Colts, DE Arden Key Agree To Deal
Former Jaguar and Titan Arden Key will make his third AFC South stop in 2026. The Colts are adding Key on a two-year contract, insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal carries a max value of $20MM with $11MM in guarantees.
Key, who will turn 30 in May, is joining the fifth organization of his eight-year career. He began as a Raiders third-round pick in 2018. After spending three seasons with the Raiders, he had one-year stints with the 49ers and Jaguars.
The Titans gave Key some stability when they inked him to a three-year, $21MM accord in 2023. Although Key was the subject of trade rumors before last November’s deadline, he wound up staying in Tennessee for his entire contract. There was mutual interest in a return next season, but Key will head to Indianapolis instead.
While Key combined for just three sacks in 37 games with the Raiders, he has averaged a respectable 5.5 per year dating to 2021. During his most productive season, 2024, the ex-LSU Tiger logged career highs in tackles (42), starts (15) and sacks (6.5). Key also reached 15 QB hits for the third time.
Quad and hip injuries limited Key to 12 games (nine starts) in 2025, during which he recorded 11 QB hits and four sacks. Pro Football Focus ranked Key 71st among 119 qualified edge rushers. Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam checked in two spots higher. Ebukam is now among the Colts’ free agents. More importantly, though, the team could lose the unsigned Kwity Paye to a richer payday elsewhere. Bringing in Key will give the Colts a decent veteran option as they brace for the potential exits of Ebukman and Paye.
Bears To Sign LB Devin Bush
The Bears briefly needed a starting linebacker after releasing Tremaine Edmunds last week. They will fill the void with former Brown Devin Bush, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Bush is signing a three-year, $30MM contract with $21MM in guarantees.
The Bears will already be Bush’s fourth team since he entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick in 2019. The former Michigan Wolverine spent his first four years with the Steelers before a one-season stop in Seattle. He was a Brown for two years. Cleveland wanted to retain Bush, but it will have to look elsewhere.
Although Bush started in 48 of 52 games with the Steelers, he was not a hot commodity in free agency in 2023. The Seahawks landed him on a deal worth up to $3.5MM, and Bush wound up with a higher snap share on special teams than as a defender. The Browns relied far more on Bush, whom they signed to back-to-back one-year contracts.
Bush is now reeling in a far richer payday with the Bears, who have been aggressive at the outset of free agency. They previously agreed to pacts with former Seahawks safety Coby Bryant and ex-Colts defensive lineman Neville Gallimore. The club also agreed to re-sign linebacker D’Marco Jackson. He will provide depth behind Bush.
After the first 17-start season of his career in 2025, Bush will team with T.J. Edwards to comprise Chicago’s top two linebackers in 2026. The soon-to-be 28-year-old Bush registered career highs in tackles (125), passes defensed (eight), interceptions (three) and sacks (two) last season. He returned two of those INTs for touchdowns and recorded a league-high 164 return yards on his picks.
In addition to Bush’s gaudy traditional numbers, Pro Football Focus ranked his performance an eye-opening fourth among 88 qualifying linebackers in 2025. The Bears will bank on Bush carrying his breakout from Cleveland to the Windy City.
Saints, G David Edwards Agree To Deal
One of many notable guards set to reach the market has quickly lined up a deal. David Edwards is set to join the Saints in free agency.
Team and player agreed to terms on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Edwards will collect upwards of $15MM per season on this Saints accord, he adds. The Bills recently managed to prevent Connor McGovern from departing, but the same will not be true in this case.
Edwards entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Rams in 2019. The former Wisconsin Badger started in 45 of his 53 regular-season Rams games, including all 17 during their Super Bowl-winning 2021 showing. A concussion suffered in 2022 held Edwards to four games that year and temporarily threw his career off track.
Heading into 2023, Edwards settled for the Bills’ modest one-year offer to reunite with ex-Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. Although Edwards was a backup for his entire first season with the Bills, they thought enough of the 308-pounder to hand him a two-year, $6MM extension the next offseason.
Buffalo shifted McGovern from left guard to center in 2024, which opened up a spot for Edwards. He started in all 16 appearances and helped keep quarterback Josh Allen upright during an MVP-winning season. The Bills’ O-line yielded a league-low 14 sacks that year. The number skyrocketed to 40 in 2025, though Edwards was an effective member of a line that cleared the way for James Cook to win the rushing title. Over another 16-start campaign, Edwards finished as Pro Football Focus’ 22nd-ranked guard among 79 qualifiers.
The Saints entered free agency with the goal of improving a ground game that ranked 28th in the league last year. The additions of the 28-year-old Edwards and running back Travis Etienne should go a long toward achieving that. Free agent Dillon Radunz was the Saints’ primary left guard in 2025, but Edwards should provide a significant upgrade. Edwards will join tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. to give the Saints’ line an imposing left side and make life easier on second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Saints To Sign RB Travis Etienne
Running back Travis Etienne is coming off the free agent market. The ex-Jaguar will sign with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Etienne will ink a four-year, $52MM pact, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III agreed to a three-year, $43.05MM deal with the Chiefs around 25 minutes after the negotiating window opened Monday. That briefly left Etienne as the No. 1 runner available. The five-year veteran will now return to his native Louisiana for a sizable raise.
Etienne’s new accord places him first among all running backs in total money, surpassing the Packers’ Josh Jacobs ($48MM). At $13MM per year, Etienne checks in at sixth in average annual value.
After a stellar career at Clemson, Etienne entered the league as a first-rounder (No. 25 overall) in 2021. A foot injury wiped out Etienne’s entire rookie year, but he showed no ill effects during his debut the next season. Etienne has logged three 17-game seasons and a 15-gamer since then. He is a three-time 1,000-yard rusher who has averaged around 43 catches and eight total touchdowns per season.
Etienne endured an uncharacteristically poor year in 2024, after which the Jaguars drafted fellow RBs Bhayshul Tuten (fourth round) and LeQuint Allen (seventh). It appeared Etienne’s touches would decrease then, but that did not end up being the case.
Etienne got off to a hot enough start in Week 1 last year that the Jaguars quickly traded another of their backs, Tank Bigsby, to the Eagles. In what went down as a rebound campaign for Etienne, he ran for 1,107 yards and seven touchdowns on a career-high 260 carries (4.3 YPC). The 5-foot-10, 215-pounder added 36 catches for 292 yards and another six scores.
With the 27-year-old Etienne heading to New Orleans, it is fair to wonder what the team will do with incumbent starting back Alvin Kamara. The five-time Pro Bowler still has another season left on his two-year, $24.5MM contract. However, the 31-year-old Kamara is coming off a disappointing 2025 in which an MCL sprain limited him to 11 games.
The Saints restructured Kamara’s deal this past weekend. Doing so could make it easier to trade or release the nine-year veteran, though it is unclear if he would be willing to continue with another team. Leading up to last November’s trade deadline, Kamara was adamant that he did not want to play anywhere else.
Bears To Sign S Coby Bryant
Safety Coby Bryant is leaving the Super Bowl champion Seahawks for the Bears, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Chicago is handing Bryant a three-year, $40MM contract, per veteran insider Jordan Schultz.
The NFC North-winning Bears deployed Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard as their top safeties last season, but both are free agents after playing almost every defensive snap in 2025. Effective in-season acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson is also without a deal. The uncertainty surrounding those three left safety as an obvious area to address for general manager Ryan Poles. He has done it in adding PFR’s 28th-ranked free agent.
During their resurgent 2025, the Bears led the NFL in both takeaways (33) and interceptions (23). The 32-year-old Byard picked off seven passes en route to first-team All-Pro honors. Bryant’s numbers were not as gaudy, but the 26-year-old had a big season in his own right. Across 15 games (all starts), the former slot corner logged 66 tackles, seven passes defensed, four TFL and a career-best four INTs. He chipped in another 10 tackles and two PDs during the Seahawks’ three victories in the playoffs.
Bryant, who has combined for seven picks since 2024, ranked 27th among Pro Football Focus’ 91 qualifying safeties last season. He graded among the top 30 safeties in both coverage and run defense. Despite a penchant for taking the ball away, the Bears ranked 22nd against the pass and 27th versus the run. Bryant helped the Seahawks to third and 10th in those respective categories.
Although Bryant is a noteworthy loss for Seattle, the team is still in good shape at safety. Julian Love, Ty Okada and Nick Emmanwori are all more than capable of handling the position. However, Bryant may not be the first major defensive back the club loses. Cornerbacks Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen remain unsigned two hours after the negotiating window opened.
Buccaneers To Sign LB Alex Anzalone
Middle linebacker Alex Anzalone is going from Detroit to Tampa Bay. Anzalone has agreed to a two-year, $17MM contract with the Buccaneers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
This move sends Anzalone back to Florida, where he played college football with the Gators. The former Saints third-round pick will also return to the NFC South after opening his career there from 2017-20.
While Anzalone was primarily a backup in New Orleans, he was a full-time starter during his five-year tenure in Detroit. There was a belief he would reunite with former Lions defensive coordinator and current Jets head coach Aaron Glenn in free agency. Instead, Anzalone will join a Tampa Bay team that has a better chance to compete for a playoff spot in the near term.
During his last year in Detroit, Anzalone started in all 16 games and finished with 95 tackles, nine passes defensed, 2.5 sacks and an interception. The 31-year-old played 90.86% of defensive snaps, good for third on the Lions, and placed a respectable 33rd among 88 qualifying linebackers at Pro Football Focus.
The Buccaneers’ addition of Anzalone further calls fellow veteran middle linebacker Lavonte David‘s future into question. A full-time starter since the Buccaneers drafted him in 2012, David has become an icon in Tampa Bay. But David is now a 36-year-old pending free agent who is mulling retirement. The Anzalone signing could signal the end of David’s prolific 14-year run with the Bucs.
Rams To Sign CB Jaylen Watson
After acquiring Trent McDuffie from Kansas City last week, the Rams have now taken another of the Chiefs’ top cornerbacks. The Rams have agreed to a contract with Jaylen Watson, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. It’s a three-year, $51MM deal with $34MM in guarantees, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
This is another bold strike by the Rams, who have poured significant resources into their secondary over the past couple months. Before adding McDuffie in a blockbuster trade and agreeing to terms with Watson, they re-signed safeties Quentin Lake and Kamren Curl to extensions worth up to $81MM combined.
Los Angeles went 12-5 and won two playoff games in 2025, but its defensive backfield was in clear need of improvement entering the offseason. The Rams ranked a below-average 19th in pass defense in the regular season, and an inability to stop the Seahawks’ aerial attack torpedoed them in the NFC title game. Quarterback Sam Darnold went 25 of 36 for 346 yards for three touchdowns, while No. 1 wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught 10 passes for 153 yards and a score.
Corners Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon and Roger McCreary are among the Rams’ free agents, while Darious Williams retired over the weekend. Durant started in 15 of 17 games and led Rams corners in snap share (72.99%) in 2025, but the Rams look to have added a pair of upgrades in two-time Super Bowl champions McDuffie and Watson.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Watson spent most of his first two seasons as a reserve. After winning Super Bowl LVII to cap off the 2023 season, the Chiefs traded starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to Tennessee. Sneed’s exit opened up a full-time spot for Watson, who went on to start in his final 21 games with the Chiefs.
A broken leg suffered in October 2024 limited Watson to six regular-season games, but he made it back during the Chiefs’ latest run to the Super Bowl. He played in two postseason games, including a Super Bowl LIX loss to the Eagles. Watson went on to enjoy a career year in 2025. Over 15 games (all starts), the 27-year-old tallied 64 tackles, six passes defensed and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded Watson 17th among 112 qualifying corners.
Watson, who ranked as PFR’s No. 13 free agent, is now the latest high-profile corner to leave Kansas City in the past several years. Along with McDuffie, Watson and Sneed, Steven Nelson, Marcus Peters, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward all exited during the Andy Reid era. The Chiefs have seldom missed a beat, but now coming off a six-win season, they are down two major contributors at the back end of their defense.
Bengals Will Not Tender RFA QB Jake Browning
Pending restricted free agent Jake Browning will not receive a tender from the Bengals, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Browning will thus reach the open market, although Fowler notes Cincinnati is open to re-signing him.
Browning signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2019, but he did not see action until he won the Bengals’ backup job in 2023. Browning wound up filling in for Joe Burrow after the franchise signal-caller suffered a season-ending wrist injury in mid-November.
The Bengals fell to 5-5 the day they lost Burrow, but they went 4-3 under Browning and narrowly missed the playoffs. Over nine appearances that year, Browning completed 70.4% of passes for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, a 98.4 traditional rating and a 60.8 QBR.
Burrow was the only Bengal to attempt a pass in 2024, his healthiest season yet, but he was not as fortunate last year. After Burrow went down with a toe injury in Week 2, the Bengals turned back to Browning. The team was likely expecting a performance similar to Browning’s 2023 showing, but he fell well short of that. The 29-year-old completed 64.8% of attempts for 771 yards, six TDs, eight picks, a 71.1 passer rating and a 35.2 QBR in five games.
The Bengals went 0-3 in Browning’s starts, leading them to acquire Joe Flacco from the Browns in early October. Flacco outperformed Browning by a wide margin, but it was not enough to keep the Bengals afloat during Burrow’s absence. Once 2-0, the team was 3-8 when Burrow made his return in Week 13. The Bengals ended the year 6-11.
In a best-case scenario, the oft-injured Burrow will stay healthy next year. However, it would be wise to have a capable contingency plan in place. It doesn’t appear the Bengals will rely on Browning in that role, though Flacco has interest in re-signing with the team.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Bears, LB D’Marco Jackson Agree To Deal
The Bears will be without Tremaine Edmunds in 2026. Fellow linebacker D’Marco Jackson will remain in the fold, however.
Jackson has agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His new Bears contract is two years in length and it has a base value of $7.5MM. The pact can max out at $10.5MM, Rapoport adds. Today’s deal is now official.
Jackson will earn a solid raise after upping his stock last year in Chicago, which added him as a waiver claim in August. The Saints cut Jackson after the 2022 fifth-rounder from Appalachian State was unable to carve out a role in their defense. Jackson spent his rookie year on injured reserve and then played almost exclusively on special teams from 2023-24.
Edmunds and T.J. Edwards missed various periods with injuries last season, leaving Jackson to take on more defensive responsibilities. Across 17 games (four starts) and a career-high 261 defensive snaps, Jackson totaled 43 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Week 15. The 27-year-old logged nine tackles, a sack and a pick in a 31-3 blowout of the Browns.
Although Edmunds is now a Giant, Jackson will once again function as a reserve next season. The Bears will use Edwards and Devin Bush as their top two linebackers. They agreed to sign Bush, previously a Brown, to a three-year, $30MM deal on Monday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers To Re-Sign CB Asante Samuel Jr.
After seeing brief action with the Steelers in 2025, Asante Samuel Jr. will remain in place. The veteran cornerback has a new Pittsburgh deal in hand.
Team and player agreed to a new contract on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This is a one-year. $4MM pact. That figure likely represents the maximum value in this case, but Samuel could prove to be a worthwhile re-signing for the Steelers if he once again handles a notable defensive workload in 2026.
A second-round pick from Florida State in 2022, Samuel was a full-time starter with the Chargers over the first four years of his career. However, an early 2024 shoulder injury threw Samuel’s career off course. The Chargers placed Samuel on injured reserve after just four games.
Concerns over Samuel’s health prevented him from cashing in as a free agent a year ago. After undergoing neck surgery in April, he was not medically cleared until the first week of November. Samuel then drew widespread interest before joining the Steelers’ practice squad.
Playing an abbreviated age-26 season in 2025, Samuel saw action in six of the Steelers’ games and started three. He picked up 10 tackles and notched the seventh interception of his career along the way. With backup corner James Pierre potentially on his way out in free agency, Samuel will provide capable depth behind starters Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean in 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.