NFL Player News

Pickens hasn't been present for voluntary OTAs, but he remains in communication with the Cowboys and is expected to show up for mandatory minicamp June 16-18, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Pickens signed his franchise tag for $27.3 million in late April after the Cowboys made it public knowledge that they wouldn't sign him to a long-term deal (and also didn't want to trade him). Cowboys GM Jerry Jones, EVP Stephen Jones and HC Brian Schottenheimer have all hinted that they expect Pickens to play out 2026 under the tag without issue, while Pickens himself hasn't said much, letting his actions (signing the tag) do most of the talking. His absence from voluntary practices may just be a matter of reducing injury risk ahead of another contract year.

Conner (foot) has mostly been limited to side work with trainers during OTA practices, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Coming off a season-ending foot and ankle injury in Week 3 last year, Conner accepted a pay cut this March, shortly before Arizona signed RB Tyler Allgeier. The Cardinals later drafted RB Jeremiyah Love, potentially leaving Conner as the No. 3 back after a half-decade stint as the team's starter. Trade rumors shouldn't be ignored, but Conner's presence at voluntary workouts is a clear sign he hasn't shut the door on Arizona.

Dulcich said Thursday that he's been building chemistry with QB Malik Willis during OTAs, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reports.

Dulcich told reporters that he's been impressed by Willis' vision and arm strength. It's the typical positive chatter for this time of year, but there is real reason to think Dulcich will become one of Willis' preferred pass-catchers, if only because there's so little else on the roster. Miami's other tight ends have combined for 24 receptions in the NFL, making Dulcich (67 catches in 31 games) the clear favorite for passing-down work. Rookie TE Will Kacmarek, a third-round pick, also has a chance to earn a lot of playing time, but he'll likely do far more blocking than route-running. The Dolphins re-signed Dulcich in March on a one-year, $3.25 million contract ($2.9 million guaranteed) after he averaged 2.9 catches for 37.2 yards over the final nine games of 2025.

Watson and the Packers have reached agreement on a four-year contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Per Schefter, Watson's new deal is a four-year, $110.5 million pact that includes a $31 million signing bonus. The 2022 second-rounder is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded 35 catches (on 55 targets) for 611 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. As the coming campaign approaches, Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden are in line to pace a Green Bay WR corps that also includes Savion Williams, Bo Melton and Skyy Moore following the offseason departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Looking ahead, Watson's per-route production makes him a fantasy breakout candidate in 2026, provided he can stay on the field.

Coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Law tore his ACL at practice Tuesday, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

The Lions took Law in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 168th overall, and the Kentucky product was projected to provide the team with wideout depth behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Given the timing of his injury, Law is likely to be placed on IR and then set his sights on returning to the field as the 2027 season approaches. For now, Greg Dortch, Cedrick Wilson, Tom Kennedy and Dominic Lovett are candidates to compete for snaps behind Detroit's top WR trio.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that Gibbs will be the team's "bellcow" in 2026, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

"We're gonna hang our hat on him," said Campbell, whose assumption of play-calling duties last November coincided with a decline in David Montgomery's role. Gibbs' rushing efficiency also declined, though not until the final month, and he averaged 5.3 catches per game with Campbell calling plays. The Lions then traded Montgomery to Houston this offseason, with Isiah Pacheco coming in as a much cheaper depth option on a one-year, $1.8 million contract. Campbell is expected to call plays again, despite hiring an offensive coordinator (Drew Petzing) with plenty of experience in that regard.

Kamara said Wednesday that he hasn't been asked to take a pay cut, Matthew Paras of The Advocate reports. "I haven't had any conversations in regard to that, so I don't know," Kamara said. "I think there's a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up, then I'll have an answer for you when it comes up."

Kamara typically skips the voluntary offseason program, and he seemed to be doing the same this year until he arrived Wednesday during the second week of OTA practices. It sounds like he now plans to stick around for a few more voluntary sessions before mandatory minicamp June 16-17. Kamara's NFL future nonetheless remains uncertain, with a complicated contract situation after repeated extensions and restructures in New Orleans. A trade or release could help the Saints' cap sheet for 2027, which the team ultimately might consider more valuable than whatever Kamara can provide off the bench behind new lead back Travis Etienne. The Saints seemingly want to give Kamara a chance this summer to prove that he can still be a useful player, albeit in a lesser role after Etienne signed a four-year contract with $24 million guaranteed at signing. It appears Kamara has recovered from the MCL sprain and ankle injury that cut his 2025 campaign short.

Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley said Thursday that Douglas "tweaked something" during Wednesday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Hafley doesn't expect the injury to be a long-term concern. Taken with the 75th overall pick this year, Douglas joins a WR room that's widely viewed as the weakest in the league. He'll thus have a chance to compete for immediate playing time if he's back to full strength before training camp. With 4.39 speed, at 6-foot-4, 206 pounds, Douglas could have some value to Miami's offense even if he's just running clear-out routes.

Odunze said Wednesday that his foot feels different after suffering a stress fracture last year, but the wideout doesn't think his "new normal" will be "anything that's going to prohibit (him) from making plays," Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

"I feel like with the break, it's just like when you tear your ACL, it's never really back to normal," Odunze said. This obviously isn't what fantasy managers want to hear, even if it's mostly just Odunze being overly honest about something that a lot of players deal with after significant injuries. He got off to a hot start in 2025 before the stress fracture torpedoed his season, and while he didn't need offseason surgery, the injury still adds an extra layer of risk to his fantasy profile for 2026 (and beyond?). Odunze seems to be a full participant at spring practices, handling his usual workload while adjusting to the different feeling in his foot. With DJ Moore gone, there's not much doubt about Odunze, Luther Burden and TE Colston Loveland serving as Chicago's top three pass catchers this coming season, in some order.

The Steelers and Washington agreed to terms on a four-year, $42 million extension Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Since Pittsburgh selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Washington has been used regularly in an offense that trots out multiple tight ends on most offensive snaps, ranging from 497 to 543 plays per season. He set or matched career highs across the board in 2025 with a 31-364-1 line on 43 targets across 16 regular-season games, and with Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward exiting as free agents this offseason, Washington now has only Pat Freiermuth as notable competition for TE reps for the upcoming campaign.