NFL Player News

Jackson has been fully cleared to practice as of Tuesday, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.

Jackson underwent surgery in the offseason to address a persistent toe issue. The offensive tackle stuck to his recovery pace and is officially set to participate. He is set to start Week 1 against the Raiders at right tackle.

The Jaguars placed Jackson (personal) on the reserve/retired list Tuesday.

Jackson signed with the Jaguars in early June after being released by the Bills but has decided to retire from football. The cornerback played in 55 regular-season games, and totalled 178 tackles (144 solo), 30 passes defensed and three interceptions. The 29-year-old's last game was the Bills' 33-30 overtime playoff loss to the Broncos. Jackson played one defensive snap in the contest and gave up a 26-yard touchdown to Marvin Mims with 55 seconds left in regulation. The Jags signed cornerback Corey Ballentine in a corresponding move.

Coach Klint Kubiak announced Tuesday that Kirk Cousins will begin training camp as the Raiders' starting quarterback ahead of Mendoza and Aidan O'Connell, Ryan McFadden of ESPN reports.

"When we go out to practice (on Wednesday), Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback," Kubiak said. "He's the guy, and he deserves it because he's played really good football. But I want Fernando and Aidan (O'Connell) to push him." The decision isn't surprising, given that Cousins logged the majority of the first-team reps during Las Vegas' offseason program and looked "excellent" in the process, per Kubiak. While Cousins currently has the upper hand, Mendoza -- the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft -- could still push for the Week 1 start if he performs well during training camp and the preseason.

The Panthers activated Horn (foot) from the active/non-football injury list Tuesday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Horn was recovering from a cut on his foot and was never supposed to be sidelined for very long. The starting cornerback is back in action and ready to help the Panthers attempt to win back-to-back NFC South titles and earn a third consecutive Pro Bowl season.

Smack is not set to compete with new kicker Lenny Krieg after winning the battle against freshly cut competitor Lucas Havrisik.

Krieg was likely signed to keep Smack sharp and to have an emergency option if the sixth-round rookie suffers an injury. Packers kicking options in 2025 produced 123 points over 17 regular-season games, with six total 50-plus yard attempts logged during the season. As the favorite for the starting job, Smack is set to inherit all the value associated with the Packers' offensive opportunities in 2026.

The Bears placed Sweat on the active/non-football illness list Tuesday.

Sweat is expected to be back in action within a few days. The defensive end had a career year in 2025, producing 53 tackles (36 solo), including 5.0 sacks, and added five passes defensed as well as three forced fumbles over 17 regular-season games. The 29-year-old is set to pick up where he left off as the starting defensive end for the Bears.

The Packers signed Yassmin to a one-year contract Tuesday.

The Australian from the University of Utah joined the NFL through the International Player Pathway program. He spent time with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2024 before joining the Chargers' practice squad in 2025. Yassmin has yet to appear in an NFL game, and advancement up the Packers' depth chart will be hard to come by due to the team's stellar tight end depth between Tucker Kraft (knee), Luke Musgrave (undisclosed) and Josh Whyle.

Downs (knee) tore his ACL on Tuesday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

Downs will be out for the year and will need to wait until 2027 for a potential NFL debut. The edge rusher out of Oklahoma was a strong candidate to make the active roster as a depth addition.

Klein has recovered from his hamstring strain and is all set for training camp, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Klein suffered a hamstring injury during the Texans' OTAs, but the second-round draft pick is back and ready to compete for a role in the team's tight end corps. Klein's primary competition for the No. 2 tight end spot is Foster Moreau and Brevin Jordan, but Cade Stover also has NFL playing experience that could give him the edge if the rookie does not sufficiently stand out in training camp or the preseason.

The Saints placed Tipton (groin) on the active/PUP list Tuesday, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports.

Tipton suffered a groin injury in January and is likely still suffering from the same issue. The kick and punt returner does not have a return timeline at this point, so it is unclear if he will be able to participate in training camp. If the wide receiver cannot return soon, other skill-position players will have the chance to make their case as better depth players capable of producing on special teams, and Tipton may lose his roster spot.