NFL Player News

McKee (thumb) did not participate in Tuesday's practice.

McKee is working through a right thumb fracture, which is severe enough for him to not throw and hold the ball with his left, non-throwing hand, per Zach Berman of The Athletic. It's looking increasingly unlikely that McKee will play in Thursday's regular-season opener against the Cowboys, which means Sam Howell will likely serve as the Eagles' QB2 behind starter Jalen Hurts.

Dickerson (knee/back) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice.

Dickerson wasn't able to practice Monday due to a back issue, but head coach Nick Sirianni said Tuesday that the 2021 second-rounder has recovered from surgery to repair a meniscus injury in his right knee, per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The back issue doesn't appear to be a serious concern as Dickerson was able to practice in full during Tuesday's session, paving the way for him to start at left guard for Thursday's regular-season opener against the Cowboys.

Westover is now listed as a fullback on the Patriots' official depth chart, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Westover played fullback during the first two years of his collegiate career at Washington before changing to tight end as a junior. He remained at tight end during his rookie season in 2024, but he operated as a fullback during the offseason and will officially make the switch back to backfield blocker for the 2025 campaign. Westover appeared in three regular-season games for the Patriots in 2024 and mostly operated in a special-teams role.

The Saints signed Haener off their practice squad Tuesday.

After falling behind Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough in the competition for the Saints' starting quarterback job during the preseason, Haener was cut last week, but he ended up sticking in the organization upon clearing waivers. He didn't have to wait long to land back on the 53-man roster, as the Saints had a spot available for him after releasing safety J.T. Gray on Monday. Haener will still slot in third on the depth chart at quarterback and is likely to remain inactive most weeks while both Rattler and Shough are available.

The Steelers released Woods from their practice squad Tuesday.

Woods is 33 years old and has no desire to be on a team's practice squad, and he only wants to play if he's on a 53-man roster, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Woods spent the summer in Pittsburgh but was unable to crack to the Steelers' Week 1 roster.

Mills and the Texans agreed Tuesday on a one-year, $7 million contract extension, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Mills had been ticketed for free agency next spring, but for the second September in a row, the Texans have given him some extra security in the form of a one-year extension. The $7 million deal is fully guaranteed, which should ensure that Mills faces no real competition for the No. 2 role heading into 2026. He'll be entering his third straight season as C.J. Stroud's backup and won't be in line for anything more than spot duty so long as Stroud is healthy. Through his first two NFL seasons, Stroud has missed just two games, with both absences coming late in his rookie campaign while he recovered from a concussion.

The Seahawks cut Martinez from their practice squad Tuesday.

The seventh-round rookie out of Miami failed to make Seattle's 53-man roster out of training camp this summer but was quickly brought back via the practice squad last week. Martinez logged 67 offensive snaps during the preseason, producing a 24-84-1 rushing line.

Tranquill (back) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice.

Tranquill was hampered early on in training camp but is all systems go for Friday's Week 1 opener against the Chargers. The veteran linebacker recorded 94 tackles (54 solo), including 2.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups across 16 regular-season appearances, all starts, in 2024.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he expects Heyward to play in Sunday's Week 1 game against the Jets, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.

Heyward angled for a new contract and conducted a "hold in" during training camp, only practicing on a limited basis throughout the summer, but Tomlin believes his star defensive lineman will be on the field for the start of the regular season. Heyward is now 36 years old but did start all 17 regular-season contests last season, recording 71 tackles (35 solo), including 8.0 sacks, and a career-best 11 pass deflections. He was named a first-team All-Pro.

Bolden signed with the Texans' practice squad Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Texas back in April, Bolden appeared in two preseason games for Minnesota but caught just one pass for three yards across 27 offensive snaps.