NFL Player News

The Vikings are about as healthy as they can hope to be heading into a must-win week against the Lions. The Vikings need more than a win to clinch a spot in the NFC playoffs, while a loss would knock them from playoff contention. With the Lions playing their starters, the Vikings will have their work cut out for them to keep their season alive.

Hill is currently under contract through 2026 and said last spring he may retire once his current deal expires. Whether or not that comes to fruition is to be determined, but regardless, Hill could still work out a new deal with the Dolphins if the team is interested in getting something done. Hill caught 119 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, leading the league in receiving yards. The recent new contracts signed by Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jaylen Waddle have increased the market for receivers, leaving more money to be had for the league’s top stars. Hill is undoubtedly deserving of a new contract, but with the bill also coming due for Tua Tagovailoa, it’s possible the veteran receiver will have to wait until Tagovailoa’s deal gets figured out.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini points out, Hall “did miss some OTA practices and the minicamp with an undisclosed ‘lower half’ injury, but it was out of precaution, according to Hall.” Hall played in all 17 games last season after seeing his rookie year come to an end in Week 7 due to a torn ACL. Despite the injury, Hall impressed in his second season, racking up 994 yards and five touchdowns on the ground while adding another 76-591-4 through the air. The every-down back is hoping to build on last year’s success now that he’s nearly two years removed from his injury, and the Jets are also returning quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Hall finished as the RB6 in fantasy points per game last season despite playing on an offense that ranked 29th in points per game and dead last in red zone scoring touchdown rate (32.4 percent). A fully healthy Hall and Rodgers could be enough to propel Hall into the overall RB1 in 2024 in what’s expected to be a much-improved offense.

In addition to Herbert’s early praise of McConkey, ESPN’s Kris Rhim writes that McConkey “has been perhaps the team’s best route runner” this offseason. The Chargers traded up in the second round to select McConkey, adding the rookie to a wide receiver room that traded away Keenan Allen to the Bears and saw Mike Williams join the Jets via free agency. Playing in a wide receiver room that’s lacking a clear WR1, McConkey has a chance to earn a significant role with the Chargers and take that role for himself with a strong showing in training camp and the preseason. Under head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Chargers are expected to deploy a run-heavy approach that could. While the target volume could be sparse at times, McConkey could turn into a reliable WR3 or better this season.

Reddick hasn’t done much with the Jets since the team acquired him from the Eagles in a trade this offseason. He skipped out on OTAs and mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason and could be at risk of holding out if a new deal isn’t reached before training camp. Reddick made it known earlier this year that he wanted a new contract from the Eagles before he was traded, making the Jets’ decision to acquire but not extend him a bit of an odd one. Reddick has totaled 27 sacks over his last two seasons with the Eagles and has been one of the league’s premiere pass rushers over the last four seasons. Set to turn 30 shortly after the start of the season, Reddick will earn $14.25 million on the final year of his deal.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as Lamb skipped voluntary workouts and also passed on attending mandatory minicamp. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported earlier that Lamb and the Cowboys were “expected to ‘speed up’” in early June, shortly after the Vikings signed Justin Jefferson to a four-year, $140 million extension, but there’s but little word on the two sides being anywhere closer to a deal than they were a few months ago. The Cowboys’ first day of training camp is scheduled for July 25, giving the team a soft deadline to get a deal done before this becomes a major headache before the start of the season. Lamb is set to earn $17.991 million on his fifth-year extension and went for 135-1749-12 last season.

Omenihu suffered a torn ACL against the Ravens in last year’s AFC Championship game. The former fifth-round pick posted a career-high seven sacks in just 11 regular season games last season while also tying a career-high with five TFLs. Given the timing of his injury, Omenihu isn’t expected to be ready by the start of Week 1, but the sixth-year vet appears to be on track to return at some point in the season and will look to reprise his breakout season with the Chiefs again in 2024.

The Patriots used the No. 37 pick in this year’s draft to select Polk and bolster a wide receiving corps that’s been underwhelming for the last several seasons. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound receiver has been described as a “self-starter” by head coach Jerod Mayo, and Reiss notes that Polk and rookie Drake Maye have put in a lot of extra work after practice. Polk broke out for 69-1,159-9 in his final season at Washington, splitting time both outside and in the slot. With second-year receiver Demario Douglas expected to play primarily in the slot this season, it’s possible Polk plays on the outside early and often for a team that’s in desperate need of young, productive players in the passing game. Polk is worth a late-round dart throw in deep PPR leagues, but fantasy managers shouldn’t bank on an overly-productive rookie campaign.

This comes after Aiyuk was spotted by TMZ Sports at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday. While we wouldn’t read too much into this, we know Aiyuk has attempted to reach an extension with the 49ers this offseason, and he said earlier on The Pivot podcast that he thinks he will play “a Niner uniform” in 2024 if he “were to take a guess.” The offseason saga between Aiyuk and the 49ers continues to be the biggest one in the league as teams prepare for training camp next month. After the star receiver opted to skip OTAs and minicamp this offseason, it’s possible he’ll become a training camp holdout if an extension isn’t reached by the time players report.

The Browns are banking on Jeudy reaching the potential teams saw in him back in 2020 when the Broncos drafted him with the No. 15 pick. After trading for him earlier this offseason, the Browns signed Jeudy to a three-year, $58 million extension, and The Athletic’s Zac Jackson speculated earlier this month that he could emerge as the Browns’ primary slot receiver. Jeudy has never amassed more than 972 receiving yards in a season but has averaged 6.0 YAC/REC over the last two seasons while averaging a solid 14.3 YPR. He’s currently going as a fringe WR5/WR6 in fantasy drafts and has the chance to turn into a late-round value in Ken Dorsey’s offensive scheme.

Shanahan added that the team has “guys that can run the ball” and noted that while McCaffery has proven capable of handling 20-plus carries a game, at some point, the team would “like to take some of that off of him and give [the ball] to other guys also. McCaffery signed a two-year extension with the 49ers in early June after rushing for 272-1,459-14 while adding another 67-564-7 through the air. The 28-year-old running back played in 10 of a possible 33 games from 2020-2021 but has played in all but one regular season contest over the last two years. A potential decline in touches for a back who led the league with 339 touches in 2023 is worrisome for fantasy managers, but McCaffrey’s efficiency and pass-catching upside will always keep his ceiling high. We’d also expect him to remain the preferred back near the goal line and high-value areas of the field. Fantasy managers should still feel comfortable taking him at the top of drafts this season.