NFL Player News

Murphy concluded the regular season with 71 tackles (48 solo), seven defensed passes (including two interceptions) and one fumble recovery over 17 games.

Murphy started all 17 of Minnesota's contests for the second straight season, but he couldn't replicate his 2024-25 Pro Bowl campaign. Murphy finished with 10 fewer stops and seven fewer pass defenses, and while he tied for the Vikings' lead with two pickoffs, that number was well below the six he recorded the previous season. Murphy was still a central part of the team's defense and should continue to fill that role next season in what will be the second year of the three-year extension he signed last March.

Winston completed 37 of 66 pass attempts for 567 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions over three games during the 2025-26 regular season. He added seven rushes for 23 yards and a touchdown.

Winston signed with New York in March, but the team then inked Russell Wilson a few days later and drafted Jaxson Dart in April's NFL Draft, reducing the significance of Winston's signing considerably. The veteran QB did end up making a pair of starts after Wilson was demoted and Dart was sidelined by a concussion, but Winston didn't do much to impress as a passer in those opportunities, and he completed the campaign in a backup role. Winston's contract was a two-year deal, so he could return as Dart's backup next season.

Van Ginkel posted five tackles (four solo) and two defensed passes in Sunday's 16-3 win over Green Bay in Week 18. He concluded the campaign with 54 stops (28 solo), including 7.0 sacks, 10 defensed passes (including an interception) and two fumble recoveries across 12 games.

Van Ginkel missed four games early in the campaign due to a neck injury, marking the first time since his rookie 2019 season that he had to sit out any contests. The missed time likely contributed to his sack total dipping a bit compared to the 11.5 sacks he posted during the regular season in 2024, but it didn't keep Van Ginkel from registering a career-best 10 pass defenses (tied for most on Minnesota). Van Ginkel signed a one-year extension last April, so he should be back to help anchor the Vikings' defense again in 2026.

Allen posted three tackles (one solo) in Sunday's 16-3 win over the Packers. He finished the season with 68 tackles (29 solo), including 3.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery over 17 games.

Allen wasn't prolific but managed to stay healthy in his first campaign outside of Washington after he played in just eight regular-season games for the Commanders last year. The veteran defensive end's 68 stops tied a career-best regular-season mark, though his 3.5 sacks were his fewest over a full season since 2020. This was the first campaign of Allen's three-year contract, though it's not out of the question that the Vikings could opt to cut him in the offseason.

Wilson recorded 115 tackles (60 solo), including 6.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles across 17 games with the Vikings in 2025.

Wilson started his NFL career with the Vikings in 2017, and he opted to rejoin the organization on a one-year, $2.6 million contract after spending the three prior years with the NFC North rival Packers. The return home was the right move for Wilson, who registered career highs in sacks and forced fumbles while posting the best tackling numbers since 2020 with the Vikings (122 tackles -- 62 solo -- across 16 regular-season games). The veteran linebacker enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and could command a sizable pay day given his strong numbers in 2025.

Cashman recorded seven tackles (three solo), including 1.0 sacks, in Sunday's 16-3 Week 18 win over Green Bay. He concluded the season with 144 stops (61 solo), including 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and two defensed passes across 13 contests.

Cashman got some well-deserved rest in the season finale -- he logged fewer than 90 percent of Minnesota's defensive snaps for the first time since Week 1 -- but still managed to finish second on the team in stops. The veteran linebacker capped a productive campaign with a sack of Green Bay QB Clayton Tune for a 10-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Though he missed four games due to injury, Cashman still set a career-high mark with 144 tackles on the season, ranking ninth in the NFL in that category. Cashman should be back to anchor the Vikings' defense in 2026 in what will be the final season of a three-year contract, barring an extension.

Johnson posted 57 tackles (34 solo) and four pass defenses over 13 regular-season games in 2025 with the Bills.

Johnson failed to record an interception for the second time in three seasons, and his 57 combined tackles were his lowest output since 2019 (50 tackles across 12 regular-season games). The veteran still played a key role in the Bills' secondary as the nickel corner, and after sitting out of the team's regular-season finale against the Jets in Week 18 for rest purposes, Johnson should be a full go for this Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Jaguars.

White finished the regular season with 40 tackles (29 solo) and 10 defensed passes, including an interception, over 16 games.

White missed Week 1 due to a groin injury but proceeded to start each of the Bills' subsequent 16 games. After a one-year hiatus split between Baltimore and the Rams, White had a solid return to Buffalo, pacing the team with 10 defensed passes -- his highest mark since 2020. White will continue to work as one of the Bills' starting cornerbacks in the postseason before becoming a free agent upon the conclusion of the campaign.

Thompson tallied 56 tackles (33 solo), including 1.0 sacks, along with two defensed passes and a forced fumble over 12 regular-season contests in 2025-26.

Thompson missed four games due to injury and didn't play Week 18 against the Jets for rest purposes, but he still doubled the six contests he logged over the previous two seasons combined. The veteran linebacker had 10 tackles Week 6 against Atlanta and nine stops Week 13 versus Pittsburgh, but otherwise he finished with six or fewer tackles in his other 10 appearances. Thompson should remain a key part of Buffalo's defense in the postseason and will then become a free agent following the campaign.

Benford logged 43 tackles (32 solo), including 2.0 sacks, four pass defenses (one interception and a pick-six), one fumble recovery and a scoop-and-score across 14 regular-season games in 2025.

Benford got off to a nice start with at least four tackles in each of the first five games of the regular season, but he failed to record more than three stops in each of his last nine games. He scored the first touchdown of his four-year NFL career with a scoop-and-score against the Steelers in Week 13, and he followed that up with a 63-yard pick-six one week later in a win against the Bengals. Benford has posted two interceptions in each of the last three years, and he'll continue to operate as a key piece in the Bills' secondary after signing a four-year, $72 million contract extension with Buffalo in March.