NFL CUTS TRACKER:
https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-roster-cuts-tracking-player-releases-ahead-of-the-2025-roster-deadline
TERRY MCLAURIN AND THE COMMANDERS AGREE ON A 3-YEAR EXTENSION WORTH $96 MILLION, AP SOURCE SAYS
The Washington Commanders and top wide receiver Terry McLaurin have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth $96 million, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Monday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.
McLaurin initially did not show up to training camp and then landed on the physically unable to perform list once he reported. After asking for a trade when negotiations were at a standstill, he recently had been activated in the hopes of being available for the season opener on Sept. 7 against the NFC East rival New York Giants.
A deal got done less than two weeks before that game, keeping McLaurin under contract through the 2028 NFL season. Co-owner Magic Johnson said he was thrilled the Commanders re-signed McLaurin to a deal that reportedly includes a $30 million signing bonus and is not expected to become official until Tuesday.
“Job well done by my partner Josh Harris and GM Adam Peters,” Johnson posted on social media, calling it great news for players, the organization and fans. “Terry is more than just a great football player, he is an outstanding leader and does tremendous things in the (Washington area) community.”
BENGALS ADD REPORTED $14M TO HENDRICKSON’S DEAL TO END DISPUTE
The contract dispute between Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals is finally over.
The All-Pro defensive end has reached an agreement on a $14-million pay raise for this year with the Bengals, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Hendrickson, who’s still scheduled to become a free agent in 2026, will reportedly earn a salary of $30 million in 2025.
The two sides had been negotiating an extension for months, with Hendrickson seeking a more lucrative deal ahead of his contract year after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024.
The Bengals announced the new agreement with Hendrickson on social media.
Cincinnati was open to trading its top pass-rusher amid stalled contract talks, but the team was able to resume negotiations and reach an agreement this week. The amount of guaranteed money was reportedly one of the bigger issues in the talks between the Bengals and the four-time Pro Bowler.
The Bengals initially offered a three-year, $95-million deal to Hendrickson that didn’t include any guaranteed money in the second year, sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Hendrickson, who topped the NFL with 35 sacks across the last two years, is a key member of a Bengals defense that had a disappointing 2024 season.
REPORT: RAIDERS, COOPER TO REUNITE ON 1-YEAR DEAL
The Las Vegas Raiders are signing wide receiver Amari Cooper to a one-year deal, sources told NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.
Cooper spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. The five-time Pro Bowler was a member of the Raiders for four years after they selected him in the first round of the 2015 draft.
The 31-year-old had interest from other clubs, including the San Francisco 49ers, but opted to return to the team that drafted him, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Cooper suited up in 14 contests last season, totaling 547 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The Browns shipped Cooper to the Bills at the trade deadline for draft-pick compensation.
The Alabama product will join a Las Vegas wide receiver room that includes Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, and rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. Meyers, who set a career high in receiving yards last season with 1,027, reportedly requested a trade out of Vegas after the two sides failed to agree on an extension. However, the Raiders don’t plan on trading him.
Cooper recorded 3,183 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns in 47 games with the Raiders from 2015 to 2018 before he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Raiders will kick off their season on Sept. 7 against the New England Patriots.
LIONS TO WAIVE 2023 THIRD-ROUND QB HENDON HOOKER
Former third-round pick Hendon Hooker is headed for waivers after two seasons with the Detroit Lions, Fox Sports reported Monday.
The 2023 draft pick was competing in preseason for the backup quarterback spot with Kyle Allen, who has 19 career starts with five previous NFL teams since entering the league in 2018.
Hooker led the Lions with 138 rushing yards in the preseason. He was sacked six times, completing 29 of 44 attempts for 300 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Hooker, 27, spent part of his rookie season in 2023 recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his college career at Tennessee. He played in three games in 2024, completing 6 of 9 passes.
He could still be traded if the Lions are approached by an interested team before making the waiver transaction official. Teams face a deadline of 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to reduce their roster to 53 players after being allowed a maximum of 90 in the offseason and training camp.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Saturday the decision on Hooker would come down to whether the franchise felt he was still developing.
“Because look, we are talking about Hooker right now,” Campbell said. “How much development do you believe there still is? Sometimes does the player need a change of scenery? What about our own depth in other areas? I mentioned this the other day, relative to that — all right, maybe there is room to grow. Is that worth it for the depth we need at O-line, D-line, receiver, DB? And so those are all things you have to weigh.”
Starting quarterback Jared Goff passed for 4,629 yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 17 games in 2024.
COMMANDERS RELEASE VETERAN WR MICHAEL GALLUP
The Washington Commanders on Monday released veteran wide receiver Michael Gallup, who signed with the team in March after initially retiring from the league before the 2024 season.
Gallup, 29, had signed a one-year contract with the Raiders in April 2024 but opted to retire on the eve of the team’s first practice at training camp in July. The Raiders then released him from the reserve/retired list in March to allow him to attempt a comeback.
The Commanders also released cornerback Essang Bassey, center Nick Harris, tackle Tyre Phillips, defensive end Norell Pollard and wide receiver Braylon Sanders on Monday.
Gallup was competing for a spot with Commanders wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown and Luke McCaffrey.
Gallup had 266 catches for 3,744 yards and 21 touchdowns in 86 career games (67 starts) with the Cowboys. His best season was in 2019, when he had 66 receptions for 1,107 yards and six scores.
The third-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft sustained a torn left ACL on Jan. 2, 2022, while making a touchdown catch against the Arizona Cardinals. In his final two seasons with the Cowboys, he had his lowest yardage totals of his career: 424 in 2022 and 418 in 2023.
TEXANS RB JOE MIXON (FOOT/ANKLE) TO START SEASON ON NFI LIST
The Houston Texans will not activate veteran running back Joe Mixon from the non-football injury list by Tuesday’s deadline.
Mixon, who’s dealing with a lingering foot/ankle injury, and players on the NFI list — as opposed to the 53-man roster — are ineligible for the first four games of the regular season.
The team announced the decision Monday afternoon, only adding in a statement that further updates would be provided “at an appropriate time.”
Mixon, 29, hasn’t practiced and Houston signed Nick Chubb in June expecting to be part of a timeshare with Mixon. Chubb, 29, would be in line for the bulk of the backfield work and ex-starter Dameon Pierce also stands to gain.
The Texans acquired Mixon from the Cincinnati Bengals in March 2024 via trade. His first season in Houston was successful. Mixon made his second Pro Bowl after he played 14 games (all starts) and rushed 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns. He added 36 receptions for 309 yards and one score.
Former AFC North rivals, the Bengals drafted Mixon with the 48th overall pick in 2019, one year after the Cleveland Browns selected Chubb (35th).
Reports indicated Mixon, who wore a walking boot in the spring, initially suffered his injury while away from the Texans this offseason.
RAMS LT ALARIC JACKSON BACK AT PRACTICE AFTER BLOOD CLOTS
Los Angeles left tackle Alaric Jackson was set to practice for the first time Monday after dealing with blood clots and appears to be in line to play in the Week 1 season opener at home Sept. 7 against the Houston Texans.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said that Jackson will start going through team drills at the team’s practice facility with less than two weeks remaining before the start of the season.
“We have a good plan in place,” McVay said when asked about Jackson’s status. “… That (injury) demands flexibility, but we feel really good. He has put so much work in, and I think he has handled it like a total stud. And I am really happy for him that all things are pointing him to be ready to and be able to manage this.”
Jackson has dealt with blood clots twice since 2022.
Jackson’s return is a major development for the Rams who are looking for the fifth-year pro to provide protection to the blind side of veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, who returned to practice last week after working through an aggravated disk in his back.
The experienced Rams’ offensive line also includes Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson and Rob Havenstein.
Jackson, who made his debut with the Rams in 2021 after going undrafted out of Iowa, has started in 35 of the 41 games he has played over four career seasons. He has started in all 29 games he has played the past two seasons.
The Rams signed Jackson to a three-year, $57-million contract extension in February.
REPORTS: RAIDERS WR JAKOBI MEYERS REQUESTS TRADE
Las Vegas wide receiver Jakobi Meyers requested to be traded but the Raiders have no plans to do so, NFL Network and ESPN reported Monday.
Meyers, who is entering the final season of a three-year, $33 million deal, reportedly initially attempted to renegotiate his contract but the two sides could not come to an agreement on new terms.
Meyers is owed $10.5 million in guaranteed salary in 2025.
Meyers met with team brass recently to request a trade, but the Raiders cited his value as a reason they have no plans to trade the 28-year-old, according to ESPN.
One of the team’s top pass catchers, Meyers had 87 receptions for 1,027 yards — both career-high marks — and four touchdowns in 15 games (all starts) last season.
Meyers, who is entering his seventh NFL season, has 393 catches for 4,592 yards and 20 touchdowns in 91 games (70 starts) with the New England Patriots (2019-2022) and Raiders.
EAGLES SEEK A REPEAT BEHIND BARKLEY AND HURTS WHILE MAHOMES AND THE CHIEFS AIM TO BOUNCE BACK
Saquon Barkley, Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are built for a repeat championship.
Can they do it?
That’s one of the top storylines entering the 2025 season.
Barkley is coming off a record-setting season, Hurts proved doubters wrong and coach Nick Sirianni earned redemption when the Eagles dominated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, preventing a three-peat to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl title.
The offense is loaded, a young defense is stacked with talent despite key losses and expectations are high in Philly.
But winning the division will be the first challenge. No team has repeated in the NFC East since the 2001-04 Eagles.
Jayden Daniels led Washington on an amazing turnaround as a rookie, taking the Commanders to the NFC title game. They’ve added playmaker Deebo Samuel, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and resolved wide receiver Terry McLaurin’s contract dispute.
Dak Prescott is back healthy for Dallas, which is led by first-year coach Brian Schottenheimer. But the Cowboys have plenty of drama with star edge rusher Micah Parsons and owner Jerry Jones locked in a stalemate over his contract situation.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is the future for the New York Giants; Russell Wilson is the present. The team has to win enough games to save general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll’s jobs.
The high-octane Detroit Lions are chasing their first Super Bowl appearance after their 15-win season ended with a thud in the playoffs. They’ve got star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson back to help a defense that was the team’s weakness.
The Minnesota Vikings are trusting J.J. McCarthy to lead the team after Sam Darnold helped them win 14 games last season.
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers have the pieces on offense to challenge the Lions in the NFC North. Their defense has to step up.
Bears rookie coach Ben Johnson looks to guide Chicago to a winning season. If he can get the most out of Caleb Williams as he did with Jared Goff in Detroit, the Bears will be on their way.
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seek not only their fifth straight NFC South title but a deeper run in the playoffs.
The Atlanta Falcons are Michael Penix Jr.’s team with Kirk Cousins serving as a highly paid backup. Running back Bijan Robinson is ready to shoulder the offensive load while Penix settles in.
The Carolina Panthers are aiming to build off late-season success behind energetic coach Dave Canales, who made progress developing Bryce Young.
New coach Kellen Moore is rebuilding the New Orleans Saints.
Matthew Stafford’s back issues are concerning for the reigning NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams, who nearly knocked off the Eagles on a snow-soaked field in the playoffs.
Darnold replaces Geno Smith in Seattle and the Seahawks hope to improve off a 10-win season. The defense creating more turnovers — only 18 last season — would be a big help.
Arizona loaded up on defense in the offseason, adding Super Bowl hero Josh Sweat, Dalvin Tomlinson and 18-year veteran Calais Campbell to bolster the front seven.
Brock Purdy got paid in San Francisco, Christian McCaffrey is healthy and the 49ers are expecting to rebound after a losing season. But the defense lost key players, though Robert Saleh is back as defensive coordinator.
The road through the AFC East goes through Buffalo, which has won the division five straight years since Tom Brady left New England. Anything short of a Super Bowl won’t be considered a success for NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Bills. They’ve been eliminated by the Chiefs four times in the past five seasons.
The Miami Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season, the longest drought in the NFL. Coach Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa have a fourth — and maybe final chance together — to snap that streak.
Aaron Glenn is the new man in charge for the New York Jets, who haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season. The Jets have some talented players, including Justin Fields, who gets another chance to prove he’s a No. 1 quarterback.
Mike Vrabel is back in New England as a coach this time. He’s looking to restore winning to a once-proud franchise. At least the Patriots seem to have their QB in Drake Maye.
John Harbaugh, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are still trying to get to the Super Bowl after falling short again. They have the most balanced roster in a tough AFC North but it all comes down to January.
Aaron Rodgers has teamed with Mike Tomlin to try to get the Pittsburgh Steelers back to winning in the playoffs. DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay are among the new faces joining Rodgers in Pittsburgh.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals need a better September to get a chance to play in January. The offense is stacked but the defense is missing star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is also dealing with a contract dispute.
The quarterback carousel continues in Cleveland with veteran Joe Flacco returning to the Browns. Shedeur Sanders is getting plenty of attention, though fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel outplayed him in the preseason. The one man the Browns can count on is game-wrecking edge rusher Myles Garrett.
C.J. Stroud has a revamped offensive line trying to protect him in Houston. A talented defense led by Will Anderson and All-Pro Derek Stingley Jr. should help keep the Texans on top of the AFC South.
Daniel Jones — not Anthony Richardson — gets the first chance to lead Indianapolis. The Colts are playing this season for late owner Jim Irsay.
If new coach Liam Coen can improve Trevor Lawrence’s game the way he did with Mayfield in Tampa Bay, the Jacksonville Jaguars could be back on track. They have possibly the most exciting player in the league in two-way rookie Travis Hunter.
The Tennessee Titans are hoping No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward is the answer. His development is the team’s top priority this season.
The Chiefs have owned the AFC West since 2016. They’ve reached the conference championship in each of their seven seasons with Mahomes. A fourth Super Bowl title for Andy Reid, Mahomes and Travis Kelce is the goal. How do they respond after a lopsided loss to the Eagles?
Jim Harbaugh led the Los Angeles Chargers to the playoffs in his first season. Getting past the Chiefs is the challenge. Losing left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season was a big setback.
Bo Nix helped turn the Denver Broncos into a playoff team in his rookie season. With AP Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II leading the secondary, Sean Payton’s squad also takes aim at the Chiefs.
Pete Carroll is back on the sideline in Las Vegas, looking to turn a four-win team into a contender.
The first of 272 regular-season games features the Cowboys vs. Eagles on Sept. 4. The Chargers and Chiefs face off in Brazil the next night, one of seven games that’ll be played on international soil.
All of it leads to Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, Calif. on Feb. 8.
FORMER NFL PLAYERS HELPED EDUCATE CURRENT PLAYERS ABOUT LEAGUE’S SPORTS BETTING POLICIES
Former players helped the NFL educate current players about the league’s sports betting policies during the annual training camp visits.
Each head coach was also asked to kick off the educational sessions to emphasize the importance of the topic. At least 15 players have been suspended by the league for gambling violations since 1963, including several in recent years but none last season.
“We have about 20 (former players) that are participating in the education program,” said Sabrina Perel, NFL vice president/chief compliance officer. “I had terrific instances co-presenting with a legend, and, without calling out anyone in particular, what was consistent across each session was that it was palpable. It was really palpable in the room that it was a very serious topic, and that the players leaned in to hear the legends’ story and the message.”
All NFL players, coaches, and staff are required to learn and comply with strict gambling policies designed to prevent any undue influence on games.
The six main rules for NFL players are:
1. Never bet on the NFL.
2. Don’t have someone bet for you.
3. Don’t gamble (no bets on sports, casino or card games) at your team facility/stadium, while traveling for a road game, or staying at a team hotel.
4. Don’t share inside information (hasn’t been announced by league or team).
5. Don’t enter a sportsbook during the NFL playing season.
6. Don’t play daily fantasy football.
HARRISON PHILLIPS HAD ‘INITIAL SHOCK’ ABOUT TRADE FROM VIKES, BUT SAYS JETS’ ‘ARROW IS POINTING UP’
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Harrison Phillips was stunned by the news he was being traded by the Minnesota Vikings.
The veteran defensive tackle was a team captain, firmly entrenched in the community and part of a playmaking defense for a squad with high expectations this season.
But Phillips was headed to the New York Jets, a team with a new coach in Aaron Glenn and a franchise looking to end a 14-year playoff drought.
“Initial shock,” Phillips acknowledged Monday before his first practice with the Jets. “And then once I got to kind of decipher and peel back the layers of the onion, I was like, this is gonna be a great opportunity.”
New York acquired Phillips and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick from Minnesota for sixth-rounders in 2026 and 2027 in a deal that became official last Thursday.
“You know, actually, Kevin O’Connell, when he told me I was being traded, kind of talked up what’s happening here,” Phillips recalled of his final meeting with the Vikings coach, “and gave me a little bit better understanding.”
O’Connell mentioned the Jets’ solid defense and Glenn’s background as a defensive coordinator, and also the chance to work with Eric Washington, New York’s D-line coach who was with Phillips during their time together in Buffalo.
“There’s just so many parallels and I’m a very solid Christian man, a follower of Jesus,” Phillips said, “and so knowing that this is where God’s calling me to be right now, that’s all the answers I need.”
The 6-foot-3, 307-pound Phillips started every game during his tenure with Minnesota and provides a veteran run-stuffing presence next to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams — “Mr. Williams,” Phillips called him — on New York’s defensive line that also includes Will McDonald, Micheal Clemons, Jay Tufele and Jowon Briggs, who was acquired from Cleveland last Thursday.
“I understand that it’s a business and understand the opportunity that I have here,” Phillips said. “I think all of you guys know the arrow is pointing up here. And so I’m just really hopeful that I can come in and make sure that the arrow continues to point up and do whatever I can to play that part as well.”
Still, Phillips couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental. He was the Vikings’ first free agent signing when O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over in 2022. And he was signed to a two-year extension last September, an indication he was still in the Vikings’ plans moving forward.
“Yeah, I mean, I think it was a little bit of a surprise,” Phillips acknowledged.
But Glenn said he has had his eye on Harrison for a while, and even wanted to add him to Detroit’s D-line when he became a free agent after four seasons in Buffalo. Three years later, he was able to make it happen in New York.
“They really fit who we are,” Glenn said of Harrison and Briggs, “and I think they’re going to be really good for the locker room and for that room.”
Williams said he was “super excited” to learn that Phillips would be lining up next to him for the Jets.
“I’ve been a fan of his for a little minute, man, the things he’s done at Buffalo and the things he’s done with the Vikings,” the three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle said.
Phillips recalls seeing how promising the Jets’ defense was last season, when the Vikings faced the Jets and Aaron Rodgers in London — a 23-17 victory by Minnesota that cost New York coach Robert Saleh his job the next day.
“I wanted to sack Aaron Rodgers,” Phillips recalled with a smile. “Did that, that was fun. But no, they’re really coached well. They played really physical up front. And it’s nice to be on their side.”
Phillips was a third-round pick by Buffalo out of Stanford in 2018 and got a sense then of what he’s getting himself into now by joining the Jets.
“I’ve just known how much this city wants to win,” Phillips said. “I’ve known that for a long time. I’ve known about Jets fans for a long time, playing against these guys twice a year for four years. Man, you just can feel the optimism amongst the players, the staff, the new wave of people that are coming in here. I’m just really excited.”
Injury updates
Glenn said backup QB Tyrod Taylor (knee), cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf), running back Isaiah Davis (ankle and wide receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder) are “on track” to play in the regular-season opener.
DOLPHINS DROPPING VETERAN CB MIKE HILTON
The Miami Dolphins are releasing veteran cornerback Mike Hilton, his agents confirmed on Monday.
NFL teams have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to reduce their active rosters to 53 players.
Hilton, 31, signed with the Dolphins in free agency on July 26 after four seasons each with Pittsburgh (2017-20) and Cincinnati (2021-24).
Hilton has recorded 13 interceptions, 11.5 sacks, 520 tackles (66 for losses) and 56 passes defensed in 123 career games (56 starts).
