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Josh Weinfuss
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finally put a number on all the weight he has gained this offseason.
Harrison confirmed after the Cardinals’ first training camp practice on Wednesday that he weighs 220 pounds, as is listed on the team’s roster. That’s an increase from the 209 pounds he was listed at last season as a rookie.
Harrison said changes to his workout approach and eating habits this offseason led to the added bulk, which has created a stir on social media since the team released photos of Harrison in uniform.
Harrison said he increased how much food he consumes, most notably by eating a “big breakfast,” which he acknowledged was difficult at first.
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“I would say anything the first couple weeks kind of takes you to getting used to it,” he said. “I’m not even a big breakfast guy, but I got to eat my breakfast now, have a big breakfast.
“So, that’s probably the biggest challenge: waking up and not hungry but still kind of making sure you feed yourself anyway. So that’s probably the biggest challenge.”
Harrison said he didn’t want to add too much weight but felt 220 was a good number because it allowed him to add some weight naturally. The second-year receiver plans on staying around 220 pounds this season, not wanting to fluctuate.
“I feel great. I mean, I feel the same,” Harrison said. “I feel a little more faster, powerful, stronger, so I’m ready to showcase it.”
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John Keim
ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin, who last week expressed frustration with negotiations for a contract extension, failed to report to training camp Tuesday, sources told ESPN.
McLaurin was not present for the Commanders’ conditioning test that marked an unofficial start of training camp.
McLaurin said last week that “without any progressive discussions, it’s kind of hard to see how I step on the field.” He also said the sides had not talked in more than a month. By not reporting, McLaurin will be fined $50,000 for each day missed.
But Commanders general manager Adam Peters said, “We’ve had some good conversations recently and we’ll continue to. We’ll do everything we can to get a deal done.”
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McLaurin has one year left on a three-year, $68 million extension he signed in 2022. He has not publicly stated what sort of contract he’s looking for but said last week that he wants to feel valued and “With how the market is today, it conveys what guys of my caliber are deserving of.”
Several notable receivers signed long-term deals this offseason, including the
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs and defensive end George Karlaftis reached an agreement on a four-year, $93 million contract extension that includes $62 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
With two years left on his rookie contract and entering his prime, Karlaftis, 24, made a long-term commitment to the Chiefs with the new deal, which runs through the 2030 season.
“He’s a heck of a player and he’s done a great job here and he’s profiting from that,” coach Andy Reid said. “Our team is also profiting from him being around. It’s a win-win. He’s a relentless player. You can trust him and he’s reliable. You know he’s going to do the right things and go 100 miles an hour doing it.”
General manager Brett Veach and Reid quickly shifted their attention to prioritize signing Karlaftis after the team accomplished its final major objective for this offseason: signing Pro Bowl right guard Trey Smith to a record-setting four-year, $94 million contract extension just hours before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for franchised-tagged players to agree to long-term contracts.
“It’s great to have, from a coach’s standpoint,” Reid said of signing Karlaftis and Smith. “The tough job is with Veach having to juggle the financial part of it, but we love having continuity with your good, young players. Veach has done a nice job with his [personnel] group in the draft.”
In his three years with the Chiefs, Karlaftis has recorded 24.5 sacks, consistent production that was often a byproduct of his tenacity and relentless pursuit of the opposing quarterback. Karlaftis has also been effective in one-on-one matchups while lining up next to All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, the Chiefs’ best defender. When Jones created pressure on the opposing quarterback — sometimes beating two linemen in less than 2.5 seconds — Karlaftis was the defensive lineman who most often collected the sack.
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Last season, Karlaftis led the Chiefs with eight sacks and a career-high 28 quarterback hits. He also recorded five pass breakups and 35 tackles. In the Chiefs’ three-game postseason run, Karlaftis elevated his performance, recording four sacks and eight quarterback hits.
The Chiefs were eager to agree to this deal because Karlaftis, under his new contract, will be just the 10th-highest-paid defender among pass rushers, earning an annual average salary of $23.25 million, which includes incentives. By agreeing to the extension, Karlaftis is expected to become an even bigger focal point in longtime coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, alongside Jones and linebacker Nick Bolton.
Karlaftis is the first member of the Chiefs’ impactful 2022 draft class — which includes running back Isiah Pacheco, safety Bryan Cook, linebacker Leo Chenal and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson — to sign a second contract with the team. The Chiefs used the second of their two first-round picks following the blockbuster Tyreek Hill trade to select Karlaftis, who has been a starter since he entered the league.
The 2022 draft class helped the Chiefs further establish their dynasty. The team won back-to-back Super Bowl championships and reached the title game again last season, becoming the first repeat champion to reach the Super Bowl for a third straight time. In 10 postseason games, Karlaftis has been a reliable contributor, posting eight sacks and 16 quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries and one pass breakup.
Throughout the past few months, even before the deadline for franchised-tagged players, the Chiefs have been in contact with a trio of their young players — Smith, Karlaftis and McDuffie — to ensure they remain core members of the roster, according to a team source. The Chiefs hope they can accomplish the last part of what would be a trifecta of deals before the season starts by signing McDuffie, a two-time All-Pro, to an extension. Such a deal, though, would likely be a record-setting one similar to Smith’s contract.
The New York Jets signed cornerback Sauce Gardner, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, to a record-setting four-year, $120.4 million extension. A two-time All-Pro, Gardner’s deal included $85.653 million guaranteed. For the Chiefs to sign McDuffie to an extension, the deal would likely have to exceed the terms of Gardner’s contract.
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Kalyn Kahler
NFLPA chief strategy officer JC Tretter is resigning from his position and has withdrawn himself from consideration for the NFLPA’s interim executive director position.
“Over the last couple days, it has gotten very, very hard for my family. And that’s something I can’t deal with,” Tretter told CBS Sports on Sunday. “So, the short bullet points are: I have no interest in being [executive director]. I have no interest in being considered. I’ve let the executive committee know that. I’m also going to leave the NFLPA in the coming days because I don’t have anything left to give the organization.”
Tretter, 34, had been in the role since October 2024. He was the player president from 2020 to 2024 and reportedly was a candidate to serve as the interim executive director following Lloyd Howell’s resignation last Thursday night.
Several former NFL players had reacted to Tretter’s candidacy with public criticism on social media.
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“We’ve gotta be the dumbest Union in all of sports,” former linebacker Will Compton posted on X early Sunday. “Ya — let’s vote for the guy who was in charge of hiring Lloyd Howell. Lets vote for the guy who swept a lot of s— under the rug when NFL owners were colluding to not give out guaranteed contracts. The NFLPA is constantly outmatched and it’s truly our own doing.”
“They would be wise to remove Tretter as well,” former player and NFLPA executive committee member Ben Watson posted Saturday.
Tretter was the NFLPA’s player president in 2023 when Howell was elected as the union’s executive director. He presided over a vote that changed the NFLPA’s constitution to make the search and election process more confidential. Tretter led the 16-month search process that resulted in Howell, whose leadership had come under question in recent weeks following reports from the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast and ESPN over matters including a controversial confidentiality agreement with the NFL and Howell’s strip club expenses.
In 2022, the NFLPA sued the owners alleging they were colluding to prevent guaranteed contracts. In 2023, the NFL sued the union over comments Tretter made suggesting that running backs who were unhappy with their contracts could fake injuries — a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Both grievances were decided this year, and both decisions were not shared publicly by either the NFL or the NFLPA. ESPN reported that the NFLPA and the NFL had a confidentiality agreement for the collusion grievance that hid the information within the 61-page decision.
In an interview with CBS Sports, Tretter denied having access to the collusion grievance or being involved in the agreement struck by NFLPA with the NFL to keep those findings confidential to a select group of executives.
The NFLPA’s board of player representatives will meet Sunday night to discuss candidates for interim director, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN. NFLPA chief player officer Don Davis, executive director of the NFLPA trust Zamir Cobb and NFLPA associate general counsel Ned Ehrlich are among the candidates who will be discussed.
The board of representatives also will discuss the selection process for the next executive director, including whether the executive committee or the interim director will lead that task.