February 25, 2026
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said on Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that "nothing will happen until the new league year" when discussing parting ways with wide receiver
Brandon Aiyuk (knee), according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. We already know that Aiyuk won't be playing for the Niners in 2026, but he won't be officially released until the start of the new league year next month. The 27-year-old former first-rounder signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the team in August of 2024 and then played in only seven games that year, catching 25 of 47 targets for 374 yards and no touchdowns. Aiyuk didn't play at all in 2025 due to his knee injury and wasn't going to return to the Bay Area after the team voided guarantees in his contract. He'll certainly attract attention on the open market, but fantasy managers will be wary after all the missed time.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
February 25, 2026
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch reiterated the team's desire to keep backup quarterback
Mac Jones at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "He's really good for us, and we value that. And so somebody would have to come with something fairly strong for us to consider (trading him). And then I don't know what we do. Obviously, there's always something that would make you (do it), but I think we're a better team with him on it and we just like having him around," Lynch said. The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $8.41 million deal with San Fran in March of last year and ended up playing in 11 games (eight starts) with
Brock Purdy missing a good chunk of the season with a turf-toe injury. Jones played well, too, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six picks while going 5-3. QB-needy teams will come calling, but it sounds like the Niners will need to be blown away by a trade offer to even consider dealing him.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
February 25, 2026
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said on Tuesday that he's "hopeful" the team will be able to re-sign impending free-agent wide receiver
Alec Pierce and quarterback
Daniel Jones (Achilles) to new contracts before either of them can potentially hit the open market in mid-March. The Colts have until March 3 to decide if they will use the franchise or transition tag on either Pierce or Jones. At the moment, Ballard said the Colts aren't planning on tagging either player. If Pierce or Jones aren't signed by March 9, they can begin negotiations with all 31 other teams. Pierce, 25, led the NFL in yards per catch (21.3) for the second straight year and had his first career 1,000-yard season in 2025 while leading the team in receiving. He became the third player in the last 30 years to have 1,000 yards on 50 or fewer receptions. Pierce's fantasy stock is obviously rising after his big season in 2025, and he might have an even higher ceiling if he leaves Indy.
--Keith HernandezSource: Colts.com - JJ Stankevitz
February 25, 2026
Carolina Panthers impending free-agent running back
Rico Dowdle wasn't happy with the way the 2025 season ended and seemed like a man not interested in re-signing, but he "has sent out social-media messages since then suggesting he might," according to Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. General manager Dan Morgan said the "door was open" for Dowdle to return, but they will let him test the free-agent market. If Dowdle doesn't re-sign, the Panthers are happy with the rest of the RB room, which includes
Chuba Hubbard, former second-rounder
Jonathon Brooks, and last year's fourth-rounder,
Trevor Etienne. The 27-year-old Dowdle led Carolina in rushing last year, running for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns on 236 carries over 17 regular-season games. It was his second straight 1,000-yard season. He was involved in more of a timeshare down the stretch with Hubbard, though, and Dowdle has made it clear he wants an opportunity to be a lead back. That's unlikely to happen if he stays with the Panthers.
--Keith HernandezSource: Panthers.com - Darin Gantt
February 24, 2026
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced on Tuesday that offensive coordinator Brad Idzik will call offensive plays in 2026, according to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. The 34-year-old will have more on his plate next season after having a big role in the team's offensive game-planning last year. It's a shift in strategy, as Canales was saying at the end of the 2025 season that he would remain the play-caller. Canales made the switch to allow him to broaden his ability to coach all aspects of the team instead of being too focused on the offense during games. Having veteran coach Darrell Bevell on the staff as an associate head coach and offensive assistant will help first-time coordinator Idzik. It remains to be seen how the change will affect quarterback
Bryce Young and the rest of the offense moving forward.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
February 24, 2026
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton said that offensive coordinator
Davis Webb will be the team's offensive play-caller in 2026, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's an interesting and notable move for Denver's offense and for Payton, who has always called the offensive plays as a head coach in the NFL. Webb, 31, is a former backup quarterback in the NFL and was a head-coaching candidate for a few teams this offseason before the Broncos fired former OC Joe Lombardi and promoted Webb, who was formerly the QBs coach. If the Broncos' offense goes backwards under Webb, Payton can always take back over. If Webb has a very tight relationship with QB
Bo Nix (ankle), this could ultimately be a good thing for the Broncos' offense moving forward. One of the top priorities for Webb in his first year as the OC will be to fix a running game that has been subpar the last two years.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 24, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers right guard Mekhi Becton is a cut candidate this offseason, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. The Chargers can save close to $10 million if they move on from Becton, according to Over the Cap. "I'm not going to talk about that right now," general manager Joe Hortiz said when asked if Becton is guaranteed to be on the roster in 2026. The 26-year-old signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Bolts in March of 2025, but he battled injuries and played less than 60% of the offensive snaps in 15 regular-season contests. He did not live up to expectations in L.A. when he was on the field. Injuries have been an issue for Becton since he entered the NFL in 2020 as the 11th overall pick by the New York Jets. He was originally drafted as a left tackle, but he has moved to right guard over the last few years. Becton's size (6-foot-7, 363 pounds) is imposing for defensive linemen, so he'll attract interest on the open market if he's cut.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
February 24, 2026
New England Patriots left tackle Will Campbell (knee) isn't expected to need offseason knee surgery, sources close to the 22-year-old told Mike Reiss of ESPN. Campbell suffered a torn right MCL on Nov. 23, and it negatively affected his performance in the postseason and the Super Bowl LX loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Barring a setback this offseason, Campbell is "in position to be a full participant in the team's voluntary offseason program that begins in mid-April." Despite his struggles to close out his rookie season, the Pats will stick with Campbell as quarterback
Drake Maye's blind-side protector in 2026. "He's technically sound. He's adding more and more different pass sets to his tool bag that he can use to combat different rushes. And again, he's 22 years old, and we expect some improvement out of him as well," vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN Boston - Mike Reiss
February 24, 2026
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker announced on his Instagram account on Tuesday that he will return for an 11th NFL season in 2026 after contemplating retirement, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The 32-year-old veteran has missed some time due to injuries in recent seasons, but the former 16th overall pick in 2016 out of Ohio State is still a well-above-average left tackle who was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2024. The news of Decker returning for another season is a win for Detroit's entire offensive line, most importantly for quarterback
Jared Goff. Decker has started all 140 games that he's played in with the Lions over his 10 seasons in Motown.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 24, 2026
The Minnesota Vikings have had trade talks with teams regarding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. If the Vikings don't find any takers for the 33-year-old veteran on the trade market, they are fully expected to release him this offseason. In the first year of his two-year, $30 million contract that he signed with Minnesota in March of last year, Hargrave had 52 tackles (18 solo), 3.5 sacks, six QB hits, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 16 games played. He wasn't all that productive, but he did stay healthy for the Vikings after playing in only three games the year prior with the San Francisco 49ers due to a triceps injury. The two-time Pro Bowler could be running out of gas after originally being a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016 out of South Carolina State.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
February 24, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek said on Tuesday that he expects All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby to be with the team in 2026, according to Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Crosby is going to have to want to be in Vegas, though, and that's still up in the air after the Raiders shut the 28-year-old down against his wishes at the tail end of last season due to a knee injury that required offseason surgery. "Maxx is an elite player, and I've been very upfront from the start when I got here that we're in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them," Spytek said. The Raiders are going to have a sky-high asking price on Crosby -- potentially two first-round picks and an impact player -- so it's uncertain if any team would be willing to meet those demands. Regardless of where he's playing in 2026, if Crosby is healthy, he'll be a must-start defensive lineman in IDP fantasy leagues. Crosby has been a Pro Bowler each of the last five seasons and has 52.5 sacks in 78 games played in that span.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL.com - Kevin Patra
February 24, 2026
The Dallas Cowboys have an offer on the table that would make impending free-agent kicker
Brandon Aubrey the "highest-paid kicker in the NFL," a source told Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports. A deal isn't done, though, and Aubrey "wants more than they offered." Aubrey, 30, is a restricted free agent this offseason and will most likely be back with Dallas one way or another. In Dallas' high-scoring offense, Aubrey continues to be a high-end option in fantasy football. He had another strong campaign in 2025, making 36 of his 42 field-goal tries (85.7%) and 47 of his 48 extra-point attempts to finish as the No. 3 kicker in overall fantasy points in 17 games. Aubrey has been a Pro Bowl kicker in all three of his NFL seasons and has made 35-plus field goals in all three years. Dallas should have another strong offense in 2026, making him an easy call as a top-five fantasy kicker.
--Keith HernandezSource: DLLS Sports - Clarence Hill Jr.
February 24, 2026
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said that "it's too early to say" if quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson (Achilles) or
Shedeur Sanders will be the Week 1 starter for the 2026 season, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Browns have also been reportedly looking outside the organization for a potential addition to the QB room this offseason. Cleveland has been loosely linked to Alabama QB Ty Simpson and Green Bay Packers impending free-agent QB
Malik Willis, and they could also look to trade for a signal-caller if they aren't satisfied with their current options. It's still very early in the offseason, so it's not really a surprise they don't have a good read on the QB competition just yet. If the Browns don't add to the position in the offseason, Sanders will probably be the slight favorite to start over Watson, who missed all of 2025 while recovering from a torn Achilles.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
February 24, 2026
The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander writes that "all signs point to a potential break between" running back
Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) and the Houston Texans this offseason. Mixon ran for over 1,000 yards and had 11 touchdowns in 2024, but he didn't play at all in 2025 due to a freak ankle/foot injury last offseason. There are no injury updates on the 29-year-old this offseason after he had surgery, and general manager Nick Caserio said that Mixon's future with the club is "day-to-day." The Texans originally were hoping that Mixon would return last year, but he never did, and he sought treatment outside of the team's facilities. Mixon is entering the final year of a three-year deal he signed back in 2024, but the final year of the deal isn't guaranteed. The Texans, who are currently $4.9 million over the salary cap, could save $8.5 million in cap space by cutting him. Regardless of where Mixon is playing in 2026, his fantasy stock will be way down, and it's not even a guarantee he'll be ready for Week 1.
--Keith HernandezSource: Houston Chronicle - Jonathan M. Alexander
February 24, 2026
There have been rumblings that the Indianapolis Colts will release wide receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. this offseason to free up salary cap space, but it doesn't sound like a foregone conclusion. "Pure hypothetical (
Michael Pittman Jr.) won't be here," general manager Chris Ballard said at the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday. Pittman did have a career-high seven touchdowns in 17 games in 2025 in his sixth year in the league, but his 784 receiving yards were his fewest since his rookie year in 2020. His 2026 fantasy value will hinge on where he's playing in the upcoming season. If the Colts restructure his contract and also re-sign
Alec Pierce, Pittman will be more of a WR3/flex. The best-case scenario would be staying in Indy and having Pierce leave in free agency. The Colts have a lot of balls up in the air this offseason, but it sounds like they prefer to keep Pittman, if possible.
--Keith HernandezSource: Kevin Bowen
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