NFL Player News

We’ve seen Jones write this both in her blog and on Twitter. An extended absence could push Eric Decker into the lineup for good opposite Brandon Lloyd. Demaryius Thomas (hand, Achilles’) isn’t close to returning, and Tim Tebow isn’t a long-term option at slot receiver. Look for the Broncos to sign a wideout this week. They opened the year with only four healthy receivers.

The Jets have not released their final injury report, but this news comes from head coach Aaron Glenn, who spoke with the media Friday morning. Ponds was a limited participant in each of the team’s first two practices this week, but the belief is he hasn’t had enough time to be ready for the season opener. It doesn’t sound like the second-round rookie has suffered any setbacks in his recovery, so hopefully he’ll be on track to make his debut in Week 2 against the Packers. Glenn also said RB Kene Nwangwu (back) is doubtful while EDGE Joseph Ossai (foot) and WR Tim Patrick (groin) will be held out of Sunday’s game.

This is notable because Sanders is currently on the Jets’ practice squad while veteran kicker Blake Grupe is on the 53-man roster. Fantasy managers expecting Grupe to contribute to their Week 1 lineups will want to make sure they find a replacement. Sanders certainly makes for a viable option after he converted 37-of-41 field goal attempts last season while going 12-of-14 from distances of 50-plus yards.

Weinfuss received this information from a source familiar with the situation, but this news isn’t all that surprising. Love has logged back-to-back limited practices to start the week, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that “it looks like” Love will suit up in Week 1. The first-round rookie is expected to split touches with Tyler Allgeier, who was listed as the RB1 on the Cardinals’ unofficial depth chart earlier this week, but we would still expect Love to see enough touches to warrant starting as a mid- to low-end RB2 in his regular-season debut.

Flournoy is now under contract through the 2027 season. The 26-year-old receiver caught 40 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns last season, while finishing third among Cowboys receivers in routes run (273) and fourth on the team in targets. It was reported earlier this summer that he was seeing more snaps in the slot, but it’s hard to imagine Flournoy making enough of an impact to be fantasy-relevant as long as CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson are healthy.

Coming off an underwhelming debut in which he failed to even record a tackle in Week 1’s loss against the 49ers, Garrett said he was “the worst version” of himself in Thursday’s game. The star pass rusher was dealing with a knee injury in the days leading up to the game, but was ultimately removed from the injury report on Wednesday. Speaking after the game, he said his knee didn’t feel 100 percent, but Garrett still managed to play on 40 snaps, per PFF. Unfortunately, he generated only three pressures and failed to get a hit on the quarterback. Hopefully, some extended time off before next Monday’s game against the Giants will be enough for Garrett to get right in the Rams’ official 2026 home debut.

McCaffrey’s usage was a bit underwhelming in the first half of Thursday’s win. The 30-year-old running back played on 20 offensive snaps to Kaelon Black’s, while Black’s seven rush attempts more than doubled the three carries we saw from CMC, who also saw six first-half targets. McCaffrey’s second-half usage saw a slight uptick, but it’s possible some of what we saw as it pertains to last night’s split was related to this cramping issue. McCaffrey was undoubtedly the more efficient of the two Niners backs in last night’s win, but Black was solid in his debut, rushing 14 times for 65 yards. McCaffrey should be positioned for a big Week 2 game next week against the Dolphins.

Stribling was carted from the game late in the second quarter after briefly attempting to play through the ankle injury he suffered earlier in the game. While there was some concern that his injury was Achilles-related, Shanahan’s comments after the game suggest there’s little reason to be concerned about his Achilles at this time. Stribling played 21 snaps in the first half of Thursday’s game but was held without a catch. We’ll likely get more clarity on his status in the coming days, but hopefully the worst was avoided here.

Shanahan told reporters that it “doesn’t look good.” The 27-year-old tight end suffered the injury near the end of the first half, and it sounds like San Francisco will be without the backup tight end for some time. Luke Ferrell will likely see more snaps with Tonges unavailable.

Higbee ended up leading the Rams’ tight ends in targets and receptions, as Davis Allen had just one catch before exiting with a head injury, and Terrance Ferguson didn’t catch his only opportunity. Ferguson still seems like the tight end to roster going forward, but one could argue Higbee has the higher floor because he’ll see more snaps because of his blocking ability. That’s not a ringing endorsement, if it’s not obvious. The Rams will try and get it going against the Giants in Week 2.

There was plenty of talk about how great Adams looked in the precursor to the season, but it wasn’t on display in Week 1. The 33-year-old had a long gain of just 13 yards, and he and Matthew Stafford were unable to find many openings against the San Francisco secondary. Adams will get a chance to rebound in Week 2 in a Monday Night Football contest against the Giants.