NFL Player News

Wilson caught two of three targets for 32 yards in Friday's 24-16 preseason loss to the Buccaneers.

Geno Smith (foot) was supposed to start this game along with the rest of the Jets' first-team offense but was held out due to foot soreness, so rookie fourth-round pick Cade Klubnik got the nod under center. Wilson showed nice chemistry with Klubnik, as they linked up for gains of 21 and 11 yards on the opening drive. The Jets will likely try to get Smith and Wilson some game reps together during the preseason, with the next opportunity to do so coming next Friday against the Steelers.

Benton and the Steelers agreed to a four-year, $72 million contract extension Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

The deal makes Benton the highest-paid defensive lineman in franchise history. The 2023 second-rounder put together a solid 2025 campaign, finishing the regular season with 51 tackles (25 solo), including 5.5 sacks, one pass defense and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games. Benton should see a heavy workload on the defensive line while working in rotation with veteran Cameron Heyward and 2025 first-rounder Derrick Harmon.

James (undisclosed) reverted to the Giants' injured reserve list Friday, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.

James was waived/injured by the Giants on Thursday and went unclaimed. The cornerback will now spend the entirety of the 2026 season on injured reserve unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team. James played two defensive snaps and five special-teams snaps over one regular-season game for the Patriots in 2025.

Herring (undisclosed) reverted to the Browns' injured reserve list Friday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.

Herring was waived/injured by the Browns on Thursday and went unclaimed. The cornerback will now spend the entirety of the 2026 season on injured reserve unless he reaches an injury settlement with the team.

The NFL suspended Mathis for the first three games of the 2026 regular season for violating the league's Substances of Abuse Policy, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

Mathis is eligible to play in each of the Bills' three preseason games, with his suspension starting Aug. 30. The 2022 second-rounder will be eligible to make his 2026 regular-season debut in Week 4 against the Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 4. Rookie fifth-rounder Zane Durant should see a bump in rotational snaps at defensive end behind starters Ed Oliver and T.J. Sanders while Mathis is serving his suspension.

The NFL has suspended Johnson for the first six games of the regular season, Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports.

Johnson was suspended for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing drugs. The cornerback is set to return for Week 7 but will likely find himself buried on the depth chart. Johnson's 2025 season was derailed by injuries, and without full availability in 2026, he may be unable to challenge Cor'Dale Flott or Alontae Taylor for a starting role.

Lundt is on the edge of making the Bills' 53-man roster, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.

Lundt ended the 2025 season with just eight total snaps for the Bills. The 2025 sixth-rounder is battling with Jude Bowry, Travis Clayton, Nick Broeker and Austin Corbett for a chance at the 53-man roster. With the Bills keeping nine offensive linemen on the initial 2025 roster, two of the four players will likely not make the 2026 cut.

Fairbairn did not play in the Texans' 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers on Thursday.

With Fairbairn on the sidelines, Chris Freeman served as the Texans' kicker Thursday and missed his lone field-goal attempt from 61 yards out. Freeman was then waived by Houston on Friday, leaving Fairbairn as the only kicker on the 90-man roster. Unless the Texans sign another kicker, Fairbairn figures to play in each of the Texans' last two preseason games, with the next taking place this Thursday at home against the Raiders.

Robinson logged two solo tackles in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Titans.

Robinson logged 45 defensive snaps over the course of the night, playing a whopping 74 percent of the 49ers' total defensive reps. The fourth-string cornerback may get a chance to play during the regular season if the injuries to Jack Jones (hand) and Nate Hobbs (groin) persist longer than expected.

Higgins did not play in Thursday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers.

Higgins was joined by Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell (knee) on the sidelines for Thursday's preseason game, while fourth-year wideout Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson and Jared Wayne served as the Texans' three starting wideouts. Higgins is coming off a solid rookie campaign, when he caught 41 passes (on 68 targets) for 525 yards and six touchdowns across 17 regular-season games. He's positioned as the clear WR2 for the Texans behind Collins while Hutchinson, Noel and Dell provide depth at the position.