Super Bowl buzz: Latest on NFL free agency, trades, coaches

The Seahawks-Patriots matchup in Super Bowl LX is front and center in the NFL, but let’s not forget the offseason begins as soon as the confetti starts to rain down Sunday night. And Super Bowl week is a good place to gather intel on what could happen over the next few months for all 32 teams.

National reporters Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been in San Francisco all week, talking to execs, coaches, agents, scouts, players and other team sources. Which free agents could get a lot of interest in March? How might the QBs pan out in free agency? And what coaching moves are still coming as coordinator positions are filled? We touch on all of that, as well as the latest on Maxx Crosby’s trade candidacy, the open NFLPA director position and, yes, even the Super Bowl matchup.

Here is what Jeremy and Dan heard on the ground this week.

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Super Bowl teams | Coaching moves
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What we’re hearing about the Super Bowl teams

Graziano: As he gears up for the Super Bowl, remember that Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has a $15 million 2026 roster bonus that becomes fully guaranteed Feb. 13, along with $2.5 million of his 2026 salary. The Seahawks are rigid with their veteran contract structures and will not guarantee money outside of the first year, so when he signed with Seattle last offseason, Darnold’s only guaranteed money was his $32 million signing bonus and $5.5 million in 2025 salary and bonuses. (He has also earned $3 million in incentives and can add $1 million to that if the Seahawks win Sunday.) But the early trigger date on the 2026 guarantees functions as a mechanism to force Seattle to decide on Darnold (and other players with similar structures) well ahead of the start of free agency.

Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet were second-round picks (in back-to-back years). Walker is eligible for unrestricted free agency, and Charbonnet tore his ACL during this postseason. Walker and the Seahawks have said all week that they’re focused on Sunday’s game and not his free agency, but Walker is an explosive back who’s just 25 and hasn’t been overworked during his time in Seattle. He could be of interest to teams in free agency, and it’s fair to wonder if he could price himself out of Seattle’s future as the Seahawks look ahead to big-money extensions for players at premium positions, such as wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

One last note: Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori will play Sunday despite spraining his ankle in Wednesday’s practice, but there are questions about how much the injury will limit him. He did not practice Thursday but was a full participant Friday. Emmanwori has been a huge part of Seattle’s week-to-week defensive game-planning as a player whom the coaching staff can move around in and out of different roles. If he’s not at his best, that could create an opening for Drake Maye and the Patriots’ struggling offense.

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What we’re hearing on coaching and GM moves

Fowler: Coaching dominoes will fall in Seattle after the Super Bowl. Klint Kubiak is headed to Las Vegas, and he will need an offensive coordinator. Seattle quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is a natural candidate. He has been with Kubiak in Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle. I expect him to have some traction there, or possibly in-house with Seattle. Offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz has been on the offensive coordinator cycle in recent years and could get an in-house look, too. And running backs coach Justin Outten has also come up in league circles as a potential candidate.

Some people I’ve talked to here in San Francisco think Seattle coach Mike Macdonald will want to keep a similar, Kubiak-style system in place. One back-pocket item to store away: Seattle was very impressed with Mike Kafka during head coach interviews two years ago. He’s now a senior assistant in Detroit and could be a name to watch.

Graziano: One of the coaching moves that raised a lot of eyebrows this week was the resignation of longtime Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland after 13 years with the organization. Stoutland wasn’t fired, but the Eagles indicated to him that they were considering changing his role and giving the title of run game coordinator to someone else. Stoutland is at the point in his career where he didn’t feel he should have to accept a reduction in responsibilities, and so he left. Most people seem to think this is a massive loss for the Eagles, as Stoutland has been a constant amid coaching changes over the years and is credited with a lot of the Eagles’ offensive successes during that time.

There are also rumblings about the possibility that 35-year-old right tackle Lane Johnson and 27-year-old left guard Landon Dickerson are both considering retirement this offseason. Dickerson played through a ton of injuries this past season, and there’s some chatter that he might have had enough of putting his body through what it takes to get ready to play week in and week out. A lot of players go through these kinds of decisions every offseason, and it’s possible Dickerson and/or Johnson are back in 2026. But Stoutland won’t, and that could be just one part of an offseason of significant change for an offensive line that has formed the backbone of much of Philadelphia’s success over the past decade.

Fowler: Davis Webb taking over as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator is significant beyond the title. I’ve talked to several people in the league who believe that coach Sean Payton will eventually relinquish playcalling to Webb, a fast riser who had multiple head coaching interviews this cycle. Nothing has been decided as far as I understand. And the decision will be up to Payton, who has called plays at a high level for decades. But it wouldn’t be shocking if this happened gradually.

Graziano: The Browns had hoped they could talk defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz into staying after they hired Todd Monken instead of him as head coach, but Schwartz informed the team Thursday that he is resigning. There’s chatter connecting Schwartz with incoming head coach Klint Kubiak in Las Vegas for the defensive coordinator role, but I get the sense that Schwartz is more likely to sit out this year and resurface as a defensive coordinator again in the next cycle, if young, inexperienced, offensive-minded head coach candidates get some of the jobs next offseason.

In the meantime, one of the names to watch for defensive coordinator in Cleveland is Texans defensive passing game coordinator Cory Undlin, who worked with Monken as part of Jack Del Rio’s staff in Jacksonville a decade and a half ago. Houston’s defensive staff could lose a couple of guys to coordinator jobs. Cornerbacks coach Dino Vasso is a candidate for the defensive coordinator job on Mike LaFleur’s staff in Arizona but could also emerge as a candidate for that same job under Kubiak in Las Vegas. (Giants outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen is another candidate to watch for defensive coordinator in Arizona.)

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Fowler: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing in Minnesota leaves a heavy fallout for the Vikings to sort through. He was mildly surprised but not shocked by the firing, knowing his position demanded results. He knew the public pressure was on after the QB dominoes were not friendly to Minnesota, with former Viking Sam Darnold headed to the Super Bowl. This process began with the decision to passively pursue Darnold. A source described the Vikings’ efforts to re-sign Darnold as «basically a one-year commitment,» whereas Seattle offered more Year 2 money. The Vikings tried harder to sign Daniel Jones, but Jones had $14 million from Indianapolis and a clearer path to a starting job waiting for him.

Adofo-Mensah deserves some credit for the original signing of Darnold to a one-year deal. He had been tracking Darnold for years, part of a Christmas Eve brainstorming session early in his tenure where he broke down potentially available quarterbacks by categories, such as veterans with upside. For Adofo-Mensah, keeping Darnold beyond one year would’ve been a double-down on a quarterback he really liked. But in the end, the quarterback situation and the lack of production from draft picks were hard-to-ignore issues.

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What we’re hearing on QB availability

Fowler: The Bengals have expressed interest in re-signing quarterback Joe Flacco. They believe he’s a valuable backup who can be a viable starting option if Joe Burrow gets injured again. But Flacco will have options, possibly as a bridge quarterback elsewhere. The Vikings considered signing Flacco last offseason. And the Steelers will have an opening if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t re-sign there. Pittsburgh liked his free agency profile last offseason, too.

Speaking of Rodgers, he has emerged from the 2025 season refreshed. One source I spoke to said Rodgers is in a much better place coming out of his year with the Steelers compared with his previous two years with the Jets. He greatly valued his experience in Pittsburgh, and teammates raved about him, both publicly and in exit meetings with the team. The Steelers have been open to a Rodgers return since early in the season, and I don’t sense that has changed. The Steelers’ combination of head coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio makes the transition seamless.

On the flip side, the Steelers really like how Will Howard has developed. A preseason hand injury stunted his progress, but Pittsburgh believes it might have something; his command of the huddle, sharpness at the line of scrimmage and ability to ingratiate with teammates have stood out. Rodgers took pride in mentoring Howard, so another year of that pairing could be effective.

In Arizona, my sense is that Kyler Murray staying with the Cardinals is still possible. New coach Mike LaFleur is familiar with Murray’s game. Nothing is decided as LaFleur sorts through staffing issues. Keeping Murray could prove the path of least resistance. If he stays, Jacoby Brissett would become a workable trade candidate. He’s due a reasonable $4.88 million in base salary. He has friends in the league — such as Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski and Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich — who could have interest in getting him.

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What we’re hearing on a big-name trade candidate

Fowler: Edge rusher Maxx Crosby’s future in Las Vegas was a hot topic this week in San Francisco. He has been busy rehabbing his injured knee that required postseason surgery, and he plans to be ready for the early portion of the offseason program. Crosby hasn’t talked to the team since the season, so there hasn’t been an offseason trade request or talks of any sort. He’s close with owner Mark Davis; expect Crosby, Davis, general manager John Spytek and incoming coach Klint Kubiak to huddle up at some point.

What has been made clear to me: Crosby wants to be a part of a winner. That’s the priority. Whether and how that’s conveyed is still unclear. He has been fiercely loyal to Las Vegas. That loyalty will be tested more than ever in the coming weeks. The reality is the Raiders are still far away from significant winning, and the trade interest in Crosby is incredibly robust. In fact, I believe more than a dozen teams, possibly up to 20, will at least inquire with levels of serious intent. And there are some natural would-be contenders, including the Bills, Lions, 49ers, Cowboys and Ravens. One team that typically doesn’t jump in these high-stakes waters but would be perfect to try: the Buccaneers. This is the type of move that would put Tampa Bay over the top.

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What we’re hearing on free agency

Fowler: The Bengals are always good for a few surprises, but a franchise tag for defensive end Trey Hendrickson would be a mild surprise to me. The relationship has essentially run its course, and the tag will be well above $30 million. Perhaps they could swing a sign-and-trade, but losing him to free agency could equate to a third-round compensatory pick in return if Cincinnati plays it right. The top free agent rusher will have plenty of suitors. Several teams in need of a pass rusher should look into him, including the Cowboys, Buccaneers and Colts.

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Speaking of the Colts, my sense is their priority will be Daniel Jones, followed by receiver Alec Pierce as a 1B option. The Colts should turn up the heat on Jones closer to the combine. Though the franchise and transition tags for wide receivers are steep — $25 million to $28 million based on projections — the Colts tagged Michael Pittman Jr. two years ago as a way to facilitate a long-term deal. I’m not taking it totally off the table for Pierce for that reason.

The Packers can try to re-sign free agent receiver Romeo Doubs and/or extend tight end Tucker Kraft, a 2027 free agent. The door isn’t closed on Doubs in Green Bay. I’m expecting both sides to at least have some dialogue and see if a return makes sense. The Raiders and Titans will have my attention for free agent receivers. Both desperately need a difference-maker on the outside.

Two teams I’ll be watching to pursue Malik Willis, if they can find someone to take their current quarterbacks, are the Cardinals and Dolphins. The ties are obvious: New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach Jeff Hafley got a head start on Willis from Green Bay, and new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur can get intimate knowledge of Willis’ game from LaFleur’s brother, Matt. The Cardinals and Dolphins are saddled with huge guarantees for Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa, respectively, though. The Browns were my sleeper for Willis, but the hiring of Todd Monken might change that equation. He seems open to working with the quarterbacks on the roster, including Shedeur Sanders.

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What we’re hearing on NFLPA leadership

Graziano: The NFLPA continues its search for a new full-time executive director. David White has been serving in the role since Lloyd Howell resigned last year, but the players’ union has been conducting an extensive search for a full-time replacement, with the hope of having a couple of candidates to present to membership for a vote at next month’s player rep meeting. There’s no guarantee that the process will move quickly enough to get done by then, but that’s at least the union’s preference. It’s still possible this process could drag into or beyond the summer.

Many eyes around the league are on who will end up leading the NFLPA, with five years left on the collective bargaining agreement that was signed in 2020 and the NFL pushing to expand the regular season from 17 games to 18.