NFL Player News

McCarthy (ankle) was not spotted at the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Dane Mizutani of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said the "hope is soon" that McCarthy will be "back on an individual level," per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. That said, O'Connell noted that he "probably would not expose [McCarthy] to the look team" in the immediate future, a signal that the second-year quarterback doesn't have a very real chance to be available for Sunday's game against the Browns in London. McCarthy hasn't yet been ruled out for Week 5, but even if active, it's likely he would operate in a backup role behind Carson Wentz. The Vikings will benefit from a bye Week 6, making Sunday, Oct. 19 against the Eagles in Week 7 a more realistic tentative date for McCarthy's return, though it's possible Wentz could retain the starting job if he's able to turn in another strong showing versus Cleveland.

Hill (knee) has officially been placed on IR by the Dolphins.

Per Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN, Hill -- who underwent a major procedure Tuesday to repair his dislocated left knee and multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL -- won't need additional surgery, with agent Drew Rosenhaus indicating afterward that the wideout will play next season, while noting that "the realistic goal is the start of the season." In Hill's absence for the rest of the 2025 campaign, Malik Washington and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are in line to see expanded roles alongside top WR Jaylen Waddle, with Dee Eskridge, Cedrick Wilson and Tahj Washington available to mix in.

Leonard retired from the NFL on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old linebacker has officially called it a career following seven seasons in the NFL . Leonard, a second-round pick out of South Carolina State, earned the 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year award and received first-team All-Pro honors in three of his first four years. From 2018 to 2021, he tallied 538 total tackles, including 15.0 sacks, 30 passes defended and 17 forced fumbles across 58 regular-season contests. Although Leonard last played for the Eagles in 2023, he's retiring as a Colt, as the team announced Wednesday.

Irving is dealing with a foot sprain that is not considered a long-term injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

That said, Schefter notes that Irving -- who was spotted at Wednesday's walk-through on crutches and in a walking boot -- is viewed as week-to-week ahead of Sunday's game against the Seahawks. If he's unable to play this weekend, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker would be in line to see expanded opportunities in the Buccaneers' Week 5 backfield.

Benson is uncertain for Sunday's game against the Titans due to a knee injury sustained during last Thursday's loss to Seattle, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Benson's knee injury isn't considered serious, per Schefter, but it could impact his availability for Week 5. The second-year pro reportedly sustained the issue toward the end of Arizona's loss to the Seahawks last Thursday, in which he rushed eight times for 35 yards and secured all five of his targets for 19 yards. With James Conner (foot) out for the season Benson is positioned as the Cardinals' clear lead back, meaning of he were to miss any time change-of-pace man Emari Demercado and No. 3 option Michael Carter would step into significant workloads. Wednesday's official practice report will reveal how much, if any, on-field work Benson's injury currently allows him to handle.

Sample failed to record a single target in Monday's 28-3 loss to the Broncos.

Despite fellow tight end Noah Fant (concussion) missing Monday's contest against the Broncos, Sample actually saw a decrease in playing time from Week 3. The veteran tight end played 22 of the Bengals' 48 offensive snaps, behind Mike Gesicki (27) and ahead of both Cam Grandy (4) and Tanner Hudson (1). Through four games, Sample has recorded just three receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown. Based on his limited usage, the 29-year-old remains far off the fantasy radar heading into a Week 5 matchup against the Lions.

Irving (ankle) was spotted wearing a boot on his left foot and using crutches at Wednesday's walkthrough practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.

Irving appears to be trending in the wrong direction for Week 5 due to a left lower-leg injury, for which he underwent an MRI on Monday. The Buccaneers haven't yet disclosed official information about the severity of Irving's injury, but given his status at Wednesday's practice, it looks like the team could be slated to lean on Rachaad White and Sean Tucker for at least Sunday's road matchup against the Seahawks.

Higgins went without a target while playing nine of the Cardinals' 67 snaps on offense in Thursday's 23-20 loss to the Seahawks.

After playing at least 30 percent of the offensive snaps in the first two contests of the season, Higgins has seen his role decline in the past two weeks. Tip Reiman handily out-snapped Higgins in the Week 3 loss to the 49ers, but both tight ends were on the field for fewer than 10 plays in Week 4 while the Cardinals made more use of three-receiver sets after trailing by double digits for much of the game. Since Reiman is regarded as the superior blocker of the two, expect him to be prioritized ahead of Higgins as the Cardinals' No. 2 tight end behind Trey McBride when Arizona follows more normal game scripts.

The Panthers placed Moore (elbow) on injured reserve Wednesday, Darin Ganttof the team's official site reports.

Moore will have to miss at least four games due to the elbow injury he suffered during Carolina's loss to New England in Week 4. Across his four regular-season appearances so far, Moore has tallied one catch for five yards (on one target) and carried the ball one for 12 rushing yards. In Moore's absence, rookie sixth-round pick Jimmy Horn figures to see more opportunities to log reserve snaps.

Gesicki caught his lone target for eight yards in Monday's 28-3 loss to the Broncos.

Gesicki led all Bengals tight ends in offensive snaps (27), playing ahead of teammates Drew Sample (22), Cam Grandy (4) and Tanner Hudson (1). The veteran tight end's increase in playing time came with teammate Noah Fant sidelined with a concussion. Through four games, the veteran tight end has recorded just six receptions for 46 scoreless yards. It remains to be seen if Fant will return to action for Cincinnati's next game, but Gesicki should be avoided for fantasy purposes either way, as the Bengals offense continues to struggle. The Bengals are set to host the Lions in Week 5.