NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/11/26
After they announced 11 futures deals yesterday, the Patriots opted to add on a couple more today:
Miami Dolphins
- CB Miles Battle
New England Patriots
Gutierrez has been a practice squad journeyman since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Minot State in 2022. This is actually a reunion for the Patriots, who were the first to add Gutierrez to a taxi squad as a rookie after the Broncos, who initially signed him out of college, waived him around final roster cuts. He’s also spent time on rosters in Las Vegas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Indianapolis, making multiple stops with the Raiders, 49ers, and Browns. Gutierrez has spent time in two games so far in his career, playing three snaps on offense and seven on special teams.
Mitchell started his career with the 49ers, who, in the wake of Frank Gore‘s departure and a Carlos Hyde rental, had resorted to a running back by committee approach in the late 2010s. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Louisiana, Mitchell played a huge role, leading the team in rushing with 963 yards and five touchdowns, while Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert dealt with injuries. In Year 2, Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL in the season opener, and Wilson took over RB1 duties before the team ultimately traded for Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell found his way back to the field, after sitting for several weeks, but tore his MCL just three weeks later. A season-ending hamstring injury in the final year of his rookie contract ended his time in San Francisco, and he spent most of last year in Kansas City, getting cut after only appearing in one game by late December.
After the Patriots opted not to include Battle in their batch of reserve/futures deals, the division rival Dolphins opted to offer him a deal in Miami.
Dolphins Add Kevin Patullo As Pass-Game Coordinator
Kevin Patullo is heading to Miami. After losing his offensive coordinator title in Philadelphia, Patullo is joining the Dolphins as their new pass-game coordinator, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Patullo held that same title with the Eagles between 2021 and 2024, but he earned a promotion to offensive coordinator following Kellen Moore‘s departure last offseason. After grading out as a top-10 offense each season between 2022 and 2024, the Eagles offense took a major step back in 2025, finishing 19th in points and 24th in yards. While regression was expected from the likes of Saquon Barkley, the regression was especially troubling considering the Eagles returned 10 of their 11 starters from their Super Bowl-winning squad.
Following the team’s first-round loss to the 49ers, Nick Sirianni announced that the team would be demoting Patullo from his post. The Eagles ended up adding Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, and while Patullo technically stayed on the staff over the past month, it seemed clear that his time with the organization had likely come to an end. As Garafolo notes, the coach spoke with several teams about assistant roles during the recent hiring cycle, and he ultimately found a home in Miami.
Patullo will now be joining a revamped Dolphins coaching staff that’s led by head coach Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. While it’s uncertain if Patullo will earn the associate head coach title he had with the Eagles in 2023 and 2024, Garafolo expects the new hire to assist Hafley with “head-coaching responsibilities during the week and on gameday.”
While the Dolphins coaching staff has basically taken shape, the offensive personnel is still a major question mark. The team seems set to move on from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Tyreek Hill‘s tenure with the organization will also likely come to an end. While wideout Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane represent skilled options on offense, the unit will surely look a lot different in 2026.
Panthers Add Darrell Bevell To Staff
After serving as the Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach/passing-game coordinator over the past four years, Darrell Bevell emerged as a finalist to take over as the Jets’ offensive coordinator. The Jets ended up hiring Frank Reich for the position on Feb. 4, but Bevell has landed a different job a week later. He’s leaving Miami to join the Panthers’ staff as associate head coach/offensive specialist, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Carolina will be the seventh NFL team for the 56-year-old Bevell, whose pro career began in 2000 as an assistant quarterbacks coach in Green Bay. Between his six-year run with the Packers and his four seasons with the Dolphins, Bevell coached in Minnesota, Seattle, Detroit and Jacksonville. He was the O-coordinator with the Vikings (2006-10), Seahawks (2011-17), Lions (2019-20) and Jaguars (2021).
Bevell is best known for a successful tenure in Seattle, which won the Super Bowl in 2013 and then came within a yard of repeating the next year. Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler had other ideas, though, as he intercepted a Russell Wilson pass at the goal line to seal a 28-24 Pats victory in Super Bowl XLIX.
Bevell and former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have since drawn no shortage of criticism for passing instead of handing off to Marshawn Lynch in the game’s waning moments. Bevell nonetheless remained in charge of their offense for three more seasons.
Dave Canales, now the Panthers’ head coach, was the Seahawks’ wide receivers coach during Bevell’s entire seven-year stay as their O-coordinator. Panthers general manager Dan Morgan was in the Seahawks’ front office for that stretch.
The three are now reuniting in Carolina, which won the NFC South in 2025 despite an 8-9 record. Quarterback Bryce Young, the former first overall pick, made enough progress in his third season for the team to pick up his fifth-year option. The jury is still out on whether Young will turn into a franchise signal-caller, but Bevell will now have a hand in his development after drawing mixed results from Tua Tagovailoa in Miami.
With assistance from Bevell, Tagovailoa led the league in passer rating (2022), yards (2023) and completion percentage (2024) in separate seasons. Tagovailoa also received a Pro Bowl invitation in 2023, but he bottomed out in 2025 – Bevell’s last year in South Florida – and the Dolphins now hope to trade him.
Browns, Dolphins, Steelers Interested In QB Malik Willis?
The Packers expect to see Malik Willis depart in free agency next month. His destination will remain unclear for the time being, but a list of suitors to watch has emerged. 
At least four teams are regarded as likely to make an offer in Willis’ case, SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports. The Steelers are among them. La Canfora adds the Browns and Dolphins are viewed as being “particularly keen” in Willis’ case, making them logical candidates to make a free agent push.
Willis has spent the past two years as a backup to Jordan Love in Green Bay. During limited action filling in as the team’s starter, the former third-round pick has flashed enough potential to generate notable interest. The 2026 quarterback market is not on track to include many options seen as containing much in the way of upside. Willis represents an exception, and a bidding war could land him a starting gig ahead of next season.
The Dolphins have a number of ex-Packers staffers in the fold. That includes new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley. The latter holds Willis in high regard, per the report. That would make a notable Dolphins pursuit unsurprising, although the team also has the matter of Tua Tagovailoa and his contract to attend to. Trading Tagovailoa will be a goal for Miami this offseason, and retaining money to facilitate a deal may be on the table. A cost-effective replacement – especially one familiar to the Dolphins’ new decision-makers – would of course be attractive.
Pittsburgh inked Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal last offseason. Connections between the two parties resulted in a long-running period before an agreement was ultimately reached. Moving on to Will Howard or another option could take place in 2026, but the Steelers expressed a willingness to retain Rodgers even before Mike McCarthy was hired as head coach. A QB-HC reunion dating back to the time both shared in Green Bay remains a distinct possibility.
An agent who spoke with La Canfora pointed to Cleveland as the team which could end up in pole position to land Willis. 2025 draftees Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are still in the fold after each saw time atop the depth chart as rookies. Deshaun Watson is likely to be healthy by the start of next season, and he could compete for the QB1 gig. More competition could nevertheless be brought in, something which could point the Browns in the direction of a Willis signing.
One GM predicted Willis, 26, will ultimately land a contract similar to the one Justin Fields signed last spring. Upon joining the Jets, Fields secured a two-year, $40MM pact with $30MM guaranteed. Any pact close to that one would represent a major raise relative to Willis’ rookie contract. Especially if multiple teams find themselves competing for his services, a multi-year contract could soon be in store.
Dolphins Hope To Trade QB Tua Tagovailoa
With the 2025 NFL season officially over and most top coaching positions filled, the spotlight will now turn to the league’s annual quarterback carousel.
Among the passers likely to be available is Tua Tagovailoa, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The Dolphins have long been expected to move on from the 2020 first-round pick as part of a full organizational overhaul, which also featured changes at head coach and general manager.
A trade would be preferable to an outright release for a number of reasons. Cutting Tagovailoa would incur a $99MM dead cap hit, the largest in NFL history. The Dolphins can restructure his deal to push the majority of that dead money into 2027 with a post-June 1 cut, but the extra cap savings would not be available until that date.
Finalizing a trade would allow Miami to part ways with Tagovailoa earlier in the offseason while also reducing the resulting financial impact. It would also get back some kind of return, though the draft compensation in such a deal may be minimal
Miami appears to be willing to eat some of Tagovailoa’s remaining contract to facilitate a trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 27-year-old is owed $54MM in guaranteed money in 2026, comprised of a $39MM salary and a $15MM option bonus (via OverTheCap). Understandably, an acquiring team would not want to pick up that entire tab. But they might be willing to take on part of Tagovailoa’s deal if the Dolphins absorb the rest. In that event, a trade that yields draft picks and a dead cap charge under $99MM would be considered a major success for Miami’s new front office.
The Dolphins seem to be mulling their options as their new leaders step into their jobs. New offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald) that Tagovailoa can “absolutely bounce back,” but the quarterback has not been informed of a decision one way or the other.
Adam Gase To Join Chargers’ Staff
FEBRUARY 9: Gase is indeed being hired by the Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms. He will work as an assistant “focusing on the passing game,” as expected.
FEBRUARY 7, 4:16pm: According to OutKick’s Armando Salguero, Gase will be flying to Los Angeles early next week to discuss the potential of him assuming the pass game coordinator position for the Chargers. As Zenitz suggested in his initial report, it’s considered a strong possibility that the trip will end Gase’s six-year hiatus from the NFL.
FEBRUARY 7, 10:28am: Adam Gase hasn’t coached in the NFL since the Jets fired him in 2020, but the 47-year-old could resurface on the Chargers’ staff next season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh is “strongly considering” Gase for the Chargers’ passing game coordinator role, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.
In joining the Chargers, Gase would take over for soon-to-be Ravens assistant Marcus Brady and team with two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert. Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would be landing a seasoned staffer in Gase, who carries 16 years’ experience in the pros.
Gase has held high-level assistant jobs with the Lions (QBs coach, 2007), Broncos (QBs coach from 2011-12, offensive coordinator from 2013-14) and Bears (O-coordinator, 2015). However, he’s better known for his ill-fated head coaching tenures with the Dolphins and Jets.
Gase took the reins in 2016 in Miami, which won 10 games and earned a playoff berth that year. Things went downhill from there, though. After the Dolphins combined to go 13-19 over the next two seasons, they fired Gase.
It didn’t take long for Gase to land with the Jets, who hired him under two weeks after the Dolphins canned him. Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, whom Gase coached in Denver from 2012-14, recommended him to Jets owner Woody Johnson. Despite Manning’s endorsement, Gase’s run as the Jets’ sideline leader was a disaster. They went 7-9 in 2019 and then spiraled to a 2-14 mark the next season, leading Johnson to hand Gase his walking papers.
Gase, owner of an ugly 32-48 record in a half-decade as a head coach, has stayed connected to the game despite not officially working for any teams since 2020. When Antonio Pierce was the Raiders’ interim head coach in 2023, he invited Gase and fellow former HCs Tom Coughlin and Marvin Lewis to participate in meetings. Gase, the son-in-law of Denver senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt, also spent time around the Broncos and offensive coordinator (then their QBs coach) Davis Webb last summer, per Jon Heath of Broncos Wire.
Along with Gase, Dolphins offensive assistant Max McCaffrey is a candidate to join the Chargers’ staff, according to Zenitz. There’s a “strong possibility” the Chargers will hire McCaffrey, possibly as their running backs coach, after he worked for McDaniel in Miami from 2023-25. Kiel McDonald, the Chargers’ RBs coach from 2024-25, will not return next season, per Daniel Popper of The Athletic. That could open the door for McCaffrey.
An NFL receiver from 2016-18, the 31-year-old McCaffrey is the brother of superstar 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and Commanders wideout Luke McCaffrey. He began his coaching career assisting with Northern Colorado’s WRs in 2020.
Final 2026 NFL Draft Order
With Super Bowl LX in the books, the full 2026 NFL draft order has been set. Free agency is not far away, but attention will increasingly turn to April’s event as the offseason progresses.
The top of the first-round order is not subject to much in the way of speculation. The Raiders own the No. 1 selection and are widely seen as the landing spot for Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback regarded as a first-round lock at this point. How other QB-needy teams positioned throughout the order operate over the coming weeks – knowing there is a lack of high-end prospects this year – will make for an interesting storyline around the league.
This year’s NFL Combine will begin on February 23. Events such as the Senior Bowl have already taken place, leaving the Combine as the next major checkpoint in the evaluation of top prospects. Teams will begin arranging ‘Top 30’ visits with several players of interest relatively soon during the build-up to the draft. This year’s event will take place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
Pending the inevitable trades which will shake up the order, here is a final look at how things stand leading up to Day 1:
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
- Miami Dolphins (7-10)
- Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Falcons)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-9)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)
- New York Jets (via Colts)
- Detroit Lions (9-8)
- Minnesota Vikings (9-8)
- Carolina Panthers (8-9)
- Dallas Cowboys (from Packers)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
- Cleveland Browns (from Jaguars)
- Chicago Bears (11-6)
- Buffalo Bills (12-5)
- San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
- Houston Texans (12-5)
- Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
- Denver Broncos (14-3)
- New England Patriots (14-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (14-3)
NFC Staff Updates: Cardinals, 49ers, Cowboys, Lions, Buccaneers
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur quickly hired Nathaniel Hackett as his offensive coordinator, and he is now looking for coaches to run his defense and special teams.
Arizona is interviewing a number of candidates for defensive coordinator, while Giants special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial has emerged as a leading candidate to take over as special teams coordinator, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Ghobrial, 37, has spent the last two years with the Giants. Before that, he served as the Jets’ assistant special teams coordinator on Robert Saleh‘s staff, overlapping for two years with LaFleur. Ghobrial previously worked for a number of college programs as well as the Lions in 2017.
The Giants had a solid year on special teams in 2025. They ranked fifth in yards per kickoff return (27.7) and 10th in average starting field position (31.3). Cornerback Deonte Banks also recorded one of the NFL’s five kick return touchdowns last year.
Here is the latest from the coaching ranks across the NFC:
- Elsewhere in the NFC West, the 49ers are hiring former Dolphins offensive assistant Roman Sapolu to their staff, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He previously served as Hawaii’s offensive coordinator and Fresno State’s run game coordinator. He is also the son of former NFL offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, who won four Super Bowls with the 49ers between 1983 and 1997.
- The 49ers also promoted team president Al Guido to Chief Executive Officer, per a press release. Guido first arrived in San Francisco in 2014 as the Chief Operating Officer before his promotion to president.
- The Cowboys are retaining Jamel Mutunga, who spent the 2025 season in Dallas via the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. He will be the team’s assistant running backs coach moving forward, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
- The Lions are promoting assistant offensive line coach Steve Oliver to tight ends coach, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will replace Tyler Roehl, who left Detroit to become Iowa State’s offensive coordinator.
- The Buccaneers are making internal promotions to replace cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross (fired) and safeties coach Nick Rapone (retired), according to Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds. Rashad Johnson will take over Ross’ role while Tim Atkins will succeed Rapone. Both served as assistant secondary coaches in 2025.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
This post will be updated as more Outlooks are published.
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New England Patriots
- New York Jets
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tennessee Titans
AFC West
- Denver Broncos
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Los Angeles Chargers
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Washington Commanders
NFC North
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
NFC South
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFC West
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
- San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/5/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Miami Dolphins
- TE Zack Kuntz
Zack Kuntz was a seventh-round pick by the Jets in 2023 and spent two years with the organization. The majority of his NFL career has been spent on New York’s practice squad, although he did find his way into two games with the Jets. He was waived at the end of the 2025 preseason and didn’t join a team for this past season. The tight end was selected by the DC Defenders during this past January’s UFL draft.