NFL Player News

“We’ll let him rehab his knee and see where he’s at physically,” was as far as GM Chris Ballard was willing to go. Vinatieri turned 47 three days after Christmas. He was a massive liability in 2019, shanking 8-of-25 field goal attempts while missing 6-of-28 PATs. He directly cost the Colts two games. Perhaps a seamless rehabilitation from his knee operation will get the greatest kicker in league history back in gear, but the stakes are too high for a team to roll the dice on a kicker that will soon be eligible to join the AARP.

Otton was seen sporting a knee brace and working off to the side at Thursday’s practice. His production has slowed in recent weeks after an early stretch in which he topped 75-plus receiving yards in three-straight games, as he’s managed just 10-144-0 on 17 targets in his last four games, but Otton remains a pivotal part of the Buccaneers’ offense. If he’s not able to go in Week 16 against the Cowboys, second-year tight end Payne Durham would be next in line to see work.

We don’t know the capacity in which Mayfield practiced, but his return to the field is a good sign for his Week 16 outlook, regardless. With the Buccaneers in the thick of the playoff race and/or the NFC South divisional race, it’s hard to imagine Mayfield missing Sunday’s game against the Cowboys. We’ll have more clarity on Friday when the team’s final injury report is released, but Mayfield seems to be trending in the right direction.

Per Colts beat writer James Boyd, Pierce was “doing some agility work off to the side” at Thursday’s practice. The Colts’ speedy deep threat entered the league’s concussion protocol on Monday after suffering a concussion in last week’s loss to the Broncos. He’ll be a long-shot to play in Week 16 if he can’t get on the field on Friday.

Pittman was a DNP on Wednesday due to a back injury that he’s been dealing with all season. His return to practice on Thursday is an encouraging sign for his Week 16 availability against the Titans, but Pittman can’t be trusted as anything more than a WR3/WR4 at this point in the season. Currently on pace for his worst season since his rookie year, Pittman has turned in just one top-24 PPR performance since Week 5.

The 49ers will feature their fourth running back of the season on Sunday against the Dolphins if Guerendo can’t suit up. Guerendo was a DNP in Wednesday’s practice, but it sounds like the team is already preparing to be without the rookie. It’s hard to know what direction the 49ers could go in here, but Patrick Taylor figures to be first in line for touches as the most-tenured member of the Niners. Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Israel Abanikanda only recently joined the team after it was revealed Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason would be placed on injured reserve, but both backs could also work into the mix even if Taylor operates as the lead back.

Overheard on HBO’s Hard Knocks, Wilson said at an event, “Hopefully, I love it here,” when asked if he wants to return to the Steelers next season. Wilson signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Steelers this offseason and is receiving the rest of his guaranteed $39 million for the season from the Broncos, who remain on the hook for the contract he signed with them in 2022. Wilson has played well for the Steelers this season, throwing for 1,912-13-3 in eight games while leading them to a 6-2 record. The Steelers won’t be picking at the top of next year’s draft without trading into a top pick, leaving them little options but to bring back Wilson or another vet. Another one-year deal could very well be on the table for Russ, who will be 36 at the start of next season.

Tua popped up on Wednesday’s injury report as a limited participant, but the team doesn’t appear too worried about whether or not that will affect his availability for Week 16’s game against the 49ers. Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated right hip during his final collegiate season at Alabama, which put a red flag on his prospect profile during draft season. This latest injury doesn’t appear to be in any way related to this, and the fact that Tagovailoa was a limited participant on Wednesday should be viewed as a positive early sign for his Week 16 outlook. We’ll assume he’ll be good to go, barring an unexpected development.

Speaking on the Matt LaFleur Podcast, coach LaFleur said Morgan would miss the remainder of the season due to a recurring shoulder injury. The rookie first-rounder has been limited to just six games this season and made only one start. Morgan played exclusively at left tackle during his final three seasons at the University of Arizona but saw work at both guard positions during his rookie campaign while earning a PFF blocking grade of 59.2. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, we would expect him to be ready by training camp next season.

Brown suffered what was once believed to be a season-ending shoulder injury in the Chiefs’ first preseason game and hasn’t been heard from since. Now, the speedy receiver will make his long-awaited debut with the team on Saturday against the Texans, providing what should be a much-needed boost to the offense. Reports out of training camp suggested Brown and Patrick Mahomes were developing a good rapport with one another before Brown’s injury. He’s too risky a bet for fantasy managers to count on in Week 16 outside of deep leagues, but a solid target share/route participation rate could make him an intriguing dart thrown in Week 17 against the Steelers.

Hurst was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury in late November. He was designated for return early this week and has been listed as a full participant ever since. Hurst caught just seven passes for 65 yards before going down and won’t have any fantasy viability.