| 2/25/2026 9:13:00 AM | General manager Dan Morgan said Tuesday that the door is open for Dowdle to return to Carolina in 2026, but the Panthers will give him the opportunity to test the market in free agency, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports. |
| Though the Panthers are seemingly keen on retaining Dowdle at the right price, it's possible that the franchise won't be able to afford the running back coming off his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. If Dowdle heads elsewhere, Morgan expressed confidence in the remaining members of the running back room (Chuba Hubbard, Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne) being capable of picking up the slack. After opening 2025 as the Panthers' starter before sliding to second on the depth chart, Hubbard had already moved back into a near-even timeshare with Dowdle by the end of the regular season and then handily out-snapped and out-touched Dowdle in the Panthers' wild-card loss to the Rams. | |
| 2/24/2026 5:08:00 PM | The Texans have no plans to trade Stroud, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports. |
| Per Bien-Aime, the QB's name surfaced online in trade speculation in the wake of a playoff run that included seven turnovers. However, GM Nick Caserio firmly denied such a possibility Tuesday, while noting of Stroud, "we are not trading the guy. He's our quarterback. He's going to be playing quarterback for the Houston Texans in 2026." Stroud, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he threw for 3,041 yards, with 19 TDs and eight interceptions in 14 games. Looking ahead, WR Christian Kirk is the team's most notable pass catcher in line to become a free agent next month, but otherwise Houston's top wideouts and tight ends are on track to be available options for Stroud this coming season. | |
| 2/12/2026 9:42:00 PM | questionable |
| questionable | |
| 2/11/2026 4:04:00 PM | questionable |
| questionable | |
| 1/20/2026 8:50:00 AM | Mills did not play in Sunday's 28-16 playoff loss to the Patriots. |
| Mills never got off the bench despite the struggles of starter C.J. Stroud, who threw four interceptions. The former had an effective run as a starter during the regular season, guiding Houston to three straight wins when Stroud missed time due to a concussion. Mills finished the 2025 regular season with a 57.2 completion percentage (91-for-159) for 915 yards and five touchdowns over six games. He's under contract for another season and could be in for a greater role in 2026, if Stroud is unable to recapture the promise he showed as a rookie in 2023. | |
| 1/20/2026 8:18:00 AM | Chubb had four carries for 14 yards and failed to catch his lone target in Sunday's 28-16 playoff loss to New England. |
| Chubb finished up his first season in Houston with 122 carries for 506 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He added 13 catches on 20 targets for 67 yards. Chubb was meant to back up Joe Mixon (foot) but opened atop the depth chart, as Mixon's injury prevented him from playing at all in 2025. The Texans eventually gave Woody Marks the lead role while Chubb served as the backup and averaged just 4.4 carries over the final seven weeks of the regular season. The 31-year-old Chubb enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, and Houston is expected to reassess the backfield. | |
| 1/18/2026 7:28:00 PM | Marks carried the ball 14 times for 17 yards and caught two of three targets for 19 yards during the Texans' 28-16 loss to the Patriots in the divisional round Sunday. He also lost a fumble. |
| Houston couldn't get much of anything going on the ground, and Marks' turnover was one of five by the Texans and eight in total by both teams in cold, wet conditions at Foxborough. Marks went the entire regular season without losing a fumble, so ball security shouldn't be an issue for him in 2026, and the fourth-round pick out of USC had a successful rookie campaign with 911 scrimmage yards and five total TDs in 16 games. It remains to be seen whether the Texans will look to expand his role next year or bring in a back more adept at running between the tackles to work in tandem with Marks. | |
| 1/14/2026 3:31:00 PM | Prater (quad/calf) was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. |
| Prater was listed as a non-participant in Tuesday's walkthrough but was able to upgrade to full participation in Wednesday's session. The kicker was questionable to play ahead of last Sunday's playoff win over the Jaguars, but he managed to suit up for the game and put forth a flawless effort. The 41-year-old should be all set to play in Saturday's divisional-round matchup against the Broncos, barring any setbacks. | |
| 1/13/2026 1:49:00 PM | James recorded four tackles (three solo) in the 16-3 wild-card loss to the Patriots on Sunday. |
| James technically played 16 games for a third straight campaign, but the veteran was held out of Week 18 for rest purposes. While the 28-year-old put together arguably one of his healthiest seasons of his career, he wasn't quite as impactful at least in terms of splash plays, finishing with just two sacks after averaging close to four over the past three years. The now five-time Pro Bowler made up for that by tying his career high with three interceptions en route to second-team All-Pro honors for the third time in his career. The possible departure of head coach candidate and wunderkind defensive coordinator Jessie Minter might impact Los Angeles' defense as a whole next year, but James is unquestionably one of the NFL's elites at the safety position right now. | |
| 1/12/2026 11:57:00 PM | Metcalf (suspension) brought in two of five targets for 42 yards in the Steelers' 30-6 wild-card loss to the Texans on Monday night. |
| Metcalf returned from a two-game ban to close out the regular season and contributed 25- and 17-yard gains on his pair of grabs. His yardage total was a team-high figure, and he tied for second in targets as well. Ultimately, the Texans defense put the clamps on the Steelers offense as a whole, leading to a quiet finish to Metcalf's debut campaign in Pittsburgh. The veteran wideout posted a 59-850-6 line on 99 targets while adding two rushes for 12 yards across 15 regular-season games while working with Aaron Rodgers for the first time. Metcalf is in line to reprise his role as Pittsburgh's No. 1 receiver in 2026, but he may be working with a new quarterback for the second straight season. | |
| 1/12/2026 4:13:00 PM | Hampton lost a yard on his only carry in the Chargers' 16-3 wild-card loss Sunday to the Patriots. |
| The rookie was active for the contest despite failing to practice both Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle injury, but the Chargers opted not to give Hampton -- who logged just two snaps on offense Sunday -- much work as Kimani Vidal took all 11 of the team's other RB carries. It was a rollercoaster of a season for the 2025 first-round pick, as Hampton was thrust immediately into prominence Week 1 due to Najee Harris' eye injury and capped off a solid first month with an explosive 165 total yards on 17 touches Week 4 against the Giants. That game ended up being Hampton's only contest over 100 total yards the rest of the season, however, as the 22-year-old missed seven weeks due to a fractured ankle and returned to work behind an offensive line completely in tatters by Week 14. The Chargers are certainly invested enough in Hampton to make him a sought-after fantasy asset in 2026, but the team will need to make a concerted effort to rebuild an offensive line that was decimated by injuries by the end of the season. Hampton is expected to have at least one complementary piece alongside him come next season, whether it be exclusive rights free agent Vidal, a cheaper veteran comparable to the aforementioned Harris or a combination of both. | |
| 1/8/2026 9:21:00 PM | Davis finished the 2025 campaign with 143 tackles (64 solo), including 0.5 sacks, and three passes defended across 17 games. |
| Davis racked up a new career high for tackles in a season, finishing tied for the 10th-most stops in the NFL in 2025. His durability and consistency have stood the test of time, as he logged his ninth straight season with over 100 tackles. The 36-year-old -- who turns 37 in January -- played every regular-season game for the 14th time in his career. Davis was under contract with New Orleans through the 2025 season, and he should remain productive whether he sticks with the Saints or goes elsewhere in 2026. | |
| 1/8/2026 7:30:00 PM | Walker tallied 128 tackles (58 solo), including 2.5 sacks, and five pass defenses over 14 regular-season games with the Packers in 2025. |
| Despite missing two games in November due to a neck injury, Walker managed to post a career high in combined tackles while logging 2.5 sacks for a third consecutive season. He posted at least nine tackles in nine games during the 2025 season, including in each of his final four appearances before sitting out of Week 18 against the Vikings for rest purposes. The Packers opted to decline Walker's fifth-year team option in May, and with the two sides unable to reach an agreement on an extension, the 2022 first-rounder will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent, though Green Bay could utilize the franchise tag on the Georgia product. | |
| 1/8/2026 3:54:00 PM | Verse recorded 58 tackles (35 solo), including 7.5 sacks, a pass defensed and three forced fumbles over 17 games in 2025. |
| The second verse was nearly identical to the first for the 2024 first-round pick for the Rams, as his tackles decreased by six year-to-year, but he recorded three more sacks and one more forced fumble while operating as a dominant duo alongside Byron Young. Verse's play was rewarded with a selection as a 2026 NFL Pro Bowler alongside Young, and Verse should continue his ascension towards being one of the top linebackers in the NFL in year three with the Rams. | |
| 1/8/2026 3:47:00 PM | Lloyd recorded 81 tackles (35 solo), including 1.5 sacks, across 15 regular-season appearances in 2025. He also logged seven passes defensed, including five interceptions, one fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown. |
| Lloyd failed to tally 100 total tackles for the first time in his career in 2025, but he remained reliable against the run while emerging as a legitimate playmaker elsewhere on defense for Jacksonville, especially in coverage. The 2022 first-round pick will look to continue wreaking havoc in the postseason, beginning with Sunday's wild-card round matchup against the Bills. Lloyd is currently playing out the final year of his rookie deal, and he's positioned to become a coveted unrestricted free agent this offseason. | |
| 1/5/2026 11:12:00 PM | Hutchinson recorded 54 total tackles (36 solo), including 14.5 sacks, while also adding four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and three passes defensed, one of which was an interception, over 17 games during the regular season. |
| Hutchinson was able to take advantage of a healthy 2025 campaign after being limited to just five games in 2024 due to a broken left tibia and fibula. The defensive lineman set new career highs in total tackles, sacks and forced fumbles while playing all 17 regular-season contests for the third time in his four years in Detroit. Additionally, Hutchinson registered at least 1.0 sacks in each of the team's final four games of the season, securing 6.0 sacks over that stretch, and his 14.5 sacks on the year ranked fourth in the NFL. The 25-year-old already inked a fresh four-year, $180 million contract extension in October, and he'll look to help lead the Lions back to the postseason next year. | |
| 1/5/2026 9:51:00 AM | questionable |
| questionable | |
| 1/5/2026 9:50:00 AM | questionable |
| questionable | |
| 1/4/2026 11:54:00 PM | Johnson completed 14 of 22 passes for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 24-17 loss to the Eagles. He added nine rushes for 45 yards with an additional score and a lost fumble. |
| Johnson drew his second consecutive start in the absence of both Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota (hand). He effectively managed the offense for most of the game and orchestrated a pair of touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, which he capped off with a two-yard passing score and a one-yard rushing touchdown, to give the Commanders the win. Johnson will become a free agent this offseason, though retirement is also a possibility as he just concluded his 11th season and is set to turn 40 in May. | |
| 1/4/2026 10:44:00 PM | Montgomery rushed eight times for 42 yards and caught his only target for 13 yards in Sunday's 19-16 win over the Bears. |
| After totaling 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns on 221 touches across 14 regular-season games (all starts) last season, Montgomery took more of a back seat to Jahmyr Gibbs in 2025. Montgomery didn't start any of the first 16 contests this season and handled five fewer touches per game, finishing with 716 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries to go along with a 24-192-0 receiving line on 29 targets. Montgomery will turn 29 years old in June and has two years remaining on his contract. His roster spot is likely safe for 2026, but the 9-8 Lions will be coming off a disappointing season and are likely to shake up the roster. | |
| 1/4/2026 10:19:00 PM | Samuel caught two of five targets for 20 yards and rushed twice for one yard in Sunday's 24-17 win over the Eagles. |
| Samuel was held to two catches for the second straight week while his 20 receiving yards were his fewest since Week 8. The wide receiver completed his regular season having caught 72 of 99 targets for 727 yards and five touchdowns while also turning 17 carries into 75 yards and a score over 16 contests. Samuel will enter the offseason as a free agent, and he proved he's still got plenty left in the tank, recording his most receptions since the 2021 campaign. | |
| 1/4/2026 8:14:00 PM | Wilson had five receptions on eight targets for 99 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Rams. |
| WR Marvin Harrison was officially placed on IR after reinjuring his heel in Week 17, affording Wilson the opportunity to ball out in his teammate's absence like he already had on multiple occasions this season. The 25-year-old Wilson experienced a true breakout campaign after reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his three-year career. A significant portion of Stanford product's 78-1,006-7 line came in games that either QB Jacoby Brissett started or Harrison missed due to injury, so Wilson's 2026 outlook will hinge greatly on how committed the franchise will remain to the underperforming duo of Harrison and Kyler Murray. Wilson will enter next season playing on the fourth year of what now feels like an undervalued rookie contract. | |
| 1/4/2026 5:55:00 PM | Chase caught eight of 10 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 20-18 loss to the Browns. |
| The superstar wideout fell just short of his eighth 100-yard performance of the season, but Chase did make his eighth trip to the end zone in 16 games with a four-yard toss from Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter. Chase wraps up 2025 with a 125-1,412-8 line on a career-high 185 targets, and his ability to continue posting elite numbers even with Burrow having missed half the year should keep him locked in as a first-round selection in 2026 fantasy drafts. | |
| 1/4/2026 3:25:00 PM | Hartman (coach's decision) is inactive but serving as the Commanders' emergency third quarterback Sunday versus the Eagles. |
| Hartman will once again operate as the team's No. 3 option at QB, a role he's become rather accustomed to this season. Josh Johnson will serve as the starting quarterback while Jeff Driskel gets the nod at backup against Philadelphia. | |
| 1/4/2026 3:14:00 PM | Pineiro converted his only field-goal attempt of 48 yards in Saturday's 13-3 loss to Seattle. |
| Pineiro was the only player for the 49ers to make an impact on the box score after scoring his team's only points in a forgettable offensive showing Saturday. The 29-year-old took over for released kicker Jake Moody in Week 2 of the regular season and never looked back, nailing all but one of his 29 FGA with the only miss coming from 50-plus yards out. Pineiro will become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, but it would be surprising if the 49ers didn't re-sign him after he saved the franchise's catastrophic kicking situation. | |
| 12/24/2025 12:41:00 PM | Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that Driskel will serve as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind starter Josh Johnson during Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Tashan Reed of The Washington Post reports. |
| With Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota (hand/quad) both ruled out for Thursday's divisional contest, Driskel -- who was signed off the Cardinals' practice squad earlier this week -- will suit up as Johnson's backup. Josh Johnson. Driskel's last NFL action came back in 2024 with Washington, when he played one snap on offense in a Week 2 game against the Giants. | |