The Kansas City Chiefs are signing L'Jarius Sneed to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, his agents, the Katz Brothers, told ESPN's Adam Schefter, reuniting the cornerback with the team that drafted him in 2020.
The Chiefs traded Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in 2024 after placing the franchise tag on him that year. The Titans released Sneed on March 13 of this year in a move that saved the team $11.4 million in salary cap space.
In a video posted to his Instagram account Sunday afternoon, San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk spoke for about a minute and a half, seemingly offering his first public comments about his current situation with the team.
Paired with a caption that reads "If you scared just say dat," Aiyuk spent most of the 91 seconds of the video describing an unspecified entity as "little boys" and "female dogs" who are afraid. Aiyuk never explicitly mentions the 49ers by name, but a logical interpretation of the video is that he believes the team is afraid to release him because he could land elsewhere and eventually make it regret letting him go.
A Texas judge granted Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby a preliminary injunction Monday that blocks the NCAA from enforcing its ruling of permanent ineligibility against him, potentially clearing the way for him to play for the Red Raiders this fall.
Judge Ken Curry ruled that Sorsby's attorneys demonstrated he would suffer irreparable harm if barred from playing in 2026. As a condition of the injunction, Sorsby will sit out Texas Tech's first two games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State and must continue counseling and treatment for diagnosed gambling and anxiety disorders.
The NCAA declared Sorsby permanently ineligible after determining he had wagered approximately $90,000 on professional and college sports over four years, including 40 bets on Indiana football games during his freshman season in 2022. The organization denied Texas Tech's reinstatement appeal Friday.
"The NCAA strongly disagrees with the court's ruling in Sorsby's case and is deeply concerned about the damaging, far-reaching and broadly destabilizing ramifications of this outcome," the NCAA said in a statement. "The NCAA is committed to supporting student-athlete mental health but must continue to aggressively defend against actions that defraud college athletics and threaten competitive integrity."
Sorsby's lead attorney Jeffrey Kessler framed the two-game suspension as a fair resolution.
"Brendan gets to devote himself to his team and the education of athletes on the dangers of gambling addiction," said Kessler. "He will continue his treatment, miss two games, and there is no injury to the competitive integrity of the NCAA. It is what we proposed and what the NCAA should have accepted."
Sorsby has acknowledged placing at least 2,900 bets totaling more than $30,000 during his two years at Indiana, at least 165 bets totaling $38,000 during two seasons at Cincinnati, and additional wagering after transferring to Texas Tech in January. He completed a 35-day inpatient rehabilitation program in Goodyear, Arizona in May.
The NCAA is expected to appeal, though the timing of any formal judicial resolution could extend beyond the 2026 season, rendering a ruling moot. The organization's president Charlie Baker called for congressional intervention, citing the Protect College Sports Act as necessary legislation.
Sorsby, a 6-foot-3 senior, threw for 7,208 yards and scored 82 total touchdowns at Indiana and Cincinnati and was ranked the top transfer quarterback this offseason. He faces a June 22 deadline to decide whether to enter the NFL supplemental draft. Texas Tech opens its season September 5 against Abilene Christian.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett will attend the team's mandatory minicamp this week despite an unresolved contract dispute, sources told ESPN. A new deal is not expected to be completed before practices begin Tuesday and Wednesday.
Brissett had skipped all of Arizona's offseason program, including Phase 1, Phase 2 and three organized team activities, while seeking a reworked contract. He faced $107,911 in potential fines under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement if he missed the mandatory sessions. The extent of his on-field participation this week remains uncertain, sources said.
The 33-year-old is in the second year of a two-year deal signed in March 2025 that pays him $4.88 million, rising to a potential $5.39 million, with only $1.5 million guaranteed. By comparison, Gardner Minshew II, signed by Arizona in March, received $5.14 million guaranteed for 2026.
Both sides were described as "significantly" far apart as recently as May, per a source who spoke to ESPN at the time.
Brissett was told earlier this offseason he would serve as the Cardinals' presumed starter. He started 12 games for Arizona in 2025 and ranked as the NFL's top quarterback from Week 6 onward in dropbacks, play-action attempts, completions and total attempts. He finished second in passing yards and fourth in completion percentage above expected during that stretch.
Browns cornerback Denzel Ward said he wants to remain in Cleveland, even after the team traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.
"I definitely still want to be here," Ward said Saturday at his inaugural celebrity softball game. "Myles is a good friend of mine, a great teammate, but things aren't lost. It's Ohio against the world. So people could doubt us, but we're going out there still trying to play our best ball and bring wins to the city."
The Chicago Bears' board of directors voted Friday to prioritize Hammond, Indiana as the preferred site for a new stadium, escalating pressure on Illinois lawmakers after the state's spring legislative session ended without a viable stadium funding solution.
In a joint statement, Bears chairman George McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren framed the Hammond project as a regional opportunity.
"We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city," they said. "It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses."
Friday's board vote marks the first formal organizational action on the stadium question, though team officials and Illinois lawmakers both stressed the decision is not final. The Bears still must identify an exact Hammond site, complete environmental and traffic studies, and secure financing commitments from the newly established Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority before any project can advance.
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun welcomed the development on social media, citing potential economic benefits for the region. Indiana signed legislation in February creating a stadium authority with land acquisition and financing powers, specifically designed with the Bears in mind.
Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner said Bears president Warren committed to continuing discussions about an Illinois stadium despite Friday's vote. Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch noted the state's megaprojects bill, which the Bears supported, passed the House in April but collapsed in the Senate last week.
The Bears purchased the 326-acre Arlington Heights property in spring 2023 for $197.2 million. Their current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said publicly this offseason that contract extension discussions with the team are far from his expectations, and he has set a self-imposed deadline of training camp to get a long-term deal done.
Mayfield, speaking through agent Tom Mills, told the club that negotiations must conclude before camp opens in late July. General manager Jason Licht has stated no specific timeline exists on the team's end.
"Obviously, yes, I would love to have a long-term deal done, but they know my deadline: As soon as training camp starts, we're not doing any contract stuff. It's all ball," said Mayfield. "It's not up to me when that gets done by. So hopefully before that. If not -- still going to have a good year."
Mayfield is entering the final year of a three-year extension signed in 2024 at $33.33 million annually, ranking 16th among NFL quarterbacks. He threw for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2025 after back-to-back elite seasons that produced consecutive division titles.
Mayfield also addressed the departure of wide receiver Mike Evans, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers after 12 seasons in Tampa.
"There's no way to sugarcoat it -- it's disappointing to not have him back," said Mayfield. "Just the caliber of player he is -- he's a Hall of Famer -- I thought he deserved to be a Buc for life."
Mayfield expressed confidence in Chris Godwin leading a receiving corps that also includes Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Tez Johnson.
Despite the contract uncertainty, Mayfield was direct about his commitment.
"We'd love to be here long-term," said Mayfield. "I'm under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker and the staff know that I'm still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl."
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday he expects wide receiver George Pickens to attend the team's mandatory minicamp June 16-18, despite the receiver skipping all voluntary offseason workouts and organized team activities. Schottenheimer spoke with Pickens directly on Wednesday.
"I expect he'll be here," said Schottenheimer. "I think he's in a good spot, but, again, I know he's handling his business. I know he misses his teammates, [and] we miss him too. You know how we feel about him. We love him. This is just part of the business."
Pickens signed the $27.3 million franchise tag earlier this offseason after Dallas declared it would not pursue a long-term extension. Failure to report for training camp would subject him to fines under the collective bargaining agreement.
Even if Pickens attends minicamp, his participation could be restricted given his absence from the program's first two phases. Last season, Micah Parsons attended minicamp without practicing amid his own contract situation.
Dallas has shown no indication its position on a long-term deal will shift, despite recent extensions for Atlanta's Drake London and Green Bay's Christian Watson. The Cowboys and Pickens have until July 15 to negotiate a multi-year contract before the franchise tag locks in for the 2026 season.
Pickens posted career highs across the board in his first Cowboys campaign, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns after arriving from Pittsburgh.
Schottenheimer acknowledged the value of voluntary attendance while stopping short of criticizing Pickens.
"How do you prove to your teammates that you're doing everything in your power to be the best version of yourself if they don't see you doing it?" said Schottenheimer. "I have no question George is preparing, just like I had no questions what Micah was doing or whoever."
The Green Bay Packers have signed Christian Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million extension that includes a $31 million signing bonus, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The deal follows Jayden Reed's three-year, $50.25 million extension signed April 24.
Watson, 27, had been playing on a one-year, $11 million bridge contract signed last September while recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the 2024 season.
The new money average of $27.6 million per year nearly matches the franchise tag figure applied to Dallas Cowboys receiver George Pickens ($27.3 million).
Watson's return from injury was striking as he recorded 35 catches for 611 yards and six touchdowns over the final 10 games of last season, leading the NFL in yards per catch (17.5) from Weeks 8 through 18. Seventeen of his 35 receptions gained 16 or more yards, a rate that ranked third among all players with at least 30 catches.
The extensions arrive after Green Bay allowed Romeo Doubs to depart for the New England Patriots in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Watson addressed those departures during OTAs.
"It was definitely tough to see those guys go because they're great friends of mine, great teammates," said Watson. "This thing always keeps on moving. I definitely think they'll be a lot more opportunities for the guys who are out there this year, myself included. Just got to embrace that and continue to make plays when our numbers are called."
Quarterback Jordan Love expressed confidence in the rebuilt receiver group.
"We've still got a very deep receiver room," said Love. "We've got Christian, we've got J. Reed, we've got M.G., guys who are all going to continue to keep building, keep taking those steps."
Watson, Reed and 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden are projected as Green Bay's top three receivers heading into the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to a four-year, $42 million contract extension with tight end Darnell Washington, including $21 million in guaranteed money, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. The deal makes Washington the second 2023 draft pick extended by the club in two days.
Washington, a third-round pick out of Georgia, posted career-best numbers in 2025, recording 31 receptions for 364 yards alongside Aaron Rodgers. He has scored a touchdown in each of the last two seasons.
The 6-foot-7, near-300-pound tight end has served as a primary red zone weapon for Pittsburgh. His rare size also allows him to overpower defensive backs in open space.
First-year head coach Mike McCarthy praised Washington's work ethic and football IQ ahead of the deal.
"Love Darnell," said McCarthy. "He's been here every day, classroom, good student. He's a pros pro. I've been very, very impressed with him. ... Year 1, as you get to know your players, there's certain schemes you may tilt one way or the other, variations of schemes. And definitely we've been doing that with our tight ends, and he's a big part of that reason."
Washington joins outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who formally signed a four-year, $100 million extension Wednesday, as members of general manager Omar Khan's first draft class to receive new contracts this offseason.
Herbig expressed strong enthusiasm for keeping the group together.
"I'd love to keep that whole class here," said Herbig. "I think we got a bunch of dogs in there. I'm excited. I think some things [are] going to happen. I hope so. Keeanu Benton is a dog. He's definitely one of the best in the league. ... I want to play my whole career with that guy. And me and Joey [Porter Jr.] developed a great bond. He's a dog, too. We need a lockdown corner, Peezy Island. Darnell is a freak of nature. He's like a monster. So definitely need Darnell back. Spencer [Anderson] is a dog, too. We still got [Broderick Jones]. We got dogs all across the board."
Pittsburgh has also expressed interest in extending defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., both from the 2023 class. The team declined the fifth-year option on offensive lineman Broderick Jones following a season-ending neck injury.
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