NFL Player News

The Chiefs appear to be near full strength for a showdown between the top two teams in each conference, the winner of whom will be alone with the best record in the league through 11 weeks.

The nine-year veteran wide receiver signed a one-year contract with the Eagles in March but ultimately retired before playing a snap with the franchise. Parker spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the Dolphins before playing the previous two seasons with the Patriots. He cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the primary reason for his decision. Parker ends his career with 402 receptions, 5,660 yards, and 27 touchdowns.

Per Mike Klis of Denver 9News, second-year linebacker Drew Sanders tore his Achilles in late April and has already undergone surgery to correct the ailment. That places the 2024 season in doubt for Sanders but the report states that the team in hopeful he can return before the end of the season. The standard six-to-eight-month recovery timetable for full Achilles tears leaves his expected return window some time from the end of October to the end of December, meaning it remains possible that Sanders could make it back in time for the end of the season. That said, there would be no reason to rush him back if the Broncos are out of postseason contention by that time. Sanders played a complimentary role for the Broncos during his rookie season, managing just 258 defensive snaps, and was likely to serve in a similar capacity during his second year in the league.

Horn has missed more games than he has played in after the Panthers selected him No. 8 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, appearing in just 22 games while missing 29. He reportedly added more weightlifting to his offseason routine, saying Monday, “Just trying to switch something up and start from ground zero and build my body back up.” Horn added, “I know what I’m capable of, and I still feel like I’m one of the best DBs in this league. I’ve just got to be out there to show it. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.” Horn will play the 2024 season on the fourth year of his five-year rookie deal after the team exercised his fifth-year option in April.

Jones’ presence on the field for 7-on-7 drills Monday seems to confirm previous reports that the Giants signal caller would be ready for the start of preseason camp as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in November. Jones and the rest of the New York offense got one of the top playmakers in this year’s draft when the team selected WR Malik Nabers in the first round, a player that should immediately step into the primary pass-catching role in his rookie season. The biggest concern for the Giants offense had been whether or not Nabers would get any real repetitions with Jones prior to the start of the regular season, something that now seems to be a moot point.

Stafford’s presence for the opening day of OTAs is notable considering the veteran quarterback had expressed intent to seek more guaranteed money in his contract this offseason, placing doubt in his status for organized team activities leading up to camp in the process. It also speaks to his level of health heading into the 2024 season after Stafford battled multiple injuries the previous two years. Either way, consider it a slight boost to Stafford’s fantasy value for the coming year.

Coming off one of the worst rookie years in recent memory, anything that’s positive is good news for Young, who is hoping to put a disastrous 2023 campaign behind him. Canales added that Young has “really mastered” learning the routes and desired footwork for plays early on, and praised him for his consistency. Canales was instrumental in Baker Mayfield’s bounce-back with the Buccaneers last season. His success with Mayfield is ultimately what helped him land his role with the Panthers this offseason, as owner David Tepper hopes his former No. 1 pick can display some of the promise that made him the the top selection in last year’s draft. An early mastery of the offense is a great sign for Young, but we’ll have to see how this continues to transfer to the field once training camp starts up in a few months.

Havrisik had a brief stint with the Browns last season but never attempted a field goal for them. The third-year kicker did, however, make nine appearances for the Rams last season, converting on 15-of-20 field goals, with four of them coming from 40-plus yards out. He’ll presumably get a chance to compete with Dustin Hopkins and Cade York for the Browns’ starting kicker role this season. Last season, Hopkins converted on 33-of-36 of his field goal attempts.

Speaking on Monday, Ward said he is “almost at 100 percent” after undergoing surgery for a core muscle injury after the Super Bowl. Ward reportedly played through the injury for several weeks last season, appearing in all 17 regular-season games while totaling five interceptions and 72 tackles. He received his first Pro Bowl nod for his efforts and appears to be on track to return for training camp, barring any setbacks.

Yes, the OTAs are voluntary, but Jefferson’s absence likely stems from his impending contract extension. The Vikings’ WR1 has been in talks with the team over an extension and also skipped out on April’s voluntary workouts for the same reason. While this is somewhat notable, it’s not uncommon for players in the midst of negotiations to skip out on voluntary activities. This will become much more of a story if Jefferson misses any part of training camp while hashing out a deal. Jefferson is currently under contract and set to earn just north of $19.7 million in 2024.

According to Smith-Schuster, he felt about “60 percent” healthy during this time last season. The veteran receiver was dealing with a knee injury that carried over from his 2022 season with the Chiefs and said he never reached a point of feeling 100 percent healthy. Now, that’s all changed. Speaking Monday at OTAs, Smith-Schuster said he feels like he is in full health, which is good news for the Patriots, who signed him to a three-year, $25 million contract last offseason. Smith-Schuster caught 29 passes for 260 yards and one touchdown in 11 games for the Patriots last season, looking like a fraction of the player he was in 2022 when he went for 78-933-3 with the Chiefs. If healthy, he should be the best receiver in New England’s underwhelming wide receiver room. With that said, it’s hard to imagine him having anything more than WR4 fantasy upside until we get a chance to see him on the field.