NFL Player News

Johnson (hamstring) is inactive Week 1 against the Texans.

Johnson was able to log only a single limited practice this week, and the 28-year-old back entered Sunday with a "questionable" tag. He'll ultimately sit against Houston, leaving a few more backfield snaps to starter James Cook and backup Ray Davis. Johnson and the Bills have a short week ahead, as they're set to take on the Lions in a Week 2 matchup Thursday night. If Johnson does end up suiting up then, he'll likely return to his role as a passing down specialist and special-teamer, similar to his last few seasons in Buffalo.

Garrett is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the coming days and is expected to be placed on injured reserve, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

Garrett dealt with swelling in the knee for much of training camp and was held out of the Rams' first official practice of Week 1, but he eventually received the green light to play in Thursday's season opener versus the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. However, the star edge rusher was unusually quiet in the Rams' 27-7 loss, recording no tackles or quarterback pressures over his 40 snaps. The lingering knee issue was likely a factor in his lack of productivity, and he'll now get sent in for a procedure to address the injury. The Rams are optimistic that Garrett will be ready to play when first eligible Week 6 against the Cardinals after spending the requisite four games on IR.

Jacobs (personal) remains on the Commissioner's Exempt List, but the NFL may count time on the list as time served if it eventually issues a suspension to the running back, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Jacobs made an appearance in court Thursday and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property in a case stemming from a May domestic violence incident. There still are some moving parts related to the case, so it's unclear when exactly the NFL may issue a suspension, but Jacobs will continue to miss practices and games as long as he's on the Commissioner's Exempt List.

Pierce (heel) is expected to play a decent amount of snaps Sunday against the Ravens, though it isn't expected to be his usual full allotment, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Despite being limited in all three Week 1 practices, Pierce wasn't given a designation for Sunday's contest, clearing him to return after first recovering from offseason ankle surgery and then tending to a heel injury this week. If he indeed can't handle his normal workload, he'd be a risky play, perhaps needing one of his noted splash plays to reap rewards in the season opener. Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Ashton Dulin are the top healthy Colts wide receivers if Pierce cedes snaps to the rest of the position.

The Raiders believe Bowers (knee) has a chance to return to action Week 2 at the Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 20, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Bowers underwent a meniscus trim this past Tuesday that will sideline him for the season opener, but Schefter added that "there's a realistic chance" the standout tight end will sit out only Week 1 and then be active next weekend. He likely will need to mix into drills for multiple practices in a row to give Las Vegas' medical staff confidence that he'll be able to handle game action. In any case, Bowers will hand off most of the TE reps to Michael Mayer this Sunday.

Nabers' (knee) status for Sunday's game against the Cowboys remains "murky at best," Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Nabers was able to practice without limitations during Week 1 prep, but he took a 'questionable' tag into the weekend after a week in which both he and head coach John Harbaugh were non-committal about the wide receiver's potential to play Sunday. Nabers himself told Evan Barnes of Newsday on Thursday that he had to weigh the long-term implications when he eventually returns from the torn ACL and meniscus that he suffered in his right knee Week 4 of last season. The Giants play on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, so if Nabers is listed as inactive, fantasy managers won't have many options to turn to for scoring purposes between SNF and MNF. New York brought two WRs (Braxton Berrios and Dalen Cambre) off its practice squad Saturday to join Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham, likely with a potential absence from Nabers in mind.

Darnold is nursing a glute injury rather than a hip issue and is expected to miss next Sunday's game against the Cardinals, but he could return to action Week 3 versus the Commanders, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Darnold played just five snaps in Wednesday's 13-10 win over the Patriots before being removed from the game due to an apparent right hip injury. The Seahawks sent the quarterback in for an MRI and CT scan, and while an exact diagnosis of his injury wasn't provided by the team, head coach Mike Macdonald relayed that Darnold received favorable news from his medical tests. Drew Lock appears poised to start Week 2 while Darnold receives additional time to heal from the glute injury, but the Seahawks haven't closed the door on Darnold being ready to go for Week 3.

Brown, who was officially placed on injured reserve Saturday, is expected to miss about six weeks due to a right high-ankle sprain, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The Patriots deactivated Brown just three days after he sustained the injury in the third quarter of Wednesday's 13-10 loss to the Seahawks. Though recovery timelines for high-ankle sprains often range from 4-to-6 weeks, the Patriots quickly determined that Brown's injury is "a little more serious," which likely takes a return from IR in Week 6 when first eligible off the table. While their No. 1 wideout is sidelined until early November, the Patriots will have to lean more heavily on Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and Kyle Williams as their primary receivers.

Stribling (ankle) is expected to miss at least one month after he was diagnosed Sunday with a deltoid sprain of his left ankle, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Stribling saw plenty of playing time early in his NFL debut during Thursday's 27-7 win over the Rams, drawing no targets but taking the field for 21 of the team's first 26 offensive snaps before going down with an injury. Initial tests ruled out an Achilles injury for Stribling, but the second-round rookie will still require some down time as a result of the ankle sprain. According to Rapoport, Stribling is seeking multiple medical opinions on his injury, and while surgery isn't yet planned, the 49ers haven't dismissed the possibility of the wideout needing an operation. The 49ers will likely hold off on placing Stribling on injured reserve until a decision is made on a treatment plan.

Penix (knee) will be out for Sunday's season opener in Pittsburgh but is targeting Week 2 or 3 for his 2026 debut, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Atlanta will be down to its No. 3 quarterback for Week 1, as Cooper Rush -- despite dealing with back spasms -- will pick up the start against the Steelers while Penix and Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) sit out. Penix didn't play in the preseason while completing his recovery from the torn ACL he sustained last November, but he took part in six 11-on-11 practices during training camp and was then a full participant in practices throughout Week 1 prep. If he remains free of setbacks while logging a full slate of practices during Week 2 prep, Penix could be the Falcons' choice to start in their next game Sept. 20 against the Panthers, regardless of whether Tagovailoa is available.