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.

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 Rams signed Caldwell as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Caldwell is headed to Los Angeles after spending his collegiate career with four schools across five years. The 6-foot-4 quarterback spent the 2025 campaign with Texas, completing just eight of his 11 pass attempts for 85 yards and a touchdown. He could be a candidate to land on the Rams' practice squad.

Sports Illustrated's John Shipley projects Rodriguez to open the season as the Jaguars' lead running back.

"Though I am not sure there will be enough of a difference between [Rodriguez's] workload and Bhayshul Tuten's worth talking about," Shipley wrote Thursday. After Travis Etienne left for the Saints in free agency, Jacksonville signed Rodriguez to a two-year, $10 million deal. Rodriguez played for coach Liam Coen in college at Kentucky, and the Jaguars have pointed out how they like Rodriguez's ability to earn the tough yards after contact after he finished eighth out of 58 qualifying running backs in yards after contact per attempt (3.46) last season. The coaching staff certainly has an affinity for Rodriguez, and Tuten is going to have to show more than he did as a rookie (3.7 yards per carry) to earn more playing time.

Ekeler (Achilles) recently received full medical clearance for football activities and intends to continue his playing career in 2026, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Ekeler's 2025 season with the Commanders came to an end in Week 2, when he tore his right Achilles tendon on a non-contact play. The veteran running back underwent surgery soon thereafter and has apparently made a smooth recovery. While he's set to turn 31 years old in May, Ekeler isn't far removed from being one of the NFL's top pass-catching backs and could offer some utility in a depth role. Ekeler remains a free agent, but now that he's been given a clean bill of health, his market could pick up as teams look to fill out their running-back rooms prior to training camp.

The Bills signed VanSumeren (knee) to a one-year contract Wednesday, Alec White of the Bills' official site reports.

Philadelphia opted not to tender VanSumeren after his third season with the team back in March, but it didn't take long for him to get another shot with a new squad. His 2025 season ended prematurely due to him tearing his patella tendon during the opening kickoff of Week 1, but in the two years prior, his elite speed, strength and explosiveness allowed him to earn opportunities on special teams.

Kansas City waived Powell on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

After signing Emari Demercado in March and using a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Emmett Johnson on Saturday, the Chiefs found that they didn't have room for Powell anymore. The undersized running back will now have to look for another opportunity with a different team.

The Rams signed Connors as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Connors began his career at junior college before rushing for 977 yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries during the 2025 season while at Houston. With the Rams lacking proven talent at running back behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Connors has a chance to earn a spot on the final roster.

The Lions exercised Gibbs' fifth-year option for the 2027 season Tuesday, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

It was a no-brainer move for the Lions, and Gibbs will collect a fully guaranteed $14.293 million salary in 2027. That still puts him well below the $20.6 million per year Saquon Barkley is earning as the league's highest-paid running back. As long as Gibbs keeps producing like he has since coming into the NFL as the 12th overall pick in 2023, he should become the league's top-earning back soon enough. He's posted back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and has totaled 3,580 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground across three campaigns. In addition to his dynamic ability as a runner, Gibbs has secured 181 of 228 targets for 1,449 yards and 10 scores in 49 regular-season contests. With David Montgomery now out of the picture, replaced by Isiah Pacheco, the ceiling is even higher for Gibbs headed into 2026.

Williams signed as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders on Thursday.

Williams played his first three collegiate campaigns with Clemson before transferring to Indiana. In his final year of eligibility, he recorded 36 catches for 438 yards and six touchdowns over 15 games. Williams didn't have the most prolific college career and struggled to stay healthy at times, but he has good size at 6-foot-3 and could have a slight advantage over the Raiders' other rookie wideouts entering training camp because he played at Indiana with QB Fernando Mendoza, who Las Vegas drafted first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Las Vegas signed Rucker as an undrafted free agent Thursday.

Rucker finished a strong collegiate career by recording over 1,000 receiving yards with Arkansas State in each of his final two campaigns. He scored 11 touchdowns and averaged 72 catches during that two-year span, His biggest claim to fame, however, is his NCAA freshman record of 310 receiving yards in a contest against Louisiana-Monroe in 2020. He has good speed (4.38 40-yard dash) and stands 6-foot tall, but spending almost all of his time during college in the Sun Belt may have hurt his draft status. Regardless, Las Vegas isn't brimming with WR talent, so Rucker could feasibly see NFL action as a rookie if he impresses the organization.

Roberts signed as an undrafted free agent with the Raiders on Thursday.

Roberts played four seasons for BYU and averaged 53 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns over his final two campaigns. He has good height at 6-foot-4 but lacks vertical speed. Las Vegas has one of the league's least-established WR corps, so Roberts could compete for a roster spot as a depth wideout if he impresses in training camp.

Beatty signed with the Titans on Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

The Illinois product caught 64 passes for 826 yards in 2025, ranking in the top five in the Big Ten in both categories. Now, he'll try to compete for a roster spot with the Titans.

Montgomery signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent Thursday, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

The John Carroll product enjoyed a big season in 2025, recording 119 catches for 1,528 yards and 15 touchdowns. Now, he'll get his NFL chance with Tennessee.

Slayton (abdomen) recently underwent surgery on a core-muscle injury and will miss spring workouts, but he's expected to be available for training camp in July, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Slayton is expected to face a multi-month recovery timeline, but he would have plenty of time to ramp up ahead of the regular season in September if the veteran wide receiver is indeed cleared by the start of training camp. The Giants lost 2025 target leader Wan'Dale Robinson in free agency but are expected to get top wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) back in 2026 and bolstered their wide receiver room by signing Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin, in addition to drafting Malachi Fields in the third round, providing competition for Slayton's starting job.

Las Vegas signed Lauter as an undrafted free agent Thursday.

Lauter spent all four of his collegiate campaigns with Boise State and had his best season as a junior, when he caught 47 passes for 619 yards and seven touchdowns over 14 games. The 6-foot-4 tight end took a step back as a senior, however, recording just 330 yards and two TDs on 37 receptions across 13 contests. The Raiders have one of the NFL's best 1-2 combinations at tight end with Brock Bowers (knee) and Michael Mayer, so Lauter probably won't see much game-day action early in his career.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Kittle (Achilles) is aiming to be ready for the 49ers' Week 1 game against the Rams, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

This has been the sentiment all offseason after Kittle suffered a "clean" tear near the soleus muscle higher up on the Achilles in the 49ers' wild-card win over Philadelphia back in January, which typically results in a quicker rehab process. Working against Kittle, however, is his advanced age (32 years old) and just eight months between the injury and Week 1. The 49ers are surely going to be careful with Kittle and not rush him back just to have him at less than 100 percent for the first game of the 2026 season. Jake Tonges (foot) would be next in line at tight end if Kittle isn't ready to face Los Angeles in four months.

Seattle signed Bryant on Wednesday, Ari Horton of the Seahawks' official site reports.

The details of the deal are unknown at this point, but Bryant fits with the Seahawks' recent approach of seeking out hard-nosed tight ends. As for his competition, 2024 fourth-rounder AJ Barner, 2025 second-rounder Elijah Arroyo and veteran Eric Saubert are all likely to make Seattle's 53-man roster to start the 2026 season, but there's a decent chance the team keeps four tight ends, meaning one of Bryant or Nick Kallerup could potentially make the opening roster too.

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.

The Rams signed Jones as an undrafted free agent Tuesday.

Jones, who was with Arkansas in 2025, finished his collegiate career with 80 catches for 1,352 yards and 20 touchdowns. While he will likely face an uphill battle to make the team's final roster, he's a candidate to land on the practice squad.

The 49ers signed Dinkins as an undrafted free agent Sunday.

Dinkins caught 37 passes for 399 yards and seven touchdowns across his four seasons at Penn State. With George Kittle (Achilles) and Jake Tonges (foot) both dealing with injuries, Dinkins has a chance to make the team's final roster.

The Packers selected Smack in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 216th overall.

Smack joins Green Bay via the final pick of the sixth round as the first kicker off the board in the 2026 NFL Draft. As a freshman with Florida in 2022, he operated in a specialist role before taking over as the Gators' starting kicker from 2023-25, a three-year span in which he compiled an 82.8 percent field-goal conversion rate. Smack boasts a big leg, having converted 10 of 13 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards, and he'll have an opportunity to compete with Brandon McManus and Lucas Havrisik for the Packers' starting kicker gig this offseason.

General manager Chris Ballard said Monday that Shrader (knee) will kick with the team during training camp in July, JJ Stankevitz of the Colts' official site reports.

Shrader tore the ACL in his plant leg when he was run into on an extra-point attempt in Week 5 of the 2025 season versus the Raiders, but he appears to be progressing well in his recovery. Per Ballard, he recently made a 54-yard field goal during a workout. He performed well as Indianapolis' starting kicker last year before suffering the season-ending injury, making 13 of his 14 field-goal attempts and all 14 of his extra-point tries over five games, but Blake Grupe, who signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Colts in March, will be tough competition for the club's starting kicker job this summer.

General manager Brandon Beane said this week that Bass, who missed the entire 2025 campaign due to a pelvic injury that required surgery, is close to full health again. "If he's not 100 (percent), he's right at it," Beane said Monday as reported on the Bills' official site.

Bass has handled the Bills' kicking duties since being drafted in 2020, but the team was forced to go with Matt Prater and Michael Badgley in 2025. Bass never came close to suiting up due to a sports hernia that ultimately required surgery in November. Neither Prater nor Badgley is with the team any longer, so it looks like the Bills are comfortable with Bass being their main guy next season. He could prove to be a sleeper if he gets forgotten about due to his lack of 2025 stats, as well as the fact that the Bills have a new offensively minded head coach in Joe Brady to boost their Josh Allen-led attack.

Aubrey agreed to terms Monday on a four-year, $28 million contract extension with the Cowboys that includes $20 million guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Aubrey's new deal with Dallas is record-setting, and as Adam Schefter of ESPN reports makes him the first kicker in NFL history to earn $7 million annually on average. Across 17 regular-season appearances in 2025, Aubrey converted 36 of his 42 field-goal attempts and was especially clutch from 50-plus yards, going 11-for-17. The Cowboys initially assigned Aubrey a second-round tender as a placeholder to work out a long-term deal.

Karty signed his one-year ERFA tender offer with Arizona on Tuesday.

Karty will return to the Cardinals after the team poached him off the Rams' practice squad prior to Week 17 of last season. He suited up for eight regular-season games with Los Angeles in 2025 but struggled in that span, converting just 10 of 15 field-goal tries and 23 of 26 PATs. He'll provide Arizona with depth behind Chad Ryland at the kicker position this offseason.

Szmyt signed his exclusive-rights free-agent tender with the Browns on Monday.

Szmyt had a successful first NFL campaign last season, converting 24 of 27 field-goal attempts (including 5-for-6 from 50-plus yards) and 25 of 26 extra-point tries. He didn't miss a field goal following the Browns' Week 9 bye, going 14-for-14 over the team's final nine games. Szmyt will head into training camp as Cleveland's clear primary kicker.

Key signed his exclusive-rights free-agent tender with the Broncos on Thursday, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.

Once Denver made the tender offer, the safety had no choice but to remain with the team, or sit out the season. Key also was tendered by the Broncos for the 2025 campaign. He has appeared on more than 200 special-teams snaps in each of the last two regular seasons.

Davis was released by the Raiders on Thursday.

The linebacker appeared in two regular-season games and on 16 defensive snaps for Las Vegas in 2025, making three tackles (one solo). Through a five-year career, the 2021 first-round pick has now played for three teams. Davis recorded 76 or more tackles in each of his first three NFL campaigns, but he has finished with 18 or fewer in each of the last two.

Van Ness had his fifth-year option exercised by the Packers on Thursday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

The move keeps the 24-year-old under contract through 2027 and guarantees him a salary near $13.8 million. The three-year pro missed half of last season with an ankle injury, which caused him to finish with a disappointing 1.5 sacks and 19 tackles (12 solo). The 2024 season wasn't much better as he recorded 33 tackles (22 solo) and six tackles for loss in 17 games, but he at least combined for 7.0 sacks in his first two seasons. Green Bay's switch to a 3-4 defensive scheme could impact Van Ness' playing time, but with Micah Parsons still rehabbing back from a December ACL tear and pass-rush depth lost this season in the form of Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare, the new scheme won't be a reason the 2023 first-round pick would be kept off the field.

Campbell signed a one-year deal with the Ravens on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Campbell is heading back to the Ravens where he played from 2020 to 2022. The six-time Pro Bowler will be entering his 19th NFL season, and, at the age of 40, he doesn't seem to be slowing down. In 2025, he played all 17 games for the Cardinals and registered 43 tackles (23 solo) to go along 6.5 sacks. The Ravens needed to add more depth along the defensive front with the availability of Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington (Achilles) uncertain for 2026. Campbell has a chance to start at defensive end alongside veteran John Jenkins, who signed a one-year deal in early January.

The Bengals are declining Murphy's fifth-year option for 2027, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Murphy set career-best marks across the board in 2025 with 52 tackles (28 solo), including 5.5 sacks, but that wasn't enough to convince Bengals brass to pick up the 2023 first-round pick's fifth-year option. He remains under contract in 2026 on the fourth year of his rookie deal, and Conway adds that the Bengals are still hoping to work out a long-term extension to keep Murphy in Cincinnati despite choosing not to pick up his fifth-year option.

Fotu and the Giants agreed on a one-year contract Wednesday, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

Fotu will head to New York after recording 11 total tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sacks, over eight regular-season contests with the Texans and Raiders last year. The 28-year-old will provide the Giants with an additional veteran option at defensive tackle in 2026.