49ers To Sign QB Nate Sudfeld
With Mac Jones nursing a knee injury, the 49ers are adding a familiar face to their roster. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the team is signing quarterback Nate Sudfeld. The veteran QB worked out for the team yesterday.
Sudfeld spent the 2021 campaign in the 49ers organization. After starting the season on the practice squad, he was elevated to the active roster after Trey Lance went down with a knee injury. Sudfeld stuck around for the rest of the season, although he didn’t get into a game as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s backup.
A former sixth-round pick, Sudfeld still hasn’t started a game through his eight seasons in the NFL. He did have an extended outing with the Eagles in 2017, when he completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 134 yards. Otherwise, the QB has attempted 14 other passes in his NFL career.
The veteran spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Detroit, although he missed that latter campaign thanks to a torn ACL suffered during a preseason game. He was among the Lions final cuts at the end of the 2024 preseason.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that Jones suffered his knee injury during Saturday’s loss to the Broncos, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the QB2 is out for the team’s preseason finale. Still, there’s hope that Jones will be ready to be Brock Purdy‘s primary backup for Week 1. If Jones can’t go, Sudfeld would be an option to be the QB2, although he’d have to compete with UDFA Carter Bradley. Seventh-round rookie Kurtis Rourke is expected to start the season on NFI as he works his way back from a torn ACL.
Beanie Bishop, Robert Woods On Steelers’ Roster Bubble
Last season, the Steelers turned to a rookie UDFA as their primary slot cornerback. After some notable additions this offseason, Beanie Bishop is not expected to start again. He is also no longer assured of a roster spot.
Steelers DC Teryl Austin said (via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski) Bishop needs a standout finish to the preseason to “put himself back in the picture.” Being cut before Year 2 would be a quick fall for Bishop, who logged 548 defensive snaps as a rookie.
While Bishop lost his status as a defensive regular during the season’s final month, he logged at least 20 defensive snaps in 13 of Pittsburgh’s 17 games in 2024. Bishop intercepted four passes and broke up seven more as a rookie; Pro Football Focus graded him in the bottom half at the position, ranking the 5-foot-9 cover man 95th at the position.
The Steelers made a blockbuster trade for Jalen Ramsey, unloading Minkah Fitzpatrick to acquire the versatile cover man. They had already added Darius Slay and Brandin Echols. The latter has spent most of his career on the boundary but did log 112 slot snaps in 2023. Ramsey has been one of this era’s top perimeter corners, but he has garnered increased slot usage over the past five years. Ramsey has played at least 169 slot snaps in four of the past five seasons, being regularly used at the Rams’ “star” position. A configuration in which Ramsey plays inside while Slay and Joey Porter Jr. work near the boundary makes sense for the Steelers.
Bishop has primarily lined up with the Steelers’ second-team defense during training camp, Adamski adds. Seventh-round pick Donte Kent also factors into the Steelers’ Bishop decision, with the competition for spots fiercer than it was at this time last year — when Cameron Sutton was facing an eight-game suspension to open the season.
The team also has some decisions to make at wide receiver. The Steelers have faced consistent questions about their post-George Pickens plan opposite D.K. Metcalf, but they have hosted Gabe Davis on two visits now — the second coming today. The team also has Roman Wilson back after a lost rookie season, and The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo notes Scotty Miller — an Arthur Smith charge in Atlanta — has been one of Aaron Rodgers‘ favorite targets during camp. These developments move Robert Woods toward Pittsburgh’s roster bubble, DeFabo adds.
Despite Woods’ accomplishments during a 12-year career, he played deep into the fourth quarter in the Steelers’ second preseason game. The Steelers gave Woods (20 catches, 203 yards last season) a one-year, $2MM deal but only guaranteed him $745K, lessening the dead money blow in the event he is cut by the August 26 deadline.
Calvin Austin is set to reprise his role as a starter, while the team also has Ben Skowronek rostered. Woods, 33, could become a practice squad stash, but it may not be a lock the former Bills, Rams, Titans and Texans wideout plays a 13th season. Conversely, DeFabo adds it would surprise if Miller (five receptions, 69 yards in 2024) did not make the roster.
Dolphins Waive P Ryan Stonehouse, Sign CB Cameron Dantzler
Ryan Stonehouse has proven to possess one of the strongest legs in NFL history, going 3-for-3 in seasons with 50-plus-yard punting averages. The player who broke Sammy Baugh‘s longstanding single-season punting record has now been jettisoned twice this year, however.
The Dolphins waived Stonehouse on Tuesday, per a team announcement. Initially reporting the Dolphins’ decision to cut the strong-legged specialist, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes the team will go with incumbent Jake Bailey for a third season. This release also came despite the Dolphins hiring ex-Titans special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman this offseason.
[RELATED: Reviewing Dolphins’ 2025 Offseason]
This decision comes months after the Titans declined to tender Stonehouse as an RFA. The original-round tender price spiked to $3.26MM this year, leading to more nontender calls than usual, and a punter being nontendered at this rate was not exactly shocking. Still, Stonehouse had made it back from ACL and MCL tears sustained during the 2023 season. He posted his third 50-plus-yard punting average as well.
As a rookie, Stonehouse brought down Baugh’s hallowed single-season punting mark (51.4 yards per boot) — one that had stood 1940 — by averaging 53.1 yards a kick. Baugh also set that record on 35 punts; Stonehouse punted 90 times as a rookie. He then matched that punting average a year later, though the ACL and MCL tears sustained on a blocked punt ended his 2023 season after 12 games. In 17 contests last season, Stonehouse averaged 50.6 yards per punt.
While the three-season sample size would seemingly hold some weight, the Dolphins saw Bailey average 56 yards (on three preseason punts) to Stonehouse’s 43.3 during the team’s first two preseason games. Bailey averaged 45.7 and 47.1 yards per punt in 2023 and ’24, respectively. The Stonehouse cut will tag the Dolphins with just $75K in dead money. Bailey is tied to a two-year, $4.2MM deal; it would have cost $550K to drop him. Stonehouse should generate some interest before the season.
Announcing their Matt Judon signing, the Dolphins also added cornerback Cameron Dantzler and waived wide receiver Tarik Black. The Dolphins also placed offensive lineman Yodny Cajuste on IR, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
A former third-round pick who started 26 games with the Vikings from 2020-23, Danzler has become an NFL nomad. The Dolphins are the veteran corner’s sixth NFL team; he stopped through Washington, Buffalo, Houston and New Orleans. Dantzler did not play in the NFL last season but saw time in the UFL — with the San Antonio Brahmas and Memphis Showboats — during that league’s past two seasons. Miami is amid a full-scale cornerback makeover and already lost Artie Burns and Kader Kohou to season-ending injuries, leading to this flier on Dantzler.
Cowboys’ Jonathan Mingo Likely To Start Season On IR
One of the Cowboys’ IR-return spots next week looks like it will go to Jonathan Mingo. The 2024 trade acquisition sustained a knee injury that is expected to sideline him into the regular season, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.
It is a PCL sprain, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins, who projects a four- to six-week return timetable. Although that timeline could have Mingo ready to go before Week 5, ESPN.com’s Todd Archer indicates the former second-round pick is likely to land on IR to open the season.
Mingo is not expected to need surgery, however, Archer adds. No surgery being in the cards represents a break for Mingo, who has not justified his second-round draft status. Two seasons remain on the ex-Panthers draftee’s rookie contract, one Carolina sent to Dallas before last year’s trade deadline.
Mingo, 24, caught just five passes in eight Cowboys games. Not exactly delivering a strong rookie season, that 418-yard year — one with an overmatched Bryce Young targeting him in a disjointed offense — was certainly preferable to what transpired in 2024. The Ole Miss product totaled just 167 yards in 17 games last season, seeing his snap share drop from 56% with the Panthers to 29% with the Cowboys. With George Pickens now in the fold, Mingo’s faces a more difficult path to a regular role on offense.
The Cowboys could also opt to carry Mingo to their active roster and then place him on IR. This would keep one of Dallas’ IR-return moves from going to a backup wide receiver. While Mingo is expected to return before the season’s midpoint, the Cowboys added Pickens to supplement CeeDee Lamb. More notably for Mingo, Jalen Tolbert and All-Pro returner/auxiliary receiver KaVontae Turpin remain rostered. The duo combined for 1,030 receiving yards last season.
Using one of their two allotted IR-return slots next week on Mingo makes sense to save a roster spot, but the third-year player has not done much to justify being prioritized to such a degree. The Cowboys also have Tyler Guyton as a candidate for an IR-return slot; using both IR-return slots next week would leave the team with six regular-season injury activations. Though, Guyton may be kept on the 53-man roster in the event the second-year left tackle is deemed ready before Week 5. Mingo would be eligible to practice in Week 5 in the IR-return scenario.
Nik Bonitto Optimistic On Broncos Extension
Returning from a short absence due to a bone spur in his foot, Nik Bonitto is now atop the Broncos’ extension queue. Denver extended Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen earlier during training camp, moving its other extension candidate’s negotiation to center stage.
Bonitto, who is entering the final season of his rookie contract, is optimistic a deal will be completed but said (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) it is not essential the extension comes before Week 1. The Broncos both completed a big-ticket late-summer extension last year and re-upped two starters in-season.
Denver came to terms with Patrick Surtain on a then-market setting payday days before last season, and the team reached an agreement to extend Jonathon Cooper shortly before the trade deadline — preceding a Baron Browning trade. The Broncos finished their 2024 extension business by giving Garett Bolles another deal, which came to pass in December. It would surprise if the Bonitto deal took that long to complete, but it does not appear a lock he will be paid before the season starts.
The Broncos and Bonitto have been in talks since early May, with steady rumors trickling out about the deal being a priority. Considering Bonitto’s breakout 2024, it is natural the Broncos would want to extend him. The team drafted him before Sean Payton‘s arrival, but current GM George Paton pulled the trigger on the second-round pick in 2022. The Payton-Paton tandem signed off on three deals for 2021 draftees (Paton’s first year with the team), extending Quinn Meinerz along with Surtain and Cooper. It stands to reason Bonitto will have a new deal before year’s end.
It represents a bit of a risk for Bonitto to play out a contract year, but his breakthrough 2024 points to an injury not derailing his place in the organization. The edge rusher market could soon have a new ceiling, however, should the Cowboys pay Micah Parsons before the season starts. Bonitto will not be a candidate for a deal in the Parsons-T.J. Watt–Myles Garrett range, but Parsons raising the bar would stand to help the Denver edge rusher.
Aidan Hutchinson may not have a deal done by Week 1, but if the Lions do come to terms with their ascending 2022 draftee, Bonitto would also benefit by waiting that negotiation out. The Oklahoma alum referenced the rising EDGE market Tuesday, pointing to a potential interest in waiting out the Parsons situation. If the sides do not hammer out an extension by early March, the franchise tag would assuredly come out here.
The Broncos are at just $5.6MM in cap space, but they also have the Russell Wilson dead money coming off the books come 2026. With Bo Nix not extension-eligible until 2027, the team’s recent extensions have capitalized on the rookie-QB contract window. Even though Denver’s window with Nix rookie money is narrower than most such situations (due to the historic dead money from the Wilson mistake), the team has paid several core players since last summer.
In less promising news, the Broncos placed backup interior offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo on IR over the weekend. Payton said Tuesday (via 9News’ Mike Klis) the 2024 seventh-rounder suffered an ACL tear. Denver has the likes of Alex Forsyth and Calvin Throckmorton as interior swingmen, and the team gave UDFA Clay Webb a $225K guarantee this offseason.
Giants Activate LT Andrew Thomas
Sidelined to date through training camp, Andrew Thomas is now cleared to practice. The Giants’ left tackle was activated from the active/PUP list on Tuesday, per a team announcement. 
An October 2024 Lisfranc injury limited Thomas to just six games last season and set him up for a lengthy rehab process. A return to full health in time for Week 1 remained the target, though. When speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Brian Daboll said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post) today had long been the expected activation date in Thomas’ case.
Given the timing of this move, the 26-year-old will have time to ramp up in advance of the regular season. Thomas is entering his sixth campaign in New York, each of which have been spent as the team’s starter on the blind side. Considering the term remaining (five years) on his $23.5MM-per-year extension, a full season would be critical for team and player.
Thomas had been trending in this direction, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Though, he has missed substantial practice work while recovering from an injury sustained in Week 6 of last season. The Giants had seen some stumbling blocks form during the All-Pro’s recovery, but they had not wavered in confidence he would be ready to start the season. Thomas did stop short (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) of proclaiming he will start the season on time. That still seems likely, given the timing of this activation.
Chosen fourth overall in 2020, Thomas has proven to be the Giants’ best O-lineman by a wide margin. The team may well, should Evan Neal‘s bid to unseat Greg Van Roten at right guard fail, start the same O-line it did to open last season. That is certainly an atypical path after a 3-14 season, but having Thomas available again changes the equation.
The Giants are also expected to have Malik Nabers ready to roll to open the season, but injury trouble continues to slow the promising wide receiver. After a lingering toe problem kept Nabers on the shelf alongside Thomas during the Giants’ offseason program, he missed nearly two weeks of camp due to what is being classified as a minor back injury, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes. While a source informed Raanan Nabers is experiencing “normal camp tightness,” a two-week absence is a bit concerning regardless. Nabers returned to work Tuesday but has missed most of the Giants’ 2025 practices.
Nabers is certainly not the only NFL regular likely to miss his team’s full preseason slate, but his light participation since last season ended obviously differs from most players’ schedules. A shoulder issue also sidelined Nabers early during training camp, limiting his work with new QB Russell Wilson and eventual replacement Jaxson Dart.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Buccaneers’ Jalen McMillan To Start Season On IR; DB Christian Izien To Miss Time
Doubling down at wide receiver this offseason by re-signing Chris Godwin and drafting Emeka Egbuka, the Buccaneers had the makings of one of the deepest receiving groups in recent NFL history. They will not open the season with their full arsenal.
Godwin’s recovery timeline from a second ankle surgery remains murky, and the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports the Bucs will not have Jalen McMillan for much of the season. A “severely sprained neck” will lead the second-year wideout to IR to open the season, and no immediate return is expected. McMillan landed on his head while making a leaping catch against the Steelers; he was transported to an area hospital, per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.
A 2024 third-round pick, McMillan showed promising replacing Godwin last season. The injury he sustained recently could sideline him until after Tampa Bay’s Week 9 bye, Stroud adds. Additionally, Todd Bowles said (via Stroud) DB Christian Izien sustained an oblique injury that could keep him out to open the season.
It looks more likely than not the Bucs will be without McMillan and Godwin to start the season. The team is not certain to stash Godwin on IR, but one of its IR-return spots next week figures to go to McMillan. The Bucs can place McMillan on IR upon setting their 53-man roster, losing one of their eight in-season activations in the process. This is not a career-threatening neck issue, per Bowles, but it stands to stunt the promising weapon’s growth due to the timing here.
McMillan scored seven touchdowns in the Bucs’ final five games last season, totaling 461 yards on 37 receptions and eight TDs on the year. Becoming Mike Evans‘ top sidekick when Godwin went down with a dislocated ankle, McMillan already stood to see his role diminish thanks to Godwin re-signing and Egbuka joining the team at No. 19 overall. Suddenly, any contributions the Washington alum makes in Year 2 could be viewed as a bonus.
While Tampa Bay’s potential Godwin-Egbuka-McMillan-Evans quartet would be dangerous, the team will be limited here for a while. Fortunately, Evans and Egbuka are healthy as the season nears. Egbuka has impressed, and it is fair to expect the Ohio State all-time receiving leader to have a major role to open the season. Godwin is not a lock to start the season on time, but the Bucs are not certain to stash him on the reserve/PUP list just yet. That is a clear possibility, however, which would put pressure on Egbuka to develop quickly alongside Evans.
Izien will make the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but his role is not locked down just yet. A super-utility player of sorts previously, Izien has seen Tykee Smith move toward the safety spot alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. and third-round rookie Jacob Parrish challenge for the Week 1 slot corner role. Izien would represent a valuable piece of the bench in a scenario in which Smith and Parrish lock in regular roles, and his recent injury could cement that status.
Commanders, T George Fant Agree To Deal
George Fant met with the Commanders last week, and a deal has emerged shortly thereafter. The veteran tackle has agreed to terms with Washington, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. 
Fant was limited to just two games last season upon returning to the Seahawks. He had won the right tackle gig in 2024, but a depth spot will be in store this time around. The 33-year-old nevertheless has 75 starts to his name, so he will offer experience at either tackle spot if needed.
Upgrading along the offensive line was a priority for the Commanders this offseason. The team’s most notable move in that respect was the trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler will handle blindside duties on his third career team, with Brandon Coleman shifting to guard as a result. Tunsil has two years remaining on his pact, although none of his scheduled $21MM salary for 2026 is guaranteed.
A potential left tackle successor was added during the first round of the draft. Josh Conerly Jr. is currently focused on competing for the starting right tackle gig. He and incumbent Andrew Wylie are contesting the position. The runner-up will no doubt be viewed as the primary RT backup for 2025. Fant will also be an option in that respect, though, in addition to offering Washington a fill-in on the blindside.
The former UDFA saw considerable playing time over the course of his first Seahawks tenure as well as his Jets and Texans stints. Fant was contemplating signing with the Titans or Ravens earlier this offseason, but in the absence of an agreement on either front he continued searching for an opportunity. That included a visit with the Buccaneers, a team looking for depth until Tristan Wirfs is healthy. Instead of Tampa Bay, Fant is headed to the nation’s capital.
The Commanders entered Tuesday with nearly $17MM in cap space, and today’s signing will not considerably affect that total. Washington’s offense faces questions with the Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson situations unresolved, but the unit will have veteran depth up front in 2025.
WR Gabe Davis Expected To Visit Bills
The news of Gabe Davis lining up a second free agent visit with the Steelers pointed to a Pittsburgh agreement being highly likely. At least one other team is set to host the veteran wideout, however. 
The Bills are expected to bring Davis in for a visit this week, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. Any deal worked out in the wake of that meeting would constitute a reunion between team and player. Davis’ first four seasons in the league came with Buffalo.
While playing out his rookie contract, the former fourth-round pick served as a key member of the Bills’ passing attack. Davis scored seven touchdowns in each of the 2022 and ’23 seasons, averaging 16.7 yards per reception during his tenure with the team. While his catch percentage (54.5%) across that span certainly left something to be desired, the 26-year-old was among the top wideouts in last year’s free agent class.
Davis landed a three-year, $39MM Jaguars pact on the open market as he expectedly departed Buffalo. Things did not go according to plan in Jacksonville, however, with the UCF product ultimately being released after one campaign with the team. The Steelers showed interest with a visit in June, using that opportunity to evaluate Davis’ injured knee. To no surprise, a medical follow-up is in store for his second visit, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes.
The Bills’ most lucrative free agent addition this offseason was receiver Josh Palmer. The former Charger is set to join returnees Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman as the top options in Buffalo’s passing game in 2025. A reunion with Davis would see him take on at least a rotational role, and as a familiar face to head coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Joe Brady a quick acclimation period late in the summer would be expected in the event of a deal.
Buffalo entered Tuesday at the bottom of the league in terms of cap space with roughly $1.36MM in available funds. That figure will change once roster cuts take place, but for now the Bills trail the Steelers ($19.23MM) in spending power by a wide margin. Davis is on course for a much less lucrative pact than his last one in any event, but it will be interesting to see if finances play a part in determining his fate over the coming days.
Browns Name Joe Flacco Starting QB
To little surprise, Joe Flacco will begin the 2025 season atop the depth chart. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Monday that the 41-year-old will handle starting duties in Week 1. 
Flacco has long been seen as the top option for Cleveland. Injuries have been a problem for fellow veteran Kenny Pickett but also rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, leading to missed reps during training camp. Even if all four contenders had been fully available, it still would have been seen as something of an upset for anyone but Flacco to get the early nod.
Midway through the 2023 season, Flacco joined the Browns and quickly found himself handling QB1 duties. The former Super Bowl MVP helped lead the team to a 4-1 finish down the stretch and qualify for the playoffs. That track record of success and a familiarity with Stefanski’s scheme were factors weighing heavily in Flacco’s favor during training camp. After the 191-game starter received the majority of first-team reps in camp, signs pointed heavily to Stefanski’s expected announcement confirming this QB setup to begin the year.
Pickett was seen as a contender to earn the nod ahead of camp, but a hamstring injury hindered his chances of genuinely pushing for the QB1 gig. The former Steelers first-rounder was traded to the Eagles last offseason and spent 2024 as Jalen Hurts‘ backup. The trade sending him to Cleveland was understandably followed by the decision to decline his fifth-year option. As a result, the 27-year-old enters this season as a pending free agent. Doing so as a backup (at best) is certainly an unwelcomed development from his perspective.
Gabriel and Sanders have flashed potential during the preseason, and their respective development will be a key storyline for Cleveland in 2025. Gabriel drew trade interest immediately after being drafted in the third round, but despite adding Sanders on Day 3 the Browns elected to retain him. Given the presence of Flacco and Pickett at that point, questions were raised about the possibility of all four signal-callers being kept on the active roster. General manager Andrew Berry has consistently maintained he is willing to take that route.
Indeed, the latest update on that front indicated Cleveland would carry each member of the Flacco-Pickett-Gabriel-Sanders quartet on the 53-man roster following cutdowns. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the season while recovering from his second Achilles tear, while recent addition Tyler Huntley is a candidate to be released after filling in as a healthy option under center as needed. That will not bring an end to discussions about how the Browns should proceed under center, of course.
Struggles on the part of the team in general and Flacco in particular will no doubt lead to increased calls for a change under center. Turning to one (or both) of the rookies over the course of the season could lead to valuable evaluations concerning their long-term viability as potential starters. For now, though, Flacco is set to meet his goal of playing into his 40s. That will include at least a stretch in the starting spot to open his 18th NFL season.