NFL Player News

He appeared likely to play but couldn’t get over the hump for the second straight week. Dekoda Watson will start in his place and played well against the Niners last year, so don’t go crazy upgrading Frank Gore. WR Sammie Stroughter, TE Luke Stocker, T James Lee, G Derek Hardman, LB Zach Diles, and S Devin Holland join him on the inactive list.

Coen, per Sports Illustrated’s John Shipley, “indicated they willplay it safe with BTJ,” meaning the team could be without Thomas and Jakobi Meyers (hand) for tomorrow’s joint practice. The Jags have dealt with a string of wideout injuries over the past couple weeks, including Parker Washington dealing with an undisclosed injury. If Thomas is 100 percent healthy for Week 1 against the Browns, he should profile as a high-variance WR3 option in 12-team formats.

Giddens has been sidelined for weeks with a severe hamstring injury. His return comes a few weeks ahead of the Colts’ regular season opener against the Ravens. Giddens as a rookie in 2025 had 96 yards on 26 carries, appearing in nine games for the Colts. He’ll battle Seth McGowan for RB2 duties this season behind Jonathan Taylor.

Pierce, who’s been sidelined since undergoing ankle surgery in the spring following the signing of his contract extension with the Colts, will practice this week barring any setbacks, Steichen said. It’s good news for Pierce’s Week 1 availability after the team’s de facto WR1 missed training camp while recovering from the ankle issue. Pierce is expected to see more intermediate targets this season after operating strictly as a field stretcher over the past few seasons. Piece in 2025 led the league in air yards per game; his 44 percent air yards share ranked fourth among receivers. Pierce profiles as a somewhat sneaky fantasy selection after his ADP has steadily sunk over the past month.

That leaves former Dolphins K Jason Sanders as the only kicker on the New York roster. Sanders and York competed for the starting gig throughout training camp, with both struggling at times. York missed his only preseason field goal try while Sanders has made both of his preseason attempts. Sanders would appear to be the team’s Week 1 starter, though the Jets could bring in more competition if Sanders — who missed 2025 with a hip injury — proves unreliable.

Three weeks ahead of the opening of the regular season, Stefanski seems no closer to naming a starting QB than he was at the start of training camp. Michael Penix, recovering from a 2025 ACL injury, made his return to 11-on-11 practice Monday while Tua Tagovailoa continued to struggled. “I can’t speculate on those types of things,” Stefanski said. “I want to really stay in today with Mike and see how he does in practice. I really have to stay in the moment with this one. Let’s see how he feels after today.” Penix on Monday completed four of his eight pass attempts in 11-on-11 drills while facing “simulated pressure.” Two of his passes came up “noticeably short,” per The Athletic’s Josh Kendall.

Cam Ward’s preseason has been as bad or even worse than his rookie campaign. Ward in last week’s preseason game against Seattle completed eight of his 12 attempts for 69 yards. His average depth of target on completed passes this preseason sits at a meager 1.2. Carnell Tate, meanwhile, has been targeted five times on his 23 preseason routes and does not have a reception to show for it. Daboll has been somewhat defensive this month when asked about Ward’s immense struggles after working on basic fundamentals with the second-year QB in the offseason. Ward, one of the most inaccurate passers in recent NFL history, is unlikely to support more than one fantasy-viable pass catcher in 2026.

“If there was concern over whether Adams still had it as a perimeter wide receiver at age 33, this camp has put a lot of those questions to rest,” Atkins said, adding Adams had retained his otherworldly connection with Matthew Stafford. “Adams looks fresh and explosive, and he was virtually uncoverable in the joint practices against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.” Atkins conceded that the Rams “might have to get creative again with load management at times” to ensure Adams can get through a whole season without injuries. A whole training camp with Stafford — something he didn’t have in 2025 — could make Adams one of the sneakier wideout selections outside the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts.

We’re not sure if that’s an official medical diagnosis but it’s good news that the Raiders are not saying the second-year back sustained a real-deal high ankle injury, the kind of injury that often leads to an extended absence and significant rehab time. Rapoport said the Raiders are hopeful Jeanty can suit up for Week 1 against the Dolphins, though the team is far from certain Jeanty will be ready to go after suffering the ankle injury during Sunday’s practice. He added Jeanty’s injury is not of the season-threatening variety. If Jeanty is sidelined for Week 1, Mike Washington, Jr. would likely take over as the team’s lead back and would be locked in as a starter in 12-team fantasy leagues.

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said Moore, a fourth-round selection, could return at some point this season “but it’ll be a while.” Moore was one of the most impressive edge rushers in the country during his time at UTSA in 2022-2023, and his final season with the Roadrunners saw him accumulate 14 sacks while winning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year before he transferred to Texas. He was set to play significant defensive snaps for Miami in 2026.

Lane, selected with the 80th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has wowed coaches and beat writers throughout training camp with highlight contested catches while earning the trust of Lamar Jackson and first-year OC Declan Doyle. Lane, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, has “made a highlight-reel catch, several with one hand, on almost a per-practice basis over the past month.” In a preseason tilt against the Eagles, Lane caught all three of his targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. “This guy is different,” Jackson told reporters afterward. It would be surprising if Lane did not start the regular season as an every-down wideout in the Baltimore offense. His connection with Jackson should instantly make him the team’s No. 2 wideout behind Zay Flowers.