NFL Player News

Mendoza signed his rookie contract with the Raiders on Thursday.

Mendoza's deal is for four years, with a fifth-year team option, as is standard for first-round picks. The 2026 first overall pick has $52.72 million of guaranteed money on his deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Veteran Kirk Cousins is reportedly the favorite to begin the regular season as the Raiders' starter under center, but those plans could change depending on how Mendoza looks during training camp and the preseason.

Smith is the clear top quarterback for the Jets, but a battle between Bailey Zappe, Cade Klubnik and Brady Cook is ongoing for the second spot on the depth chart, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Smith will likely dominate first-team reps leading up to the regular season, but the Jets will use training camp and preseason play to evaluate their backup options. Of the team's other quarterbacks, Klubnik probably has the best chance of seeing the field eventually in 2026, as the Jets could be motivated to evaluate their 2026 fourth-round pick in meaningful game situations if the team falls out of playoff contention again on the heels of a 3-14 season in 2025.

Pierce will likely be limited for some or all of training camp by his ankle injury, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Pierce underwent surgery in late March to address an ankle injury, and his recovery period is expected to linger into training camp. He still has time to heal up before the Colts kick off regular-season play Sept. 13 against the Ravens, but Pierce's recovery progress will be worth tracking throughout training camp. Josh Downs is likely to function as the Colts' top wide receiver in practice if Pierce sits out, with Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and rookie seventh-round pick Deion Burks among the players jostling for playing time in Indianapolis' wide receiver room.

Nabers (knee) is expected to avoid opening the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

All eyes will be on Nabers and his participation level when training camp opens for the Giants, as he's continuing to work his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. The injury occurred in Week 4 of last season, and Nabers had surgery in late October before needing a clean-up procedure this spring. There's a chance he begins camp on the active/PUP list, but it sounds like the star wideout could be ready for the Week 1 opener against Dallas.

Reichard is set to reprise his role as Minnesota's kicker in 2026, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

Reichard cemented his spot as the Vikings' placekicker with an impressive sophomore season in the NFL, as he missed only twice on 35 field-goal attempts during the 2025 regular season. Minnesota doesn't have any competition for the 2024 sixth-round pick on the roster heading into training camp.

Butker is set to work as Kansas City's kicker again in 2026, Nate Taylor of ESPN.com reports.

Butker is entering his 10th consecutive season as the kicker for the Chiefs. He converted 33 of 38 field-goal attempts while playing in all 17 games in 2025. Kansas City doesn't have another kicker on the roster entering training camp, so the team has full faith in the 31-year-old Butker.

McMillan (ankle) participated in Thursday's training camp practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

McMillan was in and out of practice during the spring due to ankle soreness, but he's ready to roll for the start of training camp now that pads are on and the season is inching closer. According to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, McMillan is expected to see more opportunities out of the slot this season after the Panthers used a third-round pick on outside weapon Chris Brazzell. McMillan added "eight or nine pounds of muscle" over the offseason, per Wolfe. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, McMillan will look to build on his 70-1,014-7 regular season from last year.

Scourton was carted off the field with a right knee injury during Thursday's practice, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Coach Dave Canales confirmed after practice that Scourton will undergo further testing on the injured right knee, per Joe Person of The Athletic. A second-round pick last year, Scourton appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie, making eight starts, and piled up 47 tackles (20 solo), including 5.0 sacks, on 68 percent of the defensive snaps. He's expected to play a more prominent role in his second season and is a defender Carolina can't afford to lose to a serious injury off the edge.

Washington is likely to remain the Jaguars' primary punt returner in 2026, John Shipley of SI.com reports.

Washington excelled on offense down the stretch in 2025, catching 19 of 29 targets for 347 yards and two touchdowns across Jacksonville's last three regular-season games before adding seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in the team's playoff loss to the Bills. Marquee offensive players rarely maintain prominent roles on special teams, but Jacksonville's coaching staff has praised Washington's punt-returning prowess throughout the team's offseason program, so Washington seems poised to continue filling that role on special teams while contributing on offense as part of a wide receiver room that also includes Brian Thomas and Jakobi Meyers. Head coach Liam Coen also recently praised Washington's work ethic, per Shipley.

Davis will battle Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in training camp for the top backup job at running back behind starter Javonte Williams, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Dallas added Blue and Mafah in the fifth and seventh rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft last spring, but Davis was able to hold off both players for the No. 2 role once Miles Sanders (knee) went down with a season-ending injury in late September. While handling limited reps behind Williams, Davis averaged 4.8 yards on 52 carries, but he lacks standout traits as a runner and offers little utility as a pass catcher. Though Davis' ability to contribute on special teams should put him in good position to win a roster spot, Archer suggests that the 27-year-old is a "forgotten man" in the backup running back competition, with Blue bringing a more explosive skill set to the table and coming off an excellent offseason program in which the coaching staff touted his dramatic improvement compared to a year ago. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Mafah, meanwhile, could represent a more ideal candidate than the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Davis to handle reps on early downs if Williams were to miss time at any point.