NFL Player News

Richardson (shoulder) has resumed throwing at spring practices and looks to be healthy.

Head coach Shane Steichen said in March that he expected Richardson to be ready for OTAs in May and June. Steichen's prediction looks to be coming to fruition, though the quarterback won't necessarily be a full participant in all activities coming off surgery on his throwing shoulder in October. He resumed throwing in February and is the unquestioned starting quarterback for an offense that just added wideout Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Following the 2024 NFL Draft, Stidham is joined in the Broncos' QB room by newcomer Zach Wilson, along with No. 12 overall pick Bo Nix, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

After the Broncos released Russell Wilson last month, it was inevitable that they would add QB depth to join Stidham, who started Denver's final two contests last season. While Nix is no doubt being groomed as the team's future starter, it remains to be seen if he'll step into that role immediately. Until then, Stidham and Wilson will presumably both have an opportunity to compete for the No. 1 role, but neither veteran signal-caller profiles as a high-value fantasy option in either re-draft or dynasty formats.

O'Connell remains in position to compete with Gardner Minshew for the starting job this offseason, after the Raiders refrained from selecting a rookie quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.

Las Vegas was an oft-theorized candidate to add a QB in April's draft, but six signal-callers ultimately went off the board before the team's first-round selection at No. 13 overall, which became playmaking tight end Brock Bowers. The team invested second- and third-round selections in offensive linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and Delmar Glaze, putting whoever wins the 2024 starting gig in a better position for success. O'Connell completed 213 of 343 pass attempts for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions across 10 starts last season, which is solid rookie numbers for a fourth-round pick, but Minshew boasts enough experience that this offseason should play out as a true competition.

Minshew remains poised to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job this offseason, with the Raiders not having added to the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.

Minshew joined Las Vegas early in free agency back in March, and while it looked like the team was a candidate to add a rookie via April's draft, six quarterbacks came off the board before the Raiders' first-round selection of tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall. Las Vegas also boosted the O-line with premium picks, selecting second-round guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and third-round tackle Delmar Glaze, so whichever of Minshew or O'Connell ultimately wins the starting role looks to be in a notably better position to succeed.

The Jaguars officially exercised Lawrence's fifth-year option Monday.

Lawrence and fellow 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne both had their fifth-year options officially picked up Monday, moves GM Trent Baalke alluded to Saturday. Lawrence is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, and Jacksonville had made moves to fill the void left by offseason departure Calvin Ridley by signing Gabe Davis and drafting rookie Brian Thomas 23rd overall. The Jaguars will continue working toward a long-term deal with Lawrence, but in the meantime he now remains under contract through 2025.

Hardison (elbow) is slated to sign with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Hardison's final collegiate season was cut short after he underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in November, but he was already throwing at his pro day in March. It's unclear when he'll be back to full health, but he'll compete for a roster spot with the Dolphins during offseason activities.

The Vikings could begin the season with Darnold as the team's starting quarterback despite taking J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, ESPN reports. "We're not going to rush his development," said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. "We're just going to do what's best for the Vikings in the short and long term."

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings as a short-term veteran starter or backup. It's hard to handicap when McCarthy may take over the starting job this soon after the draft, but it's notable the Vikings are trying to reduce expectations. Expect the quarterback battle for the Week 1 starting job to commence this summer. Still, odds are Darnold will only be the starter for a few weeks at most if McCarthy is healthy and making progress.

The Raiders signed Bradley as an undrafted free agent Saturday.

Bradley has good size at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds and spent the final two years of his college career at South Alabama following four years in Toledo's program. He threw for 5,996 yards at South Alabama, amassing 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. In Las Vegas, Bradley slides in at the bottom of the depth chart behind Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Anthony Brown.

Hartman is slated to sign with the Commanders as an undrafted free agent, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Following five years at Wake Forest where he set ACC records, Hartman transferred to Notre Dame for his super-senior season in an effort to prove himself in a pro-style offense. Hartman finished 2024 with a 63.5 percent completion rate for 2,689 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He was unable to replicate his prolific numbers from the previous two years and ultimately didn't hear his name called during the NFL Draft. Standing 6-foot-1 and 211 pounds, Hartman has an average arm but plenty of game experience. He joins a Washington quarterback room that includes No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and veterans Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel and Jake Fromm.

GM Trent Baalke said Saturday that the Jaguars will exercise the fifth-year option on Lawrence's rookie contract, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

Teams need to make such decisions for 2021 first-round picks by Thursday, and Jacksonville intends to exercise those options for both Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne. Lawrence will be working with a familiar backfield of Etienne and Tank Bigsby in 2024, but his receiving corps has been jostled a bit, with WR Calvin Ridley departing for the AFC South rival Titans and rookie second-rounder Brian Thomas and free-agent pickup Gabe Davis replacing him. While Lawrence has tossed for 4,000-plus yards in back-to-back campaigns, he has yet to reach 30 touchdowns through the air in any of his three seasons as a pro.