NFL Player News

Johnson caught one of two targets for 17 yards in Saturday's 31-26 preseason win over the Bills.

Johnson missed time during training camp due to a groin injury and illness, so it was nice to see him get into a preseason game and build some rapport with Bryce Young. Johnson's lone catch was an important one, as it helped the Panthers convert on fourth down on an opening drive that ended in a touchdown before Carolina's starters got the rest of the day off. The former Steelers wide receiver is expected to be the top pass catcher on his new team in the regular season, which begins Sept. 8 against the Saints.

Schwartz suffered a ligament tear in his left knee during Friday's preseason loss to Tampa Bay, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Schwartz didn't play in either of the Dolphins' first two exhibition contests but was finally able to take the field Friday for the preseason finale. The 23-year-old caught both of his targets for 24 yards, but on his second catch -- a 17-yard reception thrown by Skylar Thompson -- he hurt his knee while being tackled. Jackson cites a source in indicating that Schwartz tore a ligament in his left knee on the play and suggests that the speedy wideout is headed either to IR or toward an injury settlement. Miami has yet to confirm those details, but this nonetheless appears to be another hit to a wide receiver room that has had its depth thinned due to a multitude of injuries.

Smith-Marsette is questionable to return to Saturday's preseason game against the Bills due to an ankle injury, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

The wide receiver was examined for a possible lower right leg injury after landing awkwardly following a catch, per David Newton of ESPN.com. Smith-Marsette returned a punt for 21 yards and a kickoff for 46 yards before exiting. The 24-year-old is projected to be Carolina's punt returner in 2024.

Smith-Marsette was being examined by trainers for a possible lower right leg injury during Carolina's preseason game against Buffalo on Saturday, David Newton of ESPN.com reports.

The wide receiver/punt returner landed awkwardly after a catch, per Newton. Smith-Marsette recorded 322 punt return yards and a touchdown for the Panthers in 2023.

Swain (undisclosed) was let go from injured reserve with an injury settlement Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

The wide receiver now has a chance to play in 2024 if he can catch on with another team. Swain spent the majority of the 2023 season on the Dolphins' practice squad. The 26-year-old caught 42 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns with Seattle and Denver between 2020 and 2022.

Harris has a concussion and is out for the rest of the Eagles' preseason game against the Vikings on Saturday.

The wide receiver did not record a catch before exiting. Harris is competing for a depth role beyond Philadelphia's top trio of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson. The fourth-year pro has one catch for six yards over three previous NFL seasons.

Webster (groin) was placed on injured reserve by the Bears on Saturday.

The wide receiver will need to reach an injury settlement with the team to have a chance to play in 2024. Webster injured the groin during Thursday night's preseason win over the Chiefs. The 28-year-old has two catches for 14 yards in 29 career games.

Collins is among a number of Texans wideouts not dressed for Saturday's preseason contest versus the Rams, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Also expected to be held out of the contest are Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell and Robert Woods. Those four are at the head of the wide receiver depth chart for the Texans, so the team appears to be have made the decision to keep its top players out of the exhibition finale. John Metchie III, Ben Skowronek, Xavier Hutchinson and Steven Sims, among others, will get a chance to shine as Houston's pass catchers Saturday.

Johnson (illness) is among the Panthers on track to see action in Saturday's preseason finale against the Bills, Darin Gantt of the team's official site reports.

Johnson missed Thursday's practice with an illness, but his name is not listed among the Panthers' players in line to sit Saturday during a contest in which the team's starters are expected to see snaps. As the coming season approaches, Johnson is poised to lead a Carolina WR corps that also includes Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette.

Coach Kyle Shanahan indicated after Friday's preseason finale that he hopes Pearsall (shoulder) will be able to practice this coming week, Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com reports.

When asked if he thought Pearsall -- who was unavailable for the contest -- would be ready for Week 1 action, Shanahan said "I hope so...We'll see how he is this week. Hoping he gets into practice this week, and if he does, that's a pretty good sign that he could be available for then." The report adds that Shanahan told reporters Friday that Pearsall is dealing with a subluxation (or partial dislocation) of his shoulder, which stems from the wideout's time in college. It's an issue that left Pearsall's shoulder feeling "tender" after a recent aggravation of the issue. The 2024 first-rounder's status gains added import for the 49ers ahead of the regular season, considering the uncertainty surrounding fellow WR Brandon Aiyuk, whose contract situation with the team remains unresolved.