NFL News & Rumors This Week: WRs Get Paid, QB Starters + Fantasy Help

Labor Day Weekend is the BIGGEST fantasy football draft weekend of the year, no question. And, with all the news, injuries, rumors, cuts and deals going down, you were wise to wait until this last weekend before football to set up your most important drafts. So, we’re just going to keep doing what we’ve been doing all summer and cover the most important news of the week!
First, we’ll hit on the biggest news stories that might matter to even the most casual of NFL fans. Then, at the bottom, we’ll dig into the deeper rumors and comments floating around that could move the needle for fantasy football drafts and rankings this weekend.
NFL News & Rumors This Week: Cowboys Pay CeeDee Lamb, 49ers Pay Brandon Aiyuk
- Two more holdout wide receivers were paid this week which leaves the Cincinnati Bengals Ja'Marr Chase as the last shoe to drop. CeeDee Lamb got a whopping $136M with $100M guaranteed while Brandon Aiyuk was paid four years, $120M with $76M guaranteed. Both contracts are top five for the position.
NFL News & Rumors This Week: Colts Tight End Kylen Granson To Wear Guardian Cap In Game
- The first player has announced they will wear an extra layer of protection during games with Colts tight end Kylen Granson. He did not mince words with his announcement, saying “At one point people thought seatbelts were ****ing stupid”. Per James Boyd, Granson suffered a concussion last year but stated he would have worn it anyway. A big step in player safety.
News & Rumors This Week: NFL Starting QB Jobs Are Finalized
- Jacoby Brissett has been named the starting QB for the New England Patriots over rookie Drake Maye.
- Russell Wilson will start for the Steelers though they didn’t rule out some wildcat packages for Justin Fields.
NFL News & Rumors This Week: Cut Deadline Trades & Injury Designations
We did a full article already on notable players who were cut. There were a couple trades as well.
- Jahan Dotson was traded to the Eagles.
- Malik Willis was traded to the Packers.
- The following players were placed on PUP or IR:
- AJ Dillon (season ending)
- Elijah Mitchell (season ending)
- Nick Chubb (four games minimum)
- Jonathon Brooks (four games minimum)
News & Rumors This Week: NFL Owners Vote On Allowing Private Equity Firms
- It’s yet to be seen whether further corporatization is a good or bad thing for NFL teams, but they will dip their toes into the water. They approved rules allowing 10% of each team to be sold to private equity firms. That will obviously help generate funds but private equity firms are often SOLELY focused on their bottom line so they could push some changes that are less than fan friendly. The Bengals were the only team to vote no.
NFL News & Rumors This Week: Bill Belichick Joins ManningCast
- He won’t necessarily be a co-host, but he will be a featured guest every single week. That is an incredible get for the show and should add valuable insights for football fans that love deep-cut discussions. And there should be plenty of jabs to go around with both Peyton and Eli Manning at the table.
Fantasy Football News & Rumors
This section is dedicated to fantasy-relevant rumblings from around the various off-season practices and meetings:
- Though Brandon Aiyuk has been paid, the 49ers are preparing for a world without star tackle Trent Williams for Week 1. He has three years left on his deal but wants a new one as the league's best lineman.
- The Browns restructured the contract of Deshaun Watson to save money for this year. That gives them over $62M in cap space. Some figured it was for a Brandon Aiyuk trade, but that is obviously not happening now.
- Four-time Pro Bowl RB Dalvin Cook has signed with the Cowboys. He’ll join a thin group with Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle.
- After being released by the Patriots, JuJu Smith-Schuster has signed with the Chiefs.
- Sean McVay announced that Kyren Williams will be the Rams punt returner. That’s typically not a good sign for their role.
- On the flip side, Rico Dowdle is expected to get fewer special teams snaps because of his increased role on offense.
- Rashee Rice will NOT be placed on the commissioner-exempt list. Based on his court date, he might not be suspended at all this season.
- The Chiefs signed Samaje Perine to their roster after he was released by the Broncos. He could help in the pass game.
- After he was released by the Giants, the Lions have signed Allen Robinson.
- Jaylen Waddle has been spotted in a red non-contact jersey. Not good news for an oft-injured player.
Player News
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco said “it’s not out of the question” for Brandon Aiyuk (knee) to play in Week 1, but believes landing on the physically unable to perform list is still likely.
Maiocco said Aiyuk is “doing really well” in his ACL and MCL injury recovery, saying the knee is even ahead of schedule.” However, the 49ers “want to be extra cautious with him” and “the feeling inside the organization has always been don’t take any chances.” Maiocco expects Aiyuk to be placed on the PUP list when veterans report to training camp on July 22nd and to remain on the PUP list when the regular season begins. Returning in Week 5 or Week 6 is “quite possible” and Maiocco believes Aiyuk will be “getting up to speed quickly.”
Najee Harris’ agent Doug Hendrickson said that Harris “sustained a superficial eye injury” during “a fireworks mishap” on the 4th of July, “but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season.”
There is more to learn about Harris’ injury specifics and his road to recovery, but this is good news. A surface-level injury suffered by the eye is, of course, different than an elbow abrasion. But from a vision standpoint, Harris is seemingly expected to be in football shape come September after suffering an eye injury that resulted in two hospital visits just last weekend. We will wait for more details to fully assess his 2025 outlook, though it stands to reason that the coaching staff will safely ease him into live action.
The Mercury News reports Najee Harris was injured by a “fireworks explosion” during a July 4th celebration.
The incident reportedly occurred at 12:20 a.m. on July 5th. Per the report, “the nature and severity of Harris’ injury could not immediately be verified” and “officials said that other people had been hurt in the blast, but did not specify their number or how severely any of them had been injured.” Harris reportedly visited two hospitals following the accident. Neither the mode of transport nor the reason for the relocation was shared. Rumors swirled online and locally earlier today about the nature of the injury, but details have been difficult to come by and “Antioch police said on Thursday they were still investigating the incident actively.”
ESPN reports that Demarcus Robinson “pleaded no contest this week to a misdemeanor DUI charge and was sentenced to three years’ probation.”
Robinson “was ordered to pay a $390 fine and to complete court-mandated programs, including a three-month alcohol education program.” He was arrested in November 2024 after being observed by police officers driving more than 100 MPH. The arrest occurred while Robinson was a member of the Rams. Robinson could still be suspended by the league, but a ruling has not yet been given. The 49ers reportedly knew that a suspension was possible when they signed him this offseason.
ESPN’s Don Van Natta and Kalyn Kahler report that NFLPA head Lloyd Howell Jr. “is working as a paid, part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group,” a private equity firm with league approval to invest in NFL franchises.
Last August, the NFL approved just “three private equity firms and a consortium of firms” as potential NFL-team investors, for minority stakes that are not to exceed 10.0 percent. The Carlyle Group is one such firm, where Howell works as an “operations executive in The Carlyle Group’s aerospace and defense investment team.” He earned $3.4 million in the role last year. Although Howell’s department does not directly overlap with a potential NFL investment, a union lawyer asked him “to consider resigning from the private equity firm to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.” Howell also notably serves on three boards of directors, including GE HealthCare, Moody’s and ManTech, earning six-figure compensation with at least two of them. Per the report, “longtime union observers and executives said they find it baffling that Howell would continue to work at The Carlyle Group while leading the union,” and Jim Quinn, the NFLPA’s former lead outside counsel, notes that neither of Howell’s predecessors were allowed to be paid for outside work. The NFLPA recently “struck a confidentiality agreement with the NFL to keep the details of a January arbitration ruling under wraps from players,” following an investigation into potential top-down collusion regarding player salary guarantees. Last month, the union reportedly hired a law firm “to work with a special committee of players to review Howell’s activities as the executive director,” after ESPN broke, in May, that “the FBI and federal prosecutors are investigating the union’s financial dealings related to a multibillion-dollar group-licensing firm,” which Howell holds a board seat on.
Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney believes UDFA WR Nick Nash has long odds of making the 53-player roster, but notes “there absolutely could be a practice squad spot for him.”
Undrafted free agents always have an uphill climb toward a spot on the 53-player roster. Nash intrigued the dynasty community by leading 2024 FBS wide receivers in targets (171), receptions (104), yards (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16). McElhaney projects Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud and KhaDarel Hodge are locked in as the Falcons’ top four wide receivers. WR/KR Jamal Agnew “could be the Falcons’ return man.” WRs Chris Blair and Casey Washington could also be ahead of Nash, though McElhaney did compliment Nash’s high-pointing ability through spring practices. The former San Jose State Spartan will likely find his way onto a practice squad this year, be it with the Falcons or elsewhere. He is not relevant in re-draft formats at this time.