49ers QB Trey Lance has a small “chip” in his finger, per HC Kyle Shanahan. The rookie is expected to miss about 1 week. That puts him back in time for Week 1. Even if Jimmy Garoppolo starts, the preseason showed us that the Niners might give Lance a handful of snaps right away.
The Texans are prepared to make QB Deshaun Watson a healthy scratch all season, insider Aaron Wilson reports. Watson isn't going to play for Houston -- and no trade is "imminent," per Wilson. This was always a distinct possibility, between Watson's issues with the Texans organization and his legal troubles. QB Tyrod Taylor will open the season as Houston's starter.
Vikings TE Tyler Conklin (hamstring) returned to practice on Monday, according to beat writer Chris Tomasson. Conklin missed 2 weeks with the hamstring injury. But, barring a setback, he's set to open the season as Minnesota's lead TE. We're still waiting to hear how long TE Irv Smith will be out.
The Chiefs released RB Darwin Thompson. They're set to enter the season with Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon atop the depth chart.
The Jaguars on Monday activated DE/OLB Josh Allen from the COVID list. That comes 7 days after he landed on it, indicating that Allen never tested positive. He should be good to go for the regular-season opener.
The Eagles announced Monday that they have activated S Rodney McLeod from the PUP list. He had been on it since the start of camp while working back from a 2020 ACL tear. His activation ahead of the team setting the 53-man roster points to McLeod being ready early in the season -- perhaps in time for the opener. Philly would have had to keep him on the PUP list if the team wanted to have him open the season on it.
Vikings HC Mike Zimmer expects TE Tyler Conklin to return to practice next week. He's been sidelined since injuring his hamstring on August 16. With TE Irv Smith out at least for the start of the season -- and potentially much longer -- Conklin is atop Minnesota's depth chart. We'll see if the Vikings add to the position.
Vikings HC Mike Zimmer said Monday that TE Irv Smith will have surgery this week to repair his meniscus injury. Unfortunately, he had no update on how long we should expect Smith to be out. "We'll just see where he's at," Zimmer said, per ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "A lot of times you can't really tell anything until you get in there. We really won't know until they get in there." We'll watch for updates after the surgery.
The Colts have placed QB Carson Wentz on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Indy also placed WR Zach Pascal and C Ryan Kelly on the same list. We’re not sure if Wentz was a close contact or if he tested positive, but it’s a setback regardless. Per team insider Mike Chappell, HC Frank Reich wanted to see Wentz “shoulder a heavy load going into next week.” That's not happening now. We’ll update you when we learn more.
Update: NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that all 3 players were close contacts with a Colts staffer who tested positive. That means they could return in 5 days if they test negative and remain symptom-free.
Ravens WR Marquise Brown (hamstring) is practicing on Monday. It marks the first time he’s practiced since July 28. Odds are he’ll be ready for Week 1, but we’ll see if we catch word of a potential snap restriction. Baltimore opens up against the Raiders.
49ers RB Raheem Mostert got the start in Sunday's preseason finale and played all 10 snaps on the 1st possession. RB Trey Sermon then played all 14 snaps on the 2nd possession. Those 2 will open the season sharing backfield work. The exact split between them remains uncertain.
Patriots QB Mac Jones capped off an impressive preseason by going 10 of 14 for 156 yards and 1 TD over 5 series in Sunday night's finale vs. the Giants. That came after QB Cam Newton got the start and struggled, completing just 2 of 5 passes for 10 yards and an INT on 2 series. Jones finishes the preseason with a 92.2 Pro Football Focus passing grade -- 2nd highest among 101 QBs that threw a pass. Newton finished 13th with a 78.0 grade. HC Bill Belichick declined to name a starter after the game. Newton might still get the Week 1 nod out of veteran deference. But expect to see Jones in there sooner than later. He looks ready.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley confirms that Ty'Son Williams is now the Ravens' #2 RB. The former undrafted free agent has passed RB Justice Hill on the depth chart. While Hill has missed parts of August with an ankle injury, Williams has impressed on the practice field and with a 5.4 yards-per-carry average in preseason action. We'll see if Baltimore makes an addition to the backfield over the next couple of weeks, but Williams is worth considering as a late-round flier in fantasy drafts.
The Lions have released WR Breshad Perriman. It's not a shocking move after an offseason and camp that provided only negative reports on the veteran wideout. But Detroit did guarantee $2 million on the 1-year, $2.5 million deal Perriman signed this offseason. Cutting him despite having to pay that money highlights how poor a summer Perriman has had. Tyrell Williams, Quintez Cephus and Amon-Ra St. Brown seem likely to run as the top 3 wideouts in Detroit. We'll see exactly how the group shakes out as the Lions get down to their 53-man roster by Tuesday.
Update: Lions insider Jeff Risdon tells us that WR Kalif Raymond is the favorite for the outside spot opposite Tyrell Williams. Neither Raymond nor Cephus is worth a spot on fantasy rosters.
Chargers TE Donald Parham played 23 snaps in Saturday night's preseason finale, catching his only target for 5 yards. He missed the 2nd exhibition with a tailbone injury but is good to go for Week 1. Parham will open the season as Los Angeles' #2 TE behind Jared Cook.
Giants WR Darius Slayton left Sunday's preseason finale against the Patriots with an ankle/foot injury. The team deemed him questionable to return. We wouldn't expect him to return to the contest, but that designation makes the outlook seem better than if the team had labeled him otherwise. We'll see about the official diagnosis. Slayton is no more than a late consideration in deeper formats, so he's probably not worth drafting in most fantasy football leagues.
Giants TE Evan Engram left Sunday's preseason finale against the Patriots with a left calf injury. It was a non-contact injury, and the team ruled him out for the game. That's not a good sign. We'll see about the official diagnosis. Pass on drafting Engram if your league drafts tonight. Kyle Rudolph would be worth later consideration if Engram is set to miss significant time.
Update: HC Joe Judge said after the game there is "optimism" that the injury is minor, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Engram will undergo testing Monday to determine the extent of the damage, so we should know more by Monday night.
Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. tweeted Sunday that RB Chris Evans will have a “small role on third downs.” He adds that Evans’ role could grow as the year goes on. (Of course.) The Michigan rookie caught a long TD from backup QB Brandon Allen in Sunday's preseason game and has drawn camp praise for his pass catching work. A high-end athlete, Evans is a name to monitor in deep formats.
We now know a little more about the injury that is sidelining Colts WR T.Y. Hilton. HC Frank Reich confirms that it’s a “disc issue” in Hilton’s neck, Zack Keefer of The Athletic reports. "He will miss some games — we're optimistic it's not season-ending,” Reich says. That indicates a long absence remains in the range of possible outcomes. We’re avoiding Hilton in nearly all fantasy football drafts at this point.
The Jets on Sunday sent a late-round draft pick to the Texans for DE Shaq Lawson. It’s a sensible move for a team that has lost DE Carl Lawson and DE Vinny Curry for the season. Shaq Lawson, though, has already washed out with 3 NFL teams: the Bills, who drafted him; the Dolphins, who signed him for big free-agent money; and the Texans, who traded (minimal value) for him. Odds are against Lawson being an edge-rushing savior for either the Jets or IDP rosters.
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