Jets To Trade QB Justin Fields To Chiefs
As expected, Justin Fields‘ time in New York is coming to an end. A trade has been worked out which will send him from the Jets to the Chiefs, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
This trade will include a late-round pick swap. The Jets are dealing Fields and a seventh-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes. The sixth-rounder is in the 2027 draft, per colleague Tom Pelissero.
New York is retaining salary to facilitate this deal, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Per Pelissero, the Jets are taking on $7MM of the $10MM Fields was already guaranteed for the 2026 season. That will make him a cost-effective backup for the Chiefs, a team in need of insurance under center. Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from an ACL tear, leaving his Week 1 availability in question.
Gardner Minshew was in place as Kansas City’s backup, but he departed last week by agreeing to a free agent deal with the Cardinals. Fields will now be able to handle first-team reps through the offseason while Mahomes recovers. Other teams were interested in the former Bear and Steeler, per Schefter. He adds, however, that Fields’ preference was to join the Chiefs. With an immediate path to practice time in place with respect to Kansas City, that comes as no surprise.
For the Jets, a Fields departure was made even more likely once a reunion with Geno Smith was worked out. New York traded for Smith last week, and his contract was also reworked as part of the deal. The Jets will only be responsible for $3.3MM of Smith’s compensation for 2026. Paying out a larger figure has allowed for a parting of ways in Fields’ case, something which seemed inevitable once his brief tenure atop the depth chart came to an end.
The former first-rounder secured $30MM guaranteed on a two-year free agent deal last spring. Fields served as New York’s starter for nine contests, averaging less than 140 passing yards per game with a career-low 6.2 yards per attempt average. He managed 383 rushing yards and four scores on the ground, but Fields and the Jets’ passing game was the subject of public criticism from owner Woody Johnson before head coach Aaron Glenn decided to bench him. Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook saw time afterwards; Taylor is unsigned but Cook and Bailey Zappe are still in place for the Jets.
The cap savings ($11MM) and dead money charges ($12MM) generated by this trade are essentially a wash for New York. Kansas City, meanwhile, entered Monday with roughly $10MM in cap space – nowhere near as much as the Jets. Taking on Fields at a highly reduced rate will be key for the Chiefs as they sort out their QB depth chart. Fields will join Mahomes, Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener as signal-callers in Kansas City. The Ohio State product has expressed confidence he can still operate as a starter, and the opportunity to do so on a short-term basis may present itself in 2026.
Latest On Potential Maxx Crosby Trade
The Raiders thought they ended the Maxx Crosby era when they agreed to trade the star defensive end to the Ravens on March 5. The blockbuster would have netted the Raiders a pair of first-round picks, but the Ravens backed out last Tuesday after Crosby failed a physical.
Although Crosby is recovering from a full meniscus repair, trade speculation centering on the 28-year-old has persisted. For Crosby’s part, the five-time Pro Bowler seems content to play an eighth season with the Raiders. “Im [sic] A Raider. I’m Back,” he posted on X last week.
It helps that Crosby is a fan of general manager John Spytek, rookie head coach Klint Kubiak and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, Albert Breer of SI.com relays. Crosby has a great relationship with Leonard, the Raiders’ defensive line coach over the previous three seasons. He combined for 68 tackles for loss and 32 sacks under Leonard from 2023-25.
While there is nothing stopping teams from pursuing a Crosby trade, the Raiders have made it clear they are not giving him away for a discount, per Breer. If there are any more “serious” trade talks regarding Crosby, they are unlikely to occur until around April’s draft, according to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom. By then, Crosby could be in position to pass a physical.
Regardless, odds are a Crosby trade will not come together before next season, according to Breer, who notes an acquiring GM would be taking a major risk in giving up significant value for Crosby. If his knee troubles continue over the next couple of years, it would be difficult for the GM to justify the gamble to a team owner.
“My gut, I think he’s a Raider,” one GM told La Canfora.
Signs are pointing to Crosby opening 2026 as a Raider, but Breer points to the possibility of a trade before the deadline if he is playing well and the team is out of contention. That may not be an outcome the Raiders are envisioning, though, after they went on a free agent spending spree. They are also expected to land their next starting quarterback, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, with the No. 1 pick in the draft.
With a new coaching staff and much more talent on their roster, the Raiders will expect to make legitimate progress after a three-win 2025 showing. If the Raiders retain him, a healthy Crosby should boost their chances of turning things around next season.
Fallout From Vikings’ Kyler Murray Signing; Team To Re-Sign Carson Wentz?
The Vikings entered the offseason seeking competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose first year as a starter went awry. They found it in signing former Cardinals franchise signal-caller Kyler Murray to a one-year, prove-it deal last Wednesday.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort tried to find a trade partner for Murray before releasing him, but it was too difficult to pull off because of the two-time Pro Bowler’s bloated contract. Had Murray been on someone’s roster on March 15, $19.5MM of his 2027 salary would have vested. Nobody was willing to take that chance on Murray, who struggled during a limited 2025. He played just five games, none after Week 5, as a result of a Lisfranc injury.
Murray’s tenure in Arizona did not go as planned, though the 2019 No. 1 overall pick was open to staying there before the team released him. While Murray was “genuinely surprised” the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, he approved of the hiring of Mike LaFleur as his replacement, Albert Breer of SI.com writes. But it turns out Murray will not play for LaFleur, who will try to lead a franchise turnaround after Gannon mustered a disastrous 15-36 record in three years.
By the time the Cardinals officially cut Murray last Wednesday, he and agent Erik Burkhardt had already identified the Vikings as their ideal option, per Breer. Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski and head coach Kevin O’Connell quickly invited Murray and Burkhardt to Minnesota for a visit.
Murray was among a “handful” of experienced signal-callers the Vikings studied, according to Breer, but it appealed to both team and player that he could be more than a one-year solution. An inexpensive pact between the sides came together in short order, which prevented other clubs from meeting with Murray.
“O’Connell made sure he got first crack at him,” one GM told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray is not the Vikings’ QB1 yet. He still has to beat out McCarthy, 23, for the role. Although the Vikings invested the 10th pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy, multiple “high-level NFL offensive coaches” informed La Canfora that they expect Murray to win the job. If that happens, the O’Connell-led Vikings will hope for a Sam Darnold-like revival from Murray.
Darnold resurrected his career during his one season in Minnesota in 2024, but with the Vikings ready to turn the keys over to McCarthy, they let him walk in free agency a year ago. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025, while the Vikings fell from 14-3 to 9-8 and missed the playoffs. McCarthy posted rough numbers over 10 starts and missed seven games with injuries to his ankle, head and hand.
While Murray and McCarthy will do battle this summer, they may have company in Minnesota’s QB derby. Carson Wentz, who spent 2025 with the Vikings, is among free agent possibilities. Even after the Vikings added Murray, there is “mutual interest” between the team and Wentz, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Wentz, a late-August signing last year, filled in for an injured McCarthy for five starts. The 33-year-old journeyman was the more productive of the pair, but he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late October. Wentz’s injury left McCarthy and overmatched rookie Max Brosmer as the Vikings’ starting QB choices for the rest of a disappointing campaign.
CB Darius Slay Retires
Darius Slay will not be returning to the Eagles in 2026. Instead, his attention will now turn to his post-playing days. 
Slay took to Instagram to announce his retirement on Monday. The veteran cornerback ended last season on the reserve/retired list after not reporting to the Bills to close out the campaign. It recently became clear any NFL return would only take place with Philadelphia. That will not be the case.
“I’ve been blessed to play the game I loved since I was 5 yrs old for an amazing 13 yrs at the highest level,” Slay’s retirement message reads in part. “Football was my peace, my joy, my everything. This game put me in a position to help take care of my family and loved ones and I’m forever grateful.”
Slay entered the NFL as a Lions draftee in 2013. The second-rounder was a rotational presence during his rookie campaign, but he operated as a full-time starter through the remainder of his career. Slay spent his first seven years in Detroit, a stretch highlighted by the 2017 season; that year, he led the NFL in both interceptions (eight) and pass deflections (26).
In March of 2020, Slay was traded to the Eagles. That deal provided Philadelphia with a standout contributor in the secondary. The Mississippi State product earned three of his six career Pro Bowl nods as an Eagle during a stretch from 2021-23. The following season, Slay was a key defensive presence as Philadelphia won Super Bowl LIX. That title is one or many highlights on the former All-Pro’s resume.
Slay’s Eagles tenure seemed to be ending before he wound up remaining in place on a one-year pact for 2024. Last offseason, he joined the Steelers in free agency. A 10-game run (including nine starts) ensued, but things did not go according to plan. Slay was held without an interception for the second year in a row and he struggled in coverage. Pittsburgh’s decision to release him after the trade deadline led to a trip to the waiver wire. Slay’s preference was to return to the Eagles, but the Bills prevented that by putting in a claim.
In all, Slay totaled 198 regular and postseason games in the NFL. Having elected to hang up his cleats at the age of 35, he will depart the league with nearly $120MM in career earnings.
Panthers Outbid Eagles For Jaelan Phillips
Jaelan Phillips‘ $30MM per year contract with the Panthers was the biggest payday of any player to hit free agency.
Multiple teams were in the hunt for his signature, including the Eagles, but the 26-year-old said on Monday (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) that Carolina’s offer was “more attractive” than Philadelphia’s.
The Eagles moved a third-round pick for Phillips at the 2025 trade deadline, and he put up a strong second-half performance, though his counting tallies of two sacks and four tackles for loss do not show it. In the last nine games of the season, he led the defense with 44 pressures, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He finished the year with 76 total pressures and a 18.4% pass rush win rate, both top-10 marks among edge rushers.
Those results created a massive market for Phillips in free agency, and he cashed in. The Eagles will now be in line to pick up a third-round compensatory pick in the 2027 draft, per OverTheCap, as a consolation prize after being outbid by the Panthers.
Carolina did not need to make such an aggressive offer to Rasheed Walker, who drew surprisingly little interest in free agency after three years as the Packers’ starting left tackle. He was aiming for a multi-year contract with a $20MM AAV, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, comparable to what Dan Moore Jr. received from the Titans last year, but had to settle for a one-year, $10MM deal with the Panthers.
Moore’s contract did not age well, so teams may have been hesitant to pay for starting experience rather than true high-end talent. Walker has graded out well as a pass blocker, but his run-blocking grade has never been higher than 56.3 and his pass blocking efficiency has never topped 96.5.
Carolina is an excellent situation for Walker to try to push his valuation into the market he desires. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, and given that the injury happened in the first round of the playoffs in January, he may not play in 2026. Walker will take his spot for the season in the hopes of a bigger payday this time next year.
Caleb Banks Underwent Surgery On Broken Foot
Injuries during the pre-draft process always shake up big boards around the NFL, and this year will be no different.
Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks surged up post-Combine rankings after an impressive athletic performance from his 6-foot-6, 327-pound frame. He may now head in the other direction after undergoing surgery on a fractured fourth metatarsal last week, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
Banks suffered the broken foot the day before his testing session, making his numbers – including a 9-foot-6 broad jump – all the more impressive. However, the injury may also be a concern for some teams, especially after Banks missed most of the 2025 college season with a foot injury.
The injury was discovered during a pre-draft visit to an undisclosed team, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Banks is expected to return to the field by June, so he likely will be sidelined for rookie minicamp, most (if not all) of OTAs, and potentially mandatory minicamp. Currently viewed as a late first-round prospect, Banks seems unlikely to rise into the top 20 after news of his injury, though it only takes one team to have confidence in his recovery.
In other pre-draft medical news, Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion underwent a “routine and preventative” knee scope last week, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He played in all but one of his teams’ games in college with All-SEC honors for his contributions as a receiver and returner in 2025.
The 5-foot-11 wideout did not participate in athletic testing in Indianapolis, though he did run receiver drills on the field. His surgery will likely sideline him for the Aggies’ Pro Day on March 25, but Concepcion is expected to be ready for rookie minicamp after the draft. Concepcion is also viewed as a borderline first-rounder, but preventative arthroscopic surgery on a player without a significant injury history is unlikely to negatively impact his draft stock.
Jamaree Salyer To Compete For Starting Guard Job In Miami
The 2025 season was one of the healthiest in recent memory for the Dolphins’ offensive line.
Four players played over 800 snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required): left tackle Patrick Paul, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea, center Aaron Brewer, and right guard Cole Strange. Austin Jackson held the starting right tackle job in Week 1, but injuries resulted in Larry Borom finishing the year with 11 starts.
Borom left in free agency, but Jackson agreed to a revised contract and will likely enter the season as the starting right tackle once again. Strange’s departure to Los Angeles will force new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to find a new right guard, and after ranking as the NFL’s lowest-graded starting offensive lineman in 2025 (via PFF), Savaiinaea’s starting job may not be secure, either.
New free agent signing Jamaree Salyer is expected to factor into the starting guard competition in Miami this summer, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. In fact, such an opportunity was among the reasons he opted to take an inexpensive deal in Miami over better offers from other teams.
The 2022 sixth-round pick took over as the Chargers’ starting left tackle four games into his rookie year but was replaced by Rashawn Slater after he was drafted the following spring. Salyer played almost every snap at right guard in 2024 and has spent the last two years as a versatile backup. That skillset came in handy amid the Chargers’ offensive line injuries, with Salyer starting nine games and taking snaps at every position except center.
His competition for a starting guard gig will include Savaiinaea and Andrew Meyer, per Jackson, and the team could also augment the position with another veteran signing or a draft pick in April. Kion Smith, who started two games last year, could also get a look, though he struggled mightily in his limited playing time.
Jets DL Jowon Briggs Signs ERFA Tender
Following a promising sophomore season in New York, Jowon Briggs is now definitively sticking with the Jets in 2026. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the defensive tackle inked his exclusive rights free agent tender today.
This was the expected move after the Jets initially placed the ERFA tender on Briggs earlier this month. By signing that deal, the defensive tackle is now attached to a non-guaranteed $1.075MM base salary for next season.
A 2024 seventh-round pick by the Browns, Briggs played sparingly as a rookie. The Jets picked him up via a late-round pick swap towards the end of the 2025 preseason, and the defender immediately saw a role for his new squad. Briggs had a part-time role on the Jets defensive line through the first half of the season, but following the Quinnen Williams deal, the defensive tackle saw a larger role down the stretch.
Briggs actually led the DL unit in snaps from Week 11 on, with the uptick corresponding with his move to the starting lineup. Over that stretch, the lineman compiled 25 tackles, five tackles for loss, and a pair of sacks. When all was said and done, Briggs had four sacks for the season, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 15th among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The Jets have been busy adding to their defensive line this offseason, with T’Vondre Sweat and David Onyemata joining Harrison Phillips in the starting lineup. Still, the Jets regime clearly sees something in Briggs, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he sees an even larger role during his third NFL season.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Visited Titans, Giants
Drafting running backs early in the first round has gone in and out of fashion over the last decade. From 2015 to 2018, six running backs were selected within the first 15 picks; since then, only three have been taken that high, all in the last three drafts.
2026 prospect Jeremiyah Love could be the fourth with apparent interest from multiple teams with top-10 selections. He visited the Titans at the beginning of March (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) and the Giants this past weekend (also via Schultz).
The hype train for Love took off at the Combine in Indianapolis, where his 4.36-second 40-yard dash and smooth hands and footwork in pass-catching drills attracted the attention of several teams.
“The NFL loves Jeremiyah Love,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said in early March. “I spoke with execs for three different teams who said that Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this draft. The Notre Dame running back should go in the top 10, and the word I’m hearing, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top five.”
Selecting a running back with such a high pick will no doubt draw criticism based on positional value. Running backs earn significantly less than other positions like wide receiver and edge rusher that have a more direct impact on the passing game. Ashton Jeanty, taken with the No. 6 pick last year, immediately became the NFL’s 12th-most expensive running back, per OverTheCap, greatly reducing the financial advantage offered by rookie contracts.
Taking Love in the top 10 would result in a similar inefficiency. A top-five selection would result in the most guaranteed money ever for a running back being handed to a rookie before he plays a single down in the pros.
However, as Wolfe notes, the 2026 draft class is viewed as thin on truly elite prospects. Love is one of the few, so rather than pursue a less talented player at a more valuable position, teams could opt to land a potential game-changing running back with the hopes that he can have a similar impact as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have in Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.
Falcons Rework A.J. Terrell’s Contract
The Falcons opened up a considerable chunk of cap space today. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the team restructured A.J. Terrell‘s contract.
Specifically, the team converted $12MM of the cornerback’s salary into a signing bonus. This helped carve out an extra $9MM in cap space, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. The veteran will now earn a $3MM base salary in 2026 and is attached to a $13.5MM cap charge.
Terrell is still playing on the four-year, $81MM extension he inked with the Falcons back in 2024. That contract effectively included $65.8MM in guaranteed money; at the time, that represented the second-highest commitment to a cornerback in NFL history. As a result of that lucrative deal, the organization will have to continue navigating the contract in upcoming seasons. In addition to carving out some extra cap space, today’s contract machinations kicked the can down the road in that regard.
The cornerback is attached to a sizable $27.5MM cap hit in 2027, meaning the team could once again go to the negotiating table with the veteran. The Falcons will truly face a decision about Terrell’s roster status in 2028, when he’s attached to a $29.5MM cap hit. By making the CB a post-June 1 cut that year, the organization would save $19MM against the cap vs. $10.5MM in dead cap. In other words, this surely isn’t the last time we’ll hear of the player’s contract.
Of course, neither GM Ian Cunningham nor head coach Kevin Stefanski were around when Terrell inked that extension, and it’s uncertain how the new Falcons regime feels about their high-priced cornerback. A first-round pick in 2020, Terrell showed off his ceiling as a sophomore, when he earned an All-Pro nod after finishing with three interceptions and 16 passes defended. For his efforts that season, Pro Football Focus ranked him 2nd among 116 qualifying cornerbacks.
He’s struggled to live up to that showing. He finished the 2024 campaign having allowed a career-worst 67.2 completion percentage on passes thrown his way. He rebounded slightly in 2025, improving that mark to 58.3 percent. However, PFF marked him down for eight missed tackles, leading to a middling positional grade (75th among 112 qualifiers).
Fortunately for Terrell, he’ll have an opportunity to show the organization’s new leadership what he’s got. The Falcons haven’t done anything to address the position this offseason, meaning they’re easily penciling Terrell in for an important role in 2026.