NFL Player News
-
Adrian Martinez QB | SF
49ers' Adrian Martinez: Signs futures deal with 9ers
San Francisco signed Martinez to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.
Martinez spent most of the 2025 season on the 49ers' and the Jets' practice squads, taking just one snap with San Francisco in Week 9 against the Giants to execute the game-ending kneel down. It appears the 49ers saw something they liked in Martinez, though, so he'll be staying with them to begin the 2026 league year.
-
Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Seahawks' Sam Darnold: Limited at Wednesday's practice
Darnold (oblique) practiced in a limited fashion Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
After Darnold played through a left oblique injury this past Saturday against the 49ers, coach Mike Macdonald told Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle that the quarterback would be "day-to-day" this week. Macdonald said Wednesday that Darnold "continues to get better," but the Seahawks will cap his number of throws due to the health concern, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. Darnold himself relayed to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic on Wednesday that he "felt good" in the wake of the divisional round, but he also needs "to get my body right to be ready" for Sunday's NFC Championship Game versus the Rams. In the end, Friday's injury report will reveal whether or not Darnold heads into the weekend with a designation.
-
Mac Jones QB | SF
49ers' Mac Jones: May stay with Niners
San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he expects Jones to be with the 49ers for 2026, Cam Inman of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
General manager John Lynch also praised Jones but didn't comment on expectations for next season. Jones went 5-3 as a starter while completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 7.4 YPA, giving the 49ers a fantastic return on their investment in the first season of a two-year, $8.4 million contract. He probably won't be content to return to San Francisco as an underpaid backup, but his contract does give the team some leverage in discussions about a trade or raise.
-
Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: May need offseason foot procedure
Bills GM Brandon Beane noted Wednesday that Allen may need a procedure done on his right foot, but if that is the case, the QB's availability for OTAs would not be impacted, Maddy Glab of the Bills' official site reports.
Per ESPN.com, Allen initially hurt his foot during Week 16 action, which resulted in soreness that lingered in subsequent weeks. Additionally, Allen managed issues with his left knee and right finger following the Bills' wild-card win over the Jaguars. In terms of a possible foot procedure for Allen, Beane did not provide a timeline Wednesday for when that might occur. Either way, Allen has time to recover from his injuries before his team returns to the field, at which time he'll be working with a new head coach following the dismissal of Sean McDermott in the wake of Buffalo's divisional-round loss to the Broncos.
-
Kyle McCord QB | GB
Packers' Kyle McCord: Heading to Green Bay
The Packers signed McCord to a reserve/future contract Tuesday.
McCord was selected by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was unable to beat out Tanner McKee or Sam Howell for a spot on the 53-man roster behind Jalen Hurts, so McCord spent his entire rookie season on Philadelphia's practice squad. McCord will get a new opportunity in Green Bay, and he would have a clearer path to the backup quarterback job behind Jordan Love if Malik Willis opts to sign with a different team when the offseason officially begins Feb. 9.
-
Davis Mills QB | HOU
Texans' Davis Mills: Goes unused in loss
Mills did not play in Sunday's 28-16 playoff loss to the Patriots.
Mills never got off the bench despite the struggles of starter C.J. Stroud, who threw four interceptions. Mills had an effective run as a starter during the regular season, guiding Houston to three straight wins when Stroud missed time due to a concussion. Mills finished the 2025 regular season with a 57.2 percent completion rate (91-for-159) for 915 yards and five touchdowns over six games. He's under contract for another season and figures to return as Stroud's backup.
-
Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Seahawks' Sam Darnold: To be 'day-to-day' this week
Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Darnold (oblique) will be "day-to-day" this week, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.
Darnold suffered a left oblique injury last Thursday that left him questionable for this past Saturday's divisional-round game versus the 49ers, but he was able to suit up, start and play 47 of 53 offensive snaps en route to completing 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in a 41-6 win. The veteran QB wore padding over his left oblique to protect the issue, and Macdonald added Monday that the Seahawks will balance "making sure we get enough reps at the proper tempo, with the proper looks," and get him "the reps that he needs." That would seem to suggest Darnold will operate with practice restrictions this week, with Wednesday's injury report to reveal how much activity he logs in the first session ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Rams.
-
Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: No offseason procedures anticipated
Purdy said Monday that he will not require an offseason procedure to address the turf toe injury that hampered him early during the 2025 campaign, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.
Purdy's turf toe injury bothered him as early as Week 1, and, in conjunction with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, he was forced him to miss two games. In his return to action Week 4, he then aggravated the toe issue, resulting in a six-game stretch on the sidelines. Purdy said he'll continue strengthening the toe this offseason, but the issue won't cause him any limitations during team activities or require surgery. Across his nine combined regular-season appearances and two playoff tilts, Purdy completed an impressive 230 of 342 pass attempts for 2,569 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions, while also rushing 47 times for 208 yards and three scores. Looking ahead to the 2026 campaign, however, Purdy's fantasy prospects look murky. George Kittle (Achilles) is recovering from a significant injury, while at wide receiver Jauan Jennings is staring down free agency, and injuries consistently hampered Ricky Pearsall in 2025.
-
Ben DiNucci QB | DEN
Ben DiNucci: Signs with Denver
DiNucci was signed to the Broncos' practice squad Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
DiNucci will join Denver's practice unit ahead of the AFC Championship Game against the Patriots. Bo Nix (ankle) suffered a season-ending injury in the team's 33-30 divisional-round win over the Bills on Saturday, and DiNucci will provide the team with a third option at quarterback behind Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger.
-
Caleb Williams QB | CHI
Bears' Caleb Williams: Comeback attempt falls short in OT
Williams completed 23 of 42 pass attempts for 257 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions while taking five carries for 40 yards in Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss in the divisional round to the Rams.
Williams found himself in familiar territory in Sunday's divisional-round matchup when he was staring at a deficit in the fourth quarter that required him to pull off a heroic comeback. The sophomore signal-caller accomplished what appeared impossible when he scrambled backward 10-plus yards before chucking a prayer to the end zone on fourth down that TE Cole Kmet came down with to send the contest to overtime. The magic ran out for Williams and the Bears in the extra period when Rams safety Kamren Curl laid out for an athletic interception that ultimately ended Chicago's playoff run. The 23-year-old Williams made strides from the pocket in his first year under head coach Ben Johnson, amassing 3,942 passing yards with 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions across 17 starts in the regular season. The USC product struggled with turnovers in two postseason contests (four TDs to five INTs), something he will look to clean up in future postseason appearances, but Williams' overall performance has the future looking bright in Chicago.