NFL Player News

Claypool (non-injury) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against Washington.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said as much Monday, and the Bears then made it official Wednesday by ruling Claypool out on the final Week 5 injury report with "other" being listed as the reason behind his absence. The wideout was a healthy scratch ahead of Sunday's 31-28 loss to Denver, two days after intimating to reporters that the Chicago coaching staff hadn't been using him correctly. Equanimeous St. Brown filled in as the No. 3 receiver Week 4, drawing just one target in what continued to be a low-volume role. The Bears likely will trade or release Claypool in the coming weeks.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll said that Shepard is likely to receive more playing time Sunday against the Dolphins, Art Stapleton of The Record Sports reports.

Shepard has yet to play more than 20 percent of New York's offensive snaps in any of his four appearances this season. Daboll said Wednesday that the team had more packages featuring Shepard in its playbook for Monday's 24-3 loss to Seattle, but the Giants weren't able to get those play calls due to the flow of the game. Shepard was on the field for only five snaps Monday, catching his lone target for six yards. With the Giants getting underwhelming production from their other wide receivers, Shepard could carve out a larger role moving forward if Daboll follows through with his plan.

Burks (knee) won't practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Burks sat out this past Sunday's win over the Bengals with the knee injury, and with another missed practice to start Week 5 prep, his status for this Sunday's game against the Colts is cloudy. If Burks remains sidelined for another game, Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine would be in line for expanded roles behind No. 1 wideout DeAndre Hopkins.

Samuel (quadriceps) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Bears.

Samuel was listed as a non-participant for Monday's walk-through session and was limited in practices Tuesday and Wednesday, but he'll be good to go Thursday. Washington usually has a package of short throws and jet sweeps in place for the shifty Samuel, who has 17 catches on 20 targets for 178 yards to go with 20 yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts through four games. He'll look to make the most of those touches against a porous Chicago defense that has given up 34.3 points per game through four weeks.

Dotson (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Thursday's game against the Bears.

Dotson is good to go for a favorable matchup against a Chicago defense that has allowed 34.3 points per game through the first four weeks of the season. The 2022 first-round draft pick finally scored his first touchdown of the season in last week's loss to the Eagles after finding the end zone seven times in 12 games as a rookie. Dotson has drawn a healthy 25 targets through four games but has yet to exceed 40 yards in any week.

Higgins (rib) won't practice Wednesday, Geoff Hobson of the Bengals' official site reports.

Per Hobson, head coach Zac Taylor labeled Higgins as day-to-day as Sunday's game against the Cardinals approaches. Meanwhile, Ben Baby of ESPN.com previously relayed that the wideout may be able to play through his fractured rib this weekend. "Really, it's just up to me," Higgins acknowledged Monday regarding his Week 5 status. "Pain-wise, I might be able to go this week. I might not. You never know." If Higgins is out Sunday or is available to play limited snaps, however, Trenton Irwin and Andrei Iosivas would be candidates to see added snaps behind Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd.

Robinson (knee) is expected to be a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Bob Brookover of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

The Giants are likely taking a cautious approach with Robinson's surgically repaired right knee two days after Monday's 24-3 loss to the Seahawks. Robinson has drawn 11 targets in two games since making his season debut after recovering from a torn ACL, and the wide receiver could be ticketed for a prominent role in the passing game once again Sunday in Miami.

Ali (ankle) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.

Ali suffered the injury toward the end of September and didn't make the trip to London with the team for Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. The 24-year-old will now miss at least the next four weeks and will be eligible to return Week 9 against the Vikings.

The Rams designated Kupp (hamstring) for a return to practice Wednesday.

The transaction opens up a 21-day window in which the Rams can evaluate Kupp before activating him from injured reserve and adding him to the 53-man active roster. Per Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register, Kupp is in line to practice Wednesday, with Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com having previously reported that the Rams hope the wideout will be available this Sunday against the Eagles. Kupp's availability for the Week 5 matchup isn't guaranteed at this stage, but added context on that front should arrive once the team observes Kupp at practices Wednesday through Friday.

Sherfield caught two of his three targets for 18 yards in Sunday's 48-20 win over the Dolphins.

Sherfield had an underwhelming performance Sunday despite playing the third-most wide receiver snaps (27) behind Stefon Diggs (44) and Gabe Davis (42). Playing ahead of Khalil Shakir and Deonte Harty, the veteran wideout was unable to make the most of his opportunities. With so many mouths to feed on a talented offense in Buffalo, Sherfield will likely continue to find it difficult to consistently produce for fantasy purposes. The Bills are set to square off against the Jaguars in Week 5.