Team news: Carolina Panthers | Page 5

The Vikings are releasing two-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen today, per sources.

A onetime undrafted free agent from Minnesota State who went on to catch 55 touchdown passes for his hometown team, Thielen has plenty left in the tank at age 32 and wants to land with a contender.

In 2022, Thielen averaged 42.1 yards per game, his lowest average since 2019 (41.8) and his second-lowest average in the last seven seasons.

D’Onta Foreman said his foot is worse off than his ribs. “But being who I am,” he expects to play this week against the Seahawks.

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard

Foreman has been one of the lone bright spots in the Panthers' offense, eclipsing the 100-yard mark in four games since Week 7. The journeyman running back is having a career year and should be in RB2/3 consideration if he's good to go in Week 14.

“Let’s be frank,” Mike Tomlin said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Diontae Johnons is the known commodity within the group. People are going to have an agenda to minimize his impact on the game, particularly in significant moments: possession downs, red-zone football. When you’ve got a guy who has been a Pro Bowler — and, really, he’s the only one — and there is a young group, that is a component of it. How do you open up opportunities for a guy like that? Other guys make plays.”

Johnson admitted to frustration with his production after Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Johnson is averaging 5.1 catches for 45.6 yards per game and has yet to score a touchdown this season after averaging nearly seven catches and just over 72 yards per game last season. He also caught eight touchdown in 2021, but there are some obvious differences from that team, the story went on to say.

Saints HC Dennis Allen told reporters the team will start QB Andy Dalton on Sunday.

Related players: Jameis Winston

Since a 4 TD game (with 3 INTs) with 361 yards on Oct. 20, Dalton has trended downward with 229 yards, 210 and last week just 174 against the Steelers. He's thrown four TDs and three INTs in that same three game span. You can argue it's a little surprising the team didn't make the switch following the loss to Pittsburgh, so Dalton could be on a short leash assuming Winston is ready to go.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen didn’t say that the team would stick with Andy Dalton as their quarterback in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s loss to the Steelers and called the position one of the areas they’d evaluate heading into Week 11.

Related players: Jameis Williams

Monday didn’t bring a definitive answer, but it does sound like there’s a chance Winston returns to the starting lineup against the Rams. Winston has been active as Dalton’s backup for the last few games and Allen stuck with Dalton because the offense had some good outings. On Monday, though, Allen said we “haven’t been doing as well the last couple weeks” and that means the team has to consider a change, the story went on to say.

Running back Chuba Hubbard (ankle), who did some limited work earlier in the week, was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals. He did not participate in Friday's practice after doing some limited work on Wednesday and Thursday.

Related Players: D'Onta Foreman, Raheem Blackshear

D'Onta Foreman took his opportunity and ran with it in Weeks 7 and 8, accruing back-to-back 100+ yard games, while scoring three touchdowns last week. With minimal competition for touches, he should be considered a fringe RB1/2 on Sunday.

RB Chuba Hubbard (ankle) arrived at practice with his helmet and pads. Still feels he’s in rehab stage.

Related players: D'Onta Foreman

Hubbard is in doubt for Week 9 and if he's not able to play, Foreman would be in store for a big workload. Foreman's produced pretty nice fantasy numbers over the last two weeks. In Week 7 he ran for 15-118-0 and last week against the Falcons ran for 26-118-3. The Panthers have a tougher matchup at Cincy in Week 9 in an early game. If Hubbard plays he'd likely take some carries away from Foreman.

Melvin Gordon will remains the Broncos' starting running back, per George Paton.

Related players: Latavius Murray, Mike Boone, Chase Edmonds

Gordon had a 9-29-1 line and added three catches for 23 yards last week, but Murray had a 14-46-1 line. It would at least make sense Edmonds becomes the team's third down and pass catching back once he's up to speed. Gordon may be the starter but the two have pretty much split the work over the last two weeks: in Week 7, Gordon out-touched Murray 13-10 and last week it was Murray out-touching Gordon 15-12.

According to Adam Schefter, Bradley Chubb and a 2025 fifth-round pick will be moved for a 2023 first-round, 2024 fourth-round selection and running back Chase Edmonds.

Related players: Mike Boone, Melvin Gordon, Latavius Murray, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed

Edmonds joins a crowded backfield in Denver where there is already a lot of fantasy confusion. Edmonds could at least claim a pass catching role ahead of Boone, but it remains to be seen if he eats into the workload of Murray and Gordon.