NFL Player News

Johnston will make a fully-guaranteed $18 million in 2027. It’s probably a bit rich given his production so far, but not a drastic overpay. GM Joe Hortiz shot down trade rumors about Johnston ahead of the draft and this transaction clearly signals some confidence in him developing further under new OC Mike McDaniel. With very little new in the wideout room, Johnston could be on the WR3/WR4 radar in fantasy in 2026.

It looks like the Packers are ready to ease Kraft back into competition following the serious knee injury that ended his 2025 season. Kraft said recently that the team would “probably” keep him on a snap count to begin the regular season. That would make Kraft — one of the game’s most efficient tight ends — a dicy bet for fantasy purposes. Kraft might not be playable for the first month of the regular season, or even longer depending on his progress and the Packers’ strategies for keeping him healthy.

Smith reportedly suffered a serious lower body injury during a joint practice with the Panthers. His loss would be significant for the Texans after Smith this offseason signed a two-year deal worth $20 million with Houston. The Texans last season had one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines, ranking 30th in pass blocking win rate and 32nd in run blocking win rate.

Schefter said Bain, the 15th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, should be ready to go for Week 1 against the Bengals. Bain has wowed Bucs coaches and beat writers throughout the summer with his work ethic and intensity and should be a key part of a Tampa defense that struggled through parts of the 2025 season, allowing the league’s 11th highest offensive success rate. The Bucs ranked last in QB pressure rate last season. That should change with Bain in the lineup.

It’s a devastating blow both for Austin and the Giants offense. Austin, who had impressed throughout training camp, was “going to play a significant role” in the New York offense, per Raanan, operating as the team’s primary slot receiver. He suffered the knee injury on Tuesday. Austin had 84 receptions for 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns over three seasons with the Steelers before signing a one-year deal with New York this offseason. Malachai Fields could see a bigger role with Austin done for the year. Austin’s absence could also create an opportunity for Odell Beckham, Jr. if he makes the team.

Delp is dealing with a hamstring injury, missing the Saints’ practice on Tuesday. With Jordan Tyson (hamstring) slated to miss at least the next couple months, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche and Garafolo believe the Saints will lean on their tight ends. The rookie Delp is behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant on the depth chart. Based on Garafolo’s report, he won’t miss too much time with his hamstring strain; he has upside as a Dynasty stash but Juwan Johnson should be the top tight end as a low-end fantasy TE1 heading into the 2026 season.

The Chiefs add interior offensive line depth in Ezeudu, who was on the roster bubble for the Giants offensive line. The 26-year-old was a third-round pick of the Giants in 2022 and appeared in 33 games over the course of his New York tenure. He becomes guard depth for the Chiefs as roster cut-down day nears.

Gonzalez and the Pats have continued negotiations on a top-of-the-market extension for the 24-year-old cornerback, but are not yet close to an agreement. Fellow corner Devon Witherspoon signed his deal earlier in August but Gonzalez has still yet to sign a similar or slightly larger deal. He said, “it’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season.” A deal can still come before the Patriots play in Week 1 but it’s clear Gonzalez is disappointed in negotiations despite not holding out.

Stowers missed his second straight practice Tuesday as he deals with a hamstring issue. There is no indication this is a major injury yet, but something to keep an eye on as the Eagles prepare for preseason Week 3. The rookie second-round pick has struggled in camp and comes into the NFL as a raw tight end prospect. Don’t expect the Eagles’ tight end rotation to change drastically should Stowers miss time in the 2026 regular season.

Checking in on the star pass-rusher heading into the third preseason week, Garrett (knee) still has not practiced since early August. He is experiencing swelling in his knee and head coach Sean McVay continues to downplay his absence. It’s possible this is just veteran load management; we still expect Garrett to be ready for Week 1, though his absence is becoming more and more notable as the season inches closer.

The Vikings spent a lot of energy having a pretend quarterback competition between McCarthy and Kyler Murray this offseason, but at least it kept them fresh for this second pretend competition where McCarthy will push Wentz for second-team duties. McCarthy is an obvious trade candidate and it would be surprising if he was higher than the third-team quarterback to open the season in Minnesota. One of these quarterbacks is more reliable than the other and somehow that quarterback is Carson Wentz.