NFL Player News

Mariota is signing a two-year contract with the Falcons, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The contract was announced about one hour after the Falcons reached an agreement to trade Matt Ryan to Indianapolis for a third-round pick. Mariota thus stands a good chance to be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, though it won't come as much of a surprise if the team adds rookie competition during the upcoming NFL Draft. The 28-year-old QB reunites with Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who was the TEs coach in Tennessee throughout most of Mariota's time there. Smith's first year as offensive coordinator was 2019, the season in which Mariota was benched for Ryan Tannehill after Week 6. After two years with the Raiders in a backup role, Mariota joins a rebuilding Atlanta team that doesn't offer much pass-catching talent beyond second-year tight end Kyle Pitts.

Winston (knee) agreed Monday with the Saints on a two-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

It's a better contract than the one Winston signed last offseason, with Pelissero reporting a base value of $28 million, including $21 million guaranteed. That suggests other teams were interested, despite Winston's ongoing recovery from the ACL tear he suffered Oct. 31. The 28-year-old QB had surgery in mid-November, so while he may not be available for spring practices, the Saints presumably expect him to be ready to start in advance of Week 1.

Barkley has signed a one-year deal with the Bills.

Barkley, who played for Buffalo from 2018 through 2020, returns to the team for a second stint, and this time around the 31-year-old is slated to serve as the Bills' No. 3 QB behind Josh Allen and recently acquired Case Keenum.

Brissett signed a one-year contract with the Browns on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Brissett's contract will be presumably be on the cheaper side considering the Browns just traded Case Keenum to the Bills on Saturday in lieu of paying him $7.1 million this season. Brissett was truly miserable as Tua Tagovailoa's backup last season finishing the season with 1,114 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions across five starts, but the 29-year-old has a wealth of experience and has proven capable when forced into action in the past. Brissett is expected to back up newly acquired starter Deshaun Watson and could be forced to start a number of games if the aforementioned Clemson product is suspended for any duration of time.

Johnson signed a one-year contract with the Broncos on Friday, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

The 35-year-old continues his tour around the league, as the Broncos are the 14th team he's signed a contract with since being drafted in 2008, Field Yates of ESPN reports. Johnson appeared in four games between the Jets and Ravens last year and completed 57 of 85 passes for 638 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing nine times for 28 yards. He's in line to serve as the primary backup to Russell Wilson in 2022.

Stafford agreed to a four-year extension Saturday with the Rams worth up to $160 million including $135 million in guarantees, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Stafford still had one year left on his deal, but the Rams made sure to lock up the Super Bowl winning quarterback at a relatively affordable rate with upper-echelon quarterback play exploding in price over the last month. While Stafford will average $40 million per season over the duration of his extension, the move was made in an effort to free up more space for potential free-agent signings according to Schefter. The Rams already signed burgeoning star wide receiver Allen Robinson in the offseason and have been rumored to be interested in re-signing Odell Beckham, whose torn ACL in the Super Bowl could have him return to the field in November.

Keenum was traded to the Bills from the Browns on Saturday in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This was expected considering Keenum was due to earn $7.1 million next season. The long-time veteran has been a stable backup presence for teams over the years, having played in 35 games combined for three separate franchises in the last four seasons. With stalwart franchise icon Josh Allen already set at the quarterback spot, expect Keenum to be one of the better backups in the league once more.

The Browns will seek a trade partner for Mayfield (shoulder) after acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans for multiple draft picks Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Browns entered the fray for Watson this week, only to be considered out of the running for his services Thursday. One day later, though, Cleveland landed the quarterback, leaving Mayfield in limbo. According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Mayfield prefers the Colts among all the QB-needy teams, but it remains to be seen where he lands. Once his destination is known, Mayfield may be delayed in throwing to his new teammates as he continues his recovery from January surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.

Watson is waiving his no-trade clause to facilitate a trade to the Browns, changing his mind Friday after reports earlier in the week suggested he'd ruled the team out, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Numerous reports had Watson deciding between the Saints and Falcons, after the Panthers and Browns came up short in their efforts to woo him. With the QB now changing his mind, Houston and Cleveland will finalize terms of a trade, while Watson already has a contract arrangement in place with his soon-to-be team, getting a five-year, $230 million deal that's fully guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. A grand jury recently declined to indict Watson on criminal charges, but he's still facing civil suits (and potentially an NFL suspension) for allegations of sexual misconduct. Per Schefter, the Browns are reportedly sending three first-round picks, a third-round pick and a fourth-rounder to the Texans in exchange for Watson and a fifth-rounder.

The Saints and Falcons remain in the mix to trade for Watson, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

The report notes that the Browns and Panthers are no longer candidates to make a deal for the quarterback, who remained on Houston's roster last season but did not suit up for any games. Last week, a grand jury declined to indict Watson on criminal charges stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct and since then there's been movement toward the Texans dealing the 2017 first-rounder, who must waive his no-trade clause for that to transpire.