NFL Player News

Coach Anthony Lynn said that Badgley will act as a "security blanket" for the Chargers in the event Sturgis is unable to serve as the team's kicker Sunday against the Browns.

The Chargers' decision to sign Badgley to their 53-man roster rather than their practice squad seemed to hint that Sturgis was trending toward sitting out Week 6, but Lynn's comments appear to refute that notion, at least for now. It's clear nonetheless that Sturgis isn't fully healthy, and if the groin issue continues to hinder him heading into the weekend, the Chargers likely won't hesitate to turn to Badgley. The undrafted rookie out of Miami (Fla.) previously attended training camp with the Colts, but was unable to unseat Adam Vinatieri for the kicking job.

Coach Anthony Lynn indicated Thursday that he's hopeful Sturgis will be available Sunday against the Browns, but newly signed kicker Michael Badgley will be on hand as a "security blanket."

Sturgis was a limited participant in the Chargers' first practice of the week Wednesday due to the groin strain, but it appears the injury isn't severe enough for the team to rule him out for the Week 6 matchup. Even so, the Chargers' decision to add Badgley to the 53-man roster rather than stashing him on their practice squad suggests a fair bit of skepticism surrounding Sturgis' health. Fantasy owners planning on using Sturgis in weekly matchups should still have a backup plan in mind if the groin injury prevents him from kicking come Sunday.

The Chargers will sign Badgley to a contract Thursday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The roster move comes after kicker Caleb Sturgis was limited in Wednesday's practice with a strained quadriceps. The Chargers likely wouldn't have added Badgley to the roster if they were comfortable with Sturgis' health heading into Sunday's matchup with the Browns, so it's expected that Badgley will serve as the kicker for that contest. Schefter notes, however, that Sturgis won't be cut or moved to injured reserve as a result of the setback, suggesting Badgley will likely only be in store for a short-term run as the Chargers' kicker.

Sturgis is nursing a strained quadriceps and may not be available to kick Sunday against the Browns, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

The injury limited Sturgis' participation in Wednesday's practice and prompted the team to sign Mike Badgley, who now looks like the top candidate to kick for the team in Week 6. Schefter notes that Sturgis won't be cut or moved to injured reserve as a result of the quad issue, suggesting a long-term absence isn't anticipated. In any case, fantasy owners counting on Sturgis in weekly matchups should begin looking in a different direction.

Santos is likely to handle kicking duties for the Rams on Sunday against the Broncos after coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Greg Zuerlein (groin) is, "probably another week away" from returning, Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reports.

Santos converted two field goals and all three extra points in Sunday's win over the Seahawks in his first game with the Rams. The altitude at Denver provides an added bonus for Santos, who remains an appealing fantasy option as the fill-in kicker for the best offense in the NFL.

Coach Sean McVay said Wednesday that Zuerlein (groin) is probably another week away from returning, Myles Simmons of the Rams' official site reports.

With Zuerlein seemingly headed for a fourth consecutive absence, Cairo Santos is in line to kick for the Rams in Sunday's game at Denver. It would have been a nice spot for Zuerlein to return, as he would benefit from the altitude as well as a matchup with a struggling team. The Rams have another nice draw in Week 7 against the injury-riddled 49ers, but the schedule then gets tough with matchups against the Packers, Saints, Seahawks and Chiefs in Weeks 8 through 11, followed by a bye in Week 12.

Coach Mike Tomlin indicated that Boswell would remain the Steelers' kicker for the team's Week 6 matchup with the Bengals, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. "[Boswell] has delivered for us a lot the last few years," Tomlin said.

Boswell converted five of his six extra-point attempts in Sunday's 41-17 win over the Falcons, giving him three misfires from that range this season. He's also knocked down only three of his six field-goal tries, with all of those misses coming from between 40 and 49 yards. Despite Boswell's lack of efficiency on the short attempts, the Steelers haven't yet reached their breaking point with the 27-year-old, though there's undoubtedly some frustration after he inked a four-year extension prior to the season. That contract should give him a decent amount of leash so long as his accuracy woes don't take an even more dramatic turn for the worse.

Hopkins made both his field-goal attempts and his only extra-point try in Monday night's 43-19 loss to the Saints.

Hopkins was one of few Redskins players who can't be blamed for Monday's blowout defeat. He converted from 37 and 53 yards on his two field goals, helping bring his tally to 29 points through four appearances.

Lutz made a 44-yard field goal but missed one of his five extra-point tries in Monday night's 43-19 win over the Redskins.

Lutz has now missed one extra point and one field goal so far this season. Thanks to his 26 total makes, however, he's still racked up 48 points over five games.

Maher made all three of his field-goal attempts and his lone extra-point try in Sunday's 19-16 loss to the Texans.

Maher converted from 27, 43 and 48 yards on his three field-goal efforts, staying perfect since Week 1. With 39 points over those four games, he's benefitted from a Cowboys offense that's struggled to find the end zone.