NFL Player News

Patrick suffered a torn ACL during Tuesday's practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

With Patrick now in line to miss the 2022 season, KJ Hamler -- who's bouncing back from a knee injury of his own -- is a candidate to see added pass-catching opportunities behind Denver's top wideout duo of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.

GM Omar Khan said Tuesday that the Steelers are in talks with Johnson's representatives.

Johnson has been a "hold-in" through the first week of training camp, joining his teammates on the field but then watching team drills from the side. It seems both sides expect an agreement to be reached before Week 1, though the Steelers haven't exactly been known for their generosity in contract negotiations with top players. Johnson, a 2019 third-round pick, is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract.

Thornton, who has seen a portion of first-team reps in training camp, "looks like a player on the rise," according to Zack Cox of NESN.com.

The Patriots traded up in April in order to select Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 50th overall. Though the speedster is competing for targets with experienced pros DeVante Parker, Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, the 6-foot-2, 182-pound Baylor product is a player to watch if he's able to parlay his 4.28 speed into a a field-stretching role in the team's offense. Steady volume may not be immediate for Thornton as a rookie, but if injuries end up thinning out New England's wideout corps as the 2022 season rolls along, the soon-to-be 22-year-old could enter the fantasy lineup equation.

Brown (hamstring) will be eased back into practice after the Cardinals removed him from the non-football injury list Tuesday, with coach Kliff Kingsbury saying the wideout may not be a full participant until Monday, Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic reports.

Brown was on the NFI list for the first week of training camp after injuring his hamstring in a training session over the summer. He spent plenty of time on the injury report in three seasons with Baltimore but missed only three of a possible 52 games (including playoffs). The Cardinals don't seem too worried about his current issue, counting on Brown to be ready for Week 1 while fellow wideout DeAndre Hopkins serves the first game of a six-week suspension.

Brown figures to be the next man up at wide receiver after James Washington suffered a fractured foot Monday and will miss 6-to-10 weeks, Rob Phillips of the Cowboys' official website reports.

CeeDee Lamb is the clear top option at wideout, and 2022 third-round pick Jalen Tolbert already was expected to get as much of a workload as he could handle, so Brown is the player on the current roster most likely to see increased snaps and targets with Washington sidelined. The 26-year-old also is the only Dallas receiver other than Lamb who has caught a pass in the NFL in their careers. The Cowboys could sign a veteran free agent such as Will Fuller or Emmanuel Sanders before Week 1, however, keeping Brown in a depth role.

Claypool (shoulder) remained sidelined at practice Tuesday, Dale Lolly of DKPittsburghSports.com reports.

Claypool continues to deal with a shoulder injury, but Lolley notes that it's not considered a serious issue. Claypool thus remains in the day-to-day category. When available, he and Diontae Johnson profile as Pittsburgh's top two wideouts, with rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin next up on the team's depth chart.

Patrick is scheduled for an MRI on his knee after leaving practice early Tuesday morning, Aric DiLalla of the Broncos' official site reports.

Patrick was carted off the field and didn't put any weight on his right leg. Coach Nathaniel Hackett confirmed after practice that the 6-foot-4 wideout is being evaluated for a knee injury. Fellow receiver KJ Hamler was just activated from the PUP list nearly 11 months after suffering a knee injury of his own and figures to see a bigger role if Patrick misses significant time, something Troy Renck of Denver 7 News reports is a possibility.

Cooper (ankle) won't practice Tuesday, but coach Kevin Stefanski indicated that the wideout should be back soon, Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram reports.

Petrak relays that Cooper tweaked his ankle during Monday's practice, but it doesn't sound like a major issue for the Browns' top wideout. His absence does, however, further tax the depth of the team's WR corps, with David Bell (foot) and Anthony Schwartz (knee) also currently sidelined.

Patrick was carted off the field Tuesday after suffering a possible knee injury, Zac Stevens of TheDNVR.com reports.

Per Mike Klis of 9News Denver, Patrick wasn't putting weight on his right leg as he was helped into the trainer's room. If the wideout is forced to miss time, added opportunities would presumably be available for KJ Hamler, who is bouncing back from a knee injury of his own but was activated from the active/PUP list Monday.

Moore left Tuesday's practice early due to a hip injury, Matt McCullen of Kansas City's official website reports.

Moore is competing for a role in a WR group that also includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman. It's a favorable situation for the 2022 second-round pick, but also one in which missed practice time could hurt his chances of getting on the field at all. Moore previously missed most of OTAs and minicamp with a hamstring injury.