Newly acquired defensive end Myles Garrett gives a significant boost to the Rams' defense as they compete for a Super Bowl this season.
Newly acquired defensive end Myles Garrett gives a significant boost to the Rams' defense as they compete for a Super Bowl this season.Kyusung Gong/AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Technically, the NFL offseason doesn’t end until late July, when training camps kick into gear. And there will still be a handful of interesting signings and contract extensions between now and the start of the regular season.
But the two blockbuster trades last week involving Myles Garrett and A.J. Brown put a nice bow around the 2026 offseason. At this point, coaches have been fired and hired, free agents have signed, rookies have been drafted, and most of the big trades have been executed.
Let’s take a closer look at the 10 best moves of the 2026 offseason:
1. Rams trade for Myles Garrett. This one was foretold months ago when the Browns tweaked Garrett’s contract to make it easier to trade him, and the Rams loudly championed Cleveland’s rule proposal to allow teams to be able to trade five years of draft picks. The rule failed, but the Rams eventually got their guy.
Garrett came at a high cost — a 2027 first-rounder, 2028 second-rounder, 2029 third-rounder, plus third-year pass rusher Jared Verse. But Garrett, 30, is the most dominant defensive player in today’s NFL, and turns a Rams team that already was one of the league’s best into the Super Bowl favorites who could win another Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium. Garrett racked up 125.5 sacks on some lousy Browns teams, and it’s scary to think what he can do when the Rams are playing from ahead in the fourth quarter.
Garrett also comes at a relative bargain, averaging $36 million per year when the top of the pass rusher market is now $50 million.
2. Browns trade Myles Garrett. There’s a lot to love about the Browns’ end of the trade, too. Though it’s never fun to trade the best non-quarterback in the NFL, Garrett was wasting away on a Browns team that is perpetually rebuilding. The haul of draft picks is more valuable to the Browns right now, and they were also able to land a young cornerstone in Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
3. Giants hire John Harbaugh. Big Blue has been a black hole for coaches for the last decade, swallowing Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, andBrian Daboll. And Harbaugh underperformed his last several years in Baltimore, reaching just one AFC Championship game and no Super Bowls with Lamar Jackson. But for a franchise desperate for a turnaround after missing the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, the Giants couldn’t have done better than hiring Harbaugh, who brings excitement and instant credibility.
4. Vikings sign Kyler Murray for $1.3 million. Any team could have had Murray for league minimum, since the Cardinals are paying him $35 million, and the Vikings smartly realized they had nothing to lose. Yes, Murray underwhelmed in Arizona, and he didn’t study enough film. But Murray’s a former No. 1 overall pick, he’s still a tremendous athlete, he’s only 28, and there is zero financial commitment, since Murray is signed for only one year with no guarantees. It’s baffling that the Jets or Dolphins were never linked to Murray.
5. Raiders sign center Tyler Linderbaum. It’s not the type of signing that gets a lot of media attention or sells many jerseys. But the Raiders were shrewd to sign Linderbaum, the NFL’s best at the position, to anchor the offensive line in front of rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders had to blow up the center market — Linderbaum signed for $27 million per year, when the previous high was $18 million — but that should be money well spent.
6. Chargers hire Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator. The Chargers got it right with this hire, Justin Herbert’s fifth offensive coordinator in seven years. McDaniel was a little goofy during his four years as the Dolphins’ head coach, but the man knows offensive football and how to create explosive plays. Herbert has not quite reached his full potential yet, but could be scary in McDaniel’s offense.
7. Steelers hire Mike McCarthy. This one didn’t inspire a ton of excitement in Pittsburgh, but McCarthy has morphed from overrated to underrated as a head coach. He finished over .500 in 12 of his 18 seasons, qualifying for the postseason each time, and recently had three straight 12-5 seasons with the Cowboys. McCarthy might not be in it for the long haul like the last three Steelers coaches, but he’ll keep the team competitive and in the playoff hunt as always.
8. Bengals trade for Dexter Lawrence. It cost them the No. 10 overall pick, but this was a weak draft, and Lawrence is an elite player at a big position of need. The Bengals’ offseason additions focused mostly on improving their 30th-ranked scoring defense and have Joe Burrow in a better headspace entering the season.
9. Titans hire coach Robert Saleh, OC Brian Daboll, and DC Gus Bradley. The Titans have been in disarray over the last three years, firing two head coaches and three general managers/football bosses. Last year was especially disastrous, with Cam Ward’s rookie season ruined by an inexperienced coaching staff. But the Titans have created a better support system for Ward this year with coaches with proven track records.
10. Cowboys franchise tag George Pickens. He was a home run last year, compiling 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns after being acquired for essentially a third-round pick. But Pickens has a history of being a head case, and the Cowboys are already spending big money on Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Pickens will cost $27.3 million this year on the franchise tag, but the Cowboys are smart to wait it out another year to see if Pickens is worthy of a larger contract.
Aaron Donald hasn't played in the NFL since 2023, but the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is considering a comeback at age 35.
Aaron Donald hasn't played in the NFL since 2023, but the three-time Defensive Player of the Year is considering a comeback at age 35.Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
RAMS WATCH
More than Garrett on the way?
The Rams’ acquisition of Garrett last week did not exactly go over well in the 49ers’ locker room.
“It sucks,” left tackle Trent Williams said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “Just got to buckle up, man.”
Opposing offensive linemen better really buckle up, because Garrett might not be the only former Defensive Player of the Year joining the Rams this offseason. Three-time winner Aaron Donald, now 35 and retired for the last two seasons, is considering coming back to play alongside Garrett and win a second Super Bowl with the Rams.
“I’m for sure flirting with the idea,” Donald told reporter Jordan Schultz. “Hell of an opportunity with the Super Bowl in SoFi this year. If I can find the fire, it’s a possibility.”
If Donald is openly talking about it now, here’s betting he’ll find the fire when the season draws close in training camp. Considering Donald’s game is about power and burst in tight spaces, here’s betting he can still be a dominant player despite two years away, especially with Garrett drawing attention on the outside.
The Rams are of course open to adding Donald to their star-studded locker room, and, noticeably, have No. 99 available.
“Aaron is a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. ”Talked to him about the opportunity to bring him on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust ‘em off at the age of 35, I bet you he can still do it at a pretty high clip.”
Star Packers linebacker Micah Parsons tore his ACL in December, leaving the Packers without a key player to start the 2026-27 season.
Star Packers linebacker Micah Parsons tore his ACL in December, leaving the Packers without a key player to start the 2026-27 season.Jack Dempsey/Associated Press
ETC.
Parsons project stalls in Green Bay
Of course, the best-laid plans don’t always work out as expected in the NFL, and nowhere is that more evident than in Green Bay.
Pass rusher Micah Parsons told reporters last week that he’s not going to be ready for the start of the season after tearing his ACL on Dec. 14, and also revealed that he had a meniscus procedure. He will likely start the year on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which means Parsons would have to miss at least four games, putting his return at mid-October at the earliest.
“We have a pretty good, strong nine-month rule,” Parsons said of players coming back from knee injury. “Through the research and the data, there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up. The goal has always been playoffs, and I think we’re all on the same page.”
The knee injury is just a brutal turn of events for the Packers. They had visions of Lombardi Trophies when they traded two first-round picks and Kenny Clark to the Cowboys in August. They were 9-3-1 at the time of the injury, but subsequently lost their last four games plus the wild card playoff game to the Bears. Now they won’t have Parsons for the first chunk of the 2026 season, and realistically won’t have Parsons back to his old self until 2027. They don’t get those first-round picks back, either.
Parsons’s realistic objective this year is to be healthy enough to play the role of “closer” late in the season.
“The goal isn’t for me to go out there and re-hurt myself trying to force myself to get back the first few games,” Parsons said. “We got a tough schedule this year, and I think for the betterment of everyone, everyone wants me at 100 [percent] and wants me in those games so we can make this championship run.”
With a Super Bowl and some impressive career passing statistics, newly-retired Russell Wilson has a strong case for the Hall of Fame.
With a Super Bowl and some impressive career passing statistics, newly-retired Russell Wilson has a strong case for the Hall of Fame.Julio Cortez/AP Photo/Julio Cortez
Wilson done?
Russell Wilson retired from the NFL last week after 14 NFL seasons and took a job with CBS Sports as a studio analyst, though he never actually said the “R” word and could still return to the field should an opportunity present itself.
As is mandatory whenever a player retires, we must immediately discuss his Hall of Fame candidacy. Though Wilson’s career fell off sharply over his last four seasons, and some of his former “Legion of Boom” teammates like to downplay his contribution to Seattle’s success, Wilson should be an easy “yes.”
A former third-round pick, Wilson led his team to the playoffs as a rookie after beating out Matt Flynn for the job, won a Super Bowl in his second season, and almost won another in his third. He was durable, not missing a start until his 10th season, and successful, making the postseason nine times in his first 10 years, with a 9-8 record.
Wilson also has numbers. He is 16th in career passing yards (46,966) and 12th in touchdowns (353), with every eligible player above him on the list already in the Hall. Wilson also had four 4,000-yard passing seasons, and rushed for 5,568 yards and 31 touchdowns as one of the most dynamic quarterbacks of the 2010s.
The last four seasons were not kind to Wilson, as he flopped in Denver and then petered out in Pittsburgh and New York. But if the voters (I’m not one) put quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton, Dan Fouts, and Warren Moon in the Hall of Fame, and if they’re considering Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, and Eli Manning, then Wilson deserves a bronze bust.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (right) speaks with his brother, Shilo, after the Pro Bowl Games.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (right) speaks with his brother, Shilo, after the Pro Bowl Games.Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Sanders’ status
Deion Sanders’ two football-playing children have taken divergent paths of late. Shilo Sanders, an undrafted rookie last year who hasn’t played since being released by the Buccaneers at the end of camp, recently acknowledged that his career is likely over. But more pressing for him is he filed for bankruptcy in hopes that it will discharge a $11.89 million civic verdict against him for punching a security guard at his Dallas school in 2016.
John Darjean said he was initially willing to settle for $200,000, but Deion Sanders called him “a real-life grifter” in a 2016 interview with TMZ, escalating the situation. Shilo Sanders later didn’t respond to the lawsuit, resulting in a massive default judgment against him that he is now fighting to nullify in bankruptcy court.
“After he defamed my name, I wanted $100 million because I was that [angry],” Darjean said of Deion Sanders to USA Today. “He will cut his own damn head off before he loses. That’s the type of person he is.”
Meanwhile, Browns QB Shedeur Sanders may have lost out on millions when he fell to the fifth round of the 2025 draft, but he made up for it off the field. The NFL Players Association’s annual report listed Sanders as making $17.7 million in royalties last year, shattering Tom Brady’s previous record of $9.5 million. Sanders’ royalties likely didn’t come from jersey sales, but rather a trading card deal he struck before the draft.
“A tremendous deal with the NFLPA,” Deion Sanders told Front Office Sports. “A tremendous deal.”
Extra points
We’ll find out pretty soon if the Bears are serious about moving to Hammond, Ind., or are using it for leverage. The Illinois House closed its session last week without passing a bill that would give the Bears a tax break for a new stadium in the Chicago suburbs, and the team announced late Friday that its board voted to move ahead with the Indiana project, which has the funding and is ready to put shovels in the ground this summer. But Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson and other local pols believe the city still has a chance to keep the Bears, and noted that the Indiana project still doesn’t have a definitive site. Here’s hoping the Bears stay in Chicago — a move to Indiana just feels wrong, even if it’s still part of the suburbs … The Jets and Giants were a combined 7-27 last year and have one combined playoff appearance the last nine years, so why are they loading up on over-the-hill veterans? The Jets added Demario Davis (37), Geno Smith (35) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) this offseason, and last week the Giants last week signed receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (33), JuJu Smith-Schuster (29) and Braxton Berrios (30). There’s no real money involved, but the Giants chose a publicity stunt over finding young receivers to develop … The Patriots regretted letting Nick Folk go a few years ago, and the Jets will, too. Folk went 28 for 29 last year with his only miss from 50-plus, but the Jets let him sign with the Falcons, and now are stuck in a revolving door at kicker, cycling through Lenny Krieg, Younghoe Koo, and now Jason Sanders to compete with Cade York … Alvin Kamara’s appearance at Saints voluntary practices last week surprised reporters, but was a smart move by Kamara with his future with the team in purgatory. Kamara is no lock to make the final roster this year at his $11.5 million salary, but if he gets hurt in these workouts, it guarantees his salary for the season. The Saints probably want to layer him in bubble wrap … Brandon Aiyuk continues to light his career in flames, posting a video to Instagram of him racing his car the same day the Santa Clara district attorney issued an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor charge of exhibition speeding, per The Athletic. Aiyuk cost himself $26 million this year by going AWOL last year during his knee rehab, and now will be lucky to get a minimum contract once the 49ers release him. They’re in no mood to do Aiyuk any favors, and might squat on his rights until early September.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.