Cardinals Release Akeem Davis-Gaither, Bilal Nichols
The Cardinals have released linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, per Field Yates of ESPN. They cut Nichols with a failed physical designation.
Davis-Gaither worked as a backup during his first five seasons in Cincinnati, which chose him in Round 4 of the 2020 draft. He became a starter for the Cardinals after they handed him a two-year, $11MM deal last March.
During his second 17-game season in a row, Davis-Gaither notched career highs in tackles (117), starts (13) and passes defensed (five). He led all Cardinals linebackers in snap share (68.15%) and pulled in the third interception of his career along the way. Pro Football Focus was unimpressed, though, as the outlet ranked the 28-year-old’s performance 71st among 88 qualifying LBs.
A former Bear and Raider, Nichols signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Cardinals in March 2024. Nichols was coming off three straight 17-game seasons at that point, but health eluded him in Arizona. The 300-pounder totaled 10 tackles in six games (five starts) before a stinger forced him to season-ending injured reserve in October 2024.
When assembling their roster at the end of August last year, the Cardinals placed Nichols on the reserve/PUP list with a neck injury. They activated Nichols before Week 5, but the 29-year-old wound up totaling just four appearances and three tackles in 2025. Arizona sent Nichols to IR with knee injury in mid-December, ending his second and last season in its uniform. He made 13 tackles in 10 games as a Cardinal.
In moving on from Davis-Gaither and Nichols, the Cardinals will save around $11MM in cap space. They now have approximately $39.7MM available as the new league year approaches.
Seahawks, LB Drake Thomas Agree To Deal
The Seahawks and restricted free agent linebacker Drake Thomas have agreed to a two-year contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The deal comes with a base of $8MM and could be worth up to $9MM.
As an undrafted free agent from NC State in 2023, Thomas originally signed with the Raiders. He was unable to crack Las Vegas’ roster, leading Seattle to claim Thomas shortly before the season.
Thomas appeared in seven games and played 118 of 122 snaps on special teams as a rookie. While he suited up for all 17 of the Seahawks’ games in his second year, his role was primarily on special teams again. Just 37 of his 355 snaps came on defense.
Last year was a different story for Thomas, who emerged as a 14-game starter for a team that won the Super Bowl. The 26-year-old totaled 768 snaps, the seventh-most among Seahawks defenders. With 905 snaps, Ernest Jones was the Seahawks’ only linebacker to log more playing time. Thomas took advantage of his opportunity in racking up 96 tackles, 10 TFL, six QB hits, 3.5 sacks and an interception over 17 regular-season games. Pro Football Focus rated his performance an impressive 23rd among 88 qualifying linebackers.
Thomas’ 77.0 grade as a run defender ranked third on the Seahawks, who allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the NFL. He chipped in another 18 tackles over three playoff wins, including six in a stifling defensive performance against the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Broncos To Re-Sign OL Alex Palczewski
The Broncos are expected to re-sign offensive lineman Alex Palczewski, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The 26-year-old was set to be a restricted free agent but will instead stay in Denver on a two-year deal.
Palczewski signed with the Broncos as an undrafted rookie in 2023 but missed the entire season due to injury. He made the 53-man roster in 2024 and took over at right tackle after an early-season injury to starter Mike McGlinchey. A high ankle sprain put Palczewski on the shelf for three games, and he only played 16 snaps on offense for the rest of the year.
In 2025, he emerged as a key piece of Denver’s offensive line after starting left guard Ben Powers landed on injured reserve due to a biceps injury. Palczewski logged 10 starts (Weeks 7-17), though he only received a 53.8 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and Powers took back over at left guard after he came off IR at the end of the regular season.
Details of Palczewski’s deal are unknown, but it will likely land somewhere between the second-round and right-of-first-refusal RFA tags, valued at $6.26MM and $3.82MM, respectively (via OverTheCap). That could be a bargain if he takes over a starting job in 2026, a distinct possibility considering Powers’ contract situation. He is owed $13MM in non-guaranteed compensation this year with Denver’s third-largest cap hit at $18.15MM. A pre-June 1 cut would yield $8.38MM in savings with $9.78MM in dead money, while a post-June 1 cut would change those numbers to $12.73MM and $5.43MM with the rest of the dead money pushed to 2027.
The Broncos currently have a little over $25MM in cap space, so they do not need to release Powers before the new league year. That would give them time to explore his trade value after starting 52 games in the last five seasons. They could also elect to designate him as a post-June 1 cut for maximum 2026 savings. It would not kick in until after June 1, and the Broncos would have to carry Powers’ cap hit in the meantime, but they can afford to do so. They can then use the extra money to sign their rookie class and fill any remaining roster needs with summer signings.
However, re-signing Palczewski does not necessarily mean that the Broncos are looking to move on from Powers. Depth at offensive line is key, especially players who are able to back up multiple spots.
Texans To Re-Sign OT Trent Brown
Earlier this week, the Texans dealt away Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs in separate trades. A number of new faces along the offensive line will be in place next season, but a familiar blocker will be in the fold as well.
Houston has agreed to a new deal with Trent Brown, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This one-year contract will prevent the former Bengals, Raiders, 49ers, and Patriots lineman – who was a pending free agent – from reaching the open market next week. The pact has a maximum value of $7MM.
Brown started seven games during the regular season as well as Houston’s wild-card win against the Steelers. An ankle injury kept him sidelined for the divisional round, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes Brown is currently rehabbing it. That process is obviously going well, given the team’s willingness to make a new commitment in this case.
The Texans could have a starting spot available for Brown next year. Howard, who started the year at right tackle and moved to guard to cover injuries, is now in Cleveland. Perhaps Houston gives 2024 second-rounder Blake Fisher another look, but his rough rookie year will have Brown on standby, if not in the lead, for the starting right tackle job.
2026 will be Brown’s 12th season in the NFL, a strong career for a former seventh-round pick. He has started 103 games with over 3,000 snaps at both tackle spots, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His injury history has dropped his market value in recent years, which is why his new deal with the Texans likely contains playing time incentives to reach the maximum compensation.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this story.
Bears, Bills Finalizing D.J. Moore Trade
D.J. Moore‘s Bears future has been in question, and he will indeed be on the move soon. The veteran wideout will be dealt to the Bills once the new league year begins, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chicago will receive a 2026 second-round pick (No. 60 overall) in the deal while sending a 2026 fifth-rounder back to Buffalo, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Bears will also see $16.5MM in cap savings, according to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap, though that will not kick in until the trade is processed at the start of the new league year. As a result, they will need to make other moves to become cap-compliant by next Wednesday.
The Bills will take on the remainder of Moore’s contract, which runs through 2029. He is owed $24.5MM in each year with the same cap number. His 2026 salary is already guaranteed, and $15.5MM of his 2027 salary guarantees on March 13. Buffalo is also guaranteeing $15.5MM of Moore’s 2028 salary as part of the trade, per Schefter. It is unclear if they are expanding the 2027 guarantees to cover the entire year’s salary. Moore, notably, has negotiated fully-guaranteed compensation for each of his first nine seasons in the NFL and could very well get to 11 as a result of this deal.
Along with the second-rounder they moved to acquire him, that is a hefty commitment for a player who just posted career-low receiving numbers in the NFL’s 10th-ranked passing offense. His 1.44 yards per route run in 2024 and 1.24 YPRR in 2025 are the lowest figures of his career, per Pro Football Focus, (subscription required). However, that can be partially attributed to a crowded Bears offense that featured a strong running game and young pass-catchers Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Luther Burden.
Still, Buffalo had a clear desire to upgrade their receiving corps. They checked in on A.J. Brown and Alec Pierce, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, but ultimately opted to reunite Moore with head coach Joe Brady. The two last worked together in Carolina in 2020 and 2021, during which time Moore put up 2,350 yards and eight touchdowns on 159 receptions. Perhaps Brady can get him back to that production or better in a receiver room with less competition – Khalil Shakir was the only Bills wideout to top 40 receptions or 500 receiving yards last year. But given the financial and draft compensation, it is hard to like this trade for the Bills. Moore is about to turn 29 after two years of decline and the team is essentially tied to him through his age-31 season after adding guarantees to his deal.
Packers Restructure S Xavier McKinney’s Contract
The Packers are among the teams which entered Thursday with work to do to become cap compliant. Green Bay has opted for a restructure as an easy way to free up 2026 space. 
The team has restructured safety Xavier McKinney‘s contract, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. McKinney was due to count $19.09MM against the cap next season, but that will no longer be the case. As Fowler notes, both his base salary ($4.25MM) and pending roster bonus ($8.5MM) are set to be converted into a signing bonus.
A simple conversion only affecting McKinney’s salary would have generated nearly $6MM in savings; that figure would have been sufficient to get the Packers out of the red in terms of cap space. Converting his roster bonus will create even more in the way of additional funds, though, and Fowler notes McKinney’s cap hit for 2026 should drop to below $10MM as a result of today’s move. More cost-cutting will no doubt be coming from Green Bay.
The Packers could free up more cap space by releasing the likes of offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins and edge rusher Rashan Gary. Over the coming days, the status of those two veterans will be worth watching closely as general manager Brian Gutekunst and Co. prepare for the new league year. In any event, McKinney will of course be in Green Bay’s plans for the foreseeable future.
The former Giant took a big-ticket deal in free agency during the 2024 offseason. McKinney thrived during his debut Green Bay campaign, notching eight interceptions en route to first-team All-Pro honors. The 27-year-old remained a full-time starter for the Packers this past season, posting double-digit pass deflections for the third year in a row. McKinney’s contract runs through 2027, a season in which an inflated cap figure will be in store unless void years are added or an extension is eventually agreed to.
Commanders To Re-Sign DE Drake Jackson
Drake Jackson managed to return to NFL action late in the 2025 season as a member of the Commanders. His time in Washington will continue. 
Jackson has agreed to a new one-year deal, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Instead of reaching free agency next week, he will therefore spend the 2026 campaign with the Commanders. A torn patellar tendon cut short the second-rounder’s 2023 season and left sidelined for all of 2024.
[RELATED: Commanders Re-Sign Deatrich Wise, Shy Tuttle]
Jackson was cut by the 49ers last spring, and his value was obviously rather low at the time. Multiple visits were arranged, but in the end he signed a $1.1MM Commanders pact. The USC product was immediately moved to injured reserve upon arrival to buy additional time for recovery. Jackson was eventually activated and was able to make his Washington debut in mid-December; he totaled three appearances in 2025.
Over that span, Jackson only played 61 defensive snaps and managed just three tackles. As such, this latest pact will no doubt be at or near the league minimum. He will look to carve out a more significant role with Washington moving forward, something which would of course increase his market value but also offer a needed boost to the team’s defense. The Commanders finished mid-pack in terms of sacks in 2025 but struggled in a number of other areas.
Numerous coaching changes have recently taken place as a result, including the arrival of Daronte Jones as Washington’s new defensive coordinator. It will be interesting to see how Jackson, 25 next month, will be used in Jones’ scheme. A strong showing would help get his NFL career back on track and aid the Commanders’ efforts to rebound from a disappointing showing this past year.
Falcons Plan To Release Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney is set to become a free agent for the second time in his career. The Falcons plan to release the veteran wideout, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.
One year remained on Mooney’s Atlanta contract, and he was on course to carry a cap charge of $18.42MM. A release will free up $7.42MM in cap space while generating an $11MM dead money charge. Mooney was due to collect a $500K roster bonus next week, so the timing of this decision comes as little surprise.
After playing out his rookie contract with the Bears, Mooney landed a big-ticket deal on the open market. The former fifth-rounder inked a $39MM deal with Atlanta, setting him up to serve as a key presence on offense. Mooney’s debut Falcons campaign saw him post career highs in yards per reception (15.5) and touchdowns (five). Expectations were high for a strong follow-up in 2025, but that did not turn out to be the case.
Mooney played in 15 games this past season, but his catch percentage plummeted to 44.4%, the lowest mark of his six-year career. As a starting presence on the Falcons’ offense, 443 yards and only one score represented highly underwhelming totals for Mooney, making him a logical release candidate. Atlanta will seek needed improvements after finishing 24th in the NFL in scoring in 2025, but the Tulane product will not be part of the team’s WR setup.
Of course, Drake London is on track to remain the focal point of Atlanta’s passing game for 2026. He is eligible for an extension, with the same also being true of running back Bijan Robinson. Both players will be in line for major raises on their next pacts. Meanwhile, tight end Kyle Pitts received the franchise tag and is in line to spend at least one more season with the Falcons as a result. Keeping that trio intact beyond 2026 will be expensive, and Atlanta will seek out inexpensive depth to supplement it.
Mooney’s attention will now turn to free agency. The open market will include the likes of Alec Pierce, Romeo Doubs and Wan’Dale Robinson at the WR position; each of those three are in line to command a sizable pact. Mooney’s next deal will no doubt check in at a price below the $13MM AAV of his Falcons pact, but he could offer any number of teams with a vertical presence in the passing game.
Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs
Eight years after the Chiefs sent Marcus Peters to the Rams, the two teams engaged in discussions about another blockbuster cornerback trade. This time, Trent McDuffie is the Los Angeles target. A deal has come together swiftly.
The Rams are sending the Chiefs No. 29 overall, along with 2026 fifth- and sixth-rounders, for McDuffie, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This deal will also send Kansas City Los Angeles’ 2027 third-round pick, per Russini.
The teams were “deep in talks” on this trade a few minutes ago, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported. Mentioned previously as way for the Chiefs to clear cap space, trading McDuffie would also reunite him with ex-Washington HC Jimmy Lake, who is on the Rams’ staff as DBs coach and pass-game coordinator. This reminds of the Chiefs’ 2025 Joe Thuney trade, which broke minutes after the team was mentioned as discussing him with the Bears.
In PFR’s Chiefs Offseason Outlook, I broached the subject of the AFC powerhouse pivoting from McDuffie extension talks and using the contract as a way to fetch rookie-deal assets. The Chiefs have done this repeatedly at corner. They have now traded Peters, McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed under Andy Reid. The team has also let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward walk in free agency.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City attempts to re-sign Jaylen Watson — whose second contract will be much cheaper than McDuffie’s — as a result of this swap. The Chiefs and McDuffie resumed extension talks recently, but it seems the cornerback’s price point was out of the team’s comfort zone. Landing a picks package after failed extension talks is familiar territory.
Much like in 2022, when the Chiefs bailed on Tyreek Hill extension talks after the price escalated, Kansas City has deemed an extension too pricey and will move on for a picks package headlined by a first-rounder. McDuffie initially came to K.C. via that Hill asset trove, with the Chiefs trading up to draft him in 2022. Playing both outside and in the slot, McDuffie became a linchpin for Steve Spagnuolo‘s defenses. He earned All-Pro recognition in 2023 and ’24 and has worked as the team’s secondary anchor, complementing Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as Chiefs defensive pillars.
The Chiefs entered Wednesday more than $6MM over the cap; this move — which cannot be official until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins — will slide the AFC West team under the salary ceiling. Kansas City had already cut Mike Danna and is planning to release Jawaan Taylor. Kristian Fulton, who did not play well after the Chiefs gave him a $10MM-per-year deal, can also deliver some notable cap savings.
McDuffie and the Chiefs were negotiating an extension before last season, but the sides could not hammer out an agreement. A fall report indicated McDuffie was eyeing a potential top-market contract. Considering how stingy the Chiefs have been at cornerback, that report made a trade somewhat logical to predict. McDuffie, 25, is now headed to L.A. with one season left — a fifth-year option campaign ($13.63MM) — on his rookie contract.
A quirk in the CBA’s fifth-year option formula allowed the Chiefs to save money on McDuffie’s option. Although McDuffie is a former first- and second-team All-Pro, he has never been named an original-ballot Pro Bowler. The latter honor is what triggers option bumps, and McDuffie ended up on the third rung of the option ladder. But the option price is now the Rams’ issue. Given what is being traded here, it would surprise if L.A. did not have an extension planned.
The Rams did not pay Peters in 2018, eventually trading him to the Ravens in 2019, but this trade reminds of Les Snead‘s former “eff them picks” mantra. Los Angeles traded a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks in 2018 and extended the receiver soon after. They traded two firsts for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and extended the All-Pro corner in 2020. The Rams traded two firsts for Matthew Stafford in 2021 and paid him a year later. They dealt second- and third-rounders for Von Miller months into the Stafford tenure, and the Stafford-Ramsey-Miller trades helped Snead and Sean McVay secure a championship.
Cornerback play cost the Rams dearly in 2025. Although the Rams went punch-for-punch with the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC title game, Sam Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdown passes in a shootout win. The Rams were linked to reacquiring Ramsey last year but stood down. L.A. will now use its own first-round pick — a year after acquiring No. 13 from Atlanta, as the Falcons traded up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — to transform that position group.
They ended up using rookie-deal corners and aging cog Darious Williams, with a midseason trade for Roger McCreary not impacting the defense much. McCreary and Cobie Durant are free agents, and Williams is a cut candidate. Emmanuel Forbes, who almost definitely will not see his fifth-year option exercised, has one season left on his contract.
Our Rory Parks outlined the Rams’ mission of upgrading at corner, and The Athletic’s Nate Adkins discussed McDuffie as an option earlier today. Snead brought up the prospect of adding an All-Pro talent to address this situation, and the Rams have their answer. McDuffie is now the centerpiece of the L.A. secondary, which has lacked such a player since the team traded Ramsey to the Dolphins in 2023.
The Rams ranked 10th in scoring defense last season but were 19th against the pass. McDuffie did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim in 2025, but he has been one of the NFL’s best corners for years. While only including three career interceptions, McDuffie’s resume will allow him to command a near-top-market deal. This four-pick package will help his cause for a contract at or near the $30MM-per-year level Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner reached last year.
The expectation of a McDuffie windfall also comes as the Rams’ 2023 draftees — including Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Warren McClendon — are all extension-eligible. Some big-picture decisions are coming, and this McDuffie acquisition offers an interesting complication. But after narrowly missing out on another Super Bowl berth, the team is loading up after receiving assurances Matthew Stafford will return after his MVP season.
A Washington alum, McDuffie started for two Super Bowl-winning teams — serving as both squads’ top CB — and was out there for the Chiefs-Eagles rematch. Spagnuolo used McDuffie more in the slot in 2023 but shifted the 5-foot-11 defender to more of a boundary role over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked McDuffie as a top-five corner in 2023 and ’24 and has never ranked him outside the top 20. The Rams are paying up for the CB’s final four seasons in his 20s, as the Chiefs cash out yet again.
Kansas City has Watson days away from free agency, and contributor Joshua Williams joins him. The team rosters Fulton but could cut him soon. Slot player Chamarri Conner has one season left on his rookie deal, though the team traded up for Nohl Williams in last year’s third round. Williams (five 2025 starts) figures to be a more prominent player in Kansas City’s 2026 secondary.
As today’s transaction continues to remind, however, Chiefs corners need to find new homes after their rookie deals wrap. As Kansas City retools here yet again, it will be interesting to see if McDuffie can leapfrog Stingley and Gardner to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB.
Patriots Intend To Release Stefon Diggs
The Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that they will release him at the start of the league year next week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Diggs took to Instagram to thank the Patriots on Wednesday.
It will be a one-and-done stint in New England for Diggs, who signed a three-year, $63.3MM deal with the team last spring. Diggs was then recovering from an October 2024 ACL tear that occurred during his lone year with the Texans. Also a former Viking and Bill, Diggs showed no ill effects from his injury last season.
Playing all 17 regular-season games, the four-time Pro Bowler ended up an integral part of a New England team that stunningly improved from 4-13 to 14-3 in 2025. The Patriots won the AFC East and advanced to Super Bowl LX, where they fell to the Seahawks, 29-13.
The 32-year-old Diggs was MVP candidate Drake Maye‘s favorite option throughout the season. Diggs easily led the Patriots in receptions (85), targets (102) and yards (1,013). He also grabbed four touchdowns.
Diggs was less productive during the Pats’ four-game postseason run, in which he averaged just 7.9 yards on 14 catches. His short Patriots tenure also included some unwanted off-field drama. A video of Diggs flashing an “unidentified pink substance” during a yacht party surfaced last May.
When asked about it, head coach Mike Vrabel said, “It’s something we’re aware of and obviously we want to make great decisions on and off the field.”
Diggs never received any punishment for that incident, and there was no further trouble for several months. However, that ended when a Dec. 2 incident involving Diggs came to light on Dec. 30. Diggs’ former personal chef told police he entered her unlocked bedroom during a financial dispute and “smacked her across the face.” She added that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
Diggs pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on Feb. 13. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1. Depending on how the process plays out, Diggs could face disciplinary action from the league next season. That will hang over his head as he seeks another team in free agency.
The Patriots will no longer have to worry about a potential suspension for Diggs, though the loss of a seven-time 1,000-yard wideout will leave an obvious void in their receiving corps. Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown has come up as a potential trade target, but the Eagles’ asking price has been prohibitive to this point. In addition to Brown, the Diggs-less Patriots are sure to explore other possibilities this offseason.
The Pats already had upward of $39MM in cap space entering the day. Cutting Diggs will give them more money to pursue help at receiver and other positions. Once his release becomes official, the Patriots will add $16.8MM in spending room at the cost of $9.7MM in dead cap. They will also avoid paying $6MM in base salary that would have vested on March 13.