NFL Player News

Neal is entering his third year in the league and has yet to live up to the potential that made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Presumably still rehabbing from an ankle injury that required surgery back in January, Neal was believed to be ready to return close to camp. Instead, he was placed on the PUP list at the start of training camp, and little has been said of when he may return to the field. When he does return, it’s possible Neal will be without a starting job after it was reported earlier that Jermaine Eluemunor would man the right tackle spot while Greg Van Roten slots in at right guard.

Joe Mixon was ruled out on Friday. Without Pierce or Mixon, Cam Akers will see the bulk of the carries for Houston once again. Akers rushed 13 times for 53 yards in Week 4. He only has one catch as the starter, albeit for a touchdown, making him nothing more than a two-down RB3 for his upcoming matchup with Buffalo.

Wills suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2023. He returned to action two weeks ago but re-aggravated the injury in that same game. Though pitch counts aren’t common for offensive linemen, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Browns limit Wills’ workload this week.

Njoku suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1 and has been out ever since. He returned to practice last week for one limited session but was still held out on Sunday. Njoku got in two practices this week before being listed as questionable. The combination of a pitch count and Cleveland’s struggling offense will keep Njoku from cracking the TE1 ranks in his first game back, though fantasy managers can still gamble on him as a high-ceiling TE2.

The Chiefs are hoping to get clarity on Rice’s long-term outlook following the procedure, which is presumably a knee scope. Patrick Mahomes collided with Rice’s knee in Week 4 and the team believes Rice tore his ACL. However, because of swelling in his knee, the team hasn’t been able to get a definitive answer on the nature of his injury yet. As Schefter notes, Rice’s outlook will play a determining factor in Kansas City’s interest in acquiring a wide receiver on the trade market. Rice is currently on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least four games, though it’s safe to assume he will be out much longer than that.

Head coach Robert Saleh told reporters earlier this week that Corley was still behind a group of receivers on the depth chart. He has now been a healthy scratch in consecutive weeks and appears to be trending in the wrong direction. The rookie has one catch for four yards this year.

No surprises here as the Vikings did not have anyone listed as questionable heading into this game. Rypien is designated as the team’s third quarterback.

Mariota rejoins the team after suffering a pectoral injury during the summer and missing the first four games of the season. He should immediately slot into the primary backup quarterback role behind starter Jayden Daniels, sending Jeff Driskel back to the emergency quarterback role on game days.

Robinson popped on the team’s injury report Wednesday as a non-participant with a knee injury, also missing Thursday’s practice. He would return as a limited participant on Friday and apparently did enough to avoid an absence. He will be joined by backfield-mate Austin Ekeler against the Browns after the latter missed last week’s win over the Cardinals with a concussion.

Horton was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma in November of 2023 and was forced to step away from football to battle the illness. Now 11 months removed from the diagnosis and in remission, Horton will return to the field for the first time in almost a year in Week 5 against the Bills.

Edwards-Helaire was limited in practice all week with an illness but ultimately drew the doubtful tag. Considering only two players played after being listed as doubtful in 2023, it’s safe to consider Edwards-Helaire a long shot to face the Saints. Kareem Hunt led the Kansas city backfield in snaps and opportunities in their Week 4 win, with Edwards-Helaire’s expected absence paving the way for him to do so again in Week 5.