Steelers Extend TE Darnell Washington
The youngest member of Pittsburgh’s three-headed monster at tight end last year, Darnell Washington has signed a long-term extension to remain with the team, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The Steelers will retain the massive weapon on a four-year, $42MM deal.
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Dolphins Sign First-Round CB Chris Johnson
The Dolphins continue to shuffle paperwork for their picks from the 2026 NFL Draft. A day after landing the signatures of 10 drafted rookies, Miami has followed up with the completion of negotiations with both first-round picks. While the team made an announcement for the signing of No. 12 overall pick Kadyn Proctor this afternoon, it was NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero that announced No. 27 overall pick Chris Johnson‘s signing.
As a three-star recruit out of Roosevelt HS (CA), Johnson didn’t have a ton of options, but he chose to stay fairly close to home when committing to San Diego State over offers from Northwestern, Boston College, Boise State, and Army. After playing minimally as a true freshman, Johnson began to rotate in more on defense in Year 2, recording his first interception, a forced fumble, and two passes defensed. Earning a starting role as a junior, Johnson began to break out, consistently finding the ball with another interception, five passes defensed, three forced fumbles.
After a senior season in which he completed his breakout with four interceptions (for 146 yards and two touchdowns), eight passes defensed, and another forced fumble, Johnson secured his status as the presumed CB3 in the draft class but ended up being the second corner taken after Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy slid due to injury. Johnson boasts quick, fluid hips and strong instincts. He tends to toy with passers, baiting them into making throws that allow him to take advantage good hands for a defender. He shows good-not-great speed but has great recovery quickness. He’ll likely need to bulk up at the pro level, but the effort is there physically.
Miami saw cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Jack Jones depart in free agency, and veteran Rasul Douglas‘ contract expired this offseason, as well. Making his way across the country, Johnson should immediately have a pathway to a starting role across from Darrell Baker in a young, inexperienced secondary. He may encounter some challenge for the role, but with the Dolphins trading up to land him, it may just be his job to lose.
With all the work Miami’s put in over the past two days, only Mississippi State fifth-round tight end Seydou Traore remains un-signed. Here’s a look at the team’s 13-man draft class:
- Round 1, No. 12 (from Cowboys): Kadyn Proctor (T, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 1, No. 27 (from 49ers): Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State) (signed)
- Round 2, No. 43: Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 75: Caleb Douglas (WR, Texas Tech) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 87 (from Eagles): Will Kacmarek (TE, Ohio State) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 94 (from Broncos): Chris Bell (WR, Louisville) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 130 (from Broncos): Trey Moore (EDGE, Texas) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 138*: Kyle Louis (LB, Pitt) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 158 (from Vikings): Michael Taaffe (S, Texas) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 177 (from Cowboys)*: Kevin Coleman Jr. (WR, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 180 (from Cowboys)*: Seydou Traore (TE, Mississippi State)
- Round 6, No. 200 (from Panthers): DJ Campbell (G, Texas) (signed)
- Round 7, No. 238 (from Chargers via Titans and Jets): Max Llewellyn (EDGE, Iowa) (signed)
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/3/26
Wednesday’s minor NFL transactions:
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: WR Jaden Smith
New York Jets
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Da’Quan Felton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: LB Chandler Martin
After only two days, Felton and Martin see their fortunes reversed. Martin is rejoining the team that waived him on Monday. The Jets will return Felton to the waiver wire two days after signing him with the apparent intent of reverting him to their injured reserve once he clears waivers.
Russell Wilson Announces Retirement
On Monday, it was reported Russell Wilson would spend the 2026 season as an analyst for CBS. That news obviously suggested his playing days were over, and that has now been confirmed.
On Wednesday, Wilson posted a video to social media announcing his retirement. The 37-year-old initially expressed a desire to play in 2026, and he received an offer from the Jets. Instead of serving as a backup for another campaign, though, Wilson will turn his attention to broadcasting.
Today’s announcement marks the expected end to a playing career which began with tempered expectations. As a third-round pick, Wilson was far from certain to serve as a capable long-term replacement for Matt Hasselbeck, whose Seattle tenure ended in 2010. As things turned out, though, the franchise enjoyed a sustained run of success under head coach Pete Carroll. His work and that of the ‘Legion of Boom’ on defense was of course critical to the Seahawks’ strong play, but Wilson was a foundational player as well.
Taking on QB1 duties as a rookie and never losing them over the course of his time in the Emerald City, Wilson helped lead Seattle to eight playoff appearances. That stretch included back-to-back trips to the Super Bowl; the Seahawks comfortably won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Broncos and nearly came out on top the following year against the Patriots. Replicating those deep postseason runs proved to be a challenge Carroll’s Seahawks were unable to meet, but Wilson continued to provide the team with strong play over a decade in Seattle.
From the start of his career, Wilson was recognized as a perennial Pro Bowler, earning invitations to the event in nine of 10 seasons with the Seahawks. He also earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2019 after finishing the year with 31 touchdowns to just five interceptions despite getting sacked a league-leading 48 times that season. He departed Seattle as the franchise-leader in passing yards, touchdowns, and several other statistical categories.
Wilson’s time with the Seahawks came to an end after the 2021 NFL season, when he was packaged with a fourth-round pick and shipped off to Denver in exchange for two first- and second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. Over two years with the Broncos, Westbrook struggled to produce as he followed up his only losing season as a starter in Seattle with two more in Denver.
After getting released, Wilson signed with the Steelers, going 6-5 as a starter after missing the first six games of the season and earning Pro Bowl honors one last time. He began the following year as a starter for the Giants, before ultimately ceding his job to Jaxson Dart. He failed to go out on top, but for a third-round quarterback, winning a Super Bowl, making 10 Pro Bowls, winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, and cementing himself as a top player in Seahawks history is a pretty good résumé. He’ll look now to expand his accomplishments on air.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Rams Do Not Plan On Adjusting Myles Garrett’s Contract
As part of this week’s blockbuster Myles Garrett trade, the Rams agreed to take on a contract which was the NFL’s most lucrative non-QB deal when it was signed. No immediate changes to it are forthcoming.
The Rams do not intend to adjust Garrett’s existing contract, Jourdan Rodrigue and Zac Jackson of The Athletic report. The pact – which was agreed to last year and resulted in a trade request being rescinded – runs through 2030. It carries an average annual value of $40MM, a figure which briefly represented the new high point for the EDGE market.
Thanks to the contract tweak which pushed back the payment date for Garrett’s option bonuses, he is owed a total of $31.5MM in guaranteed money from the Rams for 2026. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year also has $41.7MM locked in for 2027. Option bonuses are scheduled throughout the life of the deal, but no salaries are guaranteed from 2028 onwards. It would come as little surprise if a restructure of some kind were to take place, but nothing is currently imminent.
“I will say this for [agent] Nicole [Lynn],” Rams GM Les Snead said when addressing the trade (via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio). “We wouldn’t have been able to get this done without us working pretty tirelessly since the weekend. We didn’t have a lot of time to discuss contract, but thank you, Nicole.”
Garrett waived his no-trade clause to help facilitate the deal, one which saw fellow Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse and three picks head to Cleveland. A raise would help reflect Garrett’s importance to his new team while also keeping pace with surges in the pass rush market. Since the five-time All-Pro inked his 2025 extension, each of Danielle Hunter, T.J. Watt, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons and Will Anderson Jr. have signed deals carrying a higher AAV. Anderson’s new Texans contract currently sets the pace at an average of $50MM per year.
Agreeing to terms on a similar pact would of course be challenging for the Rams, given their financial commitments over the short term in particular to a number of expensive veterans. Los Angeles also has a group of key players nearing the end of their rookie contracts who will be due healthy raises in the near future. Maintaining the rest of the defensive front Garrett will now operate as a member of, for instance, will require several big-money commitments.
For now, at least, Garrett’s attention will be aimed at acclimating to a new team for the first time in his decorated career. It will be interesting to see when talks on a restructure or extension commence and whether or not an agreement can be reached.
Alvin Kamara Plans To Play For Saints In 2026, Broncos Could Be Suitor
JUNE 3: Kamara was at the Saints’ facility today, as noted by Matthew Paras of NOLA.com. That marked his first appearance for voluntary offseason work, something Kamara usually declines to take part in. As the wait for clarity in this case continues, team and player are at least managing to avoid a public rift.
JUNE 1: 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.
Dolphins Sign OL Kadyn Proctor To Rookie Deal
Kadyn Proctor is the latest member of the Dolphins’ draft class to sign his rookie deal. The first-rounder is officially on the books, per a team announcement.
Proctor was the target of widespread interest leading up to the draft, with the Lions viewed as his floor at pick No. 17. Detroit showed a desire to move up to the 14th spot via a trade with the Ravens, but negotiations on that front stopped once it became clear Proctor was no longer available. The Alabama product ultimately went at No. 12.
That pick represented the first of 13 made over the course of the draft by new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. A full-scale rebuild is in its early stages, and making an early investment along the offensive line came as little surprise when Miami was first on the clock. Proctor played as a tackle in college, but his NFL career will begin at guard. As a result, 2024 second-rounder Patrick Paul will continue to operate on the blindside.
A shift to tackle may be in store later in his Miami tenure, but for now Proctor will prepare for a starting gig at left guard. That position was manned last season by Jonah Savaiinaea, who will slide to right guard in 2026. Savaiinaea struggled mightily during his rookie campaign, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in training camp under Jeff Hafley and a new coaching staff.
Miami lost Cole Strange in free agency but signed veteran Jamaree Salyer this spring. The team also selected DJ Campbell in the sixth round of the draft. Both of them could be candidates to take over the starting gig at right guard in particular depending on how padded practices and the preseason play out. In any event, Proctor’s unique combination of size and athleticism will lead to high expectations right away upon entry to the NFL. He will be counted on to serve as a mainstay along the Dolphins’ O-line in 2026 and beyond.
Given today’s news, 11 members of Miami’s draft class are now under contract. Only first-round cornerback Chris Johnson and sixth-round tight end Seydou Traore are unsigned at this point.
Jets To Sign K Jason Sanders, Release K Younghoe Koo
The Jets are making a change at the kicker spot. A deal has been lined up with Jason Sanders, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports. Fellow veteran Younghoe Koo is being released in a corresponding move.
Sanders was released by the Giants yesterday. He has certainly not needed to wait long to find his next opportunity, with a gig on New York’s other NFL franchise being arranged. Sanders joined the Giants this spring but all of his 118 career regular and postseason appearances have come as a member of the Dolphins.
The 30-year-old missed all of 2025 through injury. Sanders was one of several Miami veterans who were cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan in March, and a short stint on the open market ensued prior to his Giants deal. New York’s NFC team will move forward with a pair of younger kicking options during training camp, but the Jets will have an experienced presence in the form of Sanders this summer.
Koo – who appeared in five games for the Giants last season – was signed by the Jets one week ago. The longtime Falcons kicker was one of three options in place for the team at that point, with Cade York and Lenny Krieg being the others. Rosenblatt predicts York and Sanders will now compete for the gig over the course of training camp. Sanders sports a career accuracy rate of 84.6% on field goals, while York has gone 33-for-45 across 23 games played for Cleveland, Washington and Cincinnati.
For much of his Falcons tenure, Koo was among the league’s most accurate kickers. The 31-year-old South Korean saw his Atlanta stint come to an end early in the 2025 season, though, and he was among the options used by the Giants to fill in for Graham Gano. Koo’s struggles over the past two years could result in a free agent spell lasting through at least the start of training camp, but he will offer his next team with a veteran capable of competing for the full-time kicking position in 2026.
Packers’ Micah Parsons Targeting Mid-October Return
Last January, a month after Packers outside linebacker Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL, the five-time Pro Bowler expressed hope he would make his 2026 debut in Week 3 or 4. That would have meant returning in late September or the first week of October, but it is now clear Parsons will not make it back that early.
Speaking with Ryan Wood of USA Today and other reporters Wednesday, Parsons revealed he underwent a meniscus cleanup in addition to ACL surgery. Parsons added he will not consider coming back until he is at least nine months removed from the injury, which would point to a mid-October return in a best-case scenario. Speculatively, that could mean a Week 6 debut on Sunday, Oct. 18. The Packers happen to play Parsons’ former team, the Cowboys, in prime time that night.
The Cowboys and Parsons were unable to resolve a contract dispute last summer, leading to a late-August blockbuster trade with the Packers. The Cowboys parted with Parsons for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark, and Green Bay immediately handed the superstar a four-year, $188MM extension with $136MM guaranteed. Parsons lived up to the billing in his first 14 games as a Packer, during which he recorded 12.5 sacks and became the first player with a dozen-plus in each of his first five seasons. He also chipped in 79 pressures, 26 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Parsons went down in a Week 15 loss to Denver, where the Packers’ season began to unravel. After dropping the Broncos game, they lost out to finish 9-7-1. While the Packers still held on for a wild-card berth and jumped out to a 21-3 halftime lead over the archrival Bears, they collapsed in the second half in a 31-27 loss. Their Parsons-less defense managed just one sack against quarterback Caleb Williams.
With Parsons likely to spend the first several weeks of 2026 on the reserve/PUP list, the Packers will have to lean on other edge defenders such as Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Brenton Cox and fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton. The Packers still have around $25.80MM in cap space, giving them room for at least one noteworthy pass-rushing addition if they want to go that route. Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, Von Miller, Jadeveon Clowney, Leonard Floyd, Haason Reddick and Kyle Van Noy are among the established edge players still available in free agency.
Arrest Warrant Out For 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk
The Santa Clara Police Department has issued an arrest warrant for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Edward Lewis of the New York Post reports. Aiyuk is wanted on a misdemeanor charge of exhibition of speed.
The warrant is the result of a video Aiyuk posted on his YouTube account in December. He filmed himself driving in excess of 100 mph around the 49ers’ home field, Levi’s Stadium. Aiyuk apologized afterward, but Santa Clara police investigated the video and then forwarded the case to prosecutors on Jan. 15, according to Aidin Vaziri of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The warrant continues a strange couple of years for Aiyuk, who has not played in a game since he torn his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 season. The injury occurred about two months after the 49ers settled a contract dispute with Aiyuk, who signed a four-year, $120MM extension in August 2024. With Aiyuk coming off a second-team All-Pro showing in 2023, the 49ers’ investment was understandable at the time. The team has gotten little from it so far, however, and it is unlikely he will ever don a 49ers uniform again.
Dissatisfied with how Aiyuk was handling the rehab process, the 49ers voided his 2026 guarantees last July. Aiyuk had a 50-day window to file a grievance through the NFLPA, but he took no action and lost around $26MM as a result. The former first-round pick spent most of last season on the reserve/PUP list, but general manager John Lynch expressed hope he would return down the stretch. Any chance of that went out the window when the 49ers placed the 27-year-old on the reserve/left squad list in mid-December.
It has been obvious throughout the offseason that San Francisco will part with Aiyuk, though the team has taken its time. Lynch has held out hope for a trade, but finding a taker has never appeared likely. Just last week, two executives from rival teams told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Aiyuk is “untradeable.” Today’s news certainly won’t do anything to improve his stock.
Although the 49ers voided Aiyuk’s guarantees, they still owe him a $25MM option bonus in early September. If they exercise the option, it would be prorated through 2030. Declining it would mean paying all of it at once. While Aiyuk is also due base salaries of $27.27MM in 2027 and $29.15MM in 2028 on his current deal, odds are the 49ers will eventually release him.