NFL Player News

General manager Ryan Pace reiterated Tuesday that the Bears are committed to Trubisky (shoulder) as their starting quarterback, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Bears may be committed to Trubisky for 2020, but Pace said the team hasn't decided on picking up the fifth-year contract option for 2021. The deadline for that decision is May 30, at which point the Bears expect Trubisky to be back on the field for spring practices. The 25-year-old quarterback is said to be making good progress in his recovery from January surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. A fifth-year option would cost approximately $24 million and would be guaranteed for injury only.

Beathard did not see the field while serving as the 49ers' third-string quarterback in 2019.

San Francisco -- in unorthodox fashion -- decided to keep three quarterbacks on its 53-man roster after the team was unable to trade backups Nick Mullens and Beathard during the preseason. This move showed the confidence the coaching staff has in the 26-year-old's abilities as a signal caller. Beathard's 57.3 completion percentage and 12:13 TD:INT ratio came in less-than-ideal conditions, but he has shown to have accuracy on shorter pass attempts with some athleticism as a runner when called upon. Both he and Mullens can be kept around on affordable contracts for 2020, so it will be interesting to see if the team decides to run with three quarterbacks again following a healthy season from starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Mullens only recorded three kneel downs in 2019.

Mullens won the backup role behind Jimmy Garoppolo after throwing for 2,277 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his absence in 2018. The latter returned from an ACL tear at full strength this season, which kept the former undrafted free agent on the bench for the team's run to the Super Bowl. Mullens will be an exclusive rights free agent this upcoming offseason, so it will be easy for San Francisco to keep the 24-year-old under contract for one more year as the backup if they so desire.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Wednesday that he intends to work with Mayfield on improving the quarterback's footwork during the offseason, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Coming off a deflating sophomore season in which issues with accuracy and decision-making overshadowed Mayfield's occasional splash plays, Cleveland's top offseason priority will be setting up the signal-caller up for better success in Year 3. Improved footwork technique could certainly assist in enhancing Mayfield's efficiency and mobility within the pocket, but the larger determining factor for any progress he makes in 2020 will hinge on how he adapts to the system implemented by Van Pelt and new head coach Kevin Stefanski. Of course, the 24-year-old will get the benefit of a full offseason to get acclimated with Cleveland's new coaching regime, and there will be plenty of reason for optimism about Mayfield's chances of bouncing back as he returns to a team rich in skill-position talent.

Bridgewater is expected to have a strong market for his services as an unrestricted free agent this spring, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

With Drew Brees coming back for another season and Taysom Hill still under contract, Bridgewater figures to leave New Orleans for a shot at a starting job. He won each of his five starts in 2019, completing 69.7 percent of passes for 7.3 yards per attempt in those games, with just nine sacks, two interceptions and no fumbles. The one negative for Bridgewater is a crowded market for free-agent QBs, including Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston.

General manager Bob Quinn said rumors about the Lions shopping Stafford (back/hip) are "100 percent false," Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The rumors mostly suggest Detroit would trade Stafford and then select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft. It sounds like a reasonable strategy in a vacuum, but Stafford's contract would force the team to absorb $32 million in dead money in the event of a trade or release, compared to a $21.3 million cap hit in 2020 if he stays with the team, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra. A trade would be a concession to an all-out rebuild, which wouldn't jibe with the Lions' aggressive approach to the 2019 offseason, nor would it align with the personal interests of Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia. The team's leadership presumably intends to build a stronger roster around Stafford, perhaps reassessing next offseason if it doesn't work out well in 2020. The 32-year-old quarterback said he'll be healthy before spring practices begin.

Winston (thumb) recently underwent LASIK surgery to improve his vision, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Winston has dealt with nearsightedness since his college days at Florida State, and question marks surrounding his vision resurfaced at the end of the 2019 season when coach Bruce Arians suggested the quarterback couldn't read the scoreboard. Whether at the behest of Tampa Bay's coaching staff or through his own discretion, Winston has now had the laser-assisted eye procedure with the hope it will help his overall performance. Winston, who became the first signal-caller in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions last season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

Dalton will have a say in trade negotiations this offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Expected to draft Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in April, the Bengals will first explore options for trading Dalton, who has started 133 regular-season games and four playoff contests through nine seasons. The Bengals intend to find a trade that the 32-year-old approves of, hoping for a cordial exit for their longtime starting quarterback. Should nothing materialize, the Bengals can release Dalton without incurring any dead money, freeing up $17.7 million in 2020 cap space in the process, per OvertheCap.com. The veteran signal-caller would then become an unrestricted free agent.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco implied Taylor and Easton Stick could have a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job in 2020, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

Telesco didn't really get into details, merely mentioning that the team likes its internal options. With Philip Rivers set to sign elsewhere, the Chargers have often been mentioned as a sensible destination for Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert, a probable first-round pick who recently was named Senior Bowl MVP. Taylor is under contract through 2020, while Stick -- a 2019 fifth-round selection -- is signed through 2022.

Garoppolo completed 20 of 31 pass attempts for 219 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions during Sunday's 31-20 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs.

Garoppolo's two interceptions will rightfully overshadow an otherwise-solid Super Bowl performance, particularly his first turnover: a questionably floated pass early in the second quarter which sailed into the waiting arms of Bashaud Breeland. To the 28-year-old's credit, he rebounded to lead the 49ers down the field that same quarter, capping the drive with a 15-yard touchdown to Kyle Juszczyk. Down by four points with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, however, Garoppolo overshot an open Emmanuel Sanders for what would have likely resulted in a go-ahead score -- instead, Frank Clark sacked the signal-caller on the next play for a turnover on downs which set up a Chiefs touchdown. His final interception, a desperation deep shot while facing an 11-point deficit, ultimately sealed the loss for San Francisco. Though the unfortunate taste of mistakes made on the big stage will linger heading into the offseason, there's plenty of reason for optimism that Garoppolo will take another step forward with the 49ers' offense come 2020. He has three years remaining on his contract and will benefit from being another year removed from the ACL injury that ended his 2018 season.