The Los Angeles Chargers received trade inquiries on Justin Herbert from the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings.

Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz confirmed Thursday that he fielded inquiries about Herbert but did not specify which teams contacted him, adding "they were quickly shot down."

"Justin who?" Hortiz said with a smile. "No. No, at the combine I had some people ask me would we consider it, and they were quickly shot down. No, that is never an option."

The Chargers would have had to take on a $63.5 million salary cap charge for 2024 if they traded Herbert. The Chargers signed Herbert last July to a five-year, $262.5 million extension that included $133.7 million in full guarantees and $193.7 million in injury guarantees.

New England selected Drake Maye at No. 3, while the Vikings picked J.J. McCarthy at No. 10. 

Kirk Cousins was amongst the observers stunned by the decision by the Atlanta Falcons to spend a first round pick on quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. 

The Falcons made the pick despite signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract last month in free agency.

Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, told ESPN's Pete Thamel that the Falcons only notified the QB that they'd pick Penix while the team was on the clock. McCartney said there is frustration and confusion coming from Cousins' camp because Atlanta did not use its first-round pick to make the team better in 2024.

Penix, himself, said he was surprised when he got the call telling him he was the pick.

"I'm not going to say I knew it was coming," Penix said. "But I knew once the phone call came through."

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz says the team received inquiries about Justin Herbert, but the offers were immediately rejected.

"Justin who?" Hortiz said. "No. No, at the combine I had some people ask me would we consider it, and they were quickly shot down. No, that is never an option."

Adam Schefter reported Thursday night that the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings called about Herbert.

The Minnesota Vikings traded up twice on Thursday night to draft quarterback J.J. McCarthy and edge rusher Dallas Turner.

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said the team didn't want to look back and feel they missed out on something.

Minnesota moved up from No. 11 to No. 10 for McCarthy and from No. 23 to No. 17 to take Turner.

"You know, we're always talking about minimizing regret," Adofo-Mensah said. "If you're sitting on your couch one day, and you're like, 'That extra fifth [-round pick] or whatever it was, and you could have had a chance at a guy you think could be special,' you're never going to care about that fifth-round pick. And there's ways of getting it back. Obviously, I'm a spreadsheet guy myself, but sometimes, you've got to step out from there, take your Clark Kent glasses off, have a championship mindset and swing for a great player."

The Atlanta Falcons surprised many when they used the No. 8 pick on Michael Penix, a month after giving Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract.

The Falcons weren't the only team highly interested in Penix.

According to a report, the Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders all attempted to trade into the top 10 for the former Washington quarterback.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted a wide receiver on Thursday night, but the team says that doesn't mean they'll trade someone like Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk.

Aiyuk is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, which has led to plenty of trade speculation.

John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan acknowledged that there had been discussions with other teams, but no deals came close to happening.

Asked late Thursday night if such a trade could still happen heading into Friday, Lynch and Shanahan again didn't sound like a deal for either player was imminent, though they didn't close the door completely.

"It doesn't seem that likely to be honest," Shanahan said. "But I'm still on the table. If someone offered [owner] Jed [York] and John good stuff for me, I'm going to be out of here."

The Minnesota Vikings traded up to No. 10 with the New York Jets to select J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings sent the No. 11 pick as well as a fourth rounder and a fifth rounder for No. 10 and the No. 203 pick.

McCarthy was the fifth quarterback selected Thursday night, following Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr.

A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to a three-year, $96 million extension. The $84 million is the most guaranteed money in NFL history for a wide receiver, surpassing the $77 million guaranteed that Amon-Ra St. Brown recently received from the Detroit Lions. 

Brown's $32 million average annual value is also the highest for any receiver in the NFL.

Earlier this month, the Eagles signed DeVonta Smith to a three-year extension worth $75 million with $51 million guaranteed.

The NFL has announced it will open an NFL Academy in Australia in September 2024 to service the Asia-Pacific region.

The league continues to invest in long-term global football development efforts and pathways for international talent.

The academies are a global initiative by the NFL offering athletes the opportunity to combine full-time education alongside intensive training in American football.

The NFL Academy will be based at A.B. Paterson College in south-east Queensland on Australia's Gold Coast.

The Dallas Cowboys are meeting with Ezekiel Elliott's representative, according to a report.

ESPN previously reported that there is mutual interest in a potential reunion. The Cowboys lost Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

The Cowboys drafted Elliott with the fourth overall pick in 2016.