NFL Player News

Levis (foot) will enter the 2024 NFL season with new skill-position talent, headlined by Calvin Ridley being slated to join the Titans on a four-year, $92 million contract, and by Derrick Henry set to be replaced by Tony Pollard in the backfield, Turron Davenport of ESPN reports.

Tennessee adding a hopeful true No. 1 wideout in Ridley is arguably just as impactful as Henry's tenure as the franchise face finally coming to an end. Ridley joins veteran DeAndre Hopkins, giving Levis two proven pass-catchers who both surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in 2023, allowing Treylon Burks to slide down to the No. 3 role and benefit from lesser defensive coverage. On paper, Levis now looks set to benefit from one of the best three-receiver groups in the league, while the recently re-signed Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is a capable fourth man. Pollard, meanwhile, isn't nearly the between-the-tackles bruiser that Henry was, but he brings true three-down versatility and a skillset that's more interchangeable with second-year pro Tyjae Spears, allowing the Titans to swap both backs out freely without hinting at any specific playcall. Levis said in February at Super Bowl LVIII that he was already "close" to healthy, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official site.

Burrow (wrist) is slated to enter the 2024 season with a revamped skill-position group, with Joe Mixon set to be traded to the Texans, Zack Moss inking a two-year deal as his replacement, and numerous shifts in the receiving game, Ben Baby of ESPN reports.

Burrow will have to cope with more than just a new-look backfield, though it remains to be seen whether Moss can adequately fill Mixon's shoes, even after he proved so productive filling in for Jonathan Taylor at the start of last season. Tyler Boyd is currently a free agent, while explosive tight end Mike Gesicki is poised to ink a one-year deal with the Bengals, giving Burrow a replacement target in the middle of the field. Perhaps most important, though, is the fact that Tee Higgins has requested a trade, as Jared Goffinet of Fox 19 Cincinnati reports. That situation may not resolve in the near future, and further changes on offense could still occur in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, but in any scenario, Ja'Marr Chase will remain the pillar of this receiving game. For his part, Burrow is expected to be cleared for full contact by mid-May, as he continues his recovery from Nov. 27 surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

Love is set to enter the 2024 season with a new-look backfield led by Josh Jacobs, who is slated to sign a four-year contract worth up to $48 million with the Packers, while Aaron Jones is moving on to Minnesota on a one-year contract, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Green Bay replacing Jones with Jacobs isn't the only piece of notable backfield news, as AJ Dillon is currently a free agent and the team's only depth now consists of Emanuel Wilson and Ellis Merriweather. Jacobs is coming off a down season, with just 805 yards on 233 carries (six touchdowns), but he's only one year removed from having led the NFL with 1,653 yards rushing on 340 carries (12 scores). Perhaps most importantly, Jacobs does boast a true three-down skillset, making him an ideal fit for coach Matt LaFleur's scheme, and providing Love with a reliable bailout option and target in the short field. Jacobs has two seasons with 50-plus catches under his belt, and he's a perfect match for the play-action game in Green Bay.

Young appears primed to benefit from improved surroundings on offense Year 2, with the Panthers adding names like wide receiver Diontae Johnson and guard Robert Hunt in free agency, David Newton of ESPN reports.

Young is coming off a completely forgettable rookie campaign, having completed just 315 of 527 pass attempts for 2,877 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions across 16 regular-season games. He surpassed 200 yards in just five of those contests. A real part of the blame must fall on Carolina's mediocre offensive personnel and scheme, and things already appear to be improving under new head coach Dave Canales. Trading for Diontae Johnson provides Young with a versatile and trustworthy No. 1 target, after a rookie year in which his only reliable wideout was a 33-year-old Adam Thielen. Inking Hunt to a massive-five year deal ought to provide Young, who was second in the league last season with 62 sacks, with more reliable protection for the foreseeable future, and the signing of Damien Lewis to a four-year deal locks up both guard positions. Expect the Panthers to do more to help Young in April's draft, where they will first pick in the second round at No. 33 overall.

Cousins (Achilles) said Wednesday during his introductory news conference with the Falcons that he's "optimistic to be full speed at practice" by the end of the offseason program in June, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Considering Cousins suffered a torn right Achilles' tendon Oct. 29 during a Week 8 win at Green Bay, he may be hard-pressed to be completely healthy once Atlanta completes mandatory minicamp. More realistically, he'll be able to handle most of the first-team reps during training camp and even get some run in the preseason as he transitions to the third team of his career. When he's healthy, Cousins will have ample skill talent at his disposal in the form of running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, wideout Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. All four players have exactly one campaign with at least 900 yards from scrimmage, which should help Cousins dabble with 4,000-plus passing yards like he did seven times in eight seasons from 2015 through 2022.

Flacco agreed to terms Wednesday with the Colts on a one-year contract worth up to $8.7 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Flacco's deal reportedly includes $4.5 million guaranteed. The reigning NFL Comeback Player of the Year is coming off an impressive showing with Cleveland last season, and he's now slated to replace Gardner Minshew as the top backup to second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder). All expectations in Indianapolis are that Richardson will be ready for training camp and fully cleared well ahead of Week 1, but Flacco makes for a capable backup should he be required to take the field during the 2024 season. Even if Richardson maintains health all season, Flacco should at least make for a valuable mentor for the young signal-caller.

Rudolph agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Titans on Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

In Tennessee, Rudolph should be the favorite to open the 2024 season as the Titans' No. 2 quarterback over Malik Willis, given the former's solid showing with Pittsburgh late in the 2023 campaign. The Titans are likely to give second-year signal-caller Will Levis (foot) every chance to prove he's the franchise long-term answer under center, but Rudolph at least represents an experienced insurance policy behind the young quarterback. Rudolph led the Steelers to three consecutive wins to close out the regular season, before the team suffered a wild-card playoff loss at the hands of Buffalo.

The Raiders released Garoppolo (suspension) on Wednesday.

Per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com, Las Vegas also cut Hunter Renfrow, with the moves set to save the Raiders more than $19 million against their salary cap. Garoppolo thus is free to sign with another team, but wherever he lands, the veteran quarterback will be forced to sit out the first two games of the 2024 season due to a suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy. With Garoppolo no longer in the mix for Las Vegas, Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew now sit atop the depth chart at quarterback.

Rypien agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Bears on Wednesday, pending a physical, Larry Mayer of the team's official site reports.

Rypien has made four starts and appeared in 10 games over the past four seasons, split between the Broncos and Rams. He has a 4:9 career TD:INT and will likely compete with Tyson Bagent for the backup role, be it behind Justin Fields or a rookie quarterback from the 2024 NFL Draft.

DeVito will face competition from free-agent pickup Drew Lock for the top backup job behind starting quarterback Daniel Jones (knee) in 2024, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

According to Brady Henderson of ESPN.com, Lock is receiving a one-year, $5 million deal, an investment that likely signals that the Giants are counting on him to win the No. 2 role over DeVito, a 2023 undrafted free agent. As a rookie last season, DeVito enjoyed a brief stretch in the spotlight following Jones' season-ending ACL tear, but he was replaced by a healthy Tyrod Taylor under center to close out the campaign. As it stands, DeVito could compete with Lock for the No. 2 role this offseason, but it's also possible the Giants add another name to the quarterback room in April's draft, where they hold the No. 6 overall pick.