Pierce missed most of training camp while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, but the fifth-year speedster is expected to be on the field when the Colts take on the Ravens in the season opener. ESPN’s Stephen Holder noted that “it’s very possible” some of Pierce’s workload will be split between Keenan Allen and Ashton Dulin as he continues to ramp up after an extended absence, but Pierce will be on the field in some capacity on Sunday. Unfortunately, this makes him a risky bet for fantasy purposes unless Steichen can alleviate any concerns about Pierce being on a pitch count to start the season.

Tee Higgins (heel contusion) was also spotted at practice after both players were said to be limited participants last week. The Bengals won’t release their first official injury report of the week until Wednesday, but it doesn’t sound like either Chase or Higgins is at risk of missing Week 1’s game against the Buccaneers. As usual, Chase profiles as a high-end fantasy WR1, while Higgins should be viewed more as a WR2 with WR1 upside in any given week.

Kittle was on the field on Monday when the Niners took the field to begin prepping for their Week 1 opener against the Rams in Australia. The veteran tight end has long been expected to have a shot to play in Thursday’s game, so the fact that he was on the field doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Kittle was able to log a few practices last week, but could be on a bit of a pitch count in his first game since suffering a torn Achilles in mid-January. Assuming he is limited in some capacity, Kittle should be viewed as a boom/bust TE1 for fantasy purposes.

Despite an up-and-down training camp, Tagovailoa will get the nod as the starter when the Falcons kick off the season on Sunday against the Steelers. Given the fact that Michael Penix Jr. (knee) was still limited at the start of camp, Tagovailoa had long been assumed to have the inside edge on the QB1 job at the start of camp, but Penix was still given a shot to compete for the job despite not being cleared for 11-on-11 practice until August 22. Tagovailoa shouldn’t be counted on in standard 1QB leagues at this point, and fantasy managers looking to add him in 2QB and superflex leagues shouldn’t view him as a long-term solution. It would not be at all surprising if we saw both Tagovailoa and Penix start multiple games for the Falcons this season, with rookie UDFA Jack Stand also being a dark horse to see snaps at some point in the season after an impressive training camp and preseason.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Goodell’s new extension runs through the 2030 season and expires at the end of March 2031, the same time that the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is also set to expire. Goodell, 67, succeeded Paul Tagliabue as NFL Commissioner in 2006.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $47 million in guarantees, with a max value of $78 million. Wilson was set to enter a contract season in a week. Instead, he’ll be under contract with Arizona through the 2029 season. He broke out in the second half of the 2025 season and finished the year with his first 1,000-yard campaign. He compiled 775 of those yards in the final eight games of the year. Even if he can’t replicate those numbers over 17 weeks, Wilson took a massive step forward, and receivers aren’t cheap on the open market. It makes sense for Arizona to lock him up long-term instead of letting him test the waters of free agency next offseason.

Evans missed the bulk of training camp with quad, groin, and abductor injuries. The team took a cautious approach to his practice regimen during the offseason, and it seems to have paid off with him back on the field today. Evans’ status on the 49ers’ practice report next week will be one of the bigger storylines for the 49ers, but all signs point to him being healthy for Week 1. Fantasy managers can keep drafting him as a low-end WR2 for the final week of the summer.

With input from Tom Brady, head coach Klint Kubiak will put the 38-year-old Cousins under center for the season opener against the Dolphins. Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, will serve as Cousins’ backup. How long this arrangement will last is anyone’s guess. A good start to the regular season could delay Mendoza’s first NFL start for a couple months but he’s almost certain to take over as the Vegas starter at some point in 2026. Mendoza should be stashed in most superflex formats and Cousins profiles as a decent QB2 in such formats for Week 1.

Kubiak smiled and said “yes” when asked if he thinks Jeanty will suit up for the season opener against Miami. Jeanty has been absent from practice since suffering an ankle sprain a week and a half ago, and the Raiders have danced around offering firm updates about Jeanty’s progress. If Jeanty doesn’t practice in full by next week he should be considered a real game-time call for Kubiak and the Raiders. Mike Washington, meanwhile, should be stashed in all fantasy leagues in case Jeanty is sidelined for a game or two.

Houston GM Nick Caserio recently said the team would not negotiate a new deal with Stroud once the regular season begins, putting a hard and fast deadline on Stroud’s ability to secure a longer-term contract with the team that drafted him. His immense and nationally-televised struggles down the stretch last season — including his playoff meltdown against the Patriots — could factor into the team’s decision to go all in on him as a long-term franchise quarterback. Fowler said Stroud “can let an exploding quarterback market do the work for him if he waits an additional six to eight months” and explore free agency in 2027. Stroud over the past three seasons ranks 22nd out of 40 qualifying QBs in adjusted EPA per drop back, alongside Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence. He ranks 24th in drop back success rate, just behind Mac Jones.