NFL Player News

The Packers have reportedly offered Rodgers a long-term deal that would alter the QB market, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Aside from solidifying the team's signal-caller situation, such a contract structure -- possibly in the three- or four-year range -- could bolster the Packers' salary-cap situation, a context that would help the franchise retain a solid supporting cast around Rodgers. The report suggests that at this stage the QB continues to weigh his options, with his decision expected to arrive soon. Per Fowler, if things move in a direction in which Rodgers indicates that he wants out of Green Bay, the Broncos -- who hired former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as their new head coach this offseason -- are viewed as a possible contender to make a play to add the 38-year-old, who is coming off an MVP season in 2021.

The Packers have not engaged with other teams regarding potential trades for Rodgers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

In what appears to be the latest chapter of the Rodgers saga, conflicting reports surfaced late Friday evening and into Saturday morning that the four-time MVP was truly torn on whether or not he'd want to return to the Packers, and that teams were lining up to acquire the superstar QB. That evidently is not the case according to Schefter and the report was also backed up by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. There's still optimism from Green Bay's front office Rodgers will eventually make his decision before the new league year begins March 16, but it seems fair to assume should the 39-year-old opt to cut ties with the only franchise he's ever been apart of, numerous teams will be eager to bid for his services.

The Browns are expected to trade or release Keenum during the offseason, Jeff Howe and Zac Jackson of The Athletic report.

Severing ties to Keenum is one of several expected moves the organization will take to bolster the passing game, including new targets at wideout and tight end. Keenum, who made two starts for the Browns in 2021, is due to earn $7.1 million in 2022, and the team may want to reallocate those dollars.

Both GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed during their NFL Combine press conferences that Mayfield (shoulder) will start for the Browns in 2022, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, who is said to be ahead of schedule in his rehab from a procedure to repair the torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder, is headed into the final year of his contract on the heels of a subpar 2021 campaign. With no extension in the works, Mayfield -- who who can begin throwing in April -- will look to engineer a bounce-back effort in 2022, in the hope that he can prove to the Browns that he's the franchise's long-term answer at quarterback. While Cabot suggests that the team will explore its options, pursuing one of the veteran signal-callers who might be available this offseason is not an anticipated strategy. A more likely approach figures to involve seeking upgrades at wideout, through the draft, free agency or both.

New head coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that he has "no idea" if Watson will be on the Texans' roster during the upcoming season, Aaron Reiss of The Athletic reports.

Watson remained on Houston's roster throughout the 2021 campaign while he dealt with investigations related to 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct, but he was a healthy inactive for every game. His situation remains murky, and based on Smith's comments, Houston seems content to head into the 2022 NFL Draft operating as though Watson won't be part of its plans. Expect the Texans to continue to engage with teams in trade talks pertaining to Watson throughout the offseason.

New Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday that Carr will "absolutely" be the team's starting quarterback Week 1 of the 2022 campaign, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Carr appeared in all 17 games for the Raiders last season and finished with a career-high 4,804 passing yards to go with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. McDaniels, an offensive-minded coach, believes he can get the most out of the veteran quarterback, who has become slightly more efficient over his last four seasons.

Head coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that "it's unrealistic to think" that the Bills will be able to retain Trubisky this offseason, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

After four years with the Bears, who took Trubisky with the second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, the quarterback signed a one-year deal last March with the Bills and served as Josh Allen's backup. Following a 2021 campaign in which he attempted just eight passes, Trubisky -- who turns 28 in August -- will now look to join a team that will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting job.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Wednesday that Garoppolo is slated to undergo a procedure that will address "a capsule issue" in the back of the quarterback's shoulder," Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.

Garoppolo damaged ligaments in the capsule's ball-and-socket joint of his throwing shoulder during the 49ers' wild-card win over the Cowboys on Jan. 16. He then played through the injury during the team's remaining two postseason games before a decision was made earlier this week for Garoppolo to go under the knife. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Garoppolo's looming post-surgery rehab is expected to keep him from throwing for about 16 weeks. In any case, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Garoppolo's injury situation isn't expected to change the likelihood that he'll be traded in the coming weeks. With that in mind, Lynch suggested there is "significant interest" in Garoppolo from multiple teams.

Garoppolo is scheduled to undergo right shoulder surgery soon and is expected to be sidelined until the summer, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Garoppolo sprained his throwing shoulder during the 49ers' wild-card win over Dallas, and at the time he was also dealing with a thumb injury that was also expected to require offseason surgery. However, it appears that the former issue was more serious than previously thought, while the opposite was true for his thumb. Schefter also relays that the upcoming shoulder surgery isn't expected to affect Garoppolo's trade status, and the prevailing assumption is that he'll be moved at some point this spring. According to Schefter, preliminary estimates suggest that Garoppolo is expected to resume throwing some time prior to July 4, which should give him plenty of time to get acclimated to a new team before the start of the 2022 campaign.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that there are "no new updates" regarding Rodgers' situation, but he hopes to have an update by the new league year March 16, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported earlier Tuesday that the two sides are in negotiations for what is expected to be a short-term contract that would make Rodgers the highest-paid player in the NFL. Despite rumors that the 38-year-old may consider requesting a trade or could be on the trading block, Gutekunst relayed that "not one" general manager has reached out to him asking about Rodgers' availability. However, there is still some speculation as to whether or not the back-to-back MVP winner will even play football next season. Either way, it sounds like the Packers hope that Rodgers will make a decision before long, with the hope that it'll jumpstart their offseason plans.