NFL Player News

An undrafted free agent, Gardner spent the offseason yo-yoing between receiver and quarterback. He also dropped a should’ve-been touchdown pass from Landry Jones in the Hall of Fame Game. If Gardner has an NFL future, it’s as a wideout. His odds of ever appearing in a regular-season game are low.

Charles, 29, will join the Seahawks wideout room after a couple seasons with the Jets. Charles hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2024 due to an ACL injury, and has been used primarily as a special teams player. He does not have a catch over 25 NFL regular season games.

Jacobs this week was arrested in Wisconsin on domestic abuse chargers. The 28-year-old back was booked in jail for battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim. Jacobs denies the allegations. If the Packers were to release Jacobs — who has two years and $25 million remaining on his current deal — they would absorb a doable $6.2 million hit to the salary cap for 2026. Jacobs could be facing team and/or league discipline in the coming months, and could miss part of the regular season if the NFL’s investigation into the domestic abuse allegations warrants a suspension. Other running backs on the Packers depth chart include Chris Brooks, MarShawn Lloyd, and Pierre Strong.

Jones, who could have started elsewhere this season if the Niners had found a trading partner, will now make $3.55 million in 2026, with another $2.25 million available in incentives. Jones will be a free agent after the 2026 season. The Niners reportedly wanted a first-round draft pick in exchange for Jones. The veteran threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions last season over eight games as the Niners’ starter. Jones in 2025 was tenth in EPA per drop back, just behind Sam Darnold and Patrick Mahomes.

ESPN’s Nate Taylor reports Mahomes, recovering from a late-season knee injury, participated “in some form and fashion ... during the Chiefs’ opening OTA practice.” The team released a video of Mahomes throwing a short pass while wearing an enormous brace on his injured left leg. Mahomes, entering his age-31 season, is in a race against the clock to be ready for Week 1 against the Broncos. If Mahomes can’t suit up for the season opener, Justin Fields would likely serve as KC’s starter.

When asked about expectations for Washington, Udinski said he thinks “really, really highly” of the 24-year-old wideout. Washington tallied 19 receptions for 347 yards and two touchdowns in the final three games of the 2025 regular season, leading all Jaguars wide receivers over that span. Jaguars beat writer John Shipley said he looked like “arguably the best player on the field today” when discussing Tuesday’s practice. With Udinski also speaking highly of him, the arrow is pointing up for Washington’s utilization in 2026.

James will now be making $25.2 million per year, slightly nudging out the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton ($25.1 million per year) for highest-paid safety in the league. The deal includes $57.5 million guaranteed. James entered the offseason wanting a new contract before training camp and he gets one coming off back-to-back seasons of Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He remains a versatile and hard-hitting centerfielder for the Chargers, captaining the defense for seven seasons, making five Pro Bowls in that time. James tied his career-high with three interceptions last seasons and finished with an 81.2 overall PFF grade, good for No. 8 among safeties. He was set to enter the final season of his contract but will now be signed to the Chargers through 2029.

According to a police report from the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department, Jacobs was arrested on five charges following a May 23rd complaint of a domestic disturbance. He was booked in jail for battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim. According to Jacobs’ attorneys, the 28-year-old is denying the charges. The NFL generally conducts its own investigation into domestic violence claims after law enforcement conducts an investigation. The commissioner exempt list is a possibility for Jacobs as the NFL investigates; a suspension is certainly on the table. The investigation and subsequent appeals will take some time but Jacobs could miss games in 2026 as a result of this arrest.

Macdonald said there is a “chance” Horton could return at “the end of spring.” Horton suffered a shin injury towards the end of his rookie campaign last year, ending his rookie season early. The 23-year-old looks to compete with Rashid Shaheed for targets on offense, with both having similar skillsets. Horton finished the 2025 season with a 13/161/5 receiving line, also returning punts and scoring one touchdown as a returner. Macdonald mentioned that Horton received good news that could accelerate his return timeline and that we could see him on the field as early as the end of spring OTAs. It’s still early to tell what his role may be for the Seahawks in 2026, but Horton is worth a dart throw as a WR5 in fantasy drafts.

That would seem to make logical sense considering Sweat followed Jonathan Gannon to Arizona and has been linked to reports indicating he in unhappy with his situation following the firing of his former head coach. Nothing substantial has been passed from a reputable source but this goes down as another notch towards a potential trade for the veteran pass rusher. Sweat’s contract could be a tricky one to unload after signing a four-year, $76.4 million deal with the Cardinals prior to the 2025 season.

The new deal guarantees his contract for the next two seasons while also adding an additional $9 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027. The contract will still expire entering the 2028 season, with the veteran alpha also recently stating that he would like to play the entirety of his career in Houston. Agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus negotiated the amendment and are likely to get back to the negotiating table entering the 2027 season.