Mon Jul 15 12:51pm ET
Field Level Media
The Detroit Lions are adding wide receiver Calvin Johnson to the Pride of the Lions, which celebrates the greatest players in franchise history.
Johnson will become the 21st member of the group in a ceremony at halftime of their game on Sept. 30 against the Seattle Seahawks.
The 38-year-old Johnson played for the Lions from 2007-15 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. Estranged over financial issues immediately after his retirement, Johnson and the Lions have a much-improved relationship today.
"We are thrilled to add Calvin Johnson Jr. to the Pride of the Lions," said Rod Wood, the team president and CEO, said Monday in a statement. "His commitment on the field and to the city of Detroit are legendary and this is a well-deserved honor. We are proud that he will be forever memorialized inside Ford Field and as a Detroit Lion."
The Lions selected Johnson with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He started 130 of 135 games played and is the franchise leader in receptions (731), receiving yards (11,619) and receiving touchdowns (83).
A member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, he was named a first-team All-Pro in three consecutive seasons (2011-13). He set the NFL single-season receiving yardage record in 2012 with 1,964.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Jaret Patterson led the team in carries for the third straight preseason game. In the finale, Patterson carried the ball six times, gaining 27 yards. He added one catch on two targets for an additional 12 yards. Patterson is third at best on the Chargers depth chart behind Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins, but his usage in the preseason shows that he may indeed be part of the team's plans on offense, at least as a depth piece.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver KJ Hamler saw a variety of usage in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, catching each of his three passes for 11 yards and rushing three times for 21 yards and a touchdown in the defeat. Hamler, a wideout by trade, lined up as a running back before plowing his way past the end zone for a short Bills score in fourth quarter on Saturday against Carolina. After Hamler missed all of 2023 as he stepped away from football altogether for treatment of a heart issue, it was nice to see the 25-year-old former second-round pick make a significant impact in the preseason finale. There's a chance Buffalo keeps him on the 53-man roster as depth for the receiving corps following this solid performance, but Hamler is unlikely to see many opportunities in 2024.
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Dallas Cowboys running back Deuce Vaughn ran the ball nine times in the Cowboys preseason finale, gaining 53 yards. He was targeted twice in the passing game but was unable to come up with either catch. Vaughn ended up with the most carries among Cowboys running backs, although quarterback Trey Lance led the team with 11. Vaughn is buried on the depth chart and likely ticketed for a special teams role, but he's shown some rushing ability in case injuries strike the top Cowboys runners.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance struggled in a preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. Lance attempted 49 passes, completing 33 of them for 323 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. He added 11 carries for 90 yards and a touchdown, leading the team in both carries and rushing yards. It was a strong game on the ground for Lance, but the passing game wasn't clicking, as the Chargers defense was all over Lance for the five picks and also two fumbles. If Lance makes the team as the third quarterback, he'll be behind starter Dak Prescott and backup Cooper Rush.
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Buffalo Bills running back Darrynton Evans made his case to make the final roster in Saturday afternoon's preseason defeat to the visiting Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park, tying for the team lead in receiving with three catches for 28 yards and a touchdown while adding 15 rushing yards on three carries. Evans certainly put together a nice day on Saturday against the Panthers, shedding a tackle and high-stepping his way across the end zone to give the Bills a lead in the second quarter, but his performance was overshadowed by undrafted rookie Frank Gore Jr., who also scored but produced a whopping 101 yards. Evans, 26, is not as likely to make Buffalo's 53-man roster following Gore's standout showing, and he probably wouldn't be any greater than the No. 4 back on the depth chart even if he does stick around.
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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Derius Davis touched the ball once in the Chargers preseason finale, but he made it count. Davis took the ball up the sideline for a 70-yard touchdown run, breaking tackles and avoiding defenders along the way. It was an impressive run for the former fourth round pick, but he appears to be headed for a special teams role as a returner who may occasionally fill in on offense.
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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Simi Fehoko scored a long touchdown in a preseason win against the Dallas Cowboys. Fehoko was targeted twice, making two catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. His score came on a huge throw from Easton Stick that ended up as a 78-yard touchdown pass. Fehoko dominated the Chargers passing game in preseason play, but he's not expected to see much time on offense once the regular season begins.
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Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. made a statement in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Carolina Panthers at Highmark Stadium, rumbling for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He caught one of his two targets for no gain. It was one chunk pickup after another on Saturday against Carolina for Gore, who plowed his way into the end zone for a Bills score in the third quarter. None of James Cook, Ray Davis, or Ty Johnson made an appearance in the preseason finale, so it was left to Gore and Darrynton Evans to compete for a spot on Buffalo's roster, with the former passing his final test with flying colors. While Evans hit paydirt through the air, Gore outproduced him in the yardage department in a big way, likely giving the 2024 undrafted rookie a leg up in the competition over the incumbent veteran.
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Easton Stick played all of Saturday's preseason finale against the Dallas Cowboys, leading the Bolts to a 26-19 win. Stick attempted 29 passes, completing 12 for 187 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He added 17 yards on the ground on four carries and took two sacks. Most of Stick's production came on a 78-yard touchdown pass to Simi Fehoko in the second quarter. Stick is the likely QB2 for the Chargers, a position that could be critical this season with starter Justin Herbert dealing with a foot injury that could linger into the season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens hauled in both of his targets for 26 yards in the team's 24-17 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Although he lost six yards on his first reception, the third-year pro made up for it on the very next play with a 32-yard gain on a perfect deep pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. The pair was pulled from the contest immediately following the opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown. Barring any last-minute surprises, Pickens appears primed to enter the regular season as Pittsburgh's undisputed WR1. He offers plenty of upside in the middle rounds of fantasy drafts with the Steelers' offense expected to improve in 2024.
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Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. (knee) is scheduled to undergo X-rays after suffering an injury during Saturday's preseason finale. This is a shame considering how well Gore has been playing in the preseason. He rushed for 101 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown before exiting on Saturday. He's competing with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson for the backup role behind James Cook. Gore doesn't have a great fantasy outlook right away with Cook being the workhorse back in Buffalo. However, he has decent potential and is a solid hold in deep or dynasty formats, assuming the results from his testing come back negative for any significant damage.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Cordarrelle Patterson handled three rushing attempts for 31 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Patterson worked with Pittsburgh's first-team offense as a complement to Najee Harris with Jaylen Warren (hamstring) sidelined. He exploded for a 31-yard score on the Steelers' opening drive and earned one touch on their second possession. Given Patterson's history with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and the lack of proven receiving options on Pittsburgh's offense, the 33-year-old could see utilization in the regular season, especially if Warren misses time. He is best left undrafted in most fantasy leagues, however.
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Carolina Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro (hamstring) didn't return for the second half of Saturday's preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills. Pineiro was forced to exit the game due to mild hamstring soreness. Head coach Dave Canales said afterwards that Pineiro is fine and the team held him out for precautionary reasons. Before exiting, Pineiro made both his extra-point attempts and a 45-yard field goal during the first half of Saturday's game. The assumption is that Pineiro should be fine for the regular season opener against the New Orleans Saints.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields completed three of his four pass attempts for 40 yards and added four rushing yards on two carries in a preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Fields followed up an impressive scoring drive led by Russell Wilson with a touchdown drive of his own and remained in the contest for two additional possessions. The 25-year-old looked sharp early, most notably on a strike to tight end MyCole Pruitt for a gain of 22 yards that set up an easy score for La'Mical Perine. His second drive was much less successful as Fields was credited with a fumble on a clear miscommunication with rookie center Zach Frazier. Following the game, head coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a Week 1 starter, but it would be surprising at this point to see Fields get the nod over Wilson. The situation is still worth monitoring for fantasy purposes due to Fields' immense rushing upside.
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Detroit Lions running back Craig Reynolds (leg) is expected to be available for the regular season opener, according to head coach Dan Campbell. Reynolds suffered a leg injury during Thursday's practice. It's not believed to be serious, but Reynolds was held out of the preseason finale for precautionary reasons. He's currently competing with Sione Vaki for the No. 3 role in Detroit. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are the two primary options in this backfield. It's unlikely that Reynolds or Vaki have a significant role in the backfield while Gibbs and Montgomery are healthy. Whether he's healthy or not, Reynolds can probably be avoided in most fantasy formats.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett will serve as the backup for Week 1 and Week 2 of the regular season. This was expected to happen with Jimmy Garoppolo suspended for the first two weeks of the season. Bennett sat out of the preseason finale after starting the first two games. He threw for 437 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions during the preseason. Those aren't exactly great results, but Bennett isn't likely to see the field at all in 2024. Matthew Stafford should be full healthy and ready to go for the season opener. Garoppolo should take over as the primary backup once he's cleared to play, so Bennett is unlikely to play at all unless Stafford gets injured in the first two games.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson completed each of his two pass attempts for 26 yards in a 24-17 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. George Pickens was the only player targeted by Wilson on the team's first drive of the contest. The duo connected for a 32-yard gain that eventually set up a Cordarrelle Patterson rushing touchdown. Although head coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a Week 1 starter on Saturday, the team certainly gave Wilson QB1 treatment when it pulled him from the preseason finale after one scoring drive. If Wilson struggles early in the regular season, Justin Fields could push for the starting job, making the veteran a risky selection as a low-end QB2 in superflex fantasy drafts.
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Green Bay Packers kicker Greg Joseph was solid in his final preseason game, making both field goal attempts and kicking home an extra point in the Packers' 30-7 win against the Baltimore Ravens. Joseph made a 36-yard attempt in the beginning of the second quarter, nailed a PAT in the third quarter, and then with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, drilled a 55-yard attempt. Joseph is in a tough kicking competition with incumbent starter Anders Carlson, but the race is a bit close to call at this moment. The Packers wanted to give Carlson some legitimate competition and Joseph, last season's kicker for the Minnesota Vikings, was just that throughout camp. Wait and see before drafting either kicker in fantasy, but whoever wins the Packers' job should have decent value given how powerful the Packers' offense is.
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Green Bay Packers second-year kicker Anders Carlson struggled as a rookie, missing five extra points and making 27-of-33 field goals last season. In today's final preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, Carlson made both extra point attempts and made a 54-yard field goal in the first quarter, but missed a 32-yard field goal wide right in the fourth quarter. While Carlson has been solid throughout camp in his battle with former Vikings kicker Greg Joseph to retain the starting kicker job, the final miss this preseason may linger in the head of head coach Matt LaFleur when making his decision. Carlson seems to have an edge on Joseph but could have a shorter leash once the season begins. Carlson is tough to trust as a fantasy selection at kicker, but could be a waiver wire add if things are going well as the Packers should be one of the better offenses in the league.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Malik Heath led the Packers in all receiving categories during their final preseason tune-up against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday afternoon. Heath, the second-year receiver out of Ole Miss, led the Packers with five targets and a four-catch, 39-yard effort, including a third-quarter touchdown from Sean Clifford. The Packers sat Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks, leaving the starting wide receivers to be Heath and Bo Melton, of whom Heath is battling to be the team's WR5 this season. The Packers have an embarrassment of riches at the receiver spot, so the team may opt to keep six on the 53-man roster, but the race is too close to call if the Packers only keep one. Heath was a sporadic contributor last season but was not fantasy-relevant. He shouldn't be drafted, but if any of the receivers ahead of him are hurt, Heath could contribute if he makes the roster.
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