NFL Player News

Shoot your shot. The league’s lack of available private workouts and visits to team facilities have obviously thrown some organizations for a loop, forcing much displeasure behind closed doors. While Colbert’s suggestion that a 10-round draft would widen any margin for error isn’t exactly false, it emphasizes some front office’s prehistoric thought processes and pre-draft preparation when forced to evaluate outside the box. April’s draft — a “fully virtual” experience — will undoubtedly result in multiple late-round and undrafted players being impacted by the entire process.

Smart’s hiring reunites him with Titans head coach Robert Saleh. The two spent three seasons together with the Jets from 2021-2023. Smart won over Hard Knocks viewers in his final NFL season, vying for a roster spot during the Jets’ 2023 training camp. He entered the NFL’s coaching ranks last season, signing on as a defensive quality control assistant with the Cowboys.

The Cowboys acquired Wilson via trade from the Bengals in early November and played his first game with the team in Week 11. During his time with the Cowboys, Wilson totaled 20 tackles, one pressure and one pass breakup. Wilson, 29, has decent odds of landing on a new team in free agency, though he may be best suited to a rotational role as a run defender. The Cowboys save $6.5 million by releasing him.

Davis broke up one pass and notched one interception last season. The Bengals also signed HB Kendall Milton to a one-year contract for the 2026 season. He has rushed twice in his career, totaling two yards.

McCaffrey is a former undrafted free agent NFL wide receiver who spent time with five different NFL teams. He joined the college coaching ranks as a wide receivers coach at Northern Colorado in 2020. He added offensive coordinator to his title in 2021 and held both roles for two seasons. McCaffrey joined the NFL coaching ranks as a member of former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s coaching staff in 2023, serving as an offensive assistant through the 2025 season. McCaffrey’s new role reunites him with McDaniel, who was hired as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in January. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey are Max’s younger brothers.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport notes that Anderson played in every Bills game last year, notching six starts over the last two seasons. Anderson grades out surprisingly well as a run-blocker, earning a 76.2 PFF run-blocking grade via 237 qualifying snaps in 2024 and an 82.8 PFF run-blocking grade via 129 run-blocking snaps in 2025.

Reid added that he believes communication is “the main thing” and that he thinks Kelce wants “to move forward.” Reid declined to say whether Kelce gave him a definite answer on whether he wants to return to the Chiefs in 2026, but it sounds like things are trending in that direction. Kelce, 36, has mulled retirement over the last few offseasons, but the prevailing belief of those close to him is that he will return for at least one more season. Kelce caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns last season while averaging 11.2 YPR, his highest yards per reception total since 2022.

Reid doesn’t expect to be out of commission for long, but it is notable that he will be unable to meet with prospects next week when so many other teams are gathering intel and speaking with the incoming class. The Chiefs hold the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft and have several positions they could consider addressing given their concerns with the wide receiver room, and a backfield that also needs to be overhauled.

We’re just days removed from Hill being released by the Dolphins. Furthermore, Reid adds that he doesn’t know if Hill “is healthy right now to do anything.” While Reid didn’t rule out the possibility of a reunion with the veteran receiver, it isn’t all too surprising to hear that the two sides have yet to discuss things. Hill has already said he intends to play in 2026 when he is healthy, but with his availability for training camp already in doubt, Hill may have to prove to teams he is able to play before signing a deal.

It was reported last month by ESPN’s Nate Taylor that the Chiefs are “expected” to have a new starting running back for next season. While that didn’t completely rule out the idea of Pacheco re-upping with the team this offseason, Newell’s belief that Pacheco will be playing for another team in 2026 doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Chiefs tried to ride the momentum o the 26-year-old speedster for as long as they could, but injuries have plague Pacheco for the last two seasons, and he’s averaged less than 4.0 YPC over that span. The lack of receiving upside further caps Pacheco’s upside, and as last season went on, it was apparent that a younger, more talented back would help an offense that struggled last season. Plenty of teams should be willing to take a flier on Pacheco this offseason on a one-year prove-it deal, but we would expect most of his touches to come on early downs wherever he lands.

Watson is a former seventh-rounder who has started 21 games for the Chiefs over the last two seasons. The 27-year-old corner is expected to be one of the top available free agents on the market next month, and allowed just 35 catches for 447 scoreless yards on 59 targets last season, per PFF. Watson has played exclusively on the outside since entering the league in 2022 and hasn’t allowed a receiving touchdown since 2023.