NFL Player News

Burden (groin) is expected to sit out all three of the Bears' preseason games, but the team believes the wideout will be available for the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against the Panthers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Burden sustained a groin injury during a 1-on-1 drill in Saturday's practice and will need around a month to make a full recovery, but the Bears are optimistic that he'll be able to get enough on-field work in prior to Week 1 to avoid missing any games that count. While the 2025 second-round pick is out for the rest of training camp and the preseason, the Bears will have added reps available at receiver behind Rome Odunze and Kalif Raymond. Zavion Thomas, Jahdae Walkerand Scotty Miller are all candidates to see extra opportunities in the next few weeks as they compete for roster spots as depth options in Chicago's wideout corps. When healthy, Burden will have an opportunity to make a mark from a fantasy perspective in 2026, while operating as a key target for quarterback Caleb Williams in a Chicago passing attack that will also feature Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland.

Henry agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract extension with the Patriots on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

According to Schefter, the deal is worth up to $20 million and includes $14.5 million guaranteed. The 31-year-old Henry played the full 17-game regular-season slate for the Patriots in 2025, reeling in 60 of 87 targets for 768 yards and seven touchdowns and then putting together a 9-112-1 line on 15 targets over four playoff games. He had been entering the final year of his contract in 2026, but the extension will keep him on the Patriots' books through the 2028 campaign. Henry remains atop the Patriots' tight end depth chart and will continue to work as a key weapon for quarterback Drake Maye in the team's passing game, which sets Henry up for a steady weekly fantasy floor in 2026.

Burden (groin) is expected to be sidelined for roughly one month, Matt Zenitz of CBSSports.com reports.

Burden suffered a groin injury at practice Saturday, and he is now set to be unavailable for the entirety of the preseason. The hope from the organization is that the wide receiver will be back and available for the Bears' regular-season opener Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Chargers. If Burden is forced to miss any regular-season action, offseason addition Kalif Raymond and third-round pick Zavion Thomas (undisclosed) would stand to see an increase in targets while operating opposite of No. 1 wideout Rome Odunze in Chicago's offense.

Eziomume (undisclosed) reverted to the Bears' injured reserve list Sunday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Eziomume was waived/injured by the Bears on Saturday and went unclaimed. The cornerback will now spend the entirety of the 2026 season on injured reserve unless he is waived with an injury settlement.

The Giants signed Woods to a contract Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Woods has not played in an NFL game since 2023, when he participated in three games for the Chargers. The safety logged 57 defensive snaps and 16 special teams snaps in those contests. Now with the Giants, Woods will compete for a depth spot at defensive back, though it is unlikely he will survive cut-down day.

The Rams signed McPhearson to a contract Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

McPhearson has not played in an NFL game since 2022, when he was with the Eagles. The 2022 fourth-rounder out of Texas Tech played in 17 regular-season games that year, logging 96 defensive snaps and 358 special teams snaps. The 2025 Rams special teams unit was among the worst in the NFL, so a cornerback with a history of special teams production is a reasonable flyer for the team to take during the expanded roster period.

The Packers claimed Hilton off waivers Sunday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Hilton was waived by the Commanders on Saturday and will now find a new home with the Packers. The undrafted free agent out of LSU was likely claimed to compete for a depth spot and fill out practices. With Jayden Reed (ankle) and Matthew Golden (toe) injured, all preseason reps are likely wide open to any receivers on the roster who can make an impression.

The Lions hosted McCloud for a tryout Sunday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports.

McCloud was cut from the Giants' practice squad last December and could be looking to revitalize his career. The 2018 sixth-round draft pick by the Bills has played for six teams in his NFL career. The Lions would be team No. 7 if McCloud were signed, but the team's wide receiving corps is deep enough that the possibility is slim. An even slimmer possibility would be McCloud surviving cut-down day.

Mason has been putting together a productive training camp with the Vikings, Will Ragatz of Bring Me The Sports reports.

Mason is expected to operate in a timeshare with veteran Aaron Jones in the backfield for a second straight season. The running back has made an early statement at camp, showing some added burst in his second year in Kevin O'Connell's offensive system. Jones was limited to 12 contests due to injury in 2025, and he'll turn 32 before the end of the upcoming season, so 27-year-old Mason could be asked to handle a larger split of the workload in Year 2 in Minnesota.

Ward was placed in the NFL's concussion protocol Sunday, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

Ward likely sustained the concussion during Sunday's training camp activities. The safety will now need to progress through the NFL's five-step process and be cleared by an independent neurologist before being permitted to play in any games. Ward's absence means Tavierre Thomas, Jakobe Thomas or Jacob Thomas will likely see snaps at strong safety during Saturday's preseason opener against the Giants.