NFL Player News

Williams has been out of the NFL since being cut by San Francisco three offseasons ago. He will try to make the Steelers as a special teamer.

Schultz was able to get in a full practice Thursday and the 6-foot-5 tight end appears to be a full go for the contest against the Chiefs. It’s beyond plausible that the Texans are going to have to throw often in this game, so Schultz could be a sneaky play for the Saturday showdown in Kansas City.

Smith is also reportedly a candidate for the Bears job after helping the Steelers reach the playoffs in 2024. It’s worth noting that his previous head coaching gig with the Falcons didn’t work out very well, and the Pittsburgh offense didn’t exactly shine at the end of the season. Still, Smith obviously has some heat, and seems like a strong candidate to ultimately end up coaching the Jets in 2025.

Schultz allows that Vikings DC Brian Flores could get into the mix with a strong interview, but that would go as strongly as possible against Caleb Williams’ stated desire for an offensive-minded head coach. It would also be, frankly, not smart considering Flores’ checkered history with Tua Tagovailoa and the Bears’ entire near future being staked on Williams’ arm. This has to be a play-calling head coach, and Johnson and McCarthy are both qualified in their own way. Johnson, of course, would be vastly preferable to McCarthy, even if you can make the case McCarthy has somehow ended up a bit underrated for his work in Dallas and Green Bay.

Pacheco was a full participant in practice all week. With nearly three full weeks to recover from the rib injury he suffered in Week 17’s game against the Steelers, Pacheco is good to go for Saturday’s divisional tilt against a Texans team the Chiefs beat handedly back in Week 16. Pacheco managed just nine carries for 26 yards in the victory, and will likely split touches with Kareem Hunt.

The Chiefs also removed LT D.J. Humphries (hamstring) from their injury report after both were listed on the report to start the week. Despite being listed on the report, Jones and Humphries were full participants in practice all week long, meaning there’s little to no concern about their health heading into Saturday’s game against the Texans.

This is one worth watching. After popping up as limited following an ankle injury he sustained in Wednesday’s practice, Mixon was a DNP on Thursday and officially carries a questionable designation into the weekend. It’s possible Mixon was sidelined on Thursday out of precaution, but his status will be one to monitor until the team officially confirms his availabilty. In addition to Mixon, LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee) and WR Robert Woods (hip) are also listed as questionable.

Jayden Daniels will have his trusty tight end available to him this weekend. Ertz practiced in full on Friday and can be trusted to handle his typical possession receiver role. The 34-year-old tight end has a chance to face his former Eagles team in the NFC Championship if the Commanders can pull off the upset and the Eagles successfully fend off the Rams.

Arnold was a full participant in practice throughout the week and is now cleared for Saturday’s game against the Commanders. The rookie corner has played on 947 defensive snaps this season, per PFF, earning a coverage grade of 50.4 while allowing opposing receivers to go for 56-728-4 on 93 targets.

Montgomery was trending toward a return after being a full participant in practice all week. The thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs’ lightning will officially be good to go for Saturday’s game, with a right to host the NFC Championship Game on the line. Montgomery averaged 15.8 touches per game during the regular season and should see plenty of work against a Commanders defense that has struggled to slow opposing ground games. In addition to Montgomery, the Lions also listed CB Ennis Rakestraw as questionable for Saturday’s game while ruling out guard Kevin Zeitler (hamstring) and DE Pat O’Conner (calf).

The Rams also designated linebacker Troy Reeder after Reeder was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury back in October. Murchison made a brief return from injured reserve earlier this season only to land back on injured reserve with a foot injury he suffered in his first practice back. The Rams don’t have to activate either player this week, but if they’re good enough to play they’ll provide an added boost for the defense on Sunday against the Eagles.