NFL Player News

This one comes as a bit of a surprise for a team with as many concerns as the Broncos have a running back. Despite his UDFA status, Watson is a talented rookie who made the Broncos 53-man roster out of training camp. The former Memphis product amassed more than 3,200 yards on the ground in his five-year college career, and added another 113-928-6 through the air. Watson would make for an intriguing signing for several teams in need of help at the position. If he clears waivers, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him revert to the Broncos’ practice squad.

Per Schultz, Giants owner John Mara is evaluating the two independently, meaning one could be fired after the season with the other sticking around. Schultz added that “exploratory calls” about this scenario have already been made. Two years after going 9-7-1 and winning a playoff game in their first season in New York, Schoen and Daboll bottomed out in 2024 with a 3-13 record heading into Week 18. Daniel Jones was benched and then cut, leaving the Giants with a hefty dead cap hit and no answers at quarterback in his wake. The team is at the ground floor of yet another rebuild, and it’s possible Mara wants to give a new brain trust the reins as he starts from square one.

The Jaguars are presumably letting go of head coach Doug Pederson, though neither he nor Baalke have been shown the door yet. Pederson’s firing is a foregone conclusion while Schultz seems to think the same is true of Baalk. He noted, “It appears the decision-makers decided this week that a full sweep would be necessary.” Ben Johnson is the big name on every owner’s radar as the coaching carousel gets spinning. Johnson turned down jobs last offseason to stay in Detroit but is expected to make the leap this time around. Having a young nucleus on offense and the option to work with a fresh general manager would make Jacksonville a particularly attractive spot for Johnson or any other rising star in coaching circles.

Anzalone was activated from injured reserve over the weekend. He landed on IR after suffering a fractured forearm in Week 11. Per Rapoport, the Lions will monitor his snaps tonight and he will play with a special pad designed to protect his arm. Getting Anzalone back is a step in the right direction for a Detroit defense that has been plagued by injuries this season.

Hurts did not practice this week before being ruled out for a meaningless Week 18 game. While the NFL has taken concussions far more seriously in recent years, we don’t see any way Hurts doesn’t make it back in time for the Eagles’ Wild Card Round matchup with either the Commanders or Packers. Tanner McKee will start today with Kenny Pickett also banged up. Philly’s practice report will be one to monitor throughout the leadup to next week’s games.

Flowers suffered a knee sprain in Baltimore’s Week 18 win over the Browns and did not return. Per Rapoport, he will undergo an MRI today to determine the severity of the issue. The good news is that the win gave Baltimore the AFC North crown and the No. 3 seed. They are likely to face a toothless Steelers team in the opening round of the playoffs, after which Flowers could make his return. Until then, Lamar Jackson will lean on Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, both of whom scored in Week 18.

Pickett suffered the rib injury in relief of Jalen Hurts in Week 16. He attempted to play through the issue last week but only made it three quarters before aggravating the injury and exiting the game. He failed to practice at all this week and was listed as questionable, a designation he was never going to play through with nothing on the line for Philly in Week 18. Tanner McKee will get his first career start today.

Now on the NFI list, Whitehead is required to miss at least four games, though Rapoport’s comments suggest even a deep playoff run would not be enough time for the veteran safety to return. Whitehead suffered a torn pec in Week 12 and was placed on injured reserve. The team had recently designated him to return from injured reserve and he was questionable for Week 18. Per Rapoport, Whitehead should be okay in the long term. His season ends with three pass breakups, two TFLs, and 79 combined tackles.

Jalen Hurts is out with a concussion and Kenny Pickett is listed as questionable with a rib injury. He did not practice this week meaning McKee was all but guaranteed to make the start after Friday’s injury report. A third-round pick in the 2023 draft, McKee was a successful pocket passer at Stanford. He also showed well in relief of Pickett last week, throwing for 54 yards and two scores on just four attempts. He will be playing with the backups this week as Philly rests their starters, so we shouldn’t expect much fantasy output from anyone involved.

Rapoport didn’t rule Mooney out but reiterated that it is an uphill battle for the veteran receiver to play this week. Mooney suffered the shoulder injury in practice and was downgraded to a DNP on Friday, a bad sign for his Week 18 outlook. Assuming he doesn’t suit up, KhaDarel Hodge will step into the three-receiver rotation alongside Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud.

As Schefter notes, Pollard needs 83 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to reach $450K in incentives from his contract. Facing a Texans team that is likely to pull their starters early, Pollard should be able to get the yardage total and at least one score. Pollard will see plenty of work with Tyjae Spears sidelined for the final game of the year, putting him at the top of the WR2 ranks for Week 18.