The New Orleans Saints are taking a wait-and-see approach on running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) as far as his return from Injured Reserve to play in Week 10 against the division-rival Carolina Panthers, according to Luke Johnson of The New Orleans Times-Picayune. "We'll see," head coach Kellen Moore said. "He's progressing well. We'll gather some more information and make a decision." Etienne was eligible to come off the IR to play in last week's overtime win over the Cleveland Browns, but the Saints decided he needed another week to recover. He has not played since the Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, but Etienne is only 34 yards shy of quarterback Tyler Shough's team-leading 162 yards on the ground this year. If Etienne returns to practice on Wednesday, the 27-year-old will have a good chance to return as the Saints' lead back this weekend in a plus matchup against Carolina. Before his hamstring injury, the former Jaguars RB had 128 rushing yards on 30 carries while adding 11 catches for 51 yards in three games. Etienne could be eased back in when he is activated from IR, but he still remains the best bet to lead New Orleans in backfield touches and scrimmage yards when all is said and done in 2026.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had discussions about a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs, and Tennessee Titans receiver Calvin Ridley, sources told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Thomas and Ridley were not traded at Tuesday's NFL deadline, while Downs was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs. Thomas was a popular name leading up to the deadline, but the Jaguars never seemed all that interested in trading the former first-rounder despite him falling out of favor in the passing game in 2026 in his third year in the league. Instead of sending the 24-year-old pass-catcher away, the Jaguars sent plenty of draft capital to the Philadelphia Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints on Monday for defensive tackle Jordan Davis, defensive back Jessie Bates III, and defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, respectively. Fantasy managers still holding Thomas would have preferred he be traded out of town after catching only 10 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the first eight games of 2026. In the last four games, Thomas has put up three donuts for fantasy managers and has caught just one pass on seven targets for 12 yards. Thomas is impossible to trust in starting fantasy lineups in Week 10 against the division-rival Tennessee Titans.

The Denver Broncos acquired linebacker Daiyan Henley from the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The Broncos sent a 2027 fourth-round draft pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chargers for Henley, who is in the final year of his rookie deal in 2026. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Henley will not be a big salary cap hit. The Broncos already have linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, but they have been seeking depth for a defense that currently ranks 23rd in the NFL against the run. The Broncos were also interested in trading for Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor and Tennessee Titans RB Tony Pollard, but they did not meet the Colts' and Titans' asking prices and stood pat at the RB position. Singleton is among one of the best tackling linebackers in the league, but the Broncos want to take some pressure off him, as the 32-year-old leads all defensive players with 617 snaps played over the first nine weeks. Henley will allow Denver to give Singleton some more rest going forward. The 26-year-old former third-rounder from Washington State had a team-high 51 tackles for the Chargers in eight games before being traded and was also the Bolts' leading tackler in each of the last two seasons.

The Denver Broncos and New York Giants were among the teams that were interested in trading for Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard, sources told NFL insider Jordan Schultz. But the Titans were adamant for weeks that they were unlikely to move Pollard, as he has been vital to the locker room and the continued development of second-year quarterback Cam Ward. Out of the AFC South, both Pollard and Indianapolis Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor stayed put at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. The 29-year-old Pollard has also been a huge asset for fantasy managers in 2026, as he currently ranks as the RB16 in half-PPR scoring with 595 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 133 carries through eight games played, adding 14 catches for 70 yards on 21 targets. In the last five weeks, he has been a top-10 RB with five touchdowns and 374 rushing yards. Pollard, who is on an expiring deal, made sense for contending teams looking to bolster their backfield, as the Titans are 1-7 heading into a Week 10 home game against the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars. Now that he is staying in Tennessee for the remainder of the 2026 season, the Titans could look to reach a contract extension with Pollard before the start of free agency next March.