At long last, the NFL season is right around the corner. We are less than a week away from kickoff, and as initial 53-man depth charts take shape, final roster moves and tactical shifts are making noise across the league.

The Los Angeles Rams officially revealed their Week 1 depth chart, listing rookie Ty Simpson as the third-string quarterback. Meanwhile, the NFC West news gets even more intriguing with the Arizona Cardinals agreeing to a massive multi-year extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson.

Staying in the NFC, the Chicago Bears are managing practice injuries with wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift. Following that, it turns out New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo briefly considered retirement while recovering from last year’s season-ending ankle injury.

Here’s the latest NFL news around the league on Thursday. 

After a strong preseason showing, the Los Angeles Rams have released their depth chart for the start of the 2026 season. With Week 1 on the way, head coach Sean McVay has opted for Stetson Bennett as Matthew Stafford’s backup quarterback. That means Ty Simpson, who the team took with the 13th overall pick in April’s draft, will be the third-string quarterback. 

The Rams had been adamant about Simpson sitting and learning this season, especially as Stafford nears the end of his career. Stafford’s timeline remains uncertain, but he has been at the center of retirement rumors over the last couple of years. 

Simpson and Bennett were in lockstep all camp, but Bennett ultimately took the edge. After watching both get extensive preseason reps, McVay appears to agree, favoring Bennett for the backup job.

“Stetson Bennett being named the No. 2 QB by the Rams over Ty Simpson should not be surprising,” our Eric D. Williams noted. “He was clearly the better player during training camp. But Simpson showed steady improvement.”

The Rams are set to head to Australia to face off against the NFC West division rival San Francisco 49ers for Week 1.

The Arizona Cardinals reached an agreement Thursday on a three-year contract extension with wide receiver Michael Wilson, according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network. The deal keeps the 26-year-old receiver under contract with the franchise through the 2029 season.

Originally selected by Arizona in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Stanford, Wilson has established himself as a primary target in the Cardinals’ offense alongside Trey McBride.

Wilson is expected to officially sign the contract on Thursday ahead of Arizona’s regular-season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 13.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo shared that he briefly considered retiring from the NFL after suffering a severe ankle injury last year. 

Skattebo, who suffered a dislocated ankle, open tibia fracture, and ruptured deltoid ligament in Week 8, shared during an appearance on “Up & Adams” that he contemplated stepping away about a month into his rehabilitation.

“The first month was kind of like, ‘Damn, do I really want to do this?’” Skattebo said. “I think [the injury] gave me an extra step of finding that deep place and coming out of a hole that I didn’t know I could come out of. I’m appreciative of it, and I’m excited to see what I can build on it.”

Skattebo noted he had a personal rule in college to retire if he suffered a major injury, but ultimately decided to return after showing promise over seven full games as a rookie. 

Before the injury, he compiled 410 rushing yards, 207 receiving yards, and seven total touchdowns. The second-year back returned to the field during the preseason on Aug. 15 and is projected to lead a Giants backfield rotation that features Najee Harris, Tyrone Tracy Jr., and Devin Singletary.

The Chicago Bears had a pair of injury scares right before Week 1. Wide receiver Rome Odunze and running back D’Andre Swift were both reportedly sidelined during practice Thursday. According to reports, Odunze exited with a member of the training staff near the beginning of practice and appeared to be dealing with a right leg or foot injury.

Odunze, who missed five games last season with a foot fracture, enters the 2026 campaign expected to serve as Chicago’s top receiver alongside Luther Burden III following the offseason trade of DJ Moore.

Swift’s injury reportedly occurred near the end of practice during a full-team drill.

With backup Kyle Monangai currently sidelined with a hyperextended knee, Swift’s exit leaves Chicago’s running back room rather thin heading into the holiday weekend. 

• The Las Vegas Raiders are signing former New York Giants first-round pick in guard Evan Neal, per ESPN.
• The Indianapolis Colts officially announced that Anthony Richardson will be the backup quarterback to Daniel Jones this season.
• The Dallas Cowboys restructured the contracts of defensive tackle Kenny Clark, cornerback DaRon Bland and tight end Jake Ferguson, first reported by ESPN. The team has cleared up close to $19 million in cap space.

Coco Gauff has praised a US Open staff member after her energetic welcome chant for the American tennis star went viral on social media.

When Gauff walked on to the practice courts at the 2026 US Open last week, Ayanna Campbell, a 24-year-old guest services representative, led the crowd in a chant.

“When I say Coco, you say Gauff! Coco! Gauff!” Campbell shouted while dancing in front of the stands.

A video of the moment posted by Tennis Channel on Instagram quickly attracted more than two million views. Gauff also reacted to the video, calling Campbell “my queen” and adding: “love her♥️.”

Campbell said she had no idea she was being recorded and was surprised when she discovered that the video had gone viral.

“I was like, ‘I’m so famous,’” Campbell said with a laugh. “I read the comments, everybody’s like somebody’s gotta tell Mama Gauff to put her in the family box at every tournament. I was so stunned.”

Gauff’s mother also appeared to enjoy Campbell’s performance, smiling as she recorded one of the chants from the stands.

Campbell said Gauff has become one of her favourite players because of what she represents.

“Coco has grown to become one of my favourite players. For me, representation matters, and she is one of the players that I love that be representing and putting on for the Black girls,” she said.

However, Gauff is not the only tennis star to receive Campbell’s special welcome.

From her position at the practice courts, Campbell has also led chants for stars including Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.

“Venus was vibing with it, Serena was vibing with it. I was like okay, I’m a little bit in there,” she said with a smile.

This is Campbell’s fourth year working at the US Open. The Queens native was born and raised only a few miles from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

She said the tournament and New York City hold a special place in her heart.

“I always tell folks, New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world,” Campbell said. “It really touches my heart.”

There’s a theory making the rounds in Toronto media circles suggesting Connor McDavid could eventually land with the Maple Leafs.

Speaking on The Leafs Convo podcast, insider Michael Augello relayed comments from another reporter who shared his personal theory about McDavid’s future.

“I was told by another reporter, that’s just his theory & I won’t share his name, but you know talking in the press box about McDavid and he said ‘McDavid wants to play in Toronto, it’s just the question what type of team the Leafs are,’” Augello said.

He added:

“If the Leafs are good, their chances of getting McDavid are good because I think he would want to play in Toronto if they pay him. If they are not good, there’s not a chance.”

The theory has Leafs fans excited, but it comes with two clear conditions: the Maple Leafs must be a legitimate contender, and the organization must be prepared to pay McDavid at market value.

While the idea is purely speculative and comes from an unnamed source, it has sparked plenty of discussion.

Connor McDavid remains committed to the Oilers for now

McDavid is under contract with the Edmonton Oilers through the 2027-28 season after signing a two-year, $25 million extension last year.

He has consistently expressed his desire to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and has not indicated any plans to leave before his current deal expires.

“I obviously said I was committed to winning here and I meant that when I said that and two years makes a lot of sense,” McDavid said via NHL. “It gives us a chance to continue chasing down what we’ve been chasing down here with the core guys we have in here and we have a little bit of money to work with too. I think the deal makes sense to both sides.

He added:

“It gives us a chance to extend our window here in Edmonton. [My dog] Lenny is not going to go hungry with that money, so we’ll be fine. It’s about winning and that’s always what I preached and I think this deal gives both sides what we’re looking for.”

McDavid will become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. For now, he’s gearing up for the upcoming season with the Oilers, who will begin their preseason against the Winnipeg Jets next week.

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