NFL Player News

Higgins (heel) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

The Bengals look to have their dynamic receiver tandem in position to play in the opener as Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase (knee) both practiced in full to begin the week. Higgins was slowed by a heel contusion earlier in September but is tracking towards being ready to begin the season. The Bengals will host the Buccaneers to kick off 2026.

Johnson (shoulder) was a full practice participant Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Johnson is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he posted a 45-528-5 line on 74 targets in 15 games, but the arrival of TE Isaiah Likely via free agency has provided the former with some competition at the position ahead of his third pro campaign. With the shoulder injury he picked up in an Aug. 24 practice behind Johnson, he'll focus on being a regular part of the Giants offense in Sunday's Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys.

Kamara (knee) returned to practice Wednesday, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

With Kamara back on the field after being sidelined by a sprained MCL for most of the summer, he looks like he may have a shot at playing in Sunday's opener in Detroit. Travis Etienne is expected to operate as the Saints' lead back this season, but Kamara should still have a prominent role on offense as a change-of-pace option. If Kamara is unable to advance to full participation in practice by the end of the week and ends up sitting out Sunday, however, Etienne would get a big boost to his fantasy floor, making him a strong lineup option in what projects to be a high-scoring affair.

Chase (knee) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, Paul Dehner of The Athletic reports.

It's looking promising for Chase's status going into the season-opener after his full practice Wednesday. He had a knee injury scare in August but has been present for practices since the beginning of the week. At this stage, Chase should be good to go for the season-opener against the Buccaneers.

Egbuka (toe) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice.

Egbuka is ready to go for Sunday's Week 1 opener against the Bengals, and in a game with the highest projected points total on the slate, Egbuka is looking like a fantasy WR2 with obvious upside. He's expected to take over as the Bucs' top wideout this season after Mike Evans left for San Francisco in free agency.

Pierce was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice due to a heel injury.

Pierce will have two more opportunities to upgrade to full practice participation heading into Sunday's season opener versus the Ravens. Per Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis, Pierce is expected to be ready to go for Sunday, though the wideout could be on something of a pitch count in the first few weeks of the season after kept him from practicing until late August. The 26-year-old served mainly as a deep-ball specialist over his first four seasons in the NFL but could become more of a higher-volume target earner in 2026 after re-signing with Indianapolis on a four-year, $114 million deal in March.

Tracy (neck) wasn't listed on the Giants' first Week 1 injury report Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

Tracy sustained an apparent neck injury during New York's exhibition finale, but after landing a spot on the team's initial active roster and having nearly two weeks to recover, he's in good health ahead of a Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys. With Cam Skattebo leading the Giants backfield and Najee Harris and Devin Singletary also on hand for reps, it remains to be seen what kind of workload Tracy can expect in the regular-season opener.

Brooks (groin) said Wednesday he's 100 percent healthy and expects to play Sunday against the Bears, Steve Reed of the Associated Press reports.

Brooks was officially limited in practice Wednesday, but all indications are he did everything in the session and looked ready to go for the start of the season. Brooks will push Chuba Hubbard for carries in the Carolina backfield, but Hubbard is expected to open the campaign as the starter and lead back while Brooks sees plenty of work as the 1B option. It may be best to take a wait-and-see approach with him in fantasy.

Warren (groin) was off the injury report Wednesday.

Indianapolis' star tight end looks good to go for the opener after not even being listed on the practice report to start the week. Warren was dealing with a minor groin issue late in camp but the expectation has been that he would be ready to begin the season. The Colts host the Ravens to kick off their season Sunday.

Burden (groin) is not listed on the Bears' Week 1 injury report Wednesday.

As expected, Burden is ready to go for the start of the season Sunday against the Panthers. He missed some time earlier in the summer with a groin issue, but it was never believed to be serious. With Rome Odunze (calf) limited in practice Wednesday, Burden could have an enormous role in the passing game Sunday if Odunze is unable to play.