Appearing on NFL Live Friday afternoon, Fowler said that people inside the Raiders’ building and around the league still expect Cousins to be named the starter. Raiders HC Klint Kubiak declined to name a starting quarterback Friday morning. Following the loss of Thursday’s preseason game against the 49ers, Kubiak said rookie Fernando Mendoza needs another three preseason games before going as far as mentioning that Mendoza’s practice reps will decline once the regular season begins. While Kubiak continues to drag his feet when it comes to the official announcement, all signs still point to Cousins being named the starter at some point eventually.

Funny enough, it’s the same line Kubiak provided to reporters on Tuesday when asked about the health of his RB1. Kubiak did say that the Raiders were “counting on (Jeanty)” for Week 1, but that’s hardly a sign that the Raiders expect him to suit up. With teams not being required to release official injury reports until the week leading up to the first game of the season, it’s possible that we won’t have a clear answer regarding Jeanty and his availability until the Raiders begin preparing for Week 1’s game against the Dolphins. In the event Jeanty can’t go, rookie Mike Washington is expected to see a substantial role after a solid preseason in which he rushed 23 times for 168 yards while averaging an impressive 7.3 YPC. Washington is worth a draft pick in all formats right now, especially with Jeanty’s status up in the air.

Pierce said the Colts have been doing a good job of preparing him to play even while sidelined, and with 16 days to go before the Colts host the Ravens in Week 1, it’s not inconceivable that he could be ready in time for the season opener. The Colts will continue to ramp Pierce up in the coming weeks, making his status one to monitor, especially when teams begin releasing official injury reports ahead of game day. If he is able to play, fantasy managers should view Pierce as anything more than a boom/bust WR3 until we see how he looks on the field.

This will be the first look we get at Harris since he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 3 last season. The 28-year-old vet signed a deal with the Giants less than two weeks ago, but could end up being a “significant contributor” to the Giants’ backfield, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Whether or not Harris has any fantasy value as a standalone option with Cam Skattebo healthy is to be determined, but he could be the leader in the clubhouse to be the next man up should Skattebo ever miss time, making him an intriguing late-round pick in fantasy drafts.

This isn’t the first time Raanan has suggested Fields could have the inside edge as the Giants’ WR2. Earlier this month, he said the rookie third-rounder was making an “early claim” for the role, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise given the thin receiving corps the Giants are currently working with. The 6-foot-4, 220-plus-pound receiver has an excellent catch radius and made a name for himself with his ability to haul in contested targets during his days at Virginia and Notre Dame. It seems highly unlikely that Fields would make enough of an impact to be considered a reliable fantasy contributor, but he could be worth a late-round/stash in drafts to see how things unfold for him in the weeks to come.

That’s three straight weeks that Kubiak has declined to name his Week 1 starter despite the widely held belief that it will be Kirk Cousins getting the start in Week 1 against the Dolphins. Cousins has received the majority of first-team reps throughout the offseason and limited action in the preseason, while Fernando Mendoza has worked mostly with backups and played extensively in every preseason game. We’ll see just how long Kubiak is willing to stretch this decision out, but it would come as a surprise to almost everyone if Mendoza got the nod over Cousins in Week 1.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was first on the news, followed by contract details from Ian Rapoport. Seattle acquired Williams from the Giants during the 2023 season. In his two full seasons as a Seahawk, Williams has totaled 18 regular season sacks plus one during the team’s postseason last year. He is now one of the five highest-paid defensive tackles on an annual basis. Williams will be under contract through the 2029 season.

The 2023 third-round pick will be subject to waivers. If no team claims him, Tillman will be free to sign wherever he chooses. Tillman appeared to be on the precipice of a breakout in 2024, posting 330 yards over five games in the middle of the season. An injury then knocked him out for the remainder of the year, and he failed to find much of a role in 2025. Even if he clears waivers, several teams will likely be interested in taking a flyer on Tillman after 53-man rosters start to shake out.

Pierce has been on the PUP list throughout training camp as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. Head coach Shane Steichen said earlier this week that he expects Pierce to return to practice in the coming days. Pierce was spotted getting some individual work in today. Coming off the PUP list means Pierce shouldn’t miss four games to start the season, but it doesn’t guarantee that he is ready for the season opener. His health will be one of the biggest storylines to monitor for the Colts’ offense over the next two weeks.

The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond made it clear that this was the first of many steps toward a full return for Burden, but it’s still a good sign that he’s back on the field. With more than two weeks until the Bears’ first game of the season, Burden appears to be on track to play in Week 1. Burden has been going outside the top 20 wide receivers in Best Ball drafts following the injury. That buying window is likely to close as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks. Burden remains a high-risk, high-reward WR2 bet.