HEADLINES

Month: March 2025

Darius Slay Wants To Retire After 2025 Season, Open To Lions Return

February 20th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

FENRUARY 20: During an appearance on the St. Brown Podcast (video link), Slay repeated that his preference would be to remain with the Eagles for 2025, the final year of his pact. In the event his time in Philadelphia were to come to an end, though, the former Lion added his next choice would be to return to Detroit. Slay spent his first seven years in the Motor City, and especially if Carlton Davis were to depart in free agency the Lions could be in the market for a cornerback addition. That will of course be a moot point if the Eagles retain Slay for next year.

FEBRUARY 5: Eagles cornerback Darius Slay‘s current focus is winning the first Super Bowl of his career, but he has already thought about his plans for the 2025 season and beyond.

The 12-year veteran would like to play one more season before retiring, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, and he’d prefer to finish his career in Philadelphia.

“Next year will most likely be my last,” said Slay during Super Bowl media availability. “I would love for it to be with the Philadelphia Eagles.”

The eight-time Pro Bowler is still playing at a high level despite his age, though 2024 was his first interception-less season since his 2013 rookie year. He has missed eight games due to injury over the last two seasons, including a four-game absence in 2023 due to knee surgery. By the time the 2025 season ends, Slay will be 35 years old, making retirement a natural next step.

Slay’s comments indicate that a return to Philadelphia next season is not a certainty, though his contract would make it difficult to move on. After renegotiating his deal in 2023, his 2025 cap hit comes in just under $13.8MM, per OverTheCap, an affordable price for a starting boundary corner. A release before the new league year would force the Eagles to account for $22.7MM as a dead cap hit in 2025, a difficult proposition considering their cap situation and need to sign key pending free agents like Zack Baun. A post-June 1 release would allow the Eagles to spread Slay’s dead cap hits between 2025 and 2026, but they would also have to pick up his $16.1MM option bonus and account for it as dead money.

As a result, the best option for both sides seems to be Slay playing out his contract in Philadelphia as he desires. The Eagles could then restructure his deal to allow for a post-June 1 retirement designation, as the Rams did for Aaron Donald to spread out his remaining dead money.

Jon Feliciano Intends To Retire; OL Open To Midseason Return

February 20th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

After being unable to play in 2024, Jon Feliciano is set to end his career. The veteran offensive lineman announced on Thursday that he is hanging up his cleats (albeit with a caveat).

Feliciano was with the Raiders from 2015-18, and his first trip to free agency saw him sign with the Bills. The former fourth-rounder operated as a full-time starter during his three Buffalo seasons, although each of the latter two saw him limited to just nine games. A single campaign with the Giants was followed by Feliciano playing for the 49ers in 2023.

The Miami product made 15 appearances and seven starts for San Francisco that season, but a knee injury suffered during training camp this past summer made he clear he would not be able to suit up at the beginning of the 2024 campaign. The rehab process did not go according to plan, and in November Feliciano was shut down for the year. While he is leaving the door open to a return late in 2025, he is now mainly turning his attention to his post-playing days as a result.

After months of weighing my options, I realized I had to leave the game,” Feliciano’s announcement reads in part. “The fire is still there, but I know I can’t last a full season and can’t bring myself to let people down… That being said, Buffalo or [San Francisco], I’ll be ready for a playoff run in December if you need me.”

The Bills’ O-line has been one of the league’s best over the past two yeas, and none of their starters are pending free agents. The 49ers, by contrast, could be in the market for interior additions during the offseason and underwhelming play from that unit (or injuries, of course) could leave the door open to a Feliciano signing. For now, though, it can be assumed he has played his last snap in the NFL.

The 33-year-old has amassed 125 combined regular and postseason appearances during his career, with 70 of those being starts. Feliciano has earned nearly $24MM to date, and that figure could still increase if he winds up signing with the Bills or 49ers late next season. Failing that, however, he will close the book on his NFL tenure.

Texans Open To Re-Signing Stefon Diggs

February 20th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Adam La Rose

Stefon Diggs‘ Bills tenure came to an end last offseason with the trade which sent him to the Texans. Houston immediately agreed to restructure the All-Pro wideout’s contract, putting him on track for 2025 free agency.

As a result, Diggs’ debut Texans campaign doubled as a ‘prove it’ season as he looked to rebuild his value. Those plans came to an abrupt end midway through the year due to his ACL tear, though. The injury has no doubt hindered Diggs’ market, and questions linger about whether or not another Texans pact will be in order.

Houston already has Nico Collins attached to a $24.25MM-per-year deal along with fellow starter Tank Dell on his rookie pact for another two seasons. The latter’s ACL tear has his 2025 availability in doubt, however, so the Texans could stand to bring back Diggs on at least a short-term deal. When speaking about the subject, general manager Nick Caserio made it clear nothing has been ruled out at this point.

“I had a good relationship with Stef and his representation,” Caserio said during an interview on Sports Radio 610. “We enjoyed having Stef in the building, so the door is always open… We’re going to be open-minded and work through the process here. Things will probably pick up over the next few weeks.”

Diggs topped 1,000 yards each season between 2018 and ’23, and during his brief time in the Texans’ lineup he posted 496 yards and three touchdowns. The 31-year-old could be counted on to serve as an experienced Collins complement in 2025 on a new pact, but given the nature of the receiver free agent market (one which is now unlikely to include Tee Higgins) Diggs could draw interest from at least a few outside teams. After securing a Bills extension with an annual average value of $24MM, the four-time Pro Bowler will be hard-pressed to approach that figure on his next pact even with an unexpected rise in the salary cap coming.

Robert Woods is also a pending free agent, and his departure coupled with Diggs finding a new team would leave the Texans in need of replacements at the receiver spot. The likes of Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie could find themselves handling increased roles in 2025, but that will depend in large part on how things play out with Diggs in the build-up to free agency.

Ja’Marr Chase Eyeing $40MM AAV

February 19th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Ja’Marr Chase was already expected to reset the wide receiver market when he inks his next contract. However, it’s sounding like the Bengals star could soar past the field.

[RELATED: Bengals Seeking Long-Term Deal For Ja’Marr Chase]

According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Chase is expected to command at least $40MM per year on his next deal. This average annual value would easily put the WR atop his position, and it would even rival some QB contracts.

It was less than a year ago that the top of the wide receiver market settled in at a $30MM AAV, with Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Brandon Aiyuk joining Tyreek Hill at that milestone. Jefferson ended up earning the highest average of the bunch, as his four-year extension came in at $35MM per year. At the time, it was expected that Chase’s next deal would approach or slightly top that pact, but it’s now sounding like the Bengals WR has his eyes set on an even larger pay day.

Jefferson currently leads all non-QBs in AAV, with the $30MM-plus group also consisting of a handful of defenders (including Nick Bosa and Chris Jones). Chase’s targeted $40MM AAV would place him tied for 15th in the entire league, with that number matching Matthew Stafford‘s annual earnings and topping the likes of Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, and Derek Carr.

While both Chase and the Bengals made some progress on extension talks last offseason, they couldn’t agree to a deal before their self-imposed deadline of Week 1. The two sides did not engage in contract talks during the 2024 campaign, and there’s now a bit more urgency with Chase entering the final season of his rookie contract. While the organization has made it clear all along that they’re prioritizing a new deal for the star wideout, that may be easier said than done.

In addition to Joe Burrow‘s once-record-breaking deal, the Bengals are also navigating Tee Higgins‘ impending free agency. A recent report indicated that the front office was planning to hit Higgins with the franchise tag for a second-straight offseason, a move that would lock them into a relatively affordable $26.2MM commitment for the 2025 campaign. The Bengals could also hit Chase with the franchise tag in 2026 and 2027, which would buy the organization even more time to figure out their financials.

While there’s a chance the Bengals just look to roll with their star trio for one more season, there have been genuine rumblings that they’re trying to keep all three players for the long haul. In that case, Burrow, Chase, and Higgins would cost the team at least $120MM per season, even if the QB is willing to hand back some money.

Eagles Promote Kevin Patullo To OC

February 19th, 2025 at 9:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Saints showed interest in multiple Eagles staffers for Kellen Moore‘s new OC, Philadelphia will protect one via promotion. Kevin Patullo will replace Moore as OC, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports. The Super Bowl champions have since announced the move.

A true Eagles OC search does not look to have transpired, pointing to the team’s confidence in Patullo. While the Eagles’ last internal promotion at OC (replacing Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson) failed, Patullo — rumored as a Saints OC option early in that search — will be called upon to step in for Moore.

One of Nick Sirianni‘s hires when he arrived in Philly in 2021, Patullo has been the team’s pass-game coordinator for four seasons. Although he did not leapfrog Johnson to become OC once Steichen took the Colts’ HC job in 2023, he will make the move up after an Eagles job search that never appeared to take shape. Patullo also came up during the Jets and Ravens’ OC searches in 2023 but was not on the carousel in 2024, as a collapse defined the Eagles’ 2023 season.

The Eagles needed to have conducted an interview with at least one external minority to comply with the Rooney Rule, but they are not the only NFC power to move quickly on a candidate without having performed a thorough search. The Lions hired John Morton soon after losing Ben Johnson. Patullo will replace Moore, who rebuilt his stock after a down Chargers season. While Moore will walk into a Saints situation that features plenty of questions, Patullo will take the keys to an offense that just stampeded past the Chiefs to win Super Bowl LIX.

Philly is expected to lose QBs coach Doug Nussmeier to the Saints, as Moore’s new OC, but they will not see both offensive staffers leave. Nussmeier also has much closer ties to Moore than the team, having worked with the ex-Cowboys QB in Dallas and Los Angeles. Patullo, 43, has come up through the coaching ranks under Sirianni and Frank Reich.

Reich hired Patullo as his wide receivers coach to start his Colts tenure in 2018, and he held that role for two years before transitioning to a pass-game specialist in 2020. Sirianni brought Patullo with him to Philly in 2021, immediately installing him as pass-game coordinator. Patullo worked under Steichen for two years, as the Eagles transitioned to a run-oriented attack midway through the 2021 season before seeing Jalen Hurts display tremendous growth as a passer during an MVP-caliber 2022 season. After the Eagles took a step back in 2023, Moore, Patullo and Co. retooled the offense once again this past season.

The Eagles did not ask Hurts to operate as a passer on the level he had in 2022 and ’23, with the Saquon Barkley signing transforming Philly’s ground attack. The team ran roughshod over the Commanders in the NFC championship game, and although the Chiefs did well to minimize Barkley, the Eagles received a sharp game from Hurts in an MVP performance that included TD passes to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and a Super Bowl QB record 72 rushing yards.

Despite the Eagles’ step back under Johnson in 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane indicates the team wanted continuity for Hurts, who has trained in four offensive schemes over his first five seasons. Also transferring in college, Hurts has seen significant change on his coaching staffs in that span. Sirianni had Patullo pegged as his preferred Moore successor once he found out the Saints hire was imminent, McLane adds, lending to the non-search here.

The 2025 season will mark Patullo’s first crack as a play-caller at any level, but McLane adds he was involved with that process under Moore. Still, this will be a notable storyline to follow in Philadelphia, as Moore carried five seasons of play-calling experience into last season. Sirianni gave up play-calling duties midway through the ’21 season and will not be expected to reclaim them, as this formula has now produced two Eagles Super Bowl berths and a runaway title.

Beyond the Patullo move, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds the Eagles are planning to hire Parks Frazier to fill Patullo’s old job. Philly’s new pass-game coordinator is best known for the half-season he spent as Jeff Saturday‘s Colts play-caller, as others turning the job down led to Indianapolis’ assistant QBs coach to take the role. Frazier, 33, worked for the 2-15 Panthers in 2023 (as pass-game coordinator) as for the Dolphins as an offensive assistant last season.

While Frazier will step back into a prominent role, the Eagles have ensured continuity under Sirianni in the form of Patullo moving up and acclaimed O-line coach Jeff Stoutland remaining in place as run-game coordinator. Frazier worked with Sirianni under Reich for three seasons in Indianapolis, though he topped out on the quality control level during that time.

‘Several’ Teams Contact Rams On Matthew Stafford; QB Targeting Raise?

February 19th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

A popular talking point ahead of free agency has centered around this year’s quarterback options — both in terms of veteran FAs and the rookie crop — not being overly impressive. If the Vikings use the franchise tag to keep Sam Darnold off the market, the top prize would be off the board. In that scenario, monitoring the Rams may become necessary. Teams are already closely watching this situation.

Matthew Stafford‘s name has come up as a potential trade candidate for a bit, and Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports several teams have indeed called the Rams on the veteran passer. The Rams did shop Stafford when he was coming off a multi-injury 2022 but have since seen him reestablish form as a top-10 QB, helping the team to back-to-back playoff berths.

GM Les Snead did not exactly slam the door on Stafford being moved, but Schultz indicates Sean McVay and others inside the organization want the QB retained. The Rams need to identify a post-Stafford answer at some point, but with Aaron Donald retired and Cooper Kupp appearing set to be traded, this remains a Stafford-centered franchise. This creates some leverage for the talented quarterback, who remains tied to a team-friendly contract.

Stafford is indeed seeking a pay raise that would place him closer to the top 10 earners at the position, according to Schultz. This would be an interesting component for Los Angeles, which thus far has only been linked to another restructure. A Stafford push for better guarantees last year did not yield a major win for the QB, who saw the Rams move $5MM from future years into 2024 and had them insert a $4MM 2025 roster bonus as part of that agreement. Even at the time of signing the four-year, $160MM deal, Stafford left money on the table to help the Rams build around him. With the pillars from that point gone or leaving, the NFL’s current 15th-highest-paid player may be angling for a final payday.

When Stafford signed his Rams extension in April 2022, the $50MM-per-year club consisted of only Aaron Rodgers‘ complex Packers contract, one the team traded a year in. There are now nine $50MM-AAV passers, including a few who have not displayed Stafford-level form to date. QBR slotted Stafford sixth in 2023 and 12th in 2024, with both years featuring Kupp injuries; 2024 also brought an extended period without Kupp and Puka Nacua, which nearly submarined the Rams’ season. Stafford helped the team revive it, going from 1-4 to a narrow divisional-round loss to the eventual champion Eagles.

The Rams have not seen Stetson Bennett become a legitimate successor option, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo is a free agent-to-be. This does not seem like the ideal draft for the Rams to address their post-Stafford future; then again, Stafford (when healthy) has proven talented enough he will keep the team away from the early draft slots that would bring franchise-level QBs. This represents an interesting offseason for the four-year Rams starter to strike, if indeed he is intent on securing a new deal. His current pact runs through 2026.

If the Rams do reverse course and give serious consideration to moving on now, Schultz adds a package that includes a first-round pick would be sought. The Rams needed to trade two first-round picks and a third to move Jared Goff‘s contract in the 2021 Stafford swap, and thanks in part to the 2024 restructure, trading Stafford before June 1 would bring a significant dead money charge ($45.33MM). That would check in behind only Russell Wilson and Rodgers’ upcoming Jets hit for largest in NFL history.

Having quickly reformed as a contender following a woeful Super Bowl title-defense season, the Rams would certainly be poised — McVay’s gifts notwithstanding — to take a step back if they traded Stafford. A deal in which another QB comes back would be interesting, and needy teams certainly exist here. Though, a team parting with a starter-caliber quarterback (and a first-round pick) to acquire a soon-to-be 37-year-old with a notable recent injury history would be a tougher scenario to envision. The Combine will provide a better gauge of what Stafford would bring back in a trade.

It is possible this is resolved with the contract adjustment Stafford seeks, though he has not shown an indication he would use a trade request as leverage in a negotiation. The Rams are projected to hold more than $44MM in cap space, which is a mid-pack number. A Kupp trade will bring back a few million more, as the Rams are prepared to take on some salary to facilitate a move. Kupp’s status aside, the lingering Stafford matter — particularly given this year’s available QBs — will be the most significant piece of the Rams’ offseason.

Ian Cunningham Jaguars GM Frontrunner?

February 19th, 2025 at 9:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2025 GM carousel has spun for several weeks, but the Jaguars have been doing the only work here for the past few. Nearly a month after firing Trent Baalke during their coaching search, the Jags are winding down their process.

As second interviews have begun, one name has jumped out. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham looks to have emerged as the frontrunner for this role, with Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz going so far as to saw this is his job to lose. In noting the Jaguars hope to have this position filled this weekend, NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe mentions Cunningham as a candidate to watch down the stretch here. This may not be too surprising, as his name surfaced shortly after this job became open. Cunningham’s second interview is likely to take place today, per Schultz.

This is familiar territory for Cunningham, who was the runner-up for the Commanders’ GM job that went to Adam Peters last year. Cunningham also is a two-time finalist for the Titans’ GM post, conducting second interviews with the team in 2023 and ’25. A 2023 report also indicated Ryan Poles‘ top lieutenant turned down the Cardinals’ GM job, one Monti Ossenfort took. Despite the Bears yet to make the playoffs during the Poles-Cunningham regime, the latter is well-regarded around the league.

The Bears did not directly include Cunningham in the search that produced Ben Johnson last month, as Poles mentioned his AGM would have been a part of the search committee had he not been in the running for the Tennessee job. The Titans hired the Chiefs’ Mike Borgonzi to work alongside Brian Callahan (and under football ops president Chad Brinker, effectively).

This Jags post would come with potentially more responsibilities, but Liam Coen is widely viewed as the top power broker in Jacksonville post-Baalke. Coen commanded enough Jags interest that the team fired Baalke after he had led the HC search, and the one-and-done Buccaneers OC is believed to have landed a Johnson-level contract from the AFC South club. Johnson is earning upper-crust coaching money, at $13MM per year. New executive VP Tony Boselli will have a role in the post-Baalke front office as well. While the Hall of Fame tackle is not believed to be above Coen or the GM, he will play a key part here in being set to report to ownership.

If the Bears lose Cunningham, a candidate to watch will be tight end-turned-exec Jeff King. The team’s senior director of player personnel would likely be the man to succeed Cunningham to work with Poles and Johnson, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. A Ryan Pace hire, King has been with the Bears throughout his personnel career, which began in 2015. Via PFR’s General Manager Search Tracker, here is how their process stands now that it is in the finalist stage:

NFL Minor Transactions: 2/19/25

February 19th, 2025 at 7:57pm CST by Ben Levine

One minor move to pass along:

Baltimore Ravens

Keith Kirkwood spent the entire 2024 campaign on Baltimore’s practice squad, but the WR still brings plenty of experience to the roster. The former UDFA has appeared in 31 games in stints with the Saints and Panthers, hauling in 24 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns.

G Will Fries Interested In Re-Signing With Colts

February 19th, 2025 at 6:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a breakout 2023 campaign, Will Fries was looking to build on his momentum ahead of his impending free agency. Naturally, things didn’t go as planned, as the Colts offensive lineman suffered a fractured right tibia in Week 5 that ended his 2024 season prematurely.

The 26-year-old doesn’t only have the uphill battle of returning from his injury in 2025…Fries will also be tasked with landing his next contract. If the free agent lineman has his way, he’ll return to the only NFL team he’s ever played for.

“This place is special,” Fries said of the Colts (via Nate Atkins of the Indy Star). “… From coming in here as a rookie with guys having my back when I didn’t play much and then getting an opportunity to start and then being able to start the year after that. There’s so many good people here.

“All I want to do is repay them with how hard I can work, playing the best I possibly can for those who believe in me and for my family and for myself. That’s what it’s meant to me to be here.”

The former seventh-round pick made only three appearances as a rookie and nine starts as an emergency fill-in in 2022. He was positioned atop the depth chart in 2023 and made the most of it, starting all 17 games while finishing as Pro Football Focus’ 32nd-best offensive guard. He seemed to take an even larger step forward in 2024, as PFF listed him second at his position before he suffered the season-ending injury.

While Fries has shown that he belongs in a starting lineup, his injury undoubtedly clouds his upcoming free agency. As Atkins notes, the lineman could end up settling for a one-year deal as he looks to build his value back up ahead of next year’s free agency. On the flip side, Fries could make a strong argument for being the second-best guard in this year’s free agency class (behind Kansas City’s Trey Smith), and there could still be a number of teams willing to bank on his upside (and expected recovery).

That could very well be the Colts, who would happily slide Fries back atop their depth chart. As Atkins notes, the team once drafted Tanor Bortolini in the fourth round with the expectation that he’d eventually be a starter, but it’s been assumed that he’ll take over for center Ryan Kelly. The team’s other backup guard options, including Mark Glowinski and Danny Pinter, are also set to hit free agency, so Fries would help the Colts retain some continuity opposite Quenton Nelson.

Justin Fields Interested In Re-Signing With Steelers, Wants Chance To Start

February 19th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Steelers navigate their quarterback options ahead of the offseason, there’s been an increasing sentiment that they prefer to keep Justin Fields over Russell Wilson. If that’s the case, then the organization may be in luck, as it sounds like the free agent is also interested in sticking with Pittsburgh. However, that would require some concessions.

[RELATED: Support In Steelers’ Building For Retaining Justin Fields Over Russell Wilson?]

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that Fields joins the Steelers in being interested in a new contract. However, the writer cautions that the QB would need at least “a shot” at being the team’s starter.

Following an offseason trade from the Bears to the Steelers, Fields started each of Pittsburgh’s first six games. While it was a brief cameo, it was one of the best showings of the QB’s career, as the former first-round pick tossed five touchdowns vs. one interception, added another five scores on the ground, and guided his team to a 4-2 record. Once Wilson returned, Fields only got into 13 more snaps for the rest of the season.

Still, with Wilson being at the helm for the team’s five-game losing streak to end the year, there’s been growing support for the team to retain Fields instead of his veteran teammate. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic continued to beat that drum, noting that Fields remains the team’s top option at the position (via Matthew Marczi of Steelers Depot).

Wilson would still be positioned as the team’s “Plan B,” and the organization may have to pivot to the older player if Fields is priced out of Pittsburgh. Kaboly estimated a two-year offer for Fields worth around $25MM to $30MM, with the reporter noting that the Steelers may have to overpay to make sure the player doesn’t truly test free agency.

Fields, is expected to have a market beyond the Steelers, and even if the organization does pony up to retain the player, they’d surely bring in some competition. Either way, it’s seeming like the front office continues to trend towards keeping only one of their top two quarterbacks from the 2024 campaign.

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