NFL Player News

Jackson (6'1/198) didn’t become a full-time starter until his fifth season with the Vols, but he played well once given extra opportunities. He notched one interception which was returned for a touchdown and was credited with 11 pass breakups. Jackson would go on to earn a second-team All-SEC notice for his performance as a super senior. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein notes that he has good athleticism for his size and length. He added that Jackson was a locker room leader for Tennessee. The Titans have an elite starting duo at safety, so Jackson will need to prove his worth as a special teams player to make the Titans’ final roster.

Per Over The Cap, the Commanders currently have the fifth-most salary cap space with more than $75.4 million available in 2026. Rapoport notes that general manager Adam Peters has been an active trader in recent seasons. Regarding free agency, Rapoport adds that “with a good, young quarterback, the time to spend is now.”

Howard has coached in the NFL since 2013 and has been in his current role with the Seahawks for the past two seasons, He worked as the Chargers’ linebackers coach for one year before that. He spent 2020-2022 with the Browns as their defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator after a seven-year stint as a defensive assistant with the Vikings.

Etheridge has coached in the college ranks since 2012 and spent last season serving as the University of Miami’s defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. He served as Houston’s defensive backs coach in 2024. Before that, he spent the 2021-2023 seasons working as Auburn’s secondary coach and was also named associate head coach in 2022.

The former NFL offensive lineman entered the NFL’s coaching ranks as offensive quality control coach with the Raiders last season. He previously worked as a graduate assistant at North Carolina and Appalachian State.

Stern most recently served as the Ravens’ director of football strategy and assistant quarterbacks coach. His new role will likely be formalized once the Seahawks’ new offensive coordinator is hired. This is a fun one. Stern gained notoriety as a 25-year-old football analyst with the Ravens back in 2019, then in his fourth season with the Ravens, assisting former head coach John Harbaugh execute their plan to go for it on a play that resulted in a 4th-and-2 touchdown run by Lamar Jackson—against the Seahawks. Stern has advanced up the Ravens’ ranks since then. He was reportedly close to following former Ravens OC and new Browns head coach Todd Monken to Cleveland, but will instead reunite with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald.

The former college lacrosse player entered the NFL’s coaching ranks as a coaching assistant with the Patriots in 2015. He was promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2019 and held that role through 2024. He served as the Bills’ nickels coach in 2025. Pellegrino, 32, takes over a talented, young Eagles secondary.

It is unclear whether this is a demotion, per se, but Jeanpierre is once again making what can be described as, at best, a lateral move. The Dolphins hired him as an assistant offensive line coach in 2020. He was promoted to offensive line coach in 2021 before returning to an assistant offensive line coach role in 2022. He has held that role for the past four seasons. The Dolphins hired Ron Middleton as their new tight ends coach. Joe Barry served as the Dolphins’ linebackers coach and run game coordinator since 2024. The organization is swapping out his linebackers coach role for a senior defensive assistant position.

National and local beat reporters have been buzzing about Lynch for the last week or so. The Giants made his hiring official today. He spent the 2025 season serving as the Broncos’ cornerbacks coach after spending two seasons as a defensive quality control coach. He held the latter role with the Lions in 2022 and the Chargers from 2018-2019. He also served as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Chargers (2020) and Raiders (2021).

The move reunites Orr with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, whom Orr replaced as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator after Macdonald accepted his current role in 2024. Orr reportedly had the same job offer from the Cowboys, but preferred to learn from Macdonald once again.

Pryor believes that the Steelers would like to know Rodgers’ intentions “sooner rather than later,” ideally before the NFL Combine for scouting purposes. During new head coach Mike McCarthy’s interview process, McCarthy reportedly laid out a plan to develop 2025 sixth-round pick, QB Will Howard, who missed most of last season due to a “freak” pinky finger injury. McCarthy is a “big fan” of Howard, though one wonders how big a fan he is, given Pryor’s comments about Rodgers’ decision-making timing regarding the NFL Combine.