NFL Player News

Thornton didn't catch his lone target in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers.

Thornton logged just seven snaps in the contest, but it's notable that the speedster opened up the contest with the Patriots' starters. In his third season as a pro, the 2022 second-rounder is competing for a role in a wide open New England WR corps, but as Evan Lazar of the team's official site notes, Thornton's start and subsequent quick exit Thursday could bode well for his roster standing.

Ford-Wheaton (knee) played 26 offensive snaps in Thursday's preseason win over the Lions, catching one of two targets for six yards.

Ford-Wheaton hyperextended his knee during practice last Friday, but he recovered from the injury quickly and was able to lead New York's wideouts with 26 snaps on offense against Detroit. His lone catch came in the third quarter on a short pass, though he did draw a defensive pass-interference penalty on another play. Ford-Wheaton is attempting to secure a spot as a depth receiver on the 53-man roster after missing all of last season due to a torn ACL.

Baker caught two of his four targets for 11 yards in Thursday's 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers.

Going forward in his first preseason as a pro, Baker -- who logged 38 snaps on offense in the contest -- will continue to compete for slotting in a crowded and unsettled New England wideout corps that also includes Kendrick Bourne (knee), DeMario Douglas, Ja'Lynn Polk, K.J. Osborn, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte and Jalen Reagor. Given that the Patriots took Baker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, his roster standing appears solid, but it remains to be seen how steady a role the UCF product -- who has reportedly made some highlight-reel plays in practice this summer -- sees out of the gate this season.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Thursday that he doesn't have urgency to get Lamb's contract done, NFL.com's Grant Gordon reports.

QB Dak Prescott disagreed, telling reporters afterward, "I got urgency for it to happen." Lamb had an ever shorter response, simply posting 'lol' on his X account. Lamb remains on the reserve/did not report list, holding out for a new contract while scheduled to make $17.99 million in 2024 under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Recent contracts for other WRs suggest the Cowboys will need to offer more than $30 million per year to get Lamb to sign; the big question is whether he'll start practicing soon -- or at least ahead of Week 1 -- if there's no agreement.

Marshall failed to come up with either of his two targets in the Panthers' 17-3 preseason loss to the Patriots on Thursday.

Marshall came up empty after impressing in training camp practices, but the Panthers rolled out undrafted rookie Jack Plummer as the starting quarterback Thursday. Marshall got extra opportunity Thursday with Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette (foot) sitting out, and the fourth-year wideout will look to continue making his bid for a roster spot during Carolina's second preseason game against the Jets on Aug. 17.

Hyatt caught his only target for no gain in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions.

Hyatt's lone target came from Drew Lock (hip) on the opening drive. Rookie sixth overall pick Malik Nabers wasn't targeted at all on his 12 snaps in the game, so neither of the young speedsters made much of an impact Thursday. Hyatt's coming off a 373-yard rookie season, and the 2023 third-round draft pick is trying to carve out a larger role in 2024. The Giants' second preseason game will be next Saturday in Houston.

Polk secured all three targets for 14 yards in the Patriots' 17-3 preseason win over the Panthers on Thursday.

Polk made his first professional catch for three yards with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter on a pass from Bailey Zappe, going on to add six- and five-yard grabs while playing deep into the second quarter. The second-round pick's debut performance was reminiscent of the consistency he's reportedly shown in training camp practices, and Polk should continue to see ample playing time in Week 2 of preseason against the Eagles next Thursday night.

Green suffered a concussion in Thursday night's preseason loss to the Giants, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reports.

Green was injured on a block attempt in the second quarter. Prior to leaving, Green had reeled in all three of his targets for 13 yards. A seventh-round pick out of North Carolina last year, Green is trying to win a job behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in Detroit's wide-open wideout group.

Nabers wasn't targeted in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions.

Nabers played the first three drives of the Giants' preseason opener but didn't get any attention from Drew Lock, and the quarterback subsequently exited the game due to a hip injury. Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, Nabers ran eight routes on his 12 snaps. The sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft may ramp up his participation in the next preseason game against the Texans, but it will be hard to evaluate Nabers until he shares the field with starting quarterback Daniel Jones, who may not play in the preseason as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered last November.

Mingo failed to bring in his only target in the Panthers' 17-3 preseason loss to the Patriots on Thursday. He also rushed once for six yards.

The second-year pro's quest to secure the No. 3 receiver role with a strong preseason didn't exactly get off to a rousing start. Mingo has been making a strong impression during training camp practices and drew the start Thursday with Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette (foot) all sitting out, but he couldn't capitalize on his one opportunity while playing with Jack Plummer as his quarterback. Mingo did put some solid play on film as a rookie despite Bryce Young's struggles under center, however, so his spot in the wide receiver pecking order should remain stable heading into the team's second preseason game against the Jets on Aug. 17.