AFC West

Las Vegas Raiders star Darren Waller isn't going to let contract negotiations impact his decision about suiting up for next season.

Speaking to reporters Saturday, Waller said "whatever happens" with contract talks, he is "here playing."

Waller still has two years and $12.5 million in base salary remaining on his deal, but the 29-year-old has certainly outperformed that contract.

Per Spotrac, Waller's $7.5 million average annual salary ranks 17th among tight ends. The $29.8 million total value of his contract is 12th.

On the Ross Tucker Football Podcast in May (h/t Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams), Waller said his agent was talking with the Raiders about an extension:

"I understand it, but I know if I focus on it too much, it could take away from my job and learning a new system and just continuing to try to elevate and take care of my body in the right way. I try to focus on those things and let my agent handle that. When decisions need to be made, decisions need to be made."

George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers is the highest-paid tight end by total value ($75 million) and average annual value ($15 million). Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert and Mark Andrews are the only other tight ends making at least $14 million per season.

Over the past three seasons, Waller has racked up 3,006 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns in 43 games. He and Kelce are the only tight ends with multiple 1,000-yard seasons since the start of 2019.

The Raiders locked up Davante Adams with a five-year, $141.3 million contract in March after acquiring him from the Green Bay Packers. Adding him to Waller and Hunter Renfrow gives the team high expectations heading into this season.

Waller's production warrants an extension, but the Raiders can take comfort in knowing it doesn't sound like he will hold out if nothing comes of talks right now.

Veteran left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and the Kansas City Chiefs failed to come to terms on a long-term extension for franchise-tagged players by last week's deadline, and now the club is unsure if he'll show up to training camp.

"I don't know that. If he's here, great. If not, we move on," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid told reporters Friday. "We know Joe Thuney can do it in a heartbeat."

Reid's comments come after NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadiha (h/t Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star) reported that the Chiefs were frustrated with Brown's refusal to sign a long-term extension.

"There was frustration and there was disappointment," Chadiha said, per Grathoff. "They really like Orlando Brown Jr., they love having him be a part of this team, but the money he was asking for was too high for them. They feel like they don’t want to not have stability at left tackle here, but they also don’t want to pay top-of-the-market money for a player that they don’t think is the best player at his position in the NFL."

The Chiefs placed the $16.7 million franchise tag on Brown in March and were hopeful of reaching an agreement with the 26-year-old.

Kansas City offered Brown $91 million over the first five years of a contract, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, who added that the sixth year of the deal would have been worth more than $40 million "strictly to inflate the average annual value to the top of the market. That year would’ve never been meant to be paid."

Garafolo also reported that Brown asked for "top-of-the-market money" on an extension worth around $23 million per year. However, the Chiefs reportedly offered him around $19 million annually.

The Chiefs acquired Brown from the Baltimore Ravens in April 2021 in exchange for four draft picks and he was a Pro Bowler in his first season with the franchise in 2022.

In his first three seasons with the Ravens, he earned two Pro Bowl selections.

If Brown doesn't report to training camp and misses the beginning of the 2022 campaign, the Chiefs can turn to Geron Christian at left tackle.

Free-agent defensive end Carl Nassib knew he could potentially affect a level of change when he announced last summer he is gay.

"I stared at the phone for like an hour, just looking at it and trying to hype myself up," he said of the moments leading up to his announcement on social media in an interview on Good Morning America. "The last thing I said was, 'You know what, for the kids.'"

Nassib explained to GMA's Michael Strahan he told close friends and family members years ago he is gay. He thought it was important to "stay ahead of the narrative" and "own the story" by coming out in public.

The 29-year-old said he received "the most incredible support" from his Raiders teammates in the wake of his message.

In June, Nassib continued his advocacy by partnering with The Trevor Project and matching donations up to $100,000.

Nassib became the first publicly out active player in the NFL. Michael Sam came out in 2014 prior to the NFL draft and was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round. Sam didn't appear in a regular-season game with the Rams or Dallas Cowboys, though.

Brian Hosier, the chief operating officer for The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada, told The Athletic's Lindsay Jones that Nassib was already making a big impact.

"It’s very inspirational to a lot of our LGBTQIA+ youth, and there was a lot of discussion around it," Hosier said. "We were very proud it was here in our city. I think it goes a long way to come out, express who you are and live your authentic life, which is part of our mission, to give folks the tools to live their authentic lives, whatever that looks like."

Nassib made 13 appearances for the Raiders in 2021, finishing with 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Las Vegas released him in March in what was largely a salary-cap maneuver, and he remains unsigned.