Sunday News Drop

Football’s biggest stories of the weekend … in two minutes or less.

Eagles Trade for Jaire Alexander

The Eagles just traded for cornerback Jaire Alexander. They’re sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to Baltimore in exchange for Alexander and a seventh. This is classic Howie Roseman, taking a low-cost swing on a talented player who’s struggled lately. He could compete for snaps right away with Kelee Ringo, especially with Adoree’ Jackson out. From a fantasy angle, this could make Philly’s defense a little tougher to target in the weeks ahead.

Jacoby Brissett Starting for Cardinals

No surprise in Arizona… Jacoby Brissett will start Week 9 against the Cowboys. The team basically gave it away by canceling Kyler Murray’s media availability and giving Brissett all the first-team reps. Murray’s still recovering from that foot injury, so he’ll sit another week. Brissett’s been solid when he plays, and the big fantasy takeaway here is confidence in Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr., both of whom have been more productive with him under center.

Joe Flacco Planning to Start for Bengals

Cincinnati fans can exhale; Joe Flacco plans to start against the Bears. He’s been nursing an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder, but after a solid practice Thursday, optimism grew that he’d be ready. There’s still some risk of a setback, but all signs point to him giving it a go. If he can’t, Jake Browning would step in, but for now, fantasy managers should prepare like Flacco’s the guy this week.

Broncos Elevate Marcedes Lewis

Cool milestone moment here. The Broncos elevated tight end Marcedes Lewis from the practice squad. He’s chasing his 20th NFL season, which is wild longevity. He needs four total appearances to make it official, and this is his first of three allowed elevations before Denver would need to sign him to the active roster. It’s not fantasy-relevant, but it’s an awesome story for one of the league’s true vets.

Raiders Get Major Offensive Boosts

Big news out of Vegas… both Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are officially good to go for Week 9 against the Jaguars. Bowers hasn’t played since Week 4 but practiced fully this week after healing up from a PCL sprain and bone bruise. Meyers also returns from a minor knee issue just in time for the trade deadline, and he’s quietly been solid when healthy. For fantasy, this means Bowers goes right back into lineups as a top-tier TE1, and Meyers is a flex-worthy WR3 with upside in what could be a high-scoring game.

Broncos Without Star Corner in Week 9

The Broncos will be without Pat Surtain II this week after ruling him out with a pectoral injury. He wasn’t close to playing, but the team chose not to place him on IR, meaning they expect him back within a few weeks. Denver faces the Raiders and Chiefs before their Week 12 bye, so the target window for his return looks like Week 13. For fantasy, opposing WRs get a slight upgrade… Houston’s wideouts should have a much easier path to production.

49ers Stick With Mac Jones, But Purdy Nears Return

Kyle Shanahan confirmed Mac Jones will start again this week against the Giants, but there’s finally some optimism for Brock Purdy’s return. He’s listed as questionable for the first time since Week 4 and took limited first-team reps in practice, a big step forward after his toe injury setback. Shanahan made it clear they’re easing him back in to avoid re-injury. For fantasy players, this likely means one more week of lower passing volume for San Francisco, but a healthy Purdy could restore their full offensive upside soon.

Ravens Fined for Injury Report Violation

The NFL fined the Ravens $100,000 for incorrectly listing Lamar Jackson’s practice participation last week. The league determined it was a careless mistake, not an attempt to gain an edge, so Baltimore avoided losing a draft pick. They’ve since admitted the error and promised to tighten procedures going forward. No fantasy fallout here (Jackson’s availability wasn’t affected), but it’s a reminder of how much clarity on injury reports matters when setting lineups.

Travis Hunter Injury Update Offers Hope

Initial testing on Travis Hunter’s knee came back encouraging. His ACL is intact. He’s still on injured reserve and will miss at least four weeks, with more testing to come over the weekend to gauge the full extent of the injury. It’s too early to know when he’ll return, but avoiding a torn ACL is huge news. For fantasy players, this keeps hope alive that he could make a late-season impact once healthy.

So keep your eye on the news as we head into NFL Sunday… as promised, in 2 minutes or less.

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See you tomorrow,

-Joe

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