Team news | Page 24

Mike MacDonald again says it's “looking optimistic" that DK Metcalf will be back this week.

The post added the team will first need to see Metcalf practice this week, so it will be important for fantasy owners to monitor his status. The Seahawks host the Rams in Week 9, but it's a later afternoon game on Sunday, so owners will need a backup plan in the event Metcalf is a game-time call. He's dealing with a low-grade MCL sprain.

49ers expecting to get WR Jauan Jennings (hip) back after the bye, per Kyle Shanahan.

The Niners should be as close to full strength on offense as they'll ever be this year, only missing Brandon Aiyuk. Jennings should slide into the team's WR2 role as the Niners are expecting Deebo Samuel back as well. Factor in the return of Christian McCaffrey and San Francisco will be poised for a run in the second half of the season. The returning weapons should also boost QB Brock Purdy's fantasy value as well.

49ers plan to open Christian McCaffrey IR window next Monday.

Related players: Jordan Mason

Reports say CMC is really planning to ramp up in order to be back for their Week 10 match at Tampa Bay. The bye week is certainly hitting at the right time and the team will be looking to see if he responds well to this week's hard work to simulate practice, the post added.

Deebo Samuel will be day-to-day with an injury to his ribs and an oblique strain, Kyle Shanahan said.

He’ll be re-evaluated after the bye, the post went on to say. Hopefully Samuel will be good to go for Week 10. Several 49ers are expected back at that point so the bye week is coming at a great time for the team. The Niners will be an early Sunday game at Tampa Bay in Week 10.

An MRI confirmed optimism about Jordan Love’s status: He’ll be day to day and has a shot to play Sunday.

Related players: Malik Willis

The injury wasn't believed to be all that serious as of earlier today, but Love now being day to day gives him a shot to play in Week 9. The Packers do have a bye in Week 10, perhaps giving them a reason to sit Love in Week 9 and give him the extra week of rest before coming back for Week 11. Owners will want to continue to monitor Love's status this week as he could end up playing. The Packers do have a later Sunday home game against the Lions and they then play the Bears in Week 11.

Texans receiver Stefon Diggs had to exit Sunday’s win over the Colts with a non-contact right knee injury in the third quarter.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans did not have much of an update on the injury’s severity after the game and that was the same case on Monday.

“For Diggs, we’re still evaluating,” Ryans said in his press conference. “We’ll see where he is.”

Related players: Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, John Metchie, Dalton Schultz

Diggs was able to walk off the field under his own power before going to get X-rays, the story said. The Texans are hurting at WR with Collins on IR. If Diggs has to miss time, Dell, Woods, Hutchinson and Metchie are next up on the depth chart. TE Schultz could see more targets and finished with a 4-52-0 line. Dell added 4-35-1 in the game and RB Joe Mixon had four catches from the RB position.

Dennis Allen noted that Bub Means will miss time due to a high-ankle sprain.

Related players: Chris Olave, Mason Tipton, Cedrick Wilson, Alvin Kamara, Taysom Hill

With Olave back in action last week, Means was still the team's WR2, but with him now missing time, Tipton and Wilson look to be next up on the depth chart. The good news for the Saints is QB Derek Carr has a chance to play in Week 9. Olave went for a line of 8-107-0 and was targeted 14 times. Kamara was targeted 11 times and had a 6-55-0 line. Expect Kamara to continue to be heavily used in the passing game.

Head coach Dennis Allen said in his Monday press conference that he’s optimistic about Derek Carr’s potential return this weekend.

“Derek Carr had a throwing session again today, looked good in the throwing session,” Allen said. “I would expect him to be back out at practice again on Wednesday. And then we’ll go from there and see what his availability is this week. But I’m optimistic about it.”

Related players: Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener

Carr has been out since suffering an oblique injury against the Chiefs in Week 5. Rattler started the last three games for New Orleans, though he was benched in the second half of Sunday’s loss to the Chargers for Haener. The Saints looked dominant over their first two games but have since dropped six-straight. In five games this year, Carr has completed 70.3 percent of his throws for 989 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions, the story said.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson asked to come out of Sunday’s loss to the Texans for a play because he “needed a break” after doing a lot of running on the two previous plays.

Shane Steichen was asked at his press conference if Anthony Richardson will be the starting quarterback against the Vikings this week.

“We’re evaluating everything,” Steichen said, via multiple reporters.

Related players: Joe Flacco

Richardson reportedly needed a break during Week 8 action. Richardson missed two games with an oblique injury earlier this year and has completed 44.4 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and seven interceptions in his six starts, the story said. Flacco would presumably return to the starting lineup if the Colts decide that it is time to make a change, the story added.

Titans quarterback Will Levis is getting closer to returning from his shoulder injury — and there’s a chance it could happen this week.

“We’ll see where he’s at. I’m optimistic he’s in a better place after some rest,” head coach Brian Callahan said in his Monday press conference. “He’s probably going to take another day or two of some rest and we’ll see what he looks like Wednesday. So, I can’t comment with any certainty what’ll be the case."

Related players: Mason Rudolph

The Titans will need to see what they have in Levis and give him as much time as they can the rest of the season, especially sitting at 1-6 so far this year. The team just traded WR DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City and will again look toward the future. Rudolph filled in the last two weeks with Levis sidelined, but won't be more than a backup option going forward. Levis hasn't been great and the Titans will likely have some decisions to make heading into next year. In his five starts this season, Levis has completed 66.4 percent of his throws for 699 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions.