Agent’s Take: Brock Purdy, Micah Parsons amongst high-profile gamers coping with unfinished NFL enterprise

The signing of 2025 draft picks is starting to take middle stage as NFL groups are holding rookie minicamps final weekend (Might 2 by way of Might 4 or Might 3 by way of 5) and this upcoming weekend (Might 9 by way of Might 11). There are nonetheless a number of main contractual and roster-related strikes that might happen both earlier than coaching camps open in late July or by the beginning of the 2026 common season in early September.

This is a take a look at some main unfinished enterprise with high-profile veteran gamers.

The most important piece of San Francisco 49ers’ offseason puzzle is attempting to get quarterback Brock Purdy signed to a contract extension. Purdy is scheduled to make $5.346 million within the ultimate 12 months of his four-year rookie contact.

49ers common supervisor John Lynch simply indicated on Chris Simms’ “Unbuttoned” podcast that there have been “actually good, optimistic discussions” with Purdy’s camp. Lynch did not put a timetable on when a brand new deal could be carried out. Purdy collaborating in San Francisco’s offseason exercises, which began a few weeks in the past, is a step in the best route.

Ought to Purdy and the 49ers attain an settlement, he will certainly be a part of the ten quarterbacks with offers averaging $50 million per 12 months. These contracts vary from Jalen Hurts’ $51 million per 12 months with the Tremendous Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles to Dak Prescott’s $60 million per 12 months from the Dallas Cowboys.

One factor the 49ers are going to have a tough getting Purdy’s camp to grasp is why Purdy must be handled worse than Jimmy Garoppolo. An inexperienced Garoppolo briefly turned the league’s highest-paid participant in 2018 after only a handful of fine begins following his midseason commerce from the New England Patriots a number of months earlier. Purdy has carried out much more than Garoppolo ever did when he signed his contract.

Good issues come to those that wait will seemingly apply to Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons. Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones seems to be following the identical blueprint as final 12 months when Dallas dragged its toes on signing broad receiver CeeDee Lamb and Prescott to new contracts. Lamb did not get his four-year, $136 million contract extension till August throughout the latter a part of the preseason. Prescott’s four-year, $240 million extension to change into the NFL’s first and solely $60 million-per-year participant did not come till September, hours earlier than Dallas’ regular-season opener.

It could be a shock if he performed the 2025 season below his absolutely assured $24.007 million fifth-year possibility. The expectation is Parsons will change into the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when he ultimately indicators his new deal. That distinction at the moment belongs to Cincinnati Bengals broad receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who acquired a four-year, $161 million extension averaging $40.25 million per 12 months in March. If Chase is changed on the prime of non-quarterback wage hierarchy earlier than Parsons indicators, that deal will certainly change into Parsons’ wage flooring.

Rodgers hasn’t dedicated to enjoying a twenty first NFL season. He lately indicated on the “Pat McAfee Present” that he was coping with some private issues and did not have a timeline for a making a call, which has the Pittsburgh Steelers in a holding sample. He additionally acknowledged that he’s keen to play for $10 million, which is a significant cut price. Rodgers made a bit of greater than $38 million final season with the New York Jets.

The Steelers are bending over backward for Rodgers.  A quarterback wasn’t chosen early within the 2025 NFL Draft regardless of a obtrusive want. Ohio State’s Will Howard wasn’t taken till the sixth spherical.

Ideally, Rodgers will decide by Might 27 when Pittsburgh begins Part Three of offseason exercises. That is when the ten days of organized staff actions can begin being held the place 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The Steelers arguably have the league’s worst quarterback room with Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Howard. The very best accessible quarterback choices if Rodgers decides to retire embrace Teddy Bridgewater, Tyler Huntley and Carson Wentz.

Professional Bowl quarterback Joe Burrow campaigned by way of the media for the Bengals to do no matter was obligatory for Chase, tight finish Mike Gesicki, edge rusher Trey Hendrickson and broad receiver Tee Higgins to stay in Cincinnati long run. Hendrickson’s state of affairs is the one one which must be resolved as Burrow has gotten his want with everybody else.

Hendrickson gave the Bengals a pay me or commerce me ultimatum earlier this offseason. The Bengals had been rumored to be on the lookout for greater than a first-round decide in return for Hendrickson. The 2024 NFL sack chief is scheduled to make $16 million in 2025, which is his contract 12 months. Hendrickson has been skipping Cincinnati’s offseason exercises.

Based mostly on manufacturing, Hendrickson must be one of many NFL’s highest-paid edge rushers. Along with a league-high 17.5 sacks, Hendrickson tied for the NFL lead with 83 quarterback pressures in 2024, in response to Professional Soccer Focus. He’s the fourth participant in NFL historical past to ever have consecutive seasons with 17.5 or extra sacks. The others are Mark Gastineau, Reggie White and JJ Watt. Hendrickson is not displaying any indicators of slowing down regardless of turning 30 in December.

It should be irritating for Hendrickson to see how the Houston Texans are treating a relative newcomer, edge rusher Danielle Hunter. The Texans did not hesitate to increase the two-year, $49 million contract (value as much as $51 million by way of incentives) Hunter, who turns 31 in October, signed throughout 2024 free company by one 12 months in March for $35.6 million to maintain him within the fold by way of the 2026 season.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris’ claims of being snug with Cousins as a backup to 2024’s eighth general decide Michael Penix Jr. had been initially taken with a grain of salt. That is as a result of Cousins would be the most costly backup quarterback in league historical past after signing a four-year, $180 million contract averaging $45 million per 12 months with $100 million in ensures, of which $90 million was absolutely assured, to affix the Falcons throughout 2024 free company. Standard knowledge prompt the Falcons would launch Cousins with a post-June 1 designation earlier than his harm assured $10 million fifth day of the 2026 league 12 months roster bonus turned absolutely assured March 16 on the fifth day of the 2025 league 12 months.

The Falcons have rightly calculated that Cousins goes to be the consummate skilled in regards to the state of affairs though he needs a change of surroundings with a purpose to have a possibility to be a beginning quarterback this season. Cousins has been unwilling to make waves publicly or turned a distraction. He even confirmed up for the beginning of offseason exercises final month.

Potential locations have change into extra restricted after the 2025 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns now not appear to be a viable possibility with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders being drafted within the third and fifth rounds. The Minnesota Vikings traded for Sam Howell on the ultimate day of the Draft. Howell has been given jersey No. 8, which Cousins wore throughout his six seasons (2018 by way of 2023) in Minnesota. The Steelers might come into play if Rodgers retires.

Logistically, Cousins should waive his no-trade clause to be dealt. The buying staff will even need the Falcons to eat among the remaining $37.5 million in wage ensures remaining in Cousins’ contract, which encompass his $27.5 million 2025 base wage and the 2026 roster bonus.

Barring an harm to a beginning quarterback throughout offseason exercises, the preseason or early within the common season, the Falcons and Cousins might be caught with one another till 2026. One state of affairs to look at is with the New Orleans Saints, an NFC South rival, due to beginning quarterback Derek Carr’s injured proper shoulder.

Steelers All-Professional edge rusher T.J. Watt raised eyebrows final month with a cryptic Instagram publish of him simply making a peace signal. This prompted hypothesis that the publish was contract associated.

Watt is within the ultimate 12 months of the four-year, $112.011 million extension averaging $28,002,750 per 12 months he signed in 2021 two days earlier than the staff’s first regular-season recreation. The deal put Watt on the prime of the NFL’s non-quarterback wage hierarchy.

Watt is making $21.05 million on a $30,418,695 cap quantity in 2025. The Steelers designating Watt as a franchise participant in 2026 is not possible. By NFL collective bargaining settlement guidelines, the price would be the larger of 120% of Watt’s 2025 wage, which relies on his cap quantity for these functions, or the linebacker quantity derived from system within the franchise tag calculations. A 2026 franchise tag for Watt will likely be $36,502,434 below the 120% wage improve provisions.

Watt, who turns 31 in October, could be justified in eager to be the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback once more. His 73.5 sacks are the NFL’s most over the past 5 seasons (2020 by way of 2024). Watt has a 1.5-sack lead over Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, who signed a four-year, $160 million extension averaging $40 million per 12 months in March, regardless of enjoying six fewer video games. He was additionally a finalist for 2024’s NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months award, ending fourth within the balloting.

2022 first-round decide extensions

Six gamers chosen throughout the first spherical of the 2021 NFL Draft acquired contract extensions final 12 months after enjoying simply three NFL seasons, which tied for essentially the most with the 2017 first-round class. The Houston Texans bought the ball rolling in March with 2022 third general decide Derek Stingley Jr. He massively reset the cornerback market, which was lengthy overdue, on a three-year, $90 million extension averaging $30 million per 12 months with a defensive again report $89,026,026 in ensures.

The very best bets to get new offers with out enjoying one other season below a rookie contract are Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, Jets broad receiver Garrett Wilson, Baltimore Ravens security Kyle Hamilton and Ravens middle Tyler Linderbaum, who had been drafted second, fourth, tenth, 14th and twenty fifth general, respectively.

The Lions have a historical past of being proactive with All-Professional-caliber first-round picks. Any Hutchinson deal will put him at or close to the highest of the non-quarterback market. Hutchinson was the main candidate to be the 2024 NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months when he suffered a season-ending damaged fibula and tibia in his left leg throughout a Week 6 contest towards the Cowboys. On the time, Hutchinson had a league-leading 7.5 sacks and 45 quarterback pressures in solely 5 video games.

The Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year possibility for 2026. The choice was associated to value, not efficiency. The $23.402 million price ticket as a result of Linderbaum has been named to the Professional Bowl on the unique poll in every of the final two seasons (2023 and 2024) did not mirror the middle market. There aren’t particular option-year salaries for facilities, guard and sort out. The price is identical no matter place, which suggests left tackles primarily decide the quantity.

The NFL’s highest-paid middle is Creed Humphrey with the four-year, $72 million extension averaging $18 million per 12 months he acquired from the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs final preseason. Preserving Linderbaum long run ought to require resetting the middle market. Linderbaum turning into the NFL’s first $20 million-per-year middle is not out of the query.

Crowning the king

Ravens common supervisor Eric DeCosta did not rule out extending Derrick Henry’s contract throughout the season-ending press convention in late January following a 27-25 AFC divisional-round playoff loss to the Buffalo Payments as a result of his debut season with the Ravens went so nicely. Henry had the very best NFL season ever for a 30-year-old operating again in 2024. He was second within the NFL with 1,921 speeding yards, led the NFL with 16 speeding touchdowns, tied for the second-most whole touchdowns with 18 and posted a career-high 5.9 yards per carry, which was tops amongst operating backs.

Henry is coming into the ultimate 12 months of a two-year, $16 million contract value as much as $20 million by way of incentives. He’s scheduled to make $7 million on a $12.895 million wage cap quantity in 2025. None of this cash is assured.

Henry is not among the many NFL’s 10 highest-paid operating backs by common yearly wage. He’s tied for twelfth with D’Andre Swift (Chicago Bears).

Nothing has come to fruition thus far though different groups have rewarded gamers who signed two-year offers in 2024 free company. Along with Hunter with the Texans, the Vikings simply gave edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel a one-year extension value $23 million.

Complicating issues is the Philadelphia Eagles making Saquon Barkley the league’s first $20 million-per-year operating again in March regardless of having two years remaining on the three-year, $37.75 million contract averaging $12,583,333 per 12 months (value as a lot as $46.75 million by way of incentives and wage escalators) Barkley acquired in 2024 free company. Barkley signed a two-year, $41.2 million extension averaging $20.6 million per 12 months with $36 million absolutely assured.