Patriots Intend To Release Stefon Diggs
The Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that they will release him at the start of the league year next week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Diggs took to Instagram to thank the Patriots on Wednesday.
It will be a one-and-done stint in New England for Diggs, who signed a three-year, $63.3MM deal with the team last spring. Diggs was then recovering from an October 2024 ACL tear that occurred during his lone year with the Texans. Also a former Viking and Bill, Diggs showed no ill effects from his injury last season.
Playing all 17 regular-season games, the four-time Pro Bowler ended up an integral part of a New England team that stunningly improved from 4-13 to 14-3 in 2025. The Patriots won the AFC East and advanced to Super Bowl LX, where they fell to the Seahawks, 29-13.
The 32-year-old Diggs was MVP candidate Drake Maye‘s favorite option throughout the season. Diggs easily led the Patriots in receptions (85), targets (102) and yards (1,013). He also grabbed four touchdowns.
Diggs was less productive during the Pats’ four-game postseason run, in which he averaged just 7.9 yards on 14 catches. His short Patriots tenure also included some unwanted off-field drama. A video of Diggs flashing an “unidentified pink substance” during a yacht party surfaced last May.
When asked about it, head coach Mike Vrabel said, “It’s something we’re aware of and obviously we want to make great decisions on and off the field.”
Diggs never received any punishment for that incident, and there was no further trouble for several months. However, that ended when a Dec. 2 incident involving Diggs came to light on Dec. 30. Diggs’ former personal chef told police he entered her unlocked bedroom during a financial dispute and “smacked her across the face.” She added that Diggs “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”
Diggs pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of strangulation and a charge of misdemeanor assault and battery on Feb. 13. He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on April 1. Depending on how the process plays out, Diggs could face disciplinary action from the league next season. That will hang over his head as he seeks another team in free agency.
The Patriots will no longer have to worry about a potential suspension for Diggs, though the loss of a seven-time 1,000-yard wideout will leave an obvious void in their receiving corps. Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown has come up as a potential trade target, but the Eagles’ asking price has been prohibitive to this point. In addition to Brown, the Diggs-less Patriots are sure to explore other possibilities this offseason.
The Pats already had upward of $39MM in cap space entering the day. Cutting Diggs will give them more money to pursue help at receiver and other positions. Once his release becomes official, the Patriots will add $16.8MM in spending room at the cost of $9.7MM in dead cap. They will also avoid paying $6MM in base salary that would have vested on March 13.
Chiefs To Release T Jawaan Taylor
MARCH 4: The Chiefs have informed Taylor that they will release him today, per Schefter.
MARCH 2: As expected, Jawaan Taylor will be playing elsewhere in 2026. The veteran tackle will be released unless a trade partner can be found, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
During his three years in Kansas City, Taylor has not lived up to expectations. Signed to a four-year, $80MM free agent pact in 2023, the former Jaguar has operated as a full-time right tackle starter but continually struggled with penalties. Taylor loomed as a logical cut candidate entering this offseason, and a recent report indicated a release was likely in this case. It would certainly come as a surprise if a team were to take on the final year of his contract, so a cut should take place soon.
Taylor was due to collect a base salary of $19.5MM in 2026 while carrying a cap hit of $27.39MM. Instead, the Chiefs will free up $20MM in cap space with a release; doing so will generate a dead money charge of $7.39MM. Jaylon Moore represents an in-house replacement for Taylor in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, this Taylor cut will move Kansas City into cap compliance (although more cost-shedding move could of course be coming).
Entering his age-28 season, Taylor will offer considerable experience to his next team. With 111 appearances and starts in the NFL, he will look to remain a first-team presence when weighing his free agent options. Given the way things played out in Kansas City, however, the former second-round pick will no doubt receive a much less lucrative deal than he did during his first trip to free agency. Still, tackles at his age do not often become available, so it will be interesting to see how his market develops.
Taylor has remained consistent in terms of his PFF evaluations over the course of his career. The Florida product has has finished no better than 49th among qualifying tackles for overall grade in a season, something which took place during his rookie campaign. Significant improvement would come as a surprise at this point, but Taylor could still be viewed as a veteran capable of handling starting right tackle duties by teams in need of additions up front. A short-term agreement could allow him to line up a new gig in relatively short order.
Moore, 28, has only totaled 18 starts so far in his career. The former 49er will collect $15MM in 2026, the final year of his contract. A full-time role in the starting lineup will of course go a long way in establishing his value for next spring. After left tackle Josh Simmons was limited to eight games as a rookie, Kansas City could be in the market for depth at the position this month. In any case, the team’s setup will not include Taylor for 2026.
Rams To Acquire CB Trent McDuffie From Chiefs
Eight years after the Chiefs sent Marcus Peters to the Rams, the two teams engaged in discussions about another blockbuster cornerback trade. This time, Trent McDuffie is the Los Angeles target. A deal has come together swiftly.
The Rams are sending the Chiefs No. 29 overall, along with 2026 fifth- and sixth-rounders, for McDuffie, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports. This deal will also send Kansas City Los Angeles’ 2027 third-round pick, per Russini.
The teams were “deep in talks” on this trade a few minutes ago, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported. Mentioned previously as way for the Chiefs to clear cap space, trading McDuffie would also reunite him with ex-Washington HC Jimmy Lake, who is on the Rams’ staff as DBs coach and pass-game coordinator. This reminds of the Chiefs’ 2025 Joe Thuney trade, which broke minutes after the team was mentioned as discussing him with the Bears.
In PFR’s Chiefs Offseason Outlook, I broached the subject of the AFC powerhouse pivoting from McDuffie extension talks and using the contract as a way to fetch rookie-deal assets. The Chiefs have done this repeatedly at corner. They have now traded Peters, McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed under Andy Reid. The team has also let starters Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller and Charvarius Ward walk in free agency.
It will be interesting to see if Kansas City attempts to re-sign Jaylen Watson — whose second contract will be much cheaper than McDuffie’s — as a result of this swap. The Chiefs and McDuffie resumed extension talks recently, but it seems the cornerback’s price point was out of the team’s comfort zone. Landing a picks package after failed extension talks is familiar territory.
Much like in 2022, when the Chiefs bailed on Tyreek Hill extension talks after the price escalated, Kansas City has deemed an extension too pricey and will move on for a picks package headlined by a first-rounder. McDuffie initially came to K.C. via that Hill asset trove, with the Chiefs trading up to draft him in 2022. Playing both outside and in the slot, McDuffie became a linchpin for Steve Spagnuolo‘s defenses. He earned All-Pro recognition in 2023 and ’24 and has worked as the team’s secondary anchor, complementing Chris Jones and Nick Bolton as Chiefs defensive pillars.
The Chiefs entered Wednesday more than $6MM over the cap; this move — which cannot be official until March 11, when the 2026 league year begins — will slide the AFC West team under the salary ceiling. Kansas City had already cut Mike Danna and is planning to release Jawaan Taylor. Kristian Fulton, who did not play well after the Chiefs gave him a $10MM-per-year deal, can also deliver some notable cap savings.
McDuffie and the Chiefs were negotiating an extension before last season, but the sides could not hammer out an agreement. A fall report indicated McDuffie was eyeing a potential top-market contract. Considering how stingy the Chiefs have been at cornerback, that report made a trade somewhat logical to predict. McDuffie, 25, is now headed to L.A. with one season left — a fifth-year option campaign ($13.63MM) — on his rookie contract.
A quirk in the CBA’s fifth-year option formula allowed the Chiefs to save money on McDuffie’s option. Although McDuffie is a former first- and second-team All-Pro, he has never been named an original-ballot Pro Bowler. The latter honor is what triggers option bumps, and McDuffie ended up on the third rung of the option ladder. But the option price is now the Rams’ issue. Given what is being traded here, it would surprise if L.A. did not have an extension planned.
The Rams did not pay Peters in 2018, eventually trading him to the Ravens in 2019, but this trade reminds of Les Snead‘s former “eff them picks” mantra. Los Angeles traded a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks in 2018 and extended the receiver soon after. They traded two firsts for Jalen Ramsey in 2019 and extended the All-Pro corner in 2020. The Rams traded two firsts for Matthew Stafford in 2021 and paid him a year later. They dealt second- and third-rounders for Von Miller months into the Stafford tenure, and the Stafford-Ramsey-Miller trades helped Snead and Sean McVay secure a championship.
Cornerback play cost the Rams dearly in 2025. Although the Rams went punch-for-punch with the eventual champion Seahawks in the NFC title game, Sam Darnold finished with 346 yards and three touchdown passes in a shootout win. The Rams were linked to reacquiring Ramsey last year but stood down. L.A. will now use its own first-round pick — a year after acquiring No. 13 from Atlanta, as the Falcons traded up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. — to transform that position group.
They ended up using rookie-deal corners and aging cog Darious Williams, with a midseason trade for Roger McCreary not impacting the defense much. McCreary and Cobie Durant are free agents, and Williams is a cut candidate. Emmanuel Forbes, who almost definitely will not see his fifth-year option exercised, has one season left on his contract.
Our Rams Offseason Outlook mentioned the obvious mission of upgrading at corner, and The Athletic’s Nate Adkins discussed McDuffie as an option earlier today. Snead brought up the prospect of adding an All-Pro talent to address this situation, and the Rams have their answer. McDuffie is now the centerpiece of the L.A. secondary, which has lacked such a player since the team traded Ramsey to the Dolphins in 2023.
The Rams ranked 10th in scoring defense last season but were 19th against the pass. McDuffie did not earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro acclaim in 2025, but he has been one of the NFL’s best corners for years. While only including three career interceptions, McDuffie’s resume will allow him to command a near-top-market deal. This four-pick package will help his cause for a contract at or near the $30MM-per-year level Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner reached last year.
A Washington alum, McDuffie started for two Super Bowl-winning teams — serving as both squads’ top CB — and was out there for the Chiefs-Eagles rematch. Spagnuolo used McDuffie more in the slot in 2023 but shifted the 5-foot-11 defender to more of a boundary role over the past two seasons. Pro Football Focus ranked McDuffie as a top-five corner in 2023 and ’24 and has never ranked him outside the top 20. The Rams are paying up for the CB’s final four seasons in his 20s, as the Chiefs cash out yet again.
Kansas City has Watson days away from free agency, and contributor Joshua Williams joins him. The team rosters Fulton but could cut him soon. Slot player Chamarri Conner has one season left on his rookie deal, though the team traded up for Nohl Williams in last year’s third round. Williams (five 2025 starts) figures to be a more prominent player in Kansas City’s 2026 secondary.
As today’s transaction continues to remind, however, Chiefs corners need to find new homes after their rookie deals wrap. As Kansas City retools here yet again, it will be interesting to see if McDuffie can leapfrog Stingley and Gardner to become the NFL’s highest-paid CB.
Cowboys Restructure Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith’s Contracts
PFR’s Cowboys Offseason Outlook indicated the team exited last week with the league’s worst cap situation. Dallas came into today more than $56MM over the $301.2MM salary ceiling. They are moving back toward cap compliance with some expected adjustments.
The Cowboys restructured Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith‘s contracts Wednesday, ESPN’s Field Yates and Adam Schefter tweet. These moves will create $47MM in cap space, bringing Dallas within $10MM of the 2026 cap. The team also restructured CeeDee Lamb‘s deal to clear more room, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. Other possible conversions are available as well. The Lamb move, expected to clear $19MM more in space, slides the Cowboys under the cap.
Dallas used a $28.29MM franchise tag to keep George Pickens off the free agent market. That sank the team deeper into the red. But Pickens is firmly in the Cowboys’ 2026 plans. As a result, contract updates are coming to make it affordable. Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa‘s deals are also on that list, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris, and a rumored Kenny Clark extension effort would reduce the 2025 trade pickup’s cap hit.
Prescott, 32, is tied to the NFL’s richest contract — a four-year, $240MM extension agreed to hours before Week 1 of the 2024 season. This move will reduce the 11th-year quarterback’s $50.52MM 2026 cap number while inflating future numbers on the through-2028 contract. Before this restructure, Prescott was already due to count more than $74MM against Dallas’ 2027 cap. Another restructure would be on tap before that point.
The Cowboys backed themselves into a corner with Prescott based on previous restructures. His no-tag clause and the void year-driven penalties that would have come in 2025 absent an extension armed the upper-crust QB with extraordinary leverage. He used it to score the $60MM-per-year extension — which still hovers well above the QB market 18 months later.
Lamb is signed through 2028 on a $34MM-AAV extension. The Cowboys have now restructured his deal twice as well. Lamb was due to count $38.24MM on Dallas’ 2026 cap and more than $41MM next year. While Lamb’s 2027 number will balloon, his 2026 figure will drop to create spending space. Smith, who signed the NFL’s most lucrative guard deal last fall ($24MM AAV), is signed through 2030. His cap number will drop from $27.5MM.
Chargers Plan To Release G Mekhi Becton
Already holding more than $84MM in cap space, the Chargers are prepared to create more soon. They are planning to release Mekhi Becton, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.
This release is not yet official, potentially as the team holds out hope for a trade, but Fowler indicates Los Angeles will move on from Becton after one season. The Super Bowl-winning guard signed a two-year, $20MM Bolts deal in 2025. This move will create $9.7MM in cap space for the AFC West club.
[RELATED: Chargers In Play To Re-Sign Khalil Mack]
Mentioned in our Chargers Offseason Outlook as a player who would likely be cut, Becton did not fare as well as he did in Philadelphia. The NFL showed some skepticism about Becton last year, with the former Jets first-rounder taking a few days before committing to the Chargers. The Bolts gave Becton just $6.49MM guaranteed at signing, with the only dead money as part of this upcoming release tied up in a signing bonus.
A timeline is in place on Becton, who is due a $2.5MM roster bonus on March 13. This will bring a resolution. The Chargers including that bonus provided some protection in case the Eagles’ 2024 RG starter could not sustain his bounce-back form. Becton was a season-long Chargers starter at RG but underwhelmed while also missing time — as part of a battered Bolts O-line — due to injury. Maladies defined Becton’s Jets tenure, with the 2020 first-round pick missing almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons.
The Eagles moved to Tyler Steen, whom Becton beat out for their RG job in 2024, last season. Philly is not expected to pursue a reunion with Becton once he is released, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline notes. One season remains on Steen’s rookie contract. This could give the Chargers two guard needs, with LG Zion Johnson poised to be one of the market’s top free agents next week.
Los Angeles gave Becton 14 starts last season; Pro Football Focus ranked Becton 77th out of 79 qualified guards. Set to turn 27 in April, Becton (15 regular-season Eagles starts in 2024) has time to re-route his career. But this represents a significant step back. It could lead to tepid interest in the mammoth blocker in free agency.
Becton caught the Bolts’ attention while playing on a one-year, $2.75MM Eagles deal. That pact came weeks into the 2024 free agency period, as minimal interest came for a slimmed-down Becton after he spent 2023 back on the field — at both left and right tackle for the Jets — after the two-year injury spell. It would not surprise if Becton needs another “prove it” deal to rebound after his uninspiring Chargers campaign.
This release will move the Bolts past $91MM in cap space. Though, L.A. is not expected to be aggressive in free agency this offseason. But an opportunity to bolster the roster in a competitive division awaits for Jim Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz.
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 year, 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.
[RELATED: Vikings Expected To Pursue Murray As FA]
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 it will escape paying Murray a $19.5MM salary for 2027 that would have vested on the fifth day of the upcoming league year.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort was not part of the organization when Murray signed a five-year, $230MM extension in July 2022. Steve Keim was at the helm then, at which point Murray’s stock was at an all-time high. The former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his NFL debut before earning back-to-back original-ballot Pro Bowl nods from 2020-21.
The Cardinals won 11 games to break a five-year playoff drought in Murray’s third season, but the Rams leveled them in the wild-card round. While Murray’s extension came several months later, he and the organization have fallen off dramatically since then. The descent began before Murray’s Week 14 ACL tear in 2022. The Cardinals had already lost eight of their first 12 games by then. They went on to finish 4-13. Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury as the Cardinals’ head coach after the season.
With Murray’s recovery dragging into November 2023, the Cardinals were 1-8 when he returned to make his first start in Week 10. Murray spent the last eight weeks of the year shaking off the rust, and the Cardinals logged their second straight four-win season to begin the Gannon era.
Murray and the Cardinals showed some signs of a rebound in 2024. In Murray’s lone 17-game season to date, the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a career-best 63.4 QBR. As a runner, the mobile Murray piled up 572 yards on a lofty 7.3 per carry and scored five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Any progress the Cardinals may have made two years ago vanished during Murray’s injury-wrecked final season in their uniform. After Murray and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett combined for a 3-14 mark, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill retained Ossenfort but fired Gannon. Mike LaFleur is now in place as the Cardinals’ head coach. He will either work with Brissett or a different starter in his first year in charge.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray should draw a decent amount of interest in free agency on a prove-it contract. The Vikings are rumored to have interest in Murray, but they’re just one of several teams in the market for a potential starter.
Colts 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, 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 2026 and ’27 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. Dalman’s retirement could save the Bears upward of $10MM in cap room, Courtney Cronin of ESPN notes, but it’s a brutal blow to their 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 Trapilo. Dalman, Thuney and Jackson joined right tackle Darnell Wright as full-time starters on what PFF ranked as the league’s third-best unit in 2025. Trapilo took the starting left tackle job from Theo Benedet in Week 12, though the rookie went on to suffer a torn patellar tendon in a wild-card round win over the Packers.
After undergoing surgery, Trapilo is expected to miss a sizable chunk of next season. Between Dalman’s retirement and Trapilo’s recovery, the Bears now have serious work to do up front for the second straight offseason.
The Bears may already have a potential Dalman replacement in mind in free agent Tyler Biadasz. The former Cowboy and Commander has lined up a visit with the Bears, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. A one-time Pro Bowler, the 28-year-old has started in 84 of 92 games since the Cowboys used a fourth-rounder on him in 2020. Biadasz started in all 31 appearances with the Commanders over the previous two seasons, but they cut him on Feb. 26. PFF graded Biadasz a respectable 12th at his position last season.
Biadasz is a credible starting option on the open market, but the Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum is the prize among pending free agent centers. While the Ravens have already made Linderbaum a market-topping offer, he is inching closer to the March 9 legal tampering period without a deal. The Bills’ Connor McGovern and the Panthers’ Cade Mays are likely next in the pecking order of unsigned centers. Any of them could land on the radar of Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who unexpectedly needs a starting center heading into the new league year.
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.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/3/26
No teams placed tenders on any of their restricted free agents on Tuesday, but three made decisions on exclusive rights free agents:
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Texans: CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
- 49ers: OT Austen Pleasants
Nontendered:
- Buccaneers: OLB Markees Watts