We are officially two weeks through the NFL season, and Week 3 starts tonight with the Miami Dolphins taking on the Buffalo Bills. Of course, with two weeks under our belts, the overreactions have already begun! The Packers are going to the Super Bowl! The Tush Push is evil! The Bears need to fire Ben Johnson and start Tyson Bagent! I've already heard it all. So, for some REAL NFL News and noteworthy rumors, keep on reading!

 

 

 

Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week

A lot has happened in the NFL in just a couple of weeks, so let's try and get you up to date! In today's Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week, we are diving into second-year wide receiver usage, rookie running backs earning more carries, and much more!

Second Year Receivers Struggle: Marvin Harrison, Brian Thomas

With the future looking bright in Jacksonville and the Cardinals off to a 2-0 start, you wouldn't expect too many negative headlines around the two teams, but that is the funny thing about the NFL; fans will never be happy. The primary complaint surrounding these two teams is the usage of their second-year, former first-round receivers: Brian Thomas and Marvin Harrison In his rookie season, Brian Thomas lit up the stat sheet, finishing with almost 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. In Arizona, Marvin Harrison was expected to take a massive leap in year two with Kyler Murray, being touted as a “generational prospect” during the 2024 Draft cycle. So far through two games, Harrison is 54th in receiving yards across the NFL, and Thomas is 91st. Yikes.

Many have started to question Thomas's effort and work ethic when watching Jaguars games, wondering if that could be an issue, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence doesn't think so. Lawrence acknowledged that he would have loved Thomas to get off to a hot start, but it doesn't always work that way. He thinks BTJ will be just fine.

Meanwhile, Marvin Harrison thinks it is silly to ask about his lack of targets since the team is 2-0. He might have a point, as fellow second-year receivers Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze rank first and ninth in receiving yards thus far, but are both on 0-2 teams.

Fantasy Football Rookie Running Backs: Ashton Jeanty, Quinshon Judkins

While it is still early, rookie running backs across the board have been generally disappointing, not living up to their Fantasy Football ADPs. Luckily, change could be coming for two backs at least: Ashton Jeanty and Quinshon Judkins.

Ashton Jeanty was expected to be an absolute superstar from the moment he entered the league, being selected sixth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. So far, though, Jeanty has only touched the ball 35 times through two games. More notably, he only had 11 carries in their Week Two divisional loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. This won't become the norm, though, as both Pete Carroll and Jeanty himself have acknowledged that a player of his caliber and draft stock should be used more. So, expect more carries from Jeanty moving forward.

Meanwhile, Quinshon Judkins got off to a slow start for a much different reason. Judkins was facing some legal trouble in the offseason, on top of not having his rookie contract signed, which forced the Cleveland Browns to turn to their other running backs. That being said, despite limited time with the team and a "limited workload," Quinshon Judkins led the Browns in carries and rushing yards during their Week Two loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Now, Judkins is officially listed as the starter and should be getting a fuller workload in future weeks.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Injury Update: Jordan Mason Bellcow Back?

After going down with an injury in the Vikings' Week Two matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Aaron Jones has been placed on IR, meaning he will miss a minimum of four weeks. This means it is Jordan Mason's time to shine. 

Mason proved himself as a lead back, taking over for the injured Christian McCaffrey last year in San Francisco until he himself had his season cut short due to injury. Now, he faces a similar situation with Jones out for a significant time, and the Vikings could not be more confident in him, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. Mason gets a great matchup for his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals, who just let up over 130 yards on the ground to the Jaguars.

Player Homecomings: Preston Smith, Cam Akers Sign

What is better than a homecoming? Apparently, nothing, because after we already saw Adam Thielen return to Minnesota, we are now getting to see Cam Akers join him, along with Preston Smith returning to Washington with the Commanders.

Cam Akers has been with the Vikings on and off for three years now, since starting his career with the Rams. After sending Aaron Jones to IR, he rejoins the team on the practice squad and will likely be elevated to the active roster on gameday against the Bengals.

Meanwhile, Preston Smith helps to bolster up the pass rushing group for the Washington Commanders, rejoining the franchise that drafted him back in 2015. He last played for Washington in 2018 before joining the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.