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Tershawn Wharton

NFC Contract Details: Mason, Vikings, Wharton, Panthers, Pack, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, Bucs, Brissett

March 18th, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details on a few of the more notable NFC contracts agreed to in recent days:

  • Tershawn Wharton, DT (Panthers). Three years, $45.1MM. The former Chris Jones Chiefs sidekick will see $30.25MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Wharton’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries ($1.17MM, $13.45MM) are locked in. While the $45.1MM base value is less than initially reported, sack-, playoff- and Pro Bowl-based incentives make up a $9MM incentive package.
  • Grady Jarrett, DT (Bears). Three years, $42.75MM. While $27.25MM is guaranteed at signing, the Bears are guaranteeing almost all of the ex-Falcon’s 2026 base salary ahead of time. $13MM of Jarrett’s $14.25MM 2026 paragraph 5 pay is locked in, with Wilson adding the other $1.25MM shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee of Day 3 of the ’26 league year. Jarrett is due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2027 league year, representing the Bears’ first true out on this contract.
  • Ben Bredeson, G (Buccaneers). Three years, $22MM. The Bucs are guaranteeing their 2024 O-line signee $12.5MM at signing. A $5.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per Wilson, who adds a $500K roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the ’27 league year.
  • Bobby Brown, DT (Panthers). Three years, $21MM. Of this total, only $6.8MM is guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. Brown will see $9.58MM guaranteed in total, with $2.77MM of Brown’s $5.55MM 2026 base salary shifting from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 3 of the ’26 league year, Wilson adds. A $6MM incentive package is present in the Panthers’ other notable DT deal.
  • Brandon McManus, K (Packers). Three years, $15MM. The veteran kicker’s $5MM signing bonus represents his only at-signing guarantee, though the deal includes what amounts to a guaranteed $1.4MM 2025 base salary as well. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky also indicates a $1MM roster bonus is in place for 2026. Nothing is guaranteed beyond 2025, however.
  • KaVontae Turpin, WR (Cowboys). Three years, $13.5MM. This is $4.5MM south of the initially reported value. The Cowboys have guaranteed the All-Pro returner $5MM at signing; that comes from a $3.6MM signing bonus and a $1.4MM 2025 base salary, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. Nothing is guaranteed beyond 2025. After Turpin totaled 420 receiving yards last season, Dallas included a $250K yearly incentive for a 500-yard season, Archer adds. That jumps to $500K for a 700-yard season.
  • Jacoby Brissett, QB (Cardinals). Two years, $12.5MM. This is a nice bump for Brissett, who has played on one-year deals in each of the past four seasons. The nomadic backup/fill-in starter will see $8MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
  • James Hudson, OL (Giants). Two years, $11MM. Hudson will see $5.8MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. That comes from a signing bonus and a guaranteed 2025 salary; no 2026 Hudson money is locked in.
  • Jordan Mason, RB (Vikings). Two years, $10.5MM. Minnesota is guaranteeing Mason $7.23MM at signing, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. The former Christian McCaffrey backup will see $2MM of his $4.73MM 2026 base salary fully guaranteed. Incentives on Mason’s deal start at 800 rushing yards in a season, with a $200K bump coming if the former sixth-round pick reaches that number.
  • Roy Robertson-Harris, DL (Giants). Two years, $9MM. Robertson-Harris will see $5.3MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. The Giants guaranteed the veteran interior D-lineman $1MM of his $3.5MM 2026 base at signing. It would cost the Giants $2.4MM in dead money to move on after one season, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan adds.

Panthers To Sign DT Tershawn Wharton

March 10th, 2025 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Carolina is beefing up Derrick Brown‘s supporting cast, it seems. After adding Rams nose tackle Bobby Brown, the Panthers are bringing in a former sidekick of Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, Tershawn Wharton.

Following a production uptick in a contract year, Wharton will cash in big. He is heading to Charlotte on a three-year, $54MM deal that comes with $30MM guaranteed, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. When compared to contracts from last year, Wharton’s deal would rank in the top 14 for what defensive tackles made annually.

Wharton signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Missouri S&T and immediately found his way into the defensive line rotation as a rookie. Over three years with the team, he started just two games, but he got consistent snap shares in every game until tearing his ACL in 2022 after just five games. When his three-year, undrafted deal ran out, Kansas City signed him back on a one-year deal, despite the recent injury. He returned to his normal production and earned another one-year deal, which he played on this year.

In 2024, Wharton surpassed Derrick Nnadi on the depth chart, earning multiple starts in a single season for the first time in his career. With 10 starts in 17 game appearances, Wharton’s production saw an uptick, resulting in career highs in sacks (6.5), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (11). Of 118 players graded at the position, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Wharton at 49th. While his run defense left something to be desired, his pass rushing grade ranked 22nd for interior defenders in the league.

Along with the two Browns on the interior, Wharton will now attempt to improve a Panthers defense that finished 32nd in the league in rushing yards allowed and 31st in the league in rushing touchdowns allowed. He’ll also utilize his superior pass rush abilities to improve on a defense whose 32 sacks ranked 29th in the NFL last season.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Tershawn Wharton Could Have Bigger FA Market Than Expected

March 4th, 2025 at 7:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton could “exceed expectations in free agency,” according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

The former undrafted free agent will be looking to cash in after a career year in Kansas City. The market has placed a premium on interior pass-rushers in recent years, so Wharton should be able to negotiate a strong deal this spring.

Wharton was listed by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler as an under-the-radar free agent and the third-best interior rusher in the class behind Osa Odighizuwa and Milton Williams. Now that Odighizuwa is staying in Dallas, Wharton will likely have even more suitors.

Wharton spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs after making the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie in 2020. He quickly carved out a role along the defensive line, appearing in every game and playing over 1,000 snaps across his first two seasons. A torn ACL knocked Wharton out for most of 2022, but he rebounded for a full season in 2023. The Chiefs won Super Bowls in both years, and Wharton nearly helped them to another in 2024 while playing the best football of his career. His 6.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, and 667 snaps in the regular season were all career-highs, and he added two more sacks in the postseason.

That pass-rushing upside will allow Wharton to stand out among his fellow free agents, who typically profile as interior run-stuffers. Wharton will only be 27 years old when next season starts and can already push the pocket and get to opposing quarterbacks. He was surrounded by talent in Kansas City and had significantly less production before 2024, which will likely keep him from breaking into the upper echelon of contracts at his position. He may be best served by a two-year contract from which he can negotiate a higher-paying extension if he matches or improves on his 2024 numbers in 2025.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/24

March 14th, 2024 at 9:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/23

August 2nd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Waived: WR Ed Lee

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Moseley reportedly had a small clean-up procedure on his knee the other day as he continues to come back from last year’s ACL tear. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it doesn’t appear to be a major setback, and head coach Dan Campbell expects Moseley back on Monday.

The news on Harris’s retirement comes from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports that the two sides “are parting ways as (Harris) plans to retire.” If this is truly the end of the road for Harris, then the transaction puts a cap on a five-year career that saw Harris rack up 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in the NFL.

Turk was urgently brought on as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to compete with free agent addition Jake Bailey, formerly with the Patriots. The punter competition may be over quickly as Bailey is the only punter on the roster now.

Trice, the Steelers’ first of two seventh-round picks this year, suffered a non-contact injury at camp yesterday. His placement on injured reserve indicates that his rookie season has unfortunately come to an end before it had the chance to begin.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/23

July 19th, 2023 at 9:01pm CST by Ely Allen

The roster updates following the opening of camp for rookies continued today:

Baltimore Ravens

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

Tennessee Titans

 

The news on Vorhees is no surprise. The lineman’s rookie year will operate as a redshirt season as he continues to work his way back from the torn ACL he suffered at the NFL Combine.

Wharton is also making his way back from a torn ACL. The rotation lineman suffered the season-ending injury in Week 5 of last season. He’s been working out with the team, but Wharton is not yet ready to be a full participant in practice.

Reid has started at least one game for each of the three teams for which he’s played in his three seasons of play. He’ll now look to find his seventh NFL team going into his fourth season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/23

March 13th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

 

Nixon was a first-team All-Pro returner for the Packers this year. He’s signed to a new one-year deal with a maximum value of $6MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Wharton’s new one-year deal is reportedly worth $2.03MM, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The contract has a guaranteed amount of $850,000 consisting of a $500,000 signing bonus and $350,000 of the base salary (worth $1.01MM total).

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/15/22

October 15th, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Injury Updates: Penny, Jets, Bills

October 13th, 2022 at 9:24pm CST by Ben Levine

Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny is done for the season, but he did get some good news following an MRI. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the ankle was shown to be “relatively clean,” with “no deltoid or associated issues.”

Penny underwent “tight-rope” surgery earlier this week, requiring his fibula to be plated in order to stabilize the ankle. The running back will ultimately need four months to recover, meaning he’ll have plenty of time to get healthy for next season.

Of course, it remains to be seen if Penny will be playing in Seattle next season, as the running back is set to hit free agency. The former first-round pick has spent his entire five-year career in Seattle, including a 2021 campaign where he collected a career-high 797 yards from scrimmage.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • We previously heard that Jets offensive tackle Duane Brown was opting for rehab instead of surgery while he nursed his injured shoulder. Rapoport tweets that Brown is actually playing through a torn rotator cuff. The veteran landed on injured reserve right before Week 1 after suffering a shoulder injury in practice, and he made his debut with the Jets this past weekend.
  • Micah Hyde is eyeing a significant recovery timeline. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), the Bills All-Pro safety could take anywhere from six to nine months to return to the field. Hyde recently underwent successful surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, and he’s already been ruled out for the season.
  • 49ers defensive end Jordan Willis is still “a few weeks” away from returning, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Willis landed on injured reserve last month with a knee injury. The veteran saw time in 10 games last season for San Francisco, collecting 15 tackles and three sacks.
  • Saints wide receiver Deonte Harty suffered a turf toe injury on Sunday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football on Twitter. Harty will certainly miss some time, and there’s fear that the injury could be “significant.” Indeed, Rapoport tweets that Harty will get a second opinion, but if nothing changes, he’ll likely miss a few months. After collecting 36 receptions in 2021, Harty only has a pair of catches in four games this season. He’s also returned six kickoffs and three punts.
  • Chiefs defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton tore his ACL on Monday night, ending his season. The former undrafted free agent hasn’t missed a game for Kansas City since joining the organization in 2020. In five games this season, Wharton collected eight tackles and one sack.

Chiefs Sign 18 UDFAs

April 26th, 2020 at 5:33pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chiefs became the latest team to announce their undrafted free agent class:

  • Andre Baccellia, WR (Washington)
  • Maurice French, WR (Pittsburgh)
  • Aleva Hifo, WR (BYU)
  • Kalija Lipscomb, WR (Vanderbilt)
  • Justice Shelton‐Mosley, WR (Vanderbilt)
  • Cody White, WR (Michigan State)
  • Yasir Durant, T (Missouri)
  • Jovahn Fair, G (Temple)
  • Darryl Williams, C (Miss St.)
  • Tershawn Wharton, DT (Missouri S&T)
  • Omari Cobb, LB (Marshall)
  • Bryan Wright, LB (Cincinnati)
  • Rodney Clemons, S (SMU)
  • Jalen Julius, S (Ole Miss)
  • Hakeem Bailey, CB (West Virginia)
  • Javaris Davis, CB (Auburn)
  • Lavert Hill, CB (Michigan)
  • Tommy Townsend, P (Florida)

The Chiefs had to spend relatively big to get a couple of these guys. Lipscomb got $110K guaranteed and a $10K signing bonus, while Williams got $107K guaranteed and a $7K signing bonus (Twitter links via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). This was regarded as an epic receiver class with plenty of draftable players going un-selected due to the surplus, so it’s not surprising guys like Lipscomb are landing big bonuses.

As a junior at Vandy he had 916 yards and nine touchdowns, although he took a step back last season. Williams was a three-year starter at MSU who can play guard and center.

All told, the Chiefs inked a whopping six undrafted receivers. White declared early after racking up 922 yards and six touchdowns as a senior at Michigan State. Davis was widely expected to get drafted, with NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projecting him as a fifth-rounder and Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller having him go at the top of the sixth, so he’s a nice get as well.