NFL Player News

Collins (calf) wasn't present for Friday's practice, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Collins also missed Thursday's session and is trending in the wrong direction ahead of Sunday's game against the Bengals. If he's out this weekend, Noah Brown would figure to see added Week 10 opportunities alongside Tank Dell and possibly Robert Woods (foot), who returned to a limited practice Thursday.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was non-committal Friday when asked about the chances of Chase (back) playing Sunday against the Texans, Kelsey Conway of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Per Ben Baby of ESPN.com, Chase -- who returned to practice Thursday in a limited capacity -- was present for Friday's session. The Bengals' final Week 10 injury report will be released later Friday and will reveal the extent of Chase's participation, but look for the wideout to be deemed questionable to play this weekend. Meanwhile, Taylor has already confirmed that Tee Higgins (hamstring) won't be available versus Houston.

Head coach Zac Taylor said Friday that Higgins (hamstring) won't play Sunday against the Texans, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

With Higgins out and Ja'Marr Chase dealing with a back issue ahead of Sunday's contest, look for Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin to see added opportunities at receiver this weekend. When Higgins was sidelined by a rib injury Week 5, Irwin stepped into an expanded role behind Chase and caught eight passes on 10 targets for 60 yards, while Boyd logged a 6-39-0 receiving line on seven targets. Higgins' next opportunity to play will arrive this coming Thursday versus the Ravens, but on a short week, he's far from a lock to return to the lineup for that contest.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said Friday that it's probably a long shot that Jones (knee) will be able to play against 49ers on Sunday, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports.

DiRocco suggests that the team plans to give Jones another day in order to see if his playing prospects brighten, with further context regarding the wideout's Week 10 status slated to arrive once Friday's injury report is posted. If Jones remains out this weekend, added snaps will be available for Tim Jones and Jamal Agnew behind Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk.

Higgins (hamstring) wasn't spotted on the field for Friday's practice, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.

Higgins didn't practice Thursday either and appears to be trending toward missing Sunday's game against the Texans, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Bengals will release their final Week 10 injury report later Friday, which will clarify whether Higgins carries a questionable or doubtful designation into the contest or is ruled out ahead of the weekend. If Higgins is sidelined this weekend, added pass-catching opportunities could be available for Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin.

Palmer (neck/illness) returned to practice Friday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Palmer was a limited participant Wednesday due to a neck injury, then missed practice Thursday with the addition of an illness. His return Friday puts him on track to play Sunday against the Titans, likely filling his usual role as Tampa's No. 3 WR.

St. Brown caught a four-yard pass in the Bears' 16-13 win over the Panthers on Thursday.

St. Brown played 39 percent of the snaps after missing four weeks with a hamstring injury. Often used as a blocking receiver, the veteran has been targeted once in each game he's played, and it's unlikely his role will change going forward.

Scott rushed once for 16 yards and caught a 15-yard pass in the Bears' 16-13 win over the Panthers on Thursday.

Scott had played 58 percent of the snaps over his previous four games, but with Equanimeous St. Brown back from injured reserve, Scott saw his snap share fall to 39 percent. The lessened playing time resulted in him being targeted only once, which was down from the three targets per game he was seeing since Week 6. If St. Brown is going to continue playing significant snaps, it will likely be at Scott's expense.

Mooney brought in two of four targets for 14 yards in the Bears' 16-13 win over the Panthers on Thursday night.

Mooney was coming off a season-best 5-82 line on six targets in Week 9 against the Saints, but his production took a notable dive in the low-scoring win. The speedster was a clear complementary option behind top targets DJ Moore and Cole Kmet, and even rookie back Roschon Johnson saw more targets (six) than Mooney. The fourth-year pro could potentially see a boost in his outlook if Justin Fields (thumb) is able to return for a Week 11 road battle against the Lions on Nov. 19.

Mingo brought in three of seven targets for 20 yards in the Panthers' 16-13 loss to the Bears on Thursday night.

With DJ Chark (elbow) sidelined, Mingo saw his highest target count since Week 5 but was unable to do much with the opportunity. Bryce Young's struggles under center are helping cap the upside of all Panthers pass catchers, and Mingo could be back to a reserve role in a difficult Week 11 home matchup against the Cowboys since Chark will have some extra time to recover before that contest.