Panthers place Jonathon Brooks on IR; expected out at least six weeks

Sep 23, 2026

Panthers RB Jonathon Brooks, who left Sunday’s win early, is expected to have surgery today to repair a core muscle injury that will land him on Injured Reserve, sources say.

Brooks is out at least 6 weeks, but should return with plenty of time to contribute down the stretch.

Related Players: Chuba Hubbard, A.J. Dillon, Austin Ekeler, Ahmani Marshall

Fantasy Impact:

Brooks can remain stashed in deeper leagues with sufficient IR space. Hubbard should continue handling the overwhelming majority of Carolina’s backfield work, with Dillon serving as the primary reserve. The Panthers also worked out Austin Ekeler on Wednesday, suggesting they may add another experienced option behind Hubbard.

yesterday

Chiefs could give RB Emmett Johnson more work

AZ Sports

yesterday · 9:20 PM EDT

The big question for Kansas City Chiefs fans is when they’ll see Emmett Johnson play a little more. He’s very much the No. 2 running back behind Kenneth Walker. Johnson played just 14 offensive snaps in Week 2 against the Colts, accounting for 18% of the team’s offensive snaps.

According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, fans won’t have to wait long for more of the rookie. While K.C. has no intention of limiting Walker or giving him fewer touches, they do want Johnson to continue growing. He should earn more opportunities to get on the field soon enough.

Fantasy Impact:

The Chiefs may not want Walker to keep up his current workload, so it's only natural Johnson begins to get more work at some point this season. Despite his limited snaps and touches, he's certainly passed the eye test, and the Chiefs are obviously high on the rookie. While Johnson may not be ready for fantasy lineups just yet, he's a must-own for any Walker owner as a handcuff at the very least.

Rapoport: Raiders TE Brock Bowers expected back for Week 3

Ian Rapoport on X

yesterday · 9:14 PM EDT

From The Insiders on NFL Network: There is a good chance Raiders TE Brock Bowers returns this week.

Fantasy Impact:

Rapoport said the plan is for Bowers to return for Week 3. While Bowers is a TE, he's also the team's top receiver, so the Raiders are getting back a key weapon after starting the season 2-0. Fantasy owners will be getting back a key player, too, after likely spending an early pick on him in drafts. The Raiders are at the Saints in the later window of Sunday's games.

Chargers TE Charlie Kolar (arm) to return after IR

Jeremy Fowler on X

yesterday · 6:49 PM EDT

Chargers tight end Charlie Kolar is undergoing surgery to repair a broken forearm, per source. He plans to make a full return after short-term IR (four weeks).

Related players: Oronde Gadsden, David Njoku

Fantasy Impact:

It's a big loss for the Chargers, mostly in terms of blocking. With Njoku also on IR, the team turns back to Gadsden, who was a standout player parts of last season, and seemed to have a bright future before the team pushed him down the depth chart. Gadsden won't help in the blocking department, but for being the third TE he already has four catches for 50 yards and a TD this season. His snaps may be limited because of his blocking, but he's back in the mix as a TE option for your lineup and is likely on your waiver wire.