Signing - Football Wiretap

The Green Bay Packers have signed Christian Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million extension that includes a $31 million signing bonus, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal follows Jayden Reed's three-year, $50.25 million extension signed April 24.

Watson, 27, had been playing on a one-year, $11 million bridge contract signed last September while recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2024 season.

The new money average of $27.6 million per year nearly matches the franchise tag figure applied to Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens ($27.3 million).

Watson's return from injury was striking as he recorded 35 catches for 611 yards and six touchdowns over the final 10 games of last season, leading the NFL in yards per catch (17.5) from Weeks 8 through 18. Seventeen of his 35 receptions gained 16 or more yards, a rate that ranked third among all players with at least 30 catches.

The extensions arrive after Green Bay allowed Romeo Doubs to depart for the New England Patriots in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Watson addressed those departures during OTAs.

"It was definitely tough to see those guys go because they're great friends of mine, great teammates," said Watson. "This thing always keeps on moving. I definitely think they'll be a lot more opportunities for the guys who are out there this year, myself included. Just got to embrace that and continue to make plays when our numbers are called."

Quarterback Jordan Love expressed confidence in the rebuilt receiver group.

"We've still got a very deep receiver room," said Love. "We've got Christian, we've got J. Reed, we've got M.G., guys who are all going to continue to keep building, keep taking those steps."

Watson, Reed and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden are projected as Green Bay's top three receivers heading into the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension with tight end Darnell Washington, including $21 million in guaranteed money, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The deal makes Washington the second 2023 draft pick extended by the club in two days.

Washington, a third-round pick out of Georgia, posted career-best numbers in 2025, recording 31 receptions for 364 yards alongside Aaron Rodgers. He has scored a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.

The 6-foot-7, near-300-pound tight end has served as a primary red zone weapon for Pittsburgh. His rare size also allows him to overpower defensive backs in open space.

First-year head coach Mike McCarthy praised Washington's work ethic and football IQ ahead of the deal.

"Love Darnell," said McCarthy. "He's been here every day, classroom, good student. He's a pros pro. I've been very, very impressed with him. ... Year 1, as you get to know your players, there's certain schemes you may tilt one way or the other, variations of schemes. And definitely we've been doing that with our tight ends, and he's a big part of that reason."

Washington joins outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who formally signed a four-year, $100 million extension Wednesday, as members of general manager Omar Khan's first draft class to receive new contracts this offseason.

Herbig expressed strong enthusiasm for keeping the group together.

"I'd love to keep that whole class here," said Herbig. "I think we got a bunch of dogs in there. I'm excited. I think some things [are] going to happen. I hope so. Keeanu Benton is a dog. He's definitely one of the best in the league. ... I want to play my whole career with that guy. And me and Joey [Porter Jr.] developed a great bond. He's a dog, too. We need a lockdown corner, Peezy Island. Darnell is a freak of nature. He's like a monster. So definitely need Darnell back. Spencer [Anderson] is a dog, too. We still got [Broderick Jones]. We got dogs all across the board."

Pittsburgh has also expressed interest in extending defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., both from the 2023 class. The team declined the fifth-year option on offensive lineman Broderick Jones following a season-ending neck injury.

The Atlanta Falcons have signed wide receiver Drake London to a four-year extension worth $141 million, with up to $150 million in total value and $100 million guaranteed, making the 24-year-old one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL, according to a league source with knowledge of the deal.

Atlanta selected London with the eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft and he has led the team's receivers in yards in each of his four seasons. He was set to play the 2026 season on a fifth-year option valued at $16.8 million before the extension was finalized.

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham had flagged a London extension as a priority as recently as March's league meetings.

"I think you have to take into account the player, the value, the position, maybe the marketplace," Cunningham said at the time.

London ranks 15th in the NFL in receiving yards since his rookie season with 3,961, according to TruMedia. Over the past two seasons he places among the top 10 in the league in receiving touchdowns with 16, receiving yards per game at 75.5, targets with 270, and team target share at 25.5 percent.

Beyond his production, London has developed into one of the more respected voices in Atlanta's locker room. The Falcons placed rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch's locker next to London's when Branch joined the team in April, a signal of the organization's regard for the California native as a leadership presence.

"Drake is one of the more competitive people I have ever been around," left tackle Jake Matthews said. "He hates to lose, hates to let his teammates down. He's just a stud. He's going to be the last one to take credit, too, which I have always admired about him. One of my favorite teammates to be around."

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension including $42 million guaranteed on Tuesday, hours after sitting out individual drills during the team's mandatory minicamp, sources told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Herbig, 24, was entering the final year of his rookie contract coming off a career-high 7.5-sack season in 2025. His new deal averages $25 million per year, a figure that reflects his production despite never having served as a full-time starter. He posted the NFL's highest pass rush win rate last season at 26.3 percent, according to ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats, while adding an interception, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a career-high 18 quarterback hits.

Before the deal was finalized, Herbig addressed reporters and pushed back on any characterization of his role with the club.

"I wouldn't call myself not a starter," he said. "I'm a team guy. If you need me to play off the ball, on the ball, need me to run down on punt, I'm a Steeler. There's no starters and backups. I'm a Steeler."

Herbig's extension adds to an already costly pass rush corps in Pittsburgh. T.J. Watt's contract averages $41 million per year and Alex Highsmith's checks in at $17 million annually.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., a fellow 2023 draft classmate, also sat out individual drills Tuesday and remains without an extension. Porter, who has recorded an interception in each of his three professional seasons and posted a career-high 14 passes defensed in 2025, said he believes he has earned elite-level compensation.

"I feel like I've been an elite guy since I've been in this league, and I'm happy that I'm getting the respect that I feel like I'm owed," Porter said.

Porter has attended voluntary OTAs under new head coach Mike McCarthy and said Tuesday that being present during the franchise's transition following Mike Tomlin's resignation was a priority.

The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to a three-year extension with linebacker Derick Hall worth $42 million and carrying $21 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports, keeping the 2023 second-round pick under contract through the 2029 season.

The deal secures Hall before he could play out the final year of his rookie contract and comes off a Super Bowl LX performance in which he recorded two sacks and a forced fumble in Seattle's 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

Hall's path to a significant extension has not been linear. Selected 37th overall in 2023, he played just 26 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie while contributing primarily on special teams. His role expanded considerably in 2024, when he started 14 games, recorded eight sacks and 20 quarterback hits, and forced two fumbles.

His snap count dipped again in 2025 to 46 percent after Seattle signed DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency, limiting Hall to three starts. His Super Bowl showing, however, reinforced his value to the organization at a critical moment.

The path ahead suggests a larger role for Hall moving forward. Seattle lost edge rusher Boye Mafe in free agency this offseason, and Lawrence, now 34, is entering the second year of a three-year deal. Both factors could open the door for Hall to reassume a more prominent position in the Seahawks' defensive rotation over the life of his new contract.

Hall ranked 37th amongst edge defenders in 2025, according to ProFootballFocus.

The New York Giants announced Monday the signing of veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., reuniting the 33-year-old with the franchise that drafted him 12th overall in 2014, amid a wave of injuries to the team's receiver group. Beckham was traded by the Giants to the Cleveland Browns in March 2019 for a first and third round pick along with Jabrill Peppers. 

The moves comes days after wide receiver and kick returner Gunner Olszewski tore his Achilles during an OTA practice. Malik Nabers, whose availability for the regular season opener remains uncertain following a torn ACL last September, and Darius Slayton, recovering from a core muscle injury, are also currently sidelined.

Giants coach John Harbaugh worked with Beckham during the 2023 season in Baltimore, where the receiver posted 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, and the two are said to maintain a strong relationship.

Beckham's expected role will differ considerably from his first tenure in New York, when he was a premier No. 1 receiver and consistent Pro Bowl selection. He has appeared in just nine games over the past two seasons, serving a six-game suspension in 2025 for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy before going unsigned for the remainder of that year. In 2024 he logged nine catches for 55 yards across nine games with the Miami Dolphins.

During his original run with the Giants, Beckham compiled 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns across five seasons before injuries and off-field issues cut short his time with the club.

The Giants also signed wide receiver Braxton Berrios to a one-year deal.

The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to a three-year, $76.5 million contract extension with safety Derwin James, making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history at $25.5 million per year, surpassing the Baltimore Ravens' Kyle Hamilton.

James was entering the final year of his previous deal, which he signed in 2022. The new agreement marks the second consecutive time he has reset the safety market.

The extension reflects James' resurgence over the past two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh. Former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter repositioned James closer to the line of scrimmage, deploying him as a nickel defender, blitzer, and man coverage player. New defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, who coached James as his safeties coach in 2024, will continue using him in a comparable role running the same scheme.

O'Leary spoke to James' impact beyond the field.

"One of my favorite players I've ever worked with and coached, because of how contagious his energy is, how great he wants to be," said O'Leary.

James struggled under former coach Brandon Staley and was benched during a Week 16 loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2023. Minter arrived the following offseason with a direct message for James to reestablish himself among the league's elite.

James described his own mental reset.

"I just remember looking back and saying, 'Man, how do I want to play?'" said James. "I'm playing my best football when I'm having fun, not thinking, seeing the ball, seeing the check downs, going to kill them and just making plays on the ball. It's really just simplifying my mind and just saying, 'Man, you Derwin James, bro. Get back to having fun.'"

James posted a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2024 and matched his career best with three interceptions in 2025. Harbaugh offered a blunt assessment of his safety's standing in September.

"The best safety I've ever seen in the history of the National Football League," said Harbaugh. "He is one of the most incredible players I've ever watched."

Nico Collins and the Houston Texans have agreed to a reworked contract that will increase his cash in 2026 by $9 million followed by an $8 million increase in 2027.

The deal also guarantees his salary.

Collins is scheduled to become a free agent in 2028.

Last season, Collins had 71 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games.

Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams agreed Thursday on a one-year, $55 million contract extension, sources told ESPN. The deal can reach $60 million with incentives and keeps Stafford under contract through the 2027 season, with $105 million remaining on his deal.

The extension places Stafford among the small group of quarterbacks earning more than $50 million annually. The Rams confirmed the agreement without disclosing financial terms.

Stafford, who will turn 39 on February 7, is entering his 18th NFL season. He is coming off the finest statistical campaign of his career, leading the league with 4,707 passing yards while throwing a career-best 46 touchdown passes against only eight interceptions.

Retirement had been considered a possibility before Stafford publicly committed to returning while accepting his MVP award in February.

"I'll see you guys next year," said Stafford. "Hopefully, I'm not at this event and we're getting ready for another game at SoFi."

The Rams used the 13th overall pick in this year's draft on quarterback Ty Simpson, who is now viewed as Stafford's eventual successor. Los Angeles won a Super Bowl with Stafford in 2021, also played at SoFi Stadium. The 2027 Super Bowl is scheduled for the same venue.

Stafford's 64,516 career regular-season passing yards rank sixth in NFL history, trailing Aaron Rodgers by 1,758 yards.

The Detroit Lions have signed linebacker Jack Campbell to a four-year, $81 million contract extension running through the 2030 season, the team announced Thursday. The agreement keeps one of the NFL's top young defensive players in Detroit for five additional years.

Campbell expressed enthusiasm about the deal in a video released by the club.

"I just wanna let you guys know I signed my extension, I'm excited to be back, I'm excited to be here long-term," said Campbell. "Now it's time to win a Super Bowl. Go Lions."

Selected 18th overall from Iowa in the 2023 NFL Draft, Campbell has developed into one of the premier linebackers in the league. He recorded 176 tackles in 2025, second-best in the NFL, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and a first-team All-Pro designation.

Detroit declined Campbell's fifth-year option earlier this month, a move driven by financial structure rather than any intention to part ways. That option would have carried a $21.9 million figure, which would have made him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in league history.

A long-term extension offered both parties greater flexibility. Campbell receives guaranteed income and security, while the Lions retain control over the contract's structure.

Head coach Dan Campbell made his confidence in the linebacker plain at the NFL league meetings in March.

"I'm putting my eggs in the basket of Jack Campbell in the linebacker room," said Campbell. "Like, it's time."

Campbell is expected to assume defensive leadership responsibilities this season, succeeding Alex Anzalone as the unit's central figure.