NFL Player News

The Saints placed Heldman (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday.

Heldman was hurt during New Orleans' preseason finale against Dallas and has been placed on IR as a result. He'll be required to miss the entire 2026 season unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Saints.

Nacua (groin) was off to the side for team drills at Monday's practice, Nate Atkins of The Athletic reports.

Nacua returned to practice Sunday and is slowly ramping things back up 10 days ahead of the Rams' Week 1 opener against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10. The star wideout has missed a sizable chunk of the summer, but he and Matthew Stafford already have elite chemistry and should be able to pick things back up rather quickly when the games count. Nacua has been a locked-in first-round fantasy pick.

Cooper pleaded not guilty to five charges of domestic violence in a Douglas County (Colo.) courtroom Monday, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports.

Cooper now has a jury trial scheduled to begin Nov. 10 following a pair of domestic incidents that occurred a week apart in early June. The NFL placed him on the Commissioner's Exempt List on Sunday, which means he still gets paid and can attend team meetings but can't practice or play in games. Cooper's stint on the list is indefinite but may last for as long as his legal situation is playing out in court.

Black (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return by the Giants on Monday, Dan Salomone and Matt Citak of the team's official site report.

The cornerback got injured during New York's final preseason game against the Jets. Black had broken up four passes during preseason action and had likely earned his spot on the active roster. He'll now have to miss the first four games, but the designation to return indicates that the coaching staff sees him as a part of the 53 once he's healthy.

The Jets placed Walker (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday, Eric Allen and Amanda Vogt of the team's official site report.

The nature of Walker's injury is unclear, but he'll be forced to miss the entire 2026 season unless an injury settlement is reached with the Jets. He appeared in 14 regular-season games (five starts) for the Jets in 2025, finishing with 31 tackles (nine solo) and one pass defense while also contributing on special teams.

Ford (undisclosed) was placed on New Orleans' injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return.

Ford had a strong preseason with 15 tackles and an interception over three games but appears to have picked up an injury along the way. He'll need to sit out at least the first four games of the regular season, but the designation to return means he could be activated as soon as Week 5 against Minnesota.

Smith (undisclosed) reverted to the Chiefs' injured reserve list Monday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Smith was waived with an injury designation Sunday. The running back cleared waivers and will now spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on injured reserve unless he is waived with an injury settlement.

Dedich (undisclosed) was put on injured reserve with a designation to return by the Rams on Sunday, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

The offensive guard passed a physical Aug. 24 after dealing with a hand injury but still wore a wrap on the injured hand during practice. This move indicates that the Rams' coaches don't yet think he's ready for game action, as Dedich will now have to sit the first four games of the 2026 campaign. He should return to a reserve role once he's healthy.

The Saints placed Long (undisclosed) on injured reserve Sunday.

Long was previously on the Giants' IR but reached an injury settlement in mid-August and subsequently signed with New Orleans. He logged four tackles in his lone preseason appearance but is now sidelined with an undisclosed issue. Long will need to miss the entire campaign while on injured reserve unless he reaches an injury settlement with the Saints.

The Patriots placed Bryant (ankle) on injured reserve with a designation to return Sunday.

Bryant suffered an ankle injury during the Patriots' second preseason game Saturday, Aug. 22 against the Eagles. The injury is severe enough for the second-year pro to open the regular season on IR, meaning he'll be required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season. Bryant did not start in any of the 12 regular-season games he appeared in last year, and in his absence, the likes of Caleb Lomu, Walter Rouse and Dametrious Crownover will provide depth at offensive tackle behind Morgan Moses and Will Campbell.