NFL Player News

The move clears $4 million in cap space, which, of course, the Raiders don’t need. Going on 34, Smith was heading into the second season of a two-year deal. Smith started all 16 games last season, but was a nonentity. He generated just three sacks in 791 snaps, and struggled mightily against the run. Smith’s durability and scheme versatility — he played tackle in 2014, but has extensive experience at end — should earn him a market despite his age and underwhelming Oakland “tenure.” The Raiders’ 2014 free-agent class is shaping up as one of the worst of all time.

Ben Johnson has been quoted as saying ‘We’re not getting a rookie’ when talking about Jones, which feels like a bit of a giveaway that it could be even sooner than Week 11. Jones will have to beat out veteran Garrett Bradbury to win the role, but the drumbeat is that it will happen sooner rather than later.

It should be mentioned that the Raiders are one of the teams that have kept tabs on Najee Harris this offseason — it’s possible that they bring in a veteran back to compete with Washington ahead of the season. But it’s hard to not draw the conclusion that McFadden does from the current depth chart. It’s not like Dylan Laube has done anything at the NFL level either.

Aaron Rodgers’ return has left the Steelers with a four-quarterback room of Rodgers, Rudolph, 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard, and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar. Presumably the Steelers wouldn’t want to move on from Howard or Allar on their rookie contracts, which naturally leads to the idea of Rudolph’s roster spot being in jeopardy despite him likely being the backup with the highest floor. These things sometimes just work themselves out via injury, but if everyone makes it to the end of the preseason healthy, the Steelers will probably have to move on from someone rather than carrying four quarterbacks on their 53-man roster.

It’s not surprising given that Young hasn’t exactly delivered a full stretch of excellent play at any point in his first three years, despite showing real flashes in some games last year. The Panthers front office has largely talked about a Young extension as an idea or something to talk through rather than a certainty. They did pick up his fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so there’s no rush. It’s not surprising that the Panthers haven’t committed to Young yet — they surely hope a better supporting cast this year will help make the decision easier for them next offseason.

He also throws out the Falcons and Rams as “interesting landing spots.” It sounds like a potential return to New England is being tethered to the potential of an A.J. Brown trade, and with that feeling inevitable at this point, Diggs would then move on to the next part of his list if he wasn’t able to return to New England. Diggs has had a very quiet free agency to this point.

Sure, it’s not like Jaylin Lane or Luke McCaffrey did much in this offense last year, and Deebo Samuel remains an unsigned free agent as we blurb this. Chig Okonkwo probably profiles as the second option after Terry McLaurin at this point, but Williams garnering a real role wouldn’t be surprising in light of how the depth chart currently looks.

Rourke missed all of last season recovering from an ACL tear. He’ll battle Adrian Martinez for the third quarterback job. It’s possible that the 49ers trade Mac Jones — who is in the final year of his contract — at some point before the deadline if they’re able to get a big return for him. Rourke is worth monitoring in large superflex leagues given how often Kyle Shanahan has elevated quarterbacks.

Johnson, who was acquired from the Bills in March, has two years remaining on his contract and only $1.175 million of guaranteed money left. It’s not surprising that he’s seeking a new deal, though he’s not exactly guaranteed to get one.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal is worth “up to” $25 million. It includes a base salary between $22 and $23 million, with some extra money tied to incentives. The deal ends Rodgers’ awkward standoff with the only franchise actively pursuing him. It also reunites him with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers won two of his four MVPs and hoisted his only Lombardi Trophy while playing for McCarthy in Green Bay. Though Rodgers is more of a game-manager at this point in his career, McCarthy should at least be able to get more out of him than Arthur Smith did in 2025. Still, the low-ceiling signing isn’t likely to move Pittsburgh off its crash course with another first-round playoff exit. For fantasy purposes, Rodgers is, at best, a low-end QB2.

Wharton missed eight games in 2025 fresh off a $45 million contract extension and reportedly underwent surgery in early May on his neck. While it sounds like the PUP list is a near certainty, sources confirmed that the expectation is for Wharton to play at some point in the 2026 season.