NFL Player News

Howard is set to compete with veteran Mason Rudolph for backup duties to begin the season. Rudolph and Howard were splitting reps in the team’s offseason program last month. NFL Network reported in January that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy “likes Will Howard a lot” and sees potential in his offensive system. “I’m not saying the Steelers believe Will Howard will be the quarterback for ten years after Aaron Rodgers is gone,” Breer said. “But I do think Mike McCarthy sees a little something there and wanted to take a closer look.” Howard, going into his age-25 season, threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions during his final collegiate season at Ohio State in 2024. He ranked fourth among all CFB quarterbacks in adjusted yards per attempt that season.

Bryant was carted from Monday’s practice and is now set to miss significant time. The fifth-year safety suffered a hyperextended knee, a bone bruise, and a small fracture, per Schefter, but he is not expected to need surgery. Bryant signed a three-year, $40 million deal with the Bears this offseason and is expected to take over the position vacated by Kevin Byard. Bryant’s absence will cost him some games in the regular season and could put him on track to return some time between Week 3 and Week 5.

Head coach Aaron Glenn said after practice that Sadiq’s absence was due to maintenance after the rookie underwent offseason hernia surgery. We don’t know if the plan is to give Sadiq these rest days throughout camp or just in the early portion, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be alarmed by an occasional DNP. Barring any reports of a setback, Sadiq appears to be in good shape to be available for Week 1, and he’s expected to take on a significant role early on for Glenn and the new-look Jets.

This news comes after Worthy was carted from the field during Saturday’s practice. The third-year receiver is hoping to put last year’s disappointing season behind him when he caught just 42 passes for 432 yards and one touchdown while missing some time with a dislocated shoulder. Despite the early scare over the weekend, this recent injury doesn’t appear to be all too concerning.

Allen suffered a shin injury on Saturday after colliding with a teammate. What appeared to be a serious injury at first glance was later diagnosed as a bone bruise, and Allen was listed as day-to-day. The rookie fifth-rounder has made some impressive plays at camp early on and is looking like a solid depth player in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room.

Perhaps more notable is that Keim pointed out “other free agents don’t appear to be on their radar,” with Brandon Aiyuk presumably the “other” in this scenario. Diggs has long been linked to the Commanders as a potential fit, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last week that “Washington is intriguing” to Diggs, so there’s a good chance some mutual interest exists. The Commanders’ receiver room is headlined by Terry McLaurin, but behind him is an unproven group in Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and rookie Antonio Williams. It feels like only a matter of time before the Commanders eventually make a move to upgrade their receiving corps, and Diggs would provide a solid option opposite McLaurin after going for 85-1,013-4 with the Patriots last season.

The injuries continue to mount for the 49ers early in camp. Evans is reportedly dealing with a quad strain that we will hopefully learn more about later, and rookie De’Zhaun Stribling (hamstring) and Kaelon Black (adductor) are also missing Monday’s practice due to injuries. The recent string of injuries now makes for four receivers the Niners have seen go down in camp, with Christian Kirk (calf) and Ricky Pearsall (knee) both being injured last week. We will check back in when we receive updates on the status of these players.

The preseason officially gets underway on Thursday when the Panthers and Cardinals kick things off for the annual Hall of Fame game. Pickett, who is expected to earn the backup job behind Bryce Young, will draw the start and should see significant playing time, with rookie Haynes King being the only other quarterback on the team who is expected to play.

When asked what his absence is about, Gibbs offered a thoughtful “I don’t know” and said “only time will tell” about when we could first see him on the field. Despite Gibbs saying his absence isn’t contract-related, multiple reports have suggested it is the main reason he hasn’t taken the field in training camp. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Gibbs remained sidelined until he either received a new deal or at least made major progress in negotiating a new deal. Rapoport also said that talks between Gibbs and the Lions are “not as active” as the ones going on between the Falcons and Bijan Robinson, who is also holding in while awaiting a new deal. We will continue to monitor both situations until they are resolved, but it doesn’t sound like Gibbs is anywhere close to returning to the field at this time.

Asked if the big-bodied Gordon would function as a short-yardage banger in 2026, Hafley said he would rather see Gordon “compete” to be an “every-down back.” “I think he’s capable of doing it,” Hafley added. “Ollie has flashed and knows what he’s doing. He has great speed, he has great size, and he can catch the ball out of the backfield too.” Hafley also complimented Gordon’s pass blocking. Gordon is coming off a disastrous rookie campaign in which he totaled 199 yards and three touchdowns on 70 carries, good for 2.8 yards per rush. Gordon ranked 56th out of 65 qualifying backs in rushing success rate last year. He ranked 58th in missed tackles forced per rush. Gordon, an extremely productive college rusher, will compete with Jaylen Wright for RB2 duties behind De’Von Achane this month.

We are still waiting for more details on this one, but according to reporters who were at the field, Bryant could be seen grabbing at his left knee as he made his way off the field. The 27-year-old safety signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Bears this offseason after spending the previous four seasons with the Seahawks. Bryant totaled 66 tackles and four interceptions with the Seahawks last season and is expected to see a significant role for the defense this season. We will check back in when we learn more about Bryant’s injury.