NFL Player News

Coach Shane Steichen said Friday that Downs (ankle) is out for Sunday's season opener against the Texans.

Downs was able to do some individual movement drills off to the side during Friday's practice, but he won't be ready for Week 1 action and thus will target a potential return Sunday, Sept. 15 against the Packers. In Downs' absence versus Houston, fellow WRs Adonai Mitchell and Alec Pierce should see added opportunities behind No. 1 receiver Michael Pittman.

Washington (quadriceps) is not present at the portion of Friday's practice open to the media, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.

Washington was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday due to a quad injury, so if he's been downgraded to a non-participant Friday, it will bode poorly for his chances of suiting up Week 1. Friday's official practice report will provide Washington with an injury designation for Sunday's game against Jacksonville.

Chase indicated Friday that a contract resolution may be in reach, while suggesting that he's a "game-time decision" for Sunday's season opener against the Patriots, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Look for added context to arrive as the day progresses, but Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer relays that Chase acknowledged that he'd probably be limited if he does play Sunday. For his part, when asked about the Week 1 status of both Chase and Tee Higgins (hamstring), coach Zac Taylor told Hobson, "We'll see."

Though Downs (ankle) wasn't participating in practice Friday, James Boyd of The Athletic notes that the wideout was doing individual movement drills off to the side.

If Downs officially goes down as a DNP for the third straight practice, his chances of suiting up Sunday versus Houston wouldn't seem promising. Either way, added context with regard to his Week 1 status will arrive no later that the release of the Colts' final injury report of the week.

Smith-Schuster failed to secure his only target during Thursday's 27-20 win over the Ravens.

Smith-Schuster's lone look from Patrick Mahomes would've been a 20-plus yard touchdown had the veteran wideout been able to complete the catch, and he didn't see another opportunity after that second-quarter target. His 12 offensive snaps ranked just above Skyy Moore (10 snaps) on the wide receiver depth chart. If Marquise Brown (shoulder) isn't ready to return Week 2 versus the Bengals, Smith-Schuster will get another opportunity to work as Kansas City's No. 4 wideout.

Watson secured his only target for 25 yards during Thursday's 27-20 win over the Ravens.

Watson played 52 percent of offensive snaps versus Baltimore in Week 1, working as the Chiefs' clear No. 3 receiver behind Rashee Rice (78 percent) and Xavier Worthy (63 percent). That involvement will dip once starter Marquise Brown (shoulder) returns from injury, but if he remains sidelined Week 2 versus Cincinnati, Watson will have another opportunity to capitalize on an increased snap share.

Higgins (hamstring) wasn't spotted during the initial stage of Friday's walkthrough, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

Higgins was added to the Bengals' Week 1 injury report after being limited Thursday by a hamstring issue. Friday's official practice/injury report will provide further context with regard to his status, but either way this is a situation to monitor, especially given the uncertainty surrounding fellow WR Ja'Marr Chase ahead of Sunday's game against the Patriots.

Hardman returned one kickoff for 29 yards in the Chiefs' 27-20 win over the Ravens on Thursday night.

Hardman didn't play at all on offense, but he returned one kickoff and two punts (both fair catches). Barring injuries on the wide receiver depth chart, Hardman lacks a clear path to offensive playing time. He'll look to make a splash in the return game Week 2 versus the Bengals.

Moore played 10 offensive snaps (19 percent) but was not targeted in the Chiefs' 27-20 win over the Ravens on Thursday night.

Moore wasn't able to record any offensive statistics in Kansas City's season-opener. Rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy logging a two-TD debut effectively curtails any lingering hope that Moore will have a late breakout, especially once Marquise Brown (shoulder) manages to get healthy. With Rashee Rice, Worthy and Brown all available, Moore may not end up being active on game days.

Agholor played 38 percent of the snaps Thursday against the Chiefs and caught his lone target for a six-yard gain.

The veteran reportedly had a solid training camp, but it did not translate into a large role in the season opener. The Ravens didn't use many three-wide sets, and the duo of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman were on the field for the vast majority of snaps. With Isaiah Likely emerging as a weapon in the offense, the Ravens may continue to replicate the personnel packages they employed Thursday, which squeezes Agholor's usage upside.