NFL Player News

Johnson had been vocal about his unhappiness in the Steelers offense, and now he reportedly heads to the Panthers to catch passes from Bryce Young. He is due a $3 million roster bonus on Friday that the Panthers will now pay, in addition to taking on his contract, which will expire at the end of the 2024 season. Johnson posted 51 receptions for 717 yards in 2023, operating as one of the best receivers in terms of separation in the league. His production dipped to a career-low 10.3 YPR in 2022 with zero touchdowns after a 100-catch, 1000-yard season in 2021. He continued to face competition from George Pickens while seeing lackluster quarterback play in 2023. Johnson will be the top receiving option in Carolina, though his fantasy viability will still be capped to WR2 status while Young and the new Panthers staff develop the offense. The Steelers also send a seventh-round pick to the Panthers and receive CB Dontae Jackson and a sixth-round pick in return.

Greenlaw was suspended after he was ejected for headbutting Seahawks LB Ernest Jones during a sideline scuffle in the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Seahawks. He appealed the suspension, but it has been upheld by hearing officer James Thrash. Greenlaw will miss Week 6 and is in line to return against the Falcons in Week 7.

Garrett went on injured reserve after Week 1 and is therefore eligible to have his 21-day practice window for activation off IR opened this week. However, McVay said the 30-year-old pass-rusher won’t have his window opened, indicating Garrett is not ready to practice yet and it will still be some time before we see him back on the field. His initial timeline after undergoing a knee scope was roughly six weeks. It’s been four weeks so far, but Garrett could still hit the six-week return timeline if his practice window is opened next week.

With Trey Lance hitting injured reserve, the Chargers worked out multiple quarterbacks Tuesday, eventually signing Browning. A former backup to Joe Burrow, Browning lost the Buccaneers’ backup job to Jalon Daniels this offseason. He now joins a Chargers team keen on adding some depth behind Justin Herbert with Lance out and DJ Uiagalelei on the 53-man roster.

Moss was ruled out of Week 5 against the Chargers but has a chance to play Week 6 against the Seahawks with back-to-back limited practice listings. Meanwhile, S Talanoa Hufanga (ankle) was a DNP for the second straight day. With Patrick Surtain (ankle) still out in the short term, the Broncos’ banged-up secondary may have a tough time against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and company on Thursday.

Smith-Schuster is touring wide receiver-needy teams, working out with the Chargers Monday after visiting the Vikings on Monday. Several other names also worked out for the Chargers, including former 49ers WR Ronnie Bell and quarterbacks Kyle Trask and Jake Browning. With Trey Lance on injured reserve and several Chargers receivers dealing with injuries, the Chargers are looking for reinforcements.

Smith-Njigba gets a second-straight “limited” practice designation. The Seahawks have technically not practiced yet this week but it is notably the 24-year-old receiver gets back-to-back limited designations. With a Thursday matchup against the Broncos on the horizon for Week 6, the Seahawks are leaving the door open for Smith-Njigba to play; he battled the ankle injury in Week 5 and the short week makes this a tougher evaluation. For now, we still expect Smith-Njigba to play against the Broncos on Thursday.

Pitre suffered a left shoulder injury in Week 5, now revealed to be an AC joint sprain. The good news is he won’t require surgery or go on injured reserve, but the 27-year-old is considered “week-to-week.” Given the designation, Pitre seems unlikely to play Week 6 against the Jaguars.

It appears that Kellen Moore and GM Mickey Loomis are on the hot seat after a surprisingly bad start and a no-show on the 20th anniversary of the return to the dome. We’d be a little surprised if Moore were fired in only the second year of his tenure, without even being given a chance to pick his own franchise quarterback. But most ownership groups would not say something like this out loud, so it’s worth noting.

Turner tore his ACL last October. He’ll likely work in a rotational role for the Bears early. The 23-year-old second-rounder will try to make up for lost time after spending all of camp and the first month of the season on the shelf.

Jackson, notably, was not suspended before the season despite his domestic violence charge. We’ll likely see an appeal here. David Quessenberry would likely be the next man up for the Rams at tackle.