The New York Jets and Quinnen Williams agreed Thursday to a four-year, $96 million extension that will make the 2022 All-Pro the NFL's second-highest paid defensive tackle, according to multiple reports.

Williams' new deal, which NFL.com reports contains $66 million in guaranteed money, will run through the 2027 season and is surpassed only by Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald's six-year, $135 million contract as the largest for an interior defensive linemen.

It's also the largest contract guarantee in Jets history, eclipsing the $51 million the team granted to linebacker C.J. Mosley in 2019.

Williams was entering the final season of his rookie contract and is coming off an outstanding 2022 campaign in which he recorded a career-high 12 sacks along with 55 tackles in 16 games, earning first team All-Pro honours for the first time in his four-year career.

The 25-year-old was selected by the Jets with the third overall pick of the 2019 draft, behind only Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and San Francisco 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa. Williams has compiled 191 tackles and 27.5 sacks in 57 career games, including 53 starts.

Williams is the fourth prominent defensive lineman to agree to a big new contract this offseason. The Tennessee Titans signed Jeffrey Simmons to a four-year, $94 million contract in April, while the Washington Commanders' Daron Payne received $90 million over four years and the New York Giants gave Dexter Lawrence $87.5 million over four years.

SImmons' extension also contained $66 million in guarantees.

The New York Giants open the 2023 NFL regular season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in 60 days.

If Saquon Barkley doesn't have a long-term deal signed in five days, he'll reportedly consider sitting out the Giants' Week 1 game on September 10.

Barkley's "availability for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys will be in serious question" if he doesn't have a new deal, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini.

In search of long-term contract, Barkley has not yet signed the $10.091million franchise tag he received by the Giants earlier this offseason.

The deadline for franchise-tagged players to reach long-term deals is Monday, and if he doesn't have a contract finalised by then, he'll have to wait until after the 2023 season to reach a new agreement.

Barkley did not report to any of the Giants' offseason programs and apparently is willing to continue to hold out if the negotiations remain at a standstill.

The 26-year-old Barkley is coming off a bounce-back season following injury-marred years in 2020 and 2021.

He ranked fourth in the NFL with a career-high 1,312 rushing yards in 2022, while scoring 10 touchdowns to earn a Pro Bowl selection - his first since 2018, when he was also named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

His 57 receptions were tied for the team lead last season and his 1,650 scrimmage yards were seventh most in the league.

In 60 career games, the former No. 2 overall pick has 4,249 rushing yards, 1,820 receiving yards and 37 total touchdowns.

The National Football League announced Thursday it has suspended three players for at least the 2023 season for violating the league's gambling policy, while another received a six-game suspension.

Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry, formerly of the Indianapolis Colts, and free agent defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor have been issued indefinite suspensions through the conclusion of the 2023 season at a minimum. Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere will be ineligible for the first six games of the upcoming campaign.

The Colts waived Rodgers and Berry shortly after the NFL's announcement. The two players, along with Taylor, were determined to have placed wagers on NFL games during the 2022 season.

"We have made the following roster moves as a consequence of the determination that these players violated the league's gambling policy," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said in a statement. "The integrity of the game is of the utmost importance. As an organisation we will continue to educate our players, coaches, and staff on the policies in place and the significant consequences that may occur with violations."

Petit-Frere, a 2022 third-round pick who started 16 games at right tackle for the Titans as a rookie, was found to have made bets on other sports at the team facility.

"We have been made aware of Nick's suspension by the league," the Titans said in a statement "We believe in Nick and know that he has deep respect for the integrity of the game and our organisation. We will continue to emphasise to our players the importance of understanding and adhering to league rules and policies."

Rodgers, a cornerback who made nine starts for the Colts last season, issued a statement on June 5 acknowledging his involvement after reports surfaced he was under investigation by the league.

"Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions," he said. "I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes to repair the situation. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to be a distraction to the Colts organisation, my coaches, and my teammates. I've let people down that I care about.

"I made an error in judgement and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process. It's an honour to play in the NFL and I have never taken that lightly. I am very sorry for all of this."

Rodgers was entering his fourth season with the Colts after being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. The 25-year-old appeared in 45 games with 10 starts and had three interceptions in 2021.

The NFL previously suspended five players in April, most notably Detroit Lions 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, for gambling policy violations. Williams will miss the first six games of next season. 

Additionally, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley sat out the entire 2022 season for wagering on NFL games while then a member of the Atlanta Falcons. 

Ridley, who recorded 90 catches, 1,374 receiving yards and nine touchdowns for the Falcons in 2020, was traded from Atlanta to Jacksonville in November and has since been reinstated by the league.

The New England Patriots and wide receiver DeVante Parker have reached agreement on a three-year extension worth up to $33 million, according to reports.

Parker, 30, was heading into the final year of his current deal as a pending free agent in 2024. The deal reportedly includes $14 million in guarantees and pe-game roster bonuses.

In his first season with the Patriots, Parker had 31 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.

The 6-foot-3 Parker caught ten of his 19 contested targets, leading to ten catches of 20-plus yards, which ranked second on the team to Jakobi Meyers. Parker’s 17.4 yards per reception lead all Patriots receivers in 2022.

Parker spent his first seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins and had his best season in 2019, when he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and nine TDs.

New England is one of the teams interested in signing veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and he visited the team earlier this month. It’s unknown if Parker’s signing affects the Patriots’ pursuit of Hopkins.

The Buffalo Bills announced Friday that head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have agreed to two-year contract extensions through the 2027 season.

McDermott had three seasons remaining on a six-year extension he signed in March 2020. Beane previously received an extension through 2025 in December 2020.

The move keeps one of the NFL's most successful coach-GM pairings under contract for five more seasons. The Bills have gone 62-36 since hiring McDermott and Beane in 2017, a .639 winning percentage that ranks third in the league over that period behind only the Kansas City Chiefs (74-24, .756) and New Orleans Saints (65-33, .663).

Buffalo has won three consecutive AFC East titles and has reached the playoffs in four straight seasons. Only the Chiefs (eight) have a longer active streak of making the postseason.

The Bills have made five playoff trips overall during McDermott's six-year tenure, including an appearance in the 2020 AFC championship game. 

"Sean is a proud, Christian, determined man," Bills owner Terry Pegula said in a statement. "I remember before his interview for the Bills head coaching job thinking about him being a two-time National Prep Wrestling Champ. I thought to myself, you wrestled, you're determined, you love what you're doing, and you won.

"He comes to the Bills every day and will never ask anyone, player or coach, to do anything he wouldn't do."

Beane's personnel moves have played a big role in Buffalo's success as well. Most notably, he traded up in the 2018 draft to select franchise quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick and orchestrated a trade for All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs in 2020.

"Brandon is a very competitive person," Pegula said. "I know he likes to win, but I also know he hates to lose. He's not afraid to say what he's thinking and if he disagrees with something he will say so, even to the owner. I love it."

McDermott and Beane have a history together that extends beyond their time with the Bills, as the duo both worked for the Carolina Panthers from 2011-16 prior to being hired by Pegula.

"(Brandon), Sean, Kim (Pegula) and I have a very good relationship with open discussions, debate and a lot of communication," Terry Pegula said. 

The New York Jets have lost starting safety Chuck Clark to a season-ending torn ACL sustained in practice during organised team activities this month.

Clark was selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by Baltimore and went on to play in 96 of the Ravens’ 97 games over the last six seasons.

He started all 17 games in 2022 and finished second on the team with a career-high 101 tackles, but Clark demanded a trade and was sent to the Jets in March for a seventh-round draft pick in 2024.

New York acted quickly after Clark was injured, signing free-agent Adrian Amos to a one-year contract on June 13.

Amos has also been durable as he hasn’t missed a game since Week 15 of the 2017 season while with the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the fifth round in 2015.

Amos started every game for the Green Bay Packers over the last four seasons and was second on the team in 2022 with a personal-best 97 tackles.

Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is being investigated on allegations of assault and battery after an incident at a Miami Beach marina, the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed Tuesday.

Hill allegedly hit a marina employee on the back of the head during an altercation Sunday, according to multiple media outlets in South Florida. No charges have been filed.

The Dolphins released a brief statement Tuesday in acknowledgement of the investigation.

“We are aware of the situation and have been in contact with Tyreek, his representatives and the NFL,” the Dolphins said in the statement. “We will reserve further comment at this time.”

Acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs in March of 2022, Hill signed a four-year, $120million contract extension with the Dolphins.

In his first season in Miami, Hill was selected to his seventh career Pro Bowl after accumulating 119 catches for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns.

After Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said star wide receiver Stefon Diggs was not in attendance Tuesday for the start of the three-time defending AFC East champions’ mandatory minicamp, the team said he was at the facility but left before practice.

That comment from the Bills came after McDermott said he was “very concerned” about the absence of Diggs, who opted to skip all of Buffalo's voluntary sessions and workouts during the spring.

Diggs has been a Pro Bowl selection in all three of his seasons with Buffalo since being acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in March 2020.

Diggs, who signed a four-year, $96 million extension in April 2022 that runs through 2027, expressed frustration as Buffalo lost 27-10 at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs - a game in which he was seen making animated gestures at Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the sideline.

One day after that defeat, Diggs posted three messages to his Twitter account:

“Want me to be okay with losing? Nah.

“Want me to be okay with our level of play when it’s not up to the standard? Nah.

“It’s easy to criticize my reaction more than the result.”

Diggs’ 338 receptions since joining Buffalo in 2020 are tied with Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders for the most in the NFL, and he ranks fourth in yards (4,189) and sixth in TDs (29) during that stretch.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said star wide receiver Stefon Diggs was not in attendance Tuesday for the start of the three-time defending AFC East champions’ mandatory minicamp.

McDermott did not say why Diggs was not with the team, though he did say he was “very concerned.”

Diggs has been a Pro Bowl selection in all three of his seasons with Buffalo since being acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in March 2020.

The Bills signed Diggs to a four-year, $96 million extension in April 2022 that runs through 2027, so money doesn’t appear to be the reason for his absence.

Diggs did express frustration after Buffalo lost 27-10 at home to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round of the playoffs, a game in which Diggs was seen making animated gestures at Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the sideline.

One day after that defeat, Diggs posted three messages to his Twitter account:

“Want me to be okay with losing? Nah.

“Want me to be okay with our level of play when it’s not up to the standard? Nah.

“It’s easy to criticize my reaction more than the result.”

Diggs’ 338 receptions since joining Buffalo in 2020 are tied with Davante Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders for the most in the NFL, and he ranks fourth in yards (4,189) and sixth in TDs (29) during that stretch.

Dalvin Cook's run with the Minnesota Vikings appears to be over, as NFL.com reports the team intends to release the four-time Pro Bowl running back after six seasons.

The Vikings plan to make the move official on Friday while they make a last-ditch attempt to find a trade partner for Cook, who is slated to count $14.1 million against the salary cap this season. Releasing the 27-year-old will save Minnesota $9 million.

Cook should have no shortage of suitors once on the open market after putting together another productive season in 2022. The Florida State product rushed for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns while playing in all 17 regular-season games, and added 295 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions.

A second-round pick of Minnesota in 2017, Cook is one of two players to record 1,000 or more rushing yards in each of the last four seasons, along with Cleveland Browns standout Nick Chubb. Cook's 5,024 rushing yards since 2019 are the third most in the league behind Chubb (5,345) and Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry (6,042).

Cook's 5,993 career rushing yards are also the third most among Vikings players behind Adrian Peterson and Robert Smith, the only two other players in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Alexander Mattison, who served as Cook's backup in each of the last four seasons, is expected to take over as the Vikings' No. 1 back after re-signing with the team in March on a two-year, $7 million deal. Minnesota also added UAB's DeWayne McBride in the seventh round of this year's draft. 

The Buffalo Bills have upgraded their pass rush, agreeing to a one-year deal with veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network was the first to report the agreement on Monday.

Drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2016, the 30-year-old Floyd is entering his eighth NFL season after spending the last three with the Los Angeles Rams following his first four years with the Bears.

He won a Super Bowl with the Rams two years ago while playing on the opposite side of the defense as Von Miller, who he'll be reunited with in Buffalo.

The Bills were tied for 14th in the NFL in sacks last season with 40, but their production dipped after Miller tore the ACL in his right knee in November and missed the rest of the season.

Following Miller's injury, Buffalo had two or fewer sacks in five of their final seven games.

Floyd had nine sacks while playing in all 17 games last season and has 47 1/2 sacks in his career.

Since the start of the 2020 season, his 29 sacks rank 10th in the league.

The Bills have lost in the divisional round of the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and hope the addition of Floyd will help them get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1993 season.

Buffalo opens the 2023 season with a highly anticipated Monday night showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on September 11, and Miller is optimistic he'll be able to play.

Bills agree to terms with OLB Leonard Floyd on a 1-year deal. (via @rapsheet) pic.twitter.com/4NKBxj1Lcr

The Arizona Cardinals have released wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins after failing to find a trade partner.

The team announced the move Friday on Twitter.

Hopkins spent three seasons with the Cardinals after being acquired via trade from the Houston Texans in March 2020.

The 30-year-old had a stellar debut season with Arizona, being voted to his fifth Pro Bowl after tying his personal best with 115 catches totalling 1,407 yards.

In 2021 and 2022, Hopkins had a combined 106 catches as a torn knee ligament and a six-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances limited his playing time.

Earlier this offseason, the Cardinals brought in a new leadership team in general manager Monti Ossenfort and defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon, leading to trade rumours circling Hopkins.

Arizona were unable to find a trade partner to take on Hopkins' $22.6million salary cap hit during the draft last month, leaving the rebuilding Cardinals no other choice but to release the three-time All-Pro receiver.

Amid the offseason trade rumours, Hopkins had been notably absent from voluntary OTA workouts and caused a stir earlier this week when he discussed the NFL's top quarterbacks on a podcast and omitted now-former teammate Kyler Murray.

In three seasons with the Cardinals, Hopkins recorded 221 receptions for 2,696 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games.

The 10-year veteran has 853 career catches for 11,298 yards and 71 touchdowns.

Patrick Mahomes' focus is on "winning rings" and not making more money, as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback aims to cement his legacy as an NFL great.

Mahomes was the driving force yet again as the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in the space of three years to cap the 2022 season.

The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Arizona, with league MVP Mahomes completing 21 of 27 passes for three touchdowns.

In the process, Mahomes, who was battling injury throughout the Chiefs' postseason, became the first player since Kurt Warner in 1999 to be crowned NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season.

Yet Mahomes, who became the NFL's highest-paid player when he signed a $450million, 10-year contract in 2020, is now only the seventh-highest-paid QB in the league when it comes to average annual salary.

The 27-year-old, though, is not concerned by money, even though the Chiefs have hinted they will look at improving his terms.

"I've always said I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment," he told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by ESPN.

"We see what's going on around the league, but at the same time, I'll never do anything that's going to hurt us from keeping the great players around me.

"So it's kind of teetering around that line.

"You just want to do whatever to not hurt other quarterbacks [financially]. Whenever their contracts come up, you want to keep the bar pushing [higher]."

Mahomes wants to find a sweet spot where he is earning a fair salary that also enables the Chiefs to retain other players who have proved crucial to their success.

He explained: "It's not about being the highest-paid guy; it's not about making a ton of money. I've made enough money that I'll be set for the rest of my life.

"But at the same time, you got to find that line where you're making a good amount of money but you're still keeping a lot of great players around you so you can win these Super Bowls and you're able to compete in these games.

"If you look at the greats in the league, they find that right spot where they're getting paid a lot of money but at the same time keeping a lot of these great players around.

"I understand you look at the team and you've got guys like Chris [Jones] and [L'Jarius] Sneed and even Travis [Kelce], all these guys that you need to keep around you to have these great teams. But at the same time, you want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

The kick-off return is moving closer and closer towards extinction.

The NFL owners approved a rule on Tuesday that allows teams receiving a free kick (kick-off or safety kick) to get the ball at their own 25-yard line if the team calls for a fair catch anywhere behind their own 25.

The rule has been put in place for just the 2023 season, and will be revisited next offseason.

The intention behind the new rule stems from player safety with concussion rates on kick-offs will be reduced by 15 per cent, according to NFL executive Jeff Miller.

Kick-offs are considered the most dangerous play in the NFL, as data shows concussions occurs more than twice as often on them than on plays from scrimmages.

While the new rule should help with head injuries, it also takes away an exciting part of the game. Under the new rule, models suggest that the kick-off return rate will decrease from 38 per cent to 31 per cent.

There will almost certainly be a backlash among players and coaches, as the new rule will likely bring about more squib kicks and other unreturnable kicks.

This is the second major rule change made to kick-offs in the last decade with the backdrop of player safety in mind.

In 2016, the NFL moved touchbacks on kick-offs up to the 25-yard line from the 20, with the rationale teams will take the ball five yards closer to their own end zone rather than risk getting tackled behind the 25. And fewer returns would also likely mean fewer injuries.

The rule change, however, has taken the ball out of the hands out of kick-off returners, and decreased the likelihood of an exciting return.

There were only nine kick-off returns for touchdowns last season – the fewest in a non-strike season since the 1970 merger.