NFL Player News
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Brandon Allen QB | TEN
49ers' Brandon Allen: Serves as No. 3 for SF
Allen did not appear in a game for San Francisco while operating as the team's third quarterback in 2023.
Allen sat behind Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold on San Francisco's QB depth chart for the entirety of the campaign. Allen was brought in as a veteran option after appearing in 15 games as a reserve over his previous four seasons in the league. Allen will be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, but he could be a candidate to re-sign as the 49ers' backup if Sam Darnold decides to walk in free agency.
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Sam Darnold QB | SEA
49ers' Sam Darnold: Solid as backup in 2023
Darnold completed 61 percent of his pass attempts for 297 yards, two touchdowns and one interception across 10 games (one start) with San Francisco in 2023.
Darnold spent the majority of the campaign backing up MVP candidate Brock Purdy, with the veteran's lone start coming in the last game of the regular season with many starters resting for the playoffs. The third overall pick from the 2018 Draft appeared to be more comfortable under center while playing in head coach Kyle Shanahan's system. Darnold's high draft pedigree and improved polish should produce several suitors for the unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Wins second MVP Award
Jackson was named the Most Valuable Player on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jackson was the favorite for the award since the Ravens downed Brock Purdy and the 49ers in Week 16 in decisive fashion. His overall resume was deserving of the honor as well, as Jackson tallied 29 total touchdowns while racking up career-best marks in passing yards (3,678) and yards per attempt (8.0). It was the second time that he's been named MVP of the league, with the first coming in 2019.
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year
Stroud was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
The result isn't all that surprising after Stroud posted a 23:5 TD:INT while averaging 8.2 yards per attempt in his rookie season. Perhaps even more impressive was the role he played in the Texans' seven-win improvement from the 2022 campaign. Stroud bested other impressive performances from rookies, including Bijan Robinson, Puka Nacua, Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Looking likely to stay in Tampa
New Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen said Tuesday that Mayfield is one of the reasons he chose the job in Tampa Bay, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Coen said his confidence in Mayfield re-signing is "higher than I probably need [it] to be" but also clarified that it's "probably more 'want' than 'know'." It sounds like the two are on the same page, at least to some extent, as Mayfield said Friday that he expected contract talks to pick up once the Bucs finalized a deal with Coen, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The former Rams offensive coordinator worked with Mayfield at the end of the 2022 season in Los Angeles, before returning to the college ranks in 2023 with Kentucky to resume calling plays. Coen will get his first shot as an NFL play-caller in 2024, and there's a good chance he'll be working with Mayfield -- a candidate for the franchise tag and/or a long-term contract this spring. WR Mike Evans is also scheduled for unrestricted free agency, with his future having a significant impact on Mayfield's fantasy value after the two connected 79 times for 1,255 yards and 13 TDs in 2023.
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Kyle Trask QB | TB
Buccaneers' Kyle Trask: Barely plays in '23
Trask saw action in only two games during the 2023 regular season, failing to complete his only pass attempt and netting minus-1 yard on his only rush attempt. He didn't appear in either of Tampa Bay's postseason games.
Trask and Baker Mayfield engaged in a training camp and preseason job battle in which the latter prevailed, and Mayfield then turned out to be an unqualified success as the Buccaneers' starting signal-caller. As a result of Mayfield's solid play and good health, Trask was a non-factor throughout the campaign and has now put up just 10 regular-season pass attempts in his first three NFL seasons. The Florida product did seem to show plenty of progress from his first two seasons during camp practices and exhibition action, but Trask is still unlikely to be handed the starting gig heading into 2024 even if Mayfield -- a pending free agent -- isn't re-signed.
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Joe Flacco QB | CIN
Browns' Joe Flacco: Intends to play in 2024
Flacco, who is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, plans to continue his NFL career in 2024, Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press reports.
Flacco will look to keep playing in what will be his age-40 season, though it's difficult to gauge what kind of opportunities he'll garner in free agency. The veteran signal-caller is coming off an impressive late-season run with the Browns in which he led the team to a 4-1 record across five starts, culminating in a wild-card round playoff exit to the Texans. Cleveland is likely to restore a healthy Deshaun Watson (shoulder) as its starter in 2024, but if the team has any concerns about Watson's health, re-signing Flacco could be a priority. If the Browns opt not to bring him back, however, Flacco's strong showing in 2023 ought to at least earn him a backup gig elsewhere in the league.
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Daniel Jones QB | IND
Giants' Daniel Jones: Viewed as team's starting QB
General manager Joe Schoen reiterated Tuesday that the Giants are planning for Jones (knee) to enter training camp as their starter, though Schoen noted that the team isn't ruling out selecting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reports.
Despite being rewarded with a four-year, $160 million contract extension last offseason, Jones failed to quell concerns that he's not the long-term answer at quarterback for the Giants. He completed 108 of 160 pass attempts (67.5 percent) for 909 yards (5.7 YPA), two touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 206 rushing yards and a touchdown on 40 carries in six games before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee and undergoing surgery Nov. 22. Given the timing of the procedure, Jones should be ready for the start of training camp in late July, but the Giants own the No. 6 overall pick in the draft, putting them in a solid position to select a signal-caller from what's regarded as a strong quarterback class. If the team elects to address needs elsewhere on the roster with the No. 6 pick, Jones would head into the upcoming season with much more job security.
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Drew Lock QB | SEA
Seahawks' Drew Lock: Solid in limited action
Lock completed 48 of 76 passes for 543 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions across four games in the 2023 season. He also rushed five times for 14 yards.
Lock started two games, finishing with a 1-1 record after a thrilling win over the Eagles in Week 15. The 27-year-old quarterback recorded 7.1 YPA while 10 of his 76 passes went for 20-plus yards. Lock certainly appears to be one of the top backups in the league, but his chances of being a starter in 2024 are slim, especially with a solid rookie quarterback class coming in. Nevertheless, he'll be a free agent in March and could seek a better chance to start elsewhere, as Geno Smith's contract all but guarantees he's the starter in Seattle to begin next season.
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Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: Shows poise in comeback playoff win
Purdy completed 20 of 31 pass attempts for 267 yards, a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's 34-31 win over Detroit in the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy put his athleticism on display with five rushing attempts for 48 yards, with his biggest scramble of 21 yards coming on third down in the fourth quarter to help San Francisco secure victory. He overcame an ugly pick in the first half to rally his team back from a 17-point deficit coming out of the half. The last pick in last year's draft has now produced two comeback victories in the playoffs to lift the 49ers to the Super Bowl. Purdy can continue disproving any remaining doubters with a win over the Chiefs on Sunday, Feb. 11 in the final game of the 2023 season.