Roger Goodell: NFL Is ‘Engaging With’ Florida AG On Rooney Rule
The NFL’s ongoing battle with the state of Florida over the Rooney Rule took another turn this month when attorney general James Uthmeier issued a 15-page subpoena to the league with a June 12 deadline to comply.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has since said (via Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein) that the league is “engaging with” Uthmeier, who was appointed to his position last year. To keep it, he must win an election this fall, making his attack on the Rooney Rule seem like an attempt to seize on a hot-button issue and raise his political profile. After all, the Rooney Rule is the prominent diversity hiring initiative of one of the biggest public-facing businesses in the world, making it an easy target for DEI opponents.
The league stood by the Rooney Rule in their initial public response, but quietly formalized some changes in the background. One was the softening of language related to minority hiring on the league’s webpage; another was acknowledging the end of a previous program that mandated each team to have a minority offensive assistant on their coaching staff.
The NFL also kicked off their revamped accelerator program in May. It was originally created in 2022 with a focus on increasing diversity in head coach and general manager positions by giving high-potential minority coaches and executives specialized training and networking opportunities.
The league canceled the accelerator program last year, stirring speculation that the league was looking to avoid DEI-related scrutiny from the Trump administration. This year, it returned with a very different scope. Previously, only minority coaches and executives participated, but just half of this year’s group are minorities. That does not appear to be an accident, as the NFL sent a memo to all 32 teams in March
“The May accelerator is intended to focus on advancing talent from underrepresented groups while remaining open to qualified senior-level candidates of all backgrounds,” the memo reads (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Senior vice president of league leadership and inclusion Jonathan Beane said (via Epstein) that the NFL wanted to “ensure that there is access and opportunity for everyone to compete for these very elite, exclusive roles.”
The focus has also shifted from creating a new leadership pipeline to helping the most qualified candidates take the final step into head coach or general manager positions.
“We wanted to make it a little more strict and elevated, really focusing on top talent that are really positioned to get that top position,” Beane said.
This year’s class includes several mainstays on the interview circuit over the last few years, as well as Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy and Chargers offensive coordinator and former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel. (It’s fair to wonder why McDaniel, who was hired by Miami when he was 38 years old, had interest from several teams when he was fired this offseason, and still has a play-calling coordinator job, is participating.)
The changes to the accelerator program could be seen as another attempt to appease Uthmeier by minimizing the diversity focus of the league’s hiring initiatives with the hopes of precluding a legal battle. But depending on his objectives (and their relevancy to his upcoming election), he may force the NFL to publicly account for the Rooney Rule and other diversity programs regardless of any minor alterations they have already made.
Patrick Mahomes Participated In Chiefs OTAs Practice
After tearing his ACL last December, Patrick Mahomes is already back on the practice field. The Chiefs quarterback participated in his team’s first OTA practice today, per ESPN’s Nate Taylor.
Since the session was closed to reporters, it’s unclear how much Mahomes participated in the practice. But as Taylor notes, the team’s social media accounts posted clips of the QB throwing on the practice field. In the video, Mahomes was spotted wearing a knee brace. Reporters will get a better idea of the 30-year-old’s recovery when practice is open on Thursday.
While Andy Reid previously cautioned that this portion of the offseason program features “no contact and there’s no offense versus defense,” it’s still notable that Mahomes was even on the field. The quarterback has continually made it his goal to be active for Week 1, and Taylor notes that the franchise is increasingly confident in the player’s ability to complete that mission. GM Brett Veach also recently admitted that Mahomes was “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery.
Of course, we wouldn’t expect the organization to say otherwise at this point. We’ll truly get clarity on Mahomes’ timeline when contact practices commence during July’s training camp. During the current OTAs and upcoming mandatory minicamp, Mahomes will be participating in low-risk drills. The QB has been a mainstay in the Chiefs’ facility throughout his rehab, where he’s often worked with trainer Julie Frymyer, who helped him recover from previous injuries (per Taylor).
While the recovery timeline from a torn ACL has been shortened in recent years, it will still be a feat for Mahomes to return to the field in only nine months. The Chiefs have the luxury of rostering a capable backup in case Mahomes does have to miss any time, as the front office added Justin Fields in a trade with the Jets earlier this offseason.
When Mahomes does inevitably take a regular season snap, he won’t only be looking to prove that the knee isn’t impacting his play. He’ll also be looking to avenge an underwhelming on-field performance in 2025. The Chiefs went 6-8 in Mahomes’ 14 starts, with the former MVP tossing only 22 touchdowns (a career-low other than his one-game showing as a rookie).
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/26/26
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Tyron Herring
- Waived/injured: CB DeCarlos Nicholson
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB K.C. Ossai
K.C. Ossai is back with the Texans. The Louisiana product joined Houston as an UDFA last offseason but didn’t make the 53-man roster. He caught on with the Dolphins practice squad late in the year and was retained via a reserve/futures contract, but he was cut by Miami earlier this month. The linebacker had a standout collegiate career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, including a 2024 campaign where he tallied 115 tackles.
Steelers Re-Sign DL Dean Lowry
The Steelers have finally agreed to a new deal with Dean Lowry. The team announced that they’ve signed the free agent defensive lineman to a one-year deal. To make room on the roster, the Steelers have waived defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie.
There were reports last month that the two sides had agreed to a new contract. However, that was quickly dismissed, as the Steelers wanted to give the veteran more time to return to playing shape. The 31-year-old is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last summer.
Lowry joined the Steelers on a two-year, $5MM contract during the 2024 offseason. He mostly served as a backup during his first season in Pittsburgh, getting into about 20 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in his 12 appearances. The veteran suffered a torn ACL during last year’s training camp that erased his entire 2025 campaign. We heard previously that Lowry had been given medical clearance, and the Steelers are apparently happy enough with his recovery to bring him back for another season.
The former fourth-round pick turned into a dependable starter during his long stint in Green Bay, where he started 80 of his 111 appearances. He tallied 15.5 sacks, 23 TFLs, and 34 QB hits during his seven seasons with the Packers. He left for the Vikings on a two-year deal in 2023, but a pectoral injury limited him to only nine games that year. Lowry was cut loose after only one season in Minnesota.
While he’s unlikely to return to his early-career production, Lowry will still provide the Steelers with some veteran continuity on the defensive line. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Daniel Ekuale are both out the door, with Sebastian Joseph-Day representing Pittsburgh’s reinforcement up front. Derrick Harmon, Cameron Heyward, and Keeanu Benton will still command the majority of the snaps on the DL, but Lowry should be a dependable depth piece and special teamer.
Ritzie went undrafted out of North Carolina in 2025 before catching on with the Patriots. He had a brief stint on New England’s practice squad before getting cut in September. He caught on with Pittsburgh in January via a reserve/futures contract.
Ravens, Lamar Jackson Did Not Progress During February Extension Talks; QB Reports For OTAs
Lamar Jackson surfaced at Ravens OTAs Tuesday, ending another notable offseason hiatus. Considering the Ravens are implementing a new scheme — under OC Declan Doyle — Jackson showing up for offseason work is a bit more important than it has been in recent years.
New HC Jesse Minter said he and Jackson, who has frequently missed voluntary portions of offseason workouts in the past, had held discussions on when the two-time MVP would show up. With that having taken place, Jackson noise will naturally shift back to his contract. As it stands, the Ravens are in a bind on the latter front.
The Ravens restructured Jackson’s contract in March, doing so shortly after Trey Hendrickson‘s commitment to the team. Baltimore cleared nearly $40MM in 2026 cap space but moved a substantial chunk of money onto its 2027 balance sheet. While Jackson’s 2026 cap hit dropped to $34.39MM, his 2027 number ballooned to $84.34MM. With Jackson carrying no-trade and no-tag clauses, this situation looks a lot like where the Cowboys were with Dak Prescott before his record-smashing extension.
Dallas was facing a doomsday scenario in which Prescott left as a 2025 free agent and dropped a punitive dead money sum — stemming from multiple restructures — on the team’s payroll upon doing so. With the Cowboys giving Prescott a favorable extension at the March 2021 franchise tag application deadline, the player held historic leverage and used it.
The Cowboys reached a four-year, $240MM extension with Prescott hours before their season opener in 2024. That contract remains unapproached, from an AAV standpoint, nearly two years later. Among QBs signed for more than one year (excluding rookie deals), only Deshaun Watson saw a greater percentage of his contract guaranteed; Prescott received $231MM of his $240MM guaranteed in total.
Jackson is a far more accomplished player than Prescott, having soared to two MVP awards and delivered his best statistical season — in 2024 — in a year that brought a second-place MVP finish (but a first-team All-Pro nod). The Bills took care of the player who finished first in that historic MVP race (Josh Allen) with a six-year, $330MM extension, doing so despite their franchise QB having four seasons left on his previous deal. The Ravens’ efforts to extend Jackson — a stated goal ahead of free agency — did not produce a resolution, leaving the team in a time crunch with two seasons remaining on his five-year, $260MM contract.
The Ravens made an attempt to extend Jackson in February, according to Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora, but those efforts went “nowhere.” A recent PFR mailbag delved into this topic, with our Adam La Rose indicating the ideal time to extend Jackson came before free agency this year. A new deal would have reduced Jackson’s 2026 cap hit without creating that bloated $84.34MM 2027 figure. Jackson’s contract would also create a $42.47MM dead money bill for the Ravens if they do not extend him before the 2028 league year. With the no-trade and no-tag clauses in place, Jackson holds Prescott-like leverage.
Prescott had seen a 2020 ankle injury sideline him but had mostly stayed healthy between then and his September 2024 payday, though he suffered a significant hamstring injury weeks after the contract was finalized. Jackson does not have a major injury on his NFL resume but has dealt with a number of issues that have kept him off the field or limited him.
This includes last season, when a hamstring injury led to a three-game absence (and an injury reporting controversy). Jackson also missed Week 17 with a back issue, running his games-missed count (including a 2022 wild-card game) to 15 — not counting his Week 18 rest in 2023 — since the 2021 season.
It is worth wondering if the Ravens view Jackson as a sufficiently safe bet as his 30s near. The QB’s resume and negotiating leverage points him toward a deal well north of Prescott’s, and the ninth-year Baltimore passer (who remains without an agent) has been a shrewd negotiator in the past. He played out his rookie contract, breaking off 2022 negotiations, and requested a trade while on the franchise tag in 2023. The Ravens and Jackson came to a five-year, $260MM agreement in April 2023, after it became clear Baltimore would not complete a fully guaranteed contract like Cleveland did for Watson (though, three-year fully guaranteed proposals did emerge before the 2023 extension).
Entering his age-29 season, Jackson has 1,081 career rushing attempts. At the eight-season mark, that is 152 more than any other QB in NFL history. The run-game wear and tear on Jackson will factor into his second extension more than his first. For now, it should still be assumed the Ravens will hand Jackson a record-setting extension. But potential longevity concerns will be something to monitor when extension talks intensify. A new deal remains the organization’s goal.
It will be interesting to see if the new-look franchise makes an aggressive effort to have this deal done with with two years remaining on his previous contract. The Cowboys did not do that in 2023, and it proved costly. The Ravens’ upcoming effort will help illustrate how they believe their future Hall of Fame QB will age.
Giants Audition DT Eddie Goldman
Following the Dexter Lawrence trade, the Giants added two 30-something defensive linemen by bringing in Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader. That upped the team’s count of D-linemen north of 30 to three, as Roy Robertson-Harris has one season remaining on his two-year contract.
But Robertson-Harris went down with an Achilles tear last week. The Giants are back in the DT market, and another veteran option is on the radar. Eddie Goldman worked out for the team today, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Goldman, who missed the 2022 and ’23 seasons after retiring, spent last year with the Commanders.
Goldman is now 32, and he went through an early-2020s stretch that featured three full-season absences (the ex-Bears DT opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns). But the veteran nose tackle resurfaced with the Falcons in 2024, playing 17 games. The Commanders signed him last year, and he started in six contests.
A mainstay for the Bears in the 2010s, Goldman landed an extension with Chicago in 2018. After joining the Falcons in free agency in 2022, he retired. Atlanta gave Goldman an opportunity to return in 2023, but he landed on the team’s reserve/left squad list months later and missed all of that season as well. The Falcons gave Goldman a third chance in 2024, and he stuck with a return that year. After spending the 2024 season as a Falcons backup, Goldman joined the Commanders on a one-year deal worth $1.26MM.
The Giants have not placed Robertson-Harris on IR yet, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes Reader and Shelby Harris were not present at last week’s OTA workout open to the media. The team will be counting on Reader and Harris post-Lawrence, with 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander also present as part of this quantity-based D-line staffing effort. The Giants also signed Leki Fotu, Sam Roberts and claimed Zacch Pickens as part of an offseason overhaul. The Bengals sent the Giants the No. 10 overall pick for Lawrence, and that move gave the Giants O-lineman Francis Mauigoa. Big Blue did not address its D-line in the draft until Round 6 (Bobby Jamison-Travis), helping lead to the Reader and Harris additions.
Operating more as a run stuffer than interior pass rusher during his career, Goldman tallied four tackles for loss last season. In 321 defensive snaps, Pro Football Focus ranked Goldman 81st among 127 qualified interior D-linemen. Goldman missed four games last season, suffering two concussions.
Considering Goldman’s past retirement decisions, it is interesting he is on the workout circuit following a concussion-marred campaign. But he is an 89-game starter who held a key role on a No. 1-ranked defense (Chicago’s 2018 edition). The Giants are determining what the Florida State alum has left, and they certainly have not shied away from aging DT help this offseason.
WR Tyreek Hill Uncertain To Be Ready By Week 1
The free agency lot of receivers brings considerable accomplishments. DeAndre Hopkins is a three-time first-team All-Pro, while Stefon Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowler with seven 1,000-yard seasons. Keenan Allen is the leading receiver in Chargers history, sporting six Pro Bowl invites, while Deebo Samuel — a 2021 first-team All-Pro — has been one of the most versatile players at his position in modern NFL history.
While Samuel is the youngest player here (at 30), Tyreek Hill has the best resume. The former Chiefs standout is an eight-time Pro Bowler with two 1,700-yard seasons under his belt. The off-field baggage Hill has accumulated is well documented, but the all-time speed merchant has put together a Hall of Fame-level career through 10 seasons. But the Dolphins released him in February, leaving the 32-year-old target’s future uncertain.
Hill’s market may be on hold because of multiple factors — his severe knee injury last September and another NFL investigation into alleged domestic violence — but he wants to play an 11th season. But Hill’s return timetable does not appear to align with a Week 1 return, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicating during a Pat McAfee Show appearance it may take until around midseason for the veteran pass catcher to be ready to go.
In Week 4 of last season, Hill tore multiple knee ligaments — including his ACL — and suffered a knee dislocation. That injury ending his career surfaced as a possibility, though the accomplished wideout has since expressed motivation to return. Teams figure to be monitoring this market, but it is also likely this particular free agent will not be coveted by every team in need of receiving help.
Hill entered the league with a domestic violence arrest, leading to a drop to the fifth round, and the NFL investigated him for a separate alleged act in 2019. No suspension took place then, but a different woman — ex-wife Keeta Vaccaro — has since accused Hill of eight separate domestic violence acts. The NFL is investigating Vaccaro’s claims, which could produce a suspension.
Hill’s first NFL team, the Chiefs, have shown a high tolerance threshold toward off-field trouble, but the team is already dealing with a repeat offender on this front in Rashee Rice. The Chiefs are believed to be looking for receiver help, with Schefter mentioning them as a team “maybe” looking to add at the position. No real Chiefs-Hill reunion buzz has surfaced since his Dolphins release, and while he would make sense from a scheme perspective, the Chiefs — who have been connected to Diggs — may be better suited going with a safer bet compared to a player carrying a suspension risk who also might not be ready for Week 1.
It will also be worth wondering if Hill’s prime came to an abrupt end last September. He is sure to generate interest upon recovery, but there will be an uncertainty about how much is left in the tank by that point.
Bengals Interested In Retaining DE Myles Murphy Beyond 2026
The Bengals recently declined to exercise Myles Murphy‘s fifth-year option. As a result, the pass rusher is a pending 2027 free agent.
The chance of a departure on the open market will become a talking point, especially if Murphy delivers a strong showing in his fourth Cincinnati season. The Bengals have been communication with him during an offseason marked by several defensive additions. No extension is in place now, but a second Cincinnati pact could still be in store in the future.
De facto general manager Duke Tobin expressed the team’s desire to keep Murphy in place for the long term, as the Clemson product noted when speaking to the media (h/t Laurel Pfahler of the Dayton Daily News). Several big-money investments have been made on defense recently by the Bengals, a team which traded for Dexter Lawrence and added one year to his deal upon arrival. Cincinnati also brought in Boye Mafe in a bid to replace the production lost through Trey Hendrickson‘s departure.
“I knew it was a possibility,” Murphy said when reflecting on finding out his option would be declined. “Duke and everyone upstairs, they’ve been pretty transparent on ‘we spent a lot of money this offseason.’ So, it does make sense. We talk. No hard feelings. We talk about everything, so really, just doing my job right now, getting ready for the upcoming season, trying to be in the best shape I can be, the best teammate I can be.”
Murphy occupied a rotational role during his first two seasons in the league, managing only three sacks across that span. The 24-year-old saw another uptick in playing time in 2025, though. Murphy made 10 starts and posted 5.5 sacks, 17 pressures and six tackles for loss. Joseph Ossai and Cameron Sample also left in free agency, so a heavy workload should be expected for Murphy ahead of his pivotal fourth season.
Picking up Murphy’s option for 2027 would have cost $14.48MM. It came as little surprise when the Bengals opted not to make that commitment based on his production to date. Nevertheless, another step forward in 2025 would set Murphy up for a payday with Cincinnati or another team next spring.
Raiders QB Kirk Cousins Not Certain To Start In Week 1
MAY 26: SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports the Raiders have been impressed with Mendoza early in spring work. Nevertheless, he adds Cousins is viewed as the presumed starter for Week 1. A gradual acclimation process for Mendoza would come as no surprise as long as Cousins is healthy at the start of the campaign.
MAY 23: The general consensus in Las Vegas has been that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will open the season as the team’s QB1. According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, new head coach Klint Kubiak claims he hasn’t made a decision on a starter yet and “that the answer will reveal itself during training camp.”
When the Raiders utilized their No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, it was with the intention that he would eventually become the organization’s next franchise quarterback. Knowing that it can be harmful to a prospect’s development if they are thrown into NFL competition too soon, the team brought Cousins in as an experienced, veteran option.
While Cousins’ experience and accomplishments provide a decent case for him to start on their own, his familiarity with Kubiak theoretically solidifies his status as the man to beat for the starting job on opening day. Cousins played for the Vikings from 2018-23, and in three of those seasons, he had Kubiak as a quarterbacks coach (2019-20) or offensive coordinator (2021), so the two have worked together before. As the Raiders implement Kubiak’s offense, Cousins’ knowledge can help make the transition smooth, in comparison to the rookie Heisman-winner who will be coming in with a blank slate.
But the season doesn’t start tomorrow, and there’s a lot that can happen between now and Week 1. Players and coaches alike have been very impressed with Mendoza in the early days. Left tackle Kolton Miller called the young passer “wired” and “a sponge, soaking in information and taking notes during team meetings.” Kubiak doubled down on that notion, saying, “Anything you put in front of him, he’s going to attack it. Anything new, he spends extra time on. You can tell he fixes things from one day to the next.”
At the moment, Cousins is the first quarterback on the field, former starter Aidan O’Connell is second, and Mendoza is third, but Kubiak hasn’t provided a timeline for when he’ll name the Week 1 starter, counting instead on the answer revealing itself in training camp. And, while Kubiak has a history with Cousins, he won’t be making the decision alone as Kubiak claims “he wants his players to decide who should be the starter.”
Former Dolphins DT Manny Fernandez Dies At 79
Former Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez has died, per a team announcement made on Tuesday. He was 79.
Fernandez played a total of eight seasons (1968-75), beginning his career when Miami was in the AFL. At the onset of the post-merger period, the former undrafted free agent was instrumental in the Dolphins’ success. That included key roles leading up to and during the team’s three consecutive Super Bowl appearances early in the 1970s.
A full-time starter for most of his career – which was spent exclusively in Miami – Fernandez enjoyed productive showings in the regular season. He is, however, best remembered for his output during the playoffs and in Miami’s Super Bowls. Fernandez is officially credited with 4.5 career postseason sacks, and his performance in Super Bowl LVII was critical in cementing Miami’s perfect campaign in 1972. To this day, that remains the only undefeated regular and postseason in NFL history.
Miami went on to win the following Super Bowl and further cement the legacy of head coach Don Shula and the core players who led the way to that sustained success. Fernandez was certainly among that group, totaling at least four sacks in each of his first six seasons. His career took place before tackles became an official statistic, but the Utah product served as a key figure against the run in addition to his work as a pass rushing presence.
Every member of the ’72 team was ultimately inducted into the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor. Fernandez’s accolades – which included a top-10 finish in MVP voting in 1970 – made him one of the players honored again on an individual basis, though. That took place in 2014, further highlighting his significance to the Dolphins and to the ‘No-Name’ defense which he played a central role in across the course of his decorated career.