Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson reached the 1,000-yard mark for the sixth straight season to begin his NFL career in 2025, but he had a career-low 1,048 yards with only two touchdowns in 17 starts as the team's quarterback play deteriorated following the departure of Sam Darnold in free agency last offseason. Former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy missed nine games due to injuries last year and was a disaster in terms of accuracy and consistency while leading the Vikings' offense, which led to a WR25 finish for Jefferson in half-PPR scoring. The 26-year-old's arrow was pointing down in dynasty fantasy football leagues until the Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray to take over under center in 2026. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro's fantasy stock is now back on the rise, and his buy-low window is closing fast. Murray is a definite upgrade over McCarthy, but fantasy managers should automatically expect Jefferson to return to elite WR1 territory in redraft leagues in 2026. Jefferson is ranked as the WR4 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of Michigan as the team's next franchise signal-caller. He missed his entire rookie season in 2024, though, due to a meniscus injury in his knee that required surgery. The Vikings were still confident he was their guy under center going into last year, however, and let Sam Darnold walk in free agency as a result. Not only did McCarthy disappoint in 2025 in his first full season as the Vikings' starter, but Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. The 23-year-old made only 10 starts in his first NFL action, completing 57.6% of his 243 pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while taking 27 sacks. The Vikings quickly rethought their plan at QB this offseason and signed former first overall pick Kyler Murray. With Murray expected to open the 2026 campaign as the Vikings' starter, McCarthy's dynasty fantasy value has taken a massive hit, and he's now ranked as the No. 31 QB in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings. Murray isn't a lock to run with the starting gig in Minnesota -- his injury history is lengthy -- but McCarthy showed last year that he has plenty of developing to do still, and he may not get that opportunity again with the Vikings.

Free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly did not meet with the Pittsburgh Steelers over the weekend, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. Rodgers is expected to eventually meet with Pittsburgh, though, and he's still expected to re-sign with the organization for 22nd year in the NFL. Right now, the Steelers have Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar at the position. Head coach Mike McCarthy said it would be "awesome" to add a fourth QB going into the 2026 season, indicating that he's still on board for a reunion with Rodgers, whom he coached in Green Bay. Pryor says to circle May 18 as the next important date in the Rodgers saga. That is when the Steelers begin the next phase of their offseason program, and they'd really like to have the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer under contract by then. The four-time MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler didn't sign with the Steelers last year until June 5, for what it's worth. If Rodgers suits up again in 2026 for the Steelers, he shouldn't be considered much more than a low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy leagues.

The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed with kicker Chris Boswell on a four-year, $28 million contract extension on Monday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The $7 million average per year ties Boswell with the Dallas Cowboys' Brandon Aubrey for the highest-paid kicker in NFL history, per CAA Football. Boswell is locked in with the Steelers through the 2030 season. The 35-year-old veteran made his second Pro Bowl in 2025 in his 11th year in the Steel City, going 27-for-32 (9-for-11 from 50-plus yards out) on his field-goal tries and 42-for-43 on extra points in 17 regular-season games. He's a career 87.7% kicker on his 341 field-goal attempts (52-for-63 from 50-plus yards) in his 11 years in the league with Pittsburgh. Boswell finished as the No. 12 fantasy kicker in 2025 in a Steelers offense that had its limitations with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center. The Steelers aren't in a better QB situation this year and are currently waiting on Rodgers to make a decision on whether he wants to re-sign. It makes Boswell a fringe top-12 option at the position going into his 12th NFL campaign.