Seattle acquired Williams from the Giants during the 2023 season. In his two full seasons as a Seahawk, Williams has totaled 18 regular season sacks plus one during the team’s postseason last year. He was the 15th-highest-paid defensive tackle before this deal. While we’re still waiting on the details, it’s safe to assume he’s moving up that leaderboard. Once the ink is dry, Williams will be under contract through the 2029 season.
The good news is that, according to Schefter, the injury isn’t considered a long-term issue. It’s still unclear if Smith will be ready for Week 1. Houston signed Smith to a two-year, $25 million deal in the offseason. He was set to compete with Trent Brown for the starting right tackle job, but this could give Brown the inside track early in the year. As long as Smith is back early in the year, Houston should have the necessary tackle depth to survive this injury.
Evans has been dealing with a myriad of injuries throughout training camp, the latest being a groin issue. The injuries have been reported as minor as the 33-year-old manages his way through practices after having missed significant time due to injuries the last couple seasons. He was already expected to miss minimal time - if any - and Fowler confirms that Evans and the 49ers are still preparing for him to play Week 1.
The gist of it is that players can return to college if they are cut, but NFL teams cannot make advance deals with the players about returning in the following season and the players also cannot sign an NFL deal within the same season. This situation came up with undrafted rookie free agent Dae’Quan Wright, who spent the offseason with the Eagles and Browns, but is looking to return to college and play for LSU. From an NFL perspective, Wright can return to college for 2026 but cannot return to the NFL until 2027, nor can an NFL team agree to an advance deal with him to sign him in 2027. It’s a sticky situation as the NCAA figures out player eligibility but the NFL has said its piece on the matter.
McCarthy has been limited in practice this week as he deals with a mild deltoid sprain in his ankle. Despite the injury, the Vikings want to maximize the 23-year-old’s preseason reps with Kyler Murray already locked in as the start. It’s also possible McCarthy competes with Carson Wentz for the No. 2 quarterback spot as both players split second-team reps earlier this week. O’Connell said the team is aiming to have McCarthy ready to start against the Broncos Friday, but also added, “if we can’t get him there, we can’t get him there.” Ultimately, the ankle injury seems minor but may prevent McCarthy from seeing valuable reps as he fights to stay as the QB2 on the Vikings depth chart.
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.
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.
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.
“We’ve obviously been preparing for that in case that happens,” Gutekunst said when asked about Jacobs, who in May was arrested on domestic abuse charges. “But at the same time, I feel really good about the guys we have in that room.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in August that the league would likely suspend Jacobs, though the length of the suspension had yet to be determined. MarShawn Lloyd would likely function as Green Bay’s lead back if Jacobs — who’s dealing with a lingering groin issue — misses regular season games. The oft-injured Lloyd has stayed healthy this offseason and has reportedly run well in training camp and joint practices. In last week’s preseason game against Denver, Lloyd played on 5-of-7 snaps during the first drive with the team’s starters.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reich has reportedly added wrinkles to the offense he deployed as head coach of the Colts and Panthers. At both of those stops his offenses were near the bottom of the league in most basic offensive metrics. Smith, meanwhile, has looked sharp as the team’s starting quarterback throughout training camp and in limited preseason snaps. He’ll look to bounce back from a nightmarish statistical 2025 season in Vegas. Jets players, including Garrett Wilson, told The Athletic that they have enjoyed the “player empowerment” that comes along with Reich’s coaching style and his offensive scheming, which leaves room for improvisation. The Jets offense could be functional as long as Smith, 35, is healthy and upright.
“We’ve obviously been preparing for that in case that happens,” Gutekunst said when asked about Jacobs, who in May was arrested on domestic abuse charges. “But at the same time, I feel really good about the guys we have in that room.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in August that the league would likely suspend Jacobs, though the length of the suspension had yet to be determined. MarShawn Lloyd would likely function as Green Bay’s lead back if Jacobs — who’s dealing with a lingering groin issue — misses regular season games. The oft-injured Lloyd has stayed healthy this offseason and has reportedly run well in training camp and joint practices. In last week’s preseason game against Denver, Lloyd Lloyd played on 5-of-7 snaps during the first drive with the team’s starters.
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.
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.
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.