NFL Player News

Parsons has been absent from Cowboys OTAs as a new contract looms ahead for him. However, he told Slater that he will be “in house” for media responsibilities next week and for minicamp. Parsons is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal and while the Cowboys picked up his fifth-year option, the All-Pro is headed for a payday soon. Every missed offseason activity, such as OTAs, brings speculation of a holdout. The fact that Parsons plans to report for media duties and minicamp should ease Cowboys fans’ concerns at least for a little bit.

This has been a strange one, as there was zero indication heading into Week 1 that Allen’s season-ending heel injury from 2023 was still an issue. He got in three limited practices before being slapped with his questionable tag. It’s pretty clear Allen is going to suit up for his Bears debut, but we suppose the question now is how many snaps he can handle and targets he can command. For what it’s worth, Allen’s camp reports were positive after his weight imbroglio.

Aka, Wilson senses his job could already be on the line and wants to play through it, but the Steelers understandably don’t want to start a sack-taking machine if he can’t even move properly. Russ is an all-time lobbyist, but every sign continues to point toward Justin Fields getting the call vs. the Falcons.

Chark will now miss the first four weeks of the regular season, at minimum, after sustaining a hip injury sometime in the week leading up to the team’s first game. Expect the bulk of the pass offense to flow through Joshua Palmer and rookie Ladd McConkey to start the season.

Hopkins told reporters earlier in the week that he is dealing with a torn MCL and is attempting to play through it, with his ultimate snap rate likely coming down to pain management. Hopkins returned to limited practices this week after sitting out three weeks with an injury initially disclosed as a knee sprain. The fact that he tore his MCL does not instill confidence for the veteran pass-catcher to start the season, forcing fantasy managers to look for additional options if they are available.

Humphrey has experience in head coach Sean Payton’s system while Burton likely gets the elevation to serve as the starting fullback in Sean Payton’s offense. Neither is worthy of fantasy consideration for opening weekend.

McCaffrey was limited in practice throughout the week but reportedly avoided any setbacks from his strained calf. While it doesn’t appear he is any danger of missing Monday Night Football’s game against the Jets, fantasy managers would be wise to expect a slight dip in volume after McCaffrey sat out the final two weeks of preseason and was limited all week leading up to the game. That could mean additional snaps and opportunities for Jordan Mason with Elijah Mitchell done for the season.

Chase was already listed as questionable due to his offseason hold-in as he sought a new contract, with an update placed on that designation today that added an illness. It certainly appears as if Chase is legitimately questionable for the team’s Week 1 contest against the Patriots. Head coach Zac Taylor has already stated that the alpha wide receiver would be limited even if he suited up, which could place the team in uncomfortable territory considering Tee Higgins is listed as doubtful with a hamstring injury that popped up on Thursday. Slot wide receiver Andre Iosivas is unlikely to see his role grow in the absence of the top two wide receivers, but he could see an increase to targets per route run.

Love went down awkwardly with just five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter in Friday’s loss to the Eagles, staying down on the field for a while before being helped off the field by trainers. Love appeared to be in excruciating pain prior to limping to the sideline. Initial testing ruled out an ACL tear while follow-on testing revealed a sprained MCL. Packers nation can breathe a collective sigh of relief after what looked to be a devastating injury. Love will likely require significant time to rehab the sprain but it is not thought to be a season-ending injury. Further word on the expected rehab timeline should be passed by the team in the coming days.

Skowronek should fill a depth role on offense while contributing to special teams and is not in the fantasy discussion for Week 1 barring injury. The elevation likely has a lot to do with rookie Roman Wilson’s absence for Sunday for a team lacking in depth at the wide receiver position.

The team elevated quarterback Sam Hartman from the practice squad in an associated move, who is likely to serve as the emergency quarterback behind starter Jayden Daniels and backup quarterback Jeff Driskel. Mariota began the offseason in a competition with the first-round rookie before injuring his pectoral, prompting the move to injured reserve. Even so, the 30-year-old journeyman was a long shot to earn the starting job over the promising rookie.