NFL Player News

Mayer left practice early Monday with a nose injury, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

While McFadden describes the tight end's issue as a "busted nose," coach Klint Kubiak noted after Monday's practice that Mayer should be fine. That said, it's possible the 2023 second-rounder's practice participation will be impacted some by the issue in the short term. When healthy, Mayer is set to work behind star tight end Brock Bowers, but with the Raiders' WR corps a work in progress, the team's offense could feature frequent two-TE formations, a context that may result in a degree of fantasy utility for Mayer in deeper formats.

Vaki (eye) exited Monday's practice early, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Vaki was poked in the eye during the session. The 2024 fourth-round pick has a shot to compete for the No. 2 spot at running back in 2026, but the signing of Isiah Pacheco means Vaki will need every opportunity to make a case to serve as the primary backup to Jahmyr Gibbs (back).

Firkser left Monday's practice session due to a leg injury, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Firkser signed with the Lions on Friday to compete for a spot in the tight-end room in the wake of Tyler Conklin's (knee) injury. Firkser now appears to have picked up an injury of his own, and the severity of the issue will likely determine if he can make a push to garner a spot on the team's 2026 roster.

Washington is off to a good start in training camp, according to John Shipley of SI.com.

Washington is operating in a deep and talented WR corps that also includes Brian Thomas, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter, but Shipley noted Sunday that Washington has routinely been the top target for QB Trevor Lawrence in practice during training camp. Meanwhile, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com relays that Thomas, a 2024 first-rounder and projected starter, also has started camp on a positive note. With Meyers also on track to see his share of volume this season and Hunter potentially making a splash when he's not logging cornerback snaps, Washington has plenty of competition for targets, but the chemistry he's displayed with Lawrence thus far this summer nonetheless bodes well for his chances of building off his strong effort down the stretch last season.

Keys left Monday's training camp practice due to a leg injury, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.

Keys signed with the Lions in mid-July. The wide receiver most recently spent time at the NFL level with the Bills in 2024 but was let go before the season began due to a leg issue. However, he's enjoyed some success with Houston in the UFL the last two springs, posting a 41-527-2 receiving line, five carries for 26 yards and 1,169 total return yards over 18 regular-season appearances in that span.

Evans (ankle) participated in the Panthers' training camp activities Monday, Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Evans suffered a low-ankle sprain last Tuesday and was carted off the practice field. The tight end missed a few days of practice but appears to be back in uniform and pads. Evans will continue to compete with Ja'Tavion Sanders for the No. 2 tight end role behind Tommy Tremble.

Kitselman (leg) is set to be "out for a while," Richard Silva of The Detroit News reports.

Kitselman exited Sunday's practice early with a leg injury. The undrafted free agent out of Tennessee appears set to miss some time, further dampening his chances of garnering a roster spot this summer. It's possible Kitselman is eventually placed on season-ending injured reserve or is waived with an injury settlement.

Gardner-Johnson (calf) suffered a lower calf strain Saturday, Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network reports.

Gardner-Johnson was carted off the field during Saturday's practice with what many feared was a season-ending Achilles tear. The news is significantly more uplifting, though there is still no timetable revealed for the starting safety's return. Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone have been receiving a majority of the reps across Cole Bishop in Gardner-Johnson's absence, with rookie fifth-round pick Jalon Kilgore not yet earning a significant share of snaps with the starting secondary.

Thomas has followed up his impressive spring with a good start to training camp, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com.

That's an assessment shared by Jamal St. Cyr of News4JAX, who noted that Thomas continues to stack good days and came up with the catch of training camp during Monday morning's session. After seeing a dip in production in 2025 following his 87-1,282-10 line as a rookie the year prior, the third-year pro profiles as a bounce-back candidate this coming season, while working alongside fellow WRs Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter, provided he continues to build positive momentum as the summer rolls along.

The Panthers activated Brown (undisclosed) from the active/non-football injury list Monday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Brown began training camp dealing with an undisclosed issue, enabling rookie Lee Hunter to get more reps with the first-team interior defensive line. Now that Brown has returned, he should reclaim his spot as the Panthers' top nose tackle.