Whew, the NFL offseason is not for the weak.
From trade speculation to cryptic social media posts, information is flying about what the 32 organizations plan to do to shock the league next season.
Some of that will be fan-made rumors that spread quickly, while other comments will come straight from general managers, head coaches, NFL insiders, agents, and players.
With the 2026 NFL Combine underway in Indianapolis, three things stood out to me: Atlanta will release Kirk Cousins, Chicago isn’t sure if DJ Moore will stay, and Houston’s GM denied a wild trade rumor about C.J. Stroud.
After two years, the Atlanta Falcons plan to part ways with QB Kirk Cousins
On March 11, the first day of the new league year, the Falcons will release Kirk Cousins. According to the NFL’s official website, general manager Ian Cunningham (former Bears assistant GM) revealed that he had a chat with Cousins and his team.
“We just felt that that was out of respect for Kirk and Mike, his agent, and what he’s done in his career, just that we owe that to him to allow him some clarity going into free agency,” he said.
I watched several Falcons games over the past two seasons because I’m a fan of former Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney. I saw Kirk Cousins go from starter to the bench his first year with Atlanta. The team then looked to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to lead.
Penix Jr. was injured in Week 11 this season, in a matchup against division rivals Carolina Panthers, so Cousins had an opportunity to start again. The Falcons finished third in the NFC South with an 8-9 record.
Will DJ Moore be a Chicago Bear next season? Bears GM Ryan Poles’ comments kept the door open
I watch football for entertainment, but the NFL is a business. GMs do what’s best for the organization, so even though I wanted Ryan Poles to say, “DJ’s not going anywhere,” I’m not surprised he didn’t.
Poles admitted the veteran wide receiver is a player he’d like to keep, but it’s his job to look at all scenarios, which I get. As a Bears fan, I saw the team’s young receivers (Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and even TE Colston Loveland) make huge plays, but so did DJ. He also won the NFL Moment of the Year Award.
During the 2025 regular season, Moore had 682 yards and six touchdowns. I hope he stays, but if he’s traded, I hope he goes to a team that will appreciate him.
Chicago finished first in the NFC North with an 11-6 record, seeing their first playoff appearance since 2020.
Are the Texans really trading C.J. Stroud? GM says absolutely not!
I know social media sports critics and some analysts were throwing jabs at C.J. Stroud after his playoff performance, but where did this rumor even come from? The Texans quarterback has led his team to the playoffs three times in his first three seasons.
Yes, he had many interceptions during the postseason, but according to general manager Nick Caserio, Stroud is here to stay.
At the Combine, he told reporters, “It’s moronic. We’re not trading the guy. He’s our quarterback. He’s gonna be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026. Anything beyond that, that’s your world. You guys can speculate on that. But we’re not trading C.J. Stroud.”
I appreciate Caserio being straightforward and shutting down the speculation. This gives Stroud one less thing to worry about as he focuses on training and relaxing in the offseason.