NFL Player News

The Jets announced 18 futures additions Wednesday, but we already posted a number of them. Payne has bounced around since going undrafted in 2007. Toal played collegiately at Boston College. Kroul is an undersized nose.

Branch ruptured an Achilles tendon in Week 14 last year. He is still recovering. The Lions also placed C Cade Mays (wrist) on the injured reserve/designated for return list due to his summer injury. Both players will be eligible to return after missing four games.

Cornerback Bilhal Kone was also placed on IR. Both players can return after four games. Randall was likely parked behind Justice Hill as the Ravens’ RB3 heading into the season. That role now belongs to Rasheen Ali, at least until Randall is back in action. He played in the team’s final preseason game and the team has not said what this injury is yet.

The Buccaneers also waived QB Connor Bazelak, OLB Chris Braswell, LB John Bullock, TE Devin Culp, TE Kenny Fletcher Jr., OT Marshall Foerner, DL Josiah Green, WR Matthew Henry, OLB Yasir Holmes, OG Nash Hutmacher, WR Jha’Quan Jackson, LB Nick Jackson, DL Jayson Jones, G Elijah Klein, RB Barika Kpeenu, OG Henry Lutovsky, S Robert McDaniel, CB Roman Parodie, WR Dean Patterson IV, K B.T. Potter, OLB Jack Pyburn, WR Eric Rivers Jr., S J.J. Roberts, OT Paul Rubelt, C Ben Scott, DL Travis Shaw, RB Josh Williams, S Rashad Wisdom and LB LB Javin Wright. The Buccaneers released QB Jake Browning, LS Scott Daly and S Ifeatu Melifonwu. The Buccaneers placed CB Josh Hayes and WR David Sills V on injured reserve.

Offensive lineman Brandson Taylor was also placed on injured reserve. Rookie offensive tackle Isaiah World was placed on the reserve/NFI list. All three players will miss at least four games to start the year.

Demercado’s departure leaves rookie RB Emmett Johnson and second-year RB Brashard Smith to back up starting RB Kenneth Walker. The Chiefs also waived DE Vincent Anthony, LB Kam Arnold, WR Andrew Armstrong, WR Wesley Bissainthe, DT Cole Brevard, WR Jason Brownlee, WR Jacob De Jesus, OT Ethan Driskell, WR Omari Evans, OT Chukwuebuka Godrick, LB Cam Jones, WR Xavier Loyd, S Tanner McCalister, DT Amari McNeill, C Pete Nygra, RB Jaydn Ott, DT Damon Payne, CB D’Arco Perkins-McAllister, TE Mason Pline, S DeShon Singleton, CB Melvin Smith, EDGE Tyreke Smith, OG Josh Thompson, CB Zelmar Vedder, TE Tre Watson and WR Jeff Weimer. The Chiefs released LB Cole Christiansen, CB Kaiir Elam, CB Kader Kohou and EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah. The Chiefs placed DT Omarr Norman-Lott (knee) on the reserve/physically unable to play list and WR Jimmy Holiday on injured reserve. The Chiefs also waived OG C.J. Hanson, QB Chris Oladokun and RB EJ Smith with injury designations.

Patterson was a depth option for LA last year, but his services were no longer needed with Keaton Mitchell in the mix on top of Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal. He could wind up on the team’s practice squad later this week. The Chargers also waived/released S Noah Avinger, LB Lander Barton, LS Peter Bowden, TE Jerand Bradley, OLB Andre Carter, DL Jahmeer Carter, WR Liam Clifford, LB Junior Colson, RB Gregory Desrosiers, S Devin Grant, DL Jacobian Guillory, WR JaQuae Jackson, WR Gary Jennings, RB Amar Johnson, LB Emany Johnson, C Josh Kaltenberger, TE Johnny Pascuzzi, S Myles Purchase, OLB Garmon Randolph, CB Nikko Reed, CB Eric Rogers, WR Devonte Ross, TE Evan Svoboda, OLB Nadame Tucker, QB DJ Uiagalelei, T Laekin Vakalahi, CB Isas Waxter, DL Terry Webb, WR Sincere Brown, WR Dalevon Campbell, OLB Kyle Kennard, RB Jaret Patterson, and P JK Scott.

Signed near the end of the opening week of free agency, 31-year-old Conklin couldn’t make the team after a down year for the Chargers in 2025. Although he’s inarguably in decline, Conklin is well-rounded enough that he will porbably make 2026 regular season appearances. Also waived/released by the Lions were DL Myles Adams, LB Joe Bachie, WR Greg Dortch, WR Tom Kennedy LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, LB Troy Reeder, DL Ben Stille, RB Trayveon Williams, QB Luke Altmyer, WR Tarik Black, CB Ekow Boye-Doe, DB Aamaris Brown, OL Devin Cochran, CB Bump Cooper Jr., WR Malik Cunningham, TE Thomas Gordon, OL Gus Hartwig, TE Zach Horton, LB Erick Hunter, S Dan Jackson, WR Lucky Jackson, WR Dominic Lovett, EDGE Anthony Lucas, OG Mason Miller, OG Melvin Priestly, CB Eric Scott Jr., DL Chris Smith, OL Colby Sorsdal, S Jason Taylor II, DL Tyre West, CB Nick Whiteside, RB Roydell Williams and OL Michael Niese.

Cook and fellow quarterback Bailey Zappe were let go as a part of the Jets’ final cuts. As a result, they will be keeping two quarterbacks on the active roster, with rookie Cade Klubnik winning the backup job. Also waived/released by the Jets were DB Mory Bamba, WR Junior Bergen, WR Cam Camper, S Dean Clark, DB Jordan Clark, EDGE Anthony Dunn Jr., LB Paschal Ekeji, OL Courtland Ford, G Liam Fornadel, DB Keenan Garber, G Marquis Hayes, DT Jack Heflin, OL Xavier Hill, LB Jaden Keller, Edge Nate Lynn, WR Malik McClain, S Jarius Monroe, DL Payton Page, WR Jamaal Pritchett, WR Quincy Skinner, DL Mazi Smith, DT Junior Tafuna, S Tanner Wall, LB Chase Wilson, OL Xavier Newman-Johnson, CB Samuel Womack III, OL Landon Young, QB Bailey Zappe, TE Chase Curtis, TE Connor Hulstein, and RB Dominic Richardson.

Ewkonu suffered a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs. He is expected to return “at some point” this year, though that does not rule out a lengthy absence for the veteran tackle. Fellow starting tackle Taylor Moton was placed on the reserve/NFI list because of a blood clot in his lung. He will also miss at least four weeks.

Williams is still recovering from an ACL tear from last November. The 49ers will start him out on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, meaning the second-year pass rusher will miss at least the first four games of the season. Without the 2025 first-round pick in the pass-rush rotation to start the year, the 49ers will rely on Keion White to try and fill the void.