NFL Player News

Jackson left the Bills last offseason when he signed a two-year contract with the Panthers. He was released after only one season in Carolina, and now returns to the Bills on a one-year deal. The 28-year-old corner struggled mightily in pass coverage last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of 36.4 while allowing opposing receivers to go for 19-204-3 against him on just 27 targets. Jackson is unlikely to be tasked with a starting role in 2025, but returning to a familiar defensive system could bode well for both sides here.

The knee issue was new for Dowdle and limited him to three partial practices this week. He was listed as questionable for Week 7 on Friday. Dowdle will once again form the 1B portion of Pittsburgh’s backfield committee. He’s a low-end RB3 versus the Saints.

Rapoport added that Hall might work out to see if he can go, but it’s “a bit early” for him to return. That means he won’t be playing this week. Hall returned to practice on Wednesday but never got in a full session. The team will give him another week to ramp up. He should be back for Week 8 versus the Raiders. Braelon Allen will draw the start again this week, putting him near the top of the RB2 ranks versus Miami.

The Giants pivoted to “NINE” after he lit up the Saints for 243 yards in the fourth quarter of Week 6. Having already spent some draft capital to acquire McCarthy, the team is going to give him an extended tryout as the starter. If he does well, the Giants will likely hang on to him as Jaxson Dart’s backup next year. They could also trade him in the offseason if he plays well to garner interest from other teams.

Skattebo was benched for his fumbling issues last week. He did not touch the ball once, while Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary all got a few opportunities. The team then cut Harris a few days after Sunday’s loss. After a week in the doghouse, Skattebo appears to be back as the team’s top runner, though we still expect a committee approach from John Harbaugh. Rapoport even said that it’s unclear who will draw the start, so we aren’t sold on Skattebo as a safe fantasy option this week. At best, he’s a high-risk RB3.

According to Rapoport, Simmons was sitting with his feet up during a meeting and Reid told him to put his feet down. Simmons then “pushed back” by saying he had to sit that way because of his back injury. Reid then sent him to get treatment from the training staff. Even Patrick Mahomes chimed in and told Simmons to leave. Simmons was placed on injured reserve the next day. The former first-round pick appeared in just eight games as a rookie and hasn’t taken the field yet this year. Now he’s becoming a problem in the locker room on top of his never-ending health issues. We wouldn’t expect to see him play in a Chiefs uniform again anytime soon.

The team also activated center Cade Mays from the reserve/injured list. Week 7 will be the first game of the year for both players. Branch tore his Achilles in Week 14 last year and has been out ever since. Currently in last place in the NFC North, the Lions desperately needed this infusion of talent to get their season back on track.

Echols and Skowronek are the only players on Pittsburgh’s active roster who will miss today’s game because of injuries, though they have several key players on IR. Both players have more snaps on special teams than offense or defense this year.

The 49ers would normally have Kirk on a pitch count for his first game of the year. With their top four receivers unavailable for today’s game, Kirk may be thrust into a full-time role right away. He will be in the mix for WR1 duties in San Francisco alongside Brandin Cooks and Jordan Watkins. Kirk is a long-shot FLEX option for his first game as a 49er.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the deal includes $23 million in total guarantees. Collins has heated up recently with 3.5 sacks over his past three games. He is coming off a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2025 and now has a chance to top that number this year. Collins’ new deal keeps him under contract with the Browns through 2028.

Ruiz and Shepard were the only Saints listed as questionable for Week 7. Jeremiah Wright will take his spot at right guard.