The Indianapolis Colts have declined to exercise quarterback Anthony Richardson’s fifth-year contract option for the 2027 season, ensuring he will become an unrestricted free agent after 2026.
Friday marked the official NFL deadline for franchises to activate the fifth-year extensions on their 2023 first-round draft selections.
Activating the clause for the fourth overall pick would have committed the franchise to a guaranteed salary exceeding $22m.
Trade requests and uncertain future
This contractual decision further clouds the future of a player who was named the starting signal-caller just two weeks into his inaugural training camp.
The former first-round selection formally requested a trade in February and subsequently received permission to negotiate with other organisations regarding a potential move.
His desire for a fresh start follows the Colts’ recent commitment to Daniel Jones, who signed a lucrative two-year, $88m extension to become the established starter.
Amid the ongoing uncertainty, the former University of Florida standout has elected to bypass the team’s voluntary off-season workout programme.
Injuries blight early career
Despite the apparent friction, general manager Chris Ballard recently maintained that a reconciliation remains entirely possible.
“There’s definitely a scenario there,” Ballard said in March.
“He’s a good dude and he’s talented. I still want good for Anthony. I still think he’s got a lot in him.”
The raw prospect has endured a turbulent start to his professional career, severely hampered by recurring physical setbacks.
He missed 17 matches across his opening two campaigns and spent the majority of last season on injured reserve after sustaining an orbital fracture during a freak pre-game warmup accident.
In his 17 total appearances over three seasons, the heavily scrutinised prospect has recorded an underwhelming 50.6% completion rate, throwing 11 touchdowns alongside 13 interceptions.
The Dallas Cowboys’ acquisition of safety Caleb Downs has been ranked as the premier selection of the 2026 NFL Draft following a comprehensive review.
Evaluators analysed all 257 prospects selected over the three-day event to determine the top 100 acquisitions across the league.
The final rankings heavily factored in predraft value, scheme fit, addressed roster needs and the draft capital exchanged in trades.
A significant 40% of the top-rated moves came from Day 3 selections, highlighting the exceptional value found by franchises in the later rounds.
Cowboys secure defensive cornerstone
Downs was taken with the 11th overall pick in the first round but was widely regarded by scouts as a top-three draft talent.
The three-time All-American is expected to become an immediate playmaker within new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s revitalised system.
With his elite football intelligence and culture-setting abilities, the national champion is projected to develop into an All-Pro contributor during his rookie contract.
Raiders and Chiefs make aggressive moves
The Las Vegas Raiders secured what many consider the biggest steal of the weekend by drafting Jermod McCoy in the fourth round.
The highly rated cornerback originally fell to the 101st overall pick due to ongoing medical concerns surrounding a January 2025 anterior cruciate ligament tear.
However, the defensive back proved his fitness and explosive speed with a blistering 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his pre-draft workout.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs completed a decisive trade up from the ninth spot to select Mansoor Delane at number six overall.
It marked a rare top-10 selection for the reigning dynasty, who aggressively pursued the only available defensive back possessing a consensus first-round grade.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed a rarely used unrestricted free agent tender on veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers ahead of the post-draft deadline to protect their compensatory draft pick rights.
The strategic move ensures the franchise will receive valuable draft compensation if the 40-year-old signs with another NFL team before 22 July.
It also grants Pittsburgh exclusive negotiating rights if a deal is not reached with a rival organisation by that date or the start of training camp.
Under the conditions of the tender, the veteran could simply accept a 10% raise on his previous salary, earning him approximately $15m for the upcoming season.
Confidence remains over new deal
Despite applying the tag, team officials reportedly consider the manoeuvre purely procedural and remain highly confident of securing his signature.
Such tenders are highly uncommon in the modern era because players of his exceptional calibre rarely remain unsigned at this advanced stage of the league year.
The former Green Bay Packers star navigated a similar timeline last year, ultimately agreeing to a one-year contract just days before mandatory minicamp in June.
General manager Omar Khan previously expressed optimism at the NFL scouting combine that negotiations would conclude much faster during the current off-season.
Quarterback room expansion
While awaiting a final decision from their marquee signal-caller, the AFC North side proactively bolstered their offensive depth during the recent draft.
The team selected highly rated Penn State prospect Drew Allar in the third round to join a developing roster.
New head coach Mike McCarthy insists the rookie’s arrival will have absolutely no bearing on the ongoing contract discussions with their primary starter.
“This is about developing the room and trying to make the room as deep as we possibly can.”
McCarthy added that the focus remains entirely on building healthy competition alongside existing backups Will Howard and Mason Rudolph.
The squad will reconvene for their first voluntary organised team activities on 18 May, before mandatory minicamp begins in early June.
The Philadelphia Eagles have made NFL history by selecting Nigerian athlete Uar Bernard, a player with no prior American football experience, in the seventh round of the draft.
The 21-year-old was chosen as the 251st overall pick just four months after he began training for the sport.
Usually, franchises use the annual three-day event to select promising college prospects who possess a solid grounding in the game.
International Player Pathway success
The African prospect initially caught the attention of scouts while playing basketball and was subsequently invited to NFL camps on his home continent.
These specialised camps culminated in a coveted spot on the International Player Pathway programme.
During the programme’s Pro Day, the 6ft 4in prospect recorded a perfect 10.0 Relative Athlete Score to turn the heads of the Philadelphia scouting department.
Formidable physical attributes
Weighing 139 kilograms with only six percent body fat, the towering rookie possesses remarkable physical traits for the professional league.
He also demonstrated explosive athletic ability by running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds and achieving a 39-inch vertical jump.
The two-time Super Bowl champions clearly believe their new recruit possesses immense promise despite his unconventional sporting background.
“We wanted to take the chance on [Bernard],” stated Eagles general manager Howie Roseman.
“We’ve had great success with that programme.”
Finding late-round value
Locating hidden gems late in the selection process is notoriously difficult, though legendary quarterback Tom Brady famously emerged from the 199th pick in 2000.
The NFC East franchise will now hope their bold investment in raw athletic power yields similar long-term rewards.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has revealed that a lack of recent playoff success influenced his February resignation, as he confirmed a new broadcasting role with NBC.
The respected coach departed the franchise earlier this year after a highly successful tenure that had recently stalled in the postseason.
Speaking to Maria Taylor in his first interview since stepping down, the veteran play-caller admitted that his experienced roster needed a fresh voice in the locker room.
“I thought it was a good time for the organization, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin stated.
“We didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years.”
The historic Pennsylvania franchise has notably failed to secure a postseason victory since the 2016 campaign.
Transition to broadcasting
Following his departure from the sidelines, the former Super Bowl-winning boss has officially joined NBC as a football analyst.
He will feature on the network’s Sunday night pregame programme, which is set to broadcast on location at various stadiums throughout the upcoming NFL season.
“I just thought it’d be a great way to stay connected to the game and the awesome people in it,” he explained.
The new television pundit acknowledged feeling some natural apprehension about his career change, but described the discomfort as a positive catalyst for growth.
Rodgers predicted to stay
In his first public piece of analysis, the NBC contributor weighed in on the future of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers, who spent the past 12 months working closely with the former Pittsburgh boss, has yet to formally confirm his playing status for the upcoming season.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the experienced signal-caller, his former coach remains confident he will be the team’s quarterback in 2026.
“Man, if you got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR,” he said regarding the starting position.
“He’s got a love affair with the game of football and not only the game, but the process, the informal moments, the development of younger guys.”
Reflecting on his transition away from coaching, the newly appointed studio analyst noted that he recently experienced his first NFL draft as a spectator rather than a decision-maker.
The Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns have been awarded top marks for their roster-building selections in a frantic 2026 NFL Draft.
A remarkable 41 trades were completed across the three-day event, including eight blockbuster deals during Thursday’s opening round.
Four franchises received the highest possible ‘A’ grade from draft experts following their impressive manoeuvring of the selection board.
Conversely, the Los Angeles Rams drew widespread criticism after making a highly questionable reach for quarterback Ty Simpson midway through the first round.
Browns secure crucial offensive reinforcements
The AFC North franchise entered the annual recruitment event requiring urgent assistance on their offensive line and at the wide receiver position.
Armed with two first-round selections at number six and 24, they successfully secured highly-rated offensive tackle Spencer Fano.
That marquee acquisition was swiftly followed by the addition of dynamic receiver Austin Barber to bolster their perimeter attacking options.
Complete overhaul of the protection unit
Cleveland fielded an astonishing 14 different offensive-line combinations last season due to a severe injury crisis.
The Ohio-based outfit have since seen key stalwarts like Wyatt Teller depart for Houston, while Joel Bitonio and Jack Conklin currently remain unsigned.
In response, the front office aggressively pursued veteran reinforcements by trading for Tytus Howard and signing former Green Bay standout Elgton Jenkins.
The vital drafting of Fano now provides a long-term solution at left tackle to protect the quarterback in the upcoming campaign.
NFL free agent Michael Pennel Jr has been identified as a person of interest by authorities in the Dominican Republic after the body of a missing woman was discovered on a property he previously owned.
The 34-year-old defensive tackle owned a home in the northern coastal tourist town of Sosúa when 22-year-old Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche disappeared in September 2021.
Two sources close to the investigation confirmed to ESPN that the American athlete is now being examined as part of an active homicide inquiry.
The remains were unearthed in January when a worker dug a trench on the estate, which the former Kansas City Chiefs player sold last year.
Officials formally identified the deceased recently by matching DNA with a sample from her eight-year-old son.
Pennel strongly denies involvement
The veteran defensive lineman has fiercely rejected any connection to the tragedy.
This isn’t a story. I’m not legally involved. This is fake news being reported.
The Super Bowl LIV champion stated he had not been contacted by local law enforcement regarding the grim discovery.
His Dominican attorney, Alexander Valbuena, asserted that his client did not know the victim and was not in the Caribbean nation at the time she vanished.
Valbuena added that the player’s primary concern is getting to the bottom of the situation and has offered full cooperation to investigators.
Timeline of the disappearance
The national attorney general’s office noted that Guzmán had last been heard from on 5 September 2021, shortly after relocating to the gated community area.
At the time of her disappearance, the defensive specialist was briefly without a team.
He was released by the Chicago Bears on 31 August 2021, before signing with the Atlanta Falcons on 15 September.
Guzmán’s grandmother, Paula González, indicated that the family had no idea why the young student might have been at the Sosúa residence.
She was pretty, a student, very loving. Everyone loved her. She had lots of friends.
Authorities have reopened the case and continue to conduct interviews as the early stages of the homicide investigation unfold.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the NFL draft while the franchise awaits a decision on Aaron Rodgers’ playing future.
The AFC North franchise secured the 6-foot-5 prospect with the 76th overall pick on Friday night.
He arrives in Pennsylvania with the team’s quarterback situation heavily dependent on whether 42-year-old Rodgers chooses to retire.
The veteran signal-caller is currently mulling his options, leaving a depth chart that also features Mason Rudolph and Will Howard in a state of flux.
Ankle injury halts promising college finale
Allar saw his final collegiate season end abruptly last October after suffering a broken ankle against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Prior to the setback, the highly-rated passer had accumulated 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns across six appearances.
He had entered the campaign as one of the nation’s premier talents following a stellar run to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024.
The Nittany Lions eventually fell to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but their talisman finished that year with 3,347 passing yards and 24 scores.
Rewriting the university record books
Despite recent injury concerns, the 235-pound athlete departs the collegiate ranks with an impressive statistical legacy.
He topped the Big Ten conference in 2023 with 25 passing touchdowns while surrendering a mere two interceptions.
The imposing passer finished his university career as the program’s all-time leader in completion percentage at 63.2%.
He also cemented his place in local history by ranking third for career passing touchdowns with 61 and fourth in total passing yards.