Author: nfltalk

The Seahawks’ continued reshaping of their offensive coaching staff includes a promotion for a returning member of the group.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Seahawks are promoting Justin Outten to run game coordinator. Outten was an assistant offensive line coach and run game specialist during their run to the Super Bowl LX title.

Advertisement

The Raiders wanted to speak to Outten about the same job on Klint Kubiak’s staff recently, but the Seahawks blocked the overture from their former offensive coordinator.

Outten spent two seasons with the Titans and a year as the Broncos’ offensive coordinator before joining Mike Macdonald’s staff in Seattle last year. He has also coached for the Packers and Falcons.

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Mike Wagner, a former Pro Bowl defensive back and a key member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed “Steel Curtain” defense, has died at the age of 76. 

Wagner spent his entire 10-year career with the Steelers. Over that span, he was named to two Pro Bowls and helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls over a six-year span. He was inducted into the Steelers Hall of Honor in 2020. 

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mike Wagner, a tremendous player and an integral part of some of the most successful teams in Pittsburgh Steelers history,” team president Art Rooney II said in a statement. “As a member of four Super Bowl-winning teams, his toughness and consistency were paramount to our secondary. His contributions on the field were significant, but it was also his steady presence and team-first mentality that truly defined him.” 

An 11th round pick in the 1971 NFL Draft, Wagner was part of a notable Pittsburgh draft class that also included future Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham and fellow future starters in defensive linemen Ernie Holmes and Dwight White, offensive lineman Gerry Mullins, tight end/offensive lineman Larry Brown and receiver Frank Lewis. 

Despite his low draft stock, Wagner cracked the Steelers’ lineup as a rookie and a year later finished second on the team with six interceptions. A year later, he led the entire NFL with eight interceptions. 

In 1974, Wagner helped the Steelers win the franchise’s first Super Bowl, recording one of Pittsburgh’s three interceptions during Pittsburgh’s 16-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings. A year later, he was named to his first of two consecutive Pro Bowls while helping Pittsburgh repeat as champions. His fourth quarter interception of Roger Staubach in Super Bowl X set up a field goal and helped the Steelers record a 21-17 win over the Cowboys. 

In 1976, Wagner was one of a staggering eight Steelers defenders who were selected to the Pro Bowl. That season,…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

Outside of signing free agents from other teams, the Los Angeles Rams will need to decide which of their own free agents they would like back in 2026. After extending Nate Landman and Quentin Lake during the season, that list is much shorter than it would have been if the Rams had waited. The Athletic recently released its top-150 free agents for 2026 with projected contracts and four Rams players made the list.

S Kam Curl

The Rams have a decision to make with Kam Curl and it makes sense to try and bring him back if they can. While they typically haven’t paid safeties, Curl proved to be an important part of the defense last season. He didn’t have a great first year with the team, but Curl came into his own in 2025. The highlight of the year came in the NFC Divisional Round as Curl intercepted Caleb Williams in overtime. With that said, Curl was arguably one of the best tackling safeties in the NFL and played a key role in the box in the run game.

Advertisement

It will really come down to how the NFL values Curl. The Rams just paid Quentin Lake and they won’t pay two safeties $10+ million. Right now, The Athletic has Curl valued at $16.25 per year. However, PFF has Curl at $8.75 million per year. If the Rams can get Curl back closer to that number, it’s more likely that he is back in Los Angeles.

Contract projection via The Athletic: 4 years, $65 million

Contract projection via PFF: 2 years, $17.5 million

Market Value via Spotrac: 4 years, $40.18 million

OverTheCap Value: $9.46 million

TE Tyler Higbee

Since tearing his ACL against the Detroit Lions in 2023, Tyler Higbee has struggled to stay healthy. He missed most of the 2024 season and seven games last year. His 281 yards were his lowest output since his second season in 2017.

Higbee has been an important part of the offense, but this also feels like a natural time to move in a different direction. The Rams would be better off handing the reigns to Colby Parkinson and allowing Terrance Ferguson to take the…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The divorce between 2010s NFL All-Decade Team wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the Miami Dolphins finally came to fruition Monday, as the team announced his release.

Hill, who will turn 32 on March 1, was set to carry a $51.1 million cap hit in 2026 — the final year of a three-year, $90 million extension — which would have given him the highest cap number among non-quarterbacks this coming season. He tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 season against the New York Jets in late September, meaning he likely won’t return until roughly a quarter of the way through the 2026 campaign.

Those two factors led the Dolphins’ new regime — head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan — to move on before free agency opens in March. The decision leaves Miami with $28.2 million in dead money, but it also creates $22.9 million in cap savings by jettisoning Hill now.

After being acquired in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 2022 season, Hill was arguably the NFL’s most dominant receiver in his first two years in South Florida. From 2022 to 2023, he led the league in receiving yards (3,509) and receiving yards per game (106.3) while ranking second in receptions (238) and third in receiving touchdowns (20). His production began to tail off in 2024, and he ended that season by saying he was “out” after Miami’s Week 18 loss to the Jets.

Games played3321

Receptions

238

102

Receiving yards per game

106.3*

58.3

Receiving yards per reception

14.7

12.0

Receiving yards

3,509*

1,225

Receiving touchdowns

20

7

* Led NFL 

While there’s a lot working against Hill, he should still command a free-agent market. His 11,363 career receiving yards rank ninth-most by a player in his first 10 seasons in NFL history, and his 28 touchdowns of 50 yards or longer are the fourth-most all time. Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (36), three-time Pro Bowler DeSean Jackson (34) and Hall of Famer Randy Moss (29) have…

..

[ad_2]

Read More