NFL Player News

Rams head coach Sean McVay said Sunday that Nacua (core) is expected to play Thursday against the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, Nate Atkins of The Athletic reports.

According to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, McVay noted earlier in the weekend that Nacua was "making good progress" in his recovery from psoas soreness, and the coach's latest update offers further reassurance that the star wideout will be ready to go for the season opener. Additionally, Nacua's status had been muddled by the NFL actively reviewing his case for a potential violation of the league's personal conduct policy. While Nacua isn't necessarily in the clear of discipline from the league, the NFL typically announces suspensions for players prior to the Aug. 30 roster cutdown deadline. Nacua's recovery from the core injury thus appears to be his chief concern at this juncture rather than any suspension, and if the Rams list him as a full practice participant when they release their first injury report of the season Monday, it would be a firm indication that he'll suit up Thursday.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said that Garrett (knee) will practice Sunday, Nate Atkins of The Athletic reports.

Garrett didn't play during the preseason and missed much of training camp while dealing with swelling in his left knee, but the star edge rusher looks like he still has a decent chance of suiting up in Thursday's season opener versus the 49ers in Melbourne, Australia. The Rams won't reveal the extent of Garrett's practice activity until they publish their first injury report of the season Monday, and McVay said that he will provide an update on Garrett's game status Tuesday.

Winston and the Giants agreed Sunday on a two-year, $13 million extension, NFL reporter Jordan Schultz reports.

The extension gives Winston a slight bump in pay and keeps him on the Giants' books through the 2028 season. The 32-year-old Winston will provide the Giants will an experienced insurance option behind second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, who missed two games due to a concussion during his rookie campaign.

Henderson (ankle) was in street clothes ahead of Sunday's practice and appears likely to be listed as a non-participant on the Patriots' first injury report of the season, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

New England won't issue its first Week 1 injury report until the conclusion of practice, but unless Henderson is able to fit in some on-field work in the portion of Sunday's session that's closed to the media, he'll go down as a non-participant. After Sunday, Henderson will have two more chances to potentially increase his practice activity before the Patriots decide whether he'll take an injury designation into Wednesday's season opener versus the Seahawks. If Henderson isn't available to play Wednesday or is available only in a limited capacity, the Patriots would likely turn to Rhamondre Stevenson to handle a workhorse role out of the backfield.

Smith signed a one-year contract worth up to a maximum of $16.25 million with the Vikings on Saturday, Ian Rapoport of ESPN and NFL Network reports.

Smith has been a mainstay with Minnesota's defense since he was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft by the organization in 2012. The 36-year-old logged 54 tackles, including 1.0 sacks, along with 10 defensed passes (including two interceptions), a forced fumbled and a recovered fumble across 15 regular-season games (12 starts) last year. Smith will presumably be penciled in as Minnesota's starter at free safety as he enters his 15th pro campaign.

The Rams released McPhearson from IR with an injury settlement Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

McPhearson had been competing for a roster spot during the preseason before landing on injured reserve Aug. 24. That could have ended his campaign, but the injury settlement allows McPhearson to seek out a new contract and potentially play in 2026. The Texas Tech product was a fourth-round draft pick by Philadelphia in 2021 and played in 33 regular-season games (mostly on special teams) over his first two NFL campaigns but hasn't logged a regular-season snap since 2022.

Minnesota waived Dyson (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Dyson was waived/injured by the Vikings last Monday. He subsequently cleared waivers and reverted to injured reserve. That could have ended the linebacker's season, but because he reached an injury settlement with Minnesota, Dyson is now eligible to sign with a club and potentially play at some point in 2026.

Jacksonville waived Rose (undisclosed) from injured reserve with an injury settlement Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Rose had been waived/injured last Monday and subsequently reverted to IR. Instead of spending the 2026 season on injured reserve, he'll now have a chance to sign with a club because of the injury settlement. Rose hasn't yet logged an NFL snap and will likely need to settle for a practice-squad spot if he finds work with an organization.

The Seahawks waived Echols from injured reserve with an injury settlement Saturday, Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle reports.

Echols had reverted to IR with an undisclosed issue last Monday, which could have put an early end to his season. However, the injury settlement means the North Carolina product can sign with a team and suit up this season once he's healthy. Echols has yet to play an NFL snap, so his next opportunity will likely be as part of an organization's practice squad.

San Francisco waived Willis on Saturday, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.

Willis suffered a concussion during the 49ers' preseason finale versus Las Vegas on Aug. 27, but he was able to practice this week. However, San Francisco has decided to cut the tight end ahead of Thursday's regular-season opener versus the Rams in Melbourne, Australia. That may be an indication that starter George Kittle (Achilles) is trending toward playing, though Willis could also end up on the practice squad and be elevated for Thursday, if needed.