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McLaurin (contract) won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

McLaurin would be rested for the game even if he'd been active in training camp (rather than sitting out due to an ankle injury and contract dispute). The Commanders cleared him from a health standpoint Aug. 16, removing McLaurin from the PUP list, but it's unclear if he'll start practicing soon and where he stands with his prior trade request. He was present at practice Thursday, but merely as an observer in a hoodie. While he'll presumably need time to ramp up before playing, the larger concern right now is that McLaurin might consider skipping games due to displeasure with his contract. His trade request was widely seen as a sign of frustration, or a negotiating tactic, with reports suggesting the Commanders have no desire to trade him and McLaurin still prefers to stay in Washington (if he can get a contract he's happy with). It's incredibly rare nowadays for a player under contract to skip games, but that's something that needs to be considered at this point, if only as a fringe possibility.

Ertz won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Ertz and John Bates are both being rested -- in Ertz's case for a third straight week -- while 2024 second-round pick Ben Sinnott isn't among the 33 names being held out. It's the latest sign that Sinnott has made no real progress toward usurping Ertz, although there's perhaps still some risk it eventually happens. In any case, Ertz gets a solid target projection for Week 1 against the Giants, putting him in play as a lineup option even though he was drafted as a backup (or not at all) in most fantasy leagues. The uncertainty surrounding Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (undisclosed injury) could further boost Ertz's volume outlook as the opener draws near, with the wideouts potentially having workload limitations even if they both end up playing (following prolonged absences this summer).

Ekeler won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Ekeler and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt are the two running backs on Washington's list of players that won't participate. It's a sign they'll share work come Week 1 against the Giants, although there's also talk of Chris Rodriguez having a role, which might include short-yardage carries. The Commanders traded Brian Robinson to San Francisco for a sixth-round pick Friday, showing confidence in some combination of Ekeler, Croskey-Merritt, Rodriguez and Jeremy McNichols to form a committee. Ekeler's receiving skills make his role the most secure, although he's on the downside of his career and has fumbled 18 times (including playoffs) in 63 games over the past four season.

Lane won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

With no injury reported, it's a sign that the Commanders are more interested in keeping Lane healthy than evaluating him further. The rookie fourth-round pick caught three of seven targets for 42 yards this preseason, and while he probably won't be an immediate starter, the uncertainty surrounding Terry McLaurin (contract) and Noah Brown (undisclosed) could free up snaps for Lane in Week 1 against the Giants. Lane may also get work on special teams, considering he had two return TDs in college and then ran a 4.34 40 at the 2025 NFL Combine.

Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters Friday that McKee is "working to get back" from a finger injury that caused him to miss the Eagles' last two preseason games, Zach Berman of The Athletic reports.

With McKee dealing with a finger injury and Jalen Hurts resting, Kyle McCord has handled most of the quarterback snaps over the Eagles' last two preseason games. McKee played well in Philadelphia's preseason opener against Cincinnati, and he is entrenched as the QB2 behind Hurts heading into the regular season. Either McCord or Dorian Thompson-Robinson would step up as the backup for Week 1 against the Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4 if McKee is not cleared to play.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters that Gipson did not play in Friday's preseason game against the Eagles due to a lingering shoulder injury, Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic reports.

Gipson suffered a shoulder injury during the Jets' second preseason game against the Giants, and that injury lingered throughout the week enough for him to miss the preseason finale. Gipson's path to the 53-man roster is as a returner, but the severity of the injury could factor into whether he's on the Jets' roster for Week 1 against the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Head coach Aaron Glenn told reporters Friday that he's "confident" that Taylor (knee) will be available for the Jets' regular-season opener against the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 7, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Taylor is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery that has kept him sidelined since early August. There's optimism that he'll be available for Week 1 to serve as the Jets' backup quarterback behind starter Justin Fields. If Taylor isn't cleared to suit up, then the QB2 role would fall to either Adrian Martinez or Brady Cook unless the Jets opt to sign another signal-caller ahead of the regular-season opener.

Blue said after Friday's preseason win over the Falcons that he wasn't concerned about the ankle injury that forced him from the game early, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports. "I've had ankles rolled plenty of times," Blue said. "I feel good right now."

The 2025 fifth-round pick is competing for a spot on the Cowboys' initial 53-man roster in a very unsettled backfield that figures to have former Bronco Javonte Williams as its Week 1 starter. Blue has had trouble staying healthy during training camp and the preseason, which isn't an encouraging sign for the somewhat undersized (5-foot-9, 196 pounds) running back, but he's likely shown enough to begin the season in a depth role alongside veteran Miles Sanders.

Bates won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

The Commanders are resting most of the players with secure roles -- a group that includes Bates, but apparently not fellow tight end Ben Sinnott (a 2024 second-round pick). Zach Ertz is also resting in anticipation of being the team's top receiving threat at tight end, while Bates figures to continue in his familiar role as a blocking-focused No. 2 TE when Washington open the regular season against the Giants on Sun., Sept. 7.

Croskey-Merritt won't play in Saturday's preseason game against Baltimore, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Assuming a minor injury isn't at play, this is the latest hint that Croskey-Merritt is on track for not only a roster spot but also a Week 1 role on offense. The Commanders traded Brian Robinson to the 49ers on Friday, leaving Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez as the favorites to split backfield work with Austin Ekeler, although Jeremy McNichols could also factor in a bit. Ekeler is also listed among the 33 Commanders that won't play Saturday, but Rodriguez and McNichols aren't.