Former NFL safety Darren Sharper, who pleaded guilty or no contest a decade ago to multiple charges of rape, is moving closer to being released from custody.
Via Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Guardian, Sharper was transferred from federal prison on May 27 to either home confinement or a halfway house.
Sharper, 50, had allegedly drugged and raped (or attempted to rape) multiple women in Louisiana, California, Nevada, and Arizona. He was sentenced in August 2016 to 18 years, with credit for the time he had spent behind bars following his original arrest in February 2014.
A second-round pick of the Packers in 1997, he spent eight seasons in Green Bay, four in Minnesota, and two with the Saints. He was a member of the New Orleans team that won Super Bowl XLIV.
A court filing advocating for early release argued that it would allow Sharper “to finally receive treatment for . . . traumatic brain injuries . . . and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy . . . disease developed from his years playing football.” That motion was denied in August 2025.
Sharper is currently due to be freed on December 27, 2028.
Packers Clips
The Dolphins are moving into a new era with head coach Jeff Hafley and quarterback Malik Willis.
As their offseason program gets closer to its end, Hafley is feeling good about the young signal-caller.
Hafley, who was around Willis for the last two seasons with the Packers, told reporters on Tuesday that Willis has “looked as good as he’s looked since I’ve known him.”
“The conversation I had with Malik today walking down the hallway, you can see he’s more comfortable,” Hafley said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. “He understands the answers being provided for him on each play.”
Willis, 27, played well when called upon as Green Bay’s backup over the last two seasons. In his 11 appearances with three starts, Willis completed 79 percent of his passes for 972 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 261 yards with three TDs in that span.
The Packers are paying one of their key offensive players.
Green Bay and receiver Christian Watson have agreed to a four-year contract extension, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The initial numbers indicate the deal is worth $110.5 million with a $31 million signing bonus.
Watson, a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, was previously under contract through 2026 after agreeing to a one-year contract extension last September.
While Watson has been productive when he’s been on the field, he’s also struggled with injuries throughout his young career. He’s played 14, nine, 15, and 10 games, respectively, in his first four seasons.
In 2025, Watson caught 35 passes for 611 yards with six touchdowns in 10 contests. He also had three catches for 36 yards with a TD in Green Bay’s postseason loss to Chicago.
Don’t expect to see Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons on the field at the start of the regular season.
After suffering a torn ACL in December, Parsons is not going to be able to return until at least October, he told reporters on Wednesday.
Multiple reporters also relayed that Parsons said he had to have a clean-up procedure on his meniscus. Because of that, Parsons has a hard rule of at least a nine-month recovery before he’s able to play.
Parsons’ surgery was performed on Dec. 29, with nine months after that being Sept. 29. That could, in theory, put the Week 4 game against the Buccaneers in play. But the Week 5 against the Bears or the Week 6 against the Cowboys could be a bit more realistic, if not the Week 7 divisional contest against the Lions.
Parsons would rather come back and be effective than come back quickly.
“We have a pretty strong nine-month rule,” Parsons said, via Ryan Wood of USA Today. “It’s just all about … the research and the data. There’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from an ACL, especially if you’re having other things getting fixed up.”
“The goal for me is to complete the season … the goal has always been playoffs,” Parsons added, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
With this timeline, it’s likely that Parsons will start training camp and the regular season on the physically unable to perform list.
Parsons recorded 12.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 27 quarterback hits in 14 games with Green Bay in 2025.
The Packers broke with tradition by taking wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round of the 2025 draft, but he didn’t make an immediate jump to the top of the depth chart during his rookie season.
Golden was sixth on the team with 29 catches and failed to score a touchdown during a regular season that saw him miss three games due to injuries. That was seen as underwhelming for those who thought Golden would be a difference maker right out of the gate, but the wideout had a more positive view of how things went.
“I would say it happened exactly how it was supposed to,” Golden said, via the team’s website. “I feel like it developed me and [my] mindset to have a chip on my shoulder, just how to go about things. I wouldn’t change anything that happened last year. I feel like for this year, it’s a part of the plan, man, and I’m excited.”
Two of the receivers who were ahead of Golden last year — Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks — are now playing for other teams, which opens the door for a bigger role in Year 2. Golden said he doesn’t feel added pressure because of his confidence in what he’ll bring to the table.
“To be honest, I don’t feel like they’ve seen anything yet,” Golden said. “I have a lot of confidence in myself and I know what I have done. To me, it wasn’t anything yet. I know it’s a lot more out there. I’m excited for it. I know I’m gonna prove myself right.”
The Packers seem to be banking on that being the case as they make their offensive plans for 2026.
Running back Josh Jacobs is back on the Packers’ practice field this week.
Video from Tuesday’s OTA session shows Jacobs dressed and going through drills with his teammates. Jacobs was arrested May 26 after police responded to an alleged domestic violence incident a few days earlier. He missed practice time as those matters played out, but it does not sound like there will be any limitations on his participation this week.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said, via multiple reporters, that it is “business as usual” for the veteran back.
Prosecutors said last week that there has been no decision about formally filing criminal charges against Jacobs, who was arrested on suspicion of strangulation, battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a victim.
The Jaguars brought in some experienced help for their defensive line on Monday.
The team announced the signing of defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna. There was no corresponding cut needed to make room on the 90-man roster.
Bohanna split the 2025 season between the Seahawks and the Packers. He had three tackles in five games for Seattle and two tackles in his only appearance for the Packers.
Bohanna has 44 tackles in 40 career appearances for the Seahawks, Packers, Titans, Lions, and Cowboys.
DaVon Hamilton, Arik Armstead, Ruke Orhorhoro, and third-round pick Albert Regis are also on hand on the interior of Jacksonville’s defensive line.
With the calendar hitting June 1, the Eagles are adding a receiver to their roster.
Philadelphia is adding Samori Toure, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Toure, 28, was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft. He’s appeared in 23 career games, 22 of which were with the Packers. He’s caught 14 passes for 1t63 yards with one touchdown.
Toure is familiar with the system new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is implementing, as Mannion was previously the Packers’ offensive assistant.
Green Bay waived Toure during roster cuts in 2024. He’s since spent time with the Bears, Broncos, and Saints.
The Packers spent a third-round draft pick on running back MarShawn Lloyd in 2024, and so far they’ve gotten nothing out of him: Lloyd has played in only one game, carrying six times for 15 yards and never even picking up a first down in that game.
Green Bay was already hoping to get more out of Lloyd in Year 3, but the recent arrest of running back Josh Jacobs and the possibility that Jacobs could be facing NFL discipline means Lloyd could become even more important to the Packers’ prospects. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Lloyd is working hard in the offseason program, but the question is whether he can stay healthy, which he hasn’t done so far in his NFL career.
“He’s done a nice job, but we’ve only had one practice,” LaFleur said, via ESPN. “I think the proof will be in the pudding. He’s got to show that consistently over the course of all of OTAs, into training camp, into the preseason, and then we’ll see where we go from there.”
LaFleur said he’s hoping Lloyd can prove he’s the player the Packers thought they were getting when they drafted him out of USC.
“I think he’s done everything he can in his power to put him in the best possible position,” LaFleur said. “He’s just going to have to go out there and prove it.”
Seven months after he tore his ACL, Packers tight end Tucker Kraft is almost ready to return.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said today that Kraft is participating in voluntary offseason work and looks so good that it’s tempting to let him do everything, although the Packers are playing it safe and waiting to clear him for a full return to practice.
“Tuck looks great right now. You want him out there,” LaFleur said. “He looks so good, you’d want to put him out there, but certainly we’re still early in that process. Hopefully he’ll be ready to go either by training camp or early in training camp.”
Kraft was off to a strong start before his injury last season, with 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns in eight games. If he’s healthy, he’s a big part of the Packers’ offense and one of the best tight ends in football. LaFleur sounds confident that Kraft will be healthy in Week One.
