NFL Player News

The Panthers made most of their moves on Sunday and Monday following their final preseason tune-up, but waited until Tuesday for their final three cuts. Let go were OT Cameron Erving, Mabin, and DT Taylor Stallworth. Also waived or released earlier in the week were QB Jake Luton, RB Camerun Peoples, WR Gary Jennings, WR CJ Saunders, T Larnel Coleman, DL Antwuan Jackson, LB Bumper Pool, S Collin Duncan, S Josh Thomas, CB Rejzohn Wright, K Matthew Wright, RB Spencer Brown, WR Shi Smith, WR Javon Wims, WR Josh Vann, OL Justin McCray, OL Michael Jordan, OL Deonte Brown, OL Sam Tecklenburg, OL JD Direnzo, DL Raequan Williams, OLB Kobe Jones, OLB Eku Leota, OLB Jordan Thomas, ILB Deion Jones, ILB Brandon Smith, ILB Ace Eley, S Eric Rowe, CB Keith Taylor, CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver, CB Herb Miller, CB Mac McCain, and CB Mark Milton.

It seems highly unlikely that the Eagles will start Pickett, as he and Jalen Hurts (concussion) are both working their way back from injury with a week to go before the NFC Wild Card round. With both likely to sit in Week 18 against the Giants, the Eagles could look to Tanner McKee to make his first career start after McKee completed 3-of-4 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s outing against the Cowboys.

Taylor-Britt appeared on Thursday’s injury report as a limited participant, indicating the big-bodied perimeter cornerback suffered the injury in practice. The Bengals frequently task Taylor-Britt with covering the opposition’s similarly sized No. 1 wide receivers, albeit to mixed results. George Pickens will likely have an easier day if Taylor-Britt is unable to play though.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson played through a calf injury as the Browns’ starter last week, completing just 24-of-47 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown. The team is evidently ready to see what Zappe has in store. The third-year player has flashed talent at times, playing for the Patriots in his first two seasons. He is not a recommended QB1 starter in Week 18.

Warren is playing very well at the moment, banking RB21 and RB8 finishes over the last two weeks. He practiced in full over the last two days over the last two days so fantasy managers can expect him to handle his typical workload against a Bengals defense that just placed star DT Sheldon Rankins on the reserve/non-football illness list.

After being listed as an estimated DNP on Wednesday, Odunze was a DNP on Thursday due to an illness. We don’t often see players miss games due to illnesses, so we’ll see where things stand on Friday when the team releases its final report. Odunze has caught 52 passes for 716 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie campaign and will look to end the season on a high note against the Packers if he’s active.

Porter missed Week 17 but appears to be in good health now. He practiced in full Tuesday through Thursday. The Steelers are currently jockeying for playoff seeding so Porter’s return is meaningful. He and Ja’Marr Chase should take a fair number of snaps against each other.

According to Fowler, part of this belief stems from what those in the industry consider to be “a weak candidate pool.” Despite the Cowboys’ shortcomings this season, the team has fought its way to a 7-9 season and has a chance to pick up one more win with a victory over the Commanders in Week 18. Under backup quarterback Cooper Rush the Cowboys are 4-4 with notable wins over the Commanders and Buccaneers. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after the team’s Week 16 win over the Buccaneers that he is “real, real proud” of the way the team has played for McCarthy amidst a lost season. McCarthy is on the final year of his contract, meaning his return would come with a new deal. It’s unlikely the Cowboys would rush to a decision on the long-time head coach, but we’ll see just how quickly things move when their season concludes on Sunday.

Sanders was designated to return from injured reserve on Wednesday. After being listed as a full participant on Wednesday, Sanders was a limited participant on Thursday, which may create some cause for concern. Whether Thursday’s limited practice is due to load management or a setback is anybody’s guess at this time. We’ll have a better sense of his Week 18 availability when the Panthers’ final injury report is released on Friday.

Higgins was limited in practice throughout the week and will officially carry a questionable tag into the weekend. Fresh off a three-touchdown performance in Week 17 against the Broncos, Higgins should be good to go on Saturday, barring any setbacks in a game that’s a must-win for the Bengals if they hope to have any chance of sneaking into the playoffs.