NFL Player News

Odunze caught six of nine targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Vikings.

Odunze kept hope alive for the Bears with a one-yard touchdown catch just before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. His nine targets paced the team, though DJ Moore (68) and Olamide Zaccheaus (42) both had more receiving yards Monday. Odunze, a 2024 first-round pick, is set up for a more consistent role in his second NFL season after he had three-plus catches in only nine of 17 games as a rookie. Up next for the Bears is a Week 2 trip to Detroit.

Hockenson secured three of four targets for 15 yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.

The Vikings' passing attack was mostly quiet the majority of the night as J.J. McCarthy made his NFL regular-season debut, helping lead to a modest showing for the veteran tight end. Hockenson entered the season with elevated expectations considering he's now nearly two years removed from suffering multiple knee ligament tears Week 16 of the 2023 season, but his production will naturally be largely dependent on how quickly McCarthy gets his feet under him. Hockenson will next take aim at the Falcons defense in a Week 2 home matchup on Sunday night.

Neal recorded two carries for nine yards during Sunday's 20-13 loss against the Cardinals.

Neal finished fourth on the Saints in both rushing yards and attempts. Starting running back Alvin Kamara tallied 11 of the team's 22 rushing attempts, while RB2 Kendre Miller (five) and quarterback Spencer Rattler (four) rounded out the rest of the ground game. The lack of team rushing attempts is notable compared to the 46 passing attempts for Rattler, which was a career high. Neal also played just seven offensive snaps. So long as he's playing behind two other running backs in an offense that stresses the passing game, Neal won't fetch any value in fantasy football. The Saints' next game will come versus the 49ers on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Moore caught three of five targets for 68 yards, rushed three times for eight yards and lost a fumble in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Vikings.

Moore stayed down after taking a big hit in the fourth quarter but eventually stayed in the game after talking to trainers, as evidenced by his fumble, which came as the Bears were attempting laterals on the game's final play. He occasionally lined up in the backfield in addition to his customary role at wide receiver, so he may handle a few rushing attempts on a weekly basis moving forward. Moore led the Bears in receiving yards each of the past two seasons, so it's no surprise that he topped that category for the team in Monday's season opener. The 28-year-old wide receiver should remain heavily involved Week 2 against the Lions.

Jones rushed eight times for 23 yards and brought in all three targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.

Jones saw new backfield mate Jordan Mason outpace him by seven carries and 45 rushing yards, but the former made a significant impact as a receiver. Jones shared the team lead in receiving yards with Justin Jefferson, and he also recorded a nifty 27-yard touchdown grab down the right side of the field with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen if Monday night's ground-attack pecking order will have staying power, but it's conceivable the 30-year-old Jones, who logged a career-high 255 carries over 17 regular-season games in 2024 and came into the season with 1,432 career rush attempts, is slotted into more of a complementary role on the ground behind the younger Mason on the majority of weeks while still retaining a solid pass-catching role.

Miller compiled five rushes for 24 yards during Sunday's 20-13 defeat versus the Cardinals.

Miller operated as the No. 2 running back behind longtime starter Alvin Kamara, who paced the Saints' ground game with 11 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, third-string running back Devin Neal rounded out the ground game with two carries for nine yards. The overall lack of reliance on the ground attack was a departure from the approach under last year's offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, as quarterback Spencer Rattler instead put up a career-high 46 passing attempts. Both Miller and Neal also played under a dozen offensive snaps, with 11 and seven, respectively. The lack of playing time and the minimization of the rushing game don't bode well for any running back playing behind Kamara this season. It will be worth monitoring if offensive-minded head coach Kellen Moore employs a similar approach during the Week 2 matchup versus San Francisco.

Swift rushed 17 times for 53 yards and caught three of five targets for 12 yards in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Vikings.

Swift finished five yards shy of Caleb Williams' team-high rushing total and was the only Bears running back to record a carry, though rookie Kyle Monangai had one catch out of the backfield. While Swift seems locked into a high touch floor again due to a lack of competition, efficiency remains a concern, as he averaged a career-low 3.8 yards per carry last season and dipped to just 3.1 in Monday's small sample. Finding running room won't be easy Week 2 against the Lions, who held Swift to 59 yards on 20 carries (3.0 YPC) in two 2024 meetings.

Mason rushed 15 times for 68 yards and brought in his only target for seven yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.

Mason comfortably led the Vikings in rush attempts and rushing yards, outpacing the only other running back to log a carry, Aaron Jones, by seven carries and 45 yards. The Week 1 usage between the two players is eye-catching to say the least, considering Jones is the established incumbent of the ground attack under a returning coaching staff. Nevertheless, Mason is a proven commodity as an offseason addition, and head coach Kevin O'Connell may be most comfortable affording the latter the bulk of early-down work on most weeks. The next opportunity to see how the pecking order shakes out comes in a Week 2 home matchup against the Falcons on Sunday night.

Williams completed 21 of 35 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while rushing six times for 58 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 27-24 loss to the Vikings.

Williams got the Ben Johnson era off to an efficient start, hitting his first 10 throws under Chicago's new head coach and play caller. That strong stretch also included a nine-yard Williams rushing touchdown to cap the opening drive. His first miss was a costly one, though, as it came on fourth down well into Vikings territory. Chicago took a 17-6 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Vikings responded with 21 unanswered points before Williams finally stemmed the bleeding with a one-yard touchdown pass to Rome Odunze with 2:02 remaining. The Bears got the ball back in the final seconds but couldn't muster a final push. Williams' rushing production was encouraging, but he struggled with accuracy after his hot start through the air. He'll try to put together a more complete performance against the Lions in Week 2.

McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding two carries for 25 yards and another score in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night. He also threw a two-point conversion pass.

Making his long-awaited regular-season debut, McCarthy mostly scuffled through the first three quarters before igniting a 21-point outburst in the final period. The 2024 first-round pick connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 13 and 27 yards, respectively, and he followed those scoring strikes with a 14-yard touchdown run to extend Minnesota's 20-17 lead at the 2:53 mark of the fourth quarter. McCarthy also completed a two-point conversion to Adam Thielen, and he connected with seven different targets overall when factoring in that scoring toss. The second-year signal-caller now will prepare for his home regular-season debut, a Week 2 matchup against the Falcons on Sunday night.