NFL Player News

Hurts underwent offseason surgery to remove "hardware" from a previous high-ankle sprain, ESPN's Tim McManus reports.

Hurts originally had the hardware inserted back in 2018 when he was still at Alabama. He underwent the most recent surgery back in February following the Eagles' Super Bowl loss to Kansas City, but Hurts has already returned to his offseason workout routine and appears to be ready to roll for OTAs as a full participant. The quarterback is fresh off inking a five-year, $255 million extension with Philadelphia on Monday and should be viewed as an elite fantasy option in 2023, in the same tier as Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.

Kansas City is slated to sign Gabbert, Pat McAfee of the Pat McAfee Show reports.

With Chad Henne retiring after the team's Super Bowl win over the Eagles, Kansas City was in the market for a veteran backup to Patrick Mahomes. Gabbert fits the bill after serving as Tom Brady's No. 2 in Tampa Bay. The 33-year-old Gabbert hasn't started a game since the 2018 season with the Titans.

Mahomes (ankle) said Monday that he "still isn't 100 percent," but he expects to be fully healthy for the start of training camp, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Mahomes avoided surgery following Kansas City's Super Bowl LVII win, but he's still working his way back to full health. "I'm happy with where I'm at," he added. Mahomes continues to rehab throughout the week. Come Week 1, his right ankle should be a non-issue.

Head coach Brandon Staley said Herbert (shoulder) is "up in the air" for the start of OTAs on May 22, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic.

Herbert underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder shortly after the Chargers' wild-card loss to the Jaguars. He was initially believed to be injured Week 17. The two sides also are in the midst of long-term contract extension talks. Herbert should be healed in time for training camp later this summer.

The Eagles signed Hurts to a five-year contract extension Monday.

Hurts' new contract is reportedly for $255 million and makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history in terms of annual average salary, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Additionally, the extension includes a no-trade clause and $179.3 million in guarantees. After leading Philadelphia to a narrow 38-35 Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs in just his second season as the Eagles' starter, it's little surprise to see general manager Howie Roseman lock in the franchise quarterback with a long-term deal. Heading into his age-25 season, Hurts has already established himself as one of the league's elite quarterbacks and one of the few premier fantasy options at the position. With A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert still headlining his receiving corps, and Rashaad Penny having filled the backfield void left by Miles Sanders' departure, Hurts is positioned well to continue his streak of outstanding production heading into the 2023 campaign.

Driskel has agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The Cardinals will mark Driskel's fifth team in six years since entering the league in 2018. He saw his heaviest workload in Cincinnati during his rookie campaign, when he recorded 1,003 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions across nine games. The journeyman suited up seven times this past season in Houston, and he was part of a quarterback share with Davis Mills over the final five games. Starting quarterback Kyler Murray (knee) tore his ACL on Dec. 12 this past year and remains without an estimated return date. Thus, Driskel could compete with Colt McCoy (undisclosed) and David Blough for a potential starting role under center when the season kicks off.

The Patriots have added Trace McSorley to a QB group that also includes Jones and Bailey Zappe, Zack Cox of NESN.com reports.

After letting veteran signal-caller Brian Hoyer go last month, the Patriots were in need of depth behind Jones and Zappe. In McSorley, the team adds a No. 3 option who can bring some rushing ability to the team's quarterback mix. As the coming season approaches, Eric Edholm of NFL.com notes that coach Bill Belichick declined last month to specifically confirm Jones as the team's starter for 2023, a context that has led to some speculation that Zappe could potentially make a run at the job this summer. While it may be that nothing will be handed to Jones and this is a situation to monitor, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com previously relayed via team sources that the Patriots appear committed to seeing if Jones can get back on track under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien in the wake of the 2021 first-rounder's uneven 2022 campaign.

McSorley signed with the Patriots on Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

McSorley spent last season in Arizona and will now join New England for the 2023 campaign, where he will likely serve as the third-stringer behind Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. The 2019 sixth-round pick appeared in six games with the Cardinals last year (including one start), completing 45 of his 83 pass attempts for 412 yards, no touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding 61 yards on 15 rushes.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta reiterated Thursday that he wants to sign Jackson to a long-term deal and believes the quarterback is "the right player for this team," ESPN's Jamison Hensley reports.

It's no secret the Ravens hope to keep Jackson; they just haven't been willing to give him the contract he wants. He's also been unable to find it from another team, perhaps in part because the non-exclusive franchise tag would require the loss of two first-round picks if the Ravens were to not match an offer sheet. The team has until July 17 to work out a long-term deal with Jackson, who has yet to sign the franchise tender and thus won't be at the start of the offseason program to learn new OC Todd Monken's playbook. DeCosta's comments Thursday came at the introductory press conference for Odell Beckham, who didn't receive any assurances Jackson will be with the team but expects it will play out that way. "The goal is to come here and have that possibility with [Jackson]," Beckham said Thursday.

Zappe indicated that he'll be ready if presented with the opportunity to compete with Mac Jones for the Patriots' starting QB job, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports. "If my opportunity presents itself, I'm going to take full advantage of it," Zappe noted Wednesday. "I'm going to do everything I can to help the team win. That's really all I can say from that standpoint. That's coach (Bill) Belichick's decision, whatever he decides. But if the opportunity presents itself, I'm going to be ready and take advantage of it."

As a rookie, Zappe started two games while Jones dealt with an ankle injury, and overall the 2022 fourth-rounder recorded 65 completions on 92 passing attempts for 781 yards with five TDs and three picks in four appearances. Given that Belichick declined last month to specifically confirm Jones as the Patriots' starter this coming season, there's been speculation that Zappe could make a run at the job this summer. However, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com relays via team sources that the Patriots appear committed to seeing if Jones can get back on track after an uneven 2022 campaign while at the same time being amenable to Zappe pushing the 2021 first-rounder in his third season as a pro. In any case, following the offseason departure of Brian Hoyer, Jones and Zappe are currently the top two quarterbacks on New England's roster, with the team likely to add depth at the position in the coming weeks and months.