2025 February - Pro Football Rumors

Month: March 2025

2025 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 20th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year’s salary cap spike created another opportunity for teams to retain talent, and once the upcoming cap surge (roughly $25MM) produces a number, the 2020 CBA will have produced four straight single-year jumps by at least $16MM. These climbs, which dwarf the per-year jumps the 2011 CBA brought, have both helped teams retain talent and pay for free agents while also ballooning the costs of franchise tags.

That said, last year featured eight players given the franchise tag and one (Kyle Dugger) receiving the transition tender. Illustrating the cap climb’s impact, eight of those nine players landed extensions. None of them occurred near the July 15 extension deadline for tagged players, leaving only the Bengals and Tee Higgins‘ non-negotiations still outstanding by the time the usually action-packed stretch arrived. Higgins is back among this year’s lot of potential tag recipients, but not as many players join him.

We are now in Year 33 of the franchise tag, a retention tool that came about during the same offseason in which full-fledged free agency spawned. With clubs having until 3pm CT on March 4 to apply tags, here is who may be cuffed:

Likely tag recipients

Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals)
Tag cost: $26.18MM

It never made too much sense for the Bengals to pass on tagging Higgins, who would at least — in the event the team would squash Joe Burrow‘s crusade to retain the veteran Ja’Marr Chase sidekick — fetch draft capital in a trade. A second Higgins tag comes in at 120% of his 2024 tag price ($21.82MM). It would be interesting if the Bengals went from not negotiating with Higgins during his four months on the tag last year — and generally being prepared to move on in 2025 — to circling back and paying him a market-value deal, but that does seem to be in play.

Burrow’s push would see the team having roughly $70MM per year allocated to the receiver position; that would squash where even the Eagles and Dolphins have gone for their high-end wideout duos. Higgins, 26, was unable to market his age-25 season thanks to the tag. If the latest rumors surrounding the former second-round pick are accurate, he would be kept off the open market once again. That is a fairly significant window to miss; then again, he would have banked $48MM during that period.

The Bengals are projected to carry more than $53MM in cap space, making this a solution they can afford. But after extensive negotiations with Chase last year and Burrow stumping for Higgins, the team has an important decision to make soon.

Cincinnati has less than two weeks to give Higgins a long-term deal. It would mark quite the about-face to do so. The organization has not seriously negotiated with the WR since the first half of 2023, and even when talks did commence, no proposal came too close to $20MM per year. Those talks predictably broke down, and Higgins’ new price is believed to be around $30MM. With plenty of suitors awaiting — the cap-rich Patriots among them — that would be doable for the 6-foot-4 target, who is coming off a better season compared to his 2023 showing.

Higgins zoomed back to his usual form by hauling in 73 passes for 911 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns; his 75.9 yards per game trailed only his 2021 number (77.9). Higgins, however, missed five games for a second straight season. Hamstring and quad injuries kept Higgins off the field last year, but his market does not appear to have cooled as a result. At worst, the Bengals could fetch Day 2 draft capital in a trade. A first-round pick may be tougher here due to an acquiring team needing to authorize a pricey extension, but teams have been calling ahead of the past two deadlines. Cincinnati still has options, but its Higgins plans will certainly need to be run by Burrow given how much he has stumped for the team to retain the five-year vet.

On tag radar

Sam Darnold, QB (Vikings)
Projected tag cost: $42.39MM

Rumors have not pointed to a clear-cut plan here. At least, the Vikings’ vision for their would-be bridge QB has not become public. But the sides are still talking. Minnesota saw the formerly underwhelming starter break through at 27, taking advantage of the Vikings’ weaponry and Kevin O’Connell‘s ability to coach up quarterbacks. Darnold earned original-ballot Pro Bowl acclaim, throwing 35 touchdown passes (to 12 INTs) and smashing more career-high marks in yardage (4,319) and completion percentage (66.2). Previously in place to hold down the fort while J.J. McCarthy developed, Darnold saw the rookie’s meniscus tear change his Twin Cities outlook.

McCarthy has undergone two surgeries and may have a long way to go in his rehab. As McCarthy went down before playing a regular-season snap, it would make sense for the Vikings to give strong consideration to cuffing Darnold as a pricey insurance measure. On the other hand, the Vikings have a few key performers set to hit the market soon. Byron Murphy, Camryn Bynum and Aaron Jones are moving toward the market. A Darnold cap hold of more than $40MM would clog Minnesota’s payroll ahead of free agency, though the team is projected to carry $63.3MM in space.

Darnold’s late-season letdown undoubtedly factors into the Vikes’ equation, as $42.39MM can be viewed as a bit steep for a player who did not consistently impress in New York or Carolina. But Darnold has proven he can excel in O’Connell’s system. As we detailed on a recent Trade Rumors Front Office post, a multiyear deal for Darnold would not make as much sense; the team still has high hopes for McCarthy. Unless the Vikings plan to entertain the expected trade calls for last year’s No. 10 overall pick, the only way Darnold would stay would be via the tag.

A tag would not be in Darnold’s best interests, as the soon-to-be 28-year-old passer has rare momentum ahead of an offseason featuring several teams with QB needs. A much-criticized draft class at the position would also benefit Darnold, who has been linked to potentially scoring a Baker Mayfield-like deal (three years, $100MM). With the cap now climbing to around $280MM, the seven-year vet could conceivably aim higher. The Vikings hold the cards here in the meantime, as this represents one of the more interesting tag decisions in several years.

Big markets await otherwise

Jevon Holland, S (Dolphins)
Projected tag cost: $20.13MM

Already cutting Raheem Mostert, Kendall Fuller and Durham Smythe to save space, the Dolphins are not expected to roll out a tag for Holland. This would mark a second straight year the Dolphins will send one of the top free agency-eligible players to the market. Miami let Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt walk in 2024; each lineman signed a top-market deal. Holland would be expected to follow suit, as the former second-round pick has started 57 games and is going into his age-25 season. The Dolphins are projected to hold barely $1MM in cap space, mandating more moves ahead of the 2025 league year.

The British Columbia, Canada, native has five career sacks, five picks and five forced fumbles. This comes along with 25 pass breakups. The past two free agencies have seen one safety check in much higher than his peers contractually, with Jessie Bates (four years, $64MM) and Xavier McKinney (4/67) scoring top-five contracts. The latest cap spike will help Holland, who can aim for the $16MM-AAV Bates tier as a floor.

Although PFF viewed Holland as better under Vic Fangio (third overall) than Anthony Weaver (56th), the months-long Miami extension candidate will still do very well if he hits the market. Extension talks with the Oregon alum did not pick up before last season, and the Dolphins appear close to losing another quality starter early in free agency.

Trey Smith, G (Chiefs)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

Over the past 15 years, only two guards have been tagged: Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. Washington cuffed Scherff twice, letting him walk in 2022. New England kept Thuney as a placeholder during a busy 2020 on the tag front. Both players scored then-guard-record deals on the open market. Smith is expected to follow suit, as the Chiefs are viewed as unlikely to apply this pricey placeholder on their four-year right guard starter. Despite having attempted to extend Smith for a bit last summer, the former sixth-round find remains unsigned.

Kansas City looks likely to go left tackle shopping, as Thuney proved overmatched in his final fill-in assignment there, and its four-year LG starter is under contract for one more season. The Chiefs’ four-year, $80MM Jawaan Taylor misstep carries an already-guaranteed 2025 base salary ($19.5MM), thanks to the ex-Jaguar RT being on the Chiefs’ roster last March, and the team handed All-Pro Creed Humphrey a deal that easily made him the NFL’s highest-paid center. Losing Smith may be the cost of doing business, unless the three-time defending AFC champions can craft an 11th-hour solution to keep the 25-year-old Pro Bowler via the tag.

Ronnie Stanley, T (Ravens)
Projected tag cost: $25.8MM

It is highly unlikely the Ravens use the tag here, as they already gave Stanley a pay cut in 2024. That said, Baltimore wants to work something out with its longtime left tackle. Stanley’s injury history also would make a $25.8MM guarantee lofty, but this also could be a placeholder to ensure he does not leave in free agency. The Ravens lost three O-line starters in 2024, and this is the costliest position up front.

Then again, the Ravens faced a similar situation in 2019, and they let C.J. Mosley walk rather than overpay on the tag. The Ravens have used the tag in each of the past two offseasons, but it was to retain younger players (Lamar Jackson, Nnamdi Madubuike). They currently are projected to carry barely $12MM in cap space. As PFF notes, only six players 28 and older have been tagged over the past five years. No player over 30 has been tagged since the Bengals retained A.J. Green in 2020. Green was 32 that season; Stanley will turn 31 in March.

The Garett Bolles–Dion Dawkins–Taylor Decker tier, as our Nikhil Mehta pointed out, may be the place to watch for Stanley, who reestablished momentum last season after playing 17 games for the first time in his career and making the Pro Bowl. He is in position to command a nice third contract. Will it come from the Ravens? After the tag window closes, Baltimore has until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with the nine-year blocker.

Saints To Hire Doug Nussmeier As OC

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Doug Nussmeier is indeed set to continue working with Kellen Moore in 2025. The Saints are hiring Nussmeier as their offensive coordinator, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Earlier this week, it became clear Moore and the Saints were aiming to hire Nussmeier. The two will continue working together in New Orleans as Moore takes on his first career head coaching gig. The Eagles, of course, have already filled their OC vacancy.

Especially after Mike McCarthy was out of the running for the Saints’ head coaching gig, Moore became the top name to watch. New Orleans arranged to speak with him after the Super Bowl, and at that point Nussmeier’s name was mentioned as a strong contender to join Moore in New Orleans. The two have worked alongside each other with the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles (Moore’s previous OC destinations) and that will continue next season.

Nussmeier’s coaching career dates back to 2001, and on five occasions he operated as an offensive coordinator at the college level. This will be the 54-year-old’s first OC opportunity in the NFL, albeit with a familiar face alongside him. Moore has already confirmed, to no surprise, that he will call plays as head coach.

The Saints’ offense features a number of questions at the moment, and the future of quarterback Derek Carr is uncertain as things stand. Even if the veteran remains in place for 2025, strong play up front will be needed in addition to increased efficiency through the air. During Klint Kubiak‘s one-and-done campaign at the helm, New Orleans ranked 23rd in passing yards. A healthy season from Carr (presuming he is not cut or traded) will help in that department, but in any event Nussmeier’s background as a quarterbacks coach will make him a key figure on Moore’s staff for whichever passer the team uses in 2025.

Other moves have been made in recent days as part of Moore’s efforts to quickly build a staff after taking on head coaching duties in the wake of the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. The Saints’ defensive coordinator position has not been filled yet, but attention can now turn in that direction with Nussmeier in the fold.

Chargers Re-Sign DB Elijah Molden

February 20th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Being traded to the Chargers shortly before last season, Elijah Molden became one of the pieces that helped Jesse Minter‘s defense climb to No. 1. The Bolts will keep this partnership going.

Molden is staying in Los Angeles via a new three-year contract, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. The second-generation NFL DB was on the verge of free agency, but the Chargers evidently made him a good enough offer to pass on the open market. The team has since announced the move.

The deal is worth $18.75MM and includes $13.5MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. This checks in just north of the contract fellow Bolts safety Alohi Gilman signed last March, as the Chargers continue to commit resources to the safety position.

The son of former Chargers cornerback Alex Molden, Elijah arrived as a late-August trade acquisition from the Titans. The sent only a 2026 seventh-round pick for the contract-year player, who made Tennessee’s 53-man roster but did not stay long after that deadline. Molden, however, showed growth in L.A. and helped the team rebound to make the playoffs.

Seeing more time at safety, the former Titans cornerback joined Gilman and Derwin James in Minter’s three-safety looks and finished the season with a career-high three interceptions. Molden, 26, also deflected a career-best seven passes while eclipsing his previous best with 75 tackles as well. Grading him much better against the pass than the run, Pro Football Focus tabbed the former third-round pick as the No. 16 overall safety last season.

The Chargers obtained two ex-Titan DB pieces last year, signing Kristian Fulton as well. Molden had joined Fulton as a Day 2 pick during former Tennessee GM Jon Robinson‘s tenure, which was filled with lofty CB investments that did not ultimately satisfy the organization. Although Molden was a regular who saw extensive time in the slot while in Nashville, he topped out at a 68% snap share during his three seasons there. After playing 15 games with the Titans in 2023, a new coaching staff signed off on dealing him. That trade ultimately sent the 5-foot-10 defender to a team that had longer-term plans for him.

This deal comes weeks after Molden suffered a season-ending broken fibula. His absence certainly hurt in a one-sided wild-card loss to the Texans. In signing him weeks before free agency, the Chargers clearly have no concerns Molden will be ready well before next season. This deal also gives the Bolts three veteran contracts at safety, with James still the league’s second-highest-paid player at the position and Gilman having been re-signed (on a two-year, $10.13MM deal) early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure.

The respective free agencies of Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. leave the Bolts with some questions to answer at corner, but they are loaded up at safety ahead of the Harbaugh-Minter combo’s second season. Molden, who joined the Chargers 23 years after his father’s two-season San Diego stay wrapped, will keep going in Minter’s system as the Bolts attempt to hold off the Broncos and mount a legitimate challenge to the Chiefs in the AFC West next season.

Justin Simmons Wants To Stay With Falcons

February 20th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons teamed two of this era’s best safeties last season, signing Justin Simmons to join Jessie Bates. Simmons stayed in free agency for months awaiting the right deal, but the former Broncos All-Pro is headed back to the market soon.

Having agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.5MM, Simmons did better than most of the safeties who became cap casualties last year. The longtime Bronco’s hopes of snapping his playoff drought did not come to fruition, however, with the Falcons missing out. Still, the 31-year-old defender is interested in sticking around under a new defensive staff.

Raheem Morris remains, of course, but the second-year Falcons HC fired DC Jimmy Lake after one season and replaced him with Jets interim leader Jeff Ulbrich. Despite the changes, Simmons wants to stay in Atlanta, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

As Bates continued to justify the four-year, $64MM deal he signed in 2023, Simmons joined him as a starter. The nine-year veteran logged 16 starts for Atlanta. Pro Football Focus did not view the four-time All-Pro’s work favorably under Morris and Lake, slotting him 68th among safety regulars last season. Simmons still intercepted two passes to run his career count to 32. Since Simmons’ 2016 rookie year, that total leads the NFL.

Needing to create cap space while facing the record-smashing Russell Wilson dead money bill, the Broncos released Simmons last March. They brought in ex-Dolphin Brandon Jones, who played well on a three-year, $20MM deal. This lower-cost formula, with the aid of Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, helped produce a playoff berth. Simmons could certainly pursue a team in better position compared to the Falcons on the market, but his days of commanding big-ticket deals are over. The Broncos moved the twice-franchise-tagged safety’s four-year, $61MM contract off their books, and the ballhawk’s 2024 Falcons season probably did not vault him close to that contractual stratosphere.

With a substantial Kirk Cousins dead money hit imminent, the Falcons are not in good cap shape. They are projected to be more than $4MM over the 2025 salary ceiling, even after the Wednesday news of its roughly $280MM landing spot. A cost-conscious free agency appears likely in Atlanta, so it will be interesting to see if Simmons is linked to another team soon. The Falcons, who also have late-summer acquisition Matt Judon due for free agency, have until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with their 2024 safety addition.

Bears Add J.T. Barrett, Anthony Blevins, Matt Giordano To Staff

February 20th, 2025 at 9:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Remembered by most for his time at Ohio State and perhaps by some PFR loyalists for his journeys on and off the Saints’ practice squad, J.T. Barrett is making a move into a key coaching position.

Ben Johnson is bringing Barrett with him from Detroit, and the ex-Lions assistant quarterbacks coach will move up the ladder. Johnson has installed Barrett as the Bears’ QBs coach. The former practice squad arm has been in coaching since being hired on Dan Campbell‘s staff in 2022, and he has quickly climbed the ladder.

As was the case with fellow recent retiree-turned-coach Shaun Dion Hamilton, Barrett joined the Lions as a low-level assistant. Three years later, he is set to be Caleb Williams‘ position coach. Barrett, 30, never appeared in a regular-season game but stuck around with the Saints for the better part of two seasons before joining the CFL’s Edmonton Elks in 2022. A season-ending injury prompted Barrett to hang up his cleats, and he caught on under a rising assistant. He joins Antwaan Randle El as key offensive staffers following Johnson to Chicago.

The Bears are also bringing Anthony Blevins back to the NFL, hiring him as assistant special teams coach. Blevins made some news in 2023 when he left the Giants shortly before training camp to become head coach of the XFL’s Las Vegas Vipers. Blevins never enjoyed the chance to coach the Vipers, as the XFL 3.0 team did not survive to become part of the UFL last year. But Blevins worked with the Birmingham Stallions during the UFL’s debut season.

Blevins has an extensive history in the NFL, having been Bruce Arians‘ assistant ST coach for five seasons in Arizona and then taking the same position for five years with the Giants. The Alabama native will return to the league after a two-season absence.

Joining Blevins as a new hire, Matt Giordano will come over after two years with the Saints. The Bears have the former NFL DB in place as their safeties coach. The nine-year vet began his NFL coaching run in 2023; this will be his second gig in the league. Chicago is also hiring Oregon State offensive line coach Kyle DeVan to be its assistant O-line coach. DeVan, a five-year NFL vet, began his coaching tenure as the Saints’ assistant OL coach in 2015 but has traveled plenty since. The Bears will be DeVan’s sixth employer in the 2020s.

Johnson is not turning over the entire staff, opting to retain a few members from the Matt Eberflus period. Kevin Koch is moving up from the quality control level to assistant linebackers coach. Kenny Norton III is staying with the team as well, remaining a defensive QC staffer. The second-generation NFL assistant is starting his third year with the Bears. Another coach’s son, Zach Cable (son of veteran staffer Tom Cable) is sticking around for a second season as an offensive QC coach. Zach coached under his father with the Raiders from 2018-21.

NFC North Notes: Mack, Lions, Pack, Addison

February 20th, 2025 at 6:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

As Ryan Poles‘ rebuild effort began in 2022, the Bears traded Khalil Mack for second- and sixth-round picks. After three Chargers seasons, Mack is hitting free agency for the first time. The decorated pass rusher showed sustained health in Los Angeles, missing only one game in three years, and earned three Pro Bowl nods. The Chargers want Mack back, but the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes to not rule out a Bears reunion. Mack is heading into his age-34 season and would profile as a decorated but declining rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Although Poles is expected to receive an extension, he is 0-for-3 in playoff berths for a team trying to maximize Caleb Williams‘ rookie-contract window. The Bears will have a chance to add talent, as they are projected to hold more than $69MM in cap space, and Mack would be an interesting bookend piece — even though both the GM and team president roles have changed from when Chicago acquired him in 2018.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

Staying on the Bears, they are not likely to retain Gerald Everett for too much longer. Given a two-year, $12MM deal, Everett followed Shane Waldron to a third team. Waldron was done by midseason as Chicago’s OC, and The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain indicates the veteran tight end will be as well. The Bears gave Everett a two-year, $12MM deal but saw him total just eight catches for 36 yards despite playing all 17 games. By cutting the former Rams, Seahawks and Chargers TE, the Bears would save $5.5MM.
The Lions have announced their coaching staff, and some new names have emerged. The most notable among them, Marques Tuiasosopo will make an NFL return more than 15 years after his playing career wrapped. The former Raiders QB is joining the Lions as an offensive assistant. He comes over after four seasons as Rice’s OC, having previously coached QBs and tight ends at Washington, UCLA, USC and Cal. Detroit also hired Justin Mesa as a quality control staffer, and Caleb Collins and August Mangin are joining as defensive assistants. Mesa spent the past four seasons at Washington State, working most recently as the Cougars’ tight ends coach.
Detroit is also losing two staffers. Director of scouting advancement Mike Martin is heading to Notre Dame to become the program’s GM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. Martin has worked under Brad Holmes throughout the GM’s time in Detroit. Another Lions staffer, Jon Dykema, is leaving for the college ranks. Michigan State is hiring the exec to handle contract management for its athletics programs, ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel adds. Dykema had worked as the Lions’ director of football compliance, staying with the team for 15 years; he will now help the Spartans navigate the NIL waters.
The Packers are adding to Jeff Hafley’s defensive staff. They are bringing in recent Patriots assistant Jamael Lett as a defensive quality control coach, 247Sports.com’s Matt Zenitz tweets. A former staffer at North Carolina and Akron, Lett also spent time as South Alabama’s special teams coordinator. Lett was part of the Pats’ defensive staff under DeMarcus Covington, who is now the Packers’ D-line coach.
Circling back to the player side of the NFC North, Jordan Addison‘s DUI case continues. The Vikings wideout filed a continuance and is set to appear in court, for a pretrial hearing, March 12, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. Addison pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges — stemming from an August 2024 arrest — earlier this year. A suspension would stand to affect his 2025 availability, should this matter be resolved this offseason.

Colts’ Dayo Odeyingbo To Test Free Agency

February 20th, 2025 at 5:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts picked up Kwity Paye‘s fifth-year option last May and then made Laiatu Latu the first defensive player chosen in the 2024 draft. With Samson Ebukam also under contract for 2025, Dayo Odeyingbo may need to find his second contract elsewhere.

The increasingly productive D-lineman is nearly three weeks from free agency, and although the Colts have been a retention-heavy organization (as 2024 especially showed) under Chris Ballard, the veteran GM said last month a philosophical shift would be in play. As of now, Odeyingbo is heading into free agency likely to test the market.

“I love being here, but it’s also a business and things change,” Odeyingbo said, via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins. “There’s anxiousness about the unknown. There’s excitement, obviously, looking at a new contract and being able to continue to play in the league. It’s just a blessing to be able to even talk about free agency, to have the opportunity to either leave or come back.”

As Gus Bradley‘s defense struggled once again, Ballard had acknowledged he had put too many resources into his D-line — at the expense of his second and third levels on defense. The Colts have struggled to identify corners beyond Kenny Moore for a bit, and their Shaquille Leonard extension did not pan out. The team started the 2021 draft with two D-linemen, despite having traded a first-rounder for DeForest Buckner in 2020, and have seen both blossom into regulars.

Playing both defensive end and D-tackle during his rookie contract, Odeyingbo impressed as it progressed. The former second-rounder tallied eight sacks in 2023, helping the Colts to 51 as a team, and notched 17 QB hits in each of the past two years. Playing more at D-end last season (one Ebukam missed with an Achilles tear), Odeyingbo only added three sacks. Still, he should generate a fairly competitive market. It will be interesting to see if a Colts team that has Buckner and Grover Stewart signed for two more seasons apiece and Latu inked for at least three more years pays up to keep another D-line regular — after the spree of re-signings and extensions last year.

With Ballard potentially set to deviate from his long-held build-from-within plan, the team may make some cuts to clear cap space. Former third-round pick Jelani Woods would not bring too much in the way of savings, but Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes the injury-prone pass catcher is likely on the way out after missing the past two seasons. Tyquan Lewis, who has signed four Colts contracts, is also a candidate to receive his walking papers, Chappell adds. Cutting Lewis would save Indianapolis $4.55MM, while waiving Woods would add $1.44MM.

Right tackle cornerstone Braden Smith also missed the final five games of last season, dealing with an unspecified personal issue. The Colts could save $16.75MM by cutting their longtime RT, though the team also has starting center Ryan Kelly and RG Will Fries headed to the market. Overall, Indy is projected to carry just more than $35MM in cap space. Then again, the team has not been big free agency spenders under Ballard.

Saints Promote Phil Galiano To STC

February 20th, 2025 at 3:59pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Saint are promoting Phil Galiano to serve as special teams coordinator on Kellen Moore‘s new staff, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Galiano joined the Saints in 2019 as an assistant special teams coach under coordinator Darren Rizzi. After Rizzi left New Orleans to reunite with Sean Payton in Denver, Galiano became the obvious candidate to take over the Saints’ special teams operations. He has an extensive history with Rizzi, so the Saints will maintain some continuity on special teams heading into 2025.

Galiano has 25 years of coaching experience across the college and pro ranks. He served in a variety of roles at the college level, including a three-year stretch as FIU’s defensive coordinator and three different stints at Rutgers, where he coached several different position groups and even spent a year as the director of recruiting in 2015.

In the NFL, however, Galiano has focused on special teams. He was the Buccaneers’ assistant special teams coach in 2012 and 2013 and a special teams intern with the Dolphins in 2016. Galiano spent the next two years at Penn State, first as a defensive consultant in 2017, then as a special teams coach and assistant defensive line coach in 2018.

Rizzi then recruited Galiano to join him in New Orleans after the two overlapped on coaching staffs at Rutgers and in Miami. Rizzi was Rutgers’ special teams coordinator from 2002 to 2007 while Galiano was a defensive assistant. They worked closely together in Miami, where Galiano was an intern on Rizzi’s special teams staff.

Moore has now filled two of his three coordinator spots in addition to a variety of assistant roles. The Saints are still deciding on their next defensive coordinator, with ex-Chargers head coach Brandon Staley considered a favorite for the job.

Steelers Expected To Draft DL Early

February 20th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers are currently set to return their defensive linemen rotation from 2024, but it’s an aging group that will require reinforcements this offseason.

Of the linemen who played at least 100 snaps last year, just three – Keeanu Benton, DeMarvin Leal and Isaiahh Loudermilk – will be younger than 30 when the 2025 season starts. Of the same group, only Benton, Leal and Cameron Heyward are signed through 2026. Heyward will be 37 when the 2026 season starts, making retirement a serious possibility.

As a result, the Steelers are expected to take a defensive linemen early in April’s draft, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, especially if they move on from Larry Ogunjobi as DeFabo predicts. The veteran defensive tackle is due a $3MM roster bonus on March 15, along with a $4MM base salary for the 2025 season. Releasing him before the new league year would save $7MM in 2025 cap space with a $3.5MM dead cap hit.

Such a move would push defensive line depth further up the Steelers’ list of priorities. They have the cap space to compete for a top free agent like Osa Odighizuwa or Milton Williams, but they have been more focused on finding a starting quarterback for next season.

That could push them to use a high draft pick to add from a strong DL draft class. There could be as many as 24 starting-caliber prospects at the position, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). Such a deep class could allow the Steelers to wait until Day 2 to draft a defensive linemen, though a first-round pick seems to be in play as well.

Pittsburgh has used Day 2 picks on defensive linemen in two of the last three drafts: Benton in the second round in 2023 and Leal in the third in 2022. Barring a major addition in free agency, the team is likely to continue their pattern and spend a premium pick to solidify the short- and long-term future of their defensive line.

Seahawks Still Want To Re-Sign Ernest Jones

February 20th, 2025 at 1:14pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Seahawks paused extension talks with Ernest Jones at the end of the regular season, but they’re still looking to re-sign the 25-year-old linebacker for 2025 and beyond.

“Obviously we want Ernest back,” said general manager John Schneider (via Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic). “Some guys, at some point you can get too close to the end of the season where they want to see what free agency looks like. So, now they can go out and see what their market is, and understandably so.”

Schneider’s comments indicate that Jones is intent on testing a linebacker market that also features Nick Bolton and Zack Baun, both of whom played key roles in their teams’ respective runs to the Super Bowl. If their demands skyrocket due to their postseason pedigree, Jones would likely be a less expensive option while still earning a top-10 linebacker contract.

However, after a tumultuous 2024, Jones may prefer to stay in Seattle where he knows he is wanted. He was traded twice last year: first from the Rams to the Titans in August, then to the Seahawks at the trade deadline. In Seattle, Jones “immediately meshed with teammates and coaches and was an obvious part of the team’s defensive turnaround,” per Dugar. He took over wearing the green dot and calling plays for the defense, demonstrating his long-term potential in Mike Macdonald‘s scheme.

Most signs indicate that both sides would benefit from continuing their partnership, but, as usual, the decision will come down to the dollars and cents.

Current projections from Dugar and Pro Football Focus (subscription required) estimate that Jones will receive a three-year contract with an APY around $12MM. That would make him the seventh-highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, though contracts for Bolton and Baun could certainly push Jones down to ninth. That’s still solid value for a former third-round pick who was traded twice in his contract year. If another team comes in with a bigger offer – perhaps similar to Patrick Queen‘s three-year, $41MM contract – Jones may opt to chase the money and roll the dice on playing for his fourth different team in the last calendar year.

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