Get Your Latest NFL News From RealGM's Football Wiretap

Hunter Renfrow has signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers after recovering from a serious battle with ulcerative colitis that saw his weight drop to 150 pounds last year.

The 29-year-old wide receiver was released by the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2024 following two disappointing seasons.

Renfrow began experiencing health issues following his Pro Bowl 2021 season when he recorded career-highs with 103 catches for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.

His production plummeted to just 36 catches in 2022 and 25 receptions in 2023.

"I felt so bad those two years, and I felt like I let my teammates down so much," Renfrow said Thursday.

"Because I had expectations.

I just signed a new contract [in 2022].

I had a new coaching staff that I was going to be perfect for.

And I was just a dud." The former Clemson star, best known for catching the game-winning touchdown in the 2016 national championship game, suffered through seven consecutive days of 103-degree fevers during his illness.

He required multiple emergency room visits and tibial infusions before beginning to recover in July last year.

Recovery and Return Renfrow has now returned to 185 pounds, his playing weight before the illness.

He began intensifying his workouts in January, visiting Clemson twice weekly to train with staff.

"Now I'm here," said Renfrow, who grew up a Panthers fan in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

"And I'm excited about playing football again." He joins a receiving corps that includes 2025 first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, 2024 first-rounder Xavier Legette, veteran Adam Thielen, and sixth-round selection Jimmy Horn Jr.

"Man, I kind of want to go out a different way if I'm going to go out," Renfrow explained about his decision to return to football rather than transition to business opportunities.

The NFL announced plans for a new community-inspired uniform concept called "Rivalries" during Friday's NFL Draft, marking the league's biggest uniform initiative since Color Rush a decade ago.

The program, developed in partnership with Nike, will roll out over four years beginning in 2025, with AFC East and NFC West teams getting first access.

"Nothing brings communities together quite like a good rivalry," said Renie Anderson, NFL Executive VP and Chief Revenue Officer.

"We decided to team up with Nike to allow fans and players to connect like never before with the Rivalries program." First-year participants include the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Jets, Seahawks, Cardinals, Rams and 49ers, who will unveil their designs this summer.

The AFC South and NFC North will follow in 2026, NFC East and AFC West in 2027, and AFC North and NFC South in 2028.

Teams must wear their Rivalries uniforms once annually at home against a divisional opponent for three consecutive seasons, with opponents either remaining consistent or rotating yearly.

"The four-year rollout was designed to build the program out over time and highlight the unique rivalries individually, rather than doing it all at once," Anderson explained.

The Rivalries concept follows similar community-themed uniform programs in other leagues, including the NBA's City Edition jerseys (2017) and MLB's City Connect program (2021).

Current throwback and alternate uniforms will remain available, with teams permitted to wear these options up to four times per regular season under recently expanded uniform rules.

With its staggered implementation and three-year usage requirement, the Rivalries program will continue through at least the 2030 NFL season.

ESPN has released its way-too-early 2026 NFL mock draft, projecting Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik to go first overall to the Cleveland Browns via trade with the Tennessee Titans.

The mock draft, published Thursday, features four quarterbacks selected in the first round.

The projection includes two hypothetical draft-day trades, with the Browns moving up from the third spot and the Los Angeles Rams jumping from 11th to seventh overall.

Cleveland uses its second first-round pick (acquired from Jacksonville) to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at fifth overall.

"Klubnik made huge strides in his second season as a starter, finishing 2024 with 3,639 passing yards, 36 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions," ESPN noted.

"He could be the long-term answer." Quarterback Class Draws Attention The mock features four first-round quarterbacks: Klubnik (1st), South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers (4th), LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (7th), and Penn State's Drew Allar (8th).

Sellers is described as a "true dual-threat" quarterback with "superb traits" similar to Donovan McNabb.

Arch Manning is not included in the mock as the expectation is that he won't leave Texas for the NFL until the 2027 NFL draft .

The Athletic also published a preliminary mock draft this week and had Manning at No.

1 while Klubnik wasn't in the first round.

Clemson dominates the early selections with three players projected in the top nine picks.

Beyond Klubnik, defensive tackle Peter Woods lands with Tennessee at third overall, while edge rusher T.J.

Parker goes to Indianapolis at ninth overall.

Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, described as a "massive prospect at 6-foot-7 and 360 pounds," is projected second overall to the New York Giants.

The Oregon tackle Isaiah World rounds out the top six picks, heading to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Kansas City Chiefs close out the first round by selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman at 32nd overall, continuing their pursuit of secondary depth.

2026 NFL Mock Draft First Round 1.

Cleveland Browns (via projected trade with TEN): Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson 2.

New York Giants: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama* 3.

Tennessee Titans (via projected trade with CLE/JAX): Peter Woods, DT, Clemson* 4.

New York Jets: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina* 5.

Cleveland Browns: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State* 6.

Las Vegas Raiders: Isaiah World, OT, Oregon 7.

Los Angeles Rams (via projected trade with CAR): Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU 8.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State 9.

Indianapolis Colts: T.J.

Parker, Edge, Clemson* 10.

New England Patriots: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn* 11.

Carolina Panthers (via projected trade with LAR/ATL): Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas* 12.

Seattle Seahawks: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah* 13.

Dallas Cowboys: Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, USC* Miami Dolphins: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee* Arizona Cardinals: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State Pittsburgh Steelers: LT Overton, DT, Alabama Chicago Bears: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame* Minnesota Vikings: A.J.

Harris, CB, Penn State* Denver Broncos: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State* Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia* Houston Texans: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami* Los Angeles Chargers: Nic Anderson, WR, LSU* Los Angeles Rams: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah* Green Bay Packers: DJ McKinney, CB, Colorado* Cincinnati Bengals: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Washington Commanders: Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Oregon* San Francisco 49ers: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson* Buffalo Bills: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech Detroit Lions: Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M Baltimore Ravens: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas* Philadelphia Eagles: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt Kansas City Chiefs: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon* The Buffalo Bills are signing veteran wide receiver Elijah Moore to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Moore, 25, caught a career-high 61 passes for 538 yards and one touchdown last season for the Cleveland Browns.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will not pick up their fifth-year option on linebacker Devin Lloyd, which will make him an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

Lloyd was the 27th overall pick in the 2022 draft.

While Lloyd led the Jaguars in tackles with 113 in 2024, he has struggled in pass coverage.

Lloyd is the third of the Jaguars' six first-round picks from 2020-22 to not have his fifth-year option picked up, joining 2020 first-round picks cornerback C.J.

Henderson (ninth overall, traded to the Carolina Panthers in September 2021) and linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (20th overall).

The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons $250,000 and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich $100,000 after Ulbrich's son made a prank call to Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft.

The league stated the penalties were imposed for "failing to prevent the disclosure of confidential information distributed to the club in advance of the NFL Draft." The confidential information appears to have been prospect contact information stored on Ulbrich's iPad.

Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of the Falcons coach, admitted responsibility in an Instagram post Sunday.

He acknowledged accessing the number from his father's open iPad while visiting his parents' home "to later conduct a prank call." "I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish," Jax Ulbrich wrote.

"I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment." The Falcons issued a statement accepting the discipline while noting their cooperation throughout the investigation.

"We appreciate the NFL's swift and thorough review of last week's data exposure and the event that transpired due to it.

We were proactive in addressing the situation internally and cooperated fully with the league throughout the process, and accept the discipline levied to Coach Jeff Ulbrich and the organization." The organization added that "the Ulbrich family is working with the organization to participate in community service initiatives in relation to last week's matter." A video circulated on social media Friday showing Sanders receiving a call from someone impersonating New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, claiming they would select him with their next pick.

The confused quarterback asked those gathered at his draft party, "What does that mean?" The NFL continues investigating other unrelated prank calls made to draft prospects, including Abdul Carter.

Sanders, who was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Browns, downplayed the incident's impact.

"It didn't really have an impact on me...

I don't feed into negativity, or I don't feed into that stuff," said Sanders.

Shedeur Sanders has the third-best-selling jersey amongst incoming rookies following the 2025 NFL draft.

Sanders fell to No.

144 to the Cleveland Browns after he was widely considered a likely first round pick.

The NFL released a list of the 10 best-selling jerseys from the 2025 NFL Draft, as of Monday (in order): Jaguars receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter Titans quarterback Cam Ward Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter Packers receiver Matthew Golden Colts tight end Tyler Warren Bears tight end Colston Loveland Texas quarterback Arch Manning is projected to be selected first overall by the New Orleans Saints in an early look at the 2026 NFL Draft, according to an initial mock draft by Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

The grandson of Saints legend Archie Manning, who was selected by New Orleans with the second overall pick in 1971, would represent the first quarterback taken in the first round by the franchise in 55 years should the projection materialize.

Scouts believe Manning may opt to return to Texas for his senior season in 2026, however .

Other notable quarterbacks projected in the first round include South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers (2nd to the Jets), Penn State's Drew Allar (5th to the Browns), LSU's Garrett Nussmeier (16th to the Steelers), and Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (27th to the Rams).

The Cleveland Browns appear twice in the projected top 10, with their own pick at fifth overall (Allar) and Jacksonville's selection at ninth (Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber).

This positioning suggests continued struggles for both franchises in the upcoming 2025 NFL season.

Defensively, the mock features several standout linemen and edge rushers expected to make an impact, including Clemson's T.J.

Parker (4th to Titans), Auburn's Keldric Faulk (6th to Panthers), and Oregon's Matayo Uiagalelei (10th to Patriots).

The 2026 draft class is notably quarterback-heavy at the top, with five signal-callers projected in the first round.

This contrasts with the wide receiver position, which the analysis describes as "a tad underwhelming at this point in the process" compared to the reportedly "epic group" anticipated in the 2027 class.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (7th to Raiders) could become the first top-10 safety selection since Jamal Adams in 2017, while Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (14th to Cowboys) is the only running back projected in the first round.

Full 2026 NFL Draft First Round Projection 1.

New Orleans Saints: Arch Manning, QB, Texas 2.

New York Jets: LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina 3.

New York Giants: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah 4.

Tennessee Titans: T.J.

Parker, Edge, Clemson 5.

Cleveland Browns: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State 6.

Carolina Panthers: Keldric Faulk, DT, Auburn 7.

Las Vegas Raiders: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State 8.

Indianapolis Colts: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama 9.

Cleveland Browns (from JAX): Austin Barber, OT, Florida 10.

New England Patriots: Matayo Uiagalelei, Edge, Oregon 11.

Los Angeles Rams (from ATL): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee 12.

Seattle Seahawks: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas 13.

Miami Dolphins: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State 14.

Dallas Cowboys: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame 15.

Arizona Cardinals: CJ Allen, LB, Georgia 16.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU 17.

Chicago Bears: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami 18.

Denver Broncos: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon 19.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LT Overton, DT, Alabama 20.

Houston Texans: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson 21.

Minnesota Vikings: Jalon Kilgore, CB, South Carolina 22.

Los Angeles Chargers: Tyreak Sapp, Edge, Florida 23.

San Francisco 49ers: Kage Casey, OT, Boise State 24.

Green Bay Packers: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson 25.

Washington Commanders: Whit Weeks, LB, LSU 26.

Cincinnati Bengals: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami 27.

Los Angeles Rams: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana 28.

Detroit Lions: Anto Saka, Edge, Northwestern 29.

Kansas City Chiefs: Keanu Tanuvasa, DT, BYU 30.

Buffalo Bills: Kamari Ramsey, S, USC 31.

Baltimore Ravens: Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon 32.

Philadelphia Eagles: Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College George Kittle and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million contract extension with $40 million guaranteed, the tight end told Bussin' With The Boys .

Kittle demonstrated his continued elite performance last season, recording 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns.

He remains widely regarded as the NFL's most complete tight end, excelling both as a receiver and blocker.

Trey McBride recently reset the tight end market with his four-year, $76 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

Kittle was a fifth round pick by the 49ers in 2017 out of Iowa.

Kittle is a two-time First-team All-Pro and three-time Second-Team All-Pro.

Shedeur Sanders, once projected as a potential No.

1 overall pick, experienced an unprecedented fall in the 2024 NFL Draft before being selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round.

According to data compiled by Benjamin Robinson of Grinding the Mocks, Sanders' dramatic slide defied expert predictions and historical draft patterns.

Robinson, who analyzes thousands of mock drafts to create consensus rankings, noted this case as particularly anomalous.

"He should've gone a lot earlier," Robinson said.

"It's been very surreal to experience in that way because there's a lot that we don't know." Sanders began the draft cycle as a consensus top-five selection, with many experts projecting him as the first overall pick as recently as September.

However, his stock mysteriously declined in the two months preceding the draft, despite not having played a game since December.

While quarterback prospects like Miami's Cam Ward, Louisville's Tyler Shough, and Ole Miss's Jaxson Dart saw their draft positions improve, Sanders continued falling.

By draft day, Robinson's analysis of over 2,400 mock drafts placed Sanders at an average position of 20.7 - still significantly higher than where he was ultimately selected.

The Browns, who had already selected Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round, eventually ended Sanders' slide by trading up to pick him.

The selection came after multiple teams, including the Browns themselves, passed on Sanders multiple times in earlier rounds.

Robinson, a senior manager of data strategy and insights who has built a reputation for accurate draft projections, indicated that Sanders' fall was unprecedented in his years of analyzing draft data.

His mock draft consensus database has become so comprehensive that even NFL teams consult him for insights.

Sanders' dramatic fall represented an outlier that couldn't be explained by on-field performance alone, with speculation ranging from questions about his abilities to his personality and the influence of his father, NFL legend and Colorado coach Deion Sanders..

This article has been shared from the original article on realgm, here is the link to the original article:

https://football.realgm.com/news