NFL Player News

Lewis suffered a UCL injury in Week 3 and missed Week 4. A return to practice this early in the week suggests he’ll be back after missing just one game. Andy Dalton came back to Earth last week, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception in a losing effort versus Cincinnati. Getting Lewis back in the lineup would help protect Dalton in his third start this season. The Panthers also got defensive tackle Shy Tuttle back at practice on Wednesday.

This comes from a post that Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud wrote after having a chance to watch the series. In addition to the knee injuries, Stroud notes that Mayfield also had a “bad biceps contusion” that affected his velocity, in addition to the left shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12 against the Rams. Hopefully a healthy offseason and a chance to fully rehab these injuries will go a long way in Mayfield having a bounce back season after he was visibly struggling during various points of last season. The 31-year-old QB is entering the final year of his deal with the Buccaneers, and while he has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension, recent reports suggest he and the Bucs are nowhere near an agreement on a new contract.

McDuffie signed a two-year contract last offseason and was set to enter a contract year this season. Now, the 26-year-old linebacker will be with the team through 2027 after turning in a productive 2025 campaign in which he totaled 92 tackles, three TFLs, and one sack while also notching one interception. McDuffie has emerged as a full-time starter for the Packers since 2024, starting in 29 of the 34 games he has appeared in. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported McDuffie can earn up to $8.8 million over the next two seasons on his current deal.

Williams suffered a torn ACL in Week 9 last season and was seen doing resistance bands workouts at the team’s facilities last month. The second-year pass rusher totaled 11 tackles, four TFLs, and one sack in his rookie season before going down, and is one of a handful of players the Niners are hoping to have back on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran pass rusher Nick Bosa (knee), who also suffered a torn ACL last season, is also working his way back to the field and said he is “pretty far along” in his recovery. If either player is unable to go by the start of camp, they will likely be added to the PUP list with a chance to be activated when they clear all medical and conditioning tests.

This isn’t the first time Popper has hyped up Kolar this offseason. In May, Popper said he saw Kolar as the team’s “TE1 because of his complete skill set.” As Popper points out in his most recent article at The Athletic, Kolar “has a ton of untapped potential as a pass catcher,” and spent the first four years of his career playing behind Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. Kolar has a career receiving line of 30-409-4, and has never caught more than 10 passes in a season. There’s no reason to rush to make him a part of your draft plans at this point, but Popper’s belief that Kolar is primed to surpass his career-best single season numbers is worth keeping in mind once training camp begins.

Taylor last played with the 49ers during the 2024 season, ending his career with 88 receptions for 845 yards and three touchdowns. He initially spent three seasons in San Francisco before playing two for the Bengals and one for the Bears, finishing his career back where it started. A longtime role player, Taylor made only three starts at the professional level. He announced his retirement on his wife’s instagram account, accompanied by a picture of the two with former teammate George Kittle and his wife, whom Taylor entered the league with in 2017.

It’s not really a stretch when you consider Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are the two other receivers behind Drake London that are competing for real time on the Falcons. Branch isn’t exactly a lock to be fantasy-relevant as a rookie, but if he shows more than expected, the door is wide open for him in Atlanta.

“Realistically, he can surpass his receptions total from his rookie year and perhaps close in on the league record of most receptions in a single season by a tight end, set by the Arizona Cardinals’ Trey McBride (126) last season. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s record 1,416 receiving yards in 2020 is a daunting mark to top but not impossible for Bowers,” McFadden continues. The Raiders receiving corps is completely unsettled at this point — Jalen Nailor and Tre Tucker are here — and someone has to catch the ball in Vegas. Everyone got burned by Bowers last year so you probably won’t have to pay 2025’s prices, but you could very well net 2024’s results under new playcaller Klint Kubiak. Bowers is currently going off the board as the overall TE1, but he’s close to an ADP of 20 on most sites.

Giddens was supposed to provide some relief to Jonathan Taylor last year, but “that plan was mostly shelved” as the Colts apparently didn’t love what they saw. Giddens and sixth-rounder Seth McGowan figure to battle for the main backup job behind Taylor, but neither is a priority backup to target late in drafts as they’d likely form a committee.

“If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better,” Smith continued. We’re not that concerned about this from a fantasy perspective because the Colts haven’t exactly invested in finding that player. “Obviously, he’s a hell of a player,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It’s hard to take him off the field when he’s running so good.” Taylor should remain in the RB1 conversation this year, though it’s going to be harder to believe in him posting his early-season numbers if Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury limits him.

Oladejo had a lost 2025 rookie season, failing to generate a sack, and the hamstring injury likely sets him up as a reserve in 2026 under a new coaching staff. The 52nd overall pick in the 2025 draft will try to change the narrative in training camp.