NFL Player News

Pugh famously came #straightoffthecouch and into the Giants’ starting lineup after being signed to the practice squad earlier this month. Pugh even moved to left tackle against the Bills after the Giants suffered more offensive line injuries. Now that Pugh is on the active roster, he should be a fixture in the starting lineup for a depleted Giants team. TE Lawrence Cager was waived in a corresponding move.

Hunter is going to be ready for full football activities in six months, so he should be fully ready for training camp. What to make of this rookie year? It was a year of waiting for something to launch. There were no touchdowns until (what would become) his final game of the season, where the Jaguars forced balls to him with aplomb in garbage time against the Rams. The target rate was there, and then it wasn’t, and then it was again. The two major elephants in the room for him this offseason will be what happens (or doesn’t) with Brian Thomas Jr., and whether or not he’ll continue to be a two-way player following the injury. We expect the status quo to rule this situation — mostly because of what the Jags invested in Hunter and Thomas — and for Hunter to roll into the 2026 season as WR3 in fantasy drafts.

Stefanski certainly couldn’t be blamed for wanting to exit Cleveland after another season spent coordinating a dead-on-arrival offense hamstrung by Deshaun Watson’s contract. Especially after he didn’t appear to be on Andrew Berry’s page about giving up Joe Flacco to the Bengals in a midseason trade. As we hit silly season, Stefanski’s status will be one of the more important dominoes to watch. Hughes also mentions as names to watch for the job: Packers DC Jeff Hafley, Rams OC Mike LaFleur, Eagles OC Kevin Patullo (??), Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo, Vikings DC Brian Flores, Former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce, and Texans DC Matt Burke.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur is on record saying that the injury “doesn’t sound promising.” Jenkins sounds like a candidate to spend some time on injured reserve. Sean Rhyan replaced Jenkins at center and figures to be the replacement in the short term.

The move comes after Daniel Carlson missed a critical field goal in Week 10’s narrow loss to the Broncos. Carlson has made just 12 of his 16 field goal tries this season while missing one extra point. It looks like the Raiders could be ready to move on from Carlson if he misses a kick in Week 11 against the Cowboys. Joseph appeared in eight games in 2024, attempting 20 field goals and converting 16 of them.

It’s a blow to the Vegas offensive line. Powers-Johnson suffered his ankle injury in Week 10 against the Broncos and did not return to the game. Pro Football Focus has graded Powers-Johnson as the NFL’s 44th best pass blocking guard this season and the league’s 24th best run blocking guard. The Raiders have the fourth worst rushing success rate this season.

Tomlin said the only thing that stopped Warren from exceeding the 18 touches he saw in Week 10 against the Chargers was game script and the Steelers’ inability to convert third downs. With shortened drives, Warren’s workload was not nearly as big as it could have been, Tomlin suggested in his Tuesday press conference. “We win more third downs, Jaylen [Warren] will get more touches,” he said. Warren accounted for 41 percent of the Steelers’ offensive production in Week 10’s loss while losing out to Kenneth Gainwell on third down opportunities. That, Tomlin said, would continue. Warren will be a top-12 fantasy play in Week 11 against an abysmal Bengals front seven.

The oft-injured Burrow, who suffered his toe injury in Week 2, said the Bengals’ record and postseason hopes could factor into whether he returns this season. “We’ll see how these next couple weeks go,” Burrow said in his first news conference since the injury. “There’s a lot that goes into it. There’s a lot of variables that you have to consider.” Burrow on Monday practiced for the first time since September, “throwing passes to receivers not facing any defenders,” according to ESPN’s Ben Baby. Burrow, Baby said, “sported a different pair of shoes during his limited practice and acknowledged there is additional hardware in his cleats.” Joe Flacco is set to start Week 11 against the Steelers. Burrow should be rostered in all fantasy formats in case he returns in the season’s final month.

Watson, according to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, has made “excellent progress” in recovering from his re-ruptured Achilles tendon but won’t start practicing this week. Cabot said Watson “must first pass his medical exams before being permitted to practice. Once he’s cleared, the Browns must be reasonably sure he’ll be ready for action before they open the window.” Browns QBs coach Bill Musgrave said Watson, 29, is determined to return to game action one day. “I know he wants to play a lot of football again,” Musgrave said. “He feels like he’s got a lot of tread left on his tires.” There remains very little chance Watson, who has played 19 games since the start of the 2022 season, will suit up for Cleveland in 2025. Dillon Gabriel will be under center in Week 11 against the Ravens.

ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported last week that AIyuk — coming back from a catastrophic 2024 knee injury — is expected to return to the Niners lineup at some point this season. That might mean a December return if Aiyuk’s practice window is not opened in the next week or two. The team has said Aiyuk’s recovery has been more complicated than expected. Until he returns, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall — who could return from a knee injury in Week 11 — will operate as the Niners’ top two wideouts.