We’re now at the point of the preseason where health is the priority for teams and stars around the league. Tuesday brought a bit of good and bad news in that regard.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes continues to progress in his recovery from his ACL tear, while Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase avoided a potential scare on Tuesday. Elsewhere, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was on the good side of injury news.
As we’re just over two weeks away from the start of the regular season, here’s what you need to know from Tuesday’s news around the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed confidence Tuesday that he is on track to start Week 1 against the Denver Broncos as he continues his recovery process throughout training camp following surgery on his left knee last December.
Mahomes is not expected to play in Friday’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks as he awaits final game clearance from team medical staff.
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“Being able to go out there, day after day, and have the grind of a camp, that can even be harder than the regular season,” Mahomes said. “Honestly, the more we practice, the better I feel.”
Should Mahomes not play against the Seahawks Friday, it would mark the first time in his 10-year career that he has missed the entire preseason.
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy pointed out Mahomes’ presence on the sideline during preseason action.
“With him not playing in the preseason, it could drive you crazy,” Bieniemy told reporters. “He’s like a coach on the sideline. But it’s a good thing because you know he’s itching to get back out there and do whatever he can do to help us win.”
The Cincinnati Bengals got quite the scare Tuesday afternoon when star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase landed awkwardly on a deep route and left practice with a knee injury.
Chase put minds at ease shortly after, appearing on Cincinnati’s ESPN 1530 to confirm he was “fine” after suffering a minor hyperextension. He added that he felt good enough to return and finish practice, but the team held him out strictly as a precaution.
With Joe Burrow declaring a “now or never” mindset for this season, keeping the Bengals’ offensive firepower fully healthy is more important than ever. If Chase, Tee Higgins and Chase Brown can stay on the field, they will have all the tools needed for a deep playoff run.
Chase is coming off another monster season with the Bengals, even with Burrow missing half the year due to turf toe. Despite the quarterback instability, Chase hauled in 125 receptions for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns, featuring seven games with over 100 receiving yards.
The Bengals are set to open up the season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chicago Bears right tackle Darnell Wright left practice early Tuesday after medical staff evaluated his right elbow.
Wright reportedly exited during red zone drills, which led to trainers taking off a brace on his right elbow as he was sidelined.
Wright suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in the same elbow last season, playing through the injury with a protective brace as he went on to earn second-team All-Pro honors.
The team is monitoring the situation with the expectation that the setback will not impact his availability for the regular season.
Fresh off signing a four-year, $114 million extension, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce is edging closer to his return. Head coach Shane Steichen announced that Pierce could hit the practice field as early as this week if all goes as planned.
The return marks a major milestone for Pierce, who underwent off-season ankle surgery shortly after signing his deal. Sidelined for months, Pierce has yet to participate in any training camp or team workouts this summer.
With Pierce’s status for the season opener and early in the season, the Colts signed veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen. Once healthy, the Colts will have a formidable trio of receivers in Pierce, Allen and Josh Downs, with quarterback Daniel Jones.
Pierce is coming off a breakout season with the Colts. He hauled in 47 receptions, a career-high 1,003 yards, and six touchdowns while recording 50 or more receiving yards in 10 different games. Not only did he have a career year, but he finished with 21.6 yards per reception, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier deep threats.
If the Colts can stay fully healthy, they figure to be in the mix in the AFC South race.
The Seattle Seahawks have now lost promising TCU rookie safety Bud Clark for the 2026 season. After suffering a broken ankle against the Tennessee Titans in Week 2 of the preseason, Seattle is placing Clark on season-ending injured reserve, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald announced on Tuesday.
Clark was selected in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft out of TCU and was set to compete for safety reps alongside Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori. With Clark out for the season, Ty Okada is next in line at safety.
The now-injured safety closed out his five-year career at TCU on a high note, leading one of the Big 12’s best run defenses. In his final season, Clark stuffed the stat sheet with a total of 56 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass deflections, a sack and 31 solo tackles.
Injury News & Notes
- Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak gave no update on running back Ashton Jeanty’s ankle injury and says “he’s on the mend.”
- ESPN reported that the Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split backup reps during Tuesday’s practice.
- Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta returned to practice on Tuesday after dealing with a hip injury.
- San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Mike Evans missed practice on Tuesday with a groin injury, per The Athletic.
- Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters that quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. will start the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions and play the entire first quarter.
- Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley told reporters that third-round pick wide receiver Chris Bell will play in Friday’s preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. Bell, a projected first-round pick before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in November, will play in his first game since the injury.
