NFL Player News

Flacco did not participate in the Browns' 11-on-11 session at practice Wednesday, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Flacco was the first quarterback up in the team's first modified 7-on-7 series against the team's No. 1 defensive back seven. He then shifted into being a spectator for the remainder of the day, handing the reins off to Kenny Pickett to begin the team's 11-on-11 session to end practice. Not much can be inferred about the quarterback pecking order in Cleveland after the team's first full-squad workout Wednesday, but it's worth monitoring as the days pass. Flacco and Pickett appear to be the frontrunners of the Browns' four-man quarterback competition, with rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel fighting an uphill battle.

The Jets activated Smith (undisclosed) form the active/non-football injury list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Smith was placed on the NFI list due to an undisclosed issue, but he has been cleared to practice after passing his physical. His return is timely for the undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State, who will audition for a spot on the Jets' 53-man roster during training camp and preseason games.

The Patriots activated Tavai (calf) from the active/PUP list Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Tavai landed on the PUP list Saturday due to a calf injury that he sustained during OTAs in early June. He progressed enough in his recovery to pass his physical, and the 2019 second-rounder has been cleared to participate in practices and preseason games. Tavai has logged 100-plus tackles in two consecutive seasons and has played in every regular-season game since 2022.

Webb was activated from the active/non-football injury list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Webb joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent this spring and was sidelined to begin camp with an undisclosed injury. While it's still a longshot for him to make the roster, getting back on the field quickly can only help his chances.

Allen has seen work with both the second-team and third-team offensive units at Lions training camp, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Allen worked with the second-team offense to open training camp Sunday before Hendon Hooker replaced him with the second-team unit Monday. Allen signed with the Lions in the offseason, and he'll compete with Hooker for the backup quarterback role behind Jared Goff this season. The 29-year-old hasn't played in any meaningful action since 2022 with the Texans, when he completed 46 of 78 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing four interceptions, in two starts with the team. Hooker spent the majority of the 2024 campaign as Goff's primary backup and likely has the early edge over Allen for the No. 2 role.

Davis (undisclosed) was activated from the active/non-football injury list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Davis will now be able to participate in practices and preseason games after passing his physical. The veteran corner signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Patriots in March after spending the 2024 season with the Lions, when he recorded 56 tackles (42 solo), 11 pass defenses (including two interceptions), one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries across 13 regular-season games. Davis is expected to start at outside corner opposite 2023 first-rounder Christian Gonzalez.

The Bengals placed Hendrickson (contract dispute) on the reserve/did-not-report list Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Hendrickson did not report for the start of training camp Tuesday as he seeks a contract extension after recording 35.0 sacks over the past two seasons. He missed most of OTAs and all of minicamp in June while talks broke down with the Bengals, and the two sides continue to face an impasse as training camp gets underway. Hendrickson will be fined $50,000 per day until he reports to training camp, but a deal being struck doesn't appear likely for the time being.

Blackmon and the Saints agreed on a one-year contract Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Blackmon will officially head to New Orleans, helping fill the void in the team's secondary after Tyrann Mathieu retired Tuesday. Blackmon appears to have fully recovered from his offseason shoulder surgery, and he'll now compete with Jonas Sanker and J.T. Gray for the team's starting free safety role. The 26-year-old has recorded 174 combined tackles over the last two years, and he'll look to maintain that level of production with the Saints.

Greenlaw (quadriceps) participated in Wednesday's practice, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Greenlaw was held out of OTAs and minicamp after sustaining a quadriceps injury while training in late April, but he has progressed enough in his recovery to be cleared for training camp. The veteran linebacker inked a three-year deal with the Broncos in March after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the 49ers. Greenlaw managed to play in two regular-season games in 2024 after recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered during Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs. He'll look to get back to the same form he had in 2022 and 2023, when he recorded 120-plus tackles in back-to-back seasons.

Elliss was practicing with the Broncos on Wednesday to begin training camp, Jon Heath of Broncos Wire reports.

Elliss suffered a fractured scapula in Denver's wild-card loss to the Bills to conclude the 2024 campaign. The issue wasn't expected to impact his 2025 season, and that now seems to be confirmed given his activity at the start of training camp.