NFL Player News

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said quarterback Sam Bradford will have to compete for the starting job in 2015 "with somebody that's not in the building right now." Serious knee injuries ended each of Bradford's last two seasons, and the team wants to restructure his contract, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Fisher did not get specific on the quarterback competition. Backup Shaun Hill is set to hit free agency.

"What that looks like, I can't tell you right now -- from a draft standpoint or from free agency," Fisher said. "But [Bradford] will be competing. We have some work to do obviously, from a contractual standpoint, but I'm confident we'll sort some things out."

Bradford said his rehab is going well, and he threw on the side at practice last week.

In his successful appeal, Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh claimed his feet were numb "and he couldn't tell the difference between [Packers quarterback] Aaron Rodgers' feet and the ground," reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The NFL initially suspended Suh one game for stomping on Rodgers' calf and ankle Week 17, then reduced the punishment on appeal to a $70,000 fine without a suspension.

It seems Suh's explanation might have helped him get on the field for Sunday's playoff game at Dallas.

Rodgers expressed skepticism about Suh's intentions before the appeal ruling. "If you step on something in your everyday life, or if you step on somebody on the field, the first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands," Rodgers told 540 ESPN in Milwaukee. "Or pulling your foot back right away. And I'm just not sure that's what happened."

Asked about the incident at a press conference Wednesday, Suh repeatedly said: "Next question."

The Lions are 7-point underdogs at Dallas, with most observers giving them a better chance at the upset thanks to Suh's presence.

Browns general manager Ray Farmer said Tuesday it is possible for quarterback Brian Hoyer to be back with the team, according to ESPN.

"If he wants to be back, that leverage is definitely in his court to make that happen," Farmer said.

Hoyer is set to become a free agent this offseason and explore the market. In 14 games this season, Hoyer threw for 3,326 yards with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. It is unclear what kind of deal Hoyer will be looking for or what kind of deal Cleveland would offer the 29-year-old.

Farmer also said he would be willing to add a quarterback to the roster through the draft or free agency this offeseason. 

“Nope, I would not,” Farmer said. “I would not hesitate to take whoever I thought could help this football team and move us forward. The goal is to win.”

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is currently rehabbing from his second torn ACL in as many years, but has had doubts about returning to the game.

Bradford told reporters Tuesday there was a part of him that was done with football after tearing his ACL in August just before the start of the season. A phone call with current University of Oklahoma offensive coordinator Josh Heupel helped to get him on the right track mentally.

Bradford still believes St. Louis is the best place for him and he still has a lot to prove.

He has only played two full seasons in the league since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Rams in 2010. He has a career 58.6 completion percentage with 11,065 yards and 59 touchdowns. 

No timetable has been set for Bradford's return to the field, but the team will be more deliberate with their rehab during the offseason.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was asked Tuesday whether he agreed with the NFL suspending Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for Detroit's playoff game at Dallas. Suh received the suspension for stomping on Rodgers' ankle Sunday.

"Well, I don't know," Rodgers told ESPN 540. "I'm anxious to see what happens with the appeal. If you step on something in your everyday life, or if you step on somebody on the field, the first reaction seems to be looking back and maybe apologizing with your hands. Or pulling your foot back right away. And I'm just not sure that's what happened."

Suh appealed the suspension and is hoping his punishment will be reduced to a fine.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers called his left calf injury "significant," saying it's injured in two spots, but believes he'll be in better shape for the Jan. 11 playoff game than he was Week 17 against the Lions, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

"I've been doing a lot of treatment around the clock," Rodgers told ESPN 540 on Tuesday. "That's the goal. Mike (McCarthy) is going to give me, I think, as much time off as I need, working up to it. But I'm going to want to get some on-the-field reps when we get into our preparation and we figure out who our opponent is."

Rodgers said the extra week of rest will put him in a "better spot" than he was last Sunday. He would not address whether he'll be 100 percent.

When Rodgers scrambled and hit Randall Cobb for a touchdown Sunday, he thought he might have popped his Achilles tendon. The pain was that intense, Rodgers said.

"That's why I stayed down," he said.

While Rodgers won't miss the playoff game, he admitted the injury has limited him, especially because his game has been "predicated on movement outside the pocket."

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer made it clear "Teddy is the quarterback," indicating Teddy Bridgewater won't face competition for the 2015 starting job, reports ESPN.com. Bridgewater finished his rookie season on a high note, throwing 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the final six games.

Minnesota went 6-6 in his 12 starts. All told, Bridgewater completed 64.4 percent of his throws for 2,919 yards with 15 touchdowns (one rushing) and 12 interceptions.

While quarterback Geno Smith's future with the Jets will depend on who the team hires as the new general manager and head coach, he at least received an endorsement Monday from owner Woody Johnson.

"I've got confidence in Geno," Johnson said, per ESPN. "I really do. He'll be good." 

Smith is coming off one of his finest performances as a pro, posting a perfect passer rating (158.3) in a 37-24 win Week 17 at Miami. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns. 

However, Smith has had his struggles during his two-year NFL career. He is 11-18 as a starter and has just a career 57.5 percent completion rate. He also has more interceptions (34) than passing touchdowns (25).

Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Monday that quarterback Aaron Rodgers "feels good" after suffering a calf injury in Sunday's regular season finale against Detroit, per the team's official website.

Rodgers was carted off the field in the first half with a calf injury but returned in the third quarter. He threw for 226 yards on 17 for 22 passing for two touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown in Green Bay's 30-20 win over the Lions. McCarthy indicated Monday that he should be ready to play following a bye week.

"We have a good plan for his rehab this week," McCarthy said.

Just a day removed from throwing a perfect game and leading his team to a season-finale win over Miami, Jets quarterback Geno Smith skipped a team meeting just hours after the team parted ways with general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan on Monday, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. The reasoning for his absence was not made public.

Smith completed 20 of 25 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-24 victory over Miami, sending Ryan out as a winner. Earlier in the week, he indicated that a coaching change "could be good for us all," and that he sees himself as the starting quarterback for the Jets for a "long time." Smith, the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, finished the season with 13 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and 2,502 passing yards.