NFL Player News

Badgley signed a contract with the Titans on Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The move comes after Sam Ficken (groin) was placed on injured reserve, the team's second kicker to land on IR this season. Badgley's stretches of inaccuracy ultimately cost him the kicking competition after starting the past three seasons with the Chargers, but previous Chargers castoffs such as Josh Lambo and Younghoe Koo have both succeeded in recent years after departures from their original franchise.

Zuerlein connected on three of five field-goal attempts and two of three extra-point attempts in Thursday's loss to the Buccaneers.

Zuerlein, who spent the majority of training camp on the PUP list with a back injury, started off the night by connecting on his first PAT of the season. However, things got shaky after that. He pulled his next attempt -- a 31-yard field goal -- far left and missed an extra point that would have tied the game at 14. After missing two kicks in a row, Zuerlein was summoned at the end of the half for a 60-yard attempt. While it faded short and to the left, the 33-year-old gave it a ride and it appeared to give him some confidence going into the second half. Zuerlein went 2-for-2 on field goals in the second half -- including a 48-yard attempt to give Dallas the lead with a minute and a half left to go in the game.

Though McLaughlin was a full participant in practice Friday, he's listed as questionable for Sunday's season opener against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

We'll monitor McLaughlin's status leading up to Sunday's 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff, but he's currently the only kicker on Cleveland's active roster. If his Week 1 status indeed is in any danger, the Browns have the option of elevating Chris Naggar from their practice squad.

Badgley is being added to Tennessee's practice squad, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Badgley lost the Chargers' kicking competition to Tristan Vizcaino in camp, but he's setting himself up as a potential option for a Titans team that's been churning through kickers in search of a long-term solution in recent seasons. Tennessee currently has Sam Ficken and Tucker McCann, who is on IR with an undisclosed injury, on its main roster.

The Texans are expected to promote Slye from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's game against the Jaguars after Houston placed kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn (leg) on injured reserve, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Fairbairn pulled a muscle during warmups for the team's final preseason game and will now miss at least the first three weeks of the season. Houston signed Joey Slye to its practice squad Tuesday, and he appears to be the best option to kick for the team Week 1. Slye spent the last two seasons with the Panthers and booted eight field goals from 50 yards or longer in 2019, but his proficiency from distance took a big step back in 2020.

The Texans placed Fairbairn (leg) on injured reserve Wednesday.

Fairbairn, who suffered a leg injury during pregame warmups prior to Houston's third preseason game, will thus sit out at least the team's first three games. In the wake of the move, look for the Texans to promote Joey Slye from their practice squad in advance of Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars.

Fairbairn (leg) won't kick in Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars, Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site reports.

Fairbairn is still recovering from an injury that he suffered in pregame warmups prior to Houston's third preseason game. In Fairbairn's looming absence, look for the Texans to promote Joey Slye from their practice squad.

Slye was signed to the Texans' practice squad Tuesday.

The 25-year-old was let go by the Panthers at roster cutdowns and will now join the Texans as kicking depth with Ka'imi Fairbairn (leg) nursing a minor injury. Slye has massive range but struggled with consistency in his first two NFL seasons, going 54-for-68 on field-goal attempts and 64-for-71 on PATs.

Elliott (ankle) finished the preseason a perfect 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts and 5-for-5 on point-after tries in two appearances.

Elliott sat out the Eagles' second exhibition contest due to an ankle injury, but he otherwise was in midseason form, connecting on field goals ranging from 34 to 50 yards (the other two were from 47 yards). Entering the second year of the extension he signed back in November 2019, he's so far connected on 82.2 percent of FGAs and 93.6 percent of PATs in his four-year career, with just one regular-season game missed.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said McLaughlin will be the team's placekicker Week 1 against the Chiefs, Andrew Gribble of the Browns' official site reports.

McLaughlin outkicked Cody Parkey in training camp but was not declared the de facto kicker until Monday. The Browns added Chris Naggar to the practice squad last week, but it will not affect McLaughlin's status at this time. He made all of his preseason kicks before missing on a 56-yard field-goal attempt then later an extra-point kick in the third preseason game.