Matt Ryan becomes the NFL’s highest-paid player. Fewer than two months after Kirk Cousins inked a fully guaranteed $84MM deal with the Vikings, Ryan has taken over the moniker of the league’s highest-paid player of all time. Ryan signed a five-year, $150MM extension, and both his new $30MM annual average and $94.5MM guarantee are NFL records. The 32-year-old former MVP had always been expected to land a massive deal, and Cousins’ pact surely set the basis for talks with the Falcons. With Ryan now under contract, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers figures to leap the $30MM annual threshold on his next extension, which Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst says will come “soon.”
Jason Witten retires to join MNF. The Cowboys are now extremely thin at tight end, as Witten last week announced his retirement in order to become an analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. While owner Jerry Jones apparently wasn’t ready for Witten to hang up his cleats, the 36-year-old is expected to earn roughly $4-4.5MM on his new TV contract. Witten, who will follow other ex-Cowboys such as Troy Aikman and Tony Romo into the booth, is leaving the NFL with the fourth-most catches (1,152) in league history. Dallas’ tight end depth chart is now led by Geoff Swaim, Rico Gathers, and rookie Dalton Schultz.
Dez Bryant‘s market shrinking. Speaking of former Cowboys, Bryant has yet to find a new team since being released by Dallas last month. Indeed, there are reportedly “far more” teams unwilling to even pay Bryant the minimum salary than there are clubs open to considering a Bryant addition. Bryant recently turned down a pact from the Ravens, a contract that was reportedly worth something close to $21MM over three years. Instead, Bryant is hoping to secure a hefty salary on a one-year deal that will allow him to hit the open market again in 2019.
Derrick Johnson joins a division rival. After 13 seasons with the Chiefs, Johnson will now be suiting up in silver and black. The 35-year-old is the latest addition to Jon Gruden‘s veteran Raiders roster after agreeing to a one-year deal. While Johnson may not be the All-Pro he once was, he will bring leadership and experience to a weak Oakland linebacker depth chart. It’s unclear if the signing of Johnson will prevent the Raiders from bringing back NaVorro Bowman, but the club did cancel its impending meeting with fellow free agent Brian Cushing.
Timmy Jernigan goes under the knife. The Eagles’ vaunted defensive line has taken a hit, as Jernigan is expected to be sidelined four-to-six months after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc. Even in a best-case scenario, Jernigan’s availability for the start of the regular season will be in doubt. Haloti Ngata will replace Jernigan on the interior, while Michael Bennett also has the ability to play on the inside.