Falcons, Olamide Zaccheaus Agree To Deal
Olamide Zaccheaus will return to Atlanta in 2026. The veteran wideout has agreed to terms with the Falcons, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Zaccheaus spent the first four seasons of his career in Atlanta, where he eventually emerged as a key target. He had his best showing with the Falcons in 2022, when he hauled in 40 catches for 533 yards and three touchdowns. He joined the Eagles following that showing, but his lone season in Philly saw him haul in only 10 catches.
He opted for a gig with the Commanders in 2024 and had arguably his best NFL season, finishing with 45 catches for 506 yards and three scores. He also contributed on special teams, where he returned 17 punts for 179 yards.
He joined the Bears ahead of the 2025 season but was less efficient despite a career-high 65 targets. He finished this past year with 39 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns. He added another score in the postseason.
Zaccheaus will now look to revive his career in Altanta. The 28-year-old is joining a new-look receiver corps that also features newcomer Jahan Dotson next to WR1 Drake London.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Texans To Re-Sign DT Sheldon Rankins
As the Texans hoped, Sheldon Rankins will be in the fold next season. The veteran defensive tackle has agreed to a new Houston deal.
Rankins is signing a two-year contract with the Texans, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. The pact includes $12MM in guarantees. Rankins will be counted on to remain a key presence on the team’s elite defense moving forward as a result of today’s news. An average annual value of “well over” $6MM is present in this new pact, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Rankins caught on for his second stint with the Texans last offseason, when he inked a one-year, $5.25MM deal. It was a bounceback season following his seven-game showing with the Bengals in 2024. Rankins finished the 2025 campaign with 35 tackles and three sacks while starting every game for the Texans. He also was a standout during Houston’s playoff win over the Steelers, when he returned a fumble for a touchdown. He ultimately finished the year ranked 27th among 127 qualifiers on Pro Football Focus’ positional rankings.
The former Saints first-round pick has had an up-and-down career, leading to him bouncing around the NFL a bit following his departure from New Orleans. Following a pair of forgettable seasons with the Jets, Rankins had been one of the best showings of his career with the Texans in 2023. He finished that year with 37 tackles and six sacks. That performance earned him a two-year deal with the Bengals, but he missed 10 games while nursing a hamstring and recovering from an illness in 2024. He was cut by Cincy last offseason.
Now, he’s seemingly found a home in Houston. Rankins will retain his starting gig next to Tommy Togiai in 2026. Tim Settle‘s departure could open up a depth role on the defensive line, so Rankins should have a relatively long leash.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Jets To Acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick From Dolphins; S Agrees To Extension
Minkah Fitzpatrick will indeed be on the move again. The All-Pro safety is being traded from the Dolphins to the Jets, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
New York will send a 2026 seventh-round pick to Miami in return. Fitzpatrick was known to be on the trade market, and the Old Bridge, New Jersey native will land a new contract as a result of this move. Per Schefter, a three-year, $40MM extension has been worked out with the Jets. Mentioned as one to monitor, this move will reunite Fitzpatrick with new Jets DC Brian Duker — Miami’s pass-game coordinator in 2025.
Fitzpatrick’s existing deal was set to expire after the 2026 season. Notably, New York will be taking on the entirety of his salary for the coming season. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes the Dolphins did not pay out any of the five-time Pro Bowler’s $15.6MM in base compensation for 2026. That reduces his Miami cap charge to $12.9MM and increases the overall savings the Dolphins will benefit from.
This differs from the arrangement the Dolphins needed to make in the Fitzpatrick-Jalen Ramsey trade last year, when Miami needed to pay down some of Ramsey’s salary. Fitzpatrick became a somewhat surprising trade pickup under those circumstances, and he expressed interest in a long-term Dolphins future. But he is now in a rather exclusive club of players traded by the same franchise twice.
The 2018 first-round pick’s Dolphins stints are now through after a season (stint two) and 18 games (stint one). Miami dealt the Alabama product after a rookie season spent primarily at cornerback, before watching him soar to the All-Pro level at safety in Pittsburgh. The same GM (Chris Grier) reacquired Fitzpatrick as a safety but was dismissed midway through the DB’s second run with the team. With a new regime in town, Fitzpatrick was being shopped earlier this offseason. A Jets team that finished the season without an interception will bite in a rare intra-division trade.
The Jets have three safeties — Andre Cisco, Tony Adams, Isaiah Oliver — unsigned for 2026, with Fitzpatrick set to join Malachi Moore as options for Gang Green. This is Fitzpatrick’s second career extension. His first reset the safety market back in 2022. After agreeing to a rework that did not include any future guarantees, Fitzpatrick secured those despite going into an age-30 season. The Dolphins, who are about to take on the biggest single-player dead money hit in NFL history (via Tua Tagovailoa‘s release), will get off an eight-figure-per-year AAV. Safety is now one of Miami’s many needs.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Jaguars Re-Sign CB Montaric Brown
Montaric Brown would have been one of the top cornerback options on the open market later this week, but he will be staying put. A new Jaguars contract has been agreed to prior to the start of free agency.
Brown and Jacksonville have agreed to a three-year, $33MM pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler report. Instead of testing the market, Brown will continue to operate as a starter for his only NFL team. He has been in Duval County since being drafted in the seventh round in 2022. The team has since announced the news.
While Brown has bounced in and out of the starting lineup during his time in Jacksonville, the cornerback has still been a key piece for the Jaguars. When healthy, he’s appeared in at least 59 percent of his team’s defensive snaps over the past three years. Between 2024 and 2025, he tallied a combined 126 tackles, 20 passes defended, and three interceptions.
Pro Football Focus listed this past season as Brown’s best, ranking him 26th among 112 qualifying cornerbacks. Before re-signing with the Jaguars, Brown was mentioned as a potential target for the 49ers.
Other than free agent Greg Newsome, the Jaguars are set to return the majority of their CBs. This includes Travis Hunter, who is expected to focus more on CB than WR in 2026, and slot CBs Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones. Depending on the team’s approach to the position in the draft, Brown may be in line for the largest role of his career.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Cowboys Agree To Restructured Deal With T Terence Steele
Speculation about Terence Steele‘s Cowboys future can be put to rest. The veteran offensive tackle has worked out a restructure, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.
As a result of today’s agreement, Steele will collect $22MM fully guaranteed. This new pact carries a base value of $33MM and can top out at $36MM. In need of financial flexibility, the Cowboys will create $13MM in cap space for 2026 as a result of Steele’s new contract.
Steele’s original pact called for $48.5MM in total earnings, but it was largely in doubt if he would rake in much of that figure. Little in the way of guaranteed money remained, leading to questions about a trade or release. Instead, Steele will move forward with another new Dallas commitment.
The 2020 UDFA is now one of the Cowboys longest-tenured players. The Texas Tech product has been in the starting lineup since his rookie campaign, and he hasn’t missed a regular season start since the 2022 campaign. Pro Football Focus has recently graded him as a middle-of-the-road offensive tackle, including a 43rd-place showing (among 81 qualifiers) in 2025.
In another cost-saving move, safety Malik Hooker has also agreed to a restructure. Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS reports Hooker’s pact has been redone to create immediate cap space. That will help Dallas’ needed efforts to make defensive additions this spring. The team has generated $2MM in 2026 savings, ESPN’s Todd Archer notes.
Bears, LB D’Marco Jackson Agree To Deal
The Bears will be without Tremaine Edmunds in 2026. Fellow linebacker D’Marco Jackson will remain in the fold, however.
Jackson has agreed to a two-year deal with Chicago, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. His new Bears contract is two years in length and it has a base value of $7.5MM. The pact can max out at $10.5MM, Rapoport adds. Today’s deal is now official.
Jackson will earn a solid raise after upping his stock last year in Chicago, which added him as a waiver claim in August. The Saints cut Jackson after the 2022 fifth-rounder from Appalachian State was unable to carve out a role in their defense. Jackson spent his rookie year on injured reserve and then played almost exclusively on special teams from 2023-24.
Edmunds and T.J. Edwards missed various periods with injuries last season, leaving Jackson to take on more defensive responsibilities. Across 17 games (four starts) and a career-high 261 defensive snaps, Jackson totaled 43 tackles, three passes defensed, a sack and an interception. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in Week 15. The 27-year-old logged nine tackles, a sack and a pick in a 31-3 blowout of the Browns.
Although Edmunds is now a Giant, Jackson will once again function as a reserve next season. The Bears will use Edwards and Devin Bush as their top two linebackers. They agreed to sign Bush, previously a Brown, to a three-year, $30MM deal on Monday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Steelers To Re-Sign CB Asante Samuel Jr.
After seeing brief action with the Steelers in 2025, Asante Samuel Jr. will remain in place. The veteran cornerback has a new Pittsburgh deal in hand.
Team and player agreed to a new contract on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. This is a one-year. $4MM pact. That figure likely represents the maximum value in this case, but Samuel could prove to be a worthwhile re-signing for the Steelers if he once again handles a notable defensive workload in 2026.
A second-round pick from Florida State in 2022, Samuel was a full-time starter with the Chargers over the first four years of his career. However, an early 2024 shoulder injury threw Samuel’s career off course. The Chargers placed Samuel on injured reserve after just four games.
Concerns over Samuel’s health prevented him from cashing in as a free agent a year ago. After undergoing neck surgery in April, he was not medically cleared until the first week of November. Samuel then drew widespread interest before joining the Steelers’ practice squad.
Playing an abbreviated age-26 season in 2025, Samuel saw action in six of the Steelers’ games and started three. He picked up 10 tackles and notched the seventh interception of his career along the way. With backup corner James Pierre potentially on his way out in free agency, Samuel will provide capable depth behind starters Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean in 2026.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Texans To Re-Sign G Ed Ingram
One of the many notable guards on track for free agency will not be testing the market. Ed Ingram will instead remain in place with the Texans.
Team and player have agreed to a three-year, $37.5MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. That includes $20MM fully guaranteed, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adding Ingram will receive a $14MM signing bonus. Offensive line additions will remain something to watch for in Houston’s case, but stability at one guard spot will be seen in 2026.
Ingram, whom the Vikings chose in the second round of the 2022 draft, was a full-time starter over his first two years. He fell out of favor in Minnesota in 2024, when he started in just nine of 16 appearances. The Vikings benched Ingram for good heading into Week 10. They shipped the Texas native to Houston for a sixth-round pick a year ago.
Ingram rebounded as a full-time starter in Houston, where he lined up at right guard during a 14-game, 1,072-snap campaign. Pro Football Focus ranked the 27-year-old’s performance 12th among 79 qualifying guards. He was especially effective as a run blocker (seventh overall), which bodes well for newly acquired RB David Montgomery.
Retaining Ingram is the second significant move the Texans have made along their offensive line this month. The club previously traded guard/tackle Tytus Howard to the Browns, leaving a void up front.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Rams To Extend CB Trent McDuffie
The Rams and newly acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie began progressing toward an extension on Sunday afternoon. Two hours later, the sides have reached a four-year, $124MM deal with $100MM guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. McDuffie is now the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
This was the expected outcome after the Rams, in their latest all-in move, acquired McDuffie from the Chiefs on Tuesday. Los Angeles sent three 2026 draft picks – No. 29 overall, a fifth- and sixth-rounder – as well as a 2027 third-rounder to reel in the 25-year-old two-time All-Pro. The Chiefs quickly granted the Rams permission to negotiate with McDuffie, who had been seeking a market-topping extension.
Now that he is set to land atop the cornerback market, McDuffie will move past previous leader Sauce Gardner in contract value ($120.1MM) and average annual salary ($31MM to $30.1MM). The Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr. ($89.03MM) is now second among corners in guarantees. All three of those players entered the league as first-rounders in 2022, though Stingley is the only one still with the team that drafted him. Despite extending Gardner last summer, the Jets traded him to the Colts before the Nov. 4 deadline for two first-rounders and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Already a two-time Super Bowl winner, McDuffie will now serve as a defensive centerpiece for an L.A. team that will enter next season with championship aspirations. The Rams are coming off a year in which they won 12 regular-season games and added a pair of playoff victories. They allowed the 19th-most passing yards in the league, however, and had no answer for Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold or superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the NFC title game. In a 31-27 Seahawks victory, Darnold torched the Rams for 346 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with JSN 10 times for 153 yards and a score.
The Rams are banking on McDuffie to help them overtake the Seahawks in the NFC West and in the conference next year. In McDuffie, the Rams acquired a former Washington standout who has started in all 56 of his games in the pros. While McDuffie has only intercepted three passes in four seasons, he has racked up 34 passes defensed and eight forced fumbles. McDuffie, who is versatile enough to play outside and in the slot, ranked as one of Pro Football Focus’ top five corners in 2023 and ’24. Although McDuffie dropped to 12th last year, he has still never fallen outside of PFF’s top 20 in an individual season
McDuffie is under wraps, but he will not be the last high-profile player Rams general manager Les Snead extends this offseason. A new accord is likely coming for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Meanwhile, 2023 draftees Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Warren McClendon are all eligible for multiyear contracts.
Raiders To Acquire CB Taron Johnson
The Raiders are involved in their second trade before the start of free agency. They have acquired cornerback Taron Johnson from the Bills in a late-round pick swap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Bills will receive a sixth-rounder, and the Raiders will add a seventh-rounder, per Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post.
It had initially been reported that the Bills would release Johson, but the Raiders will prevent him from hitting the open market. Meanwhile, Buffalo will get some value out of his departure.
This will officially end Johnson’s eight-year tenure in Buffalo, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The Weber State product played for head coach Sean McDermott during his entire run in Western New York.
Johnson generally thrived under McDermott during his first six seasons, leading general manager Brandon Beane to hand the defender a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The agreement temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the league, but injuries have contributed to a drop in performance since he earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2023.
Johnson has totaled nine absences since 2024, including four last year. Across 13 games and eight starts in 2025, Johnson picked up 57 tackles and four passes defensed. Pro Football Focus ranked his play 74th among 112 qualifying corners.
The Bills fired McDermott in January and promoted offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach. Brady brought in an outside defensive coordinator, Jim Leonhard, to overhaul the unit. That left Johnson’s future up in the air. Shifting the longtime nickel corner to safety was under consideration, but the Bills elected to cut ties with Johnson instead.
The Raiders weakened their defense in the short term when they agreed to ship superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens on Thursday. Nevertheless, the team has ample cap space and draft capital to upgrade the rest of its roster. The Raiders and new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will count on Johnson to help improve their slot corner situation. If Johnson doesn’t rebound in 2026, the Raiders would save $10.04MM in releasing him while taking on no dead money next offseason. That makes Johnson a worthwhile flier for a Las Vegas team with a slew of needs to address.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.