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.
Interest In Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Could Push Asking Price To Two Firsts
FEBRUARY 26: According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Raiders’ price for a Crosby deal does indeed include two first-round picks but also a player. That would match the Parsons blockbuster from last season. Raiders GM John Spytek said earlier this week he does not expect a trade to take place, but it remains to be seen if a suitor will submit an offer in line with his asking price.
FEBRUARY 22: It’s no secret that Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby is a top trade target for many teams across the NFL, but several factors have the potential to affect if Crosby leaves, where he may end up, and just how much the Raiders might receive if they choose to trade him. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post, the sheer amount of interest in Crosby indicates a return of two first-round picks is very much on the table. 
We’ve discussed something along these lines in the past. The 28-year-old two-time second-team All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler has established himself amongst the best edge rushers in the NFL. His seven-year career with the Raiders — six years in Las Vegas after a rookie campaign in Oakland — has amassed 69.5 sacks, 133 tackles for loss, and 164 quarterback hits. Though his awards haven’t stacked up quite as high as some of his colleagues’, his production as an acquirable asset is fully on par with past edge rushers who were traded like Khalil Mack and Micah Parsons.
To be fair, both Mack and Parsons were two years younger when they were traded — Mack in 2018, Parsons last year. When Mack was traded from Oakland to Bears, Chicago sent the Raiders two first-round picks in return. Last year, Green Bay’s price for Parsons included two first-rounders in addition to veteran defensive tackle (and former first-round pick) Kenny Clark. Elite pass rushers are a commodity in the NFL. Though Crosby is two years older than both former examples, he’s still an elite pass rusher in the NFL, and if he isn’t worth two first-round picks on his own merit, team competition to acquire him is expected to drive his price up to that.
A factor outside of his performance metrics that could influence what we hear coming out of the combine on Crosby is the unknown determination of whether or not he wants to be traded. The Raiders would almost certainly love to hold onto him. The promotion of Crosby’s position coach to defensive coordinator could easily have been done with hopes that Crosby might be more willing to stick around if his main coach were not only retained on the new staff but promoted on it. Alternatively, Las Vegas may see enough value in what a trade offer could bring to their ability to accelerate the rebuild process.
There’s belief that Crosby may even want to stick around himself. Per an earlier report from Bonsignore’s colleague Noah Nussbaum, Crosby bleeds silver and black and may even be excited for the next steps of the Raiders’ rebuild. Alternatively, Crosby has already committed some of his best years to failed rebuild attempts as the franchise has cycled through head coaches and general managers over the years. He may decide that he’s waited long enough, that his patience has run out, and that it’s time for him to maximize his potential for success, both personal and team.
Another determining factor could be which teams opt to pursue Crosby. As we approach this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, coaching and personnel leaders in the NFL are set to convene in Indianapolis to observe and interview top collegiate athletes gathered from across the country.
The casual environment will allow for general managers to have off-the-record conversations through which they can gauge interest in tradeable players and begin negotiations on what price tags might look like. Teams with a standard or limited draft pick arsenal will almost certainly need to pair up the first-round picks from two separate years. A team that has accumulated a larger arsenal of picks, though, may be able to avoid two firsts by grouping several Day 2 picks with a first-rounder.
There are so many directions in which this conversation could go. It’s all speculation at the moment, but as team representatives from around the NFL gather in Lucas Oil Stadium this week, we could find a bit of clarity as ideas start to circulate around the combine.
Cardinals ‘Frustrated’ With Kyler Murray
The Cardinals will explore trades for Kyler Murray this week, but the quarterback’s camp is hoping the team releases him, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. That would be a best-case scenario for the 28-year-old Murray, who would have the ability to pick his next team in free agency.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort reportedly has not engaged with Murray since the end of last season. But Murray’s camp will meet with the Cardinals at this week’s Combine in Indianapolis, according to Vacchiano. It does not appear a decision on Murray’s future will be made in Indianapolis, per Vacchiano, but it’s hard to imagine him lasting much longer in Arizona.
Thanks to the five-year, $230.5MM extension former GM Steve Keim gave Murray in 2022, $19.5MM of his 2027 base salary will vest on March 15. A trade or release should occur by then. That’s especially true with the Cardinals having grown “frustrated” with Murray, Vacchiano writes.
Questions regarding the former No. 1 overall pick’s work ethic and leadership continue to hang over him seven years into his career. To make matters worse, the Cardinals are concerned that Murray will never fully bounce back from the torn ACL he suffered in December 2022. Murray’s dual-threat capabilities have been a major part of his appeal, but a source told Vacchiano that his mobility is “shot.” If true, it could put the kibosh on Murray ever turning back into an effective starter.
Arizona’s 2022 season had already gone off the rails before Murray’s knee injury, but he wasn’t far removed from earning original-ballot Pro Bowls nods from 2020-21. The Cardinals clinched their most recent playoff berth in Murray’s second Pro Bowl season. The Rams crushed them in the wild-card round, though, and neither he nor the Cardinals have come back from it.
Arizona lost 13 of Murray’s 19 starts from 2022-23, both 4-13 seasons for the team. There were at least signs of life in 2024. That year, Murray’s lone 17-game season, the 5-foot-10 signal-caller completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a career-best 63.4 QBR. As a runner, he racked up 572 yards on a hearty 7.3 per carry and added five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Whatever progress the Cardinals thought they had made two seasons ago was erased during a three-win 2025. Murray, who missed 12 games with a Lisfranc injury, didn’t play past Week 5. The Cardinals went on to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon after the season. His replacement, Mike LaFleur, is unlikely to coach Murray in Arizona.
If Murray gets his wish and the Cardinals release him before March 15, they would take on a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. That would not be a good outcome for the team, but ripping the Band-Aid off then would be better than designating Murray a post-June 1 cut. In that scenario, the Cardinals would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026) while losing $17.39MM in space next season.
Bears Grant LB Tremaine Edmunds Permission To Seek Trade
The Bears are allowing veteran linebacker Tremaine Edmunds to seek a trade, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Edmunds, 27, has started 45 games in Chicago over the last three years. He arrived in 2023 as a replacement for Roquan Smith, who had been traded to the Ravens during the 2022 season. The Bears gave Edmunds a four-year, $72MM deal ($41.8MM fully guaranteed); his $18MM AAV ranks third among inside linebackers.
Originally the No. 16 pick by the Bills in 2018, Edmunds partnered with Matt Milano in the middle of Buffalo’s defense for the first five years of his career. He led the team in tackles in all but one year and earn Pro Bowl nods in 2019 and 2020.
Edmunds finished his time in Buffalo with 565 tackles (32 for loss), 35 passes defended, and five interceptions in 74 starts. He dealt with a few injuries but only missed eight games.
In Chicago, Edmunds played alongside T.J. Edwards and racked up 335 tackles (11 for loss), 24 passes defended, and nine interceptions in the last three years.
High-end inside linebacker play can be hard to find, so Edmunds could garner some interest on the trade market. He is one of two linebackers this century with at least 900 tackles and 50 passes defended before turning 28, per senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. The other is Luke Kuechly, who was recently elected into the Hall of Fame.
Edmunds’ size, athleticism, and youth are all major pluses; he has also improved as a tackler and in coverage throughout his career. The importance of experience and processing at the linebacker position also helps Edmunds’ value, as many veteran LBs get better with age.
However, Edmunds is owed $15MM next season, per OverTheCap. Since 2026 is the last year of his current contract, he may want an extension from a new team. That could be an obstacle to a trade, as teams may not want to pay him at the top of the linebacker market. They may also be waiting for the Bears to simply release Edmunds rather than use draft capital to acquire him and his pricey salary. Allowing a player to seek a trade is often a precursor for releasing that player as a cap casualty. Chicago would save $15MM against the 2026 salary cap with such a move with a $2.44MM dead cap charge.
The Bears would then have to find a replacement for Edmunds in the middle of their defense. Noah Sewell and D’Marco Jackson – who both played over 300 snaps in 2025, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) – will likely compete for the starting job next to Edwards.
Offseason Outlook: Las Vegas Raiders
Counting Rich Bisaccia, the Raiders have employed six head coaches since 2021. Counting Champ Kelly, they are on GM No. 5 in that span. A chaotic decade in Las Vegas continues, but a ray of hope is expected to come from the Midwest. The Raiders outflanked competitors to land the No. 1 overall pick, and Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza appears ticketed for Sin City.
The Raiders are 0-for-3 in quarterback plans post-Derek Carr, but this represents a different tier of opportunity. It will be the Raiders' first No. 1 overall pick since 2007 (JaMarcus Russell). Tom Brady and John Spytek have plenty of work to do in what has become a stacked AFC West, but Mendoza is poised to bring a solid starting point as yet another staff overhaul commences.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired head coach Pete Carroll
- Hired Klint Kubiak as HC replacement
- Hired Andrew Janocko as offensive coordinator
- Promoted D-line coach Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator
- Hired Joe DeCamillis as special teams coordinator, Marquice Williams as senior ST coach
- Hired Mike McCoy as senior offensive assistant
- Brought in Al Holcomb as senior defensive assistant
- Added Rick Dennison as offensive line coach
- Retained defensive pass-game coordinator Joe Woods
- Blocked from interviewing Seahawks' Justin Outten for run-game coordinator role
It was not hard to see the writing on the wall early for Carroll. The Raiders attempted to convince Ben Johnson to sign up. Even though no official offer came, Johnson was clearly the team's top HC choice in 2025. After the late-30-something coordinator turned the team down, a pivot to the oldest head coach in NFL history occurred. Carroll secured that honor by coaching at 74. He went 3-14, with win No. 3 coming against a noncommitted Chiefs team.
Eagles LG Landon Dickerson Coming Back For 2026
After speculation circulated earlier this month on the possibility that Eagles left guard Landon Dickerson could retire after only five years in the league, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport are pointing to Dickerson’s most recent Instagram post as evidence that the 27-year-old will be returning for a sixth year of NFL play. 
Earlier this month, surprising news hit the airwaves in Philadelphia as multiple sources reported that Dickerson could retire after only a five-year tenure in the NFL. It was only two years ago that Dickerson signed an extension to stay with the Eagles through the 2028 NFL season, a commitment for which he was rewarded with the highest annual average contract value ($21MM per year) in NFL history (at the time) for an offensive guard.
As often is the case for young NFL retirees, injuries spelled out the story for Dickerson. Dating back to his college days at Florida State and Alabama, Dickerson has undergone 13 surgeries. The Rimington Trophy-winner (best center in college football) was drafted in the second round by the Eagles despite having torn his ACL in the Crimson Tide’s SEC Championship Game appearance in his final season. Still, he was activated off the active/non-football injury list in time to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and was cemented into the starting lineup by Week 3 of his rookie campaign.
Originally drafted to be the heir apparent for the eventually retiring Jason Kelce, Dickerson was too talented to keep off the field as a rookie. He ended up fitting in so well slotted in next to left tackle Jordan Mailata that the team abandoned its plans of moving him to center and opted to draft a second-round center for the second year in row, ordaining Cam Jurgens as the new Kelce replacement.
Dickerson’s success persisted over the years despite injuries continuing to hamper him along the way. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2022-23 season, Dickerson suffered a right elbow hyperextension but was able to play through it for the Super Bowl. In the team’s NFC Championship game win following the 2024-25 season, Dickerson was knocked out of the game with a left knee injury that required surgery in the offseason after he was able to, once again, play through it for the Super Bowl.
Things got really scary just before the start of the 2025 regular season when Dickerson needed to undergo meniscus surgery in mid-August. Luckily, he only required a minor procedure, and he was able to return to the field in time for the team’s season opener. It’s honestly impressive how resilient Dickerson has been throughout his injury-riddled career. Despite the numerous maladies he’s sustained over five years in the NFL, Dickerson has only missed seven games in total, and never two in a row.
While the thought that Dickerson was considering hanging up his cleats this early into his career may frighten some fans, his resilience has continued to shine into Year 6. His early retirement may still come in the several years that follow, but as of right now, Dickerson’s position on the offensive line is not one the Eagles have to worry about for the 2026 NFL season.
Dolphins, Tyreek Hill Did Not Discuss Pay Cut; Hill’s Market ‘Tepid’
The Dolphins ended the four-year Tyreek Hill era when they released the decorated wide receiver on Feb. 16. The move opened up significant savings for the Dolphins. Hill was due to count an untenable $51.1MM against the cap before the Dolphins gave him his walking papers.
Miami could have attempted to retain Hill at a lower price tag, but that was never an option for the team. Agent Drew Rosenhaus revealed that he and the Dolphins did not discuss a pay cut for Hill, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Rosenhaus added that Miami’s goal is to assemble a younger roster. Keeping Hill, who will turn 32 on March 1, would have worked against that plan.
While Hill plans to return for an 11th season in 2026, he is on the mend from a severe knee injury that could continue to hinder him in the future. Hill’s season ended in Week 4 when he tore multiple ligaments, including his ACL, and dislocated his knee.
In yet another factor that should lower the value of Hill’s next contract, the NFL is investigating domestic violence accusations against him. There have been three known domestic violence allegations against Hill dating to his time in college. Oklahoma State kicked Hill off its football and track teams in 2014 after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence. Hill resurfaced on West Alabama’s football team the next year. The Chiefs took the speedster in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and he has since put together a Hall of Fame-caliber career.
Although Hill is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first-team All-Pro, he has encountered a “tepid” market since the Dolphins cut him, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom reports. Multiple league executives who are seeking receiver upgrades told La Canfora they want no part of Hill. There are concerns over Hill’s fading physical skills and his questionable locker room presence, sources informed La Canfora.
“No chance. We think he’s done,” one general manager said. “He isn’t a difference-maker anymore. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze. Not even as a vet-minimum guy for us.”
Combining his age, injury and off-field troubles, Hill looks like a prime candidate for a prove-it deal in 2026. The 5-foot-10, 191-pounder was productive during his most recently healthy campaign in 2024, though he began showing signs of decline that year. Hill’s numbers (81 catches, 959 yards and six touchdowns) fell well short of his typical output, and his stock has continued to drop since then.