Hello friends, and welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
I'd like to start things off by wishing everyone a happy Pete Prisco day! No, that's not an actual holiday on the calendar, but it's going to feel like it after we get through today's newsletter. Prisco just released his ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL that we'll unveil today.
Of course, we won't be devoting the entire newsletter to Prisco. We'll also be taking a look at five star players who could eventually force a trade.
As always, here's your reminder to tell your friends to sign up for the newsletter. Let's get to the rundown.
1. Prisco's NFL Top 100 players of 2026: Rams dominate the top 10, Patrick Mahomes falls out of the top 5
I haven't heard from Pete Prisco since the NFL Draft, and now I know why: He's spent the past two months locked in his office watching film so he could give us his annual ranking of the top 100 players in the NFL.
Ranking NFL players might seem like an easy job, but I promise you, it is not, so let's all give Prisco a congratulatory pat on the back for getting this list done. Actually, he doesn't like when people touch him, so let's just all agree to send him a congratulatory message on social media.
With that in mind, let's check out the top 10 players on Prisco's list:
1. Rams DE Myles Garrett
2. Rams QB Matthew Stafford
3. Bills QB Josh Allen
4. Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
5. Bengals QB Joe Burrow
6. Lions OT Penei Sewell
7. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
8. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson
9. Rams WR Puka Nacua
10. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
The Rams have THREE players in the top 10, but they probably won't brag about that because they only have one other player on the entire list (Byron Young at 82nd). The Bengals are in the same boat: They have two players in the TOP FIVE, but they only have two other players on the entire list (Tee Higgins at 89th and Dexter Lawrence at 91st).
The biggest surprise on this list might be that Patrick Mahomes fell out of the top five. With Mahomes coming off a torn ACL, Prisco isn't quite sure what the Chiefs quarterback is going to look like this season, so he got dinged for that.
Last year, the Eagles had the most players on the list and won the NFC East. This year, the Eagles once again have the most players on the list with eight, so you might as well go ahead and bet on them to win their third division title in a row.
To check out Prisco's FULL TOP 100 LIST, be sure to click here.
If you want to complain to Prisco because he left your favorite player off the list or had your favorite player too low, you can do that by heading to his X account. By the end of the day, I'm guessing Prisco will have roughly 9,000 negative tweets to sift through, but that's actually not a bad thing because Prisco thrives on negativity.
2. Terrion Arnold arrested: Lions corner facing eight felony charges and possible life in prison
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was arrested Wednesday night, and he's now facing multiple felony charges that carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Here's what you need to know about the situation:
- Arnold is facing eight felony charges. The Lions cornerback is set to be charged with four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery stemming from an incident that took place in February. Arnold is one of seven people facing charges from the incident, and each person has been hit with at least six felony charges. Arnold is facing more charges than the other members of his group because police believe he was the primary conspirator.
- How the incident started. Arnold was staying at an Airbnb on Feb. 1, and at some point during his stay, his rental got burglarized while he was away from the house. The thieves stole more than $250,000 in property, including $100,000 in cash and an $80,000 necklace. Arnold was convinced that he knew the identities of the men who pulled off the burglary, so he decided to go after them.
- How Arnold got in trouble. Arnold basically set a trap for the three men who he thought robbed his house. He lured them to an apartment where they were jumped, pistol-whipped and held at gunpoint. Arnold's group held the men at a house for more than an hour. A police investigation later revealed that the men were NOT involved in the burglary at Arnold's Airbnb, which means Arnold's crew attacked three innocent men.
- Troubling details. Arnold wasn't around when the men were beaten, but one of his associates live streamed that entire event, so Arnold watched everything go down. Police also discovered a group chat between Arnold and his six companions, and the Lions cornerback appeared to be directing the rest of the group. The group chat is why police believe Arnold was the mastermind.
Arnold's first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office. During that hearing, the attorney's office will request that Arnold remain in jail until the start of his trial. Given that the maximum punishment Arnold faces is life in prison, there is a real possibility that his NFL career is over if he's found guilty of just a small portion of what he's been accused.
If you want the full details on this shocking situation, we've got that here.
3. Five NFL stars who could force a trade: Justin Jefferson tops the list
When it comes to unhappy star athletes, there's nothing more trendy right now than forcing a trade so that you can get out of town. In the NFL, Myles Garrett and A.J. Brown both forced a trade this offseason, and in the NBA this week, Giannis Antetokounmpo forced a trade from the Bucks to the Heat.
Basically, if a star player starts to get unhappy, there's a chance they could start looking for a way out. With that in mind, Garrett Podell went around the NFL and found a few players who might end up being next on the list of disgruntled superstars to force a trade.
Let's check out two names from his list:
Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
Prediction: Jefferson will ask for a trade before his contract expires in 2028.
Breakdown: The QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray will fail to bear long-term fruit at football's most important position, leaving Jefferson dissatisfied entering the final season of his four-year, $140 million deal in 2028. Out of guaranteed money, Jefferson will be looking for a new, multi-year deal at the age of 29, but he'll aim to get his next batch of guaranteed cash elsewhere.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
Prediction: Taylor gets dealt before the 2026 trade deadline.
Breakdown: A running back's prime is finite, and Taylor remains at the top of his game after producing the third-most rushing yards (1,585) and the most rushing touchdowns (18) in the NFL in 2025. If Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) and wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) can't get healthy in a hurry, the 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowl back may start looking for a new home. Taylor is entering the final season of his three-year, $42 million contract, so if the Colts start off slow -- which is certainly possible, because they open up against the Ravens, Chiefs and Texans -- it would be in both the franchise's and Taylor's best interest to part ways at the trade deadline.
If you want to know who else might try to force their way out, you can check out Podell's full list of five players here.
4. Five teams who are happy the offseason is over
Earlier this week, we ranked the 10 teams that had the best offseason, Today, we're going to rank the teams that had the worst offseason.
If you had a bad draft or didn't really do anything in free agency, that's how you end up on this list. Jordan Dajani ranked a total of five teams, and we're going to take a look at his top three below. And remember, being at the top of this list is actually a bad thing.
1. Jaguars. The reigning AFC South champion Jaguars did not earn high marks from pundits when it came to free agency or the draft. The Jags objectively got worse in free agency, losing linebacker Devin Lloyd, running back Travis Etienne, cornerback Greg Newsome II and safety Andrew Wingard. The only players Jacksonville signed from outside the organization were reserves Chris Rodriguez Jr., Ameer Abdullah, Dane Jackson and Trystan Colon-Castillo. In the draft, the Jaguars put together what many would call the worst class this year. It's not fair to judge an entire draft class before the players have taken a single snap, but the picks were a bit confusing.
2. Cardinals. The Cards fired Jonathan Gannon for Mike LaFleur, who spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Rams. However, we all know that offense is Sean McVay's baby. The last time we saw LaFleur in charge of an offense was in 2021 and 2022 with the Jets and Zach Wilson. They ranked in the bottom eight in the league in total offense and scoring offense. The Cardinals were also a team expected to be in the market for a new quarterback. Instead, they will just run it back with Jacoby Brissett, who went 1-11 last year. It's understood that Arizona is in a rebuild, but Monti Ossenfort should start updating his LinkedIn profile.
3. Patriots. There's a narrative that some are afraid to address the Mike Vrabel drama. It's the biggest story of the offseason, yes, but we also deal in facts, and neither party will come out and admit what we saw in the photos published by the New York Post/Page Six. We have a resignation letter from Dianna Russini and worthless word salad from the Patriots head coach in his press conferences instead. This became a bona fide football story when Vrabel stepped out of the office for the final day of the 2026 NFL Draft, but this is also a leader of men who was shamed for a major personal mistake. Alleged mistake. Vrabel would love for this story to fade away, but has his confidence taken a hit? Imagine if the Patriots get off to a slow start in September. That could breathe even more life into the controversy New England and its fans want to go away. People are still waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Who else had an ugly offseason? Dajani has the full list here.
5. Non-Round 1 AFC rookies who could play key roles this year
Earlier this week, we made a list of NFC rookies taken after the first round who could end up contributing this year. Now we're going to flip things around by going through the AFC.
It's not easy for players taken outside the first round to come in and play a key role during their rookie year, but there are several AFC rookies who might be able to pull that off.
- Steelers WR Germie Bernard (Round 2, Pick 47) -- Bernard is a rookie, but his draft profile includes praise for his blocking ability. He is not afraid to deliver a crackback block that seals the edge for his teammate. He is also a reliable route runner. Bernard may not be an explosive outlet in the pass game, but he will be reliable.
- Broncos RB Jonah Coleman (Round 4, Pick 108) -- Out of a possible 101 regular-season games, J.K. Dobbins has appeared in 47. He missed seven games in his first season with the Broncos. Last year's second-round selection, RJ Harvey, averaged about 8.5 carries per game and did not prove that he could handle being a feature back. Coleman's opportunity is going to come at some point, and it would not be a surprise if he became the team's lead back by season's end.
- Jaguars TE Nate Boerkircher (Round 2, Pick 56) -- Boerkircher is a well-rounded prospect who may have some untapped potential in the pass game. Jacksonville's 'The Hunt' is a YouTube series that sheds light on the team's decision-making process. In the video, fans gain an understanding of how highly the Jaguars regard Boerkircher, as evidenced by comments about "shocking the world" and "changing the game." Coach Liam Coen comes from the Rams coaching tree, and Los Angeles utilized two-plus tight end sets on 41.2% of offensive snaps last season, according to TruMedia. The Jaguars now pair Brenton Strange with Boerkircher.
Josh Edwards came up with a list that includes 10 players, and you're definitely going to want to check it out here.
6. Extra points: Matthew Stafford hints at retirement plans
It's been a busy few days in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.
- Matthew Stafford won't commit to playing into his 40s. Matthew Stafford is officially going to be taking things year-to-year from now on. During an interview with Chris Long on "The Green Light" podcast, the 38-year-old outlined his future plans. "It is year-to-year because I think it's fair to the team, I think it's fair to me, my family -- I don't want to sit there and say, 'OK, 24 months from now, I've got to be ready to play another football season,'" Stafford said. Basically, the reigning MVP could retire after this season or he could end up playing into his 40s, but whatever he does, he's going to be making his decision one year at a time. Stafford had a lot to say about his future, and you can read his full comments here.
- Joey Bosa could be eyeing retirement. It appears that Joey Bosa might be done with football. During the most recent episode of his podcast, ESPN's Adam Schefter had an interesting nugget about Bosa. "It is more likely than not that Joey Bosa has played his last NFL down," Schefter said. This comes one month after Nick Bosa said his brother was working on his golf game not "thinking too much about football" right now. Bosa has been dealing with injuries for most of the past four seasons, and that could be why he's considering calling it quits. He spent the 2025 season with the Bills and racked up five sacks in 15 games.
- Brenton Strange lands massive extension from Jaguars. The Jags used their first pick in the NFL Draft this year on a tight end (Nate Boerkircher), but that doesn't mean they're unhappy with the guy they have. As a matter of fact, it's the opposite. The Jags love Brenton Strange, and they showed him just how much by giving him a three-year, $48 million extension on Wednesday. At $16 million per year, Strange is now the fifth-highest-paid tight end in the NFL. Strange has averaged 43 catches for 475.5 yards over the past two seasons, and the Jags clearly expect even bigger things from him going forward. It should help that they'll now be able to pair him with Boerkircher.
- Brandon Aiyuk tells the 49ers to cut him. We have another chapter in the never-ending drama between Aiyuk and the 49ers. Aiyuk posted a video on social media this week where he demanded the 49ers cut him so that he can sign with the Commanders. This comes a few days after another video where Aiyuk yelled "Go Commanders" multiple times. The problem for Aiyuk is that the 49ers have no reason to cut him. The guaranteed money in his contract has already been voided, so the 49ers don't really have to make a move unless he shows up for practice, and he didn't show up for a single OTA this spring. If you want a refresher on everything that's happened between Aiyuk and the 49ers, I have a full breakdown here.
- Bears are getting a Hallmark movie. For the third straight year, the Hallmark Channel is creating a holiday movie around an NFL team, and this year, the movie will feature the Bears. The tradition started in 2024 with the Chiefs landing on the Hallmark Channel. Last year, the Bills were the featured team, and this year, the Bears are getting the Hallmark treatment with "Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story." The movie will likely premiere at some point in November. I already have my DVR set.
