Ian Cunningham: Falcons Will Release QB Kirk Cousins
The Falcons’ recent restructure of Kirk Cousins‘ contract added further to the widespread expectation a release would be coming. New general manager Ian Cunningham confirmed as much on Tuesday. 
While appearing on 92.9 The Game, Cunningham said (via Josh Kendall of The Athletic) Cousins will be released on the first day of the new league year. That means the Pro Bowl quarterback’s Atlanta tenure will come to an end on March 11. Cousins was set to see his 2027 salary (inflated to $67.9MM) vest in full on March 13, but to no surprise that will not be the case.
Cousins is therefore on track to reach free agency just before agreements with suitors can be finalized. The 37-year-old wishes to continue his career, and it will be interesting to see how his market takes shape in the near future. Especially if Daniel Jones remains in place with the Colts, free agency will not offer much in the way of starting-caliber veterans at the QB position. Cunningham did not say whether or not the Falcons would be interested in re-signing Cousins at a reduced rate, something which would give them insurance while Michael Penix Jr. recovers.
Penix has yet to receive a full endorsement from Atlanta’s new regime – including Cunningham, president of football operations Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski – and his Week 1 availability is uncertain at this time. Penix has endured up-and-down showings while atop the depth chart early in his NFL career, and the former first-rounder has a long injury history dating back to his days in college. Once Cousins is off the books, a new deal in his case will be needed or Atlanta will be in the market for an experienced addition through free agency or trade.
For Cousins, meanwhile, a return to Minnesota will increasingly be something to watch for over the coming weeks. The possibility of a Vikings reunion has picked up steam in league circles recently, and it would of course fit on a number of levels. J.J. McCarthy has missed considerable time during his first two years in the NFL, and his level of play when on the field has left plenty to be desired. That has left Minnesota in the market for QB1 competition, and Cousins would be a familiar face for head coach Kevin O’Connell and Co. after playing with the Vikings from 2018-23.
The lack of a long-term commitment on the part of Minnesota helped lead Cousins to head elsewhere in free agency. His four-year, $160MM Falcons pact seemed to put him on track for multiple years atop the depth chart, but it was quickly followed by the Penix selection. Since then, speculation has lingered about when a parting of ways would take place and leave Penix in place as the clear-cut QB1 (or a passer set to compete with a new arrival for the starting gig). That time will soon arrive.
Falcons Plan To Place Franchise Tag On TE Kyle Pitts
Kyle Pitts is set to spend a sixth season in Atlanta. The veteran tight end is in position to receive the franchise tag, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 
Pitts will not reach the market based on today’s news. Instead of testing free agency for the first time in his career, Pitts will remain with the Falcons for 2026. The tight end tag is projected to cost $16.32MM, and the team will carry that cost on its cap sheet unless a long-term deal is worked out.
[RELATED: NFL Franchise Tag Recipients Since 2010]
The possibility of the franchise tag has steadily increased in this case, with Pitts enjoying a strong 2025 season and boosting his market value along the way. The former No. 4 pick set a new career high in receptions (88) and touchdowns (five) this past year, bouncing back from a highly underwhelming 2022-24 stretch. Pitts has expressed interest in playing in new head coach Kevin Stefanski‘s offense, and he will be able to do so for at least one year. Many around the NFL expected a tag in this instance, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms.
As a rookie, Pitts earned a Pro Bowl nod and topped 1,000 yards. The Florida alum was unable to match expectations beyond that point until his 2025 bounce-back campaign. Questions about inconsistency have been raised, and it will be interesting to see if a long-term commitment winds up being made by Atlanta. New president of football operations Matt Ryan was once Pitts’ teammate, putting him and the Falcons’ revamped group of decision-makers in an interesting position.
Atlanta is currently slated to have roughly $26.5MM in cap space, with a number of other priorities on offense to be sorted out this spring. A Kirk Cousins release is among them, while wideout Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson are each eligible for extensions. Keeping those two in the fold well beyond 2026 will be costly, especially if a multi-year commitment winds up being made to Pitts. At the age of 25, the second-team All-Pro could command a lucrative pact from Atlanta this year or outside suitors in 2027 in the event he reaches free agency.
Stefanski’s ability to improve an offense which ranked just 19th in scoring in 2025 will be key. Pitts figures to play a large role in that effort regardless of whether or not he agrees to a new Falcons pact over the coming months. July 15 represents the deadline for franchise-tagged players to work out a long-term pact with their respective teams.
Malik Willis, Ty Simpson Among QBs Being Evaluated By Browns
The Browns’ quarterback situation could go in a number of directions this offseason. The status quo would see Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson compete for the starting gig, but an outside addition will be explored. 
March will see the free agent and trade markets take shape, and Cleveland will do homework on the top options set to be available. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com specifically names Malik Willis as a passer on the Browns’ radar at this point. That makes Cleveland one of many potential suitors in his case.
Willis is widely seen as the top quarterback on track for free agency. A Packers departure is expected, as the open market is set to present him with a starting opportunity. Cleveland had already been named as a team to watch on the Willis front, with the same also being true of Pittsburgh and Miami. The Dolphins in particular have Willis connections in the form of new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head Jeff Hafley. The 26-year-old could also be pursued by the Cardinals, provided they move on from Kyler Murray.
As Cabot notes, any veteran addition made by the Browns this offseason will not be a short-term rental but rather a passer viewed as having starting potential beyond 2026. That could certainly be the case for Willis if his market reaches expected levels, despite the fact he has only made six starts in the regular season. Cleveland’s financial situation will once again be impacted by Watson’s heavy cap charge, so it would be difficult for the team to win a bidding war.
That leaves the draft as another route to landing a new QB. On that note, Cabot writes Ty Simpson is among the prospects receiving attention in the Browns’ case. The Alabama product is seen as the second-best passer in this year’s class, owing in large part to Dante Moore‘s decision to remain in school for 2026. Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza is on track to be drafted first overall by the Raiders, but Simpson’s landing spot is much more difficult to project at this point.
Having only made 15 starts in college, Simpson is viewed as having notable upside but will carry risk based on his short track record. The 23-year-old’s 2025 season also did not finish nearly as well as it began, something which could hinder his stock. Nevertheless, the Browns – who own two first-round selections along with one in each of the second and third rounds – will have ample opportunity to make another QB investment in April.
Offseason Outlook: New England Patriots
The Patriots are back...depending on who you ask. Most teams could only dream of New England's turnaround in 2025. Following two straight four-win showings, the team ripped off their Jerod Mayo band-aid and opted for old friend and eventual Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel. The results were undeniable. The Patriots won 14 games before a run to the Super Bowl. At the same time, Drake Maye truly broke out, finishing second in MVP voting.
On the flip side, critics point to New England's historically easy schedule, and its run through the AFC playoffs saw them beat a depleted Chargers O-line, a turnover-happy C.J. Stroud and Broncos QB2 Jarrett Stidham. When reviewing their entire 2025 performance, there are rightful reasons for skepticism.
Regardless of your opinion on the quality of the 2025 Patriots, two things can be true. The organization took significant steps forward both in record and future outlook. Plus, besides Maye, the team identified some clear foundational pieces on both sides of the football. At the same time, the Patriots clearly benefitted from some layup opponents, and a step back in 2026 wouldn't surprise many.
Following a spending spree last offseason, there are certainly reasons to believe the Patriots will not spend nearly as much in 2026. However, if the organization wants to prove that 2025 wasn't a fluke, they can't afford to be complacent, as there are still plenty of opportunities for upgrades throughout the roster.
Coaching/front office:
- Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams moved to high-ranking coaching role
- ILBs coach Zak Kuhr promoted as DC replacement
- TEs coach Thomas Brown interviewed for Cardinals' HC job
Stephen Jones: Cowboys Will Place Franchise Tag On George Pickens
George Pickens may well have been the top free agent in the NFL had he reached the open market next month. As expected, though, that will not take place. 
Pickens has long loomed as a franchise tag candidate, and the Cowboys have a history of tagging players to prevent free agent departures. Dallas, to no surprise, will go down that route once again in 2026. Executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed on Monday (via NFL Network’s Judy Battista) Pickens will be tagged shortly.
“We always want guys here,” Jones added (via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News). “We’ve franchised players before, obviously we want him here working with the team. It will work itself out in the coming weeks.”
The franchise tag for receivers is projected to cost $28.82MM in 2026, making it the most expensive one-year tender at any position other than quarterback. The Cowboys already have massive deals on the books in the form of Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, and their offense recently added another increased cost. Running back Javonte Williams secured a raise with his newest Dallas contract, one which should nevertheless leave room for Pickens to be retained.
Acquired via trade last offseason, Pickens elected not to immediately pursue an extension upon arrival. That decision proved to be worthwhile, as the former Steeler set new career highs across the board. Pickens was among the league’s most productive wideouts, racking up 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 receptions. A premium deep threat, Pickens will only be 25 at the start of the 2026 season. Expectations will thus be high for continued high-end showings on the tag or a long-term Cowboys pact.
Dallas is currently among the teams slated to be over the cap next season. All franchise tags are guaranteed in full, and the one-year cap charge matches their value. That makes a tag more challenging to absorb than a multi-year agreement, even when one is worth a similar (or slightly higher) amount on an annual basis. Pickens has been connected to an asking price of $30MM per year on a new deal, although team and player are not very deep into the negotiating process at this point.
Questions have been raised about whether or not Pickens will report to offseason workouts in the event he is tagged without a subsequent extension agreement. Beyond voluntary work, attendance during mandatory minicamp and training camp during the summer could become a storyline as well depending on how things play out. Dallas’ preference, based on Jones’ comments, remains a pact stretching well beyond 2026. For now, the team will look to buy time by using the tag in advance of next week’s deadline.
Troy Vincent: Tush Push Ban Not Proposed Before Deadline
The Eagles’ reliance on the tush push, a play they introduced in 2022, helped power them to a Super Bowl championship in 2024. Last February, a couple of weeks after the Eagles crushed the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the Packers proposed a tush push ban.
Led by since-retired team president/CEO Mark Murphy, Green Bay lobbied to “prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL’s committees on competition and health and safety supported the Packers’ proposal. Nevertheless, after a heated debate across the league, it did not receive enough votes to pass last May. Twenty-one of the league’s other 32 teams were in agreement with the Packers. They fell two votes shy of the required 24.
The tush push was a legal play again in 2025, but as of September, momentum toward eliminating it was reportedly growing. However, it appears it will remain part of the game next season. Troy Vincent, the league’s executive vice president of football operations, said Monday that a new call to ban the play did not come in this year (via veteran reporter Mark Maske).
“Haven’t seen one,” Vincent revealed. “And that deadline has passed.”
The Packers’ new president/CEO, Ed Policy, and all other teams apparently did not feel strongly enough to submit a fresh proposal. It’s not especially surprising in the wake of comments that NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay made on Sunday (via Mike Reiss and Kevin Seifert of ESPN).
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay said. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
As part of their proposal last year, the Packers pointed to player safety and pace of play among their reasons for requesting a tush push ban. A season has passed since then, and the league still has not publicized any health data related to the play, Reiss and Seifert note.
While the Eagles and the rest of the league may continue running the tush push, Vincent said the NFL could consider doing something “about aiding the runner. I mean, we saw players being literally picked up and kind of walked into the end zone. Is that really what we want?”
Colts Working On Re-Signing Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce
The Colts were one of the biggest stories in the NFL in 2025, for reasons good and bad.
The good was a surprising 8-2 start anchored by an even more surprising player: quarterback Daniel Jones. The bad was an 0-7 finish to the year, which included Jones’ fractured fibula and torn Achilles in Week 13 and Philip Rivers‘ dramatic return to the NFL as his replacement.
The Colts had vastly different strengths of schedule during the two halves of their season, with a relatively easy slate to start and a murderer’s row of opponents down the stretch. That, combined with Jones’ injury, makes it hard to know if the current iteration of the team can compete in 2026.
The Colts seem to think so. They are pursuing extensions with Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Both are slated to hit free agency in March after breakout years in Indianapolis.
Jones, 28, did not just put up the best numbers of his career in 2025. He finished the year ranked among the NFL’s top 10 quarterbacks in yards per attempt, yards per game, completion percentage, passer rating, and total QBR. He also led three game-winning drives and three fourth-quarter comebacks in just 13 starts.
The seven-year veteran’s play started to slip before his injuries, which are not expected to sideline him into the 2026 season. But his injury history is a concern, and he did not get the chance to prove himself against many top defenses.
That makes Jones’ valuation a little tricky, but somewhere in the region of $35MM would make sense. Fellow 2018 first-round reclamation projects Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield signed for similar amounts after re-establishing themselves as starting-caliber QBs. Jones and the Colts have mutual interest in reaching a deal, according to Pelissero.
Pierce, 25, posted career-highs of 47 receptions and 1,003 receiving yards. He also led the NFL in yards per reception for a second year in a row. With George Pickens likely to be tagged by the Cowboys, Pierce could be the top wideout available in free agency. The Colts will try to lock him up before he hits the open market, but that may require an offer well over $20MM per year.
Discussions with both players “have been good” thus far, per FOX 59’s Mike Chappell, with negotiations expected to continue at the Combine in Indianapolis this week.
A franchise or transition tag is an option for Jones or Pierce (though not both), per Pelissero, though the latter makes far more sense for their valuations. A transition tag for Jones would cost $40.8MM, while Pierce’s would cost $25MM. However, those numbers would be on the high-end for a potential long-term deal and the tagged player would be able to negotiate with other teams.
The Colts are currently projected to have $35.7MM in cap space in 2026, per OverTheCap, with ways to create upwards of $50MM more. The team could afford to extend both players, or extend one and tag the other while still having room to address other needs in free agency.
Patriots Interviewed Browns Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda For DC Job
The Patriots’ decision to promote linebackers coach Zak Kuhr to defensive coordinator came as no surprise.
Kuhr spent the 2025 season as New England’s defensive play-caller and de facto DC with Mike Vrabel‘s original hire, Terrell Williams, going through cancer treatments.
But the Patriots still had to comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement to interview at least two external minority candidates for any coordinator vacancy. One of those interviews was with Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The Patriots’ other minority DC candidate is not known.
Banda, 44, interviewed for DC jobs with the Browns, Cowboys, and Jets this offseason. He did not get any of them – nor, obviously, the gig in New England – but Cleveland added defensive passing game coordinator to his title.
Banda has overseen successful efforts by a number of Browns safeties during his tenure, including Ronnie Hickman, Grant Delpit, and Juan Thornhill. He previously served as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Utah State and Miami.
The Patriots also hired Southern Mississippi running backs coach B.J. Edmonds as an assistant on their defensive staff, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The former Arkansas State cornerback actually worked under Banda at Utah State in 2021 and 2022, though the two will not reunite in New England. Edmonds previously worked with the Patriots during training camp in 2025.
Lions Promote Bruce Gradkowski To Assistant WRs Coach
The Lions announced their full 2026 coaching staff on Monday. Almost all of their moves were already known, save for the promotion of Bruce Gradkowski from offensive assistant to assistant wide receivers coach.
Gradkowski, 43, arrived in Detroit last offseason after two extremely successful years as the offensive coordinator for the XFL/UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. His offenses were extremely successful in both years with strong production from former Bengals quarterback A.J. McCarron and former Cardinals wideout Hakeem Butler.
A journeyman quarterback who played for five different NFL teams between 2006 and 2016, Gradkowski moved into coaching swiftly his retirement as a player. He began at the high school level for three years before spending the 2022 as an offensive analyst at Toledo.
Gradkowski is clearly valued by the Lions and seen as a rising coach in their organization. They blocked the Dolphins from interviewing Gradkowski for their quarterbacks coach vacancy and created a position to promote him internally. Detroit did not employ an assistant wide receivers in 2025.
Gradkowski will continue to work under wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery to hone the Lions’ air attack. Detroit’s offense was expected to regress significantly last season after Ben Johnson’s departure, but they still finished with a top-three passing offense and a top-five offense overall. Gradkowski was crucial to that effort and will likey be a key asset during the transition to new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.
Mutual Interest Between Broncos, Mike Zimmer For Senior Coaching Position
The Broncos boasted one of the league’s best defenses in 2025, but head coach Sean Payton is still looking for ways to improve the unit.
To that end, he has spoken with longtime defensive coach Mike Zimmer about a senior position on his staff, per 9News’ Mike Klis. There is mutual interest between the two, but no hire is imminent. Zimmer would likely take on a senior position on Denver’s staff.
Zimmer, 69, has 45 years of coaching experience with 15 years as an NFL defensive coordinator and an eight-season stretch as the Vikings’ head coach. His most recent posting was as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator in 2024; before that, he served as a defensive analyst/consultant on Deion Sanders‘ staff at Jackson State (2022) and Colorado (2023). Zimmer was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator during Sanders’ time in Dallas. The two won Super Bowl XXX together, and Sanders picked up three first-team All-Pro nods from 1996-1998.
Payton and Zimmer do not have any direct history together, but the two are no doubt familiar after facing off several times over the last three decades. Zimmer did work closely with Broncos’ general manager George Paton, who was the Vikings’ assistant GM for much of Zimmer’s time in Minnesota.
Zimmer has run a 4-3 defense during his time as a head coach and coordinator, but that should not affect his ability to contribute to Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 unit. They have not previously coached together, either, but they have run in the same NFL coaching circle for the last two decades.
Adding such an experienced defensive mind certainly does not seem like a bad idea. The Broncos’ defense nearly carried them to the Super Bowl in 2025; if not for Bo Nix‘s injury, they may have faced the Seahawks with a better chance of slowing Sam Darnold and Seattle’s offense. If there is another level to be reached, and Zimmer can help them get there, Denver could be knocking on the door of the Super Bowl once again next season.