NFL free agency, franchise tag tracker: Vikings not expected to tag Sam Darnold

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  Tue, March 4, 2025 at 11:05 AM GMT+8

  Vikings not expected to tag Sam Darnold

  ESPN and NFL Network reported Monday night that the Minnesota Vikings are not expected to place their franchise tag on quarterback Sam Darnold. Per both reports, the Vikings remain interested in working out a deal with Darnold, but it won’t come via the franchise tag.

  Darnold’s status with the Vikings remains one of the biggest questions of the NFL offseason after a career season for the former first-round pick crashed with poor performances in Minnesota’s season finale loss to the Lions and a playoff loss against the Rams.

  A Vikings team that had a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC in the final week of the season instead finished as a wild-card team, then failed to win a playoff game after a 14-3 campaign.

• Tue, March 4, 2025 at 8:04 AM GMT+8

  Deebo Samuel says there’s “no bad blood” after trade from 49ers

  This weekend, the San Francisco 49ers granted Deebo Samuel’s trade request, sending the receiver to the Washington Commanders.

  On Monday, Samuel clarified that there was was “no bad blood” between him and organization, even with the request. Samuel said that he was leaving on good terms with general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan.

  “49ers know where I stand with them and it’s nothing but love. Love John and Kyle to death,” Samuel wrote in a post on X. “They know I’m more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man.”

  49ers know where I stand with them and it’s nothing but love. Love John and Kyle to death no bad blood no way shape or form. They know I’m more than appreciative of everything they done for me as a player and a man nothing but love ❤️.

  — Deebo (@19problemz) March 3, 2025

  San Francisco reportedly received a fifth-round pick from the Commanders in return. It’s a somewhat low return for the Pro Bowl receiver, but the trade helps the 49ers with their salary cap situation.

• Tue, March 4, 2025 at 7:09 AM GMT+8

  Longtime OC Scott Linehan reportedly joining Saints’ staff

  The New Orleans Saints are reportedly bringing veteran coach Scott Linehan onto their staff, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

  The Saints are hiring Scott Linehan to their staff, according to a source.

  Linehan has a ton of experience. He was the HC of the Rams. An OC for Minnesota, Miami, Detroit, Dallas. Pass game coordinator for LSU. Most recently worked as an offensive analyst for Montana.

  — Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 3, 2025

  Linehan — whose long résumé includes a head coaching stint with the then-St. Louis Rams and offensive coordinator roles with the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys — will bring an offense boost to the Saints.

• Tue, March 4, 2025 at 3:34 AM GMT+8

  BREAKING: Bengals are tagging WR Tee Higgins

  The #Bengals have, in fact, franchise tagged WR Tee Higgins a second time, per @teehiggins5.

  No surprise, as Cincy is not in the business of letting good players walk away. They’ll hope to do a long-term deal after the more than $26M tag. pic.twitter.com/XW56WgiW6a

  — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2025

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  Tue, March 4, 2025 at 1:46 AM GMT+8

  Eagles releasing CB Darius Slay: Report

  The Eagles are releasing cornerback Darius Slay, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

  Slay, 34, played five seasons with Philadelphia after being acquired from the Lions. He has said that he plans to retire after the 2025 season.

  Eagles are releasing six-time Pro-Bowl CB Darius Slay, per sources.

  If he is designated a post-June 1 release, the Eagles will save $4.3 million against the cap. pic.twitter.com/tUq4ScIK79

  — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2025

  Last season, Slay had no interceptions for the first time since his rookie year. He started 14 games, totaling 49 tackles with three tackles for loss, 14 pass break-ups and one forced fumble.

• Tue, March 4, 2025 at 1:16 AM GMT+8

  Sean McVay says trading Cooper Kupp is the “hardest decision” he’s had to make as a coach

  When speaking with reporters on Monday, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay addressed one of the elephants in the room: receiver Cooper Kupp, who the team is looking to trade.

  Last month, Kupp, who has spent his entire NFL career with the Rams, announced that the team was looking to “immediately” trade him. “I don’t agree with the decision and always believed it was going to begin and end in LA,” Kupp wrote as part of a statement thanking Rams fans.

  McVay told reporters on Monday that deciding to trade Kupp was the “hardest decision” he’s made as a head coach.

  “We just felt like that was the best direction for our football team … in terms of putting together the whole puzzle. There’s obviously a lot of layers to that,” McVay said.

  Sean McVay on Rams making Cooper Kupp available via trade: “We just felt like that was the best direction for our football team … in terms of putting together the whole puzzle. There’s obviously a lot of layers to that.”

  — Adam Grosbard (@AdamGrosbard) March 3, 2025

  As for whether McVay will bring Kupp back if the Rams can’t find someone to trade him to: “I would never speak in absolutes,” McVay told reporters.

• Tue, March 4, 2025 at 12:53 AM GMT+8

  Matthew Stafford will stay with Rams under adjusted version of current deal, per Sean McVay

  Matthew Stafford is staying with the Los Angeles Rams for the near future, with the team announcing Friday that the veteran QB sticking around on a restructured deal. Although the terms of the deal were unknown at the time, Rams head coach Sean McVay provided a few more details during a press conference on Monday.

  McVay told reporters that Stafford’s restructured deal would be part of his existing extension, which he signed in 2022. Stafford’s current deal runs through 2026, holding salary cap hits of $49.7 million and $53.7 million, respectively, over the next two seasons; most likely, those amounts are what the team will work to adjust.

  The Rams coach added that he expects to have a similar conversation with Stafford next season, but that it hopefully won’t take as long.

  Sean McVay: Rams will adjust Matthew Stafford’s financial terms under existing extension – operating on a year-to-year basis. He expects this conversation again next year (reiterating he wants Stafford as long as Stafford wants to play). He hopes it takes even less time in 2026.

  — Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) March 3, 2025

  McVay told reporters that he’d “been sleeping better these last couple of days” since Stafford agreed to stay.

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  Tue, March 4, 2025 at 12:48 AM GMT+8

  Packers, LB Isaiah McDuffie agree to 2-year, $8 million deal: Report

  Linebacker Isaiah McDuffie and the Packers have agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

  McDuffie, 25, played all 17 games last season for Green Bay and compiled 97 tackles, three tackles for loss, three passes defensed and one forced fumble. The Packers’ 2021 sixth-round pic, he’s averaged 62 tackles in his four NFL seasons.

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  Tue, March 4, 2025 at 12:18 AM GMT+8

  Ronnie Stanley top OT in free agency; no deal with Ravens reportedly imminent

  Ronnie Stanley is the top offensive tackle available in free agency and teams looking for a left tackle don’t have many other options with Alaric Jackson re-signing with the Rams.

  That could make it more difficult for the Ravens to bring Stanley back, though the team views it as a priority. No agreement reportedly appears to be close, however.

  Stanley, who turns 31 on March 18, started all 17 games for Baltimore last season. He allowed two sacks in 575 pass block snaps (1089 total), according to Pro Football Focus. He is rated as the No. 5 free agent available by Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab.

  Placing a franchise tag on Stanley if a long-term contract isn’t negotiated is an option. But the Ravens are projected to be $10.4 million under the salary cap, according to Spotrac, while a franchise tag would guarantee Stanley a one-year salary of $25.2 million.

  The NFL’s highest-paid offensive tackle is Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs at an annual salary of $28.1 million as part of a five-year, $141 million extension he signed before last season. Detroit’s Penei Sewell is next at $28 million per season. He signed a four-year, $112 million deal last spring.

• Mon, March 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM GMT+8

  Cowboys, LB Micah Parsons begin extension talks

  Star linebacker Micah Parsons is signed for one more season after the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option for $21.32 million. But the team wants to sign him to a long-term contract extension before he can become a free agent.

  That process reportedly began this week at the NFL scouting combine with Dallas starting “general” contract talks with Parsons this week, the Dallas Morning News reported.

  Where could contract negotiations begin? Nick Bosa is the NFL’s highest-paid pass rusher, signing a five-year, $170 million deal in 2023, giving him an average annual salary of $34 million. He had nine sacks and 55 tackles in 14 games last season. Parsons registered 12 sacks and 44 tackles, limited to 13 games by an ankle injury.

• Mon, March 3, 2025 at 8:59 PM GMT+8

  NFL Top 25 free agents

  As the opening of the NFL free agency “tampering” period opens on March 10, who are the top players available to be signed? Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab assembled a list of the top 25 free agents on the open market.

  It’s not a great crop for teams that need a quarterback, but that will likely make Sam Darnold a man in demand.

  “It didn’t end on a high note, but Darnold was excellent for most of the 2024 season. And there’s a lot of desperation at quarterback around the NFL. The case for Darnold is his draft pedigree and the results he showed when he was finally in a good situation. The case against him is it’s a small sample of success and the final two games were ugly. He’ll get paid, and it’ll come with risk.”

  Teams in need of pass rushers, interior defensive linemen and offensive lineman will find plenty of options.

  Who is the No. 1 player on the market? View the complete list of top 25 free agents here.