NFL Player News

San Francisco general manager John Lynch said Tuesday the team hopes to have Evans (groin) back at practice next week, David Lombardi of the San Francisco Standard reports.

The veteran wideout has been slowed by an adductor injury over the last week. The Niners will continue to be cautious with Evans as they prepare for their season opener Sept. 10 in Australia. That Evans won't practice this week is notable, given the already tight timeline and the upcoming international travel.

Johnson agreed to join the Bengals' practice squad Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Cincinnati opted to keep Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco as its sole quarterbacks on the 53-man roster heading into the regular season, but Johnson -- who was with the club for training camp and the preseason -- will remain in the organization as a depth option at the position on the practice squad. The 40-year-old signal-caller has been part of 14 different NFL teams over his long career and spent all of 2025 with the Commanders, appearing in five games and completing 34 of 54 pass attempts for 372 yards and a 1:2 TD:INT to go with 55 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.

Hubbard (hamstring) returned to practice Tuesday, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

The running back may not end up being a full participant, but he's on the field with his helmet as the session gets underway. Hubbard has been hampered by a hamstring injury since mid-August but has been progressing well, and he's trending in the right direction to be ready for Week 1.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that Williams is recovering from a high-ankle sprain and should be ready to return from injured reserve when first eligible in Week 5, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Williams wasn't known to have dealing with any injuries before he landed on injured reserve Sunday, but Gutekunst's comments provided some clarity. Assuming that the second-year wideout bounces back from the high-ankle sprain as anticipated, he should be ready to make his 2026 debut Oct. 11 versus the Bears. With Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden locked in as Green Bay's top three receivers, Williams is unlikely to see much action, but he could have a small role on offense as a gadget player in addition to serving as the team's top kickoff returner, and Watson has missed at least two games in each of his four NFL seasons.

Johnson is in line to be Kenneth Walker's backup to begin the season for Kansas City .

Former Cardinals running back Emari Demercado was waived during final roster cutdowns, clearing a path for Johnson after the rookie out of Nebraska impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. Kansas City also has Brashard Smith on the roster, but Johnson may be the better backup for fantasy managers to stash.

Richardson is expected to remain with Indianapolis for the 2026 season, Jake Arthur of Colts Roundtable reports. "He'll be an Indianapolis Colt this year," said general manager Chris Ballard.

The 53-man roster is set in Indianapolis, and Richardson is in the team's plans for the year despite an offseason that included a trade request from the quarterback. It's still not clear whether Richardson or Riley Leonard is set to open the season as the No. 2 option behind Daniel Jones, however.

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley confirmed Tuesday that McCord will begin the season as the team's No. 2 quarterback, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Miami bolstered its quarterback room by claiming Brady Cook off waivers Monday, but he'll occupy the third spot on the depth chart while McCord serves as the top backup to Malik Willis. Acquired from the Packers over the weekend in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick, McCord is coming off an impressive preseason in which he completed 46 of 70 pass attempts (65.7 percent) for 446 yards and a 4:0 TD:INT over three games. The 23-year-old is still waiting to make his NFL debut, as he spent all of last season on the Eagles' practice squad after failing to make the roster as a rookie sixth-round pick.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that Allen will play in Week 1 against the Ravens, Jake Arthur of Colts Roundtable reports.

Allen will not face discipline from the team following his arrest on DUI charges Sunday. "We should be good," said Ballard when asked about that Tuesday, and added that "Good people make mistakes. [Allen] is a tremendous human being... he'll work through the process of the legal system." It appears that Allen can now shift his focus to getting up to speed with the team in advance of the season opener Sept. 13 against the Ravens.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday that he's "really hopeful" Musgrave (neck) will be able to play at some point during the 2026 season, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.

Green Bay placed Musgrave on the PUP list Sunday, ensuring that he'll miss at least the first four contests of the campaign. Musgrave is far from a lock to be activated when first eligible to play, as he was unable to practice at any point in training camp or the preseason after injuring his neck during June minicamp. Perhaps in part due to Musgrave's hazy return timeline, the Packers signed veteran Jonnu Smith to a one-year deal last week to provide depth behind top tight end Tucker Kraft (knee).

Croskey-Merritt (lower body) is dressed for Tuesday's practice, Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reports.

This is a big positive for Croskey-Merritt, who had been working through a lower-body issue late in the preseason. He is now trending in the right direction for Week 1, but official injury reports the week of the game will give final confirmation. If healthy, Croskey-Merritt is in line for a prominent role yet again in the Washington backfield.