| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOThe health of CB KYLER GORDON is a concern as the Bears open training camp. Mike Moraitis of SI.com: We now know Kyler Gordon is dealing with a calf injury, which kept him sidelined throughout OTAs and minicamp. And, in what is troubling news, there is no timeline for his return. Head coach Ben Johnson expressed frustration with the veteran’s lack of availability at OTAs, and general manager Poles wasn’t shy about venting his frustration on Tuesday. “Obviously, he’s frustrated. We’re frustrated,” he said. “Everybody here is putting time and effort to getting (Gordon) back. All hands on deck.” “A little bit of a repetitive situation that we’ve got to get fixed,” Poles added. “And then when he gets back, he’s going to have to earn that trust back and that dependability. Because we’ve got to put all the guys in a good position to be successful, and the up-and-down moving guys around is really tough. So, he’ll have to earn that back when he gets back.” As for Johnson, he had two words when asked what his message would be for Gordon: “Get healthy.” Safe to say, frustrations are boiling over in Chicago. |
| GREEN BAYGM Brian Gutekunst is optimistic about EDGE MICAH PARSONS, even as he admits it is likely the season will start without him in the lineup. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons is making good progress in his rehab from a torn ACL, but it continues to sound like he will not be ready to play at the start of the season. While General Manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters that he’s open to the possibility of Parsons coming off the active/physically unable to perform list before the end of training camp, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen. “Yeah, I’d like to have enough flexibility to leave the door open. But that would be unlikely, just from a timing perspective,” Gutekunst said in his Wednesday press conference. “We’ve invested a lot in him, so we want to make sure he’s ready to go before we even think about putting him out there.” That being said, Parsons has made plenty of progress since suffering the injury in December. “I may have mentioned it before, but he’s a little bit of a genetic freak, so things come pretty easy to him,” Gutekunst said. “Again, he’s still, obviously, got a long ways to go. These are major injuries, so as you go through these things and how hard they have to work to get back, there’s always going to be little setbacks here and there. But he’s doing great right now.” Parsons registered 12.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits in 14 games last season, his first with the Packers.– – -As the Wisconsin justice system grinds on, RB JOSH JACOBS continues to practice with the team in the wake of his spring arrest. Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: The Green Bay Packers don’t have clarity regarding running back Josh Jacobs’ availability as a domestic abuse investigation by the Brown County district attorney’s office continues. Until that changes, expect the veteran to remain on the practice field in training camp. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Jacobs will practice on camp’s opening day, two months after his May 26 arrest on suspicion of domestic abuse. He was released one day later without being charged. “Really nothing’s changed,” Gutekunst said. “Those things are legal matters, and they’ll be out of our hands. But he’ll be out there, and we look forward to him being out there. He’s obviously such a big, important part of our football team, and he’s healthy and I think he looks really good.” |
| MINNESOTADan Graziano of ESPN.com, aided by a panel of secret executives, looks at how Minnesota’s QB battle might play out: Minnesota VikingsCandidates: J.J. McCarthy, Kyler MurrayMcCarthy was the 10th pick in the 2024 draft after the Vikings traded up to take him, believing he had the stuff to be their long-term answer at quarterback. He suffered a season-ending knee injury early in camp that year, and the Vikings won 14 games with Sam Darnold at quarterback. But they then let Darnold leave in free agency last offseason and anointed McCarthy the starter for 2025. It did not go well. McCarthy missed seven games due to various injuries. And in the 10 games he started, he completed 140 of 243 passes for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He also fumbled six times and took 27 sacks. All-world Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson had the worst season of his career, catching 84 passes for 1,048 yards and just two touchdowns. So, the Vikings, who didn’t have a ton of cap space but knew they couldn’t just run it back with McCarthy, went looking for a veteran option this past spring. Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft by the Cardinals, was released by Arizona with $37 million in guaranteed money left on his contract, so the Vikings were able to sign him to a veterans minimum contract that includes a provision prohibiting them from using the franchise or transition tag on him next year. Murray effectively gets a one-year tryout to see how he and the Vikings feel about each other — but first, he has to beat out McCarthy for the starting job. “You could make the case that the best thing for the Vikings would be if J.J. beat out Kyler in training camp,” one NFC front office executive said. That individual is right, if we’re talking about the long term. If the impact of the Murray signing is a light going on for McCarthy and he performs the way Minnesota thought he would when it picked him at No. 10, then the Vikings might have the long-term solution to their QB problem. Because even if Murray wins the job and plays well, the no-franchise provision in his contract would leave the Vikings starting from scratch next spring. But the Vikings, who had to win their final five games last season just to finish 9-8, are a team with sights set on playoff contention. So, they will play the quarterback who gives them the best chance to have success. Popular opinion around the league seems to be that it will turn out to be Murray. “Kyler isn’t perfect, but I don’t know how you get past what [McCarthy] did last year,” another NFC exec said. “The players in that locker room know Kyler has done some things in the NFL, and they’ll respect that.” Still, indications do seem to be that this is a real competition as camp opens, even if Murray looks like the favorite. He impressed Vikings coaches and players in the spring with his arm talent, but the Vikings will be evaluating him this summer on leadership and decision-making as he continues to learn Kevin O’Connell’s offense. They’ll of course be evaluating McCarthy on the same things, but they specifically want to see him improve the layering of his throws — his ability to make different types of passes, changing speeds and trajectories depending on the situation. That was a specific area of weakness they identified with him last season, and my understanding is that he showed some improvement there in the spring. Week 1 starter prediction: Murray. I still believe this could go either way. If Murray were a perfect solution, the Cardinals wouldn’t be paying him $36 million to play for someone else. It’s absolutely possible McCarthy proves to be the better option in camp. But given the way last season went, it does feel as if McCarthy is starting from behind and would really have to be lights out in order to win the job. If McCarthy does win it, people around the league would be interested to see whether the Vikings even keep Murray, since they also brought back veteran Carson Wentz, who proved to be a capable fill-in last season before suffering his own season-ending injury. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAThe Eagles have given a boatload of money to DL JALEN CARTER. Dave Zangaro of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com: Back up the Brink’s truck to Jalen Carter’s house. The young defensive tackle just got PAID. The Eagles and Carter on Tuesday agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep Carter in Philadelphia through the 2031 season, the team announced. And it’s a massive extension. The four-year extension is worth $152 million (up to $160 million), including $106 million in guaranteed money, Carter’s agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia. ESPN first reported the terms of the deal. That average annual salary of $38 million makes Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. Of course, Carter already had two years left under team control this season and next with a fifth-year option. Earlier this offseason, the Titans extended Jeffery Simmons on a deal that paid him over $35 million annually to reset the DT market. The previous top APY for a defensive tackle was Chris Jones at just under $32 million per season. Carter, 24, was the No. 9 overall pick out of Georgia back in the 2023 draft and just finished his third NFL season, making him eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career. It took a little while, but the deal is finally done as the Eagles report for training camp. Earlier this offseason, the Eagles agreed to a three-year, $78 million contract with Jordan Davis and have now made sure to lock up another Georgia Bulldog for the long-term. The Eagles are clearly prioritizing the trenches as they have for decades. In his first three NFL seasons, Carter has played in 43 games with 27 starts and has been very good. Carter was runner-up for the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 and has been a Pro Bowler in each of his last two seasons. Carter was a second-team All-Pro in the Eagles’ 2024 Super Bowl season. Carter has been very good and he’s still getting better. He has not yet reached his incredibly high ceiling. Reuben Frank, also of NBCSportsPhilly, has thoughts: Jalen Carter has had one elite season in three years, and $152 million is an awful lot of money for someone who’s had one elite season in three years and carries with him a little bit of baggage. But that’s where we are. The Eagles on Tuesday made Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history and the 7th-highest-paid defensive player in the league, locking him up with a four-year extension on top of the fourth year of his rookie contract and the 2027 option year. Risky? Yeah. It’s not a slam dunk Carter will be worth that kind of money over the next several years. This might not work. He’s got to be better than he was in 2025 for this to pay off. But if it does, watch out. Carter was very good as a rookie, as good as any interior lineman in the NFL in the 2024 Super Bowl season and just OK last year as he dealt with twin shoulder injuries and fitness issues. And then there are lingering off-the-field questions. He was benched for the start of a game against the Falcons early in 2024 after being late for a meeting. He was out of shape early last year, Vic Fangio observed in September without being asked. And there was the spitting incident with Dak Prescott on opening day. The Eagles wouldn’t have gotten Carter with the ninth pick if there weren’t serious questions about him league-wide. There are also durability concerns after he missed six games last year, most of them with his shoulder injuries. So with that many questions, so many unknowns, why make this sort of commitment to Carter? Because when he’s right, he’s a flat-out beast. And when you have a chance to lock up a game wrecker, you lock him up. When Carter is healthy, fit and motivated, he’s as good as anybody in the league. Just watch those last few snaps of the Rams playoff game in 2024, and you see a player simply taking over a football game at its most crucial point. The Eagles don’t even get to the Super Bowl without Carter’s 3rd-down sack on Matt Stafford and 4th-down pressure on the last two plays of the game. At 25 years old, Carter is already a top-three NFL defensive tackle along with Chris Jones and Jeffrey Simmons and at this point he’s probably No. 2 behind Simmons. And there’s no reason to think he won’t keep getting better. The other stuff? Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni and Clint Hurtt have spent enough time around Carter to feel comfortable paying him this kind of money. Where else are you going to find a defensive lineman this gifted? It’s a lot easier to help an immature kid who’s a stud on the field become mature than turn an average defensive tackle into a superstar. When you have a talent like Carter with an unlimited ceiling, you take that risk. You have to. But all of that made this a tricky negotiation because as much as the Eagles may trust that Carter will grow up a little and become a more consistent player, it’s all a projection. And a projection is a risk. Roseman and Drew Rosenhaus figured it out and found common ground, and now the Eagles have Carter locked up through 2031 with the final year of his rookie deal, his 2027 option year and the four new years on this contract. If Carter can stay healthy and play the way he did in 2024, you’re looking at not only a perennial all-pro but a potential Defensive Player of the Year. We’re talking Jerome Brown or Fletcher Cox level. The Eagles aren’t in the business of letting elite young players go, and Roseman’s ability to navigate the salary cap and keep paying out these huge contracts for all the Pro Bowlers that he keeps drafting allows the Eagles to remain competitive year after year. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are up next, and Howie will find a way to get them extended as well. The Eagles don’t miss very often on these type of signings. They know Carter better than anybody, and if they’re confident he can consistently be the player we saw in 2024 while continuing to show maturity and growth as a person and teammate, there’s no reason to doubt them. They’re pretty good at this stuff. We throw around phrases like “generational talent” pretty freely, but Carter has the potential to be exactly that. And if he falls short of expectations playing under this new contract? That would be unfortunate, but giving him this deal is still the right thing to do just because of the possibilities, the vast potential. It’s a risk, but it’s a smart risk and a risk that could pay huge dividends over the next several years. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAWith QB MICHAEL PENIX, Jr. out, TUA TAGOVIALOA had a chance to seize control. But an injury has flared up. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Falcons’ quarterback competition is on hold as the team starts training camp on Wednesday. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Tua Tagovailoa will not practice after an injury “flared up.” Stefanski did not specify the injury, but Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the quarterback is dealing with back tightness. Stefanski said the injury is not considered serious and that they expect him back sooner rather than later. The head coach also said that Michael Penix has not been cleared for team drills, so neither of the players who are vying for the starting job in Atlanta are going to be fully participating in practice at this point. The Falcons released Trevor Siemian with a non-football injury on Wednesday, which leaves undrafted rookie Jack Strand as the only healthy quarterback on the roster. The Falcons are expected to sign former Cowboys and Ravens quarterback Cooper Rush to give them another option at the position as they wait for Tagovailoa and Penix to get the green light for full practice activities. It’s not an ideal way to kick off camp in Atlanta and the Falcons will be hoping for better news for both quarterbacks before they get too much deeper into their preparations for the 2026 season. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, aided by a panel of secret executives, looks at how Taovialoa-Penix might play out: Atlanta FalconsCandidates: Michael Penix Jr., Tua TagovailoaPenix was the eighth pick in 2024, when Terry Fontenot was the Falcons’ general manager and Raheem Morris was their coach. Both of those guys are gone now, with Ian Cunningham taking over as the GM, Kevin Stefanski becoming the coach and all-time Falcons great Matt Ryan coming in with the title of president of football to oversee the whole thing. We point out these significant personnel changes to underline the fact that the people running the Falcons are no longer the people who felt Penix was worthy of the No. 8 pick in the draft. That doesn’t mean they don’t like Penix — just that they might not feel compelled to make a decision that justifies a previous decision. Penix took over for a struggling Kirk Cousins in his 2024 rookie season and started the final three games. Then Penix opened 2025 as the starter in Atlanta but played only nine games before tearing an ACL in November, missing the rest of the campaign. This is the third time Penix has suffered a torn ACL. He has made 12 career starts in the NFL (the Falcons have won four of them), and he has completed 59.6% of his passes for 2,757 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns. Tagovailoa, meanwhile, was the No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft by the Dolphins. Over his career, he has a 44-32 record, a completion percentage of 68.0%, 120 passing touchdowns and 59 interceptions. He led the league in passing yardage in 2023 and in completion percentage in 2024, but he struggled with health and consistency throughout his Miami tenure and was benched with three games left in the 2025 season. Tagovailoa was subsequently released despite $54 million in guaranteed money remaining on his contract. And the Falcons were able to sign him for the veterans minimum because the Dolphins were on the hook for that $54 million. While Tagovailoa has struggled with injuries throughout his career, he’s healthy right now — and Penix is not. As Penix has worked his way back from the knee injury, Tagovailoa has had a chance to collect reps and impress the new coaching staff in spring work. It remains to be seen how much Penix will be able to do in training camp, but this competition could be heavily influenced by his health situation. “Penix being hurt isn’t just a bad break for him,” one NFC personnel executive said. “He was hurt all the time in college, and that was one of the big concerns.” A couple of the people I spoke to expect the Falcons to want to play Penix at some point this season, to see whether they have something there before they have to decide on his fifth-year contract option in May. But the Falcons also have a loaded and expensive roster, along with a mandate from ownership to win right away. That’s the key here. If Penix can get healthy and outperform Tagovailoa in camp, Penix could open the season as the starter and theoretically run with the job. But if Tagovailoa opens as the Week 1 starter, that same opportunity is his to take. “If Tua is running the offense and they’re winning games, they’re not going to throw Penix in there just to get a look at him,” said a scout with an AFC team. Week 1 starter prediction: Tagovailoa. Given the extensive injury history Penix carried with him into the league from college, it makes sense for the Falcons to be cautious with his recovery. If he isn’t cleared for 11-on-11 work at the start of camp, he is going to be playing catch-up with Tagovailoa, who’s a more accurate thrower than Penix. Tagovailoa should be able to run the Stefanski offense well enough in practice to convince the coaches he gives them the best chance to win at the start of the season. If that’s the way it plays out, Penix could certainly still get into the mix and start some games at some point this season. But Tagovailoa and/or the team would have to struggle in order for Atlanta to make a change. |
| NFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES RAMSRB KYREN WILLIAMS sees 1,000 yards rushing as his floor for the season in the current Rams offense. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is coming off back-to-back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons, one of only four backs to do so, joining Derrick Henry, James Cook and Tony Pollard. Williams, in an interview on the “Up & Adams Show” with Kay Adams, said he’s proud of the consistency he’s shown, but believes hitting 1,000 yards is easy in the Rams offense. “It means everything,” he said. “I remember coming into the NFL and going through those pre-draft meetings, and all these coaches was like, ‘What’s your goal?’ And I told them my simple goal is a 1,000-yard season every year. As a running back, if you know what you’re doing running the ball, 1,000 yards should be fairly kind of easy. But that also comes with the great linemen that we have and the great offensive-minded coach that we have, as well, that allows me to be able to do those types of things. “As a running back, that’s just something we strive for. That’s something I strive for. That’s something I hold true to myself that I’ve got to continue to get those positive yards, those efficient yards. When I look back at the season, I expect to see 1,000 yards.” Williams finished sixth in rushing yards last season with 1,252 yards on 259 carries while adding 10 touchdowns. Not only has the 25-year-old gone over the 1,000-yard mark each of the last three seasons, but he’s also surpassed 1,100 yards in each of those campaigns, and 1,200-plus the past two. The model of consistency, averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career, Williams’ gashing style fits perfectly in Sean McVay’s offense. Despite the output, the RB isn’t a household name like other running backs of his caliber. Williams believes that if he can add more explosive plays to his game, he’ll be viewed in a different light. “I think those long runs, honestly,” Williams said. “Breaking those long runs and allowing people to see that when I get to that third level, I can make the defender miss and I’m gonna go score that. Once I do that this year, they’re gonna really start respecting my name. “Like I said, I don’t look too much into that. I don’t care too much for that. I just know that every single day that I come out here and I’m working, I’m getting better. The only thing I can control is what I can do, and run my own race, so I’m gonna do that to the best of my ability and see where the chips fall.” Williams generated just six rushes of 20-plus yards last season and none in the 40-plus-yard range. With Blake Corum expected to continue eating into Williams’ rep count, adding more explosives would keep his production up without extra totes. |
| SAN FRANCISCOFrom no info, to complete info. Kyle Shanahan provides a complete description of the July 14 crash that has him out of action and takes all the blame. Matt Barrows of The Athletic: Concerned that erroneous details emerged about his July 14 car crash, Kyle Shanahan called a group of reporters into his office Tuesday to clear up a key piece of the story. Shanahan said he was the one who crossed into oncoming traffic, not the 21-year-old driver of the other car. A California crash database indicated the other driver made an illegal turn, causing the head-on collision in Palo Alto earlier this month. That is incorrect, Shanahan said. He said his cell phone slid off his lap and that he took his eyes off the road to retrieve it between the seats. As he was coming up with the phone, the vehicles collided. The San Francisco 49ers head coach said the airbag broke his nose and the visor, with a metal garage door opener clipped to it, sliced him above his right eye, opening a gash that required more than 40 stitches to close. He also received three broken ribs and a concussion, the symptoms of which he is still experiencing. Palo Alto police said the driver of the other vehicle was not injured, no one was cited at the scene and that alcohol was not involved. “I hit her,” an emotional Shanahan said. “I don’t know why it was reported (the other) way.” In a statement, the Palo Alto police department attributed the discrepancy to a “clerical error.” “I can confirm that Kyle Shanahan’s statement that he provided is correct and that he was found at fault for the collision,” Lt. Nicolas Martinez said in the statement. “There was a clerical error in the preparation of the report that was transmitted to the State database. We are in the process of correcting that error. It is the officer’s discretion at the scene of the collision as to whether they issue a citation to either party. It is not uncommon for officers to elect to not issue a citation to either party involved in a collision. Neither party in this situation was provided preferential treatment.” Shanahan said he was “crushed” when details emerged Monday night that suggested the other driver was at fault. He said he was returning from a chiropractor appointment in Menlo Park, Calif., and was in the left-hand lane of Alma Street in Palo Alto, a four-lane road in which oncoming traffic is separated by a double yellow line. He said investigators told him he was traveling 20 mph amid the evening traffic. “It was one of those roads that has no forgiveness,” he said. “The impact — I’ll never forget it because of how violent it was.” Shanahan said that despite the impact, he never lost consciousness and remembers the details of the accident and the aftermath. He said he waited for his wife to arrive at the scene, then was taken by ambulance to Stanford Hospital and was awake as surgeons stitched the wound on his face. He showed reporters a photo of his badly swollen face, which, two weeks after the collision, now looks nearly normal. “My plastic surgeon is f—ing awesome,” he said. “My friends are telling me that my mustache saved my life.” The concussion has been more difficult to overcome. Shanahan said he has been making progress, but that the improvement isn’t linear. For example, he was able to watch all of the 49ers’ practice film Monday with only a minimal headache, the first time he’s done so since the accident. On Tuesday, however, the headache was back in force, in part because he was distressed about how the accident was being portrayed. He said he’s never had a concussion before, and he now has a new perspective on what concussed players go through. “I know I’m gonna be all right,” he said. “Like, I just get fatigued. I just can’t stay the hours right now.” |
| SEATTLEGilberto Manzano of SI.com says the world is underselling the possibility of a Seahawks repeat: The Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season, but they’re not the most talked-about team in the NFC West. The offseason attention has gone to the Rams, the team that made aggressive trades partly because it couldn’t beat the Seahawks when it mattered most. Last season, not many believed Seattle could win it all until it knocked off L.A. in a thrilling NFC championship game. Once again, the Seahawks are being overlooked, but they could very well repeat as champions because of their depth throughout the roster. This strength will be more noticeable in 2026 after parting with a few players who were instrumental in the team hoisting the Lombardi Trophy at Levi’s Stadium in February. In free agency, the Seahawks lost Super Bowl LX MVP and running back Kenneth Walker III, cornerback Riq Woolen, edge rusher Boye Mafe and safety Coby Bryant. However, the team quickly reloaded in the draft and filled a few vacancies with its first three picks, selecting running back Jadarian Price, safety Bud Clark and cornerback Julian Neal. Also, those rookies won’t be rushed to produce immediately because of the star power on both sides of the ball. There’s Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV, Devon Witherspoon and many other core players and ascending talent. Most importantly, coach Mike Macdonald is still around to be the CEO of the team. In two seasons, Macdonald has established himself as one of the league’s top coaches and might be the most brilliant football mind when it comes to defense. This team has never cared much about headlines, and flying under the radar seems to be when it’s at its best. Expect Macdonald & Co. to again be in the mix until the end. LeadershipMacdonald has earned the benefit of the doubt that his offense will continue to excel despite losing Klint Kubiak, Seattle’s former offensive coordinator, who’s now coaching the Raiders. Macdonald has gotten plenty right since being hired in Seattle in 2024. As for the few times he’s been wrong, Macdonald has been quick to react and correct mistakes, including after his first season, when he fired Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator and replaced him with Kubiak. Macdonald now welcomes his third offensive play-caller in as many seasons after hiring Brian Fleury, who coached on both sides of the ball the past seven seasons in San Francisco and most recently served as Kyle Shanahan’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach. It’s a gamble for Macdonald to hand play-calling duties to a first-time offensive coordinator. Still, he’s already laid the foundation for how he wants to operate offensively and has the duo of Darnold and Smith-Njigba to run the show. It’s on Fleury to expand on what went well for Kubiak last season. As for the defense, this will likely again be a dominant unit under Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde, a fast-rising head coach candidate. The Seahawks are loaded on the defensive front and have plenty of talent in the back end. (Although second-year safety Nick Emmanwori might miss some time after opening training camp on the PUP list due to an ankle injury.) The Seahawks are also loaded on special teams, considering how much success special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh had last year, especially with how he used wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in the return game. Additionally, it shouldn’t go unnoticed how many hits GM John Schneider, who’s going into his 17th season, has had in the draft since 2022. After adding players like Smith-Njigba, Witherspoon, Charles Cross, Byron Murphy II and Grey Zabel, it wouldn’t be a surprise if a few more draft gems emerge from this year’s class to help this team defend its title. Most influential roster moveLast summer, there was skepticism about the Seahawks trading DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh and making Smith-Njigba the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. That’s long been forgotten after Smith-Njigba’s monster season and helping Seattle win the Super Bowl. He also collected the Offensive Player of the Year award. If that wasn’t enough confirmation that the Seahawks made the right decisions last offseason, the team didn’t hesitate to lock down Smith-Njigba with a market-setting four-year, $168.6 million contract extension in March. Clearly, the Seahawks have no issues with designing their offense around the star receiver for many years to come. However, it’s a bit surprising that the team hasn’t worked out a deal with Witherspoon, who also had a breakout 2025 and is worthy of being the new highest-paid player at his position. Seattle got it right when it selected Witherspoon and Smith-Njigba with its two first-round picks in 2023. That draft ignited the Seahawks’ rebuild after the Russell Wilson trade with the Broncos, gaining two pillars. Eventually, the Seahawks will agree to an extension with Witherspoon to continue building their defense around him, just like they do with Smith-Njigba on offense. Why this offseason move will (or won’t) workThe Seahawks should be fine after losing Walker, who signed with the Chiefs on a three-year contract worth up to $45 million. However, there’s no denying how instrumental Walker was in Seattle’s run to the Super Bowl. He added a physical aspect to the offense and appeared to have fresh legs down the stretch. The first-round selection of Price came as a surprise to many, but he’s a rugged runner with a similar skill set to Walker. When it comes to running between the tackles, Price might be the best among the running backs drafted in April. The Notre Dame product rushed for 674 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per carry last year as Jeremiyah Love’s backup. Price will likely also be in a committee with Seattle. There’s depth at the position with the signing of Emanuel Wilson, the former backup to Josh Jacobs in Green Bay. And Zach Charbonnet, who was recently placed on the PUP list, should be back at some point in the season after sustaining a torn ACL in the playoffs. Breakout player candidate: Byron Murphy II, DTMurphy made a name for himself last year as a disruptor in the middle of Seattle’s defensive line. But he might be on the cusp of superstardom, perhaps finding a level in 2026 that rivals what the game’s best defensive tackles do every week. At 6’0″, 306 pounds, Murphy lacks some size for the position, but his elite strength makes him difficult to block in both the run and pass games. It took him some time to adjust to the pro game, but it was noticeable last year why he was viewed as a high-ceiling prospect coming out of Texas in 2024. Last year, Murphy played 70% of the defensive snaps and recorded 62 total tackles, seven sacks and 13 QB hits. A breakout 2026 could put him in line to receive a massive contract extension next offseason. Missing pieceThe Seahawks could use another edge rusher to help free the duo of Williams and Murphy in the middle of the defensive line. At this point in their careers, it’s tough to tell how much veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, 34, and Dante Fowler Jr., who will turn 32 next month, have to offer. But Lawrence did have timely moments last year where he created takeaways and other game-changing plays. Lawrence and Fowler could split time to stay fresh. Still, there are more questions with Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall, who are younger but maybe not as reliable as the aforementioned veterans and have seen their snaps decline in recent years. If the strength in numbers approach doesn’t work, look for the Seahawks to make upgrades at edge rusher before the November trade deadline. Realistic outlook With stellar coaching and continuity in various forms, the Seahawks will likely be in the mix for another Super Bowl, even though the Rams have gotten the bulk of the attention this offseason. The Seahawks have plenty of motivation to defend their Super Bowl crown. Maybe they don’t have the same star power as their NFC West rivals, but there’s still plenty of untapped potential on this roster. Seattle hasn’t stopped ascending since Schneider decided to team with Macdonald two seasons ago. |
| AFC WEST |
| LAS VEGASEverything continues to point to QB KIRK COUSINS as the Raiders opening game starter. Nick Shook of NFL.com: Klint Kubiak’s chosen veteran will begin training camp as the Raiders’ offensive director. Kubiak told reporters on Tuesday that Kirk Cousins will start off as the Raiders’ starting quarterback when they begin their first practice on Wednesday. “For every position, there’s gotta be competition, right? The best player has to play, and that’s not just what I’m gonna see,” Kubiak explained to reporters. “You guys are gonna see it in the preseason games. We as coaches, we’re gonna see who the best guard is, the best quarterback, across the board. There’s battles everywhere on the roster. It’s important for me to be fair to the players to put the best player out there. “When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He’s the guy, and he’s going to get a ton of reps. He deserves them because he’s played really good football. But I want Fernando (Mendoza) and I want Aidan (O’Connell) to push him.” Kubiak hasn’t hidden his intentions with how he’ll handle the quarterback position in 2026. In late March, Kubiak said he’d prefer to avoid starting Mendoza, the eventual No. 1 overall pick in April, from Day 1, revealing he’d rather Mendoza learn behind a veteran capable of handling the job for the time being. A few days later, Las Vegas signed Cousins to fulfill Kubiak’s wish. From that point onward, Cousins has been expected to begin the 2026 season as Las Vegas’ starter. How long that lasts remains to be determined, but as of now, everything is following Kubiak’s plan. In a perfect world, Mendoza and O’Connell push Cousins and all three improve. Eventually, Mendoza is deemed ready to take over for Cousins at some point in the 2026 season, but not before Cousins leads the Raiders’ offense through the fire of the early season while Mendoza finds his footing. So far, so good. After washing out of Atlanta, Cousins has found a new opportunity to potentially start in the NFL. Mendoza has a veteran capable of helping him along. The Raiders appear set to continue to follow this plan until a change — or advancement to the next stage of Mendoza’s development — is necessary. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDThe Browns have given more money to CB DENZEL WARD. Daniel Oyefusi ofESPN.com: The Cleveland Browns and five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward reached agreement on a two-year, $62.2 million deal that includes $52.3 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The $31.1 million annual average value makes Ward the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history for the second time in his career. Ward, 29, had two years but no guaranteed salary remaining on the five-year, $100 million extension he signed in April 2022. In the aftermath of the Browns dealing defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in June, Ward became Cleveland’s longest-tenured player. He had declared his commitment to the organization when he spoke at his inaugural celebrity softball game days after the trade. Browns general manager Andrew Berry also stated his desire to keep Ward, who grew up in a Cleveland suburb. Last season, Ward recorded 39 tackles and an interception in 15 games played. The No. 4 pick in the 2018 draft, Ward has 18 interceptions, 104 passes defended and 361 tackles in eight seasons.– – -Dan Graziano of ESPN.com, aided by a panel of secret executives, looks at how Cleveland’s QB battle might play out: Cleveland BrownsCandidates: Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun WatsonSanders was a much-discussed fifth-round pick by the Browns in 2025. Projected by many to go in the first or second round, his draft tumble became fodder for all manner of sports talk debate, which continued into the season while he sat behind veteran Joe Flacco and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. But after Flacco got traded and Gabriel (who’s still on the roster, along with sixth-round rookie Taylen Green) struggled, Sanders was named the starter for the final seven games. The Browns went 3-4 in those contests (and only 2-8 in their other 10 games), while Sanders completed 120 of 212 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions. Watson … well, where do we begin? After leading the league in passing yards in 2020 for the Texans, he sat out the 2021 season because he didn’t want to play for Houston anymore. He ultimately got traded in the spring of 2022 to the Browns for a trove of high draft picks and signed a new fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract. But he was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 season due to personal conduct violations after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Watson played the final six games of that season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback. He then missed 11 games due to injury in 2023 and 10 more in 2024. The injury that ended his 2024 campaign was a right Achilles tendon tear, and he tore that tendon again during rehab that offseason, missing the entirety of 2025 as a result. So, here we are, at long last, in the fifth and final year of that albatross contract. Watson is guaranteed $46 million this season — and he’s healthy. The Browns fired Stefanski as their coach in January and replaced him with Todd Monken, who does not have the history that Stefanski had with Watson. Monken is open-minded to the idea of Watson as the starter if he outperforms the rest of the group in camp. But with two first-round picks in next year’s quarterback-rich draft, the Browns likely want to at least give Sanders a look this season so they know whether he has the potential to be their long-term solution. One anonymous source even said that Browns head coach candidates were asked during the interview process whether they were comfortable with Sanders as the starting QB in 2026. “They have to play Shedeur at some point,” an AFC front office executive said. “They know Watson isn’t going to be there [beyond this season].” That was a common sentiment among the people surveyed. After everything the Browns have been through with Watson — who has played a grand total of 19 games over the past five seasons — it’s nearly impossible to imagine a scenario in which he’d play for them in 2027 or any subsequent season. If that’s the case, the only reason to start him this season is if Monken truly believes he gives them the best chance to win games. And even if that happens, it’s fair to expect a change at some point if they don’t win games. “My question is whether they keep Deshaun on the team if they go with [Sanders],” the AFC scout said. They almost certainly would. The Browns have to pay Watson that $46 million this season no matter what. Releasing him would result in a completely untenable $127 million in dead money cap charges. They could split that up, taking about $41 million in dead money this year and the remaining roughly $86 million in 2027; but those are the same cap charges they’ll have for him anyway if he’s on the team all season and his contract voids, as it’s scheduled to in March. Even if he doesn’t play, they’re better off keeping Watson and designating him as a post-June 1 cut next spring, to spread that $86 million out over two years. Week 1 starter prediction: Watson. The process-driven Browns aren’t going to decide this based on public perception — that is, what their fans would think. And Monken, who has waited a long time to be a head coach, is likely to push for the guy who gives Cleveland the best chance to win. A healthy Watson, performing the way he did early in spring practices, could very well end training camp looking like that guy. But I’m very much of the belief that Sanders will play a representative number of games this season, even if he doesn’t get to play the first one. The Browns need to know what they have before next year’s draft. |
