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.

Spears got in one limited practice this week before being listed as questionable. Per Garafolo, the Titans want to see how Spears looks in warmups before making a decision. The Titans are playing at New York, where rain and winds are expected to be an issue. The field conditions could play a role in whether Spears suits up or not. If he doesn’t, rookie Nick Singleton would see a few extra touches.

Daniels dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow in Week 2. He suffered the same injury last year and it functionally ended his season. The good news for Commanders fans and fantasy managers is that he is not undergoing surgery and wasn’t placed on injured reserve. Still, Daniels will miss a few weeks and then runs the risk of re-injuring the elbow after returning. Marcus Mariota will start until Daniels is healthy. Mariota is one of the league’s best backups, so the fantasy outlook for Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin shouldn’t be too much worse while Daniels is out.

If you have ever thrown a football, get an agent and have them contact the New York Giants. McCarthy and Fields join a list that, per previous reports, already included Gardner Minshew, Mac Jones, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Schefter also named Brandon Allen, who was on the Giants’ roster during training camp, as an option. Jameis Winston will get the start in Week 3, but the journeyman passer looked downright awful in relief of Jaxson Dart last week. The team will be forced to make a move at quarterback if he struggles versus the Titans today. McCarthy would be a true Hail Mary for the G-Men, but he does have a strong tie to the Harbaugh brothers via his time at Michigan.

Bowers will still need to test out his knee during pre-game warmups, but all signs point to him making his 2026 debut later today. The team heavily limited his workload during practice this week and could do so in his first game back from the late offseason meniscus trim. Still, if Bowers is active, fantasy managers have to get him in their lineups.

Xavier Legette (knee) remains a game-time decision. Both players were officially listed as questionable on Friday. Coker has gotten off to a red-hot start this year with 16 grabs for 204 yards and a pair of scores through two weeks. Even if he’s limited by the ankle issue, the production is too good to keep on the bench. He is, at worst, a WR3 for his date with the Browns.

Garrett attempted to play through the knee issue in Week 1 but was clearly bothered by the balky knee. He underwent a knee scope shortly after the Rams’ opener and was placed on injured reserve. It was initially expected to be closer to a four-week absence for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Now he’ll miss a bit longer than that, and Rapoport added that the team will be cautious with his return, so he could be sidelined beyond even the six-week timeline.

Evans has been trending in the right direction throughout the week, with Kyle Shanahan already telling reporters a few days ago that he has a good chance to suit up. The team officially listed him as questionable on their final injury report, but fantasy managers can assume he is playing for now. Evans could see his role scaled back slightly, but the 49ers are extremely thin at receiver, having lost Demarcus Robinson to an ankle injury most recently. Even at less than full strength, Evans remains in play as a fantasy WR2.

Schefter noted that a handful of teams have called Pittsburgh, so it’s likely more than just Dallas and Detroit. Porter has been locked in an ugly contract dispute with the Steelers since the early offseason, and the team does not negotiate extensions during the season. They also rarely guarantee money beyond the first year of an extension, which has been another sticking point for JPJ’s camp. Per Schefter, the Steelers are willing to listen to offers but want a “strong compensation package” in return. Porter is questionable for Week 3 with a back issue, though the team is simply calling it a matter of conditioning, casting doubt on the validity of Porter’s supposed injury. He has yet to play this season.

Collins injured his hamstring in practice last week and has already been ruled out for the second game in a row. He did not practice this week, so the Texans’ first injury report of Week 4 will be telling. Dalton Schultz will continue to vacuum up targets in the meantime. He saw 14 targets last week and caught 12 of them for 140 yards.

Pittman missed last week’s game with the foot issue and was limited in practice throughout this week. He was given a questionable designation on Friday. Pittman will return as the No. 2 receiver on a struggling offense, and he’s likely not back to full strength. Fantasy managers should keep him on the bench for at least one more game before getting him back into lineups.