Patriots Intend To Release Stefon Diggs
The Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that they will release him at the start of the league year next week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Diggs took to Instagram to thank the Patriots on Wednesday.
It will be a one-and-done stint in New England for Diggs, who signed a three-year, $63.3MM deal with the team last spring. Diggs was then recovering from an October 2024 ACL tear that occurred during his lone year with the Texans. Also a former Viking and Bill, Diggs showed no ill effects from his injury last season. The four-time Pro Bowler ended up an integral part of a New England team that stunningly improved from 4-13 to 14-3 in 2025. The Patriots won the AFC East and advanced to Super Bowl LX, where they fell to the Seahawks, 29-13.
More to come…
Bills Notes: McGovern, Knox, Shaheed
Then coming off his first full season as a starter, former Cowboys guard Connor McGovern joined the Bills on a three-year, $23MM free agent contract in March 2023. McGovern has since played out the deal, mostly at center, and is now a week away from returning to free agency. Although McGovern told Tim Graham of The Athletic he wants to stay in Buffalo, he believes his time with the team is up.
“They haven’t contacted me once,” McGovern said. “In my gut, that says it’s over and done.”
While unheralded at the time, the McGovern signing counts among the shrewdest moves Brandon Beane has made in free agency during his nine years as the Bills’ general manager. McGovern started in all 17 games at left guard in the first year of his contract. After the Bills released Mitch Morse in March 2024, they shifted McGovern to center.
McGovern made a seamless transition to the pivot, where he started in all 32 appearances the past two years. As Graham notes, McGovern’s only absences came when the Bills rested him in meaningless Week 18 games.
McGovern played through hand and triceps injuries last season, but Pro Football Focus still ranked him ninth among 37 qualifying centers. The 28-year-old tied for a more impressive third place among interior linemen in pass block win rate (97%). He finished alongside another pending free agent, the Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum, in that category. Linderbaum is the No. 1 center set to hit the market. McGovern would be the top potential consolation prize at the position for teams that lose out on Linderbaum.
It’s unclear how the Bills plan to proceed if McGovern exits. They are also facing the loss of starting left guard David Edwards, a pending free agent who may do even better than McGovern on his next contract. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Alec Anderson and Tylan Grable are among interior O-line options under contract. Cade Mays, Tyler Biadasz, Ethan Pocic, Lloyd Cushenberry and Sean Rhyan represent some experienced centers Buffalo could look into at less expensive costs than McGovern and Linderbaum in free agency.
As is the case with McGovern, there is uncertainty regarding tight end Dawson Knox‘s future. The seven-year veteran and career-long Bill is still under contract for next season. However, with the Bills around $8.28MM in the red, Beane recently indicated a desire to lower Knox’s untenable $17.87MM cap number (via Sal Capaccio of WGR 550).
“He has a tough number as we go into the season, so we’ve gotta figure that out, as we do,” Beane said. “Dawson and I had dialogue. The day after the season, the day after we lost in Denver, he came up to my office. We talked for a while. I have a good relationship with Chase Callahan, his agent. Done a lot of deals, and so I think it just starts with trust, communication, and honest conversation. And so we’ve had some dialogue.”
If the Bills and Knox do not agree to a reworked contract, releasing the 29-year-old before March 15 would save $10.46MM in space. The Bills would take on $7.4MM in dead money at the same time. A post-June 1 cut would free up $11.3MM in savings for the Bills, who would carry dead cap over two seasons ($6.57MM in ’26, $2.34MM in ’27).
Knox has not revisited his 49-catch, 517-yard, nine-touchdown heights from 2021, but he has remained an important cog in a high-end offense. In his first 17-game season in 2025, the former third-rounder’s 57.7% snap share led a solid tight end group that also saw Dalton Kincaid and blocking maven Jackson Hawes log significant action. Knox caught 36 of 49 targets for 417 yards and four scores.
Whether or not Knox sticks in Buffalo in 2026, the team figures to address its receiving corps this offseason. Buccaneers pending free agent Mike Evans is one rumored possibility. Multiple league executives have also connected Packers wideout Romeo Doubs and Seahawks receiver Rashid Shaheed to the Bills, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Doubs and Shaheed are not No. 1-caliber options, but they should do well in a thin class of free agent receivers. The speedy Shaheed was on the Bills’ radar before last November’s trade deadline, but the Saints wound up sending him to Seattle for a 2026 fourth- and fifth-rounder. Over 12 games with the Super Bowl champions (including playoffs), Shaheed picked up just 18 catches for 266 yards and no touchdowns. The 27-year-old made a greater impact on special teams, where he combined for three kick and punt return scores.
Chiefs To Release T Jawaan Taylor
MARCH 4: The Chiefs have informed Taylor that they will release him today, per Schefter.
MARCH 2: As expected, Jawaan Taylor will be playing elsewhere in 2026. The veteran tackle will be released unless a trade partner can be found, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
During his three years in Kansas City, Taylor has not lived up to expectations. Signed to a four-year, $80MM free agent pact in 2023, the former Jaguar has operated as a full-time right tackle starter but continually struggled with penalties. Taylor loomed as a logical cut candidate entering this offseason, and a recent report indicated a release was likely in this case. It would certainly come as a surprise if a team were to take on the final year of his contract, so a cut should take place soon.
Taylor was due to collect a base salary of $19.5MM in 2026 while carrying a cap hit of $27.39MM. Instead, the Chiefs will free up $20MM in cap space with a release; doing so will generate a dead money charge of $7.39MM. Jaylon Moore represents an in-house replacement for Taylor in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, this Taylor cut will move Kansas City into cap compliance (although more cost-shedding move could of course be coming).
Entering his age-28 season, Taylor will offer considerable experience to his next team. With 111 appearances and starts in the NFL, he will look to remain a first-team presence when weighing his free agent options. Given the way things played out in Kansas City, however, the former second-round pick will no doubt receive a much less lucrative deal than he did during his first trip to free agency. Still, tackles at his age do not often become available, so it will be interesting to see how his market develops.
Taylor has remained consistent in terms of his PFF evaluations over the course of his career. The Florida product has has finished no better than 49th among qualifying tackles for overall grade in a season, something which took place during his rookie campaign. Significant improvement would come as a surprise at this point, but Taylor could still be viewed as a veteran capable of handling starting right tackle duties by teams in need of additions up front. A short-term agreement could allow him to line up a new gig in relatively short order.
Moore, 28, has only totaled 18 starts so far in his career. The former 49er will collect $15MM in 2026, the final year of his contract. A full-time role in the starting lineup will of course go a long way in establishing his value for next spring. After left tackle Josh Simmons was limited to eight games as a rookie, Kansas City could be in the market for depth at the position this month. In any case, the team’s setup will not include Taylor for 2026.
49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Giants Could Pursue Mike Evans
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans has established himself as a franchise icon over his 12-year career. The six-time Pro Bowler could continue his career in Tampa Bay next season, but he will at least hear other teams out in free agency.
In 2024, the last time Evans was on the cusp of free agency, the Buccaneers stopped him from reaching the open market with a two-year, $52MM offer. Evans was then coming off one of the best seasons of a potential Hall of Fame career. He caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and a personal-high 13 touchdowns in his lone 17-game campaign.
Soon to turn 33, Evans is now looking for a new deal on the heels of his worst year. Multiple injuries – including a hamstring strain and a broken clavicle – held Evans to eight games, 30 receptions, 368 yards and three scores. His nine absences prevented him from a 12th straight 1,000-yard season, which would have given him the all-time record. He instead will remain tied with the legendary Jerry Rice for that honor.
Although 2025 fell well short of a typical Evans year, he will have no shortage of interest on the open market. Evans may not do as well on his next deal, but a pact in the range of $20MM per year is realistic, sources told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The 49ers, Bills, Chargers, Commanders and Giants are among potential suitors for the 6-foot-5, 231-pounder, per Jones.
The 49ers, Bills and Chargers were all playoff teams last season, which should appeal to Evans. As part of an 8-9 Bucs squad, the one-time Super Bowl winner missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2019 last year.
San Francisco could lose pending free agent Jauan Jennings, who led the team’s wide receivers in catches (55), yards (643) and touchdowns (nine) last season. The 49ers will also finalize a divorce from Brandon Aiyuk sometime soon.
The Josh Allen-led Bills are in dire need of at least one high-end outside complement to reliable slot man Khalil Shakir. The 2024 second-round selection of Keon Coleman has not worked out, and neither have recent free agent signings Josh Palmer and Curtis Samuel. Odds are the Bills will cut Samuel this offseason. They are also facing the possible departure of Brandin Cooks in free agency.
The Chargers have wideouts Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and 2025 second-rounder Tre Harris under contract for next season. Perennially productive 33-year-old Keenan Allen is unsigned, which leaves room for a venerable veteran pass catcher. That could still be Allen, but Evans is at least on the Chargers’ radar.
The Commanders and Giants were miles from the playoffs last year, but both teams at least have prized young quarterbacks. Washington’s Jayden Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors during a dazzling NFL introduction in 2024. He helped lead the Commanders to 12 wins and an NFC title game in his first season, but they skidded to 5-12 during an injury-ravaged 2025. Daniels missed 10 games, and No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin sat out seven.
Adding Evans to a healthy Daniels and McLaurin could make for a potent Washington passing attack in 2026. Whether it’s Evans or someone else, the Commanders will add to a receiving corps that could see Deebo Samuel walk away in free agency.
As a rookie last season, Giants signal-caller Jaxson Dart impressed despite losing No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers to a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4. Wan’Dale Robinson stepped up as Dart’s go-to target, but he is now on nearing free agency. There is reportedly a good chance the Giants will re-sign Robinson, but he primarily works from the slot. There would still be room for Evans on the outside. That would give Dart and the new head coach-offensive coordinator duo of John Harbaugh–Matt Nagy a formidable receiver trio.
Among wideouts scheduled to hit the open market, the Colts’ Alec Pierce should have the most earning power on a long-term contract. No soon-to-be free agent has a better resume than Evans, though, and that will help him secure another strong payday on a short-term agreement.
Colts WR Alec Pierce To Test Free Agency?
MARCH 4: Pierce sounds ready to hit the open market. As a guest on Up & Adams on Wednesday, Pierce told Kay Adams: “I love Indy… but at this point, I’ve kind of earned the right to explore free agency. See what’s out there.”
MARCH 3: The countdown to the franchise tag deadline continues, and the Colts face a critical decision. Both Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce are pending free agents at the moment, and teams can only use one tag in a given offseason.
Working out an long-term deal with at least one of the two would of course create a more straightforward decision for GM Chris Ballard and Co. Talks with Jones and Pierce have taken place, and deadlines have been known to result in contract agreements around the NFL. That could be the case for Indianapolis.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports there has been “positive movement” over the past 24 hours with respect to negotiations with Pierce. An agreement this afternoon “feels possible,” he adds. Of course, nothing has been finalized yet and the Colts need to keep in mind Jones’ situation. A transition tag could be in store in his case, something which would lead to a reduced one-year cost at the quarterback position. That would also, however, leave the door open to Pierce departing in free agency.
While playing out his rookie contract, the wideout established himself as more than a deep threat. Pierce’s overall skillset has drawn strong reviews, and at the age of 26 (as of May), he is in line to serve as a highly productive wideout for years to come. Pierce will not have a hard time lining up suitors in the event he reaches the open market. Indianapolis could prevent such a scenario with a long-term accord or – if the team leaves Jones’ future uncertain – the franchise tag.
A tag in Pierce’s case would cost $27.3MM, the amount George Pickens is due to earn from the Cowboys unless a new deal is worked out. That figure would be fully guaranteed and mark a massive raise compared to Pierce’s earnings on his rookie deal. A multiyear pact would accomplish the same feat while leaving the Colts free to tag Jones. Albert Breer of Sports Illutrated notes the 1,000-yard wideout is understandably seeking clarity on the team’s quarterback situation before committing to a big-ticket contract.
Pierce commanding a $25MM-per-year salary should be considered in play, Breer adds. The 1,000-yard receiver could score a deal, as this market’s top receiver, near $30MM AAV. Only eight receivers are tied to $30MM-per-year prices, and that number will fall to seven if/once the 49ers release Brandon Aiyuk. None of the $30MM-plus-AAV wideouts hit free agency to secure those terms, with extensions leading to those deals in each case.
Jones impressed when healthy in 2025, his debut Colts campaign. The former Giant and Viking suffered an Achilles tear, however, something which complicates his market value. Even so, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports states (video link) Indianapolis’ choice at this point is realistically down to using the franchise or transition tag to ensure stability under center. That approach will be especially viable if Pierce agrees to a new deal, and it will be worth watching closely to see if an agreement can be reached ahead of the 3:00pm tag deadline.
Bears, Cowboys Among Potential Maxx Crosby Suitors; New Contract In Play?
The Raiders reportedly have a sky-high asking price for defensive end Maxx Crosby, but that is not stopping teams from pursuing the the five-time Pro Bowler. The Bears and Cowboys are among teams to watch in the Crosby derby, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports.
The Cowboys have been in the market for a superstar pass rusher since they traded Micah Parsons to the Packers last August. The Packers sent two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark to the Cowboys for the 26-year-old Parsons.
The Raiders have been holding out for a Parsons-like return for Crosby, though it may be unrealistic for someone entering his age-29 season. Teams are willing to part with more than a first-rounder for Crosby, according to Jones, but it is unclear what the rest of the proposed packages look like.
Parsons required a raise when the Cowboys shipped him out of town. Crosby already got one last March when the Raiders extended him on a three-year, $106.5MM pact with $91.5MM in guarantees. It’s unclear whether he will seek another adjustment to his contract this offseason, per Jones. If Crosby wants another pay increase, the Raiders would lose leverage in trade talks. However, at least one high-level source told Jones that Crosby would be willing to play next season on his current pact.
With 73 tackles, 28 TFL, 20 QB hits, 10 sacks, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles over 15 games in 2025, Crosby continued to wreak havoc in Year 7 of his career. However, Crosby’s season ended with a spat between him and his organization.
Crosby battled a nagging knee injury for a large portion of the campaign, leading the Raiders to place him on IR ahead of a Week 17 matchup against the Giants. Both teams were vying for the worst record in the NFL and the No. 1 pick at the time. Crosby made it clear he wanted to win, not tank. The Raiders lost a 34-10 blowout and wound up securing the top selection. They are expected to draft a potential franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, but trade rumors have swirled around Crosby this offseason. That was also the case last offseason before the Raiders extended him.
Along with the way the Raiders handled Crosby at the end of the year, there have been behind-the-scenes issues between him and longtime Tom Brady personal trainer/confidant Alex Guerrero. Crosby has been among those “frustrated by the presence” of Guerrero, the team’s wellness coordinator, Michael Silver of The Athletic writes. Guerrero, a regular at practices and meetings, “purports to possess significant organizational power” and is “perceived to have a direct pipeline to Brady,” Silver adds.
This is not the first time there has been tension centering on Guerrero. When Brady was still the Patriots’ quarterback in 2018, he and Bill Belichick clashed over Guerrero’s growing influence within the organization. Belichick eventually removed Guerrero’s office from the Patriots’ facility. Guerrero followed Brady to Tampa Bay, where he finished his illustrious career from 2020-22. The two have stayed together during Brady’s transition from player to part-owner. Crosby may not be a fan, but that alone won’t lead to a trade. The Raiders are going to require a significant haul in order to part with their best defender.
Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs
Eight years after the Chiefs sent Marcus Peters to the Rams, the two teams engaged in discussions about another blockbuster cornerback trade. This time, Trent McDuffie is the Los Angeles target. A deal has come together swiftly.
The Rams are sending the Chiefs No. 29 overall, along with 2026 fifth- and sixth-rounders, for McDuffie, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This deal will also send Kansas City Los Angeles’ 2027 third-round pick, per Russini.
The teams were “deep in talks” on this trade a few minutes ago, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported. Mentioned previously as way for the Chiefs to clear cap space, trading McDuffie would also reunite him with ex-Washington HC Jimmy Lake, who is on the Rams’ staff as DBs coach and pass-game coordinator. This reminds of the Chiefs’ 2025 Joe Thuney trade, which broke minutes after the team was mentioned as discussing him with the Bears.
In PFR’s Chiefs Offseason Outlook, I broached the subject of the AFC powerhouse pivoting from McDuffie extension talks and using the contract as a way to fetch rookie-deal assets. The Chiefs have done this repeatedly at corner. They have now traded Peters, McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed under Andy Reid. The team has also let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward walk in free agency.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City attempts to re-sign Jaylen Watson — whose second contract will be much cheaper than McDuffie’s — as a result of this swap. The Chiefs and McDuffie resumed extension talks recently, but it seems the cornerback’s price point was out of the team’s comfort zone. Landing a picks package after failed extension talks is familiar territory.
Much like in 2022, when the Chiefs bailed on Tyreek Hill extension talks after the price escalated, Kansas City has deemed an extension too pricey and will move on for a picks package headlined by a first-rounder. McDuffie initially came to K.C. via that Hill asset trove, with the Chiefs trading up to draft him in 2022. Playing both outside and in the slot, McDuffie became a linchpin for Steve Spagnuolo‘s defenses. He earned All-Pro recognition in 2023 and ’24 and has worked as the team’s secondary anchor, complementing Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as Chiefs defensive pillars.
The Chiefs entered Wednesday more than $6MM over the cap; this move — which cannot be official until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins — will slide the AFC West team under the salary ceiling. Kansas City had already cut Mike Danna and is planning to release Jawaan Taylor. Kristian Fulton, who did not play well after the Chiefs gave him a $10MM-per-year deal, can also deliver some notable cap savings.
McDuffie and the Chiefs were negotiating an extension before last season, but the sides could not hammer out an agreement. A fall report indicated McDuffie was eyeing a potential top-market contract. Considering how stingy the Chiefs have been at cornerback, that report made a trade somewhat logical to predict. McDuffie, 25, is now headed to L.A. with one season left — a fifth-year option campaign ($13.63MM) — on his rookie contract.
A quirk in the CBA’s fifth-year option formula allowed the Chiefs to save money on McDuffie’s option. Although McDuffie is a former first- and second-team All-Pro, he has never been named an original-ballot Pro Bowler. The latter honor is what triggers option bumps, and McDuffie ended up on the third rung of the option ladder. But the option price is now the Rams’ issue. Given what is being traded here, it would surprise if L.A. did not have an extension planned.
The Rams did not pay Peters in 2018, eventually trading him to the Ravens in 2019, but this trade reminds of Les Snead‘s former “eff them picks” mantra. Los Angeles traded a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks in 2018 and extended the receiver soon after. They traded two firsts for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and extended the All-Pro corner in 2020. The Rams traded two firsts for Matthew Stafford in 2021 and paid him a year later. They dealt second- and third-rounders for Von Miller months into the Stafford tenure, and the Stafford-Ramsey-Miller trades helped Snead and Sean McVay secure a championship.
Cornerback play cost the Rams dearly in 2025. Although the Rams went punch-for-punch with the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC title game, Sam Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdown passes in a shootout win. The Rams were linked to reacquiring Ramsey last year but stood down. L.A. will now use its own first-round pick — a year after acquiring No. 13 from Atlanta, as the Falcons traded up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — to transform that position group.
They ended up using rookie-deal corners and aging cog Darious Williams, with a midseason trade for Roger McCreary not impacting the defense much. McCreary and Cobie Durant are free agents, and Williams is a cut candidate. Emmanuel Forbes, who almost definitely will not see his fifth-year option exercised, has one season left on his contract.
Our Rams Offseason Outlook mentioned the obvious mission of upgrading at corner, and The Athletic’s Nate Adkins discussed McDuffie as an option earlier today. Snead brought up the prospect of adding an All-Pro talent to address this situation, and the Rams have their answer. McDuffie is now the centerpiece of the L.A. secondary, which has lacked such a player since the team traded Ramsey to the Dolphins in 2023.
The Rams ranked 10th in scoring defense last season but were 19th against the pass. McDuffie did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim in 2025, but he has been one of the NFL’s best corners for years. While only including three career interceptions, McDuffie’s resume will allow him to command a near-top-market deal. This four-pick package will help his cause for a contract at or near the $30MM-per-year level Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner reached last year.
A Washington alum, McDuffie started for two Super Bowl-winning teams — serving as both squads’ top CB — and was out there for the Chiefs-Eagles rematch. Spagnuolo used McDuffie more in the slot in 2023 but shifted the 5-foot-11 defender to more of a boundary role over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked McDuffie as a top-five corner in 2023 and ’24 and has never ranked him outside the top 20. The Rams are paying up for the CB’s final four seasons in his 20s, as the Chiefs cash out yet again.
Kansas City has Watson days away from free agency, and contributor Joshua Williams joins him. The team rosters Fulton but could cut him soon. Slot player Chamarri Conner has one season left on his rookie deal, though the team traded up for Nohl Williams in last year’s third round. Williams (five 2025 starts) figures to be a more prominent player in Kansas City’s 2026 secondary.
As today’s transaction continues to remind, however, Chiefs corners need to find new homes after their rookie deals wrap. As Kansas City retools here yet again, it will be interesting to see if McDuffie can leapfrog Stingley and Gardner to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB.
Jets Looking Into Tua Tagovailoa As Free Agent; Latest On New York QB Plan
Another Jets quarterback search is afoot. With Justin Fields on track to be released, the team may be set to launch a lower-cost effort to staff the position in 2025. One potential candidate is at least a high-profile (and familiar) option.
The Jets are among the teams looking into Tua Tagovailoa, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. While confirming the Jets are considering multiple options, Garafolo places Tagovailoa among them. The Dolphins have not released Tagovailoa yet, but that move is expected to happen due to the QB’s contract being viewed as untradeable.
Arizona is cutting the cord on Kyler Murray, who will be released if no trade can take place. Both Murray and Tagovailoa loom as low-cost free agent options in situations that remind of Russell Wilson‘s 2024 setup. After the Broncos released Wilson, he signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum. That stuck the Broncos with the tab, as a larger Pittsburgh deal would have trimmed some of Denver’s dead money. Tagovailoa is due $54MM guaranteed; he will be a candidate to sign for the vet minimum, as the Dolphins are poised to break the Broncos’ single-player dead money record soon.
If/when Miami releases Tagovailoa, he will count $99.2MM in dead cap across the next two years — with a post-June 1 designation the only way the team can realistically move on from this ill-advised extension. Because a post-June 1 designation will be used, the Dolphins cannot cut Tua until March 11. But they could allow him to look for a new team. The Broncos proceeded this way with Wilson in 2024. It is not believed the Dolphins have let Tagovailoa shop around yet.
The Jets have played against Tagovailoa for the past six seasons; their new DC (Brian Duker) was on Miami’s staff previously. The Vikings join the Jets in looking into the left-handed passer. While it is unclear if either Minnesota or New York have Tua as the favorite for a vet-minimum slot — Murray has been on the Vikes’ radar for a while — the Jets have some other options in play.
New York may not stop at one veteran arm, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. Even if free agent Tyrod Taylor is in play to return — though, that is far from certain — the team will have multiple open roster spots at the position. Lower-cost options will likely be where this process lands, per Cimini, who mentions possible trade avenues — for Tyson Bagent (Bears), Tanner McKee (Eagles) or Spencer Rattler (Saints) — as a way to fill one of the positions. Teams are asking the Broncos about Jarrett Stidham, whom Jets GM Darren Mougey overlapped with in Denver. Bagent has generated trade interest, and while Rattler makes sense as a move candidate given Tyler Shough‘s emergence, no trade rumors have surfaced about the Saints backup.
Tabbing a starter option in this draft seems unlikely for the team, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes, pointing to the 2027 draft as the better place to take this swing. Several teams will undoubtedly consider this plan, with the 2026 QB crop not viewed as strong beyond likely Raider Fernando Mendoza. While some Ty Simpson buzz has percolated, the Jets will not be a candidate to draft him second overall. An edge rusher appears the plan for Gang Green there.
Instead, a move for a QB on Day 2 or Day 3 could fill out the team’s QB room, Hughes adds. The Eagles have McKee, whom Hughes also links to the Jets as a potential option, under contract for one more season. He served as Jalen Hurts backup last season, after Philly traded Kenny Pickett to begin a busy travel year for the former first-rounder. A former sixth-round pick, McKee drew trade interest before last season as well. He has also been tied to the Vikings as they search for J.J. McCarthy competition.
The Jets have taken a stopgap route at QB before, tabbing Josh McCown to start in 2017 as the team waited on a talented 2018 rookie class. That season (and a 2018 trade with the Colts) produced Sam Darnold at No. 3 overall. With the Jets holding two first-round picks in 2027, what is expected to be a loaded QB draft class could be in play. It will be interesting to see if Aaron Glenn signs on for such a plan, as his seat is warmer after a 3-14 debut season.
Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith’s Contracts
PFR’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook indicated the team exited last week with the league’s worst cap situation. Dallas came into today more than $56MM over the $301.2MM salary ceiling. They are moving back toward cap compliance with some expected adjustments.
The Cowboys restructured Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith‘s contracts Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter tweet. These moves will create $47MM in cap space, bringing Dallas within $10MM of the 2026 cap. The team also restructured CeeDee Lamb‘s deal to clear more room, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Other possible conversions are available as well. The Lamb move, expected to clear $19MM more in space, slides the Cowboys under the cap.
Dallas used a $28.29MM franchise tag to keep George Pickens off the free agent market. That sank the team deeper into the red. But Pickens is firmly in the Cowboys’ 2026 plans. As a result, contract updates are coming to make it affordable. Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa‘s deals are also on that list, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, and a rumored Kenny Clark extension effort would reduce the 2025 trade pickup’s cap hit.
Prescott, 32, is tied to the NFL’s richest contract — a four-year, $240MM extension agreed to hours before Week 1 of the 2024 season. This move will reduce the 11th-year quarterback’s $50.52MM 2026 cap number while inflating future numbers on the through-2028 contract. Before this restructure, Prescott was already due to count more than $74MM against Dallas’ 2027 cap. Another restructure would be on tap before that point.
The Cowboys backed themselves into a corner with Prescott based on previous restructures. His no-tag clause and the void year-driven penalties that would have come in 2025 absent an extension armed the upper-crust QB with extraordinary leverage. He used it to score the $60MM-per-year extension — which still hovers well above the QB market 18 months later.
Lamb is signed through 2028 on a $34MM-AAV extension. The Cowboys have now restructured his deal twice as well. Lamb was due to count $38.24MM on Dallas’ 2026 cap and more than $41MM next year. While Lamb’s 2027 number will balloon, his 2026 figure will drop to create spending space. Smith, who signed the NFL’s most lucrative guard deal last fall ($24MM AAV), is signed through 2030. His cap number will drop from $27.5MM.
Teams Inquiring About Broncos’ Jarrett Stidham
Thrust into one of the stranger spots in recent quarterback history, Jarrett Stidham could not elevate the No. 1-seeded Broncos to Super Bowl LX after receiving an 11th-hour assignment. The Patriots eked out a 10-7 victory in the AFC championship game, one that devolved into a snowy mess by the third quarter.
Stidham, who also committed a costly fumble in the first half of that game, needed to start after Bo Nix went down with a fractured ankle late in the AFC divisional round. One season remains on Stidham’s Broncos contract, and clubs are checking in on the Denver QB2’s trade availability, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Sean Payton talked up Stidham shortly after announcing Nix was done for the season, and the QB had moments in a winnable game. Stidham found Marvin Mims deep in the first quarter to set up a Courtland Sutton touchdown strike. Stidham was 17-for-31 for 133 yards, throwing an interception as the blizzard hit. Neither Stidham nor Drake Maye fared well in the blizzard conditions, and interested teams may be giving the veteran backup a pass due to the conditions.
Payton pitted Nix against Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job during the 2024 offseason. Nix landed the gig, and Stidham expressed disappointment by saying he viewed himself as a starter. Payton echoed that following Nix’s injury nearly 18 months later, indicating he had two first-stringers on his roster. The Broncos had signed Stidham hours into Payton’s first free agency, giving the ex-Patriot and Raider backup a two-year, $10MM deal in 2023 to back up Russell Wilson. They re-signed him (2/12) in 2025.
Stidham’s $5.5MM 2026 base salary carries a $2MM guarantee. The Broncos could create $6.5MM in cap space by trading the seven-year veteran. Denver has been linked to multiple cost-cutting moves, including a possible Ben Powers trade, before the 2026 league year. It would still be a bit surprising, given Payton’s ties to Stidham, if the team moved on. A chance as an inexpensive bridge QB somewhere could await, though, and Stidham’s name did come up at the 2024 trade deadline. Stidham will play an age-30 season in 2026; Nix is expected to be ready for Denver’s offseason program.
Before Nix’s ill-timed injury, Stidham had become known for being inserted into starting lineups as AFC West teams shelved their starters for financial purposes. The Raiders benched Derek Carr before the 2022 season finale, setting up a separation, and the Broncos did the same with Russell Wilson — at the same juncture of the season — in 2023. Stidham made four starts for the Raiders and Broncos to close out those campaigns, catching Payton’s interest with an impressive showing against the 49ers in Week 17 of the ’22 season. Stidham had not started a game between Week 18 of the ’23 campaign and this year’s AFC championship game.
The Jets may be a team to watch for Stidham, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. GM Darren Mougey was in Denver when the team initially signed the former Patriots draftee. Expected to release Justin Fields and lacking a realistic path to drafting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, the Jets may be looking at lower-cost vets in free agency or through a trade. Backup Tyrod Taylor‘s two-year, $12MM deal is also up, though Taylor is possibly still in the team’s plans for 2026.