NFL Player News

No one on the Giants covered themselves in glory in Tommy DeVito’s 2024 starting debut, but Tracy had one of the roughest afternoons. With the G-Men trailing 23-0, Tracy lost a goal-line fumble on their opening drive of the second half. Disastrous, especially when paired with his giveaway against the Panthers in Week 10. Book-ending a bye week with fumbles is going to be a massive issue for any rookie, though the go-nowhere Giants lack incentive to bench Tracy. That being said, he lost a goal-line look to Devin Singletary the following drive and didn’t see another touch until there were five minutes remaining. We will still fire Tracy up as a Week 13 RB2 against the Cowboys’ awful run defense, but there is growing volatility here.

Bourne spent the first four years of his career with the 49ers before joining the Patriots during the 2021 offseason. He has never surpassed 800 yards in a season and was phased out by the Patriots this offseason, which ultimately led to the team’s decision to release him. The Niners are dealing with multiple injuries at receiver, which could create an immediate opening for playing time for Bourne should the two sides reunite. According to Schultz, if Bourne and the Niners don’t agree to a deal, he is scheduled to visit with the Commanders on Tuesday.

A former UDFA who made the Steelers’ 53-man roster during the 2022 season, Warren is now being rewarded for his efforts with a multi-year extension. Since joining the Steelers, Warren has rushed for 346-1,674-6 while adding another 127 receptions for 894 scoreless yards over that span. The fourth-year back is set to open the season as the Steelers’ RB1, but will have to fight off rookie Kaleb Johnson, who was drafted with the No. 83 overall pick in this year’s draft. Warren profiles as a decent RB2 for fantasy based on his expected volume, but his underwhelming touchdown production has limited his upside thus far in his career. He’s far from a must-start in Week 1 against the Jets.

There’s no way to know what we should expect from Waller, who is attempting to return to football after a year away and missed most of training camp. The veteran tight end could see a very limited workload in Week 1 as he returns to action, and shouldn’t be counted on in fantasy until we see him earning a reliable snap share and/or target share.

Achane is expected to return to practice on Monday and will play in Week 1 if he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, per McDaniel. The Dolphins’ RB1 should see a solid workload in his season debut after averaging 17.1 opportunities per game last season while totaling 1,499 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. His status will be one to track throughout the week, but it’s safe to say things are trending in the right direction to start the week.

According to a Fort Lauderdale PD report, one witness to the incident involving Crow “stated he observed (Crow) with his arms around the victim as if he was going to perform a takedown,” while also noting that the victim’s legs “were off the ground” and the victim “looked terrified.” A second witness said Crow was “throwing slaps and trying to grapple the victim” before law enforcement was contacted. The team appears willing to let the legal process play out before making any decisions on whether or not Crow will remain with the team.

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bengals plan to start Pennel on the practice squad with plans to elevate him “early in the season.” Pennel has spent the last two seasons with the Chiefs, totaling 29 tackles and three sacks in 20 games while also notching four TFLs. The veteran has played primarily in a depth role during his career, starting in just 25 of the 138 games he’s appeared in. He’ll likely see a similar role with the Bengals once he’s elevated to the active roster.

Judkins still hasn’t signed his rookie contract, but the rookie second-rounder could finally be back with the team after spending all summer away following an arrest for domestic battery. Judkins’ return may not lead to immediate playing time, as he’ll likely need some time to get into football shape and get acclimated to the offense. He’ll likely earn his way on the field at some point this season, but it’s hard to imagine Judkins making an immediate impact in the early part of the season. Jerome Ford and rookie Dylan Sampson remain the preferred targets in fantasy drafts.

Diggs is still working his way back from a season-ending knee injury, and while he avoided the PUP list to start the season, Rapoport said after speaking to team reporters that some have suggested his return will be “no later than Week 4.” It’s an odd way to phrase things, but it doesn’t sound like there’s much optimism that Diggs will be ready in time for Thursday night when the Cowboys visit the Eagles to kick off the season. That said, a return before Week 4 would make some sense, given that Diggs would have been forced to miss the first four weeks had he opened the season on the PUP list. With official practice reports set to be released this week, we’ll gain a better sense of Diggs’ availability once we see how the team lists his participation.

McDuffie had his fifth-year option picked up by the team earlier this offseason and is now under contract through the 2026 season. McDuffie earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and was a second-team All-Pro in 2024 after tallying two interceptions and 13 pass breakups while earning a PFF coverage grade of 80.6. McDuffie will earn a base salary just north of $2.613 million this season, with that number jumping to $13.632 million next season. It wouldn’t be surprising if a new deal was reached before the start of the 2026 campaign if McDuffie continues to perform at the high level we’ve seen over the last two seasons.

Brown was sidelined for the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear that he suffered in Week 1. Brown has been a “high-impact player” for years, notably setting the defensive linemen record for tackles in a single season (103) in 2023. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reports, “judging by conversations with those around him this season, it doesn’t sound like there’s any dropoff in sight.” Brown was held out of preseason play due to a separate rib/oblique issue, but there are no indications that Brown’s Week 1 availability is in question. The Panthers’ defensive leader will have a busy day, attempting to contain the Jaguars’ three-deep rushing attack.