NFL Player News

McCollum started Week 1 of the preseason but hasn’t practiced since he was injured in a joint practice with Miami. The early rule out likely puts his Week 2 status in doubt. It’s possible the Bucs have a larger than expected role planned for the RAS superstar when he returns.

Smith was a likely cap casualty heading into the offseason, so this was the only way he was going to stay in Indy. Before the team reworked his deal, they could have saved $16.8 million in cap space by cutting him. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Smith is still scheduled to become a free agent after the 2025 season. Smith has been with the Colts since they drafted him in the second round of the 2018 draft. He will likely depart in free agency, meaning 2025 should be his last season in Indy.

A former fourth-round pick of the Ravens back in 2020, Bredeson turned a one-year contract that he signed with the Buccaneers last offseason into a long-term deal this offseason. The five-year vet started all 17 games he appeared in last season while playing on the sixth-most snaps of any guard in the league. He’s a reliable player who has played in 33 of a possible 34 regular season games over the last two years, and should provide long-term stability to a ground game that was among the league’s most productive last season.

It’s a fully-guaranteed deal for Mack, who turned 34 earlier this offseason and is coming off a six-sack season. His six sacks tied for the second-lowest total in his career, but Mack still proved to be highly effective when on the field. Amongst qualified EDGE rushers, Mack’s 90.2 defensive grade, per PFF, ranked fourth highest, while his 88.0 run defense grade was good for second. His 49 pressures was tied for 26th most at the position. It’s a good deal for Mack given the drop in his raw numbers, and it gives the Chargers a reliable pass rusher after they released Joey Bosa last week.

Warren is free to negotiate with other teams but the 26-year-old back is unlikely to generate much interest as any team that signs him would need to part with a second-round pick. With Najee Harris set to hit the free agent market, Warren could be in for a busier season than usual if Harris lands elsewhere in the coming days. However, as a career committee back, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Steelers split Warren’s workload in 2025, whether it be with Harris or a back who is not yet on the roster. Still, Warren has been efficient on a per touch basis, averaging 5.4 YPT for his career while totaling 2,568 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns through his first three years in the league.

Ian Rapoport reports that Horn will get $70 million in guarantees. This was a stated No. 1 priority for the Panthers all offseason, and they managed to secure Horn before free agency opened. Horn has yet to play a full season, topping out at 15 games for the Panthers last year and struggling with injuries. From that standpoint, it’s an awful lot of money to throw at a corner who has only a Pro Bowl appearance to his name in four years. Horn has the talent to make the extension look fair, but there’s some downside risk here for Carolina.

Jarrett, a two-time Pro Bowler, has spent his entire 10-year career with the Falcons. The veteran tackle was set to enter the final year of his deal, but the Falcons opted to release Garrett in a move that will save them $16.250 million against the cap in 2025. Jarrett, 32, totaled 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks while also putting up nine TFLs last season. After a torn ACL ended his 2023 campaign, he bounced back nicely in 2024 and should have a strong market as a free agent.

The Jaguars made Engram a cap casualty last week to free up $5.98 million in cap space. Now, Engram will meet with the Broncos to discuss the possibility of a deal that should help bolster one of the least productive tight end rooms in the league. After catching 114 passes in 2023, Engram was limited to just 47-365-1 over nine games last season, as a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the year. Assuming he can get back to full health, Engram would become the immediate TE1 for a Broncos team that saw the position combine for 51-483-5.

As Schefter points out, Fields can’t take an offer from the Jets until noon when the legal tampering period officially opens. That said, it’s been reported that the Jets are “most interested” in Fields’ services, meaning a strong offer could be coming his way once it can be made. There still appears to be mutual interest between Fields and the Steelers, but Pittsburgh is keeping its options open and will reportedly sit down with Aaron Rodgers to discuss a possible deal as well. We would expect things to start moving shortly after the legal tampering period begins.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $26 million fully guaranteed. Jones was set to hit free agent this week but Denver wasn’t letting the big man see the open market. Jones is a lane-clogger in the run game and has nine TFLs to his name in three years with the Broncos. He has just five sacks over that period but gets his hands up in the passing game, breaking up three passes in 2024. Jones also scooped up a fumble last year and forced three fumbles in the previous season. He will return as a staple of Denver’s run-defense for 2025.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Smith was already looking for a new deal from the Seahawks only to reportedly turn down an offer that would have netted him something in the neighborhood of $40-$45 million per year. However, it appears Smith’s desire to reunite with head coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas outweighed his desire to re-up with the Seahawks on a new deal, but now the expectation is the Raiders will give him a new deal to lock him in beyond the 2025 campaign. Smith is an immediate upgrade over any quarterback the Raiders had under center last season, but it’s hard to imagine him putting the Raiders in a position to consistently compete with the likes of the Chiefs, Chargers, or Broncos. That said, any stability he can provide will be of value. Smith, 34, could also help serve as a mentor for a younger QB in the near future.