NFL news, live updates: Giants reportedly trade Dexter Lawrence to Bengals; Will Anderson Jr., Texans agree on historic 3-year, $150 million extension

Dexter Lawrence, after expressing his unhappiness with the New York Giants, is on the move.

The Giants traded the Pro Bowl defensive tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a package that includes the No. 10 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft, per multiple reports.

New York will now have the No. 5 and No. 10 overall picks in the draft, while Lawrence will get a fresh start (and, reportedly, a new extension) with the Bengals.

Read more about the trade here.

The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to a swap of backup defensive tackles in a trade announced by Atlanta on Friday.

Jacoby Brissett started the final 12 games of the 2025 season for the Arizona Cardinals, who released now-former franchise QB Kyler Murray earlier this offseason.

Brissett is one of three players at the position currently on Arizona’s roster. The others are Gardner Minshew II and Kedon Slovis.

Brissett isn’t attending the first phase of the Cardinals’ offseason program and is asking for an extension that pays him as QB1, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Will Anderson Jr. reportedly now holds the title as the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.

The Houston Texans and the 2025 first-team All-Pro have agreed to a three-year, $150 million extension, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who noted that the deal includes $134 million of guaranteed money and comes with a no-trade clause.

Anderson is hot off a breakout season, in which he finished as runner-up for NFL Defensive Player of the Year and made his second Pro Bowl. He piled up a career-high 12 sacks, forced three fumbles, recovered two others — including a scoop-and-score — for a stout Texans defense that ranked second last season with only 17.4 points per game allowed.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward’s shoulder rehab is reportedly on schedule, according to ESPN’s Turron Davenport. Ward has been throwing since mid-March and is reportedly expected to trend towards throwing in minicamp.

Ward injured his shoulder in the Titans’ season finale. Ward threw for 3,169 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his rookie season. The 23-year-old quarterback will be playing in a new system under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

The NFL defensive end market is heating up before the NFL Draft. AJ Epenesa reportedly visited the Miami Dolphins, while Dante Fowler Jr. visited the Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Epenesa, 27, is looking for a new home after his physical prevented him from signing with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Epensa can now stay in the AFC East if he signs after spending his first six seasons with the Buffalo Bills.

If Fowler signs with the Seahawks, he will add depth to a defensive line that dominated during the team’s run to the Super Bowl. The 31-year-old pass rusher last played for the Cowboys but has spent time with the Commanders, Falcons, Rams and Jaguars, with most of his later years under Dan Quinn.

Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane was reportedly spotted at the team’s training facility on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. His presence could be an encouraging sign for the Dolphins after he did not report to voluntary OTAs in early April, an absence believed to be related to his contract.

It also reinforces what Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday. Sullivan said Achane is not available for trade and the team is making progress toward a contract extension with him.

Achane could reportedly be aiming to beat the four-year, $48 million contract extension that Buffalo Bills running back James Cook signed last offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.

Read more here.

Left tackle Paris Johnson will have his fifth-year option picked up by the Arizona Cardinals, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports.

The NFL informed teams in a Wednesday memo that it has begun onboarding potential replacement officials, according to multiple reports.

The league also reportedly noted that it will hold training sessions in May, gearing up to assign those possible replacement refs to offseason practices beginning June 1.

The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association (NFLRA) expires on May 31.

The league reiterated in its latest memo that it “remains committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the NFL Referees Association but will be fully prepared should the current agreement expire,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported Wednesday, citing the league’s memo, that “several” potential replacement officials have completed background checks with NFL security. Up next are physical examinations they’ll have to go through.

Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday that running back De’Von Achane is not available for trade. Achane did not report to voluntary OTAs in April. His absence was expected to be contract-related.

Sullivan shared that the team is heading in the right direction on a contract extension with Achane. Achane could reportedly be aiming to beat the four-year, $48 million contract extension that Buffalo Bills running back James Cook signed last offseason, according to the Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly.

Read more here.

The Hall of Fame quarterback has been advising the Dolphins for several months. He was originally part of the team’s GM search, which ended with Jon-Eric Schmidt’s hiring. He was then a part of their search for a new head coach, which resulted in hiring Jeff Hafley.

Aikman’s advice won’t go away anytime soon, according to Sullivan. The former Cowboys QB will be a sounding board, but will not be part of their draft process.

Dexter Lawrence might indeed be on the move, despite the Giants’ desire to keep him.

Nasir Adderley surprisingly walked away from the NFL at 25 years old in March 2023. At the time, the safety was coming off his fourth season with the Los Angeles Chargers, who selected him out of Delaware in second round of the 2019 draft.

In the three years since, Adderley has felt the itch to play again, and, so, in February, he announced his intent to return to the league.

Adderley took the first step toward completing his NFL comeback on Tuesday, signing with the Indianapolis Colts.

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he wants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to remain with the team. Harbaugh also said he thinks Lawrence wants to be there despite not talking to him lately.

Harbaugh’s comments come after Lawrence requested a trade from the team in early April. Lawrence’s trade request is expected to be contract related. The Giants and Lawrence have reportedly been negotiating for two seasons. Lawrence is scheduled to make $20 million this season and has two years remaining on his current contract.

Quarterback Brandon Allen has signed with the New York Giants, the team announced on Monday. He’ll join Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston on the QB depth chart.

Allen, 33, played last season for the Tennessee Titans, appearing in one game. He compieted 17-of-30 passes for 72 yards with one interception. With the Giants, Allen sticks with former Titans head coach Brian Callahan, now the Giants’ passing game coordinator.

The San Francisco 49ers are signing cornerback Jack Jones, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jones spent last season with the Miami Dolphins. He played for the Las Vegas Raiders from 2023-24. The Raiders picked him up off waivers during the 2023 campaign, following his release from the New England Patriots, who drafted Jones in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of Arizona State.

Jones has a knack for taking the ball away. He has scattered eight interceptions over his four NFL seasons, and he’s taken half of them back for six.

The Philadelphia Eagles are reportedly acquiring wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks from the Green Bay Packers for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

As part of the trade, the 24-year-old Wicks will sign a one-year, $12.5 million extension with Philadelphia.

Read more.

The New England Patriots are hiring Shane Bowen as a defensive analyst, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Bowen, 39, was the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons. He was fired after a Week 12 loss to the Detroit Lions in which the defense gave up 34 points, surrending 33 points or more for the fifth time in seven games.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Friday that the league will continue to seek to hold games in Australia in the future. Another game in 2027 is in consideration as the league expands its global footprint.

“There’s no question that we’re going to be playing here again,” Goodell said while at Melbourne Cricket Ground to promote the 49ers-Rams game. “Our view is that we’re coming here for the long term. We ​don’t come as a one-offs. This isn’t a circus.

“This is something that’s an investment ⁠in this, in this market and we believe that, this is long term and will be ​great for the NFL long term.”