Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith’s Contracts
PFR’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook indicated the team exited last week with the league’s worst cap situation. Dallas came into today more than $56MM over the $301.2MM salary ceiling. They are moving back toward cap compliance with some expected adjustments.
The Cowboys restructured Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith‘s contracts Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter tweet. These moves will create $47MM in cap space, bringing Dallas within $10MM of the 2026 cap. The team also restructured CeeDee Lamb‘s deal to clear more room, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Other possible conversions are available as well. The Lamb move, expected to clear $19MM more in space, slides the Cowboys under the cap.
Dallas used a $28.29MM franchise tag to keep George Pickens off the free agent market. That sank the team deeper into the red. But Pickens is firmly in the Cowboys’ 2026 plans. As a result, contract updates are coming to make it affordable. Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa‘s deals are also on that list, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, and a rumored Kenny Clark extension effort would reduce the 2025 trade pickup’s cap hit.
Prescott, 32, is tied to the NFL’s richest contract — a four-year, $240MM extension agreed to hours before Week 1 of the 2024 season. This move will reduce the 11th-year quarterback’s $50.52MM 2026 cap number while inflating future numbers on the through-2028 contract. Before this restructure, Prescott was already due to count more than $74MM against Dallas’ 2027 cap. Another restructure would be on tap before that point.
The Cowboys backed themselves into a corner with Prescott based on previous restructures. His no-tag clause and the void year-driven penalties that would have come in 2025 absent an extension armed the upper-crust QB with extraordinary leverage. He used it to score the $60MM-per-year extension — which still hovers well above the QB market 18 months later.
Lamb is signed through 2028 on a $34MM-AAV extension. The Cowboys have now restructured his deal twice as well. Lamb was due to count $38.24MM on Dallas’ 2026 cap and more than $41MM next year. While Lamb’s 2027 number will balloon, his 2026 figure will drop to create spending space. Smith, who signed the NFL’s most lucrative guard deal last fall ($24MM AAV), is signed through 2030. His cap number will drop from $27.5MM.
Teams Inquiring About Broncos’ Jarrett Stidham
Thrust into one of the stranger spots in recent quarterback history, Jarrett Stidham could not elevate the No. 1-seeded Broncos to Super Bowl LX after receiving an 11th-hour assignment. The Patriots eked out a 10-7 victory in the AFC championship game, one that devolved into a snowy mess by the third quarter.
Stidham, who also committed a costly fumble in the first half of that game, needed to start after Bo Nix went down with a fractured ankle late in the AFC divisional round. One season remains on Stidham’s Broncos contract, and clubs are checking in on the Denver QB2’s trade availability, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Sean Payton talked up Stidham shortly after announcing Nix was done for the season, and the QB had moments in a winnable game. Stidham found Marvin Mims deep in the first quarter to set up a Courtland Sutton touchdown strike. Stidham was 17-for-31 for 133 yards, throwing an interception as the blizzard hit. Neither Stidham nor Drake Maye fared well in the blizzard conditions, and interested teams may be giving the veteran backup a pass due to the conditions.
Payton pitted Nix against Stidham and Zach Wilson for the starting job during the 2024 offseason. Nix landed the gig, and Stidham expressed disappointment by saying he viewed himself as a starter. Payton echoed that following Nix’s injury nearly 18 months later, indicating he had two first-stringers on his roster. The Broncos had signed Stidham hours into Payton’s first free agency, giving the ex-Patriot and Raider backup a two-year, $10MM deal in 2023 to back up Russell Wilson. They re-signed him (2/12) in 2025.
Stidham’s $5.5MM 2026 base salary carries a $2MM guarantee. The Broncos could create $6.5MM in cap space by trading the seven-year veteran. Denver has been linked to multiple cost-cutting moves, including a possible Ben Powers trade, before the 2026 league year. It would still be a bit surprising, given Payton’s ties to Stidham, if the team moved on. A chance as an inexpensive bridge QB somewhere could await, though, and Stidham’s name did come up at the 2024 trade deadline. Stidham will play an age-30 season in 2026; Nix is expected to be ready for Denver’s offseason program.
Before Nix’s ill-timed injury, Stidham had become known for being inserted into starting lineups as AFC West teams shelved their starters for financial purposes. The Raiders benched Derek Carr before the 2022 season finale, setting up a separation, and the Broncos did the same with Russell Wilson — at the same juncture of the season — in 2023. Stidham made four starts for the Raiders and Broncos to close out those campaigns, catching Payton’s interest with an impressive showing against the 49ers in Week 17 of the ’22 season. Stidham had not started a game between Week 18 of the ’23 campaign and this year’s AFC championship game.
The Jets may be a team to watch for Stidham, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini writes. GM Darren Mougey was in Denver when the team initially signed the former Patriots draftee. Expected to release Justin Fields and lacking a realistic path to drafting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall, the Jets may be looking at lower-cost vets in free agency or through a trade. Backup Tyrod Taylor‘s two-year, $12MM deal is also up, though Taylor is possibly still in the team’s plans for 2026.
Chargers Plan To Release G Mekhi Becton
Already holding more than $84MM in cap space, the Chargers are prepared to create more soon. They are planning to release Mekhi Becton, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This release is not yet official, potentially as the team holds out hope for a trade, but Fowler indicates Los Angeles will move on from Becton after one season. The Super Bowl-winning guard signed a two-year, $20MM Bolts deal in 2025. This move will create $9.7MM in cap space for the AFC West club.
[RELATED: Chargers In Play To Re-Sign Khalil Mack]
Mentioned in our Chargers Offseason Outlook as a player who would likely be cut, Becton did not fare as well as he did in Philadelphia. The NFL showed some skepticism about Becton last year, with the former Jets first-rounder taking a few days before committing to the Chargers. The Bolts gave Becton just $6.49MM guaranteed at signing, with the only dead money as part of this upcoming release tied up in a signing bonus.
A timeline is in place on Becton, who is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 13. This will bring a resolution. The Chargers including that bonus provided some protection in case the Eagles’ 2024 RG starter could not sustain his bounce-back form. Becton was a season-long Chargers starter at RG but underwhelmed while also missing time — as part of a battered Bolts O-line — due to injury. Maladies defined Becton’s Jets tenure, with the 2020 first-round pick missing almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
The Eagles moved to Tyler Steen, whom Becton beat out for their RG job in 2024, last season. Philly is not expected to pursue a reunion with Becton once he is released, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline notes. One season remains on Steen’s rookie contract. This could give the Chargers two guard needs, with LG Zion Johnson poised to be one of the market’s top free agents next week.
Los Angeles gave Becton 14 starts last season; Pro Football Focus ranked Becton 77th out of 79 qualified guards. Set to turn 27 in April, Becton (15 regular-season Eagles starts in 2024) has time to re-route his career. But this represents a significant step back. It could lead to tepid interest in the mammoth blocker in free agency.
Becton caught the Bolts’ attention while playing on a one-year, $2.75MM Eagles deal. That pact came weeks into the 2024 free agency period, as minimal interest came for a slimmed-down Becton after he spent 2023 back on the field — at both left and right tackle for the Jets — after the two-year injury spell. It would not surprise if Becton needs another “prove it” deal to rebound after his uninspiring Chargers campaign.
This release will move the Bolts past $91MM in cap space. Though, L.A. is not expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason. But an opportunity to bolster the roster in a competitive division awaits for Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz.
Cardinals Intend To Release Kyler Murray
Quarterback Kyler Murray‘s time in Arizona is up. Barring a trade, the Cardinals informed Murray they will release him on the first day of the league year, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Cardinals have hoped to pull off a Murray trade for at least several weeks, but they have had no luck finding a taker. Not only is Murray on a pricey contract, but he sat out 12 games last season with a mid-foot sprain and did not play past Week 5. It was the second significant injury during Murray’s seven-year career. The former No. 1 pick previously tore his ACL in 2022.
[RELATED: Vikings Expected To Pursue Murray As FA]
A release is the preferred outcome for Murray, who will have the freedom to choose his second NFL employer once the Cardinals officially cut him. On the other hand, it’s less than ideal for the team. Along with receiving no compensation for Murray, Arizona will take on a mammoth amount of dead money.
If Murray is not designated a post-June 1 release, the Cardinals will absorb a $54.72MM charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. A post-June 1 release would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026). The Cardinals would also lose $17.39MM in cap space next season. The only silver lining for Arizona is that it will escape paying Murray a $19.5MM salary for 2027 that would have vested on the fifth day of the upcoming league year.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort was not part of the organization when Murray signed a five-year, $230MM extension in July 2022. Steve Keim was at the helm then, at which point Murray’s stock was at an all-time high. The former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his NFL debut before earning back-to-back original-ballot Pro Bowl nods from 2020-21.
The Cardinals won 11 games to break a five-year playoff drought in Murray’s third season, but the Rams leveled them in the wild-card round. While Murray’s extension came several months later, he and the organization have fallen off dramatically since then. The descent began before Murray’s Week 14 ACL tear in 2022. The Cardinals had already lost eight of their first 12 games by then. They went on to finish 4-13. Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury as the Cardinals’ head coach after the season.
With Murray’s recovery dragging into November 2023, the Cardinals were 1-8 when he returned to make his first start in Week 10. Murray spent the last eight weeks of the year shaking off the rust, and the Cardinals logged their second straight four-win season to begin the Gannon era.
Murray and the Cardinals showed some signs of a rebound in 2024. In Murray’s lone 17-game season to date, the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a career-best 63.4 QBR. As a runner, the mobile Murray piled up 572 yards on a lofty 7.3 per carry and scored five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Any progress the Cardinals may have made two years ago vanished during Murray’s injury-wrecked final season in their uniform. After Murray and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett combined for a 3-14 mark, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill retained Ossenfort but fired Gannon. Mike LaFleur is now in place as the Cardinals’ head coach. He will either work with Brissett or a different starter in his first year in charge.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray should draw a decent amount of interest in free agency on a prove-it contract. The Vikings are rumored to have interest in Murray, but they’re just one of several teams in the market for a potential starter.
Colts Place Transition Tag On Daniel Jones
To no surprise, Colts pending free agent quarterback Daniel Jones will not reach the open market unfettered. The Colts are placing the $37.833MM transition tag on Jones, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was among those to report.
This has been the expected outcome for at least a few days, though it will prevent the Colts from placing either the franchise or transition tag on pending free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce. Teams are only allowed to tag one player. The Colts and Pierce are progressing toward a multiyear deal. Indianapolis will have exclusive negotiating rights with Pierce until the legal tampering period opens March 9.
The 28-year-old Jones follows Jeff George (Falcons, 1996) as the second quarterback to receive the transition tag since the NFL introduced it in 1993. Unlike the franchise tag, a team that loses a transition player to an offer sheet is not entitled to any compensation. The Colts still have the right to match any offer that may come in, though, and they have until July 15 to continue working toward a multiyear agreement.
Jones, whom the Giants drafted sixth overall in 2019, has already signed one massive contract in his career. With the Giants of the belief Jones was a franchise QB, they inked him to a four-year, $160MM extension in March 2023. That wound up a regrettable decision for New York, which waived a struggling Jones in November 2024. He quickly joined the Vikings’ practice squad, but with Sam Darnold their starter then, Jones saw no game action.
The Vikings allowed Darnold to leave for Seattle in free agency last March. Jones exited for Indianapolis’ $14MM payday, but not before he turned down a richer offer from Minnesota. He believed he had a better path to playing time with the Colts than the Vikings, who were prepared to hand the reins to 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. The Colts also have a recent first-round QB in Anthony Richardson, though his stock has dropped considerably since he went fourth in the 2023 draft. Jones had little trouble beating out Richardson to become the Colts’ starter entering last season.
While expectations were low for the Jones-led Colts at the outset of the season, they stormed to a 7-2 start before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Jones looked like a far better player than the one who regularly underwhelmed with the Giants. With the Colts in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC at the time, general manager Chris Ballard traded his 2026 and ’27 first-round picks to the Jets for star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The gamble blew up in Ballard’s face during an injury-ravaged second half for the Colts.
Gardner, No. 2 corner Charvarius Ward and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner all missed significant time down the stretch. Worst of all, Jones tore his Achilles in a Week 14 loss to the AFC South rival Jaguars. That proved to be a fatal blow for the Colts, who lost their third straight game that day and did not win again.
Bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to help cover for season-ending injuries to Jones and Richardson (orbital fracture) did not stop the bleeding for the Colts. Once 8-2, they closed the year on a seven-game skid and finished 8-9 for the second season in a row. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon nonetheless retained Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
Although Jones is just three months removed from a serious injury, the Colts are optimistic enough about his recovery to risk a $37.833MM guarantee for next season. Richardson, who has requested a trade, and 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard are the only other passers on the Colts’ roster. There is still at least some chance the Colts will lose Jones (the Vikings are reportedly interested in a reunion), which will continue to make this an interesting situation to watch.
Bears C Drew Dalman To Retire
With free agency approaching, the Bears are suddenly in need of a center. Drew Dalman has informed the team he is retiring at the age of 27, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Dalman joined the Bears on a three-year, $42MM contract in free agency last March. The fact that he is walking away from the game 12 months later comes as a shock. Dalman’s retirement could save the Bears upward of $10MM in cap room, Courtney Cronin of ESPN notes, but it’s a brutal blow to their offensive line.
Dalman started all 17 games for the NFC North champions last season. He earned a Pro Bowl nod for the first time and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best center out of 37 qualifiers.
Dalman’s agreement with Chicago came after he spent the first four years of his career in Atlanta. The 2021 fourth-round pick from Stanford spent his rookie year as a backup and played just 68 offensive snaps in 17 games. Dalman turned into a full-time starter in his second year and never looked back. Injuries limited him to 23 games from 2023-24, including just nine in the second of those seasons. That didn’t deter Chicago from making Dalman one of the game’s highest-paid centers. Before deciding to hang up his cleats, Dalman ranked top five at his position in total value, yearly salary and guarantees ($28MM).
The Dalman signing was just part of an offseason O-line makeover for the Bears. They also acquired guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in trades and spent a second-round pick on tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Dalman, Thuney and Jackson joined right tackle Darnell Wright as full-time starters on what PFF ranked as the league’s third-best unit in 2025. Trapilo took the starting left tackle job from Theo Benedet in Week 12, though the rookie went on to suffer a torn patellar tendon in a wild-card round win over the Packers.
After undergoing surgery, Trapilo is expected to miss a sizable chunk of next season. Between Dalman’s retirement and Trapilo’s recovery, the Bears now have serious work to do up front for the second straight offseason.
The Bears may already have a potential Dalman replacement in mind in free agent Tyler Biadasz. The former Cowboy and Commander has lined up a visit with the Bears, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. A one-time Pro Bowler, the 28-year-old has started in 84 of 92 games since the Cowboys used a fourth-rounder on him in 2020. Biadasz started in all 31 appearances with the Commanders over the previous two seasons, but they cut him on Feb. 26. PFF graded Biadasz a respectable 12th at his position last season.
Biadasz is a credible starting option on the open market, but the Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum is the prize among pending free agent centers. While the Ravens have already made Linderbaum a market-topping offer, he is inching closer to the March 9 legal tampering period without a deal. The Bills’ Connor McGovern and the Panthers’ Cade Mays are likely next in the pecking order of unsigned centers. Any of them could land on the radar of Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who unexpectedly needs a starting center heading into the new league year.
Jets Place Franchise Tag On Breece Hall
Hours before the tag deadline, the Jets have made their call with respect to Breece Hall. The franchise tag will be applied, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Jets have since announced the news, with the non-exclusive tag being used. 
Conversations on a long-term deal were ongoing, and today’s move will buy time for further negotiations to take place. The transition tag had been floated as a potential route for the Jets to take in this case, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports multiple teams made it clear at last week’s Combine they would be prepared to move forward with an offer sheet in that event. To prevent such a scenario, the franchise tag will be used instead.
As a result, Hall is now on course to collect $14.29MM in 2026. That figure will be fully guaranteed, and it will match the 24-year-old’s cap charge for next season. Hughes reports the Jets expect Hall to play on the tag, but there are now several months of runway for team and player to work out an extension.
A report from earlier today indicated an agreement on that front was not close, pointing toward the tag being used. GM Darren Mougey had already made it clear New York would be tagging Hall in one fashion or another, and choosing the more common option ensures he will remain in place. Attention will now turn to the progress of extension talks through the spring. July 15 is the deadline for all tagged players to work out a long-term agreement with their respective teams.
This is the first time the Jets have used the franchise tag since 2021 when they did so with safety Marcus Maye. No multiyear accord wound up being agreed to in that case, and Maye departed the following year. Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have shown a willingness to trade away players they inherited upon arrival in 2024, and more moves in that regard could be coming. Hall did not find himself in position to land an extension last spring, but today’s news confirms he is still at least in New York’s short-term plans.
The Iowa State product set a new career high in rushing yards this past season, topping 1,000 for the first time. Hall has remained a focal point on offense since recovering from an ACL tear in his rookie campaign, handling between 266 and 299 touches each of the past three seasons. Even if the Jets manage to make needed improvements on offense this spring, Hall figures to once again be a major presence for the unit. Another strong showing would boost his market value for 2027 (if applicable).
The Jets entered Tuesday with nearly $88MM in cap space, so absorbing the cap hit of this tag will not be difficult even if no long-term agreement winds up being finalized. Aside from Hall negotiations, New York’s attention will turn to the matter of finding a new starting quarterback. Despite owning the second overall pick in April’s draft (along with another first-rounder), bringing in a rookie capable of handling QB1 duties right away may not be feasible. As such, at least one veteran addition when free agency opens next week will be something to watch for.
Only three running back contracts currently carry an average annual value higher than the price of Hall’s tag. It will be interesting to see if he manages to land security beyond 2026 as negotiations continue or if he will enter next season as a pending free agent.
Vikings ‘Open’ To Trading Jonathan Greenard; Team Seeking Day 2 Pick?
11:23pm: Greenard is seeking a raise over his $19MM salary, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The Vikings are “comfortable” with Greenard’s current deal, but they could move him for a “big offer,” Breer adds.
1:26pm: Although outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is only halfway into a four-year, $76MM contract, the cap-strapped Vikings are “open” to dealing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Teams are of the belief the Vikings want a Day 2 draft pick in return, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
At approximately $46.49MM over the salary cap, the Vikings are mired in the second-worst financial situation in the NFL. The forthcoming releases of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will clear around $18.65MM from their books in 2026. Finding a taker for Greenard before June 1 would save the Vikings another $12.25MM, though they would also absorb a $9.9MM dead money charge.
Moving on from Greenard would help the Vikings get under the cap, but it would also deprive the team of one its best defenders. With that in mind, the Vikings would prefer to keep Greenard, according to Schefter. The former Texan had a tremendous debut with Minnesota in 2024, when he posted his first 17-game/start campaign and notched 59 tackles, 22 QB hits, 18 TFL, 12 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Greenard earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in his first year in Minnesota, though left shoulder troubles contributed to a noticeable drop in production last season. The 28-year-old totaled 38 tackles, 12 QB hits, 10 TFL, three sacks and a forced fumble over 12 games (10 starts). The Vikings shut him down in favor of season-ending surgery in mid-December.
“It was something he was playing through,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the time. “He knew he would not be able to put this behind him until probably he got it fixed, whenever that was going to be.”
Greenard will aim for a healthy rebound season in 2026, though it is now up in the air whether he’ll be in a different uniform by then. If he goes elsewhere, the Vikings would continue to rely on Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel as key pass rushers.
Tepid Market For QB Derek Carr
Quarterback dominoes will soon begin falling around the league. One potential wild card at the position could be Derek Carr, who is giving thought to an NFL return. 
Carr retired during the 2025 offseason in a decision which ended his run with the Saints and allowed his injured throwing shoulder to heal. An NFL comeback is now being explored, although it remains to be seen if suitors will emerge in the near future. It appears as though there is currently little interest in this case.
Conversations SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora had with quarterback-needy teams “revealed no appetite” exists at this point for Carr. The four-time Pro Bowler is a full season removed from his last NFL action, and his two-year run as New Orleans’ starter largely fell short of expectations. Carr remains under contract with the Saints, a factor which could complicate any acquisition on the part of an interested team.
An agent La Canfora spoke with echoed the sentiment that Carr, who will turn 35 later this month, is not considered a major threat to the signal-callers set to reach free agency. Malik Willis will be the most in-demand QB of 2026, while at least most of Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith are positioned to be released shortly. Teams can pursue them without needing to work out a trade agreement, something which could easily leave Carr as a relatively unattractive option on the market. Even in advance of a weak draft class, Carr could struggle to find a starting gig.
The longtime Raiders passer has indicated he will be picky when evaluating his options. Joining a contender represents an obvious goal for Carr, who has made only one playoff start (a loss in 2021) in 11 NFL seasons to date. The Saints seem to have their long-term starter in the form of Tyler Shough, so they would presumably be amenable to most trade offers for Carr. Whether or not bids will be made to make a swap feasible is still unclear, though.
Tyler Linderbaum Aiming For $25MM Per Year?
The Ravens did not place a franchise or transition tag on Tyler Linderbaum on Tuesday, setting him up to hit the open market next week. He is expected to receive a massive contract, though perhaps not quite as much as he is seeking.
Linderbaum is aiming for $25MM per year in free agency, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who expressed some doubt that the Pro Bowl center could hit that number. However, his next contract still reset the center market – currently capped by Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM AAV – by a significant margin.
Baltimore has been working to re-sign Linderbaum, but he (and his agent) know how many teams need a center and will gladly pay a premium price to land the best one to hit free agency in years.
The Ravens need to improve their offensive line this offseason, not downgrade it, but they also need to address their pass rush – another costly venture – with a limited budget. Getting into a bidding war for Linderbaum would be out of character for general manager Eric DeCosta, who prefers to fill needs with value signings during free agency.
If Linderbaum does not re-up with the Ravens, he will likely be the most coveted player in free agency. Drew Dalman‘s sudden retirement brought another club into a center market that was already crowded with buyers. Linderbaum’s agent will be able to play teams’ offers against each other and drive up his price tags, but teams will have a limit. Though he is one of the league’s best run-blockers, he is not elite in pass protection. Teams are unlikely to pay him like a top offensive tackle at $25MM or more, though breaking into the high end of the guard market seems within reach.