Football Wiretap

Kyle Pitts and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract extension. The Falcons used the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Pitts.

Pitts had 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns last season. 

The Falcons previously signed Drake London to a four-year, $141 million extension.

The NFL has informed Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby that no supplemental draft will be held in 2026, effectively blocking his path to the league this year, according to a letter reviewed by The Athletic.

Sorsby, 22, declared his intention to enter the supplemental draft on June 15, one week before the application deadline. The NFL said it had no plans to conduct a supplemental draft prior to Sorsby's submission, as no other player had sought entry.

The league's letter cited serious integrity concerns as a central factor in its decision. Larry Ferazani, general counsel of the NFL Management Council, wrote that Sorsby's petition provided no information about the basis or timing of the NCAA's permanent ineligibility ruling, and failed to demonstrate accountability.

"Over the course of your collegiate career, you knowingly engaged in repeated and significant violations of NCAA rules designed to preserve the integrity of athletic competition," Ferazani wrote. "Reported conduct includes placing wagers on your own team and teammates and, to avoid detection, establishing or funding accounts in the names of intermediaries who placed bets on your behalf.

"Your Petition does not address these matters. Nor does it demonstrate accountability for your conduct or indicate whether, or how, you would adhere to the League's rules and policies governing the integrity of competition."

Sorsby acknowledged wagering at least $90,000 across more than 9,000 bets during his college career at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. He entered a gambling addiction treatment facility in April. His lawsuit against the NCAA was dismissed on June 18, restoring the organization's permanent ineligibility ruling.

The NFL directed Sorsby toward the 2027 annual draft, noting he is "a talented player with the potential for future success." The supplemental draft has not produced a selection since safety Jalen Thompson in 2019.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk publicly declared his preferred trade destination Sunday, shouting "Go Commanders!" in a video posted to his Instagram Story. Aiyuk also shared a photo of former Washington quarterback Mark Rypien hoisting the Lombardi Trophy following Super Bowl XXVI.

The post marks the latest in a string of public expressions of frustration directed at San Francisco. In early June, Aiyuk called the 49ers "dumb" and "stupid" for continuing to pay him, and suggested the team was reluctant to release him due to concerns about how he might perform elsewhere.

Aiyuk's interest in Washington is not new. He previously posted photos of himself wearing a Commanders hat, and quarterback Jayden Daniels, a close friend and former Arizona State teammate, is among just five accounts Aiyuk follows on Instagram.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch stated in January that Aiyuk had "played his last snap with the Niners," though the club has retained him while seeking a trade partner.

The 49ers signed Aiyuk to a four-year, $120 million extension in August 2024. The relationship deteriorated after San Francisco voided the remaining guaranteed money in his deal last July, citing his failure to participate in rehab sessions following a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee. The team placed him on the reserve/left team list in December after he stopped reporting to the facility.

Appearing on the "Pardon My Take" podcast Monday, George Kittle offered a measured assessment of Aiyuk's physical condition.

"I used to make it a habit of mine to go out early in the morning before meetings to watch him train because he'd always be out there early, and I watched him run over 22 miles an hour and watched him stop on a dime," said Kittle. "He's still got it, but that was eight months ago, so I don't really know. You guys have fun with that, I guess ... You have fun with all that comes with it."

Prior to his injury, Aiyuk recorded 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, earning second-team All-Pro recognition.

The Tennessee Titans reached agreement with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on a three-year contract extension worth $105.8 million, including $100 million guaranteed.

Todd France and A.J. Stevens of Athletes First negotiated the deal for Simmons.

"Tennessee has become a second home for me," said Simmons. "From day one, this organization believed in me, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue to pour into this franchise and community. I want to thank God, my family, my teammates, Ms. Amy and the entire Titans organization for believing in me. My job isn't finished. I believe in this locker room and this staff, and I'm focused on helping this team get back to competing for championships."

Simmons set a career high with 11 sacks in 2025, adding 60 quarterback pressures, 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. The total broke Jurrell Casey's previous franchise record of 10.5 sacks in a season by a Titans defensive tackle, set in 2013.

"Jeffery Simmons is a pillar for our franchise and embodies what it means to be a Titan," said Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi. "He's the premier defensive tackle in the National Football League and you win with players like Jeffery. Not only is his leadership on the field what we want our program to represent, but off the field, he sets the standard for our community."

The 2025 season earned Simmons first-team All-Pro honors, following second-team selections in 2021 and 2022. He is a four-time Pro Bowl pick and a five-time team captain, and he has produced at least five sacks in five consecutive seasons, joining Ray Childress, Casey, William Fuller and Sean Jones as the only players in franchise history to do so since 1982.

Selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, Simmons previously signed an extension in 2023. He has totaled 383 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 275 quarterback pressures and 65 tackles for loss across seven NFL seasons, and he has been the Titans' nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Texas won a months-long battle with rival Texas A&M for five-star cornerback John Meredith III, the nation's No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 class, who committed to the Longhorns on Friday afternoon.

The commitment gives head coach Steve Sarkisian his top recruiting victory of the year, coming directly at the expense of the in-state Aggies. Meredith, a standout from Fort Worth, also chose Texas over finalist Alabama.

The decision capped an intense in-state recruitment. Meredith took an official visit to Texas A&M late last month before visiting Austin the following week as he neared his final call.

His recruitment once included a top six that featured Notre Dame, Ohio State and Miami back in March. He narrowed his options during official visit season, setting up the head-to-head finish between Texas and Texas A&M.

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Meredith gives Texas its highest-rated commitment since quarterback Arch Manning signed with the program in the 2023 class. He joins wide receiver Easton Royal as the second five-star prospect in the Longhorns' 2027 class.

Should he sign, Meredith would rank as Texas' highest-rated defensive back recruit of the modern recruiting era, following the program's signing of five-star safety Jonah Williams just two cycles ago.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels says he is adapting to a new offensive system this offseason but acknowledges he still has considerable ground to cover heading into his third NFL season.

"I've still got a long way to go," he said.

Washington parted ways with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury following last season and hired David Blough as his replacement. The Commanders will shift away from a no-huddle-heavy scheme to one that emphasizes under-center snaps and a stronger play-action component.

Daniels said the focus remains on building on what the team has established so far.

"Just learning the new offense, terminology," he said, "why we're attacking this play, what we want to do on this play -- things like that."

The second-year starter played just seven games in 2025, missing time due to a sprained knee, hamstring injury and a dislocated left elbow. He finished with 1,262 passing yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions before sitting out the final four games after aggravating his elbow in a Week 14 loss to Minnesota. The 2025 campaign stood in sharp contrast to his 2024 debut, when Daniels earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 891 yards as Washington finished 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game.

Daniels said he has no interest in revisiting that stretch.

"I'm done talking about last year," Daniels said. "Last year is last year; I'm moving on to this season and whatever happened last year, happened last year. It can't do anything for me; I'll just continue to get better."

Head coach Dan Quinn said he has been struck by how quickly Daniels has processed the new scheme.

"I thought he did a really good job of owning and being in command at a very quick level already," said Quinn.

Left tackle Laremy Tunsil offered a direct endorsement of his quarterback.

"I don't have much to say about five," said Tunsil, referencing Daniels' jersey number. "He's going to get it done."

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner is pushing back against a widespread misconception about his age, insisting he is 24 years old despite numerous online sources listing him as 25.

Gardner addressed the matter directly during a recent session with reporters while discussing his role as a veteran leader on the Colts' defense.

"I'm 24, by the way," he said.

Multiple platforms, including ESPN.com, Pro Football Focus and Yahoo Sports, have long listed Gardner's birth date as Aug. 31, 2000. The correct date is Aug. 31, 2001, as reflected on both the Colts' official website and NFL.com.

"It's crazy that I'm saying this once again," said Gardner last week as Indianapolis concluded its final offseason practice session.

Gardner told The Athletic that his documentation has always shown the 2001 date.

"When it comes to the paperwork and everything I've signed, it all says '01," he told The Athletic. "So, I don't know where or how it got messed up unless people just get it straight from Google."

A Colts spokesman confirmed the team has had Gardner's correct birth year on file since acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets last year. Indianapolis sent two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to New York in exchange for the cornerback.

Despite heading into his fifth NFL season, Gardner is the same age as some players entering the league for the first time. Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Akheem Mesidor turned 25 in April without yet appearing in an NFL game.

Joe Burrow said Wednesday he sees similarities between this year's Cincinnati Bengals roster and the 2019 LSU squad he led to a national championship, expressing confidence the franchise is positioned for a bounce back season.

"You go back and watch what I said before the 2019 season at LSU," said Burrow. "I feel very similarly about this team. I'm so excited to get started and get moving. I wish we ramped this right into training camp so we can continue to improve.

"I feel like there's so much greatness we'll be able to achieve this year that I'm just excited to get going."

The remarks came as Cincinnati wrapped mandatory minicamp two days early, with coach Zac Taylor dismissing the team for the summer after determining all necessary playbook installation had been completed. Burrow remained on the practice field for an extra hour after Tuesday's session and held an extended throwing workout Wednesday.

The Bengals enter 2026 with clear urgency after missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and finishing 6-11 last year. This offseason, Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and restructured Burrow's contract to generate an additional $10 million in cap space.

Burrow acknowledged adjusting his leadership approach in response to the team's recent struggles.

"I've tried to be a little more vocal in a mean way," said Burrow. "I think that's a little out of my comfort zone, but that's somewhere that I'm improving. Maybe it's good and maybe it's bad, but we'll find out."

"Put pressure on guys," he added. "I love it. I thrive in it. I want everybody talking about the Bengals."

Burrow is under contract in Cincinnati through 2029.

When the Denver Broncos absorbed an $85 million dead cap hit from releasing quarterback Russell Wilson in 2024, few around the league believed the franchise could compete. Two seasons later, Denver's back-to-back playoff runs have reshaped how NFL teams approach bloated contracts.

The Broncos went 24-10 over the two years they carried those charges, reached the AFC Championship Game and ended an eight-year postseason drought, all while managing one of the league's most restrictive financial environments.

"Do I think they changed how people thought about it?" one AFC personnel executive told ESPN. "That number was, like, over twice what any other team had taken on for any other player, and they went to the playoffs."

Denver's willingness to absorb short-term pain has since prompted several franchises to pursue similar strategies. The Miami Dolphins took on a new-record $179 million in dead cap charges this offseason, headlined by $99.2 million tied to Tua Tagovailoa's release. The Arizona Cardinals absorbed $46.57 million cutting quarterback Kyler Murray. The Atlanta Falcons released Kirk Cousins for $35.4 million in dead money before signing Tagovailoa to a veteran minimum deal.

"Teams have had dead money issues, cut guys so they could draft or do free agency," an NFC general manager said. "But I do think [the Broncos] got everybody to kind of think you could rip the tape off if you really had to and you could work through it."

Executives surveyed by ESPN identified quarterback availability as the central factor determining whether such a strategy succeeds. Denver selected Bo Nix 12th overall in the 2024 draft, and the rookie posted 29 touchdown passes on a 10-7 team before improving in Year 2.

"Any team, you're going to need good enough play at quarterback and a good enough team around the guy if you're going to go to the playoffs like they did right away," the AFC executive said. "A rookie deal at quarterback on a playoff-worthy team, that never hurts."

Denver enters 2026 carrying just $3.4 million in dead money, the second-lowest figure in the league, with approximately $30 million in cap space remaining.

The Minnesota Vikings have added former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace as a football advisor, a source confirmed, as new general manager Nolan Teasley continues rebuilding the team's front office.

Pace, who ran the Bears' front office from 2015 to 2021, spent the past four seasons in the Atlanta Falcons' personnel department before joining Minnesota this week. He will serve as a GM-level sounding board for Teasley, who was hired away from the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month.

The Vikings also added Azzaam Kapadia as assistant director of pro scouting. Kapadia spent three seasons with the Seahawks, including as a pro scout in 2025, making him the second Seahawks front office member Teasley has brought to Minnesota alongside new assistant general manager Trent Kirchner.

Teasley has moved quickly to reshape the personnel department since arriving. Four staff members departed last week: assistant general manager Demitrius Washington, senior personnel executive Jamaal Stephenson, assistant director of college scouting Pat Roberts and pro scout Salli Clavelle. Teasley also brought in former Cleveland Browns analytics executive Andrew Healy as an assistant general manager.

Current assistant general manager Ryan Grigson will remain with the Vikings in a revised role.

The Vikings did not alter their organizational structure upon Teasley's arrival. Both Teasley and head coach Kevin O'Connell report directly to ownership, though owners Zygi and Mark Wilf granted Teasley authority to adjust the personnel staff as he sees fit.