NFL Player News

Rush was waived by the Cowboys on Monday, Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Dallas' decision to cut Rush comes following the news that Andy Dalton has officially signed with the team as Dak Prescott's backup. The selection of developmental project Ben DiNucci in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft also accounts for the team's No. 3 spot, making Rush the odd man out in Dallas' quarterback room. The 26-year-old only attempted three regular-season passes in three years after joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017, and he'll now be free to look for another depth opportunity with a new organization.

Rush could see his Cowboys tenure come to an end after the team signed Andy Dalton to be Dak Prescott's backup Saturday.

An undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan in 2017, Rush has held down the No. 2 QB spot behind Prescott but has only attempted three regular-season passes in three years. With a solid veteran in Dalton now on hand, and 2020 seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci available as a developmental option for new coach Mike McCarthy if the club wants to carry a third quarterback on the gameday roster, there would appear to be no room for Rush as well.

Dalton agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract worth up to $7 million with the Cowboys on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 32-year-old was cut by the Bengals earlier in the week, and it only took a couple days for him to latch on with a new club, though he's clearly not signing as a starter. There was significant speculation of Dalton landing with a team lacking a proven quarterback, but the TCU product will return to Texas to serve as the backup for Dak Prescott.

Trubisky (shoulder) will not have his fifth-year option picked up, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This shouldn't come as a major surprise given the Bears' offseason acquisition of Nick Foles. While the fifth-year, $24 million option would have only been guaranteed for injury, it's still a tremendous financial commitment to a quarterback that has failed to live up to his draft-day expectations. The Bears have hinted it's still an open competition between Foles and the 2017 No. 3 overall pick, even suggesting Trubisky will take the first snap of training camp, but the former Jaguar appears to be the frontrunner at the moment based on this latest transaction alone.

Mullens signed his exclusive rights free-agent tender Friday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

As expected, Mullens will remain with the 49ers after the club tendered him shortly before the new league year. Mullens will stick as Jimmy Garoppolo's backup for at least the upcoming season.

The Cowboys' latest contract offer to Prescott would reportedly make him the highest-paid player in the NFL, but the two sides have so far been unable to agree on the length of the deal, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram.

The parameters currently being discussed would match the $35 million a season Russell Wilson is making. However, while the Cowboys want the contract to run for at least five years to give them more roster stability and spread out the salary cap hit, Prescott's camp is asking for a four-year deal, presumably on the assumption the market for his services is only going to become more favorable. With a July 15 deadline to get the QB under contract inching closer, expect the impasse to be broken sooner or later, although Jerry Jones has made a career out of waiting until the last minute to really ramp up negotiations. Until an agreement is reached, though, Prescott is choosing not to participate in the team's virtual offseason program.

Mahomes had his fifth-year option extended Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

There might not be a more obvious fifth-year extension in the history of the NFL than this one, with the unsurprising move keeping the Super Bowl MVP under contract with the Chiefs through the 2021 campaign. It seems entirely likely a historic multi-year contract is on the horizon, as GM Clark Hunt previously hinted that the team would focus on agreeing to a long-term extension with its star quarterback following the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Bengals are releasing Dalton on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Unable to find a trade, the Bengals finally relented and now will allow Dalton to become an unrestricted free agent. The move frees up $17.7 million in cap space for Cincinnati, while the 32-year-old quarterback figures to have limited options at this juncture of the offseason.

Winston (thumb) agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Saints on Tuesday.

The Saints and Winston have been finalizing the contract over the last few days, and the deal is now official with the passing of Monday's deadline for signings factoring into the 2021 compensatory pick formula. The departure of Teddy Bridgewater this offseason would appear to open up the backup job for Winston, but he instead likely will be in competition for the job with holdover Taysom Hill. Even with an injury to Drew Brees, Winston isn't guaranteed to immediately lead the offense as Bridgewater did last season. However, spending a year under the tutelage of Brees and Sean Payton should still prove beneficial after the 2015 first-overall pick led the NFL with 30 interceptions last year.

The Texans exercised Watson's fifth-year team option for 2021 on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Houston's decision to pick up the option was a foregone conclusion, given that Watson has already established himself as one of the league's top signal-callers through his first three seasons. The fifth-year option may just serve as a placeholder until the Texans are able to come to terms with Watson on a long-term deal that will likely make him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.