Category: NFL News

Former Cincinnati Bengals first-round center Billy Price announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday, revealing that he had emergency surgery to save his life this offseason. The 29-year-old had a pulmonary embolism that required treatment, which directly led to his decision to hang up the cleats.

Price announced his decision on Instagram:

“In the blink of an eye, everything can be taken away. On April 24th I had emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a saddle clot that was entering both of my lungs. As a healthy 29 year old, an unprovoked pulmonary embolism with no further medical explanation is terrifying. I am truly thankful to be alive today. Unfortunately, I will be retiring from the NFL as the risk of an internal bleed while on blood thinners creates tremendous risk.

I am truly thankful for the opportunity to have played in some of the greatest atmospheres around the world. I am thankful to have trained and played alongside men who will continue to make Pro Bowls, All Pro Rosters and Hall of Fame recognitions.

To my wife: this career would not have been possible without your continued love and support. The sacrifices you have made over the course of my career do not go unnoticed. I cannot wait to navigate the next chapter in life with you as we continue to grow our family.”

The Ohio State product was selected by the Bengals with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. After three seasons in Cincinnati, Price was traded to the New York Giants, the team he played out the final year of his rookie contract with. Price spent 2022 with the Arizona Cardinals, making 11 starts, and then 2023 with the Dallas Cowboys on their practice squad. In his six NFL seasons, Price played in 69 total games with 45 starts. 

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Report: Aiyuk aims to surpass St. Brown’s $120 million contract originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While Brandon Aiyuk’s contract extension saga remains unsettled, there is clarity regarding the 49ers star wide receivers’ perceived asking price while he seeks a new deal from San Francisco.

In speaking on “NFL Live” on Friday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler provided an update on the ongoing negotiations between Aiyuk and the 49ers, while revealing the potential benchmark for the contract Aiyuk is aiming to receive from the team that selected him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

“San Francisco with Brandon Aiyuk, they have been talking, they have been negotiating,” Fowler explained. ” Nothing imminent as of yet, but there’s certainly a chance. I was told the benchmark here is [Detroit Lions wide receiver] Amon-Ra St. Brown because he got $28 million [per] year on a four year deal from Detroit. The goal as it appears is for Aiyuk to try to beat that.

“He doesn’t need to be the highest paid in the league, but he’s done enough and accomplished enough in that offense where he’s probably going to need to be at that number or higher.”

St. Brown inked his four-year $120 million contract on April 24., coming off a breakout 2023 season where the Lions star earned a First-Team All-Pro selection after recording 115 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Aiyuk recorded less receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns than St. Brown last season, but the discrepancy can easily be chalked up to the large difference in targets between the two, with the 49ers wideout feeling the effects of playing in an offense loaded with other superstars.

Although Aiyuk had 59 fewer receptions and 40 less receptions than St. Brown in 2023, he had only 173 fewer receiving yards — an indication of how valuable Aiyuk’s big-play ability was for the 49ers’ high-flying offense. The 26-year-old’s 17.9 yards per reception ranked second in the NFL last season, while Aiyuk earned a spot on the…

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A member of Bill Parcells’ coaching tree, Sean Payton is known to mimic his former boss by offering a notable line or two during interviews. Payton was at it again Thursday when he used an interesting metaphor to sum up his quarterback room that consists of rookie Bo Nix, Zach Wilson and Jarrett Stidham. 

“They’re all orphan dogs,” Payton said, via CBS News Colorado. “They’ve all come from somewhere.”

Payton’s not wrong. Nix hails from Oregon, where he threw a whopping 74 touchdowns and completed nearly 75% of his throws after transferring from Auburn. Wilson, a fellow former first-round pick, spent his first three NFL seasons toiling on often out-manned Jets teams before he was traded to Denver this offseason. 

“I need to be consistent every single day,” Wilson said, via the team’s website. “Understanding the offense, understanding what I’m asked to do, taking care of the football and how quickly I can get the ball out of my hands to some of the playmakers that we have, too.”

Stidham is a 2019 fourth-round pick who was a backup in New England before making two starts for the Raiders in 2022 and two more with the Broncos last season. 

“I’ve dealt with this before when I was in New England with Mac Jones,” Stidham said. “It’s a business and I totally understand it, but at the same time, I’m here to compete. I’m not going to just sit down and let someone else walk in here and [just take the role]. I’m going to work my butt off to get the job. I’m super excited about it.”

The Broncos quarterback situation is a fluid one. Payton said the quarterbacks will split reps during OTAs. Payton did offer some encouraging comments about Nix, the sixth quarterback taken in April’s draft. 

“He’s further along than most,” Payton said. “We’re talking about a player who has played 61 [college] games. He’s extremely smart. He’s picked it up very quickly.”

Payton also offered an encouraging…

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Sherman predicts 49ers win 13 games, lose pivotal NFC matchup originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It should come as no surprise that many experts are projecting the 49ers to be one of the top teams during the 2024 NFL season.

And that includes former San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman.

On the latest episode of “The Richard Sherman Podcast,” the former defensive back went game-by-game through the 49ers’ regular-season schedule and predicted San Francisco will win 13 games this upcoming season.

“I got San Francisco with 13 wins,” Sherman told co-host Mitch Eisenstein. “The Kansas City game in San Francisco — how do you not have that in primetime? What are we actually doing? This is a Super Bowl rematch and it’s at 1:25 [p.m.], there’s no way. That’s crazy. — But I think San Francisco finds a way to get that game. I think them coming back at home versus Seattle will be another tough game.

“At Green Bay in Lambeau, it can get dicey. Brock [Purdy] played at Iowa State and it got pretty cold out there, but Lambeau in November, December is … it can be tough for everybody. That may be a potential loss. I think they can go to Buffalo and get a win. I think they beat the Rams again. I think they beat Miami. I think they lose to [the] Detroit Lions on Monday night at home. Detroit gets their revenge. And I think they finish the season with a win at Arizona.”

Sherman believes Week 12 vs. the Green Bay Packers on the road and Week 17 vs. the Detroit Lions at home will be the 49ers’ only losses next season, both of which could have a huge impact on the NFC playoff picture.

Yes, 13 wins and only two losses. That doesn’t add up to 17 games, right? That’s because Sherman, as the neutral party he is, jokingly predicted ties for both the Week 6 and Week 11 49ers-Seahawks matchups.

In the end, Sherman predicts a 13-2-2 record for San Francisco this upcoming season, which certainly would be a first.

Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast

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FRISCO, Texas —  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said “We want Dak Prescott. That’s that.” when asked how motivated he is to retain Prescott as his team’s long-term, face of the franchise quarterback. 

Jones made that comment two days before the 2024 NFL Draft on April 23, and based on how emphatic he was in saying it, the natural conclusion would be that a new deal for Prescott, who enters 2024 in the last season of a four-year, $160 million contract he signed back in 2021, was imminent. However, nearly a month has passed, and Dallas already has two organized team activities (OTA) workouts under their belt without Prescott receiving a new deal. 

Prescott, the 2023 season leader in passing touchdowns (36), isn’t phased by the lack of a deal at this moment in time while stressing the importance of not holding out with much of his receiving core trending younger outside of Brandin Cooks (age 30). 

“Business, business is business. I’ll leave it where it gets handled,” Prescott said Wednesday at Cowboys OTAs. “Right now, it’s about being my best for this team right now in this moment. OTAs is helping these guys out and just focused on that and I know my business will take care of itself. Been in it before, experienced [in talks with Jerry and Stephen Jones] and just controlling what I can right now.”

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback, who will turn 31 on July 29 entering his ninth NFL season, is coming off of a season in which he earned 2023 Second-Team All-Pro honors and finished as the league’s MVP runner-up behind Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson while putting up his most efficient season of his career (105.9 passer rating). 

Should Prescott’s deal somehow not get done between now and March 2025, he can hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Prescott’s current deal possesses a no-trade and no-franchise tag clause. If he did become an unrestricted free…

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Brown shares insightful advice he gave 49ers rookie Mustapha originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the 49ers begin their offseason conditioning program with organized team activities, second-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown has some advice for rookie Malik Mustapha.

Speaking to the media after the second day of OTAs, Brown was asked what advice he would give his fellow safety Mustapha, having just been a rookie himself.

“I was actually talking to him earlier today and I told him, ‘Just take your time,’ ” Brown said. “Don’t try to rush it, it’s a process. You’re not going to just step on the field and know it all. I didn’t do it, I don’t think [anybody] ever has stepped on the field their rookie year and knew it all. So, take your time with it and enjoy it, enjoy the little moments.”

Brown has had a wild ride since San Francisco selected him with the No. 87 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, going from backup to starter after Talanoa Hufanga’s mid-season knee injury and even picking off Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII.

Mustapha flashed plenty of potential during his collegiate career at Wake Forest, playing a versatile hybrid safety role for the Demon Deacons, and the 49ers are hopeful that he will turn into a difference-maker on defense after taking him No. 124 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

As Hufanga works his way back from a torn ACL, Mustapha will have plenty of opportunities during the remainder of the offseason program to make an impact and impress the 49ers brass.

In the pass-heavy world of the modern NFL, the safety position is critical to a defense’s ability to prevent huge pass plays. Mustapha’s athleticism will make him a tough matchup for any wide receiver if he can acclimate to the speed of the professional game.

Given the impending free-agency decisions the 49ers face over the next few years, selecting strong players with late draft picks is critical to maintaining the strong level of…

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The 2024 NFL schedule was released last Thursday, which means we can officially start breaking down Week 1. Sportsbooks have already posted lines for these matchups, so you can bet on NFL football right now! 

Let’s break down some of these matchups. As we do every week during the NFL regular season, we will pick and discuss our top five against-the-spread picks. It will be fun to see how these lines shift over the next few months, and with a couple of these lines, it could be a good idea to place your wager now. Let’s jump in.

All odds come courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

While C.J. Stroud had a rookie season for the record books, he did go 1-1 against the Colts — as Zaire Franklin tried to point out to him. Indy defeated Houston in Week 2, 31-20, while Anthony Richardson left the game in the second quarter due to a concussion. Richardson getting hurt was a common theme in 2023, as he finished just one game healthy during his rookie season. 

I’m worried about Richardson’s health and potential rust. As for the Texans, they got better this offseason by adding Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs on offense, plus Denico Autry and Danielle Hunter on defense. Give me Houston. 

The pick: Texans -2
Projected score: Texans 30-23

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Both Tennessee and Chicago had incredibly exciting offseasons. The Titans swung big for Calvin Ridley and L’Jarius Sneed, while the Bears picked up a new franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams, and also landed a couple of new wideouts in Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. I anticipated the Bears being favorites in this game, but 4.5 points? 

The last 15 quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall went 0-14-1 in their first career start. I’m not saying the Titans are Super Bowl contenders, but new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has an impressive track record, and his scheme figures to be aggressive, yet tough to figure out. It may not…

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DeVante Parker abruptly retires two months after signing with Eagles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker, who was expected to compete for the Eagles’ third wide receiver spot this summer, has decided to retire, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The 31-year-old Parker, who has four kids, told Schefter, “I want to see my kids, spend quality time with them. I want to be there for them whenever I can.”

The Eagles signed Parker to a one-year contract in March, and with Quez Watkins, Julio Jones and Olamide Zaccheaus no longer with the team, Parker along with veteran Parris Campbell and rookies Ainias Smith from Texas A&M and Johnny Wilson from Florida State were expected to be in the mix for playing time behind starters A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Parker spoke with the Philadelphia media in March and said he was excited to be a part of an organization that’s been to the playoffs three straight years.

“I’m just coming in looking to bring whatever I can to help the team out,” he said. “Whatever I can, whatever they ask me to do, is what I’m going to do.

“It’s a great organization, a great quarterback and unlimited talent. The talent here is amazing. I just feel like I want to be a part of that.”

Parker joins a list of Eagles who never were Eagles that includes Mark Brunell, Marquise Goodwin and Myles Jack.

Parker caught 402 passes for 5,660 passes and 27 touchdowns in nine seasons, the first seven with the Dolphins, the last two with the Patriots.

He was considered a major disappointment as the 14th player taken in the 2015 draft, but he did have a big 2019 season, when he ranked fifth in the NFL with 1,202 yards and sixth with nine touchdown catches.

Parker caught 64 passes for 933 yards and three TDs the last two years with the Patriots and signed a one-year veteran-minimum $1.21 million contract with the Eagles. According to Spotrac there was no bonus, which means there is no dead money for the Eagles…

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