Giants DL Roy Robertson-Harris Suffers Achilles Tear
Defensive line depth was already a question mark for the Giants entering spring practices. The unit has now suffered a serious blow.
Roy Robertson-Harris suffered a torn Achilles during Thursday’s OTA practice, as first reported by Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The injury can of course be expected to sideline him for most (if not all) of the 2026 campaign. Robertson-Harris is a pending 2027 free agent.
Team and player agreed to a two-year, $9MM pact last March. That deal set up Robertson-Harris to handle a full-time starting role, and he logged a 56% snap share in 2025. The 32-year-old was in position to once again serve as a key figure along the defensive interior for the Giants, especially in the wake of the Dexter Lawrence trade. Instead, Robertson-Harris’ attention will now turn to a lengthy recovery process.
New York waited until the sixth round of last month’s draft to add a defensive lineman (Bobby Jamison-Travis). The team added veteran reinforcements in the form of Shelby Harris and then D.J. Reader during the post-draft wave of free agency. Those two will be counted on to occupy significant roles for a D-tackle group which no longer features Lawrence and which will not have Robertson-Harris in the picture for the foreseeable future. Reader inked a two-year deal, but Harris is only on the books for 2026.
The Giants also have 2025 third-rounder Darius Alexander and recent waiver claim Zacch Pickens in place at this point. The competition for playing time among the remaining defensive linemen will be worth watching closely as the offseason continues. New York currently has just over $11MM in cap space, a portion of which could be devoted to adding another depth option to compensate for losing Robertson-Harris.
Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent, Robertson-Harris has amassed 134 appearances and 79 starts. He was unable to remain a low-end sack contributor with the Giants last season after chipping in during his time with the Bears and Jaguars. Nevertheless, another campaign of consistent play against the run had been anticipated in this case. Instead, 2026 will be marked by a rehab process for Robertson-Harris which will have a notable impact on the Giants’ plans for their defensive front.
Rams, Matthew Stafford Agree To Extension
The Rams have officially committed to Matthew Stafford through at least the 2027 campaign. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed to a one-year, $55MM extension. The deal could reach $60MM with incentives. The Rams have officially announced the deal.
After reworking the QB’s contract in both 2024 and 2025, there was one year remaining on the reigning MVP’s pact. With today’s extension, Stafford will now be attached to a two-year deal worth up to $105MM. The true $50MM average annual value would only rank 11th at his position, but a $55MM AAV would be tied for second behind Dak Prescott‘s record-breaking $60MM in annual earnings.
We heard last month that the Rams were progressing on a deal with Stafford. However, the team later stunned the NFL world when they used their 13th-overall selection in the draft on QB Ty Simpson. While the team is counting on the Alabama star to eventually guide their offense, Rams leadership also made it clear that the selection wasn’t an indictment on Stafford nor his standing on the team. Today’s agreement all but assures that Simpson will now warm the bench for at least his first two professional seasons.
The Rams have had to navigate a handful of contractual issues with Stafford. A year after acquiring the former first-overall pick from the Lions, the Rams signed the QB to a four-year, $160MM extension. As the veteran fell down the AAV leaderboard, he came to the table with restructuring requests in 2024 and 2025.
That latter negotiation led to the Rams letting Stafford speak with other teams about a potential trade. While the Giants and Raiders lined up guarantee packages covering north of $90MM, Stafford ultimately stuck with the Rams, agreeing to a revised two-year, $80MM deal that included a $40MM guarantee at signing. Another $40MM guarantee vested on Day 5 of the current league year. A $24MM 2026 option bonus was also split into four parts.
Stafford won MVP following an age-37 season that saw him pace the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). The veteran has seen a career renaissance while playing under Sean McVay in Los Angeles. After going 74-90-1 in 12 seasons with the Lions, Stafford has gone 46-28 through his first five years with the Rams. The QB has also added 10 playoff appearances to his resume, including four during his team’s 2021 run to a Super Bowl championship.
The team’s pursuit of another championship has fallen short in recent years. However, the organization can rest easy knowing that the McVay/Stafford tandem will remain in place for at least the next few seasons.
Poll: How Many Games Will Steelers Win In Aaron Rodgers’ Last Year?
Four-plus months after their season ended, the Steelers finally got an answer on quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ future last weekend. Rodgers agreed to return on a second straight one-year deal, which came as a relief to a Pittsburgh team that saw free agent and trade options erode over the past couple of months. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer announced on Wednesday that this will be his last season.
Rodgers won four MVPs during heyday in Green Bay, where he played for head coach Mike McCarthy from 2006-18. He took home two of his MVPs and won his lone Super Bowl under McCarthy, who is now entering his first year as the Steelers’ head coach. Reluctant to rebuild in the wake of Mike Tomlin‘s January resignation, the Steelers turned to McCarthy in a win-now move. They famously never finished below .500 in any of Tomlin’s 19 seasons at the helm. They don’t expect that to change with Rodgers and McCarthy reuniting in 2026.
Tomlin stepped away from a team that went 10-7 and won the AFC North last season, but his decorated Pittsburgh tenure ended in unceremonious fashion. The Texans walked into the Steel City and bullied the Steelers in a 30-6 rout in the wild-card round. Rodgers, whom the Texans sacked four times, completed just 17 of 33 passes for 146 yards and an interception. He was far more effective than that during the regular season, which helps explain why the Steelers won their division. However, as he prepares for his 22nd season, Rodgers is much closer to an average starter than the QB demigod he was in Green Bay.
Although Father Time continues to gain on Rodgers, the Steelers saw him as their best choice throughout the offseason. With the expectation that Rodgers would eventually re-sign, they spent the past few months attempting to upgrade the roster around him. Adding capable receiving complements to DK Metcalf was a point of emphasis for general manager Omar Khan, who landed Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Colts and selected Germie Bernard in the second round of the draft.
Twenty-six picks before he pulled in Bernard at No. 47, Khan tried to take former USC star wideout Makai Lemon 21st overall. However, while Khan was on the phone with Lemon, his plan fell through. The Eagles traded up to No. 20 to snag Lemon, leaving the Steelers to pivot to offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with their top choice. Iheanachor is beginning his career on the right side, while 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu could shift left as Broderick Jones recovers from neck surgery.
Elsewhere on offense, McCarthy reunited with another of his former players, running back Rico Dowdle, on a two-year, $12.25MM agreement in free agency. Dowdle was a Cowboy from 2020-24, McCarthy’s full five-year run as their head coach.
After rushing for his first 1,000-yard season in his last year in Dallas, Dowdle accomplished the feat again in 2025 with Carolina. He will give the Steelers a veteran replacement for Kenneth Gainwell, who signed a similar contract with the Buccaneers (two years, $14MM). Dowdle should feature prominently in a backfield that also includes Jaylen Warren, who just missed the 1,000-yard mark last season, as well as 2025 third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich.
McCarthy, whose expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, brought in the experienced Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator. The Steelers’ defense continues to boast plenty of household names as it begins life after Tomlin. T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Queen and Nick Herbig are among the holdovers from last year. The Steelers have since picked up a pair of new starters for their secondary in cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker.
Dean, a former Buccaneer who moved to Pittsburgh on a three-year, $36.75MM pact, will join Porter to comprise the Steelers’ top two outside corners. Although Dean missed three games in his seventh and final season in Tampa Bay, Pro Football Focus ranked his play a stellar fifth among 112 qualified corners.
Meanwhile, PFF rated Brisker a middling 45th among 91 safeties. The former Bear settled for a modest deal (one year, $5.5MM) to return to his native Pittsburgh in free agency. While Brisker has a troubling history of concussions, the four-year veteran logged his first 17-game/start season in 2025. If Brisker stays healthy again, the Steelers will expect him to provide an upgrade over departed safeties Kyle Dugger, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers. They let all three of those defenders walk in free agency.
When PFR’s Sam Robinson previewed Pittsburgh’s offseason in March, he wrote: “There are worse places to be than the middle, but the Steelers have resided here for a long time. Will this offseason reveal a path toward a way out or deliver more of the same?”
As highlighted above, the Steelers have made some notable changes to their roster since the offseason commenced. Nevertheless, Vegas has set the Steelers’ over/under for wins at a middling 8.5. Falling short of that total would mark the Steelers’ first sub-.500 season since 2003. How do you expect them to fare in Rodgers’ last year? Have they done enough to stay ahead of division rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
How many games will the Steelers win in 2026?
Giants, GM Joe Schoen Agree To Multiyear Extension
Once believed to be on the hot seat, Joe Schoen is now sticking in New York for the foreseeable future. The Giants have agreed to a multiyear extension with their general manager, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. The team has since announced the move.
Following last season’s ouster of Brian Daboll, it became apparent that Schoen had a relatively short leash in his role. The organization’s offseason additions only seemed to reinforce that notion. First, the team landed John Harbaugh to be their next head coach. While Schoen was notably involved in that search, the new head coach insisted on reporting to ownership instead of the GM. Before the higher-ups ultimately greenlit that arrangement, it was rumored that Schoen represented an impediment to that potential change.
Later in the offseason, we heard the Giants’ Dawn Aponte hire (as senior VP of football operations and strategy) stripped power from Schoen. That report hinted that Schoen had essentially been “relegated to handling scouting” while the “rest of the building reports to Dawn.” Since franchise’s tend to prefer some continuity before the draft, there were even whispers that Schoen could be a post-draft casualty.
At the same time, a report during the Giants’ Harbaugh pursuit indicated the coach’s likely willingness to work with the GM. After navigating both free agency and the draft, it sounds like leadership (including the new HC) was satisfied with their current hierarchy, leading to today’s unexpected extension.
Schoen has spent more than two decades in NFL front offices, including initial stops with the Panthers and Dolphins. During that latter stint in Miami, the executive worked his way up to director of player personnel, and he parlayed that gig into the assistant general manager role in Buffalo under Brandon Beane.
The Giants hired Schoen to lead their front office in 2022, and the GM quickly recruited Daboll to join him in New York. The organization saw some immediate success under the new regime, as the team won their first playoff game since their Super Bowl-winning run in 2011. However, that success didn’t last. Following a nine-win showing in 2022, the Giants dropped to six wins in 2023 before bottoming out with three wins in 2024 and four wins in 2025.
While Schoen has had some hits in the draft, he’s also earned his fair share of criticism. His willingness to let Saquon Barkley and fellow first-team All-Pro Xavier McKinney walk in free agency left both fans and players (including Dexter Lawrence) disillusioned with the franchise’s direction. Schoen also spearheaded the regrettable Daniel Jones extension, a deal the Giants will continue paying in 2026.
Harbaugh undoubtedly has the final say from a roster-building perspective, and the coach could have easily pushed for a change to the front office hierarchy. Despite Schoen’s warts, today’s extension indicates a vote of confidence from both ownership and (perhaps most importantly) Harbaugh.
Lions Extend LB Jack Campbell
11:20pm: Campbell and the Lions agreed to a four-year deal worth $81MM, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The deal includes $51.5MM in guaranteed money.
With the deal coming in at a $20.25MM average annual value, Campbell will slide right behind Warner ($21MM) and right ahead of Smith ($20MM) on the list of the highest AAVs among linebackers.
12:55pm: Extension talks between the Lions and Jack Campbell have produced an agreement. The All-Pro linebacker announced on Thursday that he has signed a new deal with Detroit.
The Lions recently declined Campbell’s fifth-year option, but an extension remained the team’s goal in this case. The Lions have since confirmed today’s news of a long-term pact being finalized. Campbell will remain on the books through 2030 as a result of this deal.
This marks the first Lions action with regards to one of their impact 2023 draftees. The team came away with Campbell, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch in the first two rounds of the ’23 draft. The team exercised Gibbs’ fifth-year option, buying more time on that front, but off-ball linebacker options are annually declined. Detroit followed suit, but this move differentiates the Lions, as several teams have lost first-round ILBs in free agency after declining an option.
Since the Buccaneers exercised Devin White‘s option in 2022, no team has picked up a non-rush linebacker’s. This has led to subsequent free agency defections from Patrick Queen, Jordyn Brooks, Quay Walker and Devin Lloyd over the past three offseasons. Lloyd and Walker respectively left Jacksonville and Green Bay in March. The Lions’ proactivity with Campbell — whose option, thanks to the NFL grouping rush and non-rush ‘backers together in the option formula, checked in at $21.93MM — will bring a course change at this position and ensure a 2025 All-Pro talent remains in place with the team that selected him.
Detroit drew criticism coming out of the 2023 first round, as both picks went to players at non-premium positions. But Gibbs has become one of the NFL’s most electric running backs; Campbell made 2025 a breakout season. The Iowa product, chosen 18th overall in 2023, zoomed to first-team All-Pro acclaim after finishing the season with 176 tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles and nine tackles for loss. Campbell is the first player to record 160-plus tackles and five-plus sacks in a season in more than 20 years.
He became the first Lions linebacker to claim first-team All-Pro honors since Chris Spielman‘s 1991 season. Because of Campbell’s original-ballot Pro Bowl nod, his option number increased to nearly $22MM.
Campbell, 25, has never missed a game as a pro. This ironman run proved tremendously beneficial for the Lions in 2024, when their 15-2 squad lost several defenders — including linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez — to major injuries. The Lions re-signed Barnes to a three-year, $24MM deal in 2025 but let Anzalone play out his contract. The longtime starter joined the Bucs in free agency. Rodriguez re-signed with the Lions (one year, $2.75MM) in March.
Although the Lions could not negotiate with Campbell on a new deal until January, a re-up has been on the team’s radar for a while. We heard in November a likelihood the team would act here, and steady buzz has built in the months since. GM Brad Holmes called Campbell, Gibbs, LaPorta and Branch priorities in January, and the team has now taken care of one key contractual matter. It would surprise if a Gibbs payday does not follow suit, potentially leaving the Lions with a LaPorta-or-Branch decision. Holmes, however, has done well to extend core players drafted during his tenure.
This Campbell extension follows the deals given to Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph, Jameson Williams and Aidan Hutchinson. With Jared Goff also extended, the top of the Lions’ payroll is becoming a bit crowded. Considering the struggles the franchise endured in the period prior to Holmes’ arrival, this represents a good problem to have.
The NFL only features two off-ball linebackers on $20MM-per-year deals — All-Pros Fred Warner and Roquan Smith — while Azeez Al-Shaair ($18MM AAV) and Zack Baun ($17MM) are the only ILBs north of $15MM per annum. This is a good time to pay an inside ‘backer, with the market stagnating during the 2020s. Al-Shaair’s extension earlier this year could certainly be relevant for Campbell, and it would surprise if the ascending player did not join this group as a top-five salary player at the position.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears: No ‘Viable’ Stadium Site In Chicago
As they continue to seek a new stadium site, it appears there is little hope of the Bears remaining in Chicago. In a statement issued Thursday, the Bears indicated they are considering just two potential sites for their new home. Both locations are outside of the city.
“The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal,” the team said. “There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond.”
Arlington Heights is an Illinois suburb approximately 25 miles from Chicago. If the Bears end up there, it would be in a new indoor venue on 326 acres of land. Despite being out of state, Hammond, Ind., is similar in distance to Soldier Field as Arlington Heights. The Indiana site would also include a new domed stadium. Commissioner Roger Goodell called both options “viable” earlier this week (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
Last month, the Illinois House voted to approve a proposal to give tax breaks for megaprojects of $100MM or more. That would include a football stadium, which would bode well for the Bears staying in Illinois. But the Senate will also have to approve the legislation before adjourning on May 31, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. If the vote doesn’t pass, the Bears will likely go to Indiana, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren wants the team to pick a site by late spring or early summer, per Finley. Warren accompanied Bears chairman George McCaskey on a mid-April visit to Hammond, where they met with Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. Although the franchise has played in Illinois since 1920, McCaskey said Bears fans “would get used to” Indiana (via Finley). Because Hammond is within 75 miles of downtown Chicago, the Bears – not the Indiana-based Colts – already own marketing rights there.
The Bears’ current home, Soldier Field, opened in 1924. It is now the oldest stadium in the NFL by far. The Bears began play there in 1971. Fifty-five years later, their time at Soldier Field is nearing an end. Depending on how the Illinois Senate votes on May 31, the Bears’ days in the state may also be numbered.
Chargers Could Re-Sign WR Keenan Allen
Wide receiver Keenan Allen has played all but one of his 13 NFL seasons with the Chargers. Then based in San Diego, the Bolts took Allen in the third round of the 2013 draft. He turned into one of the best players in franchise history. Allen ranks first among Chargers in catches (985), second in yards (11,307) and third in receiving touchdowns (63).
After spending 2024 in Chicago, where he racked up 70 of his 1,055 career receptions, Allen reunited with the Chargers on a one-year, $8.52MM last August. Allen went on to average a career-low 9.6 yards per catch in his first career 17-game season, but he led the team in receptions (81) and targets (122). He also pulled in four touchdowns.
Allen returned to free agency back in March, but he is once again unsigned late in the spring. The Chargers have not ruled out a new deal for the 34-year-old, though.
In a Thursday appearance on Up & Adams, Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz told Kay Adams that the “door is not closed” on bringing Allen back. Hortiz revealed he has had “some communication with [Allen’s] representation.”
While Hortiz is not ruling out another go-around with Allen, he noted the Chargers want to let their current receivers “grow and develop.” In his three drafts atop the Chargers’ front office, Hortiz has added Ladd McConkey (2024) and Tre Harris (2025) in the second round, Brenen Thompson in the fourth round (2026) and Keandre Lambert-Smith in the fifth round (’25). Hortiz also exercised Quentin Johnston‘s fifth-year option for 2027 earlier this offseason.
Like Allen, McConkey carries significant experience in the slot. As things stand, he and Johnston are the Chargers’ top two at the position. The team also has a couple of capable pass-catching tight ends in Oronde Gadsden and recent free agent pickup David Njoku, further adding to quarterback Justin Herbert‘s options. As a fifth-round rookie last year, Gadsden far exceeded expectations during a 49-catch, 664-yard campaign. Meanwhile, although he took a backseat to Browns third-rounder Harold Fannin in 2025, Njoku notched 33 receptions and four scores in 12 games.
The Chargers still have over $45MM in cap space, giving them plenty of room to re-sign Allen. Even if Allen does not end up as a member of the Chargers’ receiving corps in 2026, he should be able to find a taker before the season. For now, he and other established wideouts like Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel and DeAndre Hopkins are in limbo.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/26
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Waived: RB Deion Hankins
- Placed on exempt/international player list: P Tory Taylor
Houston Texans
- Waived/injured: CB Ajani Carter
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OT Marques Cox, RB Carlos Washington
- Waived: TE Jalin Conyers, OL Braeden Daniels
Tepid Trade Market For Jacoby Brissett?
Jacoby Brissett continues to sit out OTAs as he pursues a new contract. The quarterback’s apparent dissatisfaction with his deal (along with the Cardinals’ selection of Carson Beck) has led some pundits to assume that a trade is inevitable.
[RELATED: Jacoby Brissett Absent For Start Of Cardinals’ OTAs]
That hypothetical trade probably won’t come to fruition, at least for the time being. Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.com writes that “there isn’t much of a trade market” for Brissett.
Further, one anonymous GM who was shopping for QB reinforcement was skeptical that the veteran was ever on the trade block. If anything, that executive believes the Cardinals are willing to keep Brissett into the regular season and wait until a QB-needy team is willing to make a desperate trade. La Canfora also notes that some league executives are skeptical that Brissett can continue his play into the 2026 campaign. So even when the inevitable crop of injuries do pop up, the market may not be as robust as the Cardinals are hoping.
If that’s truly the Cardinals plan, then the front office will still have to navigate Brissett’s current discontent. The 33-year-old inked a two-year, $12.5MM contract with Arizona last offseason, and he’s currently attached to $5.4MM in earnings for the 2026 campaign.
That’s obviously an affordable arrangement for the franchise, especially since they plan for Brissett to be their QB1 entering the season. Initially signed to serve as Kyler Murray‘s backup, Brissett ended up starting 12 games for the Cardinals in 2025. While the team only went 1-11 in those appearances, the journeyman put up some of the best numbers of his career. He finished the campaign having completed 64.9 percent of his passes while establishing career-highs in passing yards (3,366) and passing touchdowns (23).
Despite his production last season, it’s not like the rebuilding Cardinals have a desperate need to keep Brissett around. As mentioned, the team used a third-round selection on Beck, and there’s a good chance the Miami product sees the field at some point during his rookie season. The Cardinals also brought in Gardner Minshew following their failed pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo, so there’s another QB who can keep the seat warm until Beck is deemed ready to play.
Buccaneers Sign Josiah Trotter, Complete Draft Class Signings
The Buccaneers have wrapped up their draft pick signings. The team announced that they’ve inked second-round linebacker Josiah Trotter to his rookie deal.
Trotter, the son of former Pro Bowl LB Jeremiah Trotter, earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year following a standout season at West Virginia in 2024, and he continued his NFL trajectory after transferring to Missouri. The linebacker earned First-team All-SEC honors this past year after finishing with 84 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
That performance established Trotter as one of the top linebacker prospects in the nation, and he was ultimately the fourth player selected at his position when Tampa Bay used the 46th-overall pick on him. With Alex Anzalone switching over to the weakside linebacker role, the rookie will immediately have an opportunity to contribute at the Mike linebacker spot.
As mentioned, the Bucs have now signed their seven draft picks to rookie deals. The group includes:
- Round 1, No. 15: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)
- Round 2, No. 46: Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
- Round 3, No. 84 (from Packers): Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
- Round 4, No. 116: Keionte Scott (CB, Miami)
- Round 5, No. 155: Demonte Capehart (DT, Clemson)
- Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers): Billy Schrauth (G, Notre Dame)
- Round 6, No. 185 (from Raiders): Bauer Sharp (TE, LSU)