- Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is dealing with an undisclosed injury: Head coach Dan Campbell said LaPorta will miss a “little bit of time” while he recovers.
- Dillon Gabriel is on track to start the Browns’ Week 2 preseason contest: The rookie is back in action following a brief injury and is in line to start against the Eagles.
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Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin could start year on PUP list
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds “would be shocked” if Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle) didn’t start the year on the PUP list.
Godwin suffered a dislocated ankle in Week 7 last year and missed the rest of the season. He underwent an initial surgery and then another earlier this spring and has yet to practice with the team. He would miss the Buccaneers’ first four games if he were placed on the PUP list.
Godwin was on pace for his fourth straight 80-reception, 1,000-receiving-yard season last year before the injury. He’s been one of the most consistent wideouts in the NFL since he was drafted in 2017, earning a 75.7 PFF overall grade or higher in every season.
Lions TE Sam LaPorta to miss time with undisclosed injury
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta will miss “a little bit of time” with an undisclosed injury, according to head coach Dan Campbell.
Campbell didn’t offer any specifics on LaPorta’s injury, only stating that it’s minor. That seems to suggest the young tight end may sit out the rest of the preseason, starting with Saturday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
LaPorta’s NFL career is off to a great start since he was taken 35th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old has ranked among the top 10 tight ends in PFF overall grade in each of his two seasons, playing 2,129 snaps (including the playoffs) over that span.
Bears CBs Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon dealing with hamstring injuries
Chicago Bears cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are each dealing with hamstring injuries, according to head coach Ben Johnson.
Johnson is reportedly progressing well and appears to be on track for Week 1, when the Bears host division rival Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Johnson has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the past two years, highlighted by an elite 90.1 PFF overall grade in 2023 that ranked first out of 127 qualifying cornerbacks for the season.
Gordon is considered “week to week” but should be able to return before the end of training camp. He was excellent in his own right last season, finishing the year with a 76.0 PFF overall grade — the 14th-best mark among 116 qualifying cornerbacks.
The Bears placed seventh in PFF’s secondary rankings heading into the season.
Browns QB Dillon Gabriel a “full go” in Thursday’s practice
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel was a “full go” in Thursday’s practice, according to The Land on Demand’s Tony Grossi.
Gabriel had been dealing with a hamstring injury for more than a week but appears to be close to full strength. The third-round rookie out of Oregon is expected to start and make his NFL debut Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles, receiving the bulk of playing time with Shedeur Sanders and Kenny Pickett sidelined with injuries.
Gabriel started for three different schools over his six college seasons and found success at every stop, earning PFF passing grades of 80.0 or higher in five of those seasons.
