Packers To Move On From Rashan Gary?
1:17pm: We look to have an Instagram hacking situation here. That is the case, per Demovsky. Gary has not been informed he is being released or traded yet, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets.
12:48pm: Rashan Gary‘s Packers tenure looks set to end after seven seasons. The veteran edge rusher announced (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero) his time with the team will wrap soon.
Tied to a four-year, $96MM extension, Gary had played out the guaranteed portion of his contract — one that ran through the 2027 season. Gary was due an $18MM base salary in 2026. The Packers could designate the OLB as a post-June 1 cut, but they cannot do so until March 11.
It is not known if Gary will be traded or released, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. But it certainly appears the 2019 first-round pick has been informed he’s done in Green Bay. Gary has since deleted this post (h/t ESPN’s Rob Demovsky), injecting confusion into the proceedings.
Gary, 28, had been the subject of trade talks (per Pelissero) recently. The Packers would save $10.78MM with a standard release, which could take place today. They would, however, pick up $19.5MM in 2026 cap space with a post-June 1 designation. Teams are allowed two of those annually.
Gary’s production has not aligned with his $24MM-per-year pact, and the Packers could be searching for a new Micah Parsons bookend soon. Though, the team has 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness — a player who has not lived up to his draft billing — as an option for 2026. Van Ness has started just two career games.
Lions Plan To Release LT Taylor Decker
Taylor Decker agreed to put off retirement earlier this offseason, but it looks like the veteran left tackle will be seeking a second NFL employer.
The 10-year blocker announced on Instagram he is being released by the Lions (via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Decker was set to earn $14.9MM in base salary next season; none of that amount was guaranteed. As our Detroit Offseason Outlook piece indicated, Decker was due a $1.5MM salary guarantee on March 15. Decker’s post reveals requested this release.
It sounds like the Lions were angling for a Decker pay cut, as the former first-round pick notes discussions were ongoing about his contract. Decker, 32, was tied to a three-year, $60MM deal that ran through the 2027 season. The Ohio State product played through injury last season, only missing three games. A year after the Lions lost center cornerstone Frank Ragnow, they are splitting up their Pro Bowl Decker-Penei Sewell tackle tandem.
This release will save Detroit $11.6MM in cap space, though it will also leave a significant void at a premium position. Decker has started 140 career games with the Lions since being the No. 16 overall pick in 2016. Decker’s 140 starts are the third-most by a tackle in Lions history — behind Jeff Backus and Lomas Brown.
An essential part of Dan Campbell‘s turnaround in Detroit, Decker made his first Pro Bowl in 2024 — after signing his $20MM-per-year extension. That was Decker’s third Lions contract, after he had signed a four-year, $59.65MM deal in 2020. Decker said after the season he would take extensive time to determine if an 11th NFL slate was in the cards for him. Although Decker recently announced he intends to play, it is worth wondering if he is open to continuing his career outside of Detroit.
When Decker missed much of the 2021 season, the Lions used then-rookie Sewell at left tackle. That could be an option once again, but Sewell has established himself as a dominant right tackle. Sewell suddenly represents the last man standing from the 2023 O-line that powered the Lions to the playoffs. Pro Football Focus graded Decker as the league’s No. 39 overall tackle last season and has been high on his play throughout his Detroit decade. He ranked ninth, per the advanced metrics site, in 2023 and landed his second Lions extension in July 2024.
In the spring, Decker underwent surgery to relieve pain in his shoulder caused by bone spurs in his rotator cuff. He began training camp on the active/PUP list as a result, and though he suited up for the start of the regular season, he did miss three last season due to a shoulder ailment. It will be interesting to see if Decker lands elsewhere soon,
Bills To Release WR Curtis Samuel
As the Bills continue to move toward cap compliance, they are releasing another veteran. Following the Taron Johnson cut, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Buffalo is moving on from Curtis Samuel.
This has been expected, as the veteran wide receiver has not lived up to expectations with the team. Releasing Samuel will save just more than $6MM in cap space.
The Bills gave Samuel a three-year, $24MM contract in free agency; the 2024 deal did not pan out as the team has whiffed on some wide receiver investments over the past two years. One of many ex-Panthers to come through Buffalo during Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott‘s time in western New York, Samuel totaled just 38 receptions for 334 yards over two seasons. He tallied 81 yards in 2025.
Samuel, 29, may have resided on Buffalo’s roster bubble last year were it not for a fully guaranteed 2025 salary. The Bills indeed kept the slot receiver but later placed him on IR due to elbow and knee injuries. Although the Bills used an IR activation on Samuel, he was a nonfactor for a team that struggled to generate wide receiver production. The Bills have since agreed to acquire ex-Samuel Panthers teammate D.J. Moore via trade.
Playing for Joe Brady in Carolina and Buffalo, Samuel initially relocated from Charlotte to Washington in free agency back in 2021. Samuel played out a three-year, $34.5MM Commanders deal, with two solid seasons alongside Terry McLaurin paving a path to Buffalo. Samuel eclipsed 600 receiving yards in 2022 and ’23, despite the Commanders’ QB troubles in those years, and became an attractive free agent. The former second-rounder’s 2026 market will not rival his 2024 interest.
Bills To Release CB Taron Johnson
Entering Friday more than $31MM over the cap, the Bills are releasing a longtime staple. They are cutting cornerback Taron Johnson, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
While boundary cornerbacks have come and gone in Buffalo during the Brandon Beane era, Johnson has patrolled the slot for nearly all of the franchise’s resurgent period. The 2018 fourth-round pick was tied to a three-year, $30.75MM contract. Two years remained on the deal. By moving on now, the Bills avoid a $1.18MM advanced salary guarantee — which would have vested next week.
[RELATED: Examining Bills’ Offseason Blueprint]
This release is not slated to produce much in the way of cap savings — unless Buffalo designates the cornerstone defender as a post-June 1 cut. A post-June 1 designation would save the Bills $8.67MM in 2026 cap space. Otherwise, the club would save less than $2MM this year and incur more than $8MM in dead money. Teams are allowed two post-June 1 designations annually.
The Bills used the same defensive system throughout Johnson’s tenure, but with Sean McDermott being fired and Jim Leonhard coming in as DC, a big change is on tap. Buffalo will be expected to deploy Christian Benford and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston as its boundary starters, but a hole now exists in the slot.
Johnson, 29, started 87 games with the Bills and had played at least 74% of the team’s defensive snaps since the 2020 season. He signed a three-year, $24MM extension in 2021 and topped Kenny Moore‘s then-slot-record deal in 2024. That pact has since been surpassed — though, not by too much — but Johnson will be an interesting free agent after being tied to an eight-figure AAV for the past two seasons.
A recent report indicated the Bills were considering moving Johnson to safety. Jordan Poyer became needed at the position, and Taylor Rapp is expected to be released. While the Bills will need help at that position — with Damar Hamlin joining Poyer as unsigned — they had been able to count on Johnson inside for nearly a decade. Pro Football Focus, however, had viewed Johnson as slipping recently. The advanced metrics site graded him outside the top 70 in each of the past two seasons.
Texans To Extend DE Danielle Hunter
For a second straight offseason, Danielle Hunter will extend his Houston stay by a year. The Texans are giving the Pro Bowl defensive end a one-year extension, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.
Hunter agreed to a one-year, $40.1MM deal, per Wilson. This comes a year after the Will Anderson Jr. bookend inked a one-year, $35.6MM pact. This agreement, which includes a $30.7MM signing bonus (per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero), pushes Hunter’s Texans tie through the 2027 season.
This marks Hunter’s third Texans agreement. The team gave the longtime Vikings edge rusher a two-year, $49MM deal that came almost fully guaranteed in 2024. Hunter rewarded the Texans’ investment, as Houston and Minnesota essentially traded edges (with Jonathan Greenard signing with the Vikings), and has since earned two extensions. This deal stands to reduce Hunter’s 2026 cap number — previously at $31.3MM.
The latest Hunter agreement includes a favorable structure. Hunter will see his 2027 base salary ($30.2MM) come fully guaranteed, with Wilson indicating his money is locked in. This represents a win for Hunter, who has opted to go year-to-year past age 30. The youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks, Hunter will turn 33 in October.
Building a Hall of Fame case since coming back from an injury-plagued stretch in the early 2020s, Hunter has been a key part of what has become a formidable Texans defense. The former third-round pick has recorded 27 sacks as a Texan, playing in every Houston game since signing. This included a 15-sack 2025 season, a campaign that earned him second-team All-Pro honors. With Anderson landing on the All-Pro first team, Houston has assembled one of the top edge-rushing duos in recent NFL history.
Coming back from a season-nullifying neck injury (2020) and a pectoral malady that limited him (2021), Hunter has tallied between 22 and 23 QB hits each season from 2022-25. He ripped off a career-high 16.5 as a Viking in 2023, providing considerable momentum into free agency. Hunter had been tied to a below-market contract since 2018, and a Vikes rework meant he could not be franchise-tagged in 2024, leading to a Colts-Texans bidding war. While Indianapolis was believed to have offered more money in total, Houston won out with a $48MM guarantee at signing. The addition has bolstered DeMeco Ryans‘ defense.
When first signed, it looked like the Texans would use Hunter’s contract to complement the rookie deals of Anderson and C.J. Stroud. But Nick Caserio‘s decision to extend him in 2025 turned this into a longer-term partnership. Although Hunter is approaching his mid-30s, he has been a dominant player in Houston.
In the sack era (1982-present), only 26 players have more QB drops than Hunter. The 12th-year veteran has 114.5 despite missing a full season. Hunter is 24 sacks away from the top 10 all time. While keeping up that pace may be a tall order, Hunter has seven double-digit sack seasons on his resume.
Born in Jamaica, Hunter grew up in the Houston area. He replaced Greenard as Anderson’s older sidekick, and the Texans’ defense benefited. Houston ended last season ranked second in scoring defense and first in EPA per play. The unit smothered the Steelers in the wild-card round, rampaging to a 30-6 win, before seeing Stroud struggles in the divisional round bring a defense-powered season to a close.
With Caserio and Co. expected to discuss an extension with Anderson this offseason, Stroud is on track to remain tied to his rookie deal in 2026. Hunter’s accord is the NFL’s fifth $40MM-per-year defender deal, following Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson. This is a unique pact, however, as the rest of those contracts covered at least three years in length.
Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers
After an adjusted plan yielded the same result, the Steelers will see a major change in 2026. Mike Tomlin resigned his post, falling a few years short of Chuck Noll for longest-tenured head coach in Steelers history. Tomlin did not seek another job, and it remains to be seen if he will follow Bill Cowher in walking away for good after a Pittsburgh exit.
Rather than go with a young coordinator like they did in 1992 and 2006, the Steelers hired a Pittsburgh native with nearly 20 years' worth of HC experience. Mike McCarthy is not positioned to be a long-term answer with his hometown team, and the former Packers and Cowboys leader is one of the oldest HCs hired in NFL history. Will McCarthy start his Pittsburgh tenure with an Aaron Rodgers reunion?
Coaching/front office:
- Head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons
- Mike McCarthy hired as HC replacement
- Hired Brian Angelichio as offensive coordinator
- Hired Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator
- Tabbed James Campen as offensive line coach, Jahri Evans as assistant OL coach
- Retained Tom Arth as quarterbacks coach
- Hired Jason Simmons as defensive pass-game coordinator
- Added Joe Whitt as secondary coach, Domata Peko as D-line coach
- Assistant GM Andy Weidl interviewed for Falcons' GM job
Tomlin became the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at the time of the Steelers' Super Bowl XLIII conquest; he was 36 when the team held off the Cardinals. Sean McVay eclipsed that (by winning at 35), but Tomlin's ascent remains among the fastest in NFL history. The quotable leader then led the Steelers back to the biggest stage, with the team narrowly losing to Rodgers' Packers in Super Bowl XLV. Pittsburgh remained an AFC power in the years to follow, reaching the 2016 conference title game. But the ensuing postseason skid had come to define the back half of Tomlin's tenure.
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Raiders Warming To Prospect Of Maxx Crosby Trade?
John Spytek said at the Combine he envisioned Maxx Crosby being a Raider in 2026, but the second-year GM planned to listen to offers. With a Crosby trade being a clear gateway to accelerating a Raiders rebuild before this year’s draft, the team may be warming to the prospect of moving on.
Teams in the trade market are now under the impression the Raiders are more open to trading the All-Pro edge rusher, insider Jordan Schultz notes. The Bears, Cowboys, Patriots and Seahawks have been mentioned as prospective suitors. Crosby has naturally drawn widespread interest, with a sizable chunk of the NFL checking in after his late-season IR placement began a spiral that has led to this point.
The Raiders are believed to have set a high asking price — perhaps as much as two first-rounders and a player — for the 28-year-old star rusher. Teams around the league have viewed the AFC West team’s ask as exorbitant, but with a bidding war perhaps unfolding, Spytek may be able to keep his price point around the Micah Parsons/Khalil Mack level.
As covered in our Raiders Offseason Outlook piece, Crosby’s 2025 Raiders extension represents a wrinkle in this process. The tackle-for-loss maven is signed through 2029 on a $35.5MM-per-year contract. Generally, blockbuster pass rusher trades come to pass because of contract squabbles. That was the case with Parsons and Mack, with many others in recent NFL history falling into that category as well.
Crosby being prepared to play on his current contract gives an acquiring team an advantage, as that deal — tops among edge rushers when signed last March — is now sixth in terms of AAV at the position. While Mark Davis has slammed the door on Crosby trade interest in the past, we may see a swap soon.
If the Raiders hang onto Crosby past the draft, a deal would not necessarily be dead. The Parsons and Mack swaps were executed just before the season, but the Raiders would be acquiring 2027 draft capital instead of being able to surround likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with more help this year.
With the team missing the past four playoff brackets since Crosby’s first extension, cashing out now is a logical move. Although a few talented edge rushers are set to hit free agency, none would stand to make the kind of impact Crosby would. The next few days will be interesting on this market, as the Raiders will surely have a handful of offers by free agency.
Rams Want To Re-Sign Jimmy Garoppolo; Cardinals Still On Radar
After two years as Matthew Stafford‘s backup, Jimmy Garoppolo may be in store for a raise — as a potential return to the starter level awaits. But his current team is interested in another deal.
The Rams have had Garoppolo on $3.18MM and $3.1MM contracts over the past two years. This came after the Raiders ditched the veteran’s three-year, $72.75MM deal after one season. If a starting job could be open elsewhere, it would stand to reason Garoppolo would be leaving L.A. But the Rams want to keep him.
[RELATED: Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs]
“I love Jimmy; I would absolutely want him back,” Sean McVay said. “I did see those reports too on Mike [LaFleur] trying to steal our guy, but no, Jimmy’s a really good player and so we would love him back.
“I’m sure he’ll have multiple opportunities and then we’ll see where we’re at. You guys know how I feel about him when we’ve spoken about him and we would love him back. I’m also not naive to the fact that he’ll probably have a lot of opportunities and if those are things that he wants to pursue that give him a chance to play, I would understand that.”
A Garoppolo-Cardinals connection emerged recently, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds Arizona is still believed to be interested. In that scenario, Garoppolo would be following LaFleur to Arizona. LaFleur spent the past two seasons coaching Garoppolo with the Rams. The Dolphins have also emerged as a potential suitor, as their upcoming Tua Tagovailoa release — which will bring a record-smashing $99.2MM in dead money spread over two years (in the expected post-June 1 scenario) — will hamstring the AFC East club.
Garoppolo, 34, was tied to a five-year, $137.5MM 49ers contract — a record at the time of signing (February 2018) — and he reunited with Josh McDaniels in Vegas. Garoppolo’s rough 2023 Raiders stay banished him to the QB2 level, but with a number of vacancies opening up this offseason, there appears to be an appetite for another opportunity — most likely as a bridge option.
The Rams are unlikely to pay Garoppolo too much more than they gave him in 2024 or ’25; in the event multiple other teams get involved, L.A. would presumably need a new backup. McVay helped Baker Mayfield rehab his career during a 2022 partnership, and the Rams moved to Carson Wentz in ’23. Stafford stayed healthy throughout this season, but the reigning MVP has played through injuries during much of his career. Garoppolo represents a much bigger risk, as the Cardinals or Dolphins would need to have a capable backup due to the former 49ers and Raiders starter’s 32 missed games due to injury from 2018-22. But he may have another shot to start somewhere again soon.
Broncos Plan To Retain G Ben Powers; DL John Franklin-Myers Expected To Depart
Today’s Broncos agreement to extend Alex Palczewski will not put him on a path to becoming the team’s new left guard starter, after all. Ben Powers, mentioned as a trade candidate for weeks, is now expected to stay in Denver.
The Broncos are not planning to trade or release Powers, per 9News’ Mike Klis; the team will also not ask the eighth-year guard for a pay cut. This places Powers on track to earn $11.99MM in base salary this season — the final year of his contract. More notably, this will give the Broncos an offensive line featuring five players earning at least $12MM per year.
[RELATED: Looking Into Broncos’ Offseason Outlook]
Denver extended left tackle Garett Bolles (four years, $80MM) and right guard Quinn Meinerz (four years, $72MM) in 2024, doing so before re-upping center Luke Wattenberg (4/48) in November 2025. Powers, however, started Sean Payton‘s O-line overhaul, signing a four-year deal worth $52MM early during the 2023 legal tampering period. RT Mike McGlinchey soon signed a five-year, $87.5MM pact. Powers, who is tied to a $18.16MM 2026 cap number, is the only player Denver starting blocker unsigned for 2027. McGlinchey, Meinerz and Powers sit as the Broncos’ top three cap hits.
Palczewski is now locked in through the ’27 season, perhaps giving the Broncos an heir apparent at LG. The former UDFA looks to reprise his role as the Broncos’ swingman/sixth O-lineman in 2026. Powers, 29, has operated as Denver’s left guard starter throughout his tenure. A biceps injury, however, sidelined the ex-Raven for nine games last season. In 2024, however, Powers led all interior O-lineman in run block win rate.
The 2026 season also represents a new chapter for the Broncos, as it is a gap year of sorts between the Russell Wilson dead money period and Bo Nix‘s extension eligibility. Nix cannot sign an extension until 2027, giving the Broncos a chance to bolster their team around a rookie deal this year. It looks like part of that effort will be retaining all five pricey O-line starters; Pro Football Focus ranked Denver’s front first overall last season.
While Powers is due back, the Broncos are expected to lose John Franklin-Myers. Set to test free agency Monday, Franklin-Myers has not engaged in offseason talks with the Broncos, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson. This situation has been headed this way for a while, as Franklin-Myers — despite expressing interest in staying — has long been expected to leave. This year’s market places the veteran D-lineman in commanding position to score a monster raise.
Placed sixth on PFR’s top 50 free agents list, Franklin-Myers is viewed as by far the best interior D-lineman set to be available Monday. Sent to Denver in a Jets salary dump during the 2024 draft, Franklin-Myers (29) combined for 14.5 sacks as a full-time starter as a 3-4 D-end for the Broncos — who formed two top-three defenses during the supporting-caster’s two seasons. Franklin-Myers, who had been tied to a four-year Jets deal worth $55MM prior to the April 2024 trade, is seeking a three- or four-year contract, per Tomasson.