Player News

Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, Colts GM Chris Ballard said he's hopeful the team can re-sign Pierce before he becomes a free agent next month, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.

"We've had great discussions about both of them," Ballard said of Pierce and fellow impending free agent Daniel Jones (Achilles). "We'll continue to work this week and see if we can get something done. It's been very positive. When both sides are driven to get it done, it usually works out in the right way." Pierce had a career year during the 2025 campaign, posting career highs in targets (84), catches (47) and receiving yards (1,003), while producing six touchdowns. He's led the entire NFL in yards per reception in back-to-back years as one of the game's top downfield weapons. Pierce is one of the top free agents set to hit the market in March if the Colts are unable to hammer out a deal.

On Tuesday, GM Monti Ossenfort said that "all options are on the table" regarding Murray and the Cardinals' future at quarterback, Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic reports.

Per Ossenfort, "as it pertains to that position -- as it pertains to every position on our team -- we're going to look at every avenue to improve, and we're going to continue to go through our process with that." For now, the Cardinals have Murray, Jacoby Brissett and Kedon Slovis under contract, but at this stage, the status of Murray -- who played in just five games last season after suffering a foot injury in Week 5 -- remains unclear. Important context on the front is due to arrive in mid-March, given that if Murray is on Arizona's active roster on the fifth day of the upcoming league year, he'd be due a guaranteed roster bonus for 2027 of $19.5 million, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.

The Texans have no plans to trade Stroud, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.

Per Bien-Aime, the QB's name surfaced online in trade speculation in the wake of a playoff run that included seven turnovers. However, GM Nick Caserio firmly denied such a possibility Tuesday, while noting of Stroud, "we are not trading the guy. He's our quarterback. He's going to be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026." Stroud, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 3,041 yards, with 19 TDs and eight interceptions in 14 games. Looking ahead, WR Christian Kirk is the team's most notable pass catcher in line to become a free agent next month, but otherwise Houston's top wideouts and tight ends are on track to be available options for Stroud this coming season.

The Falcons officially placed their franchise tag on Pitts on Tuesday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.

The expected move prevents Pitts from reaching the open market in free agency, while he and the Falcons have until July 15 to negotiate a potential multi-year extension. Per McElhaney, the projected franchise tag value for tight ends in 2026 will be approximately $16 million. The 2021 first-rounder is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns (on 118 targets) in 17 games.

According to Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, the signs point to a potential break between Mixon (who is recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him this past season) and the Texans.

That's a notion echoed by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, who indicates that the Texans are expected to ultimately part ways with the running back -- who reportedly recently underwent surgery to address his foot issue -- via a failed physical. For his part, GM Nick Caserio describes Mixon's status with the team as "a moving target," while adding "we'll kind of see what the availability is going to be, what the prognosis is for the season and then ultimately try to figure out what makes sense for everybody involved." Per Wilson, releasing Mixon from his contract would save the Texans $8.5 million.

Jets general manager Darren Moughey said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that the team intends to place the franchise or transition tag on Hall (knee) if he isn't signed to an extension before the start of free agency, James Palmer of The Athletic reports.

Hall will be slated to play out the 2026 season on a one-year, fully guaranteed deal worth roughly $14.5 if he receives the franchise tag, while the transition tag would be worth an estimated $11.7 million and allow the running back to negotiate with other teams, though New York would retain the right to match any offer sheet he receives. Across 16 regular-season appearances in 2025, and despite numerous hurdles caused by the Jets' struggles on offense, Hall managed to log the first 1,000-yard rushing campaign of his career, totaling 243 carries for 1,065 yards and four scores, plus a 36-350-1 receiving line (48 targets). While Hall's fantasy prospects could stand to improve were he to hit the open market, it appears the Jets will prioritize retaining the 2022 second-round pick. Though Hall missed Week 18 due to a knee injury, there have been no reports that his availability is in any jeopardy for the start of training camp.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that Judkins (ankle) has shed his walking boot and is on track for the start of training camp, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Judkins underwent successful surgery to address a dislocated right ankle late December, and he's on track to enter the 2026 regular season at full health. As a rookie, the 2025 second-round pick logged 14 regular-season appearances, rushing 230 times for 827 yards and seven touchdowns (3.6 YPC) while securing 26 of 36 targets for 171 receiving yards. He appears set to lead Cleveland's backfield in 2026, while 2025 fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson could be the favorite for change-of-pace snaps and the No. 2 role, as Jerome Ford is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine that Mixon (foot/ankle) had surgery this offseason, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Mixon missed the entire 2025 season due to a foot/ankle injury that Caserio said in January was a "freak thing" and "as unique a situation" as he has dealt with, and though he has one year left on his contract, his status with the team for 2026 remains uncertain. Caserio also said in January that the Texans' medical staff will need to evaluate Mixon before determining whether the veteran running back will be able to play next season. The news of Mixon undergoing a new offseason procedure seemingly adds a further wrinkle to that evaluation, though Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports that the team would like to have Mixon back. Across 14 regular-season appearances with Houston in 2024, Mixon rushed 245 times for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding a 36-309-1 line through the air.

New Miami general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said Tuesday that "everything is on the table, including [the] possibility of a trade" regarding Tagovailoa's future with the team, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Sullivan noted that Tagovailoa hasn't officially requested a trade, though after the conclusion of the 2025 season the quarterback expressed a desire to play elsewhere. The 27-year-old signal-caller, who will turn 28 on March 2, inked a massive four-year, $212.4 million contract with the team in July of 2024 but appears to have definitively worn out his welcome with the Dolphins after a 2025 campaign in which he threw for just 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions across 14 regular-season appearances. Sullivan stated in unequivocal terms Tuesday that the team will draft a quarterback this offseason, per C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald, as well as pursue options at the position in free agency such as Malik Willis, per Bill Huber of SI.com. If a trade partner willing to accommodate Tagovailoa's massive salary guarantees can't be found, the expectation is that he will be released.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Tuesday that he's confident a new contract extension with Jackson will be finalized this offseason, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension with Baltimore in April of 2023, but with his cap hit set to jump to $74.5 million for 2026 and 2027, it's due time for both sides to agree to a new state of the union. Re-signing the franchise quarterback to a new long-term deal will start out the tenure of new head coach Jesse Minter on stable ground. After his career year in 2024, Jackson encountered multiple hurdles in 2025, most notably missing four regular-season games due to injury. He finished the year with a lackluster 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions after throwing for over 4,000 yards and a 41:4 TD:INT the year prior, while also having his rushing totals decline to just 349 yards and two scores on 67 carries. The Ravens' top priority this offseason will be to position Jackson to bounce back to MVP-worthy levels in 2026.