NFL Player News

The 49ers signed Dillard (concussion) on Friday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Dillard was unable to suit up for the Packers' NFC wild-card loss to the Eagles due to a concussion, but his signing with the 49ers on Friday suggests he's since moved past the issue. Now in San Francisco, Dillard is expected to compete for a depth spot on the team's offensive line throughout the summer.

Tomlinson (undisclosed) was waived with an injury designation Friday, Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Tomlinson was picked up by the 49ers in early March after being dropped by the Rams, but it now appears the team has decided to move in another direction. The LSU product missed the entire 2024 season due to this undisclosed injury, and it's unclear when he'll be able to return to the field. Once he proves he's healthy again, Tomlinson could find a role on a team in need of special-teams help.

Jackson (knee) was waived with a failed physical designation Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The 2022 second-round pick from USC is still rehabbing from the knee injury that caused him to miss the final 12 games of 2023 (including the playoffs) and all of 2024. Jackson has appeared in just 23 regular-season contests since being drafted, recording 21 total tackles, including 6.0 sacks, and nine passes defended across 490 defensive snaps. Once he proves he's past this knee injury, Jackson could offer defensive-line depth to a team in need of edge rushers.

Head coach Shane Steichen told reporters Friday that Franklin (ankle) had a clean-up procedure last week, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

The Syracuse product has popped up with an ankle injury and will likely remain out until training camp, per Bowen. Franklin has emerged as one of the NFL's top insider linebackers over the past three seasons, recording a whopping 519 total tackles across his last 50 regular-season contests. While Franklin is sidelined over the next couple of months, expect Liam Anderson to work with Indianapolis' first-team defense.

Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that it was a great sign to see Morrison moving around at practice Friday following his hip surgery last season, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Smith also noted that the Buccaneers already believed Morrison would be ready for training camp, so any participation in OTAs would be a bonus. The Notre Dame product was considered one of the best corners in the 2025 NFL Draft but fell to the second round due to injury concerns. He started all 31 games he played over his three years in college, recording 18 passes defended, including nine interceptions. Now nearing full health again, Morrison is expected to compete for one of Tampa Bay's top outside cornerback spots this summer.

Franklin signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Franklin played for three different schools throughout his six-year collegiate career, spending the first four seasons at UTSA before transferring to Ole Miss in 2023 and finishing his career at Illinois in 2024. The 6-foot-1 wideout's best season came at UTSA in 2022, catching 94 passes for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns across 14 games. With much of the Raiders' wide receiver corps still unproven, Franklin will likely compete for a depth spot on the active roster or practice squad during offseason activities.

Rourke (knee) won't participate in the 49ers' rookie camp, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The 2025 seventh-round pick played his final collegiate season on a torn ACL, so it's no surprise that he won't be ready for San Francisco's rookie minicamp. During Rourke's final season at Indiana, he threw for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and five picks, while also adding two rushing touchdowns. Once the 24-year-old returns from his ACL injury, he's expected to compete for a depth role in the 49ers' quarterback room.

Loveland (shoulder) is not participating in on-field work at rookie minicamp Friday as he continues to rehab from surgery undergone in January, Scott Bair of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Loveland, the 10th overall pick of April's draft, is present at rookie minicamp and building familiarity with Chicago's offensive scheme and new quarterback Caleb Williams (wrist), but the tight end's workout availability is currently limited to running and controlled lifting, per Bair. The rookie first-rounder is expected to be ready for increased participation in mandatory minicamp in early June and to be fully cleared for training camp in July. Loveland is a capable blocker at 6-foot-6, 260-pounds, but he figures to make his largest impact as a mismatch in the receiving game, though DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and rookie second-round pick Luther Burden represent plenty of competition for targets. Cole Kmet played 87 percent of snaps last season and has two years remaining on the four-year, $50 million deal he inked with Chicago in 2023, but Loveland boasts the draft capital and skillset to push for the No. 1 role before long.

Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry said Friday that the possibility of re-signing Chubb (foot) is "increasingly unlikely" after the team added two running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports.

Berry said he's "never going to rule out [Chubb]" and that he "would expect him to take another step being a year removed from the knee injury," but he made clear that "a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now." In his statement, Berry specifically noted rookies Quinshon Judkins (a second-round pick) and Dylan Sampson (fourth round), as well as incumbent veteran Jerome Ford, as reasons a reunion with Chubb is currently off the table. Just as notably, Berry said that Chubb is fully recovered from the broken foot that forced him to miss the final three games of 2024. The 29-year-old running back struggled in his return from a left ACL tear last season, averaging a career-low 3.3 yards per carry across eight appearances before landing on IR in Week 15 due to his foot fracture. He'll work to regain some of his prior explosiveness and find a new opportunity to compete this offseason.

The Bengals signed Gregory as an undrafted free agent Friday.

Gregory will get his first opportunity as a pro in 2025 after spending six seasons at the collegiate level, all at Arkansas. He broke out in 2024, recording 42 tackles (17 solo) including 3.0 sacks. There's some reason to believe those numbers were boosted by his age advantage though, and the fact he's set to turn 25 in September will now be considered a detriment to an extent.