Once we reach this point in the season, it’s often bittersweet. While we are excited for all of the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the Super Bowl, it also means we have reached the conclusion of the football season. The match-up between Los Angeles and Cincinnati figures to be a good one, but it’s also the last game that will count until September.
Until we get to that point, let’s focus on the game at hand, and get caught up with any injury news of note.
Running Back
The Rams slow played things with Cam Akers leading up to Sunday’s game as the running back didn’t practice at all last week. Perhaps the best news of all this, aside from the fact that Akers was back to practicing in full on Thursday, is that it was a shoulder limiting him and not the knee he had surgery on earlier this year. While it might be tough for any Rams’ running back to find room to run this week, Akers will be the lead back on Sunday. Despite the fact that Akers has surpassed Sony Michel in the pecking order since his return, I would keep an eye out for Sony Michel who was successful in the Super Bowl two years ago for the Patriots.
Los Angeles’ backfield will also get a little more crowded with the expected return of Darrell Henderson on Sunday. Of the three Rams’ running backs, I would expect Henderson to have the smallest role, but I’m not sure how much fantasy production there really will be to go around.
Wide Receiver
After the addition of Odell Beckham, Van Jefferson has taken a backseat in the Rams’ offense as the former has dominated the wide receiver targets along with Cooper Kupp. With that being said, it is a good sign that Jefferson did practice in full on Thursday as he has been working through a knee injury. For the Super Bowl though, it’s hard to bank on anything consistent from Jefferson, and instead we just must look for a potential big play.
Tight End
Let’s begin with the more concerning situation in Tyler Higbee. After exiting the NFC Championship game with a knee injury, Higbee has yet to return to practice as of Thursday, and things aren’t looking good for him. Even if Higbee is somehow able to take the field, I wouldn’t expect much from him and instead focus on Kendall Blanton who had success against San Francisco.
Things are looking better for C.J. Uzomah who did practice for the first time on Thursday; albeit on a limited basis. Uzomah has been consistent in saying that he will return for the Super Bowl, and this point, things are trending in that direction. In the regular season, Uzomah caught 49 passes for 493 yards and five touchdowns before taking on a larger role in the playoffs. At this point, I would proceed as if Uzomah won’t be limited unless we hear otherwise. Should he be limited, I wouldn’t expect much from Drew Sample.
Player News
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan expects Jaxson Dart to sit his entire rookie year if “all goes well.”
The problem with that otherwise sensible opinion, of course, is that it is extremely unlikely “all goes well” with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on a roster that found itself picking at No. 3 overall last month. If the Giants are genuinely serious about redshirting Dart for a year, it will be easier than most places because of the presence of two veteran quarterbacks instead of just one, but coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen both have their jobs on the line. That almost equals “break rookie glass.” Teams have become more amenable to sitting blue-chip rookie QBs in recent years, but we would be stunned if Dart fails to make 2025 starts.
Colts claimed DT Eric Johnson II off waivers from the Patriots.
A 2022 fifth-round pick of the Colts, Johnson spent two years in Indy before last year’s sojourn in Boston. Waived at final cuts last summer, Johnson was claimed by the Pats. He’s been a steady special teamer and rotational depth piece up front. Johnson’s Colts experience greatly enhances his 53-man roster odds, but his spot will be far from a given. He turns 27 in July.
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reports that the 49ers and OT D.J. Humphries do not have a deal in place.
Humphries reported on his social media account a few weeks ago that he had agreed to a contract with the 49ers, but that does not appear to be the case. At least for now. Humphries tore his ACL at the end of the 2023 season and was released by the Cardinals. He spent most of the 2024 season rehabbing before signing with the Chiefs. He started at left tackle in Week 14 before hurting his hamstring and missing the rest of the season. He will continue to search for another opportunity.
Patriots DT Christian Barmore (blood clots) will be ready to play in Week 1.
Barmore was limited to just four games last season while battling blood clots. He told reporters on Thursday that he’s been cleared for all football activity and has been a full participant in the Patriots’ offseason workout program. He expects to be fully ready by Week 1.
Raiders hired Brandon Hunt as Vice President of Player Personnel
Hunt was most recently the senior director of scouting for the Philadelphia Eagles and spent the previous two seasons as their director of scouting. Before joining the Eagles, Hunt spent 12 seasons (2010-21) as the pro scouting coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham reports Caleb Williams considered forcing a pre-draft trade from the Bears before ultimately deciding he could win in Chicago.
In other words, he mulled pulling an Elway. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” were the words of Caleb’s father Carl to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham. Williams reportedly desired a trade to the Vikings, but he changed his mind after touring the Bears’ facility. “I can do it for this team,” Caleb reportedly told his dad. “I’m going to go to the Bears.” Williams acknowledged any attempt to force a trade would require going scorched earth on the Bears and city of Chicago, a process he did not have the stomach for. There have been zero reports of Bears/Williams drama since he made his peace with the idea, even after former coach Matt Eberflus’ clown show 2024 mistakes. It’s an interesting story, but one firmly planted in the past.