February 24, 2026
Three-time Pro Bowl tight end
Zach Ertz (knee) plans to return in 2026 for a 14th NFL season and is expected to be cleared right around Week 1, sources told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Ertz, who will be a free agent next month, is two months into rehab from a torn ACL. The 35-year-old veteran ranks fifth in catches and eighth in yards among tight ends in NFL history, including 50 catches for 504 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games last before before suffering his season-ending knee injury in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 7. Given his age and uncertainty about whether he'll actually be 100% ready to play in the season opener this fall, Ertz's fantasy stock will drop considerably going into the 2026 season. In his first year in Washington in 2024, Ertz had a 66-654-7 line in 17 games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
February 23, 2026
The Kansas City Chiefs released veteran defensive end Mike Danna on Monday to free up more salary cap space before the official start of the new league year, according to ESPN. The move to release Danna saves the Chiefs $9 million on their 2026 cap. The Chiefs entered the offseason more than $57 million over the cap before releasing Danna and restructuring quarterback
Patrick Mahomes' deal. The 28-year-old Danna started 32 games for KC over the last three seasons. In 15 contests in 2025, the 28-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2020 out of Michigan had only 25 tackles (eight solo), one sack, his first career interception, and a pass breakup. Danna has 194 tackles (96 solo), 21.5 sacks, and 25 tackles for loss in his six NFL seasons, all with the Chiefs. He won two Super Bowl titles with KC but will now look to latch on with another team as he heads into his seventh year in the league.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
February 23, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers center Bradley Bozeman announced his retirement from professional football on Monday on his Instagram account, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. Bozeman will hang up his cleats after playing for three different teams (Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers) over his eight seasons. The 31-year-old was drafted in the sixth round in 2018 out of Alabama by the Ravens, and he played in Baltimore for the first four seasons of his career. He spent 2022 and 2023 with the Panthers before joining the Chargers each of the last two years. Bozeman played in at least 14 games in all eight of his NFL seasons and started 110 of the 129 games he appeared in over the course of his career. Offensive line was already a big area of need for L.A. this offseason before Bozeman's retirement. The Bolts are expected to target center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency to help bolster their O-line.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kris Rhim
February 23, 2026
Green Bay Packers impending free-agent quarterback
Malik Willis and Alabama QB Ty Simpson are among the "external quarterbacks" on the Cleveland Browns' radar with the NFL scouting combine kicking off this week, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Meanwhile, the Browns are still trying to decide if they think one of
Shedeur Sanders or
Deshaun Watson (Achilles) can be their starter in 2026. Watson has more experience in the NFL, but he didn't play at all last year due to a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024, and he's rarely been available for Cleveland since signing a massive five-year, $230 million contract with the team in March of 2022. Sanders, a fifth-rounder, predictably in his first eight games (seven starts) last year, completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. The Browns bringing in Willis or Simpson would signal their lack of faith in both Watson and Sanders going into the 2026 season.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
February 23, 2026
The New England Patriots released running back
Antonio Gibson (knee) on Monday, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Gibson had a lost season in 2025 with New England, suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 5. The 27-year-old finished with a career-low 25 carries for 106 yards and one touchdown in his five games last year in his second season with the Pats. He'll head to the open market this offseason, most likely searching for a depth role in the backfield. Gibson's lone 1,000-yard season in the NFL came in his second year in the league in 2021 with the Washington Commanders. Since his first two years in the league, Gibson has struggled to be productive, gaining a total of 1,455 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns on 359 carries over four seasons. Gibson also has experience as a return man on special teams, which will make him more attractive on the open market.
--Keith HernandezSource: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
February 23, 2026
One of the biggest offseason storylines in the NFL this year is whether the Las Vegas Raiders will trade All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. The Raiders should get a better idea of Crosby's trade market at this week's NFL scouting combine. The Raiders reportedly "want the Micah Parsons deal," which included two first-round picks and an impact player, according to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. Parsons is younger, but Crosby has the sixth-highest average salary per year among edge rushers, which is a relatively friendly contract. Crosby, who has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last five seasons, had 73 tackles (45 solo), 10 sacks, 28 tackles for loss, 20 QB hits, his first career interception, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in 15 games in 2025 before being shut down at the tail end of the year due to a meniscus injury. Although Crosby is expected to be ready for Week 1 in 2026, the injury uncertainty could drive down his price.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Ted Nguyen
February 23, 2026
The Detroit Lions announced on Monday that they hired Dan Skipper as an offensive assistant for the 2026 season. The Lions also announced that former New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka will be their offensive passing-game coordinator. Skipper retired as a player in January after playing 66 games as an offensive tackle for the Lions since debuting in the league in 2017. The rest of Detroit's offensive coaching staff includes offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, associate head coach/wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery, quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell, running backs coach Tashard Choice, run-game-coordinator/offensive-line coach Hank Fraley, assistant WRs coach Bruce Gradkowski, quality control coach Justin Mesa, tight ends coach Steve Oliver, pass-game specialist David Shaw, and offensive assistant Marques Tuiasosopo.
--Keith HernandezSource: Detroit Lions
February 23, 2026
Los Angeles Chargers impending free-agent running back
Najee Harris (Achilles) is "looking outstanding" five months after having surgery for a torn Achilles tendon and is "running with ease" at 15 mph on an Alter-G treadmill, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson. Harris' first season with the Chargers came to an end when he tore his Achilles in Week 3, allowing rookie
Omarion Hampton to take over lead-back duties for most of the year. It ended Harris' streak of four straight seasons with 1,000 rushing yards to begin his career, as he finished with just 61 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 15 carries in three games in L.A. The soon-to-be 28-year-old will be back on the free-agent market this offseason, and although he appears to be healing nicely, he's unlikely to have a very robust market coming off a major injury.
--Keith HernandezSource: Doug Hendrickson
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 23, 2026
The Denver Broncos hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator John Morton as their offensive passing-game coordinator on Sunday, a source with knowledge of the hire confirmed to Luca Evans of The Denver Post. Morton served as Denver's passing-game coordinator in 2023 and 2024 under head coach Sean Payton before taking the Lions' OC job last year. Detroit stripped Morton of play-calling duties around midseason before firing him. Payton quickly brought him back as a consultant during the postseason, and now he's officially back for the 2026 season. Following the 2025 season, the Broncos fired OC Joe Lombardi and replaced him with
Davis Webb, a rising young coach who received looks as a head coach during this hiring cycle. Morton has plenty of experience with Payton, also serving as his receivers coach in Payton's first year with the Saints in 2006.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Post - Luca Evans
February 23, 2026
ESPN's Kris Rhim wouldn't be surprised to see the Los Angeles Chargers make a push to sign Baltimore Ravens impending free-agent center Tyler Linderbaum, who is one of the top projected free agents this offseason. Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz had a hand in selecting Linderbaum with the Ravens in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The 25-year-old was the NFL's second-best pass-blocking center in pass-block win rate (97.2%) last year. The 2026 franchise tag for linemen is $27.9 million, which would be almost $10 million more than Creed Humphrey's league-high deal at the position. The New York Giants, who are now coached by former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, are another team that could make a play to sign Linderbaum and move John Michael Schmitz Jr. into a utility role. The Cleveland Browns, now coached by former Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken, need serious O-line help and are another potential landing spot for Linderbaum.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Kris Rhim
February 23, 2026
Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) is considered doubtful to ever play football again after suffering a serious neck injury in a collision with Baltimore Ravens running back
Derrick Henry on Oct. 27, 2024, a league source told Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. The former second-rounder in 2021 sat out all of last season while recovering from the injury, which involved a compression of his neck. It's a tough blow for the 26-year-old linebacker, who was a Pro Bowler in 2023, when he recorded 101 tackles (72 solo), 3.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, five QB hits, two interceptions, six pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 16 games played. He was limited to eight games in 2024 and looks primed to finish his four-year NFL career with 308 tackles (205) solo, eight sacks, three picks, 17 pass breakups, and six forced fumbles in 49 games.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
February 23, 2026
The New York Post's Vincent Bonsignore suggests that the Los Angeles Rams could target a developmental quarterback prospect in this year's NFL draft, with the 38-year-old
Matthew Stafford potentially in the final year of his career in 2026. The Rams hold two first-round picks, which will give them flexibility to be aggressive at the most important position in football. Their first pick in the first round will come at No. 13, which could be right in the wheelhouse for Alabama QB Ty Simpson, who could use some development time in the NFL. Other signal-callers in this year's draft that the Rams could take a look at are Penn State's Drew Allar, Miami's
Carson Beck, Arkansas' Taylen Green, Georgia Tech's Haynes King, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Vincent Bonsignore
February 23, 2026
Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson will throw at this week's NFL scouting combine, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. It will give Simpson, the consensus No. 2 QB in this year's draft behind presumptive No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, a chance to solidify his status as a first-round pick in 2026. In his first three years at Alabama, Simpson attempted 50 passes. That number jumped to a league-high 475 passing attempts last year, and he finished the season with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 15 games played. Depending on Simpson's pre-draft workouts/interviews, he could vault himself to the first half of the first round of the draft in April after establishing himself as the best QB in the SEC last year.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
February 23, 2026
Baltimore Ravens impending free-agent tight end
Isaiah Likely isn't ruling out a return to the Ravens in free agency, but he also said "business is business" when it comes to a team that recently signed TE
Mark Andrews and receiver
Rashod Bateman to new deals, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Likely suffered a foot injury in the preseason that caused him to miss the first three games of the 2025 season, and he was never able to recover, finishing with just 27 catches for a career-low 307 yards and one touchdown in 14 games played. The 25-year-old told his agent that "I just want to be able to blossom," and that's unlikely to happen with the Ravens as long as Andrews is still around. All signs are pointing to Likely moving to another team this offseason, which should make him more attractive as a potential TE1 in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: Pro Football Talk - Josh Alper
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