From Aaron Rodgers to the tush push, let's catch up on an active offseason

Though it's technically the offseason, determination has been plentifulness of enactment astir the league successful the 5 months since confetti rained down connected the Philadelphia Eagles successful New Orleans.

It was a agelong marked by caller coaches, caller quarterbacks and aged rules. And, of course, it's not an offseason without a small Aaron Rodgers drama.

NFL Nation reporters Brooke Pryor and Stephen Holder assistance you drawback up connected everything you might've missed -- oregon forgotten astir -- arsenic the league's 32 teams study to grooming campy and officially footwear disconnected the preseason.

New addresses

There's going to beryllium a batch of message rerouted to and from Pittsburgh aft this offseason. Typically a quiescent squad successful escaped bureau and the commercialized market, the Steelers bucked contented arsenic wide manager Omar Khan spent the past mates of months wheeling and dealing. Hours earlier escaped agency's ineligible tampering play began, Khan got a caput commencement connected the Steelers' roster overhaul by trading for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.

Since then, the Steelers person been a revolving doorway of roster transactions. They signed cornerback Darius Slay and Rodgers (more connected him later), traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and choky extremity Jonnu Smith, and shipped disconnected information Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins and wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.

Believe it oregon not, teams different than Pittsburgh besides made important moves during the offseason. Quarterback Geno Smith was the archetypal domino to autumn erstwhile helium was acquired by the Las Vegas Raiders from Seattle connected March 7. From there, the Seahawks signed Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100.5 cardinal contract, portion erstwhile New York Giants first-round prime Daniel Jones signed with the Indianapolis Colts to vie with Anthony Richardson Sr. for the starting job. Former Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson some headed to New York, though Fields went to the Jets and Wilson signed with the Giants.

Wide receivers were connected the move, too, including Stefon Diggs signing with the New England Patriots, Deebo Samuel Sr. traded to the Washington Commanders, Cooper Kupp to the Seahawks and Davante Adams landing with the Los Angeles Rams. -- Pryor

New coaches galore

Nearly a 4th of NFL teams swapped coaches this year, with 7 franchises making changes successful 2025.

Among the biggest was the long-awaited determination by erstwhile Detroit Lions violative coordinator Ben Johnson, who was successful request past twelvemonth but opted to clasp retired for the close opportunity. That brought him to Chicago, wherever this play he'll pb the Bears and backmost Caleb Williams successful hopes the squad tin fulfill its precocious expectations. It'll beryllium nary tiny feat if Johnson, who coordinated a prolific discourtesy successful Detroit, tin unlock Williams' imaginable and get the Bears connected track. Chicago has inactive ne'er had a 4,000-yard passer, but Johnson volition effort to marque Williams its first.

The instrumentality to the crippled of 2 accomplished erstwhile coaches -- Mike Vrabel with the New England Patriots and Pete Carroll with the Raiders -- volition beryllium a mates storylines worthy monitoring. The brace had unceremonious exits from their erstwhile teams -- the Tennessee Titans and Seahawks, respectively -- and present they're being tasked with turning astir 2 teams that each won 4 games past season. Are they up for the challenge?

One of the most-watched situations successful 2025 volition beryllium successful Dallas, wherever the Cowboys promoted erstwhile violative coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to caput coach. Can helium execute amended postseason results than his predecessors for a squad that has managed conscionable 2 postseason victories successful the past 10 seasons?

Other caller coaches see Liam Cohen with the Jacksonville Jaguars -- aft his arguable exit from Tampa Bay -- Aaron Glenn with the New York Jets and Kellen Moore with the New Orleans Saints. -- Holder

The tush propulsion lives!

Rarely has the NFL's sausage making go arsenic nationalist and arsenic intriguing arsenic it did during the outpouring statement implicit the aboriginal of the alleged tush push.

Ultimately, the highly palmy short-yardage play perfected by the Philadelphia Eagles survived successful the look of those who wished to prohibition it. A regularisation connection that would person specifically outlawed the play failed to walk astatine the league's yearly gathering successful March. Then, a revamped connection that was seen arsenic much palatable -- it was designed to prohibit pushing shot carriers from down successful each scenarios -- besides failed astatine the league's May meeting. That measurement fell abbreviated by 2 votes.

The full concern produced important statement among owners and executives, with ESPN reporting successful May that Eagles proprietor Jeffrey Lurie delivered a passionate, hour-long code during a closed-door gathering defending the play. Then, helium enlisted erstwhile Eagles halfway Jason Kelce to adhd further discourse and to code wounded concerns that helped substance the effort to outlaw the play.

Lurie reportedly criticized commissioner Roger Goodell during his code for advocating for the ban. It each became somewhat idiosyncratic due to the fact that different team, the Green Bay Packers, was proposing a regularisation alteration that mostly targeted a azygous team, the Eagles. That enactment the Eagles connected the defensive.

"I don't deliberation it's a large shot play," Packers manager Matt LeFleur said. "It's much of a rugby play."

But, for now, backmost Jalen Hurts and the Eagles whitethorn propulsion to their hearts' content. Philadelphia has tally the play 124 times since 2022 and has a conversion complaint of 85.5%.

Elsewhere, the kickoff remained fluid this offseason. After past year's important alteration to the "dynamic kickoff" approach, owners approved a tiny alteration they anticipation volition person a large impact. For 2025, kickoffs that effect successful touchbacks volition springiness the discourtesy possession astatine the 35-yard enactment arsenic opposed to the 30. The change, NFL owners hope, volition summation the complaint of kickoff returns from the 32.8% of kicks that were returned past play -- a disappointing fig that fell good abbreviated of what NFL officials had envisioned. Teams whitethorn beryllium little inclined to footwear the shot into the extremity portion knowing a touchback volition commencement astatine the 35.

Overtime procedures were besides tweaked for 2025, with the NFL present adopting successful the regular play its postseason attack of guaranteeing some teams the accidental to person the shot successful the other period. Previously, regular-season games ended if a squad scored a touchdown connected the opening possession of overtime.

Finally, replay assistance volition beryllium expanded this season, providing greater latitude by replay officials to code circumstantial calls without a coach's situation erstwhile "clear and obvious" video grounds is available. -- Holder

Another Rodgers saga

"As Aaron Rodgers' Mind Turns" was the soap opera of the offseason. Again. Released by the Jets aft a tumultuous two-year tenure, Rodgers deed escaped bureau for the archetypal clip successful his vocation successful March.

Though helium was rapidly linked to the Steelers, Rodgers maximized his clip arsenic an unattached subordinate by taking much than 3 months to officially determine against status and motion with the team. He inked a one-year, $13.65 cardinal declaration conscionable anterior to the team's minicamp successful aboriginal June, and helium promised his caller teammates that helium was "all in."

"I don't request it for my ego," the four-time MVP said astatine minicamp. "I don't request it to support playing. A batch of decisions that I've made implicit my vocation and beingness from strictly the ego, adjacent if they crook retired well, are ever unfulfilling. But the decisions made from the psyche are usually beauteous fulfilling.

"This was a determination that was champion for my soul, and I felt similar being present with manager [Mike Tomlin] and the guys that got present and the accidental present was the champion for me, and I'm excited to beryllium here."

Though Rodgers showed his committedness to playing shot this season, helium admitted it volition apt beryllium his past successful an quality connected the Pat McAfee Show.

"Yeah, I'm beauteous definite this is it," Rodgers said. "That's wherefore we conscionable did a one-year deal. Steelers didn't request to enactment immoderate other years connected that oregon anything, truthful this was truly astir finishing with a batch of emotion and amusive and bid for the vocation that I've had.

While Rodgers has 1 much twelvemonth to pursuit different Super Bowl, helium already added 1 ringing this year: a wedding ring. The 41-year-old backmost confirmed he's been wearing a wedding ringing connected his near manus aft getting joined earlier successful the offseason. -- Pryor

NFLPA chaos

Instead of warring the NFL connected behalf of its players, the NFL Players Association successful caller months recovered itself consumed by interior strife.

Following a bid of revelations, enforcement manager Lloyd Howell resigned aft 2 years connected the occupation past week. Lloyd, successful a statement, said his "leadership has go a distraction to the important enactment the NFLPA advances."

The increasing fig of problems facing the national nether Howell became excessively overmuch to ignore. In May, ESPN reported that the FBI was investigating the fiscal dealings of the NFLPA and the Major League Baseball Players Association with a group-licensing firm, OneTeam Partners. That prompted the NFLPA to prosecute an extracurricular instrumentality steadfast to reappraisal Howell's activities. The FBI probe is ongoing, sources told ESPN.

Word aboriginal emerged that Howell was moving arsenic a part-time advisor for the Carlyle Group, a private-equity steadfast that is seeking ownership stakes successful NFL teams. That raised questions astir a imaginable struggle of interest. Howell besides faced scrutiny implicit a confidentiality statement with the NFL earlier this twelvemonth that hid from players the details of an arbitration determination that recovered that NFL executives urged squad owners to trim guaranteed wealth successful subordinate contracts.

Additionally, ESPN reported precocious that Howell was sued for intersexual favoritism and retaliation successful 2011 portion helium served arsenic an enforcement astatine consulting steadfast Booz Allen. There remains ambiguity astir whether players who voted for him during the 2023 predetermination for enforcement manager knew astir the lawsuit.

On Friday, ESPN reported that an extracurricular researcher reviewing Howell's activities recovered improper expenses charged to the organization, including car work trips to a portion club.

And implicit the weekend, NFLPA main strategy serviceman JC Tretter announced helium is resigning from his presumption and has withdrawn himself from information for the NFLPA's interim enforcement manager position.

A communicative to ticker going guardant is the NFLPA's entreaty of the collusion lawsuit related to conversations astir reducing wage guarantees. The arbitrator ruled against the NFLPA but did find that "concerted enactment was contemplated and invited" by league executives. -- Holder

Other headlines

Back up the Brinks truck: It was a bully offseason to beryllium a walk rusher up for an extension. Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt each took turns being the highest-paid non-quarterback successful the league arsenic they agreed to lucrative extensions. As the past 1 of the 3 to finalize his deal, Watt presently owns the highest-paid rubric with an mean yearly wage of $41 million.

And walk rusher wasn't the lone presumption to get a rise this offseason. Fresh disconnected his archetypal MVP season, Bills backmost Josh Allen was rewarded with a marque caller six-year declaration that volition wage him $330 cardinal with $250 cardinal guaranteed.

Super Bowl-winning moving backmost Saquon Barkley was besides paid for his accomplishments with a two-year, $41.2 cardinal contract. The Jets besides worked retired lucrative extensions for wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner, and the Lions made Kerby Joseph the highest-paid information successful the league with a four-year, $86 cardinal deal. And portion the Bengals secured their explosive wide receiver duo successful Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, they're inactive astatine a stalemate with 2024 sack person Trey Hendrickson. -- Pryor

The Shedeur slide: Once considered a first-round prime candidate, Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders had an unprecedented draught descent to Day 3 earlier helium was selected by the Cleveland Browns successful the 5th round.

Sanders was the 2nd backmost drafted by the Browns aft they picked Oregon's Dillon Gabriel successful the 3rd round. The Browns besides person veterans Kenny Pickett and Joe Flacco competing for the starting job.

Travis Hunter, however, didn't person the aforesaid occupation arsenic his erstwhile Colorado teammate. The two-way Heisman victor went to Jacksonville aft the Jaguars traded up with the Browns to snag him astatine No. 2 overall, and he's expected to play some ways successful the NFL. -- Pryor

Happy trails: Former Saints and Raiders backmost Derek Carr, 34, announced his status successful May pursuing symptom successful his throwing enarthrosis during his archetypal extended throwing league of the offseason. Imaging showed Carr had a torn close labrum and "significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff."

Wide receiver Mike Williams, antiaircraft extremity Brandon Graham and tackle Tyron Smith besides each announced retirements. -- Pryor

Law and order: Vikings receiver Jordan Addison resolved a 2024 DUI lawsuit by pleading nary contention to a lesser charge, according to his attorney. The adjudication resulted successful a condemnation of 12 months of probation that could beryllium reduced to six months if Addison fulfills different obligations.

Elsewhere, Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice was sentenced to 30 days successful jailhouse and 5 years probation for a 2024 chain-reaction, high-speed clang that resulted successful injuries connected a Dallas expressway. Rice, who pleaded blameworthy to 2 third-degree felonies, volition beryllium allowed to service the jailhouse clip astatine immoderate constituent during the probationary period. Police said Rice was traveling astatine 119 mph conscionable earlier the clang occurred.

Both players are taxable to NFL suspensions present that their cases are resolved. -- Holder