NFL Player News

Gainwell rushed five times for 15 yards and brought in his lone target for three yards in the Buccaneers' 33-27 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. He also returned one kickoff for 22 yards.

Gainwell worked in the No. 2 role as expected, and with Sean Tucker (hamstring) unavailable Sunday, the former saw a sizable share of the Buccaneers' 13 running back touches. The ground attack took a back seat overall due to game script, but next Sunday's Week 2 home matchup against the Browns could certainly see pretty drastic change for the better in that regard, a development that would particularly benefit Gainwell if Tucker remains sidelined.

Smith caught three of six targets for 53 yards in a 24-22 Week 1 victory against the Commanders on Sunday.

Smith made a big 31-yard catch on a beautiful third-down throw from Jalen Hurts late in the third quarter to help set up a Philadelphia field goal. Beyond that reception, the veteran wideout was mostly held in check, and he finished behind both tight end Dallas Goedert (77 yards) and fellow WR Dontayvion Wicks (73 yards) for the team lead in receiving yardage. Smith enters 2026 as the Eagles' top wideout following the offseason departure of A.J. Brown (ankle), but that may not necessarily lead to a heavy increase in production, as Philadelphia has a variety of offensive weapons and Hurts could look to spread the ball around more -- in fact, his 14 completions Sunday went to six different pass catchers, none of whom had more than four receptions. Smith and the Eagles will be heavily favored in a Week 2 tilt against Tennessee next Sunday.

Johnson caught three of his seven targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-30 overtime loss to the Lions.

Johnson had a strong Week 1, with Tyler Shough targeting the No. 1 tight end at the third-highest rate among Saints players. Only Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele saw more targets, but Johnson's 18.0 yards per reception were second only to Olave's 18.2.

Rush completed 12 of 22 passes for 143 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Falcons' 20-13 loss to the Steelers on Sunday.

Rush drew the start with Tua Tagovailoa (oblique) and Michael Penix (knee) sidelined, and the journeyman signal-caller battled through his own back spasms to take the field. Rush predictably struggled, taking four sacks and barely completing over 50.0 percent of his passes against an aggressive Steelers defense. Rush's early fourth-quarter interception also resulted in a 35-yard pick-six that extended Pittsburgh's lead to 20-10 at the time. Rush primarily relied on Bijan Robinson -- who was on the receiving end of the quarterback's one touchdown pass from 23 yards out -- but the lackluster performance underscored the signal-caller's limitations. Rush may be reverting back to a reserve role for a Week 2 home matchup against the Panthers next Sunday, as one of either Tagovailoa or Penix might be ready for that contest.

Brooks notched four carries for 14 yards and one catch (on two targets) for 48 yards during Sunday's 59-37 loss to the Bears.

Brooks initially missed practice Sept. 1 due to general soreness before opening Week 1 prep with back-to-back limited practices due to a groin injury. A full practice Friday resulted in no designation for Sunday's game, but he played a distant second to Chuba Hubbard (13 touches, 87 yards from scrimmage and two total TDs) out of the Panthers backfield in the season opener. Perhaps by putting his recent health concern further in the rearview mirror, Brooks will be more involved in the offense next Sunday in Atlanta.

Williams gathered in just four of nine targets for 45 yards during Sunday's 31-30 overtime win against the Saints.

QB Jared Goff and Williams weren't on the same page often Week 1, as the fifth-year wide receiver's catch rate fell below 50 percent, and nearly half of Williams' yards (22) occurred on one reception. Williams is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns, a span in which he averaged 17.2 yards per grab, so he's a good bet to bounce back in the near future, and perhaps as soon as Thursday's road showdown with the Bills.

Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards with one touchdown and one interception while rushing six times for 38 yards in the Browns' 34-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday. He also fumbled once but recovered.

Watson put together a deceptively impressive 72.7 percent completion rate, but the numbers were largely empty in the context of a 24-point loss. Even Watson's one touchdown pass rang somewhat hollow, as it came with 1:52 remaining and the game well out of reach. While the 46-yard scoring strike to rookie Denzel Boston saw Watson flash some encouraging arm strength and accuracy, he and his offensive teammates could have another tough assignment on their hands in a Week 2 road matchup next Sunday against a Buccaneers defense that can be highly aggressive with its blitzes.

Barkley carried 15 times for 83 yards and caught one of two targets for minus-3 yards in Sunday's 24-22 victory against Washington.

The highlight of Barkley's performance was easily his 42-yard, tackle-breaking scamper midway through the second quarter. Beyond that, the star running back was mostly contained on the ground, recording just 41 yards on his other 14 totes. Barkley also was a non-factor in the passing game, hauling in just one pass for a three-yard loss. That may be a particularly concerning stat for Barkley's fantasy managers considering his dwindling usage as a pass catcher at the end of last season -- over his final five regular-season games, Barkley caught just two of nine targets for a meager 14 yards and was shut out entirely through the air in four of those contests. Barkley does have a favorable Week 2 matchup, as he'll face a Tennessee team that often looked inept in a Week 1 loss to the Jets.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't have a postgame update on McConkey (chest), who exited in the second half of Sunday's 26-14 loss to the Cardinals, Kris Rhim of ESPN.com reports.

McConkey was originally deemed questionable to return after absorbing a big hit in the third quarter, and the 2024 second-round pick didn't re-enter the season-opening loss. Prior to getting injured, McConkey compiled five catches on seven targets for a team-high 82 receiving yards, including an eight-yard touchdown catch. McConkey's status will bear monitoring as the Chargers prepare to host the Raiders in Week 2.

Boston caught two passes on four targets for 59 yards and a touchdown during the Browns' 34-10 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.

It wasn't until the third play of the fourth quarter that Boston made his first NFL catch, a 13-yard pass from Deshaun Watson, before the duo connected on a 46-yard touchdown pass on the first play following the two-minute warning. Boston finished Sunday's game as the Browns' leader in receiving yards while fellow rookie KC Concepcion led the team in catches (four) and targets (five). There figures to be some growing pains for the Browns' offense this season given the amount of young talent. Cleveland will stay on the road for a Week 2 matchup against Tampa Bay on Sept. 20.