NFL Player News

Uzomah went down early in the first quarter. He stayed on the field clutching his knee after the play and was eventually carted to the locker room. His day appears to be over. Rookie tight end Jeremy Ruckert could see more snaps in his absence.

Brown has started 19 of the last 30 games he’s appeared in for the Rams, totaling 75 tackles, eight TFLs, and a half sack over that span. Despite the starts, Brown has been utilized as a rotational player, as the 472 defensive snaps he saw last season marked the most of his four-year career. The Panthers narrowly missed out on signing coveted DT Milton Williams. Brown is a low-end consolation prize that can still prove helpful in the right situation.

Going on age 29, Moore was a core special teamer last season. He played zero snaps on defense. That should remain the case for 2025.

As Florio notes, Slay’s release from Philly is not official yet. That means he is still under contract with the Eagles and is not free to sign with another team, despite previous reports saying a deal had been agreed to. Per Florio, the Eagles might also keep Slay. This largely sounds like the Eagles posturing to squeeze out a draft pick from the Steelers, who obviously have their eyes set on Slay. For now, nothing is expected to be finalized until Wednesday, leaving Slay in a state of limbo.

A former seventh-round pick of the Bears back in 2021, Tonga has spent most of his career as a backup. He’s started seven of the 53 games he has appeared in and is now set to join his fourth team in five seasons. Tonga will likely serve as a rotational player in Mike Vrabel’s defense, and has been used primarily on rush downs during his career.

It’s a prove-it deal for Koonce after he missed all of last season. Koonce tore his ACL in practice ahead of Week 1 in 2024. He’ll look to build his market for 2026 — Koonce had eight sacks and 52 quarterback pressures in 2023 and could be in for a big leap if his knee holds up. The Raiders were “anxious” to re-sign him this offseason, per head coach Pete Carroll at the combine.

$13 million in guaranteed money for Hainsey, and the crowd goes wild citing Tommy Condon of CAA’s work on the deal. The last time we blurbed about Hainsey it was in the context of the 2023 Buccaneers, who had Hainsey ready to step in for Ryan Jensen at center. Hainsey was rough in 2023 and replaced by Graham Barton after he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The 2021 third-round pick will, judging by the size of the contract, be the favorite to start over Luke Fortner at center in Jacksonville.

The deal includes an underwhelming (relative to the supposed total outlay) $16 million guaranteed. A 25-year-old primary nickel back, Hobbs has earned so-so PFF grades at an admittedly tough position. He is also capable of playing on the boundary. Coming from a bad defense to a better overall unit, Hobbs isn’t a bad improvement bet for 2025, though he’s not a slam-dunk signing, especially if it is for $12 million annually in the slot.

Stephens was thought of as someone teams could buy low on heading into free agency — he allowed 926 yards in coverage and had a 49.4 PFF coverage rating in 2024. Instead, the Jets have paid him premium starter money. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the deal contains $23 million in guarantees. Stephens will replace D.J. Reed outside next to Sauce Gardner for the Jets.

Jackson was a part of the trade that sent Diontae Johnson to the Panthers last offseason. Now, after one season with the Steelers, Jackson will join a Chargers defense that ranked fourth in yards per attempt and first in points allowed. Jackson forced a career-high five interceptions last season, but earned a PFF coverage grade of 46.2 — the lowest mark of his career. Opposing receivers posted a receiving line of 36-473-3 on 60 targets when matched up against Jackson last season and excelled against him after the catch. Kristian Fulton, who played the second most snaps of any corner on the Chargers last season was on a one-year deal and is no lock to return this offseason. Jackson could very well be tasked with replacing Fulton on his new deal.

The Vikings drafted Jones in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He was deployed as a part-time defensive end and a special teamer throughout his rookie contract, being credited with just five starts over four years. Even in a limited role, Jones broke out last year with seven sacks and nine TFLs. His contract, worth “up to” $20 million, signals that the Panthers will utilize him in a larger role going forward.