Colts Made Offer To Trey Hendrickson
In re-signing quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce for up to $204MM this week, the Colts made a pair of major investments at the outset of free agency. The Colts were also involved in the derby for defensive end Trey Hendrickson, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder of ESPN, who reports they offered a deal worth around $25MM per year. That was not enough to match the Ravens’ winning proposal of four years and $112MM.
The Ravens reeled in Hendrickson the day after a blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade with the Raiders fell apart. Had Crosby passed his physical and ended up in Baltimore, perhaps Indianapolis would have stood a better chance to sign Hendrickson (Ravens GM Eric DeCosta wanted to acquire both players, though).
In moving to Indianapolis, Hendrickson would have reunited with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. While playing for Anarumo in Cincinnati from 2021-24, Hendrickson racked up a whopping 57 sacks and earned all four of his Pro Bowl nods.
The Colts had been interested in the 31-year-old Hendrickson since his preseason holdout last summer, Holder relays. They were also in on Hendrickson leading up to the Nov. 4 trade deadline, but the Bengals elected to keep him for the rest of the year. However, a nagging hip injury prevented Hendrickson from taking the field after Oct. 26. Hendrickson ended the season with four sacks in seven games, but he nevertheless earned a massive payday thanks to an elite track record as a pass rusher.
The Colts’ defense ranked a decent 15th in sacks last year, but it was a bottom-feeding 30th in pass rush win rate. They have since lost edge rushers Kwity Paye and Samson Ebukam to free agency. Paye signed a three-year, $48MM contract with the Raiders, while Ebukam inked an undisclosed deal with the Falcons. To replace those two, the Colts brought in Arden Key for up to $20MM over two years and Micheal Clemons on a three-year, $17.5MM pact. Key and Clemons are not close to Hendrickson’s level, but the Colts will rely on the pair to provide useful complements to their top edge rusher, Laiatu Latu.
Chiefs Re-Sign G Mike Caliendo
After opting not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Chiefs reached an agreement today to re-sign offensive guard Mike Caliendo. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Caliendo’s agent relayed this afternoon that, despite holding “numerous offers elsewhere,” Caliendo wanted to return to Kansas City, and he will be doing so on a new one-year deal. 
Caliendo signed in 2022 with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan, where he spent six years, four as a full-time starter. Taking over the left guard job for the Broncos during his redshirt freshman season, he started every game for the team at that position for the next three years, including the COVID-shortened 2020 season that granted him a sixth year of eligibility. A first-team All-Mac and Academic All-American athlete, Caliendo turned down chances at both the NFL and medical school to return with his sixth year of eligibility and demonstrated some versatility with a position shift to center in his final season in Kalamazoo.
Caliendo won a ring in his rookie year as a member of the practice squad, failing to see the field in his first season of NFL play. He signed a reserve/futures deal to remain in Kansas City, though, and in Year 2, he made the 53-man roster and appeared in 12 games, mostly on special teams, including the four-game playoff run to his second Super Bowl ring. In 2024, he held a similar role until Week 14, when he made three spot starts at left guard as regular guard Joe Thuney kicked out to cover the blindside tackle spot for a benched Wanya Morris. When Thuney got hurt before the playoffs, Caliendo started the team’s three playoff games at left guard, including their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. Caliendo got four more spot starts at right guard this year, covering for an injured Trey Smith.
Thanks to Caliendo’s desire to remain a Chief, even after a down year for the franchise, Kansas City returns a reliable, versatile backup on the offensive interior line, one they often utilize on special teams and heavy formations, as well. After releasing right tackle Jawaan Taylor last week, the Chiefs will likely see some change along their offensive front. Locking in a strong depth piece like Caliendo should provide the team with a bit of solace as they look to fill the hole left by Taylor’s departure.
Eagles Trading WR A.J. Brown Seen As ‘Inevitable’
MARCH 14: While the trade to offload Brown didn’t happen in the often-active first week of free agency, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, his exit via trade is still seen “as inevitable.” Florio’s source claims the team could be “careening toward a potential cap mess in 2027,” if Brown stays with the team for the 2026 season. It only seems to be a question of when it will happen (before or after June 1), not if.
The aforementioned concerns of dead money still exist, but thanks to the Panthers keeping a massive Jaelan Phillips charge off Philly’s books, there’s some idea in the building that the Eagles are more equipped to carry the dead money now, if they do choose to ship him out before June 1. The advantage of doing so would be to give the personnel department a better idea of what the roster will look like in 2026 and, potentially, to acquire some draft capital in the trade that they may be able to utilize to fill the hole left by his departure as soon as the end of next month. It’s a waiting game at the moment, but just how long we’ll be waiting appears to be in the hands of the Eagles front office.
MARCH 13: The Eagles’ A.J. Brown trade talks are on hold for the time being. After engaging in “serious conversations” with the Rams and Patriots, the Eagles have decided to retain Brown for now, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. If a trade materializes, it won’t happen until around June, Russini adds.
Dealing Brown before June would come at a severe cost to Philadelphia. The Eagles would absorb a $43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for a receiver. They would also lose $20.12MM in cap room.
A post-June 1 deal would be reminiscent of the Falcons trading star wideout Julio Jones to the Titans in 2021. With Jones then entering his age-32 season, the Falcons dealt him and a sixth-rounder for a second- and a fourth-rounder.
In the event general manager Howie Roseman pulls the trigger then, the Eagles would spread Brown’s dead money over two years. While the Eagles would face a $16.35MM charge in 2026 and a $27.1MM fee in ’27, they would save $7MM on their cap next season.
Roseman has reportedly held out for a package consisting of at least a first- and second-rounder for Brown, but it does not appear anyone will bite before April’s draft. The Rams already dealt their original first-round pick away in acquiring former Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie last week. Los Angeles still has another first-rounder (No. 13 overall, originally Atlanta’s selection), and GM Les Snead has never been shy to ship out top picks for immediate upgrades. However, that may be too pricey for the soon-to-be 29-year-old Brown.
If the Rams do acquire Brown before the season, it would give them an embarrassment of riches at receiver. Head coach Sean McVay, offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and MVP-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford would have Brown, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams as a trio for at least one season. While Brown is under contract through 2029, Nacua and Adams are on schedule to become free agents next year. In all likelihood, though, the Rams will work out a massive extension with Nacua before then.
The reigning AFC champion Patriots, meanwhile, are in line to keep the 31st pick. In heading to New England, Brown would reunite with Mike Vrabel, who was his coach in Tennessee from 2019-21. The two still have a strong relationship, but the Patriots have less urgency to meet the Eagles’ demands after adding former Packer Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $80MM contract in free agency.
If the Eagles are shutting down talks until the summer, other teams could enter the race for Brown by then. Aside from the Patriots, the three-time Pro Bowler’s wish list reportedly features the Bills, Chargers and Chiefs. None of those three clubs have pursued Brown with much gusto, but perhaps circumstances will change a few months from now.
Eagles DE Brandon Graham To Play In 2026?
Eagles edge rusher Brandon Graham retired last offseason only to reverse course and rejoin his longtime team in October. This year may not contain any such back-and-forth, as the 37-year-old is already talking about his plans to play in 2026.
“Hopefully we can win another [Super Bowl] in my last season coming up,” Graham said this week (via NBC Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro), indicating that he will return for the 2026 season, his 17th in the NFL.
Graham has spent every year of his career in Philadelphia, which featured championships after the 2017 and 2024 seasons. He has logged 215 appearances (106 starts) with 79.5 sacks and 128 tackles for loss, though he only has 9.5 sacks and 12 TFLs in the last three years. In 2025, he appeared in nine games with a 19% snap share, the lowest of his career, but still chipped in three sacks, though the season did feature his worst grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Graham’s current contract with the Eagles is set to void on June 3, per OverTheCap, giving the two sides plenty of time to agree on a new deal. Philadelphia let Jaelan Phillips walk in free agency, and though they signed Arnold Ebiketie to a one-year deal, they still need more depth off the edge. Their outside linebacker room is currently made up of Ebiketie, Nolan Smith, and Jalyx Hunt, along with Jose Ramirez, a 2023 sixth-round pick who has only appeared in four games, all in 2024 for the Buccaneers.
Keeping Graham around for another year would maintain some veteran experience in a relatively young group, and he only cost the team $2.44MM in 2025. He will likely receive a similar amount to return to the Eagles’ locker room as a key leader for a bounce-back effort in 2026 after last year’s disappointing first-round playoff exit.
Talks Between Cardinals, Jimmy Garoppolo ‘Hit A Snag’
Then preparing to end the Kyler Murray era, the Cardinals reportedly entered free agency eyeing veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The sides did engage in discussions, but their talks “hit a snag,” according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Garoppolo remains unsigned late in the first week of free agency, but the Cardinals moved on to another on-again, off-again starting option. After their pursuit of Garoppolo did not go as planned, the Cardinals picked up journeyman Gardner Minshew on a one-year, $8.25MM deal on Monday. Between Minshew and Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals have two experienced candidates to win their starting job. They officially released Murray on Wednesday, leading him to Minnesota.
Had the 34-year-old Garoppolo gone to Arizona, he would have reunited with general manager Monti Ossenfort and rookie head coach Mike LaFleur. When the Patriots spent a second-round pick on Garoppolo in 2014, Ossenfort was their director of college scouting. The two overlapped in New England until the team traded Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-rounder in 2017.
Garoppolo spent six seasons in San Francisco, and LaFleur was its passing-game coordinator for four of those years. The pair worked together again with the Rams over the past two seasons. Garoppolo was the Rams’ backup to Matthew Stafford, while LaFleur served as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator.
Twelve years into his career, it is fair to say Garoppolo enjoyed his greatest success teaming with LaFleur and head coach Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Over 55 regular-season starts with the 49ers, Garoppolo helped the team to a 38-17 mark while registering a 99.2 passer rating. In his best season, 2019, Garoppolo completed 69.1% of passes and threw for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 49ers went 13-3 in the regular season and won the NFC, but the Chiefs upended them, 31-20, in Super Bowl LIV.
Garoppolo remained the 49ers’ starter until he broke his foot in December 2022, paving the way for Brock Purdy to usurp the job. Between the end of his 49ers stint and his time with the Rams, Garoppolo endured a bitterly disappointing year with the Raiders. After signing a three-year, $67.5MM contract with Las Vegas in 2023, Garoppolo made just seven mostly lackluster starts with the team. The Raiders benched Garoppolo, who later incurred a PED suspension, and released him a few months later.
While Garoppolo has attempted just 41 passes since the Raiders cut him, the Rams are interested in re-signing him. For now, the untested Stetson Bennett is the only signal-caller on their roster behind Stafford.
Bengals Sign QB Josh Johnson
Nomadic quarterback Josh Johnson is rejoining the Bengals for a third stint in their uniform. The team announced that it has added Johnson on a one-year deal.
A fifth-round pick of the Buccaneers in 2008, the 39-year-old Johnson has spent time with a record 14 NFL teams and seen regular-season action with seven. Johnson has also played in the UFL, the AAF and the second version of the XFL. His previous runs with the Bengals came in 2013 and ’15, though he has never attempted a pass with the team.
The Bengals considered trading for Johnson, then with the Commanders, last October. Starter Joe Burrow was on the shelf with a foot injury at the time, and backup Jake Browning struggled mightily filling in for him. Cincinnati ultimately replaced Browning with Joe Flacco, whom it acquired from Cleveland.
Johnson wound up playing all of last season in Washington, where he made two starts while Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota dealt with injuries. Over a total of five appearances, Johnson completed 34 of 54 passes (63%) with 372 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Fifty games and 11 starts into his career, Johnson has connected on 58.7% of throws, tossed 14 TDs against 18 picks, and recorded a 71.1 rating.
Flacco is now a free agent, but he has interest in re-signing in Cincinnati to back up Burrow. For now, Johnson and Sean Clifford are the team’s reserve options.
Texans, RB David Montgomery Agree To Upgraded Deal
The Texans have agreed to a new contract with running back David Montgomery, who arrived via trade from the Lions at the beginning of the month, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Montgomery’s last deal with the Lions – signed in October 2024 – had two years and $15MM remaining with $6MM due in 2026 and no guaranteed money (via OverTheCap). The new agreement is worth $16.5MM with $10MM in guarantees, according to details obtained by Wilson.
In 2026, Montgomery will receive a $6.5MM signing bonus, a guaranteed $1.5MM salary, and up to $500k in per-game roster bonuses, an increase from his previously-set compensation of $6MM. $2MM of his $7.5MM 2027 salary is guaranteed, and he will receive another $500k in per game bonuses as well.
Montgomery’s previous contract from Detroit paid him $9.125MM per year, the 13th-highest AAV at his position. He has now dropped to 15th at $8.725MM per year, still a strong figure for a running back heding into his age-29 season.
Financially, Montgomery qualifies as Houston’s RB1, though he will likely split time with 2025 fourth-rounder Woody Marks. Marks put up 703 yards on 196 carries as a rookie and will be looking to improve on his 3.6-yard per carry mark in his sophomore campaign. Montgomery has bested those numbers in each of his seven NFL seasons and only dropped below 800 rushing yards in the last two seasons due to the arrival of Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. He also has 59 career rushing touchdowns, while Marks recorded just two as a rookie – though he found the end zone through the air three times.
Jets To Re-Sign RB/KR Kene Nwangwu
The Jets are re-signing return specialist Kene Nwangwu, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports. It’s a one-year, $2MM deal that includes $1MM in guaranteed money. The pact could be worth up to $3MM.
Nwangwu has totaled just 40 carries in his five-year career, but he has made a significant impact on special teams since the Vikings used a 2021 fourth-round pick on him. Despite playing only 11 games as a rookie, the Iowa State product returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. Nwangwu also averaged 32.2 yards per return on 18 tries, which would have led the league had he recorded enough attempts to qualify. While Nwangwu’s average dropped to 26.3 on a league-high 35 returns in 2022, he added another score and earned second-team All-Pro honors.
After starting 2023 on injured reserve, Nwangwu made just nine appearances on the season. The Vikings cut Nwangwu in August 2024. The Saints scooped Nwangwu up via waivers, but they quickly cut him with a failed physical designation.
Nwangwu has since impressed in New York, which added him to its practice squad a couple weeks after the Saints parted with him. Making his Jets debut in a Week 13 loss to the Seahawks in 2024, Nwangwu took back his first kickoff for a 99-yard touchdown. The Jets promoted Nwangwu to their active roster the next day, but a broken hand ended his season a week and a half later.
Exactly one year ago today, the Jets kept Nwangwu around on a one-year, $2.5MM agreement. He continued to produce over 12 games in 2025. Nwangwu’s 33.6 yards per return on 18 attempts was No. 1 in the league, and he chipped in another 99-yard TD in a special teams-driven win over the Browns in Week 10. The 28-year-old earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Commanders To Sign RB Jerome Ford
The Commanders are signing former Browns running back Jerome Ford to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ford, 26, is the second running back to join Washington’s backfield this week. Rachaad White signed his own one-year deal on Thursday; he, Ford, and 2025 seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt will look to follow up the Commanders’ top-five rushing effort last season.
Ford was drafted by the Browns in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He served as the team’s primary kickoff returner as a rookie and stepped into a starting role after Nick Chubb‘s season-ending knee injury. Ford led Cleveland’s backfield with 813 yards on 204 carries and chipped in 44 catches for 319 receiving yards, the fourth-most on the offense. He also tied with Kareem Hunt for the team lead with nine total touchdowns.
In 2024, Ford maintained a strong role in the backfield as Chubb finished his rehab, though he was not as much of a lead back as the year before. He again paced the team in rushing and was the fifth-leading receiver, though he only found the end zone three times. Though Chubb left in free agency the following offseason, the Browns did not give Ford a featured role in 2025. Instead, they drafted two rookie running backs – Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson – who dominated the backfield and made Ford an afterthought in Cleveland.
In Washington, Ford gives the Commanders another experienced option in their backfield behind Croskey-Merritt and White. Croskey-Merritt barely factored into the receiving game as a rookie, so White will likely take on a third-down role in 2026. Ford profiles as more of an all-purpose RB3 who can eat carries and step in on passing downs as needed.
DeCosta: Ravens Planned On Signing Trey Hendrickson In Addition To Maxx Crosby
The Ravens remain at the heart of the NFL’s most notable (and controversial) storyline of the offseason. Shortly after backing out of the trade agreement which would have sent Maxx Crosby to Baltimore, the team agreed to terms with free agent Trey Hendrickson. 
GM Eric DeCosta spoke about the matter recently at a press conference. Notably, he said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) the Ravens’ initial plan was to sign Hendrickson while also following through on the Crosby trade. Baltimore’s push to sign the former Bengals sack artist picked up late Tuesday, a point well after the free agent negotiating window opened but before – officially, at least – the Crosby trade fell through.
DeCosta said he was “gutted” about the fact his agreement with Raiders counterpart John Spytek was not finalized. The Ravens were set to send their first-round pick in 2026 and ’27 to Vegas for Crosby, who now remains under contract with Vegas.
The All-Pro’s future is once again in question, although he appears to be on course to continue his decorated run with the franchise. Crosby continues to rehab surgery following a meniscus repair; a failed physical led to the trade being called off, though DeCosta did not specifically reference Crosby’s medical testing when reflecting on this high-profile saga.
The timing of this matter proved to be impactful, with Monday marking (as usual) the busiest point on the calendar with respect to free agent deals being agreed to. Vegas in particular was active, with edge rusher Kwity Paye among the players set to be brought in. As Hensley’s colleague Jeremy Fowler notes, Crosby’s Baltimore physical did not take place until Tuesday. Many dominoes had already (unofficially) fallen by then, a sore spot for critics of how this situation has been handled.
While no league rules were broken, the Ravens’ decision to back out of the Crosby deal has led many to expect backlash from other GMs. DeCosta said, however, that his phone has not stopped ringing with the new league year continuing to unfold. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how future dealings with Baltimore take place moving forward.
Sack production was a major issue for Baltimore in 2025, making it no surprise the Crosby trade was worked out in the first place or that a big-ticket Hendrickson deal was signed. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports Baltimore planned on restructuring Crosby’s contract (which runs through 2029 and is based heavily on base salaries) upon arrival. She adds, however, that doing so would have moved him near the top of the pass rush market and thus made a Hendrickson pact difficult to arrange given Baltimore’s cap situation.
Of course, that is now a moot point with Crosby set to continue with the Raiders or be traded to another team. Nonetheless, DeCosta’s remarks are certainly noteworthy in the wake of the criticism he has faced. Whether or not Hendrickson winds up being paired with one of the few low-cost EDGE options still on the market or a high draft choice in April will make for a storyline worth following.