Jul 7, 2026, 12:14 AM ET

Chicago Bears rookie first-round safety Dillon Thieneman has shown speed, instincts, versatility, aggressiveness, and passion during offseason workouts and is a long-term building block for the Bears' defense, according to Dan Wiederer of The Athletic. Thieneman could pair nicely with newcomer Coby Bryant to help improve Chicago's secondary in 2026 and beyond. The Bears didn't think that the 21-year-old would be available with the 25th overall pick in the first round back in April, but when he was, general manager Ryan Poles pounced. Thieneman spent his third and final collegiate season in 2025 at the University of Oregon and had 96 combined tackles, a sack, two interceptions, and 3.5 tackles for loss in 15 games played for the Ducks. He is an elite athlete who could quickly become a fantasy-relevant IDP safety as a ball hawk for the Bears' secondary.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Dan Wiederer

Jun 11, 2026, 1:57 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

May 26, 2026, 3:10 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio

May 22, 2026, 2:34 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport

May 8, 2026, 1:33 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero

May 7, 2026, 2:18 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com - Kevin Seifert

May 7, 2026, 1:35 PM ET

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.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero

May 7, 2026, 11:37 AM ET

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter (knee) is expected to be a full-go for training camp. He continues to recover from last season's torn LCL, and it doesn't sound like he'll have any limitations this summer. With that said, an uptick in defensive snaps and a crowded receiver room could spell disaster for Hunter's fantasy value in non-IDP leagues. The former first-round pick's career was already off to a slow start on the offensive side of the ball. He posted single-digit fantasy points (PPR) in each of his first six games last year before finally breaking out for eight catches, 101 yards, and one touchdown in Week 7. However, that was his last game of the season due to injury. Hunter averaged 9.1 fantasy points on offense last year, and if he's going to play more on defense in 2026, we'd have to imagine his offensive involvement goes down. And even if he does end up having a similar snap share, his overall productivity will take a hit due to the fact that he's also devoting so much energy and effort to playing on defense. Furthermore, Hunter has added competition in the form of Jakobi Meyers, who wasn't on the team when he was healthy last year. The presence of Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington could drop Hunter to fourth on the wide receiver depth chart, stripping him of almost all his value in redraft leagues and also hurting dynasty managers. Hunter still has the potential to play more offense in the future, but the short-term outlook feels like a punch to the gut for fantasy managers who took him in the first round of rookie drafts last year. He has quickly fallen to WR54 in RotoBaller's latest dynasty fantasy football rankings.--Andersen Pickard
Source: RotoBaller

May 6, 2026, 11:10 AM ET

The Minnesota Vikings have requested to interview Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray for their GM job, a source told Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. Gray spent 11 seasons with the Vikings as a college scout before joining the Bills in 2017. The Vikings are taking their time in searching for a new GM after they surprisingly fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski has taken over the interim GM duties and has planned a full search for a new GM now that the 2026 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror. In addition to the Bills, Gray has worked for the Kansas City Chiefs during his time in the NFL. Depending on how the team's search goes, Brzezinski could be a candidate to take on the job on a more permanent basis.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero

Apr 27, 2026, 11:59 PM ET

After missing Day 3 of the 2026 NFL draft on Saturday to be with his family, New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel returned to the team on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Vrabel has been in the news for the wrong reasons of late and will reportedly seek counseling after reports emerged about his alleged relationship with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. Vrabel, who led the Patriots to the Super Bowl last season in his first year at the helm, isn't facing any kind of charges and is not expected to face any discipline from the NFL for the 2026 campaign. There are also no signs that Vrabel will step down from his responsibilities as the Patriots' head coach for the upcoming season.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter

Apr 25, 2026, 2:29 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have acquired edge rusher Tyree Wilson from the Las Vegas Raiders, according to announcements from both organizations. The full trade sends Wilson and pick No. 219 to the Saints, while the Raiders receive the 150th overall selection. The Saints have been active in trade talks for a defensive end in recent days, as previous reports linked them to the Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux. Instead of Thibodeaux, the Saints end up with a different former first-round pick. The No. 7 selection in 2023, Wilson has missed just one game through three NFL seasons. He has a modest seven starts to his name, racking up three forced fumbles and 8.5 sacks over the last two seasons. The Saints used the bulk of their draft picks in Rounds 1 through 4 on major offensive weapons, and now, they're bolstering their defense by adding a more experienced rusher. He should slot into an immediate starting role on a Saints defensive line that features fellow 2023 first-rounder Bryan Bresee.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Las Vegas Raiders

Apr 25, 2026, 12:25 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have selected Tennessee cornerback prospect Jermod McCoy (knee) with the 101st overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. McCoy was once regarded as an elite prospect and potential top-10 pick, but he fell to Day 3 because NFL teams were concerned that he would require a future surgery to replace a bone plug used to repair a cartilage defect in his knee. An additional surgery would jeopardize his rookie season and also have a negative effect on his career. By pick No. 101, the Raiders decided that was a risk worth taking, and they came to terms on a trade with the Bills to move up one slot and select McCoy. He hasn't played since 2024, when he logged 44 tackles and four interceptions across 13 games with the Volunteers.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Jordan Schultz

Apr 24, 2026, 8:54 PM ET

The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard and the No. 244 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the 98th overall pick in 2026 and a third-round pick in 2027. Additionally, the Eagles are signing Greenard to a four-year, $100 million contract extension that includes $50 million guaranteed. The trade has reportedly been in the works for several days, which helps to explain why the Eagles are turning around and signing him to a nine-figure extension so quickly. It's a huge addition to the Eagles' defense, as Greenard is a former Pro Bowler who had 24.5 sacks between 2023 and 2024. He was limited to just 12 games (10 starts) last year, during which he amassed 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, and three sacks.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Adam Schefter

Apr 24, 2026, 8:09 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys have acquired linebacker Dee Winters from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for the No. 152 overall selection in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Winters started all 17 games last season, tallying 101 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and one interception (a 74-yard pick-six). The former sixth-round pick out of TCU is heading into a contract year as he wraps up his rookie contract. Dallas will now have the opportunity to extend him or let him play out the final year of his contract in a revamped Cowboys offense. The move makes sense roster-wise, as Dallas needed a linebacker upgrade desperately. Meanwhile, Winters became somewhat expendable in San Francisco after the 49ers re-signed Dre Greenlaw.--Andersen Pickard
Source: Matt Barrows

Apr 24, 2026, 4:36 PM ET

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the San Francisco 49ers are getting calls about the No. 33 overall pick at the top of the first round on Friday night, and it seems like they are very open to potentially moving back while acquiring more draft capital. Teams that are looking to trade up into the top part of the second round on Friday night include the Miami Dolphins, the New Orleans Saints, the Cleveland Browns, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Players projected to come off the board early on Day 2 include Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, University of Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston, University of Miami quarterback Carson Beck, and Tennessee cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy (knee). Hood was one of the biggest snubs of Round 1 on Thursday night, and he could be in play for the Niners at 33 or any team that trades up into that spot. McCoy has been considered a top-10 talent, but he's falling because of injury concerns.--Keith Hernandez
Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero