NFL Player News

Richardson (shoulder) is ahead of schedule in his rehab and hopes to resume throwing soon, ESPN.com's Stephen Holder reports.

It's not clear if his return to throwing is a matter of weeks or months away, but the 2023 fourth overall pick should be healthy long before training camp. Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2 and a Grade 3 AC Joint sprain in Week 5, with the latter leading to season-ending surgery Oct. 21. Richardson said he struggled to deal with the reality of a lost season for a few weeks, before he eventually "came around and understood [his] purpose" within the Colts organization. He then took part in the game-planning process, meetings and film study, settling for a slow introduction to the NFL after originally being tabbed as a 21-year-old Week 1 starter. Richardson's unmatched combination of size and speed -- along with the mostly impressive 2023 cameo -- should ensure he's a hot commodity in 2024 fantasy drafts and a top-100 pick in most leagues.

Levis (foot) will work with new Titans head coach Brian Callahan in 2024, ESPN.com reports.

Levis seemingly did enough as a rookie to enter Year 2 as a starter, though it's still up in the air if he's a franchise QB or more of a low-end starter/high-end backup. The Titans likely want to build their offense around the 2023 second-round pick, following a half-decade of run-first attacks centered on impending free agent Derrick Henry. That's not to say Henry is automatically done in Tennessee, though the fit would be questionable under a coach whose five seasons as offensive coordinator in Cincinnati (2019-23) saw the Bengals rank no higher than 17th in rush attempts and 23rd in rushing yards. Levis is no Joe Burrow, of course, but the addition of a passing-game-focused head coach at least suggests the Titans want to figure out what they have in the young QB rather than trying to hide him and rely on other parts of the roster. It remains to be seen if the team's ensuing offseason moves continue in that direction, with rumors already swirling that Callahan could try to bring WR Tee Higgins over from Cincinnati (Higgins might have other ideas). The foot/ankle injuries Levis dealt with late in 2023 should clear up by this spring.

Clifford completed one pass for 37 yards and had three carries for minus-2 yards over two appearances in the 2023 regular season.

Clifford spent his entire rookie season backing up Jordan Love, and he made brief appearances in both Weeks 1 and 17 and another in Green Bay's playoff opener. With Love perhaps receiving a lucrative extension over the offseason, Clifford is well-positioned to remain a cost-effective backup.

Keenum has one year remaining on his contract heading into the offseason. He completed 34 of 53 passes for 291 yards and one touchdown with three interceptions in two regular-season games during the 2023 season.

Keenum was locked in as the third-string quarterback when C.J. Stroud was healthy, but when Houston's No. 1 quarterback sat out in Weeks 15 and 16 due to a concussion, head coach DeMeco Ryans opted for Keenum over Davis Mills as the starter. Both backups are under contract for the upcoming season, but Keenum would carry a dead cap hit of just $1.5 million if he were to be released, meaning his roster spot is far from guaranteed.

Mills has one year remaining on his rookie contract entering the 2024 offseason. He completed 18 of 39 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns over six regular-season games in 2023.

Mills operated as the primary backup when C.J. Stroud was healthy and starting, but when the No. 1 quarterback couldn't go in Weeks 15 and 16 due to a concussion, the Texans used Case Keenum as their starter. Both backup QBs are under contract for 2024, although Keenum's cap hit would be minimal if he were to be released.

Allen finished the 2023 regular season with seven appearances, most of it coming in mop-up duty, and zero starts.

Mop-up duty may be selling Allen's role a bit strong, as he never attempted a pass and rushed for minus-13 yards. Given the amount of time that teammate Josh Allen has to play the role of Superman and his propensity for running the ball so frequently, it's a bit of a surprise that Kyle Allen wasn't needed for at least 1-to-2 starts. We'll see if the Bills bring him back for the No. 2 role again next season, where he'd potentially be given the keys to a fantasy luxury vehicle if his teammate were to miss any time. At the very least, it would save some extra tailoring work for the team equipment manager again.

The Texans signed Boyle to a reserve/future contract Monday.

Boyle landed in Houston last month with a practice-squad deal following his departure from the Jets. In three games (two starts) with New York in 2023, he completed 62.3 percent of his 77 pass attempts for 360 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, while absorbing nine sacks and fumbling twice. Boyle will look to make it to training camp with the Texans behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills.

Green Bay signed McGough to a reserve/future contract Monday.

McGough spent the entire season on the Packers' practice squad, but he'll get an opportunity to compete for a spot on their 53-man roster for 2024. He's still waiting to make his regular-season debut.

Lance didn't see the field for a single snap in 2023 while serving as the Cowboys' No. 3 quarterback.

Acquired from the 49ers in August, Lance spent the entire season as the emergency third QB as Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush both stayed healthy for the entire year. Lance still possesses the upside that made him the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he attempted only 102 passes in two seasons with San Francisco due to injuries, and there's no way to know how much the lack of action has caused his development to stagnate. The 23-year-old will likely head into 2024 competing for the No. 2 role with Rush.

Rush completed 18 of 24 passes for 144 yards and an interception over seven regular-season games in 2023.

While the Cowboys' penchant for early-season blowouts gave Rush plenty of garbage-time opportunities, the 30-year-old quarterback didn't get a start as Dak Prescott stayed healthy all year. Rush is under contract for one more season at a modest $2.25 million, and while his familiarity with the offense should ensure he returns to Dallas in 2024, he could face a challenge for the No. 2 role from Trey Lance.