5 Key Stories: 5/31/26 – 6/6/26
With the calendar flipping to June, recent days have been quite busy with respect to high-profile NFL developments. In case you missed any of this week’s top stories, here is a quick recap:
- Rams Send Verse, Picks To Rams For Garrett: The Browns opted to extend Myles Garrett last offseason, and a new trade request was not issued in 2026. Nevertheless, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been dealt to the Rams. Los Angeles’ persistent offers originally centered on draft capital, but the team agreed to include Jared Verse in the deal. The third-year edge rusher represents part of a notable haul in Cleveland’s case, and the team will look to build around him as part of a younger defensive core. Meanwhile, adding Garrett to an already strong Rams roster has added further to 2026’s Super Bowl expectations. An Aaron Donald return is even a possibility at this point.
- Eagles, Patriots Complete Brown Swap: While many were surprised by the Garrett blockbuster, Monday also included a long-anticipated trade involving A.J. Brown. The Eagles, as expected, have sent him to the Patriots. Brown will thus reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel after the two previously worked together in Tennessee. Once it became clear the Rams were out of the running in this case, the Pats were in a situation where they were essentially bidding against themselves. A compromise was arranged on the matter of compensation, with Philadelphia receiving a first-round pick in 2028 along with a fifth-rounder in next year’s draft. Brown and free agent addition Romeo Doubs will look to lead a Stefon Diggs-less WR room as part of New England’s efforts to repeat last year’s success.
- Wilson Officially Retires: Russell Wilson‘s playing career has come to an end. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback was reported on Monday to be finalizing a deal to work as an analyst with CBS. Wilson later confirmed as much, officially bringing his 14-year run to an close. Things did not go according to plan with the Broncos (2022-23) or Steelers (2023) for the 10-time Pro Bowler, whose run atop the depth chart with the Giants this past season proved to be short-lived. Of course, Wilson will be best remembered for his decade with the Seahawks, a stretch which included two Super Bowl appearances and eight trips to the playoffs. The Jets made an offer for him to play in 2026, but Wilson’s attention will now turn to broadcasting while a Hall of Fame debate will commence.
- WRs London, Watson Land Extensions: Several teams have worked out lucrative extensions over the past few days, and the Falcons and Packers are among them. Atlanta’s goal of finalizing a second contract with Drake London has been reached; team and player agreed to a four-year pact featuring $100MM in guarantees. London will be on the books through 2030 as a result, something which is also true of Christian Watson. The latter inked a short-term Packers extension last offseason, but a four-year, $110.5MM deal has now been struck in his case. Injuries have been a concern throughout Watson’s career, but the 27-year-old will be leaned on to remain one of the league’s most explosive wideouts when on the field. He joins Jayden Reed as a Green Bay receiver who has landed a lucrative deal this spring.
- Herbig, Hall Receive Latest EDGE Extensions: The Steelers and Seahawks have recently added to the list of in-house players extended well beyond 2026. Edge rushers Nick Herbig and Derick Hall are now attached to long-term contracts. Pittsburgh made a four-year, $100MM commitment despite the presence of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and a trade involving either of those two is not considered imminent. Meanwhile, Hall will be expected to handle a larger workload for the defending champions moving forward. Boye Mafe left in free agency, but Hall (who avoided a potential departure in 2027) secured $42MM in base pay on a three-year extension.
Eagles’ Makai Lemon Suffers Hamstring Injury; Training Camp Return Expected
Makai Lemon was recently injured during spring practices. The rookie Eagles wideout is expected to be fully healthy in time for the summer, though.
Lemon is currently dealing with a soft-tissue injury, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP reports. Teammate Quinyon Mitchell clarified (via The Athletic’s Brooks Kubena) this is a hamstring issue. Per Shorr-Parks, this year’s No. 20 pick will not participate further in OTAs. A return in time for training camp is anticipated, however.
Lemon spent the pre-draft process as one of the consensus top wideouts on the board. Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson were both selected in the top 10, and the Rams’ decision to take quarterback Ty Simpson 13th led to a longer-than-anticipated wait in Lemon’s case. The Steelers looked into a move up the board, but in the end the draft’s hosts remained in place at the No. 21 slot.
That opened the door for Philadelphia to swing a trade and draft Lemon 20th overall. The USC product will be counted on to operate as a key figure on offense early and often in the NFL. Lemon represents one of several new faces on an Eagles WR depth chart which has undergone a number of changes this offseason. Monday brought about the expected news of A.J. Brown being dealt from Philadelphia to New England.
With Brown no longer in the fold, DeVonta Smith will be tasked with remaining a focal point in the passing game. Meanwhile, free agent addition Marquise Brown and trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks will serve as important options on that front as well. The same will be true of Lemon, provided he can recover in full ahead of training camp and avoid any other setbacks with respect to injuries over the coming months.
2026 will mark the beginning of the post-Brown era for Philadelphia. The team will also have a new offensive coordinator (Sean Mannion) in the fold as better consistency and efficiency is sought out. Lemon is set to miss a small portion of non-contact practices in the near term, but he should manage to carve out an important role for himself upon returning to the field as part of a revamped pass-catching group.
Saints, Alvin Kamara Have Yet To Discuss Pay Cut
Through free agency and the draft, and now into spring practices, Alvin Kamara‘s Saints future has remained unclear. Discussions on a pay cut could take place as New Orleans makes a decision in this case, but no talks on that front have occurred so far.
Kamara recently attended the team’s facility even though he typically works out individually during OTAs. No strife has emerged between team and player to date despite the looming possibility of a reduction in pay or a move ending the nine-year veteran’s tenure in New Orleans. Kamara’s contract has yet to be brought up with respect to direct talks involving general manager Mickey Loomis.
“I haven’t had any conversations in regards to that, so I don’t know,” Kamara said (via ESPN’s Katherine Terrell) when asked if he has talked with the team about a potential pay cut so far this offseason. “I think there’s a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up, then I’ll have an answer for you when it comes up.”
As things stand, Kamara is owed $11.5MM for 2026. The nine-year veteran’s scheduled cap charge is $10.45MM, a reasonable figure for many running backs but one complicated by the free agent signing of Travis Etienne. Once the former Jaguar inked a four-year, $47MM deal on the open market, questions were asked about whether or not Kamara would be retained. Loomis has acknowledged finances represent a key factor in the decision, which does not have a firm timeline.
With the calendar having flipped to June, cutting or trading Kamara has become more feasible from a cap perspective. A trade in particular would yield $3.38MM in cap savings in 2026 along with $11.13MM next season (the first void year on the five-time Pro Bowler’s deal). Kamara is preparing for his age-31 season, whereas Etienne is 27.
Despite that age gap and the value of the investment made in Etienne this spring, the possibility has been raised that Kamara could agree to a restructure and remain in place at a reduced rate. If no arrangement can be made on that front, a reunion with Sean Payton in Denver could be something to watch for over the summer. For now, though, this situation remains a cordial one.
“On my side, I feel no pressure,” Kamara added. “There’s no beef or no bad blood, I don’t think. I’m doing what I do every year: working. And whatever decisions that got to be made, they’ll be made.”
Browns Expected To Retain Denzel Ward
JUNE 6: When speaking to the media on Saturday, Ward confirmed (via Fowler’s colleague Daniel Oyefusi) he wants to remain in place with the Browns. Despite the fact he is no longer teammates with Garrett for the first time in his NFL career, Ward can be expected to stay in Cleveland for a ninth season.
JUNE 1: The Browns agreed to trade longtime face of the franchise Myles Garrett in a stunning blockbuster with the Rams on Monday. It is unlikely the Garrett trade will start a fire sale in Cleveland, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Veteran cornerback Denzel Ward is one player who is expected to stay put, Fowler reports.
Considering Ward’s relationship with Garrett, it will be interesting to hear his opinion on the trade (if he offers one publicly). Back when Garrett asked out of Cleveland in February 2025, Ward said: “[The request] has a huge impact, honestly. I want to play with Myles Garrett.”
Ward got his wish for 2025 after Garrett quickly backed off his trade request to sign a contract extension. The pact could have kept Garrett in a Browns uniform through 2030, but the rebuilding club will now replace the future Hall of Famer with Jared Verse and add significant draft capital in the process.
There is an obvious drop-off from Garrett to Verse, which is certainly not a knock on the latter. In his two seasons in the NFL, Verse has collected Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. The budding star should give the Browns a productive defender who is five years younger than Garrett and much less expensive. So, while Ward may prefer to play with Garrett, Verse is no slouch.
Like Garrett and Verse, Ward has enjoyed a decorated career. Since the Browns took Ward fourth overall in 2018,, the Ohio native and former Ohio State Buckeye has gone to five Pro Bowls. Despite intercepting a career-low one pass over 15 games in 2025, he earned Pro Bowl honors for the third straight season. The 29-year-old has started 107 of 110 games as a Brown, deflected 104 passes and picked off 18. If he remains in Cleveland for a ninth year in 2026, Ward will continue to start opposite Tyson Campbell.
Contractually, Ward is under wraps through 2027 on the five-year, $100.5MM extension he signed in 2022. The Browns restructured it earlier in the offseason to reduce Ward’s cap hit by $2MM, but he is still due to count $30.89MM this year. While dealing Ward would save the Browns $17.43MM in spending space this season, they would take on $13.46MM in dead money and another $18.69MM in ’27. The Browns are already set to spread $40MM-plus in dead cap from the Garrett trade over the next two years. They will also incur a combined $86.2MM charge from 2027-28 if they designate quarterback Deshaun Watson a post-June 1 release next offseason.
Dolphins Announce Front Office Hires, Promotions
WIth new leadership taking over in Miami, there have been several changes in the Dolphins front office. The team officially announced its new hires and promotions this week, and though several have been covered on the site already, we’ll go over the new information.
Starting with one of the previously reported new additions to the Dolphins staff, we knew back in January that former Green Bay staffer Venzell Boulware was expected to follow new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan to Miami, but we didn’t know in what capacity. Boulware has been named the Dolphins’ new director of pro scouting. Boulware first got his start with the Packers as a training camp intern following a semester at Georgia Tech as a player personnel assistant. After a year as a scouting assistant in Green Bay, Boulware spent the last three years as a pro scout and will be returning to South Florida where he spent his final year as a college athlete as a guard for the Hurricanes.
Another new hire is Shaun Herock, who has been named the team’s new senior personnel executive. The veteran front office staffer is heading into his 38th year of NFL experience. Starting with the Falcons in 1989, Herock joined the Packers in 1994 and worked his way from college scout to director of college scouting in his 19-year stint in Green Bay. Herock then spent seven years as director of college scouting for the Raiders, serving as interim general manager before heading to Cleveland to work as a scout and national scout over three years. He’s served as an advisor for his old teams in recent years, working as a senior personnel advisor in Vegas from 2022-24 and a senior college scouting advisor in Cleveland last year.
To kick off the promotions in Miami, Matt Winston has been elevated from director of college scouting to director of player personnel. Formerly a college scout covering the midwest region, Grant Wallace will fill the vacated director of college scouting role. Scouting assistants Owen Hartman and Dylan Mabin have been elevated to college scouts, and the last new hire is Jack Schneider, who joins the team as a pro scout.
Winston joined the Dolphins in 2009 after a college scouting internship with the Dolphins and a year as the director of football operations at FIU. Over 17 years with the team, Winston has progressed from player personnel assistant to college scout for the southwest region to national scout to assistant director of college scouting before reaching his most recent position in 2022. Wallace joined the team as a scouting intern in 2015, following the conclusion of his playing career as a wide receiver at Yale. He earned promotions to player personnel assistant and player personnel scout over the next two years before working the past eight seasons as a college scout focusing on the midwest area.
Mabin, a former NFL cornerback with stints in Las Vegas, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Atlanta, turned to the scouting career track two years ago when he joined the Dolphins as a scouting assistant. Hartman joined the year after, following his tenure as the director of football operations at Marist University. Schneider joins the team after spending four years as a recruiting assistant at Boise State.
In operations, the Dolphins have promoted Brandon Shore from senior vice president of football and business administration to executive vice president of football operations and Max Napolitano from senior director of football administration and strategy to vice president of the division. Shore started with the team as a football administration assistant in 2010 and has spent the past 16 years working his way through responsibilities in human resources, finances, and legal affairs. Shore is a respected member of the front office who was included in the team’s efforts to find a new general manager.
Napolitano started as a business analyst with the team in 2014, working his way through the business analytics office over the past 12 years. He works closely with Shore in matters related to the team’s salary cap and plays a key role in player contract negotiations and compliance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Steelers DT Keeanu Benton On Extension To-Do List
Coming into the offseason, the Steelers had their eyes on extensions for five players, kicker Chris Boswell, pass rusher Nick Herbig, tight end Darnell Washington, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. With deals done for Boswell, Herbig, and Washington, Pittsburgh has set its focus on Porter as its next priority, per Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, then Benton will have his opportunity.
Aside from Boswell, all of the above players were selections from Omar Khan‘s first draft as general manager of the Steelers. Benton was the team’s third-round selection out of Wisconsin, where he had made a name for himself as a disruptive force along the Badgers defensive line. Thanks to an early-season injury to veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, Benton was put into a heavy share of the rotation early into his rookie campaign. By the time Heyward returned from injury, Benton had worked his way into a starting role.
After starting nine games in Year 1, Benton earned an even bigger role for his second season. In 14 starts in 17 game appearances, Benton showed good instincts for deflecting passes, totaling eight through two years and even nabbing himself an interception in 2024. And, while 16 quarterback hits over that time showed his ability to get into the backfield, he didn’t seem to be able to finish the play, only totaling two sacks and three tackles for loss through two campaigns. As a full-time starter in 2025, Benton seemed to finally put it all together, setting career highs with 5.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, and 51 total tackles.
Benton doesn’t offer much in terms of run defense, but he has routinely shined as an interior pass rusher throughout his career. Seeing him hit his stride last year has to give the Steelers some comfort that he’s delivering on his collegiate potential, but he may not be a three-down lineman just yet. The team had drafted Derrick Harmon out of Oregon in the first round last year, but that likely has more to do with the team’s star interior defender, Heyward, turning 37 a month ago.
If the Steelers like what they’re beginning to see out of Benton with his production last year, extending him now could help keep things solid along the interior for whenever Heyward finally decides to hang up his cleats. Benton has finally begun to cash in on the pass rushing potential he’s shown his whole career, and though Porter is the priority at the moment, Benton may want to start practicing his signature with how efficiently Pittsburgh has been tackling this offseason.
Record-Setting Extension Still Expected For WR Puka Nacua
As a rookie fifth-rounder out of BYU, Puka Nacua exploded onto the scene in what seemed to be the debut of one the NFL’s next great receivers. Injuries in his sophomore season and a few off-the-field concerns have put a speed bump in Nacua’s path toward a second contract, but according to SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora, a record-setting extension for the Rams wide receiver is seen as a foregone conclusion.
The argument for such an agreement is a simple one. Despite being the 20th wide receiver taken in the 2023 NFL Draft as the last pick of the fifth round, Nacua was the only one to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie, blowing past that mark with 1,486, the fourth-highest total in the league that year. Though Houston’s C.J. Stroud walked away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Nacua was named a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his first year of NFL play.
Though a five-game absence early into Year 2 limited him to only 11 games, Nacua’s per game averages had him on track for career highs in receptions and receiving yards. Even with one missed game last year, Nacua delivered on that momentum, setting new career highs with 129 receptions (most in the NFL), 1,715 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. With a league-leading average of 107.2 yards per game, the only thing that prevented him from leading in catches and yards was that one missed game.
Now a first-team All-Pro, Nacua’s outrageous, consistent production should guarantee that he will follow in the steps of the only receiver to out-gain him last year after Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba signed a four-year, $168.6MM extension that made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league in March. Sometimes, an inability to stay on the field can hurt a player’s chances to land a big contract, but Nacua’s return to excellence after coming back from injury and his continued improvement after the fact have dispelled any notion that injury would factor largely into any contract discussions.
What has been seemingly harming Nacua’s progress towards a new deal is a series of questionable off-field decisions. During the season, Nacua violated team policy by live-streaming in the team’s locker room following a win, prompting some teammates to confront him. A few weeks later, Nacua appeared on a livestream and drew scrutiny for seemingly performing an antisemitic gesture — though he claimed to have no knowledge of its offensive nature — and criticizing league officials, an action that caused the NFL to fine him $25K.
Then, early into the offseason, Nacua was the subject of a civil lawsuit stemming from a claim that he made numerous unprovoked antisemitic statements to a woman before allegedly biting her repeatedly on the shoulder. Nacua denied the allegations but checked himself into a luxury rehabilitation center in Malibu shortly after. Nacua has since returned to normal team activities as a “full participant,” but his off-field decision-making could factor into the terms of his potential future extension.
As Nacua was putting a bow on his 2025 campaign, reports indicated that extending the fourth-year receiver would be a priority for Los Angeles. In the aftermath of the news of his civil lawsuit, though, the team’s focus seemed to shift from extensions to additions. The Rams may decide there’s something they need to see from Nacua before they can feel comfortable signing him long-term, but however long that takes, La Canfora seems certain it will get done, even if it might require the team to use some contract language that will protect the franchise in the event of any further off-field issues.
The Rams appear to have a generational talent in the building with an opportunity to keep him in LA for a long time. It’s become apparent that that future may come with a certain level of risk outside of the building, but it doesn’t appear that risk will be enough to deter a record-setting deal from occurring.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Close To Practicing
Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby is nearing a return from offseason surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
“I’m at the point where I’m almost there, but I forget that I need to relax a little bit, so that’s kind of been the biggest battle right now,” Crosby said at last week’s OTAs (via ESPN’s Ryan McFadden).
The seven-year veteran has been present at spring practices, but he is only participating in calisthenics with his teammates before continuing his rehab with team trainers. He declined to set a clear timeline on his return, but indicated his recovery process has been better than last year, when he was coming back from arthroscopic surgery to repair a severely sprained ankle.
Crosby, 28, is considered somewhat of an iron man in the NFL, a rare defensive lineman who almost never leaves the field. He commanded a snap share of at least 94% over the last four years for a total of 3,869 snaps across 61 games, or 63.4 snaps per game. After two major injuries in back-to-back years, the amount of tread on his tires has become a concern – and may have been a factor in the Ravens’ controversial decision to back out of a trade for the five-time Pro Bowler. Crosby declined to comment on that situation, calling it “water under the bridge,” but admitted that he has carefully managed his workload during his rehab.
“This has forced me to have to take a step back in certain areas and not run 8,000 yards on the field every single day,” Crosby added.
Whether or not that will translate to the season remains to be seen. He has expressed renewed motivation following the scuttled move to Baltimore, and that will only increase if the Raiders’ heavy offseason investments – headlined by new head coach Klint Kubiak and No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza – can turn the team around right away. If Crosby is suddenly playing for a playoff contender for the first time in five years, it will be difficult to get him off the field as long as he can play.
Steelers Move Focus To Joey Porter Extension
The Steelers signed tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig to long-term extensions last week. Now, they have moved their focus to another member of their 2023 draft class: Joey Porter Jr.
The 25-year-old cornerback skipped voluntary OTAs and staged a ‘hold-in’ at mandatory minicamp with minimal participation in practice. Herbig took the same approach before reaching his four-year, $100MM agreement on Tuesday.
“I want to be out there,” Porter said (via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic). “Everybody knows I want to be out there. So I’m just doing everything I can and taking it day by day.”
Projections for a Porter extension range from $22MM to $30MM per season, according to DeFabo and Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show, a wide range encompassing the top two tiers of the cornerback market. Trent McDuffie, Sauce Gardner, and Derek Stingley Jr. sit at or above a $30MM AAV, with Jaycee Horn at $25MM and DaRon Bland at $22.5MM, per OverTheCap. The Broncos bumped Patrick Surtain‘s pay by $5MM this year with another $5MM available next year as a slight raise on his $24MM AAV deal. Porter’s teammate, Jalen Ramsey, earns $24.1MM per year, though he is not a direct comparison due to his converted safety status.
Porter took a significant step forward last season after an up-and-down, penalty-riddled first two seasons. Among qualified cornerbacks, he ranked fourth in passer rating allowed when targeted (57.2) and seventh in yards per target (5.0), in the company of veterans like Surtain and Stingley as well as Eagles All-Pro and 2024 first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell. Those numbers were career-highs for Porter, as were his 14 passes defended; he also cut his penalty count to nine after 29 in his first two years. He did all of this while often being tasked with shadowing the opposing team’s top wide receiver.
The arrow is firmly pointing up for the legacy Steeler, and an extension seems like a matter of when, not if, Kaboly adds. Porter’s father, Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter Sr., signed a second contract to stay in Pittsburgh for the first eight years of his career, and his son seemed poised to do the same.
QB Brendan Sorsby Preparing For Supplemental Draft
JUNE 6: The NCAA has denied Texas Tech’s appeal to reinstate Sorsby’s eligibility, per ESPN, an expected development considering the nature and extent of his gambling infractions. Receiving an injunction in his pending lawsuit against the NCAA is now Sorsby’s only path to playing college football this year.
JUNE 3: Brendan Sorsby has not given up on playing college football for Texas Tech this year, but barring an unlikely injunction to preserve his NCAA eligibility, the 22-year-old quarterback seems headed for the NFL’s supplemental draft.
If Sorsby elects to go pro this year, he will have to first apply for the supplemental draft by June 22. The NFL will review his situation – extensive sports betting during his college career and subsequent treatment for a gambling addiction – and decide if he can enter.
The league has rarely rejected players in this process, though the extent of Sorsby’s infractions will draw close scrutiny given heightened attention around sports leagues’ connection to gambling. He has admitted to placing more than 9,000 bets worth over $90K in total, per Justin Williams of The Athletic, including at least 40 bets on the Indiana football team while he was a member.
Sorsby could be forced to accept a suspension as a condition of his entrance into the draft, as was the case with Terrelle Pryor in 2011. That is unlikely to scare off interested teams; a late-July supplemental draft would have him joining his new team in training camp and minimize any expectations for his rookie year.
Teams will be doing their homework on Sorsby on and off the field. He will have a shortened pre-draft process between July 5 and July 12, a span that will include a pro day in Dallas and likely some private workouts with specific clubs, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Assessments of Sorsby vary, but evaluators inside the NFL are already impressed by his arm with one executive rating him higher than Rams No. 13 pick Ty Simpson. Some area scouts even have him graded higher than Texas’ Arch Manning, per Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports.
That has created some lofty projections for Sorsby’s potential supplemental draft slot. The supplemental draft uses a complicated lottery and bidding system, but essentially, the team that selects Sorsby will give up a corresponding pick in the same round of next year’s draft. Already seen as a likely 2027 first-rounder, a strong 2026 campaign at Texas Tech could have vaulted him into top-10 status.
Teams who are unlikely to pick that high – Breer mentions the Steelers and the Colts – might take a discounted shot on a high-level arm talent. Others who were planning to add a franchise quarterback in next year’s draft could opt for a more immediate option, especially if they were already interested in Sorsby after his two standout years at Cincinnati. The result would likely be a late first- or early second-round pick, both Breer and Pauline note.
Sorsby’s off-field situation remains fluid and the biggest X-factor in his future. Teams will need to be convinced that he has put his sports gambling issues behind him as he enters a league that will not hesitate to punish him for a recurrence of the same infractions. Some clubs may be scared off entirely, but time and time again, the NFL has proven that talent, especially at the quarterback position, typically gets the benefit of the doubt – and then some.