When asked about expectations for Washington, Udinski said he thinks “really, really highly” of the 24-year-old wideout. Washington tallied 19 receptions for 347 yards and two touchdowns in the final three games of the 2025 regular season, leading all Jaguars wide receivers over that span. Jaguars beat writer John Shipley said he looked like “arguably the best player on the field today” when discussing Tuesday’s practice. With Udinski also speaking highly of him, the arrow is pointing up for Washington’s utilization in 2026.
James will now be making $25.2 million per year, slightly nudging out the Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton ($25.1 million per year) for highest-paid safety in the league. The deal includes $57.5 million guaranteed. James entered the offseason wanting a new contract before training camp and he gets one coming off back-to-back seasons of Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He remains a versatile and hard-hitting centerfielder for the Chargers, captaining the defense for seven seasons, making five Pro Bowls in that time. James tied his career-high with three interceptions last seasons and finished with an 81.2 overall PFF grade, good for No. 8 among safeties. He was set to enter the final season of his contract but will now be signed to the Chargers through 2029.
Macdonald said there is a “chance” Horton could return at “the end of spring.” Horton suffered a shin injury towards the end of his rookie campaign last year, ending his rookie season early. The 23-year-old looks to compete with Rashid Shaheed for targets on offense, with both having similar skillsets. Horton finished the 2025 season with a 13/161/5 receiving line, also returning punts and scoring one touchdown as a returner. Macdonald mentioned that Horton received good news that could accelerate his return timeline and that we could see him on the field as early as the end of spring OTAs. It’s still early to tell what his role may be for the Seahawks in 2026, but Horton is worth a dart throw as a WR5 in fantasy drafts.
According to a police report from the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department, Jacobs was arrested on five charges following a May 23rd complaint of a domestic disturbance. He was booked in jail for battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim. According to Jacobs’ attorneys, the 28-year-old is denying the charges. The NFL generally conducts its own investigation into domestic violence claims after law enforcement conducts an investigation. The commissioner exempt list is a possibility for Jacobs as the NFL investigates; a suspension is certainly on the table. The investigation and subsequent appeals will take some time but Jacobs could miss games in 2026 as a result of this arrest.
The new deal guarantees his contract for the next two seasons while also adding an additional $9 million in 2026 and $8 million in 2027. The contract will still expire entering the 2028 season, with the veteran alpha also recently stating that he would like to play the entirety of his career in Houston. Agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus negotiated the amendment and are likely to get back to the negotiating table entering the 2027 season.
That would seem to make logical sense considering Sweat followed Jonathan Gannon to Arizona and has been linked to reports indicating he in unhappy with his situation following the firing of his former head coach. Nothing substantial has been passed from a reputable source but this goes down as another notch towards a potential trade for the veteran pass rusher. Sweat’s contract could be a tricky one to unload after signing a four-year, $76.4 million deal with the Cardinals prior to the 2025 season.
The soon-to-be 33-year-old made six starts for the Commanders a season ago after starting 10 games across 17 appearances for the Falcons in 2024. The veteran big man retired from the NFL in 2022 and remained that way through the 2023 season before playing the previous two seasons. While nothing is imminent, Goldman could help a Giants team with seven new bodies in the defensive line ranks.
Well, that’s not exactly a fantastic update for the injured running back. Previous reports indicated Irving would not take part in organized team activities but was expected to be a full-go for camp, a timeline that now looks to be in question. The nature of the noncommittal quote from head coach Todd Bowles raises serious concerns for Irving in a fantasy setting, particularly for a team that went out and added another pass-catching, change of pace specialist in Kenneth Gainwell this offseason. Sean Tucker demonstrated a clear knack for short yardage situations in 2025, potentially sending this backfield into a maddening three-headed timeshare come September, with Irving’s lack of practice time potentially earning him a slow start to the regular season. More questions than certainty await early best ball and season-long drafters this May.
Jackson, who attended the team’s voluntary minicamp in April, did not show up for OTAs last week, prompting questions about whether his contract situation was a real issues headed into the 2026 season. New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter told reporters last week that he has talked with Jackson and that he knew when his franchise quarterback would decide to show up for OTAs as the team learns a new offense under OC Declan Doyle. Coming off a down year in 2025, Jackson will look to bounce back as a passer and as a runner in 2026.
The Court’s decision not to get involved means the case can head to trial. Justices on the Roberts Court “rebuffed an appeal from the league, which wanted the case handled through its arbitration process rather than open court in New York,” according to the Associated Press. Flores in his lawsuit — which includes Steve Wilks and Ray Horton — alleges the NFL is “rife” with racism in its hiring practices. Flores, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, brought the lawsuit shortly after the Dolphins fired him as head coach in 2022. The NFL said in a statement that it is “fully prepared to defend ourselves as this matter proceeds.” From 2000 through 2024, according to the AP, 31 of 173 new NFL coaches (18%) are Black. In that 24-year stretch, eight of the 19 head coaches (42%) fired after their first full NFL season are Black.
League officials, according to Florio, are “still holding out hope” that they can tack on yet another game to the NFL regular season, but time is running out before the league must schedule the Super Bowl in early 2028. NFL players and the players union have pushed back against the idea of another regular season extension, citing player safety. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has acknowledged this in statements on the potential for an 18-game season. “One, safety has to be the primary concern, right?” Goodell said in late April. “If you can’t do it safely for our players, we’re not gonna do it. And that’s why I would say it’s not inevitable.”
This was an emphasis of head coach Ben Johnson when he arrived in Chicago after the 2024 season. “Late in some of those games, we were making some heroic plays . . . but it wasn’t necessary if we execute in the first quarter and second quarter,” Barrett said in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times. “We might be up two touchdowns by the time we get to the fourth quarter. We can be efficient and take what the defense is giving. You don’t necessarily have to put the cape on and make those crazy plays because you already were killing them in the first three quarters.” Williams over his two pro seasons has been among the worst out-of-pocket passers. Last season his adjusted yards per attempt on throws outside the pocket (4.8) ranked 29th out of 35 qualifying QBs. His accuracy on such throws ranked 30th. Barrett and the Bears will continue encouraging Williams to take the easy throws in 2026.
Carter missed a month of football last season due to having surgery on both of his shoulders. Speaking with the media, Fangio said Carter appears fine and that the star lineman has “had a good offseason of lifting,” which Fangio believes he began earlier than usual. Carter totaled 33 tackles, three sacks, and five TFLs in 11 games for the Eagles last season, and has remained a key piece of the defense since being drafted No. 9 overall in 2023. It sounds like he should be in good shape for the start of training camp for a defense that ranked fifth in points allowed and 13th in yards allowed last season.
Legette is facing stiff competition for work entering training camp after the Panthers drafted Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third round of this year’s draft. Legette lost the WR2 job to Jalen Coker midway through last season, and caught just 35 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games last season. Legette has a good combination of size and speed on the outside, but the fact that he was a late-career breakout in college suggested he could face an uphill battle to make an immediate impact at the next level. Legette is unlikely to have any redraft value in 2026, even if he can hold on to WR3 duties through training camp.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Despite a productive 156-1,797-14 line in 28 career games, recurring legal issues have caught up to Rice here. The former second-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and would ordinarily be in line for an extension here, but Rice, who was recently sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating his probation, will need to wait on that. Rice will miss OTAs and mandatory minicamp as a result of his prison stint, and will need to impress both on and off the field this upcoming season if he hopes to secure a long-term extension next offseason. He caught 53 passes for 571 yards and five touchdowns in eight games last season and has averaged 64.2 receiving yards per game in his career to go with 7.5 targets per game. Assuming he’s good to go for the start of this season, Rice will profile as a fringe WR1/WR2 with tons of upside.
Speaking on Thursday, Harbaugh was sure to point out that Nabers’ injury was “not a simple knee” injury while adding that his star receiver is in the building “every day working hard” to make his return. Nabers underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee several weeks ago, but it isn’t expected to affect his return. Harbaugh said last month that Nabers wouldn’t be on the field until training camp, and maintained on Thursday that a return by camp was still the goal, but said the team will see what happens” from here. Nabers’ injury has been baked into his ADP all offseason, as he’s currently going in the mid to late second round of drafts. It wouldn’t be surprising if his ADP continued to dip until we have more certainty around his situation.
Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury in Week 4 of last season. Hill suffered a dislocated knee, along with a torn ACL and LCL, while also injuring other ligaments. The 32-year-old receiver has undergone multiple surgeries since his injury, with his most recent injury coming in February. Hill could have a decent market when he is able to return, but it doesn’t sound like he’s anywhere close to seeing the field. Unsigned and injured, Hill doesn’t have any fantasy value at this point, and could be hard for fantasy managers to trust in 2026, even when healthy, given when we could expect to see him.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan was first. Robertson-Harris is in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Giants last offseason and is now likely to miss all of this season. The veteran lineman totaled 35 tackles and three TFLs in his first season with the team, while starting all 17 games he appeared in. The soon-to-be 33-year-old will now look to undergo surgery and begin rehab in hopes of continuing his career next season on what will likely be a one-year deal.
Ward said he hopes the weight loss will improve his durability and allow him to play with a bit more speed in 2026. The 2025 No. 1 overall pick will play next season in an offense led by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who has taken advantage of his quarterback’s athleticism in the past by incorporating it into the running game. Whether or not Ward, who rushed for just 159 yards in 17 games last season, will see more work as a runner next season is to be determined, but it’s worth noting that Ward did total 1,061 rushing yards in 38 FBS games, per PFF, which factors out yards lost on sacks. Of the 287 rush attempts he saw over that span, 180 of those runs (4.7/gm) came on designed plays. Ward turning into more of a dual-threat quarterback would provide a more solid floor for his fantasy outlook next season after he finished as the QB34 in fantasy points per game as a rookie.
This comes from an article written by Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, where Jones said the time continues to monitor him “day by day” as he works his way back from spinal fusion surgery. Jones was present at the Steelers’ OTAs this week but did not participate in team drills, and could face a battle for playing time with Troy Fautanu looking to move to left tackle, and rookie Max Iheanachor expected to man the right tackle position. Jones said his recovery is going well, but given the severity of the injury, it could be some time before we see him in action again.
Stafford aggravated a disc injury between the offseason workout program and training camp last year. He did not practice until August 18th. Reports on the injury ran the gamut. At one point, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reported that the Rams “aren’t worried” about the injury, before later reporting that the back injury “is going to be a thing” all year. Ultimately, time spent in an Ammortal chamber outside the Rams’ facility helped Stafford get ready for an NFL MVP season. Injury risk is, of course, present. But Stafford remains one of the rare pocket passers capable of producing an elite QB1 season. Draft him accordingly.
A recent report indicated that the new offense “is expected to have Shanahan/McVay influences,” so the new report from The Athletic’s Zach Berman tracks. The Eagles ran 860 plays out of the pistol and shotgun last year, and just 267 under center. However, they averaged 8.43 yards per attempt under center and 9.07 yards per play-action attempt from under center. Both figures lead their respective pistol and shotgun metrics by more than 0.70 yards. Berman notes that Hurts has had a new play-caller every year since 2016, so he’s no stranger to starting over. That said, Mannion plans to blend his preferences with those of his quarterback. Mannion is confident that Hurts “can do anything we ask of him,” and Hurts was reportedly excited about the new hire. As for Hurts’ rushing usage, it “will be a part of [the offense], but it won’t be the only part of it.” Hurts remains a fantasy QB1, but his spot in that tier is still being determined.
The Vikings have already conducted interviews with 10 candidates virtually. The five finalists are Rams assistant general manager John McKay, Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray, Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley and Vikings executive vice president of football operations and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. Vikings owner and president Mark Wilf previously indicated that the team plans to employ the front office structure as they have in the past, though The Athletic’s Alec Lewis highlights a reader’s question about whether the Vikings might keep Brzezinski in a managerial role and also hire a “personnel guy” under him to help with roster decisions. If so, it seems plausible that some candidates might prefer to wait until they have a chance to run an organization their own way.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell attempted to address McCarthy’s accuracy woes by harping on the young quarterback’s footwork last season. He also tends to fire passes “on a line,” which only exacerbates his ball placement issues. Per Lewis, McCarthy has spent weeks with private throwing coach John Beck to improve both issues. Time will tell if Beck’s teachings have the desired effect. Lastly, Lewis believes that the way “McCarthy shows up to work every day and how his habits progress in his third season” is the final piece to the puzzle. The Vikings want their 2026 starter, be it McCarthy or QB Kyler Murray, “to lift the tide for the entire team.” McCarthy has been fully unable to do so thus far. Despite being the incumbent, McCarthy is currently viewed as the underdog in this summer’s quarterback battle. Avoid him in spring drafts for now.
DiNucci spent the end of last season on the Broncos’ practice squad and, per The Denver Post’s Troy Renck, DiNucci “knows Webb as a coach and a friend.” Nix begged Broncos head coach Sean Payton to play uptempo last season, but Payton limited the offense to just 3.8 uptempo plays per game, per PFF. That said, the Broncos tied for seventh in plays per game, at 66.9. Renck notes that Webb “has already shortened Payton’s Shakespearean soliloquy play calls into abbreviated verbiage,” giving Nix more time to diagnose the defense at the line and potentially run more plays. More plays mean more opportunities to score fantasy points. Renck is not yet convinced Payton will allow Webb to play uptempo, but Payton is reportedly aware that the Broncos need to improve offensively and the players “remain energized” by Webb’s promotion. Expect updates on this during training camp, at the latest.