Rossman signs with Roane State

Though his coach insisted there was "nothing to worry about," Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams will miss voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) with a foot issue. Coach Sean McVay said Williams will return in time for training camp. "He'll be ready to go for training camp, but there's a little issue when he was training," McVay told reporters "And (I'll) kind of just leave it at that. But nothing to be concerned about." Williams broke his foot during 2022 OTAs and missed seven weeks near the beginning of his rookie campaign. Then, he missed four games in the middle of last season with an ankle injury and also sat out Week 18 when many starters rested. That didn't stop him from ranking third in the NFL in rushing, as Williams put up 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns on 228 attempts despite playing just 12 games (11 starts). Williams, 23, figures to be the Rams' No. 1 running back again in 2024, though the team drafted Michigan's Blake Corum in the third round. "(Williams) is doing an excellent job physically, feeling really good," McVay said. "He'll be ready to roll and be a consistent producer for us this year." --Field Level Media

The presidents and chancellors of the Big 12 Conference voted unanimously to authorize the settlement of House v. NCAA, Yahoo Sports and ESPN reported Tuesday. The Big 12 is the first power conference to take that step, with the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC expected to join it in the coming days. If and when the settlement is approved, athletes will be given a much larger share of the pie of college sports revenue. According to the reports, one of the chief features of the settlement is a fund of nearly $2.8 billion in back damages for former college athletes who were not allowed to capitalize on their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights before 2021. The NCAA would pay those damages out over 10 years and about 60 percent of it will come from payments withheld by the NCAA to member schools, according to Yahoo. The settlement also would establish a revenue-sharing model, likely in the fall of 2025, that forever changes how college athletes can make money. The cap would equal 22 percent of the average of a power conference school's media rights, ticket sales and sponsorship income, Yahoo reported. The third major change the settlement would bring roster limits to power-conference sports. The power conferences believe settling House vs. NCAA is the right decision in order to avoid being on the hook for an even larger number in damages in the future, reports said. The move is not universally popular. Big East commissioner Val Ackerman told member schools of her "strong objection" to the settlement proposal in an email this weekend, Yahoo reported. At issue was how much the Big East, a non-football playing school, would be responsible for in back damages when the FBS conferences' liability is "disproportionately high." --Field Level Media

Reports: Big 12 first to agree to House v. NCAA settlement

Aaron Rodgers 'doing everything'

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh has liked what he's seen from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers during organized team activities. "For him to push the envelope and continue his rehab (from an Achilles injury), he has no restrictions and he looks good, man," Saleh said Tuesday. "The arm talent, obviously, is still there. But it's really just re-acclimating to everything. We're trying a bunch of new stuff, too. Just trying to evolve within the offense." When asked whether Rodgers is taking snaps under center and executing footwork on handoffs, Saleh was quick with a response. "He's doing everything," he said. Rodgers was at OTAs with teammates after being floated as a candidate for vice president on a ticket with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "I love Bobby. We had a couple of really nice conversations, but there were really two options: retire and be his VP, or keep playing," Rodgers said. "I wanted to keep playing." Rodgers said he understands the pressure is amplified this season to deliver a winning season after a short-lived run as a potential franchise savior last season. Rodgers, 40, followed a celebrated tenure with the Green Bay Packers by playing just four snaps before suffering an Achilles injury during his debut with the Jets Sept. 11, 2023. "If I don't do what I know I'm capable of doing, we're all probably going to be out of here. I like that kind of pressure, though," he said. Rodgers said "this is the last part" of his rehab, gaining confidence on the field. "It's just about the mental part," Rodgers said. "These practices have been nice the last couple days. Feel what it's like to be out there moving around and not be thinking about it. See how I feel the next day." Saleh said Rodgers is checking the boxes as he continues to recover from the injury. "As far as we're concerned, he's on track and what he's able to do, there's no limitations to what we're asking him to do at practice," he said. A four-time NFL MVP, Rodgers passed for 59,055 yards, 475 touchdowns and 105 interceptions in 230 games (223 starts) for the Packers from 2005-22, compiling a record of 147-75-1. He made 10 Pro Bowls and led Green Bay to a Super Bowl XLV victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets' quarterback room also includes veteran Tyrod Taylor and rookie Jordan Travis, drafted in the fifth round last month out of Florida State. --Field Level Media

Steelers' Justin Fields 'definitely competing' to be QB1

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields credits Bears general manager Ryan Poles for staying true to a promise by trading the former first-round pick to his preferred destination. Fields landed in Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick as potential competition for Russell Wilson after the Bears decided to use the No. 1 overall pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Once that decision crystallized for Chicago, Poles personally committed to "doing right by Justin Fields." "Shoutout to Poles," Fields said Tuesday after organized team activities with the Steelers. "We communicated to him through my agent, and I told him where I wanted to be and this was a place I wanted to be, so he honored that and I appreciate him for that. Nothing but love for the city, the fans, my teammates and coaches." If Fields plays more than 51 percent of the total snaps for the Steelers in 2024, Chicago's draft compensation in return is upgraded to a fourth-round pick. They cleared the depth chart in a matter of weeks, dealing former starter Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles and allowing Mason Rudolph to join the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Fields, the No. 11 pick in the 2021 draft, had 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons with the Bears. It's also a fresh start for Wilson, who enters Year 13 with something to prove. He signed with the Steelers after being released by the Broncos despite a total cap hit of more than $80 million. Fields said he's grateful to be in Pittsburgh and declined to answer whether the Bears did everything they could to facilitate his growth on the field. "It is what it is. That's in the past," Fields said. As for his next chapter with the Steelers, Fields said his intentions are clear inside the building. "I'm definitely competing. Russ knows that," Fields said. "We're competing against each other every day. I definitely don't have the mindset of me just sitting every day. I'm pushing him to be his best and he's pushing me to be my best each and every day." Fields said he's not the same quarterback he was last year. "I have a lot more room to grow," Fields said. "I'm going to continue to get better each and every day. I'm nowhere near my ceiling." --Field Level Media

Bills QB Josh Allen celebrates 28th birthday with WR intros

Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrated his 28th birthday on Tuesday by slinging passes to supporting cast members and introducing himself to new wide receivers. Buffalo enters the seventh season with Allen under center with a number of changes in the program, specifically the wide receiver depth chart. Gabe Davis left in free agency and Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans. Allen has passed for 22,703 yards with 167 touchdowns in his career while embracing becoming the face of the franchise. When the Bills flipped a considerable portion of the roster in the offseason -- in part due to Allen's market-aligned pay consuming 22.4 percent of the salary cap -- head coach Sean McDermott challenged Allen to dig further into a leadership role. "Tremendously impressed, proud," McDermott said of Allen's growth. "The type of person he is. The type of character he possesses. The things that he is -- like most franchise quarterbacks probably -- has to do, beyond the field. And how he handles those things, to me, that's what I'm most proud of." Signed as a free agent after winning two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is still getting to know Allen. But his initial takeaway had nothing to do with Allen's rocket launcher for a throwing arm. "Josh is normal," Valdes-Scantling said. "One of the best quarterbacks in the league might have an ego. But the best thing is, Josh is a normal dude." The Bills also added Keon Coleman with the No. 33 pick in the draft, giving Allen a pair of 6-foot-4 targets to help ease the loss of the reliable Diggs. Allen said he can sense Coleman has plenty of tools to work with before he ever takes the field. "He can move and he can jump," Allen said. Allen said the 29-year-old Valdes-Scantling and fellow veteran newcomer Curtis Samuel are very good leaders in the wide receiver room and Coleman has shown the willingness to study and learn. "It's a fun process to get to know some of these guys on and off the field. Get to know their body language, where and how to throw the football. That's the fun part," Allen said. --Field Level Media