NFL Player News

It looks like we won’t see any sort of long-term contract struck between Pickens and the Cowboys after the mercurial wideout was traded from the Steelers to Dallas in exchange for a 2026 third round draft pick and a 2027 fifth rounder. Dallas coaches and Jerry Jones likely want to see how Pickens, 24, acclimates to his new team after alienating coaches and teammates in Pittsburgh last season. Pickens, who has 2,841 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns over three NFL seasons, will immediately become the team’s No. 2 option behind CeeDee Lamb and a much-needed deep ball target for Dak Prescott.

All eyes will remain on Buffalo to start the 2025 offseason program with Hard Knocks coming to town. Coming off a year that saw Josh Allen nab his first MVP, only to be bounced from the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes once again, Buffalo was a natural choice to the the focal point of the HBO show. The NFC East will be featured division for the in-season edition of Hard Knocks. With both NFC Championship participants residing in the division, it was another easy choice for the producers of the show.

Kempski said his understanding is the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Shipley as a rookie. Shipley played sparingly as the team’s RB3 last year and turned 30 carries into a measly 82 yards. He was, however, playing exclusively in the fourth quarter of decided games, so it’s hard to take much away from his limited reps. The Eagles let Gainwell walk in free agency and only added AJ Dillon during the offseason, all but guaranteeing Shipley’s spot as Saquon Barkley’s backup. Though that isn’t enough of a role to put him on the redraft radar, Shipley is a solid last-round pick in deeper formats.

It was widely believed that the play was on the chopping block this week, but the Eagles pulled out all the stops, including flying in Jason Kelce for the meetings, to save their free touchdown play. Even after taking things to a second, more private session for further discussion, the ban did not receive the required 24 votes to pass. The ban could have shifted a few touchdowns from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley, but the Eagles were always going to be the league’s best team in short-yardage situations. Hurts has at least 13 rushing touchdowns in each of the past three seasons. He remains a top-five fantasy quarterback with the tush push still in the playbook.

Teams were only able to declare an onside kick in the fourth quarter before this change. They will now kick from the 34-yard line instead of the 35. The change is designed to increase the success rate of onside kicks, which sat at a dismal six percent last year. It’s hard to imagine such a minor tweak meaningfully changing the numbers on onside kicks. The NFL has refused to let the kickoff and, by extension, the onside kick die, but things continue to trend in that direction every year. Detroit’s proposal to change the playoff seeding rules was tabled while the tush push’s fate will be decided shortly.

It wasn’t all bad for the rookie. Coen also noted that Tuten started to get more comfortable as the practice went on and called the fumble a learning experience. Still, the last thing you want to see from a young player is a ball security problem out of the gates. Tuten also struggled to take care of the rock in college, fumbling nine times in his two years as Virginia Tech’s starting running back. He may already be the most explosive back on the Jacksonville roster, but Tuten will struggle to carve out much of a role if his coaches don’t trust him. For now, fantasy managers should treat the Jags’ backfield as a three-headed committee, with Travis Etienne getting first crack at the starting job. Tank Bigsby currently stands in Tuten’s way for the backup role, but all three backs should see work in 2025.

Barth noted that Williams was “especially involved running routes outside the numbers.” It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the No. 69 overall pick is standing out in a barren receiver room, but it’s good to see nonetheless. Williams was an elite deep threat at Washington State, catching 12 passes that traveled 20 or more yards in 2024. He ranked sixth in the country in deep receptions and showed off his wheels at the combine with a 4.4 Forty. Williams will push to lead the Patriots in targets as a rookie, making him a strong bet in early fantasy drafts.

It was a surprise to see the Lions move up to draft a player that wasn’t expected to be drafted until late in Day 3, but the Lions like what the Lions like. The 6-foot-4 wideout is expected to contribute on special teams, but with his size and athleticism, it’s not completely out of the question that he’ll see some time in the loaded Lions’ offense.

The Dolphins will have a need at corner whenever the Jalen Ramsey situation is handled — and aren’t exactly loaded at the position even with him — and Samuel is considered one of the best defensive backs remaining on the market. The 25-year-old underwent neck surgery this offseason, but assuming no massive setbacks he should be ready for the beginning of the 2025 campaign. Samuel is also a potential target for the Saints, who worked out the defender Monday.

It’s a $6.335 million deal that includes a $1.247 million signing bonus. The 22-year-old is expected to compete for a major role in the Kansas City secondary, and he’ll likely compete with Kristian Fulton for a spot on the outside with Trent McDuffie locked into the other starting corner spot.

It was reported earlier by ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the owners were expected to approve players participating, and it’s now official. Those Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, and players like Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill have expressed interest in participating in the event. The NFL has heavily promoted flag football participation over the last few years, and while there is some injury risk associated with allowing players to chase a Gold medal every four years — assuming this event lasts beyond the 2028 games — it’s not surprising to see the league wanting to see their best on the Olympic stage.