NFL Player News

Smith-Njigba has evidently seized the opportunity with Tyler Lockett sidelined by a right leg injury. HC Mike Macdonald appears unconcerned about Lockett’s injury, saying Lockett “will be ready to roll,” though a second-year leap from Smith-Njigba could have Lockett returning to the No. 3 WR role rather than his long-time No. 2. Asked about his Titans cornerbacks’ attempts to cover the Seahawks’ receivers, Titans HC Brian Callahan praised Smith-Njigba, calling him “one of the better slots as a young player.” Dugar helpfully includes a video clip showing Smith beginning his wind-up “well before Smith-Njigba faked the defender out and broke back inside.”

Fowler adds that the Commanders have “a couple of weeks here to make progress” before training camp begins on July 22. McLaurin has skipped all offseason workouts thus far, so it stands to reason he could continue the absentee strategy later this month. Training camp is a critical time for NFL teams, allowing players to safely ramp up ahead of preseason play, not to mention the regular season. McLaurin profiles as a fantasy football WR2 this year.

Per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Lawrence and Brown clicked quickly. The veteran quarterback specifically praised Brown for picking up the system quickly, saying, Brown has “gotten the ball a lot because it seems like he’s always in the right spot.” Coen, meanwhile, believes Brown has validated the team’s $9.5 million investment by improving his play on “those intermediate in-breakers, curls, maybe outcuts,” an area where Coen claims the Commanders didn’t use Brown much in. Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter will reliably command larger target shares than Brown, but if Brown can develop into more than a field stretcher and part-time screen weapon, he should yield flex value this season.

Gardner has just three career interceptions and, as ESPN’s Rich Cimini notes, Gardner will play a more man-heavy scheme this year. Serving as the Lions’ defensive coordinator last year, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn used zone and man coverage at a near even split, which qualifies as being extremely man-heavy given the NFL’s current zone coverage rates. Gardner has been an IDP non-factor because New York’s opponents simply don’t pick on him, but creating more turnovers would make him at least more interesting in that format. Glenn is also notably mentoring Gardner in both on- and off-field leadership qualities, telling Gardner to let his “influence do all the talking” rather than taking on a phony “rah-rah guy” persona.

According to Collin County court records, the Cowboys’ wide receiver and special teams ace was arrested early Sunday on misdemeanor charges for marijuana and unlawfully carrying a weapon. We don’t know much more about his arrest at this time other than his bond was listed at $500. The 28-year-old receiver could face disciplinary action from the league once the legal process plays out, but for now, things remain wait-and-see. Turpin caught 31 passes for 420 yards and two touchdowns last season and also led the league with 904 kick return yards and an average of 33.5 yards per return.

In a social media post, the 26-year-old receiver explains that he “tore a ligament and tendon” in his second toe on his left foot and has “been rehabbing, working out, and recovering everyday for the past year.” This explains his extended absence. Following the injury, Claypool was briefly placed on injured reserve in August 2024 before being released with an injury settlement. He is “back to being the strongest and fastest” he’s ever been and is “excited to step back out on the field.”

Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, “Pierre-Paul still believes he can help a team, that he can be a veteran closer.” The 36-year-old has continued training to remain NFL-ready despite failing to find a suitor for the 2024 season. He logged 22 defensive snaps, playing for both the Saints and Dolphins in 2023. His last sack occurred as a Raven, in a Wild Card Weekend loss to the Bengals in the prior season. Sitting at 94.5 career sacks, Pierre-Paul hopes to reach 100 as a part-time player in 2025.

There’s zero indication that Sanders is in contact with the Argonauts and we do not expect Sanders to leave the NFL for the CFL at this time. Every year in early July, just before training camps begin, the CFL allows its teams to claim NFL players’ negotiating rights, on the off chance that the player is released or waived by his team and decides to pursue a career in Canada. Per the CFL’s Marshall Ferguson, “the CFL began releasing a few names here and there periodically, but now the full list is available for all to see from each of the nine teams.” Fans can rest assured that their high-profile, fifth-round rookie remains a Cleveland Brown.

The 34-year-old veteran visited the Cowboys pre-draft but left without a contract. Gilmore is no longer an above-average starter, but he did force eight incompletions and record one interception last year. A playoff contender could benefit from signing Gilmore as an experienced option, but teams tend to not have high valuations on older cornerbacks.

Ward is learning through trial and error, as many rookies do. The young quarterback is now aware that an open receiver in the NFL looks far different than it did in college, even when targeting a linebacker’s coverage. The NFL’s condensed field spacing has also reportedly required Ward to improve his awareness against the blitz. Per Davenport, Ward successfully showcased a lightbulb moment in this regard, which occurred “during team period when Ward recognized where the pressure was coming from and checked to a different protection to block it up.” Ward also notably signaled an audible to Calvin Ridley and connected with the veteran receiver for a touchdown. These are positive steps for a quarterback who currently profiles as a QB2 in re-draft formats.

Pelissero recently reported that the Steelers do not plan to trade Watt, and Watt’s record-setting goals are well known, so the most recent report makes sense. The team will do its best to ensure team-friendly outs exist later in the deal, but for now, Watt appears to be on track for a hefty payday sometime before September 7. Pelissero states succinctly, Watt’s expected extension “is going to be north of Myles Garrett—it is going to be upwards of $40 million per year.”