NFL Player News

Watson (Achilles) agreed to terms Friday on a restructured contract with the Browns that converts a portion of his $80.71 million cap hit for the 2026 season into bonuses, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Watson's restructure provides Cleveland with increased flexibility ahead of the start of the legal tampering period March 9. The 30-year-old quarterback is heading into the final year of the fully guaranteed five-year contract he inked with the Browns back in 2022, and Cabot reports that Watson is now back to full health after having undergone two surgeries to repair the right Achilles tendon he re-ruptured after the 2024 season. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry recently named both Watson and Shedeur Sanders as candidates to compete for the team's starting quarterback job in 2026, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.

Rodgers said Wednesday that he has not yet made a decision on his playing future and that the Steelers have not informed him of any timetable to make such a decision, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Rodgers expressed high praise for Pittsburgh and new head coach Mike McCarthy, but it does not appear that the 42-year-old veteran will make a decision about whether or not to play in the 2026 season prior to the start of free agency March 11. While the Steelers have expressed interest in re-signing Rodgers, other QB-needy teams around the league would also stand to be interested in his services, if available. Across 16 regular-season appearances in 2025, Rodgers completed 66 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Buccaneers re-signed Bazelak to a one-year, $1 million contract on Wednesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Bazelak spent the latter half of the 2025 campaign handling the emergency No. 3 quarterback role for Tampa By, working behind both Baker Mayfield and Teddy Bridgewater. While the former Bowling Green standout didn't actually record a single regular-season appearance as a rookie, his debut year as a pro was ultimately encouraging. Bridgewater is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Buccaneers will likely either re-sign the veteran or bring in another backup option behind Mayfield, leaving Bazelak to again compete for the third-string gig.

Prescott agreed to terms Wednesday on a restructured contract with the Cowboys, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Prescott and offensive lineman Tyler Smith's (knee) combined restructures free up $47 million in cap space for 2026, and Dallas is also expected to restructure CeeDee Lamb's deal. These restructures presumably involve converting future guarantees into signing bonuses. Prescott is entering his age-33 season fresh off a 2025 campaign in which he completed 67 percent of his passes for 4,552 yards and a 30:10 TD:INT, in addition to rushing 532 times for 177 yards and two scores. With the Cowboys having retained George Pickens for 2026 via the franchise tag and re-signed running back Javonte Williams (shoulder) to a three-year, $24 million deal, Prescott will benefit from significant continuity on offense in 2026.

Sanders will be among the candidates to start at quarterback for the Browns in 2026, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

General manager Andrew Berry indicated that Sanders and Deshaun Watson (ankle) will both be in the mix. The GM also indicated that more names could be added to the battle, suggesting Cleveland is open to either signing a free agent or using draft capital on the position. New head coach Todd Monken did not commit to starting Sanders when speaking at his introductory news conference.

Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry is not committing to naming a starting quarterback but included Watson (ankle) as a candidate, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Berry indicated Watson and Shedeur Sanders will be among those competing for the starting quartebrack job. There are likely to be other names in the mix, whether that be via trade, free agency or the draft. Neither Berry nor new head coach Todd Monken are in a rush to provide details.

Murray (foot) shared a goodbye message to the Cardinals organization on his personal social media accounts Tuesday.

The 28-year-old quarterback is expected to be released by Arizona. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the transaction will occur when the new league year starts March 11, barring the materialization of a last-minute trade. Murray's contract guarantees him $36.8 million in 2026, and were he to remain on the roster March 15, another $19.5 million in guarantees would trigger. Murray missed the final 12 games of 2025 due to a foot sprain, and though he played all 17 regular-season contests in 2024, he also missed a combined 15 regular-season games the two years prior. Despite that checkered injury history, the two-time Pro Bowler will likely be in high demand given the number of teams in need of a starting quarterback, and the lack of enticing options available in free agency or the draft.

Jones (Achilles) received the transition tag from the Colts on Tuesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

The transition tag allots Jones a fully guaranteed $37.83 million salary for 2026 but allows him to negotiate with other teams, though Indianapolis retains the right to match any offer sheet. Jones carries a 6-8 month recovery timeline after undergoing Achilles surgery in December, so he could be ready for the start of training camp in July. Across 13 regular-season games in 2025, Jones completed 68.0 percent of his passes for 3,101 yards and a 19:8 TD:INT while also adding 45 carries for 164 yards and five scores. The former Giant was on pace for a career year, though a fibula injury suffered in Week 10 hampered his production even prior to his Achilles tear.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Cardinals will "likely" release Murray (foot) barring a last-second trade.

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort relayed Tuesday that "all options are on the table" for Murray and the team's options at quarterback, per Jayne Bardahl of The Athletic. However, it appears as though Murray will not be part of Arizona's future plans. A separation could happen shortly after the new league year starts March 11, as the 28-year-old quarterback would be due a guaranteed roster bonus of $19.5 million for 2027 if he were still on the Cardinals' active roster by March 16. Murray missed the last 12 games of the 2025 regular season due to a foot sprain. He completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while turning 29 carries into 173 yards and a score across five games last year.

Richardson (eye) has requested and received permission from the Colts to seek a trade, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Richardson, the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, has played a total of just 17 games across his tenure with Indianapolis, with injuries playing a significant role in the extent of his missed time. Last summer, the 2023 first-round pick lost his starting job to quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles), who suffered a season-ending injury midway through the 2025 campaign and was then replaced under center by free agent veteran Philip Rivers. Richardson meanwhile, was placed on injured reserve in October due to a fractured orbital bone of his right eye, but he made enough progress late in the season for the Colts to open his 21-day practice window. Though Richardson ultimately wasn't activated from IR, Boyd relays that the quarterback has regained full vision in the affected eye. Richardson has one year remaining on his rookie deal, and at this stage, his best-case scenario may be getting a fresh start elsewhere with a team that will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting gig in 2026.