NFL Player News

Irving missed the Buccaneers’ previous two practices but got on the field Friday, giving himself a chance at playing in Week 8. Fantasy managers hoping to avoid Tampa’s newly found “three-headed monster” will need to decide whether or not Irving or Sean Tucker is worth throwing into their lineups after both played behind Rachaad White in Week 7’s loss to the Ravens. Irving was bailed out of a pedestrian fantasy day thanks in part to a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but Tucker’s 4.8 PPR points left much to be desired. Irving was officially listed as questionable on the Bucs’ finally injury report. Taking Bowles at his word, Irving should be good to go by Sunday.

Sanders suffered a neck injury in the Panthers’ Week 12 loss to the Chiefs. While he avoided serious injury, the rookie was not expected to play this week following the scare. Tommy Tremble will serve as the Panthers’ TE1 this week while we now wait to see if Sanders will have a chance to play in Week 14 against the Eagles.

Coker did not practice this week and has now been ruled out. It will be the second consecutive game the rookie has missed since popping up on the injury report late last week. His absence doesn’t come as a surprise after head coach Dave Canales said on Wednesday that he didn’t expect Coker to play. We’ll see if he’s able to get on the field in Week 14 when the Panthers hit the road to take on the Eagles.

Brown knows how to climb the corporate ladder. Just 17 days after being named as the Bears’ interim offensive coordinator following the firing of Shane Waldron, Brown is now poised to take over as the Bears’ interim head coach with Matt Eberflus now gone. In three games as the Bears offensive coordinator, Brown head the team averaging 22.0 points per game and 363.3 yards per game — both totals are above the team’s average for the season. He’ll now have five weeks to show what he can do as a head coach, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bears fully gut the operation and rebuild its staff from the ground up.

Eberflus becomes the first head coach in the Bears’ 100-plus year history to be fired mid-season. Less than two hours after saying he was confident he would be coaching the Bears in Week 14’s game against the 49ers, the organization has decided to pull the plug on the embattled head coach after another underwhelming season. Thursday’s clock management gaffe may have been the final straw for Eberflus, who was already on the hot seat to start the season. A former defensive coordinator turned head coach in 2022, the Bears’ defense showed steady improvement under Eberflus’ watch and currently ranks ninth in points allowed per game. Unfortunately, the team never figured out its offensive identity, ranking 20th or worse in yards per game in each of the last three seasons. The hiring and firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in the same season was another indictment on Eberflus’ inability to get the right people in the building to propel the Bears in the right direction. Eberflus leaves the Bears with a 14-32 record while in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will now take over as the Bears’ interim head coach for the remaining five weeks of the season as the team prepares for yet another head coaching search this offseason.

Johnson was seen in the locker room throwing his shoes in frustration. The reason as to why was a mystery to reporters after Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys, but Daboll offered some clarity on that with Friday’s injury announcement. The rookie tight end caught five passes for 54 yards in the defeat, and has a receiving line of 39-331-1 on the year. Giants’ beat writer Art Stapleton said “Daboll does not sound optimistic” bout Johnson returning this season, but further tests will confirm that in the coming days.

Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow in the Giants’ Week 13 loss to the Cowboys. While that’s not always a season-ending injury, Lawrence’s injury comes with just five weeks left in what is a lost season for the Giants. One of the few bright spots on the Giants’ roster, Lawrence has totaled 44 tackles, nine sacks, and eight TFLs this season. It’s unlikely we see him play another down for the Giants in 2024.

Alexander suffered a torn Achilles last season while playing with the Steelers and has played in just three regular-season games this year. The former Pro Bowler has totaled eight tackles and a force fumble on just 65 defensive snaps, this season, per PFF, and will now be tasked with filling the role vacated by Malcolm Rodriguez, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 13’s game against the Bears. A 10-year veteran of the league, Alexander brings plenty of experience to a Lions linebacking corps that’s been ravaged by injuries this season.

Lamb suffered a shoulder injury in Thursday’s win over the Giants and did not play in the second half. With the Cowboys’ next game set for December 9th, Jones believes Lamb will have ample time to recover and play next Monday against the Bengals. Lamb has battled through a handful of injuries this season and has not missed a game. Lamb’s toughness has never been in doubt, but depending on how things shape up in the coming days, we shouldn’t assume the Cowboys would force the star receiver to play in what is a near meaningless game at this point in the season. We’ll see where things stand when the team releases its first injury report for the week on Thursday.

Milano has been a full participant in both practices to open the week and will presumably be a full participant again in Friday’s practice. The star linebacker suffered a torn biceps in training camp and has been working his way back to the field ever since. A full week of practice suggests he’s ready to go, but the Bills could delay his delay his return by another week if they wanted to take a more cautious approach.

Lawrence suffered a significant AC joint sprain in his non-throwing shoulder in Week 9 and was considering surgery as recently as Wednesday. While that option may still be on the table, Pederson said Lawrence “had a good week” of practice and said “as of right now” he would expect Lawerence to play. His return would provide an immediate boost to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., whose big play ability has been limited with Mac Jones under center. Lawrence should be viewed no higher than a mid-QB2 in his return.