NFL Player News

Light has been contemplating retirement since the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss, but hasn’t offered any public insight into his decision. It’s believed he’d have to take a pay-cut from his $3.4 million salary and accept a swing-tackle role to remain with the Pats.

$42 million of this money is guaranteed per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Herbig was entering the final year of his rookie contract and coming off a career-high 7.5 sacks. The extension locks him in next to Alex Highsmith and J.J. Watt, and the Steelers would have three separate edge players on $20 million cap hits in 2027 if they all stayed. This extension sure seems to forecast that either Highsmith or Watt isn’t long for Pittsburgh.

He gets a $5 million raise this year and has a chance to make $5 million more next year if he makes the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams. The “good player pay bump” is getting more and more common in NFL circles. Surtain has been on one of the two All-Pro teams in three of his first five seasons in the NFL, so there’s a good shot he makes it again this year if he stays healthy.

Walley tore his ACL last August in training camp after a promising offseason that seemed to have him as a possibility to start right away. It looks like he’ll be full-go in training camp and should have a decent shot at starting. The 80th overall pick in the draft in 2025, Walley’s absence was a big part of the reason the Colts dealt for Sauce Gardner at midseason last year, and it sounds like he could replace Kenny Moore in the slot for the Colts in 2026.

More wideout talent headed to the AFC East. (/sourced reporter voice.) Reagor did not have an NFL snap last year and was released from the Chargers practice squad in October. The first-round bust has 1,037 receiving yards in five NFL seasons so far and is entering his age-27 season.

He missed all of last season with an elbow injury. Isaac recorded one TFL in 2024 during 32 defensive snaps. The Ravens have largely covered their EDGE hole between Trey Hendrickson and Zion Young, but it sounds like Isaac won’t even be able to play a depth role in 2026 from where things stand today.

Buchanan tore an ACL in December. He’s at OTAs, but isn’t described as actively participating in The Athletic’s story. We’d expect him to be a PUP List possibility when training camp starts given how late his ACL tear happened, but it’s not completely off the table that he’s ready to work in August.

Madubuike is at the facility rehabbing and has been taking part “in aspects” of the offseason workout program. While the Ravens are publicly playing it coy about the odds of Madubuike playing next year, they certainly seem to believe there’s a real chance it happens. “In aspects” will probably need to become “in full” before anyone has real faith in him playing in September.

McLane added that he thinks that’s why Brown’s value on the market wasn’t “what you thought it would be.” Brown held his press conference with the Patriots today and said “I know this isn’t heaven. But it’s close to it.” We don’t think this report holds any real impact on Brown’s 2026 status, but it’s worth considering for dynasty leaguers and keeper leagues as Brown enters his age-29 season.

Broadly speaking: This is good news, but there’s many steps of the rehab process still to come. Colts GM Chris Ballard said in April that Jones is “shooting for Week 1.” That implied a little bit of a question mark. If Jones does start Week 1, he will be hard to trust in fantasy leagues, as the Achilles is likely to hinder him for quite a bit as a runner. That question doesn’t have to be answered for quite a few months, though, and it seems like Jones has been ahead of expectations of his recovery for some time.

Olave is currently set to play 2026 on the fifth-year option, but the two sides have been rumored to be in extension discussions for a while. “I feel like we’re going to come down to that before training camp,” Olave said. The Saints haven’t exactly been in a rush to settle their in-house contract issues this offseason, with Alvin Kamara also sort of dangling in the void.