Cowboys To Place Second-Round RFA Tender On G T.J. Bass
The Cowboys are showing a strong commitment to their restricted free agents. With a second-round tender coming to kicker Brandon Aubrey, Dallas has another one planned for a lesser-known player.
Three-year guard T.J. Bass will receive a second-round RFA tender, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. The second-round tender price is not yet known, as the salary cap has not been revealed, but OverTheCap projects it to come in at $5.81MM. This will mean around $12MM allocated to two RFAs for the Cowboys.
Bass has been a key backup in Dallas, starting 10 games in relief during his career. Part of the Cowboys’ 2023 UDFA class, the Oregon alum has logged between 315 and 351 offensive snaps in each of his three seasons. Bass split his time nearly equally at LG and RG last season, making starts in relief of Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker. Pro Football Focus graded Bass 29th overall among qualified guards last season.
With Smith extended and Booker locked in at the other guard spot after being drafted 12th overall, Bass has no pathway to a starting job in Dallas. That does make the use of a second-round tender interesting, but the Cowboys are effectively making sure they would collect a valuable asset (a Round 2 pick) if a team signed Bass to an offer sheet and Dallas did not match.
This tender is also interesting due to Bass having only taken snaps at guard as a pro. In place as a second-stringer throughout his Dallas run, the soon-to-be 27-year-old blocker has not made any appearances at tackle or center. Bass, though, came to Dallas after spending his final Oregon season as the Ducks’ left tackle during Bo Nix‘s first Ducks season. Bass moved to LT during his junior season at Oregon, being a guard starter for the Ducks in the 1 1/2 seasons prior to that switch.
Dolphins Almost Hired Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard As HC?
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard was a finalist for the Dolphins’ head coaching job that went to Jeff Hafley. His comments this week indicate he might have been the runner-up.
“Full disclosure, I was in communication with the Dolphins for about two weeks,” Sheppard said (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “After the interview I was contacted by three people from that front office.” Sheppard not provide more details into his communication with Miami , but said information he received was “as real as it gets.”
Hafley interviewed with the Dolphins on January 17 and Sheppard followed the next day. Hafley’s was announced the evening of Sheppard’s interview. That raised some concern that Sheppard’s interview was a sham, intended only to fulfill the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirement. But he is appreciative of the invitation nonetheless, as the Dolphins were the first team to express formal interest in him for a head coaching jog.
“Real or not, I got the opportunity to do it,” Sheppard said. “Real or fake, I went through the process and I learned a lot and I grew from it, so that’s what I’m taking from it.”
The 38-year-old faced an uphill battle in his first year as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. Several of his top players went down with injuries during the season, forcing them to limp to the finish line as they missed the playoffs. A bounce-back year in 2026 could raise his profile around the league and get him in the mix for vacancies next hiring cycle.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent Drawing Interest
FEBRUARY 26: The Bears will need “a significant package of picks and/or players” to move Bagent, per Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline. It is hard to imagine a team getting that aggressive on such an unproven passer, but the renaissance of quarterback reclamation projects could encourage one to acquire Bagent and his cheap contract. He is only owed $8.5MM over the next two years. His $4MM salary in 2026 is set to guarantee in March, per OverTheCap, but a team acquiring him would be planning to pay that money either way.
FEBRUARY 24: Shortly before he began his third NFL season in 2025, backup quarterback Tyson Bagent inked a two-year, $10MM extension with the Bears. The deal keeps Bagent under wraps through 2027, but he may finish it in another uniform. General manager Ryan Poles revealed Tuesday that teams have inquired about Bagent. Poles wouldn’t rule out trading the 25-year-old, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Bagent, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent from Division II Shepherd in 2023, backed up Justin Fields as a rookie. But Bagent still made five appearances and four starts, during which he completed 65.7% of throws for 859 yards (6.0 per attempt), three touchdowns, six interceptions and a 71.4 passer rating. Bagent has barely seen any regular-season action since then.
The Bears cut the cord on the failed Fields experiment when they traded him to the Steelers in March 2024. Although the Bears won seven games during the Fields/Bagent season, they had already secured the No. 1 pick in the draft thanks to a March 2023 blockbuster with the Panthers.
A month after the Bears dumped Fields, they used the top selection in 2024 on former USC Heisman Trophy-winning QB Caleb Williams. As expected, Williams was the Bears’ starter from Day 1. He has not missed a game two years later.
While Williams’ career got off to a somewhat rocky start during a 5-12 rookie year, he and the Bears made enormous strides in an NFC North-winning campaign in 2025. The Bears went on to win their wild-card matchup against the hated Packers, but their season ended a week later with an overtime loss to the Rams in the divisional round.
With Williams now looking like the long-awaited answer under center for the Bears, Bagent does not have a real path to playing time in Chicago. The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder has attempted just six passes in seven appearances since Williams came to town, but head coach Ben Johnson regards his backup as a starting-caliber QB.
“I do think there is a lot of merit to having a strong No. 2 quarterback, which he certainly fits that bill,” Johnson said Tuesday (via Finley). “I’m of the mind that he’s probably one of the best 32 in the NFL. His preseason tape over the last few years has probably confirmed that, in my opinion. But if I took myself out of the equation, I want what’s best for him. If he would like an opportunity to start, I certainly hope he can get that somewhere.”
That’s a glowing endorsement from Johnson, one of the league’s brightest offensive minds. If at least one other team agrees with Johnson’s assessment, it could put Poles in position to sell high on Bagent this offseason.
Bears Expect T Ozzy Trapilo To Make Full Recovery; Lengthy 2026 Absence Likely
Ozzy Trapilo suffered a torn patellar tendon during the wild-card round of the 2025 playoffs. His availability to the Bears early next season is in serious doubt as a result. 
Missing Trapilo for any considerable period would deal a notable blow to Chicago’s offensive line given his performances as a rookie. The 2025 second-round projects as a potential long-term solution on the blindside, the only O-line spot which is currently unaccounted for in the case of the Bears. While he will likely miss time in 2026, Trapilo is at least expected to make a full recovery.
“We expect him to come back and heal from it,” general manager Ryan Poles said when speaking at the Combine (via Kole Noble). “There’s a plan in place. I can’t get into the timelines or anything like that, I just don’t know. But, yeah, we expect him to be back and be himself. Pretty significant injury that he’s got to get through, but in terms of affecting his overall career or next year, I don’t see that being an issue.”
The starting left tackle gig was a talking point throughout the 2025 offseason. Incumbent Braxton Jones found himself benched early in the season before a knee injury of his own led to a lengthy spell out of the picture. Along with Trapilo, Theo Benedet saw considerable time in the lineup as Chicago cycled through its LT options. Jones is a pending free agent, and a departure would come as little surprise in his case.
That could leave Benedet and 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie as left tackle options early next season. Afterwards, Trapilo could work his way back into the fold upon returning to full strength. The 24-year-old’s attention will be focused on recovery for several more months, but becoming available at some point next season will of course be a welcomed sign for the Bears.
Giants Willing To Hear Trade Offers For Kayvon Thibodeaux
FEBRUARY 26: After just two days of the Combine, Thibodeaux has become a “name to keep an eye on,” for a potential trade, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. With Burns and Carter as their starting edge rushers, Thibodeaux may not be in the long-term plans of the Giants’ new regime. They will listen to trade offers, with some around the league expected Thibodeaux to eventually be dealt to another team.
FEBRUARY 24: Kayvon Thibodeaux was the subject of trade talks leading up to the deadline. No deal was reached, leaving him on course to remain with the Giants in 2026. 
New York picked up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option last spring. As a result, he is due $14.75MM next season. A full-time starting gig does not await in this case, but the former No. 5 selection appears to still be in the Giants’ plans at this point.
“Right now, Kayvon’s gonna be with us,” general manager Joe Schoen said at the Combine on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan). “He played well. He is going into his fifth year, and he’s motivated, and you can’t have enough pass rushers.”
Thibodeaux appeared to hit his stride during his second Giants season, posting 11.5 sacks and 35 quarterback pressures. The Oregon product has missed notable time through injury during both of his subsequent campaigns, however. Thibodeaux played 12 games in 2024 before managing 10 this past year. With only eight sacks across that span, he is not in position to operate as an edge rushing anchor for New York.
Brian Burns has proven to be an effective trade acquisition for the Giants. The former Panther has been a strong producer in two New York seasons, and he posted a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2025. Meanwhile, Abdul Carter saw his usage rate increase late in the year and he managed most of the output from his four-sack season down the stretch. Carter, selected third overall last spring, figures to pair with Burns as the Giants’ top edge rushers for years to come.
That leaves Thibodeaux in an interesting position. The 25-year-old has logged a snap share of at least 72% every year to date, but a path to a larger workload would only exist in the event of an injury to Burns and/or Carter. Extending Thibodeaux given his spotty track record would carry risk, while finding a trade partner willing to part with notable draft capital would no doubt be a challenge. Schoen noted (via Dan Duggan of The Athletic) no trade talks have occurred so far this offseason.
Free agency is set to include a number of veteran pass rushers like Trey Hendrickson and Bradley Chubb. Several younger options are on track to reach the market for the first time, and suitors could prefer to invest in them rather than acquiring Thibodeaux. In that case, efforts to work out a new Giants pact would be something to watch for.
WR Alec Pierce Expected To Have Strong Market
Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is expected to draw heavy interest in free agency with several teams already interested in signing him.
In fact, Pierce is expected to receive more interest – though not a bigger contract – than fellow Colts pending free agent Daniel Jones, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. The veteran quarterback has an uncertain outlook for the 2026 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles, but the Colts see him as their long-term starter. Other teams may be less certain, especially with a number of quarterbacks – including Anthony Richardson – also coming available this offseason.
The wide receiver market is less crowded. With the Cowboys using the franchise tag on George Pickens, Pierce will be the most valuable one available. The Colts might be more justified using the franchise or transition tag on him rather than Jones.
The transition tag, projected by OverTheCap to be $25MM, certainly makes sense. It is easy to see Pierce reaching that AAV on the open market. He is an excellent deep threat, having led the league in yards per catch in the last two years, and rounded out his game in 2025. He is also just 25 years old and clearly has the potential to grow further.
However, the tag would take up a significant portion of the Colts’ current salary cap space. They would have to make more room via restructures and cuts, though there are several candidates. Agreeing to an extension with Pierce would reduce his cap hit, but the transition tag would give him a chance to test his market.
The franchise tag, however, would likely keep Pierce in Indianapolis. Other clubs are unlikely to be willing to move two first-round picks and hand him a contract the Colts would not match. The franchise tag is projected to be $28.8MM, which would raise the floor in extension negotiations. But if Pierce’s value is approaching that figure anyway, Indianapolis may be best served by keeping him off the market.
Using a tag on Pierce would take it out of play for Jones and increase pressure on the Colts to get a deal done with the latter before free agency.
Raiders ‘Looking At All Options’ At QB
The Raiders are widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick of the 2026 draft, putting Geno Smith‘s future in Las Vegas in doubt.
Smith, 35, joined the Raiders last offseason via a trade with the Seahawks, where he started for the last four years. He signed a two-year, $75MM extension last offseason that included $18.5MM in guaranteed salary in 2026.
But after a noticeable drop in play last season – including a league-high 17 interceptions – and the coaching change from Pete Carroll to Klint Kubiak, Smith is no longer the Raiders’ quarterback of the future. At the Combine this week, Kubiak said that the team was “looking at all options right now,” and said that the 12-year veteran was among the considerations.
Kubiak and Smith are technically reuniting in Las Vegas, as the former arrived as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator a few months before the latter was traded. While Kubiak may not have pushed for the move, it is hard to ignore the timing – and the subsequent seasons of each team involved. The two have talked “a little bit” since Kubiak came aboard in Las Vegas.
Unless the Raiders move off of Mendoza in the next few months, Smith is likely to be out of a starting job later this year. He may not want to spend his age-36 season as a backup on a rebuilding team and could seek a trade. He may not have much value after a rough season, but teams may also ascribe some of his struggles to the dearth of talent around him. Teams in need of a bridge starter – which could include his former team, the Jets – might be interested, and the Raiders would be wise to consider it. They need to spend aggressively this offseason to meet the NFL’s minimum spending requirement – 90% of the salary cap in three-year cycles – so they can afford to eat Smith’s 2026 salary. That would make him more enticing to other teams and raise his trade value.
Otherwise, the Raiders should keep Smith as an experienced mentor for Mendoza in his first season. Typically, a No. 1 pick plays right away, but Las Vegas could start Smith initially in 2026 and give Mendoza more time to get adjusted to the NFL, especially as the team figures out its offensive line situation. He could also become a valuable trade chip during the season if any team were to lose their starting quarterback.
Packers Surprised By Rich Bisaccia Exit, Interviewed Sam Sewell For STC
FEBRUARY 26: Sewell will conduct an in-person interview today, Demovsky reports. Green Bay’s other follow-ups are expected to take place shortly, so a hire should be made soon.
FEBRUARY 25: Rich Bisaccia‘s abrupt resignation as the Packers’ special teams coordinator was a shocking move, not just around the NFL, but in Green Bay.
“I wouldn’t say we were expecting it at all. It caught us by surprise,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Combine this week (via Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde). He acknowledge that Bisaccia’s departure was “a big loss” and noted that the veteran coach may pursue “some otther opportunities.”
Bisaccia’s mid-February exit took place long after several other potential replacements were off the market. Among them was Byron Storer, who worked as an assistant special teams coach under Bisaccia in Green Bay for the last four years and Las Vegas for three seasons before that. He took the Browns’ special teams coordinator job under Todd Monken, rendering him unavailable to succeed Bisaccia in Green Bay.
Gutukunst casted the delayed hiring process in a positive light, noting that he would not need to compete with any other teams for his desired coach. The Packers have already interviewed three candidates – Cameron Achord, Tom McMahon, and Kyle Wilber – with Cardinals special teams coach Sam Sewell as the fourth, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Sewell has spent the last three years in Arizona with previous experience as Eastern Michigan’s running backs coach (2019-2022) and special teams coordinator (2022). The Cardinals’ special teams general ranked in the middle of the pack in 2025, though kicker Chad Ryland‘s field goal conversion rate dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% in 2025. The team rotated through three different punters and still finished eighth as a team in yards per punt. They also averaged 11.4 yards per punt return, the 11th-highest mark in the league.
The Packers will look to swiftly fill their last major coaching vacancy as the team turns its attention to free agency and the draft in the coming months.
Cowboys Prepared To Place Second-Round RFA Tender On K Brandon Aubrey
Talks regarding a Brandon Aubrey extension date back several months. No agreement has been reached, and the Cowboys have little need to aggressively pursue one with their standout kicker at this point. 
Earlier this week, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported an offer worth around $7.5MM had been submitted. A correction issued on Thursday indicates Dallas’ best offer to date is actually just under $7MM. The latter figure would still be sufficient to make Aubrey (who turns 31 next month) the NFL’s highest-paid kicker on an annual basis.
Setting the market is a logical target in this case. Aubrey has proven to be one of the league’s best performers at the position during his three-year Cowboys career. Regularly connecting on long-range kicks, Aubrey’s range has made him an obvious candidate for a major raise. Harrison Butker currently leads the way in terms of kicker compensation with an AAV of $6.4MM.
Aubrey is a pending restricted free agent, meaning he will not test the open market the way many of Dallas’ other players on expiring deals will in March. The Cowboys have the option using an RFA tender in this case; the second-round tender would carry a projected cost of $5.81MM. Confirming a gap has long existed between team and player during negotiations, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports the Cowboys are “comfortable” placing the second-round tender on Aubrey if it proves necessary.
Per Hill, Dallas does not plan to increase its offer, an understandable stance given the fact the tender resides as a fallback option. He adds Aubrey’s agent Todd France shut down negotiations until this week’s Combine upon learning the Cowboys would not be willing to meet an asking price of $10MM per season in this case. Despite the ongoing disconnect, Watkins notes discussions between the sides are still “not considered acrimonious.”
Players who receive an RFA tender can be subject to offer sheets from outside teams. Should a player sign an offer sheet, their parent team has the opportunity to match it. In this case, the Cowboys would receive a second-round pick in the event they were to apply the second-round tender and not match an Aubrey offer sheet.
Texans, QBs Coach Jerrod Johnson To Part Ways
C.J. Stroud will remain in place with the Texans for 2026. He will have a new position coach for the first time in his career next season, though.
[RELATED: Texans Confirm No Stroud Trade Forthcoming]
A parting of ways between Houston and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson is set to take place, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Johnson had been on hand with the Texans since 2023, Stroud’s rookie campaign and the first with head coach DeMeco Ryans on the sidelines. Senior offensive assistant Jerry Schlupinski will take on a more direct role working with Stroud and the quarterbacks, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Schlupinski and offensive coordinator Nick Caley will work together to serve as an internal Johnson replacement, Wilson notes. He adds this decision was mutual, noting Johnson had already departed the Texans’ staff one week before the start of the ongoing NFL Combine. According to Wilson, Johnson – who worked with the Colts and Vikings prior to his Houston arrival – has a number of opportunities to consider as he explores his next coaching gig.
Stroud earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and helped lead the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023. The team has reached that point of the playoffs each of the past two years, but Stroud’s level of play has drawn criticism over that span. Improved play at the receiver position and along the offensive line will be a goal for 2026. Upgrades on those fronts would be welcomed, but Stroud’s level of play in 2026 will be worth watching closely.
The former No. 2 pick is set to have his fifth-year option exercised this spring, although a long-term extension does not appear to be imminent. How Stroud manages to perform next season will thus be critical in informing how the team proceeds in his case. A pivotal 2026 campaign will take place with a new QBs coach in the fold.