NFL Player News

Every year, we have a couple of FCS players that come into the combine virtually unknown and come out with a buzz. Sam Houston State’s McCollum (6'2"/199) put up some impressive numbers that measured up to his FBS counterparts. He had the third-best 40-time at 4.36 seconds, along with a 39.5' vertical and 11" board jump. He certainly has some impressive accolades coming into the draft -- a team captain who finished with a career 13 interceptions and six force fumbles, he uses his size advantage to shade in coverage and the footwork looks fluid as he moves to the ball. McCollum is someone you need to look out for in April.

Now playing without their franchise quarterback, the Cowboys will be even more shorthanded with two key injuries in the secondary. Bland was designated for return but failed to practice this week, indicating there could have been some sort of setback in his rehab.

Anderson had already been ruled out but his presence along the defensive front will be missed against the Cowboys. Wide receiver Nico Collins makes his return to the lineup following a five-game absence and finds himself in an outstanding spot against the porous Dallas secondary.

Bosa injured his hip and oblique in the team’s Week 11 loss to the Seahawks, raising concerns after the veteran pass rusher came into the week with oblique discomfort. The new injury is reportedly on the other side, with initial reports indicating it could be a “compensation injury,” meaning the other muscles surrounding the affected area were working to overcome an injury elsewhere. Fans will want to keep an eye on his status after a devastating loss that dropped the 49ers into last place in the NFC West.

Havenstein has been working his way back from an ankle he injured in Week 9. After missing the last two games, McVay appears optimistic about Havenstein’s availability for what will be a pivotal NFC matchup against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football on NBC. We’ll see how things go in practice, but the Rams could soon have a key part of their offensive line back in the mix this weekend.

It is likely only being done to place Lloyd back on injured reserve after he (unbelievably) woke up with appendicitis on Friday. That will reset his IR clock when it happens. The third-round rookie has played 10 snaps this year while dealing with a variety of injuries and maladies.

He’ll miss at least the next four weeks, but the Lions have already said that he will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken forearm. He should be able to return before the end of the season or possibly the start of the playoffs. Anzalone has a career-best 72.2 PFF coverage grade this year.

Collins appears to be all the way back for the Texans heading into Monday night’s Week 11 matchup against the Cowboys. Collins was the league leader in receiving yards before getting injured in Week 5, and will now look to makeup for lost time in his return on Monday. He’ll be a high-end WR1 against a porous Cowboys defense and should see plenty of opportunities to build on what was shaping up to be a great season before his injury.

These Monday reports are always estimated. Moore finished Week 11’s game against the Saints with a 6/66/1 line and has seen 29 targets in three games since the Browns inserted Jameis Winston as their starter. He’ll be a viable WR3/FLEX play in Week 12 despite the bad matchup against Pittsburgh.

It likely doesn’t amount to much of a chance he misses anything, but it’s worth monitoring on Tuesday. Njoku has 19 receptions in three games with Jameis Winston under center and will be a reasonable TE1 play even against a tough Steelers defense on Thursday.

Thornton was waived by the Patriots last Saturday and now has a new home in Kansas City. The former No. 50 overall pick from the 2022 draft class has had a rough start to his career, appearing in just 28 games through three seasons while posting a line of 39-385-2 in those games. Thornton broke out in his fourth and final season at Baylor when he caught 62 passes for 948 yards and 10 touchdowns and became a second-round pick the following year. He blazed a 4.28 at the NFL Scouting Combine, but the speed has yet to translate to any kind of professional success. Now on the Chiefs’ practice squad, Thornton will look to restart his career with one of the league’s best teams.