NFL Player News

Watson is on track to practice Thursday after getting hit on the knee at the end of Wednesday's practice, Paul Bretl of ESPN La Crosse 105.5 FM reports.

Watson apparently meant it when he downplayed his knee bruise after Wednesday's practice. It looks like it won't cost him any reps, and the more important thing is that he's avoided hamstring injuries (or any other muscular issues) throughout the offseason and now into training camp. There's still some question about target volume in an offense with so many weapons, but Watson's combination of height and speed should make him an important part of the offense as long as he avoids the hamstring problems that plagued him in his first two professional seasons. The Packers are optimistic that Watson figured out the root cause of those problems and then addressed the muscular imbalance/asymmetry with his legs.

Coach Todd Bowles suggested Thursday that McMillan and other rookies will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Bengals, Brianna Dix of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

McMillan has spent a lot of time with the first-team offense at training camp and reportedly caught a lot of passes from Baker Mayfield, seemingly putting the third-round pick on track to replace holdover Trey Palmer as the Bucs' No. 3 receiver. Most of the Tampa starters will be held out Saturday evening, but McMillan looks to be an exception in light of Bowles saying that "all the rookies" will play. McMillan figures to get playing time early in the game while Kyle Trask is under center.

Nabers and other starters aren't expected to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Lions, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.

Raanan suggests the starters could play the following Saturday against Houston, although there's been nothing from the team to confirm that so far. Nabers has drawn rave reviews throughout training camp, apparently looking the part of a sixth overall pick (and then some).

Harrison (ankle) is expected to miss Saturday's preseason opener against the 49ers, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports.

The Oregon State product is expected to continue battling for a depth spot in Tennessee's wide receiver corps once he returns from injury. If Harrison is absent Saturday, Sam Schnee and Bryce Oliver are expected to see more preseason reps.

Watson, who relayed that he took a hit to the knee on the last play of practice Wednesday, downplayed the issue afterward, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports. "It's a little sore, but it's just a bruise, so nothing that's going to stop me from doing anything," Watson said. "Right now, it's died down a lot, so if we had a practice right now, then I think I would be good to go."

While the wideout evidently avoided a concerning injury, he's not a sure bet to play in Saturday's preseason opener against the Browns. Head coach Matt LaFleur has previously said that the Packers will be cautious with banged-up players in the preseason opener, even those who are dealing with minor injuries.

El-Zayat (undisclosed) was waived by the Jets with an injury designation Wednesday, per the NFL's official transaction log.

El-Zayat was attempting to make the team as an undrafted free agent out of Eastern Michigan. Instead, he will revert to injured reserve, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, and potentially miss the 2024 campaign.

The Eagles waived Davis on Wednesday.

Davis was sent to waivers by Philadelphia to make room for tight end Armani Rogers on the roster. The second-year pro spent the 2023 season, his rookie campaign, on New Orleans' practice squad and inked with the Eagles back in January.

Tipton left practice early Wednesday due to a hamstring injury, according to head coach Dennis Allen, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football reports.

The injury is a tough blow for Tipton, who was receiving rave reviews early in training camp. The Yale product went undrafted in 2024 but has posted a 4.33-second 40-yard dash time, which he's put on display in practices, proving to be a potential downfield threat. It's not yet clear how long the 23-year-old could be sidelined with the injury.

Harty (lower leg) was spotted participating in Wednesday's practice, Jonas Shaffer of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

Harty missed a little time due to a soft tissue injury in his lower leg, but it appears he's moved past the issue. Now that Harty has returned to full health, he's expected to serve as the Ravens' top kick and punt returner and compete for a depth role in the team's wide receiver room.

Washington has stood out in back-to-back joint practices with the Falcons, and he connected on a deep target from quarterback Skylar Thompson for a highlight-reel play Wednesday, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.

Washington is listed as a fifth-string wide receiver on Miami's first unofficial depth chart of the preseason, but he still has plenty of time remaining to make his case for a spot on the 53-man roster. The rookie sixth-round pick has impressed in recent practice while Jaylen Waddle (undisclosed) and Braxton Berrios (undisclosed) have missed time, and he took advantage of Tyreek Hill logging limited work Wednesday. Head coach Mike McDaniel praised Washington's early development during Wednesday's presser, noting that the receiver is "operating as a pro in terms of how he's studying, his ownership of the playbook, and how reliable he is with assignments for his teammates." The rookie could further help his stock if he's able to flash in Friday's preseason opener against Atlanta.