NFL Player News

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi said Thursday that Ward (shoulder) is on track to throw passes at voluntary minicamp next week, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Borgonzi didn't mention if Ward has resumed throwing in individual workouts. The young quarterback suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder during a Week 18 loss at Jacksonville, making an early exit from the final game of a brutal rookie season. Ward started all 17 games, but threw for just 3,169 yards and 15 touchdowns in an undermanned offense with subpar coaching. Ward's setup for 2026 looks at least somewhat better, with Brian Daboll taking over the Tennessee offense (under new HC Robert Saleh) and bringing WR Wan'Dale Robinson with him from the Giants. Ward may have limitations during the offseason program, but he has plenty of time to ramp up before the start of training camp in late July.

Allen signed a contract with the Giants on Monday.

Allen spent last season with the Titans and saw action in only one contest, a Week 18 loss to the Jaguars in which he completed 17 of 30 passes for 72 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Now, he'll reunite with New York's quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brian Callahan while providing the team depth behind Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston.

The Texans have exercised the fifth-year option of Stroud's rookie contract Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

Stroud thus remains under contract through 2027, though his fifth-year option being picked up doesn't necessarily preclude Houston from inking the 24-year-old quarterback to an extension. Trade rumors surrounded Stroud early in the offseason, but GM Nick Caserio doubled down on the team's long-term commitments to the 2023 first-round pick during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and the league's annual owners meetings. Across 14 regular-season appearances in 2025, Stroud threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, the lowest TD and yardage totals of his career to date. The case for Stroud to rebound for fantasy purposes next year relies on projecting wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to take a step forward in Year 2 alongside No. 1 WR Nico Collins, and potentially also for Tank Dell (knee) to resume producing after missing all of 2025. The Texans also have Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson and TE Dalton Schultz (calf) rounding out the receiving corps.

Cousins agreed Thursday with the Raiders on a contract, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

After being cut by the Falcons earlier in the offseason, Cousins had drawn interest from several teams who were keen on bringing him aboard as a backup. He ultimately opted to head to Las Vegas, where he'll at least temporarily slot in atop the depth chart. The Raiders are widely expected to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft later this month, but Cousins -- who is in line to earn $20 million fully guaranteed for playing the 2026 season -- per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, could still emerge as the Week 1 starter if Las Vegas isn't eager to rush Mendoza into action right away to begin his NFL career. During his final season in Atlanta, Cousins made 10 appearances (eight starts) and completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 6.4 yards per attempt and a 10:5 TD:INT.

Hooker is in line to sign with the Titans, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Hooker, who last saw regular-season snaps with the Lions in 2024, joins a crowded Titans QB room that currently also includes Cam Ward, Mitchell Trubisky and Will Levis. The 2023 third-rounder adds a dual-threat presence to the group, and his addition could foreshadow the team moving on from Levis down the road.

Coach Todd Monken noted Tuesday that QB reps during the Browns' offseason workout program competition won't necessarily be evenly divided between Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN reports.

On that subject, Monken said, "I wouldn't say they're going to be evenly dispersed, but we'll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to at least evaluate who we have on the roster, whoever that might be as we go through the offseason." When asked how he'll decide who takes the first starting reps once the team's on-field work commences, Monken indicated that it would be based on "what we've seen in the past and where the year ended last year." With that in mind, Zac Jackson of The Athletic suggests that Sanders seems most likely to work as the No. 1 QB in early spring workouts, but at this stage nothing is set in stone, with Watson -- who missed last season due to an Achilles' injury -- now healthy, per Oyefusi, and thus expected to compete with Sanders and Gabriel for the starting job.

Rodgers is expected to let the Steelers know by the NFL Draft what his plans are for the coming season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

For now, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are the signal-callers the Steelers have under contract. If Rodgers does elect to continue his playing career with the team, he'll be reunited with Mike McCarthy, who coached him for 13 years while the two were with the Packers. The 42-year-old QB threw for 3,322 yards with a 24:7 TD:INT in 16 regular-season games with Pittsburgh in 2025, and since then the team has acquired Michael Pittman from the Colts, bolstering a WR corps that was led by DK Metcalf last season.

Indianapolis GM Chris Ballard said Monday at the NFL owners' meeting that "[t]here's definitely a scenario" in which Richardson (eye) remains with the Colts in 2026, Stephen Holder of ESPN reports.

Richardson requested and received permission to seek a trade in late February, and Indianapolis has since re-signed Daniel Jones (Achilles) to a two-year extension that solidifies him as the team's starter. Meanwhile, 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard looked capable of locking down the No. 2 job during the lone start of his rookie campaign, leaving Richardson's status unclear. Ballard also said he remains open to adding another QB due to Jones' uncertainty for Week 1, which could indicate that the team is still looking to move on from Richardson. Richardson ended last season on IR after fracturing the orbital bone of his right eye in October.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said Monday at the NFL owners' meetings that Watson (Achilles) has a "great chance" to compete for the team's No. 1 quarterback job this season, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

Haslam called this offseason a "fresh start" for Watson, who last saw NFL action October 2024 before suffering a torn Achilles tendon. The 30-year-old re-ruptured the same tendon in January 2025 and missed all of last season. Watson is heading into the final year of the five-year, $230 million deal he inked in 2022, and in early March he agreed to restructure his contract to clear roughly $35 million in cap space. Barring any additions to the QB room, Watson's main competition will be Shedeur Sanders, with Dillon Gabriel also on the depth chart. Watson is presumably now healthy, as the Browns opened his 21-day practice window in December and allowed him to practice in a limited capacity. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Haslam said Watson will be present for the start of voluntary workouts April 7.

Broncos owner Greg Penner said Monday that Nix is "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from right ankle surgery, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette reports.

Penner said in January that he had "zero concern" about Nix's recovery from a bone break in his right ankle, and the team owner echoed those comments Monday. "He's attacked his recovery in the same way that he attacks preparing for games and has just done a terrific job," Penner said of Nix. "He's ahead of schedule. No concerns at all for OTAs and go forward from there." Denver coach Sean Payton stated in February that he expects Broncos OTAs to start June 1, and Nix is trending toward being ready to participate by that date.