March 12, 2026
ESPN's Rich Cimini writes that veteran quarterback
Geno Smith is expected to replace
Justin Fields as the New York Jets' bridge starter this year. Head coach Aaron Glenn is hoping to get enough wins out of Smith to stick around for a third year at the helm. The Jets signed Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract in March of last year, but he was not the answer under center. The 27-year-old former 11th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in 2021 out of Ohio State only made nine starts before being benched for veteran
Tyrod Taylor. Fields, one of the better rushing QBs in the league, didn't run as much, and although he did limit his turnovers, he didn't help the Jets' offense much, throwing for 1,259 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception in his nine starts. He had 71 carries for 383 yards and four touchdowns as a rusher. It would not be a surprise to see the Jets cut Field this offseason, which would save them $10 million in salary cap space in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN New York - Rich Cimini
March 12, 2026
New San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Mike Evans is expected to "step in right away as the X receiver" and provide leadership for a wideout group that doesn't have much experience, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Evan's "red-zone and tight-window acumen" should translate quickly into head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense in 2026. The 32-year-old future Hall of Famer had 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before breaking that streak last year when he played in only eight games due to collarbone and hamstring injuries. Evans has scored double-digit touchdowns in six of his 12 seasons in the league, and his 27 TDs on tight-window throws over the last 10 seasons are six more than the next closest player, according to Next Gen Stats. While Evans is nearing the end of his career, his landing spot in the Bay Area could be the best chance he has for a 12th 1,000-yard season. The Niners swooped on Evans earlier this week and signed him to a three-year, $42.4 million contract that could reach $60.4 million through incentives.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Nick Wagoner
March 12, 2026
The Cincinnati Bengals are signing veteran free-agent defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million deal on Thursday, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Allen can make a maximum of $28 million over two years through performance-based incentives. The 31-year-old two-time Pro Bowler will make the jump to the AFC North as he heads into his 10th NFL season after spending 2025 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he had a career-high 68 tackles (29 solo), 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, and a fumble recovery in 17 starts. He finished just inside the top-50 defensive linemen in IDP fantasy formats. The former 17th overall pick by Washington in 2017 out of Alabama is expected to serve as a starting interior defensive lineman in 2026 for a Bengals defense that needs all the help it can get after letting star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson walk in free agency. Allen has 469 total tackles (270 solo) and 45.5 sacks in his nine NFL seasons, starting in 125 of the 126 games he's appeared in.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 12, 2026
The Washington Commanders are signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back
Rachaad White to an undisclosed one-year deal on Thursday, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team. Washington non-tendered former RB
Chris Rodriguez Jr. on Wednesday, and he quickly latched on with the Jacksonville Jaguars. To give the team more depth in the backfield alongside second-year back
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the Commanders have now added White to the mix. The 27-year-old former third-round pick in 2022 out of Arizona State had 2,656 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns on 677 carries (3.9 yards per attempt) while adding 205 catches, 1,450 yards, and 11 touchdowns through the air in his four years in Tampa. Depending on what else Washington does at the RB position this offseason, White figures to operate as more of a third-down back in D.C. in 2026, with JCM operating as the early-down option. It's a similar role to what he had with the Bucs when
Bucky Irving was healthy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The 33rd Team - Ari Meirov
March 12, 2026
New England Patriots executive vice president Eliot Wolf hasn't completely shut the door on a potential return for free-agent wide receiver
Stefon Diggs, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The Patriots officially released Diggs at the start of the new league year on Wednesday to free up salary cap space for the 2026 season, but they aren't opposed to re-signing him to a new deal despite signing former Green Bay Packers wideout
Romeo Doubs earlier this week. The 32-year-old veteran is probably past his prime, but he still managed to lead the Patriots in receiving in 2025 with 85 catches on 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season starts. It was Diggs' seventh time reaching the 1,000-yard mark in his 11 NFL seasons. New England continues to discuss a potential trade for Eagles receiver
A.J. Brown, too, but reuniting with Diggs would be the cheaper option and also wouldn't involve giving up significant draft capital. The four-time Pro Bowler would most likely have a smaller role in the passing game for the Pats if he were to return in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Boston Herald - Doug Kyed
March 12, 2026
Andrew Siciliano wonders whether New Orleans Saints running back
Alvin Kamara (knee) will retire this offseason after an interesting question-and-answer session with head coach Kellen Moore on Kamara and new RB addition
Travis Etienne Jr. on Thursday. Moore didn't specifically answer a reporter's question on whether the Saints expect Kamara to be a part of the team in 2026, other than saying Kamara "means a lot to us." When asked specifically if Kamara is considering retirement, Moore said, "I'm not going to get into all that stuff." The Saints restructured the 30-year-old's contract recently in a way that puts his future with the organization in question, and there are only more questions about Kamara after New Orleans signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract on Monday. Kamara has ended the last two seasons injured, and if he wants to continue playing in the NFL, he could be doing so outside the Big Easy for the first time in his career.
--Keith HernandezSource: Andrew Siciliano
March 12, 2026
USC wide receiver
Makai Lemon ran his 40-yard dash for NFL scouts at his school's pro day on Thursday morning and was in the 4.48-second to 4.53-second range, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic. Brugler adds that Lemon also ran routes for teams, but he didn't do any jump testing, shuttle, or three-cone drills. The 21-year-old chose not to do any athletic testing at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis at the end of February. He's one of the top receiving talents in this year's draft class and should be locked in as a first-round selection for a WR-needy team. Lemon isn't among the fastest wideouts to make the leap to the NFL in 2026, but he still has enough skills to be worth consideration as a top-10 draft pick in April. He finished his final year with the Trojans in 2025 with 79 catches, 1,156 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Dane Brugler
March 12, 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles and three-time Pro Bowl offensive guard Landon Dickerson agreed to a revised two-year contract on Thursday at around $36 million, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Dickerson was previously due to make $39 million in 2026 and 2027, but he can now hit that mark with 2027 incentives. He will be due $15.7 million this year and is no longer under contract for 2028. The 27-year-old former second-round pick (37th overall) in 2021 out of Alabama was a Pro Bowler from 2022 to 2024 for the Eagles. He started 15 regular-season contests a year ago and has started 77 of the 78 games that he's appeared in for the Eagles over his five seasons in the NFL. Going into his sixth year in the league, Dickerson will be slated to start at left guard this year in a revamped offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
March 12, 2026
Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby (knee) is fully committed to making it work with the Raiders after the trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell apart on Tuesday, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "Everything Happens For A Reason," Crosby wrote in a post on X. "Believe Nothing You Hear & Half Of What You See. Im A Raider. I'm Back. Run That S---." Baltimore agreed late last week to acquire Crosby in exchange for two first-round picks. The 28-year-old had surgery in January to fix a torn meniscus in his left knee that caused the Raiders to hold him out against his will for the final two games of 2025. His agent, CJ LaBoy, said that Crosby is ahead of schedule in his recovery and is on track to return during the offseason program. It remains to be seen if another team will be willing to give up two first-rounders to acquire Crosby, whose long-term injury situation is a bit murky. Wherever he's playing in 2026, though, Crosby will be a strong defensive line target in IDP fantasy leagues as long as he's healthy.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Ryan McFadden
March 12, 2026
The Denver Broncos are re-signing wide receiver
Lil'Jordan Humphrey to an undisclosed deal on Thursday, a source told Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports. Humphrey played three games with the New York Giants at the beginning of last year before the Broncos picked him up. Head coach Sean Payton is familiar with the 27-year-old wideout after he played the first three years of his career with the New Orleans Saints from 2019 through 2021. In his seven regular-season games with the Broncos in 2025, Humphrey caught nine of his 15 targets for 101 yards and one touchdown. He also played in Denver in 2023 and 2024, catching 44 of his 64 targets for 455 yards and four touchdowns in 34 games (15 starts). He will return to Denver to provide them with depth at the position, but he won't be anywhere near the fantasy radar behind
Courtland Sutton,
Troy Franklin,
Pat Bryant, and
Marvin Mims Jr.--Keith HernandezSource: DNVR Sports - Zac Stevens
March 12, 2026
Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. signed an undisclosed two-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. Brown is a cornerstone of Cincy's offensive line and also a Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. On an offensive line that has seen its fair share of struggles in recent seasons, Brown is the prime protector of Pro Bowl quarterback
Joe Burrow, so he's a pretty important piece of the offense. The 29-year-old previously signed a four-year, $64 million deal that made him the biggest free-agent signing in Bengals history at the time. In his eight seasons in the league, Brown has a Super Bowl ring, four Pro Bowl berths, and a franchise tag. Not only has Brown's play been top-notch, but he's played in all 17 regular-season games in two of his three seasons in Cincinnati.
--Keith HernandezSource: Bengals.com - Geoff Hobson
March 12, 2026
The Miami Dolphins announced on Thursday that they re-signed kicker
Riley Patterson to an undisclosed deal. The Dolphins moved on from
Jason Sanders, who missed the entire 2025 season due to injury, and also signed former Atlanta Falcons kicker
Zane Gonzalez earlier this week. The 26-year-old Patterson filled in nicely for Sanders last year, making 27 of his 29 field-goal attempts and 34 of his 35 extra-point opportunities over 17 games. However, because of Miami's inconsistent offense, he finished as just the No. 16 kicker in overall fantasy points. Given how well Patterson kicked in 2025, he should be considered the favorite for placekicking duties in Miami over Gonzalez going into the 2026 regular season this fall. In his five years in the NFL, Patterson has made 87.4% of his 103 field-goal attempts, including going 7-for-13 from 50-plus yards out. If he wins the starting job this summer, Patterson will be a low-end starting kicker in deeper fantasy leagues.
--Keith HernandezSource: Miami Dolphins
March 12, 2026
The Baltimore Ravens released quarterback
Cooper Rush on Thursday, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Rush signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal with Baltimore last offseason, but he'll be looking for work this offseason after one year with the Ravens. The 32-year-old veteran signal-caller appeared in four games for the Ravens last year and started two games with
Lamar Jackson injured, going 34-for-52 passing for 303 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions. The former undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan debuted in the NFL in 2017 with the Dallas Cowboys and has completed 61.1% of his passes for 3,766 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in his eight-year career. Rush was expendable in Baltimore with
Tyler Huntley returning to back up Jackson for the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 12, 2026
Wide receiver
Jauan Jennings had 15 receiving touchdowns and 1,618 yards on 132 receptions (203 targets) the last two years for the San Francisco 49ers. The 28-year-old former seventh-round pick in 2020 out of Tennessee is one of the top available wideouts on the open market now, and he seems unlikely to return to the Bay Area after the Niners signed future Hall of Famer
Mike Evans earlier this week. Behind Evans, the Niners have
Ricky Pearsall,
Demarcus Robinson,
Jacob Cowing, and
Jordan Watkins. The Niners could use more depth at the position, especially with Pearsall barely playing due to injuries in his first two seasons, but it still feels more likely that San Fran will wind up letting Jennings walk as a free agent. Jennings would obviously have a much lower floor in fantasy if he re-signed with the Niners. NFL.com's Steve Wyche thinks the Falcons would be a perfect fit for Jennings to work alongside
Drake London and tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr.--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Reference
March 12, 2026
The Cleveland Browns officially released tight end
David Njoku and right guard Wyatt Teller with post-June 1 designations on Thursday, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. The Browns will break Njoku's dead salary cap into $9.5 million in 2026 and $14.7 million in 2027 while getting a bit of cap relief after June 1. Njoku's fantasy value in 2025 tanked with the quick emergence of rookie TE
Harold Fannin Jr., who surprisingly led the team in receiving in his first year in the NFL. The 29-year-old Njoku's opportunities shrank, and he also missed some time late in the year with a knee injury. He finished with 33 receptions for 293 yards and four touchdowns on 48 targets over 12 games. Njoku's 293 yards were his fewest since 2020. Now healthy, Njoku will seek employment elsewhere in 2026 and could bounce back as a low-end TE1 option in fantasy if he lands in the right situation.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Daniel Oyefusi
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