NFL Player News

Firkser caught just nine passes in 11 games for the Falcons last season, deployed mostly as a a blocking tight end in Atlanta’s run-first offense. He managed 73 receptions and three touchdowns between 2020 and 2021 as a rotational player for the Titans. Entering his sixth NFL season, Firkser has a decent shot of making New England’s final roster if the team keeps three or four tight ends.

Beckham has now practiced in full for the second time this week and appears ready for a return imminently. Beckham is only a bench stash for the time being, given the Dolphins quarterback situation. He could eventually draw flex consideration with Tua Tagovailoa potentially under center though.

Mostert continues to pile up limited practices as he targets a return to the field. After hoping to play in Week 4 against the Titans, the Dolphins opted to sit the veteran running back for at least one more week. There’s a good chance he’ll be active for Week 5 against the Patriots, but we may not know until Friday when the team releases its final injury report.

With his 21-day window now open, Bourne continues to work his way back from last year’s season-ending injury. The Patriots can activate him at any time but don’t have to force him on the field in Week 5. We’ll likely know by Friday if the team plans to activate him or sideline him for at least one more week.

The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman reports, Matt LaFleur said “I would hope so,” when asked if Doubs will return to practice on Friday. Regarding Doubs’ Sunday availability for the Packers’ Week 5 game against the Rams, LaFleur said “I don’t know. We’ll take it one day at a time.” It’s possible this is just LaFleur playing coy but Doubs’ status now deserves monitoring. We will provide updates as soon as possible.

Rice landing on IR was a matter of when not if. After suffering a devastating knee injury in the Chiefs’ Week 4 win over the Chargers, head coach Andy Reid said things didn’t look good for Rice, who was carted off the field. We don’t yet know the full-extent of his injury, but the team reportedly fears Rice suffered a torn ACL, which would end his season. Reid said earlier on Thursday that they were waiting for the swelling in Rice’s knee to go down before running any additional tests.

Davis was unable to play in Week but appears on track to return for Week 5. He will play a key role in the Saints’ game plan against Travis Kelce. Hopefully, Davis is able to make it through the week without suffering any setbacks.

Hill was listed as a DNP with a rib injury on Thursday, but now we know the specifics of his injury. Plenty of players have played through fractured ribs, so there’s still a chance Hill is on the field for Week 5 against the Chiefs. Hill and the Saints play on Monday night, giving him some extra time to heal up. Thursday is also their first practice of the week, meaning there are two more opportunities for him to get on the field before receiving an injury designation. We’ll see how this one unfolds in the coming days.

It is too early to tell if Miller will suit up soon but he should be stashed on fantasy benches regardless. Miller broke 10 tackles on just 41 rushing attempts as a 2023 rookie and would fit in as a capable complement to Alvin Kamara, if active.

With Jaelan Phillips (knee) out for the season, the Dolphins claimed Bowser off the Seahawks’ practice squad, adding him to their 53-man roster. Bowser is a seven-year veteran of the league who has tallied 19.5 sacks and 22 TFLs in his career. He’ll likely start off as a situational pass rusher for the Dolphins, and could be active as early as Week 5.

Hill has an extra day to recover with the Saints facing the Chiefs on Monday night. The volatile do-it-all tight end offers as high a ceiling as any, though suffering two chest injuries in the season’s first four weeks may reduce his workload, if active.