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Justin Hardee, CB
Published:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 2:25 PM
Player News:
The Titans re-signed Hardee to a one-year contract Tuesday.
Analysis:
Hardee suited up for nine regular-season games with Tennessee in 2024, in which span he contributed exclusively on special teams. He figures to reprise a similar role during the 2025 campaign. Hardee has played just two defensive snaps over the last five years, while regular contributing on special teams across his 63 combined regular-season appearances between the Saints, Jets and Titans.
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Aaron Rodgers, QB
Published:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 12:05 PM
Player News:
Steelers owner Art Rooney said Tuesday that things are "pointing in that direction" regarding Rodgers potentially signing with Pittsburgh, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis:
Rooney said the Steelers will wait "a little longer" but not "forever" for Rodgers to make a decision, per Dulac. The veteran quarterback met up with new Pittsburgh wideout DK Metcalf for a throwing session over the weekend, which Rooney called a "good sign," Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. With the Giants, who were often linked to Rodgers following his release by the Jets, having signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, the Steelers' ready-to-compete roster appears the best remaining landing spot for the 41-year-old signal-caller, if he opts to continue his NFL career.
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Kirk Cousins, QB
Published:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 10:56 AM
Player News:
Cousins isn't expected to show up for voluntary OTAs this spring, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Analysis:
The Falcons kept Cousins on the roster in mid-March rather than releasing him to avoid having a $10 million guarantee kicking in. He may still be traded at some point this offseason, but there's a real chance he enters Week 1 as the backup in Atlanta behind 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix. The Falcons benched Cousins in favor of Penix for the final three games last season, with the rookie completing 58 of 100 passes for 737 yards (7.4 YPA), three TDs and three INTs, plus seven carries for 11 yards and another score. Penix played well enough to keep the starting job heading into 2025, but perhaps not well enough for the Falcons to be confident that he's a franchise QB in the making.
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Raheem Blackshear, RB
Published:
Tuesday, April 1, 2025 9:32 AM
Player News:
Blackshear is signing a one-year contract with the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis:
The 2022 UDFA played 41 games for Carolina the past three seasons, taking 68 touches for 341 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, 66 kickoff returns for 1,734 yards and 23 punt returns for 200 yards. Blackshear returned both kicks and punts in 2024, but he didn't get a restricted-free-agent tender earlier this offseason and now returns to the Panthers on a cheaper contract. He'll likely be third or fourth on the depth chart at running back, behind Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle at the very least.
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Terry McLaurin, WR
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 4:45 PM
Player News:
Commanders GM Adam Peters said Monday that he'd like to sign McLaurin to an extension before Week 1, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Analysis:
McLaurin has one season remaining on the three-year, $68.2 million extension he signed in 2022, with $19-20 million in real-money compensation for 2025. That might be enough to prevent a holdout, but the Commanders would rather lock him in for multiple years after McLaurin finished 2024 with career highs for touchdowns (13), catch rate (70.2 percent) and PPR points per game (15.9). Tough as it may be to avoid TD regression, McLaurin figures to remain highly efficient and may even get a slight boost to his target volume, entering his second season in an offense led by QB Jayden Daniels and OC Kliff Kingsbury. Offseason acquisition Deebo Samuel should mostly get touches/targets that went to Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown and Noah Brown last year, including many of the screens that were a frequent feature of Kingsbury's offense. McLaurin remains unchallenged as the team's top threat to catch deep and intermediate passes.
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Kyren Williams, RB
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 4:22 PM
Player News:
Rams GM Les Snead said Monday that he wants to "engineer a long-term partnership" with Williams, Gary Klein of the LA Times reports.
Analysis:
Williams has been a polarizing player in the fantasy sphere since his 2023 breakout, and that's unlikely to change after he dipped to 4.1 YPC in 2024 while fumbling six times (including once in the playoffs). He otherwise had another big year, ranking third in carries per game (19.8), sixth in rushing yards per game (81.2) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (14), giving him 26 rushing scores and five receiving TDs in 38 regular-season games over the past two seasons. 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum never made a serious push to threaten Williams last season, and it sounds like the Rams would rather give Williams a contract extension than search for his replacement. Snead said he's already exchanged initial contract terms with agent Drew Rosenhaus.
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Daniel Jones, QB
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 4:05 PM
Player News:
Jones and Anthony Richardson (back) will split first-team reps this spring, JJ Stankevitz of Colts.com reports.
Analysis:
Coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard both suggested there's no timetable for naming a Week 1 starter, with both QBs expected to get significant first-team reps throughout the offseason program (and possibly into training camp). The Colts recently signed Jones to a one-year, $14 million contract that includes $13.15 million guaranteed, putting him above the market for backup quarterbacks but not quite in starter range. It sounds like he and Richardson will split reps 50/50 at the beginning of OTAs.
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Ja'Lynn Polk, WR
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 3:08 PM
Player News:
Polk is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis:
A second-round pick last spring, Polk got some chances in a top-three role as a rookie but caught just 12 of 33 targets (for 87 yards and two TDs) before suffering a shoulder injury Week 17. It apparently was serious enough to require surgery but shouldn't threaten his availability for Week 1 of 2025. New Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he's excited about how Polk has approached his rehabilitation and focused on lower-body strength in the meantime. Once he's healthy, Polk will compete for playing time with new additions Stefon Diggs (ACL tear) and Mack Hollins, as well as 2025 holdovers DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne and Javon Baker.
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Treylon Burks, WR
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 3:03 PM
Player News:
Titans coach Brian Callahan said Monday that Burks' return from an ACL tear should occur closer to the regular season, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.
Analysis:
Reading between the lines, Burks is unlikely to be ready for the start of training camp and in danger of missing Week 1. He suffered an ACL tear Week 6 of 2024, causing an early end to what was shaping up as another disappointing season. The 2022 first-round pick failed to earn a top-three role under a new coaching staff and now finds himself rehabbing a major injury for the final year of his rookie contract. The only positive development for Burks' fantasy value is that Tennessee's lack of receiving weapons could afford him another opportunity to compete for playing time. Still, there are many better ways to use a late-round fantasy pick.
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Jameson Williams, WR
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2025 2:49 PM
Player News:
The Lions likely will exercise their fifth-year option on Williams this spring, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
Analysis:
The Lions have until May 1 to exercise an option that would guarantee Williams a salary around $15.49 million for 2026. That's well below market rate for a quality No. 2 receiver -- something Williams became in 2024 with a 58-1,001-7 receiving line (91 targets) in 15 regular-season games. While unlikely to average more than 6-7 targets per game in an offense loaded with other talented playmakers, Williams should have a similar role this upcoming season under new playcaller John Morton, who previously worked for the Lions in 2022 and then served as Denver's pass-game coordinator the past two years. Lions GM Brad Holmes said he'll likely pick up Williams' fifth-year option, but Holmes didn't mention a contract extension the way he did when discussing fellow 2022 first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson.
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