NFL Player News

A depth signing last spring, Burris has been an every-down player for the Panthers’ surprisingly effective pass defense. He must now miss at least the next three weeks. The Panthers have been giving each of Burris, Tre Boston and Jeremy Chinn heavy snaps every week. UDFA Sam Franklin is the next man up.

Speaking Monday, McCarthy said Parsons will “be challenged to play this week.” The Cowboys hesitated to rule out Parsons after he went down during Thursday night’s Week 4 matchup against the Giants, but it sounds like they more or less know what his availability will be for Week 5. Whether or not Parsons lands on injured reserve will be the thing to watch for, as his landing on IR would require him to miss at least four games. With DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) also out for the next several weeks, the Cowboys are suddenly very thin at pass-rusher. They’ll likely make a few roster moves in the coming days to account for their losses.

The Falcons only held a walkthrough, but it would border on unbelievable for Palmer to be cleared ahead of Thursday Night after picking up a concussion on Sunday. Sterling Sheppard will likely operate as Tampa’s third receiver on TNF, with Cade Otton also a threat for more targets.

The Bucs only had a walkthrough but McMillan would not seem likely to come back from his hamstring injury ahead of Thursday Night Football against the Falcons. He initially suffered the injury in Friday’s practice. Cade Otton and Sterling Sheppard vacuumed up a lot of targets last week in the absence of McMillan and would seem in line for continued moderate volume if McMillan doesn’t turn it around in the next few days.

Evans played through a knee injury in the Buc’s Week 4 matchup against the Eagles and was removed from the injury report altogether before the weekend. While he’s clearly dealing with a few ailments, Monday’s “DNP,” which is an estimation since the Buccaneers didn’t hold an official practice, could be more about getting Evans some rest on a short week. We’ll see how things look on Tuesday and Wednesday when the Buccaneers are actually on the field, but it goes without saying that this is a situation to monitor ahead of Thursday’s Week 5 tilt with the Falcons.

The Falcons didn’t log an official practice today as they prepare to face the Buccaneers on a short week on Thursday night. Monday’s designation is only an estimation, but it isn’t anything to be overly concerned about at this point. We’ll see how the rest of the week progresses, but McCloud should be in good shape for Thursday, barring any setbacks.

Shakir did play through the injury in Week 4, so we’re not overly concerned just yet, but it is something to monitor this week and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a day of rest or two ahead of Week 5’s game against the Texans. Shakir has been targeted 5 or more times in each of the last three weeks, scoring one touchdown.

Everything we’ve heard about Watson’s high-ankle sprain leads us to believe this will be a multi-week injury. This is confirmation you should not be expecting to use him in fantasy lineups this week. Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs will all see small boosts in Watson’s absence.

Chubb is eligible to return this week, but that isn’t expected to happen. With his 21-day window now opening, the Browns now have three weeks to either activate Chubb from the PUP list or keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season. His return, whenever that may be, will put a damper on Jerome Ford’s fantasy upside, but the third-year back could still be a factor in the passing game after hauling in 17 passes through the first four games of this season.

The participation is just an estimation because the Falcons did not practice today, but this is a new injury designation for Robinson. He was on the injury report last week, but with a shoulder. The quotes and practice participation going forward will matter a lot, but the fact that it is an estimated limited practice means we probably shouldn’t get too far down the rabbit hole just yet. Tyler Allgeier would gain a lot of value this week if Robinson sits.

Murphy suffered a knee sprain in late August and was laced on injured reserve to open the season. The second-year defender totaled 20 tackles, three TFLs, and three sacks in 17 games last season and is expected to take a big step this season. The Bengals defense has struggled out of the gate this season, allowing the sixth-most points and the fourth-most passing touchdowns on their way to a 1-3 start. The return of Murphy, which could still be a few weeks away, should help bolster a unit that also has the second-fewest sacks (5) of any team in the league.