NFL Player News

Playing through an ankle injury of late, Kittle planted with extreme force in the second quarter and suffered what appeared to be a ruptured Achilles tendon. We, obviously, are not doctors, but these have become sadly easy to spot. Even were the worst-case scenario somehow avoided, Kittle is obviously done for the day and almost certainly for any potential 49ers Super Bowl run. The question then quickly becomes if the 32-year-old can be ready by next Week 1. At this stage of the offseason, it is not terribly likely, even though Achilles timelines have condensed in recent seasons. Jake Tonges is the next man up on Sunday and for however long San Francisco can stay alive.

Henderson had 38 yards on five touches before suffering the ankle injury on a sideline tackle in the second quarter. He needed help getting to the locker room and did not return to action. Henderson, who has dealt with a string of injuries over the past few months, could miss significant time, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson as the Patriots’ unquestioned workhorse back for now.

Hurts added a grand total of two yards on the ground. The Eagles even seemed afraid to use him for tush pushes, opting for a shotgun handoff on an early fourth-and-one. The bulk of Hurts’ production through the air came on a single deep shot to Darius Cooper. Hurts’ pass was actually a bit off the mark, but Cooper adjusted well and sprinted into the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown. Hurts had Dontayvion Wicks wide open for his second long score of the day late in the third quarter, but an all-out blitz forced him to throw off his back foot and he overshot the attempt. A field goal with eight seconds left on the clock still should have been enough to win the game. Philly’s kick coverage unit then got burned by Ameer Abdullah, setting up a walk-off kick from Cam Little. The Philly offense is as lifeless as they come. Even if DeVonta Smith returns for Week 6 versus the Panthers, Hurts will fail to crack the top-12 at quarterback for the first time in years.

Brown sustained a high ankle sprain in the season opener against Seattle and has rehabbed over the past month. Patriots OC Josh McDaniels told Collins he doesn’t anticipate any delay in Brown’s return to the lineup. The team believes Brown will be ready to go in Week 6. He’ll re-enter a Patriots offense that has found its footing in recent weeks following a rough start to the year. His return would be a nice bump for Drake Maye, one of the league’s best downfield passers.

Life continues to be rough for fantasy managers rostering Harrison. The soon-to-be ex-Cardinal will not participate in what should be a fantasy-friendly game against the porous Lions defense. Bummer. Still no definitive word on where he will end up next week. Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Kendrick Bourne benefit from his absence. The Cardinals will be without Wingard, one of two starting safeties, but will have DT Walter Nolen (calf) available to them.

It was reported earlier on Sunday that Kittle was dealing with an illness, but that he was still expecting to play. Kittle was not listed with the 49ers’ inactives when the team announced them 90 minutes before kickoff, meaning he is good to go and can be treated as a TE1 as usual.

Wilson had just one target in the first half. He pinned the reception to his hip, but the ball was ripped loose by a defender, which not only made the pass incomplete but also seemed to dislocate Wilson’s finger. With Michael Pittman Jr. also hurt, we should continue to see a lot of Germie Bernard in Week 5.

Williams entered the weekend as questionable after being limited in practice all week. Now, the Niners DT will officially be active for a pivotal NFC West showdown against the 3-1 Seahawks. While Williams is active, the Niners did declare DL James Thompson Jr., LB Tatum Bethune, DL Nick Bosa, OL Enrique Cruz Jr., QB Kurtis Rourke, FB Kyle Juszczyk, and S Marques Sigle inactive for Week 5.

Slowed by a foot injury, Bartch, one of the Lions’ better backup offensive linemen, will be unavailable today. Fortunately, the Lions’ offensive line health is improving and stud C Cade Mays (wrist) could return in a week or two. The Lions will also be without Ya-Sin, one of two starting perimeter cornerbacks and S Brian Branch (Achilles) is not yet ready to resume playing. This should be a high-scoring game environment, though DL Tyleik Williams (foot) is active.l

Goedert returned to the lineup after missing three games with a knee injury. Already without Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, Goedert was immediately thrust into a high-usage role. He led the team in targets and catches, though much of his looks were simply check-downs. Even if that’s his role going forward, Goedert should catch enough passes to sustain borderline TE1 numbers until DeVonta Smith returns. He gets a date with the Panthers in Week 6.

Holani is good to go for Sunday’s game after entering the weekend as questionable. Holani rushed seven times for 18 scoreless yards last week and shouldn’t be relied on in any fantasy format this week. While Holani is active, the Seahawks declared QB Jalen Milroe, RB Robert Henry Jr., LB Chazz Surratt, WR Montorie Foster Jr., and TE Nick Kallerup inactive for Week 5.