NFL Player News

Pickens caught both of his targets for 25 yards in Friday's 20-12 preseason loss to the Texans.

Pittsburgh's starters played only one quarter, but Pickens showed a nice rapport with Justin Fields, who started at quarterback with Russell Wilson getting the night off. Regardless of who is under center for the Steelers come Week 1, Pickens is primed to lead Pittsburgh's receiving corps. The Steelers have two more preseason games left before then, including a Saturday, Aug. 17 matchup versus the Bills.

Gould has been used with the first-team offense in the slot at times during training camp and has made a strong impression, James Boyd of The Athletic reports.

The 2024 fifth-round draft pick was seen mostly as a candidate for special teams, as he's also competing for the punt-return job (he was an elite punt returner at Oregon State). However, it looks like he could be in the receiver mix, which may have openings for playing time if Josh Downs misses regular-season games with a high-ankle sprain.

Dulin didn't practice Friday due to a hamstring injury, Kevin Bowen of 93.5 FM The Fan Indianapolis reports.

The severity of the injury isn't clear, but Dulin may not play in Sunday's preseason game against the Broncos as a result. Dulin suffered a season-ending torn ACL back in August 2023, but had returned to practice at full speed at the start of training camp.

Mitchell worked in the slot with the first-team offense in Friday's practice with Josh Downs sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, Kevin Bowen of 92.5 FM The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Mitchell and Alex Pierce have been in competition for the No. 3 receiver role, but both could begin the campaign in three-receiver sets if Downs misses regular-season games. It's notable that Mitchell got work in the slot, as he had mostly been seen as a perimeter receiver and deep threat. The 2024 second-round draft pick could find an additional path to playing time as a result.

Diggs, who missed practice Wednesday with an unspecified issue, is in uniform for Friday's preseason game against the Steelers, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diggs was shook up in practice Tuesday, and his absence from Wednesday's session hinted at the wideout possibly being held out of Friday's contest. However, it looks like Diggs may see some snaps versus Pittsburgh after all, and if that's the case, he'll have an opportunity to catch passes from starting QB C.J. Stroud, who's expected to play a series or two, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

London is listed among Falcons starters not suiting up for Friday's preseason opener against the Dolphins, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.

Atlanta won't play key starters including London, fellow wideouts Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud, quarterback Kirk Cousins, running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, plus tight end Kyle Pitts in Friday's exhibition contest. The third-year pro's next opportunity to suit up for preseason action will come Aug. 17 on the road at Baltimore.

Aiyuk and the 49ers have re-opened negotiations on a potential long-term deal that would keep the star wideout in San Francisco for the foreseeable future, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Aiyuk reportedly had a recent meeting with coach Kyle Shanahan and others among the 49ers' top brass which went positively enough to lend some optimism to the idea that he could stick around in San Francisco, per Jordan Schultz of BleacherReport.com. The Patriots are reported to have exited trade talks due to Aiyuk's disinterest in playing in New England, despite the team offering a lucrative contract, while the Steelers and Browns continue to be mentioned as suitors for a potential trade. For the time being, Aiyuk's situation remains fluid and at risk of continuing to stretch out into the preseason, with the start of the regular season still roughly one month away, but Pelissero's report that the 49ers are making a push toward extending Aiyuk could also motivate other interested teams to negotiate with a greater sense of urgency.

Brown (shoulder) is expected to miss Friday's preseason game against the Steelers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Brown's strained shoulder will keep him out through Houston's preseason opener, although it was reported that he's close to returning to the field. The 6-foot-2 wide receiver will likely return to practice Monday, and he is looking to compete for the fourth wide receiver spot against Robert Woods, John Metchie and Ben Skowronek.

The Patriots have released Smith-Schuster.

Smith-Schuster, who logged 11 snaps without a target in Thursday's preseason opener, will now have an opportunity to catch on elsewhere on the heels of a 2023 campaign in which he recorded a 29-260-1 line on 47 targets in 11 regular-season contests. By parting ways with the 27-year-old, the Patriots now have one less option to consider in what remains a crowded wideout corps.

Osborn logged four snaps in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

In his brief appearance in the Patriots' exhibition opener, Osborn wasn't targeted, but he did get his limited snaps in with the starting offense in a game which DeMario Douglas (hand) and Kendrick Bourne (knee, PUP) were unavailable for. As the coming season approaches, it's plausible that Osborn could secure a key role in the team's WR corps out of the gate, particularly if Bourne is out or limited come Week 1. While Douglas appears destined to have a steady role for the team, there's otherwise plenty left to be sorted out this preseason, with Osborn, Ja'Lynn Polk, Javon Baker, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte and Jalen Reagor all competing for depth chart slotting.