NFL Player News

General manager Brandon Beane confirmed this week that the shoulder injury that sidelined Allen for four games during his rookie season has completely healed and should not have any impact on the quarterback's offseason work, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports.

Allen validated his health by concluding the season with a bang, throwing for three scores while running in another two in a big win over the Dolphins, taking home AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in the process. While the big-armed Allen certainly had his ups and downs, he'll enter his second season with plenty of fantasy promise based on his ability to churn out yardage and scores on the ground. His accuracy still needs some work and may always be an issue, and the Bills would benefit by getting more offensive talent around him. Even with only modest offseason personnel changes, however, Allen's dual-threat abilities -- he rushed for 631 yards and eight scores this season -- would be enough to make him an intriguing option for next season.

Peterman signed a reserve/future contract with the Raiders on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Peterman's struggles with the Bills over the last two years have been well-documented with just three touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions in eight games. Josh Allen is the clear future for Buffalo and Matt Barkley will be a serviceable backup, so the Bills cut Peterman in November. According to Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, coach Jon Gruden likes Peterman's athleticism and sees a chance to reinvent him. "Hopefully, we can take him into the offseason program. See if we can restart him and get him going," Gruden said. Peterman will battle AJ McCarron to be Derek Carr's backup in 2019.

Rudolph was inactive for Pittsburgh's 16-13 win over Cincinnati in Week 17.

Drafted as the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger, Rudolph finished his rookie season without ever taking a snap. He has three years remaining on his current contract and will compete with Josh Dobbs for the backup quarterback job in 2019.

Dobbs did not play in Sunday's 16-13 win over Cincinnati.

After watching from the sideline his rookie season, Dobbs played in five games in 2018, taking a total of 30 snaps. He finished completing five of 12 passes for 43 yards with one interception. His passer rating of 24.0 was the worst in the league of anyone attempting 10 or more passes. Dobbs has two years remaining on his current contract but may again find himself in a battle with Mason Rudolph for the backup quarterback job heading into next season.

Garoppolo relayed Monday that his rehabilitation from a torn ACL in his left knee is going well, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. "It feels good," Garoppolo said. "Obviously there are some things that we're limited with. The side-to-side lateral stuff is still questionable but I'm happy where I'm at now."

Garoppolo managed just three appearances before suffering the serious knee injury near the conclusion of a Week 3 loss at Kansas City on Sept. 23, forcing him to injured reserve on Sept. 26 and thrusting him into recovery mode after surgery on Oct. 3. He didn't need any crutches whatsoever by Nov. 21, when he viewed practice as a spectator, and was able to take in games from the sideline for the final month-plus of the regular season. If his eight starts with the 49ers is extrapolated over 16 games, his line reads 4,520 yards, 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions on 64.5 percent passing, which translates to a 92.7 quarterback rating. Improved personnel at the skill positions and more familiarity with the weapons around him will help Garoppolo's development, which he expects to continue at some point during OTAs in May and June.

Boyle spent all of 2018 on the Packers' roster but did not suit up for a game.

An impressive preseason earned Boyle, an undrafted free agent, a spot on the Packers' 53-man roster, but he was never activated for a regular-season game with fellow quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and DeShone Kizer suiting up for all 16 contests. Kizer did not show a lot in the two games he saw extended action in, so Boyle could give him a run for his money in 2019.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said Winston will be back with the team in 2019, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Winston finished out his fourth NFL season in good health, allowing the Bucs to drop the fifth-year option on his contract if they'd rather have an extra $20.9 million in cap space. He may not have played well enough to warrant a long-term extension, but it's hard to see how the team would find an upgrade for 2019. Licht is probably hoping to pair Winston with a draft pick, as 36-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and should be able to find high-end backup money from another team. Licht will need to outline his plan at quarterback in order to attract a desirable replacement for fired head coach Dirk Koetter. The team has no shortage of playmakers on offense, with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate all signed through at least 2020, while DeSean Jackson likely will be released and slot receiver Adam Humphries can become an unrestricted free agent in March.

A spine doctor told Mariota (neck/foot) he shouldn't play in Sunday's game against the Colts, Paul Kuharsky of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.

Mariota suffered a stinger on the right side of his neck the previous week, leading to numbness and tingling in his throwing arm for a third time this season. He dealt with similar symptoms in September and then again in November, though the first time it was reported as an elbow injury rather than any problem with his neck. Mariota likely will require additional medical evaluation during the offseason, not to mention a prolonged period of rest. His fifth-year option for 2019 is guaranteed for injury only, but the Titans likely will keep him under contract even if he gains medical clearance before the start of the league year in March. It's unclear if the neck injuries are a short-term problem or something he will always be susceptible to.

Coach Jon Gruden suggested Carr will return as the Raiders' starting quarterback in 2019, Jerry McDonald of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "Look, you throw for 4,000 yards in the NFL with what [Carr]'s been through, it's quite a year, quite a year indeed," Gruden said Sunday. "A new system, young tackles, inside three guards are all gone, receivers are coming and going. A new feature back. He did some really good things to build upon. We need to get better around him and I've got to get better myself."

Carr finished 2018 with career-high marks in an odd assortment of categories, including completion percentage (68.9), passing yards (4,049), yards per attempt (7.3), sacks (51) and lost fumbles (seven). It didn't add up to much value in the fantasy universe, as he accounted for a career-low 20 touchdowns in an offense that scored just 27 times on the whole. Carr seemingly did enough to buy himself another season as the starter, but it isn't out of the question that general manager Mike Mayock might convince Gruden to take a closer look. Oakland owns the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, with two additional selections late in the first round. The team should at least take a close look at the available quarterbacks, though its early picks are more likely to be used on putting better players around Carr. The Raiders also figure to prioritize 31-year-old tight end Jared Cook, who just produced career-high numbers across the board in the second season of a two-year contract.

Gabbert completed 18 of 29 pass attempts for 165 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions in Sunday's 33-17 loss to the Colts.

The Titans asked Gabbert to save their season with Marcus Mariota (elbow) unable to play, but the veteran backup was stifled by the Colts' underrated defense. The 29-year-old spent most of the night hitting his check-down options, which shouldn't come as a surprise given his "game-manager" style. When he was asked to bring the team back from behind, that's when things got ugly. One of his interceptions was especially poor, as it was nowhere near his intended target and hit a Colt defender in the chest. Gabbert definitely looked like a backup in this one, and that is likely to be his ceiling next season.