NFL Player News

Broncos coach Sean Payton said Thursday that Nix (ankle) has been throwing at OTAs and will resume practicing with teammates at June minicamp, Luca Evans of The Denver Post reports.

Coming back from a broken ankle suffered during the playoffs, Nix had a minor clean-up procedure in mid-to-late April but still seems to be on track in his recovery. Payton previously mentioned June minicamp as a target date to increase Nix's participation, with the Broncos hoping their starting QB will then be a full participant at the start of training camp in late July. For now, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger are handling Denver's QB reps while battling for the No. 2 job behind Nix.

LaPorta (back) participated in Detroit's second open practice of OTAs on Thursday, Tim Twentyman of detroitlions.com reports.

LaPorta didn't participate last week during the first OTA practice that was open to reporters, but it's possible he's been practicing behind closed doors. Now that reporters have spotted LaPorta on the field, it's clear he has at least some level of clearance for football activities, coming back from mid-November surgery on a herniated disc. LaPorta said in January that he expected to have full clearance before the start of training camp in late July.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said Thursday that Wright "has some speed" and looks comfortable this offseason, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

It sounds like Wright is off to a good start under the new coaching staff, competing with Ollie Gordon, Donovan Edwards and others for backup backfield roles behind De'Von Achane. One of the bunch could see a decent number of carries, as the Dolphins presumably won't want the sub-200-pound Achane butting heads between the tackles repeatedly. Wright was billed as a big-play threat rather than a power runner when the Dolphins took him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he does have decent size (5-foot-10, 208 pounds) to go with his 4.38 speed (2024 Combine).

Garrett is restructuring his contract with the Rams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

It sounds like there won't be much difference from Garrett's perspective, as most of the changes are intended to help the Rams with cap flexibility. He's entering the second season of a five-year, $204 million extension, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he somehow broke the single-season record for sacks (23.0) while playing for a five-win team. Garrett's new team came a few plays shy of the Super Bowl last season and now boasts arguably the strongest roster in the league.

Kittle (Achilles) said Wednesday that he's "doing great" and is "ahead of schedule" in his rehab, ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner reports.

Kittle, coach Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch have all said Week 1 is the goal, with Kittle noting Wednesday that his surgeon (Dr. Neal ElAttrache) also said it was a realistic goal (back in mid-January when he underwent surgery). While he hasn't been cleared for football activities, Kittle remains a consistent presence at San Francisco's OTAs, doing side work and running with trainers. After Wednesday's practice, Kittle said it was the most he's run since suffering the Achilles' tear Jan. 11. Wagoner notes that the NFL's schedule won't help Kittle's bid to play Week 1, as the 49ers have a long haul to Australia on Sept. 2 ahead of their Sept. 11 matchup with the Rams in Melbourne.

Etienne appears to be behind Chuba Hubbard and Jonathon Brooks on Carolina's depth chart, competing for a backup role while contributing on special teams, according to Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer.

A 2025 fourth-round pick, Etienne took just 23 touches on offense during his rookie season, getting far more work on special teams -- 20 punt returns for 163 yards, 31 kick returns for 733 yards while playing in all 17 regular-season games. He was one of the least effective return specialists in the league, so he'll need to compete for the kick and punt return jobs this summer. Perhaps there's also a competition for the No. 2 RB role behind Hubbard, though fantasy ADPs and early beat-writer reports both peg Brooks as a strong favorite. Behind Hubbard, Brooks and Etienne, the Panthers have veteran journeyman AJ Dillon and UDFAs Anthony Tyus and Miles Davis.

Evans is making a strong impression at voluntary OTAs and feels rejuvenated after an injury-plagued 2025, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

"I pinch myself every day," said teammate George Kittle, who then told reporters that Evans caught "three to five" TDs in a red-zone period. Dominance in unpadded practices doesn't mean much, especially for a player who already has such a strong track record, but it's a good sign that Evans is fitting in with the 49ers and earning praise from fellow future Hall of Famers like Kittle and LT Trent Williams. The 32-year-old wideout seems to have been a full participant throughout the voluntary offseason program, acclimating quickly to Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Pickens hasn't been present for voluntary OTAs, but he remains in communication with the Cowboys and is expected to show up for mandatory minicamp June 16-18, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Pickens signed his franchise tag for $27.3 million in late April after the Cowboys made it public knowledge that they wouldn't sign him to a long-term deal (and also didn't want to trade him). Cowboys GM Jerry Jones, EVP Stephen Jones and HC Brian Schottenheimer have all hinted that they expect Pickens to play out 2026 under the tag without issue, while Pickens himself hasn't said much, letting his actions (signing the tag) do most of the talking. His absence from voluntary practices may just be a matter of reducing injury risk ahead of another contract year.

Conner (foot) has mostly been limited to side work with trainers during OTA practices, Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic reports.

Coming off a season-ending foot and ankle injury in Week 3 last year, Conner accepted a pay cut this March, shortly before Arizona signed RB Tyler Allgeier. The Cardinals later drafted RB Jeremiyah Love, potentially leaving Conner as the No. 3 back after a half-decade stint as the team's starter. Trade rumors shouldn't be ignored, but Conner's presence at voluntary workouts is a clear sign he hasn't shut the door on Arizona.

Dulcich said Thursday that he's been building chemistry with QB Malik Willis during OTAs, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald reports.

Dulcich told reporters that he's been impressed by Willis' vision and arm strength. It's the typical positive chatter for this time of year, but there is real reason to think Dulcich will become one of Willis' preferred pass-catchers, if only because there's so little else on the roster. Miami's other tight ends have combined for 24 receptions in the NFL, making Dulcich (67 catches in 31 games) the clear favorite for passing-down work. Rookie TE Will Kacmarek, a third-round pick, also has a chance to earn a lot of playing time, but he'll likely do far more blocking than route-running. The Dolphins re-signed Dulcich in March on a one-year, $3.25 million contract ($2.9 million guaranteed) after he averaged 2.9 catches for 37.2 yards over the final nine games of 2025.