Cowboys Pursued LB Devin Lloyd
The Cowboys entered the offseason with a need at middle linebacker, but they have done nothing to address it so far. It hasn’t been for lack of effort. Along with the previously reported pursuits of Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, the Cowboys “made a push” to sign Devin Lloyd at the outset of free agency, per Todd Archer of ESPN.
The Cowboys lost out on Dean and Walker to the Raiders, who pulled in the duo as part of their big-money shopping spree in the first wave of free agency. Meanwhile, Lloyd left the Jaguars for the Panthers. All three players secured three-year deals worth between $36MM and $42MM.
With Dean, Walker, Lloyd and several other free agent possibilities off the board, inside linebacker options have dwindled. But the open market still features at least a few notable veterans. To name two prominent examples, Commanders free agent Bobby Wagner and career-long Buccaneer Lavonte David remain unsigned. However, the Cowboys have not gone after either member of the grizzled duo, according to Archer. Bobby Okereke, Germaine Pratt and Shaq Thompson are a few others without teams, but it is unclear if the Cowboys have interest.
In 2025, a year in which the Cowboys’ defense allowed the most points and third-most yards in the NFL, Kenneth Murray recorded the highest snap share (78.86%) among their linebackers. Murray is also among current free agents, but the Cowboys are not expected to re-sign him, Archer reports. He and in-season trade pickup Logan Wilson will go down as one-and-done additions for Dallas.
The Cowboys acquired Murray from the Titans in a late-round pick swap last March, but Pro Football Focus wound up ranking him a ghastly 86th among 88 off-ball LBs in 2025. While Wilson only cost the Cowboys a seventh-rounder, they were so unimpressed with the former Bengal’s work that they waived him last month. Although Wilson is just 29, he retired earlier this week.
As things stand, DeMarvion Overshown, Shemar James and Justin Barron are new defensive coordinator Christian Parker‘s in-house choices as he transitions the Cowboys to a 3-4 base. Overshown is a shoo-in to start if healthy, but injuries have undermined him throughout his three-year career. He has played in just 19 of a possible 51 games. James posted a 49.14% snap share and made a team-high 91 tackles as a fifth-round rookie, though PFF placed him just two spots higher than Murray in its rankings. Meanwhile, as an undrafted rookie last year, Barron did not play a defensive snap in either of his two appearances.
Considering what they have on hand, Dallas seems likely to pick up another starting-caliber off-ball linebacker in either free agency, a trade or the draft. With the Cowboys owning two first-round picks (No. 12 and 20), they could be waiting until late April to land an impact player at the position.
Jaguars Made Offer To LB Devin Lloyd
The Jaguars declined linebacker Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option last spring, setting him up for a trip to the open market this offseason. While Lloyd entered the process hoping to re-sign with the Jaguars, the former first-round pick left Duval County for the Panthers’ three-year, $42MM proposal. The Jaguars at least had interest in retaining Lloyd, he confirmed (via David Newton of ESPN).
“It was offered,” said Lloyd, though he did not detail how close the Jaguars came to keeping him.
It’s worth pointing out that exercising Lloyd’s fifth-year option would have cost Jacksonville $14.75MM – a bit north of his current $14MM average annual value. The Jaguars deemed that too rich, though it was not a surprise they turned it down. A team has not picked up an off-ball linebacker’s fifth-year option since the Buccaneers did so for Devin White in 2022. Nevertheless, the NFL continues to group inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes.
The Jaguars stumbled to a 4-13 record in 2024, but they surprisingly orchestrated a major turnaround in the first year of the general manager James Gladstone-head coach Liam Coen reign last season. Thanks in part to a terrific season from Lloyd, the Jaguars reeled off 13 wins and took home an AFC South title. Lloyd made his first Pro Bowl and earned second-team All-Pro honors after totaling 81 tackles, 25 pressures and a career-high five interceptions over 15 games. Pro Football Focus gave Lloyd an elite ranking (third) among 88 off-ball linebackers.
During his four-year run in Jacksonville, Lloyd averaged approximately 16 games, 109 tackles, seven passes defensed and two interceptions per season. That will not be easy production to replace, but Gladstone has pointed to the relatively inexperienced Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs as potential in-house successors (via Mia O’Brien of ESPN Radio). Miller, a 2023 third-rounder, missed his rookie year with a torn Achilles and then started 11 of 32 games over the past two seasons. Combs was a 2025 undrafted free agent who came off the bench in all 10 appearances last year. The vast majority of his snaps (177 of 205) came on special teams.
While Lloyd walked out the door, the Jaguars were able to retain outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck on a new contract. Details were not immediately available, but it is a two-year, $6.5MM pact with $3.15MM in guarantees and three void years, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2.
NFC Contract Details: McDuffie, Eagles, Oweh, Lloyd, Etienne, Giants, Packers, 49ers, Bucs
Here are the latest details from contracts agreed to around the NFC:
- Trent McDuffie, CB (Rams). Four years, $124MM. Although McDuffie secured $100MM guaranteed, $50MM is locked in at signing. But a rolling guarantee structure is in place. If on the Rams’ roster by Day 5 of the 2027 league year, McDuffie will see his 2028 base salary ($26.32MM) shift to a full guarantee, according to OverTheCap. On Day 5 of the 2028 league year, the All-Pro cornerback will see $23MM of his $29.82MM 2029 base salary become guaranteed. A $5MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2029 league year.
- Odafe Oweh, DE (Commanders). Four years, $96MM. Oweh will receive $50.6MM guaranteed at signing, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. An additional $17.4MM is guaranteed for injury. A $1MM roster bonus is due by April 1, 2029, according to Spotrac.
- Jordan Davis, DT (Eagles). Three years, $78MM. Of Davis’ reported $65MM guarantee, OverTheCap indicates $38.94MM is the at-signing number. If Davis is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the 2027 league year, his 2028 salary and a $24.2MM option bonus become guaranteed.
- Laremy Tunsil, LT (Commanders). Two years, $60.2MM. Tunsil secured $52.66MM guaranteed at signing on his third career extension, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. The Pro Bowl left tackle’s 2026 and ’27 compensation is fully guaranteed. An additional $8.85MM in 2028 compensation is guaranteed for injury.
- Travis Etienne, RB (Saints). Four years, $47MM. Etienne landed $24MM fully guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell tweets. That is tied for fifth among running backs. The ex-Jaguar secured a $4MM injury guarantee on his $12MM 2028 base salary, Terrell adds.
- Devin Lloyd, LB (Panthers). Three years, $42MM. The initial reports of $45MM covered the deal’s max value, though the reported $25MM guarantee is a full guarantee (per Wilson). This includes an $8.54MM guarantee of Lloyd’s $11.25MM 2027 base salary.
- Isaiah Likely, TE (Giants). Three years, $40MM. Likely landed $20.5MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. If the Giants move on after 2027, they would save $12MM.
- Chig Okonkwo, TE (Commanders). Three years, $27MM. The ex-Titan pass catcher scored $17.6MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The guarantee covers Okonkwo’s 2026 and ’27 compensation.
- Leo Chenal, LB (Commanders). Three years, $24.75MM. Chenal secured $12.4MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets.
- Javon Hargrave, DT (Packers). Two years, $23MM. Green Bay is giving Hargrave $10.5MM guaranteed at signing. ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky confirms, per usual with the Packers, the only guarantee comes via a signing bonus. A $3MM roster bonus is due next March.
- Alex Anzalone, LB (Buccaneers). Two years, $17MM. Anzalone’s contract includes $12MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets.
- Eddy Pineiro, K (49ers). Four years, $17MM. The deal includes $8MM guaranteed at signing, with ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner indicating $10MM is guaranteed in total. Pineiro’s first two years are fully guaranteed; his 2028 base salary ($1.7MM) becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027, Wagoner adds.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams). Two years, $6MM. The initial $8MM number represents the deal’s max value, with Wilson adding $3.4MM of Higbee’s fourth contract is guaranteed.
Panthers To Sign LB Devin Lloyd
Devin Lloyd is heading to Carolina. The former first-round pick is inking a three-year deal with the Panthers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
The three-year contract is worth $45MM and includes $25MM in guaranteed money. Lloyd may not have reached the very top of the linebacker market at $20MM per year as he was hoping (via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), but he will still come in with the fourth-highest annual pay at the position after receiving Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro recognition in 2025.
Lloyd, 27, was a highly-touted prospect out of Utah in 2022 who landed in Jacksonville via the No. 27 overall pick. He took over a starting job as a rookie, but struggled mightily in his transition to the NFL. Lloyd finished the 2022 season with a 48.1 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the ninth-worst among starting linebackers.
Two years of improvement followed. Then, in 2025, Lloyd emerged as a game-changer on the defensive side of the ball. Though his tackle production lagged relative to his first three seasons, he recorded a career-high five interceptions, allowed just a 57.1 passer rating when targeted, and added 28 pressures as a pass rusher, the third-most among off-ball linebackers.
The Panthers, who also inquired after Tremaine Edmunds before he signed with the Giants, will be banking on Lloyd to have a similar impact. He will slot in as Carolina’s starting linebacker next to Trevin Wallace, a 2024 third-rounder who has shown promise but missed nine games due to injury since being drafted.
Lloyd will likely take over the green dot role in a Panthers defense will also feature edge Jaelan Phillips in 2026. The two former first-rounders will hope to continue the unit’s ascension in Carolina’s third year under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
Ben Levine contributed to this story.
Pending Free Agent LB Devin Lloyd Prefers To Re-Sign With Jaguars
The NFL’s fifth-year option formula continues to do interior offensive linemen and off-ball linebackers a disservice by grouping them with their higher-paid depth chart neighbors — offensive tackles and outside linebackers. As a result, the Jaguars declined linebacker Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option just over nine months ago, and he’s now set to hit free agency. 
According to Kevin Patra of NFL.com, if Lloyd got his preference, he would be returning to Jacksonville on a new contract for the 2026 season. Unfortunately for him, though, it takes two to tango, and the latest reports out of Duval indicate that the team is not likely to match the offers Lloyd is expected to get on the free agent market. Those rumors should ring bittersweet for the 27-year-old who recently wrapped up a career-year just in time to cash in on it.
Lloyd has had a very impressive start to his career. As a rookie still learning the ropes, Lloyd finished third on his team with 115 total tackles and tied for the team-lead with three interceptions. Despite, the gaudy numbers, Lloyd struggled in coverage early and missed too many tackles for a first-round pick. In Year 2, he started living up more to his draft stock, making big strides in coverage and finishing second on the team with 127 total tackles.
Last year, Lloyd’s coverage took a step back, but he turned a corner in his tackling, drastically cutting down his number of missed tackles and leading the Jaguars in 2024 with 113 total. He showed a new element of disruption, too, logging two sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss after seeing zero sacks and only two tackles for loss in his first two years of play combined. This year, he put it all together. Though he only logged 81 tackles (still good for third on the team), Lloyd became a playmaker elsewhere, picking off five passes (and returning one 99 yards for a touchdown) and logging 1.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and seven passes defensed. As a result, Lloyd was named a second-team All-Pro linebacker and a Pro Bowler.
It seems clear that Lloyd is on track for a big payday this offseason. Currently, the highest-paid players at the position are Fred Warner ($21MM per year) and Roquan Smith ($20MM). Lloyd may not land all the way up with those first-team All-Pro backers, but he may fall somewhere in the range of Tremaine Edmunds ($18MM), Zack Baun ($17MM), Jamien Sherwood ($15MM), and Patrick Queen ($13.67MM). Most of those deals are for three years, though a couple are four or five, so you might expect Lloyd to be rewarded with a three-year, $48MM deal or perhaps a four-year, $60MM contract if the team prefers length over value.
As much as Lloyd may want this offer to come from Duval, it seems the Jaguars aren’t expected to open up their pocketbook to him. It’s not all bad news for Lloyd, though, who could end up being consoled by a shiny new deal elsewhere.
Jaguars Unlikely To Re-Sign Devin Lloyd?
Last spring, the Jaguars declined Devin Lloyd‘s fifth-year option. As a result, the productive linebacker is currently on track for free agency in March.
2026 will mark Lloyd’s first trip to the open market unless a new Jacksonville pact can be worked out. It seems as though that will not take place, though. ESPN’s Rob Demosky writes the Jags will “likely” see Lloyd depart by taking a big-ticket contract elsewhere.
[RELATED: 2026 Salary Cap To Exceed $300MM]
The fifth-year option groups inside and outside linebackers together for valuation purposes. As a result, NFL teams have increasingly opted against picking up the option in cases like Lloyd’s. Similarly, the franchise tag does not differentiate between the two positions. That means tagging Lloyd would cost roughly $28.2MM in fully guaranteed compensation for 2026.
The top of the LB market is currently $21MM per year, so tagging Lloyd would come as a major surprise. A long-term pact is more feasible for the 27-year-old, and wherever it comes from it will no doubt include a considerable raise. Lloyd was held under 113 tackles for the first time in his career during the 2025 season, but he set a new career high with five interceptions while totaling 81 stops. His production and role in Jacksonville’s impressive defense resulted in second-team All-Pro honors.
Lloyd remained a full-time starter despite seeing a dip in his defensive snap share. The Utah product will be counted on as a key contributor for his next team, and the linebacker market will offer few alternatives in free agency which are younger than him. Lloyd’s second contract could see him join the list of linebackers attached to an AAV of at least $12.5MM. That would move him within the top eight at the position in terms of average annual value.
Foye Oluokun inked a new Jags contract in 2024; he has two years remaining on his pact. Jacksonville also has recent Day 3 picks Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser in place at the LB position. One or both could be in line for a sharp uptick in defensive usage in the event Llyod were to depart in free agency.
2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker
NFL teams have until May 1 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2022 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of performance- and usage-based benchmarks:
- Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
- One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
- Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
- At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
- A 75% snap average across all three seasons
- At least 50% in each of first three seasons
- Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position
We covered how last year’s Pro Bowl invites affected the 2022 first-round class. With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the 2026 option decisions from around the league:
- DE/OLB Travon Walker, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
- DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson, Lions ($19.87MM): Exercised
- CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans ($17.6MM): Extended through 2029
- CB Sauce Gardner, Jets ($20.19MM): Exercised
- OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants ($14.75MM): Exercised
- T Ikem Ekwonu, Panthers ($17.56MM): Exercised
- T Evan Neal, Giants ($16.69MM): Declined
- WR Drake London, Falcons ($16.82MM): Exercised
- T Charles Cross, Seahawks ($17.56MM): Exercised
- WR Garrett Wilson, Jets ($16.82MM): Exercised
- WR Chris Olave, Saints ($15.49MM): Exercised
- WR Jameson Williams, Lions ($15.49MM): Exercised
- DT Jordan Davis, Eagles ($12.94MM): Exercised
- S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens ($18.6MM): Exercised
- G Kenyon Green, Eagles* ($16.69MM): Declined
- WR Jahan Dotson, Eagles** ($16.82MM): Declined
- G Zion Johnson, Chargers ($17.56MM): Declined
- WR Treylon Burks, Titans ($15.49MM): Declined
- T Trevor Penning, Saints ($16.69MM): Declined
- QB Kenny Pickett, Browns*** ($22.12MM): Declined
- CB Trent McDuffie, Chiefs ($13.63MM): Exercised
- LB Quay Walker, Packers ($14.75MM): Declined
- CB Kaiir Elam, Cowboys**** ($12.68MM): Declined
- G Tyler Smith, Cowboys ($20.99MM): Exercised
- C Tyler Linderbaum, Ravens ($20.99MM): Declined
- DE Jermaine Johnson, Jets ($13.92MM): Exercised
- LB Devin Lloyd, Jaguars ($14.75MM): Exercised
- DT Devonte Wyatt, Packers ($12.94MM): Exercised
- G Cole Strange, Patriots ($16.69MM): Declined
- DE George Karlaftis, Chiefs ($15.12MM): Exercised
- DB Dax Hill, Bengals ($12.68MM): Exercised
- S Lewis Cine, Vikings: N/A
* = traded from Texans on March 11, 2025
** = traded from Commanders on August 22, 2024
*** = traded from Eagles on March 15, 2024; traded from Steelers on March 10, 2025
**** = traded from Bills to Cowboys on March 12, 2025
Jaguars To Decline LB Devin Lloyd’s Fifth-Year Option
The Jaguars will continue the string of teams declining fifth-year options on off-ball linebackers. As the NFL’s option formula still groups all linebackers together, Devin Lloyd will become the latest ILB to see his not exercised.
Lloyd is now in a contract year, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler confirms. He would have been due a fully guaranteed $14.75MM had the Jaguars’ new regime signed off on his 2026 option. Lloyd is extension-eligible, so he could factor into the Jags’ long-term plans. It would also make sense if the team’s James Gladstone-Liam Coen duo wanted to see how he fit into a new defensive scheme.
[RELATED: 2026 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
No team has exercised a fifth-year option for an off-ball LB since the Buccaneers picked up Devin White‘s in 2022. That decision did not turn out well, as the All-Pro’s value cratered soon after. Over the past three offseasons, Patrick Queen, Kenneth Murray, Isaiah Simmons, Jordyn Brooks and Jamin Davis had seen their options declined. The Cardinals passed on Zaven Collins‘, despite moving him to the edge, and it should be expected the Packers will decline Quay Walker‘s ($14.75MM) by Thursday’s deadline.
This wrinkle reminds of the guard market, as the price of franchise-tagging a player at that position is complicated due to all O-linemen being grouped together under this formula as well. Guards and ILBs have easier paths to free agency as a result, and Lloyd could end up as a key piece on next year’s market because of the Jags’ Wednesday decision.
The Jags did pick up Travon Walker‘s fifth-year option, but the former No. 1 overall pick serves as an edge player. Lloyd has been a locked-in starter since his rookie year, but Trent Baalke‘s second pick since the Urban Meyer firing moved him to the top of the franchise’s personnel pyramid could use a quality contract year to display his value to both the Jags and other teams. Jacksonville traded up from No. 33 (via Tampa Bay) to acquire Lloyd at No. 27 overall. He has been a consistent producer despite the Jaguars continuing to change defensive coordinators.
Lloyd, 26, has missed just three career games. He has made at least 113 tackles in each of his three seasons, working as a regular under Mike Caldwell and Ryan Nielsen. After making just two tackles for loss during his first two seasons combined, Lloyd — a former 27 overall pick out of Utah — made seven last season. The Jags hired Anthony Campanile to run their defense this year. Lloyd will undoubtedly be a key piece. Pro Football Focus has graded Lloyd as a top-15 linebacker in each of the past two seasons.
That status becomes more impressive when factoring in the organizational turnover in that span. Doug Pederson fired Caldwell after the 2023 season, and Nielsen again became a one-and-done DC (as he had in Atlanta) thanks to a head coach being fired a year later. Lloyd will attempt to prove himself valuable in Campanile’s defense this season.
Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd Undergoes Thumb Surgery
The Jaguars are set to play the first of back-to-back games in London in Week 4, but they will be without a defensive starter for at least one of them. Linebacker Devin Lloyd will be absent on Sunday as a result of thumb surgery.
Lloyd had a number of screws implanted in his right thumb on Wednesday, as noted by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. As a result of the procedure, he will not travel with the Jaguars in advance of their game against the Falcons. The 2022 first-rounder’s absence will leave a notable vacancy at the second level of Jacksonville’s defense.
The second Jaguars Day 1 selection last April (after No. 1 pick Travon Walker), Lloyd saw immediate playing time with an 80% defensive snap share. The Utah alum racked up 115 tackles, three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries. Those stats failed to translate to a flattering PFF evaluation, however, with tackling issues and struggles in coverage leading to an overall grade of 48.3.
Lloyd has shouldered a heavier workload in the early going during the 2023 campaign, and his metrics have taken a positive turn. The 24-year-old has earned a 58.7 grade, a mark which leaves plenty of room for improvement down the road, but offers reason to expect he can remain a productive contributor in Jacksonville in the short- and long-term. Lloyd has helped the Jaguars rank seventh in the league against the run, allowing an average of 84 yards per game on the ground.
In his absence, leading tackler Foyesade Oluokun will likely be joined in the starting lineup by Chad Muma. The 2022 third-rounder has played primarily on special teams early in his career, though he has also logged over 300 defensive snaps. Fourth-year depth contributor Shaquille Quarterman could also be in line for an increased workload with Lloyd unavailable for the time being.
Since finding a rhythm offensively has been akin to pulling teeth for Jacksonville so far this season, the team’s defense will likely have a large role to play in helping rebound from a 1-2 start. Missing Lloyd will hurt their linebacking corps, but his absence should at least not be expected to last particularly long.
Injury Updates: Packers, Seahawks, Jaguars, Colts, Giants
Packers second-round wide receiver Christian Watson was placed on the PUP before training camp opened, and ESPN’s Rob Demovsky writes that the rookie could miss a chunk of training camp. Watson continues to recover from minor knee surgery that took place following minicamp.
“I think there was kind of a thought process [of] do you want to try to push through the season and finish this after the (2022) season or should we just go ahead and do it now?” said Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said. “And we just did it now. So he’ll miss a little bit of time in camp, but it’s nothing long term.
“When we invest what we invested in Christian, we’re obviously looking out for the long term. We always do. He’s a young player who’s got a big career ahead of him, so we want to make sure we protect that. It’ll be how he responds through the rehab. As soon as he’s ready, we’ll get him out there.”
The Packers used the No. 34 pick on the rookie wideout. This naturally led to high expectations for the wideout, especially with Davante Adams out of the picture. The rookie has had only three opportunities to practice with Aaron Rodgers, and the wideout will miss out on chances to click with his QB during the early parts of training camp.
More injury notes from around the NFL…
- Seahawks safety Jamal Adams underwent left shoulder surgery for the second-straight year, but he also underwent multiple finger surgeries during the offseason. Adams will be sidelined for “some time” while he gets his previously-injured hand checked out, coach Pete Carroll told ESPN’s Brady Henderson (Twitter link). “Yesterday his hand just wasn’t right, so he’s getting some opinions about it,” the coach said.
- Jaguars running back James Robinson didn’t start training camp on PUP, but he won’t be a full participant right away, tweets ESPN’s Michael DiRocco (on Twitter). The hope is that Robinson will be fully cleared to participate in games by mid-August, meaning he could be active for the start of the regular season. Robinson tore his Achilles in Week 16 of the 2021 campaign, putting his early-season availability in doubt. Meanwhile, DiRocco notes that linebacker Devin Lloyd tweaked his hamstring during a conditioning test and will be sidelined for a few days.
- Colts All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (previously Darius Leonard) was placed on PUP following offseason back surgery. The intent of the procedure was to relieve pressure on nerves in his back, and there was hope the surgery would also improve “functionality issues” in his left leg. Fortunately, Leonard said he immediately noticed a positive difference following the operation, and he said he’s focused on his rehab as training camp starts. “I’m not putting a timetable on it, but when I’m ready, you’ll see me on the field after that,” Leonard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star). “I’m ready to continue with my rehab, I’m happy with where I’m at right now, and hopefully we’ll continue to go forward with this process.”
- Giants wideout Sterling Shepard was placed on PUP as he continues to recover from a torn Achilles. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the goal is for Shepard to be ready for the start of the regular season, but it’s still unclear if the receiver will be ready by then. Offensive lineman Nick Gates is also on PUP as he recovers from a lower-leg fracture suffered last September. Duggan passes along that coach Brian Daboll was “surprisingly optimistic” about the status of the OL, revealing that there’s no guarantee that Gates will be forced to miss any time.