Takeaways from NFL owners meetings

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Swaying palms, the glitzy Breakers hotel and occasionally stormy weather provided the backdrop for the NFL’s annual owners meeting, where more than 300 media credentials were issued for what’s become one of the league’s signature events of the offseason.

Though Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti did not meet with reporters for a third straight year, team president Sashi Brown and coach John Harbaugh were available. General manager Eric DeCosta, who spoke during the NFL scouting combine at the end of February, also did not meet with reporters, though he is expected to during a predraft news conference later this month as he typically does.

There was still plenty to be gleaned from the event, including the latest on the NFL investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against kicker Justin Tucker, possible contract extensions for quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry, an update on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and more.

Here were the 10 biggest takeaways from the week:

Baltimore will possibly draft a kicker: NFL investigators have interviewed all of Tucker’s accusers thus far who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against the longtime kicker, though it’s possible they still need to speak with others. In other words, the investigation continues and likely will for several weeks.

Given the cloud of uncertainty looming over that outcome and a potential suspension, the Ravens will look at possibly drafting a replacement should they ultimately move on from Tucker.

“We’ll look at [kickers in the draft] next week when we get back,” Harbaugh said. “Obviously, there are a lot of layers to that whole conversation, but it’s something we would have to do no matter what. At this point in time, you have to look. You always have to do your due diligence, so we will be prepared to do that on draft day if we feel like we need to and if the right guy is there.”

With Tucker being 35 years old and coming off the worst season of his career, that decision perhaps becomes easier.

If the Ravens draft a kicker, it would be the first time in the organization’s history doing so.

Mark Andrews doesn’t appear to be going anywhere: There’s been some uncertainty over Andrews’ future with the Ravens, given that the soon-to-be 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and fellow tight end and the ascendant Isaiah Likely is extension eligible.

But then they didn’t release Andrews, a move that would have created about $11 million in much-needed salary cap space. When he was still on the roster on March 17 — the date a $4 million roster bonus kicked in — it was another sign that he would likely be back for at least 2025.

Then Harbaugh doubled down this week.

“I do fully expect him to be playing for us next year,” he said. “He’s just too good a player.”

Could Baltimore still trade him? Of course. But if the offer was, say, primarily a fourth-round draft pick, that probably wouldn’t make much sense because they’d likely get as much in a compensatory pick if Andrews signs elsewhere in free agency next offseason.

Exploring Jackson, Henry contract extensions: Harbaugh acknowledged that there have been internal discussions with DeCosta and others in the Ravens’ building about a potential contract extension for Jackson, whose current $260 million deal runs through the 2027 season.

Extending the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player would not only keep him in Baltimore longer but would lower his salary cap number, which is currently set to balloon to more than $74 million in 2026.

“You just have to kind of manage that dance — the salary cap dance — and Lamar is the main part of that because he’s the franchise player,” Harbaugh said. “Sooner or later, that’s definitely going to have to happen.”

Earlier this offseason, DeCosta said that he might visit Jackson, who lives about 30 minutes south of where the meetings took place, though it’s unclear if there have been any meetings with Jackson, who does not have an agent.

He’s also far from the only player whose contract could be extended soon.

Henry, who signed with Baltimore last offseason, is entering the final year of his deal, and after a monstrous season in which he finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,921) and averaged a career-high in yards per carry (5.9), he could also be getting a new deal. Even at 31 years old and with a lot of mileage, he still showed that he has a lot left, particularly when he doesn’t have to be the focal point of the offense.

“It’s definitely in the conversation,” Harbaugh said. “I know that’s been talked about, and yes, I’d love to see that get done as well.”

Harbaugh shows no signs of slowing down: At 62, Harbaugh is the third-oldest coach in the NFL, behind only the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid (66) and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll (72). He’s also the second-longest tenured behind only the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin.

How much longer will Harbaugh, who last week signed a three-year extension that runs through the 2028 season, keep coaching?

“I’m happy to be alive. I hope that continues for a while,” he cracked. “What you think about is, how are we going to get better today? How can we get better? What do we need to do? Your players, coaches, schemes.

“My dad has the best advice. I think my brother shared this recently. He said, ‘Hey, you coach until you just can’t take it anymore. Until it’s just too much, and there’s no way you want to do it, and you don’t even want to come to work anymore. When you get to that point, you coach for two more years, and then you move on.’”

Keaton Mitchell expected to be at ‘whole other level’: Last season, Mitchell made what Harbaugh called a “miraculous” return from a “really tough” injury — three torn knee ligaments, including the ACL, and cartridge damage — that he suffered in December 2023. But it was obvious that the speedy undrafted back out of East Carolina wasn’t the same player.

That’s not surprising given the severity of the injury, the impact it has on a player who relies on cutting, quickness and speed, and being back on the field in well under a year.

The biggest question is, what kind of player will Mitchell be this season? The second year after a major knee injury is typically when running backs are able to bounce back and return to their previous form.

Harbaugh, of course, is bullish.

“I’m almost certain, as much as you can be sure, he’s going to be [on] a whole other level coming back in the spring and then again into training camp because he is going to be a year and a half out of that deal,” he said.

With Henry and Justice Hill likely to play very little in the preseason, it’s probably a safe bet for Mitchell to get at least a handful of touches and for the Ravens to work him into the offense much more than he was last season.

Linebacker Trenton Simpson will get another shot: Harbaugh said that he expects Simpson, a 2023 third-round pick drafted to ultimately replace the departed Patrick Queen, to be the starting early down weak-side linebacker next to All-Pro Roquan Smith after being benched in December.

It wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, and it’s likely the Ravens will continue to add to the position both in the veteran free agent market and draft, but he’ll get a chance to show whether he’s ready to fully replace Queen after Baltimore rotated with Malik Harrison and Chris Board — who both signed elsewhere this offseason — down the stretch last year.

“We do a lot on passing downs with dime and different kind of personnel groups in the field,” Harbaugh said. “He can continue to grow into that, but I think he’s going to take a big step this year. I remember Patrick Queen took a big step his third year as well, so that would be probably our expectation.”

Defensive line will have some new and possibly familiar faces: Nose tackle Michael Pierece retired. Brent Urban is an unrestricted free agent and will turn 35 next month. Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones and Broderick Washington, who had a down year last season, are the only defensive linemen with more than one year of experience on the roster.

In other words, the Ravens will need to beef up their front and will do so through the draft and perhaps free agency.

“The good news is the draft is really deep there,” Harbaugh said. “We can bring some guys back. I like our guys, too, that we can bring back. I’m very confident we’re going to have a good front.”

Tush push tabled and new rules changes: Talk of potentially outlawing the polarizing tush push has been tabled until the next league meeting in May, but some rules changes did pass.

Overtime during the regular season will now be the same as it is in the playoffs, allowing both teams at least one possession even if the team that possesses the ball first scores a touchdown. However, the extra period will remain at 10 minutes and not be extended to 15 minutes.

Owners also approved a proposal that allows replay assist to consult on-field officials to overrule objective calls such as facemask penalties, forcible contact to the head or neck area, horse-collar tackles or tripping if there’s “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul didn’t occur. It will also be able to overturn roughing-the-kicker or running-into-the-kicker penalties if replay shows the defender made contact with the ball. It will not be used, however, to throw a flag if a penalty wasn’t called.

The dynamic kickoff rules that went into effect last year were made permanent, though the touchback was moved from the 30-yard line to the 35.

Lastly, the K-balls used for kickoffs, field goals, extra points and punts will now be able to be prepared on the eve of game days, just like the balls used on plays from scrimmage. Previously, K-balls were only allowed to be prepared on game days.

Aaron Rodgers could be coming to AFC North: Though Rodgers is still unsigned, Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II expressed optimism that the future Hall of Fame quarterback will be in black and gold next season.

“We keep getting positive sort of signals about it,” Rooney told reporters on Tuesday. “So yeah, I’d say we feel pretty good about it at this point.”

Photos and videos a day earlier on social media of Rodgers and Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf throwing in California only added fuel to that confidence.

Rodgers has faced the Ravens six times in his career, all when he was with the Green Bay Packers, who were 6-4 in that span between 2008 and 2017. The Ravens won their most recent meeting with Rodgers, a 34-20 victory over the Packers in Baltimore in 2017.

Browns ‘took a big swing-and-miss’ with Deshaun Watson:Cleveland Browns co-owner Jimmy Haslam delivered what was probably the quote of the week in stating the obvious about beleaguered quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“We took a big swing-and-miss with Deshaun,” he told reporters Monday. “We thought we had the quarterback; we didn’t. And we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him, so we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.”

That hole is substantial and one they will be digging out of for a while, with Cleveland having acquired Watson from the Houston Texans in 2022 in exchange for a deal that included three first-round picks and then signing Watson to a $230 million fully guaranteed contract.

The decision has been nothing short of disastrous. Watson has played poorly in what has been just 19 starts, and he’s suffered season-ending injuries each of the past two years. He’s not expected back in 2025 after re-tearing his Achilles tendon and having another surgery in January.

Cleveland, which acquired former Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, has pick Nos. 2 and 33 overall in the draft and could elect to take a rookie to start next season.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at [e-mail], 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1.