NFL Player News

It’s worth noting because Thomas appeared buried on the offensive line depth chart and was given a 30 percent chance of making the 53-man roster by ESPN Boston earlier this month. He’s still on the bubble, but saw first-time reps on Tuesday and appears to have an edge on Robert Gallery for a roster spot.

Per Fowler, QB Shedeur Sanders “has his moments this spring,” but Watson apparently fits well in coach Todd Monken’s scheme. The new offense has “some concepts” that Watson has run in the past, which allow him to freelance at times, and Watson “likes that.” The Browns are hoping that one quarterback does enough for the coaching staff to name a starter by the time training camp rolls around in July. Once a starter is named, we can begin to assess whether the victor is actually playing well, or if he simply outperformed an uninspiring teammate.

Both of the Lions’ starting safeties, Joseph and Brian Branch (Achilles), are rehabbing significant injuries. While it would be great to get one or both of them back on the field this spring, Campbell does not want to hurry his injured stars back and risk re-injury. Late in April, Lions general manager Brad Holmes said both safeties are “trending in the right direction.” However, last we heard, Branch was not expected to be ready to play in Week 1. Joseph will likely sit out spring practices, but seemingly has a chance to participate in training camp. Stay tuned.

LaPorta underwent back surgery in November and is still in recovery. The Lions’ offseason program includes organized team activities and a mandatory minicamp, sporadically taking place from May 27th to June 17th. A prior report indicated that the Lions hope to have LaPorta on the field when training camp begins in July. That could still happen, though he may need to be eased in after the extended absence. Things appear to be on the right track for his regular season readiness, though.

Olszewski was coming off the line, running a route, when he fell to the ground and “appeared to grab at his right lower leg,” immediately showing “significant frustration.” Olszewski’s teammates were reportedly upset by what they saw. This sounds like it might be an Achilles injury. Hopefully, it’s not. Olszewski earned first-team All-Pro honors while leading the league in punt return yards in 2020. Losing him to a significant injury would hurt the Giants’ special teams unit.

The nature of the “violation” appears to be purposefully omitted, although the fact that Swinton lasted less than three months with the club raises significant questions. It remains uncertain whether the full details will ever be released, with the only thing we know for sure being that Swinton is out in Pittsburgh.

The veteran lineman was to enter the final year of a three-year, $57 million contract in 2026, albeit with no guarantees. The updated deal lowers his cap hit by $7.5 million while converting $10 million to a fully guaranteed base salary and signing bonus, giving the player more security while the team gets more roster flexibility. Looks like a win-win for both parties ahead of training camp next month.

McCaffrey practiced with the team on Wednesday. He was held out of team drills on Thursday and worked on his conditioning on a side field instead. Late in March, coach Kyle Shanahan said he wants less “wear and tear” on McCaffrey this season. The plan to reduce wear and tear may be limited to the practice week. McCaffrey told reporters today that he thinks “the workload in our sport is really monitored in practice, not in games,” and that he likes to prepare himself “for playing every snap.” McCaffrey posted a league-leading and career-high 413 touches last season. If sitting out practices regularly allows him to handle a similar workload this season, he will once again compete for the overall RB1 spot in fantasy.

Bosa has been rehabbing this offseason after tearing his ACL early in November. He said he is “far along” in the recovery process and should be good to go for the 2026 season. Bosa tore his right ACL in high school and his left ACL in 2020. Although having experience in this department is less than ideal, Bosa said his prior experiences have helped him during this rehab process.

The list of finalists includes Vikings executive vice president of football operations and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski, Broncos assistant general manager Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray, Rams assistant general manager John McKay and Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley. Per The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, it “remains unclear whether or not ownership wants to do more due diligence, most have expected a resolution late May/early June.”

Brooks opened team drills as the Packers’ starting running back on Wednesday. Fellow backup RB Pierre Strong then subbed in, taking first-team reps as well. Starting RB Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday for domestic abuse and was not present. Presumed RB MarShawn Lloyd practiced on Tuesday, but was limited to individual drills for an undisclosed reason on Wednesday. Injuries derailed Lloyd’s first two NFL seasons, so his absence is worth monitoring.