Vita Vea ‘out’ with ‘back injury’

Smith reunited with Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh last year and posted 38 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Even with NFL players actively returning to college football, Jonnu was unable to find a way to follow his favorite offensive coordinator to Ohio State. All signs point to Tucker Kraft being fully recovered from his torn ACL by Week 1, but backup tight end Luke Musgrave remains sidelined with an injury of his own. Smith won’t be on the fantasy radar as long as Kraft is healthy, but he should be a solid depth option for the Packers.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was first on the news, followed by contract details from Ian Rapoport. Seattle acquired Williams from the Giants during the 2023 season. In his two full seasons as a Seahawk, Williams has totaled 18 regular season sacks plus one during the team’s postseason last year. He is now one of the five highest-paid defensive tackles on an annual basis. Williams will be under contract through the 2029 season.

The 2023 third-round pick will be subject to waivers. If no team claims him, Tillman will be free to sign wherever he chooses. Tillman appeared to be on the precipice of a breakout in 2024, posting 330 yards over five games in the middle of the season. An injury then knocked him out for the remainder of the year, and he failed to find much of a role in 2025. Even if he clears waivers, several teams will likely be interested in taking a flyer on Tillman after 53-man rosters start to shake out.

Pierce has been on the PUP list throughout training camp as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Head coach Shane Steichen said earlier this week that he expects Pierce to return to practice in the coming days. While it will likely be very limited work for Pierce, that’s still a step in the right direction as he looks to get back to full strength ahead of Week 1. Coming off the PUP list means Pierce shouldn’t miss four games to start the season, but it doesn’t guarantee that he is ready for the season opener. His health will be one of the biggest storylines to monitor for the Colts’ offense over the next two weeks.

It’s a simple restructure, converting base salary into a signing bonus. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the move creates nearly $18 million in cap space for Pittsburgh. The transaction could be an indication that the Steelers need cap space for another move, but it’s much more likely that the team simply wants flexibility down the road. Metcalf remains signed through the 2029 season.

Philadelphia released Brandon Hayes in a corresponding move. Miami released Washington earlier this week. A 2024 seventh-round pick, Washington did not play as a rookie and appeared in six games last year. He caught three passes for 37 yards.

The good news is that, according to Schefter, the injury isn’t considered a long-term issue. It’s still unclear if Smith will be ready for Week 1. Houston signed Smith to a two-year, $25 million deal in the offseason. He was set to compete with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle job, but this could give Brown the inside track early in the year. As long as Smith is back early in the year, Houston should have the necessary tackle depth to survive this injury.

Evans has been dealing with a myriad of injuries throughout training camp, the latest being a groin issue. The injuries have been reported as minor as the 33-year-old manages his way through practices after having missed significant time due to injuries the last couple seasons. He was already expected to miss minimal time - if any - and Fowler confirms that Evans and the 49ers are still preparing for him to play Week 1.

The gist of it is that players can return to college if they are cut, but NFL teams cannot make advance deals with the players about returning in the following season and the players also cannot sign an NFL deal within the same season. This situation came up with undrafted rookie free agent Dae’Quan Wright, who spent the offseason with the Eagles and Browns, but is looking to return to college and play for LSU. From an NFL perspective, Wright can return to college for 2026 but cannot return to the NFL until 2027, nor can an NFL team agree to an advance deal with him to sign him in 2027. It’s a sticky situation as the NCAA figures out player eligibility but the NFL has said its piece on the matter.

McCarthy has been limited in practice this week as he deals with a mild deltoid sprain in his ankle. Despite the injury, the Vikings want to maximize the 23-year-old’s preseason reps with Kyler Murray already locked in as the starter. It’s also possible McCarthy competes with Carson Wentz for the No. 2 quarterback spot as both players split second-team reps earlier this week. O’Connell said the team is aiming to have McCarthy ready to start against the Broncos Friday, but also added, “if we can’t get him there, we can’t get him there.” Ultimately, the ankle injury seems minor but may prevent McCarthy from seeing valuable reps as he fights to stay as the QB2 on the Vikings depth chart.