NFL Player News

Smith-Schuster (concussion) was present for practice Wednesday, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Smith-Schuster sat out Sunday's loss to the Raiders after not practicing in any fashion, but his return to the field Wednesday bodes well for his chances of playing this weekend against the Bills. The extent of his participation in Wednesday's practice will be clarified once the Patriots' first Week 7 injury report is released, but at a minimum, his presence on the field suggests that he's advancing through the NFL's five-step concussion protocol.

Iosivas played eight of the Bengals' 54 snaps on offense in Sunday's 17-13 win over the Seahawks, reeling in his lone target for a three-yard touchdown.

Though he saw 16 fewer snaps than he did a week earlier in Arizona with Tee Higgins (rib) returning from a one-game absence, Iosivas was able to cash in with his first career touchdown. The rookie sixth-round pick out of Princeton is a fixture on special teams and should continue to avoid the inactive list, but his opportunities on offense are likely to be limited moving forward while Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Trenton Irwin are all healthy.

Irwin went without a target while playing 24 of the Bengals' 54 snaps on offense in the team's 17-13 win over the Seahawks on Sunday.

While Tee Higgins (rib) was sidelined for the Bengals' Week 5 win over the Cardinals, Irwin stepped in as the team's No. 3 wideout and delivered an 8-60-0 receiving line on 10 targets. Though he technically drew a start Week 6 after he was on the field for the Bengals' first offensive snap of the day, Irwin predictably saw his playing time take a hit while Higgins played 29 snaps in his return to the lineup. Higgins should see an uptick in snaps once the rib injury is further in the rear-view mirror, so Irwin's role is probably more likely to decrease rather than grow moving forward.

Watson (elbow) won't practice Wednesday, but head coach Andy Reid doesn't believe the wide receiver will require a stint on injured reserve, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Reading between the lines, the fact that an IR stint was on the table suggests that Watson probably won't be available Sunday against the Chargers, though confirmation on his status likely won't come until the release of the team's final Week 7 injury report Friday. Watson injured his left elbow in last Thursday's 19-8 win over the Broncos. The injury was originally thought to be a dislocation but is now being described as a contusion.

Campbell played all three of his snaps on special teams Sunday in the Giants' 14-9 loss to the Bills.

For the first time all season, Campbell failed to log a snap on offense, as he was strictly limited to kick-return duties in Week 6. Campbell's playing time has been steadily trending down since he logged a season-high 45 snaps in the Giants' comeback win over Arizona in Week 2, with his downturn in opportunities coinciding with Wan'Dale Robinson completing his return from ACL surgery and establishing himself as New York's top slot man.

Shepard wasn't targeted while taking the field for just one of the Giants' 77 snaps on offense in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Bills.

Head coach Brian Daboll talked of potentially expanding Shepard's role ahead of Week 5 action, and while the wideout ended up receiving a season-high 18 snaps in the Giants' loss to the Dolphins that week, his playing time trended back down again Week 6. Now sitting at 1-5 on the season heading into this Sunday's game against the Commanders, the Giants are quickly slipping from the playoff picture and may not have motivation to open up playing time for the 30-year-old Shepard at the expense of young wideouts Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.

Hodgins went without a target while playing 18 of the Giants' 77 snaps on offense in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Bills.

Though Hodgins was credited with a start after opening the game on the field for the Giants' first possession, he ultimately finished fourth among New York receivers in terms of playing time. With snap shares of 40 percent or lower in three consecutive games, Hodgins appears to have moved into more of a depth role while rookie third-round pick Jalin Hyatt has been seeing more work at his expense.

Nailor (hamstring) was designated for return from injured reserve Wednesday.

Nailor returned to practice Wednesday, opening the 21-day window for Minnesota to re-add the wide receiver to the 53-man roster. He was limited exclusively to special teams work in two games prior to getting hurt, but if Nailor's activated before Monday's game against the 49ers, he could factor into a Vikings receiving corps that's without Justin Jefferson (hamstring).

Pierce (shoulder) won't practice Wednesday, Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports.

Pierce was forced out of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars with a right shoulder injury, and the wideout's status for this weekend's game against the Browns is uncertain. On Tuesday, the Colts signed Juwann Winfree and added Tyrie Cleveland to their practice squad, which provides added depth to the team's wideout corps in the event Pierce can't play Week 7.

Shakir reeled in his lone target for 13 yards in Sunday's 14-9 win over the Giants.

Shakir earned just one target for the fifth straight game and continued his underwhelming start to the 2023 campaign. Through six games, the 23-year-old has totaled just four receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown. Operating as the No. 3 receiver Sunday, Shakir played just 39 percent of the Bills' offensive snaps. With Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis commanding the most attention from Josh Allen, the second-year wideout is lacking the opportunities to be a consistent contributor. Shakir should continue to be difficult to trust for fantasy purposes when the Bills visit the Patriots in Week 7.