Bengals Release DT Taven Bryan, Waive 11
The Bengals are now among the teams to announce some early cuts. With rosters required to be at 53 in less than 24 hours, Cincinnati parted ways with 12 players early:
Released:
- DT Taven Bryan
Waived:
- DT McTelvin Agim
- CB Nate Brooks
- WR Cole Burgess
- RB Quali Conley
- S Shaquan Loyal
- WR Rashod Owens
- C Andrew Raym
- CB Lance Robinson
- G Andrew Stueber
- QB Payton Thorne
- LB Craig Young
A former first-round Jaguars pick, Bryan has settled into a rotational role after not panning out like Jacksonville hoped. Bryan still started 13 combined games for the Colts over the past two seasons, stopping through Indianapolis after a 2022 season as a Cleveland starter. For his career, the Florida alum has started 46 games. His $1.42MM Bengals contract did not contain any guaranteed money. Cincy has 2024 Day 2 draftees Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson as backups to B.J. Hill and offseason addition T.J. Slaton.
A 2022 Patriots seventh-round pick, Stueber played in seven Bengals games lats season. Brooks, a UFL performer attempting to resume a stalled NFL career, went to back-to-back Bengals camps but has not seen game action since 2020. The Bengals still have a ways to go on their 90-to-53 journey, which must be done by 3pm CT Tuesday.
Titans Cut 16 Players
The Titans are among the teams to make early decisions on roster cuts. Teams have barely 24 hours to set their initial 53-man rosters. Here are the 16 players Tennessee has parted with on its journey from 90 to 53:
Released:
Waived:
- DB Joshuah Bledsoe
- DT Josiah Bronson
- LB Amari Burney
- DE Desmond Evans
- DB Jermari Harris
- WR Jha’Quan Jackson
- DB Jalen Kimber
- DB Clarence Lewis
- DB Davion Ross
- WR TJ Sheffield
- DT T.J. Smith
- DB Julius Wood
Waived/Injured:
- WR Matt Landers
Mustipher is the most notable name included here, having started 40 games for the Bears as their primary center from 2020-22. He has been unable to commandeer a similar role elsewhere, bouncing around the league since his 2023 Chicago exit. Mustipher started one game for the Chargers last season, joining the Titans for no guaranteed money. Hambright and Gaziano each debuted in 2020; the former played in four Titans games last season.
Eagles To Waive QB Kyle McCord
A day after becoming Sam Howell‘s third career trade destination (and second in 2025 alone), the Eagles are cutting Kyle McCord. The sixth-round rookie will be waived, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Added during the Round 6 run on QBs, McCord had been playing behind Tanner McKee during the preseason. But the Eagles have changed up at QB, cutting both McCord and trade pickup Dorian Thompson-Robinson. McCord could become a logical practice squad candidate, but with Howell arriving after a McKee injury, no active-roster spot existed.
McCord did not fare especially well in preseason games, completing just 42.9% of his passes for 191 yards. The former Syracuse and Ohio State passer threw one TD pass and two INTs. McCord cannot land on a practice squad until 11am CT Wednesday, when this extended waiver period wraps.
A Philadelphia-area native, McCord put up big stats during his season at Syracuse. As fellow sixth-round pick (by the Steelers) Will Howard replaced him with the Buckeyes last year, McCord put up big numbers with the Orange. Teaming with fellow Day 3 draftees Oronde Gadsden II and LeQuint Allen last season, McCord posted an ACC-record 4,779 passing yards, leading the NCAA, and set a Syracuse record with 34 TD passes.
McKee suffered a finger injury, and Howell’s arrival signals the expected Jalen Hurts backup might not be ready for Week 1. A McCord practice squad arrival and role as an emergency QB3 to open the season could be available. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles stash McKee on IR to start the year. He will otherwise be carried on the active roster as a player who might not be ready for a couple of weeks.
Eagles To Waive G Kenyon Green
Kenyon Green saw the Texans give up on him, via his inclusion in the March C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade, and is now set to see his first-round rookie contract hit waivers. The Eagles are set to cut the former first-round pick, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports.
Competing for a guard spot on an Eagles team that lost 2024 RG starter Mekhi Becton in free agency, Green saw a potential opening emerge after Landon Dickerson‘s meniscus surgery. Matt Pryor is back with the team, while Brett Toth emerged as a more likely fill-in. The Athletic’s Zach Berman and Brooks Kubena note Green did not show enough in camp to make the 53-man roster.
Considering Green’s lack of production and the contract associated with his draft slot (No. 15), a last-ditch trade would seem unlikely in this case. The Eagles will take on $1.38MM in dead money if no one claims Green’s contract. Green will join the hundreds of non-vested veterans on waivers this week. No one in that contingent can be claimed until 11am CT Wednesday.
The Texans traded down three spots to land Green in 2022 but did not see much return on investment. The Texas A&M product struggled mightily as a rookie before missing all of the 2023 season due to a shoulder surgery (which came after two knee operations). Green won Houston’s left guard job to open last season but did not impress much in game action.
Pro Football Focus ranked Green as the worst guard regular in 2022 and second-worst in ’24. Another five-game absence ensued due to an in-season IR stay last season, and after nine starts to open the year, Green did not reacquire his Texans starting gig upon return.
Green could be a candidate to stick around on a practice squad deal, 94WIP.com’s Eliot Shorr-Parks notes. While this would be a significant step down, Green is not losing money because of today’s cut. He is tied to a fully guaranteed rookie deal. A P-squad spot would allow the Eagles to continue developing the young blocker. If Green is unclaimed and also is not retained on a P-squad deal, it would represent a major step backward for a player who entered a draft as one of the top O-line prospects available.
Philly shuffled its backup O-line corps Sunday by trading Darian Kinnard to the Packers and reacquiring swing tackle Fred Johnson. Even with the Kinnard exit, Green did not factor into the Eagles’ roster plans. Tyler Steen is set to be the Eagles’ RG starter post-Becton.
Saints To Release RB Cam Akers
Cam Akers caught on with the Saints after a minicamp tryout, but he has not done enough to make New Orleans’ initial 53-man roster. The Saints are moving on a bit early, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes.
A vested veteran, Akers can head straight into free agency. He would be able to sign elsewhere once the release is official, rather than joining waived players in needing to wait until Wednesday’s pivotal 11am CT claiming deadline.
The path to New Orleans’ active roster appeared rather slim for Akers. The team has Alvin Kamara entrenched as a starter, after a fall 2024 extension, and former third-round pick Kendre Miller will have another chance as a backup. The Saints also used a sixth-round pick on Devin Neal this year.
A former second-round pick who fell out of favor with the Rams after a promising start to his career, Akers became the historically rare player to be traded to the same team twice in two years. The Vikings acquired Akers from the Rams in 2023 and then obtained him from the Texans last year. Akers supplanted Ty Chandler as Minnesota’s backup but did not generate much free agency interest this offseason. The RB has two Achilles tears on his resume, the second coming in 2023.
Between his time in Houston and Minnesota last year, Akers combined for 104 carries for 444 yards and two touchdowns. He made two starts with the Texans, but Joe Mixon‘s return from an early-season injury prompted the team to move on. Akers, 26, would be practice squad-eligible as well — though, he has not needed to take that route yet in his career.
Shanahan: 49ers Acquired Brian Robinson To Be Christian McCaffrey’s Top Backup
Although the 49ers traded Jordan Mason in March and had changed their backfield makeup behind Christian McCaffrey, the Brian Robinson trade became an about-face of sorts. The All-Pro has a new backup.
Isaac Guerendo is a third-round pick who has three years left on his rookie contract, but the 2024 draftee has seen his role change shortly before the season. Robinson will be the 49ers’ primary backup, Kyle Shanahan said (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman). Shanahan indicated this 49ers regime had been fans of Robinson coming out of Alabama.
The 49ers have been in need of backfield depth for years. The team has regularly lost starters — from Jerick McKinnon to Tevin Coleman to Raheem Mostert to McCaffrey — during Shanahan’s tenure. While McCaffrey stayed healthy after being acquired in 2022 and throughout his Offensive Player of the Year 2023 season, he missed most of 2024. That made the Mason trade somewhat surprising, but the 49ers used a third-round pick on Guerendo — who clocked a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash time at the 2024 Combine.
Guerendo averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 16 games last season but had been battling a shoulder injury for a few weeks in training camp. Robinson, who recovered from gunshot wounds sustained just before his rookie season, had operated as the Commanders’ top running back for most of his rookie contract. But he was a Ron Rivera–Martin Mayhew draftee whom the current regime considered trading last year. The Adam Peters-run team then began shopping him in earnest this month, and after the 49ers and Commanders connected on the Deebo Samuel trade March 1, Robinson will take up Bay Area residency in a deal that sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Washington.
Adding an important note on the pick, CardsWire’s Howard Balzer specifies it is a conditional selection. The conditions are not known, but it is not guaranteed the Commanders will fetch a sixth for their previous RB1. The 49ers have their own sixth-rounder that year in addition to Minnesota’s thanks to the Mason trade. Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area notes the Commanders will receive the lower of those two selections provided the conditions are met.
Guerendo will also presumably retain a role should McCaffrey go down, but he has been bumped down to the third-string level as a result of the trade. The speed back complementing Robinson’s between-the-tackles work would seemingly be San Francisco’s plan in the even CMC is hurt again, but Robinson will also see a significant role reduction — after 570 carries from 2022-24 — as a result of this trade.
Offseason In Review: Denver Broncos
Hovering near the bottom of most power rankings entering last season, the Broncos overcame a record-setting Russell Wilson dead money anchor to make a surprising playoff berth. Viewed as a reach by many, Bo Nix played the lead role in the Broncos snapping an eight-year postseason drought. Nix’s strong finish to his rookie year also provided a ray of hope Denver has finally solved a quarterback issue that had lingered since Peyton Manning‘s retirement.
The Broncos did benefit from drawing the NFC South last season, sweeping the division en route to a 10-7 record. Denver went 2-7 against teams with winning records, and while the team’s showing in Kansas City pointed to the eventual AFC champions having a tough assignment in Week 18 even had they played starters, Sean Payton‘s third Broncos squad has questions to answer about navigating over-.500 opposition. But addressing deficiencies in free agency and the draft have moved the Broncos into a better place roster-wise, creating considerable optimism compared to where they stood entering the past two seasons.
Extensions and restructures:
- Rewarded DL Zach Allen with four-year, $102MM extension ($44.25MM guaranteed)
- Reached four-year, $92MM extension ($40MM guaranteed) with WR Courtland Sutton
- Restructured OLB Jonathon Cooper‘s contract, creating $3.2MM in cap space
The Broncos did well to pay Sutton before the 2022 wide receiver market transformation, locking down one of their key pass catchers on a four-year extension worth $60MM in November 2021. Sutton did not approach 1,000 yards in 2021 or ’22, but Denver’s offensive struggles as a whole dragged down its receivers in those years. Jerry Jeudy did not make a step forward in Payton’s offense in 2023, but Sutton reestablished himself as the team’s top target by hauling in 10 touchdown receptions — a few of which of the acrobatic variety — to help Wilson (to a degree, at least) bounce back from a career-reshaping 2022. This came during an endless run of Sutton trade rumors, buzz that did not stop until after the 2024 deadline.
Denver discussed Sutton in 2022 deals and dangled him during the ensuing offseason, with Baltimore talks nearly producing a March 2023 swap. Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Ravens interest may have changed the Broncos’ WR plans, as the AFC North team backed off Sutton. The Broncos had sought a second-round pick for the 2018 second-rounder and a first for Jeudy, but they ended up selling low on Jeudy (fifth- and sixth-rounders) in March 2024. The Broncos stuck with Sutton and prioritized him to the point they declined a third-round offer from the 49ers, who would have added Sutton as part of a three-team Brandon Aiyuk trade with the Steelers in August 2024.
The Beckham and Aiyuk what-ifs behind him by Week 1 of last season, Sutton posted his second 1,000-yard year to help Nix to the second-most rookie-year TD passes (29) in NFL history. The 6-foot-4 WR had sought a true raise from the Broncos during the 2024 offseason, but only an incentive package emerged.
With 1,081 receiving yards and the Broncos improving on their 2023 offensive standing, Sutton maxed out that $1.5MM package. After the Broncos had informed him 2025 would be his true negotiating window, his camp informed the team the wideout would not play out a contract year on the $15MM-per-year deal. That set the stage for another round of Sutton rumors.
Although an offseason report listed Allen and Nik Bonitto as higher extension priorities, Sutton did not need to wait much longer. The Broncos locked down their No. 1 target at a team-friendly rate but one, illustrating how far the WR market has climbed since Sutton was last extended, that provided a considerable raise. At $23MM per year, Sutton’s AAV matches Calvin Ridley‘s for 18th among wideouts. Ridley, who used free agency to his advantage, received more fully guaranteed ($46MM); still, Sutton’s $40MM there ranks 14th at the position.
Sutton, 29, admitted he left a bit on the table to help the Broncos extend teammates. It is unlikely he left too much, but the Broncos had a complex task in completing a fair deal with a player 2-for-7 in 1,000-yard seasons — with QB play largely contributing on that end. Sutton also observed the Broncos pass on adding a No. 1-type wideout this offseason, strengthening his leverage. But a compromise figures to benefit the Broncos, who only guaranteed $1MM of Sutton’s money beyond 2026. It would cost the Broncos $15.85MM (due to two void years) to escape the contract in 2027; that number drops to $9.78MM in 2028 — which would be Sutton’s age-32 season.
Shortly after that long-rumored deal was finalized, the Broncos paid one of their three first-time All-Pros from 2024. Allen had proven a value on a three-year, $45.75MM deal, going from J.J. Watt sidekick to interior disruption force as a D-line’s anchor. The career-long Vance Joseph pupil led the NFL with 40 QB hits last season; that ranked second among all 2020s performances and eighth over the past 10 years. Basically, that list is Aaron Donald, the Watts and Allen’s 2024.
Allen’s extension path was not nearly as complicated as Sutton’s. The Broncos paid their top D-lineman in his contract year, tabling talks until after the draft. Thanks to Allen’s dominant 2024, the process ended with the seventh-year veteran becoming the NFL’s third-highest-paid interior D-lineman. Only Chris Jones and Milton Williams (who used free agency to land a monster Patriots deal) sit higher than the late-blooming Bronco.
In addition to his $44.5MM guaranteed at signing, Allen will see $15.75MM of his 2027 base salary shift from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2026. This contract structure reminds of Mike McGlinchey‘s, which provided the right tackle a Year 3 guarantee that vested early in Year 2. The deal effectively locks Allen in through at least his age-30 season, and this partnership will probably extend beyond Sutton’s due to age.
Since June 2024, the Broncos have extended six starters (Sutton, Allen, Quinn Meinerz, Patrick Surtain, Jonathon Cooper, Garett Bolles) on deals worth at least $13.5MM per year. Backloading the deals via void years has helped the franchise, which cannot reap the usual benefits of a rookie-QB contract thanks to part two of Wilson’s dead money apocalypse still coming in at $32MM.
Wilson’s money comes off the books next year, but the relief will be short-lived. Although a Nix extension stands to be backloaded as well, a deal will be likely to commence in 2027. Having plenty of players worthy of extensions is a good problem, though this spree of upper-crust contracts will create challenges down the road. The past year also represents quite the comeback tour for GM George Paton, who evaded firing rumors after his Wilson contract and Nathaniel Hackett hire to form an effective duo with Payton.
Free agency additions:
- Talanoa Hufanga, S. Three years, $39MM ($20MM guaranteed)
- Evan Engram, TE. Two years, $23MM ($16.5MM guaranteed)
- Dre Greenlaw, LB. Three years, $31.5MM ($11.5MM guaranteed)
- Trent Sherfield, WR. Two years, $6MM ($3.25MM guaranteed)
- J.K. Dobbins, RB. One year, $2.07MM ($2.07MM guaranteed)
- Sam Franklin, S. One year, $1.34MM ($1.34MM guaranteed)
- Sam Ehlinger, QB. One year, $1.34MM ($468K guaranteed)
- Adam Prentice, FB. One year, $1.17MM
Denver’s 2024 improvement aside, it came without much at linebacker and without any reliable skill-position talents outside of Sutton. While Nix’s strong second half occurring with limited weaponry naturally creates Year 2 optimism, the Broncos needed to aggressively target upgrades to help their QB. One came in free agency, while two more ex-49er staples — to join D.J. Jones and Mike McGlinchey — preceded the Engram signing.
Hufanga and Greenlaw brought difficulty when compiling this year’s PFR Top 50; injury issues clouded both ex-San Francisco stalwarts’ markets. Hufanga (No. 30 in our annual value-based rankings) received more interest; Greenlaw (No. 40) still commanded plenty despite missing almost all of last season with the Achilles tear that may or may not have swung Super Bowl LVIII.
The 49ers did well to lock down Greenlaw on a team-friendly deal in 2022, giving the longtime Fred Warner sidekick a two-year extension worth just $16.4MM. Greenlaw outplayed that contract, but his seminal Achilles tear sustained trotting onto the field in Super Bowl LVIII re-routed his career. The all-around LB talent played just 34 snaps last season, running into Achilles soreness shortly after being activated from the reserve/PUP list in Week 15. The Broncos are betting on upside, but Greenlaw’s injury-plagued 2024 — which came three years after groin surgery sidelined him for 13 2021 games — influenced a lighter commitment.
Although the 49ers made an 11th-hour push to flip Greenlaw’s Broncos commitment during the legal tampering period, the seventh-year LB did not waver even after San Francisco upped its offer beyond where Denver went. It is not clear if that means a bigger overall package or a higher guarantee. It is safe to assume the Broncos’ $11.5MM at signing compared closely to the 49ers’ last-ditch pitch. The Greenlaw contract contains a $2MM salary guarantee on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; nothing else is locked in beyond 2025, giving the Broncos an early out.
Not featuring much in the way of reliable linebacking play since the Super Bowl 50 Danny Trevathan–Brandon Marshall combo, the Broncos will hope they do not have to consider escaping that 2026 Greenlaw guarantee next March. Greenlaw, 28, would fill the key need on Denver’s defense; he graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 9 overall off-ball LB in 2022 and 23rd in 2023 (247 combined tackles, eight TFLs).
A plus coverage ‘backer, Greenlaw has already missed offseason and training camp time. Considering Alex Singleton is 31 and coming off an ACL tear, the Broncos’ ILB situation brings risk. That is about the only worrying area on a strengthened defense, however.
The Broncos fended off a late Jets push for Hufanga, who will replace P.J. Locke alongside 2024 FA addition Brandon Jones. Had Hufanga stayed healthy in 2023 and ’24, his market probably would have topped Tre’von Moehrig‘s $17MM-per-year deal in March. But Hufanga, 26, suffered a November 2023 ACL tear — the Broncos cornered the market on 49ers defenders absent during Patrick Mahomes‘ late-game surge in Super Bowl LVIII — and missed much of last season due to a concussion and a wrist injury. Before he missed 20 games from 2023-24 (counting playoffs), the former fifth-round find delivered one of the decade’s top safety seasons.
Hufanga’s 2022 brought six turnovers (four INTs, two forced fumbles) to go with two sacks, five TFLs and nine pass breakups. That first-team All-Pro season — Hufanga’s first as an NFL starter — produced the $20MM guarantee necessary to sign him. PFF also graded Hufanga as a top-30 safety in 2023 but was much lower on him last year, slotting him 74th at the position. As they have with Greenlaw, the Broncos are rolling the dice. Hufanga’s age presents greater upside. If the Broncos are right, having Hufanga on the NFL’s 12th-most lucrative safety contract will be a bargain.
Tight end probably loomed as Denver’s biggest need; fortunately, Jacksonville sent a proven option to the market during Liam Coen‘s first weeks on the job. The Broncos have been unable to replace Noah Fant since his inclusion in the Wilson trade. Greg Dulcich did not pan out, and over the past two years, no Bronco tight end has eclipsed 205 receiving yards in a season. Last year, top TE Adam Trautman accumulated just 188. Engram is set to turn 31 in September, but he will be a massive upgrade on what the Broncos had been deploying post-Fant.
Engram set the Jaguars’ single-season tight end receiving yardage record in 2022 and broke it in ’23. After a 766-yard showing in 2022, the ex-Giants first-rounder tallied 963 in ’23. Engram’s 2023 season included 114 catches, which trailed only Jimmy Smith‘s 1999 in Jags history, and it had proved the team right for extending a player who had been inconsistent in New York.
A two-time Pro Bowler as a Giant, Engram fell back to earth in 2024. The agile chain-mover missed eight games due to two separate injuries, with a labrum tear the lead culprit. The Jags’ new regime bailed on Year 3 of Engram’s $13.75MM-AAV extension.
Nearly matching that per-year number on this Broncos deal, Engram received a comparable offer from the Chargers. Although Justin Herbert (and a Los Angeles landing) would certainly seem an enticing combo, Engram said Nix proved a driver for his Denver commitment. Landing in Payton’s offense will likely help as well. Denver naturally pursued ex-Payton Saints charge Juwan Johnson, driving up his market ahead of a New Orleans re-signing, but Engram is a more accomplished player. Not a proven red zone threat (nine total TDs in three Jacksonville seasons), the ninth-year vet could still profile as Denver’s de facto WR2 this season.
Teams Inquiring On Micah Parsons; Cowboys Remain Against Trading DE
Following Jerry Jones‘ latest comments on the Micah Parsons situation, the All-Pro pass rusher took the increasingly common step of scrubbing his X profile of Cowboys material. The Cowboys have been known to prolong negotiations, regardless of price hikes, and they are well down this road once again with another standout.
Multiple teams have inquired about Parsons’ availability, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said during a SportsCenter appearance. Nothing is moving on that front, as Dallas continues to hold tight during its latest contract saga.
That aligns with what we heard last week, with GMs indicating they have not gotten the sense Parsons is available following his trade request. Noting it would take a Herschel Walker-like offer for the Cowboys to move Parsons, Fowler points to team optimism a deal can still be finalized before the season. It should also be noted Parsons’ camp is less optimistic.
Jones attempting to go around high-powered agent David Mulugheta in negotiations has understandably irked Parsons, who employs an agent to negotiate his contract. The longtime Cowboys owner referencing a $200MM guarantee also reflects what is likely a five- or six-year Dallas extension offer. With the cap soaring annually, players are increasingly opting against long-term deals. The Cowboys prefer them, but it is notable Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb convinced the team to budge here by each scoring four-year extensions. It would surprise if Parsons signed for beyond four years, but Jones continues to reference his negotiations with the player — talks Parsons classified as informal — this offseason.
A Cowboys source mentioned the 49ers’ Nick Bosa situation re: Parsons. San Francisco did not have Bosa signed until four days before the 2023 regular season. Bosa played in Week 1 despite holding out until his extension was done. Parsons has spoken out about how not practicing during a negotiation can negatively impact a season, and he long preferred to have his deal done by training camp. The Cowboys are well past that artificial deadline, as these talks now remind of the Prescott and Lamb pace. Neither of those performers requested a trade, which is a notable difference between this Parsons back-and-forth and previous Cowboys extension struggles.
While Fowler adds Mulugheta certainly didn’t tell Jones to stick the team’s offer “up their (expletive),” the Cowboys going to these lengths to avoid dealing with one of the game’s top agents has been an interesting chapter. As our Nikhil Mehta mentioned Thursday, Jones taking this route is not out of character. But Parsons taking issue with it to the degree he has would seem to require the team to change course and huddle up with Mulugheta — if the intent is to finalize a deal before Week 1. The Cowboys’ Thursday-night assignment in Philadelphia to open the season also gives them less time than they had with Prescott last year.
Mentioning the Packers, Cardinals and Ravens as potential trade fits, Fowler outlines what would certainly be a robust market if the Cowboys did decide to explore what they top player would fetch in a trade. Of course, dealing Parsons would significantly weaken the 2025 Cowboys.
Jones mentioned during his Michael Irvin podcast conversation the prospect of franchise-tagging Parsons next year. That would be an option, but the Cowboys are not giving up on a 2025 deal yet.
Tanner McKee Likely To Generate Trade Interest; Eagles Not Planning To Move QB
The Eagles did not see much from Kenny Pickett last year, and the team traded the ex-Steelers first-rounder after one season. Tanner McKee served as a central reason for Pickett’s Philadelphia one-and-done.
In the Pickett deal, however, Dorian Thompson-Robinson came back. The defending Super Bowl champions then used a sixth-round pick on Syracuse’s Kyle McCord. Teams almost never — the Browns’ current situation notwithstanding — carry four quarterbacks on their active roster. Many do not carry three, leaving teams likely to look at the Eagles for potential assistance as they set rosters ahead of Week 1.
McKee is on track to be Philly’s top Jalen Hurts backup, but SI.com’s Albert Breer anticipates the team receiving trade interest here. While the Eagles are one of the NFL’s busiest teams on the trade front, Breer notes it would take plenty for them to part with McKee.
Hurts has missed time due to injury in three of his four starter seasons, and he played hurt during much of the 2023 season. Philly carrying a player with three years of experience in Nick Sirianni‘s system — even if the Eagles are on a fourth play-caller in four years — will be important as they arrange their depth chart.
A Stanford alum, McKee is a former sixth-round pick signed through the 2026 season. He saw action in Weeks 17 and 18 last year, sitting behind Pickett for much of the season (but on Philly’s active roster) and receiving the start in Week 18. Facing a Giants team that had starters on the field, McKee took a mostly second-stringer-laden Eagles offense to a 20-13 win. McKee threw two touchdown passes in a 27-for-41, 269-yard showing.
While Thompson-Robinson has impressed at points during training camp and in preseasons, the UCLA alum has been woeful when the games have counted. The Browns have given the ex-fifth-rounder five starts, and he has seen action in 15 games. Thompson-Robinson has posted an alarming 1:10 TD-INT ratio. Considering McCord is a sixth-round rookie, it stands to reason the Eagles will protect McKee ahead of this season.
That said, an exec indicated (via Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz) the Eagles probably are not done on the trade front before Week 1. The Eagles have made some notable trades in recent years, including late-summer moves to add C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2022) and Jahan Dotson (2024). The team also has 10 draft choices in 2026, collecting an additional third-rounder in the Haason Reddick swap and adding either a fourth- or fifth-rounder (due to a conditional pick being exchanged) in the Bryce Huff deal.
The Eagles already swung a summer trade Sunday, acquiring wideout John Metchie from the Texans in a deal that included a Day 3 pick swap and tight end Harrison Bryant going to Houston. Metchie, who said (via AllPHLY.com’s Zach Berman) joins ex-Alabama WR teammate DeVonta Smith. The former second-round Texans draftee is in a contract year. He joins an Eagles team that just lost second-year wideout Johnny Wilson for the season.
Steelers’ Derrick Harmon To Miss Time; IR Move Not Expected
5:54pm: It looks like the Steelers will carry Harmon on their 53-man roster to open the season. Because Harmon is expected to be healthy at some point during the season’s first four weeks, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac notes the team is unlikely to use an IR-return spot here.
3:23pm: The knee injury Derrick Harmon sustained Thursday night will force him to miss regular-season time. The Steelers’ first-round pick suffered an MCL sprain, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
This injury can produce varying timetables, but Rapoport notes the expectation is the Steelers rookie misses around a month. That would make him a candidate for one of Pittsburgh’s two IR-return spots next week; such a move would mandate a four-game absence from the No. 21 overall pick.
Mike Tomlin said last night (via Bleacher Report’s James Palmer) Harmon suffered a “knee sprain of some description,” foreshadowing this diagnosis. This certainly could have been worse for the Steelers, as Harmon was carted off the field during the team’s preseason finale. But the Steelers will not have the Oregon product in Week 1 and most likely for longer than that.
If the Steelers stash Harmon on IR, they would save a roster spot next week. Harmon being placed on IR early would have him immediately count as one of Pittsburgh’s eight regular-season injury activations. The Steelers could also go week to week here, keeping Harmon on the active roster in the event Harmon is ready to return before Week 5, but that would mean carrying an injured player for multiple weeks to open the season.
It would make sense for the Steelers to proceed with a Harmon IR placement Tuesday since he will be healthy enough to play early in the season. The team would understandably want to make sure the interior D-lineman is healthy before debuting, and this would add a healthy player in his place during that recovery.
This offseason brought more Cameron Heyward contract drama, as the likely Hall of Fame-bound defensive tackle pushed for a raise via a short-lived hold-in. Despite being willing to miss games to make his point, Heyward returned to practice ahead of Pittsburgh’s preseason game. No Harmon early would mean the Steelers will be forced to count on Heyward once again, which could be interesting regarding his pursuit of a raise. Harmon is in place as a Heyward heir apparent of sorts, but this season will feature the two lining up together on Pittsburgh’s D-line. The team will need to wait a bit for that happens.