Panthers To Re-Sign P Sam Martin
Veteran punter Sam Martin joined the Panthers on a one-year deal last March, but he will receive more security this offseason. The Panthers will retain Martin on a two-year contract worth up to $5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Carolina is the fourth NFL stop for the 36-year-old Martin, who divided his first 12 seasons among Detroit, Denver and Buffalo. Aside from a 10-game 2017 with the Lions, Martin has played at least 16 contests in every season. Martin has averaged 46.3 gross yards per punt and 41.0 net over 811 attempts.
During his first year with Carolina, Martin punted 56 times in 17 games. At 47.2 yards per attempt, he checked in just shy of the league-average mark (47.4). His 40.5 net was also a bit below the mean (41.3), though he posted the sixth-highest percentage of punts inside the 20 (48.2). Martin also punted for a touchback on just 5.4% of attempts, easily better than league-average figure of 7.7.
For the reigning NFC South champion Panthers, re-signing Martin means they will keep their 2025 special teams battery in place. Martin will again team with kicker Ryan Fitzgerald and long snapper J.J. Jansen.
49ers To Sign WR Christian Kirk
Not content to stop with Mike Evans, the 49ers are signing another veteran wide receiver. The team has agreed to a one-year, $6MM contract with Christian Kirk, veteran insider Jordan Schultz reports.
An eight-year pro who has divided his career among Arizona, Jacksonville and Houston, Kirk will join the recently signed Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins in San Francisco’s remade receiving corps.
The 49ers lost Kendrick Bourne and Skyy Moore earlier in free agency, while Jauan Jennings remains unsigned despite serving as their most productive wideout in 2025. They are also expected to lose Brandon Aiyuk via release or trade.
Kirk, a Texas A&M product who came off the board in the second round in 2018, averaged 59 catches, 726 yards and four touchdowns per season on his four-year rookie contract. That was enough to earn a four-year, $72MM contract with the Jaguars in March 2022.
Playing the second 17-game season of his career, Kirk posted personal highs in catches (84), yards (1,108) and touchdowns (eight) in his first year in Jacksonville. However, both his production and health have fallen off since then. After Kirk combined for 84 grabs, 1,166 yards and four scores over 20 games from 2023-24, the Jaguars traded the 5-foot-11, 200-pounder to the Texans for a 2026 seventh-rounder.
Kirk went through another injury-limited year in 2025, during which hamstring troubles held him to 13 games. The 29-year-old lined up in the slot for 73.2% of snaps and hauled in 28 of 52 targets for 239 yards, a career-low 8.5 YPC and a score. Those numbers did not help Kirk’s cause during a platform year, though he turned heads in the Texans’ wild-card round win over the Steelers. In a 30-6 blowout, Kirk torched Pittsburgh for eight receptions on nine targets, 144 yards and a TD. While Kirk only caught two of six targets for 20 yards in a loss to the Patriots in the divisional round, he picked up another score in what will go down as his last game as a Texan.
Barring an unexpected development, San Francisco’s addition of Kirk could close the door on Jennings’ five-year tenure with the franchise. PFR’s 18th-ranked free agent, Jennings is surprisingly still on the market in the wake of back-to-back strong seasons.
Buccaneers Re-Sign OL Dan Feeney
Dan Feeney is set to spend another year in Tampa Bay. The veteran offensive lineman re-signed with the Buccaneers on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Feeney joined the Bucs shortly after the start of the 2025 regular season. The loss of Cody Mauch required a veteran addition, and he became a regular presence up front. Feeney logged 10 starts in his 12 appearances for Tampa Bay. He worked exclusively at right guard during that period.
The 31-year-old has also seen plenty of time at left guard during his career. Feeney has operated as a center as well during certain stops, but with Graham Barton in place for Tampa Bay that should not be expected for 2026. Instead, Feeney will aim to provide guard depth for the Buccaneers as the team hopes for a return to full health on Mauch’s part.
During his stretches as a first-team presence, Feeney has not drawn strong PFF reviews. That remained the case in 2025 when he stepped in for Mauch. The Bucs will no doubt prefer this to be a veteran depth move rather than one setting up another lengthy run in the starting lineup.
The former third-rounder signed for $1.26MM when joining Tampa Bay last year. Another one-year deal worth a similar amount will likely be in store for 2026. The Buccaneers entered Monday with over $40MM in cap space, so this re-signing will not drastically impact the team’s other plans for the remainder of free agency.
Dolphins Sign OLB David Ojabo
The Dolphins continue to shape their roster under a new decision-making tandem. David Ojabo is Miami’s latest arrival. 
Ojabo was signed on Monday, per a team announcement. The fifth-year edge rusher hit the market once his Ravens rookie contract expired. A change of scenery may prove to be a welcomed development in this case, given how Ojabo’s Baltimore tenure played out.
The Michigan product suffered an Achilles tear during his Pro Day leading up to the 2022 draft. His stock fell as a result, and Ojabo remained on the board until the second round. His rookie season was limited to just two games, and a rebound from a health perspective did not prove to be possible the following year.
Knee and ankle ailments led to Ojabo being shut down after only three games in 2023. Through his first two NFL campaigns, therefore, he had only managed a pair of sacks in very limited action. Ojabo managed to turn a corner with respect to injuries afterwards, logging 13 games in 2024 and another 14 this past season. Over that span, however, he was unable to emerge as a full-time defensive presence. Ahead of roster cuts in the summer, his Ravens future was far from certain.
Ojabo totaled 2.5 sacks across the past two years. He will look to improve in that department on a new team. Miami’s edge rush depth chart was topped by Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips entering 2025, but it will look much different next season. Phillips was traded away at the deadline, while Chubb was one of many veterans cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley have been busy adding new roster pieces since free agency began.
Miami’s new-look pass rush will no doubt include a notable workload for 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson. The team has also added Josh Uche and Robert Beal in free agency while retaining Cameron Goode. At least one notable draft investment next month would certainly not come as a surprise. Ojabo will spend training camp looking to carve out a role with the Dolphins once their EDGE setup becomes clearer.
Entering Monday, Miami was near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. Like the Charlie Heck signing from earlier today, though, this Ojabo deal will not be an expensive one. The Dolphins should still have a degree of financial flexibility moving forward as a result.
Dolphins Sign OT Charlie Heck
After playing for the Buccaneers in 2025, offensive tackle Charlie Heck is moving to one of Florida’s other franchises. The Dolphins have signed Heck, per a team announcement.
A 2020 fourth-round pick from North Carolina, Heck spent the first four years of his career in Houston. He totaled a career-high 13 stints in his second season. Since the Texans released him in August 2024, Heck has gone through short stints with the Cardinals, 49ers and Bucs. The 29-year-old has started in 29 of 67 games, including six during a full campaign in Tampa Bay.
Heck lined up for 458 snaps at right tackle in 2025 while subbing for the injured Luke Goedeke. Pro Football Focus was unimpressed with Heck, whom it ranked 82nd among 84 qualified tackles.
Almost all of Heck’s work in the NFL has come at right tackle, where he will back up the oft-injured Austin Jackson in Miami. Jackson dealt with a toe issue that limited him to six games last season, the second straight year in which he missed significant time. The Dolphins relied on Larry Borom to fill in for 11 starts and 664 snaps in Jackson’s place in 2025, but he left for the Lions’ one-year offer last Monday.
Commanders To Re-Sign RB Jeremy McNichols
Jeremy McNichols will remain in place with the Commanders for 2026. The veteran running back is re-signing on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
McNichols has been with Washington since 2024, head coach Dan Quinn‘s first season at the helm. Kliff Kingsbury guided the Commanders’ offense for each of the past two years, but David Blough will handle OC duties in 2026. His unit will once again include McNichols as a depth option.
The 30-year-old handled 55 carries during his first Washington campaign; that figure fell to 44 this past season. McNichols has totaled five rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt during his limited offensive opportunities in the nation’s capital. A split between offensive and special teams usage can be expected moving forward.
Washington lost Chris Rodriguez during the opening stages of free agency last week. The team lined up the addition of former Buccaneer Rachaad White during that same period, however. Jerome Ford is also set to play for the Commanders in 2026. Those two, along with incumbent Jacory Croskey-Merritt, will be tasked with handling much of the offensive workload in the backfield this season. McNichols could chip in if needed while offering depth at the running back spot.
Austin Ekeler remains unsigned at this point. The Commanders’ outside additions along with this re-signing point to a departure in his case. Washington, meanwhile, entered Monday with over $61MM in cap space. This latest McNichols pact will not affect that figure to a large extent, of course. Another deal at or near the veteran minimum can be expected in this case, one which will offer the Commanders with a familiar depth contributor on offense.
Jets To Trade QB Justin Fields To Chiefs
As expected, Justin Fields‘ time in New York is coming to an end. A trade has been worked out which will send him from the Jets to the Chiefs, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
This trade will include a late-round pick swap. The Jets are dealing Fields and a seventh-round pick to the Chiefs in exchange for a sixth-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes. The sixth-rounder is in the 2027 draft, per colleague Tom Pelissero.
New York is retaining salary to facilitate this deal, SNY’s Connor Hughes reports. Per Pelissero, the Jets are taking on $7MM of the $10MM Fields was already guaranteed for the 2026 season. That will make him a cost-effective backup for the Chiefs, a team in need of insurance under center. Patrick Mahomes continues to recover from an ACL tear, leaving his Week 1 availability in question.
Gardner Minshew was in place as Kansas City’s backup, but he departed last week by agreeing to a free agent deal with the Cardinals. Fields will now be able to handle first-team reps through the offseason while Mahomes recovers. Other teams were interested in the former Bear and Steeler, per Schefter. He adds, however, that Fields’ preference was to join the Chiefs. With an immediate path to practice time in place with respect to Kansas City, that comes as no surprise.
For the Jets, a Fields departure was made even more likely once a reunion with Geno Smith was worked out. New York traded for Smith last week, and his contract was also reworked as part of the deal. The Jets will only be responsible for $3.3MM of Smith’s compensation for 2026. Paying out a larger figure has allowed for a parting of ways in Fields’ case, something which seemed inevitable once his brief tenure atop the depth chart came to an end.
The former first-rounder secured $30MM guaranteed on a two-year free agent deal last spring. Fields served as New York’s starter for nine contests, averaging less than 140 passing yards per game with a career-low 6.2 yards per attempt average. He managed 383 rushing yards and four scores on the ground, but Fields and the Jets’ passing game was the subject of public criticism from owner Woody Johnson before head coach Aaron Glenn decided to bench him. Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook saw time afterwards; Taylor is unsigned but Cook and Bailey Zappe are still in place for the Jets.
The cap savings ($11MM) and dead money charges ($12MM) generated by this trade are essentially a wash for New York. Kansas City, meanwhile, entered Monday with roughly $10MM in cap space – nowhere near as much as the Jets. Taking on Fields at a highly reduced rate will be key for the Chiefs as they sort out their QB depth chart. Fields will join Mahomes, Chris Oladokun and Jake Haener as signal-callers in Kansas City. The Ohio State product has expressed confidence he can still operate as a starter, and the opportunity to do so on a short-term basis may present itself in 2026.
Cowboys’ Rashan Gary Accepts Pay Cut
One of the many defensive additions made by the Cowboys last week was the trade for Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary. The veteran agreed to a pay cut to help facilitate the deal. 
Gary reduced his compensation for 2026 and ’27 to $16MM, as detailed by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He was originally owed $19.5MM this season and $22.5MM for the final year of his contract, but none of that was guaranteed. Gary received a signing bonus of $13.2MM, per Pelissero, locking in most of his pay for his debut Cowboys campaign.
$1MM in active roster bonuses are present in both years of this new pact, ESPN’s Todd Archer adds. Gary’s 2026 cap charge has dropped to $5.4MM as a result of the restructure, which includes the addition of void years. The 28-year-old is on course to receive a $15MM base salary in 2027, but without any of that figure guaranteed at signing Gary’s future in Dallas will depend solely on how he performs next season.
Adding in the pass rush department was seen as a key priority for the Cowboys as part of their overall renovations on defense. Gary was acquired for a fourth-round pick, a sign of Green Bay’s willingness to move on from the remainder of his contract but also the former first-rounder’s poor finish to the 2025 campaign. A rebound would help Dallas’ production along the edge while also increasing the chances of Gary’s Cowboys stint lasting more than one season.
The team heavily pursued a Maxx Crosby trade leading up to free agency, and the Raiders All-Pro is still available at this point. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has not closed the door to renewed Crosby interest, but Dallas has been busy on multiple fronts with respect to defensive contracts. That includes the re-signing of Sam Williams, one of the team’s many edge rushers whose contracts recently expired. Jadeveon Clowney, Dante Fowler and Payton Turner remain unsigned at this point.
With nearly $19MM in cap space, the Cowboys have the ability to make more defensive additions during the second wave of free agency. Regardless of what happens on that front, though, Gary will be counted on to serve as a key EDGE presence. It will be interesting to see if he can play his way into an extended Dallas tenure.
Eagles Re-Sign TE Dallas Goedert
11:31pm: According to ESPN’s Tim McManus, Goedert’s new one-year deal in Philly will be for $7MM. McManus adds that at least $4.25MM of that figure will be guaranteed as he receives that amount as a signing bonus.
3:05pm: Efforts between Dallas Goedert and the Eagles to work out a new arrangement have proven successful. Team and player are in agreement on a one-year deal, as first reported by Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The move is now official. 
The Eagles pushed back Goedert’s void date multiple times recently to keep buying time for negotiations. Monday afternoon represented the latest deadline on that front. With time to spare, a one-year contract agreement has now been reached.
Instead of reaching free agency for the first time in his career, Goedert will play a ninth season for the Eagles. GM Howie Roseman said at the Combine his desire was to finalize a re-signing in this case. With that having been accomplished, Philadelphia will avoid taking on $20.49MM in dead money for 2026.
Goedert has yet to play a full season in his career, but in 2025 he managed 15 appearances. During that time, the 31-year-old set a new personal mark with 60 catches and 11 touchdowns. A notable offensive role will no doubt await him once again with this new pact in hand. Goedert agreed to a pay cut last year, one in which he received $10MM. It will be interesting to see how this pact shakes out from a financial standpoint.
Garafolo notes Goedert had an outside market, which comes as no surprise given his strong 2025 showing. The former second-rounder would have represented a notable addition for any number of teams, but he will still be counted on as a key pass-catching presence for the Eagles at least one more time. Philadelphia will have a new offensive coordinator (Sean Mannion) for 2026 although plenty of stability on the roster is currently in place.
Of course, any potential A.J. Brown trade could change that. The Eagles’ situation with respect to Brown has not changed based on this Goedert news, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. A swap ending Brown’s Philadelphia tenure prior to June 1 would lead to major cap implications for the team, so Roseman could remain patient since the opening wave of free agency is in the books. Nevertheless, a trade involving the All-Pro wideout is viewed as inevitable at some point.
A Brown trade could elevate Goedert’s target share for 2026. Even if that does not prove to be the case, though, the latter should reprise his role as a productive secondary option in the passing game. The Eagles have already retained Grant Calcaterra while adding fellow tight end Johnny Mundt. Those two will offer depth next season, but Goedert will be counted on to lead the way at that position.
NFL Restructures: Broncos, Bosa, Burns, Granderson, Tranquill
Teams around the NFL have been engaging in their usual financial gymnastics to create enough cap space to sign new players – or for some – simply retain the ones already under contract.
The Broncos restructured Quinn Meinerz‘s deal earlier in the week to ensure they were compliant with the 2026 salary cap by the start of the new league year on Wednesday. But with more than a dozen signings – including multi-year pacts with Alex Singleton, J.K. Dobbins, and Adam Trautman, plus a second-round restricted free agent tag signed by Ja’Quan McMillian – Denver needed to free up more cap space.
To do so, they completed a restructure of outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper‘s contract, per Luca Evans of the Denver Post. His salary was reduced to the veteran minimum with $10.2MM converted into a signing bonus that was prorated across the remaining five years of the contract, which includes two added void years. Cooper’s 2026 cap hit dropped by $8.2MM to $5.78MM as a result, with $17.55MM cap hits now scheduled for 2027 and 2028, per OverTheCap.
The Broncos also altered the contract of guard Ben Powers. He was set to earn a $500k roster bonus on Sunday, but that has instead been moved into his base salary for the season, according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Powers was viewed as a potential cap casualty entering the final year of his deal, but the team affirmed their commitment to him before free agency. However, this move – pushing a financial obligation months into the future – indicates that Denver may still be open to moving on the seven-year veteran after re-signing Alex Palczewski at the beginning of the month.
Here are some other recent restructures from around the NFL:
- The 49ers restructured defensive end Nick Bosa‘s contract to clear $17.7MM in salary cap space, per Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap. Like Cooper, his salary was reduced to the veteran minimum by converting $21.465MM to a signing bonus and prorating it across the four remaining years of the contract plus one new void year. His cap hits in each of those seasons has risen by $4.293MM as a result.
- The Giants also restructured a starting edge rusher, like the Broncos with Cooper and the 49ers with Burns, though they did not add any void years to his deal to maximize the cap savings from the move. $22.75MM of Brian Burns‘ 2026 salary was converted to a signing bonus and prorated across the remaining three years of the contract. The move yields $15.16MM in cap savings this year, though ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes that the money is for “operating funds” – such as contracts for the upcoming draft class – as opposed to another major free agency signing. Burns will now have cap hits of just over $44MM in 2027 and 2028, which will likely cause the Giants to explore another extension next offseason to reduce those obligations.
- Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill accepted a pay cut in the last year of his contract, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. He was previously due a non-guaranteed salary of $6MM; now, he will make $3.5MM with $3MM of his guaranteed. The deal ensures Tranquill will remain in Kansas City in 2026, his fourth season with the team.
- The Saints already began their annual tradition of restructuring most of their top contracts to become cap-compliant before the start of the new league year, and they added another to the ledger this week with an edge rusher of their own. Carl Granderson‘s $2MM roster bonus and $9.45MM of his 2026 salary was converted into a signing bonus and prorated across the remaining four years of the contract, per Fitzgerald. Interestingly, the Saints, who have been one of the NFL’s most aggressive teams in terms of using void years, did not add another void year to Granderson’s deal (which already contained two) to maximize their cap savings, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. As a result, his 2026 cap hit was reduced by $8.59MM, creating a $20.924MM cap hit in 2027.