| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTAAs expected, the Vikings have put a bandaid on their QB position by signing KYLER MURRAY to a one-year deal with no method of retaining him. Grant Gordon of NFL.com: The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft has landed in the Twin Cities. Kyler Murray, who was officially released by the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday, has signed a one-year deal for the league minimum with the Minnesota Vikings, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Thursday. Murray’s deal with Minnesota includes a no-tag clause, Rapoport and Pelissero added. The Vikings later officially announced the signing. Pelissero reported Wednesday that Murray was expected to speak to three to five teams with potential 2027 quarterback needs, laying the path for Murray to put out some impressive tape in the upcoming season before hitting free agency again next year. The Vikings are able to sign Murray to a minimum deal — à la Russell Wilson with the Steelers in 2024 and Tua Tagovailoa with the Falcons this year — because Murray is guaranteed $36.8 million this season by the Cardinals as part of the extension he signed in 2022. Murray’s deal with Minnesota includes a no-tag clause, per Rapoport and Pelissero. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings were the favorites to land Murray, who’s looking to rebound from a season-ending foot injury and a lackluster conclusion to a seven-season run in Arizona. Whether Murray arrives as Minnesota’s starter or competes for the QB1 job with J.J. McCarthy remains to be seen, but the Vikings have been clear that they wanted options and competition in the quarterback room this year. “I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Murray said Thursday during a Zoom news conference with reporters when asked if he expects to be named the starter or to battle for the job. “I look forward to coming in and competing.” Murray added he’ll be ready to go “when the time comes.”.Alec Lewis of The Athletic on what this might mean for QB J.J. McCARTHY: Could McCarthy win a competition with Murray?It’s highly unlikely. Once the Cardinals released Murray, he had several suitors. Choosing Minnesota signaled a degree of devotion from Murray. In other words, he isn’t joining up with O’Connell, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson and the Vikings to sit and watch. O’Connell wouldn’t go so far as to name Murray the starter Thursday. “Unless I’m confused in any way, shape or form,” he said, “I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently.” With previous starter Sam Darnold, the Vikings used the spring and summer to get to know his preferences. McCarthy took first-team reps sparingly in the fall of 2024. The same type of vision could be in store here. Perhaps there is a positive way to look at this from McCarthy’s side. Time away from intense competition may allow him to troubleshoot his different throws and refine his footwork. Less pressure on results means more time for trial and error. This was the lens O’Connell hoped to establish for McCarthy during the 2024 season, but McCarthy’s torn meniscus shortened the runway. McCarthy buying into this longer-term process might benefit him over the long haul. Will the Vikings think about adding another veteran QB behind Murray?It would be a surprise if the Vikings didn’t. For all of the upside that comes with Murray’s talent, there is also this downside: He’s started 17 games only once in the last five seasons. He tore his ACL in December 2022. He seriously hurt his foot last October. During his seven-year career, he has missed games due to ankle injuries, shoulder sprains and hamstring strains. “We’re always looking for any players at any positions that we can accomplish the goals of being a really competitive team and being the most competitive team, while also having a mindset on the future,” O’Connell said. As long as McCarthy is indeed catalyzed by Murray’s arrival, O’Connell and the Vikings would trust their infrastructure to win in a pinch. But previous seasons prove why it’s essential to have three capable quarterbacks. Carson Wentz, who played 300 snaps for the Vikings in 2025, would be the likeliest candidate. There is familiarity and mutual interest between the two sides. If Wentz were to sign elsewhere, the Vikings could turn to Andy Dalton, whom the Panthers may be willing to part with after signing Kenny Pickett. Other veterans, like Tyrod Taylor, are available. Because O’Connell loves a quarterback project, it’s also difficult to rule out former highly-drafted options like Anthony Richardson and Zach Wilson. Richardson, specifically, intrigued the Vikings before the 2024 draft. His time with the Colts appears to have come to an end. Might other teams want to trade for McCarthy?Plenty of quarterback-needy teams have monitored McCarthy’s first two seasons from afar. When the Vikings signed Murray, one director of player personnel in the NFC texted: “Major upgrade for them.” McCarthy is perceived as a sizable project. Unlike Richardson, who had also missed games due to injury and struggled with accuracy, McCarthy does not have a 6-foot-4, 244-pound frame. However, the two make sense to compare. They were both young when they entered the NFL, and neither started a bunch of games in college. Both have high-end traits. And both became starters for teams with regimes that expected to win. The Colts replaced Richardson with Daniel Jones before Richardson’s third season. The Vikings appear to be on a similar path. Six years ago, the Cardinals fetched second- and fifth-round picks from the Dolphins for young former first-rounder Josh Rosen. He quickly flamed out. Given how aware other teams are of the hurdles McCarthy has faced in his first two seasons, expecting a commensurate return is lofty. Would the Vikings consider trading McCarthy?This cannot be completely ruled out. Two factors matter in the overall calculus: How perturbed are McCarthy and his camp by the Murray signing? And what would other teams offer? The Vikings have publicly reiterated their feelings about McCarthy and that they see an advantage in giving him competition. They aren’t completely all in for 2026, evidenced by their measured approach in free agency. But they’re also not punting on a season that must reestablish their standing as formidable foes in the NFC North. Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room. The Vikings invested too much in McCarthy, though, to pull the plug for anything other than top-tier compensation. McCarthy seeking another destination could introduce a different layer of decision-making. Minnesota likes to respond amicably to players’ desires (i.e., Jonathan Greenard’s trade circumstances). But leverage tends to matter in these situations, too, and McCarthy remains under contract for at least two more seasons. What would it mean if the Vikings parted ways with McCarthy now?It would mean that the Vikings failed to find their franchise quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, which was the primary goal. O’Connell orchestrated a thorough pre-draft evaluation process that year. The team loved Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, who were taken by the Patriots and Commanders, respectively, but neither team was willing to move down. Once the Falcons plucked Michael Penix Jr. from the board, the Vikings weighed McCarthy and Bo Nix. McCarthy came with a higher upside. Nix presented a high floor that reminded the Vikings of former starter Kirk Cousins. The Vikings chose the former. They felt strongly about McCarthy’s first foray into training camp, but then the torn meniscus set him back. The Vikings made him the starter in 2025, but a lack of health and inaccuracy became themes. The depths of his floor left the Vikings hoping to find a new starting-caliber quarterback, a macro lesson in the risks that can come when pairing a ready-to-win roster with an unproven quarterback. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASThe Cowboys reach a one-year deal with DB COBIE DURANT. Todd Archer ofESPN.com: The Dallas Cowboys have made another free agent addition to their secondary, agreeing to a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Cobie Durant, who spent the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, his agent told ESPN. The Cowboys have a cornerback need with DaRon Bland coming back from foot surgery and second-year cornerback Shavon Revel learning on the job after sitting out the first nine games as a rookie while recovering from a torn ACL. Durant has seven career interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. He had three in 2025, matching his career high, but the Rams remade their cornerback position by trading for Trent McDuffie and then signing his Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson at the start of free agency. |
| PHILADELPHIALB ARNOLD EBIKETIE is an Eagle on a one-year deal: Free agent linebacker Arnold Ebiketie is signing a one-year deal worth a maximum of $7.3 million with the Philadelphia Eagles, his agent, Damarius Bilbo of Klutch Sports, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday night. The deal includes $4.3 million fully guaranteed. Ebiketie will join an Eagles team that lost edge rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Carolina Panthers earlier in free agency. Ebiketie, 27, had a career-low two sacks in 2025 with the Falcons, but that was more because he was part of a deeper rotation rather than the centerpiece of Atlanta’s pass rush. The Cameroon-born player was 10th in the league in quarterback pressure rate (16.4%) among players with at least 150 pass-rush snaps, according to Next Gen Stats. That figure was a team high for Atlanta edge rushers. In 2024, Ebiketie led the Falcons with six sacks, before the team drafted Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and signed Leonard Floyd in 2025. Under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, the Falcons had a franchise-record 57 sacks last season. Ebiketie excelled as a complementary player. Ebiketie also had six sacks in 2023 and 2.5 as a rookie in 2022. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAEDGE JAMES PEARCE, Jr. faces multiple felonies in Miami-Dade County. Marc Raimondi and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com: The Miami-Dade (Florida) State Attorney brought four charges against Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. on Thursday in relation to a Feb. 7 incident involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson, according to a court document. Pearce, 22, has been charged with three felonies — aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. A fourth arrest charge of felony aggravated stalking was changed to a misdemeanor. An arrest charge of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer was dropped. Pearce allegedly followed the car of Jackson, his ex-girlfriend, and repeatedly used his vehicle to collide with hers as she attempted to reach the Doral (Florida) police station. After being confronted by a police officer, Pearce allegedly fled in his vehicle and took police on a chase before crashing at an intersection. He fled the vehicle on foot before being subdued by officers and then allegedly resisted arrest. Pearce was arrested and spent a night in a county correctional center before paying a $20,500 bond and being released Feb. 8. Jackson, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, filed an injunction for a protective order against Pearce in Miami-Dade County on Feb. 9. In her petition, Jackson wrote that she was in fear for her life and that if the court did not intervene then “James will kill me.” She wrote that Pearce “verbally and physically abused me on more than one occasion” and threatened to kill, harm and injure her and to place a bag over her head, according to the court filing. The court granted her initial request for protection, and a permanent injunction hearing is set for April 21. Pearce is under order not to have contact with Jackson or come within 500 feet of her home or place of employment or 100 feet from her vehicle. Pearce’s legal team told ESPN on Thursday in an email that it stands by its original statement in which, after his arrest, they said Pearce “maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story.”– – -The new GM of the Falcons did not bring in QB TUA TAGOVIALOA to sit idly by. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Falcons haven’t officially signed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa yet, but they have a plan in mind for when he is formally added to the roster in Atlanta. Tagovailoa will be joining Michael Penix Jr. on the depth chart and Penix is coming off of a torn ACL, which has joined his past performance in keeping the Falcons from naming him as the starter for the 2026 season. General Manager Ian Cunningham reiterated that on Friday when he told reporters that Tagovailoa is not resigned to any role as he starts his time with the team. “For Tua coming in here, he knows he’s coming in here to compete, like Michael knows he is coming in to compete, everybody quite frankly, not just those two at the quarterback position,” Cunningham said, via the team’s website. “There are no starters right now.” Cunningham said the Falcons spoke to Penix when they decided to pursue Tagovailoa because “you don’t want to blindside somebody,” but the team’s clear message that Penix won’t be handed the job made it inevitable that they’d be bringing in another starting option once they parted ways with Kirk Cousins. Now all that remains to be seen is which player winds up under center to start the 2026 season. |
| TAMPA BAYThe Buccaneers land a pass rusher who is coming off an 11-sack season. ESPN.com: Free agent pass rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced Thursday. It’s a one-year deal that can be worth up to $6 million, according to NFL Network. He becomes the second Detroit Lions defender to join the Buccaneers since the start of the free agent negotiating period Monday, joining linebacker Alex Anzalone, who signed a two-year contract with Tampa Bay. Playing alongside Pro Bowler Aidan Hutchinson, Muhammad had a breakout 2025 season for Detroit, recording career highs in sacks (11), tackles for loss (9) and quarterback hits (20) in 17 games. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 14 after recording three sacks in a 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys on “Thursday Night Football.” Muhammad became the 11th player in franchise history to log double-digit sacks in a single season. He also joined Ezekiel Ansah (2017) and Robert Porcher (1999) as the third Lions player to have multiple games with 2.5 sacks in a single season. The Lions originally signed Muhammad to the practice squad on Oct. 7, 2024, then elevated him to the active roster a month later before re-signing him to a one-year deal last offseason. A sixth-round pick of the Saints in 2017 out of Miami, Muhammad spent his first season in New Orleans, then four in Indianapolis followed by a one-year stop in Chicago before joining the Lions. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOWR MIKE EVANS makes it pretty clear that he sought an upgrade by getting with QB BROCK PURDY and Coach Mike Shanahan for the 2026 season. Jennifer Lee Chan of NBCBayArea.com: Several factors influenced Mike Evans to sign a three-year contract with the 49ers, and quarterback Brock Purdy was at the top of the list. “True professional,” Evans said Thursday during a video call with local reporters. “Really, really underrated player. His first start was against my [Tampa Bay] Buccaneers back in 2022. I saw right then and there, that if I play with him, I feel like I could help him out a lot.” Evans had several teams pursuing him in NFL free agency, including the Buffalo Bills, but being coached by Kyle Shanahan and working with Purdy made the decision easy. The Bay Area was the wide receiver’s No. 1 choice. “[Purdy’s] already a really good player,” Evans said. “I just hope I can help him get to where he wants to go in his career and that’s [to] be a Super Bowl champion, potential MVP and just have a great career here in San Francisco.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLERather than re-sign other free agents to replace players they lost in free agency, the Jaguars are happy to take compensatory picks. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Jaguars have lost a lot more than they’ve gained in free agency this week, but General Manager James Gladstone says that’s all part of the plan. Gladstone says the Jaguars decided to prioritize compensatory picks, which are awarded to teams when they lose free agents and don’t sign other teams’ free agents. “We’re at a stage now where a higher volume of draft capital is what we’re hunting, and those compensatory picks,” Gladstone said. The Jaguars currently project to receive three 2027 compensatory picks: A fourth-round pick for the $15 million per year contract linebacker Devin Lloyd signed with the Panthers, a fifth-round pick for the $13 million per year contract running back Travis Etienne signed with the Saints, and a sixth-round pick for the $10 million per year contract cornerback Greg Newsome signed with the Giants. Gladstone says he’s happy for those players and happy to get the picks. “High-priced free agents of ours ended up signing elsewhere, well-deserved contracts,” Gladstone said. “They did their part to put themselves in really sound positions to earn that. Excited for all those guys. In return, by not signing any outside free agents, we recoup 2027 draft capital.” Gladstone noted that adding draft picks isn’t only about building through the draft. It’s also about trading picks for veteran players, as the Jaguars did twice last season to build up their receiving corps. “I think on its surface you would think, oh, you’re going to make picks in 2027, whereas in reality, those draft picks and having more of them actually allows you the luxury of remaining in the hunt at different intervals throughout the entire calendar year for acquiring players,” Gladstone said. “You think about training camp a year ago and using a Day 3 pick to acquire a wide receiver in Tim Patrick. You think about ahead of the trade deadline and being able to use two picks on Day 3 to acquire a wide receiver in Jacoby Meyers. Without that draft capital at your disposal, you may not be as willing or able to relinquish some of those future picks. So by building that up now, it allows us the luxury of remaining with the flexibility to do those sorts of things as we move into the next stages of the offseason and into the regular season.” It’s an approach that doesn’t generate much attention in free agency, but can pay off in the season. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOThe well-traveled CB C.J. GARDNER-JOHNSON is heading to Buffalo. Ian Casselberry of YahooSports.com: Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson appeared to confirm reports that he’s signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills on social media with an image of Josh Allen. The deal could be worth up to $6 million for the seven-year veteran. Gardner-Johnson, 28, finished last season with the Chicago Bears after being released by the Houston Texans (and a one-week stint on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad). In 10 games (seven starts) with the Bears, he had 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble with 4 passes defended and 51 total tackles. In 2022, Gardner-Johnson tied for the NFL lead with 6 interceptions for an Eagles team that lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, 38-35. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| HOMES FOR THE UNSIGNEDBill Barnwell of ESPN.com finds homes for nine unsigned free agents: Let’s run through some of the players who are still available in free agency. Why are they still available? What do they have to offer? And is there a team that makes sense as a likely landing spot after what we’ve seen over the first few days of the 2026 offseason? I’ll throw nine names out there and answer those questions for each player. Kirk Cousins, QBWhy is he still available? Timing. While it was public knowledge that the Falcons intended to release Cousins, Atlanta couldn’t officially cut the 37-year-old until the start of the new league year Wednesday afternoon. Cousins became available at that point, and while he could have spoken with other teams in the days before then, the quarterback market was waiting to see what shook out with Kyler Murray before everyone else remaining found their own homes. Cousins has made more than $321 million over the course of his career, so the first-ballot Bag Hall of Famer obviously doesn’t need to keep playing for the money. And while Cousins tore an Achilles with the Vikings in 2023 and was ignominiously benched in the middle of a streak of interceptions during his debut year with the Falcons in 2024, the veteran returned to the lineup to replace the injured Michael Penix Jr. in 2025 and played passable football, posting a 47.6 Total QBR across 269 pass attempts. Cousins was unlucky to spend most of that time without top wideout Drake London on the field; Cousins’ Total QBR rose to a more respectable 57.1 mark with London between the lines in 2025, which was right where Jaxson Dart and Jared Goff finished over the full campaign. It’s difficult to imagine Cousins being handed a starting role. He averaged just 6.4 yards per attempt in 2025 and kept the offense afloat by avoiding mistakes. He posted a 1.9% interception rate and a 4.6% sack rate, both of which were better than league average. Cousins was at his best when he could operate with heavy doses of under-center play-action, and he had a 73.8 Total QBR when given the opportunity to do so in 2025, the fifth-best mark in the NFL. For Cousins, the question might be more about what he hopes to accomplish than where he ends up. Is Cousins’ goal to have the best opportunity to play? If so, the Browns or Steelers seem like obvious landing spots. Is he hoping to win a Super Bowl before retiring? If so, Cousins is probably looking at a strict backup role. A reunion with Kyle Shanahan seemed to be in the cards for years before the 49ers went down a different path, and unless San Francisco trades Mac Jones, there won’t be any need for Cousins there. What about another perennial winner? Where he could fit: Green Bay Packers. The Packers need a backup quarterback after losing Malik Willis to the Dolphins in free agency. They run play-action at one of the highest rates in the league under Matt LaFleur. Jordan Love has missed two games to injury in each of the past two years, so the Packers have to be conscious of their need to have a backup they trust in a meaningful spot if Love can’t go. While LaFleur might try to find value with another prospect in the same way the Packers once did when they traded for Willis, Cousins would be a solid option as the backup behind Love in 2026. Brian Robinson Jr., RBWhy is he still available? A limited skill set. Robinson isn’t the sort of well-rounded back modern teams typically want from their RB1. He doesn’t catch the ball very often. He’s not great in pass protection. Robinson also fumbled eight times on 570 carries over his first three years in the league, a career that was marred at its start when the then-Commanders back was shot in an armed robbery weeks before the start of his rookie campaign. What Robinson does is very traditional: He’s an efficient, effective runner between the tackles. Robinson’s yards per carry and success rate have increased across each of the past three years. Among backs with 400-plus carries over the past three seasons, Robinson’s 43.3% success rate as a runner ranks 11th out of 34 backs, right alongside 2025 teammate Christian McCaffrey. Traded to the 49ers before the start of the 2025 season, Robinson spelled his star backfield mate and showed some newfound explosiveness, as 10.9% of his touches went for 10-plus rushing yards or 20-plus receiving yards. While he touched the ball only 100 times, Robinson also went all season without fumbling, which would be a major step in the right direction. He’s not going to be the lead back in an offense, but he can be useful in the right situational role. Where he could fit: Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks need a replacement for Kenneth Walker III who can shoulder a meaningful workload, given that Zach Charbonnet is expected to miss the start of the 2026 season after tearing an ACL in the playoffs. The Seahawks signed Emanuel Wilson to a one-year deal this week, but Robinson would offer a more consistent rushing performance and ably serve as the lead back in the rotation while Charbonnet recuperates. Jauan Jennings, WRWhy is he still available? Age and market. Jennings is a useful player and thrives on third downs and inside the red zone, where teams really need their wide receivers to make plays. He can win on contested catches and in tight quarters, making him a reliable target for young quarterbacks with a habit of putting the ball (or their receivers) in danger. Jennings is also tough; the 6-foot-3 wideout famously told reporters last year that he was playing through five broken ribs and both low and high ankle sprains. There’s no doubting Jennings’ toughness, but he has yet to complete a full 17-game season as a pro. He entered the league as a 23-year-old in 2020, didn’t make his debut until the following season and is hitting free agency for the first time a few months before he turns 29, which isn’t a point where teams typically want to pay a premium to wide receivers. Jennings was also a third wideout for most of that time and has just one season over 700 receiving yards (a 975-yard effort in 2024). We’ve seen teams pay for speed in free agency, as wideouts such as Alec Pierce and Rashid Shaheed garnered significant contracts quickly. The only veteran wideout nearing or past 30 to sign a sizable deal in free agency so far, though, is Mike Evans, who might have taken Jennings’ job when he signed with the 49ers. In addition to Jennings, veterans Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen and Christian Kirk remain available, and Brandon Aiyuk and Calvin Ridley might soon follow as cap casualties. Teams are focusing on youth and aren’t prioritizing more experienced options, even if they’ve been more productive. That’s a trend across positions around the league. This is Jennings’ best chance of cashing in after playing the past two years on a bargain deal worth just $11.9 million. He’s still likely to get a raise on that $6 million average he made from 2024 to 2025, but it’s probably going to include only one guaranteed season. With so many other options available, the league might wait out these receivers for a while. Where he could fit: Las Vegas Raiders. They will be running a Shanahan-inspired offense under Klint Kubiak, and while there’s less money than expected in the coffers after the Maxx Crosby trade was rescinded, Vegas can’t afford to scrimp on help for likely first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders added receiver Jalen Nailor in free agency and have young wideouts such as Jack Bech, Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Tre Tucker in the mix. But Jennings would step in as a reliable, valuable target for Mendoza in the short term, with the Raiders likely to find their eventual WR1 in the years to come. Deebo Samuel, WRWhy is he still available? Wear and tear. Perpetually either the best or among the best yards-after-catch creators in football, Samuel is rarely seen at 100%. He has managed to regularly stay on the field over the past three years, missing just five games over that span, but he has been limited to a sub-50% snap share five more times over that span, including once in the postseason. Samuel’s first-team All-Pro performance in 2021 — when he averaged 18.2 yards per catch, scored more rushing (eight) than receiving (six) touchdowns and racked up 1,770 yards from scrimmage — is a clear outlier. He has never topped 900 receiving yards in any other pro campaign, and he has topped six touchdowns from scrimmage just once across his six other pro seasons, when he scored 12 times for the 49ers in 2023. The 30-year-old has issues with fumbles and drops, but he’s still a valuable playmaker in the right offensive scheme, where his ability to run away from defenders on crossing routes and run through them on screens would be a valuable addition. Where he could fit: Denver Broncos. Samuel is a dream fit for the Broncos’ offense, where Bo Nix wants to get the ball out quickly when he has a numbers advantage or throw the ball on digs and deep crossers off play-action. The Broncos have a crowded receiver room with Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, but Samuel would be a rugged addition who offers more physicality than just about anybody in that mix. He could also be a useful runner for coach Sean Payton as a changeup in short yardage or near the goal line, where Nix is often used on sneaks and designed runs. David Njoku, TEWhy is he still available? Injuries. The veteran tight end missed 11 games over his final two years in Cleveland, most recently because of a knee injury. His route efficiency went way down over that stretch, as Njoku went from averaging 11.3 yards per catch over his three-year peak in Cleveland to just 8.2 yards per reception over the two most recent campaigns. Between 2021 and 2023, Njoku had 22 catches on throws traveling 15 or more yards in the air. He managed just five such catches between 2024 and 2025. He has also run the highest drop rate (6.0%) of any tight end in the NFL with 200 targets or more over the past five seasons. At his peak, Njoku was able to create after the catch as part of the many multi-tight end sets the Browns ran under coach Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland moved him around a bit to create mismatches, but Njoku was usually best as an inline tight end, which might limit his flexibility for teams that do want to run 12 and 13 personnel more often in 2026. The 2017 first-round pick will be taking a pay cut from the $13.7 million he earned annually on his last contract, and he has battled knee issues throughout his career. But in a league in which the bar is so low for tight ends who can make an impact as a receiver, Njoku should still attract interest. Where he could fit: Baltimore Ravens. While Mark Andrews was re-signed to be the move tight end in Baltimore, the Ravens lost Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar over the first week of free agency. The Ravens signed Durham Smythe to help fill in for Kolar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if general manager Eric DeCosta used a Day 3 pick on a blocking tight end to develop over the next few years. But Njoku would be taking over for Likely here as the second tight end in Baltimore’s offense. Rasheed Walker, OTWhy is he still available? Likely the contract size. Young left tackles earned massive deals in free agency last season. Jaylon Moore, the backup to Trent Williams in San Francisco, signed a two-year, $30 million contract to join the Chiefs. Dan Moore Jr., a below-average starter in Pittsburgh, inked a four-year, $82 million pact with the Titans. The latter Moore allowed the most sacks in the league in 2024 (16.5), per NFL Next Gen Stats, then finished second behind Stone Forsythe in 2025 (13.5 sacks). Walker, a three-year starter in Green Bay, was the latest young left tackle to hit the market. He is coming from a better offense and hasn’t missed a game since taking over as the starter on Jordan Love’s blindside in 2023. At 26, Walker had every right to expect that he would earn one of the largest deals in free agency. My expectation was that his deal could come in as high as $25 million per season, and ESPN’s Seth Walder projected Walker’s new contract to average $21.8 million per year. Talking to people in and around the league about Walker before free agency, though, there wasn’t a real excitement about an opportunity that should have been very appealing on paper. Was it a red flag that the Packers were letting a young player at a critical position walk out the door without really pushing too hard to re-sign him? Were the two Moore contracts from 2024 more of an outlier than a true indicator of what teams were willing to pay for young tackles? Some teams with left tackle openings elected to head in a different direction. The Bears and Panthers will need left tackles to open 2026 after their incumbents (Ozzy Trapilo and Ikem Ekwonu, respectively) tore their patellar tendons in January. They both opted for short-term solutions, as the Bears re-signed Braxton Jones and the Panthers added Forsythe. Teams that might have signed a left tackle and moved their incumbents to the right side, such as the Browns and Texans, instead chose to sign right tackles. Walker might also be heading for a short-term deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter spoke with ESPN Milwaukee earlier this week and suggested that Walker might need to settle for a one-year deal before hitting free agency again in 2027. It looks like the significant market that many anticipated for Walker — myself included — never really materialized. Where he could fit: Detroit Lions. A reunion with the Packers would make sense for both sides, but if Walker is going to leave for another team, the most obvious opening left on the board is in Detroit. The Lions released Taylor Decker earlier this offseason, leaving a hole at left tackle. Detroit could move star right tackle Penei Sewell to the left side, where he played at Oregon, but there’s something to be said for keeping a superstar in the position where he has excelled. Remember that Lane Johnson was a star left tackle in his final year at Oklahoma, but he has stuck on the right side for the Eagles as a pro. A one-year deal with the Lions would give Walker a shot at proving himself in a great offense. Two games against the Packers wouldn’t hurt, either. Jawaan Taylor, OTWhy is he still available? Penalties. Taylor is a good pass-blocking tackle, as he ranked 15th, 17th and seventh in pass block win rate across his three seasons in Kansas City. He hadn’t missed a single game to injury during his pro career before an elbow injury cost Taylor the final five games of the 2025 season. While he turns 29 in November and isn’t really an option to play on the left side of the line, he has the sort of résumé that should earn him a meaningful third contract. The only issue? He has committed 92 penalties since entering the NFL in 2019, 19 more than any other player. His 35 holding penalties are 10 ahead of second-place Garett Bolles, and the only player with more false starts than Taylor’s 31 is Laremy Tunsil (44). The league placed an emphasis on lining up at the line of scrimmage and started to flag Taylor for illegal formation during his time with the Chiefs, as he took 10 of those calls over three years in Kansas City. That’s the tradeoff with Taylor, and given how furious coaches get about preventable mistakes, it’s not going to make the former second-round pick a very appealing player to add to the roster. There might be an offensive line coach here or there who believes he can help Taylor correct some issues, but after seven years in the league, it’s probably worth accepting Taylor for who he is, flaws and all. Where he could fit: Indianapolis Colts. They need to do whatever they can to protect the returning Daniel Jones in 2026, and they lost veteran tackle Braden Smith to the Texans earlier this week. Massive 6-foot-8 tackle Jalen Travis made four spot starts at the end of last season and should be the favorite to start on the right side if general manager Chris Ballard doesn’t add a tackle, but Taylor would be a more reliable option in a season when anything short of a playoff berth could lead to widespread changes in Indianapolis. Wyatt Teller, GWhy is he still available? Age. Teller is 31 years old, and while he made three straight Pro Bowls earlier in his career, the longtime Browns right guard saw his play slip a bit after the departure of legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Teller missed four games each in the 2024 and 2025 seasons because of various injuries, and there will be teams nervous about committing to a veteran who might not be as physically impactful or reliable as he once was. The Browns eventually moved him into a rotational role with Teven Jenkins late in the season as the veteran battled a calf injury, although he should be healthy to start in 2026. With that being said, even a diminished version of the guy who ran over defensive linemen as a run blocker earlier in his career has to be more appealing than some of the guards who have signed elsewhere. Zion Johnson, who struggled badly as a pass blocker during his run with the Chargers, signed with the Browns for three years and $49.5 million. Dylan Parham, who was fifth in sacks allowed by guards over the past two seasons, signed with the Jets for two years and $20 million. Ed Ingram reupped for three years and $37.5 million in Houston. Those guys are younger than Teller, but they haven’t been even league-average guards so far in their careers. Veteran guards can end up having itinerant back halves, perpetually plugging holes as reliable options on one-year deals. Teller appears to be entering that part of his career. He can still be a useful contributor in the right offense. Where he could fit: New York Giants. John Harbaugh has brought plenty of former Ravens to New York, so maybe he could add a former AFC North opponent to the mix, too. Greg Van Roten (2025 starter) and Joshua Ezeudu (reserve) are both free agents, and while the Giants re-signed 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal, he struggled badly at tackle and didn’t play a single regular-season snap after moving to guard during the 2025 preseason. Teller would step in at right guard and offer some physicality in the short term protecting for Jaxson Dart. Joey Bosa, EdgeWhy is he still available? Unavailability. Bosa has a brutal track record of staying healthy in recent years, having missed 23 games over his final three seasons with the Chargers. The 2016 first-round pick had a relatively healthy year with the Bills in 2025, but Bosa missed two games and didn’t record a single sack down the stretch and into the postseason after suffering a hamstring injury against the Steelers on Nov. 30. It’s unclear whether he is the same caliber of player he was earlier in his career with Los Angeles. Bosa forced five fumbles in 2025, but he was one of many Bills front-seven players who failed to impress against the run. He had a 3.2% quick-pressure rate through the regular season, which was below the league average (4.1%) for edge rushers with 200 pass rush snaps or more. Bosa also wasn’t chipped or double-teamed at even a league-average rate, per Next Gen Stats, so opposing lines weren’t focused on slowing him down. To top it off, Bosa committed an absolutely unconscionable roughing the passer penalty on Bo Nix in overtime of the divisional round loss to the Bills, although it was declined by virtue of a pass interference call downfield on the same play. The Bills signed Bradley Chubb to serve as their designated annual pass-rush addition, which probably closes off Bosa’s path to a return in Buffalo. There’s still a useful player here, but Bosa is probably best in a situational pass-rush role at this point of his career, and teams will worry about committing meaningful money to a player who might not see the field very often if he can’t stay healthy. Where he could fit: San Francisco 49ers. It’s the obvious call, right? The 49ers are a team that’s very comfortable taking aggressive swings on talented players with upside, even if that upside comes with injury concerns. They have an opening for a situational pass rusher after Bryce Huff retired Thursday, and Clelin Ferrell and Yetur Gross-Matos are free agents. Bosa would join up with his brother, Nick, who is recovering from the second torn ACL of his pro career. Bosa would be in a part-time role on a 49ers team that should be heavily rotating its edge rushers throughout the season. |
| TONY DUNGYIt’s hard to believe it’s been 17 years since Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy was with the Colts. Now, his run at NBC has come to an end. Jenna Lemoncelli of the New York Post: Tony Dungy said it was “disappointing news” to learn that he won’t be back as an analyst for NBC Sports’ “Sunday Night Football” for the 2026 NFL season. The Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach, who completed his 17th season on “Football Night In America” in January, shared the news Thursday, weeks after a report said he was likely out. “I have been informed by NBC that I won’t be back with ‘FNIA’ this fall and it has given me time to reflect and also to look ahead,” Dungy, 70, wrote in an X post, including a photo with Dan Patrick and Rodney Harrison. “It’s disappointing news but I want to thank my NBC family for making the last 17 years so special. I’ll have lasting memories of my time there, especially with Rodney Harrison who has become a tremendous friend. “God has always directed me in these moments and while I’m not sure what the next step will be for me — whether it will be in football, in broadcasting, or getting more involved in church and community outreach — I know God has plans for my life and I can’t wait see them unfold. And I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in the Bible-Romans 8:28. “God works all things for His good for those who love the Lord.” Dungy confirmed his exit from “FNIA” after a report by The Athletic last month said the analyst was unlikely to be a part of NBC’s plans to revamp the program. Some contracts for a number of NBC’s studio football analysts expired after Super Bowl 2026, according to The Athletic. |
