Bengals Pursued John Franklin-Myers, Osa Odighizuka Before Jonathan Allen Signing
The Bengals have not had a game-changing defensive tackle since Geno Atkins‘ retirement in 2020, a problem they set out to solve this offseason. That made them willing to give Jonathan Allen a two-year, $26MM contract despite his lack of high-end production in the the last two seasons.
The level of interest Allen received from other teams is unknown, but it is worth noting that he was still owed $8MM in guaranteed salary from his last deal in Minnesota. That would have allowed another club to sign him for a veteran minimum contract with the Vikings still paying out those guarantees this year, but Cincinnati came in with a much bigger offer.
Their determination to land the two-time Pro Bowler came after failed pursuits of John Franklin-Myers and Osa Odighizuwa, per Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, with the former signing in Tennessee and the latter heading from Dallas to San Francisco for the Cowboys’ third-round pick.
The Titans’ offer to Franklin-Myers of a three-year, $63MM (and a reunion with Robert Saleh) was hard to beat, especially given a strong guarantee structure, the likes of which the Bengals have historically been hesitant to match.
Instead, Cincinnati pivoted to Odighizuwa, who has been a consistent but not dominant interior disruptor in his career. His deal had three years and $57.75MM remaining (with no guarantees), making him a cheaper proposition than Franklin-Myers who could easily be moved again if the acquisition did not pan out. But it would also require a draft pick to get him – as it turned out, a third-rounder – and the Bengals were not willing to outbid the 49ers for Odighizuwa’s services. San Francisco offered a third-round pick (No. 92 overall) to Dallas, an offer that Cincinnati could have easily bested with their own third-rounder at No. 72 overall.
The Bengals declined to do so and swooped in to sign Allen shortly after he was released by the Vikings at the start of the new league year. Dehner notes that Cincinnati did not look into Javon Hargrave, who left Minnesota at the same time, instead focusing in on Allen as the solution to their lack of interior disruption in the defensive trenches.
Derek Carr Still Not Drawing Interest
After taking a year off from football, Saints quarterback Derek Carr has expressed interest in returning to the NFL next season. The problem for Carr is that teams have not shown much desire to coax him out of retirement. Five days into the new league year, the Saints have not received any inquiries about Carr’s availability, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.
While New Orleans still holds Carr’s rights, resuming his career there is not on the table. The Saints found a new starter in 2025 second-round pick Tyler Shough, who had an encouraging rookie year. Prying Carr from the Saints may only cost a late-round pick, but job openings have dwindled this week.
The Cardinals (Gardner Minshew), Dolphins (Malik Willis), Falcons (Tua Tagovailoa), Jets (Geno Smith) and Vikings (Kyler Murray) have all added potential new No. 1 signal-callers. Carr has said he wants to play for a team with a chance to contend, which could have ruled out the Cardinals, Dolphins and Jets even if they had interest in the soon-to-be 35-year-old.
Looking around the rest of the league, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh are probably the last teams that do not have their starting passers under contract. The Raiders will address that when they draft Indiana Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall next month. The inevitable Mendoza addition will officially rule out a reunion with Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Raiders from 2014-22.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are continuing to wait for Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wants to play a 22nd season in 2026. If Rodgers retires, the Steelers may be Carr’s best bet. After going 10-7 and winning the AFC North last year, the Steelers will aim to contend again next season. However, it is unknown if general manager Omar Khan and new head coach Mike McCarthy would even given serious thought to a Carr trade. They may have their sights set on Kirk Cousins as a fallback plan.
Carr might not find a taker in the next few months, but interest could arise if a team loses a starting QB to an injury between training camp and the trade deadline. At least two clubs considered Carr during the season last year, though he was less open to returning at that point.
The Bengals, then dealing with an injury to Joe Burrow, called the Saints about Carr in October. Two months later, the Colts contacted Carr in the wake of Daniel Jones‘ early December Achilles tear. The Nov. 4 trade deadline had passed by then, meaning Indianapolis could not have landed Carr unless New Orleans cut him and nobody ahead of the Colts made a waiver claim. There would be fewer hoops to jump through in acquiring Carr now, but another NFL opportunity does not appear imminent.
Cardinals To Sign WR Devin Duvernay
The Cardinals released quarterback Kyler Murray earlier this week, but now they are signing one of his relatives. The team has agreed to a one-year, $2.5MM deal with wide receiver/returner Devin Duvernay, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz. Murray and Duvernay are first cousins.
A third-round pick in 2020, Duvernay is already joining his fourth team. The former Texas Longhorn spent 2020-23 with the Ravens before one-year stints with the Jaguars and Bears. Duvernay went to two Pro Bowls and earned a first-team All-Pro selection for his work as a return man in Baltimore. The 28-year-old has averaged a strong 11.8 yards per punt return and taken back two kickoffs for touchdowns across six seasons in the NFL.
While Duvernay has impressed on special teams, his offensive impact has dropped off in recent years. He opened his career with three straight seasons of at least 20 catches, including a career-high 37 in 2022. Duvernay also logged personal bests in targets (49), yards (407) and receiving touchdowns (three) that year. Since then, though, Duvernay has combined for just 17 catches and 123 yards over three seasons and 43 games. He caught two passes for 26 yards with the Bears in 2025, his first 17-game campaign.
During his only season in Chicago, Duvernay ranked fifth in the league in kickoff returns (40) and yards (1,069). He also averaged 11.0 yards on 21 punt returns. Duvernay may end up as the top return option in Arizona, where he could replace Greg Dortch. Although Dortch was the Cardinals’ leading returner in 2025, the team has not re-signed the unrestricted free agent.
Cardinals To Host LB Jack Gibbens
The Patriots declined to tender restricted free agent linebacker Jack Gibbens a contract earlier this week, sending him to the open market for the second straight offseason. Gibbens’ next stop could be Arizona, which will host the four-year veteran during the upcoming week, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports.
Although Gibbens primarily worked as a starter with the Titans from 2022-24, they passed on tendering him last March. The former UDFA from Minnesota then reunited in New England with Mike Vrabel, Gibbens’ coach in Tennessee during his first two seasons.
The low-cost Gibbens pickup proved worthwhile for the Patriots, who added a solid contributor in multiple phases. Playing the first 17-game regular season of his career, Gibbens amassed 772 snaps (491 on defense, 281 on special teams) and recorded 81 tackles, eight TFL, four passes defensed, a sack and a forced fumble.
As an eight-game starter for the AFC champions, Gibbens ranked a respectable 41st among Pro Football Focus’ 88 qualified linebackers. PFF has typically given Gibbens favorable marks. The site placed him 30th among 82 qualifiers during a 13-start 2023. Gibbens then received a top-10 grade among inside linebackers in 2024, though an ankle injury limited him to 10 games.
Arizona opened up a spot at linebacker when it released Akeem Davis-Gaither before free agency began. The Cardinals relied heavily on Davis-Gaither during a 17-game, 13-start 2025, but they have not addressed the area since his exit. Gibbens would give the Cardinals another option to join Mack Wilson and 2025 fourth-rounder Cody Simon.
Ravens Still Hoping For Lamar Jackson Extension
The Ravens made it clear their goal was to extend quarterback Lamar Jackson before the start of the new league year, and when that didn’t happen, they were forced to restructure his contract in order to avoid a massive $74.5MM cap hit. General manager Eric DeCosta informed the media this week that, even though the team ran out of time to get an extension done, “they are still hopeful to reach an agreement,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. 
This was always going to be the battle in Baltimore after they reached their first extension agreement with Jackson on a five-year, $260MM deal in 2023. While still substantial, Jackson’s cap hits in the first three years of the new deal were more manageable at $22.15MM in 2023, $32.4MM in 2024, and $43.5MM last year. The cap hits were then scheduled to jump to $74.5MM in the final two years of the deal, forcing the Ravens front office to either come back to the table for a potential extension or allow a single player to represent nearly a quarter of their cap space.
The first time the two parties underwent extension discussions, things got fairly dicey. The two-time MVP represented himself, as he still does to this day, and after Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, in an effort to let the open market determine his value with an intention to match, Jackson requested a trade, intimating that the team was not interested in meeting the value he had placed on himself. For most of two months, it seemed a resolution was out of reach and the situation was irreconcilable, until an extension was announced on the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft, showing that the Ravens would be making Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history with the highest signing bonus ($72.5MM) in NFL history at that time.
The biggest sticking point that prevented an agreement from being reached for so long was Jackson’s desire for a fully guaranteed contract. Previously seen done reasonably by the Vikings in 2018 for Kirk Cousins on a three-year, $84MM deal, the Browns seemingly ruined the party for everyone in 2022, when they did the same for Deshaun Watson on a record-setting five-year, $230MM contract. Knowing now that NFL owners were found by an arbitrator to have colluded to reduce the locked in compensation on player contracts and avoid fully guaranteed deals, there’s belief that this played a hand in the rocky negotiations between Jackson and Baltimore.
It’s unclear if Jackson will be pursuing another fully guaranteed deal as negotiations continue, but there was a sense that the Bills laid out the groundwork for the Ravens to follow when they extended their own MVP quarterback, Josh Allen, in the last offseason. Allen’s deal reflected a lot of what the Ravens ended up doing with Jackson’s first extension, in terms of backloading the bulk of the cap burden in later years to encourage renegotiation. The difference was that Buffalo timed the extension when Allen still had multiple years remaining on his previous deal. Knowing that their MVP was making less per year than less-accomplished passers, the deal simply brought Allen up to top of the market in annual average value and kicked the can down the road for them to do the same thing again in a couple years to keep up with the inflating market.
When Jackson’s restructure was originally reported, we covered most of the details in regard to dollar amounts getting affected. Yesterday, though, KPRC’s Aaron Wilson disclosed some new details of the reworked agreement. Per Wilson, the restructure added another voidable year in 2030 as well as a no-trade clause, including an agreement not to use the franchise tag on Jackson following the 2027 NFL league year. One expects the Ravens have no plans of getting to that point as their intentions to secure an extended agreement persist with the rest of the offseason in front of them.
Falcons OLB James Pearce Jr. Now Faces Three Felony Charges
In the latest update to the legal situation surrounding Falcons rookie outside linebacker James Pearce Jr., ESPN’s Marc Raimondi and Michael Rothstein note that Pearce’s five pending felony arrest charges will be reduced to three. Pearce has been charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person, while the arrest charge of felony aggravated stalking was reduced to a misdemeanor. 
The fifth original arrest charge of aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer was dropped from his slate. According to Andy Slater of Fox Sports South Florida, the charge was dropped because prosecutors determined “there wasn’t enough evidence” on police body cam footage to charge Pearce with a felony that could carry a prison sentence of five years.
An arrest was made in February after an incident in which Pearce crashed his car while fleeing police. The episode stemmed from an alleged domestic dispute between Pearce and WNBA player Rickea Jackson. An NFL investigation was opened shortly thereafter, and it remains ongoing at this time.
As Raimondi and Rothstein detailed earlier this month, Pearce was the subject of at least seven 9-1-1- calls regarding Jackson and allegations of domestic disturbances prior to the incident which resulted in his arrest. Police records indicate numerous instances when Jackson reported feeling unsafe with respect to stalking and harassment on the part of Pearce in the months leading up to his arrest. A petition for a protective order was filed shortly after Pearce’s arrest, per the ESPN’s pair.
According to the court filing, Pearce “verbally and physically abused” Jackson on multiple occasions. It also states Pearce “threatened to kill, harm and injure” Jackson and “place a bag over her head.” The initial protection request was granted. A permanent injunction hearing is scheduled for April 21.
“Those are concerning, to say the least,” new Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said of the allegations (via Raimondi) during his latest remarks on the Pearce situation. ” Outside of that, I’ll keep it similar to what we said at the Combine. We’re not going to comment on an ongoing investigation.”
After selecting Jalon Walker in the first round of the 2025 draft, the Falcons traded back into the Day 1 order to select Pearce. The 22-year-old was a Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist with 10.5 sacks as part of a substantial turnaround in terms of pass rush production for Atlanta. Pearce’s rookie contract runs through 2028.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Colts’ Anthony Richardson Drawing Interest; Packers Could Pursue QB
Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson requested a trade on Feb. 26, but a deal still has not come together almost three weeks later. While a trade is still not imminent, there are clubs interested in the 23-year-old, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports. The Packers are a team to watch, according to Holder.
As expected, Richardson lacks trade value in the wake of a rough three-year stretch to open his career. The 2023 fourth overall pick from Florida has struggled to perform and stay healthy in the NFL.
Injuries and demotions have held the athletically gifted Richardson to just 15 starts in Indianapolis. Richardson has thrown more interceptions (13) than touchdowns (11) en route to a disastrous 67.8 rating. He logged his most action in 2024, an 11-start year in which he recorded a horrid 47.7% completion rate on 264 attempts.
The Colts did not rule out Richardson winning their starting job last year, but he was unable to beat out free agent pickup Daniel Jones. Although Jones tore his Achilles in early December, he impressed enough to secure a two-year, $88MM extension this week. Jones is locked in as the Colts’ starter moving forward, making it unlikely Richardson will ever live up to his draft slot in Indianapolis.
Jones’ Achilles injury could have given Richardson a chance to step in and boost his stock, but he was also on the shelf then. Richardson suffered a season-ending orbital fracture in a freak accident with an exercise band in October. He has since been cleared to resume his football career.
With Jordan Love entrenched under center, the Packers are in better shape at QB than the Colts. That does not bode well for Richardson on paper, but one former backup has already revived his career in Green Bay in recent years. Back in August 2024, the Packers bought low on former Titans third-rounder Malik Willis, whom they acquired for a seventh-round selection. The move was a resounding success for both sides, as Willis emerged as one of the league’s most effective backups during his Packers tenure.
After Willis opened eyes over 11 appearances and three starts in Green Bay, the Dolphins inked him to a three-year, $67.5MM pact in free agency this week. Willis, 26, will earn a guaranteed $45MM in Miami, where he will enter next season as a starter. The 6-foot-4, 244-pound Richardson will hope for a similar fate if he follows Willis as a backup in Green Bay. The Packers’ current QB depth chart includes Love, Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord.
Titans Restructure Calvin Ridley’s Deal
When the Titans’ offseason began in early January, it looked like a question of when – not if – they would release wide receiver Calvin Ridley. That is no longer the case. After agreeing to restructure his contract, Ridley will remain in Tennessee next season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The 31-year-old Ridley was due a $2MM roster bonus by 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, per Pelissero. The sides were able to work something out before the deadline. Ridley will stick around a Tennessee receiving corps that will also include the newly acquired Wan’Dale Robinson, one of several big-ticket free agent pickups for the club. The Titans added the ex-Giants slot target on a four-year, $70MM pact this week.
Ridley, a former Falcon and Jaguar, joined the Titans on a four-year, $92MM agreement with $50MM in guarantees in March 2024. Although Ridley missed all of 2022 as a result of a gambling suspension, he earned his massive contract after a 76-catch, 1,016-yard, eight-touchdown rebound in 2023.
Ridley was productive again in his first season with the Titans. On a team that did not have any other 500-yard receivers, Ridley finished with 1,017 on 64 grabs. He also added four scores. Tennessee likely expected a similar performance from Ridley last season, but he did not provide much help for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Ridley caught just 17 of 36 targets for 303 yards and no TDs over seven games. His season ended when he broke his fibula in a Week 11 loss to the Texans.
Ridley worked with two different play callers, former head coach Brian Callahan and ex-QBs coach Bo Hardegree, in 2025. The Titans are now led by new head coach Robert Saleh, who hired the established Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. Daboll will attempt to guide Ridley to a bounce-back campaign next season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/26
Saturday’s lone minor move around the NFL:
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: CB Shemar Jean-Charles
Jean-Charles did not see any playing time in 2025, a season which he spent on Seattle’s practice squad. The 27-year-old will remain a depth option in the secondary through training camp as he attempts to carve out a roster spot with the Super Bowl champions.
Giants To Sign WR Darnell Mooney
7:58pm: Fowler reports the Eagles were also involved in Mooney’s market. Philadelphia already has a pair of established starting wideouts in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, although Brown’s Eagles future remains in doubt. It will be interesting to see which remaining free agent wideouts find themselves as the subject of a pursuit from Philadelphia.
4:48pm: The Giants continue to add free agents for new head coach John Harbaugh. The newest addition will provide another weapon for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that wide receiver Darnell Mooney will be signing with New York. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mooney plans to join the Giants on a one-year deal worth up to $10MM. 
New York has been busy retooling the roster under the leadership of Harbaugh. On offense, the team took care of business re-signing pending free agents like starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and depth pieces like offensive guard Evan Neal and wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins. Some bigger pieces have fallen through the cracks as wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger, and backup center Austin Schlottmann have all departed in free agency for Tennessee, but the Giants have done a good job of restocking positions with signees like wide receiver Calvin Austin and tight end Isaiah Likely.
Mooney becomes the newest addition to a retooled offense for Dart that now features (when healthy) Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary at running back, Pat Ricard at fullback, Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin, and Mooney at wide receiver, and Theo Johnson and Likely at tight end. Dart will have no shortage of new toys to play with in his sophomore campaign under new leadership.
Mooney will head to New York after a two-year stint with the Falcons. Atlanta signed Mooney coming off his rookie contract with the Bears on a three-year, $39MM deal. The signing initially appeared to be a huge success as Mooney finished second to Drake London in all receiving categories with 64 catches for 992 yards and five touchdowns on an offense that finished fifth in the NFL in passing yards. Year 2 told a different story for Mooney as he only recorded half the receptions total of the prior year for only 443 yards and one touchdown while catching balls from Michael Penix Jr. instead of Kirk Cousins for most of the year.
After the disappointing campaign, the Falcons opted to release Mooney in a cost-cutting move that would open up $7.42MM of cap space. In New York, Mooney will likely compete with Slayton and Austin for WR2 honors behind Nabers. All three players had similar outputs last year, but Mooney has shown a higher ceiling in his career and could be the favorite to see more snaps on the field. It will be interesting to see just how much of that $10MM maximum value is incentive-based, considering Mooney’s boom-or-bust history. Regardless, it may be hard to base success on statistics this year as, with so many weapons, the number of mouths to feed may limit individual production.