Vikings Place LB Blake Cashman, RB Ty Chandler On IR
Blake Cashman‘s Week 1 hamstring injury made him a candidate for injured reserve. A month-long absence (if not longer) is indeed now in store for the veteran linebacker. 
Cashman was placed on IR Thursday, per a team announcement. As a result, he is now set to miss at least the next four games. Minnesota also placed running back and kick returner Ty Chandler on injured reserve.
Cashman split his first five seasons between the Jets and Texans, becoming a full-time starter in 2023. The Eden Prairie native then signed with his hometown team last offseason and again operated as a first-team regular, setting new career highs in several categories along the way. Cashman handled 43 defensive snaps before getting injured on Monday.
The Minnesota product is in line to remain a key figure at the second level of Brian Flores’ defense when healthy. That will not be the case until at least Week 7, however, given the timing of the Vikings’ bye. In the meantime, the team will move forward with veteran Eric Wilson as a fill-in starter. Cashman is on the books through 2026, although none of his salary for that year is guaranteed.
A quick return to action will therefore be key in that situation, and the same is also true of Chandler. The former fifth-rounder has seen sparse usage on offense over the course of his Vikings tenure, but he has been an important special teams contributor. That includes his work in the return game; on Monday, Chandler ran back three kickoffs for a total of 84 yards. The 27-year-old is a pending free agent.
The Vikings’ fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1 led to a win. They will aim to improve to 2-0 against the Falcons on Sunday night, but Cashman and Chandler’s absence will be felt.
Commanders Rework LT Laremy Tunsil’s Deal
Laremy Tunsil‘s contract has been reworked early in the campaign. The Commanders restructured their new left tackle’s contract on Thursday, per Spotrac. 
$18MM of compensation which was scheduled to be paid out as a base salary has been converted into a signing bonus. As a result, the Commanders have created $14.4MM in cap space for the 2025 season. Three void years were added to Tunsil’s pact, which is set to expire after the 2026 campaign.
None of the five-time Pro Bowler’s base pay for that year ($21.35MM) is guaranteed, even after today’s restructure. Tunsil’s level of play on his third career team over the coming months will thus be critical in determining his future. Washington acquired the 31-year-old via trade this offseason in an effort to bring about improvements up front during quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ second season.
Tunsil has started each of his 126 appearances in the NFL, and that will continue tonight against the Packers. The former Dolphin and Texan is expected to deliver high-end play on the blindside for 2025, and doing so would allow for 2024 left tackle Brandon Coleman to sustain his new spot at left guard. The Commanders’ top pick in this year’s draft – Josh Conerly Jr. – is currently handling right tackle duties but the Oregon product is seen as an option for the LT gig in the future.
Moving on from Tunsil next offseason would pave the way for Conerly to take on the left tackle role for 2026 and beyond. Such a decision has not been made any more difficult since today’s move did not add any new (real) years to Tunsil’s pact or include any future guarantees. Meanwhile, the Commanders entered Thursday fourth in the NFL in cap space, and they will move up to second with roughly $45.2MM in available funds once this Tunsil restructure is taken into account.
Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs Return To Practice
During cutdowns at the end of training camp, the Buccaneers elected to keep both Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs on the active roster. That decision was made despite the fact both are expected to miss multiple games in September. 
Moving either or both players to the reserve/PUP list would have ensured a four-game absence but also prevented them from being able to practice. Instead, remaining on the 53-man roster has opened the door for Godwin and Wirfs to take part in practice in September while rehabbing their respective injuries. That process has taken a notable step forward beginning today.
Godwin is taking part in Thursday’s practice on a limited basis, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. That has since been confirmed by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, who adds Wirfs is participating as well. In both cases, practicing twice this week is the team’s goal as the next stage of a lengthy recovery path.
A fractured ankle ended Godwin’s 2024 season and ensured he would miss time early this year. Week 2 had been targeted as the point at which he would return to practice, though, so today’s update comes as little surprise. The 29-year-old turned down more lucrative offers to remain in Tampa Bay this offseason. Godwin will take on a key role in the passing game upon return, joining a group led by Mike Evans and first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka.
Wirfs is believed to have a strong chance of returning to game action earlier than Godwin, and suiting up at some point in September is a possibility following his offseason meniscus surgery. That would be a welcomed development for the Bucs’ offensive line, a unit which underwent a number of changes ahead of Week 1 to compensate for Wirfs’ absence. The four-time Pro Bowler is under contract through 2029, so a cautious approach will of course be taken with his recovery process.
Tampa Bay will look for a 2-0 start to the season on Monday against Houston. That effort will not include Godwin or Wirfs, but their respective rehab processes have reached an important final phase.
Cowboys Not Seeking Outside CB Addition; Stephon Gilmore Open To Reunion
Cornerback was a talking point through much of the offseason for the Cowboys, given their numerous injury concerns at the position. With DaRon Bland set to miss multiple games, the team’s secondary will be shorthanded early in the campaign. 
[RELATED: No Deal Expected Following Jadeveon Clowney’s Cowboys Visit]
In spite of that, Dallas is not looking to pursue an outside addition at this time. The Exhibit’s Josina Anderson reports the team plans on using its internal cornerback options while Bland recovers from a foot injury. Trevon Diggs handled a part-time workload in Week 1, his first game action since offseason knee surgery, and trade acquisition Kaiir Elam was on the field for every defensive snap.
That pairing will continue to be leaned on moving forward while Bland recovers. Considering the fact second-year corner Caelen Carson is on injured reserve while third-round rookie Shavon Revel is on the reserve/NFI list, though, backup options are few and far between at the moment. Josh Butler is on the reserve/PUP list, meaning he too will not be available until at least Week 5. The Cowboys have over $38MM in cap space available if a free agent signing is to receive consideration.
On that note, Anderson adds former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is open to a Dallas reunion. The soon-to-be 35-year-old worked as a full-time cornerback starter for the Cowboys in 2023. Last year, Gilmore played for the Vikings and remained a key figure on defense (87% snap share) despite his age. Consideration was given to retirement in the offseason, but the two-time All-Pro intends to play in 2025 under the right circumstances.
With respect to finances, Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS notes Gilmore will not take a league minimum pact to return to Dallas. Anderson adds the five-time Pro Bowler is also considering other options at this point, and nothing appears imminent with respect to a Cowboys return. As a result, the team’s Week 2 preparations will continue with the likes of Trikweze Bridges, Reddy Steward and C.J. Goodwin in position for backup roles.
Quinshon Judkins Meets With NFL; Browns RB’s Week 2 Status Uncertain
SEPTEMBER 11: In the wake of Judkins’ meeting with the league, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes there is no timeline on a decision regarding discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy. She also confirms Judkins will practice today, so he will be in position to play in Week 2 if allowed to do so by the league.
SEPTEMBER 10: As expected, Quinshon Judkins is meeting with the NFL today. The Browns’ running back recently signed his rookie contract, paving the way for him to play in the regular season. 
Judkins did not suit up for Week 1, which came as little surprise. The second-rounder could be available on Sunday, although it remains to be seen if that will be the case. Judkins’ criminal case came to an end with charges not being pursued, but an NFL investigation into his domestic battery allegations continued after that point.
A move to the commissioner’s exempt list is unlikely, but league discipline could still result from the NFL’s investigation. Today’s in-person meeting with Judkins (h/t ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi) will be key in determining how things will play out on that front. The 21-year-old is currently in the fold via a roster exemption which will expire after Week 2.
Judkins is expected to return to the Browns for practice tomorrow, per Oyefusi. The Ole Miss and Ohio State product missed all of training camp and the preseason as he remained unsigned, something which could lead to a reduced workload whenever he does first see the field. Nevertheless, the departure of Nick Chubb in free agency allowed for a committee approach to be used in Cleveland’s backfield. Jerome Ford received six carries in Week 1, while fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson handled twice as many attempts.
Judkins will be expected to handle a role alongside those two when he is cleared for game action. On Sunday, the Browns will play the Ravens in a contest of 0-1 teams. How today’s meeting plays out will no doubt go a long way in dictating if he is able to make his debut at that time.
Chiefs Not Expected To Place WR Xavier Worthy On IR
A collision with Travis Kelce during the Chiefs’ season opener resulted in a dislocated shoulder for Xavier Worthy. It remains unclear how long the second-year wideout will be unavailable, but a positive update emerged on Wednesday. 
Head coach Andy Reid said (via The Athletic’s Jesse Newell) surgery is not being considered at this point. The same is also true of a stint on injured reserve. Provided the Chiefs do not place Worthy on IR, he will remain eligible to return to the lineup at any time (as opposed to a four-game absence being mandated by an IR move).
Reid noted Worthy’s rehab is ongoing, and yesterday he referred to the 2024 first-rounder as “day-to-day.” Missed time in Week 2 could certainly still be in store as a result, but if no surgery is to take place a return to action relatively soon is likely expected. Worthy’s presence is of course particularly valuable early in the campaign while fellow wideout Rashee Rice serves his six-game suspension.
Late in his rookie campaign, Worthy emerged as a key figure in Kansas City’s passing game. Expectations were high entering 2025 as a result, and losing the Texas product early in Week 1 dealt a blow to the team’s offense. Marquise Brown will be counted on to operate as a vertical threat moving forward, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes Tyquan Thornton will be tasked with taking on Worthy’s role in the starting lineup if necessary. The former Patriots draftee enjoyed a strong training camp and as a pending restricted free agent, he could help his value with at least a short stint on the first-team offense.
Given this latest Worthy update, though, a lengthy period on the sidelines appears unlikely. The Chiefs will take on the Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch during Week 2, and the coming days will offer clarity on whether or not Worthy will be available.
Texans Place TE Cade Stover On IR, Promote Harrison Bryant
Cade Stover will be unavailable to the Texans for an extended period. The second-year tight end was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, per a team announcement. 
Stover suffered a broken foot in Week 1, so today’s move comes as little surprise. He will now miss the next four games at a minimum. Houston’s tight end depth had already taken a hit with Brevin Jordan being lost for the season.
Now, the position will be even thinner through the early portion of the campaign. Stover made a team-high four catches in Week 1 as the Texans struggled on offense, and he was in line to continue operating as a key figure in the passing game. In his absence, veteran Dalton Schultz will take an an increased role. Stover, whose rookie contract runs through 2027, will aim for a midseason return to the lineup.
The Texans entered Wednesday with a pair of tight end options on their practice squad. As expected, the team is taking the internal route to replace Stover. Veteran Harrison Bryant was promoted to the active roster in a corresponding move to Stover’s IR placement. Bryant has been in the fold since he was included in the John Metchie trade.
That swap prevented the 27-year-old from seeing any regular season time with the Eagles despite signing with them in free agency this spring. Bryant played out his rookie deal with the Browns and took a one-year pact with the Raiders in 2024. The former fourth-rounder has 78 appearances and 33 starts to his name, so he will add experience (but a limited pass-catching presence, based on his production over the past two seasons in particular) to Houston’s offense.
Houston will be part of a doubleheader on Monday night during a game against Tampa Bay. As the team looks to bounce back from its Week 1 loss, the tight end position could be one to watch closely.
Steelers Add Incentives To Cameron Heyward’s Deal
SEPTEMBER 10: Heyward’s incentive package is split evenly into two parts, as detailed by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. $1.6MM will be earned if Heyward records eight or more sacks and the Steelers reach the playoffs. The remainder will be earned if he posts at least 11.5 sacks and Pittsburgh wins one or more playoff game.
Heyward has hit the eight-sack mark six times in his career, the most recent coming in 2024. He has reached 12 sacks only once in a season (2017), so maximizing these incentives would come as a surprise. Per Florio, Heyward’s scheduled 2026 roster bonus of $12.95MM will drop by $875K in the event he plays less than 30% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps this season; he has surpassed that workload every year since his rookie campaign.
SEPTEMBER 6: A last-minute resolution has emerged in the case of Cameron Heyward and the Steelers. The All-Pro defensive lineman has agreed to a restructure. 
Specifically, the Steelers and Heyward worked out a compromise through incentives covering the 2025 season. Additional potential earnings have been added for the coming campaign, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Incentives worth $3.2MM tied to playoff games and wins are now in place.
Heyward was originally owed $14.25MM in total for the 2025 campaign. As a result of today’s agreement, he can top out at $18MM this year. The 15th-year veteran made it known this summer he was seeking a raise in the wake of a strong showing last season, and he suggested a regular season holdout could take place in the absence of a deal. Yesterday’s comments on the matter implied Heyward would face the choice of missing Sunday’s contest or playing on his existing pact, but that will no longer be the case.
The Steelers have a policy against negotiating extensions during the season and have historically avoided redoing deals with more than one year remaining. Heyward is on the books through 2026 as a result of last year’s extension, something which led to the expectation no agreement would be reached. The team has nevertheless managed to work out a short-term compromise which could see his compensation move closer to the top of the defensive tackle market.
Negotiations on a new contract last offseason proved to be a lengthy process, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler confirms Heyward was giving serious thought to sitting out tomorrow’s game without a restructure of some kind being worked out. The seven-time Pro Bowler is now assured to be in place against the Jets in Week 1. Another highly productive season would help a Steelers defense which faces increased expectations based on the team’s busy offseason.
Heyward was limited to 11 games and just two sacks in 2023. He rebounded last year, though, playing every game and notching eight sacks. Those figures helped lead to the fourth first-team All-Pro nod of his career and increased his leverage in seeking a short-term bump in compensation. Even if Heyward reaches his $18MM ceiling in earnings for 2025, that will fall short of what 16 other defensive tackles average per year based on their current contracts.
Of course, at the age of 36, Heyward was not in a position to approach the top of the position’s market on a restructure or an agreement adding new years to his pact. The path to a marginal raise is now in place, however, and attention for team and player will turn to the regular season.
Falcons To Explore K Options
SEPTEMBER 9: The Falcons have indeed added another kicker by signing John Parker Romo to the practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Romo emerged as the best option out of a tryout group that also included Zane Gonzalez, Michael Badgley, and Ben Sauls, per Pelissero.
SEPTEMBER 8: In the wake of their Week 1 loss, the Browns expressed confidence in kicker Andre Szmyt and indicated no competition would be brought in. The opposite is true in the case of the Falcons. 
Atlanta will look into alternative options at the position, head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. Younghoe Koo narrowly made one of his kicks yesterday, with a deflection off one of the uprights resulting in a successful attempt. At the end of the contest, though, a 44-yard field goal which would have tied the game was missed.
“We have to bring a competitive edge,” Morris said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall). “We have to go out there and look. We have to bring in people to compete. It definitely creates that sense of urgency. It’s about the process you have to go through from a physical and mental standpoint.”
Morris added (via Kendall) Koo is the incumbent for the time being but said the team will explore veteran as well as “up and coming” options. With over $8MM in cap space, finances will not be an issue if an addition is to be made. For now, attention will turn to the free agents who choose to visit the Falcons, with Eddy Pineiro, Zane Gonzalez, and Greg Joseph among the most notable names on the market.
Koo enjoyed a strong run with the Falcons beginning in 2019. The 31-year-old South Korean earned a Pro Bowl nod the following year and remained among the league’s most consistent kickers until 2024. Last year, Koo missed nine of his 34 field goal attempts, resulting in a career-low accuracy rate of 73.5%.
A training camp competition took place involving Lenny Krieg, was was waived during roster cuts but retained via a practice squad agreement. Morris said the German-born Krieg, who first signed with Atlanta in March, is considered a developmental player but added he will receive another opportunity to earn the kicking gig. Koo has two years remaining on his contract and is owed a total of $8.5MM over that span.
A parting of ways between he and the Falcons has been speculated about dating back to last season’s struggles, but that has not been the case so far. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how the coming days play out with Atlanta searching out alternatives.
49ers Bring Back WR Kendrick Bourne
Kendrick Bourne is indeed heading back to San Francisco. The veteran wideout has a deal in place with the 49ers, per a Monday announcement from his agency. 
Bourne’s pact is one year in length and has a maximum value of $5MM. San Francisco hosted him on a free agent visit recently, and an offer was made. Shortly after also meeting with the Commanders, Bourne has chosen a familiar landing environment for the 2025 season.
[RELATED: Colton McKivitz Agrees To 49ers Extension]
The former UDFA spent his first four seasons with the 49ers, serving as a regular on offense during that time. Bourne helped his free agent value with a strong 2020 performance, handling a 66% snap share that season. He inked a three-year pact with the Patriots during his first trip to the open market.
Bourne set a new career high with 55 catches and 800 yards during his debut New England campaign, matching his personal best with five touchdowns as well. Over the following three seasons, however, things did not go according to plan. It came as little surprise when New England elected to move on during roster cuts at the end of training camp. In the wake of that decision, it became clear the 49ers were a potential suitor in this case.
San Francisco spent the past few weeks in search of healthy receiving options. Brandon Aiyuk is still on the mend from the ACL tear he suffered last season, while Jacob Cowing opened the campaign on injured reserve (meaning he will be unavailable through at least Week 5). Demarcus Robinson, meanwhile, is serving a three-week suspension and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Jauan Jennings suffered a shoulder injury yesterday.
Bourne is fully healthy, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who adds he could play as early as Week 2. That would be a welcomed development for a 49ers team which traded for Skyy Moore and signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the lead-up to Week 1. Bourne will join those two, along with Ricky Pearsall, as WR options for San Francisco until the team receives reinforcements at the position.
After playing eight games in 2023 and 12 last year, Bourne will look for a better campaign in terms of availability during his second San Francisco stint. Especially once the team’s other pass catchers are back in the fold, it will be interesting to see how his role takes shape.