NFL Player News

For those keeping score at home, that would suggest Giants OC Mike Kafka is no longer in the running for the Cardinals’ head coaching vacancy. Weinfuss added in his report that the team could make a decision on its coach as early as Monday night, bringing an end to one of the longer searches of the offseason. The Cardinals have already met twice with Anarumo and are scheduled to meet with Gannon on Monday. The Cardinals struggled offensively last season even when Kyler Murray was healthy, but their defense left a lot to be desired, ranked 31st in points allowed per game (26.4) and 21st in yards allowed per game.

Russini reports that, had the Broncos accepted, the Niners would have then shipped Aiyuk to the Steelers. All this is kind of pointless counterfactual, but it underscores the fact that Aiyuk’s return is strictly a business decision for both sides. Aiyuk was willing to play hardball and the 49ers were unwilling to harm their 2024 championship odds. It’s also a clear indication the Niners aren’t counting on instant contributions from 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall.

In a saga that produced more rumors and cryptic social media posts than any contract standoff in recent memory, Aiyuk ends up back where he started. He — understandably — failed to net CeeDee Lamb or Justin Jefferson money, but he’s now in line with Amon-Ra St. Brown. Although he’s probably just shy of being a true alpha, Aiyuk is in the right place at the right time in Kyle Shanahan’s ultra-efficient offense. He’s a safe bet in the WR10-14 range for weekend drafters even after barely practicing this summer. Only 26 years old, Aiyuk should remain a strong Dynasty asset for at least the next 2-3 years.

McVay is presumably saying Nacua will “be ready to roll” for Week 1 when his team will take on the Lions to kick off the season. Nacua has been dealing with a knee injury throughout much of camp but returned to practice earlier this week and was practicing in full on Thursday. After totaling 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns last season, Nacua has set the bar high for this upcoming season. He profiles as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 when Cooper Kupp is healthy, but would have top-five fantasy upside if Kupp were ever to miss time.

Young was a third-round pick of the Raiders just last season but was let go during roster cutdowns. Young totaled four tackles in six games as a rookie while appearing on 99 defensive snaps. The Raiders bolstered their defensive line this offseason when they went out and signed Christian Wilkins to a deal. With that said, Young failing to stick on a roster after just one year in the league isn’t a great look for his long-term future. We’ll see if the Eagles can get more out of him this season.

Chosen spent last season with the Dolphins, appearing in nine games while posting a 4-126-1 line on six targets. Chosen can be claimed by another team as an addition to their 53-man roster at any time, but the speedster appears unlikely to make much of a real and/or fantasy impact this season.

Douglas also added that he has “faith that this will all get resolved.” It’s a bold statement by Douglas, who bears a lot of weight when it comes to resolving the months-long standoff between the team and their star pass rusher. Reddick was seeking a new contract from the Eagles before being traded to the Jets and is now waiting for a payday that seems unlikely to come from his new team. Reddick demanded a trade from the Jets a little more than two weeks ago, prompting a quick response from Douglas, who said, “We will not trade him.” Everything is perfectly normal in Jets Land, with less than two weeks to go before the start of the season.

The Chargers claimed RB Hassan Haskins (6-foot-2, 228 pounds) off waivers on Wednesday, evidently seeking a big-bodied backup to compete for rotational snaps. Patterson (5-foot-8, 195 pounds) is largely a passing-down contributor and sixth-round rookie RB Kimani Vidal (5-foot-8, 215 pounds) can theoretically play on all three downs. Vidal totaled at least 22 targets in all four seasons at Troy while earning a promising 79.3 PFF pass-blocking grade in his senior season. The Chargers’ backfield is beginning to take shape with situational backups falling into place.

Mustipher bolsters the Chargers’ offensive line, having started 42 games in four combined seasons with the Ravens and Broncos. The Chargers also signed TE Eric Tomlinson to the practice squad while waiving CB Robert Kennedy.

Jones must miss at least the next four games before being eligible for a return. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals added linebacker Krys Barnes to the active roster. The Cardinals used the No. 90 overall pick in this year’s draft on Jones to help bolster a secondary that struggled in its first season under head coach Jonathan Gannon. Jones will be eligible to return in Week 5 when the Cardinals travel to San Francisco to take on the Niners.

Daniels’ 2023 rookie season was derailed by a torn rotator cuff. His new landing spot will hopefully allow him to compete for a backup role for a Texans’ squad that was likewise hit by significant injuries last year. Also signed by the Texans on Thursday were TE Cole Fotheringham, WR Xavier Johnson, S Mark Perry and QB Kedon Slovis.