RADIO
Jake Elliott Expected to Open the Season as Eagles Kicker
Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott doesn't currently have any competition as he enters training camp this summer, leading Jimmy Kempski of the Philly Voice to assume that he'll open the 2026 season as the team's placekicker again. The 31-year-old veteran and former fifth-rounder by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 out of the University of Memphis made just 74.1% of his 27 field-goal attempts (4-for-8 from 50-plus yards) in 17 regular-season games in 2025 in his ninth year with the Eagles, and it didn't help matters that the offense had a hard time starting and sustaining drives. It was Elliott's second straight season and third overall in his career with a field-goal percentage under 80%. The Eagles are hoping to turn things around on offense and have the weapons to do so in 2026, but fantasy managers in standard 12-team leagues should have higher-floor options to choose from. Elliott finished as the No. 23 kicker in fantasy a year ago.
Source: Philly Voice - Jimmy Kempski
Source: Philly Voice - Jimmy Kempski
Spencer Shrader, Blake Grupe Competing for Colts Kicking Job
Indianapolis Colts kickers Spencer Shrader (knee) and Blake Grupe will compete for the place-kicking job in Indy in training camp this summer, per Paul Bretl of Colts Wire. Shrader was 13-for-14 on field goals and a perfect 14-for-14 on extra points in five games last year before suffering an ACL injury in his knee. He was replaced by Grupe in Week 14, and he went a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals and 11-for-11 on his extra-point tries to close out the year before being re-signed in the offseason. Bretl thinks that Grupe should have the advantage going into the 2026 season because he has 105 career attempts under his belt compared to Shrader's 19, and he's also not coming off a significant knee injury. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame has made 81.9% of his 105 field-goal attempts (19-for-27 from 50-plus yards) and 98% of his extra points in his three years in the NFL. Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues can avoid the Colts' kicking situation to begin the year.
Source: Colts Wire - Paul Bretl
Source: Colts Wire - Paul Bretl
Chase McLaughlin has Plenty of Motivation Going into Contract Year
Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin has had a strong run in his three seasons with the Bucs, but he'll likely be kicking for his job in a contract year in 2026, according to Logan Robinson and River Wells of Sports Illustrated. McLaughlin has made 90.1% of his 101 field-goal attempts (26-for-30 from 50-plus yards) while connecting on 97.5% of his 122 extra-point attempts in 51 regular-season games in the last three years in Tampa. However, the 30-year-old former undrafted free agent out of the University of Illinois made only 84.2% of his 38 field-goal tries (11-for-12 from 50-plus yards) in 17 games last year, which was his worst field-goal percentage of his Bucs tenure. In his defense, blocked kicks and special teams woes were partly to blame in 2025. If McLaughlin bounces back in 2026, he should be paid as one of the top kickers in the league. But if he struggles, he could be cut midway through the season. In a new offense this year, McLaughlin should be viewed as a fringy starter at the position in 12-team fantasy leagues.
Source: Sports Illustrated - Logan Robinson, River Wells
Source: Sports Illustrated - Logan Robinson, River Wells
NFL Owners Expect New Deal for Roger Goodell Soon
NFL owners expect to finalize an extension with commissioner Roger Goodell in the coming months to keep him in place to oversee the negotiations for new broadcasting deals and a collective bargaining agreement with players that could include an 18-game season, four people with the owners' views told Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. Goodell's current contract is set to expire in March of next year, when he will be 68. He completed a three-year extension with the league's owners in October of 2023. A meeting for owners scheduled for this October could be a reasonable target for Goodell's next contract to be announced, given that his 2023 extension was announced during an owners' meeting in Manhattan that October. It doesn't appear that there are any major stumbling blocks in negotiations between the owners and Goodell. Goodell has been the league's commissioner since 2006.
Source: Front Office Sports - Mark Maske
Source: Front Office Sports - Mark Maske
Ravens Not Giving Up on Kicker Tyler Loop
Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said that the team feels good about where kicker Tyler Loop is at this offseason when he was asked about possible competition at the position, according to Brian Wacker of The Baltimore Sun. The Ravens currently don't have any other kickers on their roster, so the 24-year-old should head into training camp as the unquestioned starting place kicker in Baltimore after making 88.2% of his 34 field-goal attempts in 17 games as a rookie in 2025. The 24-year-old former sixth-rounder out of the University of Arizona made 44 of his 46 extra-point tries as well and went just 1-for-4 on field goals beyond 50 yards. Loop was mostly remembered for missing a kick late in the year that could have sent the Ravens to the playoffs. He was a top-10 fantasy kicker in his first year in the league and should be at least in consideration as a low-end kicking option for managers in 12-team leagues in 2026.
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Brian Wacker
Source: The Baltimore Sun - Brian Wacker
Spencer Shrader is Making Progress
Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader (knee) was able to get up some kicks as he works his way back into the mix. Shrader is currently recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 5 of last season. He knocked down 3-of-5 field goal attempts during a recent practice session. He'll be competing with Blake Grupe for the starting kicker job this upcoming season. Grupe connected on all five of his kicks, so Shrader could have a tough challenge ahead of him. Despite some struggles, it's quite amazing that Shrader is even attempting field goals around eight months after surgery.
Source: Kevin Bowen
Source: Kevin Bowen
Broncos, Sean Payton Agree to New Five-Year Contract
The Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton agreed to a new five-year contract on Thursday, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. Payton has led the Broncos to the third-most wins in the NFL over the last two years, including an appearance in the AFC Championship game last year. Owner Greg Penner now has both Payton and general manager George Paton under contract through the 2030 season. The 62-year-old Payton had two years remaining on his current contract, with the new five-year deal replacing the old contract. In his third season at the helm in Denver, Payton led the Broncos to a 14-3 regular-season record. The team has gone 32-19 during his three seasons at the helm, increasing their win total each season. The Broncos sent a 2023 first-rounder and 2024 second-rounder to the New Orleans Saints in 2023 to hire Payton, with the team also receiving a 2024 third-round pick in the deal. It's safe to say that the trade has worked out for Denver, as they head into Payton's fourth season in 2026 with playoff aspirations once again.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Jets Sign Kicker Younghoe Koo on Wednesday
The New York Jets signed free-agent kicker Younghoe Koo to an undisclosed deal on Wednesday, sources told Connor Hughes of SNY. Koo spent seven years with the Atlanta Falcons, where he was named a Pro Bowler in 2020. The 31-year-old veteran kicked with the Falcons and New York Giants in 2025 and went 6-for-9 on his field-goal attempts and 13-for-14 on extra-point tries in only six games played. Going into his ninth year in the NFL with Gang Green, Koo will be competing with Cade York and Lenny Krieg for primary placekicking duties in 2026. Even if he wins the gig to start the 2026 regular season, fantasy managers should have much better options at the kicking position. For his career, Koo has an 85.3% success rate on his 217 field-goal attempts (29-for-42 from 50-plus yards) and has made 95.9% of his extra-point attempts in 98 career games.
Source: SNY - Connor Hughes
Source: SNY - Connor Hughes
NFL Unlikely to Expand to 18 Regular-Season Games by 2027
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says that it continues to be inevitable that the NFL will expand the regular season to 18 games, but it's not inevitable that it will happen as soon as the 2027 season. It's "highly unlikely" that a change to the regular-season schedule will be made by then. The door won't be closed on an expansion of the regular-season slate in 2027, because the NFL still hasn't picked a date for Super Bowl LXII that year in Atlanta. The Super Bowl will be held on Feb. 13 of 2028 that year under the current structure of the schedule. NFL players and the NFLPA have pushed back on adding another regular-season game, citing player safety, but one way or another, the regular season will be expanded to 18 games in the near future. "If you can't do it safely for our players, we're not gonna do it. And that's why I would say it's not inevitable," commissioner Roger Goodell said in April.
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Giants, GM Joe Schoen Agree on a Multi-Year Extension
The New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension on Thursday to keep him working with new head coach John Harbaugh for years to come, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The 47-year-old Schoen, along with former head coach Brian Daboll, joined the Giants in 2022. Daboll was fired in October of last year, but the Giants kept Schoen around and trusted him to lead their search for a new head coach, which ultimately led to the hiring of Harbaugh. Before joining the G-Men, Schoen spent five seasons as the assistant GM for the Buffalo Bills under Brandon Beane. New York went 9-7-1 and won a playoff game in Schoen's first year with the organization, but they went 13-38 in the next three seasons. Despite a rough last three years, the Giants ownership is optimistic about the direction of the franchise, and they have liked how Schoen and Harbaugh have worked together early on.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Steelers Agree With Kicker Chris Boswell on Four-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed with kicker Chris Boswell on a four-year, $28 million contract extension on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The $7 million average per year ties Boswell with the Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey for the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, per CAA Football. Boswell is locked in with the Steelers through the 2030 season. The 35-year-old veteran made his second Pro Bowl in 2025 in his 11th year in the Steel City, going 27-for-32 (9-for-11 from 50-plus yards out) on his field-goal tries and 42-for-43 on extra points in 17 regular-season games. He's a career 87.7% kicker on his 341 field-goal attempts (52-for-63 from 50-plus yards) in his 11 years in the league with Pittsburgh. Boswell finished as the No. 12 fantasy kicker in 2025 in a Steelers offense that had its limitations with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center. The Steelers aren't in a better QB situation this year and are currently waiting on Rodgers to make a decision on whether he wants to re-sign. It makes Boswell a fringe top-12 option at the position going into his 12th NFL campaign.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Broncos Sign GM George Paton to New Five-Year Deal
The Denver Broncos signed general manager George Paton to a new five-year deal on Friday, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Paton, who is one of the league's most respected executives, built a Broncos roster that reached the AFC Championship last year. He was entering the final year of the six-year contract that he signed with the organization in 2021. Paton got off to a nice start to his tenure in Denver by drafting All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II and offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz, plus linebacker Jonathan Cooper, in the 2021 draft, his first with the team. Things didn't go well when Paton hired Nathaniel Hackett as the head coach and when he traded for Russell Wilson, but head coach Sean Payton has helped stabilize the team in recent seasons before the Broncos reached the AFC title game this past season. With young QB Bo Nix (ankle) at the helm, the Broncos' arrow is pointing up for years to come.
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
Packers Release Kicker Brandon McManus
The Green Bay Packers released veteran kicker Brandon McManus on Friday after drafting University of Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round last month, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. McManus' run in Green Bay comes to an end after two seasons with the Packers, in which he made 44 of his 51 field-goal attempts (6-for-8 from 50-plus yards) and 62 of his 63 extra-point attempts in 25 regular-season games. The 34-year-old, 12-year veteran and former Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos is nearing the end of the line in the NFL after a solid career that has seen him make 82% of his field-goal attempts in 186 regular-season games. With McManus gone, the Packers figure to have a kicking competition this summer between Smack and Lucas Havrisik. McManus wasn't 100% healthy last year in Green Bay and was successful on 24 of his 30 field-goal tries and 32 of his 33 extra-point attempts in his 14 regular-season games. Fantasy managers in 12-team leagues will want to avoid the Packers' kicking situation in 2026.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Chad Alexander a Candidate for Vikings GM Job
The Minnesota Vikings have requested to interview Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander for their general manager job, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. In addition to Alexander, the other candidates to take over as the Vikings' GM include San Francisco 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Buffalo Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Los Angeles Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seattle Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasely, and Tennessee Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler. Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski has also expressed interest in the job and is a candidate to take over after the team surprisingly fired Adofo Kwesi-Mensah back in January. All of the candidates come from a scouting background. Alexander has been the Chargers' assistant GM since 2024. He was previously with the Baltimore Ravens' personnel department from 1999 to 2018 before serving as the New York Jets' director of player personnel from 2019 to 2023.
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert
Vikings Request to Interview RJ Gillen for GM Job
The Minnesota Vikings requested an interview with San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager RJ Gillen for their general manager job, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The Vikings are ramping up their search for a new GM after surprisingly firing Adofo Kwesi-Mensah in January. In addition to Gillen, the Vikings have requested to interview Tennessee Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler and Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander. Ziegler is the only one who has previous experience as a GM with the Raiders in 2022 and 2023, but he was fired midway through his second season with the organization, along with head coach Josh McDaniels. Gillen has spent the last 11 seasons with the 49ers and was promoted to his current role in 2025 after serving as the director of player personnel for two years. The Vikings are looking for new leadership after letting quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency last year before he landed with the Seattle Seahawks and led them to a Super Bowl championship.
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
