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Bengals | Joe Burrow willing to restructure (Thu Feb 6, 10:39 AM) [jump to this story] Vikings | J.J. McCarthy ahead of schedule (Thu Feb 6, 10:22 AM) [jump to this story] Titans | Jameis Winston open to joining TEN (Thu Feb 6, 07:53 AM) [jump to this story] |
Browns | Myles Garrett joined exclusive group Fri Feb 7, 11:46 PM
Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett had 14 sacks in 2024, becoming the second player in NFL history to record at least 12 sacks in five consecutive seasons.
Link to storyMyles Garrett player page
Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 6.4 yards per touch in 2024, the most yards by any player with at least 300 touches in a season since Marshall Faulk in 2000.
Link to storyJahmyr Gibbs player page
Cincinnati Bengals impending free-agent WR Tee Higgins' next contract will likely top $30 million per year, according to a majority of the team personnel that spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Link to storyTee Higgins player page
Cleveland Browns impending free-agent RB Nick Chubb said he hasn't had any contract discussions but hopes to re-sign with the Browns.
Link to storyNick Chubb player page
Miami (Fla.) TE Elijah Arroyo 'is solidifying himself as a high Day 2 pick' in the 2025 NFL Draft, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Link to storyTexas A&M DL Shemar Stewart 'stamped himself as the best player' at the Senior Bowl, an NFL personnel evaluator told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.
Link to storySeattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith will be the starting quarterback for the Seahawks next season, according to head coach Mike Macdonald.
Link to storyGeno Smith player page
San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy is expected to start contract extension talks with the 49ers in the near future, and the talks likely will not drag out until training camp since both sides seem interested in agreeing to a deal, in the opinion of The Athletic's Dianna Russini.
Link to storyGreen Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs said he believes the team needs to add a proven No. 1 wide receiver this offseason.
Link to storyJosh Jacobs player page
Detroit Lions restricted free-agent RB Craig Reynolds appears unlikely to receive a tender offer this offseason, but the two sides could reach an agreement on a deal, in the opinion of DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman.
Link to storyCraig Reynolds player page
Free-agent DE Kingsley Jonathan signed a Reserve/Future contract with the Houston Texans Friday, Feb. 7. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Link to storyPhiladelphia Eagles WR Britain Covey (neck) practiced in full all week but has been ruled out for Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs. OL Nick Gates (groin) was limited in practice for a second straight day on Friday, Feb. 7, and is listed as questionable. DE Brandon Graham (elbow) and TE C.J. Uzomah (abdomen) practiced in full on Friday but are also listed as questionable. WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was limited in practice all week but no longer appears on the injury report. LB Zack Baun (groin), DT Jalen Carter (illness), OG Landon Dickerson (knee), RB Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee), TE Dallas Goedert (ankle) and C Cameron Jurgens (back) practiced in full on Friday and have also been removed from the injury report.
Footballguys view: Graham was a hero in the Eagles last Super Bowl victory seven years ago against the Patriots, but it's not clear how big of a role he will be able to play on Sunday. Jalen Hurts knee injury from the divisional round will be a non-issue in the Super Bowl. |
Brandon Graham player page
C.J. Uzomah player page
Dallas Goedert player page
Zack Baun player page
DeVonta Smith player page
Kenneth Gainwell player page
Jalen Carter player page
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practiced in full all week and no longer appears on the injury report for Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Link to storyPatrick Mahomes II player page
Kansas City Chiefs WR Skyy Moore (abdomen) was limited in practice all week and is listed as doubtful for Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles. QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle), P Matt Araiza (illness) and OT Jawaan Taylor (knee) practiced in full on Friday, Feb. 7, and have been removed from the injury report.
Footballguys view: The Chiefs are as healthy as a team could hope to be going into the Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes playing hurt was a big factor in his one Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay, but injuries - at least injury situations going into the game - will not be a factor in this one. |
Patrick Mahomes II player page
Los Angeles Rams DE Jared Verse was named The Associated Press' Defensive Rookie of the Year Thursday, Feb. 6.
Footballguys view: Look at what happens when the Rams actually keep their first round pick. Verse was the first player the Rams have selected in the first round in Sean McVay era, and he made them look very smart for doing it. The team also traded up in the second round to reunite him with college teammate Braden Fiske. Their defense was peaking at the end of the season and were it not for some big Saquon Barkley runs in the divisional round, they might have helped the team get back to the Super Bowl. |
Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley was named The Associated Press' Offensive Player of the Year Thursday, Feb. 6.
Footballguys view: Let's call this the "best offensive player that isn't a quarterback" award. Barkley's true potential was reached in a diverse running game that leveraged the best offensive line in the league into one of the best single season performances by a running back in NFL history. If the Eagles can win Super Bowl LIX, he'll surely be a big reason why. |
Saquon Barkley player page
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow was named The Associated Press' Comeback Player of the Year Thursday, Feb. 6.
Footballguys view: This award's criteria is coming back from "illness, physical injury, or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season", so Sam Darnold wasn't a strong candidate even though he might have been the winner if the criteria was reviving your career from a trough of disappointment. Burrow's 2023 was basically a lost season because of his wrist injury, but he regained elite form in both NFL and fantasy terms in 2024 despite barely missing the playoffs. Now he is playing GM in the media and lobbying the team to sign both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long term contracts this offseason. The fantasy players with any of the three on their teams hope the Bengals follow his advice. |
Joe Burrow player page
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was named the The Associated Press' Offensive Rookie of the Year Thursday, Feb. 6.
Footballguys view: This was a no brainer as Daniels had one of the best all-time rookie quarterback seasons, coming within one game of being the first rookie quarterback to start in a Super Bowl. Expectations will be sky high next season, and Daniels should go off of the board soon after Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen in fantasy drafts. |
Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith could receive a contract extension this offseason so the team can lower his salary cap number for next season. He is currently expected to count $44.5 million against the cap in 2025.
Footballguys view: Smith wasn't elevated by or elevating the level of play in Ryan Grubb's offense last year, but the offensive line was a big reason why. We'll see if new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak can replicate some of the early season success he had in New Orleans and increase the value of Smith and the rest of the Seahawks offense. The Seahawks probably won't be in position to draft a quarterback early in 2026 or soon after, so extending the 34-year-old Smith is probably their best option for the near future. |
Geno Smith player page
Baltimore Ravens OT Roger Rosengarten could move to left tackle next season if the team does not re-sign impending free-agent OT Ronnie Stanley this offseason, in the opinion of BaltimoreRavens.com's Ryan Mink.
Footballguys view: The Ravens went through some significant turnover on the offensive line last season and still had one of the elite NFL offense with multiple fantasy overachievers. Stanley played a full season for the first time in his career in 2024, so that may price him out of the Ravens plans. He only played 31 games in the four seasons between 2020-2023, so the Ravens offense is used to operating without him. |
Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor ranked third in the NFL with 859 rushing yards before contact during the 2024 season.
Footballguys view: Taylor had some ankle issues during the season, but resumed the dominant form that had him in contention to be the #1 overall pick in fantasy drafts in 2022 by the end of the season. Despite that development, he may go lower next season than the late first/early second round ADP he carried into 2024 fantasy drafts. |
Jonathan Taylor player page
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill told Pro Football Talk on Friday, Feb. 7, that he is 'taking full accountability' for his request to be traded shortly after the team's final regular-season game and wants to remain with the Dolphins.
Link to storyTyreek Hill player page
Kansas State University offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Conor Riley was named as the new offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys on Friday, Feb. 7.
Link to storyMinnesota Viking impending free-agent QB Sam Darnold has 'earned the right to be a free agent,' although head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters recently that the team will 'continue to have ongoing dialogue and discussions' with him.
Footballguys view: It sounds like O'Connell is preparing the Vikings fanbase for Darnold's departure in free agency. There was a report that O'Connell said "Our goal is to win a championship and Sam Darnold is going to be a huge part of it when we do it", but O'Connell said that report was not "100% accurate". It's not clear if the team would get much in a tag and trade deal with teams knowing that they are very high on 2024 first round pick JJ McCarthy and comfortable turning the offense over to him in his second year despite his going down for the season with a knee injury in August last year. |
Sam Darnold player page
Free-agent FB/TE Andrew Beck (Texans) signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets on Friday, Feb. 7. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed.
Link to storyAndrew Beck player page
Pittsburgh Steelers impending free-agent RB Najee Harris did not have his fifth-year team option picked up by the team last offseason, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes there is 'a strong possibility' that he could be signed to a new contract before the start of free agency on March 12.
Footballguys view: Dulac, a long time Steelers beat writer, said there is also a "strong possibility" that the team is going to bring back Najee Harris on a two or three-year deal at between $7-$10 million a season, so the could run back their 2024 backfield even though it is a very strong class at the position in the draft. Last offseason, the team turned down the chance to have Harris under contract for this season for about $6.7 million, so if they do sign him at the terms Dulac laid out, it would be admission that was a mistake even though he might have a lower cap number for 2025 than he would have had under the fifth year option. |
Najee Harris player page
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren is expected to receive a tender offer as a restricted free agent, according to sources Friday, Feb. 4.
Footballguys view: This is an easy call for the Steelers, the only question is whether they use the right of first refusal tender at around $3.2 million, which would give them no compensation if another team signs Warren to offer sheet that they refuse to match, or go up to about $5.2 million to be able to recoup a second round pick if another team signs Warren to an offer sheet, which would effectively lock him up, since that's steep price to pay to steal Warren away, especially in a running back rich draft year. |
Former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is joining the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff in an unspecified role, according to sources Friday, Feb. 4.
Footballguys view: New (and old) 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh was on Bradley's staff previously in Seattle during the Legion of Boom days and then in Jacksonville when Bradley was a head coach, so this is a reunion. Bradley's defense fizzled out in Indianapolis, but he should be an asset in a smaller role in San Francisco as the 49ers try to bounce back from a down year. |
Kansas State Wildcats offensive coordinator Conor Riley is being targeted by the Dallas Cowboys for their offensive line coach vacancy, according to sources Friday, Feb. 7.
Footballguys view: Riley (no relation to Lincoln Riley) has indeed been hired by the Cowboys in a move that many are applauding. He coached Dallas standout offensive lineman Cooper Beebe, an instant hit at center after the team took him in the third round last year. Riley also replaced new Dallas offensive coordinator Klayton Adams as offensive line coach at Sacramento State back in 2011, which is also where 2025 draft prospect Cam Skattebo started out his college career before the running back powered the Arizona State offense in 2024. We'll see if that connection bears any fruit in the draft, as the Cowboys will surely be in the market to add a player to their backfield. |
Hall of Fame RB Marshall Faulk was hired as running backs coach for the University of Colorado.
Link to storyMarshall Faulk player page
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen named the 2024 Associated Press Most Valuable Player. He earned a $1.5 million bonus for winning the award.
Footballguys view: Lamar Jackson was the first team all-pro quarterback, but in a small surprise, Allen edged him out for MVP. Some might see this as controversial, but the truth is that both players were deserving of both titles, so there's nothing to nitpick with the split that acknowledges the extremely high level of play both set last season. They'll be the top two quarterbacks off of the board in 2025 fantasy drafts. |
Josh Allen player page
Detroit Lions impending free-agent S Ifeatu Melifonwu said he would like to re-sign with the Lions this offseason.
Link to storyIfeatu Melifonwu player page
Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times during the 2024 season, which led the NFL in that category and was sacked 15 more times than the second quarterback on the list.
Link to storyPhiladelphia Eagles OG Nick Gates (groin), DE Brandon Graham (elbow) and WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) were limited during practice Thursday, Feb. 6. LB Zack Baun (groin), DT Jalen Carter (illness), WR Britain Covey (neck), OG Landon Dickerson (knee), RB Kenneth Gainwell (concussion, knee), TE Dallas Goedert (ankle), C Cameron Jurgens (back) and TE C.J. Uzomah (abdomen) fully participated in practice.
Footballguys view: Smith's status is something to monitor on Friday. He's a speed receiver, one of the best in the league, so a hamstring injury can slow him down a bit. Let's see if he's limited again or a full participant in the final injury report before the Super Bowl. |
Brandon Graham player page
C.J. Uzomah player page
Dallas Goedert player page
Zack Baun player page
DeVonta Smith player page
Kenneth Gainwell player page
Jalen Carter player page
Kansas City Chiefs WR Skyy Moore (abdomen) was limited during practice Thursday, Feb. 6. QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle), P Matt Araiza (illness) and OT Jawaan Taylor (knee) fully participated in practice.
Footballguys view: Mahomes is not 100 percent with this minor ankle injury, but he's going to be out there slinging it around on Super Sunday. He's facing a Vic Fangio defense that knows how to create pressure with only four rushers. While the Chiefs offense can live in the middle of the field with TE Travis Kelce, Fangio's squad can muddle things up for Mahomes and company. |
Patrick Mahomes II player page
Free-agent RB Michael Wiley (Commanders) signed a Reserve/Futures contract with the Washington Commanders on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Link to storyNew Orleans Saints WR Bub Means (ankle) told WWL Radio's Jeff Nowak on Thursday, Feb. 6, that he was cleared in late January from the high-ankle injury he suffered in Week 8 and is now at 'full speed.'
Footballguys view: Means is a special talent who can work as a deep threat. He needs to stay healthy, something that was a problem for him in 2024. Means is competing to be the Saints no.3 receiver |
Former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb was named as the new offensive coordinator for the University of Alabama on Sunday, Feb. 2.
Link to storyTampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line coach Kevin Carberry was named as the team's run-game coordinator/offensive line coach on Thursday, Feb. 6. In addition, assistant offensive line coach Brian Picucci was named as the team's new offensive line coach.
Link to storySeattle Seahawks DT Leonard Williams agreed to a restructured deal that will convert $18.745 million of his 2025 salary into a bonus on Thursday, Feb. 6, which will lower his cap hit from $29.1 million to $14.06 million. In addition, two void years were added to the end of his deal.
Link to storyLeonard Williams player page
Former NFL cornerback and current Louisiana Tech co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jeff Burris was named as the new secondary/cornerbacks coach for the New York Giants on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Link to storyJeff Burris player page
Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman announced on his podcast on Thursday, Feb. 6, that he accepted a senior football adviser position with the New York Jets. He made it clear during his announcement that his job will be to act as a 'sounding board' for the final decision-makers: new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey.
Link to storyFormer Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons coordinator Ryan Nielsen is expected to join the coaching staff of the Buffalo Bills as a senior defensive assistant, according to sources.
Link to storyTampa Bay Buccaneers tight ends coach John Van Dam was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as their pass-game coordinator Thursday, Feb. 6.
Link to storyFormer Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars as passing-game coordinator.
Footballguys view: Waldron joins the new Jaguars staff to help get the most out of Trevor Lawrence. Jaguars hired Vikings assistant OC Grant Udinski as their new offensive coordinator this week as well. |
Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow said he'd be willing to restructure his contract if it helped the team retain core players.
Footballguys view: Burrow is talking about WR Ja'Marr Chase. The Bengals have no leverage, and they have to sign the best receiver in the league (arguably) to a contract that makes him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. There are others the Bengals need to sign as well (Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson), but Chase is the main player to get paid this offseason. |
Joe Burrow player page
Former QB Bruce Gradkowski was hired by the Detroit Lions as an offensive assistant.
Footballguys view: Gradkowski has worked as the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis Battlehawks (UFL,XFL) for the last couple of seasons. Now, the 10-year vet gets his first shot in the NFL with Dan Campbell's staff. |
Bruce Gradkowski player page
Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (knee) is making good progress in his recovery from knee surgery, according to head coach Andy Reid.
Footballguys view: Good news for Rice and the Chiefs here. He suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 against the Chargers, and Rice has been on the road to recovery since then. We could see Rice back on the field at some point in training camp or the preseason. They'll need the help with DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, and Marquise Brown are all scheduled to become free agents in 2025. |
Rashee Rice player page
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (knee) said he is ahead of schedule in his recovery and is looking forward to participating in offseason workouts.
Footballguys view: Great news for the Vikings here. McCarthy was their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he missed his entire rookie season due to this knee injury. His fit with Kevin O'Connell will be fun to see develop over the next few years. McCarthy is calm in the pocket, can keep plays alive with his feet, and he's an accurate passer although his arm strength will be something to monitor. |
Minnesota Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski was hired as Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator.
Footballguys view: Udinski worked with the Vikings offense over the last three seasons. Now, Udinski and new Jaguars HC Liam Coen will be tasked with turning things around for QB Trevor Lawrence. As the new head coach, Coen is going to call plays in 2025 like he did as the Buccaneers OC in 2024. |