NFL Player News

Thomas is looking "more like his old self" the more he practices at Saints camp, Luke Johnson of NOLA.com reports.

"Thomas looks to be hitting his stride," wrote Johnson. Rejuvenated and healthy, Thomas has been stacking strong practices together and looks to be getting closer to 100 percent ahead of Week 1. Now 30 years old and coming off three injury-ruined seasons, Thomas is hard to trust for fantasy, but he produced when he was on the field last year, catching 16 of 22 targets for 171 yards and three touchdowns in three games.

Jeudy is expected to miss several weeks with what is described as a moderate hamstring injury that he suffered during Thursday's practice, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.

With that potential timeline in mind, Jeudy's status for Week 1 is in question. On the plus side, the report suggests that there's optimism that the wideout's issue won't be a long-term one that extends beyond the initial estimate. While Jeudy -- who is slated to undergo an MRI, per John Riker of the Broncos' official site -- is unavailable, Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims are in line to lead Denver's WR corps, with the likes of Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Kendall Hinton in the mix to claim added work during that span.

McLaurin (toe) is uncertain for Week 1 against Arizona even though the Commanders have expressed optimism, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

McLaurin seemed to know the injury could threaten his Week 1 availability, as he came over to the sideline and threw his right shoe after coming out of Monday's preseason win over Baltimore. Dyami Brown, the Commanders' No. 4 receiver, caught a TD pass from Sam Howell not long after, filling in alongside Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel to form the main three-wide grouping. The team's medical staff diagnosed McLaurin with turf toe after the game, and Schefter noted Thursday that it's typically a multi-week injury. Expect to see McLaurin on the Week 1 injury report, with practice limitations (or absences) a possibility even if he ends up playing.

Downs is believed to be the front-runner for the Colts' slot receiver job, Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Downs has been competing with veteran Isaiah McKenzie for the job, but the rookie has had a "big summer" at Colts camp and appears to have the leg up in three-wide sets alongside Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce. With Anthony Richardson under center, however, it's unclear if Downs will find his way into 2023 fantasy value in an offense that might be able to only support one pass-catcher.

Darden (leg) participated in seven-on-seven drills at Thursday's practice, Jake Trotter of ESPN.com reports.

Darden went down with an injury early in camp on Aug. 1 and has yet to play a snap this preseason. Trying to carve out a depth wideout role and spot on special teams as a potential return man, Darden needs to get healthy and stay that way. We should expect to see him out there for the preseason finale Saturday against the Chiefs.

Coach Matt Eberflus said Thursday that he feels confident Claypool (hamstring) will be able to play Week 1 against the Packers, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic reports.

Claypool opened training camp on the active/PUP list and then pulled his hamstring on Aug. 9 and has been sidelined ever since. Injuries have been Claypool's downfall in his time with the Bears. Once healthy, Claypool is expected to serve as Chicago's slot man between outside receivers DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney.

Coach Sean Payton said Thursday that Mims will play a lot in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams and may otherwise be asked to step up in the WR room if Jerry Jeudy (hamstring) misses time, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Jeudy is scheduled for an MRI following his early exit from Thursday's practice. He and Courtland Sutton have been the team's top two wide receivers all spring/summer, with Mims a clear favorite for the No. 3 role ever since Tim Patrick suffered an Achilles tear July 31. The rookie now has some chance to open the year in a top-two role, as the competition for playing time is less than formidable -- namely Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway, Kendall Hinton -- in the event of Jeudy missing regular-season games.

Jeudy is scheduled for an MRI on his hamstring after leaving Thursday's practice early, Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports.

Jeudy limped off the field with assistance Thursday morning and was then carted back to the locker room while holding the back of his right leg. James Palmer of NFL Network notes that Jeudy was visibly upset and had trouble getting on/off the medical cart. He'll miss Denver's preseason finale Saturday against the Rams and is now in doubt for the start of the regular season. Jeudy missing games likely would lead to more targets for Courtland Sutton, additional playing time for Marvin Mims and increased use of formations with multiple TEs and/or FB Michael Burton on the field. Behind Jeudy, Sutton and Mims, the Broncos have Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Kendall Hinton as the leading candidates for depth roles at WR.

Kupp (hamstring) said Thursday that he's on track to play Week 1 against the Seahawks, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.

Kupp pulled his hamstring back on Aug. 1 but returned to practice earlier this week. The Rams have no reason to push their offensive centerpiece, so Kupp has been getting plenty of rest before the games count in two weeks. Kupp is a locked-in top-10 fantasy pick and should contend for the league lead in targets this season.

Jeudy was carted off the field Thursday after suffering an apparent hamstring injury, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Per Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post, Jeudy was holding the back of his right leg as he was being carted off. While the severity of the wideout's issue remains to be seen, Jeudy at a minimum is iffy for Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams. If he's forced to miss time, Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims would profile as the Broncos' top available wideouts, with Brandon Johnson, Marquez Callaway and Kendall Hinton, among others, in the depth mix.