Speaking on the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN, Albert Breer reported that the hope in Kansas City is that Patrick Mahomes is “close to being himself” by Week 1 of the coming season. Well, that doesn’t sound promising. Mahomes didn’t have surgery on his torn ACL until the middle of December, with most athletes in the league today requiring a 9-12-month recovery timeline. The absolute front end of that window puts him back to football activities in the middle of September, while the back end means Mahomes would be looking at the Physically Unable to Perform list to start the 2026 season. We wouldn’t put it past Mahomes to hit the earlier end of his recovery timetable, but we also wound’t be counting on him for Week 1. Much yet to come out of Kansas City regarding their star quarterback.

The offseason Hendrickson saga continues to surge on through the first two days of legal tampering, with one of the top free agents on the market yet to sign - we now know why. Russini reports that he has offers on the table and will make a formal decision on Wednesday. It is not uncommon for teams to require a bit of salary cap magic prior to signing a player of Hendrickson’s magnitude, something that appears to be in the works behind the scenes as multiple franchises lobby for his services. Stay tuned.

The veteran linebacker notched 44 starts across 65 appearances for the Chiefs while on his rookie contract, a stretch that also included two Super Bowl wins. Chenal averaged 57 tackles and 1.8 sacks per season those four years and earns a significant raise with his new franchise. It is unclear where he is likeliest to play considering the team already has Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner, but the kind of money invested hints at significant playing time.

The Giants were reportedly the frontrunners to land Woolen’s services in free agency, with Howie Roseman scooping the veteran cornerback off the market for what appears to be a team-friendly deal. Woolen had been a consistent performer for the Seahawks during his four years with the franchise, although it is fair to say he never fully broke out as the team had planned. Perhaps there is further upside to be added to his resume under the aggression of Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

The Patriots secured the first new weapon for Drake Maye in Doubs, who will profile as the team’s No. 1 wideout after spending four seasons in Green Bay vying for targets. Doubs has been a stead producer throughout his career, totaling 202 receptions for 2,424 yards and 21 touchdowns in 59 career games while posting a respectable 0.202 targets per route run, per TruMedia. The former fourth-round pick posted a career-high 724 yards last season while averaging 13.2 YPR, and profiles primarily as an outside receiver with 82.9 percent of his snaps coming from out wide. His ability to stretch the field and haul in contested catches (48.2 percent contested catch rate) should pair well with Maye, who tied for the ninth-most deep ball attempts (62) last season and finished second on deep ball completion rate (54.8 percent). Doubs makes for an interesting WR2/WR3 candidate in fantasy leagues, but could have upside for more if he becomes the featured receiver in New England.

Smith agreed to a restructured contract with the Raiders before the trade, complicating the salary implications, but the Raiders are reportedly picking up most of this year’s salary. To say that Smith’s year in the desert didn’t go well is an insult to the phrase “didn’t go well” as he led the league in interceptions and saw his adjusted yards per attempt fall from 7.5 to 6.8. He’s entering his age-36 season and is a last-chance gasp to keep the Jets from starting someone completely new. That said, if the Jets have something going right for their offense, it is their offensive line, and Smith probably looked worse than he was behind Vegas’ league-worst line. There’s the possibility of a dead cat bounce QB2 superflex season here. The Raiders have to be thrilled to save any money in a trade and the idea of getting a sixth-round pick on top of that can only help them as they move on to (what we all assume will be) the Fernando Mendoza Era.

He is, per Wolfe, the No. 1 priority. But the asking price is “still very high” and so there’s not much common ground on a deal. In other words, nothing has changed. The Patriots have continually leaked interest in other receivers and have been linked to Romeo Doubs, but to nobody’s surprise, Mike Vrabel would rather have Brown as his No. 1 target and that has taken priority.

The Steelers on Monday signed Rico Dowdle, formerly of the Panthers, to a two-year deal worth $12.25 million, as Gainwell left Pittsburgh in favor of Tampa. DeFabo said the new-look Pittsburgh offense could see Warren occupy last year’s Gainwell role (Gainwell was among the league leaders in running back targets and receptions). Warren, DeFabo said, “has been at his best in a third-down role and out of the shotgun; Warren is now likely to assume the pass-catching role that Gainwell occupied last year. Given the increased opportunities in this area, Warren may produce results similar to those of Gainwell, though he’s not as refined as a route runner.” Such a scenario would make Warren far more valuable than Dowdle in PPR formats this season, though Dowdle could be a flex option if he gets first crack at goal line carries and functions as the team’s primary ball carrier.

This of course assumes Rodgers, 42, will return for another season under center for the Steelers, now coached by Rodgers’ former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy. The Steelers acquired Pittman from the Colts on Monday. Rodgers, DeFabo said, “seems to prefer veterans who understand the nuances of route running, how to read coverages and what it takes to prepare for an opponent. Pittman, a solid possession receiver who slots in as a No. 2 behind [DK] Metcalf, checks a lot of those boxes.” Pittman, entering his age-29 season, last season had a career low yards after the catch per reception, reeling in 80 balls on 110 targets as Alec Pierce emerged as Indy’s No. 1 wideout. If the Steelers offense is pass heavy enough Pittman could hold some value in deeper PPR formats in 2026.

Several teams are pursuing Woolen, a free agent who likely won’t return to Seattle after the team gave Rashid Shaheed a massive contract on Monday. Woolen, who has 53 passes defended and 12 interceptions over four seasons in Seattle, will be an important addition to whichever secondary he joins in 2026. The Giants allowed the 12th highest drop back EPA in 2025.