The Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa have agreed to a four-year, $212.4million contract extension, multiple media outlets reported Friday.

The contract, which is the largest in franchise history, reportedly includes $167million in guarantees, which ranks eighth among NFL quarterbacks.

With a long-term deal in place, Tagovailoa can focus on preparing for the upcoming season. He had been a minimal participant in Miami’s initial training camp sessions.

Drafted fifth overall out of Alabama, Tagovailoa has had a passer rating over 100 in each of the last two seasons and answered durability concerns by starting all 17 games last year.

While some pundits had been hesitant to endorse a large extension for Tagovailoa, but Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was determined to keep the left-hander in Miami.

"We're strong believers in him. And you guys all feel [coach Mike McDaniel's] passion about him when he talks about him," Grier said in February.

"Just in the two years of what he's done, he's grown in areas to where he led the league in passing and did some great things this year. And we all feel there's still another level he can take it.

"The way he's attacked this and wants to be great, and the combination of Mike and working with that and that trust and belief in each other, we do think there's still another level which he could go."

Tagovailoa completed 69.3 percent of his passes last season for 4,624 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while leading the Dolphins to an 11-6 record. The Dolphins’ play-off appearance was brief, ending in a 26-7 loss in frigid Kansas City in the wild-card round.

Since McDaniel took over as head coach, Tagovailoa ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards (8,172), fifth in passing touchdowns (54) and second in passer rating (102.9).

Quarterback Kirk Cousins was on the field for the Atlanta Falcons' first training camp practice after being cleared to participate by the team's medical staff.

Head coach Raheem Morris told reporters Thursday that Cousins, recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon sustained in October, will be under slight restrictions during camp but is still expected to handle the majority of first-team reps during team drills.

"Obviously, we'll do some sort of our own modifications [like] some of the things we did with Kirk during the spring, but he's ready to go," Morris said.

"He's fired up, the team's fired up. The limitations for him, you won't notice."

Cousins suffered the injury on Oct. 29 in what turned out to be his final game with the Minnesota Vikings. The four-time Pro Bowl selection signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons in March to address the team's most glaring need, a top-tier starting quarterback.

The soon-to-be 36-year-old is expected to open the season as Atlanta's starter despite the Falcons selecting former University of Washington star quarterback Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick of this year's draft.

Cousins did take part in some drills during the Falcons' offseason training activities in May, but was mainly limited to individual work.

"I think the precaution [in OTAs], I think was pretty much helpful for how we go about the business of keeping people away from him," Morris said. "Now there will be people to be around him, and we feel comfortable with that moving forward and doing some of those things.

"Obviously, some of these limitations will come in our individual drills, making sure we don't wear him out to the point where we want to get all the team reps with him."

Cousins was in the midst of another strong season in 2023, as he was leading the NFL in touchdown passes (18) at the time of his injury in Week 8. The 12-year veteran completed 69.5 per cent of his passes for 2,331 yards with five interceptions in eight games, though the injury prevented him from likely reaching 4,000 passing yards for a fourth straight season.

Morris is also in his first season as the Falcons' permanent head coach, though he went 4-7 as the team's interim coach in 2020 after Atlanta fired Dan Quinn during the season.

Atlanta has finished 7-10 in each of the last three seasons and has missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, tied with the Carolina Panthers for the longest active drought among NFC teams.

Aaron Rodgers insists he enjoys a "great" relationship with New York Jets coach Robert Saleh, despite being fined for skipping a mandatory mini-camp last month.

Legendary quarterback Rodgers joined the Jets ahead of the 2023 season after 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, only for a ruptured Achilles to end his campaign in Week 1. 

The four-time NFL MVP is hoping to make a more meaningful contribution in his second year in New York, but his offseason has not been without controversy.

He joined edge rusher Haason Reddick in skipping a mini-camp in June, with Saleh saying both players would be subject to fines after failing to provide an explanation.

Rodgers was on vacation in Egypt at the time of the missed camp and while he regrets the scheduling conflict, he says there is no ill feeling between Saleh and himself.

"It's obviously more of an issue outside the building than there was inside the building," Rodgers said after practice as the Jets returned for preseason this week. 

"Robert and I are great. We had great conversations throughout the offseason. [We] had a fun one last night in his office until later on. So, it is what it is.

"I'm an adult. I knew what I was getting into. I knew the fine that was coming and also knew how much I wanted to be in Egypt.

"I wish there hadn't been a conflict scheduling-wise, but it was what it was."

Saleh also played down the incident on Wednesday, telling reporters: "I've had dialogue with Aaron throughout the summer. I got some cool pictures from him. 

"We had our normal conversations. Nothing has been broken, but the mini-camp stuff, we talked beforehand, so we are on the same page with everything that happened."

As the 40-year-old approaches his 20th year in the league, his sole focus is on guiding the Jets to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

"The goal is New Orleans. That has to be the focus," Rodgers said. "It's going to take a nice training camp to feel like myself."

Saquon Barkley has accused the New York Giants of adopting a "disrespectful" approach during the failed contract talks that led to him joining the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75million deal with the Eagles in free agency earlier this year, having failed to agree fresh terms with the Giants.

Having been taken second overall by New York in the 2018 NFL Draft, the running back managed 5,211 rushing yards and 2,100 receiving yards through 74 regular-season games with the team.

He only enjoyed one playoff run with the team, however, losing 38-7 to the Eagles in the divisional round to cap the 2022 season.

Barkley has repeatedly claimed he wished to stay with the Giants, only to be left feeling undervalued by the offers put forward by general manager Joe Schoen.

He reiterated those claims in an interview with The Athletic, saying: "I was a little fed up, to be honest. 

"It felt like the only way the Giants wanted me was if I was able to go show my worth to someone else.

"I had to go prove that a team would want to pay me, so then, maybe, they would want to pay me.

"I felt like it was a little disrespectful, to be honest. Because it's kind of like a slap in the face. It was over after that phone call.

"I never felt like we really got a fair negotiation. Joe, he made a comment that negotiations took 10 years off his life. What do you think it did for me?"

The Eagles open their 2024 campaign against the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo on September 7, with their meeting with Barkley's former team set for October 20.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have confirmed cornerback Tyson Campbell has signed a four-year contract extension worth $76.5million. 

Campbell, who will earn a guaranteed $53.4million, has become the sixth-highest-paid corner in the NFL.

The 24-year-old was the first pick of the second round of the 2021 draft and has six interceptions, 30 pass breakups and 203 tackles in three seasons.

Campbell enjoyed his best season in 2023, making three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 70 tackles.

He was limited to 11 games in 2023 because of a hamstring injury and had just one interception and five pass breakups.

Campbell is the third player signed to a long-term deal by the Jaguars this offseason alongside Josh Hines-Allen and Trevor Lawrence. 

"I'm blessed to stay in Jacksonville and thankful God is allowing me to continue building something special with my brothers on the field and in the community," Campbell said.

"I want to thank the Jaguars for making my NFL dreams come true three years ago and for still believing in me today."

"Tyson is a young, talented player who is an integral part of our defense and core member of our locker room," general manager Trent Baalke added. 

"He is a consummate professional on and off the field and we are confident that his best lies ahead.

"We have consistently messaged the importance of extending our core players and this is another step forward in honouring that commitment."

The NFL Players Association and the NFL have had "very high-level" discussions over a potential 18-game regular season, says NFLPA executive director, Lloyd Howell.

While the talks have not reached a formal negotiation stage between the two parties, Howell noted there were plans in place for the NFLPA to present the issue to the players in the near future.

If the plans were put into place, the 18th game would likely replace one of the three pre-season games, and push the Super Bowl back a week to Presidents' Day weekend.

In the past, players have been opposed to expanding the schedule, with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers publicly speaking out against a 17-game season back in 2021.

Howell admitted there were obstacles to overcome before it could be brought to the players but remained optimistic about the chances of the fixture list expanding.

"We have talked at a very, very, very high level superficially, with a recognition about 'Yeah, this is something that we should be talking about. And we should really kick the tires and understand what else goes into that decision-making process'," Howell told the Washington Post.

"Many of our players have said, 'They're going to ask for more games'.

"So, one of the things you learn in business is this applies back to the obvious - I know you're going to ask for more games because that generates more money. And to be fair, don't we all want to grow the pie?"

San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk is currently in a contract battle with the team, and Fred Warner believes it is a "good issue to have".

Aiyuk was in contract negotiations with the 49ers to extend his current deal but reportedly has not held talks with them since May.

Unable to reach a deal, the 26-year-old instead asked for a trade.

It is not the first time the 49ers have found themselves in lengthy contract disputes, going through the same process to resign Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuels and Warner himself.

The linebacker was unfazed by the controversies though, instead choosing to focus on the positives.

"When you're part of such a talented roster, I feel like this is something that goes on every season," Warner said via NBC Sports Bay Area.

"It's a good issue to have because, obviously, that means that your players are performing at such a high level that you have to have these kinds of conversations."

Aiyuk is under contract with San Francisco for 2024 in the option year of his rookie deal.

He impressed last season on their run to Super Bowl LVIII, earning second-team All-Pro honours and ranking seventh in the NFL with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards.

His average of 17.9 yards per catch ranked second in the league, while only the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill bettered his 16 receptions of 25 or more yards.

Overall, since being picked in the 2020 draft, Aiyuk has 269 receptions for 3,931 yards, with 25 touchdown catches in 62 games.

As a key figure in the team, Aiyuk has been supported by his team-mates throughout the dispute, and Warner said he is ready to welcome him back when the saga is sorted.

"It's a part of the business, and so we all just let them handle that. And when he's back, he's back. We'll welcome him with open arms."

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh believes Lemar Jackson will become the "greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the NFL".

In February, at 27, Jackson became the youngest-ever two-time NFL MVP since the AFL merger.

Since he joined in 2018, he has led the Ravens to their best records in the league, going 14-2 in 2019 and 13-4 last year. In the regular-season, Jackson has the second-best record at 58-19 (.753).

However, he has been known to struggle in the postseason, losing four of his six playoff games, including the AFC Championship game against eventual Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs last season.

When asked about Jackson's failure to reach the showpiece game, Harbaugh passionately defended the quarterback, reiterating the team's faith in him.

"There's a lot of great things said about Lamar, but there's a lot of stuff that's said that you just got to scratch your head about and kind of wonder, 'What's that person even thinking?'" Harbaugh said on Sunday. "But we take it personally.

"All his life, Lamar Jackson has been a guy who's been answering those same questions.

"I'm talking about since he was a kid. Junior high, high school, college, the draft. The success he's had in the [NFL], again, it still comes up.

"OK, now he's still growing. He's got a growth mindset. He's going to get better and better, no doubt. But what does he have to do to prove himself to some people? Right?"

"The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League.

"It's going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team and by the grace of God and God's goodwill."

Since being picked by Baltimore in the 2018 NFL draft, Jackson has run more yards than any other quarterback (5,258) and has thrown 125 touchdown passes in 77 starts.

The Ravens will kick off the new season against the Chiefs on September 6.

Patrick Mahomes has challenged the Kansas City Chiefs to "get better" as they aim to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl.

In February, the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy for a second consecutive year.

However, it did not look like they would even reach the showpiece match at times due to their inconsistent offense.

Mahomes threw 14 interceptions, the most in a single season in his career, while his receivers dropped 25 catchable passes, the most by any such group since the 2012 Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Chiefs entered the postseason as the number three seed in the AFC, their lowest since Mahomes became the starter in 2018.

Though they still got the glory in the end, the quarterback, who is entering his eighth year, is eyeing some big improvements to ensure they are in a better position to lift the trophy again this season.

"It's time to get better," Mahomes said at the start of the Chiefs training camp. "Every season starts differently.

"You've got to come in with that same mentality you had the year before, even with a higher intensity, and even though we won the Super Bowl last year, we felt like we didn't play our best football, especially offensively.

"So, it's our goal to be better that way and coming in with that mentality every single day.

"The end result [last season] was awesome, but I think a lot of us still have a weird feeling in our mouth.

"It wasn't fun every single week having to try to just continue to get better and better and the results not paying off the way you wanted to.

"It wasn't a lot of fun. We have a lot of those same guys back, and they know how that felt, and so we're going to try to prepare ourselves better this year so that we can play better throughout the season and obviously try to end with the same result."

While the offense were not at their best last season, the defense defined their run to the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs had the second-best defense in the league, allowing an average of just 17.3 points per game in the regular season, and Mahomes is confident they will play a part in improving the level of the squad.

"We added a lot of speed," Mahomes added. "What's better than going against our defense?

"It's the best defense in the NFL, and we get to go against them every single day and really show where we're at and how we can get better."

The Chiefs will kick off the new season against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

Brandon Aiyuk had been seeking a contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers.

Now he's seeking a trade.

Unable to reach a new deal, Aiyuk has reportedly requested a trade from the 49ers.

The news was first reported by NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo on Tuesday.

Aiyuk and the 49ers reportedly haven't discussed a contract extension since May, prompting the star wide receiver to ask the team to trade him.

Finding a trade partner could be difficult, however, seeing as he's presumably looking for a long-term deal that will pay him like one of the top receivers in the NFL.

He's also still under contract in 2024, due to make $14.1million in the option year of his rookie deal.

The 26-year-old is coming off a huge season, earning second-team All-Pro honours while ranking seventh in the league with a career-high 1,342 receiving yards. His average of 17.9 yards per catch ranked second in the NFL, while his 16 receptions of 25 or more yards trailed only Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins.

Since being drafted 25th overall in the 2020 draft, Aiyuk has 269 receptions for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdown catches in 62 games.

After months of speculation regarding where Tee Higgins would play in the 2024 NFL season, the star wide receiver will officially remain with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Higgins will sign his franchise tag with the Bengals on Saturday, and is expected to be present when the team begins training camp next month.

The signing was first reported by Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and later confirmed by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

Higgins had the franchise tag placed on him by the Bengals on February 26, and then asked to be traded a few weeks later.

In early April, however, he then said he intended to play for Cincinnati in 2024.

By signing the tag, which will pay him $21.8million in salary for the upcoming season, Higgins and the Bengals have until July 15 to work out a multi-year deal.

Higgins is coming off an injury-marred 2023 season, as he was limited to just 12 games due to ailments to his hamstring and ribs.

He finished the year with 42 catches for 256 yards and five touchdowns after back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.

The Bengals reached the AFC conference championship game in those two seasons before finishing last in the AFC South in 2023 with a 9-8 record.

A second-round pick by Cincinnati in 2020, the 25-year-old Higgins has 257 career receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in 58 games in his first four pro seasons.

The Bengals are scheduled to open training camp on July 26.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a five-year, $275 million extension that includes $200 million guaranteed, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

With a $55 million average salary, Lawrence ties Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow for the most in NFL history.

Detroit’s Jared Goff, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers are the other quarterbacks making at least $50 million per year.

Lawrence’s deal is surpassed in total guaranteed and fully guaranteed money only by Burrow and Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson.

The 24-year-old Lawrence is entering the fourth season of his rookie deal and the Jaguars exercised his fifth-year option earlier this offseason.

The first overall pick in the 2021 draft, Lawrence has completed 63.8 percent of his passes in 50 regular season starts for 11,770 yards with 58 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. He has compiled a 21-31 record as a starter in three seasons, including 1-1 in the playoffs. He led the Jaguars to an AFC South title and a playoff win in 2022, earning a Pro Bowl selection.

Jacksonville and Lawrence got off to an 8-3 start last season and appeared to be legitimate contenders in the AFC, but the Jaguars lost five of their final six games and failed to reach the playoffs after spending three months atop the AFC South.

Lawrence missed the first game of his career against Carolina on December 31 due to a shoulder injury, a 26-0 victory for the Jaguars.

He also missed significant practice time because of other injuries: a sprained left knee in Week 6, a sprained right ankle in Week 13 and a concussion in Week 15.

The New England Patriots will retire the number 12 shirt and build a statue in honour of iconic quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady was inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame on Wednesday, having led them to six Super Bowl titles during his 20-year stint with the franchise.

The three-time MVP is the all-time regular-season leader in pass attempts (12,050), completions (7,753), passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649) in the NFL.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the statue would be placed outside the franchise's Hall of Fame to recognise Brady "not as the greatest in franchise history, but as the greatest in all of NFL history".

"I am eternally grateful. I am Tom Brady. And I am a Patriot," Brady said at the ceremony at the Gilette Stadium.

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick added: "Thank you for all that you've done for us. Thank you for all you've done for me. And thank you for the example and motto you've been for all of us on a daily basis for 20 years."

Travis Kelce has no intentions of making this upcoming NFL season his last, though acknowledged the end is nearer than the beginning of his illustrious career.

The Kansas City Chiefs star is a three-time Super Bowl champion, defeating the San Francisco 49ers for his most recent crown last season.

With preparations already underway for the 2024 campaign, the 34-year-old – a nine-time Pro Bowler – understandably has the future on his mind.

Yet Kelce has no doubts over his ambitions this year, signalling that there is still life in his ageing career with the Chiefs.

"I love coming to work every single day and doing this, so I am going to do it until the wheels fall off and hopefully that doesn't happen anytime soon," Kelce said after the Chiefs' practice on Tuesday.

"I can't put a time frame on it, man. I know that there are opportunities outside of football for me and I think you've got to keep in perspective that I'm still a little kid when I come into this building.

"I know I'm 34 years old, about to be 35, but I have a love to do this right here in the middle of the heat in June."

Kelce's relationship with global superstar singer Taylor Swift has drawn unprecedented media attention off the field, while he has shown interest in acting after his career ends.

Hosting a podcast with his brother Jason, another former NFL star, Kelce has multiple options when he chooses to call time on his playing days.

"I do take the offseason to get away and kind of recharge, but at the same time, I'm a football player," Kelce added.

"I love playing in the NFL and this will always be my main focus, but outside of that, football ends for everybody, so kind of dipping your toes in the water and seeing what you like in different areas in different career fields, I think the offseason is the best chance you can get."

As for on the field, the Chiefs added two tight ends this year with veteran Irv Smith Jr. and draft pick Jared Wiley. 

Noah Gray, their fourth-leading receiver last season, is also back, suggesting Kansas coach Andy Reid is keen to manage Kelce's workload.

"It's my job to make sure that Coach Reid has full confidence in me whenever he needs me out on that field or whenever I'm out on that field," Kelce said.

"As much as I want to be out there every single play, I understand that it's for the better of the team when I'm not.

"I'm more comfortable with that right now because of the guys that we have in the room. We've got a lot of great tight ends in the building and it's fun seeing them have success as well."

The New York Jets opened mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, but neither quarterback Aaron Rodgers nor edge rusher Haason Reddick were present.

Coach Robert Saleh said neither player was excused, meaning both are subject to fines.

Players who miss camp without an excused absence can be fined $16,953 for missing the first day, and $33,908 for the second day for a total of $50,861.

Saleh told reporters Rodgers' absence for the first day of camp is because he's attending something that is "very important to him."

Reddick is seeking a new contract, but after he skipped last week's voluntary workouts, Saleh said he expected him to be present for the start of the team's mandatory camp.

Rodgers, however, attended last week's workouts, as well as organised team activities throughout the off-season.

"Aaron and I spoke before OTAs started," Saleh said. "He's been very good with communication. He's been here the entire time. It's inexcused, but he had an event that was very important to him - which he communicated."

The four-time league MVP also told Saleh he would not attend Wednesday's work-out.

Rodgers is returning from a torn left Achilles tendon that was sustained in the 2023 opener, ending his season just four snaps into his Jets tenure.

Reddick was acquired by the Jets in a March trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. A two-time Pro Bowler, he had 11 sacks last season and 58 in his seven-year pro career.