NFL Player News

Mariota (knee) returned to practice Monday, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

Mariota missed the last two weeks of the preseason after suffering a sprained MCL in his right knee in the team's 20-7 preseason win over the Dolphins on Aug. 14. The veteran QB will look to increase his workload at practice in the coming days in preparation to serve as the the Commanders' top reserve option behind Jayden Daniels again in 2026.

The Steelers waived Smith (undisclosed) on Sunday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Smith recovered from an undisclosed injury to play in the Steelers' preseason finale against the Bills on Thursday, when he caught two passes on three targets for four yards. The Iowa product didn't crack the Steelers' 53-man roster, though he could stay in Pittsburgh as a member of the practice squad if he goes unclaimed off waivers. Smith played 21 snaps (eight on offense, 13 on special teams) across two regular-season games for the Jets in 2025.

The Jets waived Camper (head) on Sunday, Eric Allen and Amanda Vogt of the team's official site report.

The Jets signed Camper to the 90-man practice squad July 31, with the Boise State product accruing four catches (on seven targets) for 63 yards while adding one tackle across three preseason games. Camper won't be on the Jets' 53-man roster for the regular season, but he was signed to New York's practice squad Monday.

Sanders was released by the Jets on Monday, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

Sanders appeared likely to operate as New York's starting kicker in 2026 after the team let Cade York go Tuesday, but after the team added Blake Grupe on Monday, Sanders will hit the open market. The kicker made two of three field-goal attempts and went 2-for-3 on PATs during the preseason, and he now will look for another opportunity elsewhere.

Croskey-Merritt (lower body) is expected to return to practice next week, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

Croskey-Merritt was forced to miss the Commanders' final two preseason games due to a lower-body injury, and he won't practice Monday. His participation level once he gets back on the field should offer more clarity on his readiness for the regular-season opener Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Eagles. In the meantime, Kaytron Allen is the Commanders' top healthy option in the backfield with Rachaad White (hamstring) also banged up at the moment.

Coach Jesse Minter said Monday that Loop is expected to handle Week 1 kicking duties against the Colts despite Baltimore's addition of Jake Moody to the practice squad, Giana Han of the Baltimore Banner reports.

Loop missed a pair of field-goal attempts in the Ravens' preseason finale and has struggled during his short career on kicks from distance, as he made just one of four field goals from 50-plus yards during the 2025 regular season. He figures to have a short leash after his Week 18 miss last season sent the Steelers to the playoffs over the Ravens. Whoever kicks for the Ravens will have plenty of fantasy appeal in what should be one of the league's top offenses.

The Colts released Thomas (hand) on Sunday, per the NFL's transaction report.

Thomas logged six tackles (two solo) and one pass defense across two preseason games for the Seahawks, though he missed the team's 19-16 loss to the Titans on Aug. 23 due to a hand injury. He did not crack the Seahawks' 53-man roster for the upcoming season, though he could remain in Seattle as a member of the team's practice squad or explore his options elsewhere. Thomas, a 2022 seventh-round pick out of Yale, spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Colts, appearing in all 68 regular-season games in that span. He finished the 2025 regular season with 21 tackles (14 solo) across 17 games while contributing on both defense and special teams.

The Patriots waived Larison on Sunday.

Larison appeared in all three of the Patriots' preseason games, turning 18 carries into 39 yards and a touchdown while adding nine catches (on 14 targets) for 79 yards. He also contributed on special teams both as a gunner and returner on kickoffs, but that versatility was not enough for him to crack the Patriots' 53-man roster for the regular season. Larison could garner interest on the waiver wire from teams looking to add backfield depth to the roster, but a return to New England as a member of the practice squad is possible if he goes unclaimed.

Grupe has a clearer path to the Jets' kicking job after the team released Jason Sanders on Monday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

After being claimed off waivers earlier Monday, Grupe now is the lone kicker on the Jets' roster after the team elected to let Sanders go. Grupe appears to be on track to serve as the team's starting kicker this season after he went 29-for-37 on field-goal attempts while making all 25 of his extra-point tries over 16 regular-season contests with the Saints and Colts last year.

Kittle (Achilles) will be eased back into practice this week, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Kittle was activated from the active/PUP list last week and continues to make a push to play Week 1 against the Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10. He'll be limited in practice this week, and San Francisco figures to then ramp things up for Kittle next week to see if he can make himself available in the season opener. If Kittle is unable to go, Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell would handle tight end duties for the Niners.