US president Joe Biden hailed Damar Hamlin's courage as the Buffalo Bills safety visited the White House as part of a campaign to make access to defibrillators more widespread.

Hamlin was rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, with his collapse leading to the cancellation of the NFL game.

The 2021 NFL Draft pick has subsequently campaigned to make automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – as well as training in using them – available to all schools in the United States.

Hamlin met with the US Senate's majority leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday to promote legislation on accessing AEDs, and he followed that meeting with a trip to the White House.

Alongside a picture of him with Hamlin, Biden wrote on Twitter: "Damar Hamlin's courage, resilience, and spirit inspired the American people.

"And what's more: he turned recovery into action – and our country is better for it. It was my honour to have him and his family here today."

Hamlin, who has previously outlined his determination to return to the league, replied: "It was a pleasure and an honour meeting you today.

"I know your time is precious and I wouldn't waste a second of it! Our conversations were valuable."

Wantaway Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson snapped back at social media critics claiming he missed last season's playoffs due to wanting a trade.

Jackson announced earlier this week on social media that he had requested a trade on March 2 following a drawn-out contract stand-off, where Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him earlier this month.

The two parties endured a similar stand-off last offseason before the QB played out the final year of his rookie contract, only to miss the Ravens' final six games of the season with a sprained left knee.

The issue had initially been expected to sideline him for only two to three weeks, with Jackson missing the Ravens' postseason 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson quipped back at suggestions on social media that that absence was due to him sitting out having not agreed on a long-term deal with the Ravens.

"Let's get real. I rather have a 100% PCL than go out there and play horrible forcing myself to put my guys in a bad situation now that's selfish to me," Jackson tweeted on Tuesday.

"I don't remember me sitting out on my guys week 1 vs jets To week 12 vs Broncos. How come all of a sudden I sit out because of money in which I could've got hurt at anytime within that time frame when we know the Super Bowl been on my mind since April 2018."

The 26-year-old QB also explained in a reply to a fan why he did not travel with the Ravens for their AFC Wild Card game in Cincinnati.

"After I traveled to the Pittsburgh game, my PCL got inflated so a few of us discussed it and I got the OK to stay so I could try [to] recover faster," Jackson tweeted.

Jackson's revelation of a trade request came amid the NFL's annual league meeting. The Indianapolis Colts are the only team to declare any intention to consider Jackson who represents himself in negotiations.

Kyle Shanahan remains unsure when Brock Purdy will return despite San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch expressing optimism the quarterback could be ready for training camp.

Purdy emerged as one of the stories of the 2022 season, the final pick of last year's draft stepping in after both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered season-ending injury and winning five successive starts to help the Niners to a 13-4 record and the NFC's second seed. 

He then won two playoff games before suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow on the first offensive series of San Francisco's NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Purdy underwent successful surgery to repair the injury on March 10, with his projected timeline one that would see him resume throwing in three months.

On Monday, Lynch said he was hopeful Purdy would be back for training camp and described him as the "leader in the clubhouse" in a prospective quarterback competition with 2021 third overall pick Lance.

Head coach Shanahan painted a more uncertain picture, but appeared relaxed about the Niners' quarterback situation.

"He won't be able to do anything on the field, for who knows? It could go anywhere from six months to eight months," Shanahan said.

"So, it's all open like that, and we'll have a better idea … at three months out of surgery, they have a better idea of whether it's going to be six months or eight months. … That's all I know, and I'm pretty good with that.

"We'll see at three months if he'll be ready for camp, or if not, then perhaps we say it's gonna go slow. It might be Week 1 and, at the latest, Week 4. It's just all estimations, and we'll see what happens."

Lance, who has started just four games since the 49ers traded three first-round picks to move up and to select him owing in part to the ankle injury he suffered last September, is set to split first-team reps in OTAs and minicamp with another former third overall selection, Sam Darnold. The 49ers signed Darnold to a one-year contract this month.

"With Brock being hurt, it does open [the job] up, and it does give [Lance] a chance," Shanahan added.

"I don't know how Brock's going to come back. I don't know exactly when he's going to come back, so I don't have the exact answer for that.

"But right now, because he is hurt, it is nice to focus on Trey, it is nice to focus on Sam, and see how they do in OTAs and most likely see how they're playing leading us into training camp because I think it will take some time for Brock."

The Green Bay Packers are prepared to be patient as Jordan Love attempts to replace "generational talent" Aaron Rodgers.

That was the message from Packers coach Matt LaFleur on Tuesday as Rodgers seems set to join the New York Jets.

The veteran quarterback's trade still needs finalisation from Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst, but LaFleur has already started to envisage life without Rodgers.

Love, a first-round pick in 2020, has waited three years for his chance and LaFleur acknowledged it will take time for the 24-year-old to develop.

"[Rodgers' impending trade] is what it is, and at the same time, we're excited about Jordan and how he's been able to progress as a quarterback, how he's matured as a man," LaFleur at the NFL's Annual League Meeting in Phoenix. "It's going to be a different role for him, certainly, and I think we all have to kind of temper our expectations for him.

"It's different when you're going into a game versus when you're starting a game. It's going to be a process, but it's going to be exciting for him, for us.

"I don't think any quarterback can truly do it on their own in this league. So it's going to be everybody rallying around him and trying to be at the best of their ability so that he can go out there and perform as good as he possibly can."

Love has just one career start to his name, for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, along with two appearances as a replacement.

Despite calling for the Packers to be patient with Love, LaFleur sees progress in the young quarterback who has had to wait in the wings behind superstar Rodgers.

"He's come a long way, quite frankly," LaFleur added. "I know there were some times where early on, it's just, you don't know. I still think you have to go out there and you have got to do it consistently.

"It's one thing to do it in practice. It's another thing to take it to the game field and do it but certainly have seen his performance in practice, his mechanics, his decisions, his timing within the pass game and just his accuracy. I think he's come a long way."

As for Rodgers' impending trade to the Jets, LaFleur will leave that in the hands of Gutekunst and New York's general manager Joe Douglas as he prepares to work with whatever roster the Packers provide.

"That's all between Joe and Gutey," he continued. "I'm going to leave that one to them. We'll coach whoever's on our roster.

"We'll coach them to the best of our ability and we are always going to put the best players out there that are going to give us an opportunity to win football games."

After years of patchwork quarterback play, the Indianapolis Colts are considering acquiring Lamar Jackson to solve their woes under center.

Just hours after Jackson announced that he had asked the Baltimore Ravens to trade him, the Colts became the first franchise to declare their intentions to look into acquiring the former league MVP.

"Anytime a special player is available, which [Jackson] is, you've got to do the work," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Monday at the NFL's annual league meeting in Phoenix.

"I'm not going to get into deep discussions on where it's at or what we're doing or what we might do," Ballard said. "But what I'll tell you is he's a really good player, really special player. But you never know how any of this will work out.

"I think anytime at that position we have a chance to acquire a guy, you've got to do your work on it to see if it's doable," Ballard said. "Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.

"If you don't feel like you have one that can absolutely change the franchise in terms of leading you every year, I think you're always going to feel some pressure to get that player right."

Since Andrew Luck’s surprising retirement in 2019, the Colts have shuffled through a list of stop-gap options at quarterback, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan.

Jackson confirmed suspicions that his relationship with the Ravens has been fractured Monday when he announced in a statement on Twitter that he had requested a trade on March 2.

On March 7, Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, meaning that other teams could sign Jackson to an offer sheet in exchange for two first-round draft picks.

Teams could offer more than two first-rounders to the Ravens as a part of any potential blockbuster trade.

Ballard said his team will do their "due diligence" to bring an answer at quarterback to the Colts – who own the fourth overall selection in next month’s draft – and had previously said the team would consider trading up for the right quarterback.

On Monday, Ballard made the case for drafting a quarterback outside the first round.

"What I would tell you is that there's good players in this draft at every level," Ballard said. "Everybody just talks about the top four [quarterbacks], but there's some more guys out there that are pretty good players.

"And I think history's shown – especially in the last few years with [Philadelphia Eagles quarterback] Jalen [Hurts] being one and [San Francisco 49ers’] Brock Purdy coming in and playing really well – they come at every level. So, we'll do our work on every one of them."

Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said the team plans on engaging in extension discussions with quarterback Jalen Hurts in the near future and is confident an agreement can be reached before the 2022 NFL MVP runner-up hits free agency.

Speaking at the NFL annual league meeting in Phoenix on Monday, Roseman confirmed that extending Hurts will be the Eagles' highest priority in the coming months.

"It's no secret that sometime relatively soon we want to extend our quarterback," Roseman stated. "We want him here long-term. It's going to be a priority for us to extend him.

"You have to navigate the offseason understanding that we're not going to lose our franchise quarterback with one year left on his deal."

Hurts, who led the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII by throwing for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns during a breakout 2022 campaign, is entering the final season on the four-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2020.

The second team All-Pro added 760 rushing yards and led all quarterbacks with 13 rushing touchdowns while finishing second to Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes in MVP voting.

Hurts will be due for a substantial raise from the $4.2million he is set to make this season, and Roseman acknowledged a new deal will have a profound impact on the Eagles' roster in 2024 and beyond.

"Our whole kind of roster-building is going to turn a little bit here, from a quarterback on a rookie deal towards hopefully a quarterback on a long-term deal," Roseman said.

"It's going to mean 2024 is going to look different, we're not going to have a quarterback on a rookie deal. Not that we're talking about [franchise] tags or anything like that, that's not our goal here, but we're going into it with our eyes open and understanding that we've got to kind of flip [the roster]."

An extension for Hurts is expected to command an average annual value of at least $40m while making him among the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. And with two other premier quarterbacks from the 2020 draft – Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert – in line to receive lucrative new deals relatively soon, the Eagles have significant incentive to work something out as soon as possible.

A second-round pick in the 2020 draft, Hurts took over as Philadelphia's starting quarterback in 2021 and has gone 22-8 since over the past two seasons. Only Mahomes (26-8) has a higher winning percentage among quarterbacks who made at least 15 starts during that span.

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh is confident the team will sign Aaron Rodgers.

The veteran quarterback confirmed earlier in March that he wished to leave the Green Bay Packers to join the Jets.

However, the teams have so far been unable to reach an agreement.

Saleh, however, is not concerned. 

"I'm not hitting the panic button," Saleh said while in attendance at the NFL's annual league meeting.

"I'm confident that things are going to work out.

"You guys know me. I'm a very positive person and optimistic, so I'm confident that things will go the way we're hoping. But at the same time, it's not going to eat at me."

Indeed, Saleh says the Jets are willing to play the long game when it comes to Rodgers.

"If there's a great rapport with the coordinator, there's really no urgency," Saleh said.

"The quarterback, if he understands the system, if the quarterback knows it, it's just a matter of just refining skills and doing all that stuff. So, there's no hurry."

Saleh also confirmed that Odell Beckham Jr, who remains a free agent, is a target.

"He's been a fantastic receiver in this league," Saleh said of Beckham Jr.

"Everything you hear about him, he's a phenomenal person. That's something you're always going to look over, turn over every stone, cross your t's, dot your i's, just make sure you're not missing an opportunity to add a great player, and there's no guarantee anything will happen."

The Lamar Jackson saga has taken another turn, with the former MVP revealing he has requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens.

Negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens over a long-term deal are deadlocked, with Baltimore seemingly unwilling to grant his wish of a fully guaranteed contract.

Jackson just completed the final year of his rookie deal and the Ravens last month elected to place the franchise tag on the star quarterback.

However, they gave him the non-exclusive franchise tag on, meaning he is free to negotiate with other teams.

If he signs an offer sheet with another NFL team, the Ravens have the option of matching it to keep Jackson or decline it and receive the other team's 2023 and 2024 first-round draft picks as compensation.

Had the Ravens placed the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, he would have been locked up for the 2023 season by Baltimore and received a guaranteed salary of $45million.

That decision flies in the face of the Baltimore's stated commitment to sign Jackson a long-term deal, and the 2019 MVP appears ready to move on, claiming the Ravens have "not been interested in meeting my value".

In a Twitter thread titled 'A letter to my fans', Jackson wrote: "I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me.

"All of you are amazing and I appreciate y'all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions.

"In regards to my future plans. As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organisation for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that's [sic] has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl.

"You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I. No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I'll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You'll See me again."

Responding as he spoke to reporters at the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said: "I'm getting ready for Lamar. … When Lamar gets back on this train, it's moving full speed."

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin remains thrilled about drafting quarterback Kenny Pickett to be the future of the franchise, highlighting his excitement heading into year two.

Pickett, 24, was the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the only player at his position to get picked in the first two rounds.

He ended up starting 12 games in his rookie season, and while he finished with more interceptions (nine) than passing touchdowns (seven), his team managed to go 7-5 with him under center.

Pickett's completion percentage of 63.0 was the 15th-highest ever for a rookie quarterback, and he showed off some impressive wheels, with 55 carries for 237 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

He continued to improve as the year went on as well, recording wins in each of the last five games he played where he attempted more than one pass.

At the league's annual owners meetings on Sunday, Tomlin spoke about how impressed he was with the former Pittsburgh Panthers star, who shared a practice field with the Steelers during his college career.

"I'm excited about Kenny individually in terms of the growth that he's capable of making and, and what he's willing to do to realise that," he said.

"I think I'm probably more excited about that because I've just been around him intimately now for 12 months. 

"There were some anticipation things because of the close proximity [in college] that we've all talked about quite a bit, but the reality of having worked with him for 12 months, it's just more evidence of what we should be excited about – his willingness to work, his professional approach, his maturity in processing. It's exciting."

There were questions about the Steelers' decision to retain offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but Tomlin said he is hoping the continuity and not forcing Pickett to learn a new offense will only be positives.

"I think it's reasonable to expect that [continuity] to be significant," he said. "But we'll have an opportunity to make it so."

Despite missing the playoffs in 2022 by going 9-8, it continued the Steelers' incredible streak of 19 consecutive seasons without a losing record.

Denver Broncos starting wide receiver tandem Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy will not be on the trade block as the team looks to recuperate some draft equity, according to head coach Sean Payton.

The Broncos gave up both their first and second-round picks for this April's NFL Draft in their blockbuster trade for former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, also sending away their first, second and fifth-rounders last year.

It means Denver will not make their first selection until early in the third round, and rival teams are aware Payton may be looking to wheel and deal in his first offseason in charge of his new team.

While that may be the case, Payton took the opportunity on Sunday to reassure his top pass-catchers that they will be sticking around this year.

"I see and read just like everyone else does," he said. "Then occasionally, when someone really crowds the plate, I throw a fastball right at their chin, and they back up, and they're like, 'All right.' 

"So, I haven't thrown any fastballs lately, but we're not trading those two players."

Payton said he understands why rumours are swirling – with ESPN reporting Denver would consider an offer for Jeudy if it involved a first-round pick – but pointed out they are not interested in getting worse in the short-term.

"When people call and the phone rings like it does this time of year, [general manager] George Paton's job is to pick it up and say, 'Hey, tell you what, we're not [interested]'," he said. "And so, we've received calls, you bet.

"Those are two good football players. But we're in the business of gathering talent right now. Why do people call? Because they know we're void of draft picks and that we might, because there was some discussions a year ago, I think, regarding Courtland. But we like the current group that we're working with."

The Broncos are entering a crucial second season with Wilson at the helm, and the franchise are desperate to see a return to form from the former Super Bowl champion.

Wilson went 4-11 in his 15 starts, while posting the lowest touchdown total (16), the worst completion percentage (60.5 per cent), and lowest QBR (36.7) of his career, while absorbing a career-high 55 sacks. It was the first season since 2016 that he was not selected for the Pro Bowl.

Bobby Wagner has returned to the Seattle Seahawks one year after he was cut from the team.

The eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker spent last season with the Los Angeles Rams but has now returned to the Pacific Northwest after mutually agreeing to end his five-year contract with the Rams earlier this year.

Wagner was one of the top defensive players available in free agency, with murmurs of a return to the Seahawks being ever present since the period began.

Quandre Diggs, who had campaigned on social media for a reunion, broke the news of Wagner's return before it was later confirmed by the franchise.

"According to my sources future hall of famer LB Bobby Wagner has agreed to terms to return home to the Seattle Seahawks," he posted on Twitter.

"Seahawks fill a huge need in the middle of their defense. 12's rejoice!"

A Super Bowl winner with the Seahawks in his second year in the NFL, Wagner amassed nearly 1400 tackles and 23.5 sacks over 10 seasons.

His return continues a strong free agency period for the Seahawks, who had already bolstered their defense with the additions of defensive ends Dre-Mont Jones and Jarran Reed, LB Devin Bush and safety Julian Love.

Lane Johnson's goal is to retire as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and he now looks destined to achieve that aim by signing a one-year extension.

The All-Pro right tackle inked an extension worth $33.445million, and includes $30m guaranteed.

It will keep the 32-year-old under contract through the 2026 season.

"My whole goal is to retire an Eagle," Johnson said on Friday. 

"That's what I'm going to do. I'm just excited to be here, be as fortunate as I am to be with one team for as long as I have.

"I love this game and, more importantly, I love the people and the coaches that I'm with every day and that's why I love the game so much."

Johnson is a two-time first-team All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler who has started 127 games in a stellar career.

Having won Super Bowl LI with the Eagles in 2017, the 2013 fourth overall pick helped Philadelphia to Super Bowl LVII last season, where they lost 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2022, his aggregate win rate across pass protection and run blocking of 78.26 per cent was ninth among all tackles, according to Stats Perform data.

Tom Brady hopes investing in the Las Vegas Aces will help the WNBA "continue to do to grow" and "empower future generations of athletes."

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady has acquired an ownership interest in the world champion Aces.

The legendary former quarterback, who retired in February, jumped at the chance to be part of the organisation.

He said: "I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organisation. My love for women's sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters' games.

"They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.

"I have always been a huge fan of women's sports, and I admire the work that the Aces' players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes.

"To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organisation is an incredible honour."

Aces owner Mark Davis said: "Since I purchased the Aces, our goal has been to win on and off the court. Tom Brady is a win not only for the Aces, and the WNBA, but for women's professional sports as a whole."

NFL tight end Foster Moreau revealed he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma during a physical with the New Orleans Saints.

The 25-year-old is a free agent following his release from the Las Vegas Raiders, who drafted him in 2019, and was diagnosed during a visit to his hometown team in free agency.

Moreau's hunt for a new team will now be halted as he prepares for treatment, though he plans to continue his NFL career in the future.

"Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this free agency period has been life changing for me," he posted on Twitter.

"During a routine physical conducted by the Saints medical team down in New Orleans, I've come to learn that I have Hodgkin's lymphoma and will be stepping away from football at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer.

"I'm grateful for the support and thankful for the people who have stood firm with me. There hasn't been a single step I've taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me and I will continue to seek their guidance.

"That being said, I'll go kick this thing's ass and get back to doing what I love."

In four seasons with the Raiders, Moreau had 91 receptions for 1,107 total yards, including a career-high 420 in 2022.

The New York Jets have added a wide receiver while getting rid of another, agreeing to a one-year contract with free agent Mecole Hardman and trading Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns.

According to NFL.com, New York will receive the Browns' second-round pick (42 overall) in this year's draft and will send Cleveland their third-round selection (74 overall) for Moore, who showed promise as a rookie in 2021 but had his role diminished this past season and requested a trade in October.

Moore became expendable after the Jets struck a deal with Hardman that could be worth up to $6.5million. The former Kansas City Chief joins a revamped receivers corps that also includes ex-Green Bay Packer Allen Lazard, who agreed to a four-year, $44m contract last week.

Swapping Moore also allows New York to boost its draft capital for a much-rumoured trade for four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Lazard's former Green Bay team-mate.

Hardman figures to replace Moore as the Jets' primary slot receiver and recorded career highs of 59 catches and 693 receiving yards in 2021.

The four-year veteran's numbers dropped to 25 receptions and 297 yards last season as he missed nine games with an abdominal injury that later required surgery, causing him to miss most of the Chiefs' playoff run to their second Super Bowl title in four years.

A second-round pick in the 2021 draft, Moore caught 43 passes for 538 yards and a team-high five touchdowns during his rookie year but began to be phased out of the offense after the first four games of last season. The soon-to-be 23-year-old had just 22 catches, 254 receiving yards and one touchdown over the Jets' final 13 games.

Moore was also benched for one game after reportedly getting into a heated disagreement with then-offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur in October, which prompted a trade request the Jets would not grant at the time.

He now joins a Cleveland team in need of a slot receiver to pair with 2022 starters Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. 

The Browns are now without a pick until the 74th selection of the upcoming draft. Cleveland previously traded their first and third-round choices to Houston in the deal that sent quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Texans to the Browns.