NFL Player News

Patrick had been on the Bengals’ practice squad before the running back-needy Niners came calling. The 49ers backfield has been ravaged by injuries -- a tradition like no other -- over the season’s first two weeks, forcing the team to seek backfield help wherever they can find it. Patrick, an enormous 6'3", 236 pound back out of Florida State, could see decent run in the coming weeks with JaMychal Hasty (ankle) and Trey Sermon (concussion) highly questionable for Week 3. Elijah Mitchell is dealing with a shoulder injury that could limit him in practice this week. In five XFL games in 2020, Patrick rushed for 254 yards on 60 carries (4.2 YPC) and two touchdowns. He caught five passes for 49 yards. Patrick played for the Bengals in the 2021 preseason, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown on 31 attempts (5 YPC). Patrick should be added in deeper formats.

Rosenblatt and Russini report now-fired general manager Joe Douglas “had already lost some power midway through last season when Johnson took a more active role”. After a Week 4 loss to the Broncos, Johnson “suggested to coaches that they bench Aaron Rodgers”. A week later, he made the decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh “without consulting his general manager”. Johnson also made decisions on player signings and front office firings over the offseason, decreasing Douglas’ power as general manager and pressuring certain decisions, like nixing a trade for Jerry Jeudy and a contract extension for Bryce Hall. Douglas has now been fired as the Jets will hit reset in the offseason. Johnson returned to run the Jets in 2021, after serving as the United States’ Ambassador to the United Kingdom - his brother ran the team when the Jets hired Douglas in 2019.

Colbert has not played in a regular season game since 2022, when he appeared in two games for the Bears. The 31-year-old has spent parts of the last seven years with the 49ers, Dolphins, Giants, Jets, Browns, and Bears. He has been in and out of Chicago over the last two season and now returns as the Bears add depth to their secondary.

Highsmith missed Week 11 against the Ravens and has been out since Week 10 due to an ankle injury. Mike Tomlin said last week that Highsmith would be week-to-week and he has not been placed on injured reserve. He has three sacks in six games this season, grading out as one of the Steelers’ best pass-rushers. With back-to-back DNPs to begin the week, expect Highsmith to miss Thursday’s Week 12 game against the Browns, though the mini-bye may allow him to recover enough for Week 13.

Cooks has not played since Week 4 and has little fantasy value to offer in a Cooper Rush-driven offense. The 31-year-old has not been activated off injured reserve yet. Even deep leagues probably have to look at the idea of him providing fantasy value skeptically at this point.

Desperate PPR-scam desirers at tight end can start with Luke Schoonmaker, who caught 6-of-10 targets for 56 yards on Monday night. Dallas’ offensive ceiling is probably 20 points right now, but Schoonmaker has made the most of his opportunities when Ferguson has missed time this year, with 12 catches in two games against the Saints and Texans.

But there will also be a package of plays for Trey Lance. Ultimately this may make neither player superflex viable if they are splitting into each other’s time. Only truly desperate times would call for starting either player against a Commanders defense that is on the upswing in Week 12.

Bailey has been a special-teams-only player for Arizona this year. He’s mainly played as a depth linebacker for the Bengals on run downs in his NFL career after they drafted him with a seventh-round pick in 2020. Bailey will be eligible to return at the end of the season, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Cardinals moved on given his sparse role for the team.

It’s the second waiver claim on Wilson in as many years, as the Patriots claimed him in the middle of last season from the Cardinals. Wilson has yet to deliver above a 61.2 PFF coverage grade in his four years in the NFL, but with DJ Turner (clavicle) down, the Bengals clearly needed depth at corner.

It’s a depth shuffling for New England, who put Curtis Jacobs (head) on injured reserve and waived Ochaun Mathis. Leo has no NFL snaps yet as a 2023 sixth-round pick for the Colts. He did have a 64.1 PFF preseason grade in 2023.

Moore’s status for Week 12 doesn’t seem overly endangered at this point after a pair of limited practices ahead of Thursday night. Bye week attrition means he’ll be on the WR3/FLEX line even against the Steelers defense. Moore has 29 targets in three weeks with Jameis Winston.