NFL News

How Darnold’s short 49ers tenure helped entice Vikings to sign him originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area Sam Darnold has found a new home in Minnesota with the Vikings, and apparently, his short 49ers tenure helped get him there. The 26-year-old quarterback has yet to live up to his expectations since being selected No. 3 overall by the New …

Henry McKenna AFC East Reporter The New England Patriots appear to be mostly sitting on their hands in NFL free agency. They seemed like the most-eligible bachelor for the league’s top free agents, at least in a fiscal sense. New England had more than $100 million to spend, the most in the NFL. And yet the team’s biggest moves (so …

Last year, we broke down the value of the No. 1 overall draft pick in trade discussions and listed what it would cost each potentially interested team to move up with the Bears and get to the No. 1 pick. The last team on our list was the Panthers, and while the trade parameters we listed weren’t followed exactly, by …

Austin Ekeler is in new territory for the 2024 season as he enters his first year in the NFL wearing a jersey other than the Chargers. The 28-year-old was with the Chargers from 2017 to 2023 and found a new home in the Washington Commanders this free agency, signing to a two-year contract. With this fresh start, Ekeler is motivated …

Four available free agents who fit 49ers’ biggest roster needs originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area The free-agent signing period has slowed, but the 49ers’ work may not be completed. One spot where San Francisco could look to bring in a player capable of starting is safety. And the market appears to be on their side, too, as there …

Leighton Vander Esch has announced his retirement from the NFL. The 28-year-old played his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, having recorded 469 tackles (269 solo), 13 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He also defended 13 passes and forced three fumbles.  “Playing for the Jones family [and the coaching staff] have been the best days of my life. …

The Buffalo Bills have locked down one of their best defensive players for the future. On Monday, ESPN reported that Buffalo had signed All-Pro cornerback Taron Johnson to a three-year extension. The extension reportedly makes him the NFL’s highest-paid nickel corner.  Johnson had one more year remaining on his deal, so this new extension carries him through 2027. The Bills …

USATSI The Pittsburgh Steelers made an abrupt change at quarterback this weekend, trading 2022 first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett before acquiring Justin Fields. Days after the initial move, Pickett has addressed his sudden move to the Philadelphia Eagles, telling reporters Monday “it was time” for a split from Pittsburgh, all but acknowledging discord with Steelers decision-makers. “I just thought it …

Ralph Vacchiano NFC East Reporter The New York Giants met with Russell Wilson last week. Then they signed Drew Lock. They have also heavily scouted all the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and they’ve spoken to teams about the possibility of trading up, presumably to take one. And all of this comes one year after they gave a four-year, …

The Dolphins have added another piece to their offensive line. The team announced the signing of former Eagle Jack Driscoll. No terms of the deal were disclosed. Driscoll was a 2020 fourth-round pick and he appeared in 58 regular season and playoff games while with the NFC East club. Driscoll started 17 of those games and saw time at both …

Former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is calling it a career. After six years in Dallas, Vander Esch will announce on Monday that he is retiring from the NFL, according to ESPN. The Cowboys released the 28-year-old Vander Esch last week as part of a series of cap-clearing moves, but it was widely expected that he would announce his …

Getty Images The Cleveland Browns found a way to re-sign pass rusher Za’Darius Smith this offseason, but they also may be prepared to take a flier on a veteran who hasn’t played since the 2020 season. According to NFL Media, Aaron Lynch was in Cleveland this week, and participated in a “positive” workout for the Browns Monday. Lynch, who turned 31 …

Getty Images Less than a week after getting spurned by a kicker in free agency, the Jaguars have finally signed one. The team has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Joey Slye.  The Jaguars went into free agency looking for a kicker and they thought they had one last week when they agreed to terms with Wil Lutz. …

Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch will be calling it a career. Per multiple reports, the former Cowboy will be retiring today. A first-round pick in 2018, he made it to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Last year, injuries limited him to only five games. He has had neck issues dating back to college. The Cowboys released him last week, after …

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! After a crazy first week of free agency, I thought for sure that things would slow down over the weekend, but I was wrong. The Steelers pulled off the most surprising trade of free agency so far by acquiring Justin Fields in a deal with the Bears.  We’ll be breaking …