Football Wiretap

The Atlanta Falcons have acquired offensive tackle Wanya Morris from the Kansas City Chiefs, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler Thursday. Morris, 25, started 16 games across three seasons in Kansas City, including 11 starts at left tackle in 2024.

The move addresses a pressing need along Atlanta's offensive line following the sudden retirement of longtime starter Kaleb McGary this offseason. Right tackle depth carries added importance for the Falcons, who have two left-handed quarterbacks competing for the starting job in Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. New head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees plan to run more plays under center, increasing the demand for reliable blindside protection.

The Falcons signed free agent Jawaan Taylor to play right tackle, but he has been absent from voluntary OTA practices this spring for undisclosed reasons. Michael Jerrell, acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks last year, has taken most first-team reps during media-open practices. Swing tackle Storm Norton has also been sidelined since last season following ankle surgery.

A third-round pick in 2023, Morris built a reputation as a capable run blocker before developing into a versatile swing option in his second season. He took over at left tackle early in 2024 as the Chiefs won 15 games, but inconsistent play and injuries led Kansas City to shift All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the position to better protect Patrick Mahomes.

Morris suffered a season-ending left knee injury on the opening snap of his first start last December against the Houston Texans. He slipped further down Kansas City's depth chart during mandatory minicamp this week, falling behind Jaylon Moore, Chukwuebuka Godrick, and undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson.

The Denver Broncos have signed head coach Sean Payton to a new five-year contract, the team announced Thursday. The deal replaces the two years remaining on his previous agreement, though financial terms were not disclosed. Last September it was reported that Payton was on an $18 million per year contract behind Andy Reid at $20 million per year.

Payton, 62, has compiled a 32-19 record across three seasons in Denver, improving the club's win total in each campaign. His tenure peaked last season when the Broncos posted a 14-3 regular-season record and advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

"Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations," said Broncos owner Greg Penner. "I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.

"We're thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos."

The extension keeps Payton under contract through the 2030 season, matching the timeline of a five-year deal general manager George Paton signed with the organization last month.

Denver acquired Payton in 2023 by sending a first-round pick and a second-round pick to the New Orleans Saints, also receiving a third-round selection in return. Payton had stepped away from New Orleans after the 2021 season following a 152-89 record with the Saints, but remained under contract through 2024, requiring the trade.

Before joining Denver, Payton earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and guided the Saints to their only Super Bowl title following the 2009 season.

Jalen Hurts publicly responded to the A.J. Brown trade for the first time Wednesday, acknowledging their shared accomplishments while shifting focus to the Philadelphia Eagles' new offensive direction.

The two pass-catchers were central to the Eagles' run of four consecutive playoff berths, including two Super Bowl appearances and one championship. Brown posted a career-best 1,496 receiving yards in 2022 and surpassed 1,400 yards again in 2023.

"You come into it and you have a sense of pride in how it began and definitely what we were able to accomplish," said Hurts. "Nothing can take that away. For the great things that we did, now it's time to focus on achieving great things with this new iteration of the team."

The working relationship between the two had grown strained over the past year-plus, with Brown voicing dissatisfaction with the passing offense and requesting a trade at the start of the offseason. Philadelphia sent him to the New England Patriots on June 1 in exchange for a future first-round pick and a fifth-round selection.

Brown acknowledged recently that his bond with Hurts had cooled but said there is "still a lot of love" between them.

"I'm not in a place to challenge anyone's perspective on anything," said Hurts. "That's where I am. I have always been focused on the collective, put my energy towards that, and as a leader, I've always put an onus on giving maximum effort to achieve the shared mission we have as a team."

The Eagles are adjusting to a new scheme under first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. The transition showed during minicamp, with the passing game appearing disjointed at times.

"I thought it was a really good spring," said Hurts. "Being able to onboard another new system and put everything together, lay the foundation, I'm encouraged by that. I'm encouraged by the work we were able to put in. We have a fun summer ahead of us."

The Kansas City Chiefs have restructured Patrick Mahomes' contract into a deal worth $504.75 million through 2033, making it the first NFL contract valued at over half a billion dollars, sources told ESPN.

The reworked agreement adds two years to his existing deal, with $239.05 million in new money. The first four years are guaranteed at signing, with all $504.75 million becoming fully guaranteed through contract mechanisms. Mahomes can earn up to $522.25 million with incentives and escalators. Beginning in 2027, the deal averages $64 million per year, an NFL record for average annual value.

Equity Sports CEO Chris Cabott and Chiefs general manager Brett Veach finalized the agreement Wednesday. It marks the third time in six years the two sides have reset the quarterback market, with Cabott and Veach leading each negotiation.

"Patrick is a generational talent and an elite human being, and I'm so excited he will continue to lead our team into the future," said Chiefs chair and CEO Clark Hunt. "He has helped lead our franchise to five Super Bowl appearances and three championships and has been instrumental in shaping the Chiefs brand and putting Kansas City on the world stage."

The Chiefs have now committed $689.05 million in total new money to Mahomes across three contracts spanning 2022 through 2033.

Mahomes suffered a torn ACL and LCL on Dec. 14, 2025 and underwent surgery the following day. Kansas City remains optimistic he will be ready for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football.

His original rookie contract in 2017 was a four-year, $16.4 million deal. The landmark 10-year, $450 million extension he signed in 2020 has since been overtaken by a rapidly escalating quarterback market.

Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce, fresh off his four-year $114 million contract extension, still faces many weeks of recovery from left ankle surgery he underwent in March, he said Wednesday.

The return timeline, which Pierce said can range from four to six months, could keep him out well into training camp and past the preseason.

Pierce tried to avoid surgery, but consistent soreness in his ankle last season strongly suggested the issue needed to be addressed, he said.

Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken on Tuesday said he is unlikely to name a starting quarterback between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders at the conclusion of mandatory minicamp on Thursday.

"Once we get to the fall, we'll have to dissect the reps how we see fit," he said. "I just don't see it after the way Shedeur has played and Deshaun's played. They've both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start."

For the second time in three days, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seemingly aimed some harsh comments at the San Francisco 49ers for how they have handled his situation over the past couple of years.

On Tuesday, Aiyuk again posted a video to Instagram. This time, it was a 30-second video in which Aiyuk appears to call the 49ers "stupid" and "dumb."

"You wanna know why they really mad though?" Aiyuk said in the video. "They mad 'cause they stupid. They dumb. They mad that they paid me $50 million in eight months and then voided my guarantees for 2027. And I'm about to be on a new team in 2027. They mad at theyselves for real. N‐‐‐as acting like they mad at me, but they stupid ass mad at theyself."

The Cincinnati Bengals have restructured quarterback Joe Burrow's contract, generating $10 million in additional salary cap space for the upcoming season, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on Tuesday.

The move was driven by Cincinnati's predraft trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, which left the team with just $7.1 million in effective cap space before the adjustment. The Bengals could have freed up as much as $19.2 million by converting Burrow's full base salary.

The restructure pushes portions of Burrow's five-year, $275 million extension, signed in 2023, into future seasons. Bengals de facto general manager Duke Tobin did not rule out the move when speaking with reporters in April.

"We've layered in challenges, but we're up to them, and we do it because we got the opportunity to add the right people and the right players," said Tobin. "Those are challenges that the locker room isn't interested in.

"They're interested in having the best team possible, and that's what we're trying to give them."

The Burrow restructure is the latest in a series of aggressive offseason moves for Cincinnati, which is pushing to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Burrow missed nine games last season with a turf toe injury.

An AFC executive says the NFL is likely to embrace June 1 as an unofficial blockbuster trade window, pointing to a wave of high-profile deals that has reshaped the league's offseason calendar.

"I think the league will lean into the June 1 thing," the executive said. "It's the summer, it's slow, and these deals are good engagement for the league."

Last Monday served as the clearest example yet, with Myles Garrett heading to the Los Angeles Rams and A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots on the same day. The moves capped a stretch of nearly 10 months in which at least eight non-quarterback stars were traded, each netting at least one first-round pick.

The list includes Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens, Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, Trent McDuffie to the Rams, Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos, and Garrett to Los Angeles. Three of those deals involved multiple first-round picks.

General managers appear increasingly willing to move elite players and absorb large contracts as sunk costs when a relationship runs its course. Teams rebuilding are quicker to cash in, while contenders are leaning on the one-player-away approach.

Five veteran players also received significant contract extensions last week, suggesting NFL front offices have little interest in slowing down before the summer break.

The Los Angeles Rams were so intent on completing their trade for Myles Garrett that they declined an opportunity to speak with him directly before the deal closed, even with a no-trade clause complicating negotiations, according to ESPN sources.

The Browns granted the Rams permission to speak with Garrett in the days leading up to the June 1 trade. Los Angeles passed on the conversation, with one team source explaining the reasoning simply: "You're buying a blue-chip stock," and there was little uncertainty about what they were getting.

Garrett learned Los Angeles was even in play roughly one week before the trade was finalized. His no-trade clause, included in the contract extension he signed with Cleveland in 2025, gave him full power to block the deal.

Rams general manager Les Snead acknowledged the uncertainty that created after roughly a month of negotiations with Browns GM Andrew Berry.

"Hey, I know Myles has a no-trade clause," Snead said he asked Berry. "Are we going to have gone through all this and he's going to say no?"

The Rams also wanted to ensure they could inform Jared Verse of his inclusion in the deal in person before any information leaked. The final agreement sent Verse, a first-round pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2029 to Cleveland in exchange for Garrett.