Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Just as Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, ESPN’s Dan Graziano confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want McCarthy to earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Asking Price Deemed Too High
The Raiders have been slow playing what is seeming like it will be an eventual trade of star defensive end Maxx Crosby. With the NFL Scouting Combine coming to a close today and the last few rumors of the weekend trickling in, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that, at the moment, the asking price for Crosby is still too high for teams to act on. 
As workouts at the combine began on Thursday, it came out that, in order to let go of Crosby, Las Vegas was looking for a similar trade package to what the Cowboys got for Micah Parsons (two first-round picks and an impact player). While general manager John Spytek said earlier in the week that he didn’t expect a trade to take place, Fowler’s source with the team called Crosby’s chances of returning “relatively small.” Some team executives are skeptical of the Raiders’ intentions reasoning that any team would want to keep “a premier player at a premier position” and seeing the high asking price as a sort of fence being built up around Crosby.
That’s not to say that teams aren’t interested, though. Per Fowler, “at least a dozen teams have expressed cursory to strong interest” in the 28-year-old. If enough suitors are truly interested, it may behoove the Raiders to keep the asking price high. That way, as the demand builds up, a team may get antsy waiting for the price to come down and choose to come up to meet the asking price in order to avoid another team jumping in first. Plus, there’s still plenty of time for negotiations to take place as free agency, the draft, and the rest of the offseason sit on the horizon.
We’ve discussed comparisons of Crosby to Parsons and Khalil Mack, but in those discussions, Crosby fell a bit short of his competition. While his production has been extremely similar over the years, he hasn’t garnered the same award interest as Parsons and Mack. Crosby is also two years older than Parsons and Mack were when they got traded. That may be why the current comparable asking price seems too high; those extra two years of age may be enough for teams to balk at including that impact player or keeping both top picks in the package on Day 1.
The situation still has all the room in the world to continue evolving as the offseason progresses, so we’ll continue to monitor the level interest coming in on Crosby and how the Raiders react to that interest. It seems like we’re closer than ever to reaching a conclusion on Crosby’s trade possibility. Crosby wants to win, and as the Raiders come out of their fourth losing season in a row, a change of scenes looks to be his best bet at winning while still in his prime.
Offseason Outlook: Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys parted with head coach Mike McCarthy a year ago, but they did not venture far for a replacement. Nine days after McCarthy's contract expired, owner Jerry Jones promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replace his former boss. Then 51 years old, Schottenheimer's days as an up-and-coming head coaching candidate had long since passed. What's more, Schottenheimer didn't even call the plays during his two-year run as McCarthy's offensive coordinator. McCarthy's exit nonetheless set the stage for Schottenheimer to handle both responsibilities last season.
To Schottenheimer's credit, his offense did not disappoint. Quarterback Dak Prescott bounced back from a rough, injury-wrecked 2024 to shine in his age-32 season. The Cowboys struck gold on offseason acquisitions George Pickens and Javonte Williams, who emerged as essential weapons for Prescott. With holdovers CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson continuing to produce, the Cowboys stormed to the second-most yards and seventh-highest point total in the NFL.
As prolific as the Cowboys' offense was, it could not overcome one of the worst defenses in franchise history. Weighed down by a unit that surrendered the most points in the league, the Cowboys sputtered to their second straight seven-win showing. It was not a shocking outcome after Jones traded all-world outside linebacker Micah Parsons to Green Bay a week before his team's season opener. The loss of Parsons predictably dealt a devastating shot to Dallas' defense, but its issues went deeper than that. With several upgrades to make and a new D-coordinator in charge, the unit will undergo a much-needed facelift in the next couple of months.
Coaching/front office:
- Fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
- Hired Christian Parker as DC replacement
- Hired Derrick Ansley as defensive pass-game coordinator/DBs coach, replacing Andre Curtis
- Hired Ryan Smith as secondary coach
- Hired Chidera Uzo-Diribe as outside linebackers coach
- Hired Scott Symons as inside linebackers coach
- Hired Marcus Dixon as defensive line coach, replacing Aaron Whitecotton
Keeping up a yearslong tradition, the Cowboys tabbed an ex-head coach as their defensive coordinator last winter. Rod Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer had each held the role at times from 2014-24. Nolan and Zimmer were only around for a year apiece. Eberflus, the Bears' head coach from 2022-24, joined the one-and-done club in Dallas last season.
Colts Prepared To Use Transition Tag On QB Daniel Jones; Latest On WR Alec Pierce
The Colts are known to be working on new deals for QB Daniel Jones and WR Alec Pierce, both of whom are eligible for free agency this month. While it is unclear how much of a gap Indianapolis and Pierce have to bridge, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports the team is not close to striking an accord with Jones.
If that does not change by Tuesday’s tag deadline, Graziano expects the Colts to put the transition tag on the 28-year-old passer. The transition tag comes with a $37.8MM cost, making it a less expensive option than the $43.9MM franchise tender.
In a transition tag scenario, Indianapolis would not be entitled to any draft compensation if it declines to match an offer sheet Jones might sign with another club, though it is easy to see the logic in the move: the Colts essentially would be allowing another team to do their negotiating for them, and if Jones does not find an outside offer to his liking, he may come back to Indy on a deal closer to the team’s preferred terms. If not, and if he plays out the 2026 season on the transition tag, then at least he will not consume as much of the cap sheet as he would on the franchise tag.
But while the transition tag is the cheapest of the tag options, the $37.8MM cap charge is still considerable. As Graziano suggests, it could preclude the Colts from reaching a deal with Pierce, despite their assurances that he will be back with the club in 2026, either on a long-term deal or a tag of his own. If the team has to use a tag this offseason, it would obviously prefer to use it on Pierce, whose franchise tender would be about $27MM and whose transition tender would be just shy of $24MM.
Those numbers are roughly in line with what Pierce can expect on an annual basis on his next contract. We recently learned the big-play threat, who has led the league in yards-per-reception rate in each of the last two seasons, is expected to have a strong market if he makes it to free agency. In the Graziano piece linked above, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms Pierce’s market value has exceeded $20MM per year.
The fractured fibula and torn Achilles that Jones suffered in Week 13, which ended his season prematurely and which was the driving force in the Colts’ second-half collapse that kept them out of the playoffs, are not expected to impact his 2026 availability. Still, his injury history and the fact that his stellar (and surprising) play to open the 2025 campaign had already started to slip prior to the injuries could make it difficult for player and team to find common ground on a long-term pact.
Jets, Falcons Showing Interest In Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett
The Cardinals remain one of the teams to watch closely with respect to the quarterback market taking shape. Much of the attention in that regard is focused on Kyler Murray, who could wind up with any number of teams in the near future. 
Arizona also has to weigh the possibility of moving on from Jacoby Brissett as well, though. With a new coaching staff in place led by Mike LaFleur, widespread changes under center would come as no surprise. One year remains on Brissett’s contract, and he is owed a base salary of only $4.88MM for 2026.
[RELATED: Cardinals Interested In Jimmy Garoppolo]
Taking on that figure will be feasible for plenty of teams, and a pair of suitors in particular will be worth monitoring. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports the Jets and Falcons have shown interest in Brissett. That comes as no surprise, of course. New York hired Frank Reich – who previously coached Brissett during their time with the Colts – as offensive coordinator this year. Atlanta, meanwhile, brought in Kevin Stefanski as head coach; he previously worked with Brissett in Cleveland.
For that reason, both the Jets and Falcons have previously been floated as logical landing spots for Brissett. Justin Fields is not expected to be back with New York in 2026, while Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent. Brissett could serve as a bridge starter as the Jets seek out a long-term answer in April’s draft (or perhaps wait until 2027 to select a high-profile rookie).
As expected, the Falcons will release Kirk Cousins and not attempt to re-sign him at a reduced rate. Starter Michael Penix Jr.‘s ACL recovery is ongoing, and his availability for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign is unclear. That illustrates the need for a short-term addition in Atlanta’s case. Brissett could offer the Falcons with a high floor for at least one season regardless of Penix’s health situation or his level of play once he is back to 100%.
Filling in for an injured Murray – and then remaining atop the depth chart to finish the season – Brissett posted career highs in a number of categories in 2025. The 33-year-old completed just under 65% of his attempts, totaling 3,366 yards and posting a 23:8 touchdown to interception ratio. A similar showing in New York or Atlanta would be welcomed given those teams’ current situations under center. Volin unsurprisingly notes the Cardinals will have a much easier time trading Brissett than Murray, and it will be interesting to see if more suitors emerge shortly.
Raiders Finalize Coaching Staff Under Klint Kubiak
The Raiders announced their finalized coaching staff today, the first under new head coach Klint Kubiak. Several of the new hires in Las Vegas have already been covered in previous posts, but today’s announcement did provide some new information. 
Before we get into what was in the coaching staff announcement, let’s briefly touch on what wasn’t. Many in the media were shocked to see that the Raiders had not employed the services of a quarterbacks coach on Kubiak’s first staff, especially since the consensus points to Vegas taking Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the rookie may need a coach.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post, the team did look at candidates for the QB coach position but opted not to force a hire that didn’t feel right. Bonsignore suggested that the team would wait and revisit the position again next offseason, but Kubiak, offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko, and assistant head coach Mike McCoy have all held the title of quarterbacks coach in the past, so they may be well set up to work without an official one.
Moving on to the other new information for the offensive staff, Luke Steckel has once again been retained as the team’s tight ends coach for the 2026 season. A long-time Titans assistant from 2013-22, Steckel arrived in Las Vegas in 2024 as part of Antonio Pierce‘s staff and was retained on the staff under new head coach Pete Carroll last year. He’ll now coach tight ends for the Raiders under his third head coach.
For new hires on offense, Ben Wilkerson has been named assistant offensive line coach, Pete Collins and Conner McQueen have been named offensive quality control, and Tim Zetts has been named an offensive assistant. Wilkerson has made the rounds as an NFL assistant offensive line coach. After stints with the Bears, both New York teams, and the Browns, Wilkerson makes it out to Las Vegas. McQueen is making his NFL coaching debut after eight years of experience at the collegiate level. Zetts is an interesting name here. An offensive assistant on Pierce’s staff two years ago, Zetts returns on Kubiak’s staff in the same role after not working with the team last year.
On the defensive side of the ball, there were two updates to major positions. First, Matt Robinson‘s new role in Las Vegas, originally reported to be secondary coach, was clarified in the announcement. He will more specifically be the safeties coach. The other update saw assistant defensive line coach Kenyon Jackson retained in the same role. Jackson filled the position for Las Vegas last year, coming over from a similar role he had held in Houston.
The team’s defense is employing all new hires at the quality control and assistant level. Drew Gaither, Cody Grimm, and Ketner Kupp were all named defensive quality control, and Steve Ferentz was hired as a defensive assistant. Grimm is maybe the most notable name there. He was a safeties coach for the Jaguars in 2023 but hasn’t appeared on an NFL staff since. Ferentz also held a prior job as the Dolphins assistant linebackers coach back in 2022.
Outside of that, Matt Capurro has been retained as the team’s senior vice president of coaching operations. Capurro found his way to Vegas last year, following Carroll from Seattle. Capurro had been on staff with Carroll on the Seahawks for 15 years, but he’ll remain on staff for his first new head coach since then. Lastly, Tim McConnell was hired as the team’s new assistant special teams coach. McConnell makes his way to the NFL after working specials teams positions at the collegiate level at schools like North Texas and South Carolina.
This will be the crew, along with the formerly touched on new hires and promotions, to build up the new Raiders program. The Kubiak-era’s first big tests will come when free agency and the draft arrive, and he now has the staff of coaches with whom he will face those tests.
RB Kenneth Walker III Likely To Leave Seattle?
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is just three weeks removed from being named Super Bowl LX MVP, but he won’t get to revel in the glory for too much longer as he’s set to hit free agency upon the expiration of his rookie contract in Seattle. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Walker is reportedly generating so much outside interest that he could be pricing himself right out of Seattle. 
Now, reasonably, one might question whether the Seahawks would allow their leading rusher in each of the past four seasons to walk in free agency, but there’s plenty to point to in order to explain how it might be the best situation for everyone. To start, Walker’s health has been an issue in the past. He missed two games in each of his first two years in Seattle and missed six games over the course of the 2024 season. While he bucked that trend in Year 4 by appearing in every game for the first time in his career, the Seahawks have been burned in the past by frequently injured running backs like Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, and they may see Walker’s injury history as too risky to invest in long-term.
Secondly, a year after Seattle drafted Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team went back to the same well, selecting second-round UCLA rusher Zach Charbonnet. Walker’s frequent injuries gave Charbonnet eight spot starts in his first two seasons of play, and he showed plenty of promise as a potential lead back in the opportunities he was given. Though Walker played in (and started) every game this season, Charbonnet continued to see increasing opportunities, posting career-highs in carries (184) and rushing yards (780) while leading the team with 12 rushing touchdowns. While Walker would certainly be missed, the Seahawks may be ready to pass the rock to Charbonnet.
The third factor would simply be price. Graziano believes that the Cowboys set the floor for the starting running back market when they extended Javonte Williams on a three-year, $24MM deal. He lists Walker as one of three backs who could surpass that annual average value of $8MM, citing increasing external interest as the driving factor. While the Seahawks’ salary cap puts them in a good position to spend in 2026, the franchise hasn’t invested long-term in a running back since the days of Marshawn Lynch.
Looking at all the factors together, it’s not looking good for fans that want to see the Seahawks run in back with their Super Bowl MVP. Retaining Walker would require Seattle to commit long-term money, and the combination of Walker’s injury history and Charbonnet’s capability make that option seem less than prudent. Instead, it appears that Walker could earn a big payday to try and take another team to the Super Bowl, while the Seahawks will get a good look at Charbonnet as RB1 as Charbonnet puts forth his best foot in a contract year for him.
Lions RB David Montgomery ‘Wants Out’
Back in January, it was reported that the Lions were examining what was best for the future of veteran running back David Montgomery. General manager Brad Holmes even went so far as to say that what was best may include him playing “somewhere else.” Well, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a trade appears to be a growing possibility for the 28-year-old rusher, as Fowler claims Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit. 
Coming out of Iowa State in 2019, Montgomery enjoyed an early career as a lead back for the Bears, taking on RB1 duties in a committee that included Tarik Cohen and Cordarrelle Patterson as a rookie. In his sophomore campaign, Montgomery essentially served bell-cow duties as Chicago’s leading rusher, but ever since, he’s been forced to share the rock. In 2021, two rookies — Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert — ate heavily into his carries, resulting in the lowest rushing total of his career at that point in time. In the final year of his rookie contract, Montgomery totaled a new low (801) as Fields led the team in rushing (1,143) and Herbert continued to gain ground on him (731).
As a free agent, Montgomery signed with the division-rival Lions, who were saying goodbye to both of their leading rushers from 2022 — Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift. While Montgomery may have believed he had made his way back to a bell-cow situation, a month and a half later, Detroit utilized their 12th overall pick on Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs. It was right back to a split backfield for Montgomery. In their first year together, the Montgomery-Gibbs split for carries (219-182), rushing yards (1,015-945), and rushing touchdowns (13-10) were as close as you’ll see for two teammates having strong rushing seasons.
In 2024, Gibbs took over RB1 duties. Though Montgomery was still involved in one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses that season, the Gibbs-Montgomery splits for carries (250-185), rushing yards (1,412-775), and rushing touchdowns (16-12), no longer favored him. This past season, that trend continued in the wrong direction as, for the first time in his career, Montgomery didn’t start a single game all season while recording career-lows in carries (158) and rushing yards (716).
It’s no wonder, then, that Montgomery is looking for a way out. Luckily for him, the reduced usage has likely done a fair amount of good for his 28-year-old legs, and his remaining contract is fairly reasonable for a trade partner to take on. It also doesn’t sound like Detroit is asking for much in return, as Fowler reports that the team wants “a decent Day 3 pick,” meaning probably something from the fourth or early-fifth round. It should make Montgomery fairly easy to move, and give him plenty of options, should Detroit opt to take his preference into account.
Cardinals Eyeing QB Jimmy Garoppolo
As we’ve discussed free agent quarterbacks and which teams could target which free agents, we’ve separated things a bit into tiers. Essentially, the thought has been that teams who can afford to go big for a free agent passer will be pursuing Packers quarterback Malik Willis, while those who aren’t looking to spend that much may be looking for a more affordable option like veterans Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, or Jimmy Garoppolo. 
Initially, we pegged Arizona as a team willing to spend and tied them to a likely run for Willis, while a team like the Dolphins, with limited cap space, would be pursuing a veteran like Garoppolo. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, though, a closer look at the setup in Arizona reveals some connections between the Cardinals and Garoppolo, and he reports that they have their eyes on the 34-year-old as a possible free agent addition.
General manager Monti Ossenfort was director of college scouting in New England when the Patriots drafted Garoppolo out of Eastern Illinois in the second round 12 years ago. Additionally, new head coach Mike LaFleur coached Garoppolo over the past two years in his previous role as the offensive coordinator of the Rams. These connections clearly show familiarity with the veteran passer, giving the Cardinals an easy option outside of the expected top-tier targets on the market.
That’s not to say the Cardinals won’t still pursue Willis. Arizona could pursue and successfully sign Willis and still choose to bring Garoppolo in as a dependable backup. Having watched the veteran back up reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford over the past couple of years, no one has a better idea of his abilities as a QB2 than LaFleur. It could also alter Arizona’s pursuit of Willis, though. Knowing Garoppolo is a connected option, the Cardinals may stop themselves from overspending on Willis if they know they can still fall back to Garoppolo and rely on him.
As the new league year fast approaches, we’ll certainly start to see free agent communications pick up soon. It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals go after Garoppolo because of his connections with team leadership, and if they do, it will be interesting to see how it affects their pursuit of Willis.
5 Key Stories: 2/22/26 – 3/1/26
This past week has seen the annual NFL Combine take place in Indianapolis. The event is always an interesting one to follow based on the developments which take place as teams prepare for the new league year. In case you missed any the top stories from the past seven days, here is a quick recap:
- Cowboys Tag Pickens: Well in advance of the deadline for applying the franchise tag, the Cowboys took the expected route of tagging George Pickens. The fifth-year wideout had long been mentioned as a tag candidate, and the non-exclusive tender was applied. That leaves Pickens free to negotiate with other teams, but he is on course to play for Dallas in 2026. Whether or not a long-term pact – something both sides have expressed an openness for – can be worked out by July 15 will now become a storyline to watch closely. A new deal will very likely cost more on an annual basis than the value of the tag ($27.3MM), adding further to the cost of Dallas’ high-octane offense.
- Jets, Titans Agree To Trade: Once the new league year begins in mid-March, the Jets and Titans will finalize a one-for-one player swap. Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson will head to Tennessee, while New York will acquire defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat in return. Scheme changes brought on by the hires of both teams played a role in the deal being agreed to. Johnson is set to play out his fifth-year option, so his level of play upon reuniting with Robert Saleh in Tennessee will go a long way in determining his value for next offseason. Sweat’s rookie contract runs through 2027, and he will look to carve out a run-stopping role with the Jets as they contemplate further trades this spring.
- Pitts Receives Falcons Tag: The other franchise tag decision made so far concerns Kyle Pitts. The Falcons placed the tag on him and by doing so ensured he will play at least a sixth season in Atlanta. The former No. 4 pick will collect $15.05MM next year in the absence of a long-term pact being agreed to. Pitts has seen his production vary quite a bit from one year to the next, but he is coming off a strong campaign. With a completely new group of decision-makers in place for Atlanta, it will be interesting to see if a strong push is made to keep Pitts, 25, in place beyond 2026 or if he again spends the year as a pending free agent.
- Browns Planning QB Competition: New head coach Todd Monken will oversee a quarterback competition during his first year leading the Browns. Cleveland still has Deshaun Watson under contract, and 2025 draftees Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel remain in the fold as well. Outside options (via free agency and/or the draft) will receive consideration as well, though, while Gabriel has been mentioned as a trade candidate. The Watson trade has proven to be a disaster for Cleveland, while Sanders’ NFL ceiling remains to be seen. Major improvement will be needed on offense in 2026, but that could include a signal-caller not currently on the roster.
- NFLPA Exec. Director Finalists Emerge: Since Lloyd Howell‘s resignation, the NFL Players Association has operated with David White as its interim executive director. White is one of three finalists for the full-time position. The list also contains J.C. Tretter – who previously worked as the union’s president and chief strategy officer before himself resigning under controversial circumstances – and American Conference commissioner Tim Pernetti. March will see the NFLPA’s annual meeting for its 32 player reps take place. At that point, further clarity will emerge regarding who has the best odds of leading the embattled organization and when a final vote will take place.