Falcons’ Kirk Cousins Drawing Trade Interest?
A shortlist of veteran free agents remain at the quarterback position, but one potential trade option looms for teams still in need of a signal-caller. Kirk Cousins remains in place with the Falcons, although a deal sending him elsewhere remains a talking point around the league.
Atlanta is prepared to move forward with Michael Penix Jr. atop the depth chart after the 2024 first-rounder took over from Cousins as starter late last season. The latter’s Achilles injury healed as planned, but he dealt with other ailments while playing through a downturn in production prior to his benching. A Cousins release has long been predicted based on the Falcons’ plan under center, and the 36-year-old would welcome it. At multiple points this offseason, however, the team has indicated a willingness to keep Cousins in place as an expensive backup. 
Around the Combine, trade talks were not believed to be taking place; with Atlanta clearly not proceeding with a release, though, that appears to be changing. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports Cousins is now being discussed as a potential trade target. She adds the Falcons have received calls about the four-time Pro Bowler, with a third-round pick being floated as part of a potential compensation package. Cousins has a no-trade clause, but his desire to play elsewhere in 2025 has been made clear to ownership.
A $27.5MM base salary for 2025 would be a large figure for an acquiring team to absorb, to say nothing of the $10MM 2026 roster bonus which recently became locked in. Offset language in Cousins’ contract means Atlanta would see some financial relief in the event the team proceeded with a release (with his new team then signing him to a pact at or near the league minimum). The decision to keep the former Washington and Minnesota starter in the fold this long marked another indication he will not be cut, however.
The report does not name interested parties, but it is not difficult to identify which teams could be in the market for acquiring Cousins via trade. The Browns have already swung a trade for Kenny Pickett, but they are known to still be in the market for a veteran quarterback. Ties to Cousins (based on his history with Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski) have been made, although the team is not in position to take on a lucrative veteran deal with Deshaun Watson still on the books for another two years.
The Steelers, Giants, Vikings and Titans, meanwhile, are all on the lookout for a veteran addition under center (to varying degrees). Aaron Rodgers represents the next major domino to fall, with Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Jameis Winston and Carson Wentz the names to watch closely once his future becomes clear. Tennessee has been linked to moving on from Will Levis and potentially replacing him with Cam Ward in next month’s draft. Considering Mason Rudolph departed in free agency, the Titans could use a veteran, although adding Cousins would come as a surprise in their case.
No movement on the Cousins front will be possible unless the team’s stance on retaining him changes and his desire to move on yields a willingness to waive his no-trade clause. With new interest being shown, though, it will be interesting to see if anything tangibly changes in this situation.
Giants Sign WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
Lil’Jordan Humphrey reunited with Sean Payton over the past two years, but he will be on the move this offseason. The veteran receiver is joining the Giants on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The team has since announced the pact.
Humphrey began his career working under Payton with the Saints. The former UDFA played sparingly on offense during his first two New Orleans campaigns, but in 2021 he flashed potential as a deep threat with a 19.2 yards per catch average. A one-year spell with the Patriots did not produce a notable output, and as a free agent in 2023 Humphrey was one of several ex-Saints who joined Payton’s Broncos.
During his debut Denver campaign, the Texas product logged a 40% offensive snap share and scored a career-high three touchdowns. Humphrey did not survive roster cuts last summer, but he immediately joined the Broncos’ practice squad and was designated a gameday elevation multiple times. Appearing in all 18 of the team’s combined regular and postseason games in 2024, the 26-year-old set a new personal mark in catches (31) and yards (293).
That production kept the Broncos interested in another Humphrey pact, with his agent noting (via 9News’ Mike Klis) a Denver offer was made. The Giants’ proposal was more lucrative, however, and he will now head to New York. Humphrey will join a WR corps led by 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Malik Nabers and which also includes the likes of Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.
The presence of those three wideouts led to a renewed expectation that Darius Slayton would depart on the open market. Instead, the veteran re-signed on a three-year, $36MM pact, giving New York continuity at the position. Humphrey – who does not have much in the way of special teams experience – will spend the summer competing for a depth receiving role with the Giants.
Giants Eyed Mason Rudolph As QB Option
It is unclear where the Giants reside in the Aaron Rodgers race, but most indications do not have them in the lead. The Vikings may well have been in front, and their decision to stand down for the time being may not accelerate Rodgers’ interest in taking a Pittsburgh or New York off-ramp anytime soon.
The Giants and Steelers will understandably want clarity soon, as we are winding down the second week of free agency. While these teams are competing for Rodgers, they also waged a lower-stakes battle for a backup recently. As the Giants have met with both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo notes they were also wanting to speak with Mason Rudolph. The Steelers foiled those plans.
[RELATED: Steelers Willing To Wait On Rodgers’ Decision]
Rudolph agreed to return to Pittsburgh after a season in Tennessee, rejoining the Steelers on a two-year, $8MM deal. Rudolph closed the 2023 season as Pittsburgh’s starter, usurping Kenny Pickett, but he is not expected to reprise that role — at least, that does not appear Plan A or Plan B for the AFC North team. But Rudolph represents insurance in the event the Rodgers proceedings do not go Pittsburgh’s way.
It appears the Giants assessed this situation similarly, and it is certainly worth noting that Rudolph appeared on their radar as a backup option as Drew Lock remains in free agency. While a generally erratic passer, the former Broncos starter did deliver an impressive effort in an upset win over the Colts. He spent last season in Brian Daboll‘s system and is among the top QB options left unsigned. Rudolph made five Titans starts last season, going 1-4 and finishing with a 9:9 TD-INT ratio. This still secured the former third-round pick a raise — up from a one-year, $2.87MM Tennessee deal — for 2025.
A Rudolph signing would have likely preceded a flood of rumors tying the Giants to a first-round quarterback pick. Had New York’s Matthew Stafford plan worked, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan writes the team would have been unlikely to add an early-round QB as a developmental option (subscription required). It is then worth wondering if a Rodgers addition would impede the Giants in an effort to draft a first-round QB.
Although the Giants are desperate for a long-term solution, Rodgers would become a surefire starter. And he may not be overly eager to join a team that would identify his replacement weeks after signing him. With Rodgers turning 42 before year’s end, such luxuries may not be afforded. After all, Daboll and Joe Schoen are on scorching-hot seats. Still, the Giants landing Rodgers may make them less inclined to use their No. 3 overall pick on a QB. Wilson, Winston or Joe Flacco joining the team, though, may not quiet noise about a Round 1 investment at the position.
Rudolph, 29, may soon be either Rodgers or Wilson’s backup. The seven-year veteran played that role behind Ben Roethlisberger and had fallen to the third-stringer during Mitchell Trubisky‘s stopover. The latter struggling led Rudolph into the Steelers’ lineup. Until Rodgers decides, however, Rudolph’s true outlook remains a bit foggy ahead of his second stint in Pittsburgh.
Jets Made Last-Ditch Push For S Talanoa Hufanga
The legal tampering period annually brings waves of unofficial agreements, as official announcements cannot come until the next league year starts. This current arrangement leaves room for teams to poach free agents after they have already committed elsewhere. Although this does not happen often, instances have occurred that led to 11th-hour changes from free agents.
It appears the Jets were involved in an effort to sway a high-end defender’s commitment last week. Talanoa Hufanga agreed to join the Broncos on a three-year deal, doing so hours before ex-49ers teammate Dre Greenlaw agreed to sign with the AFC West team. Hufanga, however, drew a subsequent Jets push.
The Jets attempted to pry Hufanga from the Broncos’ grasp after reports of the deal surfaced, 9News’ Mike Klis notes. Gang Green had been connected to the Jevon Holland market, but Hufanga may have been higher on the team’s list. Holland did not agree to terms (with the Giants) until Day 2 of the tampering period. As Day 1 progressed, the Jets made their case after Hufanga’s camp had agreed to Broncos terms. Hufanga did not come off his decision and is heading to Denver.
This overtime duel for Hufanga pitted Broncos GM George Paton against former lieutenant Darren Mougey, whom the Jets hired as GM this offseason. The former John Elway hire moved onto a lower-cost option at safety once Hufanga kept his Broncos commitment.
A 2022 first-team All-Pro who battled injury issues over the past two seasons, Hufanga signed a three-year, $39MM Broncos deal. The actual terms do not match the initial report, which indicated Denver went to $45MM in total for the multiyear safety starter. Hufanga’s market did not quite match where Holland, Tre’von Moehrig and Camryn Bynum‘s respective free agency forays went. It is unclear if the Jets were offering more money, but it is unlikely they were preparing to make a substantially bigger investment. After their Hufanga push failed, the Jets signed ex-Jaguars safety Andre Cisco to a one-year, $8.5MM pact soon after.
Hufanga, 26, will be set to start alongside Brandon Jones in Denver. He and Greenlaw join former 49ers teammates Mike McGlinchey and D.J. Jones as Broncos starters; Jones had re-signed to stay in Denver the night before the tampering period began. Hufanga’s Broncos agreement includes $20MM guaranteed at signing.
Elsewhere on the Broncos’ roster, their Jarrett Stidham re-signing (two years, $12MM) came with $6.99MM guaranteed at signing, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Broncos are guaranteeing $2MM of their backup QB’s $5.99MM 2026 base salary, providing a runway for the ex-Patriots draftee to extend his Denver run to at least four seasons.
Although Matt Peart could not escape our Minor NFL Transactions section during a frenzied first day of the tampering period, the Denver swingman received a nice raise on his second Broncos contract. Peart’s second Denver deal is worth $7MM over two years, Klis adds. The Broncos, who had Peart at just $1.29MM last season, retained 2026 flexibility by only guaranteeing the backup $775K for injury beyond 2025. Peart, 27, made two starts for the team in 2024. Denver returning UDFA Alex Palczewski as well provides decent protection in the event McGlinchey or LT Garett Bolles miss time.
Browns Sign G Teven Jenkins
The Browns have signed guard Teven Jenkins, per a team announcement.
Jenkins started 38 games over the last four years for the Bears, who drafted him with the 39th overall pick in the 2021 draft. He started his rookie season on injured reserve and returned to the field in December to start two games at left tackle.
After struggling on the outside, Jenkins moved to right guard in 2022 and started 11 games to significantly better results. He opened the 2023 season on the IR, but recovered to start 25 games at either guard spot across the next two years.
Jenkins visited the Seahawks last week, but instead came to terms with the Browns. Cleveland is already set at guard with veteran starters Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, but both are entering the final season of their contracts. Jenkins may not be able to earn a starting job right away, but a multi-year deal with the Browns could position him to take over either guard spot in 2026.
Jenkins was signed surprisingly late in the free agency cycle after emerging as a solid guard over the last three seasons. The Chargers’ signing of Mekhi Becton last Friday left Jenkins as the best available guard.
Jenkins’ price tag was reportedly too high for the Giants, but signing with the Browns without a clear starting job available suggests that he reduced his demands. If Cleveland wants to clear a spot for Jenkins and get younger along their offensive line, they could look to trade Teller. Such a move would likely have to come after June 1 due to the dead money remaining on his contract.
NFL Staff Updates: Kelly, Leftwich, Fisher
Champ Kelly‘s continuous rise through the front office ranks of the NFL was put on hold last year when he took a slight step back with the Raiders after serving as their interim general manager in 2023. After parting ways with Las Vegas last month, Kelly has agreed to join the Dolphins as a senior personnel executive in 2025, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Beginning his front office career in the National Indoor Football League, in which he first served as a player and coach, Kelly entered the NFL in 2007 as a college scout for the Broncos, rising to assistant coordinator of pro and college scouting and, eventually, assistant director of pro personnel. In 2015, he joined the Bears as director of pro scouting before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel.
He then moved to Vegas, where he served as assistant general manager starting in 2022, eventually filling in in an interim role after Dave Ziegler was fired. While he was still in the running for the Raiders’ official general manager role, Kelly also interviewed for the Panthers’ open position that eventually went to Dan Morgan. After missing out on both jobs, he returned to Las Vegas with a slight demotion from interim GM back to assistant general manager. This offseason, Kelly auditioned for the Jaguars’ open job which was ultimately awarded to James Gladstone.
With his new role in Miami, Kelly will work roles in both pro and college scouting for the Dolphins. He’ll set himself up once again to start working towards another general manager opportunity.
Here are a few other updates from former NFL staffers, though these men have transitioned to the collegiate level of the sport:
- After being fired in early-2023, former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich vowed to return to the NFL. Immediately following his dismissal, Leftwich interviewed for the offensive coordinator role in Baltimore that ultimately went to Todd Monken in 2023 as well as the Patriots’ head coaching gig that went to Mike Vrabel and the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator gig that went to Klint Kubiak in this last cycle. After failing to land an NFL job for the third straight cycle, Leftwich will reportedly take an assistant role with Deion Sanders at Colorado, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It’s unclear exactly what his role will be with the Buffaloes, but it will be Leftwich’s first taste of college ball since he graduated from Marshall in 2002.
- Lastly, former Titans and Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has earned another head coaching gig, per HBCU Premier Sports. Five years after his NFL coaching career came to an end, Fisher took an advisor role with Tennessee State under his former running back in Tennessee and then-head coach Eddie George. With George recently accepting the head coach job at Bowling Green State, Fisher will return to Nashville to coach the Tigers as his successor. This will be Fisher’s first coaching role since 2022, when he was the head coach of the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. Since then, Fisher has served as chief advisor for an Arena Football League team while also working as that league’s commissioner.
Chiefs Re-Sign DE Charles Omenihu
Defensive end Charles Omenihu will get another opportunity in Kansas City. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Omenihu is re-signing with the Chiefs on a one-year deal that will be worth up to $7MM. 
Omenihu began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2019. In his first two seasons with the Texans, Omenihu played a key role as a rotational pass rusher. With five starts in 29 games, Omenihu logged seven total sacks, seven tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, four passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.
In his third season with the team, Omenihu started the first two games of the season before being relegated to coming off the bench. Eight weeks into the season, though, Omenihu found himself being traded to the 49ers in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He saw a minimal role in San Francisco the remainder of that year but showed up for his contract year the following season.
In 2022, Omenihu played in every game of the season for the first time in his career, making three starts. He recorded then-career highs with 4.5 sacks and 20 total tackles while matching his previous high of 16 quarterback hits.
Omenihu leveraged a strong contract year in San Francisco into a two-year, $16MM free agent deal with the Chiefs. Despite missing the first six games of the 2023 season while serving a suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Omenihu had a career year in Kansas City. In only 11 games, Omenihu set new highs with seven sacks and 28 total tackles. He also matched career-highs in tackles for loss (5), passes defensed (2), and forced fumbles (2), while logging 11 quarterback hits.
Unfortunately, Omenihu’s strongest season yet was cut short in the postseason, when he suffered a torn ACL in the AFC Championship game in Baltimore. The injury occurring so late in the season made it difficult for Omenihu to make a return to the field in time for the 2024 NFL season. He missed the first 11 games of the season before finally making a return for the remainder of the year.
Omenihu had been eyeing a new contract shortly after his ACL tear from the 2023 season, but the injury likely complicated things. Having made it through recovery, the 27-year-old was given a second chance at a new deal. The Chiefs opted to re-sign him despite his having missed 17 games in the past two seasons. The $7MM potential of the contract is likely highly incentive-based because of that, though. Kansas City will hope to see him return to his 2023 form for a full season in 2025.
Chargers Hosting TE Tyler Conklin
It’s a bit surprising that veteran tight end Tyler Conklin remains unsigned at this point in free agency. The sure-handed 29-year-old has established himself as a dependable, though not electric, tight end over his seven-year career. As the top remaining free agent tight end, Conklin is sure to be receiving some calls in the coming days, but he’ll start with the Chargers, who are hosting him, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. 
Conklin was already one of the top free agent tight ends when free agency opened, along with Juwan Johnson, Zach Ertz, Tommy Tremble, and Austin Hooper. All of Johnson, Ertz, Tremble, and Hooper re-signed with their most recent teams to come off the board, as did Ertz’s teammate John Bates, leaving Conklin alone as the best available tight end.
As a fifth-round pick out of Central Michigan in 2018, it took Conklin a few years to catch on in Minnesota. Coming in as a rookie behind established veteran Kyle Rudolph, Conklin didn’t get much run time, even falling behind Irv Smith Jr. on the depth chart during his sophomore campaign. Rudolph’s departure from the Vikings and a torn meniscus for Smith shoved Conklin into the limelight in the final year of his rookie contract.
That contract year, in which he caught 61 balls for 593 yards and three touchdowns, saw Conklin earn a three-year, $20.25MM deal with the Jets. Conklin’s first two seasons in New York saw him finish as the team’s second-leading receiver behind only Garrett Wilson. In 2024, quarterback Aaron Rodgers utilized his old receivers a bit more, spreading the ball between Wilson, Davante Adams, and Allen Lazard. Conklin (449 yards, four touchdowns) finished fifth on the team in receiving yards, behind those three and running back Breece Hall, and fourth in receiving touchdowns behind Wilson, Adams, and Lazard.
In Los Angeles, the Chargers have their leading tight end, Will Dissly, under contract for another two seasons. Dissly’s two backups from last year, Stone Smartt and Hayden Hurst, both saw their contracts expire this offseason, so Conklin would add some much-needed depth to the position. Neither Dissly nor Conklin are high-volume tight ends, so they may split time together at tight end well in Los Angeles.
The Jets are set to head into 2025 with Jeremy Ruckert and Smartt, signed in free agency from the Chargers, as their top tight ends. It was reported that they had no intention of retaining Conklin, but they’ve since expressed interest in his return. We’ll see where his free agency progresses after his visit to Los Angeles.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/25
Thursday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: TE Feleipe Franks
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB Tony Brown
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: CB Khalil Dorsey
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OLB Jeremiah Moon , CB James Pierre
Seahawks Rework Uchenna Nwosu’s Deal
The Seahawks agreed to a reworked contract with outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, creating $9.4MM in 2025 salary cap space, per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Nwosu signed a three-year, $45MM extension in July 2023 that tied him to the Seahawks through 2026. He was set to earn a base salary of $14.48MM in 2025 with a $6MM injury guarantee that would have vested into a full guarantee earlier this month. The two sides agreed to push back that vesting date as they worked on a revised contract that would lower Nwosu’s $21.2MM salary cap hit.
That new deal features a $6.99MM pay cut with $6.98MM in guaranteed money via a $4MM signing bonus and a fully-guaranteed $2.98MM base salary in 2025. Nwosu’s cap hits are now $11.8MM in 2025 and $20MM in 2026. Since none of his $11MM 2026 salary is guaranteed, he will be a cap casualty candidate next offseason.
Originally a Chargers second-round pick in 2018, Nwosu played a rotational role on defense in his first three years before emerging as a starter in 2021. That earned him a two-year, $19MM deal with the Seahawks in 2022 where he took over as a starting outside linebacker.
Nwosu impressed with 9.5 sacks in his debut season in Seattle, but injuries limited him to 12 games and 3.0 sacks in the last two years. Though the Seahawks have plenty of cap space, even after signing Sam Darnold, Nwosu’s cap hit was still too high given his lack of availability and production.
The revised contract allows him to stay in Seattle for the 2025 season as part of a four-man edge rotation. Derick Hall and Boye Mafe are returning after combining for 25 starts, while new signing DeMarcus Lawrence will likely eat into Nwosu’s snap share.