NFL Rumors Roundup: How Hot Is J.J. McCarthy's Seat?

The NFL Combine is underway, and that means an influx of 40-yard dash times and, most likely, massive overreactions to 40-yard dash times.

But beyond the intense physical, mental and medical testing of NFL hopefuls, the Combine also gathers coaches and other team personnel to meet with the media. Those interviews can spawn some rather insightful and/or controversial nuggets.

To put it another way, Indianapolis is basically Rumor City this week. And I’ve been scouring the rumor mill to decipher which grains of gossip are most likely to bear fruit. Or flour (sorry, I just learned what a mill does and tried to shoehorn it into a metaphor). Anyways, let’s make like Fleetwood Mac and get to the rumors …

The Latest NFL Rumors and News To Know

Dolphins Talking About Tua Tagovailoa in the Past Tense?

There are several intriguing QB situations across the league, headlined by Arizona and Miami. Both have guys attached to long-term contracts, but neither has shied away from a possible reset. And the Dolphins aren’t being coy about it. New GM Jon-Eric Sullivan gave some interesting quotes about Tua Tagovailoa without mentioning him by name:

"As it pertains to the Miami Dolphins, any team that's in a needy-quarterback situation, if they're telling you they're not talking about Malik Willis, that would be a lie.”

Did … did he just confirm the Dolphins are in fact a QB-needy team? He did, right? Ouch. Sorry, Tua. Willis has been linked to Miami ever since former Packers personnel (including Sullivan and new head coach Jeff Hafley) came aboard. But to see it laid out so transparently by the guy with the power to make it happen is as unexpected as it is refreshing. Sullivan further alluded to the possibility that their QB room is headlined by a free agent + Quinn Ewers.

Do yourself a favor and sniff around your dynasty leagues for the current asking price on Willis. His Justin Fields-esque floor would make him a risky long-term option, but a pretty reliable fantasy asset for however many games he starts.

Khalil Shakir Stock Rising?

Bills OC-turned-head coach Joe Brady acknowledged that previous versions of the team’s offense had limited their top receiving target, Khalil Shakir. Buffalo fans everywhere are no doubt nodding their heads in vigorous agreement after enduring last year’s screen pass-a-thon. Among receivers who ran at least a hundred routes, Shakir had the third-lowest aDOT last season.

Brady talked about playing him both inside and outside, and that “it doesn’t necessarily always have to be in a short range”. Shakir’s excellent YAC abilities helped compensate for his low target volume and almost nonexistent air yards, making him a usable-but-uninspiring fantasy asset. If Brady stands behind this versatility talk and Shakir earns an extra 20-30 targets, he could move from a fringe WR3 in fantasy to a legitimate WR2.

As a side note, Keon Coleman will likely get another chance to prove himself in Buffalo, as long as he cleans up “the maturity issues off the field”. Fingers crossed that works out.

RJ Harvey Is “The Guy” in Denver?

Harvey certainly didn’t live up to his lofty ADP last season, scraping together an RB26 finish in Half-PPR. Most of that production came after J.K. Dobbins was sidelined with yet another injury. From Week 11 on, Harvey was on an impressive full-season pace of over 1,200 scrimmage yards. So while he may have underwhelmed fantasy managers, Harvey was plenty good enough for Broncos GM George Paton:

“I thought he had a really good year for a rookie … He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands, and you saw that at all stages during the season and in big games ... I think that the game slowed down for him as the season went along. I couldn’t be happier about RJ."

He also referred to Harvey as “a pet cat”, and, I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I even want to know what that means. But now would probably be a good time to reach out to dynasty managers who have Harvey sitting on their rosters. As long as Sean Payton agrees with his boss and feeds the young running back the ball, Harvey is likely a steal right now.

Are We POSITIVE Fernando Mendoza is a Raider?

Since the book slammed shut on the Raiders’ abysmal 2025 season, it’s been assumed that Vegas would use the first overall pick to draft a franchise quarterback. But it’s at least a little peculiar that John Spytek—shockingly the name of the Raiders GM and not a James Bond assistant—didn’t so much as allude to Fernando Mendoza while being interviewed in the same state where the Indiana product played his final college season.

Maybe he’s just respecting incumbent QB Geno Smith, who Spytek apparently hasn’t talked to yet this offseason. Or maybe this is just a matter of strategy (never let your enemies know what you’re thinking, etc.).

Or maybe it’s just like Gene Clemons said on a recent episode of the Fantasy Life Football Report (available on an LG TV near you). A team with so many holes on its roster might be better off trading back in the draft, scooping up additional picks and players in the process. That way, they can build a stronger team around whoever their QB of the future might be next year.

Open QB Competition in Minnesota?

We often get very flowery language when organizations talk about underperforming young players. That goes double for supposed franchise quarterbacks. Matt Ryan recently delivered some textbook coachspeak when talking about Michael Penix, for example.

But there have been no minced words regarding J.J. McCarthy. VP of football operations Rob Brzezinski said they’re “casting a wide net” looking for the best option at QB. Oof. But hey, it could be worse. After all, the Vikings would be silly not to weigh all options after such a disastrous season, and I’m probably making too much out of one little phrase and OH WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT, THERE’S MORE:

"What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective.”

OK, yeah, that’s not good at all. That’s like a restaurant owner saying their head chef needs “a baseline of working taste buds.” If that’s where we’re at, disinfect the kitchen and hand over your apron, pal. It wouldn’t shock me to see a true competition for the starting gig. In fact, maybe an old friend comes back for one last spin around the NFL sun …

Kirk Cousins Getting the Boot From Falcons

This isn’t so much “news” as it is confirmation that the 37-year-old will need to start searching Zillow for a new home (millionaires use Zillow, too … right?). But the new Falcons GM left no room for debate: Cousins will be released as soon as free agency opens.

In his first season with the Falcons, Cousins led the league in interceptions despite only playing 14 games. Last year, he registered the second-lowest completion percentage AND yards per completion of his career—truly impressive to do both of those things at once. But the NFL seems to have a QB shortage, and Cousins could find himself competing for a job in a few different states, including a return to Minnesota. Or maybe Cousins takes the bucketloads of Kohl’s cash Atlanta already gave him and saunters off into the sunset.

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NFL Rumors Roundup: How Hot Is J.J. McCarthy's Seat?

The Latest NFL Rumors and News To Know