Welcome into our Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week! Shield your eyes, fantasy football players, because this past week was rough, with injuries and upsets galore. It was nice seeing Jaxson Dart win his debut against a tough Chargers defense, though. That being said, his victory doesn't even SNIFF the top headlines for this week, so let's dive into our Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week!

 

 

 

Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week

We are just about a quarter of the way through the NFL season, so let's try to get you up to date! In today's Latest NFL News & Rumors This Week, we are diving into Joe Flacco's benching, Shaq Leonard's retirement, and much more!

NFL QB News: Joe Flacco Benched, Dillon Gabriel to Start

Despite a 1-3 start, the Cleveland Browns (surprisingly) have several things to be excited about. Their defense looks like it is once again an elite unit, they look like they have found the future at the running back position with Quinshon Judkins, and rookie tight end Harold Fannin looks like a stud! All that being said, though, the quarterback position has still been lackluster. Through four weeks, the Browns' Joe Flacco-led offense is averaging less than 15 points per game. Yikes. So, head coach Kevin O'Connell has decided to see what he has in rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, giving him the start this week against the Minnesota Vikings. 

Gabriel was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft at pick 94 by the Browns, two rounds ahead of where they selected fellow rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders. While many have been clamoring to see Sanders take the field due to his collegiate success and NFL bloodline, Sanders will have to continue to wait to be called upon, as Gabriel will be QB1 and Flacco will act as QB2.

Would I have waited potentially one more week to make the switch so the rookie's first start wouldn't be an international game against one of the brightest defensive minds in the NFL? Well… Yes. Absolutely. But if Jaxson Dart could provide the New York Giants with the spark they needed in Week Four, maybe Dillon Gabriel can do the same for the Cleveland Browns in Week Five. 

Shaquille Leonard Retires

Former All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (formerly known as Darius Leonard) announced his retirement today. While his prime was short, Leonard was one of the best linebackers in the NFL for a couple of years, with 17 forced fumbles over a four-year span. In his six years in the NFL, Leonard was a three-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro, and won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2018.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Injury Update: Lamar Jackson, Bucky Irving

This past week was BRUTAL in terms of injuries. Superstar wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Malik Nabers both went down with season-ending injuries; absolutely heartbreaking news for the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants, respectively. That is just the tip of the iceberg, though, as the injury bug has also gotten some notable names like Lamar Jackson, Bucky Irving, Trey Benson, and more.

The Baltimore Ravens' MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, went down with a hamstring injury during a one-sided game against the Detroit Lions last week. He is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks. Since the Ravens have a bye week during Week Seven, a Week Eight return is likely when the Ravens take on the Chicago Bears.

Bucky Irving has been a fan favorite since he took over the backfield last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Unfortunately, he might now miss some time, as he was spotted with crutches and a walking boot at practice today after it was reported that he was getting medical opinions on a foot sprain he got during the Bucs' game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Another notable running back, Trey Benson, was also just placed on IR with a knee injury.

The Niners also continue to deal with an immense amount of injuries, as George Kittle is still a week away from his earliest return from IR, and Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings all missed practice yesterday due to their respective injuries. 

Rookies Getting More Snaps: Breshard Smith, Gunnar Helm

Texans' rookie running back Woody Marks made headlines with a monster breakout game against the Tennessee Titans, finishing with over 100 total yards and two touchdowns, taking over the backfield from veteran Nick Chubb. He has earned more and more snaps throughout each of the Texans' games, and other teams are looking to follow suit, announcing that their rookies could also be in line for a larger workload.

While it might not look like much, Breshard Smith played his season high in snaps, garnering a season high in carries and catches as well last week, with four carries and three receptions respectively. Smith has a history as a receiver in his college days, and Andy Reid and Matt Nagy are looking to get him more involved in the offense moving forward, as they have struggled to get their running backs involved in the receiving game thus far into the season.

Rookie tight end Gunnar Helm could potentially be getting more snaps as well, according to offensive coordinator Nick Holz. Helm could provide a spark to the offense, along with running back Tyjae Spears rejoining the lineup from IR, as the Tennessee Titans have yet to win a game and were just shut out against the Houston Texans.