Broncos’ Bryant ‘continues to stack standout days’

A rushing score on the team’s first possession appeared to calm fantasy owners’ nerves as that was the area of Mahomes’ game most in question coming off the injury, but concerns grew as he completed just two of his first 12 pass attempts in his first start since suffering a torn ACL in 2025. A passing score to Rashee Rice at the end of the first half elevated his counting stats further before a shuttle pass touchdown to Kenneth Walker after the break took him into fantasy QB1 territory. Even so, the outing was far from perfect as Mahomes missed numerous open receivers on his way to a paltry 6.8 yards per pass attempt. Mahomes’ lone interception was a badly overthrown ball on a miscommunication in the third quarter that could have been much more damning had the Kansas City defense not held the Broncos to a field goal on the resulting possession. With games against the Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders on tap the next three weeks, the Chiefs could continue to lean on Walker after the recent addition out-gained the entire Denver offense by himself in Week 1. Mahomes will be difficult to trust until he proves to be more accurate through the air.

This reinforces previous reports that indicated the team was not considering injured reserve, with the injury believed to be of the short-term variety. Destin adds that Darnold’s hip joint is unaffected. Seattle fans breathe a collective sigh of relief as the team looks to become the third franchise to repeat as Super Bowl Champions since the turn of the century. Still no word from the team on Darnold’s expected recovery timeline, leaving fantasy managers scrambling to fill the roster hole in the interim.

It’s about the worst-case scenario for an offense with no shortage of change in 2026, with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion now hit with a substantial blow to his front five. The news comes on the heels of a close Week 1 victory over the divisional rival Commanders, a game that played much closer than expected. Time will tell if Dickerson makes it back to previous form in what could be his final professional season.

Offensive tackle Josh Simmons was ruled out earlier in the week, with the other six players raising no surprise as the Chiefs open their season against the visiting Broncos. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes makes his return to the roster following a torn ACL suffered in 2025 as the team debuts a new-look offense following the addition of running back Kenneth Walker and return of former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Badie’s inclusion on the Week 1 inactives list means rookie Jonah Coleman gets the nod as the RB3 behind J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. It remains unlikely Coleman contributes meaningful counting stats in his first professional appearance, but the fact he is now confirmed to be ahead of Badie is meaningful to his longterm upside in what should be one of the top rushing attacks in the league.

Speaking to media Monday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said cornerback Joey Porter Jr. would not play until he completes his “ramp-up period,” which effectively leaves a potential return open-ended. As we understand it, Porter Jr. has yet to participate in a full practice, but is “communicating with the trainer every day.” McCarthy added, “We’ll get him out there when he’s ready to go through a full practice.” Porter Jr. missed the entirety of the offseason program with a back injury but is also seeking a new contract, with the potential that the discussions surrounding dollars has influence on the current situation. More to come in this developing saga.

Love was out-snapped 41 to 32 by Tyler Allgeier, who also handled 17 rush attempts compared to Love’s 11. While there was some concern over whether or not Love was on a snap count due to his ankle injury, LaFleur said the usage between the two backs was based on game flow. Love still managed to see 15 opportunities (11 rushes, 4 targets) in the win, but as long as he and Allgeier continue to split work, he will be hard to trust as anything more than a fringe RB2/RB3. Next week’s game against a stout Seahawks defense makes both backs risky bets.

It was reported Sunday night that Lane was likely to miss several weeks, but on Monday, Minter said Lane could be out a bit longer than expected. The rookie third-rounder caught 1-of-3 targets for 11 yards in his pro debut but was seeing a good amount of work before exiting. Lane’s 24 first-half snaps were the second-most of any Ravens receiver. We’ll likely have a better sense of how long Lane will be sidelined in the coming days.

According to Rapoport, Pacheco “had surgery to remove a body that was pressing on a nerve in his back.” The 27-year-old back is looking at a 12-week recovery, but if all goes well, he could return for the final month of the season. If the Lions don’t add anybody to their backfield in the coming days/weeks, Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors will continue to serve as the primary backups behind Jahmyr Gibbs.

Taylor-Britt is eligible to play in the Colts’ Week 2 game against the Chiefs after serving his one-game suspension in Week 1 against the Ravens. The 26-year-old corner signed a one-year deal with the Colts earlier this offseason and started two of the eight games he appeared in last season with the Bengals. Taylor-Britt totaled 21 tackles and five breakups for the Bengals last season and has spent three seasons in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme during their time with the Bengals, which could give him a chance to see meaningful work on game days.