March 4, 2026
Before tearing his ACL in a Divisional Round win over the 49ers, Seattle Seahawks running back
Zach Charbonnet (knee) had seen close to a 50/50 timeshare split with
Kenneth Walker III for most of the 2025 season. Walker is now set to test free agency after the team declined to apply their franchise tag before Tuesday's deadline, and Charbonnet could be in line for an increased workload in 2026. While Walker could still return to Seattle, the coaching staff's comfort with Charbonnet was a factor in allowing the Super Bowl MVP to reach free agency. Given Charbonnet's current recovery timeline, the team will almost certainly add competition through either free agency or the draft. However, once healthy, Charbonnet could see the inside track to more of the 1A role in any running back committee the defending champions establish.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 4, 2026
The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams are working on a blockbuster trade that would send All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles in exchange for a massive package of picks, including the Rams' 2026 first-round pick. According to NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the complete deal would see the Rams ship out the 29th overall pick in this year's draft, along with their 2026 5th and 6th-round picks, and their 2027 3rd. The 25-year-old McDuffie missed four games in 2025 after being named a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-team All-Pro the following year. After giving the eventual Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks all they could handle in the NFC Championship game, the Rams are clearly all-in for another title run in what could be the final season of reigning MVP
Matthew Stafford.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Adam Schefter
March 4, 2026
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Josh Downs was a popular breakout candidate heading into 2025, but it was ultimately his teammate,
Alec Pierce, who took the next step and led the team with his first career 1,000-yard season. With Pierce now facing unrestricted free agency, it seems inevitable that a shakeup is coming to the Colts' wide receiver room. Should Pierce end up leaving for a top-of-market deal, a giant hole will be left atop the depth chart. However, for Downs' fantasy future, it might be more beneficial if Pierce stays in Indianapolis. Pierce and Downs play very different games, as evidenced by the 11.6-yard differential in their 2025 ADoT. For the Colts to retain Pierce likely means moving on from
Michael Pittman Jr. and his $29 million cap hit, either through trade or release, which would represent a best-case scenario for Downs. Pittman has led the team in targets every season since 2021, with most of his looks coming in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field, also patrolled by Downs.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 4, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers plan to release offensive guard Mekhi Becton in the coming days, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The move to cut Becton will save the Chargers $9.7 million on the salary cap for the 2026 season. Becton looked better in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles with his move to right guard, but he struggled mightily in pass protection in 2025 with the Chargers, and will now be looking for his fourth different team in the last four years. The 26-year-old former 11th overall pick by the New York Jets has not lived up to expectations despite standing at 6-foot-7, 363 pounds. Becton will surely latch on with another team looking for help on the offensive line, but he might be set for more of a rotational role than a starting one. He has started 59 of the 61 games he's appeared in over the course of his five-year career.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 4, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys restructured quarterback
Dak Prescott's contract on Wednesday to help the team get under the 2026 salary cap before the legal tampering period begins on March 9, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. By restructuring the contracts of Prescott, wide receiver
CeeDee Lamb, and offensive lineman Tyler Smith, the Cowboys created $47 million in cap room. Dallas can free up more room by restructuring the contracts of Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa. Signing defensive tackle Kenny Clark to an extension is expected to free up more space. Prescott, 32, will be a clear QB1 target by fantasy managers in drafts this fall after a highly productive 2025 season in which he completed a league-high 404 passes for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 17 starts. He has one of the best receiver duos in the league in CeeDee Lamb and
George Pickens.
--Keith HernandezSource: Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Nick Harris
March 4, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys restructured wide receiver
CeeDee Lamb's contract on Wednesday to help the team get under the salary cap for the 2026 season, sources told Todd Archer of ESPN. By restructuring the contracts of Lamb, quarterback
Dak Prescott, and offensive lineman Tyler Smith, the Cowboys created $47 million in cap room for this season. Dallas most likely converted Lamb's future guarantees into a signing bonus, but he is still under contract through the 2028 season after signing a four-year, $136 million contract with the team in August of 2024. Lamb was still productive in 2025, but new wideout
George Pickens overshadowed him in his first year in Dallas. The 26-year-old Lamb finished with 75 catches, 1,077 yards, and three touchdowns in 14 regular-season appearances. A more productive year could be coming in 2026, even with Pickens most likely sticking around.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
March 4, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who didn't receive the franchise tag from the Bengals, could be looking to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. "I think that he would love to be in Tampa," Schefter said. "Tampa would be a great fit. I think in a perfect world, Trey would like to stay in Florida. No state income tax. But, he's also open to going to the best possible situation." The 31-year-old four-time Pro Bowler is unlikely to re-sign with the Bengals, making him one of the most attractive edge rushers on the open market this offseason, even though he only played in seven games last year and eventually required core-muscle surgery. Hendrickson was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 and had back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons in 2023 and 2024 for Cincy. He has 81 sacks in his nine NFL seasons and would be a tremendous pass-rush upgrade for Tampa.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 4, 2026
The New York Jets are among the teams doing work on Miami Dolphins quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa as a possible free-agent addition this offseason, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The Dolphins prefer to trade Tagovailoa as they look to rebuild their organization, but the expectation is that he'll be released and be available at the league minimum in 2026. The Jets failed in free agency at the QB position last year with
Justin Fields and might look to go cheap this year, which would make Tagovailoa or former Arizona Cardinals QB
Kyler Murray the perfect targets. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick by Miami in 2020 out of Alabama, has a concerning concussion history and has dropped off significantly over the last two seasons after a career year in 2023. The 28-year-old completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns, and a career-high 15 interceptions in 14 starts before being benched late in the year for rookie
Quinn Ewers. The Jets could offer Tua the best chance to return to a starting role, but in fantasy, he'd still be avoidable in all single-QB leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Mike Garafolo
March 4, 2026
The Athletic's Michael Silver believes that Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby will be traded in the coming days or weeks. The Raiders alienated Crosby when they shut the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher down for the final two games of last season due to a knee injury. "It has been obvious that Crosby wants a change of scenery," writes Silver, and the "best course of action is to try to accommodate him." Silver thinks it "would be foolish not to look to the future" with the Raiders looking at another significant rebuild under new head coach Klint Kubiak. The Raiders have a chance to flip Crosby for "draft capital that could theoretically pay future dividends." More than half a dozen teams are believed to be interested in trading for the 28-year-old. Crosby hasn't publicly demanded a trade, but it's clear he's "exhausted all efforts in Vegas." The five-time Pro Bowler has 69.5 sacks in his seven NFL seasons and will be a weekly defensive line starter in IDP leagues again, regardless of where he's playing in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael Silver
March 4, 2026
Notre Dame running back
Jeremiyah Love is ESPN's consensus No. 2 prospect, and he ranks high on the Tennessee Titans' draft board, team sources told Turron Davenport. The Titans have the fourth overall pick in this year's NFL draft, and Love may have cemented himself as a top-five pick after running the 40-yard dash in just 4.36 seconds at last week's scouting combine. "Anytime you can get a running back like that, especially a three-down running back, that can play in the pass game as well and be able to take over a game, you've seen guys in the league now that can do that," Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi said when being asked about taking a RB in the top five. Only three RBs have been taken in the top five since 2013. Love is being compared to the Lions'
Jahmyr Gibbs and Bills'
James Cook, which doesn't make it a surprise why he's the No. 1 prospect for a lot of analysts. The 20-year-old should have a big role immediately in the NFL and will be in play as the second pick in rookie-only drafts this fall, behind only Indiana quarterback
Fernando Mendoza.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Turron Davenport
March 4, 2026
NFL teams have reached out to the Denver Broncos about backup quarterback
Jarrett Stidham, whose lone start last year came in the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Stidham didn't look bad initially in place of the injured
Bo Nix (ankle), giving the Broncos an early lead in the first quarter, but it all fell apart from there. A blizzard in the second half didn't help his cause at all. The 29-year-old finished the game 17-for-31 passing for 133 yards, one touchdown, and an interception, and he also lost a critical fumble. Head coach Sean Payton and the Broncos hold Stidham in high regard as QB insurance behind Nix, so they will most likely ask for a lot in return in any potential trade this offseason. Stidham is one of the better backup QBs in the league.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
March 3, 2026
The New York Giants are releasing linebacker Bobby Okereke, as expected, a source told Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record. With the move, the Giants will clear $9 million in salary cap space for the 2026 season, with $5.4 million left in dead money. The 29-year-old former third-round pick in 2019 out of Stanford by the Indianapolis Colts had 140-plus combined tackles in two of his three seasons with the G-Men, including 143 tackles (78 solo), one sack, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in 17 regular-season games last year. Okereke dropped off considerably in his final two seasons in New York, and a back injury late in 2024 contributed. He might not ever be the linebacker he once was, but Okereke will certainly attract some interest on the open market this offseason for a team looking for help in the middle of their defense.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Bergen Record - Art Stapleton
March 3, 2026
Veteran kicker
Nick Folk plans to return in 2026 for a 19th NFL season, and he is expected to be one of the top options on the kicking market at age 41, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Folk is the league's most accurate kicker (96.3%) since 2023, missing just one field goal per year while going 18-for-20 from 50-plus yards and 75-for-77 on his extra-point tries. In his return to the New York Jets last year, Folk made 28 of his 29 field-goal attempts (7-for-8 from 50-plus yards) while making all 22 of his extra points in 16 games. He was money for the Jets, as he's been in the last three years, but he finished as just the No. 21 kicker in overall fantasy points because the Jets' offense was so bad. The former sixth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2007 out of Arizona has aged like fine wine and has made at least five kicks from 50-plus yards in each of the last three years. Folk isn't getting any younger, but he could certainly be a trustworthy fantasy option in 2026 if he lands in a better offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 3, 2026
Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback
Jimmy Garoppolo is on the Miami Dolphins' radar this offseason as they look to rebuild their QB room, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Former first-rounder
Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be released soon.
Quinn Ewers and
Cam Miller are the only other signal-callers on their roster, so Miami is unsurprisingly interested in adding a veteran QB to push Ewers and to possibly serve as the backup. The Dolphins will be in on Green Bay Packers impending free-agent QB
Malik Willis, but they'll be bidding against plenty of other teams for his services as the QB with the most upside in this free-agent class. The 34-year-old Garoppolo has 12 years of NFL experience, but he has appeared in just 11 games (seven starts) since the start of the 2023 season. Jimmy G didn't attempt a single pass in 2025 in three appearances.
--Keith HernandezSource: Miami Herald - Barry Jackson
March 3, 2026
The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes that we should expect the Denver Broncos to "closely examine" the veteran running back market this offseason, which includes the Seahawks'
Kenneth Walker III, the Jaguars'
Travis Etienne Jr., and the Panthers'
Rico Dowdle, among others. In terms of the upcoming NFL draft, Kosmider believes it is probably more likely that the Broncos "will search for young depth at RB on Day 3" after they took
RJ Harvey in the second round in 2025. A veteran RB probably won't be necessary if Denver chooses to re-sign
J.K. Dobbins (foot), but he's more likely to walk in free agency after suffering a season-ending foot injury in Week 10. Harvey took over as the team's lead back down the stretch and into the playoffs last year after Dobbins' injury, but it sounds as though the Broncos want to complement him in the backfield in 2026 instead of featuring him as the clear RB1.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Nick Kosmider
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