NFL Player News

Laird failed to find the end zone for a season-high third straight game, but he has 78 or more total yards from scrimmage in seven consecutive games dating back to Sept. 15. He also has 21 or more total touches in six consecutive outings, as Laird has been a major cog in the offense and a player the Bears depend upon when they need those tough yards. The Golden Bears will face Stanford in ‘The Big Game’ in Berkeley next Saturday.

Higbee left LA’s Wild Card Round win over the Vikings with the chest injury. Per head coach Sean McVay, Higbee went to the hospital after “spitting up a little bit of blood” following the game. It was apparently not a big deal as Higbee logged a pair of limited practices before being upgraded to a full session on Friday. Ready to go for the Divisional Round, Higbee will be a touchdown-or-bust play at tight end this week.

Pickett practiced in full all week, indicating his ribs issue is no longer meaningfully limiting him. The Eagles’ quarterback depth chart has returned to full strength.

Brown practiced in full on Friday after practicing in a limited capacity on Thursday. The promising upgrade bodes positively for his involvement although his knee issue should not be overlooked. Brown’s presence makes life easier for the rest of the Eagles’ skill position players regardless of his productivity.

Goedert will be on-field for his typical contributor role. The veteran tight end has caught 4-of-6 targets in each of the last two games and can be expected to handle a similar workload against the Rams. He makes for a worthwhile DFS option.

Head coach John Harbaugh told reporters earlier today Flowers “has a chance” to play this week, though that appears to have been either a stretch of the truth or outright gamesmanship from the veteran coach. After not practicing at all this week, the doubtful tag all but guarantees Flowers will miss Sunday’s game. Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews will split the No. 1 duties, with Bateman working on deep routes and Andrews operating in the middle of the field. Isaiah Likely ran as the de facto WR3 last week and will do so again versus Buffalo. All three pass-catchers are strong fantasy options for the Divisional Round slate.

Rivera evidently still holds clout in the NFL despite his unfortunate Commanders stint. The old-school coach would likely employ many of the same conservative concepts as former head coach Antonio Pierce but the Raiders press on nonetheless. The results expected from a coach like Rivera could not be more different than if the Raiders were to hire Ben Johnson.

Other sources have reported it as a done deal. Schefter, on the other hand, says no contract offer has been made and the two sides “haven’t started negotiations yet.” Still, both sides want to get a deal done sooner rather than later, and we fully expect them to do so. Borgonzi has already had two interviews with the Titans and another with the Jets this offseason. He joined the Chiefs in 2009 as their administrator of college scouting and has worked his way up the corporate ladder ever since. Borgonzi was promoted to assistant general manager in 2021. Assuming the contract talks go smoothly, Borgonzi’s tenure in Tennessee will begin with a franchise-shaping decision via the No. 1 overall pick.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said this morning that the ankle issue isn’t major and Mixon has a “real chance” to play, so Schultz’s reporting all but guarantees Mixon will take the field on Saturday. The Texans added Mixon to the practice report on Wednesday and then downgraded him to a DNP on Thursday. He is officially questionable for Saturday’s game. The moves all seem to have been precautionary. Barring a setback, Mixon will face the Chiefs. Per Schultz, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, questionable with a knee injury, is also expected to play.

Davis was limited in all three practices this week. He remains in the league’s concussion protocol but has a chance to clear it over the weekend. If he doesn’t, Ty Johnson, who is already operating as the team’s top back on passing downs, could see more work as the clear backup to James Cook. Davis is the only player with a game status for the Bills.

Leftwich, who has been out of the league for two seasons, interviewed with the Patriots for their head coach opening earlier this month. Now, the former Buccaneers offensive coordinator could once again find himself calling plays, only this time for the Seahawks. Leftwich’s work with the Buccaneers from 2019-2022 resulted in a Super Bowl title during the 2020 season, and an offense that ranked in the top five in scoring in three of those four years. The Buccaneers’ offense bottomed out in Leftwich’s final season with the team, but it’s hard to overlook the decline in play we saw from Tom Brady in that final season. During his four years as Tampa Bay’s OC, the team ranked sixth in EPA per play and offensive success rate while boasting the third-highest early-down pass rate. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald seems to be looking for a coordinator who will steer the team in a more balanced approach. It seems unlikely that Leftwich would fit that mold, but it’s possible I’d be willing to change up his philosophy with Geno Smith under center and two solid backs in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet.