NFL Player News

A three-year starter, Giles-Harris (6'2/240) is one of the top linebackers in this year’s class. He had 100-plus tackles his first two seasons, and was on track this year before going down with a knee injury. Giles-Harris has a strong college resume (two-time All ACC honors) but isn’t going to blow up the Combine. A high-floor/low-risk prospect, Giles-Harris projects as a Day 2 pick.

We don’t quite know when Mayfield suffered his injury, as the veteran quarterback was cleated by a defender on one play and had his ankle twisted on another in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers’ win over the Panthers. Regardless, Mayfield was able to finish the game and appears to be on early track to play in Week 14 against the Raiders. Bowles said he’s unsure how much Mayfield will practice this week, so it’s possible the team gives him some added rest in what will be a pivotal Week 14 matchup for the 6-6 Buccaneers.

We don’t know the specifics of Hill’s knee injury, but those details will come in due time. Regardless, the Saints will be without their do-it-all player for their final five games of the season. Hill didn’t do much as a pass this season, throwing for just 21 yards and one interception, but does finish the year with a rushing line of 39-279-6, and a receiving line of 23-187-0. Set to turn 35 before the start of next season, Hill is under contract for one more year and will likely have his deal restructured before the start of next season when the Saints do their annual salary cap gymnastics.

Steichen said center Ryan Kelly has a “good chance” to return after the team’s bye week but was non-committal on Downs’ return. The second-year receiver missed Sunday’s game against the Patriots due to a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12, but may need more time to recover before returning to the field. The Colts’ passing game was slowed by the absence of Downs, as their wide receivers combined to catch just seven passes for 58 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets. Alec Pierce wound up leading the team in snaps from the slot, with eight, but that’s not where he’s been best utilized over his career. Downs’ return in Week 15 would be a welcomed one as the Colts make a postseason push. We’ll see how things look at the start of next week.

Irving injured his hip during a kickoff return and, according to Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud, “labored to walk to the locker room after the game.” Irving managed to finish out the game, rushing 25 times for 152 yards — both season highs — while also finding the end zone for the third consecutive game. This may be something that lands Irving on the team’s injury report this week, but it doesn’t sound like he’s at risk of missing Week 14’s game against the Raiders.

Schefter added that “the only question is for how long” Al-Shaair could be suspended. The Texans linebacker delivered a brutal shot to the head of a sliding Lawrence on Sunday that immediately placed the quarterback in the league’s concussion protocol. It wasn’t the first time a hit by Al-Shaair was drawn into question, as so many pointed out via social media. Al-Shaair posted an apology to Lawrence on Monday, we’ll see if that bears any weight on whatever punishment the league decides to hand down in the coming days.

Ulbrich was asked if Rodgers’ status as the Jets’ QB1 was on a week-to-week basis, to which he said, “No, he’s our quarterback.” We shouldn’t expect Ulbrich to say anything different. This is, after all, Aaron Rodgers, who we are talking about here. Regardless of what Ulbrich says, there’s little reason to believe Rodgers is locked in as the Jets’ starter for the team’s final five games of the season. The Jets are 3-9, and a significant portion of the blame has justifiably fallen on the veteran quarterback’s performance. Barring an unexpected change, Rodgers will get the start in Week 14 against the Dolphins, but this is situation is probably more week-to-week than Ulbrich will ever admit.

Quarterback Josh Allen attempted only 17 passes but Hollins was on the receiving end of one of two Allen passing scores, with the quarterback himself catching the other. Hollins should continue to return sporadic fantasy utility as the downfield threat in one of the league’s top offenses.

The low target and yardage totals were overshadowed by a highlight play in the third quarter, where Cooper made a stunning catch before lateraling the football to quarterback Josh Allen for the touchdown. The play will go down in history as a contributor to the only time a quarterback has thrown a touchdown, caught a touchdown, and rushed for a touchdown in the same game. Cooper continues to work his way into the offense after being acquired near the trade deadline, with his next opportunity to return meaningful counting stats coming against the Rams in Week 14.

While the 41.2% target market share from Josh Allen feels impressive, Shakir managed just 30 yards through the air on a night both teams were forced to fight through lake effect snow in Buffalo. Shakir continues to be the most reliable pass-catcher for Allen but is never going to play more than a standard slot snap rate considering his diminutive size. Up next for Shakir and the Bills are the Rams in Week 14.

10 players registered counting stats in the box score under receiving, with Knox amassing the most yardage of the bunch. Even quarterback Josh Allen got in on the receiving fun, taking a lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper to the house from seven yards out. Either way, Knox is unlikely to return usable counting stats consistently even with Dalton Kincaid still nursing a knee issue.