NFL

We’re sad to see the Pro Bowl go, but this move has been several years in the making. Players consistently opted out of the event, forcing the league to name underwhelming alternates. Those who did play rarely took the game seriously. The NFL switched to a flag football format four years ago. This alleviated some injury risk for players but further separated the declining event from traditional football. Now the league will simply award 88 players across offense, defense, and special teams with the Pro Bowl designation. An in-person celebration of the Pro Bowl roster will be held in February.

Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in the 2025 season. He avoided the PUP list to start training camp but has yet to participate in 11-on-11 drills. With the season nearly two weeks away, it certainly doesn’t look like Conner will be available for Week 1. Trey Benson is on injured reserve and Jeremiyah Love is on the mend with an ankle issue of his own. It’s possible Tyler Allgeier earns a three-down role to open the season, making him a priority target for ZeroRB drafters.

Rapp was released by the Bills during the offseason. The Broncos signed him a week ago but are choosing to go in a different direction. Rapp has 72 career starts, including six last year, and won’t turn 29 until later this year. He should be able to find a team before the start of the season, but it might not happen until after teams let their 53-man rosters shake out over the next week.

The team also signed defensive tackle Israel Antwine. Foster spent the first four years of his career with the Chargers. He appeared in six games last year, including his first career start. He will be fighting for a depth role on the Broncos’ roster.

Mahomes will sit the entire preseason, though that shouldn’t be taken as an indication that he won’t be ready for Week 1. He suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15 last year, which would normally make the 2026 opener a tight turnaround. Superstars just recover differently from other players. Mahomes has had no issues throwing or running during training camp and his absence from the preseason is likely a precautionary measure from Andy Reid and the Chiefs. We fully expect him to take on the Broncos when Week 1 rolls around.

Walker was held out of practice recently because of the issue, but this seems to be as minor as it gets. It’s safe to assume Walker will be back at practice soon, likely without any limitations. Walker has been going at the top of the second round of fantasy drafts. This little injury scare shouldn’t move that ADP in the slightest. He remains a strong RB1 bet this year.

Downs is out of practice once again. He previously missed time in camp with a groin injury. Downs dealt with a slew of health issues last year and the fact that things continue to crop up is concerning, but it doesn’t sound like the latest injury will hold him out long. he told reporters he thinks he will be back soon, and the fact that he was even allowed to talk to the media is a good sign. With Alec Pierce still on the mend from offseason ankle surgery, Downs and Keenan Allen could be the team’s top receivers to start the year. As long as Downs stays healthy, he should put up WR3 fantasy numbers this season.

The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond made it clear that this was the first of many steps toward a full return for Burden, but it’s still a good sign that he’s back on the field. With more than two weeks until the Bears’ first game of the season, Burden appears to be on track to play in Week 1. Burden has been going outside the top 20 wide receivers in Best Ball drafts following the injury. That buying window is likely to close as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks. Burden remains a high-risk, high-reward WR2 bet.

Tua Tagovailoa will start versus his old team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said yesterday that Tua’s horrid play throughout training camp and the preseason has made it impossible for the team to name him the Week 1 starter. Penix finally joined 11-on-11 drills this week, but his absence from the preseason contest suggests the team isn’t quite ready to put him in harm’s way. The matchup with Miami will be Tua’s final shot at winning the job.

Beat writers for the Commanders were aghast at what they saw during Wednesday’s joint practice, a dominant performance for Baltimore against an overmatched Washington offensive line. This is the worst I’ve ever seen the Commanders’ offense in years,” Jhabvala said. “Inoperable offensive line.” Washington this summer lost standout LT Laremy Tunsil to a tricep injury that will keep him sidelined throughout the regular season. The Commanders on Tuesday signed free agent OT DJ Humphries. If the team’s blocking issues are not adequately addressed in the coming weeks, it could be bad news for Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Commanders’ fantasy-relevant players. Last year Washington ranked 18th in pass blocking win rate and 21st in run blocking win rate.