Panthers To Sign C Luke Fortner
The Panthers may have found their replacement for Cade Mays. The team is set to sign veteran center Luke Fortner, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It’s a one-year deal for Fortner, per Pelissero. The contract will pay the lineman up to $4.75MM.
The 2022 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career in Jacksonville. He was a full-time starter through his first two years, but he was limited to only 13 offensive snaps in 17 games in 2024. Predictably, the Jaguars moved on from him following that campaign, trading him to the Saints for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Fortner returned to the starting lineup during his lone season in New Orleans, starting 10 of his 17 appearances. Pro Football Focus believed this was the best showing of the lineman’s career, ranking him 17th among 37 qualifying centers. The site ultimately credited him with three sacks allowed and 11 pressures allowed.
Mays joined the Lions yesterday on a three-year deal, and with center/guard Austin Corbett also unsigned, the Panthers had a major hole on their offensive line. Fortner will surely be penciled in for the starting gig entering training camp, but he could face some competition from special teamer Nick Samac or any other offseason acquisition.
Teddy Bridgewater To Rejoin Lions
Teddy Bridgewater is not heading back to retirement. The high school coach-turned-Buccaneers backup is heading back to Detroit. Bridgewater will rejoin the Lions, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Bridgewater’s first stint with the Lions came in 2023, when he barely saw the field as Jared Goff‘s primary backup. He opted to retire following that campaign and became a high school football coach. However, he returned to Detroit late in the 2024 season, bumping Hendon Hooker from his role as QB2. Bridgewater made a brief cameo during the team’s Divisional Round loss to the Commanders, but he otherwise didn’t play that season.
Instead of returning to his HS coaching gig, Bridgewater decided to continue his playing career in 2025. He signed with the Buccaneers in late August and spent the season serving as Baker Mayfield‘s top backup. Bridgewater got playing time in four contests, connecting on eight of his 15 pass attempts for 62 yards.
Now, he’ll return to a familiar spot in Detroit. Besides his first stint with the organization, Bridgewater also has a connection to Dan Campbell, who was on the Saints coaching staff during the QB’s stint in New Orleans. The Lions needed some depth at the position following the loss of backup QB David Montgomery Kyle Allen, and they landed on a familiar face.
Goff hasn’t missed a game since the 2021 season, so the Lions may be content entering the regular season with only the two veteran signal callers. Of course, in the scenario where Goff is forced to miss time, it seems unlikely that Bridgewater can keep the offense humming. The 33-year-old last started a game in 2022 with the Dolphins. His last full-time starting gig came with the Broncos in 2021. That season, Bridgewater guided his squad to a 7-7 record in his 14 starts, connecting on 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Still, the Lions clearly value Bridgewater’s veteran savviness, and the team is obviously operating under the assumption that they won’t have to lean on their QB2 in 2026.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
Rock Ya-Sin emerged as a key part of the Lions’ secondary in 2025, and he is now set to reprise his role in 2026. The veteran cornerback is expected to sign a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in Detroit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ya-Sin, 29, first signed with the Lions last offseason on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. That turned out to be an excellent value, especially given the injuries that plagued their secondary throughout the season. Ya-Sin appeared in every game, making six starts and commanding a 55% snap share. He put up a career-high nine passes defended, allowed a career-low 74.7 passer rating when targeted, and chipped in 47 tackles, his most since his rookie year.
More to come.
Commanders To Add LB Leo Chenal
After four seasons with the Chiefs, Leo Chenal will join former teammates Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti in Washington. The Commanders are signing the young linebacker, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
Chenal is signing a three-year, $24.75MM Commanders pact. Although this year’s linebacker class is deep, Chenal is one of the youngest options — at 25. The Chiefs re-signed Nick Bolton last year and have Drue Tranquill tied to a deal he inked in 2024. Kansas City, which is reshaping its secondary over the past week, will now lose another key defender.
PFR’s No. 39-ranked free agent, Chenal played a career-high 53% of the Chiefs’ defensive snaps in his contract year. Used in multiple capacities by DC Steve Spagnuolo, Chenal made between 58 and 65 tackles over the past three seasons while starting 44 games in that span. Spagnuolo preferred to use Tranquill over Chenal alongside Bolton over the past two campaigns, but Chenal’s work rate has never the less increased.
Pro Football Focus ranked all three of the Chiefs’ LB regulars in the top 20 at the position last year, and Chenal also submitted a 2023 season with eight tackles for loss. The former third-round pick has five playoff starts under his belt as well. An effective blitzer (seven career sacks), Chenal will be a key piece for new Washington DC Daronte Jones. Though, Chenal’s most memorable NFL contribution came when he saved the Chiefs from a November 2024 home loss to the Broncos by blocking Denver’s game-winning field goal attempt.
Washington has hybrid player Frankie Luvu in a contract year and has not re-signed Bobby Wagner, who has not missed a game during his two Commanders seasons. Chenal will be poised to become a full-time linebacker for the first time, regardless of who Washington puts around him on its defensive second level.
The Chiefs how lost Chenal, Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook and Joshua Williams off their defense. The team released defensive lineman Mike Danna recently as well. Spagnuolo’s eighth Kansas City unit will look drastically different than his seventh.
Eagles To Add CB Riq Woolen
Riq Woolen‘s role on a Super Bowl-winning Seahawks defense will not result in a big-ticket multiyear deal, but the free agent cornerback is receiving a notable opportunity. The Eagles are signing him, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
It is a one-year deal worth up to $15MM for the four-year Seattle regular. Philadelphia pursued Alontae Taylor, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, but that market settled with a three-year, $60MM Tennessee deal. A lower-cost commitment will commence with Woolen, who is being given a higher-end “prove it” deal.
The Seahawks discussed Woolen at the trade deadline and preferred to retain Josh Jobe, who arrived under Mike Macdonald. Woolen was a Pete Carroll-era fifth-rounder who played better under the previous Seattle HC. The 6-foot-4 corner blazed to a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the Combine, boosting his draft stock ahead of a six-INT rookie season — one that lost out to Sauce Gardner‘s debut for Defensive Rookie of the Year acclaim.
Woolen intercepted 12 passes on his rookie deal and broke up 53, ranking in the 93rd percentile in forced incompletions (per Pro Football Focus). Still, Macdonald used Jobe in front of Woolen during the season’s second half, when the taller CB only topped 70% usage in one of the team’s final eight regular-season games. He still allowed a passer rating of 78.5, ranking 25th among 200-plus-snap CBs in 2025.
Woolen did clear the 70% snap barrier in both Seattle NFC playoff games, notably being whistled for a costly taunting penalty before allowing a third-quarter Rams touchdown. Woolen also defensed two passes against the 49ers and Rams in the postseason. This is a bit of a disappointment for Woolen, market-wise, but the Eagles will land a talented player going into an age-27 season.
Howie Roseman was not running the Eagles when they signed ex-Legion of Boom Seahawk CB Byron Maxwell in 2015 — that was the Chip Kelly-in-charge year — but this Roseman addition will supply an interesting former Super Bowl-winning Seahawk to join first-team All-Pros Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Woolen addition should allow DeJean to focus on his slot post, though The Athletic’s Zach Berman envisions more safety time for the standout cover man in base sets.
Philly tried a few measures to fill its No. 2 outside cornerback post last season. Neither Adoree’ Jackson nor Kelee Ringo was a strong option opposite Mitchell, and a midseason trade for Jaire Alexander preceded the former first-rounder stepping away from football. The Eagles are retaining ex-Jets slot Michael Carter II, but it looks like he has accepted a pay cut (Jackson is unsigned for 2026). It would now surprise if Woolen were not the starter alongside Mitchell and DeJean. Sliding the Iowa alum to safety in base formations would be a way to keep all three CBs on the field more often.
The Seahawks have now lost Woolen, Coby Bryant, Boye Mafe and Kenneth Walker from their Super Bowl LX roster. Seattle did re-sign Rashid Shaheed, however. Extensions will be on tap for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon, and the defending champions’ free agency effort will be cognizant of those upcoming megadeals.
Saints To Bring Back LB Kaden Elliss
After three Falcons seasons, Kaden Elliss is returning to his original side in this NFC South rivalry. The Saints are bringing back the 2019 draftee.
Elliss is headed back to New Orleans on a three-year deal worth $33MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. The veteran linebacker will receive $23MM guaranteed, joining a Saints team that just lost cornerstone defender Demario Davis (to the Jets).
The 2019 seventh-round pick out of Idaho spent the first four seasons of his career in New Orleans. He mostly served as a special teamer through his first three campaigns, but he took on a larger defensive role in 2022. That season, he compiled 78 tackles and seven sacks, a number that still represents a career-high.
That performance ended up earning him a three-year, $21.5MM deal from the Falcons in 2023, and Elliss ended up playing out that deal in Atlanta. He turned into a true three-down linebacker during his stint with the Falcons, averaging more than 125 tackles and four sacks per season. This past year, he collected 107 stops and 3.5 sacks, with Pro Football Focus grading him 31st among 88 qualifying linebackers.
Now, he’ll return to a familiar spot in New Orleans, but it doesn’t sound like the Saints were his only suitor. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Elliss was a popular target for many of his former coaches in spots like San Francisco and Cleveland. With the Saints, Elliss could slide into Davis’s spot atop the Saints LB depth chart, although the team is currently retaining the rest of their 2025 depth. This includes the likes of Pete Werner, Danny Stutsman, and Isaiah Stalbird.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Packers, WR Skyy Moore Agree To Deal
For a second straight year, Skyy Moore will relocate. Traded from the Chiefs to the 49ers in 2025, Moore is now headed to Wisconsin.
The Packers have a deal in place with the former second-round wide receiver, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
There were some high hopes for Moore when the Chiefs selected the Western Michigan product in the second round of the 2022 draft. The Chiefs had just moved on from Tyreek Hill, and there was a major open spot atop their depth chart. However, the wideout struggled to click in Kansas City. While he got into 30 games (11 starts) through his first two years, he only hauled in 43 catches for 496 yards and one touchdown. To his credit, he did catch a touchdown during the Chiefs Super Bowl victory over the Eagles.
Moore was limited to only six games in 2024 thanks to a core muscle injury, and the Chiefs sent him packing last August. Towards the end of the preseason, the wideout was traded to the 49ers for a late-round pick swap. Moore also struggled to carve out an offensive role in San Francisco, finishing with only five catches for 87 yards. However, he did find a gig on special teams, where he returned 33 kickoffs for 907 yards and 25 punts for 291 yards.
He’ll likely be penciled in for a similar role with the Packers, although there’s a chance he could earn some reps on offense. The team lost Romeo Doubs to the Patriots today, although they’re still rostering the likes of Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Texans To Acquire P Kai Kroeger From Saints
Punter action has been plentiful during the first two days of free agency. Now, we have a punter trade to process. The Saints are sending their punter — Kai Kroeger — to the Texans, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
[RELATED: Saints, P Ryan Wright Agree To Deal]
Kroeger and a 2028 seventh-round pick are headed to Houston, while New Orleans will receive a 2028 sixth-rounder. As a former UDFA, Kroeger is extension-eligible. Two years remain on Kroeger’s rookie contract; he punted in 17 games for the Saints as a rookie.
The South Carolina product initially joined the Jets as a UDFA but he was waived in late July. He was subsequently scooped up by the Saints, who were quick to make him their starting punter. The rookie was relatively productive in 2025, averaging 44.8 yards on his 56 punts, 18 of which landed inside the 20. While it wasn’t entirely his fault, Kroeger finished tied for the league-lead with two blocked punts.
However, the Saints pivoted at the position yesterday when they signed former Vikings punter Ryan Wright. That made Kroeger expendable, and now the sophomore is on his way to Houston. The Texans leaned on Tommy Townsend over the past two seasons, but the free agent apparently won’t be back in Houston for a third year.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Giants To Sign K Jason Sanders
Missing all of last season due to injury, Jason Sanders will have another chance. The Dolphins cut the veteran kicker, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports a Giants signing is coming to pass.
Sanders agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, who are overhauling their special teams under John Harbaugh. He already brought Jordan Stout, his hand-picked punter in Baltimore, to New York, for a record-breaking sum on Monday. Stout will hold Sanders’ kicks, and Harbaugh will surely land his preferred long-snapper, too. He declined to retain longtime Giant Casey Kreiter and could pursue a reunion with Morgan Cox, who he coached in Baltimore for eight seasons.
Sanders, 30, was drafted by the Dolphins in 2019. He won Miami’s kicking job over undrafted rookie Greg Joseph in training camp and held onto it for the next seven years. His first four alternated between elite and below-average, a period which included a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. But in the following three years, Sanders was one of the most consistent kickers in the league, peaking with another excellent season in 2024. He ranked ninth in the NFL with a 90.2% make rate and buried 12 of his 14 attempts from beyond 50 yards.
More to come.
Teams Eyeing Cowboys DT Osa Odighizuwa
Only one season after inking a lucrative four-year contract, Osa Odighizuwa could be on the move. According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, “teams are keeping an eye” on the Cowboys defensive tackle.
The Cowboys retained the former third-round pick last offseason, signing him to a four-year, $80MM extension. Since then, the team has added plenty of additional depth at the position. Kenny Clark was acquired as part of the Micah Parsons blockbuster, and the Cowboys later traded for Quinnen Williams. Then today, the organization added a key depth piece in Otito Ogbonnia.
Outside of Ogbonnia, Odighizuwa is the youngest of the bunch and possesses the most upside of the grouping. However, considering his contract and the increasingly crowded DT depth chart, Jones notes that rival teams believe the player “can now be traded for.”
Odighizuwa has established himself as a mainstay on the Cowboys defense. The 27-year-old has only missed a single regular season game through his five seasons in Dallas, and he’s collected at least three sacks in each of the past four years. This includes a 2025 campaign where he tallied 3.5 sacks to go along with 44 tackles and a career-high 23 QB hits. For his efforts, Pro Football Focus graded him 42nd among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
On the flip side, Odighizuwa came off the bench for four of the team’s final six games, an indication that the organization may view him as an equal to the likes of Clark and Williams. Further, there are some questions if the DT fits in Christian Parker‘s scheme, as the new DC tends to utilize longer defensive ends on the interior defensive line.
Ultimately, it’d be a surprise if the Cowboys are willing to bail on their former draft pick so soon after extending him. However, if the team is comfortable with the rest of their current grouping (and wants to open up some extra financial wiggle room), a trade could ultimately make sense.