NFL Player News

Maye has received mixed reviews during his first training camp, with one reporter going so far as to say rookie sixth-rounder Joe Milton is outperforming the No. 3 overall pick. Veteran Jacoby Brissett remains entrenched as the Patriots’ starter for the time being and is expected to start Week 1 against the Bengals, barring an unexpected turn of events. With that said, it sounds like Mayo plans to get Maye involved with the first team at some point in camp and possibly even the preseason. Maye isn’t the first high-draft pick to struggle in camp, and he was never expected to break camp as the starter. We’ll see where the dust settles on this in a few weeks, but it doesn’t sound like the Patriots are eager to shoehorn him into an uncomfortable position early in his career.

Parsons is recovering from a torn ACL. He plans to be back on the field as early as September. The 26-year-old EDGE told reporters Week 1 is his optimistic target return date, while Week 3 is the more realistic target return date. Either way, Parsons doesn’t anticipate beginning next season on injured reserve, which is a significant development for the Packers.

Gonzalez suffered a concussion in the second half of the Patriots Wild Card game victory over the Chargers on Sunday. The 23-year-old cornerback was having an excellent game with no catches allowed and two pass breakups on five targets in 27 coverage snaps. Gonzalez will have to clear concussion protocol sometime this week to be available for the Divisional matchup against the Texans or Steelers. It would be a big loss for the Patriots defense if his injury lingers.

Stafford is dealing with a sprain on his right index finger. The 37-year-old quarterback suffered the injury early in the win over the Panthers in the Wild Card round. He never came out of the game. The Rams will go as far in these playoffs as Stafford can take them. His finger injury doesn’t appear to be a serious impediment at this point.

The Packers have made it known through various reports in the last week that they intend to discuss a new contract with LaFleur after the season. The tenor of those potential discussions likely hasn’t changed much, despite outside noise after the Packers lost in all-too-familiar fashion in the playoffs once again. Green Bay doesn’t want LaFleur, who has one year left on his contract, to enter next season as a lame-duck. The Packers can somewhat afford to play hardball with LaFleur in contract negotiations now. The organization isn’t known for paying coaches top tier money and LaFleur may not be in position to ask for that anymore, despite a 76-41-1 record. Upgrading from LaFleur to someone like John Harbaugh would be even less cost-effective for the Packers. Teams around the league with head coaching vacancies are keeping tabs on LaFleur in case these negotiations fall apart as he’d be a top candidate if he were to become available.

Patterson operated as the Chargers’ No. 3 running back this season, rushing 41 times for 159 yards and one touchdown, and catching 3-of-4 targets for eight yards. He is a free agent this offseason. Patterson is unlikely to be a late-round fantasy target in 2026, but he could fill in as a rotational player for a team hit hard by injuries.

Vidal functioned as the Chargers’ clear-cut lead back against the Patriots this evening. The compact back proved his value this season, playing effectively as a featured starter with Omarion Hampton sidelined by ankle injuries for much of the year. Vidal rushed 155 times for 643 yards and three touchdowns, and caught 16-of-20 targets for 136 yards and one touchdown. It is unclear whether he will offer standalone FLEX value in 2026, but he has proven himself as a high-upside bench stash option moving forward. He banked four weekly RB1 finishes this season.

Hampton was evidently just an emergency option for the Chargers this evening. The big-bodied back, drafted 22nd overall by the Chargers, dealt with injuries in both ankles this season. He was sidelined in Weeks 6-13 after fracturing his left ankle in Week 5. He then injured his right ankle late in the season, though it is unclear when exactly it happened. The Chargers rested key starters in Week 18, Hampton among them. He rushed 124 times for 545 yards and four touchdowns, and caught 32-of-34 targets for 192 yards and one touchdown. Hampton warrants low-end RB1 treatment entering 2026, but his inability to stay on the field in his rookie season is a bit concerning.

A hamstring injury suffered in Week 18 kept the situational deep threat sidelined against the Patriots. He caught 5-of-12 targets for 51 yards and one touchdown in his rookie season. Lambert-Smith will get the chance to earn a spot on the game-day roster this offseason.

Dissly caught 11-of-15 targets for 97 yards this season. The veteran tight end has one year remaining on his contract, but the team can save $4 million by releasing him while taking only a $1.5 million hit in dead money.

Gadsden was unable to deliver a high-end performance against the Patriots, but he continued to show off his ability to get open on in-breaking routes. The talent should serve him well in his second NFL season next year. The fifth-round rookie caught 49-of-68 targets for 664 yards and three touchdowns this season, far surpassing expectations given his draft capital. A knee injury suffered by veteran TE Tyler Conklin allowed Gadsden to remain active on game day in Week 3. He seized the opportunity, catching 5-of-6 targets for 46 yards in his first NFL game. Gadsden finished as the half-PPR TE16 this year as the Chargers spread the ball around down the stretch. Gadsden has a wide range of outcomes in 2026, but will probably be drafted as a low-end TE1 due to his upside.