NFL Player News

Pickens has officially signed his franchise tag with the Cowboys, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Pickens signing the tag was expected, and now the wideout is guaranteed $27.3 million for the 2026 season. As things stand, the Cowboys have a clear-cut 1-2 punch atop their WR depth chart in CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. Regarding speculation that the team could consider moving Pickens, Jon Machota of The Athletic notes that Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones made it clear after Day 1 of last week's draft that the team has no interest in trading the 2022 second-rounder. In his first season with Dallas, Pickens recorded a fantasy-friendly 93/1,429/9 receiving line across 17 regular-season contests.

The Panthers have officially exercised the fifth-year option on Young's rookie contract, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

The anticipated move will keep the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft under contract with Carolina through the 2027 season. The 24-year-old is coming off a career year in 2025, during which he set new highs in passing yards (3,011), TDs (23), completion percentage (63.6) and passer rating (87.8), among other other categories, over the course of 16 regular-season contests. Since then, the Panthers signed Kenny Pickett to back up Young and added deep threat Chris Brazzell in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, providing Young a player with upside to fortify a WR corps that returns Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette.

Al-Shaair (thumb) has a agreed to a three-year extension with the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Al-Shaair's new deal amounts to a three-year, $54 million pact. The 28-year-old is coming off a 2025 regular season which he recorded 103 tackles and two picks in 16 games en route becoming a Pro Bowl selection. The Texans' starting middle linebacker is bouncing back from an offseason thumb procedure, but a full recovery is expected in advance of the upcoming campaign.

Coach Todd Monken hopes to identify the Browns' starting QB by the end of the team's minicamp June 9-11, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Sanders and Deshaun Watson are considered the top two candidates to land the job.

Per Cabot, Watson reportedly emerged from the team's voluntary minicamp last week with an edge over Sanders, which may give the veteran signal caller the inside track to the assignment, but Sanders does have time to make up ground before Monken makes the call. Also in Cleveland's QB mix are 2025 third-rounder Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green, but Cabot suggests that they will largely be vying for the developmental third spot on the roster. In any case, this is a job competition worth closely monitoring in the coming weeks/months, with the Browns slated to approach the coming campaign with an intriguing group of pass-catchers that includes returning WRs Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Isaiah Bond, along with TE Harold Fannin,as well as a pair of talented rookie wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

Watson reportedly emerged from last week's voluntary minicamp with an edge over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns' quarterback competition, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The report notes that coach Todd Monken hopes to identify the team's starter by the end of Browns minicamp June 9-11, with Watson and Sanders viewed as the top two contenders for the role, while Dillon Gabriel and 2026 sixth-rounder Taylen Green are also in the mix to a lesser degree. Per Cabot, at this stage Watson --- who didn't see game action in 2025 due to an Achilles' injury -- appears to have the inside track to the assignment, but Sanders still has time to close the gap before Monken makes the call. In any case, the signal caller that ultimately gets the nod will be in line to helm a Cleveland passing offense that returns WRs Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, as well as TE Harold Fannin, and is also set to welcome a pair of talented rookie wideouts in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

The Ravens have agreed to terms with Fagnano, Jamison Hensley of ESPN reports.

In addition to signing Fagnano, an undrafted QB out of Connecticut, the Ravens brought in another UDFA signal caller, Diego Pavia (a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist) via Vanderbilt. Per GM Eric DeCosta, the rookie duo will compete for slotting behind starter Lamar Jackson and his top backup, Tyler Huntley. During the 2025 campaign, the 25-year-old Fagnano completed 69 percent of his passes in 12 games with UConn for 3,448 yards with 28 touchdowns and one interception.

During his scheduled re-check last week, Nix underwent what Ian Rapoport of NFL Network describes as a successful and anticipated clean-up procedure on his ankle.

While Rapoport suggests that the Broncos figure to proceed deliberately with Nix this spring as a result, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com notes that the quarterback is expected to be ready for training camp. Once he's ready to practice fully, Nix will be working with a Denver pass-catching corps that was bolstered by the offseason addition of Jaylen Waddle, who arrived via a trade with the Dolphins last month.

The 49ers signed McMorris to a one-year deal Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McMorris spent the 2025 campaign on the Cardinals' practice squad but didn't appear in any games. The 24-year-old will now spend the remainder of the offseason competing for a spot on San Francisco's final roster.

The Lions declined Campbell's fifth-year option Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

Campbell is coming off the most productive season of his career, logging 176 tackles (89 solo), including 5.0 sacks, but that seemingly wasn't enough to convince Detroit to exercise his option. The 25-year-old will now play out the final year of his rookie deal during the 2026 campaign and look to earn a contract extension.

The Eagles waived Bell on Tuesday, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

Bell signed a reserve/future deal with the team in January but is headed to waivers. The 2024 seventh-round pick spent time with both Philadelphia's and Pittsburgh's practice squads during the 2025 campaign, and he will now look to catch on with a new team.