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

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).