NFL Player News

Schooler (undisclosed) will begin the 2026 regular season on the Patriots' reserve/non-football injury list, Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.

It was reported last Thursday that Schooler was close to being activated off the NFI list prior to cutdown day. The free safety is evidently not quite ready to rejoin the team and will now need to miss at least the first four weeks of the regular season. Kevin Byard is set to open the Week 1 game against the Seahawks as the starting free safety for the Patriots.

Hekker was released by the Vikings on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

Hekker, who has been in the NFL since 2012, played for the Rams, Panthers and Titans throughout his career. The 36-year-old most recently signed a deal with the Vikings, though he couldn't win the starting job over rookie Brett Thorson. Hekker is a four-time Pro Bowler, so there is a chance he lands with a new team heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

The Chargers placed Taylor (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.

Taylor will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the season before he's eligible to return due to an undisclosed injury. The rookie sixth-round pick should serve as a depth tackle once healthy.

Slayton is a member of the Giants' initial 53-man roster in 2026, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post reports.

Slayton has made the cut ahead of his eighth campaign in New York. The wide receiver caught four of six targets for 58 yards while playing in all three preseason games this year. Slayton had a down year in 2025, recording 37 catches for 538 yards and one touchdown over 14 regular-season contests, all of which were his lowest totals since 2021. The 29-year-old appears to be on track to operate as one of New York's starting receivers on the outside, and he'll look to get back on track in 2026.

The Steelers activated Porter (back) from the active/PUP list Sunday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Porter opened training camp on the active/PUP list due to a back injury and missed the entirety of the 2026 preseason. The cornerback appears healthy and ready to play amidst trade rumors. Assuming Porter stays with the Steelers, he should be all set to start at outside cornerback across from Jamel Dean in the Week 1 game against the Falcons.

The Packers placed Williams (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return, Wes Hodkiewicz of the team's official site reports.

Williams wasn't necessarily hampered by a health concern during training camp and the preseason, but an unknown injury will conspire to sideline him for at least the first four games of the campaign. Behind Green Bay's big three wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden, the initial position group on the active roster also includes Skyy Moore, Bo Melton and undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant. Williams' earliest possible time to make his season debut is Sunday, Oct. 11 versus the Bears.

Smith was acquired by the Seahawks from the Chargers on Sunday, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.

Smith went undrafted in 2026 but landed a deal with the Chargers. While he has an uphill climb before earning regular snaps in Seattle, he may move up the depth chart if he continues to impress heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

The Bears waived Wills (undisclosed) with an injury settlement Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Wills had been competing for the starting left tackle role but ended up losing out to Braxton Jones. The team could look to bring back Wills on its practice squad should he go unclaimed on waivers.

The Raiders traded Meredith and a 2029 seventh-round pick to the Jets on Sunday in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.

Meredith started 19 games for the Raiders over the past two seasons. The center was replaced during the 2025 offseason by former Raven Tyler Linderbaum. Meredith will likely function as the primary backup to Josh Myers for the Jets throughout the 2026 regular season.

The Falcons waived Morris on Sunday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports.

Morris was traded from the Chiefs to the Falcons earlier in the offseason, so him being let go comes as a surprise. The 25-year-old started 16 regular-season games across three seasons with the Chiefs and will now look to find a new opportunity with another team.