Chargers, DT Teair Tart Agree To Extension
Teair Tart will be staying in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to an extension on Monday, ESPN’s Kris Rhim reports. 
Tart was on track for free agency this March, but this deal ensures he will not reach the open market. According to Rhim, the sides have agreed to a three-year pact. The deal is worth a maximum of $37.5MM and includes $20MM guaranteed, a massive raise compared to Tart’s previous NFL contracts.
Over the course of his career, Tart has amassed roughly $13MM in earnings. His time with the Chargers has gone well to say the least, though, and a sizable commitment has now been made to demonstrate as much. The former UDFA spent his first four seasons in the AFC South, splitting his time between the Titans and Texans. Tart joined the Dolphins in 2024 but ended up being cut in August. That resulted in a low-cost Chargers deal.
During his first year playing under Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, Tart handled a rotational role. He did enough to earn another one-year pact with the Bolts last offseason, with a notable bump in pay accompanying it. The FIU product secured $3.5MM guaranteed on his previous deal, one which set him up to handle a full-time starting role. Tart saw a career-high 49% snap share in 2025; he totaled 32 tackles, four pass deflections and one forced fumble along the way.
The 28-year-old was held without a sack in 2025 and has totaled just 3.5 over the course of his career. Tart will not expected to emerge as a major interior presence from a pass-rush perspective over the course of this contract, but he will be leaned on to remain an impactful contributor against the run. Los Angeles ranked eighth in that regard this season, and with Tart still in the fold expectations will be high for the team’s success to continue.
The Bolts recently lost defensive coordinator Jesse Minter when he became the new head coach of the Ravens. Tart loomed as a candidate to follow Minter to Baltimore in free agency, but given today’s news that will not be happening. The Chargers have made a number of draft investments along the defensive interior during recent years. Much of their core at that spot will remain intact, although Otto Ogbonnia‘s rookie contract is set to expire shortly. This Tart investment could point to a free agent departure in Ogbonnia’s case.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/24/26
Here are today’s minor moves, including standard gameday practice squad elevations for the Conference Championship teams not covered in larger posts:
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: DE Larrell Murchison, LB Elias Neal
Seattle Seahawks
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers, RB Velus Jones Jr.
Following a season-ending ACL tear to RB2 Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks are calling up Akers and Jones to assist recently activated running back George Holani in backing up Kenneth Walker for the NFC Championship game.
Broncos Activate C Luke Wattenberg From IR; RB J.K. Dobbins Ruled Out
After losing him for the final couple weeks of the regular season and missing him in the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have activated starting center Luke Wattenberg off their injured reserve in time for tomorrow’s Conference Championship. In a corresponding move, the team placed quarterback Bo Nix on IR following his season-ending ankle injury. 
After playing every snap of the season through 15 games for the Broncos, Wattenberg appeared on the injury report leading into Week 17 with a shoulder issue. Ultimately, it was determined that he would need to be placed on IR with the possibility that he may be able to make a return at about this point of the playoffs.
Denver turned to backup center Alex Forsyth, a third-year lineman taken out of the seventh round from Oregon, to take over in Wattenberg’s absence. Forsyth had previous subbed in as a starter for four games that Wattenberg missed in 2024, as well. In his role as the backup center, Forsyth ended up having some injury issues himself. In both his Week 18 and Divisional Round starts, third-string center Sam Mustipher was tasked with filling in for a couple snaps in place of Forsyth.
Now Wattenberg returns to close out the season for the Broncos, who are limping along at this point after the injury to Nix. The team is also without veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who was officially ruled out yesterday and will remain on IR, per Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. Additionally, second-leading wide receiver Troy Franklin seems to be trending in the wrong direction as he attempts to work through a hamstring injury.
As a result, the Broncos are utilizing their two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up wide receivers Michael Bandy and Elijah Moore for Sunday’s game. Moore was called up last week, as well, but has still yet to make his Broncos debut. According to Tomasson, Moore was aware that he wouldn’t be playing last week and that the elevation was just a way of rewarding him with a full game check. Franklin’s hamstring issue opens the door, though, to some potential playing time for taxi squad pass catchers.
Though the offense isn’t at 100 percent, it’s the Broncos defense that’s gotten them this far. They’ll need that side of the ball to hold off the visiting Patriots enough to allow for backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, rookie running back RJ Harvey, and the rest of the offense to find success at this most crucial point of the season.
Patriots Activate Mack Hollins From IR
An already strong Patriots offense will welcome back a key reinforcement against the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots have activated wide receiver Mack Hollins from injured reserve. Hollins landed on IR with an abdomen injury on Dec. 27.
After a solid 2025 showing with AFC East rival Buffalo, Hollins joined New England on a two-year, $8.4MM agreement in free agency. The move reunited Hollins with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who first coached the well-traveled wideout in Las Vegas in 2022.
Hollins posted career highs in receptions (57), targets (94) and yards (690) in his lone season with the Raiders, and he was similarly productive this year before his IR stint. In his first 15 games as a Patriot, the 32-year-old Hollins hauled in 46 receptions on 65 targets, racked up 550 yards, and found the end zone twice.
Despite missing the last two games of the regular season, Hollins led Pats receivers in snaps (657), edging out Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs. The Patriots and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye nonetheless rattled off four straight wins without Hollins, including playoff victories over the Chargers and Texans.
With a win in Denver over backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a former Patriot who will fill in for the injured Bo Nix, New England will earn its 12th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots will enter the game as rare road favorites, and the return of Hollins should further increase their chances of pulling it out.
Along with activating Hollins, the Patriots made a handful of other roster moves on Saturday. The team placed defensive tackle Eric Gregory on IR, elevated running back D’Ernest Johnson and DT Leonard Taylor from the practice squad, and released receiver Trent Sherfield from its taxi squad.
Sherfield, who played 10 games with the Broncos this season, signed with the Patriots on Jan. 13. There’s little doubt the Patriots quizzed Sherfield on the Broncos during his short stay in New England.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/23/26
Friday’s only reserve/futures deal:
Pittsburgh Steelers
- TE J.J. Galbreath
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 1/23/26
Here is today’s only practice squad transaction:
New England Patriots
- Released: DE Darrell Taylor
A former part-time starter as a second-round pick with the Seahawks, Taylor racked up 21.5 sacks in his first three seasons. He’s struggled to maintain that success ever since in stops at Chicago, Houston, and now New England, where he failed to appear in a game.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/23/26
Here are today’s only minor moves heading into Championship weekend:
Seattle Seahawks
- Activated from IR: TE Elijah Arroyo, RB George Holani
- Placed on IR: G Bryce Cabeldue, RB Zach Charbonnet (story)
The Seahawks are bringing in some reinforcements at the right time. Following the loss of Charbonnet to a torn ACL, Holani returns after months away dealing with a hamstring injury. They’ll also see the return of their third-round rookie Arroyo, who was running as TE2 before getting placed on injured reserve after a Week 14 injury.
Rams Designate RT Rob Havenstein For Return
JANUARY 23: The Rams will continue to go without Havenstein in the NFC Championship Game, Sarah Barshop of ESPN reports. He’ll miss his 10th straight game.
JANUARY 22: Although the coaching carousel has ignited PFR’s search trackers into high gear, our IR Return Tracker is still covering four teams. And a few are making moves ahead of this weekend’s conference championship round.
The Broncos have designated both J.K. Dobbins and Luke Wattenberg for return, while the Patriots saw Mack Hollins return to practice Thursday. The Seahawks designated running back George Holani for return as well. The Rams are now on the board here, as their longest-tenured player — right tackle Rob Havenstein — is back at practice after several weeks off, per the AP’s Greg Beacham.
Havenstein has not played since Week 11, a win over the Seahawks, but could be back in time for the team’s rubber match. Havenstein, who has only played in seven games this season, has missed extensive time due to ankle and knee trouble. The Rams were without their 11th-year right tackle for a three-game stretch in October as well. Although he returned for some November work, he has been on the shelf since the Rams’ home win over the Hawks.
Havenstein, 33, has been the Rams’ RT starter since Nick Foles‘ lone season at the controls. The former St. Louis second-round pick — the only Ram left from their Missouri years — has started 148 games for the team, having signed two extensions to stay in Los Angeles. That ranks seventh among O-linemen in the Rams’ near-90-year history as a franchise. If the two-time Super Bowl starter returns for the 2026 season, he could move past Orlando Pace and into the top five.
But the Rams have seen their once-durable blocker run into persistent injury trouble over the past two seasons. Havenstein missed six games last year, battling ankle trouble in 2024 as well. He also missed three games in 2023. The Wisconsin product was on the field for the Rams’ two playoff games last season, before undergoing surgery on both shoulders, and will have a chance to return for Sunday’s NFC decider. If the Rams do not activate Havenstein and win Sunday, they could activate him for Super Bowl LX.
L.A. has used Warren McClendon as its Havenstein replacement. McClendon, a 2023 fifth-round pick, has started 10 games this season. All 667 of his 2025 snaps have come at right tackle. Pro Football Focus has graded McClendon 15th among all qualified tackles, giving the Rams a potential option in 2026. Havenstein’s three-year, $34.5MM contract expires at season’s end.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/22/26
Today’s reserve/futures deals:
New York Giants
San Francisco 49ers
- TE Hayden Rucci
Leal spent four seasons with the Steelers, starting six games over his first two. The 2022 third-round pick only saw action in nine Pittsburgh games over the past two campaigns. He has one career sack. Leal has, however, offered some versatility, seeing regular time on the edge and at defensive tackle in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 scheme.
Lions OL Dan Skipper Announces Retirement
Lions offensive lineman Dan Skipper announced his retirement via Instagram on Thursday.
The 31-year-old spent time with seven different teams in his seven-year career, though he is best known for his time in Detroit. He signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2017, but eventually made his way to Detroit for his NFL debut later that year. Skipper spent time with the Broncos and Patriots over the next two seasons before seeing his next regular-season action with the Texans in 2019.
Skipper returned to Detroit in 2019 where he would spend the rest of his career aside from brief stints with the Raiders and Colts. In 2022, he made his first start at left guard; he would go on to start five games that year, all at guard, a position he had not played in the NFL. Skipper then served as the Lions’ swing tackle from 2023 to 2025 with 10 starts at left tackle in the last two years.
The Lions also introduced Skipper’s now-signature role as the Lions’ sixth offensive linemen in 2022. Then-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson would frequently roll out ‘jumbo’ packages which would typically feature Skipper as an extra blocker. He would occasionally run a route and caught two passes, including a touchdown in 2023. The strategy often confused the defense and sometimes the referees. It also made Skipper beloved among Lions fans.
Injuries were a factor in Skipper’s decision, according to Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network. He will now move into coaching and already has his first gig set up as the offensive line and tight ends coach for the East/West Shrine Bowl next week.
At 6-foot-10, Skipper was also the NFL’s tallest active player. That title is now passed to a number of players who all stand at 6-foot-8.