NFL Player News

Collins agreed to terms Wednesday on a contract restructure that opens up $9.8 million in cap space for the Texans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Collins' restructure comes in the form of his $13.5 million base salary being converted into a signing bonus. The move provides Houston some additional flexibility ahead of the official start of free agency next week. Collins dealt with injuries that forced him to miss five games in 2024, but he nonetheless managed to finish the campaign with an impressive 68-1,006-7 receiving line on 99 targets across 12 appearances during the regular season. With Stefon Diggs (knee) potentially moving on in free agency and with Tank Dell (knee) in danger of missing a substantial portion of the upcoming season, Collins looks locked in atop the depth chart as C.J. Stroud's clear No. 1 target.

Dell is scheduled to undergo a second procedure Wednesday to repair multiple torn ligaments in his left knee, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dell initially underwent surgery Jan. 15, the first of what was expected to be multiple procedures to address a dislocated kneecap as well as a torn ACL, LCL, MCL and associated meniscus damage to his left knee, which he sustained Dec. 21 while catching a touchdown pass in a loss to the Chiefs. Wednesday's surgery will reportedly be to repair the ACL. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said last week that Dell is "headed in the right direction with the recovery," but cautioned that it's "too soon" to project the extent of Dell's potential contributions for the 2025 campaign. Given the severity of Dell's injuries, it wouldn't be surprising if he missed a majority -- if not all -- of the upcoming season. Over his 14 appearances in 2024, Dell turned in a 51-667-3 receiving line on 81 targets.

Lamb (shoulder) and the Cowboys agreed to terms Tuesday on a restructured contract that will create roughly $20 million in salary-cap space for the team, Tommy Yarrish of the team's official site reports.

Lamb is working his way back from an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, which caused him to miss the final two games of the 2024 campaign, but he should be fully recovered by the time Dallas' offseason activities begin. The Pro Bowl wideout posted a 101-1,194-6 line on 152 targets across 15 regular-season appearances last season, despite being paired with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) for only eight of those contests. Getting Lamb and Prescott back at full health will provide reason for optimism with the Cowboys' passing game under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose scheme promises an uptick in play action and improvements in the running game.

The Jets released Adams on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Adams had no guaranteed money remaining on his contract, and the decision to release the veteran wideout saves the Jets $29.9M in salary-cap space. The 32-year-old wideout is coming off a 2024 season in which he recorded 85 catches for 1,063 yards and eight touchdowns over 14 games split between the Raiders (three) and Jets (11). Adams will head into free agency as one of the top available options at his position.

The Jets have given Lazard permission to seek a trade, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The second season of Lazard's four-year, $44 million contract went much better than the first, but it still looks like a huge overpay, and he still hasn't found success with any QB besides Aaron Rodgers (who won't be with the Jets in 2025). A release is more likely than a trade, as Lazard presumably would need to accept a pay cut to generate any interest. He's scheduled for non-guaranteed base salaries of $11 million in both 2025 and 2026.

The Buccaneers aren't planning to use the franchise tag on Godwin (ankle), Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports.

Tampa Bay has already used the tag on Godwin twice, so using it again would result in a 144 percent raise, Laine notes. She also states that the Buccaneers want Godwin back and that the wideout wants to return to the club, so there appears to be a mutual desire to get a new deal completed. Godwin ended last season on IR due to an ankle injury that he suffered in mid-October, but he's expected to be ready for the start of next season, which will be his ninth in the NFL -- all of which to this point have been with Tampa Bay.

The Raiders decided to not tender Turner (knee) on Monday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Turner missed Las Vegas' final five games of the 2024 season due to a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve. However, he was fairly productive when on the field, catching 16 of his 29 targets for 158 yards and one touchdown. The Pittsburgh product also added five carries for 33 yards and one touchdown on the ground last season, playing 162 offensive snaps across 12 appearances. Fowler reported that the Raiders are open to bringing Turner back to Las Vegas, but only at a price lower than the tender.

Higgins (ankle) announced Monday via his personal social media accounts that the Bengals have informed him he will receive the franchise tag.

Cincinnati will place the franchise tag on Higgins for a second consecutive offseason, positioning him to play out the 2025 campaign on a one-year, $26.17 million contract unless both sides can reach agreement on a long-term extension by July 15. The move prevents Higgins from hitting free agency at the start of the new league year next week, as he would have been arguably the top available player on the open market. The Bengals have expressed a commitment in retaining the 26-year-old wideout via a long-term deal, motivated no doubt in part by Joe Burrow's public statements that he desires Higgins, Ja'Marr Chaseand pass rusher Trey Hendrickson kept together as a headline trio. Higgins posted a 73-911-10 receiving line despite playing just 12 regular-season games in 2024.

Kupp remains unlikely to stay with the Rams for 2025, SI.com's Albert Breer reports.

There was some thought Kupp and Matthew Stafford would both be traded/released and move on to the same team. Stafford instead signed a new contract, but that apparently doesn't mean Kupp will do the same, as the Rams are hoping to free up cap space and may envision Jordan Whittington quickly becoming an effective replacement in the slot. Kupp will turn 32 in June and has two years remaining on his contract, with the remaining non-guaranteed money consisting of a $12.5 million base salary in 2025, a $14.85 million base salary in 2026 and a $5 million roster bonus in 2026. Given his age and recent injury troubles, Kupp is unlikely to attract much trade interest without a pay cut, which means he'd probably be better off if the Rams simply released him before the start of the new league year and allowed him to hit the open market at a time when numerous teams have a need at his position as well as plenty of cap space. If a trade happens instead, it'll likely be for a late draft pick.

The Jets are open to trading Adams before the start of the new league year on March 12, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport adds that the Jets are expected to release Adams if they cannot arrange a trade elsewhere, and, if he's let go, he could follow quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a new team in free agency. New York officially informed Rodgers on Feb. 13 that the team would not bring him back after his second season with the team. Adams reunited with the quarterback, who was his longtime teammate during their time in Green Bay, when the wideout was traded from the Raiders to the Jets in October. The 32-year-old posted 67 receptions for 854 yards and seven touchdowns over 11 games in the Big Apple. He also tallied 18 catches for 209 yards and one touchdown over three games with Las Vegas in 2024, marking his fifth straight 1,000-yard season. Adams would incur a $38.2 million cap hit for the Jets next season if he's cut, and he has two years remaining on his current contract, though none of his salary is guaranteed. Teams interested in acquiring him would likely prefer to wait until he is released before attempting to sign him on a lower number in free agency, which will make finding a trade partner by March 12 rather difficult.