NFL Player News

Coach John Harbaugh said Likely rolled his left ankle at Tuesday's practice and may miss "a few weeks," Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports.

The tight end sustained the injury on a 1-on-1 rep with safety Sanoussi Kane, after which he couldn't put much weight on his left leg and was carted off the field. Likely will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. For as long as he's sidelined, Charlie Kolar, Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Sam Pitz will be candidates for reps behind starter Mark Andrews.

Murphy (back) is expected to be a bigger factor as a pass rusher in 2025, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Murphy struggled with a hamstring injury early in 2024 and closed the season with a back injury, but he's fully healthy for the start of training camp and is gearing up for an important role in the Seahawks' revamped offense. The 2024 first-round pick relayed that he's expected to work more in the three technique this season, which should hopefully help him improve after he finished with just 0.5 sacks last year.

Coach Jim Harbaugh said Tuesday that "traditional" starters, such as Herbert, won't suit up for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Lions, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.

This comes as no surprise, as the Chargers will have three more opportunities for their top talent to get in some reps before Week 1. In Herbert's place, Trey Lance will get the nod under center over presumed No. 2 QB Taylor Heinicke. As for Herbert and the rest of the starters, their next chance for exhibition action will arrive Sunday, Aug. 10 versus the Saints.

Lance will start Thursday's preseason opener against the Lions in the Hall of Fame Game, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.

The 25-year-old kicked off training camp as Los Angeles' third-string quarterback behind Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke, but he'll get a chance to start the team's preseason opener. Undrafted rookie DJ Uiagalelei will likely work as Lance's backup. Almost all the Chargers' key starters on both sides of the ball figure to be held out of action Thursday, but Lance could get a chance to work with a handful of intriguing pass catchers such as 2025 fifth-round wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 2024 seventh-round receiver Brenden Rice and 2025 fifth-round tight end Oronde Gadsden. Lance's rushing abilities also make him a candidate to rack up production even if his passing skills don't impress.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Sunday that McCaffrey has made a "jump" from Year 1 to Year 2, Bryan Manning of Commanders Wire reports.

A 2024 third-round pick, McCaffrey got playing time in the slot early in his rookie season, but he didn't do much with the snaps and saw his role decrease later in the year. He's back to compete for the No. 3 receiver role against Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn. There's an opportunity for all of them to get extra first-team snaps while Terry McLaurin (ankle/contract) remains unavailable to practice.

Likely (foot/ankle) was carted off the field near the end of Tuesday's practice, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports.

Per Giana Han of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, Likely was grabbing his left foot/ankle area and punching the ground following a 1-on-1 rep with safety Sanoussi Kane. Likely wasn't able to put much weight on his left leg as he made his way to team facilities. The severity of the injury won't be known until the fourth-year tight end undergoes testing.

Pittsburgh signed Nichols on Tuesday.

Nichols spent time on the Eagles' practice squad during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, though he never got a chance to make his regular-season NFL debut with the team. He now gets a chance to compete during training camp with the Steelers.

Ekeler and Deebo Samuel have been returning kickoffs in practice, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

The new touchback rules last season led to 32.8 percent of kicks being returned, up from 21.8 percent the year before. A second increase is coming -- potentially a much bigger one -- after another rule change this offseason to move touchbacks out to the 35-yard line. Last year, over 12 regular-season games played, Ekeler handled 19 of Washington's 37 kick returns, averaging 31.3 yards to finish with the third-most kick return yardage in the league (594). It's a nice little boost in fantasy leagues that count those yards, but in most formats the increased injury risk probably isn't worth the chance of a touchdown every once in a while, especially if return work is also costing the player snaps on offense. That'll likely be Ekeler's reality this season, although he's already off the field plenty given his committee role alongside Brian Robinson in Washington's backfield.

McConkey (undisclosed) won't practice Tuesday, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.

Coach Jim Harbaugh noted that the second-year wide receiver is "working through something minor," before adding that the traditional starters -- a group that includes McConkey -- won't suit up for Thursday's Hall of Fame Game against the Lions, per Rhim. As a result, McConkey may get the rest of this week off to get back to full health. Coming off a rookie campaign in which he racked up an 82-1,149-7 line on 112 targets in 16 regular-season games, he's poised to serve as Justin Herbert's top option in the Chargers' passing game in 2025.

Pittsburgh signed Foelsch to a contract Tuesday.

Foelsch logged a brief stint with the Chiefs earlier this offseason, and he now gets an opportunity to compete during training camp in Pittsburgh. The tight end spent last season bouncing on and off the Eagles' practice squad and is still looking for a chance to make his regular-season NFL debut.