Team news | Page 36

Veteran kicker Brandon McManus is signing with the Packers, sources tell me and Mike Garafolo.

Related players: Brayden Narveson

The team is releasing Narveson, who missed 5 of 17 field-goal attempts. McManus was under investigations for an alleged sexual assault, but the NFL said there was insufficient evidence.

Trade! The Texans are sending RB Cam Akers to the Vikings, sources say.

Related players: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale

Houston gets a 2026 conditional sixth-round pick in exchange for Akers and a 2026 conditional seventh-round pick. Of course, it’s a reunion for Akers and Minnesota, which also traded for him last season, the story pointed out. The worry now is maybe Jones, who was injured (hip) before the Vikings bye week, isn't fully healthy just yet, despite being able to practice so far this week. However, the Vikings, who sit at 5-0 so far this season, may just want more RB depth behind Jones and Chandler. As for the Texans, Mixon and Pierce look to be healthy again, and with the emergence of Ogunbowale over the last couple of weeks, Akers became expendable.

Arizona announced on Tuesday that defensive lineman Bilal Nichols and kicker Matt Prater on IR.

Related players: Chad Ryland

Prater has been dealing with a knee injury, missing the last two games. With Prater out, Chad Ryland has been signed to the 53-man roster from the club’s practice squad. He’s connected on 5-of-6 field goal attempts and 2-of-2 extra points this season, the story said.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is back for Kansas City.

Per the NFL’s daily transaction wire, the Chiefs have activated Edwards-Helaire off of the non-football injury list to the 53-man roster.

Related players: Kareem Hunt, Samaje Perine, Carson Steele, Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Edwards-Helaire returned to practice earlier this month and had been dealing with physical effects stemming from post-traumatic stress disorder, including nausea and vomiting, the story said. With Hunt seemingly taking over the RB1 role, there could be a path for CEH to get back to an RB2 role, jumping ahead of Perine and Steele. The Chiefs seem to trust CEH, and HC Andy Reid was quoted in the story saying, "We're awful glad to have him here."

Bills HC Sean McDermott said he thinks RB James Cook and DT Ed Oliver "have a chance" to play against the Titans on Sunday. He says his hope is that both play.

Related players: Ray Davis

Cook was ultimately was ruled out on Monday night in what many felt was a bit of a surprise. Those in the dynasty community have been well aware of Davis and his potential. Davis is considered "old" for a rookie, already 25, but many felt he was NFL-ready, and he showed that on MNF: rushing for 97 and leading the Bills in receiving with a 3-55-0 line. Twice, once after a penalty, Davis was denied a chance for a TD on the 1-yard line and Josh Allen took it in or Davis' fantasy production would have been a few points higher. Still, Davis could have earned himself more work going for forward, but at the very least has fantasy value as a handcuff to Cook owners.

According to multiple reports, the Bills are acquiring Amari Cooper from the Browns.

Buffalo will receive Cooper and a 2025 sixth-round pick while Cleveland will receive a 2025 third-round pick along with a 2026 seventh-round pick.

Related players: Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, David Njoku

Cooper, 30, has caught 24 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns this season. His fantasy production has been inconsistent so far, but that can probably be blamed on the poor play of quarterback Deshaun Watson. Last year Cooper finished with a line of 72-1,250-5, mostly without Watson under center. Cooper will eventually be locked in as the Bills WR1 and push players like Shakir, Coleman Kincaid and Knox further down the fantasy depth chart. It's easy to see Cooper having a chance to thrive with Allen as his QB. Meanwhile in Cleveland, Jeudy, Moore and Tillman will battle it out at the WR position with Njoku becoming more of a target at TE.

With Davante Adams in, another Jets receiver will be the odd man out.

And the odd man out, not surprisingly, will be Mike Williams.

Per a league source, the Jets will attempt to trade the veteran wideout who was signed in the offseason to a one-year deal.

Related players: Devante Adams, Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard

Williams and Aaron Rodgers have yet to click, the story pointed out. Through six games, he has 17 targets, 10 catches, and 145 yards. We speculated this could be the end of the line for Williams in New York after the Adams trade news broke. Williams had a drop on MNF, and broke off his pass route on the play that became the game-sealing interception, which Rodgers called him out for. Adams and Wilson are locked in as the team's top-two WRs with Lazard the WR3.

Sources: The Steelers plan to give Russell Wilson first-team reps in practice this week, putting him in line to make his season debut.

Related players: Justin Fields, George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, Van Jefferson, Pat Freiermuth

Russ will get the start against the Jets on Sunday night it looks like. Pittsburgh is 4-2 with Fields, but with Wilson’s calf now fully healed it looks like the team is going to make a change. This could mean a better news for the Pittsburgh WRs as Wilson should throw the ball more vs. Fields escaping the pocket and running.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski did not make any major declarations about Nick Chubb’s availability, only saying they’ll continue to take it one day at a time.

“Yeah, Nick’s working very hard,” Stefanski said in his news conference. “Just spent some time with him just now. He’s going to take this thing day by day and see where we go. But this only comes with hard work.”

Related players: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr.

It was reported over the weekend that the Browns are expecting Chubb to return to play in their Week 7 matchup with the Bengals, the story said. Chubb has been sidelined since Week 2 of last season, when he suffered a serious knee injury. Ford is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury, which would leave the team with Foreman and Strong at the RB position.

San Francisco 49ers are signing former Packers K Anders Carlson to their practice squad, source said.

Related players: Jake Moody, Matthew Wright

The Niners are adding some insurance after Wright injured his shoulder last week, the post went on to say. Moody is also dealing with an ankle injury, so it's possible Carlson is pressed into duty for Week 7.