Cornerback Nahshon Wright’s play with the Bears during the 2025 season landed him a contract with the Jets and it earned him the most performance-based pay in the league for last year as well.
The NFL announced that Wright earned more than $1.44 million in performance-based pay. The bonus more than doubles Wright’s base salary for the season.
Wright signed with the Bears after being released by the Vikings last April. He was named to the Pro Bowl after recording 80 tackles, five interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries during the regular season.
The performance-based pay fund is part of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement to compensate all players based on a formula encompassing their playing time and salary. It paid out more than $542 million for the 2025 season.
Browns safety Ronnie Hickman earned over $1.293 million for second place and tackle Elijah Wilkinson earned over $1.272 million for his work with the Falcons. Wilkinson has since signed with the Cardinals.
Panthers safety Nick Scott, former Commanders guard Chris Paul, Ravens guard Andrew Vorhees, Vikings defensive end Jalen Redmond, Steelers guard Mason McCormick, Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner, and Patriots safety Craig Woodson make up the rest of the top 10 recipients of performance-based pay for 2025.
The first week of free agency has come and gone without the Eagles trading veteran receiver A.J. Brown. There continues to be a league-wide belief that it will eventually happen.
Multiple league sources have characterized it to PFT as inevitable.
The question is whether the Eagles will do it before or after June 1. Before free agency started, it was believed they’d wait until after June 1, when the 2026 cap consequence would be dramatically smaller. With the Eagles not making a significant move during the free-agency period — and given that edge rusher Jaelan Phillips left for the Panthers on a four-year, $120 million contract — the thinking is that the Eagles could absorb the full dead-cap charge in 2026, if they choose to do so.
Regardless, the thinking is that Brown will indeed be gone before Week 1.
So where will he go? On Friday, The Athletic reported that the Eagles had “serious conversations” about a trade for A.J. Brown with the Rams and the Patriots. As we understand it, however, the Rams tapped out of the talks. (It would have been interesting to say the least to see what the Rams would have done with a depth chart including Brown, Puka Nacua, and Davante Adams.)
The Patriots remain in play, despite the recent addition of former Packers receiver Romeo Doubs. One source predicts that the Patriots will be the eventual destination.
Another source explained that the Eagles will be careening toward a potential cap mess in 2027, if they keep Brown through 2026.
Regardless, the fact that a trade hasn’t occurred doesn’t mean it won’t. The signs continue to point toward it happening. The only question is whether the Eagles decide to wait to make the deal official after June 1.
And based on the lessons learned this week in the Maxx Crosby misadventures, here’s hoping that Brown’s prospective next team gives him a physical before word of the looming transaction leaks.
If North Carolina G.M. Mike Lombardi wants to whine about “fake rumors and fake stories,” here’s one coming from inside the house.
Via Adam Zagoria of NJ.com, former North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams recently announced that he’s boycotting Tar Heels games in 2026.
“I will not be attending any UNC football games this year!” Williams posted Thursday on Twitter. “The things I’m hearing man I would have never thought.”
Williams did not elaborate on the things he’s hearing about the program entering the second year of Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach.
During five years in the UNC program, Williams appeared in 48 games with 33 starts. He was the full-season starter and a team captain in 2015, leading North Carolina to the ACC Championship game. He left with 20 school records, including career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (35), career rushing yards by a quarterback (2,458), and career total offense (10,423 yards).
Lombardi wants everyone to believe that all is well in Chapel Hill, that last year’s criticism came only from haters and competing programs, and that the program is destined for success. If all of those things were true, Williams wouldn’t be “hearing” things that would cause him to publicly say he’s not attending any games this season.
As the details regarding various free-agent deals make their way into PFT headquarters, some things stand out.
For the wave of 2026 contracts, one specific fact stands out clearly.
The three-year deal negotiated by the Patriots and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker includes per-game roster bonuses in the amount of $4.25 million. Per year.
It’s the largest per-game roster bonus we’ve ever seen, by far. It works out to $250,000 earned for each game he plays. And $250,000 lost for each game he misses.
The contract otherwise has a signing bonus of $7.2 million and base salaries of $2.3 million for 2026 (fully guaranteed), $9.5 million for 2027 ($7 million of which is fully-guaranteed at signing), and $9.5 million for 2028.
Vera-Tucker, a first-round pick of the Jets in 2021, has $2 million in annual incentives, tied to playing time and qualifying for the Pro Bowl.
The contract also has annual workout bonuses of $250,000. The 2026 workout bonus is fully guaranteed, but it must be earned.
The $4.25 million in per-game roster bonuses for 2026 are also fully guaranteed, but they also must be earned. (The guarantees only come into play if Vera-Tucker is released before or during the 2026 season.)
The Patriots had reason to protect themselves. A first-round pick in 2021, Vera-Tucker missed all of 2025 due to a torn triceps. He also missed 24 other games in four seasons.
Still, it’s a massive amount that is tied directly to his ability to play. It also creates a sizable incentive to make him inactive in late-season games that carry no real meaning.
We’ll see how it goes. There’s no precedent to compare it to. In all, $12.75 million is tied to being able to play. That makes the base APY as low as $9.75 million and as high as $14 million.
The Patriots have struck deals with two more free agents.
According to multiple reports, they have agreed to terms with tight end Julian Hill and safety Mike Brown. Hill was not tendered as a restricted free agent by the Dolphins while the Titans made the same call regarding Brown.
Hill appeared in 45 games and made 26 starts over the past three seasons. He had 33 catches for 288 yards in those appearances and will slot in as the No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry once he’s officially on the roster in New England.
Brown played for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee in 2023, which gives him something in common with another new member of the Patriots secondary. Kevin Byard also agreed to terms with the team on Wednesday and both players will help provide a new look at the safety position after Jaylinn Hawkins left for Baltimore.
