NFL Player News

Bridgewater (knee) is projected to miss the entire 2017 season, Bleacher Report's Jason Cole reports.

Bridgewater missed the whole 2016 campaign after suffering a severe knee injury during a preseason practice, and although Vikings coach Mike Zimmer recently said there's still no timetable for his return, the report relays that team doctors estimated Bridgewater would need 19 months to recover. By that timeline, he won't be fully healthy until March of next year, which would keep him sidelined for a second straight season. While it remains to be seen whether that actually happens, Zimmer said earlier this month that Sam Bradford -- whom Minnesota acquired following Bridgewater's injury -- has earned the team's starting quarterback role, so there may not be a job waiting for 2014's No. 32 pick when he eventually returns.

The Dolphins still haven't decided whether or not Tannehill will need knee surgery, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports.

It's been six weeks since Tannehill suffered the knee injury that was diagnosed as a sprain to his ACL and MCL. While it's not unusual for a decision to take a week or two as doctors wait for the swelling to diminish, a month and a half seems a bit out of the ordinary. As long as Tannehill doesn't need an ACL reconstruction, the additional wait time shouldn't change his availability for the 2017 season opener. However, if reconstruction is needed, then all bets would be off as to whether or not Tannehill would be ready for Week 1 of the 2017 campaign.

Team president Bruce Allen said Tuesday that the Redskins will do everything in their power to keep Cousins, an unrestricted free agent, in Washington next season and beyond, Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post reports. "Kirk's our quarterback," Allen reiterated. "He played well the last two years, and I know there's other speculation, but it doesn't come from the Redskins."

After he broke out in 2015, there was similar talk last offseason from Washington's brass about Cousins being "our long-term quarterback," but ultimately the franchise tag was required to ensure he stuck with the only organization he's ever known. While the franchise tag is again an option, the price will be ever steeper, meaning the bottom line will likely guide the Redskins' thinking this time around. As one of three quarterbacks to surpass the 4,900-yard threshold in 2016, Cousins' potential salary can be expected to carve out a large portion of the team's available cap.

Morris signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts.

After spending the season on the Colts' practice squad, the second-year quarterback will now be given another chance to secure a spot on the team's 53-man roster in 2017.

Vaughan signed a reserve/future contract with the Ravens.

Vaughan spent the preseason with the Steelers before breaking his thumb, which led to his release from the team. He'll look to compete for a spot on the Ravens' depth chart behind starter Joe Flacco.

Taylor was named as an alternate for the upcoming Pro Bowl, but won't be able to play in the game due to his recovery from core muscle surgery, BuffaloBills.com reports.

Taylor won't get official Pro Bowl status since he won't be able to play in the exhibition. His recovery isn't supposed to last long into the offseason, while the big question mark is whether there Bills decide to bring him back as the guy who leads the offense in Year 1 of the Sean McDermott era.

Lynch is preparing for a new system under new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave, The Denver Post reports.

McCoy's hire, and new head coach Vance Joseph's emphasis on the offense fitting the players, should be welcome news for Lynch, who seldom seemed comfortable in Gary Kubiak's offense that was predicated on being under center and relying on play action. McCoy, of course, has adapted to fit the skill sets of Jake Delhomme, Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning, and Philip Rivers during his career, so it would be fair to assume that he'll be willing to open it up a little more and incorporate some of what Lynch did at Memphis just as he took from Florida's playbook when playing Tebow. There will be a push for the more physically gifted Lynch to win the job over Trevor Siemian this offseason, and a key determining factor will be how Lynch adjusts to learning a new offense. Look for Musgrave, who played under Kubiak during the latter's first stint in Denver, to serve as a translator between the two systems.

Rodgers completed 27 of 45 passes for 287 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while rushing four times for 46 yards in Sunday's 44-21 NFC championship game loss to Atlanta.

The Rodgers-led Packers offense was shut out in the first half, and couldn't break the ice until he found Davante Adams from two yards out to make it 31-7 with 9:19 left in the third quarter. He later added touchdowns to Jordy Nelson and Jared Cook, but that production was much too little too late. Rodgers was intercepted by Ricardo Allen in the first half, and had another pick reversed by the replay official on his second scoring drive. While the star quarterback did a great job of running the table to get his team to this point following a 4-6 start, there's no doubt the better team prevailed Sunday.

Rodgers said Friday that he's dealing with a slight illness, NFL.com reports, but he does not have an injury designation ahead of Sunday's NFC championship game against the Falcons.

Mason Crosby missed Wednesday's practice due to illness and wideout Jordy Nelson (ribs) was told to stay home while sick Friday, so something's clearly going around Green Bay's locker room. Nonetheless, that bug isn't considered cause for concern, as Rodgers said that rest and fluids would help his system be fine in time for Sunday's kickoff. That sentiment is supported by Rodgers being absent from Green Bay's injury report, but the Packers will still certainly hope he returns to health as soon as possible.

Mariota's recovery from surgery on his broken right fibula is going well, and he should be able to participate in organized team activities in mid-May or early June, Jason Wolf of The Tennessean reports.

Mariota underwent surgery three weeks ago to repair the leg fracture he suffered during Week 16 against the Jaguars. That procedure saw a metal plate inserted into Mariota's right leg, which he still isn't able to put weight on for another five weeks, but he's gradually approaching the next phase of his recovery. In anticipation of that transition, Mariota had a checkup Wednesday that produced positive feedback, which bodes well for him returning to the field in the late spring or early summer.