NFL Player News

The Jets signed Brownlee to their practice squad Friday, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports.

Brownlee was let go from the Jets' 53-man roster Wednesday after tight end Brenden Bates was claimed off waivers. Brownlee began 2023 on the Jets' practice squad and played in seven regular-season games, finishing his rookie campaign with five catches (on eight targets) for 56 yards and one touchdown. Mike Williams (knee) and Irvin Charles (hip) are both dealing with injuries, and if either of them cannot suit up for the Jets' season opener against the 49ers on Sept. 9, Brownlee would be a prime candidate to be elevated to the active roster.

Skowronek signed to Pittsburgh's practice squad Friday, Teresa Varley of the team's official site reports.

Skowronek spent training camp with the Texans and caught four of eight targets for 32 yards over three preseason contests. He was unable to make Houston's 53-man roster, however, and will now look to make his way back to NFL action via Pittsburgh's practice squad. Skowronek spent his first three professional campaigns with the Rams, compiling 58 receptions (on 93 targets) for 575 yards and one touchdown while rushing three times for 26 yards and another score over 45 regular-season games.

Carolina signed Cain to its practice squad Friday, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Cain joined Buffalo for training camp in mid-August and signed a practice-squad deal with the Bills on Wednesday before being cut the following day. It didn't take long for the wideout to find a new organization, and he'll now set his sights on trying to return to an NFL active roster for the first time since 2020. Cain has logged snaps with Indianapolis and Pittsburgh in his career, accumulating nine receptions (on 20 targets) for 124 yards.

Shaheed (toe/foot) returned to practice this week and said he "didn't lose a step" despite missing a substantial portion of training camp, Darrion Gray of USA Today reports.

Shaheed said "I stayed on top of everything that I needed to throughout the rehab process," indicating that he'll be fully up to speed with New Orleans' offense Week 1 versus the Panthers. It remains to be seen whether Shaheed has yet resumed practicing in full, but it seems like the third-year pro is on track to play in the Saints' regular-season opener on Sept. 8. Shaheed looks primed for a crucial role behind No. 1 wideout Chris Olave, but he could be deployed somewhat differently this season under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Coach Andy Reid said Friday that Brown (shoulder) is not expected to suit up for Kansas City's regular-season opener against the Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Brown was given a 4-to-6 week recovery timetable after suffering a sternoclavicular injury Aug. 10, so Reid is essentially offering an acknowledgement that the wideout's earliest possible return date will come Week 2 versus the Bengals. It's possible that Brown will need longer than that to get full healthy, but the Chiefs' decision not to place him on short-term IR is a vote of confidence from the team that he will need to miss less than four games. For Week 1, Patrick Mahomes' top receiving targets will be TE Travis Kelce, second-year wideout Rashee Rice, rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy and incumbent receiver Justin Watson. The team also recently signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and pass-catching running back Samaje Perine as depth boosts.

Franklin has made solid progress ahead of the 2024 season, and head coach Sean Payton is pleased with where he is at in his development, Nick Kosmider of the Athletic reports.

Franklin had an underwhelming training camp and preseason after the Broncos traded up in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select him. The rookie wideout failed to record a single catch in his first two preseason games, but he did show flashes as a deep threat at certain points in camp. Despite Franklin's inconsistent start, Payton stated that "he has rare speed and he's very comfortable catching an in-route and then, all of a sudden, he's taking it for a big gain." Both his big-play potential and his connection with Bo Nix, his college quarterback, could afford the 21-year-old the opportunity to see some playing time as a rookie, especially if there are injuries within Denver's wide receiver corps during the season. With that said, Franklin will likely have an uphill battle for consistent usage behind Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds and Marvin Mims when all three are healthy.

Sutton is set to be the Broncos' unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver for the 2024 campaign and has made improvements to his game this offseason, Nick Kosmider of The Athletic reports.

Entering the 2024 season, Sutton is on track to operate as Denver's top receiver while serving as a reliable target for rookie quarterback Bo Nix. According to Kosmider, the veteran pass catcher often "looked like Nix's security blanket at times during training camp." A developing connection between Sutton and Nix would serve the 28-year-old wideout well for fantasy purposes, as his elevated role in the offense should lead to consistent opportunities. Head coach Sean Payton understands Sutton's impact on the Broncos' success, stating "I would say he is important, and I think he knows that." While becoming more comfortable in Payton's system, the 6-foot-4, 216-pounder has worked to fine-tune his technique as a receiver, stating "I feel like this year, so far, I have been seeing so much more of an improvement in my route detail and my route technique." Based on his skill development and comfort within the scheme, Sutton figures to be a key piece of Denver's passing attack this season.

The Browns signed Griffin to the practice squad Thursday.

Griffin was unable to make the Raiders' 53-man roster as the primary returner on special teams. He'll now head to Cleveland, where he will stay ready for an elevation to the active roster.

The 49ers and Aiyuk reached an agreement on a four-year, $120 million extension Thursday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

The long offseason and preseason saga surrounding Aiyuk has now reached its conclusion, with the wide receiver reportedly getting $76 million in guaranteed money to stay in the Bay Area. Now that he's locked in with the 49ers for the foreseeable future, he'll be looking to uphold his standard as a 1,000-yard option in San Francisco's offense, something that he's accomplished in both of the past two campaigns.

Toure signed with the Bears' practice squad Thursday, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Toure failed to make the Packers' initial 53-man roster Tuesday and has since opted to sign with the Bears' practice squad. The 2022 seventh-round pick out of Nebraska spent the first two seasons of his career in Green Bay, appearing in 22 regular-season games and recording 160 receiving yards on 13 receptions, with one touchdown.