Cowboys place franchise tag on George Pickens as focus shifts to talks on a long-term deal By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
The Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on George Pickens on Friday, a move that would guarantee the receiver $27.3 million in 2026 while the sides work on a long-term contract.
Dallas used the non-exclusive tag on Pickens, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press, meaning he can negotiate with other teams but the Cowboys can match any offer. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because details of the tag weren't announced.
The Cowboys had been expected to use the tag on Pickens since last fall when he began to flourish in his breakout 2025 season coming off a trade from Pittsburgh , where his career got off to a rocky start.
The money is guaranteed if Pickens signs the one-year tender. The Cowboys and Pickens' representatives have until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract that would replace the one-year deal.
Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones said his dad, owner and general manager Jerry Jones, had a good conversation with Pickens at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. Stephen Jones sounded confident Pickens will play for the Cowboys this season.
“We're not putting any time frame on this,” Jones told the NFL Network. “We just love that George is going to be back. Jerry had a great visit with him yesterday. (Pickens) was fired up that he wasn't going to be going anywhere.”
If Pickens signs an offer sheet from another team and the Cowboys decide not to match it under the non-exclusive provision, the club would get the equivalent of two first-round draft picks. Dallas can't trade Pickens unless he signs the tender.
Pickens, who turns 25 on Wednesday, had career highs in catches (93), yards receiving (1,429) and touchdowns (nine) for one of the best offenses in the NFL last season. Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The 2022 second-round pick out of Georgia thrived alongside CeeDee Lamb, who is going into the second year of a $136 million, four-year contract that currently ranks him third among NFL receivers with an average annual value of $34 million.
Lamb missed the entire offseason and training camp in 2024 holding out for the deal he signed about two weeks before the season opener.
The Cowboys couldn’t use the tag on Lamb because he was going into the fifth year of his rookie contract. The fifth year is a team option that goes with all deals for first-round picks. Second-rounders have four-year deals, and Pickens earned $6.8 million on his rookie contract.
If Pickens signs the deal under the franchise tag in the next three months, he could be fined for not reporting to the mandatory offseason minicamp in June or training camp in July.
Pickens’ talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, but so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.
Ultimately, Pittsburgh decided to send Pickens to Dallas for a third-round draft pick and a swap of late-round selections between the teams.
The Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer never took issue with Pickens publicly in his first season as a head coach after a quarter-century as an NFL assistant. But Pickens and Lamb were benched for the first series in Las Vegas after missing curfew following a casino visit the night before the game.
Dallas has already reached a $24 million, three-year agreement to re-sign free agent running back Javonte Williams.
Like Pickens, Williams rejuvenated his career in the 25-year-old’s first season with Dallas. His 1,201 yards rushing were the most for a Dallas back since two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott had 1,357 in 2019.
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Packers hire Cam Achord as special teams coordinator following Rich Bisaccia's departure The Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Cam Achord is taking over as the Green Bay Packers’ special teams coordinator after spending the last two seasons working with the New York Giants.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur annnounced on Friday the hiring of Achord, who had been the Giants’ assistant special teams coach from 2024-25. Achord also was the New England Patriots’ special teams coordinator from 2020-23.
The Packers were seeking a new special teams coordinator after announcing on Feb. 17 that Rich Bisaccia was stepping down and ending his four-year tenure in that role.
Green Bay has a history of special teams struggles that preceded LaFleur’s arrival in 2019. Bisaccia was Green Bay’s third special teams coordinator in as many years when he was hired in 2022.
Special teams problems led to Green Bay’s early exit from the playoffs.
With the NFC North lead at stake, the Packers fell 22-16 in overtime at Chicago on Dec. 20 after the Bears recovered an onside kick to set up the tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Brandon McManus went 0 for 2 on field-goal attempts and missed an extra point in the Packers’ 31-27 NFC wild-card playoff loss at Chicago.
Green Bay does have one of the league’s best punters. Daniel Whelan is coming off a season in which he became the first Packer to lead the NFL in gross punting average since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
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Chicago Bears grant linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade The Associated Press CHICAGO
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears have agreed to let linebacker Tremaine Edmunds seek a trade, agent Todd France said Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Edmunds is entering the final season of a four-year, $72 million contract he signed in 2023 and could be released if he doesn't find a trade partner. He has a $17.4 million salary cap hit for next season, but the Bears would save $15 million in cap space by letting him go before the start of the league year next month. The Chicago Tribune first reported the Bears have agreed to allow Edmunds to seek a trade.
Edmunds helped the Bears go from worst to first in the NFC North. He led the team with 112 tackles despite missing four games with a groin injury and had four interceptions.
Chicago went 11-6 and won its first division title since 2018 after finishing last in the NFC North the previous season. The Bears advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, rallying to beat Green Bay in a wild-card thriller before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in the divisional round.
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Jets agree to trade Jermaine Johnson to the Titans for T'Vondre Sweat, AP source says By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
The New York Jets have agreed to trade pass rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the player-for-player swap of starting players cannot become official until the start of the NFL's new league year on March 11.
ESPN and NFL Network first reported the deal.
Johnson will be reunited with Titans coach Robert Saleh , who was the Jets head coach when New York drafted the defensive end in the first round with the 22nd overall pick out of Florida State in 2022.
Sweat was a second-round selection of the Titans out of Texas in 2024.
The trade of Johnson leaves the Jets with just one of their first-round picks from 2022: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was taken 10th overall that year. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, the fourth overall pick, was traded to Indianapolis in November.
The deal also puts the Jets in position to potentially take the best pass rusher in the draft in April with the No. 2 overall selection as coach Aaron Glenn tries to improve a defense that was among the NFL's worse during a 3-14 season. Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with three games remaining and hired Brian Duker last month to replace him. Glenn confirmed Tuesday at the NFL combine that he will call the plays on defense next season.
The 27-year-old Johnson was set to play next season on his fifth-year rookie option and could become a free agent next offseason. Considered a rising star during his first few years with the Jets, which included a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, Johnson had just three sacks a season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in the second game of 2024.
He had 13 sacks in 47 games with the Jets, had a touchdown on an interception return and forced one fumble and had a fumble recovery. Johnson, who had a career-high 7 1/2 sacks in 2023, will now be expected to provide a pass-rushing threat in Saleh's defense in Tennessee.
The 6-foot-4, 366-pound Sweat is a run-stuffing presence who should help anchor a defensive line that also includes tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs and edge rusher Will McDonald.
Sweat, who was taken 38th overall by the Titans two years ago, had three sacks and 85 total tackles in 29 games, including 28 starts. The 24-year-old nose tackle injured an ankle in Tennessee's season opener against Denver and landed on injured reserve before returning after missing five games and was an effective piece on the Titans' defensive line.
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Jets agree to trade Jermaine Johnson to the Titans for T'Vondre Sweat, AP source says By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
The New York Jets have agreed to trade pass rusher Jermaine Johnson to the Tennessee Titans for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the player-for-player swap of starting players cannot become official until the start of the NFL's new league year on March 11.
ESPN and NFL Network first reported the deal.
Johnson will be reunited with Titans coach Robert Saleh , who was the Jets head coach when New York drafted the defensive end in the first round with the 22nd overall pick out of Florida State in 2022. He'll also be back with defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton, who was his position coach with the Jets his first three seasons.
“New York, thank you for everything truly,” Johnson wrote on X . “The love I’ve been shown here for the past 4-5 years has been nothing short of amazing, both on and off the field. Y’all will always hold a special place in my heart. Wish all of my former coaches and former teammates the best!! Thank all of y’all for sharing a battlefield with me.”
He closed with: “11 out,” referring to his jersey number with the Jets, and added a salute emoji.
The trade of Johnson leaves the Jets with just one of their first-round picks from 2022: wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who was taken 10th overall that year. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, the fourth overall pick, was traded to Indianapolis in November.
The deal also puts the Jets in position to potentially take the best pass rusher in the draft in April — possibly Ohio State's Arvell Reese, Texas Tech's David Bailey or Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. — with the No. 2 overall selection as coach Aaron Glenn tries to improve a defense that was among the NFL's worse during a 3-14 season. Glenn fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks with three games remaining and hired Brian Duker last month to replace him. Glenn confirmed Tuesday at the NFL combine that he will call the plays on defense next season.
The 27-year-old Johnson was set to play next season on his fifth-year rookie option, but will save the Jets $13.4 million on the salary cap and he could become a free agent next offseason. Considered a rising star during his first few years with the Jets, which included a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, Johnson had just three sacks a season after tearing his right Achilles tendon in the second game of 2024.
He had 13 sacks in 47 games with the Jets, had a touchdown on an interception return and forced one fumble and had a fumble recovery. Johnson, who had a career-high 7 1/2 sacks in 2023, will now be expected to provide a pass-rushing threat in Saleh's defense in Tennessee.
Sweat was a second-round selection of the Titans out of Texas in 2024. The 6-foot-4, 366-pound run-stuffing presence should help anchor a defensive line that also includes tackles Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs and edge rusher Will McDonald.
“Much love to the Tennessee Titans for the journey, the grind, and the unforgettable moments,” Sweat posted on X . "Forever grateful for the love, the lessons, and the fans who rode every high and low with me. To the New York fans I feel that energy already. Thank you for the welcome, the passion, and the belief.
“New chapter. Same hunger. Let’s do it, baby.”
Sweat, who was taken 38th overall by the Titans two years ago, had three sacks and 85 total tackles in 29 games, including 28 starts. The 24-year-old nose tackle injured an ankle in Tennessee's season opener against Denver and landed on injured reserve before returning after missing five games and was an effective piece on the Titans' defensive line.
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NCAA rules panel proposes letting player ejected for targeting in 2nd half to play entire next game The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Division I football rules makers have proposed a one-year trial rule allowing a player disqualified for targeting for the first time to play in his team's next game regardless of which half the penalty was assessed, the NCAA announced Thursday.
Currently, players disqualified for targeting must miss the rest of the game and, if the penalty occurs in the second half, sit out the first half of the next game.
Under the Division I Football Rules Subcommittee's proposal, a player disqualified for targeting a second time during the season would miss the first half of the next game. A third targeting ejection in the same season would cause the offending player to miss the entire next game.
Targeting is forcible contact with an opponent's head or neck area where the offending player often uses the crown of his helmet to make contact or launches his body into the opposing player above the shoulders.
Oversight committees for the Bowl Subdivision and Championship Subdivision must approve proposals before they become official. Those committees meet next month.
There were 117 targeting fouls enforced last season in the FBS, and 64 players who were penalized in the second half had to sit out the first half of the following game, national coordinator of football officials Steve Shaw said Friday. Five players were called for targeting a second time, and there were no three-time offenders.
Shaw said the average number of targeting penalties enforced has decreased from a high of 0.27 per game in 2020 to 0.13 last season.
“If you go back and watch film from 2017 or ‘18 versus today, the players play the game differently,” he said. “The hits on the quarterback, hits on receivers and defenseless players, the game has changed in a positive way and our injury rate shows that. We can’t let up, so with this experimental change, we’re going to monitor this very closely and make sure it doesn’t change behavior."
Dress code
The rules subcommittee proposed that players wear leg coverings from the top of their shoes to the bottom of their pants. Players would have to wear the same covering style and colors for that particular game.
Players out of compliance with the rule would have to leave the game for at least one down and correct the issue. A team would receive a warning for the first offense.
If a team has a second offense under this proposal, the offending team would be given a 5-yard penalty. Any subsequent violations of the rule would result in a 15-yard penalty.
“The current look of the uniform is clearly not meeting the expectations of the college football community,” Edds said. “This will take a collective effort by administrators, coaches and officials to communicate expectations to players and equipment managers. This proposal, we believe, is definitive and gives us a chance for consistent enforcement across Division I football.”
Fair catch kick
Under a proposal, a team could choose to attempt a fair catch kick after a completed or awarded fair catch. The kick would be a field goal place kick with a holder or a drop kick from the spot where the returner caught the ball. The defense would be at least 10 yards from the spot of the kick.
If the ensuing kick goes through the uprights, it would be worth three points.
Subcommittee members believe adding the rule would align Division I rules with those in the NFL and high school football. The rarely used play came up in 2024 in the NFL when the Los Angeles Chargers' Cameron Dicker converted from 57 yards against the Denver Broncos.
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Colts give injury-plagued QB Anthony Richardson permission to seek trade, AP source says By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have given quarterback Anthony Richardson permission to find a trade partner, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person requested anonymity because no formal announcement is expected.
Indy believed Richardson could become its long-time franchise quarterback when it drafted him with the No. 4 overall selection in 2023, but nothing has gone according to plan for the Colts — or the injury-plagued former Florida star.
The news came two days after Colts general manager Chris Ballard told local reporters he still believed Richardson could succeed in Indianapolis.
“I'm not going to say that,” Ballard said when asked if Richardson needed a fresh start with a new team. “Anthony's still young, he's still developing so we'll see what the future holds.”
It's not the first time Ballard has granted a player permission to look for a deal. Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor also was given the designation during a protracted contract battle in August 2023. Less than two months later, Taylor agreed to a three-year extension worth $42 million with Indy.
This time could be different.
Richardson's progression has not gone according to plan since he won the starting job as a rookie in training camp. He appeared in just four games and finished only one in 2023 before undergoing season-ending surgery on his right shoulder.
When Richardson returned in 2024, he continued to deal with injuries and inconsistency.
He started all 11 games in which he appeared that season but missed one game with a strained hip, two more with foot and back injuries and also was benched for two additional games after pulling himself out of a midseason game because he was “tired” after consecutive runs. He also finished that season with the lowest completion rate of any regular NFL starter, 47.7%, while throwing eight TD passes and 12 interceptions.
That prompted the Colts to sign free agent Daniel Jones last March.
Jones, the sixth overall draft pick of the New York Giants in 2019, beat out Richardson for the starting job last August. And as Jones thrived through the first half of the season, Richardson's injury problems continued.
He suffered another right shoulder injury in May and a dislocated finger on his right hand in August before enduring a season-ending fractured orbital bone in a freak pregame accident in October. The combination of Jones' strong play and Richardson's continued injury issues limited him to just two games in which he completed just 1 of 2 passes for 9 yards.
Jones could become a free agent again next month but is recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon that forced him to miss Indy's final four games. Indy lost all four and wound up missing the playoffs following an 8-2 start and is now attempting to sign Jones to a new deal.
“We're expecting him back for training camp, but the way he works and who he is, you know, it wouldn't surprise me if it's sooner,” Ballard said, updating Jones' status Tuesday. “He'll be back and he'll be ready to go, and I think he'll have a good year. We've hard great discussions with both of them (Jones and possible free agent receiver Alec Pierce), we'll continue to work this week and see if we can get something done. It's been very positive.”
But that only makes Richardson's future in Indianapolis more uncertain.
“He's a really good teammate, positive, wants to do the right thing,” Ballard said of Richardson. “So it's trending in the right direction, still got a ways to go but he's cleared to play, and he is getting better, so we'll work from there."
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Lynch: 49ers on the 'same page' with Trent Williams, optimistic he stays By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch said the team is on the “same page” as star left tackle Trent Williams and feels positive that Williams will remain on the team next season.
ESPN reported Tuesday that the two sides have been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract which would lower Williams’ projected salary cap hit of $38.8 million for next season. ESPN reported that the 49ers could cut Williams if no deal is reached.
Lynch told reporters later Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine that he has met with Williams and his agent, Vincent Taylor, in recent weeks in what Lynch described as “really good productive and substantive meetings.” Whether that leads to a resolution to keep Williams with the 49ers remains to be seen.
“Here’s what I know. Trent loves being a Niner. We love having Trent as a Niner. It’s up to us to figure that out and to thread that needle,” Lynch said. “There are some unique circumstances in that we all know what Trent is as a player, how great of a player he’s been. He’s going to be 38 years old and there’s some things that go into that. We’re all on the same page and feel very positive about where things are going.”
This wouldn't be the first time that the 49ers and Williams had a contract dispute with him holding out of all of training camp before the 2024 season before agreeing to a three-year deal worth $82.7 million that is entering its final season. Williams is owed a $10 million option bonus if he is on the roster on April 1 and has a non-guaranteed salary of $22.2 million for this season.
Williams said late in the season that he believed he still had “a few more years” remaining in his career and had no plans to leave the 49ers.
Because of previous bonuses already paid, Williams' cap hit for 2026 is the fifth largest for any non-quarterback next season. San Francisco would carry a $34.2 million dead cap charge if it decides to move on from Williams, but could split that over two years if it designates him a post-June 1 release.
Williams is coming off his 12th Pro Bowl season — the most for any offensive tackle — and is two shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews' record for any offensive lineman.
Williams made three straight All-Pro teams from 2021-23 before being hampered by injuries in 2024. He was healthy for most of last season, playing 16 games for the first time since 2013.
Williams' 40 pressures allowed last season were his most since his rookie season with Washington in 2010, according to Pro Football Focus, but he still remained one of the top left tackles in the game in both run and pass blocking.
The 49ers have not drafted a tackle with a day one or day two draft pick since acquiring Williams from Washington during the 2020 draft, leaving the team with no obvious succession plan for when Williams' tenure in San Francisco is finished.
NOTES: Lynch also said the team re-signed 40-year-old long snapper Jon Weeks to a one-year deal. K Eddy Pineiro and P Thomas Morstead are set to be free agents if they don’t sign new deals before the start of the league year. ... Lynch said the 49ers will plan to release WR Brandon Aiyuk at the start of the league year after voiding his guarantees for 2026 last year.
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Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker says he plans to return for 11th season The Associated Press DETROIT
DETROIT (AP) — Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker has decided to return for an 11th season.
Decker announced his plans Tuesday on social media.
The 32-year-old Decker endured a shoulder injury for much of last year and acknowledged after the season that he was considering retirement.
“I want to make this decision moving forward informed,” Decker said in January after Detroit finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. “I don’t want to make it emotionally because if I make it emotionally, I already know what the answer is going to be.”
The Lions gave Decker time to make the call but wanted to avoid the timing that affected their plans on the offensive line last year when four-time Pro Bowl Frank Ragnow retired in June, months after the NFL draft and the start of free agency.
Decker signed a $60 million , three-year extension that put him under contract through the 2027 season as a key player in the franchise's turnaround .
Detroit drafted Decker out of Ohio State with the No. 16 overall pick in 2016.
With the offensive line as a strength, the Lions won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1957 when they reached the NFC championship after the 2023 season. The following year, they had a franchise-record 15 wins when they won a second straight division title before losing in the divisional round.
Decker, a native of Vandalia, Ohio, has played 140 games, all starts, for the Lions.
“It’s not lost on me on the fact that a lot of guys don’t get to spend their whole career with one team, and hopefully that’s in the cards for me,” Decker said in 2024.
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Vrabel calls for increased staffing at NFL replay center to help cut down on mistakes The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel called on the NFL to increase staffing at its replay command center to ensure reviews from all games are treated equally.
Vrabel spoke at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday and was asked about comments earlier this week by league executive Troy Vincent that there were a handful of mistakes made in replay last season in games played in the early Sunday afternoon window when as many as nine games were played at the same time.
“We need to make sure every game is treated the same — from the prime-time game on Sunday night to the prime-time game on Monday or Thursday or whether it’s one of those 1:00 games that is the lifeblood of our league,” said Vrabel, who is a member of the competition committee.
“So if it’s something we need to take care of in the offseason, staffing issues that need to be taken care of so that those things are looked at, we need to be really good at replay because there’s going to be mistakes on the field. ... We have to get to a system in replay that’s as close to 100% accurate as possible.”
Vincent said there were 322 stoppages for replay reviews this past season, including 171 that were made from the replay center in New York. He said five of those plays were mishandled, with the majority coming in the 1 p.m. ET window when there are more games being played simultaneously.
“There were five after we kind of took a step back and breathed — four of them (were) in the 1:00 window,” Vincent said. "Just volume and you go, ‘Ah, if we had to do that one again, just looking at it.’”
At least one of those plays proved crucial in the playoff race. Vincent cited a replay review in a Week 14 game that overturned a ruling on the field of an interception thrown by Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers. The decision cost Baltimore 46 yards in field position, and the Ravens eventually lost the game 27-22 when a potential go-ahead TD pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely was ruled incomplete by replay.
That call was not one of the five Vincent referenced, but he did say it warranted more discussion about what is or isn't a catch. A win in that game for Baltimore would have given the Ravens the AFC North title instead of the Steelers.
An increase in staffing at the replay command center during windows with more games would not solve all of the inequities in comparison to higher-profile games, which feature significantly more cameras used by the broadcasters.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former broadcaster and a new member of the competition committee, said that needs to be addressed as well.
“I do think that’s something we want to strive for as a league,” Lynch said. "I think there’s some uniformity you can get by requiring teams to have fixed cameras and things. I know all those things are being discussed, but that is a reality that the 1:00 games, there’s multiple games going on at the same time. So, the New York headquarters, they’re not going to have all their attention on that game. And then within that, the element that I talked about just not having the amount of cameras and angles. That’s a reality and something that we have to figure out because every game is important in our league, not just the prime-time games.”
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