QB Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers Decision Not Imminent
The Steelers’ 2025 season ended with a bit of a whimper. Losing on a Week 17 trip to Cleveland to keep the Ravens in the AFC North race then beating their division rival and moving on to the playoffs by means of a missed 44-yard field goal attempt at the buzzer, Pittsburgh’s flame finally went out at the hands of a stifling Texans defense that held them to six points at home. The questions immediately turned to what direction was the team heading in. 
Since Ben Roethlisberger‘s final season in 2021, the quarterback carousel in Pittsburgh has failed to set up the future of the franchise. Their first attempts post-Roethlisberger were to set up that future by drafting first-round Pitt-product Kenny Pickett, but a three-way battle that included former first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky and Steelers backup Mason Rudolph failed to produce a winner over time. So in 2024, the team abandoned the develop plan and jumped on the pro scouting train, signing veteran Russell Wilson and trading for Justin Fields.
That combination seemed to be working for the franchise, until it didn’t. With Wilson starting the season injured, Fields led the team to a 4-2 start, and when Wilson took over, Pittsburgh won six of its next seven games. The season came crashing down, though, as the Steelers’ limped into the playoffs on a four-game losing streak before losing their first-round playoff game for their fifth-playoff trip in a row. The team stuck with the free agent route last year but moved on from Wilson in favor of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers 2025 pursuit of Rodgers was a long, drawn-out process. Over the course of four months, Rodgers casually moved through the headlines, mulling retirement and weighing offers from this team or that team. As other franchises grew impatient or began to see the writing on the wall, that writing pointed closer and closer to Minnesota or Pittsburgh, but despite a couple of efforts from the team on different occasions to get some clarity, an answer didn’t officially come until early June, forcing the Steelers to maneuver much of the offseason, including the draft and free agency, without a concrete plan on who was playing quarterback.
So after the 2025 season ended on a bit of a downward trajectory, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Rodgers would be mulling over is future again, and once the team moved on from long-time head coach Mike Tomlin, it seemed impossible that Rodgers was long for Pittsburgh. That was, until the Steelers replaced Tomlin with Rodgers’ head coach of 13 years in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy. All of the sudden, the signs were pointing right back to Pittsburgh for Rodgers, but ever the patient customer, Rodgers has refused to say anything definitive on the matter.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers provided sound bites that conveyed little urgency or imminency. “We’re sitting here. It’s March 4th. Free agency starts in a week,” he dictated. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife…just been laying low…But I’ve talked to (McCarthy), I’ve talked to (general manager Omar Khan). There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me. There’s been no contract offer or anything, so there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between.
“I’m a free agent,” he concluded. “And, again, I’m enjoying time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason, and I think there’s conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there hasn’t been any progressive conversations.”
In one of his many recent interviews, Khan also spoke on the situation, per Mark Kaboly, a correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show. “I mean, I don’t really want to say it has to be done by (free agency),” Khan explained. “You know, we’d like to have an idea, but it’s just, it isn’t going to go like it did last year…He knows how we feel, and I think we know how he feels about us. It was a good experience for both sides.”
That doesn’t sound entirely like two sides on the same page. It sounds more as if the Steelers are pretty itchy to know what their situation is going to be moving forward but don’t want to pressure Rodgers. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic asserts that team is working under the assumption that “Rodgers is going to return for 2026, but until he gives them a definitive answer, they can’t speak in certain terms.” He adds that Pittsburgh believes it will “get an answer from Rodgers in the next few weeks,” which could mean a lot of things.
Part of the reason the Steelers are eager to know their situation is so they can address other contract issues with confidence in what their numbers are going to look like. Particularly, DeFabo mentions that the Steelers are hoping to secure two of the team’s premier pass rushers alongside T.J. Watt. Khan recently expressed his desire for the team to reach an extension agreement with outside linebacker Nick Herbig. Two issues arise from this desire. First, Herbig may not want to sign an extension just yet. He may be interested in betting on himself to continue improving his output each season in the hopes of really cashing in next year.
The second issue stems from 2023’s extension of fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. The prevailing thought has been that it wouldn’t be practical for the Steelers to commit that much cap space to Herbig, Highsmith, and Watt, and that someone would end up on the outside looking in, but Khan’s response to notions that he couldn’t extend Herbig while retaining Highsmith was simply that “you can’t ever have enough (edge rushers).” This is likely why the Steelers are working to extend Herbig now, making it more feasible to stomach all three contracts. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh can land on a deal that sufficiently satisfies Herbig without breaking the bank.
49ers To Re-Sign K Eddy Pineiro
When the 49ers were desperate to find some consistent kicking last year, they took a flyer on Eddy Pineiro and the former Panthers kicker delivered with a huge season. As a result, San Francisco has moved to secure him on a long-term basis, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two sides have come to an agreement on a four-year, $17MM deal. The deal is said to include $10MM in guaranteed money. 
Pineiro actually started off as a soccer player growing up in Miami and signed a scholarship offer to play at FAU before running into some academic issues. He opted to play soccer at ASA College, a small juco in the area, and, at the behest of his father, eventually made his way out to Alabama for a placekicking combine with the football program. After impressing Nick Saban and earning a scholarship offer, Pineiro committed to the Crimson Tide before later decommitting and opting to stay in state with the Gators.
After going undrafted in 2018, Pineiro signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent but spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. Over the following offseason, Chicago traded for the second-year kicker, expecting him to compete to replace Cody Parkey after the Bears’ infamous “Double Doink” playoff exit. Pineiro was the winner of the kicking competition and made his NFL debut kicking the whole season with Chicago, going 23-of-28 on field goals and 27-of-29 on extra point attempts.
A groin injury put Pineiro on IR again for the entire 2020 season, and he spent 2021 bouncing around. He spent bits of the season with the Colts, Commanders (then the Football Team), and Jets but only appeared in games with New York, making 8-of-8 field goal attempts and 9-0f-10 extra points. In 2022, he landed with the Panthers after an injury to Zane Gonzalez. This began a three-year stint in Carolina, seeing him play in all but two games for the Panthers over that time. Pineiro really seemed to establish himself as a franchise kicker, for his new team. At some point in his third year in Carolina, Pineiro edged into the all-time lead for career field goal percentage in NFL history. Though the record quickly slipped from his grasp, he’s been back and forth with a few active kickers ever since then.
After the Panthers neglected to re-sign Pineiro to a fourth one-year deal with the team, he signed a last-second contract with the 49ers a week into the 2025 NFL season following the team’s dismissal of former third-round pick Jake Moody. Pineiro had his choice of a couple options after trying out for the Bills and getting interest from the Falcons, but it was San Francisco that won out. Pineiro went on to win the hearts of the 49er faithful, along with the nickname “Eddy Dinero,” and after the season came to an end, securing his future apparently became a priority for the team.
All three members of the 49ers kicking battery were on expiring contracts in 2025. San Francisco re-signed veteran long snapper Jon Weeks to an extension at the start of February and have now secured Pineiro for the foreseeable future. In order to bring the whole crew back in 2026, all that remains is for the 49ers to ink veteran punter Thomas Morstead to a new deal for next season, as well.
Although Pineiro remains in the all-time most accurate kicker race (he currently sits at second, behind Cameron Dicker, and remains in active competition with Harrison Butker, Brandon Aubrey, and Chris Boswell, who round out the top five active kickers), his new contract only puts him as the 14th-highest paid kicker in the NFL in regard to annual average value ($4.25MM per year). His reported guarantee-total of $10MM is eighth-highest for a kicker contract in the NFL.
Rams Announce Retirement Of CB Darious Williams
The Rams made a major addition to their secondary by trading for Trent McDuffie this week. The unit has now suffered a loss, albeit a less impactful one, with the retirement of veteran cornerback Darious Williams.
Williams, who is about to turn 33, was entering the last year of his contract and was seen as a possible cap casualty with $7.5MM in potential savings. Instead, he will hang up his cleats after 104 games played, 69 starts and a championship ring from Super Bowl LVI in 2022. That is a strong career for an undrafted free agent, especially one who started playing college ball at a Division III school.
In fact, Williams is the only player from Marietta College to play in the NFL. He spent his freshman year with the Pioneers and transferred to UAB, where he made the team as a walk-on in 2014. He remained at the school even after the football program briefly shut down, per Greg Beachum of the Associated Press, and went on to start 18 games across the 2016 and 2017 seasons, earning a first-team All-Conference USA nod in the second.
The Ravens signed Williams as an undrafted rookie in 2018 and he made the 53-man roster with Jimmy Smith serving a suspension. He appeared in three games on special teams and was waived when Smith was eligible to return. Baltimore wanted to retain Williams, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, but the Rams swooped in and claimed him instead.
Williams only appeared in one game during his first year in Los Angeles, but he carved out a rotational role on defense and a core role on special teams. He stepped into a starting job in 2020 and was retained in 2021 on a restricted free agent tag.
Another year as a starter earned Williams a three-year, $30MM deal from the Jaguars in free agency in 2022. He started 28 games over the next two seasons and was released with one year remaining on his contract. He then returned to Los Angeles on a three-year, $22.5MM deal, of which he earned $15MM.
With McDuffie already acquired, the Rams will not need to seek a direct replacement for Williams, though they could still look to upgrade their secondary.
Williams will retire with just over $43MM in career earnings and, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic, will now move into a new role as a father.
Packers Trade DT Colby Wooden For Colts LB Zaire Franklin
The Packers and Colts continue a busy weekend ahead of free agency as the two teams have reportedly come to an agreement to trade Green Bay defensive tackle Colby Wooden for Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. No picks were needed to facilitate what is simply a player for player deal that results in both teams filling a position of need. 
The motivation for the Packers is clear here. Given that off-ball linebackers are grouped into the same fifth-year option calculation as outside linebackers, first-round linebackers hardly ever see their fifth-year options picked up. This was the case with Packers’ 2022 first-round pick Quay Walker, who is bound for free agency after four years in Green Bay. The Packers evaluated well when they landed linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in the second round two years ago, but in a base 3-4 defense, they need a second solid starter at inside backer.
The Packers did not intend to let Walker go quietly. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team made several runs in an attempt to re-sign him before free agency. The acquisition of Franklin all but guarantees that Walker is bound for the open market, though, and he’s expected to make a bit of a splash there whenever he does.
Franklin was a late bloomer for the Colts, joining the team as a seventh-round pick out of Syracuse in 2018 and not establishing himself as a full-time starter until his fifth year with the team. In his first three years in Indy, Franklin spent most of his time on special teams, though he did rotate in on defense occasionally and fill in as a spot starter. Despite his humble contributions to the stat sheet, Franklin made his presence felt in the building. An organizational favorite, he was named a team captain in his third year with the team. His reputation throughout the building in those first three years likely made him stand out in the mind of then-defensive backs coach Jonathan Gannon. Now Green Bay’s new defensive coordinator, Gannon may have had a preference on who would replace Walker.
In 2021, Franklin started to see a bit more playing time while still playing second fiddle to All-Pro Shaquille Leonard and Bobby Okereke. By 2022, though, Leonard was extremely limited from offseason back surgery, and Franklin got his first opportunity to work as a full-time starter in the NFL. He made that opportunity count as he led the team in total tackles (167) and tackles for loss (12, career high).
After finishing fourth in the NFL in total tackles in his first year as a starter, Franklin finished second in league in 2023 with 179 tackles (a career high) and finally led the league in 2024 with 173. His efforts as the league-leading tackler landed him second-team All-Pro honors as he supplemented the eye-popping stat with 11 tackles for loss, a career-high 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, six passes defensed, and five forced fumbles. His numbers dropped off a bit in 2025, but even in a down statistical year, Franklin led the team in total tackles (125), adding seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and five passes defensed.
Even before he got his opportunity as a full-time starter, the Colts showed their faith in Franklin by re-signing him on a three-year, $12MM contract to keep him from free agency after his rookie contract expired. After seeing Franklin in his role as a starter for two years, the team avoided letting him play on a contract year, agreeing to extend him on a three-year, $31.26MM deal. That extended deal still has two years remaining on it. With a $6.24MM base salary and a per game active roster bonus that could total $765K for the season, he represents a $7MM cap hit for his new team in 2026. That $7MM will come off the books in Indianapolis as the team looks to create some cap space with intentions to try and hold on to pending free agents Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce, but they’ll need to add back to the linebacking corps at some point after losing Franklin.
Wooden has also been a bit of a late bloomer as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. A fourth-round pick out of Auburn in 2023, Wooden played a rotational role in his first two years with the team, appearing in 30 games over that time and not logging his first start until Week 12 of his sophomore campaign. In limited time, he was still able to make a decent impact, totaling 37 tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, a half sack, and two batted passes. He became a full-time starter of Year 3 in Green Bay, only coming off the bench in the team’s regular season finale.
With veteran defensive tackle Neville Gallimore set to become a free agent, Wooden comes in to add some depth and starting experience to the line. USA Today’s Ryan Wood notes that Wooden was Green Bay’s best run defender on the interior line, but that doesn’t speak to much as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) still graded Wooden’s run defense quite a bit below average. Still, Wooden’s first season as a starter was generally perceived as solid, and he’s sure to continue improving as he gets more game time under his belt.
In Green Bay, Wooden’s departure means a lost starter along the defensive line, and that could be exacerbated as the team still doesn’t appear to be in a great position with outside linebacker Rashan Gary. Labeled a likely cut candidate, it seemed as though Gary’s time with the Packers had run out with a viral social media post on Gary’s account yesterday, but claims of an Instagram hack disputed the release of the veteran defender. It’s still believed, though, that Gary could be traded or released, per Rapoport. If that does happen, the Packers could be searching for pass rushing help on both the edge and the interior line.
In the end, each team scratches the other’s back a bit in this deal. The Colts are giving the Packers a capable, former All-Pro starter to replace what they’re losing at inside linebacker, and the Packers are taking some of the salary cap burden off the Colts shoulders and supplying them with some depth and starting experience along the defensive line. Both teams are far from being done making moves, but their opening action here in the leadup to free agency gives us a glimpse at their overall goals for the offseason.
Bills To Re-Sign C Connor McGovern
Re-signing veteran interior offensive lineman Connor McGovern was a huge priority for the Bills this offseason, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the two parties reached an agreement on a new four-year, $52MM contract today to avoid free agency. A report from Ian Rapoport claiming the team was closing in on this four-year pact preempted the final news, but Schefter broke the deal with details, including a guaranteed amount on the new contract of $32MM. 
McGovern came into the NFL as a third-round pick for the Cowboys in 2019. After sitting out his entire rookie season with a torn pectoral muscle, he served as a backup behind an impressive Dallas duo in Zack Martin and Connor Williams. McGovern found eight starts in his first season of play, filling in a couple times when Martin filled in at tackle and getting the rest of his starts as Martin sat with a concussion or a calf injury. In Year 3, he returned to a backup role but stole a few starts as Williams was benched for a short time due to a tendency to commit too many penalties. McGovern earned the starting left guard job in the last year of his rookie contract and, in addition to allowing just two sacks and committing one penalty he continued to show his versatility with some spot starts replacing center Tyler Biadasz.
Off of a strong final year in Dallas, McGovern landed in Buffalo on a three-year, $22.35MM deal as the Bills looked to replace veteran left guard Rodger Saffold. Starting all 17 games, McGovern was part of an offensive unit that allowed the fewest sacks in the NFL in 2023, but individually, McGovern left plenty of room for improvement in the run game. Part of the Bills’ solution for this was a position shift.
Buffalo pursued some cost-cutting moves in 2024 and opted to release veteran center Mitch Morse, shifting McGovern inside to fill the newly vacant role. Starting 16 games at this new position, McGovern looked much more balanced with his pass-pro and run-grading duties. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he graded out as the 10th-best center in the NFL as he earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career. In his second year as a full-time center, McGovern continued to improve, grading out as PFF’s ninth-best center in 2025.
After McGovern’s Pro Bowl campaign, the team began extension discussions with him and fellow interior lineman David Edwards. As those discussions continued, it became clear to that it may end up being one or the other between McGovern and Edwards. McGovern didn’t seem confident that it was going to be him sticking around. Just a few days ago, he told The Athletic’s Tim Graham that the team hadn’t contacted him once and that the feeling in his gut was that his time with the Bills was “over and done.” In the end, though, McGovern got the deal, and the consensus opinion remains that Edwards will be bound for free agency, likely to land a bit more money than his presumed former linemate.
In what looks to be a decent crop of free agent centers this offseason, McGovern was largely seen as the No. 2 option. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum has not reached a new deal with the team that drafted him 25th overall in 2022, despite Baltimore’s best attempts. Linderbaum is expected to set a new market at the position with some reports claiming an aim of $25MM per year, a jump of $7MM from the reigning highest-paid center Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM annual average value. Seeing where the market could’ve ended up, the Bills were smart to lock McGovern in at the time and rate that they did.
With McGovern off the market, all eyes will be on Linderbaum now. There’s a bit of a dropoff in quality after Linderbaum as Panthers center Cade Mays, Browns center Ethan Pocic, and Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry round out the pack of free agent options at the position. The Ravens had kept an eye on McGovern in case they couldn’t hold on to Linderbaum, but McGovern cashes in here with Buffalo as the NFL’s third-highest paid center, and the Bills secure a key piece of the interior of an offensive line that has helped Buffalo see the 2024 MVP and the 2025 leader in rushing yards.
Giants Interested In John Franklin-Myers, Wyatt Teller; Jermaine Eluemunor Open To Staying
A Giants roster-reshaping effort under John Harbaugh is coming soon. In addition to having renewed interest — at least, compared to where they were when letting Saquon Barkley walk two years ago — in running backs, the Giants have some high-profile linemen on their radar.
The team is interested in bringing in veteran guard Wyatt Teller, according to ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. Other guards are on New York’s radar as well, with Raanan mentioning Alijah Vera-Tucker and Dylan Parham here. The Giants have been linked to cutting left guard Jon Runyan Jr., and two-year RG stopgap Greg Van Roten is unsigned.
PFR ranked all three guards among the top 50 free agents, though none of these options are bank-breaking candidates. Teller will turn 32 later this year and has missed a handful of games due to injuries in each of the past two seasons. I mentioned Teller as a Giants candidate in our Offseason Outlook offering due largely to the team having hired 2025 Browns O-line coach Mike Bloomgren. Teller is a two-time All-Pro who was part of a few high-end Bill Callahan O-lines; he is not expected back with the Browns for an eighth season.
Vera-Tucker is coming off yet another season-ending injury; he sustained a second triceps tear last September. Tearing both triceps during his time with the Jets, Vera-Tucker is also a quality performer when healthy. Pro Football Focus ranked him ninth among guards in 2024. Parham worked as a primary Raiders starter in each of his four seasons. With the Raiders changing coaching staffs yet again, Parham will be a candidate to move on.
The Giants also have a need at right tackle. They have spoken to Jermaine Eluemunor‘s camp about a second contract, after the 2024 UFA addition played out his $7MM-per-year deal, and Raanan adds the veteran RT is open to coming back. The sides have remained in contact as the legal tampering period (11am CT Monday) looms. Eluemunor, 31, is one of the top RT options available thanks largely to his pass protection. Eluemunor also has stayed healthier than the more accomplished Braden Smith, who has battled injuries in recent years.
Big Blue released James Hudson on Friday, ending a disappointing tenure that featured a bizarre penalty spree in Week 2 and a quick benching. The Giants will need to address that position. New York gave Hudson a two-year, $12MM deal in 2025 but was eyeing Morgan Moses as the preferred option to play behind Eluemunor and Andrew Thomas, per the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. Moses, as it turned out, had starter work left after signing a three-year, $24MM Patriots deal.
Defensively, the Giants have some interest in John Franklin-Myers, Raanan adds. The former Jets starter played well for the Broncos (14.5 sacks in two seasons) and is viewed as by far the top interior D-line option on the market. A $20MM-per-year price tag has been floated for a soon-to-be 30-year-old player who was at $7.5MM AAV in Denver. With the Giants having Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence on big-ticket deals, it might be a stretch for them to be the Franklin-Myers landing spot.
At safety, Raanan indicates Dane Belton is likely to depart as a free agent. He is poised to follow Julian Love and Xavier McKinney out the door at what has been a high-turnover position for the team. Ex-Harbaugh Ravens charge Ar’Darius Washington is a name to monitor in free agency, with Raanan adding Caleb Downs is on the team’s radar in the draft. Downs is widely expected to be one of the first players drafted, though safeties are almost never chosen in the top 10 (the Giants hold the No. 5 pick). The Ravens have received impact play from first-rounder Kyle Hamilton, and that organization has prioritized the position in the past.
Texans To Re-Sign LB E.J. Speed
The Texans are re-signing linebacker and special teams ace E.J. Speed, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. He will receive a two-year deal worth up to $13MM with $7.5MM in guaranteed money, which includes a $4MM signing bonus.
Speed’s new contract represents a strong raise after a successful debut year in Houston. He signed for $3.5MM last offseason (via OverTheCap) and appeared in 16 games with a 44% snap share on defense and a core role on special teams. The 30-year-old was a key part of the Texans’ league-leading defense, recording a 9.6% run stop rate that ranked fifth among all linebackers with at least 150 run defense snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Originally a Colts fifth-round pick in 2019, Speed earned a roster spot as a special teams ace and began to see more time on defense in 2021. He re-signed with the team on a two-year, $8MM deal in 2023 and stepped into a starting role. The following year, he played nearly every snap in 2024 and ranked second on the team and 12th in the league with 142 tackles.
Despite that, Indianapolis did not re-sign Speed for a second time last offseason. He stayed in the AFC South and landed in Houston, where he served as the No. 3 linebacker behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o. Speed will continue in that role in 2026 as the Texans attempt to repeat their incredible defensive performance during the 2025 season.
Speed is the third Texan to sign a new contract this week. The team re-signed offensive tackle Trent Brown and extended edge rusher Danielle Hunter on Thursday, taking care of two of their top offseason priorities. Other key pending free agents include right guard Ed Ingram and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. With more than $30MM in cap space (pending Speed’s exact contract details), Houston has enough money to pursue new contacts with both players (or any others set to hit the market), though they may also want to pursue upgrades in free agency. They also have to budget for long-term deals with Will Anderson and C.J. Stroud, who will both become eligible for an extension this offseason.
Cowboys To Place 2nd-Round RFA Tender On K Brandon Aubrey
MARCH 7: The Cowboys are indeed placing a second-round RFA tender, now officially worth $5.76MM, on Aubrey, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Given Aubrey’s salary demands, it seems unlikely that another team would be willing to send a second-round pick and give out the biggest special teams contract in league history. Dallas would likely be satisfied with receiving a second-round pick in place of a kicker who was taking up a lot of cap space for a team with so many expensive players on the books.
FEBRUARY 26: Talks regarding a Brandon Aubrey extension date back several months. No agreement has been reached, and the Cowboys have little need to aggressively pursue one with their standout kicker at this point. 
Earlier this week, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported an offer worth around $7.5MM had been submitted. A correction issued on Thursday indicates Dallas’ best offer to date is actually just under $7MM. The latter figure would still be sufficient to make Aubrey (who turns 31 next month) the NFL’s highest-paid kicker on an annual basis.
Setting the market is a logical target in this case. Aubrey has proven to be one of the league’s best performers at the position during his three-year Cowboys career. Regularly connecting on long-range kicks, Aubrey’s range has made him an obvious candidate for a major raise. Harrison Butker currently leads the way in terms of kicker compensation with an AAV of $6.4MM.
Aubrey is a pending restricted free agent, meaning he will not test the open market the way many of Dallas’ other players on expiring deals will in March. The Cowboys have the option using an RFA tender in this case; the second-round tender would carry a projected cost of $5.81MM. Confirming a gap has long existed between team and player during negotiations, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports the Cowboys are “comfortable” placing the second-round tender on Aubrey if it proves necessary.
Per Hill, Dallas does not plan to increase its offer, an understandable stance given the fact the tender resides as a fallback option. He adds Aubrey’s agent Todd France shut down negotiations until this week’s Combine upon learning the Cowboys would not be willing to meet an asking price of $10MM per season in this case. Despite the ongoing disconnect, Watkins notes discussions between the sides are still “not considered acrimonious.”
Players who receive an RFA tender can be subject to offer sheets from outside teams. Should a player sign an offer sheet, their parent team has the opportunity to match it. In this case, the Cowboys would receive a second-round pick in the event they were to apply the second-round tender and not match an Aubrey offer sheet.
FA Notes: Pierce, Pats, Walker, Seahawks, Etienne, Jags, Broncos, Chiefs, Robinson, Giants, Titans, Cowboys
Prepared to make Stefon Diggs a one-and-done, the Patriots continue to be linked to A.J. Brown. The Eagles standout could be the team’s No. 1 option at receiver, but if the defending AFC champions are unable to strike a deal, MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian indicates a pivot to Alec Pierce could be in the cards.
Ranked as PFR’s No. 2 overall free agent, Pierce’s market will be competitive. Guregian points to a $25-$30MM-per-year number being required to close that deal. Pierce is the league’s two-time reigning yards-per-catch leader, topping 1,000 yards last season despite the Colts losing Daniel Jones in Week 13. We heard earlier this week Pierce would land at least $20MM per year. The Colts prioritized Jones via the transition tag, putting them at risk of losing Pierce on Monday.
Had the Colts made an effort to lock down Pierce before last season, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline notes the view at the Combine was he would have cost maybe half the AAV he is expected to command next week. Not much extension buzz existed last summer; that could be costly for the Colts soon. Pierce is preparing to hit free agency; he can officially begin talking to interested teams at 11am CT Monday.
Here is the latest coming out of the free agent market:
- Kenneth Walker making it past the tag deadline unattached makes him the top RB option this year. The Super Bowl LX MVP should be able to land a deal in the $12-$16MM-AAV neighborhood, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. That would vault him into top-five territory at the position. The Giants have been tied to a Walker pursuit, with the Seahawks potentially ready to stand down after showing interest in retaining their four-year starter.
- If Walker scores a deal in that range, Breer estimates Travis Etienne winding up in the $10MM-per-year realm. The Jaguars are likely to let Etienne walk, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adding the team is prepared to move forward with 2025 fourth-rounder Bhayshul Tuten.
- The Broncos, who were set to pursue Breece Hall before his franchise tag, are a logical suitor for the longtime Jags starter, according to Jones. Walker could be on Denver’s radar as well, Jones adds, noting the Chiefs — who are believed to be interested in RB help (with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt unsigned) — are likely to be priced out of the Walker market. Kansas City does not believe Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love will be available at No. 9, per Jones, potentially pointing to an RB signing next week. Denver is looking for an RB to replace J.K. Dobbins alongside RJ Harvey, and it looks like the team is prepared to devote more resources to this position this offseason — with Russell Wilson finally off the books.
- Wan’Dale Robinson–Titans connections continue, but SNY’s Connor Hughes notes the Giants are still in on their homegrown slot receiver. That said, Tennessee is viewed as a very interested party for Robinson, whom Hughes pegs as more likely to leave New York than stay. A Nashville trek would reunite the 5-foot-8 WR with new Titans OC Brian Daboll. The Titans have been tied to a receiver pursuit for some time, as they are flush with cap space and expected to release Calvin Ridley. The Robinson market is expected to come in around $15MM per year, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan adds. With the Giants giving Darius Slayton a $12MM-AAV deal in 2025, how much will they be willing to spend here? Raanan views Robinson’s price tag as being a bit too steep for Big Blue.
- Two of Christian Parker‘s former charges may be on the Cowboys‘ radar. We heard Nakobe Dean‘s name connected to Dallas, which needs linebacker help, and the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins notes the team is in on the Eagles LB starter. The Cowboys are also interested in P.J. Locke, who has been an off-and-on starter at safety in Denver. Locke played under Parker previously, beginning as a starter under the new Dallas DC (after replacing Kareem Jackson in 2023).
Jets Could Add 2 Veteran QBs; Carson Wentz At Top Of List
The Jets need a quarterback. More specifically, they need a young, long-term face of the franchise, the likes of which they have lacked since Joe Namath.
But the 2026 draft class only has one high-end quarterback prospect: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to be drafted by the Raiders with the first overall pick. A number of college passers decided to return to school for the 2026 season, leaving New York high and dry with the No. 2 selection.
The Jets would be best served by waiting until the quarterback-rich 2027 draft, in which the No. 1 pick will not be required to land an exciting young passer. In the meantime, though, they will need someone to pass the ball to Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor, and Adonai Mitchell.
That ‘someone’ could very well be two players. The Jets could take a similar approach to their quarterback room as their stadium-mates did last year. The Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency – which did not stop them from trading up into the first-round to draft Jaxson Dart – with the intention of letting the starting competition play out without too much pressure on any one player.
Of the available free agents, new Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich prefers a familiar face, per SNY’s Connor Hughes: Carson Wentz. The two worked together in Indianapolis in 2021 when Reich was the Colts’ head coach. He traded for Wentz despite his sharp regression in Philadelphia the year before, and the former No. 1 pick posted a resurgent season. The Colts moved on from Wentz the following offseason, though the split was driven more by the front office and ownership than by Reich and his coaching staff.
Geno Smith, who was released on Friday, is another option named by Hughes. So, too, is Jacoby Brissett, though he is still under contract with the Cardinals and they do not intend to move him. However, if Jimmy Garoppolo follows Mike LaFleur from Los Angeles to Arizona, Brissett could become available for the Jets.
The Jets have also been connected with veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone, but they are expected to have competition for his signature. They could then pivot to Micah McFadden, a 2022 fifth-rounder who started 35 games for the Giants in his first three NFL seasons but missed virtually all of 2025 due to a foot injury. The Jets have interest in McFadden, but so do the Giants, via both Hughes and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Depending on the state of his foot, the 26-year-old may need to consider a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal, but interest from multiple teams could give him enough leverage for a better deal.