NFL Player News

Henry is still expected to be a key part of the Patriots offense this season, Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports.

The Patriots made several splashy moves this offseason, including the additions of wideouts A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, but Henry should remain a frequent target for Drake Maye. The veteran has caught 60 or more passes from the young QB in each of the last two seasons. There's also a lack of experienced options behind him on the tight end depth chart, giving Henry extra job security.

Kittle (Achilles) participated in practice Monday and plans to do so again Tuesday, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.

Kittle is making strides in his recovery from an Achilles tear suffered in the playoffs. He went through some team drills Monday, and the fact that he's going to be on the field back-to-back days is especially encouraging. The 49ers are just over a week away from their season opener in Australia, so it's still a tight timeline for Kittle to get up to game speed. The team is flying down this week, so whether he even gets on the plane should provide a clear sign of whether he will be in the Week 1 lineup.

McMillan (knee) remains sidelined at Tuesday's practice, PewterReport.com reports.

McMillan missed most of training camp with a knee issue, but optimism is building for his Week 1 availability. He's expected to fill the No. 3 receiver role behind Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Chris Godwin, though 2026 third-round pick Ted Hurst is also likely to see sub-package snaps, and Tez Johnson acquitted himself well as a rookie when he got the chance last year. McMillan appeared in just four regular-season games last season due to a neck injury. He turned 15 targets into 12 catches for 178 yards and zero TDs after producing eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2024.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio said Tuesday that Dell (knee) is getting "closer" to a return, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. "He's close, he's not quite there," Caserio said. "He's closer than he was during training camp."

Dell was placed on injured reserve with a designation for return to begin the season and will be required to miss at least the Texans' first four games. While Dell is sidelined, the likes of Kayshon Boutte, Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson will vie for snaps behind No. 1 wideout Nico Collins.

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Tuesday the team hopes to have Evans (groin) back at practice next week, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.

The veteran wideout has been slowed by an adductor injury over the last week. The Niners will continue to be cautious with Evans as they prepare for their season opener Sept. 10 in Australia. That Evans won't practice this week is notable, given the already tight timeline and the upcoming international travel.

Johnson agreed to join the Bengals' practice squad Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cincinnati opted to keep Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco as its sole quarterbacks on the 53-man roster heading into the regular season, but Johnson -- who was with the club for training camp and the preseason -- will remain in the organization as a depth option at the position on the practice squad. The 40-year-old signal-caller has been part of 14 different NFL teams over his long career and spent all of 2025 with the Commanders, appearing in five games and completing 34 of 54 pass attempts for 372 yards and a 1:2 TD:INT to go with 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Hubbard (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The running back may not end up being a full participant, but he's on the field with his helmet as the session gets underway. Hubbard has been hampered by a hamstring injury since mid-August but has been progressing well, and he's trending in the right direction to be ready for Week 1.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that Williams is recovering from a high-ankle sprain and should be ready to return from injured reserve when first eligible in Week 5, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Williams wasn't known to have dealing with any injuries before he landed on injured reserve Sunday, but Gutekunst's comments provided some clarity. Assuming that the second-year wideout bounces back from the high-ankle sprain as anticipated, he should be ready to make his 2026 debut Oct. 11 versus the Bears. With Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden locked in as Green Bay's top three receivers, Williams is unlikely to see much action, but he could have a small role on offense as a gadget player in addition to serving as the team's top kickoff returner, and Watson has missed at least two games in each of his four NFL seasons.

Johnson is in line to be Kenneth Walker's backup to begin the season for Kansas City .

Former Cardinals running back Emari Demercado was waived during final roster cutdowns, clearing a path for Johnson after the rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the better backup for fantasy managers to stash.

Richardson is expected to remain with Indianapolis for the 2026 season, Jake Arthur of Colts Roundtable reports. "He'll be an Indianapolis Colt this year," said general manager Chris Ballard.

The 53-man roster is set in Indianapolis, and Richardson is in the team's plans for the year despite an offseason that included a trade request from the quarterback. It's still not clear whether Richardson or Riley Leonard is set to open the season as the No. 2 option behind Daniel Jones, however.