Panthers Expect LT Ikem Ekwonu To Play In 2026
During the Panthers’ wild-card loss, Ikem Ekwonu suffered a torn patellar tendon. A lengthy recovery process is ongoing, but a return to action some time during the fall could very well be in store.
When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Dave Canales said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person) Ekwonu has been making progress in his rehab following surgery. He added the team’s left tackle is expected to play at some point in 2026. The coming campaign represents Ekwonu’s fifth-year option season.
Returning to full health will thus be critical for all involved in this case. The Panthers acknowledged Ekwonu’s looming absence during the opening stages of the 2026 season (at least) would require multiple investments on the blindside. Carolina signed Rasheed Walker to a one-year pact in free agency before taking Monroe Freeling in the first round of the draft.
Walker and Freeling are in the early stages of a competition for the starting spot at left tackle. That will make for an important storyline through the summer as the Panthers aim to find short-term stability on the blindside while evaluating their options beyond 2026. Longtime right tackle Taylor Moton is entering his age-32 season, and none of his scheduled compensation for 2027 is guaranteed. A departure in his case could set Freeling up for a stint at RT beginning next year.
A move along those lines would of course be easier if Ekwonu were to find himself in Carolina’s long-term plans up front. The former No. 6 pick has handled full-time starting duties since arriving in the league, totaling 64 appearances. Durability had not been a concern prior to his major knee injury, but the exact length of his ongoing recovery period and his level of play once back on the field remains to be seen.
A mutual interest exists in an extension when it comes to Ekwonu, who will turn 26 during the season. It would come as no surprise, though, if the Panthers opted to wait until he fully healed to engage in serious contract talks. A stretch of games in 2026 would help Ekwonu’s chances of landing a long-term commitment, and it seems he will be able to manage that barring any setbacks in his recovery.
Bengals Restructure Joe Burrow’s Deal
For the first time since it was signed in 2023, Joe Burrow‘s contract is being adjusted. The Bengals have worked out a restructure with their quarterback, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report.
Today’s move will create roughly $10MM in cap space for 2026. Cincinnati entered Tuesday near the bottom of the NFL in terms of available funds ($7.17MM). Burrow’s cap charge – which was scheduled to check in at $48MM, the second-highest in the NFL, will now be reduced, though.
Throughout what has proven to be a busy offseason on the defensive side of the ball, the Bengals preferred to avoid making any adjustments to the Burrow pact. As Paul Dehner of The Athletic notes, the team felt working through its spring priorities would be feasible without deferring some of Burrow’s cap charges into the future. Nevertheless, the Dexter Lawrence trade (and subsequent one-year extension) in particular limited Cincinnati’s financial flexibility for the short term.
Burrow signed his extension during an offseason which saw the title of league’s highest-paid quarterback change hands multiple times. After seeing Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert each move the bar with their respective second contracts, Burrow landed $55MM per year on average. The former No. 1 pick’s deal runs through 2029, and it is scheduled to carry cap charges as high as $60MM by its final year.
2026 has seen the acquisition of Lawrence but other veterans, including edge rusher Boye Mafe and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. Spending on those newcomers led to limited cap flexibility for summer additions, but this Burrow restructure will create the room for a modest addition or two. The Bengals’ front office is of course also looking into a number of extensions, including the case of cornerback DJ Turner.
Health will no doubt continue to be a major talking point for Burrow, 29, entering the 2026 season. Expectations are high for Cincinnati given the team’s continuity on offense and and aggressive pursuit of defensive upgrades, but Burrow’s contact will remain a key presence in the short and long term with respect to its financial planning.
QB Jacoby Brissett Will Report To Cardinals’ Minicamp
JUNE 9: Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes Brissett is expected to primarily take part in individual drills this week since it will allow Minshew to continue leading the offense in full team work (as he has through voluntary practices). It will be interesting to see if Brissett manages to gain traction on the negotiating front this summer or if a lack of involvement in the offseason limits his leverage.
JUNE 8: Jacoby Brissett was absent through the voluntary portion of the Cardinals’ offseason program. No contract resolution has been reached in this case, but attendance for mandatory work is expected.
Brissett will report to the team for this week’s mandatory minicamp, ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss and Jeremy Fowler report. Doing so will ensure he avoids fines which are guaranteed for any players who skip out on the June practices. The extent to which Brissett will participate over the coming days is still unclear, to no surprise.
[RELATED: Marvin Harrison Jr. Not Fully Recovered From 2025 Injuries]
Throughout the spring, the veteran quarterback has sought a contract adjustment reflecting his status as Arizona’s 2026 starter. The Cardinals added Gardner Minshew in free agency and drafted Carson Beck in the third round, but Brissett is set to begin the coming season atop the depth chart. As things stand, the 33-year-old is set to earn $4.88MM in salary on the final year of his deal; $1.5MM of that figure is guaranteed.
As of May, negotiations on an extension between Brissett and the Cardinals had not yielded much in the way of progress. Weinfuss and Fowler add an agreement is not expected to be finalized in time for the start of minicamp. Brissett’s attendance will therefore ensure fines of up to $108K will not be coming his way, but it is unlikely to lead to a breakthrough on the contract front.
Filling in for an injured Kyler Murray midway through the 2025 season, Brissett stabilized Arizona’s offense and remained the team’s QB1 even when Murray was healthy. The former No. 1 pick was expectedly released this spring, positioning the Cardinals to pursue a new starter in the 2027 draft. Brissett’s track record in the NFL will make it challenging to secure any notable bumps in pay or new term on his deal, but his pact being worth less than Minshew’s would represent an awkward arrangement heading into the season.
This situation could still result in a trade being worked out, although a strong market does not exist for Brissett. His status will remain worth watching closely as the summer unfolds with the Cardinals’ next steps still unclear.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Increases Offseason Participation; Alec Pierce Could Miss Start Of Training Camp
Daniel Jones has continued to make progress while recovering from the Achilles tear which ended his debut Colts season. An increase in his level of practice participation has taken place recently.
Jones has been able to take part in seven-on-seven drills in OTAs lately, as detailed by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). That marks the next step after he was limited to individual work earlier this spring. 11-on-11 participation will need to wait until training camp, but the latest developments are encouraging.
“To get him out there in seven-on-seven was huge, to get him in the fold, running plays with the guys,” head coach Shane Steichen said of Jones’ recovery. “We’ll keep that trend going, probably through the end of OTAs and then, obviously, get him into team stuff at training camp. It’s spring, we don’t play for a while, so we’ve got to be smart with his injury. But he’s making great progress.”
Jones received the transition tag in March to ensure he would not be able to test the market. Shortly thereafter, a two-year, $88MM deal was worked out. The 29-year-old will be counted on to replicate his impressive performances from before the injury as the Colts aim to end their playoff drought. The play of the team’s offense will be key to those efforts, and wideout Alec Pierce‘s availability will be critical.
Pierce – who landed a four-year, $114MM pact to stay with the Colts – underwent ankle surgery this spring. No missed time in the regular season is expected in his case, but a limited workload during the summer may be coming. Steichen said on Tuesday (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star) it is possible Pierce could remain sidelined during the beginning of training camp next month. A return to practice in time for Week 1 would still be anticipated even in that event, but any setbacks in recovery could prove to be impactful on a Colts receiving corps which no longer has Michael Pittman Jr. in the fold.
Jones will also be able to participate in seven-on-seven drills during mandatory minicamp, Steichen confirmed today (h/t Fox59’s Mike Chappell). Anything beyond that will not take place until padded practices during the summer, but his recovery continues to head in a positive direction.
Cowboys OL Matt Hennessy To Undergo Neck Surgery
Matt Hennessy is set to miss an extended period through the remainder of the offseason. The veteran offensive lineman is set to undergo neck surgery, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Tuesday (via ESPN’s Todd Archer).
A disc issue has resulted in this procedure taking place, Schottenheimer noted. Hennessy will begin training camp on the active/PUP list as a result of the surgery. As noted by Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, there is no timetable for a return to action in this case.
Hennessy has seen limited time at left guard during his NFL tenure, but he has primarily worked as a center. He signed with Dallas early in free agency, giving the team experienced depth along the interior of the offensive line. Hennessy, 28, has totaled 24 starts and 64 appearances across stints in Atlanta and San Francisco. His one-year Cowboys deal contains $1.08MM in guarantees.
Cooper Beebe has operated as Dallas’ starting center for the past two years. The 2024 third-rounder was limited to 11 games last season, but he will be counted on to remain atop the depth chart moving forward. Hennessy’s absence stretching into the start of the campaign would leave the Cowboys thin on center options, so his progress as it pertains to recovering after the surgery will be worth watching closely.
Dallas’ offensive line is already a unit facing some uncertainty with Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas competing for the left tackle spot. Regardless of how things play out on that front, missing Hennessy for an extended period could alter the team’s plans with respect to depth up front.
Vikings RT Brian O’Neill Seeking Extension, Expected To Attend Minicamp
One year remains on Brian O’Neill‘s current deal. The longtime Vikings right tackle is seeking a new commitment, something which has impacted his offseason participation to date.
As detailed by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, O’Neill was merely an “observer” during OTAs this spring. All practices to date have of course been voluntary, but an absence from mandatory minicamp would yield roughly $108K in fines. Per Seifert, O’Neill is expected to attend this week’s minicamp and participate in at least a limited capacity.
In 2021, team and player agreed to a five-year, $92.5MM extension. 2026 represents the final year of that pact, and O’Neill is scheduled to collect $19.5MM during the upcoming season. That figure includes a nonguaranteed base salary of $18.9MM. The ninth-year veteran is on course to carry a cap charge of $23.12MM as things stand.
Since taking over starting duties during his rookie campaign, O’Neill has been a mainstay at the right tackle spot. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2021 and again in 2024, helping his lengthy extension age well. This past season saw the Pitt alum limited to 14 games after he suffered an MCL sprain, but he has remained durable throughout his career with double-digit appearances every year to date.
Seifert notes there is a strong desire in the Vikings’ organization to keep O’Neill in the fold beyond 2026. The coming year will mark his age-31 season, so a shorter commitment this time around would come as little surprise. Minnesota did not work out an extension or contract adjustment during Rob Brzezinski‘s stint as interim general manager. A full-time GM is now in the fold, however, thanks to the recent hire of Nolan Teasley.
With the Vikings’ new organizational structure now in place, talks on an arrangement with O’Neill may pick up in the near future. In the absence of progress on that front, his contract status may remain a talking point during the lead-up to training camp.
Packers, WR Christian Watson Agree To Extension
JUNE 9: Watson’s new deal has a base value of $97.5MM, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes. Keeping in line with standard Packers contracts, the $31MM signing bonus represents the only fully guaranteed money in the pact. As detailed by Over the Cap, per-game roster bonuses total $8.5MM over the course of the extension; incentives are present as well.
If Watson is on the roster by the third day of the 2028 league year, he will collect a $13MM roster bonus. A decision on that front will be key, as his cap charge will jump to $24.54MM that year (compared to $11.54MM in 2027).
JUNE 4: Last offseason, Christian Watson and the Packers agreed to a one-year extension. Another new deal has been worked out, and this time around a long-term commitment has been made.
Watson has agreed to a four-year extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. This is a $110.5MM deal, he adds. The Packers have included a $31MM signing bonus in this contract, which will keep Watson on the books through 2030.
Injuries have been a concern throughout Watson’s NFL career. The former second-rounder was limited to 10 games during the regular season in 2025, although he also played in Green Bay’s wild-card loss. Watson was productive when on the field, totaling six touchdowns and maintaining a strong yards per catch average. The Packers clearly saw enough this past season to authorize a lucrative investment.
In March, Watson was named as one of several young members of Green Bay’s core who could be in line for an extension. One month later, general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed a long-term deal was indeed a priority for the team. With plenty of time to spare before training camp, an agreement has now been reached. This represents the second big-money deal worked out with a receiver this spring in the case of Green Bay.
Jayden Reed agreed to an extension of his own shortly before the second day of the draft. That pact ensures he will remain in place through 2029 and carries an average annual value of $16.75MM. Watson’s new deal confirms he will be a focal point on offense for the foreseeable future as well. Tight end Tucker Kraft has yet to line up a second contract, but he may represent Green Bay’s next priority.
Watson has secured an AAV of $27.63MM on this latest extension. The 27-year-old will thus slot in just outside the top 15 in the NFL with respect to receiver compensation on an annual basis. Continued absences due to injuries could of course limit the success of this commitment, and Watson has yet to top 620 yards in a season. Nevertheless, he has averaged 17 yards per reception over the course of his career, and remaining one of the league’s top vertical threats would be critical for the Packers’ offense moving forward.
The 2026 offseason has seen Romeo Doubs depart in free agency, while Dontayvion Wicks was traded to the Eagles in April. Those absences will thin out a receiver room on a Green Bay team which added Matthew Golden in the first round in 2025 but did not make any draft investments this year. Watson, Reed and Golden will be counted on to operate as key figures for years to come as part of the Packers’ efforts to make a deep playoff run.
Brendan Sorsby Granted Injunction; QB Retains 2026 NCAA Eligibility
Previous updates in the case of quarterback Brendan Sorsby increasingly pointed to him participating in the NFL’s supplemental draft. That will not be taking place this summer, however.
Sorsby’s legal team has been granted an injunction by a judge in Lubbock, Texas, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports. As a result, he is set to retain his NCAA eligibility for the 2026 season. Today’s unexpected development means Sorsby will not need to declare for the supplemental draft and instead enter the NFL under traditional circumstances next April.
[RELATED: NCAA Appeals Sorsby Injunction]
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger notes a condition of the injunction is that Sorsby will miss the first two games of Texas Tech’s season this fall. That was offered by his representatives as part of their efforts to work out a suspension allowing him to play in 2026. The NCAA expectedly shut down attempts by Sorsby’s camp and Texas Tech in recent days to work out a deal on this front. That seemed to set up one of the more interesting supplemental drafts in recent NFL history, but Sorsby’s attention will instead turn to preparation for another college season.
During his freshman year at Indiana, Sorsby placed numerous bets on the Hoosiers. No wagers were placed on games in which Sorsby played, but those bets – along with a high volume of others – represented a clear violation of the NCAA’s rules related to wagering. A lifetime ban was widely expected by many observers in this case, something which would have left the supplemental draft as Sorsby’s only path to the NFL. Now, though, the Red Raiders will have their QB1 for the coming season on an NIL deal worth roughly $6MM.
Some evaluators viewed Sorsby as a first-round prospect based on performances at Cincinnati over the past two years. The 2027 class is seen as being much stronger than 2026’s at the QB position in particular, but Sorsby could cement his status as a valuable passer leading up to the spring with a season free of further controversy. Sorsby entered a treatment program for a gambling addiction earlier this offseason.
As noted by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, today’s injunction also includes the condition that Sorsby continue receiving treatment for his gambling addiction along with anxiety (something noted in his original filing for an injunction). Sorsby will also be required to attend gambler’s anonymous meetings in addition to his suspension to open the season. Nevertheless, this news marks a surprise which will leave him on track to enter the NFL draft as part of the 2027 class.
Chiefs To Sign CB L’Jarius Sneed
Veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed will return to Kansas City for a second stint. The Chiefs plan to sign the two-time Super Bowl champion, Jordan Schultz reports. It will be a one-year deal worth up to $5MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Sneed reunion comes just a few days after the Chiefs brought him in for a visit last week. The 29-year-old had been on the market since his disappointing Titans tenure ended with a mid-March release.
The Chiefs spent a 2020 fourth-round pick on Sneed, a Louisiana Tech product who quickly emerged as a steal. During his first run in Kansas City, Sneed started in 54 of 57 games, deflected 40 passes and hauled in 10 interceptions over four years. However, just over a month after the Chiefs knocked off the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, they dealt Sneed to the Titans in March 2024. Before working out a trade, the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Sneed to prevent him from hitting free agency. They ended up getting a 2025 third-round selection back in the deal, which also included a swap of 2024 seventh-rounders.
While Kansas City was not interested in making a long-term commitment to Sneed, Tennessee handed the 6-foot-1, 192-pounder a four-year, $76.4MM pact with $51.5MM in guarantees. The trade and the extension went down as regrettable moves for the Titans, who got just 12 appearances and zero picks from Sneed across two seasons. He dealt with quad and knee issues in both seasons, including during a seven-game showing in 2025.
Off the field, a grand jury indicted Sneed last November for failure to report a felony stemming from an alleged incident in December 2024. Those charges were dropped in early May, though, and Sneed is now heading back to Kansas City a month later.
Despite Sneed’s importance to their defense during his first four seasons, the Chiefs moved on fine at cornerback with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson taking over as starters from 2024-25. However, the Chiefs traded McDuffie to the Rams in a March blockbuster and then saw Watson follow him to Los Angeles in free agency. The Chiefs then made a major move to replace those two when they drafted top-rated corner Mansoor Delane sixth overall. If Delane starts as a rookie, Sneed, Nohl Williams and free agent pickup Kaiir Elam could be among the names competing for the job opposite him.
NCAA Appeals Brendan Sorsby Injunction
A Texas judge handed a stunning defeat to the NCAA on Monday, granting an injunction to Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby that keeps him eligible for the 2026 season. The NCAA has unsurprisingly appealed the decision, per Justin Williams of The Athletic, sending the case to the Court of Appeals for the Seventh District of Texas.
Sorsby admitted to an extensive history of sports betting and entered a treatment facility for gambling addiction earlier this year. Between his own bets and bets placed by friends on his behalf, he has wagered over $130K in the past four years – two at Indiana and two at Cincinnati – including at least 40 bets placed on the Hoosiers’ football team while he was a member.
That was widely thought to be the kiss of death for Sorsby’s college career. The NCAA ruled him permanently ineligible and denied Texas Tech’s reinstatement request, leaving his lawsuit against the association as his last path to suiting up for the Red Raiders this year.
The lawsuit itself would not be resolved before the season, so Sorsby sought an injunction to restore his eligibility as the legal process played out. He is entering his fifth and final college season, so winning the injunction could allow him to play this year and declare for the 2027 NFL Draft before the case is resolved and essentially escape punishment from the NCAA. The NCAA is seeking an “accelerated appeal,” on the injunction, per ESPN’s Max Olson, though there is no guarantee that it is resolved before the season.
Sorsby was not expected to succeed in the injunction hearing in Lubbock County District Court last week. He needed to show that he had a strong chance of eventually winning the lawsuit, and by his own admission, he broke the NCAA’s clear and inviolate gambling rules. His legal team argued that his diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorders made him protected under the NCAA’s constitution. The association contended that it did consider Sorsby’s mental health but it should not grant him an exception to the consequences of his gambling infractions which undermined the integrity of college sports.
Judge Ken Curry sided with Sorsby, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, ruling that he “demonstrated a probable right to relief on his claims.” He also wrote that the 22-year-old would “suffer a probable, imminent, and irreparable injury” if he cannot suit up for the Red Raiders this fall, citing Sorsby’s personal development, Texas Tech’s success, and his ability to “make an informed decision regarding whether or not to enter the 2026 NFL Supplemental Draft.”
The NCAA released a statement expressing its disagreement with the ruling and concern about “the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome — which undermines and corrupts the integrity of sports.” Sorsby’s lead attorney Jeffrey Kessler called it a “just result,” noting that the two-game suspension that is part of the ruling was their original offer to the NCAA.
The rest of the college sports world was left stunned by the decision, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Other schools are already organizing their opposition, per Seth Emerson and Ralph E. Russo of The Athletic, with Nebraska and Georgia issuing mandates to their athletic programs to no longer schedule Texas Tech.
Internal discussions about already-set matchups are ongoing. The Big Ten, of which Nebraska is a member, is expected to consider a conference-wide ban on scheduling Texas Tech in any sport, Thamel adds. Kansas State, which is in the same conference as Texas Tech, is having “serious discussions” about the situation, athletic director Gene Taylor said (via Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellinger), calling it “greater than the Big 12.”
Sorsby is now on track to play for the Red Raiders this season, which would take him out of the supplemental draft, though he could still consider that route. The NFL has set a June 22 deadline to enter the supplemental draft. If the NCAA wins its initial appeal before that date, he can still go pro this year. However, if he does not apply for the supplemental draft and loses that appeal – or a subsequent one to the Texas Supreme Court, per veteran NFL reporter Charles Robinson – after June 22, he may be forced to take a year away from the field and enter the 2027 NFL Draft.
If Sorsby’s saga were to twist back toward the NFL’s supplemental draft, he could go for a second-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. A successful year at Texas Tech could put him in the first-round range in 2027. But teams will still have significant questions about his betting history and commitment to his treatment for his mental health issues, which are also a term of the injunction. Talent often wins out, especially if Sorsby can show he has put his gambling behind him, but it could be a red flag clubs opt to avoid with a strong slate of quarterback prospects set to go pro next year.