For those of you who follow this space closely (and thank you for that), this news isn’t news. Regardless, the NFL has announced something you already knew.
The proposals to be considered by owners at the NFL’s annual meetings coming later this month in Phoenix include two made by individual teams.
The league posted on Twitter the proposals from the Steelers and Browns. Pittsburgh wants to make permanent the one-year change that gave teams the ability to speak directly to up to five unrestricted free agents during the negotiating window, and to make travel arrangements during the pre-free agency period. Cleveland wants to expand the range of draft picks that may be traded from three years to five.
Both proposals will require 24 votes to pass.
The league also said that the 2026 proposals from the Competition Committee will be revealed next week.
Not mentioned were the Rams’ proposals arising from the nutty two-point play in their Week 16 overtime loss at Seattle. We’re currently checking to see whether those proposals remain on the table, or whether they were withdrawn.
The bulk of free agency is over, and the Steelers didn’t add a veteran quarterback. They’re apparently willing to wait, again, for Aaron Rodgers.
Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, a 1987 first-round pick of the Steelers who spent a decade in Pittsburgh, recently chimed in on his former team’s willingness to leave a light on for the 42-year-old quarterback.
“What is it with these ex-Green Bay Packer quarterbacks that they have to be talked about all the time?” Woodson told Rich Eisen. “Because Brett Favre was that way for years. . . . is [Rodgers] gonna play? Listen, I get kind of tired of it. Like, listen, if he’s gonna play, say he’s gonna play, he’s gonna come back. . . . And the team shouldn’t wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.”
Woodson believes the Steelers should have drafted Jaxson Dart in 2025. But if former coach Mike Tomlin was leaning toward making 2025 his final season with the Steelers last year at this time, there was no reason to roll the dice on a rookie starter.
This year, it’s different. New coach. New vibe. And some believe they’ll be tempted to take Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, if he slips through the cracks of the top 20. But they’d potentially prefer to let Simpson sit for a season behind Rodgers.
Regardless, the Steelers need something more than a one-year Band-Aid with a veteran whose name didn’t come up once last week. The Vikings and Falcons opted for Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively. The Dolphins signed the latest ex-Packer quarterback, Malik Willis. And the Jets were far more interested in a reunion with Geno Smith than Aaron Rodgers 2.0.
At this point, it’s the Cardinals or the Steelers or a mid-season Philip Rivers arrival if/when a contender loses its starter. For the Steelers, Kirk Cousins is the most sensible alternative to Rodgers.
Recently, Rodgers said there have been no “progressive conversations” with the Steelers about a contract for 2026. Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of his day trip to Pittsburgh, which laid the foundation for his eventual one-year deal. Could another Steel City summit be coming?
This time around, maybe a Steelers contingent led by coach Mike McCarthy will go to Rodgers for the discussions that will, or won’t, result in an understanding for 2026.
Whenever and wherever the get-together happens, it needs to happen soon — if things are going to unfold the same way they did last year.
Which is exactly what seems to be happening.
The Steelers have only two quarterbacks on their roster — Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Aaron Rodgers remains a free agent with the Steelers as his only clear suitor.
Will their starter be Rodgers, Howard or someone not yet on the roster?
The Steelers are doing their homework on University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck.
Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports that Beck is in Pittsburgh today for a top-30 visit at the team facility. The Steelers also met with Beck at the Scouting Combine.
Beck, 23, completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 3,813 yards last season, setting career-highs in pass completions (368), pass attempts (467) and touchdowns (30). He also tied his career-high in interceptions (12).
He led the Hurricanes to the national championship game with victories over Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff.
The Steelers also brought in San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson for a visit on Tuesday, according to Pryor.
On Monday morning, before the Chiefs traded for former Jets quarterback Justin Fields, someone was throwing spaghetti on the question of whether Kansas City was eyeing Russell Wilson as Patrick Mahomes insurance.
With the Chiefs off the board, what’s next for Wilson?
His days as a starting quarterback have ended. The only teams with a current vacancy at the top of the depth chart are the Cardinals and the Steelers. A Pittsburgh reunion is highly unlikely, even if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return.
The Raiders possibly, maybe would be interested in a short-term bridge, if they aren’t comfortable with putting Fernando Mendoza on the field right away. Wilson may not be inclined to once again be the three-game starter before getting the tap.
Then again, Wilson may not have many choices. Which raises the question of whether he’s willing to take whatever he can get, making him one of the very rare former franchise quarterbacks who’ll accept being No. 2 or No. 3 on a depth chart.
Joe Flacco, who was twice the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, is and has been willing to do that. Most of the guys who were once at or among the top of the market won’t accept anything other than a gift-wrapped starting job.
It can’t be easy for a guy who has spent so much time as “the guy” to accept becoming “just another guy.” But it happens to any pro football player who stays beyond the shelf life of his high-end skills.
In preparation for his current shot at free agency, Wilson parted ways with his longtime agent, Mark Rodgers, and hired David Mulugheta of Athletes First. During Wilson’s best years, it helped him to have an agent who had one and only one NFL client; the negotiations on Wilson’s contracts were never compromised by the agent’s broader business interests as to other players he represented.
Now, Wilson needs the help of someone who may have the league-wide goodwill to get Wilson a roster spot in exchange for keeping the agent happy as to the looming negotiations with a higher-profile client.
The mere fact that Wilson made the change represents an acknowledgement, conscious or not, that things have changed for him. He still has a high degree of confidence in his skills. Which isn’t surprising. For all NFL players, confidence that borders on delusion is a must.
At some point, however, the basis for the confidence evaporates. By the end of last season, Wilson had slipped behind Jameis Winston on the Giants’ depth chart.
Wilson’s third foray into free agency continues. Two years ago, he took the minimum from the Steelers because the Broncos owed him $39 million. This time around, the minimum salary of $1.3 million may be Wilson’s only option.
And the overriding question will be whether, after earning more than $315 million in his career, he’s willing to commit seven or more months for the smallest payday since signing his slotted four-year, $2.996 million deal as a third-round pick, 14 years ago.
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.
