Browns Could Extend S Grant Delpit
Browns safety Grant Delpit attended voluntary minicamp this week, but he did not participate in practice. That led to speculation Delpit was staging a “hold-in” as an attempt to land a raise, though Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com points to a minor injury as the reason he sat out.
If Delpit is interested in landing a contract extension before a potential trip to free agency next March, it appears he will be in luck. The Browns “will undoubtedly explore” a new deal for Delpit before or during the season, per Cabot, who writes the team is “still as excited” as ever about the soon-to-be 28-year-old.
Delpit has spent his entire career in Cleveland, which drafted him in the second round in 2020. The former LSU Tiger wound up missing his entire rookie year after tearing his Achilles in training camp, but he has bounced back well since then. After coming off the bench in eight of 15 games in 2021, Delpit started in 61 of 63 appearances from 2022-25. The 6-foot-3, 208-pounder has notched a pair of 100-tackle seasons and totaled seven interceptions, including a career-high four in 2022.
Delpit contributed 89 tackles and another pick last year, his second 17-game season. He was on the field for 95.92% of defensive plays, trailing only safety partner Ronnie Hickman (98.48%). While amassing 391 snaps in the box, 271 in the slot, 227 at free safety and 96 along the defensive line, the versatile Delpit posted career highs in quarterback hits (seven), sacks (three), forced fumbles (two) and fumble recoveries (two). His performance ranked a respectable 40th among Pro Football Focus’ 91 qualifying safeties.
Thanks in part to Delpit, the Browns’ defense ranked fourth in the NFL in an otherwise bleak year for the team. The unit has since undergone a couple of massive changes. Acclaimed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned in February after the Browns hired Todd Monken instead of him as their head coach. Monken then replaced Schwartz with first-time DC Mike Rutenberg.
When Monken and Rutenberg signed up for their jobs over the winter, reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was on the Browns’ roster. That is no longer the case, as they shipped the future Hall of Fame pass rusher to the Rams in a blockbuster trade on June 1. Although Cleveland is unlikely to compete for a playoff spot this year, Garrett’s departure is not expected to lead to a fire sale. Otherwise, players like Delpit and cornerback Denzel Ward could have been candidates to follow Garrett out the door in summer trades.
If Delpit sticks around in Cleveland on another extension, it would be his second with the franchise. Delpit is entering the last season of the three-year, $36MM accord he signed in December 2023. It was the 12th-richest deal for safeties at the time. Delpit is now just inside the top 20 in guarantees (17th; $23.61MM), total value (18th) and average annual salary (18th). His standing in those categories could improve if he and the Browns work something out in the coming months.
Colts WR Ashton Dulin In Lead For Starting Job?
After trading Michael Pittman Jr. to the Steelers in March, the Colts are on track to head into the season with a questionable receiving corps. Their four-year, $114MM offer was enough to keep deep threat Alec Pierce from leaving in free agency, but his status for training camp is up in the air in the wake of offseason ankle surgery.
Assuming Pierce is healthy by the time Week 1 rolls around, he and slot wideout Josh Downs will fill major roles. The other starting spot is up for grabs. Ashton Dulin, free agent addition Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Laquon Treadwell and seventh-round rookie Deion Burks are vying for the gig. Dulin’s familiarity with head coach Shane Steichen‘s offense could tip the scale in his favor, James Boyd of The Athletic observes. Meanwhile, Mike Chappell of FOX 59 pegs Dulin as the front-runner for the job.
Dulin has been a member of the Colts since he signed with them as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He came out of Division II Malone, which Boyd notes no longer even has a football program.
This season will be Dulin’s fourth under Steichen, who has primarily deployed him as a special teamer. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has logged a special teams snap share between 51% and 71% in each of his five seasons (he missed all of 2023 with a torn ACL). For good reason, as Dulin earned second-team All-Pro honors as a gunner in 2021 and has averaged an impressive 29.8 yards on 37 career kick returns. He returned a personal-high 16 kicks last year and averaged the second-most yards in the NFL (32.3).
While Dulin has established himself as an asset on special teams, he will have to show he is capable of taking on a larger offensive workload. Dulin has put up a robust 15.6 yards per reception in the pros, but he has caught just 40 passes and four touchdowns in 82 games. The 29-year-old combined for a mere seven catches in 27 games from 2024-25. The good news for Dulin is that he isn’t facing especially stiff competition.
Westbrook-Ikhine recorded four straight seasons of over 25 catches and 370 yards with the Titans from 2021-24, but the Dolphins released him after he managed just 11 and 89 in those respective categories last year. He had to settle for a cheap deal with the Colts, who included only $250K in guaranteed money in the pact.
Treadwell was a first-round pick of the Vikings in 2016, though he is now a 31-year-old journeyman who has never lived up to his 23rd overall draft slot. Treadwell has been in and out of the Colts organization for the past couple of years, but his most recent reception came as a member of the Ravens back in 2023. He caught one ball in five games that year.
If the Colts decide Dulin & Co. are not starting-caliber receivers, they may be candidates to sign one of the proven veterans left in free agency. Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, Keenan Allen, Tyreek Hill, Brandin Cooks and DeAndre Hopkins are some of the names still on the market. Indianapolis has the league’s seventh-most cap space ($31.67MM), giving the team ample room to upgrade at the position.
Pats Not Expected To Add Edge Defender; Latest On Gabe Jacas
Despite finishing 19th in pass rush win rate and 26th in sacks last year, the Patriots have not been ultra-aggressive in upgrading their group of outside linebackers this offseason. Their most notable moves have included swapping out K’Lavon Chaisson for Dre’Mont Jones in free agency and spending a second-round pick on Gabe Jacas.
Edge defenders such as Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Von Miller, Leonard Floyd and former Patriot Kyle Van Noy are among the accomplished veterans still looking for jobs. Any could help a team in need of a pass-rushing boost, but the Pats are not expected to add anyone between now and training camp, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Head coach Mike Vrabel called his current cast “a good group” on Thursday.
Jones and Harold Landry, who led the AFC-winning Patriots with 8.5 sacks in 2025, are in line to start this season. A healthy Jacas could fall in line right behind them, but the problem is that the former Illinois standout has not been at full strength this spring.
Vrabel revealed earlier this week that Jacas, who has mostly been away from the team since the draft, is recovering from surgery. He didn’t go into detail, but it turns out Jacas had a cleanup procedure on his knee, Mike Reiss of ESPN reports. The surgery should not affect Jacas’ availability for 2026, per Reiss, who adds that he could be ready for training camp.
Along with his knee, there are other health-related questions with Jacas. He did not participate at the Combine in February or Illinois’ pro day in March as a result of a hamstring injury. There are also concerns that a labral tear in Jacas’ shoulder could need medical attention at some point, two sources from different NFL teams told Reiss. Additionally, there is a stress fracture in Jacas’ foot that might “worsen over time,” Reiss writes. Despite those problems, the two sources informed Reiss that their teams gave Jacas a passing grade on his physical.
While New England is hopeful Jacas will make an impact this year, it will have to get him under contract first. Jacas is the lone member of the Patriots’ nine-player draft class and the only second-rounder in the league who has not signed yet. As a result, he has not been with the team since rookie minicamp in early May. That largely stems from the fact that the Patriots have not given Jacas a standard “participation agreement,” which most rookies receive, Reiss relays. As Reiss explains, those agreements state that if a player a suffers an injury before inking his rookie deal, the team would still have to sign him to a pact based on the value of his draft slot.
As the 55th pick, Jacas is in line to receive around $8.6MM on his four-year accord. Most of it will be guaranteed, though there is more haggling required in this case because of his health questions.
If the Patriots aren’t confident Jacas will be ready when camp rolls around, perhaps they will take a harder look at the available group of free agent OLBs. As things stand, Jones, Landry, Elijah Ponder, Bradyn Swinson, Jesse Luketa and seventh-round rookie Quintayvious Hutchins are among in-house options who are under contract.
Health A Factor In Baker Mayfield Extension Talks
As quarterback Baker Mayfield completed his third season as the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback on the second year of a three-year deal, it became clear that there were zero intentions on either side for the veteran to play on a contract year for the upcoming season. Tampa Bay’s most recent ideas for a long-term deal appeared to be far under what Mayfield had been expecting, and according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, it seems health is a main factor why.
Over the course of the 2025 season, it became clear that, if an extension was going to get done, it wouldn’t come until the offseason. Ownership and the front office were all on board, and head coach Todd Bowles added his approval to the chorus yesterday.
When asked abut the progress of a new deal just over a week ago, though, Mayfield told reporters that he and the team were “not anywhere close” to an agreement. This comment came after some initial talks had taken place, and it seemed clear that the two sides will just need to continue working towards progress with no holdout likely on the table.
On its face, people might wonder how health can be considered a factor dragging down value for a quarterback who has started 51 of a possible 51 regular season games behind center since joining the Buccaneers. While that’s true, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Mayfield has been the picture of health. In fact, just last year, he suffered a shoulder sprain in his non-throwing should that limited him but didn’t hold him out. Following the injury, the team would go on to lose four of its last six games to just barely miss the playoffs. The year before saw Mayfield play through an Achilles injury suffered in a Week 13 matchup.
The team has Super Bowl aspirations, but that ultimate goal will be extremely difficult to attain if the driver of their offense continues to blow tires down crucial stretches of the season. The Buccaneers see it as an aspect of the game that Mayfield tends to neglect. His aggressive, sometimes ill-advised scrambles over the years will continue to have greater and greater effects on his health as he gets older each season. Bowles told the media that, while Mayfield “makes some great scrambles…understanding how to get down and putting himself out of harm’s way” will be crucial to the team’s success moving forward.
The two sides will have to continue to be open about these conversations in order to get their next ideas for an extension closer together. Per Stroud, Mayfield has reportedly set a deadline of the start of training camp to reach a new deal. If they can’t get it done by then, he does not intend to negotiate into the season. General manager Jason Licht isn’t worried about what that will mean for Mayfield’s in-season effort for the team, though. Mayfield has been in the position of having one year to earn his worth in the past, and it already led to an extension of his time in Tampa once before.
DE Aldon Smith Dies At 36
Former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith has died, as noted in a press release from the 49ers. He was 36.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” a team statement reads. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.
“Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
Smith was the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft. He made an immediate impact in San Francisco, nothing 14 sacks that season. Smith finished second in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. A strong follow-up campaign ensued, with the Missouri product totaling 19.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro honors.
Legal issues increasingly became a theme during Smith’s NFL tenure. He spent time on the NFI list in 2013 following the decision to voluntarily enter a rehabilitation in the wake of a DUI arrest. Smith later saw charges stemming from an incident at the Los Angeles International Airport in 2014 dropped, but he served a nine-game suspension that season.
During the following summer, Smith was involved in an alleged hit and run incident which resulted in charges including DUI and vandalism. The 49ers released him on the following day. Smith managed to quickly sign with the Raiders upon becoming a free agent, although he was issued another suspension (this time spanning one year) late in the 2015 campaign.
Smith unsuccessfully applied for reinstatement and wound up remaining suspended from 2016-19. A domestic violence allegation resulted in his Raiders release in 2018. Smith’s return to NFL action took place in 2020 as a member of the Cowboys. After serving as a full-time starter for one year in Dallas, a free agent deal with the Seahawks was worked out. Shortly after the Seattle signing, however, Smith was booked on a battery charge. That resulted in his Seahawks release. In December 2021, Smith was arrested and booked on a felony charge of DUI causing injury. A 12-month jail sentence came about as a result of that latest off-field incident.
Smith was not connected to any attempts at an NFL return following the end of that sentence. His legacy on the field includes the all-time record for sacks during a player’s first two seasons, but also the missed time following that encouraging start due to a number of legal issues which resulted in a brief playing career.
Saints WR Chris Olave Still Recovering From Blood Clot
Saints wide receiver Chris Olave missed the end of the 2025 season due to a blood clot in his lung. His original return timeline was four weeks, but more than six months later, he has yet to complete his recovery.
Olave has not participated in team drills during New Orleans’ offseason practices, per Matthew Paras of The Times-Picayune. He has been present at OTAs – notable since he and the Saints are in the middle of contract negotiations – but the team is giving him a long runway to ramp up his involvement. Clubs are generally cautious about player injuries during the offseason, especially with a highly dangerous medical issue like a blood clot, especially when there is big money involved.
Olave, 24, has two years left on his rookie contract and is due $3.33MM this season and a $15.49MM fifth-year option in 2027. That is not the money the Saints are looking to protect. They want to ensure a long-term investment in their star wideout – which could include $100MM or more in guarantees – rewards them with several years of high-level play. Continuing a gradual ramp-up process may be ideal for both Olave’s health and financial security.
The Saints have also been cautious with several members of their rookie class. First-round receiver Jordyn Tyson is still dealing with the lingering hamstring issue that plagued him during the pre-draft process. He was a limited participant at OTAs, per Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, along with second-round defensive tackle Christen Miller and fifth-round safety Lorenzo Styles. Head coach Kellen Moore revealed that fourth-round tight end Oscar Delp, who was also limited, is dealing with a hamstring injury of his own.
Bears CB Kyler Gordon Remains Injured Through Minicamp
Kyler Gordon made only five combined regular and postseason appearances in 2025. Well into the offseason, the veteran cornerback has still not been able to participate in practices.
Gordon was sidelined for OTAs due to a soft-tissue injury. That situation has now stretched through to mandatory minicamp. Gordon has been at the team’s facility while rehabbing, as noted by Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Nevertheless, he has not been on the field so far.
“This spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction,” head coach Ben Johnson said (via Finley) about Gordon’s situation. “So, you know, we’re still working through that. We’re still trying to get that availability piece going.”
Things have not gone according to plan on the rehab front, as demonstrated by Johnson’s remarks. There is of course still time for Gordon to heal in full leading up to training camp, but his situation will be worth monitoring over the course of the summer. The 26-year-old is on track for another season as Chicago’s starting slot corner when he is back on the field.
Gordon logged double-digit appearances during each of his first three seasons in the NFL. In 2024, the former second-rounder inked an extension making him the league’s highest-paid slot CB at the time. Gordon is under team control through 2028 as a result. Expectations will be high for a strong showing in the Bears’ secondary this season and beyond, provided the 26-year-old can avoid a repeat of last year’s separate injured reserve stints.
Despite leading the NFL in interceptions during Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen‘s first season with Chicago, the team only ranked 22nd against the pass. Improvement in that regard will be key as the Bears aim to replicate their success from last year. Gordon figures to play a key role in those efforts, but it remains to be seen when he will back to full strength.
QB Will Grier Considered Position On Cowboys’ Coaching Staff Prior To Panthers Signing
Will Grier‘s football journey continued in 2026 with a return to the Panthers being worked out. The veteran quarterback is set to handle No. 3 duties with his original team as a result.
Prior to deciding on his latest playing contract, though, Grier received the opportunity to begin his coaching career. The Cowboys offered the 31-year-old a spot on Brian Schottenheimer‘s staff following the 2025 season (which was spent on Dallas’ practice squad). As recalled by Grier’s father Chad, Will nearly accepted the offer.
“Man, there’s not a huge chance you’re gonna play [in Carolina] this year,” Chad Grier said (via The Athletic’s Joe Person). “But there’s zero chance you get to play if you’re coaching. So I would say you stay in that league as a player as long as you possibly can. You have the rest of your life to coach.”
Grier entered the NFL as a Panthers draftee in 2019. The former third-rounder made two appearances as a rookie, but he has not seen any regular-season action since. Grier has managed to remain in the NFL, though, and he will add at least one more season to his resume from a playing perspective. Given the willingness of the Cowboys to add him to their staff, future opportunities can certainly be expected beginning next year.
In 2026, the Panthers will once again have Bryce Young as their starting quarterback. The coming season will be critical as Carolina gives thought to a long-term extension in his case. The team signed Kenny Pickett in March in a move which set up the trade sending Andy Dalton to Philadelphia. Grier is slated to spend 2026 behind those two on the depth chart.
Playing time during the fall is once again highly unlikely as a result. Nevertheless, Grier represents a candidate to immediately transition to coaching once he elects to hang up his cleats.
Australia Opener Could Affect TE George Kittle’s Return
When 49ers tight end George Kittle suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs last year, it seemed the natural conclusion that he would be missing some of the regular season in 2026. The team first set its sights on an early-season return, an ambitious but somewhat reasonable goal.
When it was made known that Kittle was hopeful for a Week 1 return, it seemed things were trending closer to ambition than reasonability. Not to say that Kittle cannot find his way back to the field when he hopes to, but every time that timeline for recovery grows shorter, it decreases the likelihood that Kittle will be healed and ready. That timeline got involuntarily shorter when the Week 1 moved up four days with the league’s schedule release. With the 49ers being one of two teams assigned to the league’s new Australia addition to the international game series, Kittle’s Week 1 deadline moved closer.
Even aside from the four-day difference in Week 1 dates, Kittle will need to be well enough to be able to sit for a 15-hour flight before then playing in an all new timezone, something Kittle seemed to voice concern over in an appearance on Front Office Sports with Baker Machado. As much as Kittle wants to be there for his team right out of the gates, it may be decided that the trip will do more harm than good in his recovery efforts. After watching Kittle miss stretches throughout the season last year, San Francisco may choose to be more safe than sorry.
So far, Kittle’s updates post-surgery have been mostly positive. After the draft, Kittle claimed that, 13 weeks removed from surgery, he was trending ahead of schedule. “My Achilles is doing great, no setbacks in my recovery,” Kittle said recently, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Checking all the boxes, doing everything I’m supposed to do. My surgeon’s happy. My physical therapist in LA, who works with him, is super happy. Niners are happy. I’m happy.”
Kittle acknowledges the round trop to Melbourne to start the season as a “challenge,” but more specifically, he refers to it as “just another challenge.” It was ambitious to aim for an early-season return. It was more ambitious to aim for no missed time in the regular season at all. With the added hurdle of extended travel, Kittle seems ready for the challenge.
Bears Announce More Front Office Updates
As the Bears have continued to update staff positions on their website over the past few days, Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com has noticed a few new changes in the team’s front office. According to Stratton, recent promotions have named Trey Koziol the new senior director of player personnel, Breck Ackley the new director of player personnel, Jeff Shiver as a new senior executive scout, Andrea Wright the new football administration & analytics manager, and Jason Harris as a new scouting assistant.
Koziol only arrived in Chicago in 2022, when he was hired as co-director of player personnel. He first started in the NFL as a scouting intern for the Titans in 2008. He was promoted the next year to pro scout and spent four more years in that role in Tennessee. In 2013, he was hired as an area scout in Kansas City, where he reunited with former Boston College teammate Ryan Poles. The Chiefs promoted Koziol to national scout after five years then, three years later, named him assistant director of college scouting. He only worked one year in that role before following Poles to Chicago.
Ackley has been with the Bears since 2012, following a short attempt at coaching at the collegiate level. Working his way up the ranks over the years, Ackley won a BART award as one of the NFL’s top 10 scouts in the inaugural year of the award. He was promoted two years ago to director of college scouting and will now have broader responsibilities over the entire player personnel department alongside Koziol.
Shiver is a longtime veteran of the front office in Chicago, hired back in 1987 as one of only four scouts for the team at the time. He’s seen the department grow, he’s seen the league grow, he may even soon see the team grow their fan base in a new state. Entering his 40th season on the Bears’ staff, Shiver’s presence in the building continues with a new prefix added onto his title.
Wright joined the Bears in 2023 after working roles in analytics at Miami (OH) and Xavier. She started in Chicago as a football research associate and was promoted after a year to football administration and analytics coordinator. After two years in the position, she’s upgraded from coordinator to manager.