NFL Player News

McLaughlin ended the 2025 regular season with 37 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown, adding four receptions on six targets for 27 yards across eight games.

McLaughlin played just 85 offensive snaps in eight appearances during the 2025 campaign, playing just 14 total offensive snaps across two contests before Denver's Week 12 bye. The 25-year-old running back only saw his role increase once J.K. Dobbins landed on injured reserve with a foot injury, though his increased playing time did not amount to much in the way of significant production. Down the stretch, head coach Sean Payton hinted we could see McLaughlin get more involved in the rotation behind rookie RJ Harvey, yet Harvey continued to handle the bulk of the backfield work as the season progressed. McLaughlin will enter the 2026 offseason as a restricted free agent, so the Broncos could retain him if they can match an offer from another team. With that said, Dobbins will become a restricted free agent and Tyler Badie is set to be an exclusive-rights free agent this offseason. With Harvey being the only back under contract for next season, the Broncos will have some decisions to make regarding their running back room ahead of the 2026 campaign. If brought back by Denver, McLaughlin would continue to operate as a solid depth piece for the Broncos' rushing attack.

Johnson (ankle) remained sidelined at practice Thursday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Head coach Sean McDermott labeled Johnson day-to-day Wednesday, but the running back was unable to practice Thursday after being deemed a non-participant during Wednesday's walk-through. Johnson's last opportunity to practice before Sunday's wild-card round game against the Jaguars will be Friday. If Johnson's unavailable Sunday, Ray Davis could get more opportunities to spell James Cook against Jacksonville's stout run defense.

Alford tallied 67 total tackles (55 solo), including 2.0 sacks, 13 passes defensed, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble over 16 regular-season games in 2025.

The Tusculum product enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, setting personal highs in passes defensed, sacks and interceptions. Additionally, Alford was a key portion of the Falcons' secondary, finishing first on the team in passes defensed, tying for second in interceptions and ranking sixth in total tackles. Set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, Alford could be in line for a decent contract following another impressive season in Atlanta.

Prater (quadriceps) is participating in practice Thursday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Prater and practice squad kicker Matthew Wright are both practicing Thursday, though the former's participation level remains to be seen after Prater didn't practice Wednesday. After kicking in Buffalo's first 14 games of the regular season, Prater sat out Weeks 16 and 17 due to a quadriceps injury in his right, kicking leg, and he was unable to complete the Week 18 win over the Jets due to the injury. Either Prater or Wright will kick for the Bills in Sunday's wild-card road game against the Jaguars.

Cooks wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, confirming that he's healthy heading into Sunday's wild-card round game at Jacksonville.

Cooks was inactive for the regular-season finale against the Jets, but that was a coach's decision and the veteran wide receiver is healthy heading into the playoffs. It remains to be seen which options the Bills dress at the position against the Jaguars, as Cooks, Joshua Palmer (ankle), Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis and Keon Coleman have all contributed to various degrees but struggled to find consistency behind the team's No. 1 wideout Khalil Shakir. Cooks had 101 receiving yards in Week 17 against the Eagles but only 13 receiving yards across four other regular-season appearances with Buffalo.

Terrell recorded 68 total tackles (49 solo), 12 passes defensed and two forced fumbles over 15 regular-season games in 2025.

Despite playing 86 fewer defensive snaps in 2025 than in 2024, Terrell still registered more total tackles (66 to 68), passes defensed (six to 12) and forced fumbles (zero to two) than he did last season. The veteran corner from Clemson has proven to be one of the NFL's premier defensive backs, posting 61 passes defensed, including six interceptions, since entering the league in 2020. Under contract through the 2028 season, Terrell is expected to remain a key portion of the Falcons' secondary for years to come.

Deablo recorded 73 total tackles (38 solo), including 1.0 sacks, and seven passes defensed across 13 regular-season games in 2025.

Despite missing four games this season due to a forearm injury, Deablo still ranked fourth on the Falcons in total tackles and tied for fourth in passes defensed. His impact on Atlanta's defense was evident, as the team allowed 29.8 points per game while he was sidelined, compared to just 21.7 when he was active. Under contract through next season, Deablo is expected to remain an integral portion of the Falcons' linebacker corps in 2026.

Palmer (ankle) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.

With Palmer having been deemed a 'DNP' in Wednesday's walkthrough, the wideout now has one more opportunity to practice before the Bills assign injury designations for Sunday's playoff opener against the Jaguars. Palmer recorded an 84 percent snap share in the team's Week 18 win over the Jets, but at this stage it's unclear if the wideout is dealing with a setback related to the ankle injury that he previously dealt with in Weeks 13-15, or if his current issue is something new.

Watts posted 96 total tackles (59 solo) and 11 passes defensed, including five interceptions, across 17 regular-season games in 2025.

Watts, a 2025 third-round pick from Florida State, made an instant impact in Atlanta, tying for the second-most interceptions in the NFL while ranking third on the team in total tackles and passes defensed. His best game of the season came in the Week 17 upset win over the Rams, when he recorded five total tackles and picked off MVP frontrunner Matthew Stafford twice. Entering his second NFL season, Watts could continue to emerge as one of the league's premier ball hawks in 2026.

Bates posted 98 total tackles (57 solo), six passes defensed, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble across 17 regular-season games in 2025.

The veteran safety from Wake Forest was one of the Falcons' top defenders in 2025, finishing with the second-most tackles and tying for the second-most interceptions on the team. However, he saw a dip in total tackles (98 to 102), passes defensed (10 to six) and forced fumbles (four to one) from his 2024 totals, despite playing 36 more defensive snaps this season. While Bates' production has taken a dip in two consecutive seasons, he remains one of the NFL's premier safeties. Under contract through the 2026 season, he's expected to remain one of the Falcons' top defensive playmakers next year.