NFL Player News

Head coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers will need all week to know whether Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) will be able to suit up Sunday versus the Steelers, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

In the wake of the hamstring injury suffered by Valdes-Scantling late in the Packers' Week 3 win at San Francisco, he was unable to practice Wednesday. He has two more opportunities to get on the field this week, which will be key for the fourth-year wide receiver to put himself in a position to play Week 4. If Valdes-Scantling needs some time off, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb figure to pick up the slack alongside top wide receiver Davante Adams.

Thielen was held out of Wednesday's practice for rest purposes.

With no injury at play, Thielen belongs in fantasy lineups for the Vikings' Week 4 game against the Browns. He's second in the NFL with four receiving touchdowns, though Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings in targets (30 to Thielen's 26) and receiving yards (254 to 181).

Gage (ankle) was a non-participant at Wednesday's practice, Scott Bair of the Falcons' official site reports.

Gage has had a disappointing start to the campaign, following up a catchless season opener by injuring his ankle Week 2, when he hauled in five of seven passes for 28 yards. He likely will need to get on the practice field in some capacity Thursday or Friday to be considered a candidate to return to action Week 4. While Gage remains sidelined, Olamide Zaccheaus and Tajae Sharpe should have larger roles in the Falcons offense.

Smith-Schuster (ribs) didn't practice Wednesday.

He's considered day-to-day after X-rays on his ribs came back negative. Meanwhile, Diontae Johnson (knee) returned to a limited practice Wednesday, after missing each session last week and ultimately being ruled out ahead of the Steelers' loss to Cincinnati. Smith-Schuster left that game early, finishing with three catches for 25 yards while playing 40 percent of snaps.

Johnson (knee) returned to practice Wednesday as a limited participant, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.

While Johnson returned after missing every practice each week, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (pectoral) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (rib) both missed Wednesday's session. Roethlisberger likely will continue playing through his injury -- though perhaps not at a high level -- but Smith-Schuster's availability for Week 4 is a real question. Either way, the biggest issue for Johnson is his own knee injury, as he gets plenty of targets whenever he's healthy, even if the Steelers have other mouths to feed as well. An upgrade to full participation Thursday or Friday would allow fantasy managers to enter the weekend with confidence in Johnson suiting up Sunday in Green Bay.

Brown (hamstring) and Julio Jones (leg) both missed practice Wednesday, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

Brown left Sunday's win over the Colts in the first half, while Jones hurt his leg but still managed to play six snaps after halftime. They'll have two more chances to practice before this weekend's game against the Jets, though Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Brown "may miss a week or two."

Higgins (shoulder) won't play Thursday against the Jaguars, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.

With Higgins slated to miss his second straight game, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd will continue to head Cincinnati's pass-catching corps Thursday. Meanwhile Auden Tate and Mike Thomas are next in line to absorb Higgins' snaps in three-receiver sets. The 2020 second-round selection will now target a potential return to action in the Bengals' Week 5 contest Oct. 10 versus the Packers.

Valdes-Scantling (hamstring) didn't take part in practice Wednesday, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.

Valdes-Scantling was merely a spectator, which could indicate the hamstring pull he sustained late in the Packers' Week 3 win at San Francisco may not be severe. In any case, with an absence at practice to begin the week, he's behind the curve in his quest to suit up this Sunday against the Steelers. Valdes-Scantling will have two more chances to practice before that contest.

Thielen is present at Wednesday's practice but isn't participating, Eric Smith of the Vikings' official site reports.

The wideout presumably is dealing with an injury, though he's played all but eight of Minnesota's offensive snaps this season, scoring four touchdowns in the process. The Vikings will release their first Week 4 practice report later Wednesday, which should shed more light on what's keeping Thielen off the field.

Patrick and Courtland Sutton will serve as Denver's top wideouts until Jerry Jeudy (ankle) returns from injured reserve, while KJ Hamler (knee) is out for the season, Aric DiLalla of the team's official site reports.

Jeudy is eligible to return as soon as Week 4, but he'll likely need more time to recover from a high-ankle sprain. While Patrick eventually will face a demotion to the No. 3 role, he's done well with modest volume thus far, catching 12 of 13 targets for 174 yards and two touchdowns on a 73.3 percent snap share through three games. He gets a sub-optimal matchup this weekend, facing a Baltimore defense that has two of the league's more physically imposing cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey and Jimmy Smith.