NFL Player News

McLaurin is not in attendance at Washington's final voluntary offseason workout Wednesday, though he had previously been a full participant, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reports.

McLaurin is heading into the final season of the three-year, $68.2 million extension he inked with the Commanders in 2022. Fresh off a 2024 campaign in which he connected with QB Jayden Daniels to the tune of an 82-1,096-13 receiving line, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors, McLaurin's value to Washington's offense is greater than the $19-20 million in real-money compensation he's slated to earn in 2025. General manager Adam Peters said in late March that he'd like to work out an extension with McLaurin before Week 1, but the 29-year-old's absence from the final session of voluntary workouts now puts some pressure on the team to finalize a deal prior to mandatory minicamp, which will kick off June 10. Offseason trade acquisition Deebo Samuel figures to command pressure from opposing defenses without significantly threatening McLaurin's dominant target share in the deep and intermediate portions of the field, so even if hit by TD regression, the No. 1 wideout's overall volume and production has some room for growth in Year 2 with Daniels at the helm of Kliff Kingsbury's offense.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Wednesday that the team intends to deploy a backfield distribution that allows Pollard and Tyjae Spears to "play a little more evenly" in 2025, Jim Wyatt of the team's official site reports.

Callahan said Pollard, who compiled a career-high 1,079 rushing yards plus five scores on 260 carries (4.2 YPC) last season, "was our most productive running back" but acknowledged that he "was battling the second half of the year quite a bit" and struggled to remain fully healthy, as did Spears. "So hopefully that division of labor gets a little more evenly distributed so [Pollard] doesn't have to take the brunt of it," Callahan said while also expressing a desire to work a third back into the mix, which could be either Julius Chestnut or rookie sixth-rounder Kalel Mullings (abdomen). Pollard said the right high-ankle sprain he dealt with late in 2024 is "ready to go" and that "getting more guys involved, keeping guys fresh" would be "ideal." A decrease in overall workload could allow the 28-year-old Pollard to better maintain his efficiency for a full 17-game slate, and even if he doesn't reprise a workhorse role, he's positioned to repeat as Tennessee's top backfield option. With Cam Ward now under center rather than Will Levis, there's also room for the Titans' offense to improve as a whole and provide enough increased scoring opportunities for Pollard's fantasy value as an RB2 to remain safely intact.

Prescott (hamstring) took part in on-field drills during the Cowboys' second day of organized team activities Tuesday and moved well while throwing passes to wide receivers, including new teammate George Pickens, Calvin Watkin of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Prescott said he's "just not cleared for contact" but can otherwise "pretty much do it all" and is "feeling great" in his recovery from hamstring surgery undergone last November. While the Cowboys will continue to take a cautious approach with Prescott's recovery, the veteran quarterback said in April that his right hamstring tear has improved to the point that he feels confident he could suit up for a game, if theoretically needed. The addition of Pickens, whom Dallas traded for in a deal with Pittsburgh in early May, provides Prescott with a playmaking No. 2 receiver option capable of opening things up for superstar CeeDee Lamb, significantly boosting the outlook of the Cowboys' passing offense. While his return to full health remains crucial, Prescott currently looks well positioned to bounce back in 2025 within new head coach Brian Schottenheimer's offense.

Spears (concussion) participated in Tennessee's OTAs on Tuesday.

Spears is healthy again after having been sidelined for the team's Week 18 loss versus the Texans last season with a concussion. The 23-year-old rushed for 312 yards and four touchdowns on 84 carries and hauled in 31 passes for 226 yards and an additional touchdown in 12 games during the 2024 campaign, and he should once again serve as the team's No. 2 running back behind Tony Pollard in the upcoming season.

Dowell (knee) was an active participant in Tennessee's OTAs on Tuesday.

Dowell was sidelined for the entirety of last season after tearing his ACL and meniscus in Week 17 of the 2023 the campaign but is healthy again. The 2023 seventh-round pick saw limited action offensively during his rookie campaign, as he caught just one pass for three yards and saw the majority of his playing time on special teams. Dowell will likely have a similar role during the upcoming season should he make the team's final roster.

Gonzalez (concussion) was an active participant as the Patriots' OTAs got underway Tuesday, Chad Graff of The Athletic reports.

Gonzalez ended the 2024 campaign on the sidelines with a concussion, but he now appears to be fully healthy ahead of the 2025 season. The cornerback has blossomed into being one of the best at his position in the league, recording 59 total tackles (50 solo), 11 passes defensed, two of which were interceptions, and a fumble recovery over 16 regular-season contests in 2024.

Colts offensive-line coach Tony Sparano Jr. told reporters Tuesday that Goncalves (concussion) is expected to start at right guard in 2025, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

Goncalves exited the Colts' 2024 season finale with a concussion, but it appears he's moved past the issue. The 2024 third-round pick from Pittsburgh will transition from tackle to guard and is expected to be one of the team's top offensive linemen heading into his second NFL season.

Luther signed with the Panthers on Tuesday.

Luther was waived by the Panthers on May 8, but the team has decided to bring back the 25-year-old. He has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game after going undrafted out of Gardner-Webb in 2022. In a corresponding move, the Panthers waived/injured Moose Muhammad on Tuesday.

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Tuesday that Ward and Will Levis have split practice reps evenly throughout Phase 2 of the team's offseason activities, Turron Davenport of ESPN reports.

Callahan said Tennessee's quarterback reps "will probably change a little when when we get to the next phase of OTAs and there's some 7-on-7 [drills]," while also noting that Ward's selection at No. 1 overall and Levis' status as an incumbent starter haven't been the cause of any conflict at practice. Some amount of competition with Levis figures to be beneficial for Ward, who is still in the early stages of acclimating to a new offense and building chemistry with Calvin Ridley, Tyler Lockett, Treylon Burks (ACL) and Van Jefferson. Callahan said it would be premature to name a starter at this stage of the offseason, but it would nonetheless be surprising if it takes Ward long to earn a dominant share of first-team reps. The Titans are slated to conduct six OTAs between May 27 and June 5 before kicking off a three-day mandatory minicamp June 12. Ward may be able to push for increased reps during those dates, but the most pivotal period of his rookie development will occur during training camp and the preseason. Regardless of whether Levis remains on Tennessee's roster or draws trade interest, it seems like a sure thing that Ward will start the Titans' regular-season opener against Tampa Bay.

Stewart remains unsigned and is not participating in Bengals offseason workouts due to a dispute over the language in his contract, Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

The Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 Draft, but the two sides have yet to hammer out the details of his contract, and Stewart isn't taking part in practice or workouts with his new teammates. According to Conway, Stewart's agent is requesting that his client's contract language mirror the Bengals' past two first-round picks. For reference, No. 18 overall pick Grey Zabel signed his contract with the Seahawks last week, so Stewart is losing some important reps. This dispute shouldn't drag deep into the summer, and it would be a major shock if Stewart isn't signed relatively soon. The Bengals are scheduled to kick off OTAs one week from Tuesday.