NFL Player News

Howard (head) is being evaluated for a potential concussion after Thursday's preseason finale against the Bills, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.

Howard played the entire first half, completing nine of his 15 pass attempts for 69 yards and two touchdowns with just one interception. The quarterback also took three sacks for 22 yards before exiting the game at the half. With Sunday's cutdown approaching, Drew Allar's nine of 18 for 88 yards and no touchdowns, picks or sacks may not have inspired much confidence either. The No. 3 role behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph may default to Allar if Howard is indeed suffering from a significant head injury.

Crawford (ankle) will not return to Thursday night's preseason finale against the 49ers, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Crawford exited late in the second half. The linebacker needed to be assisted off the field and was carted to the locker room from the blue tent. The third-round rookie appears to have a significant injury based on the precautions taken and may need to miss the beginning of the regular season.

Willis (concussion) has been ruled out for the remainder of Thursday's preseason matchup with the Raiders, Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The tight end caught one pass for seven yards before leaving the game. The 2023 seventh-round pick is fighting for a roster spot with backups Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell Willis has seen action in each of the last three seasons with the 49ers, primarily on special teams.

Chatman (quadriceps) will not return to Thursday's preseason finale against the Patriots.

Chatman exited the game in the second quarter and was promptly ruled out. The former Jets defensive tackle is on the roster bubble as it is, and the injury increases the chances Chatman will be a victim of Sunday's cutdown day.

Dexter (hamstring) is unavailable for Saturday's preseason matchup with the Titans, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Amid trade rumors as he enters the last year of his rookie contract, Dexter suffered a hamstring injury at practice two days ago. With the severity of the injury unclear for the moment, Dexter is unlikely to be traded and his status for Week 1 is also up in the air. The 2023 second-round pick recorded 43 tackles (21 solo), including 6.0 sacks, and two fumble recoveries during the 2025 regular season.

Smith will not play in Friday's preseason finale against the Giants, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Smith and most of the Jets' starters will sit out Friday's contest as the team prepares for Week 1 against the Titans on Sunday, Sept. 13. The quarterback played the opening drive of the team's preseason win over Pittsburgh on Aug. 21, completing all seven of his passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. That will end up being the only action he sees during the preseason, and Week 1 will be his first regular-season start with the Jets since 2016.

Booker has a groin injury and his status is "week-to-week," Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The defensive end suffered the groin injury during a joint practice with the Bengals on Aug. 20 and has not practiced since then. His status for Week 1 against the Panthers on Sept. 13 appears to be in doubt. Booker started 11 of the 12 combined regular-season and postseason games he played in last year, and he should take on a similar role in 2026 once he's healthy again.

Ulofoshio (biceps) will not return to Thursday's matchup with the Patriots.

The linebacker went to the locker room before being ruled out, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Ulofoshio did not record a stat before exiting. The former Bill is fighting for a roster spot in Cleveland.

Gaye is going to be sidelined for an extended period after sustaining a serious knee injury during Houston's joint practice with Carolina on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Gaye was carted off the field after suffering the injury. The former Titan appeared in three regular-season games for Tennessee a year ago and was claimed by Houston off waivers in May. It appears there's a good chance Gaye may miss a significant portion, if not all, of the 2026 season.

Moore (groin) might return to practice next week, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reports.

The defensive end exited an early August practice session with a groin issue, returned approximately two weeks later, and then surprisingly missed practice again Wednesday. Moore was selected in the second round by the Lions in April's draft after a breakout season at Michigan in 2025, when he recorded 30 tackles, including 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups. He should be able to compete for at least a rotational role in Detroit once he's healthy.