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Looking At Pro Bowl Rosters’ Impact On Fifth-Year Option Statuses

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL unveiled the Pro Bowl rosters Thursday. While superstars and veterans tied to big-ticket contracts headline the AFC and NFC squads, rookie-contract players are part of both sides for an event no longer featuring an actual all-star game.

While the Pro Bowl’s prestige peak occurred decades ago, the 2020 CBA still ties invites to players’ value. Players selected to the Pro Bowl on the original ballot (non-alternates) will see their fifth-year option prices change. The 2025 offseason will be the fifth year in which players will see their option values determined partially by Pro Bowl recognition, but Thursday’s results will impact the 2026 and 2027 fifth-year option outcomes as well.

Players who receive two Pro Bowl invites during their first three seasons skyrocket to the top of the four-tiered fifth-year option hierarchy, which will feature a value that matches the amount of that year’s franchise tag at each position. Players who draw one original-ballot invite during their first three seasons will be tied to the second option tier, which matches the transition tag value at that position.

This only applies to former first-round picks, as no other rookie contracts include a fifth-year option. With that in mind, here are the players from the 2022, ’23 and ’24 first rounds to be invited to the Pro Bowl. Here are the ex-first-rounders who changed their option statuses this week:

2022 draft:

Baltimore’s two-first-rounder 2022 draft, made possible thanks to the Marquise Brown trade, produced two Pro Bowlers. This marks the second Pro Bowl for both Hamilton and Linderbaum, bringing both players to the top fifth-year option tier. For Linderbaum, that will inflate his price to that of the offensive line franchise tag number, since all O-lineman are grouped together under this formula. That will make a fifth-year option call trickier for the Ravens, who will certainly pick up Hamilton’s by the May deadline.

This is Stingley’s first Pro Bowl, which will push the former No. 3 overall pick’s 2026 option price into the second tier among corners. Patrick Surtain‘s four-year, $96MM extension raised the bar at the position this summer, and the Texans will be able to negotiate with their top corner beginning later this month. This is Smith’s first Pro Bowl nod as well; he was named an alternate to the 2023 event.

2023 draft:

While Thursday’s announcement crystalized the value of the 2022 first-rounders with regards to the fifth-year option, the ’23 Round 1 crop still has more time. Witherspoon has landed in the Pro Bowl a second time, locking the former No. 5 overall pick into the top echelon of the CB option structure.

Conversely, this is the first original-ballot Pro Bowl for Carter, Flowers and Gibbs. The Lions running back was an alternate last season. The trio’s 2025 showings will determine if they can join Witherspoon on the highest level of the 2026 option hierarchy.

2024 draft:

The NFL’s top rookies have begun to raise their values. Although the Commanders, Raiders and Rams do not have to make option calls on this trio until May 2027, each player has already secured at least second-tier status for when that time comes. They are unlikely to stay on that level. Daniels is on track to claim Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, while Bowers has already broken Mike Ditka‘s longstanding record for tight end yardage by a rookie. Verse, the first Rams first-round pick since Jared Goff, is on track for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.

Kliff Kingsbury Wants Another HC Opportunity

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:19pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has put together an excellent debut season in Washington; his offense is ranked fourth in yards and fifth in points, while quarterback Jayden Daniels is the runaway favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Kingsbury’s success in Washington has placed him among the top head-coaching candidates in this offseason’s hiring cycle and seems open to another opportunity after a disappointing four seasons leading the Cardinals.

When asked about the subject on Thursday, Kingsbury said that he would want to be a head coach again “at some point,” (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post), though he declined to comment on potential interviews this year.

Kingsbury is an obvious candidate for the Bears’ vacant head coaching position after serving as a senior offensive analyst at USC during Caleb Williams‘ final college season. The two have a “solid relationship,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, which will be crucial to getting the most out of the 2024 No. 1 overall pick after a false start of a rookie year.

Kingsbury is expected to interview in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, though he may not be in a rush to leave Washington. His contract with the Cardinals ran through 2027, so Kingsbury is still drawing a head coach’s salary in addition to his current pay from the Commanders. That gives him the flexibility to be “selective” – like Lions OC Ben Johnson – with his next opportunity, per Fowler.

Kingsbury also enjoys working with Daniels under Dan Quinn in Washington, according to Breer, and the Commanders could be even better in 2025 after their surprising playoff run this season. That would boost Kingsbury’s coaching stock further, potentially setting him up for an even better opportunity a year or two down the line.

Kingsbury may also draw renewed interest from the Jets after interviewing for their head coaching job in 2019. He impressed the Johnson family during his interview process, per Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, though it’s worth noting that owner Woody Johnson was serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom at the time. Kingsbury opted to join the Cardinals, but he could once again find himself on the Jets’ shortlist this time around.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 8:59pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the latest practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Dallas Cowboys

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/25

January 1st, 2025 at 7:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Here are the NFL’s minor moves on New Year’s Day:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed to active roster from Buccaneers’ practice squad: DE Earnest Brown

Los Angeles Chargers

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed to active roster from Commanders’ practice squad: DT Haggai Ndubuisi

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Commanders Designate RB Austin Ekeler For Return

January 1st, 2025 at 1:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Austin Ekeler was recently mentioned as a candidate to return to action before the end of the season. The veteran running back will indeed have the chance to suit up in Week 18.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

The Commanders announced on Wednesday that Ekeler has been designated for return from injured reserve. Head coach Dan Quinn said last week Ekeler could be back in the fold shortly, so the news comes as little surprise. Washington will now have 21 days to activate him.

Ekeler has been dealing with the effects of the concussion he suffered in Week 12, at least the fourth of his career. He has been on IR since the end of November as a result, but being back in the lineup would be a welcomed development for team and player. The Commanders clinched a playoff spot with the overtime in Week 17, but they are not guaranteed to finish in the No. 6 slot in the NFC’s standing they currently occupy.

As a result, Ekeler could be available as soon as this Sunday. The 29-year-old would likely return to splitting backfield duties with Brian Robinson Jr. upon return. Ekeler has recorded 107 touches this season, his first in the nation’s capital. As expected, he departed the Chargers in free agency and joined several veteran backs in finding a new team during the spring. Ekeler inked a two-year, $8.43MM pact to join the Commanders and has played in role in the league’s No. 3 rushing offense.

Robinson leads the team in production on the ground with 789 yards, though, and he will be expected to remain a key member of Washington’s offense heading into the playoffs. Ekeler could provide a notable change of pace along with production in the passing game provided he is activated no later than Washington’s wild-card game. Managing to remain healthy through the remainder of the campaign will also be key for team and player given his injury history.

Jets To Interview Ron Rivera

December 30th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Jets’ decision to move on from Joe Douglas created a vacancy for the general manager position. The team moved quickly in bringing in Mike Tannenbaum and Rick Spielman to lead the way in the search for his replacement along with a new head coach.

Several candidates for the GM position have already emerged, but the Jets are also set to begin looking into head coaching options. Only those not currently under contract with another NFL club can meet with the team at this point in the year, and a notable name in that regard has emerged. Ron Rivera will interview with the Jets this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

[RELATED: Rex Ryan Expecting Jets Interview]

New York is looking for experience in both the head coach and general manager positions, and Rivera would certainly qualify in that regard. The 62-year-0ld’s NFL coaching tenure dates back 20 years, and he spent a total of six seasons as defensive coordinator of the Bears and Chargers. That was followed by a nine-year run at the helm of the Panthers, one which was highlighted by a Super Bowl appearance. Rivera’s time in Carolina came to an end with a midseason firing in 2019, but he took charge of the Commanders the following year.

In his debut campaign in the nation’s capital, Rivera guided the team to the postseason (despite managing a record of only 7-9). After that year’s wild-card defeat, seven- and eight-win seasons followed, and a lack of postseason appearances and questions at the quarterback spot lingered entering last year. Sam Howell was leaned on to handle QB1 duties, and his struggles in that role (along with a poor defensive outing especially after edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat were traded away) resulted in a 4-13 campaign. After a one-year observation period from owner Josh Harris, Rivera was fired in a move which came as little surprise.

The longtime staffer has not held a position at the pro or college levels this year, but he made it clear last winter he did not intend to retire. Rivera added a willingness to return to a defensive coordinator position in his next gig, and he drew notable interest in that respect. The Cowboys, Rams and Eagles each interviewed him for their respective DC openings, although all three teams went in a different direction. Rivera could once again be a name to watch on the coordinator front in this year’s hiring cycle.

Of course, that could also be true with respect to another head coaching opportunity. The Bears and Saints are also in need of a full-time coach for 2025, and more vacancies are expected in the near future. The Jets’ interest will produce at least one interview, though, and it will be interesting to see if more are soon to follow.

Jets Claim Phidarian Mathis; Three Other Teams Attempted To Add DT

December 30th, 2024 at 5:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Washington broke up its Alabama trio at defensive tackle over the weekend, activating Jonathan Allen from IR and cutting Phidarian Mathis. This decision generated interest around the league.

Mathis did not make it far down the waiver wire, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the young D-lineman is heading to the Jets. They are far from the only team to make a play for the former second-round pick, who has another season remaining on his rookie contract.

The Bengals, Lions and Texans also stepped in with waiver claims for Mathis, Rapoport adds. Sitting at 4-12, the Jets held the top waiver spot here and will almost certainly take the 2025 offseason to further assess Mathis, who came off the board early during the 2022 draft. He just has yet to justify that Commanders investment.

Despite this Washington regime change leading many Ron Rivera investments off the roster this offseason, Mathis played a career-high 34% of the playoff-bound team’s defensive snaps this year. He played in 12 Washington games but did not make much of a statistical impact, totaling only 17 tackles (two for loss). Mathis deflected a pass as well. He has yet to start an NFL game. Pro Football Focus has Mathis graded as the worst D-tackle regular (123rd overall) this season.

When Washington drafted Mathis 47th overall, questions about Daron Payne‘s long-term future loomed. Payne was set to play out his fifth-year option season; that year going well for the 2018 first-rounder led to a 2023 franchise tag and subsequent extension. With Allen signed long term and no strong consideration being given to trading the 2017 first-round pick, the Commanders’ youngest Alabama-produced DT lingered as a rotational player. Mathis also missed 16 games as a rookie due to suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1.

It is interesting the Jets have made this claim, seeing as they are without a GM and likely in the final days with interim HC Jeff Ulbrich. Mathis is set to carry a $1.8MM 2025 base salary. That price looks to have been fine for a few other teams to submit claims, but the next Jets regime will take a look at the 26-year-old defender.

Updated 2025 NFL Draft Order

December 30th, 2024 at 10:39am CST by Adam La Rose

Plenty of changes took place regarding the projected draft order on Sunday. Most notably, the Giants’ first home win of the year took them out of the top spot and greatly lowered their chances of securing the No. 1 pick.

Instead, the Patriots are now in pole position to select first in April. New England already has Drake Maye in place, so adding another Day 1 passer would be out of the picture. With Travis Hunter being seen as the top overall prospect in the class, the Heisman winner could be a suitable target as a key figure in New England’s rebuilding process.

Meanwhile, a number of teams which could be in the market for a first-round passer are near the top of the order. That includes the Browns and Raiders, teams which each face uncertainty under center for 2025 despite already having a number of quarterbacks under contract beyond this season. Bringing in Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would provide another short-term option for next year along with a potential long-term answer at the position. Plenty could still change in the order over Week 18, though, and the evaluation process of both of the top signal-callers in the class obviously has a long way to go.

For non-playoff teams, the draft order will be determined by the inverted 2024 standings — plus a series of tiebreakers, starting with strength of schedule — with playoff squads being slotted by their postseason outcome and regular-season record. Here is an updated look at the current draft order:

  1. New England Patriots (3-13)
  2. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
  3. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
  4. New York Giants (3-13)
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
  6. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
  7. New York Jets (4-12)
  8. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
  9. Chicago Bears (4-12)
  10. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
  11. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)
  12. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
  13. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
  14. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
  15. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
  17. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
  18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
  19. Houston Texans (9-7)
  20. Denver Broncos (9-7)
  21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
  22. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
  25. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
  26. Washington Commanders (11-5)
  27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
  28. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
  29. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
  30. Detroit Lions (13-2)
  31. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
  32. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)

Commanders Activate Jonathan Allen Off IR

December 28th, 2024 at 4:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders have activated defensive tackle Jonathan Allen from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Allen landed on IR in October after a pectoral injury that was originally thought to be season-ending. Optimism grew after doctors discovered during surgery that his pectoral was only partially torn. He was able to return to practice on December 18, giving him enough time to ramp up and return to the field before the end of the season.

The two-time Pro Bowler was off to a slightly slower start than previous years, notching just 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks in his first six games. Washington’s run defense still suffered without him; the Commanders have surrendered 2,061 rushing yards so far this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

Washington has relied on two recent second-round picks – Phidarian Mathis and Jer’Zhan Newton – to fill the void left by Allen’s absence. The Commanders waived Mathis earlier on Saturday, signaling that Allen would soon be headed back to the active roster. He will rejoin fellow Pro Bowler Daron Payne on the interior of Washington’s defensive line. Payne has started all 15 games, though his 68% snap share is a career-low.

Allen and Payne will hope to anchor the Commanders defense against the Falcons on Sunday night. A win would clinch Washington’s first playoff appearance since 2020, an impressive outcome after an organizational overhaul resulted in a new owner, head coach, and rookie quarterback.

Commanders Waive DL Phidarian Mathis

December 28th, 2024 at 12:34pm CST by Ben Levine

The Commanders are moving on from a former second-round pick. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is waiving defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis. Rapoport hints that the third-year player has a chance of catching on with a new squad via the waiver wire.

The Alabama product was selected with the 47th-overall pick in the 2022 draft. He suffered a torn meniscus in his NFL debut that kept him off the field for most of his rookie campaign. A calf injury forced him out of the lineup for the start of his sophomore season, and he got into about a third of his team’s defensive snaps once he returned in October.

Mathis saw a similar role in 2024, appearing in 257 defensive snaps in 12 appearances. When Jonathan Allen went down with an injury, Mathis initially saw an uptick in snaps opposite Daron Payne or Jer’Zhan Newton. However, Mathis has been inactive for each of the past three games, with the likes of Sheldon Day, Jalyn Holmes, and Carl Davis earning snaps at defensive tackle.

This move could ultimately be a precursor to the Commanders activating Allen from IR. The veteran has been working his way back from a pectoral injury suffered in mid-October. Allen returned to practice earlier this month and was a full participant this week.

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