NFL Player News

The former Louisville quarterback made his first career appearance in an NFL game in 2025. He ran the ball against the Cowboys in Week 14 one time and gained one yard. OL Devin Cochran, DE Ahmed Hassanein, TE Zach Horton, WR Jackson Meeks, OL Mason Miller (not the Padres reliever), RB Jabari Small, DL Chris Smith and S Loren Strickland were also all signed to reserve/future deals by the Lions.

Conklin, 30, caught just 7-of-10 targets for 101 yards last year. He dealt with an early-season knee injury, but was ultimately just outplayed by rookie TE Oronde Gadsden. Conklin will likely serve as a steady depth option for the Lions. He does not appear to be fantasy-relevant at this stage in his career.

Fehoko had a tough go in 2025. In the Cardinals’ Week 10 game against the Seahawks, Fehoko badly sprained an ankle on a special teams play. He returned to the game after having it taped up and then broke his arm making a tackle on the following kickoff. Fehoko, 28, also failed to earn a target last season. He will likely function as a run blocker and special teams player and should not be drafted this season.

This is a great deal for the Panthers. Walker, a former seventh-round pick with the Packers, made just over $6 million on his rookie contract. This is a decent pay bump for him. Among NFL tackles with at least 490 left tackle snaps, Walker’s 69.3 PFF pass-blocking grade ranks 21st. The Panthers lost starter LT Ikem Ekwonu to a patellar tendon rupture during their Wild Card Round loss to the Rams last year. While he is undoubtedly rehabbing the injury rigorously, signing Walker gives them a reliable, if non-elite, starter for as long as they need one in 2026.

Jefferson caught 29-of-51 targets for 350 yards and one touchdown last season. Somehow, his 59.6 percent catch rate is only the third-worst of his career. Jefferson is likely due for a backup role, perhaps as a field stretcher. He should not be a target in fantasy drafts.

Brown, a 2021 third-round pick, spent the first four seasons of his career with the Commanders. He posted career-best numbers in 2024, catching 30-of-38 targets for 308 yards and one touchdown. The latter figure is the only non-career-best mark. He spent 2025 with the Jaguars, catching just 20-of-37 targets for 227 yards and one touchdown. He will likely be tasked with keeping safeties honest by running routes downfield, though his prior performances render him nothing more than a low-end bench stash.

The Colts also signed Owens, formerly of the Bears, to a one-year contract. The Colts last S Nick Cross and backup S Rodney Thomas in free agency. Juanyeh Thomas, 25, played a career-high 294 defensive snaps last year and 110 special teams snaps. He earned a 69.0 PFF run-defense grade, an elite 90.6 PFF special teams grade and could compete for Cross’ vacated starting strong safety role. Owens, 30, played just 47 snaps on defense, but earned an 89.4 PFF special teams grade on 265 special teams snaps. At worst, the Colts added two difference makers to their special teams unit.

Russini expanded on her report from earlier today in an article at The Athletic, saying Eagles general manager Howie Roseman “won’t part with a great player for nothing” and that his “asking price for Brown was a first- and a second-round pick.” It is unclear whether Roseman is willing to lower the price, but that is the haul the Packers received when they traded WR Davante Adams away to the Raiders in 2022. Adams was 29 years old at the time. Brown turns 29 in June. Russini reported last weekend that the Patriots are not giving up a first-round pick to acquire Brown. Patriots executive vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, said the only “real deadlines you have are salary-cap related” when it comes to improving the team via trades. Over The Cap currently lists the Patriots with $51.6 million in cap space and the Rams with $20.456 million.

The Panthers declined to tender the 27-year-old rotational pass rusher earlier this week. He returns a few days later. The contract’s details have not yet been disclosed. Cherelus totaled two quarterback pressures and 20 solo tackles last season. He missed multiple games after suffering a concussion in November and missed Week 18 with foot and ankle injuries.

The Broncos brought McMillian, 25, aboard as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He impressively won the starting slot cornerback role in 2023 and has manned that spot for the Broncos ever since. The front office retained McMillian via a one-year contract last year, and appears set to do so again, though McMillian’s agent said the cornerback is hoping to sign a long-term deal. That may not happen. General manager George Patton made his top-tier cornerback unit even deeper by spending a first-round pick on former Texas CB Jahdae Barron in 2025. While No. 1 CB Patrick Surtain II will assuredly retain his starting role, the Broncos could end up hosting a competition between McMillian, Barron and No. 2 perimeter CB Riley Moss this year. Last year, Barron logged 155 snaps in the slot, 95 in the box and 90 on the perimeter and could have the talent to compete for either role.

The phrasing suggests Kieft still has to sign on the dotted line, but the news comes straight from a post on Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht’s social media account and includes an image of Kieft dressed as a pirate, piloting a ship. The image may be the most exciting part of Kieft’s 2026 season—he failed to a target over the last two years—but we are happy for him nonetheless. The veteran tight end also suffered a season-ending leg fracture in Week 3 last year. Kieft should not be drafted in fantasy.