NFL Player News

Byrd drew Larry Fitzgerald comparisons at minicamp last year, but went on to appear in just four games and catch one pass. “Not really, to be honest,” Arians said when asked if Byrd has continued to make strides. “He had a couple nice catches that were unbelievable throws. He’s too inconsistent right now. He has talent and a good future, but he’s got to get more consistent.”

The Bengals, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, offered Stewart — the 17th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — a lower training camp bonus than previous 17th selections in the draft. It checks out that the Bengals, long one of the NFL’s cheapest franchises, would lowball an incoming rookie. The Bengals traded up in the draft to acquire Stewart, who recorded just two sacks over his final two seasons at Texas A&M. Widely considered an athletic marvel, Stewart will eventually join a Bengals defense that in 2024 pressured the quarterback at a 23 percent rate, the 11th highest in the NFL.

Callahan said during a Tuesday press conference that Tony Pollard in 2024 “carried the ball a lot” and that “in a perfect world, we have to have more of an even split with Pollard, [Tyjae] Spears,” and potentially a third back. That third running back could be rookie Kalel Mullings, who was taken with the 188th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his two full seasons as a running back, Mullings — a converted linebacker — rushed 221 times for 1,170 yards and 13 touchdowns, averaging a solid 5.3 yards per rush and 3.65 yards after contact per rush. The big-bodied Mullings could eventually function as the Titans’ short yardage and goal line back, hurting the fantasy prospects for both Spears and Pollard. Pollard last season saw 62 percent of the team’s carries while Spears had 29 percent of the rushes while missing five games.

Smith in a recent interview with The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen was careful not to give away anything about offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s plans for 2025 but hinted that the team’s approach would be predicated on efficiency, the exact opposite of how Smith’s Seahawks offense operated in 2023 and 2024. “We’ve always had a rapport with one another, which has made the transition smooth,” Smith, 34, said of Kelly, who recruited Smith when he was the head coach at Oregon. “And so, learning this offense, I’ve been in three different systems in three years. And so I’ve been able to adjust, and that’s something that I’m good at. I can adjust. And so, just an adjustment period, but the offense is really good. I’m looking forward to it. Won’t give too many details, but we’re looking to be explosive and efficient.” Kelly is expected to ditch the fast-pace, simplistic offensive system he deployed as Eagles head coach from 2013 to 2015 in favor of a slower-paced system more in line with NFL norms. Kelly’s Ohios State offense in 2024 led the nation in EPA per play and was second to Miami in success rate. Kelly’s quarterback, Will Howard, ranked third in drop back EPA in 2024.

Thuney’s new deal includes $33.5 million guaranteed. Under new head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have prioritized the team’s offensive line after Caleb Williams led the league in sacks during his rookie season. Pro Football Focus graded Chicago’s offensive line as 2024’s eighth best pass-blocking unit. Thuney, acquired from the Chiefs via trade back in early March, was graded by PFF as last year’s third-best pass-blocking guard. He allowed just eight QB hits and two sacks over 17 games with Kansas City in 2024.

NFL owners are voting on the matter today in Minnesota. A source told Schefter the matter is widely expected to have approval from NFL ownership ahead of the first Olympic games with flag football as a sport. Pro Bowl players have participated in flag football games in recent years as part of the reimagined Pro Bowl format. Many players have enthusiastically embraced flag football, including Tyreek Hill, who has said he would be interested in joining the U.S. flag football Olympic squad in LA. “You know how amazing it would be to assemble a super team to play in the Olympics,” he said during a podcast in 2023. The NFL, meanwhile, has made efforts to promote flag football over the past five years.

Watson has reportedly been out of his walking boot for weeks and has progressed to throwing indoors at the team facility to both Jerry Jeudy and David Bell. Cabot adds that Jeudy is participating in voluntary team workouts while Bell is working his way back from surgery to repair a dislocated hip. Watson appears to be on the outside looking in with respect to the starting quarterback job in Cleveland after the team added Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and a pair of rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this offseason, meaning he could be auditioning for others teams in need of a gamble at the position.

Williams and the Rams have yet to reach an agreement after commencing contract negotiations in April. A deal has yet to be reached as the team approaches organized team activities, which are set to commence next week. Even so, Williams told reporters he was feeling good about an extension, adding, “I know with time it’s going to happen.” Williams has scored a whopping 31 touchdowns on the ground in 28 games the previous two seasons after struggling through injuries during his rookie campaign. What’s better for fantasy managers is the recent offensive tendencies that favor a workhorse running back under head coach Sean McVay, which give Williams an elite floor-ceiling combination for all fantasy formats.

Speaking at a press conference at the Cardinals’ team facility Monday, Harrison Jr. told reporters he has put on weight this offseason and will see how his body feels through OTAs before settling on a new playing weight for the coming season. When asked about the areas of his game that could benefit by additional weight, the second-year receiver said, “contested catch situations, run off the catch.” Harrison Jr. came into the league as one of the most pro-ready wide receivers of the previous decade and will look to build on a rookie season in which he amassed 885 yards and eight touchdowns through the air as the clear alpha in Arizona.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point, but Shipley’s observations during OTAs were that Hunter will see plenty of work on offense. The No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft started his offseason working with the wide receivers, which may have tipped Liam Coen’s hand in how he values the versatile playmaker. It’s too early to say how much usage Hunter could get early in his career, but it’s not too farfetched to assume he will be the immediate WR2 opposite Brian Thomas. Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season at Colorado while averaging a solid 13.1 YPR. He could have decent value as a WR3/WR4 if the Jaguars offense takes the leap many are hoping for in 2025.

The deal is worth a fully guaranteed $17.57 million over for four years, with a signing bonus of $9.42 million, per OverTheCap.com. The 21-year-old started his college career in Houston before transferring to Texas to the tune of 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns last season. With Packers wide receiver Christian Watson recovering from a late-season torn ACL, Golden should open the year as Jordan Love’s primary deep threat, giving him a strong weekly ceiling out of the gate. The Packers had not drafted a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker in 2002.