Chairshot NFL News Report (10/2/2026): Browns Steal TNF, Daniels Improving & Saints Lose Etienne

Cleveland beats Pittsburgh on a late 56-yard field goal, Jayden Daniels progresses and Travis Etienne heads to injured reserve.

Week 4 opened with an AFC North game that appeared decided, flipped completely and then changed direction one final time.

Cleveland watched an 11-point fourth-quarter lead disappear before Andre Szmyt drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to beat Pittsburgh 27-24. Thursday also brought encouraging progress for Jayden Daniels, another significant injury for New Orleans and several developments that could reshape Sunday’s lineups.

It’s the Chairshot NFL News Report for October 2, 2026!

Browns Survive Steelers Comeback on 56-Yard Field Goal

Cleveland Browns 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 24

Cleveland nearly let a commanding Thursday night performance slip away, but Szmyt rescued the Browns with the biggest kick of his career. His 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining gave Cleveland its third consecutive victory and moved the Browns to 3-1 for the first time since 2021.

The Browns built a 21-3 halftime lead after scoring 21 unanswered points in the second quarter. Deshaun Watson finished 24-of-33 for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Jaleel McLaughlin, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. all found the end zone.

Pittsburgh refused to disappear. Aaron Rodgers finished with 299 yards and three touchdowns, and the Steelers erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit before tying the game at 24 with less than two minutes remaining. Rodgers connected with Pat Freiermuth for the touchdown before Pittsburgh converted the two-point attempt.

That still left Cleveland enough time. The Browns moved into position for Szmyt, who delivered from 56 yards and gave Cleveland sole possession of first place in the AFC North before Baltimore and Cincinnati play their Week 4 games.

Pittsburgh’s offensive comeback could not erase its earlier mistakes. Rodgers threw two interceptions and was sacked five times, with Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward providing the interceptions for Cleveland. DK Metcalf finished with 115 receiving yards, while Jaylen Warren generated 126 yards from scrimmage.

The Steelers fall to 2-2 after entering the night with an opportunity to take control of the division themselves. Instead, Cleveland has turned a 0-1 start into three straight victories and will carry the AFC North lead into the rest of the weekend.

Jayden Daniels Takes Another Step Toward Returning

Jayden Daniels practiced on a limited basis for the second consecutive day Thursday as Washington continues evaluating whether he can return against Indianapolis in London.

Daniels said his injured left elbow feels good and described his recovery as a day-by-day process. He is practicing with a brace on the arm but said it does not interfere with his throwing motion, handoffs or pitches.

The Commanders have not ruled Daniels out for Sunday. Dan Quinn has emphasized that the decision will be based on the functionality of the elbow rather than Daniels’ ability to tolerate discomfort, with Washington planning to make its determination after seeing how he progresses through the week.

Daniels also addressed the possibility of eventually needing surgery. He said that decision will not be made until after the season, reinforcing the current expectation that the elbow can be managed well enough for him to return during 2026.

That is a meaningful development from where Washington stood immediately after the injury. Daniels dislocated the same elbow that caused him problems last season, but the Commanders declined to place him on injured reserve and he has now participated in consecutive practices less than two weeks later.

Marcus Mariota remains the alternative if Washington decides another week is necessary. After throwing three touchdowns in Sunday’s 33-31 victory over Seattle, Mariota has given the Commanders far more reason to be patient than they had immediately after Daniels went down.

Saints Put Travis Etienne Jr. on Injured Reserve

New Orleans will be without Travis Etienne Jr. for at least four games after placing the running back on injured reserve Thursday because of a hamstring injury.

Etienne aggravated the injury during Sunday’s 35-27 loss to Las Vegas. He had been New Orleans’ leading rusher through three games with 128 yards on 30 carries while adding 11 receptions for 51 yards.

The Saints signed Etienne to a four-year, $52 million contract during the offseason after his first five NFL seasons in Jacksonville. His absence now pushes Alvin Kamara back toward a larger role after Kamara returned from his own knee injury earlier this season.

Kendre Miller and rookie CJ Donaldson provide additional options, but Etienne’s injury changes a backfield New Orleans specifically rebuilt during the offseason. The Saints are 1-2 and host Atlanta on Monday night in a divisional game that could push either team back to .500.

The timing makes the injury particularly frustrating. New Orleans finally had Kamara healthy enough to play alongside Etienne, only to lose Etienne before the two could establish any sustained rotation together.

Justin Jefferson Misses Second Straight Practice

Minnesota continues to take a cautious approach with Justin Jefferson. The star receiver missed Thursday’s practice for the second consecutive day because of the ankle sprain he suffered against Tampa Bay.

The Vikings have not ruled Jefferson out against Miami, and earlier testing showed no major structural damage. His lack of practice participation through Thursday, however, makes Friday’s final injury report increasingly important.

Minnesota has the luxury of patience. The Vikings are 3-0 and face an 0-3 Miami team that just lost De’Von Achane for the season, making this a particularly poor time to force Jefferson onto the field if his ankle is not ready.

The Vikings have already placed tight end Josh Oliver on injured reserve, so Jefferson missing Sunday would remove another major piece from the offense. Even so, Minnesota’s undefeated start gives Kevin O’Connell room to make the decision based on Jefferson’s health rather than the standings.

Puka Nacua Moving Toward Return

Los Angeles remains on track to get Puka Nacua back against Philadelphia. Nacua continued working through the week after missing the Rams’ previous two games because of the hip injury Sean McVay later clarified as groin soreness.

Nacua said Thursday that he is excited to get back onto the field, while McVay has already stated that he expects the receiver to play Sunday. The Rams will still need to get through the remainder of the week without a setback, but the trajectory is considerably different from the previous two Fridays.

His return would reunite Nacua with Davante Adams in a receiving corps that Los Angeles expected to be one of its biggest strengths. Nacua caught five passes for 74 yards in the opener before the injury removed him from the next two games.

The timing is useful after the Rams fell to 1-2 with Sunday night’s 30-26 loss in Denver. Philadelphia is also coming off its first loss after Chicago held the Eagles to seven points Monday night.

The Eagles have injury issues of their own. DeVonta Smith and Marquise Brown both missed Thursday’s practice, while Dallas Goedert and Zack Baun also remained out.

49ers Add Brandin Cooks as Receiver Injuries Mount

San Francisco signed Brandin Cooks to the active roster Thursday as the undefeated 49ers continue dealing with significant injuries at wide receiver.

Cooks joined San Francisco’s practice squad last week and now moves onto the 53-man roster. The 33-year-old has played 12 NFL seasons and gives the 49ers an experienced option while Ricky Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, De’Zhaun Stribling and Christian Kirk remain on injured reserve.

Mike Evans missed practice for the second consecutive day because of a rib injury, while Brandon Aiyuk remains unavailable. The accumulation of injuries has left San Francisco with little choice but to continue reshaping the position while trying to protect its 3-0 start.

Cooks caught 24 passes for 279 yards last season and has six career 1,000-yard receiving seasons. San Francisco does not necessarily need him to recreate his prime production, but it does need reliable snaps from somebody while so many receivers are unavailable.

The 49ers host Denver on Sunday in one of Week 4’s more interesting late-afternoon games. San Francisco has already survived the loss of Nick Bosa and now faces another test of how much depth an undefeated team can lose before the absences begin showing up in the standings.

Zach Charbonnet Returns to Seahawks Practice

Seattle opened the 21-day practice window for Zach Charbonnet Thursday, marking an important step in the running back’s recovery from the torn ACL he suffered during last season’s playoffs.

Charbonnet remains on the physically unable to perform list and cannot play this weekend against the Chargers. He will become eligible for activation in Week 5, when Seattle faces San Francisco in a rematch of the divisional-round game in which he suffered the injury.

The Seahawks now have three weeks to activate Charbonnet or leave him on PUP for the remainder of the season. His return to practice suggests the rehabilitation has progressed far enough for Seattle to begin determining when he can handle game action.

Charbonnet led Seattle with 12 rushing touchdowns last season while finishing second on the team with 730 rushing yards. Getting him back would add another significant option to a Seahawks offense that has already had to navigate Sam Darnold’s early-season injury.

Seattle is 2-1 after Sunday’s narrow loss in Washington. A healthy Charbonnet returning during October could become one of the more meaningful internal additions available to any contender without making a trade.

Caleb Williams Still Not Practicing

Caleb Williams missed practice for the second consecutive day Thursday because of the hamstring injury that kept him out of Monday night’s victory over Philadelphia.

Chicago proved it can survive without him when Case Keenum delivered a remarkably efficient performance against the Eagles, but the Bears would obviously prefer to get their starting quarterback back as soon as possible.

D’Andre Swift was also added to Thursday’s injury report with a knee issue and did not practice. That development is worth watching after Swift carried 20 times for 84 yards in Monday’s victory.

The Bears face the Jets on Sunday, and New York has a significant injury question in its own backfield. Breece Hall missed practice again Thursday with the knee injury he suffered against Detroit.

Chicago is 2-1 after the 27-7 win over Philadelphia. Keenum showed Monday that the Bears do not need to rush Williams simply because the backup plan is incapable of winning, which should allow Chicago to make the decision based on the hamstring rather than urgency.

Lamar Jackson Returns to Full Practice

Baltimore received encouraging news Thursday when Lamar Jackson returned to full participation after being limited Wednesday because of a back issue.

Zay Flowers, John Simpson and Marlon Humphrey were also upgraded to full participation, easing several concerns from Baltimore’s unusually long Wednesday injury report.

The offensive line remains the larger issue. Ethan Pocic did not practice because of his knee injury, and the Ravens are already dealing with multiple long-term injuries at center following Sunday’s victory over Dallas.

Baltimore hosts Tennessee on Sunday with an opportunity to move to 3-1 and potentially keep pace with Cleveland in the AFC North. Jackson being upgraded to full participation makes his back considerably less concerning heading into Friday’s final injury designations.

The Browns have already put pressure on the rest of the division by winning Thursday night. Baltimore now knows exactly what Sunday means: a victory keeps the Ravens alongside Cleveland at 3-1, while a loss would give the Browns an early two-game advantage in the loss column.

Thursday night gave Week 4 an appropriately chaotic beginning. Cleveland built a large lead, surrendered all of it and still found a way to walk away 3-1 on a 56-yard field goal.

The rest of the league now heads toward Sunday with several important situations still unresolved. Daniels has progressed enough to make his availability in London a legitimate question, Jefferson has yet to practice this week and Nacua appears ready to return after missing two games.

Cleveland already made its move. By the end of Sunday, the Browns will know whether the rest of the AFC North kept up.

This report includes information from: NFL.com, Reuters.com, Commanders.com, Rams.com and official NFL team injury and transaction reports.