NFL Player News

Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters Monday that Bell "took a good shot" to his quadriceps in Saturday's preseason loss to the Packers, Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Stefanski added that he expects Bell to be held out of team drills for the next week or two while nursing his injury. Bell caught his lone target for five yards before exiting in the first half of Saturday's contest. The 2022 third-round pick has had an excellent training camp and is expected to make the Browns' 53-man roster as a depth wide receiver behind Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy (leg) and Elijah Moore.

Thompson suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday's 33-6 loss to the Bears, Chris Brown of the Bills Radio Network reports.

Thompson failed to record any stats in the defeat, but he did pick up an injury in the process. The wide receiver was described as week-to-week by head coach Sean McDermott, putting his availability in question for Saturday's matchup with the Steelers.

Shorter (knee) returned to practice Monday, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Shorter is healthy once again after sitting out practice last week due to a knee injury. The 24-year-old will now compete for a roster spot as a backup receiver after missing the entirety of last season with a hamstring injury.

Brown started Saturday's preseason loss to the Jets and caught two of three targets for 55 yards.

Brown had a 42-yard gain on the third play of the game, catching a perfectly thrown deep pass from rookie QB Jayden Daniels. Brown continued playing well into the second quarter and caught a 13-yard pass from third-string QB Jeff Driskel on an afternoon when Terry McLaurin was the only Washington wideout to be pulled from the game at the same time as Daniels. Probable No. 2 receiver Jahan Dotson also played throughout the first half, and rookie third-round pick Luke McCaffrey got each of his three targets after halftime. Brown thus seems to be in the mix for a top-3 role, primarily competing with Dotson, McCaffrey and Olamide Zaccheaus for playing time behind McLaurin.

McCaffrey caught two of three targets for 25 yards in the second half of a preseason loss to the Jets on Saturday.

The third-round pick played 31 snaps, with nearly all of those coming in the second half as part of the third- and fourth-string offenses. That's not usually the best sign in terms of Week 1 role, but it matters less for a rookie, especially during the opening week of the preseason. McCaffrey is still a candidate to eventually earn a top-3 role in a WR room where nothing appears guaranteed besides Terry McLaurin being the No. 1.

Ezukanma (neck) participated in Monday's practice session, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Ezukanma was limited for the first two weeks of training camp with a lingering neck injury, but he returned to full participation Monday. Ezukanma is competing against Willie Snead, Anthony Schwartz and rookie fifth-round pick Malik Washington for the sixth wide receiver spot on the Dolphins' 53-man roster.

Patrick caught his lone target for 14 yards in Sunday's 34-30 preseason win over the Colts.

Patrick, who has not played in a regular-season game since 2021, made his return for the team's preseason opener Sunday. With last July's torn Achilles behind him, the veteran wideout played 11 snaps in the contest and reeled in his only target. Heading into the 2024 campaign, Patrick will look to get back to his role as a sure-handed, reliable playmaker in Denver's offense. However, he'll face competition for targets behind No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton, as second-year speedster Marvin Mims and new addition Josh Reynolds should contend for playing time.

Reynolds secured one of his two targets for 11 yards in Sunday's 34-30 preseason win over the Colts.

Reynolds was minimally involved in his first action with the Broncos, playing just 17 offensive snaps and recording just one catch on two targets. The veteran wideout joined the Broncos in March as a free agent, signing a two-year contract worth up to $14 million. As the season approaches, Reynolds will look to carve out a role behind No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton, but he'll face competition for targets from Tim Patrick and second-year standout Marvin Mims in the wide receiver corps.

Mims caught two of three targets for 17 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-30 preseason win over the Colts.

Mims was on the field for just 17 offensive snaps Sunday, making the most of his opportunities by scoring a touchdown on a one-yard pass from Bo Nix late in the first half. With a strong showing in training camp thus far, the second-year wideout has a chance to take a big step forward in the Denver's offense after a disappointing rookie campaign. The 22-year-old's elite speed makes him an intriguing weapon with the potential to take the top off of defenses. With fellow receiver Courtland Sutton firmly atop the depth chart, Mims will likely compete with Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick for the second spot in the pecking order.

McConkey (undisclosed) dressed for Saturday's 16-3 preseason loss to the Seahawks but did not play any snaps, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.

McConkey has been dealing with an undisclosed lower-body injury at training camp, and though he suited up for action Saturday, the rookie second-round pick was ultimately kept off the field. Though McConkey was in uniform to warm up Saturday, he changed to street clothes before kickoff. McConkey's next chance to take the field and handle exhibition reps will come Saturday at home against the Rams, but it remains to be seen whether the 34th overall pick will be fully cleared by then.