QB Taylor Heinicke Announces Retirement
Taylor Heinicke is calling it a career. The veteran quarterback announced on Instagram that he’s decided to retire.
“For 25 years, I had the pleasure to play this great sport of football,” Heinicke wrote. “…It has taught me a lot, not only about myself, but about life as well.
“Many ups and downs throughout the years, but the ups outweigh the downs tenfold. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would’ve been able to live this life.
“Thank you to all who have supported me in this journey. Thank you all who have believed in me. And thank you to those who gave me the opportunity to live out my childhood dream.”
Following a standout career at Old Dominion that saw him win the Walter Payton Award and FCS Player of the Year in 2012, Heinicke went undrafted during the 2015 draft. He bounced around a bit during his first few years as a professional, spending time with the Vikings, Patriots, Texans, Panthers, and even the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League. Through his first six years in the NFL, he made eight appearances, including one start with the Panthers.
Heinicke caught on with the Commanders practice squad late in the 2020 season. With Dwayne Haskins getting cut and Alex Smith suffering a calf injury, Heinicke suddenly found himself under center for Washington’s Wild Card Round matchup against the Buccaneers. While the Commanders ended up losing that game, Heinicke performed admirably, completing 26 of his 44 pass attempts for 306 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also added another 46 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
He signed a new two-year deal with the franchise the following offseason and was expected to serve as the top backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, the veteran starter suffered an injury in Week 1, and Heinicke proceeded to start 15 games that season. He went 7-8 as a starter in 2021, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also added 313 yards and a score on the ground.
Heinicke entered 2022 as the backup to Carson Wentz, but he was once again inserted into the starting lineup when the QB1 got injured. Heinicke started nine games that year, going 5-3-1 while tossing 12 touchdowns vs. six interceptions. That performance earned him a two-year, $14MM deal with his hometown Falcons, where he was expected to be the backup to Desmond Ridder. Heinicke garnered four starts during that 2023 campaign, going 1-3.
After the Falcons added both Kirk Cousins and first-rounder Michael Penix Jr. during the 2024 offseason, Heinicke was dealt to the Chargers. He spent the 2024 campaign as Justin Herbert‘s backup, and he was limited to five pass attempts in four cameo appearances. He inked a one-year, $6.2MM deal with Los Angeles during the 2025 offseason but didn’t make it to the regular season with the squad, with Trey Lance winning the backup battle. Heinicke didn’t end up getting another gig during the 2025 season.
The 33-year-old will finish his career with 42 appearances. He went 13-15-1 in his 29 starts, tossing 33 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He also added another three rushing TDs.
Panthers Sign First-Round OT Monroe Freeling
With the Panthers set to begin rookie minicamp tomorrow, the team has signed a handful of their draft picks. The team announced the signing of six rookies today, including first-round offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
The Panthers reportedly entered the first round with a “tackle or bust” mentality, and they landed one of the draft’s top positional prospects in Freeling. The Georgia product exclusively played left tackle during his collegiate career, including a 2025 campaign where he earned second-team All-SEC honors. Freeling possesses the length and athleticism that teams seek from their LTs, although scouts did note that he needs to add some weight to compete in the NFL.
The Freeling selection could also lead to some interesting roster decisions for the franchise. The team is returning longtime RT Taylor Moton and is still rostering LT Ikem Ekwonu on a fifth-year option. Ekwonu is set to miss the beginning of the 2026 season, but the team seemingly filled that temporary hole by signing Rasheed Walker to a one-year deal worth just $4MM. Depth is never a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see how the OL ultimately shakes out, and the team’s surplus of OTs could potentially lead to some moves.
The team’s other signings today included:
- Round 3, No. 83: Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee)
- Round 4, No. 129 (from Bears): Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M)
- Round 5, No. 144 (from Titans via Panthers): Sam Hecht (C, Kansas State)
- Round 5, No. 151 (from Dolphins): Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
- Round 7, No. 227 (from Dolphins): Jackson Kuwatch (LB, Miami (OH))
This leaves the Panthers with only one unsigned draft pick: second-round DT Lee Hunter. While it’s notable that the Texas Tech product wasn’t included among the team’s other signings, there’s a chance he quickly inks his deal to be in attendance for tomorrow’s minicamp.
DE Mike Danna Visits Bills
Defensive end Mike Danna has sat on the free agent market since the Chiefs released him in late February. Buffalo, one of Kansas City’s AFC rivals, could be his next destination. Danna recently visited the Bills, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
A fifth-round pick in 2020, Danna spent the first six years of his career as a member of the Chiefs, with whom he won two Super Bowls. He emerged as a full-time starter in 2023, the Chiefs’ most recent title-winning campaign. Danna logged career highs in defensive snap share (74%), tackles (50), QB hits (13), TFL (seven) and sacks (6.5) over 16 games that year. He is now coming off a 15-game, 14-start season in which he registered 25 tackles, a sack and his first interception. Danna’s snap percentage dropped to 42%, the second-lowest mark of his career.
With a chance to save $8.94MM in cap space, the Chiefs deemed Danna expendable before the start of the new league year. The 6-foot-2, 260-pounder ended his KC tenure with 87 games, 49 starts and 21.5 sacks. He also chipped in a pair of playoff sacks, one of which came in the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Bills in a January 2025 AFC title game matchup.
If the 28-year-old Danna heads to Buffalo, he could join an edge defender contingent led by outside linebackers Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, second-round pick T.J. Parker and Michael Hoecht. While those four are locked in as the Bills’ top OLBs, there is less certainty at defensive end as the team transitions to a 3-4 base under new coordinator Jim Leonhard. Danna could provide an established option to join the likes of Ed Oliver, T.J. Sanders and Landon Jackson. Oliver is a proven commodity, but Sanders and Jackson offered minimal production during injury-shortened rookie seasons in 2025.
Wyc Grousbeck, Vinod Khosla Emerge As Expected Bidders For Seahawks
As the Commanders and Broncos did before them, the Seahawks are expected to produce an American sports-record sale price. The NBA’s Boston Celtics broke the Commanders’ mark last year, going for $6.1 billion. Two parts of that Boston deal have emerged on the Seattle radar.
Wyc Grousbeck, who sold the Celtics last year, is preparing to enter the bidding for the Seahawks, Sportico’s Scott Soshnick reports. A Celtics investor, Aditya Mittal, is expected to join Grousbeck’s ownership group attempting to buy the NFC West franchise. Vinod Khosla, a 49ers investor, is on track to prepare a separate bid, according to Soshnick and Sportico’s Eben Novy-Williams.
The Celtics went for $6.1 billion last August. Grousbeck had been the team’s controlling owner from 2002-25. The 64-year-old billionaire, present for the Celtics’ most recent two championships, is looking to follow Josh Harris — who owns the Philadelphia 76ers — in making the NBA-to-NFL jump. Harris still owns the Sixers but bought the Commanders for a then-record-smashing price ($6.05 billion) in 2023.
Mittal was part of the group that bought the Celtics last year, contributing approximately $1 billion to that effort. Mittal is a London resident, according to Soshnick, who would only live in Seattle part-time if he and Grousbeck’s bid ends up winning. Mittal, 50, was part of a group that purchased an Indian cricket franchise this week for approximately $1.65 billion. Khosla, 71, was part of a group that purchased a 49ers stake — north of $8.5 billion — in 2025.
Sportico values the Seahawks at $6.59 billion, which ranks 14th among the site’s NFL valuations. The price to buy the franchise from Jody Allen, sister of the late Paul Allen, may check in a bit higher. A $7 billion price tag is viewed as the floor, though some pushback emerged on an earlier report that pegged the potential number at around $10 billion. Jody Allen officially put the Seahawks on the market after Super Bowl LX.
More bidders emerging would naturally drive up the price. These two groups are the first known entrants into the derby. A recent report indicating Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and former Apple CEO Tim Cook has been debunked. Los Angeles Clippers owner/Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was mentioned as a prospective Seahawks suitor. Ballmer, who owns property in the Seattle area, entering the fray would obviously add intrigue to this pursuit. But some key players have emerged since his name surfaced as a possibility here. More may soon follow in the NFL’s third sale this decade.
Chad Alexander, John McKay, Dave Ziegler, Others Receive Vikings GM Interview Requests
2:38pm: It is certainly possible more candidates emerge, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Gray and the five candidates to emerge today represent the full list of external options in the Vikings’ search.
12:59pm: The Vikings’ mid-offseason GM interview search is forming. After Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray received the first known request Wednesday, the Vikes have sent out a host of interview slips.
Minnesota is focusing on the assistant GM level; five more execs with that title join Gray among the NFC North franchise’s list of hopeful meetings. A second-chance candidate — a rarity in the modern NFL — is on Minnesota’s list, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting the team sent Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler a request.
Rams assistant GM John McKay, 49ers AGM R.J. Gillen, Chargers AGM Chad Alexander and Seahawks AGM Nolan Teasley also received interview slips from the Vikings, according to Pelissero, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Alexander, Gillen and McKay have been part of GM interview processes before; this is a first for Teasley. Gray joins this quintet among candidates, with the Vikes’ current top front office decisionmaker — interim GM Rob Brzezinski — likely to receive an interview as well.
Ziegler teamed with Josh McDaniels with the Raiders, but Mark Davis short-circuited this regime’s plans by firing both less than two years in. Ziegler, who established himself as a GM candidate by working with the Patriots and Broncos, landed as the Titans’ assistant GM in January 2025. Considering Ziegler’s abrupt Las Vegas ouster and the Titans’ 2025 performance, it is a bit surprising the Vikings are interested.
That said, Ziegler did work closely with Bill Belichick and now-Texans GM Nick Caserio in New England, which won three Super Bowls during Ziegler’s time in the front office. This is Ziegler’s first interview request since his Vegas dismissal. After both Tom Telesco and Trent Baalke received pink slips in 2025, the NFL does not have any second-chance GMs in place presently.
Gillen and McKay each interviewed for the Dolphins’ GM post this year. That marked the first such meetings for both NFC West execs. Gillen climbed to the AGM level in San Francisco in 2025, coming up through the scouting ranks to become the team’s player personnel director in 2023. Gillen has been with the 49ers since before John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s arrivals, being hired during Trent Baalke‘s GM tenure.
McKay joined the Rams a year before Sean McVay, joining Les Snead‘s front office as a scouting assistant. The McVay-era Rams have certainly represented a launching pad for HC and GM candidates. Ex-Ram staffers Brad Holmes (Lions) and James Gladstone (Jaguars) are currently in GM roles.
Alexander has more interview experience than his California AGM counterparts. The Chargers exec joined Gillen and McKay in the Dolphins’ search and competed with Gladstone for the Jags’ gig last year. The Raiders also brought in Alexander for a meeting in 2025. Alexander has been with the Chargers since shortly after Joe Hortiz‘s 2024 GM hire, coming over from the Jets.
Teasley’s name may be the most interesting here, seeing as the Seahawks won Super Bowl LX. Teasley climbed to the AGM level in 2023 but has been with the Seahawks under John Schneider since 2013. Schneider having won Super Bowls 12 years apart, with two completely different rosters, sets him apart in NFL history. Considering how impressive the Seahawks’ post-Russell Wilson retooling effort has been, it is unsurprising Teasley is on the GM radar. If the Vikings do not end up hiring him, the longtime Seattle staffer figures to be a prime candidate for roles come winter 2027.
The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January and went through the draft with Brzezinski in place in the interim. The team held off on conducting a search until after the draft. With that point having arrived on the NFL calendar, Minnesota’s next FO boss figures to emerge this month.
Buccaneers Sign Round 1 EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
Rueben Bain Jr. was not viewed as likely to be available at No. 15. The Buccaneers were believed to have given the Miami defensive end a top-five grade on their board. Tampa Bay entered the draft in need of EDGE help, and the team exited Round 1 with one of the top prospects at the position.
The Bucs have made quick work of signing Bain to his rookie contract. The sides agreed to terms on Bain’s first-round slot deal Thursday, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Bain’s deal comes fully guaranteed — worth $22.79MM — and will include a fifth-year option for the 2030 season.
[RELATED: Bucs Exercise DL Calijah Kancey’s Fifth-Year Option]
Tampa Bay was in the Trey Hendrickson market, something GM Jason Licht confirmed this week, and pursued Jonathan Greenard via trade. but ended up with a lower-cost option (Al-Quadin Muhammad — at one year and $4MM) in free agency. As Muhammad profiled as a stopgap alongside contract-year rusher YaYa Diaby, the Bucs now have Bain in place as a high-end developmental option behind the veterans. Diaby is an extension candidate, and Bain’s rookie deal would complement a second contract for the team’s top incumbent edge rusher nicely.
Linked to trading down from No. 15, the Bucs were “over the moon” to come away with Bain in that spot. Bain was mentioned as a candidate to go in the top 10, but potential EDGE-seeking teams Kansas City and New Orleans went in different directions.
An arm-length issue, albeit one that may not have been as clear-cut as it seemed, impacted Bain’s draft stock. He was also involved in a car accident in which one of the passengers in the vehicle he was driving died. The latter issue did not bring charges, only a careless driving citation, and it was not believed to have much effect on the ex-Hurricane’s perception among teams entering the draft; teams had known about the incident for longer than the public.
Diaby hit as a third-round pick for the Bucs, but the team has not seen a player eclipse eight sacks in a season since Shaquil Barrett‘s 2021 campaign. The team whiffed on first-rounder Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and its 2025 Haason Reddick free agency addition did not work out. Diaby’s seven sacks paced the Bucs last season; no one else reached the five-sack mark. That has been a theme for Tampa Bay in recent years, even as Vita Vea has been one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles in this span.
Bain, 21, registered 7.5 sacks as a freshman in 2023 and tallied 9.5 to help Miami reach the CFP championship game. Bain racked up 15.5 tackles for loss last season, earning All-America acclaim. While an edge rusher by trade, Bain worked as an inside disruptor at points for the Hurricanes as well. That would give Tampa Bay some options.
The Chiefs were believed to view Bain as their backup plan to Mansoor Delane, but Kansas City left Bain on the board when Cleveland greenlit a trade that sent the draft’s top cornerback prospect to Missouri. Staying in Florida, Bain will attempt to give the Bucs a dependable edge-rushing presence after falling to 15.
Calais Campbell Addresses Ravens Deal
Earlier this week, Calais Campbell officially signed the deal which will see him return to the Ravens for 2026. A 19th NFL season is now in store, something the defensive line stalwart did not envision coming to pass.
“I’ve always told myself once I got old, it was one year at a time,” Campbell said (via the Ravens’ website). “Play well enough that if you want to play again, you’ll have opportunity. It’s cool to still be wanted.”
The 2010s All-Decade Team member noted multiple suitors showed interest in him during free agency. Campbell is preparing to play his age-40 season, so having multiple destinations to choose from illustrates the regard in which he is still held. Campbell will spend a fourth campaign in Baltimore and first since 2022, although efforts were made on the part of the Ravens to bring about a reunion earlier.
Baltimore released the former Defensive Player of the Year in a cost-shedding move following the 2022 season. The team’s intention was to retain Campbell at a reduced rate, but he wound up signing with the Falcons. One year in Atlanta was followed by a Dolphins campaign; Baltimore worked out a trade to re-acquire Campbell but then-Miami coach Mike McDaniel nixed it.
Campbell noted the Ravens tried once again to trade for him in 2025. Instead, the Cardinals (the team with which his decorated career began) elected to retain him. While waiting until April to make a determination on his playing future, Campbell noted Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta made another push to bring him back. This latest effort led to the six-time Pro Bowler choosing to return to the Ravens despite interest on the part of the Cardinals in working out a deal for 2026.
During his three-year run in Baltimore, Campbell operated as a full-time starter and made consistent contributions against the run and pass. He will be expected to do so upon return with retirement questions delayed once more for the time being. In the event Campbell does continue playing in 2027, though, he could have a notable free agent market.
Bears, C Garrett Bradbury Agree To Restructure
In the aftermath of Drew Dalman‘s retirement, the Bears found themselves in need of a veteran center. Chicago was among the teams which showed free agent interest in Tyler Linderbaum, but the trade route wound up being taken.
The Bears swung a deal with the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury in March. That acquisition gave Chicago a new starter for 2026, the final year of Bradbury’s contract. The ex-Vikings veteran’s deal has been revised recently.
A restructure has been worked out between team and player in this case, as detailed by Spotrac. Bradbury has seen $1MM in incentives converted into a guarantee. As a result, he is now owed $3.7MM in locked-in base salary. Bradbury can collect an additional $1MM through workout and per-game roster bonuses. He will carry a cap charge of $4.7MM in 2026.
Chicago still has 2025 trade acquisitions Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in place at the guard positions. Right tackle Darnell Wright remains under team control for another two seasons with 2027 marking his fifth-year option campaign. The left tackle spot, by contrast, is much less certain. It remains to be seen if Ozzy Trapilo will able to play in 2026, so Braxton Jones or recent addition Jedrick Wills could see notable time on the blindside next season.
Regardless of how things play out on that front, Bradbury will spend the summer aiming to cement his first-team status. The Bears drafted Logan Jones in the second round, making him the team’s planned long-term option at the center spot. For now, though, Bradbury is in place. His Bears deal now includes a bump in guarantees, pointing further to his importance for 2026.
Travis Kelce Informed Chiefs Of 2026 Plans Following Week 18
Once the Chiefs’ season ended, attention turned to the question of Travis Kelce‘s future. It appeared uncertain for a time if he would suit up for the 2026 campaign, but the team had a good indication of his intentions right away.
“We played our last game of the season in Vegas last year, and when we got back we have player meetings and exit interviews,” general manager Brett Veach said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (video link). “It was a cool deal where Trav came in and he basically said ‘I’m going to take a few weeks off here, but I’m not going out like this, let’s stay in touch and let’s figure something out.’
“While free agency and there was still some questions in the air on whether or not he’d return, we knew basically the day after our last game. He made it known to [head] coach [Andy] Reid and to me that there was no way he was going out like this.”
The possibility of Kelce speaking with other teams was raised shortly before the start of free agency, although another Kansas City contract was ultimately worked out. The three-time Super Bowl champion is owed $12MM fully guaranteed in 2026, and his latest deal is designed for a post-June 1 release to end his decorated career. Kelce will once again be counted on to serve as a key figure in the passing game this season with the Chiefs aiming for a return to full health from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a rebound from 2025’s team performance.
Retirement has increasingly become a talking point for Kelce, 36, in recent years. The four-time All-Pro has remained durable through the latter stages of his career, although 2025 marked the third consecutive season in which he recorded less than 1,000 yards. Greater efficiency on offense will be a goal for Kansas City moving forward, and Kelce – whose yards per reception average rebounded to 11.2 last season – is in line to continue handling a starter’s workload for at least one more year.
Questions about Kelce’s future beyond 2026 will no doubt be asked as next season unfolds. If he maintains a similar level of communication with the team at the end of the campaign, though, the Chiefs will have clarity regarding his status without a lengthy waiting period taking place.
Eagles Promote Adam Berry To Assistant GM, Add Mike Maccagnan To Staff
Following Alec Halaby‘s decision to leave his assistant general manager post with the Eagles, the team has made moves to solidify that tier under longtime front office boss Howie Roseman.
The team extended assistant GM Jon Ferrari and has since announced Adam Berry‘s promotion to the AGM level. The twin brother of Browns GM (and ex-Eagles exec) Andrew Berry, Adam will move from vice president of football operations and strategy into Halaby’s old post. This is among the promotions and hires unveiled by the team Wednesday.
The most notable staff addition in Philly comes via a Mike Maccagnan hire. Maccagnan, the Jets’ GM from 2015-19, is joining the Eagles as a personnel executive. Maccagnan, 58, has not held an NFL role since the Jets fired him following the 2019 draft. He carries 25-plus years of NFL experience, however, and will join Joe Douglas as ex-Jets GMs on Roseman’s staff.
Douglas’ New York GM predecessor oversaw five Jets drafts, including first-round picks of Leonard Williams, Jamal Adams, Sam Darnold and Quinnen Williams, but was unable to stop the franchise’s playoff drought. Douglas followed suit, compounding the Jets’ QB trouble by trading Darnold and attempting to build around Zach Wilson. Rumors of a power struggle between Maccagnan and then-new Jets HC Adam Gase emerged when the team moved on, and Gase helped the Jets bring in Douglas.
Prior to his 2015 Jets hire, Maccagnan spent 15 years on the scouting side with the Texans. He finished that tenure by serving four years as the team’s college scouting director. This run included the team’s J.J. Watt draft choice. Prior to being in on the ground floor in Houston, Maccagnan spent seven years as a Washington scout.
In his second stint with the Eagles, Douglas will rise from the scouting level to senior VP of player personnel. This notable title bump comes after the Falcons interviewed the six-year Jets GM this offseason. Douglas is back in a familiar role, having served as the team’s VP of player personnel from 2016-19 — ahead of his Jets GM ascent. Roseman rehired Douglas in May 2025.
Alan Wolking will slide from director of player personnel to VP of football ops and strategy. Wolking has been with the Eagles since 2011, when Roseman and Andy Reid were working together to lead the operation. Phil Bhaya, who is moving from player personnel director to VP of player personnel, has been with the team since 2014.
Jeremy Gray, whom the Eagles hired in 2022, is moving from assistant director of player personnel to director of that department. Lee Divalerio, who had served on the scouting level previously, is rising to assistant director of pro scouting. Divalerio has been with the Eagles since 2017. The Eagles are also elevating Preston Tiffany (to southwest area scout) and hiring Caspian Svenson as a pro scout.
As for Berry, he has made a major climb in just three years in football. A longtime Goldman Sachs staffer, Berry joined the Eagles in 2023 as their director of football operations and strategy; this came three years after the Eagles saw then-staffer Andrew land the Browns’ GM gig. Adam, 39, has never worked with his brother in the NFL.
This rise, however, figures to place the less experienced Berry twin on the GM radar. The Eagles have regularly lost talent in their front office, with the 2022 offseason seeing four Roseman lieutenants — Ian Cunningham, Catherine Hickman, Brandon Brown, Andy Weidl — all leave for AGM roles elsewhere (Cunningham has since been hired as Falcons GM). Less turnover has ensued in recent offseasons, however, and Roseman will turn to Berry and Ferrari as his right-hand men moving forward.