Colts, QB Daniel Jones Agree To Deal
The Colts will move Daniel Jones‘ transition tag off the books. The sides are in agreement on a two-year, $88MM extension, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports.
It is the largest two-year contract in NFL history, Schultz adds, noting the deal could balloon to $100MM via incentives. The contract includes $50MM fully guaranteed and another $10MM guaranteed for injury, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
The $50MM fully guaranteed far exceeds where the Seahawks went for Sam Darnold last year or where the Buccaneers closed with Baker Mayfield in 2024. The transition tag and a few recent Colts developments brought strong leverage for Jones, as he secured more guaranteed than either more accomplished QB despite only agreeing to a two-year deal.
We heard earlier today the Colts and Jones were moving toward a two-year contract. This is another monster deal for Jones, who played last season on a one-year, $14MM pact. Three years after Jones scored a win — via a four-year, $160MM deal — with the Giants, he cashes in after an injury-shortened Colts campaign.
In moving Jones’ $37.83MM transition tag off the books before the start of the 2026 league year (3pm CT today), the Colts will save considerable cap room. Jones will score a huge raise from his 2025 pay, and the two-year term length will allow for another prime-years bite at the apple — should Jones sustain his form this time around. The former No. 6 overall pick famously did not do so on his $40MM-AAV Giants accord, which Big Blue jettisoned during the second year of the contract.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old quarterback will see $50MM in Year 1, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Jones had targeted a deal in the $50MM-per-year range; that ask was out of step with what the Colts desired. Indianapolis’ first offer was believed to come in near the Darnold range (three years, $100.5MM). But Jones, as he did with the Giants in 2023, again stood in commanding leverage position thanks to Indy trading two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner. The Colts had made no secret of their interest in re-signing Jones, and another player-friendly accord will emerge for the inconsistent QB as a result.
Each game the Colts win will result in a $500K bump for Jones, so long as he plays at least 50% of the team’s offensive snaps (per Rapoport). Notably, $10MM of Jones’ 2027 salary is guaranteed. That represents the injury guarantee, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noting that amount vests in March 2027. Jones received two fully guaranteed years from the Giants, but it took a four-year commitment to secure those terms. That March 2027 date gives the Colts a potential out in case Jones flops on a big-ticket deal again. Indy can escape the contract before that guarantee vests.
Jones certainly would have been the top free agent available, value-wise (an area where the QB has specialized), but the Colts were far apart on terms and did not leave it to chance by transition-tagging him. No team had unholstered a transition tag on a quarterback since 1996, with ex-Colts first-rounder Jeff George being cuffed by the Falcons. That relationship combusted months later, with Atlanta cutting the ex-Indianapolis bust after three games. The Colts will be hoping Jones can stop their QB carousel, one that helped strengthen the eighth-year veteran’s leverage.
The Colts have used eight different Week 1 starting quarterbacks over the past nine seasons. The carousel has defined Chris Ballard‘s GM tenure. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon brought back both Ballard and Shane Steichen for a fourth season, largely giving them a mulligan for Jones’ injury-shortened 2025 slate. While Jones was playing well in guiding the Colts to an 8-2 start, he now has a checkered medical sheet. Jones has missed time due to ACL and Achilles tears, along with multiple bouts of neck trouble. Before sustaining the Achilles tear last season, Jones was playing through a fractured fibula.
Jones’ struggles on his lucrative Giants deal moved Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen to the hot seat in New York, and while the QB has a chance to prolong Ballard and Steichen’s Indy tenures, their futures likely ride on this contract working out. Having Jones at $14MM represented a good value play for the Colts. With Alec Pierce now at $29MM per year and Jones on another player-friendly deal, will Indy be able to sustain its first-half form from last season?
The Duke product averaged more than eight yards per attempt for the first time last season, finishing at 8.1 with a career-best 68% completion rate. Jones posted a 19:8 TD-INT ratio and ranked eighth in QBR. The Colts were on a torrid pace, but they could not sustain it. The team going 8-4 with Jones available and 0-5 without him — though, Philip Rivers’ comeback was among the most memorable re-emergences in modern sports history — brought another negotiating point for the QB’s camp. The Vikings, who have not landed on their veteran QB option to compete with J.J. McCarthy, were also believed to be monitoring this situation.
Jones had turned down Minnesota despite receiving a better offer last year, correctly determining he had a better chance for a starting job in Indianapolis. While Anthony Richardson is still a Colt, he has been given permission to find a trade partner. Jones’ deal effectively ensures the former No. 4 overall pick will not be back.
Expected to be back for Week 1 after another round of rehab, Jones will not have Michael Pittman Jr. to target any longer. The Colts traded their $24MM-per-year receiver to the Steelers in a salary-dump move, as they now have Pierce on a WR1 deal. The team also traded Adonai Mitchell in the Gardner swap, leaving Pierce, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren as Jones’ top 2026 targets — as of now. The team also lost right tackle Braden Smith in free agency, though four O-line starters are returning to help Jones and All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor.
Averaging 5.7 and 6.1 yards per attempt during the two seasons on his second Giants contract, Jones will face considerable pressure to stick the landing this time. Though, his Kirk Cousins-like negotiating savviness has removed any incentive on the financial side. Still, Jones playing well in Indy will position him for a lucrative extension or a 2028 free agency foray. The Colts will hope this pricey contract can bring an end to the post-Andrew Luck period of QB instability.
49ers Acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa From Cowboys
Osa Odighizuwa will be on the move after all. A trade has been agreed to which will send the veteran defensive tackle from the Cowboys to the 49ers, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. The deal is now official.
San Francisco will send Dallas a third-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. As such, the Cowboys will add the No. 92 selection in April’s draft. The team did not own a second- or third-rounder in 2026 prior to this agreement.
[RELATED: Cowboys Trade DL Solomon Thomas To Titans]
A report from Tuesday indicated teams were showing trade interest in Odighizuwa. Dallas already has Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams on the books. The Cowboys also lined up a deal with free agent Otito Ogbonnia, adding further to their depth at the defensive tackle spot. Inquirers from the Bengals did not yield traction, but Dallas clearly remained open to moving forward with a swap in this case. The team will create $4.75MM in cap space while generating $16MM in dead money.
The Cowboys will clear Odighizuwa’s $16.25MM salary in 2026 as a result of this trade. The 49ers, meanwhile, will take on the remainder of his contract; the pact runs through 2028. Odighizuwa inked a four-year, $80MM deal last offseason, but the arrivals of Clark and Williams threatened to cut into his playing time. A heavy workload will await him in the Bay Area, while Dallas will not face the challenge of maintaining three DTs attached to large contracts.
As Schultz confirms, the 49ers were among the runners-up for free agent John Franklin-Myers. The former Bronco wound up agreeing to a lucrative deal with the Titans. San Francisco has pivoted in short order. In addition to wideout Mike Evans, this constitutes certainly a significant addition on the part of general manager John Lynch early in the new league year.
Jordan Elliott lined up an agreement with Tennessee during the early stages of free agency, thinning out the 49ers’ defensive line. Odighizuwa will help serve as a replacement, and he will be counted on to remain a strong contributor against the pass in particular on his new team. The 27-year-old has recorded between 3.0 and 4.5 sacks each season since his rookie campaign. He totaled 64 QB pressures over the past two years, and disruption on that level would be welcomed in San Francisco.
The injury-ravaged 49ers ranked last in the NFL in sacks this past season. A healthy year from Nick Bosa and others would of course go a long way in helping the team bounce back in that regard. Nevertheless, Odighizuwa’s arrival should provide a pass rush boost along the interior for 2026 and beyond.
49ers To Sign OL Brett Toth
Following his third stint with the Eagles, Brett Toth will be playing elsewhere in 2026. The veteran offensive lineman is signing with the 49ers, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
It’s a one-year deal for Toth. While the financials aren’t known, Fowler notes that 95 percent of the deal will be guaranteed.
After redshirting as a rookie with the Eagles (first stint) and Cardinals, Toth finally got an opportunity to play for Philly during the 2020 campaign. He got into 11 games the following year, but a serious knee injury suffered in Week 17 knocked him out for the entire 2022 season.
He got into three games with the Panthers when he returned from injury in 2023, but the Eagles were quick to snag him back at the end of that year. That marked Toth’s third stint with the team, and he’s exclusively been with the organization ever since.
He was forced on the team’s playoff roster in 2024, and he ended up having the most significant role of his career this past year. He finished 2025 having appeared in 17 games (four starts). Pro Football Focus actually ranked him 13th among 79 qualifying guards, although that score was solely supported by his run-blocking abilities.
The 49ers dealt with a number of injuries on their offensive line last year, so the team will surely take whatever depth they can get. The front office has already brought in veteran Vederian Lowe, although Trent Williams‘ future with the organization remains uncertain.
Chargers To Re-Sign Del’Shawn Phillips
The Chargers are hanging on to their special teams ace. Del’Shawn Phillips is re-signing with the team, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Phillips will be getting a two-year contract, per Pelissero. The deal will pay the special teamer $7.5MM but can climb to $10MM via incentives.
The veteran earned the first All-Pro nod of his career during his debut season with the Chargers. He finished the 2025 campaign with 37 tackles. The majority of his snaps (352 of his 434 snaps) came on special teams.
He notably didn’t make the team’s initial 53-man roster, and he only re-joined the squad when Eric Rogers landed on IR. Phillips clearly made the most of his situation and will be sticking in Los Angeles for the next few years.
The 29-year-old bounced around the NFL a bit to begin his career. Phillips has had stints with the Falcons, Bills, Jets, Ravens, and Texans since entering the league in 2019. He’s only garnered brief looks on defense as a linebacker, topping out with 160 defensive snaps in New York in 2021.
Vikings Re-Sign DB Tavierre Thomas
Tavierre Thomas is returning to Minnesota. The special teamer is signing a new two-year deal with the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The veteran initially joined the organization on a one-year deal last offseason. The Vikings are committing to him for at least another two seasons, with Schefter noting that Thomas will earn a total of $4.6MM on the new deal.
Thomas primarily played on special teams during his first season with the Vikings. He ended up getting into all 17 games with his new squad, collecting 23 tackles.
The 30-year-old played a similar role with the Buccaneers in 2024, but he was a key part of the Texans secondary between 2021 and 2023. He started 19 of his 36 appearances over that span, collecting 178 tackles, five forced fumbles, and six passes defended. He also tallied a pair of interceptions during the 2021 campaign, including a pick-six.
Thomas can expect a similiar special teams role in 2026. The team added James Pierre to their secondary, but they could clear up some depth by not re-signing Fabian Moreau and Jeff Okudah.
Ravens To Sign TE Durham Smythe
Following Charlie Kolar‘s departure to the Chargers, the Ravens have found their solution for a new blocking TE. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the team has agreed to a deal with Durham Smythe.
The 2018 fourth-round pick spent the first seven seasons of his career in Miami. He showed some occasional flashes in their offense, including a run from 2020 through 2023 where he collected 110 catches for 1,060 yards. However, he was limited to nine catches in 2024 before getting cut by the Dolphins.
He caught on with the Bears, where he put up career-lows in catches (four) and receiving yards (25). The veteran also notably finished as Pro Football Focus’ lowest-graded tight end in 2025. However, Smythe continued a trend of being an above-average pass blocker, and he’s generally been serviceable in run blocking throughout his career.
He’ll be called on to play a similar role in Baltimore after Kolar left for a new gig. Smythe played under new Ravens OC Declan Doyle last year in Chicago, so there should be some familiarity with the offensive scheme. Of course, the Ravens also might not be done adding to the position. While Mark Andrews will be around for another season, the team watched as Isaiah Likely left for the Giants.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/11/26
Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive free agent tenders:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: OT Ryan Van Demark
- Buccaneers: RB Sean Tucker
- Seahawks: WR Jake Bobo
- Titans: WR Bryce Oliver
Non-tendered:
- Eagles: FB Ben VanSumeren
- Panthers: LB Claudin Cherelus
- Patriots: LB Jack Gibbens
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/26
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: RB Zonovan Knight
- Signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: C Corey Levin, LB Channing Tindall
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: DE Trevis Gipson, TE James Mitchell
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: TE Jack Stoll
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: LB Tyrus Wheat
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: FB Adam Prentice
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OLB Brenton Cox, DT Jonathan Ford
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: LS Josh Harris
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: S Zayne Anderson, TE Ben Sims
New England Patriots
- Signed: S Mike Brown, TE Julian Hill
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Zaire Barnes
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OT Max Mitchell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: OL Jack Driscoll
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: RB Patrick Taylor
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LS Chris Stoll
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DE Malik Herring
Commanders To Sign DL Charles Omenihu
Following a three-season stay in Kansas City, Charles Omenihu is heading to Washington. The free agent defensive end has agreed to a deal with the Commanders, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It’s a one-year, $4MM deal that could be worth up to $7MM, according Jordan Schultz.
Omenihu joined the Chiefs via a two-year contract back in 2023 before re-upping last offseason on a one-year, $7MM deal. The veteran generally accounted for a 50 percent snap percentage when active, although he missed a chunk of time through his first two year in Kansas City. His start with the organization was delayed thanks to a suspension, but he notably followed that up with a seven-sack showing in 11 regular season games.
A torn ACL suffered during the 2023 AFC Championship Game led to Omenihu missing most of the next year. He rebounded with a 17-game season in 2025, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 13 QB hits. Pro Football Focus ranked him 75th among 119 qualifying edge defenders, with his run defense grading better than his pass-rush ability.
The former fifth-round pick started his career with the Texans, where he collected seven sacks in 29 games. He was traded to the 49ers during the 2021 campaign and had 4.5 sacks in San Francisco in 2022.
Omenihu can play a variety of roles on the Commanders defensive line, although he will face some competition for snaps. The organization has been busy improving the position in recent days, adding K’Lavon Chaisson, Odafe Oweh, and Tim Settle.
Buccaneers To Sign DL A’Shawn Robinson
A’Shawn Robinson has quickly landed on his feet. After getting cut by the Panthers yesterday, the defensive lineman will be signing with the Buccaneers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
[RELATED: Panthers Release DT A’Shawn Robinson]
The Panthers moved on from Robinson yesterday, avoiding the $8.5MM he was due. This ended up working out well for the defender, as Rapoport notes that Robinson will earn a $10MM, fully guaranteed deal from Tampa Bay.
Robinson inked a three-year, $22.5MM contract with the Panthers ahead of the 2024 campaign. He had one of his most productive seasons during his first year in Carolina, tallying career-highs in tackles (80), sacks (5.5), and tackles for loss (eight). His numbers took a bit of a step back in 2025 (65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three TFLs), although Pro Football Focus was still pretty high on his performance. The site ranked him 45th among 127 qualifying interior defenders.
The defensive lineman seems to be finding his footing late in his career. He struggled to live up to his second-round billing during his time with the Lions, where he compiled five sacks across four seasons. He later moved on to the Rams, where he missed 15 games across three years with the team. Robinson was a full-time starter during the Rams’ Super Bowl run, however, with the veteran tallying 22 stops and a sack in four playoff games.
The Buccaneers have Vita Vea leading the middle of their defensive line, but they did lose some key depth in Logan Hall. Robinson represents an upgrade over incumbents like Greg Gaines, meaning the free agent acquisition should expect a notable amount of snaps even if he doesn’t start every game.