NFL Player News

General manager John Elway acknowledged that Lock is "the guy" in Denver, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Lock's 64.1 percent completion rate as a rookie was actually better than what he posted in any of his four seasons at Missouri. That's not to say concerns about accuracy or pocket presence can now be totally dismissed, but the 2019 second-round pick at least played well enough to earn the starting job for Week 1 of 2020. Elway was asked about the possibility of signing Tom Brady, and while the GM said he'd be willing to talk with the future Hall of Famer, he also made sure to mention that the Broncos are happy with Lock, per Mike Klis of 9News Denver. There hasn't been any other suggestion that Denver is one of the destinations Brady would consider.

Coach Andy Reid relayed Tuesday that he doesn't believe Mahomes will require offseason surgery after dislocating his kneecap this past October, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. "Right now he looks good," Reid said of the QB, who capped his 2019 season by earning Super Bowl LIV MVP honors. "He was out throwing with Dez (Bryant) the other day so he looked like he was slinging it around pretty good. I think he's fine."

Given that Mahomes was able to play through his aches and pains as last year's campaign rolled along, this isn't especially surprising, but Reid's words do at least reinforce that Mahomes' offseason appears to be going fine at this stage. Heading into the 2019 season, Mahomes was the clear-cut No. 1-ranked fantasy QB. While he retains elite status in advance of the 2020 slate, he's now joined by fellow signal caller Lamar Jackson as a top-tier option at his position.

Coach Doug Marrone said Minshew, Nick Foles and Joshua Dobbs will compete for the Jaguars' starting quarterback job this offseason, John Reid of The Florida Times-Union reports.

A report from early January suggested Foles would enter the offseason program as the top QB, though it's common sense that Minshew will at least have a shot at the job after his unexpectedly competent rookie season. Dobbs, on the other hand, isn't likely to see many first-team reps. The battle between Foles and Minshew will dominate headlines in Jacksonville throughout the spring and into the summer.

General manager Ryan Pace reiterated Tuesday that the Bears are committed to Trubisky (shoulder) as their starting quarterback, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The Bears may be committed to Trubisky for 2020, but Pace said the team hasn't decided on picking up the fifth-year contract option for 2021. The deadline for that decision is May 30, at which point the Bears expect Trubisky to be back on the field for spring practices. The 25-year-old quarterback is said to be making good progress in his recovery from January surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. A fifth-year option would cost approximately $24 million and would be guaranteed for injury only.

Beathard did not see the field while serving as the 49ers' third-string quarterback in 2019.

San Francisco -- in unorthodox fashion -- decided to keep three quarterbacks on its 53-man roster after the team was unable to trade backups Nick Mullens and Beathard during the preseason. This move showed the confidence the coaching staff has in the 26-year-old's abilities as a signal caller. Beathard's 57.3 completion percentage and 12:13 TD:INT ratio came in less-than-ideal conditions, but he has shown to have accuracy on shorter pass attempts with some athleticism as a runner when called upon. Both he and Mullens can be kept around on affordable contracts for 2020, so it will be interesting to see if the team decides to run with three quarterbacks again following a healthy season from starter Jimmy Garoppolo.

Mullens only recorded three kneel downs in 2019.

Mullens won the backup role behind Jimmy Garoppolo after throwing for 2,277 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his absence in 2018. The latter returned from an ACL tear at full strength this season, which kept the former undrafted free agent on the bench for the team's run to the Super Bowl. Mullens will be an exclusive rights free agent this upcoming offseason, so it will be easy for San Francisco to keep the 24-year-old under contract for one more year as the backup if they so desire.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Wednesday that he intends to work with Mayfield on improving the quarterback's footwork during the offseason, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Coming off a deflating sophomore season in which issues with accuracy and decision-making overshadowed Mayfield's occasional splash plays, Cleveland's top offseason priority will be setting up the signal-caller up for better success in Year 3. Improved footwork technique could certainly assist in enhancing Mayfield's efficiency and mobility within the pocket, but the larger determining factor for any progress he makes in 2020 will hinge on how he adapts to the system implemented by Van Pelt and new head coach Kevin Stefanski. Of course, the 24-year-old will get the benefit of a full offseason to get acclimated with Cleveland's new coaching regime, and there will be plenty of reason for optimism about Mayfield's chances of bouncing back as he returns to a team rich in skill-position talent.

Bridgewater is expected to have a strong market for his services as an unrestricted free agent this spring, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

With Drew Brees coming back for another season and Taysom Hill still under contract, Bridgewater figures to leave New Orleans for a shot at a starting job. He won each of his five starts in 2019, completing 69.7 percent of passes for 7.3 yards per attempt in those games, with just nine sacks, two interceptions and no fumbles. The one negative for Bridgewater is a crowded market for free-agent QBs, including Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston.

General manager Bob Quinn said rumors about the Lions shopping Stafford (back/hip) are "100 percent false," Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The rumors mostly suggest Detroit would trade Stafford and then select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick in April's draft. It sounds like a reasonable strategy in a vacuum, but Stafford's contract would force the team to absorb $32 million in dead money in the event of a trade or release, compared to a $21.3 million cap hit in 2020 if he stays with the team, per NFL.com's Kevin Patra. A trade would be a concession to an all-out rebuild, which wouldn't jibe with the Lions' aggressive approach to the 2019 offseason, nor would it align with the personal interests of Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia. The team's leadership presumably intends to build a stronger roster around Stafford, perhaps reassessing next offseason if it doesn't work out well in 2020. The 32-year-old quarterback said he'll be healthy before spring practices begin.

Winston (thumb) recently underwent LASIK surgery to improve his vision, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Winston has dealt with nearsightedness since his college days at Florida State, and question marks surrounding his vision resurfaced at the end of the 2019 season when coach Bruce Arians suggested the quarterback couldn't read the scoreboard. Whether at the behest of Tampa Bay's coaching staff or through his own discretion, Winston has now had the laser-assisted eye procedure with the hope it will help his overall performance. Winston, who became the first signal-caller in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions last season, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.