AFC Contract Details: Doubs, Steelers, Chiefs, Bengals, Titans, Bills
After a solid four-year run with the Packers, wide receiver Romeo Doubs entered free agency hoping to earn $20MM per season on his next contract, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. Twenty-two receivers are currently in that club, but Doubs fell short of joining the group. He will still rake in $17MM per annum on his four-year, $68MM deal with the Patriots. The contract includes $3MM in annual incentives, which would enable Doubs to reach his goal of $20MM per year. However, securing all of that money would require huge production. Doubs would earn $750K each for 70 catches, 80 receptions, 1,000 yards and 1,200 yards, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports. The 25-year-old has averaged 51 catches and 606 yards per season.
Here are more contract details from around the AFC:
- Sticking with the Patriots, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker will collect $500K each if he’s active for 85% of snaps, 90%, 95%, and picks up an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod, per Volin. Although the oft-injured Tucker missed 42 of 85 games during his half-decade with the Jets, he still pulled in a three-year, $42MM payday.
- Steelers running back Rico Dowdle‘s two-year, $12.25MM agreement features a $5MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.25MM and $6MM, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 relays. Newly signed defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day‘s two-year, $11MM accord includes a $4.7MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.3MM and $5MM, Wilson adds.
- Chiefs defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga three-year, $21MM arrangement includes a $5.6MM signing bonus, a first-year salary of $1.22MM and then back-to-back $6.75MM salaries, according to Wilson. Safety Alohi Gilman‘s three-year, $24.75MM contract comes with a $6MM signing bonus and salaries of $1.25MM, $7.25MM and $8.75MM (via Wilson).
- Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Allen‘s two-year, $25MM deal features a $7.5MM option after signing and $7.5MM in full guarantees, per Wilson. Allen’s salary will skyrocket from $2.4MM next season to $18.8MM in 2027.
- New Titans backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky‘s two-year agreement is worth $10.5MM, including $6.83MM in guarantees, Wilson reports. It includes a $2MM signing plus salaries of $2.83MM and $4.83MM. Also via Wilson, kicker Joey Slye will make $2MM, including $750K fully guaranteed, on his one-year deal.
- Bills slot cornerback Dee Alford‘s three-year deal is worth $15.75 and carries $7.88MM in full guarantees, $2.25MM in injury guarantees, and a $4.5MM signing bonus, according to Wilson. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson‘s one-year, $6MM pact has a base value of $3.5MM, $3.02MM in full guarantees, and two void years, per Wilson. Backup QB Kyle Allen‘s two-year, $4.1MM deal includes $1.5MM in guarantees, Wilson adds. Allen could earn $1MM in incentives for playing time, wins, touchdowns and team improvement.
NFC Contract Details: Lions, Franklin, Cross, Cardinals, Cowboys, 49ers, Bears, Saints
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Cade Mays, C (Lions). Three years, $25MM. Mays secured $6MM of his $7.7MM 2027 base salary fully guaranteed, according to OverTheCap. Four void years are included in the deal, per the Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers, with Mays’ 2026 cap hit sitting at $2.77MM. A $7.39MM option bonus is in place for 2028; the Lions bailing before that is due would result in a $3.89MM dead money hit, Rogers adds.
- Zaire Franklin, LB (Packers). Two years, $18MM. Two years remained on Franklin’s Colts-constructed contract — initially a three-year, $31.26MM deal. The Packers reworked it. Franklin received a $3.75MM signing bonus on his post-trade agreement, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That is the only guarantee here, though Franklin’s 2026 salary ($4.24MM) will lock in just before Week 1 due to the LB being a vested veteran.
- Nick Cross, S (Commanders). Two years, $13MM. The deal includes $6.1MM fully guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. None of Cross’ 2027 money is guaranteed.
- Neville Gallimore, DT (Bears). Two years, $10.13MM. Gallimore will see $5MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. The Bears included a $375K roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Benjamin St-Juste, CB (Packers). Two years, $10MM. St-Juste received just $3MM at signing, Wilson adds. The signing bonus represents the guarantee, though a $1.5MM roster bonus is due on Day 3 of the 2027 league year.
- Noah Fant, TE (Saints). Two years, $8.75MM. The former first-round pick secured $4.5MM guaranteed at signing, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. No guarantees are in place for 2027.
- Elijah Wilkinson, OL (Cardinals). Two years, $6.25MM. Wilkinson’s contract comes with $3.1MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The veteran blocker played for less than $1.5MM during both his Falcons seasons.
- Gardner Minshew, QB (Cardinals). One year, $5.75MM. This deal comes in far south of Minshew’s two-year, $25MM Raiders pact from 2024, and the initially reported $8.25MM represented a max value. Minshew will see $5.14MM fully guaranteed, per Wilson. Minshew’s deal checks in just below Jacoby Brissett‘s for AAV; Brissett is on a two-year, $12.5MM accord.
- Larry Borom, T (Lions). One year, $5MM. Borom’s deal comes almost fully guaranteed, with Wilson noting the at-signing number is $4.9MM. This contract is double his Dolphins deal from 2025.
- Malik Hooker, S (Cowboys). One year, $5MM. Hooker’s reworking will bring a $3MM guarantee, per OverTheCap. Hooker was going into the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract.
- Olamide Zaccheaus, WR (Falcons). Two years, $4.5MM. The ex-Matt Ryan target will return to Atlanta — under the leadership of the team’s new front office boss — for $2.3MM fully guaranteed, Wilson adds.
- Cobie Durant, CB (Cowboys). One year, $4MM. Durant’s deal includes just $1.5MM guaranteed at signing, via OverTheCap, though another $1.75MM (the ex-Ram CB’s base salary) will lock in just before Week 1.
- Nate Hobbs, CB (49ers). One year, $3.5MM. The previously reported $4.5MM number represents the deal’s max value. Hobbs will see $3.11MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner tweets.
Falcons To Acquire S Sydney Brown
The Eagles and Falcons have agreed on a trade that will send safety Sydney Brown from Philadelphia to Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The teams will also swap fourth- and sixth-round picks. The Eagles will receive the 114th and 197th choices, while the Falcons will get the 122nd and 215th selections.
The Eagles spent a third-rounder on Brown in 2023, but the Illinois product did not pan out as hoped during his three years in their uniform. Brown totaled a personal-best six starts in 14 games as a rookie, but a Week 18 ACL tear threw his career off course. He returned to play 11 games in 2024, though with Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson entrenched at safety, Brown did not make any starts during a Super Bowl-winning campaign.
Although Gardner-Johnson was gone last year, second-round rookie Andrew Mukuba ended up as the primary starter opposite Blankenship. Brown did, however, play his first 17-game season and make three starts in place of an injured Mukuba. He will end his Eagles tenure with 86 tackles and two interceptions in 42 games.
While the 25-year-old Brown did not carve out a major defensive role as an Eagle, they are now dangerously thin at safety in the wake of his exit. Blankenship joined the Texans in free agency, leaving Mukuba, Andre’ Sam and Brandon Johnson as the only safeties on the Eagles’ roster. They are also losing a core special teamer in Brown, who posted ST snap shares ranging from 59% to to 76% in each season in Philadelphia.
The Falcons will return their impressive Jessie Bates–Xavier Watts safety duo in 2026, but Brown will provide cheap depth behind them. He is due to count just $1.58MM against the cap in the last year of his rookie contract. Brown also carries some experience at slot corner, where the Falcons lost Dee Alford to the Bills in free agency. Billy Bowman could factor in heavily there as a second-year player next season, but that will depend on how well he bounces back from the Achilles tear he suffered last November.
Seahawks Exercise Fifth-Year Options for WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CB Devon Witherspoon
The Seahawks knocked it out of the park on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft, taking Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick of the draft and adding Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba 15 picks later. Both players were huge contributors in the team’s 2025 Super Bowl-winning season, and while extensions continue to be worked towards, Seattle has officially announced its decision to exercise the fifth-year options on both players’ rookie contracts. 
Witherspoon established himself as an immediate star as a rookie, starting 13 of 14 game appearances and logging 16 passes defensed, a 97-yard pick six, and three sacks en route to the first of three straight Pro Bowl seasons. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Witherspoon as the sixth-best cornerback in the NFL. Starting all 17 games in Year 2, PFF’s 16th-best cornerback that season finished second on the team with 98 total tackles, adding on a sack, six tackles for loss, and nine passes defensed. This year, five missed games near the start of the year led to decreased stat total, but Witherspoon’s excellence when he got back on the field was apparent as he earned second-team All-Pro honors and graded out as PFF’s best cornerback in the NFL.
Smith-Njigba didn’t start nearly as hot as Witherspoon, but he’s taken major leaps in each new season. Playing in every game his rookie year, Smith-Njigba only made three starts and finished behind D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in all three receiving categories with 63 receptions, 628 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Playing in every game of Year 2, as well, Smith-Njigba established himself as the new WR1 in Seattle, surpassing Metcalf and Lockett with 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl honors. Benefitting from the departures of Metcalf and Lockett and the arrival of Sam Darnold, Smith-Njigba once again led the team in all three categories with 119 catches for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, securing Pro Bowl, first-team All-Pro, and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
In the days since the season ended with confetti in San Francisco and parade buses in Seattle, the Seahawks have begun the work of attempting to extend Smith-Njigba. The 2025 OPOY disclosed recently that he does believe he deserves “to be the highest paid” wide receiver in the NFL, but at this exact moment, with two years now remaining on his deal, he was “not too pressed” to work out an extended deal. We haven’t seen the same reports concerning Witherspoon, but that surely doesn’t mean the Seahawks won’t be doing everything they can to land both big fish on huge, long-term deals.
According to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, the value of Smith-Njigba’s fifth-year option is projected to be about $23.8MM while Witherpoon’s projects around $21.1MM. Witherspoon’s fifth-year option was inflated to its maximum possible value due to the pair of Pro Bowls he made in his first two seasons. With the top of the receiver market currently set at $40.25MM per year and the cornerback market topping out at $31MM per year, the Seahawks are likely content with those fifth-year figures. There’s a chance neither player sees those options, though, as Seattle will likely continue to push for extensions in the months to come.
NFL Teams Higher On DL Rueben Bain Than Draft Pundits?
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. stirred up headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine when his arms measured at 30 7/8 inches, the third-lowest recorded arm length for an edge at the combine since 1999. According to Jason La Canfora, though, NFL teams and top personnel evaluators seem to care far less about the measurement than the media does. 
A source that La Canfora described as “a top personnel evaluator with a proven track record” claimed that Bain’s arm length doesn’t tell the real story of his body type. Another evaluator asserted his focus on Bain’s wingspan differential or ape index, a measurement that focuses on arm length in proportion to the rest of a player’s body by subtracting their height from the combined length of their arms. Another stated plainly that “his arms are not going to be a problem.”
Multiple evaluators La Canfora communicated with thought Bain stood as good a chance as any of the other top few picks at landing in the No. 2 overall slot. They pointed to Bain’s maturity while at the same time valuing how much younger he is than other top pass rushers who utilized the transfer portal in college. There appears to be a growing sense that the people making Draft Day decisions prize Bain more than those who specialize in mock drafts, as La Canfora puts it.
One of those mock draft, college football experts in the media, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, had Bain far from the No. 2 overall pick in his most recent mock draft two weeks ago. Brugler continues to push the media narrative that Bain “remains a polarizing prospect among NFL teams,” claiming “he’s got a lot of fans and plenty of critics.” Brugler has the Hurricanes pass rusher going ninth overall to the Chiefs, with whom he would have a golden opportunity to learn alongside stellar defensive lineman Chris Jones.
With just over a month to go until the 2026 NFL Draft, utilizing only the two sources above, the NFL-media disconnect on Bain spans seven draft picks — from No. 2 to No. 9. Regardless of the potential for varying opinions, it seems even his biggest detractors don’t have Bain falling very far past the top 10, if that far at all. Somebody will be taking a chance on the Miami product on Day 1 of the draft. It only remains to be seen how far into the first round that will happen.
Steelers Add OL Brock Hoffman
The Steelers saw a good chunk of their offensive line depth hit the free agent market earlier this month. According to Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly, Pittsburgh restocked that depth a bit today by signing interior offensive lineman Brock Hoffman to a one-year contract. 
Hoffman went undrafted in 2022 after two years at Coastal Carolina and three at Virginia Tech. He initially signed with the Browns, failing to make the initial 53-man roster and getting cut from their practice squad in early November. Nine days later, Hoffman was signed to the Cowboys’ taxi squad. He was brought up to the active roster by the end of the year and appeared in three regular season games and one postseason game, playing only special teams snaps.
Hoffman’s responsibilities increased in Year 2 with Dallas. He appeared in all 17 games, getting regular offensive snaps and even logging two starts at center. He continued with his usual special teams contributions over the past two seasons, getting frequent opportunities to contribute on offense, and he started 14 games in that span, eight at center, five at right guard, and one at left guard.
The Steelers will be replacing starting guard Isaac Seumalo, who signed with the Cardinals in free agency, and backup linemen Calvin Anderson and Andrus Peat, who saw their contracts expire after seeing time on offense for the Steelers in 2025. The team re-signed backup center Ryan McCollum, as well, today. Pittsburgh has plenty of work to do to fill out the depleted group, but signing Hoffman is a strong start.
WR D.J. Chark Announces Retirement
After spending the entire 2025 NFL season as a free agent, veteran wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. has opted to hang up his cleats for good. Chark took to Instagram today to “share a proper farewell as (he navigates) retirement.” 
A three-star prospect out of Alexandria HS (LA), Chark opted to commit to nearby LSU — a short, two-hour drive away — after receiving interest from Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Tulane. Through his first two years in Baton Rouge, Chark saw barely any playing time but appeared in too many games to redshirt either season. He found a role in the offense as a junior and led the Tigers in receptions (40), receiving yards (874), and receiving touchdowns (3) as a senior.
With lackluster numbers failing to establish a high draft stock, Chark took part in the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl and led all receivers in the game with five catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. His strong Senior Bowl, combined with a stellar performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, raised Chark’s draft stock to the point he was bordering the first round.
Ultimately, Chark was drafted by the Jaguars near the end of the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He joined a young group of receivers catching balls from Blake Bortles in his final year as the quarterback in Jacksonville, but Chark didn’t see much action through 10 games before sitting for five of the final six of the season. In Year 2, Chark established himself as a leader in the Jaguars receiving corps. Catching balls from rookie starter Gardner Minshew, Chark led the team’s receivers in receptions (73), receiving yards (1,008), and receiving touchdowns (8), earning Pro Bowl honors for the first and only time of his career.
Things in Duval evened out a bit in 2020. Minshew (and two backups who combined for eight starts) peppered targets across a trio of Chark (53 receptions-706 receiving yards-5 touchdowns), Keelan Cole (55-642-5), and Laviska Shenault (58-600-5). Chark’s final season in Jacksonville was limited to four games after he suffered a fractured ankle and spent the rest of the year on injured reserve.
In the years that followed, Chark struggled to find the same highs and success that he enjoyed in Jacksonville, most notably in that Pro Bowl sophomore campaign. He landed a one-year, $10MM contract with the Lions in free agency, but after only logging 30 catches for 502 yards and three touchdowns as ankle injuries plagued him, his one-year deal with the Panthers the next year was worth only half as much. Chark showed one more solid campaign in Carolina, with 35 receptions, 525 receiving yards, and five touchdowns, before a hip injury would limit Chark’s time with the Chargers in 2024 to seven games, four receptions, 31 yards, and a single touchdown.
After a bid for another one-year stint with a fifth new team in as many years fell short at the roster cut deadline, Chark didn’t find any other opportunities in the NFL this year. As he prepares for the future, Chark pledged his commitment “to being an active pillar in (his) community, empowering the youth through charitable work.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/26
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Oli Udoh
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Feleipe Franks, OLB Nick Hampton
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: DL Sam Kamara
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: T Luke Tenuta
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: C Ryan McCollum
The versatile Udoh has played every offensive line position but center since his career began with the Vikings in 2019. Udoh was a 16-game starter for the Vikings in 2021, during which he mostly lined up at right guard. He has otherwise worked as a backup for the Vikings, Saints and Titans. The 29-year-old started three of 17 appearances last season in Tennessee, which used him at both tackle spots.
Undrafted from Stony Brook in 2021, Kamara played in eight games with the Bears as a rookie. Since then, Kamara has yo-yoed between the Browns’ practice squad and roster. Over 18 games in Cleveland, including four last season, the 28-year-old has picked up 28 tackles.
Chiefs Re-Sign LB Jack Cochrane
The Chiefs are bringing back Jack Cochrane for a fifth season. The linebacker announced on Friday that he “just signed back for another year.”
Cochrane, undrafted from South Dakota in 2022, has earned two Super Bowl rings in Kansas City during his four-year career. He was also part of an AFC-winning team in 2024, but he missed the playoffs – including a Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles – as a result of an ankle injury.
With just 62 tackles in 64 games, Cochrane’s defensive impact has been minimal. He has, however, served as a core special teamer for the Chiefs. His special teams snap shares have ranged from 65% to 81% in each season. Cochrane has led Chiefs special teamers in snaps twice, including last year. Although Cochrane was only on the field for 61 defensive snaps in 17 games in 2025, he did pick up his first career interception.
Kansas City lost third linebacker Leo Chenal to Washington in free agency, but the Nick Bolton–Drue Tranquill tandem will return in 2026. Cochrane will continue to act as depth behind them while filling a key role in the third phase of the game.
Lions Sign DL Payton Turner
The Lions announced the signing of defensive lineman Payton Turner on Friday. The former first-round pick is joining his third NFL team.
After the Saints drafted Turner 28th overall in 2021, then-head coach Sean Payton said of the former Houston Cougar: “He’s got a lot of traits that we value. He was a high-energy player, he’s prototype, his size. We really had this player as someone that you couldn’t help but notice. The makeup was good.”
The pick did not work out for the Saints, who got 31 games (zero starts) and five sacks from Turner over a four-year span. Various injuries, including to his shoulder and toe, held Turner to just 15 of a possible 51 games in his first three seasons. The Saints declined Turner’s fifth-year option heading into 2024, though he went on to play a career-high 16 games and notch two sacks that season.
The Cowboys liked Turner enough to guarantee him $2MM in free agency a year ago, but a rib injury prevented him from suiting up in 2025. Even though the 27-year-old has amassed 54 absences in his half-decade in the league, the Lions will take an inexpensive flyer on him as they search for edge rushers to join Aidan Hutchinson. Detroit lost Al-Quadin Muhammad, who ranked second on the team with 11 sacks last year, to the Buccaneers in free agency. The Lions have since added six-year veteran D.J. Wonnum, while Marcus Davenport is still a free agent in the wake of back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in the Motor City.