NFL Player News

Walker (hamstring) will participate in practice Wednesday and is expected to play in the preseason opener against Detroit on Friday, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Walker missed time last week with a hamstring injury head coach Raheem Morris described as very minor, but is back at practice this week with sights set on his first NFL preseason game this Friday. The 21-year-old was drafted 15th overall by the Falcons in April after spending three years at Georgia. He is hoping to make a big impact on an Atlanta pass rush that was bottom 10 in sacks a year ago.

White and Mitchell Trubisky are in a backup QB competition that will likely extend throughout the preseason, Lance Lysowski reports.

White signed to the Bills' practice squad last season and appeared in Week 18 behind backup Mitchell Trubisky. The 30-year-old has attempted just eight passes over the past two seasons but has an opportunity to secure a backup role, as Trubisky is a potential cap causality on the final year of his two-year, $5.2 million contract.

Huntley is expected to back up Shedeur Sanders in the first preseason game against Carolina on Friday, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

Huntley signed with Cleveland on Monday and is now expected to play in their preseason opener just four days later. Along with Shedeur Sanders, he is the only available quarterback with Kenny Pickett (hamstring), Dillon Gabriel (hamstring) and Joe Flacco (resting) not playing. The 27-year-old journeyman is now on his fifth team after spending last year in Miami, where he started five games.

Kneeland has made at least one impact play every day in training camp so far, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com reports.

With Micah Parsons on the sidelines due to his contract dispute, there's been plenty of first-team reps available for the Cowboys' younger edge rushers, and Kneeland is taking full advantage. The 2024 second-round pick played only 11 regular-season games as a rookie due to a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery and failed to register a sack, but he's 100 percent healthy and making up for the lost time in his development. If Parsons' absence lingers past Week 1, Kneeland will likely be fighting with 2022 second-round pick Sam Williams and 2025 second-round pick Donovan Ezeiruaku for a starting spot opposite veteran Dante Fowler, but all four should see significant roles in the Dallas pass rush.

Trubisky and Mike White are in a backup QB competition that will likely extend throughout the preseason, Lance Lysowski reports.

Trubisky made an appearance in nine games last season for the Bills, backing up quarterback Josh Allen. Though the 30-year-old was ahead of Mike White on the depth chart last season, Trubisky is entering his final season of a two-year, $5.2 million contract, making the ninth-year pro a potential cap casualty if the competition is at all close.

Winfrey was one of the standout performers for the Cowboys at Tuesday's joint practice with the Rams, Tommy Yarrish of the team's website reports.

Signed in June after earning All-UFL honors with Birmingham this spring, Winfrey beat a double team to stuff Kyren Williams for a loss in the backfield during a red-zone drill. Osa Odighizuwa, Mazi Smith (knee) and Solomon Thomas are expected to be the primary members of the rotation at defensive tackle for Dallas, but Winfrey's making a case to carve out a role as well.

Williams (calf) returned to training camp on Wednesday, Alex Brasky of Bills Digest reports.

Williams injured his calf during the first week of training camp and has been held off the field for the past two weeks. His return to camp, still a month away from the regular season, is a good sign as the 24-year-old is a very important depth piece in Buffalo's defense. He totaled 117 tackles last season, starting 11 games with Matt Milano sidelined due to a biceps injury.

Kyle Monangai got most of the second-team carries at Tuesday's practice, with Johnson then coming in at the goal line, Mark Carman of CHGO Bears and WGN Radio reports.

It could be a sign that new head coach Ben Johnson views Johnson as something of a specialist -- someone who can handle goal-line carries or passing-down snaps but isn't desirable as a ball carrier in most situations. That's mostly how (Roschon) Johnson was used during his first two NFL seasons, but there was some thought he could take on a larger role after Chicago's backfield was exempt from the sweeping changes made to the offense this offseason. It seems Monangai is making a push to become the No. 2 ball carrier behind incumbent starter D'Andre Swift.

Cephus signed a deal with the Texans on Wednesday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Cephus spent all of last season on the Rams' practice squad but previously appeared in 22 games with the Lions, accounting for 37 receptions, 568 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons. The 27-year-old hasn't played in a game since 2022, but could be a depth piece for the Texans should he make the 53-man roster in a packed wide receiver room.

Monangai dominated second-team work at Tuesday's practice, Mark Carman of CHGO Bears and WGN Radio reports.

The rookie seventh-round pick reportedly took nearly all of the carries with the second unit until Roschon Johnson came in at the goal line. D'Andre Swift, meanwhile, seems to have a firm hold on the bulk of first-team snaps, although his mediocre showing last season could open the door for another RB if he doesn't improve under new head coach Ben Johnson, who has complimented Monangai a few times in recent weeks. At the very least, Monangai appears on track for a roster spot and a shot at change-of-pace carries, making him a viable late-round target in fantasy drafts.