NFL Player News

Jones is focused on reducing his fumbles and gaining strength, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Jones spent part of the offseason with his college coach, David Cutliffe, who is well known for working with both Peyton and Eli Manning. Cutliffe believes quarterbacks who can't maintain focus downfield under pressure are lost causes, whereas Jones lands on the other end of the spectrum, perhaps too eager to make big plays. The 23-year-old had an NFL-high 18 fumbles last year, sporting the ninth-highest sack rate (7.6 percent) while tying Ryan Fitzpatrick for the most hits taken (66) on pass plays. Jones reportedly is up near 230 pounds after being listed at 221 last season, but Cutliffe believes the more important factor for ball security will be an improvement in pocket movement. The offense surrounding Jones looks much the same as last season's, but with first-round pick Andrew Thomas stepping in at right tackle and new head coach Joe Judge bringing in Jason Garrett to run the offense. Jones showed potential as a rookie, with 24 passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in 12 starts.

Coach Matt Nagy said Monday that Trubisky (shoulder) has been "really, really good in the fact that he's taken this [competition] head-on," Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Nagy has previously stated that the team's Week 1 starter will be determined in an open competition between Trubisky and Nick Foles, whom the team acquired for a fourth-round pick in a trade with Jacksonville in April. The Bears then declined to pick up Trubisky's fifth-year option, a hint that Foles is viewed internally as the frontrunner to beat out Trubisky in training camp and the preseason. The 25-year-old demonstrated a career-low 6.1 yards per pass attempt last season while leading one of the least potent offenses in the league. He's also recovering from January surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.

Prescott has been in contact with new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy even though he has yet to sign his franchise tag offer or agree to a contract extension, Jonny Auping of DallasCowboys.com reports. "There has been communication," McCarthy confirmed. "This is the way these business situations go sometimes and [I] respect that. I have confidence that it will work out."

Under normal circumstances, Prescott being in contract limbo would have prevented him from participating in on-field activities with his teammates, but at the moment all he's missing are some virtual meetings. The fact that he's stayed in touch with McCarthy suggests the quarterback won't be behind in understanding any new wrinkles being added to the offensive scheme once in-person team activities are allowed to ramp up. Prescott and the Cowboys have until July 15 to work out an extension, a move that would free up additional cap space for the team -- otherwise he'll play out the 2020 season under the franchise tag at a salary of $31.4 million.

Lock recently met with a few teammates for a throwing session, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Lock had been riding the pandemic out with family in Missouri before recently returning to Denver. Renck did not report which members of Denver's receiving corps participated in the session, but any increased familiarity with his targets will be good for Lock heading into Year 2. The sophomore passer had some impressive moments during his 4-1 run as a starter and it's fair to wonder if he could have performed even better had he not missed a chunk of the preseason and two-third of the regular season with a thumb injury. The Broncos are installing a new offensive scheme and will have a lot of new faces on offense, so every little bit should help with organized team activities presently limited to online meetings.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson suggested Tuesday that while Sudfeld will have to compete for the team's backup quarterback job, he expects the 26-year-old to beat out rookie Jalen Hurts for the No. 2 job behind starter Carson Wentz, Matt Mullin of PhillyVoice.com reports. "Football teams are going to have to rely on their veteran players, and Nate is one of those guys for us. I have a ton of confidence in Nate to become the backup quarterback," Pederson said. "Nothing is ever handed to anybody, and we always try to create competition at every position, and quarterback is not exempt from that. But I fully expect Nate to come in and be aggressive and do the things that he's capable of doing and become the backup to Carson."

Sudfeld made appearances in only three regular-season games through his first three years in the organization, completing 20 of 25 attempts for 156 yards and one touchdown. He dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart in 2019 after the Eagles signed veteran Josh McCown last August, but he'll head into training camp second in the pecking order after McCown wasn't re-signed. While the Eagles clearly have big plans for Hurts after nabbing him with the No. 53 overall pick in April's draft, the abbreviated offseason due to the coronavirus pandemic works against the Oklahoma product's chances of capturing a notable role in 2020, at least as a traditional pocket passer. Hurts could still see occasional snaps as a gadget player or Wildcat quarterback, but Sudfeld's prior familiarity with the Eagles' system and competent play when called upon in the past gives him a major leg up in the battle for the backup gig.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Tuesday that while Hurts will have the opportunity to compete for the No. 2 quarterback job, the rookie is likely to begin the season behind both Carson Wentz and Nate Sudfeld on the depth chart, Matt Mullin of PhillyVoice.com reports. "Football teams are going to have to rely on their veteran players, and Nate is one of those guys for us. I have a ton of confidence in Nate to become the backup quarterback," Pederson said. "Nothing is ever handed to anybody, and we always try to create competition at every position, and quarterback is not exempt from that. But I fully expect Nate to come in and be aggressive and do the things that he's capable of doing and become the backup to Carson."

Though the Eagles used the 53rd overall pick in April's draft on Hurts, that investment alone won't give the rookie the leg up in the job battle with Sudfeld, who is entering his fourth year in the Eagles' system. The shortened offseason in light of the coronavirus pandemic will only make it more difficult for Hurts to gain familiarity with Pederson's offensive scheme, so his first year in the NFL could be more of a developmental one, at least from the perspective of a traditional quarterback. Hurts' skills as a runner may still allow him to see occasional snaps as a gadget player or Wildcat quarterback, but in the event of a Wentz injury, Sudfeld looks to be the next man up under center.

Stafford relayed Thursday that he has fully recovered from the back and hip issues that plagued him in 2019, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

General manager Bob Quinn indicated in mid-April that Stafford would have been a full participant had the Lions begun their offseason program at that time, so it's not exactly a shock that Stafford is doing well. He's also been working with a number of his young pass catchers recently, which could pay dividends given the potential for a truncated offseason. He finished 2019 with a 19:5 TD:INT ratio and 2,499 passing yards over eight games, which would have put him on pace to near career-high tallies in both passing yards (5,038) and touchdown passes (41). He returns most of his pass-catching weapons from a season ago and gained a trio of rookie weapons in D'Andre Swift, Quintez Cephus and Jason Huntley.

Smith agreed to a one-year contract with the Seahawks on Thursday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Smith rejoins the team that employed him as a backup last season, though the assignment resulted in no snaps during the 2019 regular season. He should presumably return to that role, though undrafted rookie Anthony Gordon may also get a look in training camp.

Wolford is the current favorite for the Rams' No. 2 quarterback job, Jourdan Rodrigue and Rich Hammond of The Athletic report.

The 24-year-old joined the Rams last April after the now-defunct AAF ceased operations, but he never made it to the active roster and signed a reserve/future contract with Los Angeles after the season. Jared Goff remains the starter, but the only other quarterbacks currently on the roster are undrafted rookies Josh Love and Bryce Perkins after previous backup Blake Bortles hit free agency. Wolford has yet to make his NFL debut, but he should enter training camp as the team's No. 2 quarterback, barring the Rams reuniting with Bortles or adding another veteran signal-caller.

Tagovailoa signed his rookie contract with the Dolphins on Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The No. 5 overall selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa is now officially under contract in Miami for at least the next four years, with a fifth-year option built in. His deal is worth a guaranteed $30.3 million with a signing bonus of $19.6 million. The former Alabama star's outstanding accuracy and decision making, in addition to his tangible athleticism, will lend him difference-making upside under center when healthy. However, having undergone procedures on a dislocated hip and both ankles in college, it remains to be seen whether Tagovailoa will return to pre-surgery form by Week 1. In the event that any questions about the rookie's development or recovery linger into the regular season, he'll have the benefit of learning behind an experienced quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick.