NFL Player News

Chase (rest/illness) remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots, but he showed improvement late Saturday and could be available for the Bengals' season opener, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Though Chase is still seeking a long-term contract extension with the Bengals, he ended his "hold-in" at practice and took part in workouts as a limited participant Wednesday and Thursday before upgrading to full activity Friday. He termed himself as a game-time decision following Friday's practice before he woke up ill Saturday, adding another potential complication to his availability leading into the season opener. However, with Chase's condition taking a turn for the better later Saturday, the wideout may be trending toward playing Sunday. Fowler notes that the Bengals have included Chase in their game plan this week, though the team could make some adjustments in the event he sits out. Further clarity on Chase's status won't arrive until Cincinnati releases its inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff, and even if he suits up, he could be subject to a more limited snap count than he typically handles after he missed all of training camp and the preseason.

Lockett (thigh) remains listed as questionable but is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Even though Lockett was limited during practices Wednesday and Thursday, head coach Mike Macdonald had already intimated that the wideout was on track to play Sunday. Lockett's condition apparently hasn't taken a turn for the worse in the two days after he turned in a full practice Friday, so expect him to be formally cleared when the Seahawks release their inactive list 90 minutes prior to the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff. DK Metcalf and Lockett will once again sit atop the depth chart at receiver for the Seahawks entering the 2024 season, but 2023 first-round pick and No. 3 wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to take on a larger role in his second NFL campaign and could wind up cutting into Lockett's target share.

Allen (heel) remains listed as questionable but is expected to play in Sunday's game against Tennessee, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has already said that he expects the veteran wideout to make his team debut Sunday, which comes as little surprise after Allen logged a full practice Friday following a pair of limited sessions to begin the week. With DJ Moore lined up to be Chicago's No. 1 wideout and promising rookie Rome Odunze also in the fold, Allen will look to establish a rapport with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams in what will be the USC product's NFL debut.

Jennings (ankle) practiced in full Saturday and doesn't have an injury designation for Monday night's season-opening matchup with the Jets.

Jennings was limited in San Francisco's first two practices of the week due to an ankle issue but appears to be good to go for the team's regular-season opener Monday after practicing in full Saturday. The 27-year-old is slated to fill the 49ers' No. 3 wideout role behind star pass catchers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, though Jennings could see a bit more attention Monday due to Aiyuk not being expected to handle a full workload after sitting out most of training camp while pushing for a contract extension.

Hopkins (knee) is expected to play Sunday against the Bears, but the team could restrict his playing time, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.comreports.

It appears that the team will be leaving it up to Hopkins' discretion how much he plays, as it seems like a pain tolerance situation. The 32-year-old described his preseason injury as an "MCL tear," though the Titans haven't confirmed that information. Hopkins is expected to see a heavy dose of Bears All-Pro corner Jaylon Johnson in what's expected to be a relatively low-scoring affair.

The Broncos elevated Humphrey to the active roster Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.

Humphrey was unable to make the Broncos' 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp, but he opted to stick around on the practice squad. He played in all 17 regular-season games for Denver in 2023, finishing with 13 catches (on 19 targets) for 162 yards and three touchdowns.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said Saturday he'd be "surprised" if Aiyuk saw a full workload in the season opener Monday against the Jets, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Shanahan's plan to put a cap on Aiyuk's snap count isn't especially surprising after the wideout missed the majority of August practices before ending his hold-in by agreeing to a four-year, $120 million extension a week and a half ago. The coach didn't provide many specifics regarding how many snaps Aiyuk will be looking at if he's in line for a less than "full" snap count, perhaps making the receiver less of a dependable option in fantasy lineups than he otherwise might be. Additionally, Aiyuk won't be helped by the fact that he draws a tough matchup on paper against a vaunted Jets pass defense.

The Lions elevated Kennedy to the active roster Saturday.

Kennedy spent all of 2023 on the Lions' practice squad. He last saw regular-season NFL action in 2022, but he'll have a chance at seeing the field for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Rams.

Chase (rest), who remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Patriots, had an illness added to his injury status Saturday, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Chase has deployed a "hold-in" strategy off and on throughout training camp and the preseason due to a contract dispute with the Bengals and suggested Friday that he will decide whether he can play Sunday. The fact that Chase is now dealing with an illness is another complicating factor, though the severity of the ailment isn't known. Tee Higgins (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Week 1, so if Chase is unable to play, the Bengals will likely turn to Andrei Iosivas, Trent Irwin and Jermaine Burton to serve as their starting receivers. Official word on the statuses of Chase and Higgins should arrive with the release of the Bengals' inactive list 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Bengals promoted Pryor to the active roster Saturday ahead of Sunday's regular-season opener against the Patriots.

Pryor spent all of 2023 on the Bengals' practice squad but did not appear in a regular-season NFL game. He'll have that chance Sunday due to Ja'Marr Chase (illness) being listed as questionable and Tee Higgins doubtful due to a hamstring injury.