NFL Player News

Dobbins isn't in line to play in Friday's preseason game in Atlanta, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

Dobbins made an early exit from practice Monday due to a soft-tissue injury, and while he went through individual drills Tuesday and Wednesday, the Broncos will exercise caution with their presumed top running back. His next chance for exhibition action is next Friday versus the Packers.

Mertz (knee) suffered a torn ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

With the severity of the injury confirmed, Mertz will undergo season-ending surgery shortly. The reserve quarterback behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills played just one half of football in 2026, completing four of seven passes for 23 yards and rushing three times for 15 yards. The Texans will likely bring in another quarterback to shore up the unit's depth before the start of the regular season.

The NFL suspended Armstrong for the first game of the regular season, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Armstrong will miss Week 1 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. The announcement did not specify the reason for the violation, but it could be related to the linebacker's May arrest on charges of assault and resisting arrest. Armstrong came off the active/PUP list last Friday after finally recovering from the knee injury he suffered during Week 7 of the 2025 season. The 23-year-old participated in all seven games before going down, so it is expected he will be a key piece of the Commanders' 2026 depth once he serves his suspension.

Bech caught three passes on as many targets for 25 yards and a touchdown during the Raiders' 27-14 preseason loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.

All three of Bech's catches came in the first half, with his last resulting in a six-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins. Bech led all wide receivers with 22 offensive snaps, and a strong rapport with Cousins would help the former's case for the WR3 job, with his main competition coming from Dont'e Thornton, Dareke Young and rookie sixth-rounder Malik Benson. Bech and the Raiders will hit the road for their next preseason game against the Texans this Thursday.

Thornton (undisclosed) did not play in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Cardinals.

The wide receiver exited last Friday's practice with an injury. Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reported that Thornton is expected to return to the field at some point during the preseason, but there is no specific week targeted. The Raiders' receiving room is currently wide open, and the more time the 23-year-old misses, the harder it will be to take one of the top slots.

Waddle (leg) isn't slated to play in Friday's preseason contest in Atlanta, Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post reports.

Waddle initially exited an Aug. 5 practice session early due to muscle tightness, and while he got rid of the sleeve on his left leg this past Saturday, he has yet to mix back into drills in the meantime. As a result, his first taste of game action as a Bronco will have to wait until at least next Friday against the Packers. Once Waddle is healthy, he's set to form a top WR duo in Denver with Courtland Sutton for QB Bo Nix.

Treadwell played five snaps on offense without showing up in the box score otherwise during the Colts' 13-13 preseason tie with the Patriots on Thursday.

Treadwell had been held out of training camp practices due to a hamstring injury but was cleared to play in Thursday's exhibition contest. He didn't see much playing time against New England despite the absences of both Alec Pierce (ankle) and Josh Downs (groin), and Treadwell is competing against the likes of Coleman Owen, E.J. Horton and rookie seventh-rounder Deion Burks for a depth spot on the Colts' 53-man roster. Indianapolis' next preseason game takes place Saturday, Aug. 22, against Atlanta.

Robichaux participated in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Bengals, rushing eight times for 31 yards.

Robichaux's night peaked with a 13-yard rush. The 23-year-old tied Jacob Saylors for the most Lions rush attempts in the game as the duo continues to compete for the No. 4 spot on the depth chart behind Jahmyr Gibbs, Isiah Pacheco (knee) and Sione Vaki (nose).

Coach Mike Vrabel expects Gonzalez (undisclosed) to play in the Patriots' Week 1 rematch with the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, Chris Mason of masslive.com reports.

Gonzalez missed Tuesday's joint practice with the Colts and was not on the sideline for Thursday night's preseason opener. The cornerback is reportedly just resting with a minor injury, but the stalemate with the Patriots in regard to a contract extension for the young star may also come into play. Regardless of why Gonzalez has missed time during the preseason, it appears that the 24-year-old will be available to begin the regular season no matter where his contract situation ends up.

Okonkwo isn't slated to suit up for Friday's preseason contest against the Dolphins.

After spending the first four campaigns of his career with the Titans, Okonkwo signed a three-year, $27 million contract to join the Commanders this offseason. He's averaged a 48.5-504.3-2 line on 68 targets per 17 regular-season games to date, but more consistent QB play while working with Jayden Daniels in Washington makes Okonkwo a candidate to increase those numbers in 2026.