NFL Player News

The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft was always expected to be named the starter, but credit the Bears for not wasting time with a phony quarterback camp battle before naming him the starter. Behind Williams is former Division II quarterback Tyson Bagent and NFL journeyman Brett Rypien — far from stiff competition for Williams. Now officially named as the starter, Williams will take all of the starting quarterback reps in camp and throughout the preseason as he prepares for his Week 1 opener in September.

As Jones pointed out in his weekly interview, the most important thing is winning, not evaluating. Rush, who had one of the worst quarterback performances in modern NFL history in Week 10, threw for 354-1-1 in Week 11 on 55 pass attempts. There’s a strong push from fans and media for the Cowboys to start Lance, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but sitting at 3-7, the Cowboys are still focused on winning games. There’s a good chance we’ll see Lance at some point this season, but Dallas is clearly prepared to lean into Rush for at least one more week against the Commanders. We’ll see if Sunday’s performance changes any minds heading into Week 13.

Evans was limited in Wednesday’s practice and will likely be limited again on Thursday. The veteran receiver is working his way back from a severe hamstring injury that has caused him to miss the Buccaneers’ last three games, but he is reportedly planning to play in Week 12 against the Giants. Evans will project as a WR2 in his first game back.

Horn is reportedly dealing with a calf injury and was limited in practice on Wednesday due to the injury. Horn presumably went into the Panthers’ Week 11 bye at full health, so it’s possible this is a minor injury he suffered during the team’s bye week. Barring any setbacks, it sounds like the team is expecting to see him in this week’s game against the Chiefs.

Injuries to Zamir White (quad) and Alexander Mattison (ankle) will shoehorn Laube into Sunday’s rotation. The rookie sixth-round pick hasn’t been active since losing a fumble on his first career touch back in Week 6 against the Steelers, but it sounds like he and Ameer Abdullah could be slated for busy days against one of the league’s top defenses. Laube could offer some upside as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s AFC West showdown, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be flocking to put him in their starting lineups. If the matchup wasn’t challenging enough as is, the Raiders have been one of the worst rushing teams in the league all season. Pro Football Focus has them graded as the fifth-worst run-blocking team in all of football. Laube is better used as a stash rather than a start in Week 12, even with a tough week of byes on tap.

Shenault left Week 11 against the 49ers early and did not return. He now starts out the week listed as DNP on Wednesday. If Shenault cannot get a practice in by the end of the week, the Seahawks’ special teams depth will be tested. Dee Williams is the team’s other primary returner if Shenault does not play Week 12 against the Cardinals, though Williams (ankle) also did not practice Wednesday.

Fant remains out due to a groin injury he suffered in Week 8. He has yet to practice since suffering the injury, leaving rookie AJ Barner as the starting tight end. Fellow TE Brady Russell (foot) was also listed as DNP while TE Pharaoh Brown (elbow) was a full participant. No Seahawks tight end options are appealing at this point of the season.

Demercado was listed as a limited participant in the Cardinals’ first official practice report of the week. He was the only offensive skill position player listed with an injury designation. The backfield is mostly James Conner and Trey Benson, with Demercado chipping in every once in a while. If Demercado cannot go Week 12 against the Seahawks, it does not shift fantasy stances by much.

Bryant, the team’s No. 3 TE, and No. 4 TE Justin Shorter (illness) were both unable to practice on Wednesday but, fortunately, No. 2 TE Michael Mayer (personal) returned to play in Week 11 after an extended absence. Mayer’s presence helps negate concern over depth.

Havenstein still has Thursday and Friday to test out his injured ankle but it would have been nice to see him participate in a limited capacity on Wednesday. Former starter/backup T Joe Noteboom (ankle) did resume practicing in a limited capacity though, which bodes positively for his Week 12 availability.

Bosa had been rehabilitating a combination hip and oblique injury for weeks, entering Week 11. He pulled up lame in-game while rushing the passer and was later reported to have strained his other oblique. Bosa’s inability to participate on Wednesday was expected but is still concerning. He is truly questionable for Week 12.