Bengals Will Not Tender RFA QB Jake Browning
Pending restricted free agent Jake Browning will not receive a tender from the Bengals, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Browning will thus reach the open market, although Fowler notes Cincinnati is open to re-signing him.
Browning signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2019, but he did not see action until he won the Bengals’ backup job in 2023. Browning wound up filling in for Joe Burrow after the franchise signal-caller suffered a season-ending wrist injury in mid-November.
The Bengals fell to 5-5 the day they lost Burrow, but they went 4-3 under Browning and narrowly missed the playoffs. Over nine appearances that year, Browning completed 70.4% of passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, a 98.4 traditional rating and a 60.8 QBR.
Burrow was the only Bengal to attempt a pass in 2024, his healthiest season yet, but he was not as fortunate last year. After Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2, the Bengals turned back to Browning. The team was likely expecting a performance similar to Browning’s 2023 showing, but he fell well short of that. The 29-year-old completed 64.8% of attempts for 771 yards, six TDs, eight picks, a 71.1 passer rating and a 35.2 QBR in five games.
The Bengals went 0-3 in Browning’s starts, leading them to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in early October. Flacco outperformed Browning by a wide margin, but it was not enough to keep the Bengals afloat during Burrow’s absence. Once 2-0, the team was 3-8 when Burrow made his return in Week 13. The Bengals ended the year 6-11.
In a best-case scenario, the oft-injured Burrow will stay healthy next year. However, it would be wise to have a capable contingency plan in place. It doesn’t appear the Bengals will rely on Browning in that role, though Flacco has interest in re-signing with the team.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears, LB D’Marco Jackson Agree To Deal
The Bears will be without Tremaine Edmunds in 2026. Fellow linebacker D’Marco Jackson will remain in the fold, however.
Jackson has agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His new Bears contract is two years in length and it has a base value of $7.5MM. The pact can max out at $10.5MM, Rapoport adds. Today’s deal is now official.
Jackson will earn a solid raise after upping his stock last year in Chicago, which added him as a waiver claim in August. The Saints cut Jackson after the 2022 fifth-rounder from Appalachian State was unable to carve out a role in their defense. Jackson spent his rookie year on injured reserve and then played almost exclusively on special teams from 2023-24.
Edmunds and T.J. Edwards missed various periods with injuries last season, leaving Jackson to take on more defensive responsibilities. Across 17 games (four starts) and a career-high 261 defensive snaps, Jackson totaled 43 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Week 15. The 27-year-old logged nine tackles, a sack and a pick in a 31-3 blowout of the Browns.
Although Edmunds is now a Giant, Jackson will once again function as a reserve next season. The Bears will use Edwards and Devin Bush as their top two linebackers. They agreed to sign Bush, previously a Brown, to a three-year, $30MM deal on Monday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers To Re-Sign CB Asante Samuel Jr.
After seeing brief action with the Steelers in 2025, Asante Samuel Jr. will remain in place. The veteran cornerback has a new Pittsburgh deal in hand.
Team and player agreed to a new contract on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This is a one-year. $4MM pact. That figure likely represents the maximum value in this case, but Samuel could prove to be a worthwhile re-signing for the Steelers if he once again handles a notable defensive workload in 2026.
A second-round pick from Florida State in 2022, Samuel was a full-time starter with the Chargers over the first four years of his career. However, an early 2024 shoulder injury threw Samuel’s career off course. The Chargers placed Samuel on injured reserve after just four games.
Concerns over Samuel’s health prevented him from cashing in as a free agent a year ago. After undergoing neck surgery in April, he was not medically cleared until the first week of November. Samuel then drew widespread interest before joining the Steelers’ practice squad.
Playing an abbreviated age-26 season in 2025, Samuel saw action in six of the Steelers’ games and started three. He picked up 10 tackles and notched the seventh interception of his career along the way. With backup corner James Pierre potentially on his way out in free agency, Samuel will provide capable depth behind starters Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean in 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Texans To Re-Sign G Ed Ingram
One of the many notable guards on track for free agency will not be testing the market. Ed Ingram will instead remain in place with the Texans.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year, $37.5MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That includes $20MM fully guaranteed, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adding Ingram will receive a $14MM signing bonus. Offensive line additions will remain something to watch for in Houston’s case, but stability at one guard spot will be seen in 2026.
Ingram, whom the Vikings chose in the second round of the 2022 draft, was a full-time starter over his first two years. He fell out of favor in Minnesota in 2024, when he started in just nine of 16 appearances. The Vikings benched Ingram for good heading into Week 10. They shipped the Texas native to Houston for a sixth-round pick a year ago.
Ingram rebounded as a full-time starter in Houston, where he lined up at right guard during a 14-game, 1,072-snap campaign. Pro Football Focus ranked the 27-year-old’s performance 12th among 79 qualifying guards. He was especially effective as a run blocker (seventh overall), which bodes well for newly acquired RB David Montgomery.
Retaining Ingram is the second significant move the Texans have made along their offensive line this month. The club previously traded guard/tackle Tytus Howard to the Browns, leaving a void up front.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Rams To Extend CB Trent McDuffie
The Rams and newly acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie began progressing toward an extension on Sunday afternoon. Two hours later, the sides have reached a four-year, $124MM deal with $100MM guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. McDuffie is now the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
This was the expected outcome after the Rams, in their latest all-in move, acquired McDuffie from the Chiefs on Tuesday. Los Angeles sent three 2026 draft picks – No. 29 overall, a fifth- and sixth-rounder – as well as a 2027 third-rounder to reel in the 25-year-old two-time All-Pro. The Chiefs quickly granted the Rams permission to negotiate with McDuffie, who had been seeking a market-topping extension.
Now that he is set to land atop the cornerback market, McDuffie will move past previous leader Sauce Gardner in contract value ($120.1MM) and average annual salary ($31MM to $30.1MM). The Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. ($89.03MM) is now second among corners in guarantees. All three of those players entered the league as first-rounders in 2022, though Stingley is the only one still with the team that drafted him. Despite extending Gardner last summer, the Jets traded him to the Colts before the Nov. 4 deadline for two first-rounders and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Already a two-time Super Bowl winner, McDuffie will now serve as a defensive centerpiece for an L.A. team that will enter next season with championship aspirations. The Rams are coming off a year in which they won 12 regular-season games and added a pair of playoff victories. They allowed the 19th-most passing yards in the league, however, and had no answer for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold or superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the NFC title game. In a 31-27 Seahawks victory, Darnold torched the Rams for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with JSN 10 times for 153 yards and a score.
The Rams are banking on McDuffie to help them overtake the Seahawks in the NFC West and in the conference next year. In McDuffie, the Rams acquired a former Washington standout who has started in all 56 of his games in the pros. While McDuffie has only intercepted three passes in four seasons, he has racked up 34 passes defensed and eight forced fumbles. McDuffie, who is versatile enough to play outside and in the slot, ranked as one of Pro Football Focus’ top five corners in 2023 and ’24. Although McDuffie dropped to 12th last year, he has still never fallen outside of PFF’s top 20 in an individual season
McDuffie is under wraps, but he will not be the last high-profile player Rams general manager Les Snead extends this offseason. A new accord is likely coming for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Meanwhile, 2023 draftees Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Warren McClendon are all eligible for multiyear contracts.
Eagles Have Inquired On Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard; Jalen Carter Drawing Trade Interest
One of this year’s biggest trade candidates has already been dealt, with the Raiders agreeing to send DE Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in exchange for two first-round picks. Another high-profile edge rusher, the Vikings’ Jonathan Greenard, is also said to be available via trade, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Eagles have inquired.
It is unclear if talks between Minnesota and Philadelphia are ongoing, though Fowler adds the Vikes have received a number of calls on Greenard. The price to acquire him will be substantially less than the haul Baltimore gave up to land Crosby, with Fowler reiterating his prior report that a Day 2 pick will likely get it done.
The complicating factor here is that Greenard is seeking a raise despite having two years remaining on his current deal and despite coming off a season in which he played in just 12 games due to injury and recorded three sacks. It would make plenty of sense for a team to give up a Day 2 selection to land a pass rusher who posted 24.5 sacks over the 2023-24 seasons, but it would be more surprising to see Greenard secure a new deal at this juncture.
Meanwhile, the Eagles continue to negotiate with Jaelan Phillips, whom they acquired from the Dolphins at the 2025 trade deadline. Philly elected against putting the $28MM franchise tag on Phillips but are nonetheless prepared to authorize a notable contract. Per Fowler, the Eagles are willing to go “well above” $20MM per year for Phillips, who played well during his brief Philadelphia stint.
In addition to Greenard, the Eagles view the Seahawks’ Boye Mafe as a contingency plan if they are unable to retain Phillips, according to Fowler (who adds the club was never really in on Crosby). As those situations continue to unfold, and as A.J. Brown trade rumors continue to swirl, Fowler says Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman is also fielding trade calls for someone other than Brown.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter is generating outside interest, as Fowler reports. We heard in January that Carter and fellow DT Jordan Davis were among Roseman’s top extension priorities, and the team just agreed to a lucrative extension for Davis. Our Ely Allen suggested that deal may cloud Carter’s future with the Eagles, especially since the 2023 first-rounder could be shooting for an historic pact.
Since he has accumulated three years of service time, Carter is now extension-eligible. The Eagles must make a decision on his fifth-year option by May 1, though it should be an easy call to exercise the option and lock in a $21.04 salary for 2027. To be clear, Fowler does not say whether Philadelphia is entertaining trade inquiries, and he does not mention which teams have reached out.
Travis Kelce Expected To Play In 2026; TE Likely To Talk To Other Teams
Two months since the end of a disappointing Chiefs season, future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce has not announced whether he will return in 2026. The 11-time Pro Bowler is expected to play a 14th season, however, according to Dianna Russini and Jesse Newell of The Athletic.
Kelce has spent his entire career in Kansas City, where he has established himself as an all-time great and helped the team to three Super Bowl titles. Shockingly, though, the 36-year-old pending free agent is not a lock to re-sign with the Chiefs, Russini and Newell report. The belief is that Kelce’s camp will talk to other clubs.
Kelce indicated in November that he would decide his future before the new league year, which begins Wednesday. Until now, the assumption was that Kelce would either re-up with the Chiefs or retire.
With moving elsewhere looking like a potential option, Kelce could jump to the top of the free agent tight end market. Kyle Pitts had been on track to lead the way until the Falcons placed the franchise tag on him. Isaiah Likely, Dallas Goedert, Chig Okonkwo, Cade Otton and Jonnu Smith are among notables still without contracts, but all of their resumes pale in comparison to Kelce’s.
Despite his age, Kelce continued as one of the NFL’s most productive tight ends during a 17-game campaign in 2025. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder ranked fourth at the position in yards (851) and sixth in catches (76), and he added five touchdowns. With 13,002 career yards, Kelce is 45 away from passing Jason Witten for second all-time among tight ends. He is third at the position in receptions (1,080) and fifth in TDs (82).
Since the Chiefs stole him in the third round of the 2013 draft, Kelce has played for one head coach (Andy Reid) and teamed with two starting quarterbacks. After working with Alex Smith for the first half-decade of his career, Kelce and future Hall of Fame signal-caller Patrick Mahomes began forming a legendary duo in 2018. Eight years later, their partnership may be coming to an end.
Raiders To Acquire CB Taron Johnson
The Raiders are involved in their second trade before the start of free agency. They have acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Bills in a late-round pick swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Bills will receive a sixth-rounder, and the Raiders will add a seventh-rounder, per Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post.
It had initially been reported that the Bills would release Johson, but the Raiders will prevent him from hitting the open market. Meanwhile, Buffalo will get some value out of his departure.
This will officially end Johnson’s eight-year tenure in Buffalo, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The Weber State product played for head coach Sean McDermott during his entire run in Western New York.
Johnson generally thrived under McDermott during his first six seasons, leading general manager Brandon Beane to hand the defender a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The agreement temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the league, but injuries have contributed to a drop in performance since he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
Johnson has totaled nine absences since 2024, including four last year. Across 13 games and eight starts in 2025, Johnson picked up 57 tackles and four passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranked his play 74th among 112 qualifying corners.
The Bills fired McDermott in January and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach. Brady brought in an outside defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, to overhaul the unit. That left Johnson’s future up in the air. Shifting the longtime nickel corner to safety was under consideration, but the Bills elected to cut ties with Johnson instead.
The Raiders weakened their defense in the short term when they agreed to ship superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens on Thursday. Nevertheless, the team has ample cap space and draft capital to upgrade the rest of its roster. The Raiders and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will count on Johnson to help improve their slot corner situation. If Johnson doesn’t rebound in 2026, the Raiders would save $10.04MM in releasing him while taking on no dead money next offseason. That makes Johnson a worthwhile flier for a Las Vegas team with a slew of needs to address.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Offseason Outlook: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
From 2022-24, the Buccaneers stood in command of the NFC South while residing as a fringe Super Bowl threat. Last season dislodged Tampa Bay's grip on the NFL's worst division, bringing state-of-the-union questions to the forefront. Todd Bowles survived, but it is safe to say the Bruce Arians successor is on the hot seat.
Injuries harpooned the Bucs last season, but the team could not recapture much momentum even after a host of offensive talent returned late in the year. December home losses to the Falcons and Saints prevented the Bucs' Week 18 win over the Panthers from mattering. As a team that continues to rely on a draft-develop-extend/re-sign blueprint, last year's 8-9 season invited concern about the franchise's direction.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard
- Hired Zac Robinson as OC replacement
- Fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey
- Hired Danny Smith as STC replacement, Luke Smith as assistant ST coach
- Chandler Whitmer added as quarterbacks coach
- Senior offensive consultant Tom Moore retired
- Added T.J. Yates as pass-game coordinator, Ken Zampese as senior offensive assistant
- Assistant O-line coach Brian Picucci became Jaguars run-game coordinator
- Todd Bowles Jr. hired as defensive assistant
- Fired D-line coach Charlie Strong; Marcus West named replacement
- Fired cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross; Rashad Johnson named replacement
- Discussed position with ex-Bills HC Sean McDermott
The Bucs have a different offensive coordinator for a fifth straight year. Rather than follow Dave Canales and Liam Coen in landing head coaching jobs, Grizzard followed Byron Leftwich in receiving a pink slip. The Bucs had aimed for rare continuity with Grizzard, elevating him from pass-game coordinator to OC. The longtime Dolphins assistant, who joined the Bucs' staff in 2024, could not replicate what Canales and Coen provided.
‘Increased Optimism’ OLB Jaelan Phillips Re-Signs With Eagles
There’s been no shortage of interest in Eagles’ pending free agent outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who ranked No. 3 in PFR’s list of the top 50 free agents for the 2026 offseason. Obviously, one of the teams interested in landing his signature was going to be the team that sent a third-round pick to Miami in order to acquire him midseason last year. 
Days after Philadelphia’s season ended, Phillips made it known that he was interested in staying with the team. The team, too, expressed some hope that a deal would get done before the start of free agency, but nothing seemed to be progressing towards an agreement until a couple of reports today. It was NFL insider Jordan Schultz who first dropped an update, reporting that the Eagles “remain very interested” in retaining Phillips and that “talks are expected to continue and intensify.”
A report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport quickly followed in which he relayed that there has been “significant progress made between the Eagles and (Phillips) towards him returning to Philly.” Rapoport went on to say that, while nothing has been made official and no decisions have been made, there is reportedly “increased optimism” that a deal will be reached to keep him in Philadelphia.
The biggest hurdle to this getting done has been the sheer amount of interest in the 26-year-old pass rusher. Elite pass rushers have become an expensive commodity in the NFL, and as the top available free agent at the position, Phillips is sure to command quite a price as teams vie for his signature. Whenever Phillips was a trade target, the 49ers, Patriots, and Commanders joined Philadelphia in pursuit of the young pass rusher. Earlier today, it was reported that Phillips was on a laundry list of pass rushers the Cowboys were interested in as they look to replace the lost production of Micah Parsons. With so many teams interested in the top free agent at the position, there’s certain to be an inflated price tag on Phillips.
The other big hurdle for the Eagles is their existing roster. As Zach Berman of The Athletic puts it, the Eagles roster “at least 10 players on their defense viewed around the league” as being worth more than $10MM per year, not to mention the presence of players likely worth north of $20MM or $30MM per year. Much of the very talented defensive core is young in Philadelphia, and many will graduate from their rookie contracts soon. Because of how things will time out, every time the Eagles begin evaluating a contract offer, they’ll need to keep in mind how it will affect their ability to extend impact defenders in the next few years to come. This is one of the reasons we’ve seen defensive tackle Jalen Carter drawing trade interest.
A key example of the limitations of the salary cap is the situation in Philadelphia with wide receiver A.J. Brown. The idea that the Eagles might try to move Brown via trade has been in place since before the regular season even came to an end. There’s been plenty of interest in the veteran wideout with the Patriots, Bills, and Ravens being named in recent reports. The Bills have since agreed to acquire Bears wide receiver D.J. Moore, and the Ravens may no longer have the draft capital to offer for Brown after sending two Day 1 picks to Las Vegas for Maxx Crosby, but the Patriots remain largely interested in bringing Brown in.
One of the reasons the team hasn’t been able finalize a deal for Brown is due to the salary cap hit his contract holds this year of $23.39MM. This number isn’t completely preventative, but it makes it to where it would be much easier for the Eagles to trade Brown post-June 1. Philadelphia is willing to wait to do that, but there’s a fear that the team will enter free agency trying to work under the assumption that Browns’ numbers will come off the books, but then, by the time they are able to trade him more easily, his market will have dried up as teams got tired of waiting and addressed their receiver issues elsewhere, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Because of this, Garafolo claims that general manager Howie Roseman has attempted to get creative to work around the cap issue. Per Garafolo, Roseman wanted to test if a delayed trade could occur in which half of the deal happens now with the rest designated post-June 1. Essentially, it doesn’t seem likely that a deal to trade Brown is going to happen before the start of free agency.