NFL Player News

The Packers’ vaunted defense will have its new star pass rusher on the field. Unfortunately, the Packers declared CB Bo Melton, S Zayne Anderson, RT Zach Tom (oblique), LG Aaron Banks (ankle/groin), TE Ben Sims and DL Warren Brinson inactive. Losing both Tom and Banks hurts Jordan Love’s protection. It would be unsurprising to see the Packers dial up quick-hitting pass plays to help reduce pressure from Washington’s pass rush. On the plus side, Packers CB Nate Hobbs (knee) is active.

This is good news. Shakir has been sidelined for multiple weeks, rehabbing an undisclosed injury. His return today puts him on track to play in Week 1 against the Texans’ top-tier defense. Whether Shakir can be a reliable FLEX with WR DJ Moore now in Buffalo and TE Dalton Kincaid reportedly set to take on a larger role remains to be seen. Getting back on the field is the first step, though.

Jags GM James Gladstone said last week that the team was open to an in-season extension with Washington, who is set to hit free agency next offseaosn. Both sides want to get a deal done, but they are clearly still at odds over the details of the contract. Even if it takes longer than expected, it does look like Washington will sign an extension before he gets to test the waters of free agency. Coming off an outstanding training camp, Washington should be treated as a fantasy WR2 for the Jags’ Week 1 date with the Browns.

We expect this to be a limited session for the Raiders’ second-year running back. Jeanty has been sidelined since injuring his ankle on August 23rd. Returning for the week’s first official practice puts him on track to play, though the coaching staff could ease him into action in Week 1 against the Dolphins by giving rookie RB Mike Washington a little extra work this week. Hopefully, Jeanty is practicing fully by Friday, if not sooner.

Meyers missed some time late in camp with a thumb injury. He wore a brace on his right hand late in training camp, causing some concern that the issue was more serious than initially expected. The brace was likely a precaution, as Meyers returned to practice a week ago. He will be in the FLEX mix versus the Browns this week.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said earlier this week that Tucker will be a game-time decision for Week 1 against the Bengals. His continued absence from practice is discouraging, but it bodes well for RB Bucky Irving and RB Kenneth Gainwell. Tucker is not expected to be a high-volume offensive contributor at this point, but adding even a couple of touches to each player’s workload is helpful

Van Lanen suffered a serious knee injury in Week 18 last year and missed most of the offseason program. He practiced on Wednesday, though the team is still going to use the rest of the week to figure out if he’s ready for Week 1. Walker Little would likely take his spot in the lineup if he can’t go.

Rosenhaus gushed about Hill’s recovery and how he looks right now. He also mentioned that multiple teams asked him when Hill would be available to sign. We’ll take these with a few grains of salt, given Rosenhaus’s financial ties to his client. Hill is still working his way back from the catastrophic knee injury he suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 season. Fantasy managers can leave Hill on the waiver wire for now.

Wright was a UDFA this year. He signed with the Eagles, was cut, then joined the Browns. After Cleveland released him, Wright intended to rejoin LSU, becoming the first NFL player to return to college football. The SEC then passed a rule banning NFL players from returning. The NFL followed that up with a memo banning players who return to college football from signing in the NFL once again in the same year. As Schefter notes, Wright never officially signed with LSU, so he may be eligible to stay in the NFL after all. Wright is unfortunately caught in the middle of a legal nightmare brought on by the NCAA. It will likely prevent him from playing football anytime soon.

Higgins has been dealing with a heel contusion recently, but the issue never seemed serious. He has still been able to practice in a limited capacity over the past week. He may ultimately be limited on the team’s first injury report of the season, but there’s almost no chance Higgins misses Week 1 versus the Bucs. He will be a boom/bust WR2 barring a setback.

He said the same about Tee Higgins, who is dealing with a heel issue. Chase suffered a serious-looking knee injury late in camp, briefly giving Bengals fans and fantasy managers nightmares of him missing extended time. He was ultimately fine and should be good to go for Week 1, even if his participation in practice is limited. Per usual, Chase is in the WR1-overall mix versus the Bengals this week.