NFL Player News

New York’s burly short-yardage back will undergo a stress test Monday.

Oliver was returning to the field for the first time since Week 8 after undergoing biceps surgery. The Bills had used him sparingly early in the game, mostly as a pass rusher, but he is their most impactful interior defensive lineman, so losing him for the remainder of the game would be a big blow for this defense.

The owner of a .654 winning percentage since arriving in Green Bay in 2019, LaFleur never seemed to be on the way out, but the Pack’s Wild Card flameout definitely seemed to complicate the calculus. The Pack ultimately, unsurprisingly reached the unavoidable conclusion that LaFleur is a flawed coach, but not one worth firing. An elite play-caller, LaFleur could still afford to work on his sequencing and third- and fourth-down decision-making. He still seems like a coach who could one day win “the big one.”

Franklin didn’t have a single target in the game before leaving with his injury. The Broncos are also without Pat Bryant (concussion), so they will need to rely far more on Marvin Mims Jr. and Lil’Jordan Humphrey.

Pearsall was questionable coming into the game, but he had been getting in limited practices, so he had been trending towards playing. It’s a nice boost for a 49ers offense that will be without George Kittle (Achilles). The 49ers inactives are: S Ji’Ayir Brown, RB Isaac Guerendo, WR Jordan Watkins, DE Robert Beal Jr., DT Kevin Givens, DT Sebastian Valdez, and OT Brandon Parker.

Darnold is reportedly dealing with an oblique injury that has prevented him from throwing a single pass during the practice week. The quarterback also seems to be protecting his oblique even during pre-game warmups, but he
has maintained that he will play. It remains to be seen how impactful Darnold will be, but Drew Lock will be ready in case the Seahawks need to adjust. The Seahawks inactives are QB Jalen Milroe, LB Jared Ivey, OL Josh Jones, G Bryce Cabeldue, OL Mason Richman, and DE Rylie Mills.

McGovern was in the blue medical tent and then taken into the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion, but he seemingly passed all tests and has been cleared to return. That’s big for a Buffalo offense that needs a big second half to get back in the game.

McGovern dove to try to recover a fumble by James Cook and was hit hard in the back of his head. He went into the medical tent and then walked into the locker room. Alec Anderson is replacing him, but playing on the road in Denver is a rough environment for a backup center.

Bryant had three catches for 32 yards on the first drive and looked set to be a huge part of this offensive gameplan. However, he suffered a concussion when his helmet hit the ground after his final catch. Lil’Jordan Humphrey took his place but dropped a touchdown catch on the first drive.

He was able to walk off the field on his own but was then carted to the locker room. Williams tackled Marvin Mims on the opening kickoff, and their helmets collided. Williams’ arms went limp, and he was down on the turf for an extended period of time. With Terrell Bernard (ankle) inactive for this game, the Bills will be without key linebacker depth with Williams missing the rest of this game.

And... it’s done. After numerous delays amidst contract minutiae, the two sides have agreed on a five-year contract to make Harbaugh the team’s next head coach. The former Ravens head coach was one of the longest tenured head coaches in the league before being fired last week, quickly landing on his feet with one of the more desirable head coaching vacancies in the league. He’ll be tasked with turning around a franchise that has had little success in the post-Eli era.