NFL Player News

Let’s just say the Patriots’ quarterback change didn’t have the desired effect. Zappe wasn’t necessarily the reason the Patriots lost, but he never looked like the reason they might win. Zappe, of course, is dealing with a situation where DeVante Parker was his No. 1 weapon. Demario Douglas (concussion) was out and Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) joined him in the first quarter. Zappe did not rise to the challenge, taking five sacks, a number of them inexcusable. Weak-armed, he was having trouble sticking throws, though Tyquan Thornton committed a horrendous drop on a perfect down-field shot. This is simply a hopeless situation Zappe has zero shot to transcend. The Steelers are an awful Week 14 matchup.

Goldman added that the team is “very high” on Demercado before noting his spot as the No. 2 back in every drill of note during OTAs. The Chiefs signed Demercado to a one-year deal this offseason to back up Kenneth Walker. They also added Emmet Johnson in the fifth round of the draft, but it sounds like the veteran has the inside track to backup duties right now. Demercado could also operate as the team’s primary back on passing downs, giving him some extra juice in PPR formats.

Wolfe made the obvious caveat that Brooks needed to be healthy for this to have any chance of happening. Brooks entered the league recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during his final season at Texas. He then tore the same ACL in just his third career game, causing him to miss all of the 2025 season. When the Panthers selected Brooks with the No. 46 pick in 2024, he certainly had the potential to take over the backfield by the end of his rookie season. It remains to be seen how much of a toll the knee injuries have taken on Brooks’ abilities, but the drumbeat surrounding his return to football is growing louder by the day. Brooks will likely be one of the hottest backup running backs in fantasy circles by the time training camp rolls around.

Rodriguez underwent a surgical procedure on his left foot earlier this offseason and has been sidelined for OTAs as a result. Given when the Jaguars expect him to be ready to go, it sounds like Rodriguez will be sidelined for minicamp, which kicks off this week, but this isn’t expected to affect his readiness for the start of the season. Rodriguez is expected to split duties with second-year back Bhayshul Tuten this season, and could be the favorite to handle early down touches and short-yardage/goal-line opportunities, but his fantasy upside could be capped with Tuten operating as the presumed pass-catching back.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz was first to report the reunion between the Chiefs and Sneed. The veteran corner last played for the Chiefs in 2023 and was traded to the Titans in the 2024 offseason. Over the last two seasons, Sneed has struggled with multiple injuries, limiting him to just 12 games. Sneed, 29, will also reunite with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, which could bode well for him as he returns to a familiar environment and a team he helped lead to two Super Bowl titles.

Speaking after Monday’s minicamp, Harbaugh said Carter suffered a twisted ankle but downplayed any notion that it would be a serious injury. The Giants and their fans can breathe an early sigh of relief after the former No. 3 overall pick was seen limping off the field early in the first day of the team’s three-day minicamp.

The Patriots traded up with the Bills to select Lomu in hopes of shoring up an offensive line that allowed 48 sacks on its quarterbacks last season. Lomu did not allow a sack on 769 pass-blocking snaps while lined up at left tackle during his career, and allowed only 25 pressures on 808 pass-blocking snaps overall, per PFF. Despite being viewed by some as a raw talent, Lomu was one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this year’s draft, and figures to eventually work his way into one of the starting tackle spots this season.

We’ll likely get an update on this soon, but it’s a concerning development for the second-year pass rusher who is hoping to build on a rookie season that included 43 tackles, four sacks, and seven TFLs. According to Leonard, Carter eventually made his way indoors and was seen leaving the field without his shoe. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan later reported that the “initial belief” is that Carter is okay, but we will provide an update when we receive one.

The Chiefs now have both of their 2026 first-rounders under contract after signing DT Peter Woods just hours before announcing Delane’s deal. Delane spent four seasons in college and closed out his career at LSU after transferring from Virginia Tech. He joins a secondary that was dealt two key losses this offseason in Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, and projects as the Chiefs’ top corner to start the season. Last season, Delane earned a PFF coverage grade of 90.7 and allowed just 14 receptions for 165 scoreless yards on 35 targets.

In an 11-second video posted to X by ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Skattebo can be seen running a route down the left sideline before hauling in a long pass. The second-year running back is working his way back from a fractured ankle he suffered in Week 8 of last season, and looked to be running at or close to full speed in the clip. Speaking last month, Skattebo said he expects to be healthy for Week 1, and he appears to be trending in that direction. We’ll get a better sense of his availability when training camp starts, but if Skattebo can avoid the PUP list at the start of camp, we can safely assume he’ll be all systems go, barring any setbacks. Skattebo projects as an RB2 in what is expected to be a run-heavy offense in John Harbaugh’s first season.

Josh Sweat is also present and accounted for after the pass rusher, like Brissett, opted out of voluntary OTAs. Brissett was rumored to be planning to attend camp, in part to avoid any fines that would come with staying away, but how much he participates in drills will be worth keeping an eye on. Brissett continues to hold out hope for a pay bump after earning the QB1 job with his 2025 performance. His 2026 base salary of $4.88 million puts him in range with most backups across the league.