NFL Player News

He continued to call Mixon “week to week,” but said the back was “definitely improving.” The Texans have been claiming Mixon as week-to-week for a solid month now. Practice participation is the guiding light and Mixon didn’t practice at all next week. We’d wait until we see Mixon practice two consecutive days before getting our hopes up that he’ll return again. Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers split the reps in Week 5 for the Texans, with Dameon Pierce also a possibility to get some reps in Week 6 if he can shake a hamstring injury.

The reports from Schefter somewhat contradict reports from Ian Rapoport, the latter of whom reported the Rice met with Dr. Dan Cooper today and it was revealed that he had torn his LCL. Schefter indicated that the star wide receiver would undergo further testing on Tuesday under anesthesia to fully diagnose the damage to the knee. While “not as bad as initially thought” and “confirmed torn LCL” are two very different things, all signs continue to point to a lost season for Rice. That said, if he did tear only the LCL, the recovery window would be two to three months faster than if he also damaged other ligaments. We’ll likely need to hear from the team before any conclusive statements can be made, which could come a early as Tuesday.

While the inactives list rather barren for a game in Week 5, the Chiefs are already without starting running back Isiah Pacheco and alpha wide receiver Rashee Rice through the first month of play, both of whom are expected to miss significant time. Additional emphasis is likely to be placed on veteran tight end Travis Kelce and recent re-signee Kareem Hunt in the meantime.

Hill had previously been ruled out earlier in the week but it is worth reiterating considering the stark splits from the New Orleans offense with Hill on and off the field. The team has scored 13 touchdowns with Hill on the field versus just three with him off through four weeks. Also inactive for the Saints are LB Willie Gay Jr., QB Spencer Rattler, LB Pete Werner, OL Cesar Ruiz, DT Kristian Boyd, and DE Payton Turner.

Brown has been battling to return from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 18 last season. The former third-round pick started in six of the 14 games he appeared in last year, totaling 45 tackles, 1 TFL, one interception, and one forced fumble. With his window to return opening this week, Brown will have 21 days for the team to activate him or rule him out for the remainder of the season.

Jones was suspended for the first five games of the season for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy. The veteran receiver signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals earlier this offseason and was thought to have a chance to compete for the WR2 job opposite Marvin Harrison. While that could still be the case, second-year Michael Wilson has been solid this far, totaling 19 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown on 26 targets. Even when he gets back up to speed, it’s hard to imagine Jones having much of a fantasy impact at this time.

Landman will have a chance to slide in for snaps with Troy Andersen battling injury. Fifth-rounder JD Bertrand is the other non-Kaden Elliss linebacker who started in Week 5. Landman started 14 games for the 2023 Falcons and had 110 total tackles. He had missed time due to a quadriceps injury.

Doubs was suspended for Week 5 for “conduct detrimental to the team” that reportedly stemmed from his decision to intentionally miss practice last week. Doubs reportedly met with the team on Monday to sort matters out, and will likely play in Week 6 against the Cardinals if all goes well. Doubs has started every game for the Packers this season and drew eight targets in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Vikings. We’ll see if he retains his starting role following last week’s suspension.

Pederson later said that Etienne Jr. will be “okay.” The shoulder continues to haunt Etienne Jr. on the injury report even if it isn’t keeping him from suiting up and playing. That’s provided a bigger runway for Tank Bigsby, though this suggests that Bigsby’s elevated usage may just be about protecting Etienne Jr. — it’ll be another mystery to figure out ahead of Week 6’s date with the Bears.

He will not return from the injured list today. He’ll likely get a real chance at playing in Week 6 after practicing on Thursday and Friday of this week. Jamaal Williams will continue to be the main backup for Alvin Kamara against Kansas City.

This doesn’t give us much to go on. Shakir missed Week 5’s loss to the Texans after injuring his ankle against the Ravens. While it doesn’t sound like he’s dealing with anything too long-term, it wouldn’t be surprising if he missed a game or two. With an extra day to heal before facing the Jets on Monday night, there’s a chance Shakir suits up. That said, we’ll have a better sense of where things stand when the practice report is released later in the week.