NFL Player News

Killebrew (knee) will miss the remainder of the season, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.

Head coach Mike Tomlin announced that Killebrew underwent knee surgery to address the injury he suffered in the team's Week 6 win over the Browns. The 32-year-old will finish the season having recorded five tackles (three solo) across five outings, while playing exclusively on special teams. He will now shift his focus toward getting healthy for the 2026 campaign.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday that Jones (hamstring) has been designated for return from injured reserve, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

After spending the past five weeks on IR and missing the requisite four games while recovering from a hamstring strain, Jones is eligible to resume practicing, and the running back looks set to take part in Tuesday's walk-through as Minnesota prepares for Thursday's game against the Chargers. According to Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune, O'Connell is leaving the door open for Jones to be activated from IR this week, noting that the work the veteran running back has been able to do off to the side in recent weeks could be enough to compensate for the Vikings' lack of traditional practices on a short week. Minnesota will have a 21-day window to assess his health, so even if Jones remains out Thursday, he could be added back to the 53-man roster at any point over the next three weeks. Whenever he's reinstated, Jones will likely be deployed in a timeshare with Jordan Mason.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that McCarthy (ankle) will be inactive as the Vikings' emergency No. 3 quarterback for Thursday's game against the Chargers.

McCarthy was able to turn in three limited practices last week, but the Vikings chose to keep him inactive for this past Sunday's loss to the Eagles while he continues to recover from a right high-ankle sprain. Per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com, O'Connell noted that McCarthy displayed some progress in an on-field workout Tuesday and might have had a shot at playing Week 8 if the Vikings had a Sunday game, but the coach conceded that the young signal-caller is "just not there" yet. As a result, Carson Wentz (shoulder) will pick up his fifth consecutive start while Max Brosmer serves as the No. 2 quarterback, but the top job is expected to be returned to McCarthy once he's 100 percent healthy. McCarthy looks like he'll have a chance to return to the lineup Nov. 2 at Detroit.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said that Wentz (shoulder) will start at quarterback in Thursday's game against the Chargers in Los Angeles.

Though J.J. McCarthy is expected to regain his spot as the Vikings' starting quarterback once he's 100 percent healthy, O'Connell conceded that the second-year signal-caller is "just not there" in his recovery from a high-ankle sprain, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. O'Connell indicated that McCarthy was able to go through an on-field workout Tuesday and may have had a shot at returning this week if the Vikings were playing on a Sunday, so the 22-year-old appears to be on track to start in Week 9 versus Detroit. For at least one more game however, the Vikings will stick with Wentz, who has been tending to an injury to his non-throwing shoulder since Week 5 but isn't expected to face any limitations Thursday. Through his first four starts, Wentz has completed 95 of 142 pass attempts (66.9 percent) for 1,072 yards (7.5 YPA) and a 5:4 TD:INT while adding 57 yards on 11 carries.

Franklin caught three of 10 targets for 19 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 33-32 win over the Giants.

Franklin finished the contest tied for the team lead in targets with fellow wideout Courtland Sutton, with the 10 targets being a season high for the 22-year-old. Despite the increased involvement, Franklin struggled to connect with quarterback Bo Nix, and his touchdown early in the fourth quarter was actually a tipped pass intended for Sutton that Franklin was able secure in the back of the end zone. The Oregon product has been mostly underwhelming as a fantasy option for the past month, but his role as Denver's No. 2 wide receiver has earned him 46 targets through seven games. As long as he continues to see that kind of volume, Franklin will at least be a viable option for fantasy managers dealing with bye weeks. Next up for the Broncos is a home matchup against the Cowboys and their struggling pass defense.

Head coach Aaron Glenn hasn't announced his plans at quarterback for Sunday's game in Cincinnati, but the Jets are expected to name Taylor as their starter, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Glenn may not name a Week 8 starter until he meets with the media prior to Wednesday's practice, but the tea leaves appear to be pointing toward Taylor displacing the struggling Justin Fields atop the depth chart in the wake of the Jets' 0-7 start to the season. Taylor -- who previously started Week 3 against the Buccaneers while Fields missed the game due to a concussion -- entered in relief during this past Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Panthers in the third quarter, when Fields was benched after completing six of 12 pass attempts for 46 yards and losing 21 yards on three sacks. Taylor (10-for-22 for 126 yards and two interceptions, 12 yards lost on three sacks) wasn't much more effective in his five drives directing the offense, but the Jets could nonetheless look to the 36-year-old veteran to provide a spark after Fields had been held under 100 passing yards in three of his six starts to date.

Gray gathered in his only target for 28 yards during Sunday's 31-0 victory versus the Raiders.

Gray continued a trend that isn't particularly promising from a fantasy standpoint, logging two or fewer targets for the fourth consecutive contest. His 59 percent offensive snap share is around par for the course, but the Chiefs took a 21-0 lead into the halftime locker room and added 10 more points in the third quarter, leading to a run-heavy approach for much of the second half. Even in close games, Gray isn't involved enough in the game plan to warrant a roster spot in the majority of fantasy formats.

Jones (hamstring) didn't have his 21-day practice window opened Monday and appears unlikely to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Thursday against the Chargers.

Jones hasn't played since the Vikings' Sept. 14 loss to the Falcons due to a hamstring strain, but because he's now missed five weeks and four straight games while on injured reserve, he's eligible to return to the 53-man roster at any point. The Vikings haven't publicly commented on where exactly Jones stands in his recovery from the hamstring issue, but the team's decision not to include him on its initial Week 8 injury report suggests that he's not a serious candidate to suit up against the Chargers. Jordan Mason should continue to operate as Minnesota's clear lead back for as long as Jones remains sidelined.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that he's "optimistic" that Austin (shoulder) will be able to play in Sunday's game against the Packers, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Austin has missed the Steelers' last two games with a shoulder injury, but Tomlin noted that the wideout has made enough progress in his recovery to be integrated back into practices this week. The extent of Austin's participation in practice will ultimately dictate whether he plays Sunday, but if the 26-year-old is able to turn in at least one full session by Friday, he'll have good odds of gaining clearance to suit up. Through four appearances this season, Austin has recorded 10 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 17 targets.

Sills didn't record a target across 28 offensive snaps during Sunday's 20-10 loss to the 49ers.

Despite playing 74 offensive snaps over the past three games, Sills hasn't garnered a single target. The only time he's made a dent in the box score came during Week 3, when he caught one of two targets for nine yards across 25 offensive snaps against the Panthers.