Bengals To Sign DT Jonathan Allen
The Vikings’ two high-profile street free agent defensive linemen — Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave — lasted one season in Minnesota, each being released Wednesday. Both have already found new homes.
After Hargrave landed with the Packers, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Allen is joining the Bengals on a two-year deal worth $28MM. The $28MM is the deal’s max value, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes the base value checks in at $26MM. This still represents a soft landing for Allen, who has been cut in each of the past two years.
[RELATED: Bengals Extend LT Orlando Brown Jr.]
Allen joins Boye Mafe as new arrivals on Cincinnati’s D-line. The Bengals have devoted some early-free agency funds to upgrading one of the NFL’s worst defenses. They have added Mafe, Allen and safety Bryan Cook to Al Golden‘s unit. Cincy now has three veteran options at defensive tackle, with Allen joining B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton. The team also has former second-round pick Kris Jenkins Jr. in the fold at DT.
A former Washington first-round pick, Allen will be on his third team in three years. The Commanders cut bait in 2025, and the Vikings designated Allen a post-June 1 release Wednesday. Allen started 17 games with Minnesota last season and was a Pro Bowler in Washington. The 2017 draftee is going into an age-31 season, joining Hill in that regard. Slaton is 28. Slaton and McKinnley Jackson are in place as the NT options for the Bengals, with Allen being added as a three-technique rusher.
Although Cincinnati’s defense became less abysmal late in the season, the unit still ranked 30th. The unit was missing Trey Hendrickson for most of the season, but it struggled in 2024 with the standout defensive end submitting a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up finish. The Bengals have seen their defense (and Joe Burrow injuries) limit them over the past three seasons. Burrow’s first NFL setback — his 2020 ACL tear — actually came on a tackle by Allen and Montez Sweat (as SI.com’s Jay Morrison reminds).
Washington disbanded its four-first-rounder D-line at the 2023 trade deadline, dealing away Sweat and Chase Young. Allen and Daron Payne played together in 2024, but Allen missed much of that resurgent Commanders season with a pectoral injury. With Young’s career sidetracked by a 2021 knee injury, Allen stepped up; his Pro Bowls came during this period, with the Alabama alum combining for 16.5 sacks from 2021-22. Allen combined for 66 QB hits from 2021-23 but has not been as productive since.
This will move Allen back to a 4-3 scheme, after he transitioned to Brian Flores‘ 3-4 look in 2025. Those distinctions mean less and less, but they do still matter to a degree. Allen posted 3.5 sacks and 11 QB hits in 17 Vikings games. This $13MM-per-year contract is a bit south of where he was with Minnesota and Washington ($17MM and $18MM per year, respectively), but it shows teams still view the longtime interior presence highly.
Chiefs To Sign CB Kader Kohou
The Chiefs are signing former Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Kohou, 27, missed all of the 2025 season due to a torn ACL suffered in training camp. He served as Miami’s primary nickel for the previous three seasons with 47 appearances, 38 starts, and more than 2,500 defensive snaps. He only played sparingly on special teams with no involvement in 2024.
Kohou arrived in Miami in 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M-Commerce. He was targeted more than any other defender in the league as a rookie, but allowed only 6.1 yards per target and three touchdowns. He regressed in 2023 with 7.7 yards per target and eight touchdowns but returned to his 2023 numbers the following year. That earned him a $3.26MM restricted free agent tag last offseason, though he will likely earn significantly less with the Chiefs.
In Kansas City, Kohou will look to prove his health and compete for a role in the Chiefs’ secondary, which has already lost three cornerbacks this week, including Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, two of their starters in 2025. Joshua Williams, who played key snaps in the previous three seasons but not 2025, is also gone, so the Chiefs will need to find new options on the boundary in 2026.
Kohou has played a majority of his career snaps in the slot, but 2023 fourth-rounder Chamarri Conner will likely keep that role next season. But his 743 snaps of experience on the boundary could help him compete for a job in a Kansas City pass defense that will look very different relative to last year’s unit.
Ravens Release QB Cooper Rush, Sign OL Jovaughn Gwyn
The Ravens signed Cooper Rush to a two-year deal last year to serve as Lamer Jackson’s backup, but that experiment ended during his second start after the MVP’s early-season knee injury.
Baltimore went back to Tyler Huntley – who won both of his starts in 2025 – and Rush rode the bench for the rest of the season. The Ravens were expected to part ways with the former Cowboys in the offseason, and re-signing Huntley to a two-year deal over the weekend supported that projection.
Indeed, the Ravens have released Rush, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move comes without a post-June 1 designation, so it will be processed right away, clearing $453k and leaving $2.2MM in dead money. The eight-year veteran will now hit the open market in search of a new backup opportunity, though his struggles in Baltimore will likely force him to compete for a job during training camp.
The Ravens’ other Thursday move is the signing of Jovaughn Gwyn (also via Pelissero), who is coming to Baltimore to reunite with offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. Gwyn, 26, was a seventh-round pick out of South Carolina in 2023. He has only played 11 regular-season offensive snaps – all in 2025 – with nine at right guard plus one as an inline tight end and another as a fullback, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In the preseason, though, Gwyn has played center as well, a key still for a Ravens offensive line that just lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. Gwyn does not project as a starting-caliber replacement, though he is clearly valued by Ledford. But with the potential for 2025 backup center Corey Bullock to step into a bigger role this year, Baltimore needed to add more depth at the position and now has Gwyn to back up multiple spots along their line.
Broncos To Re-Sign Lil’Jordan Humphrey
The Broncos let Lil’Jordan Humphrey walk in free agency last year, and the Sean Payton favorite joined the Giants in free agency. But he made his way back to Denver via an in-season return. The veteran Payton charge will be the latest Bronco to re-sign this offseason.
Denver is retaining Humphrey, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. With the Broncos losing Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant in the playoffs, Humphrey was needed as a regular on offense. He came through against the Bills, hauling in a long touchdown pass at the end of the first half. This will be Humphrey’s fourth season in Denver.
Humphrey, 28 in April, played for Payton in New Orleans before joining him in Denver in 2023. The three-year Saint worked mostly as a backup in New Orleans and has contributed more in Denver as a blocking wideout. He did play an auxiliary role in Bo Nix‘s rookie-year success, totaling career highs in catches (31) and yards (293).
The Giants stashed Humphrey on their practice squad after cutting him last August, and the Broncos ended up signing him off the New York P-squad in November. Playing in only three games for the 4-13 Giants, Humphrey saw action in seven for the 14-3 Broncos. He caught a regular-season touchdown pass against the Packers, and after dropping a would-be touchdown early in the Bills divisional-round matchup, the 6-foot-4 pass catcher came through with a 29-yard TD pass in the final minute of the first half during the No. 1 seed’s overtime win.
The Broncos have not yet signed an outside free agent, but they have been busy retaining their own. Although John Franklin-Myers and P.J. Locke have departed, Denver has brought back Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, J.K. Dobbins, Adam Trautman and Sam Ehlinger over the past few days. The team also retained Ben Powers after the veteran guard was mentioned as a trade candidate. It would seem the Broncos will add outside UFAs soon, but last year’s AFC West champs are submitting a continuity-focused approach thus far.
Added to that list of re-signings: tight end Lucas Krull. The team announced the reserve tight end, nontendered as an RFA last week, is staying. As the RFA tender numbers keep rising, teams have increasingly opted to nontender these players and bring them back at reduced rates. After a 152-yard 2024 season, Krull played in just four games last year and caught only two passes.
Krull joins Trautman, Nate Adkins and Evan Engram in the Broncos’ tight end room. Engram did not impress regularly last season and is a logical cut candidate, but the 31-year-old pass catcher has nearly half his 2026 base salary guaranteed. Denver already used one of his early post-June 1 designations on Dre Greenlaw.
Lions To Sign DB Christian Izien
The Lions are adding some more insurance to their secondary after an injury-riddled 2025 season. Former Buccaneers safety Christian Izien is headed to Detroit on a one-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The pact is worth $2MM, including $1MM guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Izien, 25, signed in Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and carved out a role as the team’s primary nickel defender. He appeared in every game with four starts and a 64% snap share, allowing 6.9 yards per target and bringing in two interceptions.
The Buccaneers increased and diversified Izien’s role in 2024 with rookie safety Tykee Smith taking over as the full-time nickel. Izien started 10 out of his 14 appearances with a 75% snap share and moved all around the defense with 308 snaps at free safety, 205 snaps in the slot, and 135 in the box, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His coverage stats improved and he also ranked fourth on the team with 75 tackles.
Izien was pushed out of the secondary rotation in 2025. Rookie cornerback Jacob Parrish took over in the slot, which pushed Smith into Izien’s 2024 role. Izien did not play more than two defensive snaps in a game until December and finished the year with just 166 total, though he did the most special teams work of his career.
The Buccaneers declined to place a restricted free agent tag on Izien, clearing his path to Detroit. The Lions did not have a dedicated nickel in 2025, but Izien could fill that role in 2026. He may even step into bigger duties early on with star safety duo Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both recovering from significant leg injuries.
NFL Restructures: Jackson, Goff, Falcons, Packers, Panthers, Colts
Austin Jackson has been unable to stay healthy for a sizable chunk of his Dolphins career, and the veteran right tackle is accepting a pay cut in the final year of his contract. The Dolphins are reducing Jackson’s 2026 compensation to $7MM, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques tweets. The move created $8.5MM in cap space for Miami. Tied to a three-year deal worth $36MM, Jackson was to carry a $15.39MM cap number on the Dolphins’ 2026 payroll. That number is down to $6.9MM.
The Dolphins extended Jackson late in the 2023 season but saw him miss nine games in 2024 and 11 in 2025. This came after 15 absences in 2022. Jackson timed his 16-game 2023 season well, as it convinced then-Dolphins GM Chris Grier to extend him. A season-ending knee injury sidelined Jackson in November 2024, and he experienced a recovery setback during 2025 training camp. A toe injury sustained in Week 1 led Jackson to IR last season. The seventh-year veteran is still on track for free agency in 2027, but rather than try his luck on the market this year coming off two injury-marred seasons, the former first-round pick accepted this trim.
Here are the other deals recently restructured around the NFL:
- The Lions currently sit at $35MM-plus in cap space, getting there after releasing Taylor Decker and trading David Montgomery to the Texans. The main reason Detroit is that far under the cap, however, came when the team restructured Jared Goff‘s deal. The sixth-year Lions QB will see $40MM of his base salary converted into a bonus, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero, who notes a void year has been added to the deal. This saves $32MM in cap space for the Lions, who joined the Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys and Ravens in completing a recent QB restructure. Goff’s 2027 and ’28 cap hits are now beyond $62MM, likely leading the Lions to go to this well again.
- The Falcons are using the Jake Matthews contract to create more than $10MM in cap space. Matthews will see his salary knocked down to $2MM, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson noting a $14MM signing bonus will now be prorated into future years. As Connor Byrne’s Falcons Offseason Outlook noted, Matthews’ $27.27MM cap hit was the highest on the Falcons’ payroll. It is now at $16.77MM, saving the team nearly $10MM. One void year is now on this two-year, $45MM extension.
- Adam La Rose’s Packers Offseason Outlook noted Aaron Banks carried the third-largest cap hit on the roster ($24.79MM). That is now down to $12MM. The $12MM-plus in savings come from the team converting most of the guard’s salary into a signing bonus, Wilson adds. Two void years have also been added to Banks’ four-year, $77MM contract.
- Beyond the Michael Pittman Jr. salary dump and Daniel Jones‘ extension to move off the transition tag, the Colts created cap space by restructuring left tackle Bernhard Raimann‘s deal. Indianapolis dropped Raimann’s base salary to $2MM, moving his cap number from $17.51MM to $9.26MM. This $8MM-plus in savings will lead to two $2MM roster bonuses being inserted into the deal (in 2028 and ’29), Wilson adds. The adjustment also balloons the LT’s 2027 cap number to $30.61MM.
- Derrick Brown carried the top Panthers cap hit entering March ($24.5MM), but Wilson adds it has been reduced to $10.95MM via a restructure. The Panthers saved nearly $14MM in cap space here on a contract that runs through the 2028 season. The cost-saving move does inflate Brown’s two future Carolina cap numbers past $31MM, however.
Titans To Sign DE Jacob Martin
While Will McDonald and Bryce Huff will not be part of Robert Saleh‘s first Titans defensive line — at least, they’re not involved presently — we now have a fourth ex-Saleh-era Jet D-lineman bound for Tennessee.
Jacob Martin is signing a two-year Titans deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. He follows Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas as former Saleh Jets D-linemen reuniting in Nashville. Martin is reuniting with Saleh on a two-year deal worth up to $11MM.
Johnson, Martin, Thomas and Franklin-Myers were all teammates on the 2022 Jets. Martin was a short-lived Jet, to be fair, with the team sending the eight-game contributor to the Broncos at the 2022 deadline — as Denver needed EDGE depth following its Bradley Chubb trade. Martin spent last season with the Commanders, with whom he enjoyed a career-best season.
Martin, 30, registered 5.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits during his lone Washington campaign. A Commanders team that underinvested at edge rusher used Martin as a 14-game starter, playing him in front of all-time great Von Miller (though, Miller led the team with nine sacks). Washington has since made big moves to bolster its front, signing Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. Miller remains a free agent, while Martin will see a nice contract bump after playing last season for $2.59MM.
The Titans began this reunion committee of sorts by hiring Aaron Whitecotton as D-line coach. They they traded T’Vondre Sweat for Johnson, deeming the latter a better fit for Saleh’s 4-3 scheme. Franklin-Myers signed a three-year, $63MM deal; the Jets had traded the interior D-lineman during the 2024 draft, but he played a lead role for the team during Saleh’s first three seasons. Tennessee then added Thomas in a low-level pick-swap trade — the Cowboys gave up the nine-year veteran to move up just seven spots in the draft — before this Martin agreement came to pass.
While it is safe to assume Jeffery Simmons may be left out of some inside jokes in the near future, the All-Pro D-tackle will still be anchoring the Titans’ D-line. Though, the Martin addition does make it possible — with both he and Johnson DEs and Thomas and Franklin-Myers DTs — to roll out a Jets alumni foursome in certain packages.
A ninth-year vet, Martin has been a solid rotational option in his career. He has been traded twice, being part of the 2019 Jadeveon Clowney-to-Seattle swap before his Denver trek, and started 29 games. He has 26.5 career sacks, and the 18 QB hits with Washington were 10 more than the former Seattle sixth-rounder had ever compiled in a season. The Titans will be the Colorado native’s eighth NFL team.
Bengals Extend LT Orlando Brown Jr.
Orlando Brown Jr. is no longer in a contract year. Given a four-year deal in 2023, the former Super Bowl left tackle starter will now see his Bengals accord stretched for an additional season.
Cincinnati gave the veteran LT a two-year extension Thursday, according to a team announcement. This stands to lower Brown’s $21.99MM 2026 cap number. Brown was tied to a four-year, $64.1MM contract, but he is now signed through the 2028 season. Brown said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby) he negotiated the deal himself.
“The Blackburn family and the Brown family made this a smooth negotiation,” Brown said. “The deal creates a sense of stability for myself and the organization. I didn’t necessarily feel the need to reset the market. We have great players in this locker room. It’s rare for a player to say, but making it team-friendly … The way that I see it, it puts me and my family and the organization in a good spot.”
This mindset appears to differ from how Brown landed in Cincinnati. The Chiefs franchise-tagged their Super Bowl LVII left tackle in 2022 and offered him a top-market contract, but Kansas City’s six-year proposal — which matched the Trent Williams 49ers term length — did not meet Brown’s guarantee ask. Players have increasingly turned to shorter-term contracts as the cap keeps rising, and Brown rejected Kansas City’s proposal. After playing the 2022 season on the tag, he wound up in Cincinnati via free agency.
The Bengals have been unable to approach their early-2020s heights during Brown’s time in the Queen City, with Joe Burrow injury trouble and a defensive regression defining a tough three-year stretch for the franchise. During that span, however, Brown has started 45 games. The second-generation NFL tackle has not played at a Pro Bowl level — where he was in Baltimore and Kansas City — and Pro Football Focus has yet to rank him as a top-40 tackle during a Bengals season. But ESPN’s run block win rate metric did slot the veteran eighth overall among tackles last season.
PFF ranked Brown 66th and 60th among qualified options at tackle in 2024 and ’25, respectively, and Brown missed six games due to injury during his second Bengals season. A Pro Bowler at right tackle in Baltimore and left tackle in Kansas City, Brown is heading into an age-30 season. Brown supplanted Jonah Williams in 2023, sliding the former first-rounder to the right side (where he stayed upon signing with the Cardinals). This contract places Brown on track to become the longest-tenured Bengals LT since Andrew Whitworth, though the guarantees will be important to see on that front.
Cincinnati has been proactive with extensions for linemen in recent years, twice giving center Ted Karras new deals and shrewdly extending Trey Hendrickson (one year, $21MM) in 2023. The latter pact became a point of contention, and Hendrickson has since defected to the Ravens after a yearslong negotiating saga to close out his Bengals tenure.
Although the Bengals’ O-line has taken criticism in recent years — as Burrow has failed to stay healthy — the team looks set to run back its 2025 front five after re-signing right guard Dalton Risner. The veteran guard has consistently struggled to command even midlevel deals in free agency, and this year was no exception. Risner’s one-year Bengals deal carries a $3.25MM base value, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Via a $1.75MM playtime incentive, Risner’s accord can max out at $5MM.
Dolphins Release QB Tua Tagovailoa
MARCH 12: Tagovailoa’s release is now official. The Dolphins have designated their six-year starting quarterback as a post-June 1 cut. As a result, Miami will take on a record-smashing dead money number. Tagovailoa has secured another opportunity, landing with the Falcons.
Atlanta is planning to pit Tagovailoa against fellow left-hander Michael Penix Jr. in an open competition ahead of the 2026 season. As Russell Wilson was in 2024 (and as Kyler Murray may well be this year), Tagovailoa is expected to be tied to veteran-minimum money. The Dolphins have used both their post-June 1 designations, making the same move to jettison Bradley Chubb (who has since joined the Bills).
MARCH 9: Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins tenure is about to officially end. His release will take place at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, per a team announcement. 
“As we move forward, we will be focused on infusing competition across the roster and establishing a strong foundation for this team as we work towards building a sustained winner,” a statement from new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan reads in part.
“As I shared with Tua, I have great respect for the person and player he is. On behalf of the Miami Dolphins, I expressed our gratitude for his many contributions, both on the field and in the community, during his six seasons.”
This will be a post-June 1 release, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes. That comes as little surprise, as it will allow Miami to spread out the record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge in this case over two years. Thanks to Tagovailoa’s guarantees on his contract, he could account for $67MM a dead cap charges in 2026 as the Dolphins move forward with their full-scale roster reset.
Alternatively, that dead money figure could be split more evenly. As Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap notes, Miami’s decision on a pending option bonus will dictate how this release is processed from a financial standpoint. The team could take on $55.4MM in dead money now with the remaining $43.8MM being delayed t0 2027.
In any case, today’s news confirms Tagovailoa will be among the veteran quarterbacks on the market this week. The former first-rounder was the subject of a tanking effort from Miami leading up to the 2020 draft. With Joe Burrow off the board, the Dolphins opted for Tagovailoa over Justin Herbert, who was selected one pick later by the Chargers. Burrow and Herbert remain in place with their respective teams and are attached to monster contracts. Tagovailoa, 28, inked a mega-extension of his own in 2024 but things did not go according to plan afterwards, to say the least.
The former No. 5 pick earned a Pro Bowl nod for his level of play in 2023, a year in which he led the NFL in passing yards. Tagovailoa managed a healthy campaign leading up to his extension agreement, but that was not the case in 2024. After being limited to 11 games that year, Tagovailoa’s future, as well as that of head coach Mike McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier was a talking point. Grier was fired in the middle of the 2025 campaign, one in which McDaniel (who was himself dismissed after the year ended) benched a healthy Tagovailoa. Since then, the Alabama product has been open to a fresh start.
Given the major guarantees present in Tagovailoa’s contract, interested teams have been willing to wait for a release before making a push to acquire him. A veteran minimum deal will now be in store from a suitor seeking an inexpensive option under center. The Vikings and Jets have been mentioned as possibilities, but more teams could be in the fold as well.
Miami, meanwhile, will seek out a new QB1 under Sullivan and former Packers colleague Jeff Hafley. The new GM-HC tandem’s Green Bay background has led to the expectation of a Malik Willis pursuit, but a less expensive option may be needed given the team’s cap situation. In any event, a new setup will be in place at the quarterback spot as a new Dolphins era begins in 2026.
Chargers To Sign RB Keaton Mitchell
Working in the Ravens’ front office when the team identified Keaton Mitchell as a 2023 UDFA, Joe Hortiz will bring the speedy running back to Los Angeles.
The third-year GM will sign off on a two-year, $9.25MM Chargers deal for Mitchell, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Mitchell did not receive an RFA tender from the Ravens, and Jesse Minter’s former team will take advantage. Mitchell will receive $5MM fully guaranteed.
Showing game-breaking ability as a rookie, Mitchell saw his career sidetracked by a late-season ACL tear. The East Carolina alum did not return until November 2024. By that time, the Ravens had Derrick Henry completing a historic season. As Mitchell faded into the background in a Henry-powered backfield, Baltimore did not tender him as an RFA Monday. The low-end tender cost teams $3.52MM this year.
Having not yet determined the Maxx Crosby trade would be nixed and still carrying Lamar Jackson‘s $74MM-plus cap hit at the time, the Ravens passed on Mitchell to make him an unrestricted free agent. As the RFA tender prices keep rising, teams have increasingly passed on handing them out. This regularly results in players coming back to the same team at a reduced rate, but Mitchell ended up faring better than he would have under the tender.
Mitchell flashed brightly as a rookie, averaging an eye-popping 8.4 yards per carry on 47 handoffs. After only 15 carries in 2024, Mitchell handled a career-high 59 totes in 2025. The Chargers will be adding a fourth-year back with little tread on his tires and one who is more than two years removed from his ACL tear.
With the Ravens also having Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali in their backfield last season, Mitchell did finish with the second-most carries (among RBs) on Baltimore’s roster. He rushed for 341 yards in 2025. The Chargers have not re-signed Najee Harris, though they did tender Kimani Vidal as an ERFA last week. Mitchell and Vidal represent interesting options behind starter Omarion Hampton.
New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel unleashed one of the NFL’s fastest players, in De’Von Achane, in Miami. Mitchell did not run track at East Carolina, whereas Achane had a 10.1-second 100-meter clocking on his resume, but he did zoom to a 4.37-second 40-yard dash time at the 2023 Combine. It will be interesting to see how the new Bolts OC uses Mitchell and Vidal in his first L.A. offense.