Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Rashee Rice (knee), who is on Injured Reserve, is doing well, which is "a good sign for next year." Rice will not play in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, against the Philadelphia Eagles after he had surgery to fix the LCL in his right knee way back in October of last year. The 24-year-old also suffered a tear of his hamstring in 2024, but the good news is that barring any setbacks this offseason, he should be fully ready for the start of the 2025 season this fall. And when fully healthy, Rice should return to being quarterback Patrick Mahomes' No. 1 target in the passing game. Before suffering his season-ending injury, the former third-rounder had 24 catches on 29 targets for 288 yards and two touchdowns. The only thing standing in the way of his fantasy value for next season is a potential suspension for an off-the-field incident last March.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton made it clear last offseason that he was unhappy with the structure of his contract, which at the time had two years left with little guaranteed money. Sutton and the Broncos eventually revised his contract to add $1.7 million in incentives for 2024, ultimately reaching most of them after posting his second 1,000-yard campaign with a career-high 81 catches and eight touchdowns. The 29-year-old is now entering the final year of his contract and has no guaranteed money remaining. He's due $14 million in 2025, which would make him the 24th highest-paid receiver in the NFL. However, he's solid 2024 season suggests he deserves more after ranking 17th among wideouts in catches, 13th in receiving yards (1,081) and tied for 12th in TDs. The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes it's probably safe to assume Sutton doesn't intend to play 2025 as his contract is currently structured.

The Athletic's Nick Kosmider writes that it's probably a no-brainer decision for the Denver Broncos to bring back veteran kicker Wil Lutz in 2025 despite the fact that he has no guaranteed money left on his current deal. If the Broncos wanted to, they could cut Lutz this offseason for a savings of at least $3 million with limited dead money left behind. Lutz is scheduled to make $3.89 million in 2025, but after being one of the most accurate and trustworthy kickers in the NFL this past season, it would be a surprise if the Broncos cut him. Not only does head coach Sean Payton have plenty of trust and history with Lutz, but Lutz also kicked for the New Orleans Saints under Darren Rizzi, who is likely to become Denver's next special teams coordinator. The 30-year-old finished as the No. 7 kicker in overall fantasy points by making 31 of his 34 field goal-attempts and all 46 of his extra points in 17 regular-season games.

Despite underwhelming in 2024 after throwing for a single-season franchise record of 4,280 passing yards in 2023, The Athletic's Dianna Russini thinks San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy could make up to $55-$60 million on his next deal. Purdy is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2025 and is set to become the highest-paid player in franchise history. In a worst-case scenario if the Niners don't sign Purdy to an extension this offseason, they could franchise tag him so that he doesn't reach the open market next year. "Let's make it clear though, I don't think Brock Purdy's sitting there going, 'I'm demanding I want to be the highest-paid quarterback,'" Russini said. Purdy finished with 3,864 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games, but he wasn't helped by season-ending injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk. He could rebound in 2025 as a QB1 for fantasy managers.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a preseason ACL tear ahead of the 2024 campaign. The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was expected to be brought along slowly, but there was a chance he would see playing time in Year 1. With McCarthy sidelined, veteran Sam Darnold started 17 games and threw for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Darnold is set to become a free agent this offseason, but the team could opt to bring him back. During an appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show," McCarthy said, "All I can ask for is a fair opportunity. That's the one that I feel like everybody's given and it's fundamental. When money gets involved, things get complicated, and reps get skewed and there's different things that come into the whole 'political' world that everyone talks about." It's unclear if the 22-year-old is feeling uneasy about his future with Minnesota following Darnold's breakout season, but it would be a surprise if the Vikings pulled the plug on their latest No. 10 overall pick so early.