today, coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that he’s remained in contact with Rodgers since their in-person meeting on March 21 (via Mark Maske of The Washington Post).

[RELATED: Steelers Have No Timeline For Aaron Rodgers Deal]

While Tomlin acknowledged that he didn’t have any new updates on the public flirtation between the two sides, he did reiterate that there isn’t any urgency for a resolution. Following reports from yesterday that training camp would represent the “line of demarcation” for the organization, Tomlin said he’s “really comfortable with being unsettled this time of year” (via Maske).

Tomlin also talked about his meeting with Rodgers, noting that he was happy to speak with a long-time competitor.

“There’s no substitute for intimacy and spending time together,” Tomlin said (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). “[G]etting to know one another in a non-competitive environment.”

As Rodgers considers his next move, Tomlin isn’t the only Steelers employee he’s been talking to. According to Garafolo, the QB had a throwing session with recent acquisition D.K. Metcalf. Garafolo suggests this could simply be a part of Rodgers’ process as he evaluates the potential landing spot, but it could also be the determining factor before the player puts pen to paper.

Considering the Steelers’ lack of free agent options and Rodgers’ dearth of remaining suitors, the two sides seem to be a natural pairing. While the assumption is that they’ll eventually link up, the organization seems to be proactively planting the seeds in case a contract doesn’t come to fruition. While speaking with reporters today, Tomlin said the Steelers would be comfortable heading into next season with Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback.

“That’s why we brought him back,” Tomlin said (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I’m comfortable with that. We’ve been there before. He’s a very capable guy.”

Of course, the Steelers got a look at Rudolph as a starter during his first stint in Pittsburgh, as the former third-round pick went 8-4-1 as a starter between 2019 and 2023. Rudolph didn’t fare nearly as well during his 2024 stay in Tennessee (1-4 as a starter), but the Steelers were still confident enough in his ability to bring him back on a two-year deal. Skylar Thompson is the only other QB currently on the Steelers roster.

Vote On Tush Push Ban Postponed

In the build-up to Tuesday’s vote on banning the so-called ‘tush push’ play, it was clear opinions were split on the matter. That opened the door to a vote being tabled for the future, which has indeed taken place.

No vote will be held on banning the play today, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. That comes as little surprise considering where things stood entering the final day of the league meetings. Reports from Russini as well as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz noted there were not enough votes present to approve a ban, leading to the expectation of a delay.

The Eagles and Bills have enjoyed considerable success with the tush push, but Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was among the Competition Committee members in favor of banning the play. Debate on injury risk and the specific wording of the proposal sparked debate on both sides prior to the scheduled vote, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. In all, a 16-16 split existed between the two sides, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Like with all other rule changes, at least 24 votes will be required to ban the play. In other words, those in favor of doing so will need to use the coming weeks to secure at least eight more votes and move forward with a ban. As Russini notes, today’s decision could allow for the wording of the rule regarding the play to be tweaked, something which could sway opinions one way or the other. The tush push could remain in place for 2025, but the door is open to the play being fundamentally altered depending on how the pending vote shakes out.

In May, owners will convene for the next round of meetings. Coaches and general managers will not be present (unlike now), though, and it will be interesting to see how many minds are changed between now and then about supporting or banning the tush push. Maintaining the status quo, eliminating the play or tweaking it remain options at this point.

NFL Approves Kickoff Tweaks; Vote On Onside Kick Adjustments Postponed

APRIL 1: As expected, owners approved the proposed amendment to tweak the kickoff setup (h/t Dianna Russini of The Athletic). Touchbacks will be moved up to the 35 starting next season as a result. No decision was made with respect to amending onside kicks, meanwhile; the vote on that front will take place in May.

MARCH 29: When the league meeting kicks off tomorrow, one of the topics of discussion will be related to the dynamic kickoff instituted on a trial basis for 2024. The expectation remains that the new setup will be made permanent, albeit with a few alterations.

The competition committee has proposed moving forward with the dynamic kickoff alignment on a full-time basis, as detailed by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. That comes as little surprise, as indications from last month pointed to such a move. In response to dwindling kick return rates, the NFL adopted the XFL-style setup for one year; a spike in the frequency of returns took place, but not to the extent that many predicted.

[RELATED: Owners Likely To Discuss 18-Game Schedule]

32.8% of kickoffs produced a return in 2024, and the competition committee’s latest proposal aims at increasing the figure moving forward. The committee has officially proposed moving the point of touchbacks up from the 30-yard line to the 35, as first reported by Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The league projects a return rate between 60% and 70% as a result of that tweak, which the owners will discuss in the coming days.

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones wrote earlier this month the league could consider not only moving up the spot for touchbacks but also altering where kickoffs take place. Moving kickers back five yards could have helped achieve the goal of fewer touchbacks, but, per Jones, a view exists around the league that many would still be able to reach the end zone even with that tweak. While moving touchbacks will receive consideration, it does not appear the same will be true for pushing back the location of kickoffs.

In past years, teams have proposed alternatives to the increasingly-challenging onside kick. For 2025, however, no fourth-and-15 or fourth-and-20 ideas will be on the table (h/t Maske). Many have viewed an offensive alternative to onside kicks as being too gimmicky, and that likely remains the case at this point. As Jones notes, the NFL will contemplate tweaking the existing onside kick rule to allow all members of the team attempting an onside kick (rather than just the kicker) to line up on their 30-yard line. That one-yard difference could help the success rate of the play to a small extent.

As things stand, teams can only attempt an onside kick during the fourth quarter, but that too could soon change. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports writes the owners will vote on allowing teams to declare their intention at any point in a game, provided they are trailing at the time. He predicts that measure – along with the aim to formalize dynamic kickoffs and move up the touchback spot – will be ratified.

At least 24 of 32 owners will need to support any change for it to pass at the upcoming meeting. If all goes according to plan, multiple special teams plays will have slightly different rules in play for 2025 and beyond.

Raheem Morris: Falcons Open To Trading Kirk Cousins

Much of the discussion related to the Falcons’ offseason revolves around Kirk Cousins‘ future. The team has repeatedly stated a willingness to keep the Pro Bowl quarterback in place as a backup, but head coach Raheem Morris left the door open to a parting of ways on Monday.

Cousins has made it clear he wants a change of scenery after one year in Atlanta. The 36-year-old old inked a four-year deal to join the Falcons last offseason, but he was benched late in the year in favor of first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. The latter is set to handle starting duties moving forward, but Atlanta’s decision to keep Cousins in the fold past the vesting date of his $10MM 2026 roster bonus helped confirm he will not be released.

That leaves a trade as a possibility, although Cousins will not waive his no-trade clause until after the draft takes place later this month. Doing so will help him avoid a repeat of last year’s situation (where he was caught off guard by the decision to draft Penix), but it could limit the number of suitors in play to acquire him. When speaking about the Cousins situation on Tuesday, Morris noted the team would be on board with dealing him under the right circumstances.

“There’s definitely a human side when you want to see him go out and be the best version of himself,” Morris said (via Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams)“This is not a thing where we’re holding you back if the opportunity presents itself. If it’s something that’s good for both of us — it’s good for the Falcons and Kirk Cousins — we certainly would like to see that happen.”

Finances will be a challenge to work out between Atlanta and an acquiring team. Cousins is owed $27.5MM next season, and offset language in his pact means the Falcons could pass on at least some of that figure (along with the $10MM locked in for next season) to his new team. Especially after the draft has taken place, though, most NFL teams will have their 2025 starter in the fold. That will limit the Falcons’ opportunities to swing a deal. If retaining funds winds up being required to pull of a trade, Josh Kendall of The Athletic predicts the team will be willing to do so (subscription required).

The Browns have frequently been named as a team to watch on the Cousins front, given the presence of a familiar face in head coach Kevin Stefanski. A recent report noted a strong push to acquire the former Viking should not be expected at this time, however. As Kendall’s colleague Dianna Russini notes, though, a Cousins-to-Cleveland move would not come as a surprise given the ongoing discourse around the subject (video link). Barring another veteran acquisition under center, the Browns will remain a potential suitor worth monitoring.

To no surprise, Morris added in his remarks that he does not expect Cousins to attend voluntary OTAs. That has been expected on the team’s part, Underdog Fantasy’s James Palmer confirms. A holdout later in the offseason when mandatory minicamp and/or training camp take place would of course be more notable, provided Cousins is still on the Falcons’ roster in the summer. If an appropriate arrangement can be made regarding a trade, though, that may not be the case.