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 4, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers released tight end
Will Dissly on Wednesday, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. The Chargers also cut offensive guard Mekhi Becton and offensive tackle Savion Washington before the start of the new league year next week. It was mostly a lost season in 2025 for Dissly, who played in only nine games due to injury and caught only 11 of his 16 targets for 97 yards and no touchdowns in his second year in L.A. The 29-year-old tight end missed three weeks with a knee injury and was phased out of the offense in the second half of the year. In his first year with the Bolts, Dissly was much more productive, setting career-highs in catches (50), targets (64), and receiving yards (481) while finding the end zone two times in 15 games played (eight starts). He should be able to latch on with another team as TE depth, but he isn't expected to be on the fantasy radar.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Daniel Popper
March 4, 2026
The New England Patriots informed four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver
Stefon Diggs that they are releasing him after the start of the new league year next week, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. The Patriots will not have to pay Diggs the $6 million option in his contract that was set to become fully guaranteed next Friday. The 32-year-old veteran was New England's top wideout and helped the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the Seattle Seahawks. Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards (his seventh 1,000-yard season) and four touchdowns in 17 regular-season games in his only season with the team. The former fifth-rounder of the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 out of Maryland still has plenty left in the tank, but his new home may not afford him WR1 targets. Meanwhile, the Pats could be setting things up to try to acquire pass-catcher
A.J. Brown from the Eagles.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
March 4, 2026
Pittsburgh Steelers impending free-agent quarterback
Aaron Rodgers had nothing but good things to say about new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who was Rodgers' former head coach with the Green Bay Packers. "Mike McCarthy is one of the great guys in the league, and he really cares about the players. He's an exceptional human being with a big heart," Rodgers said. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer and four-time MVP also said there's no deadline for him to decide on whether he's returning for a 22nd year in the NFL, and those conversations will be down the line. The relationship between Rodgers and McCarthy soured toward the end of their time together in Green Bay, but McCarthy's presence in the Steel City probably won't be a deal-breaker if Rodgers wants to play another season with the Steelers. Rodgers led Pittsburgh to the playoffs in 2025, but if he plays again in 2026, he'll be a low-end QB2 in fantasy with limited upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pat McAfee Show
March 4, 2026
The Carolina Panthers placed exclusive-rights free-agent tenders on wide receivers
Jalen Coker and
Brycen Tremayne on Wednesday, locking them both in for the 2026 season, according to Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. Neither Coker nor Tremayne will have the opportunity to negotiate with other teams this offseason. The 24-year-old Coker missed the first six games of last season due to a quadriceps injury, but he still managed to finish second in receiving in Carolina with 33 catches on 43 targets for 394 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in 11 regular-season games in his second year in the NFL. Coker emerged as the team's WR2 behind Offensive Rookie of the Year
Tetairoa McMillan late in the year, catching 19 passes for 244 yards and all three of his TDs in the final five games. He added nine grabs for 134 yards and a score in the Wild-Card playoff loss to the Rams. If Coker can play in a full season, he has true breakout potential as Carolina's WR2.
--Keith HernandezSource: Panthers.com - Darin Gantt
March 4, 2026
Indianapolis Colts impending free-agent wide receiver
Alec Pierce said on the Up & Adams Show on Wednesday that he thinks he's "kind of earned the right to explore free agency. See what's out there." Although the Colts still have the opportunity to negotiate a long-term deal with Pierce before the legal tampering window opens on March 9, the expectation is that the 25-year-old wants to test his value on the open market first. Had the Colts already locked up quarterback
Daniel Jones (Achilles) to a long-term extension, they most likely would have placed the franchise tag on Pierce. There should be plenty of interest in the former second-rounder after he led the Colts in receiving for his first 1,000-yard season in 2025. Pierce has led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the last two years as well. He has familiarity and chemistry with Jones already, but it's possible his fantasy ceiling will be higher if he departs in free agency.
--Keith HernandezSource: Up & Adams
March 4, 2026
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-signed quarterback
Connor Bazelak to a one-year, $1.005 million contract on Wednesday, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. It's a league-minimum deal for a second-year player, and Bazelak will be an exclusive-rights free agent again next spring. Bazelak, 25, didn't play a single snap for the Bucs last year and spent the second half of last season as the QB3 behind starter
Baker Mayfield and
Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater is a free agent this offseason and probably won't return, but the Buccaneers are expected to bring in another QB to serve as Mayfield's direct backup in 2026. Things will have gone horribly wrong in Tampa if Bazelak is forced to start at all next season.
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Greg Auman
March 4, 2026
The Jacksonville Jaguars re-signed tight end
Quintin Morris to a one-year deal worth up to $3 million on Wednesday, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Morris is an ascending player who appeared in 14 games for the Jags last year in his first year with the team, catching six of his nine targets for 55 yards and one touchdown in 14 regular-season games (five starts). The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Bowling Green has exactly one touchdown in each of his first four NFL seasons (three with the Buffalo Bills). Morris will mostly be a blocking TE again for Jacksonville in 2026 and will be off the fantasy football radar in all leagues unless
Brenton Strange misses significant time with an injury. He has a total of 21 receptions for 201 yards and four touchdowns on 31 targets in 59 total games (nine starts).
--Keith HernandezSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
March 4, 2026
The Green Bay Packers and running back
Chris Brooks agreed to a two-year, $4.85 million deal on Wednesday, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Brooks served as the team's RB3 in 2025 behind starter
Josh Jacobs and
Emanuel Wilson, carrying the ball only 27 times for 106 yards and no touchdowns in 17 regular-season games, adding a career-high 13 catches for another 91 yards on 17 targets. Wilson isn't expected to be tendered a contract as a restricted free agent, but Brooks will most likely operate as Green Bay's RB3 again in 2026 behind Jacobs and
MarShawn Lloyd, if he's healthy. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent out of BYU only has 395 rushing yards and one touchdown on 82 rushing attempts in his first three years in the NFL. He spent his rookie season in 2023 with the Dolphins.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
March 4, 2026
Cardinals quarterback
Jacoby Brissett took over the starting job in Arizona following the Week 5 foot injury and soft benching of former No. 1 overall pick
Kyler Murray. With the team informing Murray on Tuesday that they would be releasing him before the start of the new league year, Brissett is left atop a depth chart that includes only third-year pro
Kedon Slovis. While Brissett was a fantasy revelation in 2025, unlocking both tight end
Trey McBride and wide receiver
Michael Wilson with a seemingly unsustainable passing volume, the Cardinals won only one of his 12 starts, and they have recently been linked to free-agent quarterback
Malik Willis. With a weak rookie and free agent quarterback class, Willis figures to be the most sought-after player at the position when the legal tampering window opens on March 9. Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur is the younger brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, for whom Willis has played the past two seasons, reviving his career across three impressive starts.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
March 4, 2026
Indianapolis Colts tight end
Tyler Warren shared an obvious connection with quarterback
Daniel Jones that had him squarely in the Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation prior to Jones' season-ending Achilles injury in Week 14. With the team placing the transition tag on Jones on Tuesday, the first domino has fallen in defining the direction of the Colts' offensive future, and signs are positive for Warren's growth heading into year two. Should Jones sign his nearly $38 million tender, the likelihood of Indianapolis retaining both unrestricted free agent
Alec Pierce as well as veteran
Michael Pittman Jr. and his $29 million cap hit seems unlikely. With Pierce leading the team in receiving yards and Pittman commanding the most targets, receptions, and touchdowns, Indianapolis could be looking to fill a major offensive vacuum in 2026, and Tyler Warren has the skillset to become the primary option to do so.
--Patrick McGrathSource: RotoBaller
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
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