Next NFL Dominoes to Drop amid Aaron Rodgers Rumors, Micah Parsons Buzz

The NFL never truly takes breaks, even in the offseason. While the draft was nearly a month ago, and the start of training camps is roughly two months away, there has still been plenty of activity to track.

The league, for example, just released its 2025 schedule last week. The San Francisco 49ers inked quarterback Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million extension late last week, and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward just signed his rookie contract with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday. And that's just what's been going on off the field.

Rookie minicamps have already taken place, and some franchises have already begun organized team activities (OTAs).

Things aren't likely to slow in the coming weeks either. Here, we'll dive into the next dominoes that are likely to fall as the 2025 NFL offseason rolls on.

Aaron Rodgers Signs with Steelers

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur believes that his former quarterback will eventually sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"I'm sure they're confident in what they're doing," LaFleur told Kay Adams of Up & Adams. "I would fully expect him to be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

At this point, the pairing feels nearly inevitable. The Steelers didn't draft a quarterback before taking a sixth-round flier on Will Howard. They're also content to wait on Rodgers. According to Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports, "there is reportedly no deadline" for Rodgers to make things with Pittsburgh official.

And for Rodgers, the Steelers may be the only option—at least, unless and until a starter with another franchise suffers a significant injury.

The New York Giants added Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart, while the Cleveland Browns added Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. The Minnesota Vikings got their veteran insurance for J.J. McCarthy when they traded for Sam Howell. The New Orleans Saints were reportedly never interested in Rodgers, even after Derek Carr's retirement.

Rodgers is probably the biggest name left on the open market, and it'd be a mild surprise if he hasn't signed with the Steelers before their mandatory minicamp begins on June 10.

Cleveland's QB Competition Gets a Little More Normal

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Shedeur Sanders

Earlier this month, NFL Network's Judy Battista called Cleveland's offseason quarterback battle "one of the most fascinating quarterback competitions we've ever seen play out."

While the four-way battle between Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders might not interest every NFL fan, it'll certainly be a unique situation. Truly open four-way competitions are extremely rare, but that appears to be Cleveland's plan.

"In an effort to make the four-way competition ...as fair and efficient as possible, the Browns will essentially run two concurrent passing camps during organized team activities, mandatory minicamp and possibly into training camp," Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com wrote.

Adding to the unusual nature of Cleveland's QB situation is the fact that Deshaun Watson—who is recovering from a second Achilles tear—is "determined" to play in 2025, per Cabot.

Watson should be a complete afterthought, though, given his level of performance since becoming a Brown. A four-way competition isn't sustainable either—not if Cleveland actually hopes to have a clear-cut starter and offensive chemistry by Week 1.

The Browns will open mandatory minicamp on June 10, and they'll hold OTAs until June 19. Expect at least one quarterback to essentially fall out of the competition by then and for Cleveland to have a more traditional two- or three-way battle in training camp.

Micah Parsons Becomes the League's Highest-Paid Non-QB

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Micah Parsons

Tommy Yarrish of the Dallas Cowboys' official website wrote on April 1 that franchise owner Jerry Jones and star pass-rusher Micah Parsons had agreed on "most contract details" of Parsons' next deal.

That was close to two months ago, and yet, Dallas and its 2021 first-round pick still haven't put pen to paper on a new contract. That should change in the not-too-distant future.

Parsons has been a part-time participant in OTAs to this point, as new head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently noted.

"Again, it's a voluntary camp but the fact that he did that, means a lot to me," Schottenheimer said, per Nick Eatman of the team's official website. "...He showed up a little bit the last couple of days. He's been in and out some."

While Parsons can send a positive message by showing up for voluntary OTAs, he's probably not going to do anything that could risk significant injury—and that isn't likely to change during mandatory minicamp or training camp.

Parsons is set to be a free agent in 2026. While his guaranteed $24 million salary for this season is respectable, it pales when compared to top-of-the-market edge-rusher Myles Garrett ($40 million annually). Parsons has little reason to take the field without a new deal, and Dallas is highly likely to appease him with a record-setting deal.

The Cowboys waited until quarterback Dak Prescott was in a contract year before giving him a historically high $60 million-per-year extension. Expect Parsons' extension to outpace that of Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who is currently the league's highest-paid non-quarterback at $40.3 million annually.

Bengals, Trey Hendrickson Reach Some Sort of Resolution

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Trey Hendrickson

Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson is unlikely to get an extension that rivals Garrett's contract this offseason. He's the league's reigning sacks leader and is entering a contract year. However, he's 30 years old and plays for a historically spendthrift franchise.

Yes, the Bengals shelled out to keep Chase and fellow wideout Tee Higgins this offseason, but that doesn't mean they won't try playing hardball with Hendrickson, who has requested a new contract or a trade this offseason.

"I think he should be happy at certain rates that maybe he doesn't think he'd be happy at," executive vice president Katie Blackburn told reporters at the early April league owners meetings.

At the same time, the Bengals have been seemingly unrealistic in their trade demands.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini called Cincinnati's trade demands "ridiculous" back in March.

More recently, Hendrickson said that the situation is getting "personal."

"Being sent 30 days before mandatory camp, or how many ever days it is, that if I don't show up I will be fined alludes to the fact that something won't get done in that time frame," Hendrickson said, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

It wouldn't be a shock to see Cincinnati resolve the situation—either with a new contract or by honoring Hendrickson's trade request—before training camp, however.

While a holdout could cost Hendrickson millions, the Bengals may have more at stake. They're hoping to return to the playoff picture with a defensive turnaround, and they certainly need their best defender in the fold.

If the Bengals can't get Hendrickson on the field, they need to get something in return for him.

The Dolphins Trade Jalen Ramsey

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Jalen Ramsey

We haven't seen a ton of activity on the post-draft trade market, though we did see the Cowboys acquire Steelers receiver George Pickens. We'll see more players moved as we draw closer to training camp and the NFL's cutdown day on August 27.

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is very likely to be among the list of players on the move via trade. The team has made it clear that they're looking to move on, and that stance hasn't changed since the draft.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Ramsey," defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said on Wednesday, per C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald. "He played very good ball for us, but relationships are hard. Both sides have mutually chosen to go the other way. I respect that and wish him nothing but the best."

Ramsey should eventually find suitors. While he'll turn 31 in October and is set to carry a $16.6 million cap hit in 2025—with cap hits above $25 million in each of the next three years—he's also a seven-time Pro Bowler who started all 17 games last season.

Most cornerback-needy teams should have some interest in Ramsey, and the list could include his former team, the Los Angeles Rams.

"Those conversations are ongoing, as I’m sure they are with multiple teams," Rams head coach Sean McVay told SiriusXM NFL Radio earlier this month (h/t Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio).

Ramsey may well have a new home before or shortly after the Dolphins open training camp.

Teams Scramble to Sign More 2022 Draft Picks

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Garrett Wilson

Purdy was the final selection of the 2022 NFL draft, but he certainly won't be the last player from the draft class to receive a lucrative extension this offseason. Several of his classmates are eligible for, deserving of, and, in some cases, already angling for second deals.

New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, for example, has had three 1,000-yard campaigns and is hoping to see a new contract soon.

"I'm hopeful I'm a Jet for life and that we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us," Wilson said on Wednesday, per ESPN's Rich Cimini.

Saints receiver Chris Olave, meanwhile, has drawn trade interest from the Steelers and Browns, but they have been rebuffed, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

Wilson, Olave, Atlanta Falcons wideout Drake London and Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams are among the young receivers from the 2022 class who could get new deals this offseason. Their respective teams could race to extend them too, given the next-man-up nature of contracts—whoever signs last is quite likely to be paid the most.

And the 2022 class wasn't just strong at receiver. Lions pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Jets corner Sauce Gardner, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and Cowboys lineman Tyler Smith are among Pro Bowlers from the class who could demand market-leading contracts.

Purdy didn't top Prescott's contract, but Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.—who was drafted one spot ahead of Gardner—became the league's highest-paid defensive back when he was extended in March.

Expect several more extensions to come down the pike this offseason.