NFL Player News

One loss away from clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders seem ready to head into a full rebuild this offseason. Last offseason’s plan to bring in Carroll along with former Seahawks QB Geno Smith failed spectacularly. Carroll was brought in as a stabilizer after Antonio Pierce was fired after just one season, but the Raiders were arguably even more in disarray this year and it’s likely the 74-year-old coach will suffer the same fate. While the decision on Carroll will be made by Mark Davis, expect Raiders minority owner Tom Brady to have input on the next coach once the job presumably becomes available.

The magic of the previous two games quickly evaporated for the diminutive slot receiver as Hunter Henry and Rhamondre Stevenson stepped into the primary security blanket role for Drake Maye, the latter of whom faced consistent pressure from the aggressive Dennis Allen Bears defense. Starting Douglas on a weekly basis is akin to reaching your hand into a brown paper bag found on the side of the road. It feels exhilarating at the time but you never know what you’re going to get.

Brown has not yet clicked with his new team after going down with injury in Week 1 and spending the subsequent four games on injured reserve. He committed yet another drop against the Bears after three drops the week prior, this time on what would have been a long gain down the left sideline. Brown’s burst off the line and at the top of routes appears to remain hampered, something the both the Patriots and Brown’s fantasy managers hope will remedy in short order. You can’t really sit Brown at this point, but fantasy managers have to be growing impatient of their first or second-round selection. Brown remains a teeth-gritting start ahead of a Week 8 matchup with the Dolphins.

Henry operated as the clear safety blanket for quarterback Drake Maye, the latter of whom was under constant duress in the face of unrelenting pressure from Dennis Allen’s Bears defense. The team was largely unable to move the football on the ground and fell into an early hole, leading to Josh McDaniels utilizing the short passing game as an extension of the run. That’s where Henry made his presence felt, although it was rookie right end Eli Raridon that caught the touchdown at the position. Week 7 goes down as the first game with more than a modest five targets for the veteran tight end, who has quickly become a difficult weekly start in a more crowded New England pass offense. Fantasy managers might want to consider alternatives when the Patriots face the downtrodden Dolphins in Week 8.

Henderson continues to play second, or third, fiddle behind Rhamondre Stevenson when the Patriots are forced into “gotta have it” mode, with Stevenson the back most trusted in key situations. The Patriots feel into an early hole and were playing catch-up throughout against the Bears, something that could help to explain the lowly opportunity total for the back widely considered the more explosive of the two. Furthermore, the team continued to rotate Corey Kiner through the opportunity pecking order, placing another sizable dent in the weekly floor of Henderson. Although he could find more opportunities in a softer matchup in Week 8, he’ll be a difficult click to insert into fantasy lineups against the Dolphins.

Stevenson scored one of the more improbable touchdowns you will see late in the second quarter. After taking possession with just 14 second remaining on the clock, Drake Maye completed an 18-yard pass to A.J. Brown to place the ball near midfield with three seconds remaining before the half. Instead of heaving the ball deep on a Hail Mary, Maye dumped the ball off to Stevenson in the flat with blockers out front. Stevenson would do the rest on his way to a 48-yard score as time expired in the second frame on a score that never really should have happened. The six carries go down as a season-low for the veteran back, although 11 opportunities handily led the team. Stevenson has not seen more than 14 carries since Week 1 and is not finding paint frequently enough to remain a consistent RB2, making him a shaky weekly start moving forward. That holds true ahead of a Week 8 meeting with the Dolphins.

Maye and the Patriots struggled to tame an unrelenting Chicago pass rush and were unable to move the football on the ground effectively, two cariables that led to an early deficit against the Bears. Their first half possessions went turnover on downs, three-and-out, three-and-out, touchdown, interception before a wild series to end the second quarter. Caleb Williams led a touchdown drive that left only 14 seconds on the clock. After an 18-yard completion to A.J. Brown, just three seconds remained with the ball near midfield. That’s when Maye dumped the ball off to Rhamondre Stevenson in the flat underneath deep prevent coverage, and Stevenson did the rest on a touchdown that never should have happened to bring the game to a one-possession game. Maye’s other touchdown toss was a beautiful bread-basket throw to rookie tight end Eli Raridon up the seam, adding a score on a grit-play rushing touchdown early in the second quarter. It goes down as Maye’s fourth consecutive QB1 fantasy performance after starting the season leading the league in turnovers through three weeks. The 4-3 Patriots get a mini-bye ahead of a divisional meeting against the Dolphins in Week 8, where Maye will remain an upside QB1.

Kmet was sandwiched by two defenders on a hit in the fourth quarter and remained down on the field. He immediately grabbed at his knee as he remained on the turf. The cart was summoned and he was taken to the locker room, giving a thumbs up to the crowd as he went. Fantasy managers in deep leagues will want to track his status in the coming days, but it did not look good. Kmet managed to catch all three targets for 28 yards prior to departing.

Correcting a previous item, Schultz ended up practicing today. He was limited, as was Brevin Jordan (foot), who evidently picked up a new injury. Schultz’s return gives him a chance to face the Giants this week. Ideally, he will upgrade to full participation tomorrow, though it is possible he gets hit with the questionable tag if he remains limited.

Beck appeared on the injury report last Friday, as a limited participant. He remained limited on Wednesday and was downgraded today. Beat reporters saw him at practice briefly, but he ended up going inside with a trainer. This could help preserve Jacoby Brissett’s job security. Stay tuned.

Shaheed will be good to go for the Seahawks’ Week 7 game against the Chiefs, barring a setback. Unfortunately, his terribly volatile performances keep him in the boom-bust FLEX tier despite four teams being on bye. For what it’s worth, this could be a fantasy-friendly game environment.