NFL Player News

Head coach Jerod Mayo said Wednesday that Maye and Jacoby Brissett will compete for the Patriots' starting quarterback job in the coming months, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com reports.

As the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye is no doubt viewed as the team's quarterback of the future, but given his limited experience (just 26 collegiate starts) along with the fact that he doesn't turn 22 years old until August, he could work behind Brissett early on during his professional career. With that in mind, Maye's standing in redraft leagues isn't as high as it is in dynasty formats, but the North Carolina's product's upside is undeniable, given that he has the prototypical size (6-foot-4, 223 pounds), arm talent and mobility of a potential star signal-caller.

The Broncos informed Wilson on Wednesday that they won't exercise his fifth-year team option for 2025, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Wilson, whom the Jets took with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, joined the Broncos in a trade shortly before April's draft. With Denver not in line to pick up his fifth-year option -- which would have been for a guaranteed $22.4 million -- the 24 year-old will become a free agent next March. For now, Wilson is slated to compete with first-round rookie Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham -- who started Denver's final two games of the 2023 regular season -- for the Week 1 starting assignment. While Nix is presumably viewed as the franchise's long-term answer at quarterback, in the short term, slotting at the position is up for grabs in advance of training camp.

Richardson (shoulder) has resumed throwing at spring practices and looks to be healthy.

Head coach Shane Steichen said in March that he expected Richardson to be ready for OTAs in May and June. Steichen's prediction looks to be coming to fruition, though the quarterback won't necessarily be a full participant in all activities coming off surgery on his throwing shoulder in October. He resumed throwing in February and is the unquestioned starting quarterback for an offense that just added wideout Adonai Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Following the 2024 NFL Draft, Stidham is joined in the Broncos' QB room by newcomer Zach Wilson, along with No. 12 overall pick Bo Nix, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

After the Broncos released Russell Wilson last month, it was inevitable that they would add QB depth to join Stidham, who started Denver's final two contests last season. While Nix is no doubt being groomed as the team's future starter, it remains to be seen if he'll step into that role immediately. Until then, Stidham and Wilson will presumably both have an opportunity to compete for the No. 1 role, but neither veteran signal-caller profiles as a high-value fantasy option in either re-draft or dynasty formats.

O'Connell remains in position to compete with Gardner Minshew for the starting job this offseason, after the Raiders refrained from selecting a rookie quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.

Las Vegas was an oft-theorized candidate to add a QB in April's draft, but six signal-callers ultimately went off the board before the team's first-round selection at No. 13 overall, which became playmaking tight end Brock Bowers. The team invested second- and third-round selections in offensive linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and Delmar Glaze, putting whoever wins the 2024 starting gig in a better position for success. O'Connell completed 213 of 343 pass attempts for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions across 10 starts last season, which is solid rookie numbers for a fourth-round pick, but Minshew boasts enough experience that this offseason should play out as a true competition.

Minshew remains poised to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job this offseason, with the Raiders not having added to the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.

Minshew joined Las Vegas early in free agency back in March, and while it looked like the team was a candidate to add a rookie via April's draft, six quarterbacks came off the board before the Raiders' first-round selection of tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall. Las Vegas also boosted the O-line with premium picks, selecting second-round guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and third-round tackle Delmar Glaze, so whichever of Minshew or O'Connell ultimately wins the starting role looks to be in a notably better position to succeed.

The Jaguars officially exercised Lawrence's fifth-year option Monday.

Lawrence and fellow 2021 first-round pick Travis Etienne both had their fifth-year options officially picked up Monday, moves GM Trent Baalke alluded to Saturday. Lawrence is coming off back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons, and Jacksonville had made moves to fill the void left by offseason departure Calvin Ridley by signing Gabe Davis and drafting rookie Brian Thomas 23rd overall. The Jaguars will continue working toward a long-term deal with Lawrence, but in the meantime he now remains under contract through 2025.

Hardison (elbow) is slated to sign with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Hardison's final collegiate season was cut short after he underwent Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in November, but he was already throwing at his pro day in March. It's unclear when he'll be back to full health, but he'll compete for a roster spot with the Dolphins during offseason activities.

The Vikings could begin the season with Darnold as the team's starting quarterback despite taking J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, ESPN reports. "We're not going to rush his development," said general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. "We're just going to do what's best for the Vikings in the short and long term."

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings as a short-term veteran starter or backup. It's hard to handicap when McCarthy may take over the starting job this soon after the draft, but it's notable the Vikings are trying to reduce expectations. Expect the quarterback battle for the Week 1 starting job to commence this summer. Still, odds are Darnold will only be the starter for a few weeks at most if McCarthy is healthy and making progress.

The Raiders signed Bradley as an undrafted free agent Saturday.

Bradley has good size at 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds and spent the final two years of his college career at South Alabama following four years in Toledo's program. He threw for 5,996 yards at South Alabama, amassing 47 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. In Las Vegas, Bradley slides in at the bottom of the depth chart behind Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Anthony Brown.