NFL Player News

The Patriots placed Kibble (undisclosed) on injured reserve Friday.

Kibble inked a deal with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in early May. The wide receiver out of Georgetown will not get a chance to prove himself this year unless he is subsequently designated for a return during the 2026 season. Kibble will need to focus on his recovery for a possible NFL debut in 2027.

Rice (knee) has been cleared to practice ahead of training camp, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

The wideout is recovering from a minor clean-up surgery undergone in May on his right knee, but he'll be able to take the field once the Chiefs resume practicing. Looking ahead, Rice is slated to work as a key pass-catching option in the team's offense alongside fellow WR Xavier Worthy for QB Patrick Mahomes (knee), who has also been cleared to practice, per coach Andy Reid. While Rice is available for training camp, there could be risk down the road for an NFL suspension stemming from a probation violation that resulted in him serving a 30-day sentence in jail this offseason. Rice is coming off a 2025 regular season in which he recorded a 53-571-5 line on 78 targets in eight contests.

Though Nabers (knee) was not among the Giants placed on the active/PUP list Thursday, the team is expected to bring the wideout along slowly, Jordan Raanan of ESPN reports.

Nabers and the team's other veteran players are slated to report to training camp Tuesday, but Raanan notes that doesn't necessarily mean the wideout -- who initially underwent surgery Oct. 28 to address ACL and meniscus tears in his right knee and subsequently underwent a clean-up procedure this spring -- will be practicing immediately. In any case, assuming he remains off the active/PUP list, as expected, added context regarding Nabers' status will arrive once the Giants, who are hopeful he'll be ready for Week 1, re-take the practice field next week.

Nabers (knee) was not among the Giants placed on the active/PUP list Thursday, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports.

As Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com notes, that's a good sign for the wideout, who is working his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, but it remains to be seen what Nabers is able to do once practices start. While there's no timetable at this stage for when he'll work fully, the Giants continue to hope that Nabers will be available for Week 1 action.

Smith is set to lead a revamped wide receiver room that includes rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon and trade acquisition Dontayvion Wicks, Tim McManus of ESPN.com reports.

Smith has spent the past four seasons in A.J. Brown's shadow, but the 2021 first-round pick is ready to lead Philadelphia's wide receiver room for the first time since Smith's rookie campaign, during which he led the team in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with a 64-916-5 regular-season line. Brown was traded to New England in June, and Smith is ready to take on an even larger role after exceeding 1,000 receiving yards in three of four regular seasons playing alongside Brown. "He's a special player that can continue to get even more targets," head coach Nick Sirianni said of Smith, per Zach Berman of The Athletic. "He's so capable of doing even more, and he's phenomenal, he is such a good football player."

Thomas could emerge as a valuable gadget player on offense for the Bears during his rookie season, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Thomas was selected in the third round of April's NFL Draft and comes equipped with 4.28 speed. While he may not have an immediate role as a receiver behind Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond, the Bears are expected to get Thomas some easy touches to showcase his wheels and big-play ability. At the very least, Thomas appears lined up to handle returner duties for Chicago.

Beckham is competing for one of the final receiver spots on the Giants' depth chart this summer, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

All of Malik Nabers (knee), Darius Slayton (abdomen), Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin and rookie Malachi Fields are believed to be locks or near-locks to make the 53-man roster, leaving OBJ to compete with the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Isaiah Hodgins, Braxton Berrios and Jalin Hyatt for one or two other spots at the bottom of the depth chart. Beckham is 33 years old and hasn't been a legitimate NFL contributor since the 2023 season with the Ravens. Even if he makes the team, Beckham is not expected to be a fantasy factor in 2026.

Thornton is locked in as a top-three wide receiver for the Chiefs alongside Rashee Rice (knee) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder), Joshua Brisco of SI.com reports.

Thornton was one of five receivers to play at least 33 percent of the team's offensive snaps in 2025, joining Rice, Worthy, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown. The last two of those receivers are no longer on the roster, leaving unproven options such as Jalen Royals and Cyrus Allen competing for depth roles behind Rice, Worthy and Thornton.

Pierce will likely be limited for some or all of training camp by his ankle injury, Stephen Holder of ESPN.com reports.

Pierce underwent surgery in late March to address an ankle injury, and his recovery period is expected to linger into training camp. He still has time to heal up before the Colts kick off regular-season play Sept. 13 against the Ravens, but Pierce's recovery progress will be worth tracking throughout training camp. Josh Downs is likely to function as the Colts' top wide receiver in practice if Pierce sits out, with Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and rookie seventh-round pick Deion Burks among the players jostling for playing time in Indianapolis' wide receiver room.

Nabers (knee) is expected to avoid opening the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

All eyes will be on Nabers and his participation level when training camp opens for the Giants, as he's continuing to work his way back from a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee. The injury occurred in Week 4 of last season, and Nabers had surgery in late October before needing a clean-up procedure this spring. There's a chance he begins camp on the active/PUP list, but it sounds like the star wideout could be ready for the Week 1 opener against Dallas.