NFL Player News

Justin Forsett, Buck Allen and rookie Kenneth Dixon are viewed as roster locks, leaving the other three to compete for one spot. A 2014 fourth-round pick, Taliaferro should be the favorite provided he can stay healthy, but that has proven difficult thus far in his career. CSN Mid-Atlantic speculated Taliaferro’s roster spot is “under pressure.”

This should put him in line to reclaim a major role in the Texans backfield in Week 17 against the Chargers. Marks would be more of a low-end RB2 play against a good defense in what is projected to be a lower-scoring game, but volume should be on his side if he’s able to be active for the contest. Assuming he actually stays on the field, anyway.

Ian Rapoport’s sourced timeline on Tonga’s recovery should have him ready for New England’s first playoff game. New England will be desperately trying to get him, Robert Spillane, and Milton Williams as ready as they can be for the playoffs after the run defense has sprung a leak over the last month.

The UDFA center will be a rotational cog along the middle of the Patriots line, probably mostly as a backup, for the two years to come. Brown has started just two games this year, but had a 10-game stretch as a starter in 2024. He qualifies as competent depth.

Considering there are only two weeks left in the season, if we don’t see any kind of improvement from Odunze in practices this week, there’s a real chance that the Bears have nothing to play for in Week 18. Odunze may be mothballed until the playoffs. The fact that Johnson wouldn’t put a timetable on it arguably tells us Week 17 will be a stretch for an Odunze return, but the practice report on Wednesday will speak louder than his statement today.

It’s not a great sign for Rice’s Christmas Day availability against the Broncos. Rice was sidelined last week against the Titans with the head injury, and the Chiefs have little reason to rush him back into game action with their season lost. Xavier Worthy will continue operating as the Chiefs’ de facto WR1 while Rice is out, though Worthy remains a deep league-online option for Week 17 against Denver.

It’s a strange thing to say about a wideout who has been a healthy scratch for three straight weeks as veteran journeyman Adam Thielen plays ahead of him. Tomlin said if Metcalf’s two-game suspension is upheld this week, Wilson — who has 166 yards and two touchdowns this season — will have a chance “to show his professionalism and his readiness and how he’s been sharpening his sword for battle.” Calvin Austin III and Thielen could also see an increase in routes and targets if Metcalf if out in Week 17 against the Browns. The Steelers are likely to revert to a run-heavy offense without their top receiver.

Metcalf’s appeal comes one day after the NFL suspended him for two games following an altercation with a fan during the Steelers’ Week 16 win against the Lions. Metcalf said the fan, Ryan Kennedy, used a racial slur — an accusation Kennedy has denied through a lawyer. Metcalf had reported Kennedy to Seahawks team security in a previous trip to Detroit to play the Lions before he was traded to the Steelers. “He did explain to me why he did what he did,” Tomlin said of Metcalf. “I certainly don’t condone the behavior, but I support DK.” Metcalf would miss the team’s final two regular season games and return for the playoffs if the two-game punishment stands.

“We haven’t changed a single thing from the moment we started coaching him,” Coen said when asked by reporters if the team’s offense had been tweaked ahead of Trevor Lawrence’s recent heater, which includes 12 total touchdowns over his past three games. “Sometimes, it just takes time to click.” Lawrence, according to Coen, showed more comfort with progressions and reads around Week 10 after a somewhat shaky start to the season. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports the acquisition of Jakobi Meyers has been a key to Lawrence’s emergence as an elite QB. Meyers’ “command over the middle of the field, coupled with tight end Brenton Strange’s return, has helped receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington produce outside the numbers,” Howe said. “Beyond that, Lawrence’s footwork has also been cleaner, and he’s cut back on unnecessary off-platform throws. It’s all tied into confidence in his reads and progressions.” Lawrence will have a good shot to keep his hot streak going in Week 17 against a listless Colts defense that gave up 295 yards and five touchdowns to Brock Purdy on Monday night.

Boutte sustained the head injury in Week 16 against the Ravens while catching four passes for 35 yards. He would appear to be highly questionable to Week 17 against a Jets secondary that ranks among the worst in the league. If Boutte is sidelined, Mack Hollins — who ranks fourth in the NFL in air yards over the past three weeks — would be an excellent flex play for Week 17. Kyle Williams, who caught a touchdown in Week 16’s win, would have some deep league appeal if Boutte is sidelined.

Henderson suffered the head injury in the first half on Sunday night against the Ravens and did not return to the game. He could very well miss Week 17 against a miserable Jets defense that has been more than generous to opposing backs in recent weeks. Rhamondre Stevenson, who had eight carries for 51 yards and a touchdown against Baltimore in Week 16, would profile as a must-play option in 12-team formats if Henderson is sidelined. Both backs are in play for Week 17 if Henderson clears the protocol and suits up against the Jets.