Tag: free agency

Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) runs after the catch for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears during the first half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Reports: Patriots reel in WR Romeo Doubs on $80M deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Romeo Doubs agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $80 million with the New England Patriots on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.

Doubs, 25, had 202 catches in four seasons with the Packers and two huge playoff performances.

He nearly helped the Packers take down the Bears in January with eight receptions for 124 yards in a wild-card loss at Chicago. Doubs, a fourth-round pick in 2022, set his career marks in a 2023 wild-card win at Dallas that included a touchdown and 151 receiving yards.

The Patriots are set to release Stefon Diggs following one season in New England. Diggs had a team-leading 85 receptions in 2025, when no other wide receiver on the roster had more than Mack Hollins’ 46 catches.

Doubs recorded 55 catches for a career-high 724 yards with six touchdowns in 2025. Three of his touchdowns came in a tie game with Dallas.

But the Packers are walking a tightrope with the salary cap and already committed to a one-year extension with fellow 2022 draft classmate Christian Watson. Watson was a second-round pick (34th overall) in 2022.

Green Bay also used its 2025 first-round draft pick on wide receiver Matthew Golden, and Jayden Reed is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Reed was targeted 75 times to Doubs’ 72 when both were healthy in 2024. Reed missed most of last season with collarbone and foot injuries but led the Packers in receptions in 2024 with 55.

The Patriots drafted a wide receiver with their second-round pick in 2022, but Tyquan Thornton (50th overall) was released midseason in 2024. He played last season with the Chiefs and re-signed with Kansas City on Monday.

–Field Level Media

Dec 24, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs to sign RB Kenneth Walker III

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker reportedly agreed to a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday during the first 30 minutes of the permitted negotiating window in free agency.

NFL Network reported the contract is worth up to $45 million over three years. Free agents can officially sign with a new team on Wednesday, the first day of the 2026 league year.

Walker, 25, had 161 total yards on 29 touches in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots. He was widely expected to find a new home after general manager John Schneider informed Walker he would not be restrained by the franchise tag in February.

Walker has 34 total carries of 20-plus yards in his career and brings a big-play element to the Chiefs’ running game lacking in recent seasons with Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt sharing running back chores.

With the Seahawks, Walker was in a rotation with Zach Charbonnet for most of his four seasons after being selected in the second round of the 2022 draft. With 27 carries in the Super Bowl, Walker had more than 19 in a single game for the first time all season.

The 2025 regular season was the first time in Walker’s career he did not miss a game. He played in 12 in 2024 and had a career-low 153 carries for 573 yards.

In 59 career regular-season games, Walker has 821 carries for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2022; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) is tackled by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill (49) at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Report: James Conner back with Cardinals on reworked deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Arizona Cardinals and James Conner have agreed to a reworked contract to keep the running back with the team next season, NFL Network reported Sunday.

Conner was scheduled to have a $9.8 million cap hit this season. The terms of his new contract were not reported.

Conner, who will turn 31 in May, missed all but three games last season after sustaining a season-ending ankle injury. Conner was coming off of back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons with Arizona in 2023-24.

A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Conner has been with the Cardinals since 2021 and has played in 60 games in Arizona after four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Across 110 career games (84 starts), the third-round pick from the 2017 NFL Draft has 6,065 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns with 2,255 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns

The Cardinals also reworked the contract of cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Murphy-Bunting was projected to have a $9.2 million cap hit next season.

Murphy-Bunting, 28, has played in 82 career games (65 starts) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-22), Tennessee Titans (2023) and Cardinals (2024). He has 297 tackles, 34 pass breakups and 11 interceptions in his career.

–Field Level Media

Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad (40) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Reports: Broncos ink 3-year deal to keep LB Justin Strnad

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Denver Broncos are bringing back another key part of their defensive front. The Broncos have agreed to a 3-year, $18 million deal with linebacker Justin Strnad to keep him in Denver, multiple outlets reported Sunday.

Per the reports, $5.1 million is guaranteed at signing with $10 million guaranteed overall.

Strnad, 29, has played the past five seasons for the Broncos since Denver drafted him in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

After playing solely on special teams during his second and third seasons, Strnad has carved out himself a role as an every-game player on defense. Across the last two seasons, Strnad has started 16 games for the Broncos.

Strnad has played in 83 games (21 starts) for Denver across his five seasons. In those games he has 7.5 sacks, 177 tackles, six pass breakups and an interception.

–Field Level Media

Dec 27, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) takes the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Report: Chargers LB Khalil Mack passes on retirement, will test free agency

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack is planning to play in 2026, eschewing retirement to test free agency, NFL Network reported Monday.

Mack, 35, is reportedly planning to “explore options” on the open market but could return to Los Angeles for another season.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Mack has 113 career sacks in 179 games (177 starts) since being drafted by the Raiders with the No. 5 pick of the 2014 draft. He played in 12 games (11 starts) last season for the Chargers and was credited with 5.5 sacks.

Traded twice in 12 NFL seasons, Mack has never stayed with a team more than four seasons. He spent four years with the Raiders before being acquired by the Chicago Bears in 2018. He was traded to the Chargers in 2022.

Mack hit double figures in sacks just once since the 2018 season, recording 17 in 2023.

–Field Level Media

New York Jets Tyrod Taylor (2) and Justin Fields (7) weren't the answer at quarterback in 2025.

New York Jets Offseason Primer: Calling all QBs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jets owner Woody Johnson can hardly believe the luck on this circuitous route the franchise has traveled right back to the same starting point.

Pretty much every avenue a team can think of to find a franchise quarterback has been walked by Johnson and the Jets but none of them have led to a return to the playoffs.

The New York franchise’s longing for legitimacy and pining for a passer to lead the Jets’ flight out of a deep pattern of losing has quarterback atop the offseason list of needs yet again.

But as luck would have it, only one quarterback — Indiana’s Heisman Trophy and national title-winning Fernando Mendoza — carries a cemented first-round grade in the 2026 draft class.

And taking a swing for a home run with the No. 2 overall pick, that’s not an option the Jets want to weigh this time around.

Their past history with draft-and-develop options includes investments in top-five prospects — most recently Zach Wilson (second overall in 2021), and Sam Darnold (third overall, 2018) — and a slew of second-rounders, from Geno Smith to Christian Hackenberg. None of them panned out in New York.

Trade for a veteran? Always an option. Then again, acquiring Aaron Rodgers to start the 2023 season served mostly as a grand stage for another dumpster fire. He ruptured his Achilles on the first possession of his first game with the Jets and a roster he helped load with friends and comrades never touched the playoff bar set by Johnson and former GM Joe Douglas.

The Jets tried the free agent route just last March, luring former first-rounder Justin Fields (Bears) with a two-year, $40 million deal. The forward pass was not a friend of Fields with top weapon Garrett Wilson hurt, and first-year coach Aaron Glenn turned to journeyman Tyrod Taylor and eventually undrafted rookie Brady Cook to no avail.

In February, Darnold lifted the Lombardi Trophy with the Seahawks.

A playoff drought running from the end of the 2010 AFC Championship game to the present might not see an immediate end.

But the Jets do have a plan. They loaded up on draft capital by trading away first-round hits Quinnen Williams (to Dallas) and Sauce Gardner (to Indianapolis) with a multi-point U-turn in mind. Four picks in the top 44 is enough draft ammunition for the Jets to get creative in their pursuit of playmakers.

Even so, the help wanted sign looms large at the NFL’s most vital position.

Here’s a snapshot of the Jets entering the NFL Scouting Combine:

Projected 2026 salary cap space: $79.1 million

Highest salary cap figure for 2026: CB Brandon Stephens, $13.97 million; QB Justin Fields, $23 million

Key free agents: RB Breece Hall, LB Quincy Williams, OG Alijah Vera-Tucker

Team needs: QB, DE, DT, CB, WR

2026 draft selections (round: overall pick)
First round: 2nd, 16th overall
Second round: 33rd, 44th overall
Fourth round: 103rd
Fifth round: 175th, 178th
Sixth round: 193rd, 207th
Seventh round: 219th, 243rd

–Field Level Media

Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks (42) walks off the field after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images

NFL transactions roundup: Bengals sign LB Oren Burks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Bengals signed linebacker Oren Burks to a two-year contract on Monday. Financial terms were not revealed.

A third-round draft pick by Green Bay in 2018, he spent four seasons with the Packers, two with the 49ers and one with the Super Bowl champion Eagles.

Burks, who turns 30 on Friday, has appeared in 108 games (17 starts) and has 217 tackles (eight for loss), two sacks, three passes defensed, one interception, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

–The Buccaneers signed veteran offensive tackle Charlie Heck. Terms were not disclosed.

Heck, 28, split last season with Arizona and San Francisco following four seasons with Houston.

He has played in 50 games (23 starts) with the Texans, Cardinals and 49ers since Houston drafted him in the fourth round in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick (17) dives for a touchdown against Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford (47) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024.

NFL transactions roundup: Lions, WR Tim Patrick stick together

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Wide receiver Tim Patrick re-signed with the Detroit Lions on Friday, one day after the veteran literally left the writing on his wall.

Patrick posted a picture of a shirt on Instagram on Thursday inscribed with the words: “I only want to work with the Lions.”

NFL Network and the Detroit Free Press reported the one-year contract for 2025 is worth a maximum value of $4 million.

Patrick, 31, had 33 receptions, 394 yards and three touchdowns with the Lions in 2024, his first game action since 2021 with the Denver Broncos.

He played 16 games last season after overcoming consecutive season-ending injuries. He tore the ACL in his right knee in 2022 training camp and almost exactly one year later, he tore his left Achilles in training camp in July 2023.

He signed with the Lions’ practice squad in August 2024 and signed to the active roster in September.

Patrick caught 143 passes for 2,009 yards and 12 TDs in 55 games (37 starts) with the Broncos from 2018-21.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) runs for a first down against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker K.J. Britt (52) during the second half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.

NFL transactions roundup: Dolphins, Bucs LBs swap spots

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Linebacker K.J. Britt and Anthony Walker are trading places.

ESPN reported Thursday that the Buccaneers have agreed to a one-year deal with Walker, formerly of the Dolphins. And Britt, selected by Tampa Bay in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, now is heading to Miami on a one-year contract of his own.

Walker, a fifth-round draft pick by the Colts in 2017, is joining his fourth team; he also played for the Cleveland Browns. In one season with Miami in 2024, he played in 14 games (eight starts) and had 68 tackles, a sack, an interception and two pass break-ups.

Britt played in 59 games (15 starts) over four seasons with the Bucs, with his best season coming in 2024. He started 11 games and made a career-high 72 tackles.

–The Eagles are adding linebacker Josh Uche on a one-year contract. Philadelphia lost Josh Sweat in free agency.

Uche, a second-round draft pick in 2020 by the New England Patriots, has played in 64 career games (four starts). Six of those games came last season in Kansas City, who traded for him in October.

He has 86 career tackles (19 for loss) and 20.5 sacks with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

–The Tennessee Titans signed four-time All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker.

He spent 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, followed by three with the Carolina Panthers. He was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s.

Last season in Carolina, he averaged 45.7 yards on 73 punts with a 41.5-yard net average.

In 212 career games, he has punted 963 times for 45,052 yards — the NFL’s active leader in both categories — and a 42.8-yard net.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) is tackled by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

NFL transactions roundup: Steelers to sign RB Kenneth Gainwell

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Kenneth Gainwell is set to join the Pittsburgh Steelers in a reshaped backfield without Najee Harris and no defined answer at quarterback.

Gainwell agreed to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports Wednesday, and gives the Steelers some insurance behind restricted free agent Jaylen Warren. Warren was given a second-round tender offer by the Steelers this week and is projected to be Pittsburgh’s starter in the absence of Harris. Harris, a 2021 first-round pick, agreed to a one-year deal with the Chargers in free agency.

Gainwell, who turns 26 on Friday, was a fifth-round pick in 2021 and averaged 4.2 yards per carry in four seasons with the Eagles. He’s capable of being a third-down back and averaged 7.1 yards per catch with 102 receptions for 721 yards. He had a total of 1,906 yards and 13 touchdowns with Philadelphia.

Warren, 26, averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 127 receptions in his first three seasons. He was expected to start the 2024 season in a co-No. 1 role with Harris until a hamstring injury slowed him down.

–Defensive tackle Greg Gaines re-signed with the Buccaneers.

Gaines reportedly will receive $3.5 million for the 2025 season, his third with the team. A backup nose tackle, he played in 15 games (three starts) in 2024 and had 17 tackles with one sack.

Gaines, 28, is entering his seventh season after four years with the Los Angeles Rams. He has 163 tackles and 12.5 sacks in 91 career games (30 starts).

–Field Level Media