Josh Reynolds enjoyed a strong campaign in 2023 with the Lions, but he found himself on the move in free agency this offseason. The veteran receiver joined the Broncos on a two-year deal, something he recently addressed.
Reynolds posted 40 catches and 608 yards with Detroit last season; both of those figures represented the second-highest totals of his career. He also matched a personal best with five touchdowns.
That production kept him on the Lions’ radar, but the team did not submit a market-level contract offer. As a result, Reynolds ultimately signed in Denver on a pact with a base value of $9M.
“[It’s] business,” the 29-year-old said of the Lions not making a stronger push to re-sign him this offseason (via Jon Heath of Broncos Wire). “It’s a business, but you know, I think I’m at where I’m supposed to be at, and I’m excited.”
The Broncos traded away Jerry Jeudy as part of their retooling at the receiver spot. Tim Patrick remains in the fold, as does Courtland Sutton (although in the latter case, a contract standoff is currently taking place).
Denver also has 2023 second-rounder Marin Mims Jr. along with fourth-round rookie Troy Franklin in place as targets for the team’s revamped QB room.
Reynolds will aim to carve out a role as part of that group, and he noted the appeal of playing under head coach Sean Payton as a key factor in signing with Denver.
“It was kind of a lot,” the Texas A&M product added when speaking about the reasons why he joined the Broncos. “I think the main decision was that I’ve always admired Sean Payton from afar. I was excited to see what that offense looked like.”
Denver struggled under Nathaniel Hackett for less than a full season in 2022, and Payton’s arrival brought about a slight improvement. The team finished 19th in scoring last year, but a step forward in passing efficiency in particular will be needed in Payton’s second year at the helm.
With Russell Wilson no longer in the fold, all eyes will be on which signal-caller earns the Week 1 nod once training camp and the preseason commences.
For Reynolds, though, 2024 will mark the opportunity to establish himself as a key receiving option and a strong fit in Payton’s scheme.
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It is no secret that the relationship between Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys is not on solid ground, but that does not necessarily mean it is tarnished beyond repair. On the latest episode of his podcast, which was released on Tuesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter predicted that Parsons and the Cowboys are "headed towards divorce." Schefter said the two sides have not spoken since April and that it seems like a matter of when — not if — they part ways. Longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson was told the situation is not quite that grim, at least from the Cowboys' perspective. Anderson reported on Tuesday evening that the relationship between Parsons and Dallas "has not deteriorated to the point of an imminent divorce." "I did not detect any obvious tones of concern in my sourced conversation when I recently asked about ESPN's Adam Schefter's report stating he sees 'these two sides headed towards a divorce, in time.' ... I just feel Dallas has so much history with protracted (and) sensitive negotiations, thus my current impression is the club remains unrattled, at this time," Anderson wrote in a post on X. Parsons is earning just over $24M in the final year of his rookie contract this season. The 26-year-old had 12 sacks in 13 games last season and has 52.5 sacks in 63 career games. Parsons is arguably the best pass-rusher in the NFL when healthy. Although Parsons has formally requested a trade, the Cowboys maintain that they have no intention of dealing their four-time Pro Bowl defensive end. The only real leverage Parsons has is creating a headache in Dallas. He remains under contract, and the Cowboys also have the ability to use the franchise tag on him in each of the next two seasons. If Parsons were to sit out regular-season games, his contract would eventually toll. Even with Jerry Jones publicly taking shots at Parsons, one massive contract offer could change everything.
The Green Bay Packers are dealing with some concerning injuries to significant members of their roster. As their fans are well aware, the Packers have seen multiple wide receivers projected to be at the top of the depth cart go down during training camp with various injuries. Christian Watson, of course, has not been practicing all offseason as he is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears. In addition to him, the Packers also played their previous preseason game without Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot) and Dontayvion Wicks (calf). And while Doubs returned to practice this week, Reed and Wicks remain out. Elsewhere around the NFL, other teams are dealing with injuries of their own, and some involve players that are former Packers. Former Green Bay Packers running back Patrick Taylor is out for the 2025-26 NFL season One of these players is former Packers running back Patrick Taylor, who played in Green Bay from 2021-2023. An undrafted free agent who often filled in as Green Bay’s third running back, he accumulated 261 rushing yards and a touchdown in his three seasons with the Packers. He found himself out of a job when the Packers revamped their running back room before the 2024 NFL season. Taylor ended up with the San Francisco 49ers last season and had the best year of his career with 183 rushing yards and a touchdown while appearing in 13 games. He will not be playing any games this season as San Francisco just put him on season-ending injured reserve: NFL teams can only have so many players on an injured reserve list. Interestingly, Taylor’s injury led to the 49ers to release another former Packer, wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who was placed on injured reserve last week. In order to release an injured player, teams and that player must come to an injury settlement, which St. Brown received. He is now free to sign with any team in the NFL should he be able to pass a physical.
Cleveland Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand noted late Sunday night that head coach Kevin Stefanski was "undoubtedly" going to name veteran Joe Flacco the team's Week 1 starting quarterback as soon as Tuesday. It turns out Stefanski didn't need to wait that long. Kelsey Russo of the Browns' website confirmed on Monday afternoon that Flacco will serve as Cleveland's QB1 for its regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. That post officially ended what truly became a quarterback competition in name only after presumed backup Kenny Pickett suffered a hamstring injury on July 26 that kept him out of the club's first two preseason games. Even before Pickett experienced that setback, there was no indication that Stefanski wanted to start either 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel or 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders against the Bengals. Gabriel missed Cleveland's 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8 because of a hamstring issue but then had a solid outing in the Browns' 22-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles this past Saturday. Sanders played well against Carolina but sat out the Eagles contest because of an oblique injury. As for Flacco, the perception exists that the 40-year-old didn't need preseason reps to be ready to go for the Cincinnati game. During the 2023 season, the one-time Super Bowl MVP won four of five starts to guide the 2023 Browns to a playoff berth. For a piece published shortly before the Browns shared their expected announcement, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that other players in the Cleveland locker room "know Flacco is their best option" regarding Week 1. Breer added that "the Browns are comfortable keeping four quarterbacks" on their active roster through at least the early parts of the upcoming season. As of Monday, it was unclear if Pickett will be able to play in Cleveland's preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Rams this coming Saturday. One wonders if Pickett will push to take the field on Aug. 23 so that he can audition for a team that may feel its long-term answer at the position isn't on the roster today. Then again, Browns general manager Andrew Berry may elect to hold onto Pickett until Stefanski decides that either Gabriel or Sanders is ready to face a live defense in a meaningful game. For now, the Cleveland starting job is officially Flacco's to lose for the first time since January 2024.
In June, quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed that one reason he agreed to a team-friendly contract to join the Pittsburgh Steelers was because he was "pretty sure" he would retire following the 2025 season. It sounds like Rodgers' teammates could already have him thinking twice about those plans. During the latest edition of the "Not Just Football with Cam Heyward" podcast, Pittsburgh wide receiver DK Metcalf suggested that Rodgers could "run it back" with the Steelers for the 2026 season. "Maybe," Rodgers responded, as shared by Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. Numerous reports have detailed how Rodgers has impressed his teammates and coaches with how he hasn't been "too big for anyone" ever since he inked his contract. That said, it remains to be seen how Rodgers' body will respond when he starts taking hits in meaningful games. Rodgers largely looked like a shell of his former self last season coming off the torn Achilles he suffered in September 2023. He also reportedly dealt with a serious hamstring issue, a nagging hip problem, injuries to both his knees and a low ankle sprain before he turned 41 in December 2024. Earlier this summer, Rodgers hinted that he wanted to finish his career "the right way" with Pittsburgh. He expanded on his mindset during the podcast. "I've had a 20-year career," Rodgers added. "I've had a lot of success, accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish. But I fell in love with this game when I was five years old. And I wanted to get that love back to where I felt like it should be in the twilight of my career." Signing Rodgers was a win-now move for a franchise that has lost five straight playoff games and that last notched a postseason victory in January 2017. If Rodgers turns the clock back and guides Pittsburgh on a memorable playoff journey, he could be asked to stick around as a bridge option at the position. One wonders how Metcalf and other Steelers players will view Rodgers after he faces the New York Jets, his former team, in Pittsburgh's regular-season opener on Sept. 7.
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