NFL Player News

New England used a second round pick on Thornton (50th overall) just three years ago, but he was a healthy inactive each of the last two weeks while the Patriots dressed six wide receivers. Rumors swirled that the team was open to trading Thornton before the deadline, but there weren’t any takers. He’s likely to go unclaimed on waivers before finding a spot on another team’s practice squad. Thornton ends his Patriots career with 39 catches, 385 yards and two touchdowns in 28 games.

Mayer was a full participant in practice this week. While he’s still listed as questionable for Week 11 against the Dolphins, expect him to suit up now that he’s been taken off injured reserve. Due to the presence of Brock Bowers, Mayer is merely the team’s TE2 and not on the fantasy radar.

Rodgers told the media this week he thinks he’ll play again in next year. He has 23 and a half million reasons to suit up again at age-41. Russini states that Rodgers’ Jets future is uncertain with eight weeks remaining in the season. New York has catered to all of his needs, mainly allowing him to play with his favorite receivers and hiring Nathaniel Hackett. None of it has translated to more wins for the Jets, who have to think about their long-term future at the most important position in football this offseason, regardless of what they end up doing with Rodgers. New York would have the eighth overall pick in the draft if the season ended today, but a lot can change in the next eight weeks.

Vrabel, currently working as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, was canned by the Titans after two down years. Russini notes that the culture builder archetype of coach are expected to be hot commodities this offseason. With lots of jobs expected to open up and Vrabel’s desire to coach, conditions should allow him to have options for his next stop. He was 54-45 in six years at the helm of the Titans.

Rapoport also reports Cooper “is officially listed as questionable so [we’re] not certain on his status yet” but notes that Cooper “envisions” himself playing against the Chiefs. Fantasy managers should tentatively expect Cooper to play this weekend. He can be started as a WR2/3.

Popper mentions Bosa has “played 20, 19 and 20 snaps in the past three games, respectively.” The Chargers have smartly managed Bosa’s recovery this season and although they face an uphill battle in overtaking the 9-0 Chiefs, the 6-3 Chargers have decent odds of securing a playoff spot. Bosa should be around for the long haul, thanks to the Chargers’ conservative training staff.

McCaffrey got a light workload in practice this week and will continue to do so as the 49ers look to keep everyone fresh for the playoff push. He’s good to go for Week 11. Coming off a 19-touch outing in his 2024 debut, McCaffrey is fighting for the top overall running back spot for the final two months of the season.

Edwards returned from injured reserve because of the ankle issue last week. he ran 10 times for 55 yards in LA’s win over the Titans. His limited practices this week were nothing more than workload management. Officially cleared for action, Edwards is pushing for an RB3 ranking in a sneaky shootout with the Bengals.

Mack “played” last week after being listed as questionable, though he was only on the field for four snaps and did not record a stat of any kind. He did not practice once leading up to Sunday and was on the same practice regimen this week. We expect him to suit up once again, though the risk of another single-digit snap count should have IDP managers looking elsewhere.

Mayer was a full participant in all three practices this week. He remains on the reserve/NFI list but should be removed over the weekend. His questionable tag is likely a formality. With Harrison Bryant out for Week 11, Mayer should immediately slot in as the team’s TE2.

Jennings picked up an ankle injury in Thursday’s practice but it will not prevent him from playing. He practiced in full on Friday. Fantasy managers should fire Jennings up as a WR2 with high-end upside. The game’s 48.0-point over/under suggests this NFC West showdown will be a high-scoring affair.