NFL Player News

A former sixth-round pick of the 2021 Bengals draft class, Evans missed all of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Pelissero reports Evans is “full-go now,” as the former Michigan man looks to earn a chance to compete for a 53-man roster spot this offseason. Evans has seen light work as a pro, rushing just 19 times for 89 scoreless yards in his career while adding another 19 catches for 188 yards and three scores. He also has experience as a kick returner (14 career kick returns), which could increase his chances at earning a longer look.

Bateman was a late addition to the injury report last week. He was added to the report on Thursday and then downgraded to a DNP on Friday before being listed as questionable. Bateman was ultimately among the team’s inactives ahead of kickoff. A return to practice today is a step in the right direction, but fantasy managers will get more clarity later in the week. Either way, Bateman is not a particularly appealing fantasy option to close out the year.

Darrisaw has been in and out of the lineup because of the knee issue this year. With the Vikings officially eliminated from the playoff hunt, he may have played his last snap of the season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said both Justin Skule and Blake Brandel will get reps at left tackle in practice.

Metellus will undergo surgery on his shoulder, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. He has been playing through the injury as of late, but there isn’t much point in that anymore with the Vikings out of the playoff hunt. His season ends with six pass breakups, two interceptions, and 5 sacks.

Head coach Matt LaFleur praised Jacobs’ toughness yesterday as he continues to battle through injuries to close out the regular season. Jacobs has been dealing with the knee issue for a while, though the ankle issue appears to be new. He played through the knee injury last week after logging a lone limited practice on Friday. Jacobs is likely headed for a similar practice routine this week. Fantasy managers may want to keep Emanuel Wilson on their bench in case Jacobs doesn’t play this week, which remains a possibility.

The Chiefs said Mahomes, who went down in Week 15’s loss to the Chargers, underwent surgery on Monday to repair the LCL part of his ACL/LCL ligament and immediately started his rehab. Mahomes has a shot to be under center for Kansas City to start the 2026 season, though it will be a close call considering he suffered the ACL injury in mid-December. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has said “it will be a surprise” if Mahomes is not ready for Week 1 in 2026.

Harrison, who sat out in Week 15 with the heel issue, could make yet another return to the Arizona lineup in time for a good matchup against a burnable Atlanta secondary dealing with myriad injuries going into Week 16. Harrison, who has 40 receptions over ten games this season, would profile as a WR3 play if he suits up and plays a full complement of snaps against the Falcons. The dominant Michael Wilson would go from a locked-in WR1 to an iffy WR3/4 with MHJ back in the lineup.

Three days after Watson was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation of an upper body injury he sustained against the Broncos, he’ll practice in a limited capacity. “He’s improving. We’ll just see how he’s feeling out there,” LaFleur said. It’s a good sign for his Week 16 availability against the Bears. Watson has emerged as Green Bay’s WR1 over the past month, seeing 20 percent of the team’s targets for 35 percent of the air yards over that stretch. If Watson is sidelined in Week 16, Matthew Golden would have some intrigue as a volatile WR4 option.

It’s a positive sign for London’s Week 16 availability against the Cardinals, though head coach Raheem Morris cautioned against assuming London will play Sunday. “Looking forward to seeing how much he’ll be able to give us this week,” Morris told reporters Wednesday. London has bee sidelined with a knee injury since the middle of November. The Falcons, eliminated from postseason contention, don’t have much reason to rush back (or play) their star receiver in the season’s final weeks. If London suits up in Week 16, he will be an elite option against an Arizona secondary that has been shredded of late. London’s return would put something of a damper on Kyle Pitts’ emergence and would make David Sills V unplayable in most formats.

The Dolphins are moving on from entrenched veterans with their season officially over following Monday night’s blowout loss to the Steelers. The team benched QB Tua Tagovailoa on Wednesday shortly after releasing Judon, who a ten-year veteran pass rusher who has just 9.5 sacks over the past three seasons combined. In Judon’s 13 appearances with the Dolphins, Judon racked up 19 combined tackles, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. He did not have a sack over those 13 games. Judon will almost certainly sign with a contending team in need of a rotational pass rusher.

The move comes after the Dolphins’ crushing defeat against the Steelers on Monday night. Tagovailoa’s struggles have persisted for the better part of two seasons, and this year he ranks 27th out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks in adjusted yards per attempt, 14th in drop back success rate, and 26th in EPA per drop back. Since losing Tyreek Hill to a season-ending leg injury in September, Tua is one of the least efficient QBs in the league. His contract with Miami doesn’t have a potential out until 2027, meaning the team might have no choice but to pay him $56.4 million in 2026 even if he’s not the starter. There won’t be many teams inquiring about Tua’s services after he was thoroughly exposed in the absence of the game-breaking Hill.