NFL Player News

Packers passing game coordinator Jason Vrable said Monday that Watson (ribs) is sore but "doing great," Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Watson suffered a broken rib during this past Thursday win over the Panthers, and while Vrable notes with regard to Watson's status for this Sunday's game against the Patriots, "we'll see as the week goes," he added that the wideout will do everything possible to get his body ready in advance of Week 9 action. In the event that Watson is unavailable versus New England, added reps behind Matthew Golden would be available for Savion Williams, Bo Melton and J. Michael Sturdivant.

Skattebo (hamstring) was spotted working out off to the side during the Giants' unofficial practice session Monday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Skattebo tweaked his hamstring at the end of a 42-yard run in overtime during the Giants' Week 7 win over the Texans, capping off a season-best performance during which he accounted for 121 yards and a touchdown on 18 touches. Though a well-timed Week 8 bye gave Skattebo additional time to recover, he may not be back to 100 percent as the Giants begin prepping for Sunday's game against the Eagles. The Giants will release their first official Week 9 injury report Wednesday, when it will be known whether Skattebo is healthy enough to practice fully or if he's operating with limitations.

Aiyuk is close to hiring new representation and is expected to file for reinstatement to the NFL in the near future, according to NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.

Aiyuk, 28, made his last NFL appearance Oct. 20, 2024, when he sustained multiple ligament tears in his right knee and required season-ending surgery. Though Aiyuk has likely been fully healthy for several months, his future in football has been murky due in part to his acrimonious relationship with the 49ers, who still hold his rights after placing him on the reserve/left squad list last December. GM John Lynch already announced back in January that Aiyuk wouldn't play for the 49ers again, but until the wideout formally files for reinstatement, he's unlikely to be traded or released. Aiyuk now appears to be willing to take that step, after previously indicating over the summer that he had no intention to apply for reinstatement.

Murray (hamstring), who is dealing with a sore hamstring, is undergoing a full evaluation to determine the extent of the issue, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

When asked whether or not Murray's hamstring soreness would affect his availability for next Monday night's game against the Bills, coach Kevin O'Connell said "I don't think we're there yet." Added context regarding the QB's Week 9 availability is in line to arrive no later than Thursday's practice report, but if Murray is unable suit up versus Buffalo, Carson Wentz would be next in line for Minnesota's signal-caller reps.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that the Packers are aware of the prior physical abuse allegations involving Jacobs that recently surfaced and "anticipate him being a member" of the team moving forward, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Before making his season debut Week 7, Jacobs missed the Packers' first six games after he was placed on the commissioner's exempt list after he was officially charged Aug. 27 with two misdemeanors stemming from his May arrest for a domestic incident. The legal process related to that incident has since played out, but Jacobs' status with the team had been called into question after the NFL announced Saturday that it was reviewing additional allegations of physical and verbal abuse from three different women in incidents dating back to April 2021 that were released following a public records request. Unless the NFL elects to place him back on the exempt list while it reviews the incidents in question, Jacobs looks like he'll be available for Green Bay's next game Sunday at New England. Despite the missed time to begin the season, Jacobs has immediately settled back into a lead role in the backfield and has scored three touchdowns in two games, but he's mustered just 75 yards on 32 carries (2.3 average) to go with 11 receptions for 68 yards on 13 targets.

Head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that the Packers' "intention" is for Parsons (knee) to resume practicing in Week 9, Weston Hodkiewicz of the team's official site reports. "It's gonna be a process trying to get him back," LaFleur said. "We're hopeful he'll be able to get out there sometime this week."

Once the Packers officially designate Parsons for return from the PUP list, the team will have 21 days to evaluate him in practice before reinstating him to the 53-man roster. Parsons, who is working his way back from the torn ACL he sustained last December, doesn't appear to be in consideration to play this Sunday against the Patriots if he resumes practicing this week. Instead, the Packers are targeting their Nov. 25 game against the Rams in Week 12 for Parsons' debut, per Ian Rapoport of ESPN. The star edge rusher is initially expected to be limited to individual work once the Packers open his 21-day window before potentially advancing to team drills in Week 10.

Head coach Shane Steichen said that Jones will remain the Colts' starting quarterback heading into Sunday's game against the Cowboys, Mike Chappell of Fox 59 News Indianapolis reports.

After a 42-7 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday during which Jones was benched in favor of Anthony Richardson in the fourth quarter, Steichen suggested that he would evaluate every position, including quarterback. While some changes could still be afoot for the 2-6 Colts, Steichen will apparently stand pat at center with Jones, at least for one more week. After a promising first season in Indianapolis was cut short by a torn Achilles, Jones has been a major disappointment since reaching a two-year, $88 million extension with the Colts in March. Through eight games, Jones ranks 29th among 30 qualified quarterbacks in QBR (39.6) and is tied with the Chargers' Justin Herbert for the NFL lead with 12 turnovers (nine interceptions, three lost fumbles).

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that Legette (knee) will "potentially" be designated for return from injured reserve this week, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Canales noted that Legette still has some checkpoints he needs to hit in his recovery process before getting the green light to practice, but the third-year wideout appears to have at least progressed on some level since landing on IR on Oct. 3. Before getting hurt, Legette had served as the Panthers' No. 3 wideout during the first two weeks of the season and produced a 2-64-0 receiving line on six targets between those contests.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Monday that Brooks (core) will "potentially" be designated for return from injured reserve this week, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Canales noted that Brooks still has some checkpoints he needs to hit in his recovery process before getting the green light to practice, but the running back looks to have at least made progress on some level since undergoing core-muscle surgery Sept. 23. The running back has already spent more than four games on IR and will be eligible to be added back to the 53-man roster whenever the Panthers deem him healthy. Once activated, Brooks will likely have to settle for a change-of-pace role behind lead back Chubba Hubbard.

Coach Kevin Stefanski noted Monday that Branch (hamstring) won't play Sunday against the Bengals, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reports.

The same applies to LB Samson Ebukam, with Josh Kendall of The Athletic relaying via Stefanski that either or both of the injured players could face multi-game absences. Through eight games thus far, Branch has caught 10 of his 12 targets for 64 yards. In the 2026 third-rounder's looming absence, Drake London, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus will continue to lead Atlanta's WR corps, with Chris Blair in reserve.