NFL Player News

Vaki didn't practice Tuesday due to a hamstring injury and is unlikely to be available for Sunday's game against the Packers, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Though Vaki earned a spot on Detroit's 53-man roster as the team's No. 4 running back, he missed the Lions' final preseason game Aug. 23 against the Texans and looks as though he'll need more time to make a full recovery. Once he moves past the hamstring, Vaki is unlikely to see much playing time on offense but could be a key part of the Lions' special-teams units.

The Saints signed Mellott to their practice squad Tuesday, Matthew Paras of NOLA.com reports.

A college quarterback, Mellott was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 Draft by the Raiders and announced as a wide receiver. He failed to make Las Vegas' 53-man roster this summer and will now head to New Orleans, where Taysom Hill made a similar position switch with success. Mellott can continue to work on his development on the practice squad.

Benford (undisclosed) hasn't practice since Aug. 21 during training camp, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Benford is Buffalo's top cornerback, a position that has been ravaged by injuries in Buffalo this summer. First-round rookie Maxwell Hairston is on the IL for a LCL injury to his right knee, and veteran Tre'Davious White has a lower-leg injury that also has him sidelined. The Bills desperately need Benford to be ready for Sunday night's Week 1 opener against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Howell is expected to serve as the Eagles' QB2 for Thursday night's Week 1 opener against the Cowboys, Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Tanner McKee has a hand injury and isn't expected to be ready to back up Jalen Hurts for Week 1. Howell was acquired from the Vikings in late August.

Johnson (groin) said he expects to practice Tuesday, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Johnson missed all of training camp and the preseason due to a groin injury, but he's hopeful he'll be able to ramp up enough this week in order to play in Monday night's Week 1 opener against the Vikings.

Taylor (knee) participated in Tuesday's practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

The Jets aren't required to release an official practice report until Wednesday this week, but Taylor's return to the field appears to put him on track for backup duties behind Justin Fields for Sunday's Week 1 opener against the Steelers.

Royals (knee) did not practice Tuesday, Pete Sweeney of ArrowheadPride.com reports.

Coach Andy Reid already said last week that he didn't expect Royals to be available to play in Friday's Week 1 opener against the Chargers. The rookie wideout is dealing with knee tendinitis. With Rashee Rice also out due to suspension, Kansas City's top wideouts against Los Angeles are expected to be Xavier Worthy, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that Brown (ankle) has been a full practice participant this week and will be available for Friday's season opener versus the Chargers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Brown didn't play in any preseason contests after tweaking his right ankle early in training camp, but he's been able to practice for about two weeks and said that he's feeling "really good" heading into Friday's contest, per Matt McMullen of the team's official site. With Rashee Rice (suspension) set to miss the first six contests of the season, a healthy Brown could see added involvement in the passing game early on. After requiring shoulder surgery last September, the veteran was limited to just two regular-season and three postseason contests in 2024 and struggled to forge a connection with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, reeling in just 14 of 28 targets for 141 yards and no touchdowns over 159 total snaps.

Winston is listed as the Giants' QB3 on the team's unofficial depth chart ahead of Sunday's Week 1 game against the Commanders, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Winston spent the entirety of training camp and the preseason listed as the team's QB2 behind Russell Wilson, but rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart had an impeccable preseason and has now leapfrogged the veteran as Wilson's top backup. Winston will now likely be inactive for Week 1.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Harmon (knee) will not play in Sunday's Week 1 game against the Jets, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports.

Harmon suffered a sprained MCL on Aug. 21 during a preseason contest and was given a recovery timeline of four-to-six weeks, so his absence for Week 1 doesn't come as a surprise. Logan Lee and Isaiahh Loudermilk figure to see increased reps along Pittsburgh's defensive line.