Colts, Daniel Jones Agree To Deal
The Colts will move Daniel Jones‘ transition tag off the books. The sides are in agreement on a two-year, $88MM extension, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
It is the largest two-year contract in NFL history, Schultz adds, noting the deal could balloon to $100MM via incentives. We heard earlier today the Colts and Jones were moving toward a two-year contract. This is another monster deal for Jones, who played last season on a one-year, $14MM pact. Three years after Jones scored a win — via a four-year, $160MM deal — with the Giants, he cashes in after an injury-shortened Colts campaign.
In moving Jones’ $37.83MM transition tag off the books before the start of the 2026 league year (3pm CT today), the Colts will save considerable cap room. Jones will score a huge raise from his 2025 pay, and the two-year term length will allow for another prime-years bite at the apple — should Jones sustain his form this time around. The former No. 6 overall pick famously did not do so on his $40MM-AAV Giants accord, which Big Blue jettisoned during the second year of the contract.
More to come.
Ravens Restructure Lamar Jackson’s Deal
As the Ravens make a controversial pivot from a Maxx Crosby trade to a Trey Hendrickson free agency addition, a similar cost is on tap. Either way, the team needed to make a move with Lamar Jackson‘s contract to reduce an untenable 2026 cap number.
Baltimore has done so, but no extension has been reached. The Ravens are restructuring Jackson’s deal, CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala reports. Jackson’s restructure is expected to open up around $40MM in cap space, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. This will come from a $49.56MM base-to-bonus conversion, per Spotrac, as $39.96MM in additional funds will be available now.
This move will drop Jackson’s cap hit from $74.5MM, where it had been sitting as a payroll anchor. Jackson will still be expected to work toward an extension this offseason, and it is worth wondering why the two-time MVP did not attempt to maximize his value by leveraging his high cap hit — as the Ravens needed to lower it to make room for Hendrickson and John Simpson — by pushing for a monster re-up now. But Jackson has not been a conventional negotiator during his NFL years, as his lengthy path to his second contract showed.
The Ravens had not gone to the Jackson restructure well previously. He carried a $43.5MM cap number last year. That figure falling in 2026 will give Baltimore more space to operate, but it will still cost — in all likelihood — more than $60MM per year to extend Jackson a second time. Dak Prescott‘s four-year, $260MM Cowboys deal has topped the league since September 2024. Jackson, 29, has a clear case to eclipse that — especially as the cap has climbed by nearly $50MM (to $301.2MM) since that Dallas deal was finalized.
Rumblings about a Jackson extension last year emerged, but nothing came of it. The Ravens had hoped to extend Tyler Linderbaum as well, but they ended up losing him (to the Raiders) this week. Baltimore did complete a record-setting Kyle Hamilton re-up. Although not much action occurred on the QB market last year, with Prescott’s deal not being approached, the cap climb will still put Jackson in good position. Two years remain on his contract, and this restructure will hike the dead money on the deal in the highly unlikely event the Ravens do not extend him by March 2028.
Titans To Re-Sign K Joey Slye
Joey Slye has bounced around the league in recent years, but he will stick the same team in 2026. The Titans are keeping the veteran kicker around, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reporting the sides agreed to a one-year deal.
Playing for the Commanders in 2023 and Patriots in 2024, Slye caught on with the Titans last year. Tennessee hired a new coaching staff this offseason but retained ST coordinator John Fassel. That undoubtedly affected Slye’s 2026 status.
He of two 60-plus-yard field goals — with the Commanders and Pats — Slye connected on a 58-yard try with the Titans last season. The former Panthers kicker went 28-for-35 on FGs in 2025. Slye, 30 next month, has not been among the most accurate kickers in the league in recent years. He has not made more than 84% of his kicks since the 2021 season. He came in south of 80% in 2023 and ’24, but the strong-legged specialist will receive another opportunity under Fassel, Robert Saleh and GM Mike Borgonzi.
A former Giants UDFA, Slye succeeded Graham Gano in Carolina in 2019 but did not complete his rookie contract with the team. The Panthers waived Slye in 2021, and he spent that season with the 49ers and Texans. Slye did not initially sign with the Patriots in 2024, first committing to the Jaguars. But Jacksonville moved on after training camp, leading Slye to New England.
The Titans are team No. 8 for Slye, though he never kicked with their the Giants or Jaguars. The Titans have seen Nick Folk become the NFL’s most accurate kicker over the past three seasons; Tennessee moved on from the aging vet in 2025, turning to Slye. Folk has since left the Jets for the Falcons.
Ravens To Sign DE Trey Hendrickson
Making the decision to wave off the Maxx Crosby trade Tuesday, the Ravens will add the best edge rusher left available. Trey Hendrickson is signing with the team, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Hendrickson agreed to a four-year, $112MM deal with Baltimore, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That contract comes in south of where Crosby’s resides on the Raiders’ payroll. Hendrickson agreed to a contract that includes $60MM guaranteed at signing, Schefter adds. That will bring the 10th-year veteran pass rusher guarantees beyond Year 1 — something he targeted during his yearslong Bengals negotiating saga.
Incentives can take the two-year total to $64MM, Rapoport tweets, with Schefter adding eight-, 10- and 12-sack benchmarks are in place. A $500K incentive covers Hendrickson in sacks, meaning most of this deal goes to base value. The $60MM full guarantee ranks in the top 10 at the position, though it is not yet known where Jaelan Phillips and Odafe Oweh ended up in terms of locked-in money.
The Crosby fallout may have benefited Hendrickson. Most teams viewed the 31-year-old All-Pro EDGE as being set to land a deal in the $24-$25MM-per-year range, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. SI.com’s Albert Breer indicates $25-$27MM represented the range, helping explain why Hendrickson lingered in free agency. As of Tuesday, roughly a $10MM gap existed between Hendrickson’s camp and teams’ early offers.
As CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes, Crosby has about four years and $116MM left on his Raiders contract. The Ravens will shift to a free agent and retain their first-round picks, something the California Post’ Vincent Bonsignore notes does not appear to be going over well in some league circles. The Ravens stayed in touch with Hendrickson’s camp Tuesday, Russini adds, noting most in the building knew the ex-Bengal was set to join the team.
The Colts and Eagles are also believed to have made offers, Russini adds. An Indianapolis agreement would have reunited Hendrickson and Lou Anarumo, while Philly is still searching for a replacement for Jaelan Phillips. While those two clubs missed out, the Ravens have completed a shocking turn of events, ruffling feathers in the process.
The Bills, Buccaneers and Commanders were also involved in the Hendrickson derby, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Philly’s involvement here is classified as a late entrance, per Fowler, who adds the Colts believed they were close. The Bucs were offering a short-term deal. Hendrickson was connected to interest in joining the Bucs, as he is an Orlando native who played college ball at Florida Atlantic.
The Bills were also involved in a Crosby trade pursuit, while the Commanders pivoted to K’Lavon Chaisson shortly before the Hendrickson-Baltimore news emerged. Washington was in this market until the end, per ESPN.com’s John Keim, explaining the Chaisson deal’s timing.
It is worth wondering when the Ravens began discussing Hendrickson. Trades are not official until the start of the new league year (3pm CT today). It can be assumed Baltimore was all-in on Crosby, but Russini adds the team was familiar with the Raiders edge rusher’s rehab timeline. Crosby is recovering from meniscus surgery, a monthslong process that is not expected to affect his Week 1 availability, and some around the league view this as simply the Ravens getting cold feet on unloading two first-round picks. Hendrickson is nearly two years older than Crosby, but not costing two first-rounders is rather significant.
The Hendrickson market looked to see a mystery team emerge Tuesday afternoon, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who indicates teams became leery of this stealth suitor. That is widely believed to be the Ravens, who knew hours before the Raiders’ social media announcement they would be nixing the Crosby trade.
While this sets a bad precedent, such options are available to teams under a setup in which deals can be agreed to weeks in advance — as the 2021 Jared Goff–Matthew Stafford trade reminds — of the new league year before becoming official. The unraveling of the Ravens-Raiders’ Crosby trade took hours, Garafolo adds. Hendrickson came into the picture for the AFC North team at that point.
PFR’s No. 4-ranked free agent, Hendrickson scores a deal that lands between Phillips (our No. 3 FA) and Oweh in terms of AAV. His $28MM number is much better than where he was during most of his Cincinnati tenure. Hendrickson had signed a four-year, $60MM Bengals deal in 2021 before agreeing to a one-year, $21MM extension in 2023.
Hendrickson pursued an extension for years in Cincinnati, but the Bengals stood their ground and refused to offer post-Year 1 guarantees — an organizational precedent except in rare cases (Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase) — during last year’s standoff. A one-year, $29MM pact ended up being the late-summer resolution. The Bengals offered their top pass rusher a backloaded three-year, $95MM deal; he passed, leading to the August raise. The Bengals were linked to a 2026 Hendrickson franchise tag, but it would have come in well north of $30MM. Cincy passed and will move on, having agreed to sign Boye Mafe.
While Crosby probably has more long-term upside, Hendrickson put together a dominant run in the 2020s. The Bengals sack ace finished back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks and has two more campaigns (2020, 2021) with at least 13. After a belated breakthrough in a contract year (2020) with the Saints, Hendrickson helped the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in his debut Ohio season. Hendrickson recorded at least 24 QB hits from 2020-24, topping out at 36 in managing to finish as Defensive Player of the Year runner-up on a bad 2024 Cincinnati defense.
Last year, hip trouble ended up shutting Hendrickson down after five games. The four-time Pro Bowler underwent core muscle surgery in December. That adds a layer to this edge rusher switcheroo, though the Ravens obviously do not expect Hendrickson to be delayed in coming back in time for the regular season. Wherever Crosby plays in 2026, he is expected to be on the field in Week 1 as well.
Never trading a future first-round pick for a veteran player in their 30-year history, the Ravens also have not been big spenders at the EDGE position since Terrell Suggs‘ Baltimore run ended. The team franchise-tagged Matt Judon but did not re-sign him, moving to Oweh’s rookie deal and a host of veteran stopgaps. This strategy, which included an Oweh trade midway through last season, led to Baltimore ranking 30th in sacks last season. The team will bet on Hendrickson recapturing his pre-injury form, while we wait to see where Crosby will end up.
Colts Targeting Two-Year Daniel Jones Extension
More progress is coming out of Indianapolis. After reports revealed Daniel Jones and the Colts were progressing on a deal Tuesday, more momentum is forming Wednesday morning.
The Colts and Jones have made “significant progress” toward what would be a two-year extension, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. A deal could come together today. That would be a win for the Colts, who have a lofty transition tag figure ($37.83MM) clogging their cap sheet presently. They have around $30.95MM in space, but lowering Jones’ cap number would allow them to make more upgrades to their roster.
Indianapolis made a major commitment earlier this week in agreeing to re-sign wide receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116MM contract. It appeared Pierce would test the market before his deal came together as the negotiating window opened Monday. But the four-year veteran’s desire to continue playing with Jones was among the reasons he decided to stay, according to Rapoport. As such, it is no surprise that the Colts are working diligently to get something done with Jones.
With Pierce’s help, Jones enjoyed a career year in 2025 before it ended with an Achilles tear in early December. The Colts bought relatively low on Jones, the former Giants starter and Vikings backup, in signing him to a one-year, $14MM contract last offseason. The 28-year-old rewarded them with personal-best marks in completion percentage (68.0), yards per attempt (8.1), passer rating (100.2) and QBR (63.0) over 13 games. The Colts went 8-5 in Jones’ starts and 0-4 under subs Philip Rivers and Riley Leonard.
Although the team missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year, general manager Chris Ballard is of the belief he finally has an answer at quarterback in Jones. Having traded his next two first-round picks to the Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner last November, Ballard does not have an avenue to find a clear solution in the draft in the near future. Between that and an uninspiring class of free agent signal-callers, Jones has leverage in talks.
Jones also had leverage in talks when he inked a four-year, $160MM extension with the Giants in 2023. Had no deal come together, the Giants would have placed the franchise tag on Jones and allowed running back Saquon Barkley to reach free agency. The Jones agreement enabled them to tag Barkley, who wound up walking in free agency a year later. Meanwhile, signing Jones proved to be a mistake for the Giants.
Jones flamed out after securing a raise in New York, leading the team to waive him in November 2024. The Colts are not expecting a similar fate for Jones in their uniform. Judging by their desire to give Jones another sizable payday, they are confident his 2025 resurgence is sustainable.
Commanders To Add DE K’Lavon Chaisson
K’Lavon Chaisson completed a midcareer breakout last season, impressing on a one-year deal with the Patriots. While a multiyear pact will not come together for the Super Bowl regular, he will receive a notable raise after boosting his stock.
After losing out on the Trey Hendrickson sweepstakes, the Commanders are adding Chaisson, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. It is a one-year deal worth $12MM, with Chaisson joining fellow free agent Odafe Oweh to refuel Washington’s defensive end corps.
This represents an appreciable increase over the one-year, $5MM pact Chaisson signed with the Patriots last March. While Chaisson was coming off a personal-best five-sack season with the Raiders then, his career had nonetheless been a disappointment. The Jaguars thought enough of the former LSU standout to use the 20th pick on him in 2020, but Chaisson managed just five sacks over four years in their uniform.
Last season was another step forward for Chaisson, who registered a new career high with 7.5 sacks in 16 games (10 starts) for the AFC-winning Patriots. He added 18 QB hits, twice as many as his previous high of nine, as well as 10 TFL and two forced fumbles. Chaisson continued to produce in the postseason, a four-game run in which he added three more sacks and a forced fumble.
Aside from taking what proved to be a successful one-year gamble on Von Miller, the Commanders did little to address their pass rush last offseason. It has been a clear point of emphasis this year, however, with Oweh and Chaisson coming aboard to join Dorance Armstrong as Washington’s top edge rushers. Miller, who led last year’s team with nine sacks despite playing just under 37% of snaps, is now a free agent.
During a bitterly disappointing 5-12 showing in 2025, the Commanders’ defense ranked 27th in the NFL in scoring and dead last in yards allowed. Head coach Dan Quinn subsequently replaced coordinator Joe Whitt with Daronte Jones in January. General manager Adam Peters has since upgraded the unit’s personnel in adding Oweh, Chaisson, linebacker Leo Chenal, tackle Tim Settle and cornerback Amik Robertson early in free agency.
Ravens Nix Trade For Raiders OLB Maxx Crosby
Trades cannot be official until the 2026 league year begins Wednesday, and the Raiders dropped a bombshell about their recent blockbuster. The Maxx Crosby deal is off, according to the Raiders.
The Raiders said in a statement the Ravens have backed out of the trade. Baltimore was to send two first-round picks to Las Vegas for the All-Pro edge rusher. Crosby had expressed excitement about being traded to the Ravens, but per the AFC West franchise, the deal is off.
“The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time,” the Las Vegas statement reads.
All trades are pending physicals, and Crosby is recovering from much-publicized knee surgery. Crosby failed his Ravens physical today at the team facility, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. A month ago a report surfaced indicating Crosby underwent a full meniscus repair, rather than a trim. The eighth-year edge rusher’s recovery is expected to be measured in months, not weeks. The Ravens undoubtedly knew this, but upon examining Crosby, it appears we have one of the highest-profile instances of cold feet in NFL history.
The Ravens were to send their No. 14 overall pick and their 2027 first for the disgruntled Crosby, who is on a through-2029 contract. However, everything looks to be up in the air. Based on the Raiders releasing a statement, it would be rather unusual if the sides put the trade back on course.
Crosby, 28, never officially requested a trade but it had become well known he wanted to be dealt to a contending team. And SI.com’s Albert Breer reports Crosby did request a move privately. Crosby voiced frustration — to put it mildly — at the Raiders shutting him down with a knee injury he believed he could play through. Reports of Crosby evaluating his future escalated into full-blown trade rumors. The Raiders were believed to be setting too high a price, — as a desire for a Micah Parsons-like haul surfaced at multiple points — but a bidding war took place around the Combine.
The Cowboys were believed to be prepared to send the Raiders a first-round pick and a second, but the Ravens won the derby — as of Friday night, at least — with a two-first-rounder proposal. The Jaguars joined the Bears as other teams in the mix. The Bengals and Eagles looked to tip their toes in the water here, per Breer, though it does not appear either was too near the front of the line. The Bills were interested as well, Breer adds, but the Raiders did not deem their first-round pick being valuable enough to be the centerpiece of a trade package.
It does not look like the Bears were a frontline suitor, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, but the Cowboys were believed to be willing to include a player in a trade along with the first- and second-round picks. Dallas is now sounding open to trading D-tackle Osa Odighizuwa, after trading for both Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark following that March 2025 re-signing, but Fowler adds the Cowboys set limits — based on its Williams trade package — about how far they would go for this particular player.
In Crosby’s stealth trade request, Breer indicates he expressed a desire to work with the Raiders for the team to obtain the best possible deal from a contender. That is perhaps why no official trade request became public. The Raiders retained some leverage this way, even though the tea leaves pointed to a move transpiring. The Seahawks and Patriots loomed as suitors as well, though a source told Fowler minority owner Tom Brady is not expected to entertain a deal with the Patriots.
This also puts the Raiders in a tighter spot. Although the team carried an NFL-leading cap-space figure into free agency, that was contingent on Crosby’s 2026 cap number being off the books. The Raiders have run wild in free agency, adding several starters — most notably with a record-smashing accord for Ravens Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum — to prepare for the arrival of Fernando Mendoza‘s rookie deal. Las Vegas was to hold the No. 14 pick to supplement its incoming quarterback as well. Now, a fascinating pivot will need to take place.
The Raiders also added Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean and Jalen Nailor on Monday. None of these moves can be announced until the new league year begins at 3pm CT Wednesday. This waiting period usually is a nonfactor, as players almost always follow through on their commitments. But failed physicals are certainly nothing new. This one will go down in trade infamy, though, due to the two-first-rounder return the Raiders were to receive.
Even with this shocking turn of events technically placing Crosby’s 2026 cap number back on the Raiders’ payroll, it is unlikely the team would bail on its Day 1 FA deals. The Raiders will seemingly proceed to another team here. Though, it is quite possible a 2027 first-rounder will not be attainable.
Another team could pass Crosby on a physical, but he is going into an age-29 season. That has long made it iffy in terms of a two-first-rounder haul, as Parsons and Khalil Mack were respectively swapped at 26 and 27. That said, both those All-Pros required new contracts. Crosby was set to play on his 2025 Raiders extension, helping the Raiders secure their desired trade return.
Crosby viewed the Raiders as sitting him in order to secure the No. 1 pick, and Breer adds that while a meeting with Klint Kubiak went well, it did not move the needle with regard to the impact edge rusher wanting to stay. GM John Spytek said at the Combine the Raiders planned on retaining Crosby, but it is not exactly stunning to see such an about-face occur based on Combine pressers. And a report soon after had the Raiders warming to a trade.
The Raiders also did a deal with a team that, as our Ely Allen pointed out, had never traded a future first-round pick for a player in its 30-year history. The Ravens also are not usually big spenders at edge rusher, having mostly used low-cost vets and first-rounder Odafe Oweh since Matt Judon‘s 2021 departure.
Considering what a typically risk-averse franchise was giving up, trepidation regarding Crosby’s knee rehab makes sense. Still, the Raiders needing to go back to the drawing board four days after reaching the trade agreement represents one of the crazier developments in modern NFL history. The Ravens backed out of a deal with wide receiver Ryan Grant in 2018 and, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter points out, a contract with safety Brock Marion was nixed on Baltimore’s end in 1997.
While Terrell Owens did not fail a physical back in 2004 — when an arbitrator called off a Baltimore-San Francisco trade, leading the future Hall of Fame receiver to Philadelphia — this Crosby non-trade will remind of that near-miss. Observing where a second Crosby trade market goes, and how Baltimore fills its EDGE need (after ranking 30th in the NFL in sacks last season), will be must-follow storylines for NFL fans moving forward.
Raiders To Trade QB Geno Smith To Jets
Geno Smith is heading back to where his career began. The Raiders have worked out a trade which will send the veteran quarterback to the Jets, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 
Vegas will send Smith and a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft to New York for a sixth-round selection this year, Schefter adds. The Raiders, meanwhile, are retaining most of Smith’s base salary for 2026, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Jets will pay him near the league minimum as a result, with Schefter adding a restructure was agreed to prior to the trade.
Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Vegas will be on the hook for $16.5MM with New York taking on $3.3MM. Smith will receive a $1MM compared to the guaranteed figure he was owed prior to this swap as a result.
Smith’s Raiders tenure was known to be ending after just one season with the team preparing to draft Fernando Mendoza first overall in April. Vegas was willing to release the 35-year-old in the event no trade suitors could be found. Instead of Smith becoming a free agent tomorrow, he will begin a second stint with the Jets.
The former second-rounder is at the Jets’ facility, Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes Smith has already conducted a physical, paving the way for this swap to be made official. One major move at the quarterback position has now been taken care of for New York, although more changes will be coming. One year remains on Justin Fields‘ contract, but he is not expected to be back with the team in 2026. Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent.
Smith began his career as a Jets draftee, and he spent four seasons with the team. That included a two-year run (2013-14) as New York’s starter, a stint which did not go as planned to say the least. A lengthy spell without another QB1 opportunity came to an end when Smith took over starting duties for Seattle following the Russell Wilson trade.
Smith spent three years atop the Seahawks’ depth chart, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2022. That season included a league-leading 69.8 completion percentage and a career-high 30 touchdown passes. Smith secured a second straight Pro Bowl nod the following year, but the arrival of new head coach Mike Macdonald in 2024 did not result in a long-term Seattle deal being worked out. Instead, the Seahawks targeted Sam Darnold last offseason and traded Smith to Vegas, allowing him to reunite with Pete Carroll.
After a disastrous season together, Carroll and Smith are now out of the fold. The latter will look to rebuild his value in a familiar setting, although he does not have experience playing under Jets head coach Aaron Glenn or offensive coordinator Frank Reich. A quick acclimation period would of course be welcomed by all involved, with Glenn no doubt under pressure to guide New York to more success in Year 2 than the team had during his debut on the sidelines. The Vikings were mentioned as a potential Smith suitor, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz confirms there was “real interest” on the part of Minnesota. The team’s list of free agent targets has now been thinned out, however.
Reich has a history with Carson Wentz, and a reunion between those two has been mentioned as something to watch for. In general, it will be interesting to see if the Jets add another veteran passer in free agency with Smith now in the fold. Meanwhile, the Raiders could be in the market for an experienced option as insurance for Mendoza’s rookie campaign.
Improved play on offense will be key in 2026 for the Jets, a team which made a number of defensive splashes yesterday. It will be interesting to see how Smith fares in his New York return and what kind of QB room he will be in by the time the season begins.
Latest On Potential A.J. Brown Trade
The Eagles are hoping to resolve the A.J. Brown saga by the beginning of the new league year on Wednesday. The Patriots have shown the most interest in trading for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver, but they have balked at the Eagles’ asking price so far. The Chargers and Bills have also been connected to Brown. It turns out those three teams and the Chiefs are on Brown’s wish list, Albert Breer of SI.com reports.
With the Patriots moving on from previous No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs, their need for a starter was glaringly obvious entering free agency. To some degree, the Patriots addressed it in agreeing to a four-year, $80MM contract with former Packer Romeo Doubs on Tuesday.
Doubs will at least give the Patriots a capable starter if they are unable to close the gap in talks with the Eagles. The reigning AFC champions are not necessarily out on Brown yet, per Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. Adding Brown to Doubs would give third-year quarterback Drake Maye a tantalizing one-two punch at receiver.
The Chargers have wideouts Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and 2025 second-rounder Tre Harris under contract for next season. Johnston may be a trade candidate, though, and Keenan Allen is still unsigned. There remains room in Los Angeles for Brown, especially with the team boasting the league’s second-most cap space ($66.83MM). The Chargers are well-positioned to take on the remainder of Brown’s three-year, $96MM contract, but Breer does not regard them as serious suitors.
While Brown is open to joining Josh Allen in Buffalo, that is no longer on the table, according to Breer. The Bills agreed to acquire a different expensive veteran wideout, D.J. Moore, from the Bears last week. Moore cost the Bills a pick in Round 2, whereas the Eagles have been holding out for at least a first- and a second-rounder. The soon-to-be 29-year-old Moore is owed significant guaranteed money through 2028.
Brown could form an intimidating duo with Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, but there is no indication KC is involved in this derby. The Chiefs went into free agency focused on adding a running back, per Breer. They accomplished that mission in signing former Seahawk/Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker to a three-year, $43.05MM deal. The team also wants to use its haul of draft choices to “replenish” its roster, Breer writes. The Chiefs own two first-rounders and three of the top 40 choices in this year’s draft, but it does not appear they will part with any of them for Brown.
Brown will see $4MM of his 2027 salary guarantee on the third day of the league year, giving the Eagles limited time to move him before it vests. Trading Brown before June 1 would hit the Eagles with a $43.45MM dead cap charge, a record for his position. They would also lose $20.12MM in cap room. If general manager Howie Roseman waits until after June 1 to move Brown, the Eagles would spread the dead money over two years. Philadelphia would be stuck with $16.35MM in 2026 and $27.1MM in ’27, though it would save $7MM on its cap next season.
Steelers Extend DT Cameron Heyward
Cameron Heyward is once again re-upping with the Steelers. The long-time defensive tackle is inking a new two-year deal with Pittsburgh, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Heyward still had a year remaining on his deal, but this new agreement effectively rips up that previous contract. The new two-year contract is worth $32.25MM, per Dulac. The deal includes $16.25MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Notably, Heyward’s annual earnings now represent the most lucrative deal for an NFL defensive player in NFL history who’s 36 years or older, per Rapoport. The move will also free up about $5.5MM in cap space for the organization.
A 2011 first-round pick, Heyward has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. The defensive lineman is second in franchise history in games played (behind Ben Roethlisberger), and he paces the franchise leaderboard in tackles for loss (142). He’s earned six All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl appearances during his 15-year career. He’s also served as a team captain for 11-straight seasons.
The 2019 campaign was Heyward’s age-30 season, and he’s somehow only missed seven games since then (six of which came during the 2023 campaign). He averaged close to nine sacks per season between 2017 and 2022, and he rebounded from a two-sack campaign in 2023 with eight sacks in 2024. His numbers took a bit of a step back in 2025, as he finished the year with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks despite getting into all 17 games. Still, Pro Football Focus ranked him first among all interior defenders, the sixth time in the past seven years that he’s ranked inside the top-six.
Heyward was still attached to a three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the franchise in 2024. He played hardball last year as he looked to adjust that pact, as the veteran staged a hold-in in pursuit of a raise. The two sides ultimately agreed to a last-minute resolution, with the Steelers adding more than $3MM in incentives to the player’s deal.
Now, the franchise is once again showing their faith in the defensive lineman, and with Mike Tomlin no longer in Pittsburgh, the Steelers may be even more dependent on Heyward’s leadership. The team did use a 2023 second-round pick on Yahya Black and a 2025 fifth-round pick on Keeanu Benton, but the team doesn’t have a true contingency plan behind their franchise icon. In other words, Heyward will continue to play a big role for the Steelers over the next few years.