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 1:
Judkins, who missed time in training camp and the entire preseason due to charges of domestic assault and battery, became the final member of the 2025 NFL Draft class to sign his rookie deal on Saturday. He joined the trend of other top second-round picks as well, agreeing to a fully guaranteed deal, NFL Media reported.
While the charges against Judkins were dropped, he still can’t play for the Browns when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, according to NFL Media. However, Judkins will reportedly be allowed to practice through a temporary roster exemption while the NFL continues its investigation into his alleged conduct.
The San Francisco 49ers superstar running back was limited at practice on Thursday due to a calf injury. McCaffrey, the 2023 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, was limited to four games in 2024 due to calf, Achilles and knee issues. The two-time All-Pro is entering his third full season with the 49ers and fourth season with the franchise altogether. San Francisco opens the regular season with a road matchup against the NFC West-rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
C.J. Stroud’s new-look wide receivers corps won’t be at full strength when they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Kirk will miss the Week 1 matchup due to a hamstring strain, ESPN reported. The injury could also reportedly keep him out for multiple games. The Texans acquired Kirk in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars over the offseason.
Myles Garrett misses practice on Thursday
Cleveland Browns superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett did not practice on Thursday because he’s reportedly dealing with a hip injury. His status is now up in the air for the Browns’ Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which is set for Sunday at 1 pm ET.
Hampton will be the Chargers’ starting running back to open the regular season, with free-agent signee Najee Harris the No. 2 back, per ESPN. Los Angeles selected Hampton with the No. 22 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of North Carolina, while Harris — who rushed for 1,078 yards and seven touchdowns per season over his four-year career with the Steelers (2021-24) — recently returned from an eye injury that he suffered in a fireworks accident on July 4. Harris, a former first-round pick, signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles in March. The Chargers open the 2025 season against the AFC West-rival Chiefs on Friday night.
Vera-Tucker tore his triceps and will miss the entire 2025 season, head coach Aaron Glenn revealed on Sept. 4. Last season, Vera-Tucker ranked 15th among guards with a 77.7 overall grade, 17th with a 76.3 run-blocking grade and 19th with a 74.5 pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football Focus. Vera-Tucker, whom the Jets selected with the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of USC, has been held back by injuries throughout his NFL career. He missed 10 games in 2022 due to a torn triceps, 12 games in 2023 due to a torn Achilles and two games in 2024 due to an ankle injury.
Philadelphia sought to acquire Parsons from the Cowboys throughout the offseason, according to ESPN. That said, the Cowboys had “no interest” in trading him to the NFC East-rival Eagles. Ultimately, Dallas sent Parsons, a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, to the Packers for defensive tackle and three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and two future first-round draft picks last week. Parsons then signed a four-year, $186 million extension with the Packers, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history with a $46.5 million average annual salary. The defending Super Bowl-champion Eagles host the Cowboys on Thursday night to open the 2025 season. Philadelphia swept the season series with Dallas last season, out-scoring the latter, 75-13.
San Francisco and Jennings didn’t see eye-to-eye on contract terms throughout the entire offseason but have come to an agreement just before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. Jennings reportedly signed a deal that added $3 million in “play-time” incentives, meaning he can earn up to $10.5 million this season.
Cowboys getting healthier
Dallas cornerback and two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs (knee) and left tackle Tyler Guyton (knee) were each full participants at practice on Sept. 3. The Cowboys open the 2025 season on the road against the Eagles on Sept. 4.
Tampa Bay and Goedeke came to terms on a four-year extenstion, worth $90 million with $50 million guaranteed. The Bucs selected Goedeke in the second-round of the 2022 NFL Draft and 2025 was the final year of his rookie contract. Now, he and the team are tied together through the 2029 season. In 2024, Goedeke ranked 30th among 140 tackles, per pro football focus, while allowing just three sacks on the season.
Russell Wilson will be under center to begin the season for the Giants, but rookie Jaxson Dart is now listed as New York’s No. 2 quarterback ahead of Jameis Winston, who signed a two-year deal with the franchise in March. The Giants traded up to select Dart with the No. 25 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss.
Despite Parsons and the Cowboys having a messy and public breakup — one that has persisted beyond the trade that sent the edge rusher to the Packers — Parsons’ agent, David Mulegheta, does not see it impacting any future negotiations between Dallas and his other client, Pickens.
“There’s nothing personal here,” Mulugheta said. “If George Pickens does what we expect him to do, which is be one of the best [WRs] in the NFL this year, we’ll have those conversations with the Cowboys.”
Pickens played for the Steelers for the past three seasons before the Cowboys acquired him this offseason. Pickens is now Dallas’ No. 2 WR behind CeeDee Lamb. In 2023, Pickens led the AFC in yards per reception at 18.1 while logging 1,140 receiving yards, and he followed that up with 900 yards in 12 starts and 14 games in 2024.
Stafford has been dealing with an aggravated disk that caused him back soreness, and it has kept him from participating in preseason activities or training camp for most of the summer. Still, the veteran signal-caller is expected to start for the Rams in Week 1 against the Texans, per head coach Sean McVay. Stafford, 37, has been the Rams’ QB since 2021, starting 16 games for the team in 2024 while throwing for 3,762 yards and 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions. It’s unclear at this point how much of an impact the back injury will have on Stafford’s Week 1 performance or season, but he has repeatedly been unable to match the timeline suggested by the Rams for his recovery during the preseason, including missing a mid-August practice when he had been slated to participate.
Newly minted Packers DE Micah Parsons practicing through back sprain
Before Parsons was traded to the Packers last week, he was dealing with a sprain in his back that the Cowboys had just prescribed him a treatment plan for. Parsons is suffering from an L4/L5 facet joint sprain in his back, per ESPN, and could take an epidural injection for it before Week 1’s game vs. the Lions to allow him to play through the injury. Parsons, who was in a physical therapy program to help with the sprain, was prescribed a five-day prescription for a corticosteroid to help with the inflation before the trade that sent him to Green Bay, and has been practicing since while letting the prednisone do its work. It’s unclear, per ESPN’s source, if Parsons will play in Week 1, though he is attempting to do more than just rest and recover this week if it’s possible.
Ailing Dolphins getting back on track
The Dolphins have been dealing with a number of injuries heading into Week 1 of the season, but things are looking up on that front. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that running back De’Von Achane, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Darren Waller were trending toward playing in Week 1. Achane started 16 games for the Dolphins in 2024, picking up 907 yards on the ground and another 582 in the air while totaling 12 touchdowns. Achane is questionable, while Jaylen Wright, who’s recovering from leg surgery, is doubtful for Week 1. Alexander Mattison is on IR with a season-ending neck injury, leaving third-stringer Ollie Gordon II as the only one with a clean bill of health.
The Steelers and Warren have agreed to a two-year extension that brings the value of his deal up to three years and $17.25 million. Warren receives a $5.95 million signing bonus, and his salary for 2025 will be bumped to $7 million, with $5.05 million and $5.15 million payouts in the following two campaigns, per ESPN. Of the $17.25 million, $12 million is guaranteed. Warren is the top back on the Steelers’ depth chart for 2025, but he has never started a game. He has seen considerable use, though, as he has appeared in 16, 17 and 15 contests in three seasons with Pittsburgh. He has amassed 1,674 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 346 attempts, as well as another 894 receiving yards.
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