Bengals To Re-Sign QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco is on track to play a 19th season. The Bengals are bringing him back as Joe Burrow‘s backup, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
Unsurprisingly, this is a one-year deal. It also rounds out one of the most experienced quarterback rooms in NFL history. Well, experienced in terms of NFL years — not necessarily game reps. While Burrow and Flacco are seasoned starters, Josh Johnson — signed earlier in free agency — is known for his journeyman route. Johnson will turn 40 in May; Flacco turned 41 earlier this year.
Johnson is back on a third tour of duty with the Bengals, but the nomadic arm was reacquired as a placeholder rather than a backup option. The Bengals were not considering Johnson as their primary backup, per The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., who indicates Flacco was always on the radar to stay.
More to come.
WR Rumors: Tyson, Eagles, Smith, Waddle, Broncos, Bills, Moore, Giants, Bears, Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts
One of the wide receivers expected to go off the draft board in Round 1, Jordyn Tyson did not work out at the Combine and will not participate at Arizona State’s pro day Friday. Tyson missed time with a hamstring injury last season, and it has apparently affected his pre-draft timeline. Tyson, however, will work out for teams April 17, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. That said, the former Colorado recruit will only do positional drills that day. As our Ely Allen pointed out in December, Tyson is a high-ceiling prospect but one that carries injury baggage. Knee and collarbone injuries affected Tyson in separate years with the Sun Devils, and this hamstring issue — when coupled with past maladies — could certainly affect his draft stock. But his 1,101-yard 2024 slate should provide a solid first-round floor. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranks Tyson 21st overall in this class.
Here is the latest from the receiver ranks:
- Regardless of their A.J. Brown decision, the Eagles will target a receiver in the draft, The Athletic’s Zach Berman notes. Howie Roseman hit with DeVonta Smith in 2021 but famously missed with Jalen Reagor (Round 1, 2020) and JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Round 2, 2019). A receiver move should be expected early, Berman adds, though he notes optimism exists among decisionmakers Smith can make another jump with a boost in targets. A Brown trade — heavily rumored to be in the works after June 1 — would create a critical need for Philly, but a rookie stepping in alongside Smith and Marquise Brown would stand to bolster the slender WR’s role within the offense.
- Marquise Brown joined the Eagles on a one-year deal worth $5MM in base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. The former Ravens, Cardinals and Chiefs wideout can max out at $6.5MM on the contract. Brown’s $5MM is fully guaranteed, which marks only a slight discount from his 2025 Kansas City terms (one year, $7MM).
- The Broncos have already used Jaylen Waddle‘s contract to create cap space, with Wilson indicating the team converted $15.42MM of the trade pickup’s option bonus to a signing bonus. Waddle is still due $17.24MM in 2026 compensation, 9News’ Mike Klis adds, but his cap number checks in at $4.88MM. That number will jump to $27.1MM in 2027, however, with $15.2MM of Waddle’s ’27 compensation being guaranteed. Acquiring Waddle’s $28.25MM-per-year contract from the Dolphins last week, Broncos hold $18.75MM in 2026 cap space, per OverTheCap.
- The Bills also restructured their WR trade acquisition’s contract, converting $22.19MM in base salary into a signing bonus. This created $17.75MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap. D.J. Moore‘s 2026 cap hit sits at just $6.75MM, though like Waddle, he is due a hefty 2027 guarantee ($15.5MM). Buffalo holds $12.29MM in cap space.
- Already reworking Terence Steele and Malik Hooker‘s contracts, the Cowboys adjusted Jonathan Mingo‘s as well. Mingo accepted a pay cut, per Wilson, who notes the former second-round pick is now on a $1.15MM deal that includes no guaranteed money. After underwhelming on his rookie deal and missing 2025 time due to injury, Mingo will vie for a roster spot. One year remains on his rookie deal.
- Darnell Mooney was tied to a three-year, $39MM Falcons deal, but ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes his one-year Giants pact is worth just $3MM in base value. That figure does come fully guaranteed, per Wilson, who notes the contract can max out at $10MM. Calvin Austin‘s Giants agreement comes in at just $1.5MM, according to OverTheCap, with $400K guaranteed. The slot receiver’s deal can max out at $3MM, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who notes the ex-Steeler’s playing time incentives start at a 45% snap rate; his catch incentives begin at 35, with his yardage escalators starting at 400. Meeting the minimum thresholds in each category would earn Austin $150K.
- Rounding up some other recent WR terms, the Bears are giving Kalif Raymond a one-year deal worth $3.5MM. The contract includes $3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets, and can max out at $5.1MM. The Cardinals’ Devin Duvernay deal is worth $1.85MM in base value, per Wilson, who adds $550K is guaranteed at signing. The Colts will have Nick Westbrook-Ikhine tied to a one-year, $1.4MM deal, Wilson adds, noting $438K is guaranteed at signing.
Cowboys To Sign CB Derion Kendrick
After agreeing to terms with Cobie Durant, the Cowboys are set to import another recent Rams cornerback. Derion Kendrick is joining the Cowboys on a one-year deal, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets.
Splitting his time between Seattle and Los Angeles in 2025, Kendrick has 18 career starts and teamed with Durant across three seasons with the Rams. Durant agreed to a one-year, $4MM Cowboys deal; having not started a game since 2023, Kendrick is likely to come in south of that figure. This duo joins a retooling Cowboys defense under new leader Christian Parker.
Technically Super Bowl ring-eligible after playing 10 Seahawks games in 2025, Kendrick landed on waivers three times last year. The Rams cut him in June (before re-signing him soon after) and then moved on again upon trimming their roster to 53 players in August, leading to a Seahawks claim. Seattle, however, moved on in November. A Rams team struggling with corner health and consistency brought Kendrick back via a claim, but with L.A. adding Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this month, Kendrick will join Durant in relocating.
A former sixth-round pick who played at Clemson and Georgia, Kendrick is heading into an age-26 season. He used the 2025 campaign to reestablish health following a missed 2024. The 6-foot cover man suffered an ACL tear in July 2024.
Prior to that, the Rams used Kendrick as a regular starter over his first two seasons. After playing 50% of L.A.’s defensive snaps as a rookie, Kendrick logged a 76% snap share (858 plays) in 2023. The Rams demoted Kendrick late that season, however, and Pro Football Focus placed him 83rd out of 127 qualified CB options that year. Kendrick played 18% of Seattle’s defensive snaps last season (123 plays) but will be looking to secure more playing time in Dallas.
The Cowboys waived the injury-prone Trevon Diggs late last season and have DaRon Bland coming off a season-ending malady. As Bland deals with another major foot issue, the Cowboys will be hoping 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel — who missed much of his rookie year due to ACL rehab — can play a regular role. Durant will be competing for a starting job, likely being favored to play alongside Bland and Revel, while Kendrick profiles as a depth option. The Cowboys are taking a few swings at corner, having also signed ex-Packers regular Corey Ballentine this week.
In other Cowboys contract news, safety P.J. Locke‘s deal matches Kendrick’s. It’s a one-year, $4MM pact that can max out at $5MM, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets. Of that total, $3.5MM is guaranteed at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds. Defensive end Sam Williams‘ second Dallas deal is worth $2.5MM in base value, per Wilson. Of that total, $2MM is fully guaranteed. D-lineman Otito Ogbonnia‘s one-year contract is worth $2.5MM, Archer notes. Of that amount, only $500K is guaranteed at signing.
Giants To Meet With DL Shelby Harris
Part of the Russell Wilson trade, Shelby Harris spent the past three seasons in Cleveland following a Seattle one-off. The former Broncos defensive line mainstay is interested in playing an age-35 season, and he may be closing in on a destination.
Harris has a Giants meeting set up for today, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes. The Giants are interested in adding interior D-line help, according to the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, and Harris brings considerable experience as an 11-year veteran.
The Browns used Harris as a 25-game starter during Jim Schwartz‘s three-year DC run; while he came up as a trade candidate at last year’s deadline, the Browns did not move on. Pro Football Focus graded Harris 56th among interior D-linemen last season (out of 127 qualified options).
Harris also made an impact with the Broncos before being included in the 2022 Wilson blockbuster. Denver traded five draft picks to Seattle for the declining quarterback — who later made what will almost definitely be a one-and-done Giants stop — but included Harris, Drew Lock and Noah Fant in the deal. Harris has made a New York stopover previously, but his three-month Jets stay in 2016 did not produce any game action.
The Myles Garrett wingman combined for 18 tackles for loss from 2023-25. While Harris only registered four sacks in that time, he was a more disruptive pass-rushing presence in Denver. The former seventh-round pick tallied at least 5.5 sacks in three of his five Broncos seasons, totaling six apiece in 2019 and 2021. Harris is also among this NFL period’s best at re-routing passes up front; his 40 pass deflections trail only Cameron Heyward (46) among D-linemen since 2017.
The Broncos gave Harris a three-year, $27MM deal to re-sign him as a free agent in 2021 but ended up including that deal to sweeten their Wilson offer. After playing out a two-year, $9MM pact in Cleveland, Harris would stand to be an affordable option for a Giants team looking for help alongside Dexter Lawrence.
Neither Rakeem Nunez-Roches nor D.J. Davidson has re-signed with the Giants; both former Lawrence sidekicks remain free agents. The Giants used a third-round pick on interior D-lineman Darius Alexander last year, and Roy Robertson-Harris is signed for one more season. The team added Sam Roberts as a depth option Monday, but the four-year veteran has maxed out at 102 defensive snaps in a season.
LB Lavonte David Announces Retirement
The Buccaneers have signed two free agent linebackers, and another Lavonte David contract is not forthcoming. The stalwart Tampa Bay defender will retire after 14 seasons.
David will retire as a career-long Buccaneer and one of the greatest players in franchise history. He joins Mike Evans in leaving the team this offseason, representing a sea change for a Bucs squad that has relied on those longtime anchors amid a franchise turnaround.
“When it’s time, when you know, you know. I always wanted to be a guy who wanted to retire on my own terms. Right now is the perfect opportunity for that,” David said via Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame. “For me, man, 14 years is enough. I’m comfortable with my decision. I’m satisfied with my career.
“When I first got into the league, I never, never, ever in a million years expected to play 14 years at a high level for the same organization. I think it’s time that I hang it up and let the next generation of players come in and take over the game.”
David’s 14-year tenure matches Derrick Brooks‘ for longevity in Tampa. Like Brooks, David was present as a star off-ball linebacker for a Super Bowl win. The Bucs had fallen far from their early-2000s apex by the time David arrived in 2012. The off-ball linebacker joined Evans, Tom Brady and Co. in catalyzing a return, snapping a 12-season playoff drought with a Super Bowl LV triumph in Tampa.
Playing 215 career games, David trails only Brooks (224) and Ronde Barber (241) for most in franchise history. Both Brooks and Barber — linchpins on a four-Hall of Famer defense that steamrolled opponents en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title — spent their entire careers as Buccaneers. While Evans elected to join the 49ers in free agency this month, David had previously said it was Bucs or retirement. He will choose the latter route, completing a career that will warrant Canton consideration down the road.
David, who turned 36 in January, will walk away a three-time All-Pro. While the Nebraska alum only earned one Pro Bowl nod, his early-career years coming in a 4-3 defense had plenty to do with the lack of Pro Bowl accolades. The Pro Bowl grouping all linebackers — 3-4 edge rushers and off-ball defenders — together regularly limits 4-3 OLBs. David, however, spent the second half of his career as a 3-4 ILB in Todd Bowles‘ scheme. The Bucs benefited from that partnership tremendously, with David starting every game for the Super Bowl LV-winning Tampa Bay edition in 2020.
Mark Dominik drafted David 58th overall, tabbing him to play under new HC Greg Schiano. David ended up playing for five head coaches — Schiano, Lovie Smith, Dirk Koetter, Bruce Arians, Bowles — and signed five Buccaneers contracts. The latter four deals — including a five-year, $50.25MM extension during the 2015 offseason — came under longtime GM Jason Licht. David signed a two-year deal and two subsequent one-year accords to continue with the Bucs, who benefited from the linebacker’s consistency and versatility.
Finishing with 12 100-tackle seasons, David added 42.5 sacks. Among players who saw action last season, that total trails only Demario Davis (45) for sacks by a non-rush player and is among the most by an off-ball ‘backer in the sack era (1982-present). David’s presence helped a Bucs team light on post-Shaquil Barrett pass-rushing talent in recent years.
Although the Bucs chose Devin White fifth overall in 2019, David ended up outlasting him in Tampa. The team let White walk in free agency in 2024, re-signing David on a one-year deal worth $8.5MM. David, who drew outside interest as a 2025 UFA, played for $9MM last season; he produced 114 tackles and 3.5 sacks. David finished 10 seasons with double-digit tackles for loss, recording at least 17 in five seasons to finish his career with 177.
Pro Football Focus ranked David as a top-five off-ball LB in five seasons and slotted him in the top 20 three more times. Last season, the advanced metrics website ranked David 66th — a career-worst placement — but he played through a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery this past winter. The Bucs have since agreed to terms with Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom. With David retiring, Rozeboom’s deal — which surfaced Monday — looks set to place him as a starter alongside Anzalone.
For his career, David earned just more than $103MM. The 2012 draft will go down as one of the best linebacker classes in modern NFL history, having produced David, Davis, Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Wagner will join Kuechly in Canton, while David and Davis will present interesting cases. For 2026, a Bucs team big on retention will need to get by without its offensive and defensive cornerstones.
Falcons Expected To Sign Brian Robinson
Tyler Allgeier left Atlanta for Arizona on Day 1 of free agency; the Falcons look to have landed a replacement. Brian Robinson is expected to sign with the team, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweets.
The former Commanders starter, who spent last season as Christian McCaffrey‘s backup, looks set to step into Allgeier’s former Bijan Robinson complementary role. Brian Robinson agreed to a one-year, $2.5MM deal, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds.
In a move that will undoubtedly open the door to some auction-draft chicanery in the fantasy realm, Atlanta assembling a two-Robinson backfield will pair two three-year starters together. Brian Robinson operated as the Commanders’ primary running back from 2022-24, finishing that run as the primary ballcarrier for Washington’s NFC championship game-qualifying edition. The Commanders, however, traded the former third-round pick to the 49ers for a sixth-rounder last August.
A between-the-tacklers grinder, Robinson never topped 800 rushing yards in a season with Washington. He came closest in 2024, finishing with 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Robinson, 27, missed three games that season and seven more from 2022-23. In 2022, however, the Alabama alum completed a remarkably quick recovery after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds in an attempted carjacking. He returned and started nine games as a rookie.
Allgeier played out his Falcons rookie contract, and both Arthur Smith and Zac Robinson deployed the former fifth-round pick — a 1,000-yard rusher as a 2022 rookie — frequently during his four seasons with the team. Allgeier twice averaged at least 4.6 yards per carry, and he totaled at least 137 handoffs in each of his Atlanta seasons. The Cardinals gave Allgeier a two-year, $12.25MM deal to join James Conner in their backfield. Kevin Stefanski‘s first Falcons RB cadre will feature a lower-priced veteran, a strategy that may well precede a monster Bijan Robinson payday.
Becoming extension-eligible in January, Bijan Robinson is a clear candidate for a market-setting running back deal. The Falcons will need to top Saquon Barkley‘s $20.6MM AAV to lock down their dual-threat dynamo. Meanwhile, Brian Robinson will look to commandeer the Allgeier role after taking a backseat to McCaffrey during the latter’s 2025 bounce-back season. Brian Robinson took 92 handoffs last season, rushing for 400 yards with San Francisco. He will see about his own resurgent season ahead of a potential 2027 free agency payday.
49ers To Host WR Denzel Boston
The 49ers have made a pair of notable receiver additions this month. Mike Evans and Christian Kirk are now in the fold, but that has not stopped the team for looking into one of the position’s top draft prospects. 
Denzel Boston is visiting San Francisco today, ESPN’s Field Yates notes. This comes not long after he met with the Browns as part of what will prove to be a busy pre-draft process. An early draft investment at the WR spot would certainly add further to the changes in the 49ers’ case this offseason.
Brandon Aiyuk‘s future is unclear, but it is widely understood he will not play for the team again. Jauan Jennings remains unsigned, meanwhile, and he is expected to play elsewhere in 2026. Trent Taylor is also a free agent at this time, while Kendrick Bourne departed on the open market. Even with Evans and Kirk in the fold, a long-term commitment to a wideout via the draft could therefore be sensible.
San Francisco is slated to select 27th overall in next month’s event. Several of the top receiver prospects – such as Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson and Omar Cooper Jr. – will be off the board by that point, but Boston (ranked 20th on The Athletic’s consensus board) may still be available. The Washington product scored 20 touchdowns across the past two seasons, and expectations will be high for him in the red zone in particular upon entering the NFL.
The 49ers also have one second-round selection and four in the fourth round. The team will have options on Day 2 and 3 to bring in a wideout as a result. Nevertheless, it would come as little surprise if San Francisco continued to use a number of the team’s allotted top 30 visits on some of the most prominent WR prospects in the 2026 class.
Falcons To Sign QB Trevor Siemian
The Falcons are continuing to reshape their quarterback depth chart. Another veteran addition has been lined up in the form of Trevor Siemian. 
Atlanta agreed to terms with Siemian on Tuesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He will offer depth behind returnee Michael Penix Jr. and free agent addition Tua Tagovailoa. The two southpaws are set to compete for the starting gig this offseason.
Whichever of Penix or Tagovailoa loses out will no doubt be tasked with handling QB2 duties. Penix continues to recover from a partial ACL tear, though, and he could remain sidelined for a notable stretch of the offseason as a result. Atlanta will look to Siemian as a veteran who can handle reps through the spring and into training camp.
The former seventh-rounder combined to make 24 starts with the Broncos across the 2016 and ’17 seasons. Since then, Siemian has largely operated as a backup while bouncing around to a number of teams. His most recent action during the regular season came in 2023 as a member of the Jets. Siemian joined the Titans this past August shortly before being released during roster cutdowns. Tennessee retained him via the practice squad.
After not seeing any playing time in 2025, Siemian will aim to compete for a roster spot on his latest team. The 34-year-old has posted a record of 15-18 in the NFL, throwing 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. In every year of his career, Siemian has posted a completion percentage of 59.5% or lower, so expectations will certainly be tempered if he does wind up on the field at any point.
The Falcons entered Tuesday with roughly $14MM in cap space. This Siemian deal will presumably check in at or near the league minimum, so there will still be funds for other low-profile free agent moves once it is finalized.
49ers, Trent Williams Not Close To Agreement On Reworked Contract
MARCH 24: During his latest comments on the subject, head coach Kyle Shanahan remained confident a resolution will be found. He said, via Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area, “I believe we will get that done. We love Trent too much and eventually that will work out.”
MARCH 23: Both Trent Williams and the 49ers have some incentive to explore a reworked contract for 2026 and beyond. While recent reports indicated that the two sides could agree to some resolution before the draft, it doesn’t sound like they’ve made up much ground in those talks.
[RELATED: 49ers Will Not Exercise Trent Williams’ $10MM Option Bonus]
According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.com, there remains a “huge divide” between the offensive tackle and the 49ers. One source hinted that a move won’t be made until the 49ers are absolutely forced to make a decision, while another source noted that Williams has no incentive to take a new deal now.
The 49ers passed on Williams’ $10MM option bonus earlier this month, which bumped his $38.84MM cap number to an untenable $47MM. The front office is surely pushing to reduce that number while enticing Williams with future guarantees. However, as La Canfora points out, the offensive tackle doesn’t have much reason to take a contract that reduces his $33MM in 2026 cash earnings. Williams is still attached to the three-year, $82.66MM deal he inked with the franchise back in 2024. While there’s still two years remaining on that pact, it doesn’t contain any guaranteed money beyond 2026.
This stare down can lead to three potential outcomes. The path of least resistance sees the sides agree to an extension that reduces Williams’ 2026 cap number, provides the player with future guarantees, and doesn’t drastically reduce his earning potential for this upcoming season. If the two sides can’t work out a deal, then the 49ers could look to trade the lineman, who would surely have a “robust” market, per La Canfora. However, recent reports indicated that San Francisco didn’t have interest in trading the star OT.
The 49ers could also choose to cut the player, although the organization would surely drag that decision out to the last minute. That scenario would see Williams seeking a landing spot right before the start of Week 1 while risking reduced earnings for 2026. It would make sense for the player to blink before negotiations got to that point, although Williams has a history of making these standoffs uncomfortable.
He famously sat out the entire 2019 season in Washington as a result of failed contract talks, culminating in him being dealt to the 49ers in 2020. He later signed a six-year, $138MM deal with his new squad that made him the highest-paid OL in the NFL, and that aforementioned 2024 extension was a record for a non-quarterback over the age of 35. All the while, Williams has continued to perform as one of the league’s premier offensive tackles, with Pro Football Focus consistently ranking the veteran inside the top-three at the position throughout his 49ers tenure.
While there’s no urgency to complete a new deal today, things will surely heat up if the two sides don’t agree to a revised contract over the next few months. At that point, there will be worthy questions about Williams’ ability to finish his career in San Francisco.
Dolphins To Host DL Rueben Bain
Rueben Bain was one of the main attractions at Miami’s Pro Day on Monday. His attention will now turn to pre-draft visits, including one in a familiar setting. 
Bain is set to meet with the Dolphins today, as detailed by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. The rebuilding team approaches next month’s draft with a long list of positional needs for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley to sort through. It comes as no surprise Bain is among the prospects who will receive a look during the evaluation process.
Over the course of his three seasons with the Hurricanes, Bain was an impactful presence along the edge. He set career highs in sacks (9.5), tackles for loss (15.5) and overall stops (54) this past season. That production helped lead Miami to the national championship game, with the team’s pass rush in particular driving its College Football Playoff success. Bain earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American honors in 2025.
Production is not an issue in his case, but concerns have been raised about his arm length. Bain measured 30 7/8 inches at the Combine, a mark well below average for NFL pass rushers. At least some evaluators may be less worried on that front than others, though, something which helps Bain’s chances of remaining one of the top prospects in the 2026 class. A top-10 selection will be something to watch for, particularly if doubts about his ability to remain productive in the NFL are quelled over the coming weeks.
The Dolphins own pick No. 11, which may be too late for Bain to be within reach depending on how the top of the board shakes out during the opening round of the draft. Miami has plenty of other notable draft capital as things stand, however, including Denver’s top selection (No. 30) thanks to the Jaylen Waddle trade. A move up the order would not be difficult to pull off given Miami’s collection of five Day 2 picks.
Of course, the Dolphins have plenty of other options to consider with their top selections as they seek out needed improvements across the board. Their pass rush depth chart is currently topped by Chop Robinson and includes free agent signings Josh Uche and David Ojabo. A notable addition via the draft would make plenty of sense, and Bain figures to be one of the options receiving consideration from Miami.