NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/17/26
A handful of reserve/futures deals:
New England Patriots
- CB Brandon Crossley
Tennessee Titans
- DE Earnest Brown IV, OT Ryan Hayes
Earnest Brown IV brings the most experience of the bunch, as the defensive end has appeared in 15 games (three starts) through five seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of Northwestern spent the first chunk of his career with the Rams, where he compiled 14 tackles. He also earned a Super Bowl ring during his tenure in Los Angeles. Since his Rams stint came to an end, he’s spent time with the 49ers, Buccaneers, and Cowboys. Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Tennessee.
Patriots Promote Zak Kuhr To Defensive Coordinator
Zak Kuhr is indeed taking over as the Patriots defensive coordinator. After serving as the defensive play-caller and interim defensive coordinator in 2025, the inside linebackers coach is earning a promotion to DC, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
[RELATED: Patriots To Move DC Terrell Williams To New Role]
A former defensive quality control coach and assistant LBs coach under Mike Vrabel in Tennessee, Kuhr followed his former boss to New England last offseason. He was initially tasked with coaching the team’s inside linebackers, but his responsibilities quickly shifted after defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was diagnosed with cancer.
Kuhr seamlessly took over as the defensive play-caller and interim DC, and he ended up guiding one of the top units in the NFL. The Patriots defense finished the season ranked fourth in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed. When Milton Williams was healthy, the team’s run defense was especially stout, and the team went several months without allowing a 50-yard rusher. Prior to their blowout loss in the Super Bowl, New England allowed playoff opponents to only score 26 points in three games.
Williams stepped away from his role during spring practices due to a health scare and was later diagnosed with prostate cancer. He continued to work with players as he underwent treatment, but he didn’t travel with the squad to away games. As a result, Kuhr served as the defensive play-caller for the entire 2025 campaign.
Fortunately, Williams was announced to be cancer-free before the Super Bowl and traveled with the Patriots to San Francisco. That set up a potentially tricky situation for the head coach heading into the offseason, but the organization quickly announced that Williams would transition to a high-ranking role on Vrabel’s staff.
The team still had to go through an interview process for their newfound DC vacancy to comply with Rooney Rule requirements. At the same time, Shane Bowen and Jim Schwartz were mentioned as potential candidates for the gig. Still, Kuhr always seemed like a shoo-in to earn the full-time gig, especially since the Patriots would risk losing him to a promotion if they kept him as linebackers coach.
While Vrabel still has a major influence over the team’s defensive game plan, Kuhr will now have an entire offseason to prepare his unit for the 2026 campaign. At the same time, the organization is expected to promote from within to fill the ILBs coach job. Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Vinny DePalma is expected to be elevated to the role. DePalma was one of the few holdovers from Jerod Mayo‘s staff in New England, and he spent the past two years as a defensive assistant.
Seahawks, Patriots Among Potential Maxx Crosby Suitors?
With the new league year approaching, Maxx Crosby‘s uncertain future remains a major storyline around the NFL. The star edge rusher is still in place with the Raiders for now, but teams are aware of the possibility of a trade. 
During the latest edition of the Breer Report (video link), Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted Crosby could still be willing to continue his Raiders tenure. In place with the team since being drafted in 2019, Crosby has repeatedly indicated a preference for spending his entire career with one team (although he has not shot down the latest round of trade speculation). Owner Mark Davis, meanwhile, has remained consistent in his messaging about wanting to keep the five-time Pro Bowler in the fold.
As Breer notes, Crosby and Davis continue to have a strong relationship. He adds Crosby and new head coach Klint Kubiak have already met briefly, with their initial encounter going well. Since then, Kubiak promoted Rob Leonard to the role of defensive coordinator. Leonard previously worked as Vegas’ defensive line coach and run-game coordinator, making him a familiar face for Crosby in particular. It will be interesting to see if that makes a difference in the 28-year-old’s stance or the team’s willingness to accept anything less than a blockbuster trade price to consider moving on.
Any team in the NFL would of course be upgraded with Crosby in the fold. Breer identifies the Seahawks and Patriots as being among the teams which have an interest on this front (although the list of potential suitors who have reached out is much longer). Both Seattle and New England are in a strong position with respect to projected 2026 cap space. Each team could see changes along the edge this offseason, though.
Boye Mafe is set to see his Seahawks rookie contract expire in March, and he is not high on the team’s priority list in terms of retaining members of its Super Bowl-winning roster. K’Lavon Chaisson, meanwhile, is also a pending free agent. The former first-rounder thrived during his debut New England campaign, posting a career-high 7.5 sacks during the regular season. Chaisson added another three sacks in the playoffs, and at the age of 26 he is set to cash in during free agency.
In the event Seattle and/or New England lose those pass rushers on the open market, a Crosby acquisition would make even more sense. Both teams have a first-round pick, although the Patriots have 11 total selections in 2025’s draft compared to the Seahawks’ four. Whether or not either of the Super Bowl participants make a strong Crosby push will be worth monitoring over the coming weeks.
Christian Gonzalez Open To Pats Extension
Christian Gonzalez was limited to just four games as a rookie. In the two years since then, he has established himself as one of the league’s top cornerbacks. 
This offseason could be impactful from a financial standpoint. A decision will need to be made on Gonzalez’s fifth-year option, and New England can of course be expected to exercise it. That will lock in a 2027 salary of $11.97MM, a figure much lower than what a long-term pact will cost.
A second contract can be negotiated at any time with Gonzalez having played three seasons in the NFL. The former 17th overall pick earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024, an indication of his abilities when healthy. This past season, Gonzalez received his first Pro Bowl nod. Any new Patriots deal would bring about a considerable raise, and he would welcome the opportunity to remain in New England for the foreseeable future.
“Oh, yeah, no doubt,” Gonzalez said (via MassLive’s Mark Daniels) when asked about his desire to work out a new pact with the Patriots. “This is where I got drafted, and I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
New England made a big-ticket cornerback addition last year in free agency by signing Carlton Davis. The former Buccaneer and Lion landed a three-year, $54MM pact and served as a full-time starter during his debut Patriots campaign. The same was true of Gonzalez, who delivered another strong showing in coverage in 2025 while recording double-digit pass deflections once again.
The Colorado and Oregon product was also a standout performer during the playoffs. Gonzalez racked up seven pass breakups across four games – highlighted by a few key plays during Super Bowl LX – while adding one interception and one sack. That production will no doubt help his case for securing one of the most lucrative cornerback deals around the league.
The CB market saw a number of jumps over the course of the 2025 offseason. Jaycee Horn, Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner are each attached to deals averaging at least $25MM per year. Given the rise in the salary cap – which will bring the ceiling for spending above $300MM per team – the list of players in that top echelon at the position could continue to grow this spring. If that proves to be the case, Gonzalez will be a strong candidate for a major raise.
Patriots To Move DC Terrell Williams To New Role, Likely To Promote Zak Kuhr
FEBRUARY 14: ESPN’s Mike Reiss also points to Kuhr as a “leading candidate” for the defensive coordinator gig. As Vrabel noted earlier this week, though, there are still a number of roles which are undecided on his staff at this point. Filling the DC vacancy will obviously be a priority over the coming days.
FEBRUARY 12: Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will be moving to a “high-ranking role” on Mike Vrabel‘s staff, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Williams, 51, was one of Vrabel’s first hires when he became the Patriots’ head coach last offseason. Williams stepped away from the team during spring practices due to a health scare and was diagnosed with prostate cancer shortly before the regular season. He continued to work with the team in New England during the season as he underwent treatment, but he did not travel with the team to away games. Williams was announced to be cancer-free before the Super Bowl and traveled with the team to San Francisco.
Inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr took over defensive play-calling and led the unit to a top-10 finish. The Patriots defense also fueled their run to the Super Bowl by allowing just 26 points and forcing eight turnovers in their three AFC playoff games.
After those results in his first season as a position coach in the NFL, Kuhr is a virtual lock to take over the defensive coordinator job in New England. The Patriots still must comply with Rooney Rule requirements to interview two minority candidates for the position, but the team almost certainly made this move to promote Kuhr.
If he remained the linebackers coach, he would be a risk to be poached by another team, potentially this offseason with the Cardinals and Raiders still looking for defensive coordinators. New Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak could have a particular appreciation for Kuhr’s skills after extensively studying his defense in the lead up to Super Bowl LX. Even if Kuhr didn’t move to Arizona or Las Vegas this year, he would be a near-certainty to get a defensive coordinator job next offseason.
Kuhr is not the only candidate for the Patriots’ DC job. In addition to the two minority candidates the team will interview, Shane Bowen and Jim Schwartz could be considered for the job, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Bowen, who was last the Giants’ DC, held the same job in Tennessee during Vrabel’s last three years with the Titans. Schwartz was a senior defensive assistant on that staff for two of those seasons. His availability is less clear with the Browns still holding his contract rights for the 2026 season.
Williams’ new role on Vrabel’s staff has yet to be announced, but the decision does not come as a major surprise. Vrabel hinted at the potential for such a move after the Super Bowl with Kuhr having thoroughly proved himself as a defensive play-caller. Given his history as a defensive line coach, an assistant head coach/run game coordinator title would make sense for Williams moving forward.
Stefon Diggs Pleads Not Guilty To Strangulation, Assault Charges
Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on Friday, the Associated Press reports. He’s scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1.
The charges against Diggs, which came to light on Dec. 30, stem from an alleged incident that took place Dec. 2. Diggs’ former personal chef told police he entered her unlocked bedroom during a financial dispute and “smacked her across the face.” She added that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
Although Diggs made a financial offer to settle the matter, his attorney, David Meier, has claimed the alleged victim’s version of events “did not occur.” Mitchell Schuster, another member of Diggs’ legal team, expressed confidence on Friday that his client “will be completely exonerated” (via TMZ).
Friday’s arraignment had been scheduled for Jan. 23, two days before the AFC title game, but it was postponed three weeks. That enabled Diggs to evade potential disciplinary action from the NFL during the postseason. The league otherwise could have placed him on paid leave.
Diggs and the Patriots beat the Broncos to win the AFC, but they fell 29-13 to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX last Sunday. While their season didn’t end well, the campaign was nonetheless a resounding success for the Patriots. Diggs, whom the Pats brought in on a three-year, $63.3MM deal last spring, ended up an integral part of their dramatic one-season turnaround in 2025.
After winning four games in 2024, the Patriots stunningly went 14-3 en route to AFC East and conference crowns. Diggs led the Patriots in receptions (85), targets (102) and yards (1,013), also adding four touchdowns. While his production was very good in 2025, the Patriots could move on from Diggs this offseason if they’re concerned with his off-field issues and age (32).
If Diggs is still a Patriot on March 13, $6MM of his $20.6MM base salary for next season will become guaranteed. Releasing him before then would open up $18.5MM in spending room and leave the team with $8MM in dead money.
Regardless of how the Patriots proceed with Diggs, the league will continue to closely monitor his legal situation during the offseason. Depending on how it unfolds, a suspension could be on the table at some point in 2026.
Steelers Announce Full 2026 Coaching Staff
The Steelers announced their full 2026 coaching staff on Friday. It features new game management/quarterbacks coach Tim Berbenich and tight ends coach Robert Kugler as well as defensive assistant Shawn Howe.
Berbenich, 46, has worked in the NFL since 2003 with a variety of roles with seven different teams. His last three jobs were with the Teams (tight ends coach, 2022), Rams (coaching analyst, 2023), and Falcons (pass game specialist/game management, 2024-2025). Unlike many of the Steelers’ new offensive coaches, Berbenich has not worked with Mike McCarthy in the past. He has not worked with Aaron Rodgers either, nor has the team’s other QBs coach, Tom Arth. This is somewhat of a surprise considering the current expectation that Rodgers re-signs with the Steelers this offseason.
Kugler has been an assistant offensive line coach for the past five seasons with time in Houston (2021), Carolina (2022-2023) and New England (2024-2025). He previously worked with tight ends at UTEP in 2017 with brief stints at the University of Washington and Appalachian State before he came to the NFL.
The Steelers’ top three tight ends – Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, and Darnell Washington – are all set to return for the 2026 season. Smith disappointed in his reunion with former Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, averaging just 13.1 yards per game and 5.8 yards per reception. Freiermuth and Washington were much more productive with similar target shares. The trio will likely be a major part of Pittsburgh’s new offense with little established talent at wide receiver.
Howe is entering the NFL after 21 years at the college level. He most recently worked for Montana State, starting in 2021 as a run game coordinator/defensive line coach. Howe was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2024; in 2005, he held the title on his own and led the Bobcats to their first-ever FCS National Championship. With a long history as a defensive line coach, Howe will likely continue working with that position group in Pittsburgh.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/11/26
After they announced 11 futures deals yesterday, the Patriots opted to add on a couple more today:
Miami Dolphins
- CB Miles Battle
New England Patriots
Gutierrez has been a practice squad journeyman since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Minot State in 2022. This is actually a reunion for the Patriots, who were the first to add Gutierrez to a taxi squad as a rookie after the Broncos, who initially signed him out of college, waived him around final roster cuts. He’s also spent time on rosters in Las Vegas, Kansas City, San Francisco, Cleveland, and Indianapolis, making multiple stops with the Raiders, 49ers, and Browns. Gutierrez has spent time in two games so far in his career, playing three snaps on offense and seven on special teams.
Mitchell started his career with the 49ers, who, in the wake of Frank Gore‘s departure and a Carlos Hyde rental, had resorted to a running back by committee approach in the late 2010s. As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Louisiana, Mitchell played a huge role, leading the team in rushing with 963 yards and five touchdowns, while Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert dealt with injuries. In Year 2, Mitchell suffered a sprained MCL in the season opener, and Wilson took over RB1 duties before the team ultimately traded for Christian McCaffrey. Mitchell found his way back to the field, after sitting for several weeks, but tore his MCL just three weeks later. A season-ending hamstring injury in the final year of his rookie contract ended his time in San Francisco, and he spent most of last year in Kansas City, getting cut after only appearing in one game by late December.
After the Patriots opted not to include Battle in their batch of reserve/futures deals, the division rival Dolphins opted to offer him a deal in Miami.
NFL Reserve/Futures Deals: 2/10/26
A pair of AFC East rivals added players on reserve/futures contracts on Tuesday. Here’s the list:
Buffalo Bills
- QB Shane Buechele, WR Jalen Virgil
New England Patriots
- G Mehki Butler, LB Amari Gainer, WR John Jiles, TE Marshall Lang, OT Lorenz Metz, DT Jeremiah Pharms, LB Otis Reese, G Andrew Rupcich, S John Saunders Jr., DL Leonard Taylor, WR Jeremiah Webb
Patriots T Will Campbell Played Through Torn Knee Ligament During Playoffs
Poor showings from Patriots left tackle Will Campbell were a common theme of the team’s run to the Super Bowl. New England’s left tackle was operating at far from full health during that stretch. 
During Campbell’s first remarks after New England’s Super Bowl loss, he said (via MassLive’s Mark Daniels) he suffered a torn ligament in his knee during the regular season. Campbell had not fully recovered by the time the playoffs began, and the ailment affected him through all four of the team’s postseason games.
Campbell noted the injury was not an excuse for his poor play, but it does at least partially explain his struggles. The fourth overall pick in last April’s draft was unable to consistently hold up in pass protection during the Patriots’ journey to Super Bowl LX. New England’s offensive line – which had Campbell as well as fellow rookie Jared Wilson as a starter at left guard – was a major talking point leading up to the game. Seattle’s defense was highly successful in pressuring quarterback Drake Maye, something which led to the Seahawks’ victory. Campbell in particular endured a rough outing in the title game.
“Will is 22 years old,” head coach Mike Vrabel said (via Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network) when speaking to the media on Tuesday. ” He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger… there’s plays he’d like to have back. We’re not moving Will to guard, center, right end or anything else.”
Leading up to the draft, Campbell’s arm length was a source of concern with respect to his ability to remain a left tackle at the NFL level. The LSU product operated on the blindside throughout his rookie season, one which was interrupted by an MCL sprain. Campbell returned to left tackle duties upon return, and based on Vrabel’s comments he will again be counted on to serve as an anchor of New England’s offensive line moving forward. A return to full health will be the priority in this case, and Campbell’s ability to improve in Year 2 will be key in determining the Patriots’ success next season.