“They’re doing great,” Gutekunst said on an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “Tuck’s been in here every day, and he’s obviously a little bit ahead of schedule, just because his injury happened earlier than Micah’s did. But Micah’s such a - he’s a little bit of a freak. So I think some of that has taken over, and he’s doing really well, as well.” He continued, “So, certainly expect both of those guys back early in the season. And they’ll be a big part of what we’re doing moving forward.” Both players are attempting to return from torn ACLs, with Kraft’s injury occurring in November and Parsons’ occurring in December of last season. It certainly sounds like both players could avoid the Physically Unable to Perform list this summer, which would give each player a good chance to make good on their general manager’s words and return early in the 2026 regular season.
Jackson played for the Eagles in 2025 after spending the previous four seasons with the Giants, registering 55 combined tackles and 11 passes defended in 10 starts and 14 appearances. The soon-to-be 31-year-old continued to demonstrate that he has juice left in the tank but is likely best served as a team’s third cornerback at this point in his career. The Cowboys invested heavily in their secondary this offseason, adding Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, and Cobie Durant in free agency and drafting Caleb Downs in the first round of the draft. Even so, they currently have an open spot on their initial 90-man roster and could use a veteran presence in the secondary through camp, during which Jackson would presumably be competing for a roster spot, if signed.
Chiefs front office officials said last week that they were shocked Johnson was still available in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KC traded up to take Johnson, 22, who had 1,823 total yards in 2025 at Nebraska. Johnson enters the NFL with a 100th percentile college dominator rating along with a 99th percentile college target share. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently said he was impressed with Johnson’s pass catching and compared him favorably to LeSean McCoy. With a solid offseason Johnson could function as the Chiefs’ lead back if Ken Walker misses time in 2026.
Ridley in March restructured his contract with the Titans to remain in Tennessee for at least one more season following a terrible 2025 campaign in which he totaled 303 yards over seven games before a season-ending ankle injury. Ridley played under Daboll at Alabama before being drafted by the Falcons in 2018. “Rid is Rid,” Daboll said. “I’ve got a long-standing relationship with Rid back to 2017. He means a lot to me as a player. He was a good player for us when I was at Alabama. But as a person, we’ve developed a good relationship. It’s good to have him here. We’ve changed some stuff as we’ve went, but he’s smart. He’s a good player. He’s a good teammate. I’ve got a lot of appreciation and love for Rid.” Ridley will have to compete for WR3 duties in the new-look Tennessee offense this season with Wan’Dale Robinson and first-round rookie WR Carnell Tate shaping up as the team’s top two pass-catching options.
Kamara said he “couldn’t be happier” that the Saints signed Etienne and referenced his success splitting the Saints’ backfield with Mark Ingram. He also noted that he’s been training and has even watched film on Saints first-round rookie Jordyn Tyson. As NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill put it, “It’s incredibly clear that Alvin Kamara wants to be here and be part of the Saints.” The team may still want to adjust his contract. Kamara has a $10.4 million cap figure for 2026 with several void years in the future. Even if some accounting needs to be done, all signs point to Kamara playing football in New Orleans this year.
The SEC coach, speaking to ESPN anonymously about the 2026 quarterback class, said he was surprised Simpson was the 13th player off the draft board but compared him favorably to Matthew Stafford, who will remain LA’s starter in 2026. “It’s a great fit for him from a system standpoint, and who he’s going to be behind for a year,” the SEC coach said. “There’s a lot of similarities [with Stafford]. [The pick] was the biggest [surprise], a guy who didn’t have a ton of starts, but when he played, he played well. His long game is going to be really good.” Not every college coach was bullish on Simpson’s NFL prospects. One SEC defensive coordinator said it was more difficult to prepare for Jalen Milroe than it was to get ready to face Simpson. “He’s not ready to go be a starter in the NFL right now, he’s got work to do,” the coordinator told ESPN.
Sneed had been “charged with aggravated assault that was reduced by the grand jury to the misdemeanor offense of failure to report the commission of a felony,” according to Schefter. That could clear the way for the mega-bust to sign on with a cornerback-needy team in the coming weeks. Sneed, 29, was released by the Titans in March after signing four-year, $76.4 million deal in 2024 that included $55 million in guaranteed money. He will probably have to settle for a prove-it deal for 2026.
“He’s a good decision-maker, but I don’t think he’s got the NFL traits,” the coach told ESPN anonymously. “They’re all back-shoulder [throws]. That’s not working in the NFL. His receivers made plays to make him look better than he is. In the NFL, those throws are getting picked off.” Conversely, a Big Ten coach told ESPN Mendoza is “one of the more complete quarterback prospects he has seen.” Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after leading the Indian Hoosiers to their first-ever college football title, is widely expected to start the season on the bench behind Kirk Cousins. How long Mendoza waits for the starting gig likely depends on Cousins’ performance in Klint Kubiak’s offense.
The coach, speaking to ESPN anonymously, expressed optimism that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy would get the most out of Allar, who was taken in the third round of the 2026 draft. “Hopefully [Pittsburgh] will be a coaching staff that can maximize what he’s good at,” the Big Ten coach said. “I’m not really sure that was the case [at Penn State].” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg said Allar, who threw 49 touchdowns over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, “would have been among the top quarterbacks drafted in 2025 if he skipped his senior season.” Allar’s final season started slowly and was cut short by an ankle injury. In Pittsburgh, he will likely sit behind Aaron Rodgers to begin the season if Rodgers finally decides to return to the Steelers for another season.
Fowler, who has bounced around the league in recent years, had 10.5 sacks just two years ago with the Commanders and will now join a Seattle defense that last season pressured the passer at one of the league’s highest rates. Fowler, 31, will likely play on a prove-it deal with the Super Bowl champs in 2026. He could be used in a rotational role in the Seahawks’ loaded front seven. Fowler has 58.5 sacks over 159 NFL games.
Less than a month ago, McNair went on record at the annual league meetings saying the Texans are “totally behind” Stroud. Now, McNair has doubled down on those comments, hoping to cast aside any speculation that the team has doubts about Stroud being the quarterback best suited to lead the Texans for the foreseeable future. The Texans have exercised the fifth-year option on Stroud, keeping him under contract through 2027, and are expected to offer him an extension sometime next year. Stroud has struggled to regain his rookie form after throwing for 4,108-23-5 in 2023, but has led them to a 28-18 record and a postseason berth in each of his three seasons. Hopefully, with more offensive weapons around him next season and an improved running game, the Texans can relieve some pressure from Stroud as he enters his fourth season.
Bell was a seventh-round pick by the Patriots in 2024 and has caught two career passes for 20 yards in 15 games. The athletic tight end who was treated as a TE/HB hybrid in college has struggled to catch on as a full-time tight end in the pros. He could have a chance to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster in training camp, but it’s hard to imagine him making much of an impact on offense even if he sticks on the roster.
The Falcons continue to talk like a team expecting to be without Penix at the start of training camp, while holding out some hope that anything could change those expectations. Ryan is the latest dance around the topic, while back in March, head coach Kevin Stefanski said the team was “not gonna rush him” back to the field, and before that, it was reported that the team expects to be healthy “at some point in training camp.” For what it’s worth, Ryan did say he thinks Penix is “in a good spot right now,” but that can mean one of many things. Until he returns, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to operate as the QB1 and will likely have the inside edge to start in Week 1, the longer Penix remains out of commission.
It’s unclear whether this is a report from inside the building or Dulac speculating, but regardless, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that the Steelers are growing tired of waiting for the 42-year-old quarterback to make his decision. The Steelers recently applied the rarely used unrestricted free-agent tender to Rodgers, giving them the right of first refusal and a chance to match any offer Rodgers may receive from another team. The Steelers have quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Will Howard on the roster and also used the No. 76 overall pick in this year’s draft to select Penn State’s Drew Allar. Head coach Mike McCarthy will have multiple options at his disposal if Rodgers doesn’t return, but he remains their best option if he opts to continue playing.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero was first to report the signing. Taylor, 36, has spent the last two seasons with the Jets and made four starts for them in 2025, throwing for 779-5-5 while completing 59.7 percent of his passes. The veteran signal-caller will serve as the new backup to Jordan Love after Malik Willis left for Miami earlier this offseason. Taylor hasn’t had many opportunities for success over the last four seasons while splitting time between the Giants and Jets, but with 15 years of NFL experience and 100 career games under his belt he should be a serviceable backup for the Packers if called upon for a spot start or two.
Richardson stayed away during the previous two weeks, but showed up on Monday to join the team. The former No. 4 overall pick, who recently had his fifth-year option declined, is hoping to be traded or released before the start of next season, but he doesn’t appear to be on the move at this time. With second-year QB Riley Leonard expected to see most of the first-team reps while Daniel Jones continues to recover from his Achilles injury, Richardson will likely handle backup duties during drills if he continues to report. Richardson is in the final year of his rookie deal and appeared in only two games last season, completing 1-of-2 passes for nine yards.
Haener signed a deal with the Chiefs back in February and is now in search of a new home. The 27-year-old signal caller became expendable with the addition of Garrett Nussmeier, and was one of three players waived to make room for recent signings on the 90-man roster. Haener was a fourth-round pick by the Saints back in 2023 and has appeared in eight games in his career, throwing for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while completing 46.2 percent of his passes. In addition to Haener, DE Ethan Hurkett and DT Zacch Pickens were also let go by the Chiefs.
Hopkins, 33, spent last season playing for Burrow’s AFC North rival Ravens. He posted a 22/330/2 receiving line. Hopkins is no longer an elite wide receiver, but he could be helpful for Burrow in fantasy, potentially operating as the team’s WR4. Unfortunately, Over The Cap lists the Bengals with the fourth-lowest salary cap space. Perhaps Hopkins will be willing to take a low-cost deal to play with Burrow.
Lane stands 6'4/200 with 10.5" hands and an 80.75" wingspan. It’s a unique build in the Ravens’ wide receiver corps. Lane is reportedly slated for a perimeter-bound role and will have a chance to establish himself as the team’s second receiver in two-wide receiver sets alongside No. 1 WR Zay Flowers. For Lane to become FLEX-viable in year one, he will have to contend with Ravens TE Mark Andrews and the unit’s newly reinforced depth. That is a tall order for a third-round pick. With fourth-round rookie WR Elijah Sarratt expected to man the slot, Lane may run few fast-developing routes in the open field, making him a potentially volatile producer even in the best-case scenario.
Both players are a long way off from being fantasy-relevant, but this is good news nonetheless. Trigg’s college tape is dotted with explosive plays and surprising drops. Watkins complimented his improving maturity and aptly noted that Trigg has more “potential” than Rogers, who set a goal of leading the team in special teams tackles. For now, Trigg is buried on the Cowboys’ depth chart. He is highly unlikely to be viable in re-draft this season, but remains an interesting dart throw in dynasty formats. He must continue winning over Cowboys coaches this summer and an underwhelming pre-draft showing.
This role comes with positives and negatives. Lining up in the slot gives the receiver a chance to run routes against linebackers and safeties. It can also mean he is forced to leave the field when the offense switches to two-wide receiver sets — a role that fellow rookie, boundary WR Ja’Kobi Lane, will likely get the first crack at. Sarratt logged 2,435 snaps lined up on the perimeter and 396 lined up in the slot in college, but he was very efficient on a per-route basis in the latter role. Sarratt’s training camp progress is worth following closely. The slot role will give him the chance to earn PPR-friendly lay-up targets, but he may need to command at least a mild-to-moderate perimeter snap share to become a matchup-based FLEX starter.
Cabot later writes that “the Browns really need Jeudy to return to his Pro Bowl form, and are confident he will.” We think her initial, hopeful framing is closer to the truth. Last week, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said rookie WRs KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston’s presence has “zero impact” on Jeudy. There’s an awful lot of reassurance going on here. Jeudy posted a 92/1,229/4 receiving line in 2024 before cratering to a 50/602/2 receiving line in 2025. Jeudy is under contract through 2027, but the dead money and salary cap savings are nearly even if designated as a post-June 1 cut next year. Given the Browns’ pass-catching investments over the last two drafts, and Jeudy’s poor 2025 showing, he looks like a dicey pick in fantasy for 2026.
According to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, Mendoza took just five snaps under center over the course of his three-year college career. He took 2,073 snaps in shotgun formation. Mendonz said he is focused on footwork, particularly the first two steps, “securing the snap and getting out of there,” right now. He’s also been conducting walk-throughs at the team hotel with his fellow rookies over the past two nights, taking 25-50 snaps under center with each offensive lineman. Raiders veteran QB Kirk Cousins spent three seasons with head coach Klint Kubiak, as members of the Vikings, so Cousins, 37, will have an obvious edge in organized team activities later this month. That said, given Mendoza’s smarts and work ethic, we expect him to make playing style adjustments very quickly. No. 1 overall picks don’t stay in the backup role for long.
In his “bold predictions” piece, Shipley said he also believes Boerkircher will play on 45.0 percent of the team’s offensive snaps, catch 16 passes, produce 200 yards and score three times. In other words, he is very unlikely to be fantasy-relevant. That said, Shipley’s most notable point is that Boerkircher “has in-line blocking value as well as the ability to be detached from the line of scrimmage” and can block well on the outside, which is a plus for the Jaguars’ run game. The team has consistently harped on improving the run game this offseason. If Boerkircher can quickly establish himself as the Jaguars’ TE2, the impact could trickle down to RBs Chris Rodriguez and Bhayshul Tuten.
It’s hard to know exactly what to make of Thompson as a fourth-round pick and a track burner (4.26 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine) — two things that have a high bust rate — in dynasty circles. What we do know is that the general manager dropped these two comparisons on Thompson, that OC Mike McDaniel “told Hortiz he would take his shirt off if the team found a way to land Thompson,” and that Tre’ Harris and Derius Davis haven’t exactly established themselves as NFL stars yet. It’s certainly plausible that Thompson is fantasy-interesting in his rookie year.