NFL

The Giants have Brian Burns and Abdul Carter handling EDGE duties, plus Dexter Lawrence causing havoc on the interior. That leaves Thibodeaux as the odd man out. The 2022 No. 5 overall pick peaked at 11.5 sacks in his second season. He then fell to 5.5 sacks in 2024 and a measly 2.5 takedowns last year. Thibodeaux is set to play out the fifth-year option of his rookie contract in 2026 before hitting free agency. With his role declining in New York and his contract set to expire after a year, he should be fairly affordable for a team looking to bolster its pass-rush.

The reports comes off the heels of New York swapping Jermaine Johnson for T’Vondre Sweat. Hughes made it clear the Jets aren’t having a fire sale, though it’s hard to see this as anything else. They sent most of their big names packing at the trade deadline last year, with Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and Michael Carter all traded. At this point, the Jets are running out of players to deal, even if they want to keep making moves. Justin Fields is expected to be released, but a team looking to sign him could guarantee his services by trading for him. Garrett Wilson was also the subject of trade rumors last year, though the Jets just inked him to a long-term deal and didn’t seem interested in moving him at the deadline.

Bears GM Ryan Poles said the same thing earlier this week, so Schultz’s report isn’t a surprise. It does confirm what many already suspected: NFL teams are desperate for competent quarterback play right now. Bagent’s only starts came during his rookie season in 2023. He threw for 776 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions across his four starts. He has since held a backup role behind Caleb Williams.

Schultz also named quarterback Tyson Bagent as another player teams have called to trade for. Moore is coming off a dismal year that saw him reach just 682 yards on 50 grabs. This was despite the Bears’ offense taking arguably the biggest step in the league from 2024 to 2025. He is now a potential cap casualty, though another team could jump the free agency line by acquiring him via trade. The Bears have a stable of young pass-catchers in Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Coleston Loveland. It might make sense for both parties to move on at this point. Moore could still hold some reasonable fantasy value if a team is willing to install him as their top option. Whether he can handle that type of role anymore remains to be seen.

Johnson was believed to be a trade candidate at the deadline last year, but no takers were found. Now he lands in Tennessee with one year left on his rookie deal. The Titans have more than enough money to extend him, though Johnson is coming off a down year and may want to play out his current contract in hopes of a better deal next offseason. He broke out with 7.5 sacks in 2023, missed most of the 2024 season, and only totaled three sacks in 2025. Reunited with former Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Johnson should be in line for a bounce-back campaign in Tennessee.

As Schefter notes, the deal won’t become official until the new league year, which starts in a few weeks. Johnson was the subject of trade rumors at the deadline last year, but nothing materialized. He now gets a new home in Tennessee. Sweat, a former second-round pick, had a quiet rookie season with one sack and four TFLs. Despite appearing in five fewer games, Sweat upped his sack total to two in 2025. Pro Football Focus also charted him as a markedly improved player. He ranked fourth in run defense grade and top-20 in pass-rush grade among defensive linemen. Sweat has two more years on his rookie contract.

Former Saints, Chargers, and Bills offensive lineman Will Clapp announced his retirement on social media Wednesday. The 30-year-old played seven seasons in the NFL, spending the first four with the Saints. Clapp was drafted in the seventh round by New Orleans and had stints with the Chargers and Bills before returning to the Saints in 2025. However, a foot injury kept him out for the entire season. Clapp now opts for retirement; NOF’s Nick Underhill believes an assistant offensive line coaching gig with the Saints is a possibility as his next move.

Murray and the Cardinals are long overdue for a messy split; ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss previously reported the 28-year-old quarterback and Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort have not talked since the season ended. His camp reportedly prefers that he is cut so he can enter free agency in the new league year. McKenna and Vacchiano also report the Cardinals grew frustrated with Murray due to concerns over his work ethic, leadership, and struggles returning to form after a 2022 ACL tear. It is a fractured relationship that will almost certainly see Murray depart Arizona soon. Whether that is by trade or release is to be determined; Murray’s camp clearly believes his value will be maximized on the open free agent market. Teams looking for a short-term starter will be knocking on Murray’s door if he is indeed released.

There has been a lot of buzz heading into the offseason about Derek Carr returning to the NFL in 2026. Schultz reports there are “teams with winning aspirations” that have interest in Carr, though the Saints still hold his rights. The 34-year-old certainly looks ready to return for the right situation; New Orleans has moved on with Tyler Shough at quarterback, so Carr and the Saints could work together to get him to a team with interest. With many quarterback-needy teams and a relatively dry free agent and draft class at the position, Carr is back in the mix as a starting option for next season.

Cushenberry was one of several marquee signings by the Titans from the 2024 offseason. He landed a four-year, $50 million deal after playing out his rookie deal with the Broncos. Much like most of their other moves from that spending spree, this one failed to pay off. Cushenberry was graded as a bottom-five center by Pro Football Focus in both of his seasons in Tennessee. He should still be able to land a starting job, though his next team will be paying him far less than the Titans did.