{"id":624027,"date":"2026-04-22T17:53:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:53:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624027\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T17:53:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T17:53:32","slug":"nfl-news-live-updates-ahead-of-2026-draft-cowboys-will-have-george-pickens-play-under-franchise-tag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/624027\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL news, live updates ahead of 2026 draft: Cowboys will have George Pickens play under franchise tag"},"content":{"rendered":"

Latest mock draft<\/a> | Big Boards: Consensus Top 75<\/a> \u2022 Nate Tice<\/a> \u2022 Charles McDonald<\/a> | Draft guide<\/a><\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, with the first round set to start Thursday. This year\u2019s draft will take place in Pittsburgh<\/a>, with the main stage on the North Shore just outside of the Steelers\u2019 home, Acrisure Stadium \u2014 though the presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will reportedly not be in attendance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Will the Dallas Cowboys<\/a> be in the market for a first-round wide receiver? It\u2019s possible, after Jerry and Stephen Jones told media on Wednesday that they are no longer negotiating a long-term contract with George Pickens.<\/a> The Cowboys will have him play under the franchise tag this season, and Stephen Jones said it was mainly because of the fact he\u2019s only played one season in Dallas so far, and the Cowboys are also paying top-of-market money to Dak Prescott<\/a> and CeeDee Lamb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile around the NFL, the positional stacks<\/a> are falling into place. Yahoo Sports\u2019 Charles Robinson spoke with 10 teams about how their boards are shaping up. There are consensus No. 1 prospects at quarterback (Mendoza), running back (Jeremiyah Love), guard (Olaivavega Ioane), tight end (Kenyon Sadiq), edge (David Bailey), linebacker (Arvell Reese), cornerback (Mansoor Delane) and safety (Caleb Downs<\/a>). Opinion is split, meanwhile, between two wide receivers, and there are a slew of first-round worthy offensive tackles.<\/p>\n

A key draft domino fell over the weekend with the trade of star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants to the Cincinnati Bengals.<\/a> In exchange for Lawrence, the Giants received the 10th overall pick<\/a>, giving the G-Men two top-10 selections in this year\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

One big-time question mark that does remain is the status of future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the 2026 season<\/a>. The Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> have still not received word about whether or not he intends to play this year. With Rodgers\u2019 status in limbo, that puts sixth-round quarterback Will Howard<\/a> in the driver\u2019s seat for QB1 heading into voluntary minicamp.<\/p>\n

What other dominoes could fall ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft? Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest NFL news leading up to Round 1:<\/p>\n

Live12 updates\"JoriWed, April 22, 2026 at 10:38 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Jori Epstein<\/p>\n

\"JoriWed, April 22, 2026 at 10:37 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Jori Epstein<\/p>\n

\"JoriWed, April 22, 2026 at 10:35 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Jori Epstein<\/p>\n

\"JackTue, April 21, 2026 at 2:06 PM PDT<\/p>\n

Jack Baer<\/p>\n

With Myles Garrett\u2019s future with the Browns still up in the air, the All-Pro pass-rusher is skipping the team\u2019s voluntary minicamp. Head coach Todd Monken addressed the matter with reporters, admitting he and Garrett have only communicated by text, via 92.3 The Fan<\/a>:<\/p>\n

“Myles and I have communicated by text. I’ve not spoken to him in person. It hasn’t been a lot. It’s fine. This is voluntary. We have other guys besides Myles that aren’t here. I wish they were here. They’ll be ready. They’ve communicated. Doesn’t mean I like the communication, but it’s voluntary.”<\/p>\n

Per Pro Football Talk<\/a>, Garrett\u2019s decision will cost him a $1 million workout bonus for 2026.<\/p>\n

\"TarohnTue, April 21, 2026 at 11:41 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Tarohn Finley<\/p>\n

Shedeur Sanders is reportedly taking first-team reps for the Cleveland Browns at quarterback, according to Yahoo Sports\u2019 Jori Epstein. Deshaun Watson took the second team reps.<\/p>\n

Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and went going 3-4 as the Browns\u2019 starter. His season was enough to earn a Pro Bowl selection in his first year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

New Browns head coach Todd Monken has been vocal about not naming Sanders the starter<\/a> but has expressed his admiration for the young quarterback, saying he wanted to draft him when he was coaching in Baltimore.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"KariMon, April 20, 2026 at 11:39 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

After a 12-year career, Jimmy Garoppolo is considering retiring, per NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport<\/a>. The 34-year-old, who is technically a free agent, is set to be the Rams\u2019 backup quarterback this season, sitting behind Matthew Stafford in the depth chart.<\/p>\n

Garoppolo, who joined the Rams in 2024, played minimal snaps in three games last season.<\/p>\n

\"KariMon, April 20, 2026 at 11:19 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Kari Anderson<\/p>\n

Less than two months after spending time in a rehabilitation center, Puka Nacua is present at the Los Angeles Rams\u2019 first day of offseason practices, per the L.A. Times\u2019 Gary Klein<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nacua had entered a \u201cholistic care facility\u201d<\/a> in early March, per his lawyer, after a host of off-field issues. A lawsuit was filed against Nacua<\/a> in late March by a woman who alleged that Nacua had made anti-Semitic remarks and had bit her strongly enough to leave a mark.<\/p>\n

Timeline-wise, Nacua had entered the facility before the lawsuit was filed. But it was just the latest in a series of incidents for the wide receiver, who also apologized in December after agreeing to do an anti-Semitic dance<\/a> as a touchdown celebration.<\/p>\n

Nacua\u2019s lawyer said that he had gone to the facility to \u201cfocus on his personal growth.\u201d It now appears that he will practice with the team as normal.<\/p>\n

\"IanMon, April 20, 2026 at 11:09 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Ian Casselberry<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones will have his neck injury examined after dealing with a setback in his recovery, ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The results of the exam could determine whether or not Jones is ready for training camp and could also influence the Steelers\u2019 draft strategy. If Jones is sidelined for an extended period, Pittsburgh may decide it needs to select an offensive tackle in the first round. The Steelers have the No. 21 overall selection.<\/p>\n

Jones, 24, appeared in 11 games last season before sustaining his neck injury in Week 12. He started 16 games (and played 17 total) during the 2024-25 season.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s 2023 first-round pick (No. 14 overall), Jones allowed six sacks and committed one penalty in 632 offensive snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"TarohnMon, April 20, 2026 at 10:57 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Tarohn Finley<\/p>\n

\"TarohnMon, April 20, 2026 at 10:32 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Tarohn Finley<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> are expected to be without wide receiver A.J. Brown<\/a> for voluntary offseason workouts, which begin on Monday, according to NFL Network\u2019s Mike Garafolo.<\/a><\/p>\n

A trade is likelier than ever, according to Yahoo Sports\u2019 Charles Robinson<\/a>, but it\u2019s still unlikely to happen before June 1, due to the salary-cap gymnastics<\/a> involved.<\/p>\n

The New England Patriots<\/a>, who lack a No. 1 receiver despite signing Romeo Doubs<\/a> in free agency, are expected to be the frontrunners. The Patriots also have not ruled out bringing in the 28-year-old wide receiver<\/a> when asked about Brown this offseason. Brown spent his first three seasons with the Tennessee Titans<\/a> under Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.<\/p>\n

The Brown trade saga began last season when Brown voiced frustration with his role<\/a> and the offense on multiple social media platforms.<\/p>\n

Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"TarohnMon, April 20, 2026 at 9:26 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Tarohn Finley<\/p>\n

\"IanMon, April 20, 2026 at 9:24 AM PDT<\/p>\n

Ian Casselberry<\/p>\n

The Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> open a three-day voluntary minicamp on Monday under new head coach Mike McCarthy and will do so without any indication from quarterback Aaron Rodgers regarding his status for this season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rodgers has not informed the Steelers on whether he intends to play for them in 2026, and thus sign a new contract, according to NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero<\/a>. And that status isn\u2019t likely to change before the NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday.<\/p>\n

As a result, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard<\/a> will get the starter\u2019s work at quarterback. Mason Rudolph<\/a> is the only other QB currently under contract with the Steelers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Latest mock draft | Big Boards: Consensus Top 75 \u2022 Nate Tice \u2022 Charles McDonald | Draft guide…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":624028,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[17076,626,133474,64,63,133465,1283,63230,1252,1273,1234,128653,55397,103353,1265,15427,242417,1242,593,5132,1241,85,14138,34775,71934],"class_list":{"0":"post-624027","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-aaron-rodgers","10":"tag-arvell-reese","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-caleb-downs","14":"tag-ceedee-lamb","15":"tag-charles-mcdonald","16":"tag-cincinnati-bengals","17":"tag-dak-prescott","18":"tag-dallas-cowboys","19":"tag-david-bailey","20":"tag-dexter-lawrence","21":"tag-fernando-mendoza","22":"tag-george-pickens","23":"tag-mock-draft","24":"tag-nate-tice","25":"tag-new-york-giants","26":"tag-nfl","27":"tag-pittsburgh","28":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","29":"tag-sports","30":"tag-stephen-jones","31":"tag-the-cowboys","32":"tag-will-howard"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=624027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/624027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=624027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=624027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=624027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}