March 4, 2026
The Cleveland Browns announced on Wednesday that they tendered a contract to exclusive-rights free-agent kicker
Andre Szmyt, among others. In his first year in the NFL, Szmyt made 24 of his 27 field-goal tries and missed just one of his 26 extra-point attempts in 17 games played in Cleveland. The 27-year-old will return to Cleveland for the 2026 season and should be expected to open the regular season as their starting placekicker. Szmyt was dependable for the Browns as a rookie, but he was only the No. 26 kicker in terms of overall fantasy points in a Browns offense that didn't create many scoring opportunities. Szmyt averaged only 5.7 fantasy points per game. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 3 in 2025. Szmyt is a solid young kicker, but in 12-team fantasy leagues, you can find better, higher-ceiling options at the position.
--Keith HernandezSource: ClevelandBrowns.com
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 general manager Les Snead appears to be ready to be aggressive to maximize quarterback
Matthew Stafford's window, as he said the team is open to "trading a first-rounder for a proven player," according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Snead also revealed that the secondary is a big focus this offseason, with the Rams potentially looking to add an All-Pro defensive back. Trade talks are ongoing for the Rams as they look to get back to the Super Bowl before Stafford, last year's MVP, decides to retire. The Rams had one of the best all-around teams in the NFL last year, but fell short in the NFC Championship to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. L.A. holds two first-round picks in this year's NFL draft, so look for them to potentially trade it to acquire an impact player that could help them get over the hump.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Nate Atkins
March 3, 2026
The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday that they are scheduled to play a regular-season game in Madrid, Spain, in 2026. The game against an unnamed opponent will be played at the Bernabeu, the home of Real Madrid, and is part of a multi-year partnership with the city of Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid. It will be part of a record nine international games in the NFL this coming season. Atlanta was the road team against the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany, last season. This will be the league's second game in Madrid, with the Miami Dolphins playing the Washington Commanders at the Bernabeu last year. It is the sixth Falcons regular-season game internationally and the fifth in Europe. With a new front office and coaching staff in 2026, the Falcons will be looking to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
--Keith HernandezSource: Atlanta Falcons
March 2, 2026
The Los Angeles Rams announced on Monday that they tendered exclusive-rights free-agent kicker
Harrison Mevis and wide receiver
Xavier Smith. Neither Mevis nor Smith will be allowed to negotiate with other teams this offseason. Mevis, 23, made his NFL debut last year and was impressive, making 12 of his 13 field-goal attempts (made his lone try from 50-plus yards) and all 39 of his extra-point tries in nine regular-season games. He finished the year ranked as the No. 8 fantasy kicker in terms of fantasy points per game at 8.3. In the playoffs, Mevis was a perfect 15-for-15 on field goals (six) and extra-point tries. The former undrafted kicker out of Missouri should enter the 2026 season as the favorite to be L.A.'s starting kicker, which will make him pretty attractive in fantasy football in one of the league's highest-scoring offenses.
--Keith HernandezSource: Los Angeles Rams
February 27, 2026
The National Football League informed its clubs in a memo on Friday that the salary cap number for the 2026 season is $301.2 million per team, which is up $22 million from last year. It's the first time in the history of the NFL that the salary cap has topped $300 million. The cap has increased 40% in just five years since it dropped coming off the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Teams must be under the new salary cap by March 11, which is the first day of the new league year. The biggest year-to-year increase in the salary cap was $31 million from 2023 to 2024. The wide receiver position is the second-most lucrative franchise tag at $27.3 million. Quarterback sits at $43.9 million.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
February 25, 2026
The NFL announced on Wednesday that the Jacksonville Jaguars will host two games in London during the 2026 season, according to Demetrius Harvey of The Florida Times-Union. The Jaguars have played in London annually every year since 2013, except for 2020, but this will be the first time they've played two games there in one season. They will play one contest at Wembley Stadium and another at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against unnamed opponents. Jacksonville is expected to play back-to-back weeks in London in October. It will be the 15th time the Jags have played in London, with all but three games taking place at Wembley. They have gone 7-7, including going 2-1 at Tottenham. Jacksonville will be looking to build on a strong 2025 season that saw them finish first in the AFC South with a 13-4 regular-season record, only to fall to the Bills in the Wild-Card round of the postseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Florida Times-Union - Demetrius Harvey
February 25, 2026
The Washington Commanders announced on Wednesday that they will have a regular-season game in London in 2026. The Commanders will be the host team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against an unnamed opponent. It will be Washington's third international game. They lost to the Miami Dolphins in their last international game in Madrid, Spain, in 2025 and tied with the Cincinnati Bengals at Wembley Stadium in London in 2016. The Commanders surprised everyone by making it to the NFC Championship in 2024 in quarterback
Jayden Daniels' rookie season. Daniels struggled with injuries last year, though, and the team finished 5-12 and in third place in the NFC East to miss the postseason in 2025. Washington's game in London will be one of three that the NFL hosts there next season, with the Jacksonville Jaguars serving as the host team in the other two.
--Keith HernandezSource: Washington Commanders
February 25, 2026
The San Francisco 49ers hired former Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as a personnel executive on Tuesday, general manager John Lynch told The Athletic's Matt Barrows. Adofo-Mensah was surprisingly fired by the Vikings after the 2025 season after four years as the team's GM. Minnesota went 14-3 during the regular season with
Sam Darnold as the quarterback in 2024, but they struggled last year as they handed over the keys to the offense to former first-rounder
J.J. McCarthy. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl with Darnold. It will be a reunion for Adofo-Mensah, as he spent 2013 to 2019 with the 49ers in the football research and development department. It's a big pickup for a team that already has a championship-caliber front office in place.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
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
The Detroit Lions will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent in Munich, Germany, in 2026, according to NFL Deutschland. The 2026 NFL Munich game will be the sixth regular-season game that will be played in Germany. It will be the Lions' first time playing in Germany. The game will be played at the FC Bayern Munich Stadium and will mark Detroit's first international contest in over a decade. Their last international game was on Nov. 1, 2015, against the Kansas City Chiefs at London's Wembley Stadium. Lions wide receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown's mother hails from Cologne, and he has been waiting for a return trip to Germany. The Lions will be looking to get back to the postseason in 2026 after finishing 9-8 and tied for fourth in the NFC North in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Deutschland
February 23, 2026
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Monday that the team is open to trading one of their first-round picks in this year's NFL draft, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. The Cowboys have plenty of needs to fill, especially on the defensive side of the ball, going into the 2026 season, but they might prefer to trade back and acquire more draft picks if the price is right. After trading All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons before the start of the 2025 season, the Cowboys will have the No. 12 and 20 overall picks this April. "It's tough to predict. We're certainly open-minded to it. Always open-minded to trading," Jones said. "The right guy fits, the perfect fit, and we would certainly look at it and see if it worked in with what we're trying to get accomplished." Trading one or two first-rounders could be in play for Dallas if they could land Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Dallas Morning News - Calvin Watkins
February 18, 2026
ESPN's Adam Schefter and Field Yates report that the San Francisco 49ers will play a regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, a home regular-season game in Mexico City, and have a schedule that includes two cross-country road games at the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants in 2026. The 49ers' opponent for the Mexico City game has yet to be announced, but they will square off against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams in Australia. San Francisco was eliminated by the Seattle Seahawks, who went on to win Super Bowl LX, in the Divisional Round of the postseason in a 41-6 rout. It was an impressive feat for the Niners to even make it to the playoffs last season, considering all the key players who missed extensive time due to injuries for them. Led by head coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback
Brock Purdy, the 49ers will be Super Bowl contenders going into 2026, although their schedule certainly won't do them any favors.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter and Field Yates
February 12, 2026
The Las Vegas Raiders are hiring former Tennessee Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy as their assistant head coach, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The 53-year-old spent four years as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and will be an experienced addition to first-time head coach Klint Kubiak's staff in 2026. McCoy went 27-37 in his time with the Chargers before serving as an offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2017 and the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He then was the Jacksonville Jaguars' quarterbacks coach for three seasons before he was hired by the Titans last year as a senior offensive assistant. McCoy will be Kubiak's right-hand man next season and will also have input on the offense, although Kubiak plans to call the plays. He will also help in the development of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the first overall pick in this year's NFL Draft.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
February 11, 2026
The Carolina Panthers hired former Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Darrell Bevell as associate head coach/offensive specialist on Wednesday, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Bevell is a long-time respected NFL assistant coach who will bring a wealth of experience to head coach Dave Canales' staff as Carolina looks to take another step forward after making the postseason in 2025. Canales was the Seattle Seahawks' wide receivers coach when Bevell was the offensive coordinator, so the two have worked together before. The Panthers are hoping that the addition of Bevell will help quarterback
Bryce Young take the next step in his development after Carolina's offense ranked only 26th in EPA per play and 18th in success rate last season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
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