TAMPA, Fla. — The accountants won. Common sense prevailed.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not overwhelm Mike Evans with an offer too lucrative to refuse, and he will put on an unfamiliar uniform for the first time in 13 years and 13,000 yards.

As longtime breakups go, this was more amicable than most. Feelings were not hurt and fingers were ...Read more

CHICAGO — The big dollars and gaudy contract terms flying around Monday morning when doors to the NFL’s negotiating window swung open — a 52-hour period that leads into the start of the new league year and free agency at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday — offered one important reminder:

It’s good for the Chicago Bears that the April draft is deep ...Read more

Love it.

Let me expand that thought.

Love it, love it, love it, love it, love it that the Miami Dolphins are releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, signing Malik Willis and effectively changed the arc and tone of their franchise over a couple of hours Monday.

That doesn’t mean Willis is the certain answer to this franchise’s eternal search...Read more

The San Francisco 49ers’ signing of wide receiver Mike Evans is not just a splashy, big-name transaction to start off NFL free agency.

No, it’s a terrifying, exhilarating, high-wire act performed without a safety net, hovering over a pit of hungry alligators.

And for Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch, this isn’t just a flyer; It’s a ...Read more

MIAMI — The “Tank for Tua” era — or error — was rooted in failure from the very start, and that’s exactly how Tua Tagovailoa’s tenure as the Miami Dolphins’ starting quarterback should be remembered.

One misstep after another, an avalanche of miscalculations, and doubling down on bad decisions.

It was yet another era of failure...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Jaelan Phillips is reportedly on his way out of Philadelphia, agreeing to terms with the Carolina Panthers on a four-year, $120 million deal ($80 million guaranteed), ESPN reported Monday.

Phillips, who turns 27 in May, was set for the biggest payday of the Eagles’ free agents this offseason given his youth, his performance, ...Read more

The Tua Tagovailoa era for the Miami Dolphins is over.

The Dolphins are cutting their one-time franchise quarterback whom the team selected with the No. 5 pick of the 2020 draft and signed to a lucrative contract extension in 2024, the Dolphins announced Monday morning before free agency in the NFL kicked off at noon.

“I recently informed ...Read more

SEATTLE — Turns out, Rashid Shaheed hit the free agent market only to end up right back in Seattle.

Shaheed, the Seahawks receiver whose electric return ability proved a pivotal part of Seattle’s run to the Super Bowl title,agreed Monday afternoon to re-sign with the Seahawks on a three-year deal worth up to $51 million with $34.7 million ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders had a clear need to make a big splash on the offensive line and plenty of cap space to make it happen.

They did it by agreeing to make former Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.

The deal, which can’t be officially signed until the new league ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Travis Kelce is on his way back to the NFL for a 14th season, and it was reported Monday that his destination will be a return to the Kansas City Chiefs, the only team for which he has played.

The Chiefs don't have as much money to spend in free agency as many other teams, but Kelce, 36, is expected to turn down more lucrative ...Read more

MIAMI — Minkah Fitzpatrick will stay within the division.

The Miami Dolphins traded the star safety to the New York Jets in exchange for the Los Angeles Chargers’ seventh-round pick, according to multiple reports. New York will sign Fitzpatrick to a three-year deal worth $40 million.

This comes just weeks after reports surfaced that Miami ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — What began as rumor is now reality. Mike Evans is leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 12 seasons.

Evans has agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $60 million with the San Francisco 49ers, according to his agent, Deryk Gilmore.

Gilmore said in a statement Monday that Evans simply wanted a new challenge, but Tampa Bay will ...Read more

BOSTON — Ex-New England Patriots defensive lineman Khyiris Tonga is leaving to sign a 3-year free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs worth up to $21 million, according to a source.

Tonga started eight of 17 games last year, recording 31 tackles, a sack, four QB hits and a pair of pass breakups. Tonga departs after a career year in New...Read more

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks have lost Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III as he has agreed to a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.

But it took a big deal to lure him out of Seattle.

The NFL Network reported that Walker will get a three-year deal worth up to $45 million with a base value of up to $43.05 million that includes $28.7 million ...Read more

MIAMI — The Miami Dolphins landed arguably the most intriguing free agent on the market.

Quarterback Malik Willis will sign a three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Dolphins, a source confirmed. Approximately $45 million is guaranteed. Willis will now reunite with both a newly hired general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and coach in Jeff ...Read more

The Tua Tagovailoa era for the Miami Dolphins is over.

The Dolphins are cutting their one-time franchise quarterback whom the team selected with the No. 5 pick of the 2020 draft and signed to a lucrative contract extension in 2024, the Dolphins announced Monday morning before free agency in the NFL kicked off at noon.

“I recently informed ...Read more

CHICAGO — It’s pointless these days to debate out the daily idiocy emanating from the White House, where the president is busy dropping bombs and trying to fix college sports.

But since the current administration is so obsessed with sports imagery, the latest Trumpian sports controversy needs to be addressed. (That’s a trigger warning, in...Read more

SEATTLE — Geno Smith is not finished with the NFL. His release from the Las Vegas Raiders does not mean retirement — his departure does not mean he’s done.

But Las Vegas deciding to move on from the 35-year-old quarterback suggests that Smith’s days as a starter on a winning team may very well be over.

The former Seattle Seahawks’ ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Within hours of missing out on Maxx Crosby, the Philadelphia Eagles secured one of their own through 2029. Jordan Davis agreed to a three-year, $78 million extension. He already was under contract for 2026.

This signing was anything but assured just a calendar year ago. Davis was not quite a bust, but he was careening down that...Read more