Jets Looking Into Tua Tagovailoa As Free Agent; Latest On New York QB Plan
Another Jets quarterback search is afoot. With Justin Fields on track to be released, the team may be set to launch a lower-cost effort to staff the position in 2025. One potential candidate is at least a high-profile (and familiar) option.
The Jets are among the teams looking into Tua Tagovailoa, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo. While confirming the Jets are considering multiple options, Garafolo places Tagovailoa among them. The Dolphins have not released Tagovailoa yet, but that move is expected to happen due to the QB’s contract being viewed as untradeable.
Arizona is cutting the cord on Kyler Murray, who will be released if no trade can take place. Both Murray and Tagovailoa loom as low-cost free agent options in situations that remind of Russell Wilson‘s 2024 setup. After the Broncos released Wilson, he signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum. That stuck the Broncos with the tab, as a larger Pittsburgh deal would have trimmed some of Denver’s dead money. Tagovailoa is due $54MM guaranteed; he will be a candidate to sign for the vet minimum, as the Dolphins are poised to break the Broncos’ single-player dead money record soon.
If/when Miami releases Tagovailoa, he will count $99.2MM in dead cap across the next two years — with a post-June 1 designation the only way the team can realistically move on from this ill-advised extension. Because a post-June 1 designation will be used, the Dolphins cannot cut Tua until March 11. But they could allow him to look for a new team. The Broncos proceeded this way with Wilson in 2024. It is not believed the Dolphins have let Tagovailoa shop around yet.
The Jets have played against Tagovailoa for the past six seasons; their new DC (Brian Duker) was on Miami’s staff previously. The Vikings join the Jets in looking into the left-handed passer. While it is unclear if either Minnesota or New York have Tua as the favorite for a vet-minimum slot — Murray has been on the Vikes’ radar for a while — the Jets have some other options in play.
New York may not stop at one veteran arm, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. Even if free agent Tyrod Taylor is in play to return — though, that is far from certain — the team will have multiple open roster spots at the position. Lower-cost options will likely be where this process lands, per Cimini, who mentions possible trade avenues — for Tyson Bagent (Bears), Tanner McKee (Eagles) or Spencer Rattler (Saints) — as a way to fill one of the positions. Teams are asking the Broncos about Jarrett Stidham, whom Jets GM Darren Mougey overlapped with in Denver. Bagent has generated trade interest, and while Rattler makes sense as a move candidate given Tyler Shough‘s emergence, no trade rumors have surfaced about the Saints backup.
Tabbing a starter option in this draft seems unlikely for the team, SNY’s Connor Hughes notes, pointing to the 2027 draft as the better place to take this swing. Several teams will undoubtedly consider this plan, with the 2026 QB crop not viewed as strong beyond likely Raider Fernando Mendoza. While some Ty Simpson buzz has percolated, the Jets will not be a candidate to draft him second overall. An edge rusher appears the plan for Gang Green there.
Instead, a move for a QB on Day 2 or Day 3 could fill out the team’s QB room, Hughes adds. The Eagles have McKee, whom Hughes also links to the Jets as a potential option, under contract for one more season. He served as Jalen Hurts backup last season, after Philly traded Kenny Pickett to begin a busy travel year for the former first-rounder. A former sixth-round pick, McKee drew trade interest before last season as well. He has also been tied to the Vikings as they search for J.J. McCarthy competition.
The Jets have taken a stopgap route at QB before, tabbing Josh McCown to start in 2017 as the team waited on a talented 2018 rookie class. That season (and a 2018 trade with the Colts) produced Sam Darnold at No. 3 overall. With the Jets holding two first-round picks in 2027, what is expected to be a loaded QB draft class could be in play. It will be interesting to see if Aaron Glenn signs on for such a plan, as his seat is warmer after a 3-14 debut season.
Commanders Re-Sign DE Deatrich Wise, DT Shy Tuttle
The Commanders added two veterans in the defensive trenches last year but barely saw use out of either of them. Well, both defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle will get another chance in Washington as the Commanders have re-signed both players to one-year deals for the 2026 NFL season, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Wise joined the Commanders as a free agent almost a year ago, signing with only his second NFL franchise after spending the first eight years of his career in New England. After working his way up from rotational piece to full-time starter for the Patriots over that time then falling back down the depth chart, Wise found himself in Washington, where he would once again get a chance at being a full-time starter. Unfortunately, only two games into the season, Wise was carted off the field with a season-ending quad injury. This new deal will allow Wise a second chance at a first full season with the Commanders.
Tuttle also only played two games with the Commanders in 2025, but that was because he spent the majority of his season with the Titans. Over the first ten weeks of the season, Tuttle worked as a rotational tackle on the defensive line in Tennessee, playing about a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps. After seeing no game action for about a month late in the season, Tuttle was put on waivers by the Titans and claimed by the Commanders. He played in the team’s final two games before the season came to an end.
These two veterans have both fallen on harder times after working to establish themselves as starters in the NFL. The Commanders believe they’ve got enough to offer, though, and will give each player another opportunity to contribute in 2026 now that Wise should be able to get healthy and Tuttle will get a full offseason with the team.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/26
More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Buccaneers: S Christian Izien, RB Sean Tucker
- Commanders: K Jake Moody
- Cowboys: G Brock Hoffman
- Patriots: CB Alex Austin
Before taking a backseat to second-year safety Tykee Smith this year, Izien served as a major contributor for the Bucs secondary. In his first two years as an undrafted player out of Rutgers, Izien started 14 of 31 game appearances, logging 140 total tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Meanwhile, Tucker made himself a bowling ball in the redzone this year, recording a team-leading seven rushing touchdowns on just 86 attempts. His 320 rushing yards were third in Tampa Bay’s running backs room behind Bucky Irving (588) and Rachaad White (572).
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: TE Brenden Bates, WR Malachi Corley, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, K Andre Szmyt, WR Jamari Thrash
- Cowboys: CB Reddy Steward
- Lions: K Jake Bates
- Panthers: WR Jalen Coker, WR Brycen Tremayne
- Vikings: DT Jalen Redmond
While Moody continues to struggle to stay employed after getting draft in the third round three years ago, Bates and Szmyt will get another go around in Detroit and Cleveland.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/4/26
Minor NFL transactions are picking back up as we near the start of free agency with teams trying to secure any pending free agents before they hit the open market:
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: RB Chris Brooks
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: TE Quintin Morris
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on reserve/retired list: C Bradley Bozeman (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: LB Cameron Goode
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: QB Connor Bazelak
- Exercised club option: P Riley Dixon
Brooks served as a third rushing option in Green Bay this year behind Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson while MarShawn Lloyd sat on injured reserve all season. It was thought that, if Lloyd had been activated off IR, one of Wilson or Brooks would’ve been the odd man out. Though Wilson got significantly more usage (125 carries for 496 rushing yards and three touchdowns) than Brooks (27 carries for 106 yards) this season, Wilson was not tendered as a restricted free agent, and Brooks agreed to a two-year deal to stay in Green Bay.
Known more for his contributions as a blocker and special teamer, Morris has made a place for himself on the roster in Duval. He appeared in 14 games for Jacksonville last year, earning five starts.
Dixon’s two-year contract had a potential out with which, if they had decided not to retain him, his release wouldn’t have created any dead cap money. The team has opted not to go that route, extending his time with the team to the full duration of the contract.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson Could Jump To Top Half Of First Round?
It’s long been considered an essentially foregone conclusion that Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza will go No. 1 overall to the Raiders at the end of April. Las Vegas isn’t the only team that needs an upgrade at the quarterback position, though, and Mendoza isn’t the only passer available in the 2026 NFL Draft. According to Tony Pauline of EssentiallySports, Alabama’s Ty Simpson could be a potential solution to the Browns’ longstanding quarterback woes, and he could hear his name called much sooner in the draft than anyone is currently expecting. 
Simpson has long been seen as the draft’s QB2, behind the consensus No. 1, Mendoza. He had some competition in Oregon quarterback Dante Moore in early speculations, but Moore returned to Eugene for another season, essentially clearing the field of competition for Simpson. The hierarchy lately has been Mendoza at QB1, a large gap between him and Simpson at QB2, then another significant gap between Simpson and the next group of passers which includes Penn State’s Drew Allar, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, and Miami’s Carson Beck.
Though there’s been a perceived gap between Mendoza and Simpson, there have been projections in which Mendoza and Simpson mirror Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart from last year’s draft, with Mendoza at the top and Simpson standing a chance at sneaking into the back of the first round. Pauline, though, is asserting that some now believe Simpson could end up hearing his name sometime in the first 12 picks of the draft next month. These rumors started spreading even before Simpson impressed scouts and coaches at the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend, further bettering his position in the eyes of the NFL’s talent evaluators.
Pauline also noted a specific team that seems particularly interested in the former Crimson Tide passer, claiming the Browns have been “doing extensive work on Simpson.” This notion had been floated days earlier by Mary Kay Cabot at Cleveland.com. Cabot had written how new head coach Todd Monken has been a fan of Simpson since the days he recruited him as the offensive coordinator at Georgia years ago.
“I like Ty,” Monken told reporters at the combine. “I liked Ty when he was coming out (of high school). When I first got to Georgia, they hadn’t offered him, and I went up there and talked to his dad. In fact, his dad, Jason, is a Southern Miss alum, and I was the head coach at Southern Miss. So, we got to know them really well. Really fond of Ty, obviously, really good football player.”
Monken went on to note that his new team will not be complacent with the players it has in the building already. He told the media, “We’re going to do our due diligence to make sure that our roster–, that we put ourselves in the best position we can to score points, which starts with that (quarterback) position.”
Currently, the top projected contenders to win the QB1 job in Cleveland are the much-maligned Deshaun Watson and second-year Pro Bowler Shedeur Sanders. We haven’t seen Watson’s best football since two years before Monken offered Simpson at Georgia in 2022. And, though Sanders provided some excitement here and there as a rookie fourth option in Cleveland last year, he has a long way to go before he can be securely considered QB1. With Monken and Co. pledging to explore all options at quarterback, including external options, it stands to reason the Simpson could join the party in Cleveland and become another horse in the race for the starting job.
The Browns currently hold the Nos. 6, 24, and 39 draft picks on Days 1 and 2 of the draft. Simpson likely isn’t going sixth overall, unless some serious pressure and competition build up around the 23-year-old, so Simpson could be Cleveland’s selection at No. 24 or in the early second round. In order for Pauline’s top 12 prediction to be more feasible, the Browns may search out a team in the six picks behind them who may be looking to move up, and trade back to acquire some extra draft capital and draft Simpson a bit closer to his perceived draft projections.
Steelers To Release TE Jonnu Smith
Once Arthur Smith left Pittsburgh, it did not take long for his favorite tight end to follow. The Steelers are releasing Jonnu Smith, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, adding him to a strong crop of free agents at his position.
The move will save $7MM against the salary cap with $3.9MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. The Steelers currently have just over $40MM in 2026 cap space, so they did not need the money. However, with Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington still in place – and Arthur Smith now at Ohio State – Jonnu Smith became surplus to requirements in Pittsburgh, especially with a $10.9MM cap hit.
Smith, 30, arrived in Pittsburgh last offseason as part of the Jalen Ramsey–Minkah Fitzpatrick swap with the Dolphins. He signed a one-year, $12MM extension with the Steelers, but only received $9MM of that money. In 2025, he only put up 222 yards and two touchdowns on 38 catches, less than half of his production during his Pro Bowl 2024 campaign in Miami.
Smith will now join several other veteran tight ends in free agency. Teams may be cautious after a down year, but the presence of Freiermuth and Washington and the Steelers’ general offensive struggles in 2025 are mitigating factors. But Smith has never received strong blocking grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), which could limit interest from teams looking for a secondary tight end to help in the run game.
Perhaps Los Angeles could be a landing spot. There, Smith could reunite with Mike McDaniel, his head coach in Miami who is now the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. Smith put up career numbers in his lone season under McDaniel and could serve as an experience TE2 behind 2025 rookie breakout Oronde Gadsden II.
Vikings To Release DT Jonathan Allen
Faced with a tight 2026 salary cap picture, the Vikings are making some tough roster decisions before the new league year. They are expected to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Minnesota will see $6.5MM in savings as a result of the move with $17.3MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. A post-June 1 designation would increase the savings and push more dead money into 2027, but that money would not be available until that date. The Vikings are currently more than $46MM over the 2026 cap, so they will need to process the move right away to get closer to cap-compliance.
Allen, 31, was released by the Commanders last offseason after eight seasons in Washington. He signed a three-year, $60MM deal with the Vikings shortly thereafter and will now depart having seen $23.5MM of that money for just one year’s work.
Allen still had $8MM in guaranteed 2026 salary on his deal, so he will be available to sign with a new team for the veteran minimum. That will strengthen his market after two straight down years. He logged just 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2024 and 2025 after posting at least 5.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his previous three seasons, two of which featured Pro Bowl nods. Allen will still be one of the more proven defensive tackles in free agency, and he can be signed right away without affecting the compensatory pick formula, which further adds to his appeal.
The Vikings also released defensive tackle Javon Hargrave this week, but they have several young players ready to step up in the trenches, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Among them are Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, though only Redmond and Rodriguez made an impact. 2025 undrafted free agent signing Elijah Williams could also push for more playing time after making the 53-man roster as a rookie, but Minnesota may still look for a more experienced DT to round out the unit.
Giants Were Runners-Up For Trent McDuffie; CB Wants ‘Market-Topping Deal’ From Rams
The Rams were not the only team interested in trading for Trent McDuffie. The Giants were close to agreeing to a deal with the Chiefs, but were not willing to give up “first-round plus” value, per The Kansas City Star’s Sam McDowell.
New York’s exact offer is unknown, but it must have been less than the package sent by Los Angeles. It included the No. 29 selection in April’s draft as well as picks in the third, fifth, and sixth rounds, which comes out to the value of a first-round pick in the early 20s. The Giants would need a different combination of picks to match and were unwilling to do so.
Instead, McDuffie will head to the Rams, who have received permission from the Chiefs to negotiate an extension with the 25-year-old. This is a necessary step to start work on a new contract, as the trade cannot be officially processed until the start of the new league year next week.
McDuffie is seeking a “market-topping deal,” per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and could very well become the highest-paid cornerback in the league, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That would put McDuffie in line for a contract worth over $30.1MM per year after Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner – also 2022 first-rounders – reset the market last year. The former Washington Husky has not been as dominant in coverage as Stingley and Gardner, but he makes a much bigger impact in run support and as a blitzer. He also brings inside-outside versatility, which can allow the Rams to be more flexible in building their secondary.
Los Angeles, having moved significant draft capital for McDuffie, is clearly willing to meet his asking price. McDuffie is owed $13.6MM in 2026 with the same cap hit, which the Rams can comfortable absorb. An extension would lower that number and give general manager Les Snead more money to address other needs in free agency.
Eagles Rumors: Phillips, Goedert, Brown
A few days after the Eagles’ season ended, pending free agent Jaelan Phillips expressed interest in staying in Philadelphia. No deal has come together roughly a month and a half later, but the Eagles are “hopeful” they will re-sign the outside linebacker before free agency opens March 11, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports.
A former Miami Hurricane, Phillips stayed in the area when the Dolphins drafted him 18th overall in 2021. Phillips did not miss a game during his first two seasons, a 34-game span in which he combined for 15.5 sacks. However, between a torn Achilles in 2023 and a partially torn ACL in ’24, Phillips was on the field for just 12 games over the next two seasons.
The 26-year-old Phillips made an encouraging rebound to health during a 17-game 2025. Phillips was still a Dolphin for their first nine games, but the out-of-contention club sent him to the Eagles for a third-round pick before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. The move reunited Phillips with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who held the same post with the Dolphins in 2023.
The Eagles were unable to defend their Super Bowl title last season, but Phillips was nonetheless an effective acquisition. Although he did not post a gaudy sack total (two), he notched 17 pressures, seven QB hits, four passes defensed and four tackles for loss in eight games. Between the Dolphins and Eagles, he combined for the league’s ninth-most pressures (73) with 53 tackles, 14 QB hits, seven TFL and five sacks. Phillips now finds himself in a similar pending free agent tier to fellow 20-something pass rushers Kwity Paye and Odafe Oweh.
Turning to the offensive side, tight end Dallas Goedert also ranks among the Eagles’ noteworthy pending free agents. General manager Howie Roseman has interest in bringing back the career-long Eagle for a ninth season, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The two sides will continue to talk leading up to free agency.
Notably, Goedert’s potential exit would subject the Eagles to a $20MM dead money charge stemming from void years. That may provide added motivation to re-sign Goedert, who had one of his most productive pass-catching seasons in 2025.
The Eagles heavily relied on Goedert, who registered a 74.7% offensive snap share and led the team with 11 TD grabs (a franchise record for his position). The 31-year-old also ranked third among Eagles in receptions (60), targets (82) and yards (591) over 15 games.
If the Eagles lose Goedert, longtime Browns tight end David Njoku is a potential replacement. While Njoku enjoyed a successful nine-year run in Cleveland, he will walk in free agency in the wake of Harold Fannin‘s emergence as a rookie last season. Njoku could land in Philadelphia, which is interested in the soon-to-be 30-year-old, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP.
Meanwhile, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown remains one of the league’s highest-profile trade candidates. The Eagles have insisted on a first-round pick in any package, which has not changed. Offers continue to come in, though Garafolo says Roseman is continuing to hold out for a Quinnen Williams-like return. The Cowboys acquired the defensive tackle from the Jets for a 2027 first-rounder, a 2026 second-rounder and DT Mazi Smith before last year’s trade deadline.
A report last week indicated that Roseman is likely to make a decision on Brown by the start of the legal tampering period on March 9. Electing to either keep or trade Brown by then would give Roseman a better idea how to proceed with other important offseason business.
Trey Hendrickson Wants To Play For Bucs?
After saying goodbye to the Bengals on Tuesday, four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson is expected to encounter a robust market in free agency. If Hendrickson has his way, the Buccaneers will be his next team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).
During a recent appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast, Schefter said that the 31-year-old Hendrickson “would love to be in Tampa. He lives in Ponte Verde … Tampa would be a great fit. I think, in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida. No state income tax. But he’s also open to going to the best possible situation.”
Hendrickson, who attended Florida Atlantic, lives much closer to Jacksonville than Tampa Bay. Even if the Jaguars are interested in Hendrickson, Schefter expressed skepticism about them fitting him under their cap. Hendrickson is not a fit for Florida’s other franchise, the rebuilding Dolphins.
Also a former Saint, Hendrickson has totaled at least 13.5 sacks four times in his nine-year career. He reached 17.5 in back-to-back seasons from 2023-24. His apparent hope to sign with Tampa Bay may be especially fortuitous for a team that will prioritize beefing up its pass rush after tying for 15th in sacks last year.
YaYa Diaby led the Buccaneers with seven sacks, but the addition of Haason Reddick on a $12MM guarantee last March did not yield the desired results. While Reddick has amassed double-digit sacks on four occasions, he put up just 2.5 in 13 games in 2025. Pro Football Focus ranked Reddick’s performance a lackluster 95th among 119 qualifying edge rushers.
The Buccaneers need at least one better edge-rushing complement to Diaby, and Hendrickson would fit the bill. Although a hip injury limited Hendrickson to seven games and four sacks last season, he should not have much trouble reeling in a lucrative contract on the open market.
The Buccaneers only have $11.35MM in cap space at present, though Stroud notes they could open up more room with simple restructures of deals for the Tristan Wirfs–Luke Goedeke tackle tandem and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Doing so could better their chances in a potential Hendrickson pursuit.