Jets Name QB Geno Smith Starter For Now
Since the end of the 2025 NFL season, the Jets have almost completely turned over their quarterbacks room. After shuffling three starting quarterbacks last year, head coach Aaron Glenn has named his starter for the 2026 campaign early, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network. 
Traded away is Justin Fields, while Tyrod Taylor and Hendon Hooker have walked in free agency, leaving only undrafted rookie Brady Cook remaining from last year’s roster. The first to join Cook in the room was former Patriots starting quarterback Bailey Zappe. After leaving New England, Zappe had gone back and forth between the Chiefs and Browns over the past two years before signing a reserve/futures deal with the Jets in February.
The final passer to join the room was a familiar face as the Jets traded a sixth-round pick to Las Vegas for a seventh-rounder and the quarterback they drafted in the second round out of West Virginia 13 years ago. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs since the 2010 season. In the 15 campaigns since then, New York has had a losing record in all but three of those seasons. The first was an 8-8 campaign the season immediately after they last made the playoffs. The second and third occurred with Geno Smith on the roster, when he led his team to an 8-8 record as a rookie in 2013 and when he backed up Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2015’s 10-6 campaign. It’s been 10 straight losing seasons since then.
After rediscovering success in Seattle, where he earned Pro Bowl honors in two straight years and helped the Seahawks to three winning seasons, Smith fell back to earth during his lone year in Vegas. He failed to reach 20 touchdowns for the first time since reestablishing himself as a starter in the NFL, led the league with 17 interceptions and 55 sacks taken, and worst of all, won only two of 15 games as a starter, leading to the Raiders receiving the No. 1 overall pick, which they will use to draft his eventual replacement.
Despite the down year, Glenn has expressed the utmost confidence in the veteran. In an interview with Battista, Glenn called Smith a “bonafide starter,” going on to say that “there is no doubt in (his) mind that (they) brought a competent starter” to the team. When Battista sought further clarity that Smith was being named the starter, Glenn quickly replied, “No doubt about it, he’s our guy.”
According to Connor Hughes of SportsNet New York, while Smith may be the starter for the Jets this year, the 35-year-old is clearly not the team’s future at the position. Despite the team hosting such passers as Ty Simpson and Drew Allar in recent weeks, Hughes asserts that this year’s draft will likely be used to build a talented team around outside the quarterback position, and the future at quarterback will be whoever they decide to draft in 2027.
For now, though, Smith is the bridge starter to carry the team until his successor is drafted and, perhaps, until his successor is ready after sitting and learning for a bit. Returning back to where his journey first began, Smith has an opportunity to pave a successful pathway for the Jets’ next potential franchise quarterback, helping them avoid the trials and tribulations he faced as a talented young passer who just needed time to bloom.
Browns’ Deal For DE A.J. Epenesa Falls Through After Physical Concerns
The AFC North is becoming a tough division to get into. In the wake of the Ravens-Maxx Crosby reversed trade, the Browns have decided not to sign former Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa. The two sides came to a one-year, $5MM agreement about a week and a half ago. Per ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, the team was not “comfortable finalizing the deal after his physical.” 
The news comes as a bit of a surprise as the six-year veteran has never missed more than three games in an NFL season. While he’s only appeared in every game of a season once, Epenesa’s absences each year have, for the most part, been limited to one or two games. No injury information accompanied today’s announcement, so any specifics will have to be disclosed in future reports.
Epenesa joined the Bills as a second-round pick in 2020. Coming out of Iowa, Epenesa brought experience in a role off the bench from his time as a sophomore Hawkeye, when he registered 10.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, four batted passes, and four forced fumbles without making a single start. After putting up similar numbers as a junior year starter, Epenesa declared for the NFL draft and found his way to Buffalo.
Over the course of his rookie contract, Epenesa’s experience contributing off the bench came in handy. Entrenched behind a starting lineup that, over the years, featured Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes, Greg Rousseau, Shaq Lawson, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd, and Joey Bosa, Epenesa only saw more than two starts in one of his six seasons in Buffalo. After a slow rookie year, Epenesa began to generate more pressures with his opportunities in Year 2. Over the final two years of his rookie contract, Epenesa logged 6.5 sacks each year despite only starting two of 30 game appearances.
Epenesa’s best season came two years ago, when he was tasked with a bigger role. Appearing in every game for the only time in his career and making 13 starts, Epenesa recorded six sacks and saw career highs in tackles (39), tackles for loss (8), and quarterback hits (11), tacking on a safety, as well, for good measure. The arrival of Bosa last year pushed Epenesa back to a rotation role, and he saw his lowest pass rushing production since his first two years in the league.
Without a deal with the Browns, Epenesa will head back to the open market where several teams are still looking for pass rush help. Any future deal will depend on him passing a physical, though, so it will be interesting to see if we get any more information on what concerns caused Cleveland to back out here.
Eagles Agree To Sign OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
After failing to retain top free agent pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, the Eagles continue to address his position. According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, Philadelphia is adding Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to its defense. He will be joining the Eagles on a one-year deal, per Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com. 
A first-round pick out of Washington in 2021, Tryon-Shoyinka was the Buccaneers’ top pick the year after winning the Super Bowl. Working behind starters Shaquil Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul, Tryon-Shoyinka produced decent contributions as a rookie, logging four sacks, five tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and three batted passes. As Pierre-Paul moved on, Tryon-Shoyinka earned a starting role in Year 2 but failed to produce much more despite the increase in opportunities.
In Tryon-Shoyinka’s third year in Tampa, he started the 2023 season as a starter, once again, but by the end of the season, third-round rookie YaYa Diaby had taken over a starting role across from from Barrett. Tryon-Shoyinka had started with four, four, and five sacks in his first three seasons, respectively, and Diaby topped his single-season best in his rookie year alone. In the final year of his rookie contract, Tryon-Shoyinka began the year again as a starter, this time across from Diaby. After logging only two sacks in 11 games, the Buccaneers began putting veteran Anthony Nelson in a starting role in his place.
Tampa Bay allowed Tryon-Shoyinka to walk in free agency after his rookie contract expired. He signed a one-year, $4.75MM with the Browns but saw more time on special teams than on defense in Cleveland. Halfway through the season, the Bears opted to send a sixth-round pick to the Browns in exchange for Tryon-Shoyinka and a seventh-rounder, and though he saw bit more time on defense in Chicago, he wasn’t able to contribute much on to the stat sheet.
In Philadelphia, Tryon-Shoyinka joins a position group that returns only Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, and he’ll actually reunite with Jose Ramirez who played with him on the Buccaneers in 2024. Further upgrades to the pass rush are likely still needed, but based on the level of free agent the team has been able to sign at the position (Tryon-Shoyinka and former Falcons second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie), the draft may need to be the source of the team’s answers at the position.
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza Learning Raiders’ Offense
We at Pro Football Rumors have been careful with our wording, making sure not to promise or guarantee anything that isn’t confirmed or complete. According to something Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network said recently in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, we may be able to start speaking with a bit more certainty. 
For instance, since the season came to an end, we’ve said Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the “likely No. 1 overall pick,” “the anticipated No. 1 pick,” and “the overwhelming favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.” We’ve also often tied a specific team to him, saying the Raiders No. 1 overall pick is “virtually unattainable” and that the team drafting Mendoza is “all but a sure thing,” “all but certain,” and “an overwhelming expectation.”
In his guest appearance on the show, Jeremiah was asked if the Raiders are “100 percent locked in” on taking Mendoza with the first pick of the draft. Jeremiah laid out Mendoza’s recent schedule in an attempt to paint a clear picture. Per Jeremiah, Mendoza has been working recently with former NFL quarterback and quarterbacks coach Brian Griese, a fellow Miami-native and Columbus HS (FL) grad.
He explained that Mendoza isn’t just working on mechanics with Griese, cleaning up footwork or release motions. No, Jeremiah asserted that Griese and Mendoza are working on “installing the Raiders’ offense.” Jeremiah equated the situation to that of former No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow, who was cemented into his draft position early enough that he was able to utilize the time leading up to the NFL draft learning his future team’s offensive concepts and verbiage.
Jeremiah’s assertions served to confirm what we’ve been dancing around for months. This is, essentially, a done deal. The draft expert told his hosts he’d be “shocked, stunned, (and) astonished if (Mendoza) is not the first overall pick.” He concluded by asserting that he doesn’t see it going in any other direction.
Jets Rumors: Fitzpatrick, WRs, QBs
After getting traded to the Jets, there’ve been a few questions about how New Jersey native Minkah Fitzpatrick will be utilized in New York’s defense. Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Fitzpatrick hasn’t had conversations on the subject just yet, but he has his preference.
When Fitzpatrick was making his case as a future first-round pick at Alabama, the Crimson Tide utilized his versatility, playing him mostly in the slot but letting him roam into the box and the defensive outfield. The Dolphins utilized him much the same way after drafting him, but when Fitzpatrick was traded to the Steelers in his second year of NFL play, Pittsburgh simplified his role, sticking him mostly back at safety. Making his way back to Miami last year, Fitzpatrick was put back into his nickelback role, and he excelled.
To be fair, Fitzpatrick is hardly limited by where he plays and displayed some excellent seasons in Pittsburgh, but when asked about how he might fit into New York’s defense next season, Fitzpatrick told the media that he “envisions himself playing a nickel role, as he did last year in Miami.” The Jets played fourth-round rookie Malachi Moore in that role for much of last year, but Fitzpatrick will likely be an upgrade over his fellow Alabama alumnus.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of New York:
- In an examination of general manager Darren Mougey‘s patient, methodical roster-building strategy, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic broke down how his clairvoyant approach has benefitted the team’s targeting efficiency. Studying the mistakes other teams tend to make in free agency, Mougey examined the likely top receiver options leading up to this year’s offseason. The Jets were interested in Alec Pierce at the top of the market and even Josh Palmer and Dyami Brown at the middle of the market, but Mougey knew that these options wouldn’t be cheap, so when conducting trades this season, he made sure teams included promising, young pass catchers like Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie. Doing so made it easier for New York to walk away from the table as the price tags for Pierce, Palmer, and Brown surpassed expectations and avoid overspending and not getting a decent return on investment.
- Rosenblatt also addressed Mougey’s offseason approach to the quarterback position. After swinging and missing on a decent-sized deal for quarterback Justin Fields, Mougey was able to recoup some value as the Jets moved on. In moving on, Mougey opted to lean on his new offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who has long been revered for his quarterback expertise. The collaboration led to the team’s reunion with Geno Smith, whom the team had reportedly looked into to trading for when the Seahawks made him available last year.
Browns’ Finalized 2026 Coaching Staff Updates
Earlier this month, the Browns announced their finalized coaching staff under new head coach Todd Monken. Many of the bigger coaching hirings and changes were covered in earlier posts as they occurred, but here is the new information gleaned from the team’s March announcement. 
The biggest piece of new information was that defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire has been retained in his role for his third year with the Browns and his seventh in the NFL. It comes with little surprise as he joins a crew of familiar faces also retained on the defensive side of the ball and returns to coach over two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. The only other new information regarding a position coach concerns new tight ends coach Jeff Blasko. We were aware that Blasko had been hired to the role, but the announcement revealed that he will also hold the title of run game coordinator.
Three assistant position coaches were announced as new information. John Wozniak was hired to serve as the Browns’ new assistant wide receivers coach. Coming into his first NFL coaching gig, Wozniak brings 25 years of experience at the collegiate level including position coaching roles at UAB, Southern Miss, and Oklahoma State. On defense, Ralph Street was announced as the new assistant defensive line coach. He’ll arrive in Cleveland after five years as defensive line coach and run game coordinator at Marshall, where Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green led the NCAA with 17.0 sacks in 2024.
Additionally, Keith Tandy was hired as assistant special teams coach. The former NFL safety joins the Browns after serving in the same role for the past six seasons in Tampa Bay. There was also an update that changes the reported role of a presumed position coach. Originally, it was believed that defensive quality control coach Jeff Anderson had been promoted to nickelbacks coach. The team’s announcement clarifies that, while he has been promoted, his new title is defensive assistant/nickelbacks.
Joining Anderson is Zach Dunn, who was announced as defensive assistant/assistant linebackers coach. Dunn has been with Cleveland as a defensive assistant since 2020, and after working with Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger last year, the assistant linebackers coach duties have been added to his plate. On the offensive side of the ball, it was initially reported that assistant offensive line coach Sanders Davis had been retained in his role. The new announcement informs that his title has been adjusted to offensive assistant/offensive line.
The last pieces of new information come in the smaller roles on the coaching staff. On offense, we knew that Ian Kolste was joining Monken in the move from Baltimore to Cleveland, but we didn’t yet know his title. We now know that Kolste will be an offensive quality control coach. Additionally, Dom Borsani has been named an offensive analyst. Borsani has spent three years with the Browns, previously serving as a research and coaching analyst. He’s joined in his new role by Travis Monken. Son of the new boss, the junior Monken has two years of experience as an offensive quality control coach at Purdue.
Likewise, on defense, former NFL linebacker Paul Worrilow has been named a defensive quality control coach. Following his eight-year career playing for the Falcons, Lions, Eagles, Ravens, and Jets, Worrilow has spent the past four years as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Delaware. Lastly, Shaq Wilson has been named a defensive analyst. After 10 years in minor roles at the college level, Wilson joined the Jets in 2023, working as a defensive assistant with the defensive line in his first year and with linebackers for the past two seasons.
These names put the final touches on the Monken’s first NFL staff in Cleveland. The staff will have its work cut out for it to climb out of the AFC North basement once again, but the group should get some time to figure things out as the team gets out from under some handicapping cap hits and uncertainty in the quarterbacks room.
Seahawks Looking At CB Early In Draft?
Based on reputation, there’s an expectation that the Seahawks will not be keeping their No. 32 overall pick for next month’s 2026 NFL Draft. If the right name is available, though, Seattle may just decide to use the pick. According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, that name may need to belong to a player who can bolster the team’s secondary. 
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is no stranger to draft day trades. Last year he traded back from the fourth round 18 spots, adding a seventh-round pick to the pot in exchange for a fifth- and sixth-rounder to sweeten the deal. In their new fourth-round slot, they drafted tight end AJ Barner, who ended up becoming the team’s leading tight end on their Super Bowl run in his sophomore campaign. In 2023, Schneider sent the team’s third-round pick to Denver in exchange for their fourth-round pick and a third-rounder in 2024. That fourth-round pick became starting right guard Anthony Bradford.
One could continue going back, year after year, to see Seattle staying active throughout the draft, often taking small slides back in order to stash extra picks in later rounds or future years. That’s part of the reason La Canfora believes the prospect of trading away a pick with a fifth-year option attached to it may be too good of a deal for Schneider to pass up. Another reason would be the fact that last year’s Super Bowl roster is still fairly intact.
The biggest names no longer in the building include running back Kenneth Walker, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen, and outside linebacker Boye Mafe. Seattle knew it had Zach Charbonnet ready to take up the yoke after Walker’s departure and added Emanuel Wilson in free agency to supplement a room that also houses George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. On the edge, the defense returns Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence but may need to add some depth behind the pair.
The Seahawks did add cornerback Noah Igbinoghene after two years of jumpstarting his career with the Commanders, but he isn’t expected to step into a role as big as Woolen’s role in 2025. With the additional hole left by Bryant, there could certainly be a need for Seattle to add a starting caliber safety or cornerback in the first two days of the draft.
There are some talented cornerback prospects in the 2026 class, but none seem to be beating down the door of the top 10 picks. There’s also a good amount of depth at the position with quality prospects being projected into the late-second or early-third round. The Seahawks may sit back and take a chance that one of the top prospects will fall to them at the last pick of the first round, but no one should rule out Schneider trading back into the second round, still getting a quality addition at a position of need there, and collecting some extra draft capital along the way.
Opinions On Alabama QB Ty Simpson Widely Varied
Even without Dan Orlovsky pouring fuel on the controversial fire, opinions on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson vary widely across a spectrum from people who believe he’s QB1 over Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to people who see him going in the third round. 27 days until the opening night of the three-day event, teams only have a short time left to determine where Simpson will fall in the 2026 NFL Draft. 
Early on in his 2025 campaign with the Crimson Tide, Simpson looked to be taking the football world by storm as a first-year starter. As the season wore on, injuries seemed to contribute to some regression in his performance, leading to some concern about both his ability and durability. Early draft projections pegged Mendoza as the only likely Day 1 passer, but the need for a quarterback helped push Simpson’s name up into first-round consideration.
One popular projection saw Simpson going to the Steelers at 21st overall. On its surface, the move made sense, setting up the inexperienced starter to sit and learn for a year behind veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is widely expected to re-sign with Pittsburgh to play once again under new head coach Mike McCarthy. According to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, though, Simpson’s lack of starting experience “will almost certainly deter Pittsburgh from picking him up in the first round.”
If Simpson slips far enough, DeFabo thinks the Steelers could reconsider, but how far he needs to fall DeFabo isn’t ready to say. Former contributor at The Athletic Mark Kaboly, now a Steelers correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show, believes Pittsburgh may be targeting a third wide receiver behind D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman in the first three rounds, though he doesn’t feel confident Rodgers would get much contribution from a rookie pass catcher, given his preference to target more-polished veterans.
For Simpson, though, even today, ESPN’s trio of Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates illustrated beautifully the array of opinions on Simpson. Asked what percentage chance Simpson has of going on Day 1, Miller answered 25%, Reid said 75%, and Yates opted for 90%. All three contributors for the network seemed to agree that, with the current draft order, no team makes sense for Simpson at their current draft position, but Reid and Yates answered with the belief that a team that is a good fit would find a way to trade back into the first round to secure his services, namely the Cardinals.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic attended Simpson’s pro day and noted that teams do like what they see. Specifically, Simpson’s intangible qualities seem to be a big selling point with some commenting that Simpson could eventually coach after his career as a player ends. His pro comps to two 26-year-olds even highlight his lack of experience and uncertain draft stock. He’s been comped to Bo Nix, a new starter in the NFL, and Brock Purdy, who was drafted 250 picks later than Nix was in their respective drafts.
Whatever the case, Simpson will almost certainly find his way to the NFL within the next 30 days. It will be fascinating to see what further developments alter opinions on the 23-year-old leading up to the draft.
NFLPA Executive Director Search Details, 18-Game Stance
Following the messy departure of the NFL Players Association’s former executive director, the players’ union leaders have opted for full transparency. Earlier this week NFLPA president Jalen Reeves-Maybin penned a rundown of the events leading from Lloyd Howell‘s exit to the return of J.C. Tretter. 
Reeves-Maybin detailed the association’s diligent search processes, first for a search firm and then for executive director candidates. The Executive Committee and Reeves-Maybin looked at eight search firms, holding calls to determine which offered the most to the process. Four were chosen to move on to virtual interviews, then Reeves-Maybin and the committee chose between a final two, landing on TurnkeyZRG.
TurnkeyZRG then embarked on a search that would not directly involve members of the Executive Committee, instead giving updates to and taking input and direction from a designated Search Committee made up of NFLPA members who were not involved in the executive director search that led to Howell’s election. They designed the search after getting answers to a nine-question interview with player representatives from all 32 teams and cast such a wide net that it included an examination of the post-NFL careers of every player drafted since 1985. The candidate pool was eventually driven down to 300 individuals and whittled down further to 32.
Those 32 candidates’ information was uploaded into a portal through which the Search Committee could view biographies, résumés, speeches, writing samples, podcasts, and interviews. They began to selectively advance and eliminate candidates by majority vote. They chose, first, to focus on external candidates, holding virtual interviews with 12 before six were brought in for in-person meetings. They then brought in two familiar candidates for in-person interviews, advancing one. Reeves-Maybin described the final group as “diverse across race, gender, professional background, and lived experience.”
The final four consisted of two external candidates, interim executive director David White, and TurnkeyZRG’s recommendation, Tretter. Having been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to Howell or any participation in the NFLPA’s suppression of the arbiter’s collusion finding, Tretter was considered a strong candidate in the eyes of the search firm. After the first day with the final four, no candidate received enough first-place rankings to be elected. After one final day of evaluations that included mock media engagement exercises, Tretter was elected to the position “by a strong majority.”
The NFLPA now intends to move forward, past the drama and mistakes of the past regime. Tretter has wasted no time making his voice heard. In a lengthy interview with Mike Jones of The Athletic, Tretter touched on a number of topics. His journey back after stepping down and his plans for the future were front and center. His first strong stance came against the NFL’s insistence that an 18-game schedule is inevitable.
Vowing to “defend (the league’s) players and their health,” Tretter voiced his opposition, making sure to point out that the NFL can ask the union to come to the table, but the NFLPA is under no obligation to start negotiating until the end of the current collective bargaining agreement is in sight. Until then, he’ll start preparing to ensure he’s ready for that negotiation when it comes.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes Throwing, Season Opener Still In Question
The NFL news cycle began to stir a bit this afternoon after Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes posted a short clip of himself dropping back to throw a pass just 100 days removed from serious knee surgery. The All-Pro passer showed encouraging signs of progress in his movement, but he still has a long way to go before he can return to the field healthy. 
Mahomes’ season-ending injury came in the 15th week of the NFL season, when the 30-year-old rolled out right for a pass then tripped over an opposing defensive lineman after releasing his throw. It was quickly announced that he had torn his ACL. As reports the next day delivered news of his surgery, further reports showed that he had also torn his LCL in the prior day’s game.
The late-season timing of the injury, combined with the additional damage to the LCL, painted a grim timeline of recovery that would make a 2026 season opening debut tough to swing. The serious injury was unfamiliar territory for the usual ironman quarterback. Never missing more than a pair of games due to injury in the NFL, Mahomes now stared down long recovery that would require months of rehabilitation.
According to ESPN’s Nate Taylor, Mahomes has taken to recovery like a fish to water. Per his head coach, Andy Reid, “He’s around here all the time. He spends a ton of time here, seven hours a day. He’s in there cranking away and making progress every day. It’s great to see.
“(Athletic Trainer) Julie (Frymyer) grinds on him and makes sure he stays on task and challenges him. He keeps showing up. That’s about half the battle on these things when you have these injuries. It’s not going to be a pleasant thing. Every day, you’ve got to fight through it, and you’ve got to attack the challenge of the workout and rehab. He’s doing a great job with that.”
Being the 100th day since coming out of surgery, today stood as a checkpoint for Mahomes. Based on his current capabilities, Kansas City is “optimistic that Mahomes is on track to participate — even in a limited capacity — in the team’s voluntary offseason practices” expected to start in May. That is certainly a benchmark to watch, but Mahomes has his eyes on a date further in the future.
When asked if he’d be ready for Week 1 of the 2026 season, Mahomes told reporters, “The doctors said I could, but I can’t predict what happens throughout the process. That’s the goal, to play Week 1 and have no restrictions. You want to be out there healthy and give us the best chance to win. I hope to do some things in OTAs and training camp and be able to do things there.”
With the diligence he’s shown so far in rehabbing, Mahomes stands every chance of making it back to the field in time. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though, if he isn’t ready to take the field in September, Mahomes will simply have to sit and keep working his way back. Rapoport characterizes Kansas City’s medical staff as very good and conservative. We’re a long way from that point, though, so Mahomes has time to make things happen.