NFL Catchup: Extensions Galore, Rodgers Makes Another Statement & Raiders’ QB Battle

All 32 teams across the NFL have reported to training camp, and there’s already plenty of news breaking around the league. Tuesday saw a pair of record extensions, with two stars resetting the market at the respective positions. Aaron Rodgers made another declaration, and the Las Vegas Raiders made a statement on their quarterback competition entering camp. While Tuesday marked the first day that several teams reported to camp, some other teams have already hit the practice field. Has A.J. Brown formed a connection with Drake Maye yet at New England Patriots camp? Here’s what to know from Tuesday around the NFL: Three standout players got a lot richer on Tuesday. The Cleveland Browns might have traded All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett this offseason, but five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward isn’t going anywhere. The Browns and Ward have agreed on a two-year, $62.2 million extension, per NFL Network. The 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 cornerback guaranteed money. The Philadelphia Eagles also finalized an extension on Tuesday with star defensive tackle Jalen Carter. The extension is a four-year, $152 million deal that could reach $160 million in value and includes $106 million guaranteed, per 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 are solidifying the right side of their offensive line by locking up tackle Brian O’Neill. The two sides agreed to a four-year, $96 million contract extension, per ESPN. O’Neill, 30, is entering his ninth NFL season with the Vikings. He’s a two-time Pro Bowl selection and has been an everyday starter for the franchise since he was 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 that the 2026 season will be his last. He added there is “zero debate” about the possibility of playing another season after this one. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback added that he contemplated retirement following last season prior to the team hiring head coach Mike McCarthy. “I thought last year might be it,” Rodgers said. “And then Mike got hired, and I talked to the wife and she said, ‘You can do one more year.’ I said, ‘Well, we’ll see if it works out.’ And then it kind of all came together.” 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 out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback,” Kubiak said. “He’s the guy, and he deserves it because he’s played really good football.” Cousins, 37, enters his 14th NFL season having spent time with the Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and now the Raiders. Across 174 career games, he has completed 66.7% of his passes for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns, and 131 interceptions. Ever since selecting the Indiana standout No. 1 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 reinforces that long-term blueprint. The connection between quarterback Drake Maye and A.J. Brown is taking time to settle during New England Patriots training camp. Through four days of practices, Maye is 1-for-7 with an interception when targeting Brown in team drills, per the Boston Herald. The two are reportedly struggling to connect on deeper routes. It’s early in the process, but it looks like the pair will need more time and reps to gel 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 edge rusher Micah Parsons on the field. The team officially placed Parsons on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Parsons starting on the PUP list isn’t a surprise as he continues to recover from a torn ACL and meniscus damage suffered last December against the Denver Broncos. The injury occurred on a non-contact play while pursuing quarterback Bo Nix and required surgery later that 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’ll miss a minimum of four games. Under league rules, any player placed on the reserve PUP list for the regular season must sit out at least four games before becoming eligible to return to practice or game play.