NFL Player News

The Patriots confirmed the signing of Cunningham as an undrafted free agent Friday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Cunningham bolsters the depth of a New England QB corps that also includes Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe and Trace McSorley. In that context, the Louisville product could have a hard time making the team's initial regular-season roster, but Cunningham does give the Patriots a dual-threat option to evaluate this summer, and if he doesn't make the cut, the 6-foot, 192-pounder is a candidate to land on New England's practice squad.

Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Lance is completely healthy and probably "the best that we've (seen) him right now," NBC's Matt Maiocco reports. "When you watch [Lance's] feet, his timing, how he's throwing the ball, he's in such a better place now than he was last year at this time," Shanahan said Wednesday.

Shanahan still believes Lance can be "the man for a long time" but also said Brock Purdy (elbow) played at "an extremely high level" last season. GM John Lynch previously hinted at Purdy being the favorite to start once he's healthy, with Shanahan then noting Wednesday that he expects the second-year pro to be ready for training camp. Still, Lance just turned 23 in May and was the third overall pick only two years ago, so a strong showing at spring practices (for which Purdy will be sidelined) likely would be taken seriously. The same might be true, albeit to a lesser extent, for offseason addition Sam Darnold, who figures to get some first-team reps this spring after signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract that includes $3.5 million guaranteed. Another interesting note from Shanahan is that Lance's rookie-year finger injury impacted his throwing motion in Year 2 but shouldn't be a factor at this point after a fibula fracture in Week 2 last season afforded the young QB a long layoff from football. Shanahan and Lynch said in late April that Lance had completed his rehab from surgery and was 100 percent healthy.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Thursday that Darnold, Brock Purdy (elbow) and Trey Lance are "all capable of being franchise-like quarterbacks," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Shanahan mentioned Purdy's eight starts last year as an example of "franchise-like" play, also noting that Lance is the "best we've had him right now" (after some injury struggles) while Darnold "hasn't been in the best situations" prior to San Francisco. Comments from both Shanahan and John Lynch hint at Purdy being the favorite to start once he's healthy, but his ongoing rehab from UCL surgery leaves Lance and Darnold to compete for first-team reps this spring/summer, giving both opportunities to make an impression in one of the league's more fluid QB rooms. Darnold turns 26 in June and is signed to a one-year, $4.5 million contract that includes $3.5 million guaranteed.

The Texans waived Perry on Thursday.

Perry will head back to waivers despite having been claimed by Houston back in March. The 24-year-old spent last season on the Jaguars' practice squad and will now try to catch on with another team for the upcoming campaign.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday that he expects that Purdy (elbow) will be ready for training camp, barring any setbacks, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Shanahan further noted that Purdy has been making throwing motions with a towel and is expected to be able to throw a ball in June. Assuming Purdy continues to progress as expected, he'll be the favorite to lead the dynamic 49ers offense to begin the 2023 campaign after an impressive rookie season. That would leave Trey Lance in an uncertain situation, particularly because the team has acknowledged receiving trade calls regarding him this offseason.

Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales said Wednesday that Trask and fellow signal-caller Baker Mayfield are expected to battle for the starting quarterback job, with the competition potentially extending into the final preseason contest, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

Asked about whether naming a starter at this point in the offseason is preferable, Canales said that he would much rather see Trask get ample opportunity to prove himself, something which wasn't afforded to him during his first two seasons while working behind Tom Brady and hand-picked veteran backup Blaine Gabbert. With both players off the roster and Mayfield not having come close to living up to his status as the 2018 top overall pick to this point in his career, Trask -- who only has nine career pass attempts to Mayfield's 2,259 -- should have a legitimate chance to make his case.

Head coach Dan Campbell said Tuesday on the "Green Light with Chris Long" podcast that he doesn't anticipate Hooker (knee) playing during his rookie season. "Really, this is a redshirt year for him," Campbell said. "He's got to get this leg right first and then he'll learn under Jared [Goff], and then let's see what happens. If he can eventually become your two or maybe down the road, later on, it's more than that, but it's going to be a long time."

The main question within the Lions quarterback room regards the future of Goff, whose release after the upcoming season would only cost Detroit $5 million in dead money. After that comes Hooker's acclimation to the NFL, as the Tennessee product who tore the ACL in his left knee last November remains without a clear timeline to resume full activities. Should Hooker miss most or all of the offseason, it seems unrealistic to think he could give the Lions much of a reason to move off of Goff in 2024 without having much practice time under his belt.

Offensive coordinator Dave Canales said Wednesday the Buccaneers won't rush to name Mayfield or Kyle Trask their starting quarterback, Brianna Dix of the team's official site reports.

Though the Buccaneers didn't add any quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL Draft to potentially challenge Mayfield or Trask, the team did bring aboard veteran John Wolford on Tuesday. Canales said the starting role will go to the quarterback who proves they can take "care of the ball" and "push the ball down the field," and while Mayfield certainly looks like the favorite to win out among the Buccaneers' current options, it's possible a competition could still linger late into the preseason. The 28-year-old Mayfield inked a one-year, $8.5 million contract with Tampa Bay back in March and may be facing his last real chance to re-establish himself as a viable NFL starter.

Wolford signed with Tampa Bay on Tuesday, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

The former Ram gives the Buccaneers a third quarterback on the roster for spring practices, behind Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask. The 27-year-old Wolford started one game for the Rams in 2020 and three last year, but he hasn't shown much promise with only one TD pass and five interceptions on 104 pass attempts in the NFL.

Corral (foot) has gained weight since last year and will try to convince the Panthers to carry a third QB this season, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

The 2022 third-round pick missed his entire rookie season after having Lisfranc surgery in early September. He then saw the Panthers sign Andy Dalton and trade up for Bryce Young at No. 1 overall, leaving Corral and Jacob Eason to duke it out for the possibility of a No. 3 QB job. Coach Frank Reich said in early March that he wasn't sure about Corral's availability for OTAs, so it's possible the second-year QB doesn't practice until training camp.