Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have surgery on his right knee and is sidelined indefinitely.

The 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is dealing with a torn meniscus, and a timetable for a return will be determined following the surgery.

McCarthy reported soreness in his knee and was held out of practice Monday, two days after he made his preseason debut and completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the Las Vegas Raiders.

After veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins left Minnesota to sign with the Atlanta Falcons in the offseason, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold and drafted McCarthy after he led the University of Michigan to a national championship.

Darnold, the third overall pick by the New York Jets in 2018, is now the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback for Minnesota after appearing in 10 games last season – including one start – for the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

The Vikings, who went 7-10 and missed the play-offs last season, open their 2024 campaign on September 8 at the New York Giants.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown will not need to go under the knife after he suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Brown joined the Chiefs as a free agent, having impressed with the Arizona Cardinals last season, finishing the campaign with 51 catches for 574 yards and four touchdowns.

However, his Chiefs debut ended early as he sustained a dislocation of his shoulder joint in Kansas City's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Having caught a pass from Patrick Mahomes on the first play of the game, Brown was tackled and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder.

Thankfully for the Chiefs, Brown has avoided the need for surgery.

"They were able to get the joint back into place without surgery, which is a positive,'' Reid said.

"Then we'll just see on the recovery. He is back in Kansas City now. He stayed over in Jacksonville until they got that thing situated.''

Brown's status will be monitored ahead of the Chiefs' season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

Haason Reddick was acquired by the New York Jets in a trade this past March.

Just over four months later, the star edge rusher has now requested to be traded from the Jets before ever playing a game with them.

Reddick informed the Jets on Monday he wants to be traded, according to multiple reports.

The Jets, however, have made it clear they have no plans to deal him.

Shortly after the news of Reddick's trade demand broke, the Jets announced they won't honour his request.

"We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report," Jets general manager Joe Douglas said in a statement. "Since the trade discussions back in March we have been clear, direct and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season."

New York acquired Reddick from Philadelphia in late March after he had initially asked the Eagles for a new contract.

Since passing his physical with the Jets, he has not joined his new team for any activities. He skipped both their voluntary and mandatory mini-camp and has been holding out all of training camp.

Due to make $14.25million in 2024 in the final year of his deal, Reddick is facing more than $1million in mandatory fines by skipping the first three weeks of camp.

Drafted 13th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2017 draft, Reddick has emerged as one of the league's premier pass rushers over the last four seasons.

Since 2020, his 14 forced fumbles are the most in the NFL, while his 50 1/2 sacks rank fourth.

The 29-year-old was named to his second Pro Bowl team last season when he registered 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

In 2022, his 16 sacks trailed only Nick Bosa's 18 1/2 for the most in the NFL.

Caleb Williams feels the Chicago Bears are growing in confidence ahead of the new NFL season, having made his debut in Saturday's dominant preseason win over the Buffalo Bills.

Williams – the top overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – shared snaps with fellow quarterbacks Austin Reed, Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien as Chicago triumphed by a 33-6 scoreline.

He completed four of his seven attempted passes for 95 yards, avoiding any interceptions or sacks, with the highlight being a 26-yard bullet to tight end Cole Kmet.

With the Bears also using the ninth overall draft pick to take wide receiver Rome Odunze, hopes are high at Soldier Field that 2024 could mark an end to their three-year playoff drought.

Williams is positive regarding the progress they have already made, saying: "There's an understanding that it is preseason, that everybody's not going to show their looks and what they would do versus us and vice versa.

"But it definitely feels good to get out there. The last time I was out there on the field other than practice was November 18. You go that long without something, it's tough.

"But it's been great. The guys have made it fun, they made it easy on me, they've been great from the beginning. My progress, I would put it on them. 

"To get out there and have the confidence that we had out there, it's only going to get better and we can't wait."

Head coach Matt Eberflus has also been impressed as Chicago bid to improve on last season's 7-10 record, which was only good enough for fourth place in the NFC North.

"There's certainly positivity there," Eberflus said of Williams' debut. "We're not going to squash that. 

"I do feel like we have a lot of work to do and a lot of things to accomplish as a football team, not just Caleb. 

"We've all got to play good around him. It's important that we keep improving before that first game."

Louis Rees-Zammit described his Kansas City Chiefs debut as a "great first experience" after the rugby star-turned NFL hopeful featured in their preseason defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Having won 32 caps for Wales, scoring five tries at last year's World Cup in France, Rees-Zammit stunned the rugby world by turning his back on the sport in January to enter the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.

Rees-Zammit signed with the reigning Super Bowl champions in March, with head coach Andy Reid saying he showed promise as a running back.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old featured as a running back, kicker and kick-returner, as well as part of the Chiefs' punt coverage team, as they were beaten 26-13 by the Jags.

The Welshman finished his debut with two carries for one yard, one reception for three yards and one special teams tackle, returns he is keen to build on.

"It was a great first experience," Rees-Zammit told the Irish NFL Show. "I loved it, I loved getting the snaps I did, on special teams as well, which was great.

"I've just got to look back on this, review it and see how I can get better.

"The atmosphere was great, it was pretty electric in the stadium and there was a load of Chiefs fans, which helped massively. It was a great game and I'm looking forward to the next one."

Kansas City face the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears in their final two preseason outings before beginning their quest for a third straight Super Bowl with a blockbuster meeting with the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

Brandon Aiyuk seems set to leave the San Francisco 49ers after he was granted permission to speak to other teams.

Contract talks between the 49ers and their top wide receiver have stalled in recent weeks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns have all been credited with an interest in Aiyuk, who had 1,342 receiving yards last season, a career-high.

And San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan has now confirmed Aiyuk has been allowed to open talks with other teams.

He said: "You're always disappointed when you can’t keep hold of all your players and it’s not going exactly right.

"I don't like losing anybody, so that’s why I am hoping it does work out here. But right now, we don't have that solved.

"You want everybody out there. You truly understand the business side of our league and what these guys do and what they have to go through in these deals.

"Whether it’s a hold-in or a holdout, this stuff is pretty common and you've just got to be patient with it as a coach."

Asked about signing a replacement if Aiyuk were to leave, Shanahan added: "Brandon's a great player, so it's really hard to be better when you lose a great player.

Harrison Butker's contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs makes him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, according to reports.

Butker has penned a new, four-year deal with the Chiefs, who have won back-to-back Super Bowls.

Indeed, the 29-year-old has won three rings while with Kansas City, and converted the crucial field goal in their Super Bowl LVII victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in early 2023.

The Chiefs have now tied Butker down until 2028, with the deal reportedly worth $25.6million, with $17.75m guaranteed, more than any other NFL kicker.

"There's no place I'd rather be than with the Chiefs, excited to finalize a [four] year extension," Butker said in a post on social media. "To the Heights!"

Butker has a field goal percentage of 89.1 across his career, while he has been on the Chiefs' roster since 2017.

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has lashed out at his exclusion from the NFL's Top 100 list for the 2023 season, describing the omission as "bull****".

Johnson enjoyed a career-best campaign in 2023 despite the Bears going 7-10 and finishing bottom of the NFC North, being selected for the second All-Pro team.

However, he did not make the league's annual list of the top 100 players, which is voted for by players and was released last week.

Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill topped the list ahead of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who won his second MVP award after also claiming the prize in 2019.

Johnson was not among those to make the cut, leaving him to question the decision to vote in New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers – who suffered a season-ending injury in Game 1 – at number 92.

"It's bull****. There ain't no way. I don't know how you make Pro Bowl, All-Pro and not [be] a Top 100 guy," Johnson said. 

"I could've been 101 I guess, but goddamn, Aaron Rodgers didn't even play in the season and he was voted.

"I mean, hey, everybody makes mistakes, it ain't just the media that do it. Players clearly, if they voted for it, they made some goddamn mistakes. 

"But it is what it is. At the end of the day I know the truth and it's all right, I got some more for them."

However, Johnson insists his omission will not serve as his primary motivation for 2024, with Chicago approaching the campaign with renewed hope after taking highly-rated quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

"It's disrespectful because I go out there, line up and I know receivers go out there and can't say that I'm not one of best players that they play against," Johnson said. 

"Whatever it is, it happened. Doing it wouldn't have moved me to where I'm complacent, but just to see it… there ain't no way there are 100 guys who are better.

"Especially guys who didn't play, who were hurt, played half, ain't no f***** way. Excuse my language. Ain't no way."

Tyreek Hill has proven to be one of the NFL's top wide receivers, and the Miami Dolphins have rewarded him with a new contract.

The Dolphins signed Hill to a three-year, $90million contract restructure on Saturday, according multiple sources.

As part of the deal, Hill will receive $65million in guaranteed money, bringing his four-year fully guaranteed money to $106.5million - the most for a wide receiving in NFL history.

The contract restructure does not include any additional years, so he will remain under contract through the 2026 season.

In 16 games last season, Hill led the NFL with 1,799 receiving yards on 119 receptions and also had 13 touchdown catches to earn All-Pro honours for the fifth time.

Since his 2016 rookie season, he ranks first among all players with 10,139 receiving yards, third in touchdown grabs with 76 and fourth in receptions with 717. He has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his eight seasons in the NFL.

Hill becomes the latest Miami star to get a new deal this off-season, joining fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

DJ Moore had a sensational first season with the Chicago Bears in 2023.

The team clearly liked what it saw and sees him as being a key part of the offence moving forward, rewarding the wide receiver with a massive contract extension.

The Bears signed Moore to a four-year extension worth $110million with $82.6million guaranteed, according to multiple media outlets on Tuesday.

The deal is the largest in franchise history, and will keep him under contract in Chicago until 2029.

The 27-year-old Moore, who had two years left on his deal, becomes the first wide receiver in NFL history to have the first 10 years of his career guaranteed.

Moore spent his first five NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers before being traded to Chicago last March as part of a deal for the first pick of the 2023 draft. The trade also included Carolina's first-round pick in the 2024 draft, which wound up becoming the top overall pick, which the Bears used to select Caleb Williams.

Moore's first season with the Bears was the best of his career, as he had single-season personal highs in receptions (96), receiving yards (1,364) and touchdowns (eight).

Since his 2018 rookie season, his 6,565 receiving yards ranks seventh among all NFL players. He also has 581 catches and 29 TDs.

He now will be catching passes from Williams, and be lining up opposite wide receiver Rome Odunze - the ninth pick of this year's draft.

Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take extra responsibility after he was rewarded with a franchise-record contract by the Miami Dolphins.

Tagovailoa penned a four-year, $212.4million extension with the Dolphins on Sunday.

It makes the 26-year-old the highest-paid player in Dolphins history and fifth highest in the history of the NFL based on average annual salary.

But with the higher salary, comes extra responsibility to push the Dolphins on, says Tagovailoa.

"I'm the highest-paid employee in this office," Tagovailoa said. 

"I got to get my whatever together. I got to get that right and get our guys moving in the direction that we need to go to be able to do those things.

"We're looking forward to what we can do to help this team win more games and win games when it matters."

Tagovailoa led the league for passing yards in 2023, registering 29 touchdowns – a career-high.

And Miami coach Mike McDaniel is relishing the future with Tagovailoa at the helm.

"I'm fired up for the organisation, really fired up for Tua and the work he's done to receive something like that," McDaniel told reporters.

"I think it's a cool validation for sure.

"Quite frankly, Tua has shown me that throughout the entire offseason that he knows what time it is.

"Fortunately, him and all of his teammates can go out and determine whatever the narrative is built upon, by the way they play."

The New England Patriots issued a statement on Sunday that defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been diagnosed with blood clots.

The team said he is being treated at Mass General Brigham and there is no timetable for a return.

Barmore, who turned 25 years old on Sunday, is coming off a career year, emerging as an anchor on New England's defensive front with a team-high 8 1/2 sacks while also recording 13 tackles for loss in 2023.

A second-round pick by New England in 2021, he totalled four sacks in his first two NFL seasons.

After his breakout 2023 season, the Patriots rewarded Barmore with a four-year contract extension worth up to $92 million on April 29.

"While there is no current timetable for his return, we know Christian is getting tremendous care and we look forward to his full recovery," the Patriots said in a statement.

Travis Kelce conceded last season took a toll on him, but the Kansas City Chiefs star is confident he can prepare fully for the upcoming campaign.

Tight end Kelce helped the Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl triumph earlier this year.

The 34-year-old has spent much of the offseason on tour with his girlfriend Taylor Swift, even appearing in some of the pop superstar's shows in Europe.

However, now back at training camp, Kelce is not planning on slowing down any time soon.

"Last year was pretty taxing on my body," Kelce said after Saturday's session at Missouri Western State University.

"I've had more snaps than a lot of guys if not everybody in the NFL over the past five, six years, and I'm very prideful of that, but I know it has taken a toll on my body.

"So it's just making sure that my body's getting that rest and that ability to train harder and be able to withstand an entire 17-to-20-game season.

"This is my sanctuary. Everybody may say that is pretty gruelling, but I enjoy it. There's something about this place to get you ready every single year, and I'm not going to lie, I got pretty excited as the time started counting down to get out here and get this thing rolling.

"This is where it all starts. You can say it starts in the offseason, and yeah, you want to get that foundation set in the offseason of the leadership and the mentality and things like that.

"But at the end of the day, this is where you really find out what the team is made of, how you sharpen the iron, how your guys practice your practice habits, the attention to detail, and nobody does it better than coach [Andy] Reid."

CeeDee Lamb has the sympathy of some Dallas Cowboys team-mates as he continues his training camp holdout in a bid to earn a blockbuster new contract.

Fifth-year receiver Lamb is set to make just under $18million in 2024 but is seeking a deal that would put him among the NFL's highest-paid WRs, with an annual salary of around $32m.

With no progress made in negotiations, he is yet to report to the team's preseason training camp, which began on Wednesday.

Guard Zack Martin and running back Ezekiel Elliott have both staged holdouts of their own in the past, the former missing three weeks of training last year before getting an adjustment to his contract and the latter missing the entirety of preseason in 2019.

That stand-off ultimately ended with Elliott landing a six-year, $90m contract that included $50m in guaranteed money, and he sympathises with Lamb's position.

"It's really tough because you go through your first three or four years and you guys are on the same side, and this is the first time that now you're going against each other," Elliott said on the dynamics of holding out.

"So, you've got to have a little thick skin. There's some little extra stuff that comes with it, but at the end of the day, we all have the same goal.

"The team understands that CeeDee needs to handle his business and CeeDee understands that he has the support of the team behind him. 

"Just stay in shape, which it looks like he's doing, and be ready to go once the deal gets done."

Martin agrees Lamb will have no problems with getting up to speed when he does return, saying: "He's just got to know that everyone in that locker room has got his back.

"We know hopefully he'll be out here sooner rather than later."

Lamb had 135 receptions from 181 targets through the 2023 season, which ended with the Cowboys suffering a stunning wild-card defeat to the Green Bay Packers.

Both of those figures were league highs, while only the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill (1,799 yards, 13 TDs) bettered his 1,749 regular-season receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers have agreed to a four-year extension worth $220million, tying him as the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, according to multiple sources.

Love, who has only had one full season as an NFL starter, will earn $55m annually with $155m guaranteed and a $75m signing bonus, also the largest in league history.

His yearly salary ties him with Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence for highest in NFL history.

After finally trading Aaron Rodgers in April 2023, Love, 25, became the Packers’ undisputed starter. He struggled through the first seven games last season and Green Bay were 2-5 but he took off and the Packers finished 9-8 and earned a wild-card spot.

In the Packers’ final eight games of the regular season, Love had 16 touchdowns and one interception. In a 48-32 playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, he had a near-perfect 157.2 passer rating with 16 of 21 completions for 272 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

Love completed 372 of 579 passes (64.2%) for 4,159 yards last season with 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

His 32 TD passes ranked second in the NFL behind Dallas’ Dak Prescott (36).

All that production came while Love was throwing to the most productive, young group of receivers since at least 1970. The Packers’ 302 receptions, 3,642 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns are the most by a team’s group of first-or second-year pass catchers since the AFL/NFL merger.

Green Bay also became the youngest team in that same span to win a playoff game with an average age of 25 years and 214 days.