Buccaneers, CB Zyon McCollum Agree To Extension
The Buccaneers have taken care of another extension in time for Week 1. Cornerback Zyon McCollum has a new deal in place.
McCollum’s agents announced on Friday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) an agreement has been reached on a three-year extension. The pact has a value of $48MM and includes $35.4MM guaranteed. McCollum was set to enter the season as a pending free agent, but he will now be under contract through 2028.
Today’s news comes as little surprise, considering McCollum was known to be seeking a second Tampa accord. The former fifth-rounder has developed into a mainstay on defense over the course of his first three seasons in the NFL. His rookie campaign included a part-time workload, but the following year resulted in a major jump in playing time. Last season, McCollum handled over 1,000 defensive snaps; he will be relied on as a permanent fixture in the secondary for years to come.
In 2024, the 26-year-old recorded his first two interceptions while adding 17 pass deflections. The latter stat put him in a tie for third in the NFL and helped result in a career-best PFF evaluation. McCollum finished 45th amongst qualifying corners in overall grade after setting a new personal best in completion percentage and passer rating allowed. Continued improvement in that regard would be welcomed and is certainly something the Buccaneers are investing in.
Even if McCollum doesn’t grow into a top-tier cornerback, there is an argument to be made for basic stability at one of the game’s most important positions. With a $16MM APY, McCollum is only the 15th-highest-paid cornerback in the NFL with a market that should continue to grow after a major increase this offseason. Just being a healthy, consistent starter would make his deal a solid value.
With his new deal, McCollum will continue to be a key cog in Tampa Bay’s secondary for the next few years. He’s played next to Jamel Dean for his entire career, but the Buccaneers made a clear effort this offseason to find the future of their cornerback room by drafting Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish on Day 2 of April’s draft. Dean is under contract through 2026, but the exploding cornerback market may preclude another extension in Tampa Bay with younger players waiting in the wings.
Raiders To Promote WR Justin Shorter
Amari Cooper was positioned to play a role in the Raiders’ passing game upon returning to the franchise for 2025. The 10-year veteran will not be in the fold, however, given his decision to retire. 
[RELATED: Recapping Raiders’ Offseason]
When Cooper informed the Raiders he was hanging up his cleats only one week after signing, the team was left shorthanded at the receiver position. At least one move will take place before Week 1 to provide depth. Justin Shorter is being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Vegas had three taxi squad options to choose from entering Friday, and Shorter will get a look during the team’s opening game. A fifth-round pick of the Bills in 2023, Shorter did not seen any regular season game action with Buffalo. He caught on with the Raiders last season, making a total of 10 appearances. Shorter hardly played on offense, but he logged a 45% snap share on special teams. A third phase workload would come as no surprise this time around.
Shorter was among the Raiders’ roster cuts last week, but he was immediately retained via a practice squad agreement. That move suggested he could see game time as an elevation, but Cooper’s retirement call created a spot on the active roster. Shorter, 25, will look to find success in a limited role early in 2025.
Vegas has 2024 receiving leader Jakobi Meyers in place, along with third-year contributor Tre Tucker and a pair of rookies (Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton) set to lead the way at the receiver spot. Coming off a record-breaking rookies campaign, tight end Brock Bowers will of course be counted on as a focal point in the passing game as well. Shorter will aim to chip in on special teams for at least one game while the Raiders evaluate their options to replace Cooper on a long-term basis.
Bengals Extend C Ted Karras
For the second year in a row, Ted Karras has agreed to a one-year extension. The veteran center inked his latest Bengals pact Friday morning, per a team announcement. 
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This is a $5MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Last summer, team and player agreed to a re-up averaging $6MM across 2024 and ’25, with $4.8MM in new money being owed for the coming campaign. Karras has now received another new pact of similar value; he is under contract through 2026 as a result.
Karras spent his first six seasons in the AFC East, playing out his rookie contract with the Patriots before taking a one-year Dolphins contract. That was followed by a return to New England on another one-year accord. The former sixth-rounder then joined the Bengals on a three-year, $18MM pact as part of the team’s offensive line renovations of that offseason.
Since then, Karras has been a mainstay up front for Cincinnati. The Illinois product has missed only one game to date, and he has delivered consistent performances for his third career team. Karras graded out as PFF’s 15th-best center during his first two Bengals campaigns, and he checked in at No. 21 last year. He will be counted on to remain at that level for at least another two years while also filling a notable leadership role in Cincinnati.
At 32, Karras is presumably closer to the end of his career than the beginning. On multiple occasions this offseason, however, he informed Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer he does not foresee a retirement decision being made in the near future. Team and player will look to continue their relationship through the 2026 campaign at a minimum, although another new contract could be in store if Karras continues to play at a consistent level this season.
Broncos, Nik Bonitto Agree To Extension
Work on a Nik Bonitto extension has taken place throughout the offseason. A deal has now been struck between the Broncos and the ascending pass rusher. 
Bonitto agreed to a four-year extension Thursday, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The pact has a maximum value of $120MM and contains $70MM guaranteed. Bonitto’s extension is now official, meaning he is on the books through 2029. An announcement from his agency notes this pact has a base value of $106MM (h/t Tom Pelissero of NFL Network).
As a result, this latest high-profile piece of Broncos business carries an average annual value of $26.5MM. That figure ranks 10th amongst edge rushers, an indication of the major surge that position’s market has witnessed over course of the offseason. If Bonitto maxes out the value of this pact, he will become the seventh pass rusher to reach $30MM in annual compensation.
In May, it became known talks on a long-term pact were taking place in this case. Since then, Bonitto has increasingly emerged as a priority for Denver, a team which also worked out new deals for receiver Courtland Sutton and defensive lineman Zach Allen in 2025. The latter’s pact is worth $102MM in base value. As such, Bonitto now holds the title as the Broncos’ highest-paid player for the coming season and the top earner for defenders in franchise history.
Starting only five games during his first two Denver seasons, Bonitto showed plenty of potential with eight sacks in 2023. The 25-year-old took another step forward last season, handling a first-team workload and totaling 13.5 sacks. That production resulted in a second-team All-Pro nod along with a Pro Bowl invitation and upped the value of this long-discussed extension. Denver dealt away Baron Browning at the 2024 trade deadline shortly after working out a new deal with Jonathon Cooper. Those transactions confirmed a Cooper-Bonitto pairing was seen as the foundation of the team’s pass rush for years to come.
Bonitto recently expressed optimism about an extension being worked out, with the qualifier that an agreement did not necessarily need to be in place before the start of the regular season. Nevertheless, the Broncos have operated on a similar timeline to the Patrick Surtain negotiations from last summer and finalized a pact days before Week 1. Another member of the team’s core is thus in the fold for the foreseeable future.
The Broncos’ standout 2024 defense contained a league-high six players with at least five sacks. Bonitto led the way in that regard, finishing third in the NFL. Expectations for continued high-end production will be present throughout the length of this pact, especially given his age. The Oklahoma product has amassed 60 quarterback pressures over the past two years, and remaining one of the league’s most disruptive edge rushers would allow for Denver’s defense to continue operating at a high level.
Broncos GM George Paton has been busy retaining a number of core players dating back to the midway mark of last season. The nucleus of a team which reached the postseason in 2024 is even further cemented given today’s news, and Bonitto will look to help lead his team a step further over the coming months with his long-term future secured.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/4/25
Just one practice squad move to pass along:
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Garrett Nelson
- Released: QB Hunter Dekkers
As Chase Young deals with a calf injury, the Saints have added some depth on the edge, signing Garrett Nelson to their practice squad. A Nebraska product, Nelson has spent time with the Dolphins, Bengals, and Broncos but has yet to get into an NFL game. To make room on the roster, the Saints moved on from QB Hunter Dekkers, who joined the team as a UDFA this offseason.
Bills Add K Matt Prater To Practice Squad
As Tyler Bass continues to nurse an injury, the Bills have added some insurance at the kicker position. The team announced that veteran kicker Matt Prater has joined the practice squad.
Bass has been dealing with a left hip/groin issue for a month, although his appearance in Buffalo’s preseason finale provided optimism that he’d be good to go for Week 1. However, the veteran kicker was listed as a non-participant on today’s injury report, an indication that he could be sidelined for at least the Bills season opener.
If that ends up being the case, the Bills will have to immediately turn to their newest acquisition. Prater brings plenty of experience to Buffalo, as the 41-year-old has been kicking in the NFL since the 2007 season. A two-time Pro Bowler, Prater’s efficiency dropped a bit during his final seasons in Detroit, including a 2020 campaign where he connected on only 75 percent of his field goal attempts.
He rebounded a bit during his time with the Cardinals, connecting on 84.2 percent of his FGA and 95.6 percent of his XPA. Prater connected on all six of his field goal tries and all 10 of his extra point attempts to begin the 2024 season before suffering a season-ending meniscus injury. That effectively ended his tenure in Arizona, as the Cardinals proceeded with Chad Ryland as their full-time kicker.
Now, Prater will look to continue his career in Buffalo, even if it’s just for a short stay. The Bills previously prepared for a potential Bass absence when they rostered Caden Davis for much of August, but the front office apparently prefers the veteran stability that Prater provides.
Elsewhere on Buffalo’s taxi squad, the team made a handful of expected moves. After agreeing to a deal with Gabe Davis earlier this week, the team placed the injured receiver on the practice squad IR, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The veteran is still recovering from a meniscus injury suffered last November. Taking his place on the practice squad is safety Jordan Poyer (per Wilson), who was temporarily cut yesterday to accommodate the Davis addition.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/4/25
As we prepare for tonight’s season opener, here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed from practice squad: S Sam Franklin
- Placed on IR: DT DeWayne Carter
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: WR Ryan Flournoy, LB Buddy Johnson
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: S Marcus Epps, OLB Patrick Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived from IR: QB Carter Bradley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from IR: CB Tyrek Funderburk, LB Antonio Grier, C Jake Majors, OL Raiqwon O’Neal
Lions Sign C.J. Beathard To Practice Squad
Once roster cuts and subsequent moves had taken place last week, the Lions had just two quarterbacks in the fold. That is no longer the case. 
[RELATED: Recapping Lions’ Offseason]
C.J. Beathard signed to Detroit’s practice squad Thursday, per a team announcement. The 31-year-old represented one of the top quarterbacks left on the market this deep into the offseason and worked out with Detroit yesterday. He will give the Lions an option for gameday elevations or a promotion to the active roster in 2025.
Jared Goff will again handle starting duties this season, but Detroit has a new backup in the form of Kyle Allen. Allen drew praise for his work during training camp and the preseason, to the point where he overtook incumbent Hendon Hooker on the depth chart. In a move which came as little surprise as a result, Hooker was waived ahead of the cutdown deadline.
The 2023 third-rounder quickly found a home on the Panthers’ practice squad, meaning a stay in Detroit was not an option after he cleared waivers (not that one was expected). After a few days without a signal-caller on their taxi squad, the Lions will move forward with Beathard. The former UDFA has totaled 32 regular season appearances and 13 starts, his most recent coming with the Jaguars in 2023. If Goff or Allen suffer an injury, Beathard will be counted on to fill in.
In a corresponding move, the Lions released second-year defensive end Isaac Ukwu from their practice squad. Ukwu made two appearances for Detroit last season while the team dealt with a slew of injuries on defense. He will now look for another opportunity in time for the start of the season.
Giants Restructure LT Andrew Thomas’ Deal
For the second year in a row, the Giants have restructured Andrew Thomas‘ contract. Another reworking has taken place just before the start of the season, ESPN’s Field Yates notes. 
New York entered Thursday with roughly $2.5MM in cap space, so a move such as this was necessary to create financial breathing room for the campaign. Today’s restructure will free up $12.2MM in 2025 cap space since it is a maximum conversion of base salary to signing bonus. Thomas will see his cap charges increase by $3.05MM over the four remaining years on his pact (h/t ESPN’s Yates’ colleague Jordan Raanan).
[RELATED: Reviewing Giants’ Offseason]
The 26-year-old’s health has been a talking point throughout the offseason. Thomas was limited to six games last season due to a Lisfranc injury, one which required a screw to be inserted into his foot. The screw has since been removed, something which caused a slight delay in his rehab process. Thomas also underwent an ankle scope this offseason, and his Week 1 availability is uncertain.
The Georgia product was on the PUP list until mid-August, so he has seen limited reps in practice since being activated. Thomas did not participate in the preseason, something which would of course generally be the case with healthy players of his stature. Still, his small summer workload means it remains to be seen if he will be able to suit up in time for Sunday’s game against the Commanders.
James Hudson may be called into action on the blindside as a result, but even if so Thomas will be counted to remain an anchor up front for the Giants once he is fully cleared. The latter is on the books through 2029 thanks to his $23.5MM-per-year extension inked during the 2023 offseason. Thomas managing to stay healthy over the coming years would be critical for New York’s offense. The team is confident in the chances of that taking place, something demonstrated in part by the decision to rework his pact once again.
Seahawks, RT Abraham Lucas Agree To Extension
Abraham Lucas‘ tenure with the Seahawks will continue for the foreseeable future. The fourth-year right tackle agreed to an extension Thursday, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. 
This will be a three-year pact, Garafolo adds. The deal has a base value of $46MM and can increase with incentives. Lucas was set to enter the season as a pending free agent, but he is now on the books through 2028.
The former third-rounder served as a full-time starter over 16 games during his rookie season. Lucas has been a mainstay at the right tackle spot when healthy since then, but injuries have proven to be an issue in his case. Across the 2023 and ’24 campaigns, Lucas played just 13 games. Seattle has nevertheless made a notable investment in him.
2025 has seen Zach Tom (Packers) and Luke Goedeke (Buccaneers) ink big-ticket extension at the RT spot. This Lucas accord checks in south of those deals with an average annual value of $15.33MM. It checks in at 13th amongst right tackles in terms of annual compensation.
Lucas graded out as PFF’s No. 39 offensive tackle as a rookie. The 26-year-old did not qualify for a grade the following year, and his evaluation regressed in 2024 compared to the ’22 campaign. The Seahawks are clearly confident a clean bill of health along with continued development will be seen in Lucas’ case, though. Today’s move ensures he and Charles Cross will handle tackle duties beyond 2025.
Cross’ fifth-year option was picked up this spring, meaning he is in place for another two seasons. Seattle has an organizational policy of not working out extensions with more than one year remaining on a player’s deal. As a result, no Cross extension will be worked out until next offseason at the earliest. It would come as no surprise if a long-term investment were to be made in that case, especially given the Seahawks’ willingness to take that route with Lucas.
Offensive line play was an issue last year, and the Seahawks noted upgrading the unit was an offseason priority. Seattle invested a first-round pick in Grey Zabel, and he will handle left guard duties right away. It was recently announced Jalen Sundell will operate as the team’s center, meanwhile, with Anthony Bradford at right guard. The play of that group will be worth watching, along with Lucas’ performance and health knowing his stint in the Emerald City will continue well beyond the coming campaign.