Rodrigue: Rams may employ a WR3 committee in 2026

The Seahawks shut Horton down after trading for WR Rashid Shaheed last year, citing a new shin injury. The trade came as a surprise. He and Shaheed possess similar skill sets, and Horton had already set two franchise records, so replacing him in the lineup due to poor play did not add up. Apparently, Horton played through discomfort in his shin for five games until the pain led to imaging, revealing a crack in his shin. Horton attempted to avoid surgery, but it was ultimately deemed necessary in February 2026, delaying his return. Bell adds that the coaching staff is “excited and curious to unleash” Horton and Shaheed in the same formations, “challenging the deep coverage of defenses.” Stressing the defense vertically should open up the short-to-intermediate areas of the field as well. Shaheed will likely be the more reliable boom-bust FLEX and could even ascend to WR3 status, but it is nice to know that the coaching staff still views Horton positively after the surprising in-season trade last year.

While we are happy for Martin, we can’t help but wonder if this is related to the apparent left knee injury DT Walter Nolen appeared to suffer at today’s practice. Hopefully, the Cardinals are just playing it safe. Martin entered the NFL as a 2023 third-round pick with the Lions.

We assume this means Donald’s football workouts are going well. McVay adds that he does not expect to hear from Donald until the Rams return to the team facility in Woodland Hills after training camp. They are currently practicing at Loyola Marymount University. According to the team site, the last public training camp practice is scheduled for August 6th. It sounds like we might get an update on Donald in a week or two.

A “significant” hamstring injury prevented Tyson from participating in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. He then remained limited throughout spring practices after the Saints drafted him in April. Earlier this week, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis revealed that Tyson had suffered “a small recurrence during the pre-draft process,” which explains his springtime limitations. The injury is now behind Tyson, and he has been practicing with the first-team offense since the Saints took the practice field on Wednesday. His new personal chef, a hyperbaric chamber and a recovery room are all part of his plan to maintain good health moving forward. Saints QB Tyler Shough notably complimented Tyson’s preparation and desire to improve. Tyson is slated to operate as the Saints’ WR2 while returning WR3 value or better in fantasy this season.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn also said the team doesn’t see the soreness as a long-term issue, but it is a disappointing follow-up to what was reportedly a strong showing for Burks at the first training camp practice. The Commanders have a very thin wide receiver corps, so every injury matters. Hopefully, Burks is back before long.

The Colts also hosted RB Marcus Major for a workout today. McIntosh suffered a torn ACL in July 2025 and was recently waived by the Seahawks.

This is a bummer. A torn meniscus in his left knee ended Nolen’s 2025 rookie season. Multiple beat reporters say Nolen appeared to injure his left knee today. He had been drawing positive reviews in training camp thus far. Hopefully, this is only a short-term injury.

This isn’t exactly breaking news, but it is always worth keeping track of the players who might have a chance to catch passes from QB Patrick Mahomes. Newell compares Armstrong to WR Tyquan Thornton, who signed with the Chiefs in November 2024 before earning Mahomes’ trust the following offseason. Armstrong has spent the entire offseason training with the Chiefs and was allowed to take “numerous” first-team reps on Thursday. In his 2024 senior season at Arkansas, Armstrong (6'4/202) led the SEC in catches (78), receiving yards (1,140) and receiving yards per game (103.6). Newell believes “it would be an underdog tale if he makes the team,” so set your expectations accordingly, but feel free to track his progress this summer.

Regarding running backs who play “all 65 snaps,” LaFleur says that he has “seen that story when guys are a little bit overloaded,” it hurts them either in the short- or long-term. Fortunately for all involved, not even 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey plays on 100 percent of snaps. He handled 81.6 percent last year, which is extremely high. This is a bit of a straw man argument from LaFleur, who ultimately concluded his comments by saying he wants to keep his running backs fresh and healthy for 17 games. That makes sense, but when a player is taken with the No. 3 overall pick, like RB Jeremiyah Love, we should expect them to eventually settle into a workload in which they are playing on a comfortable majority of snaps. The Cardinals’ coaching staff is seemingly intent on keeping Love’s ADP in check. We’ll take it.

Newsome had a tryout with the Cardinals earlier in the week. He spent 2024-25 as a practice squad player with the Broncos. The Cardinals correspondingly placed CB Jaden Davis on injured reserve.