NFL Player News

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.

Mahomes completed 26 of 42 passes for 286 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions during the Chiefs' 31-20 win over the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday. He also rushed nine times for 29 yards and another score and fumbled twice, but neither was lost.

It was far from easy, but Mahomes managed to overcome yet more postseason struggles to help the Chiefs notch their third consecutive comeback win. His performance, while at times rocky, was enough to make him the youngest quarterback to secure Super Bowl MVP honors, and Kansas City also became the first team in NFL history to manage three consecutive comeback victories in the postseason. Mahomes made poor throws on both of his interceptions, each coming on a pass attempt to Tyreek Hill. The 24-year-old ultimately made up for his mistakes when it mattered most, however, leading a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives that culminated in one- and five-yard touchdown passes to Travis Kelce and Damien Williams, respectively, allowing the Chiefs to overcome a 10-point deficit in the process. The fantastic finish was a fitting cap on another spectacular campaign for the 2018 NFL MVP, one during which he threw for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns across 14 games. A record-breaking extension is naturally on the horizon for Mahomes, who's slated to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2020.

Jackson was named the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player on Saturday.

Jackson was the runaway choice for league MVP, as he put together a fabulous sophomore season to lead the Ravens to a league-best 14-2 record. While things didn't go his way in the postseason, the electrifying athlete proved to be elite as both a passer and a runner, posting a 36:6 TD:INT through the air while setting a new record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,206 and adding seven touchdowns on the ground.

Tannehill won the Comeback Player of the Year award Saturday.

Tannehill earned the honors by leading the Titans to a 7-3 record after taking over as the starting quarterback and adding wins over the Patriots and Ravens in the playoffs before finally falling to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. That's quite the comeback story for a guy who was so bad in 2018 that even the Dolphins wanted to get rid of him, ultimately agreeing to an offseason trade with Tennessee rather than cutting Tannehill outright. Tannehill will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the Titans will likely do everything in their power to keep him around.