NFL Player News

Beat writer Josh Katzenstein observed Thursday that Vereen appeared to injure his right hand/fingers in the preseason finale. Vereen had not been expected to crack the 53-man roster. Now he should be cut loose with an injury settlement once he returns to full health. Headed into his age-29 season, Vereen did little of note during his three years with the Giants.

Speaking at a cornhole tournament he was hosting to raise money for the Special Olympics, Singleton said he “an’t give specific numbers” but sounded optimistic about his impending return from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 campaign in Week 3 of last season. The 31-year-old linebacker totaled 31 tackles and one interception in the three games he appeared in last season and resumed running back in mid-February. With training camp roughly two months away, Singleton still has additional time to rehab and test out his knee before things officially ramp up.

“Personal issues” pertaining to Rodgers and members of his inner circle have been cited as one of the primary reasons the 41-year-old quarterback has yet to sign with the Steelers. O’Connor says he has a “pretty good sense” of what those issues were before adding “I don’t think it’s something that would prevent him from playing football.” The Steelers’ underwhelming quarterback room remains one of the more clearcut signs that the door is open for Rodgers and he can come walking through when ready. Rodgers threw for 3,897-28-11 last season with the Jets and would be joining a team with a thin receiver room behind D.K. Metcalf. That said, he’d likely be tasked with playing more of a high-level game manager role with the Steelers in 2025, as Arthur Smith proved once again last season that his team will lean heavily on the run after boasting a league-high 51 percent rush rate in neutral scripts last season.

Rodgers and the Saints never made much sense, but for those curious about a possible union between the two, it seems highly likely at this point. Rodgers is 41 and will likely be looking to join a team he views as a championship contender (the Steelers), or he will retire. The Saints also have rookie second rounder Tyler Shough, who is a virtual lock to start in Week 1 barring what would need to be a wildly disappointing training camp. Other veteran options still exist, and could be brought in to play alongside Shough and offer experience to one of the league’s least-experienced quarterback rooms, but it looks like it is still Pittsburgh or bust for the future Hall of Famer.

While Anzalone hasn’t explicitly said he wants a new contract, it doesn’t take a genius to connect the dots here. The Lions co-captain who turns 31 in September is a notable absence from optional offseason workouts this week after making multiple references to his value to the Lions on social media. Those references include a graph of the Lions’ defensive decline in DVOA in the seven games Anzalone missed last year as well as a note about the linebacker market increasing after Nick Bolton signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Chiefs. Detroit hasn’t been bashful about handing out extensions in recent years and Anzalone, who’s entering the last year of a three-year, $18 million contract, believes he is next in line.

The 35-year-old 13th-year pro slides in as a 1-for-1 Michael Pierce replacement after the former Raven retired in March. Although strictly a two-down player, Jenkins actually played a new career high 606 snaps for the Raiders last season. He probably won’t reach that total in Baltimore, but he should see plenty of work as a run-stopper.

The 30-year-old journeyman spent time with each of the Giants, Commanders and Jets last season. He’ll serve as a veteran, in-house option should third-year pro Jake Moody look shaky this summer after an underwhelming 2024.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Purdy gets $181 million in total guarantees with $165.1 million in the first three new years. He is now under contract through 2030. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant flashed in a handful of starts as a rookie and immediately proved to be Kyle Shanahan’s next efficiency phenom in 2023 with 4,280 yards and 31 scores. Purdy’s numbers fell in 2024, but he did enough to keep the offense on the tracks despite a rash of injuries, even if the 49ers lumbered to a 6-11 record. Purdy managed 3,864 yards and 20 scores in 15 games and showed an improved ability to work out of structure and under pressure. Though he may not have a truly elite ceiling, Purdy is beginning to beat the system quarterback allegations after just two seasons as the full-time starter. With the league’s easiest schedule on tap for 2025, expect a rebound from Purdy and the entire team this year.

Defensive end Michael Fletcher was signed in a corresponding move. Zuerlein has kicked for the Jets since 2022. He suffered a knee injury last year and briefly returned before being placed back on injured reserve. Zuerlein appeared in eight games and went a dreadful 9-of-15 on his field goal tries. The 60 percent hit rate was by far the worst of his career. Now 37 years old, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Legatron hang up the cleats for good after being released. If he wants to keep kicking, another team will be more than willing to at least give him a camp battle to win.

Schefter didn’t cite any sources directly but reiterated the point later in the latest episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast, saying he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the owners voted to outlaw the play. Losing the free touchdown play would undoubtedly hurt Philly’s offense and Jalen Hurts’ fantasy outlook, but it’s hard to imagine a team with Hurts, an elite offensive line, and Saquon Barkley not finding other ways to get in the end zone from a yard out. If the tush push is banned, it would likely just shuffle some of Hurts’ touchdowns to Barkley. Other teams including the Bills have experimented with similar plays, but no one has found as much success as the Eagles. The owners will also be voting on a change to the playoff seeding rules. The proposed change would seed teams based purely on their record instead of each division winner earning a top-four seed. While that may be a more logical way to do things, it’s certainly less fun.

According to Farabaugh, one source described the Steelers’ inquiry as “a due diligence call” while adding that a trade “doesn’t seem likely to happen” at this time. The Steelers trade George Pickens to the Cowboys just over a week ago, and are now looking at DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, and Calvin Austin as their top options in three receiver sets. Of those three, Metcalf is the only receiver with notable NFL success, while Wilson effectively redshirted his rookie season due to injuries. Olave caught 32 passes for 400 yards and one touchdown for the Saints last season, but missed nine games due to multiple concussions he suffered. The four-year receiver posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons during his first two years in the league, and would provide an immediate upgrade to an underwhelming Steelers receiving corps. Farabaugh reports that in addition to a trade being unlikely, that the Saints do “not seem interested in trading Olave” at this time. The Saints picked up Olave’s fifth-year option last month, and will likely look to extend him in the not too distant future.