NFL Player News

“I decided to retire from the game of football,” Swanson announced in an Instagram post. His full statement can be viewed in the link below. Overshadowed by concussion issues the past two seasons, the former third-round pick finishes his career after five years played between the Lions and Dolphins.

Oliver’s new deal includes a max payout of $27.5 million. Used mostly as a blocking tight end, the Vikings clearly value Oliver as a key part of Kevin O’Connell’s offensive system. Last year Oliver managed 22 catches for 258 yards and three touchdowns in 2024. Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s best run-blocking tight end. Oliver is now signed through the 2027 season.

“We threw a lot of balls last week. (Trevor) feels good. He said it wasn’t really an issue,” added Coen, who is entering his first season as Jaguars head coach. Lawrence is looking to bounce back from a tough 2024, where he dealt with multiple injuries, including a concussion in Week 13, which led him being placed on injured reserve. Lawrence had season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in December. Prior to the 2024 season, Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension. He’ll have a dynamic wideout duo this season in Brian Thomas, Jr. and first-round pick Travis Hunter.

The mercurial Johnson, who inexplicably played for three teams in 2024, did not attend Cleveland’s OTAs last month, raising questions about his commitment to his latest team. Johnson’s availability at the start of mandatory minicamp suggests he’s on track to make the team barring any summertime meltdowns or injuries. A consistent target commander in the short areas of the field, Johnson has amassed 424 catches for 4,738 yards and 28 touchdowns in his six-year NFL career. Johnson could function as a primary target for whoever is under center for Cleveland to start the season.

The Panthers drafted Thompson when Sean McDermott was with Carolina, so this signing is a reunion of sorts for McDermott and the veteran linebacker. Thompson, 31, has played in six regular season games over the past two years due to chronic injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon. Thompson will likely profile as a rotational player in the Bills defense if he makes the final 53-player roster this summer.

The 13-year veteran, who will be 37-years-old at the start of the 2025 season, did not attend the Falcons voluntary OTAs in May. Cousins, who is scheduled to make $40 million in the upcoming season, is set to be Michael Penix’s backup. The Falcons remain open to trading Cousins for the right price, but most media reports have them asking for quite a bit for the quarterback without being open to retaining much of his salary.

Stroud has dealt with lingering muscle soreness in his throwing shoulder and did not throw during Houston’s OTAs last month. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said last week that he had “no concerns” about Stroud’s long-term availability. For now, it appears Stroud’s shoulder is not an issue as he looks to bounce back from a poor 2024 campaign. Stroud last season ranked 28th out of 32 qualifying QBs in drop back success rate and his adjusted yards per attempt plummeted from 8.7 in 2023 to just 6.7 in 2024, in line with Aaron Rodgers and Bo Nix.

Cook, who was a no-show at the team’s OTAs in late May, checked in at the first day of minicamp amid his push for a new contract with Buffalo. NFL Network has reported that Cook, 25, entering the final year of his rookie deal, wants $15 million a year but is likely to play in 2025 even without an extension. Bill general manager Brandon Beane told reporters in April that no teams had inquired about Cook’s availability this offseason following a 2024 season that saw him total nearly 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns. Cook appears on track to serve as Buffalo’s No. 1 back in 2025, and should be considered a top-15 fantasy option in PPR formats.

Smith continues to lobby for a new deal after a breakout 2024 campaign that saw the veteran reel in 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. While both Smith and the Dolphins want to work out a long-term deal, the Steelers have expressed sustained interest in Smith. Steelers OC Arthur Smith has a long history with Smith that dates back to their days together in Tennessee. Smith, 30, is set to make $4.7 million in 2025. He’s a candidate to hold out during training camp if he doesn’t get a contract extension from Miami.

Watt is not budging from his demands for a new deal going into the 2025 season. The Steelers reportedly expect to have Watt for Week 1, though the contract issue could drag well into the summer. Steelers beat writer Brian Batko said Tuesday that Watt and the team “agreeing to an extension is still the most likely outcome to me, but what makes this different than his last contract year is that he did go to minicamp back in 2021.” Not reporting this week would be a new leverage move for Watt, entering his age-31 season. Watt has 30.5 sacks and 38 tackles for loss over his past two seasons, each of which saw him play 17 games.

It hardly comes as a surprise as Hendrickson has refused to play on his current contract and has said there’s been no communication between his agent and the Bengals during this protracted holdout. Hendrickson, set to make $15.8 million in 2025, reportedly wants upwards of $30 million as he enters his age-31 season. The famously cheap Bengals appear unlikely to meet that demand, meaning Hendrickson could be traded to an EDGE-needy team willing to eat most or all of his contract. Pro Football Focus graded Hendrickson as the NFL’s fifth-best pass rusher in 2024.