Aaron Rodgers Expected To Visit Steelers, Finalize 2026 Deal
Finality on the Aaron Rodgers front may be imminent. His second Steelers contract has yet to be signed, but that could change over the coming days.
Rodgers is set to visit Pittsburgh ahead of signing a deal this weekend, as first reported by 93.7 The Fan (video link). Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show cautions the Steelers themselves have not yet been informed of this news, although he adds an agreement is still widely expected to be finalized.
Rodgers is set to visit beginning tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. He confirms a Steelers agreement for 2026 remains the expectation for all involved. The rarely-used UFA tender came into play last week, but Rapoport notes that is viewed as a placeholder. Rodgers would collect roughly $15MM if he were to play on the one-year tender in 2026, though the upcoming summit will allow for a more traditional contract to be worked out.
When Rodgers signed with Pittsburgh last spring, it appeared as though 2025 would be his final NFL season. Over time, though, it became increasingly clear he would be open to playing a 22nd campaign and that the Steelers would welcome him back. Mike Tomlin resigned after the team’s exit in the wild-card round, but the decision to replace him with Mike McCarthy means Rodgers will have a familiar coach in place once his second Pittsburgh pact is finalized. McCarthy and Rodgers overlapped during their Super Bowl-winning time together in Green Bay.
The UFA tender decision did not appear to lead to a change regarding Rodgers’ stance, and the latest reporting on this situation indicated finances were not a major sticking point. It will be interesting to see if upcoming contract talks go smoothly and result in a pact being finalized in short order. Rodgers collected $10MM guaranteed on his 2025 deal, one which paid out roughly $14MM in total.
The four-time MVP started 16 games during the regular season along with Pittsburgh’s wild-card contest in 2025. Rodgers offered a higher floor than the Steelers’ other post-Ben Roethlisberger quarterbacks, something which will be expected to remain the case next year. His age leaves the matter of a long-term plan at QB unclear, however, and after selecting Will Howard in the sixth round last spring Pittsburgh added Drew Allar in the third round of this year’s draft.
Those two will be seen as developmental options, while veteran Mason Rudolph is also in the fold at this time. A fourth signal-caller could very well be in place very soon, as a Rodgers agreement would set him up to handle first-team reps for spring practices. The Steelers’ OTAs begin on May 18, and an answer to the question of whether or not Rodgers will be under contract by that point should soon emerge.
Travis Kelce Informed Chiefs Of 2026 Plans Following Week 18
Once the Chiefs’ season ended, attention turned to the question of Travis Kelce‘s future. It appeared uncertain for a time if he would suit up for the 2026 campaign, but the team had a good indication of his intentions right away.
“We played our last game of the season in Vegas last year, and when we got back we have player meetings and exit interviews,” general manager Brett Veach said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link). “It was a cool deal where Trav came in and he basically said ‘I’m going to take a few weeks off here, but I’m not going out like this, let’s stay in touch and let’s figure something out.’
“While free agency and there was still some questions in the air on whether or not he’d return, we knew basically the day after our last game. He made it known to [head] coach [Andy] Reid and to me that there was no way he was going out like this.”
The possibility of Kelce speaking with other teams was raised shortly before the start of free agency, although another Kansas City contract was ultimately worked out. The three-time Super Bowl champion is owed $12MM fully guaranteed in 2026, and his latest deal is designed for a post-June 1 release to end his decorated career. Kelce will once again be counted on to serve as a key figure in the passing game this season with the Chiefs aiming for a return to full health from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a rebound from 2025’s team performance.
Retirement has increasingly become a talking point for Kelce, 36, in recent years. The four-time All-Pro has remained durable through the latter stages of his career, although 2025 marked the third consecutive season in which he recorded less than 1,000 yards. Greater efficiency on offense will be a goal for Kansas City moving forward, and Kelce – whose yards per reception average rebounded to 11.2 last season – is in line to continue handling a starter’s workload for at least one more year.
Questions about Kelce’s future beyond 2026 will no doubt be asked as next season unfolds. If he maintains a similar level of communication with the team at the end of the campaign, though, the Chiefs will have clarity regarding his status without a lengthy waiting period taking place.
Jets Have Made Offer To Russell Wilson
Interested in joining the fifth team of his career, free agent quarterback Russell Wilson visited the Jets last week. The 14-year veteran is now mulling an offer from Gang Green, he revealed to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
“It was great,” Wilson said of his Jets meeting. “They offered me, and I’m trying to figure out what the next best thing is for me to do. I still know I can play ball at a high level, but also I have an opportunity to do TV (analysis), so we’ll see what happens.”
As the 37-year-old Wilson noted, his next gig may come off the field. CBS is courting Wilson to replace Matt Ryan, who left his job as an analyst on The NFL Today to become the Falcons’ president of football. If Wilson wants to continue his playing career, though, the Jets may be his best bet. The former Seahawk, Bronco, Steeler and Giant has not received any known interest from other teams this offseason.
Wilson was a full-time starter over the first 13 years of what may be a Hall of Fame career, but he fell into a backup role for the first time last season. The 10-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion opened 2025 as the Giants’ starter after they added him on a one-year, $10.5MM guarantee. However, just three games into the season, then-head coach Brian Daboll yanked Wilson in favor of Jaxson Dart. Although Dart went on to miss two games with a concussion, Jameis Winston started over Wilson in those contests. Wilson wound up attempting a meager nine passes over the Giants’ last 14 games.
Should Wilson stay in New York to sign with the Jets, it would likely be for far less money than he earned as a Giant. Wilson would also go in with the full understanding that he would continue as a backup. Geno Smith, Wilson’s friend and former backup in Seattle, is the rebuilding Jets’ unquestioned starter. Fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe comprise the rest of their signal-callers. Klubnik is a lock to make the roster, but Cook and Zappe will likely be in serious jeopardy if Wilson puts off his TV aspirations to join the Jets and reunite with Smith.
Eagles Promote Adam Berry To Assistant GM, Add Mike Maccagnan To Staff
Following Alec Halaby‘s decision to leave his assistant general manager post with the Eagles, the team has made moves to solidify that tier under longtime front office boss Howie Roseman.
The team extended assistant GM Jon Ferrari and has since announced Adam Berry‘s promotion to the AGM level. The twin brother of Browns GM (and ex-Eagles exec) Andrew Berry, Adam will move from vice president of football operations and strategy into Halaby’s old post. This is among the promotions and hires unveiled by the team Wednesday.
The most notable staff addition in Philly comes via a Mike Maccagnan hire. Maccagnan, the Jets’ GM from 2015-19, is joining the Eagles as a personnel executive. Maccagnan, 58, has not held an NFL role since the Jets fired him following the 2019 draft. He carries 25-plus years of NFL experience, however, and will join Joe Douglas as ex-Jets GMs on Roseman’s staff.
Douglas’ New York GM predecessor oversaw five Jets drafts, including first-round picks of Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams, but was unable to stop the franchise’s playoff drought. Douglas followed suit, compounding the Jets’ QB trouble by trading Darnold and attempting to build around Zach Wilson. Rumors of a power struggle between Maccagnan and then-new Jets HC Adam Gase emerged when the team moved on, and Gase helped the Jets bring in Douglas.
Prior to his 2015 Jets hire, Maccagnan spent 15 years on the scouting side with the Texans. He finished that tenure by serving four years as the team’s college scouting director. This run included the team’s J.J. Watt draft choice. Prior to being in on the ground floor in Houston, Maccagnan spent seven years as a Washington scout.
In his second stint with the Eagles, Douglas will rise from the scouting level to senior VP of player personnel. This notable title bump comes after the Falcons interviewed the six-year Jets GM this offseason. Douglas is back in a familiar role, having served as the team’s VP of player personnel from 2016-19 — ahead of his Jets GM ascent. Roseman rehired Douglas in May 2025.
Alan Wolking will slide from director of player personnel to VP of football ops and strategy. Wolking has been with the Eagles since 2011, when Roseman and Andy Reid were working together to lead the operation. Phil Bhaya, who is moving from player personnel director to VP of player personnel, has been with the team since 2014.
Jeremy Gray, whom the Eagles hired in 2022, is moving from assistant director of player personnel to director of that department. Lee Divalerio, who had served on the scouting level previously, is rising to assistant director of pro scouting. Divalerio has been with the Eagles since 2017. The Eagles are also elevating Preston Tiffany (to southwest area scout) and hiring Caspian Svenson as a pro scout.
As for Berry, he has made a major climb in just three years in football. A longtime Goldman Sachs staffer, Berry joined the Eagles in 2023 as their director of football operations and strategy; this came three years after the Eagles saw then-staffer Andrew land the Browns’ GM gig. Adam, 39, has never worked with his brother in the NFL.
This rise, however, figures to place the less experienced Berry twin on the GM radar. The Eagles have regularly lost talent in their front office, with the 2022 offseason seeing four Roseman lieutenants — Ian Cunningham, Catherine Hickman, Brandon Brown, Andy Weidl — all leave for AGM roles elsewhere (Cunningham has since been hired as Falcons GM). Less turnover has ensued in recent offseasons, however, and Roseman will turn to Berry and Ferrari as his right-hand men moving forward.
Vikings Request GM Interview With Terrance Gray
Over three months after the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, they have identified their first external candidate to replace him. The Vikings have requested an interview with Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski has served as the team’s interim GM since Adofo-Mensah’s ouster in late January. Brzezinski has interest in a full-time promotion, but the Vikings have enlisted search firm TurnkeyZRG to assist in finding the best candidate. If Gray ends up as the choice, it is worth pointing out there is already familiarity between him and the organization. Gray worked as a college scout in Minnesota from 2006-16. Brzezinski was also with the Vikings then.
Since leaving the Vikings in 2017, Gray has taken on multiple roles in the Bills’ Brandon Beane-led front office. Before his promotion to assistant GM last May, Gray spent time as a director of college scouting, an assistant director of player personnel, and a director of player personnel. During his long run in Buffalo, Gray has conducted GM interviews with the Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Raiders. Those teams went in other directions, though it is possible Gray will finally get a coveted GM opportunity this year. Also a former Chiefs staffer, Gray has worked in NFL front offices since 2003.
If the Vikings select Gray or another outside GM candidate, it may still lead to a promotion for Brzezinski. The Vikings will reportedly consider bumping Brzezinski to a president of football operations-type role, which means he would outrank the GM. The Falcons installed a similar setup when they hired Matt Ryan as president of football and Ian Cunningham as GM earlier this offseason.
Packers To Keep Sean Rhyan At Center
The Packers are planning to keep fifth-year offensive lineman Sean Rhyan at center moving forward, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said this week.
Rhyan, 25, finished the 2025 season as Green Bay’s starting center following a season-ending injury to Elgton Jenkins. The team parted ways with Jenkins in the offseason and signed Rhyan to a three-year, $33MM extension, effectively guaranteeing him a starting job in 2026.
The 2022 third-round pick lined up exclusively at left tackle at UCLA and converted to right guard in the NFL. Rhyan held the starting job for the entire 2024 season and retained it heading into 2025. However, he was benched in Week 5 after allowing 10 pressures and committing three penalties across the previous three games, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Packers’ offensive line injuries kept him in the mix at both guard spots until Week 10, when he took over at center. He surrendered 17 pressures and zero sacks to close out the year, though he still earned low pass blocking grades from PFF.
“When we lost Elgton [Jenkins], he stepped up and just kind of took control of it,” Stenavich said. “There were mistakes, for sure, but as we progressed through the season, he just kept getting better and better and better.” The fifth-year coordinator noted that Rhyan is likely best at center and praised his ability to handle the pre-snap duties of the position.
“It was good to watch him out there take command of the offense, making the calls and getting us set up front,” Stenavich added.
In other Packers offensive line news, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky) that right tackle Zach Tom underwent knee surgery in the offseason. The 27-year-old dealt with an oblique injury early in the year and later suffered a partially torn patellar tendon that ended his season. Gutekunst did not provide a timeline for Tom’s surgery or return, but previous reporting indicated that he would undergo the procedure shortly after the season ended with a six-month recovery period.
NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/5/26
Only one NFL team finalized a 2026 draft pick signing on Wednesday:
Denver Broncos
- TE Dallen Bentley (seventh round, Utah)
Bentley was the second-to-last pick in the draft, leaving him one spot away from the Mr. Irrelevant title that went to new teammate Red Murdock instead. His four-year rookie contract is worth just over $4.5MM, per OverTheCap, though the only guaranteed portion is a roughly $123k signing bonus.
Travis Hunter To See More Time At CB, Will Be ‘Full-Go’ By Training Camp
The Jaguars traded up during last year’s draft to select Travis Hunter, believing that his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball was worth giving up a future first-round pick. But a torn LCL cut his rookie year short and raised questions about his future as a two-way player.
Jacksonville, though, is undeterred. Hunter is “set to play both sides of the ball” in 2026, general manager James Gladstone said on the Rich Eisen Show, adding that he expects “an uptick in corner usage.”
“That’s not to say anything impacts his availability and usage on offense,” Gladstone continued. “It just means that cornerback usage will increase.”
Across his seven appearances in 2025, Hunter played 324 snaps on offense, good for 46.3 per game and a 67% snap share. He lined up for 162 snaps on offense, or 23.1 per game and a 36% snap share. Among Jacksonville’s currently-rostered players, he ranked third in outside cornerback snaps last year despite his abbreviated season, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
The Jaguars let Greg Newsome depart in free agency and did not make any major additions at cornerback in the offseason, so there should be more snaps available for Hunter in 2026. The current positional room has one clear boundary starter in Montaric Brown with Jourdan Lewis expected to remain the team’s primary slot corner. Jarrian Jones spent time in both spots last year amid injuries to Hunter and Lewis, but may stay in a versatile backup/dime role this season with Hunter eating into his time on the outside.
“He wants to play both ways,” Gladstone said when asked about Hunter’s desires. “That’s his dream, and we’ll look to support that in the best way we can.” He added that the team is focused on “winning football games” and believes that Hunter’s two-way abilities are the best way to accomplish that.
Hunter’s return timeline from last year’s injury remains unchanged. He will be a limited participant in the Jaguars’ offseason program with the expectation of being “full-go” by training camp, Gladstone said.
WR Stefon Diggs Found Not Guilty On Assault, Strangulation Charges
MAY 6: The conclusion of Diggs’ trial will turn attention back to the league’s investigation into the allegations, which remains ongoing.
“We have been monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the Personal Conduct Policy,” said an NFL spokesperson (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). As a result, teams may wait to get an update on any potential discipline before signing Diggs. However, his acquittal could encourage one to forge ahead knowing that he would forfeit his salary and pay back prorations of his signing bonus for any games missed due to suspension.
MAY 5: A Boston jury acquitted Stefon Diggs on assault and strangulation charges Tuesday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. This stemmed from an alleged December 2025 incident, with accusations coming from a woman who had worked for the veteran wide receiver.
Diggs, 32, is a free agent after the Patriots cut him one season into a three-year agreement. While Diggs could still be subject to NFL discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy, this verdict should certainly help him land another opportunity ahead of the 2026 season.
A woman, Mila Adams, who had served as a Diggs personal chef accused the Pro Bowl receiver of assaulting her and testified in the jury trial Monday. Diggs was facing a charge of felony strangulation or suffocation as well as a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery.
Adams was allegedly working as a private chef for Diggs when a financial dispute arose. In a police report, she alleged Diggs entered her unlocked bedroom and, as the dispute continued in-person, “smacked her across the face.” Adams then claimed Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck” and that she feared she may pass out as a result. Diggs denied Adams’ claims, pleading not guilty in February, and is now legally in the clear.
Diggs did not testify in the trial, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes no visible injuries were present on the accuser’s body when she filed a police report. No photos were taken following the alleged incident. Diggs’ lawyers argued the woman’s claims of an assault were not credible, and the high-profile NFLer’s side won out.
The Patriots moved Diggs’ three-year, $63.5MM contract off their payroll in March, signing Romeo Doubs to a four-year deal worth $68MM ($35MM fully guaranteed). The Pats made a bigger commitment to the four-year Packers contributor, and they have been closely linked to A.J. Brown. No agreement is in place, and we last heard the sides were apart on terms — as the Pats are not believed to have put a first-rounder on the table yet. But New England is widely believed to be the frontrunner for the Philadelphia wideout, who is expected to be traded after June 1 for cap purposes.
Diggs will be looking for a fifth NFL team and fourth club in four years. The Bills traded their previous No. 1 receiver to the Texans in April 2024, and after removing three years from his contract, Houston did not re-sign him following a midseason ACL tear. Diggs rewarded the Patriots, leading the team in receiving (with 1,013 yards) and scoring four touchdowns to help Drake Maye‘s MVP push — which ended in a close runner-up finish. The Pats rode to Super Bowl LX with Diggs as their top target but decided to move on before a $6MM guarantee was due March 13.
Joining Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel and DeAndre Hopkins in the 30-something wing of free agent receivers, Diggs should be able to generate interest. A deal coming together, especially with the pass catcher not coming off injury like he was in 2025, in the near future — now that a contract would not affect a team’s 2027 compensatory formula — would not be difficult to envision now that this legal matter is in the past.
Saints To Work Out QBs Kyle Trask, Easton Stick
The Saints are exploring their options for veteran quarterback depth. Easton Stick and Kyle Trask are both set to try out for the team at their rookie minicamp, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough took over as the Saints’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season, with 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler demoted to backup. The pair of young passers are set to return in those roles this year, but with just three combined seasons in the NFL, New Orleans may prefer a more experienced player for the third-string job.
The team already signed former Jets first-rounder Zach Wilson to a veteran minimum deal this offseason. His 33 career starts are more than Shough and Rattler combined, though none have come since 2023. Stick and Trask have less playing experience, but they have spent just as much time in the league.
Stick, 30, was a fifth-round pick by the Chargers in 2019. He only appeared in one game (and attempted one pass) across the first four years of his career, but started four games in 2023 with Justin Herbert sidelined by season-ending surgery. Stick played surprisingly well, but Los Angeles went winless in his starts. He has not seen the field since and spent last year with the Falcons.
The Buccaneers saw some starting potential in Trask, who they selected with a second-round pick in 2021. He spent two years behind Tom Brady with virtually no playing time, and he did not inspire enough confidence to earn a shot at the starting quarterback job after Brady’s retirement in 2023. Instead, Tampa Bay transitioned to Baker Mayfield, who played all but a handful of snaps across the next two years. The Bucs released Trask during final roster cuts last season; the 28-year-old took Stick’s spot on the Falcons’ practice squad in November when he was promoted to the active roster.
The Saints will also be hosting former Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo at rookie minicamp, according to Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. He boasted a 89.9% field goal conversion rate from 2019 to 2023, but lost the job in 2024 after going 24 for 35 (73.5%) to start the season. Koo appeared in one game for the Falcons and five for the Giants, making six of his nine field goals and just two of five from beyond 40 yards.
He could still offer some competition to Charlie Smyth, who took over as the team’s kicker midway through last season. He converted 12 of his 16 field goal attempts and all 13 of his extra points, a solid performance for the Northern Ireland native in his first regular-season action.