NFL Player News

Ertz won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Ertz and John Bates are both being rested -- in Ertz's case for a third straight week -- while 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott isn't among the 33 names being held out. It's the latest sign that Sinnott has made no real progress toward usurping Ertz, although there's perhaps still some risk it eventually happens. In any case, Ertz gets a solid target projection for Week 1 against the Giants, putting him in play as a lineup option even though he was drafted as a backup (or not at all) in most fantasy leagues. The uncertainty surrounding Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (undisclosed injury) could further boost Ertz's volume outlook as the opener draws near, with the wideouts potentially having workload limitations even if they both end up playing (following prolonged absences this summer).

Ekeler won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Ekeler and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt are the two running backs on Washington's list of players that won't participate. It's a sign they'll share work come Week 1 against the Giants, although there's also talk of Chris Rodriguez having a role, which might include short-yardage carries. The Commanders traded Brian Robinson to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick Friday, showing confidence in some combination of Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt, Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols to form a committee. Ekeler's receiving skills make his role the most secure, although he's on the downside of his career and has fumbled 18 times (including playoffs) in 63 games over the past four season.

Lane won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

With no injury reported, it's a sign that the Commanders are more interested in keeping Lane healthy than evaluating him further. The rookie fourth-round pick caught three of seven targets for 42 yards this preseason, and while he probably won't be an immediate starter, the uncertainty surrounding Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (undisclosed) could free up snaps for Lane in Week 1 against the Giants. Lane may also get work on special teams, considering he had two return TDs in college and then ran a 4.34 40 at the 2025 NFL Combine.

Batty will undergo an MRI on a right knee injury that he suffered during Friday's preseason game against the Titans, Emily Leiker of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Batty played just one defensive snap during Friday's preseason finale, and he'll go through more tests to determine the severity of his injury. He signed with the Vikings in May as an undrafted free agent and has been competing for a depth spot on Minnesota's 53-man roster for the 2025 season.

Head coach Raheem Morris said Friday that McGary is expected to miss "significant time" with a leg injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

McGary was carted off the field during Wednesday's training camp practice due to a left leg injury. Further tests revealed a significant injury, and Morris noted that McGary is a candidate to start the regular season on injured reserve. McElhaney relays that Elijah Wilkinson is most likely to start at right tackle due to McGary's injury, with Jack Nelson and Brandon Parker also candidates to fill in.

Head coach Ben Johnson told reporters Friday that Booker is going to be out for "a few weeks" due to a knee injury, Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Booker suffered the injury during the Bears' second preseason game against the Bills, which prevented him from playing against the Chiefs on Friday. The 2024 fifth-rounder is projected to serve in a rotational role at defensive end behind Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. Dominique Robinson (ankle), Tanoh Kpassagnon and Daniel Hardy would be candidates to step into a backup role on the Bears' defensive line if Booker cannot suit up in Week 1 against the Vikings on Monday, Sept. 8.

Head coach Ben Johnson said Friday that Edmunds is working through a soft-tissue injury that isn't a long-term concern, Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Edmunds did not play in the Bears' preseason finale against the Chiefs on Friday due to the injury, but he doesn't appear to be in jeopardy of missing Chicago's Week 1 contest against Minnesota on Monday, Sept. 8. He played a career-high 1,016 defensive snaps across 17 regular-season games in 2024 and finished with 110 tackles (60 solo), including 1.0 sacks, eight pass defenses (one interception) and one forced fumble.

Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters Friday that McKee is "working to get back" from a finger injury that caused him to miss the Eagles' last two preseason games, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

With McKee dealing with a finger injury and Jalen Hurts resting, Kyle McCord has handled most of the quarterback snaps over the Eagles' last two preseason games. McKee played well in Philadelphia's preseason opener against Cincinnati, and he is entrenched as the QB2 behind Hurts heading into the regular season. Either McCord or Dorian Thompson-Robinson would step up as the backup for Week 1 against the Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4 if McKee is not cleared to play.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters that Gipson did not play in Friday's preseason game against the Eagles due to a lingering shoulder injury, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Gipson suffered a shoulder injury during the Jets' second preseason game against the Giants, and that injury lingered throughout the week enough for him to miss the preseason finale. Gipson's path to the 53-man roster is as a returner, but the severity of the injury could factor into whether he's on the Jets' roster for Week 1 against the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Friday that he's "confident" that Taylor (knee) will be available for the Jets' regular-season opener against the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 7, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery that has kept him sidelined since early August. There's optimism that he'll be available for Week 1 to serve as the Jets' backup quarterback behind starter Justin Fields. If Taylor isn't cleared to suit up, then the QB2 role would fall to either Adrian Martinez or Brady Cook unless the Jets opt to sign another signal-caller ahead of the regular-season opener.