NFL Player News

Richardson’s season comes to a close. He completed 1-of-2 passes for nine yards and rushed four times for minus-one yard. The 23-year-old now has three lost seasons under his belt. In August, Richardson reportedly lost a “very close” battle to Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting quarterback job. Things only got worse from there. Richardson’s agent told reporters that trust in the organization had been lost and a report in early October indicated that Richardson “would be open to joining a premier play caller such as Sean McVay as a developmental player so he can reset for 2026.” That scenario never came to fruition. Richardson suffered an eye injury and an orbital fracture during a pre-game elastic band workout in Week 6. Jones’ season-ending Achilles tendon rupture could afford Richardson another opportunity to compete for the starting job in 2026, though. Richardson’s potential range of outcomes remains wide as ever, heading into the new year.

Burks had a Catch Of The Year candidate on his lone touchdown catch last season, finishing with a 10/130/1 line in spot duty. He’s not likely to start out the year in the Commanders starting three-wide, but he’s a reasonable depth option and should have a good shot to win a roster spot.

Stewart started for the Texans in the middle of the season after the team released C.J. Gardner-Johnson, then was lost in Week 10 to a season-ending quad injury. He’ll likely compete for a starting spot again in 2026 as a priority re-sign for the Texans.

Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky is reporting that Gary has not been told he will be traded or released, and that a source told him Gary’s Instagram account had been hacked. It’s impossible to know what to make of this situation right now, but the fact remains that Gary has no guaranteed money left on his deal, which expires at the end of the 2027 season, and the Packers could save nearly $11 million if they released him as a pre-June 1 cut, or as much as $19.5 million if they were to release him as a post-June 1 cut. Gary is hopefully looking into two-factor authentication to better secure his Instagram account going forward.

The Packers will either trade or release the former No. 12 overall pick from the 2019 NFL Draft, but his time in Green Bay appears to be over. Gary is due to make $19.5 million in 2026, but has no guaranteed money left on his deal, meaning the team will save that money if they were to release him and designate him as a post-June 1 cut. Gary will be 28 next season and has totaled 7.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons while appearing in 33 of a possible 34 games. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2024 and played on the second-most snaps in his career (653) last season. With pass-rushers constantly in high-demand, Gary should have no trouble securing a healthy contract offer if/when he hits the open market. Update: Shortly after posting to his Instagram that he would be leaving Green Bay, Gary appears to have deleted his post.

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.