NFL Player News

The Vikings square off with the Lions for the Conference title, with the winner securing the lone bye out of the NFC and the loser looking at a road playoff game in the Wildcard Round next weekend. The stakes could not be higher for each franchise, and the Vikings come into the contest relatively healthy considering it is the final game of the regular season.

Slater suffered a season-ending patellar tendon rupture in his left knee last year. He took a trip to the medical tent on Tuesday, and The Athletic’s Daniel Popper later reported that trainers were working on his left leg. He resumed practicing on Wednesday, though, and was seen participating in team drills on Thursday. He appears to be good to go.

Finley, a rookie, spent four seasons at Missouri Western State, mostly playing defensive tackle. He earned second- and third-team All-MIAA honors there while contributing as a fullback occasionally. The Giants are listing him as a fullback now. They correspondingly waived TE Tyler Moore.

We had hoped to see Waddle get in a limited session today, after coach Sean Payton downplayed Waddle’s injury on Wednesday. Evidently, he needed at least one day off. The Broncos practiced in pads for three days straight before going padless today. If Waddle has to miss a session, we suppose a padless walkthrough day is the ideal one to miss. Hopefully, we see him back in action in some capacity before long.

It sounds like Stribling will practice in some capacity today. The second-round rookie has been sidelined since Saturday, so logging a limited session is likely. The 49ers have been hit hard by injuries, particularly in the wide receiver room. The depth chart has not yet been established, but Stribling has a very real chance to carve out a starting role before the season begins.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the deal includes another million dollars in incentives. To’oTo’o moved into a starting role after his rookie season and has been a mainstay of Houston’s vaunted defense for the past two years. He totaled 95 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2025. To’oTo’o was set to enter the final year of his rookie contract this season, but the Texans got out ahead of that and now have him locked up for two more years.

Matt LaFleur said Chris Brooks, who is currently on the NFI list, injured himself while training but is expected to return sooner rather than later. With both the first and the third running back out of commission, MarShawn Lloyd is going to get plenty of reps with the first-team offense. Having missed the bulk of his first two seasons, that’s exactly what the young runner needed. Even if Jacobs isn’t sidelined for long, Lloyd could carve out a small standalone role in his absence. Jacobs is still facing legal troubles as well. If the league were to suspend him at any point this year, Lloyd would be the next man up.

Gibbs made a brief appearance at practice today. When Lions reporter Dave Birkett asked him if a deal was close, Gibbs gave a thumbs-up before heading into the indoor practice facility. The deal might not be officially signed yet, but it sounds like that should happen any day now. With the hold-in over and a contract in sight, Gibbs remains the 1.01 in early fantasy drafts.

If Mayfield is to be believed, the Bucs don’t want to pay him like a franchise passer. Mayfield told ESPN last week that he was offered a two-year deal worth less than $50 million per year by the Bucs. Coming off a down season, Licht apparently wasn’t willing to commit to his supposed franchise quarterback long-term. Now Mayfield will play out the final year of his current contract before becoming a free agent next offseason. If he plays well, expect the Bucs to use the franchise tag to prevent him from leaving.

Vea was looking for a new contract this offseason and the Bucs have not met his demands. In response, Vea requested a trade and is not currently participating in training camp. The team is calling it a back injury. We’re comfortable assuming it’s a bank issue. Vea can’t realistically hold out during the regular season, meaning he’s going to play football this year, one way or another. Whether that’s in Tampa and on his current contract remains to be seen.

New England addressed their offensive line issues in several ways over the offseason, but more depth can never hurt. Van Roten has started every game over the past three years, one in Vegas and two with the Giants. He did not miss a single offensive snap over his 34 games in New York. Even if he’s just a backup in New England, that type of consistency is invaluable.