Texans, LB Azeez Al-Shaair Agree To Extension
4:05pm: This Al-Shaair extension is worth $54MM, Rapoport and Garafolo report. That $18MM average annual value ranks third in the NFL among inside linebackers. Al-Shaair will be counted on to remain one of Houston’s most impactful defenders for the foreseeable future with this new deal in hand.
12:20pm: The Texans are signing linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a three-year extension, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, keeping the leader of Houston’s defense under contract through the 2029 season.
Al-Shaair, 28, first arrived in Houston in 2024 on a three-year, $34MM deal and immediately took over a starting role in DeMeco Ryans‘ defense. He only appeared in 11 games in his first year – due in part to a three-game suspension – but made 16 starts in 2025 with a team-high 103 tackles. The ex-49er did not stuff the stat sheet otherwise, but his consistency in the middle of the Texans’ league-leading defense earned him his first career Pro Bowl selection. That gave Al-Shaair significant leverage when negotiating his new deal, which should be a solid raise over his first contract with the team.
The Texans are certainly happy to keep their star linebacker and defensive green-dot wearer around for a few more years. Today’s agreement represents their continued commitment to their elite defense after signing edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter to new deals this offseason.
It was reported in March that Al-Shaair and the Texans had mutual interest in reaching an extension as he entered a contract year. The Cowboys still made an attempt to trade for the seven-year veteran during their pursuit of linebackers this offseason, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. Houston, though, had no desire to move Al-Shaair, according to KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson, and Dallas pivoted to former 49ers Dee Winters and Curtis Robinson.
Al-Shaair will continue to partner with 2023 fifth-round pick Henry To’oTo’o as the Texans’ starting linebackers. To’oTo’o is entering the final year of his rookie deal and could be another extension candidate, as Houston has demonstrated a clear desire to retain their top defenders. The 25-year-old has racked up 200 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and four sacks over the last two years, making him a solid all-around complement to his veteran teammate.
The details of Al-Shaair’s contract have yet to be reported, but a raise over his current $11.33MM AAV would almost certainly propel him into top-10 linebacker pay. That is an excellent result for the former 49ers undrafted free agent, who developed under Ryans in San Francisco with a one-year stint in Tennessee before the two reunited in Houston.
Jets Decline Mazi Smith’s Fifth-Year Option
The Jets announced on Wednesday that they picked up the fifth-year option for their 2023 first-round pick, Will McDonald. However, according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, they will not do the same with Mazi Smith, the Cowboys’ 2023 first-rounder who was acquired as part of the Quinnen Williams deal at the 2025 trade deadline.
New York’s second fifth-year option decision certainly comes as no surprise. Smith did not develop as hoped during his tenure with the Cowboys, something which made him expendable in the Williams swap. He will now enter next season as a pending free agent.
Smith played sparingly as a rookie but took on a full-time starting role during his second season in Dallas. The Michigan product did not emerge as a notable presence in the pass rush department. Run defense remained a concern, and while the Cowboys initially displayed a desire to keep Smith in the fold, his name was mentioned in trade speculation. Upgrading along the defensive interior was a goal for the team last offseason, and Kenny Clark was part of the package Dallas received in the Micah Parsons blockbuster.
Even with Clark in the fold, Dallas sought out further changes at the D-tackle spot. That led to the Williams trade, and Smith — a throw-in piece in that November 2025 swap — played a role in replacing him upon arrival in New York.
Smith made just three appearances with the Jets down the stretch, though, logging only 54 defensive snaps along the way. A depth role should again be in store for his first full campaign with the team. The Jets acquired T’Vondre Sweat in the trade which sent Jermaine Johnson to the Titans and signed David Onyemata in free agency.
Defensive tackle was still seen as a position where New York could make further investments entering the draft. The Jets selected Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round, and he will look to carve out a rotational role as a rookie. How Smith fits into the team’s setup on the defensive line will be interesting to see. It will also determine his earning potential upon testing the open market next spring.
Seventeen defensive tackles are currently attached to an AAV of $20MM or more. Smith would not have joined that group had his option ($13.93MM) been exercised, but a raise to that figure would have still been unexpected. The 2026 season will represent Smith’s age-25 campaign, and it will be key in deciding how his second NFL contract takes shape.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Panthers Pick Up Bryce Young’s Fifth-Year Option
The Panthers officially picked up quarterback Bryce Young‘s fifth year option, per a team announcement, locking the 2023 No. 1 overall pick into a fully guaranteed $25.9MM salary for the 2027 season.
Carolina was expected to make this move after Young demonstrated clear signs of development in 2025 and put up career-bests in nearly every statistical category. The 24-year-old benefitted from a stronger supporting cast, including first-round receiver Tetairoa McMillan and breakout running back Rico Dowdle, but he undoubtedly showed a much better command of head coach Dave Canales‘ offense, too.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Still, Young has a ways to go before fully living up to his draft slot by establishing himself as one of the league’s top quarterbacks. $25.9MM will be a fine price for a starting quarterback in 2027, but the two sides could get to work on an extension right away.
If the Panthers are already confident in Young’s ability to be their long-term starter, a multiyear deal now could look like a steal in a few seasons. That still carries significant risk, as the former Alabama star barely cracked 3,000 passing yards last season with 23 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and an 87.8 passer rating.
That is hardly the output of a high-end starting quarterback, so Carolina may want to wait another year before agreeing to a long-term contract with Young. He could absolutely play himself into a better deal, but even in that case, the Panthers will know they have their franchise QB. In other words, the risk of having to pay Young more next offseason might be preferable to the risk of ponying up significant guarantees right now without knowing if he is truly the future of their team.
The timing of a potential Young extension has been a talking point this spring. It was reported in February the Panthers were in position to wait until the 2026 season played out to make a big-money commitment. More recently, though, it has seemed as if Carolina would be willing to engage in contract talks now. Young’s approach on this front will be worth watching closely as the summer unfolds.
The Panthers eyed a change in the QB depth chart with Andy Dalton‘s tenure coming to an end. Dalton was traded to the Eagles shortly after Kenny Pickett was added in free agency. The latter will give Carolina a much younger backup signal-caller, while the team accomplished its goal of adding another quarterback shortly after the draft ended. Haynes King was signed as a UDFA on Saturday. Young has not always been the Panthers’ undisputed starter, but he will be expected to log QB1 duties once more in 2026.
How that setup plays out will be key in determining Carolina’s ability to reach the playoffs once again next year. It will also, of course, determine the value of a new Young contract in the event one is not finalized over the near future.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Jets Pick Up Will McDonald’s Fifth-Year Option
The Jets officially picked up Will McDonald‘s fifth-year option, per a team announcement, ensuring the 2023 first-rounder remains under contract through the 2027 season. This had been the expectation, and this Jets regime now has more time to evaluate the Joe Douglas/Robert Saleh-era first-rounder.
McDonald, 26, had a quiet rookie year but emerged as a productive edge rusher in the last two seasons with 18.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Those numbers did not earn him any Pro Bowl recognition, which, combined with his minimal playing time as a rookie, keeps his fifth-year option at the lowest tier. He will be owed a fully guaranteed salary of $13.75MM, an excellent price for a consistent pass rusher.
[RELATED: 2027 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
That number looks even better considering McDonald’s upside. He is an elite athlete with nearly 35-inch arms, though his otherwise undersized frame significantly limits him against the run. That, of course, is less important in a league that pays for pass rushing production more than anything else.
The two sides can now get to work on a long-term extension, though negotiations could be tricky. McDonald’s traditional counting statistics over the last two years place him among the league’s top 20 edge rushers and in the company of players like Odafe Oweh, who just signed with the Commanders for $24MM per year. However, his pass rush win rate and pressure production fall closer to the middle of the pack, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In fact, those numbers closely compare to Joseph Ossai, who just signed with the Jets for $11.5MM per year. A McDonald extension should certainly come in higher than Ossai’s due to his option value, but there is still a significant gap between that and Oweh’s deal. However, both player and club have plenty of reason to come to the table. McDonald is set to earn just $3MM in 2026, and his fifth-year option will be paid out as base salary over the course of the 2027 season. A multiyear deal would give him a sizable up-front payday and some long-term security as soon as he puts pen to paper.
The Jets would also benefit from an early extension. The new years and money would be added on to McDonald’s current deal, resulting in a much more favorable annual cost over the full term of the contract. The team retained McDonald at last year’s trade deadline. At the time, it was believed he carried more value to the current regime than fellow 2025 trade target Jermaine Johnson. The Jets dealt Johnson to Saleh’s Titans in March, though No. 2 overall pick David Bailey now resides as the team’s pass-rushing centerpiece. Johnson will remain in the fold, however, as the team evaluates his place alongside the Texas Tech standout.
S Justin Simmons Announces Retirement
Last month, Justin Simmons revealed a desire to return to the NFL in 2026. But the accomplished safety has since changed his mind. Simmons announced his retirement Wednesday.
Retiring as a Bronco (via an announcement shared by the team), Simmons exits the NFL after nine seasons. Eight of those came in Denver, with the All-Pro spending the 2024 season in Atlanta. Simmons, 32, did not play last season. He timed his announcement 10 years after being drafted.
Simmons was not part of the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 defense, arriving months after the team’s championship parade as a 2016 third-round pick. But he enjoyed several quality seasons as the franchise transitioned from its Peyton Manning era. Simmons ended his career as a four-time All-Pro and was among his era’s best ballhawks.
The Broncos parked Simmons behind their No Fly Zone safety starters — T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart — as a rookie but released Ward upon deeming the Boston College product ready by Year 2. Simmons then anchored the Broncos’ secondary for a few seasons, eventually commanding two franchise tags (in 2020 and ’21).
Simmons was among many players to play on the tag in 2020 — when the COVID-19 pandemic created cap uncertainty — and was tied to a $11.44MM salary that year. Simmons earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and saw the Broncos re-tag him in 2021. Simmons joined Chris Godwin, Brandon Scherff and Leonard Williams as players to receive the tag in 2020 and ’21 (Dak Prescott was procedurally tagged in ’21) but ended up with a market-setting extension soon after the Broncos applied tag No. 2.
The Broncos gave Simmons a four-year, $61MM extension in March 2021. At the time, that represented the safety position’s high-water mark. Jamal Adams‘ ill-fated Seahawks payday months later established distance between his pact and Simmons’, but the Broncos certainly saw more value from their safety accord. Simmons found spots on the next three All-Pro second teams, camping on that tier; from 2019-23, Simmons earned four second-team All-Pro nods.
Simmons finished his Bronco career with 32 interceptions, recording at least five each year from 2020-22; he tied for the league lead with six in ’22. The Broncos paired Simmons with first-round cornerback Patrick Surtain for three seasons, with both earning All-Pro acclaim in 2022. Simmons helped the Broncos complete a turnaround in Sean Payton‘s first months on the job. After missing the team’s infamous 70-20 blowout loss to the Dolphins in Week 3, Simmons was part of a five-game win streak that had the Broncos as surprising playoff contenders. One of those wins included a Week 8 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs, which featured one of Simmons’ six career interceptions of Patrick Mahomes.
As the Broncos braced for a then-record-smashing single-player dead money hit — from Russell Wilson‘s release — they included Simmons’ contract as a way to reach cap compliance. Denver released Simmons along with Wilson in March 2024. He caught on later with the Falcons, who authorized a one-year deal worth $7.5MM. Atlanta paired Simmons with Jessie Bates that season, and while the veteran made 16 starts that year, he did not land anywhere in 2025. The Eagles and Panthers — in potential reunions with Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero — emerged as possibilities for Simmons last summer, but nothing came to fruition.
Although Simmons never played in a playoff game, he led all safeties in INTs during his eight-year Broncos run. While Simmons is unlikely to follow decorated Broncos safeties Steve Atwater, John Lynch and Brian Dawkins into the Hall of Fame, he will likely land in the franchise’s ring of fame down the road. The free safety staple retires having earned more than $69MM over the course of his career.
Giants To Sign DT Shelby Harris
Trading their cornerstone defensive lineman days before the draft, the Giants created a glaring need. Dexter Lawrence is now part of a deep Bengals D-tackle group, while the Giants need some answers after devoting their early draft resources elsewhere.
One of those answers is coming from a recent visitor. A month after meeting with the Giants, Shelby Harris is signing with the team (according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Harris joined D.J. Reader in visiting the team while Lawrence remained a Giant, though Harris’ visit came before the All-Pro’s trade request.
This agreement will give Harris a chance to play an age-35 season. Formerly a key Broncos D-line piece who became part of the 2022 Russell Wilson trade, Harris spent the past three seasons as a Jim Schwartz charge in Cleveland. Regularly redirecting passes via batdowns, Harris started 25 games with the Browns and has 89 career starts on his resume.
The Giants have been looking for multiple D-linemen, according to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, who indicates the team has been searching for a nose tackle and a three technique. Harris qualifies for the latter role, while Reader would be a nose addition. Reader remains unsigned but has been closely linked to the Giants this offseason.
Neither Harris nor Reader will count toward the 2027 compensatory formula, as that deadline passed Monday. Free agency annually reignites after that point on the NFL calendar. Joe Schoen said (via Duggan) the team had been in contact with a few veteran DTs, while John Harbaugh confirmed post-draft (via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith) the Giants were “not done at all” at this spot.
A 2014 seventh-round Raiders draftee, Harris found a home in Denver after spending the 2016 season out of football. Harris served as a five-year cog for the Broncos, contributing for Vance Joseph and Vic Fangio‘s 3-4 defenses. Harris tallied two six-sack seasons under Fangio, and his pass-deflecting prowess shone during those years. Harris deflected nine passes in 2019 and re-routed seven more in 2020. From 2017-25, Harris ranks fourth among front-seven players with 40 pass deflections. Only Cameron Heyward, the since-retired Carlos Dunlap and T.J. Watt have more.
The Broncos re-signed Harris on a three-year, $27MM deal heading into Fangio’s final season as HC. A year later, they included that contract in the eight-asset Wilson trade package. The Seahawks used Harris as a starter in 2022 but released him in 2023, leading to the Cleveland trek. Used as a part-time starter, Harris totaled 18 tackles for loss over three Browns seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked Harris as a top-35 interior D-lineman in 2023 and ’24, slotting him 56th (out of 127 qualified options) in 2025.
Set to turn 35 in August, Harris certainly will not be a one-for-one Lawrence replacement. The Giants, who also lost Rakeem Nunez-Roches this offseason, waited until Round 6 to address the position in the draft. They do return veteran Roy Robertson-Harris and 2025 third-round pick Darius Alexander up front, but a team that ranked 31st in run stoppage with Lawrence last season certainly has more work to do after this Harris addition.
Steelers Place UFA Tender On Aaron Rodgers
It is still not expected Aaron Rodgers will join a team other than the Steelers this offseason. If he does, however, Pittsburgh will be in line for draft compensation.
Rodgers has received the UFA tender from the Steelers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Such a move is rare in the NFL, although there were two examples from the 2025 offseason. The Browns applied the UFA tender to Elijah Moore while the Chargers did the same with J.K. Dobbins.
Both players wound up signing with other teams, but they were factored into Cleveland and Los Angeles’ compensatory pick formulas along the way. The same will be true of Rodgers and the Steelers. With an outside deal not likely in his case, however, today’s news essentially serves as a guarantee Rodgers will either play for Pittsburgh in 2026 or retire. The team will have exclusive negotiating rights with the future Hall of Famer if he remains unsigned beyond July 22 while also being able to match any offer sheets which are signed prior to that date.
For the second year in a row, the Steelers have gone deep into the spring without certainty atop their QB depth chart. Rodgers’ one-year deal in 2025 seemed at first to set him up for retirement. Instead, the four-time MVP has left the door open to a 22nd NFL season, with Pittsburgh once again willing to accommodate him. Owner Art Rooney II aimed to have a firm commitment from Rodgers by mid-February, but that soft deadline passed. Shortly before the draft, it was learned clarity on this front would not emerge.
Pittsburgh went through this weekend’s event without Rodgers officially being in the fold. With veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard already in the mix, the team selected Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round. None of those passers will be seen as a threat to Rodgers if/when he arrives, but today’s procedural move further underscores the uncertainty surrounding this unique situation. Rodgers’ next campaign will begin at the age of 42, and a new Steelers accord would see him reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy.
The UFA tender is valued at 110% of a player’s 2025 salary. In Rodgers’ case, that means he will collect just over $15MM next season in the event he suits up for the Steelers. The team’s OTAs are set to begin on May 18, with mandatory minicamp taking place June 2-4. The matter of whether or not Rodgers will be under contract by that point remains a storyline to follow.
Ravens To Sign QB Diego Pavia
Initially set to take part in a Ravens tryout at their weekend rookie minicamp, Diego Pavia has secured a UDFA deal ahead of that point. Baltimore is signing the undrafted quarterback Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
This will be a standard three-year UDFA contract. Pavia follows Jalon Daniels (Buccaneers) and Haynes King (Panthers) as QBs to find homes post-draft. The Vanderbilt quarterback finished second in the 2025 Heisman voting, completing a four-year career spent with the Commodores and at New Mexico State.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Year led the conference with a 70.6% completion rate, 29 touchdown passes, and 9.4 yards per attempt in 2025. He finished second to No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in Heisman voting, but as our Nikhil Mehta noted during the pre-draft process, size is a major concern about his potential in the NFL. Listed as 6 feet tall in college, Pavia measured in at 5-foot-9 at the Combine.
Transferring from New Mexico State in 2024, Pavia completed 59.4% of his passes in his first Vanderbilt season. That year did include a 20:4 TD-INT ratio while also featuring 801 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The run game served as a key component for the undersized QB in college, as he gained 923 yards at New Mexico State in 2023 and 862 (to go with 10 TDs) in his Heisman runner-up season. Pavia’s rushing ability certainly should appeal to a Ravens team that deploys the league’s most dynamic quarterback as its starter.
Baltimore has used Tyler Huntley as its backup for a chunk of Lamar Jackson‘s career, reacquiring him last year and re-signing him this offseason. Jackson and Huntley entered Tuesday as the only QBs on the Ravens’ roster (Baltimore gave Huntley a two-year, $5MM deal coming with $3.5MM at signing). That opens the door to a potential developmental backup, and it will be interesting to see if Pavia can make a case to land on Baltimore’s 53-man roster or practice squad by summer’s end.
Saints Add 10 UDFAs
The Saints left the draft with eight rookies, and they’ve added 10 more players to their class. The team announced the signing of the following undrafted free agents:
- CJ Donaldson, RB (Ohio State)
- Cody Hardy, TE (North Carolina State)
- Alan Herron, OT (Maryland)
- Michael Heldman, DE (Central Michigan)
- DaShawn Jones, CB (Alabama)
- Jeremiah McClendon, CB (Southern Illinois)
- KeeShawn Silver, NT (USC)
- Mason Shipley, K (Texas)
- Jay’Viar Suggs, DT (Wisconsin)
- Alex Wollschlaeger, OT (Kentucky)
Alan Herron was among the UDFAs to earn a chunk of money from the Saints. According to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, the Maryland offensive tackle got a $25K signing bonus and a total guarantee of $272.5K. After spending two years at Division II Shorter University, Herron joined Maryland ahead of the 2024 campaign. He struggled during his first season at the school but he improved his performance in 2025, earning him an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
After finishing his Texas State tenure as the school’s all-time leader in field goal percentage (88.6), Mason Shipley left for Texas in 2025. He finished this past year converting 20 of his 24 field goal attempts, with a season-long of 53 yards. Charlie Smyth didn’t run with the opportunity in 2025, as the rookie kicker made 12 of his 16 FG attempts for the Saints. Shipley should provide some competition at the kicker position, and the rookie could end up earning a roster spot with a strong summer showing.
Steelers Sign 6 Undrafted Free Agents
The Steelers entered the 2026 NFL Draft with 73 players under contract and a league-high 12 picks. As a result, they did not need to sign many undrafted free agents to fill out their roster. Here is Pittsburgh’s six-player UDFA class (via a team announcement):
- Devan Boykin, CB (Indiana)
- Daylan Carnell, LB (Missouri)
- Kevin Jobity Jr., DL (Syracuse)
- Laith Marjan, K (Kansas)
- Lake McRee, TE (USC)
- Chamon Metayer, TE (Arizona State)
Boykin, 24, played at North Carolina State from 2020 to 2023, but missed the 2024 season due to a torn ACL. He transferred to Indiana last year and served as the primary slot corner on their national championship squad. In coverage, he allowed just 5.6 yards per target and made two interceptions, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), with a 93.9 run defense grade and a 3.6% missed tackle rate. Boykin will join a deep Steelers cornerback room with the goal of proving himself as a depth nickel and on special teams, where he also excelled at Indiana.
Marjan comes to the NFL as a relatively inexperienced kicker, having attempted just 34 field goals in his college career. He made 30 of them to go along with a 97.6% conversion rate on his 84 extra points, suggesting that he has an accurate leg with limited power. It seems unlikely that he is a real threat to longtime Steelers kicker Chris Boswell, though he is entering the final year of his contract after somewhat of a down performance in 2025. Perhaps the door is open for Marjan to push Boswell under a new regime, but another extension for the veteran feels far more likely.
McRee started for the better part of the last three years at USC with 50 catches for 507 yards (but just one touchdown) in 2023 and 2024. He took a clear step forward in 2025 with 30 catches for 450 yards and three touchdowns. He will compete with 2025 UDFA J.J. Galbreath for a potential TE4 spot on the Steelers’ roster.