NFL Player News

Sanders exited Tuesday's practice with an ankle injury, Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer reports.

The injuries continue to pile up for Carolina, though there hasn't been any indication Sanders is dealing with a long-term problem. Sanders has appeared in 29 regular-season contests across his first two campaigns and has produced 62 catches for 532 yards and two touchdowns on 77 targets. He's again expected to see snaps in the Panthers' three-man tight end committee that also involves Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans.

Coach Kevin Stefanski said Tagovailoa (back) will be "limited" at Tuesday's practice, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.

Tagovailoa has been working through back tightness in the early stages of training camp, and after resuming 11-on-11 work Monday, he'll take a step back one day later. Meanwhile, fellow QB Michael Penix continues to rehab the torn ACL that ended his second campaign in Week 11 of last season. The Falcons' first preseason game occurs Friday, Aug. 14 against the Broncos, so Tagovailoa still has more than a week to put himself in a position for his debut with the team.

Kevin Bowen of 1075thefan.com notes that he continues to be impressed by what McGowan is showing at running back thus far in training camp.

At this stage, McGowan, whom the Colts took in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL, is competing with DJ Giddens for slotting behind undisputed top back Jonathan Taylor. While the player who emerges as the team's No. 2 backfield option will hold limited fantasy lineup appeal as long as Taylor is healthy, his backup situation is worth monitoring ahead of Week 1 in the event Taylor misses time this season for any reason.

Gardner (calf) missed practice Tuesday due to an illness, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

The Colts' top cornerback has also been dealing with a calf issue during camp after initially sustaining a calf strain in Week 13 of last season. He ended up missing the following three games and four of the last five contests to close out the 2025 regular season. The Colts are banking on the soon-to-be 25-year-old to key their secondary this season.

Vaki suffered a broken nose in Monday's practice, Justin Rogers of DetroitFootball.net reports.

Vaki was poked in the eye in the same practice and will now need some time to deal with the injuries. He's competing for a role in the backfield behind Jahmyr Gibbs (back) and Isiah Pacheco this summer. A 2024 fourth-round pick, Vaki has seven career regular-season carries for 18 empty yards.

The Lions placed Firkser (leg) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Firkser was injured in Monday's practice and will now either spend the entirety of the 2026 season on the Lions' injured reserve list or be let go with an injury settlement at a later date. The veteran tight end appeared in seven regular-season games with Detroit last season, securing eight of 10 targets for 53 scoreless yards.

When asked about Concepcion's (shoulder) status for Tuesday's practice, coach Todd Monken said "we'll see," Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

The report notes that Concepcion, who came down hard on his right shoulder during Monday's session, is "still sore" as of Tuesday, per Monken. On the plus side, the 2026 first-rounder appears to avoided a serious injury, but it looks like his practice participation may be be impacted in the short term.

The Lions signed Horton on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old tight end takes the roster spot of Anthony Firkser, who was placed on injured reserve with a leg injury. Horton appeared in two regular-season games with Detroit last season, logging 11 offensive snaps. He should be considered a long shot to make the 53-man roster.

The Texans placed Turner (undisclosed) on injured reserve Tuesday.

Turner signed with Houston just last week but will now either miss the entire 2026 season or be let go with an injury settlement at a later date. The 29-year-old wideout has 16 career catches across 32 regular-season appearances.

Based on what he's seen through six practices, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com suggests that the Raiders' top three receivers are Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor and Benson.

McFadden previously noted that Nailor and Tucker are the top two wideouts in the room, while Benson is competing with Dont'e Thornton and Jack Bech for slotting behind the top duo. There's still time for Thornton and/or Bech to gain momentum in the ongoing competition, but if Benson emerges as the Raiders' No. 3 WR, he could end up on the radar in deeper fantasy formats, in particular if Nailor or Tucker miss time for any reason.