NFL Player News

McMillan (knee) is doing individual drills at Tuesday's practice, Scott Smith of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

Even if he isn't a full participant, McMillan's relatively quick return to practice seemingly confirms that his knee injury isn't serious. He's been out for about a week but may now be ready for a preseason appearance. McMillan is the favorite for Tampa Bay's No. 3 WR job, behind returning starters Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Competition for snaps primarily comes from Tez Johnson and rookie Ted Hurst.

Smith (hamstring) isn't participating in Tuesday's practice, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.

Though Smith will sit out his fifth consecutive practice, he appears to be making strides in his recovery from a hamstring injury. According to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, Smith was spotted doing some running on the field prior to Tuesday's session, which he hadn't done in advance of any of the previous four practices. The Eagles continue to view the hamstring issue as a short-term concern and appear to be playing it safe with their No. 1 wideout.

Sadiq (hernia) isn't practicing Tuesday, but he's improved enough to jog on the sidelines while observing practice, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said last week that Sadiq had suffered a setback in his recovery but that the rookie was still expected to be ready for Week 1. Coming back from hernia surgery this spring, Sadiq has missed much of the offseason program and all of training camp, making it difficult for him to earn a significant Week 1 role. He nonetheless figures to contribute in some fashion this season after the Jets drafted him 16th overall in April. Mason Taylor will continue to draw first-team reps until Sadiq is cleared to practice.

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Nix's deep accuracy has been "off the charts" at training camp, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Through two NFL seasons, Nix has mostly provided value via sack avoidance, scrambling and short-area accuracy. His 36.9 percent completion rate on passes 20-plus yards downfield last season ranked near the bottom of the league, but he also dealt with a number of drops on those throws from his receivers. The Broncos think he has another level to unlock, with new wideout Jaylen Waddle being a big part of that plan.

Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael didn't rule out the possibility of Cook having more involvement as a pass catcher in 2026, Alex Brasky of SI.com reports. "Anytime you can get the ball in [Cook's] hands, you have an opportunity for a big play," Carmichael said Monday. "I think he can bring value not only in the run game but the pass game as well."

Between 17 regular-season and two postseason contests in 2025, Cook took on 348 carries, handily surpassing his previous career high of 273 totes over 19 contests in 2023. The running back ended up leading the league in rushing with 1,621 yards, but head coach Joe Brady has already mentioned the possibility of taking some of that workload off the 26-year-old's plate. One way the Bills could limit the pounding Cook takes between the tackles without sacrificing his overall touches would be to increase his involvement in the passing game, where he's averaged 7.1 yards per target during his four-year career. Ty Johnson has carved out a role as a pass-catching specialist the past three seasons, but he exited Monday's practice with a knee issue. Cook may end up taking on more third-down snaps out of necessity if Johnson's injury lingers into the regular season.

Jets receivers coach Shawn Jefferson implied Tuesday that Mitchell is seen as the team's No. 2 wideout heading into the upcoming season, Antwan V. Staley of the New York Daily News reports. "If he continues on this trajectory, he will be a really good Robin to our Batman [Garrett Wilson]," Jefferson said of Mitchell.

The Jets invested the 30th overall pick in April's draft in Omar Cooper, but he looks set to work in the No. 3 role to begin his career. Mitchell was able to make a positive impression late last season after coming over from the Colts, racking up 59 targets while Wilson was sidelined by a knee injury for the final eight games and producing a 25-312-2 line even with shoddy quarterback play. With veteran Geno Smith directing the offense in 2026, Mitchell should see an improvement in efficiency, though a healthy Wilson remains the unquestioned centerpiece of the Jets' passing game.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that he doesn't expect Maye to play in Thursday's preseason opener versus the Colts, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

While Vrabel noted that his decision on Maye's status is "subject to change," like most teams during the first week of the preseason, the Patriots are expected to prioritize playing time for players who are still competing for roster spots. After a spectacular sophomore campaign in 2025 in which he finished as the runner-up in the MVP balloting and led the Patriots to the Super Bowl, Maye will have to contend with a tougher schedule in 2026 but will have an improved pass-catching group to work with after New England lost Stefon Diggs but added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs.

Pierce didn't require a second platelet-rich plasma injection for his surgically repaired left ankle, contrary to what was previously reported, according to Nathan Brown of The Indianapolis Star.

A league source previously relayed that Pierce required the second shot, but the source recanted and said it had misspoken. Another source confirmed that the wideout hasn't required any follow-up procedures since undergoing surgery in late March. Even so, Pierce has been sidelined for the entirety of the Colts' offseason program and training camp, and head coach Shane Steichen hasn't provided a firm target date for when he might come off the PUP list. Pierce has been one of the NFL's top vertical threats the past two seasons while averaging 20-plus yards per reception in both years, and after signing a lavish four-year, $114 million deal to remain with Indianapolis, the team is counting on him taking on greater target volume in 2026.

Giants head coach John Harbaugh lauded Dart for sliding inbounds at the end of a third-down run during a drill in Monday's practice, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports. "I clapped. I applauded. I applauded when he did that. It was great," Harbaugh said.

While Monday marked the first time that Dart had slid following a run throughout the Giants' first 11 practices of camp, the second-year quarterback at least appears to be more open to modifying his reckless running style. Though that approach helped him compile 487 rushing yards and nine scores in 14 games last season, it also played a part in him being checked for concussions on five different occasions. During a fan event back in May, Dart said that on third and fourth downs and near the red zone, he still expects to run through defenders in pursuit of first downs and touchdowns, but he expressed a willingness to slide in less critical situations. The 23-year-old will still carry plenty of health risk so long as running remains a key part of his skill set, but even a slight decline in his exposure to contact will help his odds of staying on the field.

Shough has looked noticeably more comfortable and in command of the offense entering his second season, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network reports.

After competing with Spencer Rattler for the starting job last summer as a rookie, Shough has the keys to the offense headed into the 2026 regular season after he completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 2,384 yards and a 10:6 TD:INT over the second half of last season once he took hold of the job from Rattler. The Saints have since added first-round WR Jordyn Tyson and free-agent pickup Travis Etienne to Shough's arsenal, putting the pieces around him to build on his impressive rookie season. Shough is an upside pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. He's got continuity with coach Kellen Moore and is playing in what should be one of the league's fastest-paced offenses.