NFL Player News
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Anthony Richardson QB | IND
Colts' Anthony Richardson: Competition arrives
Richardson (back) looks slated to spend the offseason in an open competition for the No. 1 quarterback spot with Daniel Jones, whom the Colts signed to a one-year contract Wednesday, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports.
General manager Chris Ballard has stated that Indianapolis will hold an open competition to determine a Week 1 starter for the 2025 campaign. That QB battle will take the form of Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, versus Jones, a 2019 first-rounder who started for New York until 2024, when he was benched and ultimately released. Richardson has struggled with both consistency and availability across two seasons in the NFL, having appeared in just four games as a rookie and 11 games in 2024, though he has displayed a higher potential ceiling than the more experienced Jones. Training camp and the preseason will prove pivotal for the careers of both Richardson and Jones, as the pair of signal-callers compete for one starting job.
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Gardner Minshew QB | KC
Gardner Minshew: Released with injury designation
The Raiders released Minshew (collarbone) on Wednesday with a failed physical designation, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
Minshew is still recovering from the season-ending broken collarbone he sustained Nov. 24. He may well need to wait until he's demonstrably healthy to find a new landing spot. The 28-year-old signal caller started nine of his 10 appearances with Las Vegas in 2024, completing 203 of 306 pass attempts (66.3 percent) for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Minshew may well have to settle for a backup gig as his next opportunity, though there are still teams around the league looking for stopgaps at the No. 1 quarterback spot.
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Mason Rudolph QB | PIT
Steelers' Mason Rudolph: Returning to Pittsburgh
Rudolph is signing a two-year contract with the Steelers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
The 2018 third-round pick will return to Pittsburgh after a one-year detour to Tennessee, where he went 1-4 as a starter while completing 64.0 percent of his passes for 6.7 YPA (with nine TDs and nine INTs on 228 pass attempts). Rudolph was better than Will Levis but subpar by pretty much any other standard, likely putting him in a backup role for 2025 unless things go horribly wrong for the Steelers over the next couple months. They're reportedly trying to sign Aaron Rodgers, and if that doesn't happen they may consider re-signing Russell Wilson or trading for Kirk Cousins. The initial report on Rudolph's contract has it at two years and $8 million, with $4.5 million guaranteed, putting him in the middle of the market for backup quarterbacks.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Aaron Rodgers: Released by Jets
The Jets released Rodgers on Wednesday, NFL.com's Nick Shook reports.
The long-expected move became official shortly after the start of the league year. Rodgers is now said to be deciding between signing with the Giants, Steelers or Vikings, although it isn't clear Minnesota has the same level of interest as the other two teams. The Jets, meanwhile are designating Rodgers as a post-June 1 cut, which means they'll carry a $21 million cap hit until that date, at which point the number drops to $14 million. They'll then take a $35 million dead-cap charge in 2026. The Jets are signing QB Justin Fields to replace Rodgers, and they also have Tyrod Taylor under contract through 2025.
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Mac Jones QB | SF
49ers' Mac Jones: Moving to Bay Area
Jones agreed Wednesday with the 49ers on a two-year, $7 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
San Francisco was reportedly interested in Jones ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, but the organization instead selected Trey Lance with the third overall pick, while Jones fell to New England at No. 15. However, the 49ers will now get a chance to work with Jones after the Alabama product mostly failed to live up to expectations during his first four campaigns in the NFL. Over 52 career appearances in the regular season, Jones has amassed a respectable 54:44 TD:INT, so he'll be one of the NFL's more capable backup options as he slots in on the depth chart behind Brock Purdy next season.
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Kyle Trask QB | TB
Buccaneers' Kyle Trask: Slated to back up Mayfield again
Trask and the Buccaneers agreed Wednesday on a one-year, $2.787 million contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Trask will spend his fifth straight NFL campaign with Tampa Bay after the organization selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 27-year-old has yet to see much action outside of the preseason, taking just 32 offensive snaps and completing four of 11 pass attempts for 28 yards over seven abbreviated appearances during the regular season. Trask is slated to serve as the backup to Baker Mayfield again in 2025.
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Daniel Jones QB | IND
Colts' Daniel Jones: One-year deal made official
Jones signed a one-year contract with the Colts on Wednesday, JJ Stankevitz of the team's official site reports.
Per Stephen Holder of ESPN.com, Jones' contract is guaranteed for $13.15 million and will be worth up to $14 million if he's active for all 17 regular-season games. The deal also contains up to $3.7 million in additional performance-based incentives. The stage is thus set for Jones -- the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft -- to compete with Anthony Richardson for the Colts' starting quarterback job throughout training camp and the preseason.
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Russell Wilson QB | NYG
Steelers' Russell Wilson: Visiting Cleveland
Wilson is expected to visit the Browns this week, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The report notes that Wilson is "still in the mix" to re-sign with Pittsburgh, although that likely depends in part on Aaron Rodgers choosing a different team. Justin Fields, meanwhile, is set to sign with the Jets, leaving the Steelers with limited options if they aren't able to work out a deal with Rodgers. As for Wilson, a move to Cleveland would put him in a rough situation in terms of the supporting cast, and there would also be risk of the team then drafting a rookie quarterback. Deshaun Watson may also be a factor at some point, but he won't be available at the beginning of the season, having undergone surgery in January after rupturing his Achilles tendon for a second time in less than three months.
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Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Staying in Washington
Mariota agreed Wednesday with the Commanders on a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Mariota's combination of experience, mobility and scheme familiarity makes him a sensible backup for Jayden Daniels, who didn't miss any games during his rookie season but left two contests early (once because of an injury, and once in Week 18). Mariota played well both times, throwing for multiple touchdowns and completing more than 75 percent of his passes without turning the ball over.
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Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Restructures deal
Mahomes agreed Wednesday with the Chiefs on a restructure of his contract, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports.
Mahomes and star defensive tackle Chris Jones both agreed to restructure their contracts Wednesday, freeing up a total of $49.4 million in cap space to help Kansas City maneuver in free agency. The team has already committed to a handful of key moves, including re-signing wideout Hollywood Brown to a one-year deal, placing the franchise tag on right guard Trey Smith and retaining linebacker Nick Bolton via a three-year contract. Mahomes remains signed through the 2031 season, and he'll enter the 2025 season with a reloaded supporting cast as the Chiefs work to bounce back from a disappointing 40-22 loss to the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.