We’ve gone from McMillan “avoiding anything major” to him being out half the season through the last two days. McMillan starting on IR will give runway to Emeka Egbuka to be a major contributor to Tampa Bay’s offense immediately. It also may give supporting options like Cade Otton more of a share than they’d normally have as Tampa threads the needle early without McMillan and Chris Godwin. McMillan isn’t a must-hold in shallow leagues based on this reported timeline.

Schefter adds “it sounds like at this point it’s personal.” Since Parsons’ trade request earlier in August, we haven’t had much in the way of real news updates, and Schefter says both sides haven’t negotiated since April. “The only question is when is that divorce going to happen, and how is it going to happen?” Schefter continues. There are very few non-quarterbacks who could be traded and cause a monumental shift before the season started, but Parsons qualifies. We’ve yet to blurb about any teams directly linked to acquiring Parsons, but it would likely take at least a first-round pick — and probably more than just that.

Skattebo, who struggled with soft tissue injuries in college, missed two weeks of practice with a serious hamstring injury. That gave Tyrone Tracy a path to establishing himself as the Giants’ No. 1 running back ahead of the team’s season opener against Washington. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Tracy would “100 percent” function as the Giants’ lead back in 2025, with Skattebo operating a complement. That could include pass catching duties, as Skattebo was one of the nation’s best pass-catching backs at Arizona State last season. The rookie will have a chance to carve out a larger role as the season wears on.

Nabers has dealt with a variety of offseason injuries, including a toe issue that began during his college days at LSU. He had missed practice recently with shoulder and back issues. The Giants are being very careful with their dominant WR1 head of the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Commanders. Look for the Giants to continue managing Nabers’ workload ahead of the regular season.

Jones will be under center for Week 1 against the Dolphins and Anthony Richardson will serve as backup. The competition for the starting gig was reportedly “very close,” as both quarterbacks struggled in training camp and during preseason appearances. Head coach Shane Steichen said Jones would not have a “short leash” as the team’s starter. “He’s the starting quarterback for the season,” he said. “Really the operation at the line of scrimmage, the checks, the protection, the ball placement, the completion percentage — I think all that played a factor in it,” Stechein said, describing his evaluation process. Jones completed 17 of 32 preseason pass attempts for 245 scoreless yards while Richardson threw for 94 yards on 17 attempts. There remains a chance Richardson could be used as a short yardage rushing option, which would crush Jones’ fantasy appeal in deeper formats and superflex leagues. Jones under center is a positive development for Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.

The Rams, per Rapoport, are going to take it slowly with Stafford, who is struggling with a chronic back injury that required an epidural earlier this summer and kept him sidelined for much of training camp. Stafford reportedly threw around 20 passes upon his return to practice on Monday. It remains to be seen whether Stafford, 37, will practice again this week. If Stafford is a no-go for early in the season, Jimmy Garoppolo will take over as LA’s starter — a less-than-ideal situation for Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.

Wicks tried to play through a lingering calf issue in early August but has been sidelined since August 2 with no firm return date in sight. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein said “there’s hope” Wicks — a mistake-prone downfield threat — could be ready for Green Bay’s Week 1 game against the Lions. Wicks in 2024 had 15 yards and five touchdowns on just 39 receptions as a rotational option in the Packers run-heavy offense. He could be a staple in three-receiver sets to start the season with Christian Watson (knee) slated to miss the regular season’s first month.

Russini spoke with league officials and concluded McLaurin is a long shot to land a deal in the $30 million per year range ahead of the 2025 regular season. McLaurin, headed into his age-30 season, has not participated in any offseason activities and has expressed persistent frustration with the team’s refusal to meet his demands. If McLaurin continues to hold out in the regular season, Deebo Samuel would likely operate as the Commanders’ No. 1 wideout, with Noah Brown working as the team’s WR2. Michael Gallup could see a good number of snaps and routes too.

As Brian Robinson trade rumors circulate ahead of the regular season, and as rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt gains steam as a potential lead back in the run-first Washington offense, Ekeler, 30, should remain the team’s primary pass-catching backfield option who could cut into Croskey-Merritt’s workload early in the season, along with Chris Rodriguez. Robinson was held out of Monday night’s preseason game against the Bengals. JCM and Rodriguez shined against Cincinnati; the rookie rumbled for 46 yards and a score on 11 attempts. Ekeler in 2024 led the Commanders backfield with 35 receptions for 366 yards. He could have some value in deeper PPR formats this season if Robinson is traded away.