Who’s starting, who’s hurt, and who’s on the move?
NFL news is nonstop, and we’re breaking it all down week by week this season.
Here’s the latest on what’s happening around the league entering Week 3:
Chargers WR Ladd McConkey misses practice
Los Angeles Chargers WR Ladd McConkey missed practice on Wednesday because of a bicep injury. After a breakout rookie season, McConkey has 11 catches for 124 yards through two games this season.
Buccaneers Rookie WR misses practice
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka missed Wednesday’s practice with a hip and groin injury. Egbuka was drafted 19th overall by the Buccaneers and hasn’t wasted any time making his mark on the NFL. He has 96 receiving yards and three touchdowns through two games. Egbuka’s production has been integral to the Buccaneers as WR Chris Godwin has missed the first two games of the season, and will continue to miss time.
Brock Purdy returns to practice
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy missed Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints, nursing both a shoulder and toe injury. But on Wednesday, he reportedly returned to practice in a limited fashion, and has a “chance” to play, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan, in the 49ers’ Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Purdy is seemingly ahead of schedule, as the 49ers had estimated his timeline would be between 2-5 weeks until he could return.
The Los Angeles Chargers will be without one of their top pass rushers for a bit, but not for as long as some initially feared. Khalil Mack will be placed on injured reserve, although his elbow injury isn’t season-ending, ESPN reported. Still, the Chargers won’t have Mack for at least four games due to the ailment, ruling him out for matchups against the Broncos, Giants, Commanders and Dolphins.
Commanders sideline Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders will begin their preparation for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders without their starting quarterback. Jayden Daniels will be sidelined until at least Friday as he battles a knee issue, Commanders coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Wednesday.
Daniels reportedly suffered a knee sprain in the Commanders’ loss to the Green Packers in Week 2. Quinn said earlier in the week that Daniels is currently “day-to-day” with the injury. If Daniels can’t go, backup Marcus Mariota will likely start in his place.
Daniels, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, has thrown for 433 yards and three touchdowns to go with 85 rushing yards through the first two games of the season.
Jets to be without Justin Fields in Week 3
Justin Fields will miss the New York Jets’ matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday as he remains in concussion protocol, head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters on Wednesday. Tyrod Taylor will start in Fields’ place.
Fields entered concussion protocol late in the Jets’ Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills. After a strong Week 1 performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields completed just 3 of 11 passes for 11 yards in the 30-10 loss to the Bills.
Eagles lineman has something to say
Philadelphia left tackle Jordan Mailata spoke about those who criticize the team for deploying the tush push seven times and crediting their success running the play for their Week 2 win on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I understand the outrage. What I don’t understand is them using it as an excuse to why we won the game,” Mailata said in an appearance on SPORTSRADIO 94WIP on Tuesday. “I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to our defense and our special teams, who balled out. My brothers on defense and special teams who balled out that game, who had our backs when we weren’t moving the ball or weren’t doing anything. … That kind of irks me a little bit. That pisses me off because we give so much to this game and to kind of base off a short-yardage play – that is a football play – and say that we won the game off that, but not how our defense played and not how our special teams have played, putting us in those positions. You know, I think it’s bullcrap.
“I just think it’s rubbish. Absolute rubbish, man. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it.”
Washington homecoming
The Commanders signed veteran defensive end Preston Smith, according to NFL Media. Smith spent the first four seasons of his career with Washington (2015-18), who selected him with the No. 38 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his 2015 rookie campaign, Smith tallied eight sacks and three forced fumbles, while posting eight sacks again in 2017. Smith signed with the Green Bay Packers in 2019, totaling a career-high 12 sacks in said year and with whom he played through 2024 before being acquired by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was released by Pittsburgh in February.
Vikings place top RB on IR
The Minnesota Vikings placed running back Aaron Jones on the injured reserve on Tuesday due to his hamstring injury. Jones will now miss a minimum of four weeks. Running back Jordan Mason will have an increased role in Jones’ absence, and the Vikings signed Cam Akers to increase their depth.
Minnesota signed quarterback Desmond Ridder to its active roster, NFL Media reported. Ridder, who has made 18 starts over his NFL career, joins Minnesota in the wake of starter J.J. McCarthy suffering a high-ankle sprain in the team’s Week 2 loss at home to the Atlanta Falcons and likely to miss multiple weeks.
Pittsburgh is benching rookie running back and third-round draft pick Kaleb Johnson from kick-returning duties in the “short term” following him not pursuing a live ball on a kickoff that resulted in a touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed. Johnson has taken just two handoffs through Pittsburgh’s first two games.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman has a torn pectoral muscle, which will require season-ending surgery, according to NFL Media. Kancey, who totaled 7.5 sacks last season and was selected by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, suffered the injury during Tampa Bay’s Week 2 win on the road against the Houston Texans.
Bengals add two quarterbacks
Cincinnati signed quarterbacks Mike White and Sean Clifford to its practice squad, according to NFL Media. These moves come after star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered turf toe and will subsequently miss at least three months. White has made seven career starts since 2021, while Clifford was a backup for the Green Bay Packers from 2023-24. That said, Jake Browning will start in Burrow’s place. The former helped Cincinnati squeak out a Week 2 win at home over the Jacksonville Jaguars to improve to 2-0 and made seven starts in 2023 after Burrow suffered a season-ending elbow injury.
Jayden Daniels’ Week 3 status “in doubt”
Commanders‘ quarterback and 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels sprained his left knee on Thursday, and his status for Sunday’s matchup against the Raiders is “in doubt,” per ESPN.
An MRI scan performed after the injury, suffered against the Packers in Week 2, revealed no structural damage, per ESPN. If Daniels is not ready to go against Las Vegas, backup Marcus Mariota would fill in at QB – it would be the first game in Daniels’ career that he’s missed, as he started all 17 games for Washington as a rookie and both games in 2025 so far.
Josh Allen gives nose update
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was referring to himself in updating the condition of his swollen, bloodied nose by saying, “We can breathe, so it’s good,” after coasting to a win over the New York Jets.
A week after throwing for 251 yards in the fourth quarter, and rallying Buffalo from a 15-point deficit in the final four minutes over the Ravens, Allen could have sat this one out once he bolted to the sideline with blood gushing from his nose in the final 90 seconds of the first quarter. He was hurt when his helmet was shoved down while being stopped for no gain.
Rams lose starting cornerback to IR
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon has been placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. Witherspoon was injured in the second quarter, with coach Sean McVay calling it “a big loss” for the Rams.
The nine-year NFL veteran was expected to play a major role on the Rams’ defense, but his absence is likely to create playing time for fellow veteran Darious Williams, who was beaten out for the other starting cornerback job by Emmanuel Forbes in training camp. Williams played 26 snaps in Tennessee after not getting on the field at all during the Rams’ season-opening win over Houston.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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