NFL Player News

Loveland (shoulder) is present for Thursday's practice at OTAs but is not participating, Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic report.

Loveland remains sidelined due to the shoulder surgery he underwent in January to address a right Type V AC Joint dislocation. The injury prevented him from working out at the combine and participating in rookie minicamp, so the next major checkpoint for Loveland's recovery will be mandatory minicamp from June 3-5, at which time he's expected to increase his participation level. All expectations remain that the rookie No. 10 overall pick will be a full-go for training camp. Once he's healthy, Loveland's draft capital and rare pass-catching ability should allow him to quickly emerge as one of Chicago's top targets, though it's difficult to project exactly how looks from Caleb Williams (wrist) will be distributed between him, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden (undisclosed).

Burrow said "I feel great" at practice Wednesday after playing with a ligament injury in his right wrist throughout the 2024 campaign, adding that "this is the best I've felt in the offseason," Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

This time last offseason, Burrow was recovering from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist and working to be cleared for full contact. That wrist most noticeably hampered him early in 2024, but even by Cincinnati's regular-season finale Burrow was still listed on the injury report due to both wrist and knee issues. "Just like with any ligament injury, it's going to take a while to come back," Burrow said, but he acknowledged that "it's better this time of the year than it was last time at the same time." Despite battling those lingering injuries, Burrow managed a resurgent 2024 season to the tune of a 71 percent completion rate (460 of 652 attempts), 4,918 passing yards and a 43:9 TD:INT -- career-high marks across the board. In addition to his physical wellness, Burrow will have the benefit of an offseason without any of his major playmakers on offense holding out. With all of Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and TE Mike Gesicki having been inked to multi-year extensions, the Bengals offense boasts an amount of long-term stability it lacked this time last year.

Haener sustained an oblique strain at practice Wednesday that is expected to sideline him multiple weeks but leave him ready for the start of training camp in late July, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

A 2023 fourth-round pick who suited up for eight games last season, Haener boasts the longest tenure in the NFL of the Saints' quarterback room. With his participation in the team's three-way contest for the Week 1 starting job now on pause until potentially as long as training camp, increased reps are up for grabs for rookie second-rounder Tyler Shough and 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler throughout OTAs. Hunter Dekkers, an undrafted free agent who started for Iowa State in 2022 before playing in junior college in 2024, also could push for some opportunities at OTAs with Haener unavailable.

Barrett signed with the Raiders on Wednesday, Ryan Zuke of mlivenews.com reports.

Barrett is headed to Las Vegas after having spent time with both the Panthers and Seahawks during his rookie season in 2024. He has yet to appear in an NFL game and will spend the remainder of the offseason competing for a roster spot.

Wilkins is still dealing with his foot injury, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

Wilkins has yet to recover from a foot injury suffered in October of last year, and head coach Pete Carroll said there's currently no timetable on his return. If Wilkins is unable to get healthy in time for the start of the regular season, Leki Fotu could serve as one of the team's starting defensive tackles in his place.

Russell signed with the Cardinals on Wednesday, Darren Urban of the team's official site reports.

The Memphis product spent the first three years of his career with the Buccaneers but has now found a new home in Arizona. Russell appeared in 16 regular-season games for Tampa Bay in 2024, tallying 33 total tackles and one pass defended across 568 total snaps (236 defensive and 332 on special teams). With the Cardinals, the 26-year-old is expected to compete for a depth spot in the team's linebacker corps.

Burden (undisclosed) is not participating in Wednesday's offseason practice due to a soft-tissue injury, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The exact nature of Burden's injury has yet to be disclosed, but Kaitlin Sharkey of WGNTV reports that there is currently no timetable for the rookie second-round pick's return. It's less than ideal for Burden to be missing early install reps, but he has roughly two weeks to recover before the start of mandatory minicamp June 3, not to mention training camp in late July. When healthy, Burden is expected to push for a starting role alongside DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Head coach Ben Johnson called Burden's injury "a little soft tissue deal," per Adam Jahns of The Athletic, an indication that the Missouri product isn't managing an overly serious issue.

Bryant re-signed with the Texans on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The five-year NFL veteran has inked a deal to return to Houston after spending part of the 2024 campaign with the team. Bryant appeared in 11 regular-season games last season, recording 14 total tackles while playing 188 total snaps (67 defensive and 121 on special teams). With Bryant returning to the Texans, he's expected to compete for a depth spot in the team's secondary.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Wednesday that McDonald added 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason, Connor Hughes of SNY.tv reports.

The 2023 first-round pick from Iowa State is already coming off the best season of his career, posting 28 total tackles, including 10.5 sacks, three passes defended and two forced fumbles across 17 regular-season games. With a new defensive-minded head coach in Glenn and added muscle, McDonald appears poised to take another step forward and emerge as one of the NFL's top edge rushers in 2025.

Johnson (Achilles) didn't participate in Wednesday's practice, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

As expected, Johnson will begin the Jets' offseason activities on the sideline as he continues to recover from the torn Achilles he sustained two games into the 2024 season. According to Costello, Johnson is likely to remain out until training camp. Once healthy, the 2022 first-round pick is expected to return as one of the Jets' top pass rushers in 2025.