NFL Player News

The Browns cut Darden on Saturday, Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com reports.

Darden's spot on the 53-man roster will be filled by fellow wideout James Proche.Darden, a 2021 fourth-round pick, returned five punts for 72 yards and four kickoffs for 97 yards in Week 1, but the Browns have opted not to stick with him as the primary return man. Pierre Strong and Jerome Ford could work on kick returns instead, while Elijah Moore looks like the top candidate to return punts versus Jacksonville on Sunday.

The Browns signed Proche to the active roster Saturday, in preparation for Sunday's road matchup against the Jaguars, Brad Stainbrook of 247Sports.com reports.

Proche began the regular season on Cleveland's practice squad, but he's now earned a spot on the 53-man roster. The 2020 sixth-round wide receiver appeared in 10 regular-season games with the Browns in 2023, in which span he contributed on special teams and failed to secure any of his five targets.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Saturday that Brown "felt a little tightness" in his hamstring during Friday's practice, and the team intends to exercise caution with the wideout in practice Saturday, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Brown was added to Philadelphia's injury report Friday due to the hamstring issue. While Sirianni's comments Saturday add clarity to the nature of the concern about the star receiver, they don't clarify the extent to which Brown is in danger of missing Monday's Week 2 game against Atlanta. More could be known in that regard following Saturday's practice, however, when Philadelphia will release its final injury report ahead of Monday Night Football.

The Steelers elevated Skowronek from their practice squad Saturday ahead of the team's Week 2 matchup versus Denver.

Skowronek was also elevated ahead of Week 1 and played 10 snaps -- all on special teams -- against Atlanta. He'll likely have a similar role this Sunday while serving as wideout depth with rookie receiver Roman Wilson questionable to suit up due to an ankle injury.

Chosen reverted to the Dolphins' practice squad Friday, per the NFL's transaction log.

Chosen played 17 of 76 offensive snaps in Miami's blowout loss to the Bills on Thursday night. The veteran wideout reeled in just one of his four targets for five yards and was the intended receiver on one of Tua Tagovailoa's (concussion) three interceptions. Chosen is getting receiver snaps while Odell Beckham (undisclosed) works his back from offseason surgery.

Coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Friday that Pearsall (chest/shoulder) resumed working out at the 49ers' facilities this week, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Pearsall suffered a gunshot wound during an attempted robbery on Aug. 31, but he was discharged from the hospital one day later before the 49ers placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list on Labor Day. Since then, it was revealed that the team expected the rookie first-round pick to return when first eligible Week 5, and getting back to working out, including in the weight room, is a decent sign that he's on track for such an outcome. For as long as Pearsall remains sidelined, Jauan Jennings will remain San Francisco's No. 3 WR behind starters Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.

Brown was added to the Eagles' practice report Friday as a limited participant due to a hamstring injury.

It's a major concern for fantasy managers, especially with the Eagles playing Monday against Atlanta, at which point there weren't be many alternatives to fill in at wide receiver. Brown hadn't previously been listed on the injury report, so this suggests something happened during practice Thursday or Friday, although it may just be a minor injury. The Eagles will release their final Week 2 injury report Saturday afternoon/evening.

Weaver (oblique) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Rams, Tyler Drake of ArizonaSports.com reports.

The undrafted rookie wide receiver from Colorado has a chance to make his NFL debut Sunday after logging a week of limited practice sessions due to an oblique injury. If Weaver remains sidelined for another week, expect Chris Moore and Zach Pascal to see increased work as depth pieces in Arizona's WR room.

Jennings (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Minnesota, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Jennings was listed with an ankle injury ahead of Week 1 and even made a brief exit from Monday's win over the Jets, but it didn't stop him from catching each of his five targets for a team-high 64 receiving yards. He played 47 percent of San Francisco's snaps on offense and ran a route on 56 percent of the pass plays, filling his usual role as the No. 3 receiver behind Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. It is possible Jennings benefits from a few extra snaps here and there if Samuel continues to get some work as a running back while Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) is out.

Franklin is in line to make his NFL debut Sunday against the Steelers, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports.

Franklin was a healthy inactive in last week's loss to Seattle, but he'll enter the wide receiver rotation Week 2 with fellow rookie wideout Devaughn Vele (ribs) ruled out. Prior to being a fourth-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Franklin spent the 2023 season catching pass at Oregon from Bo Nix, who is now Denver's starting quarterback.