AFC Staff Updates: Merritt, Watts, Browns, Colts
A month ago, Chiefs cornerbacks coach David Merritt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Merritt’s case was dismissed by the District Court of Johnson County.
At the time of Merritt’s arrest on the Kansas side of the border, no details accompanied the news to explain his arrest and charging, but the former NFL linebacker pleaded not guilty once given the opportunity in court as the Chiefs chose not to comment on the situation. Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginie, informed Garafolo that the District Attorney’s office “looked at (the case) a little more thoroughly and reviewed some additional information” before they “agreed it was a matter that should be dismissed.”
Following the case’s dismissal, the Chiefs are set to continue the offseason with their assistant coach of the past seven years. Merritt has helped coach a secondary unit on a defense that has routinely finished in the top half of the league in pass defense.
Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC:
- After leaving Pittsburgh in March, veteran scout Chris Watts reportedly turned to the collegiate ranks of the game, joining the University of Texas “in a player personnel capacity,” per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Watts is coming off a four-year stay with the Steelers following a 15-year stint in the Giants’ front office. Watts scouted the Longhorns in his coverage of the south area for the Steelers, and he also has some experience working for the Senior Bowl.
- The Browns have added a veteran presence to their front office, hiring Mike Derice as their new mid-Atlantic area scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedInFootball.com. Derice wasn’t with a team in 2025, but before his short sabbatical, he had gathered a combined 13 years of experience working with the Giants and Colts. He returns to work following a surprising parting of ways with New York a year ago.
- The Colts made a minor addition to their data/analytics group earlier this month. Per ESPN’s Seth Walder, Sam Swift was hired as a football data analyst in Indianapolis. Swift will be working his first full-time NFL position after interning with the Bills last year and working as a recruiting assistant as he finished school at the University of Iowa.
QB Brendan Sorsby’s Injunction Hearing Date Set
The latest legal move by Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby‘s team in his case against the NCAA seems to have produced the desired result. On Tuesday, Sorsby’s legal team filed an injunction in Lubbock County District Court in a move many viewed as an attempt to expedite the NCAA’s usually lengthy investigative process.
According to Pete Nakos of On3, “Sorsby’s eligibility case has been assigned a temporary injunction hearing set” to take place June 1. The date works well for Sorsby, who has requested a timeline that would allow him to hear a final decision in time to potentially declare for the NFL Supplemental Draft. The deadline to declare is June 22.
The case experienced a slight delay already when the judge originally assigned to the case, Judge Phillip Hays, recused himself, per Ryan Autollo of Bloomberg Law, based on the fact that he holds two degrees from Texas Tech and grew up in the area. Judge Ken Curry, a retired judge in Tarrant County over in Houston, was assigned to replace him yesterday, per Nakos. His degrees from UTSA and Houston made him less likely to approach the case with any inherent bias. Since retiring, Curry has continued to work as a visiting judge for Tarrant County.
Sorsby’s legal team is led by prestigious antitrust attorney Jeffrey Kessler, famed for his impact on cases touching all areas of the sports world like NIL, equal pay for the US Women’s National Soccer Team, and both the “Bountygate” and “Deflategate” controversies. If granted, Sorsby’s injunction could “feasibly allow him to play out the 2026 college football season” during the NCAA’s investigation. Sorsby’s team leaned on “potential damage to (Sorsby)’s mental health” as a precedent for the injunction.
Sorsby is fighting for his eligibility after the Red Raiders placed the transfer quarterback from Cincinnati on an “indefinite leave of absence” due to a gambling addiction. Sorsby’s team has admitted that the passer has placed “thousands” of sports bets since 2022, including several on a team he played for at the time he placed the bet. The NCAA has set guidelines that would potentially remove a student athlete’s eligibility permanently if they were to bet on their own sport or other sports at their own school. Sorsby has shelled out for the best representation money can buy in his situation, and they’re trying to move things quickly to set him up for whatever the courts decide.
Texans’ E.J. Speed Suffers Quadriceps Tear, Expected To Miss Regular-Season Time
The Texans re-signed E.J. Speed this offseason, but they are now unlikely to have the veteran linebacker available by Week 1. Speed suffered a quadriceps injury during offseason workouts.
Speed sustained a partially torn quad and a partially torn tendon, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. The injuries will require a surgery that is expected to sideline Speed for part of the regular season. The Texans have hope Speed can return during the regular season, per Wilson, but no exact timetable is in place yet.
The injury occurred during a weightlifting session at the Texans’ facility, Wilson adds. This would make Speed eligible to land on the active/PUP list to open training camp — a near-certainty after this news — and the reserve/PUP list to open the regular season. If the Texans use the reserve/PUP list for Speed, he would be required to miss at least four games.
Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper will perform the surgery, per Wilson, who adds a three-month recovery timetable — plus additional rehab — is on track. Speed re-signed with the Texans on a two-year, $10MM deal that included $7.5MM guaranteed at signing. The Texans re-signed Speed shortly before free agency, making him a priority after a 2025 partnership.
Houston gave Speed a one-year, $3.5MM deal to come over from Indianapolis in 2025, and he started nine games while playing 44% of the Texans’ defensive snaps. The Texans have Henry To’oTo’o and the recently extended Azeez Al-Shaair in place as their top two linebackers, but Speed serves as the No. 3 LB. Although he can be classified as a part-time player, the former Colts mainstay’s $7.5MM guarantee reflects his status as a key role cog. Speed will turn 31 next month.
Players activated from the reserve/PUP list do not count toward teams’ eight injury activations during the regular season. But with Speed working as a regular starter over the past three seasons, it is still a setback to a loaded Texans defense (the former Colts fifth-rounder has 41 career starts). Houston did draft two linebackers, bringing in Wade Woodaz in Round 4 and Aiden Fisher in Round 7. Woodaz would stand to have a clearer path to playing time after the Speed setback.
Rams Considered Placing Matthew Stafford On IR To Open 2025 Season
Matthew Stafford now has a second Rams-designed contract, being extended on a one-year deal worth $55MM on Thursday. That agreement came after Stafford’s MVP 2025 season.
While the agreement helps the Rams with quarterback stability as they develop first-rounder Ty Simpson, Stafford has battled through injuries for most of his career. This included a bout with a back issue during training camp last year. Stafford experienced back soreness early in camp and was shut down until mid-August, not getting in a full workout until August 21. The Rams had continually said Stafford was on track for Week 1, and that turned out to be an accurate timeline. But Sean McVay revealed the team considered placing the veteran passer on IR to open the campaign.
“What people don’t realize is how close — he and I sat down — and I was like, ‘Hey, this isn’t responding the way we had hoped,'” McVay said of the injury during an appearance on the Bussin’ With the Boys podcast (h/t CBS Sports’ John Breech). “‘Let’s put you on temporary IR so we don’t put this, where we feel like this anxiety of having to hit a timeline to be ready to go.‘”
The Rams needed to determine Stafford’s status when they set their 53-man roster August 27. Los Angeles carried its fifth-year quarterback on the active roster and had him available in Week 1. Despite Jimmy Garoppolo spending most of training camp working with the team’s first-string offense, the veteran was not needed for meaningful regular-season snaps. The PFR pages did not have a Stafford update between his August 21 return to practice and the playoffs. In between, the former Lions mainstay claimed an MVP honor to strengthen his Hall of Fame case.
Had the Rams used IR to help Stafford return to full strength, they likely would have utilized one of their two August IR-return designations. Although eight regular-season activations are allowed, teams can use two of them in setting their 53-man roster each August. L.A., however, did not use either of those slots. Stafford started 17 games for the second time in his Rams career and finished with a 46:8 TD-INT ratio. Had Stafford began the season on IR, Drake Maye would likely have been named MVP. Stafford narrowly edged the second-year Patriots passer in the voting.
Upon winning MVP honors, Stafford confirmed he would return for an 18th NFL season. The 38-year-old QB is now signed through 2027, and while precise figures from this one-year, $55MM bump are not yet known, the Rams no longer have their top signal-caller in a contract year. That will help give Simpson a longer developmental period and ensure the Rams, who let Stafford shop himself in trades last year, have one of the game’s best QB options at the controls.
Eagles’ Vic Fangio Planning To Coach At Least Two More Seasons
Vic Fangio‘s coaching career spans nearly five decades. He began coaching at the pro level in the USFL and started his NFL tenure with the 1986 Saints, overseeing New Orleans’ famous Dome Patrol linebacking corps as a position coach. He has since been a defensive coordinator with seven teams.
A head coaching stint in Denver transpired during a three-year stretch between Fangio’s long-running DC career, and he did not hold an official position in 2022 after being fired by the Broncos. But Fangio resurfacing with the Eagles in a consulting role brought a resurgence. After the Dolphins gave him more than $4.5MM to be their DC in 2023, the sides separated to lead Fangio back to his native Pennsylvania. Philadelphia then stormed to a Super Bowl LIX rout before returning to the playoffs in Fangio’s second season as Eagles DC.
[RELATED: Eagles Shift Cooper DeJean’s Role In Base Defense]
Fangio, 67, was linked to a potential retirement this offseason. He agreed to return for a third season as Philly’s DC, and a fourth should be considered likely. Fangio said (via The Athletic’s Zach Berman) he intends to coach “at least” two more years. The seasoned coordinator said he was not close to retiring this offseason.
Having 22 seasons in a DC role and three as a head coach, Fangio is one of the most experienced defensive leaders in NFL history. Winning a Super Bowl with the Eagles and helping the 2012 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII has Fangio among the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL annals. He oversaw Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills during his lengthy Saints stay and elevated the Bears’ defense into a top-ranked unit by 2018, providing a springboard for the Denver hire. Due largely to the Broncos’ issues finding a quarterback, Fangio did not experience much success as a head coach and has conducted one interview (with the Jaguars in 2022) for a head coaching role since.
Fangio’s Eagles consulting season made him a coveted DC candidate, however, and his first year back in Philly keyed an Eagles smothering of the Chiefs’ threepeat bid in Super Bowl LIX. Nick Sirianni does not call plays, highlighting his coordinators’ importance. Even as the Eagles struggled on Sirianni’s side of the ball last year, as OC Kevin Patullo appeared overmatched, Fangio’s defense ranked fifth in points allowed. That marked an eighth season in which a Fangio-led defense produced a top-five finish.
The Eagles’ effort to re-sign Jaelan Phillips failed, but the team traded two third-round picks for Jonathan Greenard during the draft. The team extended Jordan Davis and has Jalen Carter signed through 2027 via the fifth-year option. Fangio will have two All-Pro cornerbacks — DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell — to go with Seahawks import Riq Woolen at his disposal in coverage. It would be surprising if the veteran staffer did not have the Eagles near the top of the rankings in defense this season, and an Eagles team that has been unable to find OC continuity does not need to worry about losing its defensive boss in the near future.
WR Henry Ruggs Seeking Parole
One year ago, it was learned former NFL receiver Henry Ruggs was interested in a return to playing football. His first chance at being paroled is approaching, and the process of seeking parole has begun.
Ruggs appealed to the Nevada Board of Parole earlier this week, as detailed by Mark Inabinett of Alabama.com. The board plans on having a decision made by June 14. The earliest date at which Ruggs could be paroled is August 5.
A November 2021 car accident resulted in the death of Tina Tintor and her dog. Ruggs’ Corvette was traveling at 127 mph at the time of the accident, and his blood alcohol content was 0.16 (double the legal limit in Nevada). Ruggs entered into a plea agreement in May 2023; as a result of the arrangement, he received a sentence of three to 10 years in prison.
“Not a minute goes by where I don’t think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community,” Ruggs said when addressing the parole board. “I’m a religious person and pray for her family daily.”
Ruggs was initially incarcerated at the High Desert State Prison near Indian Springs, Nevada. From there, he was moved to Stewart Conservation Camp near Carson City. The 27-year-old worked at the Governor’s Mansion before being transferred to Casa Grande in late 2024. After roughly one year in that transitional facility, Ruggs was moved to the Northern Nevada Correctional Facility.
“Non-compliance with travel arrangements” was cited as the reason Ruggs was transferred from Casa Grande to a higher-security location. That could hinder his chances at receiving parole. On the other hand, mitigating factors such as his work at the Governor’s Mansion, leading cardio workouts with fellow inmates and the completion of his degree, were presented to the board.
After a productive college career at Alabama, Ruggs was the first receiver selected in the 2020 draft. His time with the Raiders proved to be short-lived, as he was waived in the immediate aftermath of the crash. A report from last year suggested NFL teams could show interest in Ruggs in the event he were to be paroled.
Bears CB Kyler Gordon Sidelined During OTAs
The 2025 season was severely impacted by injuries in Kyler Gordon‘s case. Things have not gone according to plan on that front so far this spring.
Gordon landed on injured reserve twice last year, and he made just five combined regular and postseason appearances as a result. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports the fifth-year cornerback was absent from the team at the onset of the Bears’ offseason program this spring. More notably, he adds Gordon has been sidelined during Chicago’s initial OTAs due to a “soft-tissue injury.”
Absences during voluntary workouts is of course not a serious concern in general with plenty of time remaining until training camp and the regular season. Still, a case such as Gordon’s makes any missed time a potential cause for concern. The 26-year-old was highly durable during his first three seasons in the NFL before an injury-marred campaign with Chicago’s new coaching staff in place.
Gordon is attached to the three-year, $40MM extension he signed last offseason. That deal made him the league’s highest-paid slot corner, a distinction which came as little surprise at the time. The 26-year-old has been a key figure in Chicago’s secondary when healthy, and expectations will be high upon returning to action. Strong play against the pass will be critical for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and Co. in 2026 after the Bears added two new starting safeties this offseason. Gordon, along with perimeter corners Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson, is a returnee.
Gordon’s pact runs through 2028, and his $10MM base salary for next year has already vested. A strong run over at least the next two seasons will be critical as a result, and a clean bill of health would represent a welcomed starting point. It will be interesting to see if he manages to return to full strength by the start of training camp or if a new round of injury concerns will linger during the build-up to the 2026 campaign.
Giants DL Roy Robertson-Harris Suffers Achilles Tear
Defensive line depth was already a question mark for the Giants entering spring practices. The unit has now suffered a serious blow.
Roy Robertson-Harris suffered a torn Achilles during Thursday’s OTA practice, as first reported by Dan Duggan of The Athletic. The injury can of course be expected to sideline him for most (if not all) of the 2026 campaign. Robertson-Harris is a pending 2027 free agent.
Team and player agreed to a two-year, $9MM pact last March. That deal set up Robertson-Harris to handle a full-time starting role, and he logged a 56% snap share in 2025. The 32-year-old was in position to once again serve as a key figure along the defensive interior for the Giants, especially in the wake of the Dexter Lawrence trade. Instead, Robertson-Harris’ attention will now turn to a lengthy recovery process.
New York waited until the sixth round of last month’s draft to add a defensive lineman (Bobby Jamison-Travis). The team added veteran reinforcements in the form of Shelby Harris and then D.J. Reader during the post-draft wave of free agency. Those two will be counted on to occupy significant roles for a D-tackle group which no longer features Lawrence and which will not have Robertson-Harris in the picture for the foreseeable future. Reader inked a two-year deal, but Harris is only on the books for 2026.
The Giants also have 2025 third-rounder Darius Alexander and recent waiver claim Zacch Pickens in place at this point. The competition for playing time among the remaining defensive linemen will be worth watching closely as the offseason continues. New York currently has just over $11MM in cap space, a portion of which could be devoted to adding another depth option to compensate for losing Robertson-Harris.
Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent, Robertson-Harris has amassed 134 appearances and 79 starts. He was unable to remain a low-end sack contributor with the Giants last season after chipping in during his time with the Bears and Jaguars. Nevertheless, another campaign of consistent play against the run had been anticipated in this case. Instead, 2026 will be marked by a rehab process for Robertson-Harris which will have a notable impact on the Giants’ plans for their defensive front.
Rams, Matthew Stafford Agree To Extension
The Rams have officially committed to Matthew Stafford through at least the 2027 campaign. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have agreed to a one-year, $55MM extension. The deal could reach $60MM with incentives. The Rams have officially announced the deal.
After reworking the QB’s contract in both 2024 and 2025, there was one year remaining on the reigning MVP’s pact. With today’s extension, Stafford will now be attached to a two-year deal worth up to $105MM. The true $50MM average annual value would only rank 11th at his position, but a $55MM AAV would be tied for second behind Dak Prescott‘s record-breaking $60MM in annual earnings.
We heard last month that the Rams were progressing on a deal with Stafford. However, the team later stunned the NFL world when they used their 13th-overall selection in the draft on QB Ty Simpson. While the team is counting on the Alabama star to eventually guide their offense, Rams leadership also made it clear that the selection wasn’t an indictment on Stafford nor his standing on the team. Today’s agreement all but assures that Simpson will now warm the bench for at least his first two professional seasons.
The Rams have had to navigate a handful of contractual issues with Stafford. A year after acquiring the former first-overall pick from the Lions, the Rams signed the QB to a four-year, $160MM extension. As the veteran fell down the AAV leaderboard, he came to the table with restructuring requests in 2024 and 2025.
That latter negotiation led to the Rams letting Stafford speak with other teams about a potential trade. While the Giants and Raiders lined up guarantee packages covering north of $90MM, Stafford ultimately stuck with the Rams, agreeing to a revised two-year, $80MM deal that included a $40MM guarantee at signing. Another $40MM guarantee vested on Day 5 of the current league year. A $24MM 2026 option bonus was also split into four parts.
Stafford won MVP following an age-37 season that saw him pace the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). The veteran has seen a career renaissance while playing under Sean McVay in Los Angeles. After going 74-90-1 in 12 seasons with the Lions, Stafford has gone 46-28 through his first five years with the Rams. The QB has also added 10 playoff appearances to his resume, including four during his team’s 2021 run to a Super Bowl championship.
The team’s pursuit of another championship has fallen short in recent years. However, the organization can rest easy knowing that the McVay/Stafford tandem will remain in place for at least the next few seasons.
Poll: How Many Games Will Steelers Win In Aaron Rodgers’ Last Year?
Four-plus months after their season ended, the Steelers finally got an answer on quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ future last weekend. Rodgers agreed to return on a second straight one-year deal, which came as a relief to a Pittsburgh team that saw free agent and trade options erode over the past couple of months. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer announced on Wednesday that this will be his last season.
Rodgers won four MVPs during his heyday in Green Bay, where he played for head coach Mike McCarthy from 2006-18. He took home two of his MVPs and won his lone Super Bowl under McCarthy, who is now entering his first year as the Steelers’ head coach. Reluctant to rebuild in the wake of Mike Tomlin‘s January resignation, the Steelers turned to McCarthy in a win-now move. They famously never finished below .500 in any of Tomlin’s 19 seasons at the helm. They don’t expect that to change with Rodgers and McCarthy reuniting in 2026.
Tomlin stepped away from a team that went 10-7 and won the AFC North last season, but his decorated Pittsburgh tenure ended in unceremonious fashion. The Texans walked into the Steel City and bullied the Steelers in a 30-6 rout in the wild-card round. Rodgers, whom the Texans sacked four times, completed just 17 of 33 passes for 146 yards and an interception. He was far more effective than that during the regular season, which helps explain why the Steelers won their division. However, as he prepares for his 22nd season, Rodgers is much closer to an average starter than the QB demigod he was in Green Bay.
Although Father Time continues to gain on Rodgers, the Steelers saw him as their best choice throughout the offseason. With the expectation that Rodgers would eventually re-sign, they spent the past few months attempting to upgrade the roster around him. Adding capable receiving complements to DK Metcalf was a point of emphasis for general manager Omar Khan, who landed Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Colts and selected Germie Bernard in the second round of the draft.
Twenty-six picks before he pulled in Bernard at No. 47, Khan tried to take former USC star wideout Makai Lemon 21st overall. However, while Khan was on the phone with Lemon, his plan fell through. The Eagles traded up to No. 20 to snag Lemon, leaving the Steelers to pivot to offensive tackle Max Iheanachor with their top choice. Iheanachor is beginning his career on the right side, while 2024 first-rounder Troy Fautanu could shift left as Broderick Jones recovers from neck surgery.
Elsewhere on offense, McCarthy reunited with another of his former players, running back Rico Dowdle, on a two-year, $12.25MM agreement in free agency. Dowdle was a Cowboy from 2020-24, McCarthy’s full five-year run as their head coach.
After rushing for his first 1,000-yard season in his last year in Dallas, Dowdle accomplished the feat again in 2025 with Carolina. He will give the Steelers a veteran replacement for Kenneth Gainwell, who signed a similar contract with the Buccaneers (two years, $14MM). Dowdle should feature prominently in a backfield that also includes Jaylen Warren, who just missed the 1,000-yard mark last season, as well as 2025 third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich.
McCarthy, whose expertise is on the offensive side of the ball, brought in the experienced Patrick Graham as his defensive coordinator. The Steelers’ defense continues to boast plenty of household names as it begins life after Tomlin. T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith, Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Queen and Nick Herbig are among the holdovers from last year. The Steelers have since picked up a pair of new starters for their secondary in cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Jaquan Brisker.
Dean, a former Buccaneer who moved to Pittsburgh on a three-year, $36.75MM pact, will join Porter to comprise the Steelers’ top two outside corners. Although Dean missed three games in his seventh and final season in Tampa Bay, Pro Football Focus ranked his play a stellar fifth among 112 qualified corners.
Meanwhile, PFF rated Brisker a middling 45th among 91 safeties. The former Bear settled for a modest deal (one year, $5.5MM) to return to his native Pittsburgh in free agency. While Brisker has a troubling history of concussions, the four-year veteran logged his first 17-game/start season in 2025. If Brisker stays healthy again, the Steelers will expect him to provide an upgrade over departed safeties Kyle Dugger, Chuck Clark and Jabrill Peppers. They let all three of those defenders walk in free agency.
When PFR’s Sam Robinson previewed Pittsburgh’s offseason in March, he wrote: “There are worse places to be than the middle, but the Steelers have resided here for a long time. Will this offseason reveal a path toward a way out or deliver more of the same?”
As highlighted above, the Steelers have made some notable changes to their roster since the offseason commenced. Nevertheless, Vegas has set the Steelers’ over/under for wins at a middling 8.5. Falling short of that total would mark the Steelers’ first sub-.500 season since 2003. How do you expect them to fare in Rodgers’ last year? Have they done enough to stay ahead of division rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.