NFL free agency, offseason updates: ‘Legal tampering’ period nears but big moves already in full swing

The Broncos are close to retaining defensive lineman D.J. Jones. Specifics of that deal are not yet known, though ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that it will be close to $13 million per year.

Jones had 42 total tackles last season, his third with the Broncos. He’d be a great get for their defensive front next season as they look to build off of their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade.

The Commanders and backup tight end John Bates have agreed on a three-year contract, NFL Network reports.

Terms of the deal were not reported. Bates joins starting tight end Zach Ertz in reaching a deal this offseason to return to a Commanders team that advanced to the NFC championship game last season behind Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels.

A block-first tight end, Bates tallied eight catches for 84 yards last season.

The Raiders and defensive tackle Adam Butler have agreed to a three-year, $16.5 million deal, NFL Network reports.

Butler, 30, tallied five sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 65 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 17 games last season. His 16 starts were more than his 13 combined in six previous NFL seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith has signed his franchise tag, NFL Network reports.

Smith’s signature ensures that he will remain with the Chiefs in 2025 and perhaps beyond. The two sides still have the option to work out a long-term deal. If they don’t, Smith will be the highest-paid guard in football next season with a $23.4 million salary.

The Atlanta Falcons and left tackle Jake Matthews have agreed to a two-year, $45 million contract extension, NFL Network reports. The deal includes $38 million in guaranteed money, according to the report.

Matthews, 33, is a former Pro Bowler who’s played his entire 11-season career with the Falcons.

It’s a little after 8 p.m. on the east coast, and so much has happened across the league. Talk about a chaotic Sunday…

DK Metcalf is on the move. The Pittsburgh Steelers struck a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to land Metcalf on Sunday afternoon. Metcalf will then sign a five-year, $150 million deal with the team, according to the NFL Network.

Metcalf requested a trade out of Seattle this offseason. The team selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft, and he’s spent his entire career there. He had 992 yards and five touchdowns last season, and came just shy of completing what would’ve been his third straight 1,000-yard campaign.

For more on the trade, click here.

The Buffalo Bills and MVP quarterback Josh Allen have agreed to a six-year contract extension that runs through the 2030 season.

The Bills announced the deal. Per multiple reports, the contract is valued at $330 million and includes a $250 million guarantee, the largest in NFL history. Allen and Buffalo agreed to the deal on Sunday despite his previous contract having four years remaining. Allen will sign the lucrative contract just weeks after being named NFL MVP for the first time.

For more, read here.

The Broncos are keeping backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham around for another season. Stidham, who will enter his sixth season in the league, helped back up rookie Bo Nix last season as they made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Patriots are also bringing back Austin Hooper on a one-year, $5 million deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The tight end had 476 yards (his best output since the 2019 campaign) and three touchdowns last season in New England.

The New England Patriots reached a three-year, $43.5 million deal with linebacker Harold Landry on Sunday, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Landry had 71 total tackles last season, his sixth with the Titans.

The Jets struck a three-year, $45 million deal to bring back linebacker Jamien Sherwood on Sunday. The deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, has $30 million fully guaranteed for Sherwood, who had 95 total tackles last season in New York.

Davante Adams is headed to Los Angeles. The longtime wide receiver, who was recently released by the New York Jets, struck a two-year, $46 million deal with the Rams on Sunday afternoon.

He’ll join the Rams as the team is preparing to move on from longtime wide receiver Cooper Kupp. It will mark Adams’ third team in the past two seasons.

For more on Davante Adams’ deal with the Rams, click here.

The Seahawks and linebacker Ernest Jones have agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract extension with $15 million in guaranteed money, NFL Network reports.

Jones played last season on the final year of his four-year $4.79 million rookie contract. Jones, who was drafted by the Rams, started last season with the Titans then played the final 10 games with the Seahawks following a trade to Seattle. Now he has a long-term deal with the Seahawks.

Jones, 25, recorded 94 tackles, two pass deflections and a forced fumble last season. His is the second deal of the day reported out of Seattle after the Seahawks reportedly reached terms with with defensive tackle Jarran Reed.

Aaron Jones is sticking around in Minneapolis. The running back struck a two-year, $20 million deal with the Vikings on Sunday, according to multiple reports.

Jones is coming off a career-season in the Twin Cities. He racked up 1,138 yards and seven total touchdowns while helping the Vikings to a 14-3 record in his first season with the franchise. While they lost in the wild-card round after narrowly missing out on the top seed in the NFC, Jones coming back is a huge get for the Vikings after one of their best seasons in recent memory.

For more on Aaron Jones re-signing with the Vikings, click here.

The Lions will release defensive end Za’Darius Smith to cut future salary cap costs, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

Unfortunately for Smith, the decision comes six weeks after he posted a photo on social media of a Super Bowl-type ring he had made in anticipation of next season. However, the Lions could bring Smith back on a reworked contract which would salvage the ring.

Smith was acquired by Detroit from the Browns before the trade deadline, bringing in pass-rushing help after Aidan Hutchinson’s season ended with a broken leg. He had four sacks, 12 combined tackles and three tackles for loss with the Lions. For the season, Smith notched nine sacks and 63 total pressures.

By releasing Smith, the Lions will save $5.7 million on their cap for 2025 and $5.2 million for 2026.

The Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Nick Bolton have agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The 2021 second-round draft pick has been a key defender on Chiefs teams that have played in three consecutive Super Bowls and won two. He tallied 106 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and three sacks last season.

The Seahawks and defensive tackle Jarran Reed have agreed to a three-year deal contract up to $25 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The contract will keep Reed from hitting free agency.

Reed, 32, tallied 4.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 45 tackles and five tackles for loss in 17 games last season.

The Bills are releasing edge rusher Von Miller, NFL Network reports.

Miller, 36, played 13 games for Buffalo last season, registering six sacks with 17 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and 32 total pressures.

Cutting him will save the Bills $8.5 million on their salary cap. Miller and the Bills are open to him rejoining the team, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.