NFL Player News

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel (ankle) will be limited at Thursday's practice, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Shanahan said prior to Wednesday's session that Samuel and running backs Christian McCaffrey (calf) and Elijah Mitchell (groin) wouldn't take part in drills. Samuel eventually did so and was listed as limited, which he'll maintain one day later, while both McCaffrey and Mitchell will remain sidelined. There's an expectation that all three players will be available for Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia, but Samuel could be poised for a bit more work out of the 49ers backfield if McCaffrey and/or Mitchell are at all limited.

Samuel (ankle) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, David Lombardi of The Athletic reports.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com earlier Wednesday that the 49ers' primary backfield options -- Christian McCaffrey (calf), Elijah Mitchell (groin) and Samuel -- wouldn't mix into drills to kick off prep for Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Philadelphia. While McCaffrey and Mitchell weren't seen during the open portion of Wednesday's session, Samuel was present and took part in some individual work, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic. There's a chance Samuel maintains practice limitations Thursday and Friday as a precautionary measure, but his ankle issue doesn't appear as if it'll affect his availability this weekend.

The Raiders signed Johnson to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.

Johnson was drafted by Tampa Bay in the fifth round in 2020 and appeared in 31 games during his first two NFL seasons, totaling 48 receptions on 72 targets for 529 yards and two scores. He was claimed off waivers by the Texans at the beginning of the 2022 campaign, but he made just two appearances with Houston and didn't garner any targets across 28 offensive snaps. He rejoined Tampa Bay's practice squad after the Texans waived him in late October, but he was never elevated and ultimately became a free agent after the Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs. With his new contract, Johnson will join his third NFL organization and will have a chance to compete for a roster spot during the offseason.

Hardman (pelvis) was listed as a limited practice participant Wednesday.

Hardman was unable to practice last week ahead of the Chiefs' divisional-round win over the Jaguars, but his ability to work Wednesday in any capacity has the wideout trending in the right direction in advance of Sunday's AFC Championship Game versus the Bengals. If he's available this weekend, Hardman will add speed and experience to a Kansas City wideout corps that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Justin Watson.

Dallas signed Houston to a reserve/future contract Wednesday, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.

Houston signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of Western Illinois last spring and made Dallas' initial 53-man roster at the conclusion of the preseason. He caught two of five targets for 16 yards in a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay but failed to secure his lone target in Week 2 and was then waived ahead of Michael Gallup's (ankle) season debut. After clearing waivers, Houston latched on with the Cowboys' practice squad and spent the remainder of the campaign there. With his new deal, Houston will be able to stick around the organization and look to stake a more permanent claim to a roster spot in 2023.

Brown (hip) isn't listed Wednesday on the Eagles' first injury report ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers.

Brown was slow to get to his feet a few times during the later stages of this past Saturday's divisional-round win against the Giants. He touched on the subject Sunday, telling Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer that his left hip got banged up during the contest. According to McLane, Brown also said that he's "good to go" prior to Wednesday's walk-through, which was confirmed now that his name wasn't included among Philadelphia's injured players on the active roster. Brown thus is set to face a San Francisco defense that was vulnerable against wide receivers during the regular season, ranking 26th in yards per target (8.5) and tied for 26th in total touchdowns (18) allowed.

Samuel won't practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reports.

Samuel played 60 of the 49ers' 66 offensive snaps during the divisional-round win over Dallas, but he failed to make any splash plays as the offense was stymied by the Cowboys' athletic defense. The star wideout didn't appear to have gotten injured at any point during the contest, so his absence from practice Wednesday due to the ankle issue may just be maintenance-related after he missed Weeks 15 through 17 with an ankle sprain as well as an MCL sprain. Assuming Samuel is able to get back on the field for practice in some capacity by Friday, he should be in good shape to play in Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Eagles, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Hardman (pelvis) will practice Wednesday, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports.

Head coach Andy Reid noted that Hardman, who last suited up Week 9, "feels better than he did the last couple weeks" and "seems to be in a good place" as Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals approaches. The Chiefs' upcoming injury report will clarify Hardman's official participation level in Wednesday's session, but the wideout appears to be trending in the right direction at this stage of the week.

Wilson secured 12 of 18 targets for 136 yards without a touchdown across 15 appearances with the Dolphins in 2022. He added eight yards on his lone carry.

Wilson fell back to earth after recording a career-best 45-602-6 receiving line with the Cowboys back in 2021, disappointing in the first season of his three-year, $22.8 million contract with the Dolphins. The 26-year-old's bloated contract could make him a potential trade candidate for Miami, as he carries a $7 million base salary for the 2023 campaign. If the Dolphins were to trade Wilson before June 1, the team would save $6 million with a dead-cap hit of just $2 million.

Johnson (Achilles) said Tuesday that he's resumed running on turf and expects to be ready to go for the start of the 2023 season, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

Johnson had been an early standout during training camp this past summer and might have pushed for a top-three role in the Giants' wideout corps before sustaining a season-ending torn right Achilles' tendon in an Aug. 24 practice, getting surgery shortly thereafter. The wideout may not be able to achieve full medical clearance in advance of OTAs this spring, but if he continues to make positive progress in the months to come, he could be close to 100 percent for the start of 2023 training camp.