NFL Injury Updates: Jones, Bell, Ford-Wheaton
The Steelers recently used their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor after drafting two tackles in just the last three years in Georgia-product Broderick Jones and Washington-product Troy Fautanu. There was some belief that this could be a result of Jones undergoing neck surgery earlier in the offseason, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Pittsburgh is optimistic Jones will be ready for training camp.
Jones first three seasons in Pittsburgh haven’t gone swimmingly. After taking over a starting role midway through his rookie year, Jones has started 38 of a possible 51 games. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Jones hasn’t ranked any better than 62nd out of 81 players graded at his position in any of his three seasons. With Iheanachor coming in to compete for a role on the offensive line, Jones will want to make sure he’s ready to return by training camp in order to retain his starting spot.
The team has claimed Iheanachor will start his career at right tackle, opposite Jones’ usual position, but if Iheanachor is expected to start as a rookie, that means the usual right tackle, Fautanu will be looking for a new role. A former left tackle for the Huskies, Fautanu could be asked to return to that side of the line for the first time in his NFL career and compete with Jones.
Here are a couple other injury updates from around he NFL:
- New Dolphins wide receiver Chris Bell was a projected first-round talent out of Louisville before suffering a torn ACL in his final collegiate season. Days before the draft, NFL insider Jordan Schultz claimed that Bell was reportedly “ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery and expected to be ready by training camp.” Per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, though, Bell is likely to “open training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.” Even if Bell’s rookie debut gets delayed in recovery, it sounds like he stands a descent chance of returning to play fairly early into the year.
- Lastly, Schultz reports that free agent wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton has recently been cleared following recovery from his torn Achilles tendon. The former Giants reserve has been valued on special teams as a gunner and will start working out with new teams soon.
Giants WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton Suffers Achilles Tear
Bryce Ford-Wheaton missed his rookie season due to an ACL tear, and he has once again been dealt a major injury blow. The Giants receiver/special teamer went down in practice today and observers feared an Achilles tear would be revealed after further testing. 
That injury has indeed been confirmed, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports. The news marks a highly unfortunate development for Ford-Wheaton, who will in all likelihood miss all of the coming campaign. The former UDFA managed to play 14 games in 2024, his lone healthy NFL campaign to date.
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Ford-Wheaton saw only a pair of snaps on offense last season, but he made his presence known on special teams. The 25-year-old handled a 78% snap share in the third phase, and he was in position to do the same in 2025 provided he survived roster cuts. Instead, his attention will once again turn to a lengthy rehab process.
The Giants’ receiver room will once again have the likes of Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt in place. Those holdovers are joined in training camp by a number of contenders for an spot on the end of the roster, including free agent signing Zach Pascal. Today’s news will not impact New York’s offensive plans, but the Giants’ special teams units will be shorthanded moving forward.
Ford-Wheaton is on track for restricted free agency next offseason. This injury obviously decreases his chances of being tendered in 2026 and thus adds uncertainty to his Giants future.
Giants To Sign WR Zach Pascal
Zach Pascal is continuing his career in New York. The veteran wide receiver is signing with the Giants, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It’s a one-year deal for Pascal, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The move is pending a physical.
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A former UDFA, Pascal made a name for himself in Indy, where he ended up spending four seasons. He was especially productive between the 2019 and 2020 campaigns, hauling in 85 catches for 1,236 yards and 10 touchdowns in 32 appearances with the Colts.
Following a one-year stop with the Eagles, Pascal spent the past two seasons with the Cardinals. He’s mostly transitioned to a special teams role, with the veteran garnering 480 ST snaps vs. 27o offensive snaps during his stint with the team. He hauled in four catches for the Cardinals in 2023.
Pascal will likely be competing for a special teams role with the Giants. The team already added Lil’Jordan Humphrey to a receivers room of Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt. Dan Duggan of The Athletic believes Pascal could be competing with Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who beat out Miles Boykin for a similar spot last year.
Giants Waive RB James Robinson
Like many teams around the league, the Giants have already made a number of cuts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be finalized. Per a team announcement, running back James Robinson is among the players who have been let go. 
Robinson’s career started far differently than it has gone in recent years. The former UDFA recorded 1,414 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. The Jaguars eventually saw former first-rounder Travis Etienne assume the role of lead back, however, which made Robinson a luxury in the backfield. The latter was dealt to the Jets midseason in 2022.
With Breece Hall having suffered an ACL tear, the door appeared to be open for Robinson to take on a somewhat notable role. Instead, he received only 29 carries, and his 2.9 yards per attempt average made it an easy decision for New York not to retain him. Robinson briefly found a home in free agency by signing a two-year deal with the Patriots, but his tenure there proved to be very short lived.
The 25-year-old was released after he was unable to remain healthy through the spring. That left him on the open market once again until the onset of training camp, where he landed a deal with the Giants. The absence of Saquon Barkley at the time, which was sparked by his contract situation, gave Robinson an opportunity to win at least the third RB spot. Barkley is back in the fold, though, along with Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray.
In addition to Robinson, the Giants have waived defensive tackle Kevin Atkins, defensive back Darren Evans, defensive tackle Donovan Jeter and wideout Collin Johnson. Defensive linemen Tashawn Bower and Brandin Bryant, along with offensive tackles Korey Cunningham and Julien Davenport and receiver Jaydon Mickens were released. Lastly, wideout Bryce Ford-Wheaton was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will be sidelined for the 2023 season.
Giants Sign 9 UDFA Rookies
The Giants are keeping their rookie class fairly small this year. After drafting seven prospects in the draft last weekend, New York will add nine more rookies of the undrafted variety. Here is the full list:
- DE Habakkuk Baldonado (Pittsburgh)
- LB Troy Brown (Mississippi)
- S Alex Cook (Washington)
- QB Tommy DeVito (Illinois)
- WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (West Virginia)
- CB Gemon Green (Michigan)
- LB Dyontae Johnson (Toledo)
- TE Ryan Jones (East Carolina)
- LS Cameron Lyons (UNC-Charlotte)
Johnson, not to be confused with Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson who came out of Toledo four years ago, was second on the Rockets defense with 109 total tackles this year, adding eight tackles for loss, three sacks, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble to his stat sheet in 2022. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the Giants lured him in with an undrafted deal that has a guaranteed amount of $175K consisting of a $25K signing bonus and $150K of the first year’s base salary (worth $750K total).
New York also provided a strong contract offer to Ford-Wheaton, according to Wilson. Ford-Wheaton was offered a guaranteed amount of $236K consisting of a $20K signing bonus and $216K of his $750K first-year base salary. Ford-Wheaton was second on the Mountaineers in receiving yards behind only Sam James, who signed with the Rams after also going undrafted, but surpassed James and the rest of the team with seven receiving touchdowns in 2022.
DeVito arrive in Champaign as a transfer after five years at Syracuse, utilizing his extra COVID-year of eligibility. After being unseated as the Orange starting quarterback in 2021, DeVito took hold of the starting job with the Fighting Illini and had a career year. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes while throwing 15 touchdowns to four interceptions with Illinois, leading the Illini to their first winning season since 2011.
Lyons comes in as some expected camp competition for Casey Kreiter, who has served as the team’s long snapper for the last three years. Kreiter has only ever played in New York on one-year contracts, which may indicate that the Giants are hesitant to commit to the veteran long-term. Lyons could earn himself a roster spot if he shows more upside than Kreiter.