LB Anthony Walker Announces Retirement
After playing a career-low two games in 2025, linebacker Anthony Walker is hanging up his cleats at the age of 30. The nine-year veteran took to Instagram on Thursday to announce his retirement.
A former Northwestern standout, Walker entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Colts and then-rookie general manager Chris Ballard in 2017. Walker mostly worked as a backup in an injury-limited rookie year, but he put together a productive run in Indianapolis from 2018-20. Playing alongside star linebacker Shaquille Leonard during that 47-game, 46-start stretch, Walker averaged 107 tackles per season while totaling 3.5 sacks and three interceptions.
Walker did not stick with the Colts after his rookie contract expired in 2021, and he never inked another multiyear pact. He signed his first one-year deal in Cleveland, where he piled up 113 tackles despite missing four games with a hamstring injury. It proved to be the last season with triple-digit tackles for Walker, who continued battling injuries for the rest of his career. The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder appeared in just 31 of a possible 68 games from 2022-25.
Walker was a starter in all 12 of his contests in 2023, his last year in Cleveland, and notched another eight over 14 appearances with the Dolphins in ’24. While Walker reunited with the Colts last September, he did not see any action before the Buccaneers plucked him off Indy’s practice squad in mid-December. Walker went on to play just 15 snaps (14 on special teams) in a pair of appearances with Tampa Bay.
Over a combined 101 games and 83 starts with four teams, Walker recorded 581 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four interceptions.
Details On Raiders QB Kirk Cousins’ Deal
After spending three weeks on the open market, quarterback Kirk Cousins joined the fourth franchise of his 14-year NFL career Thursday. Cousins is heading to Las Vegas, where he could open 2026 as a bridge starter in front of soon-to-be No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza.
The Raiders brought Cousins in on a contract that could max out at five years and $172MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but there is no chance of that happening. This will likely end up a a one-year, $20MM investment in the four-time Pro Bowler. The Falcons, who cut Cousins last month, will handle $8.7MM of the tab. The Raiders gave Cousins a $1.3MM salary and a fully guaranteed $10MM roster bonus that they will pay out on the third day of the league year in 2027.
Two days after the Raiders pay Cousins’ bonus next March, a two-year, fully guaranteed option worth $80MM will kick in if he is still on their roster, Pelissero reports. That makes this a three-year, $81.3MM pact on paper, Pelissero notes, but it is highly improbable his option will vest. The Raiders added two void years to the end of the deal, meaning Cousins will be on their books through 2030.
While the 37-year-old Cousins’ stock is down after back-to-back subpar seasons in Atlanta, he and agent Mike McCartney did well for themselves yet again. The two have been masterful in negotiations, evidenced by the fact that Cousins will go past Tom Brady for second on the NFL career earnings list when he collects his $10MM bonus next year (via Spotrac). Cousins will climb over the $341MM mark then, while Brady wrapped up his legendary 23-year career at $333MM.
Brady, now a part-owner of the Raiders, is behind only Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for now. Having already taken home over $408MM, the 38-year-old Stafford could secure a raise before next season. Doing so would make it even more difficult for someone to catch him in the near future.
Cousins entered the league as a Washington fourth-round pick in 2012, the same year the franchise chose Robert Griffin III second overall. Griffin’s once-promising career flamed out as a result of injuries, leading to Cousins taking over as Washington’s full-time starter in 2015. Cousins went on to play 2016 and ’17 under the franchise tag, earning approximately $44MM in those two seasons. He then left for a Vikings offer worth $84MM over three years. That was the first fully guaranteed contract in league history, but it was not the last enormous payday for Cousins. He later pulled in two more Vikings extensions that combined for three years and $101MM.
Cousins’ Vikings tenure came to an end when he left for the Falcons’ four-year, $180MM offer in 2024. Despite awarding Cousins $100MM in guaranteed money, the Falcons cut him halfway through the pact. Cousins will now attempt to put together a renaissance season in Las Vegas, where he will play a staggering 11th straight year on a fully guaranteed contract.
AFC West Notes: Broncos, Bolts, Durban
The topic of a Broncos extension for GM George Paton has come up a few times this offseason. The Vikings were briefly connected to an attempt to reunite with the former Minnesota exec, but for the most part, Paton has been more closely tied to a Broncos re-up. Sean Payton said that should be expected, and CEO Greg Penner followed suit this week by indicating (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) he is “sure we’ll get that sorted out.” As for Paton, he would like a second Broncos contract as well. His six-year deal expires after the 2026 season.
“We’ll get there,” Paton said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “Love it here. Love the ownership. Sean. We’ve got one of the best coaches in the league, best ownership. We have a really good team. So I’m happy to be here.”
Although Paton was at the helm for three poor decisions in 2022 — the Nathaniel Hackett hire, the Russell Wilson trade and the QB’s subsequent extension that caused a then-record-setting dead money hit two years later — he survived that and led the charge in building a contender around Bo Nix. Payton has taken over as the head honcho in Denver, but the GM has done well to time Broncos extensions to bring value. Six of the Broncos’ original-ballot Pro Bowlers last season were extended in 2024 or 2025, with Quinn Meinerz paid before his first All-Pro slate and Patrick Surtain re-upped before his Defensive Player of the Year campaign. While the Vikings have not yet launched their GM search, it would surprise if the Broncos and Paton did not work out a deal soon (Minnesota would need Denver permission to speak with Paton about its GM vacancy).
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- The Broncos re-signed a host of regulars last month, bringing back the likes of Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Adam Trautman, Sam Ehlinger and Alex Palczewski. Atop Payton’s list of retention priorities, however, stood J.K. Dobbins. “Ahead of all others,” Payton said (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans). “Now, that’ll anger people. We know he’s been injured. We understand. And the issues haven’t been soft tissue-driven. But he’s someone that’s one of those, compound multipliers. Like, he brings 10 others along with him, in a positive light.” Dobbins, 27, suffered a Lisfranc injury on a hip-drop tackle last November. Paton said he would have played in the Super Bowl had the Broncos managed to upset the Patriots without Nix. Dobbins expressed interest in a Broncos extension before his injury and was a top-five rusher when he went down. Denver sprang for a much bigger guarantee ($8MM) compared to 2025 ($2.1MM) and will bet on one of the NFL’s most injury-prone players once again.
- Denver also worked out a revised deal to keep another regular, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Matt Peart accepted a pay cut to stay. The veteran swing tackle is now tied to a one-year, $2MM deal with $755K guaranteed. Peart was Denver’s first choice to replace left guard Ben Powers, but the backup — previously tied to a two-year, $7MM pact — suffered a knee injury in his only start. That led Palczewski into the lineup, and the latter is back on a two-year deal worth $9.5MM.
- Quentin Johnston came up as a trade candidate last month, but ESPN.com’s Kris Rhim notes the Chargers — despite the TCU product being a Tom Telesco draftee — still believe in the former first-round wideout. Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz regularly praise Johnston, who has led the Bolts in TD receptions in each of the past two seasons, though they did draft Tre Harris in last year’s second round to complement Ladd McConkey. One season remains on Johnston’s rookie deal, with the Bolts having until May 1 to decide on a fifth-year option that costs $18MM. That is a lofty guarantee given the investments in McConkey and Harris, and Rhim notes the right trade offer could change the Bolts’ mind here.
- We heard in March the Raiders‘ succession plan involves minority owner Egon Durban having the first crack to buy a controlling stake — though, Mark Davis has not intention of selling right now — and SI.com’s Albert Breer adds that Durban is slated to buy another 7% of the Raiders this year. Durban already owns 7.5% of the franchise. The NFL approved Durbin’s stake increase this week, per ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. Davis has said this will change nothing about the way the franchise is run.
Stephon Gilmore Announces Retirement
Former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is calling it a career. The 13-year veteran cornerback announced his retirement Thursday via social media.
Gilmore, 35, finished his career as a member of six teams — the Bills, Patriots, Panthers, Colts, Cowboys and Vikings — and as a Super Bowl champion. Gilmore played in two Super Bowls with the Patriots, becoming a key piece to help New England secure its sixth championship.
Although Gilmore played for five teams over his final five seasons, he will be best remembered for his tenures in New England and Buffalo. The Bills drafted the outside cornerback in the 2012 first round, and the Patriots deviated from their generally conservative Bill Belichick-era free agency blueprint to hand him a big-ticket deal in 2017. That led to Gilmore’s career apex, as he secured back-to-back first-team All-Pro nods with the Pats.
The veteran cover man did not play last season but expressed interest in doing so. Gilmore contemplated retirement following his 2024 Minnesota season, and after not following through last year, the South Carolina native will walk away in 2026. Intercepting 32 regular-season passes and starting 173 career games, Gilmore was certainly one of the better cornerbacks of his era. He delivered one of the greatest stretches in the position’s history as well, and it played a key role in the Patriots venturing to Super Bowls LII and LIII.
New England brought Gilmore in on a five-year, $65MM deal that featured $31MM guaranteed at signing. Gilmore joined the Pats during the offseason in which the team placed a first-round RFA tender on Malcolm Butler. Infamously scratched for Super Bowl LII, Butler soon left (for Tennessee) in free agency. Gilmore shined from 2018-19, earning first-team All-Pro acclaim in each season. In 2018, Gilmore delivered lockdown coverage for a Patriots team gunning for its third straight Super Bowl appearance. His interceptions of Philip Rivers and Jared Goff in the playoffs did plenty to hand that dynasty a sixth title, with Pro Football Focus handing out a career-best grade (90.9) to the former No. 10 overall pick.
Gilmore outdid his 2018 season a year later, and while the Patriots could not voyage to a fourth straight Super Bowl, Gilmore became the first cornerback in 10 years to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. Intercepting six passes in 2019, Gilmore returned two of those picks for scores and allowed a measly 44.1 passer rating as the closest defender. These two seasons prompted Gilmore to push for a revised contract, but he did not end up securing a true extension in Foxborough.
The Patriots gave Gilmore a $4.95MM raise for the 2020 season, but the sides could not come to terms on another agreement in 2021. That led the Pats to trade Gilmore to the Panthers — after nearly cutting him — before the 2021 deadline. Gilmore had not played for the Pats yet in 2021, being placed on the reserve/PUP list due to a quad issue. The Panthers obtained the ex-South Carolina Gamecock for a 2023 sixth-round pick. While the move brought Gilmore back home, he signed with the Colts (two years, $20MM) in 2022.
As Indianapolis retooled around Shane Steichen in 2023, the team traded Gilmore to Dallas for a fifth-round pick. Gilmore worked opposite DaRon Bland in 2023, with the latter setting an NFL record with five pick-sixes after Trevon Diggs suffered a seminal ACL tear in a September practice. Gilmore expressed interest in re-signing with the Cowboys but ended up with the Vikings (one year, $7MM) just before the 2024 season. Minnesota used Gilmore as a full-time starter on the boundary during a 14-3 season — a period that brought a Gilmore reunion with ex-Pats de facto DC Brian Flores — but the team did not opt to re-sign him in 2025.
The Bills initiated Gilmore’s NFL launch, drafting him to play for Chan Gailey and Dave Wannstedt. By 2013, Doug Marrone and Mike Pettine were in the HC and DC roles. Gilmore toiled for five Bills teams that extended the franchise’s playoff drought to 17 by the 2016 season. The Bills did see their No. 1 corner make his first Pro Bowl that year, bolstering his free agent market. Buffalo let Gilmore walk in 2017 and drafted future All-Pro Tre’Davious White (via the Patrick Mahomes trade) weeks later.
Gilmore’s Colts pact bumped him past $100MM in career earnings; his Vikings contract moved him to $115.37MM over the course of 13 seasons. Falling short of the All-Decade team for the 2010s (despite a strong late push from his Pats days), the 6-foot corner will not be a Hall of Fame lock. But he crafted a strong midcareer apex that made a considerable difference in multiple Super Bowl chases.
Cowboys Meet With Arvell Reese, Schedule Visits With Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles
Ohio State is expected to be the most represented school in the first half of this month’s first round. As many as four Buckeyes are squarely on the radar to become top-10 picks. The Cowboys are meeting with three of them.
Dallas completed a “30” visit with hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese, according to All DLLS’ Clarence Hill, who adds the team has scheduled pre-draft meetings with safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles.
All three Ohio State defenders reside in the top nine of Daniel Jeremiah’s latest NFL.com big board, which slots Styles third, Reese fifth and Downs ninth. This would make it unlikely any member of the trio reaches the Cowboys at No. 12, but that is not a certainty. Both Styles and Downs play non-premium positions, while Reese is considered a high-ceiling project who has drawn some Micah Parsons comparisons due to his potential as an edge rusher and experience as an off-ball LB.
Styles, though, may be the cleanest of these prospects. As our Adam La Rose noted this week, Styles spent two seasons as a safety in Columbus. He moved to linebacker in 2024 and combined for 182 tackles and seven sacks over the past two seasons. The all-around talent drew a Jeremiah comp to All-Pro Fred Warner; Styles’ Combine work gives him a chance to become the first off-ball linebacker selected in the top five since Devin White in 2019. One GM and a separate longtime evaluator told SportsBoom.com’s Jason La Canfora that Styles is the best overall talent in this year’s draft.
As other positional markets have soared in recent years, ILB has not climbed much. Warner and Shaquille Leonard secured deals reaching or exceeding $19MM per year in 2021; the market is now topped by Warner’s $21MM-per-year 49ers extension. Neither Devin Lloyd nor Quay Walker required a top-five ILB deal to sign last month; the position is not viewed similarly to edge rusher, where Reese is hoping to campaign. White (for the most part), Isaiah Simmons, Rolando McClain and Aaron Curry underwhelmed as top-10 picks. Though, Luke Kuechly and Roquan Smith delivered as top-10 options in that span.
Downs also plays a position that teams regularly devalue, though the safety market has changed more than the ILB landscape in recent years. The Giants (No. 5) have been linked to both Styles and Downs, while the Commanders (No. 7) have also met with Styles. Only two safeties — Jamal Adams (No. 6, 2017) and Eric Berry (No. 5, 2010) — have been drafted in the top 10 over the past 18 years. Downs will be a good bet to join them, but if he slips, a Cowboys team in dire need of defensive help could be lurking.
Considering how clean Styles and Downs are viewed as prospects, these visits are interesting. This is prime smokescreen season, but teams seeing the Cowboys meeting with this duo could influence another club to trade up to outflank Dallas in the event one is still on the board as No. 12 nears.
Reese has been mocked frequently to the Jets at No. 2, but he played fewer than 100 EDGE snaps in 2025. Reese wants to play that position as a pro; that makes sense given the tremendous value gap between ILBs and OLBs. A GM informed La Canfora Reese should be viewed as a 3-4 OLB in the pros. The Cowboys are installing that defense under new DC Christian Parker, but Reese will not be expected to be available by the time Dallas’ first pick comes around.
Bengals, S Kyle Dugger Agree To Deal
The Bengals continue to make moves in the secondary. Not long after signing cornerback Ja’Sir Taylor, a safety addition has been lined up.
Cincinnati has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Kyle Dugger, per agent Drew Rosenhaus (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter). This will set up a third stint with an AFC team for Dugger. The veteran has previously spent his career with the Patriots and Steelers.
Dugger’s first five years in the NFL saw him operate as a defensive mainstay in New England. His role was a talking point leading up to the 2025 season – the first with head coach Mike Vrabel in place – however. No trade agreement was found during the summer, but it did not take long for the Patriots to line up a swap during the year. In advance of the 2025 trade deadline, Dugger was traded to the Steelers.
Term remained on the 30-year-old’s contract at the time, but Pittsburgh agreed to make him a 2026 free agent upon arrival. Dugger took on a starting role for Pittsburgh while serving as a replacement for the injured DeShon Elliott, notching a pair of interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). For his career, the Lenoir-Rhyne product has totaled 11 picks and 29 pass deflections.
Struggles in coverage have been present through much of Dugger’s career. The former second-round pick will nevertheless look to carve out a regular role on his latest team, one which is in dire need of improved defensive play. Breakdowns in the secondary and issues with missed tackles have plagued the Bengals, a team which has made a number of changes on that side of the ball so far in the offseason. Dugger’s arrival will be the latest move on that front.
Cincinnati sat mid-pack in terms of cap space entering Thursday. The deals for Taylor and Dugger will limit the team’s financial flexibility to a degree moving forward, but they should give defensive coordinator Al Golden more options to work with in the secondary.
Bengals Sign CB Ja’Sir Taylor
Ja’Sir Taylor‘s free agent spell has come to an end. The veteran cornerback signed with the Bengals on Thursday, per a team announcement.
Taylor entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Chargers. Each of his first three seasons were spent with the Bolts, and he totaled 11 defensive starts over that span. Taylor posted eight pass deflections in 2023, the year in which he handled his largest workload. Since then, however, his playing time has decreased.
After Taylor saw his workload shift toward special teams in 2024, that trend continued at the start of this past season. The 27-year-old was traded to the Jets not long after they dealt Sauce Gardner as part of their defensive rebuild. Taylor made nine appearances with New York but was unable to establish himself as a regular in the secondary.
The Bengals’ cornerback depth chart is topped by DJ Turner and Dax Hill. Both are pending 2027 free agents, and working out extensions in each case is a priority for Cincinnati. While efforts on that front will presumably pick up over the remainder of the offseason, Taylor will look to carve out a role for himself; in particular the Wake Forest product will aim to use his experience in the slot to earn playing time with the Bengals.
Cincinnati entered Thursday with over $20MM in cap space. This Taylor contract will no doubt be a one-year deal bringing with it a small financial commitment, though, so the team’s remaining free agent moves will not be affected.
Chiefs Sign CB Kaiir Elam
The Chiefs traded away Trent McDuffie and lost Jaylen Warren in free agency. With both cornerbacks now in Los Angeles, the team finds itself in need of additions.
Kansas City has lined up a low-cost move to provide depth in the secondary. Kaiir Elam has agreed to terms with the Chiefs, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. This will be the fourth career team for the former first-rounder, and his Kansas City deal has since been confirmed by a team announcement.
Elam entered the league with high expectations, although his Bills tenure did not go according to plan. Elam totaled 29 appearances in Buffalo, but he was unable to establish himself as a regular defensive presence. A trade was worked out last March which sent Elam to the Cowboys.
That change of scenery allowed Elam to make seven starts and play in 10 games. He was part of one of the league’s worst secondaries, however, and the Cowboys struggled mightily on defense in 2025. The team elected to move on by waiving Elam in November. That led to a deal with the Titans to close out the campaign. Upon arrival in Tennessee, Elam played a part-time defensive role.
The Florida alum has struggled so far during his NFL tenure with respect to coverage statistics. A full-time starting role will certainly not be expected for Elam provided the Chiefs continue to prioritize the cornerback spot through the draft. Entering his age-25 season, though, he could be viewed as a depth addition carrying a degree of upside. Elam will join Kader Kohou as a free agent pickup at the CB position for Kansas City.
Kristian Fulton remains in place for the Chiefs, a team which is known to reset at the cornerback spot without making major financial commitments. That made it no surprise when McDuffie was dealt in advance of his market-setting extension being signed, and when Warren landed a big-money deal of his own with the Rams. Fulton, Elam and Kohou will no doubt be joined by at least one notable draft addition made later this month as the team looks to once again restock the secondary.
Kansas City entered Thursday near the bottom of the league in terms of cap space ($6.72MM). That figure is not likely to change very much, with Elam presumably taking a deal at or near the league minimum.
Rams WR Puka Nacua Checked Into Rehab Facility In March
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua checked into a luxury treatment center in Malibu, Calif., in early March, Edward Lewis of the California Post reports.
The center specializes in helping patients battling drug and alcohol addiction, chronic pain and mental health issues, Lewis writes. Nacua is “scheduled to be there for a while longer,” attorney Levi McCathern told Lewis. He is there to focus on “personal growth,” per TMZ.
A woman recently accused Nacua of biting her twice, making an antisemitic remark, and exhibiting “rude or vulgar, threatening, violent, and harassing conduct” on Dec. 31, 2025. However, Nacua had already been in the facility for “a substantial period of time before any of these allegations broke,” according to his attorney.
The alleged victim dropped a request for a temporary restraining order against Nacua, but she filed a lawsuit against him last week. Although McCathern has accused her of “continu(ing) to make up stories trying to turn this minor episode into big dollars,” the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is investigating her claims, per Lewis.
With the Rams’ OTAs scheduled for May, Nacua will be back “in plenty of time,” McCathern revealed to TMZ. One of the NFL’s premier receivers over his three-year career, Nacua earned first-team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl nod last season. The 24-year-old became eligible for a contract extension this offseason.
Raiders Could Pursue Kirk Cousins
A successful starter for the majority of his 14-year career, free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins may have to settle for a backup job if he plays in 2026. The Raiders are potential suitors for the 37-year-old, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
Las Vegas is widely expected to use the No. 1 pick in the draft on Indiana Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is already learning the team’s offense. Still, there is room on the roster for a veteran mentor. Aidan O’Connell, the Raiders’ lone QB under contract, does not fit the description. Cognizant of that, the Raiders attempted to sign 41-year-old Joe Flacco before he re-upped with the Bengals, according to Fowler.
Having struck out on Flacco, the Raiders’ attention could soon turn to Cousins. The four-time Pro Bowler has also been linked to the Packers, Rams and Steelers since the Falcons released him. The Packers (Jordan Love) and Rams (Matthew Stafford) have high-end starters, while the Steelers’ job is open. They are awaiting an answer from free agent Aaron Rodgers, their starter during an AFC North-winning 2025 campaign. If the 42-year-old Rodgers retires, Cousins may prefer to land in Pittsburgh. Considering career backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 seventh-rounder Will Howard are the Steelers’ only QBs, Cousins will be the favorite to start if he signs with them.
Although expectations are the Raiders will plug Mendoza in immediately, new head coach Klint Kubiak has left the door open for a veteran to start Week 1.
Discussing rookie signal-callers this week, Kubiak stated (via Myles Simmons of PFT): “I think in a perfect world, he’s watching a mature adult go and run an offense and run the team. But, the situation is, you might have that player, you might not have that veteran to show him the way. So he might come in and have to play immediately. But you’d rather him learn, learn before he gets in the game.”
That answer may appeal to Cousins, as could his familiarity with Kubiak and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko. A Viking from 2018-23, Cousins spent part of his run in Minnesota working with both coaches. Kubiak combined for three years as the Vikings’ QBs coach (2019-20) and offensive coordinator (2021). Janocko succeeded Kubiak as Minnesota’s QBs coach in 2021. Cousins earned his third Pro Bowl nod that year after amassing 4,221 yards, tossing 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and posting a 103.1 passer rating.
While Cousins put up big numbers in both Minnesota and Washington earlier in his career, his performance has declined since he suffered a torn Achilles in 2023. Although Cousins reeled in a whopping four-year, $160MM contract with the Falcons in 2024, he only got halfway into the deal before they cut the cord. Cousins lost his starting spot to then-rookie Michael Penix Jr. late in his first season with the Falcons. Penix remained the Falcons’ starter until he partially tore his ACL in Week 11 last season, leading to Cousins regaining his old job to finish the campaign. Over 10 games and five starts, Cousins completed 61.7% of passes, threw 10 TDs against five INTs, and registered an 84.8 rating.