Aaron Rodgers strains calf during warmups, sits out Jets practice

The 39-year-old quarterback, acquired last month from Green Bay, strained a calf while participating in conditioning drills Tuesday. Rodgers watched quarterback drills and remained on the field during practice, but was without his helmet and threw no passes.

“I don’t think it’s too serious,” Rodgers said, downplaying the injury and saying he took “a vet day.”

He didn’t have a noticeable limp, but stretched his lower legs and ankles several times throughout the practice. Rodgers, who wasn’t wearing a wrap on either calf while he stood at the podium and spoke to reporters, was uncertain when the injury occurred.

“I dunno,” he said with a smile. “Just running, I guess.”

Organized team activities began Monday and Rodgers participated in practice, with the Jets tweeting photos and videos of the quarterback throwing passes. The session Tuesday marked the first with media in attendance, and a few dozen reporters showed up to watch Rodgers practice with the Jets for the first time.

That will have to wait until next Wednesday at the earliest, when practice is next open to the media.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin eased his way back onto the practice field by taking part in individual drills and stretching sessions during the team’s voluntary minicamp some five months after having a near-death experience on the field.

Coach Sean McDermott said the team is taking things one day at a time when asked of Hamlin’s status.

McDermott did not provide any timetable as to when Hamlin can begin on-field sessions a month after being cleared to resume his career.

The 25-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a game at Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

New Orleans Saints newly acquired tight end Foster Moreau refers to his recent cancer diagnosis as “a life sentence.” He said he will always have to monitor it. But he added he no longer requires treatment at the moment and is returning to football “full steam ahead.”

Moreau is back on the field for the Saints’ voluntary offseason practices this week. His signing with the Saints would have come with considerable fanfare even without the unusual and compelling circumstances surrounding his health.

Moreau grew up in New Orleans and played for LSU before the Raiders made him a fourth-round draft choice in 2019. Moreau says he was fortunate to have a rare and treatable form of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Tim Kelly has a challenging task in his first season as the Tennessee Titans’ offensive coordinator. His job is to fix an offense that was one of the NFL’s worst in key categories like scoring and throwing the ball.

More first downs would be a big improvement, along with protecting the quarterback better.

Kelly is Titans coach Mike Vrabel’s fourth offensive coordinator going into his sixth season. He says he wants to communicate efficiently with his quarterback to help him be faster calling the play at the line.

Titans players said Kelly’s new terminology for plays will help them speed up.

It’s been a big offseason for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. He walked in Ohio State’s graduation ceremony two weeks ago after earning a degree in consumer and family financial services. He also has some major additions to his supporting cast after the Bears made moves they hope will help their quarterback develop.

Fields said that’s “a great feeling.” He addressed the media Tuesday for the first time since the end of the season. Since then, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the draft to quarterback-needing Carolina for receiver DJ Moore. They also made several additions to their offensive line.

Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL have agreed on the framework of a three-year contract extension that will keep him in place until 2027.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay confirmed the development on Tuesday at the league meetings in Minnesota.

Goodell’s current deal expires in 2024. He has been commissioner of the league since replacing Paul Tagliabue in 2006.

Irsay said he’s under the impression Goodell will retire after the extended contract expires and be involved in the development of his successor.

The NFL has pushed the kickoff return further toward irrelevance with a priority on player safety.

League owners voted for a one-year trial of an enhanced touchback rule that will give the receiving team the ball at its own 25 with a fair catch of a kickoff anywhere behind that yard line.

The proposal passed despite an expression of distaste for it from coaches and players across the league. They argued that it will create uglier plays with squib and corner kicks that are impossible for fair catches.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy is set to resume throwing next week and the 49ers are optimistic he will be healthy enough after elbow surgery to begin the season as the starter.

Purdy was on the field watching his teammates at the Niners’ first open practice of the offseason as he works his way back from the injury suffered in the NFC championship game.

A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that the Los Angeles Chargers have added $1.75 million in incentives to running back Austin Ekeler’s contract for the upcoming season.

Ekeler has scored an NFL-high 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons. He could earn as much as $8 million this season.

The Houston Texans aren’t simply handing C.J. Stroud the starting job despite drafting the quarterback second overall in this year’s draft. The Ohio State star worked with the second-team offense Tuesday while last year’s starter Davis Mills ran with the starters.

New coach DeMeco Ryans said they’re a long way from deciding who will line up under center in Houston’s opener Sept. 10 at Baltimore.

The Denver Broncos severed ties with kicker Brandon McManus as they released the last holdover player from the team that won Super Bowl 50.

The 31-year-old McManus announced he was being released on social media shortly before the Broncos made it official. He finished his nine-year career with Denver as the second-leading scorer in team history.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes doesn’t know when he will be ready to return from the knee and foot injuries that ended his 2022 season prematurely. The 2021 first-round pick from Georgia had surgeries for each of his injuries.

Stokes said he had a plate and two screws put into his foot. He used a wheelchair through the end of last season and couldn’t walk until mid-January.