NFL Player News
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Julius Brents CB | MIA
Dolphins' JuJu Brents: Ready for training camp
Brents is all set to participate in training camp, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
Brents received foot surgery during the 2025 season after going down with a significant injury in November. The cornerback returns for a pivotal training camp, as cornerbacks Storm Duck (knee) and Darrell Baker (undisclosed) will be sidelined until midseason. If Brents can prove himself once again capable, he may enter Week 1 as the starting outside cornerback across from Chris Johnson.
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Damien Lewis G | CAR
Panthers' Damien Lewis: Set to miss a few days
Lewis (calf) suffered an issue Tuesday and is questionable to practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.
Lewis should be able to return relatively quickly, and the left guard's ability to start the regular season should not be impacted. The 29-year-old has a history of quick turnarounds, missing only one week after suffering a shoulder injury during the 2025 season.
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Austin Jackson OT | MIA
Dolphins' Austin Jackson: Ready for practice
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.
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Dane Jackson CB | JAC
Jaguars' Dane Jackson: Placed on reserve/retired list
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.
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Fernando Mendoza QB | LV
Raiders' Fernando Mendoza: Behind Cousins as camp opens
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.
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Jaycee Horn CB | CAR
Panthers' Jaycee Horn: Activated from NFI list
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.
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Trey Smack K | GB
Packers' Trey Smack: Favorite for No. 1 spot
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.
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Montez Sweat DE | CHI
Bears' Montez Sweat: Sidelined due to illness
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.
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Thomas Yassmin TE | LAC
Packers' Thomas Yassmin: Signs with Green Bay
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.
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Ethan Downs LB | KC
Chiefs' Ethan Downs: Tears ACL in training camp
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.