Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs make huge decision on contract — and more

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t just create cap room. They performed cap sorcery in broad daylight – and the rest of the NFL just sighed in unison. Per reporting, the Chiefs reworked Patrick Mahomes’ 2026 contract to free up about $43.6 million in Chiefs salary cap space, slashing his 2026 cap number from roughly $78.2M down to about $34.65M.

The mechanism is the classic move – convert a giant chunk of 2026 money into bonus-style accounting so the hit spreads out later. Translation: the Chiefs just pushed today’s headache into tomorrow’s spreadsheet.

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Mahomes cap hits:

And yes, tomorrow is going to hurt. Mahomes’ future cap hits balloon – including a reported 2027 cap hit around $85M – because the bill always comes due. But here’s the kicker – the cap is rising anyway. The league has projected the 2026 salary cap in the $301.2M-$305.7M range, which makes kicking the can less terrifying when the can is getting bigger every year.

This move matters because Kansas City’s budget wasn’t just tight – they were staring down an offseason with big decisions. An offseason where they were forced to cut useful players, watch starters walk, and sell the concept of rebuild. Now the Chiefs can actually operate like a contender. They’re able to re-sign priority players, shop in free agency without hitting the bargain bin, and extend players to smooth out 2026-2027 while the cap climbs.

What it could mean for Kelce

The list of decisions isn’t small. Kansas City has real names in the pay or pray zone – including Travis Kelce headlining the conversation, plus starters/rotation pieces across the roster who suddenly become more keepable when you’re not drowning.

Here’s the truth. This doesn’t mean the Chiefs are fixed by any stretch. It means they’re potentially dangerous. The Mahomes restructure is basically Kansas City doing Kansas City things –  they plan to reload aggressively instead of politely stepping aside. The rest of us want parity. The Chiefs just chose violence.

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Thibaut Courtois is one of the best football players in the world, known for making big moves on the pitch.

The Belgian star, a winner of two Champions League titles and multiple La Liga titles with Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, has also been ‘making moves’ away from the football pitch.

On Thursday, news of Thibaut Courtois’ latest major investment was confirmed, and he is the new part-owner of Le Mans FC.

The 33-year-old, who currently plays for Real Madrid, is joining several high-profile individuals in the Le Mans investment group.

Thibaut Courtois joins Novak Djokovic as a Le Mans FC investor

Courtois has invested in Le Mans FC [as per 433], and he is far from the first elite athlete to invest in the Ligue 2 football club.

Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam tennis champion, is also an investor in Le Mans FC, as is Formula One driver Kevin Magnussen.

Felipe Massa, the 2008 Formula One World Championship runner-up, is also an investor.

Djokovic, Magnussen and Massa became part-owners of the club in August last year after acquiring stakes in the club.

As per Reuters%20%2D%20Tennis,promoted%20club%20announced%20on%20Friday.), the investment was led by Brazilian group OutField, an international consortium co-founded by Pedro Olivera, and includes Georgios Frangulis, CEO of global health-food brand OakBerry.

Le Mans FC, based in western France, was first founded in 1902, with the club playing their matches at the Stade Léon-Bollée. In 2011, the club moved to the MMArena, which has a capacity of 25,000.

How are Le Mans FC performing this season?

After 23 league games, Le Mans are in fifth place in the Ligue 2 standings.

It has been an impressive season for the French club, who were promoted to Ligue 2 after finishing second in Ligue 3 in the 2024/25 season.

However, they have hit a patch of bad form, failing to win any of their past three games. In their last match, they lost 4-2 to Montpellier, who were relegated from the French top flight last season.

Le Mans are also out of the French Cup after losing to Reims 3-0 in the round of 16.

Is NFL star Puka Nacua, 24, dating wrestler Charlotte Flair, 39, after shooting his shot with Sydney Sweeney? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

NFL star Puka Nacua is single and ready to mingle.

The LA Rams stud, 24, famously (and hilariously) tried to flirt with Sydney Sweeney by commenting “love skydiving” on a post on X (formerly Twitter) where she shared that she liked her guys “athletic.”

Then he was seen with influencer Hannah Stocking.

So when he hit the infamous Daytona 500 party scene with his big brother Samson, the chatter began the second fans spotted flirty pics (published in a Wednesday, February 18 story in the Daily Mail) of the guys with none other than superstar wrestler Charlotte Flair, 39, daughter of Ric Flair.

The three-time divorcee is 15 years older than the long-haired wide receiver.

After the two followed each other on Instagram, Flair posted a Wednesday, February 18 photo of her enviably chiseled core in a tiny, ab-baring workout ‘fit.

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A post shared by Charlotte Flair (@charlottewwe)

“Vibes!!” Nacua commented.

“Always!” Flair replied.

Fans didn’t let the moment go unnoticed.

“Are you two together?” asked one.

“Seriously? 👑🔥” said another.

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“She was having a blast at the Daytona 500 with both Puka and his brother Samson and literally everyone else,” the Daily Mail quotes a source in the same article. “It was a big party and everyone was just having the time of their lives.”

In fact, the same source told the outlet that fans might have it all wrong — and Flair might have her eye on the older brother.

'If she was flirting with anyone specifically, she was flirting with Samson and he was giving it right back,” Daily Mail quotes the witness.

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Gotta hand it to the league for giving this event the most appropriate name possible. In addition to being the most impactful pre-Draft gathering for prospects to showcase their on-field abilities, the NFL Combine also allows fantasy managers to combine film-based takeaways with concrete, measured athletic testing numbers for the first time. Which pro hopefuls are actually as fast as they look on tape? Whose arm can actually rip darts downfield?

Spanning Feb. 23-March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, we’ll learn a lot over the course of this week-long event. It’s truly “make or break” season for many of these college standouts. Those who step up, deliver quality performances, and impress front-office execs in the Combine’s interview portions have an opportunity to leave the home of the Colts with higher NFL Draft stock and, thus, greater appeal for both season-long and dynasty purposes.

So, which players do we need to focus on at the 2026 NFL Combine? We’ve got you covered. Let’s go over the offensive skill position invitees list(s) and highlight some key names:

2026 NFL Combine Preview

Quarterback

Invitees

• Ty Simpson, Alabama
• Taylen Green, Arkansas
• Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
• Cade Klubnik, Clemson
• Haynes King, Georgia Tech
• Luke Altmyer, Illinois
• Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
• Jalon Daniels, Kansas
• Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
• Carson Beck, Miami
• Cole Payton, North Dakota State
• Drew Allar, Penn State
• Joe Fagnano, UConn
• Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
• Behren Morton, Texas Tech
• Joey Aguilar, Tennessee

Players to Watch

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

You’ve likely heard the name: reigning Heisman Trophy holder, QB1 of last year’s College Football Playoff National Championship winner, the likely 1.01 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders? That guy. Mendoza did not attend any prospect showcases and will be in front of NFL brass for the first time in Indy. Frankly, he doesn’t have to participate in anything and likely won’t.

Mendoza has previously stated that throwing at the Combine isn’t a “priority” and will instead be saving those exercises for Indiana’s pro day April 1. Kind of a bummer, but it’s not uncommon for the high-end quarterbacks to skip drills and focus on the one-on-one time with execs. The biggest thing he needs to do is simply show up and charm decision-makers.

For more on his player profile, be sure to check out this effort from FTN’s resident prospector, Jeremy Popielarz and this handy landing page that links to all of our 2026 NFL Draft content.

Ty Simpson, Alabama

Simpson had to wait his turn after joining the Crimson Tide as a highly touted five-star recruit in 2022. Slated behind the likes of Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, playing time in Tuscaloosa didn’t come immediately, and this past season was the first time that the 6-foot-2 youngster got any meaningful snaps. Indeed, inexperience is a big knock against Simpson (15 career starts), although he certainly got in throwing reps by leading the SEC in attempts (473) in 2025.

What we have here is more of a long-term “project” than a plug-and-play starter. Despite a reasonably strong start to the 2025 campaign, the latter half of the college season witnessed a stark dip in production from Simpson. He looked like a guy who needs a little more seasoning.

That said, NFL teams that can be patient with Simpson are undoubtedly going to be intrigued. A good showing in passing drills, particularly highlighting his touch on deeper throws and (hopefully) improved ball placement, could help solidify his status as a development piece in Round 1 (think Los Angeles Rams/eventual heir to Matthew Stafford). The ceiling is absolutely there if Simpson continues to work on consistent mechanics and better delivery.

Drew Allar, Penn State

This one’s a bit of a difficult case. Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury in October, and not being granted an extra year of NCAA eligibility has accelerated a timeline that needed more runway. Another year in college could’ve made Allar one of the top names in the 2027 class had he been allowed to return. Sadly, rules are rules, and that ain’t the world we live in.

The good news, at least, is that Allar has considerably more experience under center than someone like Ty Simpson. 35 career starts in the Big 10, including a debut campaign with a conference-leading 25 passing touchdowns in 2023 and a National Championship appearance in 2024, provide us with a solid body of work. Allar’s idyllic 6-foot-5 frame and superb arm are extremely apparent on film. What isn’t, however, is a more nuanced understanding of reading the field and passable footwork; that’s where this ankle injury debacle hurts him the most. Again, I cannot stress enough how “raw” Allar still is.

Will the Combine be the jumpstart to an exciting developmental journey? Who knows. If anything, the Combine is going to be the equivalent of what the Panini Senior Bowl was for LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier — a chance to show a healthy body and a desire to compete. Getting any positives from Indy will be monumentally important. What happens from there is in Allar’s hands, but whatever NFL team selects the 21-year-old will have plenty of molding to do. High risk, potentially high reward, but a disappointingly low floor are all on the table.

Running Back

Invitees

• Jam Miller, Alabama
• Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
• Adam Randall, Clemson
• Roman Hemby, Indiana
• Seth McGowan, Kentucky
• Emmett Johnson, Nebraska
• Eli Heidenreich, Navy
• Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
• Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
• CJ Donaldson, Ohio State
• Noah Whittington, Oregon
• Kaytron Allen, Penn State
• Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
• Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
• Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
• Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
• Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
• J’Mari Taylor, Virginia
• Jonah Coleman, Washington
• Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
• Max Bredeson, Michigan

Players to Watch

Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Love is easily RB1 in the class. If you haven’t seen any tape of him already, get ready for a fun watch. A former four-star high school recruit, he ended his collegiate career with back-to-back seasons of 1,300-plus scrimmage yards and became the first player in Notre Dame history to win the Doak Walker Award (the nation’s top running back) in 2025. This is a program that’s given us names like Jerome Bettis and Kyren Williams, folks — pretty big deal!

But don’t think of Price as just Love’s backup; he’s quite talented in his own right. The 22-year-old offers similar size to his counterpart and possesses a level of burst that translates to multiple areas of the game. Price averaged 37.5 yards per kick return and scored a pair of return touchdowns, leading the NCAA in 2025. Though he isn’t the discussion as a first-round pick like Love, Price also earned first-team All-American honors last year. That ain’t no accident.

Jonah Coleman, Washington

Coleman’s inability to make it down to Mobile for the Senior Bowl was disappointing. He was one of the names previously highlighted as a “main attraction” of mine for the event, so the folks in Indianapolis should count themselves lucky to get to see the 5-foot-9 cannonball up close.

There are few doubts as to whether Coleman’s game will translate to the NFL. The dude barrels downhill with authority and makes bringing him to the ground a tall task. He’s got it as a runner, but how much speed Coleman possesses is something that’s still up in the air. How he measures in this area will be a crucial piece of the evaluation puzzle.

That said, remember that there’s such a thing as Speed Score. A raw 40-yard dash time doesn’t tell the entire story. Those seeking more insight on what this stat means should glance at this article by fellow FTN contributor Bryan Knowles from last year, but just know that when I’m talking about how “fast” Coleman is, this is the area that’s being focused on.

Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Look, Johnson’s electric, man. This 22-year-old finished 2025 with both first-team All-Big 10 and All-American honors on the strength of a 1,451-rushing-yard campaign (fourth in the NCAA) with some decent pass-catching chops to boot. Vibes-wise, watching Johnson feels kind of like Alvin Kamara, but without the same level of physicality that’s made the latter a five-time Pro Bowler.

Part of the issue stems from a listed frame of 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds; figuring out how big a guy we’re really talkin’ about here is vital. That’s what makes Popielarz’s comparison to James Cook a solid one. Beyond the physical measurements, it’ll be very interesting to see Johnson’s performance in drills that showcase quick cuts and agility. Balling out in those areas is huge for a player generally considered on the smaller side. If he can really pop, size won’t matter.

Wide Receiver

Invitees

• Germie Bernard, Alabama
• Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
• Josh Cameron, Baylor
• Chase Roberts, BYU
• Jeff Caldwell, Cincinnati
• Antonio Williams, Clemson
• Michael Sturdivant, Florida
• Dillon Bell, Georgia
• Zachariah Branch, Georgia
• Colbie Young, Georgia
• Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
• Ted Hurst, Georgia State
• Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Kansas
• Kendrick Law, Kentucky
• Aaron Anderson, LSU
• Barion Brown, LSU
• Chris Hilton Jr., LSU
• Zavion Thomas, LSU
• Chris Bell, Louisville
• Caullin Lacy, Louisville
• CJ Daniels, Miami
• Donaven McCulley, Michigan
• De’Zhaun Stribling, Mississippi
• Harrison Wallace III, Mississippi
• Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State
• Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
• Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
• Bryce Lance, North Dakota State
• Jalen Walthall, Incarnate Word
• Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
• Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
• Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
• Jordan Hudson, SMU
• Eric McAlister, TCU
• KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
• Caleb Douglas, Texas Tech
• Reggie Virgil, Texas Tech
• Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee
• Deion Burks, Oklahoma
• Carnell Tate, Ohio State
• Malik Benson, Oregon
• Skyler Bell, UConn
• Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
• Makai Lemon, USC
• Denzel Boston, Washington
• Vinny Anthony II, Wisconsin

Players to Watch

The Four Probable Round 1 “Elites”

Consensus has landed on Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State, Makai Lemon from USC, Carnell Tate from Ohio State and Denzel Boston from Washington as the dudes likeliest to receive high rookie draft capital. Each will likely hear their name called by Roger Goodell in the first round, so being aware of them and tracking their progress throughout the Combine will be key.

Getting into the nitty-gritty with each would be pretty difficult here, so we’ll do a TL;DR speed run instead. From a broad perspective, both Tate and Boston are your larger X receiver types. Tyson, also a perimeter threat, is slightly smaller and relies more on speed than his frame to win. As for Lemon, he’s more of a slot-based YAC machine that’ll break the intermediate levels of the field wide open. Definitely read Popielarz’s profiles on all four for greater insight.

KC Concepcion, Texas A&M

Another dynamo who didn’t make it down to the Senior Bowl, the Combine will be the first time Concepcion does any proper workouts for NFL teams. The former NC State transfer is a creative playmaker with the ability to beat multiple coverages from the slot or on the outside. Versatility is going to be a huge plus for Concepcion, but admittedly, size won’t.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, we’re not talking about another Tank Dell situation by any means, but determining how actual measurements compare to what’s listed will better illustrate some of the physicality concerns he carries. Is he “small” or actually small? Luckily, getting out there and murkin’ dudes ain’t Concepcion’s bag to begin with, especially given his speed.

Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

Easily my top receiver from the Senior Bowl, Fields has garnered some genuine intrigue since the January showcase. In the most recent mock draft from NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, he had the Notre Dame wideout landing in the first round — that’s a massive stock-up W right there.

Count me as one of the folks who went into Mobile expecting Fields to be just another big-bodied X receiver. He certainly looks and plays that part well, although the week of practice gave onlookers a chance to see Fields put together strong delivery on a wide-ranging route tree and superb separation skills. Others, including Jeremiah, clearly agree.

I think there’s still some “untapped” upside here, and with guys like Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate around at the Combine, we’ll get a chance to see how Fields looks relative to the higher-end of the WR talent spectrum in the 2026 class. All respect to the Senior Bowl invitees, but the collection of wideouts in Indianapolis is a different caliber. Can Fields still look that good against those guys by comparison? Getting that answer will be pivotal.

Tight End

Invitees

• Josh Cuevas, Alabama
• Michael Trigg, Baylor
• Joe Royer, Cincinnati
• Oscar Delp, Georgia
• Tanner Koziol, Houston
• Riley Nowakowski, Indiana
• Bauer Sharp, LSU
• Marlin Klein, Michigan
• Dae’Quan Wright, Mississippi
• Eli Raridon, Notre Dame
• Will Kacmarek, Ohio State
• Max Klare, Ohio State
• Jaren Kanak, Oklahoma
• Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
• Khalil Dinkins, Penn State
• Matthew Hibner, SMU
• RJ Maryland, SMU
• Sam Roush, Stanford
• DJ Rogers, TCU
• Nate Boerkircher, Texas A&M
• Miles Kitselman, Tennessee
• Lake McRee, USC
• Dallen Bentley, Utah
• Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
• John Michael Gyllenborg, Wyoming
• Justin Joly, N.C. State

Players to Watch

Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon

Sadiq brings incredible athleticism to the table and will turn only 21 in a couple of weeks. The upside for a stellar catch-first tight end is absolutely in play for the Oregon product. He does everything you want out of a receiving tight end in the NFL, but where things get tricky for Sadiq, however, is size relative to what the league typically looks for at the tight end position.

Standing at a listed 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Sadiq isn’t a small human, but that’s on the lower end for guys at his position. Tight ends often face off against large defenders in blocking situations, and that’s quite literally half the job. Whether Sadiq can demonstrate enough trench acumen to avoid being taken out of the rotation regularly will be intriguing. We won’t get all of that info in Indy, but blocking drills should get extra attention during his turn(s).

Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt

A huge part of what made Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia the runner-up for the Heisman this past season was Stowers being the best tight end in the country. No, that’s not an opinion either; he won the John Mackey Award in 2025 with a 62-769-4 receiving line backing it up. What’s even more wild is that he’s a former four-star quarterback recruit who began his career at Texas A&M and didn’t even transition to tight end full-time until 2024.

Of course, that’s a bit of a double-edged sword. Fantasy managers love über-athletes at tight end, as does the NFL, but that’s how we end up with the Dalton Kincaids of the world. There is at least some possibility that the same rings true for Stowers, so honestly, just seeing him hold his own against his counterparts across all areas would be reassuring. Are we getting excited for a “true” tight end, or just an athlete who plays tight end as a catch-first slot specialist?

Cowboys, Giants and Eagles could battle over Browns $100 million cut candidate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With the Cleveland Browns turning the page to a new chapter after the firing of Kevin Stefanski and the hiring of Todd Monken, one analyst believes the team could cut ties with one of its defensive stalwarts.

The Browns are projected to have just $3.2 million in cap space, so there could be some cuts and/or restructures coming.

One Browns cut candidate in the eyes of Matt Okada of NFL.com is cornerback Denzel Ward, who is set to account for a cap hit of $32.8 million in the second-to-last year of his $100 million contract. A post-June 1 release would create $19.9 million in cap space while incurring a dead-cap charge of $12.9 million.

"Given what he’s meant to the team for the better part of a decade, this would be a more surprising cut, but it also might make sense as Cleveland looks to the future under new head coach Todd Monken," Okada wrote.

A five-time Pro Bowler, Ward is getting up there in age as he prepares to turn 29 in April, but he is still playing at a starting-caliber level.

In 2025, Ward gave up a completion rate of 61.3% and a passer rating of 88.1 when targeted. He also added one interception and nine passes defensed.

Ward did, however, post the lowest Pro Football Focus coverage grade of his career with a 59.7, which has helped knock him out of the elite category for the time being.

Even still, if Ward becomes available in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys could all compete for his services.

The Eagles have two very good corners in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but the team is lacking a reliable option to play on the boundary opposite Mitchell.

The Giants should be set in the slot with Dru Phillips, but Cor'Dale Flott, who was the team's best cornerback in 2025, is a pending free agent. Even if Flott returns, New York needs a better solution across from him.

In Dallas, the Cowboys have parted ways with Trevon Diggs, which leaves DaRon Bland and not much else in the way of reliable options. That's bad news for a Cowboys defense that gave up the most passing yards per game last season.

Based on projected cap space, the Eagles are best positioned to make a strong run at Ward if he's cut. The Giants have the second-most cap space of the three teams, while the Cowboys bring up the rear.

At this stage in his career, Ward is going to be looking for a chance to win a Super Bowl on top of a starting role. All three teams can provide the latter, but the Eagles are no doubt Ward's best option for the former.

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