NFL Player News

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.

Henderson (ankle) was in street clothes ahead of Saturday's practice, Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reports.

Head coach Mike Vrabel suggested earlier Saturday that Henderson could return to practice, but the second-year running back will end up observing the session in street clothes as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Henderson will have two more chances to return to practice in at least a limited capacity ahead of the Patriots' regular-season opener against the Seahawks on Wednesday.

Henderson (ankle) could return to practice Saturday, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

After missing recent practice time due to an ankle injury, Henderson appears to have at least a chance to get back on the field as New England begins a game-prep stretch ahead of Wednesday's regular-season opener against Seattle. The second-year running back would have to operate in at least a limited capacity over the coming days to have a realistic chance of playing in Week 1. If Henderson cannot play, then Rhamondre Stevenson would be in line for a significant boost in workload, and Corey Kiner would also be in the mix for some backfield touches.

Bernard (undisclosed) returned to practice this week, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

GM Brandon Beane stated a day earlier that the starting inside linebacker was "nicked up a little bit" and even went so far as to say "we'll see" about his Week 1 status, but it sounds like Bernard should be ready to play in the opener at Houston, even if he gets an injury designation. Bernard has come way down from his career regular-season high of 143 total tackles in 2023, mostly due to injuries, and he'll be playing in a new-look 3-4 defense this season as an inside linebacker instead of manning the middle.

Nacua (groin), per head coach Sean McVay, is "making good progress" in his recovery, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports.

Nacua worked with trainers on the side at practice throughout the week, but McVay indicated things are moving in the right direction for Nacua and that he has been "hitting some high speed yards at a really good clip." Nacua's status for Thursday's season opener against the 49ers remains up in the air, but a better estimate at his availability will presumably be able to be made when the Rams release their first official injury report in advance of Week 1.

Kaliakmanis made the Commanders' 53-man roster as the third-string quarterback, but he could be the team's backup for Week 1 against the Eagles if Marcus Mariota (knee) is not cleared to play.

Mariota suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee during the Commanders' preseason game against the Dolphins on Aug. 14. The hope for the Commanders is that the veteran quarterback will be available to serve as the backup to Jayden Daniels for Week 1, but if that's not the case, then it would be Kaliakmanis who steps into the QB2 role behind Daniels. Across three preseason games, Kaliakmanis -- a seventh-round pick of the Commanders in the 2026 NFL Draft -- completed 24 of 37 passes for 294 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Estime is listed as the fourth running back on the Saints' 53-man roster, Grant Chachere of SI.com reports.

Estime was able to beat out Zamir White and Devin Neal (hamstring) for that final backfield depth spot on the active roster for the regular season. Estime has worked in a rotational role in his first two years in the NFL, but the 2024 fifth-rounder would operate in a larger role behind Travis Etienne in Week 1 against the Lions if one or both of Alvin Kamara (knee) and Kendre Miller (undisclosed) were to be limited or ruled out.

Laube made the Raiders' 53-man roster at the end of training camp and could operate in an elevated role on offense against the Dolphins in Week 1 if Ashton Jeanty (ankle) is limited or ruled out.

Jeanty suffered a low-ankle sprain during the Raiders' training camp practice Aug. 23. The relief for the Raiders was that it wasn't a high-ankle sprain or worse, and although there's optimism around Jeanty playing Week 1, the injury could limit his effectiveness and playing time. That would open the door for both Mike Washington and Laube to operate in expanded roles on offense, with the latter also seeing the field on special teams as a kickoff returner.

Smith is the third and final running back on the Chiefs' 53-man roster for the 2026 regular season, Matt McMullen of the team's official site reports.

Smith and Emari Demercado entered training camp battling for a depth spot on the Chiefs' active roster, but the former ended up winning that RB3 role behind Kenneth Walker and rookie fifth-rounder Emmett Johnson. Smith, a 2025 seventh-rounder, played in all 17 regular-season games in his rookie campaign, turning 44 carries into 151 yards (3.4 YPC) while catching 25 passes (on 35 targets) for 172 yards and a touchdown. Walker figures to be the bellcow running back for the Chiefs, but Smith could see the field on passing downs to give the former a breather.

Abdullah earned a spot on the Jaguars' 53-man roster following a strong training camp, John Oehser of the team's official site reports.

Abdullah and LeQuint Allen (undisclosed) will enter the regular season as the rotational running backs behind co-starters Bhayshul Tuten (illness) and Chris Rodriguez. Abdullah played in only one of the Jaguars' three preseason games, but he did enough during training camp and joint practices to crack the 53-man roster for the 2026 campaign. The 2015 second-rounder appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Colts last year, finishing with 14 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown along with 16 catches (on 17 targets) for 99 yards.