NFL Player News

The Bills aren't planning on cutting Taylor (concussion) during the offseason, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Buffalo had considered getting rid of Taylor last offseason before he agreed to a restructured two-year contract, but that hardly gave the 28-year-old much job security heading into 2017. Another parting of ways seemed imminent after a healthy Taylor was benched in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman in the Week 11 game against the Chargers, though the veteran quickly recaptured the starting gig and helped lead the Bills to the postseason for the first time since 1999. Taylor's shortcomings as a passer were plainly visible in a wild-card round loss Jacksonville, wherein he completed 17 of 37 passes for 134 yards, no touchdowns and an interception before exiting on the final drive with a concussion, but there's something to be said about his mobility and ability to avoid turnovers, even though the latter often comes at the expense of big plays downfield. It's unknown if the Bills' current inclination to keep Taylor has more to do with the coaching staff coming around to recognize his strengths or a dissatisfaction with the quarterback options likely to be available via the draft or free agency, but for now, it sounds like Taylor's starting job could be safe, or at the very least he'll have a chance to fight for it. Taylor is owed a $10 million base salary for the coming season and is due a $6 million roster bonus March 16.

Siemian (shoulder) is expected to be available via trade, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Denver appears ready to move on from their 2015 seventh-round pick as they look to find a signal caller with higher upside to lead its offense. In fact, management is expected to "aggressively" address the quarterback position in free agency and the draft. It isn't clear how much demand Siemian could demand via trade or what teams might be interested, but he has a connection with an assistant coach on the quarterback-needy Jets in run-game coordinator and offensive line coach Rick Dennison, who was the Broncos offensive coordinator in 2016 when Siemian threw for his career-best 3,401 yards and 18 touchdowns in 14 games. With Brock Osweiler set to be an unrestricted free agent, the Broncos otherwise have Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly (wrist) under contract for 2018.

Driskel underwent surgery to repair the broken left arm he suffered in late December and isn't expected to miss time when the Bengals begin their offseason workout program in April, Jim Owczarski of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Driskel, the Bengals' No. 3 quarterback last season, suffered the injury to his non-throwing arm while taking reps at wide receiver in a practice and landing awkwardly on an attempted catch. Though Driskel's surgery required the insertion of a rod into his arm for stabilization, it doesn't sound like he'll face any restrictions by the time Organized Team Activities get underway. With an arbitration ruling granting AJ McCarron free agency status this spring and the signal caller not expected to re-sign with Cincinnati, Driskel could enter training camp as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart, barring the Bengals adding other experienced or NFL-ready options via trade, free agency or the draft.

Driskel is recovering from a broken left arm he sustained in the Bengals' last week of practice, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

There is no timetable for Driskel's recovery and it's far from certain he'll be ready in time for OTAs.

Garoppolo and the 49ers agreed Thursday on a five-year, $137.5 million contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

It was a foregone conclusion that San Francisco would extend Garoppolo to a long-term deal after he led the team to a 5-0 record as starter following his midseason acquisition from New England. Over his six appearances with the team, Garoppolo threw for seven touchdowns and five interceptions while averaging a robust 8.8 yards per attempt. Despite having only seven career starts to his name over his four NFL campaigns, Garoppolo's late-season success with the 49ers resulted in him being lavished with the largest contract in NFL history in terms of average annual salary ($27.5 million per year). The huge financial investment puts significant pressure on Garoppolo heading into 2018, but the quality numbers he was able to put up with a lackluster supporting cast offers optimism that his production will take another leap forward with the return of top wideout Pierre Garcon (neck) from injury, in addition to the likelihood that the 49ers add more weapons to the passing game via free agency, trade and/or the draft during the offseason.

Rodgers (collarbone) expects to be fully ready for offseason programs in April, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

This news was expected since Rodgers hasn't been held back during his personal workouts so far this offseason. Maybe even more importantly, he also felt well enough to play in the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am this past weekend. The 34-year-old will head into the 2018 season with two years remaining on his current contract.

Watson (knee) resumed running Monday, per his personal Twitter account.

Since the end of the regular season, head coach Bill O'Brien has stated multiple times that Watson is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn right ACL suffered in practice Nov. 2. Watson was handed a timetable of 8-to-9 months, which could allow for participation at the outset of training camp. He appears to be eyeing that as a goal, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com. "Training camp is a guarantee," Watson said last week on Sports Radio 610. "I am making sure I am ready for training camp for sure. ... The more reps I can get during OTAs, during the summer and during training camp is going to be very, very helpful, not just for me but for the whole team. OTAs is the main focus right now." Watson's rehab will continue to be a hot topic after a stellar rookie season in which he tossed for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns versus eight interceptions in seven games.

The Redskins haven't ruled out using the franchise tag on Cousins, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cousins is on the way out of Washington following Tuesday's trade for Alex Smith. Once the transaction is official at the start of the new league year March 14, Cousins will have free reign to determine his future, unless of course the Redskins attempt to leverage the situation into compensation via the use of the franchise tag. The team has a deadline of March 6 to use the tag on Cousins for a third consecutive year. On this occasion, the possibility of a trade could result in a decent haul for the Redskins, instead of waiting for potential draft-pick compensation in 2019. From Cousins' vantage point, he has until July 16 to sign the tag, which would throw a wrench into Washington's offseason plans. The fact the Redskins are even contemplating this route is a gamble, to say the least, but the Cousins' saga could extend beyond what was initially expected after the Smith acquisition.

Garoppolo and the 49ers have gained significant momentum in negotiations on a long-term contract extension and could strike a deal in the near future, a source informed Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

A long-term deal with the 49ers always seemed to be in store for Garoppolo after he was acquired from the Patriots prior to the trade deadline, and San Francisco's interest in extending him likely only intensified after the quarterback guided the team to a 5-0 record in his starts while completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,542 yards and six touchdowns. Per Rapoport, Garoppolo's new contract is expected to place him among the upper echelon of quarterbacks in terms of average annual salary. Garoppolo's eventual signing with the 49ers would mark the second major domino to fall among unsettled quarterback situations this offseason after the Redskins recently agreed to acquire Alex Smith from the Chiefs and sign Smith to a four-year, $94 million extension.

Taylor (concussion) said he would like to remain the quarterback of the Bills, but he will not accept another pay cut to do so. "Nah, that's not really part of the plan right now," Taylor told The Buffalo News on Friday. "Definitely not part of my mindset. I've done that before (last year, when he accepted a $10-million salary reduction over two seasons). I don't think there's a need to do that again. That's definitely not part of my mindset."

The big test of what the Bills aim to do will come in March, when Taylor will be due a $6 million roster bonus. Taylor says he hasn't spoken with the team since the Bills' final game of the season, a playoff loss at Jacksonville. He was a key part in taking the team to its first playoff appearance since the 1999 season, yet his limitations were also exposed at various points throughout the season. The Bills may be the NFL team with the most options for a starting quarterback next season, though the situation is entirely up in the air and elite play at the position seems to be a long way off for the franchise. Buffalo could roll with Taylor for another season, or turn to youngster Nathan Peterman -- who saw snaps in 2017 to very mixed results -- or make a bid at someone like Kirk Cousins on the free-agent market, or finally, use one of its two first-round picks on a potential immediate starter.