NFL Catch-Up: Extensions Galore, Rodgers Makes Another Statement and Raiders QB Battle

All 32 NFL teams have reported to training camp, and there’s already plenty of news circulating around the league. Tuesday saw two record extensions, with two stars resetting the market to the respective positions. Aaron Rodgers made another statement and the Las Vegas Raiders made a statement on their quarterback competition entering camp. While Tuesday marked the first day several teams reported to camp, other teams have already hit the practice field. Has AJ Brown ever made a connection with Drake Maye at New England Patriots camp? Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday in the NFL: Three notable players got a lot richer on Tuesday. The Cleveland Browns may have traded All-Pro tight end Myles Garrett this offseason, but five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward isn’t going anywhere. The Browns and Ward have agreed to a two-year, $62.2 million extension, according to NFL Network. This extension will make Ward the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL for the second time in his career. The deal includes $52.3 million guaranteed, which now ranks just outside the top 10 in terms of money guaranteed by cornerbacks. The Philadelphia Eagles also finalized an extension Tuesday with star defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The extension is a four-year, $152 million deal that could reach $160 million and includes $106 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. This deal is the richest for a defensive tackle in NFL history. Carter passed Tennessee Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons for the highest average annual value at the position in league history ($35.3 million). Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings solidify the right side of their offensive line by locking down tackle Brian O’Neill. Both sides agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $96 million, according to ESPN. O’Neill, 30, enters his ninth NFL season with the Vikings. He is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has been an everyday starter for the franchise since being drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers reported to his 22nd NFL training camp on Tuesday and confirmed the 2026 season will be his last. He added that there was “no debate” about playing another season after this one. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback added that he considered retiring after last season before the team hired head coach Mike McCarthy. “I thought maybe it would be last year,” Rodgers said. “And then Mike got hired, and I talked to his wife and she said, ‘You can do one more year.’ I said, “Well, we’ll see if it works.” And then it all kind of fell into place. » The Fernando Mendoza era in Las Vegas may have to wait. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak announced that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will open training camp as the team’s starting quarterback on Tuesday. “When we go to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins ​​is the starting quarterback,” Kubiak said. “He’s a guy, and he deserves it because he played really good football.” Cousins, 37, enters his 14th season in the NFL after spending time with the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and now the Raiders. In 174 career games, he completed 66.7% of his passes for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns and 131 interceptions. Since selecting Indiana number one overall in this year’s draft, the Raiders have indicated a clear desire to let Mendoza sit and develop. Naming Cousins as the training camp starter only solidifies that long-term plan. The connection between quarterback Drake Maye and AJ Brown is taking time to establish during New England Patriots training camp. Through four days of practice, Maye is 1 of 7 with an interception when targeting Brown during team drills, according to the Boston Herald. Both would struggle to connect on deeper routes. It’s still early in the process, but it appears both men will need more time and repetitions to solidify themselves before the regular season. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, was traded to New England for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick in April. As NFL training camps open across the league, the Green Bay Packers will begin their summer without forward Micah Parsons on the field. The team officially placed Parsons on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Parsons starting on the PUP list is no surprise as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and meniscus injury suffered last December against the Denver Broncos. The injury occurred on a non-contact play while chasing quarterback Bo Nix and required surgery later in the month, putting him on track to miss the start of the regular season. If Parsons is on the PUP list to start the regular season, he will miss at least four games. Per league rules, any player placed on the PUP reserve list for the regular season must sit out at least four games before they can return to practice or play.