NFL Player News

With Jalen Brooks (one target) and Jalen Tolbert (three targets) also getting run in the Cowboys’ receiving corps, Gallup is hardly fantasy relevant. He has had a disappointing season, moving down the pecking order amongst the Cowboys offensive weapons. Gallup can be left on fantasy benches for Week 13 against the Seahawks.

Fautanu said he was unsure if the move to left tackle would be permanent, but given the current situation with Broderick Jones and his neck injury, it wouldn’t be surprising if Fautanu played on the left side for most of the season. The team’s decision not to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option has also likely led to the decision to explore a new option at left tackle, and the selection of rookie Max Iheanachor in the first round of this year’s draft allows that flexibility. Fautanu has allowed two sacks on 663 career pass-blocking snaps, but will face a tougher challenge lining up on the left side.

Jones was in uniform and participated in warm-ups, but according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, he did not take part in any team drills. Jones is still working his way back from a neck injury that required a fusion surgery in March. Jones recently suffered a setback in his recovery, which likely factored into the team’s decision to decline his fifth-year option, but his presence at OTAs, even in a limited capacity, is an encouraging sign.

Speaking with Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Loomis declined to commit to keeping Kamara on the roster for this upcoming season. Kamara, who will turn 31 in July, is expected to lose significant work to free agent signee Travis Etienne, and the Saints are reportedly interested in adjusting his $10.4 million cap number if they do opt to keep him. Kamara is in the final year of his deal and has missed 13 games over the last three years. He had one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2025, totaling 657 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown while averaging a career-low 4.0 yards per touch. It sounds like there’s still a lot to be figured out here, but it’s worth noting that Kamara is on record saying he “couldn’t be happier” about having Etienne on the roster. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him and the Saints come to an agreement that satisfies both sides for this upcoming season, but those discussions don’t appear to have taken place.

After signing a one-year deal with the team over the weekend, Rodgers is officially back in Pittsburgh for the start of next season. The 42-year-old signal-caller was “one of the first guys in the building,” according to Pryor, and will be on the field for the first day of practice. Rodgers helped lead the Steelers to a 10-6 finish last season, providing adequate play at the position to keep the offense on schedule despite being more of a dink-and-dunk passer. We wouldn’t expect Rodgers to air it out any more than he did last year, but the addition of Michael Pittman gives him two solid receivers to work with along with Pat Freiermuth at tight end.

Boutte has been the subject of offseason trade talks and could soon be on the verge of getting replaced if the Patriots acquire A.J. Brown from the Eagles in the coming weeks. Boutte, 24, is in the final year of his rookie contract and caught 33 passes for 551 yards and six touchdowns last season. He has served primarily as a field stretcher for the Patriots over the last two seasons, and had the highest ADOT (17.5) of any pass catcher on the team last season who had 30 or more targets. We’ll see if Boutte reports when mandatory activities begin.

Perhaps more notable is Fowler’s report that Monken’s offensive concepts are things Watson “has run in the past and been his best at.” The drumbeat is steadily growing louder for Watson, who has gained steam in recent weeks as the preferred option to open 2026 as the Browns starter. Watson is in the final year of the record-setting contract he signed in 2022 and is also returning from a torn Achilles that he initially suffered in 2024 and later re-ruptured, which sidelined him for all of 2025. Watson has struggled as a starter with the Browns, throwing for 3,365-19-12 in 19 games while leading them to a 9-10 record. Watson and second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders figure to be the team’s top two options at the position whenever the team decides on a starter. But early reports continually point to Watson getting the first crack at the job.

Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud describes Irving as “the chair” of what looks to be a running back by committee with Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker. We’ll see what the price range settles in as for Irving, but it’s hard to imagine him as a top-40 pick based on the past week of updates. The story quotes OC Zac Robinson as saying “Shoot, one guy might get this amount the next week. They might end up balanced, feeling the hot hand, and we’ll see where it goes.”

Obviously Smith’s fantasy value took a huge hit with the addition of Kenneth Walker. But they also added Emari Demercado and moved up in the fifth round to draft Emmitt Johnson. Per Newell, “It all means Smith faces an important training camp. He’s a seventh-round pick, so the team doesn’t have a great amount invested in him if it does choose to move on.” Smith barely got a chance to run the ball last year, which was damning on its own considering how poor the running back room was, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he was a non-factor this year. He’s not a must-hold in dynasty formats.

The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider believes the position is no mistake as veteran guard Ben Powers enters the final year of his contract in 2026. Casey could be groomed as a long-term replacement for Powers if he demonstrates enough to the Broncos in his first season.

Ben Johnson has been quoted as saying ‘We’re not getting a rookie’ when talking about Jones, which feels like a bit of a giveaway that it could be even sooner than Week 11. Jones will have to beat out veteran Garrett Bradbury to win the role, but the drumbeat is that it will happen sooner rather than later.