Bengals To Sign DE Boye Mafe
The Bengals are adding former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe, agent Mike McCartney announced. Mafe will sign a three-year, $60MM contract, insider Jordan Schultz relays.
Cincinnati’s pass rush took a hit when defensive end Joseph Ossai agreed to sign with the Jets on Monday. The Bengals are also expected to lose their best D-end, Trey Hendrickson, to free agency. At least one outside pass-rushing addition became a necessity for the Bengals, whose defense was among the NFL’s worst in 2025. The unit ranked 26th in sacks, 30th in scoring and 31st in total defense.
Mafe has not posted Hendrickson-like production (few have), but he should at least serve as a credible Ossai replacement. The four-year veteran has 20 career sacks over 65 games (34 starts). In 2023, Mafe’s most productive year, he worked as a full-time starter and tallied 52 tackles, 16 QB hits, nine sacks, nine TFL and six passes defensed in 16 contests.
Mafe notched another 12 QB hits and six sacks during a 15-game, 11-start 2024, but the 27-year-old took on a lesser role for the Super Bowl champions last season. The former second-rounder from Minnesota came off the bench in 13 of 17 games and logged a 50% defensive snap share. Mafe could only muster four QB hits and a pair of sacks, but he nonetheless entered free agency with plenty of earning potential. He will indeed rake in a substantial raise in moving from Seattle to Cincinnati.
Mafe’s exit is the latest blow to the Seahawks’ roster on the first day of the league’s free agent negotiating period. They previously lost running back/Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs and safety Coby Bryant to the Bears.
Packers To Release OL Elgton Jenkins
In a move which comes as little surprise at this point, the Packers are parting ways with Elgton Jenkins. The veteran offensive lineman is being released, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Mentioned as a trade candidate recently, Jenkins will join the likes of Tyler Biadasz and Lloyd Cushenberry in becoming center cap casualties. Green Bay will create $19.5MM in cap space with this release, which comes after the team traded Rashan Gary to Dallas.
The center market has ignited today, with Tyler Linderbaum smashing the position’s salary record — along with guard AAV numbers — on his Raiders deal before Cade Mays landed with the Lions. The Chargers added Biadasz late last week, while the Bills re-signed Connor McGovern before free agency opened.
The market will feature an accomplished pro in Jenkins, however. A versatile player who has booked Pro Bowl accolades at guard and played extended stretches at both left and right tackle, Jenkins is going into an age-30 season. The Packers gave Zach Tom an extension last year and signed guard Aaron Banks in free agency, kicking Jenkins to center. Sean Rhyan has since signed an extension, and the Pack — after finding a trade partner for Gary — will send Jenkins to free agency.
Moved to center to accommodate the Banks signing, Jenkins pushed for a contract update last year but did not succeed. He had agreed to a four-year, $68MM extension in December 2022. The Packers had moved Jenkins to guard that year, scrapping plans for him to play right tackle opposite the increasingly injury-prone David Bakhtiari. Jenkins had subbed for Bakhtiari previously at LT, but guard became his best position. Jenkins made both his Pro Bowls — in 2020 and ’22 — at that position.
While Jenkins would ordinarily represent an intriguing option on the market, his season ending due to a leg fracture and ligament damage may stall his free agency for a while. While the seven-year veteran — a starter for the Packer teams that earned byes in 2019 and ’20 — may be a bounce-back candidate to monitor down the road, it could take a bit for the 30-year-old blocker to find a new home.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Lions To Sign OL Larry Borom
Having already agreed to terms with center Cade Mays, the Lions have lined up another offensive line addition. Larry Borom has worked out a Detroit deal, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.
Signed to be Miami’s swing tackle last year, Borom ended up starting 11 games due to Austin Jackson‘s health issues. The former Bears starter logged 664 right tackles snaps last season, representing his most work since the Bears demoted him during the 2022 campaign.
Pro Football Focus ranked Borom 58th among tackles in 2025, but the former fifth-round pick out of Missouri has 38 career starts. He joins a Lions team that just released Taylor Decker after the 10-year LT mainstay requested it. That could open a door for Borom, though he has not been looked upon as a team’s full-season starter in any of his five NFL slates.
The Bears gave Borom their right tackle job during his 2021 rookie season and used him on 486 snaps at RT in 2022. The team plugged in aging option Riley Reiff that year, with Borom benched. Chicago then drafted Darnell Wright with its 2023 first-round pick, relegating Borom to backup status. Borom played 408 LT snaps in 2023, subbing for Braxton Jones, but was deemed a nonpriority by the Bears as a 2025 UFA.
Borom being asked to play right tackle and All-Pro Penei Sewell sliding to the left side is a scenario that perhaps should be considered, but moving a dominant performer away from his natural position so a midlevel free agent can step in would seem a flawed plan. It would surprise if the Lions did not at least add competition for the job opposite Sewell — wherever he lines up — before training camp.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Commanders To Re-Sign Marcus Mariota
The Commanders will once again have stability at the quarterback spot in 2026. Marcus Mariota has agreed to another new Washington deal.
The veteran quarterback is set to re-sign on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This latest Mariota contract has a base value of $7MM and can top out at $11MM via incentives. Mariota has been with the Commanders since Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season (2024), and the two will continue to work together.
Knee and elbow issues forced Daniels to miss more than half his games in 2025, opening the door for Mariota to start eight of his 11 appearances. This was the most work the veteran QB had seen since he started 13 games for the Falcons back in 2022.
The results were mixed. The Commanders ended up going only 2-6 in Mariota’s eight starts, but the QB did manage to toss 10 touchdowns vs. only seven interceptions. He also had one of his most productive rushing seasons since his early days in Tennessee. The 32-year-old ultimately finished the 2025 campaign with 297 rushing yards on 50 carries.
The Commanders are hoping they won’t see nearly as much of Mariota in 2026. However, another sizable commitment to the backup QB at least shows that the team isn’t entirely comfortable with Daniels’ health.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Titans To Sign CB Alontae Taylor
The Titans’ spending spree continues. Alontae Taylor is the latest free agent to line up a deal with Tennessee as the team’s overhaul is in full force.
The parties have agreed to a deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This pact will be worth $60MM over three years, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. Taylor will cash in following his rookie contract stint in New Orleans, with Rapoport adding he will collect $42MM in full guarantees.
Experienced as both a slot and perimeter corner, Taylor may command the top CB salary on this year’s market. Ranked 12th overall in PFR’s top 50 (first among corners), Taylor has a skillset that will allow Saleh options in coverage. The former second-round pick has more than 1,500 snaps inside and outside.
Taylor becomes the NFL’s 10th $20MM-per-year cornerback. The Titans still have L’Jarius Sneed tied to a $19.1MM-per-year contract. While other former Chiefs starters have justified their second-contract costs — the Rams are betting big on this having added Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson — Sneed has struggled to stay healthy and was embroiled in a legal situation during his time in Nashville. The Titans are likely to cut the underwhelming trade acquisition, veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky notes.
As Nikhil Mehta’s Titans Offseason Outlook detailed, Sneed will see $7.5MM of his 2026 salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year. That March 16 date will be tied to a physical, per Kuharsky, who notes Sneed being cleared would allow the Titans to cut him without that injury guarantee kicking in. The Titans would save $13.43MM if Sneed’s injury issue is resolved and he is released.
The Saints attempted to extend Taylor, but it became clear this week he would depart in free agency. New Orleans sought a Day 2 pick for Taylor in a trade, and the Bears and Colts pursued. Indianapolis then came in with a two-first-rounder offer for Sauce Gardner. Taylor, 27, finished out his contract year with the Saints — unlike Rashid Shaheed, who was moved at the deadline — and will be positioned as the Titans’ No. 1 corner. Barring a pay cut, Sneed will be out of the picture. Tennessee will still have work to do here.
New Orleans has now lost two homegrown options — Taylor and Paulson Adebo — to big-ticket contracts in back-to-back free agencies. The Giants gave Adebo a three-year, $54MM deal. A few corners landed those terms in 2025, but with the cap rising past $300MM this year, Taylor will outdo that lot and reside between the top tier and the cadre of ’25 market beneficiaries.
Seahawks To Re-Sign CB Josh Jobe
Losing Coby Bryant to the Bears during today’s frenzied transaction spree, the Seahawks also have Riq Woolen unattached from their Super Bowl secondary. Seattle is, however, bringing back one member of its DB cadre.
Josh Jobe is re-signing with the Seahawks on a three-year, $24MM deal, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets. Jobe became a regular starter for Seattle last season and, unlike Woolen, was acquired during Mike Macdonald‘s HC stay.
In PFR’s Seahawks Offseason Outlook, I mentioned Jobe as the most likely DB to stay due largely to his arrival under Macdonald. The former Eagles draftee landed in Seattle as a practice squad player in August 2024, and the Seahawks developed him into a starter. Jobe started 15 games last season, which turned out to be a breakthrough year for the corner’s value.
PFR’s No. 40-ranked free agent, Jobe logged career-high 818 defensive snaps (and starting more games than Woolen – 15-7). He allowed a measly 49.5% completion rate as the closest defender last season. Among boundary corners with at least eight starts, that ranked ninth leaguewide. Jobe, 27, only has two career INTs but closed last season with 12 passes defensed while making key contributions during Seattle’s Super Bowl run.
Woolen landed in trade rumors before last year’s deadline, potentially pointing to Seahawks confidence they could retain Jobe. While cap space wasn’t an issue for the reining champs entering free agency, big-ticket extensions are likely coming for Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks let Kenneth Walker defect to the Chiefs, who authorized more than $14MM per year for the Super Bowl LX MVP. Jobe represents a midlevel CB investment, but he will be expected to complement Witherspoon and a to-be-determined third corner next season.
Bengals, S Bryan Cook Agree To Deal
The Bengals have lined up a notable defensive addition early in free agency. Bryan Cook is set to join Cincinnati in 2026.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Cook is set to receive $40.25MM on this new pact. That includes $18MM this season.
PFR’s top safety in this year’s pool, ranking 21st overall, Cook is headed to the Bengals on a contract that is certainly on-brand for the old-school franchise. The signing bonus represents the only fully guaranteed money, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano.
Cook will be due a $4MM 2027 roster bonus and a $6.05MM ’27 base salary. A $1MM roster bonus and a $10MM base salary would await in 2028. While the $18MM 2026 number looks nice, the Bengals could cut bait before the 2027 bonus comes due if the fit proves poor.
This year’s safety crop presented a wide array of options, with dozens of starter-level players hitting the market today. A former second-round pick, Cook started every Chiefs game over the past two seasons. While a season-ending ankle injury kept Cook out for the 2023 stretch run, he returned and started in Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles. Cook, 27 in September, succeeded Thornhill in Kansas City’s lineup after the latter’s Cleveland defection.
Pro Football Focus ranked Cook fourth among all safeties last season. The Chiefs primarily used Cook as a free safety, though Cook does not have great ball production (three INTs in four seasons). The Bengals have been hurting at safety since Jessie Bates‘ 2023 defection. The team’s Vonn Bell reunion did not work out, nor did its Geno Stone acquisition. Stone is unsigned.
Cincy, which has seen porous defense do plenty to sink its past two operations, will try its hand with Cook this time around. With Jordan Battle in a contract year, the Bengals will hope Cook can prove a fit and stick around beyond 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Chargers To Sign TE Charlie Kolar
After playing out his rookie contract in Baltimore, Charlie Kolar has secured a major raise on his next deal. A notable agreement with the Chargers has been worked out.
Team and player agreed to terms on a three-year contract Monday, Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network report. This $24.3MM pact will include $17MM guaranteed, per the report. That will make Kolar the NFL’s highest-paid blocking tight end at $8.1MM per year. He is following in the footsteps of Josh Oliver, who cut his teeth as a blocker in Baltimore and earned a solid payday in free agency from the Vikings as a result.
The former Iowa State standout was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth-round of the 2022 draft, 11 picks ahead of fellow Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely emerged as the better pass-catching tight end over the last four years, earning himself a three-year, $40MM contract with John Harbaugh‘s Giants. Kolar, who primarily proved himself as a blocker, will also be going to a popular destination for former Ravens in Los Angeles, where Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz has added many players he once scouted in Baltimore.
Kolar has plenty of untapped receiving potential in his 6-foot-6, 265-pound frame. In fact, he was better known as a pass-catching threat coming out of college and made huge strides as a blocker in Baltimore. He will pair with 2025 rookie breakout Oronde Gadsden – who is not as strong of a blocker – to form a young, high-upside tight end duo. Kolar can take on a bigger role as an inline tight end to free Gadsden up to exploit mismatches in the slot, both against slower linebackers in the pass game and smaller defensive backs in the run game.
The Chargers’ move to sign Kolar for a premium price indicates that they will continue to use plenty of two-tight end packages on offense in 2026 despite the departure of offensive coordinator Greg Roman (who coached Kolar as a rookie in 2022). His replacement, Mike McDaniel, did not feature tight ends heavily in the passing game, but used them extensively as blockers, indicating there will be plenty of work for Kolar in Los Angeles.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Broncos To Re-Sign RB J.K. Dobbins
Linked to both Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne, the Broncos will instead bring back their primary 2025 starting running back. J.K. Dobbins is staying in Denver, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.
Dobbins confirmed the news. He had expressed interest in re-signing at multiple points, and despite yet another season-sidetracking injury, the productive (when healthy) RB will be in line to team with RJ Harvey for a second season.
Despite one of the modern NFL’s most extensive injury histories, Dobbins created a market for himself during the healthy portion of his Broncos season. Denver is giving the seventh-year RB a two-year, $16MM deal that comes with $8MM guaranteed at signing, insider Jordan Schultz tweets. Due to his injury history, Dobbins has played for $1.61MM (Chargers) and $2.07MM (his first Denver deal). This represents a tremendous commitment by comparison, though the guarantee structure looks to give the Broncos an out after 2026.
Among the NFL’s top five leading rushers when he went down with a Lisfranc injury in November, Dobbins provided a boost to the Broncos’ rushing attack during the season’s first half. His 772 rushing yards still led the team despite the injury-prone vet missing the team’s final seven games. Denver did designate Dobbins for return, and he said following the Broncos’ AFC championship game loss that a Super Bowl return could have been in the cards.
A more instinctive runner than Harvey, Dobbins did better to maximize Denver’s top-tier offensive line. Pro Football Focus ranked the Broncos’ O-line first overall, but the team’s run game took a hit when Dobbins went down. Harvey’s dual-threat production notwithstanding, Dobbins was much better on the ground. While the former Ravens and Chargers starter averaged 5.0 yards per carry, injuries are his NFL legacy to date.
The six regular-season absences for Dobbins last year ran his count to a staggering 54 misses contest since arriving as a 2020 second-round pick. Dobbins has ACL and Achilles tears on his medical sheet, and he suffered an MCL sprain during his 2024 Chargers one-off. Dobbins, 27, has persevered and became a popular player in Denver.
It would stand to reason the Broncos would want a third back as insurance, but Sean Payton‘s team is unlikely to allocate much in the way of money or draft capital to that position thanks to this signing and Harvey’s second-round status. Denver nontendered Jaleel McLaughlin as an RFA but re-signed third-stringer Tyler Badie last week.
Denver was linked to Breece Hall, with a report indicating the Jets franchise-tagged him in part to prevent such a pursuit. Etienne and Walker also came up. It is worth wondering how genuine Broncos interest in the higher-profile backs was, because the team’s approach this week has been continuity-centric.
Saints, P Ryan Wright Agree To Deal
Ryan Wright will not remain in Minnesota after playing out his rookie contract there. He will instead become the Saints’ new punter.
Wright and New Orleans have agreed to a four-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This will be a $14MM pact, he adds. Wright will collect $8MM in guarantees.
The Vikings used Wright as their punter for four seasons, but they will let him walk. As of Monday night, Minnesota does not have a punter on its offseason roster.
At $3.5MM per year, Wright becomes the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid punter — behind Jordan Stout, Michael Dickson, Logan Cooke and AJ Cole. The Giants reunited Stout with John Harbaugh on Monday, making the former Ravens specialist — at $4.1MM per year — the NFL’s highest-paid punter.
A former UDFA out of Cal, Wright will go from indoor confines in one city to another — albeit a much warmer locale. He finished last season with a 49-yard average per punt; that represented a career-best mark.