injuryCole Kmet done for the season
Bears coach Ben Johnson confirmed Friday that TE Cole Kmet will go on injured reserve with a serious knee injury suffered in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's win over the Patriots, ending his 2026 season. Johnson called Kmet "one of the glue guys," saying "It stinks. I hate it for him. I hate it for his teammates." No official diagnosis has been released, though unconfirmed reports point to a torn ACL. Colston Loveland, who's posted back-to-back games with 6+ catches, 65+ yards and a touchdown, remains Chicago's lead receiving tight end.
Fantasy take
Loveland was already drawing the receiving-TE role on roughly the same snap share as Kmet before this, with the split by job rather than playing time: 82 targets to Kmet's 48 last season, Kmet's reps going to blocking downs and two-tight-end sets. With Kmet out, those blocking-down snaps funnel somewhere, likely a mix of Loveland staying on the field in two-tight-end looks and increased work for Sam Roush, so Loveland's route total and red zone usage have more room to grow than his target share already suggested. The back-to-back 6-catch, TD games came with Kmet still active, which marks the floor rather than a ceiling tied to this roster change.
McCarthy keeps the Giants' job as Russell Wilson pushes back
Coach John Harbaugh confirmed J.J. McCarthy will start again in Week 7 at Houston after relieving Jameis Winston during Sunday's loss to New Orleans. Winston went 11-of-21 for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception before being pulled. Russell Wilson — who the Giants benched for a rookie last year under a similarly short leash — said this week: "I think that before you jump the bridge to J.J. McCarthy you may have to give Jameis Winston one more shot and one more look at it to make sure." Jaxson Dart remains out for the season after knee surgery.
Fantasy take
Wilson's comments read as the quarterback room viewing the change as unsettled, not as evidence of what Harbaugh will actually do — the Week 7 confirmation suggests the coaching staff is drawing a firmer line than its own starter is. McCarthy's track record under Harbaugh so far is thin: one relief appearance before this start, so Sunday at Houston is the first real look at whether the job sticks beyond a one-week audition. For Malik Nabers, nothing about his target share has moved yet under McCarthy — that's a question still open, not a shift either way.
49ers rule out Evans and Samuel for Falcons; Kirk set to play
The 49ers officially ruled out Mike Evans (ribs/Achilles) and Deebo Samuel (hamstring) for Sunday's game at Atlanta. Evans missed all three practices and exited Week 6 early with 3 catches for 94 yards; Samuel will miss a second straight game with the hamstring injury he suffered Oct. 11 against Seattle. Christian Kirk, a full practice participant all three days, is set to play — offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said Friday Kirk "looks good" and "you can see him getting better."
Fantasy take
Christian Kirk's activation ends a four-week absence (calf strain, IR to open the season) and drops him back into a slot role originally ticketed as third-string behind Evans and Pearsall before either was hurt. Brandin Cooks has been the one absorbing snaps as the injuries mounted — 12% in Week 4, 40% in Week 5, 52% in Week 6 — while Jordan Watkins played 76% of the offense in Week 6 but turned that into just one target. With both Evans and Samuel out, the target distribution among Kirk, Cooks and Watkins is unresolved territory rather than a settled pecking order.
Friday injury report: Jackson, Mayfield and Jacobs get Week 7 clarity
Lamar Jackson (ankle) is officially questionable for Sunday's game at Cincinnati; he said this week he's "trending in the right direction" to play. Baker Mayfield (thumb) is questionable for Tampa Bay's game at Carolina, seeking his first appearance since Sept. 27. Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Josh Jacobs "is on track to play Sunday as long as he gets through today's practice," setting up Jacobs' first game back as Green Bay's lead back against Detroit.
Fantasy take
Jackson's ankle trouble follows a 2025 pattern where his rushing dipped sharply after injury — 5.2 carries and 26.8 yards per game instead of his career norms — so a questionable tag against a Bengals defense carries more weight on his legs than his arm. Mayfield's thumb has kept him out since Week 3, when he was dealing with 6 sacks and 12 hits against Minnesota; the offense's reliance on keepers and throws on the run puts more stress on exactly the hand he's protecting. Jacobs' return gives Green Bay back a back who played roughly 60% of snaps in 2025 and had become a receiving factor (36 catches, 282 yards) under LaFleur, with Chris Brooks the only established complement behind him — Sunday's workload is the first test of how much of that role survives the layoff.
Browns coach pushes back on Jerry Jeudy trade rumors
Browns coach Todd Monken, speaking after Cleveland's win over Baltimore (in which Jeudy had a 33-yard catch), said: "We're better on offense when Jerry's a part of it." The trade speculation stemmed from Jeudy's previously limited target volume this season. ESPN's Adam Schefter still lists Jeudy as a trade-deadline "name to watch" ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline. Separately, Chargers GM Joe Hortiz has told rival GMs he's not interested in offers for edge rusher Khalil Mack, per Tom Pelissero — no new movement there.
Fantasy take
Monken's comment follows a game in which Jeudy's role was still a single long catch rather than a target-share shift, and his count through six games sits near three a game — below what a No. 2 receiver on this roster typically commands with Quinshon Judkins, Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr. also drawing early-down work. Public confidence from a coordinator doesn't change the usage pattern that fed the trade speculation in the first place, and Schefter keeping him on the pre-deadline list signals that outside evaluators are reading the same gap.
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