National Football League
NFL News Wire
  • Panthers sign Pro Bowl OLB Jadeveon Clowney
    By Field Level Media / Wednesday, March 27, 2024

    The Carolina Panthers flew under the radar and signed free agent outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney on Wednesday.

    • The team did not disclose terms but ESPN and NFL Network reported it's a two-year deal worth $20 million and up to $24 million with incentives. Clowney fills a big void for a Panthers club that traded Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns to the New York Giants earlier this month and lost Yetur Gross-Matos in free agency.

      The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens were seen as the favorites to land Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowl pick.

      Clowney, 31, racked up 9.5 sacks in 17 games (15 starts) last season for the Ravens. That matched his career high for sacks, accomplished in 2017.

      The Panthers will be Clowney's sixth team. He played his first five seasons with the Houston Texans, who selected him No. 1 overall in the 2014 draft.

      He has 52.5 career sacks in 126 games (113 starts).

      Clowney starred at South Carolina before embarking on his NFL career.

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: Texans to sign LB Neville Hewitt
    By Field Level Media / Wednesday, March 27, 2024

    Free-agent linebacker Neville Hewitt is signing a one-year contract to rejoin the Houston Texans, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

    • Financial terms were not disclosed for Hewitt, who led the NFL in special teams tackles (14) last season with the Texans.

      Hewitt, who turns 31 on April 6, totaled 440 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 129 career games (44 starts) with the Miami Dolphins (2015-17), New York Jets (2018-20) and Texans.

      He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015.

      --Field Level Media

  • Reports: WR Josh Reynolds gets 2-year deal with Broncos
    By Field Level Media / Wednesday, March 27, 2024

    Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds is signing a two-year contract worth up to $14 million with the Denver Broncos, multiple media outlets reported on Wednesday.

    • Reynolds joins a Broncos team that traded wideout Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns on March 9 in exchange for fifth- and sixth-round picks (135th and 202nd overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.

      The Denver wide receiver room includes Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Tim Patrick, Brandon Johnson, Phillip Dorsett and Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

      Reynolds, 29, had 40 catches for 608 yards to go along with a career high-tying five touchdown receptions in 17 games (13 starts) with the Lions last season.

      He has 220 catches for 2,933 yards and 19 touchdowns in 107 career games (53 starts) with the Los Angeles Rams (2017-20), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Lions (2021-23).

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: Jayden Daniels will only throw at LSU's pro day
    By Field Level Media / Wednesday, March 27, 2024

    More than 100 NFL coaches, general managers and other staff members are expected Wednesday at LSU's pro day, but they will have a limited view of one of the day's stars, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels.

    • NFL Network reported Daniels, a projected top five pick in next month's NFL draft, will throw only and will not participate in any other drills. He did not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month.

      Team officials also have been lured to Baton Rouge to see All-American Malik Nabers and fellow wide receiver Brian Thomas, who led the nation with 17 touchdown receptions. Both are expected to be picked in the first round.

      Daniels, 23, completed 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards with 40 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2023. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 scores.

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: CB Tre'Davious White to sign 1-year deal with Rams
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Working his way back from a torn Achilles, former Buffalo Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre'Davious White agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday, ESPN reported.

    • Per the report, the deal could reach $10 million with incentives.

      White, 29, suffered the injury to his right Achilles in October, limiting him to just four games last season. Over the last three seasons, the two-time Pro Bowl selection has missed 30 games due to various injuries.

      The Bills had released White, saving the team $10.2 million in cap space.

      White was drafted in the first round in 2017 out of LSU and spent his first seven seasons in Buffalo, highlighted by his 2019 All-Pro season when he tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions.

      White had 18 interceptions, 311 tackles, 68 passes defended and five forced fumbles with the Bills.

      He tore his left ACL on Thanksgiving in 2021 and returned late in the 2022 season for six regular-season games and two playoff games.

      --Field Level Media

  • Zac Taylor: Bengals QB Joe Burrow healing well from surgery
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is progressing well in his recovery from November wrist surgery, coach Zac Taylor said at league meetings on Tuesday.

    • "It's positive," Taylor said. "It's right on schedule, and so we're encouraged with everything we thought it was going to be and where he's going to fit into our offseason."

      Burrow said in early March that he expects to participate in the Bengals' offseason program this spring.

      "I think middle of May is when I am expecting to kind of be cleared for full contact and everything," Burrow told ESPN at the time.

      Along with the torn wrist ligament that required surgery, Burrow also dealt with a calf injury suffered during training camp and played a role in the Bengals' tough start.

      While Burrow has been busy working toward a return, the Bengals have made some significant changes on the offensive side of the ball. With the trade of Joe Mixon the Houston Texans, Zack Moss is the new starting running back. Cincinnati also brought in Trent Brown to play right tackle, while former quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher replaced Brian Callahan as the offensive coordinator when Callahan left to coach the Tennessee Titans.

      While it appears Tyler Boyd will sign elsewhere, fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade at the start of the free agency period rather than sign an extension. However, it seems Taylor and the Bengals aren't planning to move the veteran.

      "We're excited for Tee to have a great year for us," Taylor told Pro Football Network this week. "We think he's our best chance to help us win a Super Bowl. I've enjoyed working with Tee the last four years and expect this year to be no different."

      In his four seasons, Burrow has completed 68 percent of his passes for 14,083 yards and 97 touchdowns in 52 games. He led Cincinnati to a Super Bowl appearance after the 2021 season, when he led the league with a 70.4 percent completion rate.

      In September, Burrow signed a five-year contract extension worth $275 million. The $55 million average annual value is the highest recorded in the NFL.

      The Bengals finished last season 9-8, last in the AFC North, and missed the postseason after consecutive runs to at least the conference title game.

      --Field Level Media

  • Reports: Steelers sign RB/KR Cordarrelle Patterson
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The Pittsburgh Steelers signed running back and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year, $6 million contract, NFL Network and ESPN reported Tuesday.

    • After reinventing himself as a running back for the past three seasons in Atlanta, Patterson will follow former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to Pittsburgh, where the latter is now the offensive coordinator.

      Patterson entered the league as a wide receiver and a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, a four-time first-team All-Pro selection and a two-time second-team All-Pro as a returner over the first eight years of his career with Minnesota (2013-16), Oakland (2017), New England (2018) and Chicago (2019-20).

      Patterson, 33, has returned nine kicks for touchdowns in his career, though just one in his past three seasons. He led the league in kick return yardage in 2019 (825) and 2020 (1,017).

      He started 13 games at running back for Atlanta in 2021, appearing in 16 games total, and had a career-high 1,166 yards from scrimmage (618 rushing, 548 receiving). In three seasons with the Falcons, Patterson tallied 1,494 rushing yards, 708 receiving yards and 20 total touchdowns.

      --Field Level Media

  • Brian Daboll may start calling Giants' plays in 2024
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Head coach Brian Daboll said he is "looking into" calling the New York Giants' offensive plays next season.

    • Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka handled those duties during Daboll's first two seasons with the team.

      Speaking at the NFL owners meeting Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., Daboll, 48, said it might be time for a change.

      "I think there's 20 head coaches at this point in time that call plays in the league (either offensively or defensively). ... There might be a little bit more," he said. "I've been doing a bunch of research, but no decision has been made. I'm still going through that process, thinking about what we need to do."

      Before taking over the Giants in 2022, Daboll called the plays as the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator for four seasons from 2018-21.

      Daboll, who has also been an offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), Miami Dolphins (2011) and Cleveland Browns (2009-10), admitted he misses calling the plays.

      "Certainly," he said. "I did it for a long time. There's a lot of things that go into it. Part of the evaluation that I talked about, there are some other things that I'm looking into. I take my time and do what I think is best for the team."

      Daboll doesn't appear to be motivated by a dissatisfaction with Kafka, who was rewarded with the additional title of assistant head coach last month.

      The Giants were 9-7-1 in 2022 but slumped to 6-11 during a 2023 season derailed by starting quarterback Daniel Jones' torn ACL. The New York offense finished 29th in the NFL in scoring with just 15.6 points per game.

      --Field Level Media

  • Saints OT Ryan Ramczyk's knee slow in recovery from surgery
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The right knee of New Orleans Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has not responded as well as hoped following offseason surgery, coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday.

    • Ramczyk, 29, could miss the 2024 season in his recovery from cartilage damage, NFL Network reported Tuesday, but Allen was being a bit more conservative in his assessment in taking a wait-and-see approach in the offseason and into training camp.

      "He just isn't quite where I was probably hoping he'd be, and really quite frankly, where he was hoping he'd be," Allen told reporters at the NFL's annual league meeting in Orlando, Fla. "But ... there's a long time before we kick the ball off, so I wouldn't jump to any conclusions right now, but we'll see how it goes over the next three, four, five, six months, whatever that is, before we get to the beginning of the season."

      Allen said he felt better about Ramczyk's medical situation at the time of the procedure than he did Tuesday. For his part, Ramczyk said in December that he was uncertain about his future and would consult with medical professionals and make the best decision.

      He described the damage to the knee then as a "nagging problem," saying there wasn't much cartilage remaining.

      "This year it's bugged me a little bit more than it has in the past," he said at the time. "At some point, I just couldn't play anymore."

      Ramczyk played in 12 games (all starts) in 2023. He played in at least 15 regular-season games in five of his first six seasons, all with the Saints, who selected him in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin.

      He was first-team All-Pro in 2019 and second team in 2018 and 2020.

      Ramczyk signed a five-year, $96 million contract extension in June 2021 but had no guaranteed money remaining on it. He and the team renegotiated a deal that gives him $6.5 million in guaranteed money this season between base salary and bonuses. providing the team salary cap relief.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL grants Amazon, Peacock rights to two marquee games
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Two more NFL games will be distributed exclusively via a streaming service in the 2024 season.

    • The league announced Tuesday that Peacock will have the rights to stream the Week 1 game from Sao Paulo, Brazil, which will be the first NFL contest in South America. The Philadelphia Eagles already are booked for that game against an opponent still to be announced.

      Amazon Prime Video has been granted an NFL wild-card game, which will represent the second time a playoff game has been streamed exclusively. Last season, Peacock streamed the Kansas City Chiefs' 26-7 AFC wild-card win over the Miami Dolphins, memorable as the fourth-coldest game in league history.

      Amazon Prime already has the rights to the league's Thursday night package.

      "As media consumption habits evolve, the NFL continues to work with our partners to put our games on digital platforms where our fans are increasingly spending their time," Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, said in a news release. "The viewership success of both Thursday Night Football on Prime Video and the historic Wild Card game on Peacock last season are strong indicators our streaming distribution is resonating with our fans."

      Both the Week 1 Brazil game on Peacock and the wild-card game on Prime Video will be available for free on broadcast television in the local markets of the competing teams as well as on the NFL+ mobile app.

      The wild-card game between the Chiefs and Dolphins on Peacock averaged approximately 23 million viewers, which the NFL said set a record for the most-streamed live event in U.S. history.

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: Packers signing K Greg Joseph
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph will stay in the NFC North and sign with the Green Bay Packers, his agent announced on social media Tuesday.

    • The one-year contract is worth up to $1.295 million, NFL Network reported.

      Joseph, 29, "had other interest but liked this opportunity," agent Brett Tessler wrote on Twitter.

      Green Bay will have a kicking competition with Joseph, recently signed Jack Podlesny and incumbent Anders Carlson, who was inconsistent as a rookie in 2023.

      Joseph is the Vikings' record holder for longest field goal (61 yards, in 2022) and most game-winning field goals (five in 2022). He made 24 of 30 field-goal attempts (80 percent) and 36 of 38 extra-point attempts (94.7 percent) last season, with a long kick of 54 yards.

      Joseph has played for the Cleveland Browns (2018), Tennessee Titans (2019) and Vikings (2021-23). He has made 100 of 121 field-goal tries (82.6 percent) and 146 of 162 point-after tries (90.1 percent). He has delivered touchbacks on 71.3 percent of his kickoffs, including 80.9 percent in 2021.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL approves Cal McNair as Texans' principal owner
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    NFL owners on Tuesday approved Cal McNair as the principal owner of the Houston Texans at the annual league meeting in Orlando, Fla.

    • He has served as the team's CEO and chair for the team founded by his father, Bob McNair. After the elder McNair's death in 2018, his widow, Janice McNair, held principal ownership.

      "The Houston Texans mean so much to our family, and I'm extremely proud that Cal will continue to lead the franchise moving forward," Janice McNair, 87, said in a statement Tuesday. "He has done such a terrific job as our CEO and we believe this move is what's best for everyone involved with the organization to secure our future under Cal's leadership.

      "I know how pleased Bob would be to see this and our fans should be incredibly excited about the direction we are headed. I will continue to support Cal and the team in every way that I can and, of course, be rooting for us each and every week."

      Cal McNair, 62, was named vice chair of the franchise in 2008 and promoted to COO in 2012, to chair in 2018 and CEO in 2019.

      "I first want to acknowledge the incredible work my mom has done over the last five years since taking over. She has been an inspirational leader for our family, our team and our community," Cal McNair said. "I can't thank her enough for the foundation she has helped build and her countless contributions both on and off the field.

      "It's an exciting time to be a Houston Texan and I'm honored to lead this franchise. This move ensures the long-term stability of our franchise and we will continue to operate the way we have been over the last couple years, pursuing a championship for the City of Houston while doing great things in the community and for our fans."

      The Texans finished 10-7 last season and won the AFC South under first-year coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-10 in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs.

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: Titans CB L'Jarius Sneed agrees to 4-year, $76M deal
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Newly acquired Tennessee Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed agreed to terms on a four-year, $76.4 million contract, NFL Network reported Tuesday.

    • Sneed arrived in a weekend trade with Kansas City that netted a 2025 third-round pick for the Chiefs plus a 2024 seventh-round pick swap.

      At $19.1 million per season, Sneed's new deal ranks seventh in average annual value among NFL cornerbacks, per Spotrac. NFL Network reported that the terms include $55 million in guaranteed money and a $20 million signing bonus.

      Sneed, 27, was a starter for the Chiefs' back-to-back Super Bowl-winning squads in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. The 2020 fourth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech had 10 interceptions, 40 passes defensed, 6.5 sacks and 303 tackles in 57 career games (54 starts) with Kansas City.

      In 2023, Sneed had 78 tackles, two interceptions, 14 passes defensed and one fumble recovery in 16 games, all starts. He added 17 tackles and three passes defensed in the playoffs, including three tackles in Kansas City's 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL to play 2 games on Christmas Day, a Wednesday, this year
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The NFL is scheduling two games for Christmas Day 2024, even though it falls on a Wednesday.

    • Hans Schroeder, the NFL's executive vice president of media distribution, said Tuesday at the annual league meeting in Orlando, Fla., that the league will play on Wednesday because the fans "clearly spoke" through their viewership. The three Christmas Day games in 2023, played on a Monday, each were among the top 10 in ratings in the regular season, per the Wall Street Journal.

      "From what we've seen the last couple years is really some unprecedented growth, and not just on Christmas, on Thanksgiving, too," Schroeder said. "The last couple of years have had the highest-regular season game ever viewed in the regular season. That mindset, that opportunity, that belief we have that football brings people together -- that's even truer on these big holidays that happen throughout the year.

      "When we saw the viewership from this past year, really our fans clearly spoke. We certainly saw and believe that they are very much enjoying and wanting NFL football on Christmas. So what we're going to do is we're going to play a couple of games, like we've typically played for well over a decade, probably more than that, on Saturday of Week 16, and then come back and play a couple of games on Christmas Day on Wednesday."

      Wednesday games are rare. The last time a game was played on a Wednesday came in 2021, when a COVID-19 outbreak forced the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers to delay their planned Thanksgiving game until the following Wednesday.

      "Well, I think the days are the same for us. We've done this," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "In fact, COVID was a learning opportunity, I think it was the first time we played on a Wednesday. It will not be a regular thing. It will be when Christmas falls on a Wednesday. But the time period between games has been done before. We have not seen any elevation of injuries. You all, and we, have had a major focus on Thursday night when we first put it in, and we've still not seen any kind of elevation of injuries. So I think we have this down."

      This will be the fifth straight season the NFL has played on Christmas, encroaching on a sports day typically dominated by the NBA.

      In 2024, the NFL schedule calls for the league to be idle only on Tuesdays.

      The league holds games every week on Sunday, Monday and Thursday, with some late-season contests held on Saturday. A Black Friday game was introduced last year and will continue in 2024, and a Week 1 game in Brazil also will occur on Friday.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL moves trade deadline to after games in Week 9
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    NFL owners voted Tuesday at the annual league meeting in Orlando, Fla., to move the trade deadline to the Tuesday after the games in Week 9.

    • That represents a full week later than the previous deadline, which was the Tuesday following the games in Week 8. The move of the trade deadline allows teams to better prepare for a playoff push during the 17-game season.

      The 2024 NFL trade deadline is Nov. 5.

      When the league expanded to a 17-game schedule in 2021, the trade deadline was not moved. This shift puts the deadline back to a more traditional alignment in the league calendar.

      The Pittsburgh Steelers initially proposed for the deadline to be pushed to after the games in Week 9, while the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders proposed for the deadline to be extended after the contests in Week 10.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL adopts kickoff rule aimed at boosting return rate
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    NFL owners approved new kickoff rules that are designed to increase return rates while also reducing the chance of high-impact injuries on Tuesday at their annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

    • The kickoff modification is modeled after the format used by the XFL and is a one-year program with the expectation that further alterations could be made.

      It will take effect in 2024.

      Under new rules, the kicker will kick from his own 35-yard line while his teammates line up at the receiving team's 40-yard line. Nine players on the receiving team will line up at their own 35, with two players near the goal line as returners.

      On the kicking team, only the kicker can move until the ball hits the ground in the designated "landing zone" inside the receiving team's 20-yard line.

      If the kick doesn't go that far, the ball will be placed at the receiving team's 40-yard line. The receiving team will get the ball at its own 30 in the instance of a touchback.

      By putting the majority of players closer together, and without that running start, high-speed collisions are less likely, reducing "space and speed," according to the league.

      The plan was reviewed and refined by the 32 NFL special teams coordinators before being presented to the league Competition Committee and, ultimately, owners this week.

      As the NFL has modified the kickoff in the past decade to reduce concussions, the return rate has fallen. Just under 22 percent of kickoffs were returned last season, and ESPN reported Tuesday that the goal for 2024 is about 80 percent.

      Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris told The Athletic that the newly designed kickoff will be intriguing.

      "I think it's important for us to find ways to bring excitement back for our fans and us," he said. "And also to make special teams coaches more relevant, right? We don't want to lose the relevance in any position of what we're doing. So I've got to give those guys credit for coming up with the idea. We're going to fight the battles of the unknown. Without a doubt, we haven't seen the play. (We have) seen a form of the play in a different league."

      --Field Level Media

  • Bears, Texans to meet in Hall of Fame game
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans will meet in the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

    • The Hall of Fame announced the participants on Tuesday, and the teams were natural selections. Three former members of the Bears -- Devin Hester, Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers -- and Andre Johnson from the Texans are among the members of the organization's 2024 class.

      The game is set for Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio, with the Hall of Fame enshrinement following Aug. 3.

      Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar and Patrick Willis also will be inducted during ceremonies.

      Johnson will be the first player who played the majority of his career with the Texans to have a bust in Canton. With the three additions, 32 former Bears will be in the Hall of Fame.

      --Field Level Media

  • Falcons owner denies tampering in acquisition of Kirk Cousins
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank does not believe his team is guilty of tampering with then-free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins before officially signing him earlier this month.

    • Blank said the Falcons will "deal with" the outcome of the NFL's investigation into potential tampering, whatever it may be.

      "The tampering deal, we obviously don't believe we tampered, and we shared all the information with the league," Blank told reporters Monday at the league meeting in Orlando. "And they'll review the process and the facts and they are in the middle of doing that, and whatever the result is, we'll deal with it."

      Cousins signed with Atlanta on a four-year contract worth up to $180 million on March 13, the first official day of free agency. The team and Cousins' agent had agreed to terms during the so-called legal tampering period, the two days before the start of the new league year.

      During an introductory press conference in Atlanta, Cousins said he had spoken to the Falcons' head athletic trainer and head of PR on the phone before the legal negotiating window, which is against the rules for pending free agents.

      The league is also investigating potential tampering by the Philadelphia Eagles with running back Saquon Barkley.

      As for on the field, the Falcons believe Cousins will be the answer to the quarterback inconsistency they've experienced since parting with Matt Ryan. Cousins was averaging 291.4 passing yards per game last season with the Minnesota Vikings before tearing an Achilles tendon.

      "Obviously our football folks felt strongly," Blank said of Cousins. "Our fans I definitely think would concur with that. He's a very high-quality quarterback, he's performed at a high level for 12 years in the league and feel pretty fortunate having him as a quarterback and look forward to seeing the results with him."

      Cousins has thrown for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions over in his NFL career, six seasons with Washington and six seasons with Minnesota.

      --Field Level Media

  • RB Damien Harris announces retirement
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Running back Damien Harris, who spent four seasons with the New England Patriots and one with the Buffalo Bills, announced his retirement on Monday.

    • The Alabama product was a third-round draft pick by New England in 2019 and became a free agent after his one-year deal with Buffalo expired.

      "Getting to represent the name on the back of my jersey on and off the field, getting to compete at the highest level with and against the best competitors while winning championships and being coached by the 2 greatest head coaches of all time in Nick Saban and Bill Belichick are all just a small part of what God has done in my life with the game of football," Harris wrote on Instagram.

      "Gratitude is defined as ‘the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.' Today I am grateful I have found the strength to walk away from the game I love so much."

      Harris, 27, finished his playing career with 2,188 rushing yards for 21 touchdowns and 42 receptions for 297 yards. His best season came in 2021, when he scored 15 touchdowns on 929 yards on the ground.

      Harris appeared in six games for the Bills in 2023 and gained 94 yards on 23 attempts, scoring one touchdown. But he suffered a neck sprain against the New York Giants in Week 6 and had to be driven off the field in an ambulance -- less than one year after Bills safety Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest and scary scene -- and Harris missed the rest of the season.

      --Field Level Media

  • Giants GM on Saquon Barkley departure: 'Can't keep them all'
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The New York Giants suffered one of the marquee departures in free agency when running back Saquon Barkley signed a $37.75 million deal with NFC East rival Philadelphia two weeks ago.

    • General manager Jim Schoen has been busy tweaking the Giants' roster since, and he had a pragmatic answer when asked about Barkley's departure at the NFL owners meetings on Monday.

      "I wish Saquon nothing but the best," Schoen told reporters. "You can't keep them all. He did a lot for the franchise. Walter Payton Man of the Year, a lot of production. I enjoyed working with him for two years and everything he did for (coach Brian Daboll) and I in that playoff run (in 2022). I wish him nothing but the best."

      Barkley, 27, rushed for 962 yards and six touchdowns in 14 starts last season, just shy of his fourth 1,000-yard season. He has been replaced, at least for the time being, by former Texans and Bills running back Devin Singletary, who leads a backfield depth chart that also includes Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray.

      Schoen also signed guards Aaron Stinnie from Tampa Bay and Jon Runyan from Green Bay, tackle Jermaine Eluemunor from Las Vegas and backup center Austin Schlottmann from Minnesota in an effort to bolster a group that allowed a league-high 85 sacks last season.

      The offensive line was the primary focus of free agency for Schoen, who also made a big splash with the trade and signing of pass rusher Brian Burns.

      The Giants also hold the No. 6 overall pick in next month's NFL draft and own three of the top 70 picks overall. Schoen predictably played his cards close to his vest when asked about how he is approaching the draft.

      "We'll look at all options, whether it's going up, back, staying," he said. "Ultimately, I think we'll end up with a good player."

      Whether that is one of the several highly-touted quarterbacks in this class remains to be seen. Schoen said Daniel Jones is "on the right track" in his return from injury, while Drew Lock was signed to compete for the backup job along with Tommy DeVito.

      This is seen as a critical year for Schoen and Daboll, who made waves two years ago with the Giants making the playoffs only to plummet to 6-11 last season.

      "It takes time, as much as you want instant gratification, and nobody wants that more than me," Schoen said. "I think you have to believe in the principles and in terms of how to build the team, and we're going on our third draft. It takes time.

      "When I look back at the 2021 roster and where we are now, I just think we're heading in the right direction, and we'll continue to head in the right direction in terms of bringing in our type of players and what we're looking for schematically, what Dabs is looking at for his offense, and we'll keep making progress."

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL grants international market access to four new teams
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    The Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants are going global.

    • The four teams are entering the NFL's Global Markets Program for the first time, with three of them including Germany among their target countries.

      In the third year of the league's program, the total number of teams participating has risen to 25 across 19 different markets around the country. The program aims to help teams grow their presence on the international stage with events, marketing and commercial opportunities.

      The Browns were granted rights to Nigeria -- the first NFL team to access that market.

      The Giants have rights to Germany, the Colts were allowed both Austria and Germany and the Lions were granted Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Canada.

      The league also said that the Miami Dolphins are expanding their rights holdings to Argentina, Colombia and Mexico -- the former two being targets for the first time. Miami already had rights in Brazil, Spain and the United Kingdom.

      The Los Angeles Rams, who previously had rights in Australia, New Zealand, China and Mexico, became the first teams to expand their rights to Japan and South Korea.

      "The momentum of the Global Markets Program underscores the strong commitment of NFL clubs to growing the game and their passionate fan bases around the world. Clubs are seeing the value and opportunity in new markets and aligning with the league to accelerate that growth together," Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice president for club business, major events and international, said in a statement. "We can't wait to see the ongoing impact of the program on fandom and global growth in this season and in years ahead, both in new and existing markets and via new clubs joining and active clubs deepening their strategic commitments."

      --Field Level Media

  • QB Stetson Bennett set to join Rams for offseason workouts
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Quarterback Stetson Bennett will join the Los Angeles Rams for offseason workouts, general manager Les Snead said Monday.

    • The Rams selected Bennett, who led Georgia to two national championships, in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. He left the team in the preseason and spent the season on the reserve/non-football illness list.

      Last month, coach Sean McVay said the Rams would reach out to Bennett, 26, "at the appropriate time" to see if they were a good fit.

      "Those will be conversations that we will have. And then I think once we have a better idea of what we'll do with that, then that will give clarity."

      Neither Bennett nor McVay ever disclosed why Bennett left the team, with the coach only saying the issue was "bigger than" football.

      Matthew Stafford is entrenched as the Rams starting quarterback, and the team signed veteran Jimmy Garoppolo as his backup earlier this month.

      --Field Level Media

  • 49ers' George Kittle, Charvarius Ward on the mend
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and cornerback Charvarius Ward are both recovering from core muscle surgeries earlier this offseason.

    • General manager John Lynch confirmed Monday that both Pro Bowl selections are expected to be fully cleared in time for training camp.

      Kittle, 30, caught 65 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns in 16 starts in the 2023 regular season. He added eight catches for 112 yards and one TD in three playoff games for the NFC champions.

      Ward, 27, set career highs with five interceptions and a league-leading 23 passes defensed in 17 starts during the regular season, adding 72 tackles. He added 10 tackles in three postseason games.

      Kittle was named first-team All-Pro for the second time and made his fifth Pro Bowl last season. Ward earned his first Pro Bowl selection in his second season with the 49ers, who fell to his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11.

      --Field Level Media

  • NFL outlaws controversial 'hip-drop' tackle
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    NFL owners voted Monday to ban the controversial "hip-drop" tackle, which was blamed for numerous injuries this past season.

    • The rule change was proposed by the NFL Competition Committee and adopted at the annual owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.

      Owners also adopted a change to challenges, approving a third challenge for coaches after one successful challenge, instead of two. Also approved was the enforcement of a major foul by the offense prior to a change of possession.

      The hip-drop tackle is defined as a technique in which a player "unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and trapping the runner's legs at or below the knee."

      It will now result in a 15-yard penalty and automatic first down. Further, players could be subject to fines and warning letters for employing the technique.

      NFL executive VP of football operations Troy Vincent said last week the tackle was "something we want to get out of the game."

      --Field Level Media

  • Report: Steelers signing ex-Eagles WR Quez Watkins
    By Field Level Media / Tuesday, March 26, 2024

    Wide receiver Quez Watkins is crossing Pennsylvania to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN reported Monday.

    • He played his first four NFL seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2020.

      Watkins, 25, caught 15 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown in nine games (five starts) last season.

      He leaves Philly with 98 grabs for 1,249 yards and six TDs in 49 games (25 starts). He also returned 14 kickoffs for 200 yards.

      --Field Level Media