NFL Player News

Slayton (hamstring) was a limited practice participant Wednesday.

In addition, Sterling Shepard, who, like Slayton, missed the last two games due to a hamstring injury of his own, was back at practice Wednesday in limited fashion. Shepard and Slayton were joined by rookie Kadarius Toney (ankle) as limited, too, while No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay is expected to sit out at least one contest due to a hyperextended knee. If Slayton does enough to gain clearance for Sunday's game versus the Rams, he could be one of the top candidates among Giants skill-position players to pick up targets.

Toney (ankle) was limited at practice Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Just three days removed from an eventful Week 5 in which he reeled off 189 yards on 10 catches, was ejected for throwing a punch at a Cowboys defender, and needed a cart to leave the field due to an ankle injury, Toney was back on the field at Wednesday's walk-through session. Joining him on the field were Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, who both logged limited practices after missing the last two games due to hamstring injuries. The status of the trio remains in question for Sunday's contest against the Rams, but top wide receiver Kenny Golladay is expected to miss at least one outing due to a hyperextended knee. Toney could be in store for another elevated workload if he makes it through the week unscathed.

Shepard (hamstring) practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Both Shepard and Darius Slayton have missed consecutive contests with hamstring injuries, but both players were back on the field Wednesday as limited participants. After the session, Shepard relayed to Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger that he'll be back this week, but the Giants likely will want him to be a full participant Thursday and/or Friday to prove his health. Meanwhile, No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay is expected to miss at least one game due to a hyperextended knee, and rookie Kadarius Toney injured his ankle this past Sunday in Dallas, With that in mind, Shepard could serve as the team's de facto top wideout this weekend against the Rams if he gains clearance to play.

Godwin (knee/ankle) doesn't have a designation for Thursday's game in Philadelphia, Carmen Vitali of the Buccaneers' official site reports.

After being listed as a limited participant on practice estimates from Monday and Tuesday, Godwin managed to take part in every drill Wednesday, paving the way for the wide receiver to suit up Week 6. With Tom Brady (thumb) also cleared to play, Godwin will be one of the Buccaneers' top targets next to Mike Evans and Antonio Brown in an offense that will be without Rob Gronkowski (ribs) for a third straight game.

Proche caught both of his targets for a total of 15 yards Monday against the Colts.

Proche's role was scaled back Monday after he broke out in Week 4 with five grabs for 74 yards against the Broncos. Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown fueled the pass-catching production that led to Baltimore's comeback, and targets were few and far between for Proche, who did play a season-high 47 snaps. If Sammy Watkins is limited in Week 6, Proche could see a healthy dose of snaps Sunday against the Chargers.

Boykin played zero offensive snaps and 15 special teams snaps in Monday's win over the Colts.

Though this was Boykin's 2021 debut, he still didn't factor into the mix on offense. He got plenty of usage on special teams, though. It's particularly discouraging for Boykin that he didn't play on offense despite Sammy Watkins getting hurt during the game. Boykin may be looking at a role primarily on special teams going forward and his role on offense figures to be limited even if he starts getting involved in Week 6 against the Chargers.

The Texans designated Collins (shoulder) to return from injured reserve Wednesday.

The transaction opens a 21-day window for Collins to resume participating in practice, with the wideout eligible to rejoin the 53-man roster at any point during that time. The shoulder injury kept the rookie third-round pick sidelined for the past three games, but once active, he should push Chris Conley for work at the perimeter receiver spot opposite No. 1 wideout Brandin Cooks.

Hill won't practice Wednesday due to a quadriceps contusion, Nate Taylor of The Athletic reports.

Hill was previously believed to be nursing a minor knee injury, but a different issue will keep the wideout off the field Wednesday. Either way, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Hill wasn't expected to miss time. Hill's return to practice Thursday in any capacity would no doubt support the notion that he'll be available for Sunday's game at Washington.

Samuel (groin) was spotted working out on a side field with the training staff during Wednesday's practice, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

Samuel will go down as a non-participant on Washington's first Week 6 injury report, an expected development after head coach Ron Rivera deemed the wide receiver week-to-week following the latest aggravation of the wideout's groin injury. While it's a good sign that Samuel is on the field at all, it would be surprising if the team tries to rush him back into action this week, given the multitude of setbacks he's had over the past four months. That said, Washington does eventually need him, as the other wide receivers behind Terry McLaurin have largely been ineffective and/or injured.

Shepard (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday, saying afterward that he's good to go and will be back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rams, Zack Rosenblatt of The Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Multiple Giants beat writers have also said Shepard is expected back this week. Additionally, Darius Slayton (hamstring) has a shot to return, and Kadarius Toney (ankle) appears likely to play, too, whereas Kenny Golladay (knee) will likely miss at least one game. Assuming Shepard does return, he could end up splitting slot work with Toney, as they've been the team's two most productive pass catchers on a per-snap and per-route basis. The Week 6 matchup appears to be a challenging one for both wideouts, with Rams star cornerback Jalen Ramsey playing nearly half his snaps versus slot receivers this season.