Nahshon Wright Interested In Re-Signing With Bears
Coming off a breakout 2025 season, pending free agent cornerback Nahshon Wright is in a far better position than he was when he reached the open market a year ago. In one of last offseason’s best buy-low pickups, the Bears added Wright on a one-year, $1.1MM deal in April. Bringing him back in 2026 will cost far more.
Discussing his future with SiriusXM NFL Radio, the 27-year-old Wright said he “would love to be back in Chicago.” Wright revealed that there has been contact between his agent and the team, but he hasn’t heard any specific “contract details.”
Wright was a 2021 Cowboys third-round pick who started in just three of 32 games in Dallas over his first three seasons. The Cowboys cut the cord on the Oregon State product when they traded him for Vikings corner Andrew Booth in August 2024. The change of scenery didn’t work out for either player.
In Wright case, he spent most of the year on the Vikings’ practice squad. In the lone game he played, all 15 of his snaps came on special teams. The Vikings re-signed Wright to a reserve/futures deal in January 2025, but they released him April 7.
A day after Minnesota waved goodbye to Wright, he landed on his feet with NFC North rival Chicago. The 27-year-old ended up an integral part of the Bears’ meteoric rise in 2025, and he earned his first Pro Bowl trip in the process.
Wright, who caused just one takeaway in his first four years in the NFL, led the league with eight last season. In 17 games and 16 starts, Wright finished with 80 tackles, 11 passes defensed, five interceptions (including a 74-yard pick-six), three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. The former bench player was on the field for 97% of defensive snaps for an NFC North-winning team that advanced to the divisional round.
One of the game’s tallest cornerbacks, the 6-foot-4 Wright is now on his way to the market among the top options at his position. If the Bears don’t re-sign Wright before the legal tampering period begins March 9, there should be no shortage of interest from other clubs in need of a starting outside corner. Because of his limited track record, it may be a “buyer beware” situation. But that’s not going to stop some team from giving Wright a significant raise in the next few weeks.
Seahawks WR Jaxon-Smith Njigba Discusses Potential Extension
After winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Super Bowl in 2025, Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. The Seahawks will prioritize a new deal for the three-year veteran, but they would unsurprisingly have to pay a steep price to lock him up.
Smith-Njigba told Jonah Javad of WFAA he’s “not too pressed” to work out an extension right now. At the same time, though, the 24-year-old declared, “I believe I deserve to be the highest paid at my position.”
That’s not an outlandish statement, especially with the salary cap constantly on the rise. The cap in 2025 was $279.2MM. It’s poised to climb anywhere from $301.2MM to $305.7MM next season. Smith-Njigba and Rams rival receiver Puka Nacua, who’s also in line for an extension this offseason, should be among the beneficiaries.
Both JSN and Nacua have arguments to surpass the contract the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase secured last March. Chase inked a four-year, $161MM pact with $112MM in guaranteed cash last March. He now tops his position in total money, average annual value and guarantees.
Since the Seahawks drafted Smith-Njigba 20th overall in 2023, he has emerged as yet another star receiver from Ohio State. Smith-Njigba, who has never missed a game, has seen his production steadily increase in each season.
A starter in just three games as a rookie, Smith-Njigba hauled in 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns. He became a full-time starter in Year 2, during which his numbers skyrocketed to 100-1,130-six. The uptick in production led to the first of two straight Pro Bowls for the 6-foot, 197-pounder.
Smith-Njigba spent the vast majority of his first two years working with a middling quarterback in Geno Smith, but the Seahawks shook up their QB room to great results in 2025. A few days before the free agent market opened, the Seahawks agreed to send Smith to the Raiders for a third-round pick. That temporarily left them without a starter, but the Seahawks addressed the vacancy a few days later.
After a long-awaited and unexpected breakout 2024 with the Vikings, former first-rounder Sam Darnold joined the Seahawks on a three-year, $100.5MM pact. Now a championship-winning QB, Darnold hit it off with Smith-Njigba in their first season together. The wideout ranked first in the league in yards (1,793), tied for first in 20-plus yard receptions (27), fourth in catches (119), fifth in targets (163), and tied for sixth in TDs (10). Along with OPOY and Pro Bowl honors, he was named a first-team All-Pro.
While Smith-Njigba has one more guaranteed season on his rookie contract, the Seahawks will sign off on his fifth-year option by May 1. Doing so would at least temporarily set Smith-Njigba up to play 2027 on a projected $24.39MM salary. That looks like a bargain for JSN, who may land a record extension before then.
Cam Ward To Resume Throwing In March
Despite taking an NFL-high 55 sacks in 2025, Titans quarterback Cam Ward managed to start every game of his rookie season. Last year’s first overall pick didn’t quite make it through the campaign unscathed, though. He suffered a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder in a Week 18 loss to the Jaguars, forcing an early exit in the season finale.
Ward, who did not require surgery, is on track in his recovery a month and a half later. The 23-year-old is about two or three weeks from throwing, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. In the meantime, Ward is focusing on lower-body work with his personal quarterbacks coach, Darrell Colbert Jr. Colbert told Wolfe that “they want to get Ward’s feet back right” before he resumes throwing.
Between the lack of weaponry around him and an in-season coaching change, Ward did not walk into an easy situation in Tennessee. During a 3-14 season, he completed 59.8% of passes for 3,169 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Ward posted a traditional 80.2 quarterback rating while finishing last among qualifying passers in QBR (33.2). He also checked in toward the bottom of the league in yards per attempt (5.9).
There is optimism Ward’s second year will go much better, and it begins with new head coach Robert Saleh‘s staff. Saleh hired an established offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, to mold the Titans’ prized signal-caller.
Ward, cognizant of Daboll’s success with a young Josh Allen in Buffalo, is “very excited” to work with the coach, Wolfe reports. The two already began forming a rapport when Daboll was the Giants’ head coach during the pre-draft process last year, Wolfe adds. Ward was Daboll’s top-ranked QB then, and the Giants unsuccessfully tried to trade up from third overall to draft the Miami product.
New York, which drafted pass rusher Abdul Carter with its pick, later traded back into the first round to select former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart at 25th overall. Dart began the season on the bench, but Daboll named him the starter in place of a struggling Russell Wilson in Week 4. Although Dart performed well under Daboll, the Giants fired the coach after a 2-8 start.
Despite a 20-40-1 record in three-plus seasons with the Giants, Daboll was under consideration for head coaching jobs with the Titans, Bills and Raiders in January. Those teams went in other directions, leaving Daboll to accept his fifth offensive coordinator gig in the pros. If Daboll works wonders with Ward in 2026, a second head coaching opportunity could be in the cards next winter.
Jets Finalize 2026 Defensive Coaching Staff
The Jets have set their defensive coaching staff for the 2026 season, per team writer Eric Allen, with Ben Bolling, Ronald Booker, and Colin Bauer emerging as the final additions.
Bolling, 32, will take over as New York’s linebackers coach. He served as the Texans’ assistant linebackers coach in 2025 after four years as a defensive assistant on DeMeco Ryans‘ staff. Bolling previously worked as an assistant coach at Campbell University, where he played wide receiver from 2021 to 2025.
Booker just finished a five-year stint with the Cardinals, where he served as a defensive assistant and quality control coach. A former defensive back himself, Booker will primarily be working with the Jets’ nickel corners in 2026. Four players had over 100 slot snaps in New York in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required): safeties Malachi Moore and Jordan Clark and cornerbacks Jarvis Brownlee and Michael Carter. Only Moore and Brownlee are still on the roster for 2026, so Booker will be coaching them as well as any nickels the Jets acquire this offseason.
Dolphins Do Not Intend To Trade De’Von Achane, Jaylen Waddle
The Dolphins turned down offers for running back De’Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline, and their stance on the matter has not changed heading into the offseason.
Miami still sees their speedy offensive skill players as “core players,” according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, and have no desire to trade them as a result.
Achane, 24, just finished a career-best season with 1,838 yards from scrimmage and an NFL-high 5.7 yards per carry. He will become eligible for an extension in the new league year, and his next contract will likely make him one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL.
At the deadline, the Dolphins reportedly set a price of “a second-round pick and more” for Achane that no other team was willing to meet. As the draft approaches – and more teams begin to fall in love with Day 1 and 2 prospects – the chances of Miami getting such a haul for their young running back will likely drop. That kind of an offer may no longer be good enough, either, as the new front office and coaching staff could see Achane as a foundational part of their offense.
Waddle, 27, just finished his second straight season under 1,000 receiving yards after eclipsing that number in his previous three years. Much of that regression can be attributed to the Dolphins’ issues at quarterback and general offensive woes in 2025.
The Dolphins demanded a first-round pick “and then some” for Waddle at the deadline with no team making such an offer. The 2021 No. 6 pick has three years remaining on his contract with a $15.4MM option bonus due on March 20. He currently has no other guaranteed money in the future, though $8.2MM of his 2027 salary will become guaranteed early in the 2027 league year, per OverTheCap. That much contract control for a star wide receiver is another reason why the Dolphins set such a high price for Waddle in the past and plan to hold onto him moving forward.
The Dolphins would be more inclined to trade Minkah Fitzpatrick, per Wolfe, aligning with earlier reporting that the team was shopping the 29-year-old safety. Though they have hopes of quickly retooling around younger talents like Achane and Waddle, Fitzpatrick does not fit the timeline of a team that has yet to find its next quarterback.
Two Dolphins who may not be on the field at all next year – in Miami or elsehwere – are running back Alexander Mattison and offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg.
Mattison underwent emergency fusion surgery after a preseason neck injury in Chicago. The 27-year-old running back said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that he is still recovering but expressed hope to play again in the future.
Eichenberg is in a similar situation. He spent the entire season on the physically unable to perform list due to a lingering knee injury that flared up during offseason practices.
“It was one of those things that just started happening working out, doing exercises,” Eichenberg said (via Jackson). “My knee was just kind of breaking down for the most part.”
Eichenberg declined to say if he underwent surgery to address the issue. As for his playing future, he plans to try to return to the field but did not offer much more information.
NFL Mailbag: Kyler, Hendrickson, Carr, OL
In this week's edition of the PFR mailbag, questions regarding Kyler Murray, Trey Hendrickson, Derek Carr, the Browns' offensive line outlook and more are addressed.
Shea asks:
Where do you think Kyler Murray will end up? Do you think the ship has sailed with the Cardinals or is there a path for him to play under the new staff?
It is understandable that new head coach Mike LaFleur has declined to make any kind of declaration at this point of the offseason. That leaves the door open to keeping Murray for 2026, which probably wouldn’t be the worst option.
Rams To Promote Nate Scheelhaase To OC
The Rams will take the expected route of promoting from within to fill the offensive coordinator spot. Nate Scheelhaase is in position to take on an elevated role in 2026. 
Scheelhaase is being promoted to the role of offensive coordinator, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. He will serve as Mike LaFleur‘s replacement as a result. Schefter adds that quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone will maintain his current role while also having co-offensive coordinator added to his title.
During a head coaching hiring cycle dominated by staffers with a defensive background, Scheelhaase stood out. The 35-year-old has seen his stock rise considerably during a brief period. Only in place with the Rams since 2024 – his first foray into coaching at the NFL level – Scheelhaase was one of the most popular targets for HC interviews around the league last month.
After starting out at Illinois in 2015, Scheelhaase worked his way up the ladder at the NCAA level. He spent six years at Iowa State, working as the team’s offensive coordinator and QBs coach in 2023. That was followed by an arrival on Sean McVay‘s staff, something which has quickly resulted in an OC gig in the NFL. McVay will no doubt retain play-calling duties moving forward, but Scheelhaase will take on added responsibilities for 2026. He will look to become the latest member of the McVay coaching tree to elevate his standing around the league and land the opportunity to lead a staff elsewhere.
Ragone had been the only coach connected to the Rams’ OC vacancy since LaFleur departed to take charge of the Cardinals. After three years as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator under Arthur Smith, Ragone joined the Rams as their quarterbacks coach. He has played a key role in Matthew Stafford‘s ability to remain highly productive deep into his career, including an MVP campaign in 2025. The two will continue working together for at least one more year, but Ragone, 46, will also take on OC responsibilities for the first time since 2023.
The Rams averaged 30.5 points per game this season, good for first in the NFL. With Stafford set to return – likely on another reworked contract – expectations will remain very high for the unit. Continued efficiency would go a long way in setting Los Angeles up for another deep playoff run, and it would help Scheelhaase’s stock rise even further. A strong year with the title of offensive coordinator would no doubt lead to another wave of HC interest during the 2027 hiring cycle.
Pro Football Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat: 2/20/26
Pro Football Rumors' Sam Robinson will be holding a live chat at 4pm Central today, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!
Ravens Hope To Re-Sign Tyler Linderbaum
As free agency approaches, Tyler Linderbaum remains one of the top players on track to reach the open market. The Pro Bowl center is still in Baltimore’s plans at this point, though. 
Last spring, the Ravens declined Linderbaum’s fifth-year option. That move came as little surprise since option values are determined by grouping together all offensive linemen. The same is also true of the franchise tag, leaving it as an unfeasible means of Baltimore keeping Linderbaum in the fold. Whether or not a long-term deal can be worked out over the coming weeks remains to be seen.
“We’ve got some work to do on Tyler Linderbaum’s contract,” general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged during an appearance on the Inner Circle podcast (video link). “He’s a free agent. We strongly hope to have him back. He’s a great player for us and a great leader.”
Linderbaum expressed a desire to remain in Baltimore shortly after the team’s 2025 season ended. Based on DeCosta’s comments, the feeling is mutual. Baltimore has other matters to attend to from a financial standpoint in time for free agency, however. The most pressing one is a restructuring of quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s contract; until and unless that takes place, the Ravens’ cap flexibility will be unclear. The team’s ability to authorize a major Linderbaum extension will hinge in large part on its success in carving out space for 2026.
Seven centers are currently attached to an average annual value of at least $10MM. That list will soon grow, as Linderbaum is a strong candidate to reset the market. The Iowa product could easily top $18MM per year, which is the value of Creed Humphrey‘s Chiefs pact. Entering his age-26 season and having missed only two games so far in his career, Linderbaum will have no shortage of suitors if he tests the open market.
The Ravens may have a veteran contingency in place in the form of Connor McGovern should Linderbaum head elsewhere in March. Their preference would no doubt be to maintain the status quo at the center spot, and it will be interesting to see if progress at the negotiating table can be made shortly.
Indiana Gives HC Curt Cignetti Another Raise In New Deal
Hopefully, fans of struggling NFL teams aren’t banking on Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti making the jump to the NFL coaching ranks. While it would make a ton of sense to expect Cignetti to get NFL offers after his recent meteoric success in the NCAA, the Hoosiers are making it harder each year to buy the man out of his current commitment. 
It took a while for Cignetti to gain recognition for his accomplishments, but his notorious confidence is well-warranted, as a simple Google search confirms that he does, in fact, win. After 28 years filling assistant coaching roles at Davidson, Rice, Temple, Pittsburgh, NC State, and Alabama, Cignetti got his first head coaching opportunity in 2011 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Aside from a single 6-5 campaign, Cignetti never lost more than three games with the Crimson Hawks, going 53-17 in six years with the team. He then moved on to Elon, where he went 14-9 in two seasons before getting hired at James Madison.
Cignetti immediately made himself known with the Dukes, going 14-2 in his first year at the school en route to an FCS championship game appearance. Over three years in the FCS, Cignetti’s team went 33-5, and they kept to their winning ways when they made the FBS jump to the Sun Belt Conference, finishing 8-3 in 2022 and 11-1 in 2023. It was at this point that Cignetti was hired at Indiana, which at that point in time was the losingest program in NCAA history (most all-time losses).
In Year 1 with the Hoosiers, Cignetti and Co. went 11-2, making the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff but getting eliminated in their first game. It was the school’s first double-digit win season in its 127-year history (granted that in 61 of those seasons they did not play double-digit games). Indiana rewarded him with an eight-year, $93MM extension a month into Year 2 with the team. It hasn’t stopped there, though. Year 2 saw Cignetti’s Hoosiers become the NCAA’s first-ever team to go 16-0 en route to a national championship victory.
Apparently, Indiana didn’t believe the $11.63MM per year that they were paying him over the next several years was adequate compensation, because, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Cignetti and the team have agreed to a new deal that will increase the annual average value of his salary to $13.2MM. He is under contract with the Hoosiers through the 2033 season.
Given Cignetti’s tremendous success, an eventual jump to the NFL felt like a no brainer. Instead, the school and coach have worked hard to solidify his future at Indiana for years to come. Perhaps some downtrodden NFL franchise will at some point inquire what it would take to lure him away from Indiana, but at the moment the Hoosiers are diligently building a wall around their leader and filling that four-walled room chock-full of money.