The 2026 NFL season will be here before you know it, but the Seattle Seahawks spent their Thursday night celebrating what they achieved during the 2025 season.

That would be going 14-3 then crushing the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, escaping the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game and then putting on a defensive masterclass against the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 60.

On June 11, the Seahawks received their Super Bowl 60 championship rings.

The boxes containing their rings literally descended from the heavens (well, rafters anyways). And the bling was mighty impressive.

A delivery from above. pic.twitter.com/gqqEqHVDZD

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 12, 2026

Here's a closer look at the Seahawks' championship rings, which were made by Jason of Beverly Hills.

Seattle Seahawks championship rings

The largest and most technologically advanced Super Bowl ring ever created for the SBLX Champions. pic.twitter.com/2M2ANGEBgT

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 12, 2026

All in the details. pic.twitter.com/cklCM0CPYd

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) June 12, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl rings: Details, close up look

According to The Denver Post’s Broncos insider Luca Evans, Denver Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper is facing additional charges of felony second-degree assault by strangulation and misdemeanor third-degree assault.

As we know, Cooper was arrested last week after a domestic incident with his girlfriend and initially faced a charge of misdemeanor criminal mischief. Now, he is facing additional charges that include felony second-degree assault by strangulation. Reports state that he pleaded not guilty in court on Monday and has a trial date in late July.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton was asked on Thursday if he believes the league will be involved in this matter. Payton told reporters that he had a long visit with Cooper and now they’re waiting for the process to play out. He added that the league will be very much involved in this process and they will wait and see what happens.

“I think this: I think the league has done a good job of kind of coming in and really taking over that responsibility. We had a long visit with ‘Coop’ (OLB Jonathon Cooper), and now the process plays out. The league obviously will be very much involved in that. We’ll stay abreast, but much like you all. I think that’s where it’s at. We just go from there.”

When asked if Payton has addressed the team about Cooper’s situation yet, he told reporters that he has not done that yet, but there will be a time next week during the minicamp meetings that it will be covered.

“I haven’t. My instincts told me not to right away. This time next week, we have three days of mini camp. We’ll have a number of speakers. I think there will be a time though to talk about it.”

I am no legal expert and just a Broncos fan who writes about football, but these additional charges are not a good look for Cooper. We will see what will come from these additional charges and if the league will step in with its own punishment and possible suspension.

Cooper was at the Broncos OTA practices this past week, so we will see if he’ll be in attendance for the Broncos mandatory minicamp practices next week. If he were to miss practice time, or even games, the Broncos are in a good position at the edge rusher position. Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman have played well in a reserve role, and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph told reporters that Que Robinson looked like a future starter during his rookie season last year.

For now, we wait and see what comes from Cooper facing additional charges, including a felony second-degree assault by strangulation.

The indictment was returned June 9 by a grand jury in Hamilton County (Tennessee). It came after prosecutors dismissed a tampering with evidence charge, as Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp explained.

"The State dismissed the tampering with evidence charge," Wamp told WTVC. "We will focus solely on the murder."

Prosecutors are pursuing a first-degree murder conviction, which could result in a life sentence if Lee is found guilty. A decision on whether to pursue the death penalty will be made in the coming weeks.

Lee stands accused of killing his partner, who was found dead in a rented home in Ooltewah, Tennessee, east of Chattanooga. First responders "attempted life-saving measures" on the female victim upon arriving at the scene but were unsuccessful.

Lee was identified as a suspect and was taken into custody. He was denied bond after detective Brian Lockhart testified in February that Lee was in the rented home when the Sheriff's Office deputies arrived and said that his girlfriend likely fell in the shower due to her narcolepsy.

Investigators said the evidence did not match Lee's description. Lockhart testified an autopsy showed Lee's girlfriend suffered "severe injuries, including severe brain trauma, a broken neck, bruising across her body, a large bite mark on her shoulder and thigh, stab wounds to her legs, and significant facial trauma."

Detectives also found cleaning supplies – including bleach wipes and a spray bottle – in the Ooltewah residence. That's what led to the initial tampering with evidence charge, which was later dropped.

According to WTVC, prosecutors presented evidence including body camera footage, testimony from investigators and evidence recovered from electronic devices during a preliminary hearing.

Prosecutors also accused Lee of asking ChatGPT – an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot – for medical advice without calling the police, per ESPN. That included a question about whether a fall could cause bruising around the eyes and "two stabby looking wounds."

Lee remains in the Hamilton County Jail and is being held without bond, according to court records. The 31-year-old is next due to appear in court on June 17.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darron Lee indicted on first-degree murder charge

Salary cap space

All information shown is current as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 11.

Current space: $4.5 million

This includes the estimated salary cap impacts of all known signings and releases. More information about our cap space calculation is available below the tables.

Please note: All NFL teams must remain below the salary cap between the beginning of the new league year in mid-March and the end of each season. If our estimate of the team’s cap space is a negative number, it’s because contracts for some reported roster moves have not been officially submitted to the league office, or there is a difference between publicly available salary information and the official figures.

Most recent transactions

Older transactions are at the bottom of the page.

• Current roster number: 89 (with one exempt player)
• Traded (6/11) tackle Wanya Morris (roster to 89)
• Signed (6/9) cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (roster to 90)
• Waived (6/9) safety Marlen Sewell (roster to 89)
• Rookie contract signed (6/9) cornerback Mansoor Delane (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (6/9) defensive tackle Peter Woods (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/21) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/20) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster unchanged)
• Rookie contract signed (5/5) running back Emmett Johnson(roster unchanged)
• Signed (5/4) tackle Kahlil Benson, wide receiver Xavier Lyd, safety Marlen Sewell (roster to 90)
• Waived (5/4) quarterback Jake Haener, defensive end Ethan Hurkett, defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (roster to 87)
• Signed (5/1) defensive end Vincent Anthony Jr., linebacker Wesley Bissainthe , defensive tackle Cole Brevard, wide receiver Jeff Caldwell, wide receiver Jacob De Jesus, defensive end Anthony Dunn, wide reciever Omari Evans, tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, defensive end Ethan Hurkett, defensive tackle Amari McNeill, safety Xavier Nwankpa, center Pete Nygra, running back Jadyn Ott, defensive tackle Damon Payne, cornerback D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, cornerback Bryce Phillips, safety DeShon Singleton, running back E.J. Smith, guard Josh Thompson, cornerback Zelmar Vedder (roster to 90)
• Rookie contract signed (5/1) wide receiver Cyrus Allen and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster unchanged)
• Waived (5/1) linebacker Brandon George (roster to 70)
• Roster exemption granted (4/29) offensive lineman Chukuebukua Godrick (roster to 71)
• Wavied (4/29) running back ShunDerrick Powell (roster to 72)
• Drafted at 7/249 (4/25) quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (roster to 73)
• Drafted at 5/178 (4/25) wide receiver Cyrus Allen (roster to 72)
• Drafted at 5/161 (4/25) running back Emmett Johnson (roster to 71)
• Drafted at 4/109 (4/25) cornerback Jadon Canady (roster to 70)
• Drafted at 2/40 (4/24) defensive end R Mason Thomas (roster to 69)
• Drafted at 1/29 (4/23) defensive tackle Peter Woods (roster to 68)
• Drafted at 1/6 (4/23) cornerback Mansoor Delane (roster to 67)
• Signed Exclusive Rights tender (4/20) punter Matt Araiza (roster unchanged)

Roster by position

Please note: The number of players listed in each position group may include players who are under contract, but are not counted on the active roster because of a roster exemption. Those players are indicated in the second table. The Total shown here is the number of players counted on the active roster; adding up the numbers for each position group may give a different result.

Roster by category

Cap space calculation

Salary data shown in the table is from Spotrac.com, which estimates the team’s salary cap space to be $4.5 million.

This cap figure is based on a total team salary cap of $294.4 million, plus $336,000 in 2025 rollover and $9.8 million in dead cap from previously released players.

But Spotrac’s figure does not include the salary cap impacts of the following recently-signed free agent or otherwise missing contracts. The amounts shown in parentheses are estimated cap space decreases for each contract. These could change when actual figures are available.

• None at this time.

With these adjustments (if any) included, the team’s cap space should be $4.5 million.

Remember: salary cap figures are estimates based on publicly available contract information, which can be misunderstood, rounded or inaccurately reported. Only the NFL, the involved teams and players know the precise figures. Therefore, any salary cap calculation must be taken with a grain of salt.

Older transactions

• Signed (4/2) cornerback Kaiir Elam (roster to 66)
• Re-signed (3/23) tight end Travis Kelce
• Re-signed (3/20) linebacker Jack Cochrane
• Acquired via trade (3/16) quarterback Justin Fields
• Re-signed (3/14) offensive lineman Mike Caliendo
• Signed (3/12) running back Emari Demercado and safety Alohi Gilman
• RFA Contract tender (3/11) punter Matt Araiza
• Re-signed (3/10) wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, wide receiver Nikko Remigio and linebacker Cole Christiansen
• Signed (3/9) running back Kenneth Walker III, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman
• Re-signed (3/7) long snapper James Winchester
• Traded (3/4) cornerback Trent McDuffie
• Released (3/2) offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor
• Released (2/23) defensive end Michael Danna
• Signed to a Reserve/Future deal (2/2) quarterback Jake Haener
• Signed to Reserve/Future deal (1/27) wide receiver Jason Brownlee
• Signed to Reserve/Future contract (1/12) tight end Tre Watson
• Changed to ERFA (1/12) punter Matt Araiza, wide receiver Nikko Remigio and cornerback Eric Scott Jr.
• Changed to RFA (1/12) guard Mike Caliendo
• Changed to UFA (1/12) wide receiver Marquise Brown, safety Deon Bush, linebacker Leo Chenal linebacker Cole Christiansen, linebacker Jack Cochrane, safety Bryan Cook, safety Mike Edwards running back Kareem Hunt, running back Keaontay Ingram, cornerback Nazeeh Johnson, tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Gardner Minshew, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, defensive end Charles Omenihu running back Isiah Pacheco, defensive tackle Mike Pennel, running back Dameon Pierce, defensive end Janarius Robinson, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, tight end Robert Tonyan Jr., cornerback Jaylen Watson, cornerback Joshua Williams and long snapper James Winchester
• Practice squad contracts expired (1/12) guard Matt Broeker, wide receiver Jason Brownlee, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, defensive end Malik Herring, running back Carson Steele, defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu, tight end Tre Watson (PS roster to zero)
• Released from practice squad (1/10) defensive back Tanner McCalister (PS roster to 7)
• Signed to Reserve/Futurecontracts (1/6) wide receiver Andrew Armstrong, running back ShunDerrick Powell
• Signed to Reserve/Futurecontracts (1/5) linebacker Kam Arnold, defensive tackle Marcus Harris, wide receiver Jimmy Holiday, tackle Matt Waletzko
• Waived (1/5) quarterback Shane Buechele (roster to 52)

The Falcons are reinforcing their offensive line. 

The Chiefs are trading offensive lineman Wanya Morris and a 2027 seventh-round pick to Atlanta in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, ESPN reported Thursday. 

In three seasons in Kansas City, Morris started 16 games at right tackle. But last year, he only started one as he began to slide down the depth chart.

At practices in recent days, Morris, who was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft after the Chiefs traded up, saw a lot of his time on the scout squads making way for younger players, The Athletic reported.

In the end, the Chiefs get some draft capital, while the Falcons pick up a player who will help their offensive line. It also gives Morris a chance to earn playing time.

Right now, Morris likely slots in as the second right tackle on the depth chart behind former Chiefs teammate Jawaan Taylor. 

The other right tackle veteran, Storm Norton, was placed on the physically unable to perform list on Thursday. 

The Falcons need to do everything they can to protect quarterbacks.

Michael Penix Jr. is coming off surgery for a partially torn ACL in 2025. The Falcons, earlier this offseason, also picked up another quarterback with an injury history in former Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa. 

Both the Chiefs and Falcons are looking to make the playoffs after missing out in 2025.

The Falcons were closer, losing out on the NFC South title on the final day. The Chiefs, who just came off a Super Bowl appearance in 2024, went on a six-game losing skid to end with a 6-11 record. It ended Kansas City’s 10-year playoff streak.

Atlanta will also get a 2027 seventh-round draft pick, while a 2027 sixth-rounder goes to Kansas City in exchange, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Morris, 25, appeared in 12 games last season for the Chiefs, starting one. He suffered a season-ending knee injury on the first snap of Week 14's matchup with the Houston Texans.

In three years with Kansas City, Morris played in 43 games with 11 starts during the 2024-25 campaign. He even caught a touchdown pass in a Week 2 win over the Cincinnati Bengals that season. Morris was the Chiefs' 2023 third-round pick (No. 93 overall) out of Oklahoma.

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However, several others had moved ahead of him on Kansas City’s depth chart, including six-year veteran Jaylon Moore, second-year players Esa Pole and Chukwuebuka Godrick, and undrafted rookie Kahlil Benson from national champion Indiana.

Morris is expected to fill a swing tackle role with the Falcons, as he did with the Chiefs. Atlanta has Jake Matthews entrenched at left tackle and signed Morris' former Kansas City teammate Jawaan Taylor to be the starting right tackle. The Falcons also have Michael Jerrell on the depth chart at right tackle, who they acquired from the Seattle Seahawks last season.

The right side of the line will be particularly important in the Falcons' offense with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta also needed offensive line depth with tackle Storm Norton going on the physically unable to perform list Thursday. Morris is also known as a good run-blocker, which has value in an offense featuring Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. at running back.

Things are going just fine for A.J. Brown in New England.

Brown, who just finished his first minicamp with the Patriots, told reporters that he’s been impressed with quarterback Drake Maye.

“The talent speaks for itself,” Brown said on Thursday. “He can make any throw. But I think what’s more impressive to me is he knows what he’s doing.

“To be that young and understand the defense and understand every little check, the hot routes, the blitz, and all those things so young and so fast, it’s very impressive. I really admire that.”

The Patriots acquired Brown from the Eagles on June 1 for two first-round draft picks.

Brown joined the team just over a week ago and is still learning the new playbook and building relationships with his teammates, but he says it’s going really well.

The former Eagles wideout has found it easier to fit in due to the high number of his former teammates and staff from the Titans on the team, including head coach Mike Vrabel.

Brown and Maye also plan to meet up during the six-week break before training camp to “perfect that craft” of playing together.

Maye, 23, is coming off a season with 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns that ended in a Super Bowl appearance.

He was the MVP runner-up.

“I was just bragging on him, talking him up,” Brown said. “I say, ‘Man, you’re like that. You can make any throw.’ I just want him to be confident. I was kind of pushing him today. I told him, ‘I want you to be perfect today.’ He was like, ‘Let’s be perfect.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about anybody else, just focus on yourself. You be perfect, you’re going to raise that standard, and everybody else will follow.’

“So, just trying to poke at him a little bit, see how far you can go. But he’s a great player, and I’m excited for the season.”

Maye told reporters that Brown has been a “great teammate so far,” helping out in the locker room and always prepared to learn.

The 29-year-old was partially brought in to teach the Patriots’ young receiver room — who fell just one game away from a championship last season — what it takes to win.

Brown won the 2025 Super Bowl with the Eagles.

“The best thing about him, he’s been a winner,” Maye said. “He knows what it’s like to win, and he’s someone in that room that we were looking for. I think that’s the best thing.”

Texas Tech's defensive end did not register a takeaway. 

The play-by-play in the game book does not credit Bailey with a quarterback hit.

But in the third quarter of Texas Tech's playoff game against Oregon, as Dante Moore dropped back on fourth-and-2, Bailey charged toward left tackle Isaiah World and closed quickly on Moore.

The quarterback needed to get the ball out quickly before Bailey made him pay. So he threw up the middle of the field, toward his tight end. Texas Tech linebacker Ben Roberts jumped the route to secure the interception.

The Red Raiders would lose the game, their offense shut out. But against an expected 2027 first-round quarterback in Moore, Bailey was once again flashing.

"David Bailey about ripped him in half on that play," Texas Tech defensive coordinator Shiel Wood told Yahoo Sports by phone this week. "He knew it was coming and he had to get rid of the football and I think he got sped up. …

"Even if he's not the one per se knocking the ball out or stripping it out of the quarterback's hands or whatever, he's going to cause the football to be put in harm's way. And it's going to allow the guys around him to capitalize on it when it does."

No NFL team needs that this season more than the New York Jets.

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The Jets selected Bailey with the second overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft amid needs at several premium positions including quarterback, pass rusher, receiver and secondary. Their most glaring — and, as players acknowledged this week, their most infamous — downfall in the 2025 NFL season was exiting the year without a single interception for their defense.

No team had failed to secure an interception since the NFL began tracking the stat in 1933. And the last team to record fewer takeaways than the Jets' four in 2025 was the 1934 St. Louis Gunners, per Pro Football Reference … who played just three games as an independent team due to league membership controversies.

As with most football trends, context around injuries, luck and traded-away players (hello, All-Pros Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner) color the Jets' story. But the zero nonetheless stands in the history books, a frustration motivating Jets decision-makers and players alike entering this season.

"All the guys kind of taking that personally, because that's now a part of our names, you know what I mean?" cornerback Brandon Stephens said Wednesday. "And so, how do we want to rewrite the story after that?"

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The Jets hope Bailey will contribute to the solution.

While the secondary has undergone a makeover, a pass rush glow-up that begins with Bailey will influence their takeaway trends.

Bailey prefers to list off his teammates as reasons why improvements will come. But he's willing to share in the responsibility.

"Obviously if we're able to get a little bit of pressure on the quarterback, maybe it's not always a sack, but if we can get him off his mark, we could help the coverage out and help them get interceptions," Bailey told Yahoo Sports in a Wednesday interview. "It's going to be a team effort."

In one Tech season, Bailey led FBS in sacks

Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that Bailey transitioned so quickly and so effectively in his lone year at Tech after three seasons at Stanford.

Sure, Bailey was moving from a part-time role that transitioned him from an outside linebacker dropping in coverage on first and second down to an every-down defensive end rushing the passer. And sure, Bailey's first-step quickness and well-tailored explosiveness drive his ability to out-leverage offensive tackles with speed from his 6-foot-3, 251-pound frame. (Bailey is essentially the same size as the 6-3, 250-pound Micah Parsons, another effective but undersized rusher compared to heftier edge players like the 6-4, 272-pound Myles Garrett).

But also: Bailey has an unusually refined set of study habits for a 22-year-old in football or any industry. He's already made his own Quizlet digital flashcards for his Jets responsibilities, a second layer of his learning process to complement his tendency to "bucket" or categorize plays in a defensive system as he learns them conceptually and creates connections.

"I use play call as the term and then I'll have my responsibility as the [definition]," Bailey said. "I'll see it, and I'll be like, 'OK, what do I do?' And then I'll go through my responsibilities, flip the card and then see if I get it."

At Tech, he got it. The Red Raiders' staff wanted to pare down their edge rusher's responsibilities to ensure he could play quickly and maximize his production. They weren't concerned that he couldn't drop into coverage, but they also couldn't fathom why they'd sacrifice his quarterback-pressuring potential to drop him on any regular basis.

Bailey dropped into coverage just once all season, on a third-down simulated pressure vs. Oregon, Wood said.

As an every-down rusher, his 14.5 sacks led the FBS last year — and tied his combined three-year sack mark at Stanford.

In all, Bailey finished his season with 52 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, three pass deflections, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

His pressure helped Texas Tech to the opposite luck of the Jets last year: The Red Raiders led all FBS teams with 32 takeaways. 

Can Bailey bring some of that trend with him to New Jersey?

"You put pressure on the quarterback and we talk about tips and overthrows, we got to have them," Jets defensive line coach Karl Dunbar told Yahoo Sports. "And if you can get the quarterback off his mark, you got a chance for some of them errant throws from quarterbacks."

Stephens said the secondary recognizes their role in helping the pass rush, too.

"Everything works hand in hand," he said. "If we don't do our jobs in the back end, the D-line can't eat, they can't get their sacks, they can't do what they get paid to do."

Transitioning to pro, Bailey knows which mistakes he can't afford anymore

Takeaways were not the Jets' only defensive weakness last season.

The Jets' 26 sacks ranked second-worst in the league as did their 30 quarterback knockdowns (consider the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks had 80). No team had fewer quarterback pressures (87) or quarterback hurries (31) than the Jets.

The Jets ranked second-worst allowing 29.6 points per game and seventh-worst allowing 355.6 yards per game.

After drafting Bailey second overall, the franchise wants him to suit up as an outside linebacker in its 3-4 base defense and as a defensive end when the Jets move to four-man front packages.

"It's a little bit of a different role than I played at Tech," Bailey said. "I'd say fairly similar to what I played at Stanford in terms of that SAM [strong-side linebacker] position. And then at Stanford, third down I was coming into that box playing a true end, basically what I'm playing during that nickel."

Expect Bailey to move across the line of scrimmage and between rushes, blitzes and coverage. At Tech, he rushed from both the right and left edges. The Jets value that versatility, Dunbar referencing his Steelers days coaching Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt to move across the line. 

"That'll make him a more potent player and the offense can't just say, 'Well, he's always going to be here and you got to do this and do this,'" Dunbar said. "Pick your poison."

While Bailey's continuing to hone his explosiveness, he and the Jets view his eye discipline as a key area for growth. The Jets' defense will require him to think more than Tech's did. NFL offenses tend to throw more gimmicks and disguises at defenders than those of college. Bailey said Jets veterans have offered tips on hand placement and step efficiency during the OTA portion of the NFL offseason that limits physicality and contact. Bailey's twitch and athleticism are already standing out even as strength tests will come more when training camp brings pads.

Then will come the need to hone in on block destruction and run-defense principles that Wood says were new to Bailey upon arrival at Tech but soon became more comfortable. Leverage and toughness at the point of attack improved over his season at Tech, Wood said. Integrating those with mental cues will be a 2026 challenge.

"Obviously now I'm on the next level, people are a lot faster, more physical, smarter," Bailey said. "So maybe some of the things that I got away with in college in terms of looking in the backfield or trying to process more than what I need to be processing, sometimes maybe I got away with that. But now I'm playing with professionals so obviously I can't be making those mistakes or taking those risks."

Flashcards should help. Stern coaches unafraid to press Bailey on growth areas could, too. 

"This is the time you want to work on some things that you might not feel comfortable with," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Wednesday. "So he's working on some of his weaknesses but you do see the strong points of what he has and I don't ever want him to lose sight of that …

"Man, let's make sure we use that speed rush that you have, but also understand that you can rush with power and you have a spin move that can be pretty deadly in [your] arsenal."

 Before long, perhaps, the pressure will help the Jets to an interception. 

Sean Payton is getting a new deal after leading the Broncos to the AFC Championship game.

Denver and Payton agreed to a new five-year contract Thursday, replacing the previous deal that still had two years remaining. Financial terms were not immediately disclosed.

The new contract runs through 2030.

“Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations,” Broncos owner Greg Penner said in a statement. “I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.

“We’re thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos.”

The Broncos had to pay a hefty price to bring in Payton, giving up their 2024 first-round pick and their 2023 second-round pick in a deal with the Saints, with whom he was under contract through 2024.

Payton stepped away from the Saints after the 2021 season, holding a franchise-record 161 victories.

During his time in New Orleans, Payton led the Saints to their only Super Bowl during the 2009 season.  

Payton quickly turned things around in Denver, leading the Broncos to their first playoff appearance in nine years during his second season at the helm in 2024.

A year later, they would fall one win short of the Big Game, losing to the Patriots in the AFC title game.

The Seattle Seahawks have been back in the world of preseason joint practices ever since Mike Macdonald became head coach in 2024. While we’ve yet to see joint practices come to Renton, the Seahawks will once again use one of their preseason road trips as an opportunity to scrimmage before the game itself.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported on Thursday that the Seahawks and Tennessee Titans will have a joint practice in Nashville, tentatively set for Aug. 21.

Seattle’s first joint practice in over three decades was against the Titans during Coach Macdonald’s first season. There were two scrimmages held before their preseason meeting. Prior to their preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers last season, they had one joint scrimmage in Green Bay. There were some rumblings about having the Dallas Cowboys come up to VMAC for a scrimmage before Seattle’s only preseason home game, but that obviously isn’t happening.

The Seahawks-Titans preseason game will be on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 5 pm PT on FOX. As is seemingly the standard when there is a scrimmage before the actual game, expect a whole lot of backups and backups to the backups on both teams. The starters will get their work in the joint practices.

The back-and-forth saga between the San Francisco 49ers and their 28-year-old wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk continues to stall out, as both parties are seemingly ready to part ways.

Aiyuk missed the entire 2025 season after being placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to injuries sustained to his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season. To add insult to injury, Aiyuk missed rehab sessions for his injuries, which resulted in nearly $30 million in guarantees voided as a consequence.

He was moved to the reserve/left squad list in December but it appeared that the relationship between the Niners and Aiyuk had already become strained.

That same month, Aiyuk posted a video of himself on YouTube showing himself driving past the 49ers' Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, at high speeds exceeding 90 mph, once topping 100 mph, through intersections where the area's posted speed limit is 25 mph.

Since then, it's been a build up of events that all point towards the end of Aiyuk's career with the 49ers. The signs are clear, it's over.

Here's a timeline of detailed events in 2026 between the San Francisco 49ers and their All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk leading them to go their separate ways:

More: Brandon Aiyuk landing spots as 49ers search for answer to huge dilemma

Inspired by a recent episode of the NFL Stock Exchange podcast, where hosts Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers ranked the best and worst picks in the last 10 NFL drafts for the entire league, I wanted to conduct a similar exercise that focuses on the Las Vegas Raiders. So, while we have some downtime before training camp, let’s dive into the Raiders’ best and worst draft picks since moving to Las Vegas in 2020.

We’ll skip the most recent, 2026 class, since those guys haven’t played in a game yet.

2020 Draft

Best pick: CB Amik Robertson (4th Round, 139th overall)

The organization got off to a rough start in its new city, as the Silver and Black’s best pick from its inaugural draft class in Vegas was the last player it selected. Robertson never blossomed into a full-time starter with the Raiders, but he did prove to be a good depth piece and spot starter. He notched four interceptions and 15 PDs during his last two seasons with the club, providing inside-outside versatility at cornerback. The Louisiana Tech product spent the last two years in a similar role with the Detroit Lions and has a chance to be a regular first-stringer with the Washington Commanders in 2026.

Worst pick: CB Damon Arnette (1st Round, 19th overall)

There were plenty of options here, as Tanner Muse was taken in the third round and never played a regular-season snap for the Raiders. Then, there’s the elephant in the room with Henry Ruggs III. Obviously, the situation with Ruggs was worse, and it certainly wasn’t easy deciding between him and Arnette. But, if we’re looking at it from the perspective of what they contributed on the field, the team at least was getting good production from the wide receiver. Meanwhile, the cornerback played poorly and hardly saw the field in year two before off-the-field issues led to his dismissal. Albeit, much less severe than Ruggs driving drunk and killing someone.

2021 Draft

Best pick: CB Nate Hobbs (5th Round, 167th overall)

This class produced a handful of decent players in Las Vegas, as Tre’von Moehrig and Malcolm Koonce were also considered for the best pick. The deciding factor comes down to value, and getting 38 starts over four seasons is a great return on a mid-fifth-round pick. Hobbs proved to be a good nickelback for the Raiders, making quality tackles for short gains in both phases of the game. After a year with the Green Bay Packers, where they tried to make him an outside cornerback, the Illinois product looks to provide stability to the San Francisco 49ers’ nickelback position this season.

Worst pick: OT Alex Leatherwood (1st Round, 17th overall)

This one is easy, as Sikkema and Rogers brought it up (but went in a different direction) as an option for the worst pick in the entire draft. While Leatherwood started 17 games as a rookie, that felt like John Gruden forcing the first-round pick onto the field to justify the selection. He ended up having to move from right tackle to right guard and didn’t even make the team a year later when Gruden wasn’t around. Leatherwood ended up signing with three different teams, but he only took 32 offensive snaps after leaving Las Vegas and hasn’t played in the regular season since 2022.

2022 Draft

Best pick: G Dylan Parham (3rd Round, 90th overall)

The Raiders traded away their first- and second-round picks ahead of the 2022 draft to land Davante Adams, so the pickings are pretty slim for the best pick. Parham wasn’t great, and the organization let him walk during free agency this offseason, but the other option considered was Thayer Munford. At least the Memphis product was a four-year starter for the Silver and Black. Parham signed with the Jets this spring, where he’ll have a chance to continue starting.

Worst pick: Neil Farrell Jr. (4th Round, 126th overall)

Farrell’s tenure in the NFL was pretty short-lived. He recorded just 158 snaps as a rookie, per Pro Football Reference, and that ended up being the most of his career. The Raiders were so willing to get rid of the LSU product that they traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs for a sixth-round pick a year later. Farrell was out of the NFL by 2024 and is currently playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL.

2023 Draft

Best pick: WR Tre Tucker (3rd Round, 100th overall)

Overall, this draft class has been bad, making Tucker an easy selection for the best pick. He’s gotten better and more productive every year of his career so far, becoming the team’s leading receiver with 57 catches for 696 yards and five touchdowns last season. What’s even more impressive is that the former Bearcat has done that while dealing with subpar quarterback play. Now, Tucker gets to play with Fernando Mendoza/Kirk Cousins and has an opportunity to make some money during a contract year.

Worst pick: DT Byron Young (3rd Round, 70th overall)

A lot of people would probably put Tyree Wilson here, since he was a first-round pick and only made seven starts over three years. That’s fair, as he definitely falls into the “first-round bust” category, but Wilson was at least on the field and contributed against the run. Also, the organization got something for his departure—a 2026 fifth-round pick that was used to select safety Dalton Johnson. Meanwhile, Young played in six games (no starts) and collected four tackles as a rookie before getting cut for nothing the following year. He ended up landing with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning a Super Bowl in 2024, and is currently part of the Eagles’ defensive line rotation.

2024 Pick

Best pick: TE Brock Bowers (1st Round, 13th overall)

This is another one that’s easy since Bowers is in the conversation with Maxx Crosby as the best player on the current roster. The tight end had a historic rookie season, and ranked ninth in catches (64), 10th in yards (680) and tied for fifth in touchdowns (seven) at the position while battling injuries and missing five games in year two.

Worst pick: CB Decamerion Richardson (4th Round, 112th overall)

While M.J. Devonshire and Trey Taylor were also considered since neither of them took a defensive snap for the Silver and Black, both were seventh-round picks with low expectations anyway. Then, Dylan Laube was also in contention, but Laube at least has a chance to have a role on the team as a returner moving forward. Meanwhile, Richardson was drafted higher than the three other players named, and didn’t play on defense last season until the Week 18 game scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs. The outlook for 2026 doesn’t appear to be much better for the Mississippi State product, as he’s behind Eric Stokes, Darien Porter and Jermod McCoy on the depth chart.

2025 Pick

Best pick: RB Ashton Jeanty (1st Round, 6th overall)

While Jeanty fell short of lofty expectations for a rookie, he still managed to record over 1,300 total yards and had 10 touchdowns from scrimmage last season. Considering how bad the Raiders’ offensive line was, that’s pretty good production in year one. Also, the team infamously didn’t get much production from the 2025 draft class, making the Boise State product an easy choice.

Worst pick: WR Tommy Mellott (6th Round, 215th overall)

Dont’e Thornton Jr. was a close second here since he was drafted higher and could easily be off the roster a year later. But in fairness to Thornton (and the majority of this class, too), he at least has a chance to prove himself and bounce back after an underwhelming rookie campaign. Meanwhile, Mellott didn’t even make the practice squad and hasn’t been on a team since the beginning of October. He was added to the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad shortly after getting cut by the Raiders, but was released by the Saints about a month later. So, maybe drafting an FCS quarterback and asking him to switch positions in the NFL wasn’t such a good idea…

The New England Patriots concluded their offseason program on Thursday and now break until training camp in late July.

While players will be away for the next six weeks, the front office will still have things to take care of. Among them: determining the future of wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.

Boutte has taken positive steps forward in each of his three year’s with the team, but offseason additions in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs leaves a reduced role for the 24-year old, who is also in line for a new contract in the final year of his rookie deal.

To add to the uncertainty, Boutte was away from the team for the voluntary portion of the offseason before reporting this past week for mandatory minicamp.

So with a crowded wide receiver room, should the Patriots ultimately trade Boutte? That is precisely what we want to know in this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey.

Make sure to participate in our poll, and to head down to the comment section to share and discuss your answers. As always, the results will be posted later this week.

Please sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

As the Buffalo Bills wrap up this season’s mandatory minicamp session, the team announced a series of roster moves. The biggest news is that One Bills Drive has waived second-year cornerback Dorian Strong with a non-football injury (NFI) designation.

Strong was selected by Buffalo with the first pick in Round 6 of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he hit the ground running with the team as a player who many believed could become the next in a long line of late-round defensive back gems under prior head coach Sean McDermott. That promise gained real traction when Strong was announced as the Week 1 starter against the Baltimore Ravens, claiming a huge chase-down tackle of running back Derrick Henry that prevented a touchdown.

Strong played in a total of four games (Weeks 1 through 4) during his rookie season, making nine solo tackles among his 10 total defensive stops in 2025. Unfortunately, Strong suffered a severe neck injury ahead of Week 5 that led to the team placing him on Injured Reserve (IR) on October 5, 2025.

At the time of Strong’s placement on IR, there had been no information about when, how, or to what extent he suffered the neck injury. It wasn’t until the end of this past January that we learned the detrimental effects of Strong’s neck injury, which president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane discussed as a “very serious deal,” where he would have to potentially have to undergo a medical procedure that would determine his playing future.

Strong had neck surgery this past February, with videos soon after showing him rehabbing in a pool while wearing a protective neck brace. then he was later seen with that same brace on during Buffalo’s Organized Team Activities session this spring.

Though one may see the surgery as successful, there’s an entirely different set of needs for Strong to overcome before playing professional football. That meant Strong playing in 2026 was never a realistic possibility, and that his being waived was part of a “procedural step w/the ultimate goal of placing him on reserve/NFI unless he is claimed on waivers,” per ESPN Bills beat reporter Alaina Getzenberg.

As per his release, Buffalo is no longer obligated to pay Strong any money moving forward. While ultimately Strong’s playing future will be determined by his doctors, team personnel, and his/his family’s decisions, it’s not the end of the road yet for his Bills career. If Strong does clear waivers, he can be officially added back to Buffalo via the NFI list (missing the 2026 season), and his contract will still be controlled by the Bills.

Buffalo also released running back Desmond Reid (waived/injured), and wide receiver Gabriel Benyard as corresponding moves to signing a pair of wide receivers. Max Tomczak now returns after his prior release, and Deven Thompkins is officially signed to the team’s active roster.

For one final time this spring, the New England Patriots took the lower practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Thursday. The third and final session of this year’s mandatory minicamp was a 180-degree turn from Wednesday’s: while that took place at a walkthrough pace, the team increased both its intensity and competition significantly to close out its offseason program.

For a comprehensive recap of the practice, please head over to our Patriots minicamp notebook. Here is who caught our eye, for better or worse.

Standout of the day

WR A.J. Brown: The Patriots’ high-profile trade acquisition finished the day with two touchdowns among three total receptions from Drake Maye, including an impressive grab in the back corner of the end zone that very much can be seen as the play of the day. Maye showed some tremendous anticipation and trust in his newest weapon, letting the ball go before Brown had even turned and despite him being tightly covered by Craig Woodson.

It mattered not, because the veteran receiver turned just in time and high-pointed the ball for the score. It was another promising display of the two developing some nice early chemistry.

“Great ball. Back. shoulder. I just kind of turned my head,” Brown later recalled about the play. “My background, playing baseball in center field, turned over the shoulder, looking over the shoulder. That’s a tough catch.”

Other performances of note

Backup QBs: While Drake Maye had another efficient day at the office, his backups did not enjoy the same success. Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton both struggled with accuracy late during the session, and between them ended minicamp with seven straight incompletions: DeVito’s final four passes all hit the turf, as did Morton’s last three. Obviously, mistakes like those are a key part of spring practices, but you nonetheless would still like to see the two head into summer break on a higher note.

Second-year WRs: A.J. Brown stole the show, but he was not the only wide receiver standing out in a positive fashion on Thursday. Second-year wideouts Kyle Williams and Efton Chism also caught the eye, primarily because they saw some reps with Drake Maye and the first-string offense. Neither registering any receptions from the starting QB in competitive drills, but they did both find the end zone on passes from Tommy DeVito — something that was also true for fellow sophomore Jeremiah Webb.

TE Eli Raridon: With Jack Westover absent for undisclosed reasons, the Patriots’ third-round draft pick saw an increased workload and some more time with Drake Maye and the top offense. He did catch one quarterback, but also saw an incompletion come his way that led to a quick huddle with Maye. Still, the reps are valuable and Raridon saw a lot of them on Thursday.

ED Bradyn Swinson: The Patriots originally were scheduled to practice until around 2:50 p.m. ET, but they decided to call the session early after a collision involving Drake Maye. The Pro Bowl quarterback got tangled up with second-year pass rusher Bradyn Swinson, an incident that left both players on the ground before popping back up without any visible damage done. Still, contact is a no-no in the offseason especially involving the starting QB. There was no ill intent, but Swinson still needs to err on the side of caution a bit more than that.

LB Chad Muma: With Robert Spillane a limited participant to close out the spring, the Patriots redistributed his starter-level reps at the off-ball linebacker position. The primary benefactor of that was Chad Muma, the 2025 in-season addition who mostly played special teams for New England last year. At least on Thursday, he was heavily involved on defense as well: Muma wore the green dot on his helmet as the unit’s on-field signal caller and also registered a pass breakup. An active day for a player seemingly on the roster bubble.

CB Kindle Vildor: Christian Gonzalez again did not participate in competitive team drills, which in turn opened the door for free agency signing Kindle Vildor to yet again see quality reps with the starting defense. Vildor performed well, providing tight coverage on an incomplete fade intended for Mack Hollins. He did give up the last touchdown to A.J. Brown, but overall was competitive.

And with that concludes the Patriots’ mandatory minicamp and offseason workout program as a whole. The team will now head off to a multi-week summer break before reconvening at Gillette Stadium in late July for the start of training camp.

The Denver Broncos have thrived during the Sean Payton era. The coach has gone 32-19 across three seasons with the team, taking it as far as the AFC Championship Game.

Because of that, the team reportedly rewarded Payton with a new five-year extension, per ESPN.

The new deal will take Payton, 62, through the 2030 NFL season.

The financial details of Payton's latest extension — including its total cost and his yearly salary — were not immediately available.

Payton has orchestrated quite the turnaround since joining the Broncos. When he was hired by the team in 2023, it was in the midst of a seven-year playoff drought. The 2023 Broncos made a push for the postseason with Russell Wilson under center, but ultimately fell short, finishing the year at 8-9.

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Determined to improve, Payton made one major change that offseason. Wilson was pushed out in favor of rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who has shown plenty of progress in his first two years in the league.

While the Broncos' most recent run of success — the team is 24-10 under Payton the past two seasons — has been built on defense, Nix has done enough offensively to push the team forward. If not for a devastating ankle injury in the divisional round, Nix might have led the Broncos to a Super Bowl appearance last season. Without him, the Broncos couldn't put enough points on the board in the AFC Championship, losing 10-7 to the New England Patriots.

With Nix on the mend, the Broncos have set their sights on the Super Bowl in 2026. The team boldly brought in another weapon for Nix, trading for Miami Dolphins wideout Jaylen Waddle. Early in his career, Waddle looked like a potential star player, but a declining Dolphins offense may have limited his upside in recent seasons. Payton and the Broncos apparently weren't deterred by that, and believe Waddle can be a difference-maker with a change of scenery.

Over his career, Payton has proven he can build a winner. Prior to joining the Broncos, Payton led the New Orleans Saints to a 152-89 record over 15 seasons. The team made 11 playoff appearances over that stretch, winning the Super Bowl in Payton's fourth year at the helm.

After three seasons with the Broncos, Payton has shown enough to stick around for the long-term. If his fourth year in Denver is anything like his fourth year with the Saints, the Broncos will look smart for working out a deal now. Payton's price would presumably only go up if he can deliver a Super Bowl win in Denver next season.

Few Cowboys players need a big 2026 more than TE Luke Schoonmaker, but most of them probably have better opportunities. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his contract with stalled development and potentially a lower spot on the depth chart. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Schoonmaker in what could be a career-defining season.

Background

Years in NFL: 3
Acquired by: 2023 2nd-round pick

Schoonmaker was considered a Day 2 prospect in the 2023 draft class, and that’s exactly where the Cowboys got him as the 58th-overall pick. But Dallas’ need for TE that high was heavily questioned as, the year before, they’d seemed to find a Day 3 diamond with Jake Fergsuon. But with Dalton Schultz leaving in free agency and Ferguson being handed the starting job, the Cowboys felt they needed to hedge their bet both for that year and long-term. So, they spent the high pick on Schoonmaker.

Ferguson had a big first year as the starter, which led to some immediate chirping about the Schoonmaker pick being wasted. It was made worse by the fact that, despite the Cowboys’ struggling with receiving options in 2023, Schoonmaker was barely useful with just eight catches on 15 targets. Part of that was due to Mike McCarthy’s offense, but Schoonmaker reportedly struggled on the practice field as well.

In 2024, Schoonmaker’s contributions didn’t really increase. He did get more playing during a three-game absence by Ferguson due to injury, which helped his overall numbers, but when he was in the backup role he remained mostly invisible on offense. That worsened last year when another TE prospect, Brevyn Spann-Ford, started to make plays in even more limited opportunities.

By the end of 2025, Spann-Ford was rivaling Schoonmaker for snaps and status. Going into this season, Spann-Ford has the momentum as the two continue their battle for the TE2 position. Schoonmaker’s spot with the Cowboys isn’t the only thing on the line, but his 2027 free agency will be heavily impacted over the next several months.

Contract Status

Years Left: 1
2026 Cap Hit: $1.99 million

As his rookie deal winds up, Schoonmaker still has a modest cap hit that had remained low thanks to his not triggering performance bonuses. With just $389k in dead money on the deal, the Cowboys could get back about $1.6 million in cap space this year if they decide to move on to other prospects.

2026 Projections

Role: Backup TE
Roster Chance: 66%

Is Schoonmaker competing with Spann-Ford for the primary backup role or with the rest of the pack for the third spot? That’s up for personal debate, but there’s a strong argument for the latter. Spann-Ford’s rise last year, thanks mostly to superior blocking ability but also solid receiving skills, give him the inside track. Some feel that he’s already separated himself enough to leave Schoonmaker fighting for his life with Dallas’ other developmental prospects.

Despite this being just his fourth season, Schoonmaker is already set to turn 28 in September. This was one of the knocks on him going back to the draft: too old for much upside or time to develop. And that’s how things have really played out in Dallas, not much evidence of growth from his rookie season until now. This make him even more vulnerable against the younger prospects in camp.

The guy everyone’s intrigued with this summer is Baylor’s Michael Trigg, who brings enough athleticism to work as a big slot and create mismatch problems. But he went undrafted for reasons, so we’ll see if any concerns over his chracter or effort show themselves in camp. If not, Trigg could be the guy who pushes Schoonmaker to an early exit.

Dallas probably isn’t going to keep four tight ends as they also carry a fullback, and that Hunter Leupke is capable of playing backup TE himself. So both Schoonmaker and Trigg, or some other TE prospect, making the roster is probably not happening without an injury situation.

Maybe Luke Schoonmaker is still more involved in the TE2 conversation than we think. If so, hopefully it’s a sign that he has made some strides in his play and that he and Spann-Ford can improve the overall depth. But if Schoonmaker remains unimpactful in this year’s camp, the Cowboys may finally decide to move on to someone with more future potential.

Check out our previous player profiles from this series:

RB Israel Abanikanda
C Cooper Beebe
G Tyler Booker
S Alijah Clark
OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku
TE Jake Ferguson
WR Ryan Flournoy
C Matt Hennessy
S Malik Hooker
OLB James Houston
WR Jordan Hudson
LB Shemar James
G Trevor Keegan
CB Derion Kendrick
OLB Isaiah Land
S P.J. Locke
FB Hunter Luepke
RB Phil Mafah
QB Joe Milton III
WR Jonathan Mingo
CB Devin Moore
LB DeMarvion Overshown
TE DJ Rogers
LS Trent Sieg
WR Anthony Smith
OT Terence Steele
CB Reddy Steward
DT Jay Toia
OLB Tyrus Wheat
OLB Sam Williams
DT D.J. Withers

George Kittle isn't just an All-Pro tight end. He is also an educator as a founding member of Tight End University.

In other words, the San Francisco 49ers star can measure intelligence both on and off the field. While speaking about the 2026 edition of Tight End University, Kittle also addressed the Niners' 2025 season, which was littered with injuries, during an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

The season eventually came to an unceremonious end in a blowout against the rival Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, leaving some to question whether Kyle Shanahan would find himself on the hot seat after nine seasons on the job – something Kittle certainly disagrees with.

"Anybody that says Kyle Shanahan is on the hot seat, you guys are not the smartest," Kittle said. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

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The tight end noted it was a testament to Shanahan and his coaching staff that the Niners made it that far in the first place.

Yet he wasn't the only one who received credit for keeping the season afloat. Kittle pointed to Mac Jones as a key contributor who prevented the 49ers from spiraling.

"When you have a quarterback that who could start on plenty of other teams, in my opinion, come in and win games the way that he won them," Kittle said. "You really keep teams together in a tough situation by continuing to win games. That's what keeps guys together, that's what keeps the locker room healthy."

He noted that Jones didn't do it alone, but his continued ability to string wins together allowed the team to stick together.

On Thursday afternoon, news broke that the Falcons were trading with the Chiefs for tackle Wanya Morris. A bit later, the team announced tackle Storm Norton is landing on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Norton did not see the field in 2025 after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery last summer. He was designated to return to IR in October, but never was activated. The reason for the PUP designation isn’t clear, but we will update this post as more information becomes available.

The Falcons signed Norton off the Saints’ practice squad in 2023, and he’s had three starts over 14 games with Atlanta.

The only other right tackle still listed on the team’s depth chart is Jack Nelson, who played in 10 games for the Falcons last season. Kaleb McGary, who held down the position for years after being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft, announced his retirement this offseason at age 31.

How do you see the right tackle position shaking out between now and the start of the season? What’s Atlanta’s best-case scenario here? Let us know in the comments.

The Arizona Cardinals tight end group is getting a new roster member as former New York Jets athlete Kenny Yeboah is coming to the desert per Mike Garafolo.

Yeboah (6’-4”, 250 pounds) spent the last four seasons with the Jets.

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Every NFL club is at the stage where they tweak their training camp roster as guys become injured or additional talent becomes available through the waiver wire. To make room for Yeboah, it was assumed that rookie DT Kaleb Proctor will be placed on IR after tearing his meniscus, but the team released LB Stephen Dix, Jr. instead.

Yeboah went undrafted in 2021 out of Ole Miss, where he was named Third Team All-SEC. He finished his senior season with 27 receptions for 524 yards and scored six touchdowns. With his pre-draft measurables, he ran a 4.75 in the 40, had a vertical jump of 34”, benched 225 pounds 15 times, and had a 9’8” broad jump.

He signed with New York shortly after the draft concluded, and over the course of four seasons, he has been released twice, signed to the practice squad two times, placed on IR an additional two occurrences, and promoted to the main roster five different occasions.

In the spring of 2025, he signed with the Detroit Lions to a one-year deal but injured his knee and was placed on IR. In November, he was released from injured reserve with an injury settlement and never played a single down the entire season.

He is completely healthy now and should become a plus in the tight end room for Arizona. Yeboah has ties to Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur when the coach was the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2021-2022.

Yeboah’s career stats: 33 games played with 2 starts, 15 targets, 9 receptions, 111 yards, 6 first down conversions, 1 touchdown, 12.3 yards per catch average, 57 YAC, and 3 drops.

His calling card is that he is an excellent blocker. With LaFleur installing a run-heavy offensive scheme, extra line blockers are required.

His college scouting report on Prime Time Sports Talk:

“Yeboah’s release is not terrible, but it is not elite. Still a very raw route runner and does not have elite route-running ability. Yeboah can make contested catches. He uses his hands well in contested catch situations. Yeboah’s hands are great. Excellent pass-blocking tight end. Arguably the best pass-blocking tight end in the draft. Yeboah has good agility, can change direction well, and accelerates in the open field for his size. Will amaze you with his speed. Great competitive toughness on the field and is often seen fighting for extra yards. He will need to polish his routes.”

Cardinals’ current tight end group:

• Trey McBride
• Elijah Higgins
• Tip Reiman
• Kenny Yeboah
• Rivaldo Fairweather
• Teagan Quitoriano
• Jameson Geers

NFL Coach of the Year odds were high on Mike Vrabel entering last year, and he delivered, guiding the New England Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl.

Looking forward to a new season, a similar storyline is emerging, with DraftKings favoring Jesse Minter as he begins his first campaign as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

Fresh off successful stints as defensive coordinator with both the University of Michigan and the Los Angeles Chargers, Minter is listed at +650 to win Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, former Ravens HC John Harbaugh also headlines the latest NFL odds for the 2026–27 season.

NFL Coach of the Year odds

Coach	Preseason Win Total (O/U)
Jesse Minter	10.5	+650
John Harbaugh	7.5	+900
Joe Brady	10.5	+1200
Kevin Stefanski	7.5	+1400
Kellen Moore	7.5	+1400
Ben Johnson	9.5	+1500
Robert Saleh	6.5	+1700
Brian Schottenheimer	8.5	+1900
Klint Kubiak	5.5	+2000
Dan Campbell	10.5	+2200

Odds as of 6-11-2026. Odds from FanDuel, one of our best betting apps. Sign up with our FanDuel promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

NFL Coach of the Year opening odds

Here is a look at the opening odds for NFL Coach of the Year. John Harbaugh (+500) opened as the betting favorite. 

• John Harbaugh (+500)
• Jesse Minter (+750)
• Joe Brady (+950)
• Robert Saleh (+950)
• Kellen Moore (+1200)
• Mike McCarthy (+1200)
• Kevin Stefanski (+1400)
• Brian Schottenheimer (+1400)
• Jim Harbaugh (+1600)
• Todd Monken (+2000)
• Klint Kubiak (+2200)
• Ben Johnson (+2200)
• Aaron Glenn (+2200)
• Matt LaFleur (+2200)
• Dan Campbell (+2500)
• Shane Steichen (+2500)
• Liam Coen (+2500)
• Kevin O'Connell (+3000)
• Jeff Hafley (+3000)
• Dan Quinn (+4000)
• Demeco Ryans (+4000)
• Zac Taylor (+4000)
• Sean McVay (+4000)

NFL Coach of the Year prediction

The New Orleans Saints caught fire at the end of last season, winning four of their last five games. With a full season of Tyler Shough under center, Kellen Moore could see this team take a big step forward in his second year as the Saints’ HC.

Based on last season’s win-loss records, the New Orleans Saints are set to have the second-easiest schedule in the NFL this season. New Orleans could quietly emerge as a contender to win the NFC South, a title it hasn’t claimed since 2020.

COY Pick: Kellen Moore (+1400 at FanDuel)

Popular NFL futures markets

• NFL MVP odds
• NFL OPOY odds
• NFL DPOY odds
• NFL ROY odds

NFL Coach of the Year trends

• There has not been a back-to-back Coach of the Year winner since 1982 and 1983 (Joe Gibbs).
• There have been 13 multiple winners of the Coach of the Year award, with three coaches (Don Shula, Chuck Knox, Bill Belichick) taking it home 3+ times.
• Only one man has won NFL Coach of the Year honors despite his team finishing below .500 in the standings that season (Jimmy Johnson in 1990). 

NFL Coach of the Year history

A quick look at the NFL COY winners since 2000.

Year	NFL COY Award Winner
2025	Mike Vrabel
2024	Kevin O'Connell
2023	Kevin Stefanski
2022	Brian Daboll
2021	Mike Vrabel
2020	Kevin Stefanski
2019	John Harbaugh
2018	Matt Nagy
2017	Sean McVay
2016	Jason Garrett
2015	Ron Rivera
2014	Bruce Arians
2013	Ron Rivera
2012	Bruce Arians
2011	Jim Harbaugh
2010	Bill Belichick
2009	Marvin Lewis
2008	Mike Smith
2007	Bill Belichick
2006	Sean Payton
2005	Lovie Smith
2004	Marty Schottenheimer
2003	Bill Belichick
2002	Andy Reid
2001	Dick Jauron
2000	Jim Haslett

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The New England Patriots ended their offseason program on Thursday with the third and final day of their 2026. mandatory minicamp. That led to a rather intense session, with plenty of things to take away from.

Here’s what went down on the lower practice field on a hot Foxboro day.

Attendance

Absentees: ED Gabe Jacas, ED Harold Landry III, FB/TE Jack Westover

Non-participant: OT Morgan Moses

Limited: WR Kayshon Boutte, LB Robert Spillane, CB Christian Gonzalez, CB Marcellas Dial Jr.

Edge rushers Gabe Jacas and Harold Landry expectedly remained out on Thursday, while Jack Westover was a new absence. After being sidelined the last two days, veteran offensive tackle Morgan Moses was present but did not participate. Mike Vrabel noted the team will manage the 35-year-old’s workload throughout the offseason.

As he did on Tuesday, cornerback Christian Gonzalez participated in stretch and positional drills only. Gonzalez then sat out of competitive team drills.

“I think that’s just something that Christian and I talked about, and making sure that the most important thing is that we’re on the same page, which we are,“ Vrabel said before practice.

Joining Gonzalez as a spectator was wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. Vrabel noted earlier this week that Boutte may be limited at times, but the 24-year-old took on a heavy workload in his first practice back on Tuesday.

Additionally in the limited department, veteran Robert Spillane had his workload managed while Dial Jr. continues to work back from the torn ACL he suffered last summer.

Takeaways

Competition rises: After dialing back the intensity on Wednesday, the Patriots ramped things back up for the final day of minicamp. Still working in the red zone, it was a competitive back-and-forth showing with several big and close plays — including a pair of review-worthy end zone passes to TreVeyon Henderson and Romeo Doubs — between the offense and defense. That drew plenty of trash talk between the two sidelines.

Perhaps the top highlight from the day: Drake Maye working from right-to-left and throwing a ball up to A.J. Brown, who made an adjustment in the back left corner of the end zone to haul it in.

TD scorers: In addition to his highlight reel score, A.J. Brown was on the receiving end of the final pass of the day for another score. Maye also threw touchdowns to tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon, and dropped one in the bucket to TreVeyon Henderson on a wheel route.

Second-year wide receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III both saw some reps with Maye, but their plays came on the receiving end of Tommy DeVito. Chism easily won his route from the inside to haul in an early touchdown — which was followed by quite the celebration — before Williams later made a nice adjustment himself in the back of the end zone himself. Jeremiah Webb also caught a score from DeVito, while UDFA WR’s Jimmy Kibble and Kyle Dixon found the end zone with Behren Morton’s unit also getting some competitive run for the first time.

Ending early: New England’s final practice of the spring ended roughly 20 minutes early after Drake Maye ended up on the ground with edge rusher Bradyn Swinson in his vicinity. Mike Vrabel then abruptly huddled the entire team together and broke things down to conclude the spring.

Maye made it back to his feet and went through his usual post-practice procedure throwing passes to some of his wideouts, seemingly being OK.

Defensive playmakers: The defense fought back throughout the afternoon in a strong performance, as Kevin Byard, Carlton Davis, Charles Woods, and Brandon Crossley all forced incompletions with breakups or tight coverage. Chad Muma, who wore the green dot at times, and undrafted rookie Khalil Jacobs also had pass breakups from the linebacker position.

Lomu’s versatility: Rookie Caleb Lomu continued to showcase his versatility on Thursday. With Morgan Moses a non-participant, Lomu continued to see the majority of his reps at right tackle, while also seeing some reps at left guard next to Will Campbell. Free agent addition Alijah Vera-Tucker remained the starting left guard and again took competitive team reps as he works his way back from injury.

Other notes:

• While it was largely a strong day for Drake Maye, backups Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton struggled after solid starts. DeVito’s last four passes were incomplete while Morton’s final three hit the turf.
• With Jack Westover sidelined, C.J. Dippre and Eli Raridon saw more time with the top unit. UDFA Tanner Arkin also hauled in a touchdown from DeVito.
• Along the backup offensive line, Caleb Lomu (left) and Marcus Bryant (right) served as the top tackle with Andrew Rupcich, Ben Brown, and Caedan Wallace manning the interior. Mehki Butler also got some elevated run at left guard at times.
• Leonard Taylor III continued to have a strong spring with another batted pass — the third deflection we have seen in five open practices.

Sean Payton will continue rocking the sunset orange and midnight navy for another half decade.

The Denver Broncos announced June 11 that they signed the head coach to a five-year extension. The news of Payton's extension comes one month after the Broncos signed general manager George Paton to a five-year extension of his own. Both Payton and Paton are now under contract through the 2030 season.

"Sean Payton has led an impressive turnaround over the past three seasons, instilling a winning culture with high expectations," Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said in a statement. "I appreciate the close partnership he shares with George Paton along with the alignment and stability across our football operations.

"We're thrilled for Sean to continue leading our team as head coach, building on our progress during such an exciting time for the Broncos."

Payton's next five years with the Broncos may look different from his first three seasons. The head coach announced at the NFL combine in February that he was giving up offensive play-calling duties for the first time in his head-coaching career. Davis Webb, whom the Broncos promoted to offensive coordinator this offseason, will take over play-calling to start the 2026 season.

BRONCOS NEWS: Jonathon Cooper arrested for alleged domestic violence

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their final round of OTAs on Thursday, and there was a notable name not present.

Per Chris Halicke of DK Pittsburgh Sports, wide receiver Roman Wilson was not present for Thursday’s practice.

“Roman Wilson was missing among the wide receivers during the window open to the media,” Halicke writes. “He was not on the field and not participating in any of the drills while the media was permitted to watch practice.”

Halicke adds that the reason for Wilson’s absent is unknown.

Wilson is one of multiple veteran Steelers on the fringe of making the roster or being cut. In two seasons, he has 12 catches and was a healthy scratch in multiple games during the final weeks of the season.

The Steelers have one more practice of OTAs on Friday before letting out until July 28 when they report for training camp.

Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!

• Steelers sign former Broncos wide receiver
• Former Steelers WR signs with AFC team
• Nick Herbig predicts breakout season for another young Steelers’ defender
• Cam Heyward says Steelers are ‘embracing change’ away from Mike Tomlin
• Steelers release veteran wide receiver

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs enter the season looking to reestablish themselves atop the AFC West, with the two-time MVP targeting a September return after suffering a devastating ACL tear late in the 2025 campaign.

While there’s still no official timetable for Patrick Mahomes’ return, the superstar is fresh off a massive contract extension and joins Jayden Daniels and Kyler Murray among the early favorites in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds.

Here are the latest NFL odds as we build toward Week 1.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

Player	Position
Patrick Mahomes	QB	+200
Jayden Daniels	QB	+430
Kyler Murray	QB	+550
❓Aaron Donald	DT	+1400
Micah Parsons	Edge	+1800
Travis Hunter	CB/WR	+2500
Daniel Jones	QB	+2500
Fred Warner	LB	+2500
Malik Nabers	WR	+2500
George Kittle	TE	+2500
Nick Bosa	DE	+2700

Odds as of 6-11-2026. Odds from FanDuel, one of our best betting apps. Sign up with our FanDuel promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year opening odds

Here is a look at the opening odds for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Patrick Mahomes (+150) opened as the betting favorite. 

• Patrick Mahomes (+150)
• Kyler Murray (+550)
• Micah Parsons (+1000)
• Malik Nabers (+1000)
• Daniel Jones (+1600)
• Nick Bosa (+1900)
• Fred Warner (+1900)
• Tucker Kraft (+2500)
• George Kittle (+2500)
• Travis Hunter (+2700)
• Cam Skattebo (+2700)
• Brock Bowers (+3000)
• Garrett Wilson (+3300)
• Trey Hendrickson (+3500)
• Sam LaPorta (+4000)
• Geno Smith (+4000)
• Quinshon Judkins (+4000)
• Malik Willis (+4000)
• Tua Tagovailoa (+4000)

NFL Comeback Player of the Year prediction

Concussion history aside, Tua Tagovailoa will really benefit from a change of scenery.

Heading into a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, the former fifth overall pick will have a leg up on Michael Penix Jr. in training camp, as Penix continues to recover from the partially torn ACL he suffered a year ago.

Tua spent three consecutive years from 2022–2024 leading the league in either passer rating, passing yards, or completion percentage, and landing in an offense featuring Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts could give the Falcons quarterback production similar to his best days under Mike McDaniel.

Tagovailoa will also escape the cold conditions of the AFC East, no longer having to play in Buffalo or Foxborough, instead spending half his time indoors at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, along with favorable environments in New Orleans and Tampa Bay. 

If anything, Tagovailoa should feel like he's back in his SEC college days.

CPOY Pick: Tua Tagovailoa (+4500 at FanDuel)

Popular NFL futures markets

• NFL MVP odds
• NFL OPOY odds
• NFL DPOY odds
• NFL ROY odds

NFL Comeback Player of the Year betting trends

• Over the last eight years, the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has gone to a quarterback seven times.

• From 2014 to 2018, every Comeback Player of the Year had suffered a season-ending injury during the previous year, and Alex Smith won in 2020 after recovering from a devastating leg injury that almost required amputation. 

• Joe Burrow joins Chad Pennington (2006 and 2008) as the only player to win this award twice.

Previous NFL Comeback Player of the Year award winners

Year	NFL CPOY winner	Team
2025	Christian McCaffrey	San Francisco 49ers
2024	Joe Burrow	Cincinnati Bengals
2023	Joe Flacco	Cleveland Browns
2022	Geno Smith	Seattle Seahawks
2021	Joe Burrow	Cincinnati Bengals
2020	Alex Smith	Washington Commanders
2019	Ryan Tannehill	Tennessee Titans
2018	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts
2017	Keenan Allen	Los Angeles Chargers
2016	Jordy Nelson	Green Bay Packers
2015	Eric Berry	Kansas City Chiefs
2014	Rob Gronkowski	New England Patriots
2013	Philip Rivers	Los Angeles Chargers
2012	Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos
2011	Matthew Stafford	Detroit Lions
2010	Michael Vick	Philadelphia Eagles

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Nick Cross is a safety. Formally speaking, anyway.  

That’s what shows up on his football card, but it doesn’t completely describe what he plays. Cross plays all over the place.  

A detailed look at his 2025 snap counts, confirms that, with action coming at both safety spots, playing deep and in the box. He lined up as a slot cornerback and on the outside. There was also some positioning as a linebacker in certain alignments, showing how his versatility can be an asset. His box alignments were third-highest for a defensive back in the NFL last season. 

Expect more of the same in his first year with the Commanders.  

“Put on the tape,” Cross said in a press conference following Tuesday’s OTA session. “In Indy I played everything. Here I play everything. I can do literally anything on the field. I take pride and joy in that, knowing I can play anywhere in the back seven and make an impact.” 

His biggest impact comes in run defense, and Cross will play an important role for Washington in that area, being active closer to the line of scrimmage.  

“I pride myself on the work put in during the offseason work to get stronger, to get faster and to know my keys and responsibilities.” Cross said. “At the end of the day, run defense is just about opposing your will on the man across from you. Whether it’s a lineman, tight end or receiver, your job is to beat him and go make a play. If you when your one-on-ones more than he wins his, it’s going to be a pretty good day for you.” 

Cross had lots of good days in Indianapolis last year, before signing a two-year deal with the Commanders this spring. He had 46 stops in 2025, per NFL Next Gen Stats, that results in a negative EPA play for the offense. That was fifth-most among defensive backs.  

While he’ll continue to be active in those areas, the Commanders are experimenting with how to play him during the offseason program, and head coach Dan Quinn believes he could be more of an asset playing deep than some people think.  

“There is a really physical style of box style of play to him,” Quinn said in his Tuesday press conference. “He’s got more speed maybe than even I thought, you know, playing in the deep part of the fields. And so, by the week, like our first week we played almost all middle field coverages where we were featuring guys high and low the last week.  

“It’s been more of the two-high spaces. So, we’re also experimenting and learning what each of the guys can do. But I think, I feel the speed, the quickness of somebody that’s got that kind of size.” 

The Detroit Lions closed out their ninth and final OTA practice on Thursday afternoon. Next week, their offseason program will conclude with two days of Mandatory Minicamp, and then the team will be off until late July.

“They will have gotten their full share of the program,” coach Dan Campbell. “You know everything is a little different this year because it’s a later start for the league year, but no, we’ll get them out of here.”

Here are my observations from Thursday’s final OTA practice. If you want to know which players weren’t practicing on Thursday, you can check our unofficial injury/participation report here.

Business as usual

The Lions’ practice was very similar to the previous two we’ve watched. The format: 30-ish minutes of walk/jog-throughs, positional drills, special teams drills, and one full-team drill. This week, they worked on punting during special teams, and we saw a full 11-on-11 situational drill at the end of practice. The walkthroughs were slightly different this week: instead of working on two separate fields between the first and second teams, they were all on one field running simulated drives.

This was the second straight practice in which they did not run any 7-on-7 drills in front of the media, which, at this point, feels intentional. That makes observations pretty difficult with almost zero full-speed drills and no pads, but I’ll do my best.

However, next week the Lions won’t be able to hide any drills with both minicamp practices being open to the media.

Interesting rep orders

While it’s important not to read too much into rep order at this time of year, it is an interesting peek into what Campbell and company may be thinking about the standings of each player. Here are some interesting notes from Thursday’s practice:

Right tackle

Larry Borom continues to rep ahead of rookie Blake Miller, but they are splitting time nearly evenly. Miller is getting plenty of work with the first-team offense, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time before that job becomes fully his to lose.

Don’t sleep on Juice Scruggs

Scruggs, who the Lions obtained in the David Montgomery, has consistently been the backup center during the spring program, but on Thursday he even got a small amount of work with the first-team offense at left guard. That spot has been occupied by Christian Mahogany nearly all of OTAs, while Miles Frazier has commonly repped with the second team.

Scruggs seems like the front-runner for the backup center job, and so it makes sense for Detroit to test out whether he can be a versatile reserve at multiple positions.

Khalil Dorsey, come on down

With no Terrion Arnold, Rock Ya-Sin, and Ennis Rakestraw, the Lions were severely shorthanded at outside cornerback. That left Dorsey to team up with D.J. Reed for the first-team defense. Behind them were Nick Whiteside and De’Shawn Rucker.

Dorsey brings a ton of special team skills, including excellent play as a gunner. But he remains relatively inexperienced on defense. While it’s only OTAs, this was good experience for the 28-year-old corner.

Linebacker breakdown

As it has been all spring, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez make up the starting linebacking crew. When they’re in nickel, it’s Campbell and Barnes.

As of right now, it looks like the next two up are Damone Clark and Joe Bachie, although rookie Jimmy Rolder has worked his way into that group occasionally, as well.

My two early dark-horse candidates

One other interesting order of reps that has been consistent all of OTAs is Tyler Lacy getting very early work. When the Lions need a 4i or a 5-tech, he seems to be the first one out there, notably ahead of Levi Onwuzurike. Perhaps they are just working Onwuzurike slowly into the lineup, as he’s coming off a year lost to an ACL, but I don’t think we should underestimate Lacy, either. Campbell mentioned Lacy’s size as an asset in that “big end” role.

“We have got some length now, we have got some size and length and athletic ability on the perimeter,” Campbell said. “You know Lacy is that, but he’s a little more of that big end, big stack, but we are big, we are long and so you can’t wait for training camp, you know, you just can’t wait.”

The other player who caught my eye is receiver Cedrick Wilson. Admittedly, he is still repping very late in the rotation, but the nine-year veteran turned around rookie Keith Abney during a jog-through red zone drill, and he displayed some skills during a gunner drill.

Wilson was a late add, so I think he’s being overlooked. But after the Kendrick Law injury, there is room on the roster for a receiver with special teams skills, and Wilson has played in at least 10 games in six consecutive seasons, although his special teams playing time has been limited to just 381 total snaps.

Offense wins situation drill

Our first taste of true 11-on-11 drills came toward the end of practice, where the team competed in the following end-of-game situation:

• Offense down 4 points
• 40 seconds left
• 1 timeout
• Starting on opponent’s 44-yard line

Here’s how each play went:

• False start
• Post route to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had beaten Roger McCreary by a few steps for an easy 19 yards
• Checkdown to Jahmyr Gibbs, “tackled” by Malcolm Rodriguez after a 3-yard gain
• Overthrow/throw-away to St. Brown on an out route
• Crossing route to ST. Brown for 18 yards — timeout with 7 seconds left
• Back of the endzone pass to Jameson Williams for a toe-tapping touchdown, but ruled incomplete
  • Refs called pass interference on someone
• Quick slant to Williams, incomplete, but Reed was called for holding
• Untimed down from the 1-yard line: Jared Goff sneaks in for an easy TD. Defense looked like it only had a three-man front, so it was a very easy score from Goff.

Odds and ends:

• Funny moment during practice when Penei Sewell appeared to be called for illegal man downfield: he quickly picked up the flag and stuck it in his pocket so no one saw it.
• Other players who were working on the gunner drill: Isaac TeSlaa, Kyre Duplessis, Roger McCreary, D.J. Reed, Khalil Dorsey, Christian Izien, Dominic Lovett, Keith Abney, Malik Cunningham, Nick Whiteside, De’Shawn Rucker
• The quarterbacks briefly worked on a neat rollout drill, where they would navigate the pocket, roll to their right, and try to hit a dummy on the back of a golf cart moving full speed in the end zone. Both Goff and Luke Altmyer connected on about half of their attempts from about 15-20 yards away.
• Practice ended with a competition between the offense and defense fielding punts. The offense lost after Dominic Lovett dropped his attempt. He also had a tough drop during individual drills. Greg Dortch, Reed, and Tom Kennedy all caught their attempts.

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field on Thursday afternoon. It was their ninth of 10 scheduled OTA practices, the final session that was open to the media before next week’s minicamp. Friday’s final OTA practice will be a closed session. Thanks to local reporters like Paul Kuharsky, Turron Davenport, and A to Z Sports, we’ve compiled some notable tidbits. Robert Saleh and select players also spoke.

• Much has been made about Cam Ward’s uneven play at OTAs. The former No. 1 overall pick seemingly did not improve during Thursday’s practice. Ward was 12-of-24 with zero touchdown passes and two “sacks,” per Terry McCormick. Coach Saleh expressed a ton of confidence in his young quarterback. We’ll see if he improves at minicamp next week.
  
• It sounded like the defense won the day. Turron “TD” Davenport had both Jacob Martin and Keldric Faulk coming off the edge for would-be sacks (physical contact isn’t permitted). It’s nice to see Faulk making plays at OTAs.
  
• Coach Saleh called Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears the “bellcows” at running back for the Titans. That’s expected, but it’s also bad news for rookie ball carrier Nicholas Singleton. Saleh admitted Singleton has to work hard to crack the backfield rotation. The Titans will be pretty reliant on Pollard and Spears.
  
• Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate returned to practice, per everyone in attendance. He missed a session earlier this week after picking up the most minor of injuries at Monday’s practice. Tate was back, and he should be full-go for minicamp next week.
  
• Saleh praised both Kevin Winston Jr. and Marcus Harris unprompted. Harris was one of the select players to speak with the media at the podium following practice. Tennessee’s secondary will be fairly reliant on both sophomores this season.
  
• Calvin Ridley returned to 7-on-7 drills after being limited to individual drills in previous sessions while recovering from last year’s season-ending injury. It’s positive to see Ridley progressing nicely. The Titans need him to be productive this season.

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was denied parole on June 11, nearly three years after he was sentenced to prison for a November 2021 drunken driving crash that killed a woman.

Ruggs in May 2023 pleaded guilty to one count of felony DUI causing death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. His Chevrolet Corvette reached speeds of up to 156 mph, Las Vegas police said, just prior to slamming into the back of an SUV. Tina Tintor, 23, and her dog both died of thermal injuries as a result of the collision, the Clark County (Nevada) Coroner's Office determined.

Ruggs' blood-alcohol level was found to be 0.161%, more than twice Nevada's legal limit.

Under a plea deal with the agreement with the Clark County (Nevada) District Attorney's office, Ruggs was sentenced to a prison term of three to 10 years.

Henry Ruggs' parole timeline

In an initial May parole hearing via Zoom, Ruggs said he took "full responsibility for my actions that led to Ms. Tintor’s death and her dog, Max."

Added Ruggs, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Not a minute goes by where I don’t think of the pain I caused her family, her friends and the Las Vegas community.”

Nevada Board of Parole commissioner Sandy Schmitt said in May that Ruggs is considered a low risk and that guidelines recommend he be released following his first or second hearing, according to the Review-Journal.

Ruggs was transferred in October 2025 from a low-security transitional housing center to the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, a medium-security facility.

Henry Ruggs' NFL career

After starring at Alabama and helping the Crimson Tide win a national title in 2018, Ruggs was selected by the Raiders with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the first receiver taken, hearing his name called ahead of future Pro Bowl selections CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy and Justin Jefferson, among others.

As a rookie, Ruggs recorded 26 catches for 452 yards and two touchdowns. He matched that production through seven games in 2021 (24 catches, 469 yards, two touchdowns) but was released by the Raiders just hours after his arrest.

Will Henry Ruggs return to NFL?

Ruggs, 27, said in June 25 that he hopes to resume his playing career once released from prison.

“I’m in this newfound spiritual space, and I’m confident in who I am and what I can do," Ruggs said at a Hope for Prisoners event in Las Vegas, according to the Review-Journal. "So, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll be ready.”

Ruggs added he would welcome another opportunity with the Raiders. The front-office leaders who drafted him and coaches under whom he worked, however, no longer remain with the organization.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Henry Ruggs III denied parole nearly 5 years after fatal crash

The Seattle Seahawks wrap up their mandatory minicamp on Thursday. A notable absence from practice is second-year wide receiver Tory Horton, who missed the back-end of Seattle’s season with a shin injury.

Last month, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald told reporters that there was a chance that Horton would be able to do some on-field work during minicamp. Obviously, that didn’t materialize. In Macdonald’s latest update, there is still optimism that he’ll be back for training camp.

“Yeah, still still all positive with Tory,” Macdonald said on Wednesday. “He’s not going to do anything today or tomorrow. But we should be looking at early on in [training] camp, if not the beginning of camp. You know—if we stay on schedule and everything goes well, we’ll be praying that he can be out there.

“It won’t be a full, you know—you got to be smart [with] how he comes back and all that,” Macdonald continued. “But he should be active within—I don’t put a timetable on it. Could be anywhere from day one he’s rocking and rolling or maybe it’s a couple days.”

Horton scored five receiving touchdowns and took a punt return back for a score in his brief rookie season. At the time the Seahawks traded for Rashid Shaheed, the extent of Horton’s injury wasn’t yet that well known. The hope is that Horton’s rehabilitation process is going smoothly and that when things ramp up for training camp, we’ll finally get to see Seattle’s wide receiver group at full strength.

Day one of Seahawks training camp, by the way, is on July 25.

The last day of the Colts to prepare for the season prior to July’s training camp has wrapped up, with numerous key players missing the mandatory minicamp practices due to injury. This includes 3 starters as well as key depth and competition for other starting/high snap rotation spots around the roster.

Starting outside WR Alec Pierce is dealing with an ankle injury. The newly paid deep threat wideout underwent offseason ankle surgery in March and is expected to miss some of training camp as well while he rehabs from surgery. His return is expected to be in late July/early August in the middle of the training camp schedule. He is expected to earn a larger role as he shows continual growth as a route runner and his outside WR running mate Michael Pittman Jr. was traded in the offseason to free up cap space to retain Pierce and his QB Daniel Jones.

DeForest Buckner did attend minicamp, but didn’t participate in drills due to his neck injury that he suffered in the 2025 season.

The Colts are being cautious with their 32 year old veteran star Defensive Tackle, but he is determined to be out there for his final year of his contract. He was non-committal in his specific return date to offseason practices, but stated that the goal is to be out there Week 1 of the regular season.

At Cornerback the Colts have a quartet of absences, beginning with their starting outside Cornerback 2 Charvarious “Mooney” Ward. Ward dealt with a trio of concussions in his first year with the Colts in 2025 and is considering wearing a guardian cap on his helmet in 2026 to help prevent further concussions. He is currently dealing with an undisclosed back injury.

Free Agent signing Cam Taylor-Britt also is dealing with an foot injury. He suffered a Lisfranc injury in midgame in Week 11 during the 2025 season, which he likely is still recovering from. He signed for the veteran minimum after being a key starter for Colts DC Lou Anarumo during their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former 2023-2024 starting CB Jaylon Jones was also absent from minicamp as well as 11 game starter in 2025 Mekhi Blackmon following injuries to other corners high on the depth chart last year. Their current reasons for being absent from minicamp is undisclosed at this time.

Rookie Guard Jalen Farmer missed minicamp with a knee injury. The former Kentucky Wildcat is expected to compete for the starting Right Guard job in training camp, and the Colts are being cautious with his injury right now to prepare him for that battle.

Should the Colts be worried with so many starters and expected roster-spot earning players out?

Not yet. The Colts have over a month and a half before camp begins and they are being careful with their players dealing with injury so far. If most of these injuries persist throughout camp and past the expected return dates for some players… then the Colts should worry.

The 2026 NFL Draft offered plenty of drama, and the league’s hottest prospects have found their new homes in the NFL Rookie of the Year odds.

After Tetairoa McMillan and Carson Schwesinger came away with ROY honors at preseason odds longer than +1000, could another dark horse be waiting in the wings for the upcoming campaign?

With training camp kicking off in July, let’s take a look at the latest NFL odds for Offensive ROY and Defensive ROY.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds

Player	Position
Jeremiyah Love	RB	+430
Fernando Mendoza	QB	+430
Carnell Tate	WR	+650
Jordyn Tyson	WR	+650
Jadarian Price	RB	+850
Makai Lemon	WR	+1500
Carson Beck	QB	+2700
KC Concepcion	WR	+3000
Antonio Williams	WR	+3300
Kenyon Sadiq	TE	+3500

Odds as of 6-11-2026. Odds from FanDuel, one of our best betting apps. Sign up with our FanDuel promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorites

Jeremiyah Love (+430)

Jeremiah Love’s name gained serious steam over the past couple of weeks, and that momentum led to the Arizona Cardinals bringing him to the desert with the third overall pick.

A complete three-down back who boasts explosive speed, Love eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in both 2025 and 2026 at Notre Dame, averaging 6.9 yards per carry in each season.

Fernando Mendoza (+430)

Fresh off both a national championship title and a Heisman Award to boot, Fernando Mendoza brings plenty of hope to the Silver & Black.

With Klint Kubiak installed as head coach and Mendoza flanked by Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense can only go up from here — especially after Geno Smith's disastrous campaign in Sin City.

Carnell Tate (+650)

Although Carnell Tate isn’t flashy and spent the majority of his time in the shadow of both Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka at Ohio State, he’s an excellent route runner who brings little ego to a Tennessee Titans offense looking for a No. 1 WR.

With Brian Daboll coming in as the Titans’ new OC, Tate could hit the ground running in Nashville.

Here is a look at the opening NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds. Jeremiyah Love opened as the betting favorite.

• Jeremiyah Love (+290)
• Fernando Mendoza (+320)
• Carnell Tate (+650)
• Jordyn Tyson (+850)
• Makai Lemon (+950)
• Jadarian Price (+1300)
• KC Concepcion (+2000)
• Omar Cooper Jr. (+2200)
• Kenyon Sadiq (+2500)
• Denzel Boston (+2700)
• Ty Simpson (+3300)
• Mike Washington Jr. (+3300)
• Nick Singleton (+3500)
• Emmett Johnson (+4000)
• Eli Stowers (+5000)

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds

Player	Position
David Bailey	Edge	+500
Rueben Bain Jr.	Edge	+500
Arvell Reese	LB	+850
Caleb Downs	S	+850
Mansoor Delane	CB	+900
Sonny Styles	LB	+1000
Akheem Mesidor	Edge	+1300
CJ Allen	LB	+1900
Jacob Rodriguez	LB	+2200
Dillon Thieneman	S	+2200

Odds as of 6-11-2026.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year favorites

David Bailey (+500)

The New York Jets got their edge rusher at No. 2 by selecting David Bailey, who’s fresh off a 14.5-sack season with Texas Tech.

Paired with Will McDonald IV on the other side, the two could complement each other well and give the Gang Green rookie a quick boost right off the bat.

Rueben Bain Jr. (+500)

Questions about combine measurables — as well as an off-field incident — caused Rueben Bain Jr. to slide to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the NFC South champs are bringing in a player who fits multiple fronts and is an elite run defender.

Bain was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 and finished with 9.5 sacks at Miami last season, helping lead the Hurricanes to a national title appearance.

Arvell Reese (+850)

A former consensus All-American, Arvell Reese can play off the edge or set up as an off-ball linebacker, and he’ll be deployed as a do-it-all playmaker for the New York Giants.

Reese really impressed scouts with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, tying with Sonny Styles for the best mark at the position.

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Here is a look at opening NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds. David Bailey opened as the betting favorite.

• David Bailey (+470)
• Rueben Bain Jr. (+500)
• Arvell Reese (+700)
• Sonny Styles (+850)
• Caleb Downs (+850)
• Mansoor Delane (+850)
• Dillon Thieneman (+2000)
• Akheem Mesidor (+2000)
• Malachi Lawrence (+2500)
• Keldric Faulk (+3000)
• Jacob Rodriguez (+3000)
• Jermid McCoy (+4000)
• Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (+4000)
• Colton Hood (+4000)
• D'Angelo Ponds (+4000)

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• NFL MVP odds
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NFL Offensive ROY betting trends

• Of the last 21 winners of the NFL OROY Award, 19 were drafted in the first round.

• While quarterback is an extremely difficult position to excel at as a rookie, 11 of the last 22 OROY winners played the position, including four QBs that were selected first overall in the draft.

• Running backs have won four of the last 12 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Awards. However, in recent years when top rookie RBs have gone head-to-head against top QBs for OROY honors, they've often come out on the losing end. Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL in rushing in 2016 but lost the OROY to his teammate Dak Prescott, while Kyler Murray took home the hardware over Josh Jacobs in 2019.

• No offensive lineman has ever won the award, despite recent linemen like Joe Thomas, Matt Kalil, Jack Conklin, Ryan Ramczyk, and Quenton Nelson all making the Pro Bowl in their first year.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year history

Here's a look at the award history dating back to 2009 (preseason favorite and winner odds courtesy of Sports Odds History):

Year	Favorite	Winner
2025	Ashton Jeanty (+260)	Tetairoa McMillan (+1400)
2024	Caleb Williams (+130)	Jayden Daniels (+500)
2023	Bijan Robinson (+250)	C.J. Stroud (+850)
2022	George Pickens (+900) & Kenny Pickett (+900)	Garrett Wilson (+2000)
2021	Trevor Lawrence (+350)	Ja'Marr Chase (+1800)
2020	Joe Burrow (+200)	Justin Herbert (+3000)
2019	Kyler Murray (+150)	Kyler Murray (+150)
2018	Saquon Barkley (+155)	Saquon Barkley (+155)
2017	Leonard Fournette (+350)	Alvin Kamara (+5000)
2016	Ezekiel Elliott (-140)	Dak Prescott (+900)
2015	Jameis Winston (+600)	Todd Gurley (+1450)
2014	Sammy Watkins (+550)	Odell Beckham Jr. (+2500)
2013	Montee Ball (+400)	Eddie Lacy (+800)
2012	Andrew Luck (+225)	Robert Griffin III (+400)
2011	Julio Jones (+400) & Cam Newton (+400)	Cam Newton (+400)
2010	Dez Bryant (+200) & Ryan Mathews (+200)	Sam Bradford (+500)
2009	Knowshon Moreno (+300)	Percy Harvin (+1200)

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners by position

Position	OROY winners
Running back	40
Quarterback	12
Wide Receiver	2
Tight end	1

Bears legend Mike Ditka became the first — and so far only — tight end to win Offensive Rookie of the Year when he received the honor in 1961.

NFL Defensive ROY betting trends

• Of the last 36 winners of the NFL DROY Award, an incredible 32 were drafted in the first round. Of the four winners that weren't first-rounders (DeMeco Ryans, Kendrell Bell, Darius Leonard, and Carson Schwesinger), all were still selected within the Top-40.

• Nine of the last 20 DROY winners played linebacker. Two others (Von Miller and Shawne Merriman) were listed at LB but would count as edge players in modern NFL defensive schemes. That said, that number is heavily inflated by four straight DROY-winning linebackers from 2006 to 2009. Over the last 12 years, only four LBs have taken home the award. 

• Four of the last 10 DROY winners played college ball for Ohio State. Three of those (the Bosa brothers and Chase Young) were edge rushers. 

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year history

Here's a look at the history of the award dating back to 2009 (preseason favorite and winner odds courtesy of Sports Odds History):

Year	Favorite	Winner
2025	Abdul Carter (+225)	Carson Schwesinger (+2800)
2024	Dallas Turner (+400) and Laiatu Latu (+400)	Jared Verse (+800)
2023	Will Anderson Jr. (+400)	Will Anderson Jr. (+400)
2022	Aidan Hutchinson (+450)	Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner (+1200)
2021	Micah Parsons (+600)	Micah Parsons (+600)
2020	Chase Young (+150)	Chase Young (+150)
2019	Devin Bush (+500)	Nick Bosa (+700)
2018	Bradley Chubb (+375)	Shaquille Leonard (+3050)
2017	Reuben Foster (+350)	Marshon Lattimore (NA)
2016	NA	Joey Bosa (NA)
2015	Stephone Anthony (+660)	Marcus Peters (+3500)
2014	Jadeveon Clowney (+275)	Aaron Donald (+900)
2013	Ezekiel Ansah (+800) and Jarvis Jones (+800)	Sheldon Richardson (+2000)
2012	Luke Keuchly (+450)	Luke Keuchly (+450)
2011	Von Miller (+400)	Von Miller (+400)
2010	Ndamukong Suh (+175)	Ndamukong Suh (+175)
2009	Aaron Curry (+450)	Brian Cushing (+1200)

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year winners by position

Position	DROY winners
Linebacker	29
Defensive end	13
Cornerback	10
Defensive tackle	7
Safety	2

A safety hasn’t won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in over 20 years, dating back to when Mark Carrier (1990) and Erik McMillan (1988) won the award twice over a three-year span.

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The Broncos selected edge rusher Que Robinson in the 4th round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the talented rookie quickly impressed the Broncos coaching staff. He only appeared in 6 games last year, but he flashed his pass-rush potential with sacks of Patrick Mahomes and Drake Maye, which had defensive coordinator Vance Joseph believing Robinson looked like a future starter.

Head Coach Sean Payton told reporters that they saw a lot of special teams snaps from Robinson last season and that he has all the traits you look for and that he’s doing well so far in year two with the Broncos.

I will have my player profile on Robinson drop tomorrow, but I am a big fan of him and his potential. He has the size, length, athleticism, burst, natural bend, and talent you look for in an edge rusher; he just needs to put it all together. At Alabama, he flashed that potential at times while also being a standout special teams player. The Broncos saw the same flashes and potential last season from him, and I believe we could see him take a big jump in year two with the Broncos.

It’s clear that Robinson has impressed the Broncos coaching staff. He had a good day of practice today; Joseph said he looked like a future starter, and earlier in the offseason, General Manager George Paton told reporters that Robinson had the highest potential of all the rookies in their 2025 draft class.

Then [OLB] Que [Robinson], he may have the most upside of anyone in our draft class, and you could see it the other day. He’s long, he’s athletic. He can run and is really good in the run game. He’s just learning how to rush, just learning to rush the passer, but has all the traits. Then you see what he does on special teams. We’re really encouraged with him”

The Broncos edge rushing room is deep, with Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper as your starters. We’ll see if the league hands down any punishment for Cooper’s off-the-field issues, but for now, we can pencil him and Bonitto in as the Broncos starters at edge rusher. Then you have Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman, who have all made plays during their time with the Broncos. So, Robinson will need to continue to impress if he wants to move up the depth chart and force the Broncos to give him more and more snaps. So far, it sounds like he is on his way to do that, but he will need to continue this throughout the summer, especially when the pads come on during camp and then into the preseason.

I personally see a potential 10+ sack player in Que Robinson who could start taking some pass rush snaps away from Jonathon Cooper. He did see limited snaps last season, but when he was out there, he was always making plays. He sacked Patrick Mahomes in the Broncos’ thrilling victory over the Chiefs at home and then sacked Drake Maye in the AFC Championship. He made many more plays in between that, and I believe we will see him make more and more plays moving forward.

Robinson is on my list of breakout players for the Broncos, and I am excited to hear that he is already gaining momentum early in Broncos OTA practices.

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds are stacked with pass rushers, including single-season sack record holder Myles Garrett, who was traded to the Los Angeles Rams last week.

Garrett is going for his second straight and third overall Defensive Player of the Year award in 2026-27, and he's seen his NFL odds shorten from +600 to +430 following the blockbuster deal. 

NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds

Player	Team
Myles Garrett	Los Angeles Rams	+430
Will Anderson Jr.	Houston Texans	+750
Aidan Hutchinson	Detroit Lions	+1200
Nik Bonitto	Denver Broncos	+1400
Maxx Crosby	Las Vegas Raiders	+2000
Jalen Carter	Philadelphia Eagles	+2500
Danielle Hunter	Houston Texans	+2500
Pat Surtain II	Denver Broncos	+2700
T.J. Watt	Pittsburgh Steelers	+2700
Derek Stingley Jr.	Houston Texans	+2700

Odds as of 6-11. Odds from FanDuel, one of our best betting apps. Sign up with our FanDuel promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year opening odds

Here is a look at the opening odds for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Myles Garrett (+425) opened as the betting favorite. 

• Myles Garrett (+425)
• Micah Parsons (+800)
• Maxx Crosby (+800)
• Aidan Hutchinson (+800)
• Will Anderson Jr. (+800)
• Nik Bonitto (+1200)
• Nick Bosa (+1200)
• Jared Verse (+1200)
• Brian Burns (+1200)
• T.J. Watt (+1400)
• Trey Hendrickson (+2500)
• Jalen Carter (+2500)
• Danielle Hunter (+2500)
• Laiatu Latu (+2800)
• Fred Warner (+3000)
• Tuli Tuipulotu (+3000)
• Josh Sweat (+4000)
• Chris Jones (+4000)
• Quinyon Mitchell (+5000)
• Montez Sweat (+5000)
• Kyle Hamilton (+5000)
• Josh Hines-Allen (+5000)
• Cooper DeJean (+5000)

NFL Defensive Player of the Year prediction

New York Giants pass rusher Brian Burns is coming off a 16.5-sack season, trailing only Garrett. 

Burns also finished Top 5 among all edge rushers in pass-rush win rate on third down last season. With New York expected to contend for a playoff spot following its coaching staff overhaul, his odds could shorten quickly if the Giants start stacking wins early.

At +3500, I wouldn't mind taking a shot on Burns prior to Week 1 action. 

DPOY Pick: Brian Burns (+3500 at FanDuel)

Popular NFL futures markets

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NFL Defensive Player of the Year betting trends

• Since this award was first given out in 1974, eight defensive players have claimed this award more than once. However, no defensive back has ever won it multiple times. 

• While voters for the NFL MVP Award seem to take team success into the equation, the same hasn't necessarily been true for DPOY accolades. Five of the last 10 winners of the DPOY award were on defenses that ranked outside the Top 10.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year history

A quick look at the NFL DPOY winners since 2000 and the position they played.

Year	NFL DPOY Award Winner	Position
2025	Myles Garrett	DE
2024	Patrick Surtain II	CB
2023	Myles Garrett	DE
2022	Nick Bosa	DE
2021	T.J. Watt	Edge
2020	Aaron Donald	DT
2019	Stephon Gilmore	CB
2018	Aaron Donald	DT
2017	Aaron Donald	DT
2016	Khalil Mack	Edge
2015	J.J. Watt	DE
2014	J.J. Watt	DE
2013	Luke Kuechly	LB
2012	J.J. Watt	DE
2011	Terrell Suggs	Edge
2010	Troy Polamalu	S
2009	Charles Woodson	DB
2008	James Harrison	Edge
2007	Bob Sanders	S
2006	Jason Taylor	Edge
2005	Brian Urlacher	LB
2004	Ed Reed	S
2003	Ray Lewis	LB
2002	Derrick Brooks	LB
2001	Michael Strahan	DE
2000	Ray Lewis	LB

NFL Defensive Player of the Year winners by position

Linebackers have historically dominated this honor, and only two defensive backs have taken home the award in the last 10 seasons.

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For the first time in nearly a decade, the Buffalo Bills have a (mostly) new leadership team guiding the on-field side of football operations. Gone is Sean McDermott, and in his place is Joe Brady, who will try to take Buffalo to heights never before reached — all while navigating the seas of first-time head coaching.

At minimum, there’s a partial paradigm shift happening at One Bills Drive. While Brady deservedly occupies most of the team’s coaching headlines, its with first-time defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard where the team may see the biggest changes on game day. Leonhard is implementing a base 3-4 defensive scheme, and one that intends to prioritize attacking opponents in a philosophy shift from McDermott’s zone-heavy, bend-but-don’t-break 4-3 base system.

To do all this mentioned above takes quite a bit of roster overhaul, the bulk of which falls on president of football operations/general manager Brandon Beane. He deftly survived the axe that co-owner Terry Pegula swung following the dejected scene in the locker room after yet another heartbreaking playoff loss.

That move led outsiders to believe that (right or wrong) the change needed was at head coach, and that Beane remains the right person to help build the roster. With Beane’s experience guiding a new reporting group, let’s quickly run down the team’s roster moves to this point of June, from the additions/subtractions in free agency, to the newest members of the team via the 2026 NFL Draft, and those rookies brought in as undrafted free agents.

It may seem quiet out of Bills command central these days, but there’s plenty to sift through!

In the spirit of final exam season, after reviewing the list, be sure to weigh in with your grade for the Bills’ offseason via the poll embedded below.

Bills’ external free-agent additions

• CB Dee Alford signing with Bills (3-year, $21 million deal/$10 mil gtd)
• QB Kyle Allen returning to Bills (signs 2-year, free-agent deal)
• DE Bradley Chubb signing with Bills
• S C.J. Gardner-Johnson signing with Bills
• S Geno Stone heading to Bills on one-year deal
• OG/C Austin Corbett signs one-year deal with Bills
• C Lloyd Cushenberry III joins Bills on one-year deal
• WR Trent Sherfield returns to Bills for the 2026 NFL season

Bills’ internal free-agent signings

• C Connor McGovern (re-signing with Bills on 4-year, $52 million deal)
• S Sam Franklin Jr. (re-signing with Bills on 3-year, $6.49 million deal)
• DT Phidarian Mathis (re-signing with Bills on 1-year, $1.195 million deal)
• P Mitch Wishnowsky (re-signing with Bills on 1-year deal)
• (RFA) OT Alec Anderson (re-signing with Bills on 1-year, $3 million deal)
• S Damar Hamlin re-signs with Bills on May 27

Bills’ free-agent losses

• UFA QB Mitch Trubisky signs 2-year deal with the Tennessee Titans
• UFA FB Reggie Gilliam signs 3-year deal worth up to $12 million with the Patriots
• UFA LG David Edwards signs 4-year, $61 million deal with New Orleans Saints
• UFA DB Cam Lewis signs 2-year deal with Chicago Bears
• UFA S Darnell Savage Jr. signing 1-year deal with Pittsburgh Steelers
• UFA DE A.J. Epenesa headed to play for the Cleveland Browns (Epenesa failed Browns’ physical)
6/10: Epenesa headed to play for Philadelphia Eagles
• RFA OT Ryan Van Demark (signing 1-year RFA tender with Vikings)

Bills Reserve/Future signings

• QB Shane Buechele (one year, $1.15 million reserve/future deal)
• K Maddux Trujillo
• WR Jalen Virgil
• OL Nick Broeker
• RB Frank Gore Jr.
• WR Mecole Hardman, Jr.

Buffalo Bills unsigned UFAs

• DE Joey Bosa
• DE Shaq Lawson
• DE Matt Judon
• DE Andre Jones Jr.
• LB Matt Milano
• LB Shaq Thompson
• LB Baylon Spector
• DT DaQuan Jones
• DT Larry Ogunjobi
• DT Jordan Phillips
• CB Tre’Davious White
• CB M.J. Devenshire
• S Jordan Poyer
• WR Brandin Cooks
• WR Gabe Davis
• K Matt Prater

Buffalo Bills 2026 NFL Draft class

Round 2, Pick 35: T.J. Parker, EDGE (Clemson)
Round 2, Pick 62: Davison Igbinosun, CB (Ohio State) (Ask a Buckeyes expert about Igbinosun here!)
Round 4, Pick 102: Jude Bowry, OL (Boston College)
Round 4, Pick 125: Skyler Bell, WR (UConn)
Round 4, Pick 126: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB (TCU)
Round 5, Pick 167: Jalon Kilgore, S (South Carolina)
Round 5, Pick 181: Zane Durant, DT (Penn State) (Ask a Nittany Lions expert about Durant here!)
Round 7, Pick 220: Toriano Pride Jr., CB (Missouri) (Ask a Mizzou expert about Pride here!)
Round 7, Pick 239: Tommy Doman Jr., P (Florida)
Round 7, Pick 241: Ar’maj Reed-Adams, OG (Texas A&M)

Buffalo Bills 2026 UDFA signings

• Jackson Acker, FB (Wisconsin)
• Ja’Mori Maclin, WR (Kentucky)
• Desmond Reid, RB (Pitt)
• Bruno Fina, OL (Duke)
• Theron Gaines, LB (Tennessee Tech)
• Max Tomczak, WR (Youngstown State)
• Mark Langston, LS (Indiana)
• Da’Metrius Weatherspoon, OT (Syracuse)
• Ashton Grable, OL (Florida A&M)

It has been an offseason of firsts for the Cincinnati Bengals. Who would have thought they would trade the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft for a player like Dexter Lawrence? Restructuring Joe Burrow’s contract was just a pipe dream… until they did it.

That trend continued when Cashius Howell signed his rookie contract on Tuesday.

Howell, the 41st overall pick, became the first second-round pick in franchise history to receive a fully guaranteed rookie contract. The Bengals typically limit guarantees beyond the first year of their contracts, but after a brief negotiation, they opted to give Howell a deal that matched those given to players drafted around him.

Now, according to OverTheCap.com, Howell is set to see every bit of the $12,008,000 included in his four-year deal, as well as receiving a signing bonus of $5,193,092 as soon as he put pen to paper.

In the 2026 draft class, all but one second-rounder have signed their rookie contracts, and the top 16 players have all received fully guaranteed contracts. Howell can now join them, and even though he has been practicing, he can focus strictly on football now that the business is handled.

This was far from the dramatic negotiation we saw between the Bengals and Shemar Stewart last offseason, but it is nice to know that the Bengals’ full draft class is under contract and focused on bringing a Lombardi Trophy to Cincinnati.

On Tuesday evening, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the Kansas City Chiefs have had conversations about a potential trade with one player entering the final year of his rookie deal. On Thursday, that trade was executed, according to the same source.

According to Fowler, offensive tackle Wanya Morris is being traded to the Atlanta Falcons; NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported that the compensation coming back to Kansas City was a 2027 sixth-round pick. The Chiefs are also dealing a seventh-round pick in 2027 in the deal.

Morris has started 16 games for the Chiefs since being selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and will now join former Chiefs right tackle Jawaan Taylor in Atlanta.

Morris’ last start was at left tackle in Week 14 of the 2025 season, but Morris was injured on the first play from scrimmage and missed the remainder of the season.

Prior to that, Morris started 11 games on the blind side of quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the 2024 campaign. In that stretch, he allowed five sacks and seven other quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus.

Measuring 6 feet 5 inches tall, 307 pounds, with arm length over 35 inches, Morris was an ideal fit for the Chiefs’ offensive line when he was selected with pick No. 92. However, his potential was never realized over the first three years of his career, despite ample opportunity.

With last year’s first-round pick, Josh Simmons, slated to start at left tackle, Morris’ sights would have been set on competing for the right tackle position. He has taken 86 snaps on the right side playing for Kansas City, and finished his collegiate career as a starting right tackle for the Oklahoma Sooners.

However, there is clearly an understanding that Morris is not in the “competition” for right tackle, as head coach Andy Reid called the position’s current status on Thursday morning. Jaylon Moore, Esa Pole, and rookie minicamp tryout Kahlil Benson are in the mix, but Morris is officially not.

It’s also worth noting that the Chiefs’ 90-man offseason roster includes Ethan Driskell, who had impressive flashes in the preseason after signing as an undrafted player last year.

What’s your reaction to the Chiefs trading away a potential competitor at right tackle? Let us know in the comments.

The San Francisco 49ers got contributions on offense from the unlikeliest of places in 2025. Kendrick Bourne back-to-back 140-plus receiving games? Check. Demarcus Robinson goes off facing the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round? Check. Third-year tight end with zero catches in his career catches the game-winning touchdown against Seattle in Week 1? Check.

That was the type of year, injury-wise, it was for the 49ers, but not all is lost as players got a chance to play, and Jake Tonges took full advantage of his opportunities. Before George Kittle returned to the lineup, Tonges stacked consecutive six-plus catch games with seven coming against the Rams in the 49ers’ upset at SoFi Stadium on Thursday Night Football. His finest game as a pro came in the Sunday Night Shootout with the Chicago Bears, where Tonges recorded seven catches, 60 yards, and a TD.

Basic Info

Age: 27

Experience: 3 accrued seasons

Height: 6’4

Weight: 240 pounds

Cap Status

As far as backup tight ends go, Tonges’ contract is a bargain. The two-year base salary totals are $1,145,000 and $1,260,000 for 2026 and 2027, respectively. However, Tonges does have a chance to make more money if he’s active on game days, and there is no reason to think he wouldn’t as of now. With a $340,000 per game roster bonus, Tonges is well set up. His guaranteed money comes in at $1,535,000 in 2026 and $1,350,000 for 2027. In total, $5.45 million is fully guaranteed, including a $2.615 million signing bonus and his 2026 salary.

How does Tonges fit in Kyle Shanahan’s offense?

It’s hard not to envision a Kyle Shanahan offense with two tight ends on the field attacking in the passing game. Well, Shanahan likes two tight ends on the field; it just happens to be for run blocking purposes.

Luke Farrell is on the field much more with George Kittle. Tonges is the backup to Kittle as a receiving threat. Unfortunately, Tonges’ path to playing time is Kittle not being ready for Week 1. Kittle is optimistic about his chances to recover before the season opener.

What are realistic expectations for Tonges in 2026?

Realistically, Tonges has to wait for his opportunities, much like last season. As a backup receiving target, Tonges is a fine addition to the roster. He’s shown rapport with both quarterbacks for the 49ers. If he can duplicate his 34 receptions, 293 yards, and five-touchdown season in 2026, the 49ers will be excited.

Unless they are in Maui, as they were last year, Rams coach Sean McVay annually opts to cancel mandatory minicamps after the initial report day.

This year, McVay avoided any pretense of suspense.

On Thursday, he announced to his players that after fulfilling some broadcast media responsibilities on Monday, they would not have a minicamp and break until they report to training camp at Loyola Marymount in late July, a Rams official said.

McVay’s announcement came about a week after San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan canceled minicamp, and Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald did the same.

The Rams play the 49ers in their Sept. 10 season opener in Melbourne, Australia.

Read more:Rams' Alaric Jackson arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence

So Thursday’s final practice of organized team activities — the offseason program is voluntary — wrapped up the offseason for a team that advanced to the NFC championship game before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Now, after trading for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and end Myles Garrett — a two-time NFL defensive player of the year — the Rams will enter the season as a favorite to play in Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.

“We’re not naïve to the things that are said,” McVay said this week, “but that doesn’t affect us and we have to be humble. ... You acknowledge it, but you also understand that that means absolutely nothing.”

The Rams made news on several fronts while building what is arguably the NFL most star-studded roster.

In March, star receiver Puka Nacua checked into a rehab facility after several incidents during and after the season. One incident led to a civil lawsuit by a woman who alleges that Nacua made an antisemetic remark during a group dinner and later bit her during a ride in a vehicle.

The Rams sent the No. 29 pick in the 2026 draft and three other picks to the Kansas City Chiefs for McDuffie, and then gave him an extension that makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. The Rams also signed free agent cornerback Jaylen Watson, McDuffie’s former teammate on two Super Bowl championship teams.

Read more:Swanson: Rams keep heeding L.A.'s win-at-all-costs demands. Will it finally get them more fans?

The Rams then stunned many by selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simspon with the 13th pick in the draft, leading to an awkward news conference that featured a dour McVay, who later explained that he was attempting to be respectful of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s status as the team leader.

A few weeks later, the Rams signed Stafford — the reigning NFL MVP — to a one-year, $55-million extension through the 2027 season.

And then came the trade for Garrett.

The Rams sent edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round draft pick and future second- and third-round picks to the Cleveland Browns for Garrett, who last season amassed an NFL record 23 sacks.

“The biggest thing is that this organization really trusts and is buying into this year,” safety Quentin Lake said this week. “You look at how close we were last year, and it gives you the confidence to say what will take us the extra step.”

The Rams plans for a smooth transition to training camp, however, were roiled this week when veteran left tackle Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence.

In August 2024, the NFL suspended Jackson for two games for an unspecified violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Three months later, a woman filed a lawsuit against Jackson alleging that in May of that year he recorded her without her consent during sex. The woman alleged that Jackson repeatedly refused to delete the video and then taunted her with it. The woman reported the incident to the NFL, but the civil case was dismissed.

Read more:'It would be a fun year.' Rams all for Aaron Donald returning to pair with Myles Garrett

If the NFL were to determine that Jackson violated its personal conduct policy, he could be subject to a six-game suspension or banishment from the league, with an opportunity to appeal.

Jackson, who joined the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2021, signed a three-year deal with the team in February 2025 that included $35 million in guarantees. He is scheduled to earn $18.4 million this season.

Warren McClendon Jr., a fourth-year pro who started in place of Jackson in the past, has mostly played right tackle, and he is expected to start at that spot now that Rob Havenstein has retired.

David Quessenberry is a nine-year veteran, but he played as a full-time starter only once — in 2021 — and has not started a game in the last two seasons. The Rams selected offensive lineman Keagen Trost in the third round

So the Rams have plenty to ponder before regrouping for training camp, the start of a process they aim to complete with another Super Bowl title.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Jaguars fans — which early offseason standout are you most excited about?

Parker Washington and Montaric “Buster” Brown are recent examples of how offseason program performances can carry over into the regular season. This year, wide receiver CJ Williams, linebacker Branson Combs, and defensive back Jabbar Muhammad are among the young Jaguars making plays during spring practices at the Miller Electric Center.

Head coach Liam Coen was asked about the trio on Tuesday.

“Branson’s a guy obviously that we had a lot of like for last year. He was close to getting claimed. We ended up putting him on the active roster and he may win the Iron Jag of the Year at this pace. I know he is leading the group right now, leading the team in the individual award. He just lowkey is pretty athletic. He’s explosive. He can do multiple different things in terms of coverage abilities, whether it’s in man or zone. I like him in coverage. I think he’s done a nice job with Foye [Oluokun] not getting as many reps in some of the team settings with he and Jack [Kiser] having to get more of those. So, being able to communicate at a high level is what he’s needed, those reps.

“Jabbar, he’s made a ton of plays out here. You could argue for a most improved for Jabbar really over the last year. A guy that really spent the majority of the time last year on practice squad and giving show team reps. He’s made so many plays out here. I think we’re excited about what he’s able to do.

“CJ Williams is just, I think he leads the team in receptions right now. Now he’s getting a lot of reps mixing in with a couple different groups, but you talk about what’s the job for a receiver is to get open and catch the ball and he just kind of does that. It’s not necessarily flashy or some big splash move or play. I think the quarterbacks trust him. He’s smart, knows his job and it was nice to see Josh Cameron make a couple plays today as well, which was our first real action seeing him.”

From my angle along the sidelines, Muhammad has been the most impressive player (relative to expectations) at OTAs/minicamp so far.

“He just always seems to be near the action right now,” said defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. “He’s really been super detailed with his technique. I think that’s one of the things that shows up. Very deliberate in the way that he’s practicing, and I think that’s created some takeaways for him and making some plays on the ball.”

“You see what he’s done defensively. We’ve seen the same improvements,” said special teams coordinator Heath Farwell. “I’m excited to see training camp. That’s the real test for all these guys is what does training camp look like when you get real competitive reps, and then those training camp practices against other teams, and then preseason games. He is one of the guys that I’m excited to see what he can do and showcase what he can do.”

As each coach alluded to, part of Muhammad’s playmaking stems from the nature of these padless practices and the competition he’s facing. (Some of the throws we’ve seen from QBs not wearing No. 16 have been startlingly errant.) But anyone who’s actually watched Muhammad fly around knows the Jags might have a gem on their hands.

Jaguars fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

The Cleveland Browns got some good news on Thursday as safety Ronnie Hickman is officially under contract for the upcoming season. He signed his restricted free agent tender.

It was evident that Hickman would remain with the Browns when the April 17 deadline for restricted free agents to sign elsewhere came and went.

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Hickman is considered a key component to the fabric of the defensive backfield. He is paired with Grant Delpit, who are both very active tacklers.

With the signing of the tender, Hickman will make $5.8 million this year. The action will also allow him to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season. Cleveland had placed a second-round tender on him.

Hickman is entering his fourth season with the Browns after going undrafted out of Ohio State in 2023. He made the final roster and was mainly a special teams player. In his second season, his defensive snaps increased to 52% of defensive reps. This past season, he played on 1,039 snaps, or 99% of defensive plays. He also had 145 special teams reps.

In 2025, Hickman had 103 total tackles with 1 tackle for loss, 7 batted passes, 1 hurry, 1 pressure, and 12 missed tackles.

The safety room for the Browns is shaking out to be an elite group now with Hickman under wraps. Along with Delpit, Donovan McMillon showed tremendous improvement as his rookie season rolled along and was a special-teams demon. Then, in this year’s April NFL draft, the team selected Emmanuel McNeil-Warren out of Toledo in Round 2. EMW was projected to be taken late in the first round.

Also under contract in the safety group are Myles Bryant, Chris Edmonds, Daniel Thomas, and Zion Washington.

The Browns stated after last year that they wanted to keep as much of their defense the same as when Jim Schwartz led them to the league’s #4 overall best defense in 2025. Hickman becomes a key aspect of that goal.