NFL Player News

The 49ers are expected to retain Garoppolo despite drafting quarterback Trey Lance with the third-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

There were rumblings around the league regarding potential trades and landing spots for Garoppolo ever since San Francisco paid a king's ransom to move up from No. 12 to No. 3 in this year's draft. While that scenario remains a possibility, it seems unlikely after the club selected North Dakota State product, Trey Lance, with its coveted pick. The 20-year-old possesses tremendous upside due to his raw physical skills, but a lack of experience (just 17 starts in college) and the need to improve some weaknesses in his game (notably footwork and ball placement) creates the need for a trusted veteran quarterback in camp. Enter Jimmy G, who has performed more than adequately during his time in San Francisco, but an inability to stay healthy (only 25 starts over three seasons) was a leading cause in the team having to look for another option under center. That said, the 28-year-old should begin the 2021 campaign with a clean bill of health and a realistic shot at being the 49ers' starter Week 1, while Lance studies his new offense under Kyle Shanahan and develops as a passer. This has been a rough offseason for Garoppolo's career, but it wouldn't be a shock to see him return to his 2019 form (3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions) if he can stay healthy and use his new competition as motivation to prove his worth to both the 49ers and the league as a whole.

Coach Vic Fangio said Bridgewater and Drew Lock will split reps "50-50" during the offseason program and training camp, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

Fangio's statement comes as no surprise after the Broncos acquired Bridgewater from the Panthers this week and made no additions to the QB room during the draft. Since his devastating knee injury just before the start of the 2016 season, Bridgewater has started 21 of his 29 appearances between the Saints and Panthers on his way to a 68.5 completion percentage, 5,235 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also racked up 315 yards and five scores on the ground during that stretch. The next few months will determine who among Bridgewater and Lock is under center for Denver in Week 1.

Coach Vic Fangio said Lock and recent acquisition Teddy Bridgewater will split reps "50-50" during the offseason program and training camp, Mike Klis of 9News Denver reports.

After making no additions to the quarterback room during the draft, the Broncos have settled on a Lock-Bridgewater battle under center. Lock has had a rocky and banged-up first two years in the NFL, completing 59.1 percent of his passes for 3,953 yards, 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions through 18 starts. He even tied Carson Wentz for the league lead with 15 picks during the 2020 season. Denver invested the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 draft in Lock, but it may want to see what the less flashy but steadier Bridgewater can do with the offense.

The Texans selected Mills in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 67th overall.

The Texans use their first pick of this year's draft to take a quarterback in light of the unknowns surrounding franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. Mills was billed as one of the best "project" quarterbacks in this class in that he didn't have the resume worthy of a first-round pick, but his tools could allow him to develop into a starter down the road. He was a blue-chip recruit out of high school, but knee injuries dating back to that period kept him off the field until 2018. Mills took over as Stanford's starter in 2019 and threw for 1,960 yards, 11 touchdowns and five picks in six starts. He is talented and scouts believe in his ability, but the 11 career starts and the knee injury history are concerns.

The Buccaneers selected Trask in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, 64th overall.

Trask posted big numbers at Florida, especially in a 2020 season in which he threw for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 68.9 percent of his passes at 9.8 yards per attempt. Trask's production is largely attributed to the scheme and talented pass-catching personnel he enjoyed throughout his college tenure, a group that included Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney, Van Jefferson and Freddie Swain. Nevertheless, he makes for an interesting project for the Buccaneers to develop behind Tom Brady. At 6-foot-5, 236 pounds, Trask has a prototypical build if nothing else.

The Bengals added another elite pass-catching option for Burrow (knee) in the first-round Thursday, drafting college teammate Ja'Marr Chase from LSU.

Given Justin Jefferson's production in his rookie year in 2020, it's easy to forget that it was Chase that actually led the way during Burrow's Heisman Trophy season in 2019. Burrow now has three excellent wideouts in Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins and Chase; hopefully, his offensive linemen will buy him more time this season to find them.

Hurts was reunited with former Alabama teammate DeVonta Smith after the Eagles selected the wide receiver with the 10th overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft, Tim McManus of ESPN reports.

Although Hurts hasn't officially been named the Eagles' starting quarterback, selecting a receiver rather than another signal-caller seemingly cements him in the role even further. It also gives the 22-year-old another first-round weapon to throw to after Philadelphia took Jalen Reagor out of TCU last year. It's certainly a major upgrade for a receiving corps that compiled the third-fewest receiving yards last season (2,082).

Rodgers might consider retirement as an option to force his way out of Green Bay, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst made it clear Thursday night that he has no intention of trading Rodgers, who reportedly has become disgruntled to the point that he's considered refusing to report to the team this summer. A holdout, however, could lead to fines, so the threat of retirement might provide more leverage. Of course, the Packers know that Rodgers prefers to continue his football career, and they'll still have him under contract if he retires and then un-retires. It's a complicated situation with no resolution in immediate sight.

The Ravens are picking up the fifth-year option on Jackson's rookie contract, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson is now scheduled for a $23.016 million base salary in 2022, though it's guaranteed for injury only. The option gives Baltimore more leverage in negotiations on a long-term contract, which seems to be the ultimate goal for both parties. Offseason additions Rashod Bateman and Sammy Watkins give Jackson the best receiving corps he's ever had, while the Ravens' offensive line looks shaky for the first time in his young career.

Tagovailoa boasts immediate chemistry with former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle, whom the Dolphins selected sixth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN reports.

As a rookie, Tagovailoa struggled to make the most of a receiving corps compromised of contested-catch specialists who don't provide much separation, and it's clear that Miami's priority this offseason has been to surround him with more explosive playmakers. By making Waddle the second wideout selected in April's draft, the Dolphins are allowing Tagovailoa the benefit of linking up with a playmaker whose skillset he's already familiar with, and who should be able to start out of the slot immediately. It's worth noting that Miami also had the option of reuniting the young quarterback with DeVonta Smith, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner and a potentially more complete receiver at the NFL level. The decision to grab Waddle instead clearly points to a bet on Tagovailoa's ability to maximize the potential of an explosive playmaker capable of bringing separation to the short and intermediate game. Even if Waddle doesn't play outside right off the bat, he should provide Tagovailoa with a perfect complement to new deep threat Will Fuller (suspension).