NFL Player News

Although he is size (5'11/199) and speed (4.65) deficient, Shepherd was one of the NCAA’s top cornerbacks last season, earning the lowest “burn rate” (32.9 percent) among draft-eligible corners. “We’re really, really impressed,” coach Chip Kelly said. Shepherd isn’t in the mix to start, but he is squarely in the hunt to cover slot receivers in the Eagles’ nickel and dime defenses.

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 had always said he was going to play, and it turns out that he will. 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.

Daboll has drawn significant interest for numerous vacant offensive coordinator positions around the league in recent weeks and could land on his feet with a change of scenery after a turbulent head coaching stint with the Giants. He also interviewed with the Titans on Friday for their vacant head coaching position.

The Broncos begin their path to the Super Bowl as one of the healthier teams in the league after their Wild Card bye as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, enough so that they appear to have elevated two practice squad members, Elijah Moore and Caleb Lohner, to receive a small roster bonus as thanks for their time on the practice squad this season. The home-favorite Broncos face a difficult challenge against the Josh Allen-led Bills as they aim to avoid the same postseason outcome as in 2024 when the Bills bounced the Broncos in a blowout loss.