Seahawks OLB DeMarcus Lawrence Considering Retirement
Going from missing most of the 2024 season with a Lisfranc injury to being part of a dominant Super Bowl LX-winning defense, DeMarcus Lawrence completed a career turnaround this past season. He is under contract for two more years, but the Seahawks edge rusher does not look to have committed to playing in 2026.
The longtime Cowboys defensive end starter has not informed the Seahawks if he is returning, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson said during an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Those in Lawrence’s camp are also not certain of the player’s plans, per Henderson. Lawrence is tied to a three-year, $32.5MM contract.
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Seattle took a chance on the 12-year veteran, who reunited with DC Aden Durde via his free agency commitment, and was rewarded. Lawrence finished with six sacks and two fumble-sixes, scoring both his touchdowns in the same half of a game against the Cardinals, and he then registered sacks in both the Seahawks’ NFC playoff wins.
The regular-season work earned Lawrence a Pro Bowl invite, representing a resurgence after his 2024 season ended four games in (the Pro Bowl nod brought an additional $500K). Lawrence worked as the Seahawks’ OLB starter opposite Uchenna Nwosu, who had also battled injury problems in recent years. The team has both under contract for 2026. Lawrence, 34 in April, is due $8.15MM in base salary; of that total, $5MM is guaranteed. The Seahawks would be left with a few million in dead money if Lawrence passed on that 2026 salary and retired on top.
Drafted shortly after the Cowboys released DeMarcus Ware, Lawrence was later franchise-tagged twice after becoming Dallas’ lead pass rusher. He transitioned to a sidekick role once the Cowboys obtained Micah Parsons, but the veteran still earned two Pro Bowl nods — the second of which as an alternate — during his Parsons partnership. Lawrence has 67.5 career sacks and has been solid against the run during his career as well.
Losing Lawrence would give the Seahawks a bit of a need on the edge. The team dangled Boye Mafe in trades during his contract year, benching the previously productive pass rusher with Nwosu and Lawrence staying healthy. Mafe is two weeks away from free agency, but the Seahawks still have Derick Hall under contract for one more season. Seattle pursued Von Miller even after signing Lawrence last year. It would stand to reason, especially with Mafe unsigned, the team would seek OLB help if Lawrence walks away.
Colts, S Nick Cross In Talks; LB Zaire Franklin On Roster Bubble?
Making no secret of Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce being their top priorities, the Colts have big decisions to make in the coming days. The quarterback and 1,000-yard wide receiver’s statuses point Nick Cross out the door.
The former third-round pick has been a quality starter at safety over the past two seasons, and while multiple factors (the Jones and Pierce matters among them) could point the young DB out of town, Chris Ballard said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Nathan Brown) he has spoken with Cross’ agent about a possible re-signing.
“I’m proud of Nick; I’m happy for Nick. Look, sometimes for players, there’s going to come a point where you and I don’t agree, and you don’t like me because of finances,” Ballard said during an appearance on The Fan Morning Show. “There’s this big pie, and I can slice it up and give you a piece of the pie, but someone (else) might be willing to give you a bigger piece, and if that happens, we’ve both done our jobs.
“We’ve done our jobs developing you, and you’ve done your job taking the coaching and getting better each and every year, and you deserve that opportunity. So we’ll see what the future holds with Nick. He made it to free agency on a high note, and we’ll see how that works out.”
Not only is the QB-WR duo taking precedence here, but the Colts (projected $35.7MM in cap space, per OverTheCap) already made tremendous commitments in the secondary last year. They gave Camryn Bynum a four-year, $60MM deal and handed Charvarius Ward a three-year, $54MM contract in free agency. Months later, Indianapolis traded two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell for Sauce Gardner, whom the Jets had just given a four-year, $120.4MM extension. With Kenny Moore on a three-year, $30MM contract, there does not seem to be room for Cross in Indy’s secondary on a second contract.
The Colts traded a 2023 third-round pick to move into the 2022 third round for Cross, who only made four starts over his first two seasons. From 2024-25, however, the Maryland product was a prolific tackler (266 combined stops) and registered 11 tackles for loss in that span. Cross, 24, started all 34 Colts games from 2024-25 and will be poised to land a nice second contract.
That said, this is a crowded safety market. Big money will not be available for the full lot of starter-level FAs. Jaquan Brisker, Bryan Cook, Alohi Gilman, Jalen Thompson, Kamren Curl, Coby Bryant, Jaylinn Hawkins and Andre Cisco are all 20-something starters unsigned. Veterans Kevin Byard, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Kyle Dugger and Donovan Wilson are among the older starter-caliber cogs headed to the market. Some teams in need of safety help will benefit from this glut, which presents a buyer’s market. Though, Cross (25 in September) being on the young end will benefit him.
Age may be working against one of Indianapolis’ core defenders. Ballard did not ensure Zaire Franklin would be back with the Colts for a ninth season. Franklin (30 in July) is tied to a three-year, $31.26MM contract. The Colts would save $9MM by cutting their top tackler, who is due an $8.24MM base salary in 2026 — the final year of his deal.
“I think you guys all know my feelings for Zaire Franklin,” Ballard said, via Brown. “We have a very close relationship. I thought he played good football, and the addition of Pratt, when we got him into the mix, he ended up adding a much needed will that we needed. The future, we’ll see. Pratt’s up. Zaire’s under contract, so we’ll see how that ends up playing out.”
When injuries slowed Shaquille Leonard, the Colts received a boost from another member of their deep 2018 draft class. A seventh-rounder out of Syracuse, Franklin has been a regular starter since the 2021 season. Primarily a special-teamer prior to that, Franklin became a late-blooming LB who landed three Colts contracts. He has two 170-plus-tackle seasons under his belt. After a 179-tackle 2023, Franklin led the NFL with 173 in 2024 en route to second-team All-Pro acclaim.
The Colts made a change at linebacker last year by letting E.J. Speed walk. They added ex-Lou Anarumo charge Germaine Pratt in-season. Pro Football Focus did not like the Franklin-Anarumo fit, ranking him as the NFL’s second-worst linebacker regular in 2025. Franklin, 29, would still generate considerable FA interest if released. With money perhaps needed for a franchise tag, veteran defenders like Franklin and perhaps Grover Stewart will be places to look for cap space.
Titans Eyeing Peter Skoronski Extension
While the Titans fired Ran Carthon after two years, the first of the GM’s draft picks has become a cornerstone performer. Peter Skoronski has started every game he has played through three seasons and will be on track to see his fifth-year option exercised.
Missing only three career games due to injury, the converted tackle has been Tennessee’s left guard starter throughout his career. Although the Titans can/will extend his rookie contract through the 2027 via the option, a true extension will be pursued.
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“We always try to secure our best players early,” GM Mike Borgonzi said. “And that is obviously a tool, an option we can use. But our goal is to get something done with Peter. With Peter, he is one of our better players, and we’d like him here long-term.”
ESPN’s pass block win rate metric has graded the Northwestern alum in the top 20 among guards in each of the past two seasons, slotting him 15th in 2024 and seventh in ’25. Pro Football Focus graded Skoronski fifth overall at the position in 2025, tabbing him as the NFL’s second-best pass blocker among guards. The 24-year-old blocker has generated momentum for an extension.
The Titans are among the teams, however, that have never authorized a post-Year 3 extension for a first-round pick. By exercising Skoronski’s option (a projected $20.5MM, per OverTheCap), Tennessee would move his contract year to 2027. That would buy the organization time. The team proceeded this way with Jeffery Simmons, waiting until 2023 to pay the 2019 first-rounder. They paid 2014 first-rounder Taylor Lewan in 2018, after picking up his option the year prior. Those are the only two first-round picks to receive an extension from the Titans in the option era (2014-present).
Considering some of the failures this organization has run into in Round 1 over the past decade, the Titans will likely be eager to have Skoronski on a second contract. The team has only one big-ticket contract along its O-line (for LT Dan Moore Jr.) presently, but in holding the NFL’s most cap space (increasing that margin by cutting center Lloyd Cushenberry on Thursday) and having Cam Ward on a rookie deal, a Skoronski payday will be fairly easy to accommodate this offseason. The NFL has seven $20MM-per-year guards; Skoronski could be No. 8, depending on when the Titans move to complete this deal.
Cowboys To Place Second-Round RFA Tender On G T.J. Bass
The Cowboys are showing a strong commitment to their restricted free agents. With a second-round tender coming to kicker Brandon Aubrey, Dallas has another one planned for a lesser-known player.
Three-year guard T.J. Bass will receive a second-round RFA tender, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The second-round tender price is not yet known, as the salary cap has not been revealed, but OverTheCap projects it to come in at $5.81MM. This will mean around $12MM allocated to two RFAs for the Cowboys.
Bass has been a key backup in Dallas, starting 10 games in relief during his career. Part of the Cowboys’ 2023 UDFA class, the Oregon alum has logged between 315 and 351 offensive snaps in each of his three seasons. Bass split his time nearly equally at LG and RG last season, making starts in relief of Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. Pro Football Focus graded Bass 29th overall among qualified guards last season.
With Smith extended and Booker locked in at the other guard spot after being drafted 12th overall, Bass has no pathway to a starting job in Dallas. That does make the use of a second-round tender interesting, but the Cowboys are effectively making sure they would collect a valuable asset (a Round 2 pick) if a team signed Bass to an offer sheet and Dallas did not match.
This tender is also interesting due to Bass having only taken snaps at guard as a pro. In place as a second-stringer throughout his Dallas run, the soon-to-be 27-year-old blocker has not made any appearances at tackle or center. Bass, though, came to Dallas after spending his final Oregon season as the Ducks’ left tackle during Bo Nix‘s first Ducks season. Bass moved to LT during his junior season at Oregon, being a guard starter for the Ducks in the 1 1/2 seasons prior to that switch.
Dolphins Almost Hired Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard As HC?
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was a finalist for the Dolphins’ head coaching job that went to Jeff Hafley. His comments this week indicate he might have been the runner-up.
“Full disclosure, I was in communication with the Dolphins for about two weeks,” Sheppard said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “After the interview I was contacted by three people from that front office.” Sheppard not provide more details into his communication with Miami , but said information he received was “as real as it gets.”
Hafley interviewed with the Dolphins on January 17 and Sheppard followed the next day. Hafley’s was announced the evening of Sheppard’s interview. That raised some concern that Sheppard’s interview was a sham, intended only to fulfill the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement. But he is appreciative of the invitation nonetheless, as the Dolphins were the first team to express formal interest in him for a head coaching jog.
“Real or not, I got the opportunity to do it,” Sheppard said. “Real or fake, I went through the process and I learned a lot and I grew from it, so that’s what I’m taking from it.”
The 38-year-old faced an uphill battle in his first year as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. Several of his top players went down with injuries during the season, forcing them to limp to the finish line as they missed the playoffs. A bounce-back year in 2026 could raise his profile around the league and get him in the mix for vacancies next hiring cycle.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent Drawing Interest
FEBRUARY 26: The Bears will need “a significant package of picks and/or players” to move Bagent, per Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline. It is hard to imagine a team getting that aggressive on such an unproven passer, but the renaissance of quarterback reclamation projects could encourage one to acquire Bagent and his cheap contract. He is only owed $8.5MM over the next two years. His $4MM salary in 2026 is set to guarantee in March, per OverTheCap, but a team acquiring him would be planning to pay that money either way.
FEBRUARY 24: Shortly before he began his third NFL season in 2025, backup quarterback Tyson Bagent inked a two-year, $10MM extension with the Bears. The deal keeps Bagent under wraps through 2027, but he may finish it in another uniform. General manager Ryan Poles revealed Tuesday that teams have inquired about Bagent. Poles wouldn’t rule out trading the 25-year-old, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Bagent, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent from Division II Shepherd in 2023, backed up Justin Fields as a rookie. But Bagent still made five appearances and four starts, during which he completed 65.7% of throws for 859 yards (6.0 per attempt), three touchdowns, six interceptions and a 71.4 passer rating. Bagent has barely seen any regular-season action since then.
The Bears cut the cord on the failed Fields experiment when they traded him to the Steelers in March 2024. Although the Bears won seven games during the Fields/Bagent season, they had already secured the No. 1 pick in the draft thanks to a March 2023 blockbuster with the Panthers.
A month after the Bears dumped Fields, they used the top selection in 2024 on former USC Heisman Trophy-winning QB Caleb Williams. As expected, Williams was the Bears’ starter from Day 1. He has not missed a game two years later.
While Williams’ career got off to a somewhat rocky start during a 5-12 rookie year, he and the Bears made enormous strides in an NFC North-winning campaign in 2025. The Bears went on to win their wild-card matchup against the hated Packers, but their season ended a week later with an overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round.
With Williams now looking like the long-awaited answer under center for the Bears, Bagent does not have a real path to playing time in Chicago. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder has attempted just six passes in seven appearances since Williams came to town, but head coach Ben Johnson regards his backup as a starting-caliber QB.
“I do think there is a lot of merit to having a strong No. 2 quarterback, which he certainly fits that bill,” Johnson said Tuesday (via Finley). “I’m of the mind that he’s probably one of the best 32 in the NFL. His preseason tape over the last few years has probably confirmed that, in my opinion. But if I took myself out of the equation, I want what’s best for him. If he would like an opportunity to start, I certainly hope he can get that somewhere.”
That’s a glowing endorsement from Johnson, one of the league’s brightest offensive minds. If at least one other team agrees with Johnson’s assessment, it could put Poles in position to sell high on Bagent this offseason.
Bears Expect T Ozzy Trapilo To Make Full Recovery; Lengthy 2026 Absence Likely
Ozzy Trapilo suffered a torn patellar tendon during the wild-card round of the 2025 playoffs. His availability to the Bears early next season is in serious doubt as a result. 
Missing Trapilo for any considerable period would deal a notable blow to Chicago’s offensive line given his performances as a rookie. The 2025 second-round projects as a potential long-term solution on the blindside, the only O-line spot which is currently unaccounted for in the case of the Bears. While he will likely miss time in 2026, Trapilo is at least expected to make a full recovery.
“We expect him to come back and heal from it,” general manager Ryan Poles said when speaking at the Combine (via Kole Noble). “There’s a plan in place. I can’t get into the timelines or anything like that, I just don’t know. But, yeah, we expect him to be back and be himself. Pretty significant injury that he’s got to get through, but in terms of affecting his overall career or next year, I don’t see that being an issue.”
The starting left tackle gig was a talking point throughout the 2025 offseason. Incumbent Braxton Jones found himself benched early in the season before a knee injury of his own led to a lengthy spell out of the picture. Along with Trapilo, Theo Benedet saw considerable time in the lineup as Chicago cycled through its LT options. Jones is a pending free agent, and a departure would come as little surprise in his case.
That could leave Benedet and 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie as left tackle options early next season. Afterwards, Trapilo could work his way back into the fold upon returning to full strength. The 24-year-old’s attention will be focused on recovery for several more months, but becoming available at some point next season will of course be a welcomed sign for the Bears.
Giants Willing To Hear Trade Offers For Kayvon Thibodeaux
FEBRUARY 26: After just two days of the Combine, Thibodeaux has become a “name to keep an eye on,” for a potential trade, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. With Burns and Carter as their starting edge rushers, Thibodeaux may not be in the long-term plans of the Giants’ new regime. They will listen to trade offers, with some around the league expected Thibodeaux to eventually be dealt to another team.
FEBRUARY 24: Kayvon Thibodeaux was the subject of trade talks leading up to the deadline. No deal was reached, leaving him on course to remain with the Giants in 2026. 
New York picked up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option last spring. As a result, he is due $14.75MM next season. A full-time starting gig does not await in this case, but the former No. 5 selection appears to still be in the Giants’ plans at this point.
“Right now, Kayvon’s gonna be with us,” general manager Joe Schoen said at the Combine on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “He played well. He is going into his fifth year, and he’s motivated, and you can’t have enough pass rushers.”
Thibodeaux appeared to hit his stride during his second Giants season, posting 11.5 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures. The Oregon product has missed notable time through injury during both of his subsequent campaigns, however. Thibodeaux played 12 games in 2024 before managing 10 this past year. With only eight sacks across that span, he is not in position to operate as an edge rushing anchor for New York.
Brian Burns has proven to be an effective trade acquisition for the Giants. The former Panther has been a strong producer in two New York seasons, and he posted a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2025. Meanwhile, Abdul Carter saw his usage rate increase late in the year and he managed most of the output from his four-sack season down the stretch. Carter, selected third overall last spring, figures to pair with Burns as the Giants’ top edge rushers for years to come.
That leaves Thibodeaux in an interesting position. The 25-year-old has logged a snap share of at least 72% every year to date, but a path to a larger workload would only exist in the event of an injury to Burns and/or Carter. Extending Thibodeaux given his spotty track record would carry risk, while finding a trade partner willing to part with notable draft capital would no doubt be a challenge. Schoen noted (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic) no trade talks have occurred so far this offseason.
Free agency is set to include a number of veteran pass rushers like Trey Hendrickson and Bradley Chubb. Several younger options are on track to reach the market for the first time, and suitors could prefer to invest in them rather than acquiring Thibodeaux. In that case, efforts to work out a new Giants pact would be something to watch for.
WR Alec Pierce Expected To Have Strong Market
Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is expected to draw heavy interest in free agency with several teams already interested in signing him.
In fact, Pierce is expected to receive more interest – though not a bigger contract – than fellow Colts pending free agent Daniel Jones, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. The veteran quarterback has an uncertain outlook for the 2026 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, but the Colts see him as their long-term starter. Other teams may be less certain, especially with a number of quarterbacks – including Anthony Richardson – also coming available this offseason.
The wide receiver market is less crowded. With the Cowboys using the franchise tag on George Pickens, Pierce will be the most valuable one available. The Colts might be more justified using the franchise or transition tag on him rather than Jones.
The transition tag, projected by OverTheCap to be $25MM, certainly makes sense. It is easy to see Pierce reaching that AAV on the open market. He is an excellent deep threat, having led the league in yards per catch in the last two years, and rounded out his game in 2025. He is also just 25 years old and clearly has the potential to grow further.
However, the tag would take up a significant portion of the Colts’ current salary cap space. They would have to make more room via restructures and cuts, though there are several candidates. Agreeing to an extension with Pierce would reduce his cap hit, but the transition tag would give him a chance to test his market.
The franchise tag, however, would likely keep Pierce in Indianapolis. Other clubs are unlikely to be willing to move two first-round picks and hand him a contract the Colts would not match. The franchise tag is projected to be $28.8MM, which would raise the floor in extension negotiations. But if Pierce’s value is approaching that figure anyway, Indianapolis may be best served by keeping him off the market.
Using a tag on Pierce would take it out of play for Jones and increase pressure on the Colts to get a deal done with the latter before free agency.
Raiders ‘Looking At All Options’ At QB
The Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the 2026 draft, putting Geno Smith‘s future in Las Vegas in doubt.
Smith, 35, joined the Raiders last offseason via a trade with the Seahawks, where he started for the last four years. He signed a two-year, $75MM extension last offseason that included $18.5MM in guaranteed salary in 2026.
But after a noticeable drop in play last season – including a league-high 17 interceptions – and the coaching change from Pete Carroll to Klint Kubiak, Smith is no longer the Raiders’ quarterback of the future. At the Combine this week, Kubiak said that the team was “looking at all options right now,” and said that the 12-year veteran was among the considerations.
Kubiak and Smith are technically reuniting in Las Vegas, as the former arrived as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator a few months before the latter was traded. While Kubiak may not have pushed for the move, it is hard to ignore the timing – and the subsequent seasons of each team involved. The two have talked “a little bit” since Kubiak came aboard in Las Vegas.
Unless the Raiders move off of Mendoza in the next few months, Smith is likely to be out of a starting job later this year. He may not want to spend his age-36 season as a backup on a rebuilding team and could seek a trade. He may not have much value after a rough season, but teams may also ascribe some of his struggles to the dearth of talent around him. Teams in need of a bridge starter – which could include his former team, the Jets – might be interested, and the Raiders would be wise to consider it. They need to spend aggressively this offseason to meet the NFL’s minimum spending requirement – 90% of the salary cap in three-year cycles – so they can afford to eat Smith’s 2026 salary. That would make him more enticing to other teams and raise his trade value.
Otherwise, the Raiders should keep Smith as an experienced mentor for Mendoza in his first season. Typically, a No. 1 pick plays right away, but Las Vegas could start Smith initially in 2026 and give Mendoza more time to get adjusted to the NFL, especially as the team figures out its offensive line situation. He could also become a valuable trade chip during the season if any team were to lose their starting quarterback.