Here are PFR’s examinations of the 32 NFL teams’ 2024 offseasons:
The Ravens reworked a handful of contracts this week. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team restructured linebacker Roquan Smith‘s contract. ESPN’s Field Yates adds that defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and kicker Justin Tucker also reworked their pacts.
Smith’s restructuring helped create $4.875MM in cap space, per Rapoport. Smith is playing on the second year of a five-year, $100MM extension he signed with the Ravens in 2023. In total, the three recent contract restructurings will total $9.3MM in savings, per Yates.
GM Eric DeCosta recently hinted that the team may be over the cap after adding a long list of practice squad players (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic). The executive was confident the organization would quickly get cap compliant, and it sounds like the front office also managed to squeeze out some extra financial wiggle room heading into the regular season.
More cap restructurings from around the NFL…
- Deebo Samuel provided the 49ers with some cap space the other day, with the wideout’s restructuring providing the team with a whopping $16.4MM in cap space (via Yates). Samuel is still playing on the three-year, $73.5MM extension he inked with San Francisco in 2022. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins also recently reworked his contract, saving the 49ers $5.43MM against the cap, per Yates. The team specifically converted $6.79MM of Collins’ upcoming salary into a signing bonus, adding three void years in the process (per Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac).
- The Broncos continue to commit to wideout Courtland Sutton, at least for the entirety of the 2024 campaign. The team restructured the receiver’s contract, helping open $9.5MM in cap space, per Yates. Specifically, the team converted $11.875MM of Sutton’s $13MM salary into a bonus, per Mike Klis of 9News in Denver. The reduced financial flexibility reduces the chances of a Sutton trade during the upcoming season.
- The Falcons opened up about $7.5MM in cap space by reworking Jessie Bates‘ contract, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The team converted $11.25MM of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, increasing his 2025 ($22.25MM) and 2026 ($22.27MM) cap hits in the process.
- The Panthers reworked a pair of contracts, according to Yates. Both offensive tackle Taylor Moton and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle helped provide the Panthers with some breathing room, as the duo’s restructurings created $10.7MM in cap room.
- The Saints opened $3.5MM in cap space by reworking Juwan Johnson‘s deal, per Yates. The tight end inked a two-year extension with the team ahead of the 2023 campaign, with $11.5MM of his $12MM earnings guaranteed.
Not long after ending Brandon Aiyuk‘s hold-in with an extension, the 49ers have a resolution in place with Trent Williams. The All-Pro left tackle returned to San Francisco on Tuesday to finalize a new agreement, his agency announced.
A few minor details are still to be ironed out, as noted by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, but once signed this new pact will finish the team’s last major piece of financial business for the offseason. Three years remained on Williams’ contract prior to today’s news, but no guaranteed compensation was in place. To no surprise, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that is now expected to change.
Indeed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds Williams will receive $48MM at signing. Overall, this is a three-year, $82.66MM agreement, with the $48MM serving as a signing bonus. The 49ers will be able to spread that amount into the future, though this deal does not add any years to Williams’ deal, which still runs through 2026.
Among non-quarterbacks beyond age 35, the $48MM guarantee is an NFL-record sum. As a massive talent gap exists between Williams and the rest of San Francisco’s O-line cogs, the team certainly needed him back to open the season. Talks intensified Sunday night, per Fowler, and Williams will have a week of practices with his team to prepare for the 49ers’ opener against the Jets. Williams effectively maximized his leverage, with Wilson adding he will collect $27.65MM in 2024.
Williams was absent from the start of training camp, adding another layer to the financial challenges the 49ers dealt with over the summer. Trade talk persisted in Aiyuk’s case, with a trade agreement being worked out with the Steelers. That wound up being a moot point after the parties agreed to a four-year, $120MM contract which will keep Aiyuk in the Bay Area for the foreseeable future, though. The same will now be true for Williams, whose deal ran through 2026 before the adjustments which will be finalized today.
The 11-time Pro Bowler was due $20.9MM in 2024 under the terms of the previous contract, one which carried an AAV of just over $23MM. Williams’ efforts to land an upgraded pact had come during an offseason in which the top of the tackle market has reached new heights with Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw landing big-ticket extensions. Each of those agreements are for second contracts, though, making them notably different than Williams’ case.
The 36-year-old has previously been linked to retirement, although one year ago he made public his intention of playing until age 40. Williams has landed first-team All-Pro nod in each of the past three years, serving as the anchor of the 49ers’ offensive line during that span. That longevity helped give him leverage to angle for a new arrangement, but it will certainly be interesting to see if the 49ers have added any new years to the pact given Williams’ age.
In 2019, Williams sat out the entire campaign while attempting to land a new deal at the end of his tenure in Washington. That was eventually ended by the trade which sent him to San Francisco the following offseason (and, later, the six-year accord he had been playing on), but it illustrated how willing the Oklahoma product was to extend a holdout into the regular season. A chance of that tactic being repeated loomed throughout the summer, though a recent update pointed to the parties making progress on contract talks. Regardless of what the new deal looks like, today’s news means San Francisco’s offense will be at full strength in time for Week 1.
As a vested veteran, the daily fines Williams accumulated for his training camp holdout cannot be waived. Due to missed camp time ($2.05MM) and three missed preseason games ($3.34MM), Williams incurred $5.39MM in fines to secure this rework, CBS Sports’ Joel Corry tweets. With over $171MM in career earnings, that fact did not dissuade him, but the threat of a regular season absence is no longer in place.
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Chris Brooks
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Eric Scott
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DE Derrick McClendon
New England Patriots
- Signed: T Caleb Jones
- Released: DE Brevin Allen
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Jack Driscoll, WR Kyle Philips
- Released: TE Kevin Foelsch, S Caden Sterns
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB DaShaun White
- Released: WR Tay Martin
Seattle Seahawks
- Released: DL Kyon Barrs, OL Max Pircher
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: T Raiqwon O’Neal
- Released: C Avery Jones
SEPTEMBER 3: General manager John Lynch said (via Barrows) the bullet which hit Pearsall did not strike any ribs, a factor which allowed him to be hospitalized for such a brief period. Lynch added he expects Pearsall to be available at some point during the 2024 campaign. That will not be possible until Week 5 at the earliest, but any regular season action would of course be a welcomed development.
SEPTEMBER 2: Ricky Pearsall will, to no surprise, be sidelined for at least the first four games of the regular season. The 49ers’ first-round rookie was placed on the non-football injury list Monday, as noted by ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. 
Pearsall was the victim of an attempted robbery on Saturday and he suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. The 23-year-old was in serious but stable condition in the aftermath of the incident, and none of his vital organs were hit. In an encouraging update yesterday, Pearsall was discharged from hospital.
His recovery will now continue from home, but the 49ers will proceed with caution in terms of getting him back on the field. Pearsall – who had already missed considerable time in training camp and the preseason due to hamstring and shoulder injuries – will be sidelined for a notable period before being eligible to make his regular season debut.
As Matt Barrow of the Athletic notes, returning Pearsall from the NFI list to the active roster will count as one of the eight activations San Francisco has during the campaign. Those activations are generally meant for players placed on injured reserve before or after roster cuts.
The 49ers’ receiver depth chart is set with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings in place to once again lead the way at the position. Pearsall’s selection on Day 1 of the draft came amidst trade talk surrounding Aiyuk and Samuel, although both are now under contract beyond 2024. Pearsall should occupy a rotational role once healthy, and with Samuel a potential trade candidate next offseason, he could step into a starting gig in 2025.
In a corresponding move, the 49ers signed offensive tackle Brandon Parker to the active roster. The former Raider is a veteran of 59 games and 33 starts, and he is positioned to take on the swing tackle role for Week 1. Jaylon Moore is on track to start at left tackle for San Francisco due to Trent Williams‘ ongoing holdout. The future Hall of Famer is on the reserve/did not report list while talks on a contract resolution continue. An agreement could be coming soon, but for at least the coming week Parker will likely be counted on as key depth up front.
Here are Monday’s practice squad additions and subtractions:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Praise Olatoke
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Rashad Weaver
- Released: DE Malik Fisher
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB David Long
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: OL Blake Larson
New England Patriots
- Signed: LB Joe Giles-Harris, LB Yvandy Rigby
New York Giants
- Signed: TE/FB Jakob Johnson
- Released: WR Miles Boykin
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DB Ayo Oyelola
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Sam Okuayinonu, LB DaShaun White
- Released: T Sebastian Gutierrez
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Kendell Brooks
Weaver has dropped from the player who logged 640 defensive snaps in 2022, when Harold Landry was sidelined for the year, to the practice squad level. The Titans waived Weaver after setting their initial 53-man roster. He will follow ex-teammate Teair Tart by joining the Texans’ D-line upon being a Titans cut. Though, Tart landed in Houston via waiver claim and never dropped to the P-squad. Weaver registered 5.5 sacks in 2022 but did not record any in 15 games last season.
The Giants waived Long last week. He will join a Colts team that has made multiple moves at corner since setting its initial roster. Indianapolis, which took some heat for not augmenting its outside CB situation this offseason, claimed Samuel Womack off waivers from San Francisco and waived Darrell Baker. Long, a former Rams third-round pick, played for three teams (Raiders, Panthers, Packers in 2023.
Here are Labor Day’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Sage Surratt
Buffalo Bills
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: CB Dee Delaney
Carolina Panthers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: LB Tae Davis, OL Badara Traore
Dallas Cowboys
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: WR David Durden
Las Vegas Raiders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: OL Corey Luciano
Miami Dolphins
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: RB Chris Brooks
Minnesota Vikings
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Trey Knox
New Orleans Saints
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: TE Kevin Rader
San Francisco 49ers
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: DB Tayler Hawkins
Washington Commanders
- Removed from IR via injury settlement: C Ricky Stromberg
Stromberg sustained a knee injury that will require surgery. The 2023 third-round pick, one of five 2023 draftees that did not make Washington’s 53-man roster last week, will only need an arthroscopic procedure, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Stromberg is aiming to catch on somewhere else around the midseason point. He only played 26 rookie-year snaps on offense. The Arkansas product would technically have a chance to land back with the Commanders, depending on the terms of the settlement, but the team moving on so early may well point to the Adam Peters regime deeming the Ron Rivera– and Martin Mayhew-overseen move a mistake.
Davis figures to land elsewhere and play this season. The 28-year-old linebacker sustained a foot sprain and will be out for a few weeks, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Davis played in 16 games, split evenly between the Saints and Panthers, last season.
Not long after Ricky Pearsall was upgraded from serious but stable condition to fair condition, more good news has emerged regarding the 49ers rookie wide receiver. He has been released from the hospital Sunday afternoon, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows reports.
Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery on Saturday. Per Erin Pearsall, Ricky’s mother, the bullet entered his chest and exited through his back without hitting any vital organs. She added that her son is in good spirits. The first-round pick will continue recuperating away from the hospital.
A statement from the San Francisco Police Department indicated Pearsall, 23, was shot in the chest while on his way to a signing event. The shooting took place in San Francisco’s Union Square. A struggle for the gun took place, and both he and the suspect, a 17-year-old male, were shot. A discharge occurring so soon after the shooting represents great news for Pearsall, all things considered.
The former Florida and Arizona State wideout had been expected to play a key role on this year’s 49ers team, but that is certainly on hold while the prospect recovers. The 49ers are well positioned at wideout this year, though their wait on Pearsall’s on-field development is obviously not the main focus right now.
It is too soon to speculate on when Pearsall will be able to resume his playing career. The 49ers drafted him on the same day in which Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel trade talks occurred. Those discussions continued to Day 2 of the draft, but John Lynch closed the book on them post-draft. Pearsall’s development stands to loom as a factor for Samuel’s long-term San Francisco status, but Aiyuk is now signed to a four-year extension and the oldest of the team’s WR starters is also signed for two more years.
Pearsall began 49ers training camp on the team’s active/NFI list due to a hamstring injury, doing so after he had participated in offseason workouts in a limited capacity. The former Aiyuk college teammate had then sustained a partially dislocated shoulder that kept him out for weeks. His recent experience certainly minimizes those minor maladies, and the 49ers will begin their season without the rookie, whose recovery will become a central storyline for the defending NFC champions.
The runaway leader in generating rumors among this year’s pack of disgruntled wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk is finally locked down. The 49ers have the 2023 second-team All-Pro tied to a four-year, $120MM agreement, ending trade rumors and tethering the ascending player to San Francisco through the 2028 season.
As fallout pieces surface, however, Aiyuk is now believed to have added a team to his list of acceptable trade destinations. In addition to Aiyuk’s long-rumored interest in being traded to the Steelers, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted during a recent NFL Live appearance the fifth-year veteran would have been willing to be dealt to the Commanders.
Washington rosters the starting quarterback Aiyuk played with to close out his college career — Jayden Daniels — and Aiyuk communication with his former teammate generated headlines earlier this summer. Aiyuk had told Daniels during a video call the 49ers did not “want him back, I swear.” It took the parties more than two months from that point to hammer out an extension, and trade rumors swirled late in the process. The Commanders came up as a fringe Aiyuk destination; it does not seem they truly entered the fray.
The NFC East team did not show notable interest in acquiring Aiyuk, Fowler adds. The Commanders not being involved in the Aiyuk sweepstakes led to a 49ers-or-Steelers decision for the fifth-year wideout, who had effectively shut down potential trades to the Patriots or Browns.
Pittsburgh still loomed as a possible destination late in the process, but San Francisco would have been shorthanded at receiver thanks to Denver rejecting a third-round offer for Courtland Sutton. The 49ers had viewed the longtime Broncos pass catcher as a potential replacement for Aiyuk, in the event talks reached the point of no return and the 2020 first-round pick was indeed traded to the Steelers.
Washington enters the season with questions at receiver beyond veteran No. 1 Terry McLaurin. The team traded 2022 first-rounder Jahan Dotson to the Eagles in a pick-swap package headlined by a 2025 third-rounder. Noah Brown became the latest ex-Cowboy to join Dan Quinn in Washington, doing so after the Texans cut him. The Commanders drafted Luke McCaffrey in Round 3, but the second-generation NFL wideout has yet to establish himself as a surefire starter. Washington also carries fourth-year player Dyami Brown and veterans Jamison Crowder, Olamide Zaccheaus and Byron Pringle on what is presently a seven-receiver depth chart.
San Francisco’s offer had been on the table for a while, with the sides ironing out minor details near the end. Successfully convincing the 49ers to up their price — from the $26-$27MM-per-year range — Aiyuk was pleased with the deal’s frontloaded structure. These four-year, $120MM numbers match where the Dolphins went for Tyreek Hill in 2022, but Miami had included an inflated final-year salary to inflate the AAV to $30MM. Aiyuk, conversely, signed a true $30MM-per-year contract that includes $47MM due by April 2025. The latter component helped drive this deal past the goal line, Fowler adds.
Although the 49ers gave Aiyuk what appeared an ultimatum earlier this week, the player also wanted this matter finally done in order to avoid missing regular-season games. Of course, it is debatable if Aiyuk would have followed through with turning his hold-in strategy into missed regular-season contests (and game checks exceeding $820K). Trent Williams appears ready to execute this strategy, but Aiyuk is not in the same earnings bracket as the former Washington top-five pick.
As Aiyuk ramps up toward another starring role in San Francisco’s offense, Washington looks to have a multi-offseason project ahead to better equip Daniels with pass-catching weaponry.
SEPTEMBER 1, 1:34pm: More good news is coming from the Pearsall situation. Staff at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital have upgraded rookie wide receiver to fair condition, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reports.
12:28pm: Pearsall’s mother, Erin Pearsall, provided an encouraging update on Facebook this morning (via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle). Per Erin Pearsall, the bullet entered Ricky’s chest and exited through his back without hitting any vital organs. She added that her son is in good spirits.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area noted that the team had its traditional party to celebrate the 53-man roster at head coach Kyle Shanahan‘s house last night, which obviously suggests the club is optimistic about a full recovery for the first-round wideout.
AUGUST 31, 10:00pm: A statement from the 49ers confirms Pearsall’s injury was indeed to the chest. He remains in serious but stable condition.
8:30pm: Pearsall suffered a through and through injury to his arm, Cunningham’s colleague Kirsten Moran-Kellar clarifies in an update. It was the suspect who appears to have been shot in the chest. Pearsall has already spoken with police about the incident, and further developments on his condition will be provided as they become available.
7:02pm: Rookie 49ers receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot during an attempted robbery on Saturday. The incident took place in San Francisco’s Union Square, as first reported by Dion Lim of KGO-TV.
Providing further details on the matter, NBC Bay Area’s Gia Vang adds that Pearsall is in stable condition. Local law enforcement has stated the suspect, a 17-year-old male, is in custody. As further information on the incident emerges, the fact Pearsall is stable and receiving treatment is of course an encouraging sign.
A statement from the San Francisco Police Department notes that Pearsall, 23, was shot in the chest while on his way to a signing event. A struggle for the gun took place, and both he and the suspect were shot (h/t Sean Cunningham of Fox40). In addition to Pearsall, the suspect is in the hospital in stable condition.
Pearsall began his college career at Arizona State, spending three years there and showing promise during the 2021 campaign in particular. He transferred to Florida and played two seasons with the Gators, taking a step forward in terms of production both years. After averaging 20 yards per reception in 2022, Pearsall posted career highs in catches (65) and yards (965) last year.
That helped him confirm his status as one of the top receivers in a deep 2024 draft class. Pearsall was selected with the No. 31 pick, adding him to a 49ers receiver room which has been at the heart of considerable speculation during the offseason. San Francisco entertained trade offers for both Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, but neither were dealt. Aiyuk’s drawn-out efforts to land an extension came to a conclusion earlier this week, while Samuel is under contract for two more years.
Samuel has added another positive update on Pearsall’s condition. The latter dealt with hamstring and shoulder injuries during his first NFL offseason, and he was limited in training camp. Pearsall was also sidelined for the entire preseason after dealing with multiple shoulder subluxations during the summer. That same ailment occurred during his college career, but it did not result in missed time. Needless to say, this injury will have Pearsall sidelined for a stretch.