NFL Player News

The Lions are placing Hooker (knee) on the active/non-football injury list to start training camp, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

This is expected given that coach Dan Campbell said he views 2023 as a "redshirt year" for the rookie third-round pick. At this point, it's unclear if Hooker will come off the NFI list and begin practicing with teammates at some point this summer or stay on the list into the regular season and be ineligible for the first four games. Either way, he's not expected to play much (if at all) as a 25-year-old rookie, after suffering an ACL tear last November. The injury ended his two-season run at Tennessee, where he completed 68.8 percent of his passes for 9.6 YPA and threw 58 TDs against only five INTs.

Rodgers (calf) participated in 11-on-11 drills Thursday, Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports reports.

A calf injury limited him in May, but Rodgers was more active during June practices and now is participating at the start of training camp. WR Mecole Hardman (groin) and OT Mekhi Becton (knee) also are healthy and participating, while RB Breece Hall (knee), WR Randall Cobb (ankle) and TE C.J. Uzomah (leg) start camp on the PUP list. Rodgers has a nice group of targets even with those three sidelined, throwing to Hardman, TE Tyler Conklin and WRs Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard and Corey Davis.

McGough has agreed to a deal with the Packers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports

McGough worked out with Green Bay on Tuesday and impressed enough to earn a contract heading into training camp. The reigning USFL MVP had workouts with multiple teams and will ultimately compete for a backup role under center behind Jordan Love. The 25-year-old's competition for a gameday roster spot includes Sean Clifford and Danny Etling.

Murray (knee) said Wednesday that his goal is to be ready for Week 1, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Murray tore his ACL on Dec. 12 and underwent surgery less than a month later. He didn't participate in spring drills last month, and every indication out of Arizona has been that the Cardinals will be cautious with Murray and not rush his return to the field. Drake writes that a Week 1 return "seems like a stretch," despite Murray's own optimism about his outlook. Colt McCoy remains the odds-on favorite to be under center for Arizona in the season opener.

Thompson and Mike White are expected to have an open competition for the backup quarterback role in Miami this season, Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sentinel reports.

Thompson appeared in eight games and made three starts -- including one in the postseason -- in 2022, producing 754 passing yards and two touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. The Dolphins brought in former Jet quarterback Mike White this offseason, signing him to a two-year, $8 million contract in March. Thompson will look to beat White out for the primary backup role behind Tua Tagovailoa.

Purdy (elbow) remains on track to be ready for the start of the 2023 season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Purdy underwent UCL surgery following the 2022 campaign but resumed throwing at the end of May, and all signs point to the quarterback being ready for Week 1 of 2023. The second-year quarterback is currently in Jacksonville for an offseason program and will be throwing with QB coach Will Hewlett and orthopedic specialist Tom Gormely. The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick in the draft took the league by storm last year, completing 67 percent of his passes for 1,640 yards and a 16:3 TD:INT over the 49ers' final seven regular-season games. If healthy, Purdy is expected to sit atop the depth chart come training camp, while Sam Darnold and Trey Lance battle for the top backup gig.

Buechele signed his one-year tender with the Chiefs on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Buechele was originally an exclusive rights free agent but will now remain with the Chiefs for the 2023 campaign, after spending time on both the team's practice squad and active roster a season ago. The 25-year-old should have the same role again this year, as Blaine Gabbert is expected to back up Patrick Mahomes.

Cousins said Wednesday that he doesn't expect to discuss a new contract with the Vikings until next offseason, ESPN's Kevin Seifert reports.

Cousins is in the final season of his contract and said he wants to finish his career in Minnesota, but the Vikings seemingly want to take it year by year at this point rather than making another long-term commitment. His passing efficiency stats dropped last season in his first year under coach Kevin O'Connell, with a career-high 643 attempts somewhat allowing the QB to make up for it from a fantasy standpoint. Cousins turns 35 in August and should get plenty of volume again after the Vikings replaced Adam Thielen with first-round pick Jordan Addison and released RB Dalvin Cook.

Jones worked with the Patriots' first-team offense "the vast majority of the time" during OTAs and minicamp, Chris Mason of The Springfield Republican reports.

While speculation of a quarterback controversy brewed in New England earlier in the offseason, Jones' efforts this spring suggest that he maintains a sturdy grip on the starting job ahead of 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe. Per Jeff Howe of The Athletic, Jones "has looked more confident this spring and has been throwing the ball well" while looking comfortable in the team's new offense under coordinator Bill O'Brien, who has reportedly been implementing portions of the system he used during his time with the University of Alabama.

Mills will compete with C.J. Stroud for the top quarterback job heading into training camp, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports. "We'll see where their process goes in training camp and see as the competition continues," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday. "We'll see who separates themselves."

Mills and Stroud, who was selected with the second overall pick in this year's draft, have rotated reps with the first-team offense throughout OTAs and minicamp. The Texans view Stroud as the franchise quarterback they've missed since the controversial exit of Deshaun Watson, who was traded to Cleveland last year. Quarterbacks selected in the top five of drafts typically start Week 1, as 11 of 17 quarterbacks drafted in the top five since 2011 have opened their rookie campaigns as their team's No. 1 QB. In addition, over the last two seasons Houston has ranked 31st in QBR (33.3), much of that with Mills under center -- so he's done little to establish any job security.