NFL Player News

Bailey Zappe was promoted from the practice squad and will back up Mac Jones in Week 1. The Patriots claimed Corral from the Panthers last week but will pivot back to Zappe. Corral could re-sign to the Patriots’ practice squad if he clears waivers.

Johnson missed last week’s game against the 49ers with a concussion and will need to clear protocol if he hopes to play in Week 15 against the Vikings. Thursday’s injury report is just an estimation after the team held a walkthrough, so we’ll see how things progress in the coming days when the team officially takes to the practice field.

The Bears held a walkthrough on Thursday as they prepare for Monday night’s game against the Vikings, so Thursday’s report is just an estimation. Swift missed two practices with a quad injury last week but still suited up to play against the 49ers after logging a limited practice on Friday. This is the first we’ve heard about his groin injury, so we’ll assume it’s something minor until the team says otherwise.

Evans, 31, is nursing a hamstring injury that pre-dates the Buccaneers’ Week 11 bye. The veteran receiver opened last week with two missed practices before logging a limited session on Friday and ultimately being removed from the team’s final injury report. We’d expect him to follow a similar path for Week 15, and perhaps the rest of the season.

Irving has now missed two straight practices and is trending on the wrong side of playing in Week 15 against the Chargers. Head coach Todd Bowles said Irving needs his back “to loosen up” if he hopes to have a shot at playing this week, so we’ll see if any progress is made on that front come Friday. If he’s unable to play, Rachaad White would profile as a RB2, while Sean Tucker could have some upside as a streamer in deeper leagues.

Doubs remains in the league’s concussion protocol, but he was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice and will likely get in another full session on Thursday. The third-year receiver appears to be in line to clear protocol before the weekend, meaning he should be all systems go for Week 15 against the Seahawks. We should know by Friday whether or not he’s cleared protocol, but assuming he’s active, Doubs will be a solid WR3 play for the first week of the fantasy playoffs.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after it was reported earlier that the Browns will likely be without their star tight end this week. We’ll see if anything changes on Friday, but with offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey already talking about a tight end-by-committee approach against the Chiefs, it would seem this has already been decided.

An eight-year veteran of the league, Bolles has spent his entire career with the Broncos since being drafted by them with the No. 20 overall pick back in 2017. Bolles entered 2024 in the final year of a four-year extension he signed in 2020, but will now be under contract with the Broncos through the 2028 season. This year, Bolles has started all 13 games he’s appeared in, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade of 88.7 while allowing just one sack on 14 quarterback pressures. Bolles is playing some of the best football of his career, and has a chance to spend his entire career with one team after signing this new extension.

Thursday’s practice marks two straight for Downs, who appears to be trending toward a return after missing Week 13’s game against the Patriots. Downs was listed as limited on Wednesday’s injury report and will likely log another limited session on Thursday.

Greenlaw suffered a freak injury in the 49ers’ Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs when he suffered a torn Achilles while running from the sideline onto the field. The veteran linebacker is making a well-timed return for the Niners, who are currently 6-7 and likely need to win out if they hope to sneak into the NFC playoffs. Last season, Greenlaw totaled 120 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and five TFLs. He should provide immediate help for a 49ers defense that currently ranks 21st in points allowed per game. this season.

With Njoku unlikely to play in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said the team would likely go to a tight end by committee. It’s bad news all around for Njoku and his fantasy managers, who will need to have another plan in place with the star tight end likely out. Backup Jordan Akins has caught 24-of-36 targets this season for 243 yards and one touchdown, and would likely lead the Browns’ TE committee vs. the Chiefs, but there are likely better streaming options available for this first week of the fantasy playoffs.