Teams making decisions about picking up the fifth-year options on the contracts of their 2023 first-round picks now know how much that will cost.
The NFL revealed the values on Friday afternoon. There are four levels of compensation at each position. Players who have made multiple Pro Bowls as an original selection are at the top followed by players with one Pro Bowl selection and players who have hit playing time milestones before reaching the lowest level.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud were the first two picks of that draft and both of them reached the playing time level of compensation. That will leave them with fully guaranteed salaries of $25.904 million if the teams decide to exercise the options, but longer-term extensions are also a possibility now that they have finished their third seasons.
The full list of 2023 first-rounders — there were 31 that year because the Dolphins were stripped of their pick — and their fifth-year option salaries appears below:
1. Panthers QB Bryce Young — $25.904 million (playing time).
2. Texans QB C.J. Stroud — $25.904 million (playing time).
3. Texans DE Will Anderson — $21.512 (Pro Bowl).
4. Colts QB Anthony Richardson — $22.483 million (base).
5. Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon — $21.161 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
6. Cardinals OT Paris Johnson — $19.072 million (playing time).
7. Raiders DE Tyree Wilson — $14.475 million (base).
8. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson — $11.323 million (Pro Bowl).
9. Eagles DT Jalen Carter — $27.127 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
10. Bears OT Darnell Wright — $19.072 million (playing time).
11. Titans OG Peter Skoronski — $19.072 million (playing time).
12. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs — $14.293 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
13. Packers DE Lukas Van Ness — $14.475 million (base).
14. Steelers OT Broderick Jones — $19.072 million (playing time).
15. Jets DE Will McDonald — $14.475 million (base).
16. Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes — $12.633 million (base).
17. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez — $18.119 million (Pro Bowl).
18. Lions LB Jack Campbell — $21.925 million (Pro Bowl).
19. Buccaneers DT Calijah Kancey — $15.451 (playing time).
20. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba — $23.852 million (Pro Bowl).
21. Chargers WR Quentin Johnston — $18 million (playing time).
22. Ravens WR Zay Flowers — $27.298 million (multiple Pro Bowls).
23. Vikings WR Jordan Addison — $18 million (playing time).
24. Giants CB Deonte Banks — $12.633 million (base).
25. Bills TE Dalton Kincaid — $8.162 million (base).
26. Jets DT Mazi Smith — $13.391 million (base) Smith was traded to the Jets by the Cowboys.
27. Jaguars OT Anton Harrison — $19.072 million (playing time).
28. Bengals DE Myles Murphy — $14.475 million (base).
29. Saints DT Bryan Bresee — $13.391 million (base).
30. Eagles LB Nolan Smith — $13.752 million (base).
31. Chiefs Felix Anudike-Uzomah — $14.475 million (base).
The Packers are getting closer to hiring a new special teams coordinator.
Per Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Cardinals assistant special teams coach Sam Sewell is interviewing for the role in person on Thursday.
Sewell completed his third season with Arizona in 2025 after joining the club under former head coach Jonathan Gannon in 2023.
He previously spent four seasons with Eastern Michigan, coaching running backs and adding special teams coordinator to his duties in 2022.
The relationship between the Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray appears to be strained, and heading for a divorce.
Murray and Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort have not spoken since the season ended even though Ossenfort said they had, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.
Ossenfort said all options are on the table with Murray, but if the option to keep him were a legitimate option, Murray and Ossenfort presumably would have talked about it.
Murray is owed $36.8 million guaranteed this season and the Cardinals would love to find a team willing to trade for that contract. If traded before June 1, Murray will still cost almost $18 million against the Cardinals’ salary cap in 2026, but that’s a lot better than the $52.7 million in cap spacehe would take up if he stayed on the Cardinals.
A decision is coming before March 15 when, if Murray is still on the roster, his 2027 base salary of $19.5 million would be guaranteed.
General Manager Monti Ossenfort didn’t even wait for the first question at his Tuesday media availability before addressing the Cardinals’ quarterback situation. It remains just as cloudy after his 34-second answer.
“I’d say all options are on the table for us,” Ossenfort said Tuesday. “We’ve got Kyler [Murray], Jacoby [Brissett], Kedon [Slovis] all under contract as it pertains to that position. As it pertains to every position on our team, we’re going to look at every avenue to improve. We’re going to continue and go through our process with that.”
All signs point to the Cardinals moving on from Murray, who played only five games last season before going on injured reserve with a foot injury. The Cardinals likely will shop Murray, with hopes of getting something in return for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
“I’ve always had a good dialogue with Kyler,” Ossenfort said. “It wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted [last season]. It wasn’t up to what any of us wanted of the season as a whole. When you have the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement. We’ve got to find a way to do that not only at that position but at all positions. That’s what we’re all focusing on is getting better and moving forward.”
Murray is guaranteed $36.8 million for the 2026 season and will have his 2027 base salary of $19.5 million guaranteed if he is on Arizona’s roster on March 15. His departure will leave the team looking for a starter for 2026 and beyond.
Ossenfort has a tie to free-agent quarterback Malik Willis, who is No. 10 on PFT’s top-100 free agents list. He was the Titans’ director of player personnel when they drafted Willis in the third round in 2022.
“I don’t want to get into evaluations of specific players,” Ossenfort said. “Malik did a great job when he went in there for Green Bay this year. I was with Malik for a short time there in Tennessee. [He] had a great college career coming out. He’s one of the quarterbacks that’s available, and we’ll evaluate all our options. Whether it’s free agency, the draft, we’ll be prepared to do what’s best for the team.”
The statement from the NFL Players Association strongly hinted at the cause of the sudden passing of Vikings receiver Rondale Moore on Saturday. Via the Associated Press, police in New Albany, Indiana, have said that Moore died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The official cause of death is pending an autopsy scheduled for Sunday.
It’s a tragic situation, one that happens far too often. Even though many who are dealing with depression and other mental-health issues seek help, many suffer in silence.
Even if friends, family, and teammates are looking for any signs of distress, sometimes there are none until it’s too late.
The message is clear. If you’re struggling, say something. To someone. To anyone. There’s always someone who will help you. You may think there isn’t, but there is.
The world has changed. No longer does anyone believe that it’s a sign of weakness to be vulnerable. And most understand the importance of reacting quickly when someone in their personal orbit needs help.
If all else fails, call or text 988. There’s not a single person whose absence would not affect multiple other people, in many different ways. During a November 2025 60 Minutes feature regarding the problem of suicides among farmers, Jolie Foreman of Shelby County Cares said that every suicide directly affects 130 people.
Some affect many more than that. Each one that happens should serve as a reminder to all of us that we need to be ready to seek help when we need it, and to give help when it’s requested. You can save a life. You can save your own.
