Titans To Sign P Tommy Townsend
Tommy Townsend is heading to Tennessee. The free agent punter has agreed to a deal with the Titans, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
More to come…
Texans To Sign DE Logan Hall
Following a standout collegiate career with the Cougars, Logan Hall is heading back to Houston. The free agent defensive end is joining the Texans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a two-year deal for Hall, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The defensive lineman will earn around $7MM per season.
The Houston product earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2021 after finishing with six sacks and 13 tackles for loss, leading to him being selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2022 draft. The defensive lineman ended up starting 39 of his 66 appearances in Tampa Bay, although he never got into more than 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in any of his four seasons.
Following a 5.5-sack showing in 2024, Hall was limited to 1.5 sacks in 2025 despite starting a career-high 16 games. Pro Football Focus has generally graded him as a middle-of-the-road interior defender, although they ranked him 40th among 127 qualifiers this past year.
Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson will continue to command snaps at defensive end, but Hall should be a more-than-serviceable option behind that duo. Derek Barnett is currently unsigned after garnering 388 snaps at the position in 2025. The Texans previously added some DE depth in Dominique Robinson.
Giants To Sign FB Patrick Ricard
John Harbaugh is bringing another Raven to New York. Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard is joining the Giants on a two-year deal, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The deal is worth $7.63MM with a maximum value of $8.5MM, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, making Ricard the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. His resume – including six Pro Bowls in the last seven years – certainly supports that status. The nine-year veteran also received a first-team All-Pro nod in 2024 and second-team recognition in the years immediately before and after.
More to come.
Steelers Extend DT Cameron Heyward
Cameron Heyward is once again re-upping with the Steelers. The long-time defensive tackle is inking a new two-year deal with Pittsburgh, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Heyward still had a year remaining on his deal, but this new agreement effectively rips up that previous contract. The new two-year contract is worth $32.25MM, per Dulac. The deal includes $16.25MM in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Notably, Heyward’s annual earnings now represent the most lucrative deal for an NFL defensive player in NFL history who’s 36 years or older, per Rapoport. The move will also free up about $5.5MM in cap space for the organization.
A 2011 first-round pick, Heyward has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. The defensive lineman is second in franchise history in games played (behind Ben Roethlisberger), and he paces the franchise leaderboard in tackles for loss (142). He’s earned six All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowl appearances during his 15-year career. He’s also served as a team captain for 11-straight seasons.
The 2019 campaign was Heyward’s age-30 season, and he’s somehow only missed seven games since then (six of which came during the 2023 campaign). He averaged close to nine sacks per season between 2017 and 2022, and he rebounded from a two-sack campaign in 2023 with eight sacks in 2024. His numbers took a bit of a step back in 2025, as he finished the year with 78 tackles and 3.5 sacks despite getting into all 17 games. Still, Pro Football Focus ranked him first among all interior defenders, the sixth time in the past seven years that he’s ranked inside the top-six.
Heyward was still attached to a three-year, $45MM deal he signed with the franchise in 2024. He played hardball last year as he looked to adjust that pact, as the veteran staged a hold-in in pursuit of a raise. The two sides ultimately agreed to a last-minute resolution, with the Steelers adding more than $3MM in incentives to the player’s deal.
Now, the franchise is once again showing their faith in the defensive lineman, and with Mike Tomlin no longer in Pittsburgh, the Steelers may be even more dependent on Heyward’s leadership. The team did use a 2023 second-round pick on Yahya Black and a 2025 fifth-round pick on Keeanu Benton, but the team doesn’t have a true contingency plan behind their franchise icon. In other words, Heyward will continue to play a big role for the Steelers over the next few years.
Titans To Sign DT Jordan Elliott
More Robert Saleh connections are forming on the veteran coach’s first Titans roster. After the ex-Jets HC reunited with Jermaine Johnson and John Franklin-Myers from his Jets days, Saleh’s D-line will also include a recent 49ers charge.
Jordan Elliott will follow Saleh from San Francisco to Tennessee, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. The veteran defensive tackle agreed to a two-year, $8MM deal that can max out at $8.5MM. Elliott spent the past two years in San Francisco, the second spent under Saleh’s tutelage.
Deployed as a near-full-time starter with the 49ers under Nick Sorensen in 2024, Elliott started every game under Saleh last season. Overall, the former Browns draftee started 29 games with the 49ers. He joins a Titans team that is reshaping its front around Jeffery Simmons. With Sebastian Joseph-Day a free agent, Tennessee traded two-year nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat to the Jets for Johnson.
Elliott figures to slide in as a second-string option behind Simmons and Franklin-Myers, with the latter two tied to $45MM per year combined. While Elliott has been a starter for the past four seasons, Franklin-Myers is certainly not on a three-year, $63MM deal to be a rotational option.
Also rejoining former 49ers defensive assistant Gus Bradley, Elliott is a former third-round pick with 64 career starts on his resume. Pro Football Focus has never been a big fan of Elliott’s game, but teams disagree on this point. PFF graded Elliott 97th among interior D-linemen in 2024 and 110th last season, though this will be the 303-pound player’s second veteran contract since his Browns rookie deal expired.
Eagles To Sign TE Johnny Mundt
Johnny Mundt was released by the Jaguars on Monday, but the veteran blocking tight end did not stay on the market for long. He has agreed to a one-year deal with the Eagles, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
More to come.
Bears To Sign DB Cam Lewis, DE Kentavius Street
The Bears are adding some meaningful depth to their defense. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the team is signing defensive back Cam Lewis to a two-year deal. Meanwhile, Jordan Schultz reports that the Bears have also agreed to a deal with defensive end Kentavius Street.
While he never had a major role with the Bills, Lewis was a popular player in Buffalo. After going undrafted out of State University of New York at Buffalo, he caught on with the Bills in 2019. He proceeded to spend the next seven seasons with the organization, working his way up from practice squad player to part-time starter.
Lewis saw his most responsibility over the past two years, when he got into a combined 968 defensive snaps. He started 10 of his 34 appearances over that stretch, tallying 111 tackles, eight passes defended, and a pair of forced fumbles. He notably played all over the defense, spending time at safety, outside and slot cornerback, and even defensive line. He’ll likely serve a versatile role in Chicago, although the Bears secondary remains in flux with a number of players hitting free agency.
Street spent the past two-plus years in Atlanta, where he tallied four sacks in 25 games. He was cut by the team at the end of the 2025 preseason, but after catching on with their practice squad, he rejoined the active roster in November. He proceeded to make seven appearances for the Falcons down the stretch, finishing with 21 stops and two sacks. He’ll likely serve as a depth piece on Chicago’s defensive line in 2026.
Panthers To Sign C Luke Fortner
The Panthers may have found their replacement for Cade Mays. The team is set to sign veteran center Luke Fortner, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
It’s a one-year deal for Fortner, per Pelissero. The contract will pay the lineman up to $4.75MM.
The 2022 third-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career in Jacksonville. He was a full-time starter through his first two years, but he was limited to only 13 offensive snaps in 17 games in 2024. Predictably, the Jaguars moved on from him following that campaign, trading him to the Saints for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders.
Fortner returned to the starting lineup during his lone season in New Orleans, starting 10 of his 17 appearances. Pro Football Focus believed this was the best showing of the lineman’s career, ranking him 17th among 37 qualifying centers. The site ultimately credited him with three sacks allowed and 11 pressures allowed.
Mays joined the Lions yesterday on a three-year deal, and with center/guard Austin Corbett also unsigned, the Panthers had a major hole on their offensive line. Fortner will surely be penciled in for the starting gig entering training camp, but he could face some competition from special teamer Nick Samac or any other offseason acquisition.
Teddy Bridgewater To Rejoin Lions
Teddy Bridgewater is not heading back to retirement. The high school coach-turned-Buccaneers backup is heading back to Detroit. Bridgewater will rejoin the Lions, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
Bridgewater’s first stint with the Lions came in 2023, when he barely saw the field as Jared Goff‘s primary backup. He opted to retire following that campaign and became a high school football coach. However, he returned to Detroit late in the 2024 season, bumping Hendon Hooker from his role as QB2. Bridgewater made a brief cameo during the team’s Divisional Round loss to the Commanders, but he otherwise didn’t play that season.
Instead of returning to his HS coaching gig, Bridgewater decided to continue his playing career in 2025. He signed with the Buccaneers in late August and spent the season serving as Baker Mayfield‘s top backup. Bridgewater got playing time in four contests, connecting on eight of his 15 pass attempts for 62 yards.
Now, he’ll return to a familiar spot in Detroit. Besides his first stint with the organization, Bridgewater also has a connection to Dan Campbell, who was on the Saints coaching staff during the QB’s stint in New Orleans. The Lions needed some depth at the position following the loss of backup QB David Montgomery Kyle Allen, and they landed on a familiar face.
Goff hasn’t missed a game since the 2021 season, so the Lions may be content entering the regular season with only the two veteran signal callers. Of course, in the scenario where Goff is forced to miss time, it seems unlikely that Bridgewater can keep the offense humming. The 33-year-old last started a game in 2022 with the Dolphins. His last full-time starting gig came with the Broncos in 2021. That season, Bridgewater guided his squad to a 7-7 record in his 14 starts, connecting on 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Still, the Lions clearly value Bridgewater’s veteran savviness, and the team is obviously operating under the assumption that they won’t have to lean on their QB2 in 2026.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Lions To Re-Sign CB Rock Ya-Sin
Rock Ya-Sin emerged as a key part of the Lions’ secondary in 2025, and he is now set to reprise his role in 2026. The veteran cornerback is expected to sign a one-year, $4MM deal to remain in Detroit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Ya-Sin, 29, first signed with the Lions last offseason on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. That turned out to be an excellent value, especially given the injuries that plagued their secondary throughout the season. Ya-Sin appeared in every game, making six starts and commanding a 55% snap share. He put up a career-high nine passes defended, allowed a career-low 74.7 passer rating when targeted, and chipped in 47 tackles, his most since his rookie year.
With Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw both recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery, re-signing Ya-Sin ensures some continuity for Detroit’s pass defense. He will return to the unit alongside D.J. Reed. Both, though, will turn 30 this year, so the Lions may still look to add a cornerback in April’s draft. Rakestraw has only appeared in eight games in his career, and Arnold was trending downward in 2025 before his injury.
Ya-Sin has changed teams in each of the last four offseasons, but his agreement with the Lions will ensure that trend ends this year. Originally a Colts second-round pick in 2019, the former Temple Owl quickly carved out a starting role as a rookie. He largely held onto it over the next three years, but missed seven games due to injury.
Ya-Sin was traded to the Raiders for Yannick Ngakoue during the 2022 offseason, and he took up a starting job in Las Vegas. Injuries remained an issue, as he appeared in only 11 games. He then took one-year deals with the Ravens and the 49ers in the next two offseasons to add depth to their cornerback rotations, though he barely played in San Francisco.
Ya-Sin played a full season in 2025, the first of his career. A repeat effort would offer Detroit excellent value on their investment.