NFL Player News

Allen (heel) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at Houston after missing another practice Friday.

Fellow wideout Rome Odunze (knee) returned to practice Friday as a limited participant and also is listed as questionable. Allen's absences from Wednesday through Friday aren't the best sign, but the Bears at least are leaving the door open ahead of a 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday night. Allen dealt with the heel injury for much of August and aggravated it in the fourth quarter of a Week 1 win over the Titans.

Chiefs Vice President of Sports Medicine and Performance Rick Burkholder said Friday that Brown (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday, per Matt McMullen of the team's official site, and that he's without a timetable to return, Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star reports.

Brown appears destined to land on injured reserve, as initially reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, though the move has not yet been made official. Coach Andy Reid said Monday the wide receiver's potential return to the field is "not going to be weeks, it's going to be more like months," according to Charles Goldman of AtoZSports.com. Burkholder said the decision for Brown to undergo surgery was made after recent imaging revealed a bone in his shoulder had moved, with specialists determining it would be too risky for the wideout to suit up for NFL action. Assuming he's placed on IR, Brown's earliest possible return date will be Sunday, Oct. 20 versus San Francisco, but it sounds like the Chiefs don't anticipate him being ready to retake the field until late in the 2024 season, at least. In the meantime, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman will continue to see depth opportunities behind the starting WR trio of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson.

Addison (ankle) isn't practicing Friday and thus seems unlikely to play Sunday against the 49ers, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Addison sprained his left ankle in August but made it back for Week 1, only to sprain his right ankle in a win over the Giants. He hasn't practiced at all this week, which likely leaves Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell to join Justin Jefferson in three-wide formations come Sunday.

Valdes-Scantling didn't catch his only target in Thursday's 31-10 win over the Dolphins.

Valdes-Scantling has just one catch on three targets through two games with the Bills. The speedster will likely connect with big-armed quarterback Josh Allen for a few big plays this season, but those will probably come sporadically given Valdes-Scantling's lack of a consistent role in Buffalo's offense. Heading into a Week 3 home game against the Jaguars, Valdes-Scantling is fifth among Bills wide receivers in targets behind Khalil Shakir (eight), Keon Coleman (six), Curtis Samuel (four) and Mack Hollins (four).

Samuel caught one of two targets for three yards in Thursday's 31-10 win over Miami.

Samuel has just four targets through two games. His lack of involvement could be due to the lingering effects of a turf toe injury he had heading into the season, though that hasn't affected Samuel's practice reps. Regardless of the cause, Samuel's modest role thus far will make him tough to trust Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Hollins didn't catch his only target in Thursday's 31-10 win over the Dolphins.

Hollins scored a touchdown in his Bills debut last week, but Buffalo's four TDs on Thursday came courtesy of three scores from running back James Cook and a pick-six by the defense. Josh Allen and the passing game took a back seat, as Khalil Shakir (five catches for 54 yards) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (four catches for 33 yards) were the only Bills to catch multiple passes. Shakir has an early edge in involvement over Hollins, Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but a defined pecking order has yet to be established in Buffalo's new-look wide receiver room. Hollins will look to bounce back Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Coleman didn't catch his only target in Thursday's 31-10 win over the Dolphins.

Coleman took a step back after posting a team-leading 51 receiving yards in his NFL debut, but his lack of involvement can be attributed in large part to game flow. Buffalo's defense and ground game dominated, so Khalil Shakir (five catches for 54 yards) and Dalton Kincaid (four catches for 33 yards) were the only Bills to catch multiple passes. Coleman, whom the Bills selected 33rd overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, likely would benefit if the team employs a more pass-heavy approach Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Collins (illness) participated in practice Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

An illness limited Collins' participation Thursday, but his presence at Friday's session presumably sets the stage for him to be available Sunday night against the Bears. The Texans' upcoming injury report will reveal whether the wideout heads into the weekend with a Week 2 designation.

DuBose secured one of three targets for 13 yards during Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Bills.

DuBose had a target from Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) bounce off his chest early in the first quarter of Thursday's loss, resulting in a Buffalo interception that set the tone for the night. That mistake will overshadow the second-year pro's first NFL catch and potentially result in his opportunities on offense being reduced going forward. The Dolphins seem likely to have Skylar Thompson under center Week 3 against Seattle and for as long as Tagovailoa remains in the concussion protocol.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Friday that Higgins (hamstring) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer and Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic report.

Higgins, who was unable to practice this week, thus is trending toward missing his second game in a row. Andrei Iosivas and Trenton Irwin are expected to see expanded snaps alongside top wideout Ja'Marr Chase in Week 2.