Month: March 2026

Sep 13, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) talks with Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Sean McVay before the game between the Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Rams considering signing Kirk Cousins as backup QB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Los Angeles coach Sean McVay is open to a potential reunion with Kirk Cousins as the team’s backup quarterback behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford.

The Rams are also open to re-signing Jimmy Garoppolo, who has served as the team’s backup for the last two seasons. However, Garoppolo is a free agent and could elect to sign elsewhere, potentially opening the door for a Cousins-McVay reunion.

McVay was the offensive coordinator in Washington when Cousins took over as the starter in 2015. They spent five seasons together and Cousins is back on the market, seemingly as a depth piece, after he was released on March 11 two years into the four-year, $180 million contract he signed with the Atlanta Falcons.

“Kirk is as influential as anybody in helping me get to L.A. in the first place,” McVay said in a Monday appearance on PFT Live at the league meetings in Phoenix. “I know he’s got some other options and some other suitors but Jimmy and Kirk are guys that I would love to be able to have back with us.”

Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, turns 38 in August. He struggled down the stretch in his first season with the Falcons, throwing 18 touchdowns to 16 interceptions and losing the starting job to rookie Michael Penix Jr. However, he appeared healthier when he stepped in for Penix after the latter’s season-ending injury last fall, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts.

Over 14 seasons, Cousins has completed 66.7% of his passes for 44,700 yards, 298 touchdowns and 131 interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws a pass during first half action at Empower FIeld at Mile High in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 17, 2026.

Bills QB Josh Allen (foot) likely ‘full-go’ for offseason program

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is out of his walking boot and looking positioned for a full recovery from his right foot injury in time for the start of offseason workouts, GM Billy Beane told reporters Monday at the league’s spring meetings in Phoenix.

“His foot, I don’t want to say it’s 100 percent, but he’s good,” Beane said. “When he gets back in April, we expect him to be full-go.”

Allen played the last regular-season game and Buffalo’s two playoff games through a broken bone in his foot sustained in Week 16 vs. Cleveland. He had surgery to repair the injury shortly after the season came to an end in the divisional round at Denver, but made it clear to reporters when he showed up at new head coach Joe Brady’s press conference in a walking boot that he would have kept playing had the Bills advanced to the AFC championship game.

“Our medical team has checked up on him,” Beane said, “and he’s talked to the surgeon that’s done it. I don’t know every single conversation they’ve had, but (Bills head athletic trainer) Nate Breske and (Bills lead physician) Les Bisson have let us know he’s on track and should be ready to roll once we’re actually doing football stuff in April.”

The 2024 MVP and four-time Pro Bowler who turns 30 in May led Buffalo to its first road playoff win in 33 years at Jacksonville in last season’s wild-card round. He’s thrown for 30,102 yards, 220 touchdowns and 94 interceptions in 128 games (127 starts) over eight seasons with the Bills.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; A general view of the Cleveland Browns helmets on the field before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images

Report: Browns withdraw rule change proposal for draft pick trades

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The Cleveland Browns have withdrawn their proposed rule change which would have extended how far out teams can trade draft picks, according to an NFL Network report.

The Browns proposed the rule earlier this month, hoping to grow the range at which teams can trade draft picks from three years to five.

The organization argued this “1) would provide Clubs with greater roster-building flexibility, 2) would create more creative trade structures that better mirror the valuations of both draft selections and players, 3) would increase the liquidity of draft capital which supports league-wide parity, 4) would improve alignment with contract and salary cap cycles, and 5) would encourage a more active trade market.”

The proposal was set to be voted on this week at the league’s meetings in Phoenix, needing 24 of 32 votes in favor in order to be approved. However, it seems highly unlikely it was going to pass, with Rams head coach Sean McVay going so far as to say it had a “zero percent” chance.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) reacts in the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Broncos QB Bo Nix (ankle) will be ready for OTAs

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The ankle injury which kept Broncos quarterback Bo Nix out of last year’s AFC Championship won’t cause him to miss any on-field offseason work.

Nix will be fully recovered from the fractured right ankle he sustained in Denver’s Jan. 17 divisional-round playoff win over Buffalo by the time OTAs start in early May, Broncos general manager George Paton told 9NEWS Monday at the league meetings in Phoenix.

“He’s ahead of schedule,” Paton said. “He’s running, he’s jumping. Really proud of how he’s attacked rehab. He’s done a great job. He’ll be ready for OTAs.”

Nix, 26, has been a spark in the two seasons since Denver picked him 12th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has posted a 24-10 regular-season record with a 64.8 completion percentage, 7,706 passing yards and 54 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. He has also rushed for 786 yards and nine TDs, leading the Broncos to the playoffs both years.

Denver’s offseason trade acquisition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from Miami gives Nix another weapon at his disposal entering his third season this fall.

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) reacts after missing a catch in the end zone during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

John Harbaugh, Giants considering Odell Beckham Jr. reunion

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The New York Giants have discussed a reunion with former wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday at the NFL’s league meetings.

Harbaugh, who said he still regularly talks and texts with Beckham after coaching him in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, said he’s one of his “favorite people in the world,” adding that the team will “look at every option” when it comes to potentially bringing him back to New York.

Beckham, a 33-year-old free agent who did not play in the NFL last season, is best known for his tenure as a Giant, amassing 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns over five seasons in New York after he was selected as the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

He last played for the Miami Dolphins in 2024, recording nine catches for 55 yards in nine games. His post-Giants career has also included stops with the Cleveland Browns (2019-21), Los Angeles Rams (2021) and Baltimore.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection has five career 1,000-yard seasons, but none since 2019. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams.

The NFL suspended Beckham for six games last October for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. However, he’s eligible for the start of the 2026 season should a team sign him.

–Field Level Media

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid is all smiles after scoring a touchdown early in the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Nov. 2, 2025.

Bills pick up TE Dalton Kincaid’s option for 2027

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Buffalo Bills officially picked up the fifth year option on tight end Dalton Kincaid’s rookie contract.

General manager Brandon Beane confirmed the move on Monday at the league meetings in Phoenix.

Kincaid, a first-round pick (25th overall) in 2023, will earn $8.1 million fully guaranteed for the 2027 season.

He made his first Pro Bowl in 2025 after catching 39 passes for 571 yards and five scores in 12 games.

Kincaid, 26, has tallied 156 receptions for 1,692 yards and nine touchdowns in 41 career games (24 starts).

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) walks on the field before the start of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

49ers ‘in no rush’ to remove WR Brandon Aiyuk from roster

Posted on | by Field Level Media

While not hiding the fact that a separation is coming at some point, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t putting a date on wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s removal from the roster.

“I don’t have a date,” Shanahan said Monday at the NFL league meetings in Phoenix when asked when the 49ers might release Aiyuk. “We’re in no rush to do that.”

Aiyuk, who agreed to a four-year, $120 million contract in August 2024, had his 2026 guaranteed money voided when he stopped showing up at the facility last summer to rehab a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee sustained in Week 7 of the 2024 season.

It’s been a stunning fall from grace for Aiyuk, 28, who led San Francisco with 1,342 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches in 2023. Over five NFL seasons, the former first-round pick has amassed 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdown catches.

“I’ve been coaching over 20 years and I’ve never been in a situation where a contract’s been voided,” Shanahan said in November. “It takes a lot of things to get a contract voided. Never dealt with that.”

San Francisco GM John Lynch said in February that Aiyuk would not be released until at least the start of the new league year on March 11.

Shanahan is hopeful the 49ers can get something in exchange for Aiyuk, who last played in a game in October of 2024.

“Eventually, it will resolve itself,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully, we get something for it.”

With Aiyuk on the way out and 2025 leading receiver Jauan Jennings also expected to depart in free agency, San Francisco signed longtime Tampa Bay wideout Mike Evans and multi-team veteran Christian Kirk to transform its receiver room.

Lynch had some parting well wishes on Monday for Jennings, a 2020 seventh-round pick who caught 210 passes for 2,581 yards and 22 scores in 75 games with the 49ers.

“He’ll find a good home, and Jauan will go play great football for someone,” Lynch said, per The Athletic. “I can’t say enough for what that guy did; when that guy stepped between the lines, man, he was a presence, and they had to deal with him, and he won us a lot of games.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) reacts after an unsuccessful play against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Eagles GM sticks to same script on A.J. Brown saga

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Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman stuck to the script when asked about the ongoing trade rumors surrounding star receiver A.J. Brown.

“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story. I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock,” he told reporters Sunday at the league meetings in Phoenix.

“But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles. From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I’m going to go right back to that answer. But I understand the interest. I put on TV and I see that there’s interest, but my answer is A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

Roseman gave a similarly guarded statement in January when asked about Philadelphia’s plans for Brown, whose frustrations with the offense have been well documented over the past couple of seasons.

“It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player,” Roseman said two months ago. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for when we go out here in free agency, in the draft, just trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy.”

The Eagles are in no rush to deal Brown, who has been linked to the New England Patriots this offseason. Their dead cap hit for trading him before June 1 is more than $40 million, compared to about $20 million after that date.

Brown, 28, averaged 72.5 catches and 1,041 receiving yards in the past two seasons, compared to 97.0 and 1,476 in his first two seasons with Philadelphia from 2022-23.

–Field Level Media

Nov 15, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of a referee picking up a penalty flag during the second quarter of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Report: NFL to begin hiring replacement referees

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With talks stalled between the league and the referees’ union, NFL owners reportedly have authorized the hiring of replacement officials.

League sources told ESPN on Sunday that owners are “alarmed” by the current state of the negotiations with the NFL Referees Association.

The NFL has compiled a list of college-level referees to recruit and training could begin as early as May 1, according to ESPN. At the league meetings this week, owners are expected to approve a “sweeping set of replay enhancements” to support the replacement officials during preseason and regular-season action.

Once the training process begins, reaching a new deal with the union becomes a greater challenge, per the report. That means there is about a one-month window to work out their differences.

One league source told ESPN it would take “an act of God” to bridge the economic gaps between the two sides before the current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLRA expires on May 31.

NFLRA executive director Scott Green did not respond to a request for comment on the report.

The NFL has offered a six-year deal with an average annual raise of 6.45%, per ESPN. The average NFL official earned $385,000 in 2025.

Starting the training of replacement officials on May 1 could potentially avoid issues that arose during the last lockout in 2012, when the league waited until July to prepare the replacements.

“To expect people to jump from college to the pros and change in speed in that short of time is destined to be a challenge to succeed,” a league source told ESPN. “We’re not going to do that.

“There will be no panic, and we have begun preparations for the expiration. We have to do it. Otherwise, it would be just gross negligence.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa (57) warms up prior to the game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Report: Browns decide against signing DE A.J. Epenesa

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The Cleveland Browns are not signing free agent defensive end A.J. Epenesa after concerns following his physical, ESPN reported on Sunday night.

The Browns were reported on March 18, per ESPN, to have agreed to sign the six-year veteran to a one-year contract worth up to $5 million. Epenesa, 27, who had spent his entire career with the Buffalo Bills, was at the Browns’ facility last Monday, per the NFL transactions wire.

Epenesa played in 16 regular-season games (two starts) for the Bills in 2025 and totaled 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, two interceptions and one fumble recovery. He added two tackles in two playoff games.

Buffalo selected Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Iowa.

Epenesa played out the final year of his four-year rookie contract, reportedly valued at $5,866,299 with a $1,834,399 signing bonus. He became an unrestricted free agent but returned to Buffalo on a two-year, $12 million contract.

For his career, Epenesa had 135 tackles, 24 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, 53 QB hits, four interceptions, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 21 passes defended in 91 regular-season games (19 starts). He also has 17 tackles in 14 playoff games (three starts).

–Field Level Media