NFL Player News

The Jets signed to Sanders off their practice squad Tuesday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Though New York cut him at the conclusion of the preseason, Sanders re-signed with the organization as a member of the practice squad and was elevated for each of the Jets' first three games of the season. He went 5-for-6 on field-goal tries and drilled all five of his point-after attempts during that stretch, with his performance earning him a spot on the 53-man roster. Sanders should have more security as the Jets' kicker moving forward after New York waived Blake Grupe in a corresponding move.

The Jets waived Grupe on Tuesday, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Grupe appeared poised to open the season as the Jets' kicker after he was scooped up off waivers from the Colts on Aug. 31, but he ended up being inactive for New York's first three games after Jason Sanders was elevated from the practice squad to handle kicking duties for each of those contests. The Jets have now opted to commit to Sanders as their kicker, signing him to the 53-man roster while parting ways with Grupe. Between stops with the Saints and Colts in 2025, Grupe converted on 29 of 37 field-goal attempts -- including seven of 10 from 50-plus yards -- while drilling all 25 of his extra-point tries. He may not have to wait long before finding an opportunity elsewhere.

The Giants plan to release Beckham on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.

Beckham's second stint in New York will end with a whimper, as he failed to haul in his lone target while playing just 20 total snaps over the Giants' first three games of the season. Since the 33-year-old wasn't able to earn consistent snaps in the receiver rotation and didn't contribute on special teams, the Giants deemed him an expandable piece. Beckham will look to find work elsewhere, but he could struggle to land with a team willing to give him meaningful playing time.

Hodge went without a target while logging 30 of the 49ers' 54 offensive snaps in Sunday's 36-30 win over the Cardinals.

With Mike Evans (rib) making an early exit from the contest, Hodge was the main beneficiary from a playing-time perspective. He finished second to only Deebo Samuel (40) in snaps among San Francisco receivers, but he ran routes on just 13 of his 30 snaps and failed to draw any looks from quarterback Brock Purdy. Even with injuries at receiver piling up for the 49ers, Hodge appears unlikely to emerge as a major part of the passing game.

Cowing failed to corral either of his two targets while playing 17 of the 49ers' 54 snaps on offense in Sunday's 36-30 win over the Cardinals.

Even though Demarcus Robinson (ankle) was moved to injured reserve following Week 2 and Mike Evans (rib) was unable to finish Sunday's contest, Cowing didn't benefit from much of a spike in playing time. In fact, after logging 24 of the 49ers' 52 offensive snaps (46.2 percent) in Week 2, Cowing saw his snap share drop to 31.5 percent. The biggest beneficiary of Robinson's absence and Evans' early exit was KhaDarel Hodge, who finished second to only Deebo Samuel (39) among 49ers receivers with 30 snaps.

Watkins recorded two receptions for 60 yards on two targets in Sunday's 36-30 win over the Cardinals.

Making his 2026 debut after he was a healthy inactive for the 49ers' first two contests, Watkins took the field for 15 of the team's 54 offensive snaps and was able to make a mark with 34- and 26-yard grabs. He still finished fifth among 49ers receivers in playing time, but he could see an uptick in opportunities if the rib strain Mike Evans suffered Sunday prevents him from playing Week 4 against the Broncos.

Daniels will avoid a procedure on his dislocated left elbow for the time being, but Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the quarterback could undergo surgery after the season.

Daniels has dislocated the elbow three times in less than a year, with his most recent aggravation of the injury occurring in the Commanders' Sept. 20 loss to the Cowboys. Surgery could provide a more permanent fix for the elbow, but for the time being, Daniels will rehab the injury and wear a brace for added protection when he eventually returns. After Daniels sat out the Commanders' Week 3 win over the Seahawks, head coach Dan Quinn said Monday that the quarterback would with the team to London this week and resume practicing in some capacity. The Commanders haven't ruled Daniels out from playing Sunday against the Colts, but he may need to put in at least one full practice in order to have a chance at reclaiming the starting role from Marcus Mariota, who performed well in his stead in Week 3.

Echols (concussion) was listed as a limited participant in Monday's practice estimate.

Echols departed late in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Bengals to get checked for a concussion, and his appearance on the Steelers' initial Week 4 injury report suggests he's following the NFL's five-step protocol for head injuries. The reserve cornerback will have two more chances to upgrade to full practice participation this week and then potentially gain clearance from an independent neurologist, which would put him on track to play Thursday versus the Browns.

Davis played 16 special-teams snaps during the Jets' 31-24 loss to the Lions on Sunday.

Davis did not see a single offensive snap in the contest. The special-teamer has a chance to carry the ball in Week 4 against the Bears due to the injury to Breece Hall (thigh).

Otton tallied three catches on six targets for 56 yards Sunday in a loss to the Vikings.

Otton finished second on the Bucs in both targets and receiving yards in his best game of 2026 to date. The majority of the tight end's receiving yardage came on a 37-yard connection with Baker Mayfield midway through the second quarter. However, Mayfield is expected to miss at least three weeks of action due to a thumb injury, so Otton will be working with rookie undrafted QB Jalon Daniels over the next few games.