NFL Player News

The Raiders put Gaither through an extensive medical checkup on Friday, but he apparently couldn’t pass a physical. He didn’t play a single down last year, so this has the look of a long-term problem. For a 25-year-old with All-Pro caliber talent as a left tackle, it’s an awfully unfortunate situation.

He’ll miss the next four games, so unless he works out some sort of injury settlement with the team, Ford’s season is over. He managed 24 carries for 73 yards as Cleveland’s third-down back early in the season , but his playing time gradually dwindled, never receiving more than 17 snaps in a game after Week 6. Brown will enter free agency this offseason and likely will draw some interest as a third-down back, but he’s not much of a fantasy asset as this stage of his career.

Released by the Texans last week, Tomlinson joins a Ravens team that has shuffled around bodies at guard of late. It’s possible he gets elevated at some point down the stretch. They released EDGE Carl Lawson from the practice squad to free up the spot to add Tomlinson.

He’ll miss the remainder of the regular season, though he could come back for the playoffs if the Buccaneers are able to hold off the Panthers for the NFC South crown. Bredeson had a 77.0 PFF pass block grade in 622 snaps for Tampa Bay this year while dealing with a few different injuries. He’s under contract through 2027.

Unprecedented amounts of desperation are being shown here as the Colts try to keep their playoff hopes alive. It’s almost impossible to know how well Rivers will play as he’s been retired since the end of the 2020 season, but it’s hard to believe the Colts signed him without a promise that he’d be active at the very least, if not playing against the Seahawks in Week 15. We’d offer a conservative “he’s probably a QB3 in superflex leagues” take if he starts, but Rivers didn’t exactly have sterling athleticism at the end of his career either and it’s possible he could wind up a usable QB2.

Washington left Week 14’s win over the Ravens with a head injury and did not return. If he’s unable to clear the protocol before the Steelers’ Week 15 Monday night game against Miami, Pat Freiermuth would likely operate as the team’s primary pass-catching tight end. Freiermuth could be a nice deep league streaming option while Jonnu Smith — who has five receptions over his past five games — should remain on waiver wires.

Metcalf stayed overnight in the hospital with some kind of stomach issue following the Steelers’ Week 14 victory over the Ravens, a game that saw Metcalf post season-high numbers, including 148 yards thanks to aggressive downfield throwing from Aaron Rodgers. Tomlin hinted that Metcalf could miss some practice time this week while recovering from his stomach issue. “I don’t think it’s going to jeopardize his availability at all,” Tomlin said when asked about Metcalf’s Week 15 status. Fantasy managers should monitor Metcalf’s late-week practice status.

Johnson left Week 14’s loss to the Rams with an MCL injury and would seem likely to miss Arizona’s Week 15 game against the Cardinals. Losing Johnson ahead of a matchup with the ferocious Texans pass rush is bad news for Jacoby Brissett and the entire Cardinals offense. Brissett remains a solid streaming option based on pass volume alone.

An MRI on Mitchell’s knee came back clean, per Fowler, following the Ravens’ Week 14 loss to the Steelers. Mitchell left the game in the second half with the knee issue after rushing for 76 yards on six carries, including an explosive 55-yard run. If Mitchell can practice in a limited capacity this week, he could suit up in Week 15 against the Bengals. Rasheen Ali would be the clear RB2 for Baltimore if Mitchell is sidelined.

Gadsden’s four targets actually ranked second on the team behind the five of Ladd McConkey, highlighting the defensive deadlock the Chargers found themselves in against the defending Super Bowl Champions. It has now been more than a month since Gadsden has caught more than three balls, although his emergence in the offense gives offensive coordinator Greg Roman yet another chess piece to attack opposing defenses. Gadsden could be busier in Week 15 when the Chargers take on the Chiefs on the road.

Johnston saw his fair share of lockdown coverage from Quinyon Mitchell in this one, although his three targets were largely a product of only 26 Justin Herbert pass attempts on a night the Los Angeles defense stepped up with five takeaways. Johnston remains a touchdown-dependent fantasy asset in a now-crowded receiving corps due to the emergence of tight end Oronde Gadsden, with the ever-present potential to see his volume curbed due to the strength of their defense and absence of the team’s starting tackles.