49ERS EMBRACE URGENCY AFTER DISAPPOINTING 2024 SEASON
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The vibes were off from the start of last season for the San Francisco 49ers.
Contract disputes provided a cloud over the team throughout the spring and summer, the Super Bowl hangover and a third straight short offseason sapped some energy and a lack of roster turnover led to some staleness around the Niners.
Those factors and a bevy of injuries turned a Super Bowl contender into a 6-11 also-ran, leading coach Kyle Shanahan to deliver a blunt message at the end of the season about what needed to change in 2025.
“I felt guys weren’t ready to come back,” Shanahan said about the 2024 season. “I understood that. But I told them how I won’t really understand it this year. Not that that was right or wrong, but I couldn’t comprehend it. We’re off five weeks earlier. We all know how disappointed we are and a lot of us have played a lot of football here. But we’re going to have a team that doesn’t know what we’ve done in the past or how you guys have earned a lot of stuff, we need to show them.”
As the 49ers begin their final week of the offseason program on Monday, the change has been palpable.
The team was able to resolve its major contract questions early in the offseason by reaching extensions with quarterback Brock Purdy, linebacker Fred Warner and tight end George Kittle without any drama or acrimony.
The attendance for the voluntary offseason program was high with most of the key players on hand to help teach the rookies and other newcomers the standard for how the 49ers operate. Star left tackle Trent Williams was one of the few notable players not on hand for the first week of on-field practices but was back in town last week.
Shanahan stressed the importance of showing up in April and the players listened, leading to the successful spring. Shanahan said he didn’t have to make any requests after the season-ending meeting and the players said there was no need for a group discussion about making sure everyone was bought in for this season.
“I didn’t think we had to do all that,” Warner said. “Kyle made a point of that at the end of last season when he said how important it was to be back for this phase because of how last season went, and we knew what we were getting ourselves into with a whole new group, a lot of young players. We all made the decision on our own to be back here.”
The urgency that may have been lacking at times in 2024 is back this offseason as the Niners want to avoid any sort of repeat of last year’s disappointment.
San Francisco had lost in the NFC title games following the 2021 and 2022 seasons and then fell just short in the Super Bowl in the 2023 season, losing the title game in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Those deep runs led to reduced time off with some players choosing rest over rushing back to be on hand for the entire offseason program.
That was not the case this spring as the team plans to incorporate several new starters on both sides of the ball following a roster purge in March.
“When your season ends and you’re not making the playoffs, your desire to be back in the building and to get that taste out of your mouth, I think is expedited,” Kittle said. “Guys want to be back for it. When you’re playing in the middle of February, you kind of need an extra month. That’s why a lot of guys don’t show up to phase two or stuff like that. But there is an importance of phase one, the team building stuff. Kyle wanted us to be back. I think guys were going to be here regardless just because they were ready to go back and play football.”
BENGALS TO RELEASE LINEBACKER GERMAINE PRATT, SAVING $5.6M ON SALARY CAP, AP SOURCES SAY
The Cincinnati Bengals are releasing linebacker Germaine Pratt, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.
NFL Network first reported Pratt’s release. The move comes on the eve of the Bengals mandatory minicamp, which starts Tuesday.
The move gives the Bengals $5.6 million in salary cap savings.
Pratt, who was going into the final season of a three-year contract, was one of the longest-tenured Bengals but requested a trade during the offseason. He was a third-round pick in 2019 and started 88 games over six seasons.
He was ninth in the NFL last season with 143 tackles, including two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
Cincinnati has had plenty of questions about the defense during the offseason. It hired Al Golden as coordinator while defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who led the league in sacks last season, has been involved in his own contract dispute.
PRO BOWL PUNTER LOGAN COOKE SIGNS A 4-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH THE JAGUARS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Pro Bowl punter Logan Cooke has signed a four-year contract extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Cooke, a second-team All-Pro selection in 2024, was entering the final year of his second deal with the team. It had been unclear how Jacksonville’s new regime would handle Cooke’s contract situation.
Jacksonville, which drafted Cooke in the seventh round in 2018, announced the extension Monday.
Cooke established career highs with a gross putting average of 49.4 yards and a net punting average of 44.8 yards last season.
He has a net punting average of 43.5 yards, the highest career mark in the NFL since the statistic began being tracked in 1976. His career gross punting average of 47.4 yards is the highest in franchise history and the sixth best in the NFL since 1939.
Cooke also has placed 41.8% of his punts inside the 20-yard line, the highest mark by any punter in team history.
PACKERS PLAN TO RELEASE VETERAN CORNERBACK JAIRE ALEXANDER, AP SOURCE SAYS
The Green Bay Packers are planning to release veteran cornerback Jaire Alexander, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Packers haven’t announced the move yet. NFL Network first reported it.
The release would end a seven-year run with the Packers in which Alexander earned two Pro Bowl selections and intercepted 12 passes, though injuries limited his playing time in recent seasons. This move, which is expected to clear about $17 million in cap space, comes as the Packers prepare to open their mandatory minicamp this week.
Alexander’s future with the Packers had been the subject of much speculation throughout the offseason because of his hefty contract and recent injury history. Alexander had two years remaining on the four-year, $84 million contract extension he signed in May 2022.
The 28-year-old Alexander has spent his entire career with the Packers, who selected him out of Louisville with the 18th overall pick in the 2018 draft. Alexander made Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2022, but he has played in only 34 of the Packers’ 68 regular-season games over the last four years.
Alexander missed two early-season games last year with injuries to his quadriceps and groin. He then missed a Nov. 3 loss to Detroit with a knee injury, returned to play 10 snaps in the Packers’ next game against Chicago and then was out for the rest of the season.
His unavailability for much of the last few seasons has the Packers believing they can move forward without the player who had remained their best cornerback when healthy. Green Bay’s cornerback room also has lost 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, who had his own injury issues with the Packers before signing with the Las Vegas Raiders in March.
The Packers return Keisean Nixon, a two-time All-Pro kickoff returner who has become more of a factor on defense the last couple of seasons while Alexander has struggled with injuries. Carrington Valentine, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has started 19 games over the last two seasons. The Packers also added former Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs in free agency and drafted Micah Robinson out of Tulane in the seventh round.
Alexander was so effective early in his career that the Packers signed him to that big contract with a $30 million signing bonus even after a shoulder injury had limited him to four regular-season games in 2021. Alexander had returned for the Packers’ NFC divisional playoff loss to San Francisco during that 2021 season.
But the injuries kept coming.
He started 16 games and had a career-high five interceptions in 2022 but played just seven regular-season games each of the last two years. Alexander has remained very effective in pass coverage when available.
The games he missed were because of injury with one exception. Alexander got suspended for a late-season game in 2023 because of conduct detrimental to the team after he appointed himself captain and participated in the coin toss for a Christmas Eve win at Carolina, his hometown.
PATS COACH: QB DRAKE MAYE’S LEADERSHIP SKILLS ‘A WORK IN PROGRESS’
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye proved his football skills during a solid 12-start rookie campaign.
Heading into 2025, head coach Mike Vrabel wants to see his young signal-caller improve his leadership skills.
“I think that there is a lot of room to grow,” Vrabel told reporters Monday, noting that Maye is just 22 and early in his pro development.
“I think there’s a lot of natural leadership qualities. I think I have to encourage him, continue to encourage him and to put him in those positions to do that so that the players understand that there’s a different version of all of us,” Vrabel said. “There’s one that’s maybe off the field, there’s one in the meeting room, and then there’s a version on the field, which we all have to understand is somewhat different than what it may be off the field.”
Vrabel, entering his first season as the head coach in New England, said leadership isn’t the exclusive property of a quarterback.
Vrabel should know, having been a leader of the Patriots’ defense as a linebacker during the 2000s before coaching the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23.
“I don’t think it matters if you’re a quarterback, offensive lineman, running back or defensive back. It’s about your ability to reach certain players,” Vrabel said. “Again, we don’t want to have any gaps. Hopefully, you know what to do, you’re prepared, you do things the right way, you’re a good listener.
“I think you can adapt to what happens and adapt to the people you’re talking to maybe based on what they need. Sometimes people need a little different encouraging, and sometimes you need a little bit of a firmer hand and maybe a little bit of a firmer stance. I think that’s all important of understanding and getting to know each person before you can start to lead them.”
Vrabel was asked whether Maye has been able to push his teammates without pushing their buttons or worrying about how his leadership style might affect his popularity.
“I think that’s evolving and that’s a work in progress,” he said. “I think we’re all learning each other a little bit. I think we’re all learning the system and learning the plays, and once we master it, I think that’s going to start to separate itself.”
Maye made the Pro Bowl and went 3-9 as a starter last year after being drafted No. 3 overall. He passed for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
WITH NEW DEAL, AARON RODGERS RANKS 22ND IN NFL QB ANNUAL SALARY
Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers for a reported $13.65 million in 2025, with a chance to earn $19.5 million when including incentives.
According to multiple reports, Rodgers’ agreement includes a base salary that would rank 11th in the NFL at the position in 2025, according to salary databases from Spotrac and Over The Cap. The Steelers only guaranteed $10 million of the $13.65 million total, according to multiple reports.
Falcons backup Kirk Cousins has the highest base salary among all quarterbacks in 2025 at $27.5 million.
Twenty-one quarterbacks have an average annual salary over $13.65 million, including Colts backup Daniel Jones ($14 million) and the Jets’ Justin Fields ($20 million). Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tops the list at $60 million. Joe Burrow (Bengals), Josh Allen (Bills), Jordan Love (Packers) and Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) each earn an average of $55 million per year — and none have yet to turn 30.
Burrow is second in quarterback base salary in 2025 at $25.25 million.
Fields began the 2024 season as QB1 for the Steelers and was benched in favor of Russell Wilson after six games. Wilson signed a reported one-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Giants as a free agent and Fields is the new starter for the Jets, the franchise Rodgers called home the past two seasons.
The Jets and Steelers square off Week 1 of the 2025 regular season.
The Steelers announced Friday they had agreed to a one-year deal with the 41-year-old veteran, though no terms were released. The team statement also said the deal was pending a physical.
Rodgers, a four-time NFL Most Valuable Player and winner of Super Bowl XLV, spent his first 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before his stint with the Jets.
In that Super Bowl, while playing for Green Bay, he was named game MVP as the Packers defeated the Steelers.
DISGRUNTLED PACKERS C ELGTON JENKINS AT CAMP, NOT PRACTICING
Packers center Elgton Jenkins plans to attend mandatory minicamp in Green Bay, although participation is an entirely different story, according to multiple reports Monday.
Seeking an adjusted contract to reflect the current market for his new position, Jenkins has been distant from the team since the start of the offseason. He’s moving from guard to center and while he said last season he’s amenable to a move, he wants to be paid for his versatility after logging important snaps at tackle and guard in previous seasons.
Jenkins has two years remaining on a four-year, $68 million contract signed in 2022, but none of it is guaranteed.
NFL Network reported Monday it’s unlikely Jenkins will practice without financial guarantees for injury in his contract.
Packers offensive coordinator Andy Stenavich said after the draft Jenkins was on board with the position switch, but ESPN reported Jenkins wants the security of guarantees or a new deal to make the move.
At an average annual salary of $17 million per year, Jenkins’ current deal would make him the second-highest-paid center in the NFL — tied with Cam Jurgens (Eagles) — behind only Chiefs All-Pro Creed Humphrey ($18 million).
Jenkins turns 30 in December and bumps inside to make room for free agent addition Aaron Banks to play left guard. The Packers also selected Anthony Belton (54th overall) and seventh-rounder John Williams in their 2025 draft class.
Jenkins was a second-round pick in 2019 and played center in college. General manager Brian Gutekunst has shown little interest in extending contracts for players with more than one season left on an existing contract.
“We feel he’s got a chance to be an All-Pro center. We’ve talked about it a lot, how versatility plays into our offensive line, and having guys that can move to different spots,” Gutekunst said. “And Elgton’s one of those guys who can play all five spots, so he’s a luxury. I’m excited to see what he can do at center, as well.”
REPORT: TEXANS WORK OUT FORMER RAIDER DAMON ARNETTE JR.
The Houston Texans worked out former first-round pick Damon Arnette Jr., who has not played in the NFL since legal problems derailed his career in 2022.
KPRC2 reported that Arnette worked out for the Texans on Monday ahead of the team’s minicamp.
The Texans are searching for secondary depth. The recent retirement of veteran cornerback Ronald Darby created uncertainty on the depth chart.
Arnette, 28, was selected No. 19 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020 draft. He played in 13 games (seven starts) before Arnette was hit with felony gun charges stemming from an incident at a Las Vegas casino in January 2022. Arnette was accused of brandishing a .45-caliber handgun during an argument with casino valets.
Arnette was sentenced to community service and fined $2,000 in August 2023 after agreeing to a plea deal.
The Raiders released Arnette in November 2021 amid two lawsuits and a troubling video posted by the defensive back. The video showed Arnette repeatedly threatening to kill someone while brandishing what appeared to be semi-automatic weapons. The Kansas City Chiefs, who had signed Arnette to a reserve contract, released him after the arrest at the casino.
Arnette most recently played for the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL, racking up 18 tackles and an interception last season.
Injuries limited Arnette to 13 games (seven starts) in his one-plus seasons with the Raiders. He didn’t record any interceptions and had 29 tackles.
