Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Not Fully Recovered From 2025 Injuries
Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. missed five games last season due to a variety of ailments and ended the year on injured reserve. The 2024 No. 3 pick revealed at last week’s OTAs (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss) that he is not yet at 100%, calling it “an ongoing process still.”
Harrison, 23, suffered a concussion and a bout of appendicitis in 2025, but indicated that heel injuries to both feet suffered at the end of the year were the lingering issue. He does not expect the problem to extend into the 2026 season.
The former Ohio State Buckeye and son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr. has not lived up to his pre-draft billing as one of the best receiver prospects in recent memory. He was dominant in back-to-back All-American campaigns to close his college career with 2,474 receiving yards (99.0 per game) and 29 total touchdowns. But in his first two NFL seasons, Harrison has amassed just 1,493 receiving yards (51.5 per game), and his eight rookie touchdowns were cut in half last year.
Harrison has also been somewhat limited by the Cardinals’ quarterback situation. Kyler Murray showed in 2024 that he was fully back from his 2022 torn ACL, but he struggled to hit a rhythm with his star rookie receiver. Last year, the two demonstrated a much-improved connection before Murray went down with a foot injury that ultimately ended his season. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett averaged 280.5 yards per game over the rest of the season, but most of that yardage went to Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. Harrison, meanwhile, had as many games under 40 receiving yards as he did over in his six games before getting shut down.
Brissett is currently slated to continue as Arizona’s starter in 2026, but he has been seeking a raise to reflect that. The team has thus far been unwilling to play ball with veteran Gardner Minshew and third-round pick Carson Beck also in their quarterback room. They may have high hopes for Beck, but at the moment, none of the three profile as long-term franchise quarterbacks that can get the most out of Harrison.
Brandin Cooks Plans To Play In 2026
Despite a resume that includes 734 catches, 9,811 yards and 60 touchdowns, wide receiver Brandin Cooks‘ stock is down after a couple of underwhelming seasons. The 32-year-old has been stuck in free agency since the market opened in March, but he expects to take the field for a 13th season in 2026.
In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday, Cooks said there is “no question” he will play this year, adding he will “probably sign before camp.”
While Cooks didn’t indicate which teams have shown interest in him, the six-time 1,000-yard wideout was highly complimentary of Buffalo. Cooks ended 2025 with the Bills, who became his sixth team after the Saints waived him in November, and the sides were still in contact earlier in the offseason. It is unknown if the Bills remain open to re-signing Cooks after trading a second-round pick to the Bears for D.J. Moore and spending a fourth-rounder on rookie Skyler Bell.
Moore and slot target Khalil Shakir are atop the Bills’ depth chart at receiver, while they also count Bell, Josh Palmer, Keon Coleman, Mecole Hardman and Trent Sherfield among their healthy options. Tyrell Shavers‘ status is uncertain as he works back from the torn ACL he suffered in a 27-24 wild-card round win over the Jaguars in January.
Cooks happened to play an important role in the Bills-Jags wild-card game, as his 36-yard catch late in the fourth quarter helped set up the winning touchdown. He finished with three catches for 58 yards in that matchup, and he chipped in two more receptions for 20 yards in the divisional round in Denver. However, the 5-foot-10, 190-pounder’s inability to pull in a Josh Allen deep ball in overtime led to the Bills’ demise. Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian wrestled away what would have been a 43-yard reception for Cooks and turned it into an interception. The Bills could have lined up for the winning field had Cooks held on, but the Broncos took possession with the score tied at 30 and went down the field for a 33-30 victory.
Before the playoffs ended in bitter disappointment for Cooks, he trudged through the least productive regular season of his career. When the Saints cut him, he had just 19 receptions for 165 yards in 10 games. He went on to average a hefty 22.8 yards per grab in his five games with the Bills, but he only caught five passes along the way. Between the two teams, Cooks recorded 24 receptions, 279 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games. It was first time he failed to find the end zone in a season.
Cooks also logged subpar numbers during an injury-limited 2024 campaign in Dallas, where he had 26 catches for 259 yards and three scores over 10 games. Now part of a class of free agent receivers that still includes Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Deebo Samuel and Tyreek Hill, Cooks will have to settle for an inexpensive deal if he signs anywhere.
Steelers Move Focus To Joey Porter Jr. Extension
JUNE 8: While a deal may come together, it does not look imminent. The Steelers and Porter’s representatives have yet to engage in “serious discussions,” Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
JUNE 6: 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 seems poised to do the same.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/8/26
Four teams made minor moves on Monday. Here’s a look…
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR Malick Meiga
- Waived: TE Heinrich Haarberg
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Jalen Walthall
- Waived/injured: Quentin Skinner
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Bobby Hart
- Waived: WR Levi Wentz
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: K B.T. Potter
- Waived: P Aidan Laros
Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are entrenched as the Seahawks’ starting tackles, meaning the well-traveled Hart will vie for a backup role this summer. The former Giant, Bengal, Bill, Titan and Charger has amassed 108 appearances and 75 starts since he entered the league as a seventh-round pick in 2015. Hart was the Bengals’ starting right tackle from 2018-20, but he saw little action over the next four years and did not get into any regular-season games from 2023-24. He returned last year to play 10 games and start in eight at right tackle with the Chargers, who went without the injured Joe Alt for most of the season.
Cardinals OLB Josh Sweat Reports For Mandatory Minicamp
As was the case with disgruntled quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals outside linebacker Josh Sweat reported for mandatory minicamp on Monday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Skipping Day 1 would have subjected Sweat to a $17,986 fine. The total amount for missing all three days checks in at $107,911.
Like Brissett, Sweat was not in attendance for the voluntary portion of the Cardinals’ offseason. That was also the case in 2025, the start of the four-year, $76.4MM contract the ex-Eagle signed in free agency. However, with Sweat now drawing trade interest, there has been speculation he could be on the way out of Arizona soon.
When Sweat hit the open market in March 2025 and chose the Cardinals as his next team, head coach Jonathan Gannon was at the helm. Sweat previously played for Gannon, then the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, from 2021-22. The two have a good rapport, but their second partnership ended when the Cardinals fired Gannon in January and replaced him with Mike LaFleur.
Gannon landed on his feet as the Packers’ defensive coordinator, leading to speculation that they will swing a trade for Sweat. Although Rapoport reported last week that the Cardinals are not dealing Sweat to the Pack or anyone else, Albert Breer of SI.com isn’t ruling out a trade. It is easy to see the fit in Green Bay, which will go without superstar edge defender Micah Parsons for the first several weeks of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL. While there are other contenders that would make sense as Sweat suitors, it is far from a given Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will part with his best pass rusher.
Ossenfort’s three-year tenure in Arizona has not gone well, evidenced by the team’s dismal 15-36 record, but making a free agent splash on Sweat has worked out. After tallying between six and 11 sacks in each of his last five seasons in Philadelphia, the one-time Pro Bowler notched a career-high 12 in his first year in Arizona. Sweat played his second 17-game season and chipped in 30 tackles (13 TFL), 17 QB hits and a personal-best four forced fumbles. If he opens 2026 with the Cardinals and continues to offer strong production over the first couple months of the season, it is likely teams will come knocking ahead of the Nov. 3 trade deadline.
Along with his quality production, Sweat’s team-friendly contract adds to his appeal. The 29-year-old ranks a reasonable 22nd at his position in average annual salary, and he has no guaranteed money left on his deal beyond the upcoming season.
Seahawks Work Out S Ifeatu Melifonwu
The Seahawks worked out free agent safety Ifeatu Melifonwu on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network relays. No deal is imminent, per Garafolo.
Melifonwu became a free agent in March, but this is the first reported interest he has received since then. The 27-year-old is coming off what could go down as his lone season in Miami, where he started a career-high eight times in 16 games. While playing just over 51% of defensive snaps, Melifonwu totaled a personal-best 53 tackles, an interception and a sack. He was Pro Football Focus’ 53rd-ranked safety out of 91 qualifiers.
Before joining the Dolphins, Melifonwu spent his first four years in Detroit, which took him in the third round of the 2021 draft. Melifonwu posted a full season with the Lions in 2023, but the Syracuse product missed between seven and 14 games in each of his other three years in the Motor City. An ankle injury limited him to a career-low three appearances in 2024, his last season with the club. He ended his 37-game, 14-start Lions tenure with 72 tackles, 13 passes defensed, 4.5 sacks and two picks (both of which came in 2023).
Along with his work as a defensive reserve, Melifonwu has garnered a decent amount of special teams experience in the pros. He logged a career-high 40% special teams snap share in 2023 and was on the field for 24% of the Dolphins’ ST plays last year. He would likely continue factoring in on special teams in Seattle, which boasts a starting safety tandem of Julian Love and Ty Okada. The reigning Super Bowl champions lost Coby Bryant to the Bears in free agency, but they replenished the position when they added Bud Clark in the second round of the draft. The Seahawks also have Rodney Thomas, D’Anthony Bell, Maxen Hook and AJ Finley on their roster.
Patriots Sign First-Rounder Caleb Lomu
The Patriots have signed first-round offensive tackle Caleb Lomu to his fully guaranteed rookie contract, the team announced. As the 28th overall pick, the former Utah standout’s four-year deal is worth approximately $18.92MM.
The 2026 draft marked the second straight year that the Patriots addressed offensive tackle in Round 1. They spent the fourth pick in 2025 on Will Campbell, who was a full-time blindside starter as a rookie.
Although Campbell drew major criticism after a rough showing in the Patriots’ 29-13 Super Bowl LX loss to the Seahawks, he played well during the regular season and will remain in the same role this year. The plan is for Lomu to eventually take over on the right side. But with veteran starter Morgan Moses back for another season, Lomu will be the Patriots’ primary swing tackle in 2026.
As the reigning AFC champions, the Patriots went into the draft with the 31st pick. They moved up three spots in a trade with the AFC East rival Bills to land Lomu, a two-year starter in college. Utes teammate Spencer Fano, who went ninth overall to the Browns in this year’s draft, moved from left to right tackle to accommodate Lomu in 2024. Lomu went on to earn freshman All-America honors that year. The 6-foot-6, 313-pounder was even better in 2025, during which he played 823 snaps and did not allow a sack. Lomu picked up a first-team All-Big 12 nod for his efforts.
With Lomu now under contract, the Pats are almost done with their rookie signings. Second-round edge defender Gabe Jacas is the only member of their nine-player draft class who hasn’t put pen to paper. Here is the full group:
- Round 1, No. 28 (from Texans via Bills): Caleb Lomu (T, Utah) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 55 (from Chargers): Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois)
- Round 3, No. 95: Eli Raridon (TE, Notre Dame) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 171: Karon Prunty (CB, Wake Forest) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 196 (from Colts via Vikings, Panthers and Jaguars): Dametrious Crownover (T, Texas A&M) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 212: Namdi Obiazor (LB, TCU) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 234 (from Vikings): Behren Morton (QB, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 245 (from Rams via Texans and Jaguars): Jamarion Miller (RB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 247: Quintayvious Hutchins (EDGE, Boston College) (signed)
Chiefs To Sign CB L’Jarius Sneed
Veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will return to Kansas City for a second stint. The Chiefs plan to sign the two-time Super Bowl champion, Jordan Schultz reports. It will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Sneed reunion comes just a few days after the Chiefs brought him in for a visit last week. The 29-year-old had been on the market since his disappointing Titans tenure ended with a mid-March release.
The Chiefs spent a 2020 fourth-round pick on Sneed, a Louisiana Tech product who quickly emerged as a steal. During his first run in Kansas City, Sneed started in 54 of 57 games, deflected 40 passes and hauled in 10 interceptions over four years. However, just over a month after the Chiefs knocked off the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, they dealt Sneed to the Titans in March 2024. Before working out a trade, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Sneed to prevent him from hitting free agency. They ended up getting a 2025 third-round selection back in the deal, which also included a swap of 2024 seventh-rounders.
While Kansas City was not interested in making a long-term commitment to Sneed, Tennessee handed the 6-foot-1, 192-pounder a four-year, $76.4MM pact with $51.5MM in guarantees. The trade and the extension went down as regrettable moves for the Titans, who got just 12 appearances and zero picks from Sneed across two seasons. He dealt with quad and knee issues in both seasons, including during a seven-game showing in 2025.
Off the field, a grand jury indicted Sneed last November for failure to report a felony stemming from an alleged incident in December 2024. Those charges were dropped in early May, though, and Sneed is now heading back to Kansas City a month later.
Despite Sneed’s importance to their defense during his first four seasons, the Chiefs moved on fine at cornerback with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson taking over as starters from 2024-25. However, the Chiefs traded McDuffie to the Rams in a March blockbuster and then saw Watson follow him to Los Angeles in free agency. The Chiefs then made a major move to replace those two when they drafted top-rated corner Mansoor Delane sixth overall. If Delane starts as a rookie, Sneed, Nohl Williams and free agent pickup Kaiir Elam could be among the names competing for the job opposite him.
Chiefs To Sign First-Rounders Mansoor Delane, Peter Woods
Armed with two first-round selections, the Chiefs added a pair of defenders on the opening night of this year’s draft. Both of those players are now under contract. The team agreed to four-year rookie deals with cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods on Monday, per reports from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Adam Shefter of ESPN.
As the sixth overall pick, Delane’s fully guaranteed pact is worth $41.9MM. Woods, the 29th overall choice, will earn $18MM over the same span. He will rake in the highest upfront signing bonus percentage in the history of Chiefs first-rounders, according to Schefter.
This has been an offseason of significant change for the Chiefs’ cornerback group, which lost previous starters Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Rams. With those two gone, it did not come as a surprise when the Chiefs addressed the position with their first pick. They moved up three spots in a trade with the Browns to secure Delane, who might not have been available had the Chiefs stayed at No. 9 overall. The Saints loomed as serious threats to scoop up the LSU product at No. 8.
Three weeks before the draft, the race to decide the draft’s No. 1 corner looked like a toss-up between Delane and Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. However, once concerns over McCoy’s knee came to light, Delane won the battle with ease. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder is entering the NFL off a productive four-year college career divided between two schools. Delane spent his first three seasons at Virginia Tech, where he intercepted a personal-best four passes in 2024 on his way to a third-team All-ACC selection. Last year, his lone season with the Tigers, he added two more INTs and a career-high 11 passes defensed en route to unanimous All-America and first-team All-SEC honors.
While Delane could step into an immediate starting role with the Chiefs, Woods will break in behind veterans Chris Jones and Khyiris Tonga in the middle of their defensive line. The Chiefs drafted Woods with the first-rounder they received from the Rams in the McDuffie trade. Although the 6-2, 298-pounder did not post huge numbers at Clemson, where he tallied 84 tackles, 14.5 TFL and five sacks in 35 games, he elected to forgo his senior year after picking up a first-team All-ACC nod last season.
With Delane and Woods officially joining the Chiefs, they have just two unsigned picks: fifth-round receiver Cyrus Allen and seventh-round quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Here is their full seven-player class:
- Round 1, No. 6 (from Browns): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
- Round 1, No. 29 (from Rams): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
- Round 2, No. 40: R Mason Thomas (DE, Oklahoma)
- Round 4, No. 109: Jadon Canady (S, Oregon)
- Round 5, No. 161 (from Steelers): Emmett Johnson (RB, Nebraska)
- Round 5, No. 176*: Cyrus Allen (WR, Cincinnati)
- Round 7, No. 249 (from Colts)*: Garrett Nussmeier (QB, LSU)
WR James Proche To Participate In Eagles’ Minicamp
James Proche is among the veteran receivers still on the open market. He will spend this week attempting to land an opportunity in Philadelphia.
Proche is set to participate in the Eagles’ minicamp on a tryout basis, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. A strong showing over the next few days could land him a contract as a result. That would allow the seventh-year wideout to compete for a roster spot during training camp this summer.
A Ravens draftee in 2020, Proche spent his first three years in Baltimore. He primarily contributed on special teams during that span, including work as the team’s punt returner. The former sixth-rounder was also a regular in the return game during his two-year stint with the Browns. Proche spent last season in Tennessee, making nine appearances while handling a depth role on offense.
As expected, the Eagles executed a trade with the Patriots last week to send A.J. Brown to New England. That move was preceded by a number of receiver acquisitions which signaled Brown’s time with the team would be coming to an end. DeVonta Smith remains in place, but free agent signing Marquise Brown, trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks and first-round rookie Makai Lemon (who is not set to return to practice until training camp) will represent new faces at the WR position for 2026. Proche, 29, will now aim to join that group.
The Eagles entered Monday with over $25MM in cap space. Any Proche signing would come in at or near the veteran minimum, so finances will not be an issue if his showings this week result in a deal being finalized.