Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/26
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Zonovan Knight
- Signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: C Corey Levin, LB Channing Tindall
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DE Trevis Gipson, TE James Mitchell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Jack Stoll
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Tyrus Wheat
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OLB Brenton Cox, DT Jonathan Ford
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: LS Josh Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Zayne Anderson, TE Ben Sims
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Mike Brown, TE Julian Hill
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OT Max Mitchell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OL Jack Driscoll
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LS Chris Stoll
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Malik Herring
Steelers Extend DT Cameron Heyward
Cameron Heyward is once again re-upping with the Steelers. The long-time defensive tackle is inking a new two-year deal with Pittsburgh, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Heyward still had a year remaining on his deal, but this new agreement effectively rips up that previous contract. The new two-year contract is worth $32.25MM, per Dulac. The deal includes $16.25MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Notably, Heyward’s annual earnings now represent the most lucrative deal for an NFL defensive player in NFL history who’s 36 years or older, per Rapoport. The move will also free up about $5.5MM in cap space for the organization.
A 2011 first-round pick, Heyward has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. The defensive lineman is second in franchise history in games played (behind Ben Roethlisberger), and he paces the franchise leaderboard in tackles for loss (142). He’s earned six All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl appearances during his 15-year career. He’s also served as a team captain for 11-straight seasons.
The 2019 campaign was Heyward’s age-30 season, and he’s somehow only missed seven games since then (six of which came during the 2023 campaign). He averaged close to nine sacks per season between 2017 and 2022, and he rebounded from a two-sack campaign in 2023 with eight sacks in 2024. His numbers took a bit of a step back in 2025, as he finished the year with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks despite getting into all 17 games. Still, Pro Football Focus ranked him first among all interior defenders, the sixth time in the past seven years that he’s ranked inside the top-six.
Heyward was still attached to a three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the franchise in 2024. He played hardball last year as he looked to adjust that pact, as the veteran staged a hold-in in pursuit of a raise. The two sides ultimately agreed to a last-minute resolution, with the Steelers adding more than $3MM in incentives to the player’s deal.
Now, the franchise is once again showing their faith in the defensive lineman, and with Mike Tomlin no longer in Pittsburgh, the Steelers may be even more dependent on Heyward’s leadership. The team did use a 2023 second-round pick on Yahya Black and a 2025 fifth-round pick on Keeanu Benton, but the team doesn’t have a true contingency plan behind their franchise icon. In other words, Heyward will continue to play a big role for the Steelers over the next few years.
Steelers To Sign S Darnell Savage
The Steelers entered the offseason with multiple veteran safeties hitting free agency. They have now restocked their depth with Darnell Savage, who has agreed to a one-year deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The deal is worth just under $1.5MM, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with a veteran-minimum salary and $188K signing bonus.
Savage, 28, played for three different teams in 2025. He was entering the second year of a three-year deal with the Jaguars, but was released just two games into the year. The Commanders picked him up shortly after, and he appeared in eight games as their third safety. Washington then waived Savage in December, and he finished the season in Buffalo, which included a Week 18 start with the Bills’ playoff seeding to secure and a special teams nod against the Broncos in the divisional round.
Originally a Packers first-round pick in 2019, Savage started 69 games for the Packers on his rookie contract, which included his fifth-year option in 2023. He only started 10 games that year and left Green Bay in free agency. He signed a three-year, $21.75MM with the Jaguars to take over as their starting safety, but struggled again with injuries and made only 13 starts in 2024.
Savage will be looking to rebuild his value after a few disappointing seasons. Staying healthy will be crucial in that quest, as will carving out a role under new Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Jalen Ramsey will take up one safety spot, and DeShon Elliott is likely slated for the second. However, he is coming off a season-ending injury and may have to re-earn his starting job. That could be an opportunity for Savage, but more likely, he will serve as the team’s No. 3 safety.
Steelers Sign P Cameron Johnston
Cameron Johnston is back in Pittsburgh. The veteran punter has signed a one-year deal, the team announced on Tuesday. 
Johnston was with the Steelers in 2024, but he was limited to just one game that season due to injury. The 34-year-old Australian split his time between the Bills and Giants last season, making four total appearances. He will now look to reclaim the punting gig in Pittsburgh.
Corliss Waitman has served as the Steelers’ punter since Johnston went down. That could continue moving forward, although Waitman is a pending restricted free agent. It will be interesting to see if today’s move has any impact on Pittsburgh retaining Waitman on a new deal.
Johnston is a veteran of 105 combined regular and postseason games. He had a busy stretch with the Eagles and Texans spanning 2018-23, including one year (2021) in which he led the NFL in punts (88). The former UDFA has averaged 47.7 gross yards per punt with a net of 42.0 over the course of his career.
The Steelers lined up a pair of key moves on offense Monday, agreeing to a trade for wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and a signing of running back Rico Dowdle. The team’s quarterback position is still unsettled, and arriving at a final decision on that front will of course be a key priority in the near future. In any case, the punter spot has been addressed regardless of what happens with Waitman.
Steelers Interested In Kirk Cousins?
Kirk Cousins will be released by the Falcons tomorrow, ending his two-year run in Atlanta. That could lead to interest from a few QB-needy teams, including the Steelers. 
[RELATED: Steelers To Acquire, Extend WR Michael Pittman Jr.]
Pittsburgh’s quarterback plan for 2026 hinges once again on Aaron Rodgers. The future Hall of Famer is expected to arrive at a decision on his playing future sooner than he did last year, but at this point it remains to be seen if his career will continue. A second Pittsburgh campaign would be welcomed, but the team obviously needs to have contingencies in place as well.
Bringing in a different veteran passer could serve that purpose. SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora reports Cousins is “among the top options” the Steelers are considering as a fallback in the event Rodgers does not return. Pittsburgh also has backup Mason Rudolph in the fold, while La Canfora confirms the team remains high on the potential of 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard.
At least one more season with an experienced passer would buy time for Howard to continue developing. It could also provide the Steelers with a bridge to the 2027 draft, which is expected to provide teams with more options at the QB spot than April’s edition of the event. Cousins has not worked with new Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy before, but he would be expected to ensure the team still has a high floor in the event of a short-term deal being worked out. Cousins, 37, is younger than Rodgers and is further removed from the Achilles tear which ended his productive 2023 campaign.
That season proved to be Cousins’ last in Minnesota, although a Vikings reunion has been floated as a possibility. Nevertheless, recent reporting – including today’s La Canfora update – has pointed to Kyler Murray as Minnesota’s top QB target. That could leave the Steelers in line to make a Cousins push depending on how things play out with respect to Rodgers’ future.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/9/26
Here are the minor move from a frenzied free agency first day:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Natrone Brooks, LB Christian Harris, DE Cameron Thomas
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: P Mitch Wishnowsky
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Akayleb Evans, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Dominique Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OLB Dennis Gardeck
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to two-year deal: K Matt Gay
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LS Joe Cardona
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Greg Dulcich
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Chris Manhertz
New York Jets
- Signed: FB Andrew Beck
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: DL Esezi Otomewo
NFL Announces 2026 Compensatory Picks
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2026 draft. Based on an add/subtract formula that covers the 2025 free agency period, comp picks span from Round 3 to Round 7. The higher picks go to the teams that endured the most significant free agent losses.
This year, the NFL awarded 33 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
Sorted by round and by team, here are the league’s 2026 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Vikings (No. 97), Eagles (98), Steelers (99), Jaguars (100, from Lions*)
Round 4: 49ers (No. 133), Raiders (134), Steelers (135), Saints (136), Eagles (137), 49ers (138), 49ers (139), Jets (140)
Round 5: Ravens (No. 173), Ravens (174), Raiders (175), Chiefs (176), Cowboys (177), Eagles (178), Jets (179), Cowboys (180), Lions (181)
Round 6: Steelers (No. 214), Eagles (215), Steelers (216)
Round 7: Colts (No. 249), Ravens (250), Rams (251), Rams (252), Ravens (253), Colts (254), Packers (255), Bronc0s (256), Broncos (257)
By team:
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 4
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 4
- San Francisco 49ers: 3
- Dallas Cowboys: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Indianapolis Colts: 2
- Las Vegas Raiders: 2
- Los Angeles Rams: 2
- New York Jets: 2
- Detroit Lions: 1
- Green Bay Packers: 1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 1
- Kansas City Chiefs: 1
- Minnesota Vikings: 1
- New Orleans Saints: 1
* = awarded for Lions DC Aaron Glenn becoming Jets’ HC
The Bears lost a minority executive to a GM role, with Ian Cunningham taking over in Atlanta. But the NFL will not award Chicago two third-round picks for that hire because the Falcons have Matt Ryan positioned as their president of football. Although Cunningham — Chicago’s assistant GM for four years — holds plenty of organizational say, Ryan is atop its front office hierarchy. The Bears disagree with the NFL’s ruling, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
Bears GM Ryan Poles confirmed (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin) the team spoke with the NFL about the matter, but the league did not rule in the team’s favor. Had this decision gone the Bears’ way, they would have received third-round picks in the 2026 and ’27 drafts.
Steelers To Add RB Rico Dowdle
Although the Steelers were interested in re-signing Kenneth Gainwell, Jaylen Warren will have a new running mate in 2026. Pittsburgh is adding Rico Dowdle, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets.
This move will reunite Dowdle with new Steelers HC Mike McCarthy. A 2020 UDFA, Dowdle played in McCarthy’s system for his first five seasons. It’s a two-year, $12.25MM deal, Schultz adds.
The former Cowboys rusher spent last season with the Panthers. Dowdle has gained 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons. Gainwell agreed to terms with the Buccaneers earlier today. As this 1-B back carousel spins, Dowdle will go from complementing/usurping Chuba Hubbard to working with Warren in 2026.
Dowdle is going into his age-28 season, but as a former third-stringer behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard in Dallas, he only has 567 career carries. This is a similar strategy to how Pittsburgh proceeded in 2025, with Gainwell a career Eagles backup. Dowdle has more tread on his tires by comparison, but he is also a much more accomplished back.
Playing on back-to-back one-year contracts, Dowdle has impressed. He replaced Pollard as Dallas’ starter in 2024, rushing for 1,079 yards and then overtook Hubbard — despite Hubbard’s 2024 Panthers extension — and totaled 1,076. Both seasons brought 4.6 yards per carry. Dowdle lost some of his workload back to Hubbard late in the year and was planning to target a team that would give him a regular role. The Steelers have Warren, but Gainwell’s season showed an opening exists for carries.
The Steelers voted Gainwell team MVP after he amassed 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Gainwell is a year younger than Dowdle and has only 394 carries, but the Bucs will go with him to complement Bucky Irving. Rachaad White is a free agent.
Pittsburgh used a third-round pick on Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson last year. It would stand to reason Johnson will have a chance at a bigger role, but then again, a new coaching staff has arrived and McCarthy’s most recent RB1 is coming to town. Dowdle will give the Steelers a proven option, representing a late-blooming back after tallying just seven carries over his first three seasons.
Steelers To Sign CB Jamel Dean
After a seven-year run with the Buccaneers, Jamel Dean will be on the move. The veteran cornerback has worked out an agreement with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is set to add Dean on a three-year deal, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report. The pact will be worth $36.75MM. A full-time starting role with the Steelers can be expected with this contract for Dean, who was a first-team presence for most of his Tampa Bay tenure.
Dean had a productive stint in Tampa Bay. The former third-round pick finished his Buccaneers tenure with 11 interceptions, including a pair of pick-sixes. The cornerback was also a Pro Football Focus darling, with the site consistently ranking him inside the top-20 at his position. This included a 2025 campaign where Dean ranked fifth among 112 qualifying cornerbacks.
Dean mostly played on the outside in his 14 appearances in 2025. PFF credited him with allowing 25 catches on 54 targets, leading to 311 receiving yards and only a single touchdown. Dean also made some cameos at slot CB and in the box, showcasing his versatility.
That could come in handy in Pittsburgh, although it’s safe to say Dean will line up opposite Joey Porter Jr. on the outside. At the moment, Cory Trice and Asante Samuel Jr. represent the Steelers depth options among outside CBs, with Brandin Echols and Donte Kent penciled in for slot duties.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers To Re-Sign LB Cole Holcomb
Cole Holcomb will be remaining in place with Pittsburgh next season. The veteran linebacker has agreed to a new Steelers pact.
A two-year, $5MM pact has been agreed to, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Earlier today, Ari Meriov of the 33rd Team reported a deal was expected on this front. Holcomb bounced back from in 2025 after missing the previous season, and he will remain a key figure in Pittsburgh’s defense moving forward.
Holcomb’s first season in Pittsburgh was cut short by a serious knee injury. He ended up having to sit out the entire 2024 campaign, but he was back on the field for the start of the 2025 season. He ended up getting into 14 games (three starts) for the Steelers, finishing with 37 tackles. He didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings, but his final grade would have landed him in the top-30 among linebackers.
The former fifth-round pick once showcased his potential in Washington. This included a 2021 campaign where he compiled 142 tackles, seven passes defended, one sacks, and two interceptions. Following another productive season in 2022, Holcomb inked a three-year, $18MM deal with the Steelers.
While Pittsburgh didn’t get a whole lot from the linebacker on his first contract, they’re hoping for a bit more on this current pact. He’ll likely continue serving as a key special teamer, but he could also see an uptick on his 21-percent defensive snap percentage in 2026.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.