NFL

We’re hearing the boys could be back in town. Kosmider describes Johnson as the “target who may make the most sense” for the Broncos and says Johnson could give the Broncos a “down-the-field element from the tight end position they haven’t had during Payton’s tenure.” Hill is listed more as another “player to watch,” but that seems to mostly be because we’re not sure if and when he’ll play in 2025 following a December ACL tear. Hill turns 35 in August and, though he’s under contract with the Saints, they’d save $10 million in cap space by making him a post-June 1 release. If you thought Payton was trying to prove a point with his earlier usage of Taysom, just wait until you see what happens next December.

Ebukam didn’t play in 2024 after suffering a torn Achilles in training camp. His release would clear up $7.5 million in cap space for the Colts, and Ebukam turns 30 in May. Ebukam had 9.5 sacks in 2023 and would be an intriguing veteran addition for some team’s defensive line room as long as his rehabilitation goes well.

It’s a bit of a complex situation because Thielen will turn 35 before the season and has also debated retirement, so the Panthers can’t exactly sign him to a long-term contract. Person speculates that the Panthers could convert Thielen’s per-game bonuses into guaranteed money as a sign of good faith. Thielen has been hinting that he wants a new contract and he certainly showed great chemistry with Bryce Young in Thielen’s 10 appearances last year.

“Not living up to my own personal expectations” is how Mitchell summed his rookie campaign with the Indianapolis Colts. The second-round draft pick caught 23 passes for 312 yards with zero touchdowns in the 2024 season. “Like any young player, there’s going to be a maturation process with him. And he definitely had some really strong moments, but we need more consistent moments from him,” added Colts general manager Chris Ballard. “This position is all about confidence,” Mitchell says. “Ain’t nobody taking that away from me no time soon. (2025 will) be a lot different from this year.”

Seifert says that this doesn’t mean that Minnesota has ruled out placing the franchise tag on Darnold, and that they also haven’t ruled out signing him to a multi-year deal. The Vikings could pull off a tag-and-trade with Darnold if a potential destination he’s interested in wants to jump the market. This will be a situation to monitor over the coming weeks, as it sounds like the Vikings will try to gather as much intelligence as they can before making the decision on the March 4 franchise tag deadline.

Smith is expected to be one of the prizes of free agency after finishing with a 75.1 PFF blocking rating at right guard, the fourth year in a row that the 25-year-old has been above-average in their metrics. His only real demerit is the staggering amount of penalties he’s called for — 39 in four seasons. The projected transition tag for 2025 would assign a salary of $22,745,000 to Smith — a savings of about $3 million from the franchise tag — and would give the Chiefs the right to match any offer Smith receives.

“Whether Cincinnati can pull it off remains uncertain, but the team’s messaging behind the scenes is that it’s certainly going to try,” Fowler writes. The latest is that the Bengals will franchise tag Higgins in order to have time to get a deal done. Fowler adds that Chase is expected to be “looking to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL -- possibly by a wide margin.” Hendrickson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in 2024 after leading the league with 17.5 sacks. The star Bengals edge player was disgruntled with his contract last offseason, and we imagine the gruntles have only grown as it was mostly left unresolved. The Bengals have a lot of room to work with and can generate more by pushing Joe Burrow’s cap hits into the future. It would absolutely be the best-case scenario for both the league and fantasy managers if Burrow, Chase, and Higgins all stayed in Cincinnati.

Boyd said Jones would make sense as a signing who could push Anthony Richardson in training camp and fill in for him should Richardson have yet another injury-marred season in 2025. Jones’ “abilities on the ground mean the offense won’t have to change much should Richardson miss more time due to injury,” Boyd said, adding Justin Fields could be another option for a Colts team hedging their bets on Richardson. Richardson is reportedly working with a biometrics coach to hone his throwing motion ahead of the 2025 season. Without a major leap in intermediate accuracy, Richardson could lose out to Jones after being benched for Joe Flacco in 2024.

Tolzien, 37, who played quarterback in the NFL from 2013 to 2017, will join Kellen Moore’s staff in New Orleans. Tolzien was on the Dallas coaching staff with Moore two years ago. In New Orleans, Tolzien will work with Derek Carr to implement Moore’s offense after Moore led the Eagles offense to a productive season that ended with a Super Bowl championship. The Saints also added RB coach Joel Thomas, formerly of the Giants, to the coaching staff.

Rehkow, 25, signed with the Bengals as a free agent last July and appeared in all 17 games as a rookie. His gross punting average (49.1) and net average (42.9) each set a Bengals single-season record and led all rookies. In Week 1 vs New England, he set an NFL single-game record with 64.5 yards per punt (minimum four attempts), and set a team record for longest punt (80 yards). Prior to joining the Bengals, Rehkow signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was released in June.