NFL Player News

Thielen finalized a restructured contract with the Panthers on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Thielen said in early February that he wants to play for at least one more season, and he'll be able to do that as he returns for a third campaign in Carolina on a revised contract. The veteran wideout's 48 catches and 615 yards last season were his fewest since 2019, but he played in only 10 games due to a hamstring injury and still managed to catch five touchdowns. Despite the missed time, Thielen led Carolina in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns last season, and he'll likely continue to be a top target for up-and-coming quarterback Bryce Young in 2025.

Williams agreed Wednesday with the Chargers on a one-year contract worth up to $6 million, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

Williams was selected by the Chargers in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft and spent his first seven professional seasons with the organization, topping out at 76 catches for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns during a career-best 2021 campaign. The Clemson product moved on to the Jets last offseason but struggled to produce and was traded to the Steelers in early November. Between his stints with the two clubs, Williams tallied a modest 21 catches on 34 targets for 298 yards and one touchdown over 18 games during the regular season. With his return to Los Angeles, Williams will team up with a familiar quarterback in Justin Herbert, and he should have a decent-sized role as the team's No. 2 or No. 3 receiver behind Ladd McConkey.

Wallace agreed to a one-year contract with the Ravens on Wednesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Wallace had his best season in the professional ranks in 2024, notching 11 receptions on 12 targets for 193 yards and a touchdown over 17 games. The Oklahoma State product has also worked as a return man during his four seasons with Baltimore and is a mainstay on kick-coverage units. Wallace will likely reprise his role as a depth wideout in 2025, and he could be hard-pressed to build upon his modest numbers given the Ravens' signing of veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins on Tuesday.

White became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday due to the Seahawks not extending a qualifying tender on his contract, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

White entered the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent, but he'll now be free to sign with another team due to the Seahawks not tendering his contract. White initially signed to Seattle's practice squad in late August after failing to make the team's 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp, but he was signed to the active roster in mid-November. He appeared in four regular-season games for the Seahawks in 2024, but his two catches (on three targets) for 44 yards all came against the Rams in Week 9.

The Cardinals extended a tender Wednesday to Dortch, who is a restricted free agent, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

Dortch has become a mainstay in Arizona's passing game the last three campaigns, averaging a 37.7-363-2.3 line on 51.7 targets per year while missing just two games during the regular season. The team will have the right of first refusal for any contract offer that he receives, but if he returns to the Cardinals, he'll continue to operate as the third wide receiver behind Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson (hamstring).

The Dolphins re-signed Eskridge (finger) on Wednesday.

Eskridge dealt with injuries in 2024, but he showed enough across his six regular-season appearances with Miami to convince the team to re-sign him. The gadget player and return man missed the Dolphins' regular-season finale against the Jets in Week 18 due to a finger issue, but he projects to be at 100 percent health for the start of offseason activities.

The Giants re-signed Smith-Marsette on Wednesday.

Smith-Marsette served as the Giants primary return man in 2024, accumulating 381 kick-return yards -- including an 100-yard touchdown in Week 17 -- and 228 punt-return yards across 15 appearances. Now that he's officially returning to New York, the Iowa product is expected to serve as the team's return specialist in 2025 while also competing for a depth role at wide receiver throughout the summer.

Chisena re-signed with the Panthers on a one-year contract Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Chisena began the 2024 season in Arizona before joining Carolina's practice squad mid-October, ultimately appearing in six games with the Panthers. He secured three of four targets for 37 yards in that span. Now, Chisena will work to put together a strong offseason and earn another reserve role on offense during the 2025 campaign.

Hodge is re-signing with the Falcons on a two-year, $6 million contract Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Hodge rejoins Atlanta, where he's spent the last three years handling a depth role on offense while contributing as a key special-teamer. He's suited up for all 17 regular-season games in each of those years, having secured seven of 12 targets for 131 yards and one score in 2024.

The Rams will release Kupp on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Unable to find a trade partner, the Rams will instead make Kupp a free agent right at the start of the new league year. He'll likely have plenty of suitors, with Peter Schrager of FOX Sports already reporting that at least three teams are interested in Kupp. He's never averaged less than 57.9 yards per game over the course of a season, but Kupp missed at least five games each of the past three seasons and finished 2024 with career lows for yards per catch (10.6) and yards per target (7.1). He'll turn 32 years old in June, making it unlikely that his next contract contains any guaranteed money beyond 2025 or 2026.