NFL Player News

The Chiefs had no shot at establishing the run as Philly caved in the Chiefs’ front with only a four-man rush. An emergency Week 2 signing after Isiah Pacheco suffered a broken leg, Hunt ended up easily leading the Chiefs in rushing, having his most productive campaign on the ground since 2020. Efficiency was not his forte — he averaged a wheezing 3.64 yards per carry, and was bottom five in average rush yards over expected — but Hunt wasn’t signed to be efficient. His role was to grind out third-and-shorts and handle the rock near the goal line, which he did with aplomb. Going on 30 with increasingly dead legs, Hunt isn’t going to get a 2025 reprise opportunity as lead back, but it’s possible he’s earned himself another year as a committee player in Patrick Mahomes’ backfield.

The 2024 sixth-round pick made one appearance as a rookie, taking over for Drake Maye mid-game in a meaningless Week 18 affair. Milton played extremely well in his brief time in the spotlight, throwing for 241 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 16 yards and another score. The Pats signed Joshua Dobbs to a two-year deal in free agency, locking him in as the backup to Maye for 2025. In turn, the team got what it could for Milton and gave him a chance to be a QB2 behind Dak Prescott. With Prescott under contract through 2028, Milton doesn’t have much fantasy value, even in deep dynasty leagues.

Rapoport made it surprisingly clear that Derek Carr is not the long-term option for New Orleans, even if he is penciled in as the starter for most of the 2025 season. The Saints hold the No. 9 pick, putting them in position to grab Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders if he falls a few picks. As Rapoport noted, they could also move back into the first round to grab a passer, potentially Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, at the end of night one. The Saints have been active in their scouting of the rookie quarterbacks so far, hosting Texas’s Quinn Ewers for a visit after having a notable presence at Dart’s pro day. Carr’s days as the team’s starter are numbered.

Petaia is a 6-foot-3, 226-pound rugby player from Australia now joining the Chargers as a tight end. He debuted on Australia’s national rugby team at 19-years-old and is the youngest player to appear in two Rugby World Cups. The Chargers add Petaia to a tight end room that has Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin leading the way. Jim Harbaugh loves his tight ends and though it may be difficult for Petaia to earn meaningful regular season snaps, his adjustment to the NFL will be one to follow heading into pre-season.

The Vikings quarterback room continues to have a lot of questions thrown at it with Aaron Rodgers still a free agent and J.J. McCarthy coming back from a torn meniscus from his rookie season. However, Vikings management continues to praise McCarthy’s return from injury, with Adofo-Mensah saying “every checkpoint he’s exceeded.” Selected No. 10 overall last season, McCarthy currently leads the Minnesota quarterback room ahead of Brett Rypien. Adofo-Mensah did not rule out adding more quarterbacks, saying the team is going to look to “always add depth to that room.” For now, McCarthy has a lot of confidence behind him to lead an offense well-equipped to help a quarterback succeed.

Winfield had a $21 million base salary that was shifted to a minimum salary and bonus, with the Bucs also adding a void year. He signed a four-year, $84.1 million contract last offseason and now Tampa Bay frees up $15.86 million in cap space for 2025 by restructuring a contract that ends in 2027. The Bucs also restructured WR Mike Evans’ contract, though it was not for any cap savings. Evans had some compensation moved forward to pay him sooner, but cap space was not created.

Pre-draft visits aren’t everything, but the Steelers have historically drafted from their visit list at a strikingly high clip. Five of Pittsburgh’s seven draft picks last year were brought in for a visit. Golden was a Day One hopeful after going for 987 yards and nine scores at Texas last year. He then cemented his status as a first-round wideout at the NFL Combine with a 4.29 Forty. With George Pickens entering a contract year, the Steelers could be looking for his successor via the draft, even with DK Metcalf also on the roster.

Hendrickson said the Bengals told him a deal would get done this offseason. He also noted that he began asking for a long-term deal with guaranteed money three years ago. Earlier this week, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said the team is still working on a potential extension, though Hendrickson didn’t make it sound like a deal was imminent when talking to McAfee. The Bengals have prioritized bringing their offensive players back in thus far. Ja’Marr Chase was made the highest-paid non-quarterback this offseason while Tee Higgins got a healthy contract extension as well. Hendrickson is currently the odd man out and could be headed for free agency next offseason.

The Saints have reportedly “shown a considerable amount of interest” in Ewers, who threw for more than 9,100 yards and 68 touchdowns over 37 games for the Longhorns from 2022 to 2024. Ewers, 22, is projected as a Day Three pick and could sit behind starter Derek Carr and Spencer Rattler if the Saints use a fourth or fifth round selection on the quarterback. The Raiders have reportedly been impressed with Ewers in the pre-draft evaluation process. Wherever he lands, Ewers — who went 27-9 at Texas — is likely to be a backup at best.

The Steelers parted ways with Najee Harris, now a Charger, after four seasons and in March signed former Eagles RB Kenneth Gainwell to play alongside nominal lead back Jaylen Warren. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin complimented Gainwell for his success as a pass catcher in the flat, adding Gainwell has “a well-rounded game. He’s a capable and willing special teams player. Plays a lot on possession down ball.” Tomlin, however, said this year presents a “uniquely deep draft at [running back].” The team has completed pre-draft visits with a few high-profile backs: Ohio State’s tandem of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, along with Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson. Warren, who has averaged a healthy 5.4 yards per carry over his first three NFL seasons, could face significant competition for backfield touches in 2025. Pittsburgh holds the 21st pick in the draft.

Whether the Patriots engage with trade talks remains to be seen. MassLive.com reported sources close to Milton said he “would prefer to be on a roster that best gives him a chance to compete for the starting job.” These aren’t the first reports we’ve seen about Milton, 25, leaving New England after one season. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowlers reported in March that the Cowboys are interested in acquiring Milton — the 193rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — as a backup to Dak Prescott. Apparently Milton turned some heads around the NFL with his Week 18 start against the Bills last January. He completed 22 of 29 attempts for 241 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 16 yards and another score. Milton had the eighth highest drop back EPA of Week 18 out of 33 qualifying QBs; he posted the week’s third best completion rate over expected. The big-armed Milton threw for more than 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns in his final collegiate season at Tennessee before being drafted by New England.