NFL Player News

Lattimore didn’t practice at all this week, making him unlikely to take the field on Sunday. This is the latest in a long line of injuries for the veteran corner. Lattimore hasn’t played a full season since 2021, missing 17 games over the past two years. Tyrann Mathieu was cleared from the injury report while defensive linemen Bryan Bresee (illness) and Isaiah Foskey (back) were listed as questionable.

Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Lynch said McCaffrey was “doing really well” in his recovery from the Achilles tendinitis and PCL injuries that limited him to just four games last season. McCaffrey isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 29 at the start of next season, and his injury-plagued 2024 only serves as a reminder for how quickly a running back’s career can go sideways. While he’s expected to serve as the 49ers’ RB1 if healthy, the Niners need to figure out what to do at the position outside of McCaffrey. Explosive rookie Isaac Guerendo remains on the team, but Elijah Mitchell will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and last year’s leading rusher, Jordan Mason is no lock to return as a restricted free agent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 49ers address running back via the draft or free agency, but it’s good to hear that CMC appears to be on the path toward a return for next season.

According to Cabot, Garrett has “slammed the door” on any possibilities of an extension to remain with the Browns. The four-time All-Pro requested a trade earlier this offseason in hopes of landing with a contender for the 2025 season, but so far, the Browns have appeared unwilling to deal him. There were some reports that the Browns would try to entice Garrett to stay with a hefty extension, but it sounds like Garrett wants no part of the Browns going forward. Whether or not the team changes its mind when it comes to a trade is to be determined, but it sounds like Garrett is doing everything he can to make it known that his days in Cleveland are over.

Had he hit free agency, Smith would have been viewed as the best guard on the market and one of the top players overall. For now, the Pro Bowl guard will remain with the Chiefs on the franchise tag, which would pay out $23.4 million in 2025, but the Chiefs hope to get a long-term deal done with Smith in the near future. Smith was a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2021 and has been among the league’s best guards since entering the league. Last season he earned a PFF grade of 78.8 and a run blocking grade of 80.8 — the seventh-highest grade of any guard in the league (min. 500 snaps). It wouldn’t be surprising to see Smith and the Chiefs agree to a long-term deal before the start of the season.

Without directly naming Kelce as his source, McAfee, who was reading text messages from his phone, all but confirmed it was Kelce who confirmed his return. McAfee said the “source” he reached out to regarding Kelce’s future replied to his text saying, “I’m coming back for sure. I’m gonna try and get to the best shape I’ve been this offseason and get back to the mountaintop.” This “source” also said he had a “real bad taste” in his mouth about how he played in his last game. Kelce caught 97 passes for 823 yards and three touchdowns last season — all very strong numbers by most tight end standards. That said, his play took a noticeable dip last season, as the 823 yards he totaled were his fewest since 2014, while his 8.5 YPR set a new career low by more than two yards. Kelce will be 35 at the start of next season and can still provide the Chiefs reliable hands in the passing game, but it seems clear that his best days are likely behind him, even if he does manage to get in the best shape of his career.

This marks the fourth-straight season that the league has increased the cap number after it fell to $182.5 million in 2021 following a COVID-stricken 2020 season. The $279.2 million ceiling also sets a new league record for the fourth-straight season, and will raise every team’s cap space for the upcoming season once adjustments for the approved amount take effect.

Disappointing, but not surprising. Per Tomasson, an NFL official passed on this information regarding Hunter’s decision to skip combine workouts, meaning we won’t get a chance to look at the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner until Colorado’s pro day. An elite two-way player in college, Hunter could have the opportunity to play a similar dual role in the NFL, although that decision will likely depend on the team that drafts him. Colorado has not yet set a date for their pro day, but with Shedeur Sanders also expected to participate, it’s safe to say it will be one of the most anticipated pro days of this year’s NFL Draft news cycle.

The latest rumors on Higgins are that the Bengals will franchise tag him if they cannot reach a deal before free agency kicks off. Even if that doesn’t come to fruition, Graff believes the Patriots will prioritize the offensive and defensive lines. Patriots executive VP of player personnel reinforced those sentiments at the combine when he said “The game is always won on the lines — offensive line, defensive line.” Graff adds that the Patriots are “going to feel out the trade market for a receiver,” but any move for Higgins appears unlikely at this point.

Milano has been marred by injuries in back-to-back seasons and has appeared in just nine regular season games since 2023 as a result. The Bills could release the eight-year vet and former First-Team All-Pro as a post-June 1 cut that would result in $9.640 million in savings while also carrying a dead cap hit just over $6.1 million, but it sounds like Milano will be running things back with the Bills in 2025. Milano will have the rest of the offseason to prepare for training camp and won’t have any additional hurdles to clear as far as surgery or rehab is concerned. If he can get back to his old form, a healthy Milano should provide a nice boost to a Bills defense that ranked 11th in the league in points allowed last season.

A likely top five pick in this year’s draft, Graham becomes the latest incoming rookie to shirk most combine workouts this week, as he will instead go through a complete workout at Michigan’s pro day. Graham put together a dominant final season at Michigan, totaling 45 tackles, seven TFLs, and 3.5 sacks while earning First-Team All-American honors. Graham has already met with a handful of teams holding high draft picks and will be an immediate upgrade for whatever defense he lands on.

David, 35, has spent his entire 13-year career with the Buccaneers and is still producing at a high level. The veteran linebacker racked up 122 total tackles and 5.5 sacks while also forcing three fumbles and one interception. While the Bucs are willing to give David time to decide on his playing future, Anderson reports other teams have also checked in on the possibility of David’s willingness to play elsewhere in 2025.