NFL Player News

Watson (hamstring) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday and is expected to be listed as a non-participant for the second day in a row, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

Watson may have been able to take part in some rehab work behind closed doors at the Packers' facility, but his lack of on-field reps for the second day in a row leaves him trending in the wrong direction for Sunday's season opener versus the Bears. The Packers will see if Watson can get back on the practice field Friday in some capacity before giving him a designation for Sunday's contest. The Green Bay receiver group already looks banged up heading into Week 1, as Romeo Doubs (hamstring) also sat out Wednesday's session and Dontayvion Wicks (hamstring) was a limited participant.

Chark (hamstring) isn't participating in Thursday's practice, Joe Person of The Athletic reports.

Earlier Thursday, Chark told Steve Reed of the Associated Press that he feels good enough to play Sunday against the Falcons, but he acknowledged that any decision on his status will ultimately hinge on whether the Carolina medical staff wants him to rest up for another week to avoid risking an aggravation of his hamstring injury. At this point, Chark may be trending toward sitting out Sunday, given that he's now been a non-participant in both of the Panthers' first two Week 1 practices. He'll have another chance to get back on the field Friday before the Panthers decide whether to give him a designation for Sunday's game.

The Giants listed Robinson (knee) as a limited participant on Thursday's estimated practice report, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

New York didn't hold a practice Thursday, so Robinson was tagged as a limited participant on the injury report for the second day in a row. The second-year wideout is working his way back from mid-December surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, but he seems to have made excellent progress in his recovery. That being said, the Giants may want to see Robinson put in a full practice Friday before clearing him for Sunday's season opener versus Dallas.

Metchie (hamstring) remained sidelined during Thursday's practice, Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Metchie also missed Wednesday's session, so the wideout will presumably need to practice in some capacity Friday in order to approach Sunday's game against the Ravens minus an injury designation. As the coming season approaches, the Texans' WR corps is led by Nico Collins and Robert Woods, with Metchie, Noah Brown, Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson in the mix to absorb snaps and targets that don't go to the team's top duo.

Skowronek could have an expanded role in the Rams offense while fellow wideout Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is sidelined for at least Sunday's season opener in Seattle, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Atlantic reports.

Skowronek's familiarity with all of the Rams' receiver positions was a key factor in him sticking around with the club for a third season. With two young wideouts in Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua stepping in behind Van Jefferson, Skowronek could be called upon to spell any of the three players and function in a variety of roles beyond special teams while Kupp is out.

Nacua will serve as the Rams' No. 3 wide receiver with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) ruled out for Sunday's contest against Seattle, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Atlantic reports.

The rookie fifth-round pick out of BYU will be thrust into a fairly significant role to start his career as one of the starting wideouts for the Rams along with Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell. Nacua made his only appearance in the preseason count, posting three catches for 32 yards and a touchdown on five targets in a 34-17 loss to the Chargers on Aug. 12. Kupp's hamstring injury could be serious enough for him to begin the season on injured reserve, so Nacua's increased role could extend beyond this week.

Goodwin (illness) logged a limited practice Wednesday.

Goodwin has been dealing with blood clots since the beginning of training camp, so his ability to practice Wednesday is a positive sign for his chances to play Week 1 against the Bengals. The wide receiver will have two more chances to ramp up his activity this week before the beginning of the regular season.

Thompson (shoulder) was a full participant in practice Wednesday, John Boyle of the Seahawks' official site reports.

Thompson appears to be healthy once again after injuring his shoulder during the team's second preseason game against Dallas. The 27-year-old should serve as a depth receiver and will likely see most of his playing time come on special teams.

Wicks (hamstring) was a limited participant in practice Wednesday.

Wicks is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the team's second preseason game and will hope to be good to go for Sunday's opener against Chicago. With both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs also dealing with hamstring injuries, the Packers could find themselves extremely thin at the position to start the season and Wicks could be in line for a bigger role if healthy.

Atwell will act as the Rams' No. 2 wide receiver in Sunday's game against the Seahawks with Cooper Kupp (hamstring) ruled out for the season opener, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Atlantic reports.

In Kupp's absence, Van Jefferson will take over as the Rams' No. 1 wideout, and he could hold that role through the first four weeks of the season if Los Angeles chooses to put Kupp on injured reserve. Atwell saw no action during the preseason, a sign that head coach Sean McVay was protecting the speedster for the regular season. Atwell and promising rookie Puka Nacua will serve as the secondary options in the passing game behind Jefferson and tight end Tyler Higbee.