NFL Player News

The Lions placed Branch (Achilles) on the reserve/PUP list Sunday, Tom Pelissero of Netflix reports.

Branch spent the entirety of training camp on the active/PUP list, enabling the safety to be placed on the reserve list to begin the regular season. The 24-year-old will now be required to miss the first four games of the season at least before he can return to the Lions' active roster. With fellow safety Kerby Joseph (knee) also on the reserve/PUP list, the tandem of Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark will likely start the season in the Lions' secondary.

The Raiders placed Crawford (ankle) on injured reserve Sunday, Sam Warren of The Athletic reports.

Crawford was not given a tag that designated his return during 2026, meaning the rookie third-rounder will spend the entirety of his first season on IR unless he works out a settlement with the team. With Crawford out, Malcolm Koonce becomes the primary depth option at outside linebacker behind Kwity Paye and Maxx Crosby.

The Saints placed Neal (hamstring) on injured reserve Sunday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.

Neal will be required to stay on IR throughout the entirety of the 2026 regular season unless he is waived with an injury designation. The 2025 sixth-rounder sustained a hamstring injury during the Saints' 34-0 preseason loss to the Rams on Aug. 22. Neal rushed 57 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns over 10 regular-season games in 2025 but will likely need to wait until 2027 for another shot in the backfield.

The Dolphins waived Hunter on Sunday, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

The Rams traded Hunter to the Dolphins just this past Thursday in return for wide receiver Tutu Atwell. If the team was not set on making Hunter a member of the initial 53-man roster, it is unclear why it went ahead with the trade. Hunter did not play in a preseason game with the Dolphins. The running back will now be placed on waivers. If the 23-year-old remains unclaimed, there is a good chance he will sign with the practice squad of the Rams or Dolphins.

The Seahawks released Diggs on Sunday, Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

General manager John Schneider says the Seahawks intend to keep Diggs on the practice squad to begin the regular season. The team hopes to let the cornerback further acclimate himself to NFL physicality again, as Diggs had not been in full pads since January. The 27-year-old will be free to join any other team's 53-man roster while this transition period plays out, so there is no explicit guarantee Diggs remains with the Seahawks throughout the 2026 season.

The Falcons waived Bryant on Sunday, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.

Bryant played in seven games for the Falcons last season, logging 10 tackles (eight solo) and one pass defensed over 101 defensive snaps and 30 special teams snaps. If the cornerback clears waivers, the Falcons are looking to sign the 24-year-old to the practice squad.

The Chargers traded Edwards to the Panthers on Sunday in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick, Kassidy Hill of the Panthers' official site reports.

Edwards spent a year developing on the Chargers' practice squad and was once again set to be a casualty of cutdown day for the organization. The Chargers will now receive a 2028 late-round selection while the Panthers get a shot at a young defensive tackle that could bolster a defensive line facing injuries to its starting duo of Derrick Brown (knee) and Tershawn Wharton (neck)

Etienne (ankle) was placed on injured reserve by the Panthers on Sunday with a designation to return, Darin Gantt of the team's official website reports.

Etienne suffered an ankle injury in Friday's preseason finale versus Houston, and he will now be forced to miss at least four contests while on IR. The running back was expected to operate as a depth option behind Chuba Hubbard (hamstring) and Jonathon Brooks to open the season, so in his absence, AJ Dillon will likely slot in as the No. 3 option. Additionally, Etienne has operated as the team's primary return specialist on both kicks and punts, so Carolina will have to find replacements there for the time being.

The Saints waived Brown on Sunday, Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Brown was waived not long after fellow kicker Charlie Smyth. The two moves leave Daniel Carlson as the Saints' starting kicker headed into Week 1 against the Lions. Brown will now be subject to waivers, and if he remains unclaimed will become a free agent able to sign with any team looking for kicking help.

Garrett (knee) did not participate in Sunday's practice, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Garrett was not dressed for practice Sunday and was working off to the side with trainers. The Defensive Player of the Year's chances at a repeat award jumped this weekend as the Rams announced that Aaron Donald was returning to the team on a one-year $20 million deal. It is unclear when Garrett will return to practice, but if the team waits much longer to get him back in pads, there is a chance he will miss the Week 1 divisional matchup with the 49ers on Thursday, Sept. 10.