Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called it “ridiculous” to think he might miss Sunday’s game in Houston because of back tightness and he is active for the Week 2 matchup with the Texans.
Burrow’s health became a talking point this week when he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he returned to full practice on Friday. The Bengals still listed him as questionable for the team’s first road game of the season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Burrow felt normal while going through Friday’s practice, but was very sore earlier in the week. The Texans pass rush could exacerbate that soreness if they’re able to get to Burrow early in Sunday’s game.
Bengals at Texans
Bengals: WR Ke’Shawn Williams, CB Josh Newton, OL Connor Lew, DL BJ Hill, DL Landon Robinson, QB Josh Johnson, OL Myles Hinton
Texans: TE Brevin Jordan, WR Nico Collins, LB Jake Hummel, CB Collin Wright, G Ed Ingram, OT Nate Thomas, DE Jadeveon Clowney
Panthers at Falcons
Panthers: LB Pat Jones, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, CB Chau Smith-Wade, LB Tyrel Dodson, OT Albert Reese, DT Bobby Brown
Falcons: QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Michael Penix, DB Billy Bowman, DB Malcolm DeWalt, OL Ethan Onianwa
Saints at Ravens
Saints: RB Kendre Miler, QB Zach Wilson, DB Decamerion Richardson, LB Isaiah Stalbird, DL Christen Miller, OL Mason Murphy, DL John Ridgeway
Ravens: QB Joe Fagnano, WR Zay Flowers, G Andrew Vorhees, OT Gerad Lichtenhan, LB Teddye Buchanan, DL Nnamdi Madubuike
Vikings at Bears
Vikings: QB Kyler Murray, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Zemaiah Vaughn, DB Jakobe Thomas, OL Nick Samac, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Bears: QB Case Keenum, DE Jamree Kromah, DT Jayden Loving, OT Ozzy Trapilo, OL Jordan McFadden
Steelers at Patriots
Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr., WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, G Gennings Dunker, DT Kevin Jobity, DT Gabriel Rubio
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis, OT Dametrious Crownover, OT Walter Rouse, TE Tanner Arkin, DL Leonard Taylor, QB Behren Morton
Packers at Jets
Packers: CB Benjamin St-Juste, OL John Williams, OL Travis Glover, DT Warren Brinson, DT Javon Hargrave
Jets: CB D’Angelo Ponds, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, K Blake Grupe, RB Kene Nwangwu, LB Joseph Ossai, LB Trevin Wallace
Browns at Buccaneers
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, S Daniel Thomas, CB Toriano Pride, C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins
Buccaneers: CB Ayden Garnes, CB Jacob Parrish, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart, DL Elijah Simmons
Eagles at Titans
Eagles: QB Tanner McKee, QB Cole Payton, WR Elijah Moore, LB Jonathan Greenard, G Micah Morris
Titans: CB Cor’Dale Flott, LB James Williams, OL Atonio Mafi, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DT Jackie Marshall
Panthers Clips
When the Browns decided, two days after an all-time press-conference meltdown from Deshaun Watson, to make him the Week 1 starting quarterback, it immediately seemed to be a product of the fact that Cleveland starts the season with two games, you know, not in Cleveland.
And with the team’s Florida road trip ending today, the winds of change to Shedeur Sanders are already blowing like a Category 2 hurricane.
As Ian Rapoport of ESPNFL explains it, Cleveland will “make its evaluation” after Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Of course it will. Not even the Browns-is-the-Browns are so dysfunctional that they’d trot out Watson for a home crowd that wants nothing to do with him. Even if the Browns managed to beat the Bucs and the still-salty (always-salty, and we love it) Baker Mayfield on Sunday, it will be a very hard sell — unless Watson has one of those 400-yard, five-touchdown days that he claims the media expects from him every week.
Rapoport’s article doesn’t mention the biggest elephant in the room, when it comes to the possibility that Sanders will start next week. The customers do not want him. Period. Full stop. End of story.
Coach Todd Monken has used a restaurant metaphor to explain fan discontent. Absent a dramatic menu change before the Week 3 home opener against the Panthers, the foodstuffs will be flying from the stands next Sunday.
The Falcons have been waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
The waiting may be over.
ESPN reports that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. “is nearing a return” and “could” make his 2026 debut on Thursday night, when the Falcons travel to Lambeau Field for a Week 3 contest.
During NFL Network’s GameDay morning, Steve Wyche reported that Falcons president of football Matt Ryan said Penix is “getting close,” but he declined to put a timetable on his return.
The team has had some muted frustrations about Penix’s unwillingness to play. But he’s not yet comfortable exposing his surgically repaired left knee to contact.
Without Penix, and with Tua Tagovailoa out due to an oblique injury, Cooper Rush started in Week 1, and he’ll start in Week 2.
Through two seasons, Penix has 14 regular-season appearances and 12 starts, with four wins. After starting last season 3-2, Penix has lost four straight starts.
For now, the Falcons and Rush will face the Panthers, who won the division on the final Sunday of the 2025 season when Kirk Cousins led Atlanta to a win over the Saints.
Cooper Rush is officially set to start Sunday’s game against the Panthers, with Jack Strand as his backup.
Atlanta announced its game statuses for Week 2 and Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is out with Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) listed as doubtful.
Penix is still not ready to play after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery midway through last season. Tagovailoa suffered an oblique injury during practice last week.
It was reported that Rush was expected to start earlier on Friday.
While Rush has been dealing with a back issue, head coach Kevin Stefanski said in his Friday press conference that Rush is “doing better,” but wouldn’t speculate beyond that.
As for Penix, a full participant in practice all week, Stefanski would not speculate as to whether or not he’ll be available for Week 3. The Falcons will travel to Green Bay for a Thursday night matchup.
“Again, it’s a progression,” Stefanski said. “Feel really confident in the plan, feel really confident in what we’ve done, and what Mike has done both on the field and medically. And like he’s told you, like I’ve told you — when he’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
Cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. (Achilles) has also been ruled out for Sunday.
Guard Chris Lindstrom (concussion) and cornerback A.J. Terrell (shoulder) are questionable. Terrell did not participate on Friday but Lindstrom was a full participant.
Last year, quarterback Cooper Rush made two starts for the Ravens, in Weeks 5 and 6. This year, he’ll get two starts in Weeks 1 and 2.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Rush is taking the first-team reps at Friday’s practice and is expected to start for the Falcons on Sunday, against the Panthers.
It will be Rush’s 18th career start. He currently has a record of 9-8.
The other alternative for the assignment, Michael Penix Jr., is still not ready to play after suffering a torn ACL last November. (Tua Tagovailoa remains out with an oblique injury.)
Carolina has done well against Atlanta in recent years, with three straight victories over the Falcons. Quarterback Bryce Young has a 4-1 record against the Falcons, with four straight wins.
With Rush as the quarterback, the Falcons will need a big day from running back Bijan Robinson. In Week 1, he had 83 rushing yards and 90 receiving yards against the Steelers. Via NBC Sports research, he accounted for 66 percent of the team’s offense — the highest rate for the opening weekend.
No player has ever had 75 or more rushing yards and 75 or more receiving yards in the first two games of a season.
Wide receiver Jalen Coker is good to go for the Panthers on Sunday.
Coker injured his ankle in last Sunday’s loss to the Bears and was in a boot early in the week, but said he would be fine to face the Falcons and he returned to full practice participation on Friday. He has no injury designation for this weekend’s game, so he’ll be available to build on his two-touchdown start to the 2026 season.
Linebacker Patrick Jones (back) is listed as questionable after missing the opener.
Defensive tackle Bobby Brown (back) missed practice all week and he has been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Wide receiver Jalen Coker is coming off a big Week 1 performance, but he’s not totally healthy heading into Week 2.
Coker said on Monday that he rolled his ankle during last Sunday’s loss to the Bears. Coker said he does not expect to miss any game action as a result of the injury, but he remained limited in practice on Thursday.
Coker had eight catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Chicago.
Defensive tackle Bobby Brown (back) was the only player out of practice for Carolina on Thursday. Tight end Darren Waller (rest) returned to full participation and linebacker Pat Jones (back) was limited for the second day in a row.
There were no changes to the practice plans for the Falcons’ quarterbacks on Thursday, but there were some differences at other positions.
Cornerback A.J. Terrell was a full participant after sitting out on Wednesday because of a shoulder injury. The Falcons also got right guard Chris Lindstrom back on the field. He was a limited participant as he continues to work his way through the concussion protocol.
Quarterbacks Michael Penix (knee) and Cooper Rush (back) were listed as full participants for the second straight day. They split first-team work on Wednesday with Tua Tagovailoa out due to an oblique injury. Tagovailoa remained out of practice.
- Cornerback Billy Bowman (Achilles) and linebacker Kendal Daniels (Achilles) were both limited participants. Defensive end Za’Darius Smith (rest) and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (knee) did not participate in practice.
The Falcons will issue injury designations for Sunday’s game against the Panthers on Friday.
At this point, it looks like Tua Tagovailoa is out of the running to start Atlanta’s Week 2 matchup against Carolina.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, Tagovailoa was not on the field for practice during the portion of the session open to media on Thursday.
Tagovailoa is dealing with an oblique injury suffered during practice last week. He did not practice on Wednesday.
Additionally, reporters noted that both Michael Penix Jr. and Cooper Rush were throwing to starting receivers during early drills. That suggests Penix and Rush will once again split first-team reps, as Rush revealed the club did on Wednesday.
Rush started the Week 1 loss to the Steelers, finishing 12-of-22 for 143 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Atlanta’s full injury report will be released later in the day.
The Browns are adding a player who’s plenty familiar with their (current) backup quarterback.
According to multiple reports, Cleveland is signing receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. to its practice squad.
Horn — a Panthers sixth-round pick in last year’s draft — had a rough Week 1, muffing a punt while trying to make a fair catch. He was waived earlier this week as the team added a linebacker.
Horn could help the Browns as a returner, as Dylan Sampson is expected to miss significant time with a knee injury suffered during the season-opening loss to the Jaguars.
Horn played with Shedeur Sanders at Colorado before both were drafted last year. With Deshaun Watson struggling through Cleveland’s season opener as QB1, Sanders could be elevated to a starting role sooner than later.
