NFL Rumors Roundup: John Harbaugh to Tennessee, a Brian Thomas Trade and More
Kendall Valenzuela highlights four of the latest rumors around the NFL rumor mill heading into the divisional round of the 2026 playoffs.
The NFL playoffs remain on center stage, but to say that the NFL rumor mill is heating up would be an understatement.
Let's dive into the latest news and notes around the NFL.
John Harbaugh, Welcome To The ... Tennessee Titans?
The Ravens and John Harbaugh parted ways after 18 seasons, leaving him as one of the most desired head coaches on the market this season. While the New York Giants are the betting favorite to land Harbaugh, there could be another team that he's eyeing.
According to Mike Garafolo, the Tennessee Titans are on the short list of teams that Harbaugh could be leaning towards. And that marriage could make sense.
The Titans do offer a lot of pieces heading into the 2026 season. Cam Ward definitely showed flashes of his talent, but things never really came together in his rookie year, and it seemed like an uphill battle the whole way. Then-coach Brian Callahan was supposed to help develop Ward (since he once helped launch the career of Joe Burrow), but he got fired in the middle of the season. Ward became the fourth straight quarterback selected No. 1 over the past five years whose coach was fired during their rookie season.
Harbaugh could try to mold Ward into a potential "elite" quarterback. The Titans are projected to have over $100 million in cap space and carry the fourth-overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. Ward ranked 35th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and success rate this season, but a big offseason need is more quality pass catchers. Surrounding Ward with a proven head coach, along with a true WR1, could turn this organization around. Let's see if Harbaugh feels the same way.
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A.J. Brown Could Be On The Move
It's not a secret that almost everyone in Philadelphia was unhappy … OK, maybe it was just the fans and A.J. Brown. Nothing was more telling than the sideline spat between Brown and head coach Nick Sirianni during Wild Card weekend, and while many speculated that it was more motivation than miscommunication, we can all agree that it did not look good. But that's been par for the course with Brown as an Eagle.
One thing is true: the offense in 2025 was abysmal, and it felt like a rinse-and-repeat situation every single week. This offense lacked an identity, which is hard to believe when you have Jalen Hurts as your quarterback and Saquon Barkley as your running back. Hurts finished 2025 with the lowest yards per attempt in his career, DeVonta Smith barely got 1,000 yards, and Brown had his fewest receiving yards in a season since 2021.
They need a new offensive coordinator to right the ship, but maybe they also need to part ways with A.J. Brown in the process. According to Spotrac, if the Eagles did trade Brown, that would put $20 million onto the cap this offseason and also give Philadelphia $43 million in dead cap money. This means that a first-round pick would probably be the asking price to make it worth it.
There's no doubt, though, that this will be one of the biggest questions the team faces this offseason.
If he is on the move (for fantasy purposes), let's send him to New England with Drake Maye and see what happens. It feels like the obvious choice because it would also reunite Brown with former head coach Mike Vrabel (if there's no bad blood there), but the Patriots also need more weapons for Maye's development anyway. Other teams that could be in the mix are the Bills, Ravens and Chargers.
Travis Etienne And Brian Thomas Jr. On The Move?
The Jaguars became a hot team down the stretch of the 2025 season, and while they were eliminated in the Wild Card by the Buffalo Bills, the team can hang its hat on an impressive season with a first-year head coach in Liam Coen. Jacksonville had big questions entering the 2026 offseason, but Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. are at the forefront of conversations for fantasy managers.
Dan Graziano anticipates Coen and Co. trying to keep Etienne with the team, but as an impending free agent, if another organization offers more money, then we could see him on another squad in 2026.
"A new administration in Jacksonville drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen last April, and they haven't re-signed Etienne yet. So, it certainly looks as if he's not in the Jags' future plans, though he had an excellent season in coach Liam Coen's system. I think they will try to bring him back on a short-term deal, but a better offer from another team would force him to make a decision." - Graziano
The other interesting note in this article is from Benjamin Solak, who predicts that Thoms could be traded this offseason.
"The Jaguars will field trade offers on wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who disappointed in his sophomore season. With the emergence of Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers getting an extension, the WR room is getting crowded in Jacksonville. I don't think he will get traded, but if I were a GM, I'd definitely be calling." - Solak
There were rumors before the trade deadline that maybe Thomas Jr. would be traded, but Coen shut down those rumors, saying he had "a lot of confidence" in the second-year receiver. For fantasy purposes, a move for BTJ wouldn't be the worst thing. There were a lot of mouths to feed with Washington and Meyers, and even when Brenton Strange returned from injury. Add in the fact that Travis Hunter will hopefully be back healthy next season, and BTJ is way down the pecking order.
Is Kyle Pitts Going To Get Big Money Somewhere Else?
The Falcons have hired Matt Ryan as their new president of football operations, and while the big question ultimately is focused on their next head coach, there are also big roster construction questions for 2026.
Kyle Pitts has been disappointing in most managers' eyes. The No. 4 overall draft pick in 2021 set records as a rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season, then came inconsistent play and injuries that made fantasy players unwilling to trust him. Pitts put on a show to end the 2025 season, though. From Week 13-16, the tight end was tied for third in the NFL in receiving yards (395), tied for second in receptions (31) and his four touchdowns were tied for the most in the league, according to ESPN.
He finished the season with 88 receptions, 928 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2025. I don't think anyone believes he's going to be one of the highest-paid tight ends in the NFL after this stretch, but he did show us the best four-game stretch of his career. George Kittle is the highest-paid tight end, averaging $19.1 million per season. Trey McBride is next at $19 million and Travis Kelce comes in third at $17.1 million.
If the Falcons place the franchise tag on Pitts, it would pay him around $15.8 million next year.
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