Chairshot NFL News Report (8/28/2026): Atwell Returns, Williams Gets $90M & Pacheco Still Questionable

Tutu Atwell returns to the Rams, Leonard Williams lands a $90M extension and Detroit still doesn’t know if Isiah Pacheco will play Week 1.

The NFL’s final preseason weekend is here, and the roster movement is starting to look less like housekeeping and more like reconstruction.

The Rams brought back a familiar receiver, Seattle handed Leonard Williams another enormous contract, Green Bay added Jonnu Smith and Detroit still cannot say whether Isiah Pacheco will be ready for Week 1.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for August 28, 2026!

Tutu Atwell Is Going Back to Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Rams are reacquiring wide receiver Tutu Atwell from Miami in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter. Atwell spent his first five NFL seasons with the Rams before signing with Miami this offseason, catching 105 passes for 1,535 yards and five touchdowns over his career.

Apparently everybody just needed a few months apart. For the Rams, this is less about nostalgia than familiarity. Sean McVay already knows where Atwell fits, Atwell already understands much of the offensive language, and late-August trades become easier when there is less teaching required afterward.

Miami gets a young running back. Los Angeles gets somebody it already knows how to use Sometimes the simplest trade is the useful one.

Leonard Williams Lands a $90 Million Extension

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a three-year, $90 million extension with Leonard Williams that includes $56 million guaranteed. Williams was entering the final year of his previous contract after helping anchor the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense in Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning 2025 season.

Seattle’s new ownership situation may be changing. The willingness to pay the roster clearly is not. Williams is 32, which makes $90 million a substantial bet on a defensive tackle staying dominant into his mid-30s. Seattle apparently considers that a reasonable bet.

Considering how much of the defense is built around what Williams does inside, letting him reach the market next year might have been the bigger gamble.

Isiah Pacheco Still Uncertain for Week 1

Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco remains uncertain for Week 1 while recovering from an MCL sprain and a back issue. Head coach Dan Campbell said Thursday that he could not provide anything definitive on Pacheco’s status.

That explains why Detroit has spent the week exploring veteran running-back options. Jahmyr Gibbs is already there. The Lions do not need another centerpiece.

They need enough depth that Pacheco’s recovery timetable does not become a weekly emergency. If Pacheco needs another week, Detroit has to be willing to give it to him. September is too early to turn a manageable injury into something that follows him through November.

Packers Add Jonnu Smith

Green Bay is signing veteran tight end Jonnu Smith to a one-year contract. Smith caught 38 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns with Pittsburgh last season after earning Pro Bowl honors with Miami in 2024.

This is exactly the kind of late-August addition that can become quietly useful. Smith does not need 100 targets. He gives Green Bay another experienced receiving option at tight end and creates flexibility in personnel packages without forcing younger players into roles they may not be ready to handle. A one-year veteran contract does not need to reshape the offense. It just needs to make the offense harder to thin out.

Browns Release Cedric Tillman

Cleveland is releasing wide receiver Cedric Tillman as the Browns continue their roster reductions. The former third-round pick caught 71 passes for 833 yards and five touchdowns across three seasons in Cleveland.

This is the portion of roster week where recognizable names start appearing. Tillman is not somebody who never contributed. He started 19 games. That is exactly why he should attract attention elsewhere.

One team’s roster crunch becomes another team’s depth opportunity. Cleveland deciding it has better options does not mean the NFL agrees.

Raiders Still Refuse to Name a Starting Quarterback

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak declined to name either Kirk Cousins or rookie Fernando Mendoza as his Week 1 starter after Thursday’s preseason finale.

At this point, the refusal itself has become the story. If Cousins were clearly the guy, there would be little reason to keep pretending the competition exists. If Mendoza had completely won the job, the Raiders could begin preparing the rookie publicly as their starter.

Instead, Kubiak keeps the door open. Maybe that is strategic, maybe the decision is genuinely that close. Either way, Las Vegas is running out of preseason football to help make it.

Wan’Dale Robinson Being Evaluated for Concussion

Tennessee Titans receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was evaluated for a concussion after taking a hit during Thursday’s joint practice with Chicago. Titans head coach Robert Saleh called the play a “cheap” hit afterward.

Joint practices have become too valuable for NFL teams to abandon. They have also produced enough fights and unnecessary hits that coaches keep being reminded what can go wrong. Robinson’s health matters more than assigning blame.

But with the league already fining teams for joint-practice incidents this preseason, another questionable hit will not make anyone more comfortable with the trend.

NFL Transactions — August 27, 2026

• Cleveland Browns – Released WR Cedric Tillman
• Cleveland Browns – Claimed CB Mekhi Blackmon off waivers
• Detroit Lions – Signed DB Eric Scott Jr.
• Detroit Lions – Placed DE Payton Turner on injured reserve
• Green Bay Packers – Signed TE Jonnu Smith
• Indianapolis Colts – Extended P Rigoberto Sanchez
• Indianapolis Colts – Activated WR Alec Pierce from PUP
• Los Angeles Rams – Acquired WR Tutu Atwell from Miami
• Miami Dolphins – Acquired RB Jarquez Hunter from Los Angeles
• New York Giants – Placed WR Calvin Austin III on injured reserve
• Philadelphia Eagles – Signed WR Tahj Washington
• Seattle Seahawks – Extended DT Leonard Williams
• Seattle Seahawks – Claimed OT Kellen Diesch off waivers
• San Francisco 49ers – Signed DE Jah Joyner

Thursday produced another active transaction wire with Sunday’s 53-man deadline approaching.

The final preseason games are less important for their scores than for the players who walk off the field knowing they made somebody’s decision harder.

Atwell already found another role. Tillman now needs one. Seattle decided Leonard Williams was too important to ever let the question reach free agency. By Sunday, the roster starts becoming real.

This report includes information from: NFL.com, ESPN.com, AltoonaMirror.com.