NFL Player News

Mullens looks set to work as the top backup in 2024 to Sam Darnold, who agreed to a one-year deal with Minnesota on Monday, Christian Gonzales of NFL.com reports.

With Kirk Cousins (Achilles) moving on to the Falcons, Mullens and 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall are currently the Vikings' only options at quarterback behind Darnold, though the team could further bolster the position in free agency or through the 2024 NFL Draft. Now heading into the final year of his contact and having spent the last two seasons as a backup for Minnesota, Mullens could be cut with the Vikings taking on only $375,000 in dead money, but the team may see value in a veteran quarterback who's already familiar with the present offensive scheme.

Jackson is getting help in the backfield via Derrick Henry, with whom the Ravens agreed to terms on a two-year, $16 million contract Tuesday, Grant Gordon of NFL.com reports.

Jackson will form one of the league's most dangerous backfield tandems by allying with the 30-year-old, two-time rushing champion who spent the last eight seasons in Tennessee and could now finally give Baltimore a sledgehammer in the rushing game to complement the reigning MVP's elusiveness. The pair of Jackson and Henry could give the Ravens a new-look rushing attack finally capable of pushing the team over the edge, with big-play threat Keaton Mitchell (knee) providing a complementary boost. Meanwhile, J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) is scheduled for free agency, while Gus Edwards is scheduled to sign with the Chargers. Jackson tallied career-high marks with 3,678 passing yards and 8.0 yards per attempt in 2023 to go with 29 total touchdowns and 821 rushing yards. Henry, meanwhile, rushed for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns on 280 carries this past season.

The Commanders' recent contract agreement with Marcus Mariota suggests Howell may be on the trade block, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

The other interpretation, which seems less likely, is that the Commanders will let Howell compete with Mariota for the starting job rather than drafting a quarterback early this April. The team owns the No. 2 overall pick, with most reports to date suggesting Washington will select either UNC's Drake Maye or LSU's Jayden Daniels. There was a point in 2023 when it looked like the Commanders might have found their franchise QB in Howell, but he then had a 4:12 TD:INT over the final seven games of the regular season while completing only 57.7 percent of his passes for 5.4 yards per attempt. Washington went 0-7 during that stretch. The 2022 fifth-round pick ended up starting all 17 games, but only because backup Jacoby Brissett suffered a hamstring injury in practice shortly after being promoted to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. Howell should have suitors if the Commanders decide to trade him, given that he has two years left on his rookie contract and averaged 278.3 passing yards and 1.7 TDs over the first 10 games of 2023. That said, the best he can likely hope for is a shot to compete with another player for a starting job.

Heinicke is poised to drop to No. 3 on Atlanta's depth chart with the team slated to sign Kirk Cousins (Achilles), Michael Rothstein of ESPN reports.

Cutting Heinicke would save the Falcons roughly $7 million against the cap, with just $2 million in dead money, a move that seems like a no-brainer in the wake of Cousins' signing. Even if Atlanta is concerned about its new franchise quarterback's Week 1 availability, the team still has Desmond Ridder under contract on his affordable rookie deal. Heinicke finished 2023 as the starter over Ridder, but both signal-callers were ultimately unimpressive. The Falcons will avoid paying Heinicke a $1.3 million roster bonus if he's cut or traded prior to March 17.

Winston has agreed to a one-year contract with the Browns, Jake Trotter of ESPN reports.

The 30-year-old spent the past four seasons with the Saints, making 10 starts, and he's now set to replace Joe Flacco as the Browns' No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson. Winston, the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, gives Cleveland an experienced veteran option to turn to should Watson -- who is bouncing back from a season-ending shoulder issue -- encounter any further injury issues in 2024.

O'Connell (finger) looks set to compete with Gardner Minshew, whom the Raiders plan to ink to a two-year, $25 million deal, for the starting quarterback job, Tashan Reed, Larry Holder and Jeff Howe of The Athletic report.

O'Connell put together a solid rookie campaign for a fourth-round pick across 11 regular-season appearances (10 starts), completing 213 of 343 pass attempts for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Minshew is an established veteran and represents real competition for O'Connell, having thrown for 3,305 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and nine INTs across 13 starts with Indianapolis last season, but the 2023 draft pick out of Purdue could get a real chance to compete this offseason. Of course, things could get murkier if Las Vegas bolsters the QB position in April's draft, and this is an offense that will need to transform after losing Josh Jacobs to Green Bay in free agency.

Zappe appears set to operate as the No. 2 quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett, who is slated to sign a one-year, $8 million contract with the Patriots, John Keim of ESPN reports.

Zappe started New England's final six games of the 2023 season after beating out Mac Jones, who the Patriots recently traded to Jacksonville for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, posting a 6:7 TD:INT in that span. Given that New England holds the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, in what's considered a high-end quarterback class, Zappe could end up further down the depth chart with the potential selection of rookie competition.

Lock and the Giants have reached agreement on a contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Lock joins a quarterback room with Daniel Jones (knee), Tommy DeVito and Jacob Eason, after former Giant Tyrod Taylor reached an agreement with the Jets on Monday. It's a situation that strongly favors Lock for the No. 2 QB job, though the Giants may not be done making additions/subtractions to the group, with the upcoming NFL Draft offering potential to add a long-term replacement for Jones (who is rehabbing an ACL tear). Lock made four appearances for Seattle in 2023, including two starts, completing 48 of 76 passes (63.2 percent) for 543 yards (7.1 YPA), three touchdowns and three interceptions. He never panned out as a starter in Denver after going in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, but Lock at least looks like the part of a high-end backup after his moderately successful cameo with the Seahawks last year.

The Browns are reportedly closing in on a deal to acquire Winston, Jake Trotter of ESPN reports.

Winston, who is still technically under contract with the Saints, would be in line to replace Joe Flacco as Cleveland's No. 2 quarterback behind Deshaun Watson. The Browns also roster Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but Winston -- the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- has ample starting experience, and Watson is coming off an injury-shortened 2023 campaign.

Mariota is in line to sign a one-year contract with the Commanders, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

After spending a year as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia, the 30-year-old Mariota will join a Washington team that has Sam Howell under contract for two more years and owns the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. This signing would seem to hint at a desire to either trade Howell or move down in the draft. In any case, Mariota seems like a good fit with new Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who tends to rely heavily on shotgun formations and avoid play calls with slow-developing routes. Mariota's one-year contract reportedly has a base value of $6 million and can go up to $10 million with incentives.