NFL Player News

Strand completed just eight of 15 passes for 59 yards and an interception in the Falcons' 34-3 loss to the Panthers on Sunday.

Cooper Rush was benched after going 10-for-17 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Strand came on in relief and was just as ineffective. The 22-year-old is an undrafted rookie who played his college football at tiny Minnesota State-Moorhead, so it's no surprise he wasn't ready for the NFL in his first regular-season game action. With Michael Penix (knee) potentially back for Thursday night's game at Green Bay, Strand will be a cut candidate. Strand would make more sense on the practice squad where he can learn in a no-stress environment.

Cousins completed 19 of 29 passes for 253 yards with three touchdowns and one interception while rushing four times for one yard in the Raiders' 26-14 win over the Chargers on Sunday.

Cousins' crisp and nearly mistake-free performance was critical to the Raiders pulling off a significant upset over their divisional rival. The veteran signal-caller validated head coach Klint Kubiak's decision to open the season with him as the starter over first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, with Cousins delivering a 40-yard strike to Tre Tucker in the first quarter and 13- and 11-yard scoring tosses to Cody White in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Cousins has shown very good command of Kubiak's offense over the first two games, and he'll take a 67.8 percent completion rate and a 6:3 TD:INT into an intriguing interconference road matchup against the Saints next Sunday.

Black (groin) rushed seven times for 25 yards and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Dolphins.

Black suited up for his second NFL contest after being listed as questionable coming into the game. He actually had two more rushing yards than Christian McCaffrey, but McCaffrey scored two touchdowns on 10 carries and added four catches for 43 yards. Black is poised to continue splitting the rushing workload with CMC in Week 3 against the Cardinals, though McCaffrey remains the preferred option in valuable goal-line and passing situations.

Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown in Sunday's 35-13 loss to the 49ers. He also rushed twice for six yards.

Willis unsurprisingly posted another modest passing total after throwing for 220 yards in his Dolphins debut against the Raiders, but he also failed to get anything going with his legs in Week 2 after rushing for 39 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 loss. A substantial chunk of Willis' production came on a 77-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Miller with 2:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miami doesn't have much experience in its wide receiver room, which got even thinner during Sunday's loss due to the second-half exit of rookie third-round pick Caleb Douglas (ankle). Willis and the Dolphins have been outscored 62-26 heading into a Week 3 home game against the Chiefs.

Kittle caught all four of his targets for 80 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Dolphins.

Kittle gained half of his yardage on a 40-yard catch to start the second half, and he scored a 12-yard touchdown three plays later. He had just 12 receiving yards in the Week 1 win over the Rams, as Kittle returned from an Achilles tear sustained in January. Kittle will try to build on Sunday's strong performance in Week 3 against the Cardinals.

Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Dolphins. He also rushed three times for 30 yards and a touchdown.

Purdy was in complete command of the offense throughout Sunday's lopsided win, throwing only two incompletions while finishing as the team's leading rusher for the cherry on top. The 49ers have been one of the league's best teams in the early going, outscoring the Rams and Dolphins by a combined margin of 62-20 heading into a Week 3 home game against the Cardinals. Purdy has contributed six total touchdowns during this hot start, including third-quarter touchdown passes of 12 yards to George Kittle and six yards to Kyle Juszczyk against the Dolphins following Purdy's two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 192 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions while adding three carries for two yards in the Chargers' 26-14 loss to the Raiders on Sunday. He also committed three fumbles, with Herbert recovering one and the other two also staying with Los Angeles.

Herbert's stat line tells the tale of an ugly and alarming Week 2 loss for the Chargers in which Herbert was constantly harassed and took three sacks in addition to tossing his pair of picks. The embattled signal-caller did connect with nine different targets overall, but no Bolts pass catcher had more than three receptions or 53 receiving yards. Herbert has completed just 59.3 percent of his passes over the first two games, and he'll have plenty of pressure on his shoulders for a suddenly critical Week 3 road matchup against the Bills next Sunday.

Pierce (heel) has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Pierce was ruled out shortly after being carted to the locker room. He came up limping on a non-contact play in the first half and couldn't put weight on his left leg. This injury is likely tied to the procedure Pierce underwent on his left ankle during the offseason, which kept him sidelined for the preseason. Pierce's next chance to take the field will come next Sunday against the Texans.

Tate caught three of five targets for 27 yards in the Titans' 24-20 loss to the Eagles on Sunday.

Tate's five targets paced the Titans, but eight different members of the team drew targets on a day Cam Ward attempted just 20 passes. It's become evident that Tennessee would prefer to hide Ward rather than highlight him, and therefore the offense is going to have a really tough time supporting any pass catchers as reliable fantasy starters. Tate has a measly seven catches for 65 scoreless yards on 11 targets through two career regular-season games. He won't be an exciting fantasy bet next Sunday against the Giants.

Vele caught five of seven targets for 64 yards during Sunday's 24-17 win over the Ravens.

Vele was able to remain a major part of the Saints' offensive attack, finishing second on the team in targets behind fellow wide receiver Chris Olave (10) in Week 2. The 28-year-old appears to have solidified himself as the team's No. 2 wide receiver with Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) on injured reserve, catching 12 of 16 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown over the first two games of the 2026 campaign. Vele will have a strong chance to keep up his hot start to the season when New Orleans faces the Raiders in Week 3.