2025 NFL Week 2 Buzz: Cowboys Sign G Tyler Smith to Historic $96M Deal

Who's starting, who's hurt, and who's on the move? 

NFL news is nonstop, and we're breaking it all down week by week this season.

Here's the latest on what's happening around the league entering Week 2:

Tyler Smith inks record deal with Cowboys

Dallas signed Smith, its starting left guard, to a four-year, $96 million extension, per NFL Media. The deal includes $81.2 million guaranteed, with the $24 million average annual salary an NFL record for a guard. Smith, a two-time Pro Bowler, is in his fourth season with the Cowboys, who selected him with the No. 24 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Saints, Patriots make a trade

New England is sending wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk and a 2028 seventh-round pick to New Orleans for a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to NFL Media. The Patriots selected Polk with the No. 37 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In his rookie season (2024), Polk totaled 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Polk is on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Commanders RB Austin Ekeler's season is over

Washington's starting running back's season is over after Ekeler ruptured his Achilles in the team's Week 2 loss to the Packers, according to NFL Media. Ekeler is in his second season with the franchise.

Jets star CB Sauce Gardner will play in Week 2

Gardner will play in the Jets' Week 2 home tilt against the Bills despite dealing with a groin injury this week. A two-time All-Pro, Gardner totaled two passes defended and two combined tackles in the Jets' Week 1 loss to the Steelers.

Bills DL Ed Oliver sidelined

Oliver will miss Buffalo's Week 2 matchup in N.Y. due to an ankle injury he suffered in practice this week. Last week, Oliver totaled one sack, one forced fumble and six combined tackles in Buffalo's chaotic win at home over the Ravens.

Packers receiver WR Jayden Reed out 6-8 weeks

Reed suffered a fractured collarbone in the first quarter of Green Bay's Week 2 win over Washington and will miss six-to-eight weeks, per NFL Media. The third-year receiver totaled 55 receptions for 857 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 and had a 17-yard touchdown in Green Bay's Week 1 victory against Detroit.

Raiders' Brock Bowers headlines growing list of injuired TEs

Some of the NFL's top pass-catching tight ends might not play in Week 2 due to injuries. The most notable is Bowers, who hurt his knee in Week 1. Bowers reportedly missed practice on Sept. 11, but Las Vegas doesn't play until Monday night, so he has more time to get healthy. 

Philadelphia's Dallas Goedert has been ruled out after missing practice for the second straight day on Sept. 11 as he deals with a knee injury. Denver's Evan Engram, who's dealing with a calf injury, should be good to go Sunday.

Dolphins hold players-only meeting

Miami held a players-only meeting after its 33-8 loss to Indianapolis in Week 1. Players-only meetings tend to happen when a team is in a desperate spot, so it's interesting that the Dolphins' leaders called for this after just one week. The Dolphins went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs.  

Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy practicing

The second-year receiver took part in practice on Sept. 11. Worthy suffered a shoulder injury on the opening possession of Kansas City's Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Last season, Worthy totaled 59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdowns.

Buccaneers stars Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs returning?

Godwin (ankle) and Wirfs (knee) could make their 2025 debut in Tampa Bay's Week 2 road matchup against Houston, per FOX Sports' Greg Auman. Godwin, who has four 1,000-plus receiving yard seasons under his belt, was cleared to practice on Sept. 11, almost 11 months after suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Wirfs, a two-time All-Pro, had knee surgery in July.

49ers QB Brock Purdy out multiple weeks

San Francisco's starting quarterback will miss two-to-five weeks with turf toe, NFL Media reported. Purdy, a 2023 Pro Bowler, suffered toe and left shoulder injuries during San Francisco's Week 1 win on the road against Seattle. He totaled 277 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a 92.2 passer rating, while completing 74.3% of his passes. Backup Mac Jones will start in Purdy's place.

Vikings LB Blake Cashman injured

Cashman will miss multiple weeks due to a hamstring injury, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced. Cashman, who totaled a career high in combined tackles (112) and sacks (4.5) last season, totaled three combined tackles in Minnesota's Week 1 road victory over Chicago.

Jets cut returner Xavier Gipson

New York is reportedly releasing WR and kick/punt returner Gipson. Gipson signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2023, serving as both a kick and punt returner ever since. In New York's Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, he fumbled a kick return.

Packers extend WR Christian Watson

Green Bay extended Watson, adding a year to his contract at $13.25 million. Watson is in the midst of recovering from an ACL tear that he sustained in Week 17 of the 2024 season. He's now under contract through the 2026 season.

49ers K Jake Moody waived, TE George Kittle placed on IR

San Francisco is putting an end to the Moody experiment. The kicker will be waived after struggling in the team's Week 1 win against Seattle, NFL Media reported. Moody missed two kicks in that game, doinking a 27-yarder before getting his 36-yard field goal in the third quarter blocked. Moody eventually made a 32-yard field goal. Moody, who the 49ers drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, struggled in the 2024 season as well. He only made 10 of 20 field goals from beyond 40 yards last season, putting his job in jeopardy.  

Elsehwere, Kittle will be placed on injured reserve, per ESPN, and miss at least a few weeks due to a hamstring injury. 

Steelers add S Jabrill Peppers

Fresh off their Week 1 win over the Jets, the Steelers are adding some reinforcements. Peppers was surprisingly released by the New England Patriots in late August after three seasons with the team. He had 78 total tackles and two interceptions in 2023 before missing the majority of the 2024 season due to injury. 

Eagles add depth at RB with Tank Bigsby

Philadelphia is acquiring Bigsby from Jacksonville in exchange for 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks, per ESPN. Bigsby, 24, rushed for 766 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. He also averaged 32.5 yards per kick return. Bigsby joins a crowded RB room in Philadelphia, with All-Pro Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon and second-year player Will Shipley.

49ers extend RT Colton McKivitz

The 49ers have already locked up an impending free agent in McKivitz, who agreed to a three-year, $45 million extension that includes $27 million in guaranteed money. The 29-year-old McKivitz said last week that he was hoping to reach a long-term deal to remain in San Francisco, and both sides were able to do it quickly. McKivitz had been playing under a one-year, $7 million extension that he signed in March 2024 and now has a deal that ranks 14th best among right tackles in average annual value. McKivitz moved into a starting role after Mike McGlinchey left as a free agent before the 2023 season and has been a consistent and durable player ever since.

49ers WR Jauan Jennings undergoing MRI

Jennings will undergo an MRI on his shoulder on Monday, per NBC Sports, and in what might be a related move have brought back WR Kendrick Bourne on a one-year deal. Jennings exited Week 1's game, and while he was never officially ruled out for a return, he did not reenter the contest. Top wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from last season's torn ACL. Bourne played with the 49ers starting in 2017, and remained with them through the 2020 season. His career-high in receiving yards came in 2021 with the Patriots, when he put up 800 yards on 55 receptions, also a career-best. While the severity of Jennings' injury remains unknown, he did have 77 receptions in 2024, with 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns: with Aiyuk out, his role is expected to be significant once more in 2025.

Giants QB Russell Wilson remains Giants QB for Week 2

Despite just 168 yards passing without a touchdown in Week 1, head coach Brian Daboll asserted that Wilson will remain the Giants' starting quarterback in Week 2, per FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano. Wilson threw just 17-for-37, a 46% completion percentage, against the Commanders in a 21-6 defeat. While Daboll spoke mostly of watching back tape and his faith in Wilson in the long run, he stated that they "have to do a better job all the way around." The story of who will be the Giants' QB exists at all due to the preseason performance of 2025 first-round pick, Jaxson Dart. Dart was made QB2 on the Giants' depth chart over veteran signal-caller Jameis Winston before the season began.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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