NFL Player News

Allen missed practice Wednesday due to foot discomfort, but Bears general manager Ryan Poles said that the wide receiver should be fine for Week 1 against the Titans, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

Poles suggested the problem had something to do with Allen's cleats. Whatever the case, the Bears aren't too concerned, but fantasy managers will still want to keep an eye out to make sure Allen returns to practice in the coming days. The 32-year-old is part of a hyper-talented receiver room that also includes DJ Moore and ninth overall pick Rome Odunze.

Buffalo signed Virgil to its practice squad Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Virgil missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn meniscus. He entered training camp fully healthy, but he was unable to make the Broncos' 53-man roster after posting just one catch (on four targets) for 13 yards across Denver's three preseason games. Virgil did get some reps as a kick returner during the preseason -- he turned three kick returns into 88 yards against the Colts on Aug. 11 -- and he could get called up to the Bills' active roster at some point during the season to fill that role if needed.

Eskridge signed with the Dolphins' practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Seattle's second-round selection of the 2021 NFL Draft wasn't able to live up to his draft stock expectations, and he finished his tenure with the Seahawks with 17 catches (on 34 targets) for 122 yards and one touchdown over 24 regular-season games. Eskridge will get a fresh start with the Dolphins, where his 4.40-second 40-yard dash speed will fit nicely in the offensive scheme of head coach Mike McDaniel should he be called up from the taxi squad.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan suggested Wednesday that Aiyuk (contract dispute) could resume practicing soon, noting that he wideout has been "cleared by our doctors," David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports that Aiyuk had back and neck injuries during training camp, although the wideout's absence from practice this summer largely has been attributed to a contract dispute (and subsequent trade request). The contract is clearly the bigger issue, and there doesn't seem to be any question that Aiyuk currently is healthy enough to practice -- something he's yet to do this summer. Shanahan said he hopes to have Aiyuk practicing later Wednesday, but it's unclear if that's wishful thinking or a realistic goal.

The Jaguars signed Cephus to their practice squad Wednesday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.

The Jaguars left Cephus off their initial 53-man roster after he signed with the team in April as an undrafted free agent, but he's now set to join the practice squad. During Cephus' final season at UTSA, the 23-year-old racked up 89 receptions for 1,151 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, earning first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors.

Valdes-Scantling (neck) participated in the portion of practice open to the media Wednesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 Radio reports.

Valdes-Scantling suffered a neck injury in a preseason game Aug. 17 against the Steelers, but he has made progress in his recovery. Every member of Buffalo's recently finalized 53-man roster participated Wednesday in some capacity, and Valdes-Scantling wasn't among the three players donning red non-contact jerseys. The veteran deep threat thus appears on track to suit up Week 1 against the Cardinals, but it will be worth monitoring whether Valdes-Scantling's name pops up on the injury reports that Buffalo will begin issuing next week.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Wednesday that he probably "spoke too quickly" a day earlier when he mentioned that he expected Chase (contract dispute) to play Week 1 against New England, Charlie Clifford of WLWT 5 Cincinnati reports.

Chase practiced Sunday for the first time this summer, but he's now back to observational mode in street clothes as of Wednesday. Taylor used the term "day-to-day" when reporters asked him about the wideout after Wednesday's practice, noting that he'll "look forward to getting [Chase] back, hopefully at some point soon." Chase has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract, including a fifth-year option for 2025, and presumably expects a new deal that's comparable to the ones signed by Justin Jefferson and CeeDee Lamb in recent months.

Reagor was released by the Patriots on Tuesday, Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald reports.

Reagor put forth a valiant effort but ultimately failed to earn a spot on New England's 53-man roster, as the Patriots kept six healthy wide receivers on the 53-man roster in addition to placing Kendrick Bourne (knee) on the PUP list to begin the season. The 25-year-old Reagor will look to latch on with a new team after appearing in 56 games over the previous four seasons, split between the Eagles, Vikings and Patriots.

Ross signed with Kansas City's practice squad Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com reports.

Ross was waived by the Chiefs on Tuesday but went unclaimed, giving Kansas City the opportunity to keep the wide receiver in the organization as a member of the practice squad. Kansas City has seven wide receivers on its 53-man roster, so it may take a couple of injuries for Ross to earn a chance at a promotion after he dressed for 10 regular-season games with Kansas City as a rookie in 2023.

Samuel (toe) participated in the portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports.

Samuel is practicing in at least a limited capacity while wearing full pads Wednesday, which is a notable step in the right direction as he works to get healthy for Week 1. The versatile 28-year-old looks set for a significant role in Buffalo's wide receiver corps, but clarity on his status for the season opener against Arizona on Sept. 8 won't arrive until next week, when the Bills' first injury reports of 2024 are released.