Ward appears unlikely to participate in the Combine, like other recent highly touted prospects primed to go in the first couple picks of the draft. Ward did, however, offer a warning to NFL teams who might pass on him because he sat out the second half of his final collegiate game. “You’re either going to draft me or you’re not,” Ward told the Associated Press Monday. “If you don’t draft me, that’s your fault. You’ve got to remember you’re the same team that’s got to play me for the rest of my career, and I’ll remember that.” Ward threw for 39 touchdowns and 4,313 yards for the Hurricanes last year, adding 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. The QB-needy Titans, who have the first overall pick in the 2025 draft, seem like a likely landing spot for Ward.

According to Florio, this news comes from a source with “direct knowledge of the situation.” Reports of the Steelers reaching out to the Jaguars surfaced last Thursday, but little news has materialized on the topic since. Days after the Jaguars said any notion of trading Lawrence was “ridiculous,” Florio’s report eliminates any possibility that a call was ever made. The Jaguars seem intent on staying with Lawrence, which makes sense from an organizational team point and a financial one, as a trade of Lawrence would result in a $100 million dead cap hit while also costing them $83 million against the cap. It’s probably safe to assume this is the last we hear of this story.

Good luck, folks. Garrett has made it clear that winning has become a top priority late in his career and said earlier that he’s willing to do “whatever it takes” to facilitate a trade. While a hefty new contract could persuade him to stay, it wouldn’t change the fact that Garrett would be heading into his ninth season with a team that’s in near rebuild mode after going 3-14 last season. A trade still sounds like his best bet if he hopes to play for a contender. To date, the team has expressed no interest in trading him. This standoff will be a major NFL offseason story.

Rapien reports that “Higgins’ camp expects to get tagged at this point,” which would keep the fifth-year receiver from hitting the free-agent market. He also adds that this time, the decision to tag Higgins “feels different,” while adding “the Bengals plan to sign the star receiver to a long-term deal” per his sources. While we don’t know when a deal could come, it sounds like Joe Burrow’s offseason lobbying has been heard by the Bengals’ front office, who have several big-name players to work out deals with. In addition to Higgins, the Bengals need to get Ja’Marr Chase’s contract figured out this offseason, and Burrow has also lobbied for the team to bring back tight end Mike Gesicki. Teams can tag players starting on February 18th at 4 p.m. EST. It’s possible we’ll know more on this decision in the next 24 hours.

Rodrigue characterized the situation as “fluid,” noting that the sides met before the Super Bowl and that there wasn’t much progress after their opening conversations. The sides are expected to talk again in “coming weeks.” Rodrigue also notes that if there is a difference between the Rams and Stafford, it would “likely” be that the Rams “don’t want to make a significant financial commitment to a veteran quarterback whose long-term future or durability they can’t be certain about.” Stafford remains the most talented quarterback that is theoretically available this offseason. It sure sounds like the Rams want to continue to give the 37-year-old band-aid contract upgrades rather than having a huge deal on the books to work through in the near future. Rodrigue also notes that “trade speculation has only increased as the offseason has continued.”

Given the fact that offset language is in Cousins’ contract, he will almost certainly become a free agent in the same way that Russell Wilson did last year: He won’t make more than the $27.5 million he’s already due, so he will be able to sign a minimum contract anywhere he wants. The possibility of playing with his former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland should be intriguing to Cousins. Mix that together with the idea that the Browns are wildly over the salary cap and could really use a value starting quarterback for a year, and it is easy to see why these two sides are being connected ahead of free agency. Cousins is currently still with the Falcons, but per Breer “most expect” the Falcons to release him.

These things, of course, can change. Rodgers brings a lot of baggage with him into free agency — The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt reported it was “likely” Rodgers would be a post-June 1 release when things were officially finalized. It is hard to argue that Rodgers isn’t one of the 32 most talented quarterbacks in the world right now, even with his mobility reduced after the Achilles tear that ended his 2023 season. We’re sure we’ll be posting a lot about Rodgers over the next few months, but it might be hard for him to find a team that wants to start him in 2025.

Godwin was franchise tagged by the Buccaneers during the 2021 and 2022 offseasons in hopes of eventually securing him to a long-term contract. While that ultimately paid off in 2022, when they signed him to a three-year, $60 million deal, they are not expected to do the same thing this offseason, leaving the soon-to-be 29-year-old receiver free to test free agency. Godwin was on pace to have one of his most productive seasons to date, but a broken ankle ended his 2024 campaign after just seven games. Godwin caught 50 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns in seven 2024 starts. How Godwin responds to recovery from his torn ACL will weigh into how teams view him this free agent cycle, but he should still have a decent market given his age and productivity over the years. It’s possible his days with the Buccaneers could be nearing an end once free agency kicks off next month.

Demovsky writes that “multiple team sources have privately expressed their frustration with Alexander’s inability to stay healthy and/or play through injuries.” That about sums up what appeared to be an awkward season for Alexander and the Packers, as the veteran corner appeared in just seven games due to a knee injury that kept him out of games but not always out of practice. Alexander declined to speak with the media at the end of the season, outside of saying he had “nothing good to say.” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said after the season that there was no disconnect between Alexander and the team, but the optics seem to suggest anything but that. Alexander is due to make $17.5 million next season, and his release would free up $6.8 million in cap space if he’s designated as a pre-June 1 release. It’s hard to imagine any team trading for the oft-injured, 28-year-old corner, so there’s a good chance an outright release will be in his future.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported last week that Staley was considered the “leading candidate” to land the Saints defensive coordinator role. The former Chargers head coach hired Kellen Moore as the team’s offensive coordinator in 2023, and now he may have a chance to work under Moore as the first-time head coach rounds out his staff. Staley flamed out in his three seasons as the Chargers head coach but led a top defensive unit in 2020 during his lone season as the Rams’ defensive coordinator. Whoever lands this job will have their work cut out for them, as the Saints finished last season ranked 19th in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed, while also ranking outside the top 25 as a pass defense and a rush defense.