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Seahawks To Trade Michael Jerrell To Falcons

August 26th, 2025 at 11:11am CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons lost Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton last week, and neither is expected to be available to start the season. As a result, Atlanta will add some help at tackle.

Michael Jerrell is heading from Seattle to Atlanta via trade, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The Falcons are sending a conditional 2027 seventh-rounder to the Seahawks for Jerrell, who has three years remaining on his rookie contract.

A 2024 sixth-round pick, Jerrell was part of the Seahawks’ right tackle carousel last season. The Seahawks played much of the year without starter Abraham Lucas, and George Fant landed on IR twice. Stone Forsythe also spent time on IR, creating a depth problem opposite Charles Cross. As a result, Jerrell was summoned for three rookie-year starts. He played 245 offensive snaps last season — all at right tackle. That is the place at which the Falcons are currently reeling.

Norton is expected to miss between six and eight weeks, while McGary — after being carted off the practice field last week — is a candidate to open the season on IR. The Falcons had slid former Broncos swing tackle (turned Bears and Falcons guard option) Elijah Wilkinson back outside following the injuries. Jerrell will provide another option for the NFC South team, which employs one of the NFL’s two left-handed starting QBs, amplifying the importance of the RT spot.

The Seahawks drafted Jerrell 207th overall from Division II Findlay (Ohio). The long-odds prospect did enough to make the team and stick on Seattle’s active roster throughout last season. Lucas is back for the Seahawks, after two injury-marred years, and the team both added Josh Jones in free agency and used a sixth-round pick on tackle Bryce Cabeldue. Teams have until 3pm CT today to set 53-man rosters, and the Falcons will have another option as they potentially prepare for multiple tackle IR stashes.

Steelers To Release WR Robert Woods

August 26th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Adam La Rose

As expected, Robert Woods is heading to free agency. The veteran wideout is among the Steelers’ Tuesday roster cuts, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Last week, it became clear Woods was a candidate to be released. The 33-year-old has found himself buried on the WR depth chart in spite of persistent questions about Pittsburgh’s secondary options at the position. Per Rapoport, a return on the practice squad could be possible in this case.

In any event, Woods intends to continue his career in 2025. A veteran of 12 NFL seasons, he his far removed from his peak Rams seasons. The former second-rounder has seen his production drop for each of the past six campaigns, and he made just 20 scoreless catches last year with the Texans. His Pittsburgh pact came about as part of Woods’ efforts to earn a depth spot on his latest team.

That $2MM contract contained $745K guaranteed, so the Steelers will absorb that figure as a dead money charge. The team will create $1.26MM in cap savings, however. It will be interesting to see if that slight uptick in available funds will be put toward an addition at the receiver spot ahead of Week 1. Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson have been preparing for increased roles as complements to D.K. Metcalf this summer, but Pittsburgh has shown sustained interest in free agent Gabriel Davis.

A report from yesterday indicated the Steelers were among the teams still active in the WR trade market. Woods’ release should not notably alter the team’s plans on that front, so once the dust settles following final roster cuts Pittsburgh could still seek out a new pass-catching option.

Panthers To Release DT Shy Tuttle

August 26th, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Sam Robinson

Shy Tuttle found himself on Carolina’s roster bubble this month, moving there after a two-season run as a Panthers starter. But the team made significant investments at defensive tackle this offseason.

As a result, Tuttle is out. The Panthers are releasing the veteran D-lineman, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. With Carolina adding Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown in free agency, Tuttle will hit the market at an inopportune time.

The Panthers had aimed even higher at DT this offseason, making an aggressive pursuit of Milton Williams. While Carolina bowed out after New England swooped in with a monster offer, Wharton and Brown were each in PFR’s top 50 this year. The Panthers also have Derrick Brown returning after he missed almost all of the 2024 season.

Even with Carolina overhauling its DT corps from 2024, the team refrained from releasing Tuttle in the spring. But the Panthers did give the six-year veteran a pay cut. Tuttle had been on a three-year, $19.5MM deal — one agreed to in 2023, Ejiro Evero‘s first offseason as Panthers DC — but the 2025 reduction brought a one-year, $3MM arrangement ($450K guaranteed).

The Panthers have three void years on this contract, which will lead to a notable dead money charge. The Panthers will see $3.33MM in 2025 dead money, with another $3MM-plus being set to hit the books in 2026.

Tuttle, 29, has been a starter for the past four seasons. He worked alongside David Onyemata from 2021-22 with the Saints, who bid farewell to both DTs during the 2023 offseason. Tuttle cashed in via his Panthers agreement and started 32 games for the team over the past two seasons. He batted down eight passes in that span, giving him 19 for his career. Pro Football Focus, however, graded Tuttle 108th overall at the position — a bottom-15 mark among DT regulars — as the Panthers sunk to last place defensively.

Packers To Release WR Mecole Hardman

August 26th, 2025 at 10:28am CST by Sam Robinson

Mecole Hardman will not begin the season on Green Bay’s roster. The veteran receiver/returner is being released, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.

Even with Christian Watson set for the reserve/PUP list, Green Bay had assembled a deep group of wide receivers after using first- and third-round picks to address the position. This left Hardman in an uncertain spot, and the former Super Bowl hero will be jettisoned months after signing with the Packers.

Hardman has been unable to stick anywhere but Kansas City. The Jets cut bait on their free agency deal months after authorizing it, sending Hardman back to the Chiefs in a pick-swap deal. That set up Hardman to play a key role down the stretch with Kansas City, and he memorably snagged Patrick Mahomes‘ game-winning offering to secure the Chiefs a second straight Super Bowl title. But minimal free agency interest followed, leading Hardman to a one-year, $1.13MM Chiefs deal in 2024.

The Packers gave Hardman a one-year, $1.5MM deal that included $150K guaranteed. Green Bay will only be responsible for that $150K in dead money via this release. Hardman, 27, will head straight to free agency. It is possible Hardman could stay in Green Bay on a practice squad deal, but that remains to be seen. The Packers have a crowded depth chart at WR – to the point Bo Melton switched positions (to cornerback).

The team returns Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams supplemented that duo in the draft, giving the Pack an array of options while Watson recovers from a Week 18 ACL tear. Watson is expected to be activated around midseason.

Hardman’s best path to a Packers role came in the return game, as the former second-round pick has an All-Pro honor (as a kick returner) on his resume. For the most part, however, Hardman’s return-game work has come on punts. He would remain an intriguing option in that capacity, at the very least, upon returning to free agency.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Texans To Release CB Arthur Maulet, LB Nick Niemann

August 26th, 2025 at 10:03am CST by Adam La Rose

Arthur Maulet joined the Texans in search of at least a depth role in the team’s secondary, but that has not panned out. The veteran slot corner is among Houston’s roster cuts, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.

Linebacker Nick Niemann is also being released, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The special teams ace took a two-year Houston pact this spring which included $4MM in total guarantees. Part of that figure will be offset once a new team adds him, but the Texans will absorb a $3.25MM dead money charge in 2025 as a result of this move.

Maulet spent the 2023 and ’24 campaigns in Baltimore. When healthy, he enjoyed a strong run as the team’s top slot corner. Injuries limited the 32-year-old to just three games last season, however, something which hurt his market. Maulet signed roughly one month ago in a bid to carve out a defensive gig in Houston.

The Texans are set along the perimeter with Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, but the Maulet signing came about after Ronald Darby‘s retirement. That appeared to open the door to another veteran earning a spot, and Wilson notes Maulet fared well during training camp and the preseason. Barring a practice squad agreement being worked out in the next day or so, a fresh start will be needed in his case.

Niemann played out his rookie contract with the Chargers, totaling 64 games along the way. The 27-year-old only made three starts on defense, but he racked up nearly 1,300 snaps on special teams. That third phase track record should lead to interest from outside suitors as he reaches free agency late in the summer.

Patriots To Release S Marcus Epps

August 26th, 2025 at 9:56am CST by Sam Robinson

The safety position in New England has brought some changes, to the point Kyle Dugger could be on the move barely a year after his big-ticket extension. Another veteran piece will not stick under a new coaching staff.

New England is releasing Marcus Epps, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Epps did not catch on during Mike Vrabel‘s first offseason in charge. The former Eagles and Raiders starter, who signed with the team this offseason, will head straight to free agency as a vested veteran. Epps requested the release, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.

The Pats gave Epps a one-year, $2.03MM deal; they will eat the $500K guarantee as dead money. Epps is coming off an injury-marred 2024, having suffered an ACL tear in Week 3 of last season. Epps did not require a stay on the Pats’ active/PUP list, however, and Pelissero adds the veteran wanted a fresh start. It should be expected he will land elsewhere soon, though the former Super Bowl LVII starter has lost momentum since signing a two-year, $12MM Raiders deal in 2023.

Dugger’s move to the trade block comes as the Patriots are prepared to use Jabrill Peppers and Jaylinn Hawkins as starters at safety. While it represents an about-face for the team on Dugger, Epps only spent a few months in Foxborough. The 29-year-old veteran will look to land with a fifth NFL team.

The Vikings chose Epps in the 2019 sixth round, but he did not finish that season in Minnesota. The Eagles developed Epps into a starting safety but disbanded their Super Bowl LVII tandem (Epps, C.J. Gardner-Johnson) in 2023, seeing Gardner-Johnson join the Lions days after Epps signed with the Raiders. Epps started 17 Las Vegas games in 2023 before going down three games into his follow-up season.

Saints To Waive QB Jake Haener

August 26th, 2025 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have still not named their starting quarterback, but they have elected to move on from their projected No. 3 option. Jake Haener is being waived, Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

Not part of the latter stages of the Saints’ quarterback battle, Haener will be cut with two years remaining on his rookie deal. The Saints drafted the Fresno State product in the 2023 fourth round. He is due a $1.03MM base salary in 2025.

Haener will be a candidate to pass through waivers to a practice squad. With New Orleans only having two QBs on its current roster (Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough), it would make sense a player the team developed for two years would be a candidate for that emergency QB3 role. But the Saints did change coaching staffs this offseason, potentially pointing Haener elsewhere. A practice squad arrangement could indeed be in store, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football notes.

The Saints gave Haener one start last season, doing so after initially turning to Rattler — a 2024 fifth-round pick — to fill in for an injured Derek Carr. Haener both relieved Rattler during Carr’s first bout of injury trouble and then received a Week 15 start amid Carr’s second 2024 hiatus. Interim HC Darren Rizzi benched Haener during that start, going back to Rattler for the rest of the season.

Completing 4 of 10 passes before being benched in December, Haener holds a 46.2% completion rate (compiled over 39 attempts last season). He is certainly a backup- or QB3-type arm at this point, seeing as the Saints’ ongoing QB battle moved on without him. Haener suffered an oblique strain during the team’s offseason program, hurting his chances of winning the 2025 job following Carr’s retirement. Kellen Moore will determine a starter soon, with the Saints being the last team with an unsettled QB situation.

Jets To Waive WR Malachi Corley

August 26th, 2025 at 9:37am CST by Adam La Rose

Malachi Corley‘s time with the Jets is coming to an end. The 2024 third-rounder is among New York’s roster cuts, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.

This will bring a quick end to Corley’s Big Apple tenure. The move also comes despite the Jets still carrying considerable questions at receiver beyond Garrett Wilson. But Corley was drafted by the Joe Douglas regime. The Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn power structure has seen enough, evidently.

The Jets drafted Corley 65th overall last year, having traded up (via the Panthers) for the shifty prospect. But Corley produced a three-catch, 16-yard rookie season. The Western Kentucky prospect did not impress during Aaron Rodgers‘ season as the team’s starter, and his most memorable Jets sequence came when he dropped the ball before the goal line to deny the Jets a touchdown on a reverse during a nationally televised game.

Corley, 23, has three years left on his rookie contract. A claiming team would have Corley on a $1MM 2025 base salary. Even with Corley faceplanting in New York, it would not surprise to see a claim due to his draft status barely a year ago. Although the Jets carry significant questions about their Wilson sidekick contingent, Corley entered training camp uncertain to make the roster.

Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson and Tyler Johnson are among the players presently rounding out the Jets’ receiving corps. This creates natural concerns about the passing game’s viability in Justin Fields‘ first season, especially considering the new quarterback’s issues as a passer to date. But the Jets will pass on a second Corley season anyway.

Texans To Release T Trent Brown

August 26th, 2025 at 9:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Amid a full-scale offensive line makeover, the Texans are set to move on from a player they took a flier on this offseason. They are releasing Trent Brown, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

The 10-year veteran spent the summer on Houston’s active/PUP list, having suffered a torn patellar tendon during what amounted to a brief cameo in Cincinnati. The Texans needed to either activate Brown or send him to the reserve/PUP list. Option C, however, will be used. This will be the first time a team has released Brown.

This release comes as Brown was moving toward a recovery from knee surgery, according to Wilson. But he will head back to free agency instead. The 380-plus-pound blocker having suffered a major knee injury during an age-31 season invited questions about his future, but a reunion with Nick Caserio — a Patriots exec when the team traded for Brown in 2018 — provided a lifeline. The Texans gave Brown a one-year, $2.35MM deal with $550K guaranteed. Houston will eat only the $550K in dead money. A return via the practice squad is likely in this case, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes.

Brown being nearly recovered is certainly notable, as it could lead to another chance given his history as a starter. Brown has made 96 starts, including three to open last season with the Bengals. Brown had spent the previous three years back in New England, after Las Vegas conducted an O-line makeover in 2021 that involved shedding a big-ticket Brown contract. Brown did not live up to the Raiders deal but became a regular again with the Patriots, starting at both LT and RT during his second stint.

Brown has been injury-prone throughout his career, and although the former 49ers seventh-round pick operated as the Pats’ full-time LT during their 2018 Super Bowl-winning season, he has played more than 11 games just once since. The Texans also added two more tackles — Cam Robinson, Aireontae Ersery — this offseason. Robinson has emerged as a trade candidate. With Brown out of the picture, Ersery is moving toward the starting LT job (opposite the versatile Tytus Howard) with 2024 second-rounder Blake Fisher then set to be a swing tackle.

Packers Expected To Release LB Isaiah Simmons

August 26th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Adam La Rose

The Packers brought on Isaiah Simmons in free agency, but their flier on the former top-10 pick will not produce a roster spot. Simmons is expected to be released, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reports.

Simmons’ time with the Cardinals was marred by an inability to find success at a single position. The Clemson product saw time at safety and linebacker but did not meet expectations in either case. He was traded to the Giants in 2023 after three seasons in Arizona. Simmons did enough to earn a one-year pact with New York last offseason.

Logging a full 17 game slate once again in 2024, the 27-year-old played sparingly on defense while also chipping in on special teams. Simmons took another one-year pact in free agency this spring, joining the Packers after they enjoyed a strong first season under DC Jeff Hafley. That accord contained $168K in guarantees, so Green Bay will absorb that figure as a dead money charge. Meanwhile, this move will create $1.03MM in cap savings.

The Packers have Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper and Isaiah McDuffie atop the linebacker depth chart. That trio will be leaned on heavily in 2025, but Simmons would have represented a backup option had he survived roster cuts. A practice squad agreement allowing him to remain in Green Bay could be in store; failing that, however, a new opportunity will need to be sought out.

Simmons could offer a special teams presence to interested suitors on the free agent market, and he will be free to sign at any time once his release is official. A role on defense should not be expected, though, and another short-term arrangement will no doubt be in store on his next team.

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