NFL Player News

Without Jonathan Williams and Hills on the roster, the Lions will open the year with Kerryon Johnson, D’Andre Swift, Ty Johnson, and Bo Scarborough as backfield depth. T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James are the only tight ends available for Week 1.

Nabers had his foot stepped on by a teammate in the Giants’ Week 15 loss to the Ravens. He was hobbled by the stomp for a moment but it didn’t prevent him from closing out the game. Nabers should be good to go for Week 16 as a limited practice on Wednesday is nothing new for him. He remains a volume-based WR2 for his matchup with the Falcons.

Waddle left Week 15’s game against the Texans and was listed as questionable to return. He did not do so but was also never ruled out officially. Mike McDaniel called him day to day on Monday and left it at that today. If Waddle can’t suit up on Sunday, rookie Malik Washington will see the bulk of the WR2 snaps for Miami. Washington caught five passes for 52 yards in releif of Waddle last week.

Guerendo played through a foot injury last week. He was listed as questionable for the Thursday tilt, played, and saw all 16 of the team’s running back carries. The hamstring issue is a new one that likely didn’t come up until after the game, given Guerendo’s every-down role. If he can’t suit up this week, the 49ers will be down to their fifth-string running back Patrick Taylor. San Francisco called him up from the practice squad after both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason went on injured reserve. Taylor is worth an add in all leagues, though we should expect to see some Israel Abanikanda and possibly Ke’Shawn Vaughn if Guerendo is out.

O’Connell went down with a bone bruise in his knee in the Raiders’ Week 14 loss to the Bucs. He missed Week 15, but even a limited practice today puts him on track to return this week. Desmond Ridder drew the start last week and threw for 208 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. He also took three sacks. O’Connell would be an immediate upgrade over Ridder, bringing back the PPR floor and ceiling for Brock Bowers, who has been held under 50 yards in consecutive weeks. O’Connell will be a fringe-QB2 if he suits up to face the Jags this week.

Callahan told reporters that Rudolph could start the remaining three games, but the team is taking things week by week. Will Levis was benched last week after throwing three interceptions on just 12 attempts. The implosion left Callahan with no choice but to return to Rudolph. The journeyman turned things around, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a losing effort to the Bengals. While Rudolph isn’t a starting-caliber passer, his floor is notably higher than that of Levis. He should be able to stabilize Calvin Ridley as a WR3 to close out the year. Rudolph himself is not on the fantasy radar for Week 16, even in Superflex leagues.

Forsythe took over for an injured Abraham Lucas at right tackle in Week 2 and made five starts before suffering an injury of his own. With Lucas now healthy, Forsythe will likely remain on the bench for Week 16.

McCormick will miss the remainder of the season while on injured reserve after going down with an ankle injury in the Raiders’ Week 15 loss to the Falcons. It’s a frustrating end for a player who was finally making headway in the pros. McCormick entered the league as a UDFA in 2022 and spent the entire year on injured reserve. He didn’t make the Raiders’ final roster in either of the next two seasons but was called up from their practice squad earlier this year. He ran for 183 yards on 39 carries across five appearances while adding 29 yards on six receptions. Based on both the eye test and the efficiency metrics, McCormick was easily the team’s best running back. McCormick could hang around as a depth option in 2025, but the Raiders are all but guaranteed to invest heavily in the running back position in the offseason.

The Bears have been decimated by offensive line injuries this season, so an injury to their starting left guard is nothing new. Jenkins previously missed a game with an ankle injury. Matt Pryor would likely be the next man up if Jenkins is out for Week 16. Fellow offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Braxton Jones also missed Wednesday’s practice with concussions.

Wednesday’s practice was only a walkthrough, so we’ll learn more when the team hosts their first full practice later this week. Still, a full estimation on the opening report suggests Johnson will clear concussion protocol by the end of the week. Johnson was stealing work from D’Andre Swift on passing downs and at the goal line before suffering the concussion. His return will push Swift deep into the RB3 ranks for his Week 16 matchup with Detroit.

Burns told reporters he had his ankled rolled on “pretty bad” on Sunday. He wasn’t spotted at Wednesday’s practice. His status for Week 16 is obviously in doubt. Even if he could push through the injury, the Giants have their sights set on the No. 1 overall pick, so there’s no reason to rush Burns back.