Chairshot NFL News Report (8/8/2026): Bills Pay Torrence, Titans Lock Up Skoronski and Mahomes May Sit

O’Cyrus Torrence and Peter Skoronski land major extensions, Patrick Mahomes may skip the preseason and the Saints add veteran help.

NFL teams spent Friday investing heavily in the offensive line.

Buffalo secured O’Cyrus Torrence through 2030, Tennessee gave Peter Skoronski a nine-figure extension and Kansas City appears prepared to keep Patrick Mahomes away from preseason action.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for August 8, 2026!

Bills Give O’Cyrus Torrence $78.4 Million Extension

The Buffalo Bills agreed to a four-year, $78.4 million contract extension with guard O’Cyrus Torrence on Friday.

The agreement includes $46 million guaranteed and keeps Torrence under contract through the 2030 season. His $19.6 million average annual value places him among the NFL’s highest-paid guards.

Buffalo selected Torrence in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he has missed no games during his first three seasons while starting all but one.

Buffalo’s decision is another example of teams paying young offensive linemen before they ever approach free agency.

The Bills know exactly what they have in Torrence: a durable starter entering his prime. Rather than allowing his contract year to create uncertainty, Buffalo converted one of the safest pieces of its offensive line into a long-term fixture.

Titans Give Peter Skoronski $100 Million Deal

The Tennessee Titans signed guard Peter Skoronski to a four-year extension worth $100 million with $88 million guaranteed.

Skoronski entered the league as Tennessee’s first-round selection in 2023 and has developed into one of the foundational pieces of an offensive line the Titans have spent several seasons rebuilding.

The agreement comes during a week in which several teams have made significant investments in young offensive talent rather than allowing negotiations to linger into the regular season.

The $88 million guarantee demonstrates how strongly Tennessee views Skoronski as part of its future.

For a team attempting to build a sustainable offense, continuity up front matters almost as much as finding skill-position stars. Quarterbacks and running backs cannot develop properly if the offensive line changes every offseason.

Tennessee has removed one major variable from that equation.

Patrick Mahomes Unlikely to Play During Preseason

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Friday there is a good chance Patrick Mahomes will not play during the preseason.

Mahomes underwent knee surgery in December and has returned for training camp, but Kansas City has little incentive to expose its franchise quarterback to unnecessary August contact.

Reid said the decision has not been finalized for the second or third preseason games, but indicated the percentages currently favor keeping Mahomes on the sideline and giving additional work to the players behind him.

Kansas City does not need preseason snaps to determine whether Mahomes can run its offense.

Those repetitions are considerably more valuable for backup quarterbacks and younger players attempting to earn roster spots.

The Chiefs’ priority is having Mahomes healthy when the games count. After knee surgery, the potential benefit of a few August series simply does not outweigh the risk.

Saints Rookie Brock Rechsteiner Suspended Six Games

New Orleans Saints rookie receiver Brock Rechsteiner has been suspended for the first six games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Rechsteiner can continue practicing and participating in preseason games before the suspension begins.

The undrafted rookie played at Jacksonville State before signing with New Orleans in May. He is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Scott Steiner and cousin of WWE star Bron Breakker.

Rechsteiner has previously discussed the possibility of eventually entering professional wrestling after his football career.

The suspension makes an already difficult path to an NFL roster considerably harder.

Rechsteiner can still use the preseason to convince New Orleans he is worth developing, but the Saints must now decide whether a developmental receiver unavailable for six regular-season games deserves a roster or practice-squad investment.

For wrestling fans, the family connection makes his career especially interesting. Football remains his priority, but the Steiner family tree may eventually add another branch inside a wrestling ring.

Saints Add Veteran Linebacker Deion Jones

The New Orleans Saints are adding veteran linebacker Deion Jones on a one-year contract.

Jones entered the NFL with Atlanta in 2016 and developed into a Pro Bowl linebacker before later playing for Cleveland, Carolina, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.

New Orleans also claimed defensive end Garrett Nelson off waivers from Seattle while continuing to adjust its training-camp roster.

The Saints released defensive tackle KeeShawn Silver with an injury designation.

Jones does not need to become the player he was during his best seasons in Atlanta to help New Orleans.

Veteran linebackers who understand coverage responsibilities and can contribute across different packages remain useful throughout a long season.

Training camp will determine whether Jones can turn that experience into a meaningful role.

Eagles Get Lane Johnson Back, Monitor Cam Jurgens

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson returned to the team Friday following an excused absence of nearly a week and is expected to resume practicing.

Center Cam Jurgens, however, left Friday’s practice after spending time in the medical tent before heading inside with trainers.

Philadelphia entered camp already managing injuries elsewhere on the offense, making the health of its offensive line another situation worth monitoring as preseason games approach.

Johnson’s return gives Philadelphia stability at one of the most important positions on the roster.

Jurgens’ situation is more uncertain, but August gives the Eagles time to be conservative. The priority is not winning training-camp practices; it is ensuring the offensive line that protects Jalen Hurts is intact when September arrives.

NFL Transactions — August 7, 2026

• Atlanta Falcons – Signed WR Kristian Wilkerson
• Atlanta Falcons – Released LB Troy Andersen
• Buffalo Bills – Signed OG O’Cyrus Torrence to a four-year contract extension
• Chicago Bears – Signed DB Xavier Woods
• Cleveland Browns – Signed OL Jack Conley, DT Patrick Jenkins and CB Jeadyn Lukus
• Detroit Lions – Signed DL Ben Stille
• Houston Texans – Announced LB Henry To’oTo’o’s contract extension
• Jacksonville Jaguars – Signed LB Jahlani Tavai
• Indianapolis Colts – Signed TE Pharaoh Brown
• Los Angeles Rams – Signed DE Daniel Rickert
• Miami Dolphins – Claimed CB Ahmari Harvey and signed S Tanner Wall
• New England Patriots – Signed S Eric Butler
• New Orleans Saints – Claimed DE Garrett Nelson and agreed to a one-year deal with LB Deion Jones
• Pittsburgh Steelers – Claimed WR Colton Dowell and TE Lance Mason
• Seattle Seahawks – Signed LB Power Echols
• Tennessee Titans – Signed G Peter Skoronski to a four-year contract extension
• Washington Commanders – Announced the signing of WR Stefon Diggs.

Friday’s biggest developments continue a clear trend from the first full weeks of training camp: teams are increasingly willing to pay cornerstone players before the season creates additional leverage.

Torrence and Skoronski are not headline-generating skill players, but Buffalo and Tennessee understand how difficult quality offensive linemen are to replace.

Kansas City is approaching Mahomes from the opposite direction. The Chiefs already know what their most important player can do, so August should be about preservation rather than evaluation.

The transactions at the bottom of rosters will become increasingly important over the next three weeks. Veterans are trying to prove they still belong, rookies are fighting for their first NFL jobs and every practice injury can create an opportunity for someone else.

That is what August football is really about: establishing which players a team trusts enough to carry into September.