Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/26
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: WR Dayton Wade
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR David Moore, DE LaBryan Ray
- Waived: DT Popo Aumavae
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OL Darian Kinnard
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jake Hummel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: WR Nikko Remigio
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: CB Deane Leonard
New York Giants
- Re-signed: CB Art Green
- Signed: LB Caleb Murphy
- Waived: S Anthony Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Garret Wallow
49ers Setting ‘Astronomical’ Price On QB Mac Jones
With Malik Willis just scoring a three-year, $67.5MM deal with full guarantees through 2027, the 49ers are sitting on a valuable asset. Their two-year, $7MM contract for Mac Jones includes one more season, and San Francisco saw how capable the former New England first-rounder was during his debut Bay Area slate.
Although the Dolphins filled their quarterback need, a few bridge-type jobs remain available. Teams are still calling the 49ers on Jones, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini describes a price clubs are deeming “astronomical.” This is not the first time we’ve heard the 49ers setting a high price on their backup, and considering Brock Purdy‘s 2025 injury trouble, it makes sense for the team to stand firm here.
Last week, a report emerged indicating the 49ers are targeting more than a second-rounder in a return. And we have heard for weeks the 49ers will not part with Jones without a big asset coming back. This illustrates how high Jones’ trade value has climbed — and highlights the supply-and-demand ratio at this position — after the once-demoted Patriots starter was dealt to the Jaguars for a sixth-rounder in 2024. After making eight starts in 2025 — to the point the skill gap between he and Purdy was being debated — Jones is a hot commodity.
Debating Jones’ effectiveness outside Kyle Shanahan‘s system is worthwhile; after all, Jimmy Garoppolo fizzled in Las Vegas. But Sam Darnold‘s recent success, after a year as Purdy’s backup, will do nothing to cool Jones’ market. The 49ers could also determine they can groom a similar backup behind Purdy, possibly opening the door to the team ultimately taking the best offer this offseason and using the asset in the draft. The 49ers could lose this opportunity soon, as Jones will be a 2027 free agent. But he also represents valuable injury insurance for one of the NFL’s most injury-prone teams.
The Jets are trading for Geno Smith, and the Falcons are signing Tua Tagovailoa. But a handful of teams — the Browns, Steelers and Vikings among them — are still looking for options. The Cardinals agreed to sign Gardner Minshew, pairing him with Jacoby Brissett. That might not be Arizona’s last QB move, but after being connected to Willis, the team may stand down and wage a stopgap-type battle. Meanwhile, the 49ers are waiting for a monster offer for a player who held little trade value not too long ago.
49ers To Sign WR Mike Evans
11:10pm: The Evans contract is worth $42.4MM in base value, according to The33rdTeam’s Ari Meirov. The incentive-laden deal includes $16.3MM guaranteed. This would stand to give the 49ers flexibility beyond 2026, though it is not yet known how the contract is structured.
1:35pm: Mike Evans will not agree to a fourth Buccaneers contract. Instead, the greatest offensive player in franchise history is leaving Tampa after 12 seasons. The 49ers are adding Evans, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.
San Francisco is bringing in the future Hall of Famer on a three-year deal, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Buccaneers have been among the best at retaining their own players under Jason Licht, and Evans’ agent confirms Tampa Bay made a “very strong offer.” But Evans will play for a second NFL team soon.
It is a three-year deal worth up to $60.4MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Evans was linked to a $20MM-per-year price recently, and while he may have fallen just short, this still represents a quality free agency conclusion for a soon-to-be 33-year-old receiver. An offer as high as $27MM per year may have emerged, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman offers. Evans could conceivably be more interested in fit at this stage of his career, having already played out two lucrative deals following his 2014 first-round accord.
Only Jerry Rice has more 1,000-yard seasons than Evans’ 11. While the 49ers wide receiver legend is in his own league for All-Pro honors (11), Evans is a two-time All-Pro whose most recent such honor came in 2023. A broken collarbone sidelined Evans for much of 2025, but prior to that, the 6-foot-5 wideout began with an NFL-record-smashing 11 straight seasons of 1,000 receiving yards to start a career.
The Bucs had kept Evans off the 2024 free agent market by giving him a two-year, $41MM deal; this time around, the team viewed its all-time leading receiver as having the right to hear other teams’ offers. The Bucs drafted Emeka Egbuka in Round 1 last year, doing so a month after re-signing Chris Godwin for a second time. They also have Jalen McMillan signed through 2027. But Evans’ departure will sting Tampa Bay’s offense, as he has more than a 5,000-yard lead on the second-leading receiver (Godwin) in franchise history.
The 49ers are soon to release Brandon Aiyuk — barring an unlikely 11th-hour trade agreement — after a strange 2025. San Francisco took the rare step of voiding Aiyuk’s guarantees, as his injury rehab veered off course from the team’s wishes, and the 2024 extension recipient became distant during a lost season. The 49ers then lost 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall to multiple injuries, finishing the year with George Kittle suffering an Achilles tear. Jauan Jennings helped save this battered receiving corps, and while the 49ers want to retain the former seventh-round find, he is now a free agent.
Beginning his Bucs career before Jameis Winston‘s arrival, Evans worked with the erratic No. 1 overall pick for five seasons and became a key part of the team’s sales pitch to Tom Brady in 2020. Evans and Godwin helped convince Brady to join the Bucs, and the duo were pivotal during the franchise’s run to a Super Bowl LV win. After Antonio Brown‘s infamous walk-off, Evans continued to anchor the Bucs’ receiving corps and became a central reason for Baker Mayfield‘s rebound. It will be interesting to see if the Bucs go after a starter-level replacement or roll with Godwin, Egbuka and McMillan while allocating resources elsewhere.
Evans was connected to numerous teams in free agency. The Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Giants and Browns were among the suitors. The 49ers were on that list, however, with our Adam La Rose pegging this as a strong fit in his most recent mailbag. They will see if Evans can lift an offense that might be Kittle-less to open the 2026 season.
Colts To Re-Sign Alec Pierce
Highly touted wide receiver Alec Pierce will not hit the open market. The Colts and Pierce have agreed to a deal, Jordan Schultz reports. It’s a four-year, $114MM pact, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The contract contains $84MM in guarantees and $60MM fully guaranteed at signing, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network relays.
This is a best-case scenario for the Colts, who are now in position to keep their top receiver and starting quarterback Daniel Jones. After the Colts placed the transition tag on Jones last Tuesday, there was fear Pierce would exit. The 25-year-old even suggested he would test the market. The 2022 second-round pick from Cincinnati will instead continue his career in Indianapolis.
[RELATED: Colts To Trade Michael Pittman Jr. To Steelers]
As PFR’s second-ranked free agent, Pierce drew substantial interest before agreeing to stick with the Colts. The Patriots, Raiders, 49ers and Chargers all eyed Pierce, but he turned down more money to remain in Indianapolis, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The Commanders were also “aggressive” in the derby, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN adds.
New England was not willing to match Indy’s bid, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reports. The Patriots will now turn their attention elsewhere (perhaps an A.J. Brown trade) as they seek a difference-making receiver to replace the released Stefon Diggs.
Although Pierce has never reached 50 catches in a season, he has emerged as one of the game’s elite downfield threats. The 6-foot-3, 211-pounder led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the past two seasons. During a career year in 2025, he caught 47 balls for 1,003 yards (21.3 YPC) and six touchdowns over 15 games. It was the first time the durable Pierce has missed more than one game in a season.
On a per-year basis, Pierce has averaged around 39 catches, 734 yards and four touchdowns. That is not No. 1-caliber production, but Pierce will benefit from the league’s significant cap increase. He now ranks ninth at his position in total money, right behind the Bengals’ Tee Higgins. Pierce checks in at 10th in yearly average, once again just behind Higgins. An $84MM guarantee would put him in a fifth-place tie with Brown.
With Pierce under wraps, the Colts will likely put more focus on a long-term deal with Jones. Otherwise, they could risk losing him to an offer sheet. General manager Chris Ballard has until July 15 to reach an agreement with Jones.
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.
49ers To Sign T Vederian Lowe
With Trent Williams‘ future in the air, the 49ers are making a depth addition at the offensive tackle spot. Vederian Lowe has agreed to a two-year San Francisco deal worth up to $12MM, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He will collect $5.75MM guaranteed.
Lowe would certainly bring a massive step down from Williams; the 49ers will likely plan to have him as their swing tackle no matter what happens with the future Hall of Famer. Benched after being the Patriots’ primary left tackle starter in 2024, Lowe played out his rookie contract as a backup for the AFC champions.
The Patriots acquired Lowe via trade during Bill Belichick’s final year at the controls. He worked as an eight-game starter in 2023 and lined up with Pats first-stringers 13 times in 2024. The returns were not good for the Pats’ O-line in ’24, leading to a 2025 overhaul that brought four new starters. Pro Football Focus graded Lowe as the NFL’s third-worst qualified tackle in 2023 and slotted him outside the top 65 in ’24; Will Campbell arrived to supplant him as the No. 4 overall pick last year.
Lowe served as Campbell’s injury sub during the high-profile rookie’s IR stretch. A former Vikings sixth-round pick, Lowe will at least provide the 49ers with a 25-start resume. This signing comes after the team tried a few tackles behind Williams and Colton McKivitz in 2025. The 49ers signed Andre Dillard and Nicholas Petit-Frere; the team was near a deal with D.J. Humphries, but the veteran LT ultimately chose the Rams.
Guard/swingman Spencer Burford is unsigned for San Francisco, though the team tendered backup tackle Austen Pleasants as an ERFA. The 49ers owe Williams a $10MM option bonus on April 1, providing a deadline of sorts. The team may have opened the door to a trade Monday, and the 16-year vet is tied to a $38.8MM cap number in his contract year. A resolution will come soon, but if not, the 49ers will have a glaring tackle need — as Lowe will be unlikely to start in a non-injury situation.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Titans To Sign DL John Franklin-Myers
Robert Saleh is reforming his Jets band. After Jermaine Johnson arrived via trade, John Franklin-Myers is coming over in free agency. The high-level FA agreed to a three-year, $63MM Titans deal, per insider Jordan Schultz.
A two-year Broncos starter, Franklin-Myers was a key piece under Saleh with the Jets. With D-line coach Aaron Whitecotton coming to Nashville as well, the Titans appeared to be the most logical suitor for Franklin-Myers (as Nikhil Mehta’s Offseason Outlook detailed). Franklin-Myers, 29, will see $42MM guaranteed on this deal — a massive raise from his Denver terms.
Widely expected to leave the Broncos, who had not made an extension offer during a period where several other front-seven cogs were paid, Franklin-Myers hit free agency at an ideal time. Despite heading into an age-30 season, the high-end role player looked to be by far this market’s top interior D-line option. PFR ranked Franklin-Myers sixth in this year’s FA class — largely because of its lack of DT options and a draft not teeming with them, either — and the $21MM-per-year number nearly triples his Broncos AAV.
The Bengals, Colts and 49ers also pursued Franklin-Myers, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Traded to the Broncos as a salary-dump move in the 2024 draft, Franklin-Myers agreed to a two-year, $15MM deal — a better offer than the Jets made as they aimed for a sizable pay cut. Franklin-Myers had been tied to a four-year, $55MM Jets extension, but as Haason Reddick arrived via trade, Joe Douglas sent him to Denver. That became a boon for the Broncos’ defense, and it turned into a mutually beneficial relationship.
Two top-three Broncos defenses deployed Franklin-Myers as a 3-4 defensive end starter. He racked up 14.5 sacks during his two-season Broncos stay. But Denver had agreed to extensions with Zach Allen, Malcom Roach, Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper during Franklin-Myers’ tenure. The team also re-signed DT D.J. Jones just before last year’s free agency. Franklin-Myers did not expect an extension, and he will benefit from hitting the market in a down year for the position.
Initially claimed off waivers from the Rams during Adam Gase’s HC tenure, Franklin-Myers displayed inside-outside versatility under Saleh. He recorded 11 sacks from 2021-22, teaming with Quinnen Williams up front New York. Saleh’s second Jets defense improved from 32nd to fourth, and Franklin-Myers’ 2022 showing was a key reason for that leap. Two years after the draft-weekend trade, Franklin-Myers will join his former coaches on a monster fourth contract.
49ers Open To Trading Trent Williams; Chiefs On Radar For LT?
In 2021, the Chiefs were believed to have finished second in the Trent Williams free agency sweepstakes. As Williams again navigates a contract situation with the 49ers, San Francisco’s two-time Super Bowl opponent may have a second chance at the future Hall of Fame tackle.
The 49ers are now believed to be open to trading Williams, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, should his latest contract situation not be resolved. The Chiefs are viewed by many around the league as the team most eager to make an addition, per Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora.
Although Kansas City pursued Williams in 2021, it would be a bit strange to see the club revisit the decorated left tackle considering it used a first-round pick on Josh Simmons last year. The Chiefs did release RT Jawaan Taylor, but ex-49er Jaylon Moore looms as an option to succeed him. A scenario in which Simmons slides to RT could be in play, should the Chiefs make another Williams run. But the 49ers will certainly hold out hope they can work out another deal here. One season remains on Williams’ reworked contract.
Williams, 37, is due to carry a $38.84MM cap number in 2026. He and the 49ers managed to resolve a contract issue in 2024, when Williams staged a holdout after a run of first-team All-Pro accolades. The 49ers rewarded the perennial Pro Bowler with a guarantee influx, but the contract calls for a $10MM option bonus to be paid by March 20. That gives the 49ers a deadline here.
John Lynch said recently the team and Williams were on the same page, but this latest report seems to indicate negotiations are not in a great place. An extension would lower Williams’ cap number, and he has discussed potentially playing until age 40. Williams will turn 38 this year and has continued to burnish one of the great LT resumes in NFL history. A release was floated as a possible outcome when this matter surfaced in February — and the Chiefs may be lurking in that scenario — but the 49ers would try to move on via trade first.
The Chiefs drafted Simmons 32nd overall and saw him win the starting job in Week 1, settling an issue that hindered the 2024 team. But the Ohio State product left the team midway through the season for personal reasons. Simmons returned after that hiatus but ended the season on IR with a wrist injury. He will still be expected to be Kansas City’s LT starter in 2026, but this Williams rumor does add some confusion to that plan.
2026 NFL Trades
The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. Early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. As the NFL resides in window No. 1 for 2026, it is a good time to check in on what has already transpired on the market.
Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2026:
February 26
- Titans trade DT T’Vondre Sweat to Jets for DE Jermaine Johnson
March 2
- Browns acquire OL Tytus Howard from Texans for No. 141
- Texans obtain RB David Montgomery from Lions for OL Juice Scruggs, No. 128, 2027 seventh-round pick
March 4
- Rams acquire CB Trent McDuffie from Chiefs for Nos. 29, 168, 210, 2027 third-round pick
March 5
- Bills acquire WR D.J. Moore, No. 165 from Bears in exchange for No. 60
March 6
- Bears acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 fifth-round pick
- Ravens to land OLB Maxx Crosby from Raiders for No. 14, 2027 first-round pick
Ravens nixed trade March 10, failing Crosby on a physical
March 7
- Packers add LB Zaire Franklin from Colts for DT Colby Wooden
March 8
- Raiders obtain CB Taron Johnson, No. 228 from Bills for No. 182
March 9
- Jets acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for No. 238
- Cowboys land OLB Rashan Gary from Packers for 2027 fourth-round pick
- Steelers add WR Michael Pittman Jr., No. 230 from Colts for No. 214
March 10
- Jets acquire QB Geno Smith, No. 228 from Raiders for No. 182
- Texans obtain P Kai Kroeger, 2028 seventh-round pick from Saints for 2028 sixth-rounder
March 11
- Titans add DL Solomon Thomas, No. 225 from Cowboys for No. 218
- 49ers acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa from Cowboys for No. 92
March 16
- Chiefs acquire QB Justin Fields from Jets for 2027 sixth-rounder
March 17
- Broncos land WR Jaylen Waddle, No. 111 from Dolphins for Nos. 30, 94, 130
March 18
- Eagles obtain QB Andy Dalton from Panthers for 2027 seventh-round pick
March 20
- Falcons acquire S Sydney Brown, Nos. 122, 215 from Eagles for Nos. 114, 197
April 7
- Texans land LB Marte Mapu, 2027 seventh-round pick from Patriots for 2027 sixth-rounder
April 10
- Eagles add WR Dontayvion Wicks from Packers for 2026 fifth-round pick, 2027 sixth-rounder
April 17
- Falcons, Jaguars swap DTs Ruke Orhorhoro, Maason Smith
April 18
- Bengals acquire DT Dexter Lawrence from Giants for No. 10
April 24
- Cowboys obtain ILB Dee Winters from 49ers for No. 152
- Eagles acquire OLB Jonathan Greenard, No. 244 from Vikings for No. 98, 2027 third-rounder
April 25
- Saints add OLB Tyree Wilson, No. 219 from Raiders for No. 150
49ers Interested In CBs Riq Woolen, Montaric Brown
The Seahawks have three regulars from their Super Bowl-winning secondary hitting free agency Monday. All three — Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe — landed in PFR’s top 50. Riq Woolen ranked highest, and the 6-foot-4 cornerback figures to draw extensive interest soon.
If/when Seattle lets Woolen hit the market, The Athletic’s Matt Barrows notes several execs around the NFL expect the 49ers to be in that mix. The 49ers used Day 2 picks at corner in 2024 (Renardo Green) and ’25 (Upton Stout). They also have Deommodore Lenoir signed long term.
Pro Football Focus graded Green 86th overall among qualified cornerbacks last season. The 49ers gave Green a 92% defensive snap share alongside Lenoir, who has anchored San Francisco’s corner corps for multiple seasons. The team gave Lenoir a five-year, $89.8MM extension in 2024. As Ely Allen’s 49ers Offseason Outlook pointed out, however, Lenoir is owed a $16.75MM guarantee for his 2026 compensation on April 1. That could give San Francisco a decision, but losing Lenoir would also create a major need.
Mike Macdonald used Jobe in front of Woolen during the season’s second half, when the 6-foot-4 CB only topped 70% usage in one of the team’s final eight regular-season games. He still allowed a passer rating of 78.5, ranking 25th among 200-plus-snap CBs in 2025, according to The Athletic. Woolen burst onto the NFL scene in 2022 by intercepting six passes. He was viewed as a better fit for Pete Carroll‘s defense than Macdonald’s, however, as he was mentioned in trade rumors before the deadline. Though, the former fifth-round pick still played extensively during Seattle’s Super Bowl slate.
Cornerback does appear on the 49ers’ wish list, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicates the NFC West team is interested in the Jaguars‘ Montaric Brown. The Jags are still interested in re-signing Brown, though they are barely under the cap as of Sunday afternoon.
A seventh-round success story, Brown started 22 games for the Jags from 2024-25. After regarding Brown modestly prior to 2025, PFF graded him as the No. 26 overall CB last season — as the Jags made dramatic defensive improvements under Anthony Campanile. Jacksonville traded Tyson Campbell for Greg Newsome in-season, and Newsome is now a free agent. Losing Brown would create a need for the reigning AFC South champs, though the team is expected to deploy Travis Hunter primarily as a cornerback next season.