NFL Player News

Aiyuk caught one of three targets for 35 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Chargers.

Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel each accounted for three of Brock Purdy's nine pass attempts as the 49ers' starters easily made their way down the field against the Chargers' backups. Things might not look so easy Week 1 at Pittsburgh, though the cornerbacks are probably the relative weak point of an otherwise stellar Steelers defense.

Douglas isn't in uniform for Friday's preseason game against the Titans and may have already earned a role in the New England offense, Mark Daniels of MassLive reports.

Chad Graff of The Athletic reports that the rookie sixth-round pick has been New England's "most pleasant training camp surprise" and could finish the season as the team's No. 3 receiver. Douglas may start off only fourth or fifth on the depth chart, but his roster spot at least appears safe as the Patriots begin preparations for Week 1 against Philadelphia.

Mingo caught one of two targets for 14 yards in Friday's preseason game against Detroit.

Adam Thielen went for 4-48-1 on five targets, with Mingo being the only other player to see more than one look from QB Bryce Young on the first-team offense's two drives. The rookie wideout appeared to play nearly all the snaps with the starters, which perhaps isn't surprising given the absences of DJ Chark (hamstring), Terrace Marshall (back) and Laviska Shenault (concussion). The previous preseason usage suggests Mingo would have a top-three role even with everyone healthy, though perhaps as the No. 3 behind Thielen and Chark. Expect Mingo to get plenty of playing time Week 1 at Atlanta, even if Chark is back in the lineup.

Thielen caught four of five targets for 48 yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason game against the Lions.

Despite missing a few snaps after he took a big hit, Thielen accounted for five of the 10 targets and 66 percent of Carolina's receiving yards while QB Bryce Young was in the game. The Panthers' first-team offense scored 10 points on two drives against Detroit's second-team defense, with the final play being a 21-yard touchdown reception by Thielen on a corner route. The 33-year-old has a chance to lead the Panthers in targets this season and should see his share of looks Week 1 at Atlanta, especially if DJ Chark (hamstring) is sidelined.

Schwartz (hamstring) isn't expected to play in Cleveland's preseason finale, Doc Louallen of the team's official site reports.

Cleveland will most likely continue to hold Schwartz out with a hamstring injury after he missed practice earlier in the week. The young wideout is entering his third season after being selected by the Browns in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Schwartz has only 14 career receptions, so expect the 22-year-old to serve as a depth piece in Cleveland's wide receiver room ahead of the coming season.

Thornton (undisclosed) isn't slated to play in Friday's preseason contest at Tennessee, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Thornton hasn't practiced since Aug. 17, when he suffered an undisclosed injury that will sideline him for the Patriots' final two exhibitions. With Thornton sidelined, the team's potentially available wide receivers Friday are JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne and Demario Douglas, among others. Thornton's next opportunity for game action is a Week 1 matchup with the Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Goodwin (illness) will not play the preseason finale against the Chiefs on Saturday, Doc Louallen of the Browns' official site reports.

Goodwin remains on the active/non-football injury list due to blood cots, and his status for Week 1 against the Bengals is unknown. The Browns may be leaning toward keeping six receivers, and Goodwin would be among those six if he were healthy. The four locks are Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Cedric Tillman. Beyond that, wide receivers in the mix for the final spots are David Bell, Jaelon Darden, Jakeem Grant, Anthony Schwartz (hamstring) and Austin Watkins.

Chark (hamstring) isn't expected to play in Friday's preseason game against the Lions, Darin Gantt of the Panthers' official site reports.

Chark was sidelined at Wednesday's practice due to a hamstring injury, which will keep him out of Carolina's exhibition finale. Along with Chark, fellow wide receivers Terrace Marshall (back) and Laviska Shenault (concussion) also won't suit up, meaning the likes of Adam Thielen, rookie Jonathan Mingo and Shi Smith will be among Bryce Young's top WR targets Friday. Chark will turn his focus to being healthy for the Panthers' Week 1 road matchup with the Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 10.

The Bears placed Pettis (undisclosed) on injured reserve Friday, Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com reports.

The Bears have not provided any clarity on the nature of Pettis' injury. The 27-year-old pass catcher is now in line to spend the remainder of the 2023 season on the sideline. He recorded 19 receptions on 41 targets for 245 yards and three touchdowns for Chicago in 2022.

Boyd is aiming for 1,000 yards this season, though he also said teammates Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are better than ever, Charlie Godsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

One of the issues for Boyd is that the Bengals have moved Chase and Higgins into the slot more and more often as they and QB Joe Burrow (calf) have increasingly mastered coach Zac Taylor's offense over the years. The grey cloud hanging over Cincinnati is Burrow's preseason injury, potentially leaving things in the hands of Trevor Siemian or Jake Browning for Week 1 at Cleveland. Either way, Boyd is Option C in a prolific offense and should remain one of the league's better No. 3 receivers in his age-28/29 season.