Friday’s reserve/futures deals across the NFL:
Chicago Bears
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
The Dolphins continued to trim their roster on Friday, releasing cornerback Kendall Fuller and tight end Durham Smythe.
Fuller signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins last March and started 11 games as a boundary cornerback in 2024. He ended the season on injured reserve with no interceptions and seven passes defended. The nine-year veteran will likely receive interest as a free agent on another short-term deal, especially since he will not count against the compensatory pick formula as a cap casualty. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will need to find another cornerback to start opposite Jalen Ramsey.
Smythe was the team’s longest tenured player after landing in Miami as a fourth-round pick in 2018. He emerged as a starter in his second year, but was used primarily as a blocker. The 29-year-old has never topped 40 receptions or 400 receiving yards in a single-season and has just three career touchdowns despite his 6-foot-6, 246-pound frame. He signed a three-year extension with the Dolphins in 2023, but saw his role diminish in 2024 due to Jonnu Smith‘s breakout. Smythe’s lack of receiving upside will limit his free agency market, but he will likely find a new home as an experienced blocking tight end. The Dolphins have Smith under contract in 2025 as well as fullback Alec Ingold, so they’re most likely to address the position through the draft.
Like Raheem Mostert‘s release reported earlier in the day, the roster moves are primarily driven by Miami’s current salary cap burden. The Dolphins started the day more than $13MM over the projected 2025 salary cap, per OverTheCap, but Fuller’s release will save $2.671MM in cap space. Cutting Durham frees another $2.175MM, leading to total cap savings of just under $7MM (including Mostert).
Combined, the three players will also account for $9MM of dead cap space in 2025. Since the Dolphins have to become cap-compliant by the start of the new league year on March 12, they could not use post-June 1 designations to spread out the dead money between two years.
The Dolphins remain $5.4MM over the projected 2025 cap, so a few additional moves will be necessary to get below the cap with enough money for free agency and the team’s incoming rookie class. Restructuring the contracts of Tua Tagovailoa or Bradley Chubb could free up to $30MM, giving Miami enough financial room to navigate the offseason.
J.J. Jansen‘s career will continue for at least one more season. The longtime Panthers long snapper agreed to another new deal on Friday, per an announcement from his agency. 
Jansen has played 260 games in his career, comfortably topping the list in that department in franchise history. That also places him in a tie (with Don Mulbach) for first amongst pure long snappers in the NFL record books. The 39-year has been in Carolina since arriving via trade in 2009, never missing a contest during that span.
The Panthers inked Jansen to a five-year, $5.48MM deal in 2016; that pact proved to be a worthwhile investment from the team’s perspective. Since that contract expired, the Notre Dame product has played on a series of one-year pacts, and this latest one will be his sixth in a row on that front. Joe Person of The Athletic recently predicted a new Jansen commitment was likely (subscription required), so this news comes as little surprise.
Trey Junkin spent most of his career (which spanned 281 games) as a long snapper, but his early years also included time spent as a linebacker and tight end. Jansen could nevertheless continue to approach his games played mark in 2025; another new pact next offseason would put him in line to break the LS record for games played in 2026. For now, though, he will prepare for a 17th campaign in Carolina.
The Panthers also have free agent decisions to make on punter Johnny Hekker and kicker Eddy Pineiro since they are both pending free agents. Person predicts Pineiro will depart on the open market, a move foreshadowed to an extent earlier this week when Matthew Wright signed a futures contract. As for Hekker, the Panthers could opt for a younger replacement but Person writes the 35-year-old is still in contention for a new deal. Regardless of how the rest of the team’s special teams battery shakes out, Jansen will yet again handle snapping duties.
While Clyde Edwards-Helaire‘s stock has dropped since he entered the NFL as a first-round pick, a new Saints coaching staff will soon start working with the LSU alum.
Edwards-Helaire is sticking with the Saints, agreeing on a one-year deal Thursday. This will allow new HC Kellen Moore and his to-be-assembled staff to assess the 5-foot-7 running back’s fit this offseason.
The Saints picked up Edwards-Helaire in free agency shortly after the Chiefs waived him. Edwards-Helaire, who had seen Isiah Pacheco and others usurp him on Kansas City’s depth chart, did not play in a Chiefs game last season. Upon joining New Orleans, however, he saw action as one of Alvin Kamara‘s injury replacements. Last season, Edwards-Helaire gained 46 yards on 13 carries over the Saints’ final two games.
A Baton Rouge native, Edwards-Helaire joins Foster Moreau and ex-Chiefs teammate Tyrann Mathieu as Louisiana natives and LSU alums to find their way to New Orleans’ pro team. The Saints have Kamara signed through 2026, via the extension he signed during the season, and third-round pick Kendre Miller remains under contract as well. Jamaal Williams has not been able to carve out a steady role in New Orleans, but the NFL’s 2022 rushing touchdowns leader is under contract for one more season.
Set to turn 26 in April, Edwards-Helaire is attempting to hang on after his career has not panned out as hoped. The Chiefs used him as an immediate starter in 2020, following 2019 playoff hero Damien Williams‘ decision to opt out due to COVID-19 concerns, but could not rely on the No. 32 overall pick. CEH sustained injuries in 2020 and ’21, missing 10 games in that span, and saw Pacheco’s 2022 arrival change the backfield equation for the AFC superpower. Pacheco’s fractured fibula last September did not prompt the Chiefs to reinstall CEH as a part of their offense, as a Kareem Hunt reunion led to the veteran taking over as the team’s starter.
Edwards-Helaire has been unable to match his LSU pass-game production in the pros, topping out at 297 receiving yards as a rookie. He totaled 453 on 55 catches for LSU’s unbeaten national championship team in 2019, attracting the Chiefs’ attention. Edwards-Helaire also gained 803 rushing yards as a rookie, but he has not topped 350 in a season since 2021.
The Chiefs retained one of their backup running backs Thursday:
Kansas City Chiefs
A former Cardinals sixth-round pick, Ingram has been with the Chiefs since November 2023. Ingram has moved up to the Chiefs’ active roster on multiple occasions, including in September 2024 after the team lost Isiah Pacheco to a broken leg. Upon reuniting with Kareem Hunt, however, the Chiefs moved Ingram back to their practice squad. As Hunt is again a free agent, Ingram will sign another reserve/futures deal with Kansas City.
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs
Anthony Firkser brings 78 games of NFL experience. His best run came with the Titans, including a two-year stretch between 2020 and 2021 when he hauled in 73 catches. After starting the 2024 season with the Jets, Firkser spent most of the second half on the Chiefs practice squad.
One minor move to pass along:
New England Patriots
JaQuae Jackson spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve thanks to an ankle injury, but the team showed faith in the rookie by not releasing him via an injury settlement. The Patriots will now have the option to keep Jackson around for the 2025 season.
An undrafted rookie out of Rutgers, Jackson showed some promise during the preseason when he hauled in a 38-yard touchdown. The wideout displayed that same big-play ability during his time in college, as he averaged 16.4 yards on his 22 receptions during the 2023 season.
One exclusive rights free agent has already signed his deal:
Tendered:
The Bills slapped Alec Anderson with a reserve/futures deal last month, a no-brainer considering it would only lock the lineman in for the minimum salary. Anderson didn’t take a whole lot of time to put pen to paper, as the impending third-year player is now officially under contract with Buffalo for the 2025 campaign.
A 2022 undrafted free agent, it took Anderson until the 2024 season to make his NFL debut. He ended up getting into all 17 games for the Bills this year, appearing in 291 snaps (which mostly came via four starts). Anderson will remain an important depth option for the Bills moving forward.
Today’s only reserve/futures deal across the NFL:
Carolina Panthers
Kansas City Chiefs
Jeremiah Pharms was on track for exclusive rights restricted free agency this offseason. Instead, he will be remaining with the Patriots. 
The former undrafted defensive lineman has agreed to a two-year deal with New England, his agency announced. ESPN’s Mike Reiss notes the pact is expected to included a $100K signing bonus and $250K in overall guarantees. If he remains on the roster through next season, restricted free agency in 2026 will be avoided.
Pharms signed to the Patriots’ practice squad following roster cutdowns in 2022. He did not see any playing time that season, but he remained in the organization via a futures contract. The 28-year-old wound up making 12 appearances in 2023, handling rotational duties along the D-line. This past season, Pharms took on a much larger role.
With Christian Barmore being limited to four games in 2024, plenty of opportunities existed for players further down the depth chart to see playing time in New England. That allowed Pharms to log a 40% snap share, and his increased workload resulted in a spike in production (33 tackles, two sacks, five quarterback hits). He could again find himself handling a notable part-time defensive role with the Patriots next season.
New England is currently set to select fourth in this year’s draft, and addressing the offensive line is a goal which could be achieved in large part by using that pick to provide better protection for quarterback Drake Maye. Another option near the top of the board would be to add one of the many highly-touted defensive linemen in the 2025 class, something which could threaten Pharms’ playing time. For the time being, though, he is set to remain a rotational contributor with the Patriots.