NFL Player News

Higgins is not expected to sign his franchise tender by the end of the week, which will make him ineligible to report in time for the start of organized team activities next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Higgins formally requested a trade from Cincinnati after the team placed the franchise tag on him prior to free agency. He appeared to have a change of heart in April, as the wideout hinted that he anticipated playing for the Bengals in 2024 at his youth camp, per Ben Baby of ESPN.com. It remains to be seen if that will occur via the franchise tag or the long-term extension the pass catcher has been seeking. As of now, it looks like this conflict will linger into OTAs.

Parker announced his retirement from the NFL on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Two months after signing a one-year contract with the Eagles, Parker has had a change of heart on a 10th season in the league. The 31-year-old cited spending more time with his family as the primary factor in his decision. He spent his first seven seasons in Miami before playing the previous two in New England. The Louisville product's most productive season came in 2019, as he tallied 1,202 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 72 receptions for the Dophins. He was projected to compete for a role behind A.J. Brown (knee) and DeVonta Smith at wide receiver in the upcoming season.

Strange (knee) was labeled as "month to month" in his recovery process by New England coach Jerod Mayo on Monday.

The offensive guard suffered the knee injury during a Week 15 loss to the Chiefs in 2023. Strange then missed the Patriots' final three games of the season. The 2022 first-round pick started all 17 regular season games as a rookie and all 10 that he played in last season.

Sirmon was waived by the Browns on Monday, Zac Jackson of The Athletic reports.

The quarterback signed with the Browns on May 12 after participating in the team's rookie minicamp. During his final collegiate season at Northern Colorado in 2023, Sirmon completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 1,255 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Sanders suffered a torn Achilles Monday, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

The second-year linebacker played in all 17 games as a rookie but only started four, making 24 tackles. Sanders was likely to play a role in Denver's inside linebacker rotation with projected starters Alex Singleton and Cody Barton. Now, the 2023 third-round pick will miss most or all of the 2024 campaign.

White (biceps) took part in Arizona's first OTA Monday, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com reports.

The linebacker tore his biceps in Week 11 of the 2023 season and missed the last six games. Before going out with the injury, White recorded 90 tackles and three passes defensed. The Cardinals signed him to a two-year, $10-million contract in 2023, so White should be in line to start this year if he stays healthy.

Jones (knee) took part in 7-on-7 drills during Monday's OTA, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

After signing a four-year, $160 million contract with the Giants last offseason, Jones didn't live up to increase in pay in 2023, mostly due to a neck injury and then a torn ACL that he suffered in his right knee Week 9. Overall, he completed 108 of 160 passes (67.5 percent) for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions while taking 40 carries for 206 yards and another TD in six appearances. Since undergoing surgery Nov. 22, Jones progressed to throwing by late February and running and some cutting by early May, with the aim to receive full medical clearance by training camp. He's expected to retake the reins of the offense once he's healthy, but two of the options on the quarterback depth chart behind him (Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito) have starting experience under their belts.

Smith-Schuster said Monday at the start of OTAs that he never reached 100 percent health during the 2023 season, Chris Mason of The Springfield Republican reports.

Smith-Schuster said the last 12 months have made a "big difference," and he estimated that last offseason he was only at 60 percent health due to a lingering knee injury. Across 11 games in 2023, he was an afterthought in New England's offense, finishing with just a 29-260-1 receiving line despite little established competition at the position. If truly healthier and now able to move better, Smith-Schuster could earn more consistent targets from Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye, though the Patriots' wide receiver corps has gotten more crowded with the additions of rookies Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, plus free-agent addition K.J. Osborn.

Vaughn (ankle) is a candidate to earn more work out of the slot this offseason, Reid Hanson of USA Today reports.

Vaughn only suited up for seven games as a rookie before landing on IR, across which he totaled just 80 yards from scrimmage without a touchdown. Now presumably healthy, the 5-foot-6 running back could have a clearer path to backfield opportunities with Tony Pollard having moved on to Tennessee, even with Ezekiel Elliott now back atop the depth chart. The slot could be a more natural fit for Vaughn, though to emerge as an actual fantasy contributor in Year 2, he'll need to earn more than the occasional designed play.

Jefferson is not present for the start of OTAs on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jefferson is amidst contract negotiations with Minnesota, so it won't be surprising if he doesn't show up for voluntary workouts with the team. The Vikings' mandatory minicamp won't begin until June 4, at which point Jefferson will incur fines if he isn't in attendance. The star wideout currently is heading into the final year of his rookie contract with a fifth-year option that will pay him $19.7 million. In just 10 games last season, Jefferson still managed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, his fourth straight such campaign to begin his NFL career. His value to Minnesota's offense, and the development of rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy, is impossible to overstate, so the team has every incentive to agree to a new long-term extension with haste.