NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Derek Carr injury opens door for Saints to take Shedeur Sanders at No. 9

    Derek Carr injury opens door for Saints to take Shedeur Sanders at No. 9

    The unexpected news that Saints quarterback Derek Carr has a shoulder injury makes it even more likely that the Saints will take a serious look at Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders when New Orleans is on the clock with the ninth overall pick in the draft.

    ESPN’s Louis Riddick — who recently said he believes Sanders hopes the teams holding the top three picks in the draft won’t pick him — tweeted this: “That 9th pick gonna be all kinds of interesting.” Colorado coach Deion Sanders (Shedeur’s father) retweeted Riddick’s message, with the two eyeballs emoji.

    It’s an accurate description of the situation. And it puts the team that holds the eighth overall pick in a position that is even more interesting.

    And that team just happens to be one of the Saints’ division rivals, the Carolina Panthers.

    Any team that wants Sanders now knows it must jump the Saints, like the Chiefs did in 2017 when the sprang up to get quarterback Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 before the Saints could take him at No. 11.

    That could compel the Saints to move up to No. 7, with the Jets. Or even to No. 6, with the Raiders. Or maybe to No. 5, with the Jaguars.

    Regardless, the ninth pick will indeed be “all kinds of interesting.” Earlier picks could end up being a lot more interesting, too.

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  • Tennessee’s relationship with QB Nico Iamaleava tested amid contract negotiations, missed practice

    Tennessee’s relationship with QB Nico Iamaleava tested amid contract negotiations, missed practice

    Uncertainty spiked in Knoxville on Thursday as Tennessee’s unsteady relationship with starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava went public. A report from On3 described Iamaleava and Tennessee as going through “contract negotiations” ahead of the April 16 opening of the college football spring transfer portal window. On Friday, Iamaleava was absent from Tennessee’s practice, according to GoVols247. 

    Coach Josh Heupel wrapped up a meeting with Tennessee’s coaching staff mid-day Friday briefing everybody on the situation. Sources describe Tennessee as surprised that Iamaleava had skipped practice considering he participated in Tennessee’s position group dinners Thursday evening and maintained an air of normality at QBs coach Joey Halzle’s house even as news of the contract negotiations went public. 

    Alarms went off Friday morning, though, when Iamaleava was not present for the team’s pre-practice meeting, which he usually takes in from a seat on the front row.

    If Tennessee loses Iamaleava, it would shake up the national quarterback landscape. It could also unleash a fury not seen on Rocky Top since coach Lane Kiffin bolted for USC in the cover of darkness. Tennessee is determined to keep a player into which it has invested major capital — money, reputation, lawyers — to build up as the pillar of the program. 

    Updated contract agreements have been made across college football the last several weeks ahead of April 16’s opening of the spring window to no fanfare, which is why sources at Tennessee say they were caught off guard when they saw their business being aired out on social media Thursday. The act could provide interested schools daylight to gauge Iamaleava’s interest. Sources around Tennessee tell CBS Sports there are multiple…

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  • Eagles agree to deal with former LSU WR and second-round pick before 2025 NFL Draft, per report

    Eagles agree to deal with former LSU WR and second-round pick before 2025 NFL Draft, per report

    Getty Images

    The Philadelphia Eagles have a new wide receiver, agreeing to terms with former Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. on a one-year deal, per to NFL Media.

    Marshall, a second-round pick out of LSU back in 2021, spent the first three years of his career with Carolina. He totaled 64 catches for 767 yards and just one score, topping out with a season-long receiving line of 28 grabs for 490 yards and the lone touchdown in 2022. 

    The Panthers released him after training camp last offseason, after which he signed with the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. The Niners kept him on the practice squad from August through October, at which point he was released after not having appeared in a game for San Francisco. The Raiders signed him to their own practice squad a week later. 

    He was elevated to the active roster on two different occasions before being signed for…

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  • 4-star WR Austin Coles of Barrington, Ill. to visit MSU this weekend

    4-star WR Austin Coles of Barrington, Ill. to visit MSU this weekend

    Four-star wide receiver Austin Coles of Barrington, Ill. will reportedly visit Michigan State this weekend

    A highly-recruited wide receiver from Illinois will reportedly visit Michigan State this weekend.

    Austin Coles of Barrington, Ill. will reportedly make a stop at Michigan State this weekend as part of multiple Big Ten spring visits. Recruiting insider for 247Sports Allen Trieu posted the notable recruiting news on Coles on Thursday.

    According to Trieu, Coles will also visit Indiana, Iowa and Illinois over the next few weeks.

    Coles is listed as a four-star prospect on Rivals and is unranked on 247Sports at this time. He is considered to either be a wide receiver or tight end. He is listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds.

    Michigan State is one of seven schools that have extended him an offer at this time, according to 247Sports. He also holds offers from Florida, Miami (FL), Illinois, Maryland, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

    Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

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  • Shemar Stewart taking pre-draft visit with Patriots on Thursday

    Shemar Stewart taking pre-draft visit with Patriots on Thursday

    Former Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart made some noise at the Senior Bowl and now he’s in the middle of a busy April.

    Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Stewart taking a pre-draft visit with the Patriots on Thursday.

    Stewart also has visits scheduled with San Francisco and Chicago.

    Stewart did not become a full-time starter until the 2024 season. He recorded just 1.5 sacks, seven quarterback hurries, and 5.5 tackles for loss in his final college year. He finished his three seasons with 65 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

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  • Colorado RB Isaiah Augustave no longer with team: Loss of top rusher puts more stress on meager run game

    Colorado RB Isaiah Augustave no longer with team: Loss of top rusher puts more stress on meager run game

    Colorado running back Isaiah Augustave is no longer with the program, according to DNVR, and his name has been removed from the team’s online roster. Augustave led the Buffaloes in rushing during the breakout 2024 campaign and was poised to be a major offensive contributor. 

    A request for comment to Colorado has not yet been returned. 

    Augustave rushed for 384 yards and four touchdowns on 4.5 yards per carry in 2024, dwarfing the team mark of 2.5 yards per carry pulled down by sacks. Nearly 75% of his yards came after contact as the Buffaloes’ offensive line struggled to create opportunities in the running game. The junior transferred to Colorado from Arkansas, where he was a four-star recruit out of Naples, Florida. 

    His departure marks the second straight year that coach Deion Sanders has lost his top rusher. Top four rushers Dylan Edwards (Kansas State), Anthony Hankerson (Oregon State), Sy’Veon Wilkerson (Georgia State) and Alton McCaskill (Arizona State) all transferred after the 2023 season. Returners Dallan Hayden, Micah Welch and Charlie Offerdahl are all still with the Buffaloes in 2025. 

    Despite Augustave’s success, Colorado ranked last nationally in rushing offense at only 65.2 yards per game. Colorado ran only 235 designed runs compared to 614 dropbacks in 2024 as the squad leaned on quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. No other player on the roster had more than 200 yards rushing. 

    However, replicating that model won’t come easy after losing Sanders and Heisman winner Travis Hunter to the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, the top four receivers — responsible for more than 3,200 yards receiving — are all off to the NFL. With the departures, getting more out of the running game is a…

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  • Steelers’ T.J. Watt sparks rumors with cryptic social media post, should fans be worried?

    Steelers’ T.J. Watt sparks rumors with cryptic social media post, should fans be worried?

    It’s hard to imagine T.J. Watt in anything other than Steelers black and gold, but it’s a reality Pittsburgh fans might need to come to terms with. While there is no official word on what the future holds for the team’s star linebacker, he posted something on social media that had fans spiraling, thinking the four-time Pro Bowler could be packing up soon.

    On his Instagram account, Watt posted a photo of him in his Steelers uniform, holding up two fingers. Athletes have used social media as a tool for as long as it’s been around and in their posts, often give hints to what’s to come, good, bad or otherwise. Watt didn’t add a caption to the post and as of Wednesday night, didn’t have any other posts on his Instagram story or main Instagram account.

    Here’s a look at the post:

    Sometimes fans can overanalyze an athlete’s social media post, but they do have reason to fear the longtime Steeler could want a change soon. He is entering the final year of the four-year, $112 million extension he signed in 2021. His base salary of $21.05 million, far below market value for his position. Watt’s total average is $28 million, $12 million below Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett. 

    The 2024 season has come and gone, so there’s no specific reason for him to be posting an on-field photo without an explanation. The post certainly felt cryptic, but there’s always a chance that fans could be misunderstanding a harmless photo from the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Perhaps Watt is just bored during the offseason and wanted to stir up some drama. 

    Last year, he finished with 61 tackles, 11.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, a league high. In 2023, he led the league in sacks with 11.5, marking his third time finishing the year atop the NFL in that category. 

    Since he was taken by the Steelers in the first round in 2017, he has 462 total tackles, 108 sacks, 49 pass deflections, 33 forced fumbles, 12…

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  • Will ex-LSU recruit Bryce Underwood start for Michigan in 2025?

    Will ex-LSU recruit Bryce Underwood start for Michigan in 2025?

    Last November, five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood sent shockwaves through Baton Rouge when he decommitted from LSU and pledged to Michigan. Underwood, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class, committed to LSU in January of 2024.

    There were rumors of the Michigan native flipping to his home state school, but LSU thought it was in a good spot after Underwood visited LSU when the Tigers hosted Alabama. That wasn’t the case and less than two weeks later, Underwood had a new home.

    Underwood was an early-enrollee in Ann Arbor and will compete for a starting job right away. That’s something he wasn’t going to do at LSU with the return of Garrett Nussmeier.

    Michigan’s offense struggled in 2024. The Wolverines lost a significant amount after winning the national championship in 2023, including QB JJ McCarthy. It led to a revolving door at quarterback in 2024 as the Wolverines tried to figure something out.

    The 2024 struggles made Underwood a top priority for Michigan and the Wolverines didn’t stop until Underwood was a member of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class.

    Will former LSU football commit Bryce Underwood start for Michigan in 2025?

    It’s rare for a true freshman to walk right in and earn the starting job at quarterback, but Underwood is making a strong case. All reports out of the Michigan camp have been positive.

    “The arm talent is as good as advertised,” a Michigan coach told the media this week.

    Underwood is drawing praise for his leadership abilities too. It’s one thing to have the talent as a freshman, but the intangibles can be the difference between playing early and waiting your turn, especially at the QB position.

    Michigan landed an experienced QB in the transfer portal, Mikey Keene, but he’s not practicing this spring. That could give Underwood the edge.

    Fans should expect to see Underwood starting for Michigan…

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