NFL Player News
-
Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Seahawks' Sam Darnold: Limited Wednesday
Darnold (oblique) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic reports.
Darnold continues to operate with practice restrictions due to the left oblique injury he sustained just days before the Seahawks' playoff opener against the 49ers in the divisional round. Seattle didn't tag him with a designation after the first week of Super Bowl LX prep, and the quarterback himself told Brady Henderson of ESPN.com on Wednesday that he "feels really good. ... I'm always going to take it one step at a time, do my rehab and do everything I need to do to make sure it feels great going into practice and going into the game" Sunday against the Patriots. Darnold has two more chances to get back to full this week before the team will need to decide whether to list him as questionable for the final game of the campaign.
-
Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Bengals' Joe Flacco: Makes 10 starts during 2025 season
Flacco completed 251 of 416 passes for 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 13 regular-season games, including 10 starts, during the 2025 season.
Flacco opened the 2025 campaign as the Browns' Week 1 starter but led Cleveland to a 1-3 record and was benched following Week 4 after completing just 58.1 percent of his passes with a miserable 2:6 TD:INT. Flacco was then traded to the division-rival Bengals ahead of Week 6 after Joe Burrow suffered an early-season turf-toe injury. Flacco went on to make six starts for the Bengals and appeared in nine total games for Cincinnati, completing 61.7 percent of his throws with 13 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Flacco was actually fantasy's overall QB9 from Weeks 6 to 12 as the Bengals' starter. Now 41 years old, it's unclear if the free-agent-to-be is interested in continuing his playing career in 2026.
-
Andy Dalton QB | CAR
Panthers' Andy Dalton: Attempts 37 passes in 2025
Dalton completed 25 of 37 passes for 293 yards, one touchdown and one interception across four regular-season appearances during the 2025 season.
Dalton made one start in place of an injured Bryce Young in Week 8 against the Bills but guided the offense to just nine points in a 40-9 blowout loss. Dalton will turn 39 years old later this year and is under contract through the 2026 campaign at a reasonable $3.9 million salary. He should be back as Young's backup next season.
-
Malik Willis QB | GB
Packers' Malik Willis: Expected to depart in free agency
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Wednesday that the team expects Willis to depart in free agency and land with a team that, at minimum, will allow him to compete for a starting job, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
Willis will become an unrestricted free agent in March due to the expiration of his rookie contract. Given how well he played in relief of Jordan Love across his two seasons with the Packers, all expectations are that the 2022 third-round pick will be highly sought by quarterback-needy teams. Across 11 combined regular-season appearances between 2024 and 2025, Willis completed 70 of 89 pass attempts (78 percent) for 972 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. He also rushed 42 times for 261 yards and another three scores. Despite Willis' success and development in coach Matt LaFleur's offense, he will likely pursue greater opportunities with another franchise. As such, Willis stands as a high-upside, under-the-radar trade target, specially in dynasty fantasy formats and those that allow multiple starting quarterbacks.
-
Drake Maye QB | NE
Patriots' Drake Maye: Throws Monday, unconcerned about shoulder
Maye (shoulder) said he threw "a good bit" Monday and indicated that he "felt great," Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reports.
Maye was deemed questionable on last Friday's injury report due to both a right shoulder issue and an illness, though there have been no suggestions that the star quarterback is at any risk of missing Super Bowl LX this Sunday versus Seattle. He indicated Monday that he threw as much as he would in a typical practice and that he came out of the session with no concerns, emphasizing that he'll "be fine" for the title game. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels echoed that sentiment, saying that Maye won't have any limitations placed on him as a result of the shoulder issue, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston. Maye logged an LP/LP/DNP practice progression last week, but his absence Friday was attributed primarily to the illness he was dealing with. His participation level in practice this week will provide more insight into the extent (if any) that the shoulder issue will be managed.
-
Will Grier QB | DAL
Cowboys' Will Grier: Gets future deal with Dallas
The Cowboys signed Grier to a reserve/future contract Monday.
Grier spent the entire 2025 season on the Cowboys' practice squad after failing to beat out Joe Milton for the QB2 job behind Dak Prescott. Grier last saw regular-season action in 2019 with the Panthers (his rookie year), when he completed 28 of 52 passes for 228 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions in two games. He'll be on the Cowboys' 90-man roster when the offseason begins, which gives him the opportunity to participate in OTAs and minicamp.
-
Jake Haener QB | NO
Chiefs' Jake Haener: Inks future deal with KC
The Chiefs signed Haener to a reserve/future contract Monday, Matthew Paras of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Haener didn't take a single snap during the 2025 season while serving as the QB3 behind Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler (finger) in New Orleans. Haener -- a fourth-round selection of the Saints in the 2023 NFL Draft -- appeared in eight games (one start) in 2024, when he completed 18 of 39 pass attempts for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Now in Kansas City, Haener will have the opportunity to earn a reserve QB role behind Patrick Mahomes (knee).
-
Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Taking time to weigh playing future
Rams head coach Sean McVay said Monday that Stafford will take time this offseason to decide whether to return for the 2026 campaign, but the team is "hopeful" the veteran quarterback will decide to play an 18th season in the NFL, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.
McVay and GM Les Snead both signed contract extensions with Los Angeles on Monday, providing continuity for Stafford if he decides to return for the final year of his current deal with the team and play out next season. Top wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams also remain under contract for one more year. The 38-year-old signal-caller put together an MVP-caliber showing in 2025 despite nursing an aggravated disk in his back to enter the year, completing 388 of 597 pass attempts for 4,707 yards and a career-high 46 touchdowns, to go with just eight interceptions, while playing all 17 regular-season games. Per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register, McVay confirmed Stafford will not need any offseason procedures to address that back issue. Given the success the Rams found this season, culminating in a narrow 31-27 loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, it seems likely that Stafford will opt to run it back for at least one more year.
-
Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Seahawks' Sam Darnold: No designation
Darnold (oblique) doesn't have a designation for Super Bowl LX versus the Patriots on Sunday, Feb. 8, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.
Prior to both of Seattle's first two playoff games, Darnold was listed as questionable due to a left oblique injury but still suited up, combining for 470 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in those contests. He remained listed as limited on all three practice reports of this week, but he seemingly has a clean bill of health before the final contest of the campaign.
-
Drake Maye QB | NE
Patriots' Drake Maye: Listed as questionable
Maye (right shoulder/illness) is listed as questionable for Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks on Sunday, Feb. 8.
With one week of Super Bowl prep in the books, Maye capped it with a missed practice Friday due to an illness, which followed back-to-back limited listings due to a right shoulder injury. The second issue mostly has been downplayed by coach Mike Vrabel and Maye himself, but his status still bears watching now that he's dealing with multiple health concerns. The Patriots won't post another injury report until next Wednesday, at which point Maye's availability for the final game of the season could have more clarity.