NFL Offseason Heats Up

Afternoon Edition

February 23, 2026

The NFL offseason begins with the salary cap set to top $300 million and lingering drama over the league’s block of the NFLPA’s report cards, all as the scouting combine kicks off in Indianapolis.

—David Rumsey

First Up

A renewed push to ban the NFL’s controversial Tush Push doesn’t appear likely this offseason, with no new proposal gaining traction. Read the story.
A surge of cartel violence in Mexico has forced the postponement of pro soccer matches just months before the 2026 World Cup kicks off. Read the story.
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing criticism after celebrating and drinking beer in Team USA’s locker room following the gold medal win. Read the story.
With the Winter Games over, the focus has shifted to the 2028 Summer Olympics—and whether Casey Wasserman will stay in charge of the LA28 committee. Read the story.

NFL Offseason Opens With Report Card Drama, Cap Set to Top $300M

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFL Scouting Combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis as teams shift their focus to free agency and the draft, and fallout is expected to continue around the league blocking the NFL Players Association from publicly releasing its annual player report cards.

For the past several years, the NFLPA has released the report cards during the combine, creating a major wave in the NFL news cycle and becoming the hottest topic for media members, team officials, agents, and other stakeholders on the ground in Indianapolis and nationally.

The NFLPA has said it will continue issuing the report cards. “Players will continue to receive the results, and teams will continue to hear directly from their locker rooms,” a union statement issued earlier this month read.

But it is unclear whether the report cards will be sent to players this week. The NFLPA did not immediately respond to Front Office Sports on Monday when asked about this year’s timing. Last week, a source told ProFootballTalk the report cards were coming “soon.”

On the Clock

As 2026 NFL Draft prospects meet with coaches, GMs, and scouts in Indianapolis, four teams currently have multiple first-round picks: the Jets (Nos. 2 and 16), the Browns (Nos. 6 and 24), the Cowboys (Nos. 12 and 20), and the Rams (Nos. 13 and 29).

Those extra selections all come from deals made last year, resulting in the Colts, Falcons, Jaguars, and Packers currently not having any first-round picks.

Teams may unofficially discuss trading more draft picks this week, but cannot officially make those transactions until the new league year begins March 11 at 4 p.m. ET.

Salary Cap and Quarterbacks

Combine week also often marks when NFL teams are officially notified of what the upcoming season’s salary cap will be. The league has already informed clubs it is projecting a salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million, a jump of more than $20 million from $279.2 million in 2025.

Once again, the NFL’s quarterback carousel is expected to dominate offseason transactions, with questions surrounding the future of several notable names.

Aaron Rodgers: The 42-year-old will weigh re-signing with the Steelers for a 22nd season in the NFL, as his former coach with the Packers, Mike McCarthy, takes over in Pittsburgh. Rodgers’s career NFL earnings stand at nearly $395 million, after playing the 2025 season on a one-year, $14.15 million deal.
Kirk Cousins: The Falcons are expected to release Cousins, 37, to avoid owing him another $67.1 million in guaranteed money. “We’ll see what opportunities present themselves, and keep an open mind,” Cousins told FOS earlier this month, acknowledging he would be interested in doing more broadcasting work, too.
Tua Tagovailoa: The former No. 5 overall (2020) draft pick’s future in Miami is uncertain, with new coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan now in charge. Cutting Tagovailoa would incur $99.2 million of dead-cap money, which could be spread out over two years, if the Dolphins wanted.

Free-agent quarterbacks who could command significant contracts or draw strong interest include Daniel Jones (Colts), Russell Wilson (Giants), Joe Flacco (Bengals), and Jimmy Garoppolo (Rams).

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EXCLUSIVE

WNBA Team Hires Athletic Reporter for Front Office Role

The Portland Fire have hired former Athletic reporter Ben Pickman as a salary cap and strategy analyst, Front Office Sports has learned. For more on Pickman’s move to the WNBA expansion team’s front office, read Alex Schiffer’s story here.

STATUS REPORT

Two Up, One Down, One Push

David W Cerny/Reuters via Imagn Images

Team USA ⬆ The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics were the most successful Winter Games for the U.S. The 12 gold medals won are the most for Team USA in the Winter Olympics, surpassing the previous record of 10 won at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The U.S. women led the way, winning six gold medals while also contributing to two golds in mixed-gender events.

Stuffed animals ⬆⬇ After Sunday’s men’s hockey final, players on Team Canada and Team USA received not just their medals but also a doll. All Winter Olympic medalists received a stuffed animal with mascot Tina the stoat and one of Tina’s friends from “The Flo,” a group who “never leave their friends.” Reactions to the gift from the men’s hockey players were mixed, with Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand not looking pleased.

Andy Roddick ⬆ The 2003 US Open champion is joining ESPN’s tennis coverage, signing a multiyear deal with the network. Roddick will be an analyst for match and studio coverage, and he is expected to make his ESPN debut shortly before Wimbledon. He also hosts a weekly podcast, Served with Andy Roddick, which he launched in 2024.

NBA MVP ⬇ Several contenders for the league’s highest honor may soon be disqualified due to the 65-game rule. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (six games), Luka Dončić (five), Victor Wembanyama (four), and Nikola Jokić (one) all have a small number of games they can miss before becoming ineligible for league awards. Cade Cunningham, who has missed six games, would be the likely MVP favorite if all four players were to miss at least 18 total games this season.