Nfl Schedule This Week: More Than 300 Players Convene as Combine Workouts Start
The nfl schedule this week centers on the NFL Scouting Combine, where more than 300 invited players have gathered for interviews and news conferences ahead of drills beginning tomorrow. The timing matters because teams are using the week’s meetings and tests to shape March roster decisions, possible trades and contract restructures.
NFL Scouting Combine and Nfl Schedule This Week
More than 300 players were invited to this week’s NFL Scouting Combine in preparation for the NFL Draft this spring. Interviews and news conferences are already underway, and the players’ athletic drills are set to begin tomorrow. The Athletic is running a live schedule for the event, and its staff, including Joe Person, is focused on storylines that could affect immediate roster moves and the draft calendar.
Carolina Panthers, Andy Dalton and the Backup Quarterback Decision
The Carolina Panthers have told backup quarterback Andy Dalton that the team intends to bring in another quarterback to compete with him for the backup role behind Bryce Young. Dalton, 38, has spent the past three seasons in Carolina and is considered a potential trade candidate. Team-level conversations about competition for the backup job are an active element of this week’s meetings.
Browns, Todd Monken and the Quarterback Competition
Cleveland coach Todd Monken signaled that the Browns might pursue a clear-cut starting quarterback in early March, but he is also prepared to oversee an internal spring and early-summer competition if no acquisition materializes. Monken praised both Deshaun Watson and second-year starter Shedeur Sanders, saying Watson has "demonstrated a skill set at an elite level" and Sanders showed "elite playmaking ability" at times during his rookie season and in college. Sanders started the final seven games of his rookie year, while Watson is returning from major injury.
Watson Contract Restructure, Cap Numbers and Browns Roster Needs
At some point soon the Browns will restructure Deshaun Watson’s contract, reducing his current salary-cap number from $80. 7 million to around $39 million for 2026. Cleveland originally traded three first-round picks to secure Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal in 2022; since then he has played in just 19 games for the team and has not played since October 2024 because of a twice-torn Achilles tendon that left him on the physically unable to perform list in 2025. That planned restructure, combined with other moves, is expected to free cap space to address offensive needs. Six veteran Browns offensive linemen are eligible for free agency, and the team also needs upgrades at wide receiver. Decisions about pursuing Malik Willis in free agency or targeting a veteran trade are expected to be clarified in two weeks, while the franchise holds its strategy for the March and April draft close to the vest.
Coverage, Commentary and Coaching Perspectives
Charlotte Carroll has compiled observations from figures including former Ravens coordinators Mike Macdonald and Todd Monken and Panthers head coach Dave Canales on the qualities that make Giants coach John Harbaugh effective. Meanwhile, even with Caleb Williams’ strong 2025 season, Chicago Bears backup Tyson Bagent remains a fan favorite; Bears head coach Ben Johnson described Bagent as "probably one of the best 32 of the" — an assessment left incomplete in the available remarks.
Travel Woes, Participation Uncertainty and Prospects to Watch
On the ground, travel disruption has been part of the week’s lead-up. One reporter described a storm that deposited more than three feet of snow in his hometown, leading to multiple flight cancellations including a 1: 15 p. m. ET Tuesday flight that was the third cancellation that week; he rerouted through Northern Kentucky and completed a 90-minute drive north to reach the combine, marking his 18th attendance. Separately, a team indicated that more than three-quarters of the players it formally interviewed on Monday night planned to skip the athletic testing, making participation a moving target until prospects actually step onto the field.
That uncertainty matters because several high-profile prospects could change draft conversations if they test. Sadiq — listed at about 6'3" and 240 pounds — carries expectations that, if he runs and jumps, he could post 40-yard times in the 4. 3s and a vertical near 40 inches; he has shown drop issues but also a willingness to block and a Shannon Sharpe–style skill set. Arvell Reese is viewed by some as the draft’s best prospect because of size, length and range, and his 40 time could be revealing if he runs. Sonny Styles, a 6'4", 250-pound converted safety without Reese’s pass-rush traits, is believed to have the potential to test in the mold of Tremaine Edmunds’ 2018 performance and emerge as one of the class’s most well-rounded athletes; observers have pointed to his high school basketball highlights as complementary evidence of his athleticism.
The nfl schedule this week will therefore be watched closely for which prospects participate in drills and which withdraw, as those choices will immediately affect evaluations and team decisions in the run-up to March’s potential moves and the spring draft calendar.
