NFL Player News

Rudolph will be relegated to a backup role again in 2026, as Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on Monday.

Rodgers will reclaim the starting role he possessed in 2025, leaving Rudolph to battle for the second spot on the depth chart with 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar (ankle). If one of the younger quarterbacks shows promise in training camp, the Steelers could also opt to trade Rudolph to a team seeking an experienced backup. Rudolph has posted a 9-9-1 record in 19 regular-season starts split between the Steelers and Titans, including a loss in his lone start of 2025 with Pittsburgh while Rodgers was sidelined by a wrist injury.

Rodgers officially signed a one-year contract with the Steelers on Monday.

Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh on a one-year deal heading into his 22nd NFL campaign. The 42-year-old quarterback is participating Monday on the first day of the team's OTAs. Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards and a 24:7 TD:INT while posting a 10-6 record in 16 regular-season starts for the Steelers in 2025. In addition to replacing head coach Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy, the Steelers bolstered their wide receiver room in the offseason by trading for Michael Pittman and drafting Germie Bernard in the second round.

Rodgers and the Steelers are expected to agree on a one-year contract, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. The deal will be worth up to $25 million, according to Schefter.

Rodgers has been linked to a return to Pittsburgh throughout the offseason, and the Steelers emphasized their desire to bring the veteran QB back when they placed a right-of-first-refusal UFA tender on him in late April. Rather than sign that tender, Rodgers will return on a freshly negotiated one-year deal. He's slated to serve as the team's starting QB for a second straight campaign after leading Pittsburgh to the playoffs last season and throwing for 3,322 yards with a 24:7 TD:INT while completing 65.7 percent of his pass attempts over 16 regular-season games.

Wharton underwent neck surgery in early May and is out indefinitely, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Wharton signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Panthers last offseason, and he played just nine regular-season games in 2025, recording 36 tackles (11 solo), 2.0 sacks and a pass breakup. It's unclear if he'll miss any time, but LaBryan Ray would likely handle an increased workload if Wharton's injury lingers.

Martin (undisclosed) cleared waivers and reverted to the Raiders' injured reserve Friday, per the NFL's official media site.

A 2023 third-round pick, Martin has played in just six regular-season games through three seasons. Unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Raiders, Martin will spend the entire 2026 season on IR.

The Packers consider Parsons (ACL) a candidate to begin the 2026 regular season on the PUP list, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Parsons is reportedly expected to miss the first three to four games of the regular season as he works his way back from surgery undergone in late December to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. Once activated, he would likely still need time to ramp back up to his usual full workload. With Rashan Gary having been dealt to Dallas in March, rookie fourth-rounder Dani Dennis-Sutton will help keep the pass-rushing corps steady until Parsons is 100 percent healthy. This latest update aligns with the recovery timelines that have consistently been attached to Parsons throughout the offseason.

Thomas (undisclosed) cleared waivers Thursday and reverted to injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The 2024 fifth-round pick (Cardinals) played 18 games over his first two seasons, recording 10 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a pass breakup. However, he was waived by the Cardinals midway through the 2025 season before landing on the Texans' practice squad. It's unclear what he's dealing with, but he'll remain on IR unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Texans.

The Colts cut Wilson (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Wilson was waived/injured by the Colts in late April and cleared waivers. Now, he'll have a chance to get healthy before looking for his next opportunity. The lineman from Minnesota is 26 years old and has yet to play in an NFL game.

Dixon tore his Achilles on Wednesday and was placed on injured reserve Thursday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Despite going undrafted, there were high hopes for Dixon, who received $282,500 guaranteed in his contract (one of the largest among the rookie class), according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. Dixon went undrafted in part because of an existing hamstring injury, so this is another tough break for the rookie. Because of his placement on injured reserve, Dixon won't play in 2026 even if he's able to heal up before the end of the season.

Wilson will move from left guard to center in the upcoming 2026 season, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.

Wilson started 13 games at left guard as a rookie third-round pick. Now, he'll move to center after the Patriots traded Garrett Bradbury to the Bears this offseason, meaning Wilson will snap the ball to high-school teammate Drake Maye in 2026.