NFL Player News

The Rams plan to rest Kupp and other key players for Saturday's preseason game against the Chargers, Cameron DaSilva of USA Today reports.

The Rams held nearly half their roster out of the preseason opener against Dallas, including a lot of their more highly regarded backups, and coach Sean McVay said the list of rested players could be even longer for the team's second exhibition. Kupp has been healthy throughout spring practices and training camp, unlike last year when he had to rehab from a major ankle injury and then dealt with a hamstring pull for much of the summer and September.

Douglas caught one of two targets for one yard in Thursday's 14-13 preseason loss to the Eagles.

It was nice to see Douglas suit up Thursday after he missed the preseason opener against the Panthers due to a hand injury. The second-year slot receiver accounted for one of Jacoby Brissett's three completions in the first quarter. Regardless of whether Brissett or rookie third overall pick Drake Maye starts under center in the regular season, Douglas figures to be one of the Patriots' top pass catchers after posting 561 receiving yards as a rookie in 2023. New England's preseason finale will be Aug. 25 against the Commanders.

Smith didn't play in Thursday's 14-13 preseason win over the Patriots.

Smith has yet to appear in the 2024 preseason, which is also the case for Philadelphia's other key skill players. After signing a three-year, $75 million extension in April, Smith will look to build on a strong first three NFL regular seasons in which he averaged 1,059 receiving yards and 6.3 TDs per year. If Smith plays in the preseason finale against the Vikings on Saturday, Aug. 24, it likely won't be for more than a few drives.

Brown didn't play in Thursday's 14-13 preseason win over the Patriots.

Brown was joined by QB Jalen Hurts, fellow WR DeVonta Smith and RB Saquon Barkley on the sidelines as Philadelphia's top skill-position players got the night off, as was also the case in the preseason opener. Regardless of whether Brown suits up in the preseason finale against the Vikings on Saturday, Aug. 24, he's poised to maintain a key role come the regular season after racking up 2,952 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns across his previous two regular seasons with the Eagles.

Jackson (leg) was ruled out for the rest of the Patriots' preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday, Mike Kadlick of CLNSMedia.com reports.

Jackson suffered what appeared to be a non-contact injury, per Kadlick. Jackson did not catch a pass before exiting. The wide receiver went undrafted in April and is competing for a depth role with New England.

Ross exited Thursday night's preseason game against the Patriots with a concussion and will not return, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Ross caught one of his two targets for nine yards prior to getting injured. It's the veteran wideout's lone catch of the preseason to date, and now he'll have to pass through the league's protocol if he's going to be cleared in time for the preseason finale versus Green Bay on Aug. 24.

After not playing in the Chargers' preseason opener, McConkey (undisclosed) is expected to play in Saturday's exhibition against the Cowboys, Gavino Borquez of USA Today reports.

McConkey dressed but didn't play last week, but that's expected to change this weekend after the rookie returned to full practice this week. He's expected to handle a starting role for the Chargers in 2024, but Joshua Palmer, DJ Chark and Quentin Johnston are also in the mix for snaps.

Thomas entered the league's concussion protocol Thursday, ESPN.com reports.

The 26-year-old wideout was injured in Wednesday's practice. He's yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game after spending 2023 on Minnesota's practice squad.

Ross is being examined for a concussion during the Eagles' preseason game against the Patriots on Thursday, EJ Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ross has one catch for nine yards in the game. The wide receiver is competing for the Eagles' third wide receiver role behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Grant (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve by the Falcons on Thursday, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports.

The wide receiver needs to reach an injury settlement with the team in order to play this season. Grant signed with Atlanta on Saturday and was competing for a return-specialist role. The veteran last saw NFL action in 2021 with Chicago and Miami, recording 11 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.