Texans LB E.J. Speed Expected To Miss 2026 Season
E.J. Speed recently suffered a quadriceps tear, leading to the expectation he would miss time during the regular season. Any appearances in 2026 from the Texans linebacker would now come as a surprise.
Speed was initially thought to have suffered a partial tear of both the quadriceps muscle and tendon, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports further testing revealed a full tear of the latter. As a result, Speed is now expected to miss the entire season. Wilson adds successful surgery has already taken place, setting up a lengthy recovery process.
Speed was originally in line to spend training camp on the active/PUP list before being moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns. That approach would have ensured at least a four-game absence to begin the campaign while leaving the door open to a return later in the year. Now, the Texans may elect to place Speed on injured reserve. Any player moved to IR at this point of the offseason is guaranteed to miss the entire campaign (barring a release and subsequent signing).
After six seasons with the Colts, Speed made an intra-AFC South move by signing with the Texans in free agency last spring. The former fifth-rounder made 16 appearances during his debut season with Houston, handling a part-time workload on defense while also contributing on special teams. Speed’s presence in both regards will be missed on a Texans team which is expected to once again field one of the league’s best defenses as part of its efforts to advance beyond the divisional round of the playoffs.
Speed re-signed with Houston on a two-year deal in March. The $10MM pact contained $7.5MM fully guaranteed, an indication of the 31-year-old’s importance moving forward. 2026 is now in line to be a write-off, however, with Wilson adding a return in time for the playoffs in not expected in this case. Speed’s contract contains $1.75MM in guaranteed salary for the 2027 season.
Browns Trade Myles Garrett To Rams
11:20pm: Both teams have announced the trade. It is indeed Garrett for Verse, a 2027 first-rounder, a 2028 second-rounder and a 2029 third-rounder.
12:23pm: Myles Garrett‘s time in Cleveland is coming to an end. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is being traded from the Browns to the Rams, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Adam Schefter report.
The full trade terms, per Schefter, consist of Garrett being traded for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a second-round selection in 2028 and a 2029 third-rounder. This swap is not official yet, as Browns GM Andrew Berry confirms (video link via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com). Once it is processed, though, it will no doubt go down as a seminal moment for both franchises.
[RELATED: Fallout From Browns-Rams Blockbuster]
Schefter reports Garrett has chosen to waive his no-trade clause to allow for this deal to take place. He will retain that clause upon arrival in Los Angeles. As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports notes, today’s stunning swap represents the first time in history a reigning Defensive Play of the Year has been dealt.
Garrett has been the subject of trade speculation since he requested to be dealt last spring. That request was rescinded when a then-record extension was worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler seemed to be in position to remain with Cleveland for years to come, but questions continued to be raised after the 2025 campaign saw him add further to his long list of accolades without any accompanying team success. Indeed, whispers about a trade lingered through the 2026 offseason.
In March, the Browns restructured Garrett’s contract in a way which did not add any new money or years to the pact. Nevertheless, the payment dates for his option bonuses were pushed back to one week before the start of the regular season. That move extended the window of opportunity for a trade – something Cleveland has denied would be taking place on multiple occasions – to be worked out.
June 1 is always a key checkpoint on the NFL calendar, and it was recently labeled the time after which a Garrett trade could occur. Just like the case of A.J. Brown, a deal formally being worked out any time after 3:00pm this afternoon will greatly impact the salary cap implications of the deal. Proceeding with this trade in a post-June 1 fashion will generate $8.34MM in cap savings for Cleveland with a $41MM dead money charge being spread out (and accounting for $15.53MM in 2026). Garrett’s contract runs through 2030.
Per Rapoport (video link), the Rams engaged in trade talks with the Browns shortly after the contract adjustment was made. Their efforts continued through the draft, with Cleveland remaining steadfast in rejecting offers. Things changed when Los Angeles general manager Les Snead offered to include Verse in the deal, though. Negotiations on an adjusted package of picks have now resulted in an agreement. Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Rams informed Verse of the news earlier today.
Garrett has made clear his intention of playing on a contending team particularly toward the latter stages of his career. This blockbuster trade will help in that regard; the Rams fell just short of a Super Bowl appearance in 2025 and have made other win-now moves on defense since then. Garrett will join cornerback Trent McDuffie as a new face tasked with elevating Los Angeles’ defense while the teams seeks out another high-end campaign from quarterback Matthew Stafford and Co. on offense.
The Rams were a strong Brown suitor, but Breer notes their inability to acquire him helped set up this Garrett push. Another lucrative pact – one which averages $40MM per year – is now on the books, but Los Angeles will have a future Hall of Famer leading the way along a defensive front which was already among the league’s best. This acquisition will further deprive the Rams of draft capital (which was critical in establishing the post-Aaron Donald core on defense); then again, Snead’s stance when it comes to picks is rather well known.
Verse, whom Schefter notes was born in Dayton, Ohio, has enjoyed a strong start to his career. The 2024 first-rounder took home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors while thriving in a full-time starting role. Last season, the 25-year-old collected a second Pro Bowl nod in as many years while posting 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His rookie contract runs through 2028, and Cleveland could keep him in place for a longer period via the fifth-year option.
Since Verse is five years younger than Garrett, he will align better with the roster reset Berry is overseeing. The 2025 class offered promising early results with respect to a new core emerging for Cleveland. The fate of the quarterback position beyond 2026 is unclear, but additional capital should help yield options on that front or at least provide upgrades at other spots.
In a series of remarks which have proved to provide noteworthy foreshadowing, new Browns head coach Todd Monken said earlier on Monday (video link via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan) he was not given any assurances upon being hired about Garrett remaining with the team. Instead of having the single-season sack record holder in the fold for his first year leading an NFL team, Monken will be tasked with integrating Verse and developing the group of younger players brought in via Cleveland’s haul of draft picks.
Pats To Acquire A.J. Brown From Eagles
After months of speculation, the A.J. Brown saga will finally reach an expected conclusion. The Eagles are trading the star wide receiver to the Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The fifth-round selection will be the higher of the two New England owns (it also has Chicago’s), per Albert Breer of SI.com. Both teams have announced the trade, which is pending a physical.
This is the second trade centering on Brown, who entered the NFL as the Titans’ second-rounder in 2019. Brown excelled in his three years in Tennessee, but after a contract impasse, the team dealt him to the Eagles for a first- and third-rounder in 2022.
The swap worked out beautifully for Philadelphia, which gave Brown a four-year, $100MM extension and saw him turn into one of the greatest players in franchise history. He earned second-team All-Pro honors three times and picked up three Pro Bowl nods during his four years as an Eagle. Brown was also an integral part of a Super Bowl-winning team in 2024.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old Brown wrapped up his Eagles tenure with 339 receptions, 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns in 62 regular-season games. He played full seasons in Philadelphia from 2022-23, but knee and ankle issues held him out of four games in 2024. He missed another two contests last year with a hamstring injury, but Brown still led the Eagles in targets (121) and catches (78).
Brown finished second on the Eagles’ 2025 squad in yards (1,003) and touchdowns (seven). However, Brown voiced displeasure over the Eagles’ struggling offense at various points in 2025. Owner Jeffrey Lurie met with Brown in mid-November and asked him to stop airing his grievances on social media.
The Eagles were an excellent 7-2 when Lurie visited with Brown, but they played .500 ball for the rest of the year. While that was enough for an 11-6 finish and a second straight NFC East title, the Eagles flamed out in the wild-card round. The offense looked lifeless in a 23-19 home loss to the 49ers, who held Brown to just three catches and 25 yards on seven targets. He dropped two passes and had a memorable first-half sideline dust-up with head coach Nick Sirianni. Although Sirianni downplayed it afterward and said the two “have a special relationship,” the incident added fuel to a potential trade at the outset of the Eagles’ offseason.
Despite Brown’s dissatisfaction with how last year went, general manager Howie Roseman was not going to give him away for anything less than a major offer. Roseman originally wanted a first- and second-rounder for Brown, who reportedly had the Patriots, Chiefs, Bills and Chargers on his wish list. However, only the Patriots and Rams were aggressive in talks for Brown.
After the draft passed with no deal, Roseman sought a first-rounder in what many expect to be a loaded 2027 class. Nobody bit, though, and the Rams wound up dropping out of the running. That left New England as the obvious destination for Brown, who will now reunite with head coach Mike Vrabel. The two formed a rapport when they were together in Tennessee for three years.
It was far more palatable from a financial standpoint for the Eagles to part with Brown after 4 p.m. ET on June 1, which largely explains the delay. Had Roseman traded Brown before then, the Eagles would have taken on a $43.51MM dead cap hit and lost $20.12MM in spending space. Waiting enables the Eagles to spread that money over the next two seasons ($16.35MM in 2026 and $27.1MM in ’27). They will also pick up $7MM in cap room this season. They entered the day with approximately $24.84MM available.
The Patriots came into the day with over $43MM in cap space, giving them plenty of room to take on Brown’s contract. He signed a second Eagles extension – a four-year, $96MM pact with $84MM in guarantees – in April 2024. That deal runs through 2029. While it remains to be seen if Brown will play it all the way through, he will give the Patriots and franchise quarterback Drake Maye a much-needed No. 1 receiver in the near term.
Stefon Diggs was New England’s most productive receiver during its shocking 14-3 regular season and run to Super Bowl LX in 2025. However, a few weeks after the Seahawks knocked off the Patriots in the Super Bowl, they released Diggs. The Pats subsequently brought in former Packer Romeo Doubs on a four-year, $68MM agreement in free agency, though he has been more of a No. 2/3 during his four-year career.
Brown and Doubs are in line to start for New England in 2026, while Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams are also among those in the fold. It is worth pointing out that the addition of Brown could bump someone from that group. Specifically, recent reports have named Boutte and Douglas as players who might be in jeopardy.
Joining the third team of his career, Brown will shoot for his seventh 1,000-yard season in 2026. His presence will be difficult for the Eagles to replace, but they did their best to prepare for his exit throughout the offseason. Before drafting former USC standout Makai Lemon 20th overall, the Eagles traded for ex-Packer Dontayvion Wicks and signed Marquise Brown and Elijah Moore in free agency.
Moore is not a lock to make the roster, but Lemon, Wicks and Marquise Brown are sure to give quarterback Jalen Hurts options behind new No. 1 wideout DeVonta Smith. The Eagles also have a pair of talented pass-catching tight ends in Dallas Goedert and second-rounder Eli Stowers, the 54th pick in the draft. It will be up to rookie offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to make it work as the Eagles begin life after Brown.
Giants Sign WR Odell Beckham Jr.
2026 will indeed see a reunion take place between Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants. Team and player have reached agreement on a deal, as first reported by NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
This signing – which is now official – comes shortly after Beckham’s Monday workout. That represented the second time the former Pro Bowl wideout took part in a visit with New York. A special teams addition was arranged earlier today (Braxton Berrios), but the Giants were still seen as a candidate to make another WR move.
[RELATED: Giants To Sign WR JuJu Smith-Schuster]
That has proven to be the case. Beckham returning to where his career began has remained a talking point for some time now, with communication taking place over an extended period. A mutual interest in a signing has resulted in plenty of speculation and anticipation, and today’s news will result in a high-profile training camp period during which Beckham will aim to carve out an offensive role.
The 33-year-old worked with John Harbaugh for one year when the two were together in Baltimore for 2023. Their relationship has remained strong since then, a factor in the signing which has now taken place. Expectations will of course be tempered relative to the first five seasons of Beckham’s career, during which he racked up 5,476 yards and 44 touchdown receptions as an impact Giants player on the field and a target for attention and controversy off it.
A trade to the Browns in 2019 resulted in one 1,000-yard Cleveland campaign but largely did not yield the desired results. Beckham would up being dealt ahead of the trade deadline in 2021, and he served as a valuable receiving presence on the Rams as part of their Super Bowl-winning team. An ACL tear suffered during the title game led to a full season out of action, however. Beckham then spent 2023 in Baltimore and part of the following season in Miami.
The Dolphins moved on following the 2024 trade deadline, and Beckham was hit with a six-game PED suspension ahead of last season. No team opted to add him as a free agent at that time, making it little surprise when a sparse market was present this past spring. Nevertheless, a Giants deal is now in place and the LSU product will have the opportunity to find stability (at least in the short term) late in his career.
Malik Nabers figures to reprise his role as No. 1 receiver when he is fully healthy, but it is unclear if that point will come in time for the start of the 2026 season. Missed time early in the year could help Beckham chip in offensively among the likes of returnees Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt, free agent signings Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin and third-round rookie Malachi Fields.
Russell Wilson Finalizing CBS Deal
Russell Wilson drew free agent interest from at least one NFL team this spring, but he will not continue his playing career in 2026. The veteran quarterback is instead set to try his hand at broadcasting.
Wilson is finalizing an agreement with CBS to work as an analyst, as first reported by Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports. Wilson was linked one month ago to CBS, so today’s news comes as little surprise. It does, of course, also represent an indication his NFL career has come to an end.
In May, the Jets made an offer to the 37-year-old. No deal was reached, however, and no arrangements with other teams seemed imminent this spring. Wilson made clear his intention of continuing to play in 2026, and he expressed a desire to remain in New York after spending 2025 with the Giants. For at least one season, though, his attention will turn to a TV gig. Wilson will likely serve as Matt Ryan‘s replacement on CBS’ The NFL Today this fall.
Ryan had a short tenure in that capacity before choosing to take charge of the Falcons’ front office this offseason. That vacancy is now set to be filled by another quarterback with a decorated resume. Wilson has a Super Bowl championship to his name along with an appearance in another title game. The 10-time Pro Bowler enjoyed a highly successful run in Seattle which lasted from 2012-21; over that span, Wilson was widely viewed as being on a Hall of Fame track.
Things have taken a turn for the worse since that time. Wilson was dealt to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade, a swap which did not produce the desired result for Denver. After serving as QB1 during Nathaniel Hackett‘s disastrous campaign as head coach, Wilson clashed early and often with Sean Payton. His statistical output rebounded to an extent, but before the 2023 season ended it was clear the organization would be moving on. The Broncos proceeded with a release, allowing Wilson to take a low-cost deal with the Steelers.
Upon returning to the lineup following a calf injury, Wilson remained atop Pittsburgh’s depth chart. He led the team to a wild-card appearance, but team and player parted ways last spring. That resulted in the Giants lining up a deal as part of their QB changes. New York added Wilson and Jameis Winston along with the first-round selection of Jaxson Dart. Wilson opened the campaign as the Giants’ QB1, but he was benched after making three starts. Dart took over starting duties, while Winston is still in the fold as his backup.
A Wilson-Jets agreement would have given the team another experienced signal-caller to pair with Geno Smith, who was acquired via trade this spring. With no signing having taken place, though, a Jets backup competition is now set to take place. It will be interesting to see if injuries during training camp result in the Jets – or any other team – circling back to Wilson as an insurance option.
Failing that, attention will turn to how things play out on the analyst front. Wilson has played 222 combined regular and postseason games in the NFL, starting all but three of them. He has amassed over $315MM in career earnings, a figure which ranks fifth all time. Adding to either of those totals will not be possible provided Wilson spends the coming year with CBS, and doing so will increase the chances of him electing to hang up his cleats.
Alvin Kamara Plans To Play For Saints In 2026, Broncos Could Be Suitor
With A.J. Brown and (perhaps unexpectedly) Myles Garrett having been traded, focus will now shift to Saints RB Alvin Kamara. We heard yesterday that while other teams have expressed interest in the veteran, the Saints have yet to determine whether they’ll move on from the franchise icon.
For what it’s worth, Kamara is currently planning to spend next season in New Orleans. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo spoke to the player’s agent, Brad Cicala, who said the RB “plan[s] on playing for the Saints in 2026.”
When Kamara was believed to be on the trade block last season, the player made it clear that he wanted to stick in New Orleans no matter what, with the running back going as far as to threaten retirement if he was dealt to a new team. It’s uncertain if the addition of Travis Etienne has changed the 30-year-old’s stance, but at the very least, the Saints’ offseason acquisition has led to renewed trade interest in Kamara.
Throughout the saga, there haven’t been any teams definitively connected to the running back, although Albert Breer of SI.com hints that the Broncos could be a suitor. The reporter says Denver “would be interested” in Kamara if the player says he’d be willing to play elsewhere in 2026.
Despite Denver’s rushing attack finishing middle-of-the-road in 2025, the team is set to return similar depth in 2026. J.K. Dobbins led the team in rushing last year despite missing half the season, and the team is hoping 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey can take another step forward after finishing his rookie campaign with 896 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. The team did make one notable addition in fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman, but considering their current depth, the Broncos would be a logical landing spot for a player of Kamara’s caliber.
We heard yesterday that a post-June 1 move would be more beneficial for the Saints’ cap sheet, although that was positioned in the context of Kamara being cut. Either way, if the running back does hope to stick in New Orleans for at least the 2026 season, he may have to rework his contract to make it a reality.
Wisconsin Hires Former Colts Exec Morocco Brown As GM
The University of Wisconsin is hiring former Colts executive Morocco Brown as the general manager of their football program, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Brown arrived in Indianapolis in 2017 as the director of college scouting in GM Chris Ballard’s inaugural front office. He was promoted to chief personnel executive in 2022 and played a key role in the Colts’ scouting and selection of quarterback Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft. He and the team parted ways in June 2025. That was his second stint in Indianapolis; he first broke into the NFL as a Colts scouting intern in the 2000 offseason.
Brown then held a similar position with the Commanders for the 2000 season before landing the Bears’ assistant director of player personnel job. After seven years in Chicago, he returned to the Commanders as their director of pro personnel. In 2014, he moved to Cleveland as the Browns’ vice president of player personnel, the team’s No. 2 front office role under GM Andrew Berry.
A number of teams have considered Brown for a general manager position. He interviewed with the Falcons in 2021 and the Bears and Steelers in 2022. He was also connected to the Eagles’ job that eventually went to Howie Roseman.
Since leaving the Colts, Brown has worked as a consultant, per his website, with former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall‘s House of Athletes gym listed among his clients.
At Wisconsin, Brown will take on a college football landscape that has radically changed in the last few years with the introduce of NIL money for student athletes. He will be tasked with turning around a Badgers team that has a 9-15 record across the last two years with a 5-13 mark in Big Ten play. They have not won the conference since 2012, the last of a three-year streak including Russell Wilson‘s final college season in 2011.
Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett Continues Holdout
Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has made it abundantly clear that he wants an adjusted contract to reflect his status as the team’s starter for the 2026 season.
He skipped Arizona’s first two weeks of OTAs hoping to spur some movement in negotiations, but the team has been unwilling to play ball thus far. Brissett is not at the Cardinals’ final week of OTAs, either, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, with just one week to go until mandatory minicamp.
Brissett is set to earn just $4.88MM in base salary this season with an additional $510k in per-game roster bonuses. He can also earn $1MM for playing 50% of the Cardinal’s offensive snaps and another $1MM for hitting 65%. That is the lowest compensation of any starting quarterback not on a rookie contract. Geno Smith, Kyler Murray, and Tua Tagovailoa are earning less from their current teams, but they are also receiving significant sums from their former clubs.
The Cardinals may have misplayed their hand by making Brissett their presumed starter so early in the year. His grievance may be further compounded by the fact that Arizona signed Gardner Minshew to a $5.75MM deal this offseason to be his backup. The team drafted Carson Beck in the third round of April’s draft, giving them a third option, but new head coach Mike LaFleur prefers the incumbent. However, Brissett now clearly believes he has enough leverage to squeeze a raise out of general manager Monti Ossenfort.
Arizona has over $35MM in cap space, per OverTheCap, so they have the funds to bump Brissett’s pay. But agreeing on a dollar figure may be difficult. The 33-year-old does not profile as the Cardinals’ long-term signal-caller and seems closer to a stopgap option as the team figures out their future at the position – which could include Beck. Kirk Cousins and Justin Fields are on one-year placeholder deals worth roughly $11MM, which would seem like an appropriate raise for Brissett.
But the Cardinals could simply call his bluff and move forward with Minshew and Beck taking most of the practice reps – as they have been this spring – and competing for the starting job. Brissett could continue holding out into next week’s minicamp, which would result in just under $108k in fines if he misses all three days.
Given Arizona’s financial resources, it should be easy enough to come to a resolution. No other team is offering Brissett a starting job, either, and a decade into his career, he is unlikely to receive many similar chances in the future. Staying away from the team until training camp also runs the risk that Minshew or Beck can impress LaFleur enough to unseat Brissett, in which case he would certainly not get a raise.
It is worth noting that OTAs are purely voluntary, and a 10-year veteran like Brissett may prefer to manage his own offseason – though the ongoing installation of LaFleur’s new offense is a major reason to show up. He has never played in an offense orchestrated by a former Kyle Shanahan or Sean McVay lieutenant, so there will still be plenty to learn in the new scheme.
In the past, showing up at mandatory minicamp after skipping OTAs has been seen as a good-faith gesture on the player’s part and a sign of progress in contract talks. Brissett’s presence next week will therefore be a key indicator of how things stand between him and the Cardinals.
Colts Sign QB Easton Stick
The Colts swapped quarterbacks today. The team announced that they’ve added free agent QB Easton Stick. In a corresponding move, the Colts waived QB Seth Henigan.
Stick is coming off a 2025 campaign with the Falcons. He spent most of the year on the active roster but didn’t get into a game. Before that, the 2019 fifth-round pick spent six years with the Chargers organization, where he eventually worked his way up to the role of Justin Herbert‘s primary backup.
He got an extended look in 2023. Stick completed 63.8 percent of his passes that season, throwing for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Chargers were winless in his four starts.
Stick will now be joining an unsettled depth chart in Indy. Daniel Jones continues to work his way back from an Achilles injury, although there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to go for Week 1. Meanwhile, the Colts were unsuccessful in their attempt to trade Anthony Richardson, and it’s uncertain how the former fourth-overall pick will factor into the team’s 2026 plans. Stick could be called upon depending Jones’ and Richardson’s roster status. At the very least, the newest addition will compete for backup reps with 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard.
Henigan, a 2025 UDFA out of Memphis, had a stint on the Jaguars practice squad before catching on with the Colts in late December. The organization retained him this offseason via a reserve/futures contract.
The Colts made a handful of additional moves today, including the signings of center Josh Kreutz and cornerback Jai’Onte’ McMillan. To make room on the roster, the Colts waived guard LaDarius Henderson and cornerback Wyett Ekeler.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/1/26
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: WR Mac Dalena
- Waived: CB Daryl Porter Jr.
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Romello Brinson
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Derrick Graham
- Waived: G Sidy Sow
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: DT Quinton Bohanna
New York Giants
- Signed: OT Jarrod Gray
- Placed on IR: WR Gunner Olszewski
- Released: LS Zach Triner
New York Jets
- Signed: WR Da’Quan Felton, LB Chase Wilson
- Waived: K Lenny Krieg
- Waived/injured: LB Kobe King
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: LB Chandler Martin