NFL Player News

The Dolphins signed Gronowski as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Gronowski was the South Dakota State starting quarterback for four years before transferring to Iowa in 2025. Through 13 games as a Hawkeye, Gronowski completed 166 of 262 pass attempts (63.0 percent) for 1,741 yards and 10 touchdowns along with seven interceptions. The 24-year-old also added 130 carries for 545 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns during his final season. Gronowski will compete with Quinn Ewers (knee) and Cam Miller throughout training camp for the No. 2 role behind Malik Willis.

Heinicke announced his retirement Thursday, Ben Standig of Big 100 Washington D.C. reports.

Heinicke signed with the Chargers last year but lost the backup job battle to Trey Lance, leading to his release in August of 2025. The Old Dominion product never found a new landing spot, and he chose to hang up the cleats after an unlikely but highly interesting NFL career. Heinicke went undrafted in 2015 and didn't start a game until 2018 with the Panthers. He ended up joining the XFL in 2020 where he reinvigorated his career, eventually signing with Washington and starting 15 games during the 2021 season. Heinicke finished with a career record of 13-15-1 while completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions through 42 games (29 starts).

Rourke (knee) will participate in rookie minicamp starting Friday, David Lombardi of SFStandard.com reports.

Rourke was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but because he spent the entire season on the reserve/non-football injury list as he recovered from a torn ACL he suffered in his final year at Indiana, he'll be eligible to participate in rookie minicamp. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Rourke is competing with Adrian Martinez -- who has played one snap since entering the league in 2023 -- to be the No. 3 QB behind Brock Purdy and Mac Jones.

With regard to the right shoulder issue he managed ahead of Super Bowl LX, Maye noted Wednesday that he's doing "great," ESPN.com reports.

Mike Reiss of ESPN previously reported that Maye said he received a pain-killing injection for his throwing shoulder before his team's loss to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, a game in which the QB completed 27 of 43 passing attempts for 295 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Since then, Maye indicates that he's had "no problems at all" on that front while confirming that he didn't require an offseason procedure. As the coming campaign approaches, the Patriots return a number of the key skill players that Maye worked with in 2025, with free-agent addition Romeo Doubs representing a notable addition to a wide receiver corps that no longer includes Stefon Diggs. Additionally, there's plenty of speculation that A.J. Brown could be headed to New England (via a trade with Philadelphia) on or after June 1, and if that ends up being the case, Maye's 2026 fantasy prospects would be boosted by the addition of a true WR1.

Rodgers is set to meet with Steelers officials in Pittsburgh this weekend as he looks to reach agreement on a deal to return to the team in 2026, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Per 93.7 The Fan Pittsburgh, Rodgers is expected to sign with the Steelers over the weekend, but Rapoport relays that no deal has been finalized. In late April, Pittsburgh placed an unrestricted free agent tender on Rodgers, but since signing the tender would put the quarterback under contract for approximately $15 million in 2026, it's likely just a placeholder until he and the Steelers can work out a deal with more favorable financial terms. Applying the tender to Rodgers would also entitle the Steelers to a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere prior to July 22, though at this stage of the offseason, the 42-year-old isn't believed to have any serious suitors other than Pittsburgh. Until Rodgers puts pen to paper on a new deal, veteran Mason Rudolph will be the most experienced member of a Steelers quarterback room that includes 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and rookie third-round pick Drew Allar (ankle).

Stroud improved his diet this offseason in an effort to lose weight, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com.

Stroud shouldn't lack for motivation, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he and his offensive line were the weak links on an otherwise loaded team. The Texans then picked up his fifth-year option this offseason, though it's not equivalent to a huge vote of confidence when the price tag ($25.9 million) is lower than what it costs to re-sign even a mediocre starting QB. There's still hope in Houston that Stroud can be more than mediocre, with help from a remade offensive line that added first-round pick Keylan Rutledge and veterans Braden Smith, Wyatt Teller and Evan Brown. The combination of better blocking and a locked-in QB could do wonders for Houston's offense, but even a slimmed-down version of Stroud is unlikely to offer much in the way of rushing stats for his fantasy managers.

Wilson recently got a contract offer from the Jets, but he said Wednesday that he's undecided between continuing his football career and joining a television broadcast team, NFL.com's Kevin Patra reports.

Wilson, 37, would join the Jets as a backup to Geno Smith, who not so long ago served as Wilson's backup in Seattle. The Jets currently have Brady Cook, Cade Klubnik and Bailey Zappe behind Smith on the depth chart, so they may pursue a different veteran QB if Wilson ultimately follows the QB-to-TV pipeline (or chooses another NFL team).

Green Bay cut Ridder on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Ridder being let go by the Packers corresponds with the team signing veteran signal-caller Tyrod Taylor as the new top backup to Jordan Love. Last season, Ridder spent time with the Vikings before being cut in December and then inking with Green Bay, where he replaced Clayton Tune as the team's emergency QB3. He didn't log a regular-season appearances with either Minnesota or the Packers. The 2022 third-round pick will now look for a chance to compete for a reserve role elsewhere in the league.

Thompson (hamstring) is in line to sign with Baltimore, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Thompson spent the entire 2025 campaign on Pittsburgh's injured reserve list due to a hamstring injury but appears to have now returned to full health. He previously logged 10 total regular-season appearances (three starts) with the Dolphins from 2022-24. With the Ravens, he faces an opportunity to compete with Joe Fagnano and Diego Pavia, a pair of undrafted rookies, for the No. 3 quarterback role behind Tyler Huntley and Lamar Jackson.

Kansas City waived Haener on Monday.

Haener inked a reserve/future contract with the Chiefs in February after spending the 2025 campaign as the No. 3 quarterback in New Orleans, but he now finds himself the odd man out with the Chiefs after the team traded for Justin Fields and selected Garrett Nussmeier in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, Haener will seek the chance to compete for a reserve role elsewhere in the league.