NFL Player News

The Bills placed Shorter on injured reserve Wednesday with a hamstring injury, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports.

Shorter, a fifth-round pick out of Florida, made the Bills' initial 53-man roster after finishing the preseason with six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown while also contributing to special teams. However, after picking up the hamstring injury and going on IR, he'll be required to miss at least the first four games of the season. Once activated, Shorter will likely handle a depth role in the Bills' receiving corps.

The Colts re-signed McKenzie on Thursday.

After initially cutting McKenzie earlier Wednesday, the Colts opted to bring the veteran slot man aboard, likely at a more team-friendly price. As Week 1 approaches, McKenzie will likely vie with rookie Josh Downs for snaps alongside the team's top two receivers, Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce.

Shavers was waived by the Bills on Tuesday, Alec White of the team's official website reports.

Shavers joined the Bills in May as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State and was looking to earn a roster spot as a depth receiver and special teams contributor. While he didn't survive final cuts, the Bills brought Shavers aboard their practice squad. He'll continue to take part in practices with Buffalo while awaiting the opportunity to get elevated to the 53-man roster on game day should the Bills have a need for another receiver at any point.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said Wednesday that he's hopeful Toney (knee) will be available for the team's Sept. 7 regular season opener versus the Lions, James Palmer of NFL Network reports.

With Veach suggesting that Toney has a chance to be ready for Week 1, the wideout's practice participation in the coming days will be worth monitoring closely. Once Toney is fully up to speed, he's slated to play a key role in a Kansas City wideout corps that also includes Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Richie James and Justin Watson.

Gray (shoulder) will be placed on injured reserve Thursday and will miss a minimum of four games, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The earliest he can make his 2023 debut is Week 5 against Dallas on Oct. 8. Until then, Jauan Jennings won't have much competition for the No. 3 receiver gig, though that role is de-emphasized in a 49ers offense that often uses a fullback and sometimes a second tight end. With fellow depth wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud (wrist) also out for the start of the season, seventh-round rookie Ronnie Bell could get some snaps off the bench early on in 2023.

Ngata signed with the Eagles' practice squad Wednesday.

Ngata missed out on a 53-man roster spot with the Eagles after he was waived Tuesday, but he'll remain in the organization ahead of the 2023 campaign. During his final collegiate season at Clemson, the undrafted rookie logged 41 receptions for 526 yards and two touchdowns.

The Patriots are expected to place Thornton (shoulder) on injured reserve prior to Week 1, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

Assuming that's the case, Thornton would be in line to miss the first four weeks of the season and would presumably target a return to game action Oct. 8 versus the Saints. As the regular season approaches, the Patriots' wideout corps is led by JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne. Rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte profile as the top reserve options.

The Titans are expected to place Philips (knee) on injured reserve prior to Week 1, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports.

Once the transaction becomes official, Philips will be ineligible for the first four games of the season, with Oct. 8 at Indianapolis marking his earliest possible date for a 2023 debut. The 2022 fifth-round pick played only four games as a rookie while battling shoulder and hamstring injuries, but earlier this summer he seemed to have a shot at roles as the No. 3 receiver and punt returner. Philips' absence could leave return work available for undrafted rookie Kearis Jackson, while veterans Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Chris Moore are more likely to pick up snaps on offense.

Shakir (rib) returned to practice Wednesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 Sports Radio reports.

Shakir is back healthy with almost two weeks to spare before the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the Jets. The second-year wide receiver will now set his sights on seizing the third spot on Buffalo's depth chart behind Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Deonte Harty and Trent Sherfield are Shakir's top challengers for the No. 3 role.

Robinson (knee) said after being reinstated from the active/PUP list Tuesday that he hopes to suit up Week 1 versus the Cowboys, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.

Robinson is participating in on-field drills Wednesday at what appeared to be full speed, according to Carroll. The second-year wideout is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee that he had surgically repaired in December, so hoping to play Week 1 is ambitious but not out of the question. Still, even if Robinson can take the field versus Dallas, he may be on a limited snap count. The Giants have a deep group of wideouts competing for snaps, with Robinson battling for playing time with the likes of Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, Sterling Shepard and rookie Jalin Hyatt.