McCarthy, after missing his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury, “enters the offseason” as Minnesota’s QB1, per Pelissero, adding that the Vikings are not pursuing Aaron Rodgers “at this time.” The Vikings are widely expected to add a veteran quarterback in the coming weeks, though Rodgers seems to be out of the equation as the Giants and Steelers pursue the 41-year-old two years removed from an Achilles rupture. McCarthy would certainly be set up for success in Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly system: The pass-catching trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson represent one of the best in the league. In his lone 2024 preseason appearance, McCarthy completed 11 of 17 attempts for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. If the Vikings are truly out on Rodgers, his options have narrowed considerably.

“Do I think that that’s happening? Not today. Not next week. Do I think it’s out of the question? Not entirely. Do I think it’s likely? No,” Schefter continued. This is not the first Rodgers-floated balloon of the offseason, as he previously wanted to replace Matthew Stafford with the Rams prior to Stafford agreeing to return. It doesn’t seem like it makes any sense for the Vikings to potentially block J.J. McCarthy with Rodgers if they weren’t willing to do it with Sam Darnold. But the only certainty with Rodgers is that there will be at least fifteen more blurbs before he actually picks a team.

Graham, 36, is one of the few modern NFL players to spend his entire career in one city. “My life has been forever changed because of this magical place,” Graham said of Philadelphia during his retirement presser. Graham earned legendary status over the second half of his career with the Eagles, helping the team earn three Super Bowl berths and winning two, including last year’s championship domination of the Chiefs. He told reporters Tuesday that he re-tore his triceps in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over KC. Graham retires with 76.5 sacks over 206 games. His best season came in 2022, when he recorded 11 sacks along with 11 tackles for a loss. Pro Football Focus graded Graham in 2024 as the league’s 20th best defensive end. His 13 hurries in 2024 ranked 86th among all defensive ends.

The Browns having so many resources tied with with Deshaun Watson — who won’t play in 2025 after two ruptures of his Achilles tendon — means the Browns are not in position to pay Wilson the way the Steelers or Giants might. Schefter added that there’s no urgency among any of the three teams to sign Wilson. The Giants and Steelers are likely waiting to see where Aaron Rodgers lands before making a real run at Wilson, who was 22nd out of 33 qualifying QBs in dropback EPA from Week 7 — when he took the team’s starting gig — to Week 18. There’s no guarantee Wilson, 36, will be a Week 1 starter in 2025.

Of course he did: It’s the rare restructure that’s a raise. The five-time All-Pro tackle will make an additional $8 million over the next two seasons including an additional $30 million in guaranteed money. That brings his ledger to $48 million, $40 million of which is guaranteed, over the coming two seasons. The Eagles continue to reward the mainstays of their roster following a Super Bowl Championship. The updated contract now ties Johnson to the Eagles through the 2027 season, effectively serving as a one-year extension.

The Giants continue to wait for a decision from Aaron Rodgers, but they aren’t letting this hold-up stop them from exploring other options. Having already met with Joe Flacco and Russell Wilson, the Giants are now setting their sights on Winston, who threw for 2,121-13-12 in 12 games with the Browns last season. The former No. 1 overall pick wouldn’t be expected to solve any long-term issues for the Giants’ quarterback conundrum, but he would provide a solid veteran presence for whatever young quarterback they bring in. Winston would also give Malik Nabers a chance to thrive as long as he’s under center.

Stingley was selected No. 3 overall by the Texans in the 2022 NFL Draft and has quickly cemented himself as one of the league’s top corners. After being plagued by injuries in his first two years in the league, Stingley played in all 17 games for the Texans last season, totaling five interceptions and 18 pass breakups on his way to First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. In 37 career games, Stingley has totaled 11 interceptions and 36 pass breakups and also forced three turnovers in two postseason games this past season. Stingley is now under contract through the 2029 season and will be eligible for free agency before his age-30 season.

Just hours after the Bengals signed Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to record deals, their attention moves to Hendrickson. It’s hard to blame them for wanting to extend a player who has totaled 35 sacks in the last two seasons, but all sides involved know it will be a tough deal to get done. Jeremy Fowler did report that the Bengals wanted to bring back all three stars earlier this offseason, but Hendrickson and his agent have been permitted to seek a trade. The reports are that the asking price to land the star pass-rusher have been high. This is a situation that could play out well into the offseason, but it sounds like we can’t rule out a long-term extension at this point.

FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports that the first two years of Higgins’ new contract are fully guaranteed. The deal keeps the 26-year-old Higgins in a Bengals uniform through the 2028 season. He caught 73-of-104 targets for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns en route to the WR17 finish in PPR scoring formats last year. Higgins occasionally misses time due to nagging soft tissue injuries but regularly performs at an elite level when healthy. Appearing in 12 games last season, Higgins finished as the WR15 or better six times, including three top-four showings. He currently projects as a rock solid WR2, with easy WR1 upside. With Ja’Marr Chase also re-signed, there’s no need to envision a major target spike for Higgins, but he should continue to draw choice looks while Chase has everyone’s attention.

FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports that Chase’s deal includes $112 million in guaranteed money. He is now under contract through 2029. The Bengals signed Tee Higgins to a four-year deal as well, preserving their elite one-two punch at wide receiver while making Joe Burrow a very happy man. Chase finished as the overall WR1 in PPR formats last year, scoring 403.0 fantasy points by catching 127-of-171 targets for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. Chase turned 25 years old on March 1. He has a strong case for being the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 fantasy drafts.