Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has movement in his legs and is walking, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday, citing a source.
“He’s making incredible progress,” a source told Schefter of Shazier, who is two months removed from sustaining a serious spinal injury in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Shazier was discharged from the Rehabilitation Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center on Thursday.
–New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants a new contract prior to the start of the 2018 season.
Beckham is set to make $8.4 million for the upcoming season when he plays on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. However, the 25-year-old is on record as saying that he wants to become the highest-paid player in the NFL.
Beckham had 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns last year after missing 12 games mostly because of a fractured left ankle.
–The Washington Redskins are considering placing their franchise tag on Kirk Cousins in a bid to trade him and recoup some of the money they are sending to the Kansas City Chiefs for fellow quarterback Alex Smith, ESPN reported.
Teams can begin designating franchise players on Feb. 20. Placing the franchise tag for the third consecutive year on Cousins would prevent him from becoming a true unrestricted free agent.
Without a franchise tag, Cousins is expected to draw interest from a number of teams — including several that are selecting in the top 15 of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns own the first and fourth picks in the draft, with the Denver Broncos (No. 5), New York Jets (No. 6), Miami Dolphins (No. 11) and Arizona Cardinals (No. 15) likely seeking help at quarterback as well.
–The Cleveland Browns continued the revamping of their scouting department by adding former Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan as a personnel consultant, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported.
McCloughan has agreed to reunite with new Browns general manager John Dorsey for the 2018 NFL Draft. The 46-year-old McCloughan also participated in meetings Saturday with the team’s full scouting department, Mortensen reported.
McCloughan and Dorsey previously worked together under former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf. McCloughan was fired by Washington in March.
–Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell admitted that some of the members of his team didn’t appear ready to play in their AFC divisional-round playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last month.
The slow start doomed the second-seeded Steelers, who surrendered the game’s first 21 points before their second-half surge fell short in a 45-42 setback. Bell said he “had a sense” that the Jaguars just had more energy from the onset.
Bell also noted that some of his teammates may have been “complacent” after receiving a first-round bye.
–If there was any doubt about what the future hold for New England’s Tom Brady, the 40-year-old Patriots quarterback said he plans to play again next year.
Before Super Bowl LII, Brady told Westwood One’s Jim Gray that he will play next season, regardless of winning or losing Super Bowl LII.
There had been rumors floating around Minneapolis earlier in the day that Brady and coach Bill Belichick might retire during the postgame celebration should New England beat Philadelphia.
Brady is signed through the 2019 season. This year, he threw for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns with only eight interceptions.
–Brett Favre’s lighthearted speech to the Philadelphia Eagles took on a more serious tone when he discussed the team’s Super Bowl LII opponent: the New England Patriots.
“We know the Patriots. They’re a tremendous team. Their quarterback (NFL MVP Tom Brady) is the greatest to ever play. Bill Belichick is the greatest coach to ever coach. You know what they’re about,” Favre told NBC Sports Philadelphia of his speech on Saturday to the Eagles.
“They’re going to play the whole game. Don’t ever say — kinda like last year, ‘We have it won and we’re going to go to the drive-thru.’ That’s not a good idea.”
Favre, of course, was referring to the Atlanta Falcons’ collapse in Super Bowl LI, as the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to post a 34-28 victory in overtime.
–Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers are on the fast track toward agreeing to terms on a multiyear contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The lucrative deal is expected to pay Garoppolo in the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, per the report. According to Spotrac, the 49ers will be nearly $120 million under the cap this offseason.
Garoppolo was acquired from the New England Patriots for a second-round pick at the trade deadline. The 26-year-old completed 67.4 percent of his passes and threw for seven touchdowns against five interceptions. He has started 12 of his 23 games in his career and recorded a 99.7 passer rating.
–Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is expected to be retained by the Detroit Lions, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Per Schefter, Cooter will be in charge of the offense when New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia likely takes over following Super Bowl LII on Sunday.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford lobbied for the Lions to keep the 33-year-old Cooter on Jan. 1, when Detroit fired head coach Jim Caldwell.
–The Indianapolis Colts are interested in former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
The Colts likely want Bevell to occupy the same position with the club, although the 48-year-old has also been the focus of both the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.
Bevell served as the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks from 2011 to 2017 after holding the same position with the Vikings from 2006 to 2010.
Per reports, the Colts intend to hire New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after Super Bowl LII.
–All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald said what the Arizona Cardinals do at quarterback will play a factor in his future.
Fitzgerald, 34, is reportedly expected to speak with the Cardinals in the next week or two to learn about their offseason plans, including the potential pursuit of Kirk Cousins.
New coach Steve Wilks has mentioned the team wants Fitzgerald back, and Fitzgerald’s father said Thursday if his son returns in 2018 it’s only with the Cardinals.
–Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was killed after being hit by a suspected drunken driver early Sunday, according to the Indiana State Police.
Jackson, 26, was one of two people killed in the incident, which occurred when Jackson and another individual were hit by a black Ford F-150 that drove onto the emergency shoulder on Interstate 70 in Indianapolis and struck the rear of the car and hit both people, according to a police report.
Jackson started in eight games with the Colts in 2016. He was placed on injured reserve by the Colts in September 2017.