NFL Player News

Returning from a one-game absence with a personal issue, Brown caught his most passes since Week 11. Even with Rashee Rice (concussion) on the shelf, it was quite an accomplishment with Chris Oladokun replacing an injured Gardner Minshew (knee) in the second quarter. With or without Rice, Brown will remain well off the WR4 radar for Week 16 against the Broncos. Already going nowhere, this offense will be completely off the rails with Oladokun under center.

A cornerstone of the Lions’ franchise since 2016, Decker requested and was granted his release after contract negotiations between him and the team broke down, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Decker announced in late February that he would return for the 2026 season, and while the belief was he would continue to play for the Lions, the 10-year vet will now be finding a new place to call home. Decker tied a season-low last season when he allowed just two sacks on 551 pass block snaps, and was named a Pro Bowler for the first time in 2024. Decker had two years left on his contract, but his release, which will likely be designated post-June 1, will save $17.9 million in cap space for the Lions in 2026 and $21 million in 2027.

Samuel has struggled to replicate the 2020 season he had with the Panthers, which saw him post career highs in receptions (77) and receiving yards (85), and never fully caught on in Buffalo. The veteran receiver joined the Bills on a three-year, $24 million contract in 2024, but finished the season with a 31-253-1 line while appearing in 14 games. He was a lightly-used backup in 2025 and spent time on injured reserve due to an elbow injury, appearing in six regular season games while going for 7-81-1 on nine targets. The decision to release Samuel will save the Bills just over $6 million if he is designated as a pre-June 1 cut, and $7.780 million if they designate him as post-June 1. Samuel will turn 30 in August and will likely land somewhere on a one-year prove-it deal after two disappointing seasons in Buffalo.

A former fourth-round pick by the Bills back in 2018, Johnson is now set to hit free agency. The veteran corner, who has spent nearly all of his career in the slot (4,527 slot snaps per PFF), started eight games for the Bills last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 66.8 while allowing 34 receptions for 332 yards and two touchdowns on 51 targets. A change in defensive scheme likely led Johnson’s release, but the decision to cut him will also clear over $8.6 million in cap space if he is designate as a post-June 1 release. A former Second-team All-Pro in 2023, Johnson will turn 30 this offseason and should have plenty of suitors on the open market.

A hip injury caused Sanders to miss all of the 2025 season. Now, the veteran kicker with an 84.6 percent field goal percentage that includes a 68.8 percent on kicks of 50-plus yards will now be free to sign with any team. Sanders, 30, has been one of the top kickers in the league since joining the Dolphins as a seventh-round pick in 2018, and should have multiple suitors on the open market if he is fully recovered from his hip injury.

Ingold was the highest-paid fullback in the league at the time of his release and will now be looking for a new home. The 29-year-old vet has spent the last four seasons with the Dolphins and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2023. His release will clear just over $3 million in cap space for the Dolphins, who are attempting to get under the salary cap before the start of the season.

DeVito spent all of last season with the Patriots but never took a snap for the team. The former UDFA served as the team’s QB3 behind Joshua Dobbs and will likely have a chance to compete with Dobbs for the team’s QB2 spot now that both are slated to return in 2026. For his career, DeVito has thrown for 1,358-8-3 on 222 passes while completing 65.3 percent of his attempts.

This comes from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. In hopes of getting under the cap before the start of the new league year, the Vikings will restructure the deals of both Jefferson and LT Christian Darrisaw, likely by converting portions of their base salaries into guaranteed money. The Vikings rank last in the league in available cap space, per OverTheCap.com, and will likely restructure a few more deals in the coming days to get to a point where they have money to spend in free agency.

Just days after the team opted not to tender Moody as a restricted free agent, they have now re-signed him for next season before the start of free agency kicks off next year. Moody was 18-of-20 on field goal attempts last season for the Bears and Commanders after going 1-for-3 in Week 1 for the 49ers. The former third-round pick only attempted two field goals from 50-plus yards last season, and will likely find himself in a kicking competition later this summer.

To be clear, the Raiders have not confirmed that they will be taking Mendoza No. 1 overall in next month’s draft. That said, Russini notes that “if the Raiders continue to lean toward” selecting him, their preference is to not start Mendoza immediately. It’s an interesting point to consider, especially with the recent release of Geno Smith, that now puts the Raiders firmly in the market for a veteran QB when free agency officially kicks off next month. Mendoza has 35 college starts under his belt and is fresh off leading Indiana to a national championship and a 16-0 season. It’s not uncommon to hear teams say they don’t want to hand a job a rookie QB, even one that is expected to go No. 1 overall, so we wouldn’t read too much into this until teams start reporting to mini-camp and later training camp.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report the move. Smith’s release will clear $8 million in cap space for the Raiders, but the team will also take on $18.5 million in dead money. Smith, like former head coach Pete Carroll, is officially one-and-done with the Raiders. The coach and QB joined forces after a four-year stint in Seattle that saw Smith rebuild his career under Carroll, but they were unable to enjoy similar success with the Raiders. Smith went 2-13 as a starter in Vegas while throwing for 3,025 yards, 19 touchdowns and a league-high 17 interceptions. Smith, 35, should have plenty of suitors around the league as a veteran who could serve as either a bridge for a younger QB, or as a short-term fix for one season for teams hoping to land a franchise QB in what projects as a strong 2027 draft class.