Team news: Detroit Lions | Page 4

WR Marvin Harrison Jr. (knee) is absent for a second straight Cardinals practice.

Related Players: Michael Wilson, Trey McBride, Greg Dortch, Zay Jones

This pass-catching group is incredibly thin behind Harrison and McBride, so either of them missing time wouldn't look great for Kyler Murray. No reason to panic yet but we'll keep an eye on the sophomore WR throughout training camp.

Running back order of touch during rush period: Pacheco, Mitchell, Hunt, Smith, Steele

Related Players: Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith, Carson Steele

We'll see if this is just to get the team some more looks at Mitchell or if this will last into the season, but it's a good sign nonetheless. Smith is likely to start off as an explosive passing-down option and nothing else, while we all know what Hunt is at this point in his career.

Mitchell would be an RB5 option if he ends up leapfrogging Hunt.

The Lions drafted quarterback Hendon Hooker in the third round in 2023, but through two NFL seasons Hooker has played only in garbage time, and late last season the Lions brought in veteran Teddy Bridgewater and put him ahead of Hooker on the depth chart to back up Jared Goff.

As the Lions open training camp this year, Bridgewater is no longer on the team and Hooker is competing with Kyle Allen to be the Lions’ No. 2 quarterback. Lions head coach Dan Campbell says it’s time for Hooker to take the next step in his career.

The story indicated the team could bring back Bridgewater, but that seems like it will only happen if Hooker doesn't take control of the QB2 job. There have been indications recently on X that Hooker has looked good, so if Goff owners are thinking about a handcuff, keep an eye on how Hooker progresses in camp.

The Jets ran the ball less than any team last season. The biggest reason for that (Aaron Rodgers) is gone. It would not shock me if the Jets went from last to first in terms of rushing attempts — the product of a run-first scheme led by offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, and the dynamic, dual-threat quarterbacking of Justin Fields in the fray. The Jets are modeling their offense after the one Engstrand and Aaron Glenn came from in Detroit, where, in theory at least, Breece Hall would play the Jahmyr Gibbs role while Braelon Allen would step in as the David Montgomery, power-running type. — Zack Rosenblatt

Those are pretty big expectations, but the thought of it is exciting. Rosenblatt went on to say Allen was a training camp breakout last year who never got a chance to get going in a bad offense, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities in 2025 to make his mark and prove he can be the long-term starter with Hall in the last year of his contract.

John Morton replaced Ben Johnson as the team’s offensive coordinator this offseason and Jahmyr Gibbs revealed one of the new wrinkles he’s installed into an offense that scored the most points in the league last season. It involves Gibbs lining up outside of the backfield more frequently than he did in his first two seasons.

“Nothing too much changed, so a lot of the stuff is the same,” Gibbs said, via WXYZ. “I gotta learn the formations for this, but I’m being split out, I guess, like way more than I was the past two years. That’s good, that’s going to be fun. I’ve been waiting on that. He wants me to be more involved in it, so that’s what he plans on doing.

The story pointed out Gibbs caught 104 passes over his first two NFL seasons, but it looks like the team has plans to make him an even bigger part of the passing game. Owners are hoping to not see a TD regression this season after the back scored 20 TDs total last year, and this may be a chance for Gibbs to keep up that pace.

The Lions have exercised the 2026 fifth-year team options on DE Aidan Hutchison and WR Jameson Williams.

Related Players: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy

Good news for fantasy, as there aren't many better places for Williams to be than alongside ARSB and Sam LaPorta clogging up the middle of defenses. Williams should continue to operate as a nice boom-bust WR3 option, even if the Lions tack on some WR talent through the NFL Draft.

Cardinals WR Greg Dortch signed the restricted free-agent tender one-year, $3.3 million offer extended to him in March.

Related Players: Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Zay Jones

This doesn't preclude the Cardinals from adding another WR in the Draft, but it does give them some insurance if they miss out on anyone until later on Day 3. Dortch is still looking to build on a nice 52-462-2 sophomore season he had back in 2022, but shouldn't be on anyone's fantasy radar.

Former Jets TE Tyler Conklin reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Chargers.

Related Players: Will Dissly

While it's certainly not a bad situation to land in, the Chargers will very likely use plenty of 2-TE sets, and it's not out of the question that they add some more talent through the Draft. Conklin projects as someone we can ignore in typical redraft leagues but he may be someone to keep in eye out for streaming purposes in a pinch.

The Chiefs are re-signing RB Kareem Hunt to a one-year, $1.5 million deal with incentives, per source.

Related Players: Isiah Pacheco, Elijah Mitchell, Carson Steele

With Hunt and Mitchell finding themselves in KC this week, it feels like the Chiefs will be passing on a rookie once again, which is good news for Pacheco. A full offseason removed from his fibula injury, he should be back in RB2 consideration.

“We have a lot of confidence in Jahmyr Gibbs,” Campbell said, via the team’s website. “He’s continued to get better and better as the season has gone. Given the opportunity, he’s made a lot of plays. He made some big plays for us. He brings an explosive element. He’s getting better in the pass game, and you see what he’s able to do in the run game. We have a ton of confidence.”

Craig Reynolds and fourth-round pick Sione Vaki are also on the Lions roster, but it’s going be Gibbs’s show the rest of the way and the Lions will need him to keep performing at the same level.

Related players: Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki

Gibbs owners look like they could greatly benefit by the injury to Montgomery as we head down the stretch of the fantasy playoffs. We detailed a little bit on Monday that last season, when either Montgomery or Gibbs were out of the lineup, Reynolds got between 7-14 carries in three of those four games (the fourth was a blowout loss to the Ravens). It still remains to be seen just how the team will divide up the carries, but it's reasonable to think Gibbs should at least see a slight uptick in work with Montgomery out.