NFL Player News

Cephus will make his preseason debut Sunday against the Steelers, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Cephus suffered an undisclosed leg injury during the first week of training camp and didn't return to practice until this past week. While Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond have secured the No. 3 and 4 roles, respectively, at receiver in his absence, Cephus could make a case for the No. 5 role if he can outperform the likes of Tom Kennedy and Trinity Benson on Sunday. However, regardless of how things shake out, the looming return of Jameson Williams (knee) figures to push all of these guys down the depth chart by season's end.

Thornton underwent surgery this past Monday to repair a fractured clavicle, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

The report notes that Thornton's recovery period should be in the 6-to-8 week range, which sets the stage for the 2022 second-rounder to miss time out of the gate this season. Once he returns to action, the speedy rookie will look to carve out a role in a New England wideout corps that also currently includes DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor.

Mooney may play the entire first half along with the Bears' starters in Saturday's preseason finale against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Mooney was on the field for one drive last week, but coach Matt Eberflus expects to play his starters for the entire first half against Cleveland. Mooney appears to be the unquestioned top option in the Chicago passing attack for Justin Fields going into this season.

Pringle (quadriceps) missed Thursday's practice and may not play Saturday against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

Pringle suffered a quadriceps injury Aug. 6 and has yet to return to practice, making it unlikely he plays in the preseason finale. If he sits, he'll have two weeks to heal up to have a chance to play in Week 1.

Jones (undisclosed) missed practice Thursday and may not take the field Saturday against the Browns, Alyssa Barbieri of USA Today reports.

The Bears are expected to play their starters in the first half, though with Jones missing the last practice before the game, he seems to be trending toward not suiting up.

Montgomery is slated to undergo further tests to determine the severity of the ankle injury he sustained in Friday's preseason finale against the Raiders, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

Montgomery had been projected to help fill the change-of-pace/pass-catching void created by the retirement of James White, but if he's forced to miss time into the regular season, rookie Pierre Strong is a candidate to see increased opportunities in New England's offense. Additionally, the team's top early down options, Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, could see added looks in the passing game out of the gate in such a scenario, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site notes.

Houston caught two of three targets for 25 yards in Friday's preseason game against the Seahawks.

The undrafted rookie free agent out of Western Illinois caught passes from two different quarterbacks on the night, connecting with Will Grier on an eight-yard reception late in the first quarter before helping set up the eventual game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter with a 17-yard catch from Ben DiNucci. The fact that Houston was still on the field that late in the contest suggests he's on the roster bubble, but he's been impressing the coaching staff since OTAs and has helped his case with some strong work on special teams. If Houston does make the Week 1 roster, he'll be fighting with Jalen Tolbert, Noah Brown (toe), Simi Fehoko and KaVontae Turpin for snaps and targets behind CeeDee Lamb (foot) in a patchwork receiving corps that will eventually get reinforcements in the form of Michael Gallup (knee) and James Washington (foot).

Fehoko caught two of five targets for eight yards and a touchdown in Friday's preseason game against the Seahawks.

The 2021 fifth-round pick wasn't exactly consistent in this contest, but the same could be said for the entire Dallas passing game, as a patchwork offensive line couldn't give the team's quarterbacks many clean pockets. Fehoko was on the other end of a one-yard TD toss from Will Grier in the second quarter on a designed rollout though, and overall he has looked much more comfortable heading into his second NFL campaign. Fehoko will be competing with Jalen Tolbert, Noah Brown (toe), Dennis Houston and KaVontae Turpin for snaps and targets behind CeeDee Lamb (foot) in Week 1, as that group of unproven wideouts tries to secure spots on the depth chart before Michael Gallup (knee) and James Washington (foot) return to action.

Tolbert caught two of five targets for nine yards in Friday's preseason game against the Seahawks.

A patchwork offensive line gave Dallas' quarterbacks little time to operate in the pocket, and as a result the whole offense sputtered at times, while Tolbert did little with the opportunities he did get. The 2022 third-round pick figures to be leaned on heavily to open the regular season with Michael Gallup (knee) and James Washington (foot) both sidelined. Tolbert has yet to see game action with Dak Prescott, but his preseason performances suggest the South Alabama product may not be ready to make an immediate splash in the NFL.

Eskridge caught one of three targets for eight yards in Friday's preseason game against the Cowboys. He also returned one punt for 18 yards.

The 2021 second-round pick didn't make much of an impression as a rookie, in part due to injuries, and that trend has continued into his second year, as a hamstring issue kept Eskridge sidelined for Seattle's first two preseason games. His ability to contribute on special teams, as well as the draft capital the team used on him, should ensure he has a roster spot in 2022, but Eskridge will still be behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf on the depth chart at wideout and working in a passing game that could take a big step backward with Geno Smith replacing Russell Wilson under center.