AARON DONALD, RAMS REUNION NEARING REALITY WITH OFFICIAL WORKOUT
Aaron Donald worked out for the Rams on Wednesday, the strongest indication yet the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is tapping out on retirement.
Word of Donald’s workout appeared on the NFL’s official transaction log released at 4 p.m. ET daily. Because the workout was held at the Rams’ team facility and Donald used official gear, the Rams are required to report his participation to the league or risk disciplinary action.
“Did it come across as a tryout?” Rams coach Sean McVay asked NFL media members gathered after practice.
“Best tryout we’ve ever had. I think he could make the team.”
A nearly certain Pro Football Hall of Fame selection when his eligibility arrives (five years post-retirement), Donald had 111 career sacks in 10 NFL seasons with the Rams. He also had 24 forced fumbles in 154 career games. Donald turned 35 in May, about one month before discussions of his potential return to the Rams escalated.
Donald informed Rams defensive end Myles Garrett he was seriously considering rejoining the team after sitting out the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He’s officially on the NFL’s retired list. He can apply for reinstatement with the league office to be removed from the retired list. It’s likely the NFL would grant the Rams an exception for their training camp roster until Donald is ready to be activated.
Garrett, acquired from the Browns in the offseason deal that involved Jared Verse, and McVay recently voiced optimism that Donald was ready to play again.
McVay said last week things were “going in the right direction” with Donald.
Garrett, 30, is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He set the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23 last season. He has 125.5 career sacks in nine seasons.
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REPORTS: WR STEFON DIGGS TO SIGN WITH COMMANDERS
The Washington Commanders are set to sign four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, multiple outlets reported on Wednesday.
Diggs, 32, played last season with the New England Patriots and posted his seventh 1,000-yard campaign in the past eight years.
ESPN reported Diggs is getting a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $12 million with incentives.
New England released Diggs on March 4 after he played one season on a three-year, $63.5 million contract.
On May 5, Diggs was acquitted by a jury in Dedham (Mass.) District Court of strangling or assaulting his private chef in an alleged incident from December.
The following month, the NFL reportedly determined that there was insufficient evidence of any violations by Diggs of the league’s personal conduct policy. That means he is not facing a suspension for the 2026 season.
Returning from a torn ACL, Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games last season. He added 110 yards and a touchdown on 14 receptions over four playoff games as the Patriots reached Super Bowl LX, losing 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks.
The Maryland product was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills from 2020-23.
Diggs played five seasons for the Minnesota Vikings (2015-19) before joining the Bills. He also played for the Houston Texans in 2024 before signing with the Patriots and has 942 catches for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns in 161 regular-season games (153 starts).
Diggs would provide a quarterback-friendly target for third-year Commanders star Jayden Daniels, whose current wide receivers include veteran Terry McLaurin, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey and Dyami Brown.
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CARDS RB JEREMIYAH LOVE WILL NOT PLAY IN HALL OF FAME GAME
Rookie running back Jeremiyah Love will not take the field in the Arizona Cardinals’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur confirmed the status for Love, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With Love on the sideline, the Cardinals are expected to feature offseason acquisition Tyler Allgeier, among others.
Love was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season at Notre Dame, finishing third behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.
Love won the Doak Walker Award winner as the top running back in college football.
He racked up 199 carries for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, as well as 27 receptions for 280 yards and three TDs. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry and his 21 total touchdowns broke the Fighting Irish’s single-season record set by Jerome Bettis (20) in 1991.
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REPORT: 49ERS REACH DEAL WITH WR KHADAREL HODGE
The San Francisco 49ers addressed their ailing wide receiver position by coming to terms on a contract with KhaDarel Hodge, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The report comes on the heels of the 49ers losing Ricky Pearsall to a season-ending knee injury.
Pearsall, a 2024 first-round pick, initially sustained the injury in Week 4 last season. He has 67 catches for 928 yards and three touchdowns in 20 career games (13 starts).
Hodge, 31, spent the past four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons but was limited to just three catches for 31 yards in 12 games (one start) in 2025. He spent the majority of his time competing on special teams.
He has 67 catches for 1,026 yards and two TDs in 118 career games (10 starts) with the Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Falcons. Hodge entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
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REPORT: FALCONS’ JALON WALKER SUSTAINED TORN ACL
Tests confirmed that Atlanta Falcons pass rusher Jalon Walker sustained a torn ACL and likely will miss the upcoming season, ESPN reported on Wednesday.
The report confirmed initial fears by the Falcons after Walker was carted off the field at training camp on Tuesday. He suffered the injury during a two-minute simulation in a non-padded 11-on-11 practice.
Teammates took a knee and surrounded Walker as he was being treated, bringing a somber end to Tuesday’s session.
The loss of the 15th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft is magnified given the team’s issues at edge rusher.
James Pearce Jr., who was selected 11 picks after Walker in that draft, was arrested on domestic violence charges in February. The NFL could opt to suspend him if it determines he violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
Walker, 22, had 5 1/2 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, nine quarterback hits and 36 tackles in 15 games (nine starts) in 2025.
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FALCONS RB BIJAN ROBINSON: A ‘DREAM’ TO STAY WITH ONE TEAM
Bijan Robinson is thrilled to remain with the Atlanta Falcons.
The star running back achieved one of his goals on Wednesday morning by signing a contract extension that spans through the 2030 season.
While financial terms were not disclosed by the team, multiple outlets reported the extension is valued at a maximum of $75 million over three years.
Robinson will become the highest-paid running back in NFL history with $51 million guaranteed and $37 million due as a signing bonus, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
“To keep playing with these guys and this organization, this is one of my dreams, to stay with one team,” Robinson said. “I think that is such a cool thing just because guys like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan they all stayed on their one team, so I think that is a cool legacy thing for yourself.
“I am excited for everybody to keep watching the gifts that I have been given, and hopefully we get to do some incredible things. The signing is great, but it is more so for me, just being able to be here and play for this organization.”
Robinson, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, had a league-high 2,298 yards from scrimmage in 2025 with 11 touchdowns and was named first-team All-Pro.
“Last year was a cool year,” he said, “but this year I want to be even better in all aspects.”
Robinson, 24, has scored 34 TDs in 51 career games (50 starts).
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2026 PREVIEW: CINCINNATI BENGALS
Changes:
Offense: HC Zac Taylor and OC Dan Pitcher return for their eighth (Taylor) and third (Pitcher) seasons in their current role. I don’t expect many significant changes to how this team operates offensively.
Defense: Al Golden managed to keep his job after his defense allowed 28.9 points per game in 2025 (third most ahead of only the Jets and Cowboys).
Personnel Changes ::
The two biggest free agent additions for the Bengals were DE Boye Mafe and S Bryan Cook. Also added DT Jonathan Allen.
Lost OG Lucas Patrick, S Tycen Anderson, CB Cam Taylor-Britt, S Geno Stone, CB Marco Wilson, DE Joseph Ossai, TE Noah Fant, and, most notably, DE Trey Hendrickson via free agency.
Traded for DT Dexter Lawrence.
The Bengals had one of the most mundane drafts in 2025, with no picks projected to begin the season as a starter.
For the most part, the Bengals head into 2026 with a similar situation to that of the previous four to five seasons.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Ravens x2, Steelers x2, Browns x2
AFC South (4)::
Jaguars, Titans, @Texans, @Colts
NFC South (4)::
@Falcons, @Panthers, Saints, Buccaneers
Chiefs, @Dolphins, @Commanders
Joe Burrow is presumably healthy. That is a massive deal for this team after the standout veteran quarterback missed more than six games for the third time in six professional seasons in 2025 (missed nine games, or about half the season). Furthermore, the offensive core of Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown remains intact after three consecutive offseasons where one of those players were involved in some sort of contract dispute or speculation. The team also failed to address either tight end or slot wide receiver in free agency or the draft, keeping the expectation of elite concentration intact. This appears to be another year of “fantasy goldmine” in Cincinnati, with the bulk of the concentration likely to fall on Burrow, Chase, Higgins, and Brown. Burrow has thrown for 35 or more touchdowns in all three seasons in which he remained completely healthy, peaking at an NFL-leading 43 in 2024. Furthermore, the team chose to retain head coach Zac Taylor, which gives the Bengals elite continuity.
Regardless of my feelings on Taylor as a coach and offensive mind (more on this below), this is still a highly concentrated, and powerful, offense that recently saw Chase finish as the overall WR1 (2024), Burrow finish as the overall QB3 (2024), Brown finish as the overall RB7 (2025), and Higgins finish in the top 15 at the position in fantasy points per game (twice). I’ll continue to put my personal thoughts of the offense aside and draft these players as if they have overall number one at their respective positions within their ranges of outcomes (they do).
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: CLEVELAND BROWNS
Changes:
Offense: Kevin Stefanski was fired by the organization in early January, paving the way for Todd Monken to get his first crack at a head coaching gig at the NFL level.
Defense: Mike Rutenburg gets his first crack at defensive coordinator duties after serving in various roles during his career.
Personnel Changes:
Major free agent departures include OG Wyatt Teller, LB Devin Bush, DE Cameron Thomas, LB Mohamoud Diabate, RB Jerome Ford, and CB Martin Emerson, while the team also released TE David Njoku and OT Jack Conklin.
Traded for OT Tytus Howard, signed OGs Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, and drafted OT Spencer Fano in the first round.
Drafted WR KC Concepcion in the first and WR Denzel Boston in the second. Bolstered OL depth with OT Austin Barber in the third and C Parker Brailsford in the fifth.
Added LB Quincey Williams via free agency.
Drafted physical specimen QB Taylen Green in the sixth.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Bengals x2, Ravens x2, Steelers x2
AFC South (4)::
Texans, Colts, @Jaguars, @Titans
NFC South (4)::
@Saints, Falcons, Panthers, @Buccaneers
Raiders, @Giants, @Jets
Todd Monken is one of the most adaptable offensive minds currently in the league, one that can be counted on to maximize the talent he has at his disposal. His spread-style offense aims to create space for his players, utilizing RPOs, play action, and pre-snap motion to make reads easier for his quarterback while simultaneously stressing the opposing defense in multiple planes. One of the key aspects of Monken’s offense that is so terrifying for opposing defenses is his desire to generate explosive plays, most often coming via aggressive downfield passing. It has been a long time since we’ve seen Deshaun Watson find success in attacking downfield, but he represents their best chances of running a successful and consistent offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, first-time defensive coordinator Mike Rutenburg inherits a defense that ranks first in total yards per game, opponent first downs allowed per game, third down percentage, fourth down percentage, total passing yards per game, and first downs per pass attempt since 2023. Furthermore, they ranked first in tackles for loss in 2025. This team has the inner makings of a division challenger.
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2026 NFL PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Changes:
Offense: Arthur Smith’s two-year tenure in Pittsburgh came to an end this offseason, with the team bringing in new HC Mike McCarthy and OC Brian Angelichio. The former is expected to call offensive plays after announcing as much in his introductory press conference. McCarthy has vast experience running the offense on game day as the head coach after doing so with both the Packers and Cowboys.
Defense: Patrick Graham comes over from his former position as the defensive coordinator of the Raiders to serve as the DC for the Steelers. Graham has been a DC in the league for each of the previous seven seasons.
Personnel Changes:
Traded for WR Michael Pittman Jr and drafted WR Germie Bernard in the second and WR Kaden Wetjen in the fourth.
The Steelers tendered unrestricted free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, meaning he would receive a 10 percent raise from his 2025 salary should he return to the team in 2026. Still no definitive answer from Rodgers, as has become customary in recent seasons.
Added two offensive linemen in the draft, taking OT Max Iheanachor in the first and OG Gennings Dunker in the third.
Added former Navy RB Eli Heidenreich in the seventh and FB Riley Nowakowski in the fifth.
Signed FA RBs Rico Dowdle and Travis Homer. Dowdle should work into a one-two punch with incumbent starter Jaylen Warren.
Added S Jaquan Brisker, CB Jamel Dean, and DE Sebastian Joseph-Day via free agency.
Released TE Jonnu Smith and OT Calvin Anderson.
Lost RB Kenneth Gainwell, WR Calvin Austin, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling, TE Connor Heyward, and OG Isaac Seumalo via free agency, while WR Adam Thielen retired.
Schedule:
Divisional Games (6)::
Bengals x2, Browns x2, Steelers x2
AFC South (4)::
@Jaguars, Texans, Colts, @Titans
NFC South (4)::
@Saints, Falcons, Panthers, @Buccaneers
@Patriots, @Eagles, Broncos
Mike McCarthy’s uptempo offense is rooted in West Coast methodologies, emphasizing a quick-hitting passing offense that stresses opposing defenses in the horizontal plane. Shotgun formations and outside zone run tendencies double down on the intent to generate mismatches to the short and intermediate areas of the field, with downfield passing typically layered in behind those primary principles. That’s about as different as you can get from Arthur Smith’s “bully ball” mentality that was near the top of the league in 13-personnel alignments the previous two seasons. Emphasizing the change in offensive identity were the team’s offseason actions, including the addition of free agent wide receiver Michael Pittman, the selection of wide receiver Germie Bernard in the second round, and the signing of running back Rico Dowdle through free agency.
The team maintains one of the most talented defenses on paper, something that should aid in their ability to remain in games, like what we saw throughout the Mike Tomlin era. That said, McCarthy’s forward-leaning offensive mentality and identity should have this team playing faster and more aggressive than we’ve seen in some time in Pittsburgh, meaning we could see the Steelers improving significantly upon the 58.0 plays per game they averaged last season (fifth fewest). Pittman and DK Metcalf offer a dynamic one-two punch at wide receiver, with Pittman’s skillsets seemingly a perfect balancing act to pair with Metcalf’s freakishly athletic traits.
Jaylen Warren finished behind only De’Von Achane in explosive run rate behind outside zone concepts a season ago, of players to see 50 or more carries in that split. He also led the league in YPC on outside zone runs, again, of players to see 50 or more carries in that split. He appears to be a perfect match for McCarthy’s system that looks to generate running lanes to exploit via outside zone concepts by spreading an opposing defense horizontally. Dowdle has both experience in outside zone concepts and familiarity with McCarthy after playing under him in Dallas two seasons ago. This team looks to have the makings of being able to take significant steps forward in the box scores and win column in 2026.
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