NFL Player News

Just days before his 38th birthday, Ryan tweeted his intent to join CBS for the upcoming season. While he insisted this was not a retirement post, it’s possible the league has already moved on from Ryan. Ryan’s lone season with the Colts couldn’t have gone much worse, as he ate 38 sacks in 12 games while throwing for 3057-14-13. Being benched twice in favor of Sam Ehlinger and/or Nick Foles only added to Ryan’s down season, but it was clear he was a far cry from the player he once was. Concerns over Ryan’s declining arm strength likely resulted in little interest on the open market after the Colts cut ties with him in mid-March. If this is indeed the end for Ryan, he would walk away ranking ninth in career touchdown passes (381) and seventh in career passing yards (62,792). His 2016 MVP season was overshadowed by a loss in Super Bowl LI after his team jumped out to a 28-3 lead, but the 14 years of stability he provided the Falcons at the quarterback position, and multiple 10+ win seasons are worthy of recognition.

Ragnow and linebacker Alex Anzalone were the only players not in attendance for OTAs this week. While Anzalone has made it clear with social media posts that he’s unhappy with his contract situation, it appears that Ragnow also wants a new deal. The 29-year-old center signed an extension in 2021 to make him the highest-paid center at the time. Now Ragnow’s contract, which runs through the 2026 season, is just fourth in average annual value among centers and has no guaranteed money remaining. Ragnow is still at the top of his game, coming in as PPF’s highest-graded run blocking center in 2024 (90.9). Lions coach Dan Campbell downplayed the absences, mentioning that he’s been in contact with both players and that there’s still a month to go before training camp. While the Lions have handed out many extensions in the last two years, the front office is aware that a cap crunch is looming in the years ahead, which could put a strain on negotiations with veteran players like Ragnow and Anzalone.

Our “we have no concerns whatsoever” t-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by our shirt. This is something we feel almost obligated to report, but everyone close to the Texans scene has painted it as a nothingburger, and DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday that players are “on different schedules in regards to their participation.” There doesn’t appear to be anything physically wrong with Stroud at this point.

NBC’s Aaron Wilson has said that the injury, that reportedly has him in a walking boot, is “nothing serious” and that he thinks Mixon will be “ready for training camp.” It’s worth noting that Mixon played through an ankle injury in the playoffs, but Wilson adds that this is a “minor injury while working out this offseason.” This probably isn’t something that should cause him to tumble down Best Ball boards but it’s worth monitoring as we get closer to training camp.

This won’t qualify as surprising news, but Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders are battling for the pecking order after the gate is lowered. “But the reality is that either Gabriel or Sanders staying in the team’s plans and being deemed worthy of further development would count as a win,” Jackson notes while praising Sanders’ “obvious gifts.” Both quarterbacks are in the dynasty conversation, but they should be treated as stashes at this point.

It’s not unusual for older pass rushers to take their time in deciding where to go, and Miller appears to be no exception. He told 9NEWS’ Mike Klis that a return to the Broncos “wouldn’t make sense” because the team has two strong pass rushers. Miller will likely be able to catch on elsewhere — probably closer to training camp — if he desires to continue his career.

According to Schefter, the Eagles are looking to acquire a mid-round pick in exchange for Huff’s services. Huff signed a three-year deal with the Eagles last season after recording a 10-sack season with the Jets in 2023, but was limited to 12 games due to a wrist injury and declared inactive for the team’s Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. Huff has two years left on his deal and has amassed 20 sacks over his first four years in the league. Last season with the Eagles, he played on 285 defensive snaps, with 182 of those coming in pass rush situations. We should expect to see a similar split for Huff in San Francisco.

Dart’s deal is worth $17 million in fully guaranteed money. The rookie first-rounder is expected to take a back seat early in camp to veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dart take the field at some point in his rookie season. Head coach Brian Daboll enters the year on arguably the hottest seat of any coach in the league. Regardless of how the year plays out, some visible growth from a team that finished 3-14 last season, coupled with a solid rookie performance from Dart could go a long way in buying him additional time at the helm. Dart threw for 4,279-29-6 in his final season at Ole Miss and led the nation in YPA at 10.8.

“Flacco throws the ball in a practice setting better than any of (the other quarterbacks),” per Jackson. His experience under head coach Kevin Stefanski during their 2023 stint also likely bodes well for Flacco’s chances, at least early on, but there’s a good chance we see three or four different quarterbacks take the field for the Browns in 2025, depending on how their season unfolds. Coming off a three-win season, it’s fair to say expectations are far from high for the Browns, who ranked in the bottom five in points scored and points allowed last season and started four different quarterbacks due to poor play and injuries. Shedeur Sanders, who is expected to draw the most hype of any Browns QB in preseason, notably worked fourth in the QB rotation at OTAs.

Williams showed his full potential as a playmaker for the Lions in 2024. The former first-round pick posted career-highs in receptions (58), receiving yards (1,001), and receiving touchdowns (7) while averaging an explosive 17.3 YPR. Hopes appear sky high for Williams heading into this season after new offensive coordinator John Morton said he expects a “breakout year” for him in 2025, and Campbell added this week that the “sky’s the limit” for the speedster. Williams’ success on the field resulted in him averaging 13.7 PPR per game for fantasy managers last season, although he only produced a top-24 week in 40 percent of his games. He may remain a bit of a boom-or-bust option next season, but he has a chance to be an impactful player on deeper rosters as a home run threat WR3/WR4.

According to Schultz, “nothing is imminent,” and the Falcons would prefer to keep the former No. 4 overall pick. He also adds that “it would take at least a Day 2 pick to even spark serious talks.” A hyper-athletic tight end who burst on the scene as a rookie when he caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards and one touchdown, Pitts has struggled to replicate his rookie-year success. While injuries can be partly blamed for his struggles, Pitts’ effort has also been called into question at times by both the front office and coaching staff. Entering the final year of his rookie deal, any team that trades for Pitts would have to decide whether they want to extend him or force him to play out the year and earn a new deal next offseason. We don’t know which teams have called about Pitts, but this could be something to monitor in the coming weeks.