Cardinals Intend To Release Kyler Murray
Quarterback Kyler Murray‘s time in Arizona is up. Barring a trade, the Cardinals informed Murray they will release him on the first day of the league, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Cardinals have hoped to pull off a Murray trade for at least several weeks, but they have had no luck finding a taker. Not only is Murray on a pricey contract, but he sat out 12 games last season with a mid-foot sprain and did not play past Week 5. It was the second significant injury during Murray’s seven-year career. The former No. 1 pick previously tore his ACL in 2022.
A release is the preferred outcome for Murray, who will have the freedom to choose his second NFL employer once the Cardinals officially cut him. On the other hand, it’s less than ideal for the team. Along with receiving no compensation for Murray, Arizona will take on a mammoth amount of dead money.
If Murray is not designated a post-June 1 release, the Cardinals will absorb a $54.72MM charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. A post-June 1 release would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026). The Cardinals would also lose $17.39MM in cap space next season. The only silver lining for Arizona is that will escape paying Murray a $19.5MM salary for 2027 that would have vested on the fifth day of the upcoming league year.
More to come…
Colts To Place Transition Tag On Daniel Jones
To no surprise, Colts pending free agent quarterback Daniel Jones will not reach the open market unfettered. The Colts are placing the $37.833MM transition tag on Jones, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was among those to report.
This has been the expected outcome for at least a few days, though it will prevent the Colts from placing either the franchise or transition tag on pending free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce. Teams are only allowed to tag one player. The Colts and Pierce are progressing toward a multiyear deal. Indianapolis will have exclusive negotiating rights with Pierce until the legal tampering period opens March 9.
The 28-year-old Jones follows Jeff George (Falcons, 1996) as the second quarterback to receive the transition tag since the NFL introduced it in 1993. Unlike the franchise tag, a team that loses a transition player to an offer sheet is not entitled to any compensation. The Colts still have the right to match any offer that may come in, though, and they have until July 15 to continue working toward a multiyear agreement.
Jones, whom the Giants drafted sixth overall in 2019, has already signed one massive contract in his career. With the Giants of the belief Jones was a franchise QB, they inked him to a four-year, $160MM extension in March 2023. That wound up a regrettable decision for New York, which waived a struggling Jones in November 2024. He quickly joined the Vikings’ practice squad, but with Sam Darnold their starter then, Jones saw no game action.
The Vikings allowed Darnold to leave for Seattle in free agency last March. Jones exited for Indianapolis’ $14MM payday, but not before he turned down a richer offer from Minnesota. He believed he had a better path to playing time with the Colts than the Vikings, who were prepared to hand the reins to 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. The Colts also have a recent first-round QB in Anthony Richardson, though his stock has dropped considerably since he went fourth in the 2023 draft. Jones had little trouble beating out Richardson to become the Colts’ starter entering last season.
While expectations were low for the Jones-led Colts at the outset of the season, but they stormed to a 7-2 start before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Jones looked like a far better player than the one who regularly underwhelmed with the Giants. With the Colts in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC at the time, general manager Chris Ballard traded his 2027 and ’28 first-round picks to the Jets for star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The gamble blew up in Ballard’s face during an injury-ravaged second half for the Colts.
Gardner, No. 2 corner Charvarius Ward and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner all missed significant time down the stretch. Worst of all, Jones tore his Achilles in a Week 14 loss to the AFC South rival Jaguars. That proved to be a fatal blow for the Colts, who lost their third straight game that day and did not win again.
Bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to help cover for season-ending injuries to Jones and Richardson (orbital fracture) did not stop the bleeding for the Colts. Once 8-2, they closed the year on a seven-game skid and finished 8-9 for the second season in a row. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon nonetheless retained Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
Although Jones is just three months removed from a serious injury, the Colts are optimistic enough about his recovery to risk a $37.833MM guarantee for next season. Richardson, who has requested a trade, and 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard are the only other passers on the Colts’ roster. There is still at least some chance the Colts will lose Jones (the Vikings are reportedly interested in a reunion), which will continue to make this an interesting situation to watch.
Bears C Drew Dalman To Retire
With free agency approaching, the Bears are suddenly in need of a center. Drew Dalman has informed the team he is retiring at the age of 27, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Dalman joined the Bears on a three-year, $42MM contract in free agency last March. The fact that he is walking away from the game 12 months later comes as a shock. It’s also a brutal blow to the Bears’ offensive line. Dalman started all 17 games for the NFC North champions last season. He earned a Pro Bowl nod for the first time and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ seventh-best center out of 37 qualifiers.
Dalman’s agreement with Chicago came after he spent the first four years of his career in Atlanta. The 2021 fourth-round pick from Stanford spent his rookie year as a backup and played just 68 offensive snaps in 17 games. Dalman turned into a full-time starter in his second year and never looked back. Injuries limited him to 23 games from 2023-24, including just nine in the second of those seasons. That didn’t deter Chicago from making Dalman one of the game’s highest-paid centers. Before deciding to hang up his cleats, Dalman ranked top five at his position in total value, yearly salary and guarantees ($28MM).
The Dalman signing was just part of an offseason O-line makeover for the Bears. They also acquired guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in trades and spent a second-round pick on tackle Ozzy Trapillo.
More to come…
Browns To Release OT Cornelius Lucas
At the outset of free agency last March, veteran offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas joined the Browns on a two-year deal worth up to $10MM. The Browns are releasing Lucas a year later, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.
A spot starter throughout his 12-year career, Lucas will return to the open market off a 10-game season with Cleveland. The 34-year-old started in five games along an injury-ravaged Browns line. The majority of his work came at right tackle, where he racked up 221 snaps. He also played 64 snaps at left tackle in a Week 3 upset over the Packers.
Lucas’ release will be part of a massive O-line overhaul for the Browns this offseason. Pending free agent guard Wyatt Teller has already said his goodbyes to Cleveland on social media. Fellow soon-to-be free agent guard Joel Bitonio is mulling retirement. Reserve guard Teven Jenkins is also unsigned, as are tackles Cam Robinson and Jack Conklin, and center Ethan Pocic.
While the Browns are poised to lose a handful of linemen, they made a significant addition to the unit in acquiring guard/tackle Tytus Howard from the Texans on Monday. Cleveland and Howard quickly agreed to a three-year, $63MM extension. Further notable pickups will be in order over the next couple of months.
The Browns entered the day approximately $17.31MM over the salary cap. Releasing Lucas will free up $2.045MM and leave the club with $1.6MM in dead money. Also a former Lion, Ram, Saint, Bear and Commander, the well-traveled Lucas will head back to free agency with 139 games and 59 starts on his resume.
Vikings ‘Open’ To Trading Jonathan Greenard; Team Seeking Day 2 Pick?
Although outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is only halfway into a four-year, $76MM contract, the cap-strapped Vikings are “open” to dealing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Teams are of the belief the Vikings want a Day 2 draft pick in return, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
At approximately $46.49MM over the salary cap, the Vikings are mired in the second-worst financial situation in the NFL. The forthcoming releases of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will clear around $18.65MM from their books in 2026. Finding a taker for Greenard before June 1 would save the Vikings another $12.25MM, though they would also absorb a $9.9MM dead money charge.
Moving on from Greenard would help the Vikings get under the cap, but it would also deprive the team of one its best defenders. With that in mind, the Vikings would prefer to keep Greenard, according to Schefter. The former Texan had a tremendous debut with Minnesota in 2024, when he posted his first 17-game/start campaign and notched 59 tackles, 22 QB hits, 18 TFL, 12 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Greenard earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in his first year in Minnesota, though left shoulder troubles contributed to a noticeable drop in production last season. The 28-year-old totaled 38 tackles, 12 QB hits, 10 TFL, three sacks and a forced fumble over 12 games (10 starts). The Vikings shut him down in favor of season-ending surgery in mid-December.
“It was something he was playing through,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the time. “He knew he would not be able to put this behind him until probably he got it fixed, whenever that was going to be.”
Greenard will aim for a healthy rebound season in 2026, though it is now up in the air whether he’ll be in a different uniform by then. If he goes elsewhere, the Vikings would continue to rely on Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel as key pass rushers.
Colts, WR Alec Pierce Making Progress On Contract Talks
The countdown to the franchise tag deadline continues, and the Colts face a critical decision. Both Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce are pending free agents at the moment, and teams can only use one tag in a given offseason. 
Working out an long-term deal with at least one of the two would of course create a more straightforward decision for GM Chris Ballard and Co. Talks with Jones and Pierce have taken place, and deadlines have been known to result in contract agreements around the NFL. That could be the case for Indianapolis.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder reports there has been “positive movement” over the past 24 hours with respect to negotiations with Pierce. An agreement this afternoon “feels possible,” he adds. Of course, nothing has been finalized yet and the Colts need to keep in mind Jones’ situation. A transition tag could be in store in his case, something which would lead to a reduced one-year cost at the quarterback position. That would also, however, leave the door open to Pierce departing in free agency.
While playing out his rookie contract, the wideout established himself as more than a deep threat. Pierce’s overall skillset has drawn strong reviews, and at the age of 26 (as of May), he is in line to serve as a highly productive wideout for years to come. Pierce will not have a hard time lining up suitors in the event he reaches the open market. Indianapolis could prevent such a scenario with a long-term accord or – if the team leaves Jones’ future uncertain – the franchise tag.
A tag in Pierce’s case would cost $27.3MM, the amount George Pickens is due to earn from the Cowboys unless a new deal is worked out. That figure would be fully guaranteed and mark a massive raise compared to Pierce’s earnings on his rookie deal. A multiyear pact would accomplish the same feat while leaving the Colts free to tag Jones. Albert Breer of Sports Illutrated notes the 1,000-yard wideout is understandably seeking clarity on the team’s quarterback situation before committing to a big-ticket contract.
Jones impressed when healthy in 2025, his debut Colts campaign. The former Giant and Viking suffered an Achilles tear, however, something which complicates his market value. Even so, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports states (video link) Indianapolis’ choice at this point is realistically down to using the franchise or transition tag to ensure stability under center. That approach will be especially viable if Pierce agrees to a new deal, and it will be worth watching closely to see if an agreement can be reached ahead of the 3:00pm tag deadline.
RB Kenneth Walker III Likely To Leave Seattle?
MARCH 3: Walker will not receive the franchise tag, Graziano’s colleague Peter Schrager reports. Barring an agreement over the coming days, he will thus be able to depart in free agency. Only three previous Super Bowl MVPs have changed teams immediately winning the award, but that number could soon grow.
MARCH 1: 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.
Jets Place Franchise Tag On Breece Hall
Hours before the tag deadline, the Jets have made their call with respect to Breece Hall. The franchise tag will be applied, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Jets have since announced the news, with the non-exclusive tag being used. 
Conversations on a long-term deal were ongoing, and today’s move will buy time for further negotiations to take place. The transition tag had been floated as a potential route for the Jets to take in this case, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports multiple teams made it clear at last week’s Combine they would be prepared to move forward with an offer sheet in that event. To prevent such a scenario, the franchise tag will be used instead.
As a result, Hall is now on course to collect $14.29MM in 2026. That figure will be fully guaranteed, and it will match the 24-year-old’s cap charge for next season. Hughes reports the Jets expect Hall to play on the tag, but there are now several months of runway for team and player to work out an extension.
A report from earlier today indicated an agreement on that front was not close, pointing toward the tag being used. GM Darren Mougey had already made it clear New York would be tagging Hall in one fashion or another, and choosing the more common option ensures he will remain in place. Attention will now turn to the progress of extension talks through the spring. July 15 is the deadline for all tagged players to work out a long-term agreement with their respective teams.
This is the first time the Jets have used the franchise tag since 2021 when they did so with safety Marcus Maye. No multiyear accord wound up being agreed to in that case, and Maye departed the following year. Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have shown a willingness to trade away players they inherited upon arrival in 2024, and more moves in that regard could be coming. Hall did not find himself in position to land an extension last spring, but today’s news confirms he is still at least in New York’s short-term plans.
The Iowa State product set a new career high in rushing yards this past season, topping 1,000 for the first time. Hall has remained a focal point on offense since recovering from an ACL tear in his rookie campaign, handling between 266 and 299 touches each of the past three seasons. Even if the Jets manage to make needed improvements on offense this spring, Hall figures to once again be a major presence for the unit. Another strong showing would boost his market value for 2027 (if applicable).
The Jets entered Tuesday with nearly $88MM in cap space, so absorbing the cap hit of this tag will not be difficult even if no long-term agreement winds up being finalized. Aside from Hall negotiations, New York’s attention will turn to the matter of finding a new starting quarterback. Despite owning the second overall pick in April’s draft (along with another first-rounder), bringing in a rookie capable of handling QB1 duties right away may not be feasible. As such, at least one veteran addition when free agency opens next week will be something to watch for.
Only three running back contracts currently carry an average annual value higher than the price of Hall’s tag. It will be interesting to see if he manages to land security beyond 2026 as negotiations continue or if he will enter next season as a pending free agent.
Tepid Market For QB Derek Carr
Quarterback dominoes will soon begin falling around the league. One potential wild card at the position could be Derek Carr, who is giving thought to an NFL return. 
Carr retired during the 2025 offseason in a decision which ended his run with the Saints and allowed his injured throwing shoulder to heal. An NFL comeback is now being explored, although it remains to be seen if suitors will emerge in the near future. It appears as though there is currently little interest in this case.
Conversations SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora had with quarterback-needy teams “revealed no appetite” exists at this point for Carr. The four-time Pro Bowler is a full season removed from his last NFL action, and his two-year run as New Orleans’ starter largely fell short of expectations. Carr remains under contract with the Saints, a factor which could complicate any acquisition on the part of an interested team.
An agent La Canfora spoke with echoed the sentiment that Carr, who will turn 35 later this month, is not considered a major threat to the signal-callers set to reach free agency. Malik Willis will be the most in-demand QB of 2026, while at least most of Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith are positioned to be released shortly. Teams can pursue them without needing to work out a trade agreement, something which could easily leave Carr as a relatively unattractive option on the market. Even in advance of a weak draft class, Carr could struggle to find a starting gig.
The longtime Raiders passer has indicated he will be picky when evaluating his options. Joining a contender represents an obvious goal for Carr, who has made only one playoff start (a loss in 2021) in 11 NFL seasons to date. The Saints seem to have their long-term starter in the form of Tyler Shough, so they would presumably be amenable to most trade offers for Carr. Whether or not bids will be made to make a swap feasible is still unclear, though.
Steelers Release T Calvin Anderson
Calvin Anderson‘s time in Pittsburgh has come to an end. The veteran offensive lineman has been released, per the transactions wire (h/t KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). 
A recent report from Mike DeFabo of The Athletic indicated this move was coming. Anderson had one year remaining on his contract, but he is now headed to free agency early. This cut will create $2MM in cap savings while generating a dead money charge of only $415K.
Anderson played in Denver from 2020-22 before a one-year stint with New England. The former UDFA then joined the Steelers on a veteran minimum contract and made four appearances in 2024. Anderson remained on the market well past the start of free agency, but last April he signed a two-year pact to stay in Pittsburgh. Halfway through that contract, though, the Steelers have elected to move on.
This decision comes as little surprise. Anderson missed time early in the 2025 after recovering from an injury suffered in training camp and he landed on IR in mid-December. The Texas product was limited to just 73 combined snaps between offense and special teams as a result. Dylan Cook – who made four starts and five appearances in 2025 – was already ahead of Anderson on the depth chart prior to this move.
Cook is under contract for next year, and he figures to remain in Pittsburgh’s plans up front. The team currently has roughly $40MM in cap space, and some of that figure could be applied to additions along the offensive line. In any case, Anderson will be playing elsewhere in 2026.