NFL Player News

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wants to make Hurts' success the priority in 2021, rather than emphasizing competition at quarterback, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News has a different take, hinting that the Eagles still aren't sure about their second-year signal-caller. While Hurts sits atop the depth chart with Carson Wentz (Colts) out of the picture, Bowen and other Philadelphia beat writers have suggested the Eagles could pick a QB on Day 1 or 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. This latest report from Mortensen doesn't seem concrete, but it at least does give us a hint about Lurie's thinking with the No. 6 overall pick.

Broncos general manager George Paton said of Lock and the team's quarterback situation, "We're always going to bring in competition at every position, quarterback as well, but I like the track Drew's on," Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

The Broncos made an attempt to trade for former Lions' signal-caller Matthew Stafford in February, according to James Palmer of NFL Network. Such a development renders Lock's status atop the quarterback depth chart as tentative, but Paton has been publicly upbeat about Lock, stating that he has "all the traits you look for in a quarterback." The 24-year-old was tied for an NFL-worst 15 interceptions thrown during the 2020 campaign, while the Broncos QB position as a whole posted bottom-two finishes in both completion rate (54 percent) and passer rating (72.5). Lock generated a much-improved 7:2 TD:INT Weeks 14 through 17, but Denver went just 1-3 in those games.

Jets general manager Joe Douglas said Wednesday he will "answer the call" when trade offers come in for Darnold, Connor Hughes of The Athletic reports.

Douglas also said that his stance on Darnold "hasn't changed," adding that he has "no doubt" about the young signal-caller eventually achieving his "outstanding potential." The Jets have previously indicated that the team wouldn't be making a move at quarterback until evaluations of April's draft class had been fully completed, so Douglas' admission that the team will listen to trade offers for Darnold represents a significant change in tone. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com relays that Douglas still feels there's "no hard timetable" on a decision regarding Darnold's future, however. With the No. 2 overall pick in hand in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jets will certainly be in position to select one of the top quarterbacks on the board if the team elects to move on from Darnold.

Mahomes (toe) should need about three months to recover from Feb. 10 surgery to repair a torn plantar plate in his left foot, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

Mahomes should be healthy before training camp, and Chiefs GM Brett Veach even suggested the QB could be ready for mandatory minicamp, which usually takes place the first or second week of June. It isn't even clear that Mahomes will miss any time on the practice field this spring/summer, as NFL teams likely will need to adjust their offseason programs on account of the coronavirus pandemic. In any case, Mahomes doesn't really need the practice reps, especially when he has continuity with his head coach, offensive coordinator and top pass catchers. Kansas City's offensive line has received a lot of criticism since the Super Bowl, but it's generally been a solid unit in recent years, and both starting tackles -- RT Mitchell Schwartz (back) and LT Eric Fisher (Achilles) -- are recovering from surgery after missing the big game.

Watson is willing to sit out the preseason and even miss regular-season games if the Texans don't agree to trade him, independent NFL journalist Dov Kleiman reports.

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reported Thursday that Watson has already informed new Texans coach David Culley that he has no intention of playing for the team again, so announcing a willingness to skip games is simply the star signal-caller doubling down on his position. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Houston still isn't taking trade inquiries for Watson, making it notable the team could fine the 25-year-old over $3 million if he skips events such the offseason minicamp, plus preseason and regular-season games. Of course, if Watson is indeed as firmly entrenched in his desire to be traded as it seems, the Texans could ultimately be forced to relent and recoup losses rather than play hardball. Watson's no-trade clause could complicate eventual negotiations, as any final deal would require his approval; however, Houston should still be positioned receive multiple first-round picks in return for the three-time Pro Bowler.

Watson met with David Culley last Friday and told the Texans' new coach he has no intention of playing for the team, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.

Watson reiterated his trade request, shutting the door on any notion that a new coach might convince him to stick around. No matter, Dianna Russini of ESPN reports the Texans are still avoiding trade conversations and insisting they won't deal their disgruntled QB. In the unlikely event of neither side budging, the Texans will be able to fine Watson for every practice and game he misses, as the young QB is under contract through 2025 after signing a four-year extension in September. The deal includes a no-trade clause, which means Watson will have some say in the process if the Texans eventually relent and consider trade offers.

Wilson told the Seahawks he wants to stay in Seattle, but he also said he'd be willing to play for the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders or Bears if a trade were considered, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Wilson has surpassed Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz as king of the February rumor mill, with multiple reports suggesting the 32-year-old QB is contemplating an NFL future after Seattle. According to The Athletic, Wilson is frustrated with coach Pete Carroll's emphasis on the running game and wishes the Seahawks had made their pass-blocking more of a priority. He may not be ready to request a trade, but there's no doubt he's making a statement in going public (albeit indirectly) with his willingness to waive his no-trade clause for specific teams. While the Seahawks presumably will try first and foremost to repair the relationship, it does seem the once-unthinkable -- a Russell Wilson trade -- is now on the table as an option. Granted, the rift could be forgotten in a matter of months if Wilson and Co. take flight under new OC Shane Waldron.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Wednesday in his appearance on "The Eye Test for Two" podcast that he has no doubt Garoppolo (ankle) will be the team's Week 1 starter in 2021.

Lynch did stipulate "if he's injury-free" when he was asked about his commitment to Garoppolo, who missed 13 games in 2018 and 10 in 2020. There's been talk of the team pursuing Deshaun Watson, but it isn't clear the Texans will comply with their star quarterback's trade request, and even if they do, San Francisco can't match the draft-pick capital the Dolphins and Jets have to offer. Garoppolo has two years remaining on his five-year, $137.5 million contract, with a dead-cap charge of only $2.8 million if he's traded or released this offseason. Lynch may expect Garoppolo to keep the starting job, but that doesn't mean the 49ers GM won't consider other options. Garoppolo should have plenty of time this winter and spring to recover from the high-ankle sprain that caused him to miss the second half of the 2020 campaign.

Rudolph is expected to serve as the Steelers' backup quarterback in 2021 following news that Ben Roethlisberger is expected to return, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network reports.

Roethlisberger's 2020 season was underwhelming by most metrics, but the Steelers nevertheless want their franchise quarterback for another season. In turn, Rudolph will spend the final year of his rookie contract as the backup to Roethlisberger. The 2018 third-round pick started in Week 17 against the Browns and completed 56 percent of his passes for 315 yards (8.1 YPA), two touchdowns and an interception.

The Jets intend to fully evaluate the 2021 NFL Draft's quarterback prospects before making a decision about Darnold's future with the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Rapoport notes that the Jets have gotten "real interest" about dealing Darnold, who the team selected No. 3 overall back in the 2018 NFL Draft, but that any deal will have to wait until after top prospects have completed their Pro Days and subsequent interviews. Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York recently estimated that Darnold could return value around the range of a "second-round pick, plus maybe another mid-to-late rounder" should the Jets indeed decide to deal him, with potential suitors including the Bears, Panthers, Broncos, 49ers, Patriots and Washington. Darnold, who will turn 24 this offseason, is coming off a pedestrian third year, with just 2,208 passing yards and nine touchdowns versus 11 interceptions across 12 appearances. He noticeably was more productive in 2019 over a similar span of games, with 3,024 passing yards and a 19:13 TD:INT in 13 contests.